The Speaker of Parliament, Leaupepe Toleafoa Faafisi, has not seen the letter Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, wrote to another former Speaker and Cabinet Minister, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao.

He is also unaware about whether Laauli has been ousted from the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.). But as a senior member of the H.R.P.P., Leaupepe reaffirmed Prime Minister Tuilaepas position that members who vote against the partys position automatically resign themselves.

We have policies in place and they must be obeyed, otherwise what is the purpose of being a member of the Human Rights Protection Party when there is no loyalty? Leaupepe said.

The Speaker expressed his views during an interview with the Sunday Samoan where his views were sought on the matter. On Thursday, Prime Minister Tuilaepa revealed that he had written to Laauli, to thank him for his services.

I wrote to thank him for removing himself from the party, Tuilaepa said. I thanked him for making that decision and we happily accept his decision.

The Prime Minister refused to say whether Laaulis services to the party have been terminated. Speaker Leaupepe took the same position yesterday.

I dont know anything about the Prime Ministers letter however if he has written to Laauli that is the correct move. There are bylaws within our Party that every member must abide by, Leaupepe said.

Asked whether Laaulis actions warranted his exit from the H.R.P.P., the Speaker said yes. He said party policies dictate that members must toe the party line or else they remove themselves from the party.

Once you pledge to be a member of the party, one must be loyal, supportive and comply with the bylaws of the party, said the Speaker.

Is this democratic?

Yes it is, dont betray the party, Leaupepe said. You cannot cross the floor if you dont get your way.That is what happened in the past and we ended up with three Prime Ministers in one year as a result of crossing the floor. That paints a negative picture that Samoa is not a stable government.

He reminded that in accordance to bylaws of the H.R.P.P., one must be loyal to the party and its mandate.

For any Party, there are rules, regulations and the members have already sworn their loyalty to the party, and if you are disloyal then what is the purpose of being a member?

Asked whether the H.R.P.P. caucus met to discuss the matter, Leaupepe said there is a Special Committee within the party that deals with such issues.

There is a committee in place, whether they met or not, that I dont know, but my response is that there is a Committee and I am certain they have met.

Leaupepe spoke about the issue of Members of Parliament crossing the floor.

It has happened in the past and we dont want history to repeat itself, he said.

We want a stable government. If the government were unsteady Samoa would not be able to receive financial assistance or aid from overseas governments and financial institutions."

Samoa is different from other Pacific Islands, we have recently graduated from the least developing countries; the infrastructure (compared to other countries) are significant; our health care is stable; our senior citizens are receiving financial assistance; education is paid for by the government, these are signs of a good a Government."

One must have foresight to see through to the future rather than just considering what will happen tomorrow.

Asked to explain the process if a Member of Parliament is removed from the political party, the Speaker said: If you resign or you are ousted by the party that means, you have to stay independent unless you want to cross the floor to another party then one must go through the by-election.

Contacted for a comment, Laauli said: I cannot comment on any of your questions. I will hold a press conference next week.Two of Samoas new addiction professionals Moana Solomona and Tuifagatoa Dr George Leao Tuitama believe training for drug and alcohol addiction counselling must be relevant to Samoas cultural context.

Last week, 17 Samoan professionals were awarded certificates in basic counselling skills for addiction professionals, thanks to a week of training in the Universal Treatment Curriculum.

Ms Solomona is a drug and alcohol clinician in the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration. She believes the training the group received was worthwhile but still needs to be more rooted in the Samoan context.

We were taught you must not accept gifts from clients, but in Samoa that would be more offensive, she said.

Gift giving is a cultural norm here, while we are looking at it as an ethical dilemma.

Of the eight or so counselling theories the group were taught, several are not relevant to Samoa, Ms Solomona believes.

She said she wouldnt necessarily have her clients talk to imaginary friends or family in an empty chair, or discuss taboo topics like sex with them.

People here have never heard of [Sigmund] Freud, yet there we were talking about the psychosexual, the ego and ID and they dont need to know that.

Couch therapy works for my American colleagues because Americans can talk and talk and the therapist doesnt need to ask them anything, but here we need to probe and probe.

Each morning, Ms Solomona and Tuifagatoa Dr George Leao Tuitama would review the previous days training with the participants in Samoan, and answer their questions on the material before a new day of training.

They were able to bring the training to a more locally relevant context and share which ideas would, and would not do well here.

But the exam is still on the content we learned, Ms Solomona said. She and nine other participants sat the International Certified addiction professional examination last week, and in three weeks will learn if they are certified alcohol and drug addiction counsellors.

Thats not what we will be practicing in the field; we cant practice an American model of counselling here.

Having the certificate is still largely a benefit, Ms Solomona said, and having herself and Tuifagatoa there to translate some counselling theories into Samoan, and into the Samoan context helped.

The in-depth look into addiction as a disease and the impacts drug and alcohol addiction have on the people and their families was a valuable part of the training.

[The participants] were shocked at what drugs do to the brain and realised that when they are getting up on Sunday they are still drunk in church because of how long alcohol stays in your system, she said.

They got great learning out of it for themselves, like for police; now they can recognise symptoms of someone coming down from meth or what someone looks like high on marijuana or drunk.

Tuifagatoa Dr George Leao Tuitama is the psychiatric registrar and head of the Mental Health Unit at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital. He said he also helped the training facilitators to make the training more relevant.

One element of the code of ethics the group was taught is not to counsel any family members, relatives or people you have ties with.

So, that is going to be very difficult here in Samoa, everyone is related and everyone has some sort of connection to another person.

What you can do about it is try and train yourself to sort of detach from whatever is conflicting, which is your way of helping the client, which is not easy.

Having a variety of government agencies in the training will make a difference to Samoas response to drug addictions and mental health as a whole.

We need a multi-disciplinary approach. Having this training, its helping to build awareness.

It is quite obvious that there is an increased use in crystal meth (methamphetamine) and patients are now suffering from acute psychosis from that, Tuifagatoa said.

The training was facilitated by addiction counselling professionals from the Colombo Plan in Sri Lanka, an intergovernmental program focusing on development of its member states across the Asia-Pacific region.

It was funded by the United States State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. US Embassy public affairs assistant Perelaaroi Siaosi said the costs were roughly T$26,000 per training.Lets face it. This without a doubt is one of the most interesting times in the journey of our beautiful Samoa in recent memory.

If anything, the developments in the past couple of days, especially in the political arena  open up some interesting questions  on not just about whats happening today, but the answers could provide some clarity in the future.

Take for instance the situation that the former Cabinet Minister and Speaker of Parliament, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao, has found himself in. A long serving member of the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.), his decision to vote against the Governments Electoral Constituencies Bill, has landed him in hot water.

Today, judging from what the Prime Minister has been saying, Laauli is effectively sacked. How else can one interpret Tuilaepas comments?

Listen to him again: I wrote to thank him for removing himself from the party. I thanked him for making that decision and we happily accept his decision.

During the same interview, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said there are H.R.P.P. by-laws that must be respected, when it comes to the position of the party on certain issues. He said Laaulis vote against the Governments position on the Electoral Constituencies Bill was telling.

He has made his decision and under our by-laws, its an indication that you have officially resigned, Tuilaepa said.

Interestingly enough, Tuilaepa would not say whether they have removed Laauli from the H.R.P.P. Nor would he say whether they intend to call a caucus meeting to discuss Laaulis future. But is it really that simple to remove a Member of Parliament?

Asked if there would be a by-election, Tuilaepa said that is under the jurisdiction of the Speaker of Parliament, Leaupepe Toleafoa Faafisi.

Why pass the buck? Isnt the Speaker also a member of the H.R.P.P., which means that if the leader has already made the decision, what else can the Speaker say?

When Laauli was asked for a comment, he not only said he has not received a letter from the Prime Minister, he insisted he was still a Member of Parliament, let alone a member of the H.R.P.P. He said he would call a press conference once he gets more information about what is happening.

Laaulis position is understandable. The questions are: Can the Prime Minister remove a Member of Parliament on his own? Now say, for arguments sakes, there is a H.R.P.P. policy whereby anybody who votes against the party, is terminated. Does this policy have the power to then also remove the member from Parliament? In other words, if the member is removed from the party, does that automatically mean they lose their seat in Parliament?

We are acutely aware that this is a developing matter and we are likely to find out more details in the next few days. This case, however, from as far as we can see  has aspects that are quite unique, which will test the waters.

What we can say so far is that this latest drama will not help the Governments case against people who claim that Samoa is being run like a dictatorship.

Why would an all-powerful Government want to crush a lone dissenting voice unless it is hell-bent on absolute and complete control? Besides, what happened to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression, especially in Parliament where it should be championed?

But then whats happened to Laauli is hardly surprising. It appears that the Government is on a crusade to crush any opposition voice that gets in the way of its agenda.

Look at what has happened to the Pulenuu of Nofoalii, Otemai Liu Ausage, who openly criticised the Governments land laws in the Samoa Observer. The Village Mayor, who also expressed support for Samoa Solidarity International Group (SSIG), was immediately sacked by the Government.

Your objection and unfounded accusations against the government is negligence on your part in carrying out your duties in accordance to the law, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Afamasaga Faaiuga Palepua-Mulitalo, wrote.

This is why the Ministry has decided that it is no longer appropriate that you are employed as a Government representative in the village, since you are being paid by the Government. Your actions and behaviour are not in line with policies and laws in place to guide the work of Village Representatives in Government.

With that, Otemai was fired. Pronto.

But what he said in response to the decision was quite interesting.

In Samoa today, there is just too much political control from Prime Minister and his people, he said. It doesnt surprise me what has happened. I dont care about any position because the government controls everything in Samoa and thats not right. It seems like the Prime Minister and his Ministries are trying to master and remote control us to do things they want.

Otemai has a point.

And we dont need to look further than the developments of the past few days for evidence. No wonder people are increasingly worried that Samoa is becoming more and more autocratic. What do you think?

Have a restful Sunday Samoa, God bless!VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP)  A measles outbreak near Portland, Oregon, has revived a bitter debate over so-called "philosophical" exemptions to childhood vaccinations as public health officials across the Pacific Northwest scramble to limit the fallout.

At least 44 people in Washington and Oregon have fallen ill in recent weeks with the extraordinarily contagious virus, which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 as a result of immunization but arrives periodically with overseas travelers. More than a half-dozen more cases are suspected, and people who were exposed to the disease traveled to Hawaii and Bend, Oregon, raising the possibility of more diagnoses in the unvaccinated.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee last week declared a state of emergency because of the outbreak.

"I would hope that this ends soon, but this could go on for weeks, if not months," said Dr. Alan Melnick, public health director in Clark County, Washington, just north of Portland. The county has had most of the diagnosed cases so far. "

Of the confirmed cases, 37 are people who were not immunized. Most of the confirmed cases have been children under 10. Authorities said Friday one case was a person who had received one dose of the measles vaccine.

"The measles vaccine isn't perfect, but one dose is 93 percent effective at preventing illness," Melnick said. "The recommended two doses of the measles vaccine provide even greater protection - 97 percent."

The outbreak has lawmakers in Washington state revisiting non-medical exemptions that allow children to attend school without vaccinations if their parents or guardians express a personal objection. Liberal-leaning Oregon and Washington have some of the nation's highest statewide vaccine exemption rates, driven in part by low vaccination levels in scattered communities and at some private and alternative schools.

Four percent of Washington secondary school students have non-medical vaccine exemptions. In Oregon, which has a similar law, 7.5 percent of kindergarteners in 2018 were missing shots for non-medical reasons.

Washington and Oregon are among 17 states that allow some type of non-medical exemption for vaccines for "personal, moral or other beliefs," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Numerous studies have shown vaccines do not cause autism  a common reason cited by those who don't want their kids immunized. Those opposed to certain vaccines also object to an outside authority mandating what they put in their children's bodies, and some have concerns about the combination of the measles vaccine with the mumps and rubella immunizations, which is how it's routinely given.

A measure introduced by Republican Rep. Paul Harris of Vancouver, Washington  the epicenter of the current outbreak  would remove the personal exemption specifically for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR. It's scheduled for a public hearing in Olympia on Feb. 8.

Democratic Rep. Monica Stonier of Vancouver, a co-signer on the bill, said she would prefer an even broader proposal, but "right now we're looking at what we can get moved." Previous attempts have failed.

"We're trying to respond to a very specific concern here and recognize that there may be broader concerns we can consider down the road," Stonier said.

Oregon has the nation's highest statewide vaccine exemption rates, and some communities have rates that are even higher. Washington's exemption rate, although lower, is also high when compared with other states. Nationwide, the median exemption rate for at least one vaccine for children entering kindergarten in the 2017-2018 year was just over 2 percent.

Oregon state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a Democrat and family physician, dropped an attempt to revoke the state's non-medical exemption in 2015 after virulent opposition. The Legislature now requires parents to either watch an educational video or talk to a doctor before claiming the exemption.

In Washington state, legislation that would have removed the personal or philosophical belief allowance never made it to the House floor for a vote in 2015 amid stiff opposition.

The National Vaccine Information Center, which opposes mandatory vaccination laws, said it opposed that bill and the current one. Another anti-vaccination group, Informed Choice Washington, had its members at the statehouse on Thursday trying to dissuade lawmakers.

"People are feeling extremely oppressed and feeling like they can't make an educated decision," said Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the group. She said the legislation would "bring a hammer down and threaten people instead of allowing them to make informed decisions."

California is one of the few states that stripped away personal belief vaccine exemptions for children in both public and private schools. The law passed in 2015 after a measles outbreak at Disneyland sickened 147 people and spread across the U.S. and into Canada. It occurred despite an earlier law that required parents to talk to a doctor to opt out of vaccines. Vermont also abandoned its personal exemption in 2015.

California state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician who sponsored his state's bill, said he got death threats over it and had anti-vaccination advocates jam his phone lines and harass him on social media.

The overall vaccination rate for children entering kindergarten in California rose to 95 percent in the two years after the law passed. Parents who don't want to immunize their children can homeschool or enroll their children in independent study at the local public school.

Measles is still a big problem in other parts of the world, and travelers infected abroad can bring back the virus, causing periodic outbreaks.

Last year, there were 17 outbreaks and about 350 cases in the United States. Before mass vaccination, 400 to 500 people in the U.S. died of the measles every year. Serious complications include brain swelling that can cause blindness or deafness and pneumonia.

Early symptoms include a fever, runny nose and malaise, followed by a rash that starts around the head and moves down the body. Patients are contagious four days before and four days after getting the rash.

Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed will get the disease. Someone who has no immunity can get sick up to three weeks after they have been exposed to the virus.Work and a little bit of pleasure.

That brought Jas Singh, 46, to Samoa this week from New Zealand where he lives with his wife and family.

Mr. Singh caught up with the Dear Tourist team while he was working by the swimming pool on his laptop. He even offered a helpful tip to boost Samoan tourism.

This is not my first time here in Samoa and the purpose of my visit this time is because of my work, he said.

From his experiences, he said he loves interacting with the Samoan people, whom he described as lovely and friendly.

He said he is looking forward to bringing his wife to Samoa when he can, so they will have the time to check out all the tourist sites, something he wasnt able to do on this trip due to his work schedule.

As constructive feedback, he said Samoa needs to be doing a lot better in terms of marketing the country as a tourism destination.

Cook Islands is being marketed a lot better, he said. I always go to the Cook Islands and I learned that there are more tourists going there than coming here.

So I think that you should market more of Samoa so the people can come.Cancer remains the second highest killer in Samoa.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health, as the nation gears up to mark World Cancer Day, celebrated each year on the 4th of February.

In Samoa, cancer is the second highest killer after the cardiovascular diseases according to our National Health Statistics in 2017, a statement signed by Ministry of Health Director General, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri said.

Mortality is high because of the limited primary health care and cancer treatments and the lack of effective screening programmes delay diagnosis at the stage where some cancers are easily treatable.

Leausa said its difficult to estimate the cost of cancer in Samoa but health expenditure on NCDs in Samoa accounts for over 40per cent of the total health expenditure, and this is mostly spent on clinical care.

Around the world, cancer is currently the second leading cause of death with a recent increase to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6million deaths.

World Cancer Day is a global initiative that unites everyone in the fight against a universal epidemic which knows no boundary.

This year 2019, marks the 4th year the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Samoa Cancer Society and its stakeholders will commemorate the event.

The commemoration this year revolves around the general public.

A series of continuous community outreach will take place in addition to media awareness messages on cancer preventive measures.

A Health Fun Run is being held today at Tuanaimato Complex.

A Sunday Service is being planned to be held at the Vaiala E.F.K.S. Church tomorrow, remembering those who have passed on from cancer and those who are still living with the disease.

This years main theme is I am and I will. Its a call for action urging every individual to take positive actions against cancer.

Over the years, a lot of combined efforts through health programmes and activities have been implemented to boost public awareness on the preventions of cancer.

In 2018, a consultation was held in Samoa for the first time to discuss on the palliative care approach that is needed for cancer patients.

The outcome of this consultation was the drafting of the Cancer Palliative Guidelines which will be used by all clinicians and hospitals including private clinics.

A Cancer Registry is currently in its final draft, which will be of great assistance to further improve the tracking system for cancer patients.

Risk factors are packaged into the NCDs education and promotion messages that are continuously publicized for public awareness so that every individual is encouraged to take ownership of their health.

The Ministry of Health and stakeholders therefore urge and encourage the public to come forward for cancer check up and screening at the main hospitals for early diagnosis and treatment. Prevention is better than cure.Dear Editor,

P.S. Jeffrey you are an ignorant nincompoop.

Firstly, if you had read the letter properly you would have noticed that the incident in question related to government vehicles returning from Savaii after the faalavelave  not on their way there.

This means that your argument about the villages having to wait doesnt even apply.

Secondly, you are obviously not a Savaii person (if you are then you have not recently traveled to the big island) otherwise you would have been more sympathetic.

Some of these people usually would have been queuing for at least an hour to get their vehicles into the big boat, due to the fact that it offers more protection against the sea spray.

Again, you would not have known this unless you were a Savaii person.

It does not make sense why the public servants in the government vehicles couldnt wait for another 30 minutes to travel.

Is the delay of 30 minutes critical to their busy schedules?

I hardly think so. At worst, they would have been 30 minutes late to an important event or meeting  big deal.

The public servants could easily have called through to let the people in Apia know the situation. The public servants (even MPs and Ministers) could have gone ahead on the big boat and wait for their transports at Mulifanua, thereby ensuring that they travel to Apia in the comfort of their air conditioned big four wheel drives.

Thirdly, my legal study 101 at a local institute taught me that the CEOs explanation was far from satisfactory.

Was there something in the small print in the ticket, which stated that if government vehicles were present on any trip, those with confirmed tickets would be bumped off?

In this case there was not.

Vehicle owners had bought the tickets in good faith and Samoa Shipping Corporation were duty bound to honour this arrangement. It is that simple.

I would like to see this CEO bumped off, at the last minute, from a flight from Auckland to Apia because some meritorious public servant needs be in town for a gathering of well deserving CEOs.

I can hear the whining from this CEO who would complain that he had a confirmed ticket and would most likely seek compensation from the relevant airline.

Perhaps the claptrap should not be for John but you Jeffrey, and you deserve it.

Vai

Dalit intellectual Teltumbde nabbed in Mumbai (File photo) The Pune police arrested prominent Dalit intellectual and academic Professor Anand Teltumbde from the Mumbai airport early on Saturday, official sources aid. He was accosted and then arrested from the domestic terminal of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport around 3.30 a.m. by the police team waiting for him. They whisked him off to Pune.



He is likely to be produced before a court later in the day.



Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had filed for anticipatory bail in a Pune Sessions Court. However, it was rejected on Friday paving way for the police action.



He has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.



Left groups and activists in Maharashtra cried foul and claimed Teltumbde's arrest was "illegal" as it was allegedly executed by the police despite the Supreme Court's 'protection from arrest' granted to the activist till February 14.



Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative District 6 Trustee Bruce Duran attended the Jan. 19, 2019 meeting and was critical of Tri-State Generation & Transmission Associations limit on the amount of renewable energy each cooperative is allowed to generate. He said it is time for members to get together and collectively ask for the percentage to be raised. I think the time is right, he said.Espanola, NM (87532)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 91F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph.Greenville, NC (27833)

Today

Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High 93F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.Posted by Jeremy on at 08:57 PM CST

The canon-adjacent, animated LEGOAll-Stars series, that sews The Freemaker Adventures into the galaxy's greater timeline is set to come to the UK, starting on February 2nd at 8am (and repeated at 430pm). Just like in the USA the series will be broadcast on Disney XD , and continue on Saturday's at the same time until the conclusion of the series. Check out the handy viewing guide for more information on the shows.Rantoul, IL (61866)

Today

Generally cloudy. Cooler. High near 70F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.Certainly, one race or sex is not superior to another. To ignore systemic oppression and its impact on the past and present policies, however, is to put ones head into the sand. I was struck by the fact that even recently, most white Americans were unaware of the Tulsa Race Massacre of June 1, 1921 when mobs of white residents attacked black residents and destroyed homes and businesses in the Greenwood district in Tulsa. Thirty-five plus square blocks of the neighborhood  at the time the wealthiest black community in the United States, known as Black Wall Street  was decimated, with up to 300 people dead. Ten thousand black people were left homeless and property damage of black businesses and homes was an estimated at $1.5 million in 1921 dollars. It is precisely the omission of this kind of event in local, state, and national histories that establishes the need to examine systemic problems.

Arlene Violet on critical race theory. She is a Republican who served as RI Attorney GeneralThank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune.

You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month.Glenda Glover is the 30th international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Glover took the helm of the nations oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college women in 2018. She leads the prestigious organization for four years, 2018-2022, under the theme: Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service. PHOTO: SubmittedBLACK ASTRONAUT REMEMBERED

The nation paused on Jan. 28 to remember the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger mission in 1986 that resulted in the death of pioneering African-American astronaut Ronald McNair, lower right, and six others when the spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Unusually cold weather on that morning was blamed for the disaster, which was due to the failure of two rubber O-rings that sealed the joints between the sections of the rocket booster. The South Carolina native was born Oct. 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina to an auto mechanic father and a school teacher mother. He attended North Carolina A&T University and later graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. NASA selected him among 35 new astronauts from 8,000 applicants in 1978, when the recruits included two other Blacks: Frederick Gregory and Guion Bluford, who in 1983 became the first African American to travel into space.  NASA File PhotoOnly half a century or so ago, it might have seemed that railways were just another legacy industry. Railway networks were being slimmed down or rationalised throughout the developed world, road haulage was replacing rail freight, and individuals were abandoning trains for private cars.

Air transport was making longer trips far shorter and often more affordable. While some train journeys may still have had a kind of romance, though probably not those associated with a daily commute, passenger numbers were falling, routes disappearing, and many smaller stations closing.

This situation has in many respects reversed today, with European countries investing heavily in new technologies, rolling stock, and train lines. Journeys that many people would once have thought twice about, such as London to Paris by Channel ferry, can now be done in comfort by high-speed train in a couple of hours. Freight trains routinely cross Asia from China to western Europe in 16 days. More and more passengers are filling trains across Europe.

At the same time, there has been a rediscovery of the heritage of train travel, with this quintessentially 19th-century technology, glamourised in the inter-war years and then falling into disrepair after World War II, in many cases now being rebuilt and refunctioned for new generations of travellers.

While the great fortunes of the 19th-century railway boom when the railways opened up the United States, Canada and Russia to economic exploitation might not be in prospect now, there can be little doubt that part of todays Chinese economic miracle is related to the countrys huge investment in high-speed trains.

Such thoughts may well strike visitors to Egypts Railway Museum, which, entirely renovated before being reopened to the public in 2017, is still not widely enough known to domestic and foreign audiences.

A recent visit by Al-Ahram Weekly to the museum attached to Cairos main railway station in Ramses Square revealed few visitors to what is surely one of the capitals more important museums. It is perhaps the only one in the Middle East in which the growth of railways is so carefully and efficiently explained, drawing on the resources of a notably well-curated collection.

There have been many famous railways in the Middle East, with perhaps the Hijaz Railway that once ran down through the Levant and the Hijaz to Medina in Saudi Arabia coming first to mind. This was memorably presented by English film director David Lean in his film Laurence of Arabia (1962) as a target of nationalist sabotage.

There is the equally famous Berlin to Baghdad Railway that was supposed to link Berlin to Baghdad through the then Ottoman Empire as part of Germanys geopolitical ambitions in the region before World War I. Contracts were awarded to German companies to build railways throughout the Ottoman Empire from the 1890s onwards, with work on the Baghdad Railway commencing in 1903 though not actually finishing, in the wake of multiple delays, until 1940.

Work began on the Hijaz Railway in 1900, and it had reached Medina by 1908. Jaffa and Jerusalem were linked by rail in 1892, and Hama, Aleppo and Damascus in Syria were linked between 1902 and 1906.

Then there is the Orient Express, which, starting in Paris and running down through the Balkans to Istanbul, was an early victim of the division of Europe in the Cold War.

Earlier, it had produced its own kind of romance in English novelist Agatha Christies Murder on the Orient Express (1934), which begins with Belgian detective Hercule Poirot boarding the train in Aleppo in Syria, and, in a different key, her compatriot Graham Greenes Stamboul Train (1932), which takes its characters from Ostend in Belgium to the famous Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul before connections onwards to Damascus or Baghdad.

However, none of these famous lines, perhaps one day to be revived, can compete with Egypts railways on precedence. The first railway line in the Middle East was built in Egypt in 1853 between Alexandria and Kafr Al-Zayat in the Delta and extended to Cairo in 1856. In 1858, Suez was linked by train to Cairo, followed by Assiut in 1874 and Luxor and Aswan in 1898.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, this railway network, now linked to that in the wider Middle East, was used for the Taurus Express, the Middle East extension of the Orient Express, making it possible for passengers to travel direct from Paris to Cairo or Paris to Baghdad in the space of a week.

Such new-found accessibility and speed could not help but stimulate the development of tourism. The Pera Palace Hotel, financed by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, opened its doors in Istanbul in 1897, and it was still an important port of call for the characters of Stamboul Train in 1932. In Murder on the Orient Express, Poirot stays at the citys equally resonant Tokatlian Hotel, which opened in 1897.

Egypts grand hotels, Shepheards in Cairo, the Winter Palace in Luxor, and the Cataract in Aswan, dating from much the same period, also benefitted from the new traffic brought in by railway passengers, with Shepheards in particular targeting travellers arriving in Cairo by train.

VISITING THE MUSEUM

Some of this history is recalled in the Railway Museum, but its main purpose is less to recall the romance of early 20th-century train travel across the Middle East and more to place the history of train transport in Egypt against the background of the countrys economic development.

The first major piece the visitor sees on arriving at the museum is a steam locomotive, painted green, occupying pride of place on the forecourt outside. This early engine, made by the British firm Robert Stephenson and Company for the Egyptian Railways in 1865, links the museum back to the heroic phase of 19th-century railway engineering. Robert Stephenson was the son of George Stephenson, builder of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the north of England in the 1820s, the worlds earliest modern railway.

Stephensons railway, designed to transport coal and only later being developed for passenger services, gives a clue to the motivation behind Egypts early railways. These, too, were designed pre-eminently with freight in mind and were only later developed to take in passengers. The earliest lines, commissioned by Egypts ruler Abbas Helmi I in the early 1850s and followed up by Said Pasha after his death in 1854, were always seen with a double intention.

On the one hand, there was a need to shift agricultural raw materials, chiefly cotton or sugar cane, to ports such as Alexandria for shipping abroad, and on the other, there was a desire to speed up internal transport through Egypt before the construction of the Suez Canal. When the Alexandria to Cairo line was completed in 1856, followed by the extension from Cairo to Suez, it was possible for the first time to transport goods swiftly between Alexandria on the Mediterranean to Suez on the Red Sea even before the construction of the Suez Canal.

The museum recounts some of this history in its ground-floor display in the shape of a copy of the agreement, written in Arabic and dated July 1851, between the Egyptian government and the Robert Stephenson Company, to build the Cairo to Alexandria train line. Stephenson undertook to design the lines and any necessary bridges or other structures, as well as to supply the engineering and technical skills required. In return, he was to be paid in installments over the following four or five years.

Unlike for other major infrastructure projects completed at the time and later, perhaps pre-eminent among them the Suez Canal, there seemed to have been no attempt to raise the capital required on the European markets or to set up a joint-stock company to carry out the project, meaning that ownership was retained in the hands of the Egyptian state.

Though it is not made clear in the display or in the accompanying museum catalogue, available in Arabic and English but unfortunately linked to the display as it was before its re-organisation in 2017, it seems that the development of the railways in Egypt was financed by the state, a situation contrasting with that in 19th-century England where private companies built and owned all the countrys railway lines.

Much of the material displayed on the museums ground floor has to do with early rolling stock and locomotives, and two large pieces stand out. There is a 1906 passenger train locomotive built by the North British Locomotive Company for use on the Egyptian Railways that has been retired to the museum and its sides cut away to reveal its workings. Even more spectacularly, there is the sumptuously decorated locomotive for the khedival train built for Said Pasha by the Robert Stephenson Company in 1862.

Said would have been able to use this for khedival rail journeys from Cairo to Alexandria, though it would have only been under his successor, the khedive Ismail, that similar journeys would have been possible to Upper Egypt as the railway lines were still being built. Elsewhere in the ground-floor display, the museum has a large collection of less spectacular, but equally fascinating, models of early locomotives and rolling stock.

This includes models of the first locomotive used in Egypt, Robert Stephensons E R 1 (Egyptian Railways 1) locomotive, delivered in 1852, and other models taking the story up to the advent of diesel locomotives in the 1950s and beyond.

BRIDGES AND STATIONS

The first-floor display moves away from rolling stock towards infrastructure, particularly bridges and stations, and it contains a particularly interesting series of vintage models.

Railway bridges tend to be less in the public eye than locomotives or rolling stock, which have long had dedicated hobby groups associated with them in perhaps all countries. Generations of small boys and others have been brought up on train sets and have been affected by the feelings of nobility and strength that can emanate perhaps particularly from steam locomotives.

But there have always been fewer people interested in railway bridges, possibly in part because it is rare for these to achieve the kind of iconic architectural status sometimes accorded to road or passenger bridges, with examples such as the mediaeval fantasy of Tower Bridge in London or the Milau Viaduct road bridge in the south of France, designed by UK architect Norman Foster and opened in 2004, coming readily to mind.

However, some railway bridges at least have been accorded a place in the wider culture. There is the Forth Railway Bridge in Scotland onto which Richard Hannay jumps in UK film director Alfred Hitchcocks 1939 version of John Buchans novel The 39 Steps, for example. In Egypt, perhaps only the Imbaba Railway Bridge, built between 1912 and 1924, has been accorded a similar iconic status as a local landmark, and there is a model of it in the museums exhibition.

However, as the exhibition of models also reveals, there are many other distinguished railway bridges that visitors to Egypt may well have missed. These include the 1894 Benha Railway Bridge in the Delta, built to replace an 1854 bridge that was the earliest railway bridge in the country and part of the original Cairo to Alexandria line, and the striking Nagaa Hammadi Railway Bridge in Upper Egypt on the Cairo to Luxor line.

Yet, it is the museums collection of vintage models of railway stations that is most likely to attract visitor attention on the first floor. In addition to a model of the main Cairo railway station in Ramses Square, built in 1893, this also contains detailed models of the Tanta (1933), Edfu (1928), Assiut (1928), Alexandria Sidi Gaber (1948), Cairo Saray Al-Qobba (1940), and Port Said (1955) stations, revealing a fascinating variety of architectural styles from the neo-Pharaonic (Edfu) to the neo-Islamic (Tanta) and what might be described as the modern international style (Assiut and Port Said).

The design of railway stations is a specialised area and one in which there has always been a desire to marry form to function and to express a measure of civic or national pride, often by employing forms previously associated with very different building types. Nineteenth-century European railway stations could easily look like Roman triumphal arches (the old Euston Station in London), Gothic fantasies (St Pancras Station, also in London), or Renaissance palaces (some stations in Paris). American ones could be reminiscent of the Roman Empire filtered through Hollywood film (the old Pennsylvania Station in New York).

In the case of Cairo, the main railway station in Ramses Square employs variations on the neo-Mameluke architectural style favoured for many public buildings at the time when it was built. However, it seems that it was only in Tanta in the Delta that a similar choice was made for stations outside the capital, employing if anything a purer Mameluke style than the main station in Cairo and complete with characteristic domes. Elsewhere more eclectic designs were chosen.

Emerging from the Railway Museum into the traffic of Ramses Square, one wonders whether it might be possible, as part of the museums renovation efforts, to find more to say about the importance of the railways in national history and national life. As well as being vital economically since the mid-19th-century, the railways in Egypt have long fed the imagination of writers and filmmakers alike.

Fascinated by the transformations that the railways were bringing to French life at the end of the 19th century, the countrys Impressionist painters, pre-eminently Monet and Manet, were also drawn to paint the capitals railway stations and the ways in which this form of transport was speeding up time and shrinking distances across the country. In Egypt, the railways can emerge as a character in their own right in films, most obviously in late director Youssef Chahines Cairo Station (Bab Al-Hadid, 1958), and the same thing may be true of fiction in which railways have also played a role.

Notably strong on the foundation and early history of Egypts railways, the museums collection begins to thin out from the 1960s onwards. Perhaps particularly given the renaissance currently enjoyed by railway networks across the world, it would be nice to see the story brought up to date.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A visit to the Railway Museum

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NEW YORK (AP)  One of the book worlds greatest mysteries is finally ending: J.D. Salingers son says previously unpublished work by his late father will be coming out.

In comments that appeared Friday in the Guardian, Matt Salinger confirmed long-standing reports that the author of The Catcher in the Rye had continued to write decades after he stopped publishing books. He said that he and Salingers widow, Colleen, are going as fast as we freaking can to prepare the material for release.

"He wanted me to pull it together, and because of the scope of the job, he knew it would take a long time," Salinger said of his father, who died in 2010 and had not published work since the mid-1960s.

"This was somebody who was writing for 50 years without publishing, so that's a lot of material. So there's not a reluctance or a protectiveness: When it's ready, we're going to share it."

Salinger says any new work might be years away and did not cite any specific titles or plots. He did indicate that the Glass family made famous in such fiction as Franny and Zooey would be seen again.

"I feel the pressure to get this done, more than he did," he said, adding that the unseen work "will definitely disappoint people that he wouldn't care about, but for real readers . I think it will be tremendously well received by those people and they will be affected in the way every reader hopes to be affected when they open a book. Not changed, necessarily, but something rubs off that can lead to change."

Longtime Salinger publisher Little, Brown & Co. had no immediate comment Friday. News of additional future books comes as the publisher marks the centennial of the authors birth.

J.D. Salinger published just four books in his lifetime: Nine Stories, The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey, and a volume with the two novellas Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. The last work to come out in his lifetime was the story Hapworth 16, 1924, which appeared in the New Yorker in 1965.

Over the last half century, rumors and speculation intensified, from whether any work existed to whether it was of publishable quality. A former lover, Joyce Maynard, and Salingers daughter, Margaret, have both written that the author continued to work on books, allegedly stored in a vault in the authors home in Cornish, N.H.

A 2013 documentary and book by Shane Salerno and David Shields cited two independent and separate sources in predicting several new works, starting between 2015 and 2020. One of the Salinger books would center on Catcher protagonist Holden Caulfield and his family. Others would draw on Salingers World War II years and his immersion in Eastern religion. Matt Salinger has dismissed the contents of the Salerno-Shields project, but never definitively said that no new work would appear.

Salerno wrote in an email Friday to the Associated Press that "it was always his (J.D. Salingers) intention (and specific direction) to have his work published after his death.

Im thrilled that Salinger fans around the world will finally get to see this important work from one of Americas finest writers, Salerno added.U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, speaks during a news conference outside of his home, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Newark, N.J. Booker earlier in the day declared his bid for the presidency with a sweeping call to unite a deeply polarized nation around a "common purpose." (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)What is happening in Syria is a tragedy and an offence against the entire Arab world. To aggravate the pain and sorrow, the management of this crisis is in the hands of outsiders who are indifferent to the Arabs wellbeing, or worse, do not wish them to develop and prosper.

Each of those outsiders cares only for their own interests and ambitions and the conflicts between them further reduce hopes for a just and peaceful solution. Meanwhile, as foreign powers lock horns over Syria, the numbers of dead, wounded, refugees, displaced persons and orphaned children climb by the thousands per day. The overwhelming majority of these casualties are citizens of a country that has been and should remain a cornerstone of the Arab world.

Millions of civilians remain in grave peril, both those who continue to face the hazards of warfare and destruction, and those condemned to the bitter cold, disease and starvation of refugee camps. I have just read a UNESCO report about children freezing to death in Syria. The Syrian people have endured eight years of suffering. Yet, they are ready to endure longer, bound by the idea that it is better to lose half our people than to lose our country, our land and our dignity.

The plight of Syria and its people should compel Arab nations to take strong and positive stances to protect this people, to help them attain peace, to fight the terrorism that threatens all Arab peoples and, at the same time, to prevent non-Arab powers from controlling the fate of a fellow Arab state. If Arab states unified their position and asserted their collective weight, non-Arabs would not be able to play a major role in shaping the future of the Arab region.

The foreign powers vying for control over Syria as though squabbling over guardianship rights to an orphaned child are heedless of the true welfare of that child. The US jumps from one contradictory position to the next. It entered Syria to fight terrorism (and to protect Israel, of course). Suddenly, Trump announces his determination to withdraw US troops from Syria. Then John

Bolton says that the US will remain, Pompeo reaffirms Washingtons commitment to the security of the region and the State Department announces that there is no timetable for withdrawal. Then Trump tweets, we lost Syria a long time ago. We dont want to stay there forever.

Turkey had set its sights on occupying a portion of Syrian territory, putting the Kurds there in its crosshairs. But Erdogans dreams of conquest collapsed and he proved unable to fulfil his pledges, made to his people across the length and breadth of Anatolia, to topple Al-Assad and massacre the Kurds. The US currently sees Turkey as the USs heir in the fight against terrorism in the region, as though it had the right to appoint such an heir and despite of the fact that US government agencies are very well aware of the radical differences between Washingtons aims and those of Ankara in Syria.

The two sides cannot even agree on who the terrorists are. Washington points to the Islamic State (IS) group while Erdogan fingers the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units. In a recent letter to The New York Times, Erdogan betrays his true intentions in Syria. There is documented evidence of his role in supporting IS with arms, money and personnel. Erdogans Turkey is supposed to be the USs ally in Syria, correct? Ankaras aim is to kill Kurds and to support IS while Washington ostensibly wants to fight IS and protect the Kurds.

Iran has ambitions of its own in Syria and to realise its agenda it sends in planeloads of weapons. Russia is also protecting its interests there and supplying the regime in Damascus with arms. Now, despite Russia and Turkeys differences over Idlib, their leaders are putting their heads together over how to fill the vacuum now the US plans to leave Syria.

As though this spectre is not already painful enough to awaken the collective Arab spirit, Israel has seized on all available opportunities to enter the fray and further its bid to annex the Golan. Netanyahu, himself, has acknowledged Israeli missile strikes against Iranian locations in Syria. Even France, despite its own domestic woes, wants its share of the fight against terrorism in Syria and then contradicts itself and supports the terrorist Al-Nusra Front.

The Arab boycott of Syria has left that country prey to Turkish and Iranian designs, Russian mediation and American decrees and it kept the Arabs watching from the sidelines as though the tragedy were happening in Timbuktu.

The meetings between some Arab officials and Syrian ministers, the demands for Syrias return to the Arab League, the visit by an Arab head-of-state to Syria and the restoration of some Arab diplomatic ties with Damascus, are all positive actions but they are still more in the nature of timorous and tentative gestures. What is needed is a sensible and foresighted decision that tells the world unequivocally what the Arab position is with respect to a fellow Arab country and its people. Are we ready and able to do this?

If the Arabs are unable to contribute to formulating a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, are they also unable to take the proper decisions needed to back a peaceful solution and to send the world the message that Syria is not alone? Certainly, such a stance is consistent with the desire of the vast majority  if not all  of the Arab people to come to the rescue of their Syrian brethren. Is the spirit of Arabism strong enough for us to summon the will to realise a Syrian-Arab reconciliation or, at least, rapprochement that will enable us all to concentrate on the confrontation against the real enemy that threatens us all?

The return of Arab ambassadors to Damascus and the return of Syria to the Arab League may not solve the problem, but it is a step and a message that has become necessary in order to save a suffering people and a country that has so many enemies thirsting to grab a part of it and divide it up. Iran will gain no advantage from Syrias return to the Arab League as long as the members the league remain vigilant. Rather, the question we should ask is whether the Arab governments disapproval of another Arab government has become an obstacle to saving the Syrian people.

UN Security Council Resolution 2254 calls for negotiations, peace and protecting a people. It does not oblige anyone to commit to the selfish whims of other countries. Has the Arab League, which froze Damascuss membership when Qatar was chair, lost all moral and humanitarian commitment to the Syrian people? The Arab League is an accurate reflection of the state of Arab governments.

Its performance is only as good as the degree of advancement and enlightenment of its members.

An Arab League conference was just held in Beirut to discuss development challenges. Some mention should have been made of the suffering of the Palestinian people. It would have also been appropriate to mention the tragedy of Syrian refugees. We hope this will be rectified in the forthcoming summit in Tunisia.

In Egypt, the Syrians who have sought refuge here are not confined to camps and tents. They live among us and together with us as part of the fabric of social, economic and cultural life in their second homeland. We welcome their projects and we respect their determination and resolve.

Ultimately, the Syrian government and the Syrian national opposition have a great responsibility to bear. For the sake of the Syrian people, they should not perpetuate their enmity towards each other. Both sides love their country and believe that they are working to advance its welfare. Political maturity and the true spirit of patriotism should compel them to overcome their stubbornness and intransigence for the sake of their country and its people, above all. Can Arab states work to promote inter-Syrian reconciliation or rapprochement?

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Syria and Arab responsibility

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Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge Charles Weaselhead poses in this undated handout photo. An Indigenous man has been elected as chancellor of the University of Lethbridge for the first time in the school's 52-year history. Charles Weaselhead is the former chief of the Blood Tribe and one-time Treaty 7 grand chief. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - University of LethbridgeThe IGP and the Ghana Police Service who are supposed to be the final line of defense for the citizenry were visibly helpless and hapless in the face of government sponsored vigilante attacks on unprepared and defenseless NDC members in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election yesterday - January 31, 2019.



Even though we had a by-election in just one, out of 275 constituencies in the country, the police could not assemble their men to enforce law and order, security and safety. This is extremely shocking, disconcerting and unacceptable!!



Is it the case that the IGP and the Ghana Police Service have been cowed into submission by NPP/Governments vigilante forces? Is it the case that both the Police and the NPP vigilantes were working together and moving in the same police vehicles?

The vigilantes were armed with lethal weapons in the full glare of the law enforcement officers. If as it appears, the Police were working in tandem with the armed vigilantes, then they could be accused of complicity in the criminal conduct of the vigilantes.



Many more questions remain to be answered in this shameful, backward, lawless and very dangerous event that just unfolded



It is said that coming events cast their shadows. But for the timely intervention of the leadership of the NDC party, lots of lives could have been lost.



As part of the 50-member NDC delegation that met with the IGP and the Electoral Commissioner respectively, in the heat of the incidents, I dare say the institutions were momentarily helpless. It was obvious that the vigilantes were in control, a perception that remains to be disproved. The EC made no public statement to the police contingent under their command and who were at the polling stations at their invitation. On the part of the police they have since not arrested a single person despite the pictures and videos at their disposal.



I call for a thorough independent investigation to bring all the culprits involved in this despicable incident to justice.



The Electoral Commission could have postponed the elections in the areas affected by the violence to allow residents to vote later without the threat of violence but their tacit endorsement of the messy developments which were premeditated and orchestrated to

the advantage of the NPP, undermines public confidence. Election security was a total failure



We call on the international community to condemn this senseless, cowardly and barbaric government sponsored violence.



As we sympathize with the families of all the injured, I can assure that the NDC shall seek justice, whether early or late!



We call for calm within the ranks of the NDC and plead that our supporters do not resort to violence in self defence. We can win subsequent elections through non-violent means. We call for free and fair elections without intimidation

This country deserves the peace, unity, stability and harmony that its people are praying for.







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Former President John Dramani Mahama has questioned the selective conduct of some Civil Society Organisations in the country, especially on issues of national importance.



He noted that some Civil Society Organisations have developed a cold attitude for commenting on many important national issues including human rights, since the beginning of the Akufo-Addo government even though they were very vocal during the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



Addressing NDC delegates at Anloga in the Anlo constituency, as part of his flagbearership campaign tour of the Volta Region, John Mahama expressed misgivings about the double standards of some of the civil society organisations.



He, for instance, wondered why his statement that the NDC will defend the constitution of Ghana after Thursday's violent attacks and gunfire on NDC members and supporters in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, has attracted criticism from some Civil Society Organisation leaders.



He pointed out that Ghana belongs to all Ghanaians, adding that all sides of the political divide must be treated equally.



John Mahama also urged the police not to shield the New Patriotic Partys rampaging hoodlums who injured scores of NDC members during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in Accra.



The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante has called on former President John Dramani Mahama to apologise to the nation for saying the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will match the governing New Patriotic Party boot-for-boot with violence in the 2020 polls.



While addressing NDC delegates in the Adaklu Constituency of the Volta Region on Thursday, 31 January 2019, Mr Mahama said the NDC will match the NPP boot-for-boot in the 2020 elections if the government attempts to intimidate and harass NDC supporters with violence.



The former Presidents comment followed a shooting incident at the La-Bawaleshie JHS polling station in the course of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election on the same day.



The NDC accused the NPP of being behind the shooting.







Source: 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The Inter-Party Coalition will on Thursday 7th Feb., hit the streets to register their displeasure about the barbaric conduct that characterized Thursdays by-election.



According to the group, the "creeping lawlessness" in the country, coupled with the "growing atmosphere of insecurity" in which many millions now live, demands serious, honest introspection about the present state of our politics.



The group describes as "unlawful" and unacceptale, the use of the powers of the state for personal ends and the visitation of terror on the innocent, especially in last Thursday's Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election.



In a statement copied Peacefmonline.com, they urged "all well meaning Ghanaians" to join in the peaceful demonstration to "register their utmost disgust" about the electoral violence that occasioned the by-election.



"Enough is enough. We urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to join us next Thursday in our march through the streets of Accra, to be bold and fearless in their denunciation of the diminution of our great nation and the values for which it stands. This is not a matter of petty partisan politics. It is a question of national survival, for the events of yesterday are but a precursor to a far worse in the 2020 elections.



We are all pledged to defend this nation against tyranny and against all its enemies, foreign and domestic. We are all pledged to defend the great inheritance that the founder of this nation bestowed upon us and on our generations. Do your duty for posterity, for your God, and for your country by participating in the next Thursday's mass demonstration", the statement added.



Below Is A Copy Of The Statement.





INTER-PARTY COALITION FOR NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY



PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE BRUTALITIES, BREAKDOWN OF SECURITY AND THE ELECTORAL FRAUD OF THE AYAWASO WEST WUOGON BY-ELECTIONS.



The barbaric conduct that characterised yesterdays by-election demands of all of us a hard look in the mirror. It begs serious, honest introspection about the present state of our politics, the growing atmosphere of insecurity in which many millions of our compatriots now live, and the creeping lawlessness in our nation.



The people of Ayawaso West Wuogon were subjected to an occupation of terror that was sanctioned and abetted by the government of Nana Akufo Addo. He, together with the gaggle of selfish, shameless sycophants that now lead the New Patriotic Party, made a mockery of the dignity and decency of Ghanaian democracy.



Their renowned cowardice was laid bare by the voter intimidation that marred the polls, by the unconscionable violence perpetrated against innocent citizens by armed thugs in their employ. The world bore witness yesterday to another step in Ghanas race to the bottom, another step towards the devolution of Kwame Nkrumahs great society into a banana republic. Yesterdays events demeaned us as a people, and ridiculed our hard-won reputation as the beacon of democracy in Africa. Make no mistake - we are a nation in descent.



Within the space of three hours yesterday morning, we witnessed the mindless shooting of six Ghanaians during an attempt to break into the family home of an opposition parliamentary candidate. We witnessed the violent assault of several dozens more with the implements of lethal violence - knives, cudgels, axes and much worse. And we saw the blood-soaked streets and the bullet-riddled walls of homes and businesses in a working class neighborhood in the aftermath. All of these were perpetrated by a battalion of marauding goons masquerading as agents of the security services, a private army of hoodlums, criminals and traitors.



We witnessed an attack on a sitting Member of Parliament for daring to challenge the terrorists who perpetrated this senseless violence. And this in the forecourt of a junior high school where pupils were in session, in the full glare of the general public, the media and the police.



Similar assaults were visited on national executives of the leading opposition party, including several of its leading women. We witnessed the intimidation of officials of the Electoral Commission, party agents, and election observers. And personnel of the security services who dared to intervene in defense of the rule of law were not spared from the bestial violence and the utter impunity of its agents. To the victims of these terrorists and to their families and loved ones, we extend our heartfelt hopes for a speedy recovery and a solemn promise before almighty God that you will have your justice. You are on the minds and in the prayers of true patriots across this nation.



The wanton disregard for the law and for human life witnessed yesterday; the denigration of the norms of our civic life; the unlawful use of the powers of the state for personal ends; the grant of impunity to political cronies; the visitation of terror on the innocent - these are the hallmarks of the government of the day. This is who Nana Akufo Addo and his goons are and have always been. The decision of the National Democratic Congress to withdraw from the electoral process was not born out of cowardice, but rather caution and restraint. They could have met the violence of boys with the violence of men but chose to place the stability of the nation over narrow political interests.



But caution and restraint have their limits, and Nana Akufo Addo must be made aware that he is setting the nation on the warpath. We, the opposition, will not tolerate any repeat of the temper tantrums of a spoiled septuagenarian brat playing president. If it is a knife fight he wants, we shall oblige him to the hilt. He and his cabal of amateurs know this all too well and are right to be afraid. This is no threat - it is a promise.



To the IGP and the leadership of the police service who stood idly by as innocent Ghanaians were terrorised and brutalised, we demand that you pursue and prosecute yesterdays crimes and the terrorists responsible to the fullest extent of the law. You are sworn to the defense of the constitution and are vested with the peoples power to act in defense of the laws they have set for themselves. If you continue to prove inept at that task, and persist in the display of your partisan colors, you will have yourselves to blame when the moment of reckoning arrives. Stand up for what is right and defend the dignity and honor of your service! Stand up for Ghana!



We shall issue a call to the masses of Ghanaians to join us in a protest march against the complicity of the state in the violence at Ayawaso West Wuogon. We fully expect that you will do your duty and ensure the safety of the thousands who shall march with us in defense of the constitution of this republic next Thursday, February 7.



To the members of the press gathered here and beyond, we urge you to remember that democracy dies in the dark. Do not allow yourselves to be coopted into the laughable attempt to spin the obvious complicity of Nana Akufo Addos government and his party in the events of yesterday. The facts that we have mentioned today came from eye witness reports filed by journalists of some of the most reputable media houses in Ghana, and directly from the statement released last night by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers.



You are the ultimate guardians of this democracy and the promise of its freedoms, because you are the arbiters of truth, transparency, and accountability in our society. All of those things were attacked by the masked terrorists who made a mockery of our democratic institutions and security apparatus. Your eyes do not lie, nor your ears deceive. The people of Ghana deserve to know the truth of yesterdays events. The peace and stability of this nation rests on your commitment to honest, objective, unbiased reporting. The future of Ghana depends on it.



Our quest for justice will not end at our borders. We, the opposition, are in the process of submitting to the United Nations, the African Union and Ghanas development partners concrete video and photographic evidence of the facts we have stated here today. Our submissions will include evidence that directly identifies several of the supposed national security operatives as personal guards of the leadership of the New Patriotic Party, and will offer substantive proof of the complicity of occupant of the Presidency of Ghana and senior officials of his government in the premeditated violence and bloodshed.



Enough is enough. We urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to join us next Thursday in our march through the streets of Accra, to be bold and fearless in their denunciation of the diminution of our great nation and the values for which it stands. This is not a matter of petty partisan politics. It is a question of national survival, for the events of yesterday are but a precursor to a far worse in the 2020 elections. We are all pledged to defend this nation against tyranny and against all its enemies, foreign and domestic. We are all pledged to defend the great inheritance that the founder of this nation bestowed upon us and on our generations. Do your duty for posterity, for your God, and for your country by participating in the next Thursday's mass demonstration.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoJim Clifford Edward, a Nigerian ICT Technician who impregnated his daughter at Santa maria in Accra, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.



Edward is said to have defiled the victim at the age of nine until December 26, last year.



The victim age now 14 is currently five months pregnant.



Edwards wife is said to have abandoned her home after developing some mental ailment. Edwards wife left home when their last child was two months old.



Charged with defilement and incest, Edward pleaded guilty.



The court presided over by Mrs Ruby Adjeley Quaison sentenced Edward to 10 years on the charge of defilement and five years on the charge of incest. Sentences are to run concurrently.



Handing down the sentence, the trial judge stated that Edward should have been a father to the victim and not husband.



Edward told the court that he regrets his actions saying, it would not happen again.



According to Edward they were in a foreign land and he is the only one that his three kids have and sentencing him would bring to the children untold hardship.



He, therefore, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy.



The Prosecution led by Sergeant Opoku Aniagyei, informed the court that the Police would be contacting the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana in order to reach out to a member of the convicts family.



According to the prosecution, the Police are in touch with the Department of Social Welfare in seeking shelter for the three kids.



He said a non-governmental organization known as American Relief has expressed its readiness to support the convicts children.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoThe Chinese Government has handed over 1,029 boreholes it constructed across 10 regions of Ghana to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to enhance access to potable water by rural communities towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal-Six.



The project was funded through a grant from the Chinese Government, under the Economic and Technical Corporation and Agreement signed in December 2015.



At the handing over ceremony held at Densusu near Suhum in the Eastern Region, Mr Shi Ting Wang, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, said the wells included hand pump boreholes and submersible pumps, which costed 20 million dollars or 100 million Ghana cedis.



He said the 1,029 boreholes would supply more than 500,000 remote communities and rural residents with clean and hygienic drinking water, and they would be monuments depicting the friendship between Ghana and China.



China was willing to provide 60 billion dollars to support Africa through government assistance, financial institutions and corporate investment and financing, he said.



Mr Shi said China was willing to contribute its strength and wisdom to the goal of a Ghana beyond Aid being pursued by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, who took over the boreholes, on behalf of the beneficiary communities, said it was an undisputed fact that access to safe water and improved sanitation was key to the socio-economic development of a country.



It is in this regard that the Government would support any initiative that would enhance access to safe water and improve sanitation services to all Ghanaians.



Madam Dapaah said Ghana, the Joint Monitoring Platform and UNICEF, and the world as a whole, had managed to reduce by half the number of people using unimproved sources of drinking water, adding that 89 per cent of Ghanas population had access to improved water source.



She noted that the report, however, identified inequalities between the rich and the poor and geographical areas as a challenge, which still pertained in many countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.



Therefore, in the face of addressing population growth, these disparities need to be addressed for Ghana to achieve her target of water and sanitation for all by 2025, Madam Dapaah noted.



Another challenge, she said, was the issue of sustainability of water and sanitation services, as well as water quality right from the source to the point of use at the household level.



She called on the communities to contribute to sustaining the water services provided and urged the municipal and district assemblies to educate community members on hygienic ways of transporting, storing and using the water to avoid compromising its quality.



The Government expects the citizenry, especially domestic consumers, who would benefit from these boreholes project, to contribute their quota by ensuring the protection and sustainability of investment in the water sector, Madam Dapaah added.



Nana Baffuor Adu Ameyaw II, the Chief of Densusu Traditional Area, expressed the communitys gratitude to the Chinese Government for the kind gesture, saying, It is a memorable day for us.



He commended government for selecting Densusu as a beneficiary and gave the assurance that members of the community would put the facility to good use and ensure its proper maintenance.





Source: GNA









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Featured VideoAfter certain lapse of time, marred by growing anxiety as to the prospects of fulfilling the vision charted in Sentosa, Singapore, last June between US President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un of North Korea in relation to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump received Mr Kim Yong Chol, the chief North Korean negotiator, on 18 January at the White House. The senior official from North Korea delivered a written message from Chairman Kim to the US president.

After the meeting, that lasted almost two hours, the White House announced that a second US-North Korea summit would take place before the end of February at a venue to be announced. Vietnam has been one of the options much talked about for its geographic proximity to North Korea and to the fact, important from an American point of view, that

Vietnam has achieved an economic miracle  an example that the US administration is eager to show to Chairman Kim, who has emphasised plans to promote the North Korean economy.

On Thursday, 24 January, President Trump tweeted that he expects the second summit with Chairman Kim to be another good meeting much potential.

In the meantime, US officials have been looking forward to beginning working-level meetings with North Korean negotiators to be chaired, on the American side, by special representative to the negotiations Stephen Biegun and Vice Foreign Minister Choi Sun Hee on the North Korean side.

Upon scheduling the second summit, a spokesman for the South Korean government said it would be a turning point in what he called solidifying a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, a senior South Korean official, Chun-in Moon, special adviser to the Korean president for unification and national security affairs, made a stop in Cairo two weeks ago where he gave a lecture at the American University in Cairo. In his remarks, he drew a parallel between the peace overtures of President Moon Jae-in and the peace initiative of late Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat.

In an interview published by The Egyptian Gazette on Friday, 20 January, he stressed that South Korea has been moving on two tracks simultaneously, in order to reach peace on the Peninsula. One is the denuclearisation of North Korea. The second is the lifting of sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

In fact, one of the major obstacles facing American and North Korean negotiators is the question of sequencing the denuclearisation process and the lifting of myriad sanctions imposed on North Korea, whether United Nations-based or bilaterally, like the ones decreed by Washington or by Seoul. A renowned American scientist, who had previously worked on the North Korean nuclear programme and was among the American negotiators during the Six-Power Talks, once said that it would take not less than 15 years to dismantle the nuclear arsenal and facilities in North Korea. Whether this is the official American position or not, it is difficult to say.

It is interesting to note that before sending Kim Yong Chol to Washington to confer with President Trump, and later with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman Kim had boarded his bullet-proof train and headed to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was the fourth summit between the two leaders in the course of the last 12 months, a fact that proves that the North Korean leader does not want to negotiate with the Americans from a position of weakness, and needs to make sure that China is backing him in the peace negotiations. If they succeed it would be a plus for Chinese foreign policy. If it all fails, it wont affect Sino-North Korean relations adversely. Plus, Pyongyang would have the full backing of China in case the United States would think of retaliating militarily, or choking the North Korean economy.

Given the domestic political situation in Washington and the gridlock that has gripped the Beltway after the Democrats took the majority in the House of Representatives, effective 1 January, the US administration would like to accomplish a breakthrough in foreign policy to be credited to President Trump.

This could explain why Pompeo in an interview with Martha MacCallum of Fox News, broadcast Wednesday, 23 January, emphasised that the process of denuclearisation is going to take some time. There has been real progress made, he said, adding that Chairman Kim continues to assure President Trump he is intent on denuclearisation.

The tone differs markedly in the statements of Ambassador John Bolton, White House national security adviser, and other US officials late last year that had insisted on maintaining a hard line against North Korea, demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea  a hardline position that prompted Kim Jong-Un to cancel a planned meeting between Kim Yong Chol and Pompeo that was due to take place in November.

There are quarters in Washington, including American media and some think tanks, that have persistently questioned the true motives of North Korea in engaging the Trump administration in peace talks. It was not, probably, sheer coincidence that The Washington Post, three days after the White House meeting between the US president and the North Korean senior envoy, gave prominent space to a recent report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies that dealt with what it claimed to be a secret missile site, the Sino-Ri base, in North Korea. According to the report, the base is one of approximately 20 undeclared missile operating bases in the North. The centre argued in the report that, while diplomacy is critical any agreement must take account of all the operational missile base facilities that are a threat to the United States and South Korean security.

Be that as it may, the official North Korean news agency ran a news story after the return of Kim Yong Chol from his trip to the US capital on the briefing he provided to Chairman Kim, who was pleased with the results of the White House meeting. What was most revealing about his positive reaction was the big smile on the face of Kim Yong-Un, distributed by the news agency. Judging from this alone, it seems the coming summit may reach more substantive results that go beyond the generalities reached in Sentosa last June.

* The writer is former assistant to Egypt foreign minister.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The Path Forward.

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Ms Stephanie S. Sullivan, United States Ambassador to Ghana, on Friday said explained that the United States issuance of visa restricted on some categories of Ghanaians had been necessitated due to the failure of bilateral efforts to resolve the issue.



She said the US has been working with Ghana for more than two years, including as far back as July 2016, on the issue of the issuance of documents for Ghanaian nationals under deportation orders in the US.



She said the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the State has been working with the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Ghana to issue passports for Ghanaian nationals who were subject to deportation orders within 30 days, in line with the UN Convention on International Civil Aviation.



She said, The Government of Ghana has consistently not met in a timely way this internationally mandated standard of the UN Convention on International Civil Aviation.



She said the timely issuance of the passports helped to facilitate deportees departure on commercial flights, failure of which meant that the US had to arrange charter flights or in some cases, release those under final orders of removal within the US.



Speaking during her first interaction with the press in Accra, Ms Sullivan said the US would as a result, pause the issuance of all new visas for domestic employees of Ghanaian Diplomats hosted in the US, effective Monday, February 4th, 2019.



The Embassy would also limit the normal five-year validity period and number of entries on Tourist and Business visas for all Ghanaian Executive and Legislative branch employees, their spouses and children under age 21, to single entry visas valid for only one month.



This will also apply to Ghanaians who are not government employees but hold diplomatic and official passports, she said.



She stressed the validity of the visas was however different from the duration of stay. Thus, the allowable duration of stay of a visa holder who enters the US, prior to the one-month visa expiration date, will not be affected.



Current visa holders, student visa applicants, Ghanaian government officials travelling for official duties as well as participants in official US government exchange programmes, are not currently affected.



We hope to work close together with Ghanaian authorities to resolve this issue properly. The US government will lift these limitations when the Ghanaian consulate in the US issue the required passports and demonstrate they can consistently provide timely issuance of documents for citizens going forward, she said.







Source: GNA









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Featured VideoThe Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has described the violence that erupted at Bawaleshie during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections on Thursday as unwarranted and unfortunate.



A statement issued by Mr Theodora Williams Anti, Programmes Manager, FOSDA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Foundation was calling on the Interior Minister, who was in charge of internal security of the country to explain to Ghanaians precisely what happened at Bawaleshie.



The Minister should also explain the objective behind the unusual heavy deployment of security forces, including the presence of what appeared to be "strange masked security persons", unknown to the security apparatus in official police vehicles.



"We have monitored many elections in Ghana in this fourth republic and we have not experienced such heavy deployment of security forces. Clearly the presence and actions of the strange masked security men" caused the violence that marred an otherwise peaceful by- election in the Ayawaso West Constituency," it said.



"Unless the Interior Minister has a very good explanation, this incidence will further deepen the mistrust for the police and other security agencies that recent incidences have created among the citizenry."



The statement said the Foundation was concerned about the consistent dwindling of confidence in Ghana's Security Forces, especially the police, in recent times.



It said these incidences which peaked with Thursday's violence at Bawaleshie might be symptoms of serious challenges within internal security arrangement and must be addressed boldly and urgently to save the country from more serious security challenges.









Source: GNA









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Featured VideoCargo disinfection exercise at all entries and exists of the countrys sea ports will commence end of February to prevent and protect Ghana from risks and threats of dangerous infections from abroad.



Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health, announced this on Friday after inspecting disinfecting tunnels installed at the seven entries and exists at the Tema Port for the cargo disinfection exercise.



Mr Agyeman-Manu indicated that the exercise was in compliance with the International Health Regulations published by the World Health Organization (WHO) of which Ghana was a signatory.



He added that if Ghana did not implement the disinfection exercise obligation, it would reach a time when cargoes from the country would be allowed to enter other ports in the world.



He noted that the project had received parliamentary approval and stakeholders engagement was still ongoing to ensure its smooth implementation.



He called for active collaboration between the Port Health and LCB Worldwide, the company in-charge of the installation of the disinfection tunnels and their operations to ensure efficiency.



The Health Minister also urged them to frequently take samples from the tunnels to test to ensure the right disinfectants are used for the fumigation of cargos, trucks, and other vehicles entering and existing the ports.



A service charge which includes Value Added Tax (VAT) ranging between seven US Dollars and $20 is expected to be paid by cars, other vehicles and cargo trucks when the project commences.



Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Director General, Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Mr Raphael John Marfo, Director of Port Health, expressed satisfaction at the installations stating that even though they carry out fumigations at the ports periodically, the exercise would give full protection against any form of infections.



Stakeholders including the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and the Food and Beverage Association expressed satisfaction at the level of engagement made on the implementation and were in agreement of the approved charges.



As part of the project, LCB would conduct mandatory disinfection services at the country's national traders markets every two months, and Senior High Schools to prevent the spread of diseases as well as secure the safety of consumers, and general public.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoTwo Ambassadors-designate to Norway and Belgium were on Friday granted their Letters of Commission with a charge to safeguard and promote the image and interests of Ghana, economically and socially, at all times.



They are Mrs Harriet Sena Siaw-Boateng's who heads to Belgium and doubles as Ghana's Permanent Representative to the European Union, and Mrs Jennifer Lartey, Norway.



The pair swore to the Oaths of Allegiance and Secrecy administered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a short ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra.



President Akufo-Addo congratulated the two on their "well-deserved appointment", saying they were carefully chosen and eminently fit for the job ahead of them.



He exhorted them to do everything possible to guard and uphold the image of Ghana, which was high in the comity of nations.



The president asked them to be mindful of the fact that they represented a country regarded as one of the most stable on the continent, a beacon of democracy, governed by the rule of law and respect for individual liberties, human rights and the principles of democratic accountability.



He re-emphasized governments commitment to changing the economic paradigm of the country and urged the envoys to tailor their interventions, at all times, to the objective to build a Ghana Beyond Aid.



Ghanaians have placed their hopes of a better life in us... we cannot disappoint them.



President Akufo-Addo charged them to deepen the bonds of cooperation between Ghana and the respective countries they had been accredited to and seek out other areas of engagements that would be beneficial to the peoples of the respective nations.



He further enjoined them to strive to develop cordial relations with the professional Foreign Service officers at their duty post as their invaluable experience and knowledge would help them work effectively.



He also asked them to establish good rapport with Ghanaian nationals who would be vital to their prospects of success in their respective countries, noting, they will be counting and looking up to you to champion not only our nations interests, but theirs as well".



'Do your best not to disappoint them, " he said.



Mrs Siaw-Boateng's expressed gratitude to the President for Honour bestowed on them to serve Ghana and pledged that they will both work to attain the objectives and vision of the Government.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoInformation reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that three persons have been picked up in connection with the murder of Joseph Miigaai Jakperuk, the Deputy Distribution Manager of GWCL in Accra East Region at Gbangu in the East Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.



DAILY GUIDE gathered that the police arrested the suspects, whose names were only given as Zakaria, Kantam and Bukari in Tamale in the Northern Region.



The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSP Mohammed Yusif Tanko, who confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, said the suspects are currently in police custody assisting in investigations.



It would be recalled that the Northern Regional Police Command commenced investigations into the killing of a manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) at Gbangu in the East Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.



DSP Mohammed Yusif Tanko said the police are doing everything possible to arrest the other perpetrators of the crime.



According to him, the suspects robbed the deceased of an amount of GH50,000.00 and shot him twice in the armpit and back.



DAILY GUIDE gathered that Joseph Miigaai Jakperuk, 40, was shot and killed at the spot by some unknown persons at Gbangu.



The deceased and his three colleagues were travelling on board two vehicles but none of them was harmed.



The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Tamale Teaching Hospital mortuary pending autopsy.



Reports indicated that the unknown gunmen blocked the Gbangu road with wood and ordered a vehicle driven by the Deputy Distribution Manager of GWCL in Accra East Region to stop.



The unknown gunmen subsequently opened fire and killed him on the spot.



Meanwhile, close relatives of the deceased are suspecting foul play in the murder of their relative under bizarre circumstances.

Source: Daily Guide









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Featured VideoMr Daniel Wilson Addo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG), has disclosed the banks preparedness to transform the countrys banking sector with technology led customer-centric approach.



A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, and signed by the CEO, noted that the banking sector played a very crucial role in Ghanas economy, having clearly demonstrated the capacity to contribute enormously to the general economic growth.



We are excited about the comprehensive and innovative value proposition we have put together for our customers. This year will be exceptional as we build on the foundation that has already been laid to drive the agenda of transforming CBG and indeed the entire banking industry, the statement noted.



We are committed to playing our part to build a strong and resilient banking sector to support robust macroeconomic growth.



The statement explained that the step would naturally require that the banks risk management systems and governance practices were cutting edge and on par with the best practices in any international bank.



We want to be at the forefront of innovation in the banking sector to add value to our clients businesses and serve them better, it added.



It said robust product portfolios and technological infrastructure had been put in place to ensure that the bank attained the necessary height needed to achieve the agenda to transform the sector.



We embarked on widespread internal reforms after the establishment of CBG with a view to establishing strong controls, deepening customer relationships and achieving operational efficiency. We continue to reiterate to customers trust us and continue to transact business with any of the bank's branches nationwide.



The statement gave the assurance that the bank would implement measures to ensure that customer needs were met in the various branches, adding that deposits of customers are equally safe due to the interventions.





Source: GNA









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Featured VideoPaxton, IL (60957)

Today

Generally cloudy. Cooler. High around 70F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.A group of interested young people gathered around me after I took part in a panel discussion at the Cairo International Book Fair. One of them brought up the subject Egypts defeat in the 1967 War, a defeat that has been used to issue a blanket condemnation of the Nasser period as the age of defeats and to cast the Sadat era into relief as the age of the October War victory.

I replied, never in history has there been a leader whose career was an unbroken chain of victories. Even the prophets won some battles but lost others. Napoleons career ended in military defeat and exile.

But French history and, indeed, world history is not just about that last chapter in the life of that commander who changed the face of Europe and spread his influence to most of the world, just as Nasser changed the face of the Arab world and spread his influence across most of the Third World.

If we want to assess the Nasser or Sadat experience, or that of any other leader, we have to examine it as a whole. If we home in on a single event, our evaluation is likely to be biased and unscientific.

If, for example, I wanted to condemn the Sadat era, I might say that he was responsible for the spread of the religious fanaticism and terrorism that we face today because he encouraged Islamist political leaders out of the belief that he could use them to counter the leftists.

Eventually, their power increased as their influence spread through a society in which minds were vulnerable to their rhetoric and ruses due to a lack of appropriate education and awareness.

Then, they turned against Sadat and assassinated him, just as they had assassinated dozens of politicians before. But I asked my interlocutor, would our assessment of Sadat be fair or objective if we considered only that aspect? What about the victory in the 1973 War? How could we ignore that? In like manner, if we focused only on that victory, we would be overlooking the isolation that Egypt endured during Sadats time.

By the end of his rule, Egypts relations had been severed with the majority of other Arab states, whereas it was precisely from its leadership of the Arab region that Egypt had acquired its weight in the international arena.

Egypts relations were also broken with the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe. At one point it seemed that Egypts membership in the Non-Aligned Movement would be suspended, even though it was a founding member of that bloc of Third World nations.

The 1967 War ended in a devastating military defeat. Nasser owned up to his responsibility and resigned. Nasser asked the late Mohamed Hassanein Heikal to write his resignation speech. Heikal related that the original text read, I bear my share of the responsibility, and that Nasser took out his pen and wrote instead, I bear all responsibility.

The important question now is what Nasser did after the masses across the Arab world refused to accept his resignation.

Did he continue to govern with the same policies and means as before? In answer to the peoples demand that he remain in power, Nasser vowed to make necessary changes. His first step was to dismiss officials who had contributed to making the defeat possible.

Foremost among these was the head of the intelligence agency which Nasser, himself, had described as a state within the state. Salah Nasr, whom some regarded as the epitome of the corruption that had spread through government, was dismissed, brought to trial and sentenced to prison.

The same occurred to the heads of many ministries, especially the Ministry of Information. These dismissals signalled the beginning of a new era.

The biggest change in the post-1967 era occurred in the army which, under the command of Field Marshal Abdel-Hakim Amer, had sustained enormous losses in troops and materiel.

Nassers pledge to eliminate the effects of the aggression was not a hollow slogan. It was a political act that was manifested in the sweeping changes that were introduced into the armed forces at three levels. The first was in the nature of the troops themselves.

Until then, the armed forces were primarily drawn from poor peasants and workers who did not have the pull to escape the draft. Henceforward, recruitment would include graduates from universities and other higher educational institutions. The second was at the level of armaments. Nasser concluded a series of arms deals with the Soviet Union that would more than compensate for the weapons lost and that would also equip our forces with much more modern arms. The third change took place at the level of training.

This occurred in a practical way during the War of Attrition, which began with the sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat. The War of Attrition lasted a full year during which Israel sustained more losses than it had during the June 1967 War, leading the US to step in with the Rogers initiative. The ensuing ceasefire, in turn, gave Nasser the breathing space he needed in order to build a missile wall in order to protect the Egyptian interior. By the time Nasser died, a fourth element was in place: the plan for the crossing of the Suez Canal. That plan, conceived by General Mohamed Fawzi and codenamed Granite, would serve as the basis of the 1973 October War.

Lastly, we should not forget Nassers communique of 30 March in which he laid out his future vision for a new political life characterised by a scope of civil freedoms considerably larger than existed under his two successors. Unfortunately, death intervened, taking him from Egypt at the age of 52 before he could see all these commitments through.

The 1967 War was not just a military defeat. It was also an important moment in which Egypt and the Arab world were jolted out of slumber. Perhaps some of the most important victories are those wrenched from the ruins of defeat.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Nasser and the 67 defeat'

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Then consider helping fund our endeavors. Around the world, communities are grappling with what journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. We believe The OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals.

If youre able, please SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge.In his op-ed Friday, Scott again stated he was in favor of DACA, writing, My state of Florida is home to more than 27,000 dreamers. The notion that we would  after educating them, protecting them and raising them  kick them out of the country, well, its just absurd.Before his speech, Pence sat down with a college professor who says he and his wife were physically assaulted by armed pro-government groups. In a round-table discussion, he also heard from other Venezuelan refugees such as a former city councilman who says he was accused of being a CIA agent. A doctor showed enlarged pictures of children seemingly dying of hunger."Right now, I believe we will be able to seat an unbiased jury," Jackson said. But "the upshot" of Stone's statements and coverage of them could be that "we end up with an even larger percentage the of jury pool tainted by publicity than we have now.""Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes, and only tribes, determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference. I grew up in Oklahoma, and like a lot of folks in Oklahoma, we heard stories about our ancestry," she said. When I first ran for public office, Republicans homed in on this part of my history, and thought they could make a lot of hay out of it. A lot of racial slurs, and a lot of ugly stuff. And so my decision was: I'm just going to put it all out there. Took a while, but just put it all out there."Political writer and former presidential consultant Ahmed El-Muslimany will deliver a lecture entitled The World Shortly Before 2020 at the Russian Centre for Culture and Science in Alexandria on Saturday evening.

The centre is currently cooperating with many intellectual figures, artists and writer from Alexandria to host and organize new activities, the head of the centre, Marat Jatin, said, as part of the the Russian-Egyptian year in 2019.

The lecture will take place at 7pm.

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Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we ever have to make, and it is never made lightly, said Capt. Mark Vlaun, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami. We have been in regular contact with the family members throughout our search efforts and extend our sympathies for what we know is a very difficult time for them.Dominick Edward Mendoza, 39, was in a pickup truck and pulled out in front of the officers cruiser, hitting it, troopers said. The patrol car then struck another vehicle, according to troopers.This grant will help us to build comprehensive systems to care for all members of our community, including those who have had limited access to it in the past, said Demings in a news release.This year the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) brings together 748 publishers and 525 book agencies from 35 countries, with some 86 publishing houses, 24 non-Egyptian, participating for the first time. A successful event so far, it was nonetheless held to a chorus of complaints about the remote location of its new venue at Egypts International Centre for Conferences and Fairs in Al-Tagammu, New Cairo.

Unlike the Nasr City fair grounds, which can be reached by metro, the new venue would make it inaccessible to ordinary fair-goers and rob the event of its spirit, it was argued. But within a week of its opening by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, according to the General Egyptian Book Organisation head Haitham Al-Hag, the fair has registered more than a million visits. Al-Hag estimates that, by 5 February when it closes, the number of fair goers will have risen by 50 per cent compared to last years.

This is borne out by the long queues at the gate, where effective security measures are the only bottleneck. The space makes for an entirely different experience from the typical Nasr City fair, with state-of-the-art amenities and a layout that is easier to navigate as well as maps, volunteer ushers, coffee shops and conveniences.

According to Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem (speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly), thanks to the Ministry of Defence, the Cairo governorate, EgyptAir, and the Ministry of Transportation (which has transported visitors to the new venue), Egypt now has a book fair of international standards: The 50th round of the fair has seen a concrete leap in preparations despite the transportation challenge. However, the tremendous efforts that the organisers have exerted have led to results.

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the change. Ahmed Farouk, a student to whom the Nasr City fair grounds hold childhood memories of the fair as a family outing, feels the old atmosphere is lost. Like Mona Shawki, a teacher, he found the prices a little too steep for his budget. But according to George Damyan, the owner of University Print House in Alexandria, this is partly due to a nearly 70 per cent increase in fair pavilions rent price: LE1,000 per metre for a 36 metre space in addition to insurance and transportation costs.

The location hasnt helped, Damyan feels: the long journey discourages people from spending as much time at the fair and from buying books they will have to carry home. Until last year I used to break even on the first day of the fair, this year I dont think itll happen until the end.

Yet booksellers like Raouf Asham, who represents Madbouly Bookshop, are pleased with the turnout. Kalimat agency director Islam Hosni feels this is the best fair he has seen since first participating in 2006, with the pavilions fairly distributed among Publishers Union members and a world-class venue compared to the usual mess of tattered tents and unclean cafeterias. For Salwa Mourad, an accountant, the new venue was a relief since it provides a book lover with a hassle-free environment and better company. Ahmed Abdou, a waiter who works at the fair, says business has been better and more pleasant at the new venue.

***

One highlight this year is the pavilion of the Cultural Palaces Authority, which has drawn the audience with its low prices (LE2.5-25) and valuable titles, notably the Dhakirat Al-Kitaba (or Memory of Writing) series of books.

Another is the Arab League guest-of-honour presentation, which offers books, archives and, notably, three large volumes of rare historical photos featuring such Arab leaders as King Farouk with King Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud and Arab League secretaries like Al-Shazly Al-Qaliby and Esmat Abdel-Meguid on the day the League relocated from Cairo to Tunisia. Under the slogan A Book for Every Visitor, every visitor to the pavilion of the Arab League is given a free book of their choice.

One hall is dedicated to telling the story of the fair through documentary materials and photographs featuring intellectuals, authors, poets and public figures who have participated in the fair over its 50-year history. Author Soheir Al-Qalamawi and culture minister Tharwat Okasha, who set up the fair at its first venue in Gezira in 1969, are being commemorated. So are such literary figures as Mohamed Abdou, Naguib Mahfouz, Taha Hussein and Abdel-Rahman Al-Sharqawi. According to Al-Hag, there are also celebrations of the 1,050th anniversary of the foundation of Cairo, the centenary of the 1919 Revolution and the 150th anniversary.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 29 January, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Brave new fair

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com.Much is at stake here. Many of Trumps followers have offered themselves to him with confidence that he will continue to provide them with a true path. When he falters and can no longer serve these needs, his followers may not only feel deprived but angered by a sense of betrayal. The chants and especially the promise of the wall may lose their power as he is unable to convey convincingly either the metaphysical or physical aspect of the wall. Followers may become frustrated and angry, even to the point of denouncing the worshipped guru. This would undoubtedly have a harmful effect on Trump himself.This week in court, the Syrian regime paid at least a symbolic price for murdering an American journalist. Well take it, and pray that other dictators who terrorize truth-seekers  or anyone for that matter  face similar legal reckonings.He first begrudgingly went back to his seat, but then got up again and attempted to push his way into the bathrooms, which were locked. Young became aggressive with two flight attendants and a passenger on the plane.Last March, Trump nominated Jackson to succeed David Shulkin as Secretary of Veterans Affair but Jackson withdrew his nomination four weeks later. And in April, bombshell revelations claiming Jackson had provided the opiod Percocet to a White House military office staff member seemingly put him on the defensive. A staff nurse also asserted Jackson had written prescriptions for himself. When he was caught red-handed, he allegedly asked a physician assistant to provide the medication.The incident unfolded just before 3 p.m. in Morgantown, according to KDKA. Police said hundreds of people gathered near Spruce Street, where they were openly drinking alcohol, sledding and snowboarding. The frigid temperatures Friday resulted in the cancellation of classes, giving students an opportunity to enjoy the extra day off.The North Carolina 3-year-old was found alive and unharmed earlier this month, nearly three days after he vanished from his grandmothers backyard in Enrul, located about 100 miles southeast of Raleigh. Rescue workers were following up on a tip about a crying child when they found Casey about 50 yards into a wooded area, tangled up in some brush and calling out for his mother.Authorities said Theriot had recently been taken in by his girlfriends family after he was kicked out of his own hom. Theyd only been dating a few weeks when he allegedly used a firearm he stole from his father to fatally gun down Summer and her family.Its all misdemeanor conduct. So even though it sounds really creepy and sounds like an invasion of privacy, its a very low level invasion of privacy but misdemeanor counts can be stacked, explained legal analyst Alexandra Kazarian. So if its the same victim at different times than each time, that six months can be stacked.As the sun warmed the air at Tuna El-Gebel necropolis in Minya governorate on Saturday morning, hundreds of media and officials gathered to witness the announcement of the first discovery of 2019.

Over the last two years, a large number of new discoveries in Egypt have grabbed the worlds attention.

At the site, Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany announced that a joint mission from the ministry and the Research Centre for Archaeological Studies at Minya University had stumbled upon a collection of Ptolemaic-era rock burial chambers, filled with a large number of mummies of different sizes and genders.

Rania Al-Mashat, the minister of tourism, Major General Kassem Hussein, the governor of Minya, Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and ambassadors and cultural attaches from 11 foreign countries, among them Malta, the Czech Republic, Spain, Serbia, Ireland, Belarus, and China, along with their families, as well as Mostafa Abdel-Nabi, the head of Minya University and members of parliament from Minya attended the announcement ceremony at the site.

El-Enany told the attendees that this is the discovery to be announced in Minya since he took office and the first in 2019. He also promised that this year will witness more discoveries.

He noted that the ambassadors had told him that they always admire mummies in museums but it is a different experience to be face-to-face with them in situ.

The newly discovered tombs are a familial grave which was probably for a family from the upper middle class, El-Enany said.

He highlighted that the grave consists of a number of burial chambers containing a large number of human mummies of different genders and age, including children. All are in a good conservation condition and some are wrapped in linen, or decorated with Demotic handwriting.

There are over 40 mummies. Some of them still have fragments of coloured cartonnage covers near their feet.

The methods used in burying the mummies inside the maze of tombs varies in style, Waziri told attendees, explaining that some of the mummies were inside stone or wooden sarcophagi while others were buried in sand or were laid on the floors of the tombs or inside niches.

Ostraca and fragments of papyri were also found in the tomb, he said, which helped reveal that it could date to the Ptolemaic, early Roman and Byzantine periods.

Wagdi Ramadan, the head of the mission, said that the mission started its work for the first time in Tuna El-Gebel in February 2018, when it discovered a tomb engraved in rock composed of a corridor leading to sloping stairs that opened to a rectangular chamber with a number of burials.

Another chamber was also located at the western side filled with mummies and large stone sarcophagi. At the northern side there is a third chamber with a collection of stone sarcophagi inside niches.

This is the typical burial style used in Tuna El- Gebel, which once was the necropolis of Egypts 15th nome during the late New Kingdom and the beginning of the New Intermediate Period.

Fathi Awad, director of Tuna El-Gebel, said that the archaeological site has several tombs, among them the tomb of Petosiris, the Isadora tomb, a sacred animal ceremony, a Roman cemetery and two frontier reliefs of king Akhenaten.

Al-Mashat said that the event was an important message to the whole world that Egypt has it all.

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Rachel Scott/ABC News(ACOMA, N.M.) -- Charles Riley, a member of the Native American Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico, did something he hasnt done in over a month.



He went back to work.



As a federal employee at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Riley was among the 800,000 federal workers who went without pay for weeks during the longest government shutdown in American history.



He is also one of more than 240,000 American Indians who work for the government, according to census data. American Indian communities say they were more acutely impacted by the government shutdown because tribal members faced more limited health care services and programs like food distribution, schools, and even law enforcement were operating with barebones staff and minimal, if any, funding.



Part of the agreement between sovereign tribal states and the federal government is that federal agencies provide services like education, infrastructure and food assistance, many of which were impacted during the shutdown.



Riley contemplated dipping into his life insurance account just days before the shutdown ended.



Its become more of a mental burden more than anything else, he said.



In an emotional interview with ABC News, he said his family worked hard, struggling financially to provide for their three children -- and now their lives were flipped upside down through no fault of their own.



Its just really a shame for people who are public servants and want to do a good job for the people of the United States, he said.



Now, as some federal workers, including Riley, recover from the effects of the last government shutdown, they are also preparing for what could be another possible shutdown if Congress and President Trump do not reach a deal by Feb. 15.



There is fear, anxiousness, and anger of potentially having to deal with another shutdown and possibly having to go through the same emotional, mental and financial stresses all over again," he said. "It can be pretty demoralizing at times.



While the temporary deal to end the shutdown brought some relief, Riley is concerned about the long-term effects it will have on Native American communities.



We are just a forgotten people. Every year our tribal leaders have to go back and educate our members of Congress, he said.



Riley, a 20-year federal employee, has been through a few government shutdowns but due to its length, the recent stalemate is prompting serious concerns over the long-term effects for the Pueblo of Acoma, his Native American community.



Indigenous communities rely heavily on federal funding, which have been promised to tribes based on treaties. On the reservation, schools, emergency services, child services, food and health care are often dependent on government funds. Brian Vallo, the governor of the Pueblo of Acoma, said the frequency and length of government shutdowns bring additional problems.



President Trump makes statements about how he will do anything he needs to access funding for a construction of a wall and if that meant that a shutdown continued through the reminder of the fiscal year, then we have a problem, Vallo said.



Vallo spoke with ABC News just one day after the government shutdown came to a temporary end. But his tribe had to be proactive in bracing for another one if a deal falls through.



This is when we are going to experience closure of schools, we dont have to access to food issued by USDA to assist our families that are already struggling. It means we have issues around our ability to over protection around our community. Law enforcement would be impacted, ambulatory transplant services would be impacted, and I suppose our hospital would no longer be able to provide the basic services they currently offer, Vallo added.



The threat is tremendous, he said.



Rileys daughter, Rebecca, wrote to New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall to express her concerns for her own family and her communities.



Im not a federal employee but its affecting me, she said.



I felt helpless at that point ... No family should be forced to feel this feeling of helplessness when it was no fault of their own, she continued.



Rebecca Riley met with Udall, a Democrat, and other affected families in the state, hoping the senator would take their concerns could spark action.



Udall introduced legislation last week that would seek to protect tribes from future government shutdowns or lapses in funding by guaranteeing money for the programs they use similar to how Department of Veteran Affairs programs are funded. Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act (IPAAA) would authorize advance appropriations for Indian Health Service (IHS) programs, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs, and contract support costs for tribes that opt to take over operation of IHS and BIA.



"It takes a long time to get it up and running again. And what's happened in the course of that period of getting it up and running again and having it shut down is you've lost a lot of effectiveness in the community, people have become discouraged, it's just a very very devastating thing to see happen, Udall said on a call with reporters.



W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown K'Sklallam Tribe in Washington state, said people forget that a number of communities in Indian Country face high unemployment and are at the bottom of many other economic and social indicators.



"Those kinds of issues, the substance abuse and economic challenges we have, basic welfare, these treaty and trust obligations are fundamental and we should not be subject to the political politics of Washington, D.C., underscore that, for crying out loud, at least you can help those that have the greatest need and we are certainly top of he list in terms of those challenges and these shutdowns or CRs are very challenging for our communities," Allen said.



In letters to members of Congress, tribal leaders said the shutdown limited health care services available to tribal communities, schools are operating without maintenance funds, food distribution programs are threatened, and law enforcement is stretched thin.



Some tribes have reserves or are able to borrow money to keep services going, but others say they have to limit or even suspend services without funding.



Vallo believes the government is hurting communities that are already at a disadvantage.



The federal government has a trust responsibility to offer these basic services to our community and other native American tribes that is the commitment that federal leadership made years ago and as the pot has grown much smaller, we are already at a disadvantage, he said.



As Native American communities continue to grow, Vallo said the federal funding remains limiting. In return, tribes throughout the country continue to extract from that small pot of federal funding that exists.



Tribes have worked very hard to establish economic development on our lands, these efforts have allowed us to supplement these programs that should already be fully funded by the federal government but we are now supplementing these programs because there is not enough federal funding, he said.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.The information that we have from people that we have talked to is the person does identify as both a male and a female going by a male name and then also a female name as well, stated Rose.The cause and manner of the deaths have yet to be released and there has been no word on a motive. Police had previously said that Glukovskiy was cooperating with the investigation.Tolstykh, a father of four and the owner of the Brighton Bazaar on Brighton Beach Ave., had just parked his car in an underground garage on Brighton 11th St. when two hooded, masked thugs ambushed and attacked him, taking $34,000 in cash he had to pay his workers. The muggers also took two pricey watches and a handful of Russian candy, police said. Tolstykh died at Coney Island Hospital.(I want to) offer my apology for this nuisance and assure you that you will be completely indemnified in full and not have to keep the car and get all your money back, Seinfeld allegedly said. I did want to apologize to you personally for that happening.Bakies also changed the passwords on the accounts in order to prevent the victims from regaining control, the papers continue. It is alleged that Bakies targeted individuals active in cryptocurrency, due in part to the inherent difficulty in tracing the theft and/or transfer of cryptocurrencies.The woman, Leslie Holden, told police early Saturday morning that Bow Wow  real name Shad Gregory Moss  assaulted her, while the rapper claimed to authorities that Holden was the one who assaulted him, according to an official with the Atlanta Police Department.Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Philippine troops killed three suspected Abu Sayyaf militants and suffered five fatalities during a firefight on a remote southern island, the military said on Saturday.

The clash with more than 100 members of the Abu Sayyaf group broke out in the town of Patikul in the Sulu province at 11:30 a.m. as troops pursued those behind a church attack on Sunday, Colonel Gerry Besana, spokesman for the military's Western Mindanao Command said.

The church bombing in Sulu, which killed 22 people and wounded more than 100 including civilians and soldiers, was a suicide attack carried out by an Indonesian couple, with help of the Abu Sayyaf group, Interior Minister Eduardo Ano said on Friday.

Abu Sayyaf is a militant organisation notorious for kidnappings and extremist factions and has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Sulu province, in the country's Mindanao region, is a known stronghold of the group.

The encounter in Patikul lasted nearly two hours, Besana said, with five soldiers and 15 militants also wounded.

Martial law has been in place in Mindanao since domestic and foreign fighters dressed in black outfits overran Marawi City in 2017 and clung on through five months of air strikes and street battles reminiscent of scenes in Syria and Iraq.

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The Police in Benue State said its men averted what would have been a clash between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) an...

The Police in Benue State said its men averted what would have been a clash between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and that of the People Democratic Party (PDP) at Gbajimba in Guma Local Government Area of the state on Friday.









State Commissioner of Police, Omololu Bishi in a statement released through his spokesman, explained that the issue started at about 1:00pm when PDP supporters protested that the APC was playing provocative music/songs at the Government Secondary School in Gbajimba venue of the APC campaign rally.









This resulted in the hurling of stones and other objects and the destruction of campaign posters by supporters of both parties. No gunshot was fired by anyone and no casualty was recorded.









It, however, took the prompt intervention of the officers and men of the command led by the Area Commander of Makurdi Area Command to disperse the crowd which was almost becoming riotous, Bishi stated.









The commissioner, however, expressed disappointment that such incidence would happen at this time despite the peace pact signed by the various political party aspirants.









He vowed to bring those behind the incident to book and appealed to the residents to remain law-abiding and eschew violence in their day to day activities.Nigeria's Vice President has escaped death by the whiskers after his chopper crash-landed in Kogi state. Osinbajo has survived...

Nigeria's Vice President has escaped death by the whiskers after his chopper crash-landed in Kogi state.









Osinbajo has survived after his Chopper crash landed in Kabba today. Also, the entire crew are safe. He is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State.





Confirming the report, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, on Media & Publicity Laola Akande tweeted: "VP Osinbajo's Chopper crash lands in Kabba, but he and the entire crew safe. He is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State."Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka (alias Tinka Point), the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign organisation in Gombe S...

Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka (alias Tinka Point), the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign organisation in Gombe State has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).





He met with President Muhammadu Buhari at State House, Abuja, on Friday, where he pledged allegiance to the APC.





Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity), made the announcement in a statement.





Tinka also vowed to bring his political weight to bear on the election of the President for a second term in office.





Coming exactly a fortnight to the presidential election, the defection of Alhaji Tinka deals a massive blow to the PDP in Gombe. PDP currently governs the state, and has done so since 2003, the statement added



The Zamfara governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bello Matawalle says he will end Local Government Joint ...

The Zamfara governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bello Matawalle says he will end Local Government Joint Account with the state if elected.









Matawalle made the pledge during a campaign rally in Bakura town, the headquarters of Bakura Local Government Area on Friday.









Matawalle said the decision to abolish the joint account was to give free hand to the councils to handle their finances.









He said that joint account was detrimental to the provisions of infrastructure at the grassroots.









Our concern is to have accelerated development at grassroots, we, therefore, ought to allow local government officials to handle their finances, he said









According to him, local government secretariats are virtually empty as a result of the joint account.









 It is worrisome that the elected council officials and workers are deserting their offices as there is no money to operate because of the joint account, he said









Matawalle expressed concerns that provision of health care, water supply and other essential services rendered by local government had ceased.









 We all know the reason behind the creation of local government areas was to take government closer to the people at grassroots, but the joint account has crippled their operations, he said









He appealed to the electorates to stand firmly to vote for PDP to get the desired change in governance.













(NAN)On two fronts, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and its surrogate political group, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) are de...

On two fronts, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and its surrogate political group, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) are desperately seeking ways of disqualifying President Muhammadu Buhari from the 16 February election .









On the campaign podium in Enugu Friday, PDP chairman, Uche Secondus, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to disqualify Buhari. His reason was because of the presence of two governors from Niger Republic, Issa Moussa of Zinder Region and Zakiri Umar of Maradi, at Buharis crowd jammed rally in Kano on Wednesday.









Though there is no known electoral law banning foreigners from attending Nigerian rallies, the PDP wants the INEC to shove Buhari out of the race.









What we witnessed in Kano yesterday at the APC rally. President Buhari brought in mercenaries  two governors from Niger Republic  with arms, with money, with people to come and vote to influence our election in Nigeria, Mr Secondus was quoted to have said.









I hereby  as PDP chairman, call on on INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, to disqualify President Buhari for bringing mercenaries from abroad to influence our election.









On Thursday, CUPP filed a suit seeking to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari from participating in the general elections.









We the opposition political parties have, therefore, filed litigation at the Federal High Court seeking to declare him (Buhari) unfit to contest for 2019 election, Mr Ugochinyere Ikenga, a former Bukola Saraki aide said.









According to the CUPP spokesman, the opposition parties filed the suit based on claims that the President is not healthy enough to lead the nation for another four years.









He also noted the allegations by the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, that her husbands government had been hijacked some people.









Ikenga stressed that it was for these reasons among others that the coalition took the decision to approach the court to declare the President unfit to run for a second term, Channels TV reported.









We are also seeking from the court an order disqualifying President Buhari from contesting the election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and an injunction restraining (the Independent National Electoral Commission) INEC from recognising his candidature, he added.









And as if already conceding defeat of the PDP, he insisted that the group was taking the steps in its bid to save the country from what he described as a calamity.Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Friday threw their weight behind President Muhammadu ...





Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Friday threw their weight behind President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid.





They made their choice known on Friday when their National Executive Committee met with President Buhari at the State House, Aso Villa Abuja.





Speaking on behalf of the group, the National President, Chinedu Okoronkwo, noted that the country was faced with frequent problem of petroleum products supply before Buharis administration





He, however, said that there was free flow of petroleum products under the Buhari government.





He also said that the industry was enmeshed in deep corruption before Buharis administration, which is now a thing of the past.





We are solidly behind your reelection bid. In our meetings, we have adopted you as our candidate. Your success in the election will be a success for Nigeria, he added.





He also assured that there will be no fuel scarcity in the country throughout the period of the general elections.





Stressing that the association is ready to continue to work with the Buhari administration to surmount remaining problems in the industry, he disclosed that the association is planning to set up refineries in the country.



Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday met leaders of top political parties and security chiefs in Ogun State over vio...

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday met leaders of top political parties and security chiefs in Ogun State over violence which has characterised campaigns in the state ahead of general elections.









Daily Trust on Sunday recalls that no fewer than 10 supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) were injured and many campaign vehicles shattered when both parties clashed on Thursday in Abeokuta.









Obasanjo, however, met the political parties leaders behind closed doors for more two hours at Owu Hall inside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Saturday.









Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, the State Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Chief Wale Egunleti said Obasanjo warned them to maintain peaceful campaign in the interest of all.









Egunleti said Our father (Obasanjo) has called the political parties for a meeting to shun any act of thuggery, fighting, and any form of violence during and after election.









We want to serve the people and we must lead by example. Therefore, we have been warned and advised to keep peace in Ogun for the benefit of all.









Also, we should maintain peace and ensure that we inform authorities about our plans and movement for security reasons.









He added that there would be subsequent meetings for review and monitor of compliance.A high-ranking Venezuelan air force general said he had disavowed President Nicolas Maduro and now recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim head-of-state, according to a video circulating on Twitter on Saturday.

In the video, General Francisco Yanez, a member of the air force's high command, called on other members of the military to defect. The high command's web page lists him, along with a photo, as the air force's head of strategic planning.

On its Twitter account, the high command accused the general of treason. Yanez is the first active Venezuelan general to recognize Guaido since he proclaimed himself president on Jan. 23.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has postponed his campaign rally in Zamfara State, earlier scheduled for Sunday in the state capital. P...





President Muhammadu Buhari has postponed his campaign rally in Zamfara State, earlier scheduled for Sunday in the state capital.





Presidency sources disclosed this, attributing the development to the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.





Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, confirmed the postponement but did not give reasons.





The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had released the final list of candidates for the March 2 governorship and state house of assembly elections, with the names of those in APC missing.





The electoral body said it decided to maintain its original position that APC was ineligible for the exercise because it did not conduct primaries in the state.





Meanwhile, Kabiru Marafa, a senator in the state, has said there is no need for the president to go to Zamfara for campaign as his foot soldiers were really to do so on his behalf.





Speaking to state house correspondents after meeting with Buhari, Marafa, I am not aware of the cancellation of the APC Zamfara rally; honestly because I was not told. Like I said, I just submitted a proposal which I think will serve the interest of our party, the president and our people.





We dont have candidates for now because of the political impasse that characterised Zamfara state in the last few months and the president is billed to be in Zamfara on Sunday, February 3.





Because of the rumple between disagreeing parties, we felt it is better Mr. President suspends his visit to Zamfara. After all, we are there; we can campaign for him; he knows us; he knows our individual capacities; there is no point bringing all the factions under one umbrella, because once the president is there, if you like the president and you are with him, you will like to show your face.





However, we feel it is avoidable; but you cannot come to the president with just one single suggestion. So, I just put my opinion across; that if it is a must; maybe the party has fixed February 3rd for the visit, then we want to be excused because there is no way President Muhammad Buhari will go to Zamfara and my face is not seen and people will not ask questions and I think it is not fair just to be absent like that.



President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to trace and return all stolen funds and assets stashed outside the country by looters if he is r...

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to trace and return all stolen funds and assets stashed outside the country by looters if he is re-elected as president in the February elections.









Speaking during his presidential re-election campaign on Saturday in Gombe, Buhari pledged that all the stolen funds and assets seized from looters would be sold and the money would be invested in Nigeria.









Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), added that if return as president his administration would ensure that there would be no wastage and squandering of government resources.









He told mammoth that gathered at the Pantami Township Stadium, Gombe that he was thankful to Allah who enables him to contribute to the peace being enjoyed in the north-east which was affected by the insurgency.









Earlier, during a courtesy call to the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, Buhari promised to continue to improve on Agricultural sector for socio-economic development of the country if voted for the second term.









He said the exploration of Oil and Gas which he earlier flagged off at the border of Gombe and Bauchi states if completed, would contribute to the development of the state and the country.









The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Aliyu Oshiomole, said the social investments programmes brought by their administration have brought positive development to the populace.Amnesty International says at least 60 persons were killed in the recent Boko attack in Rann, a border town in Borno state. In a s...





Amnesty International says at least 60 persons were killed in the recent Boko attack in Rann, a border town in Borno state.





In a statement on Friday, the organisation said it gathered from satellite images that hundreds of structures were burnt down during the attack which occurred in January.





Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) fled to Cameroon during the attack.





Amnesty quoted witnesses as saying soldiers abandoned their posts the day before the attack, demonstrating the authorities utter failure to protect civilians.





We have now confirmed that this weeks attack on Rann was the deadliest yet by Boko Haram, killing at least 60 people, Osai Ojigho, the organisations director in Nigeria said in the statement.





Using satellite imagery we have also been able to confirm the mass burning of structures as Boko Haram unleashed a massive assault on Rann, most of which is now destroyed.





This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crime, and those responsible must be brought to justice.





The authorities on both sides of the border must provide the supplies and safety that these people require. The Cameroonian authorities must also desist from forcing people to return until conditions are safe and they choose to do so voluntarily.





TheCable reached out to Sani Usman, to react to Amnestys claims, but he did not pick his calls and is yet respond to a text message.



Cameron Montemayor can be reached at cameron.montemayor@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowMontemayor.The United States should resolve its differences with Russia through dialogue instead of threatening to withdraw from an important nuclear arms control agreement between the two nations, China's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The United States' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that Washington would withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia within six months unless Russia returned to "full and verifiable compliance" with the treaty.

Washington claims Russia's new Novator 9M729 cruise missile violates the agreement, which bans ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 km (310 to 3,420 miles).

"As an important bilateral treaty in arms control and disarmament, the Intermediate-Range Treaty has great significance in improving relations between major powers, strengthening international and regional peace, and maintaining global strategic balance and stability," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on its website.

"China is opposed to U.S. withdrawal action and urges the United States and Russia to handle their differences properly through constructive dialogue," the statement said, warning that unilateral withdrawal could trigger "negative consequences".

The agreement officially expires in early 2021 but can be extended by another five years if both Washington and Moscow agree. However, Russian officials have accused the United States of inventing a pretext to end the treaty, allowing them to develop new weapons.

China's foreign ministry said it was not in favour of drawing up a multilateral arms control agreement to replace the Intermediate-Range Treaty, saying the issues were too complicated and that existing agreements should instead be maintained and implemented.

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A body found buried in a field in Kamisu City earlier this week belongs to a missing female university student, police said Thursday, reports NHK (Feb. 1).

Using fingerprint information, Tokyo Metropolitan Police confirmed the body is that of Natsumi Kikuchi, a 19-year-old resident of Tokyoas Katsushika Ward who went missing last year.

Also on Thursday, police arrested Koichi Hirose, 35, of no known occupation, after he admitted to burying the body in the field near the coast a about 13 kilometers from his residence in Kamisu a during questioning.

On Friday, police sent Hirose to prosecutors on suspicion of abandoning a corpse.

Hirose has also confessed to killing Kikuchi. aI killed the girl I met on [an internet] bulletin board site after she started getting noisy,a the suspect told police. aI then buried her body.a He also said that the killing took place inside his vehicle.

On November 20, Kikuchi went by train from JR Ayase Station to Kamisu after attending class at her university in the capital.

After exiting JR Kashimajingu Station, Kikuchi boarded a taxi for a convenience store nearby. She then went in the direction of the residence of the man who began undergoing questioning on Saturday, police said previously.

At around 11:00 p.m. that night, Kikuchi last exchanged messages with family and friends on her smartphone via the application Line. Her family reported her missing with the Ayase Police Station on November 22.

Second arrest

Police took Hirose in for voluntary questioning beginning on January 24. During the conversations, he said that he did meet her in front of his residence. aBut she left immediately. I donat know where she went,a he told police.

Hirose later changed his story. He also said that he threw Kikuchias phone into a river.

The arrest is the second for Hirose. In April, 2017, Ibaraki police arrested him for paying an underage girl he met via a social-networking service to perform acts deemed obscene. The suspect was accused of violating the anti-child prostitution law. It is not known whether he was convicted.Tokyo Metropolitan Police are seeking a warrant for the arrest of Hirofumi Arai over the alleged rape of a masseuse at his residence last year, reports TBS News

Beginning on Friday morning, police searched the residence of Arai, 40, in Setagaya Ward. That afternoon, police sought the warrant on suspicion of coerced intercourse.

At just past 2:00 a.m. on July 1, Arai summoned the woman, an employee at an outcall massage parlor aged in her 30s, to his residence. He then is alleged to have sexually assaulted her.

One month after the incident, the woman lodged a complaint with the Setagaya Police Station.

During voluntary questioning, Arai admitted to the allegations, police said.

Arai made his debut as an actor in 2001. He has since appeared in a number of films and television dramas.US President Donald Trump reversed course Thursday, claiming he and the American intelligence community are in agreement after branding them naive and in need of schooling the day before. He now alleges testimony by the countrys top spies had been distorted by journalists -- one of his favorite targets.

Just concluded a great meeting with my Intel team in the Oval Office who told me that what they said on Tuesday at the Senate Hearing was mischaracterized by the media - and we are very much in agreement on Iran, ISIS, North Korea, etc., Trump tweeted. I would suggest you read the COMPLETE testimony from Tuesday, he added.

On that day, before the Senate Intelligence Committee, the nations top intelligence chiefs contradicted some of Trumps most fundamental foreign policy claims. In the hearing about global threats, the countrys senior spies took issue with Trumps assertion that the Islamic State jihadist group has been defeated, and that North Korea can be convinced to forego its nuclear weapons.

Th y also challenged Trumps claim that Tehran is actively seeking nuclear weapons. And they underscored again that Russia meddled deeply on Trumps behalf in the 2016 presidential election -- which he has repeatedly denied -- and can be expected to do the same in 2020.Venezuelas opposition leader Juan Guaido said Thursday elite security forces went to his home to threaten his family, blaming the government of Nicolas Maduro as international support grew for his bid to oust the embattled president. The move heightened fears for the security of the 35-year-old National Assembly leader, who declared himself acting president last week in a bold challenge to Maduros authority.

The polices special action force, FAES, had gone to his home to interview his wife Fabiana Rosales, Guaido said during a speech at Caracas university.At this moment the dictatorship believes that it will intimidate us, Guaido said, his wife at his side. Earlier, European lawmakers recognized Guaido as the acting head of state -- another step forward in his bid to force out the socialist leader who has presided over the oil-rich countrys economic collapse. Several opposition leaders have been jailed in recent years as Maduro cracked down on growing dissent in the Latin American country, where resistance has escalated with Guaidos spectacular self-proclamation.

Deprived almost entirely of coverage on mainstream media, Guaido has deftly used the social networks to woo support, but even that avenue is increasingly being cut off, and there is an explicit ban against talking about him. The dramatic turn against Maduros leftist regime culminated quickly, but it came after weeks of behindthe-scenes diplomacy including a hushed meeting in Washington with Guaido, who was quickly recognized by Washington as Venezuelas president. Henrique Capriles, 46, a former presidential candidate and an opposition leader in recent years, said the opposition was unaware Guaido would declare himself the countrys leader on January 23.

That surprised a lot of political figures (but) I dont say that as a criticism, Capriles said. While marshaling international support, Guaido is seeking to maintain street pressure against Maduro, and has called more mass protests for Saturday. Venezuelas Supreme Court -- dominated by regime loyalists -- has frozen his assets and ordered him not to leave the country.

EU lawmakers support

On Thursday, lawmakers at the Brussels-based European Parliament voted to accept Guaido as legitimate interim president of the country -- and urged the European Union to follow suit. Four major European powers -- Britain, France, Germany and Spain -- have said they would do so if Maduro fails to call presidential elections by the weekend. The US on Thursday urged all European countries to recognize Guaido, but Maduro has told the imperialists to wait until 2025 for new elections.

Guaido was at the main Caracas university to present his rescue plan for a country in economic meltdown. Part of the plan unveiled by the opposition leader and his economic advisor Jose Guerra is to end exchange controls in force since 2003 and renegotiate Venezuelas estimated $150 billion debt.The UAE has implemented four water pumping stations west of the Sudanese State of Kassala and signed contracts with the state government to drill 10 water wells, with work underway to establish additional pumping stations fed by Atbara River to address the severe drinking water crisis.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court is funding the developmental projects as per the directives of the His Highness Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said Hamad Mohamed Humaid Al Junaibi, the UAE Ambassador to Sudan, who opened the four water pumping stations,which will meet the needs of 150,000 people.

The solar-powered stations are part of Sudans Zero-Thirst Project and aimed at ensuring stability and development across the country, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. The developmental projects fall in line with the brotherly bonds between the two countries and their peoples in keeping with the march of giving, the solid basis of which was laid down by late Shaikh Zayed Al Nahyan and now maintained by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, added the AmbassadorAlert buzz for all women! Beware of male con artists thriving on social media, who are capable of cheating you in the name of marriage.

The Lower Criminal Court has sentenced a 34-year-old Bahraini man to one year in jail for duping a woman to the tune of BD30,000. However, he was offered BD100 bail, pending the ultimate outcome of his appeal. According to court details, the man was arrested and put on trial at the Lower Criminal Court after his sister discovered that he has been cheating many women and launched a complaint with local police.

Public Prosecutors said that the man opened an Instagram account and started introducing himself as a prospective groom to many women. He would tell that he was a police officer in plainclothes to impress them. And taking advantage of his fake designation, he deceived ladies wanting to get married as well as rich women. The defendant successfully convinced a woman that he would marry her and asked her money to buy a car.The Shura Council condemned in the strongest words the statements which were made by the Iranian Foreign Ministrys spokesman regarding the court verdicts and the integrity of the judiciary in Bahrain.

The Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security voiced the stance, slamming the statements which reflect the Irans systematic targeting of Bahrain and other countries in the region, to fuel violence, strife and sectarianism, subvert national unity and defame the Kingdoms image, in breach of the international conventions and principles and values of good neighbourliness.

The committee denounced in a statement the danger of the extremist Iranian regime which threatens the security, stability and sovereignty of countries in the region, urging a firm international concerted stance to prevent Iran from pursuing its subversive agenda.

The judiciary in Bahrain has attained the highest degree of independence, transparency, justice and integrity, it said, rejecting any interference in Bahrains judiciary or internal affairs. It highlighted the atmosphere of security and stability region in Bahrain, which pursues its development momentum with the reform project which was launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.The Fourth Higher Criminal Court yesterday postponed the verdict in a case involving two accused of spying for Qatar and receiving Qatari funds to harm Bahrains legislative authority to February 6. The suspects will remain imprisoned until the announcement of the verdict. They were arrested from Bahrain International Airport while returning to Bahrain from Qatar with large undeclared amounts of money.

According to court files, a total of BD12,500 was seized from the suspects upon their arrival to the Kingdom from Qatar via. Kuwait last October. Investigators found that the suspects received the money from a former Qatari Waqf, Interior and Internal Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Khalid Al Thani through their bank accounts or directly by frequently travelling to Qatar. One of the suspects received money to support his electoral campaign for the 2018 parliamentary elections in Bahrain.

He, however, told the court that he forgot to declare the BD12,000 to the Customs Department. He also denied the allegation that the money was meant to support his electoral campaign, claiming that it was given to him to fix rainwater isolation equipment. Judicial permission was previously issued to record telephone calls between the suspects, which confirmed the results of the investigations.

Further investigation also showed that both of them, between 2013-2018, received a total of BD225,804 from the same Qatari official, whos named on an international terrorism list issued by the Anti-Terror Arab Quartet, which consists of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Public Prosecution accused both suspects with exchanging intelligence information with someone working for a foreign country to undermine the national interests. They were also accused of illegally receiving money without claiming it at the Customs Department. The Prosecution ordered the confiscation of the money back then.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.Last year ended with a tone of optimism among Yemenis after the government and Houthis signed the Stockholm agreement on 13 December. Hopes for peace didnt last long though, and soon enough the situation in Yemen regressed.

Houthi militias are taking steps that threaten to break the Sweden accord, driving the Foreign Ministry of the internationally recognised Yemeni government to warn against the collapse of the agreement.

What is really going on in Yemen? Who is to blame for breaking the accord? What was the Houthis role in the scheme that targeted retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, chairman of the UN monitoring mission in charge of overseeing the ceasefire in Hodeida, and led him to submit his resignation? Will UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths restore the hopes of Yemenis in the UN?

After the Yemeni government delegation and the Houthis sat down for peace talks in Sweden, the unexpected happened. The Houthi militias prevented Cammaert from meeting government representatives in Hodeida.

Askar Zuail, member of the negotiation team in Stockholm, tweeted: The Houthis are still preventing Cammaert from leaving his hotel for the meeting that was set to be held at the Ekhwan Thabit compound at 11am.

He added: We, the government team, call on the UN and the UN envoy to Yemen to provide full clarification on all impediments to the Hodeida agreement since it came into effect on 18 December till this moment.

The Stockholm agreement called for a ceasefire in Hodeida, redeploying forces and giving the UN a role in monitoring the ceasefire and Hodeida ports.

The UN Security Council then issued Resolution 2451 authorising UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy international ceasefire monitors.

Official newspapers and news websites then published reports about rifts between Cammaert and Griffiths, saying that the latter opposed Cammaerts redeployment plans in Hodeida, leading the retired Dutch general to submit his resignation to Guterres.

Since arriving in Yemen on 23 December, Cammaert has had difficulties communicating with the Houthis. On 17 January, his convoy came under fire.

The UN confirmed that Cammaert and his team were unharmed. Patrick Cammaert and team are safe in Hodeida following a reported shooting incident, the UN spokesman said. We know that General Cammaert and his team left a meeting and as they were leaving one UN armoured vehicle sustained one round of small arms fire. We do not have information on the source of that fire.

The UK-sponsored resolution on the ceasefire monitoring mission was unanimously approved by the 15-member states of the UN Security Council, and the UN called for facilitating the entrance of international monitors into Hodeida and making easier administrative procedures regarding its mission.

Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, said at a press conference that deploying international monitors in Hodeida required obtaining permission papers from the two warring parties.

According to the UN resolution, an advance team comprising 75 international monitors would oversee implementation of the ceasefire in Hodeida for six months.

An International Crisis Group report said the Houthis was the prime obstacle to enforcing the Stockholm agreement and that the militia had to take the first step by redeploying their forces in the three main Hodeida ports. In a more recent report, the group wrote: The Houthis maintain that they have moved their main fighting forces out of Hodeida, Ras Issa and Salif ports. This claim, however, is based on their interpretation of the Stockholm agreement.

The report continued: On 29 December, after an abortive UN attempt to get the parties to temporarily reopen the Sanaa-Hodeida road as part of a confidence-building measure, the Houthis unilaterally announced their redeployment from [Holdeidas] ports, reportedly refusing to allow a UN convoy to leave the city via the Sanaa road.It was a disingenuous announcement. As many observers noted, the group appeared to simply hand out uniforms to their supporters at the port and claim that they were autonomous local security forces, asking the UN to verify a redeployment of forces. Cammaert refused to oblige.

At a time the Stockholm agreement should have entered into force, the Houthis are sending reinforcements to Hodeida. The Houthis provocations led the Yemen Foreign Ministry to issue a statement saying, We warn that the Stockholm agreement is at risk of collapse in Hodeida and that [our] approach of self-restraint wont last forever if the militia doesnt stop drafting more reinforcements and fighters to Hodeida, building fortifications, violating the ceasefire, attacking civilians in daily provocative actions, and targeting sites of government forces.

The ministry statement condemned the militias decimation of several tons of wheat and flour, humanitarian aid for the Yemeni people, by bombarding the main mills and silos in Hodeida, adding that the Houthis provocations should not be ignored by the international community and the UN Security Council, and confirming the governments obligation to implement the Stockholm peace accord.

The passage of nearly one month and a half without the Houthis implementing of the agreement is sufficient proof for the world to know that this group does not believe in peace or in dialogue, read the Foreign Ministry statement.

Sky News Arabia reported that Griffiths arrived in Sanaa Monday for his second visit in four days, while Al-Mashhad Al-Araby website said that, Griffiths will talk with Houthi leaders about the implementation of the Hodeida agreement and redeployment in the city and the three ports. Griffiths will also meet with General Patrick Cammaert in Sanaa before going together to Hodeida. This is going to be Griffiths first visit to Hodeida.

Griffiths denied having differences with Cammaert that led him to submit his resignation, reported the website.

In interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Griffiths said: There is no element of truth to such reports General Cammaerts plan was to stay in Yemen for a rather short period of time, to activate the Redeployment Coordination Committee and lay the ground for establishing the Hodeida mission. All the speculation about other reasons for General Cammaerts departure are not accurate.

He added: It is important not to lose sight of the big picture necessary to resolve the conflict in Yemen. A framework that will draw a roadmap towards a political agreement will provide us with a basis for the endgame; that is the political solution for the conflict in Yemen.

Griffiths said he was working on all issues important to Yemen, including the prisoners exchange and convening another round of peace talks, stating that what is important to me is that both parties continue to demonstrate political will in abiding by the Stockholm agreement, and both parties are constructively and seriously engaged for the full implementation of the agreement. What is important now is to stay the course, and to continue working with the two parties until we see the full implementation of the Stockholm agreement.

The UN special envoy revealed his schedule earlier this week to Asharq Al-Awsat. General Patrick Cammaert and I have just had a series of very constructive meetings in Sanaa and in Riyadh. I return to Sanaa again as of Monday, and General Cammaert also will be there. I am planned to visit Hodeida, too, this time. Also, next week I will visit Aden to meet with Prime Minister Main Abdelmalek. Our focus now is to see redeployments take place in Hodeida in a credible and verifiable way. We are working with the parties to ensure this takes place very soon.

We are planning to convene the next round of political consultations soon. As I mentioned, we do not want to lose the momentum created in Sweden.

However, we all are on the same page that we need to see progress in implementing what was agreed in Sweden before convening the next round of consultations. We hope we will be able to announce the date of the next round of consultations very soon.

In 2018, Griffiths said the biggest challenge ahead was not to disappoint the Yemeni people. For a nation that has been suffering the horrors of war, the Yemenis are pinning their hopes on Griffiths, praying they will not be disappointed again.

The Yemenis hope the answer to the question When will the war end? is soon  very soon.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Sweden accord at risk of collapse

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Submit hereFairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy. High 71F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.(Newser)  Catholic leaders in Texas on Thursday identified 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children, a number that represents one of the largest collections of names to be released since an explosive grand jury report last year in Pennsylvania, the AP reports. Fourteen dioceses in Texas named those credibly accused of abuse. The only diocese not to provide names, Fort Worth, did so more than a decade ago and then provided an updated accounting in October. There are only a handful of states where every diocese has released names and most of them have only one or two Catholic districts. Arkansas, for instance, is covered by the Diocese of Little Rock, which in September provided a preliminary list of 12 former priests, deacons, and others.

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The move by Texas church leaders follows a shocking Pennsylvania report in August detailing seven decades of child sexual abuse by more than 300 predator priests. The Diocese of Dallas and some others relied on retired police and federal investigators to review church files and other material to substantiate claims of abuse. It's not clear whether any of the names released Thursday could result in local prosecutors bringing criminal charges. The majority of those identified have since died. Some investigations dated back to 1950 while other reviews, as in the case of the Diocese of Laredo, only went to 2000 because that's when that diocese was established. Of the 286 men named in Texas, 172 have died, a percentage comparable with the national tally. Click for the full story. (The Vatican insisted that US bishops delay a sex-abuse vote.)(Newser)  Los Angeles prosecutors said Friday that they have declined to charge attorney Michael Avenatti with misdemeanor domestic violence but will hold hearings on the allegations, the AP reports. Actress Mareli Miniutti got a restraining order against Avenatti in November after accusing him of dragging her by the arm across a bedroom floor of his apartment following an argument. Avenatti, who represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against President Donald Trump, has denied the allegations and said on Twitter that the decision by prosecutors vindicates him. "I am extremely thankful that after three thorough investigations, one by the LAPD, one by the LA District Attorney, and one by the LA City Attorney, the truth of my innocence is now established and no charges are being brought," Avenatti said.

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An attorney for Miniutti said he was notified of the decision by the supervising attorney of the city attorney's family violence unit that prosecutors believed his client but didn't think they could win a conviction. "This decision is an outrage not only for Ms. Miniutti, but for women everywhere," attorney Michael Bachner said in a statement. "The message sent to victims of abuse is clearthink carefully before you come forward." Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Attorney Mike Feuer, said charges could be brought on allegations of spousal abuse or battery after informal hearings in which the alleged victim and Avenatti will be able to present their cases. The decision to hold the closed-door hearing reflects that the case is "on the fence," said defense lawyer Stephen G. Rodriguez, who is not involved in the matter. (Avenatti was considering running for president in 2020.)(Newser)  A WWI grenade ended up Saturday in about the last place you'd expect: a potato-chip factory in Hong Kong. Police say the unexploded German device was discovered in a pile of potatoes from France and was promptly defused, the South China Morning Post reports. Seems the grenade had been dropped or failed to go off in an area known to have trenchesand even today, some hundred years later, the two-pound device could pose a danger to anyone standing nearby.

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"If you're standing close, within five feet, you could get wounded or even killed [if it went off], but it's not the kind of thing that can bring down a whole building," says a professor at the University of Hong Kong. "But chances are, the weapon was never armed because to ignite it, you have to withdraw the safety pin and release a lever. And since it didn't go off, it was probably never triggered." Police detonated the device on-site at the Calbee brand snack company, notes CNN, and posted a video on Twitter of the explosion. (A movie about World War I is getting rave reviews.)(Newser)  Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized about the whole Native American ancestry thingin private at least, the Intercept reports. Warren "reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe," says Julie Hubbard, the Cherokee Nation's executive director of communications. "We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests." Seems the presidential hopeful called Bill John Baker, the Cherokee Nation's principal chief, and said she was sorry about publicizing a DNA test that showed strong evidence of her having Native American pedigree 6-10 generations ago, the New York Times reports.

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This after political operatives, tribal leaders, and her own aides urged her to apologize for releasing the testwhich suggested that blood, not kinship or culture, determines race. "That is why it offends us when some of our national leaders seek to ascribe inappropriately membership or citizenship to themselves," writes Chuck Hoskin Jr of the Cherokee Nation in the Tulsa World. Warren was refusing to apologize as recently as December but clarified that the test didn't make her Native American: "I'm not a person of color," she said. "I am not a citizen of a tribe." Warren initially raised the issue by claiming Native American ancestry in the 2012 Senate race, which President Trump derided in the 2016 presidential election by calling her "Pocahontas." (Warren wants to impose an "ultra-millionaire tax.")(Newser)  A puzzling moon. A dark journey. A hunt for extra-terrestrial life. NASA knows it has a sexy mission on its hands with the Europa Clipper: "People care about it, people want to know about this mysterious world that might harbor life," NASA scientist Robert Pappalardo tells Space.com. But NASA is still designing the spacecraft that will launch as early as 2023, pass Jupiter's icy Europa moon about 40 times, and gather data about its composition, geology, and unseen ocean. Any possible life there exists underwater, where microorganisms might be feeding on seafloor geologic activity; the solar system's harmful radiation can't pose a risk because it's blocked by the ice. And the ocean is hugeabout twenty times deeper than Earth's, per Boise State Public Radio.

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NASA will also measure the shell's thickness and see if gaps let seawater plumes burst into space (like on the Saturn ice moon, Enceladus). And because radiation prohibits the spacecraft from orbiting Europa, it will move around the Jupiter system and catch a glimpse of other moons. "Io happens to be right there," says NASA scientist Christina Richey. "Who doesnt want to look at the planetary body that looks like a pox-ridden abyss?" For now, NASA is still analyzing the design, finishing the budget, choosing the trajectory, and deciding which launch vehicle will carry Europa Clipper on a three-year or five-to-six-year journey. With any luck, it will send back revealing images: "Europa we don't really getthere are these really key mysteries were trying to understand," says Pappalardo. (Astronomers discovered a "super-Earth" six light years away.)(Newser)  In a bid to ward off marauding monkeys that gather around the world-famous Taj Mahal, security guards have taken to patrolling the area with something new: slingshots, the New York Times reports. Indeed, the gangs of cheeky critters in Agra, India, may look cute, but tourists tend not to appreciate that they are dangerous, wild animals that bite and scratch when approached. "Foreign tourists get very excited to see the monkeys," says deputy security chief Dineshor Tongbram. "They try to go closer to them and become victims." In May, the Times of India reported on monkeys attacking two French tourists and in November the BBC reported on a baby that was snatched and killed by a monkey.

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Tongbram says visitors suffer at least two attacks per month. "Monkeys get angry when they see empty-handed tourists," he adds. Worse, the monkeys aggressive nature has become such a problem that even Taj Mahal security staff feel threatened. Despite the danger, legislation in India forbids harming wild animals; and while some cities use fierce langur monkeys to ward off the threat, that's not allowed around the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum was built in the 1600s by the Muslim emperor Shah Jahan and attracts some 25,000 visitors daily, who in turn attract many monkeys scavenging for food that is discarded in trash cans by the sites entrance. (Last year, a tiger that terrorized India was killed.)The Central African Republic and 14 armed groups reached a peace deal during talks in Khartoum on Saturday, the United Nations said.

The talks started on Jan. 24, the U.N. Mission in the Central African Republic said on Twitter.

The Central African Republic has been in chaos since 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted the president, provoking a backlash from Christian anti-balaka militias.

The conflict has uprooted more than 1 million people and pushed the country toward famine.

This year, more than 63 percent of the population, 2.9 million people, will need humanitarian aid and assistance, according to the U.N.

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This Home Listed for $590K

'Is Not for the Faint of Heart'



GOVERNMENT has set up an inter-ministerial committee to oversee an introduction of mini-buses to ply various urban routes, as Zimbabwe steps up efforts to bring national passenger company  Zupco  back to life and establish a reliable mass public transport system.





The Sunday Mail has established that over the past two weeks, Government officials have been locked in consultative meetings with stakeholders in the transport sector to strategise modalities for introducing the small buses.





These will complement conventional buses introduced a fortnight ago in urban areas.





The new mass public transport model will see Government engage various private players under the Zupco franchise. Management modalities are still being mapped out.





An inter-ministerial committee which comprises Ministries of Finance and Economic Development, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Transport and Infrastructural Development is spearheading the formulation of a comprehensive transport model.





The Sunday Mail also understands that in other cities, Government will rope in commuter omnibus players that are already operating under associations and co-operatives such as the Tshova Mubaiwa scheme in Bulawayo.





In an interview, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Joel Biggie Matiza said it was premature to declare phasing out of commuter omnibuses adding that competition would result in improved and efficient services.





We have just rolled out the programme after witnessing the chaos that was now rampant on our roads and in the urban transport sector, he said.





It is a model that Local Government had started some time back. However, at this stage there is an inter-Ministerial committee comprising the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and ourselves.





We came up with this plan, as we all know, Zupco does not have many buses so we invited other players to come on board and operate under the Zupco banner.





It is like a franchise and this will increase the number of buses. People will bring their buses with a driver and Zupco provides a conductor.





They will get fuel from Governments CMED and Petrotrade.





The ministerial committee will be briefed fortnightly so that we know where we are having challenges so that they are addressed immediately.People need to know that this plan is real and there is no going back.





There are actually a number of players with proposals of 18 seater and 30 seater minibuses. These are some of the things being put into the framework.





It is not something that is alien because Zupco used to have those mini-buses at one point. We can have those because we once had them before. It allows the transport system to be versatile.





The move to re-introduce urban mass transportations comes as commuter omnibuses operators have been accused of abusing their monopoly in urban transport by overcharging and ill-treating passengers through touting.





In Zimbabwe, it is estimated over one million people use public transport daily.





Sunday Mail Transport planning expert Mr Smart Dumba commended Government efforts towards the resuscitation of the mass public transport system adding that there was need for a well thought technical plan to ensure its viability.Sunday Mail







Government is working on safety nets to shield vulnerable members of society against price distortions on basic commodities and will soon unveil a well-packaged strategy to ensure goods reflect their real value, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.





VP Mohadi was speaking at Zanu-PFs second post-election Thank-You Rally at Mt Darwin High School, Mashonaland Central province, yesterday attended by thousands of supporters. He said it was worrying that Zimbabwe had over 35 000 civic organisations, most of which were engaging in underhand political activities designed to effect regime change.





He stood in for President Emmerson Mnangagwa. VP Mohadi said authorities were crafting a cocktail of measures to ensure availability of basic goods at fair prices, including extensive support for retailers.





Basic commodities like cooking oil, sugar, salt, rice, mealie-meal, milk and flour; the prices are being looked into so that they become affordable to the generality of the public. Government is equally putting in place loan facilities for retailers who will maintain cheap prices.





These will be supported by Government to make sure that their prices remain low.





Government would also work with industry in implementing the basic commodities price stabilisation initiative.





As Government, we are engaged with industry for a more stable price regime. We are seized with this matter. We are a Government that is responsive to the peoples needs. We are concerned with overcharging of goods and the constant hikes of prices of basic commodities. We understand the struggles that you are facing and we will step in with corrective measures.





VP Mohadi said the basic commodities programme was aimed at providing relief to the public in the same manner as the recent introduction of buses for urban commuters. He told the gathering that more buses were being mobilised to provide cheap transport in rural areas.





There are 500 buses that will be coming from Belarus and another 200 buses from South Africa. The resuscitation of Zupco was long overdue, he said. VP Mohadi said NGOs would not win in their attempts to destabilise the country, despite their huge number.





There are 35 000 NGOs in Zimbabwe. It is such a high number for a very small country such as Zimbabwe. They are more than our own national army. We do not know what they are looking for. They claim to be non-Governmental, but in reality they represent foreign governments that have intentions to take over the country.





We will not fold our hands and let that happen. We are aware that some of our economic challenges are a result of the machinations of these NGOs. Lets remain strong and united and not allow our country to be destabilised. Zimbabwe is our country and we ought to defend it against the works of our enemies.





Vice President Mohadi, who is also Zanu-PF Second Secretary, said the countrys strategic grain reserve had enough stocks to provide food security for seven months. He said harvest from the 2018-2019 agricultural season would boost the stocks.





I am aware that here in Mashonaland Central there are some areas that are drought-prone. I can assure you that no one will die of hunger anywhere in the country. Minister Perrance Shiri is in charge of agriculture and every Tuesday he briefs Cabinet on the food security situation while the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is in charge of the distribution of grain. We have enough grain to last the next seven months. Government planned to build more hospitals countrywide and increase the number of cancer screening centres, he said.





Government would also build more schools with requisite learning material and infrastructure. The Vice President thanked the people in Mashonaland Central province for resoundingly voting Zanu-PF in last years elections.





You demonstrated loyalty and commitment to Zanu-PF. You demonstrated unparalleled patriotism as you supported President Mnangagwa. We will remain grateful, said VP Mohadi.





He paid tribute to the late national hero and music icon Dr Oliver Mtukudzi who hailed from the province.





In her address, Zanu-PF national chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said Mashonaland Central was a resolute pillar of Zanu PF with a strong bond to the liberation struggle.





Mashonaland Central is crucial to us. It gave us Mbuya Nehanda and many sons and daughters who died in the war for independence. We were happy that Mashonaland Central rejected to be part of the recent disturbances. We want you to continue on that path so that you defend your flag and your resounding vote.



Many Egyptian MPs have issued statements in recent days asking that the country's 2014 constitution be amended. Some revealed on Saturday that they have signed a petition asking that some articles of the constitution be amended, and that they intend to submit it to speaker of parliament on Sunday.

According to Article 226 of the constitution, the president, or a fifth of the total number of MPs (596) are authorised to ask for the amending of a article or several articles of the country's national charter.

"The petition in this respect should show what kind of articles are wanted to be amended and why, and that in all circumstances parliament should discuss the petition within 30 days, and a two-third majority of MPs should vote on whether all or part of the petition should be accepted," Article 226 states.

There are strong rumours in parliamentary circles that the petition will be submitted to speaker Ali Abdel-Aal on Sunday.

Parliament held three days of plenary sessions last week. It was supposed that it would take a holiday this week as a routine measure. But speaker Abdel-Aal took reporters by surprise on Tuesday by announcing that new sessions will be held this Sunday. Abdel-Aal urged MPs to attend Sunday's session, stressing that "we are expected to discuss important things, and all should be keen to attend."

Abdel-Aal's words created speculation that the long-rumoured constitutional amendments would be submitted on Sunday.

Meanwhile, MPs were keen to issue statements on the constitution, arguing that it was drafted in a hurry and at a time Egypt was facing international pressure, particularly after the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood regime from office.

MP Mahmoud Badr tweeted today that "I, with a group of my colleagues in parliament (representing a fifth of MPs) have just signed a petition, asking that some constitutional amendments be submitted to the parliament speaker tomorrow (Sunday) in order to prepare for the necessary measures in this respect."

President El-Sisi was elected in March 2018 for a second term of four years. He was elected for the first time in May 2014.

Ismail Nasreddin, a MP from Cairo's south district of Helwan, told Ahram Online that "the four-year term is too short for any elected president, and that it should be extended to six years so that he can implement and complete his election programme.

MP Rashad Shoukri, a member of the tourism committee, also told Ahram Online that "the constitution is not a Quran or a Bible and Egypt needs constitutional amendments to make the country more stable in the coming period."

"The current constitution was drafted in very exceptional circumstances, and under tremendous pressure to serve an interim period, but it is now the right time that some of the articles of this constitution be reconsidered, and at the end it is up to the Egyptian people to vote in favour of these amendments or reject them," said Shoukry.

MPs also ask that the amendments include a new article recreating the old Shura Council, which was dissolved in 2013. They say this council should be reinstated, and that its name be changed to "the Senate", and it should have both legislative and supervisory powers.

MPs also said they want to change Article 147, which states that the president can dismiss the government or introduce a minor cabinet reshuffle only after getting the approval of the majority of MPs. They want the Article to be amended to give the president greater flexibility in making cabinet changes.

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com.International Culinary Institute graduates Henry Lee (left) and Wu Kwong-hoi won gold in the Two at Tango category at the Ningbo International Young Chefs Challenge in October 2018.

Chinese Culinary Institute Programme Manager (Chinese Catering & Operations) Pierre Lau says the young women worked well together in the competition.

In keeping with the teams vintage Jiangnan theme, the teams dessert of a deep-fried purple sweet potato puff is shaped like an antique Chinese vase.

Zoe Yip says female chefs can shine alongside their male counterparts by demonstrating their professionalism and passion.

Team members (from left) Agnes Lee, Zoe Yip and Cloris Choy ensure their dishes look as good as they taste.

In the male-dominated culinary industry, five young women have set their sights on forging careers as Chinese cuisine chefs. They were brought together by the Chinese Culinary Institute to form its first-ever female chef team to compete in the 2018 Asian Culinary Exchange in Shanghai last October.

Cloris Choy, Agnes Lee, Melody Tang, Victoria Yau and Zoe Yip are Chinese Culinary Institute graduates. They were up against some tough competition, cooking against chefs from places including Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia and Shanghai.

Their three hot dishes, an appetizer and a dessert impressed the judges, and the team came home from the competition with three golds and two silvers.

Creative dishes

The team chose The Misty Rain of Jiangnan as the theme for their five dishes which won them the Distinguished Styling Award.

The competition was held in Shanghai. Suzhou and Hangzhou are around Shanghai. These places have spectacular scenery. So we set our theme as The Misty Rain of Jiangnan to create an artistic concept. Each of the five dishes has a beautiful Chinese name. We also plate them in an elegant way, Ms Lee explained.

Every detail of each dish is meticulously thought out, including the dessert.

It is a deep-fried purple sweet potato puff which looks like a vase. In keeping with our vintage Jiangnan theme, I shape my puff to look like an antique Chinese vase, noted Ms Yau.

Girl power

The teams success at the competition was not only a proud moment for Hong Kong, but for the chefs themselves.

This is recognition for Chinese female chefs, Ms Yip said.

Chinese kitchens are traditionally dominated by men. But I believe female chefs can also shine with our professionalism and passion.

Chinese Culinary Institute Programme Manager (Chinese Catering & Operations) Pierre Lau formed the team. He said the young women did not know each other before the competition, but were put together as they had all performed well in other local competitions.

The five girls get along well and showed good team work in the competition. This is what the industry really needs and this is what pleased me the most.

Broadening horizons

Hong Kongs Western cuisine chefs have been doing equally well at culinary competitions.

International Culinary Institute graduate Henry Lee bagged two golds at the Ningbo International Young Chefs Challenge in October.

To broaden students horizons, the International Culinary Institute organises exchange activities for them and invites master chefs from all over the world to host cooking demonstrations here.

International Culinary Institute Chief Instructor (Food Preparation - Western) Boris Leung said the students are encouraged to take part in world-class culinary competitions.

As a teacher, I am glad to see my students winning at international culinary competitions. For them, it is recognition. To the industry, it is inspirational.One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).A criminal court in Minya has said that it is seeking the grand muftis opinion on a preliminary death sentence for a police officer who was convicted of killing a Christian man and his son last December.

In an official statement in December, the prosecution said police sergeant Rabie Mostafa Khalifa, who was assigned to guard the Church of Nahdet El-Qadasa, had been referred to court in an emergency session for killing Emad Kamal and his son David.

On Saturday, the court designate 2 April for the final verdict.

The prosecution charged Khalifa with the premeditated murder of the two men using his service weapon after reviewing CCTV footage from the scene of the crime.

The prosecution said that Khalifa confessed to the crime, but did not reveal a motive. The prosecution said that the killing was sparked due to a "verbal altercation."

Coptic Christians make up around 10 to 15 percent of Egypt's population.

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Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).Pikeville, KY (41501)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, which has the third largest donkey population in the world, will export the animal to China, opening the avenue to earn millions from the trade, according to a media report.

Donkeys are highly prized in China, especially for their hide which is used to manufacture traditional Chinese medicines. Gelatin made from donkey skin has been long considered to have medicinal properties in China, traditionally being thought to nourish the blood and enhance the immune system.

Pakistan has the world's third largest population of donkeys with more than 5 million animals, while China stands at number one.

A senior official at the livestock department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said Chinese companies are interested in donkey farming in Pakistan and foreign companies are ready to invest USD 3 billion, the Geo News reported.

In a bid to boost the country's exports, the live stock department has announced that it will develop donkey farms the first of its kind in the country.

According to reports, at least two donkey farms are being set up in Dera Ismail Khan and Mansehra with foreign partnership.

During the first three years, the government plans to export as many as 80,000 donkeys to China, according to the report.By PTI

MOSCOW: A Russian man was charged Friday with faking documents to work as a hospital doctor after reportedly spending a decade in a psychiatric facility for killing a high school classmate and drinking his blood.

Investigators said they had arrested the 36-year-old working as a doctor for a hospital in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk and charged him with using a fake degree certificate to get a job in November last year.

The man named by media as Boris Kondrashin was able to work as a doctor despite being sentenced to compulsory medical treatment in 2000 "after committing an especially serious crime," investigators said.

Russian media reported that as a teenager in 1998 he injected a 16-year-old school classmate with a sedative before cutting up his body in a ritual killing and drinking his blood.

Kondrashin "considered himself to be a vampire," reported Znak.com regional news site.

In August 2000 Kondrashin was confined to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with homicidal schizophrenia and ruled to be incapable of understanding his actions, the Chelyabinskaya Nedelya local newspaper reported at the time.

He was discharged around a decade later, Russian media reported.

Kondrashin was hired as a primary care doctor by Chelyabinsk's City Hospital No.11 at the medical prevention department, where his job was to encourage people not to drink and smoke and tell them about the benefits of exercise, the head of the city's health department, Natalya Gorlova told reporters, TASS state news agency reported.

She said that his lack of work experience did not show up because he claimed to have lost compulsory records.

Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source, that Kondrashin was detained in January after a psychiatrist who had treated him spotted him posting on a medical forum.

Gorlova said however that Kondrashin was sacked after the hospital checked his degree certificate with the institution.

A photograph of Kondrashin smiling and wearing a white coat was still posted on a medical discussion forum on Friday.

Kondrashin's sister, who is a doctor, told Znak.

com that neither she nor his mother knew that he had gained the job.

He only had high school education, she said.

She said he had been discharged as presenting no danger to the public but was still supposed to be under medical supervision.Deepak Sathish By

Express News Service

TIRUPUR: It was dream come true for 73-year-old Somasundaram of Devarayan Palayam near Avinashi when he took his first flight on Saturday.

I have never thought that I would travel on a plane, he said, smiling from ear to ear.

Somasundaram was among the 120 passengers from the village who travelled from Coimbatore to Chennai, thanks to M Ravikumar (44), a businessman in the village, who paid Rs 4 lakh for the tickets and accommodation to bring smiles on their faces.

Accompanying the villagers amid much rejoicing, Ravikumar said most people in Devarayan Palayam had not travelled beyond Coimbatore.

It was their longtime dream of travelling on a plane and so I took the names of the villagers who could take a flight. With the help of a few friends, I raised the amount for the travel.

The villagers will travel to Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai, and reach the village by road.Jayanthi Pawar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Priya (name changed) was 15 years old when she was sexually assaulted, allegedly by her neighbour. The neighbour had been stalking her for a while, following her as she went to school, to church. One day, in February 2015, he cornered her, forced her onto his bike, took her to a secluded place and raped her. A few days later, he threatened her, claiming to have a video of the rape, and raped her again. She got pregnant, underwent an abortion and discontinued schooling.

The assault and the case that followed (it is still under trial) has added to the stresses of Priyas family.

What would have eased their burden would have been an award of interim compensation that a special court may provide under the rules of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Had the interim compensation been given, it would have helped at least with the medical expenses. Now, it has been four years, said a relative of Priya, whose mother lives with schizophrenia and father works as a security guard to provide for the family.

SoUMYADIP SINHA

Unfortunately, Express found that Priyas is hardly an unusual case. In fact, in only three per cent of POCSO cases that have been committed to the court from 2013 to 2018 in 25 districts of Tamil Nadu (for which data is available) has an interim compensation ever been awarded. According to the response to an RTI query filed by an NGO, as many as 3,153 cases have been committed to court under POCSO in 25 (of 32) districts of Tamil Nadu. Of these, in only 95 cases has interim compensation, under Rule 7 of POCSO, ever been awarded. Interim compensation has been awarded in 30 (out of 53 cases committed to court) in Chennai district, 27 (of 102) in Erode district and 17 (of 328) in Vellore district.

What is interim compensation?

Rule 7 of the POCSO Act says, The special court may, in appropriate cases, on its own or on an application filed by or on behalf of the child, pass an order of interim compensation to meet the immediate needs of the child for relief and rehabilitation at any stage after registration of the First Hand Report. Such interim compensation paid to the child shall be adjusted against the final compensation if any.

The criteria based on which the amount of compensation to be awarded is fixed includes: severity of the mental or physical harm or injury suffered by the child, expenditure incurred or likely to be incurred for his/her medical treatment for physical and/or mental health; and any disability suffered by the child as a result of the offence.

P Selvi, an advocate with the Madras High Court, explained that once the FIR is filed, the court can, on its own, order for an interim compensation to be awarded. Alternately, an application or affidavit can be submitted to the court on behalf of the survivor.

The court would then pass an order fixing the amount of compensation and directing the state government to release the funds from the victim compensation fund. Normally, the funds are taken from the State Home department. The amount is disbursed through the district collector.

The amount, that may be small, would help with medical and other expenses. For instance, if the child had to be taken to the hospital, the parents may lose a days wages and incur costs for transport, food and medical expenses. These may be unaffordable for poorer families. But if the procedure is so straightforward, why are so many survivors of heinous crimes going without such vital relief?

Simply not that simple

Express spoke to a range of stakeholders from across the State  district collectors, police officials, members of the judiciary, child protection officers, lawyers, survivors and activists.

The response was unanimous: there is a lack of awareness among survivors and their families that such a compensation can be demanded. More worrying, however, is that even some of those part of the system did not know that such relief was available or were reluctant to ensure it was awarded. Others confused it with a final compensation that can be awarded at the time of sentencing under the Code of Criminal Procedure. This seemed to explain why few could or would guide the survivors towards accessing this relief.

Another wrinkle that Express found is that the procedure for seeking and awarding of the compensation varying ever so slightly across districts. For instance, while Selvi said a court could award the relief on its own or an application seeking relief may be made to the court, a district judge from Tiruchy, where 11 cases have been awarded interim compensation from 2013-18, said, once the FIR is filed, a petition for relief can be submitted to the superintendent or the police commissioner. The SP or commissioner would consult with the district collector and fix an amount for interim compensation amount which will be provided. The judge said the court could also take suo moto notice and direct the collector to release interim compensation after the victim submitted supporting documents.

Blame game

Another child rights activist who has worked on 75 cases of child sexual abuse, said not one of the survivors had received an interim compensation and blamed the police for not ensuring that trials started on time.

I believe it is the failure of the police. They fail to produce documents at the court for the trial to begin. Once the trial begins, then, interim compensation may be provided. Though it is a small amount, it would be useful for the survivors medical expense or if the family wants to relocate due to the trauma or if the child needs counselling, she added. On the other hand, a district child protection officer said it was the courts responsibility to inform the child and family.

Meanwhile, a special public prosecutor (PP) noted that most PPs do not inform the survivor that they are eligible for interim compensation unless they are asked about such relief. Further, the sheer number of people (court, police, legal aid, collector) involved in ensuring release of funds seems to make it simpler for stakeholders to simply steer clear of the matter altogether.

Buck stops at courts

However, the buck may have to stop at the courts, as there appeared consensus that the courts could order interim relief on their own.

Unfortunately, few judges seem to be doing this. An advocate at the Madras High Court said, in most cases, the courts failed to even consider that survivors might need an interim compensation.

Very few judges grant interim compensation at any stage of a trial. A few judges delay awarding such a compensation until key witnesses testify or all witnesses testify, even if that is not required, the lawyer said.

It is extremely disheartening that compensation is awarded in a completely arbitrary or erratic way. Out of the thousands of cases that are committed to the court so few survivors receive interim compensation. What is even more galling is that the stakeholders who know about the compensation are not advocating for it and most of them are unaware of the procedure to avail of the funds, said Vidya Reddy of Tulir - Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse.

Successful strategy

N Lalitha, an advocate with the Madras High Court, managed to ensure that two survivors received an interim compensation.

On behalf of the survivor, a petition was filed with the Ariyalur SP which was forwarded to the court. The court ordered the Ariyalur Collector to grant Rs 2.5 lakh to the victim as interim compensation, she said, adding that once such cases are reported the police or the courts have to tell the victim they are eligible for the interim compensation.By Express News Service

KOPPAL: Even as hotel business continues to become increasingly commercial, a canteen outside the government junior composite college in Kanakagiri of Koppal district has turned out to be a motherly treat for students in the past 30 years.

Malamma from Maharashtra has eked out a living by running the canteen with a motherly offer of breakfast at the affordable price of dishes such as 'Idli' (with sambar and 'chatni') and 'Upama 'for just Rs 5. She also offers 'Mirchi' and 'Upama' for just Rs 3, besides 'Palauv' for just Rs 10.

She does not compromise with quality in dishes and hence she has been successful in running the canteen for the past 30 years, observed a non-student customer. The students, especially of high school division thronged the canteen after physical education exercises every Saturday.

They used to relish breakfast on credit and delayed payment owing to Malamma's generosity. Yet, Mallamma said her generosity with school students fetched positive results. Though belatedly, students paid their dues. "In fact, a few students remembered me even after getting government jobs," Mallamma said.

They invited me to their homes after carving out careers and felicitated me with saree as a mark of gratitude, she pointed out.

In the past 30 years of canteen service, she could get her two sons and two daughters married and build a small home for her.

The college principal Jagadish Hadimani was also all praise for Malamma. He pointed out that Malamma offers dishes to students at an affordable price.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Nabbing Ravi Pujari, alias Antony Fernandes, is the stuff of Bollywood flicks. For the Karnataka police, the tracking and arrest of the fugitive don on January 19 in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in West Africa, is a feather in the cap.

Pujari, who made frequent extortion calls to a businessman in India, was arrested from a salon in Dakar. Armed police in three vehicles swooped down on the salon and detained him.

Confirming the arrest, state police said that efforts to track the don intensified after CM HD Kumaraswamy directed senior officers to track him down.

Chief of state intelligence ADGP Amar Kumar Pandey started operations to trace Pujari in June last year. As there was no information about him, National Crime Record Bureau in Delhi was contacted and through it, Interpol was approached and a Red Corner Notice issued against Pujari.

It was found that he mostly travelled in West African countries such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Senegal. It was also revealed that he was running restaurants there. He had obtained valid documents to live in those countries, under the name of Antony Fernandes.

ADGP Pandey was constantly being updated about his movement, and once he was moved to Dakar in Senegal, Pandey communicated it to Rajeev Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Senegal. He took up the matter with the Ministry of Interior and Presidents office.

Exterior Minister Aly Ngouille Nbiaye directed that Pujari be arrested and extradited to India. Accordingly, the Dakar police mounted surveillance on Pujaris house.

On January 19, he was arrested and produced before a judge. On January 21, his arrest and extradition was confirmed.

Thanking the Senegal government and officials involved, the Karnataka police said it was difficult to trace him.

Through his henchmen here, he used to collect phone numbers of targets  actors, politicians, businessman, jewellers, doctors and others  and make extortion calls, said a release.

Pujari evaded arrest for almost 2 decades

Bengaluru: The coordinated efforts of the state and Central agencies have put an end to the run of fugitive don Ravi Pujari, who managed to evade arrest for almost two decades.

Pujaris name first emerged in the investigation of the murder case of builder Subbaraju in Bengaluru in 2001.

Believed to be absconding in Australia, Pujari has since extorted many businessmen.

He used his men to carry out firing on those who did not pay heed to his extortion demands, said a senior cop.

An officer said that they had traced his movements to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso country in West Africa in 2010.Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek on Saturday referred 26 state officials to criminal court on charges of facilitating the seizure of public funds worth an estimated EGP 67 million.

The defendants include the chairman of the General Authority for Reconstruction Projects and Agricultural Development.

The investigations carried out by the Supreme Public Funds Prosecution indicated that one defendant, in his capacity as employee of the executive director and chairman of the authority, facilitated the illegal seizure of a 60-acre plot located west of the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road.

The defendants violated Article 119 of the Penal Code, according to the prosecutor-general.

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AMARAVATI: A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at a BJP legislator in the assembly, the saffron party on Saturday called him an "assembly rowdy" and alleged that he was in "deep frustration".

"A frustrated, defeatist Chandrababu Naidu has threatened BJP MLAs Vishnu Kumar Raju & Manikyala Rao in Andhra assembly y'day that @BJP4Andhra leaders will not be allowed to move in the state for exposing TDP," party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao tweeted.

A frustrated, defeatist Chandrababu Naidu has threatened BJP MLAs Vishnu Kumar Raju & Manikyala Rao in Andhra assembly y'day that @BJP4Andhra leaders will not be allowed to move in the state for exposing TDP. BJP is planning privilege motion against @ncbn https://t.co/Py3PTKon91  GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) 1 February 2019

The Bharatiya Janata Party is planning a privilege motion against Naidu, Rao added.

"Chandrababu Naidu's behaviour in the assembly reveals that his madness has reached peaks. He is in such deep frustration that he behaved like a 'assembly rowdy'," Rao alleged.

Naidu had strongly criticised BJP's floor leader, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, in the assembly on Friday when the latter tried to defend the Centre after the chief minister accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating against south India in allotment of cabinet berths.

ALSO READ: Wont let you walk in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu threatens BJP MLAs

"You have no right to be an elected (people's) representative. Are you doing tamasha? What do you think of yourself? What can you people do? Put me in jail? Don't we have anguish?" Naidu had asked Raju.

When Raju sought to protest, Naidu had asked the BJP MLA to "go to Delhi and raise your objection".

"Who wants your objection. We will not leave you till justice is done (to the state)," the Telugu Desam Party chief had said.

Naidu, who snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance last year, has been highly critical of the BJP-led government over various issues, particularly for not accepting the demand of special category status to the state.The Interim Budget by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal has all the trappings of the BJP launching its political battle rather than the presentation of an economic plan for the country for the next few pre-poll months. In Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi purveyed the scene as a victor, repeatedly thumping his desk when FM Goyal called out the NDA governments achievements, and each sop and tax concession announced by Goyal was greeted with loud cries of wah-wah and Modi, Modi ... from the treasury benches.

ALSO READ | Union Budget 2019 math: Government will be borrowing Rs 80.36 crore per hour!

The concession packages were expected, the flag-waving wasnt. For the blighted farm sector, the finance minister handed out an assured income support of Rs 6,000 annually for farmers owning less than 2 hectares of land to help them buy seeds and ward off unseasonal debt. This will cost the exchequer Rs 20,000 crore this fiscal and another Rs 75,000 crore next year.

For unorganised workers earning less than Rs 15,000 a month, there is now an assured monthly pension scheme of Rs 3,000. And for the cynical lower middle class came the announcement of full tax rebate for incomes up to Rs 5 lakh a year, doubling last years ceiling. Describing the current direct tax regime as one of moderate-tax-high-compliance, Goyal said the concession would release 3 crore poor souls from the tax bracket. This would cost the government Rs 18,500 crore.

ALSO READ | Highlights: Re-election economics wins the day as please-all budget showers sops on voters

The core philosophy of the Interim Budget is to put more money in the hands of farmers and workers via income and pension support, and in the hands of the middle class by taxing them less. An additional Rs 12,500 a year by way of tax saving or Rs 6,000 coming into a farmers bank account may not seem a large amount.

But when you look at the volume, it spells increased spending with people shopping for motorcycles and farm equipment. Consumption is good because it drives growth, and in turn generates jobs. A growing economy spells prosperity, which in months to come will translate into plaudits and more votes for the ruling alliance; or so the government believes.

There is no doubt it was an election document. The first half of Goyals speech was dominated by the praise of the performance of the BJP sarkar over the last four years - how it was building roads at the rate of 87 kilometers per day and how its demonetisation and anti-black money programme had helped the state recoup Rs 50,000 crore in assets of economic fugitives.

EXPLAINER | On how much tax you will have to pay according to your annual income

The Budget document is a forward-looking economic plan for the country through a rollout of carrot-and-stick policies. The Interim Budget was more like patting ones own back.

Then, since there was no economic survey, the Interim Budget became an opportunity to provide a statistical window to the governments performancethat the sanitation programme had covered 98 per cent of the country and that the cost of stents and knee implants had been lowered in the previous years.

But when a government puts norms and convention to the winds and begins preaching on Vision 2030 in what is effectively a four-month Interim Budget, then you know its direction.

Is this the right place to declare the creation of one lakh digital villages without stating what that means and where the money is going to come from? Again, is the FMs closing remarks of giving a roof for every homeless family, or creating a pollution-free India where everyone will be driving an electric vehicle (EV) the stuff of Interim Budgets or of lofty promises of election manifestos? Those who delve into the auto industry know that an electric vehicle policy has over the last few years been systematically torpedoed by the gasoline car industry.

And did the finance minister realise that construction of 1.53 lakh affordable houses in four years as stated in his speech does not match the promise of Housing for All by 2022. To reach the target of building 180 lakh homes for the homeless by 2022, the pace required is building 30 lakh homes a year.

In the short-term, the consumption push of the Interim Budget 2019 will generate a positive perception. Whether the sops are large enough to sustain a longer cycle of growth is yet to be seen.

ALSO WATCH| Q&A with Prabhu Chawla: Budget 2019- Another exercise in futilityBy PTI

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate Saturday opposed the petition of Rajeev Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the VVIP chopper case, seeking to meet his lawyer in private, saying it may hamper the probe.

The ED made the submission in response to the plea moved by Saxena, who is in the agency's custody.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the agency to file a detailed reply by Monday, when Saxena's custody ends.

Saxena was deported from Dubai on January 31 and sent to 4-day ED custody the same day.

The court had allowed his custodial interrogation after the agency alleged that he and another accused provided global corporate structure to launder money.

Saxena's counsel had sought access to him without the presence of ED officials.

He had said that he was not being allowed to speak to his client without ED's interference.

Opposing the request, advocates D P Singh and N K Matta, appearing for ED, said allowing Saxena's counsel such access could be misused and hamper investigation in the case.

"There is apprehension that this opportunity might be used to transfer investigation-related information outside and vise versa," ED said.

The agency had alleged that in connivance with another accused, Guatam Khaitan, a Delhi based lawyer, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

The CBI and the ED have registered cases in the VVIP chopper case in which former Air Force chief S P Tyagi is one of the accused.

Saxena was picked up by Dubai authorities in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case and deported to India.

A director of two Dubai-based firms  UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, Saxena was residing in Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, and had been living in the UAE for 26 years.

Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid euro 58 million as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, ED's advocate Samvedna Verma alleged that "these companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others".

Saxena is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by ED.

Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani were also named by the agency.

It alleged that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares, among others" in this case.

"Saxena has transferred proceeds of crime from M/s Interstellar to his Dubai-based companies M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd," ED said in its chargesheet.

The agency claimed its probe had found that AgustaWestland, United Kingdom, had "paid an amount of euro 58 million as kickbacks" through two Tunisia-based firms.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police are probing the possible involvement of Paresh Baruah faction of banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) in the ongoing protests in the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.



The ULFA-I angle came to the fore following minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas claim that the outfit has a direct role in the anti-Bill protests.



Director General of Police, Kuladhar Saikia, told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that the police were looking into the matter.



We do not have any specific inputs as of now (as regards the ULFA-Is role). We are looking into it, he said, adding So far, eight cases have been registered at some places in connection with the recent sporadic incidents of violence during the protests against the Bill and some people arrested. Only after investigation, we will be able to tell you whether or not the rebels were involved in the protests.



He also said that the police were ready to handle any situation.



Two days ago, the minister had said: Who calls up people of Upper Assam to take out protest rallies? The government knows these phone calls are made from abroad. The ULFA-I has a direct role somewhere in the protests.



The outfit, which is believed to be left with cadre strength of around 200, operates out of the jungles of Myanmar where its commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah is holed up.



Chief Secretary Alok Kumar said the prevailing law and order situation in the state was challenging but under control.



People have the right to stage protests but taking off clothes in doing that is not the right way, he said. Naked protests against the Bill had been staged in at least two places in the past fortnight.



Through the Bills passage, the Centre seeks to grant Indian citizenship to immigrants belonging to six persecuted non-Muslim communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who migrated till December 31, 2014.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Seven young students from different parts of the country had a "surprise" dinner interaction with Congress president Rahul Gandhi where over Chinese food they shared their ideas about improving the lives of people and were promised that some may be included in the party manifesto.

From bringing out Congress manifesto in Braille, setting up gender-neutral toilets to steps for removing inequalities in education system and caste discrimination in society, the conversation touched diverse issues as the youngsters opened up to a "warm and affable" Gandhi.

With the crucial Lok Sabha polls drawing near, Gandhi has started the outreach Apni Baat Rahul ke saath and this group of seven youngsters from Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh were the first to interact with him. Gandhi will have several such sessions with students.

Critics might point out that the Congress has often mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for engaging with students, including his recent interaction with Class X and XII students Pariksha Pe Charcha programme, and his radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi during an interaction with students in New Delhi. (Photo | PTI)

But Congress leaders say Rahul Gandhi's interactions are more "personal", where he takes out time to listen to the people, a view endorsed by Pratishtha Deveshwar, a Delhi University student studying political science in Lady Shriram College.

"He is not an 'I know everything' kind of person and he was open to a conversation and discussion in trying to understand things, said Deveshwar who was in the group that interacted with Gandhi for nearly two hours.

"Such a friendly humble person, he was actually serving me from his plate. You do not expect such things from a person of this stature. It really breaks the ice between the big politicians and the 'aam aadmi'," she said.

Abhilash Karri, an IIT student from Mumbai, recalls how surprised they were when they saw a beaming Rahul Gandhi walking into the dining area of an upmarket Chinese food joint here late Friday evening where they sat. The students had been told that will have an interaction with Congress party, but not that it will be the party president himself.

The meeting was informally structured with Gandhi hearing the new age voters on their priorities for themselves and their countrymen.

Among the invitees was an LGBTQ rights activist who suggested gender-neutral toilets for the trans people in order to ensure they are not body shamed.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi during an interaction with students. (Photo | PTI)

Kunal Ramteke of the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) said he discussed caste based discrimination with Gandhi and described the Congress chief as one who is sensitive towards the issue. I hope he will implement suggestions to end caste based discrimination.... His talk was very inspirational, he said.

During his conversation, Karri said he stressed on making education accessible to all by introducing a fee structure which can be afforded by the underprivileged.

"We need to evolve our own ideology suited to Indian conditions.

We also discussed the effects of 10 per cent reservation to the upper caste poor," he said.

"I did not know that he was coming. It was great moment for me, he said.

Karri said the good schemes brought by one party need to be continued by another as "our ultimate aim should be to serve the country".

Deveshwar said Gandhi told her that he will work on issues like making colleges and universities more accessible.

I also suggested that the Congress needs to come out with its manifesto in Braille, that is for people who are visually impaired. That is the first step that the parties can take in this regard and he has assured me that they will do this, she said.

About Gandhi's response, he said,"He told me that 'you are pretty impressive for a 20-year-old', which is a compliment that I am going to hold onto myself for my entire life. He knows how to give importance to everyone. Rohan Reje Mathews, an engineering student in Dharwaad and LGBTQ activist, said the interaction was pretty nice.

He was articulate. I would be somebody who would take him seriously. We need to be taken seriously, we cannot be taken for a joy ride and our lives matter. Transwomen are being murdered everyday and transmen need attention. The gay men, lesbians all require attention from the community and the government as these are oppressed, ostracised people, he said.

Gandhi promised to put him across to those involved in drafting the manifesto for the Congress party.

We would be happy to discuss our issues with the party so that they can be added to the manifesto. Our concerns are surrogacy laws, civil marriage laws and gender neutral bathrooms and not third gender bathrooms. We cannot be body shamed any longer. Trans-men need to be given more attention, he said.

Shemaila Ali Khan, an MBBS student from Delhi, said she highlighted before Gandhi the issue of girls' education in Muslim community.

Anil Kumar Maurya, a law student from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, discussed the issue of atrocities against Dalits and expressed the hope that the Congress party would take it up.By UNI

NEW DELHI: The new CBI chief Rishi Kumar Shukla, 1983 batch officer, is known as being a text book man and was shunted out as Director General of Madhya Pradesh recently after the installation of Kamal Nath-led Congress ministry in the state.

Mr Shukla, known as an amiable person and man of few words, had in the past also confronted with the RSS during Shivraj Singh Chouhan regime.

In 2016, the state police had a 'row or minor confabulation' with the Sangh parivar fountainhead and a RSS functionary was picked up by the police at Balaghat.

"But, in the police force we known our former DGP Shukla saheb as a man, who stood by the men in Khakhi and not other wise despite some pressure," an informed source told UNI from Bhopal.

Top police sources in Madhya Pradesh also say that new Chief Minister Kamal Nath was apparently 'unhappy' with Mr Shukla as recently an IT cell Congress worker Abhishek was "picked up" by Delhi police in January based on some complaints against him.

Police officials in Madhya Pradesh recall with pride Mr Rishi Kumar Shukla's comments to civil society: "All of you may attach police and may even act against police, stage demonstration against us in 364 days in the year. But please show us some respect and pay homage to martyrs on October 21, the Police Commemoration Day".

According to sources, 15 names were considered by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel and among others, Rajni Kant Mishra, the current director general of the Border Security Force, Y C Modi, the current chief of the National Investigation Agency and R R Bhatnagar, current DG of the Central Reserve Police Force and a few other officers besides Mr Shukla were considered.

The appointment of new CBI chief has been necessitate after government had decided to move out Alok Verma from the coveted post.

The second meeting of the panel also comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Congress floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge could not arrive at a name in their second meeting on Friday.By PTI

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government Saturday gave administrative approval to a pension scheme for senior journalists in the state, which has been a long-pending demand of the media fraternity.

Last year, the government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 15 crore towards implementation of such a scheme in view of rising demands from various quarters.

As per a Government Order (GO) issued Saturday, the "Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana" will be implemented by the board of trustees of the 'Shankarrao Chavan Suvarna Mahotsavi Patrakar Kalyan Nidhi'.

The pension amount is not yet finalised. Under the scheme, working journalists, photographers, editors of newspapers and other news broadcast media as well as freelancers who have attained 60 years of age and above and have completed 30 years in profession, will be eligible.

The senior journalists have to be accredited for minimum 10 years, and journalism should be their only source of income.

Except the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), the applicant should notAccredited journalists with 10 years of experience who practice journalism for livelihood will be eligible for the pension. be getting any pension from any other source, the GO said.

Interestingly, one of the eligibility criteria makes it mandatory that the applicant should not be a Income Tax payee.

The pension will be given only during the beneficiary's lifetime and not to his/her kin after death, it said.

To avail of the scheme, senior journalists nearing their retirement will have to submit requisite documents to district information office.

The documents will be scrutinised by a committee of Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

It will be committee's discretion to decide about granting pension to non-accredited journalists who fulfill the eligibility conditions.By PTI

NOIDA: Hundreds of farmers, seeking enhanced compensation for their land acquired before 2013 in Uttar Pradesh, staged a protest at Delhi-Noida border on Saturday but ended it after a written assurance from officials that their concerns would be taken up with the state government.

The farmers under Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manveer Teotia, were protesting at the Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting UP and Delhi, which was briefly shut on Friday evening owing to their protest.

The farmers, numbering around 500 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut, were not allowed entry to central Delhi after which they stayed put at the DND junction in the cold weather until Saturday afternoon.

ALSO READ | Union Budget 2019: Farmers welcome Rs 6,000 income support, disappointed over no loan waiver

Many of them were women from villages, with their heads covered. They had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing "helplessness".

"We have tied our hands, if the police or the administration wants to take any action, they can do it and we will not respond to any force," a farmer said.

Senior officials of Gautam Buddh Nagar, including District Magistrate B N Singh and police chief Vaibhav Krishna, reached the site of a protest Saturday morning to pacify the farmers, even as a large number of police personnel from UP and Delhi remained deployed.

The situation eased in the afternoon when the protestors agreed to a written assurance from the district administration.

"We have assured the farmers that their concerns would be taken up with authorities and the state government. They were satisfied with the assurance and the matter was resolved amicably," the district magistrate told PTI.

However, Teotia warned he would return with the farmers to Delhi if officials did not walk their talk.

"We have accepted the written assurance from the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar after which we decided to call of the stir.

"If the exercise, the process of talks at the local level, does not begin from Monday and is not taken to the government through proper channel as assured, we will return to Delhi after a week," the agitation leader told PTI.

SSP Krishna said the situation at the flyway has normalised and there was no obstruction to traffic movement by late afternoon.

"The protest got over around 2. 30 pm and farmers have vacated the spot," he said. Earlier on Saturday, Teotia said farmers in western UP have been protesting for two years over "irregularities" in land acquisition between 2008 and 2012 but the state government has "not listened" to their requests.

"We are here to demand that we be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013.

Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh, a farmer from Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida, said.

According to the 2013 law, the owner of farm land would be entitled to a compensation equivalent to four times the circle rate, and two times the circle rate in urban areas. Kaale Singh said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest.

"Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," he said before the protest wrapped up.

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over the acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicentre of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years after that upheaval, the country got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.By Online Desk

MUMBAI: Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde was Saturday arrested in Mumbai by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad case for his alleged Maoist links, officials said.

Police detained Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, at the Mumbai airport early hours Saturday after his arrival from Kerala.

ALSO READ: Pune court rejects Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's pre-arrest bail plea

He was detained by the Mumbai Police, who later handed him over to the Pune Police, an official said.

"Teltumbde was interrogated and later arrested by the Pune Police. He would be produced in the court later in the day," said Shivaji Bodkhe, Joint Commissioner of Pune Police.

His arrest comes a day after a special court in Pune rejected his anticipatory bail application.

"Since his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by the court in Pune on Friday, we decided to arrest him today," Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar, who is investigating the case, said.

ALSO READ: Profs at IIM-B show solidarity with Anand Teltumbde

Teltumbde's lawyer Rohan Nahar, however, termed the arrest illegal, saying the Supreme Court had given him protection from arrest till February 11.

"His arrest is a contempt of the apex court order, and we will move a plea against it," he said. Senior advocate Indira Jaising took to Twitter to protest the activist's arrest.

"Dr Anand Teltumbde arrested at 3:30am at Mumbai airport by Pune Police in Gross violation of SC order giving him protection from arrest till 11th February , this is contempt of the order of the Supreme Court of India #ReleaseDrAnandTeltumbde immediately," she said.

On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane had observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material "to show the involvement of the present accused (Teltumbde) in the alleged commission of the offence".

The prosecution had Thursday submitted an envelope in the Pune court containing "evidence", claiming that it proves Teltumbde's involvement in Maoist activities.

Teltumbde had filed the anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail application before the Pune court after the Supreme Court rejected his plea seeking to quash the FIR against him in the Elgar Parishad case.

According to the Pune Police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held here on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: While addressing the booth workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram temple issue dominated the narrative of the speech of partys national president Amit Shah both at Gajraula in Amroha and Dehradun in Uttarakhand, on Saturday.

While Shah reiterated BJPs commitment to a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, he sought the Congress party and the SP-BP alliance leadership to come clear over the issue. Kumbh chal raha aur Shri Ram ke Mandir ke vishai ka uthhna swabhavik hai. Duvidha ki koi gunjaaish hi nahi hai. Main aapko Vishwas dilate hoon ki hum mandir ke paksh mein hain aur hum wahan par bhavaya Ram Mandir jaldi banayenge. Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati aur Akhilesh Yadav bhi Ram Mandir mudde par apana paksh saaf karen (Kumbh is on and demand for Ram temple was obvious. There is no scope for confusion. I want to assure you that BJP is in favour of temple and we are committed to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya soon. Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav should also make their stand clear on the issue), said the BJP chief while addressing the party booth workers at both places.

In pursuance of Mission 2019, Shah first visited Dehradun to give victory mantra to BJP workers at partys Trishakti meet. The hill state of uttarakhnad sends five members to the Lok Sabha. He then addressed over 25000 booth presidents assembled in Gajruala town of Amroha district in western UP. The BJP booth workers had converged inAmroha from Meerut, Moradabad and Saharanpur accounting for 14 Lok Sabah and 70 Assembly constituencies of western UP.

Charging the Congress leadership with blocking the path of temple construction, Shah buttressed his point by invoking Kapil Sibals reported stand in Supreme Court to defer the case till July 2019 so as to stop the ruling party from taking any political mileage in general elections.

Modi government has proceeded to reclaim the undisputed portion of land in and around Ram-Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex by filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court requesting it to vacate the status quo from 42 acres acquired by the Centre in 1994, pointed put the BJP chief. While the NDA government at the Centre is working in that direction, the Congress is trying to derail the progress, he asserted.

The SP-BSP alliance, tactically stitched along caste and religious combinations, is posing a big challenge to the saffron brigade in UP. The concern was palpable and reflected in the speeches of Amit Shah both at Gajraula and Dehradun.

He claimed that the BJP was gaining strength and that had unnerved the opposition forces who had joined hands keeping all their differences and animosity aside. Those, who never used to stand each other, have now joined hands to take on the BJP. How powerful have we become? he wondered. Shah claimed that all the opposition forces were coming together for politics of power and their vested interests unlike the BJP which believed in politics of performance.

Exhorting his booth workers to go into the poll with all their might, Shah reiterated BJPs resolve of increasing its previous tally of 73 to 74. I want to tell the booth presidents of western Uttar Pradesh that the alliance could be between two or even four parties, we have to be ready for the fight of 50 per cent.

Our tally will go up to 74, it will not be down to 72, he asserted.

Bua-Bhatija (Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav) and RLD chief Ajit Singh will seek votes on castelines, but you have to vote for rising above the caste lines for national security, said the BJP chief adding that most of the opposition parties were led by dynasts and they decided the PM candidate on the basis of dynasty. It is only the BJP which gives the poor a chance to become the Prime Minister. Its only BJP where every worker gets equal opportunity to rise to the top, he added.

All these gathbandhan (alliances) leaders say Modi hataao and Modi says gareeb hataao, bimari hatao, berozgaari hatao, bhrishtachaar hatao (eradicate poverty, ailments, unemployment and corruption). For these alliances, country is not a priority, for them removal of Narendra Modi is the only priority, claimed the BJP chief.

Pepping up the workers, Shah said other parties might be fighting elections keeping their leaders forward, but BJP had been winning elections on the strength of its booth presidents and the huge army of dedicated party cadre.

Flanked by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, UP poll incharge JP Nadda, state BJP chief Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey and senior leaders of western UP, Shah counted the accomplishments of the state and the central governments led by the BJP in both UP and Uttarakhand. He also referred to welfare schemes and the highlights of the interim budget presented on Friday to establish his point.Egypts Minister for Military Production Mohamed El-Assar attended the signing ceremony of two protocols of cooperation between the ministry's companies, Al-Ahram Establishment, and the Journalists Syndicate, in the presence of head of the syndicate Abdel Mohsen Salama.

The first cooperation protocol, which was signed by the National Organization for Military Production and Al-Ahram, aims to benefit from the surplus production of the military production companies and units in establishing a paper factory to be affiliated with Al-Ahram.

The second protocol, which was between the Military Production Company for Engineering Projects, Consultancies and General Supplies and the Journalists Syndicate, aims to establish a hospital and out-patient clinics for syndicate members.

Both deals come to assert the great appreciation of the military production ministry for the great role of the journalists, particularly amid the challenges that the state is facing in this critical phase.

Short link:

By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Pramanthan (name changed), a 34 year IT professional hailed from Andra Pradesh working in Bengaluru was in shock of his life when he recently visited the doctors following swelling in his left armpit. The doctor who examined him referred to an Oncologist, where he was diagnosed with advanced "Breast Cancer"!

Yes, men too get breast cancer and according to the Oncologists in the state, of the total breast cancer cases they see annually, 2% of them are male. But, most of the male patients are approaching doctors during 3rd or 4th stage which is advanced. Experts in the field say that there is still a misconception that only women get breast cancer.

Dr C Ramachandra, director KIDWAI memorial Institute of Oncology said, "There is still a misconception that only women get breast cancer. Even men are vulnerable to breast cancer and we are seeing such cases in men who are coming for examination at the advanced stages."

ALSO READ | Lets talk about male breast cancer

As per the data available from KIDWAI memorial institute of Oncology, of the total 1200 new breast cancer cases they get annually, atleast 30 to 35 are men. "The number of cases varies in our institute as we get cases across the state. Considering the 2018 data we had seen over 1200 breast cancer cases where about 30 to 35 are male breast cancers," explained Dr Ramachandra.

Apart from this there will be total followup cases upto 10,000 every year.

Even the private hospitals in the city are witnessing male breast cancers and as per the data available from some of the private hospitals in city, they are seeing atleast five male breast cancer cases per year.

Dr M Chandrashekar, Surgical Oncologist from Apollo Hospital Bengaluru said, "We are seeing atleast five male breast cancer cases in a year. Lack of awareness, mistaking cancer for gynaecomastia fat deposition and not doing self breast examination are the reasons."

"Breast cancer in males tends to present at later stages when compared to females with involvement of overlying skin, underlying muscles and spread to nodes in armpit. Breast cancer among males is usually hormone receptor positive. Last year, out of the total breast cancer patients treated in our hospital, two were male patients with breast cancer. While there are no specific causes of breast cancer among males, familial causes are also too low. Obesity may be an indirect contributor to male breast cancer, " says Dr G Girish, Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Laparoscopic Surgery at Aster CMI Hospital in city.

Reasons

Though the family history is said to be one of the reasons, doctors call it a lifestyle disease.

- Genetic Inheritance of breast cancer genes.

- Low generation of male hormone levels

- Obesity

- Hepatic infectious disease leading to hyper generation of female hormone

- Exposure to radiation, heat and chemicals like benzene, tri and tetrachloroethylene

- Lack of breast tissues

Treatment

In most cases, male patients with Breast cancer approaches doctors only at the advanced stage. However, the treatment for male breast cancer also same as female. And only thing is Male don't need replacement after surgery.

- Surgery

- Chemotherapy

- Radiation and regular follow-ups

How to diagnose at early stage

- Regular hormone check ups

- Keep track of family history of breast cancer

- Increasing awareness

- Sensitising the importance of breast self examination

- Meet the doctor if found lump, swelling around the breast areas of arm pit

Symptoms:

- Lump in breast

- Swelling in arm pit area

- Tenderness in breast

- nipple dischargeBy Online Desk

Actor Ajith Kumar's fascination towards racing and aeromodelling is something well known and the star usually takes time out of his busy schedule for his passion.

Despite his hectic schedule shooting for 'Viswasam' last year, Ajith was actively involved with MIT students for the project titled Dhaksha.

He was frequently spotted at Chennai's MIT Campus in Chrompet working and guiding students in their work. The project revolved around the design and development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and how they are utilized in societal applications. The project that concluded recently also earned many accolades from across the country.

MIT Campus' Centre for Aerospace Research thanked Ajith for his contribution in the role as the Chief Helicopter Test Pilot cum UAV System Engineering Advisor.

In a letter addressed to Ajith, Centre for Aerospace Research Director K Senthil Kumar said, "It was a pleasure for the Centre for Aerospace research, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University to have had the benefit of your services and involvement as the Chief Helicopter Test Pilot cum UAV System Engineering Adviser for the project titled "Design and Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for societal applications."

The Centre is grateful for your timely and valuable contribution. We confirm that all your necessary roles and obligations for the specific project have been effectively and fully discharged and the project having completed, the terms of your engagement are no longer applicable.

We also would like to avail your services, in future at your convenience, on honorary basis."

Meanwhile, Ajith is currently busy shooting for his upcoming flick (AK 59 - 'Pink' remake), directed by Vinoth and bankrolled by Boney Kapoor.

The film also stars Shraddha Srinath and journalist-turned-actor Rangaraj Pandey in important roles. Director Adhik Ravichandran, Arjun Chidambaram, Abhirami Venkatachalam, Andrea Tariang, Aswin Rao, Sujith Shankar, are also part of this film, which will hit the screens this Summer.By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner J Nivas, on Friday, appointed 13 special officers to supervise the mosquito control measures across the city. The Commissioner appealed to the people to report issues, if any, in the anti-larvae operations to 9949621993.

Explaining the efforts of the corporation in controlling the mosquito breeding in the city, Nivas said that the Public Health department of the civic body was taking up pin point programme in all the 59 divisions. He added that power spraying was being done on Wednesdays into the culverts at major junctions in the city.

We are deploying 60 hand fogging machines and six vehicle-mounted fogging machines for fogging operations in all the municipal divisions. We have also engaged 60 additional workers for anti-larvae operations, he said.

The Commissioner also noted that the public health officials were going from door to door to address the problem of water stagnation, which would aid in mosquito breeding. The officials are also enquiring if the residents were suffering from any kind of fever. Awareness programmes are also being held to curb the issue of littering on roads and into canals, the municipal commissioner concluded.Anna Binoy By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The historical Government Higher Secondary School at Elamkunnapuzha can now boast of a catalogued and digitised library. The renovated library, which is originally 104 years, was inaugurated on Friday.The funds towards the renovation process were sponsored by Dr M P Raveendranath, an alumnus of the school. "When I joined Class I in 1946, my father told me education is the doorway to success. After graduating class X in 1956, I joined the Maharaja's College in Kochi.

Because I hailed from a small village and many of my classmates were from the city, I was insecure and nervous initially. After a short while, I realised I am as good as anybody. I felt the same way during my student days at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, London and Canada. Looking back, the school I studied till Class X built the foundation for making the man I am right now," says the 77-year-old retired cardiologist, based in the US.

Dr M P Raveendranath

With the monetary help, the renovation of the school was spearheaded by Malayalam teacher Lini A F. "The laborious process began in the 2016-17 academic year when I was given the responsibility of the 104-year-old library. Even though a library existed in the school, it was not functional and many books were damaged," says the teacher.

Supported by the students and staff at the school, Lini initiated the first process of renovation. "During this time, we found books that were as old as the school. Some were destroyed, but we managed to successfully recover a few," she says. What followed was not an easy task. The long hours surrounded by old books caused some of the team to contract wheezing and related medical conditions. The interior of the library was designed by Joseph Phoenix.

Three academic years since the renovation began, the library now has over 10,000 books neatly stacked in wooden cupboards. "They have been catalogued manually and digitally," says Lini. To encourage reading habit among students, the school organised a 'Book Reading programme', in which they are encouraged to read 10 books and write reviews on them.The school, popularly known as Kacheri School, was established in 1915 by the king of the erstwhile Kochi.The corridors of the school have seen instances of untouchability, class segregation and the abolition of such acts.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: It was a faint trill sound emanating from a checked-in baggage that resulted in Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials from Customs department rescuing a leopard cub which was being smuggled from Thailand at Chennai International airport.

The officials, who were tipped off that prohibited wild animals are likely to be smuggled from Thailand, kept a close watch on passengers and found a male passenger walking hurriedly in a suspicious manner with a trill sound emanating from his luggage.

The passenger identified as Kaja Moideen (45), who had arrived from Bangkok by Thai Airways flight TG337, was intercepted after he crossed the green channel and brought to AIU room in the airport for further questioning.

The leopard cub which was rescued at Chennai airport (Photo: EPS)

Moideen was evasive in his replies so his baggage was opened for further examination. On examination of his stroller bag, a pink plastic basket was found in which a small animal resembling a leopard cub was found.

IN PICS | Why so cute! Newborn cheetah cubs charm visitors at Australian zoo

The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak. The custom officers fed the cub milk in a feeding bottle and reenergized the cub.

Officials of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) were called and they identified the animal as leopard cub of Pantherapardus species.

WATCH: Attempt to smuggle leopard cub at Chennai Airport foiled

To ascertain the health status of the cub, a Veterinary doctor was called from Aringar Anna Zoological Park. They inspected the cub and informed that it is a one month old female weighing 1.1 kg and measuring 54 cm nose to tail and in good condition. The leopard cub was seized under the provisions of Customs Act 1962 read with Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and CITES. The cub along with the passenger was handed over to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for further action.

The Cub will be rehabilitated in the Aringar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai and the forest department will take appropriate action under Wild Life Protection Act 1972 against the passenger. Further investigations are under progress.Ayshvarya Narayanan By

Online Desk

Unless you've been living under a rock with no internet connection, you would have definitely come across the viral '10 year challenge,' which has taken the internet by storm. A huge number of netizens have been hit by this viral 'challenge' fever, posting images of their current and ten-year older selfs giving a sense of nostalgia.

However, four sibling have taken it a notch higher by posting a '50-year' challenge and giving us major family goals. The siblings from Chennai, Ganapathy Raman, Padmmavathi, Saradambal and Ananthalakshmi, have perfectly recreated a 50-year-old picture in which all the siblings were posing on a scooter.

We were curious to know what made these grown-ups to take up the challenge and spoke to the creators of this magical photo. Apparently, one of the siblings posted a 10-year challenge picture which triggered Padmmavathi to compete with her elder sister because that's what sisters do, right?

"I always wished to look younger to her. She did the 10-year challenge and it was a big hit on social media. So I thought of giving it a shot. The same day, my sister pinged me with this image from 1969. And, I thought why not a 50-year challenge when these girls are crazy with this 10-year challenge," said Padmmavathi, who's riding pillion in the picture.

When Padmmavathi expressed her wish to brother Ganapathy Raman, he instantly obliged to pose for the challenge "It's an utmost pleasure to make our younger one's wish to come true right? As our brother's daughter wedding was around the corner, we thought to recreate the photo dressed in our best. We did torture my niece a lot to make it a perfect one," he said.



The 1969 image sporting the younger versions of our evergreen posers was taken in an exhibition when they were awestruck by the scooter in the display, explained the eldest sibling Saradambal, who was very happy to see the relatives from across the globe react to the picture on Facebook. "All my kids, including my nieces and nephews, posted the picture as WhatsApp status that day and it was sheer happiness to see the younger ones celebrating our bond. I'm happy and confident that the family's future lies in safer hands," she exclaimed.

Ananthalakshmi, a teacher by profession, was initially sceptical about sharing the picture on social media and she even scolded her niece for posting it, fearing that something unfortunate might happen to them. A teacher is always a teacher, right? But, her mind changed when the picture started to get positive responses. "I was overwhelmed when my students and fellow teachers complimented me that I looked cute in my old picture," she said and we do agree with her!

Padmmavathi's daughter Vishnu Priya Ganesh, who uploaded the picture on social media, can't be any prouder than this. For her, family is the greatest blessing. "There's so much to learn from them. Not even a single day, I've seen them fight or even make fun of each other. My maternal grandmother passed away when my mom was 11. From that day, my eldest aunt took care of her siblings in my grandma's place. Even now, others won't do anything without consulting her. This amazes me a lot. I wish me and my cousins stay closer like them through thick and thin forever," said an emotionally moved Vishnu Priya.

"Unlike now, we were economically poor when we took the older picture. The bond between us remains the same despite changing times and it will never change. To prove this fact and to set a model for the future generations on how beautiful a relationship should be, we took this challenge!" Ganapathy Raman concluded.

It is true that only our family will stand by us through everything in life. Now, who else is up for this 50-year challenge?By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Standard thyroid surgeries leave evident scars across a patients neck, affecting their self-esteem and confidence. About 30 per cent of adult women and 20 per cent of adult men have thyroid nodules on ultrasound scan of their necks. While not all of them may be cancerous, large thyroid swelling or those causing trouble should be removed.

When 30-year-old Rekha (name changed) found out that she had thyroid cancer when tested, she did not want the upcoming surgery to leave a permanent scar. When she heard about the possibility of a scar-less robotic surgery, she approached Dr Sandeep Nayak, a senior consultant surgical oncologist.

Dr Nayak, who practices at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said, The technique is called RABIT (Robotic Assisted Breast-axillo Insufflated Thyroidectomy). Instead of the conventional method, I make an opening in the armpit region, near the breast with the help of a robot. The advantage of using the robot here are precision, 3D vision and magnification. Even small nodules can be spotted using this technique and the scar that remains after surgery is small and negligible.

Most of my patients who have thyroid nodules, benign (non-cancerous) or cancerous, are youngsters of the age group 20 to 30 years. The scar on the neck affects them psychologically because people stare at it while talking to them all the time. They ask them about the cause and this scar remains with them lifelong. The wounds are big, seven to eight centimetres on the neck. At times, to have it covered, patients opt for the scar to be behind the neck, so they can hide it with their hair. With RABIT, the scar is between 0.8 to two centimetres and in their armpit, Dr Nayak explained.

To cover the J-shaped scar on the neck, people often resort to dupattas or high-neck shirts. With this technique, they no longer have to worry, he claimed. The wound is smaller due to use of carbon dioxide gas. Dr Nayak developed the technique a year ago and has performed it on 25 patients.

It was only when I was confident about it that I started presenting it to others in the medical community. I was invited to speak in the conferences in Taiwan and Bangladesh, two to three months ago. In the coming days, I will be heading to Delhi and UAE to demonstrate the technique so that other doctors can apply it as well, he added.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The two key social sectors health and education  did not see any big announcements from the Narendra Modi government as there were only marginal raises in budget allocations for the two areas.

While the budget outlay for health has been raised by about 16 per cent  it has not seen even half of the raise that is required to bring to reality Centres commitment of taking total health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025.

The education sector which is under pressure to roll out the newly-adopted economically weaker section reservation was given a 10 per cent rise in the proposed allocation.

The interim budget allocation for health in 2019-20 is Rs 61, 398.12 crore as compared to 2018-19 revised estimates of Rs 54,302.50 crore. Of the hike, Rs 6,400 crore is meant for Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana, the Narendra Modi governments pet scheme launched last year to give cashless hospitalisation benefit worth up to Rs 5 lakh to 50 crore Indians.

National Health Agency, the body implementing the scheme, however, had asked for Rs 7,500 crore for the scheme.

Since two big states, Telangana and Odisha, have not joined the scheme, there is not too much of a short fall for us. Moreover, the Finance Ministry has assured us that the short-fall of Rs 800 crore will eventually be reimbursed in case we need more funds, said Indu Bhushan, NHA CEO.

Last year, the health budget increase was close to 11.8 per cent as compared to 2017-18 allocation.

In the National Health Policy 2017, the Centre committed to increase health allocation to 2.5 percent of GDP till 2025. In order to reach this target, the government needs to increase the health budget by nearly 25 per cent every year till 2025, said an official.

For Delhis neighbouring Haryana, however, there was some good news as countrys 21st regional AIIMS was promised for the state. Finance Minister Piyush Goyal also did not make any major announcements in the education sector and earmarked Rs 93,847.64 crore for the education sector for 2019-20.

While Rs 37,461.01 crore has been allocated for higher education, an amount of Rs 56,386.63 crore has been earmarked for school education.Sunitha natti By

Express News Service

Election year budgets are do-nothing accounting statements. But finance minister Piyush Goyal quickened the pulse presenting a pro-poor, pro-farmer, pro-middle class, or in one word, a pro-voter budget.

There are no new schemes, but a few champions. A mega pension scheme for unorganised workers, direct income support for farmers, mass tax handouts for the middle class, higher allocations on infra and agriculture  concomitants of the Narendra Modi governments Rs 27 lakh-crore expenditure binge to crack the 2019 electoral vault.

In a show of intent versus commitment, Goyal made a down payment of sorts earmarking Rs 500 crore this fiscal for the pension programme, making it the first budget scheme announced with retrospective effect.

It has taken five budgets to finally discover the middle class, who await a spread of tax breaks, which as a sum of its parts can stretch up to Rs 6.5 lakh income per annum. The opposition may decry it as a political ploy cloaked as a tax dole, but the move prompted the House to break into an uninterrupted Modi-Modi chant for a minute or so.

Separately, for some, there were goosebump-moments when Goyal invoked war movie Uris catchphrase Josh with purposeful relish, twice. In the same patriotic breath, he extolled defence budget crossing Rs 3 lakh crore, but the annual increase actually amounts to a flea-bite.

Acknowledging taxpayers contribution to nation-building, or rather shared national sacrifice, he promised more achhe din to process and refund taxes in 24 hours, but do hold your horses for the next two years.

Other significant announcements include Rs 75,000-crore direct income support for 12 crore farmers, and higher spending on MNREGA, which need to cut open the FY20 federal piggy bank. In that sense, Fridays budget was Part-1 with sequels planned later, provided NDA regains power.

Instead of lowering rates to widen the tax base, the government is testing a hypothesis that exemptions will boost spending and lift up sagging auto, FMCG, white goods, and garment sectors. Goyal though refused to tinker with corporate or indirect taxes, which is to say, expenditure will continue to outstrip income. Gross tax collections will grow a modest 14 per cent, while GST collections, once considered as stardust, ended up as a butchers knife.

Disinvestment proceeds and non-tax revenue are yet to show theres a proof of life. Taking an indirect jibe at the high unemployment rancour, Goyal reasoned that job seekers have become job creators, though Modis 2014 one million jobs promise needs to put more meat onto the bones.

FY19 will see a breach in fiscal deficit target to settle at 3.4 per cent, but the sky has yet to fall with markets shrugging off the minor deviation. Worryingly, its retained at 3.4 per cent for FY20, and could unnerve chicken little rating agencies who loathe national debts growing faster than the economy.

Yet, Goyal refused to balance the budget, where spending is matched by revenue-raising measures, indicating that even perpetual deficits are sustainable in an economy thats bound to be a $5 trillion and $10 trillion economy in next five and eight years, respectively. In reality, such high performance needs 14 per cent annual growth rate.

Evidently, NDAs fortunes rest on the whims of voters, and Goyals Budget 2020 is now in motion to turn that electoral lead into gold.

NEW TAX RATES:

No tax is to be paid from April 1 if your annual income is J5 lakh. Here's a look at the break-up

Up to Rs 2.5 lakh: Nil.

Between Rs 2.5 lakh and L5 lakh: 5% of the amount by which the income exceeds Rs 2.5 lakh. But you will get full rebate.

Between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh: Rs 12,500 plus 20% of the amount by which total income exceeds Rs 5 lakh.

Above Rs 10 lakh: Rs 1,12,500 plus 30% of the amount by which total income exceeds Rs 10 lakh.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Budget has announced a rebate of up to J5 lakh on total taxable income. This means, even those with gross income of up to

J9.5 lakh need not pay tax if they utilise all provisions in the book  Section 80C investments of J1.5 lakh, NPS of J50,000 and home loan interest of J2 lakh, according to Angel BrokingBy Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government is apparently not the first to defy the convention on not announcing important policy measures while presenting a Vote on Account. The first such electorally expedient measure was taken way back in 1971, when then finance minister Y B Chavan unveiled policy decisions on job generation.

Piyush Goyal, who has seemingly provided poll cushion to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, appears to have followed in the footsteps of his predecessors  Pranab Mukherjee (2009-10), Jaswant Singh (2004-05) and P Chidambaram (2014-15), besides Chavan (1971-72), in presenting an electorally loaded interim Budget.

The last finance minister, before Goyal, to succumb to the poll pull was P Chidambaram, who had announced changes in indirect taxes, moratorium on education loans, and one rank one pension (OROP) during the UPA-II dispensation.

He had also announced that the government would enforce OROP with retrospective effect, besides allocating Rs 500 crore for the implementation.

The UPA-I government, too, had presented an electorally loaded interim budget in the run-up to the 2009 elections, with Mukherjee announcing interest subvention for employment oriented sectors.

The NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee sought to gain electoral mileage out of the interim budget in 2004 when the then finance minister Jaswant Singh unveiled a slew of measures  stamp duty reduction by 50 per cent, expansion of Antyodya Yojana, setting up of six new AIIMS and extension of farm income insurance scheme from 20 to 100 districts across the country.

Chavan had in his 1971-72 interim budget had proposed the setting up of three plants in southern states, besides announcing a country-wide programme for creating more employment opportunities.

PC broke the convention to announce tax relief

In keeping with the conventions, I do not propose to make any announcements regarding changes in tax laws. However, the current economic situation demands some interventions that cant wait for the regular Budget, Chidambaram said in his speech before unveiling tax relaxations for auto sector in February 2014Bulgarian Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov on Saturday lauded the Egyptian economic reform programme.

He added, at a meeting with Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr, that the recent positive economic developments in Egypt will encourage Bulgarian companies to invest in Egypt.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the joint committee meetings in Sofia, said a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Investment.

Nasr expressed hope for enhancing economic relations with Bulgaria and increasing mutual investments.

The two sides took up forming a joint investment council and reviewed investment opportunities in the two countries.

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ABC News(NEW YORK) -- A major Pacific storm moving onshore in California on Saturday morning will bring numerous hazards, including a high risk for flash flooding along the Southern California coast.



Heavy rain will move into parts of the Los Angeles and San Francisco metropolitan regions Saturday morning.



Rainfall rates over 1 inch per hour are expected to move into Southern California early Saturday morning and last through much of the day. The intense rainfall rates could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain in Southern California, especially in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.



Given the widespread 1 to 3 inches of rain earlier this week in this region, there is a high risk of flash flooding Saturday in Southern California. Additionally, heavy rain could cause mudslides and debris flows, especially in the areas of burn scars.



In addition to the rain, strong winds are expected, with 40 to 60 mph wind gusts expected in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In the higher elevations, gusts of 80 mph are possible. This wind could cause downed trees and power lines.



A few more impulses will bring additional rain to the region through the weekend. Through Tuesday, 7 inches or more of rain is possible locally along the California coast and up to 10 feet of snow is possible in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.



After a brutal week of cold weather, the Midwest will warm up significantly this weekend. Already on Saturday morning, temperatures are 10 to 30 degrees warmer than they were just 24 hours ago from Kansas to Michigan.



Parts of the Midwest will see temperatures in the 30s and 40s, which is already feeling at least 40 to 60 degrees warmer than it was midweek in areas such as Chicago and Minneapolis.



The mild air will get picked up by a system later in the weekend, and temperatures will be into the 40s to near 50 by Monday from Kansas City to Philadelphia, including Chicago and Detroit.



By Tuesday, the warm air will reach the East Coast with temperatures in the upper 50s and possibly some low 60s in the major Northeast cities. That will be a nearly 50-degree warmup from temperatures Saturday morning in those locations. Additionally, it is looking like the Northeast will have sun most of Tuesday as well, making it the nicest and most comfortable day in weeks for the region.



With this rapid warmup, there will be an increased risk of ice jams and therefore river flooding in the Midwest and Northeast.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Still hurting from the debacle in three Assembly elections, it was very much anticipated that the government would keep its focus firmly on addressing the distress in the farm and unorganised sectors.

So, it did not come as a surprise when Piyush Goyal announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKSN) scheme that aims to provide Rs 6,000 per year for each agricultural household with less than 2 hectares of land.

The proposal is based on the Rythu Bandhu scheme implemented by the Telangana government and the Kalia scheme announced by the Orissa government, though the quantum of benefit will be less. Both Odisha and Telangana are providing Rs 10,000 per year and Rs 8,000 per acre per year, respectively.

The PMKSN scheme, Goyal said, will be implemented with effect from December 2018. Going by his speech, it seems one direct transfer of Rs 2,000 to around 10 crore households will be made this year and Rs 20,000 crore has been allocated for that purpose.

The minister also announced a 2 per cent interest subsidy for farmers involved in animal husbandry and farm allied activities.

An additional 3 per cent subsidy has also been announced on timely payment of loans. The allocation for agriculture finance institutions is up by nearly Rs 2,800 crore while budgeted allocation for overall fertilizer subsidy programme has been boosted by Rs 5,000 crore.

A major upstick was in the allocation to crop husbandry from Rs 14,700 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 86,600 crore in 2019-20.

How much the PMKSN is going to improve the lives of farmers is open to debate. Questions are been raised as the scheme completely ignores 10 crore landless agricultural labourers. Another point under lens is that the Centre does not have an updated, digitized data on the numbers of farmers.

However, while announcing income support to farmers, the government has largely succeeded in striking a happy compromise between fiscal prudence and political concerns.

While it has beached the fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent, at 3.4 per cent, it is still lower than the anticipated 3.5 per cent.

According to rating agency Moodys, the subsidised agricultural loans are likely to boost rural economy through consumption in the near-term, but will have a fiscal cost.

Terming the inability to meet fiscal deficit target for four consecutive years as a big credit negative for the sovereign, Moodys doubted if the country will meet even the 3.4 per cent fiscal gap target for FY20.

It said the interim budget lacks new policies to boost revenues but has many measures leading to higher expenditure which will increase consumption and at the same time also increase the fiscal burden.New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 53F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.WALLINGFORD  The Town Council may vote Tuesday on whether to raise the minimum legal age to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21.

The ordinance committee, made up of all Town Council members, is expected to continue discussions on and review drafts of the proposed ordinance. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the council chamber at Town Hall.

Wallingford would be among the first municipalities to pass an ordinance restricting the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 21.

In October 2018, Hartford became the first Connecticut municipality to ban selling tobacco products, including vaping devices, to anyone under 21.

The idea for raising the minimum age was introduced during the Town Councils regular meeting on Oct. 9, 2018, when Coalition for a Better Wallingford presented information on youth vaping, focused on the Juul brand of vaporizer.

Juul, which offers high nicotine capacity and sweet-flavored pods, has been accused by health advocates of targeting teens through social media.

The draft ordinance states that the ages of 18 to 21 are a critical period for tobacco use, when smokers move from experimental smoking to regular use, and that most people who are not smokers by age 21 dont become one later in life.

According to the draft, the town health department would provide retailers with signs stating that the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 21 is prohibited and that nicotine is highly addictive. The signs would be posted at cash registers, sales counters and on any display of tobacco products.

The police department would be authorized to enforce the ordinance. Penalties for sale violations would start with a written warning, and then progress to a $100 fine for the first offense and $250 for each additional offense.

After three violations within a two-year period by the same seller, the town would be able to start legal action.

The committee will also consider changes to the code of ethics, including updates to definitions surrounding conflicts of interest and how the Board of Ethics is organized and functions.

The committee is also expected to continue talking about whether to require elected officials to participate in Freedom of Information Act training.

LTakores@record-journal.com

203-317-2212

Twitter: @LCTakoresWASHINGTON  Connecticut lawmakers are participating in the time-tested ritual of sending a political message through the choice of guests they invite to President Donald Trumps State of the Union speech next week.

Sen. Chris Murphy on Friday said he has invited Regina Moller, executive director of Noank Community Support Services, to next Tuesday nights speech.

The non-profit, located in Groton, has a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to provide shelter and services to unaccompanied minors separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the height of the immigration crisis last year, the NCSS sheltered two Guatemalan children, who were eventually reunited with family members.

The NCSS also relies on grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing for homeless, young adults.

Because of the partial government shutdown last month, Murphy said, the Noank Community Support Services stopped receiving federal funding and had to use its own money to continue to run the shelter.

Regina and her team at Noank Community Support Services are heroes, Murphy said. Im so glad she is joining me at the State of the Union to shed light on how President Trumps border policies are traumatizing a generation of children and how the recent government shutdown affected Connecticut.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, meanwhile, has invited Gerry Wright, a vocal advocate on behalf of Vietnam veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service.

Blumenthal, a high-ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has sponsored a bill seeking parity for U.S. troops who suffered from exposure to Agent Orange. For instance, sailors who patrolled territorial waters off Vietnam, but didnt come ashore or operate in brown water nearer to sprayed foliage or runoff from dioxin-laced herbicides.

Legislation, sponsored by Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, that would give these Blue Water sailors the same disability and health benefits as others who suffered from Agent Orange exposure, passed the House in the last Congress but stalled in the Senate.

Blumenthal said Wright, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was exposed to Agent Orange, leaving him with permanent medical problems. Wright approached Blumenthals office last year to advocate for new legislation after riding more than 10,000 miles on his motorcycle to raise awareness about Agent Orange exposure.

Other Democrats in Congress have invited immigrants who worked for Trump properties while undocumented and federal workers affected by the partial government shutdown. Some female lawmakers will be wearing white to honor the womens suffrage movement.

The presidents annual State of the Union address is a major event on Capitol Hill. It was postponed this year because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who invites the president to give the address to a joint session of Congress, preferred that President Donald Trump not give the speech during the partial government shutdown, which lasted 35 days.

Trump on Thursday said his speech will cover a lot of territory, and that unity will be part of it.

Trump has not announced who he has invited to sit with First Lady Melania Trump, but presidential guests also tend to be chosen to send a political message.BERLIN  The animals at the Berlin Animal Control Shelter will be able to enjoy some of the comforts of home while they wait to be adopted thanks to a donation from the students of Mooreland Hill School.

The eight grade class soared past its goal of $50, which it set before hosting its first bake sale, and recently delivered $707 worth of beds, toys, and food to the shelter. It raised the necessary funds through coffee and baked goods sales, donations and a dress casual day.

We chose the dog shelter because were all animal lovers  and we felt they needed something to start (the) new year, said Eliza Palluotto, 13, who dropped off the donations.

This is one of the biggest donations weve ever seen, said Animal Control Officer Kate Matson. This has me blown away.

A group of teachers decided to have the class take on a service-oriented learning project but left it up to the kids to choose what they wanted to do, said Head of School Reed Rathgeber. The projects provided the chance to learn some skills, such as planning, a bit of cooking for the bake sale and budgeting, including accounting for sales tax.

The students took it upon themselves to reach out to the shelter to ask what supplies were most needed, figured out which stores had the best prices, and determined how to spend their funds.

They really were thoughtful about how they spent their money, Rathgeber said. They know theyve done something good and worked hard.

Matson said the donations will cover all the shelters needs for the seven animals currently staying there, allowing the animal control office to stock up for the busier summer months. For now, though, all the pets calling the shelter home, like Aitken the pit bull mix, will have extra toys to play with.

Aitken is going to have that toy flipping around in his cage later, Matson said, motioning to the balls the students had donated.

dleithyessian@record-journal.com

203-317-2317

Twitter: @leith_yessianEgypt's Prosecutor General Nabil Ahmed Sadek has attended the Euro-Med Forum of Prosecutors General in the Hague.

Sadek, who led a delegation of the public prosecution and the ministry of justice, reviewed before the event Egypt's efforts to counter using cyberspace in terrorism, money laundering and crimes.

He had bilateral meetings with his counterparts of the participating countries on the sidelines of the forum, which was hosted by the European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust).

It was held under the auspices of EuroMed Justice IV (2016-2019), an EU-funded project that contributes to the development of a Euro-Mediterranean area of cooperation in the field of justice and the development of effective, efficient and democratic justice systems that protect and promote human rights.

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Word is leaking out from Deadline.com that Netflix is negotiating a deal to acquire the world rights to the documentary that premiered last Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah.

Directed by Yellow Springs residents Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, the documentary can be considered a follow up to their 2009 film The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, which followed the final days of the GM factory  the same space that now houses Fuyao. In 2009, that film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

American Factory follows a Chinese billionaire opened a Fuyao factory in a shuttered General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio. For thousands of locals, the arrival of this multinational car-glass manufacturer meant regaining their jobsand dignityafter the recession left them high and dry. American Factory takes us inside the facility to observe what happens when workers from profoundly different cultures collide.

At first, the culture clash is humorous. Transplanted Chinese workers attend trainings on dealing with their peculiarly casual and chatty American counterparts. But tensions mount. Slack safety standards and meager wages ignite serious doubts among the American rank and file. Low productivity and talk of unionization trigger a cascade of controls from Chinese management. Meanwhile, something ominousthe specter of job loss from automationlooms.

With precision and astonishing access, directors Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar capture every key moment in this high-stakes intercultural chess game, revealing how American and Chinese workers view themselves within systems of authority. What results is an epic masterwork about the future of American labor and Chinese economic dominance, all within the confines of a factory in Ohio.

The film was financed by Participant Media and is produced by Bognar, Reichert, Jeff Reichert and Julie Parker Benello. The co-producers are Mijie Li and Yiqian Zhang, with Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann the exec producers.

.Sayre, PA (18840)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Egypt's military killed eight "extremely dangerous" terrorists in the country's Western Desert, according to a Saturday statement by military spokesman Tamer El-Refai.

"In continuation of the efforts of the armed forces and the civilian police in combating terrorist and criminal elements in all strategic directions...after locating their exact location, the air force targeted the terrorists spot," the statement read.

The military spokesperson said that the information was based on reliable intelligence in cooperation with the national security sector.

The terrorist cell was planning to carry hostile acts aimed at destabilising the country, according to the statement.

The operation resulted in the destruction of a 3-wheel-drive truck with quantities of weapons and ammunition.

The armed forces and civilian police continue their efforts in pursuing terrorist and criminal elements to safeguard the security and stability of the country.

The military has been carrying out Operation Sinai 2018, a counter-terrorism campaign since February 2018. It involves land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards.

It targets "terrorist and criminal elements and organisations" and is focused on northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert.

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What will happen to the Downtown buildings that currently house government ministries when the latter move to Egypts New Administrative Capital? That is the question that the Cairo Heritage Development Committee (CHDC) met earlier this week to discuss.

The meeting tackled the development scheme for the ministerial precinct in Downtown Cairo and proposals to rehabilitate historic palaces in Cairo and other governorates in Egypt. The transfer of state employees to the New Administrative Capital will take place in 2020.

Headed by former prime minister Sherif Ismail, the committee reviewed a report from a technical sub-committee providing detailed information about the area, its relationship with neighbouring areas, traffic, and green spaces and parking areas, Tarek Atia, spokesperson for the CHDC, said.

The CHDC was formed in 2016 with a mandate to examine strategies for the future of Downtown and Historic Cairo.

The report identifies the ministerial precinct as an area occupied by ministerial and administrative buildings whose employees will be transferred to the New Administrative Capital.

It houses monuments on Egypts Heritage List, structures built in a distinguished architectural style, and governmental buildings not on the Heritage List.

It also divides the zone into several domains according to geographical location. It suggests allocating the square adjacent to the old American University in Cairo campus in Tahrir Square for entrepreneurship, especially in the field of technology and the creative industries because this zone could be very attractive to investors.

The technical sub-committee also suggested the establishment of more green spaces not only to improve the quality of life for inhabitants and visitors, but also to increase the asset value of the precinct.

Proposals for traffic modifications and the creation of multi-storey garages and pedestrian passageways to be connected to other historic areas were also introduced.

The CHDC decided to commission a detailed study of the areas traffic and development options, with this later forming the cornerstone of the rehabilitation plan for the ministerial precinct, Atia said. The committee will then determine the best use for separate buildings in the zone, along with financial plans to study different opportunities, he added.

Examples of successful renovation projects in Downtown Cairo have included the renovation of the Viennoise Hotel, an eco-friendly historic property. The building was built in the 1890s, a decade which witnessed a construction boom in Cairo.

Last May, the committee proposed a law regulating commercial activities and the ownership of historic buildings in the area, part of Khedival Cairo. Part of the CHDCs mandate is to draw up a comprehensive master plan balancing the areas historic preservation with its economic growth potential.

As part of its longer-term plans, the committee has established a series of specialised sub-committees to study issues such as the urban planning and financing of the larger Downtown project.

The Downtown district is well known for its unique architectural style and its buildings dating back in some cases to the late 19th century.

While many of these buildings have fallen on hard times, there is widespread acknowledgement that a concerted focus is needed to restore the citys historic core to its former glory as an admired and vibrant world capital.

The CHDC is thus working with both public and private-sector stakeholders on helping this historic district realise its true potential.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Moving ministries

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Let's be very clear here: I am inflexible when it comes to illegal immigration. I am against it, always have been and always will be. The president was completely correct when he said that we don't keep our doors locked at night because we hate the people on the outside, but rather because we love the people on the inside.Germany's Weimar constitution, Jackson wrote, was designed to secure civil liberties in the Western tradition, yet "the President of the Republic, without concurrence of the Reichstag, was empowered temporarily to suspend any or all individual rights if public safety and order were seriously disturbed or endangered . . . in 13 years suspension of rights was invoked on more than 250 occasions. Finally, Hitler persuaded President von Hindenburg to suspend all such rights, and they were never restored. . . ."I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now, Northam said. This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment. I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.Burnside Plantation hosted the PBS show A Taste of History on Wednesday, June 16. Chef Walter Staib, of Bryn Mawr, recreates historical recipes at original locations around the U.S. and the world. Burnside Plantation volunteer Joanne Ritter and Chef Staib made two-fry beets, a recipe from 1724 with ingredients that would have been accessible to the Moravians that lived in Bethlehem later in the 18th century.The voiceover and talking heads then get into reports that Kate was left in tears after a fitting for her toddler daughter Princess Charlottes bridesmaid dress before Meghans wedding. It was unclear what set her off, but People reported there was a lot of stress around those taking part in the wedding.Mumbai : Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde has been arrested by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad case for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist, officials said on Saturday.



Police detained Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, at Mumbai airport early hours Saturday, a day after a special court in Pune rejected his anticipatory bail application.

He was interrogated and later arrested, said Shivaji Bodkhe, Joint Commissioner of Pune Police. He will be produced before court in Pune, he said. On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material "to show the involvement of the present accused (Teltumbde) in the alleged commission of the offence". PTIEgypt will require $675 billion of investment over the next 20 years to meet its infrastructure needs, according to the G20 group of countries Global Infrastructure Outlook.

And while the government could afford around two-thirds of that amount, some $230 billion would still be missing, a recent World Bank report showed.

Improving infrastructure is seen as important to provide access to jobs, markets and basic services. It is also essential for the efficient movement of goods and services, which could ensure less waste, lower costs and could bolster Egypts export potential.

Entitled Enabling Private Investment and Commercial Financing in Infrastructure, the World Bank report said that though there had been an improvement in Egypts macroeconomic indicators on the back of its economic reform programme, the precarious nature of Egypts public finances exerts constraints on public spending.

It showed that total government debt reached an estimated 109 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of the 2016/17 fiscal year, a 12-year high and more than 30 per cent higher than four years earlier.

With this limited fiscal space, relying on public resources to fund much-needed infrastructure investments will no longer be a viable strategy to meet the countrys needs, and there will be a need to shift to a greater reliance on the private-sector, the report said.

According to Ashish Khanna, the banks programme leader for sustainable development and infrastructure and main author of the report, private-sector involvement in infrastructure could mean greater savings and cheaper net costs because the private sector was more efficient than the public.

Talking at a round table discussion in Cairo earlier this week, he said that the misperception that the private sector would provide more expensive services needed to change.

The shift towards greater private-sector involvement was also needed because the only way for the government to direct more funds towards investment in human capital, including health, education or social protection, was by freeing it from investing in infrastructure, he said.

The report examines the potential for transport, energy, agriculture and water investment, four sectors that the government itself selected. It shows that the government has already begun steps towards reform, but there needs to be an overall framework that connects the reforms together.

One step that could help, according to Khanna, would be the involvement of the Ministry of Finance in strategy and project cycles from the start, not only when it is time to sign contracts.

The report highlights losses incurred as a result of the lack of infrastructure in various sectors. In the area of agriculture and agribusiness, which have the highest potential for job creation, the report estimates untapped export potential at $10 billion.

It said water and land-resource management were two key constraints that prevented Egypt from realising its full potential in the sector. Agriculture accounts for more than 30 per cent of Egypts GDP.

In the area of transport, the report said that this accounts for around $180 billion of the total investment gap. Bringing Egypts transport sector up to global standards would require between three and five per cent of GDP, whereas the most the public sector has ever reached is about 1.2 per cent of GDP, it said.

The transport sector includes ports, airports, railways and inland waterways, and related logistics infrastructure, as well as urban transport in Greater Cairo.

Improved infrastructure in these areas could enable Egypt to become the trade hub of the Eastern Mediterranean between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal as well as between the Mashreq and Maghreb (the East and West of the Arab world), and between Europe and the Arabian Peninsula via land.

Moreover, improvements in transport would have positive spillover effects on other sectors. A one per cent decrease in transport costs increases trade by one per cent and potentially minimises agricultural waste by 30 per cent, the report says. It identified the countrys institutional structure as a key constraint in this sector.

In the energy sector, the report said infrastructure investments were needed to attain the strategic objective of achieving energy security through diversified energy supplies, including the generation of renewable energy and the use of Egypts geostrategic position to become a regional gas hub.

For the water sector, the government is targeting sustainability and achieving water security through a new tariff structure and the widespread introduction of desalination.

The United Nations predicts that by 2025 Egypt may reach an absolute water crisis of less than 500 cubic metres of water per capita, which would significantly affect agriculture, as it accounts for 86 per cent of water use.

However, according to Khanna, with the choice of suitable crops that are not water intensive and with the use of appropriate technology, Egypts agricultural productivity could improve while at the same time saving water.

The report said Egypt had taken important steps towards improving cost recovery, but efforts needed to be complemented by improving collection efficiency and reducing both technical and commercial water losses.

While each sector has its own constraints, the report identified several cross-cutting challenges that needed to be tackled for these sectors to take off.

These include the efficient and transparent allocation of state land and better land registration to unlock land-based financing.

The government also needs to improve transparency and competitiveness in infrastructure delivery by addressing procurement issues, the report says, suggesting the establishment of independent appeal mechanisms for procurement and stipulations on transparency and disclosure.

Opening the construction sector to private-sector players was another recommendation in the report. The construction sector is currently characterised by low growth and the dominance of state-owned enterprises [SOEs], the report said.

The government also needs to strengthen the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) to enforce antitrust rules and advocate against inconsistent interpretations and applications of procurement rules, the report added.

Also among the recommendations of the report was for the Ministry of Finance to have a key role in reforming SOEs, particularly with respect to increasing transparency, improving accounting and financial performance, and creating independently creditworthy entities that can access commercial equity and debt without sovereign guarantees.

If lenders are confident in the state-owned companies, they will not ask for sovereign guarantees, Khanna said, pointing out that the government has committed to publishing financial statements for state-owned companies by the first quarter of 2019.

Opportunities should be created to expand the supply of long-term finance for infrastructure, the report said. Khanna said that as public finances improve and the government becomes less reliant on the banks for domestic borrowing, this would free up funds that the banks could redirect towards infrastructure investment.

The country was also hungry for good investments, he said, pointing to the success of the collection of the equivalent of around $8 billion in one week to finance the New Suez Canal in 2014.

The report highlighted five opportunities that have the highest potential to mobilise private capital and investments.

These include projects to transform Egypt into a regional oil and gas hub, solar energy auctions, desalination projects, projects related to transforming Egypt into an agribusiness hub, and projects related to multimodal freight logistics.

Solar energy is one of the countrys success stories. In 2019, 29 solar projects will be financed as part of the Benban Solar Park in Upper Egypt, the biggest solar installation in the world.

To help in financing, the report suggests that the Ministry of Finance or the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) could offer wholesale schemes providing risk-sharing or refinancing facilities to domestic commercial banks engaged in long-term infrastructure financing.

It also suggests that the government shift state intervention to development finance and perhaps moves to reorient the mandate, operations, and governance of the National Investment Bank [NIB] from its current role of direct lending for public projects towards a more catalytic role facilitating commercial financing of infrastructure.

According to the report, during the period 2007-2016, Egypt closed 14 international project finance transactions worth $11.8 billion, but only two of these (the Damietta International Port and New Cairo Wastewater) were in the infrastructure sector. All other project finance transactions closed during the last decade were in heavy industries, manufacturing, and oil and gas, it said.

Project financing up to now has been restricted due to a lack of creditworthy counterparties and a robust pipeline of bankable projects.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Private infrastructure perks

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Few stewards rulings have created such interest as the one we ran on Thursday where groom Martin Espinoza was fined $200 for disorderly conduct. He was also arrested and plead guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon. The weapon, which for a short while was in his possession, was a pitchfork.

Heres how the stewards minutes described what happened: Groom [ Jehobany ] Alvarez reported that the 51-year-old [Martin] Espinoza appeared at his tack room, drunk, on the evening of July 8. He was upset because a trainer fired him and subsequently hired Mr. Alvarez. He stated he pushed Espinoza to the ground after he appeared. Espinoza then grabbed a pitchfork, but did not attempt to stab him with it, before the incident was broken up by a San Luis Rey security guard. Neither party was injured.

A lot of you wondered how a $200 fine was the appropriate punishment for what was adjudicated as a felony assault. So, through intermediary Mike Marten , the CHRB media liaison, we check with what the stewards were thinking. This is Mikes report:

 Mr. Espinoza had already been held accountable for his actions in a criminal court and punished accordingly. He remains on felony probation. The stewards role in adjudicating matters before them is not to pass judgement on another court, but to evaluate all evidence that is presented at the hearing. In testifying under oath, the victim, Mr. Alvarez. admitted that he pushed Mr. Espinoza. That was the only physical contact between the two. As he was getting up, Mr. Espinoza, who was intoxicated, grabbed a pitchfork. Both men agreed that Mr. Espinoza never tried to stab Mr. Alvarez with the pitchfork. Still, Mr. Espinoza was deemed to be in possession of a weapon, which led to his felony conviction.

Mr. Espinoza has been licensed by the California Horse Racing Board since 2006. His record prior to this incident was clean and has been clean since this incident in July. His employer and others provided favorable character references. He expressed remorse for his actions and voluntarily enrolled in AA prior to his hearing with the stewards. He indicated a strong commitment to working with the Winners Foundation, which includes an anger management component. He has also been placed on a testing agreement, which will require him to submit to alcohol and drug testing.

So, there you have it, what the stewards were thinking when they handed down this penalty. We wish Mr. Espinoza well as he moves forward with his life.

Solomini, who ran 10 th in last years Kentucky Derby, seemed like a pretty good choice in Fridays mile allowance feature. But, against what on paper seemed like lesser competition, he just hung in the stretch and finish third as longshot Mongolian Groom came through on the rail to win by 1  lengths.

It set up pretty good for us, winning jockey Geovanni Franco told Mike Willman of Santa Anita. We had the best post and he was going well the whole way. When he saw that hole at the rail, he attacked.

Its too bad the weather is going to be so bad on Saturday, because Santa Anita had a pretty good card planned with three graded stakes, one on the turf. But, seeing where the weather was headed the racing office changed up the card a couple days ago and made it an all dirt card and moved the turf race, the Grade 2 San Marcos to next week.

I did a story for the Times web and print editions on some of the changes, including a look at how handle has done since the new post-time drag strategy. You can read it here.

The 3-year-old race is the Grade 3 $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for horses going 1 1/16 miles. The favorite is Mucho Gusto, winner of two of three and finishing second to Improbable in the Los Alamitos Futurity. He is one of trainer Bob Bafferts A-listers. Joe Talamo gets the ride on the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

Gunmetal Gray, who we last saw winning the Sham Stakes, is the 9-5 second choice. He was fifth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile and in the race before that and finished second to Game Winner in the American Pharoah Stakes. Hes trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and will be ridden by Mike Smith . Post time is scheduled for 2:53 p.m.

The second stakes is the Grade 2 $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes for older horses going 1 1/8 miles. McKinzie, named for the late Los Alamitos executive Brad McKinzie , is the 4-5 morning-line favorite. He has won all his races except two. He was disqualified to second in the San Felipe Stakes last year and was a disappointing 12 th in the Breeders Cup Classic. He also benefited from a disqualification in the Los Alamitos Futurity when Solomini, who finished third on Friday, was moved down for interference. McKinzie followed the Classic with a 4 3/4-length win on opening day in the Malibu Stakes. Smith rides the Baffert trainee.

The 5-2 second choice is Battle of Midway, who was third in Kentucky Derby two years ago and won the Breeders Cup Mile. He was retired after his 3-year-old year season but had trouble getting mares in foal and was returned to the race track. Flavien Prat rides the Hollendorfer trainee. Post time is scheduled for 4:23 p.m.

Second choice on the morning line, this Richard Baltas -trained sophomore ran a very promising third when debuting here on opening day. Despite encountering some traffic trouble into the turn, the son of Twirling Candy finished well and should love the seven-furlong distance with an outside draw. He will have to beat the favorite Omaha Beach, who keeps running second.

Los Alamitos is taking a rare break from nighttime quarter-horse racing on Saturday and Sunday as the track undergoes renovation. It usually picks this weekend because Sunday night racing would be a lost cause going up against the Super Bowl. The track resumes racing on Friday.

Always looking to add more subscribers to this newsletter. Cant beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you dont like it, then youre probably not reading this. Either way, send to a friend and just have them click here and sign up . Remember, its free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

Santa Anita Charts Results for Friday, February 1. Copyright 2019 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 23rd day of a 61-day meet. Cloudy & Good

FIRST RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $35,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $32,000-$28,000. Time 24.87 50.61 1:14.85 1:26.37 1:37.94

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 7 Mraseel 117 7 1 11 11 1 1hd 1nk Figueroa 16.80 6 Tammy's Window 122 6 5 41 3hd 2hd 21 21 Rosario 0.60 8 Proud 'n' Ready 124 8 2 2 2 31 3hd 3hd Prat 8.30 3 Miss Boom Boom 122 3 3 3hd 41 4hd 41 41 Gutierrez 11.40 2 Believe Indeed 122 2 7 71 6 5 5 5 Bejarano 5.80 1 Indypendent Deputy 122 1 6 5 5hd 62 63 61 Desormeaux 14.20 4 Kennedie Sky 122 4 4 6hd 8 8 8 7 Delgadillo 94.50 5 War Moccasin 122 5 8 8 71 7hd 7hd 8 Blanc 7.60

7 MRASEEL (IRE) 35.60 8.40 6.00 6 TAMMY'S WINDOW 2.60 2.20 8 PROUD 'N' READY 4.20

$2 ROULETTE (GREEN) $25.80 $1 EXACTA (7-6) $43.70 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (7-6-8-3) $182.77 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (7-6-8-3-2) $4,185.20 50-CENT TRIFECTA (7-6-8) $123.00

WinnerMraseel (IRE) B.f.4 by Sir Prancealot (IRE) out of Suffer Her (IRE), by Whipper. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud (IRE). Trainer: Richard Baltas. Owner: Slam Dunk Racing. Mutuel Pool $220,244 Roulette Pool $507 Exacta Pool $134,826 Superfecta Pool $61,668 Super High Five Pool $5,483 Trifecta Pool $95,020. ClaimedTammy's Window by Tapert, Charles and Matthew and Travato, Pete. Trainer: Jack Carava. Scratchednone.

MRASEEL (IRE) sped to the early lead and angled in, set the pace inside, fought back leaving the second turn, came a bit off the rail in the stretch and held on gamely under urging and a strong hand ride. TAMMY'S WINDOW stalked three deep then outside a rival, bid three wide leaving the second turn and alongside the winner through a stiff drive and continued willingly but could not get by. PROUD 'N' READY close up stalking the winner outside a rival, bid between foes leaving the second turn and into the stretch and just held third. MISS BOOM BOOM saved ground stalking the pace throughout and was narrowly edged for the show. BELIEVE INDEED pulled between horses early then stalked three deep leaving the first turn and on the backstretch and second turn and into the stretch and could not quite summon the needed late kick. INDYPENDENT DEPUTY stalked inside then a bit off the rail, continued between foes leaving the backstretch and on the second turn, waited off heels in midstretch and lacked the needed rally. KENNEDIE SKY chased a bit off the rail then outside a rival, came out some in the stretch and did not rally. WAR MOCCASIN angled in on the first turn and saved ground chasing the pace, cut the corner into the stretch, continued inside and also lacked a rally.

SECOND RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $18,000. Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $8,000. Time 21.84 44.67 1:10.05 1:16.78

Pgm Horse Wt PP St   Str Fin Jockey $1 5 Matriculate 122 5 4 41 31 11 11 Pereira 3.20 1 Lindante 117 1 6 62 52 42 2 Espinoza 11.50 7 Boy Howdy 122 7 5 31 2hd 21 31 Rosario 1.90 6 Trapalanda 117 6 2 2hd 1hd 31 47 Figueroa 1.50 3 Harrovian 122 3 7 7 7 61 5 Flores 41.30 2 Quad 124 2 3 1hd 42 54 63 Franco 38.40 4 Zap Again 122 4 1 5hd 61 7 7 Gryder 10.00

5 MATRICULATE 8.40 4.40 3.20 1 LINDANTE 9.20 4.00 7 BOY HOWDY 2.80

$2 ROULETTE (RED) $3.00 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (7-5) $180.00 $1 EXACTA (5-1) $28.50 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (5-1-7-6) $24.82 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (5-1-7-6-3) $1,101.80 50-CENT TRIFECTA (5-1-7) $57.55

WinnerMatriculate B.g.7 by Lucky Pulpit out of Sunny Days Ahead, by Cee's Tizzy. Bred by Harold E. Larson (CA). Trainer: William Spawr. Owner: Acker, Tom, Brown Jr., Edward, Smith, Corey, Sanford, Thomas C., Spawr, William. Mutuel Pool $237,659 Roulette Pool $523 Daily Double Pool $48,860 Exacta Pool $139,130 Superfecta Pool $56,447 Super High Five Pool $3,985 Trifecta Pool $80,055. ClaimedBoy Howdy by Crews, Jim, Lavine, Dan, Lovett, John and Noren, Irv. Trainer: Jack Carava. Scratchednone.

MATRICULATE stalked off the rail, bid four wide into the turn then outside rivals, took the lead four wide into the stretch, inched away in midstretch, drifted in and won clear under a couple taps with the whip turned down and steady handling. LINDANTE saved ground chasing the pace, came out on the turn and four wide into the stretch and edged a rival late for the place. BOY HOWDY dueled three deep then between rivals on the turn and three wide between foes into the stretch, drifted in some and was edged late for second. TRAPALANDA pulled early, angled in and dueled between rivals then a bit off the rail on the turn and into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. HARROVIAN broke a bit slowly, chased just off the rail, angled in on the turn and lacked a response in the drive. QUAD went up inside to duel for the lead, stalked along the rail on the turn and weakened in the stretch. ZAP AGAIN stalked outside a rival then just off the rail on the turn, continued alongside a foe into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

THIRD RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $80,000. Time 24.01 49.17 1:13.53 1:25.20 1:36.78

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 5 Neptune's Storm 122 5 2 21 21 21 1 11 Desormeaux 3.40 3 Eagle Song 122 3 6 4 41 3 3 2hd Rosario 3.30 2 Weekly Call 122 2 1 1 11 1 21 32 Franco 35.60 1 Rijeka 122 1 5 6 5hd 4hd 41 4 Prat 0.70 4 The Creep 122 4 3 31 3 52 52 52 Bejarano 9.50 6 Sayin Grace 122 6 4 51 6 6 6 6 T Baze 27.90

5 NEPTUNE'S STORM 8.80 4.40 4.40 3 EAGLE SONG (IRE) 4.40 3.40 2 WEEKLY CALL 10.00

$2 ROULETTE (RED) $2.60 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (5-5) $45.80 $1 EXACTA (5-3) $18.10 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (5-3-2-1) $37.01 50-CENT TRIFECTA (5-3-2) $91.25

WinnerNeptune's Storm B.g.3 by Stormy Atlantic out of Immortal Life (IRE), by Iffraaj (GB). Bred by Tracy Farmer (KY). Trainer: William E. Morey. Owner: Cybertec International Inc, Gevertz, Saul, Gitomer, Lynn, Goetz, Mike and Weiner, Daniel. Mutuel Pool $214,004 Roulette Pool $547 Daily Double Pool $23,566 Exacta Pool $122,952 Superfecta Pool $50,729 Trifecta Pool $75,014. Scratchednone. 50-Cent Pick Three (7-5-5) paid $263.10. Pick Three Pool $56,594.

NEPTUNE'S STORM angled in and pressed the pace outside a rival then stalked off the rail, re-bid alongside the pacesetter leaving the second turn, took a short lead in the stretch and inched clear in deep stretch under urging and steady handling late. EAGLE SONG (IRE) saved ground chasing the pace, came out some in the stretch and edged the pacesetter late for second. WEEKLY CALL took the early lead and set a pressured pace inside, inched away on the backstretch, fought back leaving the second turn and in the stretch, could not match the winner in the final sixteenth and lost the place late. RIJEKA (IRE) stalked inside then between horses leaving the backstretch and on the second turn and into the stretch and lacked a rally. THE CREEP close up stalking the pace outside a rival then three deep into and on the second turn and into the stretch and did not rally. SAYIN GRACE chased outside a rival, angled to the inside leaving the second turn and weakened.

FOURTH RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $50,000-$45,000. Time 22.88 45.97 58.23 1:10.99

Pgm Horse Wt PP St   Str Fin Jockey $1 2 Captain Buzzkill 124 2 6 1hd 11 11 13 Prat 4.10 7 Sea's Journey 124 7 1 2hd 2hd 2hd 2 Franco 11.30 8 Coil to Strike 124 8 2 41 3 32 3 Fuentes 1.30 9 Awesome Amanda 114 9 3 8hd 51 4 42 Espinoza 8.00 4 Big Bad Gary 122 4 4 3hd 41 53 53 Delgadillo 11.60 6 Soul Owner 124 6 8 9 6hd 63 62 Bejarano 4.70 1 Tak'in the Red Eye 124 1 5 5hd 85 85 71 Pereira 39.10 5 Erebuni 119 5 9 6hd 71 71 814 T Baze 13.10 3 Desert Movie 117 3 7 7 9 9 9 Figueroa 72.30

2 CAPTAIN BUZZKILL 10.20 5.00 2.60 7 SEA'S JOURNEY 9.40 4.20 8 COIL TO STRIKE 2.40

$2 ROULETTE (BLACK) $6.20 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (5-2) $45.40 $1 EXACTA (2-7) $39.10 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (2-7-8-9) $78.35 50-CENT TRIFECTA (2-7-8) $65.60 $1 X-5 SUPER HIGH FIVE (2-7-8-9-4) Carryover $2,194

WinnerCaptain Buzzkill Dbb.g.4 by Ministers Wild Cat out of Practicaly Perfect, by Pleasantly Perfect. Bred by Double J H Stable, Inc. (KY). Trainer: Gary Mandella. Owner: Double JH Stable, Inc.. Mutuel Pool $280,513 Roulette Pool $693 Daily Double Pool $24,972 Exacta Pool $178,328 Superfecta Pool $85,417 Trifecta Pool $118,433 X-5 Super High Five Pool $2,876. Scratchednone. 50-Cent Pick Three (5-5-2) paid $75.80. Pick Three Pool $28,877.

CAPTAIN BUZZKILL went up inside to duel for the lead, inched away on the turn, kicked clear under urging and proved best. SEA'S JOURNEY dueled three deep between foes then stalked between horses on the turn and held second. COIL TO STRIKE pressed the pace four wide then stalked outside on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and was edged for the place. AWESOME AMANDA stalked four wide on the backstretch and outside or off the rail on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and lacked the needed late kick. BIG BAD GARY dueled between horses then stalked a bit of the rail on the turn and into the stretch and weakened some in the final furlong. SOUL OWNER bobbled at the start, pulled his way between horses to stalk the pace, went three deep on the turn, angled in outside a rival leaving the turn and into the stretch and weakened. TAK'IN THE RED EYE saved ground stalking the pace, dropped back on the turn, came out leaving the turn and into the stretch and had little left for the drive. EREBUNI bobbled at the start, stalked between horses, angled to the inside nearing the stretch and also had little left for the lane. DESERT MOVIE pulled his way between horses to stalk the pace, steadied in tight a half mile out to drop back and gave way.

FIFTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000. Time 23.37 46.60 1:11.56 1:25.10 1:39.24

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 6 Queen Bee to You 124 6 3 31 21 21 1hd 1 Bejarano 2.00 5 Exuberance 124 5 6 7 7 66 52 2nk T Baze 4.10 3 Dulce Ride 122 3 1 12 1 1hd 22 31 Rosario 1.90 2 Harmony Victory 122 2 4 4hd 52 43 41 42 Quinonez 14.60 7 Zusha 122 7 7 51 3hd 31 3 53 Talamo 11.60 1 Aunt Lubie 124 1 5 62 62 5hd 612 617 Prat 13.00 4 Mongolian Humor 122 4 2 2hd 4hd 7 7 7 Franco 8.00

6 QUEEN BEE TO YOU 6.00 3.40 2.40 5 EXUBERANCE 4.00 2.80 3 DULCE RIDE 2.40

$2 ROULETTE (RED) $2.80 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (2-6) $37.80 $1 EXACTA (6-5) $14.60 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (6-5-3-2) $13.06 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (6-5-3-2-7) $502.10 50-CENT TRIFECTA (6-5-3) $12.50

WinnerQueen Bee to You B.m.5 by Old Topper out of Silk Queen, by Touch Gold. Bred by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, LLC (CA). Trainer: Michael Pender. Owner: St. Hilaire, Christopher and Vali, Adam. Mutuel Pool $263,294 Roulette Pool $421 Daily Double Pool $28,585 Exacta Pool $140,542 Superfecta Pool $54,714 Super High Five Pool $11,943 Trifecta Pool $88,890. Scratchednone. 50-Cent Pick Three (5-2-6) paid $58.05. Pick Three Pool $47,188. 50-Cent Pick Four (5-5-2-6) 447 tickets with 4 correct paid $302.10. Pick Four Pool $176,980. 50-Cent Pick Five (7-5-5-2-6) 47 tickets with 5 correct paid $7,449.50. Pick Five Pool $406,389.

QUEEN BEE TO YOU three deep early, stalked outside a rival then bid alongside the pacesetter on the backstretch and second turn, took a short lead in the stretch and held on gamely under some left handed urging. EXUBERANCE three deep into the first turn, chased outside a rival, came out on the second turn and three wide into the stretch and edged the pacesetter late for the place. DULCE RIDE sped to the early lead, set the pace inside, dueled on the backstretch and second turn, fought back along the rail in the stretch and was edged late for second. HARMONY VICTORY stalked outside a rival then inside, came out some in midstretch and was outfinished. ZUSHA four wide on the first turn, chased outside, came three wide into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. AUNT LUBIE chased inside then a bit off the rail, went around a rival on the second turn, angled in some and did not rally. MONGOLIAN HUMOR stalked as bit off the rail then between foes leaving the backstretch, dropped back on the second turn and gave way.

SIXTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $28,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Prices $40,000-$35,000. Time 22.91 46.60 1:13.30 1:27.07 1:40.98

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 6 Had Enough K P 120 5 6 61 67 2 23 14 T Baze 5.60 5 True Validity 122 4 1 36 34 1hd 1hd 2 Atzeni 0.90 3 American Falls 122 2 4 4hd 5hd 4hd 31 37 Quinonez 17.00 1 Thanks 122 1 3 1hd 1hd 33 46 411 Roman 5.70 7 Queen of the Track 122 6 7 5hd 4hd 54 510 515 Fuentes 2.80 8 Palm d'Oro 122 7 2 21 21 68 64 65 Flores 30.70 4 Derby Royalty 120 3 5 7 7 7 7 7 Payeras 86.40

6 HAD ENOUGH K P 13.20 4.80 2.80 5 TRUE VALIDITY 2.40 2.20 3 AMERICAN FALLS 5.20

$2 ROULETTE (BLACK) $4.80 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (6-6) $55.80 $1 EXACTA (6-5) $22.40 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (6-5-3-1) $32.71 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (6-5-3-1-7) $307.50 50-CENT TRIFECTA (6-5-3) $61.75

WinnerHad Enough K P B.f.3 by He's Had Enough out of Banana Split, by Posse. Bred by Karl Pergola (NM). Trainer: Jeff Mullins. Owner: Karl Pergola. Mutuel Pool $272,965 Roulette Pool $458 Daily Double Pool $24,717 Exacta Pool $153,906 Superfecta Pool $70,547 Super High Five Pool $6,449 Trifecta Pool $100,051. ScratchedReds Sacred Appeal. 50-Cent Pick Three (2-6-6) paid $93.10. Pick Three Pool $49,420.

HAD ENOUGH K P bobbled at the start, angled in on the first turn and chased inside, bid along the rail leaving the second turn, fought back inside in the stretch, gained the lead past the eighth pole and pulled clear under urging and steady handling. TRUE VALIDITY had speed between horses then stalked a bit off the rail, bid three deep leaving the second turn, to gain the lead, battled outside the winner in the stretch, could not match that one late and just held second. AMERICAN FALLS stalked a bit off the rail then between horses on the backstretch, went outside a rival on the second turn, came out into the stretch and was edged for the place. THANKS had good early speed and dueled inside, inched clear into the second turn, was between foes a quarter mile out and weakened in the drive. QUEEN OF THE TRACK bobbled at the start, went four wide into the first turn then chased three deep, continued off the rail on the second turn and three wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive. PALM D'ORO had speed three deep then dueled outside a rival, dropped back between horses on the second turn, angled in nearing the stretch, gave way and was eased in the final furlong. DERBY ROYALTY three deep into the first turn, chased off the rail, dropped back on the backstretch and second turn, also gave way and was not persevered with late.

SEVENTH RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $80,000. Time 23.17 46.77 1:11.33 1:23.86 1:36.03

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 6 Lady Prancealot 122 6 6 8 8 6hd 3 11 Rosario 1.70 4 Truffalino 124 4 7 71 71 51 41 22 Talamo 5.00 3 Rose Princess 124 3 3 31 32 32 2hd 3 Delgadillo 28.80 1 Sold It 122 1 2 11 1 11 11 41 Gutierrez 2.90 9 Angel Alessandra 124 8 4 42 41 4hd 51 53 Smith 5.50 5 Prima Valentina 124 5 5 61 6hd 8 8 6ns Bejarano 61.90 2 Cavernndchipmunks 122 2 8 5hd 5hd 74 72 74 Prat 5.80 7 Cedars of Lebanon 124 7 1 23 24 2 61 8 T Baze 19.50

6 LADY PRANCEALOT (IRE) 5.40 3.20 2.40 4 TRUFFALINO 4.60 3.80 3 ROSE PRINCESS 9.40

$2 ROULETTE (RED) $2.80 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (6-6) $42.20 $1 EXACTA (6-4) $12.40 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (6-4-3-1) $51.83 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (6-4-3-1-9) $4,815.70 50-CENT TRIFECTA (6-4-3) $67.55

WinnerLady Prancealot (IRE) B.f.3 by Sir Prancealot (IRE) out of Naqrah (IRE), by Haatef. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud (IRE). Trainer: Richard Baltas. Owner: Dunn, Christopher T., McClanahan, Jerry and Peskoff, Jeremy. Mutuel Pool $313,324 Roulette Pool $587 Daily Double Pool $27,424 Exacta Pool $189,172 Superfecta Pool $83,275 Super High Five Pool $6,312 Trifecta Pool $126,825. ScratchedProud Emma. 50-Cent Pick Three (6-6-6) paid $41.45. Pick Three Pool $38,950.

LADY PRANCEALOT (IRE) three deep early, chased outside a rival, came out four wide into the stretch, rallied under a crack of the whip and good handling to gain the lead in deep stretch and proved best. TRUFFALINO saved ground chasing the ;pace, got through inside and bid along the fence past midstretch and continued willingly. ROSE PRINCESS stalked a bit off the rail, came three deep into the stretch and edged the pacesetter for the show. SOLD IT sped to the early lead, set the pace inside, dueled on the backstretch, inched away on the second turn, came a bit off the rail in the stretch, was between foes past midstretch and was outfinished for third. ANGEL ALESSANDRA broke outward, chased outside then alongside a rival, came three deep into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. PRIMA VALENTINA settled between horses then chased outside a rival, dropped back on the second turn and did not rally. CAVERNNDCHIPMUNKS (FR) saved ground chasing the pace, came out leaving the second turn and into the stretch and weakened. CEDARS OF LEBANON (IRE) pulled early and drifted out into the first turn, bid outside the pacesetter on the backstretch and into the second turn, dropped back some leaving that turn and weakened in the drive.

EIGHTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $57,000. Allowance. 4 year olds and up. Time 24.15 48.02 1:12.20 1:24.55 1:36.98

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 1 Mongolian Groom 124 1 3 51 3hd 3 32 11 Franco 13.40 3 Beaumarchais 122 3 1 11 11 1 1hd 2 Pedroza 16.00 7 Solomini 122 5 4 3hd 2hd 21 2hd 33 Prat 0.30 8 Super Duper Cooper 122 6 6 4hd 51 42 42 42 T Baze 12.80 2 Show Me Da Lute 124 2 5 6 6 5hd 5 53 Talamo 9.90 6 Candy Cornell 122 4 2 2 4hd 6 6 6 Smith 5.20

1 MONGOLIAN GROOM 28.80 13.40 3.40 3 BEAUMARCHAIS 17.80 3.80 7 SOLOMINI 2.10

$2 ROULETTE (GREEN) $16.20 $2 DAILY DOUBLE (6-1) $122.20 $1 EXACTA (1-3) $114.30 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (1-3-7-8) $119.41 50-CENT TRIFECTA (1-3-7) $145.10 $2 CONSOLATION DOUBLE (6-5) $4.20

WinnerMongolian Groom Dbb.g.4 by Hightail out of Bourbonesque, by Dynaformer. Bred by Calumet Farm (KY). Trainer: Enebish Ganbat. Owner: Mongolian Stable. Mutuel Pool $219,768 Roulette Pool $317 Daily Double Pool $39,623 Exacta Pool $117,879 Superfecta Pool $59,223 Trifecta Pool $84,049. ScratchedKylemore, Major Cabbie. 50-Cent Pick Three (6-6-1) paid $187.40. Pick Three Pool $35,547. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (6-6-5) paid $9.55.

MONGOLIAN GROOM saved ground stalking the pace, bid inside in the stretch to gain the lead nearing the sixteenth pole and proved best under some urging. BEAUMARCHAIS sped to the early lead, set the pace inside, fought back along the rail leaving the second turn and a bit off the rail in upper stretch, battled between foes in midstretch and held second. SOLOMINI stalked three deep between horses, bid outside the runner-up leaving the second turn and three wide in midstretch and was edged for the place. SUPER DUPER COOPER was in a good position stalking the pace four wide then outside a rival on the second turn, came three deep into the stretch and lacked a rally. SHOW ME DA LUTE bobbled slightly at the start, chased off the inside, swung four wide into the stretch and did not rally. CANDY CORNELL stalked just off the rail then between foes leaving the backstretch and into the second turn, fell back some on that turn, angled to the inside in the stretch and weakened.

NINTH RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $33,000. Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $35,000. Time 22.44 45.27 1:10.52 1:16.93

Pgm Horse Wt PP St   Str Fin Jockey $1 8 Cats Blame 124 6 1 52 5 21 13 Rosario 1.80 7 Fast Cotton 124 5 3 11 11 12 2 Gryder 3.30 3 Hey Sequoia 124 2 6 6 6 5 3 Fuentes 15.80 4 Buckys Pick 124 3 2 4hd 4hd 6 42 Delgadillo 3.50 6 Zestful 119 4 4 2hd 33 3hd 54 Figueroa 4.70 1 Sword Fighter 124 1 5 3 2hd 41 6 Pereira 5.50

8 CATS BLAME 5.60 3.40 2.40 7 FAST COTTON 4.40 3.60 3 HEY SEQUOIA 4.40

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (1-8) $126.40 $1 EXACTA (8-7) $11.60 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (8-7-3-4) $21.88 50-CENT TRIFECTA (8-7-3) $41.85

WinnerCats Blame B.g.5 by Blame out of Manx Cat, by Forest Wildcat. Bred by Grade 1 Bloodstock & Halcyon Farm (KY). Trainer: Steve Knapp. Owner: Sayjay Racing LLC, Beerman Family Trust and Rexius, Kurt. Mutuel Pool $281,278 Daily Double Pool $66,391 Exacta Pool $149,972 Superfecta Pool $65,034 Trifecta Pool $98,226. ClaimedBuckys Pick by ERJ Racing LLC, Bambauer, Sheila, Westside Racing Stable and Mora, Leandro. Trainer: Doug O'Neill. ScratchedCowboy, Saratoga Morning, Short of Ez, Silver Summer. 50-Cent Pick Three (6-1-8) paid $82.60. Pick Three Pool $126,858. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (6-5-8) paid $4.50. 50-Cent Pick Four (6-6/8-1-2/5/8/9/10) 354 tickets with 4 correct paid $800.90. Pick Four Pool $370,980. 50-Cent Pick Five (6-6-6/8-1-2/5/8/9/10) 45 tickets with 5 correct paid $5,327.70. Pick Five Pool $314,135. 20-Cent Pick Six Jackpot (2-6-6-6/8-1-2/5/8/9/10) 29 tickets with 6 correct paid $6,266.28. Pick Six Jackpot Pool $334,541. Pick Six Jackpot Carryover $1,592,210.

CATS BLAME chased outside a rival then between foes, continued outside leaving the backstretch and three deep on the turn, came four wide into the stretch, rallied under some urging while drifting in a bit to gain the lead a sixteenth out and won clear under a left handed crack of the whip and steady handling. FAST COTTON came in a bit after the break, had speed outside a rival then inched away, angled in, met a pair of bids early on the turn, edged away again, kicked clear in the stretch, could not match the winner in the final sixteenth but held second. HEY SEQUOIA chased inside, came out in upper stretch and split rivals late for the show. BUCKYS PICK stalked just off the rail or between horses, came out into the stretch and was edged for third. ZESTFUL in a bit tight early, stalked outside then bid three deep into the turn, continued off the rail then three wide into the stretch under some left handed urging, had the rider lose the whip in upper stretch and weakened in the final furlong. SWORD FIGHTER sent along inside to stalk the pace, bid between horses into the turn, continued a bit off the rail leaving the turn and into the stretch and weakened.Members of a union at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital voted this week to disband the union in a vote that spanned Wednesday and Thursday and was handled by the National Labor Relations Board.

Union members had the opportunity to cast their votes on whether or not they wanted to keep in place the third-party representation by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, known as SEIU-UHW, which they had fought to join about three years ago.

The count was 107 votes in support of staying with the union and 118 votes to dissolve it, according to officials with the labor relations board.

Andrew Brown, a surgical buyer at the hospital, has been fighting since October to dissolve the union when he filed a petition that was rejected by the labor relations board because it arrived two days too late.

Brown filed another petition on Jan. 1.

The union includes patient-services representatives, certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, unit secretaries, monitor technicians, obstetric technicians, central processing employees, buyers, distribution technicians, obstetrics technicians and phlebotomists.

Brown said he was glad those employees who voted in the majority had the opportunity to have their voices heard.

We can finally go back to being a unified Verdugo family, Brown said in a statement. Now, we can finally communicate freely with our employers without having a third party in between us tying our hands and stealing our money. We can now put all this behind us and begin the process of reconciliation and start working together to bring the best outcome for our Verdugo Family.

Keith Hobbs, chief executive of the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, responded to the close vote.

It was important to give all the SEIU membership the ability to cast a vote for representation or a direct relationship with leadership, Hobbs said in a statement. It is the end of a long process by our staff who no longer wished to be represented by the union and initiated a process for decertification. We look forward to the NLRB certifying the election in the near future.

Union officials did not respond to a request for a statement regarding the votes outcome.

mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAMarkKellamRound Table Pizza in La Canada Flintridge was the scene for those wanting to support the La Canada Flintridge Orthopaedic Guild.

On Nov. 13, front and center were pizza, wings, a salad bar, sandwiches and flatbreads. It was dine in or take out.

From 5 to 9 pm, a couple dozen hungry guild members and guests showed up. Round Table will donate a percentage of the evenings proceeds to the guild.

Although this is a modest fundraiser, the guild also derives funds from larger events such as its annual book and author luncheon.

Eagerly awaited by readers, this years luncheon was standing-room only.

On Oct. 23, the La Canada Flintridge Country Club played host to a sold-out crowd of more than 200 members and guests who included book-loving Glendale residents Cecelia Walker and Moira Delaney, a longtime country club member.

Marie Baker, guild president, welcomed her enthusiastic audience. Next, Mary Beth Perrine, assistant vice president of the Orthopaedic Institute for Children, thanked guild members for their past generous financial donations to the institute.

Perrine then introduced keynote speaker, Jennifer Kumiyama, a former patient at the institute who is also a performer and motivational speaker.

Guild Book & Author Luncheon keynote speaker Jennifer Kumiyama with her helper Ryan Williams French, assistant director of volunteer services at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children. (Photo by Ruth Sowby Rands)

Confined to a wheelchair all her life, she has performed in Disneys Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular at the Disney California Adventure Theme Park for 14 years and has the distinction of being the first performer in a wheelchair to be cast in a Disney stage show.

Kumiyama shared her story and sang for luncheon guests.

Luncheon co-chair Wendy Nicoll introduced the three authors and their books.

First up was Karin Esterhammer. She and her family lived in Vietnam for 2 years in a 9-foot-wide house. She writes about her experiences there in So Happiness to Meet You, which won the Nautilus Book Awards silver medal for 2017.

Next up was Anne Wheaton, author of Piggy and Pug, a childrens book that conveys the joy of having pets as part of families. Wheaton is committed to the adoption of rescued animals and serves as a director for the Pasadena Humane Society.

The concluding speaker was Chris Erskine, a La Canada resident, nationally known humor columnist and a features editor/writer for the Los Angeles Times. His book, Daditude: The Joys and Absurdities of Modern Fatherhood, is a compilation of 50 of his favorite columns annotated by his wife and children. He said the book is like a greatest hits album for someone whos never had a hit.

After the authors spoke, guild members and guests had 45 minutes to get their books purchased and signed by the authors. They also participated in live and silent auctions, with lunch following.

Annually, more than 60,000 patients visit the Orthopaedic Institute for Children urgent care center and outpatient surgery in downtown Los Angeles. Luncheon proceeds will help support those patients and their families with their financial needs.

RUTH SOWBY RANDS may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com.Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley officially announced Monday that she is running for the states 37th Senate District seat in 2020.

The move pits her against state Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa), who has held the seat since 2015, and Irvine resident Dave Min, a Democrat and UC Irvine law professor who threw his hat in the ring earlier this year.

Foley, a Democrat, said in a statement that she is running to champion our issues unique to Orange County.

We sure could benefit from a leader with the relationships in Sacramento and focus on the issues that working families most care about, including a living wage, quality affordable healthcare and housing, clean and safe communities, and schools modernized and sufficiently funded to allow their children to reach their potential, she said. It would be an honor to serve as Orange Countys voice in the state Senate.

Foley said Friday that she had decided to open a Senate campaign committee and had received strong encouragement from neighborhood leaders, working families, volunteers, elected officials, women, business owners and others who urged me to run for state Senate.

I agree, like those throughout our community, that we need new, bold and forward-thinking leaders who will vigorously advocate on behalf of the people of Orange County, she added.

The 37th District includes Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach and parts of Huntington Beach.

Foley, a lawyer by profession, rejoined the Costa Mesa City Council in 2014 after having served from 2004 to 2010. She became the citys first directly elected mayor in November, winning a two-year term.

I take my job and the issues impacting our city very seriously, she said. During my two-year term, I will continue to work to make Costa Mesa safer, find solutions for homelessness, protect our environment and advocate for local jobs and small businesses.

In a news release announcing his candidacy, Min said hes running to build a brighter economic future for all 37th District families and to provide them with representation that reflects our values and priorities, including the need to focus on universal health care, protecting our environment, ending the gun violence epidemic, building more affordable housing and protecting our immigrant communities from the disastrous policies of the Trump administration.

Hatch lands new county job

Former Costa Mesa city manager Tom Hatch has landed a new job as Orange Countys chief human-resources officer.

Toms leadership, experience and dedication make him a great addition, county Chief Executive Frank Kim wrote in a Jan. 16 memo to the Board of Supervisors announcing the hire.

Hatch started the position Jan. 25, according to the letter, and will receive an annual salary of $220,000. He could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday.

Hatchs career includes stints in Brea, El Monte, South Pasadena, Walnut, West Covina and, most recently, Costa Mesa, where he served as assistant city manager for more than four years and as city manager for about 7 years, starting in 2011.

His time in Costa Mesa came to an unceremonious end in November, when the City Council voted 3-2  with Foley and member John Stephens opposed  to terminate his contract.

He was entitled to nine months severance pay. Under a contract revision approved last year, his annual pay was set at $237,960.

The departure was controversial, as Foley and Stephens said they felt Hatch effectively left the position before the councils vote by moving out of his office.

Then-Councilman Jim Righeimer, however, contended Hatch had left because it was clear to him, at least, that he wasnt going to be around much longer, given the results of the council and mayoral elections.

Foley, however, said the idea that she or newly elected council members Manuel Chavez, Andrea Marr and Arlis Reynolds had made any determination about Hatchs future was a flat-out misrepresentation.

I just think it was inappropriate under the circumstances to pay him that money, Stephens said at the time. If he decided he didnt want to work for the new council, then I think the appropriate thing for him to do would have been to resign.

UPDATES:

This article was originally published at 5 p.m. Feb. 1 and was later updated with additional information and comments.A community of about 25,000 residents nestled in a wind-whipped canyon with few roads out of town. For Laguna Beach officials, the similarity of their coastal city to Paradise, the Northern California town ravaged by the Camp Fire in November, were too compelling to ignore.

So Mayor Bob Whalen, City Manager John Pietig, Fire Chief Mike Garcia, police Capt. Jeff Calvert and other emergency response officials visited Paradise recently to speak with fire specialists and tour the decimated community.

Seeing the devastation of the entire town of Paradise firsthand was sobering, Whalen said in a statement. This town is not much bigger than Laguna Beach, and only ashes and chimneys remain in entire neighborhoods.

The Camp Fire that started Nov. 8 in Butte County killed 86 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in California history. About 240 square miles burned, according to a report from Californias Watershed Emergency Response Team.

Members of Lagunas Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Subcommittee, which the City Council formed in December in the wake of the Camp Fire, received a briefing from members of the Butte County Fire Department.

The town is basically completely empty, Pietig said. Its difficult to contemplate how this turned into a ghost town almost overnight.

The group learned about the areas fire prevention plans  and how the evacuation routes and emergency alert systems failed to withstand the Camp Fires fierce winds and reach.

We wanted to absorb everything that they had to share and the ability to speak to the people that were there on the incident  that really raw information, said Jordan Villwock, Lagunas emergency operations coordinator. We came back with a ton of notes  a ton of ideas. That was a long day but  it was well worth it.

Paradise relied on the emergency alert system CodeRed to send texts, emails and calls to residents, but many of those messages failed as fire consumed cell towers across Butte County.

Laguna Beach, haunted by the 1993 wildfire that destroyed or damaged 441 homes, has tried various things over the years to reduce the citys risk.

It has several warning systems for various levels of emergencies, Villwock said. Last year, the city became the first in Orange County to be able to access a wireless emergency alert system that can ping the cellphone of anyone in Laguna Beach  resident or visitor  using the same system as child abduction Amber alerts. In case of a life-or-death emergency, Laguna also can use AlertOC, an Orange County system that sends messages to landline phones.

Lagunas community alert system, powered by Nixle, gives a variety of notices  from traffic advisories to flood watches  to residents who sign up. A downtown outdoor warning system, tested most recently in March, sends audio warnings from speakers at City Hall, Heisler Park and Main Beach. The city also can ask the county to activate its Emergency Alert System to issue countywide warnings on AM and FM radio and TV.

City officials may expand the outdoor warning system so speakers blast messages citywide to the nearly 23,000 residents and the millions of tourists who visit every year.

There are still some communication components we may want to consider, Pietig said.

Shem Hawkins, left, battalion chief for the Butte County unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, fought the Camp Fire from the air in November. (Courtesy of city of Laguna Beach)

Shem Hawkins, battalion chief for the Butte County unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, advised Laguna officials to collaborate with other local agencies to develop emergency plans.

Planning and outreach to the community is probably your best option, said Hawkins, a Cal Fire pilot who fought the Camp Fire from the sky. [The] ideal message is be prepared, evacuate early.

In Paradise, the four main thoroughfares leading out of the city quickly clogged with residents fleeing the rapid fire. Though Paradise had completed evacuation drills as recently as 2016, the plans did not include the possibility of the towns nearly 27,000 residents leaving at once. To add to the confusion, power lines fell across roads, blocking some people on dead-end or narrow streets.

There werent enough resources to be able to hit those choke points, so it became something of an hourglass where multiple cars tried to get on at once, Hawkins said.

Villwock said he is proud of Lagunas evacuation plan, but he said the subcommittee is looking into using software from Old Dominion University in Virginia that could model various evacuation scenarios and offer ideas for how to expand the plan.

Lets be honest, Laguna Beach has beautiful topography, but with that topography comes hazards, said Villwock, who added that 90% of the city is in very high fire hazard severity zones, according to Cal Fire.

We have to paint that picture, he said. We dont like to go around and say Be scared to live in Laguna Beach, but you have to understand the hazards.

Laguna Beach officials toured neighborhoods of Paradise in Butte County that were ravaged in November by the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. (Courtesy of city of Laguna Beach)

Laguna and Paradise officials discussed temporary refuge areas, such as parking lots where people could be sheltered, and fuel modification to clear dead and dry brush along escape routes.

The Camp Fire teaches us that we are vulnerable and must continue our wildfire mitigation planning and our proactive efforts to make our community more resistant to wildfire, Garcia said in a statement. Fire-resistant infrastructure, fire-safe construction and fuel management must be in place before a fire happens to limit loss.

The wildfire mitigation subcommittee formed a month after Measure P  a ballot measure Whalen strongly pushed that would have raised the local sales tax by 1 percentage point to fund power line undergrounding and other fire safety projects  failed in the Nov. 6 election. The subcommittee is tasked with assessing the citys risk of wildfires and developing a plan to expand programs and mitigation measures for a report due to the City Council on June 1.

Whalens mission to place utility lines underground stretches back to 2016, when he lobbied state legislators to pass Senate Bill 1463, which would have required the state to prioritize high-risk areas for stronger mitigation. The bill passed the Assembly and Senate but was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who said the state Public Utilities Commission and Cal Fire already address the issues in the bill.

Last month, the City Council allowed the Laguna Canyon Foundation and environmental consulting firm Glenn Lukos Associates to study Lagunas landscape and advise the city on how to treat certain areas and make infrastructure changes. If approved, their suggestions  expected by the end of spring  will be put into action with funding from a nearly $3.3-million grant that Cal Fire awarded Laguna Beach in August.

We have areas of the city, like Laguna Canyon, that have seen historical fires, seen a lot of loss, Mike Rohde, Lagunas wildland fire defense coordinator, said at the Jan. 8 council meeting. We havent had the opportunity to do anything there before. Now were going to be able to put in some infrastructure that will give us good, defensible space around homes and make a big difference for us.

Hawkins said he was impressed by Laguna Beach officials proactivity and emphasized that all departments should be involved in preparing the city for a wildfire.

This is something that will happen to Laguna Beach, Hawkins said. Its not a question of if, its a question of when.  It already has happened, and if theres one thing that weve seen, fires repeat themselves.The city of Huntington Beach is dueling with the state over housing laws and local control through two legal complaints, the latest of which was filed Friday in the California Supreme Court.

City Attorney Michael Gates is now challenging Senate Bill 166, a law that governs local land use and zoning by requiring cities and counties to identify and provide sites for lower- and moderate-income housing within 180 days if they are out of compliance with the states housing requirements.

The lawsuit is the second Huntington has filed against the state this year over housing. On Jan. 17, Gates sued over Senate Bill 35, which forces cities that are behind on their housing goals to streamline certain housing projects by eliminating some steps in the approval process.

About a week after that, the state, at the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom, hit back with its own lawsuit accusing Huntington Beach of defying a state law that requires cities and counties to set aside sufficient land for housing development. It said it has tried to work with the city the past four years.

In the citys latest lawsuit, Gates is again arguing for Huntingtons local control as a city run by a charter adopted by local voters. He contends SB 166 strips the citys authority over local zoning by immediately forcing it into compliance. He is asking the court to deem the law unconstitutional as applied to charter cities.

The law, Gates contends in the complaint, unconstitutionally purports to vest and exercise authority in the state to rezone established  land designations in a city for the states one-size-fits-all (ill-conceived) political purposes.

Local government officials, not state legislatures, should make decisions regarding local housing solutions, Gates said in an email Friday.

Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, and Rishi Khalsa, press secretary for the state attorney generals office, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Earlier this week, state Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris said she is trying to negotiate an end to Californias suit against the city. She said the city should get more time to comply with state requirements.

The Laguna Beach Democrats position put her in disagreement with the approach pushed by Newsom, a fellow Democrat who said the lawsuit was necessary to address rising housing costs that threaten economic growth and deepen inequality.

Huntington Beachs high-profile legal wranglings  including a successful challenge to the states California Values Act, which expands protections for undocumented immigrants  have magnified the citys efforts to exert authority over Sacramento.A lawyer working on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter Friday asking a federal trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric to make sure wildfire victims, employees and customers of the company are represented in the proceedings.

The administration sent the letter three days after the states largest electrical utility filed for bankruptcy in a decision that sparked concerns about higher electricity bills, layoffs and the ability of wildfire victims to seek compensation.

The bankruptcy filing also frustrated California lawmakers, who spent months last year passing a bill to help offset PG&Es legal liability for damages after state investigations found the companys equipment had sparked dozens of wildfires in the last few years, in some cases because of negligence.

PG&E has said it faces as much as $30 billion in financial liability from recent blazes.

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Wildfire survivors, employees and customers deserve to have a seat at the table during this bankruptcy process, Newsom said in a statement. These groups dont have the resources of many of PG&Es Wall Street creditors, but they will be directly impacted by the bankruptcys results and deserve to have substantial representation in bankruptcy court.

Under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company will continue to operate as it develops a plan to pay off debts, often starting with secured creditors.

Wildfire liability, net neutrality bills help spur record spending on California lobbying in 2018 >>

Nancy Mitchell, an attorney at the OMelveny law firm in Los Angeles, asked James Snyder, the trustee assigned to the case, to allow representatives of stakeholder groups to serve on an unsecured creditors committee that would have significant power to negotiate the reorganization of PG&E. Typically, the committee comprises groups holding the seven largest individual unsecured claims.

Most vulnerable in this process are the wildfire victims who were uninsured, underinsured or have potential claims against the company for personal injury and wrongful death, Mitchell wrote in the letter. These individual victims should not be left to fend for themselves in a creditor class outnumbered by sophisticated and deep-pocketed financial institutions and insurance companies.

California utility equipment sparked more than 2,000 fires in over three years >>

Newsom, who originally said he hoped to avert a PG&E bankruptcy, has continued to focus his public comments on the need to protect wildfire victims, including underinsured homeowners, and other Californians.

On Thursday, a federal judge said PG&E violated its criminal probation related to the 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, according to reports. Judge William Alsup, who said he will sentence PG&E at a later date, previously suggested PG&E inspect all of its power lines throughout the state and cut back vegetation in advance of the 2019 wildfire season  an effort the company said would cost at least $75 billion.

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More stories from Taryn Luna 

taryn.luna@latimes.com

Follow @tarynluna on Twitter and sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter.It did not take a lot of coaxing and lobbying and pleading to bring San Francisco philanthropist Susie Tompkins Buell, one of the most influential Democratic fundraisers in California, off the sidelines of the partys presidential primary.

It happened much the way it did when the 76-year-old co-founder of clothing makers Esprit and North Face jumped into presidential politics for the first time 28 years ago. Back then, a chance meeting with Bill Clinton inspired her. She wrote a $100,000 check on the spot.

On Sunday, Buell attended the rally Sen. Kamala Harris held in Oakland, and once again she was inspired, Buell said. Her gut was her guide: Harris would be getting her backing.

On Friday, Buell, who had been avoiding choosing among presidential hopefuls in a race in which she has ties with several of the candidates, announced to her associates and friends that she was throwing her formidable support behind Harris.

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Buells decision set off considerable comment in political circles, in part because it powerfully refutes persistent speculation that Hillary Clinton, despite all evidence to the contrary, was harboring ambitions of jumping into the race.

Buell is one of Clintons closest friends. If there were any chance she were going to run, Buell wouldnt be enlisting with someone else.

I have not spoken to Hillary about it, but there is no doubt in my mind that she is not going to run, said Buell. She is not. I would know about it if she was.

If Buells enthusiasm for Harris develops into anything close to what she devoted to the Clintons, this could be a significant moment for the senator. Buell donated $15 million to the Clintons over the more than two decades that shes been associated with them.

More significant for this campaign  at a time when voter distaste for big checks has candidates swearing them off  are the millions more Buell has helped raise by holding events and drawing on her extensive network of activists and influencers.

Going into this campaign season, I had wanted to pace myself, Buell said in an interview Friday afternoon. I went to her roll out Sunday assuming it was going to be informative, and I was just going to hold steady about waiting this out. But I was just taken with her. I thought, This is exactly what we need.

The latest look at the Trump administration and the rest of Washington 

Buell has long known Harris, and had supported her Senate campaign, but she said that the personal relationship is not what swayed her.

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She is a local person, and I know her, but that is not why I am doing this, Buell said.

Despite her enthusiasm for Harris, Buell said jumping back into presidential politics is bittersweet. It has been hard for me because of my relationship with Hillary, she said. I dont think they get any better than her. But I am extremely enthusiastic.

Buells backing is certain to bolster a fundraising operation by Harris that has already emerged as a powerhouse. The senator reported raising $1.5 million from 38,000 donors in her first 24 hours as a candidate, a one-day small-donor haul that matched the record set by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016.

Other candidates this cycle have avoided sharing their fundraising figures, which they are not required by law to report until March.

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But a disclosure on Friday by the fundraising platform ActBlue did have a tally of the money raised by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Dec. 31, the day she launched. Her online donations totaled just under $300,000 by midnight, suggesting the Harris launch considerably outpaced hers in dollars raised.

More stories from Evan Halper The appeals judge in a southern Giza court accepted on Sunday the appeal of 18 residents of Nazlet Al-Semman district in Giza and ordered their release pending investigations into charges of resisting authorities, illegal assembly and injuring a police officer.

The 18 were arrested a week earlier, during clashes between demonstrators and security forces which erupted after authorities began to demolish unlicensed buildings in the neighbourhood.

The demolitions began on 17 January and were coordinated between Giza governorate, the Ministry of Antiquities and the Interior Ministry.

As unlicensed buildings located in the area of the Great Pyramids began to be demolished angry residents protested and were dispersed by security forces using tear gas.

We were protesting against the demolition of the entire neighbourhood of Nazlet Al-Semman, Khaled Tawfik, a bazaar owner and a resident of the area, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

A resident who preferred to speak anonymously said the protesters feared the demolitions would expand to include a majority of the areas buildings.

We have been living and working in the same neighbourhood for years now... they cannot suddenly demolish our homes and relocate us somewhere else, the resident said.

The inhabitants of Nazlet Al-Semman, which is close to the Giza Pyramids, depend on tourism for their livelihoods and fear their homes and businesses will be demolished, as happened in the Downtown Maspero Triangle area.

I was born here and I live with my family in a licensed building. They have no right to demolish licensed houses. Almost all of the residents here are working in tourism, some in bazaars, others providing tourist services or acting as tour guides. We are all attached to the place where we live and work. It would be difficult for us to be relocated to some other district, Ahmed Al-Arabi, a tour guide who lives in the district, told the Weekly.

According to Al-Arabi, residents of Nazlet Al-Semman are confused. They have no idea how the government plans to develop the Pyramids area and there are contradicting versions of the scale of the planned demolitions.

Following the clashes a state of cautious calm prevailed as Central Security Forces and ambulances were deployed.

Major General Alaa Badran, and assistant to the governor of Giza, insists the demolition campaign targets only unlicensed properties built illegally within the last six months.

Giza governorate has issued a statement denying rumours that all Nazlet Al-Semmans residents will be evicted and the vacated land sold to an Arab investor.

Only four buildings have been demolished, all unlicensed and built in violation of construction and antiquities laws, said the statement. It added that there was no intention to sell any land in such an important archaeological area, and that the unlicensed buildings were an eyesore.

The governorate also underlined that the demolition of the buildings was done in accordance with the law and no inhabited buildings were included.

Two years ago the government announced that it was close to finalising plans to develop the area surrounding the Pyramids.

The scheme had initially been mooted in 2009 when the current Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli was chairman of the General Authority for Urban Planning.

In 2014, when Madbouli was Minister of Housing, the scheme was renewed, and ground work on its implementation began last year, when Madbouli was appointed prime minister.

The plan appears to be part of the preparations for the 2020 opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, located two kilometres from the Pyramids and the Sphinx.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anany says the ministry plans to develop the area to maximise its potential as a global tourist attraction, transforming the whole site into an open air museum by linking its different elements, including the Grand Egyptian Museum, by a network of thoroughfares.

The development plan includes removing the Shooting Club, redirecting the Fayoum road to a newly constructed tunnel, improving the infrastructure serving visitors and upgrading the sound and light show.

Around 8,000 workers are on site each day working on the Grand Egyptian Museum. The museum will eventually cover 500,000 square metres, of which 168,000 square metres will form dedicated exhibition spaces showing more than 100,000 artefacts.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 January, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Developing the site of the Pyramids

Short link:

The idea that a candidates home turf ought to be the easiest place for the campaign to win would have been put to the test had L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti decided to run for president. I can say this after reading the reaction from readers to Tuesdays announcement by the mayor that he will not run for president in 2020, which ranged from outright hostility to a Garcetti candidacy to relief that he will not spend most of the next two years in early primary states.

In fact, that home-team skepticism has also been at play with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) since she kicked off her 2020 campaign last month. For both Garcetti and Harris, most letter writers would rather they focus on the jobs voters elected them to do than run as relatively inexperienced candidates for the nations highest office.

Walter Dominguez of Los Angeles wants Garcetti to succeed as mayor first:

We do not need to applaud Garcettis decision. Focusing solely on his job as mayor of Americas second-largest city and resolving L.A.s myriad problems should have been his only goals from the day he took office.

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Using important elected positions as mere stepping stones for higher political ambitions is unethical and a betrayal of voters. It also generates cynicism and mistrust.

Well consider rewarding Garcetti with higher office if he succeeds at his current job.

Toby Horn of Los Angeles was by far the letter writer most opposed to a Garcetti candidacy:

During my lifelong residency in Los Angeles, I have never seen a more ineffective mayor than Garcetti. He materializes for photo-ops or at the 11th hour of Los Angeles Unified School District labor negotiations, but rarely does he truly dirty the soles of his shoes.

Thank goodness we are locked in with a new governor for the next four years, so we dont need to worry about the mayors self-serving disinterest damaging the state by benign neglect as in Los Angeles. Most likely, Garcetti will hover around the edges of the 2020 Democratic campaign to see whatever assistant deputy undersecretary position he can be appointed to after the election.

Ask me how I really feel, and I will tell you.

Studio City resident Richard Whorton connects Garcettis withdrawal to Harris candidacy:

As Harris travels around the country promoting her candidacy, who takes care of business in Washington and represents the people of California?

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The silver lining to Harris candidacy is that it has apparently forced Garcetti out of the presidential picture. Or maybe not, since he may aspire to the U.S. Senate, if everything falls into place.

Joan Walston of Santa Monica has a request:

Garcetti has pledged to focus on fixing streets and sidewalks. Since he apparently cannot achieve that, he had no business even giving the appearance of running for president.

Fix the streets, Mr. Mayor, and then ask the voters to take another look at you.

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Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.Unless youre Dudley Do-Right, or maybe special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, the Questionnaire for National Security Positions should terrify you.

The SF-86, as its called, is the bruising 127-page confessional required of all government employees seeking permanent security clearances. Before you can be trusted with state secrets, you need to be put through the moral wringer.

For an applicant, the SF-86 is the mythic woodshed in PDF form. Its a place to face your whole shifty lifetime of corner-cutting, half-truths, pleasure-seeking and brazen misdeeds. Slept with a married colleague, defaulted on a J. Crew card, didnt quite finish an online college course? Theres no hiding anything on the fearsome SF-86.

And you come clean, or risk imprisonment. Its odd, then, that Jared Kushners almost numberless liaisons with foreign nationals  and his lies about them  didnt land him in deep hot water. Instead, he was waved through to top-secret clearance.

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In this administration, Kushners freestyling has gotten him promoted, not indicted. So far.

Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law and consigliere, made an eye-popping hundred-plus mistakes on his SF-86, a lot of them about Russians. These lies and contacts dont bother his boss, who seems to have had his own  ahem  liaisons with foreign nationals.

Its well known that Kushner had extreme difficulty getting his SF-86 right, and that he was granted multiple chances to try, try again to tell all. He at first left off that he had used a private email server for state business (as one does), and he failed to include all those meetings with foreign officials. They slipped his mind. One hundred times.

In February 2018, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) addressed Kushers SF-86 troubles. He asked Charles Phalen, director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, Can you recall if there has ever been an applicant having to submit four addenda detailing over 100 errors and omissions being able to maintain their security clearance once those errors and omission have been identified?

I have never seen that level of mistakes, Phalen replied.

But Kushner still got cleared.

On Jan. 24, NBC News revealed that, according to two sources familiar with the matter, Kushner had a benefactor: an ex-Pentagon official named Carl Kline.

Kline was hired by Trump to be the White House director of personnel security in May 2017. In May 2018, Kushner was suddenly determined safe for permanent secret and top secret clearances. (The highest level clearance, which is granted by the CIA, has been withheld from Kushner.)

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According to NBC, Kline ignored the warnings of two career security specialists in the White House who had rejected Kushners application. They had suspicions that foreign powers, hostile and otherwise, might have influence over him.

(On Feb. 27, 2018, the Washington Post reported that, according to current and former U.S. intelligence officials, figures in the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico  and perhaps other countries  had privately discussed and even joked about ways they could exploit Kushner, preying on his financial difficulties, complex business arrangements and naivete about foreign policy.)

Sounds decidedly worse than a maxed-out J. Crew card, right? Not for lucky Jared. To those who follow the Kushner chronicles, the idea that the scion of a New Jersey real estate empire had his SF-86 rubber-stamped sounds familiar. Kushner had managed to hack at least one other entrance test that seemed beyond the scope of his own moral fiber and intellectual firepower.

In 1998, Jareds father, Charles Kushner  who later served a year in an Alabama prison camp for crimes including witness tampering (he hired a prostitute to get kompromat on his brother-in-law)  donated $2.5 million to Harvard University. Shortly thereafter, Jared was admitted to Harvard, class of 2003.

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A former official at Kushners high school was not pleased: There was no way anybody in the administrative office of the school thought [Jared] would on the merits get into Harvard, the official told Daniel Golden, the author of The Price of Admission: How Americas Ruling Class Buys Its Way Into Elite Colleges  and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

His GPA did not warrant it, his SAT scores did not warrant it. We thought for sure, there was no way this was going to happen. Then, lo and behold, Jared was accepted.

The family denies any quid pro quo, and presumably, no one can take away Kushners Harvard participation trophy  I mean degree. But on Thursday a pair of House Democrats  Don Beyer of Virginia and Ted Lieu of California  called on acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to revoke Kushners security clearance altogether.

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Seems like a decent first step. Kushner, like his father and his father-in-law, has skated once too often. Kushner has no business playing government, in the words of former Chief of Staff John Kelly: angling for a secure channel with the Kremlin during the Trump transition, communicating with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a way that reportedly worries the Pentagon and the State Department, horse-trading for a dead-in-the-water border wall compromise.

Anyone who needed as many do-overs on his SF-86 as Kushner should not be touching national security issues, much less taking foreign policy into his hands. In this administration, Kushners freestyling has gotten him promoted, not indicted. So far.

Twitter: @page88

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookSecretary of State Michael R. Pompeo briefs the press at the State Department on Friday. (Eric Baradat / AFP/Getty Images)

Disregarding the advice of arms-control specialists (and the Los Angeles Times editorial board), President Trump on Friday followed through with his threat to pull the United States out of a landmark arms-control treaty.

Arguing that Russia had shamelessly violated the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said the U.S. was suspending its obligations under the treaty and would withdraw from it in six months. Pompeo held out the possibility that the agreement could be salvaged if Russia returned to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty by destroying missiles whose range exceeds the 500 kilometers allowed by the treaty.

Those who warned the administration against taking this step didnt argue that Russia hadnt violated the treaty.

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Rather, they offered other arguments. One was that abrogating the treaty over this violation by Russia would free Moscow to disregard all constraints imposed by the agreement. Another was that blowing up the INF Treaty would undermine prospects for extending the New START treaty limiting strategic nuclear warheads, which expires in 2021.

Those arguments resounded again on Friday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying that Russias brazen noncompliance with this treaty is deeply concerning, but discarding a key pillar of our nonproliferation security framework creates unacceptable risks.

There was another argument against withdrawal: that it would strain relations between the U.S. and its European allies. Last year, after it became clear that Trump was likely to withdraw from the treaty, a spokeswoman for the European Unions chief foreign-policy official called the treaty a pillar of European security architecture and warned against a new arms race that would benefit no one and on the contrary would bring even more instability.

On Friday, Pompeo emphasized that the U.S. decision had the support of the other members of NATO, an organization whose membership includes several EU nations. Indeed, NATO issued a statement affirming that unless Russia destroyed the missile system the U.S. has objected to, it will bear sole responsibility for the end of the treaty.

But that statement of solidarity doesnt mean that the U.S. has a green light from Europe to follow abrogation of the treaty with the deployment of intermediate-range missiles on the continent. And its significant that the NATO statement, even as it supports Trumps decision, stresses the alliances commitment to effective international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation.

The question is whether the Trump administration shares that commitment.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookWhen President Trump agreed to end the historically long government shutdown on Jan. 26, he said the fiasco he triggered would be repeated in three weeks unless Congress came up with a deal on border security that he could accept. Since then, however, Trump has signaled that he doesnt care what lawmakers do  he may not force another shutdown, but he is determined to build his border wall, with or without Congress appropriating the money.

Trump has been floating the idea of ignoring whatever deal lawmakers strike, declaring a national emergency at the southern border and using emergency powers to fund the wall. But defying Congress dictates on how federal dollars should be spent would be legally iffy, set a horrible precedent  and carry more than a whiff of authoritarianism.

Members of the House and Senate appropriations committees started meeting last week to try to bridge the gap between the $7.3 billion in additional spending Trump has sought for border security  including $5.7 billion for work on a border wall that could cost many billions more to complete  and the roughly $1.8 billion Democrats have proposed, none of it for the wall. They had barely gotten past the pleasantries, however, before Trump told the New York Times that the bargaining was a waste of time.

Presidents cannot dictate where Congress spends tax dollars; they have to persuade lawmakers.

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He sounded that theme again at a White House meeting Friday, saying, We will be looking at [declaring] a national emergency because I dont think anythings going to happen in the negotiations on Capitol Hill. I dont think Democrats want border security, he added.

Its always risky to take this presidents statements too seriously, no matter how many times he may repeat them. A case in point: Mexico will not be paying for the wall, at least not in any way thats real and measurable.

Yet Trump has painted himself into such a tight corner on this issue, it seems as if his only way out is to build some version of the wall he promised during his campaign. That may be why he has seized on the highly questionable idea of shifting money from some other, previously funded project under the rubric of a national emergency.

The issue isnt Trumps legal power to declare an emergency; Congress has given the White House wide discretion to make such decisions. Instead, the issue is whether any of the specific powers Congress has given the president to use in emergencies  for example, to authorize the use of an unapproved prescription drug, to test a chemical weapon or sell surplus government property without a public auction  could be applied to this situation.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Some observers  including conservative former Justice Department official John Yoo in an op-ed for The Times  point to the 1982 Military Construction Codification Act, which states that when a national emergency requires use of the armed forces, the Defense Department may undertake military construction projects ... not otherwise authorized by law that are necessary to support such use of the armed forces. That strains credulity. The military doesnt need a wall to perform its work on the border, which isnt being overrun by enemy soldiers or even by migrant civilians, who are crossing in numbers far lower than in 2000. Instead, the system is being overwhelmed by the number of families seeking asylum.

The bigger problem is that Trump could set a precedent for future presidents to usurp Congress constitutional power over the federal purse by treating political disputes as national emergencies. Presidents cannot dictate how lawmakers spend tax dollars; they have to persuade Congress. And clearly, Trump is not doing so.

Regardless of Trumps posturing, lawmakers should craft a deal that addresses the humanitarian problems caused by the backlog in asylum requests and the surge in families seeking protection. They should also use the opportunity to provide permanent relief to Dreamers, the young immigrants brought to the country illegally by their parents when they were children. But they should not be cowed by the presidents posturing into wasting billions of dollars on an ineffective border wall. And if Trump carries out his threat to spend the money anyway, the courts should remind him that the presidents emergency powers have limits.

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Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookWhen 11 people were killed in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in modern U.S. history at Pittsburghs Tree of Life synagogue in October, many Americans saw it as a shocking one-of-a-kind moment of raw hate.

For the Anti-Defamation League, it was part of a larger trend.

The civil rights group, which has tracked anti-Semitic incidents since 1979, released a report months earlier documenting an alarming rise in hate incidents against Jewish people and institutions. In 2017, anti-Semitic incidents jumped 57% over the previous year. Hate crimes against Jews grew by 37% in the same period, according to a separate FBI analysis.

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Its not exactly a good sign that we seem to be in a growth industry, said Jonathan Greenblatt, who 3 years ago went from directing the Obama administrations Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation to leading one of the nations most prominent civil rights organizations.

The Times spoke to Greenblatt, the organizations national director and chief executive, about the level of anti-Semitism in the U.S., the state of civil rights, the Trump presidency and Israel. Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

In 2017, the ADL counted 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents. Its the biggest annual jump since the ADL began its tracking four decades ago. Why the steep increase?

Were living in a charged political environment. Things are polarized in ways we havent seen in recent memory. People are on edge in part because they are following their leaders. When leaders at the highest levels use incredibly intemperate language and repeat the rhetoric of extremists, we shouldnt be surprised when young people  let alone others  imitate what they see.

Extremists feel emboldened by this. We know because were tracking extremists. Were reading what they write on social media and what theyre saying in chat rooms.

The third thing is social media. Anything goes on these platforms that have created a scenario where prejudice can grow at a volume at a velocity we have never seen before.

When you talk about leaders who use intemperate language and the rhetoric of extremists, are you talking about President Trump?

Whether youre the president of the United States or the president of a university or the president of the Parent Teacher Assn., I think people in positions of authority need to lead and failure to do so creates environments in which people think it is suddenly OK to act wrongly.

Certainly the president, among everyone, has the biggest bully pulpit.

Flowers are placed at a makeshift memorial outside Pittsburghs Tree of Life Synagogue in November. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

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Would you describe the president as racist?

I think hes really used racist language at times, yeah. Some of the ways hes described, for example, people of Mexican descent are rather hard to square with what you expect from the commander in chief.

But we focus less at ADL on what people are than their actions. For example, I dont know whats in Rep. Steve Kings head or in his heart. All I know and all I can do is take him at his word in terms of what he says and thats what we found so deeply problematic.

One issue youve spoken up on is the Womens March, which has been plagued by allegations of anti-Semitism among its leadership. Has it done enough to gain ADL support?

The ADL didnt have an official position on the Womens March in 2017 and we dont have an official position in 2019.

We deeply believe in the principles behind the Womens March about standing up for gender equality and against all forms of intolerance. We have raised questions in the past about some of the leaders commitment to these issues and their willingness to stand up for them in a clear and consistent way across the board.

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One of the most controversial trends in activism is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement. Wheres the line between legitimate criticism of Israeli policy and anti-Semitism?

We have called out the BDS movement for a few different reasons and much of it is based on the notion that Natan Sharansky pioneered years ago on anti-Semitism. Its anti-Semitism when it involves, specifically as it relates to criticism of Israel, delegitimization, demonization and double standards.

There are many people who get caught up in the BDS movement who are not anti-Semitic at all and who see it as a form of social protest. I understand that. But its strategy is to demonize and delegitimize the state of Israel. We find that deeply wrong.

If you really want to find out how effective a wall is, just ask Israel  99.9% effective and our wall will be every bit as good as that, if not better. Trump recently said this in his bid to build an expanded border wall. What do you make of his comments?

I dont think its analogous, period, end of story. The Israel comparison is not one thats really appropriate or accurate.A powerful winter storm that pounded Southern California on Saturday, triggering mudflows that shut down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County, will ease into scattered showers for the next few days.

The worst has already happened, said Kristen Stewart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The storm, the second in a series forecast to strike the area, moved into Santa Barbara County early Saturday with intense bursts of rain and wind that topped 80 mph. The storm tapered off slightly in the evening but was forecast to pick up again early Sunday, with wind gusts of up to 60 mph and overnight rainfall totals of up to 3 inches. Spotty showers were expected in the afternoon.

Flash-flood warnings were issued for some areas burned in the massive 2017 Thomas fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and several neighborhoods were under evacuation orders. Flash-flood warnings were also issued for parts of Orange County and the Inland Empire affected by the Holy fire last year. In Los Angeles County, a flash flooding watch will continue through 7 a.m. Sunday.

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Highway 101 was closed between Sheffield Drive and San Ysidro Road in Montecito due to mudflows caused by flooding around swollen Romero and San Ysidro creeks, authorities said. The highway was reopened Saturday night.

Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions near Yerba Buena Road late Saturday morning due to a mudslide that covered a portion of the northbound lanes, officials said. No homes were affected and road crews were busy clearing the mud, which in some areas was up to 3-feet deep.

Meanwhile, a Ventura County sheriffs search-and-rescue team member was killed and three other team members were injured in a crash on rain-slicked Interstate 5 near Gorman in northern Los Angeles County, officials said. The group was on its way to Mt. Pinos for a training exercise when they saw a crash on the freeway and stopped to help.

While they were assisting people, a vehicle plowed into the scene, Ventura County Sheriffs Sgt. Eric Buschow said. They stopped to help people because thats what they do. This is another tough day for us.

At least six other people were hurt and taken to hospitals.

The victim, Jeff Dye, was a volunteer with the Fillmore Mountain Search and Rescue Team, the Sheriffs Department said.

Amtrak also reported delays for Pacific Surfliner trains north of Ventura due to storm debris on the tracks.

Stewart said a third storm will move into the Los Angeles region on Monday but will not be as intense as the previous ones. Up to 1 inch of rain is expected through Tuesday before the region returns to dry weather.

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The storm was forecast to dump up to 7 inches of rain in mountain areas, and the weather service warned of possible heavy snow in mountain passes.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was managing more than 100 emergency incidents citywide just before 1 p.m., many of which were rain-related.

Two homes in the Hollywood Hills were evacuated due to flowing mud, authorities said.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Friday for parts of Ventura County that were ravaged by the Woolsey fire. Residents of sections of Malibu also were advised to leave, as well as those living in nearby areas, such as the Seminole Springs Mobile Home Estates.

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On Friday, about 75 sheriffs officials spent five hours knocking on doors in the Sherpa, Thomas and Woolsey fire burn areas and told residents they had to evacuate, said Kelly Hoover, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department.

A majority followed the orders and sought shelter elsewhere, Hoover said. As usual, some chose to stay, and those people were made aware of the dangers, such as loss of power and the possibility of being trapped in their home.

Authorities pushed them to leave, but we cant make them do that, she said, and sheriffs officials were waiting to see whether the evacuation orders should be lifted or extended.

Were in a holding pattern right now, Hoover said. Were waiting to hear from the National Weather Service.

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Riverside County officials also urged people living in the burn areas affected by the Holy and Cranston fires to evacuate late Friday, while it was still safe to do so.

Homes in or near burn areas are at risk of debris flows, the online warning read. Intense rain may cause debris flows, which are deadly, fast-moving landslides. There is also a risk of flooding, mud flow, rock fall and other landslides during and immediately after rain. Residents are reminded to maintain vigilance and always take personal responsibility for their safety. Now is the time to GET READY for potential evacuations.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office issued evacuation orders for swaths of homes in the Thomas, Whittier and Sherpa fire burn areas, the agency said on Twitter. Residents were urged to avoid low-lying areas, standing water, and creeks or streams.

The Santa Barbara City College campus was also closed late Saturday morning and all classes were canceled.

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The Red Cross set up an evacuation center at Goleta Valley Community Center at 5679 Hollister Ave.

Locally, officials in Burbank issued voluntary evacuation orders for residents of Country Club Drive above Via Montana, beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday and continuing through at least 4 p.m. Flash-flood warnings had been issued for much of Los Angeles County, and meteorologists warned that coastal flooding could start about 7:30 a.m.

In Malibu Saturday afternoon, Caltrans crews worked to clear the highway of mud up to 3-feet deep south of County Line Beach. A RV camper parked along the side of PCH became submerged in mud and surrounded by tree branches.

Ventura County Fire Capt. Joe Dullam said the highway was also covered in two spots near Deer Creek Road that have been problematic in recent storms, including one area where several vehicles became stuck in early January.

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This is pretty much what we expected, Dullam said.

Don Burpee said its not the first time the neighborhood has seen mud wash down from the nearby hillside that burned in the Woolsey fire. But Saturdays mudslide was the largest, the Malibu resident said.

Sure, you worry about it. You do what you can, Burpee said. But there is kind of a limit to what you can do.More than half of the searches conducted by Los Angeles gang officers on people they stopped last summer were potentially unconstitutional, according to a report released Friday by the departments Office of the Inspector General that examined a sample of 91 cases.

The report analyzed vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle stops by the Los Angeles Police Departments Gang Enforcement Detail in July and August 2018, using videos from body-worn and dashboard cameras to assess the officers statements and actions.

If stops and searches are perceived to be made without cause or if officers do not explain what they are doing, the communitys trust in the police department can suffer, according to the report.

In making initial stops, most officers met constitutional standards, the inspector general found.

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But in cases where the officers then searched people or vehicles, the report found that 54% of the searches may have violated the Constitution or had other problems, such as lack of documentation.

Sometimes, officers needed consent for the search and did not obtain it, the report says. Other times, the officers used overly broad justifications for the search, such as that people in a group were gang members or on probation.

The report also notes that in about a quarter of the 91 stops, gang officers never explained to the person why he or she was being stopped.

In a significant number of cases, officers provided no explanation even after the person was ordered to stand up against a wall, handcuffed and searched.

That lack of explanation may contribute to a perception that officers are stopping and searching members of the community for no reason, as the result of racial profiling, or due to some other prohibited basis, the report states.

In response to the inspector generals findings, the LAPD has implemented new training for gang officers and issued a department-wide email reminding officers of 4th Amendment standards for stops, the report notes.

While the overwhelming majority of citizen police encounters had no issues, clearly other incidents did not meet our expectations, LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said in a written statement, adding that the department has taken swift action to address the reports findings.

The Police Commission, the civilian board that oversees the LAPD, requested the report as part of an examination of stops performed by units that focus on proactive policing, where officers initiate contacts with the public rather than responding to radio calls.

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A second report, expected to come out late this year, will focus on the LAPDs elite Metropolitan Division, which began performing large numbers of stops after expanding in 2015 as part of a crime-suppression strategy. A Times investigation found that Metro officers stopped black drivers at a rate more than five times their population.

The gang enforcement units are successors to the LAPDs infamous CRASH gang units, which were renamed and restructured after the Rampart scandal in the late 1990s involving more than a dozen officers and allegations of improper shootings, evidence planting and false arrests.

The federal consent decree that followed the scandal was directed in part at what the U.S. Department of Justice described as a pattern of stops without reasonable suspicion and searches with insufficient cause.

To legally stop a driver, pedestrian or bicyclist, officers must have reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a crime was committed.

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That crime can be as minor as jaywalking or a broken tail light. Officers can also stop people they believe are on parole or wanted for a crime.

The inspector generals report found that about 85% of the 91 stops it examined were reasonable. In one stop flagged as a potential problem, two men were suspected of trespassing and loitering when they were on the sidewalk sitting on an apartment building planter.

In 29 cases in which officers conducted a search, at least one of the justifications they provided did not appear accurate or was otherwise flawed, according to the report.

In one case, officers listed their reason for searching two juveniles as gang members in gang area known to carry weapons, when one of the juveniles said he was not in a gang. Those same officers listed a similar justification for searches of 12 other people that day, which the report said gave rise to a concern about canned language.

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In some cases in which there was no legal basis for the search but the officers sought permission, they went ahead even though the person had not said yes, according to the report.

In multiple cases, the report says, officers asked a question such as, You dont have any weapons on you, do you? then patted down or search the person without asking for consent. Other times, the officers searched the person without asking any questions.

The 91 stops in the report were a sample consisting of an almost equal number of black, Latino and white males who were stopped. Some stops included multiple people.

According to the report, of the 150 people stopped, 132 were neither arrested nor cited. Of the 91 stops, nearly 80% of those involving blacks resulted in a search, while 64% of those involving Latinos and 34% of those involving whites resulted in a search.

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cindy.chang@latimes.com

For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLAPolice in Texas arrested two suspects Friday in connection with the Christmas Day shooting death of a 70-year-old woman in Inglewood, officials said.

Donovan Bingaman, 20, and Lizet Martinez, 29, were captured in Odessa, Texas, and are expected to face murder charges in Los Angeles County in the death of Lourdes Padilla, according to a statement issued by the Inglewood Police Department.

Calls to the Inglewood and Odessa police departments seeking further details were not immediately returned.

Inglewood police responded to the shooting at Yukon Avenue and 104th Street about 1 p.m. Christmas Day. Officers found Padilla lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. She died three days later.

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#newsrelease#breakingnews



Anyone who has information concerning this incident or the whereabouts of these suspects is asked to call Inglewood Police Department detectives at (310) 412-5240, Watch Commander at 310-412-5206 (after hours), or their local law enforcement agency. pic.twitter.com/Bx4MiIj17i  Inglewood Police (@Inglewood_PD) January 24, 2019

Police said Padilla was walking on Yukon Avenue when a woman confronted her and tried to take her purse. During the struggle, the woman shot Padilla and then fled the scene.

Last month, Inglewood police identified Bingaman and Martinez as suspects in the slaying. Police in Casa Grande, Ariz., tried to stop the pair Jan. 21, but they were able to escape after a high-speed car chase.

Investigators described Bingaman as a member of the Las Vegas-based Eastside Locos street gang and said the pair were known to frequent California, Nevada and Arizona.

Inglewood police have submitted a case for filing to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. It was not immediately clear whether murder charges had been filed.

james.queally@latimes.com

Twitter: @JamesQueallyLATA Long Beach police detective was arrested on suspicion of causing two crashes in West Los Angeles while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, authorities said.

Claudia Lopez, a 43-year-old Pico Rivera resident, was arrested Jan. 20 after she collided with a bicyclist and, 15 minutes later, caused a car crash on the 405 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Lopez was not on duty when the incidents occurred. Officials believe drugs or alcohol were involved in both crashes, according to a CHP report.

In the first crash, Lopez was driving westbound on Fiji Way when she made a right turn and hit a bicyclist, according to the CHP report. She did not stop, and the bicyclist suffered minor injuries.

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About 15 minutes later, Lopez was driving on the 405 Freeway near La Tijera Boulevard when she changed lanes and crashed into a car ahead of her, causing that car to hit another, according to the CHP report. The woman whose car Lopez crashed into suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Lopez was released the next day after posting $100,000 bail, according to court records. She was reassigned to an administrative position within the Long Beach Police Departments Investigations Bureau while police investigate, said Shaunna Dandoy, a spokeswoman for the department.

Lopez is a financial crimes detective, the Long Beach Post reported.

The Long Beach Police Department holds all employees accountable based on our core values of ethics, intelligence, and respect, Dandoy said in a statement. As per all allegations of misconduct the Department thoroughly investigates all cases to provide an extensive, fair, and objective review of misconduct allegations.

Charges in the case have not yet been filed with the Los Angeles County district attorneys office.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraAs a high school senior, Ruben Nevarez faced a difficult decision: attend Bucknell, a highly rated college in Pennsylvania, or stick close to home in Los Angeles and choose a more affordable option.

Bucknell University had offered Nevarez a generous scholarship, but hed still have to take out substantial loans  and his family had little financial means to help.

Nevarez, who is now 20, stayed put, ultimately enrolling in Glendale Community College and continuing to live at home.

That decision may have made sense for him, but data assembled by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a local charter school group, suggest that many low-income minority students would do better opting for the more highly rated school  even at the price of taking on debt.

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To give more guidance to families, Alliance has created a Power 150 list of colleges most successful at helping students like Nevarez get to graduation. It has just begun making the list widely available. The list ranks colleges  from best to worst  based on the six-year graduation rate for black and Latino students.

The master list, which ranks about 2,500 U.S. colleges, becomes a jumping-off point for Alliance to create a personalized list for every junior and senior that includes reach schools  where students might not get in  and schools they are likely to get into as well as schools to which they are virtually certain to be admitted. In addition to graduation rates, the personalized list takes into account the availability of financial aid.

The typical student Alliance is trying to help would be the first in the family to graduate from college. Such students often have immigrant roots  and parents with a limited education and often with limited English-speaking skills.

In making the list, the team from Alliance, which operates 22 local secondary campuses, combed through federal data and double-checked it against the experiences of their alumni.

Nevarez had stood out in 2016 as a senior at Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School in Glassell Park, where he had a 3.98 grade point average and impressive extracurriculars. Bucknell  where tuition is almost $56,000 a year  offered him a scholarship for his full tuition for four years.

But complete expenses run about $72,000 a year. Nevarez realized late in the application process that he still would need to take out tens of thousands of dollars in loans to cover travel to and from home and living expenses. He also didnt know what he wanted to major in, which made him worry that he might need more than four years of study  and thus face added costs.

Overall the financial burden with the loans, it didnt seem realistic for me to pursue, Nevarez said.

He also had been accepted by UC Irvine  but by the time he decided against Bucknell, it was too late to enroll at this well-regarded university and get financial aid that year.

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While taking night classes at the community college, the 20-year-old works full time at a paving company for $15 an hour. If there is work, Im there, he said. Ten hours a day, 70 hours a week.

The Alliance analysis reached three major conclusions by looking at graduation rates. The first is that the more selective colleges  that are harder to get into  seem to do the best, followed by other four-year colleges, followed by community colleges. (Community colleges are not on the power list, but data show that students who attend these two-year programs are less likely to have a college degree within six years of graduating high school.)

The second takeaway is that even within groups of similar colleges, there can be real differences in how students fare. The third is that Alliances black and Latino students tend to graduate at about the same rate as do other such students at these colleges. As a result, Alliance sees a tangible benefit in steering students toward schools with higher graduation rates and pushing hard to ensure they qualify for more selective programs.

Wendy Salazar, a longtime Alliance college advisor, said colleges high on the list appear to offer a more effective combination of professional counseling, mentoring by older students, transition programs and financial aid.

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The lists top eight colleges in order are Brown, Pomona, Harvard, Notre Dame, Skidmore in upstate New York, Scripps, Davidson in western North Carolina and Emory in Atlanta. Each has a six-year graduation rate for blacks and Latinos of at least 95%.

All the schools in the Power 150 have six-year graduation rates for black and Latino students of at least 74%. Below that top tier, the list gives each school a grade of B, C or D.

The end goal is not just to get students to college but for them to graduate, said Ivonne Polanco, the lead college counselor at Simon Technology High School in Watts.

The data cant predict how any individual student will fare and one possible shortcoming of the list is that it could be giving some schools a higher or lower rank based on the students situation rather than the schools performance.

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After graduating from an Alliance school in 2016, Kimberly Jimenez, went to Dallas Baptist University, which has a D rating on the Alliance list, with a 41% graduation rate for black and Latino students. She stuck it out a year before returning home, but she doesnt fault the school, which she loved.

In her case, financial aid, a part-time job and help from a sister living in the area were not enough to make ends meet.

I didnt have transportation, she said. Sometimes I didnt have enough to eat.

College is supposed to be hard but its not supposed to be this hard, she thought.

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She returned home and got a job while attending community college night classes. Jimenez, 20, has since enrolled at California Baptist University in Riverside, where the overall cost is less.

Kimberly Bravo, 17, a senior at Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School, has used the Power 150 list as one important guide. Her first-choice college is Loyola Marymount in Westchester, with a 78% graduation rate for blacks and Latinos.

Her older siblings, who have not yet completed degrees, went to high schools that did not have to provide such a list of recommended colleges, but their experiences also are different. For one thing, Kimberlys parents  despite limited resources  hired a tutor when she began struggling academically. That did not happen with the siblings, who were in school when the family was going through harder times. Sister Stephanie and brother Anthony  and her Tajima counselor  are among those leaning on Kimberly to stay focused.

Brayan Justo, also a Tajima senior, faces additional challenges because, as a non-citizen, he doesnt qualify for some scholarships. His mother, who works two jobs as a janitor, brought him to this country illegally from Mexico as a baby.

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The Alliance team used the list to suggest colleges that seem a good fit with Justos stellar resume. One was UCLA, with an 84% graduation rate for black and Latino students. Another that caught his eye was UC Riverside, which hed heard has strong support for undocumented students. Its rate is 68%.

I want my college to be accepting of who I am and where I came from, said Brayan, 17, who hopes to major in mechanical engineering or Chicano studies with a minor in math.

Nevarez graduated before Alliance was making customized college lists. The two schools he might have gone to, Bucknell and UC Irvine, each have a graduation rate of 82% for black and Latino students. He wonders if things would have worked out differently if hed made another choice.

Its always greener on the other side, he said. I do wish Id gone to UC and had the experience of college life  meet the friends I would make for life and party every weekend.

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He commutes to work with his father, who also is in construction: He is always telling me that I should earn a degree because he doesnt want me to work as hard as he does.

Nevarez remains determined to do so.

I have a keen interest in engineering, he said. I hope to work in the field of electric cars. Even if it takes a little longer, I am 100% committed to getting this degree.

howard.blume@latimes.com

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Twitter: @howardblumeIts Monday at the Sundance Film Festival and filmmaker Lulu Wang is wiping away happy-sad tears in the midst of the most pivotal 72 hours of her life.

It has already been an extraordinarily emotional few days. Strangers keep coming up to Wang on the snow-covered streets of Park City after seeing her film The Farewell, about a struggling New York City artist (Crazy Rich Asians scene-stealer Awkwafina) who travels to China for a family reunion to visit her dying grandmother.

They thank her and they cry, which in turn makes Wang cry because, as her immigrant mother reminded her often six years ago during the stranger-than-fiction events that inspired the film, shes overly American and therefore terrible at hiding her emotions.

Wang and Awkwafina, who makes an impressive dramatic turn in her first lead role, became two of the buzziest talents of the festival after The Farewell debuted in the U.S. dramatic competition on Friday, garnering rave reviews and selling out subsequent screenings. Even Wangs most important critics gave their approval at the world premiere.

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As the lights came up on a still-sniffling crowd inside the packed Eccles Theater, the beaming filmmaker strode onstage to a standing ovation. During the Q&A an audience member asked what her parents, in attendance, thought of the deeply personal film. After a beat, her dad shouted from his seat: Pretty good!

Thats a high compliment, Wang says with a laugh now, remembering the moment. Thats like an Asian A+! Pretty good.

Awkwafina, center, stars in Lulu Wangs The Farewell as Billi, a woman conflicted over keeping a huge family secret. (Big Beach)

In addition to processing the life-changing events of the past few days, on the morning of our interview the trades have just reported that a deal is in the works with A24 winning a bidding war to buy The Farewell for a reported $6 million-$7 million. Its a huge moment for Wang, one of several female directors of Asian descent who have dominated this years festival.

But Wang is wrestling with more than the usual nerves, joy and excitement of Sundance deal-making.

When she made that real-life fateful trip back to China to see her 80-year-old grandmother, whom she affectionately calls Nai Nai, it came with one monumental complication: Worried that she would be crushed by the news of her condition and against Wangs objections, the family agreed not to tell their beloved matriarch of her own diagnosis.

Making The Farewell, her second feature to date, in and around her grandmothers home, with Nai Nais own sister playing herself and the familys biggest secret at its center, is in a way Wangs response to an impossible situation made even more complex by cultural and generational disagreements.

And as the film rides the buzziest wave of one of the most prominent film festivals in the world, her relatives back in China have yet to see it.

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FULL COVERAGE: 2019 Sundance Film Festival 

Wang was 6 years old when she moved from China to Miami with her writer mother and diplomat father. Growing up in the States far removed from the extended family overseas, she kept close with her Nai Nai as she grew up, translating her love for writing into a hopeful career as a filmmaker.

But like many children of immigrants who come to America hoping their sons and daughters will find more opportunity and financial stability than they had, Wang worried that her career path disappointed her parents.

For the longest time it always felt like my choices were hurting them, says Wang. It pained them to see me struggle, yet the irony of that is that they struggled to get to the U.S. for a better life.

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It helped when she directed her 2016 first feature, Posthumous, an indie screwball romantic comedy starring Brit Marling and Jack Huston, giving her parents their first glimpse of her filmmaking destiny.

When she started developing The Farewell  a saga she first told from her perspective in an episode of This American Life that caught the attention of the films eventual producers at Big Beach Films  she asked her family if she should even do it at all.

They said, why not? I think there was a lot of denial, as well, says Wang. Maybe the film will never get made!

Awkwafina, left, and director-writer Lulu Wang teamed up on Sundance darling The Farewell, inspired by Wangs own family. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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She centered the story on an aspiring artist named Billi (Awkwafina), who crashes a family reunion in China after her father Haiyan (Tzi Ma) and mother Jian (Diana Lin) forbid her to come since shes likely to spill the beans to her unsuspecting grandmother.

Billi makes the trek anyway, returning after decades in America to a neighborhood she only faintly recognizes from her youth. Battling her own conflicted feelings of obligation and guilt, she joins a household of relatives as they convene to say goodbye to grandma under the pretense of throwing a shotgun wedding for a cousin who has been living in Japan so long, he barely remembers his Mandarin.

Anchoring a talented cast is Queens-born Awkwafina, who saw in Billi many aspects of her own life growing up wrestling with the distance between her American identity and her Chinese and Korean roots.

She had just finished filming her breakout turn as the over-the-top Peik-Lin in Crazy Rich Asians  and had already heard and loved Wangs This American Life episode  when the role came up.

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I thought, I have to do this. Its about a girl and her grandma, its about going to China, says Awkwafina, who made her own pilgrimage in college to study in Beijing. When will I ever get an opportunity like this?

Awkwafina on Crazy Rich Asians and the power of representation 

Awkwafina grew close to the director and her family as they made the film in and around the actual neighborhood where Wangs grandmother lived. But rather than merely mimic her director, she was encouraged to find her own version of Billi.

Lulus such a powerful writer, she knows how to encapsulate herself and the family members around her, she says. She let me find Billi with my own voice  and one thing she taught me was not to rely on comedy to get a character across. She encouraged me to reach deeper within myself, and thats something I take to every movie now.

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Billis story is at once unique to her Asian American experience and also utterly relatable in its heart-squeezing appraisal of familial love. While much of its dialogue is in subtitled Mandarin, many of the films most sublime moments get ample mileage from Wangs deft direction of comedic beats that require no dialogue to find familiarity in.

Ten years ago when people would say, Make something in your voice  find your voice and I wouldnt know how to do that, Wang says. Its so easy to say, Find your voice  but what does that look like?

As a human being, as an immigrant, as an Asian American in this country, it requires a lot of confidence in yourself in order to go out and seek your voice, and to believe that your voice has power. I didnt always have that. Without that confidence, you dont even know which questions to ask.

Awkwafina, writer-director Lulu Wang, Diana Lin and Tzi Ma of The Farewell. (Rich Polk / Getty Images for IMDb)

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She found the courage to follow her instincts when, still casting for actresses to play her grandmother and her grandmothers sister with two weeks to go before filming, Wang went to the source and asked her real great aunt Lu Hong, known affectionately as Little Nai Nai, to play herself.

Shes amazing, says Wang, who also gave Little Nai Nais dog Ellen a cameo in the film. She walks around in her Air Jordans, she has the hippest style. Having her around was very beautiful but also emotional, because sometimes we would talk about what actually happened.

Wang wondered if casting Little Nai Nai in the film was unethical; she was, after all, the person in the family who suggested keeping her own sister in the dark about her diagnosis, a practice not uncommon in China. But Little Nai Nai found some catharsis in the role, says Wang.

When I told her we got into Sundance she said, Are you sure my face didnt ruin your movie? Wang laughs. Thats also whats so beautiful. Shes often so self-deprecating and thinks that shes nothing, is from nowhere, and is nobody. Shes like, Im not a movie star  why would you want to put me in the movie?

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Now that The Farewell has connected with its first-ever public audience, Wang has shifted focus to ensuring it has a life beyond Sundance.

Thats where upstart distributor A24, the company behind Oscar-winning indie Moonlight, comes in.

Its been a process of really looking at, whats the life of this film, how do I want it to go out into the world, and whos going to best help us to do that, she says in a follow-up interview two days after the sale, cradling a hot tea outside a bustling cafe on Main. And also asking myself, what kind of world do I want it to live in  whats the message that I want the film to send?

Any independent film will struggle to be seen, but Wang vocalizes the added battle of making sure The Farewell is truly seen  not just as a niche film or as an Asian film or a film drafting off of the success of Crazy Rich Asians but as a deserving story free of those external labels.

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Director-writer Lulu Wang premiered The Farewell to a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival. The film has been acquired by A24. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

She flashes back to the last 48 hours. Amid a flurry of interest from buyers following the films premiere  including one offer reportedly considerably higher than A24s winning bid  she remembered something her mother used to say.

She used to compare me to other kids as Asian parents do, and she would say, You know, David promised his mom that when he grows up hes going to buy her a house never got that promise from you, right? I know she was joking, but it made me feel bad because I knew I wanted to do something with my life that I was passionate about, and the struggle with that is it felt selfish. It felt like I am choosing myself over the ability to take care of my family.

Faced with a decision over her films fate, she called her mother. I said, Mom  If I take this [higher priced] deal, I can buy you a house. And my mom said, Lulu, you will have so much opportunity and abundance in your future. But right now this film is like your baby, and you have to give it the best home. So where do you think your child will grow up with the most joy and the most love?

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Americans always talk about family love being unconditional, and I realized that I didnt feel that way, she says with a smile, her eyes tearing up. The love of Asian parents often feels conditional, so having that conversation with my mom was so meaningful because I realized that its not conditional.

Wang is also well aware that a lucrative sale would help send a message about the value of underrepresented voices and stories in the industry, and notes her excitement for the other filmmakers of Asian descent that scored deals and notice out of this years Sundance lineup.

In Park City this year, a wealth of inclusive films proved that diverse stories connect. Wang is optimistic that that can continue for The Farewell as it embarks on a long journey ahead  one she plans on being on the ground at screenings and Q&As for, to keep up her part of the conversation.

When people say, Is it a Chinese movie? Is it an American movie? I feel like thats very limiting. Its like that joke where in America if you eat Chinese food you call it Chinese food, but if you go to China its just food, she laughs, thinking back to the prospective financiers who didnt quite get her or the film when she was first trying to get it made.

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Sometimes America is so great because it brings all of us together, but sometimes it can be so limiting because it puts labels on things. So what gets to be just food? And what is put into this box? Im just telling a story  my story, she says, cheekily extending the metaphor. In what country will I ever get to be just food?The Fiji Water Girl is unhappy with the companys thirst for using her 15 minutes of fame.

Kelleth Cuthbert, dubbed the Fiji Water Girl by the internet when images of her photo-bombing celebrities on the Golden Globes red carpet went viral, filed a lawsuit alleging that the company is using her likeness without her permission in a marketing campaign.

Cuthbert, who was stationed at a highly visible spot on the red carpet to serve Golden Globe attendees bottles of Fiji Water, strategically angled herself into numerous photos with celebrities.

In a complaint filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Cuthbert, whose real name is Kelly Steinbach, claims that her appearance during the Golden Globes broadcast generated more than $12 million of exposure for the water brand.

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Fiji Water Girl Kelleth Cuthbert photo-bombs Jamie Lee Curtis at the 76th Golden Globe Awards. (Matt Sayles / Invision for Fiji Water/Associated Press)

ALSO: Fiji Water photo-bomber wins the Golden Globes red carpet: Youve got to angle

The lawsuit alleges that although Cuthbert met with Fiji Water about a cardboard cutout campaign, they never reached an agreement and she never gave authorization for the company to use her photograph, likeness and identity. It additionally claims that Fiji Water pressured her into a fake signing of a fake document in order to record a simulation of an agreement in case one was reached in the future.

Fiji Water, however, said it had reached an agreement with Cuthbert.

This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit, said Fiji Water in a statement. After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms. Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in Court. Throughout our history, we have had a sterling reputation working with talent.

A representative for Cuthbert released a statement saying the lawsuit was a last resort for the model, who had hoped to discreetly resolve this dispute.

Fiji Water used her image without a contract, without consent and without paying her, all for Fiji Waters financial gain, said the statement. Models make a living off the use of their image. No one would expect other professions to work for free. Fiji Waters cardboard cutout campaign used Ms. Cuthberts image unlawfully and she just wants what is fair.

tracy.brown@latimes.com

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Twitter: @tracycbrownRobert Pruitt: Devotion Pruitts first solo L.A. museum show features a dozen of his spellbinding charcoal, conte and pastel drawings, a selection of his sculptures, and works by a handful of others who have influenced him. Self-possession radiates from the subject of each portrait, drawn to be palpably human but endowed with the monumentality of deities. Pruitts devotion extends to his mentors but also to these ordinary gods in our midst. (L.O.) California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, L.A. Now through Feb. 17. Closed Mon. Free. (213) 744-7432.

Maryam Jafri: I Drank the Kool-Aid But I Didnt Inhale First-ever U.S. solo exhibition of works by the conceptual artist features a new staging of Jafris Product Recall: An Index of Innovation (201415), combining framed text and photography spotlighting failed food products (starts next Sun.; ends June 23). Also on display: Lucas Blalock: An Enormous Oar, featuring manipulated photographs of everyday items (starts next Sun.; ends July 21). The Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, 1717 E. 7th St., L.A. Closed Mon.-Tue. Free. (213) 928-0833.

Crumbling Empire: The Tom and Jeri Ferris Russian Collection of Glasnost and Perestroika Paintings Russian poster designs from the 1980s-90s paired with street art by contemporary American artist Shepard Fairey. Also on display: Upside-Down Propaganda: The Art of North Korean Defector Sun Mu and Red Alert! Air Raid Sirens of Los Angeles: Art Installation by Nicole Weingart. The Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City. Starts next Sun.; ends June 2. Free. (310) 216-1600.

Allen Ruppersberg: Intellectual Property 1968-2018 Major retrospective of the Cleveland-born Conceptual artists work includes photographs, assemblages, drawings, collages, immersive installations, etc. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Starts next Sun.; ends May 12. Closed Mon. Free. (310) 443-7000

Masters of the American West Art Exhibition and Sale Annual exhibition/fundraiser showcases paintings and sculptures by nationally recognized artists. Autry Museum of the American West, Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, L.A. Starts Sat.; ends March 24. Closed Mon. $6-$14; children under 3, free. (323) 667-2000.

Celia Paul Seven recent paintings by the contemporary British artist address memory, family and the inner lives of women; curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hilton Als in collaboration with Paul. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Starts Sat.; ends July 8. Closed Tue. $13-$29; children under 4, free. (626) 405-2100.

Pontormo: Miraculous Encounters Exhibition features the 16th-century Italian artists altarpiece painting The Visitation, along with other works (starts Tue.; ends April 28). Also on display: Marks of Collaboration: Drawings in Context, exploring how 16th-century Swiss designers and glass painters communicated with each other through drawings (starts Tue.; ends April 14). The Getty Center, N. Sepulveda Blvd. & Getty Center Drive, L.A. Starts Tue.; ends April 28. Closed Mon. Free. (310) 440-7300.

Stargazers: Intersections of Contemporary Art & Astronomy Exhibit includes works by Lita Albuquerque, Russell Crotty and others. Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Orange Coast College, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa. Starts Thu.; ends April 6. Open Mon.-Thu.; other dates. Free. (714) 432-5738.

Adia Millett: Breaking Patterns The Oakland-based artist examines identity, personal memory, collective history, etc., through collage, assemblage, photography, textiles and painting. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, L.A. Starts Tue.; ends Aug. 25. Closed Mon. Free. (213) 744-7432.

Power of Pattern: Central Asian Ikats from the David and Elizabeth Reisbord Collection Features more than 60 intricately patterned traditional robes. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Starts Sun.; ends July 28. Closed Wed. $10-$25; members and children 17 and under, free. (323) 857-6010.

A detail from Pontormos 16th-century oil painting The Visitation, which goes on display Tuesday at the Getty Center.

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The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production  and what it all means for the future.

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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.Capsule reviews are by Philip Brandes (P.B.) and Daryl H. Miller (D.H.M.).

Openings

All About Valentina The L.A. native, drag artist and RuPauls Drag Race regular sings, lip-syncs, dances and takes audience questions. Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State L.A., 5151 State University Drive, L.A. Sun., 7 p.m. $29-$49. (323) 343-6600.

Boogie Sundays All-new sketches and improv. Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. Sun., next Sun., 7:30 p.m.; ends April 27. $16. (323) 934-4747.

A Broadway Romance David Burnham (Light in the Piazza) and Tami Tappan Damiano (Miss Saigon) share the stage in this entry in Musical Theatre Wests Broadway in Concert series. Beverly ONeill Theatre, Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Sun., 7 p.m. $35-$75. (562) 856-1999.

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A Lovely Lineage Kristin Towers-Rowles celebrates her showbiz family; part of Portraits of Humanity 2, a Solo Series. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A. Sun., 7 p.m. $25. (323) 851-7977.

Catch-22 Staged reading of Joseph Hellers stage adaptation of his novel about a WWII bomber pilot. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre, Blvd., Sierra Madre. Mon., 7 p.m. Free; donations appreciated. (626) 355-4318.

The Living Room Series Staged reading of Mimi Kims After the Fall. The Blanks 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Mon., 8 p.m. $15 suggested donation. (323) 661-9827.

Alumni Show Groundlings alums including Phil LaMarr, Jon Lovitz and Mindy Sterling perform in this benefit show. Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. Tue., 8 p.m. $20. (323) 934-4747.

Come From Away An airport in a small town in Canada plays host to travelers from around the world who were diverted from their various destinations by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in this Tony-winning musical. Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tue.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends Feb. 17. $29 and up. (714) 556-2787.

Julia Sweeney: Older and Wider The Saturday Night Live alum shares her thoughts on parenting, religion, feminism, cancer and more in this solo show. Geffen Playhouse, Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood. Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m. $30-$60. (310) 208-5454.

Witness: Uganda A gay American volunteer struggles against injustice while helping to build a school in the African nation in this fact-based musical. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Tue.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; ends Feb. 24. $50. (310) 746-4000.

Mouthpiece Quote Unquote Collective offers this musical fable about a woman trying to find her own voice following a personal loss; presented by CAP UCLA. Royce Hall Rehearsal Room, UCLA, 10745 Dickson Court, Westwood. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m. $49. (310) 825-2101.

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Man of God Four members of a Korean Christian girls youth group make a shocking discovery in their Bangkok hotel room while on a religious mission in Thailand in the world premiere of Anna Moenchs darkly-comic thriller. East West Players, David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., L.A. Thu.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb 24. $25-$50. (213) 625-7000.

Vincent, La Vraie Histoire de Van Gogh (Vincent, The Real Story of Van Gogh) Leonard Nimoys bio-drama based on the Dutch artists correspondence with his brother Theo; in French with English subtitles. Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, 10361 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. Thu., 7:30 p.m. $15, $30. (310) 286-0553.

Anna Karenina Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Tolstoys tragic tale of love, marriage and infidelity; for ages 13 and up. Actors Co-op, Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2:30 p.m.; ends March 17. $25-$35. (323) 462-8460.

Church Basement Ladies Musical comedy about growing up Lutheran in the Midwest in the 1960s. Glendale Centre Theatre, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 9. $20-$34. (818) 244-8481.

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Groundlings & Groundlings, Attorneys at Law All-new sketch show. Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 8 and 10 p.m.; ends April 20. $20; opening night only, $50. (323) 934-4747.

Miss Americas Ugly Daughter: Bess Myerson & Me Writer-performer Barra Grant recalls her relationship with her famous mother in this two-character drama. Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 6 p.m.; ends March 24. $20-$40; mother-daughter Mondays: buy one, get one free, $25. (323) 285-2078.

The Mountaintop Katori Halls drama imagines the final night in the life of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Garry Marshall Theatre, 4252 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 10. $25-$65. (818) 955-8101.

My Connie Valentine 2 Drag artist John Cantwell, a.k.a. Love, Connie, and company celebrate pop culture with special guest, Kids in the Hall member Scott Thompson as Buddy Cole. The Cavern Club @ Casita Del Campo, 1920 Hyperion Ave., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 9 p.m.; next Sun., 7 p.m.; ends Feb. 17. $25. (800) 838-3006.

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1776 The Musical John Adams tries to persuade the other Founding Fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence in Sherman Edwards Tony-winning tale. Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. Fri., 8 p.m.; Say., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m. $44 and up. (818) 677-3000.

Airport Encounters: Brace for Impact! Neo Ensemble Theatre presents a collection of vignettes set in an airport. The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends Feb. 24. $15, $20. www.neoensembletheatre.org.

A Bowie Celebration  The David Bowie Alumni Tour Tribute show salutes the late rock-music icon. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. Sat., 8 p.m. $80-$90. (562) 916-8500.

Death of a Salesman Ensemble Theatre Company stages Arthur Millers classic American drama. The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; ends Feb. 24. $60-$75. (805) 965-5400.

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Frida: Stroke of Passion Odalys Nanin wrote and stars in this drama about the last days of the beloved Mexican painter Frida Kahlo; presented by Macha Theatre. Casa 0101 Theater, 2102 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights. Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Feb. 23. $20. (323) 263-7684.

Lizzie, The Musical Regional premiere of this 1970s-styled punk-rock opera about the alleged 19th-century axe-murderess; contains mature themes, adult language. Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends March 3. $35-$49; discounts available. (888) 455-4212.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience Mo Willems kid-friendly musical about a rodent whod rather wear clothes. South Coast Repertory, Julianne Argyros Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Sat., 11 a.m., 2 and 4:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 and 4:30 p.m.; ends Feb. 17. $34, $40. (714) 708-5555

Oliver! Broadways Davis Gaines stars as Fagin in Musical Theatre Wests staging of Lionel Barts Tony-winning musical based on Dickens Victorian-era novel Oliver Twist. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 p.m.; ends Feb. 24. $20 and up. (562) 856-1999.

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Rabbit Hole 2Cents Theatre Group presents a site-specific staging of David Lindsay-Abaires Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a couple grieving a tragic loss. Lake Street Community Center, 1227 N. Lake St., Silver Lake. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 7 p.m.; ends March 10. $20. (800) 838-3006.

The Servant of Two Masters Parsons Nose Theater artistic director Lance Davis updates Carlo Goldonis 18th-century Italian farce. The Parsons Theater, 95 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends March 10. $20-$35. (626) 403-7667.

Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours  Quinceanera Reimagined Immersive event celebrating the Latinx coming-of-age tradition features live music, DJ sets, dance, art installations and more. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Sat., 11:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. $20, $30. (213) 972-0711.

Antony & Cleopatra Harry Hamlin and Joely Fisher star in a staged reading of Shakespeares historical romance. The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 1238 W. 1st St., L.A. Next Sun., 3 p.m. $30, $49. (213) 481-2273.

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Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science Science-themed stage show for ages 8-12. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. Next Sun., 2 p.m. $20, $25. (949) 854-4646.

Minnies Boys Musical Theatre Guild presents a concert-staged reading of this musical about comedy legends the Marx Brothers. The Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Next Sun., 7 p.m. $45. (818) 243-2539.

Ragtime: The Musical Stage adaptation of E.L. Doctorows novel about life in early 20th-century America, with book by Terrence McNally and music by Stephen Flaherty. The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Next Sun., 5 p.m.; ends March 3. $25 and up. 626-356-7529.

Red Hen Press: The Fool in the World Performance piece combines poetry, music and art. The Edye at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. Next Sun., 2 p.m. $35 and up. (310) 434-3200.

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Story Pirates Musical sketch comedy show geared especially for toddlers; for ages 5 and up. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Promenade Terrace, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Next Sun., 11 a.m. Free. (310) 746-4000.

Critics Choices

Hir Taylor Macs family drama doubles as a depiction of America in the midst of reassessing itself. Director Bart DeLorenzo and his four actors fearlessly propel this humorous/horrific tale of a young soldier who returns home to find it changed: His domineering, abusive father is debilitated; his mother is in charge; and his sibling is transitioning genders. Patriarchy is in decline, but Mac isnt delivering liberal claptrap, instead pushing back against beliefs of all kinds in this age of antagonism. (D.H.M.) Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends March 17. $32-$37. (310) 477-2055.

Smart Love Fine performances and a strikingly original premise elevate a witty but at times convoluted comedy about romantic possibilities afforded by the brave new world of ever-accelerating technology. (P.B) Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice. Sun., next Sun., 3 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Feb. 24. $25-$34; discounts available. (310) 822-8392.This newly built showplace, developed by French developer Thierry Coulon, displays a keen eye for high-end materials and maximizing natural settings. Perched on a ridge in Beverly Hills, the 8,000 square feet of living space includes such eye-catching details as porcelain tile floors, stone accents and vibrant marble slabs. Pocketing glass walls make for a seamless transition between indoor spaces and views extending as far as the coastline.

The details

Location: 2200 Summitridge Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210

Asking price: $19.8 million

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Built: 2018

Living area: 8,000 square feet, five bedrooms, seven bathrooms

Lot size: 10,163 square feet

Features: Fleetwood doors; high ceilings; porcelain flooring; skylights; custom Italian kitchen; bonus room with marble bar; 700-bottle wine storage; hidden theater room; two master suites with fireplaces; custom closets; swimming pool and spa

About the area: In the 90210 ZIP Code, based on 18 sales, the median sales price for single-family homes in December was $5.223 million, a 4.7% decrease compared with the same month last year, according to CoreLogic.

Agents: Branden Williams, Rayni Williams, Roxane Almeida; Hilton & Hyland; (310) 278-3311

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to neal.leitereg@latimes.com.

neal.leitereg@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATHotPropertyA decision by FamilyTreeDNA, a prominent consumer DNA-testing company, to share data with federal law enforcement means investigators have access to genetic information linked to hundreds of millions of people.

An early pioneer of the rapidly growing market for consumer genetic testing, FamilyTreeDNA confirmed late Thursday that it has granted the FBI access to its vast trove of nearly 2 million genetic profiles. The arrangement was first reported by BuzzFeed News.

Concerns about unfettered access to genetic information gathered by testing companies have swelled since April, when police used a genealogy website to ensnare a suspect in the decades-old case of the Golden State Killer. But that site, GEDmatch, was open-source, meaning police were able to upload crime-scene DNA data to the site without needing permission. The latest arrangement marks the first time a commercial testing company has voluntarily given law enforcement access to private user data.

The move is of concern to more than just privacy-minded FamilyTreeDNA customers. A person sharing genetic information also exposes close relatives. Thats how police caught the Golden State Killer suspect. A study last year estimated that only 2% of the population needs to have done a DNA test for virtually everyones genetic information to be represented in the data.

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FamilyTreeDNAs cooperation with the FBI more than doubles the amount of genetic data law enforcement already could access through GEDmatch. On a case-by-case basis, the company has agreed to test DNA samples for the FBI and upload profiles to its database, allowing law enforcement to see familial matches to crime-scene samples. FamilyTreeDNA said law enforcement may not freely browse genetic data but rather has access only to the same information any user might.

The genealogy community expressed dismay. Last summer, FamilyTreeDNA was on a list of consumer genetic testing companies that agreed to a suite of voluntary privacy guidelines, but as of Friday morning it had been crossed off the list.

The deal between FamilyTreeDNA and the FBI is deeply flawed, said John Verdi, vice president of policy at the Future of Privacy Forum, which maintains the list. Its out of line with industry best practices, its out of line with what leaders in the space do, and its out of line with consumer expectations.

Some in the field have begun arguing that a universal, government-controlled database may be better for privacy than allowing law enforcement to gain access to consumer information.

FamilyTreeDNA said its lab has received less than 10 samples from the FBI. It also said it has worked with state and city police agencies in addition to the FBI to resolve cold cases.

The genealogy community, their privacy and confidentiality has always been our top priority, the company said in an email response to questions.

Consumer DNA testing has become big business. Ancestry.com and 23andMe Inc. alone have sold more than 15 million DNA kits. Concerns about a commitment to privacy could hamper the industrys rapid growth.

Since the arrest of the Golden State Killer suspect, more than a dozen other suspects have been apprehended using GEDmatch. With the doubling of the amount of data that law enforcement can access, those numbers are sure to surge.

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The real risk is not exposure of info but that an innocent person could be swept up in a criminal investigation because his or her cousin has taken a DNA test, said Debbie Kennett, a British genealogist and author. On the other hand, the more people in the databases and the closer the matches, the less chance there is that people will make mistakes.ELKHORN  A Walworth County sheriffs deputy was justified in the fatal shooting of a motorist during a traffic stop last October, the countys district attorney announced Feb. 1.

Sean Anthony Dutcher, 38, of Elkhorn, died Oct. 18 after being shot by Sheriffs Deputy Peter Wisnefsky near state Highway 12/67 and Potter Road in Elkhorn.

In announcing that Wisnefsky would not face charges in the shooting, District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld said that Dutcher had driven his car toward the deputy and that the deputy had acted in self-defense.

Wiedenfeld said the deputy fired his gun 10 times, shooting Dutcher in the chest twice.

I believe that Deputy Wisnefsky was justified in using deadly force to protect himself and the other law enforcement officers, Wiedenfeld stated in his announcement.

The sheriffs department said that Wisnefsky was being restored to full active duty with the department.

Dutcher, who had five previous drunken-driving convictions, was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .23 at the time of his death. That is nearly three times higher than the .08 threshold for drunken driving.Former Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, speaks during the presentation of his book 'From The Ground Up' on Jan. 28 in New York City. AFP



Some of the most influential forces in Democratic politics revolted Monday against former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz's prospective presidential bid, insisting that an independent run would unintentionally help President Donald Trump win another four years in office.

The critics included the Democratic chairman of Schultz's home state, another billionaire businessman who long flirted with an independent run of his own, former President Barack Obama's chief strategist, and the most powerful super PAC in Democratic politics.

''If Schultz entered the race as an independent, we would consider him a target. ... We would do everything we can to ensure that his candidacy is unsuccessful,'' said Patrick McHugh, executive director of Priorities USA, which spent nearly $200 million in the 2016 presidential contest.

Specifically, he seized on Schultz's apparent willingness to cut entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security to narrow the federal deficit.

''The bottom line,'' McHugh said, ''is that I don't think Americans are looking for another selfish billionaire to enter the race.''

The intense pushback in the early days of the 2020 campaign reflects the passion Democrats are bringing to the race to deny Trump a second term. Rank-and-file voters and party officials alike are anxious about any hurdle that would prevent them from seizing on Trump's unpopularity.

While no independent has won the presidency since George Washington, Democrats fear that Schultz would almost certainly split their vote and give Trump an easier path to re-election. Yet Democrats concede that they had few tools to dissuade Schultz from launching an independent campaign _ as he told CBS' ''60 Minutes'' on Sunday he was considering _ though many were skeptical that he would actually follow through.

Schultz felt the passion of the anti-Trump resistance moments after he took the stage Monday evening in New York City to promote his new book.

''Don't help elect Trump, you egotistical billionaire!'' a protester shouted before being ejected by security.

In an interview with The Associated Press after the appearance, he acknowledged that his prospective run might be ''threatening'' to some Democrats, but said, ''my heart's in the right place.''

The 65-year-old billionaire confirmed that he has identified as a Democrat his entire life. But Schultz suggested his moderate approach might attract a significant number of Republican voters frustrated with Trump in addition to Democrats turned off by the party's embrace of liberal policies, such as universal health care and free tuition at public universities.

''Who's to say that lifelong Republicans given the choice between Donald Trump and a far-left liberal, progressive Democrat _ if they had a better choice where are they going to go?'' he asked. ''My views are squarely in the middle.''

Schultz said he would make his decision in the ''summer-fall'' after spending the coming months traveling around the country _ in part promoting a new book _ to test whether there's interest in an independent presidential candidate, according to a person familiar with his planning. Asked how much of his personal fortune he'd be willing to spend on the election, he said only: ''I'm going to do what's necessary.''

Schultz's team has polled on the viability of a third-party run and believes there is an opening, though they have not shared the specifics of their internal surveys.

He's being advised by a team with experience in both parties, including Steve Schmidt, who worked on Republican John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, and former Obama adviser Bill Burton, who joined Schultz at his Monday appearance in New York.

Schultz's team also includes Republican pollster Greg Strimple, GOP strategist Brooks Kochvar, former journalist Erin McPike and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, another former journalist who has worked closely with Schultz since 2015.

Yet history _ and the reality of a political system designed to favor major-party candidates _ suggests that Schultz may do little more than play spoiler should he decide to run. Bloomberg, who studied the possibility of an independent run of his own in the past, offered Schultz a direct message based on his own experience.

''The data was very clear and very consistent. Given the strong pull of partisanship and the realities of the electoral college system, there is no way an independent can win. That is truer today than ever before,'' Bloomberg, who is considering a Democratic 2020 bid, said in a statement.

He continued: ''In 2020, the great likelihood is that an independent would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the president. That's a risk I refused to run in 2016, and we can't afford to run it now.''

The angry voices were far and wide, and they included Obama's former chief strategist, David Axelrod, along with Democrats from Schultz's home state.

''If Schultz decides to run as an independent,'' Axelrod tweeted, Trump ''should give Starbucks their Trump Tower space rent free! It would be a gift.''

Tina Podlodowski, the Democratic chairwoman in Washington state, where Schultz has lived for decades, discouraged him from running as an independent.

''A billionaire buying his way out of the entire primary process does not strengthen democracy,'' she said. ''It only makes it more likely that our democracy will be further strained under another four years of President Donald Trump.''

Perhaps trying to elevate Schultz, who is not well known among Democratic primary voters, Trump himself weighed in on Monday, tweeting that Schultz ''doesn't have the 'guts' to run for President!''

The Seattle billionaire was in New York Monday to promote his latest book, ''From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America.'' After New York, he has stops this week in Tempe, Arizona; Seattle; and San Francisco _ but no dates listed for the early voting states of Iowa or New Hampshire.

On paper, Schultz offers a number of qualities that might appeal to voters. He grew up in public housing in New York City's Brooklyn borough and became the first person in his family to graduate from college.

He's also been a longtime Democratic donor, contributing to the campaigns of Obama, Hillary Clinton, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, among others. In Monday's interview, he said McCain was the only Republican he had ever donated money to.

The soft-spoken businessman has also criticized Trump, telling employees that the president was creating ''chaos'' and hurting business; calling Trump's tax cuts for corporations unnecessary and reckless; and vowing to hire 10,000 refugees after Trump issued an executive order banning travel from seven mostly Muslim nations.

The Democratic National Committee declined to address Schultz directly. Spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa offered only this response: ''We are focused on defeating Donald Trump, and anyone who shares that goal should vote for the Democrat nominee in 2020.'' (AP)Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gestures after receiving the presidential sash during the ceremonial swearing-in for his second presidential term, at the Supreme Court in Caracas, Jan. 10. Reuters



The Trump administration imposed sanctions Monday on the state-owned oil company of Venezuela, a potentially critical economic move aimed at increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to cede power to the opposition in the South American nation.

Maduro's increasingly isolated government would lose access to one of its most important sources of income and foreign currency along with around $7 billion in assets of Petroleos De Venezuela S.A. under the sanctions announced by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and national security adviser John Bolton.

The move follows the unusual decision by the U.S. and other nations last week to recognize the opposition leader of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the interim president of Venezuela instead of Maduro, who was re-elected last year in an election widely seen as fraudulent. The once prosperous nation has been in an economic collapse, with several million citizens fleeing to neighboring countries.

''We have continued to expose the corruption of Maduro and his cronies, and today's action ensures they can no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan people,'' Bolton said at a White House news conference.

Bolton said he expects Monday's actions against PDVSA _ the acronym for the state-owned oil company _will result in more than $11 billion in lost export proceeds over the next year.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed that the new sanctions do not target the people of Venezuela and will not affect humanitarian assistance, including medicine and medical devices that are ''desperately needed after years of economic destruction under Maduro's rule.''

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a vocal critic of Maduro who has called for such sanctions, welcomed the move even before it was announced.

''The Maduro crime family has used PDVSA to buy and keep the support of many military leaders,'' Rubio said. ''The oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, and therefore the money PDVSA earns from its export will now be returned to the people through their legitimate constitutional government.''

The sanctions will not likely affect consumer prices at the gas pump but will hit oil refiners, particularly those on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. have declined steadily over the years, falling particularly sharply over the past decade as its production plummeted amid its long economic and political crisis. The U.S. imported less than 500,000 barrels a day of Venezuelan crude and petroleum products in 2017, down from more than 1.2 million barrels a day in 2008, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Still, Venezuela has consistently been the third- or fourth-largest supplier of crude oil to the United States, and any disruption of imports could be costly for refiners. In 2017, the most recent year that data were available, Venezuela accounted for about 6 percent of U.S. crude imports.

Valero and Citgo are among the largest importers of Venezuelan crude.

Mnuchin said the Treasury Department also took steps Monday to authorize certain transactions and activities with PDVSA. He said Citgo assets in the United States will be allowed to continue to operate _ provided that any funds that would otherwise go to the state-owned oil company be sent to a blocked account in the United States.

Venezuela is very reliant on the U.S. for its oil revenue. The country sends 41 percent of its oil exports to the U.S. Critically, U.S. refiners are among the few customers that pay cash to Venezuela for its oil. That's because Venezuela's oil shipments to China and Russia are usually taken as repayment for billions of dollars in debts. (AP)Moon hit for wasteful regional development policy



The Moon Jae-in administration is being slammed for a costly construction project aimed at lifting the economies of the underdeveloped regions.



During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the government approved a five-year plan for balanced regional development, including 23 projects worth around 24.1 trillion won ($21.5 billion) that will be exempt from feasibility studies. The government will spend 175 trillion won over the next five years on various projects in areas outside Seoul and the metropolitan area to boost provincial economies that have long suffered from a lack of growth and jobs.



The announcement has triggered heavy criticism from opposition parties and civic groups. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party called it a scheme to gather public support ahead of the general election and said it will end up burdening taxpayers.



Moon has been particularly critical of the past conservative administration of Lee Myung-bak which fixated on large-scale construction such as the Four Rivers Restoration Project, which is now considered one of the biggest failures of his government. The project was also pursued hastily without a proper feasibility study and Lee is still blamed heavily for it.



A recent survey showed the Moon administration is swiftly catching up with the amount spent by the Lee administration on projects that were given feasibility study waivers. The Lee administration spent 60 trillion won on 88 projects from 2008 through 2012. In just three years, the Moon administration is already expected to have spent 53 trillion won on such projects.



During a press conference at the Sejong Government Complex Tuesday, Hong Nam-ki, minister of economy and finance, said the projects chosen to be exempt from feasibility studies were different from Lee's project to restore the nation's four major rivers. He underlined that they were chosen because they have the potential to create synergy in improving balanced national development and provincial economies and that local governments had placed priority on them.



The minister also emphasized that the plan included projects related to the environment, health and transportation that are aimed at improving the peoples' livelihoods.



The key projects include the construction of a railway linking Gimcheon and Geoje Island and an international airport in the Saemangeum region. Hong also defied concerns that the projects will place a big burden on fiscal management.



Despite efforts to assuage public criticism, many people are not convinced.



It is important for the government to implement policies for balanced development of the country. But it needs to listen to the mounting criticisms against the plan.



Proper feasibility studies are necessary to block the reckless investment plans pursued by provincial governments and to prevent the waste of taxpayers' money.



The government should carefully examine whether all these projects are really useful and will have the desired economic effect. Otherwise, the Moon administration will continue to be criticized for populist projects that will only increase the burden on taxpayers in the long run.



Venerable Sukyong holds a paper flower in Songdeok Temple in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk







Monk brings hanji flowers to life



By Chung Ah-young, video and photos by Choi Won-suk



PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province  Venerable Sukyong seems every bit a solemn Buddhist monk when he beats the drum and sounds the "moktak," a wooden percussion instrument. But when he grabs a piece of "hanji," or traditional Korean mulberry paper, he becomes like a skilled florist who turns the paper into life-like flowers.



"Jihwa" are flowers made from hanji and are a traditional Korean craftwork usually made for Buddhist rituals and shamanistic or private events in ancient times.



"The tradition of making hanji flowers was believed to have begun from the Buddhist belief that picking a flower is an act of taking a life," the monk said in an interview with The Korea Times.



He said in ancient times, flowers were not available off season, so Buddhist rituals used paper flowers, which can be made at any time.



"This tradition is a legacy of our ancestors, who respected life regardless of whether it was an animal or a plant. If we understand this tradition's significant meaning, we can appreciate it, even today," he said.



Venerable Sukyong is the chief monk at the Songdeok Temple in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and has been involved in the tradition of making hanji flowers for more than 30 years. He is one of the few artists who possess hanji flower making skills, which he acquired from his mentors from the Korean Buddhist Cheontae Order.



Hanji flowers were used to decorate altars during Buddhist rituals, such as Yeongsanjae, or "Vulture-Peak Ceremony," which was listed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In shamanism, the paper flowers were called "sinhwa" and used as a mediator between humans and deities.





Paper flower.



The monk began making hanji flowers in 1982 when he became a Buddhist. He became even more passionate about the craft in 1993, when he took part in Yeongsanjae, a ritual that involves singing; dances, such as the drum and ceremonial robe dances; and ceremonial embellishments. The event is a re-enactment of Buddha's delivery of the Lotus Sutra on the Vulture Peak in India.



Venerable Sukyong who is skilled at making ornaments including paper flowers for Yeongsanjae, designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 50, along with two other Buddhist monks, has revived this forgotten tradition.



The art of hanji



The monk said he makes paper flowers by folding or cutting hanji into multiple layers. Hanji has a grainy texture and is easy to dye in a diverse range colors.



"It's the art of hanji. If I make the flowers from other papers, they will not last long and tear very soon," he said.



Venerable Sukyong said selecting high-quality hanji is the most important aspect of producing beautiful flowers.



"The papers should not be alkali or acid. That way, they can be dyed in any color. The papers should be neutral so that I can make what I want," he said.



The durability and textured fibers of hanji are key to create beauty of the paper flowers. "Making excellent hanji is a form of art, and making flowers using hanji another," he said.



Forgotten but returning



Venerable Sukyong can make more than 17 kinds of flowers that frequently appeared in the Buddhist Nectar Ritual Paintings from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).



He has recreated the paper flowers from the Buddhist paintings and researched numerous historical documents both at home and abroad. Only a few historical records about jihwa remain today, as the paper flowers that were used for the rituals were burned as part of the religious practice.



The monk has collected centuries-old Buddhist books from the Joseon Kingdom to show how much the paper flowers were used back then. While staying in Denmark in the 2000s, he even bought foreign books such as "I Korea" by Swedish journalist W. Ason Grebst (1912) that captured the images of banquets decorated with paper flowers.



During the Joseon Kingdom, various types of jihwa appeared in "uigwe" or royal protocols, as well as Buddhist and local shamanist rituals.



"The flowers carried more than religious meanings and were integral to the lives of the noble class and commoners alike. The techniques for making the flowers were difficult, so only master craftsmen made them," he said.



The paper flowers look so sophisticated that they could easily be mistaken for actual flowers. He excels in creating "salmoran," a kind of peony that has numerous wrinkled petals. He folds the petals using a knife to create the wrinkles. "I usually focus on creating the flowers appropriate for Buddhist rituals. But they can be used for other things. We can expand the scope of their use in our everyday lives."



He said Buddhist paintings show how the use of the paper flowers changed over time. The 1589 Nectar Ritual Painting housed in Yakusen-zi, Japan show that various flowers decorate the altar, while the 1868 Nectar Ritual Painting show that the flowers were small and simple. The paintings in the 1900s show that the flowers are arranged like an open folding fan to be more visible to the public.



"The flowers were often used for Buddhist rituals, but they were used on many other occasions, such as for wedding ceremonies and birthday banquets, up until the 1950s to 1960s. But owing to the rapid industrialization, flowers can now be cultivated in vinyl greenhouses and thus, are available even in the off-season. Artificial flowers have also replaced the paper flowers," he said.



But when Yeongsanjae was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, its significance reemerged among the public, he said.



To promote the craft of jihwa making to the public, Venerable Sukyong has been holding exhibitions almost every year since 2008. He has also published books to share his skills with those who want to learn the craft.



"It had long been forgotten, but I am glad to see that it has been returning in recent years. Owing to my frequent exhibitions, people are beginning to recognize it. I want to share this art to make it loved by more people," he said.





Ven. Sukyong.



Who is Venerable Sukyong?



Venerable Sukyong became a Buddhist monk at the Guin Temple, the headquarters of the Korean Buddhist Cheontae Order, in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province in 1982. He has been involved in the tradition of making "jihwa," or flowers made from hanji (Korean traditional mulberry paper) for more than 30 years.



He is the chief monk at Songdeok Temple in Pyeongtaek and Baekin Temple in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.



He is skilled at making ornamental paper flowers for Yeongsanjae, or "Vulture-Peak Ceremony," designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 50, and also inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.



He is one of the few artisans who can make traditional paper flowers. He has recreated more than 17 kinds of paper flowers that frequently appeared in Buddhist paintings.



The monk has been promoting this tradition both at home and abroad through exhibitions and publications.



What is 'jihwa'?



"Jihwa" refers to traditional paper flowers that, in ancient times, were used in Buddhist or shamanistic rituals, or royal court and private banquets and events for commoners. Jihwa are often created in the form of peonies, chrysanthemums and lotuses.



The paper flowers frequently appeared in the Buddhist Nectar Ritual Paintings from the Joseon Kingdom.



The tradition of making jihwa had been on the verge of disappearing until Yeongsanjae, a Buddhist ritual, was included on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. The paper flowers are an important element of the ritual.



In shamanism, the paper flowers were called "sinhwa" and were deemed as a mediator between humans and deities.President Moon Jae-in pays his last respects to the late former sex slavery victim Kim Bok-dong at her memorial altar set up at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. She dedicated herself to seeking a sincere apology from Japan for its wartime atrocities and advocating for women's human rights. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin



Funeral procession to pass by Japanese embassy



By Kim Jae-heun



Kim Bok-dong, a victim of wartime sexual slavery who dedicated her life to testifying against the brutality of Japanese imperialism before and during World War II, and advocating human rights, passed away Monday. She was 93.



According to the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, an organization that represents the victims including Kim, her time of death was 10:41 p.m., Monday, at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul.



Her death left the number of surviving victims of sex slavery at 23.



"Kim expressed her anger toward the Japanese government until the last, saying how could it have acted as it did," said Yoon Mi-hyang, head of the council, delivering her last words. According to Yoon, Kim had consistently demanded a sincere apology from Japan for its wartime atrocities.



"However, when she passed away, she had a peaceful look on her face and greeted all the activists before she left us," Yoon said. Kim also asked the activists to keep supporting schools for ethnic Koreans in Japan, according to Yoon.



She donated money for ethnic Korean children in Japan as well as to charities, and only had 1.6 million won left when she died, Yoon said.



Kim was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2017 and underwent several operations and different treatments, but the cancer spread to other organs.













Kim was the fourth of a family of six girls, and was only 14 when Japanese soldiers took her to a frontline brothel in 1940.



The soldiers first told her she would be sent to a military uniform factory in Japan, but later threatened that they would evict her family from their village if she didn't go with them.



Kim was forced to have sex with Japanese soldiers in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, before being returned home in 1947.



After the sexual slavery issue was first made public in 1991 by another victim Kim Hak-soon, Kim Bok-dong revealed her story to the world in 1992.



Since then she has testified about her experiences at various occasions overseas including the United Nations Human Rights Council in 1993. She also met up with other victims and civic groups in the United States, Japan and Europe afterward.



In 2012, Kim launched the Butterfly Fund with another ex-comfort woman Gil Won-ok to support wartime rape victims across the world.



While fighting cancer last September, she went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to protest an agreement the previous Park Geun-hye administration had reached with Japan to put an end to wartime sex slavery issues in return for 1 billion yen to compensate the survivors.



A memorial altar was set up at the Severance Hospital, and Kim's funeral is scheduled for Friday. Her funeral procession will pass by the Japanese Embassy, where she and other victims have held their weekly Wednesday Rally since 1992 calling for a sincere apology from Tokyo and compensation for the victims.



Many people expressed their condolences, from politicians and activists to citizens  President Moon Jae-in paid his respects at the memorial altar Tuesday. Before the visit, he wrote on Facebook that she did not remain a victim but led the activities to reveal hidden history.



"You dedicated yourself to helping people regain human dignity," he said. "I'll fulfill my duty for the 23 surviving victims."



California firm E.L.F. cosmetics has agreed to pay a nearly $1 million fine for importing fake eyelashes containing materials from UN-sanctioned North Korea, according to the US Treasury Department.







Between 2012 and 2017, the company imported "156 shipments of false eyelash kits from two suppliers located in the People's Republic of China that contained materials sourced by these suppliers" from North Korea, the Treasury said in a statement.







"E.L.F.'s compliance program and its supplier audits failed to discover that approximately 80 percent of the false eyelash kits supplied by two of E.L.F.'s China-based suppliers contained materials" from North Korea, it added.







The company faced more than $40 million in penalties but the Treasury took into account mitigating circumstances including the small amount involved and the fact that E.L.F. itself reported the violation of sanctions, which were imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.







"This enforcement action highlights the risks for companies that do not conduct full-spectrum supply chain due diligence when sourcing products from overseas, particularly in a region in which (North Korea), as well as other comprehensively sanctioned countries or regions, is known to export goods," the Treasury said. (AFP)

A group of Turkish customers are seen in this photo provided by Seo. In the cafe located in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly running by SCJ's overseas recruiting team, K-pop fans gathers to dance to Korean music, write letters to the stars and learn Korean culture, according to Seo. Courtesy of alleged former SCJ member surnamed Seo

Korean woman 'brainwashed' into overseas recruiting, warns Turkish people



By Kang Aa-young



The last eight years have been a nightmare for former nurse, Seo, 29, who asked to be identified only by her surname.



Her passionate, can-do spirit pushed her to leave her country for Turkey, to fulfill her missionary zeal to spread "the word" of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (SCJ) to recruit SCJ members overseas.



She used to be a pious SCJ believer until just a few months ago. According to Seo, when she left her mission destination Turkey, there were about 60 SCJ members in Istanbul alone, and the number was increasing rapidly.



"The SCJ classifies its believers into three different groups, such as politicians, young people and foreigners. If a member recruits foreigners, he or she is highly praised as foreigners are one of the groups SCJ leadership was anxious to attract," she said.



As a member of one of the 12 "tribes" of SCJ, she felt bad that her tribe wasn't doing its best. In fact, her tribe was at the very bottom of the performance rankings. "When I was brainwashed, I didn't know what I was doing was wrong. I just wanted to lead other members by example," she said.



Her group thought of Turkey as a blue ocean with enormous opportunities. The local culture and the country seemed appealing and, most importantly, many people thought of Koreans favorably thanks to the Korean wave, she said.

As she became one of the major members of the "overseas recruiting team" consisting of 10 members, she felt certain she was headed in the right direction.



"The lecturer said one can achieve one's ultimate goal, when they abandon everything, including their job and country, to dedicate themselves to SCJ," Seo said. "It felt like destiny for me to leave the country."



She was desperate to make the best out of this opportunity, as a "representative" of her religion.



Things happened fast after that. Over the following two weeks, she quit her job, and lied to her boyfriend and parents saying that she was going to Turkey for work, and was participating in an overseas recruiting program, just for a year. Her parents tried to stop her but she basically ran away.



"But when I arrived in Turkey, I realized the project could not be done in just a year. It wasn't quick and easy work. I realized it needed at least two years, with several steps to lure new recruits."



Last Tuesday evening, she came with her mother to a counseling center located in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, to share her experiences with The Korea Times.



Before talking, the center asked her to show her ID first. With a sigh, she agreed to share everything she'd done in the name of promoting the controversial church.



"I want the Turkish people to know what the group has done, and still is doing," she said, as if confessing.



Her life in Turkey was horrible.



She and her teammates shared a room, having only one or two meals a day. Some members were even forced to marry Turkish people, she said.



"Single members were often targeted for brainwashing, including me," she said.



She was among the driving force of the group in Turkey that desperately wanted to "complete" its mission.

A group of Turkish customers are seen in this photo provided by Seo. In the cafe located in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly running by SCJ's overseas recruiting team, K-pop fans gathers to dance to Korean music, write letters to the stars and learn Korean culture, according to Seo. Courtesy of alleged former SCJ member surnamed Seo



"What I'm afraid of is that Turkish people could turn their backs on all Koreans ultimately, just because of SCJ's activities. That's why I was determined to break my silence. What they are doing is hurting Korea's image," she said.



"They do not tell people directly about their goal. The SCJ members hide their religious affiliation and just say they are in Turkey for work or study to befriend the locals, which I did too. I told them I was there to get a nursing job," she said.



"All that deception later made the Turkish people ultimately feel betrayed, which I still think is embarrassing. Since Turkish people have such a good image of Korea compared to other countries, the recruiters tried to advantage of it by using Korean culture as a means to approach the locals."



As a member, she said she participated in a series of Turkish recruiting projects, which has several steps. Starting from early 7 a.m. till noon, she worked endlessly, online and offline.



For the introductory level, she said they used a cafe specializing in holding K-pop fan meetings, to lure in vulnerable fans. The cafe was mostly booming with fans of Korean boy bands EXO and BTS, she said.



Selling some Korean food on the first floor to make money and holding meetings in the basement to attract K-pop fans, she said they never told visitors their aim was to recruit them into the church.



Once a visitor becomes a friend, she said they then set up a meeting to persuade them further.



"The cafe was important, since its secret mission was to bring in new members and to make money. We mostly met outside when we saw possibilities of turning visitors to members," she said.



"Sometimes, fans wrote letters to stars. We pretended that we could deliver them to the stars."



Most of her work seemed random but worked well, she said, thanks to the popularity of Korean culture.

A group of Turkish customers are seen in this photo provided by Seo. In the cafe located in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly running by SCJ's overseas recruiting team, K-pop fans gathers to dance to Korean music, write letters to the stars and learn Korean culture, according to Seo. Courtesy of alleged former SCJ member surnamed SeoBy Park Hyong-ki



Goldman Sachs in Seoul is facing an exodus as an increasing number of its investment bankers are leaving the company for private equity firms, according to industry sources.



It is common to see investment bankers switching sides within the industry.



But almost all, especially those who had worked trying to sell assets to potential buyers, want to go "where the action is"  the buy-side where they can be the buyer, the investor and the go-getter, they said.



"It is normal to see investment bankers and M&A advisers wanting and moving to private equities to call the shots," said a private equity source.



Investment banking is about trying to source deals, pitching and selling assets to potential suitors, and obviously, private equity funds are about bidding for those assets on behalf of their investors.





gettyimagesbank



There are also an increasing number of cases of investment bankers and even private equity investors leaving their firms to start their own buyout funds, industry sources said.



Notably, Lim Suk-jung, a former JP Morgan investment banker, launched SJL Partners, one source noted.



Lim's most recent deals included the acquisition of U.S.-based Momentive Performance Materials by a consortium led by KCC, a local construction materials maker, which sealed the deal last year. Lim's SJL was part of the consortium.





Goldman Sachs logo / Korea Times fileKokomo, IN (46901)

Today

Some early morning breaks in the overcast, otherwise cloudy. High 72F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 49F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.Hopkinsville, KY (42240)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.The handmaiden of peace is exhaustion. We are seeing that lesson in the killing fields of Afghanistan and Yemen.

Fragile peace agreements are emerging in both conflicts, thanks to skillful diplomats. There are a hundred reasons why each negotiation may fail, and in assessing Middle East conflicts, we should remember that, unfortunately, pessimism pays, as my former Wall Street Journal colleague Karen Elliott House observed nearly 40 years ago.

But a process has started: Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy, said Monday, We have a draft of the [peace] framework that has to be fleshed out. A senior Gulf official told a Washington gathering Monday night that because of U.N. mediation efforts, We are at the beginning of the end in Yemen, and that the war there is now moving from a military to a political phase.

Recent diplomatic efforts are bolstered by fatigue and frustration at the existing, costly stalemates in both battlefields. The Trump administration (despite the presidents own clumsy statements) has found a balance between saying (rightly) that the wars must end and (wrongly) setting a precise timetable for withdrawing U.S. military support. Ambiguity is the mother of peace deals.Former Kenosha alderman G. John Ruffolo, who is serving probation for stalking, was briefly jailed last week for what turned out to be a mistaken warrant for a probation violation.

Ruffolo, 55, was arrested at his home by Kenosha Police Jan. 25 at about 1:10 a.m.

Officers had been notified by the probation-parole office that there was a warrant for Ruffolos arrest.

Ruffolo was released from jail at 11:22 a.m. the same day after his probation agent canceled the warrant.

According to documents from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Ruffolo must wear a GPS monitor as part of the rules for his probation, and he has a curfew for times he must be at home.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

The documents state that Ruffolo had asked his agent for permission to extend his curfew on Jan. 24 so he could attend an event. The agent gave him permission to be out until midnight.

However, the GPS schedule was mistakenly not reset for the adjusted curfew.

When he did not return home for what would have been his typical deadline, the GPS alerted, causing the warrant to be issued.Eric McCormack is pictured as he arrives at a reception before receiving the Stratford Festival Legacy Award in Toronto on Monday, September 18, 2017. Eric McCormack says Vancouver-shot sci-fi TV series "Travelers'' has been cancelled. The Canadian actor posted a video on Friday via Twitter telling fans of the dystopian show that its third season was its last. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungNonna Beppa

The best restaurant meals are a mixture of delight and comfort, you relax in knowing the lay of the land but at the same time rejoice in the unexpected. This is what one can find when visiting Nonna Beppa, an Italian gem which lies within the West corner of Manhattans SoHo neighborhood. Opened in the Summer of 2018, Nonna Beppa showcases the culinary masterpieces of Italys Emilia Romagna region and serves up simple Antica Cucina cuisine from the fourth-generation chef, Giancarlo Wendy Cacciatori.

Chef Wendy was introduced to cooking and the restaurant industry at the tender age of 5 while learning from his grandmother - who the restaurant is named after. Nonna Beppaholds true to its family-based roots and has made it their mission to present seasonally fresh dishes that come from recipes that have been passed down from generations. They go as far as directly sourcing majority of their ingredients from Northern Italy, specifically within the Emilia Romagna Region, an area known for their curated meats and cheeses amongst other specialty items such as Aceto Balsamico di Modena.

What makes this restaurant so unique is the in-house "Sfoglina", (Italian for artisan pasta maker), who creates homemade pasta every day, and upon request can even personalize the stuffing of any pasta on the menu. Some items that stand out on the menu includes flavorful Parma Ham and Buffalo Mozzarella, a tasty Tortellini in Broth (something they really take pride in making), and a staple favorite, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. Have extra room? Theres a variety of desserts that will suit anyones tastes including a tasty Tiramisu, a homemade strawberry tart and a delicious Mascarpone with Cookies and Nutella.

On Thursdays, Nonna Beppa imports fresh seafood which is then utilized in specialty dishes such as shrimp scampi which is tossed in extra virgin olive oil and laid over a bed of linguine made in house - to order by Nonna Beppas pasta maker. For a hearty lunch, Nonna Beppa offers a deal for 15 dollars per person and includes an appetizer and a main dish for guests to enjoy.

To pair with any meal, Nonna Beppahas an extensive wine list curated by their Sommelier and Wine Director Gaetano Muscatello. One cant go wrong with these fine wines that are imported from the Emiglia Romagna region as well as Campania, Trentino Alto Adige, Toscana and beyond.

Nonna Beppais located at 290 Hudson Street on the border of SoHo and West Village. Reservations can be made at www.nonnabeppa.com or by calling (786)-327-4417.

Nonna Beppa

Nonna BeppaCourtesy: Kim Foli(GAINESVILLE, Fla.) -- Olivia Foli, 14, grew up wanting to be in the Boy Scouts like her older brother.



Now she's going to be able to follow in his footsteps.



Friday marked a milestone in the more than 100-year history of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA): the organization now accepts girls into all of its scouting programs.



Previously, girls were invited to join their male counterparts in four of the BSA's five scouting programs: Cub Scouting, Venturing, Sea Scouting and Exploring.



With the introduction of girls into the Scouts BSA program, girls now have access to every scouting program open to boys. Scouts BSA is geared toward kids between 11 and 17 years old and gives them the opportunity to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.



The exact number of girls and girls-only troops that were launched within the BSA has not yet been calculated, but a spokesperson for the BSA said that the organization expects to initially welcome a couple of thousand girls. All troops will still be single gender and Scouts BSA is not co-ed, the organization said.



Olivia Foli said that after years of watching her brother, Addison, go off on his monthly scout camping trips, she felt left out.



"I kind of got jealous of him being able to do that every month," she told ABC News.



Her mother, Kim Foli, is going to be the scoutmaster for the new all-girls troop forming in their community of Gainesville, Florida.



"We will look like and operate like all the other scout troops in Gainsville, but we will be operating on our own -- just girls," Kim Foli told ABC News.



She said that she's heard a lot of "confusion" and "a lot of people have been concerned" about the move to allow girls into scouting, but in her view, it's just a move to give girls the same opportunities that many boys have had for years. Her son achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, she said.



"We won't be camping together," Kim Foli said of the girls and boys in the BSA. "We won't be infiltrating boy troops or taking over boy space."



"Boys still do have their own thing," she said. "This is just opening up the gates to allow for a new challenge for girls that want it."



Michael Surbaugh, the BSA's Chief Scout Executive, said in a statement that he "could not be more excited for what this means."



"Through Scouts BSA, more young people than ever before  young women and men  will get to experience the benefits of camaraderie, confidence, resilience, trustworthiness, courage and kindness through a time-tested program that has been proven to build character and leadership," Surbaugh said in the statement.



For her part, Olivia has also been a member of the Girl Scouts, which is a completely separate organization, since she was in Daisies, which is their youngest order.



She's still a part of the Girl Scouts, and will remain one even as she joins the Boy Scouts of America, noting that "they're so different."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Fisheries Development Board Jobs 2019 via PTS

Latest Fisheries Development Board Management Posts Gilgit 2021 Fisheries Development Board, Ministry of National Food Security & Research Government of Pakistan requires the services of qualified and experienced persons for the posts of Farm Manager, Office Assistant, Field Workers, Chowkidar, Watchman in Islamabad, Gilgit & Skardu through PTS Pakistan Testing Services 2019.

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Latest Special Education Department Posts Toba Tek Singh 2021 Education Department Government of The Punjab required experienced and strong persons for the posts of Naib Qasid, Chowkidar, Watchman, Mali in Toba Tek Singh.

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Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If 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.Banking Mohtasib Pakistan Advisors Jobs 2019 in Karachi

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How to Apply on Banking Mohtasib Pakistan Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If 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.Jefferson, GA (30549)

Today

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. High 87F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low around 70F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has joined Nigerians in thanking God for the life of vice president Yemi Osinbajo, after he survived an helicopter crash in Kabba, Kogi state on Saturday.

According to Governor, while speaking via Twitter, the vice president will be alive to witness the successful handover of power to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in May, 2019.

He wrote:

I join Nigerians in thanking the almighty for sparing the life of the Vice President @ProfOsinbajo today. May God guide and keep you alive for a successful handover of power in may.

I join Nigerians in thanking the almighty for sparing the life of the Vice President @ProfOsinbajo today. May God guide and keep you alive for a successful handover of power in may.  Governor Wike (@NyesomWlKE) February 2, 2019

Also reacting to the survival of the vice president is Senate president Bukola Saraki. The senate president also speaking via Twitter, expressed his thanks to God for saving the VP from harm during the crash this afternoon.

I join all Nigerians in thanking Almighty God for sparing the life of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who survived a helicopter crash over Kabba, Kogi State today, Saraki wrote.Nigerian On Air Radio Personality(OAP),television host, vlogger, and author, Toke Makinwa, is one socialite whom every aspiring fashionista needs to follow. The controversial figure recently set tongues wagging when she advised young ladies who are being chased by married men to collect their money and run away.

In her own word;

When next you meet a guy who is confident to tell you to your face that I am married but available, chop his money and run away.

The 34 years old business woman who stepped out this evening looking sexy and sweet dropped a caption the fire that was meant to destroy me, made me.

Picture;

What she said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWXOG-lScC/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheetSenior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu has said that the visit from two governors of Niger Republic during the presidents campaign rally in Kano state, was a clear sign of his acceptance throughout the continent.

According to Mr Shehu, Buhari is such an honest leader that other leaders in the different African countries want to identify with him.

This comes after the attendance of two governors of Niger Republic at the APC campaign rally in Kano sparked a lot of controversies. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had said that the visit was a sign that Nigeriens will be smuggled to help Buhari rig the February 16th election.

However, according to the Presidential spokesperson, these people only come to understudy the way President Buhari is doing his politics and PDP is only being jealous because no one comes from across the border to understudy them.

See full statement below

What we want PDP to know, there is a Buhari phenomenon that is sweeping across the entire continent. Candidates for national leadership in each country are doing whatever they can to understand the Buhari phenomenon, to copy it, to institute it.

Thats why people from the African continentwhen they had the presidential election in Ghana, there was a candidate who branded himself the Buhari of Ghana.

When they had the presidential election in Chad last year, there was a Buhari of Chad. They had printed posters with their pictures with Buhari side by side.

So, Nigeria has been gifted with an honest leader, a man endowed with rare qualities and people are trying to copy that.

So, if our neighbours from Niger come to witness how President Buhari is doing his politics, what is the problem with that? Is there any law that is broken? Or did they see anyone that will buy vote or collect PVC?

So, its jealousy. They are panicky and jealous. It should worry PDP that nobody is coming across the border to understudy PDP.Vanguard

Uncertainty currently pervades the Lagos House, Office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and State House of Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja, following move by lawmakers to impeach the governor over alleged infractions and due process regarding both the 2018 budgetary provisions and the 2019 Appropriation Bill which is yet to be approved.

The Sun

SecretaryGeneral of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu has faulted the recent endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the leadership of the apex-Igbo group, describing it as a nullity because it did not follow the due process.

Daily Times

The planned arraignment of the sacked Director General (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folashade, could not hold on Friday at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Leadership

Senator Florence Ita Giwa, our woman of substance for this week is popularly called Mama Bakassi because of her uncommon commitment to the welfare of the people of Bakassi

Daily Trust

Ahead of the completion of the Lagos-Abeokuta section of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail, the Federal Government has declared free train ride for residents of the area for two months.

The Nation

There is no controversy concerning the fact that water is one of the main features of Lagos State. This accounts for why it is regarded in many circles as the state of aquatic splendour.

Tribune

Perhaps ahead of the February 16 presidential elections, gunboats, said to number about 20, have been deployed to parts of inflammable Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.Barely two weeks to the presidential election, a Director General of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign organisation has dumped the party for the ruling to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to Femi Adesina, Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka (alias Tinka Point), the PDP Gombe state campaign DG met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Thursday at State House, Abuja.

Adesina,who is the presidents spokesperson said Alhaji Tinka assured Buhari of pulling his allies to ensure that the president is reelected back to office come February 16th.

Alhaji Tinka will formally join the APC, alongside others, when the presidents campaign train hits Gombe state on Saturday.It is not a news anymore that Yoruba movie film actress, director, producer and staunch businesswoman,Alice Iyabo Ojo, simply known and addressed as Iyabo Ojo loves to show of her luxury living on social media at the slightest opportunity.

The pretty actress however revealed today after posting series of pictures that contrary to popular believe that she is rich, she is just comfortable and can afford the good things of life for her kids.

Pictures:

What she said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtYPD_oH5DU/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheetFormer presidential aide Reno Omokri has once again criticised President Muhammad Buharis fight against corruption.

Omokri, a self-styled ruffler of the presidents feathers in some tweets on Friday, lambasted the president for abandoning his pretence of fighting corruption for his desperation for second term.

Also taking a swipe at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, he quoted Mamman Vatsas last words as to the Nigerian Army, the minute you start insulting yourself, you will never lack those willing to help you insult yourself.

He noted that by endorsing Ganduje, Buhari has insulted EFCC and EFCC even clapped for him. Stressing further that even if Ganduje has immunity, does the Constitution compel Buhari to associate with him?, by endorsing Ganduje, Omokri said Buhari had shared in Gandujes crimes as an accessory after the fact.

How can a President associate with known crooks and still brandish an anticorruption image?, he tweeted.

According to Omokri, here are three times Buhari has undermined his fight against corruption during this campaign period.

Abdullahi Adamu

PMBs hypocrisy even got to suffocating levels when Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who was enmeshed in an EFCC multi billion Naira fraud and whose son, is under trial for a multi million Naira fraud, joined @MBuhari on stage in Minna and praised his anti corruption war #RenosNuggets  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) February 1, 2019

Uzor Kalu

PMBs desperation for 2nd term has caused him to abandon even his pretence of fighting corruption. He canonised Orji Kalu, the alleged eja nla thief, as a saint. Orji was declared wanted by @officialEFCC only to turn up at @MBuharis right hand during his Abia rally #RenosDarts  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) February 1, 2019

Ganduje, Emmanuel Udom

PMBs desperation for 2nd term has caused him to abandon even his pretence of fighting corruption. He canonised Orji Kalu, the alleged eja nla thief, as a saint. Orji was declared wanted by @officialEFCC only to turn up at @MBuharis right hand during his Abia rally #RenosDartsThe National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus has urged the National Electoral Commissione, INEC to sanction the All Progressives Congress, APC for inviting foreigners to its campaign rally in Kano state.

This comes after two governors from Niger Republic attended president Muhammadu Buharis campaign rally in Kano state on Thursday.

According to Secondus, his party has it on good authority that the ruling party has concluded plans to use dubious means to fake their popularity and manipulate the ballot, in the February 16th election.

In a statement on Friday, Secondus said thus:

Importation of foreigners to Rally: I want INEC to sanction Buhari and APC.

I called on INEC to sanction President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC for importing foreigners into the country in preparation for their rigging plot.

Contrary to the Electoral Act, the APC, brought in foreigners and government officials from neighboring countries of Niger Republic and Chad to Kano to finalize arrangement on how to use them to swell their votes in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states.

PDP has credible intelligence that the ruling party having realized their dwindling popularity in the North West zone is devising a dubious means to fake their popularity and manipulate the ballot.

I want INEC to take necessary step to act on this matter by applying the necessary sanction on the APC candidate who invited foreigners to a campaign rally for ulterior motives aimed at influencing ballot in the country.

Even before Thursdays importation of these foreigners into kano rally, the PDP has gotten privileged intelligence that the Kaduna state government has been bringing in foreigners and camping them with a view to influencing votes.

We are aware that unless they connive with INEC this dubious act would not be possible, I therefore warn INEC to take necessary steps to avert any undue influence.By Patrick J. Buchanan

February 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - To manifest his opposition to President Donald Trumps decision to pull all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, and half of the 14,000 in Afghanistan, Gen. James Mattis went public and resigned as secretary of defense.

Now Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in public testimony to Congress, has contradicted Trump about the threats that face the nation.

Contrary to what the president believes, Coats says, North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons. ISIS remains a serious threat, even if the caliphate has been rolled up. And there is no evidence that Iran, though hostile and aggressive, is acquiring nuclear weapons.

CIA Director Gina Haspel agreed: Iran remains in compliance with the nuclear treaty that Trump has trashed and abandoned. The treaty is still doing what it was designed to do.

At this perceived public defiance, Trump exploded:

The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!  They [the Iranians] are testing Rockets (last week), and more, and are coming very close to the edge.  Be careful of Iran.

Trump added: Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!

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Trump then brought up the epochal blunder of U.S. intelligence in backing the Bush II claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (a slam dunk), and was a grave threat to the USA.

Born of incompetence and mendacity, that counsel led to the greatest strategic blunder of the 21st century, if not of U.S. history  the second Iraq War. Launched by George W. Bush, this invasion plunged us into the Middle Easts forever war and got the Republican Party ejected from power in 2006 and 2008.

While its not unusual for a president and the intel community to diverge on the gravity of threats, what is astonishing is that the intel leaders would declare a president to be flat-out wrong.

Yet the confrontation is not unhealthy, for it reflects reality. On foreign policy, we are divided not only on means but ends.

And the division calls to mind Walter Lippmanns words, after U.S. political clashes and unpreparedness in FDRs New Deal decade led to the early disasters at Pearl Harbor, Bataan and Corregidor.

For nearly fifty years, wrote the dean of American columnists, the nation had not had a settled and generally accepted foreign policy. This is a danger to the Republic. For when a people is divided  about the conduct of its foreign relations, it is unable to agree on the determination of its true interest. It is unable to prepare adequately for war or to safeguard successfully its peace.

We seem to be in just such a situation today.

Indeed, Trump is president because of the foreign policy disasters produced by his predecessors, who leaned on the U.S. intel community, and because Trump, in 2016, appeared to read the nation right.

Yet there is common ground between Trump and the spy chiefs.

Coats and Haspel are correct that the U.S. faces a Russia and China that are closer and more collaborative than they have been since the 1950s, before the Cuban missile crisis, which Mao saw as a Moscow capitulation.

And as we have more in common with Russia, with its historic ties to the West, and Russia appears by far the lesser long-term threat, how do we split Russia off from China? Here, Trumps instincts are right and the Beltway Russophobes are wrong.

As for Iran, the intelligence community is consistent.

In 2007 and 2011, the CIA declared with high confidence that Iran had no nuclear weapons program. Now, with U.N. inspectors crawling all over Tehrans nuclear facilities under the treaty, the CIA and DNI are still saying the same thing.

What of the contention that Iran is seeking hegemony in the Middle East?

Really? How? Would a nuclear-armed Israel, which has launched 200 strikes on Irans allies in Syria, accept that? What would Turkey, with the second-largest army in NATO, Egypt, the largest Arab nation, and Saudi Arabia have to say about that?

How could Shiite Iran, whose Persian majority is nearly matched by its Arab, Azeri, Baloch and Kurdish minorities, gain dominance over a Middle East where the vast majority is Sunni Arab? How is Iran a threat to us over here, compared to the threat we pose to Iran over there?

Iran broke out of its isolation for two reasons. First, George W. Bush came in and overthrew its Taliban enemies on its eastern border, and then he overthrew Saddam Hussein, the enemy on its western border.

As Trump contends, ISIS has been defeated and driven from its twin capitals  Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq. But it is also true that ISIS and al-Qaida still have tens of thousands of jihadists living among the peoples of the Middle East.

And the great question remains:

Are U.S. troops necessary over there  to prevent terrorists from coming over here? Or are they over here  because we are over there?

Patrick Buchanan has been a senior advisor to three Presidents, twice a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and the nominee of the Reform Party in 2000. https://buchanan.org/

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Peace and joyFebruary 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869: 150 years ago this year.

There will be many tributes to Gandhi published in 2019 so I would like to add one of my own.

This reflects not just my belief that he gave the world inspiration, ideas and powerful strategies for tackling violence in a wide range of contexts but because my own experience in applying his ideas has proven their worth. This included his awareness that led him to declare that If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to the inheritance left by our ancestors. and his encouragement to reflect deeply and listen to ones inner voice: you should follow your inner voice whatever the consequences and even at the risk of being misunderstood.

In essence, we can productively learn from history but we can build on it too. And, vitally, this includes dealing more effectively with violence.

So how did Gandhi influence me?

Shortly after midnight on 1 July 1942, my Uncle Bob was killed when the USS Sturgeon, a U.S. submarine, fired torpedoes into the Japanese prisoner of war (POW) ship Montevideo Maru. The ship sank immediately and, along with 1,052 other POWs, Bob was killed.

Apart from his older brother, my fathers twin brother was also killed in World War II. In Toms case, he was shot down over Rabaul on his first (and final) mission. He was a wireless air gunner on a Beaufort Bomber. See The Last Coastwatcher: My Brothers.

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My childhood is dotted with memories of Bob and Tom. The occasional remembrance service, war medals and the rare story shared by my father.

In 1966, the year I turned 14, I decided to devote my life to finding out why human beings kill each other and to work out how such killing could be ended. The good news about this decision is that, at 14, it all felt manageable! But I wasnt much older before my preliminary investigations proved that even understanding why humans are violent was going to be a profound challenge. And I intuitively understood that I needed this understanding if any strategy to end violence was to be effective.

In any case, as one might expect, my research into violence and strategies for addressing it led me to nonviolence. I came across virtually nothing about nonviolence during my own studies at school and university but was regularly presented with news reports of people participating in activities  such as demonstrations and strikes  that I later learned to label nonviolent action.

In 1981 I decided to seek out materials on nonviolence and nonviolent action so that I could learn more about it. I had not been reading for long when the routine reference to Mohandas K. (or Mahatma) Gandhi, about whom I had heard a little and knew of his role in leading the Indian independence struggle, forced me to pay more attention to his life and work. So I sought out his writing and started to read some of his published work. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth was an obvious and early book but there were many others besides. I also read many books about Gandhi, to get a clearer sense of his life as a whole, as reported by his coworkers and contemporaries, as well as documented by scholars since his death. And I spent a great many hours in a library basement poring over The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.

The thing that struck me immediately about Gandhi was that his own interest in tackling violence had a comprehensive feel about it. That is, he was not just interested in the violence that occurs when nations fight wars or one person kills or injures another. He was interested in addressing the violence that occurs when individuals and nations exploit other individuals/nations (such as when British imperialism exploited India and Indians) and the violence that occurs when a structure (such as capitalism or socialism) exploits the individuals within it. In his words: exploitation is the essence of violence. He was interested in the violence that occurs when members of one social group (say, Hindus) hate the members of another social group (such as Muslims). He was interested in the violence that occurs when men oppress women or caste Hindus oppress untouchables. He was interested in the violence that occurs when humans destroy the environment. And he was interested in the violence that one inflicts on oneself.

This comprehensive interest resonated deeply with me because, apart from war, my own childhood and adolescence had revealed many manifestations of violence ranging from the starvation of people in developing countries to the racism in the United States (highlighted by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s) to the destruction of the environment, each of which had gradually but deeply embedded itself in my consciousness. Tackling violence was a far bigger task than the large one I had originally imagined. Violence is everywhere. Most importantly, it seemed to me, there was enormous violence directed against children in the family home but little was spoken or written about this.

So how did Gandhi explain violence and what was his strategy for addressing it?

Gandhi on Conflict and Violence

For Gandhi, conflict was a perennial condition. He also viewed it positively and considered it desirable. For him, it is an important means to greater human unity precisely because their shared conflict could remind antagonists of the deeper, perhaps transcendental, unity of life, which is far more profound than the bond of their social relationship.

He viewed violence differently, however. And, as might be gleaned from the many configurations of violence that concerned him, as noted above, he considered that violence was built into social structures and not into people.

Fundamentally, as Leroy Pelton characterized it, Gandhi understood that the truth cannot be achieved through violence (which violates human needs and destroys life), because violence itself is a form of injustice. In any case, violence cannot resolve conict because it does not address the issues at stake.

To reiterate then, for Gandhi there was nothing undesirable about conflict. However, Gandhis preoccupation was working out how to manage conict without violence and how to create new social arrangements free of structural violence.The essence, then, of Gandhis approach was to identify approaches to conict that preserved the people while systematically demolishing the evil structure. Nevertheless, he rmly believed that structural purication alone is not enough; self-purication is also essential.

In other words, in Gandhis view, resolving the conict (without violence) is only one aspect of the desired outcome. For Gandhi, success also implies the creation of a superior social structure, higher degrees of fearlessness and self-reliance on the part of both satyagrahis (nonviolent activists) and their opponents, and a greater degree of human unity at the level of social relationships.

Two Key Questions

Despite the enormous influence that Gandhi had in shaping my own conception of conflict and the precise conception of nonviolence that should be used in dealing with it, I nevertheless remained convinced that two questions remained unanswered: What is the psychological origin of the violent behavior of the individual who perpetrates it? And what theory or framework should guide the application of nonviolent action so that campaigns of all kinds are strategically effective?

The first question is important because even if someone is trapped within a social structure (such as the class system) that is violent, the individual must still choose, consciously or unconsciously, to participate (as perpetrator, collaborator or victim) in the violence perpetrated by that structure or one must choose, consciously, to resist it. Why do so many individuals perform one of the first three roles and so few, like Gandhi himself, choose the role of resister?

The second question is important because while Gandhi himself was an astonishingly intuitive strategic thinker (whose 30-year nonviolent strategy liberated India from British occupation), no one before him or since his death has demonstrated anything remotely resembling his capacity in this regard.

Hence, while nonviolence, which is inherently powerful, has chalked up some remarkable successes, vital struggles for peace (and to end war); to halt assaults on Earths biosphere; to secure social justice for oppressed and exploited populations; to liberate national groups from dictatorship, occupation or genocidal assault; and struggles in relation to many other just causes limp along devoid of strategy (or use one that is ill-conceived). So badly are we failing, in fact, that humans now teeter on the brink of precipitating our own extinction. See Human Extinction by 2026? A Last Ditch Strategy to Fight for Human Survival.

Anyway, having studied Gandhi extensively and learned from his strategic approach to nonviolence (elements of which I was progressively including in nonviolent campaigns in which I was involved myself), I resumed my original research to understand the fundamental origin of human violence and also decided to develop a strategic theory and framework for addressing violence in the campaign context so that Gandhis strategic thinking could be readily copied by other nonviolent activists.

It turned out that developing this strategic theory and strategy was simpler than the original aim (understanding violence) and I have presented this strategic thinking on two websites: Nonviolent Campaign Strategyand Nonviolent Defense/Liberation Strategy.

Despite my preliminary efforts in the 1990s to encourage fellow activists to use this framework, it soon became clear that only the rarest of activists has the capacity to think strategically about an issue, even when presented with a framework for doing so.

The Origin of Human Violence

Consequently, the vital importance of understanding the origin of human violence was starkly demonstrated to me yet again because I knew it would answer key supplementary questions such as these: Why to do so many people live in denial/delusion utterly incapable of perceiving structural violence or grappling powerfully with (military, social, political, economic and ecological) violence? Why is it that so many people, even activists, are powerless to think strategically? How can activists even believe that success can be achieved, particularly on the major issues of our time (such as the threats of nuclear war, ecological devastation and climate cataclysm), without a focused and comprehensive strategy, particularly given elite resistance to such campaigns? See The Global Elite is Insane Revisited.

Hence, in an attempt to answer questions such as these, Anita McKone and I went into seclusion in an endeavor to understand how our own minds functioned so that we might better understand the minds of others. I hoped it would take a few months. It took 14 years.

So what is the cause of violence in all contexts and which, depending on its precise configuration in each case, creates perpetrators of violence, people who collaborate with perpetrators of violence, people who are passive victims of violence, people who live in denial/delusion, people who are sexist or racist, and activists who cannot think strategically (among many other adverse outcomes)?

Each of these manifestations of human behaviour is an outcome of the adult war on children. That is, adult violence against children is the fundamental cause of all other violence.

How does this happen? It happens because each child, from birth, is socialized  more accurately, terrorized  so that they fit into their society. That is, each child is subjected to an unrelenting regime of visible, invisible and utterly invisible violence until they offer the obedience that every adult  parent, teacher, religious figure  demands.

So what constitutes visible, invisible and utterly invisible violence?

Visible violence includes hitting, screaming at and sexually abusing a child which, sadly enough, is very common.

But the largest component of damage arises from the invisible and utterly invisible violence that we adults unconsciously inflict on children during the ordinary course of the day. Tragically, the bulk of this violence occurs in the family home and at school. For a full explanation, see Why Violence?and Fearless Psychology and Fearful Psychology: Principles and Practice.

Invisible violence is the little things we do every day, partly because we are just too busy. For example, when we do not allow time to listen to, and value, a childs thoughts and feelings, the child learns to not listen to themSelf thus destroying their internal communication system. When we do not let a child say what they want (or ignore them when they do), the child develops communication and behavioral dysfunctionalities as they keep trying to meet their own needs (which, as a basic survival strategy, they are genetically programmed to do).

When we blame, condemn, insult, mock, embarrass, shame, humiliate, taunt, goad, guilt-trip, deceive, lie to, bribe, blackmail, moralize with and/or judge a child, we both undermine their sense of Self-worth and teach them to blame, condemn, insult, mock, embarrass, shame, humiliate, taunt, goad, guilt-trip, deceive, lie, bribe, blackmail, moralize and/or judge.

The fundamental outcome of being bombarded throughout their childhood by this invisible violence is that the child is utterly overwhelmed by feelings of fear, pain, anger and sadness (among many others). However, mothers, fathers, teachers, religious figures and other adults also actively interfere with the expression of these feelings and the behavioral responses that are naturally generated by them and it is this utterly invisible violence that explains why the dysfunctional behavioral outcomes actually occur.

For example, by ignoring a child when they express their feelings, by comforting, reassuring or distracting a child when they express their feelings, by laughing at or ridiculing their feelings, by terrorizing a child into not expressing their feelings (for instance, by screaming at them when they cry or get angry), and/or by violently controlling a behavior that is generated by their feelings (for example, by hitting them, restraining them or locking them into a room), the child has no choice but to unconsciously suppress their awareness of these feelings.

However, once a child has been terrorized into suppressing their awareness of their feelings (rather than being allowed to have their feelings and to act on them) the child has also unconsciously suppressed their awareness of the reality that caused these feelings. This has many outcomes that are disastrous for the individual, for society and for the biosphere because the individual will now easily suppress their awareness of the feelings that would tell them how to act most functionally in any given circumstance and they will progressively acquire a phenomenal variety of dysfunctional behaviors, including some that are violent towards themself, others and/or the Earth.

So what do we do?

Well, if you want to make an enormous contribution to our effort to end violence, you can make the commitment outlined in My Promise to Children. If you need to do some healing of your own to be able to nurture children in this way, then consider the information provided in the article Putting Feelings First.

If you want to systematically tackle violence against the biosphere, consider (accelerated) participation in the fifteen-year strategy, inspired by Gandhi, outlined in The Flame Tree Project to Save Life on Earth. This project outlines a simple plan for people to systematically reduce their consumption, by at least 80%, involving both energy and resources of every kind  water, household energy, transport fuels, metals, meat, paper and plastic  while dramatically expanding their individual and community self-reliance in 16 areas, so that all environmental concerns are effectively addressed. As Gandhi observed 100 years ago: Earth provides enough for every persons need but not for every persons greed.

But, critically important though he believed personal action to be, Gandhi was also an extraordinary political strategist and he knew that we needed to do more than transform our own personal lives. We need to provide opportunities that compel others to consider doing the same.

So if your passion is campaigning for change, consider doing it strategically, as Gandhi did. See Nonviolent Campaign Strategy.

And if you want to join the worldwide movement to end all violence against humans and the biosphere, you can do so by signing the online pledge of The Peoples Charter to Create a Nonviolent World.

Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948. But his legacy lives on. You can learn from it too, if you wish.

Robert J. Burrowes has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of

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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.

Peace and joyExposed





Israel Admitted Arming anti-Assad Syrian Rebels. Big Mistake

By Daniel J. Levy

February 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - In his final days as the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot confirmed, on the record, that Israel had directly supported anti-Assad Syrian rebel factions in the Golan Heights by arming them.

This revelation marks a direct break from Israels previous media policy on such matters. Until now, Israel has insisted it has only provided humanitarian aid to civilians (through field hospitals on the Golan Heights and in permanent healthcare facilities in northern Israel), and has consistently denied or refused to comment on any other assistance.

In short, none other than Israels most (until recently) senior serving soldier has admitted that up until his statement, his countrys officially stated position on the Syrian civil war was built on the lie of non-intervention.

As uncomfortable as this may initially seem, though, it is unsurprising. Israel has a long history of conducting unconventional warfare. That form of combat is defined by the U.S. governments National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 as "activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt or overthrow an occupying power or government by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary or guerrilla force in a denied area" in the pursuit of various security-related strategic objectives.

While the United States and Iran are both practitioners of unconventional warfare par excellence, they primarily tend to do so with obvious and longer-term strategic allies, i.e. the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance fighters in Afghanistan, and various Shia militias in post-2003 Iraq.

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In contrast, Israel has always shown a remarkable willingness to form short-term tactical partnerships with forces and entities explicitly hostile to its very existence, as long as that alliance is able to offer some kind of security-related benefits.

The best example of this is Israels decision to arm Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, despite the Islamic Republic of Irans strong anti-Zionist rhetoric and foreign policy. During the 1980s, Iraq remained Jerusalems primary conventional (and arguably existential) military threat. Aiding Tehran to continue fighting an attritional war against Baghdad reduced the risk the latter posed against Israel.

Similarly, throughout the civil war in Yemen in the 1960s, Israel covertly supported the royalist Houthi forces fighting Egyptian-backed republicans. Given Egypts very heavy military footprint in Yemen at the time (as many as a third of all Egyptian troops were deployed to the country during this period), Israelis reasoned that this military attrition would undermine their fighting capacity closer to home, which was arguably proven by Egypts lacklustre performance in the Six Day War.

Although technically not unconventional warfare, Israel long and openly backed the South Lebanon Army, giving it years of experience in arming, training, and mentoring a partner indigenous force.

More recently, though, Israels policy of supporting certain anti-Assad rebel groups remains consistent with past precedents of with whom and why it engages in unconventional warfare. Israels most pressing strategic concern and potential threat in Syria is an Iranian encroachment onto its northern border, either directly, or through an experienced and dangerous proxy such as Hezbollah, key to the Assad regimes survival.

For a number of reasons, Israel committing troops to overt large-scale operations in Syria to prevent this is simply unfeasible. To this end, identifying and subsequently supporting a local partner capable of helping Israel achieve this strategic goal is far more sensible, and realistic.

Open source details of Israels project to support anti-Assad rebel groups are sparse, and have been since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.

Reports of this first arose towards the end of 2014, and one described how United Nations officials had witnessed Syrian rebels transferring injured patients to Israel, as well as "IDF soldiers on the Israeli side handing over two boxes to armed Syrian opposition members on the Syrian side." The same report also stated that UN observers said they saw "two IDF soldiers on the eastern side of the border fence opening the gate and letting two people enter Israel."

Since then, a steady stream of similar reports continued to detail Israeli contacts with the Syrian rebels, with the best being written and researched by Elizabeth Tsurkov. In February, 2014 she wrote an outstanding feature for War On The Rocks, where she identified Liwaa Fursan al-Jolan and Firqat Ahrar Nawa as two groups benefiting from Israeli support, named Iyad Moro as "Israels contact person in Beit Jann," and stated that weaponry, munitions, and cash were Israels main form of military aid.

She also describes how Israel has supported its allied groups in fighting local affiliates of Islamic State with drone strikes and high-precision missile attacks, strongly suggesting, in my view, the presence of embedded Israeli liaison officers of some kind.

A 2017 report published by the United Nations describes how IDF personnel were observed passing supplies over the Syrian border to unidentified armed individuals approaching them with convoys of mules, and although Israel claims that these engagements were humanitarian in nature, this fails to explain the presence of weaponry amongst the unidentified individuals receiving supplies from them.

Writing for Foreign Policy in September 2018, Tsurkov again detailed how Israel was supporting the Syrian rebel factions, stating that material support came in the form of "assault rifles, machine guns, mortar launchers and transport vehicles," which were delivered "through three gates connecting the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to Syria - the same crossings Israel used to deliver humanitarian aid to residents of southern Syria suffering from years of civil war." She also dates this support to have begun way back in 2013.

The one part of Israels involvement in the Syrian Civil War which has been enthusiastically publicised, though, has been its ongoing humanitarian operations in the Golan. Dubbed "Operation Good Neighbor," this was established in June 2016, and its stated aim is to "provide humanitarian aid to as many people as possible while maintaining Israels policy of non-involvement in the conflict."

Quite clearly, this is - at least in parts - a lie, as even since before its official commencement, Israel was seemingly engaging with and supporting various anti-Assad factions.

Although Operation Good Neighbor patently did undertake significant humanitarian efforts in southern Syria for desperate Syrian civilians (including providing free medical treatment, infrastructure support, and civilian aid such as food and fuel), it has long been my personal belief that it was primarily a smokescreen for Israels covert unconventional warfare efforts in the country.

Although it may be argued that deniability was initially necessary to protect Israels Syrian beneficiaries who could not be seen to be working with Jerusalem for any number of reasons (such as the likely detrimental impact this would have on their local reputation if not lives), this does not justify Israels outright lying on the subject. Instead, it could have mimicked the altogether more sensible approach of the British government towards United Kingdom Special Forces, which is simply to restate their position of not commenting, confirming, or denying any potentially relevant information or assertions.

Israel is generous in its provision of humanitarian aid to the less fortunate, but I find it impossible to believe that its efforts in Syria were primarily guided by altruism when a strategic objective as important as preventing Iran and its proxies gaining a toehold on its northern border was at stake.

Its timing is interesting and telling as well. Operation Good Neighbor was formally put in place just months after the Assad regime began its Russian-backed counter-offensive against the rebel factions, and ceased when the rebels were pushed out of southern Syria in September 2018.

But its not as if that September there were no longer civilians who could benefit from Israeli humanitarian aid, but an absence of partners to whom Israel could feasibly directly dispatch arms and other supplies. Although Israel did participate in the rescue of a number of White Helmets, this was done in a relatively passive manner (allowing their convoy to drive to Jordan through Israeli territory), and also artfully avoided escalating any kind of conflict with the Assads forces and associated foreign allies.

Popular opinion - both in Israel and amongst Diaspora Jews - was loud and clear about the ethical necessity of protecting Syrian civilians (especially from historically-resonant gas attacks). But its unlikely this pressure swung Israel to intervene in Syria. Israel already had a strong interest in keeping Iran and its proxies out southern Syria, and that would have remained the case, irrespective of gas attacks against civilians.

Although Israel has gone to great lengths to conceal its efforts at unconventional warfare within the Syrian civil war, it need not have. Its activities are consistent with its previous efforts at promoting strategic objectives through sometimes unlikely, if not counter-intuitive, regional partners.

Perhaps the reason why Eisenkot admitted that this support was taking place was because he knew that it could not be concealed forever, not least since the fall of the smokescreen provided by Operation Good Neighbor. But the manner in which Israel operated may have longer-term consequences.

Israel is unlikely to change how it operates in the future, but may very well find future potential tactical partners less than willing to cooperate with it. In both southern Lebanon and now Syria, Israels former partners have found themselves exposed to dangers borne out of collaboration, and seemingly abandoned.

With that kind of history and record, it is likely that unless they find themselves in desperate straits, future potential partners will think twice before accepting support from, and working with, Israel.

For years, Israel has religiously adhered to the official party line that the countrys policy was non-intervention, and this has now been exposed as a lie. Such a loss of public credibility may significantly inhibit its abilities to conduct influence operations in the future.

Daniel J. Levy is a graduate of the Universities of Leeds and Oxford, where his academic research focused on Iranian proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. He lives in the UK and is the Founding Director of The Ortakoy Security Group. Twitter: @danielhalevy

This article was originally published by " Haaretz " -

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==See Also==

Syrian rebel leader thanks Israeli PM for standing by wounded

Israeli Defense Chief Met With Syrian Operatives During Civil War, Top Retired IDF General Says

US using terrorists in Syria to serve its geopolitical interests: Russia: US agencies have been supporting terrorists that are directly affiliated to Al Qaeda in direct violation of American laws

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Peace and joyBy Finian Cunningham

February 01, 2019 "

Information Clearing House

"

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Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

What is astounding though is that despite the Venezuelan manoeuvre being so blatantly obvious, the Western so-called news media have the audacity to give the orchestrated development a veneer of credibility. The abject servility of supposed Western journalism is pathetic.

Anyone with an open mind knows that in Venezuela it is a classic demonstration of motive and means for regime change. The motive is Venezuelas vast natural oil wealth, believed to be the biggest known reserves of hydrocarbons on the planet. Augmented to that factor is the country has been governed for the past 20 years by socialist administrations committed to developing the wellbeing of the nation, instead of pandering to Western capital. Present economic woes are due to years of American sanctions, or financial warfare.

As for means, the events in Venezuela are following the US playbook for regime change used in countless other countries, most notably Ukraine.

The opposition figure, 35-year-old Juan Guaido, and his far-right Popular Will party have been trained by the American CIA for this very moment, according to investigative journalist Max Blumenthal. From recent obscurity, Guaido has been catapulted onto the international stage by dubious American political and media support, exalted as a democratic champion, even though his Neo-fascist fringe group has been involved in hundreds of killings, including against Venezuela security forces.

This week, Guaido, who has declared himself interim president, claimed that his wife and family were intimidated by Venezuelan security forces. It was an unconfirmed claim, but widely aired by Western media outlets as if it were fact. Then, right on cue, the Trump White House responded by saying there would be serious consequences for the Venezuelan government of elected President Nicolas Maduro. Further on cue, Guaido then hinted he would accept US military intervention for protection.

This is a close replay of what happened in Ukraine in 2014. The elected president of that country, Viktor Yanukovych, was demonized and delegitimized by a relentless Western media campaign, while violent Neo-Nazi groups, bankrolled and trained by the CIA, were lionized as a pro-democracy movement.

We only have to look at the ensuing chaos, corruption and conflict in todays Ukraine under the rule of a Neo-fascist regime in Kiev to readily see what US-backed democracy translates into.

What Washington is doing in Venezuela is flagrantly illegal. President Maduro was duly elected last May. He appears to have the support of the majority of the population. Yet a minority opposition faction which is predominantly affiliated to the traditional ruling class has been transformed by Washington and its dutiful media into a just cause for democracy.

The regime change underway in Venezuela is perhaps the most brazen yet. Washington intends to confiscate financial assets belonging to the state oil company and hand over billions of dollars to opposition groups led by Guaido. This grand theft of a nations entire wealth and the subversion of government is being played out in front of the whole world.

However, it is incredible how European governments and media have gone along with this American-led lynch mob to violate Venezuela. You would think after the regime-change disasters that Washington has perpetrated in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, among many other places, that there would be some pause in Western media. Not a bit of it. As soon as the regime-change plot kicked-in in Venezuela, the Western media and European governments followed suit like lapdogs to the American agenda. This is brainwashing, Pavlovian style.

Russia and those other countries mentioned above are commendably upholding international law and sovereign rights of nations to be not molested by external aggression.

Moscow has no doubt learned harsh lessons from US and European duplicity. Russia was caught out by the dirty trick of regime change in Libya. Thats no doubt why it has taken a much firmer, critical stance over Syria and Ukraine.

Russia is right to draw another critical line regarding Venezuela. If the US and its pathetic European minions get away with their crimes in this strategically important country, then the damage to international law will be immense. It will be open season for regime change everywhere.

Anyone with a sense of justice and concern for world peace knows that the imperialist bully in Washington has to be stopped. Venezuela is a moment of truth.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

This article was originally published by " Sputnik " -

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==See Also==

George Galloway and Adam Garrie discuss the historical background to the country and its Bolivarian Revolution.

Watch: Local sources report about US marines arriving by boat to Colombia

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Peace and joyIs the US Meddling in Venezuela? Max Blumenthal Asks US Congress Members





Watch



Max Blumenthal heads to Capitol Hill to ask members of Congress if they think the US is meddling in Venezuela's political system.

 Havent thought about that, a baffled lawmaker was heard saying when asked how he would react if Russia recognized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as president of the US.

Posted February 01, 2019

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Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

==See Also==

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Peace and joyIndex-Journal Careers

PART-TIME POSITION available in our packaging area.

Job responsibilities include putting inserts into the newspaper. Must have a positive attitude and be a team player. Applicants must be able to: lift up to 20-lbs; stand for long periods of time; be available to work Sunday thru Friday, late evening to early morning hours; pass drug screen.Melbourne, FL (32935)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Viking 2-Row Xtra Pale Malt via MoreBeer

More Info

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

Xtra Pale is a modern 2-row base malt designed for very light-colored ales. While it works great as the base malt for any ale, it is particularly perfect for todays extra light colored pale ales and IPAs.

Xtra pale is germinated like a pale malt to have a high degree of modification for easy brew house conversion. However, it is then uniquely Kilned like a pilsner malt for a very light color in the 1.7 to 1.9 Lovibond range. The result is a malt that easily and quickly converts like a true pale ale malt, but is as light or lighter than most Pilsner malts.

Morebeer! Pro worked with Viking to design this malt based on numerous customer requests. Unique light-colored barley varietals were chosen and the germination and kilning processes were selected to get the best of both worlds. Compared to other 2-row base malts on the market that were originally designed for big breweries, and are neither true Pilsner or true Pale Malts, Xtra Pale was specifically designed for light, craft-brewed ales.

Malt Specification:

Moisture %  max. 4.5

Extract fine % dm  min. 81.3

Color L  1.7  3.5

Protein % dm  max. 10.1

Kolbach Index %  44.4

Beta-glucan in wort (mg/l)  185

Friability %  87

Glassy grains %  0.4This has been attributed to Finlands notoriously strict laws on seeking asylum and gaining legal residency in the country.

THIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALED that the scale of undocumented refugees and asylum seekers in Finland is much greater than anyone anticipated. Recent reports have shown that as many as half of the 30,000 asylum seekers that entered Finland at the height of the refugee crisis may have slipped underground, with authorities having little to no details on their whereabouts or wellbeing.

In other news, outlets such as the BBC and Huffington Post have praised Finlands approach to solving homelessness, with the British city of Manchester trialling the same tactics to great success. It was also revealed that rents in Helsinki are so high that an average earner must make 4,650 USD a month to afford a single-person apartment, placing the city firmly above famously expensive cities like Dubai, Vienna, and Toronto in terms of living costs.

Hipster bible Broadly also travelled to Helsinki to review the genderless clothing department at Stockmann, while it has also been revealed that Finland was one of the only countries in Europe to not violate net neutrality laws.

Thousands of missing migrants catch Finnish government off-guard

Sputnik

The large number of "paperless migrants" has caught the authorities and the government unawares, Finland's national broadcaster admitted. Recent research has attributed this to an unsuccessful combination of tougher immigration laws and failure to execute them.

Up to 15,000 of the over 30,000 asylum seekers who arrived in Finland at the height of the migrant crisis could have wound up as undocumented immigrants at some point in the asylum procedure, researchers Talvikki Ahonen and Annastiina Kallius have claimed.

Ahonen and Kallius also estimate that thousands of people may already have left the country totally unbeknownst to the authorities. According to their estimate, the number of undocumented residents, including rejected asylum seekers who despite the efforts of authorities remain in the country and are to be forcefully removed, still hovers at around several thousand.

Original article was published in Sputnik on 30/01/2019 and can be found here.

Here's what you need to earn to afford a one-person apartment in the world's most popular cities

Business Insider

Nestpick, the world's largest database for furnished apartment rentals, provided data to Business Insider about the average monthly salary needed to afford a single-person apartment in major cities. Monaco and Hong Kong top the list, followed by New York and San Francisco.

Across 50 major cities, residents need to earn between $1,800 to $13,800 a month to comfortably rent a single-person apartment. There are many ways to determine the world's priciest city. Many urban residents are willing to put up with these high costs of living in exchange for job opportunities, cultural amenities, diversity, and nightlife. But, in most cases, they'll have to contend with steep costs of rent.

Cost in Helsinki: $4,650 a month.

Original article was published in Business Insider on 31/01/19 and can be found here.

The city with no homeless on its streets

BBC News

The number of people sleeping rough in the UK has multiplied since 2010. But in Finland's capital Helsinki rough sleeping has been almost eradicated thanks to a groundbreaking scheme. What can cities in the UK learn from the Finns?

Since 2007, their government has built homeless policies on the foundations of the "Housing First" principle. Put simply, it gives rough sleepers or people who become homeless a stable and permanent home of their own as soon as possible.

Housing First's success has caught the attention of the UK government, which last year agreed to pay for pilot schemes in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and the West Midlands.

There are already several small-scale trials being carried out in Wales, some run by The Salvation Army, others by local authorities. Those behind the schemes say the results so far have been positive.

"We can see that it works in Finland, so why can't it work here," says Neil Cornthwaite, head of operations at the homeless charity Barnabus Manchester.

Original article was published in BBC News on 31/09/19 and can be found here.

I Tried on 'Genderless' Clothes and Was Extremely Disappointed

Broadly

The elevator doors open, and the first image to greet us is a Moomin. I stare at the elevator buttons, perplexed because the floor Im looking for doesnt seem to exist.

Ive traveled from Copenhagen to visit Finlands biggest department store, Stockmann, because media outlets around the world have reported that this place has an entire floor dedicated to gender-neutral clothing. Vox writes that Stockmann goes all in on the androgynous approach and wonders whether this gender-free revolution will have the rest of the world following suit. The Danish newspaper Berlingske even claims that Stockmann is shutting down its mens and womens departments to make way for one big gender-neutral floor.

It all sounds very progressive, which is why Ive made the trip. But Berlingskes claim that the traditional mens and womens clothing departments have closed is quickly disproved. Theyre definitely still here.

I meet one young person while looking for the gender-neutral floor of Stockmann. Linus Makela is 19 and wears a military jacket over a pink hoodie. I think all stores should be gender-neutral. Theres no such thing as mens clothing and womens clothing.' People can wear whatever they want, Linus tells me. But hes unfortunately not much help in my search for the gender-neutral section, because he hasnt seen it either.

Original article was published in Broadly on 28/01/2019 and can be found here.

Finland, Bulgaria remain only two countries not violating network neutrality principles

Telecom Paper

There are only two countries in Europe - Finland and Bulgaria, where there are no violations of the network neutrality principles, according to the Report on network neutrality in Europe published by Austrian data protection NGO Epicenter Works. The analysis of the European market was carried out with the support of the Chamber of Labour, two-and-a-half years since the implementation of net neutrality legislation.

Net neutrality violations mainly benefit large US internet corporations. Among the top 20 offers, only three are European.

The privacy of individual users in the EU is jeopardised by violations of net neutrality. In order to be able to calculate the data use of individual applications differently, the concrete online behaviour of the users has to be monitored.

There is a lack of a consistent approach by regulators in the event of cross-border neutrality. Some national regulators even refuse to publish annual reports on network neutrality violations or adhere to the guidelines of the European umbrella organisation BEREC.

Original article was published in Telecom Paper on 30/01/2019 and can be found here.

Adam Oliver Smith - HT (@adamoliversmith)

Image credit: LehtikuvaTHIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALEDthat the scale of undocumented refugees and asylum seekers in Finland is much greater than anyone anticipated. Recent reports have shown that as many as half of the 30,000 asylum seekers that entered Finland at the height of the refugee crisis may have slipped underground, with authorities having little to no details on their whereabouts or wellbeing.

This has been attributed to Finlands notoriously strict laws on seeking asylum and gaining legal residency in the country.Hastings, NE (68901)

Today

Mostly sunny. Cooler. High 78F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.Birmingham, U.K.-based husband and wife worship leaders Luke + Anna Hellebronth have released their fourth single, "Abide," available through all digital platforms February 1, leading up to the release of their debut album, Motions Of Mercy, in March.

The couple, who lead worship at St. Luke's Gas Street under the Reverend Tim Hughes, himself a renowned songwriter and worship leader, are sought-after teachers of the practices and theology of worship. Luke + Anna are also an integral part of the international Worship Central worship resource/training platform, and they appear on Worship Central albums, including the critically-acclaimed Stir A Passion.

The Hellebronths draw from their travels and ministry experiences as they witness the Spirit of God at work in different cultures to craft songs that connect humanity to the eternal. Their songs, including previous singles "Revive Us (Heavy Rain)," "See Me Through" and "Up And Alive", and Worship Central track "All For Love (Gethsemane)," inspire a confidence in Jesus and awaken listeners to the reality of His Kingdom. Luke Hellebronth, known for penning "Spirit Break Out," a tune popularized by artist William McDowell, also appears on his own solo album, Stand Up.

In addition to new single "Abide," Luke + Anna will release the single "Written In The Skies" March 1 prior to the release of Motions Of Mercy on March 22.

Integrity Music is part of the David C Cook family, a nonprofit global resource provider serving the Church with life-transforming materials. With offices in Nashville, Tennessee (U.S.) and Eastbourne, East Sussex (U.K.), Integrity is committed to taking songs of substance to the local church and its leaders around the world. Integrity publishes many of the top songs in the Church, including "Great Are You Lord," "Revelation Song," "Open The Eyes Of My Heart," "In Christ Alone," "10,000 Reasons," "Here I Am To Worship," "The Lion And The Lamb," "Great I Am," and "We Believe," among others. Additional information is available at www.integritymusic.com.

Tags : luke and anna hellebronth Luke + Anna Hellebronth abide Luke + Anna Hellebronth motions of mercy Luke + Anna Hellebronth new album Luke + Anna Hellebronth news Integrity MusicSauber will reportedly enjoy a big budget boost in 2019.

The Hinwil based team has a new name for the new season -- Alfa Romeo.

"Alfa Romeo Racing, operated by Sauber Motorsport. New name, Same game!" the team announced on Twitter.

"It's a pity that the legendary Sauber name is going," former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov told Russia's Championat.

However, it is a firm indication of an ever closer relationship with Ferrari. Both Alfa Romeo and Ferrari are owned by Fiat Chrysler.

BudgetBookGP claims the former EUR 50 million Alfa sponsorship will be doubled for 2019 and "allow the team to target 250 million euros of budget per season".

It could mean the Swiss-based team starts to compete with the Renault and McLaren budgets.

Sauber finished eighth out of the ten teams last year, but the outfit actually made big progress in 2018.

"I think it's a long process -- step by step," said team boss Frederic Vasseur.

"We signed a good deal with Ferrari for engines and then Alfa Romeo joined and we are much more attractive for other sponsors and for recruitment also."

Vasseur may also be referring to the recruitment of 2007 world champion and long-time Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen for 2019.

"It will be a reference, which is important for the engineers just to be focused on the car," said the Frenchman.

"I think we are still a young team, because we are also turning the company around a lot, and to have this kind of leader will be very helpful," he added.

As for a target for 2019, Vasseur said Alfa Romeo is not able to compete with the budgets of the top three teams or even Renault.

"But then it's very open," he said. "From my point of view the real race is more in the second part of the field, and we can expect to be at the top of that field."

(GMM)(TNS)  Advances in technology enabled voters to cast votes electronically, but local elections offices must still print and store tens of thousands of paper ballots each election that are never used.Butler Countys touch-screen system drastically lowers the required number of ballots needed to be ordered, but nearly 90 percent of those printed ballots ordered for the 2016 presidential election were not used, said Eric Corbin, Butler County Board of Elections deputy director.As a DRE (direct-recording electronic voting machine) county, this burden is real but is not as much of a burden as is placed on counties that vote entirely on paper, Corbin said. As we are looking to replace our voting system this year, we have considered the costs and storage issues that would come along with a paper based voting system.After the last presidential election in 2016, Butler County stored 44,880 unused ballots out of 50,645 ordered, according to requested election records from four area counties. Montgomery County had a similar ratio, as it stored 78,896 unused ballots out of 85,050 that were ordered, as did Green County, which stored 44,180 unused ballots out of 45,304 that were ordered. Clark Countys ratio was just more than 60 percent as they stored 62,450 unused ballots out of 102,850 that were ordered.The printing of thousands of ballots that never get used and have to be stored, its inefficient, costly and wasteful, said John Caupp, elections board chairman in Greene County, where voters primarily use touch-screen devices to cast votes.Ohio law requires elections offices to print ballots based on the number of registered voters in the county, even if that county is using touch-screen devices. State law requires any unused ballots to be stored in climate-controlled conditions for 22 months after federal elections and 60 days for non-federal elections.In Greene County, most precincts used 10 or fewer, and many used none at all, said Llyn McCoy, Greenes elections director. In Montgomery County, those 2016 ballots were destroyed in September 2018 after the required storage time was met, according to Elections Director Jan Kelly.Kelly said the printing, storage and ultimate destruction of unused ballots is a necessary evil that none of us elections officials like.Its the responsibility of elections boards to never run out of ballots, Kelly said. If you think its expensive to run a good election, think of the cost to run a bad one.Storing ballots has been a challenge at the Greene County Board of Elections because of limited space.Local elections offices are considering buying new voting equipment thats being offered by a handful of state-certified vendors. In addition to new touch-screen and optical-scan systems, officials are looking at hybrid systems, in which voters have the choice to vote on paper or electronically.McCoy said if Greene County switched to a paper ballot system, the state would require elections boards to order enough ballots for 101 percent of the registered voters.With the optical scan  we dont have room to store the scanners  We dont have room to store the paper ballots, she said. With the voting equipment and paper ballots, we cant just store in any old place in the county because it has to be under Democratic and Republican control  It has to be climate-controlled.In Clark County, where a paper ballot/optical scan system is used, it cost nearly $30,000 to order all the ballots for the 2016 presidential election, but approximately 61 percent of the ballots ordered were never used, according to Jason Baker, Clarks elections board director.Baker said they believe in paper ballots for the purposes of recounts and risk-limiting audits.While we dont really like spending money every election on more ballots that will not likely be used, we also understand the reason behind the practice and the importance of making sure every person who wishes to cast a ballot is able to do so, Baker said.In November, the Ohio Attorney Generals Office issued guidelines to counties that are considering purchasing new voting systems.The report cautions county elections boards to have a sufficient amount of machines, paper ballots and ballot stock  the blank paper on which ballots are printed.Courts have held election results void when a polling location does not have sufficient ballots for the number of eligible electors who wish to cast a vote during an election prior to the closing of the polls, the report reads.(TNS)  The Anacortes Planning Commission approved Wednesday revisions to the city's code on cellular infrastructure.The revisions must be approved by the City Council.City Attorney Darcy Swetnam said city code needs to be amended to reflect changes coming to wireless technology.Rather than rely only on traditional cell towers, telecommunications companies are moving toward small cell technology  a small box usually mounted on existing power poles or street lights.Small cell boxes have lower range but provide higher-speed data connections, Alan Bar, small cell strategy manager with Verizon, said at a Planning Commission meeting Jan. 16.In August 2017, the City Council issued a six-month moratorium on new cellular infrastructure in order to give the city time to work on regulations that account for small-cell infrastructure, Swetnam said.After two six-month extensions, the moratorium is set to expire Feb. 28.At the urging of representatives of the telecommunications industry, the Planning Commission decided not to require a public process for acquiring a permit to install a small cell box.Kim Allen with the Wireless Policy Group representing Verizon, said service providers want to work quickly, and a required comment period would keep that from happening.A full, public permitting process will still be required when a service provider wants to install a new pole in a residential area or if it wants permission to mount boxes on poles adjacent to a city street or sidewalk.Rules from the Federal Communications Commission restrict the city from forbidding small cell expansion, but it can make rollout gradual.For instance, the city is not allowed to request proof that a proposed small cell box is needed to fill a gap in coverage, said Tacy Hass, an attorney with Foster Pepper, a firm with which the city contracted for assistance.Language requiring these companies submit proof was struck from the code revisions by the commission Wednesday.The local government in Norfolk, Va., is now working with a national data analytics company on a project that would let residents pinpoint exactly what might happen to their homes in the event of a flood.The idea is that Norfolk and the company, Civis Analytics , will build a data analytics tool so informative and easy to access that it would lead to residents making better decisions before, during and after a flood.Norfolk and Civis are just one of more than 20 government/private-sector collaborations across the country that have been brought together by Startup in Residence (STiR), an international program aimed at facilitating cooperation between the public and private sectors. The way STiR works is that companies spend 16 weeks embedded in state or local government, volunteering their time to create a project to solve a long-standing problem, in the process potentially earning a contract and a broader pathway into the gov tech market.Peter Buryk, an analyst with the city who is one of the main public servants working on this project, said he hadnt heard of Civis before the city signed up to participate in STiR. For STiR, Norfolk laid out multiple problems it hoped private-sector technologists could solve, one of those being improving communication about the severity of flood risks to its community. Civis, meanwhile, had previously worked directly with the National Flood Insurance Program, which is connected to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to help test marketing campaigns. It was a natural fit.Norfolk laid out its problem for STiR and Civis applied to solve it, doing so via STiRs application which doubles as a completed RFP.Their proposal just really showed that they understood our challenge, Buryk said. They spoke the language of flooding, they had technical experience and project experience through FEMA and the city of Houston on working with flooding. It was really a perfect fit.Civis, like other STiR participants across the country, is now finishing week two of a 16-week working relationship with the city. One of the companys interests, said Amy Deora, director of public sector analytics for Civis, is helping to make sure that everyone in Norfolk who can be covered by flood insurance is.There is no law making flood insurance mandatory. Civis and the city, however, are working to spread awareness about the risks that flooding poses to properties in Norfolk, so that residents can make informed choices about it. A higher penetration of flood-insured properties leads to a higher FEMA rating, which in turn decreases the cost of home insurance premiums throughout the city. To up the percentage of homeowners who have flood insurance in Norfolk would save everyone money throughout the year, as well as reduce the devastation suffered in the increasingly likely event of a flood.What Civis is working on, Deora said, is a platform that has both internal- and external-facing components. The public-facing side of this platform would enable users to type in their home addresses and then toggle through to see exactly how much damage would be done to their houses in a severe flood scenario. Deora said this information is currently available in disparate places, and part of Civis' data analytics work will involve getting it all assembled in one, easily searchable place for each property. Floodsmart.gov , for example, lets users look up their addresses. The results, however, show a flood map of where residents live, leaving individuals to interpret where their property is located as well as what the threat may be exactly.Civis is hoping to take data the city already has  data that is specifically about individual property parcels  and create a far more precise map for the entire city. Like many of the projects involved with STiR, this one has the potential to eventually be scaled to other cities as well.Right now, obviously, our first priority is that we meet the needs of the city of Norfolk directly, Deora said, but were really excited about being able to share this solution with other cities, and I think Norfolk is excited to be on the vanguard of this."We must improve and strengthen intelligence systems, the intelligence of the Bolivarian National Guard is extraordinary; on that base we must expand the preventative intelligence," Maduro said.

He affirmed that intelligence should be used to confront terrorism, coups and crime in all forms.

"Who wins the intelligence area, wins the battle of security, peace," he stressed.

"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces is the backbone of the integrity and unity of the nation, and the Bolivarian National Guard as a component is the central element for the guarantee of national peace," said the president.

Venezuela's GNB is part of its armed forces and can serve as gendarmerie, civil defense force or reserve force.

Maduro also said the GNB makes a great contribution to peace in the country and is the "guardian of co-existence and sovereignty, if there is peace in the republic, there will be sovereignty."

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accompanied the president on his visit, during which some 2,000 GNB commandos demonstrated their military capabilities.

Since the beginning of the week, Maduro has visited the country's main military bases as part of preparations for the military exercises to be held on February 10-15.* US President Donald Trump on January 31 met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the White House, saying major progress was made in the latest round of US-China trade talks.

* US President Donald Trump said on January 31 that the date and location of his second meeting with Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), have been decided and will be announced next week.



* China and Japan will hold the 16th security dialogue on February 1 in Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Thursday. They will exchange views on bilateral relations, defense security policies of the two countries as well as global and international issues of common concern.

* Britain, France and Germany announced on January 31 the creation of a new mechanism for facilitating trade with Iran in order to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.

* The Mongolian parliament on February 1 elected Gombojav Zandanshatar as its new speaker through a vote of 95.2 percent in the country's 76-seat parliament.

* Turkey condemns the European Parliament's decision to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday, warning that foreign interventions could lead to a civil war in the country.

* A United Nations investigation team held contacts in Turkey this week for a first inquiry of international nature into the brutal killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi nearly four months ago inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

* A spokesperson with the Slovak parliament confirmed on February 1 that 15 candidates had unveiled their bids for presidency in the country. The presidential race is slated for March 16 and a potential run-off round on March 30.

* Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh met on February 1 with United Nations special envoy Nicolay Mladenov and the Egyptian security intelligence delegation headed by Ahmad Abdulkhaleq to discuss internal reconciliation.

* French President Emmanuel Macron on February 1 reaffirmed France's support for Lebanon's newly appointed cabinet in its efforts to ensure economic stability and implement social reforms, the presidency office said in a statement.

* Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani Thursday in Beijing, and they agreed to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership featuring mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and common development.

* British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is in Romania on February 1 to hold talks with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, on areas of co-operation, including tackling modern slavery, hybrid threats, as well as Brexit and future relations, the British Foreign Ministry said.

* Sri Lankan government signed an agreement with ESSAR Projects Ltd, a Dubai-based company, on February 1 to implement a 200-million-USD mixed development project in Colombo suburb called "Battaramulla," a minister said.

* The second pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) who was flying the ill-fated "Mirage-2000" fighter jet which crashed on February 1 morning succumbed to his injuries in a government hospital, confirmed official sources.

* At least 34 United Nations and associated personnel -- 26 peacekeepers and eight civilians -- were killed in malicious attacks in the line of duty in 2018, said a UN spokesperson January 31.

* The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) welcomed on January 31 the formation of a new Lebanese government and expressed strong support for the new cabinet.



* The Egyptian and Kuwaiti forces started two simultaneous joint military drills in Kuwait code-named "Al-Yarmouk-4" and "Sabah-1" that will last for several days in Kuwait, the Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement on January 31.

* Heavy snowfall has caused traffic chaos as well as flight cancellations at the Cologne Bonn airport in western Germany.BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil: The collapse of a Brazilian dam controlled by miner Vale a week ago likely happened because parts of the sand and dried-mud structure dissolved into liquid, a state regulator said in an interview, similar to what caused another deadly mining disaster less than four years ago.

With 115 people confirmed dead and another 248 missing, according to information from the rescue team on Friday evening, the tailings dam collapse in the town of Brumadinho could be Brazil`s deadliest mine disaster.

The burst tailings dam at the Corrego do Feijao mine last Friday has ignited intense public anger against Vale, which was co-owner of Samarco, the previous dam that collapsed.

Around 2,000 people gathered in Belo Horizonte, capital of the mining-intensive state of Minas Gerais which was home to both disasters, to protest against Vale, with some saying its top executives should be jailed.

"I lost three of my students," said Aparecida Moreira, a teacher at a local law school. "They are dead, and we don`t know where their bodies are."

There were also demands for a congressional investigation.

An internal study showed the miner knew as recently as last year that some of the areas swamped with toxic mud were at risk if the dam burst, according to a report by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. Vale described the document as a routine disaster preparation plan required by regulators.

The disaster poses a headache for the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose new business-friendly administration must juggle public anger over the tragedy and its own desire to ease mining and environmental regulations to kick-start growth.

Hildebrando Neto, Minas Gerais` deputy minister for environmental regulations, told Reuters late on Thursday that all evidence suggests that the burst was caused by liquefaction, whereby a solid material such as sand loses strength and stiffness and behaves more like a liquid.

Dams holding mining waste, known as tailings, sometimes collapse for this reason.

Major Brazilian TV outlets obtained dramatic security camera video showing the outer wall of the dam collapsing and an avalanche of mud crushing trees, houses and cars in its path. Closeups replayed throughout the day showed cars and people scrambling unsuccessfully to escape the dark red torrent.

TOXIC MUD

Neto said liquefaction caused the 2015 collapse of the Samarco dam, which led to the deaths of 19 people.

The internal study reported by the Folha newspaper was dated April 18, 2018, and outlined the likely impact of a collapse at the dam. It found that the mine restaurant, where many Vale workers were likely to have died, would be hit by toxic mud.

The study envisaged that sirens would alert workers if the dam burst. The company has said the mud flow destroyed the sirens before they could sound the alarm.

Vale said in a statement that the plan was "built on the basis of technical studies of hypothetical scenarios in the event of a breach" although it did not directly reference Folha`s story.

Officials with the Mines and Energy Ministry and the National Mining Agency (ANM) told reporters on Friday that the cause of the rupture was still unclear.

"If we had known (what the problem was), maybe this tragedy would have never happened," the ministrys mining secretary, Alexandre Vidigal, said.

"We are in the investigation phase and we cannot say whether the (inspection) model was adequate or not."China is all set to incorporate BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), its homegrown satellite navigation, across multidimensional platforms to support the country's military and political aspirations.

BDS, stated to be rivalling US' Global Positioning System (GPS), is the fourth global satellite navigation system in the world. Other systems are Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. India too is developing its own navigational system called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), with an operational name of NAVIC.

BDS's implementation will not only reduce the dependence of Chinese aircraft, vehicles and anti-missile systems on GPS and GLONASS, but also enhance People's Liberation Army capabilities in conducting overseas operations, sources told Zee News.

China has already enforced a mandatory implementation of BDS systems in the country's local vehicles in certain areas. It also installed BDS systems in individual equipments, ships, aircraft and missiles.

''The BDS has both civilians and military applications. For civilian applications, the system is extensively used in fishery administration, communication and transportation as well as disaster relief. To promote security in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China has made it mandatory for all vehicles in Xinjiang to install the Beidou Satellite Navigation System. In addition, most mainland Chinese mobiles also adopt BDS,'' said a source in working with Communications Security Establishment, Canada's national cryptologic agency.

''BeiDou Navigation Satellite System started provided independent navigation services over China in 2000 and will serve many countries along Belt and Road initiative (BRI). Currently BDS covers nearly 30 countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia,'' the source added.

Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

In November 2019, China launched two more satellites into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. The satellites will work with 17 other BDS-3 satellites already in space, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

By the end of 2018, there were a total of 33 BDS satellites operating in orbit for BeiDou. This included 15 BDS-2 satellites and 18 BDS-3 satellites.

China plans to launch another 11 BDS-3 satellites and one BDS-2 satellite in the coming two years to form a complete global network. By 2020, when the BeiDou system goes global, it will have more than 30 satellites in space.

More than 14,000 companies and organisations are doing business related to BDS, employing over 500,000 people, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The total number of satellite navigation patent applications in China has reached 54,000, ranking first in the world.

In China, about 6.17 million vehicles, 35,600 postal and express delivery vehicles, as well as 80,000 buses in 36 major cities, use BDS. The system is also used in 3,230 inland river navigation facilities and 2,960 marine navigation facilities.

China has also pushed for BDS' compatibility with other global navigation satellite systems. To promote its global application, China established its first overseas center in Tunisia with a map-based app on the BDS.

China, whose space effort is run by the People's Liberation Army, currently launches more rockets into space than any other country. Last year, it landed a space rover on the dark side of the Moon  a first by any country  and plans to build an orbiting space station in the coming decade.

China started building BDS ground-based augmentation system in 2013 to accurately position itself in its provinces as well as in Pakistan and other ASEAN nations.

With agency inputsTHAKURGANARA: Kickstarting Bharatiya Janata Party's poll campaign from Thakurnagar in West Bengal on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched into a no-holds-barred attack against the Opposition.

Accusing state Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of resorting to violence, the Prime Minister said, "Look at the scene (crowd). I can now understand why Didi resorted to violence. Those who advertise to be democratic, kill innocent people.

Amazing response at the rally in Thakurnagar. Watch. https://t.co/M0EdKZDD0B  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2019

The Prime Minister also trained his guns at Congress party while addressing the massive gathering at the rally.

In the name of loan waiver, farmers of the country have been duped by all the political parties, said the PM.

Leaders haven't focused on the development of rural areas. New India cannot function in this way. The Central government is making every effort for the past 4.5 years for the development of farmers and agricultural laborers.

There will be no syndicate tax, no obstacles. The people will directly receive the Rs. 6,000 meant for them under the new budget.The farmers can use this money to meet the expenditures needed for agriculture, he added while referring to Friday's Interim Budget.

My government took honest steps to improve condition of farmers and working class, said Modi.

Later, the Prime Minister had to cut short his speech after 14 minutes at the Thakurnagar rally amid stampede-like situation, reported news agency PTI.

The Prime Minister will address another rally at the industrial town of Durgapur later in the day.

The venues of both the rallies have political significance. Thakurnagar, which is one of the venues, is the hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s mostly due to religious persecution. The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi.

Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.THAKURGANARA: Amid loud cheers and support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to cut short his speech after a stampede-like situation prevailed at the Thakurnagar rally in West Bengal's North 24 Paraganas on Saturday. Several women and children were injured, a senior police officer said.

The Prime Minister, who kickstarted Bharatiya Janata Party's poll campaign in Bengal with the rally, was welcomed with loud shouts by members of the Scheduled Caste Matua community.

While Modi was addressing the well-attended rally of the Matua community, hundreds of supporters who were standing outside the venue tried to barge into the inner ring of the rally ground, leading to a commotion.

While delivering his speech, the Prime Minister asked the massive crowd on the ground to maintain peace and decorum. Trying to pacify the crowd, he requested the attendees to stay put in their places and stop from making efforts to come on the front side of the inner ring.

However, his pleas went unheard as supporters started throwing chairs inside the no-man zone in front of the stage to make space for others to stand in the inner ring, which was earmarked for women supporters.

Soon, there was commotion which prompted him to cut short his speech barely after 14 minutes.

BJP workers and volunteers were seen rushing to rescue women and children trapped in the crowd.

In the 14-minute-speech, the PM launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating violence against BJP workers.

"Look at the scene (crowd). I can now understand why Didi resorted to violence. Those who advertise to be democratic, kill innocent people," he quipped.

Amazing response at the rally in Thakurnagar. Watch. https://t.co/M0EdKZDD0B  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2019

Modi also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution.

Later, he trained his guns at Congress party, accusing his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers.

In the name of loan waiver, farmers of the country have been duped by all the political parties, said the PM.

Leaders haven't focused on the development of rural areas. New India cannot function in this way. The Central government is making every effort for the past 4.5 years for the development of farmers and agricultural labourers.

There will be no syndicate tax, no obstacles. The people will directly receive the Rs. 6,000 meant for them under the new budget.The farmers can use this money to meet the expenditures needed for agriculture, he added while referring to Friday's Interim Budget.

My government took honest steps to improve condition of farmers and working class, said Modi.

The Prime Minister will address another rally at the industrial town of Durgapur later in the day.

The venues of both the rallies have political significance. Thakurnagar, which is one of the venues, is the hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s mostly due to religious persecution. The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi.

Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.

With agency inputsThe subscriber gap between Indian record label T Series and PewDiePie narrowed down to one lakh (one hundred thousand) in the early hours of Saturday. At about 2 am, PewDiePie was just 1.06 lakh subscribers ahead. However, it soon gained back and at the time of filing this story, it zoomed ahead with 1.17 lakh more followers.

The battle between India's 33-year-old musical giant and one-man Swedish content creator Felix Kjellberg has been going on since 2018. Both are vying for the spot of most followed YouTube channel.

PewDiePie held the mantle for six years now. However, earlier last year, boosted by India's game-changing data and mobile services, T Series shot up from mere 30 million subscribers to over 80 million.

To put things in perspective, roughly 20 million people had access to the internet in 2000. In the next 18 years, the number swelled to 560 million and continues to grow. India already overtook the United States last year to become the second largest smartphone market in the world after China.

While delivering the country's budget for 2019 on Friday, Indian Finance Minister Piyush Goyal informed that India is now leading the world in the consumption of mobile data. Monthly consumption of mobile data increased by over 50 times in the last five years. Cost of data and voice calls in India is also one of the lowest across the world.

This supersonic growth of T Series, propelled by the government trying to equip 1.3 billion Indians with smartphone connectivity, wasn't taken lightly by PewDiePie.

Pewds, as his young army of followers calls themselves, began a massive mission to beat T Series. Pewds went out of their way to gain more followers, indulging in online campaigns. Some even hacked worldwide printers, Google Chromecasts, smart TVs and defaced Wall Street Journal.

PewDiePie also saw many of his contemporaries and direct competitors, including Mr Beast, Logan Paul, Shane Dawson, come out in support. Mr Beast even bought BillBoards to promote Felix's channel.

Latest to come out in PewDiePie's support is Elon Musk - the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, Hyperloop, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, and UK Independence Party (UKIP), a Britain-based right-wing political outfit.

It's just a matter of time that T-Series overtakes the independent Swedish content creator, claim experts.

In the meantime, let's remind our readers that the three-decade-old company founded by late Gulshan Kumar in 1990s, is already the most-watched YouTube channel with over 60 billion views.NEW DELHI: The Indian record label - T Series - is fast narrowing the gap with Sweden's PewDiePie, which has been the most subscribed channel on YouTube for nearly six years.

At the time of filing this story, the Swedish YouTuber was just 72490 subscribers ahead of the Indian music brand on Saturday night around 9 PM (IST).

With the T Series fast narrowing the gap with the Swedish YouTuber, video marketing firms like Tubular Labs had predicted in advance that the Indian music brand was well "on course to surpass" PewDiePie's 83,353,773 subscribers within a short span of time.

Nonetheless, T-Series is already number one on another metric - the Most-Watched YouTube channel.

Its videos have already garnered 60 billion views, which is three times the number of views on Justin Bieber or Katy Perry's YouTube channel.

Analysts had earlier predicted that the Indian music brand will overtake the one-man Swedish content creator Felix Kjellberg's channel in early January 2019. But due to YouTube's cleansing of spam accounts on its platform, T Series' subscriber count came crashing drastically in December 2018.

But, it looks line nearly a month after the episode, T Series has bounced back and is expected to overtake Pewds soon.

The much-interesting T Series vs PewDiePie battle has been raging for months now.

A household name in India since the 1980s, the company is lead by Bhushan Kumar - son of T Series founder Gulshan Kumar who was assassinated by the underworld mafia D Company in 1997.

It has 29 TV channels in several Indian languages and hosts some of the biggest Indian artists, drawing millions of views.

At the beginning of 2018, T Series had about 30 million subscribers on its YouTube channel. With the introduction of landmark changes in Indian mobile and data service, the subscriber list sky-rocketed to over 70 million in just six months.

The online video channel also accounts for nearly 25 percent of its sales, which is about $100 million.

PewDiePie, game commentary and comic-oriented YouTube channel, held the mantle of most subscribed for almost six years now. Despite the highest number of subscribers, PewDiePie failed to make it to YouTube Rewinds two years in a row over his controversial comments.

In January 2019, both the YouTube channels crossed the major milestone of passing 80 million-subscribers number.

The war saw many of PewDiePie fans indulge in massive online campaigns to get more subscribers. Some even hacked worldwide printers, Google Chromecasts, smart TVs and even defaced Wall Street Journal.

PewDiePie also saw many of his contemporaries and direct competitors, including Mr Beast, Logan Paul, Shane Dawson, come out in support.

Latest to support PewDiePie is Elon Musk - the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, Hyperloop, The Boring Company, and Neuralink.

UK Independence Party (UKIP), A Britain-based right-wing political outfit, has also sided with Kjellberg publicly.Nguyen Viet Bac, Chairman of Lam Hai commune People's Committee, expressed his sincere thanks to Nhan Dan Newspaper and donors, with hopes that they will continue to accompany and share difficulties with disadvantaged people in Ca Mau, including Lam Hai commune, joining hands with local authorities to take better care of social security.

Previously, the representative of the Standing Agency of Nhan Dan Newspaper in Can Tho and donors gave 20 Tet gifts to poor households in hamlet 4, Dam Doi town, Dam Doi district of Ca Mau. All the gifts were mobilised from Saigon 268 Development Trading JSC.

The same day, Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi municipal Party Committee, Hoang Trung Hai, visited officials and soldiers of the Traffic Police Department under the Hanoi Police to express Tet wishes to them.

Praising the efforts and sacrifices by the Hanoi police in ensuring political security, social order and safety, Hai suggested the department focus on ensuring smooth and safe traffic before, during and after Tet, while strengthening measures to build traffic conscious culture.

In recent days, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee organised missions to visit and give Tet gifts to poor households and policy beneficiaries across the nation. The delegation visited Trang commune in Dak Doa district of Gia Lai province, giving 50 gifts to local poor households (each worth VND1 million in cash and necessities). On this occasion, the VFF handed over VND300 million from the "For the Poor" Fund to support Gia Lai to buy warm clothes for children in extremely difficult circumstances in communes in the province. The mission also visited and gave Tet gifts to poor households and policy families in Quang Binh province.

Gifts were presented to patients before departing on January 31 for free bus trips from Hanois K Hospital to their hometowns for Tet gathering. (Photo: NDO/Tran Nguyen)



On Thursday, 700 patients being treated at Hanois Tan Trieu K Hospital boarded free bus trips to return home to celebrate Tet. This year, the free bus trip programme was divided into two phases, with the first trip held on January and the last on January 31. Free bus trips departed from K Hospital to provinces in the northern and central regions.

Free bus trips were also held for workers to return home for Tet in Binh Duong province on January 31. In 2019, over 20,000 workers were granted free bus tickets to return home for Tet, while tens of thousands of labourers are supported by enterprises to cover a part of the fare.

Also on Thursday, leaders of Thanh Hoa provincial Youth Union presented Tet gifts to 10 policy families in Quang Phong commune, Quang Xuong district.

Meanwhile, in Nga Son district, local authorities have presented nearly VND1.5 billion worth in Tet gifts to local policy beneficiaries. The district has extracted nearly VND700 million from the "For the Poor" Fund and mobilised donations of nearly VND800 million to give Tet gifts to policy households and poor in the locale.PUNE: A Pune sessions court on Saturday ordered the release of activist Anand Teltumbde, who was arrested this morning after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the court.

According to news agency ANI, the court in its order said that activist Anand Teltumbde has been granted interim protection till February 11 by the Supreme Court.

Bhima Koregaon case: Pune Sessions Court orders to release Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the case.  ANI (@ANI) 2 February 2019

He can also approach the competent authority for bail or pre-arrest bail, the court said.

Speaking to media after the court ordered his release, Teltumbde said, '' I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama, is objectionable.''

Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, after Pune Sessions Court ordered his release: I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama, is objectionable. pic.twitter.com/uT0Su4WUe9  ANI (@ANI) 2 February 2019

After his formal arrest in the morning, Teltumbde was taken to Ville Parle police station in Mumbai.

Special judge KD Vadane. Who rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the morning, said, In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence. Moreover, investigation in respect of present applicant/accused is at (a) very crucial stage."

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court in January dismissed a plea filed by the activist seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case.

While rejecting the plea, an SC bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul had said that the apex court will not interfere with the ongoing investigation in the case.

Violent caste clashes were witnessed at Bhima Koregaon after the Elgar Parishad event held on January 1, 2018 at Shaniwarwada in Pune. According to police, several activists had delivered inflammatory speeches during the event, which added to the violence.

A nine-member fact-finding committee constituted to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence had said in its report that the violence was part of a conspiracy.New Delhi: Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia, who welcomed her daughter Mehr in November last year, has lashed out a publication for fat shaming her. Through an Instagram post, Neha made it clear that she is not bothered about being fat-shamed but this should not happen with anyone else.

Neha wrote, "I dont owe anyone an explanation because fatshaming like this doesnt bother me one bit. But I do want to address this as a larger problem because fatshaming needs to stop for EVERYONE not just celebs. As a new mom i want to be fit, healthy and energetic for my daughter. So I work out everyday, sometimes twice a day because for me...Fitness is a priority and not fitting into societys standards regarding looks. And I hope in the future people are kinder to each other while making such vapid and vile comments. To quote @pattonoswalt ... Be Kind. Its chaos out there."

Popular filmmaker Sonam Kapoor, Karan Johar and Swara Bhasker extended their support to Neha.

Lauding her post, Karan wrote, "Neha! You are an amazing Woman! You walk so many paths with humour...with intelligence and with abandon! Its never about losing weight its always about gaining perspective! And I hope the woman who wrote this has gained some today."

Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi were blessed with a baby girl on November 20, 2018. The actors took to social media to announce the arrival of their daughter Mehr

The glowing new momma rocked her pregnancy like a pro and continued working without a taking any break. She shot for her show 'No Filter Neha' season 2 where several celebrities made some candid confessions.

A few days back, mommy Neha took to her official Instagram account to introduce the little one to the world. She posted an adorable picture of her daughter's shoes, which read 'Hello World' and captioned the photo, "Mehr Dhupia Bedi says hello to the world."

The much-in-love couple had revealed the news of their pregnancy in August 2018. Angad and Neha got hitched in a quiet gurudwara ceremony in Delhi in 2018.New Delhi: In the wake of the MeToo Movement, The Indian Film & Television Directors Association (IFTDA) had announced that its mother body, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), has issued a six-month non-cooperation directive to Alok Nath.

According to Mumbai Mirror, IFTDA President Ashoke Pandit had revealed that POSH(Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Committee was informed about the sexual harassment case filed against Alok Nath by the victim.

Following the investigation, FWICE decided to issue a six-month-long ban on the actor. Alok Nath was summoned thrice by the ICC but he didnt turn up for any of the meetings. Since he blatantly refused to co-operate with IFTDAs mandate of providing a secure workplace for women, we reached out to FWICE for a six-month ban which was approved on Thursday. Alok Nath has been duly informed, said Pandit.

Earlier in October, the victim had lodged a complaint with police against actor Alok Nath, who allegedly raped and sexually harassed her in the 90s. In the ongoing #MeToo movement, she had narrated her horrifying ordeal in a Facebook post in October.

She was the writer and producer of teleserial 'Tara' in the 90s, in which Alok Nath played a lead role. In the wake of these allegations, the 62-year-old actor Nath was recently expelled from the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA).Kerala: An alleged operative of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was arrested in a joint operation by West Bengal Police Special Task Force and Kerala police arrested one terror suspect Abdul Matin from Kerala's Mallapuram on Friday.

Abdul Matin, an accused in 2014 Burdwan blast case, is a resident of Assam. He fled the state following the explosion at Khagragarh in Burdwan district that killed two JMB operatives.

The accused will be produced in court today, said authorities.

While studying at Shersah Madrasa at Kaliachack, Matin became an active member of JMB. He is one of the 15 persons who underwent training in Simulia Madarasa and Mokimnagar Madrasa along with other JMB operatives involved in the Burdwan blast case including Moulana Yousuf - the alleged mastermind of the blast, Nasirullah, Sahidul Islam, Jahidul Islam among others.

On October 2, 2014, an explosion was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion unearthed the JMB unit and sleeper cells active in the state.

The police had seized a huge cache of explosives, including IEDs and RDX from the blast site.

Last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengals Hooghly district.

NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today, said an official release from the NIA.SRINAGAR: Against the backdrop of gruesome killing of a woman by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, state's former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday justified her silence and tweets on the issue.

Justifying her silence on the issue, the PDP leader said that it is her decision on what mater she would like to tweet and on what to not.

''I am not answerable to you. It is my decision on what mater I want to tweet and on what to not, '' Mufti said when prodded by a journalist on her reported silence on the issue of killing of women by terrorists in J&K mater.

Reacting to the incident, Mehbooba Mufti had earlier tweeted, "Women living in conflict areas like Kashmir have faced unimaginable pain & trauma. No words are enough to condemn her gruesome and barbaric murder (sic)."

Women living in conflict areas like Kashmir have faced unimaginable pain & trauma. No words are enough to condemn her gruesome and barbaric murder. https://t.co/jnvZ82vjvR  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) 2 February 2019

She, however, joined former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah in condemning the gruesome killing of a young woman by terrorists in Shopian district of the state.

Ishrat Muneer, a 25-year-old woman from Pulwama, was shot dead at point-blank range by terrorists in Shopian district on Thursday night.

They also made a video of the incident and circulated it on social media.

The woman in the short video clip can be seen pleading for mercy with folded hands but the gunman shot her twice.

Condemning the incident, Omar Abdullah said, "Horrific murder & deserves the strongest condemnation. There can be no place for such brutal acts in a civilised society & apologists for these murders are just as guilty as the perpetrators (sic)."SRINAGAR: The security forces on Saturday busted a terror module in Jammu and Kashmir`s Sopore town and arrested at least three persons in this connection.

At those arrested by police are associated with Pakistan-backed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), said ANI.

Jammu and Kashmir: Sopore police today busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module & solved the grenade throwing case. Three suspected persons arrested in the case & further investigation is underway. On 25 Jan, a grenade was hurled on SBI camp of 179BN CRPF at Sopore. pic.twitter.com/oCc9jct4cq  ANI (@ANI) 2 February 2019

"This Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked terror module was responsible for the recent grenade attacks in Sopore town,'' a J&K police official said.

"During questioning, all three involved persons, who are locals, confessed to the commission of offence,'' he added.

It was revealed that the JeM terrorists based in Sopore provided two grenades to these individuals for attacking the security forces," the official said.

On January 25, a grenade was hurled on SBI camp of 179 BN CRPF at Sopore town.Ahmednagar: Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare, who has been on indefinite hunger strike in his village in Maharashtra since the last three days, Saturday claimed they have received a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) cold shouldering the Gandhian.

The "terse" response from the PMO spurred protests in Hazare's Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra, said Hazare's spokesperson Shyam Asawa.

He said the villagers were angry due to the "cold response" given by the prime minister to the letter sent last month by the 81-year-old anti-graft crusader.

Some protesters, including women, climbed atop a tower in the village and raised anti-government slogans this afternoon while some villagers blocked traffic on Parner-Wadegavhan road, Asawa added.

He said police detained scores of protesters, including women and senior citizens. "Your letter was received, thank you and best wishes", reads the letter, purportedly sent by the PMO, which was shown to some reporters by Asawa.

In his letter, dated January 1, 2019, sent to the PMO, Hazare had demanded immediate appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra. He also sought resolution of farmers' issues.

"This letter of the PMO gives rise to doubts in our mind about seriousness of this government about Anna Hazare's agitation," Asawa said.

Meanwhile, Dr Dhananjay Pote, who is closely monitoring Hazare's health, told PTI that he has lost 3.4 kgs on the fourth day of fast Saturday.

"His blood pressure has also shot up," Dr Pote said.

He said Hazare has been advised minimal conversation.

Hazare has also been demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on ways to address agrarian distress, besides some electoral reforms. He began his hunger strike on January 30 in the Yadavbaba temple in his village.NEW DELHI: Robert Vadra on Friday filed a petition in a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A lawyer from prosecution team told PTI that an anticipatory bail plea was filed by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in the case in which the court has already granted his close aide Manoj Arora interim protection from arrest till February 6.

The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, who is a businessman by profession.

The court will hear Vadra's anticipatory bail application on Saturday. Arora was granted interim protection on January 19 after the court was informed by the ED that Arora was cooperating in the probe.

For his part, Arora had repeatedly maintained that he had not committed any crime and he was implicated in this case by the NDA government out of "political vendetta".

The ED had rejected the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?"

During the hearing in the court, the ED stressed that the case of money laundering against Arora was lodged after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the Black Money Act.

Arora is an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, the ED had said in the court.

(with agency inputs)Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP accusing it of remembering Lord Ram only before the elections.

Addressing a rally in Haryana's Gurugram, Yadav took a jibe at the BJP over the controversial Ram temple issue. He quipped by depicting a scenario where Lord Ram is having hiccups and His wife, Goddess Sita, asks the reason. To Her query, Lord Ram says that it is because the elections are around the corner and the BJP is remembering Him that He is having hiccups.

"Bhagwan Ram aur Sita maiya swarg mein, Bhagwan Ram ko hichki aati hai. Sita maiya poochti hai kyu hichki aarahi hai, Ram ji kehte hain chunaav saamne aagaya hai, BJP yaad kar rahi hai. (Lord Ram and Goddess Sita are in heaven and Lord Ram starts getting hiccups. When Goddess Sita asks why He is having hiccups, Lord Ram says that the elections are coming near and the BJP is remembering Him)," said Yadav.

The former Bihar chief minister Yadav also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioning him that if he is chowkidaar (watchman), then the people of India are thanedaar (policeman).

He alleged that people who speak the truth are being punished. Yadav also accused that when those in power are asked questions instead of answering the politicians spread venom in the society.

"People who speak the truth are being punished. When you ask questions, then ppl in power instead of answering your questions spread venom in society. PM is forgetting if he is chowkidaar, then people of the country are thanedaar," said Yadav.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal state government of Trinamool Tolabaji Tax (TTT).

Using the TTT rhetoric he said, Trinamool Tolabaji Tax is prevalent in the state. Every child in West Bengal is aware of this TTT. West Bengal is the only state where you have to pay tax for education. No one opposed this culture of syndicate and TTT, which is why the Trinamool Congress got a free run. But, now, the BJP will oppose this. The 'chowkidaar' has started a cleanliness drive against this culture.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Durgapur, he said, People are having to pay tax to get education, find jobs and also pay syndicate tax, when the focus should have been on recruiting teachers. You don't have to fear the syndicate when you enroll in Central government schemes.

The PM also took a dig at the West Bengal government for opting out of the Ayushman scheme. West Bengal could've been the largest beneficiary of Ayushman Bharat. But, the local government snatched it from the poor people of Bengal. A government which betrays the poor can never benefit anyone. Those who play with the lives of the poor should be punished, said PM Modi.

For the second time during the day, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the CM Banerjee for violence in the state. The pure and austere land of Bengal won't tolerate this abuse of democracy. The party which can't respect democracy and indulges in dirty politics is bound to be thrown out. It is imperative that the TMC will go."

Earlier in the day, he attended another public meeting organized by the All India Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district. He kickstarted the campaign for the BJP in West Bengal ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.Srinagar: A group of women from Pakistan, who came to Jammu and Kashmir with their husbands under the rehabilitation policy for militants, Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for travel documents to return home.

They claimed that they have not been provided the permanent resident certificates as promised.

In 2001, NC vice-president and then chief minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the youths of Jammu and Kashmir who had gone across the LoC for arms training but had renounced militancy and wanted to return home to lead a normal life.

"Since the time we came here with our husbands and children under the rehabilitation policy announced by the Omar Abdullah government, we have not been provided the PRC document," the women said in a statement.

"On the contrary, FIRs have been registered against us and we are now unnecessarily caught in court cases," they said.

The women, coming from different parts of the Kashmir Valley, assembled at the Residency Road here to press for their demands.

"We appeal to the prime ministers and foreign ministers of India and Pakistan that travel documents be issued to us on humanitarian grounds. If they do not give us the travel documents, then we should be made to exit," the women added.

The women said since their arrival in the state, they have not been able to visit their families in Pakistan.

"Many of our close relatives, including parents, have died during this period. We remain disturbed on account of welfare of our relatives back home and some of us are now suffering from psychiatric problems as well," the women claimed.NEW DELHI: The Central government has banned the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for five more years as it continues to indulge in activities, which are not in the interests of the nation.

It is to be noted that SIMI was involved in a series of terror acts across the country.

Union Home Ministry: The Central Government hereby declares the

Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an unlawful association. pic.twitter.com/uX42mqnJBT  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

The Home Ministry issued a notification saying that it was necessary to curb and control the unlawful activities of SIMI immediately. According to PTI, the notification added that SIMI must be stopped from re-organising its absconding activists, who are planning to disrupt the secular fabric of the country by propagating anti-national sentiments.

"Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby declares the SIMI as an 'unlawful association' and directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years," the notification said.

A total of 58 cases were listed by Home Ministry where SIMI members were allegedly involved, PTI reported.

According to Home Ministry, SIMI has been creating communal disharmony by indulging in activities which are detrimental for safety and security of the country.

The new ban order of the Centre comes into effect from Thursday.

Some terror acts in which SIMI members were allegedly involved are 2017 blasts in Gaya, Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore in 2014, and Bhopal jail-break in 2014. Some SIMI members have been accused of involvement in bank robberies, killings of policemen, blasts and other anti-national activities.

Established on April 25, 1977, in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, SIMI's alleged aim is to convert India into an Islamic state. The organisation was first banned in 2001. The last time it was banned was on February 1, 2014 during the Congress-led UPA regime.

(with agency inputs)New Delhi: Miscreants pelted stones on a new Train 18 during its trial run on Friday, barely a month after a similar incident, officials said.

No one was hurt in the incident and no arrests were made after the incident that occurred when the train left Sakurbasti at around 11:03 pm on Friday to reach New Delhi to begin its trial run to Allahabad, railways said.

The train was escorted by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.

"On reaching New Delhi station, the escort party informed about stone pelting. The second coach from the front was hit near Sadar area under DLT(Delhi Lahori Gate) post.

"A railway servant present in T-18 informed the escort party that a stone hit the window glass of coach no.188320 of T-18," a northern Railway official said.

No suspect was found.

Earlier, stones were pelted on the train on December 20 during a trial run between Delhi and Agra.

Train 18, the country's first engineless train which has been manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, recently became India's fastest train by hitting speeds of over 180 kmph during a trial run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route. It will replace Shatabdi trains and will run between Delhi and Varanasi.After a video of miscreants reportedly causing damage to a pillar in the temple ruins of UNESCO World Heritage Site Hampi in Karnataka surfaced on social media, the state police on Saturday has initiated an inquiry into the matter.

Bellary Superintendent of Police (SP) Arun Rangarajan said that there are likely four-five people involved in the incident. The police official has assured that the accused will be arrested and prosecuted.

"There are likely 4-5 people involved in it. Accused will be arrested and prosecuted. I will not be able to give more information, will speed up inquiry," said Bellary SP Rangarajan.

Earlier in the day, the police inspected the site.

Locals on Saturday staged a protest demanding adequate protection for the ancient monuments.

The development comes just days after the Times Magazine listed the Hampi World Heritage site as the second must-see place in 2019.

Hampi, an ancient village in Karnataka is dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed to have been the countrys richest city, which attracted traders from Persia and Portugal.A leopard cub was seized from the baggage of a passenger on Saturday at the Chennai airport in Tamil Nadu.

The Air Intelligence Unit at Chennai International airport seized the one-month-old cub.

#WATCH Air Intelligence Unit at Chennai International airport has seized a one-month-old leopard cub from the baggage of a passenger. The cub will be rehabilitated in the Aringar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai; Passenger handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Dept for further action. pic.twitter.com/WgYIBabZ4D  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

The cub will be rehabilitated in Chennai's Arignar Anna Zoological Park.

The passenger has been handed over to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for further action.WASHINGTION: Government officials on Friday said that a 24/7 hotline has been opened up by the Indian embassy in the US to provide all necessary legal aid 129 Indian students arrested in the US in connection with the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam.

It is to be noted that the US authorities have arrested 129 Indians for enrolling at a fake university allegedly to remain in the US illegally.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set up a university in Detroit's Farmington Hills as part of an undercover operation to expose immigration fraud, PTI reported. The charges in the case was announced by federal prosecutors.

Senior embassy officials would man the two hotline numbers - 202-322-1190 and 202-340-2590.

The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at cons3.Washington@mea.Gov.In.

A nodal officer has been appointed by the Indian embassy to handle and coordinate all issues related to helping Indian students arrested by the US authorities.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE had arrested 130 students from the fake Farmington University in Greater Detroit area till Thursday. According to federal investigators, all these students knew the university programme was illegal and despite this, they took admission only to stay in the US.

All these students now face deportation. According to PTI, some of the students have been put under house arrest with tracking device on their ankle.

"These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not. HSI remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of US immigration laws and will continue to investigate this and other transnational crimes," Special Agent Charge Francis was quoted as saying by PTI.

(with agency inputs)New Delhi: India issued a demarche to the American Embassy here on Saturday, expressing its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.

The External Affairs Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a "fraudulent university in the US".

One-hundred-thirty foreign students arrested by US authorities for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in that country are largely Indians. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made the arrests on Wednesday.

"Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated," it said.

The ministry underlined to the US Embassy that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the 'university' should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them.

"We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the ministry said.

The India mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.

"So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing," it said.

The ministry said a 24/7 helpline has been established in the Indian Embassy in Washington for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students.

The helpline numbers are: +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email is: cons3.Washington@mea.Gov.In.

The ministry said the Indian government and the Indian Embassy and consulates in the US attach the highest priority to the welfare of the detained students and will continue to work with the American authorities and other stakeholders to address the issue.Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday extended by six days the custody of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case accused Gautam Khaitan to Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had on January 26 arrested Khaitan, a lawyer, in a fresh case in connection with the alleged possession of black money and money laundering. He was arrested under the Black Money Act.A Delhi court had sent Khaitan to a two-day ED custody in connection.

The arrest came after the Income Tax Department raided Khaitan's offices and various other properties in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The ED has gathered evidence against the lawyer for allegedly receiving kickbacks in other defence deals, besides AgustaWestland, during the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.

The ED in its earlier charge sheet in 2018 had accused 34 Indian and foreign individuals and companies, including lawyer Gautam Khaitan of laundering money to the tune of around 28 million Euro. The others named in the charge sheet were Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, and ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi.

"Khaitan, the mastermind behind laundering the proceeds of crime in the present case, was known to the accused persons Gerosa, Haschke and Tyagi Brothers. He prepared a corporate structure of companies and got incorporated several legal entities across the globe. Thereafter, the proceeds of crime were laundered through various companies in Tunisia, Mauritius, India, BVI, Singapore, Switzerland, Dubai etc.," the charge sheet had said.

It also claimed that Khaitan also received proceeds of crime in personal bank accounts opened in his name and the accounts of his companies in India and abroad.

Khaitan was earlier arrested in September 2014 for his alleged involvement in the AgustaWestland deal. He got bail in January 2015 and re-arrested along with Sanjeev Tyagi, another accused in the case, on December 9, 2016, by the CBI. He later secured bail.

The CBI chargesheet has described Khaitan as the brain behind the AgustaWestland deal.NEW DELHI: In a major move towards infantry modernisation, the Defence Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Army to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast track mode, official sources said on Saturday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China, the sources said.

They said the rifles, being used by the US forces as well as several other European countries, are being bought under the fast track procurement procedure.

"The contract is expected to be finalized within a week. The US firm will have to deliver the rifles within one year from the date of finalising the deal," said a senior official involved in the negotiation of the deal said.

Army sources said the US-manufactured rifles will replace the INSAS rifles.

The world's second largest standing Army has been pressing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security threats including along India's borders with Pakistan and China.

In October 2017, the Army began the process to acquire around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines.

Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests.

Following it, the Army started scouting for rifles from the global market.

The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Army's failure to finalise the specifications for it.

The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.NEW DELHI: India has officially been handed over first of the Chinook helicopters at Boeing's facility in the presence of Indian ambassador to US Harsh Shringla. The India-Chinook Transfer Ceremony took place at Boeing's facility in Philadelphia.

DGAO, Air Marshal A Dev, from Air HQ (Vayu Bhawan), Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty and Air Attache Air Cmde Shivanand were also present during the occasion.

According to the Indian mission in US, during his address, Ambassador Shringla lauded the "growing industry partnerships between India and US & commended Boeing for their commitment for the commitment to make in India."

In 2015, India had placed the order for 22 AH-64E Apache attack, and 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook transport helicopters and will receive all of them this year.

The AH-64E Apache attack and CH-47F(I) Chinook transport helicopters are the newest models of the aircraft. This is expected to help modernize the Indian Air Forces helicopter fleet.

According to Boeing, Apache is the worlds leading multi-role attack helicopter and CH-47F Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter that can help in delivering heavy payloads at high altitudes. Both of them are also being used by the US army.

CH-47F Chinook is also being used by 18 other defence forces around the world. Large sections of the Chinook fuselage are being manufactured in India.

Boeing is also training Indian Air Force (IAF) crew for the helicopter. In October of 2018, 4 pilots and 4 flight engineers of IAF were trained for operating Chinook helicopters in Delaware USA.

India is the 14th nation to use Apache and 19th nation to use Chinook in its forces.A day after Yusuf, nephew of former RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin, was shot dead in Bihar's Siwan, police on Saturday conducted raids at the residences of Yusuf's four friends and recovered a pistol.

According to the police, the four friends were present with him at the party on Friday night.

Yusuf was shot dead by some unknown assailants.

Police have lodged a case in this incident and a probe is underway to identify the accused.

Talking to IANS, Siwan Superintendent of police Navin Chander Jha said that Mohammad Yusuf was shot dead in Pratappur village.

Yusuf died on the spot after the attackers pumped the bullets into his chest, Jha added. Sources said that Yusuf was close to Shahabuddin`s son, Mohammad Osama.

Shahabuddin`s supporters blocked roads and demanded swift action from police in this case.

It is to be noted that Shahabuddin is a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and is infamous as a strongman in Siwan. He was convicted of murder on December 9 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His conviction and sentencing was upheld by the High Court on August 30 2018.

The gangster-turned politician has around 63 cases against his name relating to murders and kidnapping.

Bihar government has listed Shahabuddin as "A" type history sheeter, which means he is categorised as a criminal who is beyond reforms.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi.PATNA: The Bihar Cabinet on Friday has approved the 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker general candidates in government jobs and educational institutions approved by the Centre.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Cabinet also passed 58 agendas placed before it.

ANI reported that on January 22 a high-level meeting was chaired by the Bihar CM at his 1 Anne Marg residence in Patna in which he held discussions over this matter with Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Secretary to the Chief Minister Manish Kumar Varma, among others

The Centre's scheme has already been implemented in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The Constitution Bill, 2019 was passed recently by both the Houses of Parliament to grant 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category across religions, ANI reported. In Rajya Sabha, the Bill was passed with 165 votes in favour and seven against.

It is important to note that 10% quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Replying to the debate in Rajya Sabha over the Bill, Social Justice and Emowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot had asked Congress how it would have implemented the promise it made in its election manifesto of giving giving reservation to poor of general category without bringing in an amendment in the Constitution.

The minister had stressed that reservation to SC, ST and OBCs will remain intact and opposition parties should have supported the legislation without raising any questions.

(With agency inputs)SIWAN: Yusuf, nephew of former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin was shot dead on Friday night in Siwan by some unknown assailants.

Police have lodged a case in this incident and probe is underway to identify the accused.

Talking to IANS, Siwan Superintendent of police Navin Chander Jha said that Mohammad Yusuf was shot dead in Pratappur village.

Yusuf died on the spot after the attackers pumped the bullets into his chest, Jha added. Sources said that Yusuf was close to Shahabuddin`s son, Mohammad Osama

Shahabuddin`s supporters blocked roads and demanded swift action from police in this case.

It is to be noted that Shahabuddin is a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and is infamous as a strongman in Siwan. He was convicted of murder on December 9, 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His conviction and sentencing was upheld by the High Court on August 30 last year.

The gangster-turned politician has around 63 cases against his name relating to murders and kidnapping.

Bihar government has listed Shahabuddin as "A" type history sheeter, which means he is categorised as a criminal who is beyond reforms.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi.PUNE: Pune Police on Saturday arrested Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case.

Teltumbde was arrested Saturday morning after the Pune Sessions Court rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist and professor on Friday, ANI reported.

In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence. Moreover, investigation in respect of present applicant/accused is at (a) very crucial stage," said an order pronounced by special judge KD Vadane.

Teltumbde was taken to Ville Parle police station in Mumbai after his arrest.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court in January dismissed a plea filed by the activist seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case.

While rejecting the plea, an SC bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul had said that the apex court will not interfere with the ongoing investigation in the case.

Violent caste clashes were witnessed at Bhima Koregaon after the Elgar Parishad event held on January 1, 2018 at Shaniwarwada in Pune. According to police, several activists had delivered inflammatory speeches during the event, which added to the violence.

A nine-member fact-finding committee constituted to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence had said in its report that the violence was part of a conspiracy.A batch of 11 officers of the Indian Navy, including two women officers, and six officers of Indian Coast Guard, graduated as 'Observers' on Saturday at the passing-out parade held at the naval air station INS Garuda in Kochi, Kerala.

Rear Admiral Philipose George Pynumootil, Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA), reviewed the parade and awarded the coveted 'golden wings' to the officers, a defence press release said.

They belong to the 88th Regular and 19th Short Service Commission (SSC) observer course and were trained in air navigation, flying procedures, tactics employed in air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and exploitation of airborne avionic systems, it said.

A batch of 11 officers of #IndianNavy incl two women officers, and six officers of the @IndiaCoastGuard graduate as Observers on completion of training at INS Garuda, Kochi. RAdm PG Pynumootil (FONA) reviewed the parade & awarded the coveted Golden Wings to the officers. pic.twitter.com/WIoQhVdEYS  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) February 2, 2019

The officers would serve as the airborne tacticians of maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, it said.

Five experienced 'Observers' also graduated as qualified navigation instructors (QNIs) on the occasion. The QNIs were trained in instructional techniques to be applied both on ground and during flying, as well as provided in-depth knowledge of tactics and sensor exploitation.

The officers would now serve as instructors at the observer school before proceeding to take up operational assignments at various frontline naval air squadrons, the release said. The successful QNIs were also awarded the 'Instructor Torch' by FONA, it said.

Assistant Commandant Pushpender Kumar Upmanyu from the regular observer course was awarded the Uttar Pradesh trophy, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Trophy, and the SLt RV Kunte Memorial Book Prize on being adjudged 'first in overall order of merit', 'best in flying' and best in ground subjects respectively.

Sub-Lieutenant Apoorva Sharma from the SSC observer course was awarded all the three book prizes for being adjudged 'Best in Overall Order of Merit, Best in Flying and Best in ground subjects, the release added.Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah is scheduled to address 30,000 booth level workers here on February 9 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, said Goa BJP, Chief Vinay Tendulkar.

Tendulkar told ANI in a telephonic conversation that around 30,000 workers from 1642 booths will attend Shah's rally. Shah will also address 18,000 party workers at a rally in Uttarakhand's Dehradun on Saturday, said state BJP President Ajay Bhatt.

"Amit Shah will address the Trishul Sammelan. His visit will make a huge impact ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He will motivate the party workers to work hard for the elections and make sure that BJP wins all the seats in the state," Bhatt said. Last week, Shah did a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Una and Odisha and hit out at the Congress saying that the party's only OROP is "only Rahul only Priyanka".NOIDA: Hundreds of farmers, seeking enhanced compensation for their land acquired before 2013 in Uttar Pradesh, staged a protest at Delhi-Noida border on Saturday but ended it after a written assurance from officials that their concerns would be taken up with the state government.

The farmers under Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manveer Teotia, were protesting at the Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting UP and Delhi, which was briefly shut on Friday evening owing to their protest.

The farmers, numbering around 500 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut, were not allowed entry to central Delhi after which they stayed put at the DND junction in the cold weather until Saturday afternoon.

Many of them were women from villages, with their heads covered. They had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing "helplessness".

"We have tied our hands, if the police or the administration wants to take any action, they can do it and we will not respond to any force," a farmer said.

Senior officials of Gautam Buddh Nagar, including District Magistrate B N Singh and police chief Vaibhav Krishna, reached the site of the protest Saturday morning to pacify the farmers, even as a large number of policemen from UP and Delhi remained deployed.

The situation eased in the afternoon when the protestors agreed to a written assurance from the district administration.

"We have assured the farmers that their concerns would be taken up with authorities and the state government. They were satisfied with the assurance and the matter was resolved amicably," the district magistrate said.

However, Teotia warned he would return with the farmers to Delhi if officials did not walk their talk.

"We have accepted the written assurance from the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar after which we decided to call off the stir.

"If the exercise, the process of talks at the local level, does not begin from Monday and is not taken to the government through proper channel as assured, we will return to Delhi after a week," the agitation leader said.

SSP Krishna said the situation at the flyway has normalised and there was no obstruction to traffic movement by late afternoon.

"The protest got over around 2.30 PM and farmers have vacated the spot," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Teotia said farmers in western UP have been protesting for two years over "irregularities" in land acquisition between 2008 and 2012 but the state government has "not listened" to their requests.

"We are here to demand that we should be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013. Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh, a farmer from Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida, said.

According to the 2013 law, the owner of farms would be entitled to a compensation equivalent to four times the circle rate, and two times the circle rate in urban areas.

Kaale Singh said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest.

"Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," he said before the protest wrapped up.

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over the acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicenter of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years after that upheaval, the country got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.PATNA: Several RLSP workers were reportedly injured on Saturday after Bihar Police resorted to lathi-charge during the party's Jan Aakrosh Rally in state capital Patna.

RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha was also present during the rally and was also injured in the lathi-charge by the Bihar Police.

The RLSP chief accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of ordering the lathi-charge on party workers.

Kushwaha's party also shared pictures of those injured during the lathi-charge by police, on its Twiter handle.

Speaking to reporters, Kushwaha said that he and his colleagues were leading the rally peacefully when they were lathi-charged by the police during which several party workers were injured.

Condemning Nitish Kumar for lathi-charge Kushwaha said, How many Upendra Kushwahas you will beat? Many Upendra Kushwahas will rise to raise their voice against your dictatorial rule.

RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand too alleged that Kushwaha was also attacked by the cops while his supporters were taking him out from the venue.

Kushwaha was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he is undergoing treatment for the injuries.

It may be recalled that RLSP had called the Jan Akrosh Rally to highlight the collapse of school and higher education system in the state.

Addressing the gathering RLSP chief Kushwaha said under Nitish Kumars JD(U) and under 15 years of RJD rule the education system of the state has completely collapsed.

The RLSP rally was heading towards Raj Bhawan from the Gandhi Maidan to submit a memorandum to state's Governor demanding action for improving the educational system.

Kushwaha had quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last year in December and became part of 'Mahagathbandhan' led by Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar.

The decision was taken after RLSP failed to get any representation in the seat-sharing deal between the BJP and JD(U) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday slammed the Centre for betraying the state in its last budget.

Reacting to the Interim Budget 2019 presented in Parliament on Friday, Naidu said it had no mention of Andhra Pradesh.

Interacting with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers during a teleconference, the TDP chief said the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojna will not benefit the farmers. "How will Rs 16 per day improve the conditions of farmers? Are you giving alms to them?" Naidu questioned the Centre.

According to TDP sources, Naidu said there was nothing for the common man in the Budget 2019-20. He pointed out that for reservation under the Economically Backward Class (EBC) quota, the income limit is Rs 8 lakh but the income tax ceiling is Rs 5 lakh.

He claimed that there are many such contradictions in the budget.

Naidu said the budget failed to address the major issue of unemployment. Referring to a reported warning by China about rising unemployment in India, he blamed Bharatiya Janata Party`s wrong policies for the problem.

Naidu claimed that his government had done well to address the issue of unemployment in the state by providing employment to 14 lakh people during the last four-and-half years. Hundreds of people were employed in Kia Motors plant alone, he said.

The TDP chief said Friday would go down in the history of the state legislature as 100 MLAs wore black shirts to protest against the Centre`s 'unjust' attitude towards the state. He noted that the day-long shutdown on Friday in Andhra Pradesh was also successful.Being a celebrity is a big deal in Ghana because a lot of fun and love come along with it.

Even though there are so many celebrities in Ghana, some are really loved and revered.

Here, YEN.com.gh brings to you ten most loved Ghanaian celebrities currently.

READ ALSO: Video shows Pamela Odame Watara hanging out with Kofi Adjorlolo

1. Lilwin

Real name Kwadwo Nkansah, Lilwin is a Ghanaian actor. Almost about a decade now, Lilwin has become a household name in Ghana.

Movies that Lilwin features in are a must watch because of his comic character. He plays the role of both young and old.

Aside movies, Lilwin has released some songs which can be classified as hit songs.

His character both on set and in music makes him one of the most loved Ghanaian celebrities.

READ ALSO: Video of Lydia Forson in acrobatic display during photo shoot goes viral

2. Sarkodie

Sarkodie is a Ghanaian rapper. Real name Michael Owusu Addo, Sarkodie is loved by most Ghanaians, making his music one of the most played.

Over the past decade, Sarkodie has been a household name in Ghana.

His calm and gentle character makes him loved and cherished.

3. Stonebwoy

Known real life as Livingstone Etse Satekla, Stonebwoy is a reggae and dancehall artiste. Stonebwoy, over the years, has been treating Ghanaians with good music.

Stonebwoy's gentle and humble character is admired by most Ghanaians making him also one of the most loved Ghanaians.

4. Berla Mundi

Berla Mundi is one of Ghana's screen goddesses. She is the host of 'Late Afternoon Show' on GH One TV and Drive Time on Starr FM.

Starting as a contestant in Miss Malaika to becoming a radio and TV presenter, Berla Mundi has won herself so much love from Ghanaians.

Real name Berla Adadey, Berla Mundi is loved for her beauty, decency and intelligence both on the screen and radio.

5. Serwaa Amihere

Serwaa Amihere is a newscaster at GH One TV. Even though Serwaa has not kept long on TV, she has won a lot of love for herself due to her beauty and intelligence on the job.

She is one of the most watched TV personalities in Ghana.

6. Adjetey Annan

Popularly known as Pusher, Adjetey Annan is undoubtedly one of the best actors in Ghana.

From early 2000s, Ghana began to love Adjetey Annan when he starred in the popular TV series "Things We Do For Love". Since then, Adjetey Annan has become a household name.

Adjetey is loved for his decency and diplomacy.

7. Joselyn Dumas

Joselyn Dumas is a Ghanaian actress. Over the years, one most preffered face in movies is Joselyn.

Her beauty, decency and smartness make a lot of Ghanaians love her.

Joselyn is also a TV presenter who hosts a program called 'At Home With Joselyn Dumas'.

8. Shatta Wale

Real name Charles Nii Armah Mensah, Shatta Wale is undoubtedly one of the most loved artistes in Ghana.

Even though Shatta Wale is controversial, the love shown Shatta by many is unprecedented. People go to the extent to tattooing his image on their body.

9. Majid Michel

Majid Michel is a popular Ghanaian actor. Over the years, Majid has won the hearts of Ghanaians for his classic act in movies.

With several awards up his collection, Majid is well-respected and loved.

10. John Dumelo

John Dumelo is one of the most loved actors in Ghana. Over the years, his act in movies are well-accepted, making him one of the most preferred.

For his fine looks, John Dumelo has a lot of following and enjoys accolades from ladies.

READ ALSO: 5 things you should not tell a lady on the first date

Ghana News Today: Kidnap Cases Rock Ghana / Pentecost Church Bans Pre-Wedding Shoots| #Yencomgh

Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place.

Source: YenLeadership in the market

Forbes names Deloitte one of America's best management consulting firms for 2019

Forbes has once again named Deloitte Consulting LLP one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms. For the 2019 ranking, Deloitte received four or five-star rankings in all 32 categories.

Deloitte named a global leader in Internet of Things, services by independent research firm

Deloitte has been named a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) services in Forresters recent report The Forrester Wave: Global IoT Services For Connected Business Operations, Q4 2018. Deloitte received the highest scores in the Current Offering and Strategy categories.

Janet Foutty on C-suite challenges and the future of consulting in Forbes.com

Janet Foutty, chair of the board, profiled in a leadership Q&A about C-suite challenges, Deloitte Consulting LLP priorities, and her journey to CEO.

Consulting Magazine recognizes Larry Neiterman with 2018 Top 25 Consultants honor

Larry Neiterman, Principal and Chief Operating Officer for Deloitte Consulting LLP, has been named as one of the top 25 consultants for 2018 for his excellence in leadership by Consulting Magazine.

Janet Foutty shares 2017 Executive Outlook in Consulting magazine annual survey

Janet Foutty, chair of the board, on the firms 2017 Outlook, biggest challenges, and opportunities. Read the Q&A in Consulting magazines 2017 Executive Outlook issue.

Consulting magazine recognizes Heather Reilly with 2016 Women Leaders in Consulting award, honored with Future Leader award

Heather Reilly, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, was named as one of the Women Leaders in Consulting for 2016 by Consulting magazine.

CFO Magazine readers voted Deloitte the top "Accounting Firm" and the top "Management Consulting Firm"

CFO Magazine readers voted Deloitte the top "Accounting Firm" ("Audit and Enterprise Risk, Advisory, and Tax Services") among the Big Four and the Top "Management Consulting Firm" in the publishing company's first-annual Readers' Choice Awards (June 2016).

Deloitte a leader in Business Transformation Consulting

Deloitte has been named a global leader in Business Transformation consulting by Forrester Research, Inc., in the report The Forrester Wave: Business Transformation Consultancies, Q3 2015.

Gartner has ranked Deloitte as the No. 1 global consulting organization

For the fifth consecutive year, Gartner has ranked Deloitte member firms as the number one global consulting organization based on 2014 market share revenue in their report Market Share Analysis: Consulting Services Worldwide, 2014.

Deloitte named a leader for business consulting globally by IDC

For the fifth consecutive year, IDC has named Deloitte Consulting member firm practices and advisory businesses globally as a leader in worldwide and regional consulting capabilities and business strategies.

Deloitte Consulting client wins Government Transformation Award of Excellence

Our automation and enhancement of the disability insurance system for Californias Employment Development Department was chosen for the award over 30 other California state IT projects.

Deloitte recognized globally for 4th consecutive year in The Worlds Best Outsourcing Advisors for 2014

IAOPs ninth annual ranking recognizes Deloittes advisory capabilities

Consulting Magazine's top 25 consultants of 2014

Christina Bieniek, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP was named as one of the top 25 consultants of 2014 by Consulting Magazine.

Kennedy has named Deloitte the global leader in HR Transformation Consulting

Deloitte has been named the global leader in HR Transformation Consulting based on Kennedy's recently released report entitled HR Transformation Consulting Market.Today

Sunny. Very hot. High 108F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds. Low around 80F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 107F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.Latest News

Phoenix, Arizona - Over the month of January, Arizona has worked to bring greater attention and awareness to the horrific crime of human trafficking as a part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Arizona remains committed to combating human trafficking, protecting victims' rights and holding perpetrators accountable.

Lighting Arizona Blue

Together through the collaborative work of the Arizona Human Trafficking Council, Cindy McCain, the McCain Institute, Arizona's law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders, Arizona is becoming a national leader in human trafficking awareness.

Earlier this month, Governor Ducey directed the Arizona Capitol to be lit blue in recognition of these efforts. Arizona's state agencies joined the efforts to raise awareness:

Governor Ducey And Cindy McCain Call For End To Human Trafficking

Governor Ducey toured the Phoenix Dream Center, a local non-profit serving more than 250 trafficking victims each year. The governor joined Cindy McCain to highlight the progress made last year training more than 31,000 Arizonans to recognize signs of human trafficking.Latest News

Arlington, Virginia - Remarks by Vice President Pence at DEA Employee Engagement Event:

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I want to thank the Acting Administrator for his great leadership of this agency, and for his service and his words today. And to the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Rod Rosenstein, thank you for your service to the people of the United States. Would you join me in thanking these two great leaders for all they do for the American people? (Applause.)

Its an honor to be with all of you today and with these great leaders and all those you represent  some 10,000 law enforcement personnel not just around America, but around the world who are working every day to protect American families and defend this nation from the scourge of drug abuse, addiction, and the crime and syndicates and violence associated with it. It is an honor to be at the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Thank you for your service. (Applause.)

And its a privilege to be able to come here today to receive a briefing from your senior leadership about the status of our efforts, in this hemisphere and around the world, in combatting drug abuse and addiction.

And before I get started, let me bring greetings from a great champion of law enforcement, a great champion of this agency, and someone who works every day to make sure you have the resources and the support that you need to protect the American people  I bring greetings from the 45th President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. (Applause.)

As the President said not long ago, there is nobody that deserves respect more than the men and women of law enforcement. And I see that everywhere he travels around this country. And I can see, on your faces, gathered here today, that you know you have a President, you have an entire administration that appreciates the work that you do defending the American people.

And Im really here today not just to learn more about the important work of this agency that each one of you do every day, here and around the country and around the world, but really also just to say thank you, to pay a debt of gratitude to each and every one of you for the efforts that you make on behalf of Americas families.

Its amazing to think that, every day, men and women of the DEA serve on the frontlines of law enforcement here at home and in 69 other countries around the world, oftentimes risking your lives to protect the American people from deadly drugs and the criminal organizations that profit from trafficking it in our country.

I can assure you that every American is grateful for the careers represented in this room and for the efforts of the men and women who are gathered here. As I sat at the briefing table, just a few moments ago, I asked all the senior leadership to tell me how many years theyd been at the DEA. And only six of them spoke, and I counted up 200 years. (Laughter.) Would you give yourselves another round of applause for the long record of service that each of you have provided? (Applause.)

I could tell from them and I can tell from all of you that you know this is a calling. Its a calling to serve and protect the American people here at the DEA. And thanks to all of you for the many, many years youve invested in that.

And I want to assure you: This President has your back. From the first month after taking office, the President signed an executive order to strengthen the authority of the DEA and law enforcement at every level to combat transnational criminal organizations, drug cartels, and gangs that threaten the American people.

The President also signed into law a historic opioid bill that gives the DEA and your partners in addiction prevention and treatment programs around the world the tools and resources that you need to combat this crisis as never before.

And, at the Presidents direction, our administration is hard at work, as we speak, with leaders in Congress to ensure that next years budget gives you the resources you need to hire even more special agents and fill other positions that are vital to carrying out the DEAs missions. You fight for us every day; we are going to fight for you. Thats a promise. (Applause.)

So, weve made progress, as the Deputy Attorney General said, in the last two years. But the people in this room and the people that are looking on around the country and around the world know there is much work yet to be done.

The truth is  and the President and I are very aware of this  the truth is that your jobs are as difficult and as dangerous today as ever before, largely driven by a crisis on our southern border fueling the very criminal syndicates and drug traffickers that youre dedicated to fighting.

Its remarkable to think that, on any given day, some 2,000 individuals attempt to come into this country illegally. And for the first time ever, the vast majority of those are families and unaccompanied minors, driven by human traffickers and the cartels in an attempt to overwhelm our system to create even more access to the American people for their nefarious trade.

The men and women of the DEA know firsthand the reality and the challenges that we face along our southern border and in this hemisphere. Transnational criminal organizations in Mexico and Central America represent one of the greatest national security and public health threats in America. And every day that our southern border remains unsecured gives these criminals yet another opportunity to peddle their poison and spread their violence into communities large and small across this country.

Now, let me assure you, as the debate goes on on Capitol Hill, one way or another, this President and this administration is going to secure our southern border for the sake of the American people and all of you who enforce our laws. (Applause.)

And the challenges are real. Over the past two years, Im informed that DEA agents have helped seize more than 50 million pounds of illicit drugs  50 million pounds that youve apprehended  in domestic and foreign operations. Last year alone, DEA captured more than a half a million pounds of meth, 55,000 pounds of heroin, 1.7 million pounds of cocaine, and 1 ton of fentanyl. This is incredible work, and its lifesaving work that youve done.

We hear the tragic stories every day, in every community of this country, of drug abuse, addiction, overdose. Ive sat with families at kitchen tables with an empty chair, and we know those stories. But the American people also deserve to know there are tragedies that never happened because of the work of the DEA, and the drugs that you stopped, and the criminal organizations that you disrupt. And, for that, you have our thanks and our admiration.

A reality is, though, as we talk about securing our southern border, all of you know that many of our drugs still enter our nation through our southern border. Ninety percent of heroin, that claims 300 lives every single week in overdoses across this country comes through our southern border. Im informed that 60 percent of the marijuana that makes its way into the United States from our southern border comes through areas apart from our ports of entry. And, again, it underscores the reason why this President and this administration remain so determined to secure our border.

And well do just that. Well do it, as the Acting Administrator said just a few moments ago to me. He said its important that we do this end to end  that we have a physical barrier on our southern border, that we deploy personnel, that we deploy technologies.

What the President is calling on the Congress to do today is an all-of-the-above strategy, but all-of-the-above includes a wall. All-of-the-above includes a physical barrier in the critical, high-density areas where our law enforcement communities says its most needed. And were going to continue to fight for just that.

The truth is Mexican and Central American drug cartels are the principal wholesale source of drugs for street-level gangs and dealers across the United States. And the American people deserve to know it. Their deadly trade has brought untold suffering to millions of American families.

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for adults under 55 years of age. And, in 2016, across America, 174 people lost their lives to drug overdose every single day.

The illicit drug trade not only claims the lives of tens of thousands of Americans every year, it also strengthens those criminal syndicates that the DEA works across this hemisphere and around the world to confront. It strengthens some of the most dangerous criminal syndicates in the world and fuels their heinous activities, from extortion to the unspeakable tragedy of human trafficking.

These threats radiate across this hemisphere and extend the reach  and by extending the reach, rather, of Americas law enforcement community, we are making America safer and more secure in ways that reach far beyond the criminal enterprise of drugs.

Through this work, youve helped stem the tide of drugs into our community, but youve also impacted these criminal organizations. I particularly would point to the DEAs extraordinary work in Venezuela, a nation in crisis even as we speak, where your investigations have targeted the corrupt narco-dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro, and helped bring drug trafficking indictments and convictions against several members of Maduros family and inner circle.

The DEA has played a role, and now we see an Interim President in Venezuela. Freedom is rising in Venezuela, and your efforts have made a difference in empowering the people of Venezuela to reclaim their liberty.

As the free world has watched, youve made contributions, there and around the world, in challenging criminal syndicates and corruption in government.

In the days ahead, I just want to promise you that we will continue to stand strongly with each and every one of you to make sure  from our southern border, to every aspect of law enforcement in our country and within this agency  that you have the resources that you need to accomplish your mission and come home safe. I mean, the reality is that you have no ordinary jobs. You deal with a criminal element that is vile and violent without regard to human life.

And I want to assure you that not only do you have the gratitude of your President and our entire administration for the work that each one of you do every day; not only do you have the gratitude of the American people for the work the DEA affects every single day, but I am confident that you also have the prayers of the American people.

And I close today just simply with a prayer from those ancient words that, as you do your work, as you enforce our laws, as you save American families and communities, large and small, from the tragic scourge of drug abuse addiction and the tragedy that follows from it, that we pray that no harm would overtake you, no disaster would come near you, and that He will guard you in all your ways as you guard the American people.

Thank you all. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Arizona and six other western states draw water from the Colorado River, which has its source as Lake Mead. In Arizona, roughly 40 percent of the water we use comes from the Colorado River, supporting economic sectors as agriculture, industry and household uses.

The Problem:

Arizonas water supply is threatened by a 19-year drought. Facing dwindling water levels in Lake Mead, the federal government has ordered Arizona and its neighboring states to conserve more water in the lake - or face harmful water cuts.

If Lake Mead reaches critically low levels, Arizona could lose access to up to 17 percent of its water allocation, the equivalent of losing a years worth of water for one million Arizona households.

Taking Action: The Drought Contingency Plan

Since July 28, 2018, 40 stakeholders representing diverse interests from across Arizona have worked to develop whats known as the Drought Contingency Plan, or DCP. These stakeholders included members of both parties and chambers of the Arizona Legislature as well as individuals representing interests such as agriculture, cities, industry, tribal communities, non-profits, and more.

On December 6, 2018, the stakeholders approved a plan that balances water reductions in the state to ensure no one user is taking the brunt and spells out ways that Arizona will contribute to conserving more water in Lake Mead.

How Is The Legislature Involved?

Some components of DCP must be approved by Arizonas legislature while others involve private agreements between various water users.

Currently, the Legislature is considering parallel bills in the House and Senate that enable DCP to be ratified. One bill authorizes Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke to sign-on to the interstate Drought Contingency Plan on behalf of Arizona. The other bill allows for certain water stakeholders within Arizona to make agreements on water usage rights and provides $30 million in Lake Mead conservation, $2 million for ground water conservation, and $9 million for Pinal County agriculture infrastructure projects.

Why is this important now?

The Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages the storage reservoirs on the Colorado River, set a January 31 deadline for the seven Colorado River basin states to agree to a plan. If the deadline is not met, the Bureau has said it will post a federal notice asking the seven basin states to provide recommendations for a course of action, which would restrict Arizonas ability to determine its own water future.News

Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey signed historic legislation ratifying Arizonas Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), marking the passage of one of the most significant pieces of water legislation in Arizona since the Groundwater Management Act of 1980. The legislation allows Arizona to join six other western states and Mexico in signing onto an inter-state water agreement and spells out ways Arizona will contribute to conserving more water from the Colorado River.

Today is historic for Arizona, said Governor Ducey. The Drought Contingency Plan is the most significant water legislation passed in nearly 40 years - and it was done by putting party labels aside and putting Arizona first. But make no mistake: today marks an important step, but not the last step, needed to protect our water supply. As Arizona transitions to a drier future, we must continue to promote a culture of conservation - one that enables the unbeatable quality of life and boundless opportunity we enjoy. My thanks to President Fann, Speaker Bowers, Leaders Bradley and Fernandez, Director Buschatzke and General Manager Ted Cooke, as well as the many stakeholders and everyone who worked together to get this deal done. I look forward to building on this bipartisan success to ensure Arizona remains a leader in water conservation policies and that we can truly secure Arizonas water future for generations to come.

On behalf of the Department of the Interior, we applaud the action of Arizona to pass legislation authorizing completion of the Drought Contingency Plan for the Colorado River, said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. This is an historic day for Arizona and with this huge step forward, we are more optimistic than ever that all seven Colorado River Basin States will put a plan in place to protect the Basin this year. Today represents an important day for all Arizonans  they should be proud of their water leaders.

Governor Ducey today also issued an Executive Order creating the Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council. The council, comprised of legislative leadership, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and other appointees, will recommend opportunities for long-term water conservation, continuing Arizonas proactive approach to securing our states water supply.

Background:

Facing a 19-year drought, Arizona along with six other western states and Mexico were tasked with developing a plan by January 31 to conserve more water in Lake Mead, from which Arizona gets nearly 40 percent of its water.

Since July 28, 2018, 40 stakeholders representing diverse interests from across Arizona have worked to develop whats known as the Drought Contingency Plan. The plan balances water reductions in the state to ensure no one user is taking the brunt.

Two bills that enable Arizona to ratify the Drought Contingency Plan were signed by Governor Ducey today:Venice, FL (34285)

Today

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

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Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 76F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Eckard has been formally charged with child abuse not resulting in serious bodily injury, a Class 3A felony. Judge James Stecker explained to Eckard that she is now facing a possible maximum sentence of three years in prison, a $10,000 fine and 9-18 months of post-release supervision, if she is convicted.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the court, this case began when the York County Sheriffs Department was contacted by officials with Nebraska Health and Human Services. It is alleged, according to the court document filed by investigators, that Eckard intentionally burned an 8-year-old child on the hand three times with the lit end of a cigarette. It is also alleged that Eckard told the child to say the injuries occurred while playing in a bouncy house.CAIRO -- A spokesman for Jordan's Foreign Ministry says the country will host a round of U.N.-backed talks between the internationally recognized government of Yemen and the Shiite Houthi rebels, about a prisoner swap deal next week.

Sufian Al-Qudah said Saturday that Jordan agreed to host the Yemenis at the U.N.'s request.

The conflict in Yemen began after the Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in September 2014, and it was exacerbated when a Saudi-led coalition, supported by the U.S., launched a devastating air campaign in 2015 to reinstall the government.Benjamin Netanyahu's time in office is probably nearing an end, and not only are his anger and resentment over the role of the judicial system in his decline are far from impressive, he is really the last person to complain. For it was the legal system that led to Netanyahu's return to office, when it ousted his predecessor Ehud Olmert.

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Moreover, the approach of law enforcement agencies towards Netanyahu is far more lenient than it was to Olmert or even Yitzhak Rabin.

Rabin was ousted over an illicit American bank account, even though it was an offense that carried no moral turpitude and for which there was a possibility of merely a fine. But the attorney general at the time prevented this - and led to a revolution that brought Menachem Begin to power. Olmert was subjected to unbridled pursuit, including the unjustifiably early court testimony by Moshe Talansky, a move that effectively ended his tenure as prime minister.

Ehud Olmert returns to prison after a furlough, 2016

The attitude of the judicial system toward Netanyahu is much more moderate: One only need look at the statements made at the start of the investigation into the so-called submarine affair, and the way in which Netanyahu was exonerated, not to mention the fact that many of the details of this case are still under wraps.

There is nonetheless some truth to Netanyahu's claims both about the leaks against him and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's primetime television appearance (even though he managed to say nothing of significance). But then again, the leaks against the current prime minister are nothing compared to what happened during Olmert's era, and I do not recall any indignant objections from Netanyahu at the time.

It is clear that there are serious problems relating to the legal system, its functioning, its relationship to other governmental authorities, and the violation of human rights within criminal law.

One such problem is the authority of the attorney general, who holds powers that no democratic state should give to an unelected official. The AG's strange combination of prosecutorial power and advisory authority has created an unnatural, not to say sick situation, in which he is responsible for the investigations into Netanyahu while also acting as his top legal adviser. Imagine, for example, if Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, were also serving concurrently as Donald Trump's adviser on all administrative and government matters in the US.

Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and AG Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

But the necessary confrontation of these problems can only get underway after Netanyahu's term ends, and should be done with clear understandings between the post-Netanyahu government and the main opposition party.

Separation of counsel from prosecution is essential for the reasonable and healthy functioning of both. Simultaneously, there is a need for a system of oversight of the prosecution. Netanyahu and his people are currently complaining about selective, discriminatory law enforcement, and on some points they are correct. But Netanyahu failed to take care of this when he could have done so, and now we must wait for the end of his tenure.

Finally, there is the Supreme Court's intrusion into the domains of the executive and legislative branches, including on the abolition of basic laws. The handling of this important matter will also have to wait for the post-Netanyahu government to take action in a responsible, rational and practical manner.The renovation of a mosque on the boundary of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem has local residents worried. They warn that the imminent reopening of the mosque, which lay empty for years, is a provocation that could harm the status quo in the politically fragile neighborhood.

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The mosque is located at the entrance to the Jewish Quarter, close to its border with the Armenian Quarter.

"I've been living in this neighborhood for 31 years. We have no problem with the mosque itself, it's been there forever," says Jewish Quarter resident Shoshana Se-Lavan. "But if it resumes operations, it will be a provocation. There are no Arabs living in this area, it's like us building a synagogue in the middle of the Muslim Quarter."

Al-Disi Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City

"No one informed us about the renovations in advance, we live here quietly with (all) people and look for no kind of trouble, but the green lights they installed there this week shine into our homes, and if they install loud speakers for the call to prayer it will upset our daily lives."

Pnina Seidel has been living in the Jewish Quarter for the past 36 years, and paints a similar picture: "Of course that there are mosques everywhere in the Old City and around Jerusalem, we aren't arguing with the fact that the city is holy for everybody. But that mosque is right at the entrance to the Jewish Quarter. It's been inactive for so many years and now everything there is ready to go, they just have the speakers to install."

Seidel said she wants the authorities to take charge of the situation, but that every attempt the community has made to get their attention went unanswered. "We see it as something that damages the community's privacy and independent life in the Jewish Quarter," she added.

The Masjid Ad Disi (Al-Disi Mosque) is located on Chabad Street, and despite the inscription on its entrance that says "the Islamic Waqf Office," meaning its revenues woud go to Muslim public welfare projects, the Israel Police say the building is in private hands, and thus its owners can renovate freely.

Rabbi Efraim Holtzberg of the Old City's rabbinical council sent a letter to Jerusalem's chief of police, asking him to intervene. "The public is simmering, they fear loudspeakers will be installed (for the five times daily call to prayer) in an area with no Muslim inhabitants. It's a clear provocation meant to break the peace and harm the public wellbeing."

The Jewish Quarter's rabbis fear that if the police doesn't halt the re-opening of the Al-Disi Mosque, other abandoned mosques around the Old City might be next, including one that is right next door to the famous 18th century Hurva Synagogue, a venue that draws many Jewish visitors.

The Jerusalem Municipality said in response: "Following a complaint we received a few days ago about the building of a room on the roof (of the mosque), we considered the matter and demolished the room. The Jerusalem Municipality will continue to preserve the status quo in the city and won't allow any kind of actions against it."Instead of throwing a big bar mitzvah party, 13 year old Eyal Oron from Mevasseret Zion decided to ask his guests to donate money to Make-A-Wish Israel , a nonprofit organization that arranges fun activities to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.

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Eyal sent letters to all family members and friends asking them to donate money to the organization instead of gifting it to him for his bar mitzvah.

Eyal and his grandmother Rina

"I'm raising money in memory of my late grandmother Rina, who passed away from cancer two years ago," Eyal wrote to his guests."While she was ill she kept saying, 'I don't sit and wait for bad times to pass, instead I create better times for myself.'

"I'm not religious, so being called up to the Torah is not something I would do. I personally don't find there's anything special to celebrate at a bar mitzvah event, it's not like I go to bed and become a man overnight. Coming of age doesnt make me worthy of receiving big sums of money, so I decided to donate it to someone who needs it more than I do," he said.

"My grandmother died of cancer two years ago. I know how hard it is to watch someone you love suffer from cancer ... She was a great woman in every way: she was a lawyer who helped people, she was smart and kind. Family and friends were important to her; she wanted to lend a hand to people who needed help," he said.

Rina and her grandchildren

"The idea to raise money for Make-a-Wish came from my mother, Rina, while she herself was ill with cancer," said Shelly Oron, Eyal's mother. "My eldest son Tomer was the first to take the initiative and donate his bar mitzvah money to an organization that distributes food to the poor. We explained that instead of giving my son the money, we asked them to donate it. Now, Eyal is following in Tomer's footsteps."

She aded: "My mother used to live next door. She was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 74. Eyal was 10 at the time and saw his grandmother fade away in front of his eyes. They had a special bond, they talked a lot and she was very involved."

Make-A-Wish Israel fulfills wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses. The organization was founded in Israel in 1996 and has since fulfilled 4,000 wishes. The wishes vary from new toys to meetings with celebrities to trips abroad.

"The strong bond between the child and his grandmother, which led to his decision to raise money for a good cause is very special and exciting. We help children with serious illnesses, not just cancer. When we ask them what they wish for their eyes sparkle. For us, it's a great privilege to lift their spirits in challenging times," said Make-A-Wish Israel founder, Denise Bar-Aharon.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.Trump blasts Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam for flip-flopping on racist photo, refusing to resign originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam defiantly refused to resign Saturday and denied that he was in the racist yearbook photo that led to widespread calls for him to step down immediately.

The photo, revealed on Friday, shows two men, one in a full Ku Klux Klan robe and hood and another in blackface, on Northam's medical school yearbook page from 1984. Northam graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School.

(MORE: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam facing calls for resignation after participating in racist 1984 yearbook photo')

"Yesterday I took responsibility for content that appeared on my page that was clearly racist and offensive. I will not excuse the content of the photo. It was offensive, racist and despicable. I was seeing it for the first time. I was unaware of what was on my page. I was appalled that they appeared on my page," Northam said at a lengthy press conference at Virginia's Executive Mansion.

"I believe now I am not either of the people in that photo. It is disgusting, offensive, racist," Northam said.

PHOTO: This image shows Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's page in his 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. The page shows a picture of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood next to different pictures of the governor. (Eastern Virginia Medical School via AP)

The explanation did not stop the growing tide of politicians from calling on him to resign.

President Donald Trump took multiple shots at the Democrat on Saturday night, tweeting, "Democrat Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia just stated, 'I believe that I am not either of the people in that photo.' This was 24 hours after apologizing for appearing in the picture and after making the most horrible statement on 'super' late term abortion. Unforgivable."

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The comment on late-term abortions was a reference to the controversy that surrounded Northam, prior to the yearbook photo emerging, about allowing the controversial practice in his state.

The president also managed to slam Ed Gillespie, whom Northam beat in last November's election, though. Trump endorsed Gillespie multiple times in the lead up to the election, but criticized his opposition research Saturday night.

Story continues

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As recently as Friday night, Northam admitted that he was in the photo and apologized for it. But on Saturday, he reversed his earlier statement and said he was not in the photo. He said that he never bought the yearbook and had never seen the page before the news broke on Friday.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," Northam said in a statement Friday night. "This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment."

(MORE: Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigns after blackface images emerge)

He did not specify on Friday whether he was the person photographed in the KKK robe or the one in blackface.

But with his wife, Pam, at his side, he acknowledged that the sudden about-face may strain his credibility.

"I recognize that this will be difficult for others to believe," Northam said. "I conceded that based on the evidence presented to me at the time. In the hours after I reflected with my family and my classmates."

He said he wanted to address the "hurt" and apologize right away.

PHOTO: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam prepares to address a news conference at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Jan. 31, 2019. (Steve Helber/AP, FILE)

The governor did share that he participated in a dance contest in San Antonio in 1984, darkening his face "as part of a Michael Jackson costume." But he never appeared in blackface again, he said.

Northam also categorically denied any association with the Ku Klux Klan.

There is no way I have ever been in a KKK uniform, Northam said.

(MORE: Police officer under investigation after alleged racist social media video)

The governor said he would not resign because staying in office and furthering the conversation about race "is the more difficult path" and that he did not want to take the "easy path."

"What I really want to do is talk about the racism and discrimination that I have fought against," he said.

Earlier Saturday, a source close to Northam, who requested not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, told ABC News that Northam had been calling friends from medical school in an attempt to identify the men in the picture.

Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Governors office at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. The demonstrators are calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam after a 30 year old photo of him on his medi (The Associated Press)

During the press conference, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a statement calling on Northam to resign.

I spoke with Governor Northam this morning. His past actions are completely antithetical to everything the Democratic Party stands for," DNC Chair Tom Perez wrote. "It's time for Ralph Northam to step aside and let Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax serve Virginians as their next governor.

The statement echoed an earlier call from the Democratic Party of Virginia on Saturday that Northam should step down immediately and be replaced by Fairfax.

"We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning - we have gotten word he will not do so this morning. We stand with Democrats across Virginia and the country calling him to immediately resign. He no longer has our confidence or our support. Governor Northam must end this chapter immediately, step down, and let Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax heal Virginia's wounds and move us forward. We can think of no better person than Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to do so," the statement said.

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The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus also renewed its call for Northam to resign.

"He had irrevocably lost the faith and trust of the people he was elected to serve. Changing his public story today now casts further doubt on his ability to regain that trust," the caucus said in a statement.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, released his own statement on Northam.

"This is a reprehensible picture that is deeply disappointing and I know must come with pain beyond what many of us can even understand," he said Saturday. "Resignation is the only way forward.

Gina Raimondo, the head of the Democratic Governors Association and governor of Rhode Island, said she wanted Northam to resign.

"It is time for Gov. Northam to resign and allow Lt. Gov. Fairfax to lead Virginia forward," she said.

ABC News' John Verhovek contributed to this report.Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Tuesday hailed an economic deal with key ally Iran as a bulwark against what he described as an "economic war" waged by the West.

Assad spoke the day after the allies signed a string of agreements including a long-term "economic cooperation" deal ahead of reconstruction in the war-torn country.

"These deals... will help consolidate Syrian and Iranian resilience against the economic war waged against them by some Western states", the presidency quoted him as saying.

Assad called for "intensifying common efforts to stave off these countries that keep trying to weaken both countries", it said.

The United States has reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, while it and the European Union have also blacklisted several Damascus officials and Syrian businessmen.

The 11 deals and memoranda of understanding signed on Monday covered fields including the economy, culture, education, infrastructure, investment and housing.

They were signed during the visit of Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri to the Syrian capital.

Iran and Syria had already signed a military cooperation agreement in August while Tehran has supported Damascus economically during the conflict through oil deliveries and several lines of credit.

With help from allies including Iran and Russia, the regime has gained ground against rebels and jihadists since 2015 and controls nearly two-thirds of the country.

The civil war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It has also taken an enormous toll on the Syrian economy and infrastructure, with the United Nations estimating the cost of war-related destruction at about $400 billion.Gettysburg, PA (17325)

Today

Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 92F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan's prime minister said Saturday that an ongoing protest campaign should "be respected," but insisted only an election could decide the government's fate.

"In my view, the voice of demonstrators needs to be respected," Moutaz Mousa Abdallah told reporters in the capital Khartoum.

"It is a respectable youth movement." But "me and my government believes that the only way to change the government is through elections," he said.

Deadly protests have rocked the east African country since December 19 after the government announced a tripling of bread prices.

The protests swiftly escalated into nationwide demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule.

Mousa Abdallah, who was appointed by Bashir in a reshuffle last September, said that the protest campaign -- which has seen near-daily demonstrations -- should be viewed with "an open mind".

Anger has mounted across Sudan for years over deteriorating living conditions and growing hardship.

Mousa Abdallah said protesters' expectations of better economic conditions represented a "legitimate demand".

The protest campaign has been led by the Sudanese Professionals Association, an umbrella group of teachers, doctors and engineers.

Analysts say the campaign has become the biggest challenge yet to Bashir, who swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.

Bashir, 75, is considering running for a third elected presidential term in polls due next year.

He has likewise repeatedly said only an election can yield a change of government.

Mousa Abdallah said Saturday "we are ready to offer a transparent election process."

Protesters chanting "freedom, peace, justice," -- the rallying cry of the protest movement -- have demanded the president resign.

Bashir has remained defiant, addressing loyalist counter demonstrations and visiting regional allies to seek support.

Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence since demonstrations initially erupted in the farming town of Atbara, before spreading to Khartoum and other cities.

Rights group Human Rights Watch says at least 51 protesters have been killed in the violence.Mark Episkopos

Security, Europe

Does Moscow even need a carrier?

Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Is in Serious Trouble

From crashing two aircraft in less than two week to being accompanied by massive tugboats wherever it goes, the last several years have not been kind to Russias sole, geriatric aircraft carrier.

Most recently, a 70-ton crane smashed into Admiral Kuznetsovs hull as the PD-50 floating drydock that housed it sank . The PD-50 incident sparked a new round of speculation concerning Admiral Kuznetsovs future; while the Kremlin insists that Kuznetsovs major 2020 overhaul will proceed as planned, observers remain skeptical .

Can Admiral Kuznetsov be saved, and is it worth saving given the colossal costs involved? Here are Moscows options.

The Kremlin announced in November 2018 that they intend to recover PD-50, but technical and financial problems abound. According to Russian media reports citing sources familiar with the situation, both of PD-50s cranes are lost and other serious damage was likely sustained. Once recovered, Russian engineers will either have to take the risk of servicing it while afloat or undertake the expensive, harrowing process of bringing it ashore. Repairing PD-50 will take at least half a year, and likely more pending the unforeseen challenges implicit in this massive undertaking.

The other option is to continue the overhaul with a different drydock, but it remains unclear if Russia owns a suitable replacement for PD-50. The Novorossiysk-based PD-190 seemed as one of the few viable candidate fresh off the PD-50 disaster, but has since fallen by the wayside according to United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) chief Alexei Rakhmanov.

Even before the added costs of repairing the gash in Admiral Kuznetsovs hull caused by the falling crane, both Russian and western analysts have raised serious questions as to whether or not the aging Admiral Kuznetsov platform can be modernized in a cost-effective way.

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At what point does a  deep refit -- including new turbines and boiler systems, new electronics suite, and new weapons and communications systems-- become so deep that it makes long-term financial sense to simply start from scratch on a modern, more sustainable foundation? Russian state news reported the possibility of the Russian Navy getting a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by the end of 2030, but development details on the unnamed project remain exceedingly scant.

In the absence of viable domestic options, the only other way to save Admiral Kuznetsov is to service it on a foreign drydock. But after a short-lived spurt of initial speculation, there is no indication that China-- by far the likeliest candidate -- is seriously exploring this prospect.

There is, however, a silver lining to Admiral Kuznetsovs predicament. The Russian military has been provided with a natural opportunity to reevaluate their strategic priorities; namely, do they really need an aircraft carrier?

Russia, in all of its incarnations, has always been a land power with a completely different set of military priorities from a maritime nation like United States. Whereas the US Navy is designed with the capacity to project force across the world, the Soviet and now Russian Navy exists largely to secure Russias vast Eurasian frontiers. The Soviet Union never prioritized the construction of a heavy-class aircraft carrier simply because their naval strategy didnt need one.

As the Slava and Kirov-class cruisers demonstrated , the Russians are more interested in finding ways to destroy American aircraft carriers than building their own. Even Admiral Kuznetsov was built not to project Russian air power in distant lands, but as a combat platform against American carriers.

Given all the pressing defense expenditures requiring Russian attention , it falls on the Kremlin to decide whether the resources required to maintain what is becoming little more than a prestige symbol could be better spent elsewhere.

Mark Episkopos is a frequent contributor toThe National Interest and serves as research assistant at the Center for the National Interest. Mark is also a PhD student in History at American University.

Read full articleThe Daily Beast

KOEN VAN WEEL/AFP via Getty ImagesArchie Harrison and his sister Lili may still be prince and princess after all. And they could have Camilla Parker Bowles to thank for it.Prominent royal historian Robert Lacey has told U.K. paper The Times that the issue has been discussed at the highest level and that the queen will not change existing rules, which would ultimately see Archie and Lili named prince and princess, in her lifetime. Any move to deprive the children of their titles would likely haWikimedia Commons

Stratfor Worldview

Security,

What happens now?

RIP INF: China, Russia, and America May Enter into a Deadly Arms Race

Highlights

 The end of the INF treaty would again place Europe between Russian and U.S. intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

 Withdrawing from the INF allows the U.S. military to build up a formidable arsenal of missiles to challenge China and Russia.

 The termination of the treaty will galvanize an arms race between the great powers and could threaten the future of the New START arms control agreement.

President Donald Trump announced on October 20 that he intends to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. That agreement prohibits the deployment of nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, defined as 500-5,500 kilometers (310-3,410 miles). While the withdrawal will allow the U.S. military to build a formidable arsenal of missiles to challenge China and Russia, the treaty's termination will undoubtedly stoke a budding arms race between global great powers, and it could lead to the demise of other key arms control treaties such as the New START agreement.

In recent years, the United States has accused Russia of violating the INF treatyand has tried to force Moscow to comply using sanctions and weapons development. The Russians, however, have refused to adhere to U.S. demands and have accused the United States of violating the treaty. These mutual recriminations have rendered the INF treaty quite vulnerable over the past two decades. But until now, both parties considered the cornerstone arms control agreement, which halted a destabilizing buildup of intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe during the 1980s, too pivotal to withdraw from.

But several factors have pushed the United States to its tipping point, including the growing power of China, Russia's continuing INF violations and the ascent of ardent arms-control skeptics in the White House like national security adviser John Bolton. It's possible that the U.S. withdrawal announcement is part of a last-ditch ploy to pressure Russia as Bolton goes there to talk about the INF and other issues (The United States has to notify Russia six months before its formal withdrawal). But the Russians are unlikely to flinch and return to compliance. Indeed, Moscow is actually set to benefit from not being the first party to withdraw from the INF, meaning the demise of the treaty is almost inevitable.

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Reaching a Tipping Point

Although the United States and the Soviet Union were the signatories of the INF Treaty, China has increasingly become a key consideration in the treaty's consequences over the past two decades. Not affected by the INF's limits, China has built up a massive land-based arsenal of short- and intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles as part of its wider military modernization. This powerful arsenal allows China to challenge U.S. and allied forces in the Western Pacific. And China's growing military capabilities have caused increasing concern for the Russian military, which lacks similar missiles.

While Russia was willing to violate the INF by developing and reportedly fielding some missiles prohibited by the treaty, Moscow was not willing to be the first to abandon the INF outright. This is largely due to the much-improved relationship between Moscow and Beijing over the past few years, which dampened the need for Russia to gear up too dramatically against China. The Kremlin has also been committed to retaining a moral high ground and protecting its reputation as a responsible actor by not being the first to leave the INF.

For the United Stateswhich has begun designing banned weapons but has not yet violated the treatyChina's growing military might was really the largest driver behind the White House's decision to outright withdraw from the treaty. The United States is now considering a major buildup of land-based intermediate-range missiles to challenge China and does not want to be limited by the INF treaty in any way.

On October 19, The New York Times reported that the U.S. military is preparing to deploy ground-based versions of the U.S. Tomahawk missile in Asia as an initial counter to the Chinese. And the U.S. Army in recent months has also been outlining its plans for developing and fielding ground-based systems with ranges exceeding one thousand kilometers. Weapons such as these would come in handy against China if deployed along the first island chain in the Western Pacific, but they exceed the limits set by the INF treaty. (Okinawa is likely to figure prominently in the U.S. buildup in the Western Pacific, which could further galvanize local opposition to the U.S. military presence.)

What Happens Next?

Once unshackled from the INF treaty, the United States will undoubtedly bolster its capabilities in its face-off with China. However, the demise of such a landmark arms control agreement will cause serious global repercussions. In the Pacific, China is likely to further improve and grow its armed forces to challenge the new U.S. missile deployments. And Russia will no longer just violate the treaty with select development and deployment of weaponry; it will likely refocus its resources on the buildup of a land-based arsenal of short- and intermediate- range missiles. The cost-effective nature of such weapons is a boon for Russia's increasingly resource-constrained military modernization program, which struggles to fund alternatives such as squadrons of long-range bombers.

The end of the INF treaty would also cause alarm in Europe. For the first time since the Cold War, U.S. allies on the Continent would be situated right between Russian and U.S. intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has already criticized the U.S. withdrawal announcement, and other U.S. allies in Europe are bound to raise similar concerns in private and public. The issue will only grow as Russia builds up its intermediate-range missiles on its western border and the United States responds with its own buildup in Europe. Countries such as Germany are likely to oppose U.S. deployments of such missiles in their territory, but other countries such as Poland and Romania could be more willing to house these missile units, especially if they guarantee an added U.S. military presence in their territory.

Above all, the biggest consequence from the demise of the INF would be that it could jeopardize New START, which limits strategic nuclear weapons and is arguably the most pivotal arms control agreement still in play between the United States and Russia. Signed in 2010, New START is set to expire in February 2021 unless the United States and Russia exercise an option to extend it to 2026. Currently, Moscow is interested in extending New START, and the treaty is also fairly uncontroversial in Washington. However, a messy breakup of the INF treaty, coupled with further arms buildups, could be a serious threat to New START's longevityespecially since certain hard-liners on arms control, such as Bolton, appear to be getting their way in the White House. The U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty in 2002 already spiked tensions with Russia and China over U.S. anti-ballistic missile defenses. The potential collapse of both the INF and New START will all but ensure the resumption of a major arms race between the United States, China and Russia at all operational and strategic levels.

The U.S. Withdrawal From the INF Treaty Is the Next Step in a Global Arms Race is republished with the permission of Stratfor Worldview, a geopolitical intelligence and advisory firm.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Read full articleWASHINGTON (AP)  The International Committee of the Red Cross has talked to the United States about the risks of delivering humanitarian aid to Venezuela without the approval of security forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, an official with the agency said Friday.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has said he will defy Maduro's refusal to allow aid by asking neighboring nations to help send in large convoys of medicine and food. Guaido has declared himself interim president of the country.

The Trump administration has announced it is ready to deliver aid to Venezuela whenever and however is decided by Guaido.

Alexandra Boivin, ICRC delegation head for the United States and Canada, said the ICRC had told U.S. officials that whatever plans "they have to help the people of Venezuela, it has to be shielded from this political conversation."

"It is obviously a very difficult conversation to have with the U.S.," she said. "We are there also to make clear the risks of the path being taken, the limits of our ability to operate in such an environment."

On Friday, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that Washington would proceed with plans to send humanitarian aid to Venezuela.

"Pursuant to the request of Interim President Juan Guaido, and in consultation with his officials the US will mobilize and transport humanitarian aid_medicine, surgical supplies, and nutritional supplements for the people of Venezuela. It's time for Maduro to get out of the way," Bolton tweeted.

ICRC director of global operations Dominik Stillhart said the committee would only take part in such coordinated efforts if they are executed "with the agreement of the authorities, whoever the authorities are."

Stillhart said that the ICRC currently brings in its own medical supplies and emergency trauma care to support six hospitals located across the country.

"We are not kind of an implementing agency for any donor, specifically not to implement things that have a political tone," he said.

Story continues

The Geneva-based organization is currently in talks with the Venezuelan Ministry of Health to expand its budget in the South American country to at least $20 million.

The expanded budget would provide increased support to high risk areas on the Venezuela-Colombia border and address a recent resurgence of malaria in the state of Bolivar, along the southern border with Brazil.

"We are not taking any side. Regardless of the political situation, our focus will always be on what we can do," Stillhart said.

___

Luis Alonso Lugo on Twitter: twitter.com/luisalonsolugoA page dedicated to Virginia governor Ralph Northam in his medical-school yearbook shows two men, one of whom is presumably Northam, posing in blackface and a Ku Klux Klan uniform.

The photo, the existence of which was first reported by the conservative news website Big League Politics and has since been verified by National Review, appears on Northams page in the Eastern Virginia Medical School class of 1984 yearbook. The page also features three other photos of Northam accompanied by the quotation, There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think Ill have another beer.

Northam, who also attended the Virginia Military Institute, worked as a pediatric neurologist before being elected to the Virginia state senate in 2007. He defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie in November, running on his health-care background and time serving in the military as an Army doctor in the Gulf War.

A native of Virginia, Northam was quick to condemn the racial violence that rocked Charlottesville in August 2017, and subsequently called for the removal of all confederate statues in the state.

The yearbook photos emerged just days after Florida secretary of state Michael Ertel resigned when photos of him dressed in blackface for a Hurricane Katrina survivor Halloween costume surfaced.

Northam drew the condemnation of conservative lawmakers this week after he appeared to defend the practice of refusing to provide life-saving care to born-alive infants during a radio interview.

If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother, Northam said during an interview on WTOP radio Wednesday.

Asked if he regretted the comments during a Thursday press conference, Northam defended his position.

Story continues

Im a physician. Im also the governor. But when Im asked questions, a lot of times it is put in the context of being a physician  realizing how we approach, how we manage patients, how we offer advice and counseling, he told reporters. So, no, I dont have any regrets.

Update 5:11p.m.: Virginia state senate minority leader Richard Saslaw (D., Fairfax) defended Northam in comments to the Washington Post.

His whole life has been about exactly the opposite and thats what you need to examine, not something that occurred 30 years ago, he said While its in very poor taste, I would think there is problem no one in the General Assembly who would like their college conduct examined. I would hate to have to go back and examine my two years in the Army. trust me. I was 18 years old and I was a handful, OK? His life since then has been anything but. Its been a life of helping people, and many times for free.

Update 6:19p.m.: In a statement released Friday evening, Northam apologized and admitted that he did in fact appear in the photo:

Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now. This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment. I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor.

More from National ReviewJonesborough (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Protestors shut down a border road between Ireland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, erecting a concrete wall with mock-military checkpoints to illustrate the violent unrest a hard Brexit could bring to the fragile region.

Locals hauled towering concrete barriers into place and installed a customs hut defended by a watchtower manned by men dressed as armed British troops -- evoking haunting memories of the three decades of bloodshed known as "the Troubles".

"It's actually to remind some of our younger generation exactly the way things were 25 years ago," said John McNamee, an activist with group Border Communities against Brexit.

"This is what it was about and we certainly don't want it back," he said -- dressed as a customs agent which were once a common sight at the border.

During the Troubles the area was militarised as republican and unionist paramilitaries and the British military vied for control.

More than 3,600 were killed before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended the conflict and effectively dissolved the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic.

After a rally calling on Westminster to avoid the return of a hard border along the 310 mile (500 kilometer) boundary locals smashed down the mock wall using sledgehammers in a jubilant atmosphere.

They also took heavy machinery to the watchtowers as the British troops intervened in a dramatic act of "street theatre", designed to illustrate tensions which could return to the region following a hard-won peace.

"We're 60 days out from the reality of Brexit with or without a deal," said Border Communities Against Brexit organiser Tom Murray.

"Without a deal there may be the imposition of a border. This is a visual representation of the potential of the worst case scenario," he said.

British parliament is currently in deadlock, unable to pass a withdrawal deal that would rule out the need for border checks.

Story continues

If Britain quits the EU without an accord on 29 March, there are concerns infrastructure will be needed to enforce customs and regulations at the new edge of the trading bloc.

"It would be fairly tough on our daily life," explained protestor Aaron Crilly -- whose family is split between the two territories.

On Friday Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told Bloomberg TV that border may "involve people in uniform" as well as "cameras, physical infrastructure, possibly a police presence, or an army presence to back it up."GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP)  A North Dakota couple died while vacationing in San Diego when a 75-foot-tall pine tree crashed onto their rental house as they slept, relatives and police said.

Troy and Jessica Nelson ran a promotional products and apparel company, Trojan Promotions, in Grand Forks.

They were spending the weekend at the house after attending a trade show during the week, according to the man's sister Tammy Reynolds. They were sleeping upstairs when the tree toppled in gusty winds around 6 a.m. Monday.

Reynolds said her sister-in-law's brother, Ryan Langerud, was on the first floor of the house and survived.

"It's such a freaky accident," Reynolds told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "I guess we're all so numb from it, and for both of them to go."

Reynolds said Langerud told her he found himself in the basement with items on top of him and initially was confused as to what had happened. She said Langerud told her it sounded like an airplane had crashed into the house.

Trojan Promotions senior production manager Krisi Lund said Tuesday the future of the company is up in the air as its employees grieve the deaths of the Nelsons.

"We carry on day by day. The future of the company hasn't been decided. We're committed to our clients. We are going to take care of our clients the best we can the way Troy and Jessica would want us to," Lund told The Associated Press. "They were generous beyond belief in every aspect of their lives."

San Diego Police Lt. Christian Sharp said the fallen tree caused a gas leak in the house and clipped some power lines.Editor's note: We've republished this piece in light of President Donald Trump's comments about Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam at his State of the Union address. Go here to read about Trump's remarks.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is facing backlash after expressing support for women's right to terminate their pregnancies in the third trimester if medically necessary.

In an interview with WTOP, Northam was asked about a bill that would loosen the restrictions surrounding third trimester abortions in Virginia. The state, which only has two abortion providers, currently bans the procedure after 24 weeks, except in cases where a woman's health is in danger.

The HB2491 bill, introduced by state Delegate Kathy Tran, would eliminate a rule that requires women seeking to have a third trimester abortion to have at least three physicians confirm the procedure "is necessary to prevent the woman's death or impairment of her mental or physical health," instead making it so pregnant people only need approval from one doctor. The measure also erases the need "to find that any such impairment to the woman's health would be substantial and irremediable."

The legislation has not moved forward in the state Legislature and Northam said he disagrees with only having one physician's confirmation. "I think its always good to get a second opinion, for at least two providers to be involved in that decision, he said. "Because these decisions shouldnt be taken lightly, and so I would certainly support more than one provider."

But as a pro-choice Democrat, Northam said he supports women's right to choose because "we want the government not to be involved in these types of decisions. We want the decision to be made by the mothers and their providers." The first-term governor is also a pediatric surgeon and said most pregnancies terminated at a later stage happen "with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physicians  more than one physician, by the way  and its done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus thats non-viable."

Story continues

Only 1.3% of all abortions nationwide take place after 20 weeks of gestation, according to a 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Northam is right: The reasons women might seek abortion care at a later date are very complex. Dr. Beverly Gray, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University, has previously told Refinery29 medical complications are often the reason why pregnancies are terminated after 20 weeks of gestation.

"Many of these women are faced with pregnancies complicated by severe birth defects that can only be diagnosed at this stage of pregnancy. Other women are diagnosed with medical complications, such as cancer, where pregnancy can put their life at risk," she said. "Many teenagers dont realize they are pregnant until the second trimester and often seek care later, especially if they are hesitant to disclose the news to their family. Because abortion after 20 weeks is more rare, there are fewer ob-gyns who provide this care, making it logistically difficult to find a doctor, which can also create delays."

While explaining the HB2491 measure, Northam also explained from a medical perspective what it is like for women with nonviable pregnancies to go into labor. "The infant would be delivered; the infant would be kept comfortable; the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desire, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother," he said.

Anti-choice advocates jumped on those comments, arguing that Northam supported "abortion on demand" and "legal infanticide." Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted: "Never thought I would see the day America had government officials who openly support legal infanticide." Meghan McCain falsely claimed that "[The U.S. is] one of only seven nations in the world, along with North Korea and China, to allow abortion on demand after 20 weeks." In fact, 65 countries allow abortions to take place after 20 weeks of gestations in cases where there are fetal malformations or anomalies present. And terminating a pregnancy at that stage is not only rare, but also a long and expensive process in the U.S.: A woman who terminated a nonviable pregnancy at 32 weeks told Jezebel the four-day procedure cost her $25,000 out-of-pocket and she wasn't sure if she would receive any reimbursements from her health insurance.

While anti-abortion proponents such as President Donald Trump like to claim "you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day," physicians have often said this is a lie.

In a statement Wednesday, Northam's office said anti-choice lawmakers had taken his comments out of context. "No woman seeks a third trimester abortion except in the case of tragic or difficult circumstances, such as a nonviable pregnancy or in the event of severe fetal abnormalities, and the governor's comments were limited to the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman in those circumstances went into labor," Northam's spokesperson Ofirah Yheskel said in a statement. "Attempts to extrapolate these comments otherwise is in bad faith and underscores exactly why the governor believes physicians and women, not legislators, should make these difficult and deeply personal medical decisions."

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Nancy Pelosi's SOTU Body Language Was Actually Genius, According To An Expert

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Doesn't Owe You A SmileMaputo (AFP) - A Mozambican journalist who was arrested while interviewing people displaced by jihadist attacks in the country's north has been formally charged with espionage, a media rights group told AFP on Monday.

A respected radio journalist, Amade Abubacar was arrested on January 5 in Macomia, a small town in one of the areas worst hit by the Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique.

Lazaro Mabunda of the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA), which is providing him with legal representation, said Abubacar had been formally charged with espionage and various other offences on Friday.

The prosecution said the "names and contacts of jihadists wanted by the police" had been found in Abubacar's possession, Mabunda told AFP.

But he said the charge was unfounded as Abubacar was known for his investigative work, which involved contact with people wanted by the police without implying collaboration.

"The prosecution alleges that Amade Abubacar was gathering information to send to jihadists because he was found with contacts of some people suspected of carrying out attacks but that is not enough to reach such a conclusion," he said.

His lawyer has made an application for bail but the court has not yet answered the request.

The charges were formalised a day after Abubacar was moved from a military facility to a civilian prison where he was to await trial.

His arrest has been denounced by Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and American Bar Association.

Abubacar works for state-owned Radio e Televisao Comunitaria Nacedje de Macomia in the northern Cabo Delgado province, a gas-rich area which has been hit by a wave of jihadist attacks which began in October 2017.

Since then, more than 100 people have died in the violence which has forced thousands to flee their homes.

Numerous journalists have also been arrested while covering militant attacks in the region.

In December, troops arrested the acclaimed investigative reporter Estacio Valoi, who was freed two days later without charge.

And six months earlier, they arrested Pindai Dube, a Zimbabwean correspondent for South African private broadcaster eNCA.Little life could endure the Earth-spanning cataclysm known as the Great Dying, but plants may have suffered its wrath long before many animal counterparts, says new research led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

About 252 million years ago, with the planets continental crust mashed into the supercontinent called Pangaea, volcanoes in modern-day Siberia began erupting. Spewing carbon and methane into the atmosphere for roughly 2 million years, the eruption helped extinguish about 96 percent of oceanic life and 70 percent of land-based vertebrates  the largest extinction event in Earths history.

Yet the new study suggests that a byproduct of the eruption  nickel  may have driven some Australian plant life to extinction nearly 400,000 years before most marine species perished.

Thats big news, said lead author Christopher Fielding, professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences. People have hinted at that, but nobodys previously pinned it down. Now we have a timeline.

The researchers reached the conclusion by studying fossilized pollen, the chemical composition and age of rock, and the layering of sediment on the southeastern cliffsides of Australia. There they discovered surprisingly high concentrations of nickel in the Sydney Basins mud-rock  surprising because there are no local sources of the element.

Tracy Frank, professor and chair of Earth and atmospheric sciences, said the finding points to the eruption of lava through nickel deposits in Siberia. That volcanism could have converted the nickel into an aerosol that drifted thousands of miles southward before descending on, and poisoning, much of the plant life there. Similar spikes in nickel have been recorded in other parts of the world, she said.

So it was a combination of circumstances, Fielding said. And thats a recurring theme through all five of the major mass extinctions in Earths history.

If true, the phenomenon may have triggered a series of others: herbivores dying from the lack of plants, carnivores dying from a lack of herbivores, and toxic sediment eventually flushing into seas already reeling from rising carbon dioxide, acidification and temperatures.

It Lets Us See Whats Possible

One of three married couples on the research team, Fielding and Frank also found evidence for another surprise. Much of the previous research into the Great Dying  often conducted at sites now near the equator  has unearthed abrupt coloration changes in sediment deposited during that span.

Shifts from grey to red sediment generally indicate that the volcanisms ejection of ash and greenhouse gases altered the worlds climate in major ways, the researchers said. Yet that grey-red gradient is much more gradual at the Sydney Basin, Fielding said, suggesting that its distance from the eruption initially helped buffer it against the intense rises in temperature and aridity found elsewhere.

Though the time scale and magnitude of the Great Dying exceeded the planets current ecological crises, Frank said the emerging similarities  especially the spikes in greenhouse gases and continuous disappearance of species  make it a lesson worth studying.

Looking back at these events in Earths history is useful because it lets us see whats possible, she said. How has the Earths system been perturbed in the past? What happened where? How fast were the changes? It gives us a foundation to work from  a context for whats happening now.

The researchers detailed their findings in the journal Nature Communications. Fielding and Frank authored the study with Allen Tevyaw, graduate student in geosciences at Nebraska; Stephen McLoughlin, Vivi Vajda and Chris Mays from the Swedish Museum of Natural History; Arne Winguth and Cornelia Winguth from the University of Texas at Arlington; Robert Nicoll of Geoscience Australia; Malcolm Bocking of Bocking Associates; and James Crowley of Boise State University.

The National Science Foundation and the Swedish Research Council funded the teams work.

Reference:

Christopher R. Fielding, Tracy D. Frank, Stephen McLoughlin, Vivi Vajda, Chris Mays, Allen P. Tevyaw, Arne Winguth, Cornelia Winguth, Robert S. Nicoll, Malcolm Bocking, James L. Crowley. Age and pattern of the southern high-latitude continental end-Permian extinction constrained by multiproxy analysis. Nature Communications, 2019; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07934-z

Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Original written by Scott Schrage.Theresa May (PA)

A permanent Customs Union is the most likely outcome of the ongoing Brexit negotiations, experts now believe.

Theresa May enjoyed a rare victory earlier this week when MPs supported a proposal to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement and replace the Northern Ireland backstop with alternative arrangements.

Following discussions with all sides, Mujtaba Rahman of Eurasia Group has put forward a revised basecase which puts a deal over a permanent Customs Union way ahead of the alternatives at 55 per cent.

Mr Rahman said: For the first time since Brexit, it is possible to see the emergence of the sustainable Commons majority that the EU is seeking taking shape over a permanent Customs Union.

Support from Labour MPs would be crucial to this, he said, to which Jeremy Corbyn would turn a blind eye, allowing him to maintain his constructive ambiguity that avoids alienating Leave or Remain voters.

The probability of another referendum now stands at a slim 20 per cent, according to Mr Rahman, though this is more likely than a general election (15 per cent) or no-deal (10 per cent).

The big problem facing Theresa Mays Government is the Irish backstop.

The Prime Minister has said she will go back the Brussels and negotiate a change to the Withdrawal Agreement in which the UK would come up with alternative arrangements to the current backstop deal.

However, the EU has remained resolute and said the only was the backstop can be removed is if the UK moves its position closer to a customs union.

Quite whether Mrs May can get such an arrangement through Parliament, however, is unknown. Many centrist MPs see no-deal Brexit as a doomsday scenario and, when push comes to shove, may be moved to accept a softer Brexit than they would prefer.

On Friday, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox became the latest Cabinet minister to suggest Brexit may need to be delayed if there is not time to pass the relevant laws before March 29.

Speaking in Westminster, Dr Fox said: There would be a huge difference between an extension to Article 50 because we hadnt reached an agreement, or a short delay because we had reached an agreement and needed the legislation to implement it

We can get our domestic legislation through if we quickly reach an agreement with the European Union and thats in everyones interest.This week, a delegate to the Virginia state legislature introduced a bill affirming abortion up to the moment of birth. In shocking testimony, the delegate admitted that even when it was obvious that a child was about to be born  in the 40th week of a pregnancy, even in the midst of active labor  this proposed law would allow for the child to be aborted, so long as a single doctor approves.

Governor Ralph Northam, a supporter of the bill, went even further in a radio interview the next day. He tried to reassure its opponents that if a child survived an abortion, the infant would be kept comfortable. [And] the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue.

Theres another word for this: infanticide. And it is morally reprehensible and evil.

Virginias bill comes just a week after the New York state senate was filled with cheers following the passage of a similar law. Governor Andrew Cuomo declared it a historic victory for . . . our progressive values and directed pink lights to shine on landmarks throughout the state, including One World Trade Center.

This shameless embrace of a culture of death is startling to every American who cherishes life. Not too long ago, the Democratic partys stated position was that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. It was this widespread rejection of late-term abortion that led a large bipartisan majority in Congress to pass the partial-birth-abortion ban in 2003. But now look at how far the Democratic party has fallen.

To support, let alone cheer, late-term abortions not only marks a disturbing step backward by so-called progressives  it also violates every demand of human decency. As modern science has moved the point of viability ever earlier in pregnancy, most Americans have agreed that a child who can survive outside the womb deserves a chance at life. Only a handful of countries, including China and North Korea, allow late-term abortions.

Story continues

Until we heard those cheers coming from Albany and the defense of the indefensible over the airwaves in Virginia, we thought states were moving beyond such barbaric practices.

These Virginia and New York late-term abortion bills should be a call to action for all Americans. A society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, and it would be unconscionable for us to let this moment pass in silence. We must recommit ourselves, today and every day, to restoring the sanctity of life to the center of American law.

For my part, I couldnt be more proud to serve as vice president to the most pro-life president in American history. From his first week in office, President Trump has been a tireless champion of life. He reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that our foreign-aid dollars dont go to groups that promote or perform abortions abroad. He withdrew the United States from the United Nations Population Fund to prevent our tax dollars from supporting forced sterilization and abortion overseas. And he signed a law to empower states to withhold federal funding from abortion providers  and defund Planned Parenthood.

But the commitment to life extends further than our administration. Beyond the White House, state leaders are taking action to protect the unborn. They are encouraging parents to choose life by requiring brief waiting periods, setting ultrasound and other informed-consent standards, and prohibiting abortions based solely on a childs sex, race, or disability  a measure I was proud to sign into law as governor of Indiana.

And thanks to the efforts of millions of compassionate and caring Americans across the country, we are changing minds and turning hearts to embrace life as never before. Fewer abortions are being performed than ever recorded  a decrease of more than 50 percent since the 1980s. This is a true cause for celebration.

So even in this dark moment in our nations history, Americans should take heart. The New York and Virginia bills arent some bold departure into a brave new world. They are the last gasp of a dying movement that stands in stark and irreconcilable contrast with our nations timeless founding principles.

After all, at the base of the same One World Trade Center that was bathed in pink last week to mark the passage of New Yorks law, is the September 11th memorial. There, the names of all who died in the horrific terrorist attacks 18 years ago are etched in stone  including the eleven unborn children we lost along with their expectant mothers.

Our commitment to the unalienable right to life is as sure as the stone in which those names are etched. And our administration, and our movement, will continue to fight until our nation once again recognizes and celebrates the sanctity of all human life.

More from National ReviewBEIRUT (AP)  Lebanon's new Cabinet held its first meeting Saturday and the country's leaders vowed to deal swiftly with the political and economic challenges the country faces, while playing down the militant Hezbollah group's takeover of the health ministry.

The comments came a day after Washington expressed concerns about Hezbollah naming a health minister and two other posts in Lebanon's Cabinet, and called on the new government to ensure that group is not supported by the ministries' resources.

The new Cabinet was announced Thursday night, breaking a nine-month deadlock that had deepened Lebanon's economic woes.

"There are many challenges ahead of us that we have to face," President Michel Aoun was quoted as telling ministers in a comment on his Twitter account. "There is no time to waste."

In its first meeting, the Cabinet formed a 10-member committee whose job will be to draft a government policy statement to be debated in Parliament ahead of a vote of confidence.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the government policy statement would be ready within days, adding that it will be similar to that of the previous government he headed. For years the government policy statement has been a source of tension as it mentions the right of Hezbollah to keep its weapons.

After the 1975-90 civil war ended, Hezbollah was the only group allowed to keep its weapons because at the time it was fighting Israel which occupied parts of southern Lebanon until 2000. Lebanon says Israel is still occupying the disputed Shebaa Farms.

The government policy statement that was issued after Hariri was named prime minister in 2016 said "the Lebanese people have the right to resist Israeli occupation, repel its aggressions and regain all occupied (Lebanese) lands."

Asked about the Health Ministry, Hariri said that the American statements are similar to "what they (U.S.) always say about Hezbollah." He added that none of the ministers, including those of Hezbollah, will make their ministries purely for their group.

Story continues

"A minister is for all Lebanese and the health minister said this in the first statement he made after the formation," said Hariri.

Asked if he is worried that international aid to the health ministry could be affected, Hariri said everything is "clear and transparent" at the health ministry, adding that those benefiting are "Lebanese citizens no matter to what party they belong."

The new Cabinet was agreed on as Lebanon is dealing with soaring public debt of $84 billion, or 150 percent of the gross domestic product, and unemployment believed to be around 36 percent.

A big slap for Lebanon came in early January when Moody's Investors Service downgraded the country's long-term investment issuer ratings to Caa1 from B3. Weeks later, Moody's downgraded the country's three largest lenders.

Hariri said the Cabinet will enact reforms that will allow it to unlock around $11 billion in soft loans and grants pledged by international donors at a conference in Paris last year. At the time of the CEDRE conference, Hariri pledged to reduce the budget deficit as a percentage of the gross domestic product by five percent in five years.

Hariri said the biggest problem facing the Cabinet is the $2 billion spent annually on the crumbling electricity sector.

"We should do all what we can to reduce budget deficit by 1 percent over the next five years," he added.By Marianna Parraga (Reuters) - Six executives from U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum held in a Venezuelan jail without a court hearing for more than a year have asked the U.S. State Department and lawmakers to help win their release, family members and lawyers said. Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell and Gustavo Cardenas, all former vice presidents of the Houston-based company and most of them U.S. citizens, along with former Citgo President Jose Pereira were arrested in November 2017 after being called into a meeting at the Caracas office of parent company Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., known as PDVSA. The executives were accused of embezzlement, being public servants acting in concert with a contractor, money laundering and conspiracy in connection with a never-concluded agreement to refinance Citgo debt. A preliminary court hearing has not yet been held. "They have robbed them of due process and their right to a timely trial," a group of 13 family members and lawyers said in an open letter to the U.S. government seen by Reuters. "Top U.S. government intervention may be our only chance at releasing the six detainees." The attorneys did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. They said they contacted the U.S. State Department, several senators and congressmen before resorting to the media. The U.S. government has not provided any clear indication of progress on the cases, they said. A State Department spokeswoman said on Friday it was unable to comment on the status of private U.S. citizens. "We continue to work closely with international partners to ensure the safety and security of U.S. citizens in Venezuela," she said in an email. The plea emerged as a battle over Citgo's fate by Socialist Nicolas Maduro's government and a group led by the congress head Juan Guaido was sparked by U.S. support for the opposition. Guaido has said he wants to appoint a new board for the company, now in the hands of officials nominated by Maduro. Attorneys for the executives have documents that show debt refinancing negotiations were approved by the PDVSA board. One document viewed by Reuters indicates the board in June 2017 approved the start of negotiations with Apollo Global Management LLC and its unit Frontier Management Group. The deal was never signed. U.S. sanctions imposed in August 2017 scuttled any deal. Apollo and Venezuela's Attorney General office did not respond to requests for comment. Maduro in 2017 began a corruption crackdown at PDVSA that led to dozens of executives being jailed, including former Citgo and PDVSA President Nelson Martinez. Martinez died in custody in December. Executives "have been forced to sleep with the lights on and experience severe heat, lack of air circulation, constant and untreated sickness, overcrowding, malnutrition, and seeing less than 30 minutes of sunlight per month," their families wrote. "One of the reasons why I retired from Citgo was Vadell's detention," said Charles Alexander, a former Citgo manager whose contact information was provided by the executives' families. "He has been inappropriately arrested and abused." (Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang)Tehran (AFP) - Iran announced the "successful test" of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres on Saturday, coinciding with celebrations for the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.

"The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometres (840 miles) and accurately hit the set target," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said, quoted on state television which broadcast footage of its launch.

"It can be ready in the shortest possible time and flies at a very low altitude," he said.

Hatami described the Hoveizeh as the "long arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in defending itself.

It is part of the Soumar group of cruise missiles, first unveiled in 2015 with a range of 700 kilometres, according to the minister.

The Hoveizeh unveiling was part of an arms exhibition dubbed "40 years of defensive achievements" and held in Tehran.

Friday marked the beginning of 10 days of celebrations of the Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western shah.

On Thursday, thousands of Iranians had packed the mausoleum of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Iran has voluntarily limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles), but this is still sufficient to reach Israel and Western bases in the Middle East.

Washington and its allies have accused Tehran of pursuing enhanced missile capabilities that also threaten Europe.

Iran has "no intention of increasing the range" of its missiles, the country's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Admiral Ali Shamkhani, said Tuesday.

- 'Purely defensive' -

Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers but has kept up development of its ballistic missile technology.

US President Donald Trump's administration pulled out of the nuclear accord in May and reimposed sanctions against Iran, citing the missile programme among its reasons.

Story continues

European governments have stuck by the 2015 agreement, although some have demanded an addition to address Iran's ballistic missile programme and its intervention in regional conflicts including Yemen.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 -- adopted just after the nuclear deal -- calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons".

The US has repeatedly accused Iran of violating the resolution.

But Tehran denies seeking any nuclear weapons capability, and insists that its missile development programme is "purely defensive" and compliant with the resolution.

Iran's space programme has also been criticised by the West, with Washington charging that an abortive satellite launch in mid-January was cover for a bid to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capability.

Iran tried unsuccessfully to put a satellite into orbit on January 15 and plans to "vigorously carry on" and make a second attempt, Shamkhani said.

Iran's newly-tested missile takes its name from a city in the southwestern province of Khuzestan that was devastated in the 1980-1988 war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Several Iranian cities were battered by missiles during the eight-year conflict in a bombing campaign dubbed the "war of the cities".

Iranian officials say Western sanctions have starved its air force of spare parts and replacement aircraft, limiting its operational capacity and forcing it to rely on the missile programme.

As Iranians marked the anniversary of the revolution, the US on Saturday lashed out at the country's leadership, insisting it had failed to make good on pledges to improve the lives of ordinary people.

"When he returned to Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made lots of promises to the Iranian people, including justice, freedom, and prosperity," the US State Department said on Twitter.

"40 years later, Iran's ruling regime has broken all those promises."Tehran (AFP) - Iran announced the "successful test" of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres on Saturday, coinciding with celebrations for the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.

"The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometres (840 miles) and accurately hit the set target," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said, quoted on state television which broadcast footage of its launch.

"It can be ready in the shortest possible time and flies at a very low altitude," he said.

Hatami described the Hoveizeh as the "long arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in defending itself.

It is part of the Soumar group of cruise missile, first unveiled in 2015 with a range of 700 kilometres, according to the minister.

The Hoveizeh unveiling was part of an arms exhibition titled "40 years of defensive achievements" held in Tehran.

Friday marked the beginning of 10 days of celebrations of the Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western shah.

Iran has voluntarily limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles), sufficient to reach Israel and Western bases in the Middle East.

But Washington and its allies have accused Tehran of pursuing enhanced missile capabilities that also threaten Europe.

Iran has "no intention of increasing the range" of its missiles, the country's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Admiral Ali Shamkhani, said Tuesday.Paris (AFP) - France's "yellow vest" movement demonstrated against alleged police violence in rallies across the country Saturday, as lawyers denounced the treatment of protesters in the courts.

The latest marches -- the 12th in a row -- came a day after France's top court threw out a bid to ban weapons that fire 40-millimeter rubber projectiles blamed for a number of serious injuries.

Thousands of protesters took part in a "march of the injured" in Paris calling for a ban on the weapons.

One of the movement's leading figures Jerome Rodriguez, who was hit in the eye at last Saturday's demonstration, was greeted warmly by fellow demonstrators each time he appeared.

The marchers gathered for a rally at Place de la Republique in the city centre, where police used tear gas and water cannons to force demonstrators to keep their distance and clashes broke out with some protesters, some hooded or masked.

"It's unbearable and unacceptable," said Antonio, one of the march organisers, who had been injured in police action.

"These are injuries which mutilate, which destroy lives while we are pacifists," he said.

A police estimate put the turn-out at 10,500 in Paris, but an independent count carried out for the media, including, AFP, put the figure at 13,800.

An interior ministry estimate put the turn-out across France at 58,600, compared with 69,000 the previous Saturday.

Meanwhile, a group of 59 lawyers published an open letter on the France Info news website denouncing what they said was harsh treatment of yellow vest protesters in the courts.

Judgments against demonstrators were rushed through without proper respect for their rights, they wrote. They contrasted the speed of the rulings against their clients with the slow pace of probes into alleged police violence.

The IGPN, the body that investigates police abuses, has launched 116 investigations into the conduct of officers during the protests, 10 of them concerning serious eye injuries suffered by demonstrators.

Story continues

- 12th round of protests -

Friday's court ruling against banning the "defensive ball launchers", known as LBDs, came despite claims by the Desarmons-Les (Disarm Them) collective that the weapons have blinded or seriously injured 20 protesters.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner acknowledged that the weapon, -- used more than 9,200 times since the start of the yellow vest protests -- could cause injuries. While defending their use against "rioters", he said that any abuse of the weapon would be punished.

This weekend's rallies across France included Toulouse and Bordeaux in the southwest, where support has been strong, and several gatherings across Brittany in the northwest.

In Morlaix, Brittany, two police officers were injured and two protestors arrested, the regional authority reported.

Two more officers were injured and a demonstrator arrested in the western port city of Nantes during clashes there, local officials said.

There were also clashes and 20 arrests in the northern city of Lille, along with a total of 16 arrests in the eastern cities of Strasbourg and Nancy.

The movement sprang up in November to denounce fuel tax rises but quickly grew into a more broadly based protest against President Emmanuel Macron's allegedly aloof governing style.

MPs in Macron's Republic on the Move party are seeking tougher penalties for organisers of unauthorised demonstrations and for people who cover their faces during violent protests.

burs-kp/wai/achWASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Foxconn Technology said on Friday it will build a factory in Wisconsin after the company's chairman spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, following a Reuters report earlier this week that the Taiwanese company was reconsidering its plans.

Reuters reported that Foxconn was reconsidering making liquid crystal display panels at a planned $10 billion Wisconsin campus and intended to hire mostly engineers and researchers there. But after conversations between Trump and Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, the company said it would move "forward with our planned construction of a Gen 6 fab facility," which is a type of plant that produces displays.

The 20-million-square-foot campus marked the largest investment for a brand new location by a foreign-based company in U.S. history when it was announced at a White House ceremony in 2017. It was praised by Trump as proof of his ability to revive American manufacturing. The apparent reversal was seized upon by Democrats in Congress this week.

Trump tweeted on Friday: "Great news on Foxconn in Wisconsin after my conversation with Terry Gou!"

Heavily criticized in some quarters, the Foxconn project was championed by Wisconsin's then governor, Scott Walker, a Republican who helped secure around $4 billion in tax breaks and other incentives before leaving office. Critics called the deal a corporate giveaway that would never result in the promised manufacturing jobs and said it posed serious environmental risks.

Foxconn initially planned to manufacture advanced large-screen displays for TVs and other consumer and professional products at the facility, which is under construction. It later said it would build smaller Generation 6 LCD screens instead.

In comments published on Wednesday, Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn's Gou, told Reuters those plans might be scaled back or even shelved, citing the steep cost of making advanced TV screens in the United States, where labor expenses are comparatively high.

Story continues

After the Reuters report, Foxconn, a major supplier to Apple Inc, issued a statement confirming the global market environment that existed when the project was first announced had changed and necessitated the adjustment of plans for all projects, including Wisconsin."

By Friday the company shifted again. The "campus will serve both as an advanced manufacturing facility as well as a hub of high technology innovation for the region," Foxconn said in a statement. The statement did not reiterate its commitment to create 13,000 jobs as it did on Wednesday.

Woo spoke with Wisconsin's new Democratic governor, Tony Evers, a past critic of the deal, on Friday, Evers told reporters. The governor's office said on Wednesday Evers' team had been "surprised" by Woo's comments on changing plans.

From what I heard today... it looks like theyre going to focus on the generation 6 technology," Evers said. They made commitments and were going to make sure they live up to them.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Karen Pierog in Chicago; editing by Leslie Adler)Sebastien Roblin

Security,

And deadly.

The F-22 and F-35 Is Dead: Why 6th Generation Stealth Fighters Could Be Amazing

The U.S. Air Force envisions three categories of airborne DEWs: lower-powered lasers for disrupting or damaging enemy sensors and seekers, a mid-level tier capable of burning incoming air-to-air missiles out of the skies, and high-power class capable of destroying aircraft and ground targets. The air warfare branch plans to test an anti-missile laser turret in the early 2020s which may eventually be installed on bombers and F-35s.

The American development and deployment of Fifth-Generation stealth aircraft like the F-35 Lightning is one of the central stories of todays security zeitgeist. But behind the scenes, several countries are already looking ahead to the design of a Sixth-Generation jet.

(This first appeared several months ago and is being reposted due to strong reader interest.)

The relentless pace of research is arguably driven less by combat experienceof which there is littleand more by a sober assessment that development of a successor will take multiple decades and is better started sooner rather than later.

The Sixth-Generation fighter developers can be divided into two categories: the United States, which has developed and deployed two stealth fighter types, and countries that have skipped or given up on their attempt to build Fifth Generations jets. These latter countries have concluded that doing so is so time-consuming and expensive that it makes more sense to focus on tomorrow's technology than try to catch up with today's.

Recommended: Why an F-22 Raptor Would Crush an F-35 in a 'Dogfight'

Recommended: Air War: Stealth F-22 Raptor vs. F-14 Tomcat (That Iran Still Flies)

Recommended: A New Report Reveals Why There Won't Be Any 'New' F-22 Raptors

The latter include France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which are in the preliminary stages of developing sixth-generation FCAS and Tempest fighters; Russia, which has given up on developing its Su-57 stealth fighter for at least a decade, but is talking up a conceptual sixth-generation MiG-41 interceptor; and Japan, which is contemplating a domestic sixth-generation F-3 stealth jet, but may settle for a foreign-inspired fifth generation design.

Story continues

Currently, the United States has two projects: the Air Force's Penetrating Counter-Air'a long long-range stealth fighter to escort stealth bombersand the Navy's FA-XX. So far, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Northrop-Grumman have unveiled sixth-generation concepts.

Furthermore, a third set of countries, notably including India and China, are still refining the technology for the manufacture of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft.

Stealth and Beyond-Visual Range Missiles Are Here to Stay

The various Sixth-Generation concepts mostly feature many of the same technologies. Two critical characteristics of Fifth-Generation fighters will remain centrally important to the Sixth: stealthy airframes and long-range missiles. As cost-effective ground-based air defense systems like the S-400 can now threaten vast swathes of airspace, stealth aircraft need to be capable of penetrating anti-access/area-denial bubbles and eliminate air defense from a safe distance. Additionally, stealth jets also steeply out-perform non-stealth aircraft in aerial war games.

Thus, low radar cross-sections and radar-absorbent materials will be a necessary, but not sufficient, feature of sixth-generation fighters. Some theorists argue that stealthy airframes may eventually be rendered obsolete by advanced sensor technologyand stealthy airframes cant be upgraded as easily as avionics and weapons. Therefore, jamming, electronic warfare, and infrared obscuring defenses will also rise in importance.

Beyond-visual-range missiles will remain a key technology. Extent missiles like the AIM-120D can already hit targets over one hundred miles away, but realistically must be fired much closer to have a good chance of a kill against an agile, fighter-sized target. However, new ramjet-powered high-speed air-to-air missiles like the British Meteor and Chinese PL-15 point to why future air warriors may mostly fight at great distances from their adversaries.

Awesome X-Ray-Vision Pilot Helmets

The F-35 has pioneered sophisticated Helmet Mounted Displays that can see through the airframe for superior situational awareness, display key instrument data, and target missiles via a Helmet Mounted Sight (although that last technology is decades old). Though these helmets currently have significant teething issues, they will likely become a standard feature in future fighters, possibly supplanting cockpit instrument panels. Voice-activated command interfaces may also ease the hefty task-load expected of fighter pilots.

Larger Airframes, More Efficient Engines

As airbases and carriers become more vulnerable to missile attacks, warplanes will need to be able to fly longer distances, and carry more weapons while doing sowhich is difficult when a stealth jet must rely solely on internal fuel tanks and weapons loads. The natural solution is a larger plane. As air forces expect Within-Visual-Range aerial dogfights to be rare and possibly mutually suicidal, they are showing a greater willingness to tradeoff maneuverability to emphasize high sustainable speeds and a greater payload.

These design imperatives may gel well with the development of advanced adaptive g variable-cycle engines that can alter their configurations mid-flight to perform better at high speeds (like a turbojet) or more fuel-efficiently at low speeds (like a high-bypass turbofan).

Optionally-Manned

For several decades air power theorists have forecast a transition to crewless combat jets which won't have to bear the added weight and risk to life and limb necessitated by a human pilot. However, while drone technology has proliferated by leaps and bounds in that time, navies and air forces have been slow to explore pilotless fighters, both because of the expenses and risks, but also likely for cultural reasons. For example, U.S. Navy pilots successfully lobbied to re-purpose a planned carrier-based stealth attack drone into a tanker to refuel manned aircraft.

Sixth Generation concepts are therefore advancing the idea of an optionally-manned aircraft that can fly with or without a pilot onboard. This has the shortcoming of requiring additional design effort to produce an airplane that will still have the downsides and expensive training requirements of a manned airplane. However, optional-manning may help ease the transition to an unmanned fighter force, and on the short term give military leaders the possibility of deploying aircraft on high-risk missions without risking pilots lives.

Sensor Fusion with Friendlies on the Ground, Sea, Air and Space

One of the F-35's key innovations is its ability to soak up sensor data and share it via datalinks to friendly forces, creating a composite picture.' This could allow a stealth aircraft to ride point and ferret out adversaries, while friendly forces maneuver into advantageous positions and sling missiles from further back without even turning on their radars.

Because this tactic promises to be such a force multiplier, fused sensors and cooperative engagement will become a standard feature of sixth-generation jetsand the fusion will likely be deepened by integrating satellite and even drones deployed alongside jet fighters.

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Security

Sensor fusion and optional-manning, however, imply that sixth generation jets will rely heavily on datalinks and networks which could be disrupted by jamming or even invaded through hacking. Ground-based logistics networks, such as the F-35s ALIS, promise significant improvements in efficiency, but also expose even landed aircraft to potential cyberattack.

Thus, sixth-generation avionic systems not only must be designed for resilience versus electronic and cyber warfarebut may be capable of launching such attacks on adversaries. For example, the Air Force has successfully tested the ability to invade networks and insert data packets (such as viruses), a capability of the Navys fighter-borne Next Generation Jammer.

Artificial Intelligence

One problem is that all of these sensor, communication and weapons systems have become so complex that they threaten to exceed the task-processing ability of the human brainremember, the pilot also has to fly the plane! While some Fourth-generation jets incorporated a back-seat Weapon Systems Officer to help out, Fifth-Generation stealth fighters have all been single-seaters.

Thus, air forces are turning to AI to handle more mundane tasks of fighter management and determine which data should be presented to the pilot. Furthermore, AI and machine learning may be used to coordinate drones.

Dronesand Drone Swarms

In October 2016, two FA-18 Super Hornet deployed 103 Perdix drones in a test over China Lake (you can watch the video here). Animated by an AI hivemind, the drones swarmed down like a cloud of locusts over a designated target point. Kamikaze drones have already been used in action, and it is easy to see how relatively small and cheap drones could become a particularly terrifying weapon.

Theorists of future warfare posit that inexpensive and expendable networked drones may prove far more difficult to defend against than a small number of costly and well-protected weapons platforms and missiles. However, sixth-generation fighters will likely also work with larger, faster and fancier drones to serve as sensor-bearing scouts, weapons platforms, and decoys.

Directed Energy Weapons

Swarms of drones, missiles, and even obsolete jet fighters can threaten to over-saturate an advanced stealth jets offensive and defensive capabilities. One commonly cited countermeasure may be Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) such as lasers or microwaves, which can be fired quickly, precisely and with a nigh-limitless magazine capacity given sufficient electricity.

The U.S. Air Force envisions three categories of airborne DEWs: lower-powered lasers for disrupting or damaging enemy sensors and seekers, a mid-level tier capable of burning incoming air-to-air missiles out of the skies, and high-power class capable of destroying aircraft and ground targets. The air warfare branch plans to test an anti-missile laser turret in the early 2020s which may eventually be installed on bombers and F-35s.

Sixth-generation fighter programs remain strictly conceptual today, especially given the enormous expenses and effort devoted to working out the kinks in the Fifth-Generation. Many of the component technologies such as lasers, cooperative engagement, and unmanned piloting, are already in well under development, but integrating them into a single airframe will still prove a significant challenge.

At the earliest, sixth-generation fighters may crop up in the 2030s or 2040sby which time concepts in air warfare will likely have evolved yet again.

Sebastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

Read full articleMichel Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker in Dublin in 2018. Pic: Reuters.

European Commission officials will visit Dublin next week to discuss preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

Fears about a no-deal scenario within the Irish government have reached an acrimonious pitch following Tuesdays House of Commons vote, which saw prime minister Theresa May back an amendment that calls for the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced by unspecified alternative arrangements.

On Wednesday, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney noted in a keynote speech that nobody had put forward any such alternative arrangements, and said that the vote signalled a turning point in Mays attitude to the backstop.

We have less than two months to go now until Brexit happens on 29 March. We are, quite simply, running out of road, he said.

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar told May on Wednesday that, not only had the Irish and EU position not changed, but that the vote had actually reinforced the need for a backstop which is legally robust and workable in practice.

READ MORE: Irish foreign minister says there are no alternative arrangements that avoid a hard border

Speaking on Irish radio, Coveney likened the UK governments position to saying you either give me what I want or I am jumping out the window.

A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed to Yahoo Finance UK on Wednesday that officials would visit Dublin on Monday and Tuesday as part of the blocs intensified no-deal Brexit planning.

Commission officials have begun a series of technical visits to each member state, the spokesperson said.

The planned visits to Ireland were first reported by the Irish Times.(Corrects value of investment to 40 million yuan from 4 million yuan in paragraph 13 of this Feb. 1 story.) By Christian Shepherd BEIJING (Reuters) - Former U.S. military contractor Erik Prince had "no knowledge or involvement" in a preliminary memorandum signed by a Hong Kong-listed company to build a training base in China's far western region of Xinjiang, his spokesman said on Friday. Xinjiang is a major part of China's Belt and Road infrastructure network but the region has faced attacks blamed on members of the Muslim ethnic Uighur minority. Beijing has responded with a security clampdown condemned by rights groups and Western governments. Frontier Services Group (FSG), a Hong Kong-listed company founded by Prince, said in a Chinese-language statement posted on its website on Jan. 22 that it had signed a deal to build a training centre in southern Xinjiang. Reuters reported on the statement on Thursday. A Prince spokesman told Reuters on Friday that Prince had "no knowledge or involvement whatsoever with this preliminary memorandum regarding the company's activity in Xinjiang." "Any potential investment of this nature would require the knowledge and input of each FSG Board member and a formal Board resolution," the spokesman said in an email. Prince is deputy chairman, a minority shareholder and a board member of FSG, a security, logistics and insurance provider. The former U.S. Navy SEAL officer is the brother of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. He founded the U.S. military contractor formerly called Blackwater that drew international scrutiny and faced lawsuits for shootings and other conduct in Iraq. It now operates as Virginia-based Academi. A Hong Kong-based spokesman for FSG told Reuters on Friday that the statement was "published in error by a staff member in Beijing" and had been taken off FSG's website. The removed statement had said that FSG signed a deal with the Kashgar Caohu industrial park in Tumxuk city in southern Xinjiang to build a training centre. The Tumxuk government did not answer a phone call seeking comment on Friday. The statement did not provide details but said a signing ceremony in Beijing on Jan. 11 was attended by officials from Tumxuk city and CITIC Guoan Construction, owned by state-run conglomerate CITIC Group, which took a controlling stake in FSG last March. A state media report had said FSG would invest 40 million yuan ($6 million) in the centre, which will have the capacity to train 8,000 people a year. In a March 2018 stock exchange filing, FSG said that it intends to set up a "secured logistics business" in Pakistan and Xinjiang. In May 2017, it acquired a 25 percent stake in a security training facility in Beijing, which it said was the largest such school in China and would allow FSG to provide "world-class training courses" to Chinese companies. Hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in the security clampdown in Xinjiang. China has defended the measures as "de-radicalisation" that has prevented violence by providing vocational training to people susceptible to "extremist" thought. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Tony Munroe and Darren Schuettler)ROME (AP)  Italy's main Alpine highway into Austria, Germany and other areas in northern Europe has been hit by heavy snow, creating a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) traffic jam.

Italian highway officials blamed the hours-long jam, which began early Saturday, on stuck trucks and cars that set out on the A22 highway without mandatory chains ahead of a snowstorm.

Another stretch of the highway, which leads to the Brenner Pass into Austria, was also blocked for a few hours by an avalanche a few kilometers (miles) south of the border. No injuries were reported.

An Associated Press reporter on the A22 says although the traffic jam began hours earlier, the entrance ramps to the highway still weren't closed. She estimated that her car was moving north Saturday about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) per hour.By Mayela Armas CARACAS (Reuters) - A change in government in Venezuela would favor the country's two main foreign creditors Russia and China, Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. Guaido said he had sent communications to both allies of President Nicolas Maduro, who accuses Guaido of staging a coup against his socialist administration. The United States and a number of other countries now recognize Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state. "What most suits Russia and China is the country's stability and a change of government," he said. "Maduro does not protect Venezuela, he doesn't protect anyone's investments, and he is not a good deal for those countries." Guaido was speaking from his Caracas home where earlier on Thursday agents from a feared special police unit turned up to ask for his wife, a sign of increasing pressure Maduro is putting on the opposition. In the interview, he said he "had no fear" of a possible arrest after the Supreme Court approved the opening of a preliminary investigation into his actions on Tuesday, imposing a travel ban and a freeze on his bank accounts. Guaido said the Venezuelan government would be "responsible" to its creditors and bondholders. Guaido does not yet control any of the state's functions, which remain loyal to Maduro despite the opposition's calls for defections. Guaido said he was evaluating how to take control of state-run oil firm PDVSA's U.S. unit Citgo, Venezuela's biggest foreign asset, as the Trump administration tries to use the company as leverage to topple Maduro. The U.S. government and Guaido are trying to appoint a new board of directors for Citgo. Under a future government, PDVSA would remain in state hands, Guaido said, adding the top priority would be on recovering production in the devastated oil sector. "We are here to provide certainty to the economy, society and in politics," he said. (Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)Australia has some of the toughest checks in the world (GETTY)

Indian police have accused a brother and sister of marrying each other to obtain an Australian visa for the woman.

Authorities in the Indian state of Punjab allege the siblings forged identity documents and registered themselves as married, before obtaining an Australian spouse visa in 2012.

The brother was thought to already have residency in Australia.

The pairs cousin lodged a complaint to police earlier in January claiming they had forged a bank account, passport and other documents in the sisters name, before using them to be granted an Australian spouse visa.

Inspector Jai Singh of Bathinda District claimed the fraudulent couple were currently living in Australia along with other family members including their father, mother, brother and maternal grandmother.

Mr Singh said: According to our investigation, we have come to know so far that the brother was already a permanent resident of Australia and documents were forged to give his sister the identity of their cousin and they first got a marriage certificate from a gurdwara and it was registered in the sub-registrars office.

We are carrying out raids to find them so that we can question them and complete our investigation.

But so far, their whereabouts are unknown.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs told the newspaper that all documents provided as proof of identity when applying for a visa are thoroughly checked and verified with authorities based in the country of origin.

But it admitted the department has no control over genuine passports issued by the foreign government which may have been issued based on fraudulent documents.

Inspector Singh said that while identity fraud was not common in his jurisdiction, he was left shocked by the current case.

The brother and sisters case shocked Indian police investigating the alleged fraud (GETTY)

He told SBS Punjab: We all have heard of fake marriages taking place for going migrating overseas, even among close relatives, but this happening with a brother-sister was unheard of.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) confirmed that 164 spouse visa applications were refused after they were found to be linked to an ongoing fake marriage syndicate.

The Australian High Commission in India issued a warning in December after a 32-year-old Indian national was charged over a Sydney-based fake-marriage visa scam in November 2018.* Vale knew of toxic mud risk -paper, citing company study

* Company says mud flow destroyed sirens before could sound alarm

* CEO has said Vale facilities comply with building regulations

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's Vale knew as recently as last year that some of the areas hit by last week's deadly mining disaster were at risk if its tailings dam burst, according to an internal Vale study published by a local newspaper on Friday.

The study seen by newspaper Folha de S.Paulo represents a fresh embarrassment for the world's largest iron ore miner, which has come under intense pressure over the burst tailings dam at its Corrego do Feijao mine last Friday.

With 110 people confirmed dead and another 238 missing, according to a firefighters' count on Thursday evening, the tailings dam collapse in the town of Brumadinho could be Brazil's deadliest mine disaster.

The disaster poses a headache for the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose new business-friendly administration must juggle public anger over the tragedy and its own desire to ease mining and environmental regulations to kick-start growth.

The internal study reported by the paper was dated April 18, 2018, and outlined the likely impact of a collapse at the dam. It found that the mine restaurant, where many Vale workers are likely to have died when the dam collapsed, would be hit by toxic mud. Other areas where people probably died were also at risk, Folha reported.

The study envisaged that sirens would alert workers if the dam burst, but the company has said that did not happen because the mud flow destroyed them before they could sound the alarm. Two of the Vale officials responsible in case of emergencies were killed by the rupture, Folha said.

The plan also predicted that the mud flow would travel up to 65km (40 miles) from the dam.

Vale did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Folha quoted the company as saying the mining dam emergency action plan "was built based on a hypothetical rupture study".

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Vale Chief Executive Fabio Schvartsman has said the miner built its facilities to comply with regulations and that equipment had shown the dam was stable.

ASSETS FROZEN

In the wake of the disaster, Vale has said it will take up to 10 percent of its production offline and spend 5 billion reais ($1.36 billion) to decommission 10 dams.

On Thursday state labor courts froze more than 800 million reais ($219 million) of Vale's assets as compensation for victims. That followed court orders over the weekend freezing 11.8 billion reais ($3.1 billion) in assets to cover rescue efforts and damages. The company had about 24 billion reais in cash and equivalents at the end of the third quarter.

A ministerial task force convened by Bolsonaro began drawing up a unified legislative plan to improve safety, oversight and the licensing of dams.

A person with direct knowledge of the proceedings said the proposals are likely to include executive orders and bills in Congress and take at least seven to 10 days to prepare.

Residents in the devastated town of Brumadinho were still learning of the fallout from the deadly mud flow.

The Minas Gerais state government said on Thursday that initial tests of the Paraopeba River, which was contaminated by the toxic mud, indicated that "the water poses risks to human and animal health". It added that locals should not use Paraopeba River water for any purpose.

United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday urged an official investigation of the incident. Federal and state prosecutors have already said they are seeking to make the matter a criminal case.

After a meeting with Brazil's top prosecutor, Vale CEO Schvartsman told journalists that he had no reason to think the company's executives would go to prison.

Schvartsman said the company was focused on paying families as soon as possible and he had also discussed environmental issues with federal prosecutors.

(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca and Ricardo Brito Writing by Gabriel Stargardter Editing by David Goodman)By Paul Carsten ABUJA (Reuters) - The Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed at least 60 people in the northeast Nigerian town of Rann on Monday, a day after it was abandoned by the military, Amnesty International and security sources said on Friday. The attack on Rann, home to a camp housing tens of thousands of people displaced by the Islamist insurgency, was one of the group's bloodiest. It came two weeks after Boko Haram had overrun the same town, driving out Nigerian soldiers and signaling its re-emergence as a force capable of capturing army bases. The bloodshed is a challenge for President Muhammadu Buhari in particular as he seeks a second successive four-year term in an election on Feb. 16, having been elected in 2015 partly on a promise to restore security. A Nigerian army spokesman denied that troops had left the town and that Boko Haram had killed the people. The two attacks have driven some 40,000 people to flee, 30,000 of them into nearby Cameroon, according to aid agencies. "This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crimes," Osai Ojigho, Amnesty's Nigeria director, said in a statement. "Witnesses told us that Nigerian soldiers abandoned their posts the day before the attack, demonstrating the authorities' utter failure to protect civilians." Two security sources told Reuters that Nigerian troops had returned to Rann along with Cameroonian troops from a multinational task force after the first attack on Jan. 14. After the Cameroonians went back across the border, the Nigerian soldiers left because they did not have enough troops, weapons or equipment, the sources said. The next day, Boko Haram came. The militants set the town ablaze and executed its elders and traditional leaders, leaving one alive as a witness, one of the security sources said. A video of the attack reviewed by Reuters showed people gathering belongings and fleeing, screaming, as the town burned. Nigerian army soldiers came back to Rann and helped bury some of the dead after Boko Haram had left, Amnesty International and security sources said. A surge in attacks in the northeast by Boko Haram and its now more powerful offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province is throwing preparations for the presidential election into disarray. Despite the violence, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Tuesday "the current rate of return of these IDPs (internally displaced people) and refugees is encouraging, and this is due to improving security in many areas that were once completely out of bounds". (Reporting by Paul Carsten, additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Editing by Kevin Liffey)Niamey (AFP) - Boko Haram islamists have shot dead six people in a village in south Niger, near the border with Nigeria, a local official said Saturday.

"Six people were killed Friday night by Boko Haram at Bague Djaradi," a village in Toumour commune, the official told AFP, adding the assailants were on foot.

The attack was the latest in a series ascribed to the jihadist group which began a bloody insurgency in 2009 that has spread to neighbouring countries, prompting a regional military response.

Some 27,000 people have been killed and two million displaced, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region.

Militants have targeted soldiers and civilians alike, and are blamed for abductions of children and employees of foreign companies.

Last Tuesday the group was blamed for the deaths of four people in Bosso, a town not far from Toumour, and for the torching of several vehicles.

The Bosso and Toumour attacks follow on a recent military offensive against the group in the area which saw more than 200 militia killed, according to army sources.

Although Lake Chad forms a natural barrier limiting the group's easy access across the border from Nigeria the presidents of Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon appealed for international support at a November 29 meeting in Chad's capital N'Djamena.Sydney (AFP) - When Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani won Australia's most valuable literary prize this week, he could not attend the ceremony to accept it.

But as he has done for almost six years, living in Papua New Guinea under Canberra's harsh offshore detention policy, the asylum-seeker still managed to speak out.

"With humility, I would like to say that this award is a victory. It is a victory not only for us, but for literature and art and above all, it is a victory for humanity," he said in pre-recorded acceptance speech given to media.

"A victory against a system that has never recognised us as human beings. It is a victory against a system that has reduced us to numbers," the 35-year-old added.

Boochani, who was sent to Manus after fleeing Iran in 2013, won the Victorian Prize for Literature for his book "No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison".

Under a harsh policy meant to deter asylum-seekers from reaching Australia by boat, Canberra has for years sent arrivals to remote Pacific camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island for processing, barring them from ever resettling in Australia.

The UN, rights groups and leading health professionals have slammed Canberra for its treatment of asylum seekers, as stories of violent riots, self harm, dire living conditions and even murder have emerged from the camps over the years.

'I ended up in another prison'

Boochani has been at the centre of many of these reports -- the loudest voice within the Manus asylum seekers, providing a key source for journalists and rights groups while documenting the conditions himself.

His journalism has been published widely in Australian media, he has given speeches remotely to universities around the world and produced a film from the island shot on his phone -- all while continuing to write about Iranian and Kurdish politics for publications in Iran.

Born in Ilam in the west of Iran in 1983, Behrouz graduated from Tarbiat Moallem and Tarbiat Modares Universities in Tehran with a masters degree in political science, political geography and geopolitics.

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He was a close collaborator on the Kurdish-language magazine Werya, which in February 2013 was ransacked by the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, and nine of his colleagues were arrested.

Some of his friends were released, others were sent to prison.

Fearing for his life Behrouz fled the country in May that year.

"I left Iran because I didn't want to live in prison for a long time, or be killed by the system there," he told AFP from Manus Saturday.

"Unfortunately I ended up in another prison, but a prison that was created by a country that claims it is a liberal democracy."

His boat carrying more than 60 asylum-seekers was intercepted on its way to Australia from Indonesia in July 2013 by the Australian Navy, and soon sent to Manus.

'A part of Australian history'

He has spent years writing the book through his experiences on the island, documented via short messages in Farsi to translators using WhatsApp.

The book crosses a number of genres, from "Australian dissident literature" to "Kurdish literature" to "prison and philosophical literature", translator Omid Tofighian told AFP.

"It describes systematic torture. For so long Behrouz -- through journalism and his film and through public speaking -- has been trying to explain what systematic torture means in this particular site," Tofighian said.

"I think the book does that successfully."

The prison is geographically offshore, but the book conveys it is very much part of "Australian society, history and culture", Tofighian added.

"It positions what is happening in terms of border politics, in a much broader narrative that relates to Australia's colonial character -- or colonial past or present."

Under a deal with former US president Barack Obama, about 450 people of a potential 1,250 had so far been resettled from Manus and Nauru to the United States at the end of last year.

At that time about 160 people remained on Nauru, while Boochani said Saturday some 600 men are still on Manus.

"I think this award proves that already a big part of Australian society accepts me, and other refugees, as members of Australia," he told AFP.

"We are a part of Australian history, and nobody has the power to deny this. We are a part of Australian society."THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP)  Greek police say four migrants, including three girls, are missing since an inflatable boat they used to cross a river from Turkey into Greece was punctured by a tree branch

Police found eight Iraqi migrants  five adults, two boys and a girl  on a rock outcropping in the middle of the Evros River, which divides Greece and Turkey. On questioning, police were told that a tree branch had punctured the migrants' inflatable boat and that four of the original 12 passengers were missing.

A police search has recovered the boat with the migrants' belongings, but there have been no signs of the missing. The father of the three girls is among the survivors, as are two of their siblings, a girl and a boy.NDO  On February 1, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan extended her congratulations to Gombojav Zandanshatar on his recent election as Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.When things are heating up, there are a few obvious places you want your partner to hit. But when it comes to erogenous zonesthose crazy-sensitive hot spots that can take you from zero to gotta-have-it-right-nowyour lips, nipples, and genitals barely scratch the surface. Your body is covered in highly sensitive areas you may never have even thought to explore. "An erogenous zone is anywhere on the body that has a heightened sensitivity and can elicit a sexual response when stimulated," explains Jane Greer, Ph.D., a sex and relationship expert. To take things up a notch in the bedroom, venture into some new erogenous zone territory.

1. The nape of your neck

If you&aposre a neck person, you know it. "The nape and back of your neck have so many nerve endings that a light touch is all that&aposs needed to drive youand your partnerwild," says Greer. Ask your partner to lightly run the tips of their fingers up and down your neck as you kiss (or do it to them to drop a hint) to hit that concentration of nerves. To heat things up even more, establish a no-kissing-on-the-lips rule and have your partner focus on your neck instead.

2. The pubic mound

Okay, it&aposs not the sexiest-sounding body part, but the area above the pubic bone can be an electrifying spot when stimulated properly. Your pubic mound is connected to your genitals and sexual response thanks to sensitive nerve endings and glands that emit pheromones [chemicals your body produces that can trigger a sexual response from others], natural body scent, and sweat, says Shannon Chavez, Psy.D., a psychologist and certified sex therapist in Los Angeles.

To activate it, have your partner start by massaging the area with light pressure, which can work to increase arousal. Lightly massaging the skin between your fingers or having your partner gently suck and pull on the sensitive skin using their mouth will really fire off some tingling sensations, Chavez says.

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3. The inner thighs

Before going straight for the main course, have your partner spend some time teasing your inner thighs. The skin here is highly sensitive and packed with nerve endings, which means it&aposs extra responsive to your partner&aposs nibbles, nips, and licks. If you really want to kick it up to the next level, ask your partner to "trace an ice cube up and down [your thighs] and explore that new sensation," suggests Greer.

4. The armpits

Yes, really. If you can get past a little sweat, hair, and taboo, your armpits can be a surprising erogenous zone. Think about it this way: Your armpits are super sensitive. The same thing that makes them so ticklish can also make this spot a surprising turn-on.

Here&aposs how to explore: Have your partner take the tips of their fingers and gently brush your underarms. First, lightly go up and down before shifting to a brisk, circular motion, paying close attention to what elicits the best response. Its playful, sure, but also seductive.

5. The crease of the thigh

When it comes to erogenous zones for men, its not just all about the obvious. A great blow job involves more than just the genitals, says Emma McGowan, certified sex educator and author of Bustle&aposs Sex IDK advice column. Paying attention to the area around the penis and testicles helps build anticipation and arousal. That little crease where the thigh meets the torso is a great place to work into your oral sex repertoire.

The same is true for women. The crease of the thigh is a great hot spot to hit during oral sex regardless of gender.

6. The ears

Although ears are considered to be highly erotic, they are often overlooked, making them an even hotter spot when you want to crank things up in bed, says Emily Morse, sexologist and host of the Sex With Emily podcast. The ears are actually very sensitive to touch because theres a massive number of sensory receptors.

Kick things off by having your partner lightly trace the C-shaped outline of your ear with their fingertips while youre kissing. Gentle kissing and nibbling can also set off fireworks. This can be an especially powerful move when done in tandem with some below-the-belt actionit might even help you climax or intensify your orgasm.

7. The stomach

Your lower stomachbetween your belly button and your pubic areais a surprising female arousal trigger. Why? With the right touch, you can actually stimulate the G-spot from the opposite side. Plus, the area just above your pelvis can be a major tease. Stimulating that area with your hands or mouth helps get the blood flowing to the other major erogenous zone lurking just south.

This area is also great for playing a bit with temperature: Have your partner delicately place a hot or cold washcloth on the skin just above your pelvis before oral, or playfully dangle it from above to brush the skin teasingly.

8. The hands

The hands are extremely sensual. Even a light tight touch can gently produce waves of sensation," says Chavez. She goes so far as to call your hands one of your most important sex organs. "When you suck them, youre actually having a form of oral sex," she says. "If a partner sucks on a finger and massages it with the tongue, it sends the signal to the reward center of the brain similar to sex."

To explore, have your partner gently kiss the sensitive pads of your finger tips, using their tongue to draw slow circles. If you&aposre into it, try a little light suction.

9. The crook of your arm

If youve ever had the crook of your arm stimulatedthe inner portion where the humerus connects the radius/ulnayoull likely know how sensitive this area can be, says Gigi Engle, certified sexologist, Promescent brand adviser, and author of All the F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life. The skin there is thin, leading to a more intense feeling.

Try running your fingers lightly along the inner arm between the wrist and the elbow to start. If it tickles too much, you can also try massaging this area for a deeper feeling, says Engle.

10. The bottoms of your feet

Even if youre not a foot personor think youre not a foot personthe right touch might change all that. The feet contain pressure points, which, for some, can spark arousal. The arches of your feet, in particular, are also packed with nerve endings, which means a hell of a lot of sensitivity.

Since some people are ticklish down there, youll want to focus on firm, steady strokes over light and tickly motions. Think of it more like a massage, pleasurable in any context, which can also help relaxationa key for many women to reaching orgasm.

11. In between your toes

Speaking of feet, another erogenous zone that people dont always think of is in between the toes. Any area can become an erogenous zone with the right type of touch, says Rami Najjar, registered psychologist and clinic director of Resilience Psychotherapy. And considering just how thin and delicate the skin between your toes is, it only makes sense that it can be extremely arousing.

To stimulate this hot spot, start with a sensual foot massage focusing on that ultra-sensitive skin between the toes.

12. The inside of your ankle

Since were already down by the feet, we might as well cover the other major erogenous zone down there: the inside of the ankle.

Similar to the wrist, Najjar points out that this particular area is definitely one that can induce pleasure when stimulated the right way with light touch. Theres also a seductive element to it, one that might even inspire a desire to kiss and lick it.

13. The labia minora

When we think of the vulva and erogenous zones in that area, our brain tends to go straight to the money spot: the clitoris. While thats definitely a place to get to knowand trigger many clitoral orgasmsits not the only place in that region worth noting. Also known as the labia minora, the inner lips are erectile tissue, says Anne Louise Burdett, a certified sex educator and CEO of TOCA, an organic CBD line of intimacy lubricants. They engorge with blood and become hot, swollen, deeper in color, and very sensitive to the touch when aroused.

To target the inner lips specifically, put your fingers in a peace sign and with lots of lube and slide them up and down on the inside of the outer lips and around the inner lips, says Burdett. This area is highly sensitive even as far as highly sensitive areas go, so dont stimulate without plenty of lubrication (natural or otherwise).

14. The lips

It may seem a little old-fashioned, but your lips (the ones on your face) will always be one of the hottest erogenous zones for women. Lips are the most exposed of all erogenous zones, and are packed with a bunch of nerve endings located very close to the surface of the skin," says Morse. "Theyve got 100 times more than our fingertips. Even the slightest touch to your lips releases a happy rush of feel-good hormones to your brain that can affect your emotions as well as your nether regions, she explains.

Use your own lips, teeth, and tongue to lick, nibble, and caress your partner&aposs top and bottom lip, experimenting with different amounts of pressure, says Morse. When you come up for air, trace the outline of your partners lips with your thumb while locking eyes with them and then get back to it.

15. The scalp

Your scalp has thousands of little nerve endings, and if youve ever had your hair pulled during sex, you know its an erogenous zone, McGowan says. Dont discount the value of some solid hair pulling!

If hair pulling isnt your thing, you can still reap the benefits of all those nerve endings in the scalp. If youre more into stroking your partners hair or them stroking yours, theres still a delicious eroticism that comes with such an act.

16. The perineum

Similar to asses (as in everyone has one), everyone has a perineum too. The perineum is that strip of skin between the anus and the genitals, and is home to the pudendal nerve, the main purpose of which is to carry sensations back and forth through the intricate network of all the other nerves down there. Basically, its something worth getting to know.

Its perfect for exploring, says Daniel Saynt, founder of The New Society for Wellness (NSFW), a private members club hosting regular workshops and events safely exploring open love, kink, and sexuality. Lick it, slap it, bite it, or massage it. Based on your partners tolerance, you can explore a lot of powerful sensations by exploring this erotic zone.

17. The anus

Butt stuff isn&apost for everyone. But for many people the anus is a serious hot spot. "There are lots of sensitive nerve endings in the anus, so that can be a hot and heavy place for people," says Jenni Skyler, Ph.D., an ASSECT-certified sex therapist at The Intimacy Institute in Colorado.

That said, what feels good for one person may not turn on the next, so play around with it and see what works for you. "For some people, this could just be caressing the outside of the butt cheeks and the rim of the anus," Skyler says. "For some people it&aposs licking, for some people it&aposs very light penetration, and for some people its full penetration." Just remember, if you do dabble in penetration, even a little bit, dont forget the lube.

18. The butt cheeks

If youve explored anal play and found its not for you, that doesnt mean that butt playas in your actual cheeksis off limits.

A lot of people find having their butt played with, spanked, massaged, or simply just given a little extra attention really exciting. According to Najjar, that space where the butt meets the thigh is also one hell of an erogenous zone worth experimenting with.

19. The anterior vaginal wall

For the longest time, I thought squirting during sex (also known as female ejaculation) was a myth. It was something that happened only to women who own unicorns and have cupcakes for breakfast. But all that changed the very first time I squirted thanks to stimulation of a particular erogenous zone.

This fleshy interior front wall of your vagina can be stimulated through light touch or through positions that allow insertables to hit its wall, Saynt says. While the way to stimulate varies based on preferred pressure and speed, your partner can help reach this area by creating a hook with two fingers and inserting their hand with palm facing up. Their palm and position allows for stimulation of your clitoris and labia, while they push on your vaginal wall. With the right amount of attention, expect a few fireworks. Towel strongly suggested.

20. The brain

According to Skyler, the brain is the most central erogenous zone for many people. If our brain is not in the moodif we&aposre too stressed, tired, whateverthat blocks the rest of the body from being able to act on arousal, she explains. After all, sex is only sexy if you&aposre in the right mindset. "Establishing a genuine connection before getting physical will only help make things hotter in the bedroom," Skyler says.

21. The earlobes

Although weve already covered the ear, its important to differentiate the difference between the ear and the earlobe. Each part offers a different sensation.

Like the crook of the arm, the earlobe has thinner skin, meaning it is more sensitive to touch, says Engle. Have your partner give you a little nibble on the earlobe and see if you enjoy it. Some people enjoy super-hard biting on the ears and others prefer super-gentle touch. Start with gentle and then work your way to more intense sensations.

22. The inner knee

The spot behind your knee may not have gotten much love in the past, but stroke it lightly with your handor have your partner do itand youll realize that its much more sensitive than you realized, says McGowan. If youre into it, have your partner lick it as well as caress. Its a whole new spot thats ripe for exploration. And is a clear path on up to other tantalizing parts of the body.

23. The A-spot

Known as the anterior fornix erogenous zone, the A-spot is very close to the cervix and rests just above the bladder, past the G-spot on the same anterior wall of the vagina, says Burdett. Stimulating the A-spot during sex will be easiest using fingers or a toy because of its depth and angle, and positions that allow for deeper penetration.

Burdett suggests rolling onto your stomach and approaching penetration from the back or lifting one leg up and coming in from the side, she says. Deep pulsing rather than fast and hard is usually more pleasurable with this position.

24. The lower back

When you ask people about their favorite erogenous zones, the back often comes up. For some its the inter-scapularthat space between your shoulder blades thats impossible to reach on your own. (Perhaps thats why its so hot: Its unattainable.) For others, its the lower back. Your lower back, just above the crease of your butt, is a supersensitive spot, says McGowan. Think about anytime someone has put their hand there as youre walking together. Hot, right? Well, its even hotter when they touch it naked.

25. The nipples

If youve gotten this far down on the list and wondered, Where the hell are the nipples? Dont worry; they werent forgotten. A list of erogenous zones without nipples is like pizza without cheese: It just doesnt make sense. Although nipple sensitivity differs from person to person, theres no doubt that when it comes to erogenous zones, theyre high up there on the list.

Nipples are sensitive on all bodies, some more than others, but worth playing with to find out if it drives your lover or yourself wild, says Burdett. Some people can even have nipple orgasms without any other type of stimulation. This erogenous zone can often put people over the top in the very best way, says Burdett.

Because the nerves can differ, especially during a menstrual cycle or pregnancy, its important to communicate with your partner about what feels good and what doesnt. While some people love to have their nipple pinched and twisted, others are content with just a gentle graze or lick.

26. The breasts

While we already know that nipples are a major erogenous zones, the rest of the breasts shouldnt be ignored. The breasts have an intricate network of nerve endings, allowing them to be an area of enhanced sensitivity, says Jennifer Dhingra, a doctor and sexual health advocate in the U.K. Although we tend to think of breasts as being most made up of fatty tissue, theyre far more complicated than that.

Try light touching, fondling, caressing and massaging.

27. The frenulum

The frenulum is where the shaft of the penis meets the head (glans) of the penis. Its on the underneath part of the penis and is extremely sensitiveespecially for men who have their foreskin intact. Its visible on people who have been circumcised (those who havent been circumcised need to pull back their foreskin to see it). The frenulum is so sensitive that even the slightest touch can all but make the penis owner explode. This is, in no way, an exaggeration. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration. But very slight.

28. The Achilles tendon

According to Najjar, if youre looking for erogenous zones that take you away from breasts and genitalia and back down toward the feet, then a spot worth exploring is the Achilles tendon. While it may come across as just a band of tissue that connects the heel to the calf, theres more to it than that. Similar to the inside of the ankle, when stroked and stimulated in a light and playful way, the experience can become erotic.

29. The V-spot

The V-spot is a very important part of sexual discovery for vagina holders, says Burdett. This is the gateway to the vaginal canal and the entry point for penetration. The V stands for vaginal vestibule, which is the opening/entrance into the vaginathe area past the labia minora at the base of the vaginal canal.

This area is unsurprisingly packed with nerve endings. To stimulate it, says Burdett, gently edge your fingers around your vaginal opening. Breathe deep. Move back and forth between the clitoral shaft, labia, and V-spot. Use the length of your finger and then your fingertips to outline your vaginal opening. Where does it feel best? Are you hungering for penetration? Like a lot of sex-related acts and exploring with erogenous zones, its all about experimenting and seeing what feels best.

30. The wrist

While the wrist might seem like an erogenous zone from the Jane Austen era (and it was), all these years later, it still continues to hold its charm. Delicate and fragile, theres something both romantic and deeply erotic about the wrist. Like similar areas on the body (the ankles, the back of the knee) use light caresses to stimulate this area.

31. The prostate

It may have taken us quite a while to get here, but finally menstraight menare no longer shrinking in fear at the idea of putting something in their ass. Finally! The prostate is a gland, roughly the size of a walnut, which produces fluid that contributes to the formation of semen, says Dhingra. The prostate is very sensitive, and stimulation of the area can lead to sexual pleasure and arousal. This may be achieved through the insertion of a finger or sex toy into the rectum, and massaging the prostate internally.

This is also a topic that Saynt takes to heart. Seriously consider getting into butt stuff with your partner if they have a prostate, says Saynt. Orgasms achieved by knowing how to stimulate your prostate and taking the time to explore and train it over time are mind-blowing. From milking to multiple orgasms, the benefits don&apost end with pleasure. Regularly exploring this region is connected to a reduction in prostate cancer risks.

Pleasure and lowered prostate cancer risks? I do believe we call that a win-win.

Originally Appeared on GlamourTrump scrutinized by Democrats, watchdogs as he returns to Mar-a-Lago club originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

As President Donald Trump spends Super Bowl weekend at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club, for the first time this year, Democrats in control of the House are renewing their focus on Trumps sanctuary -- a property which Democratic lawmakers say presents a tangle of ethical and security concerns for a sitting president.

While he canceled a trip to Palm Beach for the Christmas holiday during the government shutdown, Trump has traditionally spent holidays and dozens of winter weekends at Mar-a-Lago, where members who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars have the opportunity to discuss news of the day and the administrations agenda with the nation's commander-in-chief, who is known to survey guests and members for their opinions on a spectrum of domestic and international affairs.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump walks onto the green at the Trump International Golf Course in Mar-a-Lago, Fla., Dec. 29, 2017. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images, FILE)

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has spent roughly 75 days at Mar-a-Lago, according to an ABC News analysis of the president's schedule. Virtually nowhere else in the world is access to Trump as surprisingly free-wheeling and informal as it has been inside the gates of his 20-acre waterfront property.

The club reportedly has nearly 500 members, including New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and real estate mogul Richard LeFrak. For a $200,000 membership fee, any member might cross paths with the president, whether on the resort's poolside patio, its manicured lawns or its gold leaf-lined interior rooms.

(MORE: Inside Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate where he's 'done so much for equality')

Trump has also installed club members in his administration: his ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin Bernstein, is a longtime club member. Last year, Trump nominated Lana Marks, a handbag designer and Palm Beach resident who is reportedly also a Mar-a-Lago member, as the ambassador to South Africa, where she was born.

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Hes also used the beach club as the setting for summits with world leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mar-a-Lago points out a number of different ways in which the presidents businesses can create real ethical problems, Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group, said in an interview.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump looks at his notes before speaking during an event on human trafficking in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Washington. (AP)

Its got people who pay a lot of money -- that essentially goes to Donald Trump -- to be there, and that really creates the possibility of influence, he said.

The club has already been the subject of a number of investigations by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), the nonpartisan congressional watchdog agency.

After reports and social media posts suggested that Trump and Abe discussed national security in front of diners on the clubs patio following a North Korean missile test in 2017, the GAO spent months investigating security protocols at the club at the request of Democrats. A public version of the report is expected to be released in the coming weeks, GAO spokesman Chuck Young told ABC News.

(MORE: Trumps Mar-a-Lago asks to hire 61 additional foreign workers using visa program)

One of things that we have been concerned about is security, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, recently told ABC News. We dont know how safe it is from a communications standpoint.

Democrats have also asked the GAO to review the costs associated with presidential travel and protecting Mar-a-Lago, and whether the U.S. Treasury has received any payments from profits from the presidents club and other hotel properties.

They have also asked the agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general to investigate whether members of Mar-a-Lago have improperly influenced decisions at the VA, following reports that three members played a role in shaping agency policies and contracts.

PHOTO: The exterior of the Mar-a-Lago Resort is pictured in Palm Beach, Fla., April 8, 2017. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE)

In December, ahead of taking control of the powerful Oversight Committee, Cummings issued more than 50 document requests, including a letter to the Trump Organization and the presidents lawyer about Trumps arrangement to avoid conflicts of interest regarding foreign payments to his hotels and other businesses.

Cummings and other Democrats believe Trump may be violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution through his organizations business with foreign governments and foreign-owned entities.

(MORE: Mar-a-Lago member gives $150K to legal defense fund for Trump allies questioned in Mueller probe)

The results of the GAO investigations could turn the spotlight back on Trumps favorite Florida getaway, and prompt hearings and further investigations on Capitol Hill.

That whole question of whether the president is acting -- when he makes decisions, making decisions -- in the best interests of the country or himself -- will always be something we will be interested in, said Cummings.

ABC's John Parkinson contributed to this report.Despite questions, Trump touts 'tremendous progress' ahead of new summit with North Korea's Kim originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

President Donald Trump on Thursday teased expectations ahead of his next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, just as his top envoy is set to meet his North Korean counterpart to hammer out details of a new document for the two leaders to sign.

That envoy, Special Representative Stephen Biegun, is now saying Kim committed to destroying plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities, even though he conceded the two sides have not publicly agreed on what "denuclearization" means -- the commitment made at the leaders' first summit last summer.

Earlier this week, U.S. intelligence agencies said they assess North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its WMD stockpiles, delivery systems, and production capabilities because its leaders view nuclear arms as critical to the regime's survival.

PHOTO: U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun speaks to the media at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 21, 2018. (Lee Jin-man/AP)

But Trump said the summit is on regardless, touting "tremendous progress" in the administration's talks with North Korea and telling reporters in the Oval Office that the where and when of the meeting would be announced next week.

"Most of you know where that location is. I don't think it's any secret," he said about the summit, adding the timing will be "the end of February." He later suggested he would reveal those details in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed on Wednesday that the meeting will be "someplace in Asia," while a U.S. official had previously told ABC News that they are zeroing in one of three cities in Vietnam -- Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang.

Before they can sit together, however, negotiating teams from both countries will meet again. Biegun will travel to South Korea on Sunday to meet his South Korean and North Korean counterparts, the State Department confirmed Thursday, and in particular, Biegun and North Korea's Amb. Kim Hyok Chol will negotiate the details of Trump and Kim's second joint declaration.

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They'll be tasked with "achieving a set of concrete deliverables, a road map of negotiations and declarations going forward, and a shared understanding of the desired outcome of our joint efforts," Biegun said Thursday during a speech at Stanford University.

PHOTO: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un walks with President Donald Trump, left, during a break in talks at their historic US-North Korea summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore, June 12, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

The document the two leaders signed at the previous one has been criticized for being too vague, and analysts say that the future of diplomatic talks is riding on this meeting to achieve more concrete outcomes.

If not, and diplomatic talks fail, the U.S. does have "contingencies" in place, Biegun said.

But Trump wants this the conflict with North Korea to end, he added, saying, "It is over. It is done. We are not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the North Korean regime."

Still, achieving a lasting peace will require North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, and as U.S. intelligence chiefs said earlier this week, the special envoy conceded, "North Korea has given us little indication that they have yet made the decision to completely dismantle and destroy that capability."

At this point, the two sides still don't even agree on what the term "denuclearization" means, with Biegun saying they need a "detailed," "specific," and "agreed" definition.

In December, North Korea state media released a statement, saying the country would not dismantle its nuclear weapons until the U.S. withdrew its forces from the region -- its clearest definition yet of denuclearization, but something the U.S. has said it will not do.

PHOTO: In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they pose for a photo in Pyongyang, North Korea, Oct. 7, 2018. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

"We are not involved in any diplomatic discussion, full stop, that would suggest this trade-off," Biegun said of a possible U.S. troop withdrawal from South Korea. "It has never been discussed."

From the U.S. perspective, Biegun said that a "final" denuclearization deal would include "the removal or destruction of stockpiles of fissile material, weapons, missiles, launchers and other weapons of mass destruction" -- the kind of unilateral disarmament Kim has refused. North Korea would also have to provide a "comprehensive declaration" of its weapons of mass destruction and missile programs -- something it has so far refused to do in talks, even sparking outrage among its negotiators during a meeting with Pompeo last July.

The U.S. would also require an agreement on "expert access and monitoring mechanisms of key sites" of its weapons programs, which Pompeo said North Korea agreed to in October but has not yet happened. Biegun said he would push for progress on that again in his upcoming meetings.

While North Korea's public pronouncements do not match all of these U.S. demands, Biegun said that Kim Jong Un made commitments in private. In particular, he said, Kim committed to the "dismantlement and destruction of North Korea's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities... the totality of North Korean plutonium reprocessing and uranium enrichment programs" when Pompeo met him in Pyongyang in October.

Again, North Korea has not confirmed that, but Kim did agree in September in a joint declaration with South Korean President Moon Jae In to allow inspectors to the nuclear production facility at Yongbyon if the U.S. took "corresponding measures."

Biegun said the U.S. still does not know what those measures would be, but hopes to find out soon.After a 10-year makeover, King Tut's tomb is back, in living color and ready for its close-up originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A symposium to celebrate the success of a decade-long restoration project on the tomb of King Tutankhamun was held Thursday in Luxor, Egypt -- a city on the east bank of the Nile River in southern part of the country.

During the event, a documentary was screened that detailed every aspect of the research and conservation efforts undertaken to preserve the tomb of the legendary boy king, best known as "King Tut."

The project was launched in 2009 by the Los Angeles-based Getty Conservation Institute and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, amid growing concerns that years of tourists and visitors has taken its toll on the 3,000-year-old tomb.

PHOTO: Visitors look at ancient Egyptian drawings on a wall of the newly renovated tomb of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt Jan. 31, 2019. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)

The tomb was discovered in 1922 by Egyptologist Howard Carter, and has since become the most popular antiquities site in the world.

(MORE: Egypt discovers 4,400-year-old priest tomb in 'exceptional' condition)

The main damages incurred were caused by humidity, carbon dioxide and dust brought in by tourists, according to experts who restored the tomb. Filming equipment brought into the tomb has also caused abrasion and scratches on the walls, which required restoration.

PHOTO: The head linen-wrapped mummy of of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun displayed in his climate-controlled glass case in his underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile river south of the capital Cairo. (Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty Images)

PHOTO: The golden sarcophagus of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun displayed in his burial chamber in his underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile river opposite the southern Egyptian city of Luxor. (Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty Images)

Pictures of the completed restoration show the vivid colors of the mural depicting Tuts life, restored after layers of dust that had created a gray veil were removed.

To ensure that the tomb remains intact and accessible for generations, air filtration and ventilation system were installed, in addition to walkways, lighting and a viewing platform.

PHOTO: The feet of the linen-wrapped mummy of of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun displayed in his climate-controlled glass case in his underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile river south of the capital Cairo. (Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty Images)

The 1,182 square-foot tomb was opened for visitors during the 10-year years of work.

(MORE: Hundreds of gold coins dating to Rome's Imperial era found in Italy)

PHOTO: The head of the golden sarcophagus of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun displayed in his burial chamber on the west bank of the Nile river opposite the southern Egyptian city of Luxor south of the capital Cairo. (Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty Images)

This project conducted the most thorough study of the tomb since the time of Howard Carter, Tim Whalen said during the press conference.

The preservation effort also focused on identifying the mysterious brown spots on the wall paintings, present since the tomb was first opened, to ensure no new growth taking place. DNA and chemical analysis deemed the spots to be microbiological in origin but dead and hence is not a threat.

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PHOTO: The linen-wrapped mummy of of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun displayed in his climate controlled glass case in his underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile river opposite the southern Egyptian city of Luxor. (Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty Images)

Also present at the presser was former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass. The project was initiated during his term.

Hawass described the project as one of the best studies research ever done in Egypt.A witness testifying against alleged drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman told prosecutors that Guzman drugged and raped underage trafficking victims as young as 13, referring to the youngest girls as his vitamins because he believed that having sex with them gave him life, according to previously sealed court filings that were made public Saturday.

Alex Cifuentes, a Colombian drug trafficker who said he who worked closely with El Chapo for years, including an 18-month stretch living with Guzman, told investigators that Guzman regularly arranged for liaisons with young girls where both men allegedly raped them, according to the filing, which was originally filed under seal in October.

According to Cifuentes, a woman known as Commadre Maria, [sic] who ran a modeling agency in Mexico City and had connections to both the cartel and to high-ranking Mexican military officials, would send Guzman photos of the girls, some as young as 13. Then, for a payment of $5,000, El Chapo would have the girls flown out to one of his ranches, Cifuentes said.

Cifuentes, referred to in the documents as CW1, told investigators that he would sometimes help Guzman drug the girls by placing a powdery substance in their drinks, at his bosss orders. Cifuentes said that on three or four occasions he also raped girls as young as 15, but insisted he never drugged them.

But jurors, who are set to begin deliberating on Monday, never heard the allegations. Thats because the government successfully lobbied Judge Brian M. Cogan to bar any testimony or cross-examination on the subject on the basis that, due to the fact that the allegations were irrelevant to the criminal case against El Chapo, and because Cifuentes admitted to participating, the information could cause jurors to make prejudicial decisions about both Guzman and Cifuentes that could affect their ultimate verdict.

Salacious testimony about a witnesss sexual activity with minors is likely to be highly inflammatory, and it would invite the jury to improperly discount CW1s testimony by suggest[ing] decision on an improper bias, commonly, though not necessarily, an emotional one, prosecutors wrote in the motion asking Cogan to suppress the information.

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Angel Eduardo Balarezo, a defense attorney for El Chapo, denied the allegations against his client, noting that they had not been corroborated.

According to prosecutors, other cooperating witnesses corroborated the allegations from Cifuentes, but did not specify which witnesses had done so.

Also included in the topics precluded from discussion at trial were details of a meeting that El Chapo had with a DEA agent in 1998, when he was incarcerated at Puente Grande, the maximum-security prison from which he would escape in 2001.

According to prosecutors, Guzman requested an interview with the agent and offered to provide information about rival drug traffickers, namely the cartel run by the Arellano-Felix brothers, with whom El Chapo and his partner Ismael El Mayo Zambada were engaged in a protracted turf war. Guzman was hoping to trade the information in exchange for a promise that he would not be extradited to the United States, prosecutors wrote. Like many drug lords before him who had successfully bribed officials to make even a stay in prison somewhat comfortable, extradition was long one of El Chapos greatest fears, and he appeared willing to go to great lengths to avoid it: according to testimony at trial, the catalyst for his decision to sneak out of Puente Grande in a laundry cart in 2001 was that Guzman had learned that extradition could be imminent.

The unsealed documents, 75 pages in all, go on to detail the unorthodox interests of Cifuentes, including an obsession with astrology, witch doctors and UFOs. According to prosecutors, Cifuentes has personally availed himself of the services of witch doctors on several occasions, and told investigators that he had seen Guzman himself consulting with a witch doctor from whom he had bought snake oil.

Cifuentes, who was captured on a wiretap chatting with a pal about his interest in the Illuminati and the occult, as well as his belief at the time in an impending apocalypse in 2012, learned about the subjects from watching internet videos and shows on the Discovery Channel, prosecutors said.

In addition to details on Cifuente, prosecutors also managed to bar discussion of a number of crimes committed by their cooperating witnesses, including domestic violence, drunk driving that resulted in the death of a child, bribery and, in perhaps the most pathetic instance, failure by one witness to pay child support.

The documents, which detail numerous incidents of domestic violence, drug use and bribery by Cifuentes and other cooperating witnesses, were unsealed on Cogans order following a motion by lawyers with the New York Times and Vice News.Even after all the devastating and shocking deaths on Greys Anatomy, it never gets easier to say goodbye.

On Thursday, audiences watched yet another emotional episode  The Winner Takes It All  which revolved around two different characters with cancer: Meredith Greys (Ellen Pompeo) father, Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry), and Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen).

In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE following his characters passing, the actor spoke about Thatchers emotional death, the father and daughter reconnecting, and his experience returning to the Greys set.

Actors are weird creatures. Unlike more sane humans, we seem to enjoy going into the territory that is shaky and most vulnerable, the Scandal alum tells PEOPLE of what it was like returning for his final scenes. So, I was really excited by the thought to get to the unresolved.

Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry)

The actor also approved of the imperfect farewell between Thatcher and Meredith and enjoyed mending their on-screen relationship, which he describes as having been fraught by estrangement and regret and some abandonment.

Merediths final response to me and speaking with such love in my last moments, describing her motherly love, was beautiful, says Perry, 63. I thought it was sentimental in the best way. Never a perfect closure, we humans never do that, but it was the best they authentically could have come up with.

He also admitted that dipping back into Shondaland was great and deeply comfortably.

While the characters have had a complicated relationship due to their 20-year estrangement, the talented surgeon decided to visit him during his final moments.

It took former Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) to convince Meredith to go to her fathers side in his final days and support his choice to die comfortably at home.

At first, as teased in an exclusive clip from the medical drama, Meredith was reluctant to enter her dads home because of their fractured relationship. After sitting in awkward silence, Thatcher informed his daughter that since the death of her half-sister, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), he became devoted to his sobriety and built schools in Zimbabwe.

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Thatchers life updates triggered Meredith, who responded with anger about how he could stay absent after the pain she had endured in her drama-filled world.

Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry)

RELATED: Ellen Pompeo Says She May Leave Greys Anatomy in 2020: Im Definitely Looking for a Change

Since the last time he made an appearance in her life, she was almost killed in a plane crash, her husband had died and the hospital almost burned down. You went and got a whole new life, halfway across the world this time, she said. But you didnt give a damn about the people you left behind.

Still raw from McDreamys death, Meredith confronted Thatcher for never supporting her.

He eventually shocked her by revealing he flew to be by her side after he learned about Derek Shepherds car crash, but she was so lost in grief that she didnt see him at the funeral.

Before Thatchers death, the pair shared some great laughs and stories about her three kids. Thatcher admitted he wished he got to be a better grandfather and bought a box full of gifts for her children.

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RELATED: The Cast of Greys Anatomy: Then and Now

Meredith eventually found closure and he died as she held his head in her hands.

After the heart-wrenching scene aired, Pompeo, 49, revealed her feelings about the death and survival of Catherine Avery, who underwent a very successful surgery.

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This episode is one of our best this year.. so grateful to have this incredible cast our crew our writers this show is a monster to make and they all bring it every day! she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of of the cast celebrating from the episode.A 69-year-old FedEx worker was found dead in subzero temperatures outside an Illinois delivery hub on Thursday  and authorities are working to determine whether the dangerous weather played a role in the death.

William L. Murphy was found dead around 9:24 a.m. on Thursday at FedEx Freight in East Moline, Illinois, after collapsing outside the delivery hub more than a day before, Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson tells PEOPLE.

Authorities believe Murphy parked his FedEx truck in the lot Tuesday night and was putting his belongings into his personal vehicle when he collapsed, Gustafson says. Another worker found Murphys body in the ground between two semi-tractors more than a day later, police said in a statement.

It was very frigidly cold, Gustafson tells PEOPLE, noting that Murphys exact cause of death has not been determined. Could [the weather] have caused him to go into cardiac arrest? Possibly.

A delivery man works in New York City on Jan. 21

On Tuesday, temperatures in Moline plummeted to -12 degrees, according to The Weather Channel. By Thursday, temperatures reached as low as -27 degrees.

The weather is being considered by investigators as a circumstance that may have played a role in the death, but a cause of death will not be available until after the autopsy next week, East Moline police said in a statement. The loss of life is a tragic event and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.

RELATED STORY: Death Toll Climbs to 21 as Polar Vortex Gives Way to Spring-Like Temperatures This Weekend

The incident is the latest in a string of weather-related deaths as brutal cold from the polar vortex grips the Midwest. At least 21 people have died as the temperatures have plummeted, according to The Weather Channel.

A homeless man in New York City on Jan. 30

Dozens of people across the country have been hospitalized for symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite sustained as a result of the bitter cold, the The New York Times reported.

Among the dead are an 18-year-old University of Iowa student found outside a campus building; four men found frozen in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan and six Iowans who died in car crashes.

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A pedestrian in Illinois died after being struck by a snowplow and a woman was found frozen in her apartment in Milwaukee after a thermostat malfunction, according to the Times.

The James J. Versluis tugboat breaks ice in Chicago on Jan. 30

After the region took a severe beating due to the cold, the weather is expected to warm up during the weekend. Detroit, which clocked in at -14 on Thursday, a 99-year record low, could hit 45 degrees on Sunday and 50 degrees Monday. Chicago, which was -23 on Wednesday morning, may warm up to 52 by Monday.

However, the warm weekend doesnt mean the cold is through.

Its not the end of the movie yet, Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research, told the Associated Press. I think at a minimum, were looking at mid-February, possibly through mid-March.On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, actress and activist Ellen Page took aim at Vice President Mike Pence for his long history of opposition to LGBTQ rights. Pence has historically fought the legalization of gay marriage, and is accused of advocating for gay conversion therapy, and it was there that Page began her impassioned plea for change.The Vice President of America wishes I didnt have the love with my wife, Page said. He wanted to ban that in Indiana. He believes in conversion therapy. The audience obviously agreed with Page as there was prolonged booing following this statement.Page then went on to blame Pence for the recent attack on Empire star Jussie Smollett, who was the victim of a suspected racist and homophobic assault early Tuesday morning in Chicago.He has hurt LGBTQ people so badly as the governor of Indiana, Page said, and I think the thing we need to know, and I hope my show Gaycation did this in terms of connecting the dots, in terms of what happened the other day to Jussie, I dont know him personally, I send all of my love, connect the dots.Page has sparred with politicians in the past over their anti-LGBTQ policies. She confronted then presidential candidate Ted Cruz at the 2015 Iowa State Fair, and she put the onus on all politicians with such policies for attacks like the one on Smollett.

If you are in a position of power and you hate people and you want to cause suffering to them, you go through the trouble, you spend your career trying to cause suffering, what do you think is gonna happen? Page asked. Kids are gonna be abused and theyre gonna kill themselves. And people are gonna be beaten on the street. And finally, Page didnt mince words when she called for an end to anti-LGBTQ sentiment in government.I have traveled the world and I have met the most marginalized people you could meet, Page said. I am lucky to have the time and the privilege to say this. This needs to f**kin stop.Photo credit: Eastern Virginia Medical School

From Esquire

On Friday afternoon, Virginia Governor Ralph Northams medical school yearbook page surfaced online. One featured photo contained two figures: one dressed in blackface, the other draped in Klan robes.

The Democratic governor quickly released a statement admitting that he was one of the figures in the photograph. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," wrote Northam, following up with a video message in which he insisted "that photo, and the racist and offensive attitudes it represents, does not represent the person that I am today, and the way that I have conducted myself as a soldier, a doctor, and a public servant."

Northam faces mounting pressure from within his own party to resign; Virginia House Democrats issued a statement calling for Northams resignation, while presidential candidates Senators Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as other prominent Democratic figures, have urged the governor to step down. Northam is resisting the calls to resign and is beginning to backtrack from his initial statement, now reportedly denying that he may be in the picture at all.

Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images

If that is Northam in the photo-and again, he publicly admitted it was-consider this: for decades before he entered politics, Northam literally had the lives of children of color in his hands as a pediatric neurologist. While few cases illustrate the racism present in American medical institutions quite as vividly as this yearbook photo, history is littered with evidence of medical racism. Its one of the most dangerous forms of bigotry-a bigotry directly imperiling the physical wellbeing of Americans of color.

We know through data that African Americans still experience a great deal of racism, a great deal of discrimination and racial bias in the medical arena, Harriet Washington, author of the seminal examination of racism in medicine, 2007's Medical Apartheid, told me.

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In 2016, researchers at the University of Virginia completed a study that sought to explain why black patients are routinely undertreated for pain compared to whites. The disparity in treatment is a long-established finding-one of the many studies examining the phenomenon found that only 57 percent of black patients treated for extremity fractures received pain medication compared to 74 percent of similarly injured white patients.

And the UVA researchers uncovered one of the reasons black pain goes untreated: Medical professionals routinely profess racist beliefs about black patients bodies. Around half of medically trained respondents believed at least one false statement about biological differences-overtly racist sentiments like Blacks' skin is thicker than whites, or Blacks nerve endings are less sensitive than whites.

That finding, said Washington, is actually a holdover from Victorian times. Supporters of American slavery, keen to justify the institution as a scientific necessity rather than an economic convenience, insisted that black people were biologically different than whites, subhumans uniquely suited to brutal labor and neither deserving nor capable of handling freedom.

Nineteenth century Louisiana doctor and plantation owner Samuel A. Cartwright became famous for identifying a number of black diseases like drapetomania, a peculiar mental illness marked by the desire to escape slavery and which could thankfully be cured by whipping the devil out of afflicted patients. He also posited that blacks had singular knees, which meant they were created to be submissive knee benders who served whites.

Today, the briefest of Google searches shows that some people still believe that African Americans have extra muscles in their legs which render us superior athletes-the times change, the social contexts change, and the myths evolve to suit.

But beliefs about black biological deviance werent only used to illustrate inferiority and justify slavery. They also propelled medical progress, as African Americans-powerless, and supposedly indifferent to pain-were the ideal subjects for gruesome experimentation. The Tuskegee syphilis experiment is the most famous example of racist barbarism in the name of American scientific progress, but is by no means the only instance of it. Father of gynecology J. Marion Sims developed the first surgery repairing vaginal fistulas over four years of agonizing, purposefully un-anesthetized experimental surgeries on slave women.

Photo credit: Andrew Lichtenstein - Getty Images

While not all medical schools may have permitted the overt bigotry of Northams photograph to make its way into a yearbook, more subtle but equally damaging forms of racism, explained Washington, are very much on medical curricula. Implying that African-Americans are less intelligent, more inclined to stigmatizing diseases like sexually transmitted diseases, less able to feel pain-all of these things become part of a tacit education of medical students, she said. (I reached out to the American Medical Association for comment but haven't heard back yet.)

Though the effect of medical racism can be immediate and personal for all the black patients who find their health and wellbeing in the hands of racist medical providers, the effects of this history of bigotry are even more broadly felt. Black Americans are understandably far less likely than their white counterparts to trust doctors, and are accordingly less likely to seek out necessary medical care.

Theres a lot of inherited trauma in terms of recognizing what the medical system has done to communities of color, all the unethical things that have happened, said Dr. Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, who writes a column for the health news outlet Stat News. And so when people are suspicious, its not completely unwarranted. Its not unwarranted at all.

But it's hard to have faith in a medical world thats only now beginning to reckon with its racism-filled history. We cant talk about African Americans distrust of the system, said Washington, without talking about how untrustworthy the system is.

('You Might Also Like',)Clarksburg, WV (26301)

Today

Thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low around 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.Charleston, WV (25311)

Today

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.Mark Buchfuhrer finally got his wish when his daughter decided to go to medical school and become a doctor, but that wasnt the end of the story.Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A northeast Mississippi school district is pursuing legal action over the grades its schools received from the state, even as lawmakers from the area pursue a legislative fix.

The Corinth school district filed a notice of appeal Jan. 25 in Hinds County Circuit Court. It says Corinth will challenge the state Board of Education's Jan. 15 decision that the school district should get a C rating and Corinth High School an F rating.

The district maintains the state has unfairly reneged on a deal to develop an alternative grading system incorporating Corinth's use of a different kind of exam than the normal state test.

In the meantime, Democratic state Rep. Nick Bain of Corinth has introduced House Bill 688, which would require the state to develop the alternative grading system.CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Several people are behind bars when police responded to a domestic dispute call at a home in Clay County.

Police arrived at a home on County Road 100 East in Brazil.

That's where police said they found Richard and Nycole Paitson.

While they were talking to the pair, police said they could see illegal drugs and items used to ingest them in plain view.

Police said they also found $3,400 in savings bonds that were stolen from another county.

Both Richard and Nycole were arrested and are facing drug charges.

Over the course of the investigation, officers found property that was reported stolen.

Those stolen items were linked to a series of thefts in Putnam and Parke Counties.

Police arrested Joshua Pleake and John "JJ" Lawhorn in connection to the burglaries.

If you have any information on the location of any of them stolen items involved in this case, you are asked to either contact the Clay County, Putnam County, or Parke County Sheriff's Offices.Negotiations began on Wednesday between Democratic and Republican members of a bipartisan conference committee established as part of the deal that ended the five-week partial government shutdown on January 25. The committee of 17 House and Senate members must agree on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and obtain President Trumps signature before the three-week stop-gap funding provided in last months agreement expires on Friday, February 15, triggering yet another shutdown crisis.

Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pointed out on Thursday that, as a practical matter, the negotiators would have to issue a signed conference committee report by next Friday, February 8, in order to send it to the White House in time for Trump to sign it into law by the mid-February deadline.

As the talks got underway, two basic political facts quickly emerged: (1) Trump is determined to obtain a deal that he can present as vindication of his demand for a wall along the US-Mexican border, and he is prepared, if necessary, to declare a national emergency to bypass Congress and unilaterally allocate money for the wall; and (2) the Democrats have no principled differences either with his reactionary wall mania or the rest of his brutal anti-immigrant policy.

Trump, in various tweets, White House remarks and press interviews, called the conference committee talks a waste of time unless the Democrats agreed to fund his wall, and reiterated his threat to assume emergency powers and order the military to build the border barrier. Democrats, meanwhile, made clear in statements and in their initial offer on border funding that they fully support the further militarization of the border as well as the persecution of workers from Central America seeking refuge in the US from poverty and violence in their home countries.

On Wednesday, the Democrats presented their initial proposal for so-called border security and funding for the DHS, the federal department that oversees the agenciesImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)which are carrying out the mass imprisonment, persecution and abuse of undocumented workers. The Democrats proposed to allocate $55.8 billion for the DHS for the 2019 budget year, more than a billion dollars above the Trump administrations budget request and half a billion more than the previous fiscal years funding.

The Democratic proposal included:

$22 billion in total funding for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement

$675 million for scanners at points of entry

$400 million in border security technology and 1,000 new customs agents

$156.7 million for new boats, planes and sensors

Funding for an average daily population in detention beds of 35,520 for the rest of the fiscal year.

This vast expenditure of fundsat a time when there is supposedly no money for public schools, health care or housingwould be used for, among other things, installing imaging technology to scan every vehicle entering the country, more Border Patrol planes and ships, more money for the Secret Service, stepped-up risk-based targeting of passengers and cargo at ports of entry, and enhancement of the Transportation Security Administrations threat detection capabilities at airport security checkpoints.

The proposal contained no money earmarked for the construction of a wall, and Pelosi, at her weekly press conference, said, Theres not going to be any wall money in the legislation.

At the same time, she hinted that the standoff on the wall might be resolved by means of a semantic sleight of hand. She suggested that the Democrats were open to allocating funding for additional Normandy fencing and other barriers.

Posing the question, Is there a place for enhanced fencing? she replied, Let them [the conference committee members] have that discussion. She went on to say that it came down to a cost-benefit analysis.

Senator Jon Tester, Democrat from Montana and a member of the committee, said on Monday that he supported including money for a wall in the security package. Democratic Representative Nita Lowey of New York, who heads the House Appropriations Committee and is co-chair of the conference committee, declined to say after the first meeting whether the Democrats would block money for barriers or fencing, telling reporters that everything is on the table.

Another Democrat on the committee, Representative Henry Cuellar, who represents a Texas border district, said, Hint, hint. [There are already] three hundred miles of vehicle barriers. Theres ways to get where we need to get.

In fact, the Democrats have repeatedly voted for border barriers, and just last January Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered to support tens of billions of dollars for Trumps wall in return for limited guarantees against deportation for some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children.

Another Democrat who is among the 17 negotiators, Representative David Price of North Carolina, boasted, Because of the work we did years ago, weve already built almost 700 miles of fencing on our nations border.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are silent on the far-reaching and profoundly anti-democratic implications of Trumps threat to declare a national emergency in order to unilaterally implement his border policy. They say nothing of the fact that this would mark an irreversible attack on the constitutional separation of powers and an assertion of quasi-dictatorial rule, setting a precedent for an all-out siege against the social and democratic rights of the working class, including the right to protest and strike and oppose government policy.

On the contrary, pro-Democratic newspapers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post have indicated their support for such an action to resolve the budget crisis.

Nor have the Democrats raised the threat to democratic rights posed by the Trump administrations expansion and indefinite deployment of troops to the border and its abrogation of the right of refugees to asylum. They have remained virtually mute on the horrific conditions, including forced feeding of hunger strikers, being inflicted on imprisoned immigrants.The two days of top-level talks between representatives of the Chinese government and the Trump administration on trade held in Washington this week have led to a commitment to hold further discussions but no concrete agreement.

The new round of discussions will see a US team led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer travel to China in mid-February to engage with Chinese negotiators led by Vice Premier Liu He. The talks will take place just two weeks before the present deadline for an agreement expires on March 1, after which, if no deal is reached, the US has said it will lift tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent.

During this weeks discussions there was some conjecture, in part fuelled by tweets from US President Trump, that the deadline could be extended.

But a statement issued by the White House at the conclusion of the discussions said Trump had reiterated that the 90-day process agreed to in Buenos Aires was a hard deadline and the US will increase tariffs unless an outcome is reached.

The main focus of the talks was not on increasing US exports to China but reducing the trade imbalance between the two countries. China has already agreed to undertake measures such as buying five million tons of soybeans from the US.

The key issues concerned US demands for what it calls structural reform of the Chinese economy, centring on the protection of intellectual property rights, the cessation of forced technology transfers and the winding back of state subsidies for major industries that Washington claims are market distorting.

These demands form a major sticking point because their essential content is that China subordinate its economic and technological future to the dictates and demands of the US.

There were smiles all round after this weeks discussions, with both sides saying that progress had been made and Liu He floating the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Chinas president, Xi Jinping. But the underlying tensions were not far from the surface, amid recognition that little change had taken place on the central questions.

The executive vice president of the US Chamber of Commerce, Myron Brilliant, who was briefed on the discussions, said the two sides were far from a deal. Beijing, he said, had not even agreed to list all the subsidies at the central government and local level to domestic firms.

On other key issues, he said: China hasnt offered up anything tangible to address ongoing concerns around forced transfer of technology.

The Chinese negotiators insist they cannot offer anything on that score because forced transfers do not take place and that agreements with US firms to make available their technologies form part of commercial deals to gain greater access to the Chinese market.

Following the discussions, Lighthizer, who, together with White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, is the main anti-China hawk in the administration, offered a relatively upbeat assessment.

We focused on these core ideas, these core concepts and its my judgement that we made headway in significant ways, he said but provided no details.

In its account of the talks, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the two sides held frank and constructive discussion and had agreed to further strengthen cooperation on issues such as technology transfers and intellectual property. But, like the US, it provided no details of any commitments, saying only that the two parties had clarified the timetable and roadmap for the next consultation.

While the negotiations have produced no results so far as specific commitments are concerned, they have made clear one of the key demands of the US. It will not accept on its face a signed commitment by the Chinese government or legislative changes regarding issues such as intellectual property. It is insisting that there must be some mechanism established through which the US can directly intervene to assess whether the agreed measures are being carried out.

If we can get an agreement, its worth nothing without enforcement, Lighthizer said.

The South China Morning Post reported that Lighthizer had summed up one of the crucial components of the talks as enforcement, enforcement, enforcement.

This raises the crucial question of how such enforcement would be carried out. The US would not hand over that task to an international body such as the World Trade Organization. The Chinese government could not accept the direct intervention of US officials in the operations of its legal system, or scrutiny of government economic decisionswhich would amount to an outright violation of its national sovereignty.

Whatever the twists and turns in negotiations over the next month, the underlying issue remains the drive of the US to push back Chinas economic and above all technological development, which it regards as a threat to both its economic and military hegemony.

As numerous commentators have pointed out, the measures being undertaken by the Chinese state to promote industrial and technological advancement are similar to those undertaken by other countries in an earlier period.

Writing in the South China Morning Post this week, Regina Ip, the founder of the pro-Beijing Peoples Party and a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Assembly, said the conflict with the US could not be blamed on Chinas state capitalism or its national industrial policy. Beijings measures, she insisted, were not fundamentally different from those undertaken by Japan and South Korea after World War II.

As is well documented by scholars on Japans post-war economic miracle, Japan adopted a deliberate strategy of market protection by erecting tariff and non-tariff barriers, grooming national champions in selected industries, targeting US rivals and making copycat production by reverse engineering, Ip wrote.

The same issue was raised by another commentator with a very different political outlook. Henry Ergas, a leading columnist for Rupert Murdochs flagship newspaper, the Australian, noted that Chinas claim it was following the same road taken by the East Asian tigers in their growth phase was not unreasonable.

Ergas commented that it was likely Japans NEC, a key provider of high-tech communications, received far greater public assistance as it moved towards the technological frontier than [the Chinese telecommunications giant] Huawei has.

But as he went on to draw out, valid as these references to economic history may be, there is a major difference between Chinas situation and those countries that followed similar policies in the past. Unlike its predecessors, China is much larger in size, with a much greater impact on the world market, and it is regarded by the US as a strategic threat.

It is these geo-economic and political conflicts which, whatever the moves and counter-moves, underlie the trade discussions as they approach the March 1 deadline.January saw an intensification of the strike wave that erupted last year protesting the policies of Portugals Socialist Party (PS) government.

The PS came to power as a minority government in 2015, promising to reverse austerity. This fraud was promoted by the Left Bloc (BE), Communist Party (PCP) and Green Party (PEV), which claimed that, in return for their support, the PS could be pressured to oppose the troikathe European Commission (EC), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB). The PS could, they suggested, be forced to increase wages, unfreeze job vacancies, impose a ban on promotions and reverse the cuts to vital services its conservative predecessors imposed after the 2008 financial crisis.

Four years later, few of the promises have come to fruition. And those that have, such as the increase in the minimum wage, are desperate attempts acceptable to the troika to stimulate consumption.

According to official figures, the number of pre-strike warnings issued in 2018 totalled 733double those in 2017. In January, more than 50 new strike notices were announced on top of those already taking place. Virtually all areas of the public sector are involved, including nurses, teachers, firefighters, court officials, judges, prison guards, oil refinery workers and dockers.

Last Thursday, Portugals Criminal Investigation (PJ) police announced strike action next month after three years of talks with the Justice Ministry floundered. Just 120 trainee detectives are to be hiredfar short of the 1,400 claimed needed.

Workers in private sector companies have also taken industrial action, including the Efacec Group companies, the Navigator paper mill in Setubal, Beralt Tin and Wolfram mines and Cerealto Sintra Foods.

The anger among workers is so great that the PCP-led General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) and PS-aligned General Union of Workers (UGT) have been forced to call strikes to prevent an independent movement of the working class. They have sought to dissipate united opposition into regional and sectoral strikes directed at pleading with various ministers, parliament and the president to change course.

For several years, the nurses have been attempting to improve their wages, conditions and status with little success. Last month, they again went on strike for four days after the government broke off talks. The unions have limited it to rolling regional actionthe first day, January 22, at hospitals and health centres in Lisbon, the Central region on day two, the North on the third day, the South and Azores on the fourth.

Union of Portuguese Nurses (SEP) leader and PCP member Jose Carlos Martins said that the strike was to make the Ministry [of Health] and the government see that nurses are not satisfied, are very unhappy that the ministry is not responding to the counting of [seniority] points, to the hiring of more nurses, to valuing and dignifying the profession, and to retirement issues.

The government is fully aware of the opposition and has made clear its intention to crush it. Health Minister Marta Temido declared that all the instruments under the law would be used, including civil requisitionsto ensure citizens do not become hostages to workers demands.

Firefighters are on strike in Lisbon from January 22 until February 5, opposing proposals to cut their basic salary and increase the retirement age by 10 years to 60. The strike has had the 100 percent support of firefighters, many of whom attempted to occupy the Ministry of Labour.

PCP leader Antonio Pascoal, head of the Lisbon Municipal Workers Union, pleaded, We are in the mood to negotiate every day and every night. Today there has been negotiation and some progress has been achieved in terms of the status of the job, but in relation to the matters that most disturb the firefighters not yet. If the government gives a signal to that effect, we are ready to suspend the strike immediately.

Jose Correia, leader of the National Union of Workers of Local Administration (STAL), also affiliated to the CGTP, declared, I am not very optimistic, but hope is the last thing to die. Our obligation is to continue to negotiate with the government and to account for the firefighters dissatisfaction.

The CGTP is now proposing, through its Common Front of the Public Administration, a public sector general strike for February 15. It demands a 4 percent wage increase with a minimum increase of 60 and reinstatement of various benefits, including overtime payment, subsistence allowances and taxes reduced to levels prior to 2009. A Common Front statement proclaims the PS government is deepening the destruction of the social functions of the state  paving the way for its privatisation, is ignoring more than 600,000 workers, who have no increase and that precarious work continues to be a reality, contrary to government claims.

Despite this, Common Front leader Ana Avoila pleaded, Striking is always a last resort and hoped that the government take note of this.

Two PS-aligned UGT unions, Fesap and FNE, have belatedly announced their members will join the strike. They are presenting a letter to Finance Minister Mario Centeno on a great day of struggle that seeks to reverse the trajectory of loss of purchasing power, leading the Government to abandon the policy of low wages, and value and dignify the salaries and careers of all workers.

The notion that Centeno, rewarded for his efforts in Portugal with the posts of president of the Eurogroup and chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Stability Mechanism, will abandon his and the European ruling elites policy is laughable. Only the increased exploitation of the working class has allowed a limited economic recovery and bigger profits.

Under the PS, the Portuguese economy has grown by just over 2 percent a year and the budget deficit cut to the lowest level in more than 40 years. Exports have doubled to 40 percent of GDP since 2008, as manufacturers have set up plants to take advantage of the lowest wages in western Europe and masses of casualised labour.

Portugals monthly median wage is less than 900 per month, compared to more than 2,000 for the EU as a whole. Some 40 percent of workers are paid no more than 25 percent above the 635 minimum wage. A recent European Commission study revealed that Portugal (and Ireland) had the largest gaps between wage growth and productivity growth over recent years.

It is no wonder the Portuguese stock exchange has the highest rate of return in Europe, according to the Allianz Global Investors Dividend Report 2019.

Definite political conclusions must be drawn. Under conditions of the globalisation of capitalist production, the trade unions, which are wedded to a nationalist perspective, are incapable of defending even the most basic interests of the working class. They have been transformed into direct agencies of the corporate-financial elite and the state. Both the PCP and CGTP, with their call for a patriotic left aimed at the sovereign development of our country, do not represent the interests of the working class but the Portuguese ruling elite.

It is necessary for workers to break from these outmoded and reactionary organisations and build new, genuinely popular and democratic organisations of struggle.

The strike wave in Portugal is a sign that a new period of revolutionary struggle is emerging. This must be prepared consciously through the building of an international socialist movement of the working class to fight for workers power and the reorganisation of economic life along democratic and egalitarian lines.At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation, President John F. Kennedy told his brother Bobby, If this planet is ever ravaged by nuclear war, if 300 million Americans, Russians and Europeans are wiped out by a 60-minute nuclear exchange, if the survivors of that devastation can then endure the fire, poison, chaos and catastrophe, I do not want one of those survivors to ask another, How did it all happen? and to receive the incredible reply, Ah, if only one knew.

Unbeknownst to President Kennedy, who was seeking to avoid a nuclear war, or his general staff, many of whom wanted to start one, such a war would have wiped out not 300 million, people but all of humanity. The theory of nuclear winter, discovered in the mid-80s and subsequently accepted by scientific consensus, concludes that a full-scale nuclear war, as planned by the United States military, would render the entire planet uninhabitable for a century.

But it is precisely such a nuclear apocalypse that the United States is not just blindly stumbling toward, but directly preparing for. As a recent article in Foreign Affairs told its readers: Prepare for Nuclear War.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the United States would suspend its compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, a 1987 agreement between the Soviet Union (and subsequently Russia) and the United States that bans the deployment of missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

The move makes almost inevitable the United States' withdrawal from the other key global arms control agreement, the New START treaty, agreed between the United States and Russia in 2011, in what US President Trump called one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama administration.

Little need be said about the White Houses official justifications for leaving the treaty: that Russia is in violation of the treatys provisions, despite repeated offers by Moscow for not only the United States, but international authorities and journalists, to inspect its missiles. The White Houses allegations are echoed by people who do not believe them and left unquestioned by a media apparatus that functions as a mouthpiece for the military.

In an article that fully backs the White Houses accusations against Russia, the New York Times' David Sanger, a conduit for the Pentagon, spells out with perfect lucidity the real reasons why the United States is leaving the INF treaty:

Constrained by the treatys provisions, the United States has been prevented from deploying new weapons to counter Chinas efforts to cement a dominant position in the Western Pacific and keep American aircraft carriers at bay. China was still a small and unsophisticated military power when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of a rapidly-weakening Soviet Union, negotiated the INF agreement.

Sangers own words make perfectly clear why the United States wants to leave the treaty, which has nothing to do with Russias alleged violations: Washington is seeking to ring the island chain surrounding the Chinese mainland with a hedge of nuclear missiles. But Sanger somehow expects, without so much as a transition paragraph, his readers to believe the hot air spewed by Pompeo about Russias bad behavior.

The US withdrawal from the INF treaty is not the result of Trumps peculiar fondness for nuclear weapons. Rather, it is the outcome of a reorientation of the United States military toward great-power conflict with Russia and China.

Over the past two years, the American military establishment has grown increasingly alarmed at the rapidity of Chinas technological development, which the United States sees as a threat not only to the profitability of its corporations, but the dominance of its military.

Two decades ago, at the height of the dotcom bubble, China was little more than a cheap labor platform, assembling the consumer electronics driving a revolution in communications, while American companies pocketed the vast bulk of the profits. But today, the economic balance of power is shifting.

Chinese companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo are capturing an ever-greater portion of the global smartphone market, even as their rivals Samsung and Apple see their market share slip. The Shenzhen-based DJI is the uncontested global leader in the consumer drone market. Huawei, meanwhile, leads its competitors by over a year in the next-generation mobile infrastructure that will power not only driverless cars and smart appliances, but the autonomous weapons of the future.

As the latest US Worldwide Threat Assessment warns, For 2019 and beyond, the innovations that drive military and economic competitiveness will increasingly originate outside the United States, as the overall US lead in science and technology shrinks and the capability gap between commercial and military technologies evaporates.

It is the economic decline of the United States relative to its global rivals that is ultimately driving the intensification of US nuclear war plans. The United States hopes that, by leveraging its military, it will be able to contain the economic rise of China and shore up US preeminence on the world stage.

But a consensus is emerging within the US military that Washington cannot bring its rivals to heel merely with the threat of totally obliterating them with its massive arsenal of strategic missiles. Given the fleet of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines possessed by both Russia and China, this option, even ignoring the effects of nuclear winter, would result in the destruction of the largest cities in the United States.

Rather, the US is working to construct a usable, low-yield, tactical nuclear arsenal, including the construction of a new nuclear-capable cruise missile. This week, a new low-yield US nuclear warhead went into production, with a yield between half and one third of the little boy weapon that leveled the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and hundreds of times smaller than the United States other nuclear weapons systems.

The Trump administrations Nuclear Posture Review, released last year, envisions using such weapons to turn the tide in conflicts that begin with conventional weapons, under the pretense (whether the Pentagon believes it or not) that such wars will stop short of full-scale nuclear exchanges.

Nearly 75 years ago, the United States, after having scorched and boiled and baked to death, in the words of General Curtis Lemay, hundreds of thousands of civilians in a genocidal strategic bombing campaign over Japan, murdered hundreds of thousands more with the use of two nuclear weapons: an action whose primary aim was to threaten the USSR.

But ultimately, the continued existence of the Soviet Union served as a check on the genocidal impulses of US imperialism.

Despite the triumphalist claims that the dissolution of the Soviet Union would bring about a new era of peace, democracy and the end of history, it has brought only a quarter-century of neocolonial wars.

But the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria have not achieved their intended purpose. Having spent trillions of dollars and killed millions of people, the global position of US imperialism is no better than when it launched the war on terror in 2001.

Now, the United States is upping the ante: setting great-power conflict with Russia and China on the order of the day. In its existential struggle for global hegemony, US imperialism is going for broke, willing to employ the most reckless and desperate means, up to and including the launching of nuclear war.

There is no peaceful, capitalist road toward managing the global crisis that has erupted with such force and violence. If humanity is to survive the 21st century, it will take the intervention of the working class, the only social force capable of opposing the war aims of the capitalist ruling elites, through the struggle to reorganize society on a socialist basis.The strike of tens of thousands of Matamoros workers spread beyond the maquiladoras this week to new industries as workers in water purification, milk production and Coca-Cola bottling walked out of their Matamoros workplaces Thursday and Friday.

Several additional auto parts maquiladoras also joined the strike at the end of the week, including at Spellman, Toyoda Gosei Rubber and Tapex. Although over a dozen plants have returned to work after the companies granted the 20 percent wage increase and $1,700 bonus demanded by the strikers, more than 25 remain on strike, costing the mostly US-based companies a whopping $37 million per day.

At the same time, a strike of 30,000 teachers in the state of Michoacan neared the end of its third week, with thousands of teachers blocking train tracks linking industrial hubs with the critical Pacific ports at Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan and Manzanillo in Colima. Last Monday, thousands of teachers in Oaxaca joined the strike.

Noticieros Televisa wrote Thursday that the teachers blockades impact not only national industries but also their principle trading partners in Asia. In Guanajuato, the auto industry already reports an impact to supply lines.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) attacked the teachers in a press conference Monday, ordering them to get back to work and absurdly calling them right-wing: This has nothing to with left-wing politics, he said. This radicalism has everything to do with conservatism.

The Mexican ruling class is terrified of the growing strike movement.

In an article titled The end of labor stability, Mexicos main business paper, El Financiero, warned on Thursday that not in decades has Mexico been presented with 44 strikes in only one blow. In comparison to recent weeks, the six-year presidential terms of Vicente, Felipe Calderon and Enrique Pena Nieto saw only 49, 40 and 23 strikes respectively.

As easy as one two three, the labor stability which we have maintained for decades, with hundreds of thousands of successful contract negotiations, is broken. And it wont stop there, El Financiero wrote, warning that the future will bring polarization and a growth of the contradictions between capital and labor. It is the end of labor peace.

An Associated Press report published Friday exposes AMLOs anti-working class role in seeking to break strikes and suppress wages. According to business representatives cited in the AP article, AMLO and leaders of his Movement for National Regeneration (Morena) actively discouraged the Matamoros union from seeking the pay increase.

It wasnt the union which demanded the wage increase, but the workers themselves, who organized independently and against the explicit threats of the union. Now, the ruling class is leaning desperately on the trade unions and their backers to block the development of a nationwide strike movement.

Milenio newspaper warned that there is fear of a contagion in the border region, where millions hope for an increase to their incomes. The paper quotes an anonymous business leader who said, This is without precedent. We are all involved in what here will mark what will be the future of manufacturing in this country.

The industry website Manufactura.mx reported that a corporate representative said industry workers were contaminated by the demands for a 20 percent wage increase and that companies anticipate the strikes will spread. The business representative said, We have an excellent relationship with the union and hoped the union would help the company avoid a strike.

According to Noticieros Televisa, in the maquiladora industry in Baja California [where the largest maquiladora city, Tijuana, is located] there is a fear that workers will launch a strike for wage increases. Noticieros Televisa reports that maquiladoras are maintaining dialogue with the unions of the industry with the goal of avoiding a labor stoppage.

Workers are both excited by the growth of the strike and concerned that the companies plan to betray whatever agreement they reach.

One Matamoros striker said, We all have to go out together. The union is afraid that we are uniting. The majority of us are already out. The problem is that the union hasnt helped us and hasnt represented us. Now we have to go out and organize guards. We are not asking for gifts, only what we deserve. The worker said a union official told her you are nobodies for being out here.

A striking Kearfott worker told the WSWS, Im glad for the new strikers. This is for all workers across the border that have that clause in their contracts requiring that wages increase in parity with the minimum wage. The same companies put it there and now they have to pay. We are the most exploited and least rewarded class. I think that its time for them to give back to us what they have taken.

A worker at Autoliv explained to the WSWS that after the company agreed to workers demands, as soon as we went back to work, they began to fire people.

A worker at Tyco, which also agreed to the wage increase and bonus, told the WSWS there is a growing mood to strike again to protect coworkers from retribution:

At Autoliv, they are firing a bunch of people without severance or bonus. The manager fires workers and mocks them, telling them that they are not going to pay their bonus or severance. They are being sent to the conciliation and arbitration board and are told that theyll have to wait half a year or a year to resolve things. Obviously this board is on the side of Autoliv.

I think that the majority that are now working, many who didnt even participate in the wildcat strikes, should all strike again to support their fired co-workers. They are already getting their bonus and raise. We are a new generation that didnt know how to strike. We have won respect whether people like it or not. Maybe its not all the respect we need, but this is our first strike and if things dont get better, our second strike will be more organized.

Though the US business press is beginning to report on the impact of the strikes in Mexico from an economic standpoint, the websites of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) and Socialist Alternative as well as the Democratic Socialists of Americas (DSA) Jacobin magazine have all ignored the strike entirely. None of these anti-working class, anti-socialist organizations has published a single article on the rebellion of Mexican maquiladora workers.The massive strikes by maquiladora workers in Matamoros, Mexico have brought to light the highly exploitive conditions faced by those laboring for global auto parts makers and other manufacturing industries along the US-Mexican border.

There are 345 Tier 1 auto suppliers with a presence in Mexico, according to a recent report by ProMexico, an organization set up by the Mexican government to promote international trade and development. Some 65 percent of direct investment in Mexico is in auto supply-related industries.

The profits extracted off the backs of Mexican workers are a source of enormous enrichment for stockholders and CEOs of the transnational auto parts suppliers, many of them based near Detroit, Michigan.

Auto parts production in Mexico is closely integrated with the global car market, with many of the parts made in Matamoros and other cities shipped to the US. The border crossing at Brownsville, Texas handled trade worth $14.7 billion in 2017. Auto parts are Mexicos second leading export, behind petroleum.

The following are profiles of just a few of the multinationals and leading personalities involved in auto parts production in Mexico.

Aurora, Ontario-based Magna is the worlds fifth largest auto parts manufacturer, with $39 billion in sales in 2017 and pre-tax income of $3 billion. It recently opened a plant in Queretaro, Mexico to manufacture molded and exterior parts. It employs some 24,000 workers in Mexico at 30 different facilities, including in Matamoros.

Don Walker, Magna CEO, is one of the most heavily compensated executives in Canada, with $20.4 million in salary. In addition, he has $25.4 million in stock options that he has not exercised and $10.2 million in stock-based awards that have vested but have not been paid out.

Lear Corporation, based in Southfield, Michigan, has some 46,000 employees in Mexico and operates 23 plants, according to one report. It recorded sales of $21.1 billion in 2018 and net income of $1.15 billion. In 2017, its top five officers took in some $34 million in executive compensation, including former president and CEO Matthew Simoncini, who alone received $14.8 million.

Autoliv, based in Stockholm, Sweden, bills itself as the world largest automotive safety supplier. It has manufacturing plants in Tijuana, Matamoros and Lerma, with three manufacturing plants in Queretaro, and employs a total of 11,000 in Mexico. It makes airbags, seatbelts, seatbelt webbing and airbag cushions. Workers at the Autoliv plant in Matamoros were among the first to go on strike, and workers now report the company is firing workers in retribution.

The company reported pretax income of $506 million in 2017 on sales of $10.4 billion. Mikael Bratt, president and CEO of Autoliv, pulled in a relatively modest $1.7 million in executive compensation in 2017. Mats Backman, Autoliv chief financial officer, made $1.5 million.

French-based auto parts maker Faurecia operates 14 plants employing 10,000 in Mexico. The company recorded $24.17 billion in auto component sales in 2017. It is the sixth largest auto component maker in the world and produces seats, interior systems and emission control technology. The companys US operations were recently the subject of an exposure by the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter.

Typical of the rapacious character of global auto parts manufacturing is Dura Automotive. Its Matamoros factories produce parking brake cables and body engine release cables and other components for major auto manufacturers, including Ford, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, TRW, Subaru and KIA.

The owner and CEO of Dura, Lynn Tilton, is described by Forbes as a self-made woman, with an estimated net worth of $830 million. As founder and owner of private investment firm Patriarch Partners, she buys distressed companies, carries out brutal downsizing and then sells them for a profit. In 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud charges against Tilton and Patriarch Partners, alleging that the true value of funds it managed was hidden from investors.

Tilton reportedly commutes to her New York office by helicopter and owns homes in Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, and an Italian villa on Lake Como, just up the mountain from George Clooney, valued at $60 million or more.

In an interview with Forbes, she boasted of owning $25 million in jewelry and another $10 million in aircraft. She reported that she has a reality show about her business (Diva of Distressed) in the works with the Sundance Channel. She showed the Forbes reporter a statement from her accountant of assets such as gold, silver and cash totaling $544 million.

Tyco International is another multinational conglomerate with operations in Matamoros. It merged with Johnson Controls in 2016 to form Johnson Controls International plc.

The companys former chief financial officer, Mark Swartz, and former CEO, Dennis Kozlowski, were convicted in 2005 of crimes related to the receipt of $81 million in unauthorized bonuses, the purchase of $14.7 million in art and the payment by the company of a $20 million investment banking fee to a former Tyco director.

Another Tyco executive, Edward Breen, who replaced Kozlowski, received a golden parachute when he left his post as CEO of in September 2013, with compensation, retirement pay, stock and other perks valued at more than $150 million.

Breen, who remained Tyco chairman, received an additional $30 million as a lump sum pension payout in 2016, Tyco says. He has since been named CEO of Dupont, where he received 2018 compensation of $13.7 million, and also serves as a director of cable giant Comcast.

Another major player in the auto parts industry in Mexico is International Automotive Components Group IACG, formed by the current US commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, in 2006. Ross became notorious as an asset stripper, buying distressed companies and then imposing major attacks on workers and retirees. He worked with the United Steelworkers union to rob tens of thousands of retirees of their pensions at LTV Steel and other companies. A ferocious advocate of trade war within the Trump administration, Ross runs firms that exploit workers all over the world.

The single-minded drive by the Trump administration to scapegoat immigrants and build a wall along the US-Mexican border is bound up with the determination of the ruling class to keep workers in Canada, Mexico and the US divided in order to more efficiently exploit their labor.

Up until June of 2018, the president and CEO of IACG was Steve Miller, the former head of Delphi Automotive, now Aptiv, another major auto parts manufacturer with operations in Mexico. He is a ruthless enemy of the working class, using the bankruptcy of Delphi in 2005 to impose massive job cuts and concessions on workers and retirees.

Following the Delphi bankruptcy, Miller spelled out a vision in which low wages in China, Mexico and other less-developed countries would set a standard for slashing wages and pension benefits in the US. He called decent pay, defined benefit pensions and retirement after 30 years of employment an anachronism that American business could no longer tolerate or afford.

Taking aim at Medicare and Social Security, he wrote, The overwhelming voltage in the political third rail of touching these entitlements will forestall corrective action for years, but the problem will only grow. I fear something like intergenerational warfare, as young people increasingly resent having their wages reduced and taxed away to support social programs for their grandparents income and health care concerns.

At the same time as he was slashing jobs and pay for workers, Miller became notorious for handing out hefty compensation packages to Delphi executives. Miller himself received a multimillion-dollar signing bonus when he was hired as Delphi CEO just months before taking Delphi into bankruptcy.

This is the background to the strikes by workers in Matamoros, who have courageously sought to pry back a tiny portion of the profits extracted by the transnational corporations.Asia

Bangladesh garment workers demand unpaid wages

Several hundred former Peninsula Garments employees demonstrated on Wednesday, blockading the main entrance of the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) in south-eastern Bangladesh to demand unpaid wages.

Workers began their protest at around 10 a.m, and after almost two hours marched for about 11 kilometres towards the Chattogram Press Club in Kotwali.

While the Peninsula Garments plant was shut down nine months ago, an estimated 700 of its 1,500 workers are still owed one months salary, bonuses and other benefits. Some workers, who had found employment at plants in Barishal, Rangpur, Gopalganj, Dhaka and other areas, travelled across the country to join the protest.

While company authorities told a meeting between the police, the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and some government bodies that the wage arrears would be paid by February 28, demonstrators are sceptical.

Protesting worker Shahinur Khatun, holding her 6-month-old daughter in her arms, told the media that she had worked at the factory for seven years. I came all the way to Dhaka because they had promised all of us our money but now they have delayed the date again. This is the third time this has happened.

Five thousand Bangladesh government workers sacked after recent wage strikes

Garment owners have intensified their witch hunts against garment workers who struck last month in the industrial belts of Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur and Narayanganj to demand higher pay. An estimated 5,000 workers have been victimised and sacked since the strikes, which lasted ten days and involved tens of thousands of workers.

Labour rights groups, however, estimate that more than 7,000 workers have been sacked. Police have also filed charges against nearly 3,500 named and un-named protesters. Workers demonstrations were violently attacked by police, and one young worker killed, during the walkouts, which were betrayed by the garment unions.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Associationthe manufacturers lobby grouptold the media that factory owners were justified in terminating the workers.

Bangladesh garment workers have been fighting since 2016 for their minimum wage to be increased from 5,300 taka per month to 16,000 taka ($US190). Last September, the government only agreed to below poverty level pay of 8,000 taka, or half the amount demanded by workers.

Pakistan: Government doctors shut down outpatient departments in Sindh province

Doctors at Sindh government hospitals walked out on Monday over outstanding payments of salaries, allowances and health insurance. They also want the same salaries, allowances and other benefits paid to doctors in other provinces.

The strike, which was organised by the Doctors Action Committee and includes the Young Doctors Association and Pakistan Medical Association, forced the closure of out-patient departments at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Civil Hospital in Karachi and other major hospitals in Sindh province cities.

The Doctors Action Committee said the government had failed to respond to their demands. It has threatened to extend the industrial action to other departments and impact on emergency services if the government fails to address their claims within a week.

Union shuts down Sindh university workers protests

The Employees Welfare Association ended protests by workers at the Benazir Bhutto Medical University in Larkana on Tuesday after the authorities held negotiations with the union.

The university workers were demanding better working conditions as well as a higher quota of job openings for their children, fringe benefits and timely promotions. Many recently recruited employees have not been paid for up to 15 months. The protests disrupted the administrative processes and the academic work of the tertiary institution.

Sri Lankan management assistant workers demonstrate across the island

Management assistant workers at Sri Lankan government service began a series of nationwide protests on January 22 to demand higher wages, re-establishment of an exam promotional scheme, a training centre and reinstitution of the pension scheme suspended in 2016.

Hundreds of Management Assistant Service Trade Union Alliance members demonstrated outside divisional secretariat offices in the Kandy, Galle and Badulla districts. The union said protests would be held in different locations, including government administrative institutes, next week.

Sri Lankan Bank workers protest against non-payment of increments

Sri Lanka Savings Bank (SLSB) workers protested outside the Central Bank on January 24 over the non-payment of wage increases granted in 2018.

The workers, who are members of the Ceylon Bank Employees Union, want these increases paid before a scheduled merger of the bank with the National Savings Bank occurs. Prior to the recent demonstration, the bank workers wore protest badges to work for two weeks and organised a poster campaign.

Hong Kong hospital workers protest staff shortages

Around 40 hospital support workers rallied in Hong Kong last Wednesday to protest insufficient staffing during the winter flu season.

Organised by the Hong Kong Medical and Health Care Staff General Union, workers marched from Admiralty Centre to government headquarters. They submitted a petition to the Food and Health Bureau.

Many hospitals are overflowing with patients. The United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong registered occupancy rates at 122 percent of capacity. Most night shifts only have one nurse and two care assistants to cover 50 to 55 patients.

Hundreds of Burmese workers protest plant sackings

On Wednesday, 500 garment workers from 30 factories in Yangon gathered outside the Dishang Kenny garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar township to demand the reinstatement of seven of union members sacked last November.

The rally was organised by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar.

Company officials claim the seven were sacked for disruption and delaying production. Workers have stated that they were victimised as part of a long-running dispute over conditions. The issues at the factory have included workers being forced to carry out overtime and not being paid the proper rates for additional work.

Australia and the Pacific

Australia: Aurizon coal haulage workers to strike again

Over 550 Aurizon train drivers on the central Queensland coal network are set to begin three 24-hour rolling stoppages on February 4. The action follows seven days of overtime bans and strike action in December as part of a long-running dispute for a new enterprise agreement.

The Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE) and the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) have limited the stoppages to cause minimal disruption to Aurizons operations. There is to be only one day of strike action on three separate rail corridors beginning in Newland on February 4, then Goonyella, followed by Blackwater on February 6.

The AFULE and the RTBU, along with the Electrical Trades Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, have been in negotiations with Aurizon since before the old enterprise agreement expired four months ago. Their members have not had a pay increase for 16 months.

The unions claim that major disputes are over Aurizons refusal to back-pay any negotiated wage increase, rostering, and proposed changes to the voluntary redundancy scheme and dispute procedures, including the removal of arbitration. The AFULE said it would de-escalate its industrial campaign if some progress was made on rostering, shift extensions and annual leave deductions.

Port Kembla Coal Terminal workers to strike

Over 50 workers at the Port Kembla Coal Terminal (PKCT), south of Sydney, are scheduled to begin seven days of strike action, starting today, in the long-running dispute over job security in a proposed enterprise agreement (EA). The previous EA expired in early 2015.

The stoppage follows a seven-day lockout by PKCT to prevent one-hour rolling strikes that had been called by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU). PKCT replaced locked out workers with hired labour.

The company has threatened to shut the facility if workers do not accept flexible conditions in a new EA. It is seeking to remove job security provisions, so it can expand the use of casual and contract labour.

PKCT ships coal mined in the Illawarra region to ports across the country and internationally. It is owned by major mining companies including PeaBody Energy, South32, Wollongong Coal, SIMEC mining, Centennial Coal and Glencore.

The CFMMEU has left the workers isolated and repeatedly signalled its willingness to strike a sellout agreement with PKCT.

New Zealand health administration workers to hold stop work meeting

Over 5,500 health administration workers employed by New Zealands District Health Boards will attend a national two-hour stop work meeting on February 11 to discuss possible industrial action over wages.

Administration staff are paid less than others in the health system. Some are on the minimum wage. Workers want an increase in pay and an end to the DHBs practice of de facto recruitment freezes to cut costs.

Nurses, midwives and junior doctors have held strikes over pay and conditions in recent months. Industrial action by nurses was betrayed by the unions, which agreed to a paltry 9 percent pay rise over three years, with no commitments on patient to staff ratios.

A spokesperson for the Public Services Association, the union representing the administration workers, sought to temper workers expectations, stating, We dont want this group to fall behind the pay increases that other groups have already achieved.

New Zealand midwives prepare for second strike over pay

Around 1,100 hospital midwives have voted for a series of four 12-hour strikes starting on February 11. The workers, covered by Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Services (MERAS), held rolling two-hour strikes in November, 2018.

Many midwives are members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and are already paid by a midwives scale as part of the NZNOs sellout multi-employer collective agreement last year. MERAS members are demanding a better outcome than the nurses unions recent sell-out deal, including a rise in midwifes starting salary from $49,450 to $56,788. Midwives are also planning to march on New Zealands parliament on February 14.

New Caledonia miners strike enters second month

Hundreds of nickel miners at Societe Le Nickel (SLN) have been on strike since January 3 in opposition to a company restructure. On Thursday, more than 100 strikers employed at mine sites in Thio, Nepoui and Tiebaghi held a mass meeting at Thio. They reaffirmed that they will continue the strike until SLN withdraws its demand to extend shifts to ten-and-a-half-hours and a total of 147 hours per worker per month. Strikers also oppose plans to make them work after midnight.

The striking workers are part of two unions, CSTNC and USTKE. CSTNC official Arnold Delrieu told the media that from the beginning we never refused to increase working hours and complained that SLN refused to negotiate.

In a deliberate decision to divide the workforce and isolate the strike, five other unions, led by USOENC, have agreed to SLNs demands. The companys restructure is being driven by the declining global price of nickel, New Caledonias main export.Florida, which already leads the nation in the use of school vouchers and has long been the testing ground for privatization, has a new education commissioner bent on expanding edu-businesses in the state.

On January 8, 2019, Republican Richard Corcoran assumed office as Floridas new education commissioner. In that capacity, he will be governing public education and managing both funding and testing for local school boards. His appointment by newly-elected Republican Governor Ron DeSantis follows a national pattern in which enemies of public education are set loose to preside over public schools to destroy them and open up the education market for big business.

Corcoran is receiving a salary of $276,000 annually, a fact which in itself explodes the lie that there is no money for education. The education commission will be paid a salary that is nearly six times the amount of an average Florida public-school teacher.

Meanwhile, as a result of the enormous amount of resources diverted to private education in the state, Florida has the lowest public school per-pupil funding in the nation, coupled with an abysmal 65 percent graduation rate.

Before his new appointment, Corcoran served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives between 2016 and 2018, where he promoted the expansion of charter schools and the use of private school vouchers across the state. He was unanimously confirmed as education commissioner by the Florida Board of Education.

Corcoran stated last March that if Florida were to voucherize the entire school system, it would transform education for the better. Let the market decide, he said, adding that the problem with public education is that parents dont pay schools directly.

School vouchers, or educational vouchers, are a market driven corporate policy which provides individuals with government-funded certificates for use in private or religious schools. The modern concept of vouchers was devised by arch-reactionary Milton Friedman in the 1950s, and its biggest champion today is current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

School voucher spending is already $800 million per year in Florida tax revenues. Approximately 300,000 students were enrolled in charter schools during the 2017-18 school year, and about 140,000 students received vouchers, with over 1,700 private schools participating. Last year, Florida vouchers received three times more state funding than its closest competitor, Ohio.

These policies, designed to undermine and destroy public schools and create vast new profit opportunities, were pioneered under former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a major national figure in the drive to privatize public education. Among Bushs initiatives was A-F grading for schools, designed to designate failing schools and shut them down permanently, now in use by 15 states. Bush also organized Chiefs for Change, an organization of state (and some city) school superintendents to promote school choice, digital learning, value added metrics and high-stakes testing. Chiefs for Change has wide overlap with the Broad Foundations graduates and influence.

Privatizer-in-chief Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is a longtime Bush ally and has repeatedly pointed to Florida as a model for privatization across the nation. She was a board member of the Bushs Foundation for Excellence in Education which operated as a conduit for corporations to finance privatization.

In 2006, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the statewide voucher system, the first in the nation, had violated the state constitution. It ruled that the voucher program diverts public dollars into separate private systems parallel to and in competition with the free public schools that are the sole means set out in the Constitution for the state to provide for the education of Floridas children. Legislators, however, found an end-run to subvert this ruling, setting up a system that gives corporations tax credits for their donations to nonprofits which then divvy up the vouchers, rebranded as scholarships.

While hundreds of millions of dollars are funneled into private institutions, public schools in Florida are severely underfunded. A teacher who works in the Daytona Beach area told the World Socialist Web Site that in Volusia County students have to bring in supplies for a supply bank at the school. While teachers have to supplement their classrooms with money from their own pockets, cities and counties are lavishing millions of tax dollars on nearby private ventures, such as the $40 million spent on improving a NASCAR track and an associated shopping area in Daytona.

There is always a shortage of money for books. Meanwhile, our state and local taxes were given to the billionaire France family of NASCAR to improve THEIR racetrack, and millions were given to Brown and Brown insurance company to build a nice new building, the teacher reported. She emphasized, Taxpayer dollars are given to wealthy private corporations while they steal from public schools. It seems illegal, but the public officials on the lower levels are just as corrupt as the federal officials. They are bought.

The Florida legislatures privatization efforts are increasingly targeting families with low incomes and disabled children. They couch this expansion with language intended to dupe the general public, telling parents that they deserve more options in the words of Richard Corcoran. Another of the new devious ploys is granting vouchers to students who have been bullied, an utterly vague designation which could open the floodgates to just about anyone who applies. For the first time, the legislature is also seeking to authorize sales tax payments for vouchers.

This is the latest expansion of what has become the countrys largest school voucher experiment, one that is threatening to go nationwide. In fact, DeVoss Department of Education is replete with Florida privatizers. Just to name a few: her chief of staff, Josh Venable, worked for Bushs foundation and on his 2016 presidential campaign, Carlos G. Muniz who was Bushs deputy general counsel is now general counsel for the US Education Department, and Frank Brogan, now assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education, was Floridas education commissioner and Bushs lieutenant governor.

The most structural significant changes in opening up K-12 education for profit interests, however, occurred during the Obama administrations. The national Race to the Top grants, which provided states with large cash grants in exchange for various accountability programs, the adoption of the Common Core standards and the enormous increases in standardized tests all provided a wealth of business opportunities.

Opening up education to business has been a genuinely bipartisan affair. Its really the last honeypot for Wall Street, noted In the Public Interest which tracks the growing privatization of public services.William L. Murphy, a 69-year-old FedEx semi-truck driver, died Thursday morning at the companys large freight delivery hub in East Moline, Illinois. Murphys body was found frozen between two semi-trucks by another FedEx employee.

While the exact cause of Murphys death has not yet been determined (an autopsy is scheduled for Monday), authorities think the deadly temperature drops between negative 20 and negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit was the likely immediate factor.

Murphys death occurred as large parts of the United States were hit by extremely cold Arctic air flows, a weather pattern known as the polar vortex. The vortex of cold air, which typically moves around the Arctic, has moved further south as a result of global climate change and warming temperatures at the North Pole.

The deadly subzero temperatures affecting more than 83 million people across the Midwest prompted the United States Postal Service (USPS) to shut down operations for deliveries and mail service on Wednesday and Thursday. The conditions were so dangerously cold that even a five-minute exposure could cause severe frostbite, requiring immediate medical attention. So far, at least 23 people in the Midwest have died due to the cold weather, with nine people dying in Chicago.

Despite the clear danger of exposure to the extreme cold, corporations like UPS and FedEx kept workers on the job at various hubs in life-threatening conditions, demonstrating that they care far more about profits than about workers lives. While FedEx cancelled work at some facilities and hubs, it did allow drivers in parts of the Midwest to continue to work. Service workers at Target and fast-food workers were also asked to go to work, even as many must take public transportation and face the elements while waiting for a train or a bus.

The death of William L. Murphy prompted outrage by workers across the country. Conor, a FedEx worker in Chicago, was appalled when he heard the news. He told the WSWS, I think its a tragedy that someone that old was in a position where he still needed to work in dangerous weather and I think it was a horrendous oversight to be running operations in weather that is potentially deadly. Its insane that a 69 year-old-man still had to work. They knew it was dangerous to be outside but still told people to come in.

Jessica, a worker in Chicago, blamed FedEx for the death of the worker. Fedex should be held responsible! Even the USPS canceled all mail deliveries for this reason. No one deserves to lose their life because of high demand packages.

FedEx, the Memphis-based logistics company which made more than $4 billion in profits last year, is notorious for keeping workers on the job even in extreme weather conditions. The company issued a hypocritical statement noting that it was saddened by the loss of our team member. The statement added, FedEx has contingency plans in place to ensure the well-being of our team members and service providers. Several of our centers, including the Rock Island center, were closed or running very limited operations this week due to the extreme temperature.

Like other logistics and warehousing companies such as UPS, FedEx maintains extremely low wages for its employees. The FedEx Ground division has faced numerous lawsuits for over a decade for the way it classifies more than 30,000 delivery drivers as independent contractors, many of whom work for small independent subcontractors. Even though the drivers have to work under strict FedEx guidelines, the company uses this classification to save on health care and retirement benefits, unemployment insurance, overtime pay and other labor costs. Drivers classified as contractors have to purchase and maintain their own vehicles, which drives many into crippling debts and bankruptcy.

A 69-year-old man should continue working if he so desires, said Anna on Facebook in response to the death. It's likely, however, since he was working on such a dangerously cold day, that he was working to pay the bills. The sad truth is that our seniors often do not earn enough social security benefits so that they postpone retirement as long as possible.

LJ told the WSWS, My wife works for FedEx. They rarely close and if they do, its only because they are required to. She has been complaining about the cold building in her hub. It is extremely dangerous to allow employees to work in these conditions.

UPS drivers were also asked to deliver packages in cities throughout Illinois including Chicago and Rockford. Many of the package delivery trucks are not heated. The company also made Chicago warehouse workers come to workonly to find freezing conditions and frozen pipes that leaked.

Dameon, a UPS worker in Rockford, Illinois spoke out about the death of the FedEx worker and the fact that UPS drivers had to work in some areas. They should have cared about worker safety over profits. My hub closed and so did Amazon. Not all drivers got out of working and its understandable. I warned all my coworkers that if they felt it was not safe or worth the risk of the pay to call off. During a state of emergency our contract protects us from retaliation from call offs. Workers need to demand better. Its sad it takes deaths to bring awareness.

Chicago UPS workers were also outraged that they had to work during extreme cold conditions. The Teamsters Local 705 union which covers more than 8,000 UPS workers did nothing to stop this. At the national and local levels, the Teamsters have worked with UPS to impose the dictates of management through concessions contracts which maintain poverty wages and unsafe working conditions. In an effort to shore up their dues base, the Teamsters have so far unsuccessfully been attempting to unionize FedEx as well.

Oscar, a UPS driver in Chicago, told the WSWS on Thursday, I actually called off. I still can't believe UPS made us work. It just shows how much more they care about their numbers and profits than our health. We understand our job deals with all kinds of weather but there's a line we shouldn't cross. Today I went in and in the morning it showed negative 18 with negative 40 wind chill. They told us we were going to be called back to the building at 4 p.m. I punched out at 8:10 a.m. Im just disappointed. We are just another package that can be replaced.

A UPS warehouse worker in Chicago was outraged at the response of the company and the union. UPS and the union dont care about workers, he said on Facebook. They make us work fast to meet their production and make them money. You can cancel day sort for heat and no power but you cant cancel work in dangerous conditions, especially workers who take public transportation with no heat!

Another UPS worker in Chicago said on Wednesday, Volume is heavy at the building. Well be the only delivery drivers working today. Not USPS, not FedEx, or DHL. All Im saying is that took two hours of air traffic controllers not working for the government to reopen. What message would UPS get if their drivers call in across the Midwest?

The WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter urges workers to contact contact contact us us us to report unsafe conditions and to learn about forming rank-and-file committees at UPS and FedEx facilities to fight for safety, higher wages and more. You can also text UPSWORKER to 555888 to get updates.Just two months after joining Facebook as its vice-president of Global Affairs and Communications, Nick Clegg gave his first main speech this week outlining sweeping censorship measures to be imposed during the European elections. These are to be carried out in the name of combatting disinformation and fake news.

Clegg is the British former leader of the Liberal Democrats, who stood down as leader after the 2015 general election. The former deputy prime minister lost his parliamentary seat in the 2017 election, after taking part in a coalition government with the Conservatives between 2010 and 2015. Busy enriching himself in the corporate world, he receives a reported 4 million per year from the social media giant.

The speech Clegg gave in Brussels confirms why he was hired.

Facebook is still a young company and had undoubtedly made mistakes and is now entering a new phase of reform, responsibility and change, said Clegg. Central to this was dealing with a subject that I imagine is uppermost in your minds  the integrity of elections and specifically Facebooks plans for the European Parliament elections this coming May.

Facebook had introduced important new checks and controls. Starting with the US mid-terms last November, we established unprecedented new transparency measures for political advertising. Facebook would be deploying similar efforts to help protect the integrity of EU elections 

To this end, Facebook would set up an operations centre focused on elections integrity, based in Dublin, this spring.

The company will play a major role in determining what voices Europes population are allowed to hear. In late March, we will launch new tools to help prevent interference in the upcoming elections and to make political advertising on Facebook more transparent. We will require those wanting to run political and issue ads to be authorised and we will display a paid for by disclaimer on those ads. The ads would be held in a database for up to seven years.

This approach will help boost our rapid response efforts to fight misinformation, bringing together dozens of experts from across the companyincluding from our threat intelligence, data science, engineering, research, community operations and legal teams.

Facebooks monitoring will involve clever engineers that we are going to ship over in an aeroplane later this this year to Brussels. It would work closely with the highest echelons of the state, including lawmakers, election commissions, other tech companies, academics and civil society groups to continue the fight against fake news, prevent the spread of voter suppression efforts and further integrate the large number of teams working on these important issues across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

In the last decade when Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were founded ... Attitudes to the internet and social media were in their infancy and they were largely uncritical attitudes. People were fascinated with the novel experience of connecting to friends, family and likeminded strangers online.

Now everyone had to recognise, Freedom must come with responsibility. We are at the start of a discussion that is no longer about whether social media should be regulated but how it should be regulated  and we are committed to working with policymakers to get it right.

In the Q&A period, moderator Ryan Heath, the political editor at Politico Europe, asked how Facebook would work with the intelligence agencies in the EU in censoring content: And intelligence and security services? Is there some kind of hotline when they identify some new group that is going to be explosive, or violent or dangerous? Can they get on the phone to you and shut it down?

Clegg replied, Yes. He boasted of the huge volume of material that is removed by Facebook every day because it contravenes the community standards on hate, violence, division and so on and the stuff that is coming down  on Russia related pages and so on, the million fake accounts that we take down before they are even registered every day. You could say we are hardening the parameters in which acceptable content is deemed to be legitimate.

To underscore the extent of ongoing censorship, Clegg added that the debate today that is understandably a lot about why do platforms like Facebook leave X, Y, Z up on the platform, might very easily topple to  people saying, Why are you taking so much down because a huge amount is coming down.

He gave an indication of the staggering resources Facebook is dedicating to actively monitoring and censoring content. It had worked to bolster its content review team, with more than 30,000 people working around the world on security and safety. Half of these, 15,000 of whom are dedicated to reviewing and removing content which breaches our community standards. The reviewers  deal with millions of comments, videos and comments every day. There were huge, huge volumes of content involved, an incredible hundred billion messages are now exchanged on Facebook services every single day.

Cleggs acknowledgement that the company is working closely with politicians in framing its censorship, dovetails with the EUs recently announced plans to step up internet censorship to tackle disinformation they claim may affect the outcome of the European elections.

Last October, just weeks before Cleggs appointment, the EU held a summit at which it announced that censorship of social media would be tightened up in advance of the elections. The European Council said this would include measures to combat cyber and cyber-enabled illegal and malicious activities and build strong cybersecurity.

Such measures were required against hacking attacks by Moscow, claimed the EU. In December, European Commission (EC) Vice President Andrus Ansip commented, There is strong evidence pointing to Russia as a primary source of disinformation in Europe. Disinformation is part of Russias military doctrine and part of a strategy to divide and weaken the West.

The EC wanted to see Facebook and Google agree to step up efforts to remove misleading or illegal content. Reuters reported that the EC proposed more resources to monitor and flag Russian misinformation, raising the budget of the EUs foreign service EEAS [European External Action Service] for this to 5 million ($5.7 million) from 1.9 million in 2018.

While welcoming Cleggs comments in Brussels, EU Commissioner Sir Julian King demanded still more action. Facebook was still taking a patchy, opaque, and self-selecting approach. King supported strengthened efforts to tackle disinformation, including more transparent political advertising, more resources for rapid response, and boosting their capacity to fight fake news.

The tech giants and the political representatives of the ruling elite are desperate to control social media in order to criminalise political opposition and suppress free speech. In censoring their platforms, they function as the trusted gatekeepers for governments and ensure the correct interpretation of world eventsi.e., spreading real fake news.

Their censorship agenda is driven by fear of a mounting and resurgent movement of the working class on every continent, expressed most clearly in Europe in Frances yellow vest movement. Under these conditions, the ruling elite view as an overriding imperative preventing the masses from accessing left-wing views and coordinating their struggles via social media.

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[16 November 2018]

Facebook: The global censor

[29 December 2018]Angela Fredericks is one of the leaders of a determined campaign by residents from the rural Queensland town of Biloela for the freedom of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees Nardesalingnam (referred to as Nardes) and Priya and their two infant daughters.

On March 5 last year, the family was detained in a pre-dawn raid by Australian Border Force officers and guards from the British-based security company Serco, and imprisoned thousands of kilometres away in Melbourne, pending deportation to Sri Lanka. Nardes was a meat worker at the local Teys Australia abattoir.

Biloela is a town of about 6,000 people, about 120 kilometres inland from the port city of Gladstone, Queensland, on the southern edge of the Bowen Basin, a large coal-mining region. The fight being waged by the towns residents, and thousands of others around the country, belies the media image of popular support for the anti-refugee policy of successive governments. Almost 180,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the deportation.

The Biloela campaign legal team last month lodged a special leave application in the High Court, challenging earlier Federal Court rulings backing the government. Their deportation was scheduled for February 1. However, Minister for Immigration David Coleman confirmed through his lawyers in the afternoon of February 1, that they will not remove the family while the application for special leave remains pending in the court.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, whose ministerial portfolio previously covered immigration, has refused to intervene to grant visas to the family, and prejudged their appeal by declaring on January 14: The family has gone through multiple court processes. At every single turn theyve been found not to be refugees.

Such deportations are a central component of the border protection policy, created and enforced by Labor and Liberal-National Coalition governments alike. This regime denies the basic right to asylum to all people who attempt to reach Australia by boat, either forcing them back to sea, imprisoning them indefinitely or forcibly deporting them.

In 2012, the Greens-backed Labor government began the fast-track removal of Sri Lankan refugees, about 6,000 of whom fled to Australia between 2011 and 2013, fearing persecution.

Labor struck an agreement with the Sri Lankan government for the deportation of all the refugees, without even considering their claims to asylum. This immediately resulted in 700 refugees being sent back to the authorities in Colombo, with about 1,000 more still facing the same treatment, according to Home Affairs Department statistics.

The High Court sanctioned this process in 2017, even though it was proven such refugees suffered appalling conditions of imprisonment, including torture, maltreatment and violence.

The World Socialist Web Site recently interviewed Angela Fredericks.

Why have the people in Biloela taken up this campaign?

It began initially because we were all so distressed and broken-hearted at the fact that good friends of ours had been taken away. It started as an outrage at how they were taken. But then, as we have learnt more about their claim for serious protection, it became more about saying that these are the sort of citizens we want, even regardless of refugee status. Why take away people that fill important needs in our community?

Could you describe how the community found out about the dawn raid?

The first thing is the secrecy. It wasnt until a good week later that we managed to unfurl what had happened, after we spoke to their neighbour, who was traumatised by what she witnessed.

The neighbour described hearing Priya screaming. This still sends shivers down my spine imagining it. She then ran out and saw the house surrounded by police officers and Serco guards, all armed. The neighbour was not allowed to go and comfort Priya, even though she owned the property the family was living in. She then watched as Priya and Nardes were put in a vehicle and the girls were put in separate vehicle.

That was the initial description, but we then heard it again from Priya and Nardes, after they were allowed to use a phone. We heard how they were basically given a very short amount of time to pack up their lives and they had no idea what was going to happen to them.

It was around 5am, and the family were starting the day like any other. Nardes was dressed and was about to head off to work. His keys were left in his car, with his wallet. There was meat in the sink defrosting, a baby bottle left on the bench. They were treated like criminals.

Why do you think such an operation was carried out?

Honestly, I cannot imagine why the government would do it in such a manner. This only happens if you are taking away dangerous people or those who are a serious threat. The government has said that they did it so they wouldnt escape, which is, quite frankly, ridiculous. How can you need 20 armed people to stop two adults and two toddlers from going anywhere? I mean, this is a family that wouldnt hurt a fly.

It really scared me that the government can do this sort of thing and nobody raises a sound. We do like to believe that our government is doing the right thing.

Have there been other instances where refugees were taken and it was not reported to the community?

Definitely. Through this campaign we have been told so by our meat workers, at the local abattoir, where quite a few people who have come as refugees have been employed. We have been told stories about how workers turn up for work one day and somebody is just not there anymore. I find this quite sad as those are often single males who, because of the work hours and time restraints, have not been able to be part of the community.

A meat worker who witnessed losing people at the abattoir made the comment when do we start hiding people in our houses? If that is not a return to World War II, I dont know what is.

The difference in this case is that this is a family we had gotten to know. They had built a network here.

How many people have been involved in the campaign in Biloela?

In terms of those who have written letters [to local MPs], come to events, who have helped fund raising, that is going into the hundreds. There are definitely people who have come on board who have never met them. People who have literally just heard the story.

I have been contacted also by people around Australia, in lots of small communities, who have said they are supporting a family just like Nardes and Priya and they are fearful those families are about to taken.

What has been the response by the abattoir and his workmates to Nardes removal?

His colleagues have all been very supportive. They have been distraught that the family has been taken. The difficulty is lots of the other people who work there are subject to immigration status. For lots of them they fear saying anything, but many have been silently supporting.

In terms of higher up in the meatworks, we have had letters of support. However, it has been quite interesting. Companies, councils and those that rely on the government to a certain extent havent been willing to say much out front or to the media.

This case has really highlighted to me that it is really important that we stand up and make sure we are not owned by anyone.

Could you comment on the remarks by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton?

Firstly, you tell me one person who decides they want to flee a country for war that is not of anybodys making or choice. The fundamental flaw in his statement is the idea that it is illegal to seek asylum by boat. The [1951] Refugee Convention, that Australia has signed, states that there is no illegal way to seek asylum.

The other point which is incorrect is where he says the family has been through multiple court processes and found to be non-genuine refugees. Under the fast-track system, they have never had their claim heard by a court. Their status was looked at only two times. The first was by the Home Affairs Department and the second was by the IAA [Immigration Assessment Authority]. Both those reviews were conducted by a single person, so literally two people have found them not to be refugees.

The key thing is that Tamils are not on the list the government has of who warrants protection and who doesnt. That is against the advice of the United Nations, Amnesty International and multiple other organisations, who say Tamils do need protection. So, the decision has been made because of that list and not because of their individual case.

Do you see a connection to what is happening to refugees internationally?

Yes. We are seeing the most refugees ever experienced. However, we spend too much time trying to fix this problem. Refugees are not the problem. They are the result of earlier problems.

World leaders are not doing enough to stop the creation of refugees. You read in so many statements that Australia does more than enough for refugees. Actually, the third-world or developing countries do more for refugees than first-world countries.

The cause of refugees comes down to world conflict, power and control. Any war is going to have casualties. Refugees are the casualities of war. Lots of first-world countries have participated in creating refugees. Even if they are not actually bombing countries, they remain silent.

Where is the campaign up to?

We have used January to create momentum. Throughout January we have had two weeks of letter writing to local MPs. We have followed up with phone calls. From January 19, we held protests and rallies across Australia. Our legal team has submitted paperwork for special leave to take the decision to the High Court. In the meantime, we are encouraging people to make contact with their local MPs and Peter Dutton.

At the end of the day, we dont have faith that the court system will change anything for us. All the courts are deciding is whether the decision will be sent back to the IAA. So, we need the minister to intervene.

The author also recommends:

Australia: Biloela residents protest at pre-dawn removal of Tamil refugee family

[15 March 2018]

Australia: Biloela residents continue protests against deportation of Tamil refugee family

[2 July 2018]On January 23, 2017, 57-year-old Thomas Becker began his regular 3:30 a.m. shift as a maintenance technician at Amazon Fulfillment Center MDW4 in Joliet, Illinois. Twenty minutes later, he experienced a medical emergency that was compounded by a shockingly delayed response from Amazon, leading to his death. In response, his widow, Linda Becker, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Becker clutched his chest and fell to the ground at 3:50 a.m., begging to his co-workers to come to his aid.

Twenty-five minutes elapsed before Amazon contacted the Joliet Fire Departments station 3, which was less than a half mile away. Minutes later, firefighter/paramedics arrived, yet they were forced to come through the front doors, delayed by conversation with security, and then forced to walk across the 1.5 million-square-foot facility to where Becker lay, rather than being allowed to access his location though a nearby loading dock door. All told, the lawsuit alleges another five to seven minutes were lost, and when they made it to Becker, he was no longer conscious or breathing. He was taken to Presence St. Josephs Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:58 a.m., having suffered cardiac arrest.

During the extreme wait for treatment within the warehouse, the lawsuit also claims that none of Amazons internal medical personnel (Amcare) came to help with a functioning Automated External Defibrillator, and that the boxes that hold AEDs around the warehouse were empty. Shortly after his death, the lawsuit claims, Amazon filled the empty AED boxes throughout the warehouse with functioning AEDs.

Amcare is Amazons in-house medical service, and in the event of an emergency, workers are told they should not call 911, but call security/Amcare instead. The International Amazon Workers Voice has revealed other incidents involving Amcare which suggest that its role is to intervene into a medical emergency, to initiate a pro-management paper trail about an incident, which can then be used to deny a workers claim of injury.

The callous response to Beckers death was not an accident, but Amazon policy. Their process is focused on the effort to contain an injury to in-house treatment and reporting, and avoid 911 calls and outside intervention. The lawsuit even notes that Amazon had in place a written policy that no deaths were to occur on its premises.

Amazons facilities in Joliet, with over 3,500 workers, make Amazon the largest employer in the whole city. Like many Amazon locations throughout the country, the company was granted enormous tax incentives to locate in the region. The state of Illinois is giving $82.7 million in tax credits over 10 years in exchange for the pledge to maintain 7,200 jobs at the Joliet and Aurora locations. In 2016, $1.88 million in tax credits was given out for the Joliet site.

Yet the jobs that it brought to Joliet are almost entirely low-wage jobs with brutal conditions that are often staffed by temps. The temp agency Integrity Staffing Solutions has an on-site location at the MDW4 warehouse, no doubt because the brutal pace of work creates constant turnover that keeps the temp agency busy replacing workers. For every hour an Amazon temp works, Integrity gets to skim an hourly rate into their own pockets. Beyond that, many workers have to go through a probationary period with the temp agency, hoping to be hired directly by Amazon, but could be laid off or pushed out before ever getting hired.

Each aspect of Amazons warehouse operations is analyzed in extreme detail to extract as much labor as possible from workers, whether it is the constant increase in their pick or pack rate, or the setup of Amcare to avoid injury reports or outside medical help. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world, earning more per second than an Amazon worker earns in a month.Talented young thespians represented the Southwest Florida community in a big way earlier this month, as the boys and girls of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center showcased their talents on an international level.

The troupe attended the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, the largest gathering of young performers in the world to display their portrayal of Disneys The Lion King, Jr.

The event saw 6,800 students, teachers, parents, Broadway, film and music professionals representing six countries and 26 states flock to the three-day weekend event.

Both students and adults had an amazing time at the Junior Theater Festival. It was so inspiring- and is a spirit of celebration, encouragement, and learning. The entire festival benefited the students by surrounding them with young people who made them feel accepted and that they all have this love of theater in common, said Melody Lane Drama and Music Director Dana Alvarez. They also saw adults doing what they love and that, in itself, is inspiring, too. Theater education teaches young people public speaking skills, articulation, empathy, character development, acceptance, ensemble and cooperative learning skills, and to take pride in ones work. They work on a project for months and sometimes the performances are over in a few days or mere hours. But the feelings of accomplishment and the happiness lasts in their memories. This festival also gives young people and adults perspective on how far your passion can get you but also how many talented young people there are. It is both humbling and inspiring.

Melody Lane, based out of Cape Coral, was represented by 22 student-performers, as well as their family and directors.

The group was well received, taking home many top honors for their production.

They were judged on a 15-minute abridged version of the musical, tying together their best numbers.

Melody Lane Performing Arts Center offered us a truly special performance, said festival adjudicators Ryan Macaulay and Julie Magnasco via Instagram. It was completely character-driven whilst also being a feast for the eyes. Their presentation was tight, polished and connected. There was a real sense of confidence from this group. I absolutely loved this presentation. It was incredibly moving.

Melody Lane Performing Arts Center gave us incredibly strong ensemble work- the ensemble pushed the story with clear movement choices and strong focus. There was great physicality and commitment to developing characters.

The group won the Outstanding Performance Award-only given to a few groups who earned top overall scores for the entire festival, for their entire age group (eighth grade and below), as only nine of the 133 groups in attendance were given this honor, Melody Lane being the only in their category to do so.

Some individuals were recognized as well, as Christine Mazuryk, 14, won Excellent Female Performer, one of only 17 young ladies to earn the recognition.

Three Melody Lane students, Macy Magas, Tyler Connelly and Ava Stoeberl, also earned call-backs to the iTheatrics choreography DVD filming, and may be chosen to travel to New York City to be part of the choreography demonstrations used to teach directors dances for their shows.

Lastly, Stoeberl and Landon OBrien were chosen from the group as All-Stars.

Seeing the kids perform their songs and dialogue, hitting those high notes, belting it out, executing sharp dance moves, striking their final poses and knowing they did their best and nailed it  is really exciting and satisfying to see, said Alvarez. There is nothing like hearing your students express how proud they are of their hard work, to say this was the best weekend of their lives, and to even be a little sad that it was over, and to say that they feel theyve all become a family- that is really special.

The group was invited to the main stage to perform for all 6,800 people, a truly prestigious opportunity.

Stoeberl was a featured soloist, playing the character of Nala and performing the song, Shadowland along side the rest of the cast.

Alvarez couldnt be more proud of her group, taking in every moment of the remarkable experience.

As a director, its rewarding to see students grow from the beginning of a show to the end, or for some, over years of having them as students. Its also really special to start out a show like a machine youre trying to build, with all these moving parts but no idea how they all fit together. You have an idea what the final product should look like but have to figure out the steps along the way, she said. It is extremely rewarding from a directors perspective to see that final picture come together and let the kids just take it away. I always love that.

Their goal from the start was to make an impact at the Junior Theater Festival, as some students had attended in the past, and some having experienced it for the first time.

For us, this time around, even after our production, we had one more goal- JTF. We got to keep the show alive a few more weeks and present it in a new way without costumes, props, and sets, and then celebrate our success with it. It was surreal we did not expect the award but it certainly feels good for all to be recognized for their hard work and talents.

If the festival wasnt enough, more exciting news is on the way for Melody Lane, as Disney has once again asked them to produce a pilot production of a Jr. musical never done before.

Last summer, the group partnered with Oasis Arts drama program to put on the pilot production of Disneys Frozen Jr.

Based on that awesome experience, the directors have been asked to do another pilot show, said Alvarez. A pilot is a brand new show being adapted for young performers. The job of the directors, cast and creative team, is to put on the production and report on how the entire show process worked out and how easy/challenging the material, songs, etc. was for children. It is a really special experience to be a part of shows in their earlier stages.

Stay tuned for the release of that Disney Jr. title in the near future.

For more information on Melody Lane, visit www.melodylanepac.com.

-Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cjOlduvai Gorge is an important paleoanthropological site that has the oldest evidence of human evolution. Paleoanthropologists have discovered hundreds of fossilized bones and stone tool at the site that dates back to millions of years, leading to the conclusion that Africa was the place for human evolution. The word Olduvai is a misspelling of the word Oldupai, a Maasai word for wild sisal that is common in the area. The excavation and research program at Olduvai Gorge was established and developed by Louis and Mary Leakey, British/Kenyan paleoanthropologists. The collection of animal remains and tools in a common place is regarded as evidence of the existing social interactions and communal activities.

Location of the Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge is situated in the Great Rift Valley between Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. The site is part of the Serengeti Plains in the Arusha Region, Tanzania. The gorge is about 28 miles from Laetoli, also an important archaeological site for early human settlement. The Olduvai Gorge is about 30 miles long and 295 feet deep. However, it is not large enough to be considered a canyon. A river that cuts through its several layers and has led to the formation of four beds, with the oldest bed being approximately 2 million years old. The gorge cuts through a Pleistocene lake bed to about 90 meters deep. At about 8 kilometers from the mouth, the main gorge is joined by a side gorge which originates from Lemagrut Mountain.

Brief History of the Gorge

The Olduvai Gorge was first visited in 1911 by Wilhelm Kattwinkle, a German archaeologist and physician who had traveled to Africa to conduct a study on sleeping sickness. While on his visit to the gorge, he saw several fossil remains of a three-toed horse which had become extinct. His discovery inspired Hans Reck, a German geologist, who visited the gorge in 1913. With his team, Hans found remains of hominin dating 17,000 BP. After World War I, Louis Leakey visited Hans in Berlin to view the fossils that had been obtained from Olduvai. When he saw the fossils, Leakey was convinced that the gorge could be holding stone tools since the fossils were almost of the same age as Kenyas Kariandusi prehistoric site where he had discovered hand axes. Leakey and his wife Mary are credited for most of the excavation and discoveries at Olduvai Gorge.

Importance of the Site

Olduvai Gorge is an important fossil site and forms part of the World Heritage Site. The site has revealed a great deal about the human past and the development of tools. It has produced evidence of the hominids and how they may have lived. The first Homo habilis fossils were discovered at the gorge in 1960 by Jonathan Leakey. The skull of Zinjanthropus was found there by Mary Leakey in 1959. Several stone tools have also been discovered at Olduvai Gorge. These stone tools have been classified as Oldowan. The gorge also produced evidence of hominids, Paranthropus boisei, which have been referred to as nutcracker man due to thick teeth enamel that could easily crack nuts. Evidence of hunting and scavenging have also been discovered at Olduvai.Kim Divan, 66 years old, of Woodward, OK passed away at his home on Saturday, June 12. He was born in Nebraska but spent his childhood and most of his adult life in Palmdale, CA until moving to Oklahoma in 2005. Kim liked to have a good time and enjoyed his motorcycles and fishing. He will bThe State of Michigan will re-open to full capacity on June 22 as more than 9 million vaccines have been administered, and COVID-19 cases fall to a one-year low.LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - For the first time in history, girls will be able to achieve an Eagle Scout. Friday February 1st is the first day girls are allowed to join Scouts BSA troops.

Theres nothing that we teach our boys that we cant teach our girls, said Allie Langley, District Executive for the Wabash Valley region of the Sagamore Council. Things that they would value from learning.

The Boy Scouts was founded in 1910. Cub Scouts was founded six years later. And in the fall of 2018, girls were allowed to join Cub Scouts for the first time.

There's a number of girls who have already been in the cub scouts, the lower division of the boy scouts for kindergarten through 5th grade, said Jeff Rattray, Troop Master of the new girls troop. They will need a place to go soon."

Troop 801 is that next place. It will meet every Monday at Grace United Methodist Church. But is this inclusion something all of the Sagamore Council supports? Langley says yes.

"It's definitely a resounding yes, she said. Half of our professional staff is female and we've had youth for years, sisters tagging along to their brothers meetings or girls who wanted to get involved but just didn't have that opportunity."

Langley said many of their facilities already have the capability to have girls at camp.

What many people dont realize, especially if they havent had any involvement in scouts, is that weve had females in our program for years, she said. Weve had boys and girls camping at the same camps for decades. So all the procedures for safety and privacy have already been established.

Rattrays daughter Katie is currently in the 8th grade. He said she joined Girl Scouts as soon as she was old enough.

She would say I want be scout! and I would say Well you have to wait until youre old enough sweetheart, he said.

And when they heard about the changes coming to Boy Scouts of America, they both jumped on board.

I saw there was this opportunity and my daughter wants to be a Boy Scout, wants to be an Eagle Scout and a bunch of her friends want to do the same, he said.

But he said that she doesnt want to jump ship completely.

They dont want to leave the Girl Scouts, they want to do both, he said. Id love to have a bumper sticker that says Im proud of my Gold Award-Eagle Scout.

The Gold Award is the Eagle Scout equivalent for Girl Scouts. According to the Girl Scouts of the USA website, only 6% of Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award in 2016. Bryan On Scouting, a blog for BSA adult leaders, said that that percentage is the same for Boy Scouts who earn their Eagle as of 2014.

Existing male troops will largely be unaffected by the inclusion of girls, because Scouts BSA is forming separate troops just for girls. Langley explained the reason for this.

"We've had research done from a national level that shows that boys and girls learn and interact in different ways," she said. "So being able to keep same sex troops allows them to connect with their peers on a better level.

But it's all about providing life learning experiences for all.

"We are really excited to be able to provide that opportunity to every youth in our area," she said.

You are welcome if you want to join our troop, said Rattray.

Langley said they have five new female troops currently in the works. Anyone who is looking to join one of these new troops should search their zip code on the Scout Me In website periodically as those troops begin to form.MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WLFI)  Merrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) released its plans to transition to lower-cost renewable energy sources.

It's part of the company's plan to save its customers 4 billion dollars.

A spokesman for NIPSCO says it's all about saving money.

"The true cost savings come in when you eliminate the fuel source," said Nick Meyer.

NIPSCO is replacing coal as its fuel source with one the fastest growing forms of renewable energy. It's using wind.

The company is in the preliminary stages of adding three new wind farms.

"This plan allows us to transition to a more affordable and sustainable energy future for our customers," said Meyer.

NIPSCO customers and residents of Indiana will be able to see more than 290 windmills with more than 800 mega watts of electricity generating power by the end of 2020.

The three wind farms will be built in Montgomery, White, Benton and Warren counties, but why were these counties chosen?

"It's important that you've got that spread out so that if there are any weather issues, infrastructure issues, or reliability issues that you've got area to draw that power from," said Meyer.

From NIPSCO's stand point, this decision was to help its customers.

"We look at this as being an economic decision," said Meyer. "It really comes down to two things. Is it reliable? Are the lights going to be on when I need it and is it as low cost as it could be?"

Roughly 500,000 customers that NIPSCO serves will see long term savings. The savings will be calculated once NIPSCO retires its coal-fired generators.

"It would really put Indiana on the map from a national stand point as being among the leaders across the country in producing renewable energy."

NIPSCO is ridding of the Michigan City coal-fired generator by 2028 and generator at the Schahfer plant near Wheatfield by the end of 2023.

These are the three locations as worded in a press release from NIPSCO

Jordan Creek  The 400 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC will be located in Benton and Warren counties, near Williamsport, Ind. The project will include an estimated 160 wind turbines. NIPSCO will purchase the power directly from Jordan Creek, who will operate and maintain the facilities.

Roaming Bison  The 300 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by Apex Clean Energy will be located in Montgomery County, near Waynetown, Ind. The project will include an estimated 107 turbines. NIPSCO will purchase the power directly from Roaming Bison, who will operate and maintain the facilities.

Rosewater  The 102 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by EDP Renewables North America LLC will be located in White County, Ind. The project will include an estimated 25 turbines. EDP Renewables, who will construct the wind farm, and NIPSCO

entered into a joint venture and ownership agreement for the Rosewater project.GREATER LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  The flu season has already turned deadly in Indiana. But it's not too late to get vaccinated.

Indiana has already seen 14 flu-related deaths. The worst part? Flu season still has months left to go.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that more than half the population hasn't been vaccinated. While the number has increased from last year, it's still not enough.

We actually had a slower start to the flu season this year compared to last year but just this last week cases have been rising across the U.S. and in Indiana, said Professor Libby Richards with Purdue's School of Nursing.

Richards said nearly 336 people in Indiana died from the flu in 2018. As we're in the midst of flu season, she said flu shots are more important now than ever.

It's not too late to get a flu vaccine, they're readily available in all areas of our community and the good news is, getting the flu vaccine not only protects you but it protects others in our community who aren't able to become vaccinated, such as babies, said Richards.

Vaccinating children has become a major controversy in recent years but Richards said there really isn't an argument.

Vaccines are safe, they undergo very rigorous testing and continued testing so we know vaccines do not cause adverse outcomes for the majority, the large majority of the population, said Richards.

Richards said people who chose not to get vaccinated are actually a major cause of the recent measles outbreak happening across the U.S. currently.

A large majority of the people who have gotten measles this season have been unvaccinated, Richards.

There haven't been any reports of a measles outbreak in Indiana yet, but it could happen without proper vaccination.

Measles is so contagious that if one person has measles in a highly unvaccinated population they will infect up to 90% of people that they're in contact with, said Richards.

Richards said that achy feeling people often get after a shot is actually normal. It's your body gaining immunity to the vaccination.NEW YORK MILLS, N.Y.- Some sections of New York Mills are without water due to a water main break.

The break is located at the corner Burr Avenue and Royal Brook Lane. Crews were dispatched to the area around 8:00 P.M. and quickly closed off the street to traffic.

An employee of Mohawk Valley Water Authority said they had to shut off the broken water main so some homes are without water. Other homes have brown water and low water pressure.

Officials did not have a restoration timeframe.The wounds are buttoned up, but the scars remain, in Ilion. Water Department staff worked practically around the clock for two days, repairing water main breaks on Barringer Road, then, late Thursday afternoon, on Route 51.

"Not just our water department, our water department, our light department, our DPW crews, the fire department, the police department, everybody did something and took a part in this whole operation," said Mayor Brian Lamica.

Lamica says everyone in the village has water now, but that they're still on wells, still have a boil and conserve water order, and still under a state of emergency, and that all three will remain throughout the weekend. Lamica believes people really are conserving water.

"I really can say I believe people are conserving water in the village, because, again, if they weren't, we'd really be seeing some issues because we're only on the wells."

This week's culmination of months of persistent water problems brought Governor Cuomo to Ilion, from Albany, Thursday. Away from the media cameras and behind closed doors, the governor had a candid discussion with Ilion's mayor and deputy mayor.

"We talked about money," said Mayor Lamica. "We mentioned to him exactly what would be the total project costs would be around-around the $32 million."

They mayor also talked to the governor about Ilion's history.

"I gave the governor a little brief history on the village of Ilion and how Ilion actually played an important part in the building of this country and now Ilion needs help."

The mayor says the village cannot return to its battered water system until it has three days of clean samples. They started taking samples Friday.Rosenberg, TX (77471)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low near 75F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Walmart Inc. engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, and other units worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com, walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, and samsclub.com; and mobile commerce applications. The company offers grocery products, including dry grocery, snacks, dairy, meat, produce, deli and bakery, frozen foods, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, as well as consumables, such as health and beauty aids, pet supplies, household chemicals, paper goods, and baby products; and health and wellness products covering pharmacy, over-the-counter drugs and other medical products, and optical and clinical services. It also provides gasoline stations and tobacco; home improvement, outdoor living, gardening, furniture, apparel, and jewelry, as well as tools and power equipment, housewares, toys, seasonal items, mattresses, and tire and battery centers; and consumer electronics and accessories, software, video games, office supplies, appliances, and third-party gift cards. In addition, the company offers fuel and financial services and related products, including money orders, prepaid cards, money transfers, and check cashing and bill payment. It operates approximately 11,400 stores and various e-commerce websites under 54 banners in 26 countries. The company was formerly known as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Walmart Inc. in February 2018. Walmart Inc. was founded in 1945 and is based in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.The following companies are subsidiares of TotalEnergies: ALVEA, AS 24, AS24 Belgie N.V., AS24 Espanola S.A., AS24 Fuel Cards Limited, AS24 Lithuanie, AS24 Polska SP ZO.O., AS24 Tankservice GmbH, Adani Green Energy, Aerowatt Energies, Aerowatt Energies 2, Aerowatt Energies Nogara, Aerowatt Energies Nogara 2, Air Total (Suisse) S.A., Air Total International S.A., Albatros, Alcad AB, Altinergie, Angola Block 14 B.V., Antilles Gaz, Argedis, Aristea, Atlantic Trading and Marketing Financial Inc., Atlantic Trading and Marketing Inc., BOU Verwaltungs GmbH, Balzatex S.A.S., Barry Controls Aerospace S.N.C., Bassin Du Capiscol, Bay Junction Inc., Biogaz Breuil, Biogaz Chatillon, Biogaz Corcelles, Biogaz Epinay, Biogaz Libron, Biogaz Milhac, Biogaz Soignolles, Biogaz Torcy, Biogaz Vert Le Grand, Biogaz Viriat, Borrachas Portalegre Ltda, Brass Holdings S.A.R.L., CPE Energies, CSSA - Chartering and Shipping Services S.A., Caldeo, Catelsa-Caceres S.A.U., Centrale Eolienne De Couloumi, Centrale Eolienne De Coume, Centrale Eolienne De Dainville, Centrale Eolienne De Goulien, Centrale Eolienne De L'Olivier, Centrale Eolienne De La Vallee Gentillesse, Centrale Eolienne Des Malandaux, Centrale Eolienne Du Plan Du Pal, Centrale Eolienne La Cote Du Moulin A Vent, Centrale Eolienne La Croix De Cuitot, Centrale Eolienne Les Champs Parents, Centrale Eolienne Varades, Centrale Hydrolique Alas, Centrale Hydrolique Ardon, Centrale Hydrolique Arvan, Centrale Hydrolique Barbaira, Centrale Hydrolique Bonnant, Centrale Hydrolique La Buissiere, Centrale Hydrolique Previnquieres, Centrale Photovoltaique De La Croix, Centrale Photovoltaique Du Seneguier, Centrale Photovoltaique Le Barou, Centrale Solaire 2, Centrale Solaire Autoprod, Centrale Solaire Base 112, Centrale Solaire Betheniville, Centrale Solaire Briffaut, Centrale Solaire Centre Ouest 2, Centrale Solaire Cet De Hesse, Centrale Solaire Chemin De Melette, Centrale Solaire Couloumine, Centrale Solaire De Cazedarnes, Centrale Solaire Dom, Centrale Solaire Du Centre Ouest, Centrale Solaire Du Lavoir, Centrale Solaire Du Pla De La Roque, Centrale Solaire Felix, Centrale Solaire Ficon, Centrale Solaire Forum Laudun, Centrale Solaire Fremy, Centrale Solaire Gardanne, Centrale Solaire Gigognan, Centrale Solaire Guinots, Centrale Solaire Heliovale, Centrale Solaire La Metairie, Centrale Solaire La Potence, Centrale Solaire La Sauteirane, Centrale Solaire La Tastere, Centrale Solaire Le Castellet, Centrale Solaire Le Cres, Centrale Solaire Les Ancizes, Centrale Solaire Les Aspres, Centrale Solaire Les Canebieres, Centrale Solaire Les Cordeliers, Centrale Solaire Les Cordeliers 2, Centrale Solaire Les Galliennes, Centrale Solaire Les Melettes, Centrale Solaire Lodes, Centrale Solaire Lyreco, Centrale Solaire Manosque Ombriere, Centrale Solaire Mazeran Lr, Centrale Solaire Mazeran Paca, Centrale Solaire Ombrieres Cap Agathois, Centrale Solaire Ombrieres De Blyes, Centrale Solaire Ombrieres De Boujan, Centrale Solaire Ombrieres P5, Centrale Solaire Pezenas, Centrale Solaire Piennes, Centrale Solaire Plateau De Pouls, Centrale Solaire Pont Sur Sambre, Centrale Solaire Quadrao, Centrale Solaire SPW2, Centrale Solaire Sableyes, Centrale Solaire Supdevenergie, Centrale Solaire Toiture Josse, Centrale Solaire Valorbi, Centrale Solaire Viguier, Centrale Solaire Zabo, Centrale Solaire Zabo 2, Centrale Solaire de la Med, Charvet La Mure Bianco, Cie Tunisienne du Caoutchouc S.A.R.L., Compagnie Petroliere de l'Ouest - CPO, Composite Industrie Maroc S.A.R.L., Composite Industrie S.A., Cosden LLC, Cray Valley (Guangzhou) Chemical Company Limited, Cray Valley Czech, Cray Valley HSC Asia Limited, Cray Valley Italia S.R.L., Cray Valley S.A., Cristal Marketing Egypt, DAJA 148, DAJA 154, DAJA 160, DCA-MORY-SHIPP, Deer Creek Pipelines Limited, Digital Energy Solutions, Direct Energie, E.F. Oil And Gas Limited, Egedis, Electricite Solaire De Molleges, Elf Aquitaine Fertilisants, Elf Aquitaine Inc., Elf E&P, Elf Exploration UK Limited, Elf Forest Products LLC, Elf Oil UK Aviation Limited, Elf Oil UK Properties Limited, Elf Petroleum Iran, Elf Petroleum UK Limited, Eole Balaze 2, Eole Balaze S.A.R.L., Eole Boin, Eole Broceliande, Eole Champagne Conlinoise, Eole Cote Du Moulin, Eole Desirade 4, Eole Du Bocage, Eole Fonds Caraibes, Eole Grand Maison, Eole La Montagne, Eole La Motelle, Eole La Perriere S.A.R.L., Eole Les Buissons, Eole Les Patoures, Eole Maxent, Eole Morne Carriere, Eole Morne Constant, Eole Moulin Tizon, Eole Petit Fougeray, Eole Petite Place, Eole Pierrefitte Es Bois, Eole Saint-Jean Lachalm, Eole Sorbon II, Eole Sorbon S.A.R.L., Eole Yate, Eoliennes Arques 1, Eoliennes Arques 2, Eoliennes Arques 3, Eoliennes De L'Ourcq Et Du Clignon, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut 1, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut 2, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut 3, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut 4, Eoliennes De La Chaussee Brunehaut 5, Eoliennes Du Champ Chardon, Espa S.A.R.L., Ethylene Est, Etmofina, FINA Technology Inc., Fast Jung KB, Feluy Immobati, Fina Pipeline Co, Finansol 1, Finansol 2, Finansol 3, Fioulmarket.fr, Fonroche Biogaz, Frieman & Wolf Batterietechnick GmbH, G2MOBILITY, Gapco Kenya Limited, Gapco Tanzania Limited, Gapco Uganda Limited, Gasket (Suzhou) Valve Components Company Limited, Gasket International S.R.L., Glaciere De Palisse, Global Energy Armateur SNC, Global LNG Armateur S.A.S., Global LNG Downstream S.A.S., Global LNG North America Corporation, Global LNG S.A.S., Global LNG Supply S.A., Global LNG UK Limited, Grande Paroisse S.A., Greenflex, Greenflex Actirent Group S.L., Greenflex S.A.S., Guangzhou Elf Lubricants Company Limited, Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation, HBA Hutchinson Brasil Automotive Ltda, HETTY, Helio 100 Kw, Helio 21, Helio 974 Toitures, Helio Bakia, Helio Beziers, Helio Boulouparis, Helio Boulouparis 2, Helio Florensac, Helio Fonds Caraibes, Helio Koumac, Helio L'R, Helio La Perriere, Helio Logistique, Helio Moindah, Helio Orange, Helio Piin Patch, Helio Popidery, Helio Reunion, Helio Tamoa, Helio Temala, Holding Eole 2018, Holding Otev, Holding Pdr, Hutchinson (UK) Limited, Hutchinson (Wuhan) Automotive Rubber Products Company Limited, Hutchinson Aeronautique & Industrie Limited, Hutchinson Aeroservices S.A.S., Hutchinson Aerospace & Industry Inc., Hutchinson Aerospace GmbH, Hutchinson Aftermarket USA Inc., Hutchinson Antivibration Systems Inc., Hutchinson Automotive Systems Company Limited, Hutchinson Autopartes Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hutchinson Borrachas de Portugal Ltda, Hutchinson Corporation, Hutchinson Do Brasil S.A., Hutchinson Fluid Management Systems Inc., Hutchinson GmbH, Hutchinson Holding GmbH, Hutchinson Holdings UK Limited, Hutchinson Iberia S.A., Hutchinson Industrial Rubber Products (Suzhou) Company Limited, Hutchinson Industrias Del Caucho SAU, Hutchinson Industries Inc., Hutchinson Japan Company Limited, Hutchinson Korea Limited, Hutchinson Maroc S.A.R.L. AU, Hutchinson Poland SP ZO.O., Hutchinson Polymers S.N.C., Hutchinson Porto, Hutchinson Precision Sealing Systems Inc., Hutchinson Research & Innovation Singapore PTE. Limited, Hutchinson Rubber Products Private Limited Inde, Hutchinson S.A., Hutchinson S.N.C., Hutchinson S.R.L. (Italie), Hutchinson S.R.L. (Roumanie), Hutchinson SRO, Hutchinson Sales Corporation, Hutchinson Seal De Mexico S.A. de CV., Hutchinson Sealing Systems Inc., Hutchinson Stop - Choc GmbH & CO. KG, Hutchinson Suisse S.A., Hutchinson Transferencia de Fluidos S.A. de C.V., Hutchinson Tunisie S.A.R.L., Hutchinson Vietnam Company Limited, Hutchinson d.o.o Ruma, Hydro-M Ingenierie Des Energies Renouvelables, Hydromons, Industrias Tecnicas De La Espuma SL, Industrielle Desmarquoy S.N.C., Jehier S.A.S., Jmb Hydro S.A.R.L., Jmb Solar, Jmb Solar Nogara, Jmcp, Joint Precision Rubber, KTN Kunststofftechnik Nobitz GmbH, La Compagnie Electrique de Bretagne, La Seauve, Lampiris S.A., Le Joint Francais S.N.C., Legacy Site Services Funding Inc., Legacy Site Services LLC, Les Eoliennes De Conquereuil, Les Moulins A Vent De Kermadeen, Les Stratifies S.A.S., Les Vents De Nivillac, Les Vents De Ranes, Libcom, Libwatt, Lone Wolf Land Company, Lubricants Vietnam Holding Limited, Machen Land Limited, Maersk Oil, Marathon Oil Libya Limited, Margeriaz Energie, Messigaz SNC, Methanergy, Mide Technology Corporation, Miyagi Osato Solar Park G.K., Nouvelle Entreprise D'Energie Solaire, Novogy Inc., Olutex Oberlausitzer Luftfahrttextilien GmbH, Ombrieres Te Vendres, Omnium Reinsurance Company S.A., PFW Aerospace GmbH, PFW Havacilik Sanayi ve Dis Ticaret Limited Sirtketi, PFW Uk Machining Ltd., Pamargan (Malta) Products Limited, Pamargan Products Limited, Pan Insurance Limited, Parc Des Hauts Vents, Parc Eolien De Nesle La Reposte, Parc Solaire De Servian, Parc Solaire De Servian 2, Paulstra S.N.C., Paulstra Silentbloc S.A., Pitpoint B.V., Pitpoint Cng B.V., Polyblend GmbH, Pos Production Ii, Pos Production Iii, Pos Production Iv, Pos Production V, Produits Petroliers Stela, Quadran Caraibes, Quadran Holding Nc, Quadran Nogara, Quadran Pacific, Quadrelio, Quadrica, Quimica Vasca S.A.U., Resilium, Retia, Retia USA LLC, Roquefort Solar, Saft (Zhuhai FTZ) Batteries Company Limited, Saft (Zhuhai) Energy Storage Co, Saft AB, Saft AS, Saft Acquisition S.A.S., Saft America Inc., Saft Australia PTY Limited, Saft Batterias SL, Saft Batterie Italia S.R.L., Saft Batterien GmbH, Saft Batteries PTY Limited, Saft Batteries Pte Limited, Saft Batterijen B.V., Saft Do Brasil Ltda, Saft Ferak AS, Saft Finance S.A.R.L., Saft Groupe S.A., Saft Hong Kong Limited, Saft India Private Limited, Saft Japan KK, Saft LLC, Saft Limited, Saft Nife ME Limited, Saft S.A.S., Saudi Total Petroleum Products, Savanna Energy Services Corp., Septentrion Participations, Servauto Nederland B.V., SigmaKalon Group B.V., Smalt Energie, Socap S.A.S., Societe Bearnaise De Gestion Industrielle, Societe Civile Immobiliere CB2, Societe Urbaine des Petroles, Societe d'exploitation de l'usine de Rouen, Societe mahoraise de stockage de produits petroliers, Sofax Banque, Solaire Grand Sud, Solaire Libron, Solaire Villon, Solar Energies, Solar Mimizan, Stillman Seal Corporation, Stogg Eagle Funding B.V., Stop-Choc (UK) Limited, SunPower, Synova, TOTAL E&P NORGE AS, TOTAL MAROC, TOTSA Total Oil Trading S.A., Tadiran Batteries GmbH, Tadiran Batteries Limited, Techlam S.A.S., Tenesol SPV 1, Tepkri Sarsang A/S, Termokarstovoye S.A.S., Terneftegaz JSC(a), Thermal Control Systems Automotive Sasu, Thezan Solar, Toitures Capiscol, Total (Africa) Limited, Total (BTC) B.V., Total (Fiji) Limited, Total Abu Al Bu Khoosh, Total Activites Maritimes, Total Additifs et Carburants Speciaux, Total Africa S.A., Total American Services Inc., Total Atlantic Trading Mexico SA De CV, Total Austral, Total Aviation & Export Limited, Total Belgium, Total Bitumen Deutschland GmbH, Total Bitumen UK Limited, Total Botswana (PTY) Limited, Total Brasil Diesel Comercio e Transportes Ltda, Total Brasil Distribuidora Ltda, Total Brazil Services B.V., Total Burkina, Total Cambodge, Total Cameroun, Total Capital, Total Capital Canada Limited, Total Capital International, Total Caraibes, Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures Europe, Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures International, Total Ceska Republika S.R.O., Total China Investment Company Limited, Total Congo, Total Consulting, Total Corporate Management (Beijing) Company Limited, Total Corse, Total Cote D'Ivoire, Total Country Services Belgium, Total Danmark Pipelines A/S, Total Delaware Inc., Total Denmark A/S, Total Denmark ASW Inc., Total Denmark ASW Pipeline ApS, Total Deutschland GmbH(e), Total Developpement Regional S.A.S., Total Direct Energie Belgium, Total Direct Energie Centrale Electrique Bayet, Total Direct Energie Centrale Electrique Marchienne au Pont, Total Direct Energie Centrale Electrique de Toul, Total Direct Energie Concessions, Total Direct Energie Generation, Total Direct Energie Hambregie, Total Direct Energie S.A., Total Direct Energie Services, Total Direct Energie Yfregie, Total Direct Energies Centrale Electrique de Pont Sur Sambres, Total Dolphin Midstream, Total Downstream UK PLC, Total E&P Absheron B.V., Total E&P Al Shaheen A/S, Total E&P Algerie, Total E&P Algerie Berkine A/S, Total E&P Americas LLC, Total E&P Anchor LLC, Total E&P Angola, Total E&P Angola Block 15/06 Limited, Total E&P Angola Block 16 A/S, Total E&P Angola Block 16 Holding A/S, Total E&P Angola Block 17.06, Total E&P Angola Block 25, Total E&P Angola Block 32, Total E&P Angola Block 33, Total E&P Angola Block 39, Total E&P Angola Block 40, Total E&P Angola Block 48 B.V., Total E&P Angola Chissonga Holdings Limited, Total E&P Aruba B.V., Total E&P Asia Pacific Pte. Limited, Total E&P Australia, Total E&P Australia Exploration PTY Limited, Total E&P Australia II, Total E&P Australia III, Total E&P Azerbaijan B.V., Total E&P Barnett Usa (75), Total E&P Bolivie, Total E&P Borneo B.V., Total E&P Bulgaria B.V., Total E&P Cambodge, Total E&P Canada Limited, Total E&P Chine, Total E&P Chissonga Limited, Total E&P Colombie, Total E&P Congo, Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire, Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire CI - 514, Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire CI - 515, Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire CI - 516, Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire CI-605 B.V., Total E&P Cyprus B.V., Total E&P Danmark A/S - CPH, Total E&P Danmark A/S -EBJ, Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V., Total E&P Do Brasil Ltda, Total E&P Dolphin Upstream, Total E&P Dunga GmbH, Total E&P East El Burullus Offshore B.V., Total E&P Egypt Block 2 B.V., Total E&P Egypte, Total E&P Europe and Central Asia Limited, Total E&P France, Total E&P Golfe Limited, Total E&P Gom Moh. LLC, Total E&P Greece B.V., Total E&P Guyana B.V., Total E&P Guyane Francaise, Total E&P Holding Ichthys, Total E&P Holdings Australia PTY Limited, Total E&P Holdings Russia, Total E&P Holdings UAE B.V., Total E&P Ichthys B.V., Total E&P Indonesia Mentawai B.V., Total E&P Indonesie, Total E&P International K1 Limited, Total E&P International K2 Limited, Total E&P International K3 Limited, Total E&P International Limited, Total E&P Iraq, Total E&P Ireland B.V., Total E&P Italia, Total E&P Jack LLC, Total E&P Jutland Denmark B.V., Total E&P Kazakhstan, Total E&P Kenya B.V., Total E&P Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Harir) B.V., Total E&P Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Safen) B.V., Total E&P Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Taza) B.V., Total E&P Kurdistan Region of Iraq B.V., Total E&P Liban S.A.L., Total E&P Libye, Total E&P Lower Zakum B.V., Total E&P Malaysia, Total E&P Mauritania Block C18 B.V., Total E&P Mauritania Block C9 B.V., Total E&P Mauritania Blocks DW B.V., Total E&P Mauritanie, Total E&P Mauritius Holding Limited, Total E&P Mexico S.A. de C.V., Total E&P Mozambique Area 1 Limitada, Total E&P Mozambique B.V., Total E&P Myanmar, Total E&P Namibia B.V., Total E&P Nederland B.V., Total E&P New Ventures Inc., Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater A Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater B Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater C Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater D Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater E Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater F Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater G Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Deepwater H Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, Total E&P Nigeria S.A.S., Total E&P North Sea UK Limited, Total E&P Oman, Total E&P Oman Dev. B.V, Total E&P PNG 2 B.V., Total E&P PNG 5 B.V., Total E&P PNG Limited, Total E&P Participations Petrolieres Congo, Total E&P Philippines B.V., Total E&P Qatar, Total E&P RDC, Total E&P Research & Technology USA LLC, Total E&P Russie, Total E&P Salmanov, Total E&P Sebuku, Total E&P Senegal, Total E&P Services China Company Limited, Total E&P South Africa B.V., Total E&P South Pars, Total E&P South Sudan, Total E&P Syrie, Total E&P Tajikistan B.V., Total E&P Thailand, Total E&P Three Pl B.V., Total E&P Timan-Pechora LLC, Total E&P UAE Unconventional Gas B.V., Total E&P UK Limited, Total E&P US Well Containment LLC, Total E&P USA Inc., Total E&P USA Oil Shale LLC, Total E&P Uganda B.V., Total E&P Umm Shaif Nasr B.V., Total E&P Uruguay B.V., Total E&P Uruguay Onshore B.V., Total E&P Well Response, Total E&P Yamal, Total E&P Yemen, Total E&P Yemen Block 3 B.V., Total East Africa Midstream B.V., Total Egypt, Total Energie Gas GmbH, Total Energy (Meuk) Limited, Total Energy Investments Tianjin, Total Energy Marketing A/S, Total Energy Services, Total Energy Ventures Emerging Markets, Total Espana S.A., Total Especialidades Argentina, Total Ethiopia, Total European Trading, Total Exploration M'Bridge, Total Facilities Management B.V., Total Facilities Management Services (TFMS), Total Finance, Total Finance Corporate Services Limited, Total Finance Global Services (TOFIG), Total Finance Nederland B.V., Total Finance USA Inc., Total Finance international B.V., Total Fluides, Total Freeport Corporation, Total Fuels Wuhan Company Limited, Total Funding Nederland B.V., Total Funding Nederland International B.V., Total GLNG Australia, Total GLNG Australia Holdings, Total Gabon, Total Gas & Power Actifs Industriels, Total Gas & Power Asia Private Limited, Total Gas & Power Brazil, Total Gas & Power Chartering Limited, Total Gas & Power Limited, Total Gas & Power North America Inc., Total Gas & Power Services Limited, Total Gas & Power Thailand, Total Gas Pipeline USA Inc., Total Gas Y Electricidad Argentina S.A., Total Gas and Power Limited London Meyrin - Geneva Branch, Total Gasandes, Total Gass Handel Norge AS, Total Gastransport Nederland B.V., Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France, Total Gestion Filiales, Total Gestion USA, Total Glass Lubricants Europe GmbH, Total Global Financial Services, Total Global Human Ressources Services, Total Global IT Services (TGITS), Total Global Information Technology Services Belgium, Total Global Procurement (TGP), Total Global Procurement Belgium S.A. (TGPB), Total Global Services Bucharest, Total Global Services Philippines, Total Guadeloupe, Total Guinea Ecuatorial, Total Guinee, Total Holding Allemagne, Total Holding Asie, Total Holding Dolphin Amont, Total Holding India, Total Holdings Europe, Total Holdings International B.V., Total Holdings Nederland B.V., Total Holdings Nederland International B.V., Total Holdings S.A.S., Total Holdings UK Limited, Total Holdings USA Inc., Total International NV, Total Investment Management Tianjin, Total Investments, Total Iran B.V., Total Italia, Total Jamaica Limited, Total Jordan PSC, Total Kenya, Total LNG Angola, Total LNG Supply Services USA Inc., Total Laffan Refinery, Total Laffan Refinery II B.V., Total Learning Solutions (TLS), Total Liban, Total Liberia Inc., Total Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Total Lubricants (China) Company Limited, Total Lubricants Taiwan Limited, Total Lubrifiants, Total Lubrifiants Algerie, Total Lubrifiants Service Automobile, Total Luxembourg S.A., Total Madagasikara S.A., Total Malawi Limited, Total Mali, Total Marine Fuels, Total Marketing Egypt, Total Marketing France, Total Marketing Gabon, Total Marketing Middle East Free Zone, Total Marketing Services, Total Marketing Tchad, Total Marketing Uganda, Total Mauritius, Total Mayotte, Total Mexico S.A. de C.V., Total Midstream Holdings UK Limited, Total Mineraloel und Chemie GmbH, Total Mineralol GmbH, Total Mozambique, Total Namibia (PTY) Limited, Total Nederland NV, Total New Energies Limited, Total New Energies USA Inc., Total New Energies Ventures USA Inc., Total Niger S.A., Total Nigeria Plc, Total Oil Asia-Pacific Pte Limited, Total Oil Gb Limited, Total Oil India Private Limited, Total Oil UK Limited, Total Oil and Gas South America, Total Oil and Gas Venezuela B.V., Total Olefins Antwerp, Total Operations Canada Limited, Total Opslag En Pijpleiding Nederland NV, Total Outre-Mer, Total Overseas Holding (PTY) Limited, Total P&G do Brasil Ltda, Total PAR LLC, Total Pacifique, Total Paiement Services, Total Pars LNG, Total Participations, Total Petrochemicals & Refining S.A./NV(e), Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc.(e), Total Petrochemicals (Hong Kong) Limited, Total Petrochemicals (Shangai) Limited, Total Petrochemicals Development Feluy, Total Petrochemicals Ecaussinnes, Total Petrochemicals Feluy, Total Petrochemicals France, Total Petrochemicals Iberica, Total Petrochemicals Pipeline USA Inc., Total Petrochemicals Security USA Inc., Total Petrochemicals UK Limited, Total Petroleum (Shanghai) Company Limited, Total Petroleum Angola, Total Petroleum Ghana, Total Petroleum Puerto Rico Corp., Total Philippines Corporation, Total Polska, Total Polymers Antwerp, Total Polynesie, Total Profils Petroliers, Total Qatar, Total Quadran, Total RDC, Total Raffinaderij Antwerpen N.V., Total Raffinage Chimie S.A.S., Total Raffinage France, Total Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland GmbH, Total Refining & Chemicals Saudi Arabia S.A.S., Total Renewables, Total Research & Technology Feluy, Total Resources (Canada) Limited, Total Reunion, Total Romania S.A., Total Senegal, Total Singapore Shared Services Pte Limited, Total Solar Intl, Total Solar Latin America SPA, Total South Africa (PTY) Limited, Total South Pars, Total Specialties USA Inc., Total Splitter USA Inc, Total Supply MS S.A., Total Swaziland (PTY) Limited, Total Tanzania Limited, Total Tengah, Total Tianjin Manufacturing Company Limited, Total Togo, Total Trading Asia Pte Limited, Total Trading Canada Limited, Total Trading Products S.A., Total Trading and Marketing Canada LP, Total Treasury, Total Tunisie, Total Turkey Pazarlama, Total UK Finance Limited, Total UK Limited, Total USA International LLC, Total Uganda Limited, Total Ukraine LLC, Total Upstream Danmark A/S, Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, Total Upstream UK Limited, Total Venezuela, Total Vietnam Limited, Total Vostok, Total Yemen LNG Company Limited, Total Zambia, Total Zimbabwe, Totalgaz Vietnam LLC, Trans-Ethylene, Transalpes S.N.C., Tssa Total Storage & Services S.A., Uintah Colorado Resources LLC, Unitah Colorado Resources II LLC, Upbeatprops 100 PTY Limited, V Energy S.A., Valorene, Vent De Thierache 01, Vent De Thierache 02, Vent De Thierache 03, Vents D'Oc Centrale D'Energie Renouvelable 18, Vents D'Oc Energies Renouvelables, Vibrachoc S.A.U., Watt Prox, WayKonect, Winergy, Zeeland Refinery NV, and Zeeland Solar B.V..The following companies are subsidiares of Sonic Automotive: AM GA LLC, AM Realty GA LLC, AnTrev LLC, Arngar Inc., Autobahn Inc., Avalon Ford Inc., Car Cash of North Carolina Inc., Cornerstone Acceptance Corporation, ECHOPARK: AM GA LLC, ECHOPARK: AM Realty GA LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark AZ LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark CA LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Driver Education LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark FL LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark TX LLC, ECHOPARK: Echopark Automotive Inc., ECHOPARK: SAI DS LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI DS Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., ECHOPARK: TT Denver LLC, ECHOPARK: TTRE CO 1 LLC, FAA Beverly Hills Inc., FAA Capitol N Inc., FAA Concord H Inc., FAA Concord T Inc., FAA Dublin N Inc., FAA Dublin VWD Inc., FAA Holding Corp., FAA Las Vegas H Inc., FAA Poway H Inc., FAA Poway T Inc., FAA San Bruno Inc., FAA Santa Monica V Inc., FAA Serramonte H Inc., FAA Serramonte Inc., FAA Serramonte L Inc., FAA Stevens Creek Inc., FAA Torrance CPJ Inc., FirstAmerica Automotive Inc., Fort Mill Ford Inc., Franciscan Motors Inc., Frontier Oldsmobile-Cadillac Inc., Kramer Motors Incorporated, L Dealership Group Inc., Marcus David Corporation, Massey Cadillac Inc. (TN-MI), Mountain States Motors Co. Inc., North Point Imports LLC, Ontario L LLC, Philpott Motors Ltd., SAI AL HC1 Inc., SAI AL HC2 Inc., SAI Ann Arbor Imports LLC, SAI Atlanta B LLC, SAI Broken Arrow C LLC, SAI Calabasas A LLC, SAI Chamblee V LLC, SAI Charlotte M LLC, SAI Chattanooga N LLC, SAI Clearwater T LLC, SAI Cleveland N LLC, SAI Columbus Motors LLC, SAI Columbus T LLC, SAI Columbus VWK LLC, SAI Conroe N LLC, SAI Denver B Inc., SAI Denver C Inc., SAI Denver M Inc., SAI FL HC1 Inc., SAI FL HC2 Inc., SAI FL HC3 Inc., SAI FL HC4 Inc., SAI FL HC7 Inc., SAI Fairfax B LLC, SAI Fort Myers B LLC, SAI Fort Myers H LLC, SAI Fort Myers M LLC, SAI Fort Myers VW LLC, SAI GA HC1 LLC, SAI Irondale Imports LLC, SAI Irondale L LLC, SAI Long Beach B Inc., SAI MD HC1 Inc., SAI McKinney M LLC, SAI Monrovia B Inc., SAI Montgomery B LLC, SAI Montgomery BCH LLC, SAI Montgomery CH LLC, SAI Nashville CSH LLC, SAI Nashville H LLC, SAI Nashville M LLC, SAI Nashville Motors LLC, SAI OK HC1 Inc., SAI Oklahoma City C LLC, SAI Oklahoma City H LLC, SAI Oklahoma City T LLC, SAI Orlando CS LLC, SAI Peachtree LLC, SAI Pensacola A LLC, SAI Philpott T LLC, SAI Riverside C LLC, SAI Roaring Fork LR Inc., SAI Rockville Imports LLC, SAI Rockville L LLC, SAI S. Atlanta JLR LLC, SAI SIC Inc., SAI Santa Clara K Inc., SAI Stone Mountain T LLC, SAI TN HC1 LLC, SAI TN HC2 LLC, SAI TN HC3 LLC, SAI Tulsa N LLC, SAI Tulsa T LLC, SAI Tysons Corner H LLC, SAI Tysons Corner I LLC, SAI VA HC1 Inc., SAI VS GA LLC, SAI VS TX LLC, SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., SAI West Houston B LLC, SRE Alabama  2 LLC, SRE Alabama  5 LLC, SRE Alabama  6 LLC, SRE California 10 LBB LLC, SRE California 11 PH LLC, SRE California  1 LLC, SRE California  2 LLC, SRE California  3 LLC, SRE California  4 LLC, SRE California  5 LLC, SRE California  6 LLC, SRE California  7 SCB LLC, SRE California  8 SCH LLC, SRE California  9 BHB LLC, SRE Colorado  1 LLC, SRE Colorado  2 LLC, SRE Colorado  3 LLC, SRE Colorado  4 RF LLC, SRE Colorado  5 CC LLC, SRE Florida  1 LLC, SRE Florida  2 LLC, SRE Georgia 4 LLC, SRE Georgia 5 LLC, SRE Georgia 6 LLC, SRE Holding LLC, SRE Maryland  1 LLC, SRE Nevada  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  3 LLC, SRE Ohio 1 LLC, SRE Ohio 2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  1 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  5 LLC, SRE South Carolina  2 LLC, SRE South Carolina  3 LLC, SRE South Carolina  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee 6 LLC, SRE Tennessee 7 LLC, SRE Tennessee  1 LLC, SRE Tennessee  2 LLC, SRE Tennessee  3 LLC, SRE Tennessee  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee  5 LLC, SRE Texas 10 LLC, SRE Texas 11 LLC, SRE Texas 12 LLC, SRE Texas 13 LLC, SRE Texas 14 LLC, SRE Texas 15 LLC, SRE Texas 16 LLC, SRE Texas 9 LLC, SRE Texas  1 LP, SRE Texas  2 LP, SRE Texas  3 LP, SRE Texas  4 LP, SRE Texas  5 LP, SRE Texas  6 LP, SRE Texas  7 LP, SRE Texas  8 LP, SRE Virginia - 1 LLC, SRE Virginia  2 LLC, SRM Assurance Ltd., Santa Clara Imported Cars Inc., Sonic 2185 Chapman Rd. Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Advantage PA LP, Sonic Automotive - 1720 Mason Ave. DB LLC, Sonic Automotive 2424 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive 2752 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive Aviation LLC, Sonic Automotive F&I LLC, Sonic Automotive Support LLC, Sonic Automotive West LLC, Sonic Automotive of Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nashville LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nevada Inc., Sonic Automotive of Texas LP, Sonic Automotive  1495 Automall Drive Columbus Inc., Sonic Automotive  1720 Mason Ave. DB Inc., Sonic Automotive  2490 South Lee Highway LLC, Sonic Automotive  3401 N. Main TX LP, Sonic Automotive  4701 I-10 East TX LP, Sonic Automotive  6008 N. Dale Mabry FL Inc., Sonic Automotive  9103 E. Independence NC LLC, Sonic Calabasas M Inc., Sonic Development LLC, Sonic Divisional Operations LLC, Sonic FFC 1 Inc., Sonic FFC 2 Inc., Sonic FFC 3 Inc., Sonic Fremont Inc., Sonic Houston JLR LP, Sonic Houston LR LP, Sonic Momentum B LP, Sonic Momentum JVP LP, Sonic Momentum VWA LP, Sonic Resources Inc., Sonic Santa Monica M Inc., Sonic Santa Monica S Inc., Sonic Walnut Creek M Inc., Sonic Wilshire Cadillac Inc., Sonic eStore Inc., Sonic of Texas Inc., Sonic  Buena Park H Inc., Sonic  Cadillac D LP, Sonic  Calabasas A Inc., Sonic  Calabasas V Inc., Sonic  Camp Ford LP, Sonic  Capitol Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Capitol Imports Inc., Sonic  Carrollton V LP, Sonic  Carson F Inc., Sonic  Carson LM Inc., Sonic  Clear Lake N LP, Sonic  Clear Lake Volkswagen LP, Sonic  Denver T Inc., Sonic  Downey Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Chrysler Jeep Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Dodge Inc., Sonic  Fort Worth T LP, Sonic  Frank Parra Autoplex LP, Sonic  Harbor City H Inc., Sonic  Houston V LP, Sonic  Integrity Dodge LV LLC, Sonic  Jersey Village Volkswagen LP, Sonic  LS Chevrolet LP, Sonic  LS LLC, Sonic  Lake Norman Chrysler Jeep LLC, Sonic  Las Vegas C West LLC, Sonic  Lloyd Nissan Inc., Sonic  Lloyd Pontiac  Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lone Tree Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lute Riley LP, Sonic  Massey Cadillac LP, Sonic  Massey Chevrolet Inc., Sonic  Mesquite Hyundai LP, Sonic  Newsome Chevrolet World Inc., Sonic  Newsome of Florence Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Dodge Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Inc., Sonic  Plymouth Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Richardson F LP, Sonic  Sanford Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Shottenkirk Inc., Sonic  Stevens Creek B Inc., Sonic  Volvo LV LLC, Sonic  West Covina T Inc., Sonic  Williams Cadillac Inc., Stevens Creek Cadillac Inc., The Sonic Automotive Family Emergency Fund (SAFE), Town and Country Ford Incorporated, and Windward Inc..The following companies are subsidiares of Anthem: 1-800 Contacts, AIM Specialty Health, AMERIGROUP Community Care of New Mexico Inc., AMERIGROUP Corporation, AMERIGROUP Maryland Inc., AMERIGROUP New Jersey Inc., AMERIGROUP Ohio Inc., AMERIGROUP Tennessee Inc., AMERIGROUP Texas Inc., AMERIGROUP Washington Inc., AMGP Georgia Managed Care Company Inc., ATH Holding Company LLC, America's 1st Choice of South Carolina Inc., America's Health Management Services Inc., American Imaging Management Inc., Americas 1st Choice, Amerigroup, Amerigroup Delaware Inc., Amerigroup District of Columbia Inc., Amerigroup Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Amerigroup IPA of New York LLC, Amerigroup Insurance Company, Amerigroup Iowa Inc., Amerigroup Kansas Inc., Amerigroup Mississippi Inc., Amerigroup Oklahoma Inc., Amerigroup Partnership Plan LLC, Amerigroup Pennsylvania Inc., Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company, Anthem Financial Inc., Anthem Health Plans Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Maine Inc., Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Virginia Inc., Anthem Holding Corp., Anthem Innovation Israel Ltd., Anthem Insurance Companies Inc., Anthem Kentucky Managed Care Plan Inc., Anthem Life & Disability Insurance Company, Anthem Life Insurance Company, Anthem Partnership Holding Company LLC, Anthem Services Company LLC, Anthem Southeast Inc., Anthem UM Services Inc., Anthem Workers' Compensation LLC, Applied Pathways LLC, Arcus Enterprises Inc., Aspire Health Inc., Aspire Healthcare Corp, Associated Group Inc., Beacon Health Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Blue Cross of California, Blue Cross of California Partnership Plan Inc., CareMarket Inc., CareMore Health Plan, CareMore Health Plan of Arizona Inc., CareMore Health Plan of Nevada, CareMore Health Plan of Texas Inc., CareMore Health System, CareMore LLC, Cerulean Companies Inc., Claim Management Services Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Community Insurance Company, Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation, Crossroads Acquisition Corp., DBG Holdings Inc., DeCare Analytics LLC, DeCare Dental Health International LLC, DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Ltd., DeCare Dental LLC, DeCare Dental Networks LLC, DeCare Operations Ireland Limited, Delivery Network LLC, Designated Agent Company Inc., EHC Benefits Agency Inc., EasyScripts Cutler Bay LLC, EasyScripts Hialeah LLC, EasyScripts LLC, EasyScripts Westchester LLC, Empire HealthChoice Assurance Inc., Empire HealthChoice HMO Inc., Federal Government Solutions LLC, Freedom Health Inc., Global TPA LLC, Golden West Health Plan Inc., Greater Georgia Life Insurance Company, HEP AP Holdings Inc., HMO Colorado Inc., HMO Missouri Inc., Health Core Inc., Health Management Corporation, Health Ventures Partner L.L.C., HealthKeepers Inc., HealthLink HMO Inc., HealthLink Inc., HealthLink Insurance Company, HealthPlus HP LLC, HealthSun Health Plans, HealthSun Health Plans Inc., HealthSun Holdings LLC, HealthSun Management LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network I LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network LLC, Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company, Highland Acquisition Holdings LLC, Highland Holdco Inc., Highland Intermediate Holdings LLC, Highland Investor Holdings LLC, Imaging Management Holdings LLC, IngenioRx Inc., Legato Health Technologies LLP, Legato Health Technologies Philippines Inc., Legato Holdings I Inc., Legato Holdings II LLC, Living Complete Technologies Inc., Matthew Thornton Health Plan Inc., Memphis Supportive Care Partnership LLC, Meridian Resource Company LLC, Missouri Care Incorporated, NGS Federal LLC, Nash Holding Company LLC, National Government Services Inc., New England Research Institutes Inc., Optimum Healthcare Inc., Park Square Holdings Inc., Park Square I Inc., Park Square II Inc., Pasteur Medical Bird Road LLC, Pasteur Medical Center LLC, Pasteur Medical Cutler Bay LLC, Pasteur Medical Group LLC, Pasteur Medical Hialeah Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical Holdings LLC, Pasteur Medical Kendall LLC, Pasteur Medical Management LLC, Pasteur Medical Miami Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical North Miami Beach LLC, Pasteur Medical Partners LLC, Resolution Health Inc, Resolution Health Inc., RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service Inc., SellCore Inc., Simply Healthcare Holdings, Simply Healthcare Plans Inc., Southeast Services Inc., State Sponsored DM Services Inc., The Anthem Companies Inc., The Anthem Companies of California Inc., TrustSolutions LLC, UNICARE Health Plan of West Virginia Inc., UNICARE Illinois Services Inc., UNICARE National Services Inc., UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company, UniCare Specialty Services Inc., Valus Inc., WPMI LLC, WellCare of Nebraska Inc., WellPoint Acquisition LLC, WellPoint California Services Inc., WellPoint Dental Services Inc., WellPoint Health Solutions Inc., WellPoint Holding Corp., WellPoint Information Technology Services Inc., WellPoint Insurance Services Inc., WellPoint Military Care Corporation, Wellmax Health Medical Centers LLC, Wellmax Health Physicians Network LLC, and Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Company.Visiting Nguyen Dinh Chieu Primary and Secondary School in Hanoi, the G4 ambassadors rejoiced to prepare Tet with blind children there.

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul said: This will be my very first Tet celebration in Vietnam and I am very excited. Its a time when families and friends come together to celebrate. Its a celebration that includes everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, where you come from, your social background or your economic background. So, I think its a great celebration of inclusion, and inclusion and respect for diversity are things that Canada promotes as a very proven pathway to peace, prosperity and protection of individual rights.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews expressed her hope that people will join efforts to build inclusive societies, where everyone is respected and valued.

I believed in Vietnamese, there is a saying that sums this up Tuong than tuong ai and then in Maori language, the indigenous language of New Zealand, there is a term Kotahitanga, which similarly means oneness and unity. We all know that together we are stronger, she said.

Wishing 2019 as a year of inclusion and no one left behind, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen said: This is particularly important for children, they are the future of our society. Here at this school, it is wonderful to see that all children are included.

As for Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor, she wished Vietnamese, especially all children in the country a Happy Tet, and the prosperous Year of the Pig.

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Hojlund Christensen wished people across the nation a new year of good health and prosperity in Vietnamese.

He emphasised highlights in bilateral relations in 2018 with various high-level visits, strong cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, food, agriculture, healthcare, green growth and cultural exchange.

The ambassador said he will do his utmost to deepen and diversify the multifaceted collaboration between the two countries in the coming time.

Tet greetings to Vietnam were also delivered by US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink.Hollywood Records, Inc./19 Recordings, Inc.Almost a year to the day that she was crowned the American Idol champ, Maddie Poppe will release her debut album.

The as-yet-untitled disc will be out May 17; she won the show on May 21 of last year. In a statement, Maddie says, The process on this album has been a lot of fun. [My label] Hollywood Records has been such a blessing to work with -- they have given me the reins to make the album that I want to make, and have supported my decisions."

She adds, "Im really staying true to myself on this album and Ive gotten to work with a really great team.

Maddie's just released a taste of the new album in the form of a new single, "First Aid Kit," which she says is about "finding someone who helps you heal from a broken heart and learning to love again."

The Iowa native also plans to release another single on March 1 called "Little Things," which she says was specifically written for her, inspired by her relationship with Caleb Lee Hutchinson.

Maddie and Caleb met while they were both competing on Idol and started dating; he ended up coming in second to her on the show's finale. They're still together, and Maddie says, "I couldnt believe how much every word rings true to my relationship and how it feels when were apart.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.The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a financial institution, provides range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through four segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The company's Investment Banking segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and middle-market lending, relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as transaction banking services. This segment also offers underwriting services, such as equity underwriting for common and preferred stock and convertible and exchangeable securities; and debt underwriting for various types of debt instruments, including investment-grade and high-yield debt, bank and bridge loans, and emerging- and growth-market debt, as well as originates structured securities. Its Global Markets segment is involved in client execution activities for cash and derivative instruments; credit and interest rate products; and provision of equity intermediation and equity financing, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as mortgages, currencies, commodities, and equities related products. The company's Asset Management segment manages assets across various asset classes, including equity, fixed income, hedge funds, credit funds, private equity, real estate, currencies, and commodities; and provides customized investment advisory solutions, as well as invests in corporate, real estate, and infrastructure entities. Its Consumer & Wealth Management segment offers wealth advisory and banking services, including financial planning, investment management, deposit taking, and lending; private banking; and unsecured loans, as well as accepts saving and time deposits. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given iShares ESG US Aggregate Bond 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 ESG US Aggregate Bond ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.GlaxoSmithKline plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.; Novartis; Sanofi SA; Surface Oncology; and CureVac AG., as well as strategic partnership with IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. GlaxoSmithKline plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreFifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!

Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology (IT) services North and Latin America, India, rest of Asia, and Europe. It operates in three segments: Banking, Capital Markets and Insurance; Consumer Goods, Retail, Life Sciences and Healthcare; and High Tech, Manufacturing and Services. The company's finance and accounting services include accounts payable, such as document management, invoice processing, approval and resolution management, and travel and expense processing; invoice-to-cash services, including customer master data management, credit and contract management, fulfillment, billing, collections, and dispute management services; record to report services comprising accounting, treasury, tax, product cost accounting, and closing and reporting services; financial planning and analysis consisting of budgeting, forecasting, and business performance reporting; and enterprise risk and compliance services, including operational risks and controls. It also provides supply chain design, planning, inventory optimization, transportation and logistics management, and after-sales services; sourcing and procurement services comprising direct and indirect strategic sourcing, category management, spend analytics, procurement operation, master data management, and other procurement and supply chain advisory services; and sales and commercial services in the lead-to-quote, quote-to-order, and customer service areas. In addition, the company offers IT services, which include end-user computing support, infrastructure management, application production support, and database management services; and transformation services that include digital solutions, consulting services, and analytics services and solutions. It serves banking, capital market, insurance, consumer goods, retail, life science, healthcare, high tech, and manufacturing and service industries. Genpact Limited was founded in 1997 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Read MoreFirst BanCorp. operates as the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico that provides a range of financial products and services to retail, commercial, and institutional clients. The company operates in six segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Mortgage Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment offers commercial real estate and construction loans, floor plan financing, and cash and business management services. The Mortgage Banking segment engages in the origination, sale, and servicing of various residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities; and acquisition and sale of mortgages in the secondary markets. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment provides auto, boat, and personal loans; credit cards; lines of credit; deposit products comprising interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and retail certificates of deposit (CDs); finance leasing and insurance services. The Treasury and Investments segment engages in the treasury and investment management activities, such as funding and liquidity management. The United States Operations segment offers savings, checking, and money market accounts, as well as retail CDs; and residential mortgages, home equity loans, lines of credit, and term loans, as well as Internet banking, cash management, remote data capture, and automated clearing house transaction services. The Virgin Islands Operations segment is involved in the consumer, commercial lending, and deposit-taking activities. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 73 branches in Puerto Rico, 11 branches in the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, and 10 branches in the state of Florida. First BanCorp. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Santurce, Puerto Rico.

Read MoreFifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. creates audio and imaging technologies that transform entertainment and communications at the cinema, at home, at work, and on mobile devices. The company develops and licenses its audio technologies, such as AAC & HE-AAC, a digital audio codec solution used for a range of media applications.; AVC, a digital video codec with high bandwidth efficiency used in media devices; Dolby AC-4, an audio coding technology that delivers new audio experiences to a range of playback devices; and Dolby Atmos technology for cinema and a range of media devices. Its audio technologies also include Dolby Digital, a digital audio coding technology that provides multichannel sound to applications; Dolby Digital Plus, a digital audio coding technology that offers audio transmission for a range of media applications and devices; Dolby TrueHD, a digital audio coding technology providing encoding for media application; Dolby Vision, an imaging technology for cinema and media devices; Dolby Voice, an audio conferencing technology; and HEVC, a digital video codec with high bandwidth efficiency to support for media devices. In addition, the company designs and manufactures digital cinema servers, cinema processors, amplifiers, loudspeakers, hardware components, video conferencing solutions, and other products for the cinema, television, broadcast, communication, and entertainment industries. Further, it offers various services to support theatrical and television production for cinema exhibition, broadcast, and home entertainment. The company serves film studios, content creators, post-production facilities, cinema operators, broadcasters, and video game designers. It sells its products directly to the end users, as well as through dealers and distributors worldwide. Dolby Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Crane: "CPI-Kiev" LLC, ARDAC Inc., AeroHose, Alfa Laval - The Industrial Flow Group, Armature d.o.o., Automatic Products (UK) Ltd., Automatic Products international - Assets, B. Rhodes & Son Ltd., Barksdale GmbH, Barksdale Inc., CA-MC Acquisition UK Ltd., CR Holdings C.V., CashCode Co - Assets, Coin Controls International Ltd., Coin Holdings Ltd., Coin Industries Ltd., Coin Overseas Holdings Ltd., Coin Pension Trustees Ltd., Conlux Matsumoto Co. Ltd., Consolidated Lumber Co, Corva Corp, Crane (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Crane Aerospace Inc., Crane Australia Pty. Ltd., Crane Canada Co., Crane Composites Inc., Crane Composites Ltd., Crane Controls Inc., Crane Currency, Crane Electronics Corporation, Crane Electronics Inc., Crane Environmental Inc., Crane European Financing LLC, Crane Fengqiu Zhejiang Pump Co. Ltd., Crane Fluid & Gas Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Crane Global Holdings S.L., Crane GmbH, Crane Holdings (Germany) GmbH, Crane International Capital S.a.r.l., Crane International Holdings Inc., Crane International Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Crane Ireland Ventures Designated Activity Company, Crane Ltd., Crane Merchandising Systems Inc., Crane Merchandising Systems Ltd., Crane Merger Co. LLC, Crane Middle East & Africa FZE, Crane Ningjin Valve Co. Ltd., Crane North America Funding LLC, Crane Nuclear Inc., Crane Overseas LLC, Crane Payment Innovations GmbH, Crane Payment Innovations Inc., Crane Payment Innovations International Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Pty Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Sarl, Crane Payment Innovations Srl, Crane Pension Trustee Company (UK) Limited, Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies GmbH, Crane Process Flow Technologies Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.P.R.L., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.r.l., Crane Pumps and Systems Inc., Crane Resistoflex GmbH, Crane SC Holdings Ltd., Crane Stockham Valve. Ltd., Crane Yongxiang (Ningbo) Valve Company Ltd., Croning Livarna d.o.o., Cummis-Allison Corp, Delta Fluid Products, Delta Fluid Products Ltd., Dixie Narco, Donald Brown (Brownall) Ltd., ELDEC Corporation, ELDEC Electronics Ltd., ELDEC France S.A.R.L, Edlon - PSI division, Environmental Products USA, Etex Group - Business, Flow Technology Inc., Friedrich Krombach GmbH Armaturenwerke, General Technology Corp., Hattersley Newman Hender - Assets, Hattersly Newman Hender Ltd., Hydro-Aire Inc., Inta-Lok Ltd., Interpoint S.A.R.L., Interpoint U.K. Limited, Kessel (Thailand) Pte. Ltd., Kontron America - Mobile Rugged Business, Laminated Profiles - Assets, Lasco Composites, Liberty Technologies, MCC Holdings Inc., MEI Australia LLC, MEI Auto Payment System (Shanghai) Ltd., MEI Conlux, MEI Conlux Holdings (Japan) Inc., MEI Conlux Holdings (US) Inc., MEI Payment Systems Hong Kong Ltd., MEI Queretaro S. de R.L. de CV, MEI de Mexico LLC, MOVATS - Nuclear Valve Division, Merrimac Industries, Merrimac Industries Inc., Mondais Holdings B.V., Money Controls, Money Controls Argentina SA, Money Controls Holdings Ltd., Multi-Mix Microtechnology SRL, NABIC Valve Safety Products Ltd., Nippon Conlux Co. Ltd., Noble Composites, Noble Composites Inc., Number One Supply, Owens Corning - FRP Panel Business, P.L. Porter, P.T. Crane Indonesia, Pegler Hattersly Ltd., Resistoflex, Sequentia Holdings, Signal Technology, Sperryn & Company Ltd., Stentorfield, Streamware, Telequip, Terminal Manufacturing Co., The Dow Chemical - Plastic-Lined Piping Products division, The Krombach Group, Triangle Valve Co. Ltd., Unidynamics / Phoenix Inc., Ventech Controls, Viking Johnson Ltd., W.T. Armatur GmbH, Wade Couplings Ltd., Wask Ltd., Westlock Controls, Xomox, Xomox Chihuahua S.A. de C.V., Xomox Corporation, Xomox Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Xomox France S.A.S., Xomox Hungary Kft., Xomox International GmbH & Co. OHG, Xomox Japan Ltd., Xomox Korea Ltd., Xomox Sanmar Ltd., and Yilme Holdings B.V..Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!

Core Laboratories N.V. provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples to enhance production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs. It offers laboratory-based analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products; and proprietary and joint industry studies. The Production Enhancement segment offers services and products relating to reservoir well completions, perforations, stimulations, and production. It offers integrated diagnostic services to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of well completions and to develop solutions to improve the effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery projects. The company markets and sells its products through a combination of sales representatives, technical seminars, trade shows, and print advertising, as well as through distributors. Core Laboratories N.V. was founded in 1936 and is based in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.

Read MoreA sentencing hearing was delayed Friday for a Mississippi truck driver on a vehicular homicide charge after the victims father was unable to get to the hearing in time.

Patrick A. Craft, 41, pleaded no contest Oct. 30 to a charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle stemming from his failure to stop at a stop sign in August 2017. His semi truck crashed into a passenger van, killing Christine Novak, 40, of Lake Geneva.

Craft faces up to 7 years in prison.

At the Columbia County Courthouse on Friday, Assistant District Attorney Mary Ellen Karst said Novaks father was stuck in the Chicago area after a traffic jam while driving to Wisconsin.

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Because of circumstances that were not at all in his control, he is not able to be here today, Karst said.

Karst said she was obligated on the victims behalf to request a rescheduled sentencing date. Two other family members of the victim who were present in court did not wish to deliver an impact statement in person.

Defense attorney Mark David Lawton said his client preferred to move ahead with the sentencing because his own family had traveled a long way to be in court.

Neither party could remain in Wisconsin until Monday.And theyre not taking any of our property, which is great, she said.

Schultz said the roadway  a main thoroughfare into Portage  is long past its lifespan, with crumbling pavement and a Y-shaped intersection at DeWitt and Wisconsin streets that is not built for modern larger vehicles.

Obviously, if youve driven it, you know that the pavement is in poor condition, he said.

In addition to a reconfigured intersection and an improved road surface, the project also will include safety measures for pedestrians, such as a pocket park at DeWitt and Wisconsin streets, and an island at Wauona Trail that will allow pedestrians to walk across the four-lane road two lanes at a time, Steger said.

Although the project isnt scheduled to start for two more years, Steger said, people might see signs of the work sooner than that. Thats because the city of Portage expects to undertake a project to improve Thompson Street, which runs just east of the construction corridor, so that much local traffic can be detoured onto Thompson Street, while regional passing-though traffic (such as semi-trucks) will be routed onto Interstate 39.

Youll see barriers, barrels, dump trucks and equipment, he said. It will be a precursor to what will happen in 2021.The Kornelys building has sold.

According to Dodge County property records, the site of the former craft shop at 128 and 130 Front St., was sold to Okwaanim LLC on Dec. 31 for $165,000.

(Okwaanim is the Chippewa language name for Beaver Dam, according to a 1991 book Indian Names on Wisconsins Map.)

Okwaanim LLC is connected to Ruth Metz of Beaver Dam, one of the founders of Animart alongside her husband Jim Metz, according to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Metz did not return messages seeking comment.

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The Kornelys craft store closed Dec. 31 after decades in business. Barb and Lee Kornely had been looking to retire for some time and were able to finally do so with the buildings sale. The Kornelys still do framing work out of their home. They were honored for the work they did over the years offering hard-to-find items and unique classes to foster creativity in the community.

The building was one of several that the city of Beaver Dam had been looking at as part of a future downtown pathway that will lead to the new Beaver Dam Community Theatre Fine Arts Center on West Maple Avenue. However, the Kornelys ultimately went with a private buyer.Those arguments were soundly rejected by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn, who wrote: Many of Defendants listed reasons for redacting information have already been addressed by higher courts. The purpose of the open records law is to allow for transparent and accountable government and public employees.

The Times won its suit, but it shouldnt have had to sue.

In early November, the state Department of Natural Resources denied a request from The Associated Press for records regarding the conduct of a DNR employee. The DNR contended that identifying the employee would damage morale and hurt its ability to hire staff and conduct future investigations. It said disclosure was not warranted because human beings in all walks of life make mistakes.

A month later, the department relented and released the record, which showed the employee had been disciplined for harassing female co-workers.

The public has every right to information about how public employees behave and what their bosses do about it. Yet challenges persist  as do rebukes from the courts.In a 2015 special report, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked whether Assembly Speaker Robin Vos was single-handedly trying to gut the states open records law.

The report came on the heels of what was then the most brazen attack on Wisconsins longstanding law that presumes, unless there are certain extenuating circumstances, that all records kept by state and local governments are open to the public.

The attack was made in the middle of the night before the July Fourth holiday by inserting words into the state budget that few legislators had seen. Although the provision had been drafted several months before so it could be inserted when the time was right, only a select group of legislative leaders had seen it.

When it was discovered by reporters and alert citizens, there was no end to the outrage from all corners of the state. At first no one claimed responsibility for the secret maneuver that virtually exempted legislators from the states openness laws. But there was little doubt Speaker Vos was fully aware of the chicanery and, as it turned out, was the mastermind behind it.It took about five years to develop and implement a new elementary science curriculum, but now Baraboos youngest students are making observations and actively seeking information themselves.

Developed largely by retired Baraboo teacher and now education consultant Karen Mesmer, the curriculum focuses on hands-on activities that are meant to allow children to explore rather than simply being told lessons.

Kids love it, said first-grade teacher Emily Culbertson. Were doing kazoos, and I had one student just running around the room, way over-excited, screaming I love science at the top of his lungs. It was just absolutely precious.

Sometimes the lessons get noisy and look chaotic, but you know in that moment, youre doing something right  even though its too loud  because youve got kids actually engaged and thinking and excited about what theyre doing, Culbertson said.

The curriculum is based on the Next Generation Science Standards, which the Baraboo School District adopted in 2015. But Mesmer said she had started working on it in the 2013-14 school year, implementing changes bit by bit with help from other teachers. By last year, all of the elementary units were in place across the district.In southeast Minnesota, nature has blessed us with a plentiful supply of groundwater that belongs to all of us. But we must be aware that the supply is not unlimited and can be contaminated by over concentrated farming practices. In 1998, Winona County established a 1,500 animal unit cap to avoid contamination of the ground water that many rural people rely on for well water.

Daley Farms is proposing to expand its dairy operation from 1,728 cows and calves to 4,628, which will take the operation from 2,275 animal units to 5,968, almost four times the current cap. This project would result in using 92 million gallons of water and produce 46 million gallons of manure and waste water, which would be spread on the land in an area where karst geology can channel contaminates from surface water deep into the ground. A report published by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in 2018 showed that of 51 wells in Utica Township, 19.6 percent tested above the 10 mg/L nitrate nitrogen, the health risk limit. Daley Farms is in Utica Township. Three adjacent townships, St. Charles, Warren and Fremont had 14.5 percent, 11.3 percent, and 42.9 percent respectively, of wells testing over the 10 mg/L limit. Therefore, even before the proposed expansion, a significant number of area wells are already contaminated. How much worse will it get when 46 million gallons of manure are spread on the land each year in a short period of time in the spring and fall? This ground water belongs to everyone who relies on wells for their water supply, and to allow one family dairy business to extract 92 million gallons a year and risk polluting the aquifer is unconscionable. For comparison, the city of Lewiston, population 1,654, used 33.5 million gallons per year.Plus, annually enforcing such a system would be an administrative nightmare for the government  and a feast for accountants, tax attorneys and the like. As tax practitioners whove appraised large estates could tell you, mark-to-market valuations of highly illiquid assets (closely held businesses, rare works of art) are easily manipulated.

Warren proposes handling this by beefing up tax enforcement, through greater IRS funding, for example. Thats something we should absolutely do anyway, but its not clear manpower alone would be enough.

These problems are not insurmountable, however. As tax experts such as University of Chicago law professor Daniel Hemel have suggested, you could reconfigure parts of the income tax to create something that effectively operates like Warrens wealth tax, except with fewer constitutional or administrative headaches.

Congress could set the tax rate on long-term capital gains to match that of ordinary income. It could shore up the estate tax and repeal the stepped-up basis that allows unrealized capital gains to go untaxed when a person dies.The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety, an arm of the states public safety department, and the state Public Utilities Commission, which regulates utilities, both asked Xcel for more details about Wednesdays problem.

Xcel hasnt said whether it needed to obtain a greater supply of natural gas for its customers or whether its distribution system had limitations from transmission points to homes. Natural gas production is abundant in the U.S., meaning supplies were available for Xcel to obtain.

Natural gas distribution is based on the fundamental thermodynamic principle that energy flows from high pressure to low pressure. Utilities move natural gas through a complex system of pipes and gates that bring the pressure of gas from 1,000 pounds per square inch in interstate pipelines down to one-quarter pound per square inch in pipes in the home.

When extreme cold produces high demand for natural gas, pressure in the overall system can fall more than utilities want. Thats because the amount of gas that can flow through a pipe is always the same; only the pressure changes when more is wanted.

When temperatures fall to the point where the system is strained, as was the case this week, we can experience low pressure where customers may not be able to receive gas, Lindstrom said.MOSCOW - Following in the footsteps of the U.S., Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Putin said that Russia will abandon the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, following in the footsteps of the United States, but noted that Moscow will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW - Following in the footsteps of the U.S., Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

President Donald Trump accused Moscow on Friday of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with "impunity" by deploying banned missiles. Trump said in a statement that the U.S. will "move forward" with developing its own military response options to Russia's new land-based cruise missiles that could target Western Europe.

Moscow has strongly denied any breaches and accused Washington of making false accusations in order to justify its pullout.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in explaining that Washington on Saturday formally suspended its treaty obligations, said in a statement that Russia's "continued noncompliance has jeopardized the United States' supreme interests." He said the treaty will terminate in six months unless Moscow returns to "full and verifiable compliance."

The collapse of the INF Treaty has raised fears of a repeat of a Cold War showdown in the 1980s, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union both deployed intermediate-range missiles on the continent. Such weapons were seen as particularly destabilizing as they only take a few minutes to reach their targets, leaving no time for decision-makers and raising the likelihood of a global nuclear conflict over a false launch warning.

After the U.S. gave notice of its intention to withdraw, Putin said Russia would do the same. He ordered the development of new land-based intermediate-range weapons, but emphasized that Russia won't deploy them in the European part of the country or elsewhere unless the U.S. does so.

"We will respond quid pro quo," Putin said. "Our American partners have announced they were suspending their participation in the treaty, and we will do the same. They have announced they will conduct research and development, and we will act accordingly."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Putin said that Russia will abandon the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, following in the footsteps of the United States, but noted that Moscow will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The U.S. has accused Russia of developing and deploying a cruise missile that violates provisions of the pact that ban production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,410 miles). Trump's move also reflected his administration's view that the pact was an obstacle to efforts needed to counter intermediate-range missiles deployed by China, which isn't part of the treaty.

NATO allies have strongly backed Washington and urged Moscow to save the treaty by returning to compliance.

Russia has rejected the U.S. claims of violation, charging that the missile, which is part of the Iskander-M missile system, has a maximum range of 480 kilometres (298 miles). Russian officials claimed the U.S. assertions about the alleged breach of the pact by Moscow were intended to shift the blame for the pact's demise to Russia.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday released a satellite image of what it described as new production facilities at the U.S. missile maker Raytheon's plant in Tucson, Arizona, noting that their expansion began in 2017 as the Congress authorized spending for the development of intermediate-range missiles.

"The character and the timing of the works provide an irrefutable proof that the U.S. administration had decided to pull out of the INF treaty years before making unfounded claims of Russian violations," it said.

Putin has argued it makes no sense for Russia to deploy a ground-based cruise missile violating the treaty because it has such weapons on ships and aircraft, which aren't banned by the pact.

Speaking Saturday in a televised meeting with his foreign and defence ministers, Putin instructed the military to work on developing new land-based weapons that were previously forbidden by the INF treaty. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that they would include a land-based version of the Kalibr ship-based cruise missile and a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Putin emphasized that such new weapons won't be deployed unless the U.S. does so.

"Russia will not station intermediate-range weapons in Europe or other regions until similar U.S. weapons appear in those regions," he said.

The Russian leader said Moscow remains open to talks with Washington, but added it would be up to the U.S. to take the first step.

"Let's wait until our partners are mature enough to conduct an equal and substantive dialogue on those issues," he said.

At the same time, Putin told his ministers that he would like to review the progress on building other prospective weapons that don't fall under the INF treaty, including the intercontinental Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle and the Poseidon underwater nuclear-powered drone.

He noted Shoigu's report that a key stage in testing of the Poseidon was completed several days ago. The drone is designed to carry a heavy nuclear weapon that could cause a devastating tsunami wave.

The Russian leader last year unveiled an array of new nuclear weapons, including the Avangard and the Poseidon, saying that they can't be intercepted.

Putin also noted during Saturday's meeting that he would like the military to prepare a response to the possible deployment of weapons in space.

The Pentagon's new strategy unveiled last month calls for a new array of space-based sensors and other high-tech systems to more quickly detect and shoot down incoming missiles.

Putin instructed the military to make sure the research and development works on new weapons don't swell military spending. He said the military must reconfigure the existing defence budget to find money for the new weapons.

"We must not and will not be drawn into a costly arms race," he said.

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Lynn Berry in Washington contributed to this report.PARIS - France's yellow vest protesters were back on the streets Saturday to keep up the pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron's government and to decry the number of people being injured by police during the anti-government demonstrations.

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This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 file photo, police officers clash with demonstrators wearing yellow vests in Paris. A European human rights official said on Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019, that she is "seriously concerned" about extensive injuries caused by rubber bullets and other French police methods to disperse yellow vest protesters. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

PARIS - France's yellow vest protesters were back on the streets Saturday to keep up the pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron's government and to decry the number of people being injured by police during the anti-government demonstrations.

Multiple protests in Paris and other cities denounced Macron's economic policies, which they view as favouring the rich, for the 12th straight weekend of demonstrations. Most were peaceful.

In Paris, scuffles broke out between some protesters and police around the Republic plaza, northeast of the city centre, where hundreds of demonstrators headed on Saturday afternoon. Police managed to disperse most of the crowd.

Some clashes between protesters and police also took place in the southern cities of Bordeaux, Toulouse and Valence.

Thousands of demonstrators in the French capital paid tribute to the yellow vests who have been injured during clashes with police in an effort to unite the movement despite growing divisions. Several competing groups of yellow vests are getting ready to present candidates for the European Parliament election in May, while other figures insist the movement must remain non-political.

The government says around 2,000 people have been injured in protests since the movement began Nov. 17, including at least four serious eye injuries. Separately, 10 people have died in traffic accidents related to yellow vest actions.

A protester attends the yellow vests demonstration Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 in Paris. France's yellow vest protesters are taking to the streets to keep pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron's government and denounce the high number of people injured in demonstrations that they consider as the result of police violence.(AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Franck Dideron, 20, said he was protesting peacefully, speaking on the phone to his mother, when his eye was injured by a rubber bullet fired by police during a Dec. 1 protest near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

"The policeman shot me voluntarily. And I was just turning around  how was that violent behaviour? How was I dangerous for him?" he asked The Associated Press. "Today, I would like to see this policeman come and stand in front of me, look me in the eye and tell me why he shot me."

Jerome Rodrigues, a prominent member of the movement who suffered an eye injury last week, was widely applauded by the crowd Saturday.

A French police investigation is still trying to determine how Rodrigues was injured. Video images show Rodriguez collapsed on the ground last Saturday near the Bastille monument, where protesters throwing projectiles clashed with police.

Antonio Barbetta, a 40-year-old protester with injured foot, call the police response to the yellow vests "excessive."

"I'm in contact with a large number of injured people and I can tell you that these were nonviolent people. I myself am against all forms of violence on either side," he said.

France's Council of State ruled Friday that security forces have a right to use controversial high-velocity rubber bullets for crowd control.

Benjamin Cauchy, a yellow vest spokesman from southern France who came to the Paris protest, called that a "regrettable decision."

The weapon "is extremely harmful, imprecise and in the end is causing more sorrow than security," he told BFM television.

The Council of State noted the frequency of violence and property destruction at the protests and concluded the devices are not a "grave attack" on the freedom to demonstrate and are not inhumane treatment.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner tweeted Friday that "if the law was respected, there would be no injured."

The French parliament is debating a bill to strengthen measures against troublemakers who use protests to attack police. Rights groups and opposition lawmakers, however, say it goes too far in restricting the right to protest.

The bill could let local prefects prevent people they see as a serious threat to public order from taking part in protests. It could also make it a crime for protesters to conceal their faces.

Around 69,000 people nationwide took part in French protests last week, down from more than 80,000 the previous two weekends, according to the French Interior Ministry.

The yellow vests movement began in November and was named after the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists must carry.

Alexander Turnbull and Milos Krivokapic contributed to the story.Sterling, VA (20165)

Today

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. High 94F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.It is often said that if you wait for a problem to arise before you develop a solution, youre already too late. Fortunately for Winnipeggers, that doesnt seem to be the case when it comes to potentially offensive monuments, statues and plaques.

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This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It is often said that if you wait for a problem to arise before you develop a solution, youre already too late. Fortunately for Winnipeggers, that doesnt seem to be the case when it comes to potentially offensive monuments, statues and plaques.

This week, Mayor Brian Bowman announced the creation of Welcoming Winnipeg, a strategy to reconsider the appropriateness of historical markers and work toward ensuring that, if they continue to be displayed, they are put in their proper context. The strategy is primarily designed to examine commemorative monuments and names associated with public officials who oppressed Canadas Indigenous Peoples, and come up with the most appropriate responses.

Mr. Bowman offered that this initiative is likely not a priority for a majority of Winnipeggers. He is not wrong about that.

The Wolseley neighbourhood is named after Garnet Joseph Wolseley, commander of the force that ended the 1870 Red River Rebellion by Louis Riel. (Ken Gigliotti / Winnipeg Free Press files)

You can almost hear the quiet chorus of citizens who would prefer the mayor deal with top-of-mind issues such as property taxes and infrastructure. However, for better or worse, this is an issue of concern to local governments across this country, and waiting until emotions are inflamed over a particular historical marker is a bad strategy indeed.

Canada has not suffered the same turmoil over historical markers that has erupted in parts of the United States. The problem has been particularly acute in southern states that continue to have a cultural affinity with Confederate images, symbols and historical figures that serve as icons for white nationalists.

Clashes over statues, flags and other monuments in these states have been immediate and severe. In some cases, local or state governments that have decided to remove a historical marker have been subjected to threats and physical violence. Even when lawmakers have held fast in the wake of their decisions, resentment and disharmony remain.

Canada has, for the most part, avoided much of the emotion and violence. But there have been flashpoints.

Last summer, the City of Victoria removed a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canadas first prime minister, because of his history of oppression of Indigenous people. Similar fates have befallen other commemorative places and things, many of them in British Columbia, where statues have been removed and the names of prominent historical figures have been stripped from buildings, streets and awards.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman knows his Welcoming Winnipeg initiative is likely not a priority for a majority of citizens. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)

What has been missing in most of these instances was a process outlining consistent criteria for such decisions. Most involved local governments or other institutions receiving complaints, then dealing with them on a case-by-case basis. That is not really fair to either side in an emotional debate over the context of a historical figure.

Mr. Bowmans suggestion that this city get in front of the issue is sound and fair, and does not presume any particular solution for any particular historical marker or designation.

Rather, the process the mayor has described may lead to the countrys first comprehensive policy on not only when to remove references to historical figures, but also how to retain the memory of those figures for historical purposes. It may no longer be appropriate to display statues celebrating the accomplishments of Sir John A. Macdonald, but surely we want future generations to learn about all that he did while in office. This should never be about expunging the memory of any historical figures.

Mr. Bowmans proposal will no doubt be viewed by many as premature or even unnecessary. But waiting until the lines have been drawn and the battle has ensued does not create the conditions for fair and just decision-making.Readers in Winnipeg, and across Canada, might have had the same reaction when they read the assertion by Sarah Sanders that God wanted Donald Trump to become president: is she crazy?

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This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Readers in Winnipeg, and across Canada, might have had the same reaction when they read the assertion by Sarah Sanders that God "wanted" Donald Trump to become president: is she crazy?

The comment, which was widely reported in the U.S., Canada and other countries, was made by the White House press secretary in an interview with David Brody of the evangelical Christian Broadcasting Network.

During the conversation, Brody said, "From a spiritual perspective... doesnt it kind of blow your mind that someone like Donald Trump, who is sitting in the Oval Office... there are a lot of Christians who believe for such a time as this..."

His words trailed off, and Sanders replied, "I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times, and I think he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and thats why hes there."

No doubt, the widespread coverage of her remarks was driven partly by the fact that Sanders is evangelical, as are many of Trumps most ardent supporters. It fits well with a commonly held narrative that theres something wrong with the faith of those people. How on Earth could they believe such a thing?

Actually, lots of people feel that way  and not just conservative Christians.

Not everyone may believe that God "wanted" Trump to become president, but they do believe in a God who is in control of the world; there is a divine order, purpose and plan for everyone, including Donald Trump.

This belief has been held by Christians of all stripes for centuries. In fact, its as old as the Bible. Proverbs 21:1 says: "In the Lords hand, the kings heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him." In chapter 16:9 of that same book, it states "the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

And in Genesis 50, theres the story of how Josephs brothers first tried to kill him, and then sold him into slavery. When they meet Joseph again  now a powerful government official in Egypt  they fear his retribution. But he tells them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

For Christians, this is known as the sovereignty of God  the idea that God has supreme authority, control and power over all that happens in the world. For them, things dont happen by accident.

Additionally, for many Christians the idea of God being in control is coupled with a sense of calling. That is, people dont just choose jobs, but feel called by God into professions, such as being a doctor, lawyer, teacher, electrician, farmer or many other things  even politics. This is considered finding Gods will for their lives.

For everything, there is a reason. This includes persecution. Belief that God is in charge and has a plan has enabled Christians throughout the centuries to endure incredible hardship, oppression and violence.

As Winnipegger Harold Jantz noted in Flight, his book about Mennonites trapped in the former Soviet Union in the late 1920s and early 1930s, some who were being persecuted for their faith in that country wondered if God had abandoned them. But most, he said, affirmed that "God is still on the throne and will take care of things in the end."

And its not just Christians who feel this way. Muslims also believe that Allah created the world and everything in it. Other religions also believe that God is the supreme ruler, and has a plan for each person on the planet  and also for its rulers and nations.

Here in Canada, a 2017 Angus Reid Institute survey found that 51 per cent of Canadians believe in God or a higher power  a being or force that has influence on their lives  while another 30 per cent think God or a higher power might exist.

A 2016 survey by the same polling firm found that 47 per cent of Canadians pray daily or at least once a month. Presumably, they do it because they believe something will happen, change or be different. Or else, why bother?

But its not only people who are religious who feel that way. A 2005 Gallup poll (the most recent I could find) shows that 25 per cent of Canadians believe in astrology. That means each morning, millions of Canadians consult their horoscopes to see what effect the planets will have on their activities. Its an idea that many consider ridiculous, with no basis in fact. Yet the Free Press publishes horoscopes every day, and nobody seems to mind.

As for what Sanders said, not every Christian agrees. Some believe in a God who takes a less engaged role in the activities of the world. Their role, as believers, is to simply respond faithfully to whatever happens.

Plus, there are politics involved in the U.S.  and that can make for a few contradictions. It would be interesting to ask Sanders why some Christians in that country feel so strongly that Gods hand is in the presidency of Donald Trump, yet they were such bitter opponents of Barack Obama. Didnt God want him to be president, too?

So did God want Donald Trump to become president? Or did God just allow it? Or play no role in it? There will be as many answers to those questions as there are people of faith. Whats certain is that lots of people believe in God or a higher power that is active in the world, and that this belief is not unusual or unorthodox  or even crazy.

John Longhurst is the faith page columnist at the Free Press.In the darkness of the early morning, July 17, 1973, the sound of Ting Fong Chans footsteps falling upon the paved walkways of Winnipegs Exchange District echoed quietly through the air.

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This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the darkness of the early morning, July 17, 1973, the sound of Ting Fong Chans footsteps falling upon the paved walkways of Winnipegs Exchange District echoed quietly through the air.

A cook at a downtown restaurant, where hed just finished a night shift, Chan, 40, set out alone to walk home around midnight. He never made it.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Innocence Canada is working with Brian Anderson, a convicted murderer, who has been proclaiming his innocence for more than 40 years.

His bloodied corpse was found on red-stained concrete at the corner of Isabel Street and McDermot Avenue that morning. His son waiting at home, and his wife and daughter in China, would never see him again.

The autopsy conducted that afternoon determined hed been beaten and stabbed to death. It was, in the words of one investigating detective: "A bloody murder, a very vicious murder."

Who had committed the heinous attack? That was the question police detectives assigned to the case set out to answer in the days after the grisly discovery -- a search that led them to 18-year-old Brian Anderson.

Anderson was implicated alongside three others: Allan John Woodhouse, 17; Russell James Woodhouse, 19; and Clarence Clifford Woodhouse, 21.

The four childhood friends from Fairford First Nation (now known as Pinaymootang, 240 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg) were charged with the slaying -- the adults with capital murder, the youth with manslaughter.

Following a 12-day trial in February 1974, they were found guilty by an all-male jury -- thanks in large part to written confessions they had reportedly signed while in police custody.

The man responsible for securing the convictions was then a rising star in Manitoba legal circles: George Dangerfield. In recent decades, however, the former prosecutor has gained the distinction of being responsible for the most wrongful convictions in the country.

And like James Driskell, Thomas Sophonow, Kyle Unger, and Frank Ostrowski before him, Brian Anderson, now 63, is proclaiming his innocence. Maintaining that stance since the moment he was first picked up by police for questioning, through his charging, trial, and conviction for capital murder, and a subsequent decade-long imprisonment.

Now, almost 45 years after the verdict was delivered, theres someone trying to help clear his name: Jerome Kennedy of Innocence Canada (a Toronto-based non-profit organization focused helping to right wrongful convictions), who believes Anderson was the first victim of the questionable tactics that made Dangerfield one of the most infamous prosecutors in Canadian history.

"Immediately upon seeing that Mr. Dangerfield was involved in the prosecution, that the Winnipeg Police Service was involved, and it was four Indigenous men accused, alarm bells started going off in my head," said Kennedy, an attorney and former provincial politician from Newfoundland and Labrador.

"I was aware of how Mr. Dangerfield worked with the Winnipeg Police Service. In my mind, the formula for a wrongful conviction was present."

Timeline Click to Expand July 17, 1973 -- Ting Fong Chan, 40, murdered in downtown Winnipeg July 17-24, 1973 -- Police investigation July 23, 1973 -- Brian Anderson arrested Feb. 18 to March 5, 1974 -- Trial March 5, 1974 -- Four co-accused convicted July 23, 1983 -- Anderson granted full parole Dec. 20, 2006 -- Anderson first contacts AIDWYC (precursor to Innocence Canada) 2018 -- Innocence Canada begins work on Anderson case January 2019 -- Innocence Canada files a request to federal justice minister to review file and overturn conviction

When he began digging into the details of the police investigation into the co-accused, as well as the trial transcripts, Kennedy realized there was no "physical" or "forensic evidence" tying Anderson to the crime.

The case, it seemed to him, hinged upon the alleged confession Anderson  an 18-year-old with a Grade 6 education  signed when interrogated by police in English (his second language) without legal representation.

On Friday, during his lunch break from his job as a carpenter, Anderson explained to the Free Press how the alleged confession came to be. From the moment police began questioning him, he said he provided an alibi and denied any involvement or knowledge of the crime.

"They frisked me at the time and they took out whatever contents I had. And then later on they told me, OK, well give you your personal belongings back if you sign for them over here," Anderson said.

It was then he claims police held out a paper for him to sign. Anderson said he signed the page without reading it, thankful he was being allowed to leave. It didnt dawn on him what had happened until he was placed in lockup: hed signed a confession.

It would be a decade before Anderson was released from custody.

"I didnt know any better at the time. Thinking about it now, those were the best years of my life that were taken away. I didnt know at the time, I was too young to know any better. I was too young to know what life was about," he said.

All four of the accused would later dispute the reported confessions, and claim theyd been subject to police brutality while under interrogation.

In the aftermath of the trial, Dangerfield wrote a letter to the chief of the then-Winnipeg Police Department, explaining how grateful he was for the "excellent work" of the investigating detectives on the case.

"I would like to single out for special mention (the detectives) for the excellent way in which they gave their evidence in respect of the taking of the statements. Without the statements, this case would have been lost entirely," Dangerfield wrote.

Download Letter from Dangerfield

The problems with the alleged confessions dont end there, according to Kennedy, who said during the 1974 trial a psychologist was called to testify to the cognitive abilities of co-accused Russell Woodhouse, who suffered from a developmental disability.

"You have four young Indigenous kids and English was the second language for all of them. (Russell) was delayed to the extent he didnt speak in sentences, yet we have this written confession in full sentences," Kennedy said.

"The sentences that were attributed to him were not sentences that he could put together. Not only did you have the linguistic and cultural issues, for one individual, there was a real issue if he possessed the intellectual capability to give the statement that was alleged by police."

Anderson was granted full parole on July 23, 1983. He looks back on the prison years as some of the darkest and most difficult of his life.

"It is difficult. You try not to think about it. You got to make it day to day, year to year. Youve still got to live. A lot of the time was hard, but youve got to keep going," Anderson said. "There was nothing I could do about it. There was nobody I could turn to."

'I was aware of how Mr. Dangerfield worked with the Winnipeg Police Service. In my mind, the formula for a wrongful conviction was present.'  Jerome Kennedy, Innocence Canada

After being released from custody, Anderson worked in trades, got married, and tried to carry on with life as best he could. Hes a father of two, and a grandfather, and has lived in Winnipeg since his release.

He remains subject to parole conditions to this day.

Anderson first contacted Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (the precursor to Innocence Canada) in 2006. However, it wasnt until Kennedy was looking for a new case last year, and realized there were serious questions about the police tactics and prosecution on this file, that he began working with Anderson.

"You get this cascading effect off the tainted statements. There was no physical evidence. There was no forensic evidence. Nothing that tied these individuals to the crime," Kennedy said.

"That leads to police tunnel vision. Police tunnel vision and a desire to win that resulted in a conviction."

In January 2019, Innocence Canada filed a request for a review of the case by the federal justice minister, hoping, nearly a half-century later, Andersons name might finally be cleared.

A spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service declined comment for this story, saying it would be improper to speak publicly about the case given the Innocence Canada application, adding the department will co-operate with any such review.

It remains unclear how long it could take before a ruling on the request is reached, although its not inconceivable it could be months, if not years.

In the meantime, Anderson continues to work and live in Winnipeg, hoping one day he might finally know unconstrained freedom for the first time since he was 18.

Asked what it would mean to be able to jump in a vehicle and drive past the city limits without first checking in with a parole officer, Anderson paused for moment before answering.

"I always hope for that. I need that. It would be such a wonderful thing," he said, in a soft-spoken manner.

"I would just scream with joy."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpeIt may be a new year, but city hall has raised an old complaint about the Pallister government.

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This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It may be a new year, but city hall has raised an old complaint about the Pallister government.

City of Winnipeg officials said Friday the province is reneging on almost $75 million in funding on 2018 infrastructure projects  which might have to be made up through a one-time property tax increase, service cuts or layoffs.

"Im very concerned what this could mean for City of Winnipeg property taxpayers," Coun. Scott Gillingham, chairman of the finance committee, told reporters. "Were trying to prepare our 2019 budget, and now we get a proposal that leaves holes in the funding for 2018. Its very concerning."

Provincial officials later disputed the claim, accusing city counterparts of deliberately releasing misleading information.

Mayor Brian Bowman conceded the last-minute change from the province was only "a proposal," but added its not a change city hall is prepared to accept, under any condition.

"Wed have to find $74.4 million  thats a lot of money," Bowman told reporters, adding options to fill the budget hole could include a one-time tax increase, additional borrowing, increases in fees, or operating cuts.

Bowman said if it remains unchanged, the shortfall would amount to a one-time property tax increase of about $230 for a home assessed at $296,000.

An administrative report to the Feb. 7 finance committee meeting suggests the Pallister government had offered vague assurances the funds in question could be made up in future years.

"I dont want to contemplate any of those options right now," Bowman said. "What Id like is the province to simply provide the funds which were committed so we can reconcile our accounts for 2018."

Such financial surprises have become regular occurrences for city hall.

Winnipeg has struggled with the governments unilateral decision to abandon the 50-50 cost-sharing agreement for Transit operating costs and bus purchases. There have been constant disagreements over the level of ambulance service funding. Bowman last year threatened legal action against the Pallister government, and there continues to be disputes over delays by Manitoba in paying for other infrastructure projects.

An administrative report to the finance committee also states the province wants to back out of its outstanding financial commitment under the Manitoba Winnipeg Infrastructure Agreement. The amount owing on those completed projects hasnt yet been calculated.

Bowman said Manitoba sprang the latest news in a letter last week, adding a meeting happened Wednesday between city officials and cabinet ministers Jeff Wharton (municipal relations) and Scott Fielding (finance).

Gillingham said the province had agreed, in writing, in May, to provide city hall with $83.6 million in 2018 for capital infrastructure projects. City hall allocated $50 million of that to road work, he said  but now the province only wants to contribute $10 million towards road work.

The government is also proposing to eliminate $34.4 million allocated to the Waverley Street railway underpass and some Transit work, and use $34.4 million allocated to the North End sewage treatment plant to do the work  without replacing the treatment plant funding, he said.

"There was a written commitment from the province of Manitoba early in 2018 that $83.6 million would be made available to the City of Winnipeg for the citys capital budget. Now, in January of 2019, they are in essence walking away from that commitment," Gillingham said.

While government officials were not made available for questioning, Wharton issued a lengthy statement, saying the government had paid up all outstanding road-spending commitments made by the previous NDP government, and has been talking with city hall on new funding arrangements.

"It is unfortunate that the City of Winnipeg continues to advance inaccurate and misleading assertions in the public arena," Wharton said in his statement. "Let me be clear: the province is not withholding funding from the City of Winnipeg We prefer to sit down and work collaboratively through discussions between administration officials and political leadership."

Wharton said the city hadnt spent the money the province agreed to provide for the sewage treatment plant and there is no indication when the project will get underway, adding its better to put that money to use now rather than let it sit in a bank account.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.caHealth officials aren't telling the whole story about why wait times are up at Winnipeg hospital emergency rooms, the Manitoba Nurses Union says.

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This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health officials aren't telling the whole story about why wait times are up at Winnipeg hospital emergency rooms, the Manitoba Nurses Union says.

Darlene Jackson, MNU president, said it's "misleading" to claim an early onslaught of flu cases  one of several factors cited Thursday by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority  caused longer waits for service in December.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union.

She said staff shortages are also having an impact, particularly at Seven Oaks General Hospital, where the nursing staff vacancy rate stands at 34 per cent.

"We know there are four to five vacant nursing shifts every day in the emergency department, and that certainly has an impact on wait times," Jackson said Friday.

She said it doesn't mean the Seven Oaks ER is working four or five nurses short. Most shifts are being filled by nurses working overtime.

However, the hospital has closed one ER pod, containing six unmonitored beds, while converting another pod from a monitored area to an unmonitored one, she said. Monitored beds are those with cardiac monitors whose readings can be viewed from the nursing desk.

One of two resuscitation rooms within the hospital's ER has also been closed due to understaffing, Jackson said. The resuscitation rooms are where "the sickest of the sick" are placed, those requiring close monitoring and/or resuscitation.

The Seven Oaks ER, slated to be converted to an urgent care centre later this year, is not the only one in the city with a nursing shortage, Jackson said.

The vacancy rate at Concordia Hospital is 40 per cent, and Health Sciences Centre's ER is also feeling a staffing pinch as well as capacity issues, she added.

Krista Williams, chief health operations officer with the WRHA, said administrators are "actively monitoring" the vacancy rate and overtime issues within city ERs.

She said as of Thursday, the nurse vacancy rate at the Seven Oaks ER stood at 20.9 per cent, while at Concordia it was 26.1 per cent.

She denied a resuscitation room at Seven Oaks had been closed. She said a pod of beds at the ER had once mainly been used for admitted patients awaiting a hospital bed was no longer needed for that purpose because space was freed up when surgical services were reorganized in the city.

"We know in consolidation (of city ER services) there will be disruption. We are trying to minimize that as much as possible," Williams said.

She said nursing overtime hours at city hospital ER and urgent care facilities in December were amongst the lowest in the past two years.

Meanwhile, the MNU said it stands by its higher nursing vacancy rate numbers, claiming it received the information from senior WRHA officials earlier in the week. Either way, the MNU said, the vacancy rates are problematic.

The nurses union said it was also informed one Seven Oaks resuscitation room had been closed due to a lack of appropriately trained nurses.

Williams said once ER services are concentrated in three city hospitals  Grace, St. Boniface and Health Sciences Centre  specially trained nursing staff will not be spread so thinly across the system.

On Thursday, the WRHA reported the median wait for ER and urgent care at all city hospitals stood at 1.75 hours in December, compared with 1.5 hours in November and 1.63 hours in December 2017. Seven Oaks had the biggest increase in median wait over the previous month  to 1.77 hours from 1.28 hours in November 2018.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.caComplaints of sexual misconduct within military cadet programs in Manitoba and beyond prompted mandatory training for cadet instructors about professional boundaries  a step toward upending what one former cadet says is a culture of "turning a blind eye" to inappropriate relationships within those organizations.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Complaints of sexual misconduct within military cadet programs in Manitoba and beyond prompted mandatory training for cadet instructors about professional boundaries  a step toward upending what one former cadet says is a culture of "turning a blind eye" to inappropriate relationships within those organizations.

Lori Armitage was a 14-year-old sea cadet in the 1980s when an instructor in his 20s pursued a sexual relationship with her. In an interview with the Free Press, Armitage said she realized as an adult the relationship was an abuse of his power, it was "not OK," and that 30 years later, the problem continues.

"Its common," she said. "If you were a single guy, then it was acceptable that you could date your cadets. Not that anybody said, 'You can date your cadets,' because they didn't. But nobody stopped it, either."

Armitage was involved with the cadet program for 28 years until 2005. During her years with the organization, she said there was an attitude of unspoken approval toward officer-cadet relationships she encountered personally as a teen  and tried to dismantle as a former Manitoba divisional commander with the Navy League of Canada, which oversees cadet programs for children up to age 12, before they can move on to sea cadet programs under the Canadian Armed Forces.

"There are always those who are in it for the right reasons, who realize that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable, but there becomes this fear of rocking the boat," she said.

Earlier this week, Peter Schaefer, a 49-year-old cadre officer and instructor with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps  Crusader in Winnipeg, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for sexually exploiting a 17-year-old girl, with whom he fathered a child in 2016.

He met the girl through the cadet program and was one of her supervising officers before she reached out to him on social media and they began dating. It's an example of the kinds of cases that have caused widespread concern about sexual misconduct between adult military-affiliated leaders and the youth they are supposed to look after.

The Canadian Armed Forces' National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group says this is not a long-standing or widespread problem, and there were two reports each in 2017 and 2018 of inappropriate sexual behaviour between adult staff members and cadets.

However, complaints from concerned parents led the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to offer dedicated training to cadet programs, and the Armed Forces made the eight-session online training mandatory for all members and civilian instructors, as of June 2018. The Commit to Kids training includes information on grooming behaviour to watch out for, standards for establishing professional boundaries  such as not contacting youth after hours or on social media without authorization  and recognizing when other authority figures have overstepped those bounds.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES HMCS Chippawa.

Noni Classen, director of education with the Winnipeg-based child protection centre, said her organization looked into what was happening with cadet programs after hearing about misconduct from parents and other organizations in the city and elsewhere in Canada.

"The impetus was cases that were coming to our attention where leaders were misusing their positions of authority and sexually exploiting children or the youth that they were working with, or if it didnt get to that level, engaging in harmful contact with kids  even if they werent charged with sexual exploitation  that was of a sexualized nature," she said.

"This is not specific to cadets. This is a problem that youth organizations need to be looking at, and they have a responsibility to be looking at what systems are they putting in place to safeguard children beyond criminal record checks."

Professional boundaries are key, Classen said.

"If theyre getting access to kids through their employment, its privileged access," she added.

"It doesnt just move from that contact they have through their employment to move freely outside of that without any authorization. That creates risk for children."

Incidents of inappropriate sexual behaviour between adult military members and youth cadets "is not something that happens frequently," said Capt. Amber Lawson, public affairs officer National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group. She said the organization takes each incident seriously and isn't "sitting back."

"We are constantly evolving as an organization to ensure that we are creating the safest space possible. So we are continuing to educate our staff, we are continuing to take immediate action if we hear of any of these incidents and move forward with a zero-tolerance policy on any of that... We continue to educate more on needs of todays youth, and were focused on an environment where our cadets do feel safe."

Armitage said she's supportive of increased training, but is disheartened not enough has changed since she was a cadet.

"Why would you need to tell grown-up men its not OK to sleep with 17-year-old girls or 15-year-old girls? You shouldnt have to."

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemayPutting a spotlight on language rights in criminal trials and calling into question the conduct of a Court of Queen's Bench judge, Manitoba's highest court is considering whether to overturn the murder-for-hire conviction of a former Winnipeg convenience store owner.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Putting a spotlight on language rights in criminal trials and calling into question the conduct of a Court of Queen's Bench judge, Manitoba's highest court is considering whether to overturn the murder-for-hire conviction of a former Winnipeg convenience store owner.

Amare Gebru, who immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia, speaks English as a second language and has argued he wasn't given proper translation during a court process that found him guilty of plotting to kill his business partner.

Gebru said his criminal trial in front of Court of Queen's Bench Justice Vic Toews in March 2017, violated his language rights. The interpreter who was present in court to help him was rarely called upon, and his defence lawyers argue Toews should have formally inquired about language rights and talked to Gebru directly about his ability to understand what was happening.

However, the fact that Gebru was given access to an interpreter, and Toews had assurances from his former lawyer Gebru's English was "quite good" means his trial wasn't unfair, the Crown has countered.

At a Court of Appeal hearing Friday, defence lawyer Saul Simmonds asked Justices Janice leMaistre, Christopher Mainella and Karen Simonsen to order a new trial for Gebru, who was sentenced to five years in prison but is free on bail pending the appeal.

The appeal judges reserved their decision to a later date after hearing from both sides, as more than a dozen of Gebru's friends and family looked on.

Simmonds described the case as "the nightmare of being in a position where your whole life is at risk and no one's really acknowledging that you have a difficulty communicating."

"The problem, unfortunately," he said, "is that often police officers, in particular, they think people are hiding behind language issues. This isn't the question of hiding behind language issues. This is a question of ensuring that the integrity of the system that we hold so dear allows for a fair trial so that a person under these circumstances can be understood when he puts forward his position."

The defence wants the appeal court to accept fresh evidence  including Gebru's video statement to police, his sworn affidavit and a pretrial memo from another judge  they said raises "red flags" about Gebru's English-language skills.

Simmonds argued Gebru never waived his language rights during the court process. He said even though an interpreter was provided during the trial, it should have been clear Gebru didn't understand by some of the "gibberish" responses he gave when he took the stand to testify.

Toews should have stopped the proceedings to make sure Gebru could understand, the defence said.

Gebru's appeal doesn't allege his former defence lawyer, Mike Cook, was ineffective, however, Crown attorney Jennifer Mann argued the appeal amounts to an indirect attack on the lawyer without giving the appeal court an opportunity to hear his input.

She argued the appeal should be dismissed, saying Gebru has demonstrated a good knowledge of English and a "fairly sophisticated vocabulary." The Crown said Gebru had been in Canada for 10 years, ran two businesses, completed 26 real estate transactions, communicated with his lawyer by email, and had four previous lawyers, none of whom raised concerns about his ability to speak English.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemayInternational headlines were made in Washington, D.C., last month, when Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder and U.S. war veteran, attempted to defuse a conflict between students from Covington Catholic High School and members of the Hebrew Israelites.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

International headlines were made in Washington, D.C., last month, when Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder and U.S. war veteran, attempted to defuse a conflict between students from Covington Catholic High School and members of the Hebrew Israelites.

Attending the Indigenous Peoples March, a demonstration at the National Mall intended to bring awareness to global injustices against Indigenous nations, Phillips tried to calm things down by singing a traditional song and walking between the two groups.

Phillips was then surrounded by the Covington group and confronted by a Grade 11 student wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat.

Nick Sandmann stood in his path. Some said the teen was smirking, satisfied; Sandmann said he was trying to "defuse" the situation.

Regardless, Sandmanns fellow students openly demeaned and mocked Phillips, performing "tomahawk chops," while chanting slogans like "Build the Wall" and "Trump 2020."

Phillips said it felt like "hate unbridled."

While the Covington students had been previously provoked by the Hebrew Israelites (Black Americans who believe they are descendants of the ancient Israelites), the scene of Catholic youth openly and proudly degrading an Indigenous elder became a worldwide phenomenon.

The question of where were their teachers, chaperones, and parents was often asked by talk show hosts.

Thats simple: nearby, not stopping them. In other words, allowing it to happen.

Much has been written about this encounter and I wont rehash it further. Few though have noted one important story laid bare: the relationship between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples.

It is highlighted in the contradictory response from Catholic leaders and the allegiance the church has chosen with Donald Trump, the U.S. president known for openly mocking Indigenous peoples and genocides such as Wounded Knee.

In the waking moments of the Washington encounter, Rev. Roger Joseph Foys, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington (which oversees the students), issued a joint statement with other bishops of Kentucky.

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."

A few days later, Foys retracted his condemnation and said the church was "bullied and pressured" into making a "premature statement." He announced an investigation into the incident, and stated: "It is my hope and expectation that the results will exonerate our students so that they can move forward with their lives."

So much for the open mocking of Indigenous peoples being "opposed to the churchs teachings."

(Survival Media Agency via AP) Image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, centre left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington.

Upon speaking with local Catholics, I am told the Catholic Church in Canada is different, and it has done a lot to rectify relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Im told about the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, a body formed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to "serve as an important link between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Catholics."

Im told about the participation of the Catholic Church with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Im told missionaries, priests, and nuns are sorry for the aggressive, violent attempts to convert as many Indigenous communities as possible, particularly in the residential school system (in Canada, the Catholic Church operated more than two-thirds of them).

Im told about the many apologies Catholic bodies have made to Indigenous peoples for residential schools.

All of this falls apart though, when it comes to one person: the Pope. The Pope refuses to apologize for residential schools or, frankly, anything else Catholics have done in relation to Indigenous peoples.

Catholics participated in decimating Indigenous communities and, therefore, every single legacy of violence and poverty and displacement today.

In a letter to Parliament last April, the Canadian bishops wrote the Catholic Church is "decentralized" and a papal apology isnt appropriate, rather left for local leadership to pursue engagement and reconciliation.

"To suggest that the Catholic community has not accepted responsibility for its involvement in residential schools is simply inaccurate. The Catholic Church has apologized in the way it is structured," the letter said.

What makes this argument holey, of course, is the Pope apologizes to groups of people all the time.

Its almost like Canadian Catholics are standing by while Catholics nearby mock, promote hate, and chant slogans against Indigenous peoples. In other words, allow it to happen.

Why are Catholics so split on Indigenous peoples?

One part of the church supports those who openly commit violent acts against Indigenous peoples and the other seems to want reconciliation. Its enough to make one conclude that before any Catholic leader says to an Indigenous person, "My religion is for you," its fair for that person to say, "Why does your church hate me so much?"

The Catholic Church has little to stand on when it comes to Indigenous peoples, because atrocities and violent acts are still occurring under its umbrella.

Catholics can say their dioceses are different, their cultures are different, and whatever else. But are they?

According to the Canadian bishops: "Approximately 25 per cent of all Indigenous peoples in Canada identify themselves as Catholic." Thats around 400,000 Indigenous Roman Catholics in Canada.

For the good or the bad, Catholicism matters to Indigenous peoples.

Maybe, one day, Indigenous peoples will matter to all Catholics.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.caFederal figures suggest Canada is awash in government-approved cannabis, but some provincial cannabis distributors would beg to differ.

This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Federal figures suggest Canada is awash in government-approved cannabis, but some provincial cannabis distributors would beg to differ.

Licensed marijuana producers, processors, distributors and retailers held 19,085 kilograms of ready-to-sell dried cannabis in their inventories as of Dec. 31, federal figures released Tuesday show. A fraction of that  7,252 kilograms of dried cannabis  was sold that same month, prompting Liberal cannabis czar Bill Blair to tweet, "there remains sufficient supply to meet and exceed existing demand."

Health Canada reports there were 19,085 kilograms of "packaged, labelled, and ready for sale" cannabis in inventories as of Dec. 31, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Yet for provincial cannabis distributors, licensed cannabis stores and shoppers across Canada, the supply of regulated marijuana has been far from "sufficient."

A private cannabis store in Newfoundland shut it doors for good this week, citing a lack of supply. Quebec's provincial marijuana monopoly has slowed expansion plans due to product shortages. New Brunswick's cannabis retailer recently laid off about 60 staff, with supply issues a possible culprit. Ontario's government blamed "severe supply shortages" for its decision to license just 25 cannabis stores for the entire province this spring, and Alberta pumped the brakes on its store licensing process to ensure enough supply for existing outlets.

Tantalus Labs CEO Dan Sutton poses in his company's B.C. cannabis production facility. (Supplied)

The months-long dearth of legal cannabis on store shelves has seen governments, producers, wholesalers and retailers all pointing the finger of blame at each other. In reality, there's no single factor that neatly explains the exact nature of the shortfall, but in some cases it appears finished inventory simply hasn't reached distributors on time.

"We had it in our plan that for October 17, we would have ordered enough for at least three months worth of product, and we would then have another order which would fulfill us for six months," said Chara Goodings, a senior communications officer with Alberta's provincial cannabis distributor Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis.

"And we're still trying to get to the original amount we should have had on October 17."

Some of Alberta's 15 licensed cannabis suppliers have fulfilled their supply obligations, Goodings said, but others haven't. (She wouldn't name names.) The producers who failed to deliver blamed various "logistical challenges," she said, especially trouble applying the Canada Revenue Agency's cannabis excise tax stamps, which must seal every package of legal cannabis before it can be shipped.

Those tax stamps are a key reason that some marijuana producers have had trouble getting finished product to provincial distributors, according to Allan Rewak, who represents a number of licensed cannabis producers as executive director of the industry association Cannabis Council of Canada.

"The stamps come with no adhesive on them, and so building up an automated supply chain to process those and apply those to product (was) problematic from the initial stages, and some companies continue to struggle with that," said Rewak.

Plus, each province and territory has its own unique stamp. If a stamped product doesn't sell in one jurisdiction, Rewak said, it needs to be re-processed before it can be sold elsewhere.

Those kinds of logistical hangups are no excuse for failure to deliver, said an executive from a relatively small cannabis producer.

"If they're saying, 'Oh, it's just hard for us to package up these kinds of volumes and get them out,' I would say, 'Well, how much do you enjoy revenue?'" quipped Dan Sutton, founder and CEO of Tantalus Labs in British Columbia.

But getting legal cannabis off the plant and to a distributor definitely takes a great deal of time and close attention to regulatory detail, Sutton said. At Tantalus, the process takes at least 10 weeks from harvest. That allows time for drying, trimming, inventory management, quality assurance testing, packaging, and finally, shipping.

"All of this comes with a huge regulatory reporting burden, both for Health Canada and the (Canada Revenue Agency), as well as specific complications for each distribution body in any given province," said Sutton. "So yes, this is complicated."

Some cannabis industry players have blamed the weed shortages on Health Canada's painstakingly slow licensing process for new producers. In a statement, Health Canada spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau wrote the federal cannabis regulator "has no intention of taking action that could compromise the health and safety of Canadians or the integrity of the legal system of production" by relaxing the licensing regime.

Customers at a Quebec cannabis store were faced with nearly empty shelves in December. (Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

"The overall level of supply continues to grow month over month as licence holders expand the productivity of already approved production space and as Health Canada reviews and approves licence applications and expansions," wrote Jarbeau.

But Health Canada's rose-tinted view of cannabis supply simply doesn't reflect reality on store shelves in provinces like New Brunswick.

"To fully stock our stores and to keep up with customer demand, we should receive a minimum of 400 kilograms of product per week," wrote Cannabis NB spokeswoman Marie-Andree Bolduc by email, in response to an interview request. "We currently receive approximately 105 kilograms per week."

The situation looks similar in Manitoba, where licensed cannabis stores have been carrying limited varieties of dried bud over the past few months.

"We recognize there is a disconnect between what Health Canada is reporting and the reality experienced across the country," wrote a spokesman for Manitoba's provincial cannabis wholesaler Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, which offered a statement in place of an interview.

'If they're saying, 'Oh, it's just hard for us to package up these kinds of volumes and get them out,' I would say, 'Well, how much do you enjoy revenue?'  Tantalus Labs CEO Dan Sutton

"Collectively we are encouraging Health Canada to work in a more transparent and proactive fashion in order to help us identify where the available inventory, if it exists, where it is located and how bottlenecks, if any exist, can be resolved."

Wherever that inventory is, not every province can access it equally: provincial governments have all signed their own supply agreements with different companies. Complicating matters further, some of the 19,085 kilograms of finished cannabis Health Canada recorded in inventories on Dec. 31 could be sitting with producers that the regulator hasn't yet approved to sell cannabis, according to industry analyst Deepak Anand.

"It could take a long time for people to get those sales licences," he said.

Health Canada's high-level inventory figures also gloss over an important fact about why Canadians can't always find the bud they want on store shelves: unlike soybeans, pork bellies or natural gas, marijuana bud isn't an interchangable commodity.

"It's important to recognize, just because cannabis is available doesn't necessarily mean that that is completely what the consumer wants," said Allan Rewak of the Cannabis Council of Canada.

Tantalus Labs CEO Dan Sutton agrees. He divides cannabis shoppers into two categories, roughly speaking: those who want as much psychoactive THC as possible at the lowest price, and those willing to pay extra for a more sophisticated product. He expects it will take about two years for both kinds of customer to consistently find the kind of bud they want in licensed stores.

"If, obviously, a hundred producers or so were qualified to meet consumer demand, both in that price-sensitive and that quality-sensitive segment, we wouldn't be seeing these issues," said Sutton.

"So it is likely that more producers will have a positive effect on chasing that equilibrium  but in terms of timelines, we're all looking into a crystal ball."

@sol_israel

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.caOver the loudspeakers at the Avro Canada plants in Ontario, the morning shift workers who were finishing their work heard company president John L. Plant announce the end of the Avro Arrow. Everyone there that day remembered the sombre tone of the Black Friday message, but couldnt recall the exact words.

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over the loudspeakers at the Avro Canada plants in Ontario, the morning shift workers who were finishing their work heard company president John L. Plant announce the end of the Avro Arrow. Everyone there that day remembered the sombre tone of the "Black Friday" message, but couldnt recall the exact words.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had sealed the fate of the project in a speech at the House of Commons. The printout on the company teletype machine was succinct, but clear. It stated, in part, "Formal notice of termination is being given now to the contractor." In an instant, 15,000 employees were laid off, as were 600 sub-contractors in the Avro Arrow parts and supply chain. As far away as Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, where the Arrow tail cone was produced, six workers were released. An estimated 30,000 employees lost their jobs due to the Avro Arrows cancellation. The date was Friday, Feb. 20, 1959, forever known in Canadas aviation lexicon as "Black Friday."

CNS Jan Zurakowski was the chief test pilot for the Avro Arrow in the 1950s. Zurakowski was the toast of Canada after the inaugural flight of the Avro Arrow on March 25, 1958.

From England, Sir Roy Dobson, the head of the Hawker-Siddeley Group, made a last ditch effort to save what he could of the Canadian offspring of the aeronautic giant. The Arrow had always been a high-risk project. In 1957, as the company was celebrating the rollout of the first Arrow, the "Minister of Everything" C.D. Howe had begun to have serious reservations about the viability of the program he had championed from its start in 1953. In the House of Commons, he said the massive outlay of funds had "given him the shudders."

After years of research, the rollout of the first Avro Arrow had been expected to dominate the headlines, but at the precise moment the rollout ceremony ended, high in the heavens, a silvery globe blinked a steady mechanical signature to its launch headquarters in the nether regions of Soviet Central Asia. Sputnik had just completed its first orbit of Earth. Its launch heralded an escalating Soviet missile program, brought to the forefront by the successes of the Soviet space program. The Avro Arrows raison detre had been to counter a Soviet bomber attack, but it now became clear that nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) would be the real threat.

In the wake of the layoffs at Avro, the gigantic facilities at the aircraft and engine divisions were empty by the weekend. The five completed Arrows sat forlornly outside the flight test hangar. Inside the factory, the partially assembled fleet of fighters was abandoned in Assembly Bay 3. The date Feb. 23,1959 marked the 50th anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada. All official celebrations pointedly left out references to the Avro Arrow and the commemorative stamp issued by the post office.

One drawing on onion skin paper showing a modified airframe of CF-105 Avro Arrow.

A skeleton crew of maintenance and security staff was recalled from the massive list of layoffs. For the next few weeks, they roamed the plants, furtively casting a glance at each other and wondering how long they would retain even these jobs. In April 1959, another crew moved into the Avro plant. A squad of armed forces personnel swept through the offices of the Avro Company, collecting all records of the CF-105 Arrow including blueprints, photographs, models, and films. Avro Aircraft general manager Fred Smye, whose time dated back to Victory Aircraft, the companys wartime antecedent, learned they were operating under a sweeping directive to destroy all sensitive material pertaining to the project, including all aircraft that had been completed as well as the jigs and tools in the factory. The few remaining employees realized what was happening; some workers stuffed blueprints into lunch boxes and walked out of the factory, right under the noses of the security staff.

Avro mechanic Lou McPherson was part of a team of Avro technicians who began removing components from the group of test aircraft. He used an arc welder to cut the nose cone off RL-201. "It just broke me up to do it. I hated the idea of cutting up this dream we all had. But we had to do it."

Smye had done his best to intercede with the newly elected Conservative prime minister in 1957 when the project had been under review, but the bull-headed and inebriated president, Crawford Gordon Jr. had stormed into Diefenbakers office, demanding that the Arrow continue. Slamming his fist on the prime ministers desk, he screamed out his demands. Whatever could be said about Diefenbaker, he was not a coward and certainly would not back down in the face of a swaggering bully. It may not have been the death knell for the Arrow, but any hope to save a former Liberal governments "prestige" project, was dashed.

A cross-section drawing of fuselage, wing, vertical tail for prototype Avro Arrow.

The public perception of the Avro Arrow was decidedly mixed. To the people in the industrial heartland of Ontario, where aerospace and aviation industries were vital components of the economy, any threats to their well-being were felt acutely. To the rest of the country, if opinions could be judged by newspaper headlines or letters to the editors, there was very little support for an expensive and risky high-tech project such as the Avro Arrow. By 1958, the federal government had already invested in the Bomarc missile system, albeit it turned out to be a colossal failure.

Throughout its genesis, the Royal Canadian Air Force had placed nearly impossible demands on the company to create a superior interceptor that could fly faster and higher, constantly changing the operational and technological specifications. It was a given that any new aviation weapons system would be waylaid by incorporation of new technology including "fly-by-wire" controls, and the use of exotic materials such as titanium, with a new and untested power plant and integrated "buried" weapons system, the CF-105 Arrow would ultimately never fly with its definitive avionics, weapons or engine, but did it fly.

On its seventh test flight, on April 18, 1958, Avro Aircraft test pilot Janusz "Zura" Zurakowski intended to fly RL-201, the first Arrow, faster and higher than ever before. Company orders were never to use full power, but during this test flight, without using full throttle, Zurakowski had recorded Mach 1.52 at 50,000 feet while still climbing. He wrote later, "The incredible potential of the Avro Arrow was just beginning to be fulfilled."

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA The 'Incredible potential' of the first Avro Arrow was never fulfilled.

Cancellation of the Avro Arrow and its Orenda Iroquois quashed any chances for foreign sales, although the Royal Air Force had evinced interest before the British Defence White Paper of 1957 resulted in the cancellation of all "manned aircraft" projects. Company documents relate to efforts by both the United States Air Force and the Royal Aircraft Establishment to retain the completed test aircraft but by April, the Lax Brothers Scrapyard in Hamilton purchased the remains of the Arrow project from Crown Assets after bidding $300,000 for the lot  airplanes, jigs and tools, and any related fixtures. Demolition work was done rapidly behind closed doors. Due to their unfamiliarity with aircraft, the salvage crew had taken a wrecking ball that clanged off a hardened section of a fuselage, bouncing straight back and nearly hitting the operator. Blow torches were no better as the exotic materials found in the aircraft, such as magnesium and titanium, would prove lethal if ignited. The workers settled on axes and saws to crudely dismember the airframes. The jigs and tooling inside the plant were cut apart with acetylene torches.

An intriguing mystery remains concerning the midnight theft of RL-206, the first Avro Arrow Mk.2s cockpit and nose section. Dr. John Young from the Aerospace Medical Centre at RCAF Downsview engineered the audacious plot. Commandeering a flatbed trailer, a small crew loaded and transported the Arrow parts across town to a site specially prepared in the centre. Once the parts were stored in the corner room, it was sealed off with a concrete block that was painted to match the surrounding walls. The last remains of the Arrow were kept hidden until late in the 1960s, when they appeared mysteriously in the storage compound of RCAF Trenton. Or at least thats how the story goes. Like much of the Avro Arrow lore, there is a hint of truth wrapped up in an enigma.

LOU WISE PHOTO Avro Arrow Rollout Ceremony in 1957.

The cockpit of the first Mk.2 Arrow actually served as high-altitude chamber for a number of years at the Institute for Aviation Medicine at RCAF Downsview, where RCAF pilots were subjected to simulated conditions up to 50,000 feet altitude in a low-pressure environment. Upon its belated discovery in RCAF storage, RL-206 was transferred to the aeronautical collection of the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. Today, along with the outboard wings of RL-203, the sole remnants of RL-206 are on display in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Rockliffe, Ont.

Within moments of the Avro Arrows cancellation, all the employees of the once-great company were unemployed. Most of the nearly 15,000 employees of the Avro and Orenda factories would never come back. Many of them wouldnt find a job in aviation again. Recruiters from prominent aerospace companies flocked to Toronto to snag the cream of the Avro technical and engineering staff. The most brazen headhunters set up shop in Avros parking lots, inviting scores of Avroites to pack up and head to the United Kingdom and the United States. Most recruitment took place at the North York Hotel in downtown Toronto, where representatives from Lockheed, Boeing, North American Rockwell, and Bell were headquartered. Jim Flloyd, vice-president of engineering, returned to England to work for Hawker-Siddeley on an advanced supersonic transport, leading to BAC Concorde supersonic airliner.

One of the greatest coups for recruiters was the hiring of aerodynamist Jim Chamberlin and 25 Avro Arrow engineers for the fledgling National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Chamberlin headed up the engineering department on the Mercury and Gemini Projects before developing the lunar orbit mission of Project Apollo. All of the former Avro engineers made important contributions to NASA: R. Bryan Erb helped develop the Apollo heat shield; Owen Maynard became chief of the systems engineering division at Apollo; John Hodge, Frederick Matthews, and Tex Roberts ran mission control; Rodney Rose was in mission planning, along with Peter Armitage, who was involved in the recovery systems for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. Known as the "Avro group," the influence of this large engineering group from Avro has been compared to that of Werner von Brauns initial team of German rocket scientists recruited after the Second World War.

CNS UNDATED -- Polish-born Test Pilot - Jan Zurakowski test pilot for Avro Arrow CF-105. Maiden flight March 25, 1958 He told reporters he didn't try to take the plane up to its maximum speed, estimated at 1,200 miles an hour. Reproduction is permitted without charge. For Andrew Duffy (Ottawa Citizen

In the wake of Black Friday, a reappraisal of the research and development at Avro Canada was discouraging. None of the work would generate new projects. The Avro Project Research Group would, however, provide tantalizing hints of future concepts with investigations into purely theoretical research for both military and civil applications, including building the Avrocar "flying saucer" for the U.S. military. It has been estimated that more than 70 per cent of all industrial research and development in Canada throughout the 1950s had been carried out by A.V. Roe Canada.

The final work in the nearly empty Avro Aircraft and Orenda plants at Malton was manufacturing steel pots and pans, a humiliating end for Canadas once-booming aviation giant, the birthplace of the Avro Jetliner, CF-100 fighter, and the Avro Arrow. In recent years, the saga of the Avro Arrow has taken on mythic proportions. A cottage industry has materialized with books, movies, and a stage play about the Arrow. A 1997 television mini-series, a joint production of Winnipegs John Aaron Productions and Tapestry Films and The Film Works of Toronto, served to stir the most passionate debate on the controversial aspects of the Arrow saga. Even though the reasons for cancellation remain debatable, there was almost universal revulsion for the decision to destroy every aspect of the Arrow project.

Canadian military aircraft procurement eventually recovered with a greater reliance on licence-built weapons, but the immediate aftershock of the Arrow cancellation was a brain drain, the loss of the many skilled and innovative technicians and scientists who worked on the Avro Arrow. Today, the Canadian aviation industry has morphed into a commercial entity, and remains one of global import with Bombardier Aerospace recreated out of the remains of aerospace companies of the 1960s. Was it too expensive? Yes. Was it overtaken by events? Yes, and in the end, the Arrow was simply a "nuts and bolts" project, but it was the dream that was lost and those who almost made it happen.

BILL ZUK PHOTO Full-scale Avro Arrow replica built by former Avro Canada employees volunteering at the former Toronto Air and Space Museum in Toronto.

About the author: Bill Zuk, historian, author and filmmaker, has written extensively about Canadian aviation, The Avro Arrow Story (2006) and Avrocar: Canadas Flying Saucer (2001). Bills interest in Canadian aviation has been realized in his work as a director of the Air Cadet League of Canada (Manitoba), director of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, Associate Historian of the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as other associations related to history and literacy. He has also written extensively on Canadian aviation and served as editor of the trade journal Manitoba Aviation (formerly Western Canada Aviation & Aerospace).South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg

Randpark GC, Johannesburg, South AfricaHey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Your data could be in danger.

Thats a thought most of us never gave much pause just a decade ago.

Canadians have confidence that financial institutions are keeping our transactions and personal information secure. (Bill Hogan / Chicago Tribune)

These days, given the seemingly endless parade of data breaches and our increased presence online, the security of our personal information is never far from top of mind.

Yet, a recent study indicates most of us arent all that worried.

According to financial technology firm TSYS, seven in 10 Canadians are "not very" or only "somewhat concerned" about their data being stolen, based on the findings from its annual Canadian consumer payment study.

"Its kind of surprising that 70 per cent of the folks surveyed are not very concerned about their data being stolen given were doing more transactions this way," says John Dale Hester, senior vice president of relationship management at TSYS, one of the worlds largest global payment providers for credit card transactions.

"So for me, the question is: why is that?"

One hypothesis is we have a lot of confidence in financial institutions and other keepers of our data that our transactions and personal information are secure. Indeed, familiarity breeds comfort, as the survey also found, noting for the first time in its five-year history, Canadians are using credit cards more than any other means to pay for goods and services, Hester says.

"But the other side may be that everybody has got so used to these breaches, weve become numb to it."

Taking a more rose-tinted perspective, financial institutions are forever upping their game to protect us from fraudsters making unauthorized transactions with our credit or debit cards. And for the most part, were protected when something nefarious does slip through their defences  with one catch. It must be deemed that we notified our financial institution of irregularities on our statements, or that our card has been lost or stolen, in a timely manner.

As well, were expected to take reasonable measures to protect our PIN  personal identification number. This is both heartening and unsettling in the same breath. Its nice to know your bank, for example, has your back. Whats unnerving are those caveats: "timely manner" and "reasonable measures."

Long story short, youd rather not fall victim to cybercrime and figure out exactly what those vague terms mean to the chances your violated finances will be made whole.

Certainly, some of us have already found out the hard way. According to the Better Business Bureaus Scam Tracker, Canadians lost roughly $95 million to fraud (mostly online) in 2017.

Despite better protections, you can only expect the criminals to become craftier and those losses to rise with time.

"As more Canadians spend time online and technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics fraudsters use to target consumers," said Tammy McKinnon, head of financial crimes and fraud management at TD Bank Group.

Undoubtedly, the banking industry is concerned about these risks as the world moves closer to a cashless economy in which all transactions are virtual. As such, confidence in the security of these ethereal transactions is just as important as assurances a $20 bill is legal tender.

"Our chief concern has always been, and continues to be, ensuring the privacy and security of our customers, so they can feel confident in the safety of their banking transactions," she adds.

Like so many other financial institutions, TD now offers  and actively markets  innovative ways for clients to protect themselves from fraud. Included among them is its TD Fraud Alerts, which sends "text message alerts that notify a customer if TD detects suspicious transactions made on their personal banking accounts," she says.

All the customer has to do from his or her mobile phone then is reply with a Y (yes) or N (no) to confirm whether or not they recognize the transaction.

With a Y, TD will unblock the transaction, and with a N, the transaction will be denied.

Additionally, the banks spending-tracking app  TD MySpend  provides real-time transaction data. This comes in handy if anyone uses your card without your knowledge, since those purchases will immediately show up on your mobile phone via the app.

All these innovations aside, consumers are best served by practising good cyberspace hygiene as well as regular financial housecleaning, says Andrea Gildea, head of legal for the Americas at TransferWise Inc, a fintech company specializing in low-fee currency exchange services.

"First of all, its important to check your statements carefully," she says, adding most people do not look at their monthly paper trails.

Whats more, many scammer tricks dont change too much, yet people still fall for them. These include dirty tricks such as spear phishing, which involves sending you a false email, presumably mimicking an email from someone you trust. In it, youre often prompted to click on a false URL address that looks, for example, much like your banks web address. Even the landing page may look very similar, prompting you to sign in with your username and password.

The fraudsters then have access to your banking to do as they please until you detect something is amiss with your finances.

"What we always tell people is to look at the web address  or URL  to make sure it doesnt look different from what you expect," she says. "One thing to look for is that it has that little lock symbol at the start of the address."

A good rule of thumb: never click on links sent to you via email because you never know for certain whether the sender really is who youre being led to believe it is.

All these considerations may have you feeling anxious about conducting your finances in a digitalized world. Then again, would you like to go back to the days when cash was king?

The answer is likely no.

Using credit cards, and more and more mobile phones, for transactions is too convenient.

Hester suggests turning that paranoia youre feeling into an asset. Thats what he does, after all.

"From a personal standpoint, I assume my data has been compromised."

Hester says he knows "for a fact" his data has been caught up in a major breach.

As a result, he is very careful about protecting his complicated password (not simple, easy-to-recall ones) and keeping track of his spending.

His take is that while the industry is getting much better at detecting fraud using artificial intelligence, which recognizes odd patterns in financial behaviour, dont underestimate the malicious ingenuity of criminal minds either.

"I just work under the assumption that my data is out there and I have to be mindful to monitor that my stuff is on the up and up."SAO PAULO - Lax regulations, chronic short staffing and a law that muffled the voices of environmentalists on mining licenses made the devastating collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil all but destined to happen, experts and legislators say.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Helicopters release flower petals on top of the iron ore mining complex paying homage to the 110 victims killed and 238 who are still missing after a mining dam collapsed a week ago, in Brumadinho, Brazil, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

SAO PAULO - Lax regulations, chronic short staffing and a law that muffled the voices of environmentalists on mining licenses made the devastating collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil all but destined to happen, experts and legislators say.

The failure of the dam holding back iron ore mining waste on Jan. 25 unleashed an avalanche of mud that buried buildings and contaminated water downstream. At least 121 people have died, and another 226 people remain missing.

But one of the cruelest parts of the tragedy in Brumadinho is that it has happened before: In 2015, a mining dam burst about 80 miles (130 kilometres) away in Mariana, in what is considered Brazil's worst environmental disaster.

What's more, it could happen again, as many Brazilian states and the federal government move to ease regulation in the name of economic development.

In the three years since the Mariana rupture killed 19 people, the regulation of the industry has gotten less, not more, rigorous in Minas Gerais state.

"It felt like it was just a matter of time before something bigger would happen," said Josiele Rosa Silva Tomas, the president of the Brumadinho residents' association.

Problems that existed when the dams in Mariana burst, like dramatic short-staffing, have persisted, while a new law has reduced the say of environmental groups in the project licensing process.

And the danger remains widespread: A 2017 report from the National Water Agency classified more than 700 dams nationwide as at high risk of collapse, with high potential for causing damage.

In fact, some fear the risk may only increase. Environmental groups accused the previous Congress and president of rolling back significant protections, and many expect further weakening under President Jair Bolsonaro, who has said environmental regulation hamstrings several industries, including mining.

But the politics that contributed to the collapses in Minas Gerais are much more local. For centuries, the mineral-rich state has revolved around the mining industry  its name, given by Portuguese colonizers, translates to "General Mines."

More than 300 mines employ thousands in the state, often in poor, rural areas.

Civil society groups often struggle to achieve basic guarantees. For instance, Tomas' group has long fought to prevent mining projects from contaminating drinking water.

"Minas Gerais has a centuries-long history of being lenient with the mining sector. It's cultural," Joao Vitor Xavier, a state deputy, told The Associated Press. "The industry creates a discourse where they dangle jobs and economic growth in front of people, but they put profit over safety."

The CEO of Vale SA, which owned and operated the Brumadinho mining complex, acknowledges their regulatory measures fell short.

"Apparently to work under the (current) rules has not worked," Flavio Schvartsman said during a press conference several hours after the dam breach.

Vale officials have said they don't yet know why the dam collapsed.

Arrest warrants have been issued for five people responsible for safety assessments of the dam, including three Vale employees. Vale was also involved in the Mariana rupture: The dams there were administered by the Brazilian giant and Australia's BHP Billiton.

The Mariana collapse unleashed nearly 80 million cubic yards (60 million cubic meters) of mining waste into rivers and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. While its environmental impact is considered the worst in Brazilian history, Brumadinho has already far surpassed its death toll.

In the wake of the Mariana tragedy, Minas Gerais was already struggling to implement what regulation it had: A 2016 audit found the state had only 20 per cent of the staff needed at the agency charged with regulating mines. Environmentalists say mining regulation has gotten even weaker since.

In 2015, the state approved a new process for licensing mining projects. It shifted responsibility from a board that included several environmental organizations to the state environmental secretary, who created a new board with a majority of participants favourable to mining industry interests.

Then-Gov. Fernando Pimentel argued the bill would reduce bureaucracy. But days before the law was approved, the Minas Association of Environmental Defence called it "one of the biggest setbacks in environmental regulation in the country."

"The conditions are set so the licenses never get turned down," Maria Teresa Corujo, a rare pro-environmental voice on the new board, told the AP.

In December, Corujo, of the National Forum of Civil Society in Watershed Communities, was the only member of the new board to vote against approving the expansion of the mining complex in Brumadinho. Notes from that meeting show the complex's pollutant rating had been downgraded  a move that is now the purview of the environmental secretary  allowing the company to skip regulatory steps.

In July 2018, Xavier, the state lawmaker who has pushed for a ban on iron ore waste dams, made a grave prediction.

"I'm not saying we might have other dam ruptures in Minas Gerais. I am saying that, from everything I've seen and studied, I have no doubt we will have more ruptures of dams," he told the state assembly.

Today, he still has no doubt that there will be more tragedies unless more rigorous regulations are implemented.

"These dams are not 100 per cent safe," he said. "How many of them can rupture? Any one of them."When the United Church of Canada announced in early November it wouldnt fire atheist minister Gretta Vosper, a lot of people were taken aback  including Vosper herself.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the United Church of Canada announced in early November it wouldnt fire atheist minister Gretta Vosper, a lot of people were taken aback  including Vosper herself.

"I was very surprised," says Vosper, minister at Torontos West Hill United Church.

"I was totally convinced... I would end up outside of the church. Every indication suggested that that what was going to happen."

As I wrote in December, Vosper was headed for a formal hearing before the General Council of the United Church of Canada to decide her future in the denomination.

But on Nov. 7, the Toronto Conference  to which West Hill belongs  offered her a confidential settlement that included dropping the charge she was "not suitable" to continue as a United Church minister.

In a brief joint statement, the Toronto Conference, Vosper and West Hill Church said the parties had "settled all outstanding issues between them."

I asked the United Churchs media spokeswoman if the denomination wished to say anything about the decision, but she declined, pointing me to an open letter written by Right Rev. Richard Bott, moderator of the United Church of Canada.

In the letter, Bott acknowledged the divided reaction, noting "there are a variety of feelings" about Vospers continued ministry.

Quoting a previous moderator, he went on to say the heart of the issue is a tension in the liberal and progressive church between two core values "which are central to our identity."

The first "is our faith in God. The second is our commitment to being an open and inclusive church."

The decision about Vosper reveals "the dance between these core values," he wrote, and "how they interact with and inform each other."

When I reached out to Vosper, it was apparent shes glad to have this issue behind her so she can get on with serving her congregation.

While she cant discuss the settlement due to a nondisclosure agreement, she says there are no restrictions on her ministry.

"Theres nothing in that that influences what I am able to do," she says. "I am able to function in ministry with all the rights and privileges that clergy have."

As for the settlement itself, she doesnt know why the church decided to settle. One reason, she thinks, is because they realized she wasnt about to give up  despite the cost.

"It may have been simply the church (was) betting on my backing down because of the financial burden," she says of her legal bills, amounting to more than $200,000 to date.

A fundraising group called the Friends of Gretta Vosper has raised about $80,000 of that total, but she and her husband have paid the rest.

She made it clear to the denomination "we were going to go the full length," she says, even if "there was an outcome that was not in our favour."

She has heard of at least one individual who has responded "with vehemence" against the settlement. But she also knows of others who are in favour but wont speak up for "fear of censure" from the denomination.

What about her own response to the charges  does she see herself as unsuitable for ministry in the United Church?

"Everything I teach is consistent with the theological training I received," the 60-year-old says of her studies at Queens Theological College in the late 1980s.

"I was taught the Bible was a human construction, and there is much wisdom in many texts, both ancient and contemporary."

During her studies, she was told "we dont privilege (the Bible) anymore (and) suggest it has an authority beyond all other wisdom in the world."

Do you appreciate the extensive faith coverage by the Free Press? Become a supporter of the Religion in the News project! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Become a supporter Click here to learn more about the project.

"If the Bible is not the authoritative word of God for all time," she says, "why does it take such a central position in the United Church?"

Looking ahead, she maintains she doesnt want to cause undue trouble for the denomination.

"There is this very big perception I am constantly sending out press releases and trying to get media attention," she says, noting that all the interviews shes given since the settlement have come from requests from reporters.

I ask her a final question: with all this having happened, why does she stay in the United Church?

First off, she loves her congregation. Second, "I still feel that this is my denomination. This is my heritage and to refuse to allow me to participate and continue in ministry felt like a betrayal."

jdl562000@yahoo.com

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Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period.Stay in touch with all of the news from Winchester, Frederick and Clarke. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Winchester Star.Prosecutors General from Europe and Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Tunisia) agreed on the General Rules for the Organisation of the Forum setting up the main objectives and principles of collaboration, communication and continuation of the Forum with the objective of improving international judicial cooperation. The agreement of the Guiding Rules took place under the impetus of EuroMed Justice, the programme financed by the European Commission for judicial cooperation between the countries of Europe and the Mediterranean.

This second Forum, promoted by and held at Eurojust's premises, and following the cornerstone laid by the Spanish Prosecutor's Office last year in Madrid, was well received and welcomed by the Prosecutors General from the participating countries. The Forum allowed the Prosecutors General to share experience and best practice on issues related to cyberspace and judicial cooperation in criminal matters; personal data protection and cooperation with third countries; joint investigation teams; and countering terrorism and organised crime, particularly smuggling of illegal migrants and trafficking in human beings and drugs in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The President of Eurojust, Mr Ladislav Hamran, said: 'At Eurojust, we have long realised that judicial cooperation should not stop at the borders of Europe. Bringing together colleagues from different continents, networks and organisations is exactly what Eurojust stands for. We are all united in our ambition to ensure justice for our citizens. Eurojust strongly welcomes the initiative of this Forum of Prosecutors General.'

The Deputy Director General of DG NEAR, Mr Maciej Popowski, said: 'We need to make this community of prosecutors. We need mutual trust and we need to remodel the way of cooperation.'

The Director of FIIAPP, Ms Anna Terron, highlighted the commitment of FIIAPP in the promotion of international legal cooperation as a key to face the global challenges and problems with organised crime.

EuroMed Justice IV

EuroMed Justice IV (2016-2019) is an EU-funded project that contributes to the development of a Euro-Mediterranean area of cooperation in the field of justice and the development of effective, efficient and democratic justice systems that protect and promote human rights.

Started in 2004, the EuroMed Justice Project is managed by a consortium led by the Fundacion Internacional y para Iberoamerica de Administracion y Politicas Publicas  FIIAPP (Spain) with its partners from the Center for International Legal Cooperation  CILC (the Netherlands), the European Institute of Public Administration  EIPA (the Netherlands) and Justice Cooperation Internationale  JCI (France).

Eurojust

Eurojust is the European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit, established in 2002 to stimulate and improve the coordination of investigations and prosecutions and the cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States in relation to serious cross-border crime. At the request of a Member State, Eurojust may also assist investigations and prosecutions concerning a particular Member State and a non-Member State if a cooperation agreement has been signed or an essential interest in providing such assistance is present.

The main crime types dealt with by Eurojust are fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering. Eurojust has also stepped up its activities in fighting terrorism, cybercrime, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.

#Euromedforum2019Willmar, MN (56201)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. Cooler. High 66F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 46F. NNW winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.The leaders included Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, former President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, former NA Chairmen Nguyen Sinh Hung and Nguyen Van An, and President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man.

They showed their gratitude towards the late President  the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The delegation then laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs.

On the same day, delegations from the Central Military Commission, the Central Public Security Party Commission, the Ministries of National Defence and Public Security, the Party Committee and the Peoples Committee of Hanoi also showed their respect to President Ho Chi Minh, heroes and martyrs.

In Ho Chi Minh City, a delegation of the citys leaders headed by member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong offered incense at the citys Martyrs Cemetery.

They also paid tribute to the founder of the Party at the citys branch of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and late President Ton Duc Thang at Ton Duc Thang Museum.Reporter David Looby interviewing the Aljasim family at their home in New Ross

Sitting in front of a blazing hot fire, Haitham Al Ramadam Aljasim takes a deep breath and recalls the moment he decided to leave his homeland of Syria. It was 2013 and his country was being torn apart in the worst civil war imaginable.

His wife Raghada, 37, had lost a nephew in a bomb attack.

Speaking through an interpreter, his friend Mahad Osman, Haitham, 39, says up until 2011 the family were very comfortably off. He had a steady job as a security man and his children were safe.

'The first time I started to see problems in Aleppo was 2011, the time of the Arab Spring uprisings. With each year it got worse and worse and harder and harder to live at home.'

Dressed in a hijab and green thawb, Raghada shakes her head, putting her hand to her cheek as she recalls how her 12-year-old nephew was cut in two when a regime air-strike bomb exploded on his house, scattering sharpnel through the air.

Shortly afterwards the couple - fearing for their lives and the lives of their daughters Nagham, Nada and Nermeen, who were seven, five and four at the time - moved to a village outside Halep (Aleppo). As Sunni Muslims in a city being invaded by Shias from Lebanon and Iran, leaving was becoming a life or death choice.

In 2013, shortly after the death of Raghada's nephew, the family made the prescient decision to move. Days later their house was destroyed in an air raid attack. Their beautiful city, which was deemed impervious to political upheaval, had suddenly become a byword for war crimes and savagery.

'It was very hard to survive in Aleppo. If you ran one way the army would get you and if went the other way the rebels would kill you for siding with the army.'

Raghada's brother was kidnapped around this time and the family had to pay 300,000 Syrian pounds (520) to win his release.

'We were told the tribes were coming in and it became a hot zone for activity. This was Syria's second city. A beautiful city with beautiful smells carried on the breeze from the hills. It was full of factories and companies,' she says shaking her head.

Haitham also sparks to life remembering the city he grew up in, and raised a family in, up to a point.

When the shelling by President Bashar al-Assad's forces grew worse in 2013, death became commonplace. With rubble piled high in streets for months on end making some completely impassable and bomb blasts shaking houses to their foundations leaving hulking twisted metal remains protruding from the dusty, dead palm tree-lined thoroughfares and once grand squares, Haitham watched his city and its people crumble before his eyes.

'We can't believe what is going on there. We have lost our family, our neighbours, our city. We have lost our homeland and property. We can't go back. Different tribes have taken over.'

Raghada's brother had to move to Idlib as his life was in danger. With no water supply and no electric light, the family lived a nightmarish reality, one Nagham (now 12), can't remember. 'When I was in Aleppo I was five so I did not know anything,' she says in her lilting, sing-song english.

She is better off.

Her mother recalls seeing people dying on the streets during the Siege of Aleppo. A proud Aleppan, she recalls the carnage in a city where hospitals and civilian areas were bombed, her eyes narrowing at the thought - as if still in shock.

Nagham and Nada weren't able to attend school and had to stay inside with their parents all day and all night. 'If the government forces caught you they would kill you,' Haitham, an astute, gentle man says, sadness haunting his eyes.

From the comfort of their three-bed home in New Ross, Haitham and Raghada watch the news and love to hear the rare good news story that emerges from Aleppo but mostly watching the news makes them sad. Haitham finds it impossible to sleep thinking of his father who is in his seventies and can't leave his homeland where an estimated 500,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

'We've asked him but she says he won't leave because that is the city where he has lived all his life.'

The bags under his eyes and worn-out gait - as he sits by the fire smoking - say more than words can of the toll the worst civil war in recent decades has taken on him. He suffers from diabetes and high cholesterol. 'I am thinking about him all the time.'

Raghada gently braids Nada's hair as she recalls the 12-hour journey they took in a bus across the desert to Lebanon in 2013 to escape Syria.

'We were terrified the government would attack us. So many people were leaving Aleppo at the time. In the city you didn't know who your friend or enemy was. My brother had a friend he worked with before the civil war and he was kidnapped by him during it. His tribe said "if you want your brother you must pay. If you don't you won't see your brother again", so we paid. You can't trust anybody there anymore.'

Pointing to a 7ft by 5ft carpet on the sitting room floor, she cracks a wry smile, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes, and says: 'We lived in a room that size for two years in Lebanon.'

Haitham says: 'We became refugees, non nationals, people without a home or place. It was terrible.'

The family moved to a village outside Aleppo city in north west Syria,

Haitham got a security job and for his days' toil was allowed stay with his family in the fetid, stuffy box room, which also contained a toilet. They received $150 a month to live in, but in Lebanon - a relatively expensive country - they just managed to get by.

'What could we do, we took the money and I made some money doing security. That was our life for six years, sorry three years. Was it only three years?' Haitham says, shaking his head in a downcast motion.

He rolls his shoulders in disbelief, still registering the appalling living conditions his family endured in Lebanon.

Haitham and Raghada welcomed Fatima into the world in a Lebanese hospital in 2014.

Raghada recalls being 'so sad' at the family's situation and their lack of access to nutritious food and medicines. Fatima's elder sisters weren't able to attend school and were cared for by their mother, who suffered badly with asthma.

The more refugees arriving in Lebanon the more hostility grew against them.

Haitham was robbed by a policeman after work one day.

'We were not comfortable there or in Aleppo. We were scared and didn't know what the day would bring.'

When Raghada's brother applied for asylum to the United Nations he also applied for his sister's family.

'He was rejected because he had a better income but we were granted asylum and received our residence permits. We were sent to Ireland, along with several hundred families,' Haitham says.

'It was a total lottery. Raghada's brother applied again and was rejected again.'

The family's first impression of Ireland was of a safe country, one in which their children would thrive. When asked if they minded the weather, Raghada says: 'We didn't mind that it was cold when we arrived in March. The cold is nothing! When you see someone die in front of you. When you see bombs go off, blowing up houses. When you can't eat. When you can't sleep and can't take it any more, the cold is nothing.'

'If we were still in Lebanon we'd be in a plastic shack on a mountain in the winter, freezing,' Haitham says.

Offering the shisha pipe containing apple flavoured tobacco and some sweet Syrian tea, Raghada smiles - house proud and content - as Nagham and Nada roll colourful soft balls to each other on the rug. Their sister Nermeen is glued to a smartphone and Fatima is asleep under a heavy blanket on the couch beside the fire.

The ten months the Aljasim family spent in a hotel in Monastervin were happy, carefree times for a family who knew no comfort for five years.

'We started to have a normal life,' Haitham says. 'The children started learning English and the food was good.'

Echoing his appreciation for the welcome they received, Raghada says: 'We felt safe.'

Asked if they ever think of returning after the war to Syria she says 'Maybe if I didn't have a child I would have stayed. I moved because I have a family.'

She cried with happiness the day she was shown her new home in New Ross.

'We were among the first three families who moved her from Monasterevin. Now that we're here we are happy and we are comfortable. I am feeling very happy. We had a social worker in Wexford and they got the house ready.'

Hanging on the walls are ornate gold frames containing religious lettering and on the fire place are gold decorations reminding them of home.

'We got them in Waterford,' Raghada says.

'We brought nothing from home, just our clothes, but there are five halal butchers in Waterford and there is a mosque Haitham attends on Fridays.'

One of the first people Haitham met in New Ross was Mahad Osman who showed him around the town and helped familiarize the family with the area.

Since that day Haitham and Raghada have helped fundraise for medicinal cannabis to help ease Mahad's son Asseel's pain as he suffers from seizures and a multiplicity of health problems.

Moving from a city of 4.2 million to a town of 8,000 was a huge transition for the family, one they have negotiated with remarkable ease.

Both Raghada and Haitham study English for a few hours four days a week, Raghada, in particular, has taken to the language and is helping other Syrian families.

'I make appointments for some of them,' she says.

They are among 40 Syrian families living in Co. Wexford, which has led the way nationally in the Irish Refugee Protection Programme - under Wexford County Council staff's and Doras Luimni's proactive management in helping them integrate into communities like New Ross.

Their daughters are thriving in Catherine McAuley Junior School and Edmund Ris Senior School and with some extra help will really improve their English, Raghada says.

For the Aljasim's learning English is the next step in their path to getting on their feet and progressing in a country they knew little about up until 2015.

Raghada casts her mind back momentarily to Aleppo. 'If you came to Syria before it was a good place but it's not safe there today and it will take time before it is again. I miss it a lot, the smells on the wind at home.'

All of the family pose for a photo, smiles beaming from their faces, Fatima (4) full of life again after a snooze.

Sitting down her mother gesticulates and gets excited as she lists all of the little luxuries the family enjoy in Ireland from the coal on the fire to the ingredients in the ethnic shop that allows her to make delicious Syrian food. Offering warm, gently spiced lamb and hazelnut stuffed pancakes and an ice-cold yoghurt drink, she says the family are looking forward to a great year ahead and years to come in Co. Wexford.

Nagham, who goes into the Mercy Secondary School in September, says: 'I love it here, in the other country, Lebanon we didn't have a sofa to sit down on. We sat on the floor we slept on.'

She loves sharing a class with children from Poland, Lithuania and, of course, her Irish classmates.

Raghada's face cracks into a smile and she laughs a sweet, soft-glass laugh when she learns that shukran (A Syrian word meaning thank you sounds like siucra and of how geansai and the Syrian for jumper geansa sound alike).

They love being a part of a community of 12 Syrian families in New Ross and look forward to the arrival of a further two families in Rosbercon, across the water. After a 5,000km journey here, the Aljasims have found a place to be and a home in a county of a thousand welcomes.

Next week, we speak to those overseeing the integration programme in Co. WexfordThe Local Enterprise Office in Wexford will be one of 31 such offices across the country that will be involved in a new national communications live campaign called Making It Happen.

The campaign will be delivered through all media platforms and on social media and the focus of attention will be fixed on case studies examining three stages of business development: Pre-start; Start and Growth.

Commenting in the initiative in a report to members of the local authority the Chief Executive Officer of the County Council, Tom Enright, said: 'We will continue to work with Sarah Bohan in the Centre of Excellence to produce new case studies promoting enterprise in the county.'

The initiative is being run in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and is aimed at giving budding entrepreneurs the advice, support and help needed to take their business idea from initial concept to start-up.

The pre-start focus could prove very beneficial to people who have the basic idea for a business but are unsure how to get it off the ground.

The work done prior to start-up invariably affects the success or otherwise of many business ideas, however, once the business is up-and-running entrepreneurs need to be aware of how to maximise growth and how to identify potential opportunities to expand their business in a positive direction and that's where Making It Happen can make all the difference.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the campaign can log onto www.localenterprise.ie/wexford where a number of videos go through aspects of the campaign.BRIDGEPORT  There was no new information Friday about the body pulled from Bunnells Pond, frozen and unclothed, on Thursday morning.

Nothing new yet, said Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald Friday afternoon.

At 11:04 a.m., Bridgeport first responders and police units rushed to Bunnells Pond in Beardsley Park after a passerby called in a person in the water. Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Rolfe said firefighters found an unresponsive person in the water, and quickly pulled him out.

By 11:20 a.m., the person had been pulled from the water. Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The mans identity hasnt been released Friday and no autopsy results were available.

Police Chief Armando Perez said Thursday since the mans body was frozen when he was pulled from the water, the autopsy might take some time. Perez said Thursday the victim was a heavy-set African-American man. Police said the man appears to be middle-age(d).

Thursday, Perez said police were working to figure out what led to the mans death. He said the victim had a little blood on his clothes and there was a little blood near the shore where the man was found. But, Perez said, police did not immediately see any puncture wounds to have caused the blood.

Perez said though there were no indications of foul play, cause of death would be up to the medical examiner.

Temperatures hit single digits Wednesday night and hovered below freezing Thursday morning. It was unclear how long the man had been in the pond before the passerby called it in. It was also unclear whether he death was weather-related.

Bunnells Pond, which feeds into the Pequonnock River, has been the site of several dozen deaths, though most are drowning deaths during summer heat waves when people fall victim to strong undertows. The pond is next to the Beardsley Zoo. Boats are not allowed on the pond and swimming is not allowed. Signs indicate no swimming in the water.

Between 1930 and 1980, per decade, there were deaths in the double digits, found amateur historian Daniel Hearn, of Monroe, who did a study of Beardsley Park fatalities.FAIRFIELD Before a different audience, Bryan Ripley Crandalls morning-long writing workshop might have been considered a cure for writers block.

The objective in front of this audience of 77 Bridgeport middle school students was to inspire them to make a difference in their community.

The goal is to have kids realize that writing is empowerment, said Crandall, a professor at Fairfield University. About tapping into Martin Luther Kings legacy ... putting thoughts into action.

It was a fitting topic to cap off a three-day celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Jesuit campus.

Using the words of Martin Luther King and others, the students were challenged to write about what they know through a series of exercises.

They began by copying one of several King quotes, then listing all the words that quote brought to mind. Then they had to use the same amount of time to jot down a longer list.

They wrote lists of things they love and hate  or want to make better.

On the list of Ruhama Choudhury, a seventh-grader from Multicultural Magnet School, of things that need fixing was the American Education system.

There needs to be more focus on the present day, Choudhury said.

Pollution was one of the things on Batalla seventh-grader Elsa Nguyens list.

Janelle Newell, a Multicultural Magnet seventh-grader who last year competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, had pressure on her hate list. Also, people who doubt her  and who walk slowly in front of her.

After putting it all down on paper, the students worked on possible solutions before turning to yet another writing exercise by putting together a story using a series of random words and then another based on illustrations from a picture book.

Crandall, who heads the Connecticut Writing Project, told them there are power in words and encouraged them to write  and read  every day.

Other events on campus during the week, which carried the theme of Fighting for Racial Justice, included a keynote speech by historian Ibram X. Kendi and an awards dinner featuring winners of the Jesuit universitys annual MLK Essay contest. The theme was how they would change their community.

Choudhury won first prize in that essay contest.

Also at Fridays writing workshop were Jeff Brown, a Fairfield U alumni and first-year English teacher at Batalla School, and Anthony Dozier one of his students. Earlier in the week, the pair won an Action for Justice Award from the university.

Dozier, a seventh-grader, not only wrote an essay about his dream of stopping bullying at Batalla, he put his words into action by forming a club. That club is hosting a week-long series of antibullying events in March, Brown said.

He sprung into action, secured funding. Membership in his club is growing, Brown said. It is all student-driven.

Dozier said bullying at his school is an issue. Students call students names. He is trying to change it.

I want to make people see the error of their ways, Dozier said.

Many members in his club were with him on Friday. Others at the leadership conference included hand-picked middle school students from Claytor, Winthrop, Waltersville, Multicultural Magnet, Read and St. Augustine.

Some said this was their first time on a college campus.

Rony Delva, director of Upward Bound at Fairfield University, said this is the eighth year the university has hosted the youth leadership conference.

We want them to leave here as change agents, he said. When they see something going wrong at school, like bullying, we want them to stand up, use their voices.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeckAGAWAM, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Middle school students in Agawam were allowed to celebrate their last day of school with ice cream after all. The annual tradition was called into question Wednesday when an email to parents from school administrators said Friendlys would not be able to serve studein two informative and entertaining talks on fraud prevention systems, cyber security, hacking and recovery of stolen funds.

Juval Aviv, is a former Israeli counter intelligence officer and founder and CEO of Interfor Inc. His company investigates white collar crime, fraud and specializes in asset recovery. Aviv was a lead investigator on Enron, the WorldCom scandal and many more.

University of The Bahamas, Performing Arts Centre

Thursday, February 7, 2019, 6:30pm

Admission: FREE

The Island House, Lyford Cay

Friday, February 8, 2019, 6:30pm

Admission: $20

Visit Citizens for a Better Bahamas (CBB) web site here

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-Mail CBB.Weatherford, TX (76086)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 88F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph, becoming NNE and increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Washington, MO (63090)

Today

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Cooler. High 74F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.Beijing: China's secretive state security bureau has told the human rights lawyers hired by the family of detained blogger Yang Hengjun that the Australian has rejected their legal assistance.

Yang has had no contact with lawyers or family since he was detained arriving at Guangzhou airport on January 19 and placed under residential surveillance in a secret location.

Yang Hengjun has not spoken to his lawyers. Credit:Sanghee Liu

Beijing lawyer Shang Baojun said he and high-profile defence lawyer Mo Shaoping were told via phone on Friday afternoon by the Beijing State Security Bureau that Yang didn't want their services. They had formally applied to visit Yang on Monday and received no reply from the bureau all week.

"For the moment, we dont know if this message is true. If it is his own will, we will certainly respect it. But we dont know whether it is his own will," said Shang."Climate change is not only real - it is happening," Banks said in a statement outlining her reasons for taking on her erstwhile colleague, adding effective action was "an urgent imperative". Loading The emergence of these four independents may not be the end of it. Former Liberal leader John Hewson says "people are fed up with a government not doing anything on climate change", and expects more challengers to emerge. One Liberal source says a prime seat for similar candidates is Hughes, in southern Sydney, which is held by right-wing backbench Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who has regularly questioned climate science and led the charge to block climate action.

The seat of Hume, in central NSW, held by Angus Taylor - the current energy minister who has backed state support for new coal-fired power stations - is also ripe for a Liberal-leaning independent, the source says. "I'd be delighted if other other independents stood up," Yates says. "We're fighting for the future after all." Loading Meanwhile, those being challenged and Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself defended the government's track record on climate change action. Australia remained committed to the Paris goals - which would cut carbon emissions 26 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 - while Australia was in the midst of a record take-up of renewables, various ministers said. Abbott declared Steggall to be "the carbon tax candidate" - a line the Olympian skier says is "an old argument" and that debate has "moved on", given the price of renewable energy such as solar and wind have fallen so far.

National emissions, though, have been rising for four years, with the increase coinciding roughly with the Abbott government's axing of the carbon price. Australia was the first and only nation to make such a reverse. Then Environment Minister Greg Hunt congratulated by colleagues after the Abbott government succeed in scrapping the carbon price in 2014. Kelly O'Dwyer, Christopher Pyne, Peter Dutton and Mal Brough (back to the camera). Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Phelps says the tag of climate change independents is a "very relevant identifier" for the four challengers. "It is a strong motivator for each of us to stand for election and is high on each of our policy agendas," she says. "We all reflect the strongly held views of our electorates on this." Loading Surveys, such as the Lowy Institute's annual poll, have long found Australians overwhelmingly supported renewable energy, with a majority viewing climate change as a serious issue. That support may well be on the rise, particularly as weather extremes increase in intensity, frequency and duration - as scientists have been warning for decades.

This summer is on course to be the hottest for the country after December broke records for that month and January smashed all previous monthly records by a stunning one-degree margin. And a series of blistering heatwaves produced a whopping eight of the 10 warmest days ever registered in Australia in just a single month, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Another big fish kill surfaced this week on the Darling River at Menindee, possibly larger than the previous one just a fortnight earlier that left up to one million fish dead. Credit:Graeme McCrabb Add in the recent massive fish kills in the Darling River, the past week's bushfires in parts of Tasmania that may not have burnt for thousands of years, and months of images of drought in NSW and Queensland, and it's not unreasonable to think that concern about climate change is not about to subside. "A decade ago, a lot of the climate impacts were theoretical," says Tim Flannery, the palaeontologist and science communicator who helped raise the issue's profile during his stint at Australian of the Year in 2017. "It's now very much a part of people's lived experience." Flannery, who is now back at the Australian Museum, says he has helped Steggall with the "scientific phrases of the policy" on climate.

While the rise of the climate independents reflects "an ideological divide" that has split the Liberal party, there's more to that than just a rejection of ineffective climate action, Flannery says. Loading MPs from political parties typically "give up their right to autonomy", and often stay on out of self interest, he says. "The rise of the independents is a kind of rejection of that model ... There are no trade-offs for parties." Hewson, who says he didn't resign from the Liberals but simply stopped paying membership fees, says he told his party when an MP that he was "an Australian first, Liberal Party member second". To deny the science of climate change means "you forfeit the right to govern", whatever your political stripe, he says.Former prime minister Tony Abbott, his fundraising chief and several NSW Liberal MPs have been hosted by the Chinese Communist Partys top Australian lobbyists and propagandist, including several facing pressure to declare their Beijing connections on the nations new foreign influence register.

Mr Abbott, fundraiser John Caputo and state MPs John Sidoti and Mark Coure, were all VIP guests at a Chinese New Year function attended by Beijings highest ranking United Front affiliates in Australia.

Tony Abbott speaks at the Chinese New Year event. Credit:

The United Front Work Department is a unique agency overseen by the Chinese Communist Partys Central Committee and which leads the partys United Front operations aimed at influencing overseas Chinese and Western elites, including politicians, to back Beijings aims.

When Mr Abbott was informed by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald that associates of the United Front were at the event, he said: If I knew [United Front groups were there], I wouldnt have gone. The last thing I am is a patsy for the Chinese government.A 34-year-old man was injured and is lucky to be alive after a massive tree fell across a busy Sydney CBD road and footpath on Saturday evening, miraculously missing dozens of other pedestrians and resulting in the closure of York Street.

The 18-metre tall, 22-metre wide tree was assessed by experts just an hour before falling after reports the tree had started to "lean over", a City of Sydney council spokeswoman said.

The tree on York Street. Credit:Rhys Muldoon

About 6.15pm, NSW Ambulance received a call about the tree falling at the corner of York and Margaret streets at Wynyard.

"We have got one patient who got a glancing blow and we are treating him for a potentially fractured scapular or shoulder blade," NSW Ambulance inspector Giles Buchanan said, estimating the tree weighed "thousands of kilograms".After 10 years investing in the property Andres Vargas has keenly felt the market's sharp turn in the last 18 months.

He sold one house near Mt Druitt for a tidy profit last year and has now decided to sell his remaining Sydney investment in Green Valley, west of Liverpool.

Andres Vargas at his Green Valley property. Credit:James Alcock

"I got it valued at $619,000 by the bank when I was applying for my home loan a year and a half ago," Mr Vargas said. "I've now seen similar properties going up for sale for $540,000, so there is a clear 10 per cent drop there alone.

"It's quite scary. The longer I hold onto it, the more I'm losing."Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's medical yearbook page includes of photo of two men, one in blackface and Ku Klux Klan costumes. Northam initially said he was one of the two men, but has since retracted that, now saying he was not in the photo.Managing Editor

Delphine Luneau is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience. She was the editor of Suburban Life Media when its flagship was named best weekly in Illinois, and she has worked at papers in South Carolina, Indiana, Idaho and New York.Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.Washington, IN (47501)

Today

Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High 76F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 54F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.Critics of U.S. withdrawal from the treaty say that, despite Russias violation, the best way to keep Russian arms in check would be to negotiate while keeping the treaty intact. Trump administration officials say the treaty threatens U.S. national security by preventing the country from responding to missile threats, not just from Russia but also from China, which isnt a signatory to the INF Treaty.At first, the company will focus on the trade of food and medicine, which are not subject to U.S. sanctions. But experts say the trade channel could be the first crack in the U.S. dominance of the global financial system, which has for decades turbocharged Washingtons ability to impose sanctions on anyone who wants to zip dollars around the world.Rev. Rob White is the pastor and head of staff for First Presbyterian Church of Hernando. The church is in the midst of a visioning campaign effort to determine its future course and reach out to the greater community.We now control the agenda. Before, we had to almost beg to get them to even look at an issue that we were interested in, and even if it was something they were interested in, they would not necessarily let us present witnesses, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said of the Republicans.GOP strategists, who do not believe the country has moved along with the Democrats on many of these issues, say voters will recoil at this agenda in the general election. They see Democratic candidates as too narrowly focused on the partys progressive base, rather than worrying about a message and ideas that would appeal to a broader general election electorate. Candidates, however, know they cant beat Trump without winning the nomination, and that includes catering to the liberal wing of the party. So first things first  but at some potential cost.But the New York measure does loosen the rules on later term abortions. It includes a section that allows abortions after 24 weeks when the life or health of the mother is threatened. The previous law barred the procedure unless the life of the mother was in jeopardy. The new measure also decriminalized abortions, moving the regulations from the criminal code to the health code.It contradicts an American creed, embraced by many believers in this nation under God, best captured by John F. Kennedy at the close of his inaugural address: Let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth Gods work must truly be our own.But their reaction to Northam shows that Democrats wont excuse in fellow partisans behavior (even 35 years distant) they condemn in Trump acolytes such as Corey A. Stewart (a pal of white supremacists, who had Trumps backing in his unsuccessful GOP Senate bid in Virginia) and DeSantis (who won despite telling voters not to monkey this up by electing his African American opponent). Hopefully, Republicans, in small gestures such as their belated denunciation of King, are beginning to think about purging the greater poison Trump has injected into their party.Not disputing the unsolved homicide total, Newsham said police often have an idea who the perpetrator might be, but dont have sufficient evidence to make an arrest. Their alternative, he said, is to keep watch. I stress to my officers, and to the public, Newsham said, that the only thing we can do as a department is to do our best to close the case.The politics of reform have proved intractable, however, with discord among affected interest groups so sharp that they have prevented even a unified Republican government from pushing through a bill over the past two years. The latest stir was caused by leaked remarks last month from Joseph Otting, Fannie and Freddies acting regulator, who suggested at an internal agency meeting that the Trump administration was about to propose a plan to end government control. Some on Wall Street interpreted that to mean the administration would return Fannie and Freddie to their existing shareholders, who are now mostly hedge funds that purchased the entities beaten-down stock after the crash and have been agitating for this form of privatization ever since. This is the one proposal that policymakers should rule out once and for all: It would hand a windfall to speculators while resurrecting the old, failed business model that enabled Fannie and Freddie to gamble for maximum private profits, with taxpayers on the hook for losses.There is a precedent for this historical moment. In the 1920s and 1930s, democratic governments suddenly found themselves challenged by radio, the new information technology of its time. Radios early stars included Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin: The technology could clearly be used to provoke anger and violence. But was there a way to marshal it for the purposes of democracy instead? One answer was the British Broadcasting Corp., the BBC, which was designed from the beginning to reach all parts of the country, to inform, educate and entertain and to join people together, not in a single set of opinions but in the kind of single national conversation that made democracy possible. Another set of answers was found in the United States, where journalists accepted a regulatory framework, a set of rules about libel law and a public process that determined who could get a radio license.Former South Korean governor convicted of sex abuse: A South Korean appeals court sentenced a former provincial governor to 3 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing his secretary, in the highest-profile conviction yet from investigations triggered by the country's growing #MeToo movement. A Seoul High Court official said Ahn Hee-jung was found guilty on most counts after being accused of molestation, sexual assault and abuse of authority. Ahn, 54, had been considered a possible presidential candidate, and was a runner-up to current President Moon Jae-in in the ruling party's presidential primary in April 2017. But he stepped down as governor of South Chungcheong province last March amid public anger over allegations of sexual abuse raised by his then-secretary, Kim Ji-eun.In what was, so far, the best baseball game of the week, the Jaguars pulled their 33rd win out of the fire and salvaged a gem of a start from their star pitcher.Yet even with access to sex therapists, sex counselors and treatments, Lukaart said she still felt frustrated with the relative lack of data regarding hormone use for someone like her with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer  which about 80 percent of all breast cancer patients have, according to the National Cancer Institute. This type of the disease causes cancer cells to grow in response to the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Hormone treatments that are standard for dryness usually cannot be used after this time of cancer. And over-the-counter remedies didnt seem to help Lukaart.Bains is one of about 30 trained academic detailers, as they call themselves, who will be knocking on doctors doors for the next year, deploying their knowledge about drugs and their people skills to provide the best evidence about how to treat pain. Aetna will measure how well the intervention works and could expand it to other states  or to other health problems, such as overuse of antibiotics.Todays Headlines

The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyNAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson: We are deeply disappointed in Gov. Ralph Northam decision to not resign today. His failure to take accountability for his actions is sickening. He says he used shoe polish on his face to mimic Michael Jackson, yet denies he ever used Black face. This is unacceptable for any leader. He contradicts his earlier decision to admit responsibility to now say he had nothing to do with the photo. Implicit bias is bias, and its clear that someone who cannot distinguish from using shoe polish on his face to imitate a Black person clearly suffers from this or is delusional. This image is example of the historical effects of institutional racism and the lack of awareness of the discrimination against of Black people. Racism of any kind cannot be excused nor overlooked. We stand by our call for his resignation. He will now have to answer to his constituents in Virginia who will find it difficult to make peace with his choice.The photo, which shows one person in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan garb, spurred calls from national and state Democrats, black leaders and Republicans for Northam to step down. Northam apologized for the photo after it surfaced on social media Friday, but Saturday he said that he did not believe he was in the photo and thought it had been included on his yearbook page by accident.By Barri Bronston

30 January 2019

(Tulane University)  A new Tulane University study questions the reliability of how sea-level rise in low-lying coastal areas such as southern Louisiana is measured and suggests that the current method underestimates the severity of the problem. The research is the focus of a news article published this week in the journal Science.

Relative sea-level rise, which is a combination of rising water level and subsiding land, is traditionally measured using tide gauges. But researchers Molly Keogh and Torbjorn Tornqvist argue that in coastal Louisiana, tide gauges tell only a part of the story.

Tide gauges in such areas are anchored an average of 20 meters into the earth rather than at the ground surface. As a result, tide gauges do not record subsidence occurring in the shallow subsurface and thus underestimate rates of relative sea-level rise, said Keogh, a fifth-year PhD student and lead author of the study.

This study shows that we need to completely rethink how we measure sea-level rise in rapidly subsiding coastal lowlands said Tornqvist, Vokes Geology Professor in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering.

The study, published in the open-access journal Ocean Science, says that while tide gauges can accurately measure subsidence that occurs below their foundations, they miss out on the shallow subsidence component. With at least 60 percent of subsidence occurring in the top 5 meters of the sediment column, tide gauges are not capturing the primary contributor to relative sea-level rise.

An alternative approach is to measure shallow subsidence using surface-elevation tables, inexpensive mechanical instruments that record surface elevation change in wetlands. Coastal Louisiana already has a network of more than 300 of these instruments in place. These data can then be combined with measurements of deep subsidence from GPS data and satellite measurements of sea-level rise, Keogh said.

Rates of relative sea-level rise obtained from this approach are substantially higher than rates as inferred from tide-gauge data. We therefore conclude that low-elevation coastal zones may be at higher risk of flooding, and within a shorter time horizon, than previously assumed, Keogh said.She said the research has implications for coastal communities across the globe.

Around the world, communities in low-lying coastal areas may be more vulnerable to flooding than we realized. This has implications for coastal management, city planners and emergency planners. They are planning based on a certain timeline, and if sea level is rising faster than what they are planning on, thats going to be a problem.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Tulane study says seas may be rising faster than thought

ABSTRACT: Although tide gauges are the primary source of data used to calculate multi-decadal- to century-scale rates of relative sea-level change, we question the usefulness of tide-gauge data in rapidly subsiding low-elevation coastal zones (LECZs). Tide gauges measure relative sea-level rise (RSLR) with respect to the base of associated benchmarks. Focusing on coastal Louisiana, the largest LECZ in the United States, we find that these benchmarks (n=35) are anchored an average of 21.5 m below the land surface. Because at least 60 % of subsidence occurs in the top 5 m of the sediment column in this area, tide gauges in coastal Louisiana do not capture the primary contributor to RSLR. Similarly, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) stations (n=10) are anchored an average of > 14.3 m below the land surface and therefore also do not capture shallow subsidence. As a result, tide gauges and GNSS stations in coastal Louisiana, and likely in LECZs worldwide, systematically underestimate rates of RSLR as experienced at the land surface. We present an alternative approach that explicitly measures RSLR in LECZs with respect to the land surface and eliminates the need for tide-gauge data in this context. Shallow subsidence is measured by rod surface-elevation tablemarker horizons (RSET-MHs) and added to measurements of deep subsidence from GNSS data, plus sea-level rise from satellite altimetry. We show that for an LECZ the size of coastal Louisiana (25 00030 000 km2), about 40 RSET-MH instruments suffice to collect useful data. Rates of RSLR obtained from this approach are substantially higher than rates as inferred from tide-gauge data. We therefore conclude that LECZs may be at higher risk of flooding within a shorter time horizon than previously assumed.

Measuring rates of present-day relative sea-level rise in low-elevation coastal zones: a critical evaluationHer talent and passion for the traditional art form brought her to the Vietnamese Cheo Theatre when she was 15. Hoai said that she was lucky enough to receive thorough training from Cheo masters at the theatre, equipping herself with standard singing and performing techniques.

With her beautiful voice and her love for singing as well as the hands-on instruction from Cheo masters, Hoai graduated from the theatre three years later with a distinctive decree for her excellent role as character Suy Van in the classical play Kim Nham.

Since then, Hoai has established her fame through other popular Cheo plays such as Tu Thuc Gap Tien (Tu Thuc Meets a Fairy), Kieu O Lau Ngung Bich (Kieu at Ngung Bich pavilion), and Quan Am Thi Kinh (Goddess of Mercy), among others.

According to Hoai, although Cheo is a folklore art form with similarities to other traditional arts practice such as chau van (spiritual singing), and hat xam (blind buskers singing), it is important to distinguish out the tone and personality of the character.

Throughout her veteran career Hoai has taken many roles in numerous plays, but the most memorable one for her is Giang Huong in the play Tu Thuc Gap Tien (Tu Thuc Meets a Fairy), which helped her earn a gold medal at the National Cheo Festival in 1990.

Not only practicing Cheo, Hoai has also kept herself learning other art forms such as ca tru (ceremonial singing), chau van (spiritual singing), hat xam (blind buskers singing), Quan Ho (love duet) singing, and poetry recital, gaining certain appreciation from the public in these genres.

Hoai has won numerous awards and accolades during her career, including six gold and four silver at arts competitions and festivals across the country. She has also shined at international festivals, including taking the grand prize at the International Folk Music Festival in Guangzhou (China), and the Golden Bell award at the International Folk Music Festival in Beijing (China).

In recognition of her contributions to Vietnamese traditional music, Hoai was awarded the Meritorious Artist title in 1992 and Peoples Artist title in 2007.

At the age of 70, Hoai continues to work passionately and devotedly to hand down her experience and passion to her younger colleagues. She is currently working as a lecturer at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema and as a singing instructor at the Voice of Vietnam. She is also an active member of the Dong Kinh Co Nhac (Ancient Music Group of Tonkin), which gathers many celebrated artists of various folk genres.

Throughout her 50 years following Cheo career, Hoai has made significant contributions to preserving and promoting Vietnams traditional art forms and encouraging the love and responsibility to safeguard the national culture among younger artists.Bowyer was convicted of second-degree murder last year for the fatal collision outside the Amish market in Upper Marlboro on Feb. 13, 2017. Bowyers daughter reported she had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend the evening before and McKinnon, 21, had been at the scene, according to court testimony. The morning after the assault, Bowyer was driving through a neighborhood with his daughter and they spotted McKinnon as he got into an SUV with Parks-Jones.McDuffie said it can take up to six months for someone to get into Pathways, and he said enrollment should be immediate. Weve got to lay out a better plan before we get into the summer, he said.The poster, Sarita Herald, of Oxon Hill, continued, Our Family is experiencing loss like no other. We need your prayers for comfort peace strength and stability at this time. Id like to (thank) those who have expressed their condolences and ask that you continue to pray for us . . . My heart is broken.At the time I thought that I was exposing an injustice that occurred in the United States during the Progressive era, he reflected years later, in a 2008 preface to a revised version of his work. I simply hoped [it] would be published; I had no way of knowing the impact that it would have on scores of students and general readers as well as the contribution it would provide to the development of a more professional analysis of the American, and especially the Southern, Jewish past.The newspaper reports that state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) filed the bill, which says the right to a free press is threatened in the United States and around the world by acts of violence and dangerous, irresponsible rhetoric.Chief Mike Petyo says his decision to leave has nothing to do with the scandal that has enveloped his department in recent weeks. He is going back to work for a department in Delaware, where he and his family still live.In an interview, he said he understood the judges reasoning, saying it paralleled the Supreme Courts divided ruling over the summer upholding the administrations third attempt at a travel ban. The high court majority ruled the ban was within President Trumps authority because its text does not mention religion, despite his rhetoric toward Muslims.By Jonathan Amos

31 January 2019

(BBC News)  Colonisation of the Americas at the end of the 15th Century killed so many people, it disturbed Earths climate.

Thats the conclusion of scientists from University College London, UK.

The team says the disruption that followed European settlement led to a huge swathe of abandoned agricultural land being reclaimed by fast-growing trees and other vegetation.

This pulled down enough carbon dioxide (CO) from the atmosphere to eventually chill the planet.

Its a cooling period often referred to in the history books as the Little Ice Age  a time when winters in Europe would see the Thames in London regularly freeze over.

The Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas led to the abandonment of enough cleared land that the resulting terrestrial carbon uptake had a detectable impact on both atmospheric CO and global surface air temperatures, Alexander Koch and colleagues write in their paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

The team reviewed all the population data it could find on how many people were living in the Americas prior to first contact with Europeans in 1492.

It then assessed how the numbers changed in following decades as the continents were ravaged by introduced disease (smallpox, measles, etc.), warfare, slavery, and societal collapse.

Its the UCL groups estimate that 60 million people were living across the Americas at the end of the 15th Century (about 10% of the worlds total population), and that this was reduced to just five or six million within a hundred years.

The scientists calculated how much land previously cultivated by indigenous civilisations would have fallen into disuse, and what the impact would be if this ground was then repossessed by forest and savannah. The area is in the order of 56 million hectares, close in size to a modern country like France.

This scale of regrowth is figured to have drawn down sufficient CO that the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere eventually fell by 7-10ppm (that is 7-10 molecules of CO in every one million molecules in the air).

To put that in the modern context  we basically burn (fossil fuels) and produce about 3ppm per year. So, were talking a large amount of carbon thats being sucked out of the atmosphere, explained co-author Prof Mark Maslin.

There is a marked cooling around that time (1500s/1600s) which is called the Little Ice Age, and whats interesting is that we can see natural processes giving a little bit of cooling, but actually to get the full cooling  double the natural processes  you have to have this genocide-generated drop in CO. []

Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at Reading University, was not involved in the study. He commented: Scientists understand that the so-called Little Ice Age was caused by several factors  a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, a series of large volcanic eruptions, changes in land use and a temporary decline in solar activity. This new study demonstrates that the drop in CO is itself partly due the settlement of the Americas and resulting collapse of the indigenous population, allowing regrowth of natural vegetation. It demonstrates that human activities affected the climate well before the industrial revolution began. []

There is a lot of talk around negative emissions approaches and using tree-planting to take CO out of the atmosphere to mitigate climate change, he told BBC News. And what we see from this study is the scale of whats required, because the Great Dying resulted in an area the size of France being reforested and that gave us only a few ppm. This is useful; it shows us what reforestation can do. But at the same, that kind of reduction is worth perhaps just two years of fossil fuel emissions at the present rate. [more]

America colonisation cooled Earths climate

ABSTRACT: Human impacts prior to the Industrial Revolution are not well constrained. We investigate whether the decline in global atmospheric CO2 concentration by 710 ppm in the late 1500s and early 1600s which globally lowered surface air temperatures by 0.15C, were generated by natural forcing or were a result of the large-scale depopulation of the Americas after European arrival, subsequent land use change and secondary succession. We quantitatively review the evidence for (i) the pre-Columbian population size, (ii) their per capita land use, (iii) the post-1492 population loss, (iv) the resulting carbon uptake of the abandoned anthropogenic landscapes, and then compare these to potential natural drivers of global carbon declines of 710 ppm. From 119 published regional population estimates we calculate a pre-1492 CE population of 60.5 million (interquartile range, IQR 44.878.2 million), utilizing 1.04 ha land per capita (IQR 0.981.11). European epidemics removed 90% (IQR 8792%) of the indigenous population over the next century. This resulted in secondary succession of 55.8 Mha (IQR 39.078.4 Mha) of abandoned land, sequestering 7.4 Pg C (IQR 4.910.8 Pg C), equivalent to a decline in atmospheric CO2 of 3.5 ppm (IQR 2.35.1 ppm CO2). Accounting for carbon cycle feedbacks plus LUC outside the Americas gives a total 5 ppm CO2 additional uptake into the land surface in the 1500s compared to the 1400s, 4767% of the atmospheric CO2 decline. Furthermore, we show that the global carbon budget of the 1500s cannot be balanced until large-scale vegetation regeneration in the Americas is included. The Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas resulted in a human-driven global impact on the Earth System in the two centuries prior to the Industrial Revolution.CONCLUSION: We estimate that 55 million indigenous people died following the European conquest of the Americas beginning in 1492. This led to the abandonment and secondary succession of 56 million hectares of land. We calculate that this led to an additional 7.4 Pg C being removed from the atmosphere and stored on the land surface in the 1500s. This was a change from the 1400s of 9.9 Pg C (5 ppm CO2). Including feedback processes this contributed between 47% and 67% of the 1522 Pg C (710 ppm CO2) decline in atmospheric CO2 between 1520 CE and 1610 CE seen in Antarctic ice core records. These changes show that the Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas is necessary for a parsimonious explanation of the anomalous decrease in atmospheric CO2 at that time and the resulting decline in global surface air temperatures. These changes show that human actions had global impacts on the Earth system in the centuries prior to the Industrial Revolution. Our results also show that this aspect of the Columbian Exchange  the globalisation of diseases  had global impacts on the Earth system, key evidence in the calls for the drop in atmospheric CO2 at 1610 CE to mark the onset of the Anthropocene epoch (Lewis and Maslin, 2015, 2018). We conclude that the Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas led to the abandonment of enough cleared land in the Americas that the resulting terrestrial carbon uptake had a detectable impact on both atmospheric CO2 and global surface air temperatures in the two centuries prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Earth system impacts of the European arrival and Great Dying in the Americas after 1492Deputy Inspector General Sandra D. Bruce has been serving as acting inspector general since Dec. 1, following the retirement of Kathleen S. Tighe. Bruce was automatically elevated to the top spot after it became vacant, but the White House had planned to name its own person to act in the role until Trump selected someone for the post permanently, an appointment requiring Senate confirmation.Cannon and Cutting, a junior at Radford, were close. They were members of the campus Latino Student Alliance and traveled together last year to Cancun, Mexico. Cannon shared photos with Cutting on her Instagram and Facebook accounts, calling Cutting her best friend. Unimaginably she still puts up with me and now were living together next year . . . love you more Lu and everyone pray that we dont kill each other this year, read Cannons caption for an Instagram photo of the two that was posted March 28.The new indictment from federal prosecutors offers a detailed account of how they say Scott plundered Organization A for her personal benefit, including using the entitys debit cards and checks for more than $18,000 of personal expenses such as clothing, beauty supplies, a vacation and financial support for a ministry she ran.Melissa Fries was the obstetrician who shared the teenagers story at that earlier hearing. She said she had counted how many women had died in the 11 years she had worked at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where she served as chair of Womens and Infants Services. The number, she said, was 17. She described the teenager as one who stood out to her.As much as the subject of JQA would seem a natural for Washington theatergoers  and Arena Stage an apt partner, with its long-term Power Plays initiative, commissioning issue- and politically oriented dramas  its risky new terrain for Posner. Thats one of the reasons the project seems so enticing. A new play by a dramatist who lives and works here, on a topic of homegrown resonance, is a venture worth going out of ones way to encourage. The very idea of taking as its central subject a president remembered mostly for being the son of a more famous one (John Adams) feels full of dramatic possibility: The consignment to obscurity can have its tragic dimension. And if JQA is to be an eternal footnote, one wonders how small a chapter, by comparison, will be filled by the politicians of today?Neel Bhatt, a UW assistant professor of otolaryngology, specializes in treating patients with voice problems. Through his work, he began to realize people did not like the sound of their own voices. With the transition to school over Zoom, many students can relate to the discomfort of hearinLINCOLN -- The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission urges anglers to use caution while ice fishing across the state.

Some areas of the state have experienced above normal temperatures during the past week. Those high temperatures, combined with strong winds, opened up areas on lakes in many places. Subsequent cold temperatures capped some of these areas with ice, making for unsafe conditions with only 1 to 2 inches of ice. The minimum ice thickness for supporting one person is at least 4 inches of clear, solid ice.

In addition, on some waters, springs have also started opening up areas. Ice thickness reports have been very variable, with some lakes across the sandhills of Nebraska having 50 to 80 percent open water.

Anglers are reminded to take safety precautions. If venturing out, anglers should check ice with a spud bar or auger frequently. Anglers also should carry a pair of ice picks, a throwable flotation device and a rope, and should consider wearing a life jacket. Anglers should fish with a partner. More information about ice fishing and safety on the ice is available at OutdoorNebraska.org.Lubbock, TX (79409)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 81F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 60F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.As Texans, we have big expectations. Such expectations should include providing an excellent education for our children. Various metrics compare how well states educate their students. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016 only nine states spent less money per student than Texas, ranking us 41st. Also in 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Texas 33rd in educational performance.

When considering these facts, only one word should come to mind: unacceptable. Even though Texas educators manage more duties and responsibilities with less, parents raising children in Texas should be deeply embarrassed.

As the legislative session gets underway, many of our states leaders have expressed a greater interest in committing more money to our public schools. But dont be fooled by proposals which only limit the growth of property taxes in the state without having adequate revenue attached to it. Your taxes will still increase and our education system will have even less money with which to work.

Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed an early childhood development initiative. The Texas House has recommended an additional $9 billion for public school finance. These are both encouraging signs the state is serious about improving the educational outcomes of our children. But you must help. Your senator and representative need to hear from you.

Encourage them to do two things: First, increase per-student public education funding. Second, fix the school funding formula to balance the states share of the partnership to provide real property-tax relief. School finance reform is imperative. Our public education system should be a source of pride, reflecting the greatness of our state.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley has practiced public accounting for more than 20 years. He has served on his school board and as county judge since 2007.Linda Lee Olson

1948 - 2019

Linda Lee Olson died Saturday, January 18, at Providence Hospital in Waco, following a series of health challenges. A memorial service honoring her life was held Friday, February 1, at her church, Lake Shore Baptist, 5801 Bishop Drive.

Linda celebrated her birthday on March 17. She was born in the Chicago area in 1948. She graduated from Tinley Park High School in Tinley Park, Illinois.

She moved to Texas from California in 1980 with her daughter, Geva, and her son, Bruce, who were both young children at the time. She graduated from McLennan Community College with her associate degree in Mental Health Counseling and worked at DePaul Center. Her love and passion for children led to her owning and operating a home daycare.

She joined Lake Shore Baptist Church in June 2007 where she volunteered in the Food Pantry, registering clients, every Thursday morning for years.

Linda was known for wearing fun, bold, and bright colors. Those who attended the service wore bright colors in celebration of her life.

Linda is survived by her daughter, Geva Joseph and husband, Rev. Shawn Joseph, of Los Angeles, California, and their children, Aliyyah, Julius, and Amirah; son, Bruce Olson and wife, Robin, and their children, Kiera and Aiden of Waco; two other grandsons, Christopher and Zachary of Waco.Americans' love for their pets is apparent in dog parks and grooming parlors, on cat videos and pet food price tags. But just how many pets we love is less clear.

Google the U.S. pet population, and you're quickly confronted with two oft-cited, and contradictory, sources. The American Pet Products Association found that 68 percent of U.S. households owned some sort of pet in 2016 - "equal to the highest level ever reported," it gushed in the executive summary. Among those pets were about 90 million dogs and 94 million cats, the group said.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, by contrast, recently reported that 57 percent of households had a pet at the end of 2016, a figure the group characterized as having only "inched up" from its previous survey in 2011. The overall pet population, AVMA said, included 77 million dogs and 58 million cats - significantly lower than what the pet trade group cited.

These dueling digits matter nothing to the kitties and doggies that occupy our sofas and our hearts. But they're important to many humans. Pet companies want to how much they might be able to sell. Veterinarians need to know how many patients to expect, and veterinary schools must determine enrollment numbers and course offerings. Whether people own pets can influence where they decide to live, or even whether they have children.Texas Attorney General's Office officials searched a North Waco home Thursday and arrested a man on multiple possession and promotion of child pornography charges.

Investigators with the state's child exploitation unit got a search warrant and raided the home in the 900 block of N. 10th Street on Thursday morning and arrested Brian Evan Hutchins, 47, of Waco.

At least nine images of child pornography were found on electronic devices at the home, the search warrant states.

According to the AG's office, Hutchins "confessed to possessing, viewing and sharing child pornography" on the day of the raid. Investigators seized digital devices to be examined by the AG's digital forensics unit and also seized children's underwear, the warrant states.

Hutchins was arrested on two second-degree felony charges of promotion of child pornography and three third-degree felony charges of possession of child pornography. He remained in McLennan County Jail on Friday with bond listed at $45,000.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.An individual instance of such misconduct might be troubling, but the collective impact of his rule-flaunting creates a toxic environment that is quite detrimental to the (Center of Excellences) important work for veterans, the letter alleges.

DeBeers complaint alleges Russell has misused VA resources to benefit his wife and daughter, a contestant in the Miss Teen International Pageant.

Russell approved Center of Excellence staff to volunteer for and participate in events on VA time at the Veterans One Stop, of which his wife was then director. He told staff that attending such events on VA time and off-time is the way to get promoted, the letter alleges.

He authorized the entire Center of Excellence staff at VA expense to attend a July 2016 event at the One Stop, with the stated purpose of being seen by elected officials. He granted comp time to his staff to work a booth on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at a One Stop fundraising event.

Russell was regularly at the Veterans One Stop on VA time and authorized a VA van to take his staff to an event at the One Stop, which violates VA rules concerning use of government vehicles, the letter alleges.Theyre like a best friend to you, she said. Its sad to have to let him go tomorrow, but Ive had to do it a lot.

Traditionally, Paisleys mother, Misty, helps her put on her lucky purple lipstick before the show. It is actually her mothers lipstick. Paisley said she needs her mothers help or else she would have lipstick all over her face. Then Paisley steels herself for the show.

Before I go in, Im never nervous, because if Im nervous, then the steer gets nervous and wont behave, she said. I always have a serious look on my face, too. Its fun, but I take it seriously.

At the county show, she takes the steer for a big lap and sets him up for a rear view. The judge then looks over the steer before Paisley brings him to the wall, parades the steer around again and shows his profile. All the while, the judge is examining the steer for any structural deficiencies, such as a limp.

Paisley only allows herself to get nervous before the judge picks the top two steers.

You never know whats going to happen, she said.

At the end, the judge spanks the steers rear and says, Youll be champion steer! Thats what happened to Havana on Thursday.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.U.S. attorneys in Alabama, Jay E. Town, Louis V. Franklin, Sr. and Richard W. Moore, announced a new initiative on Friday to protect law enforcement.

The initiative comes after nine officers were killed in the line of duty in the first month of 2019. Two of those were killed in Alabama.

Jay Town, the U.S. attorney for the northern district, said they're going to work on getting the community to participate in the process to help get violent criminals off the street. The attorneys promised to do anything in their power to get anyone who commits a crime against police the harshest punishment possible.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office said this will hopefully stop all agencies from being disrespected on the streets.

"I think in my career at the sheriff's office over 25 years, I've seen changes in the climate. The people that are not in law enforcement and the way that they react," said Lt. Donny Shaw with the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

The attorneys said they are also going to continue to provide federal resources to local agencies to help them fight crime and receive the best training possible. This will, hopefully, prevent more deaths from happening.

"Of course we take all deaths seriously, but whenever it's one of our brothers or sisters, it hits home a little closer," said Shaw.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office said it appreciates the support and looks forward to continued support in the future. U.S. Attorney Jay Town said a big part of the initiative is getting victims and witness to cooperate with law enforcement.

Just this week, Huntsville police said they had three separate instances of people being shot, and all three victims didn't want to cooperate with police.WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is pulling the plug on a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, accusing Moscow of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with "impunity" by deploying banned missiles.

Moscow denies it is in violation and has accused Washington of resisting its efforts to resolve the dispute.

Trump's decision reflects his administration's view that the arms treaty was an unacceptable obstacle to more forcefully confronting not only Russia but also China.

The move announced Friday sets the stage for delicate talks with U.S. allies over potential new American missile deployments.

Democrats in Congress and some arms control advocates criticized Trump's decision as opening the door to an arms race.We unfortunately had to disrupt traffic in the area during the incident, but the ultimate safety of the citizens in the area and those on the scene required it, McLaughlin said in the statement. I am proud of the actions of the members of our office and very appreciative of the assistance provided by the Virginia State Police and New Kent Fire-Rescue.Friday afternoon, businesses were bustling near Redstone Arsenal, just five days after the government shutdown ended.

At El Coyote restaurant, the manager, Martha Ortega, said she's seeing about 50 more customers a day. Though it's welcoming news, she might have to take drastic measures if there's another shutdown.

"Okay, finally the numbers are increasing, so I'm not hurting to pay my employees," said Martha Ortega.

She said Friday's lunch hour brought a line wrapped around the door. She said it's been that way all week, ever since government employees were able to go back to work.

"A lot of our customers are apart of the arsenal, so even on a holiday when they're closed, we feel like we should close, too, because that's our customer," said Martha Ortega.

The 35-day shutdown was the longest in U.S. history and as it drew on, Ortega was able to barely scrape by.

"I didn't want to lay off my employees, you know, say like ... we're slow, you're going to have to go home, because they're living from paycheck to paycheck," said Martha Ortega.

But if there's a second shutdown, she says she might have to let some employees go.

"We're just anxious right now. We're excited to have everybody back, but we're anxious to know what's going to happen," said Ortega.

For now, she's happy to find her usual customers back in their seats.

On Friday, President Trump said there's a good chance he'll declare a national emergency and bypass Congress to get funding for a border wall, ultimately avoiding a shutdown.The Limestone County Sheriffs Office responded to a complaint filed with the U.S. Labor Department.

An employee filed the complaint about having to work without pay and the federal government found two violations.

WAAY 31 learned how changes are now being made at the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office told WAAY 31 there was no intentional wrongdoing, but theyll be taking extra steps in the future to make sure no other employee feels theyve been forced to work without pay.

We have a lot of employees who constantly want to contribute any way they can, internally and externally, to the community," said Deputy Stephen Young with the Limestone County Sheriff's Office.

When it comes to the overall work ethic at the sheriffs office, Young says theyve got the hardest working employees.

Thats really a good problem to have. Its a real blessing," he said.

However, one employee felt they were being required to work without compensation and so they filed a complaint with the Department of Labor.

That complaint was in regards to the annual sheriffs rodeo. The employee felt some people were required to work the event without pay.

Young says participating in the rodeo is not mandatory, but it is an opportunity for employees to get involved in the community.

However, after investigating, the Department of Labor found that the rodeo did not meet their definition of "volunteering."

Another part of the complaint was about deputies doing patrol worklike filing arrest warrantswhile off-duty, which the Department of Labor determined to be another violation.

The sheriff's office settled the case for about $50,000. That amount will be distributed among 126 employees.

Young says they've never asked employees to work without getting paid, but moving forward, they will make sure that proper paperwork is always filled out and submitted.

"Were going to have to ensure that we remind people that all of those opportunitiesespecially outside of workare just that, and that thats voluntary," Young said.

Its unclear when the complaint was filed to the Department of Labor, but it covers the time period between May 1, 2016 and April 30, 2018.

The Limestone County Commission will vote on the settlement at their next meeting. If its approved, affected employees will receive checks from the county commission by March 4th.On Friday, health officials told WAAY 31 they believe a Hepatitis A outbreak in North Alabama is contained to Jackson and DeKalb counties.

Jackson and DeKalb counties are still at risk, and officials say people need to be aware and take precautions. They say it doesn't look like cases have spread to other counties.

Since our last update in January, the Alabama Department of Health has given out hundreds of vaccinations to at-risk populations, including the homeless and people who use illegal drugs. A pharmacy owner in Section said he's given out 80 vaccinations in the last month and 30 of those qualified as free through the state.

Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Health said data is still filing in, but they're doing what they can to keep the number of Hepatitis A cases down.

"By increasing our surveillance of cases as well as increasing our vaccine effort, these are both proactive measures by the part of the Alabama Department of Public Health, who can hopefully reduce this outbreak and keep it very very small," said Landers.

The incubation period for Hepatitis A can be anywhere from two to six weeks, making it difficult to know if their efforts are making a difference. Hepatitis A is passed person-to-person and is curable.

People who contract the virus don't suffer life-long problems, like in some other forms of hepatitis. Officials say it's 100 percent preventable.MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A federal judge says a Muslim inmate's scheduled execution can proceed and ruled that Alabama does not need to let the inmate have an imam there.

U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins on Friday denied a stay requested by Dominique Ray.

The 42-year-old inmate is scheduled to be executed Feb. 7 for the 1995 fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Tiffany Harville.

Ray says his religious rights are being violated because the state has a Christian prison chaplain present at lethal injections, but will not let him have an imam.

Watkins said for security reasons the state can limit death chamber access to prison employees.

He ordered the state to keep the prison chaplain out of the chamber during Ray's execution. The state already said it was willing to do so.Russian Doll The Way Out Season 1 Episode 7 Editors Rating 5 stars * * * * *  Previous Next  Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Hey, quick question: Who heard that Amy Poehler was making a show with Orange is the New Black comic-relief provider Nicky Nichols and rom-com filmmaker Leslye Headland and accurately predicted, Ooh, thatll be fun right up until it turns into the motherfucking Shining?!?!

Next question: Can I write WTF a few hundred times and call it a recap? It would be accurate; I really did scrawl WTF in my notes whenever Younger Nadia appeared out of nowhere like one of the goddamned Grady twins. (Even when scare-inducing us and Nadia into a heart attack, Russian Doll sticks by its literary motifs; Younger Nadias out here in these loops looking to be made metaphysically whole, like a twin looking for its other.)

Before I delve further into What the Fuck, lets start with Just the Facts. Adult Nadia has figured out a few things about how time loops function. After spending three-ish hours obsessing over What the Fuck their operating principles are, I am as eager as Alan is to hear Nadias take.

The loops started, she believes, after she and Alan neglected to help each other that first night at the bodega, which led to him jumping off a building and her getting hit by a car. While Alan sees this as proof that theyre being punished by a morally guided universe, amoral game developer Nadia simply sees it as a coding glitch. The crashing is just a symptom of a bug in the code. If the deaths are us crashing, then that moment is the bug we need to go and fix, she explains. When Alan presses that their inaction must be a moral issue, Nadia counters, What do time and morality have in common? Relativity  Weve been experiencing time differently in these loops. Somewhere, linear time as we used to understand it still exists. She illustrates her point by slicing open a rotten orange (again, Russian Doll sticks by its literary motifs) to reveal its still-fresh interior.

They hatch a plan: Go back to the deli and rewrite their first interaction. Cool, sounds like a great idea and Im so chuffed that Nadia basically confirmed my hypotheses about time on this show and 

GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH WTFWTFWTFWTFWTF.

Yes, that is how much I freaked out at Younger Nadia standing ramrod in the middle of the sidewalk, staring down Adult Nadia with a pitch-perfect spooky-possessed face. And she was so cute in the opening flashback!

A few things about the opening flashback: 1) Playing Nadias mother or anybody else, Chloe Sevigny is a goddess who can do no wrong and Natasha Lyonnes real-life BFF. 2) Note that she tells Young Nadia, This is the day we get free, which makes no sense until later. 3) Of course the moms compulsions manifest as a watermelon/bodega spree. Motifs! 4) The flashback takes place in 1991, yet its scored to When in Romes The Promise  a late-80s hit. Because nothing on Russian Doll is unintentional, least of all its soundtrack, lets take the songs opening lyrics to heart: If you need a friend, dont look to a stranger / You know in the end, Ill always be there. But when youre in doubt, and when youre in danger / Take a look all around, and Ill be there.

Adult Nadia keels over at the sight of Young Nadia, and when she resets in the bathroom, she takes a look all around and realizes the friends she needs are not there. Only one of the two women who routinely enter the bathroom do so this time. The party is creepily underattended. Im not leaving you here at the mercy of the time gods, Nadia tells Max and Lizzy. I cannot be the reason that you stop existing. They all leave, but then Adult Nadia sees Young Nadia again and dies. They try once more and this time make it to the bodega, where the shelves are half-empty and the two Nadias meet close-up. Blood pours out of Young Nadias mouth; Adult Nadia gets a nosebleed; Adult Nadia dies again.

Now Maxs bathroom has no door at all, there are hardly any furnishings (although the plagiarism/number artwork remains; p.s., the numbers might represent code?) and Max dances alone. Nadia says they have to leave. I cant, Max says. Im gonna throw you for a time-loop here and deliberately not analyze why Max cant leave. Im gonna guess that it just seemed like a cool way to get Nadia over to Alans alone.

I think that maybe shes lost, Nadia tells Alan in his emptied apartment about Young Nadia. Alan agrees, suggesting she might be trapped somewhere between the past and the present. Now Alans the man with the plan. He straps on a helmet (because once they undo their time loop, the next death counts, so its time to be careful?). I cant let Beatrice disappear without making things right. And you should do the same, he says. Nadia, so resistant to making amends, threatens to kill herself if he doesnt stay. You are the most selfish person I have ever met, he states plainly. Thank you for changing my life. Lives are hard to change.

Hes right. Nadia has completely changed Alan. He spent a dozen loops trying to bend his breakup with Beatrice to his will, but this time, he goes to her with no grudges and tells her wholeheartedly, Just be whoever you are. Bea, equally magnanimous in return, asks if he got help for his issues. I did let somebody help me, he says. Cut to Nadia  who heard something similar from Max in episode 2: You know your friends cant help you if you dont let them. (If you need a friend )

Nadia has followed Alans advice, including fashion advice (lol to her chest protector made from duct tape and cutting boards!). She goes to see (of course) Ruth, where she confesses that she believes she killed her mother when she chose to live with Ruth instead. Ruth makes a big to-do about locking the door again and Nadia insists she locked it, but it didnt look like she did and for a hot minute I was worried Ruth was going to shoot Alan dead this time. Instead, she goes to make tea and nobody winds up dead; the gas leak does not exist in this loop. Nadia has changed things for the better  a feat she credits to Emily of New Moon and its life force. She takes the book to Johns daughter, Lucy, whos sitting alone at the restaurant from episode 5. Emily is the hero, Nadia informs Lucy, and man, I wish I knew what the hell happens in that book!!!

Nadia starts coughing up blood. A preternaturally calm Lucy says, Shes still inside you. Which she  Young Nadia or Nadias mom? The latter: Adult Nadia coughs up a mirror shard, and we see Nadias mom smashing mirrors in flashback; its the story from Nadias childhood that Ruth told in episode 6. Lucy turns into Young Nadia, who asks Adult Nadia, Are you ready to let her die? Nadia nods. Young Nadia says, This is the day we get free. The same thing Nadias mom told her in 1991.

I can think of no other way to end this recap than to rewrite the last thing I wrote in my notes: WHAT. THE. FUCK.Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

MoviePass is not dead yet. The beleaguered movie ticket subscription service, which burned through hundreds of millions of dollars last year and reportedly lost more than half of its subscribers, has purchased prime real estate on some Times Square billboards and is letting people know it is still in business. Along with the ad space, Business Insider reports that the companys executive vice-president, Khalid Itum, posted a message to LinkedIn today that said:

Proud to reveal our new ad campaign.

MoviePass should never have been controversial  but we all could come up with multiple reasons for why it was.

Its time to put the past just there  and to pave the path forward. MoviePass

Lets go to the movies.

As BI points out, the company has been making overtures toward big theater chains that it stepped on the toes of during the (brief) halcyon days of its existence last summer, chains like Regal and AMC. At the bottom of its Times Square billboard there is a map of Midtown Manhattan showing dots where theaters are located. In addition to angering cinemas, MoviePass also upset customers with price hikes and limitations as the business started getting shakier, and since the companys decline, other subscription services have cropped up as competitors. Heres to making better business decisions in 2019!

Update February 2: On the same day Moviepass unleased its billboard campaign, the company was hit with a class-action lawsuit. Lawrence and Laurie Weinberger of Sea Cliff, New York, accuse Moviepass of deceptive and unfair bait-and-switch scheme. The pair bought Moviepass at $105.35 in March 2018, with the understanding that they could see a movie every day of the year. After the new pricing model was unveiled, the Weinbergers were only able to see three movies in 10 months. The New York case seeks to represent all customers who subscribed to MoviePass between February 2013 and August 2018, Variety said. The suit alleges claims of deceptive advertising and breach of contract. Another class-action suit was filed against the company last year in San Francisco.The URL has been copied to your clipboard

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The tense political situation in Zimbabwe and the victimization of workers by the army and other state security agents is worrying Botswana's Federation of Trade Unions.Although they can afford to purchase a home, more well-to-do Americans are choosing to rent instead.

The number of U.S. households earning at least $150,000 annually that chose to rent rather than buy skyrocketed 175 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to an analysis by apartment search website RentCafe, which used data from the Census Bureau to reach its conclusions.

This new breed of renters challenges long-held assumptions that Americans rent a place to live primarily because they can't afford to buy a home.

"Lifestyle plays an important part in their decision to rent," study author Alexandra Ciuntu told VOA via email. "Renting in multiple cities at once has its perks, and so does changing one trendy location after another."

FILE  A new apartment building on Mission Stre FILE  A new apartment building on Mission Street in San Francisco, one of 20 U.S. cities with the most significant increase in the number of wealthy renters. FILE  A new apartment building on Mission Street in San Francisco, one of 20 U.S. cities with the most significant increase in the number of wealthy renters.

Business and technology hubs like San Francisco and Seattle have the highest numbers of wealthy renters.

"Given the escalating house prices, it seems like a verifiable better decision to go with renting for longer," Ciuntu said. "Given that in San Francisco, for example, $200,000 buys you just 260 square feet, it's understandable why top-earners give renting a serious try before deciding whether to invest in a property or not."

In fact, in both San Francisco and New York, wealthy renters outnumber well-to-do buyers. There are more high-earning renters  250,000  in New York City than anywhere else in the country.

FILE  Penthouse view in New York City, where we FILE  Penthouse view in New York City, where wealthy renter-occupied households have doubled in the last decade. (Photo by Flickr user Carlos Pacheco via Creative Commons) FILE  Penthouse view in New York City, where wealthy renter-occupied households have doubled in the last decade. (Photo by Flickr user Carlos Pacheco via Creative Commons)

"Ten years ago we would have associated real estate equity with life stability, whereas the two are not necessarily interrelated nowadays," Ciuntu said. "Renting proves to be a more flexible option for those enjoying a dynamic and rich lifestyle. From a more millennial standpoint, this is no longer a brief solution before settling down, but rather an attractive world of possibilities."

However, this rental enthusiasm doesn't mean folks in the wealthiest brackets are rejecting homeownership, according to Ciuntu. Between 2007 and 2017, Chicago added 9,800 more wealthy owners than high-income renters, Seattle gained 13,400, and Denver added almost 18,000 more well-to do earners than wealthy renters.Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam repeated Saturday that he would not resign over a photograph in his school yearbook showing a man in blackface standing next to a person dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member.

In comments to reporters, Northam said, "I am neither of the people in that photo." He said he did not buy a copy of the 1984 yearbook in which the picture appears, and he was unaware until Friday the picture was even there.

He also said, "That is not me in that photo. ... That is not who I am."

He also said, "It was horrific, and the fact that it was on my page was just unacceptable."

Northam said he and his staff would continue to work to prove that he wasn't in the photo.

The governor said he submitted the other three photos on his page in the medical school yearbook and that he suspected the placing of the racist photo was the result of a mix-up. Responding to a question from a reporter, he said there were multiple episodes of blackface use at the medical school.

Previous mistakes

He said if he had posed for that picture, "I would have remembered that." He added, "My belief that I did not wear that costume or attend that party [where the offending photo was taken] stems from my clear memory of other mistakes that I made in that same year of my life."

Northam admitted that during that year, when he was 25, he appeared in blackface for a dance contest in San Antonio, Texas, in which he impersonated African-American pop star Michael Jackson. He expressed remorse for that event, saying he had learned since then why "blackfacing," as he called it, is offensive. He said upon learning that lesson and discussing it with a younger employee, he vowed never to appear in blackface again.

Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Gov Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Governor's Mansion in Richmond, Va., Feb. 2, 2019. The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Virginia Gov Ralph Northam after a decades-old, racially insensitive photo from his medical school yearbook page was widely distributed Friday. Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Governor's Mansion in Richmond, Va., Feb. 2, 2019. The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Virginia Gov Ralph Northam after a decades-old, racially insensitive photo from his medical school yearbook page was widely distributed Friday.

Northam said Saturday: "Today I am not ready to ask Virginians to grant me forgiveness for my past actions. ... I am asking for the opportunity to earn your forgiveness."

The New York Times reported that since the story broke on Friday, Northam has been making calls to political allies and former classmates in attempts to shore up support and get more information about the photo.

CNN said classmates had told Northam that some yearbook photos were mixed up.

Many of Northam's former allies said he could not stay in office after Friday's apology for the photo.

In a video statement Friday, Northam said the photo does not reflect the person he is today. He added that "I cannot change the decisions I made, nor can I undo the harm my behavior caused then and today. But I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust."

Calls for resignation

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both Democrats, released statements on Saturday calling for Northam to resign.

Biden tweeted Northam "has lost all moral authority" and said Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who is African-American, should move into the governor's office. Pelosi said Northam should "do the right thing" by stepping down and letting Virginians "heal and move forward."

The Congressional Black Caucus and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus also urged Northam to step down.

"Ralph Northam has had three decades to know better but only now does he acknowledge this racist act," the Congressional Black Caucus posted on Twitter. "An apology now isn't enough. He must resign."

FILE - Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Governor's Mansion in Richmond, Va., Feb. 2, 2019. The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Virginia Gov Ralph Northam after a decades-old, racially insensitive photo from his medical school yearbook page was widely distributed Friday. Demonstrators hold signs and chant outside the Governor's Mansion in Richmond, Va., Feb. 2, 2019. The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Virginia Gov Ralph Northam after a decades-old, racially insensitive photo from his medical school yearbook page was widely distributed Friday.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus posted a statement on Twitter that said of Northam: "We fully appreciate all that he has contributed to our Commonwealth. But given what was revealed today, it is clear that he can no longer effectively serve as Governor. It is time for him to resign, so that Virginia can begin the process of healing."

"Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should nave no place in the halls of government," presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, a California Democrat, posted on Twitter in her statement urging Northam to resign. "The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together."

'Centuries of anger, anguish'

Another Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, also took to Twitter, posting, "These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they've eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam's ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign."

Harris and Booker were joined by other presidential hopefuls  former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, all Democrats  who said they thought Northam should resign.



"There is no circumstance where this behavior should ever be tolerated or excused; and now more than ever we need leaders that demonstrate high character and unquestionable moral fortitude to lead us through these times of uncertainty," the Fairfax County (Va.) NAACP said in a statement.

News of the photos from Northam's medical school yearbook came a week after Florida's secretary of state resigned; photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus perhaps explained best in its statement why the photo is resulting in calls for Northam's resignation: "(W)hat has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive. ... The legacy of slavery, racism and Jim Crow has been an albatross around the necks of African-Americans for over 400 years. These pictures rip off the scabs of an excruciatingly painful history and are a piercing reminder of this nation's sins. Those who would excuse the pictures are just as culpable."The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has confirmed it has resorted to force-feeding some detainees in custody for illegal immigration, after those detainees staged hunger strikes to demand their release.

ICE authorities confirmed on Thursday that at least six immigrant detainees have been force-fed through nasal tubes and nine others have been refusing food. The detainees are located in centers in El Paso, Texas; Miami, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and San Diego and San Francisco, California.

Detainee rights activists working with the hunger strikers in Texas say the majority of the hunger strikers are ethnic Indians who entered the United States over the southern border and were detained more than six months ago. The strikers are demanding release on bond, after spending months behind bars.

A lawyer for two of the Texas detainees, Ruby Kaur, told National Public Radio that the detainees began hunger strikes at the beginning of this year to call attention to what they say are inhumane conditions, verbal threats, and lack of information about their cases.

Turnaround Policy Begins for Asylum Seekers at US Border The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has started returning to Mexico new asylum seekers who have arrived at the southern border, rather than allowing them to wait in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has started returning to Mexico new asylum seekers who have arrived at the southern border, rather than allowing them to wait in the U.S.

She also said her clients face a language barrier, as they do not speak English and have not been provided a translator who can speak their language, which is Punjabi.

She said the force-feeding process has also been hard on the detainees, causing them bleeding in nasal passages and vomiting.

U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas tweeted Thursday that she had visited an El Paso ICE detention facility and met with the detainees who have been force-fed. She called the situation "unacceptable" and said the strikers have been detained for 15 to 18 months.

Escobar called for increased oversight and accountability to ensure that detainees are treated "with dignity and respect."

Federal law says inmates may be force-fed by court order if they refuse food for 72 hours or nine consecutive meals.

ICE Health Services Corps said this week in a statement that it is medically monitoring the detainee's health and regularly updating their medical status.

Another activist, Christina Fialho of Freedom for Immigrants, told NPR that she was aware of about 30 detainees staging hunger strikes. While most are Indian, she said Cubans and Hondurans are also among those refusing food.Protesters demanding his resignation gather outside the governor's mansion in Richmond on Saturday, February 2, 2019 after a racist photo of Gov. Ralph Northam was found in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

(Steve Earley/Staff)NEW YORK - One of the book world's greatest mysteries is finally ending: J.D. Salinger's son says previously unpublished work by his late father will be coming out.



In comments that appeared Friday in The Guardian, Matt Salinger confirmed long-standing reports that the author of The Catcher in the Rye continued to write decades after he stopped publishing books. He said that he and Salinger's widow, Colleen, were "going as fast as we freaking can'' to prepare the material for release.



He wanted me to pull it together, and because of the scope of the job, he knew it would take a long time,'' Salinger said of his father, who died in 2010 and had not published work since the mid-1960s.



"This was somebody who was writing for 50 years without publishing, so that's a lot of material. So there's not a reluctance or a protectiveness  when it's ready, we're going to share it,'' he said.

Might take years



Salinger, who helps oversee his father's literary estate, says any new work might be years away and did not cite any specific titles or plots. He did indicate that the Glass family made famous in such fiction as Franny and Zooey would be seen again.



"I feel the pressure to get this done, more than he did,'' he said, adding that the unseen work "will definitely disappoint people that he wouldn't care about, but for real readers, I think it will be tremendously well-received by those people and they will be affected in the way every reader hopes to be affected when they open a book. Not changed, necessarily, but something rubs off that can lead to change.''



Longtime Salinger publisher Little, Brown and Co. had no comment Friday.



FILE - Copies of J.D. Salinger's classic novel "Th FILE - Copies of J.D. Salinger's classic novel "The Catcher in the Rye" are seen at the Orange Public Library in Orange Village, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2010. FILE - Copies of J.D. Salinger's classic novel "The Catcher in the Rye" are seen at the Orange Public Library in Orange Village, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2010.

J.D. Salinger published just four books in his lifetime: Nine Stories, The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey and a volume with the two novellas Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. The last work to come out in his lifetime was the story Hapworth 16, 1924, which appeared in The New Yorker in 1965.



Salinger rarely spoke to the media and not only stopped releasing new work but rejected any reissues or e-book editions of his published material. This year marks the centennial of his birth and signs of a new openness emerged in 2018 when his estate permitted new covers and a boxed edition of his old fiction to come out for the 100th anniversary. A Salinger exhibit is planned later this year at the New York Public Library, and other promotional events are in the works.



Over the past half-century, rumors and speculation intensified about whether any new books existed and whether they were of publishable quality. A former lover, Joyce Maynard, and Salinger's daughter, Margaret, have both contended that the author continued to write books, allegedly stored in a vault in the author's home in Cornish, N.H.

5 works predicted



A 2013 documentary and book by Shane Salerno and David Shields cited two "independent and separate sources'' in predicting five new works. One of the Salinger books would center on Catcher protagonist Holden Caulfield and his family. Others would draw on Salinger's World War II years and his immersion in Eastern religion.

Matt Salinger has dismissed the contents of the Salerno-Shields project, but never definitively said that no new work would appear.



Salerno wrote in an email Friday to The Associated Press that "it was always his [J.D. Salinger's] intention  and specific direction  to have his work published after his death.''



I'm thrilled that Salinger fans around the world will finally get to see this important work from one of America's finest writers,'' Salerno added. "As the stories roll out over the years, I think you will find that all of our reporting was correct.''GENEVA - The United Nations is appealing for $162 million to provide protection and life-saving assistance to 2.3 million of the most vulnerable people in eastern Ukraine, which is in its fifth year of civil war.

The United Nations reports more than 3,300 people have been killed and up to 9,000 injured since 2014 when civil war broke out in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and the government.

The conflict remains active and potentially deadly for millions of civilians who are liable to be hit by daily shelling and sniper fire. Nearly 2 million of the 2.3 million people the U.N. plans to assist this year are located on both sides of the contact line. This is the 500-kilometer line of separation between Ukrainian Government and rebel forces.

Ukraine's Incumbent President Announces Re-Election Bid Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has launched his campaign for re-election in March's vote, which promises to be a bitter contest between him and a former prime minister. Addressing supporters in the capital Kiev, Poroshenko laid out his hopes that Ukraine pushes on with efforts to join the European Union and NATO if he were to win another five-year term in office. "We have to safeguard [Ukraine's] integration with the European Union and NATO," he said. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has launched his campaign for re-election in March's vote, which promises to be a bitter contest between him and a former prime minister. Addressing supporters in the capital Kiev, Poroshenko laid out his hopes that Ukraine pushes on with efforts to join the European Union and NATO if he were to win another five-year term in office. "We have to safeguard [Ukraine's] integration with the European Union and NATO," he said.

Spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke, tells VOA the increasingly protracted nature of the conflict is having a particularly severe impact on the elderly. He says they comprise one-third of people in need, the highest proportion of elderly affected in the world.

That is a special problem not least because they have limited mobility. They cannot go and collect their pensions," said Laerke. "They cannot go to health centers. They cannot get out of their homes and houses. So, they are suffering alone in their homes. These days it is extremely cold. They may not have fuel. They do not have access to the food that they need. They do not have access to the medicine that they may require.

Laerke says this grim picture is magnified by the risks people encounter along the contact line. He says large stretches of populated areas in the buffer zone dividing the warring factions are littered with landmines and explosive remnants of war. The United Nations reports these weapons caused 270 deaths and injuries last year.

Money from the appeal will provide food, shelter and household items, access to clean water, education and health. It also will support winterization activities, such as supplying people with warm blankets, kerosene for heating and other relief needed to help them survive the harsh winter.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has started returning to Mexico new asylum seekers who have arrived at the southern border, rather than allowing them to wait in the U.S. while their cases are adjudicated.

Senior DHS officials told reporters Friday that they had begun the policy, which they call "Migrant Protection Protocols," this week by returning a dozen individuals.

The officials said they planned to increase the number of returnees soon.

"We will give the individual a notice and a court date, and let them know when to return," one official said of the process during a call with reporters. "We'll give them a list of pro bono legal advisers ... [and] let Mexican immigration know. At some point, they will return back to their point of entry" for a court hearing.

The official added that Customs and Border Protection does have an exclusion list of those who are not subject to the new process.

Carlos Catarldo Gomez, of Honduras, right, is surr Carlos Catarldo Gomez, of Honduras, right, is surrounded by reporters after leaving the United States, the first person returned to Mexico to wait for his asylum hearing date, in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 29, 2019. The Trump administration has launched an effort to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts. Carlos Catarldo Gomez, of Honduras, right, is surrounded by reporters after leaving the United States, the first person returned to Mexico to wait for his asylum hearing date, in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 29, 2019. The Trump administration has launched an effort to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts.

The officials said they were focusing on people from the Northern Triangle countries: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The policy, described by DHS as unilateral, is starting at California's San Ysidro port of entry, across from the Mexican city of Tijuana. "Right now, we are focused on San Ysidro to get things running," an official said.

'Chaos'

During a visit this week by a delegation from human rights watchdog Amnesty International to San Diego, Tijuana, El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, this week, Margaret Huang, executive director of the organization's U.S. office, said the "remain in Mexico" policy has left migrants "confused and overwhelmed."

Details of the process were not made clear to the asylum seekers as the new policy went into effect, she said on a call Thursday with reporters.

"What we have found is chaos," Huang added.

A Honduran man seeking asylum is surrounded by re A Honduran man seeking asylum is surrounded by reporters after being sent back to Mexico by the U.S. at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 30, 2019. A Honduran man seeking asylum is surrounded by reporters after being sent back to Mexico by the U.S. at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 30, 2019.

Colm O'Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, likened the new protocol to a deal struck between Europe and Turkey that shut down a safer route for migrants and pushed travelers to make the more dangerous crossing from Libya.

"We saw the same thing in the U.S. this week," O'Gorman said. "The [U.S.] administration is creating a market for the criminal gangs they decry; what we will see are increasing numbers of people  being forced to cross the border irregularly."

Mexico's National Immigration Institute commissioner, Tonatiuh Guillen, said Tuesday that Mexico would take returnees from only a single border crossing, the El Chaparral crossing at San Ysidro.

Ports of entry may have multiple separate crossings, often specifying use for vehicles or pedestrians.

"There are several technical-level questions  the specific ports of entry where this measure would apply, the timeline of the process, among others  that our two governments need to address to guarantee an adequate implementation of this unilateral policy," spokesman for the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco Alvarez, wrote in a Monday opinion piece in The Washington Post.

Central American asylum seekers exit the Chaparral Central American asylum seekers exit the Chaparral border crossing gate after being sent back to Mexico by the U.S. in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 30, 2019. Central American asylum seekers exit the Chaparral border crossing gate after being sent back to Mexico by the U.S. in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 30, 2019.

The DHS officials noted "conflicting information coming from the Mexican government," but added, "Our intent is to scale up across the border ... and we are confident we will be able to do so."

Returning children

The DHS officials said the new return policy was necessitated by a change in the population presenting itself at the border, claiming that asylum seekers increasingly are families with children. "Our system is not built to deal with this group," an official said, adding that this new group is being exploited by traffickers and others.

But the Trump administration is not the first to face changing demographics at the border. In 2014, during President Barack Obama's second term, the U.S. saw a massive spike in so-called "family units." Federal officials and local charities scrambled to accommodate the changing demographics and provide shelter to mothers and children.

Mexico says it will take only those returned asylum seekers who are between the ages of 18 and 60.

"In the interest of protecting vulnerable migrants, unaccompanied children and those in poor health conditions will not be accepted into our territory from the United States," Alvarez wrote.

But the DHS officials were clear that while this week's returnees have not included children, children are not excluded from the U.S. policy.

"Very soon we will be moving towards families  this is a way to ensure families stay together," an official said.

The official added that children who appeared to be at risk would not be returned even if the rest of their families were.

When a reporter asked if the U.S. could continue the migrant policy without Mexico's cooperation, the official responded, "I don't expect Mexico will change its posture. We will not return individuals to a place that is not hospitable."

The official added, "At the end of the day, we have an understanding that's working right now."The president of the United States has lambasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling her very bad for our country and saying that she doesnt mind human trafficking because she opposes designating money for a wall at the U.S. border with Mexico.

In an interview Friday with CBS News, Donald Trump said Pelosi is very rigid and that she is attempting to win a political point by refusing to give him money for the wall that was a major component of his successful presidential campaign.

During the campaign, however, Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico has refused. Now Trump wants Congress to give him money for the border wall, and the Democrats who are in control of the House of Representatives have refused.

Democrats have put forward strong, smart and effective border security solutions in the bipartisan conference committee, said Drew Hammill, a Pelosi spokesman, adding that the president still refuses to take a second shutdown off the table.

Trump recently ended a 35-day partial government shutdown without getting the $5.7 billion he wanted for the wall.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent drives near the U.S.-Me FILE - A U.S. Border Patrol agent drives near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Sunland Park, N.M., Jan. 4, 2016. FILE - A U.S. Border Patrol agent drives near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Sunland Park, N.M., Jan. 4, 2016.

?National emergency option

The president said Friday he will consider calling for a national emergency as the path forward to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border because he doesnt think negotiations among lawmakers will produce the necessary funding.

We will be looking at a national emergency because I dont think anything is going to happen. I think Democrats dont want border security. And when I hear them talking about the fact that walls are immoral, walls dont work  they know they work, Trump said Friday.

However, The Washington Post reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is a Republican, has privately warned Trump that a declaration of a national emergency could divide the Republican Party.

The Post, citing two Republican sources, said McConnell told Trump that such a declaration could lead Congress to pass a resolution disapproving the emergency declaration.

On Thursday, the president called bipartisan congressional talks over border wall funding a waste of time.

In a White House interview with The New York Times Thursday, Trump again hinted he may declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress and build the wall without its approval.

Ill continue to build the wall and well get the wall finished. Now whether or not I declare a national emergency, that youll see ... Ive set the table, Ive set the stage for doing what Im going to do.

Government shutdown option

In less than three weeks, if there is no deal on border security that Trump would sign, there could be another government shutdown.

Report: Government Shutdown Cost US Economy $3 Billion The longest-ever partial U.S. government shutdown cost the country's economy $3 billion in lost economic activity that won't be recovered, the Congressional Budget Office concluded Monday.The CBO said its assessment of the effects of the 35-day shutdown on the U.S. economy, the world's largest, showed that $3 billion in economic activity was lost in the waning days of 2018 after the government closures took effect December 22, and another $8 billion in January, extending to last Friday when the The longest-ever partial U.S. government shutdown cost the country's economy $3 billion in lost economic activity that won't be recovered, the Congressional Budget Office concluded Monday.The CBO said its assessment of the effects of the 35-day shutdown on the U.S. economy, the world's largest, showed that $3 billion in economic activity was lost in the waning days of 2018 after the government closures took effect December 22, and another $8 billion in January, extending to last Friday when the

If Trump does declare a national emergency, Democrats who dont want any money for a border wall will probably immediately challenge Trump in court.

The president had strong words for Pelosi who has said over and over again she will not agree to give Trump the $5.7 billion he wants for a wall.

Pelosi has said she was open to other kinds of barriers along the border, but Trump said that was unacceptable.

Members of a U.S Army engineering brigade place Co Members of a U.S Army engineering brigade place Concertina wire around an encampment for troops, Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection near the U.S.-Mexico International bridge, Nov. 4, 2018, in Donna, Texas. Members of a U.S Army engineering brigade place Concertina wire around an encampment for troops, Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection near the U.S.-Mexico International bridge, Nov. 4, 2018, in Donna, Texas.

?More troops to the border

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said it is sending an additional 3,500 troops to the U.S. southern border with Mexico to assist with border security measures.

Democrat Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the latest troop numbers after slamming the Pentagons lack of transparency in a letter to Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

A defense official confirmed that the Pentagon was sending 3,500 more active duty troops to the border, for a total of 5,800 active duty troops and 2,300 National Guard troops supporting the Department of Homeland Securitys request for additional border security.

The official, who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity, added that this initial pop in the number of troops would not be sustained through September.

Some of these 3,500 will be replacing troops who will be leaving soon, while others are only assigned to the border for 30 or 60 days in order to set up large coiled barbed wire in specific areas, according to the official.

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump walks with firs President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump while departing for Palm Beach, Fla., from the White House in Washington, Feb. 1, 2019. President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump while departing for Palm Beach, Fla., from the White House in Washington, Feb. 1, 2019.

Without giving any details, Trump tweeted Thursday More troops being sent to the Southern Border to stop the attempted Invasion of Illegals, through large caravans, into our Country. We have stopped the previous Caravans, and we will stop these also. With a Wall it would be soooo much easier and less expensive.

Trump, as he often has, claimed erroneously that Large sections of WALL have already been built with much more either under construction or ready to go. The U.S. has been repairing existing barriers, which Trump called a very big part of the plan to finally, after many decades, properly Secure Our Border. The Wall is getting done one way or the other!

At various times, Trump has called the barriers at the border an impenetrable concrete wall, and other times steel slats, or a see-through barrier, even peaches, if people preferred.

On Thursday, though, Trump said, Lets just call them WALLS from now on and stop playing political games! A WALL is a WALL!CARACAS, VENEZUELA - Momentum is growing for Venezuela's opposition movement led by lawmaker Juan Guaido, who has called supporters back into the streets for nationwide protests Saturday, escalating pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to step down.



A defiant Maduro's socialist government has called on its own loyalists to flood the streets waving flags to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bolivarian revolution launched by the late Hugo Chavez.



The dueling demonstrations will play out amid a political standoff in its second week of heightened tensions  and with the potential to spark violent clashes between the opposition and security forces.



Guaido has turned down offers from the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay to negotiate with Maduro. In a letter, Guaido urged both presidents to back Venezuela's struggle, saying to remain neutral aligns them with Maduro.



"At this historical moment that our country is going through, to be neutral is to be on the side of the regime that has condemned hundreds of thousands of human beings to misery, hunger and exile  including death,'' he said.



Backing from abroad

Guaido declared himself interim president last week before tens of thousands of cheering supporters and vowed to end Maduro's "dictatorship.'' His claim to the presidency is backed by the United States and some two dozen other nations.



The opposition seeks to usher in a transition by holding democratic elections, Guaido said in the letter to Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez and Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.



The United States has also rejected the offers from Mexico, Uruguay and the Vatican to mediate a dialogue.

Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at Igle Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at Iglesia Doral Jesus Worship Center for a round-table discussion on the political crisis in Venezuela with community leaders in Doral, Fla., Feb. 1, 2019. Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at Iglesia Doral Jesus Worship Center for a round-table discussion on the political crisis in Venezuela with community leaders in Doral, Fla., Feb. 1, 2019.

Vice President Mike Pence on Friday met with exiled Venezuelans in Miami, reassuring them the Trump administration would continue to weaken Maduro.



"This is no time for dialogue,'' Pence said at a church, prompting loud cheers from the Venezuelan exiles. "It is time to end the Maduro regime.''



President Donald Trump's national security adviser,John Bolton, tweeted Thursday that Maduro and his top advisers should retire to "a nice beach somewhere far away from Venezuela.'' Bolton's talk turned tougher Friday in an interview with conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in which he warned that it could be a beach area more like Guantanamo.

Later Friday, Bolton tweeted that Washington would send humanitarian aid to Venezuela despite Maduro's refusal to accept such assistance. The comment came after Guaido said he would defy the aid ban and receive convoys of medicine into Venezuela with the help of neighboring nations.



'Get out of the way'

"Pursuant to the request of interim President Juan Guaido, and in consultation with his officials, the U.S. will mobilize and transport humanitarian aid  medicine, surgical supplies and nutritional supplements  for the people of Venezuela. It's time for Maduro to get out of the way,'' Bolton's tweet said.



Maduro remains dug in, blaming the White House for openly backing what he calls a coup to remove him from power and exploit his country's vast oil wealth. He retains support from powerful allies, including Russia and China, but is growing increasingly isolated as more nations back Guaido.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a mil Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a military exercise in in Caracas, Feb. 1, 2019. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a military exercise in in Caracas, Feb. 1, 2019.

Maduro on Friday continued a show of might as commander-in-chief that has seen him crisscross Venezuela to oversee military exercises as he vows to defend his socialist government no matter the cost.



"We're in a historic battle,'' Maduro told several hundred troops standing in formation around armored vehicles. "We're facing the greatest political, diplomatic and economic aggression that Venezuela has confronted in 200 years.''



The military's top leadership is backing Maduro, though analysts warn that rank-and-file troops frustrated by their country's economic and humanitarian crisis may not share that unwavering loyalty.



The opposition's street protests planned for Saturday are the second such mass action this week. Guaido led a peaceful demonstration Wednesday with residents stepping out of their homes and workplaces for two hours. Last week, street protests turned violent in days of unrest that killed nearly three dozen people in clashes with government security forces.



Meanwhile, a prominent opposition lawmaker called on a group of European Union and Latin American countries to support Maduro's ouster  without negotiations.

'Contact group'



An "international contact group'' announced Thursday by the EU's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, "should help to cease the usurpation of power by Maduro and establish a transitional government until new elections,'' said Francisco Sucre, who heads the international committee of the opposition-led National Assembly.



"There is no possible discussion here. Maduro has to leave,'' Sucre told The Associated Press in Madrid, where he wrapped up a three-day European tour to enlist support for Guaido.



The European Parliament has called on the EU's member states to recognize Guaido as interim president. The socialist government of Spain, which has strong historic, cultural and economic ties to Venezuela, has said it will do so on Monday if Maduro doesn't call a general election by Sunday.



"Power is evaporating from Maduro's hands with the passing of the hours,'' Sucre said. "We have been contacted by diplomats across Europe who are ready to take a step forward, but they are waiting for the right moment.''

The logo of Chevron is seen in their office in Car FILE - The logo of Chevron is seen in their office in Caracas, Venezuela, April 18, 2018. FILE - The logo of Chevron is seen in their office in Caracas, Venezuela, April 18, 2018.

Meanwhile, California-based Chevron Corp. said its operations in Venezuela will continue normally for the "foreseeable future'' despite newly imposed U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA.



Chevron has four joint-venture operations for exploration and production with PDVSA, as the Venezuelan company is known. The Trump administration has banned U.S. companies from doing business with PDVSA but allowed a six-month grace period for those with ongoing operations in the South American country.



"For the foreseeable future, we feel like we can maintain a good stable operation and a safe operation on the ground in Venezuela,'' Chevron CEO Michael Wirth said Friday in a conference call with Wall Street analysts.



Chevron's refining operations in the U.S. are well-prepared to handle an expected disruption of Venezuelan crude supply because of the sanctions, Wirth said, adding that Chevron had a contingency plan in anticipation of the sanctions and has alternate sourcing.The United States and Russia are making tit-for-tat moves with their participation in a nuclear treaty, something politicians and analysts see as a burgeoning arms race.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday that Russia is suspending its participation in the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The Russian move follows a similar action Friday by the U.S.

The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well, Putin said in a televised address Saturday.

Putin said that Russia will start work on creating new missiles, including hypersonic ones. He told his foreign and defense ministers not to initiate disarmament talks with Washington.

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump participates in FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the Missile Defense Review announcement at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Jan. 17, 2019. FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the Missile Defense Review announcement at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Jan. 17, 2019.

?US suspends compliance, blames Russia

In a statement Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. is suspending its compliance with the decades-old treaty, accusing the Kremlin of willfully breaking the deal.

For far too long, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad, Trump said.

We will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions, he added.

But later Friday, speaking to reporters, Trump left open the possibility of some sort of deal.

I hope that we are able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better, he said. Certainly, I would like to see that. But you have to have everybody adhere to it.

WATCH: What's the INF Treaty Dispute About?

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday in a statement, "The United States has concluded that extraordinary events related to the subject matter of the treaty arising from Russia's continued noncompliance have jeopardized the United States' supreme interests, and the United States can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia openly violates it. If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty by eliminating all 9M729 missiles, their launchers, and associated equipment in this six-month period, the treaty will terminate."

Chinas foreign ministry said Saturday that Beijing is opposed to the U.S. withdrawal action and urges the United States and Russia to handle their differences through constructive dialogue.

WATCH: US to Leave Treaty Signed by Reagan and Gorbachev

The INF treaty, signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1987, was the worlds first arms control pact to prohibit an entire class of weapons, banning ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.

INF violations

Yet the U.S. has been become increasingly vocal about what it says are Russias blatant violations.

U.S. defense and intelligence officials charge those violations date back to at least 2014, when Russia began deploying its 9M729 missile, following years of tests designed to skirt the treatys constraints.

FILE - Foreign military attaches and journalists a Foreign military attaches and journalists attend a briefing by the Russian Defense Ministry as the 9M729 land-based cruise missile, right, in Kubinka, Russia, Jan. 23, 2019. Foreign military attaches and journalists attend a briefing by the Russian Defense Ministry as the 9M729 land-based cruise missile, right, in Kubinka, Russia, Jan. 23, 2019.

Now, officials say, Russia is fielding multiple military battalions that are equipped with the missile in question.

We must respond, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Friday. We can no longer be restricted by the treaty, while Russia shamelessly violates it.

We provided Russia an ample window of time to mend its ways and for Russia to honor its commitment. Tomorrow that time runs out, he said.

Saturday the U.S. will provide the Kremlin and other former Soviet States with formal notice of its intent to withdraw from the INF Treaty, triggering a six-month window.

Officials say if Moscow refuses to verifiably destroy the missiles, as is expected, the treaty will terminate, and the U.S. will be free to pursue its own intermediate range, ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles.

FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryab FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov speaks at a conference on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons in Beijing, Jan. 30, 2019. FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov speaks at a conference on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons in Beijing, Jan. 30, 2019.

?Russian denial

Russian officials reacted quickly Friday to the announcement, denying any treaty violations, while alleging it is Washington that wants to expand its missile arsenal.

The U.S. withdrawal deals a serious blow to the international arms control system and the system of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which exist for now, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters.

Ryabkov also suggested other arms control agreements, like the New START treaty, which limits both countries to fewer than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads, could also be in jeopardy.

What will come next is a huge question, the deputy foreign minister told Russian television. I fear that the New START may share the fate of the INF Treaty. It may just expire on Feb. 5, 2021, without an extension.

New arms race?

But U.S. officials held firm, insisting the onus is on the Kremlin to ease tensions.

Lets be clear. If theres an arms race, it is Russia that is starting it, senior administration official said Friday.

We simply cannot tolerate this kind of abuse of arms control and expect for arms control to continue to be viable, the official said. We cannot permit a scenario where we are unilaterally bound to a treaty, we are denied the ability to have a military capability to deter attacks.

Concern, support for US action

In a statement issued shortly after the U.S. announced its plans to withdraw from the INF Treaty, NATO said its members fully support this action.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter:

Russia is in material breach of the #INFTreaty & must use next 6 months to return to full & verifiable compliance or bear sole responsibility for its demise. #NATO fully supports the US suspension & notification of withdrawal from the Treaty: https://t.co/VOhUB0HoAd pic.twitter.com/28Rwicqr8o  Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) February 1, 2019

At the United Nations, officials expressed concern.

For the Secretary-General, his hope [is] that the parties will use the next six months to resolve their differences through dialogue, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The INF is a very important part of the international arms control architecture.

Trumps decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty also garnered a mixed response from U.S. lawmakers.

Russias repeated violations over the years demonstrate that the INF is no longer in the best interest of the United States, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, said in a statement.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, accompan House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, accompanied by House Democratic members, listens to a reporter's question after signing a deal to reopen the government on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, accompanied by House Democratic members, listens to a reporter's question after signing a deal to reopen the government on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2019.

But the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was wary.

The Trump administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability, Pelosi said in a statement.

Russias brazen noncompliance with this treaty is deeply concerning, she said. But discarding a key pillar of our nonproliferation security framework creates unacceptable risks.

Few good choices

Still, some analysts caution that Russian President Putin has given the U.S. and its European allies few good options.

Putins decision to build weapons that violate this important arms control treaty is another of his attacks on the peace in Europe, according to Jorge Benitez, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Russia is an aggressive military, he said. Europe needs to strengthen deterrence to further dangerous behavior from Moscow.

The U.S. has already started spending on such deterrence  $48 million on research to develop its own intermediate-range, ground-launched missiles. And officials say there have already been some initial discussions with allies.

A U.S. Department of Defense exhibit shows a "Qiam FILE - A U.S. Department of Defense exhibit shows a Qiam ballistic missile manufactured in Iran, at a military base in Washington, Nov. 29, 2018. FILE - A U.S. Department of Defense exhibit shows a Qiam ballistic missile manufactured in Iran, at a military base in Washington, Nov. 29, 2018.

?No nukes

We are some time away from having a system that we would produce, that we would trains soldiers or airmen or Marines to deploy, a senior administration official said, adding that for now nuclear-armed missiles were not under consideration.

We are only looking at conventional options at this time, the official said. Nothing the United States is currently looking at is nuclear in character.

The pursuit of the new missiles, though, could also give the U.S. additional options in countering growing threats from China and Iran.

Neither Beijing no Tehran were subject to the INF Treaty, and U.S. officials believe both countries have more than 1,000 intermediate-range, ground-launched missiles in their arsenals.

But some experts warn any increase in the number of such missiles, by the U.S. or Russia, will only escalate missile production and tensions in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific.

VOA United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer and VOAs Wayne Lee contributed to this report.Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro participated in rival demonstrations Saturday in Caracas as a member of the country's air force high command disavowed Maduro's socialist government and said he recognized Guaido as the interim president.

Thousands of Guaido's supporters, carrying flags and blowing horns, converged on a handful of locations around Caracas in support of his call for early elections and the establishment of a transitional government amid mounting global pressure for Maduro to step down. Guaido arrived at one of the rallies with his wife, Fabiana, and was quickly surrounded by exuberant supporters.

Struggle for Control of Venezuela Returns to Streets Momentum is growing for Venezuela's opposition movement led by lawmaker Juan Guaido, who has called supporters back into the streets for nationwide protests Saturday, escalating pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to step down. A defiant Maduro's socialist government has called on its own loyalists to flood the streets waving flags to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bolivarian revolution launched by the late Hugo Chavez. The dueling demonstrations will play out amid a Momentum is growing for Venezuela's opposition movement led by lawmaker Juan Guaido, who has called supporters back into the streets for nationwide protests Saturday, escalating pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to step down. A defiant Maduro's socialist government has called on its own loyalists to flood the streets waving flags to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bolivarian revolution launched by the late Hugo Chavez. The dueling demonstrations will play out amid a Pro-Maduro demonstrators took to the streets on the western side of Caracas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bolivarian revolution that led to the rise of socialist Hugo Chavez, Maduro's deceased predecessor. Maduro addressed the crowd, the first time he has appeared at a public rally since Aug. 4. Maduro called for new parliamentary elections earlier than planned, repeated he was the country's legitimate president and told the crowd, "I am very ashamed to see this group of opposition coup perpetrators" take orders from Washington. President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flor President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores greet supporters as they arrive at a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 2, 2019. President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores greet supporters as they arrive at a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 2, 2019. As he announced his defection, Gen. Francisco Yanez called on other members of the military to defect. Top military leaders have helped Maduro survive previous mass demonstrations in recent years by jailing activists and repressing opposition protesters. It remains unclear how much military support there is for Guaido. Guaido said in an interview with VOA Noticias he had offered "amnesty and guarantees" to high-ranking military officials as part of a broader effort to get "this usurpation to end." WATCH: VOA Interviews Juan Guaido Sunday deadline The demonstrations marked the second week of heightened tensions in Venezuela and came before a Sunday deadline set by major European countries for Maduro to call snap elections. Britain, France, Germany and Spain have said they will follow the U.S. in recognizing National Assembly Speaker Guaido as Venezuela's interim president if Maduro does not order new elections by Sunday. Guaido declared himself interim president last week, a move that was supported by some two dozen countries. Guaido said during the VOA interview he would order new elections "when we achieve the capacity to convene elections." First, Guaido said, "we have to achieve the necessary force in order for this usurpation to end." Guaido has rejected offers from Mexico's and Uruguay's presidents to negotiate with Maduro. He told them in a letter that "to be neutral is to be on the side of the regime that has condemned hundreds of thousands of human beings to misery, hunger and exile, including death."Pakistan says a unilateral construction effort will have fenced off nearly half of its largely porous border with Afghanistan before the spring fighting season in the neighboring country. Military officials say the pace of the massive border security project has lately been accelerated to guard against a possible spill over of terrorism from Afghanistan in the event of a widely anticipated U.S. military drawdown there.

The military recently flew a group of journalists to the North Waziristan border district to showcase the installation of the pair of nine-foot chicken wire fences, with a six-foot gap, and topped with barbed wire along the nearly 2,600 kilometer Afghan border.

(Almost) 900 kilometers has been completed and the remaining 300 kilometers, inshallah (God willing), we will be completing in two to three months time, army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor told reporters in Ghulam Khan, one of the several border crossings. Thereafter, wishfully by the end of this year, or at best mid of next year, we will be able to compete the entire (2,600 km) fencing, he said.

FILE - Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Gha FILE - Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor FILE - Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor

The fence runs along rugged terrain and snow-capped mountains as high as 12,000 feet. Additionally, hundreds of new forts and outposts have been established or are under construction, Ghafoor explained and estimated the unprecedented construction effort will cost about $500 million.

Pakistan has also stepped up political efforts to promote peace in the turmoil-hit neighboring country. Islamabad takes credit for convincing Taliban insurgents to come to the table and negotiate with the U.S. a peaceful settlement to the 17-year-old Afghan war.

General Ghafoor appeared cautiously optimistic about a positive outcome of the dialogue but said insecurity in Afghanistan will remain a challenge for neighboring countries.

Our biggest worry now is the reconciliation is taking place in Afghanistan and it is going to be a mess whether Afghanistan is exited by the U.S. in an announced and organized way or abruptly. We are doing this fencing with speed we are doing development (in border districts) with speed. We will not let that thing (terrorism) come to Pakistan, he vowed.

Ghafoor insisted the fence is strengthening Pakistani efforts to prevent cross-border terrorism from threatening security gains the country has made over the past decade. North Waziristan used to be known as the epicenter of international terrorism and a hub for the outlawed Pakistani Taliban. U.S. and Afghan officials have also long alleged Islamabads counterterrorism efforts ignored sanctuaries of the Afghan Taliban on its soil.

Pakistani officials deny those charges and assert years of military operations have dismantled terrorism structures in and around the Waziristan region, killing thousands of militants and forcing remnants to flee and take refuge in Afghan border areas. The army spokesman said that the militants continue to stage terrorist attacks against Pakistan but the fencing is helping to neutralize the threat.

Attempts to physically infiltrate the border have been completely blocked In areas where have erected the fence. Fire raids at our posts from the other side are still continuing but inshallah (God willing), they will also come to an end after all the forts and an electronic surveillance system are in place. With the help of this fence, everyday we are gaining more strength to stop the terrorism from that side, Ghafoor noted.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a pre U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 20, 2019. U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 20, 2019.

U.S. Praises Border Security Project

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham during his visit to Islamabad last month praised Pakistans border fencing effort and emphasized the need for a matching response from the Afghan side.

There is a big debate about building a wall back home to make us safe. If you want to see somebody building a fence or wall come to Pakistan. The plan to secure the border on the Pakistani side is very robust, the American senator noted.

Afghan Objections

Gen. Ghafoor called for the Afghan government to reciprocate and boost border security on their side to promote regional peace, though he acknowledged Afghan forces have capacity and manpower issues. Kabul has been critical of Islamabads border security measures because Afghanistan traditionally disputes the former British era demarcation called the Durand Line.

Pakistani officials dismiss the objections and insist their security measures on what they say is the international bounder with Afghanistan will help prevent terrorist infiltration in either direction.

We have achieved peace in our country. But if the situation continues to be volatile and chaotic in Afghanistan we fear terrorism would hit back Pakistan. Thats what prompted us to begin fencing of our border. Only legal entry will be possible through dedicated terminals we are or have established at the border once we are able to install the fence along the entire boundary, Ghafoor stated.

Waziristan Returns To Normalcy

Area commanders said that 95 percent of the more than a million tribesmen displaced by anti-militancy operations have returned to North Waziristan where new markets, roads and other facilities have been constructed or are under construction to help in their rehabilitation process.

North Waziristan, Pakistan North Waziristan, Pakistan North Waziristan, Pakistan

Efforts are also under way, they said, to facilitate the repatriation of more than 4,000 families who fled to the Afghan side of the border just before the Pakistan military launched a major ground and air offensive against militant bases in Waziristan nearly five years ago.

Army officials also drove journalists around the district headquarters of Miran Shah and gave them free access to discuss with residents problems facing them while they try to resume normal life. Most of them acknowledged improvement in security conditions and infrastructure but demanded authorities restore cell phone services and address electricity outages.

I am happy and feel safe. Reconstruction activities are underway. But that is not enough, said Usman Wazir, a trader by profession who recently returned home with his family.

We face electricity outages for the whole day. Our (cell) phones are not working and we dont have finances to revive our businesses, he lamented.

Generally, tribesmen appeared happy with the changed and relatively modern outlook of markets and roads in their areas but they demanded government pay urgent attention to rebuilding health and education facilities.

Border Security Hits Mutual Trade

The new tight border controls and visa restrictions have undermined Pakistans already mistrustful political relations with Afghanistan in recent years. It has also impacted negatively economic and trade ties between the neighbors. Around 60,000 people commute across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on a daily basis. That cross-border movement continues and Pakistani officials promise things will improve further due to measures being taken to solidify bilateral ties in all fields.

FILE - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. FILE - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. FILE - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week instructed government departments to take the necessary steps over the next six months so the main northwestern Torkham crossing with Afghanistan could be kept open 24 hours.

"This measure is a major step to promote bilateral trade and transit of goods between the two countries and also to facilitate enhanced people to people contacts. Pakistan will take more such steps to further solidify economic and trade relations as well as the strong bonds between the peoples of the two countries, says Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal.

He noted that Pakistan remains the largest market for Afghan exports, receiving almost 60% of the neighboring countrys total exports, and estimated that Pakistan consumes 90% of Afghan fresh fruits and vegetables. Faisal said Islamabad waived off regulatory duties on fresh fruit imports from Afghanistan, leading to a 29% increase in Afghan exports to Pakistan.

Leaders in Kabul, however, remain skeptical and suspicious of Pakistani efforts toward peace building in Afghanistan. They continue to blame Islamabad for the prolonged deadly war in their country, charges officials in Pakistan maintain stem from simmering internal Afghan political disputes, insecurity, governance issues and rampant corruption that have emboldened the Taliban to take control of nearly half of Afghanistan.SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE - Women's marches last weekend in cities around the world show just how much attention the #MeToo movement has drawn to the issue of sexual violence. But experts say there is a long way to go. An EU report says one in 20 women in Europe has been raped, and many still do not report sexual assaults.

But in France, a triple world karate champion is teaching women to heal through her sportboth at home and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Laurence Fischer has faced some tough adversaries, but nothing like the one she's dealing with today. It's often invisible and hard to beat: the trauma from sexual assault and violence endured by women in her class.

Everybody here has a different story. M'bamoussa Soumare was raped by a relative in her native Mali at the age of 12.

Soumare says her family forced her to marry her rapist two years later, and she underwent excision. She had one child after another and her husband beat her. Finally, last year, she managed to flee to France, with help from a sister living here.

Soumare landed at La Maison des Femmes, or The Women's Home, a special center for female victims of violence, outside Paris.

"Some of them are victims of domestic violence, others of incest. All kinds of violence in fact. We try to help them according to their story," said Dr. Ghada Hatem, a gynecologist and founder of The Women's Home. Many of the women who come here are African immigrants. But plenty of French women have shared their experiences.

"There are many enquiries (studies) that show that about seven women in 10 are victims of violence. So we are all concerned," she said.

The center offers medical and psychological treatment  but also therapeutic classes, like this one, taught by former triple world karate champion Laurence Fischer.

"Karate is a way to connect yourself to yourself. Because of the trauma, there's kind of a disassociation ... because of the suffering, they cannot connect," said Fischer.

Many women in Fischer's class have been victims of Many women in Fischer's class have been victims of violence, Saint-Denis, France, Jan. 25, 2019. (L. Bryant/VOA) Many women in Fischer's class have been victims of violence, Saint-Denis, France, Jan. 25, 2019. (L. Bryant/VOA)

Fischer began teaching karate to women after retiring from competition, more than a decade ago. Since 2014, she goes yearly to a country where sexual violence is so widespread it's called the rape capital of the world' the Democratic Republic of Congo. She works with the Panzi Foundation in eastern DRC, founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege. Two years ago, she launched an NGO called Fight for Dignity. Karate not only helps women to heal, she says, but to regain their self-confidence.

"It's incredible how it can impact their relations with their children, with their boyfriend, with the way to find job after, the relations with the others because we are not only brain, we are body. And when both are connected, it's very powerful," said Fischer.

She began teaching karate at The Women's Home a year ago.

"I think that karate is a very good sport for these women. It gives them better self esteem," said Dr. Hatem. "And Laurence has special work around the vagina and clitoris and all the sexual assaults. And it's very important for our patients to work on their own bodies through this trauma."

Laurence Fischer helps a student to breathe proper Laurence Fischer helps a student to breathe properly, Saint-Denis, France, Jan. 25, 2019. (L. Bryant/VOA) Laurence Fischer helps a student to breathe properly, Saint-Denis, France, Jan. 25, 2019. (L. Bryant/VOA)

Fischer and her students gather for tea after every class. It's a time to get to know each other, and to make friends. Thirty-year-old Aissata Djiakite has been going to The Women's Home for more than a year.

She says when you're sexually attacked, you feel weak and battered. But with karate you really want to live. She says Fischer is extraordinary  she helps the women emerge from their pain, and gives them back an appetite for life.

Fischer plans to return to the DRC, not just to work with Panzi. She wants to help some of her female graduates there to start karate classes in their villages  so they can help other women ... fight for dignity.DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Iran unveiled a new cruise missile with a range of 1,300 km (800 miles) Saturday during celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, state television reported.

This cruise missile needs a very short time for its preparedness and can fly at a low altitude, Defense Minister Amir Hatami said during the unveiling ceremony.

Hatami said the surface-to-surface missile, named Hoveizeh, was from the Soumar family of cruise missiles, which were unveiled in 2015.

Western experts say Iran often exaggerates its weapons capabilities, although there are concerns about its long-range ballistic missiles.

Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, said at the event that Iran had overcome initial problems in producing jet engines for cruise missiles and could now manufacture a full range of the weapons.

Satellite launch

Iran said in January its bid to launch a satellite failed after Tehran ignored U.S. warnings to avoid such activity.

Washington warned Tehran last month against undertaking three planned rocket launches that it said would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution because they use ballistic missile technology.

A U.N. Security Council resolution, which enshrined Irans 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, called upon Tehran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

Iran says its missile tests are not in violation of the resolution and denies its missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It says its missiles are defensive and used for deterrence and has rejected talks over its missile program.

US quit Iran deal

U.S. President Donald Trump quit the deal last year and re-imposed sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the pact in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

Washington says although Iran has met the terms, the accord was too generous, failing to rein in Irans ballistic missile program or curb what the United States says is interference in regional affairs.Protesters demanding his resignation gather outside the governor's mansion in Richmond on Saturday, February 2, 2019 after a racist photo of Gov. Ralph Northam was found in his 1984 medical school yearbook.MELBOURNE - Once-in-a-century flooding in part of the eastern Australian state of Queensland looks about to worsen as the nation's weather bureau Saturday warned of more heavy rain in the area.

Some residents have been evacuated after days of monsoon rains lashed the region around the coastal city of Townsville in north Queensland, a spokesman for the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Adam Blazak, a forecaster with the bureau, did not say how many people had been evacuated, but added that some areas had reached "major" flood levels.

"Normally a monsoonal burst might last a few days, but this one's been going on over a week now and is set to continue for a few more days as well," he said.

Between 150 and 200 millimeters (6 to nearly 8 inches) of rain is expected across Townsville Saturday, equal to about a month's average rainfall.

Local authorities issued a number of flood warnings Saturday morning and told residents to avoid using roads and consider moving to higher ground if conditions worsen.

North Queensland has significant zinc reserves as well as major deposits of silver, lead, copper and iron ore, and Townsville is a major processing center for the region's base metals.

A large bushfire burns in Tasmania, Australia, in A large bushfire burns in Tasmania, Australia, in this undated photo courtesy of Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. AAP Image/Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service/Handout via REUTERS A large bushfire burns in Tasmania, Australia, in this undated photo courtesy of Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. AAP Image/Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service/Handout via REUTERS

?Wildfires in the south

In stark contrast, wildfires in the southern island state of Tasmania have burned through close to 190,000 hectares (470,000 acres) of land, fire officials said.

Chris Arnold, the chief officer of the Tasmania Fire Service, said Saturday that nearly 600 personnel were working to contain the fires, some of which have been burning for weeks and have destroyed homes.

Arnold told reporters that while the last few days have seen favorable conditions for battling the blazes, communities in part of the state were still under threat as expected hot and dry weather on Sunday could see bushfires escalate again.

January hottest month

Australia endured its hottest month on record in January, with sweltering conditions expected to persist through April.

That scorching weather triggered power outages in some areas and sent electricity prices soaring.A former Iranian deputy environment chief is criticizing the global environmental communitys lack of public advocacy on behalf of eight jailed Iranian conservationists whose trial began in Tehran this week.

Kaveh Madani, an American-educated water management expert, served as deputy head of Irans Department of Environment from September 2017 until April 2018, when he fled the country under verbal attack from conservatives who accused him of spying under cover of environmental activism.

In an interview with VOA Persian on Thursday, Madani, now a senior fellow at Yale University in the U.S. state of Connecticut, said he was very disappointed with international reaction to the treatment of the Iranian conservationists, who also faced accusations of spying when Tehran detained them in January 2018. Madani has praised the six men and two women of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation as experts in their field with good reputations nationally and internationally.

This image, published by the New York-based Center This image, published by the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, shows eight Iranian environmentalists who went on trial in Tehran, Jan. 30, 2019, on suspicion of being spies. This image, published by the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, shows eight Iranian environmentalists who went on trial in Tehran, Jan. 30, 2019, on suspicion of being spies.

?Little international attention

Unfortunately, Im not seeing any attention (to this case) by the international media or even by the environmentalists and conservationists of the world, whom I was expecting to be more active and to question what is happening and ask for justice, Madani said.

A VOA Persian review of seven major international conservation organizations found that only one of them of has posted a comment on their website about the plight of the Iranian conservationists: the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In an Oct. 26, 2018 online statement, the Switzerland-based organization declared its solidarity with the eight detainees and said it was deeply alarmed by the charges against these dedicated women and men committed to protecting Irans rich natural environment and unique species.

The six organizations whose websites did not contain statements about the Iranian conservationists include Conservation International, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth International, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Contacted by VOA Persian on Friday, Conservation International, Greenpeace and The Nature Conservancy declined to comment on the situation of the Iranian conservationists. Friends of the Earth International, WCS and WWF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A VOA Persian analysis of the social media channels of the seven groups and those of 19 other international conservation organizations also found that none of them have commented on the issue since the start of this year.

We should care about those people whose hearts are beating for the environment no matter where they are from, Madani said. What is happening in Tehran can happen in other parts of the world and it is our responsibility to protect each other and back up one another.

Closed-door trial

Iranian state media reported that the eight conservationists, Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani, Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Sam Rajabi and Morad Tahbaz, appeared in a Tehran court Wednesday for a first closed-door session of their trial.

The state-controlled Fars News Agency referred to the defendants as individuals accused of spying on the countrys military installations. State news agency IRNA said four of the conservationists have been charged with sowing corruption on Earth, a crime punishable by death. It said three other activists were charged with espionage and the last one with conspiracy against national security.

A report published Wednesday by the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) quoted a source with knowledge of the court session as saying prosecutors read half of a more than 300-page indictment to the defendants. The CHRI source said most of the unveiled material was based on forced confessions of a female defendant whom the source said interrupted the proceedings several times to assert that investigators extracted her statements under mental and physical duress and she had since retracted them.

Speaking to VOA Persian via Skype on Wednesday, Iranian lawyer Mohamad Hossein Aghasi said judicial authorities had not permitted him to be present in the courtroom to represent defendant Sam Rajabi, his client. Aghasi said he received no word from the judiciary barring him from representing Rajabi or informing him that Rajabi had chosen another lawyer. Iranian state media said several court-approved lawyers represented the defendants in the trial instead.

Madani, the former deputy Iranian environment chief, told VOA Persian he was not surprised to hear the reports about one defendants purported forced confessions and another defendants lawyer not being allowed to participate in the trial.

As in many national security cases in Iran, I assume this one would not necessarily involve a due process, he said. I dont know how real justice would be applied in their case, that is what Im worried about.

This article originated in VOAs Persian Service. Payam Yazdian contributed from Washington.The trade dispute between the U.S. and China is disrupting Silicon Valley.

What had been a steady flow of Chinese money into tech firms appears to be slowing. Investors are concerned about the headline risk of doing business with Chinese investors.

And in some cases, U.S. startups are shunning Chinese investment.

These changes come after years of investment and collaboration between China and Silicon Valley. But the trade dispute, coupled with U.S. policymakers concerns about Chinese investments in sensitive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, have increased scrutiny of cross border deals on all sides.

A drop in investment

In 2018, Chinese firms invested more than $2 billion in U.S. technology firms, but that was a drop of nearly 80 percent from the year before, according to a Forbes report citing S&P Global Market Intelligence.

While Chinese investors took stakes in roughly the same number of U.S. tech deals  80 compared to 89 in 2017  that was off from the peak in 2016 when Chinese investors were part of 107 deals. Among the biggest recipients of Chinese investment in 2018 were Farasis Energy, a battery maker, and Epic Games, a gaming company, according to the Rhodium Group.

While deals continue to come together in 2019, the recent indictment of a Huawei executive has added to a new chill between the two regions, according to observers in Silicon Valley.

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, center, wit Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, center, with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, and FBI Director Christopher Wray speak, Jan. 28, 2019, at the Justice Department in Washington during an announcement of an indictment on violations including bank and wire fraud of Chinese telecommunications companies including Huawei. Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, center, with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, and FBI Director Christopher Wray speak, Jan. 28, 2019, at the Justice Department in Washington during an announcement of an indictment on violations including bank and wire fraud of Chinese telecommunications companies including Huawei.

?A technology war

In China, the battle is seen as less about Huawei and its alleged wrongdoing and more as a proxy for a technology war between countries over technological supremacy.

The Huawei incident seems like an action against an individual corporation, but it is actually bigger than this, said Hu Xingdou, a Beijing-based scholar. This is about one states technology war against another state, about which one will occupy the technology high ground in the future.

One recent change in the U.S. has been the expansion of a government program that reviews foreign investment in areas deemed sensitive.

Despite the expanded U.S. regulatory reviews, Chinese investments in U.S. tech firms are mostly getting through, said Chuck Comey, a partner at Morrison Foerster, a law firm.

As for Chinese companies buying or merging with U.S. tech ones?

It aint happening, he said.

FILE - Google chief executive Sundar Pichai outlin FILE - Google chief executive Sundar Pichai outlines a future rich with artificial intelligence at the Internet firm's annual developers gathering in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, Calif., May 18, 2016. FILE - Google chief executive Sundar Pichai outlines a future rich with artificial intelligence at the Internet firm's annual developers gathering in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, Calif., May 18, 2016.

?Saying no to Chinese investment

The increased tensions have given investors  and even some potential recipients of investment  some pause. One U.S. company, which had accepted Chinese investment in the past, told Reuters that it declined investment from Chinese investors in its most recent round.

We decided for optical reasons it just wouldnt make sense to expose ourselves further to investors coming from a country where there is now so much by way of trade tensions and IP tensions, said Carson Kahn, CEO of Volley, an artificial intelligence training firm.

At a recent event in Silicon Valley about China and U.S. investments, speakers on a panel discussed how the geopolitical tensions affected their business. While several predicted that in the long run, the current friction between the two countries will have a minimal effect on cross-border business between China and Silicon Valley, there was a sense that an era has ended.

Weve kind of taken for granted, said Kyle Lui, a partner at DCM, a global venture capital firm, that the prior decade plus theres been lots of strong collaboration between the U.S. and China.Stacey Abrams, who was chosen to give the Democratic response to the State of the Union, is a rising political star in the Democratic Party and the first African-American woman to deliver the address.

Abrams recently showed that she can mobilize the power of black women voters in her close but unsuccessful bid to become Georgia's governor, and Democratic leaders are hoping that her selection to give the prominent address will energize the party's base.

"She is just a great spokesperson. She is an incredible leader. She has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything else," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Schumer, along with other top Democrats, have been urging Abrams to challenge Georgia's Republican Sen. David Perdue, one of President Donald Trump's most outspoken allies in Congress, as part of an effort to gain Democratic control of the Senate.

Boost for fellow Democrats

While Abrams narrowly lost the Georgia governor's race last year to Republican Brian Kemp, her presence at the top of the ticket boosted Democratic votes in the state and helped other state Democrats win office.

Democrats flipped a House seat in a suburban Atlanta congressional district that Republicans had held for decades and also flipped at least a dozen state legislative seats across the Atlanta suburbs.

The fact that Abrams, 45, nearly won the governor's race in the reliably Republican Southern state has been seen by Democrats as reinforcing her ability to gain supporters and energize voters.

FILE - Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate FILE - Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to supporters during an election night watch party in Atlanta, Nov. 6, 2018. FILE - Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to supporters during an election night watch party in Atlanta, Nov. 6, 2018.

Following the race, Abrams challenged the results, sharply accusing Kemp of deliberately suppressing thousands of votes. A group backed by Abrams filed a federal lawsuit this month saying Georgia deprived many low-income people and minorities of their voting rights during the race, which was overseen by Kemp, then secretary of state.

Abrams is a Yale Law School graduate who was elected to Georgia's General Assembly in 2006. She rose to lead the Democrats in the assembly, taking over as the minority leader in 2011. She was known by her colleagues for being well-prepared, a good listener and someone who inspired others to trust and follow her. Although she ran unapologetically as a liberal, she was still able to earn the respect of many of her Republican colleagues and work with them across the aisle.

'Vision for prosperity and equality'

Abrams has said she is "honored" to be delivering the response to the State of the Union address. She has said that she intends to "deliver a vision for prosperity and equality, where everyone in our nation has a voice and where each of those voices is heard."

In recent years, the response to the State of the Union speech has usually given by someone whom party leaders see as a rising political star. But delivering the response can also be a thankless task that is heavily scrutinized.

"Stacey Abrams embodies the American Dream, and her powerful message of progress for all is deeply needed during this time for our country," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.China is greeting next week's Lunar New Year with celebrations and a travel rush that will see an estimated 3 billion trips by people around the country.



Thousands of passengers toted bundles of clothes and gifts at Beijing train stations Friday, ahead of the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. It's a time for people to return to their hometowns to reunite with family and friends.

"Wow, there's a lot of people,'' Li Pingping, a beauty salon worker from Henan province, said as she steeled herself for a 17-hour train ride home.

Girls play with teacup pigs, a rare pet in the cou Girls play with teacup pigs, a rare pet in the country, at the start of celebrations leading to the Lunar New Year, Feb. 1, 2019, at Manila's Lucky Chinatown Plaza in Manila, Philippines. This year is the year of the pig on the Chinese lunar calendar. Girls play with teacup pigs, a rare pet in the country, at the start of celebrations leading to the Lunar New Year, Feb. 1, 2019, at Manila's Lucky Chinatown Plaza in Manila, Philippines. This year is the year of the pig on the Chinese lunar calendar.

The year of the pig in the 12-year Chinese astrological cycle starts Tuesday; it follows the year of the dog.

On the festival's eve, people gather for reunion dinners, give red packets of pocket money to youngsters and light firecrackers at midnight.



The capital, Beijing, and other cities are festooned with lanterns and other decorations to mark the holiday, which is also celebrated in Vietnam and by ethnic Chinese communities around Asia.Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo after his shock acquittal at the International Criminal Court.

He was granted a conditional release by the ICC. He must remain in his host country. He is also not allowed to contact any witnesses from his case or speak publicly about the case.

Gbagbo's lawyer Emmanuel Altit unsuccessfully argued that conditional release went against the very principle of this client's acquittal.

Belgium spokesman Karl Lagatie said his government took in Gbagbo because it is "part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions."

ICC Appeals Chamber Places Conditions on Gbagbo's Release After seven years detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-youth leader Charles Ble Goude are free men  but there's a hitch. Presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji read out the unanimous verdict of the five-judge appeals panel. "The conditions set out in the written judgement are imposed to Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. After seven years detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-youth leader Charles Ble Goude are free men  but there's a hitch. Presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji read out the unanimous verdict of the five-judge appeals panel. "The conditions set out in the written judgement are imposed to Mr. Gbagbo and Mr.

Gbagbo and his co-defendant Charles Ble Goude were acquitted of crimes against humanity on January 15, but the ICC refused to release them until a host country was found. Gbagbo and his co-defendant Charles Ble Goude were acquitted of crimes against humanity on January 15, but the ICC refused to release them until a host country was found.

Judges said the prosecution's case was exceptionally weak in trying to link the men to election-related violence in Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011 that left roughly 3,000 people dead.

Prosecutors are planning to appeal.

Last months acquittal has intensified criticism of the ICC, which has convicted only four people in nearly 20 years of operation. One of themformer Congolese vice-president Jean Pierre Bembawas later acquitted on appeals.

Critics say the court is ineffective and overly focused on African cases. Supporters note the so-called "court of last resort" is probing other regions of the world, and they say the court has insufficient means to realize a daunting mandate.MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday suspended the Cold War-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in response to a similar move by the United States on Friday.

"The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal. We suspend it as well," Putin announced during a televised meeting with foreign ministers and military brass.

The U.S. on Friday vowed to withdraw from the INF Treaty in six months unless Moscow ended what it called violations of the landmark 1987 arms control pact.

FILE - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a FILE - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Feb. 1, 2019. Pompeo announced that the U.S. would pull out of the INF Treaty with Russia. FILE - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Feb. 1, 2019. Pompeo announced that the U.S. would pull out of the INF Treaty with Russia.

Putin said Russia would start work on creating new missiles, including hypersonic weapons, and told ministers not to initiate disarmament talks with Washington.

During the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States of violating the INF and other arms deals, joining a chorus of Russian defense officials and legislators who condemned Washington for gambling with global security. Yury Baluyevsky, former chief of the General Staff, even said Russia was prepared to respond "militarily."



Impact assessments vary

Numerous Moscow-based arms control experts, however, offered a more measured assessment of the standoff.

"U.S. withdrawal from #INF doesn't presage nuclear crisis on the model of the early 60s or early 80s, but it ushers in a new strategic environment where stability is no longer regulated by arms control agreements," tweeted Dmitri Trenin, director of the Moscow-based Carnegie Center and a former Soviet army official who was directly involved in U.S.-Russia nuclear talks in Geneva.

"In that [environment], survival requires deterrence [plus communication and] restraint," he wrote. "Cool heads, above all."

Independent Russian military analyst Aleksandr Goltz, however, offered a much bleaker view.

"My assessment is that for the next three, four or maybe five years, we're reasonably safe, as it will take the United States years to design, test and deploy medium-range missiles," said Goltz. "But make no mistake, we are now witnessing the total destruction of all systems of nuclear arms control.

"The problem is that the INF Treaty is very deeply interconnected with the New START Treaty," he said, referring to a separate arms pact that limits both countries to fewer than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads. "If START does not survive, in 2021 we'll find ourselves in a situation shaping up for the next Cuban Missile Crisis."

WATCH: What's the INF Treaty Dispute About?

Asked whether there's a chance the INF treaty could still be saved, Goltz was unequivocal.

"No, absolutely no chance. Trump has said he would continue with the INF Treaty only if China joins, and this is completely impossible," he said, explaining that 90 percent of China's arsenal is deployed for medium range, implying that Beijing INF compliance would be tantamount to eradicating its arsenal.

Blaming both countries for the mutual suspension, he said Russia, in his opinion, stood to lose far more in a new arms race.

"This is an absolute strategic catastrophe for the Kremlin," he said. "We are returning to the situation of the 1970s or early 1980s, where the U.S. can deploy warheads that reach Moscow or St. Petersburg in six or seven minutes, which is just a strategic disaster. I mean, within minutes you can do nothing."

Arms control expert Alexei Arbatov, a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, however, called himself a "hopeless optimist" who called six months "a very long" time to resolve differences.

"U.S. and Russian officials are centimeters apart on key differences," he said, describing technical discrepancies that violate INF strike range guidelines.

According to the Washington-based Arms Control Association, the treaty requires the United States and Russia "to eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers."

Arbatov said the treaty could be resuscitated immediately if Russia can prove its missiles are technically INF-range compliant, and the U.S. can prove that anti-ballistic launch systems in Poland and Romania aren't designed to defend against a Russian nuclear assault on Europe.

"This has been at the surface for quite a long time ... but only political hostilities, intransigence and total distrust" between the countries is impeding a swift resolution.

Neither side liked treaty

"And I blame both sides," he added. "Americans have never much cared for the treaty, because it doesn't really concern their security," he said, alluding to the fact that the INF strike range includes Russia's European neighbors, but not U.S. soil.

FILE - U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Pre FILE - U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty at the White House, Dec. 8 1987. FILE - U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty at the White House, Dec. 8 1987.

"And Russians never cared for it because many argued that it required Russia to destroy too many missiles and left the country unable to target American missile defenses," he said. "Neither side was really interested in saving the treaty -- but for the wrong reasons, and both sides were mistaken.

"I only hope that during the next six months, the position on both sides will change."

Asked whether he anticipated any kind of nuclear standoff reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Arbatov was dismissive.

"Unless Russia positions nuclear warheads in Cuba, Venezuela or Nicaragua, then, no, we're not even close," he said.

Accusations on both sides

The U.S. and NATO accuse Russia of violating the INF restrictions by developing land-based, intermediate-range cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and hitting European cities on short notice, but the Kremlin, which last week displayed its missiles to foreign military attaches in Moscow, says the missiles' short range puts them outside the INF Treaty.

U.S. officials said there was no way of verifying that information because the missiles have been shown publicly only in a "static display" that gives no indication of their flying distance.

On Saturday, Russia's Lavrov told Putin that the U.S. has been in breach of INF provisions since 1999, a charge the U.S. denies.

"According to our information, the United States started violating that undated treaty in 1999 when it began trials of combat unmanned flying vehicles with specifications similar to those of ground-launched cruise missiles banned by the treaty," he told Russia's state-run TASS news outlet.

Lavrov also castigated the U.S. for a Romania-based anti-ballistic missile system capable of firing Tomahawk medium-range cruise missiles. The United States says that system is designed to defend against "rogue" states such as Iran and provides no protection against Russia's nuclear arsenal.

The INF has largely deepened Russia's international isolation, and Russia accuses the United States of inventing a false pretext to abandon the treaty in order to develop new missiles.That admission came as part of a lengthy apology issued by Northams office following reporting about the yearbook spread that gave the story national attention. In his statement, the governor said he was deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and that this behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions.An Phat Plastic welcoming the US Embassy delegation

On January 31, 2019, An Phat Holdings JSC (code: APH) received the high-level delegation of the US Embassy in Vietnam, including Eric Hsu (commercial counsellor), Ton That Tuan, and Tuyet Tress, visiting An Phat Plastic and Green Environment JSC (An Phat Plastic), a subsidiary producing plastic thin film packaging.

APH has been strengthening business and affairs in the US recently. Accordingly, APH will develop a factory to produce environmentally-friendly packaging in the country, namely An Phat USA. The factory is expected to be put into operation in the first quarter of 2020 and deliver products around the northern US first.

The products of An Phat US contain biodegradable microcomputer bags, PE bags, and other environment-friendly plastic items. The factory will apply high-technology, synchronous automation, and optimise capacity through 300 modern machines.

This move is part of the strategy of expanding and developing APHs global market, as well as show the groups determination to become a leading group of high-quality and environmentally friendly plastic products in Southeast Asia.

An Phat Plastic's chairman Pham Anh Duong introducing some of the company's products

APHs plastic thin film packaging is now present in more than 100 countries and regions over the world, including fastidious and demanding markets like Japan, the US, and the EU. Especially, biodegradable microcomputer bag AnEco has been highly appreciated by customers over the world. Developing a new factory in the US will enable APH to approach global customers with environmentally friendly and affordable products.

Also during the visit to An Phat Plastic, Eric Hsu, commercial counsellor, and Pham Anh Duong, chairman of APH, discussed the business opportunities of APH in US. Eric Hsu highlighted APHs efforts in developing its business network across international markets, particularly in the US, which will strengthen trade exchange and the socioeconomic development of the two countries.

Eric Hsu reviewing some products of An Phat Plastic

APH is a leading company in the field of advanced technology and environmentally friendly plastic production in Southeast Asia. With 11 member companies, two of which have been listed on the stock market in Vietnam, focusing on the sectors of environment-friendly plastic bags, high-tech plastic resin, chemical and plastic additives, polyester fibre, and plastic inputs, the company set the target of $1 billion in revenue by 2025.

Along with the world trend to shift the consumption of high-tech plastic products to replace normal ones, APH has poured so much into R&D and upgraded machines to produce environmentally friendly products. AnEco has achieved numerous international certificates for its clean and green products.

The company is also planning to develop a self-destructive fork and knife manufacturing factory in Vietnam, contributing to protecting the environment and the Earth.Huynh Quoc Hung

What has Hai Nams experience been with working alongside Schneider Electric, Siemens, and Mitsubishi, and what is your role in these collaborations?

We were founded in 2002 with the determination to become one of the top Vietnamese-based specialists in designing, manufacturing, and services for electrical switchboards and automation. After 16 years of constant growth, we are proud to be ranked among the most well-known Vietnamese suppliers for electrical equipment. Evidently, through our close partnership with Schneider Electric and Siemens, we are under strict quality control and use their technology for our productions. We are the first licensed Blokset manufacturer for Schneider and the first for Siemens in MV Simoprime and Simosec production in Vietnam.

What we do is to import and assemble materials into finished products under their brand names.

We seek buyers in Vietnam for these international giants, as well as help to solve any disputes that their Vietnamese-based customers might have.

In short, we fulfil the combined roles of the middleman, the franchisee, the producer and the mediator.

Do you manufacture products under your own brand name, and if so, what help did you receive from your partners for this?

Yes, we have products that bear our own brand name. Specifically, we collaborated with trusted partner Mitsubishi to launch our own low-voltage SSnR switchboards under the Hai Nam brand. Previously, Vietnamese managers in official development assistance (ODA) projects disagreed with Japanese investors because the two sides used different standards. Vietnam only recognises certifications by the International Electrical Commission (IEC), while Japanese products strictly follow Japanese industrial standards.

We have helped to mediate this issue by introducing Japanese-quality products under the IEC, so that both Vietnamese managers and Japanese investors are satisfied.

How do you satisfy strict quality requirements set by these electrical giants and your own customers?

From my experience, international clients always look for high standards and consistency. In other words, anything produced by Hai Nam must have the same high quality in all its factories, which it operates around the world. Clients also want to see whether we can keep up with our consistent quality of products and services for a long period of time and have a steady network of buyers.

We assure our clients that all of Hai Nams factories are certified with SGS ISO 9001:2015. The main factory is in a 17,500 square metre facility in Saigon Hi-Tech Park. It is equipped with three lines of production machines. Together with other manufacturing plants in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and overseas, our total floor area is 42,000sq.m, and operated by about 400 employees. Thanks to our state-of-the-art equipment, we can manufacture a wide range of electrical products for factories, supermarkets, airports or high-rise buildings, where electrical stability is crucial for operations.

Our clients are from various countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Japan, and Australia, among others. We send our engineer teams overseas for training annually, and constantly innovate our products to meet with higher standards from client demands.

What are Hai Nams next steps, and how do you take advantage of Vietnams growing demand for electricity as well as Industry 4.0?

The future of Vietnams electricity sector will indicate our own prospects. It is good news for us that more trade and investment is coming to Vietnam, so demand for electricity will certainly increase. Moreover, global Internet giants are looking to set up data centres here, which means they want to be partners with local firms that meet their high standards of electrical supply.

As per Industry 4.0, all of us are living in the age of data and automation. The electricity industry is moving along and so are we. We want to grow from being product manufacturers to service providers. The next step for Hai Nam is to offer solutions for different clients, to set up our own data centres, and to become a long-term partner for our clients. We aspire to help our clients with step-by-step guidance and a complete package of solutions or products.

In fact, we have been doing quite well with many of our loyal and well-known customers domestically and internationally. They are multinational chains, supermarkets or developers, who are our key accounts. We are currently investing in our human resources, training our engineers, and recruiting young talent from technical universities to prepare ourselves for Industry 4.0. If our customer base and product offers are diversified, we will surely stand a greater chance of growing our business and minimise market risks.

We are excited for the future and determined to go full speed ahead.Poland's chief veterinarian told reporters that 2.7 tonnes of suspect beef sold to other EU members was being recalled. (Photo: AFP/Janek Skarzynski)

Warsaw has attempted to reassure affected countries and says the meat does not pose a health risk.

Poland's chief veterinarian Pawel Niemczuk confirmed that 2.7 tonnes of the suspect beef was exported, while the European Commission said the meat was traced to 13 member states where it was being withdrawn and destroyed.

The scare recalls a 2013 scandal in which horsemeat was passed off as beef and used in ready-to-eat meals sold across Europe.

Brussels will send a team of auditors to Poland to assess the situation on the spot, said Anca Paduraru, a spokeswoman for the European Commission.

French authorities said 795 kilogrammes (1,750 pounds) of beef from the slaughterhouse - which has now been closed - had been imported.

More than 500 kilogrammes have already been seized and destroyed, said France's Directorate General of Food.

Around 150 kilogrammes, however, had been "sold to the consumer notably through butcher's shops" which were now attempting to alert customers, an agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Attempts to track down the remaining meat were continuing.

French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said nine French companies had been "duped" into importing beef from the abattoir in Kalinowo, a village some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Warsaw.

LAME OR DISEASED?

Portuguese authorities said they had destroyed 99 kilogrammes of suspect Polish beef, while Romania said it had eliminated 1,432 kilogrammes as a "safety measure".

Sweden's National Food Agency said that just under 100 kilogrammes of the total 239 kilogrammes of suspect Polish beef delivered to the country had already been consumed, while the rest has been seized.

The beef was also exported to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Spain, according to the European Commission.

Niemczuk said another seven tonnes were sold to about 20 outlets in Poland but insisted that tests found it did not pose a health risk.

Despite the assurances, Polish beef producers are reeling from the scandal with prices falling by around seven percent since an undercover TV report on the slaughter was aired on Saturday.

"All segments of the Polish (beef) market are worried," Jerzy Wierzbicki, head of the Polish PZPBM meat producers' association, told AFP on Friday.

Wierzbicki insisted that the cows shown in the report by the TVN24 commercial news channel were lame but not diseased.

"They were lame cows... such cattle should not be taken to a slaughterhouse but should rather be put down on the farm by a person who is qualified to do so," Wierzbicki said.

'ISOLATED CASE'

"This is an isolated case, concerning a single company, the concerns are unfounded," he said, conceding that the scandal could deal a blow to Polish beef producers who rely on exports.

A leading pork supplier in the European Union, Poland also produced some 415,000 tonnes of beef last year and nearly 90 percent of it was exported, Wierzbicki said.

Poland's Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski said on Friday that "pathologies" in the agri-food industry would be "cauterised with a hot iron".

"A police investigation is underway regarding the owners of the slaughterhouse and anyone involved in this process," he said, adding that there was "zero tolerance" for anything that could harm Polish exports.

The criminal probe was launched after TVN24 aired footage of apparently sick or lame cows being dragged across the floor and then butchered.

The TVN24 report said dealers bought lame or sick cattle at much lower prices. A journalist working undercover at the abattoir used a hidden camera to film the secret late night slaughter when veterinary authorities were unlikely to visit.

The European Commission has not commented on the quality of the meat in question, but issued a statement that raised concerns about the treatment of the sick animals, which it insisted could not be considered fit for human consumption.

"The practice of dragging animals unable to walk, as described (in the Polish report) is prohibited by European Union legislation on the protection of animals in slaughterhouses," it said.People gather at the Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi the day before the Lunar New Year. It was the only supermarket around then.

On a Hanoi street, Tet paintings are on sale in 1929. Then, too, Chinese characters, parallel sentences, pictures of flowers, carps, dragons and other, more modern subjects were sold as wall hangings to invite luck into a house for the Lunar New Year.

A Hanoi family poses for a picture as part of Tet celebrations.

Young kids help out and watch as an ong do, a Vietnamese calligrapher, writes Chinese or Han characters on red paper to be used as a house decoration for Tet.

A woman sells dong (Phrynium) leaves to wrap banh chung, a traditional Vietnamese glutinous rice cake that is a Tet specialty, at Hanois Dong Xuan Market in 1929.

An old man chooses a daffodil as a Tet decoration. Daffodils are believed to awaken one's hidden potential, including talent and creativity. They also represent rejuvenation, chivalry and generosity. However, they are not so prevalent as a Tet decoration as they once were.

A merchant sells paper offerings for Tet in Hanois Dong Xuan Market in 1929. In Vietnam, paper offerings, which imitate common objects like money or clothes, are burned as offerings to ancestors during traditional celebrations, Tet in particular.

Children wrestle with each other as a Tet sport in Hanoi, 1929. Wrestling is another traditional Vietnamese game, which tests players strength, agility, stamina and quick-thinking, but this is no longer as popular.

People pick branches of peach blossoms, for long used in the north as the main Tet adornment for the house. Peach blossoms are believed to repel ghosts and demons, and symbolize youth, fertility and hope brought by spring. In the south, the flowers of choice for Tet is the Ochna integerrima, commonly known as the yellow Mai flower.

A Hanoi store sells firecrackers and sticks of incense for Tet in 1929. Firecrackers were burst during Tet to repel ghosts and demons, but they were banned by the Vietnamese government in 1995 because the production and explosions were causing too many accidents, deaths and injuries.

Two people fight, using long wooden poles as lances, as part of Tet celebrations in Hanoi, 1929. This sport, known as la lutte a la lance in French and roi truong in Vietnamese, was a traditional one engaged in during festivals in Vietnam. Combatants score points by hitting their opponents with wooden lances wrapped in fabric at one end, in various body parts. Any player who lets go of his lance automatically loses the match.

A man lights firecrackers in his familys yard during Tet.

Nearly one hundred years ago, Tet Holiday or Vietnamese Lunar New Year evoked the same excitement and expectations it does today; except, things were very different.Vietnamese people celebrate the Lunar New Year annually, which is based on a lunisolar calendar (calculating both the motions of Earth around the Sun and of the Moon around Earth). Tet is generally celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year, except when the one-hour time difference between Vietnam and China results in new moon occurring on different days. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day.Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday food and cleaning the house. Many customs are practiced during Tet, such as visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year (), ancestor worship, wishing New Years greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, and opening a shop.Tet is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. They start forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hope for a better upcoming year. They consider Tet to be the first day of spring, and the festival is often called(spring festival).Heres an early 20th century Tet celebration in black and white.(Photos: manhhai/Flickr , via VnExpressThe airport tweeted that passengers who rushed past checkpoints were returned for a second examination out of an abundance of caution. A security sweep of the affected gates and aircraft was conducted, and all flights to and from the affected gates were stopped until security measures were reinstated, according to the airport.Aleksander Shchetinin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of Latin America has discussed the Venezuelan crisis with ambassadors of several Latin American and Caribbean countries, the ministry said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2019) Aleksander Shchetinin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of Latin America has discussed the Venezuelan crisis with ambassadors of several Latin American and Caribbean countries, the ministry said on Friday.

"During an open and trust-based conversation, Russia reiterated its stance regarding the inadmissibility of a destructive, and especially forceful, foreign interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, as well as the harmful effects of sanctions pressure, the importance of dealing with the challenges through a peace dialogue inside the country," the ministry said in a statement.(@rukhshanmir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd February, 2019) The United States is unlikely to undermine North Korea denuclearization efforts by deploying missile systems in Asia after withdrawing from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, analysts told Sputnik.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday announced that the United States will suspend its obligations under the INF effective February 2 and will begin a six-month withdrawal process unless Russia comes back into compliance with the accord. Washington has repeatedly claimed that a Russian missile test in 2014 violated the agreement while Moscow has complained that US launchers on defense systems in Europe are capable of firing cruise missiles at banned ranges.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday said that the United States has so far failed to present any evidence to support allegations that Moscow has violated the INF treaty.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he will announce next week the date and location of his next summit with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun is scheduled to meet with his North and South Korean counterparts in Seoul on February 3 to lay the groundwork for the talks, the State Department said on Friday.

Former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane told Sputnik that whether the United States deploys to Asia missiles that were banned under the INF hinges on what North Korea does.

"I think right now everything is looking at making progress with North Korea," Kane said. "So I do not think that he would actually consider deploying any missiles to Japan or South Korea."

Kane said the United States is at a "very critical moment" in the process to denuclearize North Korea.

However, any future US decision on whether or not to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Northeast Asia would depend upon the outcome of this second Trump-Kim summit, Kane cautioned.

"If the situation deteriorates, there could well be the situation where Trump decides that he would like to station missiles possibly in South Korea," she said. "That really depends on what would happen in these negotiations."

Robert Winstanley-Chesters, a research fellow of Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific told Sputnik that the Trump administration would face political obstacles to deploying such weapons systems in the region.

"It would be politically impossible in South Korea given current efforts to engage North Korea and the current complexion of the South Korean government," Winstanley-Chesters said.

For South Korea the installation of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at Seoul's most recent change of government was complicated enough, Winstanley-Chesters recalled.

As far as Tokyo, he added, Japanese Prime Minister Abe will be hard-pressed to get buy-in domestically for US deployments of intermediate-range weapons systems.

"Even with the Abe government's desire for [a] more robust Japanese military I believe the societal reaction to the installation of short and intermediate missile technology would mean that it would not be possible," he noted.

The United States has often pointed to China's missile development programs as a valid reason for leaving the INF treaty. The Trump administration believes it is unwise to limit development of INF-banned missiles if Beijing, who is free of similar restrictions, continues to build them.

Kane said, while Washington is reluctant to undermine the North Korea talks, Trump might consider deploying intermediate-range missiles against China especially if he cannot reach the kind of trade agreement he desires with Beijing.

Kane expressed the hope that both Washington and Beijing would refrain from intermediate-range missile deployments in Northeast Asia.

"I hope that is not going to be the case, because no one is served - neither Russia, the Korea's, the Korean peninsula or Japan - with an increasing hostility in the Asia-Pacific region," she advised.

Winstanley-Chesters said he agreed that China would find such a move very provocative. He warned Beijing might see such a deployment as requiring of some sort of response, which might include aggressive actions against Taiwan.

"It would be an absolute crossing of many of China's red lines and a real challenge to China's sense of its sphere of influence in the region," Winstanley-Chesters said.

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono suggested on Friday that if the United States does withdraw from the INF Treaty, it should be replaced with another deal that would cover not only Russia and the US, but China and other countries concerned as well, NHK broadcast reported.In recent years Estonia has emerged as one of the most advanced e-societies in the world

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 02nd Feb, 2019) In recent years Estonia has emerged as one of the most advanced e-societies in the world. Headed by Prime Minister Juri Ratas, Estonia will be represented with the largest delegation at the seventh edition of the World Government Summit (WGS 2019). Prime Minister Ratas, along with Estonian ministers and advisors will share their experiences on the nations becoming a global leader in digital transformation and smart government services.

The Northern European country with a population of less than 1.5 million has lately announced that it is attempting to make all government services electronic by 2020, as envisioned by the Digital Agenda 2020 for Estonia, launched in 2014. As part of this priority, the country aims to provide all residents with internet access above 30 Mbps by 2020 and achieve at least 60 percent household subscription rates for speeds above 100 Mbps. Currently, 88 percent of Estonian households have internet capability, while Wi-Fi connectivity is available in more than 1,100 public locations, including all Estonian schools.

Estonia also went down in history for organizing the worlds first online voting system for its general election in 2007. More than 30,000 citizens voted through the online portals, meaning one in every 30 citizens used the online service.

Estonia has previously made an impact at WGS. In 2017, its Eesti Energia application won the best m-government service in the Environment Sector for creating a smart energy consumption app that allows all Eesti Energia customers to monitor, access and pay their electricity consumption 24/7.

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to take the world by storm, Estonia finds itself in a good position to tackle the technological challenges of the future. The countrys proactive diagnosis of the challenges faced by citizens living in sparsely-populated areas of the world has seen the creation of service centers in each remote village to make government services easier to access. Estonia encouraged the public and private sectors to work together as partners and come up with innovative digital solutions and smart electronic services.

In 2015, Estonia adopted the Government as a Service approach, launching a state-run application store, which redefined ways of interaction between governments and citizens. Furthermore, it launched the e-Estonia initiative, which has become a benchmark for digital ecosystems through offering citizens access to vital government services in health, finance and transport, among others.

The World Government Summit 2019 will run from February 10 to 12 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.

The landmark event is set to convene more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 30 international organizations.A celebration of the life for John Robert "Bobby" Brown, 72, will be held at his residence on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at 10 a.m. Bobby was born in Dublin, but his home was Baldwin County. He was predeceased by his parents, John Preston "Pete" Brown and Virginia Watson Brown. He was retiredFruits and vegetables formed the basis of another big contract. Military Produce Group LLC, Norfolk, received $146 million to supply military commissaries in the eastern U.S. The contracts base period runs for two years, and could run to 2024 if other options are exercised.Right to refuse

One of the hot topics at investment forums in 2018 was the lobbying for a textile and dyeing project worth US$350 million by Chinese Hong Kong-based TAL Apparel in Ba Thien II industrial park, in the northern province of Vinh Phuc. This is a well-known investor in the world as one of every six shirts sold in the US includes one produced by TAL, and the group has invested in Vietnam since 2004.

The Government and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) have agreed in principle for this project, but the Vinh Phuc provincial People's Committee refused the project four times. TAL pledged to install a 24/7 waste water monitoring system to be connected to the MONRE online to control the quality of waste water, in addition to building a 40,000m fish pond near the walls of the factory to prove the safety of the wastewater from the factory. However, the project was still not convincing enough.

Recently, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Da Nang and other localities have rejected textile and dyeing projects. Other localities that agree to such projects have no longer offered incentive mechanisms, said Prof. Dr. Nguyen Mai, Chairman of the Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises.

Not only textile and dyeing projects are being rejected, projects in the areas of coal-fired thermal power and paper production also receive similar reactions. The leading FDI localities rejection of potentially polluting projects is considered a "wake-up" after a period of "competition to the bottom" to attract FDI at any costs.

The new FDI selection trend of localities is to receive FDI into industries and products with high intellectual and value-added content in order to implement the economic restructuring goal aligned with the new growth model.

The filter to welcome green capital flow

Agreeing with the viewpoint of selective FDI attraction, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Cung, Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, wonders: if localities always refuse textile, dyeing and coal-fired thermal power projects, where will we get the supply of materials and accessories for the textile and garment industry to escape doing outwork and produce enough electricity supply in the future? The choice is up to localities, but it should be based on scientific criticism to make sure that we only refuse inappropriate projects.

In the context of selective attraction of FDI, the authorised agencies must strengthen the evaluation and supervision of investment projects, while setting out stricter requirements on technology standards and environment for investors.

In order to welcome green capital flow, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is developing a tool on FDI management including a specific set of indicators so that localities find it easier to approve or reject FDI projects, offer incentives, and evaluate the effectiveness of FDI projects. "Only based on a scientific, strict and transparent system, can Vietnam attract investment in a selective manner with spillover effects", said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

If the country knows how to filter and say no to outdated technology and unsustainable capital flows, Vietnam will catch up with the new trend of international capital flows and become the destination of high-tech capital.Austin Beutner has been an investment banker, first deputy mayor of Los Angeles, and publisher and chief executive of the Los Angeles Times. But none of those jobs were tougher than the position he is soon leaving after the grueling covid-19 year: superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified ScFor full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe.

Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime.Moscow denies it has violated the treaty and has called on Washington to offer proof of its allegations.

Russian officials and politicians blasted the U.S. decision to suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, with one lawmaker saying Washington had "taken another step toward its destruction."

"I congratulate the whole world  the United States has taken another step toward its destruction today," Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, said on February 1, RFE/RL reported.

The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that as a result of what he called years of Russian violations, Washington would no longer abide by the key Cold War-era arms-control pact.

Read alsoAP: U.S. pulling out of arms treaty with Russia

"For years, Russia has violated terms of the INF Treaty without remorse," Pompeo said in a news briefing. "To this day, Russia remains in material breach of obligations."

"The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective February 2," Pompeo said.

"We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty effective in six months, pursuant to Article 15 of the treaty."

Pompeo told reporters in Washington that the United States remained open to arms-control negotiations with Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a written statement saying that "we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other."

Moscow denies it has violated the treaty and has called on Washington to offer proof of its allegations.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said following Pompeo's remarks that "it is not about Russia's guilt of violating this treaty; it is not about China or any other factor of international security. It is about the United States' strategy of waiving international liabilities in various spheres."

U.S. officials have expressed concerns that China, which is not party to the INF, has gained a military advantage in Asia by deploying large numbers of missiles with ranges banned by the treaty.

NATO allies issued a statement saying they "fully support" the U.S. decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty.

"All NATO allies support the U.S. decision today to start the withdrawal process, but it will take six months before that process is completed," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the Associated Press.

"We continue, therefore, to call on Russia to come back into compliance and fully respect the INF Treaty," he added.

The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, said he hopes Moscow and Washington use the six-month period to reach a new agreement.

"We have seen the announcement they made today," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The secretary-general hopes that the parties will use these six months to resolve their differences. The INF is a very important part of arms control architecture."

The U.S. action has been expected for months and was virtually assured after last-ditch talks in Beijing on January 31 between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State Andrea Thompson ended without agreement.

The fate of the 1987 INF Treaty, widely seen as a cornerstone of arms-control stability in Europe and elsewhere, has been a source of tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Washington and NATO accuse Russia of breaching the treaty by developing the 9M729 cruise missile, also known as the SSC-8.

The 1987 treaty prohibits the two countries from possessing, producing, or deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The agreement was the first of its kind to eliminate an entire class of missiles.

The United States first publicly accused Moscow of violating the INF Treaty in 2014. After several years of fruitless talks, Washington began stepping up its rhetoric in late 2017, publicly identifying the missile in question and asserting that Russia had moved beyond testing and had begun deploying the systems.Since 2015, the Ukrainian army has taken down numerous Russian army drones with German propellers  or they have crashed over Ukrainian territory due to technical faults.

BILD has inquired into whether Russian forces are using propeller blades  so-called folding propellers  manufactured in Germany for seven types of drones in their drone fleet. The respective German companies did not know about this until now.

More specifically, the unmanned aerial espionage and reconnaissance vehicles that are equipped with German propellers are the models Granat-1, Granat-2, Granat-3, Tachion, ZALA-42104M, Grusha, and Orlan-2. Their first flights took place between 2005 and 2012. However, they only began to be mass produced in 2015 and 2016 and were then incorporated into the various troop units of the Russian forces, BILD reports.

Ever since Russias destabilizing activities in Ukraine in 2014, an EU arms embargo against Moscow has been in force. There are also trade restrictions on dual-use goods, i.e. material that can be used for both civil and military purposes. Does this include the German propeller blades used on Russian military drones?

BILD inquired with the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). According to the Office, there is a general ban on supplying dual-use goods to Russia, if these goods are, or might be, wholly or partly designed for military purposes (in the example described by you: potentially for installation in military goods) or for a military end-user.

In this particular case, the BAFA does not want to make a definite decision. The export of propeller blades and folding propellers is partly subject to authorization. However, whether there is an authorization requirement, and whether an export must be authorized, needs to be reviewed in each respective case, a BAFA spokesperson told BILD.

Read alsoUkraine Army intercepts Russian UAV in Donbas conflict zone (Video)

Concerning the question of whether a sanction was circumvented, the point of time at which the German components were bought by Russian companies in the EU is also decisive. All components purchased and brought to Russia from August 2014 onward would constitute a violation of sanctions. BILD sent a written request to the Russian Ministry of Defense concerning this question, but it remains unanswered.

BILD contacted German modelmaking companies Graupner/SJ GmbH from Kirchheim unter Teck and aero-naut Modellbau GmbH & Co.KG from Reutlingen. Both companies were shocked to hear that their components had been used for military purposes.

On some (but not all) of the aero-naut and Graupner drone propellers, the German company names were painted over or removed by the Russian users in order conceal their origin.

Russia itself makes no secret of its use of German components on its drones. At the military museum Park Patriot  which opened near Moscow in 2016  two army drones with German propeller blades are on exhibit to this day. At Russias biggest military fair, Army, drones with German propellers were also presented to the public in 2015 and 2016.

But thats not all. BILD has inquired into whether Russia has been employing drones with German technology in its war against Ukraine since early 2015. In the battle for the Ukrainian city of Debaltseve (with 184 dead on the Ukrainian side) in the spring of 2015, pro-Russian troops already used a Granat-2 drone with folding propellers manufactured in Reutlingen.

This has been confirmed by images broadcasted on the pro-Russian channel New Russia TV, published on YouTube. The soldier operating the drone with a computer conceals his face in the video. But it is obvious what the drone was used for. The task of the Granat-2 is to reconnoiter targets for artillery and multi-barrel rocket launcher shelling. A Russian military newspaper raved in 2013 that this can be done up to twice as fast with the drone compared to traditional means.

Since 2015, the Ukrainian army has taken down numerous Russian army drones with German propellers  or they have crashed over Ukrainian territory due to technical faults.

Read alsoUkraine to buy Turkish strike drones  Poroshenko

The last time this happened was on Wednesday January 23. According to the Ukrainian army, they forced a Russian Granat-2 drone to land in the south of the Donetsk region by using electronical interference signals. Since the aerial vehicle has a reach of only approximately 15 kilometers, the Ukrainian army assumes that it was launched in the occupied area by Russian soldiers or separatists who were trained to handle the drone.

This drone was also equipped with folding blades made by the company aero-naut from the German county of Baden-Wurttemberg, as a comprehensive video made by the Ukrainian army proves.

Tobias Lindner, representative of the Greens on the German parliaments defense committee, is now demanding that action be taken. If Moscow is indeed acquiring components of military drones from Germany, the federal government must do everything it can to prevent the purchasing of these parts by Russian state actors, Lindner told BILD.

The German components of the crashed Russian army drone are currently also being examined in Ukraine. BILD has learned from Ukrainian government circles that Western components  including German ones!  were found on several drones that had previously been shot down. Apparently, Kyiv had already asked Berlin to investigate the channels by which these components were being delivered to Russia.Several bullet holes were recorded on the right side of the bus.

Russia's hybrid military forces on Saturday fired at a civilian ritual service bus in the village of Chermalyk near the port city of Mariupol.

"The shelling of the settlements along the contact line by the Russian armed formations continues. The insidious actions of the Russian occupation forces are a mortal danger to civilians," the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters said on Facebook on February 2 citing Ukrainian members of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC).

Read alsoRussia deploys at least 28 battalion tactical groups near Ukrainian border  Defense Ministry

"Today, a funeral was held in the village of Chermalyk (northeast of Mariupol) at 12:30 Kyiv time. A civilian ritual service bus was fired at while transporting a body to the cemetery," reads the report.

The shelling from small arms was carried out by the Russian armed forces and their mercenaries.

At the same time, several bullet holes were recorded on the right side of the bus. "It was a miracle that the bullets did not hit the passengers," the JCCC members said.

"Upon arrival at the cemetery, the coffin with the body and three civilian men were left to bury the body. The bus driver managed to get the car out of the shelling and return to a safe place. After that, the nonhumans continued to fire at the cemetery for some time," the JCCC said.

The Ukrainian members of the JCCC condemns the actions of the occupation administration and Russian armed forces regarding the shelling of settlements, which threatens the lives and health of the civilian population. "The militants continue to violate all norms of international humanitarian law," the JCCC stressed.The groups are 100% staffed by contract servicemen and equipped with modern (modernized) weapons and military hardware

Speaker for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernobay has said Russia deployed at least 28 battalion tactical groups near the Ukrainian border.

Read alsoDonbas warzone: Ukraine reports five enemy attacks in past day

"At least 28 battalion tactical groups are in readiness for immediate use on the border with our state. They are 100% staffed by contract servicemen and equipped with modern (modernized) weapons and military hardware," he told UNIAN about Russia's military presence along the border with Ukraine.

"Their number can be increased in a short time due to the operational transfer of battalion tactical groups from other military districts," Chernobay added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Chernobay said the Russian Federation had deployed 12 Iskander nuclear-capable ballistic missile launchers at a distance of 250 km from the border of Ukraine.McDermott said he had to make a decision on whether I wanted to continue this for another year or two, including appeals, and decided not to keep going. Ive got to get on with life, he said. Ive settled because I have no options.  But its a horrible deal for me.Satellite images obtained exclusively by Fox News revealed a new Russian deployment of Iskander missile batteries and launchers near the border with Ukraine.

Speaker for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernobay has said the Russian Federation deployed 12 Iskander nuclear-capable ballistic missile launchers at a distance of 250 km from the border of Ukraine.

Read alsoGeneral: Kyiv within Russia's Iskander nuclear missiles reach

"According to the results of processing the request on Russia's building up a military group near the state border of Ukraine, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and within the public information, the following is reported: a missile brigade has been deployed near the city of Krasnodar (250 km to the border with Ukraine) which is armed with 12 Iskander missile launchers," he told UNIAN, commenting on U.S. media data on the deployment of this type of weapon in close proximity to the Ukrainian-Russian border.

As UNIAN reported earlier, satellite images obtained exclusively by Fox News revealed a new Russian deployment of Iskander missile batteries and launchers near the border with Ukraine.There were no Ukrainian army casualties.

Russian-led forces mounted five attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past 24 hours.

Read alsoAzov special forces unit returns to Donbas

"No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, two invaders were killed and another two 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 February 2, 2019.

During the period under review, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms at the Ukrainian positions near the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Pavlopil, Vilniy, and Krymske.

"Since Saturday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.With Ukraine, but also with Moldova and Georgia, the EU have managed to achieve the three main objectives.

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has refused to comment on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's words that Ukraine will apply for EU membership in 2024.

Read alsoUkraine to apply for EU membership in 2024  Poroshenko

"I would not comment on the specific words or statements that have been made but I can tell you this: as the Minister [Teodor Melescanu] said, if you look back ten years ago or if you even look back five years, especially for Ukraine, five years ago was a quite dramatic time; I remember it very well. We have achieved so much with all of our Eastern partners, that, again, looking back even a few years' time, not to mention ten [years], some things would have been completely impossible to believe at the time," she said at a joint press conference with Foreign Affairs Minister of Romania Teodor Melescanu, following the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Bucharest on January 31, 2019.

"In particular with Ukraine, but also with Moldova and Georgia, we have managed to achieve the three main objectives that we had decided to work upon with those three partners. The trade agreement that is the most advanced one we could put in place, the Association Agreement, that give us a framework for regular constant exchanges and cooperation on a political level on all different sectors, and that is moving forward and supporting all reforms that in this countries are asked for by the citizens and are beneficial for their society, their economy, the rule of law. And the visa liberalisation that has always been on top of the agenda for those three countries, and that I believe has brought an immediate and tangible change for the citizens of Ukraine but also of Georgia and Moldova," Mogherini said.

"Again, if you look back for instance at the beginning of my mandate, some four years and a half ago, all of these objectives would have seemed completely out of reach. I think we have something to celebrate also thanks to the determination of the Member States and of our partners in managing to achieve something that was impossible to even dream of at that time."

"I would not comment about what would happen as of 2024, but we have closer targets that are at reach, we have agenda of 20 deliverables for 2020  2020 is one year from now  and we are convinced both, on the Member States and on the Commission side, that these changes that are doable, that are at reach and that are extremely concrete from the point of view of how they might impact the life of the citizens, both of their countries but also of ours, are something on which, in a very pragmatic and concrete way, we can work together and achieve excellent results," the official said.All militant pseudo-formations should disappear, while the three components of the UN peacekeeping mission - military, policing, and civilian, should emerge.

The Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons is considering a political and diplomatic reintegration of Donbas following the example of Croatia's Eastern Slavonia, according to Minister Vadym Chernysh.

We see an exclusively political, diplomatic, and peaceful path," Chernysh told a press conference on Friday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

"But I emphasize, now there is a lot of speculation with the word 'peace'," said Chernysh. Political and diplomatic mechanisms should work, including through the mission format, under procedures to make sure that the process does not fail to return the territories under the control of the Ukrainian government, he added.

Chernysh said that Ukraine proposed the introduction of the three components in the occupied Donbas  civil, military and policing ones.

But the sequence of actions or parallelism of some processes should follow the example, not as an exact copy though, of Eastern Slavonia [in the 1990s, the formation of Serbs was disbanded in the Croatian territory and a temporary UN administration was introduced]," the minister said.

Read alsoSajdik's "Peace Plan" could legitimize DPR, LPR  minister

"That is, the first thing is civilian control is just as necessary as a military one. Therefore, as soon as security is ensured from the line of contact to the Ukrainian (state) border, as soon as the military component provides security, in parallel lines, the civilian component of the so-called peacekeeping mission to ensure peace usually is introduced, said Chernysh.

And the third component, the policing one, must be introduced from the contact line to the border, he added.

Chernysh stressed that the entire control of the occupied territory shall be transferred to the civilian component.

There shall be no quasi bodies, surrogates, which were formed there in connection with illegal elections, in principle, as soon as there are managers there with a UN mandate, he said.

The minister noted that the military and policing components must ensure control over the Ukrainian-Russian border.

He also said that it is necessary to ensure security and control over the border so that there is no movement of weapons and militants on the part of the Russian Federation, to ensure equal opportunities for participation in the elections for IDPs and candidates.

We proposed the components and mandate of the (peacekeeping) mission from the experience of Croatia. And there is again some manipulation. In Croatia, there are two experiences: the experience of the military operation and another experience  of peaceful reintegration. We are now talking about peaceful reintegration on the principle of Eastern Slavonia, he said.| By Mary T. Phelan

Two University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members have been awarded a $15,000 mini-grant from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in support of the All of Us Research Program. This precision health initiative led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is aimed at gathering health data from 1 million or more U.S. participants so that researchers can gain a better understanding of the multiple environmental, lifestyle, and biological factors that can impact health and develop the next great breakthroughs in health care. UMSON is one of nine nursing schools nationwide to be awarded this funding.

Veronica Njie-Carr, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FWACN, associate professor, and Kristen E. Rawlett, PhD 14, FNP-BC, assistant professor, are co-principal investigators on the grant, which aims to disseminate information about the All of Us Research Program to targeted Baltimore populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research  including African-American/black; Hispanic; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex individuals  in collaboration with a community partner.

The mini-grant funding supports a town hall event, Improving Health for All of Us in Baltimore and Beyond, scheduled for Feb. 9, 10-11:30 a.m., at William Pinderhughes Elementary/Middle School in West Baltimore with a goal of bringing as many as 300 community members together to learn more about participating in the All of Us Research Program.

The event will feature Rick Garcia, PhD, MS, BSN, director of nursing education at AACN, who will speak about the vital role citizens play in the All of Us research campaign and how its results will benefit their community.

The AACN All of Us mini-grant is important because it provides a unique opportunity to engage the academic nursing community with the All of Us Research Program funded by NIH, Rawlett said. Receiving this grant is meaningful because along with educating the community about precision health and the All of Us Research Program, it gives community stakeholders a voice in letting researchers and funders, like NIH, know what content is important to them and how to best convey information to community members. The funding from the mini-grant brings research information and opportunities into the community to improve health and quality of life.

Given the remarkable investment of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) leadership in the Baltimore community, and as nurse researchers, we have developed relationships and are already working with community stakeholders and individuals in Baltimore and its surroundings, Rawlett and Njie-Carr wrote in the grant application.

The University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library, which is housed on the UMB campus and serves as the Regional Medical Library for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM), Southeastern/Atlantic Region, also is participating in the All of Us campaign.

NNLM has partnered with the All of Us Research Program to work with public libraries to engage local communities, raise awareness about the program for populations underrepresented in biomedical research, and improve health literacy. This partnership will provide funding, training, and connections to empower members to transform their communities with trusted health information.

We are honored to have this opportunity to work with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to advance the important work of the All of Us Research Program, said UMSON Dean Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. UMSON has a distinguished history in community/public health nursing, nursing research, and service to the community. We look forward to contributing to the All of Us Research Program and enhancing the understanding of how individuals and communities throughout the U.S. can achieve improvements in health outcomes.

AACN joined with NIH to advance the All of Us Research Program by administering a mini-grant program to facilitate the engagement of the nursing education community with the All of Us Research Program, and in particular, its focus on including historically underrepresented communities in biomedical research. This initiative uses collaboration among established community partners and nursing schools to disseminate information on the All of Us Research Program.

To learn more about the All of Us Research Program, visit http://allofus.nih.gov.Political consultations on the introduction of a free trade area (FTA) between Ukraine and Turkey will take place in the near future.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said this this at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Odesa on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"We talked about our future FTA agreement. Political consultations will take place soon  Some $4 billion turnover is very far from our potential," Klimkin said.

According to him, the parties also decided to develop a draft agreement on social security of the citizens of Ukraine working in Turkey, and the citizens of Turkey who work at the enterprises of Ukraine.

"More and more Ukrainians are working in Turkey, more and more Turkish citizens are working in Ukraine. We will have expert consultations in the near future and we need this agreement," he explained.

Klimkin stressed that "the parties will also continue to exert efforts to strengthen the prospects for military and technical cooperation." They also decided to create joint ventures.In January-October 2018, bilateral trade between Ukraine and India amounted to USD 2.3 billion, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine has reported.

"For 10 months of 2018, bilateral trade between Ukraine and India totaled USD 2.3 billion. The exports of Ukrainian products exceeded USD 1.8 billion," the Economic Development Ministry informed on its Facebook page.

Thus, India is the largest trading partner of Ukraine among the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. At the 25th International Partnership Summit in Mumbai in January 2019, First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv noted that the key tasks of further cooperation between our countries were industrial cooperation between businesses, as well as the development of trade.Father's Day was spent in under more quiet conditions than usual because of the extended curfew in effect. But the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation has taken the lockdown period to combat the spread of COVID-19 through a sanitisation programme. Here's Alicia Boucher with the details.Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler calls the practice of prosecutors collecting fees from defendants as immoral. We agree.

The unjust funding system for Oklahoma prosecutors was highlighted at a gathering of local district attorneys and state lawmakers last week around the topic of criminal justice reform.

Ideally, the state government would fully fund the court systems to operate effectively; that includes prosecutors, public defenders, judges and other administrative supports.

Instead, lawmakers shifted money away from the judicial branch and replaced that revenue with fees and fines. It has created massive debt for defendants, who often end up back in jail for nonpayment.

It has turned jails into debtors prisons. Our jails need to hold dangerous criminals or defendants, not those having trouble paying off an old court filing. The goal of the court system is to dispense justice, not create collections accounts.Students fight in school because they know someone will be there to break it up  its safer. Fighting in the neighborhood  theres no guarantee what will happen  you could be jumped or shot, one of the participants wrote on a piece of paper that was read aloud by the emcees.Quiz: What do you see in this snapshot of Sandmann? The face of white supremacy, as was quickly alleged on social media? Or the nervous smile of a kid who isnt sure what to do after a fellow gets in his face, seemingly intent on a staring contest?

Perhaps, one can see a little of both  and, perhaps, both impressions are somewhat accurate without necessarily representing a whole truth. Both Phillips and Sandmann subsequently told differing accounts, but with one similarity: Each said he was trying to convey calm in a tense situation. The boys, in fact, had earlier been the targets of a stream of profanity and invective from a third group  the Black Hebrew Israelites, who believe that African-Americans are Gods chosen people.

According to Sandmann, the Israelites shouted at one of his black classmates, saying that the white students would harvest his organs. One can see how things might have gotten out of hand  but they didnt. Despite the obvious intent to provoke a confrontation with the Catholic kids, the boys didnt take the bait. They may have acted out a bit  shouting school cheers, doing tomahawk-chop gestures and arguing with a Native American who told one student to go back to Europe. But, largely, they acted just like dumb high school kids, if youll pardon the redundancy.The Nebraska woman who has been charged with incest told a police officer that she wanted to have sex with her father because of a competition with her half sister to see who could do it first.

Travis Fieldgrove, 39, and his 21-year-old daughter, Samantha Kershner, each has been charged with one count of incest in both Hall and Adams Counties. Each still was being held Friday in the Hall County Jail  Fieldgrove on $100,000 bail and Kershner on $20,000 bail.

According to a court affidavit, Grand Island police officers spoke to Fieldgrove and Kershner in September after receiving a tip about their relationship and allegations of incest.

Both admitted they were having a romantic and sexual relationship.She said there is so much talk about the current United States politics being unprecedented, but you can go back in time and people said the same thing, and we survived.

Logan said her observation is that several of the wars involving the U.S. are not defined. She said several U.S. presidential administrations have participated in the wars that dont seem to have a defined goal.

When she goes into a country, the first thing she asks her driver or people she meets is what is the most important thing to know about their country.

The answer is almost always national pride, more than anything else, said Logan.

She believes the U.S. has the power to do whatever it wants in any of the foreign wars. Do you have the political will to do what it takes?

Then, she quickly added, I am certainly not advocating for war. And, she said her job as a journalist, is not to come up with solutions.

Logan told Tulsa Town Hall that her mother-in-law is from Muskogee. She said her in-laws wanted her to go to Krebs and pick up some sausage from Loveras Grocery or go eat at Petes Place.

They werent on my way here, she laughed.Reportedly planning to make her presidential bid official this month, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for publicizing a DNA test that shows she has distant Native American ancestors, tribal officials confirmed to the Tulsa World.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who was raised in Oklahoma, had a brief and private phone conversation Thursday with Principal Chief Bill John Baker, according to a spokeswoman for the tribe.

We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws, not through DNA tests, said Julie Hubbard, the tribes executive director of communications. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.

Critics have accused the Massachusetts Democrat, who was raised in Oklahoma, of advancing her career by claiming Cherokee heritage. And President Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked his potential 2020 challenger by calling her Pocahontas, going so far as to offer $1 million to a charity of her choice if she took a DNA test that proved her claim.A popular state park area could more than triple in size now that the state has purchased 77 acres of private land next to it.

The new land at the Honey Creek Area of Grand Lake State Park is expected to be used for future expansion and development, the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department said in a press release this week.

The park area is on a peninsula just southwest of central Grove  about 90 miles northeast of Tulsa  and the new land is just east of the existing park. It was purchased for $842,989 from the Albro Estate, officials said.

We are so excited about the possibilities that this purchase brings, said Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who is also Oklahomas Cabinet secretary for tourism and branding. The Grand Lake area is a big part of Oklahoma tourism and of the Oklahoma state parks system. We feel adding this land gives us an opportunity to do great things with this park that will make it an even better experience for Oklahoma travelers and help to draw in tourists from out of state.

The acquisition marks the first time the state has bought private land next to a state park in more than 20 years  the last time in 1995 at Little Sahara State Park in northwestern Oklahoma, said Leslie Blair, a spokeswoman for the Tourism and Recreation Department.Characterizing the event as an incident, Ballard said ONG would be looking at all aspects to determine exactly what happened. No timetable was provided for when its investigation would conclude.

City officials said Oklahoma Natural Gas had an ongoing project in the area, but they were unable to provide details about the project.

Electric power was cut in the area temporarily Thursday to prevent electrical sources from igniting the gas as ONG crews worked to stop the leak. Crews were able to cap and stop the leak late Thursday and then allowed residents to return to their homes.

ONG posted a statement on its website Friday, indicating that crews worked overnight and continue to work in the area of 21st and Memorial.

We appreciate everyones patience as we work as safely and as quickly as possible on repairs so that we can begin the restoration process to get the gas turned back on for all of our impacted customers, ONG officials said in a prepared statement. As information becomes available, we will provide updates.Records show Gov. Kevin Stitt spent nearly $11 million getting himself elected last year, which seems to be more than twice as much as anyone else has ever spent on an Oklahoma gubernatorial or any statewide campaign.

Reports filed this week with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission show Stitt campaign expenditures of almost $10.5 million through Dec. 31, with contributions and other revenue of just under $11 million.

This weeks reports were the first since the Nov. 6 general election.

Stitts Democratic opponent, Drew Edmondson, raised and spent $4.2 million, which was the most in at least recent history for that partys gubernatorial nominee.

The totals do not include independent expenditures by groups such as the Republican and Democratic governors associations.

State Ethics Commission records from prior to 2002 were not readily available Friday, but Federal Election Commission reports show Democrat Brad Carson spent $6.4 million in losing the race for an open Senate seat in 2004.

Republican Tom Coburn, who won that election, spent $5.8 million, according to the FEC.

Stitts predecessor, Mary Fallin, spent $4.1 million to win the 2010 election and $4.3 million in 2014."You don't want things so convenient that you don't even know when fraud might be occurring, but on the other hand you don't want it so secure no one can vote," the state election board secretary says.The United National Party (UNP) is expected to move a resolution in parliament on February 7 calling for the formation of a national government and thus increase the cabinet of ministers to 48 and the number of deputy, state and non-cabinet ministers to 45.

The UNP handed over the resolution to Parliament Secretary General yesterday to be debated and voted on the same.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution restricts the number of Cabinet ministers 30 members while the number of deputy, state and non-Cabinet ministers should not exceed 40.

The UNP's move to form a national government is to overcome pressure by its MPs who are agitating for ministerial portfolios.

The number of cabinet ministers can only be increased in the case of a national government.

According to Article 46(5) of the Constitution, a national government means a government formed by a recognized political party or independent group with the highest number of seats in Parliament together with other recognised political parties or independent groups.

According to political sources, the UNP is hoping to form the national government together with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

Only MP Ali Zahir Moulana was elected on the SLMC ticket while its other MPs including leader Rauff Hakeem were elected on the UNP ticket.

Meanwhile, some United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs are also expected to join the UNP in forming this government. They are hoping to obtain President Maithripala Sirisena's permission to accept portfolios in a UNP-led government. (Kelum Bandara)The Cherokee Nation said Monday that Sen. Elizabeth Warrens release of a DNA analysis that shows she has Native American ancestry is inappropriate and wrong.

A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship. Current DNA tests do not even distinguish whether a persons ancestors were indigenous to North or South America, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement.

Sovereign tribal nations set their own legal requirements for citizenship, and while DNA tests can be used to determine lineage, such as paternity to an individual, it is not evidence for tribal affiliation. Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong, he said.

It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven.

Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

Responding to years of derision by President Donald Trump and other critics, Warren on Monday released a report on a DNA analysis that provides strong evidence that she does, in fact, have Native American heritage.- The study shows polygamous families are healthier and happy than monogamous families

- According to the study, first wives, who tend to live with their husbands, had significantly better nutrition

- The children of second wives were found to be as healthy as those from monogamous families

A new study has shown polygamous families thrive better than monogamous once in poor communities.

As a result of the study, researchers are now calling for greater cultural sensitivity among campaigners seeking to ban polygamy.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens.

READ ALSO: Students torch domitory in Homa Bay after being suspended for attending disco matanga

Researchers are now calling for greater cultural sensitivity among campaigners seeking to ban polygamy. Photo: Citizen TV.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Uhuru, Ruto enjoy sumptuous nyama choma as President returns from Tanzania

The research carried out in households from Tanzania showed polygamous families owned more cattle and farmed more land than monogamous ones in the same villages

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

It also showed there was no evidence of children whose fathers had more than one wife were less healthy or hungrier than those in monogamous households.

READ ALSO: Controversial prophet David Owuors supporters passionately descend on writer Njoki Chege

Children in polygamous households either do better or just as well as children in monogamous households within the same village, the lead researcher, David Lawson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said.

According to the study, first wives, who tend to live with their husbands, had significantly better nutrition and less stunting among their children than monogamous families.

The children of second wives, who usually live in separate homes adjacent to the first wife, were as healthy as monogamous families, although their food security was slightly lower.

READ ALSO: Musalia Mudavadi confirms 3 people lost their lives at his construction site

Its an important finding because we have this very strong language used by the United Nations and others that polygamy is universally harmful, Lawson said.

Most of the policy speak on this topic is not actually very evidence based. . . . What we are arguing for is cultural sensitivity.

READ ALSO: Vietnamese nationals caught smuggling KSh 800 million Ivory, pangolin scales through Uganda

One in four married women in rural Tanzania have at least one co-wife, that is according to government data shows.

In Kenya, Maasai women often enter polygamous marriages with wealthier men in the community, unlike the Meru, and tend to be better educated and monogamous.

Polygyny can be potentially protective within cultural settings where women lack direct control over resources, said Lawson.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

What Kenyans Think About Sidechicks (Mpango wa Kando)| Tuko TV

Source: TukoPresident Uhuru Kenyatta was treated to a grand reception upon his return from Arusha, Tanzania where he attended East Africa Community Integration summit.

The Head of State who arrived in the country through Namanga border at about 5pm on Saturday, February 2, made a stopover at Oletepes in Kajiado county to enjoy goat meat.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens.

READ ALSO: Butcher who served Uhuru nyama choma tells what happened moments before

Uhuru who arrived at the country through Namanga border few about 5 pm on Saturday, February 2, made a stopover at Oletepes in Kajiado county to enjoy goat meat. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Uhuru Kenyatta paid KSh 21,000 for meat at Kenyatta Market

Uhuru in the company of his Deputy William Ruto, Burundi Vice President Gaston Sindimwo and their host Governor Joseph Ole Lenku tore apart nyama choma to wind up the busy day.

Roast goat ribs came in handy and the president relished every bite with an irresistibly undeniable craving considering he was away and must have missed Kenyan delicacy.

Earlier on, Uhuru urged Kenyans to shun divisive politics and instead channel their energies towards development while pledging to ensure every sector of the economy thrives.

READ ALSO: Ruto spotted at Njugunas enjoying nyam-chom after church service at All Saints Cathedral

Uhuru in the company of his Deputy William Ruto tore apart nyama choma to wind up the busy day. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

He noted there was need for peaceful coexistence in the country so that the government can make strides in achieving its transformative development agenda.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

CBD Blast Leaves Two Injured - TUKO TV

Source: Tuko Breaking NewsCommentary

Schultz calling Dems out for how radical their party has becomeCommentary

Schultz is suffering from the Frappuccino SyndromeON Sunday morning, just like Saturday morning, there was a lot of loud talking coming from the back of a mini- mart in Santa Cruz.

A mini-bar that has no bar licence (because it is in the middle of a residential community) but is a liming spot that has some great ties that apparently keep their loose practices untouched.SriLankan airlines is paying Rs.110 million a month for a grounded A330-200 aircraft which it acquired during the cancellation of the lease on three A350-900 airbuses in 2016/2017, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into irregularities at SriLankan airlines was told yesterday.

SriLankan's Group Internal Auditor Mahesh Nanayakkara informed the Commission that the airline was paying Rs.1.3 billion a year for this grounded aircraft.

"SriLankan airlines has incurred a loss of Rs.14.3 billion because of the cancellation of three Airbus A350-900 and part of the losses was during the financial year 2016-2017. During this period, SriLankan had to acquire a A330-200 aircraft which is still grounded and the airline had to pay a large amount of money a month even without using it," Senior State Counsel Fazly Razik told the PCoI.

When leading the evidence it was also revealed that the amount which SriLankan has been paying every month is not reflected in SriLankan airlines cash flow statements.

The witness said the decision to acquire the three Airbus A350-900 was taken in 2013 and SriLankan airlines had hired Seabury, a famous international aviation consultancy firm as an external consultant to the Company that year.

The Senior State Counsel asked the witness whether Seabury did not advice SriLankan on the acquisition of these aircraft, as Seabury had partnered with the Airbus Company during several aircraft arrangements previously and would have had the knowledge to do so.

However, the witness was unable to provide a proper answer to the question but informed the PCoI that as the Group Internal Auditor he was not aware that Seabury consultants provided the proper market rates at the time to SriLankan Airlines.

COPE report stated that Aercap company from which SriLankan was leasing the Airbuses had initially asked the company to pay a penalty of US$115 million in lieu of terminating the agreement. However, Aercap had agreed to reduce the penalty to US$98 million based on several conditions. (Yoshitha Perera)THE Police Service Commission (PolSC) has the green light to proceed with a new shorter process to appoint a Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis made this clear yesterday in response to a story in the Sunday Express which stated that the legal notice giving effect to the process was to be debated in the Parliament today.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Los Angeles, February 2

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam apologised on Friday for a photograph on his 1984 medical school yearbook page showing him and another person in racist garb at a party, but said he would serve out his term even as pressure piled on from fellow Democrats for him to step down.

In a statement from his office, Northam indicated he was one of the people shown in the photo, which depicted one person in blackface standing next to another in a Ku Klux Klan costume. He did not identify which one was him. His spokeswoman did not respond to requests for further comment.

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now, Northam said in his statement.

In a video later posted on Twitter, Northam, who took office only a year ago, said: I have spent the past year as your governor fighting for a Virginia that works better for all people. I am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term and living up to the expectations you set for me when you elected me to serve.

Among those calling for him to resign immediately were two recently announced Democratic candidates for president, Senator Kamala Harris and Julian Castro.

The Virginia-Pilot on its website said it obtained a copy of the photo from the Eastern Virginia Medical School library.

Complete betrayal

The NAACP, a leading civil rights organization, called for Northam to resign, while Virginias Legislative Black Caucus condemned Northam in a stinging statement but stopped short of saying he should step down.

We are still processing what we have seen about the Governor but unequivocally say that what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive, the caucus said. We feel complete betrayal.

Virginias two US senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, criticized Northam but also didnt call for his resignation, saying that he should reflect on how to move forward.

Among those who did call on Northam to step down, Harris, a first-term senator who is the daughter of a black father from Jamaica and an Indian mother, said on Twitter: Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government.

Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, on Twitter said Northams behavior was racist and unconscionable. Northam, a pediatric neurologist, graduated from Norfolk medical school in 1984 and did his undergraduate work at Virginia Military Institute.

Northam, 59 and an Army veteran, was elected Virginia governor in 2017 after spending the previous decade in Virginias state legislature as a senator.

The origins of blackface date back to 19th century minstrel shows, when white actors covered themselves in black grease paint that caricatured the singing and dancing of slaves.

An entry from Northams 1981 yearbook for the Virginia Military Institute added to the outcry over racist associations.

An archive page of the yearbook, seen on the nonprofit archive.org., shows Northams photo and bio on a page with the nickname Coonman. The word Coon has racist connotations. Reutersvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Washington, February 1

The United States will suspend compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia on Saturday and formally withdraw in six months if Moscow does not end its alleged violation of the pact, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

The United States would reconsider its withdrawal if Russia, which denies violating the landmark 1987 arms control pact, came into compliance with the treaty, which bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.

Russia has refused to take any steps to return (to) real and verifiable compliance, Pompeo told reporters at the State Department. We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF treaty, effective in six months.

If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty within this six-month period by verifiably destroying its INF-violating missiles, their launchers, and associated equipment, the treaty will terminate. The United States alleges a new Russian cruise missile violates the pact. The missile, the Novator 9M729, is known as the SSC-8 by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Russia says the missiles range puts it outside the treaty, and has accused the United States of inventing a false pretext to exit a treaty that it wants to leave anyway so it can develop new missiles. Russia also has rejected a US demand to destroy the new missile.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday the United States had been unwilling to discuss the issue. Some experts believe the collapse of the INF treaty could undermine other arms control agreements and speed an erosion of the global system designed to block the spread of nuclear arms.

European officials are especially worried about the treatys possible collapse, fearful that Europe could again become an arena for nuclear-armed, intermediate-range missile buildups by the United States and Russia.

Speaking before Pompeos announcement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasised the importance of using the six-month window to keep talking.

It is clear to us that Russia has violated this treaty ..., she said. The important thing is to keep the window for dialogue open.

Senator Bob Menendez, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused Trump failing to create a wider strategy to control the spread of nuclear weapons. Reuters

NATO fully supports decisionpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Doral US), February 2

US Vice-President Mike Pence told a crowd in Florida on Friday that it is time to take action to end the socialist regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Pence told dozens of Venezuelans that Washington was working toward a peaceful transition so opposition leader Juan Guaido rises to power. But he reassured them President Donald Trumps administration would further weaken Maduro.

This is no time for dialogue, Pence said at a church in the Doral suburb of Miami, prompting loud cheers among exiles who fled their homeland. It is time to end the Maduro regime.

Before his speech, Pence sat down with a college professor who says he and his wife were physically assaulted by armed pro-government groups. In a round-table discussion, he also heard from other Venezuelans refugees such as a former city councilman who says he was accused of being a CIA agent. A doctor showed enlarged pictures of children seemingly dying of hunger.

A Venezuelan accountant and professor at Andres Bello Catholic University, Jose Ali Ravanguoy, told Pence and Florida politicians that he was being persecuted for teaching about democracy in working-class neighbourhoods that were socialist strongholds. We started to make noise, he said.

I am here as the face of many mothers who live with the fear that their husbands wont come home. That the father of their kids wont return. That their children live a childhood full of fear and persecution, said Francis Suarez, wife of Ravanguoy, who wore a shirt that said Make Venezuela Free Again.

About 190,000 Venezuelans live in Florida, and many have arrived in recent years as the country spiraled downward as a result of an economic and political crisis under Maduro and former President Hugo Chavez.

Sen Marco Rubio, a fierce critic of Maduro, warned that time was running out for the socialist leader to voluntarily step down from office.

Nicolas Maduro has got big problems. This is not like the other times. Youve made a terrible enemy in Donald Trump, Rubio said.

The Florida Republican has praised the Trump administration for hitting Venezuelas state-owned oil company with sanctions.

Pence said the Trump administration would continue to put diplomatic and economic pressure to force Maduro to cede power and restore democracy in the South American nation.

He repeated a message that Donald Trump has given before regarding consideration a military intervention, and said all options are on the table. Alejandro Segovia Marquez, a former city councilman who says he was accused of working for the CIA, told Pence in a discussion that Venezuelans cant wait any longer because time equals deaths.

We, the Venezuelans, stand by the United States side and are waiting for you, he said. For pity, for humanity, do not drag your feet on this issue.  APvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tehran, February 1

Thousands of Iranians gathered at the mausoleum of the Islamic republics founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Friday to launch celebrations for the 40th anniversary of its revolution.

The ceremonies for the 1979 revolution started at 9:33 am (0603 GMT), the exact time that Khomeini returned to Iran and his plane touched down at Tehran airport, AFP correspondents said.

As an army band played revolutionary anthems, the huge hall of the mausoleum was filled with people from all walks of life, amid schoolchildren dressed in the red, white and green of the Iranian flag.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the influential experts assembly which appoints the supreme leader of the Islamic republic, delivered a keynote speech rebuking factions seeking better ties with Washington.

Curses on the wrong school of thought that thinks we cant run the country unless America helps us, he said, shaking a raised left hand.

Americas power is on the decline, we should not be afraid of America, Jannati said. On February 1 each year, Iran begins 10 days of celebrations to mark the anniversary of Khomeinis return from exile.  AFPpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Beijing, February 2

Chinas ruling Communist Party is cracking down on its officials who are taking part in religious activities violating partys ideology of adhering to atheism and secretly maintaining contacts with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who has been branded as separatist by Beijing.

A video produced by the Tibetan provincial government has revealed cases in the region, where local Communist Party of China (CPC) members violated the CPC regulations on religion, anti-separatism and anti-corruption, state-run Global Times reported on Saturday.

So far three officials have been expelled from the party and 10 others received warning, the report said.

The Tibetan authority attaches great importance to the party discipline consistent with a nationwide campaign to strengthen the party management. It regulated 46 violations by local CPC members, including religious beliefs, according to the video produced by the publicity department of the regional commission for discipline inspection of Tibet and Tibet television.

The video, part of a four-episode series featuring the regions efforts on anti-corruption and regulating the party members, was aired from January 28 to 31 on Tibet television, the report said.

Buddhism is a widely popular religion in Tibet, which is governed by the CPC ever since China took control of it in 1950. Despite his exile in India since 1959, the Dalai Lama remains the most revered religious figure in the Himalayan region.

The CPC remains an atheist organisation. Thus, CPC members are banned from religious beliefs, because they can only believe in Marxism and believing in other religions means betrayal of their chosen belief and it will shake their belief in Marxism and separate them from the party, Xiong Kunxin, an ethnic studies professor at Tibet University in Lhasa, told the Global Times.

However, there are some two-faced people in Tibet, who claim loyalty to the party while secretly sympathising and even working for separatists. The regional government has already identified these people so it is strengthening its regulation to kick them out, Xiong said.

The video tells of a story in Zaxizong village in Nyalam county, Xigaze in 2016. Nyalam police found some politically forbidden objects in a cave in the village. Pictures of illicit goods were digitally blurred in the video.

An unnamed official from the regional commission for discipline inspection said in the video that in Tibet, taking a firm political stance is the most important thing in abiding by the partys political disciplines. We must wage a tit-for-tat battle with the Dalai Lama and his group. If any CPC member has the wrong attitude on this subject, it would be a serious problem, the Global Times report said.

Some people have been hiding illicit objects in the cave since 2009. Some village officials, including the party chief of the villages CPC branch, had participated in worshipping these illicit objects, it said.

The case led to three CPC officials being expelled from the party and 10 others receiving a warning, it said.

Apart from these two-faced people, there are also other CPC members and officials who committed mistakes due to a lack of political sensitivity and consciousness, Dolma, a CPC member, who works at Tibet television, told the Global Times.

Once Party members and officials are corrupted with wrong political ideas, the influence is worse. So we should be more cautious than others, and pay attention to what we consider trivial, Dolma said.

Regional commission for discipline inspection established an office in 2018 to supervise Party discipline. A total of 215 people had been involved in such violations as of October 2018, the video said. PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Moscow, February 2

A Russian man was charged on Friday with faking documents to work as a hospital doctor after reportedly spending a decade in a psychiatric facility for killing a high school classmate and drinking his blood.

Investigators said they had arrested the 36-year-old working as a doctor for a hospital in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk and charged him with using a fake degree certificate to get a job in November last year.

The man named by media as Boris Kondrashin was able to work as a doctor despite being sentenced to compulsory medical treatment in 2000 after committing an especially serious crime, investigators said.

Russian media reported that as a teenager in 1998 he injected a 16-year-old school classmate with a sedative before cutting up his body in a ritual killing and drinking his blood.

Kondrashin considered himself to be a vampire, reported Znak.com regional news site.

In August 2000 Kondrashin was confined to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with homicidal schizophrenia and ruled to be incapable of understanding his actions, the Chelyabinskaya Nedelya local newspaper reported at the time.

He was discharged around a decade later, Russian media reported.

Kondrashin was hired as a primary care doctor by Chelyabinsks City Hospital No. 11 at the medical prevention department, where his job was to encourage people not to drink and smoke and tell them about the benefits of exercise, the head of the citys health department, Natalya Gorlova told reporters, TASS state news agency reported.

She said that his lack of work experience did not show up because he claimed to have lost compulsory records.

Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source, that Kondrashin was detained in January after a psychiatrist who had treated him spotted him posting on a medical forum.

Gorlova said however that Kondrashin was sacked after the hospital checked his degree certificate with the institution.

A photograph of Kondrashin smiling and wearing a white coat was still posted on a medical discussion forum on Friday.

Kondrashins sister, who is a doctor, told Znak.com that neither she nor his mother knew that he had gained the job. He only had high school education, she said.

She said he had been discharged as presenting no danger to the public but was still supposed to be under medical supervision.  AFPsinghking99@yahoo.com

Roopinder Singh

Books. We cherish these faithful companions of our journey through life. We have picked them up at various junctures, sometimes casually, sometimes with due thought. Many have been gifted to us, some borrowed and not yet returned...the words encased in the cover have received significant investments of our time, and sometimes our mind space.

We revisit our lives through these pages. A well-thumbed tome reflects our passion for what it offers/means to us  that lovely passage, that turn of the phrase, an inflexion point that changed the narrative...much to read and reminisce about in our minds. Each journey into those pages is a unique melange of circumstances of that particular moment. A revisit may yield more, or take us on a different path. Our library reflects our choices. As visitors, we often tend to check out a persons bookshelf.

Given this backdrop, it is easy to understand the storm unleashed by the tidying guru Marie Kondos statement, since clarified, that you keep only 30 books that spark joy. Kondo explained that the reference to the number of books was what she had kept behind after her cleaning efforts and that there was no fixed number of books that should be kept.

Konmari method

Kondo, whose 2014 title, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has spawned a movement that is devoted to her method of tidying up, KonMari, where you essentially make a pile of your belongings and keep the things that spark joy. Being an organisational guru, she categorises stuff and you make your pile accordingly.

The streaming service Netflix has her show, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, which has been an instant hit. In the show, she visits an American family and helps it tidy up the house. It is in one of the episodes that she tapped unused books and made the statement that got her into trouble. A Twitter storm started, followed by a massive debate, with mainstream media joining in with opinion pieces, largely by outraged bibliophiles, as well as Kondo defenders. Some of her followers saw subtle racism at play in the criticism. As always happens, the subtleties of the message were lost in the noise.

Collectors syndrome

We collect, much more than we need. A truism, if ever there was one. Indeed, civilisation and amassing of things are intertwined. De-cluttering is a necessity, often imposed by shrinking space or change of circumstances, residences, etc. In other words, it is something that we are compelled to do. Any effort to impel us to tidy up our lives has enormous charm, till you get down to it.

Most houses have tidy public areas, and not-so-tidy (read messy) personal spaces, where individuals can be what they want to be. Does it come as a surprise that most of us are slothful, to varying degrees? The sheer number of self-help books and shows that promote tidiness is a good indication of how deep this behaviour pattern is, as is the desire to get out of it.

Organisational experts for homes are now a thing. You can hire them, and unlike Kondo, they will do the work, but the painful decisions about what stays and what goes is still yours.

Downsizing your library

We spend many decades collecting books. We read some; others represent our hope for the time and the inclination to read them. Sometime in the future of our imagination, we will have the leisure to peruse them. Naturally, imagination can let us down when confronted with the harsh reality of our hectic lives, but then we all live on hope, dont we? The Japanese even have a word for it, tsundoku (acquiring books but letting them pile up in ones home without reading them).

Change of residences can trigger the move to downsize the library. No matter which method you use, KonMari or any other, it is painful. Yet, as you meet old friends, you realise that there are many acquaintances and some waiting to make an acquaintance with you.

The space squeeze forces you on the path of renunciation, and you subconsciously push out the acquaintances, even as you may still be tempted by the promise of those who you have yet to be acquainted with. You let go, make room for more, and in time whatever space you have will also be overwhelmed by more books.

Preserving the printed word

What then? In this mixed media world, where the realm of the printed word had digital and audio avatars, there is little doubt that the traditional book is still the biggest draw. What do you do when the space you can devote to collecting these runs out?

You must select the ones that need to go and find a home for them. Donate these to students, other readers, small libraries that may find them useful. They have been a part of your life for so long. You must think about where they go next.

Many scholars amass massive libraries and spend the later years of their lives asking themselves the question: "What will happen to my books?" Famous scholars are sometimes approached by universities and other institutions that seek to acquire their collections after they are no more.

Punjabi University, Patiala, has a collection of over 56 scholars, including those of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, Dr Ganda Singh, Prof Fauja Singh, Principal Teja Singh, Bhai Jodh Singh and Prof Vishwanath Tiwari. Panjab University, Chandigarh, is waiting for books from the library of its famous alumni, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, has collections of Nanak Singh, Bhai Vir Singh, Amrita Pritam, Shiv Kumar Batalvi and Prof Pritam Singh.

Others have taken a different route, that of digitising the collections, notably through the Panjab Digital Library, and then moving the physical books to a secure library. This allows for a wider availability of the volumes. The library has significant collections of Malwinderjit Singh Waraich and Dr Gurdev Singh Sidhu. These collections, after digitisation, have been displayed at the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum in Anandpur Sahib. "We are processing an important library of a famous Punjabi author which will be announced soon," says Davinder Pal Singh, PDL's co-founder.

For other mortals, a conscious effort in identifying the inheritors of their literary treasure troves has to be made. What better way than to start by letting go early, and then keeping it up, thereby ensuring that they reach the right hands. Otherwise, there are always second-hand book stalls that pick up estate sales (a polite way of saying kabariwalas) and pass on the books to those who are still willing to pay for them.

Our books are for us. Some are also for others to see in our spaces. We invest so much time and effort in collecting them, reading them and keeping them. We can only ensure their immortality by recognising our mortality. Lets focus on what we want to keep in our lives, even as we find a way to give to others that which was valuable enough to be in our homes till now.

An alternative?

E-books? Indeed, they have their place, but the day is far when they replace the traditional book, the feel of the papyrus, the allure of the cover, the aroma of opening a fresh volume. Kindle books are great when you are on the move, but over time you find a clutter on your e-book reader, too! Yes, it does happen, and the psychological effect of this de-cluttering is eerily similar. Ask me. I know!

The men and their tomes

Dr Manmohan Singh

Panjab University, Chandigarh, has the privilege of housing the library of former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. The eminent economist studied and taught at the university. He earned his bachelors degree in 1952 and masters degree in 1954, after which he studied at the University of Cambridge. He then taught at Panjab University. The selected volumes comprise his personal collection, as well as books presented to him during his long innings in public life. The original proposal was for 3,500 books to be donated to the university, which will be housed in Guru Tegh Bahadur Bhawan. The former PM

is a fast and voracious reader, and like many book lovers, he, too, struggles with the increasing number of volumes that he has to peruse. And he does not forget who has borrowed his book!

Khushwant Singh

The late Khushwant Singhs study was always overflowing with books. In the last 10 years of his life, he had the habit of telling whoever came to see him to take away whichever books he or she liked! He must have given a few hundred that way, says his son Rahul Singh. Of the thousands of books that Khushwant Singh had, perhaps more than 10,000, the collection has been distributed four ways. Most of these he had in his Sujan Singh Park flat in Delhi. His granddaughter has inherited most of these. A second lot was in the house in Kasauli, where he spent his summers. Those are still there. The late author also gave a collection to the Kasauli Club library. He had quite a few books in his Lahore home at the time of Partition. Those, Rahul believes, his father gave to Panjab University, Lahore.

Ruskin Bond

Not everyone has plans for their libraries. Its hard enough to do something for the people you leave behind, let alone the books, says Ruskin Bond, who plans to leave his books for his heirs, Rakesh and Bina. The famous writer reads for pleasure and has a considerable number of books. It is for them to do what they decide, maybe they will start a lending library!editorial@tribune.com

Monica Arora

Witnessing the magic and charm of Francis Newton Souzas paintings in Goa at the Sunaparanta Centre situated in the picturesque neighbourhood of Altinho is almost a surreal experience. Displayed as part of the exhibition titled Souza in the 40s, the extremely well-curated display is a result of the efforts of the Grosvernor Gallery, Saffron Art and Sunaparanta and features some 60 works from the artists ouvre.

Born in 1924 in the village of Saligao in Goa, he studied at the JJ College of Arts in Bombay. Characteristic of his fiercely independent demeanour and his creative personality, he was expelled from college for joining Mahatma Gandhis Quit India Movement around 1945. As a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group in 1947, he along with fellow artists such as MF Hussain, KH Ara, SH Raza, SK Bakre, HK Gade, Krishen Khanna and VS Gaitonde, strove to create modern art around the time of Indias independence and also acknowledged the art movements in the West in the 1940s through their creations.

Observing FN Souzas paintings displayed throughout the gallery premises is akin to taking a step into the past where the Goan landscapes and people seem to have hailed from the realms of a bygone era. What strikes most are the well-defined, clear lines and the vibrant colours. Women predominantly form the subject of most of his art and the artist has a very earthy, realistic and an observant view of most of his feminine subjects. What deserve a mention are his extremely evocative nudes, appearing both powerful and vulnerable all at once.

While the Progressive Artists Group was known for its statements on Indias stunning cultural landscape as well its extreme conditions of penury and hardships faced by the masses during the post independence era, Souzas creations also capture the magnificence of Goas natural beauty on one side and are a study of its agricultural and fishing communities on the other. Of course, as a sensitive artist who was hugely influenced by the Khajuraho sculptures, Souzas nudes are indeed strong and effective renditions of women, on canvas, perhaps drawn from his relationships during the growing up years.

The most charming corner of the displays was the one featuring various cutouts and old newspaper reports, chronicling the formation of the Progressive Artists Group, news from Souzas life during the 1940s to the 1950s and other interesting tidbits.

As Conor Macklin of the Grosvernor Gallery, who is also the curator of the show, says: The aim of the show was to focus on the Indian period of Souza, when he started art school aged 16 and to his leaving in 1949 aged 26. Because this period coincided with the Independence of India, it is very important historically, and also because this was when Souza set up the Progressive Artists Group. This group is more widely known as The Moderns. These artists are now the most expensive in auction history and historically have defined this period of Independence.

The most exciting aspect of the show is that it is also featured as an India Art Fair Parallel Show for the 2019 edition, covering all three exhibitions, which are being held concurrently in London, New Delhi and Goa from December 2018 to January 2019.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

LONDON: Microplastics have been found in the guts of every marine mammal examined in a study of animals washed up on Britains shores, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) in the UK examined 50 animals from 10 species of dolphins, seals and whales - and found microplastics in them all.

Most of the particles (84 per cent) were synthetic fibreswhich can come from sources including clothes, fishing nets and toothbrusheswhile the rest were fragments, whose possible sources include food packaging and plastic bottles.

Its shocking  but not surprising  that every animal had ingested microplastics, said Sarah Nelms, of the University of Exeter and PML.

The number of particles in each animal was relatively low (average of 5.5 particles per animal), suggesting they eventually pass through the digestive system, or are regurgitated, Nelms.

We dont yet know what effects the microplastics, or the chemicals on and in them, might have on marine mammals, she said.

More research is needed to better understand the potential impacts on animal health, she added.

Though the animals in the study died of a variety of causes, those that died due to infectious diseases had a slightly higher number of particles than those that died of injuries or other causes.

We cant draw any firm conclusions on the potential biological significance of this observation, said Brendan Godley, of the University of Exeter.

We are at the very early stages of understanding this ubiquitous pollutant. We now have a benchmark that future studies can be compared with, Godley said.

Marine mammals are ideal sentinels of our impacts on the marine environment, as they are generally long lived and many feed high up in the food chain. Our findings are not good news, he said.

It is disconcerting that we have found microplastic in the gut of every single animal we have investigated in this study, said Penelope Lindeque, from PML.

In total, 26 species of marine mammal are known to inhabit or pass through British waters.

The species in this study included Atlantic white-sided dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, grey seal, harbour porpoise, harbour seal, pygmy sperm whale, Rissos dolphin, striped dolphin and white-beaked dolphin. PTIrchopra@tribunemail.com

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 2

With the state government set to start proceedings to terminate the water bus contract at Harike, the Tourism Department is mulling a plan to introduce Kashmir-style shikaras in the 4,100 hectares of wetland area there.

The water bus, popularly known as a 'gharuka', was introduced in the wetland during the tenure of the former SAD-BJP government by then Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.

Making an announcement in this regard on Saturday on the occasion of World Wetland Day, Tourism Minister Navjot Sidhu said, Having sought a viability report on the water bus, we are going ahead with termination of the contract. We have found that while Rs 9 crore had been spent to start the project, we have so far earned only Rs 66,000. We will auction the water bus. If there are no takers, we will use it for Gurdaspur villagers, who remain cut off because of the river acting as a barrier."

The minister said, To keep the water bus afloat, we saw how the previous government went onto flood 20-21 adjoining villages. But we do not want to trouble them at all. We have already identified 19 sites to be covered in the Amritsar Tourism Circuit plan. Harike will be attached with the same since it has a potential to become a huge eco-tourism attraction for domestic and international visitors. Other than introducing shikaras, we have bigger plans under a Rs 150 crore project.

Discussing potential of the second largest wetland of the world, Sidhu said, Bharatpur sanctuary gets only 16,000 birds but 1.25 lakh to 1.35 lakh birds visit here annually. We will raise bird-watching machans; here and tented camps. A 4K drone survey of the entire area would be conducted at a cost of Rs 41 lakh to identify weak habitat zones, bolster the indigenous species therein, and augment breeding habitats. We will also get an Environment Impact Assessment done for the place before going ahead with the plan. Rs 7 crore to Rs 8 crore has been spent in the past years to develop this wetland but we now want to come up in a big way.

The minister said, After discussing the impact, we may go in for bringing Indus dolphins from Pakistan to this place after exchanging them with our ghariyals in Chhatbir. He said he had plans to start cruises in the Sutlej and Beas too and to develop Pincassia Resort near Ropar.

Harike revival project--Chief focus areas

*Eradication of water hyacinth, with corollary use for the same by making fuel and compost briquettes for sale locally, to partially fund the removal work

*Local grasses and lotus/water lily species to be re-introduced after the removal of water hyacinth. Grasses will aid in breeding of Prinias and Warblers. Lotus cover to aid in breeding of Jacana species

*Follow Ramsar Convention guidelines in terms of wetland and habitat conservation and creating suitable habitat for breeding of waterfowl

*Removal of catfish and other invasive species, as these prey upon the ducks by literally eating them from below the surface of the water, and pulling them under-water

*Re-introduction of local flora and indigenous species (for this a check list and baseline botanical species survey needs to be done)

*Construction of hides and discreet walkways for birders and visitors to discreetly visit the wetlands without disturbing the bird habitats

*More trees of suitable species to be planted to aid in breeding of stork, cormorant and ibis species

*Prosopis juliflora or exotic kikar to be removed from the root and entirely eradicated, and replaced with babool, kikar, acacia species and other trees that can be used by breeding birds

*Removal of stray dogs and rhesus macaques from the peripheries, as these eat up the eggs and chicks of ground-breeding birds

*Removal of agricultural encroachments from the peripheries

*STPs to be set up to treat effluents that enter the wetland recharge zones from industrial, urban and agricultural activities around the wetland

*Removal of stray cattle to prevent grazing within the wetland. Cattle trample the eggs of breeding birds and make the water and soil acidic with their droppings

*Fishing and poaching to be altogether stopped

*Prevention of diversion of wetland water for agricultural useROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The announcement of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi for assured income support to farmers has failed to enthuse farmers and agro economists in Punjab.

The amount of assured income  Rs 6,000 per annum  is too little, and too late in the day, for the BJP to woo farmers back in their political fold, they say.

Punjab is among the worst-affected states because of high rural indebtedness, with the institutional loan availed by farmers pegged at Rs 80,000 crore and non-institutional loan pegged at Rs 20,000 crore.

Farmer suicides, rising input costs and shrinking landholdings  all contribute to farming becoming economically unviable.

Though the Congress government in the state brought a crop loan waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers, it has touched a small percentage of debt-affected households.

Though the finer blueprint of the scheme announced in Budget proposals of the Modi government today is yet to come, farmers in Punjab say money is too less to mitigate the rising input costs in farming.

Darshan Singh, a marginal farmer from Buladhewala village in Bathinda, said the amount announced was just peanuts.

It will be enough if we get the right price for our crops. I have just two acres and we are not even able to make both ends meet. We do not need doles, just the right price for our produce, he added.

Nahar Singh of the same village said had the direct income support been announced two-three years earlier, the farmers would have benefitted and not doubted the intentions of the government. It has been announced on the eve of the elections to woo the farmer community for political gains, he said.

Eminent agro-economist RS Ghuman said 85 per cent of the farmers had small (upto 5 acres) and marginal (upto 2.5 acres) landholdings.

The amount to be directly transferred to the accounts of farmers is just pittance as compared to the extent of farm crisis. The government should have realised that farm distress is not confined to just their low income. It is much beyond that and needs non-farm employment generation of surplus farmers and farm labourers. What will make an impact is the change in the entire farm ecosystem, he said.

Gurnam Singh, a marginal farmer of Jodhpur village in Tarn Taran, however, welcomed the move and said it would help them meet the increase in prices of diesel.

Farmers are facing the worst-ever crisis. But I had hoped that the government would do more for the farmer community than just Rs 6,000 per annum direct subsidy, he added.

LEADER SPEAK

The Union Budget is nothing but a mere political gimmick to lure gullible people ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The sole objective of the Budget is to entrap people by offering them small sops.  Bhagwant Mann, AAP Punjab Unit President

The last interim Budget of the BJP is visionless and disappointing. In the last four and a half years, the BJP government has only harassed the farmers and made them suffer.  Kewal Dhillon, Vice-President, PPCCmonicakchauhan@gmail.com

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, February 2

Three among the four accused were on Saturday arrested for throwing chemical powder on a 24-year-old woman in broad daylight at PAP Chowk on January 30.

The police have identified the two main accused as Gurdeep Singh (28), who is victims aunts son, and Jaswinder Singh (30), a close relative. They both are residents of Una district in Himachal Pradesh. The other two accused have been identified as Mani and Preet.

Preet is at large, police said.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said: Gurdeep Singh, who works in the Army, wanted to marry the victim. When the girl rejected his proposal, he got angry and threw acid on her.

Bhullar said that Gurdeep was to pay Rs 25,000 for the crime to be done, adding that, Rs 5,000 was paid in advance and Rs 20,000 was to be given after the crime was comitted in Ludhiana where they were to meet later.

Maninder Kaur had suffered burn injuries in her right eye, face, neck and forehead and was hospitalised for treatment.

The incident took place around 7.30 am on Werdnesday, when Kaur, a resident of Transport Nagar, who works as lab technician in the Johal Hospital here was on her way to job.

Kaur said the moment she stepped out of the autorickshaw at PAP Chowk and started walking towards the Rama Mandi side, she felt burning sensation on the right side of her face.

Talking to The Tribune, Ashwani Kumar said, "Two motorcycle-borne men, who seemed to be in 25-26 year age group, threw some chemical powder on the girl's face and sped towards Jalandhar-Phagwara road." He said he tried catching the miscreants but they sped away. Ashwani Kumar, autorickshaw driver, rushed the girl to the hospital.laxmi@tribune.com

New Delhi, February 1

Union Minister Arun Jaitley rejected criticism for deviating from the past by including direct tax proposal in an interim Budget, saying the rebate in income tax was a logical extension of steps taken by the government since 2014.

During an interaction through video-conferencing from New York, he said: I completely reject this artificial distinction between direct and indirect taxes. On the one hand, the so-called critics, Nawabs of Negativity, are saying the worlds fastest growing economy is growing slow. If thats the criticism, then let us be allowed to give a boost to the economy, he said.

On income support for farmers, he said the farm sector required resources and if the current scheme was inadequate, the Centre would increase the allocation. Pointing out that the sector was in distress, he said the Centre had taken the first step and let the state governments of so-called critics top it up. Income support and subsidy can go hand in hand.

Taking a dig at critics, he said the Congress had announced a Rs 72,000-crore farm loan waiver but had actually disbursed about Rs 52,000 crore. Loan waivers are never a solution but farmers do need income support, he stressed.  TNSamansharma@tribunemail.com

Sarajevo, February 2

Police arrested 11 migrants, including two Indians, after a mass fight at their reception centre in Bosnia that left eight people seriously injured, a spokesman said on Saturday.

The fighting, involving several hundred migrants accommodated at the centre in the northwestern town of Bihac, began late Friday, Fena news agency quoted the police spokesman as saying.

After police brought the situation under control and questioned more than 30 migrants "eight Afghan nationals, two Indians and one Pakistani were arrested," spokesman Ale Siljdedic added.

The cause of the fighting was not immediately known.

Forty migrants sought medical help among whom eight were seriously injured most likely knife wounds, doctor Farun Helic said.

One migrant sustained life threatening injuries but is recovering, he added.

Bosnia has become a key transit country carrying migrants from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa towards the European Union.

More than 23,000 people trudged through the mountainous Balkan state last year in a bid to slip across the border to Croatia and move on into other EU countries.

While most manage to continue north, many have been thwarted by border police.

In 2018 border police caught nearly 4,500 illegal migrants, more than five times more compared with the previous year, according to a preliminary police report.

An estimated 4,500 to 6,000 migrants are currently in Bosnia. - AFPamansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 2

The government on Saturday appointed former Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Rishi Kumar Shukla as new Director of CBI. He succeeds Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post on January 10.

Apart from PM Narendra Modi, the selection panel comprised Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

Kharge has sent dissent note on appointment of new CBI director. He said officers without relevant experience of handling corruption cases shouldn't have been considered for CBI director's post.

Kharge said the decision of the committee goes against the spirit of CBI Act and the SC judgment governing the selection of CBI chief. He said both stress seniority, integrity and experience in anti-corruption cases.

He gave a list of three candidates who are better qualified for the post as per CBI Act and SC judgment on the matter.

The Congress leader's panel of eligible officers had 1984 UP-cadre officer Javed Ahmed on top.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to manipulate CBI chief selection criteria. Kharge wanted to include officers of his choice in short-list, Singh added.

According to an order issued by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) on the recommendation of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel has approved the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla, a 1983-batch Madhya Pradesh-cadre IPS officer as Director, CBI, for a fixed tenure of two years.

Shukla is currently holding the post of Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation.

Shukla has been appointed in place of Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post of CBI Director on January 10.

The appointment comes following two meeting of the PM-led selection committee held on January 24 and February 1.

Shukla's name was short-listed during the second meeting of the selection committee held on Friday.

The development assumes significance as on Friday, the Supreme Court had said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence-that lasted for over an hour-and attended by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards-a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he had completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.  With PTI inputslaxmi@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

Weeks ahead of the country entering poll-mode, the Narendra Modi government today unveiled proposals in Interim Budget that bordered on being populist offering measures to please sections  the middle class, farmers, unorganised workforce and small businesses that were displeased with it.

Editorial: A poll-centric Budget

These included exemption from paying income tax to those earning up to Rs 5 lakh per year, tweaking eligible deductions for existing taxpayers, a Rs 6,000 per month cash handout to small farmers, pension scheme for unorganised workers and concessions for small businesses affected during the last five years.

Admitting that it was moving away from convention in offering relief, the government justified that small taxpayers, especially middle class, salary earners, pensioners and senior citizens need certainty in their minds at the beginning of the year about their taxes.

True to its tendency of springing surprises, the government, through Budget proposals presented by Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, unveiled a series of incentives it plans to give to the middle class and farmers, sections whose weariness with the Modi Sarkar is the cause for a setback to the BJP in three Assembly elections last December. That was not all. Aware the fine print read that the new tax relief will not accrue to those who earn more that Rs 5 lakh, Goyal dangled hope that the next government under Prime Minister Modi would look at other tax proposals in the main Budget.

Asserting that the NDA government has laid the foundation for India to become a Rs 5-trillion economy in the next five years, Goyal outlined Modi governments vision for 10 important dimensions by 2030. These include building physical and social infrastructure, digital India, pollution-free nation, expanding rural industry, clean rivers, build blue economy, robust space programme, exporting food, healthy India and achieve maximum governance, minimum government. Goyal said he was constrained of this being an Interim Budget, many things like relief to the small taxpayers could not wait till the final Budget.

PM Modi described the Budget proposals a trailer of what will guide India towards prosperity after the Lok Sabha poll. He said the proposals will benefit all sections of the society. PM Modi said: Our neo-middle class is rising and so are their dreams ... Interim Budget is a trailer of what will take India towards prosperity after the Lok Sabha poll.

While tax exemption would cost Rs 18,500 crore, it would bring relief to more than 3 crore middle class taxpayers. Raise in standard deduction and in TDS on bank/post office deposits interest, exemption on notional rent for second self-occupied house should add more money for middle classes.

The benefit of rollover of capital gains up to Rs 2 crore for investment in two residential houses should give boost to housing and real estate sector struggling in the post-RERA phase. Yet another ambitious PM Shram Yogi Maandhan, to provide Rs 3,000 monthly pension to workers in unorganised sector after 60 years of age through accruals made by monthly contribution of Rs 100 was announced. According to the 2011-12 statistics, India had 47.41 crore workforce of which some 40 crore were in the unorganised sector.

INTERIM BUDGET 2019-20

No tax on income up to Rs 5 lakh; tax slabs unchanged

Standard deduction raised to Rs 50,000; 3cr taxpayers to benefit

TDS threshold raised to Rs 40,000 on bank/PO deposits

Rs 3,000 pension for 10 cr unorganised sector workers

2% interest relief for GST-registered MSMEs on Rs 1cr loan

22nd AIIMS to come up in BJP-ruled Haryana

Direct tax system simplified; returns to be processed in 24 hours with immediate refunds

Gratuity limit increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 30 lakh

TDS threshold for deduction of tax on rent to be increased to Rs 2.40 lakh from Rs 1.80 lakh

Tax exempted on notional rent on a second self-occupied house

FARMERS

Rs 6,000 yearly direct income support to 12 crore farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectare under PM-KISAN scheme

Rs 20,000 cr allocated in FY 2018-19, Rs 75,000 crore for FY 2019-20

The first instalment of Rs 2,000 will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of farmers before March

2% interest subvention during disasters to farmers for the entire period of rescheduled loan

2% interest subvention to farmers for animal husbandry and fisheries; additional 3% for timely repayment

DEFENCE

Rs 3.05 lakh cr is the outlay for the 2019-20 defence budget effecting a hike of around Rs 20,000 crore as compared to current fiscal

Rs 35,000 crore already spent on implementing one rank, one pension (OROP) that was pending for the past 40 years

EDUCATION

Rs 93,848 cr allocated to the education sector and Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry is only 3.3% of the total expenditure for 2019-2020

The current allocation ( Rs 56,386.63 crore for schools and Rs 37,461.01 crore for higher education) is a Rs 10,000 cr hike from the revised estimate of Rs 83,626 crore for 2018-2019

RAILWAYS

Rs 1.58 lakh cr is the highest-ever capital expenditure allocation, up from last years Rs 1.48 lakh crore; Rs 7,225 crore will be spent on laying of new linesrchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, February 2

In a major move towards infantry modernisation, the Defence Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Army to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast-track mode, official sources said on Saturday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles which would be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China, sources told PTI.

They said the rifles, being used by the US forces as well as several other European countries, are being bought under the fast-track procurement procedure.

The contract is expected to be finalised within a week. The US firm will have to deliver the rifles within one year of the date of finalising the deal, a senior official involved in negotiation of the deal said.

Army sources said the US-manufactured rifles would replace the Insas rifles.

The worlds second-largest standing Army has been pressing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security threats, including along Indias borders with Pakistan and China.

In October 2017, the Army began the process to acquire around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines.

Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests.

Following it, the Army started scouting for rifles from the global market.

The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons, including the Armys failure to finalise the specifications for it. The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles. PTIlaxmi@tribune.com

New Delhi, February 1

Hoping to placate the agitated farming community, the Modi government allocated Rs 75,000 crore for a direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year to 12 crore farmers with cultivable land up to two hectares.

The scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), will come into force from the current fiscal and the first instalment of Rs 2,000 will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of farmers before March, ahead of the General Election.

PM-KISAN was needed for procuring inputs  seed, fertilisers, equipment and labour  the Finance Minister said, claiming it would help prevent indebtedness and pave the way for a respectable living. It will not only provide assured supplemental income to the most vulnerable farmer families, but also meet emergency needs, especially before the harvest season, he said.

Goyal also announced extended interest subsidy on loans availed for animal husbandry and fisheries as well as for farmers affected by natural calamities. The total budget allocation for agriculture and allied activities is projected at Rs 1,49,981 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal when compared with the revised estimate of Rs 86,602 crore for this fiscal. The fertiliser subsidy is pegged at 74,986 crore for next fiscal.

To boost farmers' income by promoting allied activities, Goyal announced 2 per cent interest subvention for dairy and fish farmers availing loan through Kisan Credit Card (KCC). In case of timely repayment, they will also get an additional 3 per cent interest subvention.

The government extended interest subvention of 2 per cent on crop loans to farmers hit by severe natural calamities, where assistance is provided from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), as well as prompt repayment incentive of 3 per cent. Goyal, however, did not raise the farm credit target.

In 2018-19, the farm credit had exceeded the target of Rs 11 lakh crore and reached Rs 11.68 lakh crore.

The Finance Minister announced "Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog" to upscale sustainable genetic upgradation of cow resources.The Aayog will also ensure effective implementation of laws and schemes for cows.

The government announced a separate Department of Fisheries  viewed as an effort to woo coastal states where fisheries is the main vocation. India is the second largest fish-producing nation in the world.  TNSvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

The Narendra Modi government in its last Budget presented by Piyush Goyal today allocated Rs 1,03,927 crore for the Ministry of Home Affairs. This is Rs 10,477 crore (4.9%) more than the budgetary allocation for the ministry in the previous fiscal.

This is reportedly the first time that the MHA budgetary allocation has surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore with a focus on modernisation of police forces. The ministrys expenditure post the revised estimates for 2018-2019 stand at Rs 99,034 crore.

Of the entire allocation for 2019-2020, Rs 3,378 crore has been earmarked for modernisation of police forces, Rs 5,117 crore for police infrastructure like barracks, construction of residential quarters against the revised estimate of Rs 4,836 crore in 2018-2019.

Amid tense relations with Pakistan and volatile ties with China Rs 2,000 crore has been marked for border infrastructure and management. The allocation for border area development programme has been raised to Rs 825 crore from Rs 771 crore for the previous year. Rs 809 crore has been allocated for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates against the revised estimate of Rs 1,048 crore for 2018-2019. On the one hand, this Budget focuses on supporting social infrastructure and on the other it pays attention to strengthening the economic infrastructure. Sectors like defence, agriculture, industry, education and health have been given a big boost, tweeted Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The MHA budget also includes Rs 953 crore towards pension and other benefits for freedom fighters. Interestingly while approx 82 crore was chalked towards National Emergency Response System and Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children and Safe City Projects in 2018-209, ten times the amount was spent with the revised expenditure at 872 crore. This year 883.24 crore has been marked for the same. However the 11.78 crore of assistance for Nepal Police Academy in 2018-2019 has been excluded in the current provision.

Among UTs, Chandigarh has got Rs 4,291.7 crore, including Rs 2,431.8 crore towards establishment expenditure of the Centre. The highest of Rs 4,817.48 crore is for Andaman-Nicobar Islands.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 2

Hours after he was picked up from Mumbai airport during the early hours of Saturday, a Pune court released academician and Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde from police custody terming his arrest illegal.



Teltumbde was picked up by a team of Pune police personnel from Mumbai airport at 3.30 am and taken to Pune where he was produced before UAPA special judge Kishore D Vadane. Teltumbde's s lawyer Rohan Nadar told the court that Pune Police was in contempt of the Supreme Court's order which had granted him protection from arrest till February 11.



Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar however argued that the four-week protection granted by the top court to seek remedy from the local court was extinguished the day the UAPA court denied his plea seeking anticipatory bail.

Judge Vadane had rejected Teltumbde's plea on Friday.



Dr Teltumbde's lawyer had however said he would be moving the high court challenging his anticipatory bail.



The UAPA court however conceded to the defence lawyer's plea and released Teltumbde immediately.



Speaking to reporters outside the court, Teltumbde said the arrest was an attempt to malign his image. "It is embarrassing for a person of international stature like me," he told reporters.



Teltumbde is among several persons accused of being part of the Elgar Parishad in Pune where Dalit participants were attacked by upper-caste villagers last year.



Several human rights organisations in India and abroad had petitioned the Indian government not to arrest the well known Dalit scholar who is also an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management.



Teltumbde along with nine other rights activists and lawyers are currently lodged in jails under various charges, including plotting the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and for inciting the violence in Bhima Koregaon last year.



Others arrested in the case include lawyers Surendra Gadling, Arun Ferrieira and Sudha Bharadwaj, activists Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, retired Nagpur professor Soma Sen and Telugu poet Vara Vara Rao.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

The Prime Minister may be reaching out to students nationwide through his examination mantras but education  never a hot electoral issue  was hardly a key focus in the Budget. The allocation of Rs 93,848 core to the education sector and HRD (Human Resource Development) Ministry is only 3.3% of the total expenditure for 2019-2020. The current allocation (Rs 56,386.63 crore for school education and Rs 37,461.01 crore for higher education) is a Rs 10,000-crore hike from the revised estimate of Rs 83,626 crore for 2018-2019.

However, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar claimed that the Budget allocation in this sector is phenomenal and the government is spending more in innovation, research and school education.

There is no fund this time for Digital India-E learning in school education, but the same for the higher education sector has been increased from the revised expenditure of Rs 511 crore to Rs 579 crore for 2019-2020. But Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for appointment of language teachers. There is a nearly Rs 500 crore increase in support for midday meal schemes while the allocation for madrasas and minorities remains unchanged at Rs 120 crore.

The governments Beti Bachao Beti Padhao slogan aside, the budget for National Scheme for Incentive to Girl Child for Secondary Education has been slashed from Rs 255 crore to Rs 100 crore.

While for the PM Girls hostels scheme the budget stands at Rs 13 crore against Rs 30 crore allocated in the previous fiscal. Funds for Higher education financing agency (HEFA) has been reduced from Rs 2,750 to Rs 2,100 crore. A non-profit organisation, HEFA uses funds leveraged from markets to finance improvement in top Indian institutions. The actual spend last year by HEFA was only Rs 250 crore.

Also, there is no allocation for the national initiative on inclusion of persons with disabilities in higher education compared to Rs 2 crore chalked out in 2018-2019.

Of the Rs 35 crore chalked for M Tech Programme Teaching Assistantship, nothing was spent and no fund allocated this year.

Allocation slashedElizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Rain early. A mix of sun and clouds by afternoon. High 92F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 2

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) detained a man on charges of smuggling a leopard cub from Thailand on Saturday.

The suspect, Kaja Moideen (45), was caught at the security check when he arrived from Bangkok. Officers became suspicious when they heard a faint sound coming from his bag at the baggage check, and brought him in forquestioning.

They found a pink plastic basket with a one-month-old female leopard cub, and called in the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WGGB). A veterinary doctor from Aringar Anna Zoological Park was called in for medical examination.

The cub weighed 1.1 kg, and is believed to be healthy. She will now be kept at the Aringar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai.

Moideen will be booked under the Wild Life Protection Act 1972, the forest department said.laxmi@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

Moments after Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal commended the sixth and the last Budget of the NDA government to the Lok Sabha, Congress leaders denounced it as an election campaign speech, accusing the government of trying to buy votes of farmers in poll season.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi led the criticism by floating a Twitter hashtag AakhriJumlaBudget.

He questioned the newly announced PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana for the Rs 17 a day it promises to small farmers families.

Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arrogance have destroyed the lives of our farmers. Giving them Rs 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for, Gandhi tweeted about the same time as his colleague and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram called NDAs farm income scheme a half a cup of tea scheme. The scheme translates into Rs 3 per member of small farmers family averaging five people. Its enough for half a cup of tea, Chidambaram said dismissing the Budget as an account for votes rather than a vote on account. The Congress, NCP, National Conference and other UPA partners questioned the governments announcement of retrospective rollout of the new farmer income scheme.

They say have allotted Rs 20,000 crore this year and I believe they are going to give Rs 2,000 per farmer family before March 31. It is clearly, Rs 2,000 for votes. What else is it? asked Chidambaram and Congress Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Congress reserved its comments when asked if it would move the Election Commission against the payment of the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to small farmers ahead of the LS poll.

We will see about that, Chidambaram said attacking the government for breaking past conventions by presenting a full Budget.

Welcoming the PM Kisan schemes intent, the Congress asked what has the government given for urban poor and non-farm poor.

Chidambaram said the minimum income guarantee Rahul Gandhi recently announced would be a far more comprehensive anti-poverty measure than the PM Kisan scheme. The Congress will unveil its details in the LS poll manifesto by the next month.

Commenting on income tax rebate on annual income up to Rs 5 lakh, the Congress said much ado was being made about nothing. What the government has done is a simple tweaking of one slab and giving an impression that a great benefit has been conferred. We have pleaded for a direct taxes code that this government has not even looked at, Chidambaram said.

He called Budget sops like cow welfare fund, a new department for fisheries and a contributory pension scheme for 42 crore unorganised workers last gasp announcements of a government. Former PM Manmohan Singh also questioned the Budget as a poll speech when he spoke to reporters in Parliament.

Chidambaramspeak

Jobs: Two words  jobs and education  were missing in this Budget speech. Even if they say anything about jobs, the young will dismiss it as Pakodanomics.

Income tax: This, we had done earlier, when we introduced the idea of rebate from tax liability. The rebate then was Rs 2,500. I understand, they have amended the section or propose to amend it and increase the rebate to Rs 12,500. This is not a new device.

Fiscal deficit: For the second year in succession, the government has missed the FD target. The revised estimate shows a slippage from 3.3% to 3.4%. Worse, for 2019-20 too, the government has proposed an FD of 3.4%. The government has thrown the FRBM Act out of the window.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Falakata (WB), February 2

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Centre would use technology to seal the international borders of both West Bengal and Assam with Bangladesh, through an integrated border management system.

Addressing a rally here in Alipurduar district, Singh alleged that Bangladeshis are illegally entering West Bengal.

He added that the Centre had sought land from the West Bengal government to erect fencing to seal the border with Bangladesh, but is yet to receive it.

Now, we have decided to use technology to seal both international borders with Bangladesh using a comprehensive integrated border management system, Singh said.

The move will help prevent infiltration as well as smuggling, and ensure safety and security of the nation amid a changing demographic profile of West Bengal.

Coming down heavily on the ruling TMC, he said, Maximum violence takes place in West Bengal as per records. None of the Ma, Mati and Manus (mother, land and people) are safe under their rule.

Nearly 100 BJP workers had been killed in the state and none of those involved would be spared, Singh asserted.

Political violence should end in West Bengal. And for that to happen, Bengal will have a BJP CM in 2021, he said. PTIvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

The government maintained its past trend of raising health sector allocations with the Interim Budget marking a 16 per cent raise in the budgetary provisions.

The allocation has been raised by Rs 8,538 crore from Rs 52,800 crore in the Budget 2018-2019 to Rs 61,398 crore for 2019-2020.

The chunk of this raise  Rs 5,200 crore of Rs 8,538 crore  has gone for the NDAs flagship Ayushman Bharat project, the worlds largest financial health protection scheme that guarantees cashless and paperless hospitalisation cover to 50 crore members of 10 crore poor and vulnerable families. These families are classified under the Rural Development Ministrys Socio Economic Caste Census.

Acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal mentioned the scheme in his Budget Speech today as a major achievement of the BJP government.

Earlier a poor man used to be in dilemma whether to fulfill daily needs of the family or save the life of an ailing member. The situation deeply pained our Prime Minister. We launched the worlds largest healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat, to provide medical treatment to nearly 50 crore people, Goyal said. He told the House that 10 lakh people had benefitted from the scheme and had availed services that would have otherwise cost them Rs 3,000 crore.

Enhanced allocations for health will also go into building new AIIMs like institutions with the interim FM today saying that 21 AIIMS are either operating in India or have been established. Of these 21 AIIMS, 14 have been announced since 2014. I am happy to announce the 22nd AIIMS in Haryana, Goyal said, promising enough funding for the governments health and wellness push under Ayushman Bharat which has two pillars.

The first pillar is cashless hospitalisation cover for the poor. The second is establishment of 1,50,000 village-level health and wellness centres to provide primary healthcare close to the community. Over 2018-2019, 14,000 such centres have been set up. The plan is to set up all by 2022.

The government today also enhanced health research funding. The Department of Health Research (Indian Council for Medical Research) has got Rs 100 crore extra over the last years Budget.

The raise is from Rs 1,800 crore in the 2018-2019 Budget to Rs 1,900 crore in todays Budget.

Kids nutrition plan gets raise

New Delhi, February 1

Indias oldest programme for supplementary nutrition for children, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), today got a substantial raise of Rs 4,496 crore, from Rs 23,088 crore in the Budget 2018-2019 to Rs 27,584 crore today.

The ICDS aims to provide nutritional push for children up to six years of age, aiding the governments plan to address child under nutrition.

Child under nutrition can be measured in three indicators  underweight children (low weight for birth), stunted children (low height for age) and wasting (low weight for height). India has poor results on all three indicators, which explains the importance of ICDS to the government.

The latest available National Family Health Survey Data (2015-2016) reported marginal gains against under nutrition, leading the government to recently set up a National Nutrition Mission.

The percentage of underweight children below 5 years of age in India decreased only 10 percentage points in a decade from 48% in 2005-2006 to 38.4% in 2015-2016.  TNSshriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com

Mumbai, February 2

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff who launched his new music video 'Are you Coming' on Friday evening, says he loves to party at night after a long working day with his friends.

Talking about his party life and how he connects it with the song, Tiger told media, "I believe in the philosophy of 8p.m. where you allow yourself to the party, chill and relax with your friends after a hectic day at work and that's what resonates with me about this music video".

The music video is choreographed by the film director and choreographer Remo D'Souza and sung by Benny Dayal. The song is composed by Sachin-Jigar.

The 'Baaghi' actor said, "It was delightful shooting the video, especially with some fabulous moves, all under Remo's excellent guidance. I had a great time working with Happy Productions India and this music video is full of fun, excitement, romance and sure to rock your season of love".

Tiger will soon be seen in the film 'Student Of The Year 2'.  IANSeditorial@tribune.com

Mona

She calls herself a business mind, with a heart in the service of green. Meet Pooja Monga, who finds freedom in simplicity. Her designs are minimal, silhouettes non-restrictive; built by using sustainable practices. No wonder, within a year of stepping into the fashion scene, her capsule collection made it to prestigious Lakme Fashion Week, while winning at the Fashion for Earth initiative.

Less is more

An MBA, she had a fair stint of consumer market, having worked on sustainable lifestyle and product design. Knowing well that its the economics that makes the world go ground, she stepped into the fashion industry to offer a simpler, natural alternative to the crazy consumerism that mars the fashion craze today.

Prep up

A business mind, Pooja trained herself to get ready for the fashion industry. Starting with the basics, she learnt weaving at a Weaver Service Centre at Mumbai. Next was the art of dyeing from colourful Gujarat, followed by trading her business acumen with a designer for the art of garment-making.

Saltpetre born

Ready to roll  Saltpetre was born! Since Poojas parents call Chandigarh home, shes connected to the city and her company is registered here. Saltpetre refers to salt of the Earth. We were made to blend with the Earth, not to dominate it, says Pooja. Right from the raw material to technique used to transportation and packaging, this brand goes all green, all ethical.

Lakme call

Saltpetre won Circular Design Challenge at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2019. Pooja Monga was one of the eight winners selected out of the 900 entries. Her black and white capsule collection is inspired by Japans Zen monochrome paintings, The design  all in white, black and grey - have been produced using scientifically validated sustainable processes.

Reuse & recycle

Rather than the clothes ending at landfill, the company arranges pick up at the customers doorsteps to reuse, repurpose and recycle, in that order. We facilitate loop-back of used Saltpetre clothes into the system through donation to Goonj.

Backed by a team of artists, designers, storytellers, scientists, engineers and strategists from around the globe, with belief in same ideology, Pooja is a happy taking further steps in the shared pursuit of simplicity and sustainability. We enjoy blurring the lines between art, science and commerce to create products that simplify lives, she signs off.shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, February 2

Interior designer and entrepreneur Sussanne Khan says many people know her as the former wife of actor Hrithik Roshan, but her identity goes beyond that.

"My mother Zarine has been a role model for her daughters especially for me and my other two sistersjewellery designer Farah Khan Ali and Simone Arora . Many know me as the wife of Hrithik Roshan," Sussanne said.

"However very few know that I am in fact the daughter of prolific interior designer Zarine Khan," she added.

"After having obtained an Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design from a college in California, I went on to work with my mother for a while before starting my own venture," said Sussanne.

"In 2005, I shifted focus to furniture design. In collaboration with Gauri Khan, I launched my furniture boutique 'The Charcoal Project' in 2011. In addition to designing my own home with Hrithik, I have also designed Rani Mukerji and Priyanka Chopra's homes," she said.

"Today due to competition, we have to work more hard and the team of workers and craftsmen introduced by my mother, help a lot as a family members".

Sussanne expressed her opinion as part of an interactive session "Successful Mothers & Daughters in the Business of Luxury", organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the women business wing of FICCI. It was also attended by Zarine Khan, Shahnaz Husain and Nelofar Currimbhoy, among others.

Zarine said: "I am proud of my daughters, they look after business, children and household. They also travel to various places for business". IANSeditorial@tribune.com

Anantnag, February 1

Two militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), one of them recruited recently, were killed in a gunfight late Thursday night in Pulwama, some 35 km south of Srinagar city.

The slain militants, both locals, have been identified as Shahid Mushtaq Baba of Drubgam village in Pulwama and Inayat Abdullah Zargar of Arihal village in the district.

Baba, as per the police, had been involved in many attacks and had been among the JeM ranks for long now. Zargar was recruited recently but he had been a supporter of terror activities for quite a while, a senior police officer said.

Soon after the gunfight, a cordon and search operation was initiated by security forces in the area.

The operation was concluded in the wee hours of Friday and the bodies of the militants, after due identification and a medico-legal process, were handed over to their families, he added.

Meanwhile, the mobile Internet service remained curtailed throughout the day on Friday.

2 boys hurt in explosion

Two minors were injured on Friday after an explosive device, they were fiddling with, went off in Pulwama district.

The injured have been identified as Sharafat Bashir (13) and Junaid Bilal (13), both residents of Rohamu village in Pulwama district.

Both have been shifted to Srinagar for further treatment, a doctor said.

A case had been registered in this regard.

Initial reports suggest the boys had picked a hand grenade from the gunfight site in Drubgam, some 5 km away from their house in Rohamu, the officer said.  OCeditorial@tribune.com

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The Central governments Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammaan Nidhi of Rs6,000 per annum for farmers with landholding of less than 2 hectares announced by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday evoked a mixed reaction from farmers organisations in Haryana.

Inderjeet, vice-president of the Haryana Kisan Sabha, said, As per the 2015-16 Agricultural Census, there are 12.6 crore households with holdings of less than 2 hectares. This is just a statistic. Transferring money into accounts is a jumla. How on earth will they identify households that have less than 2 hectares? Land records are not linked with Aadhaar and bank accounts. Land records do not identify households. As a result, a vast majority of farmers will never be able to get it until the government establishes a way of identifying them. Until then, it is just a jumla.

He said such a scheme would exclude tenant farmers, who were among the poorest.

Gurnam Singh Charuni, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana), termed the Central governments announcement as a jumla ahead of parliamentary polls. In the past five years, the government has done nothing to support distressed farmers. Now, when elections are staring on the face, the BJP government wants to give farmers a lollypop. This support of Rs500 per month is not enough to help farmers, he said.

Prahlad Singh Bharukhera, president, Haryana Kisan Manch, welcomed the move. He said it was a good initiative and would help farmers.editorial@tribune.com

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, February 1

The announcement of setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Haryana has brought cheer to the villagers staging an indefinite dharna on the issue in Manethi village for the past 123 days. An AIIMS was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over three and a half years ago.

Describing the announcement as victory after their struggle, the protesters distributed sweets. They stated that their long-standing demand had been met. They expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh for the development.

There was joy at the dharna site as soon as Finance Minister Piyush Goyal proposed the 22nd AIIMS in Parliament this morning. We were quite hopeful about fulfilment of our demand. We are rejoicing and contemplating an end to the stir, said Sheotaj Singh, leader of the Sangharsh Samiti for AIIMS.

He said the site for the proposed AIIMS was yet to be declared, but they were confident that it would be established in Manethi village, as announced by Khattar during a rally in Bawal in 2015. The Manethi panchayat had already passed a resolution to provide 200 acres for an AIIMS, he added.

Our struggle has finally borne fruit. Today is no less than a festival for us. Villagers are celebrating it by distributing laddoos, said Om Prakash, another protester.

Rao Inderjit Singh and the state government had been facing public anger from various quarters due to non-implementation of Khattars announcement about an AIIMS for over three years.

Ved Prakash Vidrohi, former spokesman for the state Congress, said the announcement seemed to be a jumla as neither had the project been approved by the Centre nor the site and budget for the proposed AIIMS finalised.

Government-run health centres in Rewari district lacked modern healthcare facilities. Patients had to go to AIIMS in New Delhi, PGIMS in Rohtak or private hospitals in Gurugram, where they had to pay hefty fees.

Though a trauma centre was being run in Rewari, it had been reduced to a referral centre following non-availability of ultra-modern facilities to treat critical patients.

LEADER SPEAK

It is a growth-oriented Budget which takes care of all sections of society. It is pro-poor, pro-farmer and pro-common man and will give a new trajectory to countrys growth.  Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister

The BJP should tell farmers why it is running away from implementing the Swaminathan report. The government should give Rs 5,000 per acre per crop.  Abhay Chautala, Leader of Oppositioneditorial@tribune.com

Ambala, February 1

Health Minister Anil Vij on Friday thanked Union Minister Piyush Goyal for announcing the 22nd AIIMS in Haryana.

He told the media here, The medical facilities in the state will improve with the establishment of AIIMS.

The minister said the state had approved the upgrade of the 100-bed Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantt to a 200-bed facility.  TNSmonicakchauhan@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 2

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday issued a demarche to the United States Embassy in New Delhi expressing concern over the dignity and well being of detained Indian students.

In its diplomatic protest petition the ministry reiterated its demand for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the students who have been detained on visa fraud charges following a nationwide crackdown by the Department of Homeland Security across America.

We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the University, should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the Government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will, said the MEA in its demarche.

According to the information made available by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as of Friday, 130 foreign nationals including 129 Indians, have been detained for civil immigration violations. They had enrolled in a fraudulent University of Farmington, set up by Homeland Security to bait illegal immigrants. Asked about the arrests, Khalid Walls Spokesperson of ICE pointed to paragraph 19 of the indictment that says: Each of the foreign citizens who enrolled and made tuition payments to the University knew that they would not attend any actual classes, earn credits, or make academic progress toward an actual degree in a particular field of studya pay to stay scheme. Rather, their intent was to fraudulently maintain their student visa status and to obtain work authorisation under the CPT program.

Officials from the Indian Embassy and consulates in US have visited several detention centres so far and have contacted some 30 Indian students, while closely monitoring the situation and reaching out to Diaspora representatives and student associations to get more information about the detainees. Meanwhile the US Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi simply said: We can confirm that the Embassy received a Demarche from the Ministry of External Affairs about the Indian citizens detained in the United States this week. We refer you to the Department of Homeland Security in the United States for information on their status.

A 24/7 helpline has been established in our Embassy in Washington D.C. for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students. Telephone numbers are +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email:cons3.washington@mea.gov.in. For those seeking legal help, guidance and assistance is being provided by our Mission and Consulates, the MEA announced on Saturday. The Indian mission is also mobilising community assistance to provide legal support to those who seek as it remains in touch with concerned US stakeholders.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 1

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has rescued six women, who had been trafficked from Nepal to Delhi with promises to be taken to gulf countries for salary-based work, from a house in Bhalaswa in northwest Delhi.

Suspecting a large-scale international human trafficking racket operating from the Indian and Myanmar border, DCW chief Swati Maliwal has issued a notice to the police alleging inaction two nights after the rescue exercise which was conducted over a complaint through email from Santosh who works with the Rescue Foundation.

The DCW chairperson questioned the handling of the case by the police and sought from the Sagarpur Police Station SHO a copy of the FIR as well as reasons for not registering proper statements in the matter.

In her notice, Maliwal has sought an explanation from the SHO over lackadaisical and insensitive approach of police personnel in this matter.

The commission has received a call today from Manipur helpline that a group of Nepali men and women have crossed Manipur border to Myanmar, while another group of 16 Nepali women have been detained at Manipur Border.

Maliwal said This is an extremely sensitive issue as the information provided by the rescued women matches the information received from the Manipur helpline. It confirms the commissions apprehensions that a large scale international trafficking racket is running in the capital.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The interim Budget presented by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal received a mixed reaction from regional industries. Some sectors welcomed various Budget provisions, whereas others complained that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)  the backbone of the Norths economy  were left high and dry. The Tribune spoke to some industry players to find out their views on the Budget:

Real estate

For giving impetus to the realty sector, Goyal introduced a slew of incentives. Besides, he proposed to extend the period of exemption from levying tax on notional rent on unsold inventories from one year to two years. Capital tax rollover will help in managing inventory for builders, Sanyam Dudeja, Director, Jubilee Group said. The move is likely to benefit regional realty players as there are many unsold inventories in Zirakpur, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar in Punjab and Panipat and Sonepat in Haryana.

Corporate

The sector felt a let-down as its demand for reducing taxation rate on corporates remained unfulfilled. We were anticipating that corporate tax will be brought down to 25 per cent from 34 per cent, but it was not announced. If the tax had been reduced, it would have propelled the stagnant investment climate, said AR Sharma, chairman, Sangrur-based Ricela Group.

Start-ups

The region with 1,000 start-ups is making waves. The provision of developing a National Artificial Intelligence Portal is a positive sign. The development of portal will promote digitisation and will aid job creation, said Sarvjeet Virk, founder of Chandigarh-based Finvasia. Recognising India as the second start-up hub does not help the sectors ecosystem. There is nothing in the Budget for the start-ups, said KS Bhatia, founder, Pumpkart.

MSMEs

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector, comprising 3 lakh working units in Punjab and Haryana, is not too impressed with the Budget provisions. The industry was expecting reduction in GST slabs (rates) and security schemes for enterprises, which didnt happen, said Badish Jindal, president, Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association. However, the 2 per cent relief on interest for the MSMEs registered under GST will encourage more microenterprises to come under its ambit.

FMCG

Corporate India was optimistic that various measures taken to leave more money in the hands of the people would boost consumerism. However, FMCG players do not think so. I dont think there would be much impact on the FMCG growth, despite taking so many measures, said AR Sharma of Ricela Group.

What they want

Reduction in corporate tax

Industry status for the real estate sector

GST rationalisation in the commercial sector

What they got

2% relief on interest for GST-registered MSMEs

Capital tax rollover

National Artificial Intelligence Portal for the start-ups

GST collection target missed

GST collections by the Centre missed the budgeted target set for the current fiscal by Rs 1 lakh crore, while total mop-up from the indirect tax has been pegged at over Rs 7.61 lakh crore for 2019-20. The government had budgeted to collect over Rs 7.43 lakh crore from GST in the current fiscal ending March. PTI

Fiscal Deficit pegged at 3.4%

Piyush Goyal said the government would miss the fiscal deficit target for the current and coming fiscal years but would maintain the glide path and achieve 3% deficit target by 2020-21. He said the slippage for 2018-19 and 2019-20 by 10 and 30 basis points, respectively, to 3.4% of GDP is due to the new income support for farmers. IANS

1 rate for securities transactions

The government proposed to bring in a single stamp duty (rate) for all financial securities transactions, a move that would help in reducing procedural requirements for brokers. Stamp duties would be levied on one instrument relating to one transaction and get collected at one place through exchanges, the FM said. PTIGerald Kirkham, 88, of Terre Haute, passed away Friday, June 18, 2021 in Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Gerald was born in New Goshen on June 9, 1933 to Cecil Kirkham and Fay Lake Kirkham. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and member of the American Legion in Sellersburg, IN. He was an Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.@IsaacAvilucea on Twitter

Isaac Avilucea is The Trentonians main municipal scribe. A two-time prior restraint winner and testicular cancer survivor, he relishes his reputation as the "Mean Girls" reporter that followed his 18-day stay at the now-defunct North Adams Transcript.Police

NJSP name Hamilton man 2018 Trooper of the Year

New Jersey State Police names Hamilton's Keith Ashley 2018 Trooper of the Year99 cent introductory offer

Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer.

This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts.

Rates are subject to change.L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.featured

Courts

Gunman who murdered Trenton teen now expresses remorse, gets 42 years in prisonKCPD police chief talks about city's homicide rate, challenges for department KMBC's Kris Ketz talked exclusively with Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith about the city's homicide rate and challenges for the department.

And election question and the latest and longer version of a talk with the KCPD top clip this week. Read more:Lee's Summit School District responds to lawsuit LEE'S SUMMIT, MO (KCTV) -- The Lee's Summit School District is responding to a lawsuit that accuses the superintendent of racially discriminatory statements. Here is why a current, longtime school district employee is accusing the school district of allowing it all to happen.

A quick rundown of the sitch: "The lawsuit contends there were three women applying for executive director of public relations  two were white, the third was black.."Here's the district defense:Shawnee man charged with rape was out on bond in another case KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Court records show a Shawnee man charged with rape had been out on bond for a previous child molestation case. KCTV5 reports that 23-year-old Crosson Saisi was arrested Friday and charged in Johnson County District Court with rape and aggravated sexual battery.

Sometimes our readers love to talk trash on Kansas City's justice system but it turns out the Golden Ghetto is having some of the very same problems keeping track of some of the worst suspects in their system. Read more:Naming The KCMO Dead

KCPD releases name of man shot, killed early Sunday Kansas City police have released the name of a man who was shot and killed early Sunday. Investigators said Marvon Kirkwood, 21, was one of three shooting victims that showed up at a hospital by private vehicle about 2:30 a.m. Kirkwood was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Have You Seen These Country Crooks?!?!

Platte County authorities trying to ID suspects who placed skimmer at store PLATTE COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- The Platte County Sheriff's Office is asking the public to help identify three male suspects who they say placed a skimmer on a card reader. On Jan. 8, the three suspects entered a convenience store in southern Platte County and placed a skimming device on the store's card reader on the cashier's counter.

Car Crook Suspet Spy Cam Footage

Olathe police ask for help identifying man in car dealership burglary Police in Olathe, Kansas, are asking for the public's help in identifying a man in a burglary case. Investigators said the man, along with at least two others, broke into Olathe Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram early Wednesday. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Olathe police at 913-971-6950 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

Police Seeking Talk In Meth Town

Independence police still looking for suspect in shooting INDEPENDENCE, MO (KCTV) - The authorities in Independence are still looking for a suspect in connection with an aggravated assault that happened almost a year ago. The suspect is 28-year-old Henry A. Hernandez-Guerra. He is described as a Hispanic man who is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.

Golden Ghetto High Crime Fear

Overland Park neighbors growing uneasy following streak of violence OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- One teenager died and two others were attacked all in the span of two weeks in a concentrated area of Overland Park. The latest incident happened Friday morning when someone stabbed a teenager in the back around 9:30 at 79th and Grant Lane.

Eco-Cost In Golden Ghetto

Lenexa lab owner fined for hazardous waste violation - Kansas City Business Journal Ahmed El-Sherif of Leawood was ordered to pay $544,287 as restitution for storing hazardous waste without a license and will serve two years on federal probation. El-Sherif is the owner of Lenexa-based Beta Chem, which was founded in the mid-1990s. Its facility at 14410 W. 100th St.

KCK Comeuppance Eventually

Man charged in connection with triple homicide, arson case WYANDOTTE COUNTY, MO (KCTV) - A man is facing multiple charges in connection with a triple homicide and arson that happened two years ago. Carlisle Hervey, 40, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson. He was arrested on Thursday is being held on a $1 million bond.

Crusade For Justice After Family Dismemberment JoCo Drama Confirmed

Sister: 'No justice' for Jessica after Justin Rey guilty verdict The man accused of dismembering his wife in a Kansas City hotel room and keeping her remains in a Lenexa storage unit inside a cooler will now face sentencing after a midnight guilty verdict where jurors found Justin Rey guilty on seven charges including child endangerment, contributing to a child's misconduct and sexual exploitation of a child.

Party Mom Case Files Exposed

Court records detail Blue Valley mom's alleged teen parties | The Kansas City Star A Johnson County mother who faces criminal charges of throwing house parties with teenagers that were fueled with alcohol and marijuana. Tiffany Anne Shalberg of Overland Park was a Blue Valley High School employee at the time.

Medial Drama Ruckus

Man threatened to shoot nurse at VA hospital in Kansas City | The Kansas City Star Federal prosecutors have charged a man who allegedly threatened to shoot a nurse and to assault police officers at the VA Medical Center in Kansas City.

Weekend review of Greater Kansas City ALLEGED misdeeds, ongoing crime cases & more . . .Developing . . .Having just moved to New York, I figured it was time to get back into shape. As any tech enthusiast would do, I convinced myself that purchasing a smartwatch was the first step in improving my health.

So, to expedite my search for the perfect watch, I asked our resident fitness tracker/smartwatch expert, Caitlin McGarry, for recommendations. The deadpan look she gave when I asked about Wear OS made it clear that this was going to be more of a challenge than I had anticipated.

But I was resilient (and perhaps stubborn), so to bring me back to Earth, Caitlin lent me a Fossil Q Marshal, a Wear OS 2.0 watch we reviewed back in 2017. I've now been testing Wear OS on the Fossil Q Marshal for about a month, and while there is a lot I like about the operating system, it still feels like a work in progress.

Wear OS for Fitness Doesn't Work Out

I won't blame Wear OS for my eventual falling out with the gym, but the software failed to improve my workout in the ways I had hoped.

The default Wear OS workout app, Google Fit, somehow feels both overly simplistic and unnecessarily convoluted. The main interface showed me my Move Minutes and Heart Points, two ill-defined and overly simplistic metrics. Somehow, eating two greasy slices of New York pizza earned me 9 out of 10 Heart Points. I'm not sure what that means, but it shouldn't have made me feel good about my unhealthy eating habits.

Scrolling down from the colorful main page brings up some concrete metrics, including steps, calories and miles. These are displayed as white font over a black interface  no outlines, color or graphics to speak of. The UI looks unfinished and not at all like something designed by one of the world's biggest tech companies.

Somehow, eating two greasy slices of New York pizza earned me 9 out of 10 Heart Points. I'm not sure what that means, but it shouldn't have made me feel good about my unhealthy eating habits.

To its credit, Google Fit lets you choose from among dozens of specific workouts, and the app accurately tracked my steps and calories burned. Still, Fit is a basic app that doesn't provide the functionality of Apple's Workout app. In comparison, Apple Workout shows you more information on a single interface, so you don't have to continuously swipe while you're working out.

My experience with the music-streaming apps available on Wear OS was equally disappointing. As someone who uses Google Play Music as a primary streaming service, I figured Wear OS would be a perfect fit for me. However, the Play Music app, in general, has limited functionality, especially when operated independently from a smartphone. Yes, the app let me select songs by artist, album and playlist, but there is no search bar to expedite the process. You can start music using your voice, but that isn't always a viable solution when you're in a loud gym.

MORE: Best Fitness Trackers for Running, Swimming and Training

Instead, I was forced to swipe through dozens of artists and albums, a nearly impossible task when running on a treadmill or lifting weights. The next-best option was to create a Workout playlist and use my watch like it was a 10-year-old iPod. Frustrated with Play Music, I did a brief stint with Spotify before discovering that its interface is just as user-hostile and that, unlike Play Music, it doesn't support offline listening.

A Clean Interface Hampered by Poor Performance

There is a lot to like about Wear OS. For one, setting up my watch and pairing it to my OnePlus 6 was straightforward. Once the two were paired, the watch instantly re-connected to my phone via Bluetooth and never dropped the connection.

I also found the user interface fairly intuitive. The colorful icons on the home page and app menu look great, and the notification pop-ups display pertinent information. Swiping down from the top of the home page gives you access to quick settings, while swiping up from the bottom shows your notifications. With a left swipe, you can access the Google Assistant along with shortcuts to see the weather, reminders and workouts. A right swipe takes you to Google Fit, where you can rack up those Move Minutes and Heart Points.

Some areas could be improved. For example, the app tray displays one app at a time, moving to the next one in alphabetical order, so you have to scroll through a long list to find what you're looking for. You can press and hold an app to pin it to the top, but then it disappears from the list, so you'll need to remember which apps you have and haven't pinned.

The Galaxy Watch felt just as responsive as my smartphone, whereas the Fossil Q lagged every time I opened an app.

But as they say, you're only as good as your weakest link, and in the case of Wear OS, that link is hardware. Specifically, it's the Qualcomm SoCs that Wear OS watches rely on, which don't provide anywhere near the speed or efficiency needed to compete in the space. I spent a week with Samsung's new Galaxy Watch before my demo with the Fossil Q Marshal, and the gap in performance between these devices was obvious the moment I switched to the Wear OS watch. The Galaxy Watch felt just as responsive as my smartphone, whereas the Fossil Q lagged every time I opened an app. Even the Fossil Sport, which is powered by the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip, feels sluggish.

MORE: Best (Android) Wear OS Watches

Battery life is another major problem with Wear OS smartwatches. Even the newest Wear OS watches, with the more efficient Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip, stay powered, at most, for a single day of use. In comparison, a Samsung Galaxy Watch will last up to four days on a charge. In my experience, the Fossil Q made it through a day of use but only when display brightness was on the lowest setting. Battery life deteriorated when I cranked up the brightness to 80 percent and enabled notifications.

Your Turn, Google

After my trial with the Fossil Q, I couldn't help but feel that Google was failing us. By "us," I don't mean just Android users, but also those who don't have the budget for an Apple Watch. After all, iPhone users make up one-third of the people who own a Wear OS smartwatch.

The gap between the best Wear OS watch and the latest Apple Watch is colossal. As wary as I am about online user reviews, the Apple Watch's 4.9-star rating after more than 1,300 reviews on Best Buy can't be overlooked. No Wear OS device has come close to receiving such near-universal acclaim. For comparison, the Fossil Q Marshal I used has a rating of 4.1 stars after 167 reviews  not a bad score but certainly not up to the standard set by the Apple Watch.



Android users could see the light at the end of the tunnel last year, when Pixel Watch rumors ran rampant. However, that optimism was squashed when Google confirmed to Tom's Guide that it wasn't ready to release a smartwatch in 2018 and would, instead, work with third-party manufacturers to improve Wear OS.

But the longer Google delays, the further Apple pushes ahead. The Apple Watch accounts for nearly half of all smartwatch sales as of this month. More importantly, Apple continues to add features not found in other devices, like the ECG app on the Watch Series 4 (our favorite overall smartwatch).

Still, there is reason to be hopeful about the future of Wear OS. Remember, it took the Android operating system several years to find its footing, but once it did, Google needed only one attempt to create a smartphone as good as or better than everything else on the market. The $40 million Google spent on Fossil's smartwatch IP is a positive step toward releasing a true Apple Watch competitor.

Until then, we can only hope an eventual Pixel smartwatch enters the market in the same way as the Pixel phone did when it disrupted the smartphone industry.

Credit: Tom's GuideCrisis averted:

Hershey says it has solved the case of the missing tips atop its Kisses candies, after angry holiday bakers complained about imperfect points.

We looked at the entire Kiss manufacturing process, and we made some adjustments to shaping the tips to allow us to have greater consistency, CEO Michele Buck told CNBC on Thursday.

There was an outcry among holiday bakers in December when they discovered the tips of Kisses, which they had planned to use for baking cookies and other confections, were missing. Several took to social media to complain to the company, based in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

At the time, Hershey was largely mum on the cause. Spokesperson Jeff Beckman told The New York Times there are many variables in the production process. Beckman also told the paper the company was working to improve the appearance of the candies.

We were seeing some inconsistency in the tip shaping, Buck said. She declined to provide detail regarding the manufacturing flaws that caused Kisses to arrive with broken-off tips but said changes have been made to prevent further disappointment.

Due to the volume of candy the company manufactures, there will be a period in which customers may still find Kisses with missing tips.If all of the recent leaks of Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S10 and S10+ outline smartphones that seem a little too rich for your blood, then maybe this new peek at the Galaxy S10E  known as the S10 Lite in some corners of the Samsung rumor mill  will hit your sweet spot.

(Image credit: WinFuture.de)

In addition to posting images of the S10 and S10+ this week, German gadget blog WinFuture also included inside info and supposed official pictures of the oft-rumored, entry-level version of the S10. For a while now, rumor sites have speculated that Samsung would release a trio of phones this spring, with a lower-cost, lower-spec model joining the S10 and S10+.

That phones been called the S10 Lite in previous reports, but WinFuture lists it as the Galaxy S10E. We dont know if the E stands for Economy, but it seems like it could.

MORE: Galaxy S10 and S10+ Rumored Specs: Here's What to Expect

This entry-level model features the same in-display, hole-punch selfie camera expected to come on the Galaxy S10, but the S10Es 5.8-inch, larger-bezel screen is smaller than both the purported S10 and S10+ models, and it wont have thebezel-less sides featured on every Galaxy flagship handsets for the last few years.

The S10E is expected to have the smallest battery (3,100 mAh) of the S10 line. It will also lack both the third rear camera lens thats reportedly coming to the other S10 handsets and an in-display fingerprint reader. Instead, a fingerprint sensor will supposedly be built inside of the S10Es physical power button.

The one addition the S10E looks to pick up on the other new Galaxy S models is an additional color: yellow.

The stripped-down features translate to a lower price for the S10E, with WinFuture listing a price of 749 for the phone. Thats around $858 if you do a straight currency conversion, though phone makers often adjust pricing depending on regions. A price of $750 would put the S10E in line with the debut price for last years Galaxy S9.

Samsung is expected to make its Galaxy S10 lineup official at a Feb. 20 event in San Francisco. The phones could launch a few weeks later in early March if Samsung follows its past roll-out schedule.The best 5G phones are no longer a curiosity. With 5G networks now reaching from coast to coast, almost every flagship coming out these days works with the new network standard. And even less expensive midrange phones are more likely to work with 5G than they were a year ago.

So is now the right time to make sure your next smartphone can connect to 5G? You can certainly enjoy blazing speeds, but only in places with 5G coverage. (Check out our 5G guide to see when 5G is coming to you.) Then again, our favorite 5G phones offer more than just speedier downloads.



Best Android phones : Our top picks

: Our top picks The best phone battery life : Which handsets last longest?

The best 5G phones feature outstanding cameras, big displays and super-sized batteries. That's no surprise really, since many of these phones are really just the best phones overall, only with 5G modems included.

Now that cheaper 5G phones are available, you've got to take price into account. 5G phones that cost $500 or less won't have the premium features found in flagship phones, but since they also won't put a $1,000 dent in your wallet, you should figure out which features you are sacrificing to get a more affordable device with 5G.

More 5G phones are on their way in the second half of the year, including new flagships from Google and Apple, foldable phones from Samsung and budget phones from a whole host of device makers. Here are the best 5G phones you can get right now.

What are the best 5G phones?

Now that we've tested all of Apple's initial 5G phones as well as the latest Galaxy S21 models, we think the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best 5G phone. Not only does it offer an immersive screen, it turned in the best battery life of any iPhone 12 model in our testing.

We also like the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12, which offers many of the Pro Max's great features including extensive 5G support while also costing less. We're also impressed that Apple managed to include 5G support with the compact iPhone 12 mini.

If you prefer Android to iOS devices, we'd recommend either the Galaxy S21 Ultra or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Both phones work with every kind of 5G network and sport big OLED displays. The S21 Ultra fares a little better on our battery test, though. Other Samsung flagships, including the Galaxy S21 Plus, offer 5G compatibility for less than $1,000.

If you want one of the best performing cameras on a 5G phone, consider the Google Pixel 4a 5G. Meanwhile, both the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and TCL 10 5G UW are duking it out for the title of the best 5G phone for people who don't want to spend a lot of money.

The best 5G phones you can buy right now

(Image credit: Future)

1. iPhone 12 Pro Max The best 5G phone you can buy Specifications Screen Size: 6.7 inches Processor: A14 Bionic Size / weight: 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches / 8.03 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:53 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $1,099 View at Amazon $1,099 View at Amazon $1,099.99 View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Immersive 6.7-inch display + Superior performance + Solid battery life Reasons to avoid - Charger sold separately - A bit heavy and bulky

The iPhone 12 Pro Max doesnt just have the most 5G bands of any phone. Youll be able to enjoy those speeds for a long time, thanks to this phones large battery. In fact, the iPhone 12 Pro Max lasted nearly 11 hours on our web surfing battery test over 5G. Apples Smart Data mode can also help you save some juice, as it can automatically toggle between 5G and 4G when youre performing less intensive tasks (like streaming music with the screen off.) This is the best 5G phone you can buy period.

This big-screen phone impresses in other ways, including its brilliant and immersive 6.7-inch OLED display thats ideal for video streaming and showing off the photos you take with the Pro Maxs stellar cameras. The main camera boasts large 1.7m pixels for up to an 87% increase in low-light performance, and you get a 2.5x telephoto zoom for getting closer to your subject. Add in a tough Ceramic Shield display that can shrug off drops, a seamless MagSafe wireless charging system and a superfast A14 Bionic chip, and you have a truly excellent and future-proof 5G phone.

Read our full iPhone 12 Pro Max review.

(Image credit: Future)

2. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra The best 5G phone from Samsung Specifications Screen Size: 6.8 inches Processor: Snapdragon 888 Size / weight: 6.5 x 2.97 x 0.35 inches / 8.08 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:25 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $879 View at Amazon $1,199.99 View at Best Buy $1,199.99 View at Verizon Wireless Reasons to buy + Dynamic 6.8-inch AMOLED display + Good battery life + S Pen support Reasons to avoid - No charger in box - Lacks microSD card slot

The Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup is the first to feature Qualcomms new Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip in the U.S., which means that any of the three new phones  the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra  support every 5G network available in this country. We favor the Galaxy S21 Ultra, not just because it costs $200 less than last years comparable S20 model, but because it also lasts a long time on a charge.

The Galaxy S21 held out for nearly 11.5 hours on our battery test, though that was with its screen set to a 60Hz refresh rate. Turning on the setting that lets the phone dynamically adjust its refresh rate does draw some power, but even with that mode turned on, the S21 Ultra still outlasted the average smartphone. Thats a good quality to have in a 5G phone, as is the S21 Ultras expansive screen and S Pen support.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review .

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. iPhone 12 Pro A less expensive 5G phone from Apple Specifications Screen Size: 6.1 inches Processor: A14 Bionic Size / weight: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inches / 6.66 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:06 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $999 View at Amazon $999 View at Apple $999.99 View at Verizon Wireless Reasons to buy + Extensive 5G support + Best-in-class cameras + A14 Bionic chip blows away other phones Reasons to avoid - 5G puts a hit on battery life - No charger included with the phone

Apple says it's squeezed more 5G bands into its latest iPhone models like the iPhone 12 Pro than any other phone out there. That allows the iPhone to work with 5G in most places, regardless of what kind of 5G network a wireless carrier has built. And that should also allow the iPhone 12 Pro to get the best of 5G going forward, making this an excellent option if you're looking for a 5G phone.

The 5G connectivity comes at a price, with the iPhone 12 Pro taking a hit on battery life when it connects to the faster network. (When we turned off 5G, the iPhone 12 lasted nearly 90 minutes longer on our battery test.) But Apple has added a number of other features that make this a very appealing 5G phone, from a powerful A14 processor that outperforms any chipset found in an Android phone to a gorgeous 6.1-inch OLED screen.

The iPhone 12 Pro also boasts features that make it a great phone overall, not just the best 5G phone. The phone's three rear cameras are augmented by a LiDAR sensor, producing some of the best shots we've seen from a smartphone. And the phone's new MagSafe charging system makes it easy to wirelessly power up the battery on your iPhone 12 Pro.

Read our full iPhone 12 Pro review.

(Image credit: Future)

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Great for 5G gaming Specifications Screen Size: 6.9 inches Processor: Snapdragon 865 Plus Size / weight: 6.48 x 3.04 x 0.32 inches / 7.33 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:15 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $999 View at Walmart $999.97 View at Amazon $1,019.99 View at BHPhoto Reasons to buy + Streams Xbox games + Good battery life + Dynamic 120Hz display Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Large camera bump on the back

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is currently Samsung's most versatile big-screen phone, and that includes its approach to 5G. This 6.9-inch phablet works with every available 5G network, and its dynamic 120Hz display adjusts the refresh rate to squeeze more battery life while also delivering smoother scrolling and more immersive gaming.

It's the gaming aspect of the Note 20 Ultra that makes it one of the best 5G phones, and not just because it runs on a powerful Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra works with Microsoft's xCloud game streaming to let you play more than 100 Xbox games on your phone. With 5G connectivity, gameplay should be a delight.

You'll pay a bit more for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra than you would for some of Samsung's other 5G phones, like the Galaxy S20 Plus. Even the new Galaxy S21 Ultra is cheaper at $1,199. But you'll find it's well worth the premium price.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

5. iPhone 12 mini The most compact 5G phone Specifications Screen Size: 5.4 inches Processor: A14 Bionic Size / weight: 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 inches / 4.76 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 7:28 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $699.99 View at Verizon Wireless $729 View at Apple $729 View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Perfect for small phone lovers + Capable dual cameras + Comprehensive 5G support Reasons to avoid - Shortest battery life of any iPhone 12 model - Only 64GB storage to start

A 5G phone doesnt have to be humongous to house all the antennas needed to connect you to the next-generation network. The iPhone 12 mini features a compact 5.4-inch OLED panel, and even though the phone itself is actually smaller than Apples own iPhone SE, it can still connect to every type of 5G network  even Verizons mmWave-based 5G towers.

Youll get Apples class-leading A14 Bionic processor with the iPhone 12 mini, as well as the same camera setup found in the iPhone 12. That means you can expect great pictures from Apples smallest iPhone. The battery inside the iPhone 12 mini is pretty taxed by 5G connectivity, but the relatively low $699 starting price means you can experience 5G without having to pay up for the privilege.

Read our full iPhone 12 mini review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. iPhone 12 A more affordable 5G phone Specifications Screen Size: 6.1 inches Processor: A14 Bionic Size / weight: 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 inches / 5.78 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 8:25 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $799.99 View at Verizon Wireless $829 View at Amazon $829 View at Apple Reasons to buy + Comprehensive 5G coverage + Excellent design with 6.1-inch screen + Impressive performance Reasons to avoid - Only 64GB of storage in base model - 5G can impact battery life

If you don't want to pay up for a 5G phone, the iPhone 12 is an attractive proposition, costing $799. That's $200 less than the iPhone 12 Pro, though you're still getting many of the features that make Apple's Pro model so appealing  a fast A14 Bionic processor, a 6.1-inch OLED screen and 5G connectivity with just about any network you can think of.

As with the iPhone 12 Pro, 5G connectivity puts a strain on the iPhone 12's battery, as we saw when we switched off 5G and saw battery life improve by nearly two hours on our battery test. The iPhone 12 features a Smart Data Mode to intelligently switch between LTE and 5G depending on whether or not the device really needs the extra speed.

Read our full iPhone 12 review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

7. OnePlus 9 Pro Best 5G phone with a dynamic display Specifications Screen Size: 6.7 inches Processor: Snapdragon 888 Size and weight: 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.34 inches / 6.9 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:40 5G networks supported: T-Mobile, Verizon (low-band) TODAY'S BEST DEALS $879.99 View at Amazon $1,069 View at OnePlus $1,069.99 View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Beautiful 120Hz display + Excellent performance + Crazy fast wired and wireless charging Reasons to avoid - Won't work with AT&T 5G

The OnePlus 9 Pro has two features that typically hamper a phones battery life  5G connectivity and a display that can offer a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and more immersive games. Both can consume a lot of battery power, but that wasnt the case when we tested the OnePlus 9 Pro and its 4,500 mAh battery. The phone lasted more than 10.5 hours, even with its higher screen refresh rate turned on.

Thats because the OnePlus 9 Pro features a dynamically refreshing display that adjusts its speed all the way down to 1Hz for static activities, only hitting 120Hz when you benefit from a faster refreshing screen. And when its time to charge, the OnePlus 9 Pro sets the standard for speedy recharging, both wirelessly and with a wired connection.

A Snapdragon 888 chipset and plenty of RAM means the OnePlus 9 Pro can match any Android phone for performance. The phone is coming to T-Mobile, where it will work with the Uncarriers 5G network. Verizon also certified the OnePlus 9 Pro for its 5G network, too, with the phone able to use Verizon's nationwide and Ultra Wideband networks; the cheaper OnePlus 9 only works with nationwide 5G and not faster Ultra Wideband connections.

The OnePlus 9 Pro starts at $969, but currently the only version available in the U.S. is the $1,069 edition that packs in more RAM and storage (12GB/256GB) than the 8GB/128GB base model.

Read our full OnePlus 9 Pro review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

8. Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus A great Samsung 5G phone for under $1,000 Specifications Screen Size: 6.7 inches Processor: Snapdragon 888 Size / weight: 6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 inches / 7.05 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:41 (adaptive) / 9:53 (60Hz) 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $669.99 View at Amazon $669.99 View at Amazon $999.99 View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Screen features 120Hz refresh rate + Impressive zoom feature + Supports all 5G network types + Beautiful design Reasons to avoid - So-so battery life

Replacing the Galaxy S20 Plus, the Galaxy S21 Plus came along and surprised everyone. For $200 less than its predecessor, the S21 Plus checks a lot of the boxes. It's a big, beautiful phone with a gorgeous 120Hz display and the best Qualcomm processor yet, the Snapdragon 888.

Starting at $999 for the 128GB model, the Galaxy S21 Plus is a force to be reckoned with, even if it lacks some of the Galaxy S21 Ultra's big features. As a 5G phone, however, you have the latest Qualcomm X60 5G modem and you can access whatever 5G bands you need. Any of the three carriers will work, including Verizon's mmWave network.

If you want a smaller phone, the regular Galaxy S21 is also a great pick. It's basically the Galaxy S21 Plus in a more compact frame for $799.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus review .

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

9. OnePlus Nord N10 5G The cheapest 5G phone right now Specifications Screen Size: 6.49 inches Processor: Snapdragon 690 Size / weight: 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.35 inches / 6.7 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:48 5G networks supported: T-Mobile TODAY'S BEST DEALS $299.99 View at Amazon $299.99 View at Best Buy $299.99 View at OnePlus Reasons to buy + 90Hz display + Long battery life + 5G device for less than $300 Reasons to avoid - Monochrome and macro lenses dont impress - So-so design

Don't let the fact that the OnePlus Nord N10 5G isn't as powerful as the original OnePlus Nord dissuade you from considering this inexpensive 5G phone. The N10 5G  the first model in OnePlus' new budget Nord lineup to reach the U.S.  offers decent performance for a Snapdragon 690-powered phone and outstanding battery life, having lasted nearly 12 hours on our battery test. The phone charges up quickly, too, thanks to OnePlus' Warp Charge 30T technology. And the screen features a 90Hz refresh rate  a feature normally reserved for much more expensive phones.

All of that comes in a handset that costs $299, which undercuts the price of all the other 5G phones we've tested, even with the $399 Moto G Stylus 5G hitting stores soon. While you'll make some compromises with cameras and design, if you've been mulling the leap to 5G, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is currently the cheapest way to experience the latest connectivity standard.

Read our full OnePlus Nord N10 5G review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

10. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Samsung's best midrange 5G phone Specifications Screen Size: 6.5 inches Processor: Snapdragon 750G Size / weight: 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches / 6.7 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 12:19 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile TODAY'S BEST DEALS $364 View at Amazon $499.99 View at Best Buy $499.99 View at AT&T Reasons to buy + 120Hz display + Long battery life + Good main camera Reasons to avoid - Other cameras underperform - Display scratches easily

Samsung has updated its midrange Galaxy A lineup, highlighted by several 5G-ready devices that lower the cost of owning a 5G phone. Of these, the best option for most users is the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, which features a display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. (You will have to manually set that feature.) The phone is a solid performer, and its main camera captures some compelling shots.

The 5G connectivity doesn't put too much of a hit on battery life, as the Galaxy A52 5G lasted more than 12 hours on our batter test. While that result came with the screen's refresh rate at 60Hz, even turning on the faster refreshing display gave us 10-hour-plus battery life  a more than acceptable result.

Verizon customers will want to turn to the Galaxy A42 5G, which can work with that carrier's mmWave-base towers. But if you're on AT&T and T-Mobile, the Galaxy A52 5G offers a way to join the 5G crowd without spending too much on your phone.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

11. TCL 10 5G UW An inexpensive 5G phone Specifications Screen Size: 6.53 inches Processor: Snapdragon 765G Size / weight: 6.4 x 3 x 0.37 inches / 7.4ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:07 5G networks supported: Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $299 View at Walmart $399.99 View at Verizon Wireless Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Low price + Long battery life + Decent LCD screen Reasons to avoid - Limited to Verizon - Display is dim

As good as the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is, its 5G modem doesn't work with faster millimeter wave 5G. To enjoy those faster speeds, you'll need another bargain 5G contender  the TCL 10 5G UW. This phone costs less than $400, but doesn't skimp too much in the areas that matter to smartphone users.

For one thing, the phone's 4,500 mAh battery lasts a long time  more than 11 hours on our surfing test. The Snapdragon 765G chipset delivers comparable performance to 5G phones that cost hundreds of dollars more, and the 6.53-inch display gorgeous (even if it is a little dim).

The TCL 10 5G UW is limited to Verizon's 5G network, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you prefer AT&T or T-Mobile. But otherwise, this is the phone to get if you want the fastest 5G without having to pay too much for it.

Read our full TCL 10 5G UW review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

12. Google Pixel 4a 5G Best 5G phone for photos Specifications Screen Size: 6.2 inches Processor: Snapdragon 765G Size / weight: 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches / 5.9 ounces Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 8:13 5G networks supported: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon TODAY'S BEST DEALS $499 View at Google Store $549 View at Amazon $599.99 View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Big, colorful screen + Excellent cameras + Sub-$500 starting price Reasons to avoid - Verizon version costs more - Subpar battery life

As solid a 5G phone as the Pixel 5 is, the Pixel 4a 5G is every bit as good. No, you don't get the 90Hz refresh rate found on the Pixel 5's display, but for the features that matter like top-performing cameras, the Pixel 4a 5G matches Google's flagship while costing $200 less.

The Pixel 4a 5G's cameras are exactly the same as the 12MP main shooter and 16MP ultrawide angle lens found on the Pixel 5. Even better, the software is the same, too, so you'll get the AI-powered software features that set Google phones apart from the crowd.

While the Pixel 4a 5G works with every 5G network, know that you'll need to pay $100 extra for the version that works with Verizon's high-speed 5G towers. Even then, this is a bargain of a 5G device, though we're expecting the 5G-ready Pixel 5a to arrive toward the end of summer. If 5G isn't that important to you and you want the best Android experience under $400, check out our Pixel 4a 5G vs. Pixel 4a face-off.

Read our full Google Pixel 4a 5G review.

How to choose the best 5G phone for you

When looking for a 5G phone, you'll want to consider which wireless carrier will be providing your cell phone service. Different service providers are taking different approaches to their 5G rollouts.

Verizon, for example, has placed an emphasis on mmWave-based technology at the beginning, so if you plan on getting your phone service from Big Red, you had best make sure that your 5G phone is capable of connecting to mmWave towers. Likewise, while T-Mobile and AT&T have a few mmWave deployments, the vast majority of their network relies on sub-6GHz technology for initial coverage. That's not as fast as mmWave, but it covers a wider area. An OpenSignal report on 5G network performance found that Verizon had the fastest 5G speeds, but the lowest 5G availability. T-Mobile's 5G reach is the most extensive, though its speeds are only slightly faster than LTE.

Apart from what 5G networks a phone supports, the criteria for picking a 5G phone is about the same as it would be for any handset. Consider the processor, screen size, cameras and other features. Battery is especially important  5G can draw some serious power, and you'll want a phone that's able to handle the added demands on its battery.

Price remains an important distinguishing factor, and it's going to get more so as lower-cost 5G phones roll out later this year. In 2019, you had to pay anywhere from $850 to $1,299 for a 5G phone. Even with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 costing $2,000  a price that has more to do with its foldable design than its 5G support  the price range for 5G phones has begun to creep down a little, led by the $699 OnePlus 8. We're expecting to see more 5G phones for less than $500 as devices make use of Qualcomm's lower-cost Snapdragon 7 and 6 series chipsets that now include 5G modems.

How we test 5G phones

To test phones with 5G connectivity, we take them out into the field to measure download speeds with the Speedtest.net app. When possible, we compare that speed to a comparable phone on the same wireless network to try and gauge the improvement that 5G has to offer. We also take note of how the phone performs when 5G coverage isn't available.

Because so much of that 5G performance hinges on the wireless network and not the phone itself, though, we give greater weight to the criteria by which we judge all phones. We run an array of benchmarks on every phone  both synthetic benchmarks as well as real-world tests like transcoding a 4K video to 1080p and timing how long it takes. Our lab also measures the brightness and color accuracy of each phone's display. Our proprietary battery test determines longevity on a charge by endlessly streaming web pages over an LTE network; we then recharge the tested phones to see how quickly they charge in 15-minute intervals.

To measure camera performance, we shoot images under a variety of conditions, comparing the results to photos produced by cameras in the same price range.

For 5G phones, we also consider the price of the device compared to comparable LTE handsets.[February 01, 2019] DXC TECHNOLOGY SHAREHOLDER ALERT: ClaimsFiler Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against DXC Technology Company - DXC

ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 25, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against DXC Technology Company (NYSE:DXC), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 8, 2018 and November 6, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Get Help DXC investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-dxc-technology-company-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to dicuss your legal options.



About the Lawsuit DXC and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 6, 2018, the Company revealed a range of adverse financial news including the loss of sales to significant customers, quarterly revenue shortfall in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and an $800 million reduction to its 2019 revenue outlook as well as a lack of growth in the digital space and ineffective sales strategies. On this news, the price of DXC's shares plummeted. The case is City of Warren Police and Fire Retirement System v. DXC Technology Company, et al., No. 18-cv-1599. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005513/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 01, 2019] APHRIA 72 HOUR DEADLINE ALERT: Approximately 72 Hours Remain; Former Louisiana Attorney General and Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Remind Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Aphria Inc. - APHA

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors with large financial interests that they have only until February 4, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA). Investor losses must relate to purchases of the Company's securities between July 17, 2018 and December 4, 2018. This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Aphria and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-apha/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court by February 4, 2019.



About the Lawsuit On December 3, 2018, Hindenburg Research reported in an article entitled "Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side," that an extensive investigation revealed that "Aphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets" and detailing the questionable value of its investments.

On this news, the price of Aphria's shares plummeted. The case is Gloschat v. Aphria Inc. et al, 18-cv-11427. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005505/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 01, 2019] ALLERGAN SHAREHOLDER ALERT: ClaimsFiler Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit against Allergan plc. - AGN

ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 19, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Allergan plc. (NYSE: AGN (News - Alert) ), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 24, 2017, and December 19, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help Allergan investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-allergan-plc-securities-litigation-1 or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss yur legal options.



About the Lawsuit Allergan and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On December 19, 2018, the Company announced that it had halted the sale of its textured breast implants in the European market following a compulsory recall request from the French regulatory authority, Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament, after the product's CE Mark certification expired, amid concerns of a link to a rare form of cancer. On this news, the price of Allergan's shares plummeted. The case is Cook v. Allergan Plc et al, No. 18-cv-12089. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005507/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 01, 2019] JOHNSON & JOHNSON INVESTIGATION INITIATED by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of Johnson & Johnson - JNJ

Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Johnson & Johnson ("J&J") (NYSE: JNJ). The Company has been embroiled in significant litigation by over 11,000 consumers claiming that its iconic talc powder products contained asbestos that caused cancer. Some cases have resulted in massive verdicts against J&J including a $417 million award to one California plaintiff in August 2017 and a $4.7 billion award in Missouri to 22 plaintiffs in July 2018. Further, a Mississippi state court recently denied J&J's request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the state's Attorney General over its failure to disclose the risk, allowing that case to proceed. Recently, news reports based on internal company documents obtained in the litigation revealed extensive evidence indicating that for many decades Company executives knew that its talc samples had tested positive for asbestos and took various measures to conceal the information from the public. The Company has been exposed to ignificant financial losses as well as a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information to investors, violating federal securities laws, which is ongoing.



KSF's investigation is focusing on whether J&J's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of J&J shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-jnj/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005499/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 01, 2019] Dealer Teamwork Named Innovation Leader at 2019 AWA Awards

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealer Teamwork was thrilled to accept its third and most recent AWA Award for the patented MPOP as Innovation Leader in Digital Marketing. The MPOP, a Merchandising Personalization and Optimization Platform, allows dealerships to merchandise their inventory with transactional data. This platform automatically optimizes content for search engines like Google and Bing, while syndicating it in real-time to all linked marketing channels including landing pages, paid search, email campaigns and social media. The MPOP was recognized this time for enhancements to the product including UTM tags, reporting upgrades, additional options for dealers to drive traffic to their own websites and more. Since 2008, the Automotive Website Awards (AWAs) have provided car dealers with an independent review of automotive technology. Brian Pasch, creator of the awards program and a recognized leader in dealership education and consulting for the industry, presented the AWA to Dealer Teamwork executive members and co-founders while proudly commenting, "Last year after reviewing Dealer Teamwork's MPOP, we provided feedback to the development team to improve their platform and to position it for greater success. This year, we are pleased to recognize the MPOP as an AWA Award winner. Only six products of the 58 we reviewed this year received the coveted status of Innovation Leader. Congratulations to all the members of the Dealer Teamwork staff for this truly unique, one of kind, performance marketing solution."



Sean Stapleton added, "We are so excited to have captured a third AWA win! We embraced feedback and worked hard to make the changes, pushing the MPOP to the next level. Our patented technology continues to grow and revolutionize the way car dealers use digital marketing. To be awarded recognition as an Innovation Leader for our impact in this space is an honor!" Dealer Teamwork was also recognized for previous AWA wins, including the Rising Star award and Marketing Innovation award.

Dealer Teamwork also congratulates their fellow AWA recipients in the winning category: Lotlinx, Dealereprocess, Dealer.com, Tap Classifieds Auto, and others for their contributions in the digital marketing space. About Dealer Teamwork Dealer Teamwork is one of the fastest growing S.a.a.S. companies creating first-class solutions for the retail automotive industry. Dealer Teamwork created the automotive industry's first MPOP, a patented Merchandising, Personalization and Optimization Platform. The platform creates a significant competitive advantage for dealers by distributing their transactional data to more in-market shoppers effectively and efficiently. For more information please visit DealerTeamwork.com or visit Dealer Teamwork's FAQ. For more information on the AWA Awards, please visit http://awa.autos/. Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12752262 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dealer-teamwork-named-innovation-leader-at-2019-awa-awards-300788498.html SOURCE Dealer Teamwork

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 01, 2019] Nuveen Closed-End Funds Declare Distributions

Several Nuveen closed-end funds have declared distributions. These funds represent investment strategies for investors seeking diversified sources of cash flow to prepare for and sustain their retirement income needs. For further information regarding fund distributions including earnings, undistributed net investment income, and notices please visit http://www.nuveen.com/cef. The following dates apply to today's monthly distribution declarations for the following tax-exempt and taxable closed-end funds:







Record Date February 15, 2019 Ex-Dividend Date February 14, 2019 Payable Date March 1, 2019

Monthly Tax-Exempt Municipal Distributions Monthly distributions from Nuveen's municipal bond closed-end funds are generally exempt from regular Federal income taxes, and monthly distributions of single-state municipal funds are also generally exempt from state and, in some cases, local income taxes for in-state residents. Unless otherwise stated in the funds' objectives, monthly distributions of the municipal funds may be subject to the Federal Alternative Minimum Tax for some shareholders. Monthly Tax-Free Distribution Per Share Change From Ticker Exchange Fund Name Amount Previous Month National NXP NYSE Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio $.0455 - NXQ NYSE Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 2 $.0420 - NXR NYSE Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 3 $.0435 - NUV NYSE Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. $.0310 - NUW NYSE Nuveen AMT (News - Alert) -Free Municipal Value Fund $.0560 - NMI NYSE Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. $.0360 - NIM NYSE Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund $.0265 - NZF NYSE Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund $.0660 - NVG NYSE Nuveen AMT-Free Municipal Credit Income Fund $.0655 - NMZ NYSE Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund $.0565 - NEV NYSE Nuveen Enhanced Municipal Value Fund $.0565 - NID NYSE Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Term Fund $.0425 - NIQ NYSE Nuveen Intermediate Duration Quality Municipal Term Fund $.0295 - NHA NYSE Nuveen Municipal 2021 Target (News - Alert) Term Fund $.0150 - NEA NYSE Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0535 - NAD NYSE Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0535 - California NAC NYSE Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0555 - NKX NYSE Nuveen California AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0515 - NCA NYSE Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund, Inc. $.0285 - NXC NYSE Nuveen California Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio $.0410 - NCB NYSE Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2 $.0540 - New York NRK NYSE Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0450 - NAN NYSE Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0480 - NXN NYSE Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio $.0420 - NNY NYSE Nuveen New York Municipal Value Fund, Inc. $.0300 - NYV NYSE Nuveen New York Municipal Value Fund 2 $.0425 - Other State Funds NAZ NYSE Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0415 - NTC NYSE Nuveen Connecticut Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0410 - NKG NYSE Nuveen Georgia Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0345 - NMT NYSE Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0410 - NMY NYSE Nuveen Maryland Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0440 - NUM NYSE Nuveen Michigan Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0445 - NMS NYSE Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0510 - NOM NYSE Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0430 - NNC NYSE Nuveen North Carolina Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0360 - NXJ NYSE Nuveen New Jersey Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0545 - NJV NYSE Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund $.0450 - NUO NYSE Nuveen Ohio Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0455 - NQP NYSE Nuveen Pennsylvania Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0470 - NPN NYSE Nuveen Pennsylvania Municipal Value Fund $.0405 - NTX NYSE Nuveen Texas Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0445 - NPV NYSE Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0435 - Monthly Taxable Distributions Monthly Distribution Per Share Change From Ticker Exchange Fund Name Amount Previous Month Preferred and Income Securities JPC NYSE Nuveen Preferred & Income Opportunities Fund $.0610 - JPI NYSE Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund $.1355 - JPS NYSE Nuveen Preferred & Income Securities Fund $.0560 - JPT NYSE Nuveen Preferred and Income 2022 Term Fund $.1185 - Floating Rate NSL NYSE Nuveen Senior Income Fund $.0365 $.0010 JFR NYSE Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund $.0615 $.0015 JRO NYSE Nuveen Floating Rate Income Opportunity Fund $.0625 $.0020 JSD NYSE Nuveen Short Duration Credit Opportunities Fund $.1035 - Mortgage-Backed Securities JMM NYSE Nuveen Multi-Market Income Fund $.0300 - Taxable Municipals NBB NYSE Nuveen Taxable Municipal Income Fund $.1030 - Emerging Markets Debt JEMD NYSE Nuveen Emerging Markets Debt 2022 Target Term Fund $.0375 - Global High Yield Debt JGH NYSE Nuveen Global High Income Fund $.1070 - Corporate High Yield Debt JHY NYSE Nuveen High Income 2020 Target Term Fund $.0390 - JHD NYSE Nuveen High Income December 2019 Target Term Fund $.0325 - JHB NYSE Nuveen High Income November 2021 Target Term Fund $.0465 - JCO NYSE Nuveen Credit Opportunities 2022 Target Term Fund $.0470 - Monthly Capital Return Plan Policy Distribution JQC has adopted a capital return plan through which the fund will return to shareholders 20 percent of the fund's common assets, over a period of three years ending on December 31, 2021, through supplemental amounts included in the fund's regular monthly distribution. Distribution sources will include net investment income and return of capital and may include realized gains. The fund will provide a notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources at that time which may be viewed at: www.nuveen.com/CEFdistributions. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholders' 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. You should not draw any conclusions about a fund's past or future investment performance from its current distribution rate. The following dates apply to today's monthly capital return distribution declaration for the following closed-end fund: Record Date February 15, 2019 Ex-Dividend Date February 14, 2019 Payable Date March 1, 2019 Monthly Distribution Per Share Change From Ticker Exchange Fund Name Amount Previous Month Floating Rate JQC NYSE Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund $.1015 - Monthly Cash-Flow Based Distributions Each of the three taxable funds listed immediately below have adopted a cash-flow based distribution program. Historical distribution sources have included net investment income, realized gains and return of capital. If a distribution includes anything other than net investment income, the fund provides a notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources at the time of payment which may be viewed at: www.nuveen.com/CEFdistributions. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholders' 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. You should not draw any conclusions about a fund's past or future investment performance from its current distribution rate. The following dates apply to today's monthly cash-flow based distribution declarations for the following closed-end funds: Record Date February 15, 2019 Ex-Dividend Date February 14, 2019 Payable Date March 1, 2019 Monthly Distribution Per Share Change From Ticker Exchange Fund Name Amount Previous Month Mortgage-Backed Securities JLS NYSE Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund $.1135 - JMT NYSE Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund 2 $.1125 - Real Assets JRI NYSE Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund $.1060 - Future Distribution Announcements Distribution information and all other Nuveen closed-end fund product updates can be found on Nuveen's enhanced closed-end fund resource page on the Nuveen.com website. The Nuveen Closed-End Funds will be discontinuing the practice of announcing distributions via press release at the end of the first quarter. Shareholders can expect regular distribution information to be posted on that resource page on the first business day of each month. Nuveen continues our commitment to sharing timely and accurate information regarding closed-end funds with our clients. This new resource page will streamline communication and information sharing with all important distribution and fund update information in one place. Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $930 billion in assets under management as of 12/31/18 and operations in 16 countries. Its affiliates offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com. The information contained on the Nuveen website is not a part of this press release. Nuveen Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. * Nuveen does not provide tax advice; consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax. 733205-INV-O-02/21 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190201005520/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Over the past two decades there has been an explosion in the number of people coming forward to tell their stories of abuse whether by individuals within their own families, friends or institutions and organisations.

This has happened at a time when Irish society has become more open about dealing with issues, which, in turn, has seen the edifices of respectability and many pillars of society come tumbling down.

But the fallout has meant the need for more and more groups dealing with survivors of abuse. A greater understanding of the complexities of the horrific consequences on its long term effects has been required. Some of that has come through established channels such as the health services, but more has been done through specific organisations set up as a response to abuse scandals and their aftermath.

One of these is One in Four, the group set up by Colm OGorman in 2003 specifically to deal with childhood sexual abuse.

When he stepped aside in 2008, his role was filled by Tipperary woman Maeve Lewis from Ballyartella outside Nenagh.

Maeve went to the local national school at Carrick before finishing her secondary education at St Marys Girls Secondary School in Nenagh.

Sr Helena O'Donoghue was principal at the time and Maeve describes her as a very forward looking woman.

"One I thing I really appreciate is that at a time when a lot of people didn't go to college, or there wasn't a great emphasis on education for girls, both at home and at school, there was always huge encouragement to do what ever you wanted to do so five out of six of us all ended up going to college, which was quite unusual at the end of the Seventies and into the Eighties," she says.

She did a degree in what was then NIHE, now UL, in European Studies covering language, politics, sociology, economics and history.

It just gave a very solid grounding in the world and how the world works. It was quite challenging, I suppose, in terms of growing up in quite a conservative environment and beginning to realise that it didnt have to be the way it was. Those were very enjoyable years, says Maeve.

After college, she worked in France for a couple of years teaching English and then came back and did a HDip in Trinity and taught for a number of years in City of Dublin VEC.

Around that time, Maeve became involved with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre as a volunteer counsellor. In those days the profession of psychotherapy wasnt really established at all in this country.

I became really interested in the whole area of sexual violence and in psychotherapy and I ended up going back to college when I was about 30 and doing a psychology degree and then postgrad psychotherapy training. I took leave of absence from teaching and was offered the role of education officer with the Rape Crisis Centre and then went back and retrained as a pyschotherapist. That opened up a whole different area of work, she says.

While with Dublin Rape Crisis Centre the war in Yugoslavia had started and they got funding from the Department of Education to set up a training programme in former Yugoslavia.

Maeve worked in Croatia and later in Bosnia training local nurses in trauma counselling, which she describes as an absolute eyeopener.

She left DRCC in 1995 and around the same time Trocaire approached her to go to Rwanda just after the genoicide, which she did, flying for five or six years to Rwanda a few times a year running a trauma counselling clinic.

After that, she did similar training in Sierra Leone and Tanzania with Burundi refugees.

"It deepened my understaning of sexual violence. I was approached by the International Criminal Court back in 2014 and asked to go to the Congo to meet four alleged rape victims who were about to give evidence to the court to do an assessment as to whether their symptoms matched their story. I ended up giving expert evidence in 2016 and since then I have been invited back five or six times to give training in sexual trauma to their barristers and investigators," says Maeve.

Then, in 2008, she joined One in Four, but two things happened - the economic crash with funding cut almost immediately by 50% and all the big church reports came out - Ferns before that, Cloyne, Dublin and the Ryan report.

Our numbers trebled in 2009, so that was a huge struggle for the organisation to survive and huge numbers of clerical abuse survivors came through the service, she says.

Back in those years, the numbers had gone up to about 1,400. It was incredible, says Maeve.

It was incredibly fascinating to be at the centre of that and beginning to see the way the sexual abuse handling in the Catholic church actually changed everything.

I think things were afoot anyway, in terms of power and authority of the church from the end of last century, but that just changed everything. Suddenly people were questioning everything about the church and its role and we were seeing an absolutely corrupt institution where the power of the church was sacrosanct as the expense of very vulnerable children, she says.

Maeve does have great respect for Archbishop Dermot Martin, but says the resistance he has met within his own diocese and his own bishops, she would be afraid that, in many instances, they are just going through the motions.

To this day, her heart breaks at some of the stories that the survivors had and the impact that had - suicides, mental health issues.

It destroyed lives, she says simply.

In relation to fundraising, they, like all charity groups, face challenges.

About 70% of our funding is coming from the Government. The rest is fundraising, and that is a huge challenge. This year, we will raise about 200,000 in fundraising and that will come from regular givers, from events like the local Ballycommon Ride. It does mean we are always under resourced and we will always have a waiting list, she says.

Because of this, for the last three years, they have had had to close their waiting list every year for three or four months because the waiting period has gone over a year.

While she would like to think that in 10 years time, there would be no need for groups such as One in Four, Maeve knows that is not going to happen.

I would hope that those services are properly resourced and that we have a fully functional child protection service, because we dont at the moment - and that people begin to fully recognise the extent of sexual abuse in families.

With her late father Frank, being a former North Tipperary county councillor, has she ever thought of politics or been approached for political office.

I am not in the least interested, and I say that categorically. I would hate it to be honest, is her reply.

Outside of work, Maeve has a variety of interests from cooking to hillwalking

I think if you are doing the work I do you really have to a life that has nothing to do with trauma outside of work. I love having dinner parties. I love reading mainly politics and history and non-fiction. I love cinema and hillwalking. I'd love to do the Tipperary Way or Mount Melleray to Cashel, she says.

Despite the nature of her work, Maeve says: I have been very lucky. Lucky where I grew up. Lucky the way my career sort of evolved.1 The TSA Destroyed The Piano Of The World's Most Famous Pianist

When the TSA received world-famous pianist Krystian Zimerman's custom Steinway grand piano at JFK in 2002, they detained it because the glue smelled like a bomb to them. Rather than checking with the owner, or doing literally any research to determine whether the musical genius who owned it lived a double life as a terrorist, they just demolished the piano.

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For the next four years, Zimerman only brought the parts of a piano when he traveled to the U.S., and had it assembled before concerts. But in 2006, he figured that lightning wouldn't strike twice and decided to push his luck. The TSA again detained his piano, but at least this time, they didn't destroy it. They just held it for five days. It took them that long to figure out that the same world-class musician who didn't bomb them in 2002 was also not trying to bomb them now. After all, what harm did it do? Just completely ruined his tour schedule. No biggie.

Before all this, Zimerman didn't have much to say about U.S. foreign policy, but after these debacles, he's become an outspoken critic. He even refuses to play in the United States now. We're not saying the TSA radicalized this generation's Mozart, but we're also not not saying that.

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Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%."Greenwich alone contributes more than $500 million in income tax per year to the state,'' Bergstein said. "That number will decrease if we continue to impose an estate tax. We lose billions in income tax revenue that we could collect from those who move to Florida and other states. Right now, Connecticut has the reputation as the worst place to die, but by correcting our tax structure, we would make Connecticut the best place to live. Thats my goal.''MALTA  The supervisor who was instrumental in creating the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership has quit its board.

Waterford Supervisor John Lawler said he is proud of his association with the county-funded economic development organization, but that it's "time to move on and let other people get involved."

Lawler's departure takes place as discussions loom about a possible merger or collaboration between the Partnership and the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, the very entity Lawler sought to replace when he helped establish the Partnership in 2014.

Lawler said he told fellow board members at the group's meeting on Thursday and plans to hand in a formal resignation letter soon.

"I'm 66 years old," Lawler said. "That's not an excuse, but I have a lot going on. I want to focus more on the town and I'm also chair of the County Water Authority. It's time to slow things down."

Kevin Hedley, the board chairman, called Lawler a "driving force" behind the creation of the Partnership.

"He has also been a valuable contributor in ensuring the organization is well positioned to forge a long-term, sustainable approach to economic development," Hedley said in a statement. "The Saratoga Partnership, along our business and greater communities, have benefited from his exceptional vision, strong leadership and unwavering commitment to growing a vibrant economy in Saratoga County."

Lawler led the formation of the county-funded Partnership after Saratoga Economic Development Corporation's President Dennis Brobston refused to allow a member of the county Board of Supervisors to sit on the SEDC board. Brobston said he feared SEDC would be politicized.

Lawler, on the other hand, countered that he established the Partnership because SEDC was not operating in a transparent manner.

Either way, Lawler was the Partnership's first board chair and stayed as the head of the organization until January 2018 when Hedley was named its leader.

Since it was first funded in 2015, the Partnership has been criticized for investing taxpayer dollars, an average of $750,000 to $800,000 per year, into an organization that has not produced a significant number of jobs nor attracted new industries to Saratoga County. By comparison, observers note, SEDC has been more successful in fulfilling its economic development mission since its inception in 1978.

In May 2018, the Times Union received a copy of a draft plan to form yet another county economic development nonprofit that would not be subject to oversight from the state Authorities Budget Office nor the state Freedom of Information Law. Partnership board members confirmed at the time that the plan would merge the Partnership with SEDC into a new entity.

Lawler said he couldn't talk about the subject.

"It's not for me to announce," Lawler said. "But I brought forth the resolution. I strongly support having conversations with SEDC. We need to start talking to one another."

Brobston said on Friday he could not talk about the plans either because he signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Lawler said that he will be replaced with another supervisor whom Board of Supervisor Chair Kevin Tollisen will appoint. In a statement, Tollisen said he expects Lawler to remain active in economic development.

"While Jack is leaving the Saratoga Partnership board, we know he will continue to be involved in economic development in Saratoga County, and in helping to ensure we remain one of New York's fastest-growing counties," Tollisen said.

Lawler did say he left on good terms.

"I got it started, I got it funded with the bed tax," Lawler said. "This is a collegial group of people. Everybody does a great job. We brought in a lot of good people. My decision is based on the need for fresh blood."Houston

The cardinal who leads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops allowed a priest to celebrate Mass the same day his name was among those released on a list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo told the Rev. John T. Keller on Wednesday evening that he would be placed on administrative leave the next day, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston said in a statement Friday.

DiNardo allowed Keller to lead the 9 a.m. Thursday Mass at his parish, the statement said, because Keller "was already scheduled to celebrate" it.

Hours later, Keller was listed among 40 members of the clergy as having been removed from ministry due to "recent allegations currently under investigation." Fourteen dioceses in Texas on Thursday named those credibly accused of abuse, identifying 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children.

Michael Norris, a member of the advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, accused DiNardo Friday of "waiting until the last minute to remove" Keller because he knew the case was getting media attention.

Letting Keller celebrate Mass on Thursday morning was "nonsense," Norris said.

"The idea is when you remove someone from ministry, you remove someone from ministry," Norris said. "You remove the accused immediately."

As head of the Catholic bishops, DiNardo has shaped the U.S. Catholic Church's response to the clergy abuse crisis and met with Pope Francis about the issue.

At the same time, his handling of cases in Houston has come under question. Another local priest, Rev. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, was charged in September with four counts of indecency with a child. Two people who said La Rosa-Lopez victimized them told The Associated Press that they felt DiNardo didn't do enough to stop La Rosa-Lopez, who was also on the list released Thursday.

DiNardo and the archdiocese said they recently received new allegations against Keller.

But allegations that Keller let a 16-year-old boy drink alcohol and then fondled him have been public since at least 2003, when The Dallas Morning News reported that Keller was ordered to undergo counseling "to ensure he is not at risk for any future inappropriate behavior."

According to the newspaper, Catholic officials in Houston said then that the conduct "did not fit for it to be identified as sexual abuse" and let Keller remain at his parish, Prince of Peace Catholic Community in northwest Houston.

CBS News broadcast an interview with the man in November and another interview Thursday with a second person who accused Keller of touching him inappropriately when he was 8.

The archdiocese declined to comment on Keller's case beyond its statement, in which it said it had reported allegations against Keller to civil authorities and that it encouraged victims to cooperate with any investigation.

Keller was still listed as Prince of Peace's pastor on the parish's website Friday.Albany

American Legion officials are calling on New York lawmakers to request the Pentagon exhume the Long Island graves of sailors killed in a World War II ship explosion in an attempt to identify the fallen servicemen.

The American Legion's New York state organization approved a resolution in early January that seeks the state Legislature's and New York congressional delegation's help in persuading the Department of Defense to exhume remains buried as unknowns in Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale.

"You don't leave a former comrade behind. To me that's what they did. They didn't identify these people and get them home," Gary Schacher, commander of the American Legion New York Department, told The Associated Press Thursday.

Four graves are known to contain the remains of some of the 136 sailors killed when the USS Turner exploded and sank near the entrance to New York Harbor on Jan. 3, 1944. The total number of sailors buried in each grave isn't known. Each gravestone is engraved with the words "Unknown U.S. Sailor" and the date of the sinking.

Navy officials said internal explosions of unknown origin sank the destroyer, which had just returned from convoy duty in the Atlantic Ocean. An exact cause for the explosion was never determined. About 150 sailors survived the blast.

The Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is tasked with recovering and identifying the nation's war dead from previous conflicts. In February 2017, DPAA officials told the AP that dental records and other documents that could help identify the remains buried in the Long Island graves were missing. The agency said at that time the officials said an effort was being made to find those documents.

It couldn't immediately be determined from DPAA officials if the records were found.

Schacher, a retired Navy chief petty officer, said he had never heard of the Turner until a fellow legionnaire whose relative died in the disaster mentioned it to him two years ago. Schacher vowed if he became state commander he'd launch an effort to have the Turner unknowns exhumed and identified.

"We take care of our shipmates," he said.A well-known attorney has joined the defense team for Nauman Hussain, the limo owner charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with the Oct. 6 limo crash in Schoharie County that killed 20 people.

Albany lawyer Lee Kindlon has represented Hussain since he was first charged, and confirmed on Saturday he will be working with lawyer Joe Tacopina "hand-in-hand to defend Nauman and Prestige Limo," he said, in reference to the limo company Nauman and his father Shahed own.

"Clearly we understand that this case is going to move into a different phase, and it was a decision just to beef up the defense team and make sure we have all hands on deck," Kindlon said.

Tacopina has represented clients like Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, and Joran Van Der Sloot, a suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance.

The New York Post first reported his addition to Hussain's defense team.

Tacopina told the Times Union Saturday evening he understood the "emotional undertones" of the case, but said there was a rush to judgment made in the days following the accident.

"There's been a lot of things put out there that have just been factually inaccurate - flat out wrong. Clearly people were looking for a scapegoat. The driver was dead, and they're turning to the owner of the company. These guys did absolutely nothing wrong," Tacopina said. "He believed these vehicles were roadworthy."

Tacopina described Kindlon as a "phenomenal lawyer" and confirmed he would be working on the case "with Lee, not replacing Lee."

Tacopina's addition comes as the National Transportation Safety Board received access to inspect the limousine after months of back-and-forth between the NTSB and Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery.

Under the agreement, NTSB investigators this week will be allowed to visually inspect and photograph the vehicle, which is sitting on a jack lift at the State Police Troop G headquarters in Latham.

State Police will then be allowed to remove and examine the vehicle's transmission and torque converter, and NTSB investigators can conduct a hands-on investigation within two weeks after that.

State Police investigators took control of the limousine after the crash at the Apple Barrel Country Store at the intersection of Routes 30 and 30A. The NTSB has been kept from examining the wreckage while state investigators pursue their own criminal investigation of the crash.

But the fight to prevent NTSB from inspecting the vehicle raises questions about the case, Tacopina said.

"Why try to keep (the NTSB) out of this unless you were worried about their findings? That speaks volumes to the concerns of the prosecutor in this case," Tacopina said, describing the NTSB as the "premier accident investigative agency in the world."

"There'd be no reason, if you want to get to the bottom of the facts, to try to preclude them from getting information," he said.

Nauman Hussain was charged four days after the fatal crash - not enough time to properly inspect the vehicle and find a cause of the accident, according to Tacopina.

Investigators "could not have done a complete inspection of the vehicle, but yet they came to some conclusion that he was at fault," he said.

Kindlon said Tacopina joining the defense team and the NTSB getting access to the limo are unrelated and happened independently.

"The NTSB doesn't exist in a criminal context, their access to the limo happened concurrently with us trying to put together some resources for (Hussain's) defense," he said.

The Hussain family approached Tacopina to assist in Nauman's legal defense, though the Manhattan lawyer wouldn't confirm if he had spoken directly with Shahed, the enigmatic former FBI informant who has been in Pakistan since before the crash took place.

Tacopina's partner, Chad Siegel, will also be assisting in the defense.

"I think (the Hussains) realize, at this point, that this isn't going to go away any time soon," Tacopina said. "They're now preparing themselves for the next phase of this battle."ALBANY  Owen Bush's parents were wildly adventurous in their search for spiritual growth, traveling by rickety buses jammed with hippies across Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and into India in 1969 to study meditation with Hindu and Buddhist teachers. Bush went along several times when he was still a boy.

"They went from hippies to yuppies so we could afford to fly instead of ride in magic buses," Bush said wryly. The ashrams where the Bushes studied were "humble, simple buildings." They established a chain of meditation centers across America.

Now that he's an Episcopalian, Bush still finds meditation useful when he prays. And his childhood helped him become the artist he is today. Vibrant images of Hindu gods  like Vishnu with otherworldly pale blue skin  honed Bush's eye for visual richness. His background makes him a perfect match for his current project: filming a crisp, clear, 3-D virtual reality, 360-degree tour of Albany's Cathedral of All Saints.

Built downtown in 1884, it's America's fifth largest church. The cathedral's lavish, exquisite beauty was made possible by donations from tycoon J.P. Morgan, who gave the world General Electric, U.S. Steel and AT&T.

Test drive the online cathedral tour The Cathedral of All Saints plans to have the tour on its website eventually. Meanwhile, Owen Bush has set up this link where everyone can experience some of the virtual tour: http://3dvt.co/FpOky See the cathedral in person at regular church services and upcoming special events. Go to https://www.cathedralofallsaints.org/ for more information. See More Collapse

"The goal is an immersive experience for someone who has never set foot in this cathedral, for it to feel visually and spiritually real," Bush said. He nodded skyward toward the spectacular stained glass window above the entrance, glittering in the shadows near the roof.

"Cathedrals weren't designed for humans to see every detail," he said. "I can put the camera on a drone and fly it up there so you can see the face of every angel."

Bush's Troy startup is called Hudson Virtual Tours and has filmed historic churches, such as St. John's and St. Paul's in Troy; the Burden Iron Works Museum and the Troy Public Library. Infrared and 3-D cameras are built into one box that is attached to the top of a tripod. The camera turns 360 degrees, capturing images constantly. It shoots a 20-foot radius from each spot where it is placed.

A team of architects will work with the footage to ensure it is seamless and accurate.

Volunteer tour guide Roger Murman says the cathedral has an unusual social history. Black families were part of the congregation since its founding and the bishop preached against segregation. The bishop refused the practice, commonplace during the robber barons' reign, of renting pews so the wealthy could buy a place to sit with the best view of their church's glories. Renting the right pew also guaranteed the entire church saw them in their finery. In All Saints, poor, rich, black and white sat together.

Getting to see the cathedral's grandeur up close, particularly the dozens of stained glass saints and parables, will be a treat for art lovers. But Murman will also be happy to see Bush document the tiny treasures the Gilded Age stone carvers scattered about.

"He carved a little trilobite, a prehistoric sea creature, into a wall but normally you would have to crawl under a heavy table with a flashlight to see it," Murman said of one artisan's work.Technology-assisted labor and automation have long been a viewed with skepticism by those who would fear for their jobs. Luddites in the 19th century destroyed textile machinery to preserve traditional labor practices. More recently, the 2008 Disney film Wall-E depicted sedentary humans wholly reliant on machines for daily life.

But a recent report by the Brookings Institution automation and artificial intelligence and the impact they'll have on the U.S. workforce offers some comfort to workers in the Capital Region.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area was found to be relatively insulated from the impacts of automation in terms of job loss  the Capital Region ranked 93rd out of the top 100 U.S. metro areas in jobs with tasks susceptible to automation.

According to the Brookings report, a quarter of total U.S. employment  36 million jobs as of 2016  will "face high exposure to automation in the coming decades," meaning 70 percent of tasks associated with those jobs can potentially be automated with current technologies.

Jobs with 30 percent or less of tasks that can be automated are considered low-risk and jobs with 30 to 70 percent of automatable tasks are considered "medium" risk, according to Brookings.

Occupations in sectors like food services, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture often have a high share of rote, routine tasks that can be automated, the report found.

In the Capital Region, 20 percent of jobs are considered high-risk to become automated, with 43 percent of the workforce considered low-risk.

That's a result of the region's high concentration of jobs in government, education, healthcare and professional, scientific and technical services  which require tasks that are often higher level cognitive tasks, non-routine or interpersonal.

"It speaks to the diversity of the economy," said Andrew Kennedy, president and CEO of the Albany-based Center for Economic Growth. "The last five years, you've seen that transition (to) the majority of our employees being private sector rather than public sector employees. That bodes well for our economy."

New York state as a whole is the state least at threat of automation, with over 44 percent of the state's job share considered low-risk, and 20 percent of jobs considered at high risk of potential automation.

In Indiana, the state with the highest automation potential, just 35 percent of jobs are at low risk, compared to 29 percent at a high risk.

But while the last 30 years of the "information technology era" have been somewhat of a technological whirlwind accompanied by things like job displacement and unforeseen side effects of communication technologies, like social media, evidence suggests that the next 30 years of technological development need not be as painful.

Many jobs will likely become automated, but that doesn't necessarily mean workers will be displaced, according to Arthur Wheaton, a labor and industry relations expert at the Worker Institute at Cornell University.

"It can be an increase (in jobs). You can have one person that has to do the computer for (machines), another person to do the replacements or repairs," Wheaton said. "What you thought would replace humans just changes the nature of the jobs around the equipment."

One example is the introduction of the personal computer to the large majority of workplaces starting in the 1980s.

While that automated some tasks for workers, it did not lead to mass job losses but rather a need for workers to learn new skills, said Rob Maxim, a senior research analyst with Brookings and one of the report's authors.

"Similar to the period from 1985 to 2005, say from 2015 to 2035, many of the folks in these middle and low risk jobs will need to learn how to use these new technologies as they come out," Maxim said. "It's going to be a similar experience that even if you don't lose your job, you're going to have to learn to do new things on the job."

Changes to K-12 education have already begun in recent years to prepare young people for a more technologically based, automated world.

That's been seen in things like the issuing of personal computers to elementary school students, and the introduction of computer science and programming classes into school curricula.

"Every facet of learning is going to be digitized in some way," Maxim said, adding that classes like statistics could become increasingly valuable by providing "baseline skills" more relevant for work than traditional geometry or calculus math courses.

But just 40 percent of U.S. K-12 schools teach computer programming classes, according to Brookings.

In New York state, only 34 percent of schools offer any kind of computer science class, and there were just 3,800 computer science graduates in the state in 2015  not enough to meet the demand of over 20,000 job openings in the computer science field at any given time, according to Sharon Gower Small, director of the Siena College Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

"It is vitally important that our existing K-12 schools create and incorporate a technology curriculum in order to have a properly trained up and coming workforce," Gower Small said.

Local programs like Albany Can Code can help employers looking for software and IT professionals, as well as Capital Region residents who are seeking training to work in the field, but lack options to learn the necessary skills.

"The idea is giving people alternatives for education, the idea of trying to find ways in which individuals can find rewarding careers based on what's available, and eliminating barriers to getting into the market," Kennedy said.

The Brookings report suggests several public policy measures to ease the transition into a more automated world.

Aside from educational incentives, the report also recommends a Universal Adjustment Benefit, which could strengthen income support for workers displaced or working to learn a new, applicable skill.

Overall U.S. labor market spending to support workers with job search assistance, retraining or skills acquisition, is low. Of 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. spends less on labor market programs as a percentage of GDP than every country except for Mexico.

"It's not a question of do we have the money to do it," Maxim said of creating national or statewide programs to help retrain workers who may get pushed out by automation. "Is there the imperative, the urgency to get it done?"

Dan Cullen, the regional director for the Workforce Development Institute, said efforts to expand apprenticeships can help displaced workers "earn while they learn" and ease the potential transition from a job like truck driving to coding or computer programming.

"It keeps coming back to: 'how do we make sure there's opportunities?'" Cullen said, describing apprenticeships as the "gold standard" for people to learn a skill without having to sacrifice pay.

"That's the way somebody can come up very quickly and not have the barriers of childcare or transportation get in the way," he said.

Other proposals included a nationalized effort to make the U.S. the world's leading developer in artificial intelligence, as well as region-specific programs to aid places particularly susceptible to workforce automation  like Indiana, or other Midwestern states.

But Maxim said the concept of a robot-run economy that will wipe out the majority of human laborers is much closer to fiction than fact.

"Most places we see, as they automate, it doesn't result in any reduction in staff," Cullen, the workforce development strategist, said.

There are still risks associated with increasing automation, he said, but with policy intervention and changes to the current educational system, "we can bridge the gap and provide a fair way (for workers) to transition into new roles."SCHENECTADY  The city faces a $1.75 million lawsuit alleging breach of contract from a contractor making upgrades to the city's sanitary sewer system as part of a state mandate to stop the discharge of untreated sewage into the Mohawk River.

The suit, filed in December in state Supreme Court in Schenectady County, states that BCI Construction of Albany "encountered differing subsurface and physical conditions" after signing a contract with the city to do major construction work at the waste water treatment plant in early 2017.

The "changed conditions," as the legal document describes them, refers to previously unknown and unanticipated situations and circumstances that surface or are revealed after an agreement is signed or a contract is awarded.

The civil action contends the changed conditions include but are not limited to "unusual and excessive hydrostatic pressure and unusual water chemistry" and water tables issues.

As a result, BCI was forced to perform extra work for labor, equipment, material overhead and profit totaling $1.75 million, the suit claims.

BCI's attorney, Edward Kowalewski Jr., was out of the office Friday and did not immediately return a message left with his secretary seeking comment.

Schenectady City Attorney Carl Falotico said Friday the city is working with the law firm, Carter Conboy, and has filed a response and counterclaim to the suit.

"We completely deny the allegations," he added.

On Friday, Mayor Gary McCarthy said BCI was still on the job.

Citing the pending litigation, he declined to comment on the BCI suit, but said in general terms that "sometimes contractors view that their work is worth more than what the city believes it's worth."

The project stems from the state Department of Environmental Conservation consent order years ago to make sure all sewage goes to the treatment plant instead of a tributary of the Mohawk, which occasionally happens when during heavy rains.

Ideally, the sanitary should end up at the wastewater treatment plant and the storm should go into the waterway.Meanwhile, the mileage issue is very much alive for Ethan Book, an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the 128th House District seat in Bridgeport. Book, who lost to incumbent Rep. Christopher Rosario, D-Bridgeport, obtained state payment records via a Freedom of Information Act request on Rosario and five other Democrats representing nearby districts. He sent them an email in recent days that said: It has been commented to me that several of you are carpooling and that you avail yourselves to a loophole in state statutes which permits you to be reimbursed, not just for miles driven, but rather also for miles transported to and from official activities. Who of you does this? Book, who said he hadnt received any replies as of Friday, also cited a Facebook post from November showing McCarthy Vahey driving a car with three other local representatives in it. The carpool crew is back! Heading to the Capitol, the caption said.Dorothy Eleanor Mercer passed away on June 9, 2021 at Archbold Memorial Hospital. She was born on December 18, 1932, in Pavo to the late Early Byrd Wood and to the late Nellie Deen Wood. She was married to Eugene Mercer who precedes her in death. Survivors include her children, Leon David McWhat is remarkable is that even when the possibility exists that Trump put his own private interests (either financial or personal) over the defense of the United States when it comes to foreign powers (Russia or Saudi Arabia, to name two), they cannot envision abandoning him. They would rather have someone who very possibly betrayed his country than - oh, the horror! - a Democrat. They aren't even willing to pursue the idea of a sane, ethical and fit Republican challenger.Cresaptown, MD (21502)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Low 63F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: AFP (Shanghai) Limited, AFP Inc. (Branch), AFPTOH LTD, Aconcagua Distribuciones SRL, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc., Auto-C LLC, Automated Packaging Systems, B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., CPI Packaging Inc., CPI Packaging Systems Inc., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cactus Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Ciras C.V., Ciras C.V. - Luxembourg Branch, Ciras C.V.  Luxembourg Branch, Cleanwise Inc., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Chile Holdings LLC, Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac Inc., Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal - Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda, Cryovac Sweden AB, Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Deltaplam Embalagens Industria e Comercio Ltda, Diversey, Diversey Australia Pty. Ltd., Diversey Austria Trading GmbH, Diversey B.V., Diversey Belgium BVBA, Diversey Brasil Industria Quimica Ltda., Diversey Canada Inc., Diversey Centroamerica S.A., Diversey Danmark ApS, Diversey Hungary Acting Off-shore Capital Management Limited Liability Company, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Diversey Ceska republika s.r.o. clen koncernu Diversey, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packing Co. Ltd. (Chongqing Branch), Fagerdala (Chongqing) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shenzhen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packing Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Leamchabung Ltd., Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Chihuahua Branch), Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Shanghai Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd (Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited (Taiwan Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala Thailand Ltd., GEIE VES, Getpacking.com GmbH, Indonesian Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JCS Sealed Air Kaustik, JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Packaging C.V., ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal - Producao de Embalagens Ltda., Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (China) Ltd., Sealed Air (India) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Sealed Air (Thailand) Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R. L. de C. V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty Ltd., Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile S.P.A., Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Embalagens Ltda., Sealed Air Europe Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Europe Holdings LP, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance II LLC (Sucursal Mexico), Sealed Air Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. Luxembourg (L) Root Finance Branch, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. US Finance Branch, Sealed Air Funding Corporation, Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air Global Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I LLC, Sealed Air GmbH, Sealed Air Hellas S.A., Sealed Air Holding France S.A.S., Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air HoldingS I LLC, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Holdings LLC, Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong (Jakarta Indonesia Branch), Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air International Holdings LLC, Sealed Air International Holdings LLC , Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air Korea Limited, Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited, Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Nevada Holdings Limited, Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.A.S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Venezuela Corporation, Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, Soinpar Industrial Ltda., TART s.r.o., TART s.r.o. Joint Venture, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, TempTrip LLC, Trigon Industries, and Vietnamese Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited.Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!

AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally. Its Pharmaceutical Distribution segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, outsourced compounded sterile preparations, and related services to various healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and other alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. It also provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; and packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers. In addition, this segment distributes plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products; provides other services primarily to physicians who specialize in various disease states, primarily oncology, as well as to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics; and offers data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company's Other segment provides integrated manufacturer services, such as clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support; offers specialty transportation and logistics services for the biopharmaceutical industry; and sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets, as well as provides demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. AmerisourceBergen Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania.

Read MoreThe concern is a class of chemicals known as per and polyfluoralkyl substances, or PFAS. There are more than 3,000 of them, and they are used in a variety of applications to make products anti-stick, anti-stain, water resistant, and to put out jet fuel fires. Products include certain firefighting foam, Teflon cookware, water resistant outdoor clothing, textiles treated to resist stains, food packaging and food service ware that resist grease, including certain take out containers, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags and even certain brands of dental floss.A supplier to Jack Wills took the fashion chain to court last week over an unpaid bill.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that building materials firm Jewson brought in lawyers from JE Baring to serve its customer with a winding up order last Wednesday. Sources said the unpaid bill was settled on Friday.

Jack Wills, a brand which was popular with middle-class teenagers and university students, was forced to ask investors for new funds last year.

Going out of fashion: Jack Wills is a brand which was popular with middle-class teenagers and university students

Meanwhile, the firm's accounts are four months overdue at Companies House. A source said the company had agreed to a formal extension and the annual report for the year to January 31, 2018 is likely to be filed within weeks.

In its last filed accounts, for the year to January 2017, it reported losses of 955,000.

The popularity of Jack Wills has been waning as many of its former customers have been rejecting its bright, heavily branded clothing and instead opting for plainer outfits sold elsewhere.

The business is led by former Debenhams trading director Suzanne Harlow, who was brought in by private equity backers BlueGem last summer after Jack Wills founder Peter Williams was ousted amid concerns about the company's financial performance.

The company was founded by Williams in Salcombe, Devon, in 1999. He first stood down from Jack Wills in 2013. In 2016, after rejoining, he teamed up with BlueGem to buy the firm from private equity firm Inflexion.British Airways has scored two major legal victories in the space of just a few weeks.

After a 20-year cartel case, an accuser was told it could only claim for a limited period.

And US outsourcing giant CBRE agreed a payout for the IT meltdown that left tens of thousands of BA passengers stranded at Heathrow in May 2017, costing BA 56 million.

Flying high: British Airways has scored two major legal victories in the space of just a few weeks

The Mail on Sunday revealed last year that the High Court claim had been launched.

In the cartel case, South American flower producers supplying UK supermarkets sued BA for fixing prices for air cargo.

The cartel ran from 1999 to 2006 and was revealed by a whistleblower, with 11 airlines fined 799 million (700 million) in 2010 by the European Union.

BA was told to pay 90 million. It followed a 174 million settlement with US authorities. Class actions valued at 3.6 billion followed, though it is not known how much has been paid out.

BA settled claims with four of five firms late last year, after a judge accused both sides of wasting court time.

Then, last week, a High Court judge told Colombian exporter La Gaitana Farms that any claim could only be considered for the period from 2004 to 2006.

The trial took a bizarre turn three years ago when presiding judge Mr Justice Peter Smith used the case to complain 33 times to BAs lawyers about bags the airline had lost on a personal trip.The Financial Conduct Authority has been plunged into the centre of the scandal of Royal Bank of Scotland's treatment of small firms.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that an employee of the City watchdog set up the Government agency that oversaw parts of RBS's controversial Global Restructuring Group, after the bank was bailed out in 2008 using taxpayers' money.

The agency's primary focus was to safeguard the Government's assets at a time when the group's bankers stand accused of mistreating thousands of customers, many of whom saw their livelihoods ruined.

Hands on: An employee of the City watchdog set up the Government agency that oversaw parts of RBS's controversial Global Restructuring Group

One of the group's alleged victims  property developer Oliver Morley  presented evidence to the High Court last week suggesting that an arm of the Treasury, the Asset Protection Agency, had 'day-to-day' involvement and 'strategic' control over the group and the way it treated some customers.

The Mail on Sunday can now reveal that the agency was set up by Jeremy Bennett, a senior adviser at the Financial Services Authority, the predecessor to the FCA, who was seconded to the Treasury.

The agency was created to insure RBS's riskiest loans after the bank was bailed out by the Government during the financial crisis.

Bennett was interim chief executive of the agency for a short spell in 2009 and the agency's 2009-10 business plan described how he had 'played a major role in designing' its so-called asset protection scheme ahead of launch.

Other documents outline how the agency expected RBS to treat its customers in a manner 'consistent with good industry practice'.

But this requirement was 'subordinate' to the agency's 'primary overarching requirement'  its so-called asset management objective. This was to minimise losses for the bank on loans, while maximising asset values and the amount that could be recovered from them.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Bennett, but the revelation will lead to awkward questions for the FCA, which is due to publish a full report on the scandal shortly.

Campaigners and politicians say the revelation about Bennett compromises the FCA's position leading the investigation.

Former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable said he no longer had 'any confidence in the FCA'.

Kevin Hollinrake, co-chairman of the all party parliamentary group on Fair Business Banking, also raised concerns.

He said: 'The public must have confidence in the regulator, which must be seen to be willing and able to establish who did what and hold those responsible to account.'

An FCA spokesman said: 'Jeremy Bennett never worked for the FCA. He left the FSA in 2009.'It seems a theme has developed across AIM in recent months involving firms of all stripes uncovering issues with their accounts.

The latest company to join the list was employment agency Staffline, which was suspended from the junior market on Wednesday amid concerns over invoicing and payroll practices.

Eyebrows were first raised that morning when the group delayed the publication of its results but did not cite a reason at the time.

Controversy: Staffline was suspended from AIM on Wednesday (file image)

This was followed by a suspension notice at 3.50pm, although this didnt stop the companys shares plunging 34 per cent, or 350p, to 670p in the intervening period.

After the close, Staffline said that if its worst fears are confirmed it could result in 'a material impact' to its profitability but could not assess the scale at this time.

While the announcement wasnt quite on the league of Patisserie Holdings, which warned last October of 'potentially fraudulent accounting irregularities', it wont do much good for AIMs reputation as yet another constituent finds itself with a question mark over its figures.

At the other end of the scale, energy supplier Yu Group shot up 67 per cent, or 45p, to 112.5p this week for bringing some clarity to its finances.

In a trading update, the firm confirmed its adjusted pre-tax loss was still expected to be between 7.35million and 7.85million, having previously gone through an accounting review after miscalculating its revenue.

In the oil and gas sector takeover talk was rife as Ophir Energy agreed to be bought out by Indonesian rival Medco Energi, sending shares up 15 per cent, or 7p, to 54p.

All change: In the oil and gas sector takeover talk was rife as Ophir Energy agreed to be bought out by Indonesian rival Medco Energi

Medco agreed to buy Ophir in a 55p per share deal, totalling around 390million, after a previous bid of 362million was rejected earlier in January.

For the marketing companies, it was all mergers with Taptica and RhythmOne confirming discussions around a possible tie-up.

The news boosted Tapticas shares by 20 per cent, or 33.5p, to 201p although RhythmOnes shareholders were less pleased as its price dropped 9.5 per cent, or 18p, to 168p.

Over the week the AIM All-Share was up 1.2 per cent at 923 points, while the FTSE 100 was ran up 2.9 per cent to 7,009.

Meanwhile, maritime surveillance systems seller SRT Marine Systems was torpedoed by investors after it announced a share placing at 30p each on Thursday, an 18.5 per cent discount to its Wednesday close price. The shares sank 12 per cent, or 4.5p, to 32p in response.

Compliance services provider The SimplyBiz Group jumped 7 per cent, or 11.5p, to 173p over the week after it clinched a deal with housebuilder Taylor Wimpey for its Zest employee benefits platform.

Food technology group BigDish was serving up a tasty morsel as it launched its restaurant booking app in Bristol on Wednesday, causing shares to rise 9 per cent, or 0.15p, to 1.8p.

It was more of a sour taste for Nu-Oil and Gas at its AGM on Monday after opposition from shareholders over its directors remuneration report saw 40million of the 173million votes cast against the resolution, with shares dropping 10 per cent, or 0.08p, to 0.72p over the week.

Elsewhere, engineering firm Redhall saw its shares turn the same colour as they plunged 30 per cent, or 1.1p, to 2.6p after announcing a wider pre-tax loss for 2018 of 4.41million compared to 1.1million in 2017.

Brain health specialist Cambridge Cognition gave investors good vibes with shares surging 16 per cent, or 12.5p, to 91.5p after unveiling its first partnership in India with a major pharmaceutical company that carried an upfront payment of over 200,000.

Electronics firm Solid State also charged up 16 per cent, or 59p, to 424p after it said its full year results would 'comfortably exceed' market expectations.It has been a good start to the New Year for investors with many funds recovering from torrid performance in 2018 to deliver handsome returns in January.

Top of the class were BNY Mellon US Opportunities, Axa Framlington Biotech and Charteris Property which each delivered a return of 13 per cent in January alone, that would have turned 1,000 invested into 1,130.

Last year, these funds delivered a 11 per cent, 17 per cent and 22 per cent loss to investors, respectively.

Good start to the year: The top three best performing funds in January generated doubled-digit losses to investors last year

Further down the list in fourth was M&G Global Emerging Markets, which was up 12 per cent in January. The remaining funds on the top 10 best performers list returned 11 per cent.

The end of 2018 was a particularly challenging period for investors, due to a number of geopolitical factors including the US and China trade war weighing on global sentiment and Brexit.

Gains made in the UK and Europe stock markets up until then were nullified by a turn in performance by the end of December, with the FTSE All-Share Index and the E300 Index (of Europes 300 largest stocks) finishing down 9 per cent for the year.

The US was on course for another good year three months ago, but after a 20 per cent correction between October and December, the S&P 500 ended up just 1 per cent for the full year.

Since then, the average fund in all of the Investment Association's fund sector, bar the IA Global Bond, made gains in January.

In total only 77 funds out of 2,699 were in negative territory.

The best and worst performing funds in the IA sector in January Funds - January 2019 (top ten) Return (%) Funds January 2019 (bottom ten) Return (%) BNY Mellon US Opportunities 12.97 Neptune India -8.19 Axa Framlington Biotech 12.87 City Financial Absolute Equity -8.1 Charteris Property 12.62 Jupiter India -7.91 M&G Global Emerging Markets 11.66 First State Indian Subcontinent -5.81 Standard Life UK Equity Impact Employment Opps 11.24 Sanditon European Select -5.46 Neptune Latin America 11.05 Stewart Investors Indian Subcontinent Sustainability -4.98 Investec Global Special Situations 11.02 Threadneedle Aquila Life Overseas -3.05 Quilter Equity 1 10.98 Argonaut Absolute Return -2.63 LF Holly 10.97 Aviva European Property -2.6 Aberdeen Property Share 10.8 Ishares Overseas Government Bond Index -2.12

Ben Yearsley of Shore Financial planning said: 'A strong start to the year for investors is a good sign, maybe confidence will return after outflows in 2018.

'Despite the rises many stockmarkets look decent value. Last year saw a de-rating of many markets  quite a rare event. Historically when this has happened the following year has been good for investors.'

Worst performers

Not every fund has been able to bounce back from derisory performance last year, and has plunged further into the red in January.

The worst offenders are Neptune India, City Financial Absolute Equity and Jupiter India, which were down 8 per cent, wiping 80 off a 1,000 investment.

These funds fell by 13 per cent, 18 per cent and 20 per cent last year respectively.

The worst performing funds list is dominated by those investing in Indian stocks which have endured a troubled period.

The MSCI India, an oft used barometer for the performance of shares in the Asian country, recorded a 5 per cent loss over a year.

Absolute return funds, which aims to generate positive performance in all market conditions, and European funds made up the bottom worst performers. A bond fund is also in there.Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

D.C. writes: In August, my wife received a cheque for C$75,000 (44,204) from a law firm in Canada. This was an inheritance and she banked the cheque at our local NatWest branch in Shrewsbury. We were told the cash would be in the account in four to six weeks, which was no problem.

After a couple of months had passed, I enquired what was happening. I made numerous phone calls and was passed between departments.

Eventually I was told to expect an answer in five weeks. The law firm in Canada says the money left its account on August 29.

I cannot believe that a banking transaction can take so long. But even more frustrating is that no one at NatWest could tell me where the money had gone before it appeared in my account in late November.

Delay: The Canadian payment took three months to complete

I know that cheques are going out of fashion and I understand that international cheques do take longer to cash.

But what I find staggering is that when you asked what had happened to your wife's inheritance, NatWest replied: 'The collections process is typically a protracted and costly one that takes up to 12 weeks or more to obtain payment, at which point our customer's account is credited.'

In an age of electronics, it is as if the banks are relying on carrier pigeons that have gone on strike.

I first contacted NatWest on your behalf on November 23 and five days later the money was in your account.

I do not take credit for this  I am sure the timing was a coincidence. But there were still two disturbing issues.

In one of your conversations with the bank, it was finally admitted that the Canadian cheque had been lost. But more seriously, C$1,527 (about 900) had evaporated into thin air.

NatWest wrote off its 63 commission and offered you a further 60 because of the long delays, but that did not explain the disappearance of 900.

I pressed NatWest to explain and officials have told me that instead of sending funds straight to it, the Canadian bank  Innovation Credit Union  first converted the C$75,000 to sterling and then sent it to a different British bank.

That bank converted it back into Canadian dollars and sent it on to NatWest.

And NatWest converted it to sterling yet again. Every time the currency was converted, there was a difference between the foreign exchange buying rate and the selling rate.

Naturally, there were bank charges on top. NatWest agrees this should not have happened, but it says it was unable to get answers from the bank in Canada.

After a lot of discussion over several weeks, the result is that NatWest is adding C$1,500 to your account  880 in sterling. I have checked with you and you have confirmed that the money really is there.

NatWest has not commented on the suggestion that the C$75,000 cheque was lost, but one member of the bank's staff has told you verbally that it was sent back to the law firm in Canada by mistake, rather than to the Canadian bank to be cashed.

Why that might have happened is going to remain a loose end in what has been a frustrating experience.

12-hour delay ...but easyJet says we were not on flight

J.S. writes: My partner and I booked a Monday-to-Friday break, flying by easyJet from Manchester to Berlin.

When we arrived at Manchester Airport I received a text from easyJet saying the flight was delayed. We eventually took off 12 hours late, arriving at our hotel at 10.30pm, having lost a day of our holiday.

On our return, I submitted a claim for the delay. But unbelievably, easyJet has twice insisted that we were never on the flight so are not entitled to be compensated for its delay.

Set in stone: It is a cardinal rule in the industry that airlines must know exactly who their passengers are

It is a cardinal rule in the industry that airlines must know exactly who their passengers are, just in case anything goes wrong.

Yet despite the tickets and other paperwork you had, easyJet twice told you: 'After checking the details of your reservation, we notice that you have not travelled on flight EZY1897 and as such compensation is not payable.'

I do wonder how closely easyJet examined your claim. There was no denying that you turned up for the return flight, so did easyJet think you had found some other way of getting from Manchester to Berlin?

I asked easyJet to investigate and the airline now accepts that you and your partner were indeed on flight EZY1897. You were both on the passenger manifest, but I was told there had been 'a mistaken entry into the booking system'.

By the time you read this 442 will have landed in your bank account as compensation and easyJet is also sending you a 10 voucher you can use against a future flight.

I have built up a 2,000 energy bill...how can I pay it?

Ms R.P. writes: Please help. I have been with Scottish Hydro Electric for four years and I have always paid by monthly direct debit.

Recently I decided to change supplier, but I then received a bill from Scottish Hydro for 2,000. I feel physically sick with worry as I cannot possibly owe this.

I live in a two-bedroom flat and work full time, so I only use electricity at night and at weekends. I contacted Scottish Hydro and it said there had been a computer error. As a result it had not been collecting enough for the past six months.

On the march: SSE says you have not been home when a meter reader has called and over those three years you built up a debt of 2,107

Like most utility customers these days, you have been paying a fixed monthly amount.

But this does not mean that what you pay is exactly what you owe. The real bill still depends on your meter reading and neither you nor SSE Group, which runs Scottish Hydro, had read your meter for about three years until you decided to make the switch.

SSE says you have not been home when a meter reader has called and over those three years you built up a debt of 2,107.

The company is only allowed to go back one year though, so it has now cut your bill to 968. It told me: 'We understand that receiving a catch-up bill like this can come as a shock. As such, we have written off a significant portion of the debt and put in place a payment plan to help Ms P pay off the balance.'

I asked SSE about the computer error as well. The company accepts that due to a system error, it only collected 1 a month from your bank for six months, increasing the amount you owe. SSE is knocking 200 off your bill as a goodwill gesture to make up for this.The global economy is in a state of flux.

The slow-burning trade war between the United States and China is in danger of escalating while there are also warning signs in China's domestic economy. The fortunes of two of the world's biggest smartphone makers over recent days have shifted the picture, and not for the better.

Firstly, Huawei. News that the FBI has alleged the Chinese telecom giant intentionally and systematically sought to steal valuable intellectual property from an American company could poison the well of Sino-American relations at a critical time.

A Chinese military guard stands watch in Tiananmen Square

While the top two economies in the world have been doing a pretty good job of keeping a lid on tensions and kicking the can down the road to keep trade going, there has to now be fresh concern this process could hit the rocks.

A full breakdown in trade with the US would be highly damaging to China specifically but also create a significant drag on the rest of the world economy, including here in the UK.

The international pinching of intellectual property is far from a recent phenomenon. The Chinese may well have pilfered the idea itself from the target of much of the alleged theft, the United States.

Long before becoming the worlds leader in innovation, the United States had a deliberate policy of acquiring British technology developed during the industrial revolution by any means necessary as it set out on its own path to becoming an economic superpower.

America also methodically snapped-up scientists, engineers and technological advancements from Germany after it collapsed to defeat in the war.

So while it doesnt make it right, it is logical for China to go down this path, and much of its economic success of the last 20 years stems from copying the West.

There is a big difference between current times though and the industrialisation and post-war eras in that America can do much more about it than Britain or Germany were able to back then.

A woman looks at an iPhone at an Apple store in Beijing

Now there are clearly defined laws on the matter in place. Stealing intellectual property through hacking is now internationally recognised as a criminal act. Computers, let alone hacking, didnt even exist when the US was gathering up British know-how.

If that wasnt enough, Huawei and by implication China is also facing claims it has flouted international sanctions placed on Iran, undermining a key element of US foreign policy. Neither of these things will play well for China in trade talks.

While the various disputes with the US are understandably taking the headlines, it is only one part of the story when it comes to Chinas economy, and this is where the second smartphone maker comes in.

What is going on domestically is arguably more important in the big picture, and there are some new red flags here too courtesy of Apple.

With there being notorious scepticism over the official figures put out by China's state apparatus, those of us trying to ascertain what the true picture is need all the independent yardsticks we can get.

Banks and investment firms put a lot of time and energy into working out exactly what is going on in China and it's not easy. Aside from the governments headline GDP figures, measures such as electricity consumption and rail cargo levels are used.

Given the all-powerful state apparatus in China, none of these figures can be fully guaranteed to be free from political influence.

This being so, Apples results this week are valuable to China watchers. We can be sure that Apple reports sales figures accurately. It would be illegal under US law for it not to.

The news is not great on this front. Apple revealed a significant drop-off in Chinese sales, confirming fears of a consumer slowdown.

The caveat to this is that iPhone sales have been softening everywhere due to market saturation and new versions increasing seemingly similar to the last, so determining exactly how much of the drop is specific to China itself isn't simple.

While this smartphone proxy measure for Chinas economic health is far from an exact science, it is still a useful addition to the toolkit for anybody trying to gauge what is happening in the worlds second economy.British bank TSB has pledged 200,000 to help the Metropolitan Police fight fraud, but one of its customers is asking why he has been left thousands of pounds out of pocket as the victim of such a crime.

Adam Button is fighting for a full refund after falling foul of a scam that resulted in 6,700 being sucked from his account, leaving him 2,500 overdrawn.

So far, the bank has only agreed to clear the overdraft, leaving him 4,200 out of pocket.

The 24-year-old from Bristol had previously experienced fraud on his account, but suspicious transactions were either spotted by TSB or refunds made.

Fleeced: Adam Button is fighting for a full refund after falling foul of a scam that resulted in 6,700 being sucked from his account

In November, he received two calls from the bank to discuss the frauds and to confirm he would be issued with a new debit card.

Yet a third call days later warned him his account had been targeted again. Adam says the number showing on his phone was the same as appears on the back of his debit card.

Like previous calls, he was asked to confirm his identity by giving key personal facts such as his name and address.

The caller then identified the fraudulent payments that had previously been blocked on his account, as well as detailing transactions he had made over the previous fortnight.

They also named his local branch and enquired whether he had received his new debit card. Everything said indicated that Adam was dealing with someone from the bank.

He was then told he would receive a 'one-time passcode' via his mobile that would safeguard his account.

Adam gave details of this code to the caller  but no log-in account information. But the code was sufficient to enable the fraudster to empty his account plus use up a 2,500 overdraft.

When he contacted the bank, it said it would not refund him because he shared his passcode with the thieves.

He was also informed that the call from the number given on the back of his debit card was a result of a trick known as 'number spoofing'.

This is where scammers use software, bought easily online, to imitate known and trusted numbers.

Adam was unaware of such a scam. He says: 'If TSB had warned me in earlier calls to be wary of number spoofing, I would never have presumed the last call was genuine and I would have been more circumspect about giving out sensitive details over the telephone.'

Adam also queries why earlier  and smaller  frauds were considered suspicious and thwarted, but not the emptying of his bank account and use of an overdraft facility.

He believes TSB has not fulfilled its duty of care to him as a customer. Adam's mum Tracey was in the room with him when he took the call from the fraudsters.

She says her suspicions were not raised because her son's responses seemed routine. She says the fraudsters 'worked hard to groom him and won over his trust'.

She adds: 'The loss of this money could have a life-changing effect on my son's future as he struggles to support himself on a part-time wage.'

TSB says: 'We sympathise with our customer who has been a victim of such a cruel scam. Unfortunately, despite warnings generated by our systems, the customer gave confidential details to the fraudster who was then able to transfer funds into their own account.

'We fight fraud at every level, working closely with law enforcement to identify and prosecute the criminals behind these scams.'

After reviewing Adam's case at The Mail on Sunday's request, TSB agreed to clear the 2,500 overdraft.

Adam has now referred his complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which settles disputes between financial companies and their customers.

TSB's donation to the Metropolitan Police, to help it tackle 'highly complex and sophisticated attacks' from fraudsters, comes in the wake of a tough time for the bank.

A botched change in its IT systems last spring prevented millions of customers from accessing their accounts  and triggered an upsurge in bank fraud.Hellandbrand admitted to Bloomfield police that on Christmas Eve 2017 he set fire to his grandmothers condo on Woodland Avenue. He used a lighter to set fires in his grandmothers bedroom and in the basement. In the Dec. 21, 2017 fire, Hellandbrand admitted piling some clothing near the furnace and lighting them on fire.EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence scored the 100th goal of her career in a 16-1 win against Lincoln. St. Lawrence finished her career with 104 goals, eight short of the school record. The team did not play last season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney scored in three events at the State Open meet. Mooney was second in the 110 hurdles, fourth in the javelin and fifth in the 300 hurdles. He scored all 17 of Stoningtons points.

ALEX STOEHR, Westerly softball, freshman: Stoehr hit three triples and a double in a doubleheader sweep of Barrington. For the week, she was 7 for 13 with four doubles, two triples and three RBIs. Stoehr is hitting .333 for the season.

Vote

View ResultsNew Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly after he tried to intervene in a fight between a shop owner and three men in Rohini area, police said.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

The victim was identified as Rajat Chaudhary. He ran a mobile repairing shop, they added.

Investigations revealed that the accused were drinking in their car. They had asked the owner to open his shop, which he refused to do.

The accused thrashed him and snatched his mobile phone. They also took his scooter's keys, he said.

A passerby, Rajat, intervened and asked them to back off following which a quarrel erupted between him and one of the accused.

During the quarrel, Rajat was stabbed with a knife. He was rushed to a nearby hospital by his friends but was declared brought dead, police said.

The accused were traced and arrested the same evening. One of the accused is a son of a police officer posted in Northwest district, police said. PTI AMP DPBJammu, Feb 2 (PTI) A group of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) displaced persons Saturday staged a protest here, demanding their proper rehabilitation.

The protesters assembled under the banner of SOS international at Bakshi Nagar, and staged the protest on the eve of Prime Minister's Narendra Modi visit to the state.

In November 2015, the Centre had announced a package of Rs 2,000 crore as "one-time settlement" for 36,454 PoK displaced families living in the state.

"We are holding this protest on the eve of the prime minister's visit to invite his attention towards the community, which is facing stepmotherly treatment over the past seven decades," SOS International chairman Rajiv Chuni, who was leading the protest, told reporters.

He said the protesters had chained themselves to convey a message that even after 70 years of Independence, the community was still kept as "slaves by not addressing their genuine grievances and demands". PTI TAS KJ

KJAmaravati, Feb 2 (PTI) A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at a BJP legislator in the assembly, the saffron party on Saturday called him an "assembly rowdy" and alleged that he was in "deep frustration".

"A frustrated, defeatist Chandrababu Naidu has threatened BJP MLAs Vishnu Kumar Raju & Manikyala Rao in Andhra assembly y'day that @BJP4Andhra leaders will not be allowed to move in the state for exposing TDP," party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is planning a privilege motion against Naidu, Rao added.

"Chandrababu Naidu's behaviour in the assembly reveals that his madness has reached peaks. He is in such deep frustration that he behaved like a 'assembly rowdy'," Rao alleged.

Naidu had strongly criticised BJP's floor leader, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, in the assembly on Friday when the latter tried to defend the Centre after the chief minister accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating against south India in allotment of cabinet berths.

"You have no right to be an elected (people's) representative. Are you doing tamasha? What do you think of yourself? What can you people do? Put me in jail? Don't we have anguish?" Naidu had asked Raju.

When Raju sought to protest, Naidu had asked the BJP MLA to "go to Delhi and raise your objection". "Who wants your objection. We will not leave you till justice is done (to the state)," the Telugu Desam Party chief had said.

Naidu, who snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance last year, has been highly critical of the BJP-led government over various issues, particularly for not accepting the demand of special category status to the state. PTI DBV VS

HMB\R New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The apex consumer forum has directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to allow the widow of a defence personnel access to her monthly family pension which was withheld.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) bench said freezing the woman's bank account and denying her access to pension amounted to deficiency in service.

A bench of presiding member Anup K Thakur and member C Vishwanath directed SBI's branch in West Bengal's Nadia to release the withheld pension to the woman, Manika Sarkar.

"The respondent (Sarkar) was a customer of the petitioner (SBI) as she was having a joint account in the petitioner's bank, where her pension was regularly deposited. The petitioner was a service provider. The petitioner bank froze her account and wrongly denied her access to her pension, which amounted to deficiency in service," the bench said.

Sarkar had been receiving pension in her savings bank account, jointly held with her son, Suman Kalyan Sarkar, after her husband's death.

According to the woman's complaint, Suman, an employee of SBI, was charged with misappropriation of money after which the bank authorities froze Sarkar's account depriving her of the pension, which was her sole source of sustenance.

A district forum in its April 24, 2018 order had said that pension was meant for survival of the pension holder, which cannot be attached or withheld by anyone, and directed the authorities to allow Sarkar to withdraw her pension amount.

The NCDRC, while dismissing the revision petition filed by the bank, said it was wrong on the part of the bank to withhold Sarkar's pension thereby making her suffer for her son's mistake.

"It is clear from the evidence available on record as well from the orders of the lower fora, that no fault was committed by Sarkar. She cannot be made to suffer, only due to the reason that she was having a joint account with her son, who had allegedly committed an offence. The petitioner bank had no reason to withhold the pension," the bench said. PTI LLP SKV GVSNew Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Following are the highlights at 1730 hours:



TOP NEWS:



DEL13 CBI-DIRECTOR-APPOINTMENT

Rishi Kumar Shukla appointed CBI director

New Delhi: Former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla was on Saturday appointed CBI director for a fixed tenure of two years, according to an order issued by the personnel ministry.



CAL19 WB-MODI-CITIZENSHIP BILL

Modi pitches for citizenship bill, claims ground slipping from under Mamata's feet

Thakurnagar (WB): As a raucous debate rages on over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for the contentious piece of legislation on Saturday, insisting it would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.





DEL7 MEA-INDIAN STUDENTS LD US

India issues 'demarche' to American Embassy on detention of Indian students in US

New Delhi: India Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy here, expressing its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.





CAL20 WB-MODI-LD TMC

Modi accuses TMC of extortion, says it's killing aspirations of middle class

Durgapur: In a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused it of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state and said the ruling party in West Bengal is known for "triple T -- Trinamool Tolabaji Tax".





CAL24 WB-MAMATA-CITIZENSHIP BILL

Will oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Centre will have to withdraw it: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.





DEL3 DEF-RIFLE

Defence Ministry approves procurement of 73,000 assault rifles from US

New Delhi: In major move towards infantry modernisation, the Defence Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Army to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast track mode, official sources said on Saturday.



DEL9 UKD-LD-SHAH

Ram temple should be built at the earliest: Shah '

Dehradun: BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya at the earliest and dared the Congress to spell out its own stand on the issue.





BOM3 MH-ARREST-2NDLD TELTUMBDE

Court terms Anand Teltumbde's arrest illegal, orders release

Pune: In an embarrassment for the Pune police, a sessions court here Saturday termed Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case as "illegal", and ordered that he should be released immediately.





CAL14 POL-WB-RAJNATH

Centre will use technology to seal Bangladesh borders in Bengal, Assam: Rajnath

Falakata (WB): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Centre will use technology to seal the international borders of both West Bengal and Assam with Bangladesh, through an integrated border management system.





LGD9 DL-COURT-2NDLD VADRA

Money laundering case: Delhi court grants interim bail to Robert Vadra, directs him to join probe

New Delhi: A Delhi court Saturday granted interim bail till February 16 to Robert Vadra in a money-laundering case and asked him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate in the investigation.



FGN6 PAK-CHINA-LOAN

China to provide USD 2.5 bn loan to Pak to boost foreign cash reserves

Islamabad: China will provide USD 2.5 billion in loans to Pakistan to boost the foreign exchange reserves of its "all-weather ally", a media report said Saturday. By Sajjad Hussain



FGN8 CHINA-TIBET-CPC

China cracks down on CPC officials in Tibet having religious beliefs, secret links with Dalai Lama

Beijing: China's ruling Communist Party is cracking down on its officials who are taking part in religious activities violating party's ideology of adhering to atheism and secretly maintaining contacts with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who has been branded as "separatist" by Beijing. By K J M Varma SMN

SMNRahul Gandhi to address Cong rally in Patna Sunday

Patna, Feb 2 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi will

address a rally on Sunday, the first public meeting organized

by the party at the Gandhi Maidan in nearly three decades.

The state unit of the Congress relegated to the status

of a marginal player ever since Mandal burst on the political

scene in the 1990s - appears to have shed its ennui and

working overtime to ensure that the rally is a grand success.

AICC in-charge of Bihar, Shaktisinh Gohil said Saturday

that invitations have been sent to alliance partners like

Tejashwi Yadav, Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi for the

event.

Congress is part of Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in

Bihar which also comprises RJD, RLSP and HAM of former chief

minister Manjhi.

Manjhi has confirmed his presence at the event.

It needs to be seen whether Kushwaha, who is nourishing

wounds at PMCH following clash with the police, will be able

to make it to the programme or not.

There, is, however, no word about participation of RJD

leader Tejashwi Yadav.

BPCC sources said party leaders have held at least 400

public meetings across the state in the recent past in a bid

to galvanize support for the rally, which would serve as a

veritable sounding of bugle for the Lok Sabha polls which may

be announced next month.

Arrangements have been made at various places in the

city, including residences of many of the partys legislators,

for lodging Congress supporters, who are expected to converge

from far-off corners of the state to witness the first rally

of the party in more than two decades.

This would be the first public meeting to be addressed by

Rahul Gandhi in Bihar after he took over as the party

president a little over a year ago and this has led to

palpable enthusiasm among young cadre, who have put up

colourful posters across the city, many of these taking jibes

at the Narendra Modi government with earthy slogans.

Some others have stoked minor controversies by depicting

Gandhi as deities like Lord Siva and Lord Rama.

Inside the Gandhi Maidan, independent MLA from Mokama

Anant Singh can be seen looking after the catering

arrangements and he says I will be there along with my

supporters to ensure the success of the rally though I may not

yet be a member of the Congress.

Singh has expressed his desire to contest from Munger Lok

Sabha seat on a Congress ticket, drawing criticisms from the

ruling JD(U)-BJP combine which accuse the Grand Old Party of

providing a platform to a bahubali.

However, AICC in-charge of Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil dismisses

such criticisms, pointing out that Singh was a member of Chief

Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) and also had access to Deputy CM

and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

Our rally will create history. It is for the first time

in three decades that the Congress is holding its own rally in

Gandhi Maidan. Though our top leaders like Sonia Gandhi have,

in the recent past, spoken at rallies organized by coalitions

of which we are a part, Gohil says.

But tomorrow, we will be the hosts and alliance partners

like Tejashwi Yadav, Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi

have been sent invitations to lend strength to our fight

against the BJP, he added.

Elaborate security arrangements are in place for the

rally.

According to Superintendent of Police, Patna, Garima

Malik, nearly 3,000 police personnel, including constables,

sub-inspectors and officers of DSP rank would be deployed in

the city to maintain law and order even as a temporary outpost

has been set up in the vicinity of the venue of the rally.

In addition, Quick Response Teams and Anti-Terrorist Squad

would be deployed inside the sprawling Gandhi Maidan where

more than 100 CCTV cameras have been installed to keep a close

watch on movement of people, Malik added.

Notably, the Gandhi Maidan which has witnessed rallies by

luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajendra

Prasad in the pre-Independence era and Jayaprakash Narayan,

Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee later on - was hit by a

series of bomb explosions in 2013 when Narendra Modi, then the

Chief Minister of Gujarat and the BJPs Prime Ministerial

candidate, had addressed his maiden election meeting in Bihar.

A year later, a stampede at the huge ground with a

perimeter of nearly 2.5 kilometers during Dussehra

celebrations had claimed more than a score of lives.PTI NAC

SNS SNSBihar cabinet gives nod to 10% quota for economically weak

Patna, Feb 2 (PTI) The Bihar cabinet has approved a

draft bill on providing 10 per cent quota in government jobs

and educational institutions to the economically weaker

sections among the general category, a state government

official said Saturday.

The official, who did not wish to be named, said that

the draft bill was approved in a cabinet meeting late Friday

night which was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The bill would be tabled before the bicameral state

legislature during the budget session beginning February 11,

he added.

The Narendra Modi government has introduced the quota

for the economically backward among the general category vide

a constitutional amendment.

The quotas have so far been implemented in Gujarat and

Jharkhand both states ruled by the BJP.

A few political parties, such as RJD, DMK and AIMIM,

have, however, been opposed to the quota.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is an ally of

the BJP and has supported the quota, had said last month that

his government was seeking legal opinion on whether to extend

reservation benefits to the economically weaker sections

through an executive order or through the legislative route.

PTI NAC

JM JM\R Kolkata, Feb 2 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said Saturday her party would oppose the citizenship bill and demanded that the Centre withdraw the contentious legislation.

Banerjee called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "grandfather of corruption" and alleged that he was a "demon" gulping everything in the country, starting from judiciary, media and even democracy.

"The Centre will have to withdraw the citizenship bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," she said.

The chief minister dared Modi to put her behind the bars. "What will he (Modi) do because I am saying this? Will he get me murdered? Or will he threat me using the agencies? I am ready to be in jail but will not bow my head. I have always held my head high."

Banerjee was reacting to Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, at a rally in North 24 Parganas district.

The TMC supremo said she would not let the saffron party initiate violence and drive out the people from the country.

"Using the NRC (National Register of Citizens), they (BJP) have driven out nearly 22-lakh Bengalis from Assam. They do not want anybody else other than themselves to stay in the country, they want to drive out everybody. We will not let him (Modi) succeed in driving out anyone.

"We are all citizens of the country. We all have ration cards and have rights as the country's citizen" she said.

At the rally organised by the Matua community in \RThakurnagar, Modi said the citizenship bill would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis and Christians) faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice," Modi said.

"It was because of this that we brought the citizenship bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament," he added.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. Many of them have claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

The citizenship bill seeks to provide citizenship after six years of residence in India to non-Muslims who had fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014, even if they do not possess any document.

The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and is pending in the Rajya Sabha. The TMC had staged a walkout from the Lower House, demanding that the bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.

Banerjee hit back at Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for their blistering criticism of her government in separate rallies during the day and said the two leaders should worry about retaining their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in the state.

"They (BJP) have no leaders in West Bengal. They are bringing in outsiders (Modi, Singh) who have no idea about the culture, customs of the state and have no connect with the people," Banerjee said.

"They need not think about West Bengal, which is capable of looking after itself, it does not need anybody from outside. Ask Narendra Modi to look after New Delhi. Will Modi be able to win from Varanasi? Ask Yogi Adityanath to look after his own state (Uttar Pradesh)," she said.

Reacting sharply to Modi's comment that the TMC government was nearing its end, the chief minister said the Centre had used government agencies to "torment and torture" the country's people in the past five years.

"They (BJP-led government) have actually ruined the future of the youths and destroyed the country's economy. They have used the agencies in a fascist manner to threaten most of the opposition leaders.

"Actually it (Modi government) has reached its expiry date and he is not ready to accept that. He (Modi) has grown arrogant and does not know the courtesy to talk as the prime minister," she shot back.

Banerjee said the BJP leaders were not "fit for politics" and were "experts" in 'gau raksha' (cow protection) and lynching and initiate violence and riots.

"Leaders like Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) used to do politics and that's why we (TMC) have respect for him," she said.

Referring to the Union home minister, Banerjee said Singh, despite being a senior BJP leader, had to follow instructions as his son has been "framed and named" in an FIR. PTI SCH KK

HMBKolkata, Feb 2 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata

Banerjee Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh should worry about winning their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in West Bengal.

She said the BJP leaders were "outsiders" and not from West Bengal and have zero idea about the culture and customs of the state.

The TMC supremo's attack on Modi and Singh came shortly after the two launched a blistering attack on her while addressing separate rallies in West Bengal during the day.

"They (BJP) have no leaders in West Bengal. They are

bringing in outsiders who have no idea about the culture and

customs of the state. They are outsiders who will come before

the elections and will go back. They have no connection with

the people of West Bengal. They must mind the business of

their own states before thinking about Bengal," Banerjee said.

"Ask Narendra Modi to look after New Delhi. Will Modi

be able to win from Varanasi? (Modi must) think about his own seat? Ask Yogi Adityanath to look after his own state (Uttar Pradesh)," she said.

"They (BJP leaders from outside) must not think about

West Bengal. They must mind their own states. West Bengal is capable of looking after itself. It does not need anybody from outside," she said. PTI SCH SNS ZMN(Eds: Adds info on second meeting in Mathabhanga)

Falakata/Mathabhanga (WB), Feb 2 (PTI) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Centre will use technology to seal the international borders with Bangladesh in West Bengal and Assam through an integrated border management system.

Alleging that Bangladeshis are illegally entering West Bengal, he said the Centre had sought land from the state government to fence off the border with Bangladesh but is yet to receive it.

"Now, we have decided to use technology to seal the international borders with Bangladesh in the two states using a comprehensive integrated border management system," Singh said at a rally at Falakata in Alipurduar district of north Bengal.

The move will help check infiltration as well as smuggling and other border crimes, ensure the safety and security of the country amid a changing demographic profile of West Bengal, he said.

Coming down heavily on the ruling TMC in the state, he said, "As per records, the maximum violence takes place in West Bengal. Neither Ma, Mati nor Manush (referring to TMC's slogan) are safe under their rule."

Nearly 100 BJP workers have been killed in the state and none of those involved will be spared, the Union minister asserted.

"Political violence should end in West Bengal. And for that to happen, Bengal will have a BJP CM in 2021," he said.

Addressing another rally in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district, Singh accused the TMC government of killing democracy and jeopardising the law and order situation in the state.

"The ruling TMC has ruined Sonar Bangla and lowered its image, while democracy is in peril," he said.

"It's surprising that women are not safe in a state which has a woman chief minister. I doubt if police stations in West Bengal are safe and secured," Singh said.

"This government is not ready to take any support from us, they rejected the smart city project and Ayushmaan Bharat scheme," he said.

"The purpose of politics is not only to form a government but also to build a nation," Singh observed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too held rallies in the state Saturday, in Matua-dominated Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district and in Durgapur.

He also attacked TMC on its home turf. PTI AKB DC KK KK ABH

ABH\R Mumbai, Feb 2 (PTI) Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde has been arrested by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad case for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist, officials said on Saturday.

Police detained Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, at Mumbai airport early hours Saturday, a day after a special court in Pune rejected his anticipatory bail application.

He was interrogated and later arrested, said Shivaji Bodkhe, Joint Commissioner of Pune Police.

He will be produced before court in Pune, he said.

On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material "to show the involvement of the present accused (Teltumbde) in the alleged commission of the offence".

According to police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day. PTI DC GVSTwo men in their 50s arrested for sexually exploiting minor

Mumbai, Feb 2 (PTI) Two men in their fifties have been

arrested for allegedly blackmailing and sexually exploiting a

13-year-old girl in Wadala area here, the police said.

The duo -- identity not disclosed -- were the victim's

neighbours, a police official said Saturday.

The matter came to light when one of the accused was

caught with the girl near a public toilet by locals two days

ago, he said.

Her family members then lodged a complaint at Wadala

police station.

The duo were arrested Friday night under IPC section

376 (d) (gang-rape) as well as under the Protection of

Children from Sexual Offences Act. PTI AVI

KRK KRKCentre's 'Kisan Samman' scheme to benefit 1.5 cr Maha farmers

Mumbai, Feb 2 (PTI) Nearly 1.5 crore Maharashtra

farmers owning up to two hectares of land are expected to

benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi announced

in the Union budget Friday, a senior state agriculture

department official said.

Presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20 in the Lok

Sabha, Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal Friday said farmers

will be provided Rs 6,000 per year in three installments under

a scheme to be fully funded by the central government.

"Some 1.5 crore farmers have less than two hectares of

land in the state. These farmers will get the benefit of the

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi which was announced in the

(Union) Budget," the official said Saturday.

However, farmers' groups were not impressed.

Ajit Navale, a farmer leader and state general

secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, questioned why a

budgetary provision had not been made for increasing the

income of farmers as well as number of purchase centres.

The AIKS had last year organised a 180-kilometre march

from Nashik to Mumbai to highlight farmers' woes and agrarian

distress.

Navale said farmers were disappointed as the Centre

had not announced a complete loan waiver in Friday's Budget.

Navale added that the Budget had no provision for

farmers from Vidarbha who owned over two hectares of

non-irrigated land but were plagued by low yields.

He also alleged the Budget had ignored cultivators

without farm lands. PTI MR

BNM BNMNew Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Following are the tope foreign stories at 1700 hours:



FGN5 US-INDIANSTUDENTS-TRAP

Eminent Indian-Americans, media question US govt's modus operandi in detaining 129 Indian students

Washington: Eminent Indian-Americans and some media outlets have questioned the modus operandi of the US government in the detention of 129 Indians in the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam, saying "trapping of innocent students" is a "crime, illegal and immoral". By Lalit K Jha



FGN3 US-INDIANSTUDENTS-HOTLINE

Indian embassy opens hotline for students detained by US authorities

Washington: The Indian embassy in the US has opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students arrested by the American authorities in the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam, officials have said.

As many as 129 Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in the US. By Lalit K Jha



FGN6 PAK-CHINA-LOAN

China to provide USD 2.5 bn loan to Pak to boost foreign cash reserves

Islamabad: China will provide USD 2.5 billion in loans to Pakistan to boost the foreign exchange reserves of its "all-weather ally", a media report said Saturday.By Sajjad Hussain



FGN4 US-CHINA-TRADE

Cannot allow trade deficit with China to continue: Prez Trump

Washington: President Donald Trump has said US' massive trade deficit with China cannot be allowed to continue, a day after the officials from both countries concluded their latest round of negotiations on trade issues.By Lalit K Jha



FGN11 PAK-SHARIF

Shift Nawaz Sharif to hospital: Pak's Punjab govt orders jail admin

Lahore: Pakistan's Punjab provincial government Saturday ordered that Nawaz Sharif be shifted to a hospital from jail, days after a special medical board concluded that the former prime minister has developed cardiac complications. By M Zulqernain



FGN8 CHINA-TIBET-CPC

China cracks down on CPC officials in Tibet having religious beliefs, secret links with Dalai Lama

Beijing: China's ruling Communist Party is cracking down on its officials who are taking part in religious activities violating party's ideology of adhering to atheism and secretly maintaining contacts with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who has been branded as "separatist" by Beijing. By K J M Varma



FGN7 US-TRUMP-WALL

Trump says getting closer to declare national emergency

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he is getting closer to declaring a national emergency to secure funding for a wall along the country's southern Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering America. By Lalit K Jha



FGN12 CHINA-US-TREATY

China calls on Washington, Moscow to preserve nuclear treaty

Beijing: China called Saturday for Washington to negotiate with Russia instead of pulling out of a nuclear arms treaty the Trump administration sees as a restraint on its ability to compete with Beijing and Moscow. (AP)



FGN10 RUSSIA-US-LD ARMSTREATY

Putin says Russia suspending missile treaty after US move: Agencies

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before, agencies reported. (AFP) RUP

RUPMoscow, Feb 2 (AFP) President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before, agencies reported.

"Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation," he said of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Putin said during a meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

"We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic," the president said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF treaty and starting a process to withdraw in six months.

Washington says a Russian medium-range missile system breaches the INF deal.

But Moscow has long insisted it does not violate the agreement and last month invited reporters and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the disputed weapons system.

Putin has previously threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty if it is scrapped.

Putin has also said that if Washington moved to place more missiles in Europe after ditching the deal, Russia would respond "in kind" and that any European countries agreeing to host US missiles would be at risk of a Russian attack.

Signed towards the end of the Cold War by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty bans ground-launched missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

The deal resolved a crisis over Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China. (AFP)

RUP

RUPColombo, Feb 2 (PTI) Seventy-three Indians have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for violating visa norms this year, officials said on Saturday.

A total of 49 Indian nationals were arrested on Saturday from a factory in Matugama, about 60 km from here, the Immigration and Emigration Department officials said.

They were staying beyond the visa term, they added.

Last month, 24 Indians, who were employed in a factory at Ingiriya, were arrested for staying beyond their visa term, officials said.

Those arrested have been sent to the immigration detention centre in Mirihana, the eastern suburb of Colombo, they added.

Offiicials said those arrested would be sent to India after completing necessary formalities. PTI CORR SMJ

SMJMumbai, Feb 2 (PTI) Kangana Ranaut has criticised director Krishna Jagarlamudi, asking him to prove his claim that she did not shoot a significant portion of the film "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi".

The director, popularly known as Krish, has said that he had almost completed the film and only patchwork was left when Kangana became involved and wrongly claimed the credit as the main director. He also accused the actor of "hijacking" the period drama.

Talking to reporters at airport here on Friday, Kangana said Krish should take up his grievances with the producers of the film.

"It's not like that. He has been given the credit in the film and about his name, that he should talk to the producer and not attack me," the actor said.

When asked about Krish claiming that she has not shot 70 percent of the film, she said, "That's wrong. If he can, he should prove it."

"The film has been made and, fortunately or unfortunately, I have directed it. I have taken all the final decisions. I want to make it clear that this film has been released in theatres and now nothing can happen."

The actor also took on the allegations made by Mishti Chakravarthy, who has claimed that her role was cut down from the period drama.

"People are saying that their roles have been chopped. I just want to tell them one thing that whatever I have achieved in my life as an actor and as a filmmaker is all on my own, my father has not given it to me. You should also create this standing for yourself. Nothing will happen by crying.

"I also started with five minute roles. In many films, my role was cut and in many films, at the last moment, I was thrown out. So this power of mine, I deserve it and have earned it. It is my prerogative as a director to decide which actor I want to utilise..." Kangana said.

She reiterated that Krish left the film in her hands and therefore it was her "prerogative to take the final calls".

"Whoever is struggling in life should take inspiration from me. What will happen by getting jealous of me or attacking me?" she added.

Kangana vowed that she will once again direct a film, which she said "will be better than 'Manikarnika...'."

The "Queen" actor offered a piece of advice to Krish. She asked him to make a film with all those actors who have complaints against Kangana.

She did not even spare writer Apurva Asrani, who had accused Ranaut of discrediting his work on their 2017 film "Simran".

"I have a suggestion for Krish. Take all these people and make a film. Take Sonu Sood as a villain and take her (Mishti) as the heroine and make Apurva Asrani write the story and make a film to teach me a lesson."

The film that released on January 25 has earned over Rs 64 crore. PTI KKP

RB

RB(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)

New Delhi, Delhi, India (NewsVoir)

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PWRNew Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The Centre has written to all states, directing them to quickly identify small and marginal farmers who will receive Rs 2,000 as the first installment by March-end under the Rs 75,000-crore income support package announced in the Budget, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said Saturday.

The government has already earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for disbursement in the current fiscal to an estimated 12 crore farmers.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced a scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' under which Rs 6,000 per year would be provided to farmers holding cultivable land of up to 2 hectares.

In an interview to PTI, Kumar expressed confidence that there would not be any major difficulty in implementing this farm package, except in north-eastern states where it might take a little more time.

"The Ministry of Agriculture has been working on this (proposal) and therefore they will pursue it on a mission mode. This is one scheme where implementation has to be ensured. We should be able to do it," he said.

The interim budget reflects the government's concern for small and marginal farmers, he said, adding "it does not give handout to the entire farming community".

Kumar said in some states preparations will have to be done on an urgent basis and "to that end the secretary agriculture has written a letter on February 1, addressed to all the chief secretaries and principal secretaries agriculture".

In the letter, he said, the Centre has written that "States/UTs will prepare data base of beneficiaries of small and marginal farmers in villages capturing name, gender, whether belonging to SC/STs and that this will be put on gram panchayat notice board, so that money can be distributed within the financial year as soon as possible".

The Niti Aayog vice chairman said the process of digitisation of land holdings has already started and in most states, including Uttar Pradesh, land records have already been digitised.

"When you go to Tehsil office, you can get a printout (of land record) from the computer. In a large part of the country, land records are digitised, so it should not be difficult at all," Kumar said.

For financial benefits, the landowners whose names appear on land records as on February 1 will be eligible under the PM-Kisan scheme.

Taking about the north-eastern states, Kumar said it might take "a little longer" in this region where there are community rights on land parcels.

For North East, he said an alternative mechanism will be developed and approved by a committee of union ministers and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to implement this scheme.

When asked whether Rs 6,000 per year or Rs 500 a month was enough, Kumar said: "Rs 500 is not a mean amount for a poor farmers. If you visit the poor farmers today, this money can be used for consumption, this money can be used for sending child to school, it can used to buy water for irrigation."

The direct income support to farmers was widely anticipated after the ruling BJP last power in recent assembly polls in Hindi heartland states, where rural distress was cited as one of the reasons for its defeat.

Farmers are in distress in most parts of the country as they are not getting better returns because of low prices due to bumper production of foodgrain, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and other horticulture crops. PTI BKS MJH CS ABMBeti nahi yeh aandhi hai, yeh Priyanka Gandhi hai (This is not just a daughter, but a storm. This is Priyanka Gandhi)." It is one of the more popular slogans which has been reverberating in Amethi and Rae Bareli since Priyanka started campaigning for her mother Sonia in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Five years later, Sonia moved to Rae Bareli, leaving Amethi to Rahul. Priyanka has been the key campaigner for the Congress in both constituencies, her charisma and connect with the voters unmistakeable.

Priyanka gave her first public speech in 1988. Her next high-profile public appearance came in 1995, when she accompanied Sonia to a public meeting in Amethi. After Sonia broke down on stage complaining that the probe into her husband Rajiv's assassination was progressing very slowly, Priyanka stepped in to console her mother.

Before every election, there is a huge clamour for Priyanka, said Youth Congress leader and state Congress spokesperson Rahul Mishra, who had worked with her in several campaigns. Congress workers wanted Priyanka in a more active role, rather than keeping her just as a campaigner. Priyanka's formal induction into the Congress leadership as the general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh seems to be the answer to this longstanding demand. She will now have under her watch 35 Parliament seats spread across 21 districts.

Sandeep Tiwari, a Congress leader who has seen Priyanka at work in Amethi and Rae Bareli, said her new role would be advantageous for the Congress. During election campaigns, she had stayed in Amethi and Rae Bareli for months, he said. Priyanka is well aware of the political pulse of the area. She has the knack of connecting quickly with people.

The Congress's plans for a mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh suffered a major blow after the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party kept it out of their alliance. With Priyankas induction, the grand old party has indicated that it is prepared for a fight. Congress strategists believe that Priyanka's presence in eastern UP will have a ripple effect across the state and will check not just the SP-BSP alliance, but also the Narendra Modi juggernaut.

Faced with the Priyanka challenge, the SP and the BSP need to keep their traditional vote banks of dalits, Muslims and OBCs intact. Senior Congress leader Virendra Madan said although Priyanka was a national leader, she was specifically given the charge of eastern UP because the Congress wanted to make its presence felt in every single seat in the region. State Congress president Raj Babbar said Priyanka's active role would surely boost the morale of party workers.

Eastern UP is a crucial political theatre which has given the country several prime ministers. Priyanka will be locking horns with BJP stalwarts including Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and state BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey. The Nehru-Gandhi family enjoys historical ties with eastern UP. Amethi and Rae Bareli are in this region, and so is Jawaharlal Nehrus hometown Allahabad, which is the fulcrum of eastern UP. Nehru and his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit had represented the Phulpur parliamentary constituency in Allahabad.

Uttar Pradesh is the first state in which the Congress has deployed two in-chargesPriyanka in the east and Jyotiraditya Scindia in the west. For the past several years, the Congress has been having a tough time in the state. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, it got just 7.53 per cent of the votes and won only two seats, while the BJP polled 42.63 per cent votes and got 71 seats. The Congress hopes that by giving Priyanka a more prominent role, the party will be able to tide over the crisis.



Her first major challenge will be to enthuse and consolidate the party cadre and end the infighting in the party. Priyanka is known for striking an immediate rapport with voters. There is a possibility that she might contest from Rae Bareli. Even today, many voters in Rae Bareli and Amethi see her grandmother Indira's image in Priyanka.

Senior Congress leader P.L. Punia said Priyanka's entry would have a major impact on the Congress's fortunes. There is already a great deal of enthusiasm among party workers. Leaders and workers have started thronging the Congress office in Lucknow, which till recently wore a deserted look. It is being decorated with festoons, buntings and flowers. A separate room is being spruced up for Priyanka, who is expected to visit soon.

Congress workers in Amethi, too, are excited, as they wait for Priyanka. We are happy that our long-pending demand got fulfilled, said Amethi Congress president Yogendra Mishra. Priyanka's aura and charisma are completely different. She can be a real game changer.The Congress has played its trump card in Uttar Pradesh. How do you see Priyanka Gandhis entry into politics ?

If Priyanka Gandhi or any other member of her family comes into politics, there is nothing new in that. The Congress is a party of the family. And, the family runs the party as its property. Second, in politics, two plus two is not always four. Mayawati and Akhilesh coming together does not mean that some big change will come. Many experiments are being conducted, like the opposition parties, the anti-Modi parties [coming together]. Similar experiments have been conducted in the past as the [opposition] does not have any singular issue to convince the people. People have decided in favour of the Modi government in 2019.

Priyanka has been given charge of the politically important eastern UP, which includes Varanasi and Gorakhpur. Is the Congress sending a message that it is ready for a fight?

For the Congress, the issue is Priyanka. For the BJP, the issue is progress and prosperity of the country. She is the Congress partys last card. The Congress will realise it when it loses everything. By then, it will be too late.

Which is a bigger challenge for the BJP in UPthe SP-BSP alliance or the Priyanka-led Congress?

All three parties challenge each other. Earlier, the SP and the BSP said they would not leave anything for the Congress. So, the Congress used Priyanka to pressurise them for a few more seats. It is their own issue to play games with each other. It will not affect us.

The Gandhi surname has a recall value. Do you think people will be influenced by her?

The Gandhi family has misused the name since independence. But, people have become smarter. They will not be taken in by such gimmicks.

Rahul and Priyanka will start their UP campaign after a dip at the Kumbh. Are they playing the soft hindutva card?

Many people take a dip. There is nothing new. It will not have much appeal.

What are the main issues for UP in the parliament elections?

We will go to the people with our performance. The Modi government has done a lot for the people. There are three issuesiqbal (authority), insaaf (justice) and imaan (integrity). The Modi government has established the stature and authority of the government, which was missing. Earlier, there was no respect for the office of the prime minister. Modi restored that pride and stature. He has also ensured social justice for all castes through the SC/ST Act, the OBC commission and the 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections among upper castes. The government ensured integrity and honesty as no scams were reported.In June 2013, Amit Shah was made the BJPs general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh. Within a year, he earned his spurs as the saffron party won its biggest Lok Sabha mandate in the state, helping Narendra Modi to prime ministership. Shah established himself as a master strategist. Five years on, the Congress has taken its rivals and allies by surprise by bringing in Priyanka Gandhi as general secretary with oversight of the strategically important eastern Uttar Pradesh.

It was a leaf from the BJPs book: an element of secrecy coupled with a move that signalled it was ready for a tough fight. The initial reactions from BJP leaders either mocked Priyanka or lashed out at her dynastic roots. But, the party will be moving strategically to counter her.

Her entry will benefit us. If she gathers steam, she will eat into the votes of the BSP-SP combine, said a top BJP leader. However, the real trouble for the BJP may come if the Congress is somehow included in the grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

For BJP strategists, Priyanka comes with a lot of baggage; the biggest being her husband, who has been accused of various crimes across states. She is not a Gandhi, she is a Vadra, a BJP strategist said, signalling that her opponents would stress on her married name to eliminate any goodwill she could enjoy from her illustrious family name.

Shah gave hints of how his party will target Priyanka. During his rally in Hamirpur, Himachal, he referred to Congresss OROP (only Rahul and only Priyanka). A day later in West Bengal, he reminded people of the 2G allocation scam during the UPA rule, adding that the party has gone from the 2G of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to 3G with Priyanka Gandhi. In Kanpur, Shah included Priyanka in what he called the 4Bsbua, babua, bhai and behen (aunt, nephew, brother and sister) referring to Mayawati, Akhilesh, Rahul and Priyanka, respectively.

A BJP general secretary said that the Congress has exposed chinks in its strategy by limiting itself to targeting upper caste votes in Uttar Pradeshthe party had chosen Priyanka and Jyotiraditya Scindia as general secretaries in the state.

Priyanka and Rahul are expected to start their poll march in Uttar Pradesh after taking a dip in the Ganga during the Kumbh, in line with the Congresss soft hindutva approach. Many people take a dip. There is nothing new, said Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. It will not have much appeal. The Gandhi family has stopped being a wonder to people.

The BJP has shown that it will play the hindutva card to the hilt. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and members of his cabinet have already taken the dip at the Kumbh. The Union government made its biggest move yet by petitioning the Supreme Court on returning the 67 acres of the undisputed land to the Ram Temple committee.

BJP sources hinted at how the party had embarrassed Priyanka when she handled campaigns for her mother and brother in Rae Bareli and Amethi during the 2017 UP assembly elections. The BJP had got Congresss Jang Bahadur Singh to defect. Similar efforts will be made to win over people from the Gandhi family pocket boroughs.

The BJP could also counter Priyankas campaign in Uttar Pradesh by pitching more women leaders in the state against her. Currently, Smriti Irani was hopeful of contesting again against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. Priyankas entry shows Rahul has failed, Irani said.

As the election day draws nearer and Priyanka begins her campaign in Lok Sabha constituencies like Varanasi and Gorakhpur, the BJP may respond by sending heavy hitters to Rae Bareli and Amethi in order to contain her in the family strongholds. Strategy is an ongoing thing. We will decide based on how the Congress moves, a BJP leader said.

During his speech at the BJP National Council meeting held in Delhi in January, Shah said the 2019 elections will be like the Third Battle of Panipat. By the look of things, the Panipat contest may well be in Uttar Pradesh.Can the sister be the bridge to two families estranged by a bitter fight? Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's formal entry into politics was followed by the buzz that her cousin Varun Gandhi was thinking of ditching the BJP for the Congress. But, as of now, both sides are keeping their cards close to their chests.

In the 2014 elections, four members of the Gandhi familySonia, Rahul, Maneka and Varunwere elected to the Lok Sabha. Though on opposite sides, they have kept a respectable distance, and have never attacked each other politically. Now, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka's entry has added a new variable to Uttar Pradesh's political scene.

Before the 2017 assembly elections, many in the BJP wanted Varun to be projected as the chief minister candidate. The youngest Gandhi had had a strong showing at the BJP's national executive meeting in Allahabad the previous year; his posters dominated the city of his forefathers. However, his political ascent was stalled. It was as if he was told: You may be popular, but your surname does not fit into the BJP's scheme of things.

Since the beginning of the Modi-Shah era in the BJP, the Sultanpur MP has been either missing or maintaining a low profile. He hit the road and went on a lecture-delivering spree, building a strong base in not just the state, but also throughout the country.

Since then, Varun has positioned himself as a politician who is secular, left of centre and pro-farmerthe attributes of Congresss Nehruvian ideology. Despite that, he has been careful not to ruffle any saffron feathers. Though he shares a warm relationship with his two cousins, especially Priyanka, he has not been seen with them in public.

The current speculation about his jump gathered steam after Rahul took over as Congress president. But, Varun's political homecoming is not a certainty. Sources say he is worried about his mother's political future in case he joins the Congress. Maneka had fallen out with mother-in-law Indira and sister-in-law Sonia after the death of her husband Sanjay Gandhi in 1980. She left the Gandhi household when Varun was just two. He was witness to his mother's long political struggle in Delhi before she built an independent career for herself. Hence, switching political sides might have an emotional cost. If Varun joins the Congress, what will happen to Maneka? ask sources. Will she be welcome there? Or will she even be willing to go? Otherwise, it will open her up to political machinations once Varun goes to the other side.

As the election date nears, there could be pressure on Varun to unambiguously chose his side. Will he?The revelation comes after a wild week for Northam, who was accused by Republicans of advocating infanticide after he made comments defending a bill that would have lifted restrictions on late-term abortions. It was more surprising because Northam has billed himself as the political antidote to Donald Trump - an aw-shucks leader with a boring speaking style and a reputation for honesty. He gained the trust of Republicans, who worked with him last year to pass Medicaid expansion in the state after four years of resisting it under the previous governor, McAuliffe.This is a guest post from Elsy Gonzalez, a PhD candidate from the University of Chicago in the Department of Political Science.

Last Wednesday, January 23, President Trump recognized Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidos claim to the presidency. Through this statement, Trump ultimately rejected Nicolas Maduros government and hedged his bet on regime change in this South American country. While this behavior is hardly surprising given the recent animosity between Washington and Caracas, many other countries in the region and around the world flocked to support Guaido as president shortly thereafter. Those that recognized are as interesting as those that have not, and their timing speaks volumes.

What is the background? On May 20, 2018, Venezuela held presidential elections in which Maduro declared himself victorious for a new six-year term amidst a flurry of international condemnation, for what has been deemed a fraudulent election. The following day, the countries that make up the Lima Group declared they did not recognize the legitimacy of the electoral process for not abiding by the international standards of a democratic, free, fair, and transparent election. Following months of uncertainty and domestic turmoil, incumbent Nicolas Maduro assumed power for his new term on January 10. Meanwhile, Juan Guiado also assumed power as head of the National Assembly, and the group later declared him interim president in lieu of Maduro.

Brazil and Colombia were among the first to give official support to Guaido, shortly followed by most of Latin America. While this issue already simmered in Latin America, it wasnt until January 23, when President Trump gave his support for Guaido, that the international community truly began to respond to the issue. What followed was a sharp split among states, with Cuba, Bolivia, Turkey, Russia and China firmly supporting Maduros government, while the UK, Germany, France, and several other European countries issued ultimatums for Maduro to hold new elections.

This is not surprising, nor is it a new trend. As previous work on international recognition from Bridget Coggins shows that trends in recognition tend to play follow-the-leader. While her work focuses on recognition of statehood, I argue this also applies to recognition events, including recognition of a government or territory. We saw this trend play out when Kosovars declared their independence from Serbia in 2008 and the United States, France, and the United Kingdom were quick to recognize, while Russia and China were equally quick to condemn. Many countries swiftly followed suit, either with support or denunciation.

The current norms of international recognition have operated since the establishment of the Security Council of the United Nations and the introduction of a structure of five permanent members that must agree unanimously on the admission or sanction of members. States would not be compelled to justify their behavior if they were not aware of how this could be perceived internationally and how these decisions could have important repercussions. How they consider these and respond to them is unclear.

The study of recognition, however, has tended to fall under the domain of international law. The IR scholars that have addressed the phenomenon of recognition with their work all come together to make intelligible to political science, as well as apply the many normative and legal debates surrounding recognition. A non-exhaustive list of contributors include M.J. Peterson, Bridget Coggins, Nina Caspersen, James Ker-Lindsey, Mikulas Fabry, Marika Landau-Wells, Joshua Freedman, among others. Regardless, there is still more to explore with regards to the consequences of recognition and the rhetorical power politics at play for all forms of recognition.

Why does controversial recognition matter? The convention when it comes to this practice, as identified by Coggins for the case of recognition of statehood, is that recognition occurs as a consensus between major powers and with the support of the host state. As she notes, the politics of external legitimacy ensure short-term stability, but they may create system-wide problems in two ways. First, this practice conditions new states entry on the basis of political considerations and not necessarily on the authority or capacity of the nascent states. Second, these practices can also set precedents for other separatist movements to claim the right to recognition of their independence.

These two points can easily be extended to cases of recognition of government. Recognition is still bound by political and economic interests and these practices set precedents for future cases of disputed government. The fact that in the Venezuelan case two different leaders are fighting for recognition of their monopoly over the government makes the situation particularly tricky.

The importance of recognition cannot be underestimated. At its most basic level, its an unusual form of intervention in a countrys domestic policies. If a transition of power is running smoothly, we hardly notice it happening, but if it isnt, its Venezuela, Yemen, Libya, and so on. When a major power backs a government other than the incumbent, its nothing short of active intervention in domestic affairs.

These foreign policy decisions by major states can have important ripple effects. The norm, until recently, had been for major states to recognize in unison or to abstain from clearly showing dissent. When states break from the norm, it impacts the status quo by changing how other states react to similar situations. Given the potential to set a precedent for future recognition events, what determines the recognition decisions of major powers?

Unfortunately, academics rarely have access to the closed-door meetings that clarify the reasons states recognize as they do, but the rhetoric they do put out can be very telling. If nothing else, language is everything. It can rile populations that dont know or dont care about the myriad of economic or political interests that go into the decisions made by the third-part recognizers. Rhetoric can be unsettling, and while many major powers might not be concerned, smaller countries likely do not have the power to contain an uprising. If the US recognizes Juan Guaido under the guise of protecting its people, regardless of its actual reasons or interests, this only serves to fuel the existing protests in Venezuela against Maduro to bring about regime change. While this might be the intent of the US, we should not be surprised if similar protests broke out in another country, with the people asking the international community to denounce their authoritative government, as they did in Venezuela.

It is worth trying to understand why states offer full or partial recognition and if variation in recognition is bound in how statements are framed. Depending on how major powers deal with different domestic and international pressures, we will observe different rhetorical strategies to justify their decisions both to domestic and international audiences. Further research could offer answers for cases that have autonomous or partial recognition of statehood such as Taiwan or Kosovo. Similarly, it could further explore the implications of recognizing a new capital, as Trump did by recognizing Jerusalem over Tel Aviv in Israel. And naturally, it could give us further insight into the consequences of a disputed recognition of government by major powers, as seen in Venezuela.

Understanding state level decisions can help shed light on how government officials consider broader international norms and their role in crafting and maintaining them, as well as how they might benefit their home country. Any future work on rhetorical power politics matters because sovereignty is a key principle of the international structure and sovereignty, as scholars have generally come to accept, is ultimately granted by other states through recognition. The main drivers of this recognition are the major powers that command significant spheres of influence and thus the numbers to gain a majority in the international system.

If Venezuela has showed us anything, it is that recognition matters. Various states have reacted at different paces and with very different rhetorical strategies. While we may not know yet what motivates each country, we surely can speculate. Left-wing and autocratic governments have continued to support Maduro, an autocratic leader. It would not be a stretch to guess that concerns for setting a precedent against themselves were not a play. Under what guise could Cuba credibly recognize Guaido and not open itself to potential domestic and international backlash. Similarly, how could have Spain recognized Kosovo without setting a precedent for Catalonia or the Basque Country.

Meanwhile, Mexico has urged for a mediated solution in Venezuela and has stated their position with regards to Venezuela has not changed and they will continue to support Maduro as president. They argue that recognizing Guaido would go against their historical foreign policy Estrada Doctrine of not emitting a judgment about another countrys government as that would be a breach of sovereignty. The main backlash they are facing from the international community is that they have broken their norm a couple of times in past, when they formally severed diplomatic ties with Chile in 1974, with Nicaragua in 1979, and when they publicly supported the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. So why remain neutral now? Precedents have a way of paying themselves forward.In major move towards modernisation of the Indian Army's infantry, the defence ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast-track mode, official sources said on Saturday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles, which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China, the sources told PTI.

They said the rifles, being used by US forces as well as several other European countries, are being bought under the fast-track procurement procedure.

"The contract is expected to be finalised within a week. The US firm will have to deliver the rifles within one year from the date of finalising the deal," said a senior official involved in negotiation of the deal said.

Army sources said the US-manufactured rifles will replace the INSAS rifles. The world's second-largest standing Army has been pressing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security threats, including along India's borders with Pakistan and China.

In October, 2017, the Army began the process to acquire around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines.

Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests. Following this, the Army started scouting for rifles from the global market.

The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Army's failure to finalise the specifications for it. The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.Academic and activist Anand Teltumbde was arrested early on Saturday morning in Mumbai for allegedly having links to Maoists in orchestrating the violence at Bhima-Koregaon a year ago.

On Friday, a court in Pune had rejected Teltumbde's anticipatory bail plea, with the judge noting the investigation had collected sufficient evidence against him. Teltumbde had approached the Pune court after the Supreme Court had rejected his plea to quash an FIR naming him as an accused in the case of the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

Prosecutors allege Teltumbde had been in touch with organisers of the Elgar Parishad and other activists such as Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson and Shoma Sen, who were arrested last year.

Last month, the Supreme Court had granted Teltumbde interim protection from arrest till February 11. Teltumbde is a senior professor at the Goa Institute of Management.

Activist-lawyer Indira Jaising decried the arrest of Teltumbde as a gross violation of the Supreme Court order barring his arrest till February 11 and called it contempt of court.

Anand Teltumbde was arrested at 3.30 am in the night, flouting SC orders that he was not to be arrested for 4 weeks. This midnight knock is a sure sign of India's descent into fascist hell - fail to recognise it at our peril. Pl attend this PC if you're in Delhi pic.twitter.com/17srbf0dOV  Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) February 2, 2019

Activist Kavita Krishnan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of being behind Teltumbde's arrest and described the midnight knock to arrest him as a sure sign of India's descent into fascist hell.South Indian actress Sumalatha said she has not confirmed her political entry, but will contest only from the Mandya constituency in Karnataka if need be. Ever since the death of her husband, actor-turned politician Ambareesh, there has been growing pressure from fans and Congress supporters that she contest from Mandya in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to media, she said she was thankful for the people's support and respect for her late husband. She said that she has not considered entering politics, and that she will need time to think about it. "Ambareesh was with the Congress and I am yet to talk to the leaders from the party. I don't know if I will contest the elections but if I do, I will contest from Mandya, she said. She added that her husband had worked for the people of Mandya, and the family will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing tussle for the Mandya seat between the Congress and coalition partner JD(S). With Congress hesitant to concede Mandya seat, JD(S) clarified it was not willing to let go of Mandya, which is one of their strongholds. According to reports, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy plans to launch his son Nikhil from Mandya.

A former Union minister, Ambareesh passed away due to cardiac arrest in November last year. Known as a "rebel star", Ambareesh had acted in over 200 films. He had been in the erstwhile Janata Dal, JD(S) and the Congress in his political career that took a hit when he was asked to resign as a minister during the previous Siddaramaiah government.

Ambareesh had served as the Union minister of state for information and broadcasting from 2006-2008, but had quit the post over the issue of the formation of the Cauvery water dispute tribunal.Apart from Chulbul, his brother Makkhi, Rajjo will also be part of animated versionGEORGE MATHEW FERNANDES (1930-2019)

That pacifist who kept Tibetan refugees and Burmese spies in his home? That was how many of us on the military beat reacted when A.B. Vajpayee inducted George Fernandes as his defence minister in 1998. He will slash the defence budget and, given his sympathy for the Burmese rebels, may reverse the previous three regimes outreach to Myanmar, we concluded.

George had had a stormy petrel reputationthe socialist who had humbled Indira Gandhis fund-raiser S.K. Patil in his South Bombay redoubt; brought every train to halt in the great Indian Railways strike; had gone to jail for plotting to dynamite the rail tracks and offices in Baroda; won the 1977 Emergency polls from jail with a brute majority; used to self-drive his rickety Fiat to office as minister in the Janata government; had kicked out giants Coca-Cola and IBM from India; had travelled in the guards cabin of a goods train to reach a public event on time; had performed the most shameful Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram feat when he defected to Charan Singh minutes after putting up a stellar defence of the Morarji Desai government in a no-confidence motion; had given the blushes to every ace lawyer in India with his brilliant debate in the Lok Sabha over the impeachment of Justice Ramaswamy; and had links with every rebel with or without a cause. He would prove to be a thorn on the Vajpayee regimes side, we thought.

At his first presser two days after the induction, we grilled the pacifist on every matter military. My! the man answered as if he had been born in a uniform. Then a question was thrown: What is the status of Prithvi [missile]?

Prithvi? I am told they have been deployed near Jalandhar.

Our eyes popped out. We looked at each other. Mantriji had blurted out what was then (no longer) a secret; but who will bell the cat? Knowing his temper, no officer would.

The quick-thinking information director Swagata Ghosh nudged us. As the presser ended, we quietly told the minister: Sir, you should not have said that about Prithvi.

Why? I thought it was known to you guys.

Yes, but it is different when the minister says it.

We worked out a deal. TV cameras would delete the Prithvi byte, and we would not print. Instead, a line was drafted for all of us to use: Prithvi has been inducted. It was not headline news, but we did not mind.

Then on, we had the finest relationship that a bunch of mediamen can ever have with a defence minister. He had been known to keep an open house (see tailpiece); now on, he kept an open office too, so to speak. He joined us often for fireside chats at Delhis myriad military messes where generals, joint secretaries and DRDO nerds drank whiskey with us, as he sipped red wine or fruit juice. No state secrets were revealed, but a lot of information was given. He taught the military to trust the press; and he made the press have faith in the military.

Yet we mauled him when we thought he was wrong. When he sacked Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat (the first ever firing of a chief), many of us wrote against it. THE WEEK ran a cover story that was critical of George. When he ordered a sweeping probe into defence purchases of the previous 15 years, I wrote against it in THE WEEK. Yet he had no rancour. He still welcomed all of us into his office, home and the messes.

That helped him in running the ministry. During Kargil, he let the generals fight and the diplomats speak. He ran a good ministry, and kept his counsel even when he disagreed with foreign minister Jaswant Singh, who broadcast the secretly-recorded phone chat between Gen Parvez Musharraf and his chief of general staff over how the two had plotted Kargil. The broadcast helped India build its case in the worlds eyes, but that wasnt wise, George told some of us off the record. He proved to be right; as a R&AW officer would reveal later, the broadcast had compromised a R&AW source.

When we walked into his South Block office past nine in the night wanting to know why and how a Pak Navy Atlantique was shot down over the Kutch marshes in August 1999, he gave us coffee and a lot of dope on the terrain, about the radars, the combat air patrol drills, ground deployment and what exactly had happened. The next morning, he arranged for 40 of us to be airlifted to Kutch to see for ourselves whether the spy plane had indeed fallen in Indian territory. We even had our share of combat thrill when our helicopter was fired at from the Pakistan side.

Convinced, the media made the case for India in the next days newspapers and TV channels. No wonder, India won the case at the International Court of Justice.

The Tehelka sting and the coffin scam hurt him badly. He stayed out for a while from the government, and an overcautious ministry sat on purchase decisions. When he returned to the ministry, he declared bluntly: I will stick my neck out. And he did. From the frequent travels he made to the front positions including his bimonthly trips to Siachen, and the deep attention he paid to military briefings, he learnt of the militarys needs. For the Siachen trooper, he got fibreglass shelters, pipe-pumped kerosine, better boots and coats, phone lines, home-like meals and even chocolate bars. When two joint secretaries sat on a file for purchase of snow-scooters, he sent them packing to Siachen for a weeks stay.

When the 9/11-outraged George W. Bush and his secretary of state Colin Powell took Musharraf into confidence and began pounding the Taliban-held Afghanistan, George scoffed at the bombs that could do nothing more than melt the snow on the Hindukush. With the campaign going nowhere, Bush sent his defence secretary Don Rumsfeld to talk to Putin. From Moscow, Rumsfeld flew to Delhi and met George. George is said to have impressed on him, as had Putin, the need for taking the Moscow-Delhi-friendly Northern Alliance into confidence. One does not know how the deal was worked out, but the world soon saw the Northern Alliance walking into the Taliban-freed Kabul, leaving Musharraf seething in Islamabad.

By George! we dont have many like him.

TAILPIECE: The outhouse of Georges MPs bungalow on Krishna Menon Marg sheltered several Burmese and Tibetan activists. This worried the security men who were guarding the bungalow of Narasimha Raos home minister S.B. Chavan, who lived across the road. As they made a practice of shutting Georges bungalow gates whenever the minister drove out, an irked George got his bungalow gates removed. Then on, he ran an open house, literally.Catholic ReliefServices (CRS) is an international non-profit organization which implements thecommitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor andvulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission andoperations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of allfaiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment toserving those in need.A freshman lawmaker wants to allow Illinois public schools to publicly display the motto In God We Trust, something church-state separation advocates say alienates non-religious students.

One of the first bills Lewisville Republican state Rep. Darrin Bailey filed after taking office this month was House Bill 341, which says a school board can allow the national motto In God We Trust to be conspicuously posted on school grounds.Its "Weird Places" section offers one-of-a-kind suggestions for weird walkabouts  like visiting the "brain museum" at the Cushing Center at Yale's Whitney Medical Library, or the grave of Capt. Sluman Gray in Liberty Hill Cemetery in Lebanon. (Legend has it that the captain, who died at sea in 1864, was preserved in a barrel of rum, brought home and buried  barrel and all.)MONTREALThe next chapter in Quebecs decade-old search for a different balance between state secularism and religious rights is about to open. The debate will almost certainly overlap with the upcoming federal campaign.

For Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and his Conservative counterpart Andrew Scheer, the road to electoral success will at least in part run through Quebec next fall.

Voters in that province, but also in the rest of the country, will be watching to see how they handle an issue that pits some Charter-protected fundamental freedoms against what the polls report to be a large Quebec consensus.

But first, a look at the state of play in Quebec itself.

The national assembly reopens next week. Government legislation to limit the religious freedoms of some public sector employees is expected to follow within weeks.

The intentions of the Coalition Avenir Quebec are well known.

Read more:

Quebec Premier Legault says province does not suffer from Islamophobia

Quebec school boards push back as government seeks data on staff religious symbols

Chilly reception from Trudeau for Quebecs demands

Premier Francois Legault is set to impose a secular dress code on public officials in so-called positions of authority. In his book, that means judges, police officers, prison guards and teachers.

The government has yet to determine whether the secular dress code would apply only to future hires or also to those who are already part of the system. If the latter option is chosen, the government can expect a trench war with not only the teachers unions but also parents, students and school authorities, in particular in Montreal.

The CAQ has a majority in the National Assembly. It needs to make no compromise to get its legislation passed. But unless it uses the notwithstanding clause to shelter its planned law from a Charter-based challenge, it will inevitably have to defend it in court. A positive outcome for the government is not guaranteed. For that reason, Legault may opt to close off the most obvious avenues for a legal challenge by using the Charter escape clause up front.

One way or another, the politics are messy for every provincial party.

Although they all officially support, to at least some extent, the imposition of limits to religious expression within the Quebec public sector, there are divisions within every caucus.

For that reason, the three opposition parties may share Legaults interest in putting the issue behind the National Assembly as expeditiously as possible.

This will be the third kick at the can by successive Quebec governments. Notwithstanding polls that show overwhelming public support for the principle of curtailing religious freedoms in the name of a secular state, it has not been a winning issue for either of the CAQs predecessors.

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In 2012, the Parti Quebecoiss minority government had hoped the imposition of a secular dress code across the public service would ensure its re-election with a majority. Instead, voters shipped the party back to opposition.

The Quebec Liberals veil ban fell short of the demands of the pro-secularism lobby but left part of the partys base feeling betrayed by the erosion of the right of religious freedom. It probably cost former premier Philippe Couillard more support than it attracted.

In the last federal election, both the Bloc Quebecois and Stephen Harpers Conservatives championed a niqab ban at citizenship ceremonies. The Liberals and the New Democrats opposed it.

Once the Quebec votes were counted, a majority of the provinces seats  56 out of 78  were in Liberal and NDP hands.

Over on the pro-ban camp, the Bloc saw its share of the popular vote decline from the previous federal vote. At around 16 per cent, the Conservatives Quebec take was virtually unchanged.

If that sounds like a paradox, consider that public support for a given concept in a poll does not automatically elevate it to the rank of a ballot-box issue.

Outside the island of Montreal, one is more likely to find a needle in a haystack than to come across a veiled teacher. At last count, there is not a single turbaned police officer in Quebec.

For all the passions expended by the provinces chattering class on this debate, it has little direct connection to the everyday life of most Quebecers.

In Quebec as elsewhere, voters have been known to make federal choices that seem to run counter to their provincial preferences.

At a time when Pierre Trudeau and Rene Levesque were at odds on the significantly more fundamental issue of the language law in the early 1980s, each won a majority of Quebec seats at his respective level.

That is not to say that the prime minister should relish running against the Quebec tide on religious accommodation next fall. But at the end of the day, it may be easier for the Liberals to do that than for Scheers Quebec Conservative candidates to champion the resurrection of the Energy East pipeline.

Chantal Hebert is a columnist based in Ottawa covering politics. Follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert

Read more about:KENAI, Alaska - Near Anchorages Ship Creek, a new bronze statue of an elder named Olga, a Denaina matriarch from the village of Eklutna, stands and overlooks land that was once a prosperous Native fish camp.

Soldotna artist Joel Isaak, who is Denaina himself, worked on the statue for two and a half years. He said he doesnt take the opportunity to represent his culture through art lightly.

Its a lot of reflection, Isaak said. Trying to consolidate the history of cultural annihilation and assimilation in a positive light is tricky. Its a way to convey that we are still living people.

Isaak, a Denaina language professor at the Kenai Peninsula College, created his proposal for the statue after the village of Eklutna sent out a call for art. The parameters of the project included a piece that was in the likeness of Olga and that it tied into the fishing heritage at the site of Ship Creek.

Isaak said its always a rare opportunity to himself as an Alaska Native in public art.

Most of the figurative work, if it is of indigenous people, looks like European people, Isaak said. I dont identify with it from a visual standpoint. Being able to have the opportunity to be able to be a little more in control of the narrative is an honour. Its exciting to see other peoples excitement at that opportunity.

Isaaks work can be found in many places across Alaska. He worked on a beluga whale diorama in Anchorages Ted Stevens Airport. Art of Isaaks can be found in the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka. Locally, Isaak completed statues in front of the Denaina Wellness Center and salmon skin bowls in the Kenai Courthouse.

Isaak had two photographs of Olga to base his statue on. The statue has Olga in customary Denaina clothing, like fish skin boots and a dress featuring quill work. Isaak said Denaina regalia has been important to him to him from an early age.

Part of my journey in making the bronze statuary is learning how to make the clothing, Isaak said. Ive wanted to learn to make regalia since I was in either first or second grade making paper pilgrim and Indian costume stuff. I researched at museums, and took workshops and learned all the methods needed to produce that clothing so I understood what I was trying to replicate before just looking at a picture in a book and trying to make it look something like that.

The Denaina culture is a matriarchal society. Olga was an elder and a leader in Denaina land north of Anchorage. Isaak said the piece was not only honouring Denaina history and heritage, but also women in our society.

Honouring our indigenous women and women everywhere  our society is based off of that model so theres strong precedent for making an elder and then having the elder be a woman, Isaak said. I think its poignant in our current situation for the need to honour and respect women in our state and in the world, but especially with the current statistics. Bringing a visual voice to honour the role that women have in our society and culture.

Born and raised in Soldotna, Isaak has many connections to Denaina culture, and even Olga herself. His family comes from the Upper Cook Inlet area in Point Possession. He said hes distantly related to Olga, going back several generations.

Ive always had a strong desire to be connected to my indigenous Native culture and all the different cultures that my family comes from, Isaak said. But living here in Soldotna on Denaina land there has been a very strong desire from me from a very early age to learn my language and material culture.

In Denaina culture, clothing is used as fine art. Denaina people were semi-nomadic or sedentary and would move between summer fish camp and a winter village, which was sometimes in almost the same spot, Isaak said. For this reason, art would move with the people in the form of clothing, which would represent things like where a person was from and what family they belonged to.

You put (your art) on your clothing and you bring it with you, Isaak said. So the quill work design in the shape of the tunic can tell where youre from  it can tell your clan information. Its a form of visual written communication that we dont really have that Rosetta Stone for. It served as a function for that and it also brings in that visual fine art. We just brought it with us everywhere instead of leaving it behind glass or in a frame.

The statue is near Anchorages downtown, which a busy and growing part of the city. Isaak said the statue is a reminder of the areas past.

Having it be in Anchorage is making invisible people visible, Isaak said. Its surrounded by this growing city, but were still here and making that visual presence.

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Information from: (Kenai, Alaska) Peninsula Clarion, http://www.peninsulaclarion.comWASHINGTON - Two years into Donald Trumps presidency, his allies in Congress are quietly trying to influence and even reshape his America First foreign policy agenda.

The Republican-led Senate is reasserting itself as a check on Trumps instincts, while individual GOP lawmakers are seeking sway  defence hawks vying with noninterventionists  over policy in the Middle East, Latin America and beyond.

Within one recent week, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio led a group of lawmakers to the White House encouraging Trump to back Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president. Trump tweeted his support. Days earlier, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was at the White House reinforcing Trumps plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

The result can often seem like a foreign policy in flux, zigzagging from bold pronouncements to more measured actions as a number of different voices on the Hill are trying to put their imprint on the policy, said Brian Katulis, a former Clinton administration national security adviser now at the Center for American Progress.

Its sort of this great improvisation directed by the president of the United States, that doesnt really follow any of the notes or sheets of music, Katulis said. Like hes making things up as he goes along.

Setting the tone in the Senate, the first bill of the new year reaffirms sanctions on Syrian officials involved in war crimes and soon will include an amendment taking the unusual step of signalling opposition to Trumps plan to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

Pushed forward by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the legislation also is driving a political wedge dividing Democrats, particularly those running for president in 2020, over the troop withdrawal and a separate provision supporting Israel.

Rubio, who led the floor debate and is emerging as a foreign policy leader, said the vote was about ensuring that senators and the legislative branch play our rightful role in the setting of American foreign policy.

It is important that the Senate be on the right side of this issue so that we can hope to influence future actions and policies before they are taken, and we can help change them once they have been taken in places headed in the wrong direction, Rubio said.

Next up, McConnell is promising a debate on the importance of NATO, as Trump re-evaluates the U.S.s long-standing commitment to its allies in Europe.

NATO deserves the Senates support, McConnell said.

Danielle Pletka, a senior vice-president at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said lawmakers are doing exactly what they should  asserting themselves as a separate but equal branch of government that has been largely dormant on foreign policy.

Its abnormal for members of Congress to be as disengaged as they have been, she said. This is a return to normal.

Trump rode a populist wave to the White House with an America First approach focused on rebuilding the United States and bringing U.S. troops home, rather than funding wars overseas.

Its an instinct that fits more neatly into Pauls noninterventionist wing, which rose to prominence with the tea party, rather than the worldview of traditional foreign policy conservatives such as McConnell, Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Gaveling that divide is the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, GOP Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, who took over from outspoken Trump critic Bob Corker of Tennessee, who retired.

Risch said dont read too much into the first vote of the new Congress, saying lawmakers arent necessarily sending any message or asserting themselves any more than usual.

I think the Congress recognizes when it comes to construction and implementation of foreign policy, the Founding Fathers gave both the legislative branch and the executive branch a role, he said. And it isnt really clearly defined as to whos got the upper hand.

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Unlike the first years of the administration, when Republicans tested how publicly to oppose the president, often with mixed results, senators now seem to prefer softer diplomacy and private meetings to shape his policies.

Paul said after meeting with Trump in mid-January that no other president in recent history has taken steps as bold as Trump to disentangle the United States from wars.

We live for the day that somebody will stand up and say, Im going to change history, Paul told reporters at the time. Youre really seeing one of the extraordinary things.

A week later, Rubio and a group of lawmakers from Florida were at the White House urging Trump to support the opposition leader in Venezuela over embattled President Nicholas Maduro.

Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott said the president was in listening mode and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said the administration has been very open to speaking to us.

Trump tweeted his support the next day for the South American nations opposition leader.

As Trump develops his plan to withdraw troops from Syria and now Afghanistan, the conversations continue.

McConnell talks with the president often. Traditional GOP hawks, including Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Joni Ernst of Iowa, were among a group of House and Senate Republicans who met with Trump at the White House shortly after he announced his decision for the Syria withdrawal.

Ernst told Iowa reporters this past week that she disagreed with his assessment that the Islamic State group had been defeated in Syria, She said she will continue to do so when I believe what were getting from the intelligence community is different from what advisers are giving to the president.

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Associated Press writer David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.OWENSBORO, Ky. - A recount in a Kentucky state House race originally won by a Democrat by a single vote has ended in a tie after the local board of elections decided to open and count five absentee ballots that had previously been rejected. Its unclear what comes next.

Democrat Jim Glenn defeated former Republican state Rep. DJ Johnson on Election Day by a one-vote margin. Kentucky does not have automatic recounts, and the Kentucky State Board of Elections certified Glenn as the winner. He was sworn in on Jan. 5 and has an office and been assigned to committees.

But the Republican-controlled state legislature ordered a recount at Johnsons request, relying on a state law that allows candidates in legislative races to contest election results.

Saturday, the Daviess County Clerks Office recounted more than 12,000 ballots by hand. Glenn emerged from that process ahead by three votes. But after a personal appeal from Johnson, the Daviess County Board of Elections  which consists of two Republicans and two Democrats  voted to give Johnson one of those votes back, putting him down by two.

The board then reviewed 17 absentee ballots that they had unanimously rejected on Election Day. This time, the board decided five of those ballots were legal, and opened them. Johnson received three of them, Glenn received one and one ballot was blank. That made the final results a tie, with each candidate receiving 6,323 votes.

The next step is for the Daviess County Clerks Office to send a report to the Election Contest Board, a legislative panel of six Republicans and three Democrats which must decide what to do next and eventually give a report to the House of Representatives, which has the ultimate say in the matter. A state law indicates the board must choose the winner by drawing lots.

But Anna Whites, Glenns attorney, noted Glenn has already been sworn in and seated as a state legislator, and the only way he can be removed is impeachment. She said Glenn would file a lawsuit over any attempt to remove him from office.

Glenn did not attend Saturdays recount. Reached by phone, he indicated he did not accept the results as legitimate.

I won. Ill say it again, he said. Normally, you dont count invalid ballots.

Johnson, who attended the recount with his lawyers, said the results show the recount was worth doing.

Regardless of the outcome, Ive always wanted to make sure the votes that should be counted have been counted. And thats what we did today, Johnson said.

The recount process was long and complicated. The Daviess County Board of Elections had to rule on several ballots, including one where the voter partially filled in a bubble for a straight Republican Party ticket, but then crossed it out. Earlier in the day, the board voted to discard that ballot. But after an appeal from Johnson, they gave it back to him.

Most of the districts 12 absentee ballots that had been rejected on Election Day were either missing a signature or were not mailed in the proper envelope as required by law.

But the board voted to accept five of the ballots as legal. One ballot was rejected because the signatures did not match. But the board voted to accept the ballot after noting the voter lived in a nursing home.

Thats the same person. They were just having a bad day that day, said Daviess County Clerk Leslie McCarty, a Republican and member of the Board of Elections.

Another ballot was initially rejected because the voter did not sign the outer envelope. The board voted to accept that ballot after discovering a signature on the backside of the envelope by the seal.

All you can do is the right thing, regardless of who it helps or hurts, said Daviess County Sheriff Keith Cain, a Democrat and member of the Board of Elections.

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The recount cost about $10,200, but Johnson, the Republican candidate, has agreed to pay for it regardless of the outcome.

Election recounts are rare, and its even rarer for a recount to change the outcome of an election. But of the at least 80 recounts nationwide following the 2018 elections, a total of 382 votes changed, according to research by Johnsons legal team. Thats an average of 4.8 votes per race.

Of those 80 recounts, five were decided by one-vote margins, and two of those recounts resulted in ties. In Fairmont, West Virginia, officials chose the winner of a city council seat by flipping buttons in a coffee can.NEW YORK - Newly unsealed documents about notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman contains claims by witnesses that he had sex with minors he called vitamins, a disturbing allegation coming just as a jury is about to start deliberating in his U.S. drug-trafficking case.

According to papers made public late Friday, a key government co-operator told authorities Guzman had him drug girls as young as 13 before Guzman had sex with them at one of his Mexican hideouts in the late 2000s.

On Saturday, one of Guzmans lawyers called the accusations extremely salacious and questioned the timing of the government filing.

Guzman denies the allegations, which lack any corroboration and were deemed too prejudicial and unreliable to be admitted at trial, attorney Eduardo Balarezo said in a statement. It is unfortunate that the material was publicly released just prior to the jury beginning deliberations.

The jury is set to begin deliberations Monday after a nearly three-month trial on charges that as the head of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman oversaw a drug-smuggling empire that flooded the U.S. market with at least 200 tons (181 metric tons) of cocaine and made $14 billion off of it. The defence says co-operating witnesses have made Guzman a scapegoat for their own crimes.

The unsealing of the documents came at the request of The New York Times and Vice News. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan had ordered prosecutors to review the material  orginally sealed because it was deemed unrelated to the drug charges  and make portions of it public within four days after the government rested its case against Guzman.

One document says Colombian drug trafficker Alex Cifuentes, while living with Guzman around 2007, told investigators someone known as Comadre Maria would offer photos of young girls to Guzman. For $5,000, the one of Guzmans choice would be sent to a secluded Sinaloa ranch, Cifuentes said, according to the papers.

Guzman directed Cifuentes to put a powdery substance into the girls drinks before sex, said Cifuentes. Guzman called the youngest of the girls his vitamins because he believed that sexual activity with young girls gave him life, he added.

Cifuentes also admitted having sex with minors but without drugging them. The document says other co-operating witnesses have backed up the claims about Guzmans interactions with underage girls.

The co-operator told the government that he saw Guzman consulting with a witch doctor from whom he obtained sake oils, the papers said.

The documents also describe an interview with Guzman conducted by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1998 at a Mexican prison where Guzman escaped two years later. They say he allegedly asked if he could avoid extradition to the United States if he provided information to the DEA about the drug-running operations of rival cartels.MANCHESTER, Conn. - Officials say Connecticuts groundhog is predicting an early arrival of spring.

The Journal Inquirer reports Chuckles made an appearance at the Lutz Childrens Museum in Manchester Saturday morning.

Manchester Mayor Jay Moran drew a loud cheer from the room as he declared, Spring is on!

Pennsylvanias Punxsutawney Phil, the nations most famous prognosticating groundhog, made a similar prediction Saturday.

The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early.

Connecticuts groundhog doesnt look for his shadow. Instead, he whispers a prediction to the mayor. To be sure, Chuckles also predicted an early spring last year but that didnt come to pass.

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Information from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.comCOLUMBUS, Ohio - A newspaper reports two air-medical companies opted not to accept an assignment to transport a patient over concerns about the weather before a helicopter owned by a third medevac company crashed in southern Ohio, killing the pilot and two flight nurses.

The Columbus Dispatch reports West Virginia-based HealthNet Aeromedical Services and Columbus-based MedFlight were contacted Tuesday morning to transport a patient from a medical centre in Pomeroy to a Columbus hospital.

A Survival Flight helicopter crashed around 7 a.m. Tuesday in state forestland in Vinton County.

MedFlights president and CEO told the newspaper that conditions on Tuesday didnt meet the companys minimum standards to fly. HealthNet Aeromedical said atmospheric conditions fell below published operational weather minimums.

The crash killed pilot Jennifer Topper and nurses Bradley Haynes and Rachel Cunningham.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.comIn the meantime, fulfill your responsibility to the community by taking away your son's driving privileges until he has passed at least one year of randomly administered tests. Make no mistake about it, marijuana and driving do not mix. In May 2016, AAA reported that fatal automobile accidents involving drivers who had recently smoked pot doubled after Washington state legalized the drug. The additional problem is that your son may be especially susceptible to marijuana's effects. It's been discovered that impairment levels vary widely from person to person. I can't emphasize enough: Get him off the road!RICHMOND, Va. - The Latest on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams yearbook photo of a person in blackface (all times local):

12:08 a.m.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appears all but certain to resign after losing support from every Democratic state lawmaker and other close allies.

Virginias Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus and the state Senate Democratic caucus all called on Northam to resign late Friday after acknowledging he appeared in a photo from his 1984 medical school yearbook in a racist costume.

Several other influential advocacy groups with strong ties to the Democratic governor, including the League of Conservation Voters and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, also called on Northam to resign late Friday.

The governor had previously resisted calls for his resignation after the photo went public Friday afternoon.

But he now faces an almost untenable situation without the support of any Democratic lawmakers or other allies.

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9:50 p.m.

Planned Parenthood is calling on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after he acknowledged appearing in a photo wearing a racist costume.

The abortion-rights group joins a growing list of Democrats and progressive advocacy groups calling for the Democratic governor to step aside.

Northam has apologized for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform, but he is resisting calls to resign. The photo appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

Pro-choice groups such as Planned Parenthood have been key supporters of Northam during his political career. Northam has recently come under fire from Republicans for supporting looser restrictions on late-term abortions.

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9:05 p.m.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says hes committed to serving out the remainder of his term, indicating he does not plan to resign after an old photo of him wearing a racist outfit surfaced.

Northam issued a video statement late Friday apologizing for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform. The photo was published in Northams 1984 medical school yearbook and was made public Friday.

The Democratic governor says hes ready to do the hard work of regaining Virginians trust. Northams term is set to expire in 2022.

Several prominent Democrats have said Northam should resign, including two presidential hopefuls.

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8:15 p.m.

Members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus say they are still processing the news that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appeared in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

In a news release issued Friday night, the caucus said what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive.

It went on to say that while the caucus has no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests, members are still processing what we have seen about the Governor.

Northam apologized Friday night for what he called racist and offensive costumes that are seen in the photo on a page of his 1984 medical school yearbook.

He did not say which of the two costumes he was wearing.

Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Julian Castro both tweeted that Northam should step down, as did the president of the NAACP.

Some Republican Virginia lawmakers have done the same.

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8 p.m.

Two prominent Democratic presidential candidates have joined those calling for Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams resignation after he acknowledged appearing in a photo showing one person dressed in blackface and another in a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted Friday night that Northam should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and presidential candidate Julian Castro tweeted a similar message, saying Northam should resign because his behaviour was racist and unconscionable.

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Some Republican Virginia lawmakers and the NAACP have also called on Northam to step down.

Northam apologized for what he called racist and offensive costumes portrayed in the photo on a 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The governor did not say which of the two costumes he was wearing.

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7:45 p.m.

The NAACP is calling on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign over a yearbook photo in which he posed either as a person in blackface or a Ku Klux Klan member.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson tweeted Friday night that Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay.

Johnsons tweet came shortly after Northam apologized for what he called racist and offensive costumes portrayed in the photo on a 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The governor did not say which of the two costumes he was wearing.

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6:30 p.m.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has apologized for a racist and offensive costume seen on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The photo shows a person in blackface and another in full Ku Klux Klan robes. The governor did not say which costume he was wearing.

The Democratic governor said Friday that the behaviour was not in keeping with his values and he will work to heal the damage he has caused.

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5 p.m.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams 1984 yearbook page shows a picture of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood next to different pictures of the governor.

The Virginian-Pilot said it obtained a copy of the photo Friday from Eastern Virginia Medical School library, which Northam attended. The photos were first published by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics. The Associated Press confirmed the photos.

Its unclear who the people in the picture are, but the rest of the page is filled with pictures of Northam and lists his undergraduate alma mater and other information about him.

The Democratic governors office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Northam has recently come under fire from Republicans for supporting looser restrictions on late-term abortions.WASHINGTON - Senate investigators have evidence revealing the identities behind mysterious phone calls that Donald Trump Jr. had with blocked numbers during the 2016 presidential campaign, just days before he met with a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Democrats have speculated that Trump Jr. was talking to his father, who has denied knowing anything about the controversial Trump Tower meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya. But according to phone records provided to Congress, Trump Jr. spoke to Howard Lorber, a New York real estate executive, and Brian France, the former chairman of NASCAR, two people familiar with the records told The Associated Press.

The people asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

While the records shed new light on Trump Jr.s calls, Democrats have said Trump could still have found out about the meeting. Trump and his son, along with other administration officials, have said he didnt know about it.

Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the election, has zeroed in on the Trump Tower meeting and how much Trump knew about it. Mueller is also interested in the White House response to the meeting once it became public.

The White House has said the president was involved in drafting an early statement saying the meeting primarily concerned a Russian adoption program, but emails later released by Trump Jr. showed he enthusiastically agreed to the sit-down with Veselnitskaya and others after he was promised damaging information on Clinton, his fathers rival. Trump Jr. later said the promised material never materialized.

Democrats have pushed for more information about the communications between President Trump and his son related to the June 2016 meeting. According to phone records he provided to Congress, Trump Jr. had calls with two blocked numbers several days before the meeting took place, in between and after other calls he made as he organized the meeting. He said during closed-door testimony that he didnt recall with whom he had those conversations.

He also had another conversation with a blocked number after the meeting; it was not immediately clear if that call also was with Lorber or France.

Lorber is a longtime friend of Trumps who fundraised for him during the 2016 campaign and also travelled with him to Moscow in 1996 to scout out real estate projects, according to an article in The New Yorker at the time. Neither Lorber nor representatives for his company, Vector Group Ltd., responded to messages.

A spokesperson for NASCAR said France was unavailable and a lawyer for France did not return a request for comment.

The Senate records were first reported by CNN and ABC News. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said in response to the reports that they will still seek to obtain the records, along with other materials.

The House panel, then led by Republican allies of the president, closed its Russia investigation last year, saying there was no evidence of conspiracy between Russia and the campaign; the Senate investigation is still ongoing.

Those conversations could have taken place over the phone or they could have taken place by Don Jr. walking down the hall to talk to dad, Schiff said on MSNBC. But its key to understanding the presidents involvement in all of this.

Trump Jr. spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2017 behind closed doors. In a transcript of that interview later released by that committee, Trump Jr. said he didnt remember whom he had called. He also said he didnt know if his father used a blocked number.

The presidents son was also interviewed by the House intelligence panel in December 2017. In that interview, Trump Jr. said he didnt tell his father about the meeting when it happened and he declined to elaborate on what he ultimately told him after the meeting became public.

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Associated Press writers Chad Day in Washington and Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report.CULPEPER, Va. - Authorities say a Virginia pregnancy centre has been vandalized days after a debate over late-term abortion in the state capital sparked controversy nationwide.

Police said in a statement that the vandalism reported early Friday at the Pregnancy Center of Culpeper included spray-painted messages on the building and signs and a broken window. Images from the scene show the messages include YOU HATE WOMEN and FAKE.

The centre is one of the Pregnancy Centers of Central Virginia. The Christian non-profits website says it is dedicated to women and families facing unplanned pregnancy and doesnt perform or refer for abortions. President and COO DJ Carter says they havent experienced vandalism before and hes unsure of the vandals motivation. The organization is changing its name to Thrive Womens Healthcare.NEW YORK - The suspect in a fatal hammer attack last month at a Chinese restaurant in New York City was arraigned Friday from a psychiatric ward on murder and hate crime charges.

Arthur Martunovich, 34, was ordered held without bail.

He has been hospitalized since his arrest in the wake of the Jan. 15 dinnertime ambush that killed three men at Seaport Buffet in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn.

Martunovich, whos white and lived near the restaurant, told police that he felt Chinese men are awful and that he believed they hold their women captive, according to records made public after the arraignment.

Police have said Martunovich told officers he was motivated to commit the attack by a movie in which Asian men treated Asian women poorly. He allegedly told a Latino employee he encountered on his way into the restaurant that he wouldnt be harmed.

I left my apartment with the hammer, Martunovich told police, according to the records. I brought the hammer to prove my love to women. I threw the hammer but I dont remember.

Martunovichs lawyer called the case exceptionally tragic and said that the Estonian immigrant will likely spend the rest of his life in a hospital.

My client is very sick. He is very sick, lawyer Ed Mandery told The Associated Press. Its a horrible situation. Its hard to comment behind that. Hes not an evil man, hes a sick man.

Judge Danny Chun conducted the arraignment via a video hookup. Martunovichs next court date is March 4.

According to police, Martunovich walked into Seaport Buffet just after 5 p.m. and began whacking unsuspecting men working there with a hammer before fleeing on foot. A hammer was found at the scene.

Chef Fufai Pun, 34, died in the attack. Owner Kheong Ng-Thang, 60, died three days later. Manager Tsz Mat Pun, 50, died at a hospital last week.

Martunovich faces three counts under the states top murder charge, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if hes convicted.

He is also charged with assaulting two police officers after the attack.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said he is committed to seeking justice for these three victims and their heartbroken families, friends and neighbours.

This was a violent, horrific and harrowing attack on three completely innocent, hardworking men who were targeted simply because they were Asian, Gonzalez said. Sheepshead Bay, like all of Brooklyn, celebrates its diversity and will not tolerate vicious, hate-filled attacks in its community.

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Follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisakKODIAK, Alaska - A Kodiak crab fisherman convicted of fishing during a closed season was handed a hefty penalty.

Alaska State Troopers say 47-year-old Raleigh Eager was fined $25,000 and ordered to forfeit 156 Dungeness crab pots.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers on Nov. 2, 2017, pulled and inspected 156 commercial crab pots belonging to the fishing vessel Silver Fox and operated by Eager.

The Dungeness season had ended two days earlier.

The pots were baited and in fishing configuration.

Troopers seized the crab pots and transported them to Kodiak.

Eager on Jan. 15 pleaded guilty to five counts of commercial Dungeness crab fishing during a closed season.JERUSALEM - The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes an agreement can be reached to protect Palestinians in the West Bank after Israel said it would suspend the mandate of an international observation mission.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Saturday that Guterres was grateful to the five countries that contributed to conflict prevention and the protection of Palestinians under the Temporary International Presence in Hebron for the past 22 years.

On Friday, the TIPH countries  Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Italy and Turkey  condemned in a joint statement the Israeli governments unilateral decision not to extend the observer forces mission in the flashpoint city.

Hundreds of hard-line Jewish settlers guarded by thousands of soldiers live in the heart of Hebron, which has a population of over 200,000 Palestinians.ROME - Italys main Alpine highway into Austria, Germany and other areas in northern Europe has been hit by heavy snow, creating a 12-kilometre (7.5-mile) traffic jam.

Italian highway officials blamed the hours-long jam, which began early Saturday, on stuck trucks and cars that set out on the A22 highway without mandatory chains ahead of a snowstorm.

Another stretch of the highway, which leads to the Brenner Pass into Austria, was also blocked for a few hours by an avalanche a few kilometres (miles) south of the border. No injuries were reported.

An Associated Press reporter on the A22 says although the traffic jam began hours earlier, the entrance ramps to the highway still werent closed. She estimated that her car was moving north Saturday about 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) per hour.BRUSSELS - Belgium says it is willing to receive Ivory Coasts ex-president Laurent Gbagbo after he was released from International Criminal Court custody but is still discussing the details of his stay.

Foreign affairs spokesman Karl Lagatie said Saturday that Belgium had in principle accepted to receive Gbagbo but details would be worked out in the coming days.

Gbagbo faces conditions upon his release and must pledge to return to court if needed and not leave the country that agrees to house him. Prosecution lawyers want to ensure his return for their appeals phase.

Lagatie said Belgium had acted out of support for the court, which is based in neighbouring Netherlands.

It is unclear where Gbagbo is at present. He was acquitted of involvement in deadly violence after Ivory Coasts 2010 election.MEXICO CITY - An American anarchist who went by the name John Galton was shot dead at his home in the Mexican resort of Acapulco, sending shivers through a tightknit anti-establishment community of expatriates that organizes events in the violence-torn retreat with seminars on topics such as how to make money via cryptocurrencies.

A woman describing herself as Johns partner, Lily, said via social media that she saw the gunmen go straight for John and his friend Jason Henza, 43. Henza made it to a private hospital with bullet wounds in an armpit, leg and hand. The hospital said he checked out that same day. Mexican police found equipment to process drugs, glass pipes and marijuana plants at the home.

Lily and Henza both posted videos to Facebook immediately after the shooting. Lily screamed: I really need help! Somebody please come. In his post, a bearded Henza said in a blood-smattered T-Shirt: We were attacked. Ive been shot three times. Im not doing so good.

Prior to the shooting, John and Lily hosted weekly Meat Ups at a local restaurant where self-professed carnivores dined only on meat. They were also busy recruiting speakers for an anarchist conference set to take place in Acapulco later in February. The dreadlocked couple, both in their 20s, posted a video to Facebook two months ago calling for attendees at the conference.

We want freedom of ideas, John said from the patio of a house that the couple rented for $400 a month high above the bay of Acapulco. Waves lapped gently far below and roosters crowed as he spoke.

Lily did not respond to request for comment via social media on Saturday. Henza declined to comment. A U.S. Department of State official said the Bureau of Consular Affairs was aware of an investigation into the death of a U.S. citizen in Acapulco, but that it couldnt provide additional information due to privacy considerations.

John Galton could be a pseudonym, a nod to John Galt, the fictional character who defies convention in Ayn Rands individualistic tome Atlas Shrugged. John Galt is idolized among some anarchist groups who resent state overreach.

In a separate video posted to a YouTube channel called Press For Truth, John and Lily described how, in early 2016, they fled drug charges in the U.S. John said they each faced up to 25 years in prison for manufacture of a controlled substance - specifically, condensing marijuana into powerful extracts - that Lily used for chronic pain.

No U.S. federal court records for drug charges were found under the name John Galton.

In a second video a year later by Press For Truth, the couple detailed how they were getting by financially through selling glass drug pipes that Lily blew into shape. When asked about the high crime rates in Acapulco, the blue-eyed anarchist with scruffy facial hair said: Id say its safer than any big city Ive lived in in the U.S., like way safer than Chicago or something like that.

Guerrero state, home to Acapulco, has a murder rate of 64.2 per 100,000 residents, more than two times that of Chicago. Acapulco has become a hotbed for violence between drug gangs.

Theres pockets of freedom all over the world, John said in the video. Theres so much thats more free about where we live here.

-Associated Press writer Jose Antonio Rivera contributed to this story from Acapulco.RICHMONDGov. Ralph Northam of Virginia, facing pressure from his own party to resign, said Saturday he would not quit and denied that he appeared in Ku Klux Klan robes or in blackface in images from his medical school yearbook that have upended his governorship.

I am not either of the people in that photo, Northam, a Democrat, told reporters at a news conference in the governors mansion. My first impression actually was, This couldnt be me.

Pressed on why he initially apologized anyway, Northam said he wanted to take credit for recognizing that this was a horrific photo that was on my page with my name on it.

The governor called the images, which first surfaced Friday afternoon, offensive, racist and despicable. But he said: I cannot in good conscience choose the path that would be easier for me to duck the responsibility to reconcile.

But he may have made his effort to remain in office more difficult by revealing that he had darkened his face with shoe polish in the 1980s at a Michael Jackson-inspired dance party in Texas when he was a young Army officer.

I look back now and regret that I did not understand the harmful legacy of an action like that, he said.

Read more:

Virginia Democrat says Northam wont resign

Virginia governors medical school yearbook page shows men in blackface, KKK robe

Virginias legislative black caucus did not wait for the news conference to end before issuing a statement reaffirming their call the governor to quit. Noting that Northam initially said Friday that he was in the photograph, the group of legislators, who are all Democrats, said: The damage that has been done by these revelations is irreparable.

The Virginia Democratic Party said it stood by its call earlier Saturday for Northam to resign. And the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez, also urged the governor to step aside.

Northam asked Virginians for forgiveness and said he understood not all of the states citizens would believe him. He said he consulted with his family and friends, including a classmate who said that there were photo mix-ups on other pages in the yearbook. It is definitely not me, he said.

He said that he had not bought the yearbook and had never seen it. But most state leaders said privately that Northams initial acknowledgment that he was in the photo made it all but impossible for him to remain in office.The whole thing about what makes this good is that a lot of stuff we make, not only is it good but its a pain in the neck to make, Pinger said. Its messy, youve got to have special equipment and everything. ... Now you just come in and get it, its all made for you, you come in and you get amazing prepared food.BALTIMOREA federal judge on Friday dismissed Marylands attempt to protect the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, from any Trump administration efforts to dismantle it.

The Maryland Attorney Generals Office had sought a declaration that the national health care act is constitutional.

But U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Baltimore ruled that the state lacked standing to pursue the case because there was no firm evidence of impending harm to the law.

Hollander wrote that there was little dispute that U.S. President Donald Trump had profound disdain for the act.

But the states allegations do not create a plausible inference of a substantial or certainly impending risk that the Trump administration will cease enforcement of part or all of the ACA, she wrote.

In effect, the state proclaims that the sky is falling. But, falling acorns, even several of them, do not amount to a falling sky.

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Democrats have accused the administration of trying to sabotage the health care law that was partially undone when Congress repealed a mandate in 2017 that required most Americans to buy insurance or risk a tax penalty.

Youd have to be living in a cave to not know Donald Trump hates the Affordable Care Act, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said in an interview after the judges ruling. But his statements, she says, are not enough.

Hollander dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled if circumstances place the state on firmer legal ground.

There is a continuum of things that might give rise to standing, in her view. Frosh said.

The U.S. Justice Department is pleased by the ruling, said spokeswoman Kelly Laco, who did not elaborate.

In December, a federal judge in Texas ruled the health care law is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor held that the law could not legally stand once Congress eliminated the tax penalty for people without health insurance. But the decision has been stayed pending an appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In dismissing Marylands suit, the judge did not rule on a related claim by lawyers for Frosh.

The lawyers argued in a December hearing that the Trump administration displaced a U.S. Senate-approved official Rod Rosenstein who was properly in line to become acting U.S. Attorney General and illegally named Matthew Whitaker instead. Whitakers appointment, they said, violated the U.S. Constitutions appointments clause.

The requests in the suit were connected, Marylands attorneys argued, because Whitaker if he was improperly appointed should not be making significant decisions about whether to enforce the health care act.

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The appointment of Whitaker has been challenged in multiple court cases. He is the former chief of staff to Jeff Sessions, before Trump ousted Sessions as U.S. Attorney General last year.

The Justice Department called Whitaker a totally sensible and reasonable choice.

Trump has named former U.S. Attorney General William Barr to again head the Justice Department. Barr served in the post from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. Barrs confirmation hearing concluded recently, but the Senate has not voted on his nomination.

Read more about:Two men have been arrested in connection with thefts from liquor stores in as many as 40 separate incidents, Toronto police say.

Officers responded to a call Jan. 16 about a theft at an LCBO store at 675 Wilson Ave. in North York, said police Det. Matthew Routh. With help from a citizen who followed the two men outside the store and took down the licence plate, the officers found the car. After a foot chase, the two were arrested, said Routh.

Dennis James, 25, of Toronto, has been charged with theft under $5,000, theft over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence, obstruct peace officer, two counts of fail to comply with probation, and failing to comply recognizance.

Nathaniel Snowden, 31, of Toronto, has been charged with theft under $5,000, theft over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence, three counts of fail to comply with probation, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

Police spokeswoman Katrina Arrogante says further investigation has led officers to believe that the two men were allegedly involved in numerous incidents at LCBO locations in the Greater Toronto Area, which has led to the retail loss of about $92,000.

Arrogante says officers have recovered some of the stolen alcohol, which is worth about $38,000.

Two months ago, the Star reported about the increase of LCBO thefts in Toronto.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

Correction  February 4, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the number of thefts from liquor stores the suspects were believed to be involved. Incorrect information was provided to the Star.

With files from The Canadian PressA 29-year-old Ontario man admitted Friday that he left Canada four years ago to try to join Daesh militants in Syria after harbouring increasingly radical beliefs.

Pamir Hakimzadah, who is from Toronto, pleaded guilty to one count of leaving Canada to participate in a terrorist activity.

Hakimzadah left Toronto on Oct. 22, 2014 and flew to Istanbul where he tried to find a way into Syria to join Daesh of Iraq and the Levant, said Crown lawyer Christopher Walsh, who was reading from an agreed statement of facts.

The purpose of Pamirs trip was to enter Syria via Turkey, Walsh said. There he intended to join a terrorist group known as Daesh.

The trip took place as Hakimzadah exhibited increasingly radical Islamic beliefs, Walsh said.

He spoke either in favour or in defence of Daesh, the prosecutor said. He viewed online Daesh content such as videos and posts. He also viewed a website that provided instructions on how to get into Syria.

Four days after he arrived in Turkey, a taxi driver suspected Hakimzadah was attempting to join the terrorist group and turned him in to police, court heard.

Turkish authorities detained the lone traveller and deported Hakimzadah back to Canada on Nov. 19, 2014. He was also banned from Turkey for a year, court heard.

Hakimzadah had previously commented that Muslims are being oppressed all over the world and that its up to other Muslims to go fight, Walsh said.

His family did not share his views.

After he returned from Turkey, he admitted he left Canada to contribute to the fight for Allah, but was caught beforehand, court heard. A family member reported Hakimzadah to police.

Hakimzadah, dressed in a black sweater over a white collared shirt and black dress pants, sat quietly in the prisoner box during the proceedings. He smiled at his family in the courtroom while he was led out in handcuffs.

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His brother smiled back, his father waved and his mother wept.

Hakimzadah returns to court on Feb. 26 for a sentencing hearing.

Read more about:The Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBOT) wants the province to clear a backlog of development appeals that it says are holding up the construction of as many as 28,000 housing units in the city of Toronto, mostly condos, which could accommodate up to 60,000 people.

If only half of the developments win on appeal that would put 14,000 homes on track for construction, says the business group.

It wants the provincial budget to include a few million to hire a team of temporary adjudicators to clear the appeals that are already being scheduled into next year.

The appeals are being heard at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) that adjudicates municipal planning issues such as land use, environment and heritage matters. But the majority of the outstanding cases are actually being heard under the rules of the old Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the LPATs predecessor.

Although there are long-standing challenges with delays and the citys rampant development means there are many appeals, the transition from the OMB to the LPAT last year has worsened the backlog, said board of trade vice-president Brian Kelcey.

It created an incentive for people to file their appeals on the old (OMB) model, which was more predictable for development proponents and critics alike. There was a surge in applications before that deadline and not enough new resources to cope with the heavy pressure on appeals that were already there, he said.

Theyre only going to be resolved if theres enough tribunal members and staff to actually hear these appeals, Kelcey said.

The board of trade counted 137 appeals awaiting hearings, among them 97 residential single and multi-unit development applications. Of those, 88 are OMB cases.

They involve 27,139 units that TRBOT says could house up to 46,424 people. Another 2,659 residents could occupy the 1,645 homes that are subject to LPAT appeals.

The City of Toronto also included the LPAT appeals backlog among its recommendations to the provinces Housing Supply Action Plan, said Councillor Ana Bailao (Ward 9, Davenport), councils point-person on housing.

We know that when you have to wait two years for a hearing it is a problem, she said.

The city would also have a responsibility to address the situation by scaling up, Bailao said. We would have to make sure we have staff to attend the hearings and make the case that council wants them to support, she said.

There are other gains to clearing the LPAT appeals, including a resolution on the citys short-term rental regulations that is awaiting a hearing in August.

There are currently 16 full-time and six part-time LPAT adjudicators, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General. The government has been recruiting more full-time adjudicators since October and plans to recommend some of the applicants be appointed, said an email from a spokesperson. No date was provided.

Because the LPAT operates independent of government, the ministry cannot comment on its processes, said the email.

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Hiring adjudicators would be an investment in the housing sector that plays a key role in the provincial economy, Kelcey said.

The call to speed home construction comes as Queens Park is looking at ways to boost the provincial housing supply. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark has said he expects to issue a plan by June.Where is our pool? read one of the signs held aloft by children who had waded into the reflecting pool in Nathan Phillips Square on a summer day in July 1969.

Their protest was over the lack of recreation space in their Regent Park neighbourhood and their demand was for a wading pool for those hot days.

It would take several more decades for their request to be exceeded by the state-of-the art Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre, which opened its glass doors in 2012 with a 25-metre lap pool, hot tub, water slides and more in the heart of a neighbourhood in the midst of revitalization.

But now that there is plenty of pool right in their backyard, Regent Park and nearby residents say they are consistently struggling to access the new space and that most of the people signed up for the popular swim programs are coming from other parts of the city, a claim backed up by City of Toronto data.

The data provided to the Star shows that only about a quarter of the registrations at the aquatic centre for the most recent fall/winter session of city-run programs were for registrants whose home address was in Regent Park or the area immediately surrounding it.

And while there continues to be a waiting list tens of thousands of people long for recreation programs across the city, the Star has learned that the most recent budget recommendations would significantly delay the council-approved goal of creating 70,000 new spaces in three years. Instead of 25,000 new spaces council had approved for 2019, the latest budget includes just 7,500 spaces and stretches the plan over five years instead of three.

Read more:

Regent Park community reflects and regroups as final chapter of rebuild begins

In response to questions about proposed delay, Mayor John Torys spokesperson, Don Peat, noted Torys earlier push to increase the number of recreation spaces funded in 2018.

This is just the beginning of the 2019 budget process, he said in a statement. The budget committee will be reviewing the staff recommendations in the coming weeks and will make further recommendations.

In the case of Regent Park, nobody is abusing the system. The city has a policy that allows anyone to access any centre regardless of where they live or their income level. Someone who lives in a suburb but works downtown might prefer to use a centre en route. Across the city, there are just not enough recreation spaces for those who want them, creating a competitive environment during registration and the long waiting list.

Mary Ann Scott, a mom of three in the Church and Dundas Sts. area and member of the group Access to Recreation, which was created by Regent Park parents over these types of concerns, knows how it feels to be missing out.

Scott said she typically lines up overnight outside a local community centre at 8 p.m. ahead of registration that begins 7 a.m. the next morning in hopes of getting her children into the programs they helped pick out  swimming at the aquatic centre as well as gymnastics and other programs at the nearby Regent Park Community Centre.

Thats because shes competing with other parents, some who are using multiple devices and high-speed internet to get through the citys often cumbersome online system in hopes of getting the spaces they want.

Hani Afrah, also mother of three who grew up and still lives in Regent Park, met Scott waiting in line to register. As a member of the Access to Recreation group since its inception, she said they have no issue with the aquatic centre attracting people from across the city. They just want priority to ensure local residents can use the space.

We know that if youth know to swim, how to skate theyd rather be doing those things than getting into trouble, she said, adding she feels sad to see that her childrens friends miss out on programs.

They feel disadvantaged and the community centre is right there.

The gleaming aquatic centre, with windows overlooking the park under a cedar-panelled roof, has been celebrated for its sleek and welcoming design. On a recent weekday, moms pushing strollers traded recipes in the warm, chlorine-scented lobby. A meeting was being held in a nearby multi-purpose room thats sometimes used for kids birthday parties.

The Regent Park Community Centre was also rebuilt as part of the revitalization, featuring a gym, indoor track, dance studio, weights room and more.

Share your thoughts

Both centres in Regent Park  which the city still officially designates as a priority neighbourhood based on low income and other factors  offer free programs for children and adults, and they are both at or near capacity with extensive wait lists, according to recently-posted city budget documents.

Scott said their community has also been squeezed every time there are local emergencies. Recent cold-weather alerts and a fire at the 650 Parliament St. apartment building have seen the community centre taken over for shelter, cancelling programs for residents.

On one such day in September of last year, Mackai Bishop Jackson, who had just turned 15, was shot and killed up the street from the centre while outside an apartment building with his friends. He often attended the after-school programs at the community centre, which was closed at the time because of the 650 Parliament fire. His death has left friends and neighbours wondering if his fate would have been different had the centre been open that day.

Whats the logic in closing down a recreation centre in a community that needs places for children to be? Scott asked. It should have never been closed in the first place.

The aquatic centre replaced an existing recreation centre and outdoor pool in what was once an insular Toronto Community Housing complex of interlocking lowrise apartments and highrise towers. The long-term revitalization of Regent Park, still underway, has seen TCH units demolished and rebuilt alongside market condos and townhomes surrounding a park and the new aquatic centre.

The site is one of 38 city-designated free centres, which are selected based on their proximity  within 1.5 kilometres  of census areas where at least 30 per cent of families are classified as low-income.

However, the city has a policy that allows anyone to access any centre regardless of where they live or their income. City staff say participants typically travel within 3.5 (kilometres) of a recreation centre for registered programs.

The city also has what is called a welcome policy that provides a limited amount of funding to low-income families to access programs at paid-for centres.

The city provided data for all fall/winter registrations in Regent Park by forward sortation area  the first three digits of a postal code. The area for Regent Park also includes neighbourhoods including Cabbagetown and St. Lawrence.

That means it is likely that of the 326 sign-ups in that immediate area captured in the data provided to the Star, not all were made by Regent Park residents, meaning even fewer than 25 per cent of all registrations came from Regent Park.

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The data shows residents living as far away as the Kingsway and Malvern are accessing the centre for programs. And there are more sign-ups from East York, The Danforth, Riverdale, Leslieville and the Beach combined than from the Regent Park area.

At the Regent Park Community Centre, which is also a free centre, registrations from the immediate area made up 40 per cent of all sign-ups.

Both recreation facilities also offer free drop-in hours.

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents the Regent Park area, said the data confirms what those in the community already knew  that the majority of those signed up for swimming programs live outside the community.

After advocates recently organized to demand Regent Park residents be given priority access, Wong-Tam moved a motion at committee earlier this month to have staff explore a pilot project to increase recreation availability at local schools. Staff say a pilot could be launched in the fall of 2019 but the $160,000 cost is currently unfunded.

They had already said quite eloquently and with a lot of urgency that we needed to reform the system so that people who had championed these facilities, who had borne the brunt of construction impacts, who had waited patiently, could have access to their own swimming pool, Wong-Tam said. It reconfirms what communities are feeling, is that theyre struggling to get their children and themselves and families into recreation programs.

The city has 123 community recreation centres, 119 splash pads, 61 indoor pools, 59 outdoor pools, 68 outdoor artificial ice rinks from Etobicoke to Scarborough, serving 10.7 million programmed visits each year, according to the most recent budget documents.

But not all neighbourhoods are treated equally. While there are a number of recreation centres, not all have the same amenities. For example, there are large areas that are not served by an indoor pool, such as most of Etobicoke North and large pockets of Scarborough. There are only four indoor pools in all of northern Scarborough, where staff have had to scramble to find temporary program spaces after one centre in Agincourt caught fire Thursday.

There is a concentration of free centres in or near the eastern part of downtown, including the aquatic centre, Regent Park Community Centre, Wellesley Community Centre, John Innes Community Recreation Centre and the Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre. Another free centre, Secord Community Centre, is near Danforth Ave. and Main St.

Of those, three have pools. The Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre provides more than twice the number of time slots for swim programs than both the Jimmie Simpson and John Innes pools, offering a total 208 options for swim classes during the fall and winter registration.

Across the entire city there are 11 free centres that have pools, two in the Etobicoke and York district, two in North York, one in Scarborough and six in the Toronto and East York district.

According to a staff briefing note provided to council during the 2018 budget process, there were more than 600,000 recreation spaces across the city and more than 198,000 wait-listed spaces representing more than 62,000 people on the waiting list. Those are 2016 numbers, but said to be the most recent, verified data.

To try to address the waiting list, city staff proposed a growth plan in 2017 to add 60,000 new spaces over three years. During the 2018 budget process, council increased the number added in that first year, bringing the total new spaces planned to 70,000 at a net cost of $2.4 million.

City staff say both Regent Park recreation centres directly benefited from that growth plan, with the total number of registered recreation spaces increasing 22 per cent in 2018, creating more than 1,500 new openings.

But after staff were asked to bring forward budgets this year that froze spending at last years levels, the 2019 recommended budget from staff only plans for 7,500 new spaces to be added in the second year of the growth plan  17,500 fewer than the 25,000 council approved. It will now take five years, staff say, to reach the goal of 70,000 new spaces. The budget process continues for the next month and will be finalized by council in March.

Responding to the Star late Friday evening, city staff said they misrepresented council direction in their budget notes, saying council had decided to fast-track the plan and that council never intended to actually expand the plan from 60,000 to 70,000 spaces.

There is nothing we can find in councils decisions and direction that indicates councils intention to expand the plan from 60,000 to 70,000, but rather that they wanted staff to implement more spaces in the first year, a city spokesperson said, adding they would be correcting a budget note.

A 2018 budget briefing note from staff outlined how adding an additional 10,000 spaces in the first year of the plan would increase the total number of spaces to 70,000. Council later voted to further increase the number of spaces funded in 2018 to 20,000.

The original three-year plan would have seen 35,000 spaces approved by the end of 2019. The current budget plan would see just 27,500 approved even with the increased number of spaces council added in 2018  still 7,500 short on the original growth plan.

Asked about stretching the original plan over five years, the city spokesperson said: Given our experience in the accelerated implementation of the first 20,000 new spaces in the first phase of the program, we have recommended a more gradual implementation of the remaining 40,000 spaces.

Wong-Tam said the city should be able to set a target and then allocate the resources needed to make it happen.

Clearly theres a disconnect there, she said.MONTREALQuebecs order of doctors is urging its members to watch out for signs of syphilis in pregnant women as rates of the sexually transmitted infection continue to rise.

The College des medecins du Quebec says the sexually transmitted infection can have serious long-term consequences for newborns, but that they can be easily avoided with treatment.

Spokesperson Jean-Bernard Trudeau says some doctors may forget to look out for signs of the infection since it was almost eradicated at the end of the 1990s.

But from 2010 to 2015, the rate of infectious syphilis in Canada increased by almost 86 per cent. And while most cases occur in men, Quebec alone reported 172 cases in women aged 15 to 49 in 2017.

The province also recorded seven cases of congenital syphilis  or syphilis which is present at birth  between 2016 and 2017, compared to only five for the 15 previous years.

Syphilis is often asymptomatic but signs can include a rash or sores in the mouth, genital or anal area. The order says anyone who is concerned about the infection should consult a doctor and get tested.

Read more:

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Read more about:MCADAM, N.B.The mayor of a small New Brunswick village says the community has been inundated with calls and emails after it offered to sell plots of land for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Ken Stannix said McAdam, N.B.  population 1,225  has seen a small population boost in recent years, but he hopes that selling empty plots of land for $1 each will further bolster the numbers.

The town announced in November that it would offer the deal on 16 plots of land, and since then, more than 600 interested buyers have contacted them from across the country, and even from faraway places like India and Pakistan.

We didnt really anticipate that, said Stannix. We thought there would be some interest in it and we would probably attract some, but we werent ready for the 600-plus people who called and sent emails.

McAdam, about an hours drive southwest of Fredericton, has three major draws, he said: industry, tourism and retirement. Its home to two manufacturing plants, a historic railway station that attracts thousands of visitors each year, a lakeside campground, local businesses and services for seniors.

The idea to sell the plots of land has been in the works for about two years. The town formed a community action group to address the villages population, which had been in decline for decades following the collapse of their rail industry.

Since then, the village has sold 62 houses, heralding in a modest population bump and increased interest in McAdam.

Suddenly, we had people coming to us and saying, Is there any land available? Wed like to build, but we cant find any lots, said Stannix.

He said the town approached the provincial government and offered to buy the 16 plots of land, which range in size from 665 to 1,086 square metres.

While each plot is valued between $5,000 and $7,500, Stannix said the village paid substantially less for the land, with the provinces understanding that they had a plan to increase the communitys population.

He said the pool of applicants has been narrowed down to 86 people  11 of whom have already been selected as suitable buyers, mostly comprising of young retirees and families.

Stannix said the close-knit town is focused on choosing buyers who would like to build houses and spend their lives in the village instead of developers looking to build properties and sell them.

We had people that called and said, I want to take all 16 lots and Ill build houses on them, and that really wasnt what we were looking for, he said.

What we wanted to do is have people take a look at the village: know where they were buying the lots, where they were planning to move, because their success is our success.

Because of the high demand, he said applications have closed.

This isnt the first time a town has drastically reduced the cost of land to attract new residents. In 2017, the small town of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., offered to reimburse 90 per cent of the cost of the land if people built on it within two years  reducing the land cost to as little as $500 in some cases.

As of November, 24 new families chose to buy pre-existing homes in the community after learning about the offer.

Stannix said the ultimate goal is to increase McAdams population by at least a thousand.

Back in the heyday of McAdam, when it was a railroad town, and we had lots of people working with the railroad here, we probably had a population of about 2,700 to about 3,000, he said. And many people here thought that population size was the goal to shoot for.

He said hes reached out to companies to set up shop in the community to increase services for their new residents.

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The land promotion is also attracting interest in the sale of pre-existing homes, said Stannix. As an example, he pointed to a conversation he had with a retirement-age man in Ontario who was initially interested buying a plot of land, but instead considered selling his million-dollar home, buying a house in the village, and retiring on what he could sell his house for.

He said, I think, if you dont mind, Ill just buy a house there, and I said, oh my heavens, I dont mind if you buy a house! Were just happy to have you come down, said Stannix.

The biggest thing is these people that come, they have energy and they have ideas. And that helps the community grow.

Read more about:HALIFAXTwo Dalhousie researchers studying babies exposed to opioids during pregnancy were shocked to see what little work has been done on the subject  and what little consensus there is on treatment.

We know that this problem has risen about three to fivefold, not just here in Nova Scotia but across Canada and really North America in the last decade, said Marsha Campbell-Yeo, an associate professor at Dalhousie Universitys school of nursing as well as a neonatal nurse practitioner and clinician scientist at the IWK Health Centre.

Any problem that ... has that much of a rise is something that we all should care about.

Campbell-Yeo described Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) as a constellation of symptoms experienced by babies, including extreme jitteriness, diarrhea, vomiting, poor feeding and excessive crying.

I expected there to be good, solid, evidence-based (studies) from which people are making their treatment decisions, said Tim Disher, a third-year nursing PhD student at Dalhousie. But it was pretty shockingly small.

Campbell-Yeo and Disher co-authored a study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics  The Science of Child and Adolescent Health. The study examined the use of drug therapy to treat newborns for NAS and its effect on the length of treatment and hospital stays.

Despite the increased incidence of babies being born opioid-dependent, the resulting high cost to the health-care system and the suffering of both babies and their families, Campbell-Yeo said theres really no consensus on the best way to treat babies born with NAS.

Theres significant variations across not just the province but across Canada and the United States and the world, she said.

Despite a lot of work that has been done in adults (affected by opioids), theres not been the same amount of rigorous work and research done looking at babies who could potentially be affected. I think we and others really are moving towards trying to answer some of the questions in the gap of our knowledge.

Campbell-Yeo said existing literature indicates nonpharmacological interventions are successful for NAS-diagnosed newborns about half the time. Those interventions include keeping moms and babies together, encouraging skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding and reducing exposure to light and noise.

But when those fundamental measures dont work, Campbell-Yeo and Disher wanted to know which of the drug treatment options had the best outcomes.

Disher crunched the data using 18 randomized clinical trials.

You start from kind of a huge number. We had over 2,000 references to go through in the beginning, Disher explained. You kind of whittle it down until you find the set that actually answers the question youre interested in.

Campbell-Yeo said they discovered that although the two most commonly used drug treatments for NAS-diagnosed babies are morphine and phenobarbital, the existing literature suggests they arent necessarily the best options.

What was most surprising to us was that they collectively ranked the poorest on our outcomes of interest that we most cared about: how long these babies were treated and how long they needed to stay in hospital, she explained.

Our findings would suggest that use of buprenorphine, which is a much less commonly used medication because it is quite new, actually appeared to be ranked the best both with respect to those outcomes of how long the child required treatment and how long they required hospitalization and without any evidence of immediate harm.

Campbell-Yeo said that while their study is useful, it needs to be interpreted with some caution. Because there are so few quality studies, she said, more work is needed to help clinicians make the best treatment decisions.

While we were able to find this very interesting finding, we have to caution that the quality of our work is really based on the quality of studies that have been done, she said.

Its likely not enough yet to actually go and do a large-scale practice change across every place that is caring for these babies.

In the absence of larger-scale, time-consuming trials that would provide more definitive answers, Campbell-Yeo said more collaboration across existing networks could prove useful.

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There are large existing networks of people who care for babies, so we have the Canadian Neonatal Network or similar neonatal network in the U.S., she explained.

Clinicians who care for these children probably should be reaching out amongst these collaboratives to ask people who have more experience with these new medications, and perhaps there will be some ability to make some small practice changes while were waiting for the definitive answers.

The pair have received a great deal of feedback on their study. Theyre hopeful itll lead to more research in this area.

It has highlighted to some sort of an aha moment, that what weve been doing all along may not be the best and we need to look beyond that for other possible areas of treatment, Campbell-Yeo said.

Yvette dEntremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont

Read more about:HALIFAXAbout 100 people marched across the MacDonald Bridge Saturday afternoon calling for government action on Indigenous concerns that span the country.

The Indigenous Rights March started on the Dartmouth side of the bridge just before noon with police stopping traffic to clear the road.

Todays rally is because of the failed nation-to-nation relationship with the Canadian colonial government, said organizer Suzanne Patles in an interview.

In an era of reconciliation, we see no action, she said.

Patles said signs of the governments failure exist in Nova Scotia  with the proposed Alton Gas Shubenacadie River project and the Northern Pulp mill in Pictou  and extend across Canada.

Many of the marchers carried signs of solidarity with the Wetsuweten First Nation in B.C., where last month there was a standoff between Indigenous land defenders and the RCMP over the contested construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

Wetsuweten leaders eventually reached an agreement with RCMP to allow Coastal GasLink to start pre-construction, but the work was called to a stop two weeks later over safety concerns. On social media, Indigenous opponents of the pipeline say that Coastal GasLink continues to cause destruction.

Patles said one motive for the march in Halifax was to show love and support for the Wetsuweten people.

Rebecca Moore was one of the 14 people arrested on Jan. 7 on Wetsuweten territory when the conflict erupted. She was back home in Halifax on Saturday and at the front of the group crossing the bridge.

When the march arrived in Halifax it turned down Gottingen St. and people packed into the Bus Stop Theatre, where Moore addressed the crowd, telling them about her experience travelling to B.C. to stand in solidarity with the Wetsuweten people.

We just have to keep being relentless, she said.

I've been a part of many movements and I find that that is a key part of it, is just being relentless and not stopping, not giving up.

Moore said she believes that public pressure can shift things, and urged the audience to continue opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

Moore said she would be returning to B.C. for a court appearance next week.

Tonya Francis of Pictou Landing First Nation spoke to the crowd about a different contentious pipeline  the one that pumps effluent from the Northern Pulp mill into Boat Harbour.

Francis described herself as a water protector and said she is really really hoping that on Jan. 31, 2020 that they actually do follow through with stopping dumping in our backyard.

The provincial government mandated in 2015 that the pulp and paper mill find another way to treat its effluent by the date Francis mentioned, but on Jan. 31  as Pictou Landing First Nation celebrated the one-year countdown  the mill said it needed an extension.

Francis said that shes preparing for the possibility that the mill might not meet the deadline.

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If it doesnt, she said: I'm going to raise hell and cause a lot of s---.

Halifax police issued a news release following Saturdays march, acknowledging their part in temporarily closing the bridge.

The protest was peaceful and police encountered no issues with the protesters. We would like to thank all members of the public for their assistance and patience during this period of traffic interruption, the release said.

Read more about:I got to appreciate the artistry of costume design firsthand as a background player in the CBC period drama Frankie Drake Mysteries.

I was an extra, barely onscreen for a second. But my wardrobe, which consisted of a husky, seemingly bulletproof three-piece tweed suit and blue velvet hat, with matching brogues, immediately transported me to a sense of place.

You might never see some of the clothes, but it really informs the character, and the more detailed and layered you get the better it is for the actor, says Joanna Syrokomla, the costume designer for fellow Shaftesbury series Murdoch Mysteries.

Syrokomla also happens to be the co-chair of the inaugural Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design Awards on Feb. 10, which will celebrate the best in film and television design in Canada at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

Its strange that Canadians have never had a night that is the equivalent of Hollywoods Costume Designers Guild Awards. There are, of course, awards for costume design in film and TV at the Canadian Screen Awards. (Trysha Bakker won for Maudie in 2017). But that doesnt recognize the breadth of accomplishment in an important industry. Thats where the alliance, a.k.a. CAFTCAD, comes in.

Film and television production in Canada has really exploded and there is so much quality and depth of talent out there that goes unrecognized, says Syrokomla, who is nominated in the inaugural awards for her work on Murdoch Mysteries, the web series Chateau Laurier and short film Roped.

The power of the moving image to influence fashion has been well documented.

Diane Keatons artful layering of menswear in Annie Hall is still referenced today. Audrey Hepburn in Givenchys little black dress defined elegance. And Edith Heads work on The Sting or Theoni V. Aldredges vision of The Great Gatsby in the 1970s created a surge of period-influenced clothing.

And who can forget Patricia Fields work on Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker: it created a high-low fashion esthetic of $5 bargain bin tutus and thousand-dollar Manolo Blahniks that remains relevant decades later.

In the early days Hollywood productions shooting in Canada would simply fly up their stylists and designers. But that has changed as Canadians have made a name for themselves on the global scene.

That includes nominee Luis Sequeira for his sweet, strangely nostalgic work in The Shape of Water (for which he received an Oscar nomination), Debra Hanson of CBCs Schitts Creek and Michael Ground of Citytvs Bad Blood.

There are 13 categories, including for web series, short film and even television fantasy and science fiction. Shows with multiple nods include Space channels Killjoys with two, and three each for The Shape of Water and Netflixs A Series of Unfortunate Events.

CAFTCAD nominees have to be citizens or permanent residents of Canada to qualify and to have worked on projects shot here.

One of the most competitive categories in the inaugural year is the low budget feature category, in which designers rarely get recognized.

They are doing incredible work with very little money to put on the screen, says Syrokomla.

But every designer at every price point has to pull off magic.

For her work on Murdoch Mysteries, Syrokomla creates custom-made bespoke clothing for the main characters. But she is not beyond picking up a high-necked ruffle blouse or two from Zara or Forever 21 and repurposing them as turn-of-the-century creations. Of course, art always balances with practicality. The blouses are recut with buttons in the back because you wouldnt want to mess up a good hairdo.

You are constantly making adjustments on the fly, says Syrokomla. Born and raised in Toronto, the designer says she wanted to be a trapeze artist, doctor and poet before ending up as a costume designer.

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The trapeze artist is always a balancing act, the doctor always sees everyone in their underwear, and there is poetry in your work and talking people into things they dont necessarily want to wear, laughs the designer.

Meanwhile, the first CAFTCAD Industry Icon Award will be given to designer Delphine White. She established herself with the early and incredibly influential films of David Cronenberg, including Scanners and Videodrome. She also worked with Norman Jewison, Barry Levinson and, most recently, Guillermo del Toro on the fourth season of The Strain.

I have been so lucky imagining other peoples lives, said White in a statement. I cant think of a better way to spend a lifetime.Several customers among the 139 on board are being treated for injuries and discomfort by local paramedics, the airline said in a written statement. We have removed the aircraft from service and will accommodate those wishing to continue their travel with another aircraft.EDMONTONStyrofoam cups and plastic straws dont hold much water in Edmonton, and the city is looking for a way to keep them out of the trash.

A City of Edmonton report outlining feedback for a new 25-year waste strategy found most of the city is behind scrapping (or at least stemming) single-use plastics.

According to city surveys, between 66 and 77 per cent of those who responded support the elimination or restriction of single-use plastic items in the city  disposable items like straws, bags, styrofoam cups. Support for restrictions from the commercial and industrial sector ranged between 65 and 67 per cent.

There was a lot of support out there in the big sense that we needed to do something around that, Henderson said, noting the results were encouraging.

The report also included research from Waste Free Edmonton, a grassroots group driven to reducing single-use disposables, that looked at single-use plastic restrictions made by more than 100 jurisdictions around the world, including Canada.

Based on available data, those measures, the group added, which range from a ban to fees, cut usage by 50 to 90 per cent.

Read more:

Paper straws are no good unless you compost them, Edmonton waste business says

Edmonton festivals sending truckloads of trash to landfill that could be diverted, waste business says

Edmonton councillor looking at ways to stop single-use plastics

Compared to a decade ago, Henderson said the research supplied valuable examples to help the city design policy to curb plastic waste in its own backyard.

You were really guessing about what would be effective and what wouldnt be effective, he added. Weve now got some really good information on what works.

Melissa Goriee, a co-founder and director of Waste Free Edmonton, addressed the committee Friday morning and offered a list of recommendations to help shape a single-use plastic bylaw for Edmonton.

The recommendations included a ban on disposables like styrofoam containers and plastic straws, so long as reusable or compostable alternatives of the latter (like paper straws) be available for accessibility.

For other disposable containers, the group suggested legislating a surcharge, and requiring that these items be constructed from compostable or recyclable material.

A hybrid approach was proposed for grocery bags, where the single-use plastic variety is banned and a charge placed on paper in its stead.

Goriee also proposed complimentary policies to a bylaw, such as education and engagement campaigns to promote sustainable habits.

I dont want it to be just about banning and taxing, she said to the committee. I want it to be about changing mindsets and lifestyles.

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Incorporating Waste Free Edmontons recommendations, the city will use the report to inform the second round of public engagement beginning later this month, and expects to have the framework of a bylaw ready in the spring.

There are now some specific recommendations that were going to take out and test with people to see how we can move forward, Henderson said. Now its about fine tuning and getting it right.

City officials are expected to report back to the committee with a final strategy at the end of June.

Read more about:Yoshua Bengio, a Canadian computer scientist who helped pioneer the techniques underpinning much of the current excitement around artificial intelligence, is worried about Chinas use of AI for surveillance and political control.

Bengio, who is also a co-founder of Montreal-based AI software company Element AI, said he was concerned about the technology he helped create being used for controlling peoples behaviour and influencing their minds.

This is the 1984 Big Brother scenario, he said in an interview. I think its becoming more and more scary.

Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal, is considered one of the three godfathers of deep learning, along with Yann LeCun and Geoff Hinton. Its a technology that uses neural networks  a kind of software loosely based on aspects of the human brain  to make predictions based on data. Its responsible for recent advances in facial recognition, natural language processing, translation, and recommendation algorithms.

Deep learning requires a large amount of data to provide examples from which to learn  but China, with its vast population and system of state record-keeping, has a lot of that.

Read More:

Artificial intelligence can help diagnose schizophrenia, U of A researchers say

Opinion | Freedom and democracy cannot exist without privacy

The Chinese government has begun using closed circuit video cameras and facial recognition to monitor what its citizens do in public, from jaywalking to engaging in political dissent. Its also created a National Credit Information Sharing Platform, which is being used to blacklist rail and air passengers for anti-social behaviour and is considering expanding uses of this system to other situations.

The use of your face to track you should be highly regulated, Bengio said.

Bengio is not alone in his concern over Chinas use-cases for AI. Billionaire George Soros recently used a speech at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, to highlight the risks the countrys use of AI poses to civil liberties and minority rights.

Unlike some peers, Bengio, who heads the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (Mila), has resisted the temptation to work for a large, advertising-driven technology company. He said responsible development of AI may require some large technology companies to change the way they operate.

The amount of data large tech companies control is also a concern. He said the creation of data trusts  non-profit entities or legal frameworks under which people own their data and allow it be used only for certain purposes  might be one solution. If a trust held enough data, it could negotiate better terms with big tech companies that needed it, he said Thursday during a talk at Amnesty International U.K.s office in London.

Bengio said there were many ways deep learning software could be used for good. In Thursdays talk, he unveiled a project hes working on that uses AI to create augmented reality images depicting what peoples individual homes or neighbourhoods might look like as the result of natural disasters spawned by climate change.

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But he said there was also a risk that the implementation of AI would cause job losses on a scale, and at a speed, thats different from whats happened with other technological innovations. He said governments needed to be proactive in thinking about these risks, including considering new ways to redistribute wealth within society.

Technology, as it gets more powerful, outside of other influences, just leads to more concentration of power and wealth, he said. That is bad for democracy, that is bad for social justice, and the general well-being of most people.

Read more about:TORONTO - Ontarios government has fined Costco more than $7 million after finding that the company accepted illegal kickbacks at 29 pharmacies in warehouses across the province from 2013 to 2015.

The Ontario Ministry of Health announced Friday it would penalize CWC Pharmacies (Ontario) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., after it found the company received illegal advertising payments before August 2015.

Costco says it approached the ministry in 2015 for confirmation on the legality of the payments, which it had been receiving from generic drug manufacturers for advertising services.

A statement from the ministry says Costco voluntarily stopped receiving the payments until the completion of a government review.

That investigation has revealed that the company received $7.25 million for services that the ministry says violated its terms for accepting rebates. The payments were used to reduce dispensing fees and drug mark-ups, according to Costco.

The governments statement says Costco has fully co-operated with its review, and has agreed to pay the fine.

The statement reads that while the company believed that the payments were legal at the time, it has acknowledged that they did not abide by Ontarios rebate laws.

The Ontario government prohibits the operator of a pharmacy from accepting rebates from a drug manufacturer that has a product listed on the provinces drug database, according to the ministry.

The ministry defines rebates as currency, a discount, refund, trip, free goods or any other prescribed benefit, in exchange for putting specific drug brands on pharmacy shelves.

The ministry inspectors found that CWC received proceeds from fee-for-service arrangements entered into with certain generic manufacturers.

The Costco statement also refers to an Ontario College of Pharmacists decision issued last year on the same payments, which resulted in two Costco pharmacy directors pleading guilty to professional misconduct. They were each fined $20,000 and ordered to pay $30,000 to the college.

Michael Law, the Canada Research Chair in Access to Medicines at the University of British Columbia, said generic drug prices in Canada are historically higher compared to other countries, such as the U.S.

Law said some Canadian provinces have been trying to decrease the cost, such as Ontario imposing laws prohibiting rebates. He said prices have dropped considerably in the last five years, but illegal payments still occur.

Law said pharmaceutical companies sell their drugs to pharmacies, which buy them at a price designated by the province.

Because those prices are higher than the cost of selling the drug, the drug company would then pay a secret amount back to the pharmacy as a rebate, he said.

Law believes that if rebates still exist, Canadians are still paying too much for generic drugs.

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It means theres excess money in the system, he said.

The fact that rebates even exist is a sign to me that were paying too much, at least in some instances.NEW YORKCorporate America is taking the gloves off in its campaign to end U.S. President Donald Trumps trade war.

A coalition of more than 200 trade associations spanning agriculture, manufacturing, retail, technology, oil and even liquor will begin a new two-pronged attack next week to try to end the policies they see as damaging. The campaign, called Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, will involve blanketing Capitol Hill with farmers and other business owners, plus debuting an ad aimed at parents that essentially says the trade war might be endangering babies.

The escalation comes at a crucial time: The president and Chinese officials are meeting this week with just a month to go before U.S. tariffs on $200 billion (U.S.) of Chinese imports are slated to more than double to 25 per cent. It also marks a shift in strategy. After a year of struggling to directly sway Trump and his inner circle, including running ads on Fox News  his favourite cable channel  corporate lobbyists are ratcheting up pressure outside the White House.

People have to think through different strategies because the normal operating procedure doesnt work, said Matt Priest, chief executive officer of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, which is part of the wider coalition. Some of that strategy is paying off, but the response isnt the response we wouldve liked.

Next week, about 100 executives and business owners from companies big and small will visit Washington to lobby Congress, especially the large freshmen class  mostly Democrats  that may still be formulating their stances on trade. Support is also needed for a bipartisan bill intended to rein in the presidents trade authority.

The group descending on Washington includes people like Brent Bible, who runs a 5,000-acre corn and soybean farm in Romney, Ind. Soybeans were hit by retaliatory Chinese tariffs last year, pushing down prices to a point where farmers no longer make money. His farm also took a hit when U.S. levies on steel and aluminum made equipment pricier.

Just get it fixed, said Bible, who holds an economics degree. If this dispute goes on much longer, he said he worries about a snowball effect that could make soybeans almost worthless. Bible voted for Trump, but said his support has waned in recent months. If we dont get a deal soon, then we are looking at a major long-term impact.

This coalition was formed in September, and its activities so far have included hosting antitariff events across the country that generated local media attention and publishing stats on the impact of the trade war. The new push takes that further. It will include a press conference on Feb. 6 with a bipartisan group of senators, including Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Pat Toomey, who crafted the bill to reduce presidential trade powers.

The coalition also had a new ad that tries to tug at the heartstrings of Americans by getting them to feel the pain it says Trumps trade war is causing. The spot, which will first run online in Washington and swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, features Cribs for Kids, a Pittsburgh-based charity that sells 100,000 low-cost portable baby beds a year to local governments and hospitals. The partners then give them to low-income families, who might not have one otherwise.

In the ad, the nonprofits executive director, Judy Bannon, says Trumps tariffs are increasing costs for the cribs it imports from China. The charity has already seen a decline in orders after a 10 per cent levy on Chinese goods last year, Bannon said in an interview. She paints the impact in life-and-death terms, saying that getting babies to sleep in cribs and on their backs  a message reinforced on the charitys cribs  reduces Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

As a non-profit, we never thought tariffs would affect us, but they do, Bannon says in the 30-second video. The spot also tries to drive home the point that tariffs are essentially taxes on U.S. companies, despite Trumps Twitter proclamations that China is the one paying the duties. President Trump says that China is paying these tariffs, but I see the cost on my invoices.

Despite strong opposition from corporate America and the lobbying infrastructure it bankrolls, thwarting Trump on trade hasnt been easy. The impact of the tariffs is still small when compared with the overall U.S. economy and hasnt resulted in widespread price increases for consumers. Several lobbyists noted that the government shutdown ended only when airports were disrupted, and that kind of bellwether event hasnt materialized yet with tariffs. The administration has done its part by avoiding hitting consumer products directly to blunt public outcry.

And because the trade war is promoted by the White House, most of Americas CEOs have remained publicly silent, for fear of getting criticized publicly by Trump or raising the ire of the administration officials overseeing tariff exemptions. Thats a far cry from 2017, when executives complained on TV and in congressional testimony in a successful bid to kill the border-adjustment tax backed by former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.

To be sure, there have been victories in corporate America. Lobbyists for farmers, seen as a crucial part of Trumps base, pushed the administration to authorize $12 billion in relief funds after Beijing retaliated with its own tariffs. Trade groups also got plenty of items taken off the final tariff lists, including car booster seats for kids. They also point to Trump delaying the next tariff hike by two months to March to allow for more negotiations.

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The timing of this escalated opposition could be helpful. The president just took a hit from the government shutdown. The political calendar has already turned to the 2020 presidential race, and Trump needs a strong economy for his re-election bid. That story is harder to tell with almost daily reports of U.S. companies  from Apple Inc. to Stanley Black & Decker Inc.  partly blaming weak results on the trade war.

A lot of things are coming to a head, said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, another coalition member. With Trumps re-election bid looming, do you think hes going to risk a stock market fall over a 25 per cent tariff  at this point? But I dont know anyone who has been right calling Trumps moves.

Read more about:Update Required

To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.He was arrested May 15, 2018 after Norwalk police said hed made several drug sales, and he has been jailed since then while awaiting trial. Detectives with a warrant seized $59,000 and about 190 grams of heroin during a search of his home, car and storage units he was renting.Aamer Madhani

Watertown Public Opinion

St. Louis top cop and the city's senior prosecutor are warring over how police handled the Russian roulette-like shooting of a young officers by a colleague.

St. Louis Police Commissioner John Hayden Jr. said Thursday he was insulted by allegations by the city's circuit attorney that his officers interfered with her investigators in the hours after the shooting.

Police say Officer Nathaniel Hendren, 29, shot Officer Katlyn Alix, 24, in his apartment shortly before 1 a.m. Jan. 24. They say Hendren and Alix were taking turns pointing a revolver loaded with single cartridge at each other and pulling the trigger. Hendren's partner was also present.

Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner said this week there was evidence that drugs or alcohol might have been a factor in the shooting.

Alix, who was off-duty at the time, was struck in the chest. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Hendren, who was on-duty, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.

Gardner wrote to Hayden and the citys public safety director this week that police officers interfered with her investigators' efforts to issue a search warrant to obtain a blood sample from Hendren and his partner.

She also said police collected evidence in an "obstructionist" way that could prevent her office from getting a full understanding of the incident.

Hayden said the accusations were simply untrue.

Let it be clear that the accusations lodged by the circuity attorney was both offensive and insulting to the force investigative unit and myself, Hayden said.

Related:Prosecutor: Drugs or alcohol might have role in St. Louis cop's Russian roulette shooting death

Tragedy or criminal action:St. Louis cop Russian roulette death: Lawyer for alleged shooter calls it 'tragic accident'

Cops call shooting accidental:St. Louis police officer killed by colleague who 'mishandled' gun, authorities say

Gardner said police told her investigators that the hospital would not honor a search warrant to draw blood from Hendren or his partner.

Im sure you are aware that we have a protocol with area hospitals that they will honor our search warrants for blood draws, Gardner wrote. This procedure is common in criminal investigations.

Later, she said, police officials told one of her prosecutors that a sample had been drawn. But when an investigator from her office asked if a blood sample was drawn, she said, police responded that a breath test and urine analysis had been performed, not a blood test.

She said her office learned that the tests were taken under Garrity, federal rules that protect public employees from being compelled to incriminate themselves during investigations conducted by their employers.

That could prevent the evidence from being used by her prosecutors in their investigation of the shooting.

"Taking the tests under Garrity appears as an obstructionist tactic to prevent us from understanding the state of the officers during the commission of this alleged crime," Gardner wrote.

Hayden called a press conference Thursday to push back against her claims.

He said the Force Investigative Unit  the six-member team investigating the shooting  and internal affairs officers had to balance protocols in investigating a homicide that was also a police-involved shooting.

Their combined homicide investigative experience spans more than 40 years, Hayden said. On the night of this tragic incident, our Force Investigative Unit and our internal affairs division followed city regulations and department procedures to the letter.

"The accusation by the circuit attorney that any action  was taken as obstructionist tactic was unwarranted, certainly untimely, and absolutely irresponsible.

Gardner said Thursday the criminal investigation should have taken precedence over the internal affairs investigation.

"It's time to focus our efforts on working together to seek the truth of this matter, so we can get justice for Katlyn Alix and the community," Gardner said.

Garnder also criticized Hayden for calling the shooting an accidental discharge in comments to reporters hours after the incident. Police initially said Hendren had mishandled the gun.

Hayden said he was conveying preliminary investigation that was gathered by detectives at the scene. He was aware that there were several firearms, he said, and that at least one had been handled in a careless and unsafe manner.

I later learned that circumstances surrounding the shooting were much more reckless and dangerous than what I had originally understood, he said. At no time was the sharing of my early understanding  meant to imply that any conclusions had been drawn from the infancy stages of the investigation.

Also Thursday, a St. Louis judge changed the conditions of Hendrens bond. The officer, who has been suspended without pay, had been held in lieu of $50,000 cash-only bail.

Associate Circuit Judge David Roither set a $100,000 bond, but said Hendren would have to put up only $10,000 to be released while he awaits trial.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. Louis police chief and prosecutor feud over handling of Russian roulette cop shootingBart Pfankuch

S.D. News Watch

Every year, about 30 percent of South Dakota high school graduates who enroll in a state university must take remedial courses in math or English because they dont test high enough in those topics. Those courses cost the students about $1,000 per class and provide them with no college credit.

The classes are designed to help college-bound students catch up and be ready to take algebra, English composition or other basic classes needed to graduate.

Yet national studies and data from South Dakota universities show that enrollment in a remedial course dramatically reduces the likelihood a student will graduate or complete a degree program. The same problem exists at state technical schools that also require remedial courses for students who test poorly in math or English.

Students forced to take remediation endure additional tuition costs and lose pace with their peers.

Having to take remedial coursework doesnt doom you, but it puts you behind the eight ball right out of the box in terms of your chances of graduating, said Jay Perry, interim vice president for academic affairs at the South Dakota Board of Regents.

In South Dakota, taking a required remedial course reduces the likelihood of graduating by about half. In 2012, about 43 percent of students who started at a state university and did not need a remedial course graduated in four years, while only 23 percent of students who underwent remediation graduated in four years.

Multiple efforts are underway to improve teaching, learning and testing to better prepare students, and reforms are also taking place at universities to shift students away from remediation and into classes that give them credit and dont throw them off pace to graduate.

For the first time starting as early as this fall, students who dont test high enough in math will no longer be required to take a remedial math class and instead will be offered a course called Quantitative Literacy with a learning lab that will cost them less money, give them college credit and hopefully pave the way to graduation.

Paul Beran, the new president of the Board of Regents, told a legislative committee recently that the high level of required remediation often leads to blaming of the public school system on several levels. Beran also said the problem is not one with easy answers or a quick fix.

Beran said continued conversation among educators at all levels is needed to figure out how we can lessen [remediation] and how we can make it as quick as possible and help those who are motivated to move forward to do that. He then added: I wish I had a better answer.

Changing nature of remediation

The problem has plagued educational leaders at the high school and university levels in South Dakota for years. In 2010, about 31.5 percent of the nearly 3,000 South Dakota high school graduates who enrolled in state universities full time were required to take remedial math, English or both. In 2017, about 32.8 percent of students were forced to remediate at some level.

The original intent was to help out students who qualified for college but were weak in key subject areas that form the basis for advanced learning in a number of fields. Many years ago, the classes were dominated by non-traditional students who wanted to brush up on the basics before starting off on a delayed college journey.

But as enrollment requirements were lowered, and obtaining a college degree became more critical to landing a good job after graduation, more people entered college and the need for remediation grew among recent high school graduates.

Fall enrollment in degree-granting colleges in the United States rose by 23 percent from 1995 to 2005 and jumped another 14 percent from 2005 to 2015 to a total of about 20 million students, according to the Institute of Education Sciences.

Now, most remedial classes are dominated by recent high school graduates, and data clearly show those students are less likely to complete a degree program.

Taking remedial classes in South Dakota at any level is not cheap.

Perry said the per-credit cost is much higher than for credit-bearing courses. Depending on the school, remediation classes cost $340 per credit compared to about $245 per credit for courses that count toward graduation. Courses are typically three credits and because they must be passed in order to move forward, some students take them more than once.

At state technical schools, the cost for remedial courses is the same for credit-bearing courses, about $210 per credit or $420 for the 2-credit courses. Remedial classes at tech schools do not count toward earning a degree or certification, said Julie Brookbank, spokeswoman at Mitchell Technical Institute.

Studies have also found that about one in four students required to undergo remediation in math and one in three remediated in English are severely mis-assigned into the courses by current testing and placement methods, and that minorities and men are disproportionately affected.

South Dakota shifted to a more comprehensive assignment model several years ago that includes an index of results in math from college entrance exams, the statewide Smarter Balance standardized test and high school grade point average. Placement in English remediation is based on reaching one of four testing benchmarks. The full placement rules are compiled with a 15-page state report, but a general guideline is that remediation will be required if a student scores below an 18 on the ACT test in math or English.

University officials believe the expanded math index and English benchmarks will reduce the need for remediation by students who perhaps did not test well but possess the skills and work ethic to succeed in college.

That index captures some people who would have gone to remedial work and suggests they can do the credit-bearing work if they have extra help, said Perry.

A pair of recent studies by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University suggested that remediation may not be needed at all for some students who are being routed into the courses. The studies suggested that many students who skipped taking remedial classes they were assigned to could go directly into college courses and perform well.

Meanwhile, remedial courses may have a disproportionate negative effect on certain population groups. Complete College America, a group focused on improving graduation rates, found that men, older students, minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans and lower-income students are more likely to be channeled into remedial courses and are less likely to complete the classes than other groups.

The costs of remediation to the taxpayer are substantial, but the financial, psychological, and opportunity costs borne by the students themselves may be even more significant. While they are enrolled in remediation, students accumulate debt, spend time and money, and bear the opportunity cost of lost earnings, a 2009 study by the research center noted.

Officials have struggled with remedial course concerns for years

The high remediation rate in South Dakota is a frustrating and frequent topic of discussion among policymakers and officials in state government.

At a press conference following release of her first proposed annual budget, Gov. Kristi Noem acknowledged that South Dakota students arent performing as well as they should upon graduation.

There are some challenges ahead, Noem said. We need to make sure that every student in our K-12 system has the opportunity to be successful beyond graduation.

Noem, whose budget plan calls for a 2.5 percent spending hike in the K-12 and technical school systems in the coming year, said improvements can start with reforms at the level of individual school districts that have good ideas or have seen success.

The challenges of reducing remediation were made clear during a House Education Committee meeting in January.

Rep. Fred Deutsch asked Beran about what he called a longer-standing problem of high rates of remediation needed for students entering colleges and tech schools.

Beran said he wanted to get faculty members from the K-12 system and the university system together to figure out where does one end and where does the other begin?

Beran said discussions of remediation tend to focus on blaming the K-12 education system, but he said that ignores the fact that modern students face social, cultural and economic stresses that can make learning a challenge.

The fact of the matter is, the biggest predictor of success of a student has nothing to do with what happens at a school, Beran told the committee. The biggest predictor of success is walk into their home and how many books do they have on the shelf?

Rep. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, the minority leader in the House and a former teacher, said improvements in K-12 education are needed but that changes should be implemented at the local level when possible and be done in a positive way.

Part of our job is to express a need for rigor but to also let teachers teach, Smith said recently. Putting your thumb on someone doesnt really help.

Becky Nelson, director of learning and instruction at the state education department, said focusing on learning in the early grades is critical to helping students prepare for college.

What happens is that theres a skill gap that develops, so as kids are progressing through the grades, based on our state data we know theres a growing skill gap, Nelson said. As far as why, thats the question were all trying to answer.

Ben Jones, interim secretary for the Department of Education, said improving learning in the K-12 system may require a deep dive into school districts or even individual schools to seek out and correct weaknesses and to find and model successes.

An example, Jones said, would be to react swiftly if a small district had a wave of retirements that drastically reduced the amount of teaching experience within a schools English or math department. Administrators could then work to shift resources to provide more experienced teachers within that school so student achievement doesnt fall off.

Looking at a statewide average doesnt always help you move the needle; you have to look at pockets of high or low performance and if theyre having difficulties, and ask what can we do to help them out, Jones said.

Ground-level efforts underway

In recent years, the state has taken steps to reduce the number of incoming college freshmen who need remedial coursework.

One program started in the 2013-14 school year gives college bound high school seniors that opportunity to take additional online coursework aimed specifically at passing tests and avoiding remediation.

Under the College Readiness Coursework program, students who sign up are given a pre-test to determine subject weaknesses and then receive online and in-person tutoring before taking a post-test that can be used to skip remedial coursework in college. Students pay a fee ranging from $125 to $175 for the course but are fully reimbursed by the state if they complete it.

Whats unique about the coursework is that it is tailored to the individual students needs, said Nelson. One student may only need brushing up on a couple concepts, while some students may need more concepts to work on.

So far, participation by school districts and students has been low, Nelson said. In 2016, 100 students completed the course, followed by 90 in 2017 and only 61 in 2018. Passage rates have ranged from 51 to 73 percent.

Jolene Christianson, a math teacher in the Britton-Hecla School District in Marshall County, has had success using the college readiness program to help students avoid remediation.

This school year, six students enrolled in the program that she oversees during regular class time at the high school.

Christianson said she supports the program not only as a way for students to learn, but also to avoid the pitfalls that come with taking remedial courses after high school.

Making them redo that struggle again at the college level or tech school level, its a bad thing waiting to happen, she said. If they had to redo math they already struggled with in high school, and maybe also in reading, theyre going to fail and theyre going to quit and not graduate.

Christianson, who has been teaching math for nearly four decades, said she has seen a drop off in the maturity level of students that may make them less likely to succeed in college. She has also noted societal and parenting changes that protect children from the possibility of failure, which she said does not always prepare them well for college or life and which can make remediation less effective.

Over the last 37 years, I have watched and noticed that seniors in high school today do not have the same maturity level that kids did when they graduated years ago, Christianson said. That leads to a feeling that they will be able to get by in any case, which they quickly learn is not true at the college level or in life.

The most aggressive efforts to reduce the number of students in math remediation have taken place at South Dakota State University. Kurt Cogswell, head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at SDSU, said the college has taken innovative and aggressive steps over the past decade to reduce enrollment in remedial math. Cogswell led the effort to create the math placement index that is now used across the university system, and SDSU also developed a course in which some students could avoid remediation by taking college algebra with a co-requisite class that provides tutoring, study skills and additional support.

Math educators know that passing college algebra, sometimes referred to as the killer course, is a graduation requirement that frequently prevents students from getting a degree.

Algebra is very much focused on skills needed in later courses such as chemistry, ag sciences, economics, and it deals with topics that often strike fear into the hearts of people, said Cogswell.

Using the placement index and the co-requisite algebra course reduced the number of SDSU students in math remediation classes from 1,142 in 2012-13 to only 250 this academic year.

With results in hand, Cogswell worked with the Board of Regents to create the Regental Math Pathway Model, which was approved and will begin at South Dakota universities as early as this fall.

Under the program, no future students who qualify to enter college will have to take a remedial math class. Instead, Cogswell said, the students will take an existing 3-credit course called Quantitative Literacy with a co-requisite 2-credit math lab where they will learn study skills and receive educational support. Not only will students save money compared to paying for remediation, but they will also take a credit-bearing math class that for many liberal arts majors will be the only math class they need to graduate. Cogswell said the course has some of the same components of algebra but approaches math use in more real-world settings.

Students in majors with a need for higher-level math will still need to take those courses listed under their major, Cogswell said, and all majors at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology will require more math.

We asked ourselves, What mathematics do you need to be a literate person in the United States? he said. Its a banner initiative that gets students into the right course for their major so theyre not trying to take a course that is more challenging than they need, and thereby eliminating another barrier to college graduation.

Cogswell and Perry reject the notion that eliminating the algebra requirement is a dumbing down of the math standards in order to allow more poor-performing students to graduate.

I am old and Im old school, and Im not dumbing anything down so thats not happening, Cogswell said. I just want students to be ready for the world when they get out of here no matter their major.Watertown Public Opinion

In its 1979 hit Message in a Bottle, the rock group The Police sang about a lonely castaway who put a message in a bottle, threw it into the sea and a year later saw that a billion bottled replies had washed up on his shore.

Something similar is starting to happen to Ashley Holida.

A few years ago the Watertown mother learned her two children had sensory processing disorder (SPD). The website WebMD described SPD as a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.

WebMD says SPD is currently not recognized as a distinct medical diagnosis, but that makes no difference to Ashley. She was relieved to know there were steps that would help her kids.

It led to answers to a lot of unanswered questions, she said. Why noises are so scary for them, and why its so hard for them to have their faces washed. Or why one of them is scared to death to eat food while the other will eat most anything.

She got some answers but was still feeling quite alone.

When my children began therapy I started to meet other moms, dads and grandparents who were asking me the same questions. I wished there was a support group. I wished there was a way to meet other people with similar stories.

Thats when, proverbially, Ashley threw her bottle in the water. On Jan. 25 she launched the Facebook site Watertown Support Group for SPD, autism and learning disabilities. She credits her husband Mackenzie for giving her the support and encouragement to start the project.

The interest has been growing. So far 80 families have joined her site. Theyre asking questions and assisting each other as best they can. One woman from Oklahoma has joined, and Ashley expects the site to continue to grow.

My goal is to reach people in the community and the surrounding area who have similar stories. We can share advice, encouragement and support. Its a place where people can connect, and these children can (plan to) get together, play with children like them and not feel alone.

Ive met seven families so far with hopes that in the springtime when the weather isnt a negative 40, we can get together and play. That will be a really awesome experience.

SPD is considered to be part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Ashley originally thought perhaps her children had autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Doctors didnt agree but had no definite answers.

Her concerns grew after watching her son struggle through the first grade.

He didnt suffer academically, but behaviorally he had a hard time, and that wore on his self-confidence. It was hard to watch.

His second-grade teacher told Ashley about SPD, and once Ashley read about the disorder, she knew what was troubling her son. She said the staff at Big Stone Therapies in Watertown confirmed it.

Even at a very young age her daughter had the compulsion to eat non-food items. Ashley thought perhaps it was an iron deficiency, but medical tests showed otherwise. Her need to put unusual items in her mouth or chew on her fingers until she hurt herself had Ashley very worried.

Both children are now undergoing sensory integration therapy, which Ashley said teaches them how to receive the input they need without overloading their senses.

Our long-term goal for them is to be able to live life without having to deal with things that set them back, she said. Just really to be able to live like everyone else; to not be so deeply impacted by the environment around them thats so scary to them.

Holidas group can be found at https://m.facebook.com/groups/280208122656582/Donus Roberts

Book Look

Ashes in the Snow by Ruta Sepetys, Penguin Books, first published in 2011, 338 pages, $9.99.

Ashes in the Snow is Ruta Sepetys first novel. A few years ago I reviewed another of her novels, Salt to the Sea. I will repeat today what I said about the writing of Ruta Sepetys: she is unparalleled as a writer of non fiction novels, over the age of 12 and equally suitable for adult reading.

Ashes in the Snow is a re-titling of her first novel, originally published as Between Shades of Gray. E. L. James has published three novels under the heading Shades of Gray, and Sepetys novels were going unread (or read for the wrong reason) because of the similarity of the book titles. Along comes a movie version of the novel, released in 2018, and the movie and novel now share the same name. Along with the movie, the name change should boost sales of the novel.

As Salt to the Sea, the backdrop of this novel is World War II, on the eastern European and Russia front. In 1939 Josef Stalin and Adolph Hitler agreed to carve up Europe. Hitler would get Czechoslovakia, part of Poland and special opportunities with the adjacent south east European countries, while Stalin would get the north European countries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland.

Two cobras in a nest and Hitler struck first. In the United States, we are very familiar with Hitlers blitzkrieg of Poland and associated countries, but much less familiar with Stalins rape of the northern European countries.

The novel and movie center upon the small country of Lithuania. In fact, the movie was filmed almost entirely in Lithuania with an international cast of characters headed by Bel Powley, who plays the novels leading character Lina Vilkas.

A powerful sentence opens the novel: They took me in my nightgown. Me is 15 year-old Lina Vilkas, along with her mother and younger brother. They are deported from their Lithuanian home by the Soviet Secret Police in 1941, stuffed in cattle cars with thousands of other people and taken on a 6,500 mile trip that will finally end with the survivors release 12 years later in 1953.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Josef Stalins regime killed tens of millions of people, most of them his own citizens as were the Lithuanians by capture. After 15 months of forced labor in Siberia, Linas journey would end at the edge of the world, Trofimovsk, on the Laptev Sea, which is above the Arctic Circle. There, without adequate food, huts they had to build themselves and guards who were brutal, they would slowly die without Stalin having to order their direct termination. On the Jews, Hitler employed the gas chambers, but in his forced labor camps the situation was similar, except no Nazi labor camps were above the Arctic circle.

The author has Lina narrate the store in relatively flat prose not to hype the conditions of death and survival for the reader. That is why the novel is appropriate for older young adults. The author is also accomplished at flashbacks which are set in italics in the book. We learn about her life before Lithuania was invaded and the population sent to Hell so that Stalin could re-populate it with Russians. Her father was a university professor, and she lives on hope through most of the book that they will be re-connected.

There are a few good soldiers among the Russians. Some of them put their heads on the line by finding extra food and wood for the prisoners. The prison soldier guards are also trapped by the horror of Stalins orders. The author knows how to tell a story. Lina has a love interest along with an invaluable ability to draw, but most of all, Lina has an innate passion for survival.

Beyond Lina, whom one will never forget, my favorite character is Linas mother. Through Hell and high water, she remains positive. She is the person who tries to keep the group together, although that is impossible because Stalin, like Hitler, has a policy of separating families.

The novel packs tremendous emotional punch. I know of several student groups who have read the novel and handled its emotional content well. In fact, we must remember these horrendous events of the past. They happened long after the dark ages. Dictators are still around; they could happen again.

I have always wondered why more people do not read Ruta Sepetys books. Those who have read her books love her. Librarians love her, bookstores love her and critics love her. I think her name has something to do with it. Now, if it only was E. L. James...

In March, I will review The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.

Donus Roberts is a former teacher, current advisor to the ABC BOOK CLUB, an avid reader/collector of books and owner of ddrbooks. He invites reader feedback at ddrbooks@wat.midco.net.SPECIAL REPORT: Soi Dogs position on rabies offensive and dangerous dogs

PHUKET: As the islands animal welfare officials struggle to cope with rolling out a mass rabies vaccination campaign and the rounding up of any dangerous dogs on the island, they are enlisting the help and support of Phukets renowned Soi Dog Foundation. Here, John Dalley, Founder of the Soi Dog Foundation, gives his appraisal of situation:

animalscharityhealth

By The Phuket News

Saturday 2 February 2019, 02:41PM

John Dalley, Founder, Soi Dog Foundation. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation / file

We had a meeting earlier this month with the Governor and the new acting head of Livestock (Manat Thepparat, Acting Chief of the Phuket Provincial office of the Department of Livestock Development  DLD), who impresses me a lot.

This was before the rabies case, or the attack in Phang Nga province, and the governor requested us and DLD to work together regarding stray dogs on the island and come back with a proposal, taking into account no budget to speak of to care for the pound.

Rounding up stray dogs randomly and dumping in the pound which has been the case up to now achieves nothing unfortunately. The previous Governor requested only dangerous dogs be put there but that is not what has happened.

Statistically the majority of dog bites in Thailand occur with owned dogs guarding their property and not being properly secured. Stray dogs are an easy target but genuine stray dogs are normally fearful of people and unless cornered will run away.

The incident in Phang Nga was terrible but also thankfully unusual. We have been advised that the lead dog was an owned dogs probably trained to be aggressive as is a Bang Keow, which are often used as guard dogs.

After complaints about the dog biting people because he did not keep it restrained, the owner did what so many people do and dumped the dog, which in itself is not only disgraceful but illegal. Attacks on people were reported but the authorities did nothing, until this recent tragedy.

We had a similar situation in Phuket two years ago in the national park area of Nai Yang Beach. A group of dogs were regularly attacking people though thankfully not to the extent of the recent attack in Phang Nga, so received little publicity. Soi Dog spoke with the OrBorTor (Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organisation) and caught the lead dog which was new and was assessed by our behaviour team.

Sadly the dog was just too aggressive to work with and had to be humanely euthanised. The other dogs in the pack returned to their formerly peaceful existence.

In my personal opinion a genuinely dangerous dog that is attacking people should be removed and if clearly dangerous like the one at Nai Yang be humanely euthanised. The mass hysteria with people calling for all dogs to be killed or impounded shows a total lack of understanding of Thai culture or the financial situation.

Soi Dog Foundations mission is no more stray dogs, and to achieve that in a country like Thailand requires large scale sterilisation, same as eliminating rabies requires large scale vaccination.

Soi Dog cannot do all of Thailand on its own and it requires investment by the Government. Soi Dog currently sterilises more animals than any other organisation in the world (over 80,000 in 2018 alone) and is increasing its teams again this year.

On Phuket, we have called on successive Governors over the years to ban the import of hundreds of puppies that are transported to Phuket each year for sale at markets and pet stores. Many come from rabies endemic areas and are all too young to be vaccinated.

We have warned repeatedly of the dangers in relation to rabies but nobody does anything to stop it. They also add to the stray dog issue as unsold ones are discarded and many that are purchased end up being thrown out later as the one in Phang Nga was.

For more information about the Soi Dog Foundation, call the Soi Dog Foundation Helpline at 076-681029 or visit the Soi Dog Foundation Facebook page, here.Phuket airport braces for Chinese New Year

PHUKET: Phuket International Airport is expected to receive more than half a million arrivals in the next 10 days as Phuket becomes a focal point for Chinese New Year celebrations, which get underway on Tuesday (Feb 5).

Saturday 2 February 2019, 04:46PM

Planes were touching down at Phuket International Airport every five to 10 minutes this morning (Feb 2). Image: AoT

The total number of booked seats on planes arriving in Phuket from today (Feb 2) through to Feb 10 stands at 637,558, said Thanee Chuangchoo, General Manager of Phuket International Airport.

International passengers account for 387,799, or about about 60%, of the bookings so far, he said. The remaining 249,759 are domestic passenger bookings, he added.

The number of passengers booked to arrive in Phuket during the Chinese New Year period this year is 4.18% higher than last year, Mr Thanee said.

Last-minute bookings are expected to drive the average number of passengers during the period to 70,840 people per day, he added.

Most of those will be Chinese and Russians, Mr Thanee said.

There are currently many Chinese airlines flying directly to Phuket, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines.

They have direct flights between Phuket and many cities in China, such as Nanning, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu, Macau, Hong Kong and Beijing, he noted.

Staff throughout the airport have been briefed and are ready to cope with the onlsaught of passengers using the facility, Mr Thanee said.

All the systems, the conveyors, elevators and air conditioning, have been checked and a fully operational, he said.

Our staff will be on standby 24 hours to help in case of any emergency, he added.

Even restroom cleaning duties have been increased, Mr Thanee noted.

We also have extra staff fluent in spoken Chinese and English to advise international arrival passengers in front of the immigration counters, he said.

Security has also been ramped up, Mr Thanee said, noting the extra security staff, soldiers and police have been called in for the busy period, and that CCTV surveillance has been heightened.

We will be prompt in terms of our equipment and our staff helping passengers, he said.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) estimates that 5.93 million passengers will travel through the countrys six main international airports during the Chinese New Year holiday, with airlines set to operate 35,000 flights in total from Jan 30 through Feb 12.

Suvarnabhumi airport is forecast to be the most jam-packed, with 2.63 million passengers, or growth of 3.6% year-on-year, from 14,800 flights, a 9% increase. Some 40,000 passengers will travel via 300 charter and extra flights.

Don Mueang airport is expected to follow with total passengers of 1.61 million, up 4.3%, and some 5,500 of them will travel via 40 charter and extra flights arranged for the period. (See story here.)Bangkok Haze: PM makes plea to cut diesel use, firms let workers take shelter

BANGKOK: Companies in Bangkok are allowing workers, especially those sick or pregnant, to work from home to avoid exposure to toxic PM2.5 dust. With schools closed this week, both the private and public sectors are attempting to safeguard the most vulnerable from the unprecedented pollution.

pollutionhealthtransporttourism

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 2 February 2019, 10:46AM

Bangkok City Hall disaster prevention and mitigation staff spray water from the 37th floor of the Thani Nopparat building on Mit Maitri Road in Din Daeng district on Friday in the hope of reducing hazardous ultra-fine dust particle levels. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill / Bangkok Post

Some companies in Bangkok let workers work from home as the capital is plauged by the toxic dust. Photo: Tawatchai Kemgumnerd / Bangkok Post

Banks are letting employees work from home as long as it does not disrupt operations and affect customers.

Bank of Ayudhya (BAY), Siam Commercial Bank, Kasikornbank, Krungthai Bank, GH Bank and Government Savings Bank are allowing pregnant workers and employees with allergies to work from home. Some banks are offering the privilege to employees who need to take care of children home from school due to pollution.

Workers at BAYs head office at Ploenchit Tower were allowed to change their lunch hours to reduce congestion at the canteen.

Vitai Ratanakorn, Secretary-General of the Government Pension Fund (GPF), said the fund adopted a temporary work-from-home policy for pregnant women and employees affected by the dust, even those without medical certificates, as there is an IT system to complete daily tasks.

As the leaser of three buildings located in Bangkoks business districts, the GPF manages air quality in these buildings through ventilation and testing, Mr Vitai said.

BBL Asset Management, the Stock Exchange of Thailand and retail groups MBK and Central Group also announced a work-from-home policy for some employees this week.

Pattera Dilokrungthirapop, chairwoman of the Association of Securities (Asco), said the association will discuss the work-from-home policy next week.

Since securities trading has to be conducted in accordance with customer demand and in line with the SETs operating hours, the policy could affect customer service, Mrs Pattera said.

Securities executives are formulating contingency plans to continue business operations amid Bangkok's worsening air quality, such as providing masks, examining air quality in workplaces and allowing employees vulnerable to dust particles to take leave or work at home, she said.

The Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), Viboon Rerksirithai, said he is concerned about the safety of all employees, especially those working in the central region, namely the Egat head offices in Bangkok, Phra Nakhon, Wang Noi and Nakhon Thai.

Egat has distributed safety masks to employees for safety and advised them to check air pollution levels online, as Egat monitors the level of dust particles in the central region 24 hours a day. Egat plans to install water sprays at its buildings in an attempt to reduce smog in the central region.

Yuttana Jiamtragan, vice-president for corporate administration at Siam Cement Group, said the company has distributed N95 safety masks to the employees. The company advises employees to wear the masks when outdoors and 10-15 minutes after going indoors.

SCG is also letting employees work from home if they cannot commute.

Meanwhile, Prime Minster Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked motorists not to use diesel-engine cars in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, in a bid to lower ultra fine dust that shows few signs of subsiding.

Harsh measures such as school closures, and use of water canons brought down PM2.5 levels slightly yesterday (Feb 1).

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) warned levels still exceed the safety limit, forcing Gen Prayut to beg the public for more cooperation.

Dear Thai people, the prime minister began his request, despite a raft of short-term solutions, the PM2.5 situation has not improved. The persistence comes from diesel engine emissions in Bangkok coupled with the stagnant weather. The government wants to ask people for their cooperation in not using, or limiting their use of diesel engines for a certain period of time in Bangkok and its nearby provinces, Gen Prayut said.

It is obvious the combustion of bad diesel engines has contributed most to the surge in dust levels, he said, adding factories are not the culprits because inspections show none produce PM2.5.

PM2.5, fine dust measuring 1/20 of the width of a human hair, can easily lodge in the lungs.

The government has tried many measures to curb PM2.5 levels from cutting down on black smoke-belching vehicles, creating artificial rain, spraying water on the streets to calling a two-day break for schools in Bangkok to reduce traffic congestion.

Private companies have now started letting their employees work from home.

The efforts bore fruit but have not been enough to make Bangkokians breathe without fear. More people are wearing masks and are trying to keep their outdoor activities to a minimum. Some have even bought air purifiers.

PM2.5 levels have dropped, but not significantly.

The PCD and weather monitoring websites say air quality in Bangkok still exceeds safe levels, posing a potential risk to vulnerable groups such as those with health problems, the elderly, pregnant women and young children.

Airvisual.com reported that on Friday PM2.5 soared to 146 microgrammes per cubic metre (g/m), against the countrys safety level at 50 g/m. However, the PCD expected air quality will improve today (Feb 2), given better weather conditions.

The PCD said it would ask the National Environment Board to approve more urgent action plans to fight PM2.5. If the NEB approves, the department will ask the cabinet to okay the steps at its meeting on Tuesday.

Among the measures are banning large trailers from the capital's middle zone around the clock until March, using cleaner petrol, and allowing state officials to work at home.

Read original stories here and here.The temperature reached high of 32 degrees Saturday in Hartford, the first time the mercury wasnt below the freezing point in several days of bitter cold in the region. Sundays high is expected to be 42 degrees, with temperatures creeping up into the 50s Monday and Tuesday.In an effort to increase efficiency, reduce processing times and improve customer service, Michigan's Bureau of Marijuana Regulation has made more online processes available for medical marijuana patients.When a call was made for everyone in the Lower Peninsula to turn down their thermostats Wednesday night, there was one group who might have quThe arrest is stemming from an incident which was reported to have occurred at the residence on Wallingford Road on Friday morning, Lt. Jeffrey Sutherland said. Police did not release further details.Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. The company is involved in oil and gas refining, marketing, and bulk selling activities. It produces conventional, premium, and reformulated gasolines; gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board (CARB); diesel fuels, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuels; CARB diesel; other distillates; jet fuels; blendstocks; lube oils and natural gas liquids; and asphalts, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined petroleum products. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned 15 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day. It sells its refined products through wholesale rack and bulk markets; and through approximately 7,000 outlets under the Valero, Beacon, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, and Texaco brands. The company also produces and sells ethanol, dry distiller grains, syrup, and inedible corn oil primarily to refiners and gasoline blenders, as well as to animal feed customers. It owns and operates 13 ethanol plants with a combined ethanol production capacity of approximately 1.69 billion gallons per year. In addition, the company owns and operates crude oil and refined petroleum products pipelines, terminals, tanks, marine docks, truck rack bays, and other logistics assets. Further, it owns and operates a plant that processes animal fats, used cooking oils, and other vegetable oils into renewable diesel. The company was formerly known as Valero Refining and Marketing Company and changed its name to Valero Energy Corporation in August 1997. Valero Energy Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Read MoreProvident Financial Services, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Provident Bank that provides various banking products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. The company's deposit products include savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, money market deposit, and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as IRA products. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans that are secured by properties, such as multi-family apartment buildings, office buildings, and retail and industrial properties; commercial business loans; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate properties; commercial construction loans; and consumer loans consisting of home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, marine loans, personal loans and unsecured lines of credit, and auto and recreational vehicle loans. The company also offers cash management, remote deposit capture, payroll origination, escrow account management, and online and mobile banking services; and business credit cards. In addition, it provides wealth management services comprising investment management, trust and estate administration, financial planning, tax compliance and planning, and private banking. Further, the company sells insurance and investment products, including annuities; operates as a real estate investment trust for acquiring mortgage loans and other real estate related assets; and manages and sells real estate properties acquired through foreclosure. As of December 31, 2020, it operated 99 full-service branch offices in northern and central New Jersey, as well as in Pennsylvania and New York counties. The company was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Read More4 hours ago

| June 21st | 2021 8:00 AM

Why You Might Have to Retire Later Due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in general increased retirement uncertainty. In fact, Lincoln Financial Group reported three different sentiments regarding the pandemic and specific age groups: Pre-retirees: The age group from 55 to 64 saw the biggest drop of retirement-ready confidence. Mid-career: Individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 saw aNearly 40 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in 2018, an increase of more than 21 percent, according to tourism ministry figures released on Thursday.

The Turkish tourism industry has been recovering over the last couple of years after a spate of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016 seriously dented the sector as well as a failed coup in July 2016.

"Tourism in Turkey continues to rise and break the records of recent years," the ministry said, adding that there was a rise of 21.84 percent in 2018 from 2017.

Turkey welcomed just over 46 million visitors in 2018, including 39.49 million foreigners and 6.62 million Turkish citizens from abroad.

The number exceeded that of 2015 when 42 million visitors came to Turkey, before a decline of 24.6 percent was recorded in 2016.

The last major terror attack to hit Turkey was during New Year celebrations in 2017 when a gunman killed 39 people at an elite Istanbul nightclub.

Tourism income increased by 12.3 percent to reach $29.5 billion in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to official statistics published by the Turkish statistics office (TUIK) on Thursday.

The 2018 figure was up from $26.3 billion in the previous year, TUIK said.

Read also: Turkey to unveil giant new Istanbul airport

Official data revealed that 81.8 percent of the income came from foreign visitors and 18.2 percent from Turkish citizens living abroad.

Nearly six million foreigners coming to Turkey in 2018 were from Russia -- an increase of 26.49 percent compared with 2017 -- and 4.5 million visitors were from Germany, up by 25.88 percent from the previous year, according to the ministry's statement.

Around 1.5 million people visited Ephesus in western Turkey -- where the remains of one of the "Seven Wonders of the World", the famous Temple of Artemis lies -- in 2018.

But in 2017, the figure was lower at 996,800 visitors, the tourism ministry said.

During one weekend in January, several groups of tourists were enjoying the Ephesus ruins, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015 and is the fifth most visited site in Turkey.

Some of my friends warned me: 'you know all the events that happened two, three years ago?' Shi, a Chinese tourist at Ephesus, said. "I think now it is OK. I don't worry about that."Tourists visiting Yogyakarta between Feb. 1 and 28 will be able to enjoy Festival Jogja Heboh (Yogyakarta Thrilling Festival) which boasts hotel room promotions, cheap markets, a culinary festival and music performances.

"There's a lot of discounted offers for those staying at the hundreds of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association [PHRI] members in Yogyakarta," said the festival's committee chairman Arif Effendi in Yogyakarta on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

The discounted offers are said to range from 10 to 60 percent, said Arif. "There are 200 PHRI hotels in Yogyakarta in total that are participating in the program, including star and non-star hotels."

The city itself is home to around 800 hotels.

Aside from cheaper room rates, some participating hotels will also offer dinner promotions.

Read also: Jakpost explores Yogyakarta

February is known as the month with the fewest tourist arrivals, with hotel occupancy rates usually around 30 percent, said Arif. "Hopefully this festival can help boost tourism in Yogyakarta, increasing the occupancy rate up to 10 to 20 percent."

Previously, Yogyakarta PHRI chairman Istijab M. Danunagoro said the city's hotel occupancy rate in early January reached 70 percent for those located in the city center, and 60 percent for hotels outside the city center. "So creative events are needed to boost tourist arrivals," he added.

Aside from hotel promotions, Istijab said members of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) in Yogyakarta would also offer discounted travel packages and promote various new destinations in the city. (kes)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2, 2019 11:46 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b1331d8 1 SE Asia terrorism,terror-attack,Philippines,ISIS,Foreign-Affairs-Ministry,Retno-Marsudi,Arrmanatha-Nasir Free

Indonesia has not been able to confirm allegations made by a senior Philippine official that an Indonesian couple was behind the deadly church bombing that killed dozens of people in the southern Philippines.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and the Indonesian mission in Manila were still trying to get confirmation from various parties in the neighboring country, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir on Friday.

The latest information we received [Friday] from the Philippine National Police and the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) military command is that the identity and nationality of the perpetrators of the bombing in Jolo have not yet been established, Arrmanatha said.

Philippine Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano told reporters he was certain that an Indonesian man and wife were behind Sunday's attack on the mainly Muslim island of Jolo, which killed 22 people and wounded more than 100, including civilians and soldiers.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for what it said were suicide bombings. Such attacks are almost unheard of in the Philippines.

"They are Indonesians," Ano, a former military chief, was quoted by a number of media including CNN Philippines. "I am certain that they are Indonesians."

Ano said the couple had received help from Abu Sayyaf, a militant organization notorious for kidnappings and extremist factions.

He said those who plotted the attack would have been under the instruction of an operative he said had been recognized by the Islamic State group.

Indonesian militants have long maintained communication with Islamist groups in the southern Philippines. A number of Indonesians linked to the Jemaah Ansharud Daulah group are believed to have joined the Maute militants during the 2017 armed conflict between the militant group and Philippine security forces in Marawi.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2, 2019 15:15 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b138bde 1 Politics Jokowi,Prabowo-Subianto,clerics,Muslim,Central-Java,election,#2019PresidentialElection Free

A respected Muslim cleric is in the spotlight after a video of him mistakenly praying for Prabowo Subianto to become a leader during an event attended by President Joko Jokowi Widodo went viral on the web.

The incident took place at Al-Anwar Islamic Boarding School in Rembang, Central Java, on Friday. The Islamic school was holding an event called Sarang Berdzikir untuk Indonesia Maju (chanting for Indonesias advancement) after Jokowis campaign platform title.

The cleric, Kyai Maimun Zubair, was sitting next to the President, who is seeking greater support from Muslim voters, when he was closing the event with the prayer, in which he mistakenly prayed for Prabowo.

Maimun, who reportedly backed Prabowo in the 2014 presidential election, was reading the prayer from a yellow sheet of paper, tempo.co reported. The prayer was in Arabic, but one line that sparked the whole fracas could be translated to, Dear God, this is a leader, this is a leader Prabowo, please let him be, dear God.

Prabowos name was mentioned three minutes into the video. In the version that The Jakarta Post watched, Maimun mentioned Prabowos name at the 3 minute 50 second mark.

After the prayer, the events host announced that Jokowi and the first lady, Iriana Widodo, were about to leave the room, which is when Maimun said another prayer in Arabic, this time mentioning Jokowis name, in an apparent effort to correct the blunder.

I am an old person. Im 90 years old, said Maimun after the short prayer, But with this, I am hoping for the one who sits beside me, Pak Jokowi.

The statement was met with applause. The Islamic scholar then left the stage, helped by Jokowi.

On Saturday, United Development Party (PPP) deputy chairman Arwani Thomafi asked people to see the whole video, as there is a short version of the video which only shows the part where Maimun mentions Prabowos name.

In a written statement, Arwani argued that Maimun prayed for Jokowi to be president for the second time.

If the prayer were for someone to be a presidential candidate for the second time, then it would have been for Prabowo, he said, as quoted by tempo.co. (dev)



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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, February 2 2019

As the Feb. 10 deadline for the Water Governance Evaluation Team to submit its assessment approaches, all eyes are on Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who will have to turn around the money-losing city-owned water enterprise PT PAM Jaya.



Anies has come under intense pressure to implement a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that requires PAM Jaya to terminate its partnerships with privately owned PT Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta as the business deals are deemed unconstitutional.



Instead of severing cooperation, PAM Jaya and its private partners restructured their contract on the pretext that they had signed the documents before the ruling was issued. PAM Jaya did so out of fear that it would have to pay the companies Rp 6.7 trillion (US$476 million) in compensation.



The Supreme Court agreed with the petitioner, the Coalition of Jakarta Residents O...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Lara Robertson (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2 2019

JP/Seto Wardhana

Dutch music collective Pynarello pumps rebellious spirit into the classical genre where they play compositions freely without the constraints of a conductor or sheet music.

Whats the first thing that pops into your head when you think of an orchestra? Perhaps you think of the conductor, or an audience made up of mostly people over the age of 50. Pynarello, a Dutch music collective (they prefer not to use the term orchestra), rejects all of these stereotypes, breathing fresh life into a genre long rejected by younger generations.



In a radically different approach to classical music, masterpieces by the likes of Mendelssohn and Mozart, as well as a daring mix of original jazz pieces written and arranged by Pynarello violinist Jeffrey Bruinsma, are played without a conductor, mostly without sheet music and by a surprisingly young group of mus...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2, 2019 17:06 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b139f94 4 City dengue-fever,South-Jakarta,dengue Free

Three female larvae controllers tasked with carrying out their duties in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, which has recorded the highest number of dengue fever cases throughout the capital in the past months, have reportedly been attacked by a home owner.

The three workers, identified as Felicia, 38, Jayanti, 38 and Nur Azizah, 40, suffered bruises after allegedly being attacked by Marwan Sangaji, 39, a resident of Lenteng Agung, Jagakarsa on Friday. They reportedly had a quarrel before the incident took place.

The three then reported the case to the Jagakarsa Police, who then apprehended the alleged perpetrator for questioning.

When the victims visited the perpetrator's house, he refused to have his home checked for reasons of privacy. The perpetrator suddenly attacked the women. We are still investigating the case, said Jagakarsa Police criminal unit head First Insp. Sigit as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

Marwan could be charged under Article 351 of the Criminal Code on assault, which carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment.

Jakarta is on alert as there have been 613 cases of dengue fever as of Jan, 27, according to data from the Jakarta Health Agency, with South Jakarta recording the highest number of cases. There were 231 cases in the municipality, with the district of Jagakarsa accounting for most incidents. (fac)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, February 2 2019

Jerry Ng has officially stepped down from his role as president director of Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional (BTPN), after making significant improvements to the lenders overall business and serving as the driving force behind a merger between BTPN and PT Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Indonesia (SMBCI).



Jerry, who was born in Kalimantan in 1965, brought significant changes to BTPNs business. He expanded the banks focus from merely focusing on pension funds to tapping into micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) and mass-market segments.



From 2007 to 2018, BTPNs asset grew from Rp 10.6 trillion (US$759.21 million) to Rp 101.9 trillion while loan disbursement rose to Rp 68.1 trillion in December 2018 from Rp 7.85 trillion in 2007. The banks third-party funds also increased to Rp 80.5 trillion from Rp 8.08 trillion.



Amid an era of digital disruption, BTPN has ...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2 2019

A shoot out between an Indonesian Military (TNI) patrol team and a separatist group broke out in Mapenduma, Nduga, Papua, on Thursday. One soldier, identified as Second Private Laode Majid, suffered a gunshot wound.



The soldier was returned home on Friday after bad weather delayed travel. The wounded soldier was taken to Kenyam, around 30 minutes flight from Mapenduma, to board a flight to Timika to receive medical treatment, before being transferred to Jakarta.



Papua military spokesman Col. Muhammad Aidi reported that the soldier was in good condition, while the situation in Mapenduma had returned to normal. The TNI is committed to continuing to hunt separatist group members to protect the integrity of law and order and the sovereignty of Indonesia, Aidi said in a statement.



The shoot out occurred on Thursday morning, when military personnel were conductin...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram  Sat, February 2, 2019 15:08 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b138142 1 National Lombok-airport,drug-smuggling,prison-escape,NTB Free

The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Police on Friday recaptured a 35-year-old French national and drug smuggling suspect identified as Dorfin Felix, who had recently escaped from NTB Police custody.

NTB Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Komang Suartana said the officers had recaptured Felix on the border between North Lombok and West Lombok.

[The case] is still under investigation, Komang told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

North Lombok Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Herman Suryono said Felix had been hiding in the Pusuk forest area.

Police have brought Felix to the NTB Police headquarters for further questioning. They are also investigating 14 police officers on duty the night Dortin escaped and have alleged that Comr. Tuti Maryati, the custody subdivision head, accepted bribes in connection with Felix escape.

Felix was arrested at Lombok International Airport in September upon his arrival from Singapore.

He stands accused of having brought into the country 2.9 kilograms of ketamine and amphetamine as well as 850 ecstasy pills.

He faces five to 20 years of imprisonment if found guilty under Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics. (hol/swd)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Sat, February 2, 2019 16:47 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b1392dc 1 National Bukalapak,ITB,innovation-centers,artificial-intelligence Free

Technology, Research and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir on Friday led the launch of the Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing Innovation Center at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), a collaborative project between startup unicorn Bukalapak and ITB.

The research laboratory is located at the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics compound and is expected to be the center of research for students, lecturers and Indonesian researchers who study artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Bukalapak CEO Achmad Zaky, an ITB alumnus, claimed that there were only a few artificial intelligence experts in Indonesia.

This is a challenge for all of us. [We have] to create experts on technology especially on artificial intelligence who will contribute to [the advancement of] Indonesia, he said.

We provide the place, facilities and data for research purposes. We also provide internet servers [..] and access to 200 engineers working for the Bukalapak Research and Development division located not far from the center who will guide the students, he added.

Bukalapak spokeswoman Evi Andarini said the data, which was provided as a grant, was highly valuable for artificial intelligence research.

Even a sample of less than 0.1 percent of our petabyte-scale data warehouse will be a mountain of valuable data that we hope can accelerate the AI research in Indonesia on areas such as natural language understanding, computer vision and deep learning, she said.

Minister Mohamad Nasir said he was confident that the collaborative project would produce innovative outcomes in the information and technology field.

The goal is to create innovation that will have a positive impact on the economy, he said.

Nasir noted that Bukalapak, a popular e-commerce platform, could also offer its know-how, which will complement in-class theory and lectures for students. (swd)The Rancage Cultural Foundation has announced the winners of its annual Rancage Literary Awards, comprising writers from across Indonesia.

The announcement was made on Thursday, coinciding with the birthday of the foundation founder's Ajip Rosidi.

Throughout last year, up to 110 books in Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese, Madura, Batak, Lampung, Banjar, Madura, a Javanese dialect named Using, Cirebon and Javanese-Banten languages, were submitted to the foundation, said chairman Titi Surti Nastiti.

"However this year we are only giving three Rancage awards to Sundanese, Javanese and Balinese literature," said Titi during an announcement event in the Sunan Ambu Building of the Indonesia Cultural Art Institute in Bandung, West Java.

Among the awardees were Eris Risnandar, who wrote Sundanese poetry collection Serah; Sunaryata Soemardjo, who authored the Javanese novel Tembang Raras ing Tepis Ratri; and I Ketut Sandiyasa, who wrote a collection of short stories called Kupu-kupu Kuning Ngindang.

Each of them received a trophy and Rp 5 million (US$359) in cash.

Additionally, the Samsoedi award for Sundanese childrens books was given to Ai Rohmawati for Pohaci Nawang Wulan.

To maintain the quality of the literary works, the committee set a limit of having a minimum of three books from three different writers for each regional language. If in one year, only one or two titles are published, the event would be postponed to the next year.

Read also: Seven Indonesian authors awarded for works in regional languages

In 2018, Rancage awards were given to Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese, Lampung, Batak and Banjar authors.

Titi said that books written in local dialects, such as Sundanese-Banten, had been recognized by the committee for the past two years.

One Rancage winner in 2017 for Javanese literature was Agul-agul Belambangan by Moh. Syaiful who used the Javanese dialect Using. We believe that good literature will remain good no matter the language," she said.

The committee also made efforts to find out whether the books submitted had been published publicly.

"The public can, therefore, access the books and they are stored in libraries. They are not merely being printed for the sake of fulfilling the awards' requirement."

Ajip Rosidi, 81, initiated the award in 1989 in a bid to help preserve and develop regional language literature.

Since 2004, the committee has been giving out trophies and cash prizes of Rp 5 million to the winners, which Titi said was still a very small amount.

"[The prizes] are very small compared to other literary awards that can offer tens of millions of rupiah," she added.

The foundation believes that regional language literature not only showcases a region's ethnography perspective but also encourages new themes, techniques and idea developments.

Therefore, the judges come from different regions so they can decide the best book based on their integrity and expertise.

Meanwhile, actor, writer and Teater Koma founder Norbertus "Nano" Riantiarno questioned Ajip's refusal to collaborate with the government in holding the Rancage awards.

"If the government [is involved], the prizes could be bigger," he said.

Responding to the matter, Ajip said he remained true to his principle of not asking any favors from the government.

"I refuse to do so. Rancage has survived until today. If the government is willing to give something, I will accept it. But instead, it gives me a tax notice," Ajip said.

The time and place for the 2019 Rancage Literary Awards and Samsoedi Award ceremony have not yet been decided, said Titi.

"The foundation will conduct the event in cooperation with other parties. More updates will be announced." (kes)The legendary French film composer Michel Legrand was laid to rest Friday after a final standing ovation in a Paris theatre decorated to look like one of his favorite movies.

The musician who scored such French screen classics as "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and "The Young Ladies of Rochefort" -- both starring Catherine Deneuve and directed by Jacques Demy -- died on Saturday aged 86.

Legrand won three Oscars for his work in Hollywood, most famously for writing "The Windmills of Your Mind" for "The Thomas Crown Affair" in 1969, as well as the music for Barbra Streisand's "Yentl" (1984) and the "Summer of '42" (1972).

A magic forest reminiscent of another Demy film, "Donkey Skin" -- which also starred Deneuve -- was created inside the Marigny theatre in Paris where his coffin was taken after a funeral service at the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox cathedral.

Clearly on the verge of tears, Demy's widow, the legendary French director Agnes Vardy, led the moving tributes to Legrand at the theatre.

After the audience had risen to give him one last standing ovation, she said, "Having to talk next to Michel's coffin is a little difficult. The last time we saw each other we held each other's hands and I felt transported back to our years together with Jacques Demy."

Read also: Oscar-winning 'Windmills of Your Mind' composer Michel Legrand dies aged 86

Musical genius

The cream of the French music and showbiz worlds had earlier crowded into the church, with Deneuve recalling the genius and energy of the man, who was planning a concert tour for April when he died suddenly.

"We could feel the emotion that was coming straight from the music when we were recording 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'," she told French television on Thursday.

"I can still remember entire passages of the lyrics" from the hugely influential musical, in which every line was sung.

Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, was among the mourners, with Legrand taken from the theatre for burial at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in the east of the city.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had a giant screen set up outside the city's town hall to show the highlights of Legrand's seven-decade career.

A musical prodigy, Legrand worked with the greats of jazz and popular music on both sides of the Atlantic from Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra to Charles Trenet and Edith Piaf.

Born into a musical family near Paris, he started out by playing songs on the piano he had heard on the radio.

His father Raymond Legrand was a composer, and although he left the family home when his son was only three, he later helped him launch his career.

His mother, of Armenian origin, enrolled him at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 10. He was to spend seven years there, before graduating with top honours in 1949.Antarexxa, a local startup company that focuses on space education, has launched a program called "Promo Tour: Introduction to Russian Space Industry", taking space enthusiasts to view the launch of manned mission Soyuz MS-12, a spaceflight that will take payloads and logistics to the International Space Station.

The debut tour is slated to run from March 6 to 15, with a starting price of US$3,400 for Indonesian customers. The price is subject to change and only valid for low season periods.

For those who would like to join the tour, but cannot make it this March, not to worry because there are launches every quarter, Antarexxa founder Melanie Camaro told The Jakarta Post via email, saying that there would be upcoming trips scheduled on July 6 and Sept. 25.

Read also: Russian spacewalkers take sample of mystery hole at space station

In addition to viewing the launch of Soyuz MS-12, the participants will also be able to visit museums, exhibition halls, the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, known as Roscosmos, in Moscow, Russia, and Russian launch complex Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Melanie explained that some sites, such as Roscomos and Baikonur Cosmodrome, were actually restricted by the government or for research purposes only, hence Antarexxa had to obtain permission from the authorities to have special access to bring members of the public to these sites.

Melanie also said the trip was open to everyone, including those who love aviation, aerospace, rocketry or adventure travelers. However, participants need to be at least 18 years old.

We will create a product that is a more family-friendly program, where the museums are mostly indoors with plenty of activities for kids and students. We will also offer student space camps for [participants] under the age of 18 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, she said, sharing some of Antarexxas upcoming programs. (kes)Design company Alessi, famous for household items with a modernist twist, said Friday it was cutting over a quarter of its workforce in Italy and was looking for an outside investor.

Some 80 jobs out of a total of 315 in Italy are to go, the firm said, blaming changing consumer habits and falling demand, especially in its home market.

Alessi's worldwide staff is 360.

The family business, which has used some of the world's top designers including Philippe Starck and Ettore Sottsass, saw sales plummet to around 60 million euros ($69 million) in 2018 from 86 million in 2010.

The group, based in Crusinallo di Omegna in the north of the country, said it had to cut staff to provide "a future" to the company and its role for Italian design.

There were no plans to move any production out of the country, it said.

Read also: Conchita Home seeks to bring eclectic touch to living space

Alessi said it will now work on new sales channels, especially online, and try to strengthen its international presence, especially in Asia and the Middle East.

It said it would also streamline its product portfolio.

Alessi was hit by the impact on consumer spending of a severe Italian recession in 2012-2013.

After several years of tepid growth, the country slipped into recession again at the end of last year, while growth in the rest of the eurozone was also slowing.

Alessi said it was now looking for an investor willing to inject funds into the family business to help it recover.

In an interview with Italian paper La Stampa, company chief Albert Alessi said he was in talks with a British company which he said is present both in finance and industry.You can be one step closer to your New Years resolution with this simple trick that can cut your urge to indulge in your not-so-healthy favorite foods.

New research from the Journal of Marketing Research says that a long, two-minute sniff of junk food can be a way to resist the lure of actually eating it -- and lead you to make healthier food choices.

In the study, researchers from the University of South Florida (USF) examined the effects that exposure to ambient scents had on peoples food choices.

Study participants were exposed to the smells of indulgent foods (cookies and pizza) and non-indulgent foods (strawberries and apples) in a school, supermarket and laboratory.

When participants were exposed to the smell of indulgent foods for longer than two minutes, they were more likely to opt for the healthier options, time and time again. The desire for participants to actually consume food like pizza and cookies slumped after smelling the indulgent scents for just two minutes.

Read also: A guide to eating healthy in a fast food restaurant

However, 45 percent of those who were exposed to the scent of cookies for just 30 seconds said that they would choose the treat over strawberries. After two minutes of exposure to the scent, just 22 percent of participants opted for the indulgent choice.

When the exposure to non-indulgent ambient scents (strawberry and apple) were examined, food choices were not profoundly influenced. The reason for this is because these non-indulgent foods are not connected with reward in our brain and therefore have little influence on what we crave.

Researchers from the USF concluded that encountering a cue in one sensory modality (olfaction) can compensate (or satisfy) desires related to another sensory modality (gustatory).

To put it simply, if you smell something unhealthy for long enough, like pizza or cookies, your desire to indulge in it is satisfied. (geo/kes)Every year is the Year of the Pig in Jenny Tsai's ninth-floor apartment in Taiwan's Taichung City which she shares with one fellow human and four pampered porcine housemates.

Website designer Tsai says her pigs are so clever they've worked out how to open the fridge, which is now protected from wandering snouts with a rope.

"Pigs are very affectionate," she says. "When I am sick they stay by my side and keep me company. But you can't pretend to be sick or they'll find out and wreak havoc."

It is difficult to underestimate the importance of pigs in Chinese culture -- especially when it comes to food.

One of Taiwan's most prized treasures is the "meat-shaped stone", a small piece of carved jasper with an uncanny resemblance to a chunk of stewed pork belly that draws huge daily crowds at the island's national museum.

But Tsai's pigs are the lucky ones -- they have avoided ending up on a plate.

The 43-year-old first started keeping pet pigs 12 years ago when her family gave her "Little Du", a piglet who has grown into a somewhat robust 65-kilogramme (143-pound) hog.

"When our neighbour's pig gave birth, I stopped by to watch the piglets every day so my father and brother bought one for me," she told AFP.

Over the years, she has taken in six more pigs that were abandoned or given away by their owners, three of which have since died.

The remaining four pigs live a life of luxury under Tsai's care, staying in the largest room in her small apartment while Tsai and her flatmate occupy the tiny bedrooms to the side.

Read also: Pet cats good for physical, mental health, studies show

'Difficult to raise'

Each pig has its own blanket, clothes, bowl and leash while the apartment is festooned with pig-themed figurines, cushions and paintings as well as bowls and cooking pots.

But keeping a pig is no easy task. Tsai once nursed a five-day-old piglet that required bottle-feeding every four hours, as well as a disabled pig rescued from a garbage dump that she wheeled in and out of her house in a cart.

"Pigs are difficult to raise, they can wreak havoc, they bite and they eat a lot."

Unlike dogs or cats, there is no pet hotel that accommodates pigs so their owners "can't travel far and have to make a lot of sacrifices," she added.

Despite the challenges, Tsai said her beloved pets have brought her much joy over the years.

But she worries that the arrival of the Year of the Pig next week might lead to a spike in abandoned pets.

Two Facebook pages she helps run with around 2,000 fans and fellow pig owners have already seen a rise in requests from people wanting to know more about keeping or giving away the animals.

"I hope the public will understand that pigs are not that easy to keep. I hope they will do some homework, speak to those who have experience keeping pigs and see if they have the time and space before keeping a pig."

Tsai said she often ends up taking in abandoned pigs -- especially fully grown ones.

"Nobody wants a grown pig and if some people do want it, they might have an ulterior motive -- such as killing the pig to eat."Social media posts show detained businessman Richard Muljadi tie the knot with his fiancee Shalvynne at a church in Jakarta. The screenshots, possibly taken from social media accounts of guests to the holy matrimony, gained more than 75,000 likes and over 1500 comments. Some commenters expressed their surprise seeing Richard, heir to oil, gas and mining company PT Mulia Graha Abadi, as a free man in the church, wondering if he had been released.

South Jakarta District Court chief prosecutor Supardi told kompas.com on Friday evening that he only knew that Richard was at the Drug Addiction Hospital (RSKO) in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

Supardi went on to say that his office had never issued a permission for the drug abuse suspect to conduct a wedding, adding that the latter had never requested such a permission.

Furthermore, Supardi said he would coordinate with the judge handling Richards case regarding the wedding.

We have to conduct a meeting before I can make a decision, because it is the judges domain to issue a permission, said Supardi, who later added Richard might not face any consequences over the matter.

I am sure he was escorted from the hospital, but I dont know, he said.

Richard Muljadi (richardmuljadi/Instagram via Tribunnews)

Read also: Policeman arrests Muljadi heir for 'sniffing cocaine' in mall toilet

A previous request by Richard to marry at the Jakarta Cathedral in September 2018 had been rejected by the Jakarta Police. Drug investigation director Sr. Comr. Suwondo Nainggolan had said that Richard could still get married at the detention center, like other detainees. (mut)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Bambang Susantono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2, 2019 09:16 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b13142f 3 Opinion Asia,technology,disruption,disruptive-innovation,digital-technology,industrial-revolution,economic-development,ADB,Asian-Development-Bank,infrastructure Free

Technological advancements and innovations are having a profound impact on the way people live, interact and do business. They bring opportunities  not only for enhanced productivity, but also new products and services. Mobile apps have vastly improved peoples daily lives and are transforming entire economies. Innovations such as fintech, Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing are benefitting e-commerce, finance, education, and health care.



The application of digital and online technologies can be massive and has the potential to help emerging economies leapfrog development. Developing countries in Asia stand to benefit immensely from this new era.



To turn this potential into reality, Developing Asia has some work to do, because many countries are simply not ready. For example, less than half of the population in the region has access to the internet. Information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure is required to jumpstart the digital revolution.



The international development community has a crucial role in partnering with countries to build foundations. Governments alone do not have the resources, and the private sector often faces barriers to investment.



The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is addressing these challenges by assisting its developing member countries build ICT infrastructure, prioritizing areas that are not commercially viable. It believes that ICT can play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and for the last 8 years, ADB has approved about 450 projects with ICT components across sectors. For example, ADB has helped establish submarine cable systems to improve the mobile telecoms networks of Palau, Solomon Islands, and Tonga. Moving forward, ADB will deliver integrated approaches in the areas of smart cities, e-government, and

e-commerce.



In Pakistan, ADB is supporting the extension of smart public transport systems in the Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Project. This includes diesel-hybrid plug in electric buses, Intelligent Transport Systems such as smart card-based fare collection and a real-time passenger information system, a bicycle sharing system, and the use of satellite imagery for engineering design.



This system will improve the quality of transportation service, air quality, and attract private sector investments.



Digital technologies also have an important role to play in the health sector. In Mongolia, ADBs health sector projects are connecting health centers through ICT in five provinces and two districts of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Before the project, patients had to travel to the provincial capital to seek medical treatment and all patient records were typed by health workers. Now local people no longer face these expensive trips and health workers just send patients medical histories to the provinces central database via the internet.



In Suva, Fiji, land records are still paper-based. In a small country like Fiji, where land is a valuable resource and 92 percent of land is ancestral domain, there is a need for an efficient, transparent information system to update and monitor land records, and create new ones.



Considering the unique features of the country, ADB is piloting a digital land registry using blockchain technology. Gaining traction in industries and governments, a blockchain acts as an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way.



Many countries have started national initiatives to digitize their economies. Some examples are Digital Thailand, Digital India, Taza Koom in the Kyrgyz Republic, and Digital Azerbaijan. While these aspire to bring digital transformation, most developing countries recognize the need to address gaps in knowledge, experience, and capacity for their success.



Technological changes and advances can drive economic growth and improve standards of living. A recent ADB study found that these have transformed the 2 billion worker Asian labor market, creating 30 million jobs annually in industry and services over the last 25 years, driving up increases in productivity and wages, and reducing poverty.



If we use new technologies better, the benefits of the digital revolution could be massive. However, it remains to be seen, how these new technologies will play out across sectors of the economy. Some may consider these technologies to be disruptive, leading to technological unemployment. For example, there is considerable anxiety about how automation, robotics, ever-expanding computing power, and artificial intelligence will affect the availability of jobs, especially for moderately skilled workers carrying out tasks that can be automated or done by computers.



Governments will need to address the risk of workers being left behind by ensuring that they are protected from the downside of new technologies and able to take advantage of new opportunities.



Societies, institutions and policymakers will need to think carefully about issues such as skills development, re-training, and means to support workers displaced by disruptive technologies. Developing Asia needs to be well prepared to address apprehension and increase its gain from the technological revolution.

***

The writer is vice president of Asian Development Bank.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, February 2, 2019 07:56 870 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b12ebf1 1 Editorial water-privatization,PAM-Jaya,Palyja,Aetra-Air,water-access,water,Jakarta-administration,Supreme-Court,#Water,#Editorial,anies-baswedan Free

As the Feb. 10 deadline for the Water Governance Evaluation Team to submit its assessment approaches, all eyes are on Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who will have to turn around the money-losing city-owned water enterprise PT PAM Jaya.



Anies has come under intense pressure to implement a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that requires PAM Jaya to terminate its partnerships with privately owned PT Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta as the business deals are deemed unconstitutional.



Instead of severing cooperation, PAM Jaya and its private partners restructured their contract on the pretext that they had signed the documents before the ruling was issued. PAM Jaya did so out of fear that it would have to pay the companies Rp 6.7 trillion (US$476 million) in compensation.



The Supreme Court agreed with the petitioner, the Coalition of Jakarta Residents Opposing Water Privatization, that the privatization of water management ran contrary to the Constitution. The ruling is in line with a 2015 Constitutional Court decision that annulled the Water Resources Law  which justifies water privatization  on similar grounds.



Sealed in 1997, the partnership agreements entrust the private firms the citys water management until 2023, for the reason that PT PAM Jaya had neither adequate technical competence nor financial resources to develop the business. Palyja is operating in the western part of the city and Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) in the eastern part. TPJ later became Aetra. The teams work has been shrouded with secrecy. A key recommendation leaked to the media was one requesting that the administration acquire the two private companies shares to avoid legal complications that could result from implementing the court ruling.



Not as sweet as it may sound, the ruling poses a mammoth challenge for City Hall. PAM Jayas cooperation with the private firms resulted in accumulated losses of Rp 1.4 trillion between 1998 and 2015, according to the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP). The losses occurred because PAM Jaya had to cover the Rp 2,000 per cubic meter shortfall between the production costs of Aetra and Palyja and revenue.



When, or if, PAM Jaya eventually regains full control of water management, it would inherit a dilapidated system and need to install expensive new pipelines and go the extra mile for targeted coverage. In 1997, the city aimed to achieve 98 percent coverage by the end of 2023, but in 2017 PAM Jaya reported that only 60 percent of Jakarta households had access to tap water. The remaining 40 percent possibly rely on groundwater and this explains why Jakarta is one of the worlds fastest sinking cities.



At Rp 7,800 per cubic meter, water prices in Jakarta are the highest in the country. In contrast, Surabaya PAM covers 87 percent of the citys households, which pay Rp 2,800 per cubic meter.



Other cities show that public water enterprises can perform well. For a metropolis like Jakarta granting water management to PAM Jaya would be like resurrecting a white elephant, unless the administration has a workable plan.EDWARDSVILLE  The transfer of prisoners at the Madison County Jail to accommodate renovations to the structure are expected to start in May, according to information provided at Fridays meeting of the Madison County Boards Judiciary Committee.

Deputy Sheriff Maj. Jeff Connor said the moves are expected to start about May 1. Facilities Director Rob Schmidt confirmed that; however, he cautioned that is still a tentative date.

The jail is undergoing a $14 million, three-year renovation. Work is already underway and ahead of schedule, but so far they have not had to transfer any prisoners to accommodate the construction.

Connor said they recently met with the Alton Police Department to work out arrangements to handle some of the prisoners.

The county jail is certified for 312 prisoners, but routinely holds more. The latest figures from Jan. 31 show 307 prisoners.

Each cell block holds about 32 people, and all have to be moved out when work starts in those areas.

In a related matter, committee member Jamie Goggin, who chaired the meeting, said the Edwardsville Police Department had approached him about concerns with prisoners who are released and then stay in the neighborhoods.

Connor noted that each released prisoner gets a telephone call, and some will wait for hours until somebody picks them up.

This has been going on for decades, he said. Inmates have to find their way home.

Representatives of the Public Defenders and Probation offices said they have given out bus tokens or passes in the past. Goggin said he would approach Madison County Transit about restarting such a program.

There was also discussion about upcoming changes in court fees.

The changes will take effect on July 1 as a result of a law passed last year. There has been a great deal of uncertainty about exactly how it will impact Madison County.

One issue is that it eliminates some county fees that go directly to agencies like the Child Advocacy Center, forcing the County Board to appropriate additional money from its general fund.

Circuit Clerk Mark Von Nida said he is going to a training session with other Illinois circuit clerks, and will have more information at the next meeting.

The committee also approved a resolution to give Madison County Public Defender John Rekowski a raise.

Rekowski will receive an additional $3,334 annually. The reason for the raise is that the state gave Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons a cost-of-living increase, and by state law the public defender must be paid at least 90 percent of the states attorneys salary.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.SPRINGFIELD  With the 2020 U.S. Census looming, time is short for a group of Illinois lawmakers and activists who want voters to support a new way of drawing the states political maps.

One coalition of interest groups proposes no longer allowing politicians to decide the boundaries of districts. Instead, those decisions would be made by a commission that demographically, politically and geographically represents the prairie state.

Current law allows the General Assembly to draw, and the governor to approve, political districts that are compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population. Getting there, however, is often a complicated process that invariably favors the party in power.

A constitutional amendment written by CHANGE Illinois  the Coalition for Honest and New Government Ethics  would change that. The group has been working since 2012 to get a redistricting measure on the ballot.

I think politicians willingly changing the law so they give up authority on this issue would restore some public trust and integrity in this process, and show that they can be full-time legislators, as opposed to drawing maps to ensure a certain electoral outcome, said Jeff Raines, communications and engagement director for CHANGE Illinois.

The groups twin measures instead place map-drawing under the purview of the state Supreme Court. The chief justice and most senior justice who is not elected from the same political party would together select 16 citizens to form a commission  seven Democrats, seven Republicans and two independents.

All the groups actions are meant to be transparent  documents, meetings and materials would be available to the public, and the proposal mandates at least 30 public hearings.

Once the commission produces a map, it must also publish a compliance report specifically explaining how the finished product adheres to federal and state law.

The proposal is sponsored by Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield, in the Senate and Ryan Spain, a Republican from Peoria, in the House. Its almost identical to one the same sponsors introduced in the previous legislative session.

I believe our state is best served by an independent redistricting commission that sets aside partisan affiliation and the wishes of the incumbents to do what is best for the people of this state, Morrison said in a news release. The voters who sent us to Springfield expect us to govern on their behalf, not adhere to partisan brinkmanship.

One of the concerns CHANGE Illinois addressed was the rate of pay for each commission member. In the former iteration, members would get $300 per day, which one lawmaker said could stick the state with a large bill. Now, each member would be paid $37.50 per hour of work.

A glaring hurdle created by this effort is that it would require state Supreme Court justices to have political affiliations.

Raines said CHANGE Illinois never approached representatives from the states highest court about whether they would be interested in assuming the responsibility of overseeing Illinois redistricting process every 10 years, but assigning the role to that branch of government makes the most sense.

Typically, of the three branches of government, we in this country believe that the judicial branch is the least partisan, so thats why were looking to them to do this, Raines said.

The redistricting revamp would require a constitutional amendment, which carries a high burden of approval to be successful. Both chambers of the General Assembly must give their support by a three-fifths majority before it can go to voters. Then, 60 percent approval by voters is needed.

When this proposal was introduced in the previous session, it had wide support from lawmakers in both chambers on both sides of the aisle. But it began making its way through the legislative process only about two weeks before the deadline to appear on the ballot. That gave legislators some measure of political cover.

And Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker plays no official role in the constitutional amendment process. Although his office did not respond to a request for comment about whether he would support CHANGE Illinois proposal, he said during a news conference last week that he would veto an unfairly-drawn map.

The Republican caucuses in both chambers favor a change in how Illinois draws political maps, although the House proposed its own plan. Because the party has a superminority  with 21 fewer seats than Democrats in the Senate and 30 fewer seats in the House  its members will not have much of a say in how the districts are drawn.

The constitutionally-set deadline for one of these proposals, often referred to in the Capitol as Fair Maps plans, to be successful is the beginning of May 2020. That would give the General Assembly six months to approve a redistricting amendment before it would go on the ballot in November 2020.Mike Nicolens Jan 25 letter sums up how Convention of States advocates silence opposition. In Nov. 18, in Boise, Idaho, COSs Mark Meckler was asked why he refuses to debate me. He called me a liar, not attempting to show any proof. That won us followers for Guard The Constitution.

Im not surprised Meckler wants us silenced. COS failed in over 20 states last year, passing in zero. They are getting desperate.

I called an editor of The Grand Island Independent and asked permission to submit a letter on this topic. Nicolen wants debate limited to Nebraskans, yet doesnt object to Meckler or his paid COS endorsers that travel the states. Perhaps Nicolen intended to say, that The Independent must limit the debate to those agreeing with COS. The Independents editor fairly published all sides of political debate, as the Founders intended.

Nicolen wants to discredit me, not my facts. Isnt that what the left is doing to President Trump?

Applications for an Article V convention from any state impact all states. If Nicolen demands no debate from outside Nebraska, he must demand COS stop.My son, Johnathon, is a kindergartner at Chapman School. I am writing this letter to express my concerns about the Northwest school board shutting this school down. They want to see an increase of enrollment in order to keep the school open. However, they want to see it now. According to past school board meetings there were a few board members who were against closing the school. It is now my job as a parent to keep the school open so my child can further his education through this wonderful school.

My son adores going to Chapman School. He loves all the staff members there as well as all the children that go there. Its not just teachers that associate with him, but also the lunch ladies, the custodians, the librarians, the secretaries, the entire staff. Every staff member in that building knows him. He asked me one day if his school was going to shut down. It nearly broke my heart. My child should not have to worry about whether his school is going to shut down. He thinks its his fault that this school is shutting down. I had to reassure him that it was a budget thing and his dad and I were going to do everything in our power to keep the school open so he can continue his education there.The good news for her and others is that the world should still be here by then. In a recent speech Cortez said the trajectory right now is for climate change to end the world in 12 years minus solutions. People thought, oh well, she is indulging in hyperbole to make a point, but no, she said, she was serious, and she said she read as much in the Guardian newspaper. Well, the paper did report on an important study that does say something scary if questionable, that we could then experience dreadful hurt that could stick with us. But the end? Nope.

Cortez does not seem to read carefully, and she is more than a little amiss on the whole climate change issue. She wants this country running entirely on renewable fuels by 2035, which would cost trillions upon trillions even if renewables and maybe some donkey treadmills were up to the task by then. Even applying other more workable solutions, while counting for something, would still not solve the feared crisis because of other nations continuing their CO2 ways.

Even so, she says she has a way to pay for it all and thats a 70 percent marginal tax rate on people making $10 million or more a year, and, yes, even after avoidance techniques galore and other issues there could be a revenue gain. It wouldnt come close, however, to what is needed, and then consider her method of paying for another progressive scheme, Medicare for all.In a previous interview, Williams said during the time frame Shepardson presented that locomotive troubles and bad weather caused a train to sit at the crossing for hours.

There are other reasons why trains are stopping on that track, which is part of a major coal train route, Williams explained. Unlike other BNSF lines on either side of town that were upgraded to double tracks a few years ago, the one that runs through the city is a single track on elevated lines. Having a single track creates a bottle neck between the 45 to 60 BNSF trains traveling north and south on a daily basis since coal volumes have picked up in the last year. A train moving in one direction might have to stop along that line for 30 minutes to an hour and a half while another train heading in the opposite direction passes.

During the meeting this week, it was discussed if a train could be separated to keep the North Road crossing open if that train was going to be stopped there for a long period of time.

We have to come to an idea on how long is long and at what point does it make sense to do that, Conrad said. As explained to me, if you separate the train, prior to the train leaving, the engineer has to do a complete walk up and down the entire train to make sure everything is safe. That is a federal regulation they have to follow.A Hall County District Court Jury on Friday found an Ackley, Iowa, man guilty of two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor and not guilty of a third such charge.

St. Thomas F. Cramer, 22, was found guilty of twice sexually penetrating a female who was at least 12 but less than 16 years of age. The jury concluded that the crimes occurred in Hall County between April 1 and Aug. 31 in the laundry room of her house or her bedroom. He was found not guilty of penetrating the victim in a siblings room.Contributed Photo / Department of Justice / Contributed Photo

NORWALK  A city man faces a minimum of 10 years in jail after he pleaded guilty in court on Friday, according to the Department of Justice.

Joseph Sean Daniels, 36, of Norwalk, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.DANBURY - The police officers involved in Decembers fatal shooting of a man with a knife have essentially clean conduct records, according to internal police department records.

A half-dozen complaints of unlawful conduct, excessive force and improper behavior filed against the two officers were all dismissed, either because the complaint was ruled unfounded, or because the officers conduct was ruled proper, documents reviewed by Hearst Connecticut Media show.

The exception was a 2017 police chase that wasnt justified, for which one of the officers was counseled and given a warning.

The larger question of the two officers conduct on the night of the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Paul Arbitelle and the wounding of his mother remains under state police investigation, now in its sixth week.

All police have said so far about the decorated officers is that they acted in self-defense after Arbitelle came at them with a knife.

One of the officers is already back on duty  46-year-old Regina Guss, a 12-year veteran. The other officer, 32-year-old Alex Relyea, who shot Arbitelle and wounded his mother, has been with Danbury for four years, and has yet to return to active duty.

You couldnt find two better people to be police officers, said Danbury police Sgt. John Krupinski, a board member of the Danbury police union, who said the more engaged officers are, the more typical it is that they generate complaints.

People can come in and make any complaint that they want, but it doesnt mean the officer has done anything wrong, Krupinski said. You have to look at what action the department takes.

The Danbury police department took no action in the six complaints against the officers except to investigate each complaint and inform everyone involved the case was dismissed.

In the 2017 pursuit incident, where Releya should not have initiated a police car chase over a minor license plate violation, the departments professional standards division decided that counseling and a warning about the serious consequences of any future violations, was the proper discipline.

Fatal shooting

Hearst requested the officers disciplinary records under the state Freedom of Information Act.

Hearst also asked for footage from police cameras and radio audio from the Dec. 29 shooting of the Arbitelles, but that request was denied because it is part of the investigation.

The Arbitelle family has not commented publicly about the shooting, or about the criminal history of Arbitelle, who had swastikas and white power tattooed on his body, and whose life was punctuated by alcohol abuse, fights with police and prison.

Instead the family has spoken through a lawyer, Robert Berke, who has filed two notices of intent to sue Danbury.

One claim would seek damages for the mother, 74-year-old Linda Arbitelle, who is recovering at home in a wheelchair from a gunshot wound in the abdomen.

A second claim would seek emotional distress damages for Paul Arbitelles sister, Lisa Natale-Contreras, who said she was denied information about her mothers and brothers condition for two hours, while Mayor Mark Boughton tweeted openly about the incident.

The familys attorney, Robert Berke, said he saw nothing in the records of either police officer that raised a red flag.

What I look for in these cases is if there is any prior excessive force that has been substantiated, or any successful civic action against the officers, because anyone can make a complaint and anyone can file a lawsuit, Berke said. But nothing like that stands out here.

Boughton agreed about the officers.

From all accounts I have heard from their colleagues and the command staff, they are commendable officers, Boughton said. It is certainly not uncommon for officers to have complaints from citizens.

Prior complaints unfounded

The officers are under the microscope, despite their decorations and police assurances that Arbitelle was the aggressor, because Dec. 29 was the first time in 20 years that an officer has fired a fatal shot in Danbury, as far as anyone can tell.

The disciplinary files, which include statements by people bringing the complaints, statements by the officers themselves, and specific discussions of the video footage and other evidence that the professional standards division considered, gives a clear picture of not only the police officers actions, but also in some cases the complainants state-of-mind.

In a recent excessive force complaint against Guss and a fellow officer, for example, the woman who made the complaint had been trying to cut herself with a razor and started to run out of the house when she saw police, according to the report.

Guss took the woman by the arm to prevent her from leaving, so that she could be taken to the hospital for treatment, the report said.

In contrast, Relyeas unjustified pursuit of a suspect with plate violation in 2017 was the only discipline case reviewed by Hearst against the two officers that was not given a ruling of unfounded or exonerated.

During the April 11 chase, Relyea scratched the bumper of his cruiser on a chain link fence, and stopped pursuing the suspect after a sergeant at headquarters asked over the radio why he was trying to stop the car.

Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour reminded Relyea in a letter closing out that investigation that the officer had violated department protocol, as simple motor vehicle violations are not a permitted reason to initiate a pursuit.

Relyea, who wound up catching the suspect on foot, arrested the man on multiple charges, including operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating with a suspended license, reckless driving, and engaging police in pursuit.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342Opposition National Assembly President Juan Guaido, accompanied by his wife Fabiana Rosales and his 20-month-old daughter Miranda, listens to a reporter's question during a news conference outside their apartment, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. Guaido said security forces showed up at their home in an attempt to intimidate him. "The dictatorship thinks it can intimidate us," Guaido said. (AP/Fernando Llano)

Venezuela Opposition Leader to Police: Leave My Family Alone

CARACAS, VenezuelaThe Venezuelan opposition leader challenging Nicolas Maduros claim to the presidency warned officers from a feared state security unit Jan. 31 to stay away from his family after he accused them of showing up at his apartment in a tense brush with the very force he is trying to persuade to switch allegiance and back him.

A visibly flustered but determined Juan Guaido told a crowd gathered at a university that members of a special police unit known for its brutal tactics had gone to his high-rise apartment in a middle-class neighborhood of Caracas while his 20-month-old daughter was inside.

I hold you responsible for anything that might happen to my baby, the 35-year-old lawmaker said as his wife stood beside him.

He rushed home and emerged an hour later holding his smiling daughter, named for Francisco de Miranda, a Venezuelan patriot who paved the way for Venezuelas independence, and described how four agents from the polices Special Action Force had arrived at the building and asked security guards stationed there for his wife.

Children are sacred, he admonished the agents as a crowd of supporters applauded. Wives are sacred. So dont cross that red line.

In a statement on Twitter, Venezuelas police denied that special agents had gone to Guaidos home, dismissing the claim as totally FALSE.

Guaido is at the center of Venezuelas political upheaval as he presses forward with establishing a transitional government after swearing himself in as the nations rightful president in a move denounced by Maduro as a U.S.-backed coup.

In a country where the socialist leaders foes often end up behind bars, Guaido has thus far managed to avoid arrest, but in recent days authorities have let it be known that even as his powerful international support grows Guaido isnt untouchable.

On Jan. 29, the government-stacked Supreme Court barred Guaido from leaving the country and froze his bank accounts while chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab, a Maduro ally, conducts an investigation into his anti-government activities.

Once more they are playing the intimidation game, Guaido said. Theyre not going to succeed in intimidating this Venezuelan family.

Even while denouncing the special police force, Guaido appealed to them and the military to abandon Maduro and abide by the constitution, which he contends instructs him as leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to take the presidency. The opposition and a large segment of the international community consider Maduros reelection fraudulent, in part because the presidents most popular adversaries were barred from running.

You have time to put yourselves on the right side of history, Guaido said.

U.S. officials who have warned Maduro will face serious consequences if he harms Guaido denounced the incident as a disgraceful intimidation tactic.

Regime resorts to targeting a 20-month-old baby, Kimberly Breier, the current U.S. assistant secretary of state for the region, wrote on Twitter. Shame on you Maduro.

Later on Jan. 31, Guaido told The Associated Press that he will defy a government ban on humanitarian aid by sending large convoys of medicine into the country with the help of neighboring nations. He said the move will be a new test for Venezuelas military.

Venezuela bans opposition leader from travelling and freezes his assets https://t.co/gmGEiVfC2v pic.twitter.com/cWv6REyisK  Independent US (@IndyUSA) February 1, 2019

In a few weeks they will have to choose if they let much needed aid into the country or if they side with Nicolas Maduro, said Guaido.

Guaido explained that aid for Venezuela will include life-saving medicines that are scarce in Venezuela and will be transported by vehicles arriving at several border points, after it is shipped into friendly ports in neighboring countries.

We are not just taking aid from the United States, Guaido explained. But in the next few days we will announce a global coalition to send aid to Venezuela.

A swift end to the tumult appears unlikely as both Guaido and Maduro dig in for a protracted conflict with geopolitical dimensions.

Maduro has been crisscrossing Venezuela overseeing military exercises and vowing to defend his socialist government no matter the cost. The militarys top leadership is backing Maduro, though analysts warn that rank-and-file troops frustrated by their countrys economic and humanitarian crisis may not share their unwavering loyalty.

Venezuelan officials said on Jan. 31 that authorities had taken down a terrorist group backed by political opponents plotting to assassinate Maduro. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said retired National Guard Col. Oswaldo Garcia Palomo was among those detained. Garcia Palomo has been an outspoken critic of Maduro for months and had openly declared his intentions to amass a military force in exile to remove Maduro from power.

Reverol said security forces seized two rifles and 500 armbands bearing the letters OC, which he said stands for Operation Constitution. He accused Colombian intelligence, the CIA and exiled Venezuelan lawmaker Julio Borges of being behind the alleged plot.

We are continuing the investigation and dont discount future arrests, he added.

The government called for a mass rally on Jan. 31 to denounce U.S. sanctions against Venezuelas state-owned oil company that could starve Maduros government of billions in export revenue but turnout was no more than a few hundred people.

Maduro has retained the support of powerful allies, including Russia and China, but he is growing increasingly isolated as more nations back Guaido.

The European Parliament called on the European Unions 28 member states on Jan. 31 to recognize Guaido. The regional bloc has not yet defined its position on the crisis amid differing opinions among members, though several nations have said they will recognize Guaido if Maduro doesnt announce a new election by weeks end.

The bloc did not come out in support of Guaido after a meeting of foreign ministers in Bucharest, Romania, to discuss the crisis, but EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced the establishment of a 90-day international conduct group with EU and Latin American states to promote common understanding aiming at a peaceful and democratic outcome.

The EU legislature also approved a resolution that condemned the continued violence and the detention of journalists who sought to cover events there.

In recent days journalists from at least three foreign publications have been detained. Spains state-run EFE news agency said three of its journalists were freed Jan. 31 after being detained overnight in Venezuelas capital. Two French journalists were also freed from detention, and two Chilean journalists were ordered deported.

Guaido reappeared Thursday night to address dozens of neighbors and thank them for not letting state security forces intimidate the community. He is urging Venezuelans to take to the streets again Saturday for a mass protest demanding that humanitarian aid enter the country, something the Maduro government has regularly refused, denying that a crisis is underway.

<em>Associated Press journalists Scott Smith and Joshua Goodman contributed to this report.</em>US Border Patrol Carry out Security Drills Near Mexican Border Crossing Points

U.S. border patrol officers performed a series of drills near its international border with Mexico, as thousands of Central American migrants cross overland toward the northern frontier seeking asylum in the United States.

Reuters video shot from Ciudad Juarez on Thursday, Jan. 31 in Mexico, showed officers in riot gear and using gas.

At the Tijuana crossing point late on Friday, officers laid out barb wire as part of another security operation.

Trump has hardened his stance on immigration, and specifically against the caravan of migrants. He has sought to suspend the granting of asylum to illegal immigrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, seeking fresh ways to block thousands of Central Americans traveling in caravans from entering the United States. He has also said any migrants seeking asylum will have to wait in Mexico whilst the claim is heard.

Read Next:

US Starts Returning Asylum-Seekers to Mexico Under New Policy

TIJUANA, MexicoThe Trump administration launched an effort to discourage thousands of migrants from seeking asylum and subsequently disappearing into the United Statesby sending them to Mexico to wait out their cases. On Jan. 28, the first one was returned to Tijuana. The migrant-heavy border city was not happy about it.

The Mexican federal government, however, has reluctantly agreed to the policy.

Under the policy, called the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), many asylum-seekers entering the southwestern border may be returned to Mexico while they wait for their immigration hearings in the United States. So far MPP only applies to the San Ysidro Border Crossing between San Diego and Tijuana.

Mexican Foreign Ministry spokesman Roberto Velasco criticized the United States for the new program but said Mexico will strive to uphold international law in their actions.

The government of Mexico does not agree with the unilateral measure implemented by the government of the United States. Notwithstanding and in congruence with our new migratory policy, we reiterate our commitment to migrants and human rights, he said.

El vocero de la @SRE_mx, @r_velascoa, dio a conocer el posicionamiento del Gobierno de Mexico ante el inicio de la implementacion de la seccion 235(b)(2)(c) de la Ley de Inmigracion y Nacionalidad de EE.UU. @GobiernoMX #DiplomaciaMx #MexicoGlobal pic.twitter.com/PBENk4Km0x  SRE Mexico (@SRE_mx) January 25, 2019

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen first announced the program in December, then-called the Remain in Mexico policy. Last week rumors circulated that it would begin immediately. The start of the program coincided with Nielsens visit to the San Ysidro Port of Entry to conduct an operational tour on Jan. 28. One asylum seeker from Honduras was returned to Tijuana that morning.

The MPP will enable DHS to take a huge step forward in bringing order to chaotic migration flows, restoring the rule of law and the integrity of the United States immigration system, and allowing DHS to focus resources on providing relief to individuals fleeing persecution while at the same time holding those accountable who make false asylum claims, Nielsen said in a statement.

It does not apply to unaccompanied minors. The programs launch comes as a second caravan of thousands of Central Americans makes its way north, with many planning to reach the U.S. border to seek asylum. Last year, a large caravan brought more than 6,000 migrants to Tijuana, bogging down the citys resources and causing protests.

Honduran reporter Josue Cover told The Epoch Times on Jan. 17 that Honduran migrants that left with the new caravan in January are encouraged to head north by stories from those who left with the first caravan and successfully crossed the border.

I was able to interview three minors who told me Well my mom went with my little sister in the other caravan and they are already in the United States, now the three of us are going. They are 17, 16, and 12 years old, they are going together because they believe that they will cross through.Cover said many bring young children because they are toldby coyotes and by migrants who have successfully entered the United Statesit will be easier to enter the country that way.

The coyotes tell them Please, if you are going to come, then come with a minor, with a baby, because that way you are given more support. That is, they are given the opportunity to cross to the United States.

The Trump administration has been trying to get Congress to close the catch-and-release loophole. Under catch-and-release, illegal aliens who claim asylum are able to stay and work in the United States for years until their immigration court datebut most dont show up.

Currently, the immigration system has about 800,000 pending cases.

NTD reporter Kimberly Hayek contributed to this report.Daniel Hernandez arrives for his arraignment on assault charges in County Criminal Court No. 1 at the Harris County Courthouse on Aug. 22, 2018, in Houston, Texas. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Tekashi 6ix9ine: Rapper Admits Gang Membership, Pleads Guilty to Nine Charges

Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has pleaded guilty to nine charges and said he was part of a violent gang, according to court records.

The rapper, whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty to counts including racketeering conspiracy, multiple firearms offenses, and narcotics trafficking.

Hernandez pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, and the information was unsealed on Friday in a Manhattan federal court.

The 22-year-old is allegedly part of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, that operates in and around Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn.

Members and associates of Nine Trey enriched themselves by committing robberies and selling drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, MDMA, dibutylone, and marijuana, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Hernandez with his lawyer Lance Lazzaro pleaded not guilty in November 2018, insisting he was innocent.

An entertainer who portrays a gangster image to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise, Lazzaro had said at the time, according to RollingStone.

Part of Nine Trey Gang Since 2017

Page Six reported that Hernandez joined the Nine Trey gang in 2017 and admitted his involvement in shooting rival gang members in court.

On or about June 2, 2018, in furtherance of Nine Trey, of the Nine Trey enterprise, I paid a person to shoot at a rival member of Nine Trey to scare him. The shooting took place in Manhattan, he said, according to Page Six.

This was the same day there were reports that rapper Chief Keef was shot at outside the Times Square W Hotel in New York City.

He also said he helped gang members try to kill a rival last March.

I did this to maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey, he told Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. He said he also knew that another member of Nine Trey had a gun and discharged that gun.

The rapper also said he helped other gang members rob people at gunpoint as part of a pledge by new gang members to commit at least two crimes.

I apologize to the court, to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends, and fans for what I have done and who I have let down, Hernandez said.

Hernandez has 15.5 million followers on Instagram. Hes known for his multiplatinum hit song, Fefe, with Nicki Minaj and his album, Day69: Graduation Day.

His attorney, Dawn Florio, said Hernandezs safety is a priority.

In the very beginning of the case when we found out that my clients security was at risk because of threats by his co-defendants, we have done everything to protect himself and his family, she said. He has to be separated from the people who threatened him.

He now faces 47 years behind bars, but its likely he will have a significantly reduced sentence for cooperating with authorities, according to TMZ.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportUS President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they take their places for a family photo, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. - Global leaders gather in the Argentine capital for a two-day G20 summit beginning on Friday likely to be dominated by simmering international tensions over trade. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

US and Russia Suspend Obligations Under Nuclear Arms Treaty

The United States and Russia suspended their obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on Feb. 2 after months of failed talks and years of attempts by Washington to bring Moscow into compliance with the landmark arms pact.

President Donald Trump announced his intent to withdraw from the treaty in October last year. Since then, Russia failed to comply with requests to destroy its 9M729 ballistic missiles, which the United States says violate the treaty.

The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions, Trump said in a statement issued by the White House. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country will likewise suspend its obligations under the treaty and will start developing new missiles. Putin made the announcement on Feb. 2, the day that U.S. officials said Washington would serve Moscow and related parties with the official withdrawal notice.

Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it too, Putin said Feb. 2, the BBC reported. All of our proposals in this sphere, as before, remain on the table, the doors for talks are open.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the INF treaty in 1978; the pact prohibited both nations from possessing both conventional and nuclear-capable short- and mid-range ground-launched missiles.

Putins comments came just hours after NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg told the broadcaster that all other European countries supported the United States.

All [European] allies agree with the United States because Russia has violated the treaty for several years. They are deploying more and more of the new nuclear-capable missiles in Europe, Stoltenberg said.

NATO said in a statement Feb. 1 that it was backing the United States.

Unless Russia honors its INF Treaty obligations through the verifiable destruction of all of its 9M729 systems, thereby returning to full and verifiable compliance before the U.S. withdrawal takes effect in six months, Russia will bear sole responsibility for the end of the Treaty, the NATO declaration states.

Under the terms of the treaty, the withdrawal by the U.S. is effective 60 days after the service of the withdrawal notice.

U.S. officials made more than 30 attempts over the past six years to bring Russia to compliance. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Feb. 1 that Moscow has refused to take any steps to comply with the requests.

In December, Pompeo gave Russia 60 days to return to compliance with the treaty. He noted at the time that European allies have lobbied for the additional time in order to mount a diplomatic campaign to return Russia to compliance.

Russias violation puts millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk, Pompeo said on Friday. It aims to put the United States at a military disadvantage and it undercuts the chances of moving our bilateral relationship in a better direction.

Its our duty to respond appropriately, he added. When an agreement is so brazenly disregarded and our security is so openly threatened, we must respond.

The United States alleges that Russias 9M729 missile is in violation of the INF treaty because it operates in a prohibited range. The treaty prohibits Russia and the United States from deploying ground-launched missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles.

Russia denies the allegation, saying that the missiles range is just short of 300 miles. Washington asked to test the missiles range, but Moscow refused and offered a testing scenario that U.S. officials found unacceptable.

Trump said that the United States will now move forward to respond to Russias deployments.

We will move forward with developing our own military response options and will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct, Trump said.

While Russia and the United States were bound by the treaty, at least 10 other nations developed ballistic missiles in the prohibited range. All of the nations are geographically positioned to strike Russia but not the United States, a scenario that has drawn years of complaints from Moscow.

The complaints turned into non-compliance. According to U.S. intelligence, Russia began developing the nuclear-capable 9M729 in the mid-2000s, flight-tested the missile in the range prohibited by the treaty and deployed several battalions on its territory, all in violation of the INF.

China has developed a formidable arsenal of missiles that the U.S. and Russia have been barred from possessing under the treaty, a strategic reality that concerns both Washington and Moscow. Trump has mentioned that he is open to an arms pact that includes China. U.S. diplomats have attempted to bring China into the INF on several occasions; each attempt has failed.

Follow Ivan on Parler: @IvanPentchoukovVirginia Gov. Ralph Northam, during a campaign stop at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in 2017, is facing calls to resign after a picture showing him in blackface or a KKK outfit emerged on Feb. 1, 2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Ralph Northam, VA Gov, Called on to Resign After Blackface KKK Photo Emerges

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is facing calls to resign from both sides of the aisle after a picture showing him and another person dressed in blackface and a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) outfit emerged on Feb. 1.

Northam, already in hot water from shocking abortion comments he made earlier in the week, is seen in a medical college yearbook standing at a gathering with one other person. One of them is in blackface, or has used paint or makeup to appear black, while the other is dressed in full KKK gear.

Its not possible to tell whether Northam is the one dressed in blackface or the one wearing the KKK gear. He reportedly claimed that he could not remember which one was him.

The picture was first published on the Big League Politics blog and circulated widely on Friday, prompting cries of outrage from state and national lawmakers, analysts, and members of the public.

Democratic presidential contenders Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Julian Castro, former Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, were among those calling for Northam to resign.

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and theyve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northams ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign, Booker said in a statement posted on Twitter.

It doesnt matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign, added Castro.

Just went to the EVMS library and can confirm on Ralph Northams 1984 yearbook page there is a picture of a person in black face standing next to a person dressed like the KKK. #13NewsNow pic.twitter.com/gCLteZRn3k  Robert Boyd 13News Now (@13robertboyd) February 1, 2019

Virginia Democrats held an emergency meeting Friday night that Northam attended.

The Senate Democratic Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus both released statements calling on Northam to resign, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the biggest media outlet in the states capital, released an editorial calling on Northam to resign.

The Hill reported that Northam told state Democrats that he will not resign.

The Governor released a video statement on Twitter to apologize and defending himself.

My fellow Virginians, earlier today I released a statement apologizing for behavior in my past that falls far short of the standard you set for me when you elected me to be your governor. I believe you deserve to hear directly from me. pic.twitter.com/1rSw1oxfrX  Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) February 2, 2019

In statement #Virginia Gov. @RalphNortham says the photo on his @EVMSedu yearbook page is clearly racist and offensive and the first step is to offer my sincerest apology. pic.twitter.com/vxSp2aUv5c  Steve Herman (@W7VOA) February 1, 2019

In a statement, Northam admitted he was one of the people in the picture.

The picture shows him in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive, he said.

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now, he added. Northam said that he would be making a serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused.

Ralph Northam is a Republican, according to CNN. pic.twitter.com/8Cqhyg5Lil  David Martosko (@dmartosko) February 2, 2019

CNN Mislabels Northam as Republican

Amid the uproar, CNN covered the situation extensively but at one point mislabeled Northam as a (R), or Republican, on screen.

The mistake came during Anderson Cooper 360.

Donald Trump Jr., President Donald Trumps son, was among those slamming CNN for the mistake, which he said was malicious.

Well thats their typical #fakenews. They just want that to be true, he said on Twitter.

CNN reporter Maeve Reston claimed that it was a mistake.

Just a quick note, that everyone who works in news  including people who write the Chyrons  were all human. We all make mistakes. We try to correct them as quickly as possible, she wrote on Twitter.

Fox News commentator Stephen Miller was among those who questioned that stance, stating: CNNPR doesnt seem to be any rush to correct as quickly as possible and their games with snarky chyrons dont exactly lend us to believe this was an honest mistake. Sorry.

As of Saturday morning, CNNs public relations had not addressed what happened.

From NTD NewsNew York Gets a Winter Ice Jewel as Bryant Park Fountain Freezes

The content is not available due to expiration.Blood and bullet holes are seen in the bedroom where Keith and wife Elizabeth Theriot were killed in the Louisiana suburb of Gonzales, Va., on Jan 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Lawyer: Suspect in 5 Killings Wanted to Say Im Sorry

WARSAW, Va.A man charged with killing his parents and three others in Louisiana drove to Virginia to try to hug and kiss two aunts and a grandmother goodbye, his court-appointed attorney in Virginia said on Feb. 1.

Suspect Dakota Theriot declined to fight extradition back to Louisiana, and authorities expected to fly him back by the end of the day.

He basically wanted to say I love you, Im sorry, Attorney Steve Barnette said. He knows hes probably never going to see the outside of a jail again.

Theriot, 21, may face the death penalty on murder charges in the deaths of his girlfriend, her father, her brother and his own parents.

Authorities in Louisiana have said Theriot confessed to investigators who had traveled to Virginia, although they said his motives remain unclear.

Fridays hearing was Theriots first court appearance since being arrested outside his grandmothers house in Warsaw, a small town in a rural area about an hour northeast of Richmond.

The brief hearing offered no new details about the killings.

Theriot showed little emotion and offered polite yes and no responses to the judge, who explained he had the right to fight extradition. Bound in handcuffs and chained in a blue jail jumpsuit, he awkwardly signed forms at a table. A deputy kept a hand on the chain throughout the hearing. He did not appear to acknowledge his relatives in the courtroom, and they declined to comment.

According to Barnette, Theriot told him he had recently tried to join the U.S. Army but had a falling out during the recruitment process.

He knows he could face the death penalty, Barnette said. I think hes resigned and understands his fate.

Elliott Brown, a staff attorney at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, had also traveled to Virginia to meet with Theriot. Brown did not speak during the hearing and declined to comment. The center represents low-income defendants charged with capital crimes.

Authorities in Louisiana have said Theriot provided a lot of information to investigators about how the killings unfolded but his motive remained elusive.

We dont really know what the motive is. We just know what he did, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said at a news conference on Jan. 29.

Authorities said Theriot was kicked out of his own house and his girlfriends family had taken him in a few weeks ago. Summer Ernest, 20, had been dating Theriot for only a couple of weeks.

The sheriff said Theriot told investigators he used a gun he stole from his father to kill Summer. The other victims were identified as father Billy Ernest, 43; brother Tanner Ernest, 17; and Theriots own parents, Keith and Elizabeth, both 50.

Ard said Theriot had tagged along with Billy as he drove his wife to work early Saturday morning. Shortly after, Summer and her father and brother were each shot once in the head. Two children in the Ernest homea 7-year-old and a 1-year-old went to a neighbors house and the neighbor called Livingston Parish law enforcement, he said.

Keith Theriot survived long enough to call 911 and tell arriving deputies that his son had shot him, authorities said.

Theriots grandmother in Virginia had checked into a hotel Saturday night, fearing he might show up there, authorities said. She asked police to check her house to ensure it was safe.

Authorities said deputies saw Theriot drive up in Billy Ernests pickup truck on Jan. 27, with a gun pointed out the window.

Richmond County Sheriff Stephan Smith said shortly after the hearing Theriots gun was actually not pointed at the deputies but they still took cover behind their vehicles and told Theriot to stop the truck and drop the gun, which he did.

Its a shame it happened, Smith said. Im just glad it turned out the way it did here.

Smith revealed Theriot has several relatives who live in the area of Warsaw, a small town in a county with a population of less than 10,000.

People who lived with Keith and Elizabeth said Theriot had struggled with drugs and experienced violent outbursts. His relationship with Summer also raised red flags with her family and friends.

In Louisiana, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre has said he would not oppose the death penalty if prosecutors ask for it.

We know what happened here, Webre said. He killed five people. So, this is a monster.

By Ben FinleyIllegal Alien With History of Child Sex Abuse Convictions Arrested in Traffic Stop

An illegal alien, who was repeatedly convicted for sexually abusing children, was arrested during an early morning traffic stop in Texas on Jan. 30, according to a police statement.

Marvin Yovani Mejia-Ramos, 50, gave a fake name to authorities when he was stopped for a traffic violation around 6 a.m. But he was arrested after an onsite fingerprint scan revealed his identity as a convicted felon who had served at least three stints in U.S. prisons and was back in the country illegally.

Mejia-Ramos, originally from Honduras, also went by the names Martin Jose Romos-Ramirez and Ricardo Rodriguez-Morales.

Mejia-Ramos was subsequently handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston, where he remains pending his federal criminal prosecution for immigration violations, according to a statement from the federal agency.

The 50-year-old had previously served six years for perjury, six years for sexual assault of a child, and two years for lewd acts with a child under the age of 14, all in Los Angeles. He also served eight years in Lancaster for continuous sexual assault of a child, authorities say.

PRESS RELEASE  For Immediate Release Early Morning Traffic Stop  Pct. 4 Constable's Office, Montgomery County Texas  2019130

He was deported in 2013 but returned in 2015, where he was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in the Houston area, again under a fake name.

Mejia-Ramos was previously granted voluntary return to Mexico twice in 1999, ICE said. The agency said illegal aliens who meet certain criteria may be permitted to voluntarily depart the United States and that their acceptance of a voluntary return means that the alien admits that they were illegally present in the country and agrees to be returned as soon as possible. Voluntary returns do not have the same legal consequences as an official removal or deportation.

Mejia-Ramos is a very dangerous convicted criminal that is in our country illegally. Great job by our deputy that located him and is once again bringing him to justice, Constable Rowdy Hayden from the Montgomery County Precinct 4 office said.

Trump Warned About Illegal Alien Crimes

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned about crimes committed against Americans by criminals who cross the border illegally in his efforts to build a physical barrier at the southern border.

In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killings, the president said during a Jan. 8 speech to the nation.

Last month, 20,000 migrant children were illegally brought into the United Statesa dramatic increase. These children are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs. One in three women is sexually assaulted on the dangerous trek up through Mexico. Women and children are the biggest victims, by far, of our broken system.

This is the tragic reality of illegal immigration on our southern border. This is the cycle of human suffering that I am determined to end, he said.

The federal government partially shut down on Dec. 22, after Congress failed to come to an agreement about funding. The president subsequently signed a short-term spending bill on Jan. 25 to temporarily reopen the government.

The president is asking for $5.7 billion in funding for a border walla promise he made during his election campaignto be included in a comprehensive border security package requested by experts from the Department of Homeland Security. The package will fund more border patrol agents, immigration judges, and scanning equipment at ports of entry.

Democratic leaders in Congress refused to negotiate to fund for a border wall while the government was closed, calling it expensive and ineffective. Trumps move to reopen the government is a temporary concession that returns the spotlight to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

On Jan. 31. Pelosi said she would not negotiate on funding for the southern border wall, going back on her promise to negotiate with the president.

Theres not going to be any wall money in the legislation, Pelosi told reporters on Jan. 31, reported The Associated Press.

The federal government has until Feb. 15 for negotiating long-term funding for border security.Female Patient Drugged, Sexually Assaulted by Man Posing as Doctor in China

A woman was drugged and raped by a man who posed as a doctor by obtaining false medical certificates in China.

The woman, identified only by her surname Li, was attacked at a hospital in Chengdu, China, in May 2018, according to Chinese media outlet Red Star News. A court sentenced the accused, Luo Ping, on Jan. 28,

What may have been a routine exam to address Lis body odor issues, instead turned into a horror story for the patient.

Li was led into the examination room, where she was given an injection, after which she quickly entered a state of anesthesia. As it turns out, the doctor who gave her the shot, Luo, was not a doctor at all.

As Li was unconscious, Luo began his crime: taking sexual take advantage of her.

Luo had faked a doctors certificate and license, and was allowed to work in the unidentified hospital after submitting false credentials. According to the report, Luo started seeing patients in around 2016. He surreptitiously used a room in the hospital in his assault on Li.

The police did not report if there were other victims.

When Li awoke, she discovered what Luo had done to her. She tried to get her phone to call the authorities, but Luo grabbed her phone, and attempted to negotiate the situation with her, the outlet said.

Lis answer was loud screaming for help.

This got the attention of other hospital employees, allowing her to run out of the room, and use a hospital phone to call the authorities. Luo escaped from the hospital and tossed Lis phone along with the hospital garb into a trash can along the street.

Luo was later arrested, and charged for rape, theft, and using a false license. On Jan. 28, he was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, and 4,000 yuan (US$595).

Crime and Punishment in China

In China, punishment for many crimes has been criticized as being unbalanced.

One of the most shocking cases is when a pedestrian is accidentally hit by a motorist. In China, CCTV cameras have caught drivers intentionally reversing to kill the injured person they initially ran over. The phenomenon has been called hit-to-kill.

According to New York-based lawyer Geoffrey Sant, this problem results from a loophole in Chinas legal system: vehicular-related death requires the driver pay a fixed fee, whereas injury may require the driver to pay for the victims hospital bills for the rest of their lives.

Up until 2015, cases of child sexual abuse were dealt with under a law that declared child victims as underage prostitutes. Rulings further went on to say that it was the parents fault for being absent, and even that the victims were at fault for not properly protecting themselves.

Egregious punishment also carries over to the private sector. One company recently used public humiliation as punishment on its workers because they failed to meet their sales targets. Female workers in a cosmetic company were forced to crawl hands and knees along traffic in the streets due to low sales. The police gave the company a slap on the wrist.A man rides his bicycle past the Sagrado Corazon Church in the El Segundo Barrio in El Paso, Texas, on Nov. 28, 2018. (PAUL RATJE/AFP/Getty Images)

Catholic Church in Texas Names Nearly 300 Priests Accused of Abuse

Church officials in Texas released the names of nearly 300 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the state, one of the largest disclosures by the Roman Catholic Church and the latest revelation in an expanding number of investigations.

Each of the states 15 dioceses on Jan. 31 posted the names of accused priests online, totaling 278 individual names with allegations of abuse from thousands of children and going back as far as 70 years.

Its unclear if the names would result in actual future prosecutions, as many of the priests identified by the church were already deceased. It comes as nearly 20 local, state, or federal investigations, either criminal or civil, have been launched into the church.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the current president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told The Epoch Times via email that the church, as a whole, needs to be more transparent.

As you are aware, we are in the midst of a child sexual abuse crisis that is impacting the Church on the local, national and international levels, he said via email. The Church has been gravely wounded by the abuse crisis and we must begin the healing process by eliminating the evil of sexual abuse.

The Galveston-Houston archdiocese named 42 individual priests in their disclosure. The diocese, serving 1.7 million Catholics in 10 counties, is the largest in Texas.

In the meantime, over half of the 187 Roman Catholic dioceses across the United States have started investigating clergy child sex abuse claims or have announced plans to do so.

Some of the 15 dioceses in Texas listed priests abusing as far back as the 1940s while others, such as Diocese of Laredo, which was created in August 2000, listed no names. There are 6,024,000 Catholics in Texas, according to catholic-hierarchy.org.

The lists of priests were compiled separately by each diocese. Some of the dioceses worked with independent consultants such as the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese.

Another major church in the state, the Diocese of Austin, named 22 priests accused of child sexual abuse. Most of the Texas dioceses lists offered few basic details such as the date the accused priests were removed from the ministry, their ordination, and their current status. Others, such as the Diocese of Austin, provided additional information of the priests specific locations they served at during their time.

The disclosure of names in Texas follows a grand jury report in Pennsylvania released publicly in August last year that identified over 300 priests accused of sexually abusing thousands of children. The recent surge of disclosures comes as Roman Catholic leaders attempt to restore trust in their church after decades of cover-ups were exposed.

The nearly 900-page long document details how church administrators often dissuaded victims from reporting abuse to police, pressured law enforcement officials to terminate or avoid an investigation, or conducted their own deficient, biased investigations without reporting crimes against children to the proper authorities.I saw the ambulance and police arrive and paramedics running and holding a baby wrapped in a towel, the 42-year-old mother said, according to Metro.

They blocked off the whole area. It was freezing. It was snowing really heavily, she said. It is really upsetting. She didnt have to leave the baby in the snow and cold, she could have left her on my doorstep and rang the bell.

The baby was not hidden, according to authorities.

Police are appealing to the mother of the newborn, and are increasingly concerned for her safety.

We are growing increasingly concerned for your welfare and I urge you to make contact either with police, your local hospital or GP surgery. It is really important that we know that you are safe, said Inspector Shane Clarke of North East Command Unit. I would also urge anyone who has information that could help us to reunite this baby with her mother to come forward.

In a statement, Londons Metropolitan Police said, The child is being cared for at an east London hospital. Her condition is stable at this time. The child has been unofficially referred to as Roman by hospital staff after the road where she was found.

The baby girl, named Roman by hospital staff, was found in a play park on #RomanRoad, near the junction with #SaxonRd. Police are increasingly concerned for the welfare of her mother who may be in need of urgent medical attention & urge her to contact police or @Ldn_Ambulance pic.twitter.com/mv8s8jxLLw  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 1, 2019

Some Facebook users who commented via the Metropolitan Police Services Facebook page on the issue suggested that the UK should implement a safeguard like those found in other nations.

In the U.S. and a few other countries they have these drop boxes at fire stations for exactly this reason, obviously its not the best idea to encourage people to drop babies and run but for those who truly have no other options etc. then these drop boxes are perfect, as soon as the baby is left inside the temp controlled box the silent alarm is raised and someone checks asap so no harm comes to the baby, its awful that these girls/women feel they have to do this but at last the baby is coming to get the care needed instead of being left in a park etc., commented Haley Currie.

In March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a baby was left outside on a porch in cold weather with its umbilical cord still attached, in Fulton County, Georgia. Police headed to the home around 3:30 a.m. after they received a call from someone who found the baby there.

A 17-year-old in the home later admitted to giving birth to the baby. Her family said they did not know she was pregnant. Police did not press charges.

Also in March, passersby found an abandoned 9-month-old baby lying in the middle of the street, in temperatures that went down into the teens. Multiple people stopped to rescue the baby and keep it warm, in Utica, New York, The Washington Post reported.

A mother that lived nearby claimed that the baby was hers and that she did not know how the baby got away from her. She was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and authorities took all of her children away.

Colin Fredericson contributed to this report.Derrick Devon Durham, 24, was charged with open murder in the Jan. 24, 2019, shooting of Christian Miller, 3, in Detroit, Michigan, on Feb. 1, 2019. (Michigan State Police)

24-Year-Old Man Charged With Murder in Shooting of 3-Year-Old

A 24-year-old Michigan man was arrested and charged with murdering a 3-year-old boy during a shooting on a Detroit freeway on Jan. 24.

Derrick Devon Durham was charged with open murder and several weapons offenses for allegedly firing the shot that struck Christian Miller, who was in his car seat in the back of his godmothers SUV on the Southfield Freeway.

A police source told The Detroit News that Durham fired his pistol into the victims car in retaliation after he was cut off in traffic. Durham was driving a silver Mercedes.

The source said that the godmother, who was taking Christian and another young boy to see Sesame Street Live, unknowingly cut off Durham on the freeway at about 6:40 p.m.

Thats when Durham, enraged at being cut off, pulled alongside the vehicle and fired a single shot.

The bullet struck Christian between his shoulder blades. The boy was rushed to a hospital but died the next day.

According to the police source, Durham said he was unaware that any children were in the vehicle. Durham has two prior felony convictions, an assault and a drug-related conviction.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig hailed members of the public who helped identify Durham, leading to him surrendering at the Michigan State Police building in the city.

Theres no doubt in our mind that this afternoon, when the individual turned himself in downstairs at the lobby, it was due to the work of not only us, but the public putting this individual out there, putting his vehicle out there, and also the media attention that kind of got in there and made it so that he decided instead of having us find him, he was going to come to us, Shaw said at a press conference, reported WDIV.

Durham turned himself in after police officers recovered his vehicle and a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest. Durhams family convinced him to turn himself in, police officials said.

About what happened, Shaw added: Weve got some real knuckleheads out there driving on the freeways and the roadways of Michigan. Despite the intense situation, he said Christians godmother didnt get involved and did all the right stuff.

Wyatt Harris, an attorney whos representing Durham, said that his client is doing as best as can be expected.

Its a tough situation for the family of the deceased. Mr. Durhams family recognizes that, and so does Mr. Durham, Harris told the Detroit Free Press. Everybodys mourning this situation.

Durham was arraigned on Friday on charges of open murder, discharging a weapon from a vehicle, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three felony firearms offenses. Because of his two previous convictions, he was being charged as a habitual offender, according to the Michigan State Police.

If convicted, Durham faces life in prison.

The court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and a probable cause hearing was scheduled for Feb. 5.

We are looking for the publics assistance for information on the homicide of a three year old male that occurred on the Southfield Freeway. Below is the suspects vehicle which is believed to be a 2014-2016 Mercedes, four door, Silver in color. The vehicle is shown in the video pic.twitter.com/X5sN0jbNns  MSP Metro Detroit (@mspmetrodet) January 26, 2019

Family Members React

Christians family mourned the loss of the young boy after his death.

He was such a sweet child, his sister Tatiyana Clark told Fox 2. And he was always happy.

She said that he loved to play at Chuck E Cheeses and to sing his ABCs.

He was just a baby. Innocent life barely started, added his cousin Tanisha Crawford.

Christians mother Tomika Whitley said she got the dreaded call from the boys godmother.

She was crying and Im like whats wrong. She kept crying, she said Christian had been shot. I couldnt believe it, she said.

Christians father Richard Miller said the day his son died was the worst day of my life.

About whoever shot him, Miller added: He took my child, now its time for him to pay the price.

From NTD NewsSix Brenham businesses on South Market Street were burglarized late Thursday, and police are searching for two men believed to be responsible.

According to a Facebook post from Brenham police, at around 10:30 p.m. officers were dispatched to several businesses in the 2200 block of South Market Street, where alarms were sounding. Authorities said it appears burglars smashed glass doors to enter Sunny Nails, Brittany's Braids, Penny's Nails, Kut 'N Kurl and Fabulous in Fur. In at least one business, the cash register had been vandalized.

Early Tuesday, several businesses in Bryan and College Station were burglarized in a similar manner, but it was not immediately clear if the incidents were connected. Four businesses in a shopping center in the 3900 block of Texas 6 in College Station and Jesse's Taqueria, Donald Donuts, and Perfect Nails on 29th Street in Bryan were burglarized where the suspects gained entry by smashing in glass doors, authorities said.

Surveillance footage at one Brenham business captured images of two men wearing hoodies and gloves. Anyone with information on this crime can contact Brenham police by calling 979-337-7337. Anyone with information on the Bryan and College Station burglaries can call authorities in College Station at 764-3600 and Bryan at 209-5300.If the accreditation status is upheld as "Revoked," Hearne would no longer be recognized as a Texas public school and could potentially be required to merge with a nearby district.

When a district has to merge with another, that change typically occurs in the summer and does not affect the students' credits, a TEA spokesperson said.

Johnson plans to submit the review request next week but did not know how long it would take the state to complete the process.

The state is aware of the programs and partnerships the district has entered into to address the low performances, including a $2 million two-year School Transformation Fund eGrant, Johnson said, and expects the current status to be abated -- or changed -- back to last year's "Accreditation-Probation" status.

In a press release, Johnson stated, Hearne Junior High School received a met standard designation in 2018 after getting improvement required ratings since 2014, and the elementary school has shown progress also. Though not part of the in-district charter partnership, the high school received its second consecutive improvement required rating in 2018, but was "just shy" of the met standard rating.Sunday

Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1001 Woodcreek Drive in College Station, will be worshipping at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school is for all ages. www.oursavioursbcs.org, info@oursavioursbcs.org or 979-746-9095.

First Christian Church, 900 S. Ennis St. in Bryan, will have 10:45 a.m. worship service. The Rev. Jesse Myer's sermon will be "Here I Am," based on Corinthians 15:1-11 and Isaiah 6:1-8. Disciples Men will host an all-church breakfast at 8:30. Sunday school classes for all ages begin at 9:30 followed by coffee time at 10:30. Child care is provided. Youth groups meet at 3. 979-823-5451 or www.firstchristianbcs.org.

First Presbyterian Church Bryan, 1100 Carter Creek Parkway, will have a worship service at 10:45 a.m. For information, call 823-8073.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, 800 George Bush Drive (Texas A&M Hillel), will meet at 10:30 a.m. for the service, "Let it Go," led by the Rev. Donna Renfro. 696-5285.Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom.

Follow Melanie Tucker 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up TodayOneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 56F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.A few years ago, Sabrina Falk found herself living in a different province, trying without much luck to enter a new and unfamiliar job market.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A few years ago, Sabrina Falk found herself living in a different province, trying without much luck to enter a new and unfamiliar job market.

But rather than let it get her down, she activated her imagination and rediscovered her love of writing.

The resulting novel, Not Far from the Peach Tree, which hit stores Friday, is a story she hopes will encourage young adults who find themselves "at a crossroads and not really knowing what to do next."

"Life is hard and challenging and its okay not to have it all figured out. But no matter what stage youre in or whats going on, theres always a reason to keep going and to keep having hope," Falk said.

Ahead of a book launch event tonight at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, she unpacked the five-year creative process behind the 250-page work. Falk, 28, distanced herself from simple comparisons to her 22-year-old protagonist, Abigail Hartley, but acknowledged some similarities.

"A lot of it is just me having fun and imagining, but the element of anxiety and the element of family dynamics, I think thats something that most people can relate to, and definitely something I can relate to."

Falk, herself the middle of three sisters, has Abigail team up with her preteen sister, Maddy, to peel away the layers of a family mystery their parents dont want to talk about. To do so, the native New Yorkers must travel down to the familys ancestral hometown in Georgia.

The book explores themes of overcoming fear and the importance of not sugar-coating the troubling stories in a familys history.

Falk hopes the genealogical subject matter opens up intergenerational conversations and widens the books audience beyond that of a typical young adult novel.

"Theres kind of a character for everyone that they could potentially relate to."

The books narrative began to take shape in 2012, when Falk and her husband, comedian Matt Falk, uprooted from Niverville and moved to a suburb near Toronto.

The first pages of what would become Peach Tree started as a way to process the major life adjustment.

"I was kind of looking for work that wasnt coming, so I had lots of time, and I just kind of channelled that into writing," Falk explained.

While she excelled at language arts in high school, earning an English scholarship before graduating from Niverville Collegiate, she had put writing on the backburner. By the time she reached southern Ontario, she felt a little out of practice.

"I wasnt sure that I could do it. There wasnt a lot of confidence in every path, and then as I kept going I was like okay, I can do this."

When she got past the halfway point, she knew she had to finish the manuscript.

The writing process unfolded gradually over a five-year period which saw the couple return to Niverville and give birth to their first child.

The bulk of the creative work was behind her, but another struggle lay ahead: how to get noticed in a competitive publishing landscape.

"It was not fun," Falk said, recalling shopping her manuscript to various publishers. "Its really hard to stand out."

"The rejection letters come. Thats just part of it. I think even the biggest authors have experienced rejection."

Once again, Falk found a way to keep moving forward by listening to feedback and fine-tuning her manuscript. She kept reminding herself she still believed in the project.

Eventually, the book was enthusiastically adopted by Winnipeg-based Peasantry Press.

"They were just super excited about itThey believed in it, and they loved it."

Falk said it felt "amazing" to pick up a box full of copies on Monday.

"To actually be able to see it today, exactly as it will be on the shelf, is pretty amazing. Im excited, and its hard to believe that Im at this point."

She encouraged other first-time writers to "just keep going."

"Thats probably really cliche, but its true. Its a very solitary process, and you can get really in your head. But youve just got to keep typing and keeping reworking."

As she prepares to greet readers this weekend, Falk said she looks forward to the book taking on a life of its own, adding she isnt opposed to embarking on another writing project in the future.Arriving on campus for the first time as a freshman can be stressful for a multitude of reasons, so keeping yourself busy is key to settling into a healthy routine. In order to get into this new college lifestyle, Virginia Tech provides its students with plenty of opportunities outside the cToyota and SoftBank Joint Venture, MONET, Starts Operations

Toyota City, Japan, Feb, 01 2019; Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and SoftBank Corp. (SoftBank) have completed investment in their joint venture, MONET Technologies Inc. (MONET), with full-scale operations commencing today.

Specifically, of MONET's three main business domains--1) on-demand mobility services, 2) data-analysis services, and 3) Autono-MaaS--the joint venture will first roll out on-demand mobility services. On-demand transportation through regional partnerships and corporate shuttles will begin in fiscal year 2018 through cooperation with local public agencies and private companies.

The objective of MONET is to help realize a safer and more comfortable mobility society by combining SoftBank's corporate philosophy, "Information Revolution--Happiness for everyone," with Toyota's vision of "Mobility for All."

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.New Auto Insurance Company Launches To Protect Families And Parents

Modern Auto Insurance That Provides Savings & Peace of Mind for Parents

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 1, 2019; Apparent Insurance, a new auto insurance company designed for parents by parents, announced their launch today. The company has been established to provide specialized coverage and services for parents at every stage of their lives. The plans, features, and discounts evolve alongside the families they protect. Coverage is now available throughout the state of Texas.

"To shape our company, we collaborated directly with parents, creating an ongoing advisory panel," said Colleen Benzin, managing director of Apparent Insurance. "We began by talking to parents about coverage challenges, and their expectations of an auto insurer. They told us they want an experience that evolves as their family does, we listened and worked with them to do just that. And we're excited this same panel will continue to help us develop relevant features and services for Apparent."

Apparent Insurance offers tailored features, discounts and services that are relevant to parents with children of all ages, including car seat and stroller replacement, family-size car rental after an accident, a teen driver app, smart roadside assistance, student-away-at-school and good-grade discounts, plus at-home mechanic services.

The company launches with a deeply experienced management team that maintains an extensive understanding of the insurance industry and customer and is secured and backed by Admiral Group, which covers over 6 million customers worldwide.

To learn more about how Apparent is reshaping auto insurance for families, visit ApparentInsurance.com

About Apparent Insurance:

Apparent Insurance is a company designed for parents by parents to meet the unique needs of families. Apparent offers insurance plans that give parents savings and peace of mind at every stage of life. Apparent coverage protects families with children of all ages, and the features, benefits, discounts, and services evolve alongside the families they serve. Backed and secured by parent company, Admiral Group, which oversees over 6 million customers across 7 countries, Apparent Insurance is currently available to consumers across the state of Texas, with additional states being announced soon.Carline Jan-19 Jan-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD Forester 13,318 10,848 22.8% Impreza 4,183 5,351 -21.8% WRX/STI 1,751 1,919 -8.8% Ascent 4,981 0 0.00% Legacy 2,403 3,288 -26.9% Outback 10,941 13,279 -17.6% BRZ 259 235 10.2% Crosstrek 8,236 9,437 -12.7% TOTAL 46,072 44,357 3.9%

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 46,072 vehicle sales for January 2019, a 3.9 percent increase compared to January 2018, and the best January in the history of the company. These results continue the automakers sales momentum from 2018 where Subaru achieved ten consecutive years of record sales and exceeded 680,000 annual sales  a first in company history.January marked the 59th consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the automaker. Ascent and Forester sales were notably strong as each model achieved its best January ever. BRZ sales for January 2019 increased 10.2 percent compared to the same month in 2018. In addition, 4,981 of the all-new 3-row Ascent SUVs were delivered in January. Also, in January, Crosstrek, Legacy and Outback each won Kelley Blue Book 2019 Best Resale Value Awards in their respective categories.We are super excited to kick-off 2019 on a high note with the best January sales in the history of our franchise, said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. In todays extremely competitive automotive market, we know that 86 consecutive months of yearly, month-over-month sales increases would not be possible without the tireless work of our dedicated retailer network and each of our colleagues commitment to supplying safe, reliable, versatile vehicles.This month, our record sales were driven by strong demand for the all-new Forester, which continues to deliver outstanding results since its release in October, said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. 2019 will be another exciting year for our brand. Were looking forward to continued growth thanks to exciting new additions to our lineup including the all-new, seventh-generation 2020 Legacy . Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise , which is the companys vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $120 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.For additional information visit media.subaru.com . Follow us on Facebook Twitter , and Instagram"We have to highlight that he has no command over troops and less so over air force units," an air force tweet said. "He has no leadership at the air force and was only serving planning functions." For the opposition, the massive protests on Saturday marked a key step forward in its ability to sustain a social uprising against Maduro. The anointed successor of leftist Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013, Maduro was sworn in for a new six-year term last month following elections internationally derided as fraudulent. Guaido has evoked constitutional powers declaring himself the nation's rightful interim leader, setting up a global power play that has seen Russia and Cuba back Maduro while a growing list of Western nations including Australia, led by the United States, back Guaido. In an attempt to rally his side, Maduro also brought supporters onto the streets for counter-protests marking 20 years of socialist rule.

But those crowds were vastly overwhelmed by the turnout at opposition marches in Caracas and more than two dozen cities nationwide, which appeared to be in the hundreds of thousands. Speaking to the masses in a hoarse voice, Guaido appealed to "chavistas" - or those who have long supported Chavez. Juan Guaido, president of the National Assembly who swore himself in as the leader of Venezuela, speaks during a pro-opposition protest in Caracas on Saturday. Credit:Bloomberg "I want to send a message to the Chavista people," Guaido said. "You believed in a project, and now you've been disappointed." He added, "the military and the world take note, there are many, many people filling the streets of Venezuela today. This movement is historic, and unstoppable." At the smaller pro-government rally, meanwhile, people in the crowd shouted "prison for Guaido". Maduro responded by suggesting that he still has moves to make.

"Everything at its right time," he told supporters. "We know what we have to do in every moment, justice sometimes takes time but it comes." Maduro also called for new elections for the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Stripped of its power in 2017 by the government, the body has nevertheless continued to meet, and Guaido's constitutional claim as interim leader is based on him being the elected head of the chamber. A woman dons a fake moustache emulating that of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, at a pro-government rally in Caracas on Saturday. Credit:AP Although official media did not broadcast the protests, government forces, at least by mid-afternoon, appeared to be using restraint in crowd control. A video circulating on social media showing a national police officer in the city of Barquisimeto, about 350 kilometres west of Caracas, telling protesters he would not use violence against them. One protester was shown hugging the guard. "We are marching because we can't take this situation any more," said Carmen Sanchez, a 42-year-old woman who lives in the slum of Petare, who joined a protest in Caracas stretching for many city blocks and onto the balconies of buildings.

"We don't have enough money for food. This government has to resign for Venezuela to be beautiful again and I have faith Guaido will bring us success," Sanchez said. She said the past week at the slum has been terrifying, with security forces raiding homes. "Last week was horrible. They took kids from their homes, we were all threatened," she said. Demonstrators hold signs spelling "Democracia" during a pro-opposition protest in Caracas on Saturday. Credit:Bloomberg At the pro-government march in central Caracas, there were about 300 people at 10:30 am. Dressed in red and with ruling party flags, they were marching toward the presidential palace. "Our people, once again, overflowing this avenue," Maduro said, addressing his supporters. He added, "those who accuse us of being a dictatorship must know that since the foundation of the revolution, we have become a profoundly free and democratic people. Venezuela will never have a dictatorship."

On Sunday, Guaido, a 35-year-old industrial engineer, outlined a plan to ship humanitarian aid into the shattered country, which is facing widespread hunger and desperation amid an economic collapse. He announced three staging areas on Venezuela's borders with Colombia and Brazil and on one nearby Caribbean island. Maduro has resisted allowing in international aid, and Guaido has hoped to use caravans of food to challenge the military and government's will. "It will be a dilemma for the officers," he said. "You, generals, will decide." Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores acknowledge supporters at the end of a rally in Caracas on Saturday. Credit:AP The Trump administration has said no options are "off the table" as it seeks to pressure Maduro to resign. US officials last week threw up new sanctions that in effect cut off Maduro from Venezuela's most important foreign revenue stream: US oil sales. In a radio interview on Friday, national security adviser John Bolton suggested Maduro would end up in Guantanamo Bay if he didn't leave power.

"I wish him a long, quiet retirement on a pretty beach far from Venezuela," Bolton said. "And the sooner he takes advantage of that, the sooner he's likely to have a nice, quiet retirement on a pretty beach rather than being in some other beach area like Guantanamo." Maduro successfully rode out four months of protests in 2017 after an iron-fisted response left more than 100 dead. Since protests restarted two weeks ago, the government had unleashed another wave of repression that has left at least 35 dead and 850 detained. Loading The defection of Yanez, the air force general, suggested new cracks in the military hierarchy that has previously proclaimed steadfast loyalty to Maduro. Antonio Rivero, a former Venezuelan general now living in exile in Miami, said Yanez did not appear to command a large contingent of troops, and his strategy remained unclear - as did Yanez's present whereabouts.

"For now, I see him isolated, he doesn't have a division behind him," Rivero said. On January 21, a group of national guard soldiers took to the streets of a western Caracas slum and filmed themselves calling people to the streets. They had taken weapons from a military unit. But the small insurrection was quickly squashed, and 27 soldiers were jailed. Maduro has called for dialogue with the opposition, saying he is willing to meet Guaido "wherever, whenever, he wants". But the opposition, which has engaged in fruitless roundtables with the government before, has seen the offer as a ruse to buy time. Maduro, meanwhile, was bracing this weekend for the prospect of further international diplomatic blows. The European Parliament already called on the bloc's member states to recognise Guaido as Venezuela's interim president. The EU has moved to form an "international contact group" designed to create the conditions necessary to hold new elections. Venezuelan opposition politicians said they were not expecting the EU as a bloc to recognise Guaido, but they were awaiting announcements from key countries soon.This week, disgruntled Liberal-turned-independent Julia Banks floored her former colleagues by announcing plans to switch from her Chisholm electorate to run in Flinders. Party strategists across the spectrum still insist she does not pose a serious threat. Julia Banks announcing her decision in November to quit the Liberal Party and join the crossbench. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen / Fairfax Media But her decision sapped morale from the Liberals, which was then amplified when Alex Turnbull, outspoken son of the former prime minister, confirmed he would support her campaign. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg faces a similar fight in his genteel electorate of Kooyong from disillusioned former Liberal member Oliver Yates, who is running as an independent on a platform of tackling climate change.

Yates has set himself the near impossible task of overcoming a 12.8 per cent margin but his presence in the race is a worrying distraction for the government, which will have to channel greater campaign resources into defending the seat. And in neighbouring Higgins  the so-called jewel of the Victorian Liberal Party and former home to luminaries including Peter Costello and prime ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton  the Liberals are staring down a serious threat from the Greens. The government holds Higgins by 7.4 per cent in a two-way race with the Greens. But defending the seat has become complicated by federal minister Kelly O'Dwyer's decision this month to quit politics to spend more time with her young family. In her place, a crowded field of preselection hopefuls has emerged, each acutely aware that they will also likely face off against an independent.

Overshadowing the looming poll is the humiliating loss in the Victorian state election, which continues to haunt the party and MPs in federal seats overlaying once safe Liberal electorates that turned red in November. When former premier Ted Baillieu won the 2010 election it would have been considered almost unthinkable that his then Hawthorn electorate, which lies within Kooyong, would fall to Labor just eight years later. But moderate Liberals fear the party has driven voters away with an increasingly conservative agenda that has failed to tackle climate change or countenance progressive ideas. Privately, some state Liberal MPs, in the wake of the election loss, have admitted their confusion about opposing the so-called "Safe Schools" program designed to support LGBTI students and the ferociousness with which they rejected a supervised injecting room trial. Mr Baillieu insists the party needs to focus on the middle ground.

"Some sections of Liberal Party have pursued a narrow agenda and, in the process, alienated some sections of the middle ground and the organisation," he says. Higgins voter Georgie Hunt doesn't know whether she will stick with the Liberals in the upcoming election. Credit:Justin McManus Higgins resident and school mother Georgie Hunt voted for Ms O'Dwyer at previous elections but is now unsure whether to stick with the Liberal Party. "I don't agree with the conservative element of the Liberal Party on climate change. I was a strong supporter of Malcolm Turnbull and I don't like the direction the Liberal Party is taking," she says. Another Higgins voter, Robert Kennedy, 36, should have represented the future of the Liberal Party's "base".

The qualified engineer and former Young Liberal spent his university years distributing how-to-vote cards in unwinnable seats across Melbourne. He now works as a director of a surveying equipment business and lives near his family home Tintern, a prominent touchpoint for the party thanks to his father Malcolm's willingness to open the heritage-listed mansion for party fundraisers. Robert Kennedy has turned away from the Liberal Party. Credit:Simon Schluter But Mr Kennedy is no longer a party member. In 2016 and the most recent state election in 2018 he went even further to express his disenchantment by running as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats, first in Higgins and then in the southern metropolitan upper house division.

His disenchantment with the party was a long time coming, he said, but a decision to retrospectively apply a new superannuation framework, which effectively rewound Howard-era super changes, was the final straw. "When the super issue flared up, I thought maybe if I can run, I can get enough votes to get the Liberals below 50 per cent in the primaries and make Higgins a marginal seat for the first time," he said. He won't run for Higgins again now that O'Dwyer, who he perceives as the architect of the super changes, is leaving. But he remains at political juncture: he wants to see who's on the Liberal front bench after the next federal election before deciding if he'll return to the party or sever ties for life. "Ideally they'll remember their roots and I can rejoin the party and I can stop wasting my time on doing these protests."

Within the party there is talk of the "lost generation" of Liberals  students and professionals in their late 20s and 30s who have drifted away in the past two decades. There is a sense the vacuum in the middle of the party is more pronounced than ever before, and their absence is particularly evident in Victoria. One young member and former branch official who voted Labor in the 2018 state election said they were waiting for the party to cleave back its original values of small government and an aversion to weighing into people's private lives. "There's a whole bunch of us who were really involved about a decade ago, and in the next six months we'll either get back involved or leave forever," they told The Age. Victorian Labor deputy campaign director Kosmos Samaras believes the state election showed the Liberal Party had lost large groups of middle class voters by elevating conservative values, while the housing boom had lumped constituents with skyrocketing personal debts.

"Many of Menzies' forgotten Australians jumped ship and voted for Labor," he wrote in his blog. "You tend to not worry about culture wars, imaginary hordes of African gangs when you are losing sleep on keeping the roof over your family's head." While Labor is looking to capitalise on disenchantment with the Liberals, other purpose-built campaign machines and independent groups have proliferated, giving voters more options than ever to move away from a major party. High-profile activist group GetUp maintains it campaigns for issues rather than supporting individuals. But its commitment to progressive politics poses another threat to conservative Coalition MPs.

Some Liberals worry that some of their MPs will be unable to compete with GetUp's command of modern online campaign techniques and ability to reach hundreds of thousands of voters. Loading Other campaigners rallying against the major parties include grassroots community groups, which have successfully graduated into potent political forces. Voices for Indi came together in rural Victoria to oust Liberal Sophie Mirabella, for independent Cathy McGowan. Warringah hopeful and former Olympian Zali Steggall has also taken inspiration from the model to mount her own bid against former prime minister Tony Abbott.

The campaign has attracted more than 1000 supporters in five days. Central to the independent's narrative is a plan to highlight Tony Abbott's role in toppling of Malcolm Turnbull. In Flinders, Julia Banks has seized the chance to emphasise Mr Hunt's role in July's political coup, a conversation topic being compared to kryptonite for the Liberals. On Friday, ALP leader Bill Shorten embraced the narrative: "I wonder if [Mr Hunt] regrets being one of the leading conspirators with Peter Dutton to get rid of Malcolm Turnbull now?" Labor strategists determining the seats they can snatch off the Liberals to form a majority government are working hard to keep a tight rein on expectations within the party about how many seats they can steal.Unions are on track to spend tens of millions of dollars as part of their bid to overhaul Australias workplace laws and turf out the Morrison government.

The ACTU spent $10.7 million in the 2017/18 financial year, political expenditure disclosures to the Australian Electoral Commission show.

The spending, including on its 'Change the Rules' campaign, dwarfs the outlay of big business lobby groups for the same period.

Tens of thousands of people march through the streets of Melbourne in support of the Change the Rules campaign in 2018. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews led the march. Credit:Justin McManus

Much of the ACTUs spending was on TV advertising, with $8.8 million spent on the "broadcast" of political issues.High winds, extreme heat and lightning expected on Sunday have seen a total fire ban declared ahead of what has been described as a "really concerning day" for Victoria.

With emergency services already fighting fires across the state, authorities fear they may not be able to keep up if major blazes break out on Sunday.

Firefighters battled blazes across south-east Victoria on Saturday, including one at Grantville. Credit:9News Melbourne

Temperatures are expected to soar into the 40s as winds look set to reach up to 50km/h across most of central and western Victoria.

State Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said Sunday would be a "spike day", with a higher bushfire risk across the state.Victim Xavier Ferrari, who did not want to be identified in the picture, with his friend Ricky. Credit:Nine News

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in Melbourne's outer west and charged after two teenagers were mugged and beaten outside a train station, as police continue to hunt for a second perpetrator.

The 14-year-old and 17-year-old boys were set upon by a group of about 20 youths as they got off a bus last Sunday.

They were left bruised and traumatised after the 14-year-old was mugged for his phone, AirPods and gold necklace.

On Saturday morning, police swooped on a Brookfield home on Turpentine Road, arresting a 16-year-old boy at about 7.30am.The question always is: what circumstances warrant a public examination? Sensibly, the IBAC regime under current law permits public examinations only in certain circumstances. There have to be exceptional circumstances, it must be in the public interest to hold a public examination, and IBAC must be satisfied that any public examination will not unreasonably damage a persons reputation, safety or wellbeing. That these requirements have effectively conditioned the use of public hearings has been borne out by the fact that there have only been five since 2012, with the sixth about to commence, out of around 70 investigations so far. It suggests that the legislative policy of promoting the judicious use of public hearings is working, achieving a credible balance between publicising its work while not overreaching. This is important because IBAC is effectively a standing royal commission with wide coercive powers. As an organ of the executive arm of government, it is not judicial, but must afford procedural fairness to those it engages with to avoid unfair harm to their reputation and standing.

Compared with other jurisdictions, Victoria has done well on this. The Independent Commission Against Corruption in NSW has during roughly the same period conducted over twice as many public hearings to the point where they seem to be standard. Its worth remembering that ICAC has courted enormous controversy in recent years over what has widely been seen as arrogance and overreach. In Queensland recently, the chair of the states Crime and Corruption Commission spoke of an explicit policy to actually expand their public hearing program. On public hearings, Victoria strikes a more reasonable balance. Currently, however, there is a bill before the Victorian Parliament proposing several changes to the IBAC legislation. While its a sensible bill overall, it includes additional restrictions around IBACs ability to use public examinations. Once the bill passes, in addition to the existing requirements IBAC must already meet before it can conduct any public examination, it will need to consider on reasonable grounds whether the conduct is serious or systemic corrupt conduct or serious or systemic police personnel misconduct.

Loading Among other things, the government says this will reserve IBACs public examinations for the most serious investigations of major public importance. Its a reasonable argument, but viewed over the past six years during which Victoria has steered clear of the vexed cultural and institutional problems of other states, has IBAC overused the public examination provisions? The risk is that the bills changes to the threshold for public examinations could reduce the small number of public examinations we tend to see now. If this forecloses reasonable opportunities to maximise deterrence across the public sector and also private firms dealing with government, that should be avoided. Used wisely and carefully, public examinations are too important an instrument of normative behaviour for them to be wound back, especially when there is no evidence the modest number to date constitutes overuse.

The governments consultations on the bill have attracted submissions expressing concern about public hearings. Granted, but is the implication that one or more of the five concluded public examinations should not have proceeded? These include the high profile Operation Ord, which saw senior bureaucrats in the Department of Education publicly examined over allegations that departmental funds were misappropriated through falsified documents. Nino Napoli outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court in 2017. Credit:Darrian Traynor The better course would be to leave IBACs threshold untouched, at least for now. Protecting individual reputations from undue harm is of course vital, but already factored into IBACs charter and processes.

And recent events have demonstrated how vigilantly IBAC must be in discharging its own obligations that are a counterweight to its substantial powers. In October 2018, the Victorian Inspectorate, one of the integrity bodies overseeing IBAC, delivered a special report to Parliament, its first, finding that in 2016 the health and safety of two witnesses was seriously compromised. The special report found that "at their core, the incidents  one involving attempted suicide, another involving the coercive examination of a witness while her mental state was significantly impaired  resulted from a failure of IBACs policies and procedures". While IBAC disputed some of the reports conclusions, which the Inspectorate stands by, the case is more than a salutary reminder of the strict obligations attached to IBACs coercive powers. But this is the balance that sustains the integrity regime we have. Its not a reason to abridge IBACs existing capacity to use public hearings judiciously as a strong deterrent targeting those tempted to breach the publics trust or suborn the same dereliction by others.Eighteen months ago, half the cheeses on the trolley were from Europe but a boost in quality and choice, as well as a drive to showcase local produce, has prompted the restaurant to aim towards serving an all-Australian cheese plate.

People really love the cheese we serve, says Renato Pagliardi, supervisor at double-hatted restaurant Vue de Monde.

A black marble-topped trolley featuring exclusively Australian-made cheese weaves through excitable diners on the 55th floor of Melbournes iconic Rialto building.

Diners are offered 12 boutique varieties from Queenslands Sunshine Coast to Tasmania and Pagliardi says the unique flavours have become a drawcard for guests, both local and international.

People who come to the restaurant have never tried the dairies we present so its a good talking point, he says.

Vue de Monde's cheese trolley features local varieties from Tasmania to Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Credit:Eddie Jim.

Pagliardi grew up in Iseo, a small town in northern Italy, the country some consider the epicentre of cheesemaking. He says European cheeses are undeniably beautiful but the warmer winters and native grasses of Australia give cheesemakers an advantage.

In Italy and France, six months of the year the cows need to stay inside because otherwise they freeze to death, he says.A second catastrophe soon followed. Her grandparents were among the first couples in Victoria to get divorced. In the early '60s, that wasn't just a source of heartache and stress. It was a scandal. This history has shaped Capp's life in many ways. It explains her love of hats. It accounts for her deep empathy for the trials of small business. And it taught her how societal change can occur swiftly and with devastating consequences for the unwary. So, while she has a robust commitment to entrepreneurship and risk-taking, she is savvy about risk assessment. That said, she's been nimble about changing jobs, adjusting and reading the trends. Flinders Lane has another place in her heart. It's the home of the Committee for Melbourne. In 2006, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. "If you're going to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to get. I was very lucky," Capp says.

Her career up to that point had been stellar. After working as a lawyer for 10 years, she started her own business in venture capital, listed on the ASX. After that she worked as a senior executive at ANZ Bank. She also had two young sons and a great marriage. Then Capp got cancer and wondered what her professional life was all for. "I felt that I'd really been operating with a selfish agenda. My life seemed one-dimensional, measuring success in solely materialistic ways." Then she got the chance to work for the Committee For Melbourne. "I saw that I could be part of a broader mission," she says. "Something bigger than just me and my family." The Committee for Melbourne has its offices in Milton House, a three-storey, art-nouveau building at 21 Flinders Lane. When Capp presses the magic numbers on the directory pad at the entrance, the door swings open into a realm of gracious silence. Built originally as a private hospital, it still retains a feeling of sober purpose. "Keep your voice down please. There are people here who must not be disturbed."

The dark, almost-black, wood of the staircase sets the tone. Important work is being undertaken in the rooms off the corridors: focused and solid. And yet everywhere you look there is leadlight and coloured glass, mostly subdued and delicate, but above the landing, bold and lush. This seems to speak to another sentiment: we are not blind to the beneficial effects of decoration. In moderation. Then the building starts to buzz. People pop their heads out of doors and appear on the first-floor landing. Meetings are suspended as we gather in the carpeted corridors. Capp is embraced in a flurry of greetings. She was the CEO here for two years. The Committee for Melbourne was set up to give business a voice in shaping Greater Melbourne. As she explains, the interaction between business and government is mostly around day-to-day business activities. But, she says, "when it comes to housing, climate change, education, transport, infrastructure and so on  business has a view about these things too, but not necessarily a channel to present them". Enter the Committee for Melbourne. We say our goodbyes to Milton House and walk down Flinders Lane. We have coffee at Cecconi's, where I learn that, after she left the Committee for Melbourne, she went on to be Victoria's agent-general in London. Then she took on senior positions at accountancy firm KPMG, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and the Property Council.

"When you were a little girl," I ask, "were you one of those kids in the playground who goes, 'hey, I've got an awesome idea  let's go to the shelter shed'. And you ran off and all the other little girls followed?" "No," says the Lord Mayor. "I wasn't that kid. There was a girl named Andrea. She was that kid. No, I was the one who'd always have a go. If the teacher said, 'Who wants to jump off the diving board?', my hand would shoot up before I knew what was happening." "Fearless?" I suggest. "Trusting," says the Lord Mayor. "Having a go" is a credo to which Capp refers frequently in our interview. She seems such a golden girl. I wonder if she's ever seriously failed at anything. Maybe she's never tumbled out of the sky, flying too close to the sun.

Capp tells me a story of dealing with a venture capitalist in Israel. He said, "Show me five examples of serious failure. I'm not interested in investing until I'm satisfied that you know how to fight your way back after failure." Capp assures me that she's had rough times, but because she is a devout optimist, she is much more interested in discussing how failure sets you up for success. "Let's talk about being a woman. Has that been an advantage or a hindrance?" "Both." When Capp started work in a small law firm she was the only female articled clerk. "I worked hard. I gave it everything. I was the highest billable-hour person. All that. I went in for my performance review and the boss said, 'Good work, keep doing what you're doing'.

"I did what every articulate, confident, well-educated, young woman would do. I cried." The boss had no idea she wanted opportunities that her young male colleagues were getting. "I thought working from 4.30am to 10.30pm might show how committed I was. But when I told the boys, they said, 'Oh god, we're in his office all the time telling him what we want'." Which brings Capp to her three rules for success: Know what you want. Tell people what you want. And build up a network of supporters who will help you get what you want. So how has she built up such an impressive network of supporters? Does she have people over to dinner?

It turns out Capp is a terrible cook. But she entertains all the time. "I've served up truly ugly things to important people. I've served cold things, raw things and very unattractive things." You have to be endeared to her after that confession, although you may think twice about going over there for tea. I move the conversation to what made her stand for Lord Mayor. "I heard on the radio that Robert Doyle was going to resign. It was a Sunday night. I was in bed with my husband. "I said, 'I'm thinking of putting my hand up. What d'you reckon? Could we do it?'

"Next morning we talked to our boys. We told them, 'We're putting ourselves up for the biggest humiliation possible. And you'll be involved. You will have to wear Sally Capp T-shirts and caps'." Fast forward to Friday, May 18. She has invited both sides of their family to dinner. Some are seated at the dining room table. Others are sitting on stools or standing holding their plates. Capp places her mobile phone in the centre of the table. It rings. Everyone stops dead. Sally Capp switches her phone to speaker. "Hello."

It's Brendan, a member of her campaign team, ringing from the Victorian Electoral Commission. After a nerve-racking week, they have just completed the count. He says, "Am I speaking to Sally Capp?" "Yes." "Then I am speaking to the new Lord Mayor of Melbourne." She was sworn in six days later.We can see a water bomber in the sky and there are police cars all around. Its all pretty frightening but we just have to keep off the roads and let everyone do their jobs. Mr Hutchinson has a property in the Hepburn Springs, however, unable to access it he said he is hoping for the best. Its scary, its very scary but we are crossing our fingers and hoping. The fire is already impacting small business in the area. Chris Malden runs Dayget, a holiday rental business in Daylesford. He has had to tell all his guests to leave and call others informing them not to come.

"Living in the country you expect it to happen at some point ... we just don't want to create panic, we don't want to scare people away but safety is obviously the main concern for everyone," he said. High winds, extreme heat and lightning expected on Sunday have seen a total fire ban declared ahead of what has been described as a "really concerning day" for Victoria. With emergency services already fighting fires across the state, authorities fear they may not be able to keep up if major blazes break out on Sunday. Mr Crisp said Victoria had already had just over 2000 bush, scrub and grass fires so far this summer. On Saturday there were about 40 burning fires.

He said today would be a "spike day" for bushfire risk around the state, with temperatures climbing to 40 degrees in the state's north, and storing winds hitting high-risk areas throughout the day. "If youve got heat, if youve got wind, and youve got low humidity those are all the factors that make fires spread," Mr Crisp said. "We are very confident in our emergency services, but what we need [the community] to do is to ensure that they aren't doing anything out in the open that will start a fire." Crews are currently battling blazes in Timbarra, Grantville, Thomson Reservoir, Walhalla and Hepburn Springs. Although Mr Crisp says they currently have sufficient resources to fight these fires, he warned that were more to break out, interstate or even international crews would need to be brought in.

"We aren't there yet, but that always has to be part of our planning. We need to assess all our possible resources," he said. In order to prevent the risk of more fires starting, a total fire ban has been put over the entire state. "Part of the reason for the declaration of the [total fire ban] is because we do have so many fires going at the moment and we know that we can't afford to have too many more fires across the landscape," Mr Crisp said at a press conference on Saturday. State Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp has warned of a higher bushfire risk across Victoria on Sunday. Credit:. "Essentially we will do what we can with some of the most professional, battle-hardened firefighters the world has got, but now it's up to the community. The decisions you make on any given day will determine, particularly [on Sunday], whether you live or die."I was production manager of Melbourne University Publishing for three years in the mid-sixties, when it was a purely academic publisher. Print runs were seldom more than 3000 copies and the policy was to emulate the style of Cambridge University Press. Book designs of the titles reflected this, notwithstanding we were an Australian organisation and up-and-coming book designers were producing fine work. Obviously MUP was unable to sustain itself, and was subsidised by the university. Seeking a more creative position I joined a commercial book publisher and now long retired I was amazed to read MUP was to return to the dark days of emulating a foreign press again and only publish scholarly books, which are impossible to sustain a university publishing company here, and Melbourne University will be obliged to fork out scarce funds again, when the very successful general titles under the brilliant guidance of Louise Adler and her board could well afford to continue academic titles as well. It is hoped the university senate queries why a new Vice-Chancellor from England, whose area of expertise is biology, can make such an enormous cultural change. Shame on him. Ian Green, Berwick

At last, vital research will see light of day Hooray! Every chance now that Melbourne University Publishing will publish my ground-breaking research on the Mongolian Mouse Moth. Ian Powell, Glen Waverley THE FORUM Flawed policies

This crisis, "High-risk teens dying on mental health lists", The Sunday Age, 27/1), is the inevitable result of well-meaning but flawed policies to shut down psychiatric hospitals and other government mental health services. I served as a psychiatrist in these hospitals and their associated day hospitals and outpatient clinics. I was also co-responsible for running Prince Henry's Hospital's outpatient psychiatry clinic. All of these services were free. In the case of the government hospitals and clinics, full-time psychiatric-trained nurses, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists staffed them. I do not recall patients being turned away or being put on long waiting lists. We no longer have the scourge of many men and women being institutionalised for years but we have lost what was good about the system. Instead of rapid assessment by supervised psychiatric trainees we now have an unsatisfactory system of triage by crisis assessment and treatment teams, and unacceptable waiting lists for assessment. Moreover, now there is a gross inadequacy of public psychiatry beds, premature discharge of still very sick inpatients and almost absent expert follow-up after hospital treatment.

The result is not only an increased risk of suicide but also neglect of the psycho-social problems and illnesses of many who might otherwise have a better chance of returning to normal life. Norman Rose, Kilmore Women, speak out Just like sexual harassment and child abuse, the gender pay gap is hidden. So, speak up, women, tell the world what you are paid, to force parity. We also must have mandatory gender pay gap reporting, as in other countries ("The big dirty secret", The Sunday Age, 27/1).

Denise Deerson, Bulleen Fix the system The embarrassing, the ugly, the frankly unacceptable side of capitalism has rarely been more clearly exposed as we contemplate the reports of the South Australian royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the Commonwealth royal commission into the banking sector (The Age, 1/1). In both cases systemic corporate greed, corruption and deception have been met by inadequate government response and regulation let alone intervention and criminal prosecution. In one case the flow of water and an entire ecological system is at risk. In the other the flow of money and trust and an entire economic system is disrupted and put at risk. The stakes could not be higher.

Yet such has been the eroding of government confidence and capability to act effectively by decades of ideological attack and retreat to, at best, too little, too late centrism that it is difficult to be confident that transformative policies, regulations, resources and interventions will now be forthcoming. In both cases we risk losing considerable GDP and employment growth. In addition in one case we also risk losing a nation-defining river system. We have all been well tutored and trained on the benefits of capitalism. It really is time the costs and other more problematic realities of our economic system were fully acknowledged and better dealt with by governments acting on behalf of communities, society and the planet. Stewart Sweeney, North Adelaide Policy-free zone

So Scott Morrison is promising to give us the "blunt talk", warning us of the negative effect of Labor's policies. This is such a tired, old formula and, yet again, highlights this government's total lack of policies. Melinda Sanders, Cabbage Tree Money is the ruler So the Murray-Darling Basin Authority failed to act on the best available scientific knowledge (1/2). What is new? Our society is driven largely by economic considerations, that is, money-making activities. The environment is used as a commodity. Its value is mostly in the amount of money that can be made out of it. Science is often rejected if it goes against profit-making or the interests of strong lobby groups. Other examples of this include government support for coal mining, refusal to ban duck shooting, the export of live cattle and the destruction of native forests for woodchips.

In the long run the rejection of science in relation to environmental issues will come back to bite us. The Murray-Darling Basin catastrophe already demonstrates this. Leigh Ackland, Deepdene Parliament's purpose To those too many politicians who do not understand the purpose of Parliament is to address serious issues, not to play in a so-called "theatre", I suggest to please leave and join a debating club instead. At least there they may arbitrarily choose either side of an inconsequential argument, follow their team's line regardless of how hypocritical or absurd, and indulge their desire for adversarial pursuit for its own sake, without causing any real damage.

Leave Parliament to those prepared to employ honest, respectful discussion and co-operation to help find real solutions based on evidence and common sense to matters of gravitas and urgency facing humanity and our ecosystem, and not pretend such solutions come at no cost to anyone in terms of money or inconvenience, a cost increasing exponentially the longer effective action is avoided. Joe Di Stefano, Geelong Wither the intellectual? The controversy around Melbourne University Publishing's new priorities is relevant to a discussion of the too limited role of "public intellectuals" in Australia. In an ideal world, Australian university scholars, especially in the humanities field, would be able to communicate their research findings in the lucid journalistic manner of, say, a David Marr. They would write for a university publisher wanting to engage both an informed general readership and their scholarly cohort. They would be open to media performances in the manner of US and British academics, putting to rest the trite stereotype of them being cosseted "eggheads". They would be "household names", in some cases.

Where are our Australian equivalents of the Harvard or Yale historians who can be seen, town hall-style, on YouTube engaging the general public in their rigorous scholarly research about, say, the American Civil War? If the MUP's new direction is really about retreating behind ivy-clad scholastic walls, the quality of Australian intellectual life will continue to languish. Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza All part of the plan? I agree with Peter Hartcher ("Morrison faces choppy waters", The Age, 2/1). But I would take his insights back one step. Perhaps some of the conservatives realised long ago that to dislodge Malcolm Turnbull was worth it irrespective of the electoral consequences.

Part of their thinking would also include that electoral defeat meant marginal seats (always held by moderates) would fall  leaving the right with more strength in terms of proportional numbers. This would give them much clearer (although certainly not cleaner) air to determine the direction of the party from opposition. Such a strategy may have once appeared smart, but is now in jeopardy, given the rise of moderate independents threatening to bring the very architects down. John Rome, Mount Lawley, WA Housing cycles The seeming free-fall plunge in house prices is alarming, but not that much different to the terrifying and accelerated escalation in house prices over the previous few years  so it's not as unexpected as some might suggest.

Emma Borghesi, Mount Eliza Speaking for Greens I was one among hundreds who volunteered  from all over Melbourne and as far afield as Bendigo  to campaign for Alex Bhathal at the Batman byelection in 2018. I shared in the general disgust among us when a few people did their damnedest to sabotage our campaign. Even if everything they said about Alex had been true, their actions were utterly inexcusable. I hope they are happy with the result  that the seat we almost won in 2016 is now unwinnable for the foreseeable future. Now I learn that Alex has resigned, and considers the party of which I remain a loyal member to be "brutal and sanctimonious". All I can say is that  while I have seen a few traces of sanctimony (including some in myself)  the main characteristics of the many Greens I work with are kindness, goodwill and dedication to the promotion of fairness, honesty, decency and intelligence in the way we are governed and in the way we manage our planet's finite and precious resources.Honour uses music as another texture in the cafe, an aural addition to the decor, drinks and food. Depending on the day, the weather and the general mood, you might hear anything from Japanese funk to house or R&B unspooling from the cafe's Spotify playlists. Hibiki's Spotify address ( hibiki.melbourne ) is included on the menu alongside its Facebook and Instagram handles, signalling the soundtrack's importance to the cafe's identity. The playlists are public so even if you get your green smoothie to go, you can press play and keep grooving to those Hibiki beats.

Just as we've borrowed umami from the Japanese to describe the deeply addictive savoury lure of foods such as parmesan, tomato and mushrooms, cafe owner Reiji Honour thinks we need to add another concept to our culinary lexicon. It's encompassed in the name of his new cafe, Hibiki, which is Japanese for "sound" or "echo".

But try to eat in  Hibiki is a feel-good place. The bright interior features plywood, plants and paintings by local artists. A rear courtyard deck is an umbrella-shaded, dog-friendly hangout. Coffee is made with devotion; lightly roasted filter blends are imported from Japan. Smoothies are riots of fruity colour with blasts of yuzu and matcha for extra spark. The food is exuberant Japanese fusion with some dish ideas transported from Honour's previous businesses, Dosage in Hawthorn and Second Wife in Box Hill.

"Middle Meets East" is a carryover from Box Hill: poached eggs and potato fritters float on shiso-flavoured labna in a pool of soy and burnt chilli butter. It's rich and luxurious and lets you believe that it's not that far from Tokyo to Tripoli. Shibuya Honey Toast is a cult dish from Tokyo, relying on fluffy Japanese milk bread, cut thick as a brick, with the interior removed, cubed and fried, then stuffed back into the bread with biscuits, fruit and lollies. Indulgence is the point of this dish, often served to share. The Hibiki version has wow factor but it's not crazily sweet, layered up with matcha custard, black sesame ice cream, fruit and flowers.

Every cafe needs a signature eggs benedict. Hibiki's "Pork Shoulder Benedicto" sees slow-cooked pulled pork (braised in soy and ginger) piled over a fried rice cake and dosed with yuzu-spiked hollandaise. If a benny is a must, a spin on avocado is compulsory. The "Smashed in Japan" is a riotous breakfast salad, the avo mashed with feta, mint and yuzu kosho (a fermented green chilli and yuzu relish) and piled on sourdough. Also on the plate, beetroot hummus, lotus root chips and a poached egg. If you find the whole concept a little bit whack for early in the morning, they'll happily do eggs-and-sides to order.

This is a sleepy part of Camberwell; Hibiki has been just the ticket. Even better, plans are afoot for a liquor licence and an izakaya concept a couple of nights a week. I can't wait for the soundtrack that goes with the snacks and sips.The rockstar chef phenomenon has been growing ever since Jamie Oliver started spruiking pukka tucker on the television, but Australias celebrity cook obsession reached a new level this week with two of Britain's most famous food personalities selling out venues across the country with their words.

Nigella Lawson at the Sydney Opera House this month.

Domestic goddess Nigella Lawson, author of 11 recipe books and host of various BBC cooking programs, will speak about her culinary experiences to a sold-out Sydney Opera House this evening.

Meanwhile, food lovers packed Melbourne Town Hall last night to hear London-based Yotam Ottolenghi discuss his Israeli heritage and love of vegetables. Ottolenghi also spoke to 2500 people (the chefs largest audience ever) at a sold-out Sydney Opera House show on Tuesday.

Ottolenghi has had a profound influence on the way Australians cook at home, said Dr Edwina Throsby, head of Talks and Ideas at Sydney Opera House. I think Opera House audiences might be hoping some of his magic will rub off.The battle cry for climate-conscious students is out.

On March 15, were walking out of school and youre invited!

Students across Australia have been planning for their next School Students Strike 4 Climate Action, but just days before their campaign launch, on Friday night, they hit a glitch.

All 27 Facebook events set up for strikes across the country were deactivated and the students feared the worst.

This is an outrageous attack on our freedom of speech and right to peaceful protest, said Aisheeya Huq, a 16-year-old from Western Sydney.GOGGLEBOX

Series return ***1/2

8.30pm, Ten

Apart from anything else, I cannot wait to see what the other Goggleboxers make of Angie and Yvie in the jungle. But it's generally a fabulous time of year to be sharing the virtual couch with these guys as I'm A Celebrity, My Kitchen Rules, and Married At First Sight all vie to out-reality each other and a bunch of new shows and old favourites appear in the television schedule.

Gogglebox Australia.

HOW TO CATCH A SERIAL KILLER

****

9.30pm, SBS

Fascinating British documentary  not unlike the new Ron Iddles series on Foxtel  which recounts the work of homicide detective Stephen Fulcher in solving the murder of a young Swindon woman, and catching a serial killer into the bargain. All good, right? Not quite. The insight into the investigation itself is terrific, but it's the fallout from the manner in which it was conducted that provides sobering food for thought.SHOW ME THE MOVIE

Series return ***

7.30pm, Ten

It's not a terrible idea: keeping The Living Room on hiatus while Chris Brown is in the jungle and various other Ten personalities are busy with various other Ten projects  and dropping this likeable confection into its place. Rove McManus and Joel Creasey return, with Brooke Satchwell bringing a bit of bite in place of Jane Harber. The action kicks off tonight with Dave Thornton and Nikki Osbourne going hard for team Brooke, while Joel Creasey gets some help from Kate McCartney and Tiriel Mora.

Show Me The Movie!

CASO CERRADO

New series ***

10.55pm, SBS Viceland

Unfortunately the subtitled version of this factual/reality series wasn't ready in time to preview but it looks absolutely delicious. Each week Ana Maria Polo  the Hispanic answer to Judge Judy  adjudicates quarrels between couples. But as this is a Spanish-language show from Telemundo, the home of telenovellas, these are domestic disputes times 10. For instance in tonight's second episode, a husband and wife end up in court because it turns out he staged his own kidnapping and now she wants the ransom money back. Crazy.LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE 

MA15+, 88 minutes. Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Thursday 7 to Tuesday 26 February

Built around a family home in a castle that would make Wes Anderson weep with envy and a matriarch whose every pronouncement veers between high drama, mocking revelation, and dismissiveness, this Spanish documentary is an intimate portrayal of a clan literally living with their shared history. Veteran actor turned filmmaker Gustavo Salmeron is the youngest of six children to Julita and Antonio, a yin and yang pairing dominated by the former: the film's title is based on what she wanted in life, and somehow got (although the monkey did bite her). Predicated on a rhythm built up over decades, mother and son are filmed debating how the film should be made, and as more family members arrive screwball chaos takes hold. Julita's hoarding literally provides reams of material  there's a running theme of trying to find her grandmother's bones  but the memories are also connected to Spain's fractious 20th century political history. The 21st century global financial crisis also hits hard, but as with everything in this droll film it has a fantastical edge.

Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle is a Spanish documentary that offers an intimate portrayal of a clan literally living with their shared history.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA 

melbournecinematheque.org. Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Wednesday 6 February.

The 2019 program of the invaluable Melbourne Cinematheque kicks off with an opening night bang (and its many screen echoes): Sergio Leone's epic crime saga uses the hardscrabble ambitions of two aspiring New York gangsters to chart a vision of friendship and the accompanying recrimination that spans five decades and the souring of American self-belief. Excoriated just prior to its American release in 1984, when a compromise 229 minute edit was brutally cut to a failed 139 minutes, Leone's final movie screens here as the essential 2012 restoration that across 251 minutes uses a complex flashback structure to capture the lives of David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro and as a boy Scott Tiler) and Max Bercovicz (James Woods and Rusty Jacobs). The vast, dazzling sets and historical references don't serve to fix the story, they free it  there's a haze of memory and purpose that offsets the gangster machinations as tellingly as Ennio Morricone's score does. This is a long way from the spaghetti western stand-offs that made Leone's name internationally, and a fitting finale.But, internationally, 'free market' think-tanks - like our Institute of Public Affairs - campaigned to influence political parties, treasuries, business groups, economists, journalists and academics to believe that a deregulated 'market' of businesses and corporate activity was the best economic means to assign resources to people. They offered powerful groups and individuals the convenient

gospel that if you hand wealth to the rich, it will somehow trickle down to the rest of us. Members of the modern Liberal Party are ideologues of these beliefs. "If you give businesses the incentive to invest more  they will employ more," Mr Turnbull told reporters when he was spruiking tax cuts in 2018. "Its always worked in the past. Its pretty basic. Its Economics 101, really  so thats why were pressing on with our enterprise tax program, because we know that it will result in more investment and more jobs." Turnbull and friends should maybe have stuck around for more subjects than "Economics 101", because what he claimed "always worked in the past" has never, actually, worked in the past.

***** Labors Paul Keating, as treasurer in the 1980s, led the most radical remaking of the Australian economy into a neoliberal framework. The government he led retained investment in

expansive social programs, infrastructure and services, and worked with unions to extend and deliver positive initiatives like Medicare and compulsory superannuation. At the same time, it privatised formerly government-owned assets like the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas. Keating is remembered as a "staunch defender of open markets", but hes watched what neoliberalisms wreaked in the last 30 years, and come to question its core assumptions.

Sally McManus addresses Qantas employees at the airline's headquarters in Mascot in September, after workers' wage claims were frozen even as management took bonuses. Credit:James Alcock "We have a comatose world economy held together by debt and central bank money," he said in March 2017. "Liberal economics has run into a dead end and has had no answer to the contemporary malaise." ***** I was travelling Australia, meeting union members, when then treasurer Scott Morrison fronted the nation and claimed Australia should "look to the US" to see how well corporate tax cut policies were working. Where I went, workers werent offering analyses of the role of "central bank money" in the running of the world economy, but that didnt make their criticisms of the plan to cut corporate tax any less valid. People were asking: "But if they dont pay even their fair share of tax now, why should we let them get away with paying even less?"

And: "If they will supposedly give us pay rises when they pay less tax, why arent any of the companies who pay no tax now already giving pay rises?" They were questions the government deflected, waving to the example of massive corporate tax cuts the US President, Donald Trump, had just introduced that reduced the rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent across America. As recently as August 2018, the Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, was still insisting that: "The evidence on the ground is very clear. The Trump tax cuts have led to

stronger investment, stronger growth, lower unemployment rate and higher wages." But The Conversation fact-checked the claim, and discovered that the small gains made in these areas of the US economy werent caused by the tax cuts, as much as conforming to a pattern of growth that began in 2016, when the nation started to recover properly from the Global Financial Crisis. Economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, writing in The New York Times in April 2018, was more blunt: "A vast majority of businesses say either that the tax law has had no effect on their investment plans, or that they are planning only a modest increase," he wrote, identifying that the greatest beneficiary of the cuts to date had been shareholders receiving higher returns. It was a fact that inconveniently tallied with the contents of a secret Business Council of Australia (BCA) survey that had been leaked earlier in 2018. The Australian Financial Review reported that more than 80 per cent of businesses that responded to the survey planned to return the windfall in dividends to their shareholders or increase capital expenditure, but not to raise wages or create new jobs. Fortunately, our government lost the vote to pass its own corporate tax cuts, when the other parties and independents joined with the ALP and the Greens in the Senate after they got the message from the electorate that people were not believing the trickle-down promises. When somethings intent does not look fair, only a fool could believe its output will be anything like fair. While there are a few fools in Australia, fortunately they are not a majority.Flaws in the system There was a time when people who were deemed to lack capacity were locked up in institutions. The financial management and guardianship system largely replaced that. Loading But Alastair McEwin, the Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, says the system is still very much entrenched in long-held assumptions about the capacity of people with disabilities to make decisions about their own lives. These preconceived notions means that tribunal members or judges might be more inclined to believe one side of the story to another, or to make assumptions based on one-off behaviour while ignoring the bigger picture.

McEwin says both financial management and guardianship - which are systems of substitute decision making - need to be replaced with a system of assisted or supported decision making that empowers the person to make their own choices. This would bring Australia in line with the rights-based approach to disability issues in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Across Australia, the Herald and The Age have heard from many individuals and families dissatisfied with the system as it currently stands. Of course, not every allegation of wrongdoing is true. Guardianship and financial management are inherently contentious, especially since public trustees and guardians are often appointed when there is family conflict, such as disagreement among adult siblings about how to help their elderly parent. But speaking to those affected reveals many common themes across different states of Australia, despite differences in legislation. A common complaint is that guardianship is too controlling about the minutiae of people's lives and marginalises family members often for no reason. A 2015 Senate inquiry, which McEwin called a "seminal piece of work", heard guardians sometimes block the individual from accessing lawyers or advocates. Another common refrain is that the trustees are penny-pinching, keeping a tight lid on expenditure even when managing recurring income rather than a lump sum, while simultaneously raking in huge fees.

Public trustees are often appointed when there is family conflict, such as disagreement among adult siblings about how to help their elderly parent. Credit:Greg Newington Many critics argue the public trustees and public guardians work too closely together - particularly in those states where they are part of the same organisation - and this creates an inherent conflict of interest. In a case of an elderly person for example, the states public guardian might be given guardianship and decide to move the person into aged care. The public trustee, who works for the same umbrella organisation, will then sell the persons home - with the state collecting stamp duty along the way - and invest the proceeds into managed funds. There is usually an establishment fee when the money enters the public trustee system and then ongoing management and investment fees. Complaints are rarely reported in the media because people under guardianship or financial administration cannot be publicly identified and in some states that even applies after theyre dead. In South Australia, its illegal to discuss guardianship proceedings even when the story has been anonymised. In a case of an elderly person for example, the states public guardian might be given guardianship and decide to move the person into aged care. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The 2015 Senate inquiry found the fact that guardianship might gag a vulnerable person or prevent them from lodging a complaint a form of abuse. In many cases, the prevention of reporting violence, abuse and neglect leads to the indefinite perpetuation of inappropriate actions, the Senate report said. There is a real question of accountability and this is particularly obvious in financial management. Public trustee companies are owned by the states and are also overseen by the states. While private trustee companies come under the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, public trustee companies do not. The financial services royal commission didnt look at public trustee companies, and the aged care royal commission is not expected to examine either guardianship or financial management. In Victoria, Ombudsman Deborah Glass is investigating State Trustees, the state-owned company that is equivalent to the public trustee in other states, to see whether the corporation is acting in the best interests of clients. The investigation, which is understood to be extensive and is still ongoing, is focusing on State Trustees role as an administrator for people who are unable to manage their financial and legal affairs because of disability, illness or injury.

Glass is unable to speak about the investigation until it is tabled in the Victorian Parliament, but she said in a statement in July that the investigation was prompted by the fact that complaints about State Trustees had risen by 37 per cent in the year to June 30, 2017, and have remained at the same high level ever since. Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass. Credit:Simon Schluter A State Trustees spokeswoman said the organisation was co-operating with the Ombudsman but did not answer why there had been a spike in complaints. Last July State Trustees terminated its chief executive, Craig Dent, for serious misconduct involving the alleged misuse of taxpayers funds and referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. Dent denies the allegations and IBAC's review is still ongoing. State Trustees has stated no private money being managed on behalf of clients was affected by Dents alleged misconduct.

High fees The fees charged by financial administrators can be eye-watering. The $25,000 that NSWTG wants to charge Colleys estate is a case in point. Loading NSWTG says it cannot comment on Colleys case because of confidentiality and privacy but it's understood the fee includes back fees for administration of the trust as well as the transfer of the title from NSWTG to Beehag's name. Were it a simple matter of settling an estate, a private solicitor could legally charge a maximum of $3905 in probate fees, based on the estimated $650,000 value of the Kingscliff property.

Karen*, an accountant from Melbourne, says Colleys story echoes her own experience trying to get care for her father, and speaking to other families under financial management and guardianship orders. Karens name has been changed because her father, who is 79 and has frontal lobe dementia, cant be identified for legal reasons. The first thing that echoed to me is that how theyre doing this is through fees, she says. We look at elder abuse as stealing money, but the legal way of liquidating estates is through fees, legal fees and accounting fees. Once the family is isolated from decision making there is nothing they can do other than watch while trustees and administrators charge excessive fees for work that is not of the same value. Karen adds that private companies can also charge excessive fees to vulnerable people - she is currently fighting a $71,000 legal bill sent to her father by a private law firm that had unsuccessfully applied to be her fathers financial manager. She submitted evidence to the VCAT that the law firm took the work despite knowing her father legally lacked the capacity to make financial and legal decisions, but the bill was only knocked down to $50,000. The state-owned public trustees are the main providers of professional financial management for people deemed to lack capacity, and therefore the main beneficiary of fees.

Colley was one of 11,661 people across NSW under the financial management of NSWTG, according to the state government entitys 2018 annual report. Another 4500 people have private financial managers, and NSWTG provides oversight. NSWTG manages $5.9 billion in client assets, with $1.7 billion in the financial management common fund, which is mainly for people under a financial management order. In Victoria, State Trustees administers the financial and legal affairs of 11,459 people, managing assets worth a total of more than $1 billion. As businesses, this makes each trustee company about the size of a small public superannuation fund. A list of fees on its website states that State Trustees charges VCAT-appointed clients a 3.3 per cent capital commission when money is withdrawn from a bank account or shares or other assets sold. It also takes a cut of any income - 3.3 per cent of any pension and allowances received from Centrelink or Department of Veterans Affairs and 6.6 per cent of any other gross income. Despite State Trustees lowering its fees last July, the fees are still high compared with a private trustee company.

NSWTG generally has lower fees and does not take a cut of income. A NSWTG spokeswoman said its fees were set by government in the NSW Trustee and Guardian Regulation 2017 and a review was completed by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal NSW in 2016. McEwin says a rights-based approach would give the person with disabilities information and the right to seek another service provider with lower fees, similar to the model used in the National Insurance Disability Scheme. NSWTG rejects the notion there is a conflict of interest, with a spokeswoman saying that NSWTG is compelled to follow the principles set out in legislation when deciding whether to sell a clients assets. Meanwhile, in Victoria the Office of the Public Advocate has more powers than the public guardian in most states and is legally independent of government as it reports to parliament. Victorian Public Advocate Colleen Pearce says it is common practice for financial administrators to seek the advice of VCAT before selling property against the wishes of the represented person.

An administrator (private or professional) must avoid a conflict of interest, Pearce says. If my office is concerned that an administrator is not meeting their statutory obligations then we will give consideration to making an application for reassessment of the administration order to VCAT. A State Trustees spokeswoman says the organisation often needs to deal with "circumstances where there is a high degree of conflict, such as complex family matters". "Our role is to act in the clients best interests and this may involve selling property to facilitate entry to a nursing home so the client can have the best possible care," she says. The Herald and Age investigation has found a number of cases of people around Australia under financial management orders whose money has been mismanaged by the relevant public trustee companies. The following two case studies are typical of the many stories unearthed. In both these individual cases, The Herald and The Age has verified the broad outline of events. The individuals and even their state of residence can not be identified for legal reasons, so names have been changed. Taking advantage of the elderly

Barbara* was in her 80s and living in an aged care home in an Australian capital city close to her adult children. She still owned her former home, which was let to tenants. Barbaras living expenses were low and she could fund the cost of aged care from the rental income and the age pension, while maintaining a buffer of about $19,000 in her bank account. But as Barbara lost capacity to manage her affairs, her adult children were finding it hard to agree on how to proceed. Her states public trustee and guardian was put in charge. The public trustee started investing her money on her behalf. The estate officer took nearly $12,000 of her savings  more than half  and invested it in her name across six managed funds run by the public trustee. The managed funds had high fees and the underlying investments were long term with a fair degree of risk  arguably unsuitable for a pensioner who had no experience with the sharemarket. Then the estate officer said Barbaras funds were running low and they needed to sell her home  even though they had $12,000 in managed funds in her name. Barbaras daughter Sue* says the public trustees policy was that any time there was more than $10,000 in funds, they would transfer the surplus to managed funds. Meanwhile, they also used this as evidence that the funds were depleting.

Eventually the aged care facility returned $21,000 in overpayments  but the public trustee immediately sent it back. Family members are now managing guardianship and financial administration for Barbara. Indigenous over-representation In another part of Australia, the states public trustee lost most of the money they were managing for Bob*, an Indigenous man now in his 30s. Bob was in a car accident as a young child and when he turned 18, he was awarded a $450,000 payout from an insurance company for injuries to his arm and leg. Bob had developed mental illness as a teenager and is not very communicative with strangers, though his stepfather Jack* says he is much more expressive with family and other Indigenous people.

Bob spoke to The Herald and The Age briefly to confirm that he was happy for his stepfather to tell the story on his behalf. At 18, Bob was assessed as having average intellectual capacity but prone to lapses in concentration. He was deemed to be legally capable of making his own decisions except for financial administration of his payout. His mother and aunt were appointed to help him with his financial affairs and they helped him buy a flat to live in and a 12-hectare block of bushland on the coast as an investment. But there was conflict in the extended family and relatives made allegations that his mother and aunt were misappropriating money. As a result the public trustee and guardian was appointed to his case, then his mother and aunt were reappointed, then the public trustee and guardian was appointed again. The allegations were not properly investigated until a decade later, when they were determined to be unfounded. Meanwhile, Bob, a troubled young man, was living in the city, sleeping rough and spending time in jail. The public trustee installed tenants in his flat and sold his land. Then they sold the flat, invested it in managed funds  and lost most of it in the global financial crisis. Bob was mostly homeless for a period of nine years and the public guardian prevented him from seeing his mother and effectively from maintaining connections with his Indigenous community.

Bobs mother and stepfather kept fighting on his behalf. The public guardian fought to keep control of Bobs affairs; documents reveal the public guardian claimed at one point that Bob had a brain injury from his childhood car accident, when it was just an arm and leg. Since 2009 Bob has been living with his mother and stepfather again and, according to his family, life has improved. Hes doing well, Jack says. He hasnt been arrested once. He was being arrested and jailed regularly for the period of time he was with the adult guardian, for street offences, for being homeless on the street. The family had to fight for Bob to have full access to his disability pension - the public trustee only wanted to give him $150 a week from his pension. In 2016 the tribunal granted Jack responsibility as both Bobs guardian and financial administrator. Any day it could change if the empire strikes back but thats the way it is now, Jack says. But theres only about $60,000 of the original money left  and less if the family decides to use some of it to pay legal fees to sue the public trustee. Jack estimates the flat would be worth about $1 million today, while the block would be worth $850,000, more if sub-divided.

Jack believes part of the problem for Bob was a bureaucratic disregard for his Indigenous heritage and culture, and paternalistic attitudes. At the 2015 Senate Inquiry, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) presented evidence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are over-represented in the adult guardianship system. It told the inquiry there was nearly eight times as many people under guardianship in the Northern Territory as in NSW, the next highest Australian jurisdiction, and 81 per cent of the adults under guardianship in the NT were Indigenous, despite Indigenous people being only 30 per cent of the population. *Names have been changed STATE BY STATE Victoria

Under the Guardianship and Administration Act 1986, where a person is found to lack capacity to manage their own affairs, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) may appoint an administrator to administer their financial affairs and/or a guardian to make lifestyle decisions such as health care and accommodation. Administrators and guardians can be private individuals, such as family members. When there is no suitable private guardian, VCAT can appoint the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) as a guardian. OPA answers to the Victorian parliament.Ask any student council representative what his or her favorite thing is about the role, and almost all will say "LASC," or the Louisiana Association of Student Councils.

From the winter convention to the summer workshop, LASC offers many opportunities for both middle school and high school students to meet new people and learn about leadership.

Students from Archbishop Hannan recently attended the winter convention at Sulphur High School. Throughout the weekend, students attended various workshops and presentations where they learned how they can improve their individual schools.

On the final day of the convention, new state officers were elected by student council representatives in attendance. The process is long and even stressful for those campaigning, but its all worth it in the end. Win or lose, this is an excellent opportunity to learn about the inner workings of politics.

Over time, involvement in the LASC has supplied a host of Hannan students with enough memories to last a lifetime. Hannan has been a member school of LASC for many years, and this year is proving to be a memorable one.

Junior Nathan Estopinal completed his term as LASC State President and sophomore Kathleen Rush was elected District II President. Various competitions were also held at the winter convention, and senior Kathlyn Dannewald placed second overall in the Current Events contest.

Hannan Student Council moderator Charles Baird was honored with the LASC Advisor of the Year Award, as well. Under his leadership, Hannan hosed the LASC Winter Convention in 2017 and the school plans to host the gathering again soon.

It's the wish of every student council member at Hannan that the next generation of leaders will be inspired through membership in the LASC.A wood chip truck heads to Georgia-Pacific's Port Hudson paper mill in January. The company will lay off nearly 700 people as it shuts down office paper operations at the mill due to declining demand. About 300 people will continue to work at the mill, producing toilet tissue and paper towels for retail purchase.John Hillman speaks on Item 72 concerning an application, which was withdrawn, for an Industrial Tax Exemption by ExxonMobil during a meeting of the Metro Council, January 23, 2019, at City Hall in downtown Baton Rouge, La.Former Gov. Kathleen Blanco has a good time with Gumbo during the second half of a divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Saints won 20-14. Blanco was honored before the game.A law that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals wont go into effect on Monday as scheduled, after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary hold on it.

Justice Samuel Alito issued a one-page order late Friday noting that the justices need time to review court filings before deciding whether to grant a petition to block the law from taking effect while it continues to be challenged in court.

According to Alitos order, the hold, which will prevent the law from being enforced at least through Feb. 7, is administrative and not a reflection of how the court may act once it has reviewed the case.

Louisiana abortion law could set tone for future U.S. Supreme Court's decisions At the request of a pair of unnamed doctors, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide in the coming days whether to temporarily block a law tha

Act 620 was signed into law in 2014, but its being challenged in court by a pair of doctors who say its too onerous.

Because the application for the emergency hold is expected to be reviewed by the full court in the coming week, Louisianas law is widely being viewed as the first major test of how President Donald Trumps appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court could ultimately impact abortion laws across the country. Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh were not on the bench when a similar law in Texas was ruled unconstitutional nearly three years ago.

Both have testified that they see the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that affirms the right to access to abortions with limited restrictions as a settled matter, but the conservative jurists have drawn scrutiny from abortion rights advocates and some Democratic lawmakers.

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+2 Gov. John Bel Edwards cozies up to Trump, preaches bipartisanship on re-election campaign Gov. John Bel Edwards is walking a thin line. The only Democratic governor in the Deep South is attempting a re-election bid in a state that s

The Texas law that, like Louisiana's, sought to require admitting privileges, was rejected on a 5-3 Supreme Court vote in 2016.

Supporters of the effort here say it's meant to make the procedure safer in case of complications, while opponents say it's an onerous requirement meant to create additional hurdles for those seeking abortions.

The crux of the argument against the law has been that it's modeled after the Texas law that the high court already struck down. But the 5th Circuit majority that agreed to uphold Act 620, ruled that unlike in Texas, (Louisiana's law) does not impose a substantial burden on a large fraction of women and would affect, at most, 30 percent of Louisiana women.

Louisiana, which tends to be among states with the toughest restrictions on abortion access, has three remaining abortion clinics  one each in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport. There were five when Act 620 passed the Louisiana Legislature in 2014. Opponents of the pending law say it would reduce the number further.While 1 out of 5 public school teachers in Louisiana is either uncertified or teaching outside their field of expertise, how many students are in those classrooms is in dispute.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, in his pitch for $1,000 teacher pay raises, is telling audiences that more than 1 in 3 students statewide sit in those classes  over a quarter of a million students.

"Thirty-five percent of our students are in classrooms right now where teachers are not certified, or they are not certified to teach what they are teaching," Edwards told the editorial board of The Advocate on Jan. 24.

The governor used the same, 35 percent figure in a speech to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers on Nov. 16.

Vicious circle: Report says failing schools also have the most inexperienced teachers One in three teachers at F-rated public schools in Louisiana is either uncertified or teaching outside their field of expertise, according to 

But the state Department of Education, which is known nationally for its wide array of statistics, does not compile the number of all students led by those who lack certification or teach subjects outside of their expertise. In addition, the statistics cited by the governor's office represent only a portion of students statewide, not all those in Louisiana led by uncertified or out-of-field teachers. The same applies to the 2017-18 Educator Workforce Report  cited by others  that also represents some students, not the entire student population.

Donald Songy, education policy adviser for Edwards and former superintendent of the Ascension Parish School District, said Edwards' argument is valid.

"I think the point the governor has always tried to make is you pay teachers a good salary you are going to have fewer uncertified teachers," Songy said. "That is the whole point."

Gov. Edwards targets boosting Louisiana teachers' regional average pay; downplays talk of walkouts Mixing education goals with re-election themes, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Saturday he is mapping plans to boost teacher pay to the regional a

The state has about 720,000 public school students.

Edwards' teacher pay raise plan, including $500 pay boosts for support workers, has won widespread support and is one of his key priorities for the 2019 legislative session, which begins April 8.

It is part of a $134.7 million package, and the first of three installments aimed at raising salaries to the regional average set by the Southern Regional Education Board.

Teachers are now paid an average of about $50,000 per year, around $2,200 below the SREB benchmark.

Why pay for new teachers in Louisiana stacks up better than for veteran teachers While public school teachers may get their first substantive pay hike in six years, low salaries are not a glaring issue for new teachers.

Teacher certification is generally viewed as a sign of teacher quality, and boosting those numbers has been a longtime state goal. Certified teachers have to earn a college degree, finish with at least a 2.5 grade-point average out of 4.0 and pass a national teacher exam.

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However, 6 percent of the state's teacher workforce  2,509 teachers  were uncertified in 2017-18, according to the state Department of Education. Another 14 percent of the state's roughly 49.000 teachers  6,297  were teaching out of field.

That means those teachers have certificates but are not credentialed in at least one class they lead per day. That could mean a teacher certified in elementary grades is teaching secondary science, according to a state report.

Three of the toughest classes to fill  special education, science and math  lead the way in the percentage of out-of-field teachers at 38 percent. All three teaching posts are historically hard to fill, and doubly so amid a state and national teacher shortage that Edwards said his pay raise would address.

Louisiana's teacher shortage is real; here's what caused it, how state lawmakers look to solve it The number of teachers entering the profession in Louisiana is declining, and state lawmakers may launch a study on just why it is happening.

The number of students finishing teacher preparation programs has dropped 18 percent in Louisiana since the 2010-11 school year. The drop is 20 percent nationally.

That means educators statewide and nationally have to scramble to fill classes, and often settle for uncertified or teachers working outside their focus area.

Michael Faulk, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said he thinks 35 percent "would be pretty close" to how many students are in those classrooms.

"I would say between 30 and 35 percent when you look at the small districts that have a large number of uncertified teachers,' said Faulk, former superintendent of the highly-ranked Central school system.

The state is trying to boost teacher quality in part by requiring aspiring teachers to spend a full school year working with a veteran mentor.

Officials also hope to lure more high school and college students into the profession through the "Be A Teacher LA" campaign that includes TV and radio ads.

Under state law, certification is not required in charter schools though most of those schools have minimum degree requirements and other rules for core courses.

Charter schools are supposed to offer non-traditional methods for their roughly 80,000 students.

"The idea was to be innovative," said Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, who says teachers are underpaid.

In an email, Roemer said it is important for teachers to have degrees in their subject area, strong content knowledge and training before entering the classroom. "However, certification alone is not a high bar and will not be the answer to low performance in our public education system," she said.The mentally ill man accused of shooting into a marked police unit Sunday, and severely injuring a Baton Rouge police officer, had used a stolen gun in the attack, police officials said Tuesday.

The wounded officer, Shane Totty, 30, is expected to recover despite having been struck in the face with a bullet, shrapnel and glass, police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. said. Police initially believed Totty was struck only by debris, but Coppola clarified Tuesday that after further investigation they discovered he also had been hit by a bullet.

Police said Eugene Thomas Jr., 34, first shot at three of his family members and at a family friend Sunday night on Thomas H. Delpit Drive and then drove off. When Totty found Thomas in the 900 block of Lettsworth about 11 p.m., Thomas fired numerous rounds at the police unit, hitting the windshield and driver's door, police said.

+18 After injuring BR officer in shooting, shooter's longtime battle with mental illness emerges A Baton Rouge man accused of shooting into a marked police unit and injuring the officer Sunday night had been found not guilty by reason of i

Another officer followed Thomas as he left the scene and, after a brief chase, Thomas stopped in the dead end of West Harding Street and surrendered, Coppola said.

The gun Thomas used Sunday was previously reported stolen, but it was not immediately clear where it was stolen from or when, Coppola said. Additional charges may follow, he said.

Totty, who joined the Baton Rouge Police Department in June 2014, is assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau. He has been placed on paid administrative leave per departmental policy, Coppola said.

Lt. Stephen Chenevert, who leads Totty's squad in the Second District, said Totty has been with that group for about three years. Chenevert described Totty as always smiling, easygoing and never one to complain.

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Capt. Don Kelly, the Second District commander, said Totty is a family man who approaches his work professionally and with a slow but steady care.

"He's going to go home," Kelly said. "Out of all the possible outcomes, when you look at the holes in the windshields  there were many outcomes that could've been much worse."

Thomas was arrested Monday morning on four counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. His bond was set at $650,000, according to District Attorney Hillar Moore III and online jail records.

Thomas's family said he has a long history of mental illness and has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and depression. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2001 obscenity case and a separate 2002 fatal shooting. He was ordered to a mental health facility before moving to outpatient care in 2009. Since then, he has been in and out of facilities and hospitals for mental health treatment, his family said.

During a home visit in February 2009, police found Thomas with a gun and arrested him on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. That charge was later dismissed because Thomas was not legally a convicted felon due to his previous not guilty by reason of insanity pleas.

A police report on the 2009 incident does not mention where that gun came from. In the 2002 fatal shooting, Thomas got the gun from his sister-in-law's vehicle just before the shooting.

Advocate staff writer Lea Skene contributed to this report.Baton Rouge police officer Shane Totty, who was shot by a mentally ill man this past Sunday, was released from Our Lady of the Lake Hospital on Friday, BRPD said.

[Editor's note: On Friday, Feb. 1, Totty died after a motorcyle accident in a funeral procession.]

Totty is expected to make a full recovery.

Totty was struck in the face with a bullet, shrapnel and glass, police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. said. Police initially believed Totty was struck only by debris, but Coppola clarified Tuesday that after further investigation they discovered he also had been hit by a bullet.

Police said Eugene Thomas Jr., 34, first shot at three of his family members and at a family friend Sunday night on Thomas H. Delpit Drive and then drove off. When Totty found Thomas in the 900 block of Lettsworth about 11 p.m., Thomas fired numerous rounds at the police unit, hitting the windshield and driver's door, police said.

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Another officer followed Thomas as he left the scene and, after a brief chase, Thomas stopped in the dead end of West Harding Street and surrendered, Coppola said.

The gun Thomas used Sunday was previously reported stolen, but it was not immediately clear where it was stolen from or when, Coppola said. Additional charges may follow, he said.

Totty, who joined the Baton Rouge Police Department in June 2014, is assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau. He has been placed on paid administrative leave per departmental policy, Coppola said.Posted Friday, February 1, 2019 7:04 pm

Originally I expected to write something about our Legislature and state Attorney Generals fixation on people owning guns, and their endless assault on law abiding gun owners.

They describe this quest as only trying to come up with reasonable and sensible restrictions that will halt gun violence, but it really wont. This effort, of course, is for the children and therefore must be noble.

Thats what I planned to write about and then, the state of New York passed a new and seemingly unrestricted abortion law that appears to allow for killing a baby up to delivery. It also relieves whoever is performing this awful procedure from providing any medical care to a baby that survives the pain of the abortion.

Equally as disgusting was the cheering and standing ovation this barbaric state law got upon passage. They claim this is to protect womens health and save lives. I havent heard how many women will be saved by killing viable babies during a late-term abortion, but we do know under existing law how many aborted babies are killed each year.

But it got worse.

In Virginia, not to be out done by their crazy neighbors to the north, a state delegate Kathy Tran, a democrat, introduced legislation that will allow abortion as the baby is being delivered. Further it would allow for the killing of that baby after the delivery. The governor, a doctor, described how this might happen; after delivery, the baby would be made comfortable while they (presumably the doctor and the mother) determine the fate of that baby.

If they decide to revive it, they can, or they can simply kill it. But at least the governor says the baby would be comfortable. This sounds awful and a lot like murder to me.

Perhaps ironically, on the same day Kathy Tran proposes unrestricted abortion, she also introduced legislation to save a caterpillar. In what world does that make sense?

Then came Vermont. They are considering H-0057, which would give women the right to abort a baby at any time and for any reason even after delivery has started.

Every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right  to abortion and this proposal would  prohibit public entities from interfering with or restricting the right of an individual to terminate the individuals pregnancy.

The bill goes on to specifically claim the fetus has no rights under Vermont law. So what exactly is a fetus defined as? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as The unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception. A medical dictionary includes language describing a fetus as having all the recognizable external characteristics of a human being.

Hmm  human baby; characteristics of a human being. Sounds like theyre aborting babies to me.

I hope this all sounds as barbaric and shocking to you as it did to me and, so far only New York is law. Knowing Washington, I wont be surprised if they try to pass something similar.

Most states would not allow animals to be treated like this and here in Washington, mole traps are illegal because they were deemed too cruel. Whole industries have been destroyed protecting some critter and that makes sense but protecting babies doesnt?

I believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death but I also understand not everyone does. What I cant understand is once a heart is beating, how can anyone can say thats not a life? But some do. (If death is the absence of a heart beat, wouldnt it follow life is the presence of one?) But if thats not enough, isnt the fact it looks like a baby, moves like a baby and feels pain enough to protect it?

Nope.

Most Americans of all persuasions and by a significant percentage believe there should be some reasonable and sensible restrictions on abortion. If that standard is good enough to try and restrict an actual constitutional right to own a gun, shouldnt it also apply to protecting the life of the unborn?

That would be a noble effort and would actually be for the children.



John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis, and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@yahoo.com.Accused killer Dakota Theriot was stonefaced as officials led him into the Ascension Parish Courthouse Friday night to be booked in a killing rampage that left his parents and three others dead in suburban Baton Rouge last weekend.

Theriot waived extradition Friday morning in Virginia, where he was arrested after fleeing the state. Detectives from Ascension and Livingston parishes traveled to Virginia to escort him back to Louisiana.

Theriot kept his head down and refused to answer questions as he was led into the courthouse by Ascension Parish Sheriff's Det. LaTonya Prejean and Livingston Parish Sheriff's Det. Calvin Bowden. Ascension Sheriff Bobby Webre and Livingston Sheriff Jason Ard were also present during Theriot's walk.

Theriot has admitted to killing the five victims  including his girlfriend and two of her relatives  with a gun stolen from his father. He fled to the East Coast after last Saturday's killings and deputies arrested him Sunday morning outside his grandmother's house near Warsaw, Virginia.

Webre said Theriot will be booked on two counts of first degree murder, one count of home invasion and one count of illegal use of a weapon. Ard said Theriot will be booked on three counts of first degree murder and motor vehicle theft once transferred to Livingston.

Webre said Theriot will appear for a bond hearing later this week before being transferred to Livingston Parish.

The officials offered few fresh details on the case, saying only that Theriot had shown "some decorum" while in law enforcement custody and had offered no new information on his motive in the killings.

Webre said additional evidence was collected during detectives' trips to Virginia, but wouldn't elaborate on what was found.

Theriot appeared in a Richmond County courtroom Friday morning, his first court appearance since his arrest. He faces five murder counts.

Theriot is accused of killing Summer Ernest, 20, a woman described as his girlfriend by investigators, family members and neighbors. Also dead are her father Billy Ernest, 43, and brother, Tanner, 17. Theriot had been living with the Ernest family for about two weeks before the killings. Deputies say that, after killing the three near Walker, Theriot drove to his parents' home near Gonzales and killed his parents, Keith and Elizabeth Theriot, both age 50.

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Preliminary autopsy results revealed that all five were shot in the head. A motive has not been determined.

A public defender appointed to represent Theriot in Virginia told The Associated Press on Friday that Theriot drove to Virginia after the killings to hug and kiss his relatives there goodbye.

"He wanted to say 'I love you, I'm sorry,'" attorney Steve Barnette said. "He knows he's probably never going to see the outside of a jail again."

Theriot pulled up outside his grandmother's house Sunday morning, pointing a gun out the window of Billy Ernest's pickup truck after the overnight drive from Louisiana.

The Associated Press reported Theriot showed little emotion during his hearing Friday morning and didn't appear to acknowledge his relatives in the courtroom.

"He knows he could face the death penalty," Barnette said. "I think he's resigned and understands his fate."

Public records show Theriot's life has been marked with a series of struggles, including emergency mental health commitments stemming from violent threats toward his relatives and a history of drug use and domestic abuse. He had been kicked out of his parents' house less than a month before the killings.

+2 Records: Dakota Theriot hallucinated, threatened arson before allegedly killing five people Keith Theriot locked the front door of his Norco home the night of June 10, 2017, desperately attempting to keep his son outside.

During a news conference addressing the case earlier this week, authorities described him as a "monster" but didn't elaborate on his confessions or demeanor.

Theriot had lived with his maternal grandparents in Virginia for some time in his teenage years before moving to Louisiana where he lived with his parents.Two south Louisiana men have been sent to federal prison for their roles in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization based in Ascension Parish and Houston, Texas, U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin said Friday.

Demond "Big Dimmer" Smith, 39, of St. James, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Jablonski "Blosky" Hankton, 37, of Gonzales, was ordered to spend nearly eight years behind bars by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles.

Smith and Hankton were convicted in "Operation Dirty Bird," a federal, state and local investigation that led to the indictment of 18 people in early 2017. Fourteen of the defendants are from Louisiana.

18 indicted in heroin-trafficking ring based in Ascension Parish, Houston Eighteen people, including 14 from Louisiana, are under federal indictment in Baton Rouge for their alleged roles in a large-scale heroin traf

Fremin said the investigation has resulted in the seizure of significant amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and oxycodone, as well as several vehicles and $314,000 in drug proceeds.

Eleven of the defendants have been sentenced, he said, including Darwin "Zero" Elphage of Gonzales and Jermaine Christopher "Plat Plat" Pleasant of Donaldsonville. Elphage is serving 10 years, and Pleasant more than 6 1/2 years.A new team in the East Baton Rouge public defender's office is working to transform how low-income people are detained before trial so offenders who dont need to be in jail arent trapped there for extended periods of time.

The team is seeking to intervene quickly to review cases, address health issues and help those whose situations warrant release so they can work, attend school and care for their families as they wait for their cases to be heard in court.

"Most of the people that are held in Parish Prison are there for nonviolent offenses who really don't need to be incarcerated," said Lacie Dauzat, the attorney leading the bail team.

In addition to Dauzat, the Office of the Public Defender's new bond team includes a social worker, a client advocate and a secretary. The team looks at both the legal and human services side in a two-pronged approach to better support poor pretrial clients.

"We're able to have a bond attorney present each day with the judge (who sets bail)  to identify those clients with special needs early on," Dauzat said.

After identifying high-need clients, the team screens and assesses them, then works to create a comprehensive treatment and release plan. With that in hand, attorneys can return to a judge to ask for a reduced bail or release on a nonmonetary bond.

Dauzat and social worker Lynn Farris kicked off the new undertaking in August, focusing on nonviolent offenders aged 25 or younger. In their first five months, they worked with about 40 clients, determining their needs to match them with relevant services, then represented them in a later bond hearing.

Most of those in the initial group of 40 have been released from custody but remain in close contact with the public defender's office to ensure they follow their release plan and make court dates.

Judge advances Louisiana public defense lawsuit, calls funding woes bad excuse for violating rights A state judge had advanced a class-action lawsuit alleging the state violates poor defendants' constitutional rights, setting up for trial a c

In January, the team expanded its ranks by adding a client advocate and secretary so they can now take on every new indigent client early in the judicial process, which has about tripled their caseload.

They still look to assist younger defendants  many arrested for the first time and terrified of being in jail  but the team is also focusing on getting services and treatment for adults with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Even if they don't fall into those categories, Dauzat said, their cases are referred to a team of investigators, who meet with the clients and review the cases to work on fair bond reductions and smart release plans.

Dauzat said the goal is always nonmonetary bonds, so as to not further burden the client.

"They need to get back to their families, their jobs, their lives," Dauzat said. "Being housed in Parish Prison can completely ruin that, even for a couple days.

Research has shown that people who serve short periods in jail  even just two days  are more likely to re-offend later compared to those released within 24 hours of an arrest. Another study also found that low-risk defendants held in jail before trial were more likely to receive a sentence of prison time, and for much longer terms, compared to those released pretrial.

In Louisiana, if people are held in jail because they cannot make their bail, prosecutors have 45 days to two months, depending on the offense, to officially charge them with a crime; which results in many people sitting for weeks on end without any updates on their case, Farris said.

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"Especially for some of the younger ones who have never been arrested before, if it wasnt for us, I dont even know what would happen," Farris said. "Just sitting there before they went to court with no intervention."

Dauzet said attorneys in the public defender office have tried to intervene on their own and work on cases soon after an arrest, but their workload has made that unrealistic.

East Baton Rouge jail diversion program secures additional funding from MacArthur Foundation A new pre-trial diversion program received a boost in funding Wednesday to help pay for continued efforts to place qualified offenders in trea

"The attorneys' caseloads in this office are so extreme that its just impossible to be able to provide all those services, to do that follow up, to simply do any of that work were getting done now with individual clients  to give individual clients the attention they deserve," Dauzat said.

Farris said many of their cases from 2018 have had successful outcomes, with clients back in school, newly employed and following treatment plans. Some of the criminal cases have already been dismissed, but others remain ongoing and the team continues to provide the counsel needed.

Some of them end up being arrested just because they dont have a mental health facility to go to," Farris said. "They shouldnt be incarcerated, they should be in treatment.

Mental health facility coming to Baton Rouge after voters approve tax in landslide On their second try, mental health and law enforcement advocates convinced voters to pass a property tax to fund a psychiatric crisis center.

Farris said she's looking forward to having the Bridge Center, a mental health diversion program which will be funded by a new tax East Baton Rouge voters approved in December.

"We are not only reaching those clients, but we are reaching their family and extended family  laying the foundation for them to be successful in the future, Dauzat said.

She added, "Families are responding really well. Were not only healing that one client, but were kind of healing the family as well, and I think thats the only way to make this work."

The new team is funded by $130,000 from the mayor's office, a portion of the U.S. Department of Health grant called Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma, or ReCAST, which has been twice awarded to the city since 2016.

State Public Defender warns Louisiana lawmakers of 'dire scenario' if funding isn't increased Multiple public defender districts in Louisiana, including East Baton Rouge and Orleans, are at risk of becoming insolvent in a year or two if

"I believe in the work of the public defender office, said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. "The pretrial intervention has proven to be effective not only here but in many places around the country. I think its a good use of those funds.

Focusing on these clients at the front end of the criminal justice system, connecting them with the services and treatment they need, will hopefully help eliminate the number of people who are remain stuck in a cycle of poverty and crime, said Deputy District Defender Lindsay Blouin.A Baton Rouge police officer has died from injuries sustained when a pickup truck plowed into his motorcycle during a funeral procession late Friday afternoon  about a year after the same officer was shot in the face while responding to a call in south Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge police posted on their social media accounts that the officer had died shortly before 6 p.m.

He was identified as Cpl. Shane Totty, 31, who had recovered from critical injuries last year after a man experiencing a mental health crisis shot into Totty's police unit. The officer had made a full recovery and had returned to work several months ago.

The accident occurred around 2:40 p.m. in the 6400 block of Jones Creek Road when a pickup truck pulled out of an apartment complex and struck Totty's motorcycle while he was escorting a funeral procession. It's unclear at this point whether the driver will face charges.

Can't see video below? Click here.

The Baton Rouge Union of Police posted on its Facebook page that Totty was going into surgery with critical injuries a little before 4 p.m. He was pronounced dead just hours later.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said in a news conference Friday evening that Totty's death "highlights how our police officers put their lives on the line every day."

"Our officers are mourning today," Paul said. "This is a tragedy for us.  He was a really bright young man. He had a bright future with the police department."

'Such a sad irony'

Totty joined the Baton Rouge Police Department in June 2014 and was assigned to the department's uniform patrol division.

He was severely injured in February 2018 when Eugene Thomas Jr., 34, fired multiple shots into the windshield of his police unit. Thomas first shot at three of his family members and a friend on Thomas H. Delpit Drive and then drove off. When Totty found Thomas in the 900 block of Lettsworth, Thomas turned his gun on the responding officer.

+5 Assailant who shot Baton Rouge officer Sunday used a stolen gun, police say The mentally ill man accused of shooting into a marked police unit Sunday, and severely injuring a Baton Rouge police officer, had used a stol

Totty's colleagues in the department described him then as always smiling, easygoing and never one to complain.

Paul, who took over as chief last January, said the first time he met Totty was when he was hospitalized after the shooting. Paul said he was impressed with the young officer's spirit and his determination to return to the force.

Capt. Don Kelly, who oversaw Totty's squad as Second District commander before his retirement last year, said the tragedy of Totty's death is compounded because the officer had just recovered  with "remarkable inner strength and calmness"  from a near death experience.

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Kelly said Totty had suffered long and extensive complications from his injuries, including complete loss of sight in one of his eyes that lasted for some time. He ultimately regained his vision but never lost his desire to rejoin the force.

Totty returned to work several months after the shooting and immediately requested to be transferred to the department's motorcycle division.

"He loved motorcycles. That was his dream," Kelly said. "He was doing what he loved.  It's such a sad irony after what happened and everything he went through  it's just cruel. It's unbelievable. It's heartbreaking."

Kelly said Totty's fiance had given birth to their baby daughter not long before he was shot. The couple had been engaged for a while and were finally planning a wedding in the months before his death.

"Life was good for him. He had survived this near death experience and everything was positive and going his way," Kelly said. "How tragic that everything could be taken away in the blink of an eye. We're all hurting."

Totty is the second Louisiana law enforcement officer to die in a motorcycle crash during a funeral procession within the past several months. Slidell police officer Jason Seals died in November under similar circumstances.

The last Baton Rouge motorcycle officer killed in the line of duty was Cpl. Chris Metternich who died in 2006 after a drunk driver failed to yield while making a turn on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, according to Advocate reports at the time. Metternich was the department's sixth officer killed on duty while riding a motorcycle.

From the scene

The motorcycle was seen lying on its side in the road next to a black pickup truck with significant damage to its front end. The truck appeared to have been pulling out onto Jones Creek Road when the crash occurred.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said a man and his young child were in the truck, which was pulling out of an apartment complex entrance when it collided with the motorcycle. Both the truck's occupants were uninjured.

Hicks also said on the scene that investigators were questioning the driver and haven't yet determined whether there was any wrongdoing.

"We're very prayerful and hopeful that our brother in BRPD makes a full recovery," she said in the hours after the crash as law enforcement agencies across the region took to social media expressing their concern and praying for Totty's recovery. "But he is in very serious condition."

Bystanders said they saw people trying to administer CPR to the officer before emergency crews had arrived on scene.

Totty was rushed to the hospital and later into surgery. A law enforcement procession lined up outside Our Lady of the Lake hospital later Friday evening and dozens of officers escorted the body.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome released a statement not long after the news of his death, describing him as "one of BRPD's best and brightest young officers who was wholly dedicated to serving the people of Baton Rouge."

"Every day our men and women in blue put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of this great city," she said. "Please keep his family, friends and fellow officers in your prayers during this extremely difficult time."Before Clarence Biggers came to the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1964, multiple girls told their parents that the Marist priest had kissed them, fondled them and exposed himself to them at St. Joseph Catholic School in Marietta, Georgia.

One of their mothers typed up a letter to Marist officials about his abuse. But instead of removing him from ministry, the Marist order transferred the priest to the Diocese of Baton Rouge, where he worked at St. Joseph Church in the tiny town of Paulina in St. James Parish on the east bank of the Mississippi River.

+8 Baton Rouge bishop releases names of 37 clergy accused of abuse, two dozen never known before Bishop Michael Duca on Thursday released the names of 37 Roman Catholic clergymen credibly accused of sexually abusing minors  the first majo

The Diocese of Baton Rouge named 37 clergymen this week who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor, and Biggers was among them. While some of those on the list had previously been targeted by lawsuits and featured in media accounts, 19 of them had never had their misconduct exposed.

Biggers was one of those.

The Diocese reported that Biggers continued to abuse children after he got to Paulina, saying that they received multiple reports in 2000 of abuse that occurred between 1964 and 1967. Dan Borne, a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Diocese, said Friday that they had no records indicating that Biggers sexually abused a minor before he came to Baton Rouge. The Marist order transferred Biggers back to Atlanta in 1967, where he worked at another church parish before he joined a monastery and died in 2009.

Its unclear whether he continued to abuse children upon his return to Atlanta. He was apparently never removed from ministry and retained his title as a priest, though he spent his final years in a monastery.

'Crusading' New Orleans, Lafayette 'priest-cop' named in Baton Rouge sexual abuser list A man once described as a "crusading priest-cop coming to the Cajuns' rescue" now stands accused of sexual abuse from his time as a priest 40 

In 2003, the Marist order apologized and reached a settlement with 10 women who alleged abuse from Biggers, and the group held an informal ceremony in which the order gave $25,000 checks to each of the women. The Rev. Dennis Steik, who was the head of the orders Atlanta province, also presented the women with gold crosses and statues of Jesus, The Associated Press reported at the time.

Another former priest whose name was first publicized Thursday was Nicholas Martrain. Diocesan officials said he was credibly accused in 2002, when an adult alleged abuse from Martrain two decades beforehand at Ascension of Our Lord Church in Donaldsonville.

But Mary Olive Pierson, an attorney representing Martrain, said late Friday that his case was unlike the others that the Diocese reported.

"The important thing here is that I didnt like for Nicholas Martrain to be mixed up in this gigantic disclosure when the allegations about him occurred in 1967, they werent reported until 2002, and he wasnt informed until last Sunday that his name would be in here," Pierson said. "These allegations, by the way, dont have anything to do with males. It has to do with one female.

Nancy Jeansonne, a longtime Catholic in Baton Rouge who held leadership positions in Catholic fundraising and schools, said Friday she was still shocked by the Martrain revelation.

Jeansonne, 62, attended St. Isidore the Farmer Church and school in Baton Rouge growing up and had fond memories of both Martrain and his predecessor in the early 1960s, John Weber. Weber was also credibly accused of abuse in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, church officials said.

Jeansonne described Martrain as gentle-natured and Weber as jolly and personable. She said the Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis has led to a downturn in her church participation, as she used to attend mass every Sunday but now only goes a few times a year.

+3 A victim of Catholic sex abuse steps forward as Baton Rouge bishop releases list of clergy accused of abuse As Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca released the names Thursday of 37 clergy members who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse, a man who s

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Quite frankly, I kind of dont feel the same when I go to church now because of all of this, she said.

Weber died in 2000. Martrain left ministry in 1982 and got married the next year. Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca said when he released the list that the diocese had contacted the former priests who are still alive to tell them that they would be included on it.

The Baton Rouge list also included estimated time frames of when abuse happened. The data suggest that the problems with abusive priests were especially acute in the 1970s. Two deacons ordained in that decade, David Chaloux and Salvadore Butch Moran, were exposed for the first time this week as abusers.

Chaloux and Moran prostrated themselves side by side in 1971 at St. Josephs Cathedral when they became deacons, Advocate archives show. A story published at the time said Chaloux had two sisters in a convent, had worked at a camp in Maryland for developmentally disabled children and also taught at a special education school in New Orleans. Moran was described as a Baton Rouge High School graduate who had attended LSU for two years.

+3 Abuse reported at 31 churches across Baton Rouge Diocese; some churches had more than one abuser The Diocese of Baton Rouge revealed Thursday that Roman Catholic priests and a seminarian have been accused of sexually abusing minors or vuln

The diocese received the first reports of Morans abuse in 1994, and again in 2004. He was removed from ministry in 1994, and said late Friday that he had gotten treatment and turned around his life. In Chalouxs case, the Diocese received its first credible allegation of abuse just five months ago, more than 30 years after Chaloux left the priesthood. He was laicized in 1986 and died in 1990.

Still, the allegation about Chaloux was not the most recent one received by the diocese.

One person told the diocese just seven weeks ago that Claretian priest David Clark abused them between 1964 and 1965 at St. Thomas More Church in Baton Rouge. Clark had been accused of abuse elsewhere before his death, but Thursday marked the first time he was publicly accused of abuse in Baton Rouge.

In the earlier case, two brothers filed a lawsuit in 2003 in which they alleged that Clark sexually abused them in Arizona in 1959 and 1960  before he came to Baton Rouge. The Diocese of Gallup, which encompasses parts of both Arizona and New Mexico, has also included Clark on a list of credibly accused clergy.

Some priests on the Baton Rouge list had been named as abusers by other dioceses, but their connection to abuse in Baton Rouge was established for the first time this week. Dominican priest Daniel Patrick Brady, for example, was included on a list of credibly accused clergy released late last year by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. But at the time, Brady was only listed as having served at St. Anthony of Padua in New Orleans.

+5 Baton Rouge bishop includes more details on alleged sex abusers than New Orleans, but why? It was the third clergy sex-abuse list to be released by a Catholic bishop in Louisiana. And it was by far the most transparent.

Bradys name resurfaced this week on the list from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, which also said he was accused of abuse between 1961 and 1963 at Holy Ghost in Hammond. Brady left Baton Rouge in 1964, and the diocese received the allegation of his abuse in 1994.

Attorney Richard Ducote said Friday that he represented two victims of Bradys abuse. One of them died by suicide, and Ducote specifically remembered that one eulogist recalled at the funeral that the young man was not all bad even though he gave everyone a lot of trouble. Ducote said he stood up and told the church congregation that Brady had molested the young man, which ultimately contributed to his decision to take his own life.

The congregation gave me a standing ovation, Ducote said. It was like the roof opening up and the sun coming in.

Advocate researcher Judy Jumonville and Staff Writer Katie Gagliano contributed to this report.Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commissionPosted Friday, February 1, 2019 7:06 pm

There is no denying the crime, but Rush Limbaughs effort to sweep Roger Stones arrest under the rug is a truly awe-inspiring effort worthy of being entered in American history books: subject  propaganda techniques.

Roger lied so what? Everybody lies  Hillary Clinton lied: she got away with it. Isnt it odd that Mr. Limbaugh and his followers are so quick, shameless and thoughtless to follow the example of those they condemn? Hillary is now the Republican role model. She got away with it, why cant we? Im waiting for Hillary to jump off a bridge. Would Rush and his flock follow suit? Im looking forward to that event, to be sure.

But wait, it gets better, much better.

Mr. Limbaugh makes it clear that Roger Stone committed no crime until he was investigated. Theres a major difference? Crimes committed before being investigated are deserving of prosecution, crimes committed during investigation, are not? Interesting point: Next time I plan on committing a crime Ill make sure Im under investigation first, just to gain Rushs blessings and protection.

Following this train of thought we discover that since there was no crime committed until an investigation commenced, it is the investigators themselves who caused the crime to be committed. The investigators are the ones that should be investigated and charged: They made the crime happen!

And now Rushs last main point hits the nail directly on the head. Its a master stroke. Hes been building up to this one.

The investigation of Stone actually proves that he is innocent. How so? Well, they had no evidence or proof, so they had to investigate and ask questions. I guess Rush and his hoards are so used to the idea that people should just crumble from baseless accusations that theyve completely forgotten about this angle of finding proof and evidence.

This all leads up my final answer to Mr. Limbaughs efforts to gather his flock together.

Extravagant claims of persecution are not foreign to those defending criminals. Trump himself says he is the most persecuted man in American history and Rush follows his lead. He says that he cannot think of a time when such a baseless witch hunt has been conducted on American soil.

Im disappointed and surprised by your deficiencies in this department, Rush.

Bill Clinton was investigated for four years at a cost of close to $80 million. He was urged to do the honorable thing and resign under unfounded accusations to save the country from the devastating experience of an actual legal trial.

When the investigation finally collapsed, the only thing they could charge Bill with was a crime that wasnt even committed until he was under investigation: The crime of lying to a question that was completely irrelevant to the investigation. Sound familiar?

Dennis Shain

CentraliaAda, OK (74820)

Today

Thunderstorms - some locally heavy downpours are possible, especially during the afternoon hours. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 68F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help.Israels Beresheet spacecraft has passed the testing phase and is expected to launch this February. The first privately funded moon mission also marks the beginning of the space era of Israel.

Israels Beresheet Spacecraft

It was last July when Israeli company SpaceIL announced that it plans to send the first privately funded spacecraft to the moon. Just this Wednesday, its looking like the companys goals are right on track after it tweeted that it completed the testing phase successfully at SpaceXs facility in Florida.

The launch is expected to happen this February when it will launch aboard SpaceXs Falcon 9 and split from the rocket once it reaches an altitude of 37,000 miles. From there the spacecraft will commence maneuvers that will take it to the surface of the moon about eight weeks after the launch.

While Beresheet is not expected to return to Earth, the 1,290-pound spacecraft will send back data it will collect with its instruments, and it is also carrying a time capsule for any future moon explorers to discover.

Israels Space Era

Should all go according to plan, Beresheet will not only be the first privately funded spacecraft on a moon mission, but it will also give Israel the title of being the fourth nation to send a spacecraft to the moon, after the United States, Russia, and China. In fact, the spacecrafts name Beresheet actually means in the beginning in Hebrew. The name was voted by the public, and symbolizes the beginning of the space era in Israel.

But apart from making a name for themselves in the space race, SpaceIL also aims to inspire future generations of all ages and sectors to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to see the opportunities that can come to them through STEM education.

SpaceIL is a nonprofit organization that aims to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon, and to further science and technology education in Israel.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.A new study found that fishmongers and fish and chip stores in England are selling endangered shark products by using generic sales terms. The find highlights the role of trade in the declining shark populations.

Fish And Chips

The researchers of a new study tested 117 fish samples from 90 retailers in the UK, 78 of which were battered and fried samples from fish and chip shops while 39 were either frozen or fresh samples from fishmongers. They also had 10 dried shark fins samples from UK wholesalers.

DNA analysis of the products sold by fishmongers and in fish and chip shops revealed that a majority of them are actually meat from endangered sharks but had non-specific labels. Specifically, even if most of them were sold under umbrella labels that are permitted by the EU such as rock salmon, flake, and huss, a majority of them were actually meat from endangered shark species. In fact, 77 of the samples turned out to be spiny dogfish, which is considered critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic.

Furthermore, the shark fins being sold by British retailers were found to be from the threatened scalloped hammerhead shark as well as vulnerable species such as the smalleye hammerhead and the shortfin mako.

Consumer Choice

The results showed that while the products arent exactly mislabeled, they were categorized under umbrella terms and are therefore being sold without giving consumers the specifics of what they are actually buying. In other European countries, specific labeling is required, and researchers surmise that it might be about time for the UK to do the same.

This way, even consumers will actually know what is being presented to them and can make informed decisions on whether to buy it or not.

According to researchers, sharks are particularly in decline because they take a long time to reach sexual maturity and produce fewer young. It doesnt help either that many shark species are being exploited. In the case of the spiny dogfish, for instance, while the EU prohibits catching them because of their vulnerable nature, the United States and Canada allow it and therefore continue to export the catches to the UK.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, which was first published by Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev on Feb. 17, 1869, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The Year Of The Period Table

To mark the occasion, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO has declared 2019 as the Year of the Periodic Table. The organization called the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements as "one of the most significant achievements in science, capturing the essence not only of chemistry but also of physics and biology."

Festivities officially kicked off on Jan. 29, Tuesday, in Paris. Scientists from all over the world gathered at the UNESCO headquarters for lectures, round table discussions, hands-on chemistry demonstrations, and other activities to celebrate the icon of science.

Also on display in Paris is an 1885 wallchart, which is believed to be the earliest surviving example of the classroom periodic table.

The opening ceremonies held this week is only the beginning of the year-long event to commemorate the periodic table and its significance to the scientific community. The UNESCO says that more events, including competitions, will take place around the world throughout the year.

The Birth And Future Of The Periodic Table

While writing a textbook, Mendeleev, a chemist, spotted an elegant pattern in which certain elements exhibited similar traits and that these traits varied with increasing atomic weight. Thus, in 1869, the periodic table was born with the 60 elements known at the time. He called it "An Attempt at a System of Elements, Based on Their Atomic Weight and Chemical Affinity."

The project, which was initially meant to lighten his work, has persisted and became a staple in every chemistry classroom around the world. The Periodic Table of Elements, 150 years later, has grown to 118 elements, many of which are man-made. The most recent additions were confirmed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in December 2015 and were all created inside laboratories.

Michael Gordin, a science historian at Princeton University, said that the Periodic Table of Elements will continue to grow.

"I'm sure somebody will try to create new elements so you could build further rows," he told The Los Angeles Times. "But the question of whether it's worth the investment for the amount of knowledge we get is a question that scientists and politicians would have to answer. It's not my business to decide."

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Big quote: "We think Nvidia generated $1.95 billion in total revenue related to crypto/blockchain," said Royal Bank of Canada Capital Market Analyst Mitch Steves. "This compares to company's statement that it generated around $602 million over the same time period."

Nvidia has been hit hard by the cryptocurrency crash, possibly worse than any other company. In November their stock dropped 19%, in December it plummeted 50%, all because of excess inventory of the Pascal cards they produced to satisfy miners.

Presently their stock is about 50% down than it was only a few months ago, when it peaked at $292.76 during September 2018, so while the stock is holding on and bounced back a bit during January, the steep falls are a strong incentive for Nvidia to mask large fluctuations in revenue.

According to Steves, measuring the hash rate and calculating the volume of Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies mined from April 2017 to July 2018 reveals that roughly $2.75 billion should have been generated in sales. Nvidia should have captured about three-quarters of that, with AMD getting the rest.

AMDs earnings forecast, released last Tuesday, backs up this idea. They expect revenue of $1.25 billion, 24% lower than this time last year. Nvidias forecast was $2.7 billion, but they recently dropped it to $2.2 billion prompting their most recent stock price troubles. Admittedly, it would be surprising to see Nvidia miss revenue expectations for a single quarter by $500 million because of the crypto hangover, when crypto sales only generated $600 million to begin with.

Steves hasnt suggested exactly how Nvidia is masking its revenue, which is something of a linchpin. While they obviously cannot lie to shareholders faces, it might be possible to conceal the revenue by quickly funneling it into other projects or having third parties, such as OEMs, pay for the GPU boards over a longer period.

If Nvidia did conceal their total revenue then that does bode badly for future profits, as the non-crypto market would be substantially smaller than is currently believed. Of course, this is a very bold claim, so entertain it more as an interesting possibility than a likelihood.Posted Friday, February 1, 2019 7:14 pm

More than half of the Twin Transit staff signed a letter of no confidence in general manager Derrick Wojcik-Damers earlier this month, stating a belief that Wojcik-Damers, currently under investigation for work-related complaints filed by employees, is unfit to lead the agency.

A copy of the letter obtained by The Chronicle includes 16 signatures, five of which belong to employees not represented by a union. It begins, We the undersigned have signed this document with the understanding that our signature represents a No Confidence Vote for in (sic) the leadership ability of Derrick Wojcik-Damers.

The first two employees to sign the letter, bus operators Rhonda Symonds and Alison Meyn, spoke to The Chronicle about why they put their names on the document. A third person provided The Chronicle with a copy of the letter, which was sent to the Twin Transit Advisory Board, the cities of Chehalis and Centralia, and Lewis County.

Symonds and Meyn are the first Twin Transit employees to speak on the record about Wojcik-Damers since the advisory board barred him from the building pending the outcome of an investigation being conducted by Katherine Weber of Seattle law firm Inslee Best.

Im hoping it makes people realize what is going on down there, Symonds said. That (Wojcik-Damers) is not doing his job the way it should be done. That we need someone who cares about the people who work there. That people dont like coming into work right now because of the atmosphere he created.

The letter signed by employees was distributed during the second week of January, around the same time managers Aaron Rollins and Steve Wark penned their own lists of concerns regarding Wojcik-Damers. A total of 31 employees work under the supervision of the general manager at Twin Transit.

Those two documents were published on Tuesday by The Chronicle and contained allegations of Wojcik-Damers not following company policy, ignoring input from senior staff and creating a tense, fearful work environment.

Confidence in Wojcik-Damers had been dropping for months prior to January, according to Symonds and Meyn. Symonds has worked at Twin Transit for more than two decades, while Meyn was hired about four years ago.

Feelings of distrust boiled over following negative Chronicle stories about inaccurate information used to promote a failed transit expansion ballot measure, potential violations of state law regarding the use of public funds for campaign purposes and Twin Transit being about six months behind on required filings with the state.

What I think were trying to do with the letter is, basically, make sure its known that Aaron and Steve arent the only ones having these feelings about (Wojcik-Damers), Meyn said. He doesnt have any interaction with the driving staff. He says he has an open-door policy, but nobody goes upstairs because they dont trust him. He doesnt know most of our names.

Wojcik-Damers for the past few weeks has been working in a limited capacity from home as the advisory board reviewed complaints by employees and then contracted with Weber for a formal investigation. She has been a member of the Washington State Bar Association for more than three decades and practices a wide range of employment-related law.

Twin Transit attorney Janean Parker told The Chronicle the cost of the investigation wont be known until it is completed. The Washington State Transit Insurance Pool will cover a portion of the bill. Wojcik-Damers did not respond to a request sent via Parker for comment by press time. Board chair Bobby Jackson emailed a statement affirming the boards support of the investigation.

The board of directors is taking this matter very seriously, and are awaiting the outcome of the formal investigation before making any further comments, Jackson wrote. Once the investigation has been completed and the board has been briefed on the facts, we will determine what actions need to be taken and will comment at that time.

Whether the bulk of the Twin Transit staff will accept the findings of the investigation and subsequent board action is far from certain. While not named in any of the three complaint letters, Symonds and Meyn said employees feel the board has been complicit in allowing working conditions to deteriorate at the transit agency.

Symonds singled out Jackson, also a Lewis County Commissioner, for acting as a rubber stamp for Wojcik-Damers while he served as interim board chair for much of 2018. She said she isnt sure how employees will react if Wojcik-Damers returns as general manager, noting that while there is a no-strike clause in the collective bargaining agreement between the union and Twin Transit, Centralia teachers defied similar language when they went on strike last fall.

(Jackson) is accountable for letting things fester, Symonds said. The board as a whole, too, since they approve contracts and spending, all of that. But it seems like theyve been along for the ride with Bobby. Theyve made it sound like hes just wonderful and everything, so employees dont feel like they can trust the board right now.

Speaking for themselves, Meyn and Symonds said that whatever the outcome of Webers investigation, their biggest hope is that Twin Transit can begin to move past what was a very choppy 2018 and start rebuilding public trust in the agency. For them, that starts from the top down.

(Wojcik-Damers) doesnt know how to treat people, and it gets back to us as drivers being the face of Twin Transit, Meyn said. Were the ones picking riders up at the train station, building relationships for paratransit clients, and we have no clue whats going on. People have questions, and we have no idea whats going on. The financial part of it is really scary, because any penalties or shortfalls could wind up hurting employees, and we have no clue whats going on. Something needs to be done.Tahlequah, OK (74464)

Today

Showers this morning becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. Cooler. High 69F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.A ban on tractor trailers and buses for Interstate 81 from Oswego County to the Canadian border has been lifted, according to a news release from the New York State Department of Transportation.

The ban went into effect on Wednesday at noon ahead of heavy snowfall and cold weather, but conditions on I-81 have improved, according to the Department of Transportation.ALBANY  Holly Northrop was in her ninth-floor apartment overlooking Washington Park in Albany early Friday morning when the building rocked.

"I saw a huge flash and heard the first explosion  it was an enormously loud boom," Northrop said. "When I went to my window I could see the glow of the fire. I wasn't sure what was going on. But it was so loud that I thought it happened in our building. I thought it was the floor below me."

She woke up her wife  "We gotta go right now!"  grabbed the cats and headed for the door. The hallway was filled with weird-smelling smoke.

They joined dozens of people pouring into the streets on the northern edge of Washington Park. Smoke rose into the frigid air from a manhole near the corner of State Street and Henry Johnson Boulevard.

The explosion sent a manhole cover aloft and shattered windows in cars and buildings. Its cause is yet to be determined.

Somehow, no one was hurt.

Dozens of people remained without heat and electricity after an earlier morning manhole explosion shattered windows, forced people to flee their homes and started a fire in one of the buildings on the edge of Albany's Washington Park.

https://t.co/2PqpJR6MFC  Times Union (@timesunion) February 1, 2019

Mischa Sogut said he was watching television around 12:15 a.m. on Friday when the lights started to flicker. "I got up to turn on a lamp when my cable turned off," he said. Sogut heard two explosions. "I thought a car had hit something."

Firefighters arrived to address a fire that had broken out at 1 Henry Johnson Blvd., near where the power supply line comes into the building. Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said the fire was put out quickly.

Firefighters evacuated 1 and 5 Henry Johnson as well as 399 State St., sheltering people in buses sent to the scene by the Capital District Transportation Authority.

"We evacuated the area surrounding (the blast) so we could check for any further fire and noxious gases," Gregory said. "CDTA was phenomenal in assisting the residents."

Hours after the blast, city officials and National Grid technicians were still not sure what precisely caused the explosion. Investigators examined the electric lines that run under the ground.

The power company's underground infrastructure has lots of challenges during the winter, particularly with salt and water seeping in and corroding the infrastructure, said Peter Alternburger, director of Overhead and Underground Infrastructure for National Grid.

National Grid's underground lines are roughly 40-years-old, Alternburger said.

"After time it will fail," he said. "It could happen again."

Over 17 buildings in the area still without power after several manhole explosions broke out last night on Henry Johnson Blvd pic.twitter.com/vWavWOv2yk  Lexi Nahl (@LexiNahlTV) February 1, 2019

A similar situation occurred in Schenectady in the fall, National Grid officials said. There have also been similar blasts around the region  in Albany, Troy and Schenectady  over the years.

Gregory said firefighters believe that an underground transformer may have been the cause. Streets around the blast scene were closed to traffic for hours Friday morning as National Grid employees worked on determining the cause.

Heat and electricity were restored by Friday afternoon.

Both 1 and 5 Henry Johnson sustained damage, and residents of the buildings were being assisted by the American Red Cross, Gregory said.

Residents at 399 State St., a high-rise condominium on Washington Park, were allowed back into their homes after about two hours, Gregory said. Crews had detected levels of carbon monoxide but ventilated the building before anyone was allowed inside, he said.

-- Amanda Fries and Sara Cline, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's page in his 1984 medical school yearbook contains a photo of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood next to different pictures of the governor.

The revelation of the photographs prompted some Republicans to call for his resignation Friday. Northam quickly apologized.

The governor confirmed in a statement that he was in the photo wearing a costume "that is clearly racist and offensive." Northam did not say which costume he was wearing.

"This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians' faith in that commitment," he said.

Republican state Sen. Bryce Reeves said in a statement that Northam should resign if the reports of the photos are accurate.

"I hope that this picture is inaccurate and that the Governor brings clarity to this issue. This has no place in Virginia," Reeves said.

If Northam were to resign, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who is African-American, would assume the governor's office.

For now, Northam's close allies haven't said anything publicly. Democratic Sen. Jennifer McClellan, a well-known African-American lawmaker from Richmond, just shook her head when approached by a reporter seeking comment.

The Virginian-Pilot obtained a copy of the photo Friday from Eastern Virginia Medical School library, which Northam attended. The photo shows two people looking at the camera  one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie and plaid pants; the other in white Klan robes.

The yearbook images were first published by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics. An Associated Press reporter saw the yearbook page and confirmed its authenticity at the medical school.

Northam, a folksy pediatric neurologist who is personal friends with many GOP lawmakers, has recently come under fire from Republicans who have accused him of backing infanticide after he said he supported a bill loosening restrictions on late-term abortions.

Last week, Floridas secretary of state resigned after photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.On the afternoon of Feb. 3, 1949, a man entered Syracuse Police headquarters and asked Detective-Sergeant Arthur Casey for his assistance.

The man was attorney John B. Bradley, a member of the Hornell, N.Y. firm of Shults and Shults. He represented an Englishman who said a very important item that had been leased to him was supposedly missing somewhere in the city. Imagine Caseys surprise when he heard what Bradley was looking for -- Adolf Hitlers custom-built 1943 Mercedes-Benz limousine.

It had gone missing somewhere in the city during the summer of 1948.

The car had been captured by French forces in Berchtesgaden on May 7, 1945, and their commander, General Philippe Leclerc had presented it to Charles de Gaulle. It was toured around France to raise funds for the countrys war orphans. It was such a hit it was decided that the car should tour America.

It was shown in Montreal, Toronto and Detroit before it got to Syracuse.

From July 8 to 11, 1948, it was shown at the Tucker Sales show room at 600 West Genesee St., from 1 p.m. to midnight. A representative of the Victoire French War Relief gave lectures and answered questions.

The headline from the front page of the Feb. 4, 1949 Post-Standard after Hitler's limousine was found in Syracuse.

The car, which the Post-Standard called the bullet-proof vehicle that once carried the worlds most feared man over the streets and highways of Germany, was a one-of-a-kind.

A hardtop, the car was erroneously billed as Hitlers favorite car, though it was well-known that he preferred convertibles.

Inside the car there were three life-like wax figures of Hitler, Hermann Goering and the Fuhrers personal chauffeur.

On the cars last day night in Syracuse, it was decided that it would be put into storage to keep it from being vandalized.

It was towed to Ryan Brothers warehouse at 811 North Alvord Street and hidden away behind crates of refrigerators and washing machines.

Two men told John Ryan to hold car until he received further instructions.

They wanted me to keep it hidden, Ryan said later. I imagine they were afraid that cranks might try to damage the car if they knew where it was.

A receipt was given by Ryan claiming that the car was valued at $38,000 and the wax figures at $12,000, mostly for the Hitler dummy which was thought to be 99 percent perfect.

But then the handlers of the car lost the receipt, couldnt find North Alvord Street and forgot the name of the warehouse.

For seven months Hitlers car sat in Syracuse and no one, except for John Ryan, who, patiently waited for the promised instructions which never came, knew anything about it.

Until John Bradley arrived at the police station.

He had little information to help the police he said, only that the car could be stored in a warehouse with the name of Rhine. Sergeant Casey correctly guessed that Bradley must be talking about Ryan Brothers.

A phone call to John Ryan confirmed that the missing limousine was there.

Casey and Bradley met Ryan there and found the car and wax figures there in perfect condition.

But Ryan was in no hurry to let the car out of his possession.

He would not release it until the $200 bill was paid for storing it and someone arrived and made a proper claim.

I signed a $50,000 receipt, and Im not letting the car out until the right claim is made, he said.

On Feb. 8, the car was closely inspected by Syracuse Police stolen car specialist Acting Detective Fred Fee, who questioned the cars authenticity.

The cars license plates were hand-painted as was the Mercedes-Benz plate on the radiator.

Surely, the head of a powerful nation could do better than painted names and license plates, Fee reasoned.

(Fee also discovered a plate welded to the body beneath the hood which tabbed the car a Daimler Benz, and after declaring he was no expert on foreign cars, said he did not know whether a Daimler is superior or inferior to a Mercedes.)

It hasnt been reported stolen yet so Im not worrying about it, was his only definitive statement.

A few days later, on Feb. 12, 1949, a representative from the French Victoire society arrived with documentation that the car was real and belonged to them. Ryan was paid for the seven months of storage

After the verification, the car continued its carnival-like tour of the United States, just one of several Hitler cars which curious crowds flocked to see across the country.

In the immediate post-war period, the late 40s and early 50s, this car was a tangible, visceral link to the biggest war in our history, author Robert Klara, who wrote a book called The Devils Mercedes, about the Hitler cars, told Smithsonian Magazine in 2017. It allowed visitors to face, if only by proxy, if only symbolically, the man who was responsible for burning a great portion of the world.

CAR SPECS

Adolf Hitlers limousine discovered in Syracuse in 1949 was said to be a one-of-a-kind, custom-built for the Fuhrer.

Like most of the cars used by high-ranking Nazi officials, it was meant to portray an image.

It was designed to be a very strong, powerful, over-large intimidating machine. It was part of the Nazi stagecraft. So, the kind of awe and fear and intimidation that the car inspired in Germany, it was something that you could still experience by looking at it here. Klara said.

Among the cars features:

It had two carburetors which boosted the eight-cylinder engine to 800 horsepower.

It could reach a top speed of 138 miles per hour.

It took six months to build, weighed 5 tons, was 20 feet long and was 6-foot, 5 inches high.

The frame was so well protected, it was said to have been possible to continue after driving over a land mine.

It had air-conditioning.

The armor plating measured from 3/8 to 3/4 of an inch thick and was covered by another 1/2-inch of aluminum. The bulletproof windows were 1 1/2-inches thick.

A hidden 70-gallon gas tank would have made it possible for Hitler to escape to Switzerland from Berlin if necessary.

There were compartments hidden throughout the interior, so Hitler could get his hands on a revolver no matter where he sat.OSWEGO, N.Y. -- An appeals court upheld the murder conviction of a Baldwinsville man who was found guilty of murdering a 17-year-old girl at Brennans Beach in 2014.

Appellate Division, Fourth Department, unanimously affirmed the murder conviction and sentence of Steven Szatanek, 36, on Friday, according to Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes.

Szatanek was found guilty of second-degree murder on Dec. 4, 2015 for intentionally killing Anna-Rose Shove at Brennans Beach. The jury took less than four hours to deliberate after a 10-day trial. He was sentenced on Feb. 10, 2016 to 25 years to life in prison for the teens drowning death.

Shoves body was pulled out of Lake Ontario at Brennan Beach on Aug. 10, 2014. The teen from Ontario, near Rochester, was vacationing at the RV resort in town of Richland with her family.

Szatanek had a prior violent felony conviction for second-degree burglary and was on parole at the time of the murder. According to police and prosecutors, Shove did not know Szatanek prior to the date of her death. The two met on the beach that day, Oakes said.

Throughout the trial and at his sentencing, Szatanek maintained his innocence.

If history has proven anything, juries dont always get it right, Szatanek said at his sentencing. Im sorry for the Shoves familys loss, but I didnt do what they said I did.

Raymond and Patricia Shove, Anna-Roses parents said their daughter was a kind, loving and beautiful person, both inside and out.

For 17 years she brought so much joy to our lives, Patricia Shove wrote in a letter that was read at Szataneks sentencing. There are not any words to describe the pain we felt losing our daughter.

Oswego County First Assistant District Attorney Mark Moody read the letter to the court.

Life in prison is not enough, Patricia Shove wrote.

In affirming the conviction, the Appellate Division found that the evidence presented at trial supported Szataneks conviction. The court specifically referred to Szataneks trial testimony that he disposed of some of the victims belongings, including her purse, offering unlikely explanations for why he had done so. The court also noted that defendant testified at trial about finding a suicide note but never mentioned any such note when he spoke to police, Oakes said.

The Appellate Division also credited the testimony of the Onondaga County medical examiner that the victims injuries were consistent with being held underwater rather than an accidental drowning.

Read the courts full decision

Moody prosecuted the case for the district attorneys office. Szatanek was represented by Attorney Paul Carey.

I hope todays decision provides some measure of solace to Anna-Roses parents, who did not deserve to lose a daughter this way, Oakes said Friday.

The appellate court also upheld Szataneks sentence of 25 years to life. Szatanek is presently being housed at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus.Posted Saturday, February 2, 2019 2:21 pm

Legislation proposed on the last day of January would largely exempt state legislators from the Public Records Act, according to the attorney who led the fight against a similar bill last year.

That bill was passed in a last-minute move after a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled in January 2018 that the legislature was subject to the Public Records Act and had not been in compliance for years. Both sides appealed the decision and litigation is still ongoing.

A public outcry over last years bill led to the intervention of Governor Jay Inslee, who vetoed a hastily passed bill by the Legislature that exempted the body from public disclosure requirements.

Senate Bill 5784, sponsored by Senator Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, explicitly outlines exemptions that would apply to the legislature. The people of our state value both open government and effective government. This bill attempts to strike a balance between those important principles, Pedersen said in introducing the new bill.

The bill is unsatisfactory, according to Michele Earl-Hubbard of Allied Law Group, who represented 10 news organizations, including the Associated Press, the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and the Seattle Times, in the suit against the legislature.

The new bill introduces the term legislative branch which is defined as including the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Legislative Ethics Board, joint committees and any other agency that is subject to the direct control of the Senate or House of Representatives. The legislative branch term is carried throughout the bill, as an addition to state agency, previously used in the bill.

In the court ruling, the legislature was not considered an agency; however, individual legislators offices were considered agencies, making them subject to the Public Records Act.

Earl-Hubbard said she cant see whats left that the public would get to see under the proposed bill. The proposal would distinguish legislators from other elected public officials in that they would not be subject to the same laws, she said. It would also continue to restrict information on misconduct allegations, which she said was at the heart of the media organizations lawsuit.

I was very disappointed when I read the bill, said Earl-Hubbard. This is being hyped as legislators claiming to have heard the message from the public last year.

At least, said Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, theyre putting something on the table so we can start talking about the issues. The bill last year was passed without discussion and on short notice, said Nixon.

Section 111 of the bill outlines specific permanent legislative exemptions that need to be cited in denying a request. These exemptions include:

 Investigative records that are generated before a determination of reasonable cause or dismissal of a complaint before the legislative ethics board or within the legislative branch;

 Memoranda from staff or legislators that contain legal, policy, or fiscal options, analyses, models, or analytical tools;

 Records of internal caucus communications like leadership votes;

 Notes taken by staff or legislators for the use of the person taking the notes;

 Negotiations between legislators or caucuses on bills, records of how a legislator intends to vote either in committee or in a chamber of the legislature;

 Drafts of bills or amendments that were never introduced.

SB 5784 is currently scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 13.The students are using the Minecraft story board to build their simple electronic circuits, Tremblett explained. When it comes to Minecraft, the kids know a thousand times more than I will ever know.

From the minute the students were given their assignments on the first day, they were enthusiastically tackling the project, Tremblett observed. The kids just love it. The students work in pairs, and that is the way it is done in the real world, since it is one of the most effective approaches, he added. Youll find many companies have people working in pairs for software development.

Tremblett has spent a lifetime in technology. He was nearing the end of his last year in college and doing research as a chemistry major when he found that something more than a calculator was needed for complex tasks. Computers were beginning to emerge, and he was intrigued. He taught himself about computers and used them to do research in his major. He became so interested in them they became his new chosen profession.The Wytheville Town Council on Monday set a public hearing for Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. to consider issuing up to $1,386,000 in bonds for capital improvements to the towns sewer system. The council also authorized Town Manager Wayne Strickland to apply for a Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development grant on behalf of the Millwald Theatre.

Regarding the sewer project, the money would be used for improvements in the Echo Valley Road area behind the Edgemont Center. The project will replace a lagoon type of system with a pump station to accept sewer and pump it into the town system for treatment.

Speaking to the Council about the grant for the Millwald Theatre project, council member Mark Bloomfield said the Virginia DHCD is accepting applications for Industrial Revitalization Fund grants. The purpose of the IRF program is to leverage local and private resources to achieve market driven redevelopment of vacant and deteriorated commercial properties.

The maximum level of funding available through the program is $600,000.Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist.Bay of Plenty

If you love working out doors and in a small team then we have the role for you. We are needing someone who has either maintenance...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzBay of Plenty

Ever thought of joining the civil construction industry? if so then this is your chance to get a foot in the door. We are...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzPosted Friday, February 1, 2019 7:02 pm

A Lewis County couple is charged with rape after a child reported a woman held her down while a man raped her.

Johnny O. Roach, 19, a transient and Seirah L. Daniels, 20, of Morton were both charged Friday with second-degree rape of a child. Both are being held in the Lewis County Jail on $100,000 bail.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a girl confided in a family member that she had been raped by Roach sometime at the end of 2017, when she was 12 years old.

Deputies interviewed the family member, the victim and Daniels in separate instances, according to court documents.

The victim said she was with Daniels when Roach  Daniels husband  started to touch her sexually. Daniels seemed to encourage the behavior, she said.

She said both Roach and Daniels held her down while she was raped.

In an interview with deputies, Daniels allegedly said she recalled that Roach had sex with the girl, saying we were playing dirty truth or dare and they had sex, according to court documents.

During a hearing in Lewis County Superior Court Friday afternoon, Judge James Lawler placed both on $100,000 bail  a less severe outcome than the $250,000 bail recommended by Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello.

Additionally, Masiello said both were awaiting sentencing for a residential burglary.

Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for $25,000 bail, saying the allegations were somewhat aged.

Additionally, Lawler imposed a one-year sexual assault protection order to protect the alleged victim.

Both have an arraignment hearing set for Feb. 7.Stay up to date on COVID-19

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Sponsored By: Arvest BankThe prolonged low oil prices are doing major damage to the Russian Navy. Less oil income on top of the damage done by economic sanctions because of the Ukraine invasion, plus the additional production costs caused by the loss of Ukrainian defense industry suppliers has forced Russia to make a number of changes that have not been mentioned in navy press releases. Forced to make major cuts in defense spending and do so in a way that does the least damage ended up hitting naval shipbuilding particularly hard. Only one of these cuts made the news and was because the only aircraft carrier, the Kuznetsov (built in 1990), was undergoing one last refurbishment in a floating drydock. But a shipyard worker accidentally caused the drydock to sink with the Kuznetsov in it. The carrier got out with some damage but the Swedish built (in 1980) drydock was too expensive to replace or even recover. The refurbishment of the Kuznetsov was canceled and while the ship may be optimistically placed in reserve (pending future opportunities to revive it) the navy now lacks any carriers. It may be decades, if ever, before they have an operational carrier. The two Kirov class battlecruisers (completed in 1988 and 1998) are being scrapped because there is no money for maintenance and needed refurbishment on the older ship.

Russia has been trying, since the late 1990s, to build replacements for Cold War era warships. Most of these have reached the end of their useful lives and many of them, while still listed as in service, rarely, if ever, seem to leave port. Russian admirals have been aware of the fact that they won't have much of a navy by the 2020s unless these older ships are replaced. The problem is that the older ships cannot be refurbished or upgraded because that would cost more than buying new ones, These older ships are not just falling apart, but because there was not any money available right after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, there were few repairs and no upgrades during the 1990s.

The twelve destroyers available were all completed in the 1980s and 1990s. There is also one 1960s vintage destroyer in the Black Sea, which is more for show than active service. The destroyers are wearing out quickly and wont be fit for service much longer. The plans for two new classes of destroyers have been put off until the 2020s. The current destroyers suffered from lack of maintenance in the 1990s and there is no money for refurbishment. These dozen destroyers wont last much beyond 2030, at least not as ships that can stay at sea much. There has been some new construction for frigates (ocean-going ships displacing about 4,000 tons) but some of that construction has stopped or been canceled. Construction of smaller ships like corvettes (500-1,000 tons) and patrol boats is continuing but not at a rate to replace all those currently in service. These smaller vessels are mainly for coastal security and the Cold War era fleet had a lot more of these because Russia was a classic police state that enforced strict border controls. That has been loosened up since the Cold War ended and the loss of many older ships will not leave the coasts undefended.

Submarines were one ship type that got priority for new construction even in the 1990s but that has now slowed down. This is critical when it comes to building replacements for the last Cold War class of SSBNs (Nuclear ballistic missile subs) were all completed in the 1980s. These have been quietly retired or semi-retired (only going to sea for training). Priority was put on building eight new Borei class SSBNs. These were delayed and the first one did not enter service until 2013. There are now four in service but construction on the other four has been stopped. Some of these are half built but there is simply no money to finish them now. So the SSBN fleet will probably shrink to four subs for a while, maybe a long while.

The Russian economy revived in the late 1990s and parliament came up with more money after 2000 to build enough surface ships to maintain a respectable fleet. But that revealed another problem. Most of Russia's warship building capability (experience and skills) disappeared after 1991. Before 2014 the government thought it had a solution and that was to make a deal with France to import modern warship building techniques, by purchasing two Mistral amphibious assault ship/helicopter carriers, and the right to build two more in Russian shipyards. During that process, Russian shipbuilders would learn how it's done in the West. Since the late 1990s, most of the Russian construction effort went into finishing a few subs and building some surface ships for export. Even these subs had serious construction problems. Mainly it was quality control and the Navy refused to accept ships, especially subs that could not pass sea trials. Apparently, the shipyards were ordered to put all their efforts into the subs and eventually some of these limped into service. But the deal to import French shipbuilding techniques disappeared when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. France refunded the billion dollars paid for the two Mistrals (and later sold them to Egypt) leaving the Russians on their own.

Now the Russian navy is in desperate shape. The latest example of how this is working out can be seen in the continuing delays getting the new class of 4,500 ton frigates (the Gorshkov class or "Project 22350") into service. Construction on these began in 2006 but by 2010 only one had been launched and it was still only half complete. Two have been completed since then but work on two more has been halted. The navy wanted twenty Gorshkovs to replace the Cold War era Sovremenny class destroyers and Burevestnik class frigates. The government has only promised money for twelve Gorshkovs and has since raised that to fifteen. But so far the first Gorshkov has not passed sea trials. This ship was commissioned in 2017 but could not enter service until it passed the sea trials. So far the Gorshkov has not done so. The latest delay is the failure of the anti-aircraft missile system to function properly. There are also problems with the engines. The builder says all would be ready soon. A second Gorshkov was launched in 2014 and was to be ready for sea trials in 2018. A third Gorshkov is under construction but the launch date is unknown because another side effect of the Ukraine invasion was Ukraine refusing to supply any more naval turbines. Russia said it was having a Russian firm begin construction but that is behind schedule and now it looks like no more Gorshkovs (aside from the first two) will be available for completion until the early 2020s.

The Gorshkov's are armed with a 130mm gun, two Kashtan autocannon systems for missile defense, 8 Yakhont 3M55 or PJ-10 BrahMos anti-ship missiles (both are three ton supersonic missiles, with the BrahMos being an advanced version of Yakhont developed in cooperation with India), a launcher for 24 Uragan 1 (SA-N-12) anti-aircraft missiles (30 kilometers range, 70 kg/154 pound warhead), four 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes, four RPK-9 (SS-N-29) anti-submarine rockets and a helicopter. These ships require a crew of 210 sailors and will have the latest electronics the Russians have available for anti-air and anti-submarine work. These ships cost about $400 million each and will replace larger ships like the 7,900 ton Sovremenny class destroyers. These older, larger, ships, were designed for high seas operations far from Russian shores. The new fleet will be a return to the traditional Russian navy job of defending coastal waters. Even accomplishing that mission is in doubt if Russian cannot get its shipyards up to speed. Russia has been able to build some new corvettes but these are smaller and much less capable ships than the Gorshkovs.

The Gorshkovs are not an isolated example. The same problems have been encountered with the Su-57 stealth fighter, the radical new T-14 tank, the new Borei SSBN and the Bulava ballistic missile for Borei. In general, Russian defense industries continue to have problems developing new technology or even manufacturing older items reliably. The Russian space program is having similar problems with its rockets. The list goes on and on. Russia plays down all these problems but the net result is they have very little locally produced stuff to replace their Cold War designs. Worse, China is now producing improved and more reliable versions of those Cold War era weapons, along with new Western tech (like large, missile armed UAVs) that Russia cannot master. In the late 1980s the Soviet (Russian) Navy was the second largest in the world and largely consisted of new ships, many of them nuclear powered and equipped with a formidable array of weapons. All that is largely gone now. China has left its Cold War era ship designs behind and is copying Western designs. So are the Russians, but not as competently as the Chinese. Nor can the Russians build dozens of new warships a year and have them operate reliably. American intel collecting aircraft, ships and satellites monitor sea trials for new Russian and Chinese ships and note that the Chinese are doing much better. Now the second largest fleet in the world is Chinese and it is looking to be a far more dangerous adversary than the Soviet fleet ever was.The most welcome news for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the past month came from Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Maduro and Putin reaffirmed the relationship between the two countries with more than just words.

More than $5 billion in new oil exploration and production deals were signed when the two met in December which will assist Venezuela in establishing its ambitious (or foolhardy) plan to only sell its oil in its oil-backed cryptocurrency, the Petro.

Maduro has insisted that the Venezuelan state oil company PVDSA will only accept Petro for its oil starting this year. By all accounts the Petro looks like a scam and until he can make good on promises to his benefactors, Russia and China, there is no way they will use it.

But, in theory, the Petro is a fine idea. Is it one that Maduro can pull off? Its a good question. I doubt it.

But if it, or something like it were to succeed, it represents a tectonic shift for the world economy. Not today or tomorrow, mind you, but over time. Why? Because it provides a blueprint for countries which are not on The Davos Crowds Christmas card list to extricate themselves from the IMF/World Bank/SWIFT hamster wheel of currency collapse, debt slavery, economic privation and regime change.

Because cryptocurrencies exist outside of the traditional banking system it allows them to skirt sanctions (which are acts of war) and continue engaging in peaceful commerce on their terms, not those set on Wall St. or K Street.

But that said, theres no real need for the Petro per se. Maduro could simply take Bitcoin.

The other day I wrote an article tying US policy towards Venezuela to Iran, saying Trumps plans for Energy Dominance are what is driving his foreign policy. Venezuela looks like a dry run for whats on tap for Iran later this year or early 2020.

And its John Bolton who is the architect of this horrific policy.

This is the John Bolton blueprint for regime change. Demonize the leader of a country that opposes our imperial rule, cut them off from the rest of the world through sanctions and political/military pressure and wait for the society to collapse. Then back a regime change by a US groomed puppet, in this case the nobody who is Juan Guaido. Sell it all the entire time as a failure of the other guy in charge. For Chavez and Maduro the spectre of Socialism is all it takes, especially now with the Democrats and the media championing our own female Che, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as the bogeyfem. If that fails and it looks like it has then threaten to invade on humanitarian grounds. The only way this works with a US population weary of two straight decades of war is for things to get so bad our intervention makes us look like the savior of a blighted people.

Once you make the big move, like Bolton and Pompeo did earlier this week, you have to get the kill shot quickly or things stabilize against you. I told you this last summer when it was Turkeys lira that was the big story.

And before that it was the Saudis attempt to overthrow the government of Qatar through financial and military blockade.

And in late 2014 it was the collapse in oil prices which was supposed to spark a revolt against Putin in Russia which also failed, despite rumors of an internal coup within the Kremlin suppressed by Putin in March 2015.

Every day past the big news day, the crisis day, that the target of that crisis survives raises the odds of the situation improving as the panic subsides, information is disseminated, markets calmed over and allies respond.

The coming days will be key for Maduro. Because once the US makes its big move if it doesnt get what it wants then it never will. Opposition to our meddling in Caracas will harden, Maduros position will strengthen and things will calm down.

It will be up to Maduro then to get serious about making things right in his country. Again, Im not sure hes capable of it but once the cats out of the bag about how much the West wants him removed from power, the easier it will be to sell the Venezuelans left there that their plight is Washingtons fault, not his.

The only silver lining to all of this is that Trump can then blame Bolton and Pompeo for this sad state of affairs, fire them for incompetence and begin dismantling the policy towards Iran. But, Im probably just engaging in a bit of wishful thinking here.

Over the past two years Venezuelan oil production has collapsed by nearly 30% from over 2.1 million barrels per day to under 1.5 million late last year. Production numbers have recovered slightly and were back above 1.5 million in December.

But the reality is that those lost barrels are the difference between a stable government and one on the brink of collapse. The focus for Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping now should be on getting those numbers back up to 2017 levels quickly and bringing some semblance of normalcy to the situation there.

Collapsing Venezuelas oil production was the USs plan all along. And this is, frankly, heartless treatment of the very Venezuelan people the lesser lights of the Trump administration profess to care so much about. Our policy towards them has been nothing more than a variation on the old adage, the beatings will continue until morale improves.

In this case, substitute removing Maduro from power for morale and regaining access to the global banking system the beatings.

But it is absolutely no different than the rhetoric used by both Pompeo and Bolton over Iran. Remember Pompeos list of 12 demands on Iran last year? This is a clear statement to the Iranian government, Step aside or we will starve your people to death.

Then he followed that up by saying exactly that.

Humans would rather starve to death than be saved by megalomaniacs like Bolton, Pompeo and Trump. Our dignity demands more from us than that. What is the saddest part of this is that the Trump base has been sold this policy as some kind of humanitarian mission to save the Venezuelans from Maduro.

That groundwork has already been laid about Iran.

When the reality is that its the USs needs to starve the world of oil to maintain the petrodollar system that they need to be saved from.Stowe, VT (05672)

Today

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Joe Holleman shared a reposting of website MoneyWise's assessment: "St. Louis picked 'worst place' to retire by financial magazine" (Jan. 30). If I were interested in what an outside source had to say about my city, I might have sought out MoneyWise. They purport a worthy mission: "to create valuable content that helps people make good decisions and get ahead."

Unfortunately, this ranking does nothing of the sort when it prioritizes crime rate. Editors should know that cardiovascular disease, cancer and car accidents kill more people each year than crime in any of the cities slapped with MoneyWises ugly moniker. If human risk of harm is the measure, perhaps they should warn readers to avoid the entire state of Florida, where the rates of mortality from real quality-of-life-killers are rampant. But that might also have to do with Floridas high retiree rate.The purpose of Better Togethers proposal is to improve the regions government, not prop up the city (Don't ask county residents to prop up failing city, Jan. 31). Over the past five years, Better Together has studied how our current government structure is uniformly wasteful and contributes to systematic inequality. To those who have yet to read the report, here is a surprise: All current debt and outstanding liabilities remain with the municipal district in which they were incurred. Yet people are rushing to pass judgment without considering what Better Together has proposed.

When making a decision regarding a current process and an alternative, one of the least helpful justifications for remaining with the status quo is: "We have always done it this way." This is frequently used to shut down the discussion of alternatives without considering their merit.The Trump administration, anxious for some kind of a foreign-policy victory after repeated false starts, is moving toward a dangerous Afghan peace pact that would cede the country back to the very Taliban forces the United States vowed to vanquish in 2001.

What appeared to be an easily winnable war 17 years ago has turned into a quagmire. Taliban forces now control nearly 40 percent of the countryside. So President Donald Trump is correct to question the utility of a continued U.S. troop presence there. He must not ignore the disastrous consequences of a hasty U.S. withdrawal.

Trump has insisted he knows more than his generals. He dismisses his intelligence officials as naive. The stakes are too high for him to insert his ego into Afghanistan as well. Americans must never forget that Afghanistan is where al-Qaida planned the deadliest domestic attack in U.S. history  with the Taliban as its host.There are a few reasons to predict this.

First, it would please Russia, whose space agency chief recently said, in what may or may not have been a joke, that hes trying to verify whether the U.S. ever went to the moon. Even asking the question has obvious propaganda value for the Kremlin.

Bizarre and chilling as it is to type these words about an American president, Trump has a documented history of backing Russias positions over those of U.S. officials on topics ranging from Syria to sanctions to Americas own elections.

Also, its likely to appeal to Trumps base. They love conspiracy theories and hate government; what could be more appealing than a conspiracy theory that tarnishes one of the governments most amazing achievements?

Then theres Trumps own moon-sized ego.

He has said he wants to return America to the moon. Admittedly, that particular phrasing  return  does acknowledge that weve already been there. But since when has Trump let a little thing like what hes said in the past affect what he says in the future?We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.I served 41 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections, including serving as a warden for seven years, director of all Missouri prisons for 18 years, and, finally, director of corrections in the Cabinet of Gov. Jay Nixon from 2009 to 2016. I have met countless prisoners with a story to tell about why they should not be behind bars. In my four decades in corrections in Missouri, I have never made a single recommendation for clemency, until now. Gov. Mike Parson should release Patty Prewitt today.

Patty is serving a life sentence for the murder of her husband in 1984. She is not eligible for parole until 2036. Now 69, Patty has served over 32 years and has consistently maintained her innocence. I am not in a position to know whether Patty actually committed the crime, although there does seem to be a plethora of irregularities in the investigation that led to her arrest and the ensuing prosecution. The governor need not be convinced that Patty is innocent to conclude that ordering her release is the just and merciful action for Patty and her family, and the responsible decision for the people of Missouri. Let me explain.WASHINGTON COUNTY, Mo.  With final puffs of steamy breath coming from its slightly tusked snout, the second boar collapsed at the edge of the trap, right next to the other.

Two fewer targets in Missouris fight against invasive feral hogs.

Felled by well-placed gunshots, together the two formed a hairy black heap of perhaps 400 pounds or more  animals that, before meeting their demise, were destructive outsiders among the surrounding patches of farmland and thick Ozark forests.

But the scene that unfolded last Sunday on Jerry Richards farm in remote Washington County, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis, represents an all-too-elusive payout for the property owners and government officials working to contain the introduced species.

In recent years, feral hogs have been a growing problem in Missouri  causing damage to property and farms, competing with native species, and harboring diseases that could threaten domesticated pigs. But the on-the-ground fight to control them is an unforgiving scramble against their smarts, their prolific ability to multiply, and the people who introduce them to the state.

Its hard enough to simply keep the population at bay, let alone dent it, explains Tom Meister, a wildlife damage biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation and the lead coordinator of hog control efforts across an 18-county area that includes the St. Louis region.

Female hogs, or sows, can have three litters per year and start breeding at just 6 months old. Studies show that you need to kill 80 percent of them just to maintain the population, Meister said.

He believes the hog population in Missouri is higher than ever, with the species largely found south of Interstate 44 and especially prevalent in southeast Missouri. And even though the MDC reports that more than 9,300 feral hogs were killed in the state last year  a more than 40 percent jump from the 6,500 killed in 2017  its difficult to gauge whether control efforts are working to reverse the tide.

Id like to think theres a significant impact, but theres no way to tell for sure, Meister said.

Protecting from disease

The fight is spearheaded by individual landowners who partner with MDC officials and partner agencies, such as a team of about 20 hog-trapping specialists who work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Theyve got trappers that are ganging up on these counties and these hot spots, said Meister, discussing the USDAs involvement.

These feral hogs have so many nasty diseases, he added, rattling off brucellosis, pseudorabies and trichinosis as examples commonly carried by feral swine. If they got to the domestic livestock, itd be huge. And they dont want that to happen, so thats why they got involved.

Although feral hogs are a nuisance throughout the southern U.S., thats not where Missouris population is coming from, Meister says.

Theyre definitely not migrating, he said. Theyre either escapees or purposely released.

Therein lies one of the biggest complications in the battle to control the species: the simultaneous, and perhaps harder-to-wage fight against individuals from whom the problem originates.

Meister explains that some people have deliberately released hogs to sell hunts, while other animals have escaped from private game farms.

He even recalls seeing billboards along I-44 in recent years advertising hog hunts. But even though escapees are likely at the root of the states feral hog problem, theres little that officials can do to prevent that kind of behavior, Meister said.

Basically, you can do what you want on your own private land, he said.

Where officials like Meister and MDCs feral hog strike team can make strides is through trapping  not hunting  sounders, or groups, of the hogs.

The distinction is key.

If you kill one or two, then that may break the sounder up, and then youve got two groups, said Jeromy Boze, an MDC wildlife crew leader and strike team member, explaining why the agency doesnt want to allow or encourage hunting.

Trapping, though, faces its own challenges. Fail to catch a whole group, and even a couple loose hogs can mean a continued problem  plus theyre smart enough to learn from the experience.

Youre hoping to catch the whole sounder. Because they breed like rabbits, Boze said. If you have one escape a trap, Im not sure youd ever get them in the same style trap again.

Drop traps  circular units of metal fencing that, when triggered, fall and surround bait-eating hogs from above  represent the latest method of choice at the MDC.

The thinking goes that the hogs dont see them because they dont have any overhead predators, Meister said. Theyll be looking at the corn (spread on the ground, as bait), not at the trap.

Other traps can be used, such as on-the-ground corral traps with gates that drop like a guillotine.

Laying the traps

On a recent January day, Meister, Boze and a crew of MDC employees set up traps on the property of private landowners affected by hog damage  often in the form of massive divots made by hogs as they root through the ground.

One trap went to Richards, a teacher who farms and raises cattle on 515 acres almost entirely surrounded by the Mark Twain National Forest. With few people and roads around, Meister says its the type of area hogs like, and Richards land has patches of fresh hog damage to prove it.

I discovered that I had a problem in mid-December, said Richards. I knew the problem was coming up this direction.  It was just one of those things that hadnt hit me.

While hog damage can take a toll on pasture land, Richards worries that it could prove costly if it hurts his hay equipment in warmer months.

Its like if someone left mounds of dirt in your yard and youre trying to go through with your mower, Richards said. Then you get big rocks where youre trying to get your cutters through.

The trap on Richards land was set up next to a spot of new, intense damage. On one side near the center of the trap, generous amounts of cracked corn were poured on the ground as bait. Table scraps and even the remains of other hogs can also be used to lure them in. Less bait was sprinkled on the trigger side of the trap, in the hope that an entire sounder would be gorging themselves by the time one of its members bumped the trigger on the less desirable side of the buffet.

Not far away, another trap was set up on Bob Scanlons land, where deep ruts from hogs prevented a large chunk of field from being used for hay production.

We only hayed maybe a third of it this year, said Scanlon, estimating that the loss on that field alone cost him about 40 bales  a total he said, at around $50 each, would amount to a couple thousand dollars.

Patience is key to catching hogs  even in places like Richards farm that appear to be hot with activity. The wait can pay off handsomely, at times.

Meister says theyve caught individual hogs weighing up to 500 pounds. And one time, 24 hogs were caught in a single trap.

He had so many, they ran out of ammo, said Meister, adding that the landowner needed to go borrow ammunition from the neighbors.

On certain occasions, hog control is a job for marksmen in a helicopter. Those aerial hog hunts are carried out in the winter  when there are no leaves on the trees, nor hunters out for deer season.

We will only do that if we know theres a bunch, Meister said.

Acquired taste

What happens to the wild hogs after they are captured is up to the landowners. Though there may be interest in eating them, their lack of fat means its not always the tasty pork-like delicacy that many may envision  especially with bigger, older hogs that get tougher with age.

Though he has eaten plenty of it since, Meister recounts the rude introduction he received to feral hog meat.

Im serious, I had to throw the frying pan away, he says. It was this dry, nasty, gamey meat.

But the state cant eat its way to eradication, especially with control efforts undermined by the promotion of commercial hog hunting.

Meister says the desire to hunt them might have been stoked by television.

For a while, these hog-hunting shows were really popular, said Meister, who thinks they succeeded in glamorizing it and making it look like it was the coolest thing.

Instead, he said, hog hunting has a strong, negative effect on the outdoors  not just for property owners, but for popular game species such as deer and turkeys.

The impact that they have on the other wildlife is so detrimental, Meister said. Although hogs primarily eat acorns, theyre opportunists that will consume just about anything. Theyre eating fawns, theyre eating turkey eggs. Anything on the ground, theyre eating it.

Meister sees improvement in getting the public to buy into the MDCs strategy of targeting hogs through trapping instead of hunting. While it can seem counterintuitive to some, Meister says sentiment is coming around and getting better each year.

Back on Richards farm last week, the two boars were loaded onto the bed of a pickup, destined for a local resident who wanted the meat.

Catching two grown males together is unusual, said Greg Turnbough, a member of the MDC strike team who lives nearby and responded to the scene.

I think this cold snap has just got them out looking for food, he said.

After a few weeks of waiting, Richards was glad to finally have something to show for the trap.

I was hoping to get something, because, my God, they tear a lot of stuff up, he said.

More could be on the way. The trap was reset, with new corn and some pelleted cattle feed joining the bloodstains inside of it  another ingredient that could coax hogs in.

Theyll eat each other, said James Grimm, another strike team member. A little blood might make them want to come back.

Daily updates on the latest news in the St. Louis business community. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.ALTON  It is unquestionably definite, maybe: The St. Louis region is in for six more weeks of winter.

Murray the Groundhog made his annual appearance in downtown Alton on Saturday during a brief sunny spell in an otherwise overcast morning. In front of about 100 delighted onlookers, including a gaggle of area mayors and Illinois state legislators, he saw his shadow.

According to tradition, that means the area will endure a further month and a half of winter.

Or, given Altons reputation as a prime nesting spot for bald eagles, six more weeks of eagle-watching, said Rachael Heaton, rehabilitation manager at TreeHouse Wildlife Center, which houses Murray.

Americas most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, failed to see his shadow Saturday, indicating that western Pennsylvania, at least, will have an early spring.Pay denial for sexual misconduct  Voting 206-216, the House on Jan. 30 defeated a Republican bid to deny the 2.6 percent pay raise in HR 790 (above) to any federal civilian employee disciplined under law for sexual misconduct. A yes vote was to adopt the motion over Democratic protests it was a slander against civil servants.

Pay increase for IRS workers  Voting 243-183, the House on Jan. 30 amended HR 790 (above) to ensure that its pay raise would apply to a category of up to 40 provisional Internal Revenue Service employees who fill certain critical posts for terms of up to four years. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

SENATE

GOP rebuke of troop withdrawals  Voting 68-23, the Senate on Jan. 31 advanced an amendment by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that would rebuke President Trump over his plans to withdraw large numbers of U.S. troops from Syria and possibly Afghanistan as well. Trump said we have defeated ISIS in Syria in announcing the Syrian pullout. Democrats cast nearly all of the votes against the measure, arguing it could be construed by the administration as an authorization to use military force against countries in the Middle East including Iran. The nonbinding amendment was offered to a foreign policy bill (S 1) that remained in debate. A yes vote was to advance the amendment.ST. LOUIS  A former masseur pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of second-degree sodomy in an agreement that calls for 120 days in jail.

Both sides will recommend the "shock time" at the Feb. 8 sentencing hearing for Kamren Holbert, 41, defense lawyer Scott Rosenblum said. Rosenblum declined to comment further.

Charging documents say Holbert touched the genitals of two women during massages at the Four Seasons Spa & Salon in late August of 2016.

Other women have accused him of similar conduct in civil suits against Holbert, the spa and others.

Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.ST. LOUIS  Four inmates who were or are still in the St. Louis Medium Security Institution, better known as the Workhouse, got mixed results in court hearings this week prompted by a federal lawsuit claiming constitutional violations for the citys bail practices.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, says that St. Louis routinely imprisons people on unaffordable money bail, den(ies) them even the most basic procedural protections, and violate(s) their fundamental constitutional right to pretrial liberty and their equal protection right not to be detained because of their poverty.

Before a hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, both sides struck a deal to provide the four inmates another bail hearing in St. Louis Circuit Court, citing a recent Missouri Supreme Court rule change.

One man, Richard Robards, was freed on his own recognizance by Circuit Judge Paula Bryant. Another, Aaron Thurman, was freed with electronic monitoring and other requirements by Judge Michael Noble. Two others had their requests rejected, court records show.Police are called, but surprisingly they are little help: The officer interrupts Kimber: Mr. Wilson said he found the listing on a rental website a week ago and that he rented the house sight unseen. He said you told him you were moving in with your boyfriend and that you would appreciate it if he took care of the yard as well.

The problem is that the mysterious Mr. Wilson also has a lease with Kimbers signature on it.

And when she tries to push her way into her house, she accidentally falls on Wilson, who says to her quietly: I was there. I saw what you did.

This threat deepens the mystery into each persons background.

Benedict researched the possibilities of a stranger squatting in someones home.

It does happen in different ways, usually when somebody has abandoned a property. Because there is a lease with what looks like a legitimate signature, the police are unable to throw Wilson out, she says.

That really complicated things and puts Kimbers sanity into danger, she says. The lease is sort of covering me. Its a very squishy area. The police can ask people to come out but cant force them.The National Executive Committee of the PSD (Social Democratic Party) is set to have a meeting on Sunday at the Parliament Palace, to discuss, among other things, a presentation related to administrative matters and the budget drafts for 2019, and also the preparation of the campaign for the elections to the European Parliament in May this year.

The PSD secretary general, Codrin Stefanescu, also told AGERPRES that they will have some organisatoric matters to discuss at the meeting too.

According to Stefanescu, at the end of the meeting, the PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea, will make a series of "extremely important announcements for the Romania, to the benefit of millions of Romanians."

The CExN meeting will be followed by a meeting of the Social Democratic leadership with the parliamentary groups of the PSD in the Senate and Deputies Chambers.Leader of the PNL (National Liberal Party), Ludovic Orban, on Saturday stated in Cluj that he waited for the UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania), as member of the European People's Party (EPP), to return to a strategy that is adequate to the political family it belongs to.

While attending on Saturday in Cluj the North-West regional meeting of the PNL, Ludovic Orban was asked if he was going to participate in the UDMR Congress to take place in Cluj this month.

"What you could see with your own eyes was that, until today, UDMR voted in favour of very many projects initiated by the government and voted against almost all the motions - simple motions, motions of censure - and other amendments backed by the PNL. We are waiting for the UDMR, as member of the EPP, to return to a political strategy that would be more adequate to the political family it belongs to and to no longer support a government that brings a huge damage to Romania," Orban said.

The PNL leader specified hat "he got no invitation yet" to participate in the UDMR Congress, so that he couldn't say if he was going or not.

As a tradition, all the leaders of the parliamentary parties are invited to the UDMR Congress.

Ludovic Orban participated on Saturday in Cluj-Napoca in the North-West regional meeting of the party, which is the meeting of the representatives of the Liberal branches in Cluj, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Maramures, Satu Mare and Salaj.

At the end of the meeting they adopted the Resolution of the PNL organisations in the North-West Cluj-Napoca region. According to this document, the PNL organisations in the North-Western region asked the PSD-ALDE (Social Democratic Party - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats) government to make it a priority and earmark funds from the budget for building a Regional Emergency Hospital in Cluj, finalize the construction works at the Transylvania Motorway, and to develop a high speed rail connection in the North-Western region. The 10-item list also included projects related to the development of infrastructure.Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (881) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (897) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (851) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (852) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (942) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (582)According to the latest report, Lake James continues to have good water quality but that could be threatened by the trash coming into it, particularly the amount coming from the McDowell side.

Any amount of man-made litter or trash in Lake James or its watershed is too much, given that unlike many other environmental threats, this is one threat that is easily preventable, reads the State of Lake James Watershed Report. Lake James is being overwhelmed with trash, especially on the western (McDowell) side where two thirds of its total water volume enters the lake. This problem is all the more shocking given that Lake James is a headwaters lake and that it drains a mostly rural area.

On Monday, Jan. 14, the Lake James Environmental Association held its annual meeting at Catawba Brewing in Morganton. President Todd Bell said the event had great attendance and the members there heard the latest State of Lake James Watershed report.

Last year, the LJEA embarked on an initiative to put together a State of the Watershed Report to help identify what issues truly are or are not threats at this time and put the findings into a 10-year strategy. LJEA will use this watershed assessment to identify, seek funding for, and execute projects necessary to keep the Lake James Watershed the beautiful and healthy place it is.A man who was selling a deadly mixture of heroin and fentanyl known as gray death in Iredell County was sentenced this month to 12-17 years in prison.

District Attorney Sarah Kirkman said via email that he also received a mandatory $100,000 fine.

Stephen Eugene Carrigan, 49, was found guilty of trafficking opium, conspiracy to traffic opium or heroin, possession with the intent to sell or distribute heroin and selling heroin. He was sentenced Jan. 7 in Iredell County Superior Court by Judge Daniel Kuehnert.

The sheriffs office began investigating Carrigans home in Carrigan trailer park south of Troutman in 2018 when neighbors complained about drug sales from a home, Sheriff Darren Campbell said.

Deputies began surveillance on that home, in the 100 block of Reno Lane, according to a release. During the investigation, undercover deputies bought heroin from the home, officials say.

The heroin was gray, while pure heroin is white or brown, the sheriffs office said. Carrigan told the undercover investigator that it was pure heroin.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Gering Police Department

Dec. 28

In the 1200 block of 17th Street, police responded to a loud music complaint. Walter Green, 56, of Gering, was cited on charges of possession of marijuana less than one ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia.

5:35 a.m.  Gering officers investigated a report of a male looking in windows in the 500 block of Seventh Street. The unknown male left the area and officers did not find anyone matching the description of the male that was given.

8:21 a.m.  Gering officers located a vehicle that was stolen out of Cheyenne in the 400 block of T Street.

Dec. 29

11:14 a.m.  Gering officers investigated a possible underage party in the 700 block of P Street. No arrests or citations were noted in the report.

5:01 p.m.  Officers investigated a shoplifting at Loaf 'N Jug, 2015 10th St. No arrests or citations were noted in the report.

Dec. 31Cutworm numbers have been on the increase in western Nebraska over the past several years, and the damage they can cause to dry edible bean fields has bean growers and others in the industry concerned.

Luckily, it is not too difficult or too expensive to control cutworms. But effective control depends on applying insecticide at the right time. And knowing the right time is a matter of monitoring populations of cutworm moths, which lay the eggs that produce the cutworms.

A hands-on workshop scheduled for early March is designed to train people to identify cutworms from all the other moths, and show how to monitor populations. It is organized by UNL Extension Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw, based at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff.

Bugeye Workshop: Cutworms and Kin will take place on March 11, with one session at 9 a.m. and a repeat session at 2 p.m. It will be in the Bluestem Room of the Panhandle Center. Attendance is limited to 15 people per session, 30 total. Register only at https://go.unl.edu/bugeye

For more information call 308-632-1230.GERING  Fifth-graders at Lincoln concluded their three-week unit on ecosystems Friday with a hands-on activity of creating dioramas.

Student teacher Kelsey Southard helped the students finish their dioramas as they used the hot glue gun to secure the animals to their scenes.

Some of the students had to be creative to incorporate all the plant and animal species into their scene. The students worked in pairs, molding animals out of clay or using plastic animals. Southard provided dirt and rocks for the students to use.

Fifth-grader Lilliana Billie partnered with Quill Norris to make a tundra ecosystem. They used marshmallows, grass and cotton balls to dust the environment with snow.

We learned it has clumps of snow and there are Siberian tigers, said Billie. We learned how animals interact with other animals and how the natural resources affect them.

While working on the diorama, Norris said, My favorite part of the project was we got to interact with other people.SCOTTSBLUFF  A Scottsbluff man has been accused of breaking into his ex-wifes home and police say DNA evidence confirms the man as a suspect in an October 2017 burglary.

Mark Reed, 69, has been charged with burglary, a Class IIA felony; theft, a Class IV felony; and criminal mischief, a Class II misdemeanor.

Scottsbluff Police began their investigation on Oct. 14, 2017, when a woman reported a burglary in the 600 block of East 26th Street. A window had been broken out at the home and police found blood on the window and the front and back doors, according to the arrest affidavit. The woman identified Reed as a suspect in the burglary.

Police also interviewed the womans boyfriend, who told police his pickup tires had been slashed, he was missing pain killers, a watch and a couple hundred dollars in cash. He also told police he suspected Reed in the burglary.

During the investigation, an officer followed up with Reed, observing small cuts on the top of his hands and a large wound on his right hand. The officer also observed dried blood on the mans sweatpants, on the outside of his vehicle and on the center console of the vehicle. Police collected a blood sample.Ogden jazz icon Joe McQueen may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on. One physical reminder of his life, McQueen's lifelong home at 3158 Grant Ave., has now become available for sale. The house received extensive remodeling, but as investor Richard Casperson has said, "Joe's energy is B uying a present for Valentines Day can be more risk than risque.

Whether you have just started dating, decided on no gifts, or are many years into a relationship, it may not feel right to just entirely forget the day of love.

But if you want to dip a toe in Cupid's celebrations rather than submerge yourself, you need something quick, quirky and affordable  and thats where we come in.

We have gathered a list of gifts for the lovely lady in your life that are either silly, thoughtful or a little of both without being too over the top.

And if you want splash out you can never go wrong with a show-stopping Valentine's Day bouquet.

Marmite Valentines Day

You may hate Marmite, but if your partner loves it, then this personalised jar may just be better than a bunch of flowers. Offered with a limited edition design, the jar has a V-day appropriate red colouring with Spread the love this Valentines printed on the front.

5.49 | Marmite | Buy it now

Nutella Mini Pancake Gift Set

Create a very special Valentines Day tradition that begins with breakfast in bed featuring one of the best options, Nutella and pancakes. This set offers everything you need to create the delicious dessert with a mini pan, pancake mix and two jars of Nutella.

7.50 | Argos | Buy it now

The Body Shop Strawberry Hearts Tin

What is better than a heart filled with chocolate? The romantic gesture offering strawberry-flavoured beauty products of course. Treat your loved one to body butter, shower gel and lip butter from The Body Shop in an adorable heart-shaped tin.

10 | The Body Shop | Buy it now

Gift Republic Grow It Sloe Gin Kit

Get those green fingers twitching and those gin glasses at the ready with this kit that offers everything you need to start brewing your own sloe gin from the comfort of your own home. Begin your own distillery with this set that contains a booklet with instructions and top tips.

4 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now

Pretty Useful Tools Credit Card Tool

With the proverb fail to prepare, prepare to fail in mind, this super practical present will ensure your Valentine always has the essentials on hand. The functional comb has multiple uses, including a bottle opener, screwdriver, nail filer, comb, box cutter and perhaps most importantly  an emergency hair band.

10 | Wild & Wolf | Buy it now

Love Beauty And Planet Blooming Radiance Sheet Mask

Infused with handpicked Rose petals and Amazonian Muru Muru Butter, the mask will leave skin actually glowing, while also remaining eco-conscious as it is both biodegradable and vegan. Pair this gift with her favourite cuppa and a powdered croissant or full on fry up. Breakfast in bed with a little pampering is always, always a welcome treat.

3.33 | Boots | Buy it now

Little Moments Photo Book

If you are looking for a truly thoughtful and affordable present, the Little Moments Photo Book may just be the perfect option. The mini photo book can be filled with the pictures from events throughout your relationship to commemorate the day of love.

9.99 | Photobox | Buy it now

Jacobs Creek Le Petit Rose

Pair your Valentine s Day meal with a glass of Le Petit Rose. A crisp Australian dry, fruity and floral flavours combine for a fresh taste that would be the perfect accompaniment to any dish of seafood, pasta or desserts.

8 | Tesco | Buy it now

The Unofficial David Attenborough Activity Book By Nathan Joyce

The David Attenborough activity book is a celebration of our national treasure with everything from fun quizzes, puzzles, and quotes, and facts. There is even the Attenborough Karaoke where the words to The Beatles Let It Be have been altered with a twist in honour of the natural historian. But, our personal favourite has got to be the David Attenborough drinking game.

7.99 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now

Double Dipper with Lollipop

The 2019 version of dib dab, the latest creation from Smith & Sinclair gives the Peach Bellini a modern makeover. Featuring two Prosecco lollipops, a peach gel and a raspberry sherbet with freeze dried raspberries, pair this one with a quirky card or a bottle of fizz and a foot rub.A United States governor has issued an apology and faces calls to resign over a yearbook photo featuring men in racist costumes.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam said he was "deeply sorry" over the picture, but that he planned to serve the remainder of his term.

The picture, which comes from his 1984 medical school yearbook, shows Mr Northam in the photograph which depicts two men, one wearing 'blackface' and the other in full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

The picture caused Mr Northam to lose support from virtually the entire state Democratic party and other key allies.

The calls for Mr Northam to step down came in a wave after the Democrat had apologised for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam said he was 'deeply sorry' over the photo / REUTERS

The yearbook images were first published by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

The Virginian-Pilot later obtained a copy from Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Mr Northam attended.

The photo shows two people looking at the camera - one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie and plaid trousers; the other in a full Ku Klux Klan robe.

In his first apology, issued in a written statement, Mr Northam called the costume he wore "clearly racist and offensive", but he did not say which one he had worn.

He later issued a video statement saying he was "deeply sorry" but was still committed to serving the "remainder of my term".V ladimir Putin has said Russia will abandon a nuclear arms treaty just one day after the US withdrew from it.

The Russian President spoke after Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was pulling the plug on the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty over alleged Russian violations.

Moscow denied any breaches and accused Washington of making false accusations in order to justify its pull out.

Mr Putin has ordered the development of new land-based intermediate-range weapons, said Moscow will only deploy nuclear missiles if Washington does.

The pair met in Finland in July / AP

He said: "The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well.

"We have repeatedly, during a number of years, and constantly raised a question about substantiative talks on the disarmament issue, notably, on all the aspects.

"We see, that in the past few years the partners have not supported our initiatives."

The US suspended its compliance and has given notice that it will leave the 1987 treaty in six months.

The Russian President met with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday / REUTERS

The row over the INF treaty is yet another twist in Russia's worsening relations with the United States and the West.

Chinas government has called on the two countries to preserve the treaty, saying their withdrawal might trigger "adverse consequences."

The INF Treaty was signed by US President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, and bans the development and use of ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500km.S hocking footage has emerged which shows a wave of mining waste sweeping across everything in its path after a dam collapsed in Brazil leaving 110 people dead.

The newly released video of the dam collapse shows the moment the wave of muddy sludge swamped the mine companys canteen and neighbouring buildings in Brumadinho.

In one video obtained by The Associated Press, cars can be seen driving around desperately trying to escape as a gush of mud approaches with dramatic strength.

One week after the deadly collapse of the mining dam in the state of Minas Gerais on January 25, dozens paid homage to the 110 victims killed and the 238 who are still missing.

A ceremony was held at the site of the disaster around 1pm local time, the hour at which the dam breached and unleashed a destructive torrent of reddish-brown mining waste.

Backhoes stopped digging in the mud, and rescuers looking for survivors in the thick mine tailings all looked to the sky as 10 helicopters released flower petals on the iron ore mining complex.

A priest also gave a brief mass in front of a tall pink cross that had been planted in the mud.

"It is totally devastated, it looks like there has been a war," said 23-year-old Edvan Cristi, who lost friends who worked at the mine, which was run and operated by Vale SA.

A spokesman for the Minas Gerais Fire Department said after the ceremony that authorities were not calling off the search for bodies although no one had been found alive since Saturday.

On Friday, operations seemed to enter a new phase as firefighters began excavating the mud with heavy machinery. So far, efforts have been focused on finding bodies closer to the surface.

The mayor of the nearby city of Brumadinho, Avimar de Melo Barcelos, told reporters that his municipality remained deeply disrupted because main roads were still blocked by mud. He said rural residents, who account for about 40 per cent of the municipality, could not reach the city centre.

Aside from the human tragedy, Mr de Melo Barcelos stressed that the city would need financial help as nearly 35 per cent of taxes collected for the municipality come from mining activities.

"We are a mining town. If we lose that 35 per cent of tax collection, we're not going to be able to attend to basic social services," the mayor said, citing costs related to health and education.

The tailings, which contain toxic levels of iron oxide, plastered 252 hectares (623 acres) of Brumadinho and the Paraopeba River.

Vale SA said the residues did not have dangerous levels of metals, but experts argue that the impact on the environment could be irreversible.

Authorities and environmental organizations have begun testing water quality around the mining complex, while state and federal authorities have told residents to refrain from using water directly from the Paraopeba or 100-meters (109 yards) around it.

The Paraopeba River flows into the much larger Sao Francisco River, which could also be contaminated.

Hundreds of municipalities and larger cities such as Petrolina, 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from Brumadinho, get drinking water from the Sao Francisco River.

The wave of mud is currently moving toward the Sao Francisco at about 1 kph (.62 mph), but officials hope the Retiro Baixo hydroelectric dam and plant complex about 300 kilometres (185 miles) from Brumadinho will prevent the mud from contaminating it.

The tailing is expected to reach the Retiro Baixo dam between February 5 and February 10.A boy of 13 has been detained in the US after telling Siri 'I'm going to shoot up a school,' police said.

The boy was held by officers from Valparaiso police department after reportedly making the request to the Apple virtual assistant before posting a screenshot of the interaction online "as a joke."

Police said yesterday he had been detained at a juvenile detention centre on a charge of intimidation.

They said they did not believe the boy's actions amounted to a 'credible threat.'

Police said the boy made no direct threat " to a specific person, school, or school system."

"It has since been discovered the male has no access to weapons," police added.

"These types of communications are taken very seriously by the Valparaiso Police Department and our community.T he Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice as Britain's cold snap continues.

The warning applies to southern parts of England and the east coast.

Britains cold snap is set to continue with Saturday night predicted to be the coldest in almost a decade.

The Met Office has warned that temperatures in the southeast could reach  10C while the mercury in Scotland could drop to as low as -16C.

Forecaster Simon Partridge said that the snow which has been lying on the ground, and has since partially melted, will refreeze as the temperature drops, causing icy conditions.

The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express crosses the Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire / PA

"Tonight is a pretty dry night, dry with a lot of clear spells which means it is going to be a very cold night as well," he said.

"The showers (of sleet, rain and snow) we have got across East Anglia at the moment will drift offshore overnight."

Mr Partridge said there is the potential for the mercury to drop as low as minus 10C in southern England, with a potential of minus 16C in eastern Scotland.

"If that happens it would make it the coldest night since 2010," he said.

Cars and lorries on the M40 near Oxford, in snowy conditions / PA

"But there is cloud coming from the West overnight over Scotland, so if it gets in fast enough it might just stop it getting quite that low."

He said average overnight temperatures in February are around 1-2C for southern England, with Scotland usually hovering around minus 3C.

Animals in the Snow 2019 - In pictures 1 /23 Animals in the Snow 2019 - In pictures Frenchie the French Bulldog chases snowballs in the village of Tintwistle in the High Peak district Getty Images Kiri the Kune Kune pig enjoys the snow at ZSL London Zoo London Zoo Humboldt penguins enjoy the snow at ZSL London Zoo London Zoo Asian short clawed otters at ZSL London Zoo London Zoo Asian short clawed otters at ZSL London Zoo London Zoo Ducks on a frozen near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales PA A Shetland pony grazing in a field near Scalloway on the Shetland Islands after recent snowfall PA A swan sits on frozen Sefton Park Lake in Liverpool PA Red deer graze in the snow on January 30, in Glen Etive, Scotland Getty Images A dog lies in the snow by Mow Cop Folly Reuters A husky dog enjoys a walk on Camp Hill, Woolton PA Sheep grazing in a field near Tingwall on the Shetland Islands after recent snowfall PA A dog enjoys a fresh and frosty morning walk in East London Jeff Moore A red deer grazes in the snow in Glen Etive, Scotland Getty Images Dogs play in the early morning light on Primrose Hill as the sun begins to rise Getty Images A horse stands in the morning sun as a frost covers the ground of Basingstoke Common in Hampshire PA Luke, a five year old yellow Labrador plays in the snow at Moss Farm Leisure Complex in Northwich Reuters Grouse on a wall in a wintry scene at Nenthead in Cumbria PA A red deer grazes in the snow in Glen Etive, Scotland Getty Images Sheep enjoy the snow in the mountains near Killakee, to the south east of Dublin PA A dog enjoys a fresh and frosty morning walk in East London Jeff Moore Luke, a five year old yellow Labrador plays in the snow at Moss Farm Leisure Complex in Northwich Reuters Dogs play in the early morning light on Primrose Hill as the sun begins to rise Getty Images

"We are a good 10C below where we should be in some places," he said of Saturday night's potential temperatures.

The cloud moving in from the West over Scotland during Saturday night into Sunday will usher in rain and some hill snow, Mr Partridge said.

A tractor fitted with a snow plough after a snowbomb hit the UK / Rex Features

"With it, it brings in some milder air so we get a real big temperature contrast tomorrow," he said.

Mr Partridge said 3C is expected in North East Scotland during Sunday, with 10C likely in the South West of England.

"That is the beginning of milder air pushing its way in across the UK next week," he said, stating temperatures will be "nearer normal".

"As a result it will be more unsettled, so windier and wetter weather through the week, so back to our normal winter."

Pedestrians walk through Queen's Square in Bristol after snowfall on Thursday / PA

Thick blankets of snow caused widespread disruption and treacherous conditions across vast swathes of southern Britain on Thursday and Friday.

With 19cm recorded in some parts, motorists were stranded in their vehicles, hundreds of schools were closed, and travellers were hit by long delays and cancelled flights.

The heavy snowfall even caused some trees and branches in Kent to collapse and snap under the weight - cascading into road and over pavements.A n MP has said that claims Japanese car-maker Nissan will abandon plans to build its X-trail model in Sunderland are deeply troubling.

Sky News claims that the company will make the announcement on Monday that it is scrapping plans to build the new SUV in Sunderland.

The announcement will come just 53 days before Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union.

Nissan had voiced concerns about Brexit before finally committing to build the new Qashqai and X-Trail models in its North East factory in October 2016, four months after the EU referendum.

Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, tweeted: "If confirmed, this would represent deeply troubling news for the north east economy.

"So many jobs and livelihoods depend on Nissan's success."

The Japanese company refused to shed light on the situation. A spokesman said: "Nissan does not comment on rumour or speculation."

At the time, the decision to build its next-generation Qashqai and add production of the new X-Trail model at the site had eased concerns about the future of the North East factory after Brexit.

It secured thousands of jobs in the Brexit-backing city, but prompted a volley of questions over whether a so-called "sweetheart deal" between the car-maker and the Government had been struck to protect the manufacturer from any post-Brexit EU tariff wall.

Ministers strongly denied any financial incentives were offered and Chancellor Philip Hammond said any costs arising from the assurances would be small enough to be covered within the Department for Business's existing spending limits.

The Sunderland plant, which has been active since 1986, employs almost 7,000 people, producing around 2,000 cars a day.

Nissan is part-owned by French manufacturer Renault, which had led to concerns that production could be moved to France to avoid any tariffs which might be introduced on exports to the EU if the UK leaves the single market in a hard Brexit.

According to Sky News, Nissan's decision is not expected to have a major impact on jobs.

Other Nissan models built at the Sunderland plant include the Qashqai, Juke, Q30, Note and the zero-emission electric Leaf.

The U-turn comes as figures show car production slumped by almost a tenth last year, leaving the industry on "red alert" amid continued Brexit uncertainty.

A report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said investment had effectively "stalled" amid fears over the UK's future trading prospects with the EU.

Just over 1.5 million cars left UK factories in 2018, a 9.1% decline on the previous year, and the lowest for six years.

Production of diesel cars was down by 22% to 561,000 last year.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the fall in investment was "deeply depressing" and should send a strong signal to politicians to secure a Brexit trade deal.

The reported decision by Nissan comes just weeks after a triple jobs blow in the UK car industry.

Earlier this month American car manufacturer Ford confirmed nearly 400 jobs would be lost at its engine manufacturing plant in Bridgend.

The company said the "voluntary separation programme" at the Welsh factory is needed to cut costs and create a "sustainably profitable business" in Europe.

It followed a similar move by Jaguar Land Rover to reduce its 44,000 workforce by 4,500 under plans to make 2.5 billion of cost savings.

Most of the cuts will be in the UK, with a voluntary programme being launched, and are in addition to 1,500 workers who left the company last year.

Japanese firm Honda also announced six non-production days in April under contingency plans to mitigate the risk of disruption to production at its Swindon factory after the UK leaves the EU.A top London food entrepreneur whose iPad was stolen from his car in east London spent six days live tweeting his detective work as he tracked its every move using GPS technology.

Jonathan Downey, 53, had his bag stolen when his car was broken into last Friday. However, he soon realised he could track his missing iPad and began following its adventures around London.

With the treasure hunt starting at a Shoreditch park bench in St Leonards church, Mr Downey tracked his lost device using Find My iPhone and found it went to Mikkeller for a pint.

The dad-of-four then followed the iPad's movements through pubs, bars and churchyards across London.

He saw it went to a variety of north east London venues, writing on Twitter: After that, it was seen on Hoxton Street (possibly) on the way to Montes for a salt beef bagel.

Mr Downey, CEO of London Union which runs the Street Feast night markets, joked that although he was missing his iPad it was its clearly having a great time with its new owner.

Four days after the iPad was first taken, he wrote: Coming to terms with the fact that my iPad may not have been stolen but has left me for a better life in a more central London location.

The DIY detective work was well underway when Mr Downey nearly caught up with the illegitimate owner at a Ladbrokes and a Tesco either for some fags or something for tea.

Mr Downey tracked his iPad on its travels around London / Jonathan Downey

After a six-day investigation, the 53-year-old deduced the iPad's new owner was either a catering student at Hackney Community College or a homeless person wandering the area.

Providing a case update, Mr Downey wrote: We decided to go out and find the thief. We thought we had him at Tescos. We just missed him by M&S but then lost him north of Finsbury Square."

Always moving, evading capture. Blending in with the night crowd. Too many people at this time of day. I drove home and had a chicken Kiev, he added.

Owner and founder of Match Bar Group, Jonathan Downey

The following morning, after six days of tracking, the iPad was just yards from Mr Downeys office and he quickly hatched a plan to approach its new owner and sound the alarm.

We drove across Hoxton Street and south down Pitfield towards our target. Hed stopped in St Johns churchyard and we sensed that this was our chance," he said.

I parked the car and we ran into the churchyard through the west gate. We circle around the back of the church and slow our approach. THERE HE IS!

Hes alone, standing over a park bench pulling something out of a plastic bag. Hes an older man. Maybe the same age as me but obviously homeless with a collection of plastic bags and a backpack."

Mr Downey told the man I think youve got something of mine and pointed at his bag as his friend Rick pressed a button on Find My iPhone which triggered an alarm on the iPad from inside the bag.

There it was. My iPad was RIGHT THERE in his backpack, Mr Downey, from Dalston, wrote.

Id followed its movements for 6 days and wed finally tracked it down to a backpack on a park bench in a churchyard in Hoxton, he added, saying he thanked the man for looking after it.

Speaking to Standard, Mr Downey said: It was actually quite entertaining for a few days following its movement and wondering where it was going, who it was with and how it was feeling.

It was fun  the last few days Ive kind of missed getting up and wondering where it was. We were lucky it was moving in a loop around our office so we managed to track it down.

I realised maybe after day one or two that the guy who had it didnt realise what he had and he didnt know to turn it off.A merica's most famous groundhog has predicted that an early spring is on the way as Sky celebrated the annual event in its usual style, by showing the eponymous film on loop non-stop.

Members of Punxsutawney Phil's top hat-wearing inner circle revealed their forecast at sunrise on Saturday.

The festivities in Pensylvania have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues.

If not, as was the case this year, spring comes early.

In reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill just outside Punxsutawney. That's about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

A member of Phil's Inner Circle announced: "Faithful followers, there is no shadow of me and a beautiful spring it shall be."

Meanwhile, bosses at Sky decided to celebrate the day by showing the Bill Murray classic non-stop all day.

The groundhog is held aloft after 'predicting' the weather / Alan Freed/Reuters

Viewers shared their delight at seeing the comedy hit being played all day long.

One person wrote online: "The Sky Cinema Comedy Channel is showing Groundhog Day all day. This never fails to tickle me."A n online shop selling winter supplies for Londoners during the freezing cold snap is donating matching items to homeless people in the capital with every purchase.

"StreetWear", launched by social impact startup Unhoused in November, invites people to buy and donate items to the homeless, including warm jumpers, socks, gloves and beanie hats, and allows customers to see who has received their donation.

The website, founded by London couple Varun Bhanot and Anisha Seth, operates on a "buy one, give one" model, meaning for every warm item a Londoner purchases for themselves an equivalent one will be donated to a rough sleeper in the capital.

The organisers then send a photo, video or message to the customer to show them how their money has been spent.

Snug items such as blankets are all available to buy through the shop in addition to donation-only items including sanitary kits, haircuts and mobile phone top-ups.

Mr Bhanot and his fiancee Anisha Seth launched the startup in November / Unhoused

The idea for the website came after Mr Bhanot, who works for tech firm Hubble in Shoreditch, realised that people were hesitant to give money to the homeless directly on the street near his office.

StreetWear aims to bring transparency and feedback to the donation process, while allowing people to donate online, the organisation said.

"If you see someone on the street you might give them 2 but you don't know where that's going," Mr Bhanot, 28, told the Standard. "On here people can see where that money is going."

Since its launch in early November around 1500 orders have been placed via the website - meaning 1500 donations have been made around London.

Varun Bhanot (L) co-founded Unhoused, which distributes warm clothing to homeless people in London / Unhoused

"Whenever someone buys something from the shop we show them where that money goes," Mr Bhanot said. "We've found that's been really popular with people on the site."

The shop operates on a 'buy one, give one' model / Unhoused

And the average value of shopper's baskets has been around 20, Mr Bhanot said, suggesting "people are giving more without even realising it".

Unhoused is partnered with three charities who work with the organisation to distribute items at their walk-in centres. These include the Spitalfields Crypt Trust, Salvation Army UK and Sewa UK.

Mr Bhanot added: "We have basic clothes on offer because we want things that are easy to donate, so some five packs of socks right up to jackets, gloves and undergarments.

"There are a few things that are donate-only such as coffees, haircuts and phone top-ups, which is something homeless people need but don't often realise."

Homeless figures released: More than 4,500 sleeping rough on Englands streets

The organisation is focused on how tech and innovation can tackle the current homelessness crisis. For this project, Mr Bhanot said he and his recent fiancee were inspired to "apply the ASOS model" to charitable donations.

He said: "We thought let's set up ASOS for the homeless in time for winter, so everyone can buy their winter clothes and donate."

Looking forward, Mr Bhanot said he and Ms Seth have a "broader vision" for the startup with possible future innovations including a bank for the homeless.

He said: "With Unhoused we don't just see it as a shop. Being in tech, I'm always seeing innovations. One idea is a digital bank but for the homeless.

"One of the biggest problems is that they are financially excluded from banks because they don't have proof of address."

In a statement, Ms Seth, 28, said: Clothing and supplies that are donated to charity are often used and second-hand, which is absolutely fine. However, this allows an opportunity for brand new, quality clothing or items to be distributed, giving the homeless greater dignity and quality of life. It may even increase their employability.

Bali Bhalla, of Sewa Week UK, said: "We always hear of cool technology businesses in the news, but the problem is that charities tend to be the last to benefit from these innovations. Maybe as we are non-for-profit organisations.A California woman worked as a Walgreens pharmacist for a decade and filled more than 745,000 prescriptions before the state board of pharmacy discovered this week that she did not have a pharmaceutical license.

KPIX-TV in San Franciscos Bay Area reported that Kim Thien Le told the California Board of Pharmacy she attended pharmacy school from Creighton University.

However, records showed she never graduated from that school.

Im just shocked beyond belief that this would happen here at Walgreens, a place that we trust, customer Sandra Cervantez told KPIX. It really makes me suspect of how were checking pharmacists backgrounds.

When board investigators discovered that Le used two pharmacist license numbers of others who had similar names, she reportedly told them, Me and my son would be very grateful if you could just forget about this, according to reports.

The Nebraska university had records referencing her name and date of birth, but nothing that indicated she received an undergraduate or graduate degree.

The entry in their files could simply have been the result of an inquiry by her, and did not necessarily indicate enrollment or matriculation, according to the board complaint, The Mercury News reported.

Le worked at three Bay Area Walgreens pharmacies in San Jose, Milpitas and Fremont, and now all of those locations are at risk of losing their pharmacy licenses, according to reports.

She reportedly worked as a pharmacist-in-charge at two of those locations between 2016 and 2017, and worked as a pharmacist in various capacities between 2006 and 2017.STAMFORD  Superintendent Earl Kim has already decreased his budget proposal for next school year by $930,000.

However, Board of Education members are concerned about the areas from which those cuts are coming.

On Tuesday night, the Board met in a special meeting following their regularly scheduled one to continue their ongoing budget discussions. There, Director of Finance Hugh Murphy pointed out to the board where cuts were made in the $286 million proposal.

Budget reductions were made in consultant dues, staffing contingencies, money for custodians and electricity funds following a consultation with an energy consultant last week, said Chief Fiscal and Operations Support Officer Clarence Zachery.

Money for grounds maintenance was also cut $45,000.

Concerns over Kims proposed maintenance budget were once again expressed. At a previous budget discussion, board chair Andy George pointed out the board got virtually no increase in their maintenance budget despite the burgeoning mold problems that emerged in public school buildings over the last several months due to deferred maintenance.

Ill ask one more time: Are we comfortable with the number in here to include all preventative maintenance not done previously in our schools? Board member Jackie Pioli asked of the maintenance budget, which has gone up less than one percent from this years.

Kims original budget proposal shows $428,000 going toward building upkeep and repairs.

The allocation of funds within our maintenance line is in the ballpark of what we should be allocated for maintenance, Kim replied. Whether its allocated to the right buckets  maintenance supplies, maintenance salaries  is a question.

Kim added the budget is up 10 percent in maintenance supplies. Zachery said the number is trying to keep in line with predicted sustainable growth.

I dont feel comfortable with that, Pioli said. I do go to some of the Mold Task Force meetings. I go to Board of Reps and their education committee and I hear air filters, preventative maintenance. I dont know how many schools need air filters and how many times they need to be changed ... I dont want to end up repairing and then going back.

erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayataJohn Horack, Neil Armstrong Chair and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University

"Moon of Israel" is an epic 1924 film from the golden era of silent movies, and helped launch the directing career of Michael Curtiz, of "Casablanca" fame. Sequels seldom live up to the original. But if Israel's plans to put a robotic lander on the moon in February 2019 can be considered a sequel, this new "Moon of Israel" mission, led by the nonprofit company SpaceIL, will be a blockbuster in its own right.

Lunar landings date back to the 1960s. The United States landed 12 people on six separate occasions as part of the Apollo program, along with robotic spacecraft such as Surveyor, which served as a precursor to human missions. The Soviet Union preformed robotic Luna missions and landed Lunokhod automated rovers in the 1970s. Most recently China landed the Chang'e 4 robotic probe on the back side of the moon. These missions are all amazing technical accomplishments, and marvels of human know-how, sponsored and built by large government space agencies.

China's Yutu 2 rover explores the far side of the moon shortly after its Jan. 2, 2019, touchdown. (Image credit: CNSA)

New moon, new mode of exploration

The moon's next visitor is different. SpaceIL's Beresheet  Hebrew for "In the Beginning"  will become the first privately funded mission to launch from Earth and land on the moon, and the first spacecraft to propel itself over the lunar surface after landing by "hopping" on its rocket engine to a second landing spot. The mission marks yet another milestone, not only in the history and technical arc of space exploration, but also in how humankind goes about space exploration.

SpaceIL was founded in 2011 to compete in the Google Lunar XPrize, a program that planned to award US$30 million to the first privately funded team who could build a spacecraft and land it successfully on the moon. Beyond landing, the spacecraft, or a rover, had to travel a distance of 500 meters or more and beam high-definition imagery of the landing environment to Earth. The Google Lunar XPrize contest deadline ended in 2018 without a winner. Undaunted, SpaceIL forged ahead with the development and construction of the spacecraft, and is now ready to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Beresheet lander is about the size and shape of a family dinner table, roughly 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet high, weighing (on Earth) about 350 pounds. This doesn't include the nearly 1,000 pounds of fuel needed to land the spacecraft on the moon. Carrying instrumentation to measure the magnetic field of the moon, a laser-reflector provided by NASA and a time-capsule of cultural and historical Israeli artifacts, the mission will ride into space as a secondary payload  like a rideshare passenger  aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Going to the moon, without a rocket

The primary cargo on the SpaceX launch is not the SpaceIL lander, but instead a communications satellite for delivery a very high Earth-centered, geostationary orbit approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth's equator. This effectively parks the communications satellite above a fixed point on the Earth, its orbit synchronized precisely with our planet's daily rotation. The Beresheet spacecraft will accompany the primary satellite on its journey. But in order to reach the moon, it needs to travel more than 10 times farther.

In spaceflight, the primary constraint in traveling from place to place is not distance, but the quantity of energy required. The Falcon 9 rocket only carries Beresheet about 10 percent of the total distance to the moon. But it provides nearly 90 percent of the total energy required to get there. Consequently, once lifted from the surface of the Earth, and with a small amount of additional energy from its own propulsion system, Beresheet can boost its own orbit by positioning itself so that it's captured by the moon's gravitational pull. This process will take several weeks.

Once landed on the moon, however, the mission may only last a few more days. The lander is not designed for the long haul, but instead will demonstrate advances in technology as well as the business model for a privately funded spacecraft landing on another body in the solar system. In this sense, Beresheet will create a second and even more memorable "Moon of Israel."

There is no air on the moon  and therefore also no sound. So, like the original 1924 film, this sequel will also be silent. But the participants are not actors, and the view will be in high-definition color. The technical know-how developed by the engineering team, the scientific and technical data from the spacecraft's instruments, learning how spaceflight missions can be executed outside of a government program, and the inspiration provided for an entire generation of young people  especially in Israel and the Middle East region  will all bring valuable insights and inspiration for decades to come.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science.There's a giant void hiding under the Antarctic ice, and it's growing larger and more menacing by the day, a new study using satellite data finds.

The cavity is colossal, about two-thirds the area of Manhattan and nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall. It's growing at the bottom of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, and it's rapidly enabling ice melt above it.

Scientists thought there might be some gaps between Thwaites Glacier and the bedrock below it, where ocean water could flow in and melt the icy glacier above it. But even they found the immensity and speed of the void's growth surprising. [Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth]

For starters, the void is large enough to have once held 15 billion tons (13.6 billion metric tons) of ice, but much of that ice has melted during the past three years, according to NASA.

"We have suspected for years that Thwaites was not tightly attached to the bedrock beneath it," study co-researcher Eric Rignot, a professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, and a principal scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement.

Scientists spotted the concealed void thanks to a new generation of satellites, Rignot noted. These satellites, which are part of NASA's Operation IceBridge, have ice-penetrating radar. The researchers also used data from a constellation of Italian and German spacecraft that are equipped with an SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) instrument that can measure how ground surface has shifted between images.

These tools revealed that the ground had shifted substantially from 1992 to 2017, the scientists found.

"[The size of] a cavity under a glacier plays an important role in melting," study lead researcher Pietro Milillo, a scientist at the Radar Science and Engineering Section at JPL, said in the statement. "As more heat and water get under the glacier, it melts faster."

This graphic shows how the surface height of the Thwaites Glacier grounding line has changed from 2011 to 2017. The sinking areas are shown in red, while the rising areas are in blue. The red mass in the center shows the growing cavity. The mottled area (bottom left) shows extensive iceberg calving. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Thwaites Glacier is about the size of Florida and currently responsible for roughly 4 percent of global sea rise. If the entire glacier melted, the resulting water could raise world ocean levels by more than 2 feet (65 centimeters), the researchers said. Moreover, the glacier acts as a backstop for neighboring glaciers, meaning that it slows the rate at which they lose ice. If those glaciers melted, too, sea levels could increase a whopping 8 feet (2.4 meters), the research team said.

Although Thwaites Glacier is one of the hardest places on Earth to reach, more of its secrets will soon be revealed. This summer, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the British Natural Environmental Research Council are launching the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, a five-year field project that aims to get to the bottom of the glacier's processes and features.

Uneven retreat

Thwaites Glacier, curiously, isn't melting in a uniform way.

"We are discovering different mechanisms of retreat," Milillo said. For instance, the 100-mile-long (160 kilometers) glacier front has different rates of retreat in its grounding line (where the sea ice meets the ocean's bedrock) depending on where you look. [In Images: IceBridge Investigates Antarctica]

The satellites revealed that the enormous void is hiding under the glacier's western side, the one farther away from the West Antarctic Peninsula, the researchers said. In essence, this means that the glacier at this spot is exposed to the ebb and flow of the tide, which causes the ice at the grounding line to retreat and advance across a region that's about 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) long.

However, there's been more retreat than advancement as of late. The glacier has retreated at a steady rate of about 0.4 to 0.5 miles (0.6 to 0.8 km) annually since 1992, the researchers found. This has made the melt rate on this part of the glacier unsettlingly high, the researchers said.

Meanwhile, "on the eastern side of the glacier, the grounding-line retreat proceeds through small channels, maybe a kilometer [0.6 miles] wide, like fingers reaching beneath the glacier to melt it from below," Milillo said. Here, the retreat rate of the ground line has doubled from about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) annually from 1992 to 2011 to 0.8 miles (1.2 km) a year from 2011 to 2017, he said.

Despite this high rate of retreat, melt rates are still higher on the western side, where the void is located.

These findings show the complexity of ice-ocean interactions. Hopefully, the upcoming international collaboration will help researchers piece together the different systems at work under and around the glacier, the researchers said.

"Understanding the details of how the ocean melts away this glacier is essential to project[ing] its impact on sea level rise in the coming decades," Rignot said.

The study was published online yesterday (Jan. 30) in the journal Science Advances.

Originally published on Live Science.Update for Feb. 6: NASA announced today that the Orbital Flight Test of the CST-100 Starliner has been postponed to April to "allow for completion of necessary hardware testing, data verification, remaining NASA and provider reviews, as well as training of flight controllers and mission managers."

WASHINGTON  Boeing is on track to launch its new astronaut taxi to the International Space Station (ISS) next month.

Along with SpaceX, the private spaceflight company was contracted by NASA to begin launching astronauts from U.S. soil again for the first time since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner won't be taking any astronauts along for its first flight to the ISS, however. After docking robotically with the orbiting lab, it will return to Earth for a parachute landing.

If this test flight goes according to plan, Boeing will be ready to launch its first crew of astronauts to the space station in August, Boeing spokesperson Maribeth Davis told Space.com during a presentation of Boeing's future vision for space travel here. [How Boeing's Commercial CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft Works]

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner will launch on its first test flight to the International Space Station in March 2019. (Image credit: Boeing)

The mission, named Orbital Flight Test, will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on an Atlas V rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. It was originally scheduled to launch in August 2018. Following an anomaly during a test of the launch abort engines, Boeing delayed the mission to March. Although the Starliner has not yet flown in space, it has completed successful parachute drop tests within the confines of Earth's atmosphere.

The Starliner will be the second of two new astronaut taxis to debut for its maiden voyage in the coming months. SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently scheduled to lift off on its first uncrewed test flight on Feb. 28, with a crewed flight to follow sometime in June.

Not only will the Starliner and Dragon become the first spacecraft to launch astronauts from U.S. soil in about eight years, but Boeing and SpaceX will also become the first private companies to launch people to the space station. Since the shuttle retired, NASA has been relying on Russia to launch astronauts to the space station using its Soyuz rocket-capsule combo.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.There's gourmet coffee, and then there's coffee roasted by the searing heat of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere from the edge of space.

The latter is the goal of the company Space Roasters, whose plan calls for a special bean-roasting capsule to fall from about 110-125 miles (180-200 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

"We believe the idea of taking a seemingly ordinary Earth-based activity of roasting coffee beans and demonstrating the use of space technology to achieve a better product will stimulate the general population to think outside the box," Coffee Roasters' founders, Anders Cavallini and Hatem Alkhafaji, told Room Magazine. (A copy of the article is available on the Space Roasters website.) "It will also encourage others to realize that space is not just for satellites  but for just about anything the mind can ponder." [To Boldly Brew: Astronaut Uses ISSpresso to Make 1st Cup of Coffee in Space]

The founders told Room that traditional coffee is roasted in a spinning, heated drum, where beans contact the sides of the container and heat unevenly. To get a uniform roast, the beans have to be cooked for longer.

Many manufacturing processes in space can take advantage of microgravity to keep material evenly mixed and avoid the effects at the edges of containers, and Coffee Roasters' plan is to make use of that situation to evenly roast their beans by distributing the heat from re-entry  caused by friction between the fast-moving capsule and particles in Earth's atmosphere  among four gas- and bean-filled chambers.

Space.com asked company representatives by email when exactly the capsule experiences microgravity, since objects experience a slowing drag during re-entry, and got the following response: "We will achieve roasting in microgravity in two stages. First, a suborbital flight to prove the concept and gather data from the roast. Second, with our Space Roasting Capsule (SRC) at orbital speeds, there will be a low angle of re-entry which will minimize accelerations, but still achieving a microgravity environment."

The Space Roasters' design for a capsule to roast coffee beans near the edge of space. (Image credit: Space Roasters)

According to Room Magazine, the capsule could be about 350 cubic feet (10 cubic meters) to encompass the roasters and other components, and weigh about 1,100 lbs. (500 kg) on Earth. By adapting the attachment, it could work with different rockets  though the founders are "in discussion with a handful of providers, including Rocket Lab and Blue Origin," there is no set plan. They added that their goal is to space-roast coffee beans by 2020 and serve them first in Dubai before expanding internationally.

Though the founders don't propose a price for the coffee, Eric Berger in Ars Technica calculates based on the mass and proposed trajectory that with launch costs alone this coffee could cost about $200 per cup. With the cost of design, development and the capsule itself, the per-cup cost after the beans are recovered from land or sea could reach $500.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.Tuesday was the first day of the trial of John Lewis, charged with premeditated murder in the 2017 death of his wife, Carla LewisPlease log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading.Luxury retailer celebrates Chinese New Year

Roxy Jacenko and Oliver Curtis latest business venture, 18Communications, kicked off Chinese New Year in style, hosting a glamour-themed evening with luxury boutique Harrolds. More than 70 guests gathered on Tuesday night to enjoy luxury hand massages from LOccitane En Provence and free-flowing Moet & Chandon Champagne. Chinese fashion influencer Jamie Qianqian Wu, was the VIP guest host.

Roxy alongside party-goers. Credit:Luke Latty

Arriving in a jaw dropping Balenciaga turquoise knit dress, Wu confessed she "stumbled into" becoming a social media star. When I post [to Instagram or Weibo] I always think how will I make my audience inspired, I have so many events to attend, I don't just show up, I have to make a difference or have something to say that is helpful and inspiring to others, she told Social Scene.Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined China's biggest social media platform, WeChat, in time for Lunar New Year - but perhaps more potently, the 2019 election campaign.

In his first post on Friday, Mr Morrison praised the contribution of Chinese immigrants who have settled in Australia over 200 years ago and said he was proud of "the close economic, cultural and political links between Australia and China".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison campaigning in Brisbane this week. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

He said he would be sharing his Spring Festival experiences on WeChat and looked forward to the Year of the Pig.

New followers are told Mr Morrison is the prime minister and Liberal Party leader and will use WeChat to "introduce my work and national policies" to Chinese Australians.Within days, no refugee child will be left on the island of Nauru. That this is a milestone worth marking - or even celebrating - should be a shock and a shame.

These kids and their families had been there more than five years. Two thousand days. It had been so long that many people here in Australia finally seemed to agree enough was enough.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Credit:AAP

Peter Dutton has always proclaimed - rightly - that he didn't put anyone on Nauru or Manus Island: Labor did. He has taken pride in closing detention centres instead of opening them. Now he can boast of getting the last remaining children out.

But those who have spent years urging the government to cease offshore processing and "bring them here" will be reluctant to afford Dutton or Scott Morrison any credit for this belated achievement.The Morrison government is just days away from removing all refugee children from Nauru, ending one of Australia's darkest chapters but shifting attention to the future of hundreds of men still languishing offshore.

The final four children and their families have been approved to fly to America for resettlement, bringing the number of minors left on the island to zero compared to more than 220 just after the Coalition came to power in 2013.

A child's drawing from Nauru, which was included in a major 2014 report into offshore detention. Credit:Australian Human Rights Commission report

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce the milestone on Sunday and launch a new attack on Labor, which plans to use the government's weakened position in Parliament to pass a bill that gives doctors more say in whether to send sick refugees on Nauru and Manus Island to Australia for medical treatment.

"We have got all children Labor put in detention centres out, and we have shut down all the detention centres Labor opened," Mr Morrison said.A former adviser to Malcolm Turnbull who was challenging Tony Abbott in his blue-ribbon Sydney seat of Warringah has pulled out of the contest and thrown her support behind a campaign by world champion athlete Zali Steggall to take down the former prime minister.

In a move designed to maximise the chances of defeating Mr Abbott at the May election, Alice Thompson told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age she would withdraw from the battle and move her campaign to the adjoining northern beaches seat of Mackellar.

"There is no point in undercutting Zali here, I want all my volunteers and supporters in Warringah to get behind her. She's got this," Ms Thompson said.

Alice Thompson with Zali Steggall at Dee Why Beach. Credit:Christopher Pearce

Ms Steggall, a four-time Winter Olympian-turned barrister who last Sunday announced she would attempt to topple the former prime minister, said her rival's decision to pull out and endorse her was "a win for our campaign".Fees at some of Melbourne's most renowned private schools have risen by as much as 5 per cent since last year, with the most expensive tuition fees charged tipping over $40,000.

Xavier College ($29,870) and Haileybury College ($32,580) hiked their fees by 5 per cent while Melbourne Grammar's fees ($34,260) increased by 4 per cent.

Rachael Jakubik with daughters Ella, 14, and Caitlin, 17, who go to Donvale Christian College. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Geelong Grammar prices were the most expensive at $41,260 for the 2019 school year, a 3.4 per cent rise after charging $39,900 a child in 2018.

Overall, an analysis of 15 of the state's private schools found fees rose by an average of 3.6 per cent in 2019 which was slightly below the 4 per cent rise for 2018.The care of Australias young, elderly and disabled is increasingly reliant on migrant workers.

New research has revealed overseas-born employees are providing a growing share of frontline services in childcare, aged and disability care and personal home-based assistance.

Nepalese-born care worker Anup Raj Neupane was drawn to the industry out of a sense of family. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Just over 37 per cent of paid frontline care workers were born overseas in 2016, up from 31 per cent in 2011.

Among personal care assistants, who mostly provide in-home assistance to the elderly and disabled, more than half were born overseas.There are some things you know you should avoid saying to your partner. You should never pass negative comment on their hair. You should never tell them you find their close friend attractive. If you have kids, you should never criticise their parenting in front of said kids.

(I want to state for the record that I love my husband and he endorses my writing of this column).

These things  these opinions  may be discussed with your partner, but you should never just come out and say it. This is because you will probably hurt your partners feelings, and youll probably spend the night on the couch/in the doghouse/mopping up tears. Ill pass.

Then there are some things you feel you should never, ever say to your partner. Not only because it will hurt your partner, but because it will also hurt you. These things are matters of fact, not matters of opinion. Their hair, their friends, their approach to meal times  these are opinions, and opinion is based on perspective. Sure, youre welcome to have your own perspective, but it is your own, which is why, as the owner, you have to be responsible for it.

But what about things that you dont own, something you cant control? What about a fact that is, quite simply, a fact. Facts are not matters of opinion, you do not own them in the same way, so you may be just as affected by their reality as your partner. This is why facts should be handled with extreme caution; facts poorly handled will lead to irrevocable damage.

Take, for example, the fact that time passes. One day you wake up and you see your partner is not what they were. Suddenly, you might see your partner as an old person. They arent new anymore. They arent young. Simply: They arent what they were when you first met and fell in love.

This may be a shocking realisation. But you should not let that shock lead to comments, doubts or expressions of doubt that you might deeply regret.It all began in the kitchen of a Newtown sharehouse.

Nineteen-year-old business studies UTS student and ex-St Patrick's Strathfield boy Andrew Woodhead pulled two bags of cocaine from a drawer on August 3, 2016, and sold them to a man he had recently met, Jim.

The Sun-Herald can now reveal the details of the drug syndicate after Woodhead last week became the last member of the syndicate to be sentenced for his role in the inner west drug supply.

A week after the first cocaine purchase, Woodhead sold Jim $800 worth of MDMA.

The next day, at the nearby Coopers Arms Hotel, Woodhead sold Jim $800 worth of cocaine.Volunteers who restore and operate Sydneys heritage vessels have spoken of a witch-hunt to identify people who have raised concerns about bullying and anti-Muslim social media posts.

The Sydney Heritage Fleet, which operates the tall ship James Craig, has been in turmoil since five directors resigned from its board last year after raising serious concerns about its management and corporate governance.

The Sydney Heritage Fleet, the volunteer organisation that operates the tall ship James Craig, is racked with internal strife. Credit:Kate Geraghty

But tensions flared after The Sydney Morning Herald revealed a number of volunteer members had written letters of complaint to the board about anti-Muslim posts on the Facebook account of general manager Ross Muir.

Mr Muir was also found to have bullied a staff member in 2015, with an internal report recommending the board consider dismissing him.An Argentinian judge will this week consider whether Nicolas Gil Pereg can see the body of the mother he allegedly murdered at his derelict Mendoza property several weeks ago.

Mr Pereg, 36, is charged with the aggravated homicide of his mother, Israeli national Pyrhia Sarusi, and his aunt, Australian academic Professor Lily Pereg.

Gilad Pereg, the son of one of two missing sisters found dead in Mendoza, Argentina, is arrested. Credit:AP

In an exclusive interview with The Sun-Herald, Minister of Justice of Mendoza, Dr Marcelo D'Agostino said that Mr Pereg had tried to mislead police and convince prosecutors he was mentally ill at the time of the alleged crimes.

"He has asked to see his mother's body, and also to see his cats," Dr D'Agostino said yesterday.Dr Jennifer Wood talking about the healthy snacks - Hidden Treasures - that she and her team from the Department of Primary Industries has developed.

Unable to find healthy and convenient school snacks that her own kids wanted to eat, NSW government food scientist Jennifer Wood developed one full of 'hidden treasures" - cleverly disguised vegetables and pulses like chickpeas and lentils.

Following two years of research, the NSW Government has called for tenders from the private sector for exclusive rights to commercialise the snacks developed by Dr Wood and her team of experts in food science and pulses at NSW's Department of Primary Industries in Tamworth.

Australian children are exposed to about three advertisements for junk food every hour, and children are getting up to a third of their daily nutritional needs from packaged snacks, which is contributing to childhood obesity.

"I'm a scientist but I am also a mum and I know how hard it can be to get your kids to eat their vegetables," Dr Wood told a meeting last year. "I struggle to find healthy lunch box snacks that my kids will actually eat. I know I am not alone."Calvary Hospital staff were subjected to inappropriate behaviour toward them by senior ACT Health executives, a review of ACT public health services has found.

The interim report of the independent review, released on Friday, found relations between staff at the Bruce hospital and ACT Health staff were "fraught and strained".

Calvary Hospital staff said they weren't offered the same level of training as their Canberra Hospital counterparts. Credit:Jamila Toderas

"It is clear that the relationship between Calvary Public Hospital, the Health Directorate and Canberra Health Services has deteriorated over the past few years," the report said.

The report identified a lack of coordination between Canberra's two major hospitals in terms of planning and providing clinical services.Canberra apartment owners are being punished for helping drive the ACT's economic growth as the territory government "robs Peter to pay Paul" by increasing rates, according to the leader of the ACT's peak strata body.

Strata Community Association ACT president Chris Miller made those comments after the territory government revealed it had no immediate plans to overhaul its rating system, despite calls from a bipartisan Legislative Assembly committee and affected unit owners to do so.

Strata Community Association ACT president Chris Miller says Canberra apartment owners are being punished for driving the ACT's economic growth as the ACT government ignores calls to overhaul its controversial rating system. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The formula for calculating rates for units in Canberra changed in 2017, moving away from a system in which they were worked out after the land's unimproved value had been divided by the number of apartments on the site. This meant most apartments fell into the lowest tax bracket.

But rates are now calculated by dividing the entire land value by the number of units, pushing most units into the top rating factor.For Kristanna Kley, a student going into year 6 this year at Arawang Primary School, a mobile phone is more than just a communication device and learning tool.

Kristanna, who has type 1 diabetes, uses an app on her phone to monitor her blood-sugar levels throughout the day while she's in class.

Sharon Kley with her daughter Kristanna Kley 11, who uses her mobile phone to check her insulin levels at school for her type 1 diabetes. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Her mother, Sharon Kley, said using a phone to check blood-sugar levels had made it easier to keep track of Kristanna's diabetes at school.

"She's been using it for around a year-and-a-half. Before that it was just constant finger pricking," Ms Kley said.Just above the war memorial, the northside has the best view in town from the top of Mount Ainslie. How many southside destinations can deliver that sort of vantage point while giving the legs just enough of a workout to be a productive excursion and a pleasant walk all at once? The view from the top of Mount Ainslie. Credit:Karleen Minney The capital's critics like to associate the city with politics and the so-called "Canberra bubble", which became so notable in 2018 that the Australian National Dictionary Centre made it the word of the year. Some of the city might be stuck in the bubble, but there's a whole world in Canberra. Really. And you can have that world at your feet if you visit the miniature village of Cockington Green. Up here, you're less likely to find yourself caught in the crossfire of a bitter turf war between Canberra's ever-growing number of outlaw bikie gangs, which are battling for supremacy on the southside. And only the northside can lay claim to the city's finest and most interestingly shaped piece of architecture. That's right, the Belconnen Owl.

The Belconnen Owl has something of a cult following in Canberra. Credit:Graham Tidy SOUTHSIDE - ANDREW BROWN Sure, the north will be getting a light rail... eventually, but the south's escaped the traffic chaos that is Northbourne Avenue and the Russian roulette game of Is-This-Road-Closed-And-Do-I-Need-To-Take-A-Detour-or-Can-I-Turn-Right-Here? Who needs Braddon when you have amazing food southside, like ONA Manuka, without the parking hassles Besides, the south will soon be getting one (give or take a few years) without the Northbourne shambles.

Is it any wonder that when people think of Canberra, those who live here and those interstate, it's things on the southside they think of first, from Parliament House, the galleries and Questacon. Sure, the north might have the uber-trendy food hot spots in Braddon, but there are impossible things, and then there's trying to find a park there on a weekend. I'll happily take Canberra's best kebabs at Yarralumla or smash a Brodburger in Kingston, or any one of the amazing brunch places in Manuka or Barton or Deakin or the Kingston Foreshore, with parking (mostly) aplenty. Questacon is one of southside's biggest drawcards. Credit:Belinda Pratten There are still amazing views to be had southside, too. Forget Mount Ainslie: been there, done that. Head to Red Hill or Mount Taylor for incredible vistas, minus the endless stream of runners/hikers/tourists crowding the good vantage point for the perfect Instagram post and obligatory selfie.She just wanted to do something positive.

When a young woman shared her idea to help keep women safe on the Canberra Notice Board Group Facebook page recently, comments filled with praise came in thick and fast.

She had encouraged women to tell someone they trusted where they were going if they planned to spend time alone with men. If they didn't feel comfortable telling their family or friends, she would be their point of contact.

"I dont care if its 3am or 3pm," the young woman wrote.

"I will stay up to make sure youre okay."The ACT government says it is confident in the ACT Heritage Council's decisions and trusts its integrity in the wake of controversy over the council's decision to reject a proposed bike track primarily intended for children.

The government's public backing of the council comes after Liberal Member for Yerrabi James Milligan wrote to Heritage Minister Mick Gentleman and City Services Minister Chris Steel about the proposal on Wednesday.

A map showing the route of the rejected Hall bike track, after it was revised to avoid three sites where Aboriginal artefacts were found. Credit:Navin Officer Heritage Consultants

Mr Milligan raised questions about the council's decision being made out-of-session and against the advice of representative Aboriginal organisations.

He said the Hall community had campaigned for the bike track for years and that the issue had dragged on too long.Rooftop solar panels that haven't been activated for nearly four years, slippery floors that had to be repainted twice and CCTV cameras that could have captured footage of criminals if only they'd been switched on.

These are just a few of the "litany of disasters" in the construction and renovation of Canberra's fire stations identified by the United Firefighters Union's ACT branch secretary.

The South Tuggeranong Fire Station on the day it opened in March 2015. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The union is pushing for an agreed set of standards for all future construction and renovation at fire stations. The case, part of a safety dispute with the Emergency Services Agency over the renovation of Ainslie Fire Station, is being heard by the Fair Work Commission.

The union and the agency are required to report back to the commission on Wednesday, detailing the progress they have made in developing those standards as part of an agreement reached through conciliation.NSW Institute of Open Adoption Studies director Amy Conley Wright said the ACT system was not in the best interests of the child. She said all the grounds currently for dispensing with consent were about the birth parents' behaviours, like if they'd abandoned, neglected or treated the child badly. "It's not always about denigrating the abilities of the parents, who in many cases are doing the best they can in their own circumstances and who many have past experiences with domestic violence or child abuse," Associate Professor Conley Wright said. "It means you don't have to say, 'It's because this person has been a crap parent', which the legislation in the ACT makes you say." "What's done in New South Wales is that there are provisions that deal with the best interests of the children. For example, there are grounds of dispensing with consent based on the existing relationship or bond with the proposed adoptive parents. "That's putting the child's needs first, over the right to parent a child."

NSW Institute of Open Adoption Studies research showed the assumption that permanent orders were equivalent to adoption for children had not been rigorously tested and wasn't supported by evidence. The institute said research strongly suggested adoption was more beneficial for children than remaining in long-term foster care as it promoted a greater sense of security, stability and belonging. ACT Community Services Directorate director general Mark Collis said permanency arrangements were a fundamental aim of A Step Up for Our Kids, a strategy released in 2015. The strategy outlined six recommendations aimed at improving the situation for children in out of home care in the ACT. Four have been completed, including improving information online. The two recommendations still being worked on are exploring integrated birth certificates, and dispensing with parental consent provisions. "In the ACT the stability of children and young people is critical, however stability should not only be considered in the context of out of home care," Mr Collis said.

He said the ACT's view was that restoring children to their birth parents was a primary focus. "When these options have been exhausted, finding children a safe and loving permanent home with extended family is the priority over every other form of available care. Foster care plays a critical role for those children where appropriate kinship families have been unable to be identified." He said $3.46 million over four years allocated in the 2017-18 budget would fund dedicated new resources aimed at increasing the number of adoptions or enduring parental responsibility orders. Despite the ACT government agreeing that the legislation doesn't reflect best practice when considering adoption, particularly in out of home care circumstances, the process has been slow to change. In December 2018, the discussion paper on dispensing with parental consent was released for public comment, almost two years after the government agreed to explore the provision.

Loading "In the ACT, grounds for dispensing with consent are limited in scope and no longer respond to the complex nature of adoption in the ACT," the discussion paper reads. "In addition, the grounds have not been substantially amended or updated since 1993. By looking at Australian jurisdictions and international practice, the ACT government can consider changes that better cater to out of home care circumstances and balance human rights." The discussion paper states that the court can make adoption orders in respect of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child if they're not able to be placed with kin or others in the Aboriginal community. The government is seeking input from those with lived experiences of the process of dispensing with consent, and to help identify changes to the existing grounds for dispensing with consent "to better reflect contemporary practice and respond to out of home care circumstances".Love them or hate them, the fact remains that credit cards are a necessity for most people.

You can hardly book accommodation, airfares or a rental car without them and they take the worry out of carrying cash when you shop. Still, you still need to be aware of the traps.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for retirees to qualify for a credit card. Credit:AP

A classic is having just one credit card when you are travelling and finding it blocked when the hotel demands you hand it over at check-in, to guarantee any purchases you may make while you are staying there.

Another major problem is supplementary cards.My date and I were the last to arrive. In the sitting room, Clare introduced us to the other guests. The conversation soon settled to discussions about sales figures, sizes of local print runs, amounts paid for the rights of overseas books. I started to wish someone would throw a stone into this conversational pond, but nobody seemed interested in starting ripples. Not being this kind of provocateur myself I sat sipping my white wine, feeling I had very little to contribute. Holding a glass and saying so little meant I had an excellent opportunity to observe Kenneth Cook, who was seated on the other side of the room and who, like me, was mostly silent. The first thing I noticed was how inaccurate my preconceptions had been. Here was no lean, sardonic bushman; no loud-voiced dullard, either. He had curly hair, a beard, shaggy dark eyebrows, green eyes and very even white teeth. A writer from Central Casting, 1960s bohemian division, I decided. He was wearing grey trousers and a meek maroon jumper, but should have been in corduroy trousers and a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches. I mentally composed an "about the author" blurb: Kenneth Cook enjoys red wine and jazz, especially Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. A prolific novelist, he builds and sails wooden yachts in his spare time  But my first impression, again, was immediately contradicted. Though six feet tall and solidly built, he did not look particularly powerful, having narrow shoulders and long, thin arms and legs. Not, I guessed, a man who spent time outdoors building things.

He looked on edge, taking frequent sips from his glass of red wine and puffing avidly on his cigarette. Nobody else in the room was smoking, and I knew Clare disliked it, but guessed that she had relaxed her house rules for him. Altogether, he gave an impression of suppressed energy, of contained restlessness. Indeed, there were a few minutes  while the others were talking about the Frankfurt Book Fair when I wondered whether boredom would overcome politeness and he would actually get up and leave. We moved to the table and Clare served dinner. Kenneth did not offer to help and Clare did not ask him to pour the wine or bring any food from the kitchen, though other guests did. I saw nothing that indicated Clare and Kenneth Cook meant much more to each other than guest and hostess. Over the chicken casserole and green salad, the bookseller asked Ken politely what he was writing. I braced myself for the sort of self-important explanation of My Work I had seen in other writers of his vintage. But no. He said diffidently that he was working on a couple of projects, nothing very big. It was clear that he was not about to say any more, and the conversation drifted back to sales figures and print numbers, and then to Reader's Digest Books. At the time, Reader's Digest was actively looking for Australian novels for its Condensed Books series. Like other Australian editors at the time I was somewhat snobbish about them, not least because its editorial policy was often to rewrite, shorten and homogenise Australian books. I learned that Kenneth Cook's novel ,Tuna, about an impoverished South Australian fisherman and his attempts to land the biggest fish of his life, had been published by Condensed Books to some acclaim. I had been drinking white wine for a while by now, and was becoming irritated by the enormous respect that publication by Reader's Digest seemed to attract from the other guests. It was, then, with perhaps a small touch of aggression that I asked Kenneth, "So what did the Digest call your novel when they'd finished with it? Sardine?"

There was a small silence. Nobody laughed  except Kenneth. "Nope," he told me. "They did it just as it was." "Right," I said. "Must be a good story." "Oh, it is," Kenneth assured me, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'll get you a copy." The conversation moved on, but he kept glancing at me speculatively. One evening a couple of weeks later I was at home in my apartment when my phone rang. "This is Kenneth Cook," said a deep, cultivated voice. "I'm in the pub just around the corner from your place. Come and have a drink with me." No "Hello, how are you" or "Are you free"  And how the hell did he get my number, anyway? Let alone know where I lived?

When I asked him, he chuckled. "I have my methods," he said. "Well, what about it?" "Sorry," I said. "I'm on a deadline." I wasn't, but I'd been caught by surprise. My reply did not faze him in the least, and he said he would call again. A few days later he did, and I said no, this time with some indignation: who did this bloke think he was, asking me out when he was practically married to someone else  and to a colleague at whose house I had met him? He rang yet again, and again, and I kept saying no. "Well, when can you come out with me then?" he asked tersely. "Tomorrow? Tuesday? Thursday week? Next Pancake Day  oh no, you'll probably have to wash your hair that evening " He didn't seem seriously annoyed at any time, and neither was I. There was no animosity in our conversations,which on the whole felt like a kind of friendly game, perhaps a circling around each other. This was probably why I felt a stab of regret when he stopped ringing me, though I knew how completely illogical this was. A couple of months later, I heard that he and Clare were no longer engaged; nobody, including me, thought that this was the most surprising news they had ever heard. Clare had called a halt to the arrangement because she said she couldn't stand living on the edge.

One afternoon in February 1986, the phone rang. I picked up, to find myself speaking to Margaret Gee, a small independent publisher. She explained that she needed an editor for a book of humorous bush stories. My first impulse was to say no. Bush yarns, especially the broadly Australian, I have always found pointless and tedious. While I was forming a refusal in my mind, Margaret added, "The book is called The Killer Koala, and the stories are written by Kenneth Cook  have you heard of him?" "Oh yes," I said. "Well, would you like to edit them? I don't think they need much work." That's what they all say, I thought. But even so  "Sure," I said. Not long afterwards, the phone rang again. On the other end were the rich modulated tones I recognised and remembered instantly. "Ms Kent," he said, being very careful about the pronunciation of "Ms", "what I am about to say is very important to me. I am not used to being edited. My characters do not exclaim, they do not snort, wince in speech, respond, or chuckle or gibber. I don't want you to change 'he said' or 'she said' to any of these things. Is that clear?"The reason these products are hard to find lies in the murky world of multinational commerce. As you know, male condoms can be found in supermarkets. The companies who manufacture them are very wealthy. They invest heavily in package design, and a range of styles  extra strong, super thin, flavoured, ribbed, and even glow-in-the-dark. Picking some up on the way to a date is a no-brainer.

Your question draws attention to a scandalous situation that impacts on women's sexual health. The female condom has been available for years, and we used to sell both the Femidom and Glyde flavoured dental dams (for use in oral sex), when I ran the shop Bliss for Women.

A: The female condom is a pouch made of polyurethane or latex that fits into the vagina as a barrier method of contraception and safer sex protection. An internal ring fits over the cervix, and an external ring fits over the labia. Used correctly, it is as effective as the male condom, and, used in conjunction with a good quality personal lubricant, does not compromise a man's pleasure.

Q: Male condoms have been available for decades. Now, there is a female condom, but it is hard to find places that sell it. I've never seen them in pharmacies. Would you explain their advantages, and disadvantages, and why they are not readily available, please? I know that they are expensive.

Female condoms, and dental dams, are made by smaller, independent companies with limited budgets for marketing and development. The smaller scale of these companies also results in their products being expensive. The big-name condom companies do not make female condoms or dams. Their priority is not community health; it is protecting their market share. Many retail chains are pressured to sign exclusivity contracts, so selling other sexual health products could result in a penalty.

I knew an independent supplier of a natural lubricant for women who struggled for years to find outlets willing to stock the product, even though it was endorsed by the Anti Cancer Council. Where it was sold, her point of sale and marketing materials were regularly sabotaged by sales reps from the multinationals. One of the current wholesalers of female condoms and dams told me they mainly supply sex shops, and brothels, neither of which are congenial to female customers.

At a sexology conference last October a paper was delivered about sexually transmitted diseases and methods of protection. I asked if clingwrap could be used as a barrier during oral sex and was told, in no uncertain terms, that it is not safe because it is porous, but, in the same session, it was agreed that nobody really knew where the public could purchase dams. The AIDS Council will readily hand out free male condoms, but not female condoms and dental dams.

No contraceptive, or safer-sex device, is 100 per cent effective, and failures are often associated with misuse and human error. Research has shown that the female condom is most reliable when the wearer becomes used to fitting it. It is a little more fiddly to fit than a male condom, but it does have some advantages.

It can be inserted before sex play begins, avoiding the awkward interruption of accessing a condom at the heights of passion. This is particularly useful for men who have trouble maintaining an erection. It can also be left in after ejaculation, which allows the couple to stay in the pleasure zone. Also, accidents can happen when a distracted man fails to handle the condom properly when withdrawing.I remember my grandmother as a formidable figure, an acid-tongued force of nature whose abiding motto was, "I tell the truth even if it hurts."

And it did hurt. Often.

I was appalled, outraged. I was nowhere near as blunt or as fiery as her. Credit:Stocksy

As a teenager, I would slink off to my room every time she visited, even though it didn't stop her from banging on my door and giving me a job to do.

She was my father's mother and had been christened Theresa, but insisted everyone call her Terry. She got her ears pierced when she was in her 80s, and when the doctor suggested he numb her lobes beforehand, she told him not to be stupid.Getting stung by a bluebottle is an Australian rite of passage, but conventional wisdom around treatment may have been - up until now - all wrong.

Forget ice packs or vinegar, the most effective way to manage the pain is simple: hot water.

If you are going to the beach in the summer, take an extra bottle of water and let it heat up in the sun or sand; then you are always ready, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Sydney Angela Webster said.

There is a common misconception that cold water or ice can alleviate bluebottle stings, but they can speed up the protein in the venom, making the pain more intense, said Professor Webster.There is increasing discourse that [freezing your eggs] gives women choice, says Dr Karin Hammarberg, a senior research officer at the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA). Loading Its often launched as an insurance policy, but in reality its nothing like insurance, because it might not pay out. Medical Director Monash IVF Group Professor Luk Rombauts says he sees many women in their early 30s who come to him in a panic after receiving low AMH test results, which he says are not often accurate and can lead to disease mongering. Being in a panic is not good state of mind to be in to have a constructive discussion about your fertility, he says.

Melbourne IVF specialist Dr Kate Stern. Credit:Eddie Jim He says that the perception that women put off having children for their careers is often misleading, and that women just cant find a partner willing enough to have a family with them, a conclusion supported by several studies, including a 2017 study (led by Dr Hammarberg) that surveyed 95 women who had frozen their eggs at Melbourne IVF between 1999 and 2014). When you're young and in a position to have a baby, have the baby, thats always the safest way. I make it very clear that no matter how many eggs you have, it's never a guarantee, Prof Rombauts says. As for success rate? Its usually irrelevant. You have to look at each woman's individual situation.

He says its always best to rely on your age. When you're young and in a position to have a baby, have the baby  thats always the safest way, he says. Sociological shift Melbourne IVF specialist Dr Kate Stern says we need a sociological shift in the way we present the narrative of women who undergo elective egg freezing. Despite the evidence clearly showing women choose to freeze their eggs because they don't have a parter, Dr Stern says the media continues to portray women who choose to freeze their eggs as putting their career

ahead of family. "Less than 23 per cent of women are doing it, or have delayed being pregnant, for career aspirations," she said. "Presenting the issue along those lines does a lot of harm". She says companies that offer egg freezing (Google, Apple and Facebook are just a few of the big ones) may not be doing their female employees any favours. "Some people say it's coercion and others say it's looking after employee reproductive health and wellbeing. And while there is a push in the workplace to look after your employees, encouraging them to delay having children should not be part of that." 'You have to look at each woman's individual situation', says Monash IVF's Professor Luk Rombauts of potential success rates.

Like Drs Rombaut and Hammarberg, she believes that women, men and workplaces should do all they can to help women conceive in the healthiest timeframe. "Women should be encouraged to maximise their opportunity to have a baby in the healthy reproductive window, in addition to considering options to optimise their fertility later on." Illustration Matt Golding Credit: Ms Meyers started her journey with getting the AMH, or egg timer test  a blood test used to determine how many eggs you have left  which doctors say is not an accurate indicator of fertility. After receiving a low reading  the GP really freaked me out, says Ms Meyers. She sought advice from a fertility expert, who recommended a re-test after three months being off the pill, which she said can skew the reading.

Ms Meyers will soon undergo the test again, followed by two rounds of IVF treatment, from which she is expected to harvest 12 eggs. One of these, she was told, might work. Clare Verrall, 35, has just begun the process of freezing her eggs. A split from her boyfriend five years ago and a random street attack has made her reluctant to re-enter the dating scene, so she's looking for back-up. "I initially looked at freezing my eggs when I split with my ex five years ago, but it was just too expensive," she says. Clare Verrall is undergoing egg freezing. at the age of 35 . Credit:Scott McNaughton "But then I came across Dr Lynn Burmeister through a friend who conceived after going to her, and saw that her prices were a fraction of the cost of other clinics and that she also offered a payment plan".

Ms Verrall says the cheaper rates, which cost as little at $2500 per cycle, mean that "younger women can get control of their fertility" and not just settle for the man they're with at the time. Loading "I've seen this among friends: you hit 30, and you start thinking about your fertility. And then you panic and stay with the guy you're with, even though he may not be the right person, just so you can have a family". Ms Verrall is now taking vitamins and supplements to ready herself for the treatment, and is having her first ultrasound next week, followed by mandatory counselling. She is documenting her journey on Instagram. "I really want to be totally open with people about the good, bad and the ugly," she says. "I wish I did this at 30".

The process: what to expect Egg-freezing is essentially the same as IVF, except instead of the egg being fertilised with sperm, it is frozen in liquid nitrogen for up to 10 years (a limit imposed by the government). Loading Typically, a woman will need a few cycles to get as many eggs as possible to maximise her chance of success, with Dr Hammarberg recommending up to 20 eggs. According to Monash IVF, an IVF cycle is one round of IVF treatment starting with the first day of your period. This is also when youll start taking fertility-enhancement drugs, usually in the form of injections, which can vary from 1-2 for the cycle, or 1-2 per day, for up to two weeks. Eggs are retrieved and frozen until such time as they are thawed and fertilised in the hope of creating a viable embryo.

The problem here, explains Dr Hammarberg, is that in each of the steps, there is potential for some loss. The woman may not respond to the fertility drugs, not enough good quality eggs may be recovered; not every egg will survive the thawing process and the eggs you have left are not all going to fertilise, she says. The process is also arduous and hard on the body. Ms Meyers, who is aiming to undergo the first cycle at the end of the year, says she is apprehensive of the fertility injections she will have to perform on herself. To be honest, the whole process is scary: giving myself the shots, I dont know if I can stomach doing that. I also worry that the excess hormones will have an effect, she says. Success rates

Many women are sold the idea that egg freezing is a viable insurance policy  and the way clinics display success rates has a lot to do with this myth. A 2016 review of IVF clinics in Australia by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions (ACC) found that many were misleading in the way they presented peoples chances of having a baby. The clinics also made success-rate comparisons without adequate disclosure about, or qualifications, of the data or graphics used to make the claim, and used technical terms only understood by industry participants. Dr Hammarberg says that clinics often provide IVF success rates in confusing ways because there is no agreed format on how this information should be presented. Success rates are often quotes as pregnancy per embryo transfer, but in fact, everyone wants a live baby, and quite a few people miscarry, she says.

VARTAs audit of the success rates published on Australian and New Zealand IVF clinic websites a few years ago found five key traps many women fall into when researching egg freezing. These include: that clinics measure success differently; that some clinics dont mention the impact of a womans age; scarce information on the impact of general health on IVF treatments; that several cycles may be needed to get the required number of eggs; and the usage of baby images of the websites, making people more susceptible to overestimating the potential of having a baby from treatment. The costs Rates will vary from clinic to clinic, however, the costs  which include egg freezing and added costs for medication and hospital stay  can start at $8000 and go as high as $15,000, Per cycle. According to Monash IVF, egg freezing costs approximately $4830, with a further $3000-4000 added on for education and hospital. And its all out of the consumers own pocket -- unless you can prove there is a medical need for the fertility treatments, such as undergoing chemotherapy for cancer (which can damage fertility or result in early menopause), in which case you may be eligible for a Medicare of private health insurance rebate.WHY DO MEN EARN MORE THAN WOMEN?

***1/2

7.30pm, SBS Viceland

A thoroughly depressing British documentary examining why women in the UK earn 14 per cent less than their male counterparts. From the entitled old bigot (and former MP) who considers it "astonishing narcissism" for women to believe they add value to corporations when appointed to senior positions to the big supermarket chain paying male shelf stackers in its warehouses up to 40 per cent more than the female shelf stackers in its stores, it's an all too familiar tale.

Why Do Men Earn More than Women?

POINTLESS

***1/2

6pm, Ten

Do you remember The Stig from Top Gear? Remember the ridiculous ways Jeremy Clarkson used to introduce him? Mark Humphries has started channelling that absurd humour in his nightly introductions to Dr Andrew Rochford, and it's become a highlight of every episode. That, and his pronouncements about what will happen to the couple that ends round one with the highest score. Some pretty grizzly fates await them."They're not trying to ask you about your other colleagues, or your leadership, or about this or that. It's nice to be able to talk about the substantive issues, and to put both sides of the argument. Now there is much more freedom to say what you think." Loading These days he sticks his neck out on NAPLAN, and criticises what he believes are its distorting effects on school enrolments. He has taken on Catholic education chiefs, accusing them of "hoodwinking and bullying" during their lobbying efforts. The ability to be frank is the upside. The downside of not being in politics is that he is no longer the one making decisions. "The longer I was there, the more you are able to exercise that control and influence. It's a double-edged sword. You don't have direct control but you have freedom to be more provocative in your advocacy." Many education ministers have taken jobs in the sector after their political careers ended. The architect of NAPLAN, Julia Gillard, chairs the Global Partnership for Education. Former NSW Labor minister Verity Firth is at the University of Technology, Sydney. It's the kind of portfolio that seems to become a passion.

"The people who work in education are good people," he says. "That's the advice I gave to Rob Stokes [his successor in the portfolio]; what you are going to love about it are the people who are in it. In planning, where he came from, there were property developers and others who have a financial interest. No-one is in education for the money. It's also such an intellectually stimulating area of work and policy." The best part of his post-political life, though, is the fact that he actually has one. He no longer has to juggle a big portfolio with the pressures of parliament and an enormous electorate. Most of the time he is based in his home town of Griffith, where the Gonski Institute has a branch in the old princpal's office at Griffith Public School. A two-year-old Adrian Piccoli (centre) with his best teacher, his mother Nives, and his brother Dino. He picks up his children from school, goes to their swimming lessons, and take them to Scouts. "A parent once said to me, 'I missed a lot of events with my children when they were young. I remember every event I missed, but I can't remember a single reason I missed them. [Previously], there was always a crisis just around the corner. It's nice not to have to worry about that." He can also target the big issues in the sector. First this year will be NAPLAN, and how Australia could follow the lead of countries such as Singapore and the Netherlands to roll it back, or replace it. "It's skewing enrolments in a really harmful way, because parents are looking at [results], real estate agents are looking at it," he said.

"I can't believe any school in the inner west, for example, with high demand, is any different from a school two blocks away in terms of the teaching." He cites the example of Glebe and Ultimo public schools. When he was minister, Ultimo was groaning under demand, while Glebe was half empty. The only real difference in the two schools was their reputations. Glebe's reputation now changed, thanks in part to the willingness of some of the local parents to look beyond its reputation to the quality of its teachers' work. Piccoli wants other parents to follow suit and, rather than be swayed by playground gossip, take a look at a school for themselves, and ask about things such as leadership and teaching turnover. Loading For example, what is the range of teaching experience at a school? How does the school manage issues such as bullying? Parents should meet the leaders, and if the principal is fixated on academic results, they should think about looking elsewhere. One telling indicator of the strength of a school, he says, is how quickly children disappear into their classrooms at the end of a break. "It might seem a small thing, but when children don't need to be directed or herded to class, it's a sign that the children are engaged in their learning and are positive about their experiences at school," he says.Former Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has warned that sending children to school before they're ready with the intention of repeating them is a "bad idea".

In his new book, Professor Piccoli said repeating kindergarten was also more likely if a child was sent to school before they had the necessary skills, "which is why it's important to get the starting age of your child right".

"I know of parents who have sent their children to kindergarten early because it's cheaper than long day care or preschool with the view of repeating them," he wrote in the book. "This is a bad idea and should be avoided."

Adrian Piccoli, former education minister turned director of the Gonski Institute for Education, has written a how-to guide for parents when it comes to navigating the education system. Credit:Steven Siewert

Research suggests that students who repeated a year of school could feel shame, stigma and loss of self-esteem. It could lead to a negative attitude to school and learning, and a higher rate of behavioural problems, he said.Singapore/Beijing: Dozens of ships carrying coal and iron ore to China are stuck outside ports waiting to unload, according to shipping data, with traders saying harbour authorities are taking longer than usual to clear the imports with customs officials.

Refinitiv data showed on Friday that more than 300 dry-bulk freighters in total are currently sitting idle, waiting to deliver into China. While dry-bulk ships carry many different commodities, most affected were those carrying coal and iron ore from Australia, according to the data and two bulk traders.

In this file photo, piles of coal sit near port facilities as gantry cranes stand in the background at the Qinhuangdao Port. Credit:Bloomberg

While some congestion is normal, especially as China heads into a market shutdown for its week-long Lunar New Year holiday, a ship broker and bulk trader said the backlog had swollen significantly over the past week as dozens of new ships arrived while far fewer cleared customs.

Two traders, who mostly deal with Australian coking or thermal coal, said several of their ships had been delayed clearing customs.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.  Like other New York City homeowners, I got my tax bill in the mail the other day. What better way to start off the new year?

I wasnt surprised by what I found. Ive been a homeowner for too long to get thrown by the fact that the city property tax system makes no sense to me at all.

According to the city, the assessed value of my house increased. And so did its market value.

My home is worth more! Yay for me, right?

Well, not really. Because that means that my property tax bill is also going to increase. The tax rate is going to stay the same. But Im going to have to pay the city more in property taxes.

It gets better.

I also own a quarter-acre lot next to my home. It came with the house when we bought it. I have a garage there. Some trees. A hill. Its a good buffer. Id rather look at leaves, tree trunks and invasive vines than the side of someone elses house.

According to the city, the market value of my little quarter-acre went down. But at the same time, the assessed value actually went up. How does that work?

Im sure any number of wizards at the city Department of Taxation and Finance could explain it. Im not sure Id understand it. And Im not sure it would sound fair or sensible. But Im sure theres an explanation.

The bottom line remains the same: Ill be paying more in property taxes all around.

Well, shame on me for being a land baron, right? Who told you to buy all that property?

Never mind the fact that Im not sure what I could actually get for the house if I sold it today, whether it would come close to the assessed or market values that the city places on it.

Im supposed to be comforted by the fact that the actual property tax rate hasnt been raised. Mayor Bill de Blasio crows that hes kept his campaign pledge on that. But with the assessment system arranged the way it is, its a pretty easy promise for de Blasio to keep.

Then again, few people know better how this system works. Because of the way things are structured, some Staten Islanders are paying higher effective taxes on their homes than de Blasio pays on his Park Slope property, even though chez de Blasio is worth far more money.

Here's why: Assessed values can't go up more than 6 percent every year, or 20 percent over five years. This was meant to protect homeowners from rapidly escalating increases.

But the unintended consequence has been that homes in neighborhoods where values increase slowly, like on Staten Island, tend to have higher property taxes than homes in more desirable neighborhoods, like Park Slope, which have benefited from gentrification.

None of this is a secret. Borough elected officials have screamed for years about how unfair the system can be to Staten Islanders.

Raise those Park Slope taxes, you say? OK, but how much should the city penalize (for lack of a better term) those who buy homes in marginal neighborhoods and who later benefit if the neighborhood improves?

Do those homeowners get no credit for taking that initial risk on what were once undesirable properties? Should they lose by winning? Think before you answer, North Shore homeowners. Remember, Park Slope wasnt always a great neighborhood.

That being said, de Blasio shouldnt brag about his property tax pledge. We all know better.

The mayor has pledged to address the inequities in the system. The Property Tax Commission is readying recommendations. Things cant get worse.

Can they?STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A city Parks Department worker was reprimanded by the agency for refusing to bury a dead deer in Clove Lakes Park, according to a report.

The employee told CBS that when she refused to dig a grave in the thick, wooded area of the park, she was written up for insubordination and neglect of duty.

A source told the Advance that the incident was reviewed internally by the Parks Department and the write-up for insubordination and neglect of duty is being dismissed.

When asked about the process for disposing of deer carcasses that are found on Parks property, a spokeswoman said, Parks is responsible for disposal of any dead animals found in parks.

Generally, we dispose off-site, but if the animal is very big or in a location that makes it difficult to remove  such as a marsh or dense forest  it is buried on site, the spokeswoman said.

According to CBS, the worker said she was worried about the health risks of being so close to a carcass that was decaying.

She also told CBS that she was previously unaware that digging graves was a part of her job description.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- A Mariners Harbor man made off with a designer bag, hairdryers and other goodies during his alleged shoplifting spree at the Staten Island Mall last summer.

Leon Avery, 48, allegedly stole merchandise from Victorias Secret, Sephora and Century 21 over several days in August, said the criminal complaint.

In total, Avery took three Dyson Supersonic hairdryers from Sephora, womens clothing from Victorias Secret and a Louis Vuitton bag from Century 21, prosecutors said. The items added up to less than $1,000.

The Holland Avenue resident was arrested Tuesday and charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny.

Averys lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Groundhog Day is here, and Staten Islanders can easily get an up-close look Saturday as a four-legged, chubby prognosticator tells the world whether or not our shivering will continue for six more weeks.

The holiday attracts the attention of winter-weary Americans of all ages, who will turn their attention to a host of famous groundhogs, and make note of whether the rodent sees a shadow when coming out of its burrow first thing in the morning.

Staten Island has its own resident rodent superstar -- Charles G. Hogg, a.k.a. Staten Island Chuck, who resides at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton.

If the hibernating groundhog (or hedgehog) sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter, according to the superstition. If not, an early spring is on the way.

HOW TO CELEBRATE AND WATCH

This years Groundhog Day celebration at the Staten Island Zoo will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Gates will open at 6 a.m. Staten Island Chuck, is scheduled to make his prediction at 7:30 a.m.

Admission to the ceremony is free.

From 7:40 a.m. to 8 a.m., the zoo keeper will discuss birds of prey, and feedings will take place in the aviary and fox areas of the zoo.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Chuck and Friends Childrens Program will be held for kids in Pre-K through sixth grade.

Those unable to attend the ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo can watch Chuck make his prediction on Silive.com .

For those who want to watch a furry prognosticator besides Staten Island Chuck, you may be interested in Punxsutawney Phil.

It all started with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, founded in Punxsutawney, Pa., in 1887 by a group of groundhog hunters. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was a member of the club, and he claimed that Punxsutawney Phil was the only true weather-predicting groundhog.

Today, tens of thousands travel to Gobblers Knob, the location in Punxsutawney where Phil makes his prediction.

HISTORY

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Those who celebrated Candlemas decided that clear skies on the holiday meant a longer winter.

The Germans eventually began to believe that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow -- predicting six more weeks of harsh winter weather. And it was the Germans who brought this belief to the United States.

When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they found a large number of groundhogs. And they tasked the groundhog, which resembles the European hedgehog, with the job of predicting the weather.

PAST CELEBRATIONS, CONTROVERSIESSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Its Groundhog Day!

For those Staten Islanders who want to watch a furry prognosticator besides Staten Island Chuck, you may be interested in Punxsutawney Phil.

It all started with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, founded in Punxsutawney, Pa., in 1887 by a group of groundhog hunters. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was a member of the club, and he claimed that Punxsutawney Phil was the only true weather-predicting groundhog.

Today, tens of thousands travel to Gobbler's Knob, the location in Punxsutawney where Phil makes his prediction.

THE TRADITION'S ORIGINS

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Those who celebrated Candlemas decided that clear skies on the holiday meant a longer winter.

The Germans eventually began to believe that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow -- predicting six more weeks of harsh winter weather. And it was the Germans who brought this belief to the United States.

When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they found a large number of groundhogs. And they tasked the groundhog, which resembles the European hedgehog, with the job of predicting the weather.

WATCH PHIL'S PREDICTION

Those interested in seeing Punxsutawney Phil make his prediction can view it here.

The live stream will begin about 6 a.m.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- South Shore train riders struggling to find parking spots will eventually see some relief.

Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore), alongside Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, announced Friday the allocation of nearly $3 million in funding towards the acquisition of property to create a new Park-and-Ride lot in Pleasant Plains.

Of the nearly $3 million in capital funding, $895,000 was allocated from the offices of Borelli and Borough President James Oddo, with an additional $2 million coming from Council Speaker Johnson.

Its easy for us to focus on the big-ticket, fundamental problems of the MTA, but we also have to worry about the frustration people find with just mundane things like finding a parking spot at their local Park-and-Ride, said Borelli.

The future Park-and-Ride, located at 6507 Amboy Road, across the street from Wendys/Northfield Bank, will feature approximately 100 parking spots, servicing Pleasant Plains train riders, as well as SIM26 express bus riders, with a nearby stop at Bedell Street.

The reality is not every Staten Islander lives close to the right bus or the right train and they have to drive,'' said Matteo. "So were doing everything that we can to make Staten Islanders commutes better. Its important for us to make sure we give Staten Islanders the options to get to the services that they need.

Park-and-Rides offer commuters a safe, convenient place to park, allowing them to easily access public transportation without spending valuable commuting time searching for a spot.

When we talk about transportation issues in the city of New York, you can talk about the MTA and talk about bus service, but you have to understand neighborhood-by-neighborhood, borough-by-borough, what the local issues are, said Johnson.

While the citys property acquisition process is quite lengthy, and the location has not yet been officially approved for a Park-and-Ride, Borelli is confident that, given the existing conditions, the site will be selected for that purpose.

I just want to caution that the process of the city acquisition of property is extremely long, but this is the first step, said Borelli. Were obviously going to need more money at some point to actually build the Park-and-Ride.

Its not official yet that this will be the site, but I can assure you that this will be the site because it is the only site that will meet the criteria the DOT solicits for a site near a train station, said Borelli. This is a site thats important because its probably one of the few vacant lots that are near public transit anywhere in my district."

According to the MTA, operators of the Staten Island Railway, free Park-and-Ride lots are already available at the Arthur Kill, Princes Bay, Huguenot, Annadale and Dongan Hills train stations.

The new Park-and-Ride location is one step in an ongoing effort to increase South Shore commuters' accessibility to the new fast ferry location coming to St. George.

Additionally, Oddo has reached out to the MTA to discuss the possibility of running express trains from the South Shore to St. George in an effort to ensure South Shore commuters reap the same benefits as others from the new fast ferry.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  NYPD officers invite the community to the CYO-MIV Center at Mount Loretto, Pleasant Plains, Tuesday, Feb. 5, for a discussion on public safety challenges in our neighborhoods.

This week, the 123rd Precinct is hosting a Build The Block meeting to identify policing and public safety needs in the community. Neighborhood coordination and steady sector officers are hoping to collaborate with residents to solve local quality-of-life and crime concerns.

The event is sponsored by City Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore), and neighborhood coordination officers Vincent Casaletto and Elio Chianetta.

The goal is to hear from a broad range of voices so that the residents of the community feel safe and secure.As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill.Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 78F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 52F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.The powerful winter storm that hit the Bay Area on Friday was not as strong as previously anticipated, and the Bay Area was mostly spared from widespread damage.

"There were some reports of downed trees and power lines, but it wasn't as widespread as expected," Spencer Tangen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said. "There was a concentration near the Monterey Peninsula and the Carmel area with a lot of downed trees and power lines, but in the Bay Area, we didn't have too many reports."A convicted arsonist who set fire to vehicles in possibly multiple cities in Contra Costa County was sentenced Friday to 19 years in state prison, according to county prosecutors.



James Bishop III was arrested in May of 2017 after police discovered someone was using an accelerant to light cars on fire.



Authorities had noticed an up-tick in vehicle fires around that time and linked Bishop to the blazes in part because his SUV was spotted near the scene of some of the fires.



Contra Costa County prosecutors announced the sentence Friday on Twitter. Bishop was sentenced by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Laurel Brady.



Bishop was convicted last year of 31 arson-related felonies, according to prosecutors.



"We want to express our gratitude for the investigative work done by fire investigators with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District," prosecutors said in a tweet.





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.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



San Francisco Unified School District leaders hope a planned revamp of class scheduling will result in "deeper learning" for students of the district's middle schools.



The idea, said Brent Stephens, the school district's chief academic officer, is to enact a "block" schedule that affords both more class choices and longer class sessions, which he said promote "deeper learning" in any subject. The first two middle schools are scheduled to have new schedules by the start of the 2019-2020 school year.



"There are two main issues," Stephens said. "One is that it's an access issue. An English language learner who must take a language class right now can't always fit everything in, can't take that computer science class.



"The second issue is increasing the time students spend in individual classes," Stephens said. "Longer classes mean more time to focus on each subject, more chances for inquiry and experiences."



The longer classes wouldn't necessarily meet as many times per week, Stephens added.



Revising the overall scheduling system, he added, will give more middle school students access to computer science, performing arts/creativity, world languages and accelerated math and reading classes.



The schedule changes are also expected to give teachers more "professional learning time" to collaborate or otherwise enrich their craft. Students would get out of classes early one day a week, the same day for all schools, allowing time for the teachers to meet with each other.



These changes, first proposed and studied in 2015, are scheduled to begin first at the Francisco and Theodore Roosevelt middle schools. Stephens said the plan is for similar schedule revamping to be adopted at two or three middle schools each year until schedules have changed at all of the district's 13 middle schools.



Several middle and K-8 schools have already rolled out some elements of the "deeper learning," according to a news release from the school district, which are most notably "project-based learning opportunities" that go beyond standard classroom instruction.





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.Repairs and reinforcement work are underway on fractured steel beams at the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco, officials with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority announced Friday.



Saturday morning crews will replace hydraulic jacks on First Street, under the bus deck, with a shoring system that will give crews the chance to reinforce the girders on the bus deck above.



One block of First Street will be closed between Howard and Mission streets from 5 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday as the replacement occurs, according to TJPA officials.



Repairs of the steal beams are expected to be complete by June and then the shoring system on First Street and another on Fremont Street will be taken away.



TJPA Officials said a date for the reopening of the center has not been decided yet.



The Salesforce Transit Center closed in September after the fractured beams were found on the ceiling of the third-level bus deck.



TJPA Officials said no other issues have been discovered following more inspections and continued monitoring of the center.



"While we are eager to welcome the Bay Area back to the transit center, we are balancing this with our responsibility to undertake an appropriately rigorous inspection and review protocol and cooperate with the independent review of the facility," TJPA Executive Director Mark Zabaneh said in a statement.



Bus service continues to be provided out of the Temporary Transbay Terminal at Howard and Main streets.







A suspect has been arrested in a homicide Thursday in Richmond, police said.



Officers responded at 10 a.m. following a report of an unresponsive woman on the porch area to Grace Lao Lutheran Church at 1963 Carlson Blvd.



Police said officers found the woman suffering from visible trauma and she was pronounced dead at the church.







The FBI and Oakland police are offering a combined $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a homicide, FBI officials announced Friday.



Patrick Scott Jr., 27, was shot and killed on Feb. 3, 2018, a year ago Sunday, as he was on his way to visit his grandmother.



He was waiting at a bus stop near 62nd and Market streets in Oakland when someone came up to him and started shooting.



"We ask the community to please come forward if you have any information on this crime," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bertram Fairries, said in a statement. "This young man deserves justice."



Oakland Police Chief Anne E. Kirkpatrick also asked for the community's help in solving the slaying.



Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland Police Department's homicide section at (510) 238-3821 or the FBI in San Francisco at (415) 553-7400.







Boy Scouts of America calls it "Family Scouting," and inviting girls to be part of its packs and troops could help reinvigorate a century-old organization that, nationally, has seen its numbers drop by almost two-thirds since its 1972 peak.



Starting Friday, the Boy Scouts, the longstanding program for boys ages 11 through 17, will admit girls as members. That program will now be known as "Scouts BSA." The Boy Scouts of America's program for younger kids, the Cub Scouts, has been accepting girls since June; more than 77,000 girls nationwide have since become Cub Scouts.



"We've got 10 girl troops ready to go now, and we will probably have between 15 and 30 (girl) troops in the near future," said John Fenoglio, scout executive for the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts, which caters to 10,000 or so Scouts in Contra Costa, Napa and Lake counties, and parts of Alameda and Solano counties.



For the Scouts ages 11 to 17, boys' and girls' troops will be separate, though boys and girls can be part of a "linked" troop in which the boys' and girls' units meet separately, but share a common charter and troop parents' committee.



This differs from Cub Scout packs, in which boys and girls are in the same pack, but are separated in the "den" subgroups.







Hayward police on Friday released officer body-worn camera footage, 911 recordings and dispatch radio recordings of an officer-involved shooting on Nov. 15 in which two officers fatally shot 29-year old Agustin Gonsalez of Lathrop outside an apartment complex.



Hayward police said in a statement that initially they withheld the body-worn camera footage and other audio and video "to preserve the integrity of the investigation in the interest of justice for all parties involved."



The department said that remains a valid concern, but after hearing community concerns and reviewing the process, Police Chief Mark Koller has determined that the information should be released to provide much-needed information to the family and the community, who he said are justifiably concerned about this incident.



"In our efforts to support transparency, this is something we should do and are committed to do earlier in the future," Koller said in the statement.



In their initial report on the shooting, Hayward police said three officers responded to the apartment complex in the 24600 block of Oneil Avenue at about 9 p.m. on Nov. 15 after they received a call that a man, later identified as Gonsalez, was brandishing a knife.







The Santa Clara County District Attorney will not prosecute a group of eight protesters arrested in December during a San Jose City Council meeting to decide whether to sell Google land for a proposed "mega-campus."



In a statement Friday, prosecutors said it is difficult to unanimously prove criminal charges against protesters beyond the standard of reasonable doubt.



"While we are declining to file criminal charges, we hope that those who have strong feelings about this issue express themselves using the democratic process of civil discourse - and not disruption," prosecutors said in a statement.



The group, called the "Google 8," was arrested toward the end of an 11-hour meeting on Dec. 4 when the City Council unanimously agreed to the $110 million land sale.



If charged with the misdemeanor of disrupting public assembly, they could have faced a maximum of six months in jail.







The union that represents Oakland teachers said on Friday that teachers are wrapping up four days of voting on a strike authorization proposal and the results of the vote will be announced on Monday afternoon.



The Oakland Education Association said if the authorization proposal is approved it would allow union leaders to call a strike, if necessary, to win the smaller class sizes, living wages for educators and additional student resources that educators are fighting for, including more counselors and school nurses.



Contract talks between the school district and the union have been going on for about a year and a half.



The union is asking for a 12 percent raise over three years while the district is offering a 5 percent pay hike.



The teachers' union said Friday is the second and final day of a hearing with a state-appointed neutral fact-finder who is tasked with helping to resolve the contract negotiations by issuing a non-binding report, which is expected by Feb. 15.







A Santa Rosa chiropractor who failed to appear in court just hours before he was convicted in 2017 of sexual battery was arraigned Friday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court for alleged willful failure to appear at a court proceeding and committing a felony while free on bail.



Darius Bunyad, 38, of Petaluma, was arrested in Mexico on Jan. 24. A resident of Playa del Carmen, Mexico called Santa Rosa police on Nov. 26 to report Bunyad's alleged whereabouts. The resident sent photos of the man believed to be Bunyad and police believed they were indeed of the chiropractor.



The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force assisted in finding Bunyad and he was booked in the Los Angeles County Jail before arriving at the Sonoma County Jail this week.



Bunyad had short hair and was clean-shaven during his earlier trial, but he had longer hair and a long dark beard in court Friday afternoon.



Bunyad was allegedly not in court when a jury convicted him on March 9, 2017, of six felony charges of sexual battery by fraud and six misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child.







One person died in a collision involving a motorcycle along northbound U.S. Highway 101 in South San Jose early Saturday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.



The collision was reported around 2:05 a.m. on Highway 101 at Bailey Road, CHP officials said.



A motorcycle reportedly collided with a vehicle. The motorcycle was then struck by another vehicle, according to the CHP.



A Sig-alert has been issued, with at least three northbound lanes closed.



Information about the decedent was not immediately available.







Students from 13 high schools in Northern and Central California will compete Saturday in the Sea Lion Bowl, a regional component of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, at California State University, Monterey Bay in Seaside, university officials said.



The competition will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the university's Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library.



Saturday's winner will compete in the 2019 National Ocean Sciences Bowl finals from April 11 to 14 in Washington, D.C.



The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is an academic competition that aims to address the gap in environmental and earth sciences in public schools and connect high school students to ocean science.





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.OAKLAND (BCN)



The union that represents Oakland teachers said on Friday that teachers are wrapping up four days of voting on a strike authorization proposal and the results of the vote will be announced on Monday afternoon.



The Oakland Education Association said if the authorization proposal is approved it would allow union leaders to call a strike, if necessary, to win the smaller class sizes, living wages for educators and additional student resources that educators are fighting for, including more counselors and school nurses.



Contract talks between the school district and the union have been going on for about a year and a half.



The union is asking for a 12 percent raise over three years while the district is offering a 5 percent pay hike.



The teachers' union said Friday is the second and final day of a hearing with a state-appointed neutral fact-finder who is tasked with helping to resolve the contract negotiations by issuing a non-binding report, which is expected by Feb. 15.



The union, which represents 3,000 educators in the Oakland Unified School District, said it can legally strike after the report is issued.



Oakland teachers have noted that the last time they went on strike in 1996 it lasted for more than two months.



The union said the strike vote results will be announced at a news conference at its representative council meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday at Oakland Technical High School at 4351 Broadway.



The union said it also will conduct a rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.



It said hundreds of educators will urge the City Council to adopt a resolution on its agenda that night supporting teachers and opposing school closures, as the district plans to close or merge up to 24 schools over five years.



The Oakland Education Association said it is affiliated with the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. It said so far at least 17 other Bay Area CTA chapters of union teachers have pledged nearly $20,000 to the OEA strike fund to help teachers facing financial hardships during a strike.



The union also said it has launched a GoFundMe drive to help teachers cope during a work stoppage.



The website is at https://www.gofundme.com/striking-oakland-teachers.





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.HAYWARD (BCN)



Hayward police on Friday released officer body-worn camera footage, 911 recordings and dispatch radio recordings of an officer-involved shooting on Nov. 15 in which two officers fatally shot 29-year old Agustin Gonsalez of Lathrop outside an apartment complex.



Hayward police said in a statement that initially they withheld the body-worn camera footage and other audio and video "to preserve the integrity of the investigation in the interest of justice for all parties involved."



The department said that remains a valid concern, but after hearing community concerns and reviewing the process, Police Chief Mark Koller has determined that the information should be released to provide much-needed information to the family and the community, who he said are justifiably concerned about this incident.



"In our efforts to support transparency, this is something we should do and are committed to do earlier in the future," Koller said in the statement.



In their initial report on the shooting, Hayward police said three officers responded to the apartment complex in the 24600 block of Oneil Avenue at about 9 p.m. on Nov. 15 after they received a call that a man, later identified as Gonsalez, was brandishing a knife.



Police said the caller said Gonsalez, who was his neighbor's ex-boyfriend, threatened him with a knife and was acting erratically.



According to police, when the three officers arrived at the scene they found Gonsalez standing in the street.



One officer got out of his car and from a distance of about 10 to 15 feet ordered Gonsalez to drop the object in his hand, police said.



The officer repeated those orders as Gonsalez approached him while holding an object in his right hand but ultimately two officers fired their service weapons multiple times because Gonsalez ignored those commands and continued to approach the officer at an unsafe distance, according to police.



Once Gonsalez was detained, the officers were able to determine that the object in his hand was a razor blade rather than a knife, as had been initially reported in the 911 call, police said.



Gonsalez was treated at the scene and then was transported to a hospital but he died there the following night, according to police.



In a statement at that time, Hayward police said, "We can confirm the accounts from multiple witnesses that Mr. Gonsalez told officers that they would have to kill him as he approached their position and ignored commands to drop his weapon."



Police said two officers fired a total of 13 rounds, striking Gonsalez multiple times.



In the dispatch radio recording, Gonsalez can be heard threatening the witness who called police.



In the footage from one of the officers' body-worn cameras, Gonsalez can be heard making threatening remarks to officers.



Then the officers' shots can be heard, Gonsalez falls to the ground and a woman's screaming voice can be heard.



Hayward police said the footage indicates that Gonsalez advanced to within 10 to 15 feet of officers before they started shooting at him.



Police said the officers opened fire only 7 or 8 seconds after they got out of their police vehicles.



Koller said the officers who shot Gonsalez were placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting.



He also said Hayward police are conducting an internal investigation of the shooting and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office is conducting an independent investigation.



Hayward police said, "The Department acknowledges that this is a tragic incident for the family, the community, and everyone involved."



The footage and recording can be accessed at the department's website at www.hayward-ca.gov/critical-incident.





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.Boy Scouts of America calls it "Family Scouting," and inviting girls to be part of its packs and troops could help reinvigorate a century-old organization that, nationally, has seen its numbers drop by almost two-thirds since its 1972 peak.



Starting Friday, the Boy Scouts, the longstanding program for boys ages 11 through 17, will admit girls as members. That program will now be known as "Scouts BSA." The Boy Scouts of America's program for younger kids, the Cub Scouts, has been accepting girls since June; more than 77,000 girls nationwide have since become Cub Scouts.



"We've got 10 girl troops ready to go now, and we will probably have between 15 and 30 (girl) troops in the near future," said John Fenoglio, scout executive for the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts, which caters to 10,000 or so Scouts in Contra Costa, Napa and Lake counties, and parts of Alameda and Solano counties.



For the Scouts ages 11 to 17, boys' and girls' troops will be separate, though boys and girls can be part of a "linked" troop in which the boys' and girls' units meet separately, but share a common charter and troop parents' committee.



This differs from Cub Scout packs, in which boys and girls are in the same pack, but are separated in the "den" subgroups.



The first wave of female Eagle Scouts will be recognized in 2020. This award, the highest Boy Scout honor, carries with it a certain cache, and can help secure academic and professional opportunities.



Girls' inclusion into the Boy Scouts has been discussed at the troop level for over a year, with regular messages from the regional councils to troops, and as part of monthly "roundtable" workshop meetings throughout districts at which all manner of subjects are discussed.



Girls haven't been strangers to Scouting programs. The organization's Venturing and Explorer programs, open to ages 14 to 20, have been co-ed since 1969. But the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are by far the most well-known and widespread programs.



In the San Francisco Bay Area Council, which covers San Francisco and part of Alameda County, the Cub Scout program has welcomed 285 girls so far.



"It has been the most successful program launch we've ever had," said Frank Yoke, the San Francisco council's deputy scout executive. "Any time we have an opportunity to serve more kids, it certainly enhances our program."



Not everyone is behind BSA's move to accept girls as members. Chandra Benitez, who co-leads her 8-year-old daughter's Girl Scout troop in Alameda, said she feels BSA will be "poaching" from Girl Scout troops. She said she fears corporate grant-givers will increasingly see the Girl Scouts as redundant, further eroding the organization.



Of the Boy Scouts, she said, "I think they're categorically unprepared to handle growing girls; I don't think they have the resources," said Benitez, who also challenges the idea the Girl Scout groups can't do all the things Boy Scouts do.



"It's a misconception the Girl Scouts don't do physical activities," she said, noting her troop's nine Girl Scouts often take part in outdoor action. "Troops do what they want - sometimes they're focused on the outdoors, sometimes they're more into community service," said Benitez, whose troop members regularly take part in hiking, ziplining and other outdoor activities.



Membership in both BSA and in Girl Scouts of the USA, has declined significantly in recent years. The Boy Scouts, which peaked at about 6.5 million in 1972, had about 2.3 million members in 2016. At the end of 2017, the Girl Scouts reported 1.76 million members, down from about 2.9 million girls in 2003.



The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest single backer of Boy Scout troops in the US, is ending its long association with the Scouts at the end of this year, over recent changes including allowing openly gay Scouts and leaders, and now girls.



But Scouting officials have said they hope the addition of girls will expand the number of families interested in joining, offsetting the expected loss of many of the Mormon members.



Fenoglio said there are about 10,000 boys in troops within the Pleasant Hill-based Mt. Diablo Silverado Council - a number he said has been "up and down" in recent years. Though he acknowledges the pool of "total available youth" will double, Fenoglio expects a far more modest increase in council membership.



"Anytime you start new programs, you'll add new kids," he said.



Benitez said she's concerned that girls may end up being put into a "second-class position" in relation to the boys, if for no other reason than the Boy Scouts simply have far more experience catering to boys.



Yoke said there will be some adjustment, but not that much.



"BSA offers character development and developing leadership traits," he said. "The training isn't really different for boys and girls."





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.Bay Area residents can expect bracing winds, landslides and power outages as a nasty storm system drenches the region this weekend.



Drivers should avoid the roads Saturday morning, when wind gusts could reach as high as 80 mph in Monterey Bay and up to 60 mph throughout the Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service.



A high wind warning is in effect from 3 p.m. today to 10 a.m. Saturday. The wind will topple trees and likely cause widespread power outages, meteorologist Drew Peterson said.



"Anyone trying to drive tomorrow is probably going to have a pretty nasty drive, no matter where they're at," Peterson said.



The rain is expected to start this evening and continue through Saturday. A flash flood watch is in effect until Saturday morning.



The showers should die down Sunday, making travel more manageable for those out and about for Super Bowl festivities.



Landslides, rock slides and mudslides are a big concern, especially on Saturday. Some roads near the Santa Cruz Mountains and the East Bay Hills may have to close because of the debris, according to Peterson.



Landslides are also possible in the North Bay's wildfire burn scars, though Peterson said slow and steady rains may not have as big an impact there. Meteorologists will be watching the area closely.



Caltrans officials are worried about landslides along state Highway 1 and will close a 44-mile stretch of the road in Big Sur. The road will be closed between Deetjens and Ragged Point starting at 5 p.m. today. Officials anticipate reopening the road on Monday, though that depends on whether the road is damaged.



Boaters can expect choppy waves and dangerous conditions, and should avoid the water this weekend. A gale warning is in effect from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today, and a storm warning is in effect overnight.



City officials in both San Jose and Sunnyvale encouraged residents to pick up sand bags if they live in low-lying areas that may flood.



After the rain dies down, temperatures are expected to drop Monday and Tuesday. Lows will likely be in the mid-30s, causing problems for homeless people without shelter.



"That's cold enough for people to succumb to hypothermia," Peterson said.



Santa Clara County is opening up daytime and overnight warming centers today, and they will be open through Monday. Shelters there will also have more beds available.







City of Oakland crews on Thursday cleared out a large, problem-plagued homeless camp in East Oakland that was the site of two large fires and at least one homicide last fall.



City officials said in a statement that over the past 10 days, the 39 unsheltered residents that had been living in the encampment at East 12th Street and 23rd Avenue have been moving into the newest "Community Cabin" site, the City's fourth, at 1449 Miller Ave., about two blocks away.



The city said that as of Thursday about 14 of the residents had moved in to the new site and said there are enough cabins and beds to accommodate all 39 of the people who have been living at the encampment.



City officials said crews on Thursday began removing the tons of accumulated debris and abandoned vehicles at the site and will soon close the encampment to accommodate construction of the $10 million 23rd Avenue Bridge seismic retrofit project.



The city said the Community Cabin sites provide a safer and healthier respite from the streets, where unsheltered residents receive wrap-around services to help them end their unsheltered status, including on-site housing-focused case managers who connect participants to vital needs.



It said those include links to healthcare, mental health, and addiction recovery services, links to the mainstream homeless services system and help in securing benefits, acquiring a California ID and seeking jobs.



The city said its goal is for people to move in, receive services and move on to the next step on their path to housing.







A large transport aircraft landed with its nose gear up at Travis Air Force Base Thursday night, according to a post on the Travis website.



The C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft was returning from a contingency mission with 11 crew members assigned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing on board when the plane landed around 7:45 p.m. No injuries were reported, according to a Travis Air Force Base news release.



Emergency responders immediately assisted and secured the area and the cause of the wheels up landing is under investigation.



Travis Air Force Base still has an operable runway, according to the release.



The C-5M Super Galaxy is a strategic transport aircraft and is the largest in the Air Force inventory. It has a wingspan of more than 222 feet and a length of 247 feet, according to Travis Air Force Base.







A 61-year-old Aptos woman who was shot and killed on Thursday afternoon in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has been identified as Victoria May Aless Seidlinger.



Patrick Collins, 36, was arrested on suspicion of murder after her death at a home in the 3100 block of Trout Gulch Road, sheriff's Sgt. Dee Baldwin said.



The homicide was reported at about 4:15 p.m., and deputies responded to find Seidlinger dead and two other suffering from serious injuries.



An investigation found two people fired a weapon during the event, and all three people lived at the same address. There are no outstanding suspects, deputies said.







A fire at a two-story house in Oakland's Crocker Highlands area on Thursday morning displaced four people and claimed the lives of two cats, an Oakland fire official said.



The blaze at the house in the 800 block of Carlston Avenue started at about 11:40 a.m. on Thursday in the kitchen and then worked its way up to the second floor before it was brought under control at about 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, Acting Battalion Fire Chief John Farrell said.



Three of the house's residents already were outside when firefighters arrived and the fourth wasn't at home at the time, according to Farrell.



The cause of the fire hasn't yet been determined but the blaze caused significant smoke damage to the entire house, Farrell said.



The Red Cross is arranging alternative housing for the four residents who've been displaced, Farrell said.



The two cats were found when firefighters searched the home, according to Farrell.



Firefighters performed CPR and provided oxygen to the cats but their efforts were unsuccessful and the cats were pronounced dead at the scene, Farrell said.







Police in Santa Rosa Thursday night arrested a man in connection with a homicide.



William Armister Amons, 62, of San Francisco, was arrested on suspicion of murder, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.



Officers responded Thursday at 9:40 p.m. to a report of a fight that had just occurred near Piner Road.



A woman who reportedly witnessed the fight ran into the El Brinquito Restaurant at 810 Piner Road and reported a man was getting beaten with a stick behind a nearby business.



Police said the victim was able to give a detailed description of the suspect in the incident.



Responding officers located a man lying on the ground behind an industrial building in the 900 block of Piner Road.



Police said the victim had visible injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma and died at the scene.



A short time later, an officer located a man matching the suspect's description riding a bicycle in the 1700 block of Piner Road.



Police said the suspect, identified as Amons, had injuries consistent with a recent physical altercation.



Police have identified the victim only as a 50-year-old homeless man from Santa Rosa pending the notification of his family.







A Vacaville man with a prior DUI conviction was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder for a vehicle collision in 2017.



Thomas James Astarita, 67, faces 15-years-to-life in prison when he is sentenced in Solano County Superior Court March 15, the Solano County District Attorney's Office said.



The fatal collision occurred around 6 p.m. July 31, 2017 when Astarita drove his GMC SUV through a red light at the intersection of Nut Tree and Marshall roads.



Astarita's car struck a Honda Accord driven by Cynthia Clay, 48, of Vacaville. Clay was extricated from her car and died at Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center.



Astarita, who had a prior DUI in 2013, initially was charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter. He was charged with murder because he was advised of the dangers of DUI, the District Attorney's Office said.



The Solano County District Attorney's office said Astarita was drinking heavily at a Vacaville bar and consumed approximately 15 drinks over several hours before the collision. His blood-alcohol content was 0.20 percent, the District Attorney's Office said.













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.OAKLAND (BCN)



The FBI and Oakland police are offering a combined $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a homicide, FBI officials announced Friday.



Patrick Scott Jr., 27, was shot and killed on Feb. 3, 2018, a year ago Sunday, as he was on his way to visit his grandmother.



He was waiting at a bus stop near 62nd and Market streets in Oakland when someone came up to him and started shooting.



"We ask the community to please come forward if you have any information on this crime," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bertram Fairries, said in a statement. "This young man deserves justice."



Oakland Police Chief Anne E. Kirkpatrick also asked for the community's help in solving the slaying.



Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland Police Department's homicide section at (510) 238-3821 or the FBI in San Francisco at (415) 553-7400.





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.The Santa Clara County District Attorney will not prosecute a group of eight protesters arrested in December during a San Jose City Council meeting to decide whether to sell Google land for a proposed "mega-campus."



In a statement Friday, prosecutors said it is difficult to unanimously prove criminal charges against protesters beyond the standard of reasonable doubt.



"While we are declining to file criminal charges, we hope that those who have strong feelings about this issue express themselves using the democratic process of civil discourse - and not disruption," prosecutors said in a statement.



The group, called the "Google 8," was arrested toward the end of an 11-hour meeting on Dec. 4 when the City Council unanimously agreed to the $110 million land sale.



If charged with the misdemeanor of disrupting public assembly, they could have faced a maximum of six months in jail.



The group had been advocating on social media for the prosecutors to "drop the charges." Protester Sandy Perry said Friday he had not received any official notice that Rosen was not filing charges, and the group would go to court Monday to ensure they wouldn't be arrested again on bench warrants.



They had also organized a rally to take place one hour prior to the court date at the Santa Clara County Civic Center, but it's uncertain if it will still take place.



John Douglas Cahners, a Palo Alto attorney specializing in criminal law, said people are not often prosecuted for disrupting public meetings.



"It doesn't happen very much," he said, "[Prosecutors] don't want to do it unless it's something pretty substantial."



Because the meeting was able to continue after the protesters were removed from the council chambers, for example, their offense was not especially serious.



Kelly Aviles, a Los Angles attorney who specializes in Brown Act, First Amendment and public meetings, also said it is very rare.



"Because of the free speech implications and often the underlying issues regarding the protest, it is always a sensitive subject to prosecute someone who is trying to get the attention of their elected leaders," she said.





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.FREMONT (BCN)



A developmentally disabled man was subdued by a police dog Wednesday after he had gone into a Fremont bank seeking help loading a newly purchased replica pellet gun, police said.



The man had bought the pellet gun Wednesday at a sporting goods store on Mowry Avenue, police said. But employees there wouldn't help the man load the pellet gun.



Police said the man then walked to a nearby bank at the corner of Mowry Avenue and Fremont Boulevard, where he asked a bank employee to help him load the pellet gun.



Police said the bank employee also refused and the developmentally disabled man then went outside, while the bank employee called police.



Officers found the man with the pellet gun at a nearby bus stop and the man did not obey commands to put the gun down, police said. Instead he allegedly put one hand inside his jacket.



A police K-9 subdued the man, who was first taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of a dog bite and then given a mental health evaluation.





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.OAKLAND (BCN)



City of Oakland crews on Thursday cleared out a large, problem-plagued homeless camp in East Oakland that was the site of two large fires and at least one homicide last fall.



City officials said in a statement that over the past 10 days, the 39 unsheltered residents that had been living in the encampment at East 12th Street and 23rd Avenue have been moving into the newest "Community Cabin" site, the City's fourth, at 1449 Miller Ave., about two blocks away.



The city said that as of Thursday about 14 of the residents had moved in to the new site and said there are enough cabins and beds to accommodate all 39 of the people who have been living at the encampment.



City officials said crews on Thursday began removing the tons of accumulated debris and abandoned vehicles at the site and will soon close the encampment to accommodate construction of the $10 million 23rd Avenue Bridge seismic retrofit project.



The city said the Community Cabin sites provide a safer and healthier respite from the streets, where unsheltered residents receive wrap-around services to help them end their unsheltered status, including on-site housing-focused case managers who connect participants to vital needs.



It said those include links to healthcare, mental health, and addiction recovery services, links to the mainstream homeless services system and help in securing benefits, acquiring a California ID and seeking jobs.



The city said its goal is for people to move in, receive services and move on to the next step on their path to housing.



City officials said the program is completely voluntary and people can come and go at all hours.



The city said the sites are designed to have low barriers with minimal rules, although participants are asked to abide by a code of conduct that is designed to maintain a healthy and safe community.



The site at 1449 Miller Ave. is the city's fourth Community Cabin. The three others are at 6th and Castro streets, 27th Street and Northgate Avenue and at Lake Merritt.



The city said those three have served a total of 222 people and currently are serving 73 people.



City officials said they believe the Community Cabin model has been an effective and compassionate intervention focused on increasing people's health, stability, dignity, and safety while service providers intensively work with people to help end their unsheltered status.



The city said at the site at 6th and Castro streets, which recently was shut down, 76 percent of the 74 homeless people who stayed there are now living in either permanent or transitional housing.



A fire at the camp at East 12th Street and 23rd Avenue on Nov. 2 destroyed 15 to 20 dwellings there and another fire on Sept. 11 temporarily displaced 37 people who were living there.



No one was injured in that fire but firefighters who responded to it found the body of a man who apparently had been dead for several days.



In an unrelated death at that location, 51-year-old Marcus Haynes was fatally shot on Oct. 22.





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.SANTA ROSA (BCN)



A Santa Rosa chiropractor who failed to appear in court just hours before he was convicted in 2017 of sexual battery was arraigned Friday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court for alleged willful failure to appear at a court proceeding and committing a felony while free on bail.



Darius Bunyad, 38, of Petaluma, was arrested in Mexico on Jan. 24. A resident of Playa del Carmen, Mexico called Santa Rosa police on Nov. 26 to report Bunyad's alleged whereabouts. The resident sent photos of the man believed to be Bunyad and police believed they were indeed of the chiropractor.



The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force assisted in finding Bunyad and he was booked in the Los Angeles County Jail before arriving at the Sonoma County Jail this week.



Bunyad had short hair and was clean-shaven during his earlier trial, but he had longer hair and a long dark beard in court Friday afternoon.



Bunyad was allegedly not in court when a jury convicted him on March 9, 2017, of six felony charges of sexual battery by fraud and six misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child.



Some of the juvenile victims were high school cheerleaders or athletes, and the adult female victims were between 27 and 51 years old. The crimes occurred in examination rooms at Bunyad's Santa Rosa practice, according to trial testimony.



The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office's complaint alleged Bunyad committed sexual battery on or molested 10 victims, but 12 victims testified at the trial, Deputy District Attorney Jason Riehl said.



Judge Jamie Thistlethwaite set Feb. 11 for entry of plea and setting of a preliminary hearing in the failure to appear case. Bunyad faces a maximum of 13 years in prison in the sexual assault case and two years and eight months in the failure to appear case, Riehl said. Bunyad is being held on $1 million bail.



Some of Bunyad's victims attended Friday afternoon's arraignment. Riehl said they have expressed their gratitude to law enforcement for capturing Bunyad and are looking forward to seeing justice done.





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 61-year-old Aptos woman who was shot and killed on Thursday afternoon in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has been identified as Victoria May Aless Seidlinger.



Patrick Collins, 36, was arrested on suspicion of murder after her death at a home in the 3100 block of Trout Gulch Road, sheriff's Sgt. Dee Baldwin said.



The homicide was reported at about 4:15 p.m., and deputies responded to find Seidlinger dead and two other suffering from serious injuries.



An investigation found two people fired a weapon during the event, and all three people lived at the same address. There are no outstanding suspects, deputies said.



Collins was booked into Santa Cruz County jail Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder after being hospitalized for a gunshot wound and his bail is set at $750,000.



An investigation into the homicide is ongoing.





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.BERKELEY (BCN)



A 21-year-old man was shot and seriously wounded in South Berkeley Friday afternoon, according to Berkeley police.



Officers were called to reports of gunfire near Derby and Grant streets around 1:15 p.m. The callers also reported someone was on the ground, according to Berkeley Police Department Lt. Peter Hong.



When officers arrived, they found a 21-year-old with serious gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the hospital, and Hong said he didn't know what condition the man was in later Friday afternoon.



Nobody had been arrested as of 2:45 p.m., Hong said. He said drivers should avoid the area of Derby and Grant.



Authorities didn't immediately release more information about the shooting.



Five schools in the area - Berkeley High School, Berkeley Technology Academy, Longfellow Middle School, Washington Elementary School and the King Child Development Center - were asked to secure their perimeters, according to Berkeley Unified School District spokesman Charles Burress.



"All sites were able to resume normal operations within about an hour or less," Burress said in a statement.



School officials don't believe students were involved in the shooting, according to Burress.





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.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Two women in their 20s were attacked on San Francisco Municipal Railway buses or trains in separate assaults Thursday, and one of them had to be hospitalized, San Francisco police said Friday.



The first assault was reported around 12:45 p.m. near Mission and Norton streets. A 37-year-old woman kicked and punched a 23-year-old woman, sending her to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to the San Francisco Police Department.



The suspect was arrested.



At 2:50 p.m., a 28-year-old woman on Muni reported that a woman and man attacked her and stole her shoulder bag, purse, laptop, cellphone and ID near Market and Eighth streets. One of the suspects, a 25-year-old woman, was arrested, according to police.



Officer Robert Rueca, a police spokesman, said such incidents are bound to happen in a heavily trafficked public transit system like Muni.



"We have incidents occur on Muni. Some get reported and some result in arrests," Rueca said.



Paul Rose, a spokesman for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said overall, security incidents on Muni have been declining since 2014.



"When things like this occur, we work with the San Francisco Police Department to provide them with any information that we have to help make timely arrests," Rose said.





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.PARIS  Frances yellow vest protesters returned to the streets Saturday to keep up the pressure on President Emmanuel Macrons government and to decry the number of people being injured by police during the anti-government demonstrations.

Multiple protests in Paris and other cities denounced Macrons economic policies, which they view as favoring the rich, for the 12th straight weekend of demonstrations. Most were peaceful.

In Paris, scuffles broke out between some protesters and police around the Republic plaza, northeast of the city center, where hundreds of demonstrators headed on Saturday afternoon. Police managed to disperse most of the crowd.

Some clashes between protesters and police also took place in the southern cities of Bordeaux, Toulouse and Valence.

Thousands of demonstrators in the French capital paid tribute to the yellow vests who have been injured during clashes with police in an effort to unite the movement despite growing divisions. Several competing groups of yellow vests are getting ready to present candidates for the European Parliament election in May, while other figures insist the movement must remain nonpolitical.

The government says around 2,000 people have been injured in protests since the movement began Nov. 17, including at least four serious eye injuries. Separately, 10 people have died in traffic accidents related to yellow vest actions.

Frances Council of State ruled Friday that security forces have a right to use controversial high-velocity rubber bullets for crowd control.

Benjamin Cauchy, a yellow vest spokesman from southern France who came to the Paris protest, called that a regrettable decision. The weapon is extremely harmful, imprecise and in the end is causing more sorrow than security, he told BFM television.

The yellow vests movement was named after the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists must carry.

Sylvie Corbet is an Associated Press writer.Virginias governor acknowledged Friday that he was photographed more than 30 years ago in a costume that was clearly racist and offensive  admitting that he had dressed either as a member of the Ku Klux Klan or in blackface  but resisted calls for his resignation.

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now, Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement Friday evening. This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment.

Northam issued his statement hours after the photograph, which was included on his 1984 medical school yearbook page and appeared alongside other pictures of Northam, became public. Neither person in the black-and-white photograph was identified, and Northam, who was elected Virginias governor in 2017, did not confirm which costume he had worn.

There are more drunks than old doctors in this world so I think Ill have another beer, reads the section of the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook, which also identified Northams undergraduate alma mater as Virginia Military Institute and his medical interest as pediatrics.

The Republican Party of Virginia condemned the photograph before Northam issued his statement.

Racism has no place in Virginia, Jack Wilson, the state party chairman, said in a statement. These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately.

But Virginia Democrats defended Northam and said he should not quit.

The picture was in extremely poor taste, no question about that, but his life since then has been anything but, said Richard Saslaw, the Democratic leader of the state Senate. Hes had a career of helping people of all races.

Saslaw said the governor should obviously apologize but, alluding to the members of the state House and Senate, he added: Which of the 140 of us would want to have revealed what we were doing in our early to mid-20s?

If Northam were to resign, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax would assume the governors office. Fairfax, a Democrat, was the second black person to be elected to statewide office in Virginia.

But in his statement Friday, Northam signaled that he did not intend to leave office.

I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused, he said. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.

Northam was a largely apolitical doctor before being elected to the state Senate in 2007. He voted twice for George W. Bush before running for the Legislature as a Democrat.

Alan Blinder and Jonathan Martin are New York Times writers.Nine men  up from six earlier last week  are being force-fed under court order in a detention center in El Paso, Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

One of the hunger strikers, a 22-year-old man from India who called the Associated Press on Friday, described how he is dragged from his cell three times a day and strapped down on a bed. He said a group of people force-feed him by pouring liquid into tubes pushed through his nose.

The man, whom the Associated Press is identifying only by his last name Singh out of family concerns for his safety, stopped eating more than a month ago. In mid-January, ICE obtained court orders to begin non-consensual hydration and feeding, and so for weeks theyve had nasal tubes inserted in their noses and IVs in their arms.

The Associated Press first reported on the force-feeding Wednesday.

They tie us on the force-feeding bed, and then they put a lot of liquid into the tubes, and the pressure is immense so we end up vomiting it out, said Singh. We cant talk properly, and we cant breathe properly.

Speaking through an interpreter, Singh said he has lost 50 pounds since he began his hunger strike. He said he is refusing food to protest guards unfair treatment of him and other detainees from Punjab. He said they are being denied bond while detainees from other countries were allowed out.

In a statement, ICE said it fully respects the rights of all people to voice their opinion without interference.

ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers. ICE explains the negative health effects of not eating to our detainees. For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike, the agency said.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, visited some of the men after the initial reports, tweeting afterward that their situation is unacceptable.

Human Rights Watch published a dispatch Friday describing force-feeding as cruel, inhuman and degrading.

Hunger strikes among immigrant detainees are uncommon, and court orders authorizing force-feeding are rare, said an ICE official, noting that once force-feeding is approved, detainees have in the past given up their hunger strikes.

Detainees, their attorneys and advocates have said that up to 30 men have been on hunger strikes over the last month. According to ICE, 10 detainees from India and Nicaragua who are being held at the El Paso detention site have refused nine consecutive meals  the immigration agencys benchmark for when to start calling refusal to eat a hunger strike. Four other detainees are on hunger strikes in the agencys Miami, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco areas of responsibility, agency spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said. She did not say whether they were being force-fed.

Garance Burke and Martha Mendoza are Associated Press writers.Facebook sells advertisers on its access to real people  2.27 billion of them, a network that exceeds the populations of North America, South America and Africa combined.

But do that many people really use Facebook?

The answer lies partly in how many of the accounts are fake. The Menlo Park company defines fake accounts as profiles that are either designed to break its rules, for example by spammers or scammers impersonating others, or that are misclassified, such as someone setting up a Facebook profile instead of a Facebook page for a business.

Yet the number of Facebook accounts that fit those descriptions is less clear. While the company discloses its estimates of fake accounts, its figures have fluctuated and are confusing. Even Facebook admits its understanding of the numbers is tenuous.

Duplicate and false accounts are very difficult to measure at our scale, it said in a securities filing in October, and the actual numbers may vary significantly from our estimates.

With Facebook reporting a jump in the number of fake accounts on its site Wednesday, lets dig into what figures it has given before  and why they dont necessarily add up. That has implications for the manipulation and abuse of the platform, as well as the companys business.

First, Facebooks estimates for fake accounts, made in securities filings, have oscillated in recent years.

Facebook cut its estimate of fake accounts significantly in 2016. A year later, it more than quadrupled the estimate. And Wednesday, in small print at the bottom of a slide about earnings, Facebook increased the estimate by 36 percent, to 116 million. So whats going on?

Facebook arrives at its estimates by analyzing a sample of accounts, looking for names that appear to be fake or other behavior that appears inauthentic, the company said in securities filings. We apply significant judgment in making this determination.

Alex Schultz, Facebooks vice president of analytics, said in an interview that its fake account estimates fluctuated in part because periodic attacks can cause spikes in the figures. He added that Facebook had grown in some emerging markets where fake accounts are more prevalent.

For years, investors, analysts and journalists had only Facebooks estimates to judge fake accounts. Last year, Facebook introduced a transparency page, which discloses how many fake accounts it has taken down each quarter. Those figures revealed that the scope was far larger than the estimates in securities filings had suggested.

Lets run through the math on this in more detail. Facebooks new numbers added up to more than 2.8 billion fake accounts taken down in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, or about 7.7 million a day.

Facebook had previously reported that about 3 percent to 4 percent of its active users were fake. According to the new figures, the accounts taken down each quarter were equivalent to 25 to 35 percent of its active users (though those accounts were not counted in Facebooks active-user tallies because they had been removed).

More curious was how Facebooks estimate of active fake accounts barely budged even as the number of accounts it took down each quarter fluctuated widely. For instance, Facebook said it had caught 583 million fake accounts in the first quarter of 2018 and 800 million the next quarter. Yet between those two quarters, it told investors that its active fake accounts had increased by roughly 1 million.

Those numbers suggest either that Facebook happens to be eliminating exactly enough accounts each quarter to keep its active fake-account estimate flat  or that its estimate is more like a guess.

You can use your judgment, said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research who discovered last year that Facebook was claiming it could reach more people in the United States than the Census Bureau said lived in the country. I think there are reasons to be skeptical of the numbers they put forward.

Facebooks figures also imply that over the past year, it has caught and taken down roughly 90 percent of fake accounts that are created on its site  most, it said, within minutes of registration. Facebook said it also stopped millions of fake accounts from registering each day.

Schultz said such a success rate was possible because the vast majority of accounts we take down are from extremely naive adversaries, who typically create automated accounts that are easy to spot.

The smaller number of fake accounts that elude detection are generally manually created accounts.

Schultz added that Facebook was cautious in removing manually created accounts because it didnt want to erase authentic profiles. We dont want to over-enforce, he said. So what we actually focus on is the harmful behavior.

Yet obvious fake accounts that are engaging in harmful behavior slip through. Last year, I found dozens of fake accounts masquerading as the companys founder, Mark Zuckerberg, to scam Facebook users out of cash. Some had been up for years.

Facebook also said the vast majority of fake accounts it removed were ones that it had spotted, rather than ones that users had reported. Of the 2.8 billion fake accounts it took down in the year that ended Sept. 30, Facebook said, it found 99.3 percent on its own.

Those numbers also contradict my experience. Last year, I easily created 11 Facebook accounts that used the same name, occupation and profile photo as my verified account. They remained live for five days, until I reported them to Facebook. Instagram, which Facebook owns, also left up 10 impostor accounts I had created until I reported them; it took down only five, until I alerted a Facebook spokesman.

If an account appears to be impersonating another user but isnt engaged in harmful behavior, Facebook often leaves it up, Schultz said. He said such duplicate accounts could be from people who had lost their password or were confused.

Duplicate accounts are banned under Facebooks rules. But they persist anyway, in even greater numbers than fake accounts, according to the companys estimates, compounding its problem of inauthentic activity.

Facebooks estimates of duplicates have also seesawed, including nearly doubling in 2017. On Wednesday, Facebook increased its count by 20 percent, to 255 million.

Aaron Greenspan, Zuckerbergs Harvard University classmate who now tracks Facebook, issued a report last week questioning how many authentic users Facebook has. Greenspan, who started a site called the Face Book while at Harvard and settled a trademark dispute with Facebook in 2009, said he believed the social network had far more fake accounts than it had disclosed, posing a grave risk to its business.

The fact there are so many unexplained differences and so many gaps, it paints a picture that, when you combine all these factors together, it would indicate theres something going on here that theyre trying to hide, he said.

Schultz said Facebook was doing its best to police inauthentic accounts and be as transparent as possible about how many it believed were still on its site. We disclose it very publicly, in my opinion, he said.

When I asked him how advertisers felt about paying to show ads to fake accounts, Schultz said, What advertisers need to feel comfortable about are the actual results generated by our ad campaigns.

Jack Nicas is a New York Times writer.It felt like a spiritual revival for the homeless, only there was no church. Just a 100 or so street-worn folks bunched excitedly together in a downtown San Francisco meeting hall, a batch of pseudo-counselors to help them, and a lot of happy screaming and pounding music.

Eileen Richardson, the ringleader of this weekly rally, strode to the front of the room, the old rock tune Come On Eileen blasting from the speakers. She soaked in the scene, training her gaze on the seats  one by one  and then got down to it.

Why are you here? she called out. Why are you here?

Richardson, 57, knew the answers. Basically, at least. Theyd come because the Downtown Streets Team nonprofit she created 13 years ago gives them the best hope theyve perhaps ever had to get their lives together and to gain or regain a sense of dignity and purpose.

They do it by starting out with brooms in their hands and a simple concept. Theyd go out to the same streets many of them had slept on the night before and spend a few hours a day cleaning them up for free. Commit to that, and Downtown Streets Teams staff would help them find housing, jobs and the rejuvenating energy that comes from joining a group of struggling people who support each other as they try to move ahead.

In 13 years, Richardsons organization has helped nearly 2,000 people off the streets  people like Bettina Mateo, who was sitting in the fourth row.

Now Playing: VisionSF 2019 Nominee Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Why am I here? said Mateo, 55, her voice shaking. The indignities of years huddled on sidewalks and enduring abusive men and hunger  all of it  were about to spill out, she later acknowledged. But she felt the eyes of the crowd and chose to go philosophical. More upbeat. Just a bit.

Its pretty emotional, Mateo said, choosing every word carefully. Its to bridge the gap between us and them ... the isolating part of being homeless is huge. And Im just now digging out of my hole because of this program.

About VisionSF This is one of six profiles of finalists for The Chronicle's fifth annual Visionary of the Year award. The honor salutes leaders who strive to make the world a better place and drive social and economic change by employing new, innovative business models and practices. The finalists were selected by a nominating committee that included Daniel Lurie, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community; John Diaz, editorial page editor of The Chronicle; London Breed, mayor of San Francisco; Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose; Libby Schaaf, mayor of Oakland; Charlotte Shultz, chief of protocol for the city and county of San Francisco; and George Shultz, former U.S. secretary of state. Chronicle Publisher Bill Nagel, Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper and Diaz will select the winner, which will be announced in late March. See More Collapse

For just a beat, Richardsons face showed a mixture of sympathy and pride. She waved in Mateos direction.

Its incredible, she said. This was my vision. To see you all here flourishing is unreal. Thank you all.

The crowd erupted again and one after another piped up to talk about how Downtown Streets Team helped shepherd them to stability  but most off all, gave them a sense of self-respect. Thats the key principle here at this weekly success meeting at the nonprofits San Francisco headquarters.

Self-respect. By self-initiative.

For this approach and the results it has reaped, Richardson is one of six finalists for The Chronicles Visionary of the Year, an annual recognition of Bay Area leaders whose work improves the world.

The idea of this nonprofit, which hit Richardson like an epiphany, is uncomplicated  give street people something useful to do, give them a chance to feel dignity and respect, love them in a sense of community, and good things will happen. The concept is not new in the homeless service world, but theres something about Richardsons direct approach thats hard to find anywhere else and seems to work phenomenally well on a fundamentally emotional level. Hand people brooms with a smile, and promise to help them get back on their feet.

It starts with accountability, Richardson said.

To get on the team, youve just got to be 18 years old, she said. But to stay on the team, you cant be five minutes late, cant be using (drugs), cant sit around doing nothing.

Its a bit of tough love. But it seems to work.

Richardsons nonprofit has no recruitment arm. Everyone comes in by word of mouth, usually after seeing the cleaning teams, in their signature yellow shirts, doing their thing in the street. The teams accept anyone, though most who participate are homeless, and the only payment is vouchers to stores such as Target, up to $100 a week, depending on how many hours a person puts in with the broom.

The organization was founded in 2005 with an office in Palo Alto and since then has expanded to 12 other cities, from San Jose to San Francisco, and east to Sacramento and Modesto. In all, Downtown Streets has helped 1,800 people stabilize their lives, Richardson said.

You cant expect someone whos been homeless for years to just get up one day and say, Hey, Im going to get a job and get off the street, Richardson said. Youve got to have peers to help you, and thats what we offer. You put on that yellow shirt, and youre a hero  with other heroes, doing a good thing for the community, cleaning up, helping each other.

I think most folks think homeless people just want to panhandle, or lie, or cheat, but theyre dead wrong, she said. They really just want an opportunity to work and get their lives together. No matter if its housing or a job, you need to build dignity and confidence if youre going to really successfully move ahead  and let me tell you, weve seen miracles happen for people when we help them help themselves.

Now Playing: VisionSF 2019 Nominee Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Matteo is just one example. She landed in San Francisco five years ago after a prison stretch for drugs and found just about every door slammed shut because of her conviction. Shed made progress in fits and starts with charity help, but a few months ago she stumbled across the Downtown Streets Team program and asked what they could do.

I was sleeping outside, sometimes at peoples houses, drugs all around and people wanting sex in exchange for everything, and I just cant do all that, she said. Then I came to this place, these people. I was in shock.

Now Im on the team. I need a job, support, community, and this is the place. I will get there with these people. I know it.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who nominated Richardson for the Visionary award, persuaded her to expand to his city in 2011 when San Jose was struggling with burgeoning homeless camps in its creeks and fields.

She asked if we had any money to pay her program, we said no, and she said, OK, well do it anyway, Liccardo said. And let me tell you, that is a unique nonprofit leader. We were eventually able to find some funding and to grow the program, and its really blossomed in the city.

What theyve done by providing people with a pathway to employment has been nothing short of miraculous.

Its been a long road from Richardsons childhood in the small village of Greenwood Lake, N.Y., population 3,000, where the family struggled to put food on the table after her father became disabled. Growing up that way gave her a passion for social justice. At 9 years old, she wrote to President Richard Nixon asking him why he was sending people to the moon on space expeditions when there were people hungry in America.

After secretarial school and college, she wound up working as a venture capitalist and became the first CEO of Napster, the pioneering music-sharing online site. Taking a break from the business whirl in 2004, she volunteered at the Palo Alto Food Closet, which feeds the homeless and other poor people. The altruism bug bit her.

Venture capital is not boring, but at some point it was just more deals and dollars, Richardson said. It got to the point where, when Im sitting with another venture guy showing me his Mercedes and how he can push buttons and it does fancy things, Im thinking, My God, I have to do something thats real.

While volunteering with the food pantry, this idea started circulating that cleaning up Palo Altos streets would be a good thing to do, she said. Wed just done a survey of business owners, and their big issues were homelessness and cleanliness. So I thought, Why not start doing that, and do it in a way that helps people help themselves?

Thirteen years later, her nonprofit has a budget of $8 million and 65 employees, including her son, Chris Richardson, who is now chief program officer. In San Francisco alone, the groups teams removed 483,084 pounds of trash and 21,712 discarded syringes last year.

This place saved me, and the important thing you really find here is that if you want something, you have to go out and get it, make it happen, J.T. Torres, 42, said as he stood near the coffeepots with Richardson at the recent weekly meeting.

Torres came to Northern California a couple of years ago to visit family after being hit by a train in Florida and losing part of his right leg. After moving to San Francisco to find a job and housing, his money ran out, he landed in a shelter, and he was right at the bottom when I met these guys, he said.

Cleaning and finding a similarly ambitious homeless community fired Torres up, and he now has a restaurant job and an apartment. He is also a team leader at Downtown Streets.

I live on the six Ps  Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance, Torres said. Turning to Richardson, he suddenly choked up. Thank you, he stammered, and hugged her.

Richardsons eyes filled with tears. No, thank you, she whispered.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChronHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted President Trumps suspension of a 32-year-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia on Friday as dangerous and irresponsible, and warned it could prompt a new arms race.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is suspending its participation in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty because Russia is placing missiles closer to Europe than the pact allows.

Pompeo said that if Russia isnt abiding by the treaty, then neither will the U.S., starting a six-month countdown until the agreement officially ends.

Countries must be held accountable when they break the rules, Pompeo said.

NATO supported the move. But Pelosi, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee before she became speaker for the first time a dozen years ago, said the administration should have tried to work through its differences with Russia before moving to kill the treaty.

What the administration is proposing and what the secretary announced is very dangerous, Pelosi told The Chronicle in an interview for the Its All Political podcast. It is so irresponsible, it goes beyond the pale.

Pelosi added, If you have a concern about how Russia is honoring it or they have a concern about how we are honoring it, lets sit down at the table and discuss that. But to throw it out like that is a gift to Vladimir Putin.

Pelosis fear is that, freed of having to even appear to abide by the treaty, Putin will embark on an arms race in which Russia will put missiles even closer to NATO nations.

The San Francisco Democrat has frequently criticized Trump for what she views as his overly friendly attitude toward Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies concluded worked to swing the 2016 election in his favor. Independent counsel Robert Muellers investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia is approaching the end of its second year.

Pelosi compared Fridays announcement to Trumps earlier musings about pulling out of NATO, the alliance that was created more than 70 years ago to counter the then-Soviet Union.

What do the Russians have on the president politically, financially or personally that he is their handmaiden? Pelosi said.

She also expressed concern about Fridays move in light of a U.S. intelligence threat assessment that Russia and China are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s. The assessment said Russia and China are growing stronger across all domains, including in their quest for technological and military superiority.

Pelosi said she is concerned that Trump is ignoring what intelligence agencies are reporting about Russia and other U.S. adversaries.

He doesnt understand that intelligence is evidence-based, Pelosi said. He lives in a fact-free zone, and thats the atmosphere that hes comfortable in. He doesnt have to know the facts, so he doesnt have to act upon them.

Asked by reporters at the White House about Pelosis concerns about an arms race, Trump said, Honestly, I dont think she has a clue, I really dont. I dont think Nancy has a clue. She doesnt know and I wish she did because shes running this country so badly. Its all rhetorical and not delivered well.

Shes hurting our country very, very badly, even with statements like that, Trump said.

It was one of the more personal attacks that Trump has made against Pelosi since she returned to the speakers job last month. The two remain at loggerheads over security on the nations southern border. Trump wants $5.7 billion for a wall that Pelosi has labeled immoral and refuses to fund.

Trump told the New York Times in an interview posted late Thursday that if she doesnt approve a wall, congressional negotiations about border security are just a waste of money and time and energy.

Having failed to get Democrats to give him money for a wall during the 35-day partial shutdown of the government, Trump is now broadly hinting that hell try to secure funding by declaring a national emergency on the southern border.

Pelosi told The Chronicle that the presidents comments were classic Trump ... by projecting his own shortcomings in terms of this wall discussion onto me.

The presidents comments are par for the course for him. He always projects onto other people what he knows he is guilty of himself, she said. He knows hes being totally irresponsible in all of this, but what is he going to say except the other side is?

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoliCriticism (including from The Chronicle) rained down on President Trump when he turned on his spies by ridiculing the annual worldwide threat assessment. The criticism has merit, but there is a problem: Its hard to weigh the importance of a threat to Americas interests when we dont know exactly what those interests are. The assessment uses the word interests but doesnt really define them.

For example, the assessment notes that Irans support of the Houthis in Yemen threatens U.S. interests, which would explain why the U.S. has participated in a Saudi blockade and bombing campaign that has resulted in famine sweeping Yemen. But the interest? President Trump offered an economic one to explain why he wouldnt halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia: I think that would be hurting us. We have jobs.

China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and the Islamic State certainly bear watching. But Americans should know more about why those threats might require U.S. treasure and troops.

Lois Kazakoff, deputy editorial page editor

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.In the midst of the Trump administrations heated effort to prevent Huawei, Chinas leading telecommunications firm, from gaining a global advantage in the race to build the next generation of computer and phone networks, the Justice Department has issued criminal charges against Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou.

The synchronicity of these two stories has put our international allies in a tough spot.

Have the charges been influenced by Washingtons worries about losing economic dominance? Should these nations risk their own relationships with Beijing to find out?

Federal law enforcement officials would argue for the independence of their work.

They said it took years of painstaking investigative work to create the two indictments, which were partially unsealed on Jan. 28. The 13 charges contained within are comprehensive and serious: They include Huaweis alleged theft of trade secrets, its conspiracy to defraud the United States, and its evasion of economic sanctions on Iran. Theyre partially based on internal memos from Meng that prosecutors say link her to a scheme to evade Iran sanctions.

Both sets of charges expose Huaweis brazen and persistent actions to exploit American companies and financial institutions and to threaten the free and fair global marketplace, said FBI Director Christopher Wray at a Justice Department news conference to announce the charges.

Even before announcing these charges, the U.S. requested Canada detain Meng. Since last year, shes been under house arrest at one of her two properties in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The United States is seeking to extradite her, a request that has infuriated the Chinese government. In what appears to be thinly veiled political retaliation, China has already arrested two Canadians and sentenced a third to death.

Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau, now faces a difficult political choice about whether or not to extradite Meng.

What will make his decision more difficult is the fact that the Trump administration has embarked on a determined campaign to squash Huaweis economic success in critical global telecommunications work.

Countries around the world are gearing up for the fifth generation, known as 5G, of computer and phone networks. The new network is expected to be a major leap in terms of connectivity, allowing industries and entire cities to plug in the robots, autonomous vehicles and AI devices expected to power the future.

Trump officials have suggested to Poland that the protective presence of U.S. troops could depend on its decision whether or not to hire Huawei to build its 5G network. Theyve also pressured Britain and Germany to ban Huawei, claiming a security threat to the NATO alliance.

At least some of the Trump administrations concern is well-placed.

The country that controls the majority of the worlds 5G network will also control vast amounts of the worlds data and intelligence. If its Huawei, then the possibility exists that it will change or reroute information  without users knowledge or ability to stop it  at the request of the companys officials or the Chinese government. (Chinese law requires Chinese companies to support the countrys national intelligence work.)

Still, the Trump administration needs to tread carefully. Even if it successfully pressures our European allies not to work with Huawei, the company will still run the networks of a substantial portion of the world.

One way or another, European nations will have to cooperate with Huaweis networks  and so will the U.S.

Instead of bullying our allies over Huawei, the Trump administration needs to make a positive argument for why American telecommunications firms offer more security and safety for the worlds 5G grid. The independence from government interference that U.S. firms enjoy would be an excellent starting argument.Its a special kind of company that requires the sustained attention of not one but two federal courts. Last week, as the financial wreckage of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was being examined in one corner of a San Francisco courthouse, its criminal recidivism was under scrutiny in another. The dueling judicial reckonings reflect the depth of PG&Es mismanagement and malfeasance.

The day after PG&Es bankruptcy proceedings began, U.S. District Judge William Alsup found the benighted utility had violated the terms of its probation for the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion by failing to disclose its potential culpability in one of a series of recent fires started by its power lines. Alsup, who may order PG&E to undertake sweeping new fire precautions, has become a voice of justified outrage at the trail of death and destruction left by the company.

To my mind, theres a very clear-cut pattern here that PG&E is starting these fires, Alsup said Wednesday. What do we do? Does the judge just turn a blind eye and say, PG&E, continue your business as usual. Kill more people by starting more fires?

Alsup doubted PG&Es insistence that safety is its top priority and wondered whether, after two years of catastrophic wildfires, the next season would see some other town burned down because you didnt turn the power off or you didnt cut the trees.

The judges rebuke was unsparing enough that a PG&E lawyer felt compelled to acknowledge that the company has a credibility problem. But the utility predictably resisted the judges proposed remedy, saying its already-premium rates wont cover such measures.

The probation proceedings are a useful complement to the bankruptcy case, which risks becoming yet another way for the company to dodge responsibility  a PG&E specialty. With last years Camp Fire, the most deadly and destructive in state history, among those still under investigation, the company sought bankruptcy protection well before its liabilities are known, and its market value remains relatively high. Wildfire victims, who fear PG&E will use bankruptcy to escape their claims, are among those objecting.

While PG&E has cast the fires as a consequence of climate change, which certainly contributes to the danger, utilities can prevent fires through such precautions as trimming vegetation and, in times of high fire risk, shutting off power. PG&E has often taken credit for reducing fossil fuel use in response to climate change, but the well-documented risks of global warming also should have increased the urgency of fire safety measures.

Pivotal as they are, the court proceedings cant fully address a larger problem for the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom: that PG&E and its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, have fallen woefully short of the need for sustainable, reliable, affordable and, above all, safe power. Beyond emerging from financial and criminal jeopardy, PG&E, or whatever succeeds it, must meet that now-distant standard.

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 Trump administration has issued a final rule that will significantly alter the nations H-1B visa program, one of the technology industrys primary channels for hiring skilled workers from abroad. In some ways, the changes will simplify a program thats brought headaches to both employers and employees. In other ways, it could dramatically impact the immigration plans of talented foreigners who want to contribute to the U.S.

The final rule makes two big changes to the lottery system for the visa program.

The first is a simplified application system for employers. Right now, employers must submit a complete application for each foreign applicant theyre hoping to hire, then wait for lottery results.

Once this portion of the rule change has been enacted, employers will register their petitions online before the lottery. Theyll only submit completed applications for the applicants who are selected.

This is expected to save money for foreign workers and their employers (who often hire immigration attorneys to prepare petitions at great expense) as well as the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that an aggregate cost savings will range from $43.4 million to $62.7 million annually.

The second change, which will tilt the lottery system toward highly educated applicants, will have more complicated and controversial effects.

The H-1B visa requires applicants to possess at least a bachelors degree. The current lottery reserves 20,000 slots for applicants with a masters degree or more and opens the remaining 65,000 visas to all applicants who qualify.

The Trump administrations new rule will reverse this order. As a result, its expecting an increase of about 16 percent in the number of visa holders with advanced degrees.

The change is a way to undercut foreign technology staffing companies, which have been accused of clogging the lottery with applications for entry-level software workers. Three Indian firms  Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro  have in recent years accounted for the majority of H-1B applications.

Its also a way to acknowledge the restive Americans who elected President Trump. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump claimed there was rampant, widespread H-1B abuse.

This is a long-standing criticism thats been reflected in many high-profile cases. A recent example is Cloudwick Technologies, a Newark business services company. Last year it was accused by federal officials of failing to pay several foreign workers the salary required by law.

Despite many valid criticisms of the H-1B program, the Trump administration must tread carefully.

Historically, the technology industry has been open to both Americans and foreigners without graduate degrees. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both college dropouts, are famous examples in the former category, and Pierre Omidyar, who was born in Paris to Iranian parents, created eBay with just a bachelors degree.

Good companies recognize exceptional qualifications that go beyond education.

Its also concerning that smaller companies are likely to lose more from this switch than large technology firms with more means and resources.

Innovation exists at all business sizes. Well be worse off as a nation with an H-1B visa program that discourages talented foreign workers from building something new.

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.A worrisome rise in the number of cases of measles in Washington prompted that states governor to declare a state of emergency on Jan. 25. Even though California has enacted a tough new law that has pushed up vaccination rates here to about 95 percent, doctors remain worried. Why? Because a group of parents appear to be paying for medical exemptions from vaccination, creating geographical hot spots where vaccination rates dip low enough to risk resurgence of life-threatening and preventable disease.

And its not a random subset; white, wealthy people are behind the trend that threatens everyone.

From 2007 to 2013, the number of personal belief exemptions to the requirement that children receive vaccines prior to starting school doubled in California. That uptick owes to a social movement of vaccine opposition, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine. Our analysis of publicly available data from the 2015-16 school year shows these exemptions were claimed at higher rates in higher-income communities with primarily white residents, including a nearly 30-fold difference between the least white 10 percent of public schools and the whitest one.

Medical exemptions, however, had remained rare and steady over time: 0.3 percent of students in the whitest schools, compared with 0.06 percent of those in the least, and 0.3 percent for the richest versus 0.05 percent for the poorest (as ascertained from federal free and reduced-price meal eligibility).

After Senate Bill 277 eliminated personal belief exemptions, the rate of medical exemptions increased to 4 percent (in the whitest) and to 2.1 percent (in the wealthiest) student bodies. Students in the whitest schools are now claiming medical exemptions nearly 20 times as frequently as those in the least white.

Students who always qualified perhaps used the personal belief process in the past because it was less cumbersome than establishing a medical exemption. But the two most common medical barriers to vaccination are allergy to vaccine components (gelatin, for example) and immunodeficiency. Since research indicates that nonwhite, poorer Americans tend to be more allergic and have weaker immune systems, wealthy white children are, if anything, less likely to require a medical exemption.

They are, however, more likely to have their medical conditions identified. Yet the difference in access to care can only explain the slight imbalance in the pre-SB277 medical exemption numbers, not the current disparity.

That leaves only one logical cause. Hotez said a very tiny percentage of the population suffers from qualifying medical conditions, less than 1 percent, which is far from the current medical exemption rate of 19 percent in Nevada City (Nevada County). In his words, the numbers would suggest there are physicians who are gaming the system, in a sense, and creating medical indications for which there arent any.

Catherine Flores Martin, director of the California Immunization Coalition, which works to maintain full immunization protection, put it bluntly by email: It is clear that some families are obtaining medical exemptions for a fee.

A study published in the November 2018 issue of Pediatrics listed among the conditions cited by these doctors not an individuals allergies or autoimmune disorders, but a family history of such, a contraindication not recognized by the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Does it really matter though, because vaccine-hesitant parents tend to live in enclaves and statewide vaccination rates are high? Yes.

Take, for example, adjoining small cities in Sonoma County. Sebastopol, where only 26 percent of public school kindergartners were eligible for free or reduced-price meals, had not a single medical exemption in 2015. In 2017, however, 15 percent claimed a medical exemption, nearly all from the two public schools in town with more than 80 percent of students identifying as white.

Just to the southeast are Cotati and Rohnert Park, areas which are significantly less white and affluent. On their own, they have a 94 percent up-to-date-vaccination rate. The region in which all three communities are situated, however, now has a rate of 86 percent, below the 95 percent required to make the chance of an infected person encountering a susceptible individual (say, a newborn or chemotherapy recipient) low enough to prevent an outbreak.

The fact that exemptions deemed fraudulent by Dr. Richard Pan, co-sponsor of SB277, are increasingly being issued is cause for concern. Unnecessary risk is being imposed by an ethnically and economically privileged group upon the population as a whole.

Dr. Bob Sears, an Orange County pediatrician who once lobbied against SB277, was placed on probation in July by the Medical Board of California in association with an allegation regarding an insufficiently substantiated medical exemption. Hotez said that should continue: Physicians who are giving out medical exemptions for not truly medical reasons need to be reprimanded.

Pan has pointed to West Virginia, where every exemption is reviewed by a public health official. The California Legislature could establish something similar or clarify which medical conditions qualify. Or a certain percentage of exemptions in a given school or county could trigger a state audit.

Creating a system to ensure that medical exemptions are scientifically justified isnt just a public safety issue. Its also imperative for ensuring that white privilege isnt given the imprimatur of the medical establishment, using it to sidestep democratically enacted law.

Gail Cornwall is a freelance writer in San Francisco. Dylan Chan is a pediatric otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) at UCSF. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.The Perennial, San Franciscos 3-year-old restaurant with a distinct eco-friendly mission, will close on Feb. 9.

According to owners Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz, saying goodbye to the Mid-Market restaurant will enable them to serve as more effective advocates in promoting a renewable food system. Even though the restaurant will close its doors, the couple still plan to pursue the restaurants mission via its nonprofit sister organization, the Perennial Farming Initiative.

The restaurant business is a lot of work. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to trim down the items on my to do list and it just made more sense to go this way, says Leibowitz. We can do a lot more if we focus more on communicating, consulting and advocacy.

When the Perennial opened in 2016, it was hailed as a restaurant of the future, inspired to address climate change through food with a mission to become a zero-footprint restaurant, thanks in large part to the involvement of Zero Food Print.

Now, it will be going the way of other grandiose Mid-Market projects, like Bon Marche Brasserie and Cadence, both of which shuttered in 2016.

The couple remain partners in the New York and San Francisco outposts of Mission Chinese Food, and Myint has also been consulting with Danish brewer Mikkeller on Vesterbro Chinese Food in Copenhagen. Part of Myints collaboration is dependent on the brewerys commitment for all of its restaurants  including the original SF location  to go carbon neutral.

No word yet on what business might take over the Ninth Street space.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

The Perennial, 59 Ninth St., S.F. www.theperennialsf.com

Sarah Fritsche is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sfritsche@sfchronicle.com. Twitter/Instagram: @foodcentricA Sonoma State University fraternity has been banned for five years after university investigators confirmed allegations of hazing during a fraternity event, officials said Friday.

The Tau-Beta Sonoma State chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon, a 120-year-old international fraternity founded in Bloomington Illinois, was banned effective Friday after university officials learned on Nov. 20 of hazing allegations in the form of paddling and intimidation during at least one of the fraternitys informal chapter events.

Officials with the universitys student conduct office and the Tau Kappa Epsilon International office conducted a joint investigation and confirmed the allegations, according to a statement from Sonoma State University.

University officials did not provide details of the allegations, but said the conduct was in violation of the Sonoma State University Student Code.

The actions of one chapter greatly impacts the positive work of the other 1,500-plus fraternity and sorority members on SSUs campus, said Ryan Jasen Henne, the university dean of students. Sonoma State takes pride in being a leader in higher education that supports student success, and we simply will not tolerate blatant violations of our Student Code.

The suspension means the fraternity is prohibited from participating in any campus activities, until Jan. 31, 2024, said Paul Gullixson, the associate vice president of the universitys Strategic Communications office.

The suspension by the international TKE office also means that no organization on campus or off campus will be able to claim they are part of TKE, Gullixson said.

Unlike at other universities, at Sonoma State, fraternities and sororities do not have established homes on or near Sonoma State University, Gullixson said.

Members of the Sonoma State chapter and its international fraternity office could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

There are currently 63 members of the Sonoma State TKE chapter and 532 lifetime members of the chapter, according to the chapters website.

Tau Kappa Epsilons mission is to aid men in their mental, moral and social development for life, according to the international organization website.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavorSACRAMENTO  Seeking to recast the priorities of PG&Es bankruptcy case, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday requested representation for wildfire victims, utility employees and customers in the proceedings.

In a letter to the federal trustee overseeing the bankruptcy, an attorney for the Newsom administration urged that these constituencies have a strong voice from the very outset through the creation of one or more committees for unsecured creditors.

These individual victims should not be left to fend for themselves in a creditor class outnumbered by sophisticated and deep-pocketed financial institutions and insurance companies, wrote Nancy A. Mitchell, a New York partner with the OMelveny law firm.

A creditors committee could participate in negotiating a restructuring plan for PG&E Corp., which along with its Pacific Gas & Electric Co. subsidiary filed for bankruptcy protection early Tuesday. The company is facing billions of dollars in potential liability from two consecutive seasons of deadly wildfires.

Mitchell noted in her letter that customers did not have a voice in Pacific Gas & Electrics 2001 bankruptcy case. The federal trustee at the time took the unusual step of creating a ratepayers committee to probe the companys finances and the need for rate increases. That committee was to be a full party in the proceedings, along with the utility and a group of its largest creditors. The bankruptcy court vacated the committees appointment, saying that ratepayers were not credi tors.

Newsom, in a statement, said he was looking out for the interests of the state.

These groups dont have the resources of many of PG&Es Wall Street creditors, but they will be directly impacted by the bankruptcys results and deserve to have substantial representation in bankruptcy court, he said.

PG&E said it appreciated the concerns voiced by the Governors Office. Throughout this process, we are fully committed to working together with our customers and employees, enhancing our wildfire safety efforts, and helping restoration and rebuilding efforts across the communities impacted by the devastating wildfires of recent years.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Among those who asked Newsom to send the letter was Up From the Ashes, a coalition that advocates for fire victims.

Patrick McCallum, a lobbyist who leads the group, said he wants the bankruptcy court to create a distinct committee just for fire victims and a dedicated fund to go with it. McCallum lost his own Santa Rosa home in the Tubbs Fire, which state investigators recently said was not caused by PG&E.

We have an opportunity to prioritize victims within the bankruptcy proceedings, he said. Were arguing they should be treated separately and quickly.

Chronicle staff writer J.D. Morris contributed to this report.

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseffAfter a long career in creative and marketing roles at companies like Nike and Disney, Dennis Green opened a furniture store in San Franciscos Presidio Heights.

The 70-year-old named his shop Karl the Store, after the famous San Francisco fog, where he sells midcentury modern pieces in an 800-square-foot space with rent that is, unsurprisingly, stupid high. Greens shop is part of a recent trend in the Bay Area, where furniture stores appear to be a bright spot in a troubled brick-and-mortar retail landscape.

Like many businesses, Karl the Store, which opened its doors in 2017, is listed and reviewed on Yelp. The business search service said in a new report that furniture store openings in San Francisco and San Mateo counties were up by 10 percent in the last three months of 2018 compared with the quarter before. The two-county area counted 262 furniture stores as of the last three months of the year.

The finding was part of the business search services new economic measure called the Yelp Economic Average that was released this week. It looked at Yelps data on millions of businesses, plus consumer demand from its more than 100 million mobile users.

The local uptick in furniture stores, which bucks regional and national physical storefront trends, did not raise eyebrows for some retail experts.

The population here has increased over the last few years, and people are willing to spend money on how they furnish their homes, said retail consultant Helen Bulwik, owner of Pacific Art Group in Oakland.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

While many have fled the area largely due to high costs, others have moved in. The U.S. Census Bureau last year estimated that 46,000 people moved out of the 12-county region that includes the Bay Area, but 58,000 moved in (from July 2016 to July 2017). And when new residents move in, they often need furniture.

Across the bay in Oaklands Jack London Square, Francisco Pena started his vintage furniture shop, Narrative, with two business partners in 2016.

He said the uptick in new residents and housing has been helpful to his business, where he sees 100 to 150 people a day.

Kris Dunning, retail analyst with Moss Adams, said furniture is something people are willing to shop for in person rather than buy online.

If youre wanting pieces to suit your personality, actual stores offer a reason for people to go in, he said.

Yelp did not detail which types of furniture stores  large or small, boutiques or chain stores  saw the most growth.

But having a niche market with a small brick-and-mortar space helps in a place like San Francisco, with its high rents  at least one factor thats contributed to numerous retail vacancies in the city.

Bulwik said having furniture stores that target specific tastes and that are located close to wealthy customers is key. The Bay Area has wealthy residents that can splurge on contemporary pieces, she said.

Green of Karl the Store caters to customers interested in trendy midcentury pieces, like chairs that sell for between $1,540 and $11,550. (He declined to comment on how much he pays for rent except to say its high.)

The San Francisco and San Mateo area in the Yelp report ranked 26th out of the top 50 areas looked at in terms of business and consumer activity during the last three months of 2018. Other categories that saw growth: car washes and chicken wing shops.

Yelp looked at eight core business categories, including restaurants, nightlife, local services, automotive, professional, home services and shopping. The report also found that the U.S. may be close to a downturn in the economy based on slumps across categories.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

We can give a well-rounded view of the economy using the data we have on businesses and consumer sentiment, said Carl Bialik, the data scientist who led the research at Yelp. These two areas, small businesses and consumer feedback, arent normally taken into account in many other economic measures, and thats where we come in.

The company said that its new economic indicator is, a measure of the Yelp economy, which underpins the local economy.

Researchers at Harvard Business School released a study last year that examined Yelps effectiveness at predicting local economic change. The study said that using Yelp to understand the local economy makes more sense in rich coastal cities with large populations.

Yelp is likely to be more accurate when population densities are higher and when Yelp use is more frequent, the study stated.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanikaSen. Kamala Harris Rolls-Royce rollout of her presidential run quickly shot her to the front of the Democratic pack, and with it all the troubles that come with being seen as a front-runner.

The first misstep came during her televised town meeting in Iowa. She was terrific for the first three-quarters of the show, connecting with the audience both in the hall and those of us at home.

In the final quarter, however, her focus seemed to fade  and thats when she stepped in it, flippantly dismissing the concerns of people who like their private health insurance and arent enthusiastic about replacing it with government-run Medicare for All.

Her lets move on line sounded a lot like, Get over it. It was a slip that instantly went national.

And I must admit, I was no help to Harris on the national front.

Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what? I thought that little item would put the issue to rest.

Not quite.

Six months ago, it would have been just a chuckle among us locals. Harris emergence at the front of the presidential pack turned it into something that pundits from here to the Beltway parsed from every angle.

Did I say that besides me helping her, she helped me? I honestly dont think I would have made it through my first grueling run for mayor without her smarts and support.

She loved me, and I loved me. It was a perfect relationship.

Now shes happily married to a great guy. And if she gets elected, Ill probably have to leave the country.

No one smarter: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the envy of every politician in America.

She took on the most powerful person on the planet and humbled him.

Pelosi is also the most disciplined politician in America. She had the grace and smarts not to rub President Trumps face in it when she beat him on the shutdown without having to deliver money for his wall.

She gave him the space to pull himself back together as Congress talks about border security measures, but make no mistake  not one shiny dime for the wall is going to roll through her House.

Waiting for Joe: The rollout of Democratic presidential contenders continues, with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker the latest to enter the race. By my count, he makes 10, with more to come.

After the initial buzz, its all about the money and who can keep it rolling in. It wont be easy. All the big Democratic donors I know are holding back to see whether former Vice President Joe Biden is running.

Biden is playing it smart so far. Hes saying as little as possible, and with good reason. There is nothing worse for a candidate than becoming overexposed.

Plus Biden, for all his folksy charm, has a history of putting his foot in his mouth. He needs to stay low until the last possible moment.

And he can.

Biden doesnt need a big rollout. Hes been silently rolling it out for the past decade.

You cant beat City Hall: Mayor London Breed gave a great State of the City address at the National LGBTQ Center for the Arts in the Mission, but my hope is that next year she will bring it back to City Hall.

Moving the speech out of City Hall started with former Mayor Gavin Newsom. The idea was to engage with the community.

For my money, the best way to engage with the community is to do it in City Hall. Its something positive in a building that people generally associate with paying taxes or fighting for a permit.

Give them a chance to celebrate the building. Host a meet and greet after the speech, where everyone can take a photo.

Who knows  you might even pick up a couple of votes.

A steal of a deal: Not everyone is shunning brick-and-mortar stores for the online world. Shoplifters in particular find the downtown bargains irresistible.

A couple of retail representatives told me how blatant the thieves have become. I can only repeat it on the condition that I dont name the store they represent, but take it from me  chances are youve shopped there for years.

You wouldnt believe it, but there are people who go into the store, pick out a full set of clothes, go into a dressing room, change into the new set and just walk out, one rep said.

And this is with security cameras clocking their every move.

So why dont you stop them? I asked.

Cant. The policy is not to confront anyone in the store. You have to wait until they leave the premises, when it becomes a theft.

And then?

Security stops them and waits for the cops. But even if the cops come, if the theft is under $950, they just hand them a citation.

The other rep said, We even had one case of a guy going out of the store with a full rack of clothes. A full rack!

Its one of the reasons just about every downtown store, big and small, has a security guard at the door.

Although, from the sound of things, even this security is pretty much window dressing.

Meanwhile, staffing at the bigger stores continues to be cut, and Amazon has opened two app-driven downtown outlets that dont even have salespeople.

What a future we are living in.

Movie time: The Upside. The title says it all, because there is no downside to this story about a wealthy quadriplegic who hires a parolee as his caretaker.

Great performances by Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston, both playing lovable losers. Its a non-syrupy, no-crime, no-violence, great-dialogue, entertaining movie. Catch it before it leaves town. It was not highly promoted, but it should have been.

How cold is it? I got a call from a friend in Chicago the other day who told me, Its so cold here that politicians are having to put their hands in their own pockets.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.comLike most native San Franciscans, London Breed is an optimist. We were born in the greatest city in the world. San Franciscans can do anything.

Now she is the mayor, and her first State of the City address last week was upbeat about solving the citys problems  the homeless crisis, the drug problems, the housing crunch. For too long now, she said, our city has been the subject of negative media attention, national stories claiming San Francisco has lost its way, how our streets are dangerous slums, our housing unobtainable, how tech workers and locals battle for our citys soul.

There are elements of truth in these stories, she said, but the city is not ready to give up. This is San Francisco, the mayor said, We dont throw up our hands. We take to our feet. We dont wait for guidance. We light the way. This is the City That Knows How.

She outlined plans to help solve the homeless problem, she promised more affordable housing, said she would appoint a reformer as director of mental health who would coordinate mental health care. And she offered solutions to several other city problems.

San Franciscans are born optimists, but you know, weve heard that song before. I remember interviewing Art Agnos in the mayors office as he explained his own complicated solution to the homeless crisis. He was optimistic too, even though homeless folks were camped in Civic Center, almost outside the mayors office window. That was 27 years and six mayors ago.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Every mayor since Agnos has promised to help solve the citys problems. And you know what? Theyve gotten worse. Just last week, The Chronicle reported that drug addicts outnumbered high school students in San Francisco. That sounds bad, but high school-age kids are not important here. San Francisco has more dogs than children. Why? Families cant afford to live here. Too expensive.

A fixer-upper in a good neighborhood costs just south of a million dollars. Nobody even blinks when a new house on Bernal Heights sells for $3.8 million and an old one that has been modernized goes on the market for $3 million.

And just down the street from the $3 million house is a doorway where a homeless man sleeps most nights. Hes been there since last summer.

Thats typical of San Francisco  a $3 million home up the street from a man with no home.

Ive been all over the city in the past weeks  by taxi, by Uber, by Muni bus and by walking. Im amazed by the citys beauty, and vibrancy.

Ive been to the Ferry Building several times, impressed every time by how this classic old building has come back to life and become a showpiece of what San Francisco can do when it sets its mind to do something.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Its a city like nowhere else, a city that wins and loses at the same time. A beautiful mess.

On the way to the Ferry Building the other afternoon, I passed a woman at the foot of the stairs leading to the Embarcadero Muni and BART stations. She had an infant with her and a sign: Please Help. People streamed by. They didnt give her a look. This is a cold city. And poorly run, too.

Drive down Van Ness Avenue, where the street has been torn up for years. Heavy construction equipment has been parked in front of businesses all day, all night, for months. All this to build a bus lane that will shave minutes off a transit trip. Years of slow work to save minutes. Only in San Francisco.

Or check the construction scene around Union Square and in Chinatown because of the Central Subway project. Saturday is the ninth anniversary of that great day when ground was broken on this project. It has taken more time to build this 1.7-mile-long rail line than it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge. The subway is years behind schedule and millions over budget. Welcome to the City That Knows How.

I was riding the Mission Street bus the day Breed gave her uplifting speech. The bus was new but very crowded. People were coughing, too, so I thought Id switch to BART. The escalator at the 24th Street station was broken. Again.

When the BART train came, I got on a car that looked nearly empty. The reason: a man on there, dazed looking, half asleep. And he stank. He was foul. That happens all the time; it happened the next day, too, this time on a Muni bus.

The other passengers held their noses, shrugged. They get it. They live in a city that seems to be out of control.

Breed doesnt run BART, of course. But the president of the BART board is Bevan Dufty. Hes been recycled. Dufty was a great success as head of the citys office of homeless services.

Remember the movie Groundhog Day? It was about a man who kept living the same day over and over. Sounds like San Francisco.

We have to wish Mayor Breed all the luck in the world. Especially the part where she said, No more excuses. No more status quo.

Carl Noltes column appears Sundays. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesfThe winter rains have caused the biggest surge of coho salmon in a dozen years in the celebrated spawning grounds of western Marin County, one of Californias last great strongholds for the embattled pink fish.

At least 648 coho this winter made their way against the current up meandering, forested Lagunitas Creek and its many tributaries on the northwestern side of Mount Tamalpais, according to a new census by biologists.

The coho run is the largest in the North Bay since the winter of 2006-07 and well above the long-term average of about 500 fish. Its the sixth-largest run since systematic surveys began in 1996.

The surge of salmon is being credited to habitat restoration efforts for the endangered fish.

Many organizations and individuals have worked tirelessly for years to improve fish habitat in the creeks of Marin County, and its gratifying to see so many salmon returning to those creeks, said Eric Ettlinger, an aquatic ecologist for the Marin Municipal Water District, which conducted the count with Watershed Stewards Program, National Park Service and the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network.

After looking at where the population was just a few years ago Im actually quite happy that its grown so much, he said.

The Lagunitas Creek migration is the largest run of wild coho between Humboldt and Monterey counties  most other river systems contain hatchery-raised fish  and one of the most remarkable. The fish swim 33 miles from the ocean into Tomales Bay and through the redwood- and oak-studded San Geronimo Valley, where half their spawning grounds are in developed areas, including the towns of Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, San Geronimo and Woodacre.

Now Playing: Eric Ettlinger leads a tour of the Lagunitas Creek watershed, which had it's best run of coho in 12 years. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

The fish, which can reach lengths of 35 inches and weights up to 36 pounds, swim through peoples backyards, lay eggs and die. Their progeny migrate to the ocean to become adults, returning to the watershed  which includes Devils Gulch, Lagunitas, San Geronimo, Nicasio and Olema creeks  at age 3 to repeat the cycle.

The number of coho spawning this year is a 10 percent improvement over their parents generation three years ago and a 30 percent gain since their grandparents spawned, Ettlinger said. Generational improvements like this are what conservationists want to see, especially in a species that has long been in decline along the West Coast.

But the coho are far from being out of danger, as a half-eaten carcass in the gravel made clear to Ettlinger recently during a survey of Devils Gulch Creek. The bite marks were from a river otter, one of a half dozen that frequent the watershed.

It looks like this otter ate the heart and internal organs and left the rest, Ettlinger said, as he cut off the head with a knife and dug into the bone and tissues, which he would later send to a laboratory for analysis.

River otters wouldnt be a problem for a healthy population, but they can do real damage to a small population.

Sea lions and other ocean predators are among the many obstacles facing coho, which are also known as silver salmon.

At least 10,000 coho once swam through the picturesque valley and bred in tributaries that snaked all the way up the side of Mount Tamalpais. Silvers, chinook and other salmonids were once so plentiful that, legend has it, old-timers living along the creek used to spear them from decks overlooking the creek.

The fish continued to thrive despite rampant logging and construction of five major dams, starting in 1873. The spectacular runs finally came to a halt when Seeger Dam, which formed the Nicasio Reservoir, was built in 1961, wiping out the salmon population in Nicasio Creek.

All together, the dams blocked 50 percent of the historic spawning habitat in the Lagunitas watershed.

Development, drought and habitat destruction have made things worse. In 2009, only 52 coho returned to spawn in Marins creeks and tributaries.

Its not an isolated problem. Coho now make up only about 1 percent of their historic population along the coasts of California and Oregon. The species in California was listed in 2005 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Biologists say a full coho recovery would require the return of 2,600 fish to the Lagunitas watershed. The best winter since biologists began keeping records in 1994 was 2004-05, when 1,342 coho were counted.

The Lagunitas surveys located a total of 324 egg clusters, known as redds, since the first big rains hit the Bay Area in late November. Since a male and female produce each egg cluster, the number of fish is calculated by doubling the number of redds.

A year ago, Ettlinger counted 110 redds, meaning there were 220 coho in the creek system, but to his astonishment 30,000 young fish, known as smolts, migrated out to the ocean.

The number was far greater than what people thought this watershed could still produce, so that was very encouraging, Ettlinger said. We now know that tens of thousands of young fish can survive and go out to the ocean and that restoration efforts in the watershed are working.

Chinook salmon also have been seen in the creek, and the steelhead trout run, which peaks in February, is on track to be one of the largest on record, he said.

He credited a community-wide habitat restoration program  including school work parties  and limits on creekside development. Future generations of coho will also benefit from a just completed project by the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, or SPAWN, to build new floodplains on a mile-long stretch of land next to Samuel P. Taylor State Park where the community of Tocaloma once stood.

Still, only about 2 percent of the coho that left for the ocean over the past two years have returned to spawn, a well-below-average survival rate.

This is still a critically endangered species, Ettlinger said. Salmon are going to be impacted by climate change and ongoing development, so the population could take a nose dive again if we are not very careful.

Seeing coho salmon The best coho and steelhead viewing areas in the Lagunitas Creek watershed: Leo T. Cronin salmon viewing area: Just off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard where the Shafter Bridge goes over Lagunitas Creek near Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Fish can also be seen from the Shafter Bridge at the Inkwells, a series of small waterfalls along San Geronimo Creek. Roy's Pools: Salmon demonstrate their jumping skills in three pools below the former dam site, on San Geronimo Valley Drive, 5 miles west of Fairfax. Samuel P. Taylor State Park campground: Coho like to lay their eggs behind the park headquarters building, just off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. See More Collapse

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimriteRTHK: Venezuela's Guaido urges defections amid protests

Venezuela's opposition leader called on more members of the military to abandon the country's socialist government following Saturday's defection of a high-ranking general, as President Nicolas Maduro proposed holding early National Assembly elections that could potentially oust his challenger.

Maduro's call for early legislative voting is likely to intensify a political standoff with National Assembly President Juan Guaido, who is backed by Washington and most South American countries.

Guaido declared himself Venezuela's legitimate ruler on January 23, and argues that Maduro's re-election last year was rife with fraud. The 35-year-old opposition leader is invoking two articles of Venezuela's constitution that he contends give him the right to assume presidential powers.

Speaking from behind a podium decorated with Venezuela's presidential seal, Guaido told supporters he would keep his opposition movement in the streets until Maduro stopped "usurping" the country's presidency and agreed to a new presidential election overseen by international observers. On Saturday, tens of thousands of Venezuelans joined opposition protests against Maduro in Caracas and other cities.

Guaido called on "blocks" of the military to defect from Maduro's administration and "get on the side of the Venezuelan people."

"We don't just want you to stop shooting at protesters," Guaido said in a hoarse voice. "We want you to be part of the reconstruction of Venezuela."

He said that in the coming days, the opposition would try to move humanitarian aid into the country by land and sea along three border points, including the Colombian city of Cucuta. He described the move as a "test" for Venezuela's armed forces, which will have to choose if they allow the much needed aid to pass, or if they instead obey the orders of Maduro's government.

Maduro also dug in his heels, insisting he was the only president of Venezuela and describing Saturday's anti-government protests as part of a US-led coup attempt.

"I agree that the legislative power of the country be re-legitimized and that we hold free elections with guarantees, and the people choose a new National Assembly," Maduro said at a pro-government demonstration in Caracas. The opposition controls the National Assembly while government supporters control the powerful Constituent Assembly.

The standoff comes amid what appears to be growing dissension among the ranks of Venezuela's powerful military.

Earlier Saturday, a Venezuelan air force general defected from Maduro's administration and called on his compatriots to participate in protests against the socialist leader's rule.

Gen. Francisco Yanez is the first high ranking officer to leave Maduro's government since January 23, when Guaido declared himself the country's legitimate leader by invoking two articles of the Venezuelan constitution that he argues give him the right to assume presidential powers.

In a YouTube video, Yanez described Maduro as a dictator and referred to Guaido as his president. He didn't say if he was still in Venezuela or had left the country.

The officer confirmed in a phone call with The Associated Press, from a Colombian number, the veracity of his declaration and said he would not provide further statements until given authorization by "the commander-in-chief of the legal armed force, which is President Juan Guaido."

The military controls some of Venezuela's key assets including the state run oil company, and until now, its top brass has helped Maduro to survive rounds of mass protests in 2014 and 2017 by jailing activists and repressing protesters.

Yanez said in his video that "90 percent of the military" is against Maduro, but it is unclear how many will actively support the opposition. (AP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Thank you for reading!

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Today

Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Posted Saturday, February 2, 2019 12:30 am

This list is a sampling of crime in Sedalia and the surrounding area. Information is taken from official police reports, which do not necessarily contain statements from all parties involved in each case.

Sedalia Police Department

Arrests

Jan. 30

5:40 p.m.: William L. Roberson, 32, of Versailles, was arrested on charges of driving with a revoked license and having no proof of insurance. Officers responded to a vehicle accident in the 4400 block of West Broadway Boulevard. They checked both drivers information and found Roberson had a revoked license.

Jan. 31

5:30 a.m.: Christopher T. Nicholson, 33, of the 1200 block of McVey Road, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license. An officer stopped Nicholson for speeding in a 35-mph zone on West 16th Street between Thompson Boulevard and South State Fair Boulevard. A computer check showed he had a suspended license.

Feb. 1

4:35 a.m.: Raymond G. Mitts, 46, of Cole Camp, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license. An officer observed Mitts fail to stop at a stop sign, and he conducted a traffic stop at Waterloo Road and Ewing Drive. A computer check revealed Mitts had a suspended Kansas license. He was reportedly aware of his suspended status.

Incidents

Jan. 31

3:30 p.m.: An officer took a report of a possible abuse case. The complainant reported possible abuse to a person in a Sedalia nursing facility. The officer completed the report for documentation and contacted the elder abuse hotline.

5:10 p.m.: A complainant came to the police station to report a subject he knew had taken pictures of his juvenile daughter without her permission and shared them with a group of men. At the time of the report, officers hadnt contacted the subject who took the pictures.Palo Altohome to Stanford University and dozens of tech companiesis one of the Silicon Valley cities where historic and modern homes now co-exist on the same street.

Built in 2017, this 6,000-square-foot modern masterpiece in the city's coveted Crescent Park neighborhood is on the market for $7 million, which is nearly triple the citys median listing price of $2.5 million.

A true original, the six-bedroom, 4.5-bath home was inspired by Hawaii. Nowhere is this truer than the windows that retract into walls. In fact, the entire first floor features walls of glass.

Theyve always been interested in architecture, listing agent Michael Repka of DeLeon Realty says of the sellers, and they love the tropical Hawaiian type of environment. The sellers were living there while they were doing the construction. The home is a labor of love.

The home includes automated control for lighting, temperature, music, and security. And modern materials were used everywhere, including the distinctive choice of stainless steel for the soaking tub in one of the baths.

An open kitchenconnecting with a sitting area that features a fireplaceis outfitted with chef-grade appliances (on the island), and a design that features plenty of storage as well as clean lines.

Speaking of storage, its seamlessly built into nearly every room, including the home office and the finished lower level. And as for that first-floor bathroom? Its behind a sliding chalkboard panel.

Its that basement that helps this house stand above its competitors in the neighborhood.

You have an incredible basement that is all lit up, says Repka, thanks to translucent panels embedded into the ceiling. Basements are rare in the San Francisco Bay Area, and a basement this well-conceived is rarer still.

Creating outdoor space, particularly in an urban setting with limited space, was also a priority. A two-story deck and artful landscaping on the lot are well-suited for everything from al fresco dining to entertaining a family with young kids.

The Crescent Park neighborhood is a huge draw because bustling University Avenuewith shops, restaurants, and a historic movie theateris only a short walk away.

Youre within walking distance of downtown, but you still feel like youre in a residential area, says Repka. Unlike other parts of Palo Alto, it doesnt feel as crowded. You have beautiful tree-lined streets.

Will a design lover scoop up this retreat or will it be a family (due to the six bedrooms)or both?

It will probably be a family that wants to take advantage of the schools, says Repka. The listings also been very appealing to people who understand and love technology but also like to walk to University Avenue and are attracted to a vibrant lifestyle.

The post Silicon Valley Style: $7M Ultramodern Pad Wows in Palo Alto appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.Nonprofit executive Beto Yarce is off to a quick start in his challenge to militant socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant.

Yarce has collected the signatures and small donations needed to qualify for the city's Democracy Voucher program of public campaign financing..

Sawant has, however, refused to participate in the public campaign financing program approved by Seattle voters in 2015, which sets an overall $150,000,000 limit.

The incumbent used her customary plutocrats-at-the-door rationale. "The Democracy Voucher program is a progressive step forward but unfortunately, it's not designed for a race like ours where Amazon and the whole big business establishment is united against us," Sawant said in a statement.

EARLIER: Sawant sets reelection announcement, with challenger Beto Yarce in the field

"It does not prevent corporate PACs from overnight donating hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race to try to buy the election."

Sawant raised $463,000 for her 2015 race against civil rights leader Pamela Banks, outspending the challenger by $75,000. There were $39,000 in independent expenditures made against Sawant.

Sawant took home $9,000 from a New York fundraiser, sponsored by Occupy Wall Street, held at All Souls Unitarian Church. A spokesperson for the Socialist Alternative movement, she missed a city council transportation levy hearing in order to attend a Left Forum meeting in Manhattan.

Yarce is an immigrant from Guadalajara who spent 13 years selling jewelry at the Pike Place Market. He is currently executive director of a small business incubator (word courtesy of The Stranger) called Ventures.

He has been holding coffees and meetups around the council's District 3, which consists of the Central Area, Capitol Hill, Madison Park, Denny-Blaine and Madrona.

"I enjoyed every minute of walking around the district collecting the signatures needed to qualify (for Democracy Vouchers)," said Yarce. "The people and places of District 3 are what make it special and I look forward to continuing those conversations over the course of the campaign."

"Public financing of campaigns means community needs come first -- not special needs."

Two other District 3 candidates, Logan Bowers and Pat Murikami, are participating in the Democracy Vouchers program.

Here is how the program works: On or about Feb. 19, Seattle registered voters will receive four of the vouchers, each values at $25.

The voters can assign these vouchers to the candidate of their choice. The program is paid for by a modest (for Seattle) property tax levy.

RELATED: Harrell is third City Council incumbent to not seek reelection

Sawant will continue in her anti-corporate ways. A recent disclosure of internal documents, by the Seattle City Council Insight site, revealed that Socialist Alternative has a controlling voice in Sawant's votes on the council and hiring of her staff.

It's a hard-core outfit, as revealed in a recent Sawant letter to newly elected House members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib:

"Finally, we must recognize that while we agree on many things, there is a fundamental difference between Marxism and social democratic politics. Socialist Alternative and I are fighting for a socialist world and recognize that capitalism cannot be made to work for the working class.

"Social democrats hope to create a humane capitalism -- a futile mission and a fundamental error."

Sawant missives often sound like something Karl Marx wrote in the reading room of the British Museum nearly 150 years ago.One more big, controversial proposed coal export terminal in the Northwest has been canceled.

The Port of Vancouver (British Columbia) has pulled the plug on the Fraser Surrey Docks proposal, not far from the U.S.-Canadian border, which would have brought open coal trains through greater Vancouver and ocean-going ships into the Fraser River.

The coal port would have received 4 million metric tons of coal a year from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana, for shipment to Asian markets.

"The decision to cancel permits for this coal port shows that the world is turning away from this dirty energy of the past and towards a clean energy future," said Regna Merritt of the Washington-based Power Past Coal environmental coalition.

The fossil fuel industry, at the start of this decade, saw the Northwest as a lifeline for the beleaguered coal industry.

RELATED: Climate change is 'real' and human caused, but EPA boss boosts coal

With coal plants shutting down, and coal losing its share of the U.S. energy market, Asian markets could make up the slack.

But economics and public opposition have come to stand in the way. The huge Gateway Pacific terminal, proposed for Cherry Point north of Bellingham, succumbed to opposition from the nearby Lummi Indian Nation.

The state has denied permits to the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals project at Longview. Millennium is suing the state, and the Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with environmental permitting.

Other projects, up and down the Columbia River have been terminated. Last year, public opposition resulted in cancellation of what was to be the country's largest receiving port for oil-by-rail, along the Columbia River at Vancouver, Wash.

The Fraser Surrey Docks plan was originally to be a barge port. Coal would be loaded onto barges, which would have gone to Texada Island in the Strait of Georgia for loading onto ocean going ships.

The plan was modified so the ships could be loaded in the Fraser River.

Fast-growing Surrey, south of Vancouver, will soon be Canada's third largest city. Resistance in Surrey and nearby New Westminster was intense.

The cause of coal was not helped by the presence of an old, ugly coal terminal just north of where B.C. Ferries take off for Schwartz Bay and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The terminal is, as wags have put it, a sight for all connoisseurs of ugliness.

RELATED: Connelly: Ex-Interior secretary -- 'No such thing as clean coal'

"Hopefully this marks a shift of the tide where we stop staking our economic future on projects that are damaging to the climate," Patrick Johnstone, a New Westminster Councillor, told a local paper, the Record.

The Trump administration has vowed to revive coal, and has set about dismantling the Clean Power Plan of the Obama Administration.

But coal is on the ropes. Over 60,000 megawatts of coal capacity in the United States have been retired since 2012.

Germany is shutting down its coal plants, with the Reich committed to a clean energy future. China has pulled the plug on 103 plants. Washington and Oregon are phasing out their remaining coal plants.

At the big Colstrip project in eastern Montana, Units 1 and 2 are scheduled for closure, with units 3 and 4 hanging on the ropes.A look at the brains of an endangered spiny rat off the coast of Japan by University of Missouri (MU) Bond Life Sciences Center scientist Cheryl Rosenfeld could illuminate the subtle genetic influences that stimulate a mammal's cells to develop as male versus female in the absence of a Y chromosome.

The root of the answer is in the chromosomes of this particular mammal. Males of the Amami spiny rat (Tokudaia osimensis) are not like most therian mammals -- a name used to group animals that give live birth including placental mammals and marsupials. Unlike in most mammals, these males have no Y chromosome, which has been shed over eons of evolution. And they only have one X chromosome.

"I'd been interested in these rats for many years now, and it's unclear how sexual differentiation of the gonads and brain occur in this species since both males and females have a single X chromosome," said Cheryl Rosenfeld, lead author on the study and an MU researcher.

Since most mammals inherit chromosomes from both parents -- an X from our mother and either an X or Y chromosome from our father -- the only way to develop as male is to inherit a Y chromosome. That male chromosome contains a sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene that stimulates male sexual differentiation in many mammalian species, including humans. SRY triggers the fetus to become male by producing a protein that binds DNA, which leads to development of testes and subsequent production of testosterone. This steroid hormone then stimulates development of the rest of the male reproductive tract. This surge in testosterone from the testes also programs masculinization of the brain.

Naturally, this got Rosenfeld curious about how the absence of a Y chromosome and SRY might affect gene expression differences in male and female Amami spiny rats. In collaboration with Asato Kuroiwa from Hokkaido University Takamichi Jogahara of the Frontier Science Research Center in Japan, and Scott Givan, associate director of the MU Informatics Research Core Facility, her laboratory received brain samples from both males and females of this species.

They took those brains, isolated the RNA from them and sequenced the samples of the male and females to compare transcripts between the two sexes. Transcripts are the step between a gene and a protein, essentially a piece of RNA that encodes the information to make a particular protein. Subtle variations in the resulting RNA can change the final protein, giving rise to alternative forms that can exhibit increased or decreased potency. Investigators found major differences between males and females.

"Several different transcripts or isoforms encode the same gene, and while there might be, for example, 10 transcripts for a particular gene, some transcripts are more potent than others and have more effect in individual cells," Rosenfeld said. "When we compared males to females, there were several hundred more transcripts upregulated in males than females. Our thought is that since both have the same sex chromosomes, the resulting differences could be originating from the fact that the males might have more of one of the more potent transcripts."

Expression differences in such transcripts might also arise due to epigenetic changes, which are alterations that affect the turning on/off of certain DNA regions but without affecting the DNA itself. Potentially, in females, these more effective transcripts are not expressed because of such epigenetic changes.

When the team - including MU student Madison Ortega who is in the MU Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program -- looked closer, they realized many of the transcripts expressed in males encode for various zinc finger protein genes. In males, these genes can be turned on by SRY and are thought to significantly influence sex development.

"What we think might be happening is the males might be turning on all these other zinc finger transcripts that may compensate for the absence of SRY, so they influence undifferentiated gonad to become a testes and help program the brain to be male. Without these zinc finger protein transcripts, female sexual differentiation of the gonad and brain might result," Rosenfeld said. "It's possibly it's more of a potential gradient within these rodents, where you have to turn on all these other zinc finger protein transcripts in males to stimulate male sexual differentiation and compensate for the absence of SRY."

With the potential extinction of Amami spiny rats on the horizon, furthering this research has a degree of urgency.

"By elucidating more of the mechanisms in this endangered species, I think it might help us save the species or facilitate them being bred in captivity," Rosenfeld said.

She hopes this research will continue with her team fully sequencing the genome of the Amami spiny rats to look more closely at what's going on and how that might lead to a better understanding of the nuances of how animals without a Y chromosome undergoes male sexual differentiation.

"If you move outside the mammals, there are all sorts of sex chromosomes and exceptions like the duckbill platypus who has five sets of X and Y, and they can't find differences between males and females," Rosenfeld said. "People are focused on sex chromosomes and the SRY gene that they might be forgetting other contributing factors. By understanding these anomalous species, it opens up the idea that the mechanisms regulating gonadal and brain sexual differentiation are quite complex and not fully understood."The Greenland ice sheet melted a little more easily in the past than it does today because of geological changes, and most of Greenland's ice can be saved from melting if warming is controlled, says a team of Penn State researchers.

"There is geologic data that suggests the ice sheet was more sensitive to warming and temperature variations in the past million years, and not so much in the more recent past," said David Pollard, research professor in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State.

Too much warming will cause Greenland to lose most or all of its ice over the coming centuries, but most research indicates that the threshold warmth for complete ice loss has not been reached yet.

Paleoclimatic records indicate that most of Greenland was ice-free within the last 1.1 million years even though temperatures then were not much warmer than conditions today. To explain this, the researchers point to there being more heat beneath the ice sheet in the past than today.

Data show that when the Iceland hot spot -- the heat source that feeds volcanoes on Iceland -- passed under north-central Greenland 80 to 35 million years ago, it left molten rock deep underground but did not break through the upper mantle and crust to form volcanoes as it had in the west and east. The Earth's climate then was too warm for Greenland to have an ice sheet, but once it cooled the ice sheet formed, growing and shrinking successive with ice ages.

"The idea is that the loading and unloading, flexing and unflexing from ice ages tapped into slightly melted rock that was left deep under Greenland by the Iceland hot spot and brought that melt up," said Richard Alley, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State.

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Changes to the ice sheet allowed the molten rock to move closer to the Earth's surface, even to the base of the ice. The hotter bed melted more ice from below, lubricating the ice sheet so it was thinner and easier to melt from above.

The melted rock wants to come up, according to Alley. As the ice sheet grows and shrinks, it essentially shakes the melt, drawing it up in pulses.

"The first shakes usually do the most moving," Alley said.

The effect would have been largest when the first big ice sheet grew and then shrank, he added. More recent changes to the ice sheet also affect geothermal fluxes, but not as much as they had in the past.

"The hypothesis does not change the reality that if we make it hot, Greenland's ice melts, and no one will like that," Alley said. "It does not even really tell us whether geology just at this moment is making it harder or easier for the ice to melt. The ability of the ice to melt got easier in the past and is sort of bumpily getting harder, and we do not know where on the bumps we are."

Pollard tested the team's hypothesis using a numerical, three-dimensional ice-sheet model. The researchers report their results in the Journal of Geophysical Research in January.

"The Greenland ice sheet is very likely to melt a lot and retreat, and contribute to sea level in the next few centuries," Pollard said. "This study is part of the puzzle of figuring out how much it will melt and retreat. We are using past geologic data to validate the models that are being used for the future."

If Greenland's ice sheet were to completely melt today, global sea levels would rise nearly 23 feet and flood coastal areas. Parts of cities like New York would be underwater. The team says future studies should integrate geologic and geophysical data as well as glaciological, atmospheric, oceanic and paleoclimatic information to better project how much and how fast the ice sheet will melt and its effect on sea-level rise.

"If you had a better idea of how much and how fast sea level rises from warming, you could make wiser decisions," Alley said. "This research is a piece of the effort to provide policymakers and planners with the background information that will allow them to make good decisions."Rice University engineers have figured out how soil contaminated by heavy oil can not only be cleaned but made fertile again.

How do they know it works? They grew lettuce.

Rice engineers Kyriacos Zygourakis and Pedro Alvarez and their colleagues have fine-tuned their method to remove petroleum contaminants from soil through the age-old process of pyrolysis. The technique gently heats soil while keeping oxygen out, which avoids the damage usually done to fertile soil when burning hydrocarbons cause temperature spikes.

While large-volume marine spills get most of the attention, 98 percent of oil spills occur on land, Alvarez points out, with more than 25,000 spills a year reported to the Environmental Protection Agency. That makes the need for cost-effective remediation clear, he said.

"We saw an opportunity to convert a liability, contaminated soil, into a commodity, fertile soil," Alvarez said.

The key to retaining fertility is to preserve the soil's essential clays, Zygourakis said. "Clays retain water, and if you raise the temperature too high, you basically destroy them," he said. "If you exceed 500 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit), dehydration is irreversible."

The researchers put soil samples from Hearne, Texas, contaminated in the lab with heavy crude, into a kiln to see what temperature best eliminated the most oil, and how long it took.

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Their results showed heating samples in the rotating drum at 420 C (788 F) for 15 minutes eliminated 99.9 percent of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and 94.5 percent of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), leaving the treated soils with roughly the same pollutant levels found in natural, uncontaminated soil.

The paper appears in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology. It follows several papers by the same group that detailed the mechanism by which pyrolysis removes contaminants and turns some of the unwanted hydrocarbons into char, while leaving behind soil almost as fertile as the original. "While heating soil to clean it isn't a new process," Zygourakis said, "we've proved we can do it quickly in a continuous reactor to remove TPH, and we've learned how to optimize the pyrolysis conditions to maximize contaminant removal while minimizing soil damage and loss of fertility.

"We also learned we can do it with less energy than other methods, and we have detoxified the soil so that we can safely put it back," he said.

Heating the soil to about 420 C represents the sweet spot for treatment, Zygourakis said. Heating it to 470 C (878 F) did a marginally better job in removing contaminants, but used more energy and, more importantly, decreased the soil's fertility to the degree that it could not be reused.

"Between 200 and 300 C (392-572 F), the light volatile compounds evaporate," he said. "When you get to 350 to 400 C (662-752 F), you start breaking first the heteroatom bonds, and then carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds triggering a sequence of radical reactions that convert heavier hydrocarbons to stable, low-reactivity char."

The true test of the pilot program came when the researchers grew Simpson black-seeded lettuce, a variety for which petroleum is highly toxic, on the original clean soil, some contaminated soil and several pyrolyzed soils. While plants in the treated soils were a bit slower to start, they found that after 21 days, plants grown in pyrolyzed soil with fertilizer or simply water showed the same germination rates and had the same weight as those grown in clean soil.

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"We knew we had a process that effectively cleans up oil-contaminated soil and restores its fertility," Zygourakis said. "But, had we truly detoxified the soil?"

To answer this final question, the Rice team turned to Bhagavatula Moorthy, a professor of neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine, who studies the effects of airborne contaminants on neonatal development. Moorthy and his lab found that extracts taken from oil-contaminated soils were toxic to human lung cells, while exposing the same cell lines to extracts from treated soils had no adverse effects. The study eased concerns that pyrolyzed soil could release airborne dust particles laced with highly toxic pollutants like PAHs.

''One important lesson we learned is that different treatment objectives for regulatory compliance, detoxification and soil-fertility restoration need not be mutually exclusive and can be simultaneously achieved," Alvarez said.

Wen Song, a visiting scholar at Rice and a student at the University of Jinan and Shandong University, China, is lead author of the paper. Co-authors are Rice alumna Julia Vidonish of Arcadis U.S., Seattle; Rice postdoctoral researcher Pingfeng Yu; Roopa Kamath, an environmental adviser at Chevron; Chun Chu, a research associate at Baylor College of Medicine; and Baoyu Gao, a professor of environmental engineering at Shandong University. Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice. Zygourakis is the A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a professor of bioengineering.

The research was supported by Chevron U.S.A., the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science and Technology Development Foundation, the Taishan Scholar Program and the National Institutes of Health.Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Local

green mountain college closure

Castleton University to take over Killington School of Resort Management

rlayman / Robert Layman / Staff Photo The Killington School of Resort Management, pictured in January, will become a division of Castleton University when Green Mountain College closes later this year.

KILLINGTON  Castleton University will take over the Killington School of Resort Management this fall, according to a Friday announcement.

For the past 18 years, Green Mountain College has worked with Killington and Pico to cultivate a three-year bachelors degree program in the fields of hospitality and business.

The program was started in 2001 and directed by GMC professor of business and economics Frank Pauze, but GMC President Bob Allen announced last month that the Poultney college would close at the end of the spring semester, so Castleton decided to take up the mantle and keep the program alive.

While were sad to see our relationship with Green Mountain College end, were happy to have Castleton University step up and open their doors to GMC students, said Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain. Were thrilled to have Castleton as a partner in our new version of our innovative and truly unique B.S. degree in Resort and Hospitality Management.

Solimano said, Like GMCs program, Castleton plans to incorporate practical experience in the resort industry. Currently, 35 alumni of the GMC program work at Killington, and we hope to see that number grow with the inception of CUs new program.

More than 90 percent of the participants complete their bachelors degree in hotel and resort management and 99 percent of the students who graduate end up working in the hospitality industry, according to a statement released by the Killington school.

It seemed to make sense from our end, said Courtney DiFiore, communications and public relations specialist for Killington Resort. Weve had a good relationship with them in the past, theyre close by ... it made sense to align with them.

The new partnership will bring some changes, DiFiore said, but any alterations are still being finalized and though Killington is not planning to create any new programs, the school would consider expanding if participation grows.

We would like it to grow, if thats something that can happen, DiFiore said. Overall the idea and the way its designed will be similar ... hands-on learning.

Castleton University and Killington have a long-standing and strong partnership, said Castleton University President Dr. Karen Scolforo.

Scolforo said the school has submitted a request for approval from the New England Commission on Higher Education to offer a 3-year bachelor of science degree in resort and hospitality management.

That program is delivered in a cooperative learning model, Scolforo said.

Students will be able to take classes at Killington and have the opportunity to interview for positions there while earning their degree, serving in salaried positions while gaining workplace experience, Scolforo said.

Were anticipating that approximately 20 students will transfer into our program in the fall, Scolforo said. The capacity is around 70.

Scolforo said the school will continue to seek student housing on the mountain, so students dont have to travel from the Castleton campus to take part in the new program.

And thats not the only housing developments Castleton has made: In anticipation of GMC students from other programs transferring to Castleton University, Scolforo said, the school has set aside housing especially for them.

Weve heard from approximately 25 students who have expressed an interest in transferring so far, Scolforo said.

The university is meeting as well with program and department heads at GMC to work out pathways for GMC students to transfer.

We are anticipating being beyond capacity in the fall, Scolforo said. We have a lot of partners in the community that are willing to work with us.

Scolforo said Castleton never intended to merge with GMC or use the campus as a satellite program, but there are a number of faculty members on the campus that Castleton is very interested in speaking with.

In this environment in higher education, were limited to some of the things we can do, Scolforo said. I do think well be able to serve a large number of students at Green Mountain.

Scolforo said overall student body growth is up 3 percent at Castleton.

We have 48 full-time equivalents more than we had last spring, Scolforo said. Thats exciting.

The growth is attributed to the development of new programs, initiatives and partnerships in and out of state, she said.

Weve done a lot of work with spotlighting our students and our faculty, Scolforo said. And how special the student experience is at Castleton University ... (My prediction is) well be becoming more of a destination school.

katelyn.barcellos

@rutlandherald.comChandigarh, February 2: In a bid to help the states distressed potato farmers, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered release of Rs 5 crore for providing freight subsidy to the producers for marketing their crop out of Punjab. Announcing a series of measures to support the potato farmers, the Chief Minister has directed the Department of Agriculture to take all possible steps to help the potato growers in realizing better prices of their crop.

Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered release of Rs 5 crore for providing freight subsidy

He has also ordered the concerned department to initiate steps for export of potato crop, with the help of the freight subsidy which his government would be releasing to the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation. The Chief Minister, who has already asked the departments of school education and jails to purchase potatoes directly from the farmers for use in preparing mid-day meals and Anganvadi meals respectively, expressed concern over the plight of the potato growers, who were also suffering as a result of the Centres failure to help out the farming community.

Initiatives to Help States Distressed Potato Growers

Potatoes are grown on about one lakhs hectares in Punjab with a total production of 25 lakh tones every year. However, the potato farmers are facing problems due to subdued prices of the produce for the last three years. The Chief Minister has also sought the support of the industry in helping the potato growers and, according to Viswajeet Khanna, Additional Chief Secretary Development, two potato processing plants, viz Iscon Balaji Foods Ltd and Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd, shall soon start processing of potatoes, with a target of processing about 35000 tonnes of potatoes in this season.Chandigarh/Harike, 2 February: The Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Local Government Minister, Punjab, Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu inaugurated the World Wetland Day function today at one of the most important wetlands of Punjab at Harike. On this occasion, he inspected the exhibition put up by his department in which very attractive photographs of birds of wetlands and its landscape were displayed.

The minister divulged that Rs.1200 crore are being spent with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on promoting Brand Punjab as the most favoured tourist destination. Out of this, Rs. 150 crore would be spent on harnessing the immense potential of Harike alone which comprises an important part of the Amritsar tourist circuit.

Recognizing the huge potential of Harike wetlands in promoting tourism in the State, he informed that the infrastructure development activities being undertaken by the Department of Tourism shall be completed by 30th April, 2019. The Department has developed infrastructure facilities in the wetland at a cost of about Rs. 10 crores for construction of an interpretation centre, bird watch towers, bird hides,observation tower, canteen, parking and public conveniences.

The Minister further said that Harike is the preferred place for environmentalists and bird watchers. The minister further divulged that wetland which is also a Ramsar site attracts a large number of migratory birds every year and this year record 1.25 lac birds have arrived in Harike. The Minister informed that very soon the tourists will be able to avail the facilities such as e-rickshaw, bicycles, binoculars etc.

He also announced that boating facilities is also going to be provided here where people can enjoy the ride of pedal boats. On this occasion, Mr. Sidhu also inaugurated a photo exhibition where birds found in Harike, Nangal and Keshopur were displayed. These photographs were sent by different photographers who participated in the photography competition organized by the Department of Tourism. The Minister also distributed cash prizes to the winners of the photography competition on this occasion.

The Minister also disclosed that the State Government is working for the promotion of different types of tourism in Punjab which include heritage, cultural, medical, religious and eco-tourism. Earlier the Minister enjoyed bird watching and visited the works being done on the Left Marginal Bundh. The Minister also visited the viewing deck being developed on the Nose point. The viewing deck shall also ne specially abled friendly.

On the occasion about 100 students were taken on a guided tour of bird watching in the wetland with the assistance from the local Wildlife Officers. Later video presentations were made to the students and general public informing them about the importance of wetland and their role in climate change. The school children also interacted with Mr. Sidhu. A painting competition for the students was also organized on this occasion. The paintings made by these students were exhibited and the winners of the competition were given cash award by the Minister.

Earlier, Mr. Vikas Pratap, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, welcomed the Hon'ble Minister, Ms Kalpana Singh Divisional Forest Officer Wildlife Harike also informed the people about the importance of wetlands and their role in climate change. Director Tourism informed that the self-help group at village Churian has been trained by the tourism department is making craft products from the water hyacinth in order to improve their livelihood conditions.

The file folders made from water hyacinth by thisself help group are being used in conferences and high level meetings. The festival was attended by very well-known bird watchers and birdies organisations, sarpanches of the nearby villages and members of self help groups.New Delhi, Feb 2: BJP president Amit Shah Friday hailed the Union Budget for "benefiting" all sections of society and said it has proved that the Modi government is dedicated to the aspirations of the country's youths, farmers and poor. Shah told reporters that the budget will spur growth, generate employment and also provide relief to the middle class, farmers and poor workers among others.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal

The BJP chief described the hike in income tax exemption announced by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal as "historic" and said it will not only provide tax relief to the middle class but also deepen their participation in the country's development. He highlighted various measures announced in the budget for different sections of society and said those for farmers will prove to be a "milestone" in doubling their income.

Loan for farmers

Congratulating the government for announcing a Rs 3 lakh crore outlay for the defence sector, Shah said it is the highest so far. The country's security has always been a top priority for the BJP-led NDA dispensation, he said. Shah also praised measures like monthly pension of Rs 3000 for the over 10 crore poor workers after 60 years of age, creation of a separate fishery department and schemes for women. Relaxation in interest on loan for farmers and more for those who pay their debt in time is a big step for their welfare, he said.Washington, Feb 2: President Donald Trump has said US' massive trade deficit with China cannot be allowed to continue, a day after the officials from both countries concluded their latest round of negotiations on trade issues. The US and China have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods. Last year, Trump imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods.

The move prompted China to increase tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods. Trump, who has been accusing China of indulging in unfair trade practices contributing to the huge trade deficit amounting to USD 375 billion, recently said the trade talks with Beijing were going on "very well". Trump met a high-powered Chinese delegation led by its Vice Premier Liu Hu in his Oval Office on Thursday during which he said that the two countries had made significant progress, but nothing is final till he personally seals the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese President Xi Jinping

"If we make the deal with China, you're talking about, it'll be a different world for us. We lost USD 500 billion a year with China, for many years. We're not going to do that anymore," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. After his meeting with Xi in Argentina on December 1, the two countries agreed to pause their trade war for 90 days and arrive at a trade deal by March 1.

Trump on Friday threatened to go ahead with his planned slapping of additional tariffs on Chinese imports if the deal is not reached by March 1. "Our relationship with China is extraordinary. My relationship with President Xi is better, I guarantee, than any relationship of a President and a President. It's not even close. But it can't go on this way. We can't allow this to happen," he said. Trump is excepted to brief the nation in his State of the Union Address on February 5.

Trump is excepted to brief the nation in his State of the Union Address on February 5

At the same time, the president praised China for its decision to import additional agricultural products. "China, as a sign of goodwill, has agreed to purchase a tremendous, massive amount of soybeans and other agricultural product. Our farmers, this morning, are very happy. I spoke to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture. He called me this morning. Our farmers are extremely happy," he said. China is having a tough time on its economy, Trump said.

Trump said there was a possibility of him meeting president Xi around his summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un later this month. The venue of the meeting has not been announced yet. "That'll be announced officially probably next week," he said. Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown sent a letter Friday urging Secretary Mnuchin to stay aggressive in his approach in ongoing negations with China.

My relationship with President Xi is better

"We urge you to support a tough approach that demands meaningful, enforceable, verifiable and enduring concessions that address the underlying challenges identified by the section 301 investigation led by the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)," the senators wrote. "American jobs, American innovation and long-term American economic influence and prosperity are at stake," they said.

The letter follows recent reports that Mnuchin may be encouraging Trump to back down in order to conclude trade negotiations with China next month. The letter sheds light on how China's predatory trade practices, which include forced technology transfers, espionage resulting in the theft and extortion of US intellectual property, flooding the American market with cheap dumped goods, and preventing US companies from competing freely in their market,

not only threaten American jobs, but pose a significant threat to American innovation and long-term American economic influence and prosperity. In their letter, Wyden, Schumer and Brown note that should China fail to make the permanent structural reforms necessary to remedy these very significant issues, any trade agreement that merely addresses the trade balance with China will be an abject failure.Thousands of people gathered Saturday at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to watch a famous groundhog deliver his highly anticipated forecast. Faithful followers, there is no shadow of me and a beautiful spring it shall be, a member of Phils Inner Circle read from the groundhogs prediction scroll to the cheers and applause from the crowd.

The tradition has its roots in a Christian religious holiday called Candlemas Day, dating back to ancient times. It was celebrated midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In 1887, an editor of a Punxsutawney newspaper declared Phil Americas official weather-predicting groundhog. Newspapers across the country picked up the story, and the tradition caught on. But even though Phil has been in the weather-prediction business for more than 130 years, his predictions arent always correct. In the past decade, Phil has predicted a longer winter seven times and an early spring three times. He was only right about 40% of the time. Youre better off trying to decide what the rest of February and March will look like by flipping a coin, CNN meteorologist Judson Jones said. Like Phil, Staten Island Chuck also predicted an early spring.Please log in to keep reading.

Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever.The result is Virginia has unfair districts that are neither compact nor contiguous, do not follow local boundaries, and do not respect minority voting choice. One can say with some degree of certainty that in Virginia, politicians can pick their voters. It should be the other way around. Redistricting reform is urgently needed to eliminate the conflict of interest that allows General Assembly members to draw their own district maps to help certain candidates and to hinder opponents by manipulating boundaries.

A commission independent of the legislature should draw district boundaries as fair as possible in a transparent non-partisan way to include following local boundaries, having equal population, being compact and contiguous and respecting minority voting choice. Under the current process, boundaries will be drawn in the dark to favor partisan interests, i.e., gerrymandered to help the party in power (or to damage the other party).

The current General Assembly session is a chance to start a process changing how voting districts are drawn in Virginia. Actually it is the last chance until 2031 because redistricting is only required after each 10-year census (unless by a court).The racist behavior depicted in the photos has no place in Virginia, and I strongly condemn it, said Cline, who served for 16 years in the House of Delegates before being elected to Congress last year. I hope the Governor will make the best decision for the future of our Commonwealth and step down immediately.

U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Nelson County, said he didnt believe Northams Saturday explanation . As the representative of Charlottesville, where white supremacists converged for a 2017 rally that resulted in a counter-protesters death , he said the photo, hit more than a nerve.

Riggleman said debating whether Northam staying in office would aid the Republican Party, or if his departure would help the Democratic Party shouldnt be part of the equation.

This has gone beyond party politics, and this is not a political issue, Riggleman said. This is a human issue. People need to say were sick of racism.

Roanoke City Councilman Anita Price, one of councils three black members, said Northams credibility for me personally is shot.

She campaigned for Northam, and she said she now feels betrayed.The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement saying the photo was disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive. We feel complete betrayal.

Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he hoped the picture was inaccurate, but said that if it is true Northam should resign immediately.

Taikein Cooper, who is black and is the chairman of the Prince Edward Democratic Committee, also called on Northam to resign.

You cant champion racial reconciliation, during the 400 year anniversary of enslaved Americans being brought to Virginia, while being comfortable under the hood and/or behind a blackface, Cooper posted on social media.

In his apology, Northam said he would remain in office and heal the damage his past conduct had caused.

This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment."I can find no explanation for how such a picture was able to be published in the past. This is a time for self-reflection and humility. On behalf of our beloved EVMS, I sincerely apologize for the past transgressions of your trust. We recognize the need to address and rectify any issues of racism and discrimination that arise  and will continue to take action to build a strong culture of diversity and inclusion.

"Therefore, I shall convene urgent meeting of members of our senior management leadership and members of our Boards to address this issue holistically for EVMS. We will, of course, include students, residents, faculty and staff in this work.

"It has been said that those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. We shall all learn from this today and will come together to support and live the values and principles we hold so dear. We remain steadfast in reassuring our community that EVMS is absolutely committed to supporting and creating a culture of diversity, inclusion and social equality. We continue to affirm the tenets of our professions and our mission to recruit, educate and train a culturally competent healthcare workforce which reflects the demography of our nation and the patients we serve.Throughout the press conference, carried live on national television, Northam repeatedly spoke about his honor. Above all else, the governor sees himself as a man of integrity and he was painfully aware that most of his listeners thought he was lying, so he worked hard to convince them he was telling the truth.

The governors wife, Pam Northam, stood to the right of her husband, looking grim, as he fielded questions and tried, again and again, to explain himself.

The son of a circuit court judge, Northam served as president of the Honor Court his senior year at Virginia Military Institute. Known among students as the pope, the position is considered the most prestigious at the university, one that sits in judgment of any student accused of lying or violating the honor code. Northam recited the code during his news conference: A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do.

I tell the truth, he said. Im telling the truth today.

Whether or not they believed him, most leaders in the state said the damage was beyond mending in a state that is marking the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans in America, brought on slave ships.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, called on Northam to resign.Paul Patterson, Blacksburg zoning admistrator, said his towns proposed hen limit so far doesnt seem too problematic for those who want to raise chickens for eggs, as allowing more poultry per home could result in a surplus of eggs for families.

If you have six hens, thats a lot of eggs, he said. Four hens are a lot easier to take care of and control.

The proposed pen requirements include the installment of a coop, which shall be an enclosed structure containing a minimum of 2 square feet per hen. Pens, to be placed in the backyard, shall also provide an open run area containing a minimum of 8 square feet per hen.

In addition to the $25 fee, part of the registration requirements would ask for a sketch showing the area where the chickens would be housed and the types and size of pens. The sketch would need to show all dimensions and setbacks.

The ordinance would also encourage, but not require, applicants to give notice to adjacent property owners.

Blacksburg does allow chicken keeping in its rural agricultural zones now  a land use uncommon to the more urban town. The ordinance would allow chickens in a zone called R-4, which is the usual designation for single-family home neighborhoods in town.Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Molten salt reactors could be mass-produced at shipyards to 100 gigawatts per unit. We should build these pocket reactors quickly with the ability to move them to places where power is needed  especially underdeveloped countries where rising energy needs are absorbing all the CO2 gains we have made with all our efforts.

M.A. Jones.

Henrico.

Not all women back abortion bill

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Many of us watched in horror as we listened to Del. Kathy Tran present her abortion bill. Gov. Ralph Northam discussed this bill on a radio program, saying, This is really between the doctor and the mother and father. He then said So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen: The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. This is infanticide, not health care.

(1) Health of the Mother. A woman could say her mental health is affected if she gives birth and, just like that, she can have the baby legally killed moments before birth.Under a new policy adopted by the Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing at its Dec. 3, 2018, board of directors meeting, patients on the Commonwealth of Virginias waiting lists for liver transplantation now face additional obstacles to receiving a lifesaving transplant. This news is not good: The patients who are transplant candidates in Virginia will endure longer waiting times, will need to be sicker before a liver is offered to them, and more of them are likely to die while waiting. Projections are that deaths on the wait-list will exceed 25 percent, or 1 in 4, within Virginia.

The situation is complex. UNOS, a not-for-profit private entity, is the only company that has held the federal contract from the Health Resources and Services Administration to administer the organ allocation system in the United States, and its contract was just renewed for five years. Specifically, UNOS holds the contract to operate the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the federal entity whose sole purpose is to set and enforce the rules that govern how all donor organs  not just livers  are allocated and distributed nationwide.

Nationally, the liver transplant community has long been at odds as to agreeing on the best system for liver allocation and distribution. Given the scarcity of donor organs, and the life-and-death nature of their availability, this is hardly surprising.We lost two exceptional local leaders near the end of last month. Bill Axselle was a gentleman legislator, in the truest sense of that lamentably old-fashioned word. As a Democratic delegate from Henrico for 16 years, Axselle brought an exceptionally sharp mind, a congenial demeanor, and a genuine desire to govern wisely and work across party lines. He was devoted to his family and this community. Second Baptist Church, VCU, and the Greater Richmond Chamber were just a few of the many local organizations he served. Axslelle died Jan. 24 at age 75. He was a role model for unselfish leadership and he will be greatly missed. But his legacy is still a role model in these fraught and factional times.

Mayor Walter Kenney was an equally gracious leader, a man who overcame Richmonds harrowing history of racial inequality to not only forcefully assert the natural rights too long denied Richmonds African-Americans, but to lend his voice to reconciliation. The injustice he fought so hard to overcome did not harden his heart, and so the courage of his youth was later equaled by the grace of his years in power. A postal worker and union leader, Kenney served 18 years on Richmond City Council and as mayor from 1990 to 1994. He was elected near the end of the civil rights movement here, but was a part of the generation that performed the exceptionally hard work of turning the legal victories of the 1950s and 1960s into practical, meaningful changes for a society still burdened by the malignant legacy of Jim Crow. Mayor Kenney made a difference. He died on Jan. 28. He was 88. Richmond is indebted to him.Gov. Ralph Northam has served his nation and commonwealth with admirable distinction and dedication. So it gives us no pleasure to see his rapid fall from grace. He is by all accounts a decent and considerate man. And yet, his poor judgment has undermined his standing with Virginians in ways that we believe will permanently impair his ability to act as an effective governor. He should resign and return to his profession as a physician, with the thanks of those he has served as a state senator, lieutenant governor, and for the past year, governor.

Earlier this week, Northam made remarks about late-term abortion that troubled many of his constituents. Some of the attacks against him were cynical and misleading. But the governors remarks on such a sensitive subject were intemperate and careless. We deserve better from our leaders, especially given the current national political environment.In his written apology, Northam said he would heal the damage his past conduct had caused.

This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment.

I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.

Last month, Floridas secretary of state, Michael Ertel, resigned after photos emerged of him posing as a Hurricane Katrina victim in blackface 14 years ago, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Jack Wilson, chairman of the state GOP, said in a statement Friday afternoon, "Racism has no place in Virginia," and the "pictures are wholly inappropriate."

Wilson said: "If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."The photo that surfaced Friday appeared on Northams page in the 1984 yearbook for Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Northam attended while he was in his mid-20s.

Though he denied being in the yearbook photo, Northam admitted that he used shoe polish to darken his face for a Michael Jackson dance contest that same year in San Antonio, where he did his medical residency.

Northams shifting explanations threatened to plunge the state into a leadership crisis at the midway point of the General Assemblys legislative session. Democrats and Republicans alike have demanded Northams resignation as lawmakers prepare to return to Richmond to continue their work on the state budget and critical tax policy issues.

Northams comments Saturday run counter to his first statement Friday night, in which the governor apologized for appearing in the photo and for the hurt it had caused.

On Saturday, Northam suggested that he had been overzealous in his initial apology, saying he did not have a copy of the yearbook because he never bought one and was unaware of what was on his page. After taking more time to look at the photo, Northam said, he concluded he was not in it. And he said he would be willing to use facial recognition software to try to prove it.The current holders of those three offices are Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat; Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, the president pro tempore of the Senate; and House Speaker Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights. None has suggested triggering the section in an effort to remove Gov. Ralph Northam.

Under the constitutional provision, if the governor contests the finding in writing to the House and Senate clerks, that effectively cancels out the action of the three officers. The governor would then resume the office unless the three officials  or a majority of the total membership of the General Assembly  press the point and insist to the clerks, in writing, that the governor is unable to discharge his duties.

If that were to happen, the General Assembly would settle the issue  and the bar to remove a governor is high.

The General Assembly becomes the forum for deciding the fate of the governor at that point, Howard said.

If three-fourths of the elected membership of each chamber then determines that the governor is unable to discharge his duties, the governor would be removed from office and the lieutenant governor would become governor. If the vote does not reach three-fourths of each house, the governor resumes the office.Threatening an independent campaign for U.S. Senate, Wilder was told by a senior Democrat who was among those pressing him not to run that negotiations over his withdrawal could not be held at the Commonwealth Club, bastion of the citys white-male establishment. Wilder had said he believed talks would be held over lunch at the club, but Del. Alson H. Smith Jr., D-Frederick, a member, refused to take Wilder and other negotiators there because he understood blacks were not admitted there. Im not going to spend the rest of my life apologizing to my friends for carrying you all in there, said Smith, according to Wilder biographer Donald P. Baker.

The party, instead, convened  as Wilders guests  at a predominately Jewish country club, of which Wilder had been the first African-American member. Wilder abandoned his Senate bid, but three years later was elected lieutenant governor and, in 1989, became the nations first elective African-American governor.

2018  Corey StewartNew Kent County sheriffs deputies were involved in an hourlong standoff with an armed man from Henrico County on Friday evening, authorities reported early Saturday.

The incident, which took place on New Kent Highway just west of Tunstall Road, ended without any injuries and the mans arrest, the New Kent Sheriffs Office said.

Richard Cameron Custalow, of the 4900 block of Gray Bark Court in Sandston, is facing several charges in New Kent, including felonious assault on a law enforcement officer and brandishing a firearm.

According to the New Kent Sheriffs Office, a deputy stopped a truck on New Kent Highway for a traffic violation shortly before 7:15 p.m. During the stop, the deputy discovered that the driver, Custalow, was wanted in Henrico on a charge of failure to appear in court.

Custalow refused to exit the vehicle, and a struggle ensued. He pulled out a pistol and pointed it toward the deputy, who retreated for cover as Custalow exited his vehicle with the pistol and a second deputy arrived, the Sheriffs Office said.Altimari told his evaluators he developed a paranoid delusion that he was under surveillance by his employer, the government or the military. He believed he was forced to follow a script and that he and his father were in danger of being tortured or killed. So to save his father from a slow and painful death, Altimari said he killed him as an act of mercy.

But the judge noted that Nelson raised the issue of corroboration for Altimaris delusion 26 separate times in his 27-page report. There wasnt any.

Altimari didnt write down an account of his delusion and during his early incarceration did not experience any hallucinations or engage in any bizarre behavior, or raise any of these issues during the police interview or with the jail mental staff, Johnson said.

The judge said Nelson wrote in his report that while Altimaris delusional account very neatly fits an insanity defense, there was good reason to wonder if it really was how he felt at the time of the offense ... given the nearly complete lack of objective support for it.

Another real possibility was that after he killed his father, he developed a delusion as a kind of psychological defense as the reality of what he did, and to explain it to himself, the judge quoted Nelson as writing.George L. Holm, president and CEO of Goochland County-based Performance Food Group Co., has been appointed chairman of the companys board effective Jan. 31.

Holm succeeds Douglas M. Steenland, who resigned from his position as chairman and as a board member on Wednesday. Steenland, the former president and CEO of Northwest Airlines Corp., had served as chairman since 2010.

Holm has been president and CEO of Performance since May 2008 and will continue to serve in those roles.

Performance is one of the countrys largest food service distribution companies, providing food and related items to restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, businesses, schools and other locations.

The board appointed current board member Manuel A. Fernandez to serve as lead independent director of the board. Fernandez, managing director of venture capital firm SI Ventures, serves as the non-executive board chairman of Brunswick Corp. and is a board member of Leggett & Platt Inc.

George has shown great leadership over the last decade guiding PFG from a privately-held company to a public company and has grown the company significantly, Fernandez said in a statement. We have strong confidence in Georges ability to lead the companys strategic vision.The love story has ended after 65 years. With her loving husband bySHELBY -- It was a homecoming fit for a queen.

After 53 days in the hospital, a double-leg amputation below the knee and the loss of her fingertips, 17-year-old Lindsey Gies was finally able to return home on Friday having won her battle with a life-threatening infection. And the Shelby community was there to welcome her with open arms.

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Feb. 1, people started lining Main Street in Shelby in anticipation for the Shelby High School homecoming queen. Yellow ribbons were tied around street signs - Lindsey's favorite color. Adults and children carried signs declaring "Love for Lindsey." The sun even came out for the occasion.

Wow. I really have no words. Thank you Shelby, Im so proud to have grown up in this wonderful community. It feels so good to be home! pic.twitter.com/JNnL3B6Dtj  lindsey (@Lindsey_gies) February 1, 2019

The small-town show of affection was premeditated, led by a coalition of Lindsey's teachers, classmates, friends and family.

"When Lindsey is released from the hospital, we will line the streets of Shelby ... wearing t-shirts in her favorite color along with yellow ribbons place proudly in front of homes and businesses," said Jackie Duncan, a teacher at Shelby High School, in an email a week prior.

"We plan to line the streets that day, no matter what the weather, and welcome her home where she is surrounded by love and support."

The wail of Shelby Police cruiser sirens escorting the Gies family down Main Street signaled Lindsey's arrival. A maroon Nissan driven by her father, Shelby High School Principal John Gies, carried Lindsey and her family through Shelby as they soaked in a community's love.

Sitting in the passenger seat, a toothy smile spreading across her face, the fatigue of Lindsey's lengthy medical battle was nowhere to be seen.

The caravan made two passes down Main Street before finally - finally - heading home.

It was a long time coming.

In the beginning of December, Lindsey was admitted to OhioHealth Riverside Hospital for an infection, according to an online journal written by John Gies on CaringBridge.org. The infection was so severe she was placed on a ventilator, which she was weaned off of approximately a week later.

"Lindsey has had a good day after a rough night," John Gies wrote on Dec. 14. "She has some new meds that have helped her heart rate and blood pressure. She is also on dialysis to help remove excess fluid that was making it hard for her to breathe. She is on a ventilator to help her breathe as well.

"She is still very sick and things could change quickly," he said. "We like how the day has gone so far. This is going to take some time to fully recover."

In the midst of fighting for Lindsey's life, she was placed on a medication meant to increase her heart rate and blood pressure. However, a side effect of that medicine resulted in damage to her feet and fingers.

On Jan. 31, John Gies shared that the damage to Lindsey's feet and fingers would result in a double leg amputation below both knees, as well as the loss of her fingertips.

"While we are saddened over this news, we know Lindseys feet hurt her worse each day," John wrote. "She is handling this better than we could imagine and knows that with prosthetics she will walk again soon."

The news came as a blessing for Lindsey, who was in constant pain before the amputation.

"As I go into surgery today, I just ask for prayers for myself and my family for the road ahead," Lindsey said in a tweet on Jan. 3. "Although this is a huge change for me, I am going into this with an open mind and I know this is one step closer to me getting back to my life again."

Those in the community who know Lindsey say her reaction was emblematic of her outlook on life.

"Her strength is something better described in comic books, in a world of daring heroes and superpowers," Duncan said. "She prevailed, and in the wake of conquering this infection, she remains so completely humble; laying thanks at the feet of a higher power. Those same words of thanks are on the lips of an entire community."

The Shelby community held its breath for the past 53 days, except to send up a prayer or offer words of encouragement. Members of the Shelby community, fellow students and supporters gathered outside of Shelby High School on Dec. 16 to hold a prayer vigil for Lindsey.

On Friday, Cornell's Super Center in Shelby announced a fundraising effort led by one of Lindsey's classmates raised more than $10,000 for the Gies family. The effort was joined by Cornell's, Shelby Printing, Green Circle Growers, Mechanics Bank and Lipari Foods.

"On the weekend of Jan. 18 we sold over 1,200 yellow doughnuts, 50 yellow orchids and many yellow 'Love for Lindsey' cards that currently fill our windows," the store said in a Facebook post. "We are humbled by the generosity and enthusiasm of our customers...Shelby IGA is truly hometown proud to be a part of this caring community."

Cain Graphics in Shelby also created "Love for Lindsey" t-shirts to sell for $10 in support of Lindsey. All proceeds were given directly to the Gies family to offset the financial burden incurred.

John Gies wrote on Jan. 31 that there are still some hurdles to clear for Lindsey, and it would still be a few more weeks before she returns to school.

"The doctors are still waiting to see how her fingers heal before making any decisions," he said. "Her legs are healing well and she hopes to be in her new legs soon."

John cautioned that the family would need some time to settle back home before accepting any visitors. But he added she is looking forward to the day she is back with her friends.

"We are so thankful for all the gifts, prayers and well-wishes from everyone," he said. "We always knew Shelby was a giving community, but your generosity has blown us away."ASHLAND - Southview Grace Brethren Church Youth Pastor Taylor Brown had not heard of Anthem Lights before he started planning this concert, but his students certainly had.

The Christian pop rock band has more than 2.2 million followers on Facebook and 1 million subscribers on YouTube.

The four-vocalist boy band has shared the stage with Natalie Grant, Newsboys and Steven Curtis Chapman and performed on the 2011 Rock & Worship Roadshow tour.

But most of the band's teen and tween fans discovered Anthem Lights online, where they release a mix of new covers, original songs and video content each month. Their music is a mix of sacred and secular.

"I think the most unique thing about us is that we do all kinds of music," band member Chad Graham said in the band's promotional biography. "We do everything from a hymns medley to a Drake cover to a year-end mash-up. Our musical diversity is our identity."

Though their focus is digital, Anthem Lights does occasionally perform live. They're set to do so in Ashland March 31.

Sponsored by Southview Grace Brethren Church and promoted by Jet Promotions, the concert will be 7 to 9 p.m. March 31 at the John C. Myers Convocation center at Ashland University. Doors open at 6 p.m. Autographed CDs and band photos will be available for purchase after the show.

General Admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at ticketor.com/jetpromotion. VIP tickets are $50, and those who purchase VIP seats now through February 28 can have their choice of available seating by calling Jet Promotions at 216-848-4970.

A portion of proceeds from the show will go to support Southview's annual Wifflefest tournament.

Brown emphasized the concert is an outreach event rather than a church service.

"Our main idea is nothing in the sense of pushing our church agenda," he said. "We really want to reach the church, or religious community as well as others. We want to build an event for all people."

The church originally considered bringing the band in for an outdoor show during Wifflefest, which celebrates its 20th year this year. Together with Jet Promotions, church leaders decided to move the concert to a different time and location in hopes of attracting a wider audience and avoiding concerns about unpredictable weather.

"If this goes well, we're going to do something like this annually," Jet Promotions CEO Ed Kieper said. "This is really the first one of its kind. It's kind of unusual to have something like this in Ashland."

Kieper has seating available for as many as 1,300 people and is marketing the show to in Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Columbus. Youth pastors from other cities are already planning to bring groups of students to Ashland for the event.

"I have a busload of kids coming in from Kentucky for this, and there are even people flying in from Florida to come to this," Kieper said. "They're very, very popular, so I'm really excited about it."A suspect in an armed attack on the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul nearly four years ago has been arrested by Turkish security forces.

Hatice Kilic, a member of a far-left militant group, was detained in the Avcilar district of Istanbul, the local governor's office said on February 2.

Two women fired on the consulate building in the August 2015 attack. One of them was arrested at the time but Kilic remained at large, with a 1.5 million-lira ($290,000) bounty for information leading to her arrest.

The Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C), considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Turkey, said at the time it was behind the attack.

It said the United States was the "arch-enemy" of the Middle East and the world.

Based on reporting by AFP and ReutersThousands of people rallied in Belgrade and other cities across Serbia on February 2 for the ninth week in a row to demand the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic.



The protests took place under the motto #1of5million, a hashtag coined late last year after Vucic shrugged off demonstrations saying he would not bow to a single demand even "if there were 5 million of you."



The rally in the capital was joined by Belgrade university students who called on their fellow students to join the protest and demand the resignation of Education Minister Mladen Sarcevic.



A week ago, Sarcevic described a group of university professors who supported the movement against Vucic as "insignificant."

The protesters have been accusing Vucic of stifling democratic liberties, cracking down on political opponents, and controlling the media. He denies the accusation.



The demonstrations were triggered when a gang of thugs beat up opposition politician Borko Stefanovic in November.

With reporting by dpa



Police in the Atlantic archipelago of Cape Verde say they have seized nearly 10 tons of cocaine and arrested 11 Russian sailors aboard a vessel docked in the capital.

Police on February 1 said the seizure represented the largest single drug haul in the island country's history.

Cape Verde, a group of islands off Africas west coast with a population of some 500,000, has long battled gangs trafficking Latin American cocaine to Europe through West Africa.

The Russian Embassy in Cape Verde said it had received information the Russian sailors will appear in court on February 2. The embassy said diplomats have been able to visit the crew.

Police officials said the 9.5 tons of cocaine were seized during the night after the ship docked at the port of Praia for legal reasons following the death of a crew member. The vessel had been traveling to Morocco from South America.

Authorities said they were alerted by the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operation Center -- a body funded by seven EU countries that coordinates anti-drug-trafficking activities.

The Russian-crewed vessel was registered in Panama, police said.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASSRussian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia has suspended its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, one day after the United States made a similar announcement.

Putin met in Moscow on February 2 with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss Russia's reaction to the long-expected U.S. move.

"We will do as follows," Putin said during the meeting. "We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. Our American partners have announced the suspension of their participation in the treaty, so we will suspend as well."

On February 2, Washington said it had formally notified Russia and other treaty parties of the United States' intent and suspended its obligations under the INF.

Putin ordered Lavrov not to begin any new INF talks with the United States, saying Moscow will wait to see if Washington responds to any of Russia's earlier proposals on saving the agreement.

"Over the past several years, we have seen that our partners do not support our initiatives," Putin said. "On the contrary, they are constantly looking for certain pretexts to dismantle the global security system."

Meanwhile, he said the Defense Ministry will begin developing new nuclear-capable missiles, including supersonic ones.

He added that Russia should avoid being drawn into a new and costly arms race and said Moscow would not deploy any new weapons unless the United States did so first.

Lavrov said he believes the U.S. suspension of the INF Treaty jeopardizes other arms-control agreements, including the New START pact, which is set to expire in 2021.

Lavrov also accused the United States of violating the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by participating in nuclear-weapons exercises with NATO-member countries that are not among the five nuclear-armed states under the NPT.

"That is an outright violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty," Lavrov told Putin.

The foreign minister also said Washington had "lost any interest" in the possibility of joining the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on February 2 that the United States could not be restricted by the treaty while Russia violated it.



"The United States has concluded that extraordinary events related to the subject matter of the Treaty arising from Russia's continued noncompliance have jeopardized the United States' supreme interests," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Federation Council's International Relations Committee, said Washington had "taken another step toward [the world's] destruction."

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty was part of "the strategy of the United States to get out of its international legal obligations in different areas."

Moscow's reaction comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that as a result of what he called years of Russian violations, Washington would no longer abide by the key Cold War-era arms-control pact.

"For years, Russia has violated terms of the INF Treaty without remorse," Pompeo said in a news briefing. "To this day, Russia remains in material breach of obligations."

"The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective February 2," Pompeo said.

"We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty effective in six months, pursuant to Article 15 of the treaty."

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 and bans the development, production, and deployment of ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The agreement was the first of its kind to eliminate an entire class of missiles.

Pompeo told reporters in Washington that the United States remained open to arms-control negotiations with Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a written statement saying that "we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other."

Moscow denies it has violated the treaty and has called on Washington to offer proof of its allegations. Foreign Minister Lavrov on February 2 countered that Washington had violated the treaty by developing combat drones with similar characteristics to the banned ground-based missiles. Putin said U.S. tests of missile-defense weapons also violated the INF agreement.

U.S. officials have expressed concerns that China, which is not party to the INF, has gained a military advantage in Asia by deploying large numbers of missiles with ranges banned by the treaty.

Beijing on February 2 urged Moscow and Washington to come together to preserve the treaty.

"China opposes the United States' move to denounce the treaty and urges the U.S. and Russia to properly settle the differences through efficient dialogues," a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.

NATO allies issued a statement saying they "fully support" the U.S. decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty.

"All NATO allies support the U.S. decision today to start the withdrawal process, but it will take six months before that process is completed," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the Associated Press.

"We continue, therefore, to call on Russia to come back into compliance and fully respect the INF Treaty, he added.

The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, said he hoped Moscow and Washington use the six-month period to reach a new agreement.

"We have seen the announcement they made today," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "The secretary-general hopes that the parties will use these six months to resolve their differences. The INF is a very important part of arms-control architecture."

The U.S. action has been expected for months and was virtually assured after last-ditch talks in Beijing on January 31 between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State Andrea Thompson ended without agreement.

Washington and NATO accuse Russia of breaching the treaty by developing the 9M729 cruise missile, also known as the SSC-8.

The United States first publicly accused Moscow of violating the INF Treaty in 2014. After several years of fruitless talks, Washington began stepping up its rhetoric in late 2017, publicly identifying the missile in question and asserting that Russia had moved beyond testing and had begun deploying the systems.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and The Wall Street JournalNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance will sign an accession protocol with Macedonia on February 6, an important milestone in the Balkan country's path to become NATO's 30th member state.

"On February 6 we will write history," Stoltenberg posted on Twitter on February 2. "#NATO Allies will sign the accession protocol with the future Republic of North Macedonia."

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov will travel to Brussels to take part in the ceremony, along with representatives from the 29 NATO member countries, according to a schedule published by the Western alliance.



Macedonia has said it expects Greece to be the first NATO member to ratify the accession protocol, after which the country will begin to call itself by its new, agreed-upon name.



Macedonia and Greece approved an agreement under which Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

Since 1991, Greece has objected to the name "Macedonia" because it has a northern province with that name.

The name change deal, dubbed the Prespa agreement after the border lake where it was signed last year, ends a 27-year dispute between the two neighbors.

A NATO official told AFP that after the signing of the accession protocol, "the accession process then moves to the capitals of the 29 allies, where the protocol will be ratified according to national procedures."

"Once that process is completed," the official said, "the country will become a full member."

On January 30, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said his country was also planning to accelerate talks on joining the European Union now that the agreement with Greece had been reached.

"We hope that by June we will have presented strong arguments to the European Council for getting a date for opening accession negotiations," he told reporters in Vienna.

The deal has been met with opposition by many in both countries, with critics accusing their respective governments of making too many concessions to the other side.

Once the deal comes into effect, Macedonia will have a five-year period to implement many of the practical changes it must make, including changing vehicle license plates and issuing new passports.

With reporting by AFP and APState media in Iran have reported the successful test of a new cruise missile with a range of 1,350 kilometers.

The February 2 test came as Iran was celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometers and accurately hit the intended target," Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on state television.

He also said the missile was manufactured entirely in Iran without foreign assistance.

One of the reasons that the United States gave for withdrawing from a landmark 2015 agreement that restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief was that it did not prevent Iran from developing missiles that could threaten Israel.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adopted in 2015, "calls upon" Tehran to refrain from developing nuclear-capable missiles for a period of eight years.

Tehran says its missiles cannot carry nuclear warheads.

The test could not be independently verified, and Iran frequently overstates the capabilities of its weaponry.

Based on reporting by dpa, AP, and AFPSHABELSKOYE, Russia -- For several years, things were looking up for Viktoria Mityushkina and her family in this southern village on the shores of the Azov Sea -- mainly thanks to the gamblers flocking to the barren steppe just up the road. Mityushkina, 37, worked for one of the three casinos at Azov-City, which opened in 2010 under a Kremlin initiative to establish a handful of Las Vegas-style hubs for gambling while banning it everywhere else. The stated aim of the move, which eliminated casinos and slot halls that sprouted up seemingly everywhere in Russia following the Soviet collapse, was in part to inject economic life into far-flung, underdeveloped regions. "I became the chef's assistant for the buffet, worked with clients, cooked for them at a live station," the mother of two told RFE/RL's Russian Service in a recent interview. Mityushkina's husband stayed home with the children while she worked. Men in this town in Russia's Krasnodar region often leave for itinerant work to pay the bills. But Mityushkina didn't want the family separated, and she earned enough at the casino to support them.

But the whims of officials and powerful business interests have now pummeled Mityushkina's employment prospects -- and those of an estimated 2,500 others in the area who relied on the local gambling industry for their livelihood. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in October sounded the final death knell for Azov-City, ordering it to be liquidated as one of Russia's designated gambling zones by December 31, 2018. The move was not entirely unexpected. In January 2014, the CEO of state-owned lender Sberbank, German Gref, had proposed establishing a gambling zone in a ritzier area of Krasnodar -- the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which hosted the Winter Olympics the following month. While Russian President Vladimir Putin initially voiced his opposition to bringing gambling to Sochi, saying it would hurt the city's "family atmosphere," he proceeded to sign a July 2014 law paving the way for casinos in the Olympic town. Under Putin's original gambling law, no region could have more than one designated gambling zone. And in May 2016, he signed a law liquidating Azov-City as of January 1, 2019. Government officials said gambling in Sochi would help state creditors and private investors recoup the money they poured into the resort town for the Winter Olympics, Putin's pet project that was plagued by cost overruns and allegations of corruption and cronyism. In August 2016, Medvedev issued a decree ordering the establishment of a 165,000-square-meter gambling zone in Sochi.

Despite the ban on more than one gambling zone in a single region, Putin had made allowances for Azov-City to continue working until its ordered closure. Casino owners there -- and locals -- had hoped that officials would ultimately let them stay in business for good. "We didn't look for work beforehand, because even our managers didn't believe that they would close the casino," Mityushkina told RFE/RL. Those hopes proved to be in vain. On December 29, Azov-City was officially shuttered. "When I found out that they were likely going to shut us down, I simply burst into tears," Mityushkina said. "It was a tragedy for me. Two children, and neither I nor my husband have jobs." 'Hit The Jackpot' The rise of Azov-City began in 2006, when Putin pushed through the law banning gambling nationwide aside from special gambling zones to be set up in the far-eastern Primorye region, the Altai Republic in Siberia, the western exclave of Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, and the Rostov region, whose permission was later revoked. (In 2014, Putin added Crimea, the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula, to the list.) Putin painted the move as a means of bolstering budgets of economically struggling regions while protecting citizens from the dangers of gambling, including retirees who "lose their last kopeks, their last pension" to jackpot fever. The ban on gambling beyond the new zones took effect in July 2009 as the authorities shuttered slot halls and casinos, including the flashy, high-rolling haunts of central Moscow. Plans for Azov-City were already humming along. "Today we see that the government has created all the necessary conditions for successful business," then-Krasnodar Governor Aleksandr Tkachyov said while attending a presentation of the infrastructure established to service Azov-City. "Soon investors and gamblers will come here, and each will have a chance to hit the jackpot," the Kommersant newspaper quoted him as saying a day after the ban went into effect. The first casino at Azov-City -- the Oracle -- was up and running six months later. The locals preferred the slot machines, while higher-rolling city folk from Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don played roulette and cards. Built on vacant land 1 kilometer from the seashore -- and located hours away by car from the nearest major cities -- Azov-City wasn't exactly Monte Carlo. Ultimately, just three casinos -- including the nine-story Shambala -- were built at the site, and investment ground to a halt over the project's uncertain future. Residents in the string of villages near the complex, however, benefited greatly not only from the jobs, but also from the estimated 1 billion rubles ($15.2 million) the regional government spent on roads, gas, and electricity for the project. "They built everything from scratch, on an empty field," said Anna, a Shabelskoye resident who says she worked at Azov-City until its final day.

Anna, like several other locals, spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity due to fears that publicity could hurt their job prospects. She said she worked for six years as a senior cook at one of the casinos but is now unemployed. "They invested huge amounts of money in our district, the casinos brought in stable proceeds -- how could someone just close it down after everything was built and working? No one believed in such nonsense," Anna said. The head of Krasnodar's Shcherbinsky district, where Azov-City was located, said last year that the district's consolidated budget totaled more than 1 billion rubles ($15.2 million) at the end of 2017, mainly thanks to gambling-related taxes. That, he said, was up from 600 million rubles in 2010 ($9.1 million under the current exchange rate, but $19.6 million at the time). "Azov-City provides work to 2,500 local residents. I don't know a single major employer in the north of [Krasnodar] that could provide so many jobs," Sergei Tsirulnik told Kommersant in August. Murky Ownership Opponents of the push to close Azov-City argued that there was no reason it could not coexist alongside Sochi gambling establishments -- other than the statute forbidding more than one gambling zone in a single region. "Both platforms have their own clientele, don't compete with one another, and together deliver considerable proceeds to the state budget," Maksim Smolentsev, the CEO of one of the two companies that operated casinos at Azov-City, wrote in an August 2017 Facebook post. Azov-City attracted primarily locals or visitors from nearby cities within several hours' drive. Since the January 2017 opening of its first casino, the Sochi gambling zone, known as Krasnaya Polyana, has been visited by more than 850,000 people from 146 countries, according to the lone casino operator currently working there. Krasnodar authorities say gambling in Sochi brought in 291 million rubles ($4.1 million) in tax revenue for the regional budget last year. In 2018, a total of 570,547 people visited Sochi gambling establishments, while 483,046 visited Azov-City's, according to official data.

Smolentsev, who has filed a 3 billion-ruble ($45.7 million) lawsuit against regional authorities to recoup some of his company's losses, has said the decision to launch the Krasnaya Polyana gambling zone "looks like lobbying by private investors at the expense of the government." The ownership of two key entities involved in the Sochi gambling zone remains opaque. The only casino owner currently operating there is a Russian firm called Domein, whose ownership chain runs through offshore firms beginning in Singapore and leading to Cyprus. Available corporate records in both countries do not indicate the ultimate beneficiary. The Russian company Kurort Plyus, which owns the all-season resort where two of Sochi's three casinos are located, is owned by another Russian firm, Biznes Kurort, that is wholly owned by a Cypriot-registered firm called Casterton Holding Limited. Records from the Cyprus corporate registry do not indicate Casterton's ultimate beneficiary. Kurort Plyus was established in September 2015, just weeks before Sberbank auctioned off a company that owned the resort, known as Gorky Gorod. It was the only participant in the auction, agreeing to buy 96.9 percent ownership in the asset for Sberbank's starting price of 35 billion rubles ($533 million). The doors opened for gambling in Sochi 14 months after the auction. An inquiry sent to an e-mail address associated with Kurort Plyus about the firm's ownership went unanswered as of publication time. After Kurort Plyus's acquisition of the resort, the Russian version of Forbes Magazine quoted two unidentified "federal officials" and "two sources familiar with the details of the deal" as saying the company was close to Tkachyov, who while serving as Krasnodar governor had predicted in 2009 that investors and gamblers would flock to Azov-City to hit the "jackpot." Tkachyov, who was serving as Russia's agriculture minister when Kurort Plyus won the auction, has not publicly commented on those purported links. The agricultural holding for which Tkachyov currently serves as board chairman did not respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on whether he or his relatives have links to companies active in Sochi's gambling industry.

'Nowheresville' Much of the employment that Azov-City generated wasn't related to dealing cards or dishing out buffet fare at the casinos. The improved financial fortunes of many locals were built on the ancillary economy that rose around the complex. Inna, a resident of the nearby village of Molchanovka, had previously worked at a youth camp that provided a stable income until it closed after Azov-City was built. Scrambling to make ends meet, she and her family opened a village store in 2012 and a hotel two years later, both of which catered to Azov-City visitors. "When they closed the casinos, the girls -- waitstaff and managers -- gathered here in the store, said their goodbyes, and cried," Inna, who asked that her last name not be published, told RFE/RL.State media in Iran report that an attack on a paramilitary base in the country has left one dead and five injured.

Iranian state television reported that the February 2 attack on a Basij paramilitary base in Nikshahr, in southeastern Iran, came during the morning flag-raising at the base.

Mohammad Hadi Marashi, the deputy provincial governor, told the IRNA news agency that all six victims were Basij members.

No further details were immediately released, and there has been no claim of responsibility.

The Basij force is a paramilitary arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Nikshahr is in Sistan-Baluchistan Province. On January 29, a double bombing in Zahedan, the provincial capital, wounded three police officers. The militant Sunni Muslim separatist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for that attack.

In December a suicide bombing in the port city of Chabahar, also in the province, killed two police officers and wounded 42 people.

The province is populated mainly by ethnic Baluchs, who are Sunni Muslims. The region has also been plagued by violence by drug traffickers.

The attack came as Iran was in the midst of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and ReutersLawyers for two Reuters reporters serving jail terms for possessing classified government documents speak to the media after filing an appeal with Myanmar's Supreme Court in Naypyidaw to have the convictions overturned, Feb. 1, 2019.

Lawyers for two Reuters reporters serving seven-year jail terms in Myanmar for possessing classified government documents filed an appeal on Friday with the Supreme Court in Naypyidaw to have the convictions overturned, while an international rights group issued a damning report on government use of repressive laws against journalists and critics.

Khin Maung Zaw, one of the two attorneys who submitted the appeal, said the court is expected to decide within days whether to accept the case.

The court procedure requires the defense team to file arguments once the court accepts the case, he said.

Were hopeful for positive results because this is the Supreme Court, and I think it will thoroughly review the case, he said.

Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in December 2017 while pursuing a story about the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims in Inn Din Village during a brutal military crackdown in northern Rakhine state.

A Yangon court sentenced the journalists to seven years in prison in September 2018 for violating the Official Secrets Act.

The Yangon Regional High Court in January rejected an appeal filed by their attorneys, saying the defense team had failed to provide sufficient evidence of their innocence.

The case has drawn widespread criticism from press freedom and human rights groups, which contend that the pair was framed by police officials and convicted on bogus charges.

Police witness freed

Meanwhile, a former police officer who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the case and told the court that the two reporters had been set up, was released from jail on Friday after serving a one-year-sentence for violating a police discipline law.

Police Captain Moe Yan Naing was arrested in December 2017 after being identified as one of two policemen involved in the case and detained on charges of violating the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act and the Police Disciplinary Act.

During the Reuters reporters' pretrial hearing, he told the court that Police Chief Brigadier General Tin Ko Ko had ordered him to entrap the journalists by giving them documents related to the crackdown on the Rohingya in Rakhine state.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been arrested following a dinner meeting with officers who handed them the papers.

The whistleblower was sentenced to a year in Yangons Insein Prison under the Police Disciplinary Act for handing classified information to the reporters, and authorities ordered his wife and three children to move out of a police housing complex.

After his release from jail, Moe Yan Naing thanked all his supporters and called for legal reform.

I have never violated any police disciplinary [regulations] throughout my police career, he said. But the Police Disciplinary Act that I was accused of violating is not up to a required standard, and it causes a lot of suffering for members of the police force.

In my view, this kind of law must definitely be amended as the nation is headed towards a democratic system, he said.

Linda Lakhdhir (L), Asia legal advisor for Human Rights Watch, and Phil Robertson (R), deputy director of the group's Asia division, hold a press conference in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon, Feb. 1, 2019. Credit: RFA Ruling party blasts HRW report

Human Rights Watch (HRW), one of the international rights groups that has called for the release of the Reuters journalists, issued a report on Friday indicating that assaults on freedom of expression and assembly in Myanmar have increased significantly under the civilian National League for Democracy (NLD) government which came to power in 2016.

The decline in freedom of the press during the NLDs term has been particularly striking with authorities arresting journalists under various laws, including the Telecommunications Law, the Unlawful Associations Act, and the Official Secrets Act, HRW said.

At least 43 journalists had been arrested under the current government as of Sept. 30, 2018, according to Athan, a domestic organization that advocates freedom of expression in Myanmar.

[State Counselor] Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy promised a new Myanmar, but the government still prosecutes peaceful speech and protests and has failed to revise old oppressive laws, said Linda Lakhdhir, HRWs Asia legal advisor and author of the report, in a statement issued Thursday.

NLD spokesman Myo Myunt blasted HRWs report.

This is how just they see [our NLD government], he said.

We disagree on their point that media freedom is getting worse, he said. Today is an age when there is more freedom for people so that they dont need to be afraid of government officials and members of parliament. And so, they can now criticize them more freely.

But because some people have criticized officials without restraint, lawmakers have brought lawsuits against them, as is their right, Myo Myunt said.

We have told our MPs to talk with people as much as possible instead of filing lawsuits, he said.

Myint Kyaw, joint secretary of Myanmar Press Council, disagreed.

In my opinion, the judicial system hasnt granted freedom to media people during the last two and a half years, and judges have used strong charges against them, he said.

Officials are charging journalists under Section 505(b) under Myanmars Penal Code and Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, though they should be using the countrys Media Law to pursue complaints, especially for journalists who write about issues related to the government or the military, Myint Kyaw said.

Section 505(b) of the Penal Code criminalizes the circulation of statements and reports with the intent to cause fear or alarm in the public. Violators face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law prohibits use of the telecom network to defame people and carries a jail sentence of up to two years.

In the past year, there have been 53 cases filed under Section 66(d) and 31 cases filed under Section 505, Myint Kyaw said.



Reported by Htet Arkar and Thant Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Nandar Chann and Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.Two Lao villagers detained for almost two years without trial for protesting the loss of land awarded by the government to a Vietnamese rubber company are now seriously ill in jail, a local source says.



In July 2017, 15 residents of Yeub village in Sekongs Thateng district were taken into custody for obstructing workers and cutting down trees on their former land, with several beaten or subjected to electric shocks in the days following their arrest.



Four members of the group have since been released, with another reported to have died in custody last year, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Ten others remain in detention.



Two of the villagers still in custody, Souvanh and a villager named Nay, are now in failing health due to the harsh conditions in their jail, a local villager told RFAs Lao Service this week.



Souvanhs body, legs, and arms are swollen, while Nay suffers from a stomach problem and is passing blood, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Nay had been taken earlier by police for medical treatment, but is now again behind bars, the source said.



Souvanh and Nay are now confined with two others in a district police security division jail in Laman district, with six others held at Ban Mo Jail, a provincial police security division facility also in Laman, RFAs source said.



Souvanh, who is regarded by police as the groups leader, is being held apart from the others in a separate cell, he added.



Call for release



Speaking to RFA, Vanida Thepsouvanhpresident of the Lao Movement for Human Rights, based in Francecalled on the government of Laos to immediately and unconditionally release the 10 Sekong villagers still in jail.



We recall with great sadness that one has already died in prison, Thepsouvanh said.



The remaining prisoners, most of them from the Brou ethnic minority, who are suffering from poor nutrition and harsh treatment and are confined in dark cells, have serious health problems and could lose their life at any moment, she said.



As we have said before, these persons would not have been arrested if they were living in a country where rule of law prevails.



Land grabs and the appropriation of public property to turn over to foreign and domestic companies are common in Laos, and villagers affected by them often refuse to speak out publicly because they fear retribution.



Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.Table of Contents



1 Study Coverage

1.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Product

1.2 Market Segments

1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered

1.4 Market by Type

1.4.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size Growth Rate by Product

1.4.2 Wet Process Type

1.4.3 Dry Process Type

1.4.4 Wet-dry Method Composite Type

1.5 Market by End User

1.5.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size Growth Rate by End User

1.5.2 First Class

1.5.3 Second Class

1.5.4 Third Class

1.6 Study Objectives

1.7 Years Considered



2 Executive Summary

2.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size

2.1.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue 2014-2025

2.1.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales 2014-2025

2.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Growth Rate by Regions

2.2.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Regions

2.2.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Regions



3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers

3.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Manufacturers

3.1.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Manufacturers

3.1.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Manufacturers

3.1.3 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)

3.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Manufacturers

3.2.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2019)

3.2.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)

3.3 Cow Milk Infant Formula Price by Manufacturers

3.4 Cow Milk Infant Formula Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types

3.4.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters

3.4.2 Manufacturers Cow Milk Infant Formula Product Type

3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Cow Milk Infant Formula Market

3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans



4 Breakdown Data by Product

4.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product

4.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Product

4.3 Cow Milk Infant Formula Price by Product



5 Breakdown Data by End User

5.1 Overview

5.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Breakdown Data by End User



6 North America

6.1 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula by Countries

6.1.1 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries

6.1.2 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries

6.1.3 United States

6.1.4 Canada

6.1.5 Mexico

6.2 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula by Product

6.3 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula by End User



7 Europe

7.1 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula by Countries

7.1.1 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries

7.1.2 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries

7.1.3 Germany

7.1.4 France

7.1.5 UK

7.1.6 Italy

7.1.7 Russia

7.2 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula by Product

7.3 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula by End User



8 Asia Pacific

8.1 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula by Countries

8.1.1 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries

8.1.2 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries

8.1.3 China

8.1.4 Japan

8.1.5 Korea

8.1.6 India

8.1.7 Australia

8.1.8 Indonesia

8.1.9 Malaysia

8.1.10 Philippines

8.1.11 Thailand

8.1.12 Vietnam

8.1.13 Singapore

8.2 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula by Product

8.3 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula by End User



9 Central & South America

9.1 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula by Countries

9.1.1 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries

9.1.2 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries

9.1.3 Brazil

9.2 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula by Product

9.3 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula by End User



10 Middle East and Africa

10.1 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula by Countries

10.1.1 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries

10.1.2 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries

10.1.3 GCC Countries

10.1.4 Turkey

10.1.5 Egypt

10.1.6 South Africa

10.2 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula by Product

10.3 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula by End User



11 Company Profiles

11.1 Mead Johnson

11.1.1 Mead Johnson Company Details

11.1.2 Company Business Overview

11.1.3 Mead Johnson Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.1.4 Mead Johnson Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.1.5 Mead Johnson Recent Development

11.2 Nestle

11.2.1 Nestle Company Details

11.2.2 Company Business Overview

11.2.3 Nestle Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.2.4 Nestle Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.2.5 Nestle Recent Development

11.3 Danone

11.3.1 Danone Company Details

11.3.2 Company Business Overview

11.3.3 Danone Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.3.4 Danone Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.3.5 Danone Recent Development

11.4 Abbott

11.4.1 Abbott Company Details

11.4.2 Company Business Overview

11.4.3 Abbott Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.4.4 Abbott Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.4.5 Abbott Recent Development

11.5 FrieslandCampina

11.5.1 FrieslandCampina Company Details

11.5.2 Company Business Overview

11.5.3 FrieslandCampina Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.5.4 FrieslandCampina Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.5.5 FrieslandCampina Recent Development

11.6 Heinz

11.6.1 Heinz Company Details

11.6.2 Company Business Overview

11.6.3 Heinz Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.6.4 Heinz Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.6.5 Heinz Recent Development

11.7 Bellamy

11.7.1 Bellamy Company Details

11.7.2 Company Business Overview

11.7.3 Bellamy Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.7.4 Bellamy Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.7.5 Bellamy Recent Development

11.8 Topfer

11.8.1 Topfer Company Details

11.8.2 Company Business Overview

11.8.3 Topfer Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.8.4 Topfer Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.8.5 Topfer Recent Development

11.9 HiPP

11.9.1 HiPP Company Details

11.9.2 Company Business Overview

11.9.3 HiPP Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.9.4 HiPP Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.9.5 HiPP Recent Development

11.10 Perrigo

11.10.1 Perrigo Company Details

11.10.2 Company Business Overview

11.10.3 Perrigo Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

11.10.4 Perrigo Cow Milk Infant Formula Products Offered

11.10.5 Perrigo Recent Development

11.11 Arla

11.12 Holle

11.13 Pinnacle

11.14 Meiji

11.15 Yili

11.16 Biostime

11.17 Yashili

11.18 Feihe

11.19 Brightdairy

11.20 Beingmate

11.21 Wonderson

11.22 Synutra

11.23 Wissun



12 Future Forecast

12.1 Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Forecast by Regions

12.1.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Forecast by Regions 2019-2025

12.1.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Forecast by Regions 2019-2025

12.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Forecast by Product

12.2.1 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Forecast by Product 2019-2025

12.2.2 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Forecast by Product 2019-2025

12.3 Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Forecast by End User

12.4 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Forecast

12.5 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Forecast

12.6 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Forecast

12.7 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Forecast

12.8 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Forecast



13 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis

13.1 Market Opportunities and Drivers

13.2 Market Challenges

13.3 Market Risks/Restraints

13.4 Macroscopic Indicators



14 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis

14.1 Value Chain Analysis

14.2 Cow Milk Infant Formula Customers

14.3 Sales Channels Analysis

14.3.1 Sales Channels

14.3.2 Distributors



15 Research Findings and Conclusion



16 Appendix

16.1 Research Methodology

16.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach

16.1.2 Data Source

16.2 Author Details

16.3 Disclaimer



List of Tables and Figures



Figure Cow Milk Infant Formula Product Picture

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Segments

Table Key Manufacturers Cow Milk Infant Formula Covered

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size Growth Rate by Product 2019-2025 (K MT) & (Million US$)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product 2014-2025

Figure Wet Process Type Product Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Wet Process Type

Figure Dry Process Type Product Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Dry Process Type

Figure Wet-dry Method Composite Type Product Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Wet-dry Method Composite Type

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size Growth Rate by End User 2019-2025 (K MT)

Figure First Class

Figure Second Class

Figure Third Class

Figure Cow Milk Infant Formula Report Years Considered

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size 2014-2025 (Million US$)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales 2014-2025 (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Size by Regions 2014-2019 (K MT) & (Million US$)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Regions 2014-2019 (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure 2018 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Regions

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Regions 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure 2018 Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Regions

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Manufacturers (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Share by Manufacturers in 2018

Table Global Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2019) (Million USD)

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)

Figure Cow Milk Infant Formula Value Share by Manufacturers in 2018

Table Key Manufacturers Cow Milk Infant Formula Price (2014-2019) (USD/MT)

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution and Headquarters

Table Manufacturers Cow Milk Infant Formula Product Type

Table Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Cow Milk Infant Formula Market

Table Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product in 2018

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Product (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Product in 2018

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Price by Product 2014-2019 (USD/MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure Global Sales Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure Global Sales Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User in 2018

Figure North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate 2014-2019 (K MT)

Figure North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries

Figure United States Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure United States Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Canada Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Canada Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Mexico Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Mexico Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by Product

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User

Figure Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate 2014-2019 (K MT)

Figure Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries

Figure Germany Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Germany Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure France Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure France Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure UK Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure UK Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Italy Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Italy Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Russia Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Russia Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by Product

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User

Figure Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate 2014-2019 (K MT)

Figure Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries

Figure China Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure China Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Japan Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Japan Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Korea Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Korea Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure India Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure India Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Australia Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Australia Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Indonesia Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Indonesia Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Malaysia Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Malaysia Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Philippines Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Philippines Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Thailand Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Thailand Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Vietnam Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Vietnam Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Singapore Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Singapore Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by Product

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User

Figure Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate 2014-2019 (K MT)

Figure Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries

Figure Brazil Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Brazil Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Argentina Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Argentina Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by Product

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User

Figure Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate 2014-2019 (K MT)

Figure Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate 2014-2019 (Million US$)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Countries (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Countries

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue by Countries (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share by Countries

Figure GCC Countries Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure GCC Countries Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Turkey Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Turkey Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure Egypt Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure Egypt Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Figure South Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate (2014-2019) (K MT)

Figure South Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019) (Million US$)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by Product (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by Product (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by Product

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales by End User (2014-2019) (K MT)

Table Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share by End User (2014-2019)

Figure 2018 Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Market Share by End User

Table Mead Johnson Company Details

Table Mead Johnson Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Mead Johnson Recent Development



Table Nestle Company Details

Table Nestle Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Nestle Recent Development



Table Danone Company Details

Table Danone Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Danone Recent Development



Table Abbott Company Details

Table Abbott Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Abbott Recent Development



Table FrieslandCampina Company Details

Table FrieslandCampina Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table FrieslandCampina Recent Development



Table Heinz Company Details

Table Heinz Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Heinz Recent Development



Table Bellamy Company Details

Table Bellamy Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Bellamy Recent Development



Table Topfer Company Details

Table Topfer Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Topfer Recent Development



Table HiPP Company Details

Table HiPP Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table HiPP Recent Development



Table Perrigo Company Details

Table Perrigo Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

Table Perrigo Recent Development



Table Arla Company Details

Table Holle Company Details

Table Pinnacle Company Details

Table Meiji Company Details

Table Yili Company Details

Table Biostime Company Details

Table Yashili Company Details

Table Feihe Company Details

Table Brightdairy Company Details

Table Beingmate Company Details

Table Wonderson Company Details

Table Synutra Company Details

Table Wissun Company Details

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Forecast by Regions 2019-2025 (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share Forecast by Regions 2019-2025

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Forecast by Regions 2019-2025 (Million US$)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share Forecast by Regions 2019-2025

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Forecast by Product 2019-2025 (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share Forecast by Product 2019-2025

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Forecast by Product 2019-2025 (Million US$)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Market Share Forecast by Product 2019-2025

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Forecast by End User 2019-2025 (K MT)

Table Global Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Market Share Forecast by End User 2019-2025

Figure North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (K MT)

Figure North America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (Million US$)

Figure Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (K MT)

Figure Europe Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (Million US$)

Figure Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (K MT)

Figure Asia Pacific Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (Million US$)

Figure Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (K MT)

Figure Central & South America Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (Million US$)

Figure Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Sales Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (K MT)

Figure Middle East and Africa Cow Milk Infant Formula Revenue Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2025) (Million US$)

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Value Chain

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Customers List

Table Cow Milk Infant Formula Distributors List

Table Research Programs/Design for This Report

Figure Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches for This Report

Figure Data Triangulation

Table Key Data Information from Secondary Sources

Table Key Data Information from Primary Sources

Table of Contents



Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Growth 2019-2024



1 Scope of the Report

1.1 Market Introduction

1.2 Research Objectives

1.3 Years Considered

1.4 Market Research Methodology

1.5 Economic Indicators

1.6 Currency Considered



2 Executive Summary

2.1 World Market Overview

2.1.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2014-2024

2.1.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption CAGR by Region

2.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Segment by Type

2.2.1 Full Flight Simulator

2.2.2 Flight Training Device

2.2.3 Computer Based Training

2.3 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type

2.3.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

2.3.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue and Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

2.3.3 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Type (2014-2019)

2.4 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Segment by Application

2.4.1 Fixed-wing Aircraft

2.4.2 Rotary-wing Aircraft

2.5 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application

2.5.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

2.5.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value and Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

2.5.3 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Application (2014-2019)



3 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training by Manufacturers

3.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales Market Share by Manufacturers

3.1.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

3.1.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

3.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers

3.2.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

3.2.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

3.3 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Manufacturers

3.4 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types by Manufacturers

3.4.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area by Manufacturers

3.4.2 Players Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Products Offered

3.5 Market Concentration Rate Analysis

3.5.1 Competition Landscape Analysis

3.5.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2017-2019)

3.6 New Products and Potential Entrants

3.7 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion



4 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training by Regions

4.1 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training by Regions

4.1.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Regions

4.1.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Regions

4.2 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth

4.3 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth

4.4 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth

4.5 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth



5 Americas

5.1 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries

5.1.1 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019)

5.1.2 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019)

5.2 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type

5.3 Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application

5.4 United States

5.5 Canada

5.6 Mexico

5.7 Key Economic Indicators of Few Americas Countries



6 APAC

6.1 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries

6.1.1 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019)

6.1.2 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019)

6.2 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type

6.3 APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application

6.4 China

6.5 Japan

6.6 Korea

6.7 Southeast Asia

6.8 India

6.9 Australia

6.10 Key Economic Indicators of Few APAC Countries



7 Europe

7.1 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

7.1.1 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019)

7.1.2 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019)

7.2 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type

7.3 Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application

7.4 Germany

7.5 France

7.6 UK

7.7 Italy

7.8 Russia

7.9 Spain

7.10 Key Economic Indicators of Few Europe Countries



8 Middle East & Africa

8.1 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

8.1.1 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019)

8.1.2 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019)

8.2 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type

8.3 Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application

8.4 Egypt

8.5 South Africa

8.6 Israel

8.7 Turkey

8.8 GCC Countries



9 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends

9.1 Market Drivers and Impact

9.1.1 Growing Demand from Key Regions

9.1.2 Growing Demand from Key Applications and Potential Industries

9.2 Market Challenges and Impact

9.3 Market Trends



10 Marketing, Distributors and Customer

10.1 Sales Channel

10.1.1 Direct Channels

10.1.2 Indirect Channels

10.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Distributors

10.3 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Customer



11 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Forecast

11.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Forecast (2019-2024)

11.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Forecast by Regions

11.2.1 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Forecast by Regions (2019-2024)

11.2.2 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Forecast by Regions (2019-2024)

11.2.3 Americas Consumption Forecast

11.2.4 APAC Consumption Forecast

11.2.5 Europe Consumption Forecast

11.2.6 Middle East & Africa Consumption Forecast

11.3 Americas Forecast by Countries

11.3.1 United States Market Forecast

11.3.2 Canada Market Forecast

11.3.3 Mexico Market Forecast

11.3.4 Brazil Market Forecast

11.4 APAC Forecast by Countries

11.4.1 China Market Forecast

11.4.2 Japan Market Forecast

11.4.3 Korea Market Forecast

11.4.4 Southeast Asia Market Forecast

11.4.5 India Market Forecast

11.4.6 Australia Market Forecast

11.5 Europe Forecast by Countries

11.5.1 Germany Market Forecast

11.5.2 France Market Forecast

11.5.3 UK Market Forecast

11.5.4 Italy Market Forecast

11.5.5 Russia Market Forecast

11.5.6 Spain Market Forecast

11.6 Middle East & Africa Forecast by Countries

11.6.1 Egypt Market Forecast

11.6.2 South Africa Market Forecast

11.6.3 Israel Market Forecast

11.6.4 Turkey Market Forecast

11.6.5 GCC Countries Market Forecast

11.7 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Forecast by Type

11.8 Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Forecast by Application



12 Key Players Analysis

12.1 Boeing

12.1.1 Company Details

12.1.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.1.3 Boeing Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.1.4 Main Business Overview

12.1.5 Boeing News

12.2 Rockwell Collins

12.2.1 Company Details

12.2.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.2.3 Rockwell Collins Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.2.4 Main Business Overview

12.2.5 Rockwell Collins News

12.3 Lockheed Martin

12.3.1 Company Details

12.3.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.3.3 Lockheed Martin Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.3.4 Main Business Overview

12.3.5 Lockheed Martin News

12.4 CAE

12.4.1 Company Details

12.4.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.4.3 CAE Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.4.4 Main Business Overview

12.4.5 CAE News

12.5 Thales

12.5.1 Company Details

12.5.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.5.3 Thales Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.5.4 Main Business Overview

12.5.5 Thales News

12.6 Northrop Grumman

12.6.1 Company Details

12.6.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.6.3 Northrop Grumman Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.6.4 Main Business Overview

12.6.5 Northrop Grumman News

12.7 Kratos

12.7.1 Company Details

12.7.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.7.3 Kratos Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.7.4 Main Business Overview

12.7.5 Kratos News

12.8 FlightSafety

12.8.1 Company Details

12.8.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.8.3 FlightSafety Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.8.4 Main Business Overview

12.8.5 FlightSafety News

12.9 L-3 Communications

12.9.1 Company Details

12.9.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.9.3 L-3 Communications Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.9.4 Main Business Overview

12.9.5 L-3 Communications News

12.10 CSTS Dinamika

12.10.1 Company Details

12.10.2 Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Product Offered

12.10.3 CSTS Dinamika Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2019)

12.10.4 Main Business Overview

12.10.5 CSTS Dinamika News

12.11 Textron

12.12 Bluesky

12.13 Rheinmetall

12.14 Moreget

12.15 BAE Systems



13 Research Findings and Conclusion



List of Tables and Figures



Figure Picture of Military Aerospace Simulation and Training

Table Product Specifications of Military Aerospace Simulation and Training

Figure Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Report Years Considered

Figure Market Research Methodology

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth Rate 2014-2024 (K Units)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth Rate 2014-2024 ($ Millions)

Table Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption CAGR by Region 2014-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Product Picture of Full Flight Simulator

Table Major Players of Full Flight Simulator

Figure Product Picture of Flight Training Device

Table Major Players of Flight Training Device

Figure Product Picture of Computer Based Training

Table Major Players of Computer Based Training

Table Global Consumption Sales by Type (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue by Type (2014-2019) ($ million)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Type (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumed in Fixed-wing Aircraft

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market: Fixed-wing Aircraft (2014-2019) (K Units)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market: Fixed-wing Aircraft (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Figure Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumed in Rotary-wing Aircraft

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market: Rotary-wing Aircraft (2014-2019) (K Units)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Market: Rotary-wing Aircraft (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Table Global Consumption Sales by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales by Manufacturers (2017-2019) (K Units)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales Market Share by Manufacturers in 2017

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sales Market Share by Manufacturers in 2018

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue by Manufacturers (2017-2019) ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers in 2017

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers in 2018

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Manufacturers (2017-2019)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Sale Price by Manufacturers in 2018

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area by Manufacturers

Table Players Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Products Offered

Table Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2017-2019)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Regions 2014-2019 (K Units)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Regions 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Regions 2014-2019

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type in 2018

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application in 2018

Figure United States Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure United States Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Canada Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Canada Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Mexico Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Mexico Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type in 2018

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application in 2018

Figure China Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure China Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Japan Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Japan Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Korea Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Korea Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Southeast Asia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Southeast Asia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure India Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure India Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Australia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Australia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type in 2018

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application in 2018

Figure Germany Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Germany Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure France Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure France Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure UK Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure UK Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Italy Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Italy Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Russia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Russia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Spain Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Spain Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Countries (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value by Countries (2014-2019) ($ Millions)

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share by Countries in 2018

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Type (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Type in 2018

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption by Application (2014-2019) (K Units)

Table Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share by Application in 2018

Figure Egypt Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Egypt Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure South Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure South Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Israel Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Israel Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure Turkey Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure Turkey Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Figure GCC Countries Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth 2014-2019 (K Units)

Figure GCC Countries Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth 2014-2019 ($ Millions)

Table Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Distributors List

Table Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Customer List

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2024) (K Units)

Figure Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2024) ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Forecast by Countries (2019-2024) (K Units)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Forecast by Regions

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Forecast by Countries (2019-2024) ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share Forecast by Regions

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Americas Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure APAC Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Europe Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Middle East & Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure United States Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure United States Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Canada Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Canada Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Mexico Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Mexico Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Brazil Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Brazil Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure China Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure China Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Japan Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Japan Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Korea Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Korea Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Southeast Asia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Southeast Asia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure India Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure India Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Australia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Australia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Germany Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Germany Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure France Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure France Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure UK Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure UK Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Italy Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Italy Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Russia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Russia Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Spain Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Spain Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Egypt Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Egypt Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure South Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure South Africa Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Israel Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Israel Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure Turkey Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure Turkey Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Figure GCC Countries Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption 2019-2024 (K Units)

Figure GCC Countries Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value 2019-2024 ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Forecast by Type (2019-2024) (K Units)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Consumption Market Share Forecast by Type (2019-2024)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Forecast by Type (2019-2024) ($ Millions)

Table Global Military Aerospace Simulation and Training Value Market Share Forecast by Type (2019-2024)

TablTable of Contents



1 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)

1.2 Classification of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) by Types

1.2.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Comparison by Types (2019-2024)

1.2.2 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Types in 2018

1.2.3 Rigid 1-2Sided

1.2.4 Standard Multilayer

1.2.5 HDI

1.2.6 IC Substrate

1.2.7 Flexible Circuits

1.2.8 Rigid Flex

1.2.9 Others

1.3 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market by Application

1.3.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2014-2024)

1.3.2 Financial

1.3.3 Government

1.3.4 Military & Defense

1.3.5 Others

1.4 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market by Regions

1.4.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2014-2024)

1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Status and Prospect (2014-2024)

1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Status and Prospect (2014-2024)

1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Status and Prospect (2014-2024)

1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Status and Prospect (2014-2024)

1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Status and Prospect (2014-2024)

1.5 Global Market Size of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) (2014-2024)

2 Manufacturers Profiles

2.1 ID Quantique

2.1.1 Business Overview

2.1.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.1.2.1 Product A

2.1.2.2 Product B

2.1.3 ID Quantique Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.2 SeQureNet

2.2.1 Business Overview

2.2.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.2.2.1 Product A

2.2.2.2 Product B

2.2.3 SeQureNet Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.3 Quintessence Labs

2.3.1 Business Overview

2.3.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.3.2.1 Product A

2.3.2.2 Product B

2.3.3 Quintessence Labs Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.4 MagiQ Technologies

2.4.1 Business Overview

2.4.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.4.2.1 Product A

2.4.2.2 Product B

2.4.3 MagiQ Technologies Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.5 Toshiba

2.5.1 Business Overview

2.5.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.5.2.1 Product A

2.5.2.2 Product B

2.5.3 Toshiba Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.6 QuantumCTek

2.6.1 Business Overview

2.6.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.6.2.1 Product A

2.6.2.2 Product B

2.6.3 QuantumCTek Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

2.7 Qasky

2.7.1 Business Overview

2.7.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

2.7.2.1 Product A

2.7.2.2 Product B

2.7.3 Qasky Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

3 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Competition, by Players

3.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Share by Players (2014-2019)

3.2 Market Concentration Rate

3.2.1 Top 5 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Players Market Share

3.2.2 Top 10 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Players Market Share

3.3 Market Competition Trend

4 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Size by Regions

4.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Market Share by Regions

4.2 North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

4.3 Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

4.4 Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

4.5 South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

4.6 Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

5 North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries

5.1 North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

5.2 USA Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

5.3 Canada Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

5.4 Mexico Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

6 Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries

6.1 Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

6.2 Germany Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

6.3 UK Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

6.4 France Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

6.5 Russia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

6.6 Italy Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

7 Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries

7.1 Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

7.2 China Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

7.3 Japan Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

7.4 Korea Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

7.5 India Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

7.6 Southeast Asia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

8 South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries

8.1 South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

8.2 Brazil Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

8.3 Argentina Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

8.4 Colombia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

9 Middle East and Africa Revenue Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) by Countries

9.1 Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

9.2 Saudi Arabia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

9.3 UAE Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

9.4 Egypt Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

9.5 Nigeria Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

9.6 South Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

10 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Segment by Type

10.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Market Share by Type (2014-2019)

10.2 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Forecast by Type (2019-2024)

10.3 Rigid 1-2Sided Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.4 Standard Multilayer Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.5 HDI Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.6 IC Substrate Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.7 Flexible Circuits Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.8 Rigid Flex Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

10.9 Others Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2024)

11 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Segment by Application

11.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Application (2014-2019)

11.2 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Forecast by Application (2019-2024)

11.3 Financial Revenue Growth (2014-2019)

11.4 Government Revenue Growth (2014-2019)

11.5 Military & Defense Revenue Growth (2014-2019)

11.6 Others Revenue Growth (2014-2019)

12 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Size Forecast (2019-2024)

12.1 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Size Forecast (2019-2024)

12.2 Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Forecast by Regions (2019-2024)

12.3 North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

12.4 Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

12.5 Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

12.6 South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

12.7 Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

13 Research Findings and Conclusion

14 Appendix

14.1 Methodology

14.2 Data Source



List of Tables and Figures



Figure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Picture

Table Product Specifications of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Types in 2018

Figure Rigid 1-2Sided Picture

Figure Standard Multilayer Picture

Figure HDI Picture

Figure IC Substrate Picture

Figure Flexible Circuits Picture

Figure Rigid Flex Picture

Figure Others Picture

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Application (2014-2024)

Figure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Applications in 2018

Figure Financial Picture

Figure Government Picture

Figure Military & Defense Picture

Figure Others Picture

Table Global Market Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) Comparison by Regions 2014-2024

Figure North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Figure Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Figure Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Figure South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Figure Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2014-2024)

Table ID Quantique Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table ID Quantique Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table ID Quantique Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table SeQureNet Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table SeQureNet Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table SeQureNet Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table Quintessence Labs Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table Quintessence Labs Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table Quintessence Labs Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table MagiQ Technologies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table MagiQ Technologies Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table MagiQ Technologies Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table Toshiba Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table Toshiba Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table Toshiba Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table QuantumCTek Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table QuantumCTek Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table QuantumCTek Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table Qasky Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

Table Qasky Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Type and Applications

Table Qasky Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Players (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Players in 2017

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Players in 2018

Figure Global Top 5 Players Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share in 2018

Figure Global Top 10 Players Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share in 2018

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (%) (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Regions (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Regions (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Regions (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Regions in 2018

Figure North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

Table North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2018

Figure USA Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Canada Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Mexico Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2018

Figure Germany Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure UK Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure France Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Russia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Italy Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2018

Figure China Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Japan Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Korea Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure India Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Southeast Asia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Countries (2014-2019)

Table South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2018

Figure Brazil Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Argentina Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Colombia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Countries (2014-2019)

Table Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries (2014-2019)

Figure Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2018

Figure Saudi Arabia Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure UAE Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Egypt Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Nigeria Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure South Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue and Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) by Type (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Type (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Type in 2019

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Forecast by Type (2019-2024)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Share Forecast by Type (2019-2024)

Figure Global Rigid 1-2Sided Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Standard Multilayer Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global HDI Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global IC Substrate Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Flexible Circuits Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Rigid Flex Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Others Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue by Application (2014-2019)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Application (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Share by Application in 2019

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Forecast by Application (2019-2024)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Market Share Forecast by Application (2019-2024)

Figure Global Financial Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Government Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Military & Defense Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Others Revenue Growth Rate (2014-2019)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2019-2024)

Table Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue (Million USD) Forecast by Regions (2019-2024)

Figure Global Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Share Forecast by Regions (2019-2024)

Figure North America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

Figure Europe Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

Figure Asia-Pacific Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

Figure South America Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

Figure Middle East and Africa Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Revenue Market Forecast (2019-2024)

In the last month, Ive added a new word to my vocabulary  kayfabe. What does it mean? Its the theatrical master plan that people involved in pro wrestling engage in when deciding whether Boris the Black or The White Snake will win or lose a match.Support local journalism

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free.

Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)



According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is predicted.

Of course groundhogs  also known as woodchucks  don't emerge at this time just to be furry weather predictors. So what's the real reason? Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities in early February than mingling with the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

It's Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day appears to have European roots. Early February is midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and throughout history this seasonal crossroads has been celebrated. The ancient Greeks and Romans observed a mid-season festival on February 5th in anticipation of spring. In the Celtic tradition, this period was celebrated as the festival of Imbolog to mark the beginning of spring. Early Christians in Europe embraced this tradition and celebrated Candlemas Day on February 2nd, to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary. Customarily on this day, clergy would bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of winter in anticipation of spring.

In northern Europe, farmers needed some indication when to start spring planting. They looked for the emergence of hibernators, such as the hedgehog or badger, to signal the coming of spring. Since their emergence occurred in early February, it was believed that if Candlemas Day was sunny, and the hibernator saw its shadow, more wintry weather was ahead. But if it rained or snowed on Candlemas Day, the rest of the winter would be mild.

This tradition was brought to America by the Germans who migrated to eastern Pennsylvania. They found groundhogs in profusion in many parts of the state and decided this mammal was a perfect replacement for the hibernators they'd left behind in Europe. Thus, the tradition continued in America.

Stam Zervanos, Author provided

Hibernation helps survival

In my study area in southeastern Pennsylvania, the average date groundhogs emerge from their burrows is February 4. This fits the folklore and the timing of Groundhog Day. However, predicting the weather is not their objective.

The real reason is related to Darwinian fitness  a measure of an organism's ability to contribute its genes to the next generation. The process defines natural selection and is based on an organism's ability to survive and to reproduce successfully. High Darwinian fitness suggests an individual will pass on its genes to many healthy offspring.

Hibernation contributes to Darwinian fitness value. It enhances survival by saving energy during times of limited food availability. The ability to hibernate is found in several mammalian groups, including all marmots, many species of ground squirrels, chipmunks, hamsters, badgers, lemurs, bats and even some marsupials and echidnas. Curled up in their burrows, they pass the winter months, when food would be hard to come by

Hibernation: alternating torpor and arousal

Hibernation is characterized by a significant drop in body temperature and metabolic function. This process is commonly called torpor. During torpor, body functions including heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity are reduced. The overall benefit for the animal is saving metabolic energy at a time when it isn't eating.

Stam Zervanos, Author provided

However, for some still unexplained reason, hibernators arouse periodically during their hibernating season. These arousals come at a great energy cost. Therefore, arousing must be critical to survival in some way or animals wouldn't waste the energy on it. Some possibilities include maintaining cellular functions or disposing of bodily wastes.

In Pennsylvania, these bouts of torpor and arousal continue throughout the hibernation season, starting on average in mid-November and ending by the beginning of March; a total of about 110 days. In one study, an average of 15 bouts of torpor occurred during this period, with arousals in between. Groundhogs aroused for about 41 hours and then returned to torpor for about 128 hours for males and 153 hours for females.

In a 2010 study, we determined that the hibernation periods for groundhogs increase in length with increasing latitude. The hibernation period matches winter's duration. The celebration of Groundhog Day would need to change by latitude in order to perfectly match groundhog emergence.

Stam Zervanos, Author provided

It all boils down to sex

One of the drawbacks of hibernation is the reduced time available for reproduction. Thus, hibernators have developed mating strategies to maximize reproductive success. Groundhog mating strategies involve temporary emergence in early February, mating in early March during during their final arousal, and giving birth in early April. This behavior enhances reproductive success because young are born as early as possible (but not too early) and are able to start feeding in May when lots of food is available. That way they have enough time to gain sufficient weight to survive their first winter hibernation.

But why do groundhogs emerge in February, when mating won't occur until next month? The answer lies in their social structure. Most of the year, male and female groundhogs are solitary and antagonistic against each other. They aggressively maintain a feeding territory around their burrows and rarely have any contact with each other. February is used to reestablish the bonds necessary for mating and ensures that mating can then proceed without delay in early March.

So for the animals themselves, Groundhog Day is more like Valentine's Day. On February 2nd, groundhogs don't emerge to predict the weather, but to predict whether their own mating season will be a success!

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.Suppose you were told that there is something responsible for nearly 1 of every 5 deaths of Americans, and that it is completely avoidable. Would you believe  today  that "something" is cigarette smoking?

If you're a college graduate, you might not believe it. You don't smoke. Your friends and colleagues don't smoke. You never see smoke in your workplace, nor in the restaurants and bars you frequent. Like many of the nation's most educated citizens, you may well regard the problem of smoking as largely solved. Because the educated population is also the most politically engaged, cigarette smoking has virtually disappeared from the nation's health policy agenda.

I'm not a smoker, although like many of you I was one (45 years ago, in my case). As a student of tobacco policy for over 40 years, I have helped to document the remarkable progress we have made against smoking. But I also appreciate why smoking remains our nation's most avoidable cause of disability and premature death. The lack of policy attention to smoking is a public health tragedy.

The good news and the bad news

No one can deny the extraordinary victories against smoking. Since the 1964 Surgeon Generals report on smoking and health, adult smoking prevalence has dropped by two-thirds, from 43 percent to 14 percent.

The decrease among young people has been even more substantial. For example, since smoking peaked among high school seniors 20 years ago, smoking prevalence in the past 30 days has plummeted by nearly 80 percent.

Prompted by tobacco control initiatives, Americans decisions to quit smoking and not to start in the first place avoided 8 million premature deaths from 1964 to 2012. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers tobacco control one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century and of the first decade of the 21st.

Thats the good news. The bad news is that 1 of every 7 adults still smokes. And smoking kills nearly 500,000 Americans every year. That number exceeds  by a lot  the sum total of all deaths caused by the opioids and other drugs, alcohol, motor vehicle injuries, homicide, suicide, HIV/AIDS and fires.

Who smokes now? The role of education

What accounts for the divergence between common perceptions about smoking and the dismal reality? In large part it is remarkable changes in who is smoking. Increasingly, todays smokers are those with lower education, lower income and - importantly - a higher incidence of mental illness.

Consider this: In 1966, the smoking rate of Americans who hadnt graduated high school was just 20 percent greater than that of college grads. By 2017, in contrast, the smoking prevalence of the least educated was nearly four times greater than that of the most educated.

Smoking has declined substantially at both ends of the education spectrum but to a much higher degree among college graduates: by half among Americans lacking a high school degree, but by 85 percent among college graduates.

For college grads, the rate of smoking in 2017 was vanishingly small. For those without a high school degree, and indeed for high school grads too, fully 1 out of 5 remain smokers. The difference matters. Research attributes a fifth to a third of a large education-related gap in life expectancy to differences in smoking.

Money matters

A similar pattern of smoking holds with respect to income classes, themselves highly correlated with educational attainment. According to the latest data, Americans who live below the federal poverty level were three times more likely to smoke than Americans with incomes at least 400 percent above the federal poverty level. The gap has widened since the early 1990s.

There is an enormous difference in life expectancies between the nations richest and poorest citizens. Smoking is again a significant factor in this disparity.

Mental health does, too

An enormously important factor in smoking today is that the smoking prevalence of people suffering from serious mental illness is more than double that of the population not so afflicted (28 percent and 13 percent, respectively, in 2014). People with mental health problems or substance use disorders constitute a quarter of the U.S. population but consume 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked. They have more difficulty quitting smoking.

Rates differ by mental illness condition. In 2007, nearly 60 percent of schizophrenics smoked. That was three times the rate of the general population. Smokers with serious psychological distress (SPD) lose 15 years of life expectancy. Nonsmoking victims of SPD lose five years. Research has thus attributed up to two-thirds of the life expectancy reduction of SPD victims who smoke to their consumption of cigarettes.

Sexual orientation, race and ethnicity

Smoking also disproportionately afflicts members of the LGBT community. Among racial/ethnic groups, American Indians and Alaskan Natives had the highest smoking rates in 2016, while Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had the lowest.

In general, women have substantially lower smoking rates than men. The exceptions are American Indians/Alaska Natives, among whom women have slightly higher smoking prevalence than men, and non-Hispanic whites, among whom men smoke at slightly higher rates.

Marginalized smokers

As these data indicate, the principal victims of smoking are members of marginalized populations. Despite the enormous continuing importance of smoking in U.S. health, the issue is submerged. Smoking no longer afflicts the nations most economically advantaged population, and those it does burden lack an effective voice in the nations political life.

Besides, smokers tend to blame themselves for the behavior.

In point of fact, smoking is a tenacious addiction, one that the vast majority of smokers acquired in their youth. They were assisted in so doing by an avaricious tobacco industry that marketed aggressively to young people. Kids have been referred to as replacement smokers, the new smokers needed to replenish the industrys customer base as its most loyal customers succumb to smoking-produced diseases.

Restoring tobacco control to the nations public health agenda

What can be done? The simple  and incomplete  answer is more of the same. Public education has contributed to decreased smoking, as have policy interventions: cigarette taxation, smoke-free workplace laws, prohibitions on product advertising and promotion, and media anti-smoking campaigns. Evidence-based smoking cessation treatments can help as well. Interventions increasingly need to be targeted to specific high-risk groups.

These evidence-based measures are unlikely to be enough, however. A potentially complementary tool may lie in a highly controversial recent development: the emergence of e-cigarettes. Novel reduced-risk nicotine delivery products like e-cigarettes may serve as alternatives to smoking, especially for those smokers otherwise incapable of quitting cigarettes.

Vaping may hold the potential to help significant numbers of Americans to quit smoking. The risks of vaping are clearly substantially less than those of smoking. At the same time, however, there are concerns about the attraction of e-cigarettes to young people and uncertainty about the health effects of long-term vaping.

While the ultimate impacts of e-cigarettes and other novel non-combusted tobacco products remain to be seen, there is widespread agreement that it is the burning of tobacco  primarily in the form of cigarette smoking, with its 7,000 chemicals  that is by far the most deadly method of consuming tobacco.

The enormous successes of tobacco control notwithstanding, smoking remains Public Health Enemy No. 1. Today, the burden of smoking falls primarily on marginalized populations  the poor, the poorly educated, and those suffering from mental health problems. A compassionate public would renew the battle against smoking with a vigor not seen in decades.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit source of analysis from academic experts. Author Tiffany Mitchell Patterson is Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies at West Virginia University.TORRINGTON  The city is seeking to have oversight of ambulance service here transferred to it and has asked state Department of Health to approve its request.

A January letter submitted by Mayor Elinor Carbone to the state Office of Emergency Medical Services requests that the state transfer the designation of a Primary Service Area to Torrington.

The service area assignment has been held by Campion Ambulance of Waterbury since it began providing emergency medical response to the city in 1985.

A primary service area is geographic designation assigned by the state health department. The system ensures a coordination of emergency medical services to minimize response times.

Our concern is that Torrington itself be responsible and assure that (ambulance service) is provided in an efficient and responsive manner for the area, Fire Chief Peter Towey said Friday. The reassignment would allow us to better monitor the needs of the city.

Campion announced in the fall that it was selling its business to the Trinity Health of New England Corp. Trinity is an affiliate of a Michigan-based health care group.

The corporation wrote in a memo that it would buy Campion, and its entire ambulance service business...

Torrington is supportive of the transfer of ownership to Trinity, Towey said, but first we need the memorandum, signed by the health care company to designate that the city will be assigned the service area.

A decision about the the citys request should take months not years, Carbone said.

At a Board of Public Safety meeting in December, Campion Ambulance President and CEO William Campion Jr. told the board that after the sale, his company would continue its ambulance service in the city, but as part of the Trinity group.

It is the first time in New England for a hospital to take a (PSA) permit, Campion added. (The sale) will allow our company to enhance and support critical areas with dispatch upgrades to become accredited.

Notice of the proposed change in the assignment prompted Carbone to inform the state that the city would be in support of a transfer of ownership to Trinity Health Services contingent... on the PSAs at all levels be reassigned to the City of Torrington.

The citys support would occur, Carbone added, when an updated Memorandum of Understanding (is) negotiated between the city and Trinity Health to establish this new relationship, for the service area assignment.

Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Carbone said in a recent interview. Its prudent to pursue it. There is no cost to acquire the assignment.

No information was provided Friday on whether Trinity Health is still pursuing the service assignment, given that Torrington has stated its intent.

However, Dr. Steve Schneider, president of St. Marys Hospital in Waterbury, which is owned by Trinity Health, did provide a statement about the partnership between Campion Ambulance and the city.

Campion Ambulance has served Torrington very well for several decades. Saint Marys Hospital and Trinity Health of New England have had very productive and positive discussions with the city regarding our commitment to continue to provide excellent service to the community.

Schneider added that the company hopes it will be able to continue to work together cooperatively, with the city.

Campion Ambulance could not be reached for a comment.

An unusual aspect of being designated as a primary service area is that, unlike other state licenses or permits, there is no provision to regularly review the services provided by the recipient of the service assignment.

A response from the state health department about the length of time an assignment can be kept, noted that it stays in effect until it is either relinquished or removed by the Commissioner.TORRINGTON  Members of the Litchfield County Farm Bureau held their annual meeting Jan. 24 in Torrington.

A group of 67 guests attended the meeting and many took the opportunity to speak with legislators including state Rep. Maria Horn, D-Kent, Rep. Jay Case, R-Winsted, and Senators Craig Miner, R-30, and Kevin Witkos, R-8.

We had a particularly rousing dialogue, considering the issues facing agriculture these days, said LCFB president Karen Kalenauskas of Watertown.

Prior to start of the dinner, members had a small group meeting with state representatives and senators along with those who attended on behalf of U.S. Rep. Jahanna Hayes, who was recently appointed to the state Agriculture Committee.

We discussed the impact of the shutdown on agriculture in Litchfield County, Kalenauskas said. The repercussions are significant and it was very enlightening to those at this pre-meeting.

The bureau also invied students and faculty from Connecticuts four vocational Agriculture programs: Northwestern FFA, Housatonic Valley FFA, Wamogo FFA, and Woodbury FFA.

The farm bureau invites anyone involved in farming to join. For information about the Litchfield County Farm Bureau, call 203-598-9701 or email lcfb@sbcglobal.net.HARTFORD  Connecticut has joined five other states and New York City in suing the Trump administration over smog that drifts into the region from Midwestern factories and other sources.

Attorney General William Tong filed the suit to force the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with federal law by requiring further controls on smog pollution.

"Connecticut sits at the end of the tailpipe of the nation's exhaust fumes, with severe consequences for public health," Tong said.

"States like Connecticut ... downwind of some of our country's heaviest polluters need the protection of strong interstate ozone pollution regulation," Tong said. "Trump EPA's failure to comply with the Clean Air Act violates federal law and endangers the health of Connecticut families."

The coalition is challenging the EPAs 2018 Cross-State Air Pollution Rule "Close-Out" for failing to require further control of smog pollution in states upwind of Connecticut despite the "serious, on-going health threat in Connecticut."

Joining Connecticut are New York Attorney General Letitia James are the attorneys general of Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and the City of New York.

Ongoing litigation

The suit is not the first legal action Connecticut and other northeastern states have filed over smog wafting eastward from states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Last year, Connecticut and New York State won a federal lawsuit against the EPA to reduce smog that drifts into the Northeast.

The lawsuit, filed jointly by Connecticut and New York in January, alleged that EPA failed to perform its mandatory duty under the Good Neighbor Provision of the federal Clean Air Act for 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

A U.S District Court sided with the states argument and ordered the EPA to develop a plan to control interstate pollution. The EPA is challenging the ruling and is continuing efforts to weaken Clean Air Act provisions as part of an effort to reduce burdensome regulation.

The litigation claimed lax air pollution standards in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio require the EPA to take steps to reduce the impact on downwind states such as Connecticut.

Smog from coal-fired electric plants in a variety of Midwestern states is carried by prevailing winds into the Northeast, causing "bad air" days in the summer and harming the health of residents, the suit alleged.

The state has also threatened to sue the EPA over a proposed rollback of auto emission standards now in the works.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says that more than 90 percent of the ozone levels in southwest Connecticut and more than 80 percent of ozone levels in some remaining parts of the state are the result of pollution that originates in areas outside of Connecticuts jurisdiction and control.

Readings at Connecticut air monitoring stations consistently show that that air entering the state exceeds ozone standards, subjecting several million residents to unhealthy levels of air pollution.

The state issues alerts to warn residents about bad air days. Those with breathing ailments, young children and the elderly people are advised to stay indoors.

The Midwestern smog also prevents Connecticut from meeting federal air quality standards, despite efforts to minimize pollution within the states borders.

"Connecticut must rely on other states to develop and implement plans to reduce air pollution, and upon EPA to act as a backstop when they fail to do so, as EPA is required to do under the Clean Air Act," Tong said in a statement.

EPA has failed in its responsibility," he said.

bcummings@ctpost.comContributed photo

A book talk with Chris Wigren, author of Connecticut Architecture: Stories of 100 Places will be held Feb. 24, 3 p.m. at the Litchfield Historical Society. Chris Wigren is an architectural historian and Deputy Director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The talk is free for members and $5 for non-members. To register or for more information visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org or call 860-567-4501.These days, entrepreneurship is not just a young mans game.

Whether its turning a hobby into a business or leveraging decades of experience to carve out a niche, the start-up and small business community in southwestern Connecticut has expanded to a place where more than just millennials can thrive.

The age of people starting businesses is pretty amazing, said Anne Hunt, director of the U.S. Small Business Administrations Connecticut district.

A 2018 report from the Harvard Business Review found that the average age of entrepreneurs nationwide at the time they founded their companies was 42. While the same report noted that most of those new operations were small businesses like dry cleaners and restaurants, that hasnt kept older generations from branching into industries that have prided themselves on their youth.

Take founders of high-tech industry. Overall, the average age of people who founded the highest growth startups was 45.

Industry observers in the states startup sector suggest that Fairfield Countys pool of entrepreneurs mirror the national average.

In some cases, the older the entrepreneurs have a deeper network and have broader exposure and experience in the industry they are investing in, said Matt McCooe, CEO of Connecticut Innovations.

The agency is responsible for helping Connecticut businesses grow through innovative financing and strategic help. Connecticut Innovations has invested in roughly 55 tech companies in Fairfield County alone.

One unique aspect of Fairfield County is there are pockets of wealth, McCooe said, so raising capital added to the abundance of people with exposure to different industries has yielded some very accomplished people in the regional startup community.

When it comes to gender, the Womens Business Development Council in Stamford, which provides support and resources to women business owners throughout the state, is also seeing an uptick in activity among female entrepreneurship.

CEO Fran Pastore said they have seen an increase in women enlisting their services, especially among Latino women, which she said are starting businesses at twice the rate of their male counterparts.

Pastore said the ages of business owners between 25 to 45 years old has continued to increase among their clientele since the organization was found 22 years ago.

I think that it is the time and the space that we are in in society, Pastore said. Theres a new womens movement and women are embracing risk. They want to be in control of their own destiny, they want the flexibility to work hard and they want to build assets.

Capitalizing on their skills

The wave of older professionals setting out to do their own thing has created a market for several co-working spaces now open throughout Fairfield County.

Stamford-based space Comradity Strategy and Creative Resource Center has seen a more mature demographic rent desks or office space for their startups.

Many of the entrepreneurs using the Stamford-based business space are in their 40s and 50s and looking to break away from the corporate grind and strike out on their own, according to co-owner Katherine Hern.

They have unique insights into the businesses and often worked in the corporate sides  that they wouldnt be able to capitalize on by staying in the corporate world, so they do that here, Hern said.

Thats what inspired Hern to start the co-working space with her husband, Jim, four years ago. She had previously worked for an advertising agency and spent time around entrepreneurial businesses.

You have to really have some expertise in these areas to be able to provide a competitive product and service, know what the channels of distribution are and how to get it out there, Kern said. It takes some chops. You cant just come up with some idea and hope that it will work.

Older owners in a budding industry

Theres certainly a presence of more mature business owners in the thriving craft brewery market, which has exploded since state law opened the floodgates in 2012.

As a result, the industry has grown from a dozen breweries to more than 80, many of which are run by people in their 40s and 50s.

Theres definitely some young blood in the industry, but its a mix, said Peter Cowles, chair member for the CT Brewers Guild and founder of Aspetuck Brew Labs in Bridgeport.

The 50-year old Fairfield resident started the microbrewery with his wife, Tara, after 26 years in the marketing and business development industry.

While he kept his day job for roughly three years after opening Aspetuck, Cowles has since left that behind to run his business full time. The same can be said for dozens of other Connecticut residents who have joined the states $718 million brewery industry in pursuit of their own business dreams.

Youre taking people who are seasoned business people who are applying their know-how and knowledge and their experience to this growing industry in Connecticut, Cowles said. All of them started as hobbyist and home brewers, but to take that next step you really have to completely put that business hat on because this is first and foremost a business.

Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.comNetwork of Executive Women offering scholarships

The Network of Executive Women is accepting applications for undergraduate scholarships from Feb. 1-28, according to a release.

The scholarships are being offered to women residing or attending school in New Haven or Fairfield counties who demonstrate financial need, the release said, and applicants must be returning, continuing or beginning schooling or other types of training to further education goals and/or enhance job skills. Students going directly from high school to college are not eligible, according to the release.

Completed applications will only be considered if submitted in the stated timeframe. For applications or information, contact Virginia Allen at 203-795-0305 or visit www.networkofexecutivewomen.com. (Applications are not available online.)

Women Redefining Retirement to meet

MILFORD  Women Redefining Retirement will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 at Golden Hill Rehabilitation Pavilion, 2028 Bridgeport Ave.

Acitivity will be making valentines, which Meals On Wheels will deliver to homebound clients on Valentines Day. New or gently used linens (sheets, pillowcases, blankets, towels) will be collected to replenish supplies at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, as clients often take these items with them when they leave the shelter. Food donations will go to the Milford Senior Center.

New Members welcome. Find us on Facebook, or at wrrofmilford@google.com.

Restaurant, bar owners, servers can get TIPS training

MILFORD  The Milford Prevention Countil will be offering all Milford restaurant/bar owner and servers training in the responsible service, sale, and consumption of alcohol, known as Training Intervention Procedures, or TIPS.

TIPS is a skills-based training program designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving, according to a release. By building on individuals fundamental people skills, TIPS provides the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize potential alcohol related problems and how to effectively intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies.

The training will be funded and offered locally by the Milford Prevention Council. Visit https://milfordprevention.org/tips19 for information, training dates and locations when made available.

Housatonic River Job Network to meet

The Housatonic River Job Network will hold its next meeting Saturday, Feb. 16, with two sessions:

Morning session, 11 a.m., with guest speaker Mark Troncone, senior IT project manager, speaking on Unemployment  How to Stay Organized, Motivated & Accountable.

Afternoon session, 2 p.m., with guest speakers Andy Ancel, development Associate at Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, and Robert Hojnacki, chief development Officer for the Center for Family Justice. Topic will be Networking 2 Referrals.

Sessions will be held at Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler Road in Orange. For information, email alexy56@hotmail.com.

Jeans for Charity fundraiser benefits Project Purple

SHELTON  DHL&S, CPAs & Advisors has selected Project Purple Inc. as its 2018 Jeans for Charity fundraiser recipient.

The Jeans for Charity program encourages employees to donate money weekly to a fund that is matched by the Firm, in exchange for allowing participants to wear jeans on Fridays. The DHL&S Jeans for Charity program has donated more than $59,000 to local charities since it was established in 2004, according to a news release.

Project Purple is a Connecticut-based nonprofit that raises awareness of pancreatic cancer, including funding of research efforts and supporting patients and families.

Business Networking Breakfast

MANCHESTER  The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business Networking Breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. Feb. 7 at Work_Space, 903 Main St.

Register at http://members.ctglc.org/events.Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.Source:

Last updated on: February 02, 2019 20:13 IST

A Delhi court Saturday granted interim bail till February 16 to Robert Vadra in a money-laundering case and asked him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate in the investigation.

Vadra, who is currently abroad, had on Friday filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds.

The property is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Vadra's counsel informed the court that he will return to Delhi from London on February 6 and would join the probe.

Taking note of the assurance by his counsel, special judge Arvind Kumar directed Vadra to appear before ED after his return on February 6 and cooperate in the investigation.

"I am granting him interim bail. Let him come and join the probe," the judge said.

The court asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety of like amount as a condition for securing interim bail.

During the hearing, special public prosecutor D P Singh and advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for the ED, opposed Vadra's anticipatory bail and claimed that he had got kickbacks in a petroleum deal in 2009.

The agency has received information about various new properties in London which belongs to Vadra including two houses of 5 and 4 million each, 6 other flats and more properties.

"We just want him to come and inform about his properties," Rana said.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, told the court that his client was out of the country for his mother's treatment and assured the court that he will come and join probe.

In his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra said that he was being subjected to 'unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law'.

The plea said that the petitioner's office was raided by the ED on December 7, 2018 and therefore, he seriously apprehends that his liberty may be curtailed by the investigating agency.

"The petitioner is being subjected to a farce criminal prosecution which actually is beset with nothing else except political vendetta and most unfortunately the respondent being the law enforcement agency is a party to the unethical and illegal exercise.

"It is stated that the petitioners firm through its authorised representative Manoj Arora has already joined investigation with the ED conducting investigation into the affairs of the firm in Rajasthan with their offices at Jaipur on many occasions and has supplied all the relevant documents to the satisfaction of the officials of the ED," the plea said.

Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, ED had alleged.

Vadra alleged that he is being 'hounded and harassed' to subserve political ends.

'It is stated the the petitioner has highest regard for the due process of law and is always willing to cooperate with the investigation in the highly charged political atmosphere and political contours of the present investigation, he seriously apprehends arrest by the investigating authorities and in such circumstances, the petitioner by means of the present petition is also praying that while he is willing to join investigation with the ED authorities,' his plea read.

Arora had earlier alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the National Democratic Alliance government out of 'political vendetta'.

However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that 'should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?'

The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.

"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.Source:

Last updated on: February 02, 2019 20:18 IST

Within hours of Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case on Saturday, a local court held Pune Police's action had violated the Supreme Court's order and he should be released immediately.

Teltumbde, a professor at the Goa Institute of Management, was arrested at the Mumbai airport in early hours after he arrived from Kerala.

Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane said the apex court, while rejecting Teltumbde's plea seeking to quash the FIR against him earlier, had given him protection from arrest till February 11 so that he could approach the 'competent authority' for appropriate legal relief.

The competent authority includes high court as well as the Supreme Court, it said.

Therefore, arresting him before the protection period ended was 'illegal' and also amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court's order and he should be released immediately, the court said.

The sessions court had Friday rejected Teltumbde's anticipatory bail application.

"Since his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected, we decided to arrest him," Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar, who is investigating the case, had said.

According to Pune Police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held here on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day.

They also claimed to have seized, during the probe, letters linking Teltumbde and some other Left-wing activists to Maoists.

Following Teltumbde's arrest, his lawyer Rohan Nahar again moved the Pune court.

Teltumbde was produced before judge Vadane in heavy police security. Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar was also present in the courtroom.

"The entire police exercise of arresting my client is illegal and it is a contempt of the SC order," Nahar said.

Public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar said the apex court had said 'when the accused approached this court, the interim protection extinguished and therefore police action is justified'.

After the court denied him bail Friday, he should have sought time to move a higher court, which he did not, she said.

But the court did not accept this argument and ordered Teltumbde's release.

Earlier in the day, senior advocate Indira Jaising took to Twitter, saying his arrest 'at 3.30 am' was a contempt of the order of the Supreme Court.

The Pune court, while rejecting Teltumbde's bail plea, had observed Friday that investigating officers had collected sufficient material to show his involvement in 'alleged commission of the offence'.

Talking to reporters outside the court Saturday, Teltumbde said he would now approach the high court or the apex court.

"I thought there is a rule of law in the country and we can question authorities. But in the present condition, whoever has the authority, they do not have accountability," he said, alleging that the case against him was part of the government's conspiracy.

Referring to the 'incriminating' correspondence cited by the prosecution, Teltumbde said with this kind of letters, anybody can be framed up and his life put in jeopardy.

Speaking to PTI, Prakash Ambedkar, a trained lawyer himself, said the 'competent authority' mentioned by the Supreme Court was a lower court as well as the high court and apex court.

Police's attitude was 'questionable', Ambedkar said, while pointing out that Teltumbde had written two articles criticising the Elgar Parishad.

"How can you say he is a Maoist and at the same time a critic of Elgar? This is self-contradictory," he said.Source:

Last updated on: February 02, 2019 19:46 IST

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

India on Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy in New Delhi, expressing concern over the detention of 129 Indian students in the United States, and sought immediate consular access to them.

The External Affairs Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a 'fraudulent university in the US'.

As many as 129 Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested on Wednesday by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for enrolling at a fake university, allegedly to remain in the US.

"Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated," the MEA said.

The ministry underlined to the US Embassy that the students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the 'university', should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them.

"We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the ministry said.

The Indian mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.

"So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing," it said.

A spokesperson from the American Embassy said, "We can confirm that the embassy received a demarche from the Ministry of External Affairs about the Indian citizens detained in the United States this week."

The MEA said a 24/7 helpline has been established in the Indian Embassy in Washington for assistance and queries related to the detention of Indian students.

The helpline numbers are: +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and the email address is: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

The ministry said the Indian government and the Indian Embassy and consulates in the US attach the highest priority to the welfare of the detained students and will continue to work with the American authorities and other stakeholders to address the issue.

The Indian Embassy has also appointed a nodal officer to handle and coordinate all issues related to helping Indian students affected by the busting of the 'pay-and-stay' racket run by a group of Indians that has put some 600 students under trouble.

The ICE, till Thursday, had arrested 130 students from the fake Farmington University in Greater Detroit area.

The ICE officials said 129 of them are Indian nationals. The fake university was opened by Homeland Security Investigations to trap those involved in illegal student visa racket. It has now been closed.

The arrest of such a large number of students has created panic among the Indian students.

Federal investigators say the students who took admission in the university knew that the university programme was illegal.

US Officials said all of them face deportation, besides being put under detention. A number of students have been put under some kind of house arrest with tracking device on their ankle, that prohibits them from moving out of a designated area in their neighbourhood.

As part of its investigations, earlier this week, the ICE arrested eight recruiters on criminal charges. From their names it appears that all of them are either Indian nationals or Indian-Americans.

"These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not. HSI remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of US immigration laws and will continue to investigate this and other transnational crimes," said Special Agent Charge Francis.

According to the ICE, in 2017, as many as 2,49,763 Indian students were enrolled in the various American universities.

Students from China topped the list with 4,81,106 in 2017.

This is for the first time probably that such a large number of Indian students have been arrested in one go.

Consular officers from Indian Consulate in Houston have met the arrested Indian students at Prairieland Detention Centre, Alvarado, Texas.February 02, 2019 10:54 IST

With Pakyong now usable by AN-32s, the Indian Army can quickly move soldiers, weapons and supplies to this highly sensitive sector, which includes flashpoints like Doklam, Nathu La and the Siliguri Corridor.

Ajai Shukla reports.

IMAGE: An Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft lands at Pakyong airfield in Pakyong, Sikkim. This is the first landing by an AN-32 class of aircraft at the airfield which is one of the highest airfields in India. Photograph: PTI Photo

Demonstrating the versatility of its most rugged and reliable workhorse, an Indian Air Force Antonov-32 (AN-32) transport aircraft made a first-ever landing at the challenging 1,650-metre-long Pakyong airfield near Gangtok in Sikkim last fortnight.

With Pakyong now usable by AN-32s, the Indian Army can quickly move soldiers, weapons and supplies to this highly sensitive sector, which includes flashpoints like Doklam, Nathu La and the Siliguri Corridor that connects the eight north-eastern states with the rest of India.

There is even better news for the IAF's ageing fleet of 105 AN-32 transporters which were bought from the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Their $400 million upgrade, which was contracted in 2009 with Ukrainian aircraft maker Antonov, is about to resume.

The upgrade programme was halted in 2014 when Antonov had refurbished only 45 of the IAF's 105 AN-32s.

After Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula that year, relations between Kiev and Moscow broke down and Russia refused to supply critical equipment needed for the AN-32 upgrade -- including navigation and communications equipment, avionics and on-board oxygen generating equipment.

IMAGE: IAF AN-32 aircraft fly over Rajasthan. Photograph: Vijay Mathur/Reuters

Consequently, the upgrade of the remaining 60 aircraft, which is to be carried out in the IAF's base repair depot in Kanpur, has remained in limbo.

Ukraine, which has a sophisticated defence industry, undertook to develop domestic substitutes for all Russian sub-systems in the AN-32. Kiev committed to complete the work at the originally contracted price.

That process has now been completed. The IAF has already received the first batch of upgrade kits from Ukraine and more are on the way. Work in Kanpur will soon begin.

Asked how long it will take to complete the fleet upgrade, Ukrainian sources said it would depend upon how quickly the IAF maintenance personnel pick up the job.

IAF sources estimated it would take another three to four years.

The upgrade, which costs about $4 million per AN-32, involves overhauling its engines, airframe, navigation and communications equipment and avionics. This will increase the aircraft's service life by at least ten years.

Ironically, the AN-32 grew out of Russia's friendship with India. After then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev requested then prime minister Indira Gandhi to buy a new, uprated version of the AN-26, India became the launch customer for the AN-32.

The aircraft, which carries a payload of over 6 tonnes, or up to 50 passengers, is recognisable by its hulking, oversized Ivchenko turboprop engines.

It is ideally suited for delivering supplies to the army by operating from small border airfields like Kargil, Mechuka and Pakyong. After delivering supplies, it ferries out local people from several remote locations.

Ukraine is now pitching to sell India a brand new evolution of the AN-32, called the AN-132. Antonov, financed by Saudi Arabia, has already flown a prototype of the AN-132. The aircraft is due to fly in the Aero India 2019 show in Bengaluru this month.

Ukrainian officials hope to convince Indian defence ministry officials to choose the AN-132 as a replacement for the IAF's 56-aircraft fleet of HS 748 Avro aircraft.

This Rs 15,000 crore 'strategic partner' programme involves building the aircraft in India by an Indian private firm with technology provided by a foreign vendor.February 02, 2019 09:37 IST

India is mushrooming with Deve Gowda wannabes because being a former prime minister is better than being a former chief minister, says Shekhar Gupta.

IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Karnataka CMH D Kumaraswamy, AP CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and other Opposition leaders at Trinamool Congress's mega rally in Kolkata, January 19, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo

Here is a famous story from the rich folklore of The Indian Express -- where I worked for 25 years in two spells. One eminent friend asked the late Ramnath Goenka why he wasn't giving his editor an extension of contract. "He is such a saint, I can't believe you don't want him for longer," complained the eminent friend.

"Bhai, he is Saint George Verghese, I agree. But my Indian Express is Shiv ji ki baraat. It is too much for a saint to handle," said the patriarch.

Now, Shiv ji ki baraat is a millennia-old metaphor for a riotously merry mob of diverse living species, ghosts, spirits, apparitions and witches, high on the brew or concoction of their choice.

Tell me if this isn't how today's anti-BJP Opposition parties look across the country.

The only reason Shiv ji ki baraat was still kept in reasonable order was the stature and the unchallenged leadership of the groom-to-be, Lord Shiva. In this modern version, every baraati is a groom-to-be.

This is why Narendra Damodardas Modi and his strategists are smiling, tossing away the blues after the state poll losses.

Let's start counting. There is the Congress, led by India's most prominent new Shiv-bhakt, with four allies of reasonable reliability: Sharad Pawar's NCP, M K Stalin's DMK, Lalu Prasad's RJD and H D Deve Gowda's JD-S. Let's call it the second front (NDA being the first).

Then, the SP and the BSP are going their own way together in an Uttar Pradesh gathbandhan. As things stand, in the election campaign, these two will attack the BJP, but also the Congress, and vice-versa. Let's call them the third front, if only for convenience.

Yet another alliance of sorts is now on display with Mamata Banerjee's show of strength. This includes the Congress, the SP, the BSP, and many of the reigning regional satraps, including the DMK, Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Arvind Kejriwal's AAP. This is some kind of a fourth front.

Then there are Naveen Patnaik's BJD, the TRS of K Chandrashekara Rao and Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP, who are out of all these groupings, and waiting for a break some place. These are our fifth, sixth, seventh fronts and so on.

And finally, we have the Left, whom nobody wants. This is the state of the anti-BJP parties today, a Shiv ji ki baraat without a groom.

This can be sliced and diced further. If you look at Mamata's stage, the Congress and the AAP are there, but still bitter rivals in Delhi and Punjab. The TDP has not yet sealed an alliance with the Congress, given the uncertainty over the mutual transfer of votes after the debacle of Telangana. The SP and the BSP are set to fight the Congress to a repeat humiliation in Uttar Pradesh.

Patnaik, as always, is keeping his options open. His is the least ideological of all regional parties. He can afford to be, because he has almost no dependence on the Muslim vote.

KCR is sure he is prime minister material. The Congress and the Left are bitter rivals in Kerala. The only thing that brings the leaders of these diverse parties together, even on a rally stage, is their opposition to the BJP. But there is little ideological glue between any of them.

Barring the Congress, none of these parties can reach the number of 50.

Their best hope: Keep the BJP below 170, the Congress at 100, and then build an alliance of the rest that forces the Congress to support it from outside.

The last time we saw this movie, it was called Deve Gowda's United Front. In such an election, each one of these stalwarts would see a chance for tenancy at Lok Kalyan Marg, however short.

Being a former prime minister for the rest of your life is better than being a former chief minister.

In 1996, the late comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet had to conjure up a Deve Gowda from some place. Today, the Opposition has a gaggle of 'main-bhi-Gowda' wannabes.

India isn't about to repeat in 2019 what it did in 1996 and felt stupid. That is why you find the confidence and the smiles back on the BJP faces.

Mr Modi and his strategists believe the contest this summer will bear no resemblance to the recent state elections or the many recent by-elections they lost.

The Opposition's disunity, conflicting ambitions, personal antagonisms and the one-point agenda of 'Modi Hatao' have convinced them that India is headed for a 1971, Indira-versus-the-rest kind of elections. Where all pundits added the voter arithmetic and pronounced that she was going to lose, she won a landslide on the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' versus 'Indira Hatao.'

In a state election, as in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh, you can go against the incumbent without a chief ministerial candidate. Your voters know the two or three contenders within your party and are not particularly polarised in terms of personal loyalties.

In a national election, it is dangerous to say we will fight Mr Modi state by state, and also each other at the same time. He will turn it into a 'so which among these will be your new Gowda' campaign. He can, and would, then cut you down piecemeal.

While the BJP compares 2019 to 1971, the fact is that it could be even better for them for two reasons. One, unlike in 1971, today a very large number of seats will go to regional parties.

Several of them, from the Dravidian parties to Mayawati and even Mamata, have zero or negotiable ideological hang-ups, having partnered or opposed both the BJP and the Congress. So, they need to keep their options open.

The optimum BJP plus Congress number in a general election is 350 out of 543. Anything below 300 starts opening up possibilities.

And in case it is below 275, these parties will hunt in a fully bivalent manner. They continue to be likely allies for the BJP too.

Second, in 1971, it was still possible for major Opposition parties, especially in the heartland, to be united only by sheer anti-Congressism. Today, there is strong anti-BJPism, but the competing anti-Congress impulse endures.

The prospect of a broken mandate is encouraging many of these below-50-seat stalwarts to fantasise about a non-BJP, non-Congress government. The most vocal proponent of this is Telangana's KCR.

Now, arithmetic tells you the following:

Even if the BJP and the Congress together count for less than 250, there is no way the rest could reach 272 without one of these big two supporting them from outside. That means a prime minister on daily wages, like V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H D Deve Gowda or I K Gujral.

Next, because no leader other than Mr Modi or Rahul Gandhi is even theoretically capable of crossing 50, a non-BJP/non-Congress leader who others would tolerate for more than a year, forget respecting him/her for five years, is an impossibility.

Such a government, a riotous Shiv ji ki baraat without a leader or a groom, would fall apart soon. Remember, how even a saint like Jayaprakash Narayan failed to keep one such flock together in 1979?

Finally: If the Opposition insists on going leaderless, Mr Modi will only need to read out this script and the voters would most likely listen to him. Even if they don't, if a split election produces a 10-month-wonder again, it will subsequently give Amit Anilchandra Shah the opportunity to make his boast of 50 years of BJP rule.

By special arrangement with The PrintFebruary 02, 2019 10:40 IST

'In 2014, he was a relatively unknown quantity, and benefited from the apparent difference that he brought to national politics.''But, in 2019, he is an institution.'

'Through skilful propaganda, Narendra Damodardas Modi has become an uncle-teacher-guru figure to large swathes of the country,' believes Mihir Sharma.

It is hard to have a conversation these days without the subject turning eventually to "What will happen in 2019". This will not be, naturally, a discussion about any of the other events that might take place in this new year; it is, always and everywhere, a question about the general election.

And, in fact, it is usually a question about a single number: How many seats will the Bharatiya Janata Party win?

Of course, the only correct answer to that question is: "Nobody has the slightest idea". But, for some reason, people seem to be extremely dissatisfied with that answer.

So let's break down the uncertainties, so at least we know why we don't know what we desperately want to know.

First, we don't know how much popularity the prime minister has gained or lost over the past couple of years. There are some indications that he is less popular than he was earlier: People are more given to mocking him, for example.

The tracking data collected by various psephologists, especially at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, also seems to suggest that his popularity peaked a few years ago.

Anecdotally, people will say that it peaked sometime between demonetisation and the launch of the goods and services tax -- perhaps, fortunately for the BJP, at the time of the UP elections. But it is also true that he might be more popular than he was earlier. This is my own view.

In 2014, he was a relatively unknown quantity, and benefited from the apparent difference that he brought to national politics. But, in 2019, he is an institution.

There is a generation of young Indians that has grown accustomed to his style; and, through skilful propaganda, Narendra Damodardas Modi has become an uncle-teacher-guru figure to large swathes of the country.

In spite of disappointment at his government's performance, the PM's own popularity may well have increased.

Second, we do not know what the government has planned for the next couple of months. It is conventional wisdom in New Delhi that Narendra Damodardas Modi and Amit Anilchandra Shah will not go into the general election without having somehow managed the narrative through one or more 'big bangs'.

These may not be of the size or reach of demonetisation. But, as the political success of the so-called 'surgical strikes' demonstrated, they do not have to be. That episode made it clear that you can, in fact, take an action that has been done before and sell whatever it may be as something completely new -- and open up a new front in the debate that you completely dominate.

Third, we do not know how Opposition unity will play out.

Will the Congress's success in three Hindi-speaking states mean that is is more capable of playing an anchor role for a possible coalition?

Will instead it be seen as possible weakness on the BJP's part, increasing the incentive for individual Opposition parties to strike out on their own instead of standing together against the Modi juggernaut?

This is something that will only play out over the next few weeks. It is important to note that this will not happen in isolation either -- the BJP will use all its resources, including the institutional machinery available to a governing party, to ensure that the Opposition does not in fact come together.

Fourth, what is the real composition of the electorate?

In other countries, with stable demographics and economies, it is relatively clear what the relative weights of various social groups and economic classes are. Here, not only is that not clear to start with, but it changes rapidly in just five-year intervals.

Hence if we believe that the BJP is less popular in rural areas for reasons of increasing distress, what does that actually mean?

How many traditionally 'rural' constituencies will actually be determined by the votes of an electorate voting on primarily rural issues? This is extremely uncertain.

Fifth, there is UP.

It has always been clear that the next election will be decided in India's traditional heartland. If the BJP sweeps it as it did in 2014 and in the assembly polls, it may miss out on 272 overall, but it will come easily within touching range of a majority government.

If the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party stay together, but the BJP's vote share does not fall too much, then it might win about half the seats it did in 2014 -- complicating government formation but not making it impossible.

If the alliance stays together and the BJP's vote share falls by about as much it has in the by-elections, then it will lose most of its UP seats, and very likely find itself in Opposition.

All Indian elections are uncertain, but this one is more uncertain than most. Rationally, there are too many imponderables.

But, instinctively, for many of us, there remains the expectation that the BJP under Modi and Shah is too much of a political machine, and built up too much of a lead in 2014, to lose easily.Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.With KVIE Public Television crews filming, a student from Strathmore High School's Emerging Agrigultural Technology Pathway is interviewed by Robert Lobue, left, and Jake Duffin Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 at Strathmore High School.Traverse City, MI (49684)

Today

Cloudy and windy. High 58F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SW and decreasing to less than 5 mph.,



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Search Real EstateTheres a clean energy race underway. Governors are seizing the mantle of leadership relinquished by the Trump administration. The stakes could not be higher. Following another year of extreme hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, the adoption of zero-emission energy at scale has never been more urgent.

On the East Coast, offshore wind power is rapidly emerging as a technology of choice because of its unmatched ability to replace retiring fossil fuel-fired power plants with this inexhaustible source of clean energy close to population centers. State leaders recognize its potential to create thousands of well-paying manufacturing, construction, and operations jobs, while powering millions of homes and businesses with clean, affordable energy.

In the past two years, eastern states have committed to deploy more than 15,000 megawatts of offshore wind power. Six states  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, and Virginia  have specific projects in the queue to lead the charge from vision to reality. So after decades of lagging behind Europe, the U.S. is finally poised to tap into the booming global offshore wind industry and seize its environmental and economic benefits.

Developing this resource, however, must be done correctly to protect wildlife.

Thats why the National Wildlife Federation is joining with offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind and conservation partners at the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Conservation Law Foundation to sign a historic agreement to ensure Americas first large-scale project  84 turbines to power more than 400,000 homes  is developed with stringent measures in place to protect wildlife, especially the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

After more than a year of working through the details, we found a path forward.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of thousands of wildlife species facing an extinction crisis. Its population has dwindled to an estimated 400 whales, making it one of the most endangered marine species on the planet. Ensuring safe passage as the whales migrate along the northern Atlantic seaboard, including the waters off southern New England where this project is planned, is critical to the species survival. Certain development activities, including underwater noise from constructing the turbines, pose risks to the ability of right whales to communicate and forage for food.

This landmark agreement will ensure that work to significantly reduce emissions does not further endanger right whales and other vulnerable wildlife. Vineyard Wind will take a series of proactive steps during the construction and operation of the project to minimize potential harm to right whales. The company will limit turbine construction to times of year when the whales are least likely to be in the area, take actions to dampen underwater noise, and ensure that project-related vessels observe strict speed restrictions to reduce the risk of whale collisions. Throughout the process they will employ a comprehensive monitoring system to keep a close watch for right whales and adjust their construction and operations activities as needed to protect them.

To fend off the worst climate impacts, we have no choice but to build pollution-free energy in the most responsible ways possible. We must aspire to do so in ways that enhance  not diminish  treasured natural resources and wildlife. This agreement with Vineyard Wind provides a model for scaling up clean energy deployment that we must replicate along the eastern seaboard. Given all that were up against, we need these types of win-win solutions more than ever.

Collin OMara is the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.President Trump wants to cut an ambitious nuclear deal with North Korea. But he just broke away from one of the most important nuclear agreements in the past fifty years.Editors Note: This is the first part of a two-part article discussing organizational reforms and evolving missions for the PLA Navy (PLAN) Marine Corps. The first part focuses on the growing order of battle for the PLAN Marines. The second part, which will appear in our next issue, will focus on the creation of a service headquarters for the PLAN Marines, and their expanding training for expeditionary warfare and other missions. Taken as a whole, this two-part article provides significant new information and analysis to update the December 3, 2010 China Brief article titled  Chinas Marines: Less is More .

Introduction

On August 16, 2018, the Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2018, reported that One of the most significant PLAN structural changes in 2017 was the expansion of the PLAN Marine Corps (PLANMC). The PLA Marine Corps (?a?????a???a??e????e??) has historically been limited in terms of personnel, geography, and missionwith a primary service focus on amphibious assault, and the defense of outposts in the South China Sea. However, under currently estimated plans for service expansion, by 2020, the PLANMC will consist of 7 brigades, may have more than 30,000 personnel, and will expand its mission to include expeditionary operations on foreign soil. [1]

The expansion of the PLANMC, which commenced in April 2017, is an important element of reforms to the PLAs operational forces. For the past two decades, the Marine Corps consisted of only two brigades, the 1st and 164th Marine Brigades (each estimated to number from 5,000  6,000 personnel) assigned to the South Sea Fleet stationed in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. After recent reforms, the number of brigades now amounts to a total of eight, with four new Marine combined arms brigades, a Special Operations Forces (SOF) brigade, and the core of a shipborne aviation (helicopter) brigade added to the previously existing two brigades. The four new combined arms brigades were formed out of units transferred from the Army, while the SOF and helicopter brigades were created from standing Navy units. A corps-level headquarters for the Marine Corps also has been identified. Though the Chinese government has not officially explained these developments, this new structure probably amounts to a total of up to approximately 40,000 personnel distributed among eight brigades at full strength.

The expanded Marine Corps, supported by Navy long-range sealift, likely will become the core of the PLAs future expeditionary force. Training that began in 2014 further indicates that the eventual objective for the Marine Corps is to be capable of conducting operations in many types of terrain and climates  ranging beyond the PLANMCs former, and continuing, focus on islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The manner by which the force has expanded, however, suggests that the PLA leadership was not motivated by an immediate need for a larger amphibious capability; rather, it appears to be consistent with several new missions undertaken by the Chinese military over past decade that have provided impetus for the addition of new Marine units. It will likely take several years for all of the Marine Corps new units to reach full operational readiness as measured by personnel, equipment, and training.

Expanded Order of Battle

After below the neck reforms and restructuring implemented throughout PLA in 2017, Marine units are now found along Chinas eastern seaboard from Shandong in the north, to Fujian and Guangdong in the east opposite Taiwan, to Hainan in the South China Sea. In northern Shandong, a former Army motorized infantry brigade of the old 26th Group Army has been transformed into a new Marine brigade (Jiefangjun Bao Online, September 30 2017). On Shandongs southern coast, a second new brigade has been formed from what likely was a former Army coastal defense regiment located near Qingdao (Qingdao Television, February 12 2018). Further south, an Army coastal defense division stationed around Jinjiang, Fujian was the basis for a third new brigade that remains in that same locale; and may also have provided manpower and resources for a fourth new brigade that recently moved to Jieyang in eastern Guangdong province (Anxi, Fujian Government website, August 1 2017; Jieyang News, August 17 2018). Although the PLA has not widely publicized either the creation of these new brigades or their true unit designators, the emergence of photos and new military unit cover designators associated with the Marine brigades both suggest a 1st through 6th brigade numbering scheme. [2]

As the new Marine brigades are being organized and equipped for their new missions, the two previously existing brigades also appear to have been reorganized. Most significantly, to streamline their chain of command, the former amphibious armored regiment headquarters appear to have been eliminated: command is now passed directly from brigade level to the newly established combined arms battalions (similar to the Armys brigade command structure). Marine combined arms battalions are distinguished between amphibious mechanized and light mechanized combined arms battalions. Some, if not all, marine brigades also have, or will likely have, units trained for air assault operations (Jiefangjun Bao Online, December 10 2017), and will be reinforced by operational support battalions [3].

It is likely that in coming years older equipment will be retired and all Marine units will be issued new amphibious vehiclessuch as the tracked ZBD05 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), tracked ZTD05 Assault Vehicle, PLZ07 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer, the eight-wheeled ZBL09 IFV, the eight-wheeled ZTL11 assault vehicle, and the Mengshi Assault Vehicle. (The latter three vehicles have been observed deployed to the Djibouti Support Base). Some reconnaissance units are also receiving light 88 all-terrain-vehicles for terrain that is inaccessible to larger vehicles (Chinaso.com, April 9 2018).

In total, the Army probably transferred over 20,000 personnel to the Navys new Marine units, while retaining its own amphibious capability. The Armys two former amphibious infantry divisionsone previously stationed in the Nanjing Military Region near Hangzhou and the other in the Guangdong Military Region near Huizhouwere both transformed into two combined arms brigades each, while keeping their amphibious weapons and capabilities. A fifth former amphibious armored brigade also was converted into a new Army combined arms brigade located in Fujian. The decision to maintain these amphibious units in the Army reflects that services continued role in building capabilities to deter further steps toward Taiwan independenceone of the missions of foremost importance to the PLA.

Had the senior PLA leadership perceived the need to increase rapidly the Navys amphibious capacity, it could have decided to transfer to the Marine Corps those existing Army amphibious units, all of which were equipped and trained for assault from the sea. But by transforming a motorized infantry brigade and multiple coastal defense unitsnone of which were outfitted with amphibious equipment, nor trained extensively in amphibious operationsthe PLA leadership understood that it would take multiple years for these units to be equipped, and even more annual training cycles before they would be fully trained to undertake amphibious operations. So, while the Marine Corps has been expanded in size, its actual amphibious capabilities will increase gradually over the next several years.

The new Marine special operations force (SOF) brigade has been formed out of the Navys existing SOF Regiment stationed in Hainan, which includes the Jiaolong (Dragon) commando unit (China Central Television, December 12 2017). The former Navy SOF Regiments missions and capabilities overlapped with that of the Marine Corps, and therefore their transfer is a logical evolution as the Marine Corps expands. Eventually, the new brigade will likely number approximately one thousand personnel more than the old regiment (estimated to have been about 2,000 strong). Some of those personnel may have been transferred from the 1st and 164th Marine Brigades structure, each of which probably included SOF elements in their former reconnaissance battalions. Of all the new Marine units within the expanded force structure, the SOF Brigade currently is the most combat ready.

The 2018 DOD report on the Chinese military also noted the creation of an independent aviation capability for the PLA Marines, stating that the expanding PLANMC may also incorporate an aviation brigade, which could provide an organic helicopter transport and attack capability, increasing its amphibious and expeditionary warfare capabilities. [4] The new Marine Shipborne Aviation (helicopter) Brigade apparently has been built out of elements from all three PLAN independent air regiments (Weibo, January 27 2018). These regiments have been busy since 2009, provided the aircraft for 15 of 30 of the Navys deployments to the Gulf of Aden escort mission (PLA Daily, July 16 2018).

Currently, the new Marine helicopter unit likely has considerably less than a full contingent of aircraft compared to an Army Aviation Brigade, which when fully equipped probably consists of over 70 helicopters. The Military Balance 2018 estimates the Navys entire helicopter fleet at slightly over 100 aircraft, with about half being transport helicopterswhile the others are anti-submarine warfare, early warning, and search and rescue aircraft needed to support the rest of the Navys operations [5]. Heretofore the Navy apparently has experimented with only a few armed Z-9 helicopters (Peoples Navy, July 31 2012). Until additional attack helicopters are added to the force, as a stop gap measure it would be possible for the Army to temporarily assign a few of its attack helicopters to the Marines to assist in training and doctrine development for amphibious operations. Thus, it is likely that it will take several more years to add additional transport and attack helicopters and train the pilots and crews before the new Marine helicopter brigade is at full strength and combat ready.

This article will continue in the next issue of China Brief, with The Chinese Navys Marine Corps, Part 2: Chain-of-Command Reforms and Evolving Training.

Dennis J. Blasko, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), was an army attache in Beijing and in Hong Kong from 1992-1996 and is the author of The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century, second edition (Routledge, 2012).

Roderick Lee is an analyst with the United States Navy. His work focuses on Chinese maritime forces and strategy. He earned his Master of Arts degree from The George Washington Universitys Elliott School of International Affairs.

The views and opinions expressed herein by the authors do not represent the policies or position of the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy, and are the sole responsibility of the authors.

This article appeared originally at The Jamestown Foundation's China Brief.

Notes

[1] U.S. Department of Defense, Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2018, p. 28. https://media.defense.gov/2018/Aug/16/2001955282/-1/-1/1/2018-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT.PDF#page=11&zoom=auto,-85,733.

[2] Military unit cover designators (MUCDs) are serial numbers (consisting of five digits) employed by the Peoples Liberation Army to identify specific military units, and are frequently employed in official communications in the place of the true unit designators.

[3] Peoples Navy, January 23, 2018 and February 9, 2018.

[4] U.S. Department of Defense, Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2018, p. 28. https://media.defense.gov/2018/Aug/16/2001955282/-1/-1/1/2018-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT.PDF#page=11&zoom=auto,-85,733.

[5] International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2018, p. 254.Welcome to our Spring 2019 Childrens Announcements issue! Here, we speak with a number of diverse debut authors who landed agents through the Twitter pitch contest #DVPit. We profile author Anne Ursu, whose new novel for young readers, The Lost Girl, blends fantasy with themes of female empowerment. Finally, a childrens book collector rebels against the Marie Kondo decluttering movement. All this plus our comprehensive AZ listings of titles being released by childrens and YA publishers between February 1 and July 31. Happy reading!

#DVPit Connects Agents and Diverse Authors

We speak with a number of diverse debut authors who landed agents through the Twitter pitch contest.

Anne Ursu: Finding Magic in Middle Grade

The author discusses her new novel for young readers, The Lost Girl, which blends fantasy with themes of female empowerment.

Confessions of a Childrens Book Hoarder

A childrens book collector rebels against the Marie Kondo movement of decluttering.

Spring 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers A-E

Spring 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers F-L

Spring 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers M-Q

Spring 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers R-Z

Fall 2019 Children's Sneak Previews

About Our Cover Artist

Though author-illustrator Jessie Sima was raised in New Jersey and now lives and works in Jersey City, their journey to creating picture books has brought them to some unexpected places. Its kind of a complicated road, Sima says of their career path. Then again, theres never one straight-shot way of getting anywhere in the creative world.

Simas love of drawing was kindled at a young age. From the time I was really little, Id sit in front of the TV drawing Disney characters, and ones from my imagination, they say. In middle school, she began writing and illustrating poems, but I never really thought about either one of those things as a career, Sima adds.

While studying anthropology in college, Sima taught themself to draw digitally, and put their new skills to the test by entering T-shirt design contests. After college, they took on graphic design gigs and also worked at a daycare center. It was there that I remembered that picture books existed and how much I loved them, Sima says.

Over the next couple of years, Sima developed the concept for their own picture book, 2017s Not Quite Narwhal (S&S), about a unicorn who grows up under the sea believing that he is a narwhal. During #PitchMad, a Twitter pitch party, images from their dummy caught the eye of agent Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, who now represents Sima. Within a few months, the authors debut book sold at auction to Christian Trimmer, former executive editor at S&S Books for Young Readers. Our personalities work well together, Sima says of the pairing. They later illustrated Trimmers 2018 fairy tale parody, Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies (S&S), after he joined Macmillan.

Sima is currently venturing outside their Jersey City loft/studio (It feels like an indoor treehouse!) on a national tour for their new picture book, Love, Z (S&S). Their next book, Spencers New Pet, is due out in August. Its very different from the other books Ive done in terms of style and tone, Sima says. The book is inspired visually by silent film, and is almost wordless.

Sima is also one of several artists illustrating bookmarks for the centennial celebration of Childrens Book Week this spring. Everyone whos involved is so amazing, they say. And the 100th anniversary is such a big deal. I feel so new to this world that its an honor to be chosen. I take it as a big responsibility to make it memorable. E.K.Eva Garcia Saenz de Urturi, born in Victoria, Spain, burst onto the crime fiction scene with the publication of El silencio de la ciudad blanca (The silence of the white city) in 2016. Largely through word of mouth, the acclaimed novel quickly became a bestseller in Spain and Latin America and was followed in 2017 by Los ritos del agua (The rituals of water) and last years Los senores del tiempo (The lords of time). To date, the trilogy has sold more than one million Spanish-language copies, and beginning this spring, Vintage Espanol will bring the trilogy to the U.S. El silencio de la ciudad blanca will be released in the U.S. in trade paperback and e-book formats this April. The other books in the series will follow in June and September.

At Vintage Espanol, we are very excited to bring to our readers the White City trilogy, says Vintage Espanol publishing director Cristobal Pera. He calls the books a phenomenal international success that is easily explained when you meet the characters and discover the city of Vitoria, and follow the steps of Insp. Unai Perez de Ayala, also known as Kraken, adding, It comes as no surprise that a legion of readers call themselves Krakonians, and that the city of Vitoria, in the Basque country, has become a tourist destination.

Vintage compares the trilogy to Nordic noir and says the series represents the first example of what we could call Basque noir. Ayala, the series protagonist, is an introspective detective investigating ritualistic and violent crimes linked to the history of the Basque province of Alava, Vintage says, adding, The action is set against the backdrop of the beautiful streets of Vitoria and the peculiarities of the Basque culinary scene, customs, and surrounding villages. The novels, Vintage continues, combine these elements with densely plotted mysteries featuring numerous twists and turns and a succinct prose that accentuates the novels darkness.

Urturi will help promote the trilogy from Spain, and a movie based on the first book is due out in Spain this summer. (The film currently has no U.S. distributor.)

World English and U.S. Spanish rights were acquired in a preempt by the Knopf Doubleday Group and Vintage Espanol, respectively, from the Colchie Agency in New York, acting on behalf of the Antonia Kerrigan Agency in Barcelona. English translations of the White City trilogy will be published by Knopf in 2020.The book publishing industry has been criticized for many years for its lack of diversitynot just in terms of personnel but also in terms of the titles it publishes. Only within the past five years have real changes come about, spearheaded by a March 2014 op-ed in the New York Times written by Walter Dean Myers, Where Are the People of Color in Literature?, which called out the industry for not publishing books featuring characters with whom children of color can identify.

Myerss editorial was amplified by grassroots organizations and concerned individuals using social media to bring attention to the issue, as well as to connect publishers with new voices from under-represented communities. The groundswell of support for diverse literature has resulted in an upward trend during the past five years in the number of people of color publishing childrens books, and in the number of childrens books about people of color.

According to the Cooperative Childrens Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, of 3,200 books received by it in 2013, 226 were written by people of color, while 255 were about people of color. In contrast, in 2018, of 3,500 books received, 689 were written by people of color, while 920 books were about people of color. Thus, since 2013, there has been a 13% increase in books published by people of color and an almost 20% increase in books published about people of color.

Not only are more books about people of color being published but some are landing in the marketplace with a splash. For example, Angie Thomass debut YA novel, The Hate U Give (which, according to the author, was prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement), has sold two million units since its release in early 2017, spent 98 weeks on the New York Times young adult hardcover bestseller list (64 of those weeks in the top spot), and was made into a movie. Thomass debut went to auction with 13 houses in competition, which is an unusually high number, but the fact that multiple publishers competed for it is not surprising. A number of the 10 agents PW spoke with for this piece reported auctions for debuts by writers from underrepresented communities who, like Thomas, were discovered via social media.

The #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag appeared on Twitter six weeks after Myerss pivotal op-ed ran in the Times, and the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books was founded that summer. WNDB has had, agents say, an extraordinary impact upon the steady growth in the number of diverse books being published. It has effectively advocated for more people of color entering the publishing industry by sponsoring an internship program, and it also has encouraged publishers to take chances on publishing and promoting diverse books by sponsoring a mentorship program for authors and illustrators, as well as an annual awards program for established writers as well as for emerging voices.

Getting Published: Its About Relationships

Though such efforts have been successful to some extent, book publishing remains an industry dependent upon personal relationships. Many publishers do not consider unagented submissions, resulting in literary agents serving as the industrys primary gatekeepers. Agents traditionally have found clients by digging into slush piles, attending writers conferences, and, especially, through personal referrals, but many who spoke with PW recognize that this is not nearly enoughparticularly if one wants to reach marginalized communities. Like WNDBs founders did five years ago, agents are increasingly turning to social media to tap into undiscovered talent, thus leveling the playing field for writers who lack publishing industry connections.

Twitter pitch events, during which creators tweet their pitches and editors and agents indicate their interest in individual pitches by liking them, provide a great opportunity to connect with authors, says Folio Literary agent John Cusick. You have access to great content all at once. I can take in hundreds of queries in one day, at my own tempo.

Literary agent Beth Phelan of Gallt & Zacker founded the #DVPit Twitter event in 2016, and it has since become a force in publishing. According to #DVPits website, it focuses on marginalized authors and illustrators only and is held on two consecutive days twice a year, in October and in April, with the first day devoted to childrens pitches (from picture books to YA) and the second to adult books. With six #DVPit events having taken place to date, Phelan reports that more than 100 participating authors have found agents thus far, and that dozens of titles now in the publishing pipeline started off as #DVPit pitches.

Cusick discovered author Hafsah Faizal on #DVPit, and Macmillan will publish her debut novel, We Hunt the Flame, a YA fantasy inspired by ancient Arabia, in May.

There are so many popular Twitter pitch events covering practically every genre that such contests have almost reached a saturation point, with everyone participating in the same contests, according to Janklow & Nesbit agent Brooks Sherman (who is Angie Thomass agent), but #DVPit is one of the few that he participates in and he describes it as one of the most successful and highly regarded. After discovering writer Jennifer Dugan during a 2017 #DVPit event, Sherman negotiated a two-book deal for her with Putnam. Dugans debut YA novel, Hot Dog Girl, a coming-of-age queer romance, will be published in May.

Agents Receptive to Diversity

Phelan herself has signed two authors she discovered through #DVPit, for whom she has landed lucrative deals. Kat Chos debut YA novel, Wicked Fox, a tale inspired by a Korean fable, will be released by Putnam in June, and Justin A. Reynoldss debut YA novel, Opposite of Always, a time-traveling YA love story featuring African-American protagonists, will be released in March by HarperCollinss Katherine Tegen Books, which prevailed at an auction involving six houses. Opposite of Always is being positioned as one of the publishers lead spring releases, with a 40,000-copy initial print run; Reynolds was recently introduced to booksellers at Winter Institute 14.

Phelan says she launched #DVPit because she felt frustrated with my limitations as a single person trying to make a difference, and wanted to corral other agents into some form of action. She adds, I thought something like #DVPit might give us a way to translate words to action.

#DVPit was also conceived, Phelan says, to accommodate editors who are receptive to diverse authors and their workespecially those who cannot or will not accept unagented submissions. It allows editors to have more input into which submissions they receive, and to solicit projects directly from the agents instead of waiting for a submission to fall into their lap, she adds. Phelan describes #DVPit as a symbiotic experience that places agents and editors on the same side, working together to bring these stories and these authors to the center.

Carrie Pestritto of the Laura Dail Literary Agency notes that those editors who follow the hashtag can see in real time which kinds of stories are resonating with agents and on Twitter. Though Pestritto has yet to land a deal for Graci Kim, a client she connected with via #DVPit, she is confident that Kims Korean, witchy YA novel, The Last Fallen Star, will soon find a publisher after its positive reception on #DVPit, with 80 agents and editors liking Kims tweet.

New Leaf Literarys Suzie Townsend says #DVPit also helps agents become interested in projects that they previously might not have considered representing. When writers ask me for what Im looking for, sometimes the answer is: something that feels new and differentsomething I havent seen before,  she explains. You dont always know what exactly that is until you see it. Its exciting, scrolling through #DVPit: I love coming across a pitch and thinking, This! Where has this story been all my life? 

Townsend has signed on two middle grade authors she discovered through #DVPit. Claribel Ortegas debut novel, Ghost Squad, which incorporates Dominican folklore, will be published by Scholastic Press in September, and Christine Days debut novel, I Can Make This Promise, which features Native American characters and themes, will be published by HarperCollins in October.

Most of the agents PW spoke with who have participated in #DVPit have done so since it began. Holly Root, who heads the Root Agency, praises #DVPit, saying, Its easier to go fishing in a pond that you know is stocked, and adds that knowing that editors from all of the major houses are following along during #DVPit contests doesnt hurt.

After connecting with Amanda Joy on #DVPit, Root sold Joys debut YA fantasy novel, A River of Royal Blood, set in a North Africaninspired world, in a two-book deal with Putnam. A River of Royal Blood will be published this fall.

Thao Le, who has been an agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency since 2012, says that #DVPit has been especially helpful to young agents like her, who are still establishing themselves in the literary marketplace. Sometimes there are things that we might be interested in but wont receive in our slush, she says. I think #DVPit helps give agents and editors an opportunity to actively pursue stories and authors theyd want to acquire. It also gives us a chance to shout about the diverse stories we are craving, and to give writers who wouldnt have otherwise known what we were looking for a chance to submit to us.

The first author Le offered to represent after a #DVPit event, Jessica Kim, hooked her with a tweet last April about her middle grade novel, Stand Up, Yumi Chung!, the tale of an 11-year-old Asian-American girl who is determined to become a comedian despite her parents objections. Stand Up, Yumi Chung! was sold in a two-book deal to Penguins Kokila imprint and will be released in spring 2020.

The experience of the Nelson Literary Agencys Quressa Robinson confirms Les point that #DVPit is particularly advantageous for young agents building a client base. An agent for only two years, Robinsons second client, Valerie Valdes, signed on with her in 2017 after they met through #DVPit. Valdess debut, Chilling Effect, a feminist science fiction novel with protagonists of Cuban descent, will be published by Harper Voyageur this fall.

Even older, well-established agents are turning to #DVPit in the hunt for new voices. Kristin Nelson, who heads the Nelson Literary Agency, has been an agent for 17 years. Describing herself as a Twitter dilettante, she says she came late to the party, participating in #DVPit only once to date, in October 2017. Describing the experience as overwhelming, with pitches coming fast and furious, Nelson connected with Swati Teerdhala and quickly sold her Tiger at Midnight YA fantasy trilogy, inspired by ancient India, in a mid-to-high-six-figure deal. The spirited auction included at least one editor who told Nelson she had first noticed Teerdhala during that same #DVPit event. The first volume in the trilogy will be published by Katherine Tegen Books in April.

Editors cant always wait for something to come to them via agents, and agents cant always wait for material to come in via email or slush inbox, Nelson points out. I love that Twitter pitch parties shook up the system.

Peter Knapp of Park & Fine Literary Media notes that #DVPits impact upon the industry is larger than it simply being a faster, more efficient method of connecting agents with diverse new voices: it also provides an opportunity for the publishing community to redefine its approach to representation. #DVPit allows agents and editors to communicate to marginalized authors that we want to hear their stories and read their work, he explains. And it is just one part of a critical wave of initiatives helping to diversify the voices that make up both sides of publishing, alongside the work done by organizations like WNDB, Lee & Lows Diversity Baseline Survey, and People of Color in Publishing.

Knapp has participated in #DVPit since its launch, and he served as the coordinator of the #DVPit Critique Giveaway in 2017. As part of the giveaway, before every #DVPit event, 100125 queries or sample pages (from picture books to adult) out of 300500 entries are matched with industry professionals who read them and offer feedback.

Knapp has connected with two writers via #DVPit: Amelie Wen Zhao, whose debut novel Blood Heir, the first in a planned YA fantasy trilogy, was postponed by Delacorte last week at Zhaos request, after complaints about her and the novel were posted on social media; and the author of a debut YA fantasy trilogy, which has not yet been officially announced.

Though all of the agents PW spoke with emphasized that #DVPit has made it easier for them to make their client lists more multicultural and inclusive, Robinson cautions her colleagues against complacency. Its great that things like #DVPit exist, but they shouldnt be the only place editors and agents look to find that talent, she says. Pitch parties shouldnt become another form of gatekeeping. Agents and editors need to start figuring out what else they can do to find and bolster those voices. Publishing is still overwhelmingly white, which is ridiculously appalling.

Speed Dating for Diverse Novelists

If there is a common denominator among the 10 middle grade and YA authors PW spoke with who found representation after participating in #DVPit, its that the experience exceeded their prior expectationsparticularly among the nine authors who had previously queried agents via other Twitter pitch events, as well as through more traditional methods, for months or even years.

I was wary, because Id had a very tepid experience in another pitch contest, Cho recalls. I had a healthy fear of rejection after my last manuscript had failed to get any interest, both in pitching and slush pile querying. So I was trying to protect my heart, because Wicked Fox was a story that drew from my heart. Still, I knew Id regret it if I didnt participate in this event. Twitter is a great equalizer; we all get the same amount of characters and the same forum to express our thoughts.

Valdes notes that, for new voices from underrepresented communities, its easy for us to get lost in the slush pile, or even to succumb to self-rejection. She adds, #DVPit puts us all in one place at one time, so agents get direct access along with a quick taste of our pitch abilities and social media presence. Its like speed dating for novelists.

Even for Reynolds, whose debut is being released with notable prepub buzz, the traditional process proved highly unsatisfactory: despite receiving a few nibbles in response to his traditional querying, he failed to land an agent. After the immediate and intense interest during #DVPit and afterward in Opposite of Always, his fears were allayed, he says. No longer did I wonder if I was sending my work to people who simply werent interested in the story I wanted to tell. That gave me the confidence to push forward, to trust the process. 

Ortega recalls that after tweeting her pitch for Ghost Squad, within minutes, she received 20 likes, then 50, then over 100. She adds, I had agents I wouldve never queried because they were too big or made me nervous requesting my work, commenting on the pitch favorably. A week later, I had my first offer of representation, and ended up with seven offers total before I chose Suzie Townsendone of the agents Id always believed I wasnt good enough to sign with.

But, though #DVPit and other Twitter events do speed up a process that can often seem to move at a glacial pace for writers, Ortega reminds authors that some things will never change. At the end of the day, she points out, the agent still has to read your work via email, still has to request more pages if their initial request was for a partial manuscript, and your writing still has to stand on its own.

For additional coverage on #DVPit, see #DVPit Connects NZ Author with Writers Community.Christine Lynn Herman has always loved young adult literature, particularly in the categories of fantasy and speculative fiction. "When I was a teenager, I was completely enamored with Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Diana Wynne Jones," Herman says. "I was also a huge fan of Seraphina by Rachel Hartman and Marie Lu's Legend series, to name just a few!"

Herman's first YA novel, The Devouring Gray, takes off from these models. The story follows 17-year-old Violet Saunders, who moves with her mother to the small town of Four Paths, N.Y. Her new home, Violet learns, holds a sinister secret in the form of "the Gray," an alternate dimension where a ruthless monster is held captive. She also learns that she is a descendant of the town's founders, a family with magical powers.

In addition to her favorite formative books, Herman took inspiration for this story from her time at the University of Rochester in Upstate New York. "Each time I return there for a visit, I find myself feeling as if I've taken a little vacation to Four Paths," Herman says. She wrote The Devouring Gray during a period of personal struggle, which she feels is also reflected in the book. "I know that my journey of grief and recovery is woven through the character arcs and the worldbuilding," she says.

While the novel has an evocative sense of place, her work is primarily character driven, Herman says. "Typically, my characters are the first part of a story idea to arrive, and I build my setting and plot around their unique journeys and viewpoints." During Herman's creative process, her characters, like real individuals undergoing life-altering experiences, change and grow significantly. "But my story," Herman says, "always ends up evolving to fit their needs rather than the other way around."

For her teenage characters living in Four Paths, the supernatural is a part of daily life. "I thought a lot about what it would be like to have magic actually existing in a small town," Herman says, "how it would interfere with the everyday in some ways, but how in other ways, my teenagers would still be concerned with the same problems that many teenagers in the United States worry about." Even in Four Paths, magic doesn't do your homework for you.

Although Herman's characters experience supernatural terrors that teens will (hopefully) not have confronted themselves, many readers will relate to the characters' feelings of powerlessness and fear. Herman believes that scary stories can be healthy and healing, which is in part why they endure and remain popular with YA and adult readers. "It's good for us all to confront what we're afraid of and why it frightens us," she says. "That makes us stronger and more thoughtful human beings."We're so excited to begin the process of helping Pittsburgh homeowners realize their dreams for healthier, more efficient homes.

Universal Windows Direct, one of the fastest-growing exterior remodeling companies in the nation, is opening a new corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh. This is the seventh corporate headquarters of the company as it continues to provide top-of-the-line replacement windows, entry doors, and vinyl siding at best market value prices. This exciting announcement arrives at the end of another year of exponential growth.

The newest corporate headquarters is locally operated, providing the same 5-star customer service that homeowners expect from this customer-centric company. Universal Windows Direct of Pittsburgh is accredited by the local BBB. It is also nationally recognized as one of the countrys top contractors on Qualified Remodelers Top 500 and Remodelings 550.

Universal Windows Direct of Pittsburgh offers the exclusive UniShield brand replacement windows. These windows are priced at the best market value while offering exceptional quality. Each homeowner receives custom-made windows designed to fit their unique home. The windows include an array of aesthetic options and upgrades, including the most popular window styles and maintenance-free vinyl frames. Other products include UniShield vinyl siding replacement and fiberglass entry doors.

The companys mission is to improve the quality of homes while improving quality of life. The pricing structure allows many homeowners to afford the best quality products at competitive pricing, resulting in comfortable homes and lower energy bills. UniShield replacement windows can save homeowners over $400 per year on energy costs.

Universal Windows Direct began as a small window company in 2002 by William Barr and Mike Strmac. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, its the affordable resource for homeowners who want the best quality product and care about aesthetics and value. The products are certified by Energy Star and include expert installation.

A True Lifetime warranty is also included with an additional 20-year color fade guarantee for UniShield vinyl siding replacement.

About Universal Windows Direct

Universal Windows Direct is an exterior renovation company based out of Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 2002 by William Barr and Michael Strmac, who had a mission to provide the highest quality home improvement products at the best market prices possible. Today, Universal Windows Direct is one of the fastest-growing home improvement companies in the country that offers UniShield replacement windows, UniShield vinyl siding, entry doors, roofing, and more.Ivy Rogers (7) from Australia has made history by becoming the 4,000th patient at St. Louis Childrens Hospital to receive specialized spine surgery to enable her to start walking, which she wasnt ab Dr. Park developed  really single-handedly  the operation of selective dorsal rhizotomy for cerebral palsy.

St. Louis Childrens Hospitals Center for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity, led by internationally renowned neurosurgeon Dr. T.S. Park, has reached an historic milestone  4,000 selective dorsal rhizotomy, or SDR, surgeries.

Thousands of families from 77 countries around the world and 49 states in the U.S. have brought their children to St. Louis Childrens Hospital for SDR. Seven-year-old Ivy Roger, from Australia, became the 4,000th child to take her first steps after this life-changing surgery perfected by Dr. Park. After just 28 days of recovery and physical therapy, Ivy went from her motorized wheelchair to taking her first steps using a walker.

She took 100 steps down the hallway, said Michelle Roger, Ivys mom. To see her do that with so little support and were only five weeks from surgery, its blowing my mind, its way more than we expected.

I feel pretty weird and pretty proud of myself, Ivy said, adding she looks forward to being able to step up to her mom for a hug whenever she wants.

SDR relieves the muscle stiffness, or spasticity, that causes pain and limited mobility in children with cerebral palsy. Dr. Park studied under the procedures pioneers in the 1970s, brought it to the U.S. in 1986, and customized it to make it more effective in 1991. Dr. Parks minimally invasive SDR removes less spinal bone than previous procedures, typically resulting in fewer spine and back complications later in life. Depending on the patients condition, the surgery can result in moving from wheelchair dependency to walking with canes or even the ability to walk, run, and play with no assistance.

Today, Ivy is back in Australia, taking stronger and more confident steps each day and continuing her physical therapy. The Roger familys joy at Ivys success echoes the elation thousands of families have felt over more than three decades as Dr. Park and his team have helped them take those first steps.

Dr. Park developed  really single-handedly  the operation of selective dorsal rhizotomy for cerebral palsy, said Ralph Dacey, MD, the chair of neurologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Childrens Hospital. And not only did he develop the processes around doing that procedure very effectively and safely, but he was able to prove its efficacy in a series of papers that have become landmark studies.

Honestly, reaching 4,000 surgeries is not something I thought I would ever see, said Dr. Park. But with the advent of social media, families from around the world have been easily finding us. Its increased our ability to connect and created greater recognition for how much we can help children with cerebral palsy. I feel truly blessed to be able to help them.

Performing about 250 surgeries per year, St. Louis Childrens Hospital has a waiting list through June 2020. Dr. Park travels the world to follow up on patients and to perform the surgery on children who cannot travel to St. Louis. He has continued his pioneering work, using SDR to help more than 140 adolescent and adult cerebral palsy patients  who often experience more severe physical challenges around age 50  regain motor function.

U.S. News and World Report ranks St. Louis Childrens Hospital number eight in the country for neurology and neurosurgery. For more information about the St. Louis Childrens Hospitals Center for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity, visit StLouisChildrens.org, or call (314) 454-6000.

# # #

ST. LOUIS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

For 140 years, St. Louis Children's Hospital has provided exceptional care for children in all 50 states and 80 countries around the world. With its academic partner, Washington University School of Medicine, Childrens is consistently ranked among the nations best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. A member of BJC HealthCare, St. Louis Childrens Hospital follows one simple mission  to do whats right for kids. That mission comes to life through medical discovery, innovative therapies and compassionate care. In 2018, Children's expanded with a state-of-the-art, 12-story medical tower. Childrens relies on generous donors to deliver specialized care for families in need, extend health care services to the community, and pursue research that promises to transform pediatric medicine. To find out more, visit StLouisChildrens.org, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Adhering to the principle of timely mitigation and IICRC standards result in lower claims costs while delivering the best service possible to clients.

When a disaster of any size hits the family home or business, working through insurance claims can seem like one more overwhelming task. The local specialists in restoring fire damage, Pismo Beach SERVPRO, is particularly prepared to help victims with both the insurance claim process and the property restoration process.

SERVPRO, as a national company, has gained a unique standing with the insurance industry by:



The most extensive performance guidelines in the restoration industry

A rigorous corporate training program that meets the stringent certification standards of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).

The SERVPRO national Claims Information Center (CIC) providing end-to-end insurance claim assistance. Clients have online access to the claim process and can monitor their claims from start to completion.

The insurance claim process is started at the time the local SERVPRO professional responds to the site of the damage. Even though the client can monitor the claim, the local SERVPRO staff remains informed and available to answer questions and follow-up when necessary. When it comes to repairing and restoring damage to home or business, the local SERVPRO Pismo Beach fire damage specialists have the advantages of national guidelines and IICRC certified training and the dedication to pass these advantages on to clients.

As a leader in water and fire damage cleanup and restoration, the SERVPRO goal is to restore the property owners peace of mind, the property to Like it never happened, condition, and offer the insurance company competitive advantages that result in trouble-free paid claims.

Adhering to the principle of timely mitigation and IICRC standards result in lower claims costs while delivering the best service possible to clients.

SERVPRO restoration professionals are specialists, trained to identify, repair, and restore a wide range of damage resulting from events like storms, flooding, sewage leaks, water or fire damage, mold, crime scenes, hoarding, and biohazard spills. The technicians have all of the industrial-level equipment, supplies, and technologies to safely clean and restore the property and get the occupants back home as soon as possible.

SERVPRO of Pismo Beach / Arroyo Grande is a local specialist for restoring properties after floods, leaks, and any other event including fire damage in Pismo Beach or the entire California Central Coast.

SERVPRO of Pismo Beach /Arroyo Grande

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This press release is by Arroyo Grande SEO company Access Publishing, 806 9th Street, #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890.CBS Podcast Logo Employers are paying far too much for low-quality care  a side effect of which is the opioid crisis  and transparent benefits advisors like Cristy are helping lead a health care revolution and find actionable solutions."

Cristy Gupton, President of a leading North Carolina employee benefits consulting firm, Custom Benefits Solutions, was featured as one of Americas Top 20 Women in Benefits Advising in the October 2018 Issue of the national trade publication Employee Benefits Advisor.

A Morganton, NC resident, Gupton was selected based on her nationally-recognized seminars, publications and work to help employers combat the opioid crisis through employee education and smart design of employee health plans. A cornerstone of her presentations is her vision to simultaneously reduce both supply and demand for opioids by using the employee health plan to improve healthcare while reducing costs.

While its humbling to be recognized on a national level, it also adds fuel to my fire and propels me to keep working until the problem is solved, said Gupton, who is a member of the peer group The Health Rosetta lead by author and healthcare visionary, Dave Chase.

"The status quo health plans that most employers offer drive employees to volume-centric primary care centers designed to refer you to expensive (and often unnecessary) services that produce poor patient outcomes," says Dave Chase, author of The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call: Health Care is Stealing the American Dream. Here's How We Take It Back. Employers are paying far too much for low-quality care  a side effect of which is the opioid crisis  and transparent benefits advisors like Cristy are helping lead a health care revolution and find actionable solutions."

These and other events inspired Gupton to begin a national conversation about finding solutions to the problems plaguing our current healthcare system, she said.

Thats when the idea of hosting a podcast came to mind, Gupton said. I learn a lot from podcasts and Im always eager to hear the next one in the lineup. I dont even need a radio in my car anymore.

The launch of her podcast, Healthcare Solutions, will address topics like Direct Primary Care, Reference-Based Pricing, Pharmacy Benefits Management, and many other issues detailing how employers who provide healthcare to over 170 million Americans can improve care while lowering costs.

Im excited to bring the problem solvers to the table to talk about real solutions that make a difference, Gupton said. In the third episode, the case-study of an upstate SC local government who decided to abandon the status quo and try something new is captured for listeners to learn from. Hopefully, what resonates with listeners is that the solutions are here. It just up to us to put them in place.

Finding the podcast and subscribing wont be difficult. Its easily found on Apple podcasts, Google Play and http://www.custombenefits.work. Searching the hastag #letsfixhealthcare should lead you right to it.... As more people migrate to our state, it looks as though [we] could use a little extra help in picking up our roads. Jakes is happy to sponsor our highways and help keep our roads free of litter. With that said, let's all pitch in to do our part and... Don't Mess with Texas!"

As a business that loves their community, Jakes is always looking for new ways to give back. Committing to the Texas Sponsor A Highway Program promotes highway beautification efforts that will keep the streets of Dallas free of harmful debris.

As stated by the President of Jakes, Greg Garvey, Being a native Texan born in Lubbock Texas, I have always been extremely proud of our state and the cleanliness of our roads. As more people migrate to our state, it looks as though [we] could use a little extra help in picking up our roads. Jakes is happy to sponsor our highways and help keep our roads free of litter. With that said, let's all pitch in to do our part and... Don't Mess with Texas!"

In a time where businesses are more aware of fulfilling their corporate social responsibility, it is great to find a company that chooses to keep the highways safe and litter-free. As a participant in the Texas Sponsor A Highway Program, Jakes is promoting better sustainability practices that all businesses in Dallas should emulate. Within time, Jakes hopes to inspire other neighboring companies to give back to the community and become highway sponsors as well.

Jakes Burgers and Beer has offered a mouth-watering array of burgers and beer since 1985. Between their ever-changing Burger of the Month, and variety of cold brew options offered on tap their customers keep coming back for more. Having been recognized by magazines, such as Texas Monthly, for providing one of the fifty best burgers its clear that Texans unanimously love Jakes Burgers and Beer!

For more information about Jakes Burgers & Beer visit: http://www.jakesburgersandbeer.com

For more information about the Texas Sponsor A Highway Program visit: http://www.adoptahighway.com

Car insurance can be made cheaper, but only after applying the right strategies. Visit our website for free car insurance quotes, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that presents some smart ways for lower car insurance rates

Many drivers consider that car insurance is too expensive or they deny their importance. Disregarding a service which can potentially save drivers thousands of dollars is a huge mistake. If price is the problem, check the following tips for lowering the costs.



Check all available discounts. Insurance companies provide a wide range of discounts. It is wise to check the discounts offered by each company before signing a contract. When getting online quotes, the user can easily check for how many discounts he is eligible and how much he will save. The most common discounts include low mileage, safety devices, safe driver, homeownership and paying-in-full.

Paying in advance will help drivers save around 10%. Drivers are asked how often do they want to make payments. Paying for the entire policy in advance will help drivers save a lot of money. The driver can save around 5%-10% just by paying the full value. Some companies are more generous and offer a 15%-20% discount. In this case, the value of the discount will be higher than 1 monthly premium.

Ask for higher deductibles. The policyholder is able to set the deductibles. By selecting a higher deductible level, he agrees to pay more when he files a claim. Deductibles range from $250 up to $1000 or more. In many cases, the recommended value for both comprehensive and collision coverage is $500. When getting online quotes, the client is able to set the deductibles to some predetermined values. After each change, the prices are updated and the user can view how deductibles influence the total cost.

Bundle policies under the same company. Placing multiple vehicles or multiple belongings can be really beneficial. Besides having access to discounts, the policyholder will have to deal with less paperwork. Multi-insurance discounts vary by provider, with some companies offering as much as 20% discount for combining home and auto insurance.

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

For more information and free quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org.

CCA Global Partners CEO Howard Brodsky and Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg discussed the future of business during a meeting on January 29, 2019. It is critically important for our future that our leaders understand the vision for the future of the business world and opportunities that exist for a more equal and equitable society.

As a pioneer in the floor covering industry and respected leader in the cooperative business world, CCA Global Partners Howard Brodsky frequently shares his experience and insight to help business and political leaders in their efforts to improve the quality of life in our country. On Tuesday, January 29, 2019, Brodsky hosted former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, current Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and 16 New Hampshire business leaders at CCAs Manchester, NH office.

As Mayor Bloomberg considers a 2020 presidential run, this meeting served to provide him with insight into the current state of businesses and their needs.

It is critically important for our future that our leaders understand the vision for the future of the business world and opportunities that exist for a more equal and equitable society, shared Brodsky. I have great respect for Mayor Bloomberg for taking the time to hear directly from business leaders in our area.

Mayor Bloomberg is not the first CCA guest with political significance. With corporate headquarters in Manchester, NH, CCA Global Partners is frequently visited by national and state candidates from both parties who share their messages and answer questions.

It is important to me that political candidates are accessible and open to conversations with their businesses, says Brodsky Im always pleased when we can facilitate this type of interaction.

Shortly after learning about the cooperative business model and starting his cooperative in 1985, Brodsky began sharing his success stories with other business leaders and politicians around the world.

Through the cooperative business model, I have found that businesses can be profitable and successful while still contributing in a positive way to society, says Brodsky As I share the success of our cooperative around the world, I hope that I have helped others to understand the business model. This widespread understanding and acceptance of what I feel is the better business model could truly change the world.

About CCA Global Partners

CCA Global Partners, Inc. is a privately held cooperative based in the United States with member businesses in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. For over a quarter of a century, CCA Global has partnered with entrepreneurial businesspeople to create a cooperative powerhouse unmatched in the marketplace. With 15 independent business brands and more than 2,800 locations, CCA Global Partners is well positioned to positively impact the success of independent businesses. For more information on CCA Global Partners, go to http://www.ccaglobal.com.

Drivers can save big when they shop for a new 2018 Mitsubishi vehicle in early 2019 at Brooklyn Mitsubishi.

2018 is finished and 2019 is now in full swing. However, Brooklyn Mitsubishi still has several Mitsubishi vehicles from the 2018 model year still available in its inventory. The dealership is hoping to make room for more 2019 models, so now is the time for drivers to take advantage of some additional deals on a vehicle that is still new.

Currently, Brooklyn Mitsubishi still has several 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Outlander Sport, and Outlander PHEV models in its inventory. To see the full listing of vehicles, shoppers are invited to visit the Brooklyn Mitsubishi website (http://www.brooklynmitsubishi.com) and click on the Inventory link.

Many of the vehicles are available with special pricing so drivers can save even more on a new, high-quality 2018 Mitsubishi.

When shopping at Brooklyn Mitsubishi, drivers can finance their vehicle through the dealership by applying for credit pre-approval on the Brooklyn Mitsubishi website. They can also receive an estimate on their current vehicle if they are interested in making a trade and save even more on their new 2018 Mitsubishi.

Drivers interested in shopping from the remaining inventory of 2018 Mitsubishi vehicles at Brooklyn Mitsubishi are encouraged to contact the dealership via telephone at 718-345-1600 or through its website. To accommodate New York Citys Spanish-speaking population, a Spanish-language version of the Brooklyn Mitsubishi website is available at http://www.brooklynmitsubishiespanol.com. Brooklyn Mitsubishi is located at 5910 Church Avenue in Brooklyn.Dr. John Bullis, double board-certified cosmetic surgeon and owner of A-to-Zen Regenerative Medicine, is excited to announce the addition of truSculpt 3D non-invasive fat reduction to his menu of leading aesthetic treatments. FDA-cleared truSculpt 3D is an advanced form of non-surgical fat reduction that uses non-invasive radiofrequency energy to reduce up to 24 percent of targeted fat cells with no downtime.

FDA-cleared truSculpt is the most versatile fat reduction treatment on the market, featuring numerous treatment paddles, which can be placed exactly where they are needed to provide a personally tailored, comfortable treatment with optimal results. Whats more, truSculpts innovative, multi-paddle design enables treatment of the entire circumference of the abdomen, or can treat multiple areas of the body simultaneously, in one convenient session.

truSculpt 3D non-invasive fat reduction is cleared to treat multiple areas of the body, including the abdomen and flanks. Treatment time varies, depending on the areas you are treating, but ranges from 15 minutes to an hour. truSculpt can reduce up to 24 percent of targeted fat cells, on average, per one-hour treatment.

To learn more about truSculpt 3D at A-to-Zen Regenerative Medicine, please call 425.615.6307 today!

About A-to-Zen Regenerative Medicine

A-To-Zen Regenerative Medicine comprises a team of dedicated medical professionals who are committed to helping you look and feel your absolute best for total body vitality. Offering a holistic approach, A-To-Zens mission is to maximize the quality of life for patients by offering a blend of traditional and alternative medicine and a comprehensive range of both surgical and non-surgical treatments, including truSculpt 3D non-invasive fat removal, liposuction, labiaplasty, fat transfer, IV hydration therapy, Botox, dermal fillers, ThermiVa non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation, Sculpsure non-invasive fat reduction, ThermiSmooth non-invasive skin tightening, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, medically-supervised weight loss, nutritional therapy, chemical peels, facials, acne treatments, and more.

About Dr. John Bullis

Owner and medical director of A-to-Zen Regenerative Medicine, Dr. John Bullis is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS). Dr. Bullis has performed thousands of cosmetic surgical procedures and is an expert at both surgical and non-surgical body sculpting.

Dr. Bullis attended undergraduate and medical school at Georgetown University and obtained a Masters Degree in physiology at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Dr. Bullis served in the U.S. Army at Ft. Lewis, WA, Fort Belvoir, VA, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., where he honed his surgical skills and specialized in urogynecology, pelvic reconstructive surgery, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

Dr. Bullis is a Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons (AACS), the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS), and the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA).Mogadishu, Feb 3 : The US army on Saturday said its forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia on Friday, killing 13 Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that no civilians were injured or killed in the strike which targetted the militants in the vicinity of Gandarshe in Lower Shebelle region, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the statement, the extremist group has previously used Gandarshe, about 48 km from Mogadishu, as a staging area for attacks including vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices that threaten the capital and its residents.

On December 15 and 16, 2018, six US airstrikes killed 62 Al-Shabaab militants near Gandarshe, who according to AFRICOM were preparing for an attack on a Somali government military base in the region, and on Wednesday a US airstrike killed 24 militants in neighbouring Hiran region.

The US strikes have largely targetted Al-Shabaab figureheads based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some areas.Moscow, Feb 3 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced that Russia will suspend its participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in a mirror response to the US' decision.

"We will proceed as follows. We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. American partners have announced the suspension of their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to a Kremlin transcript, Xinhua reported.

The US administration announced on Friday that the US is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from February 2.

Noting that the US has begun developing and manufacturing weapons, Shoigu proposed to develop new arms including ground-based complexes of hypersonic medium-range and shorter-range ballistic missiles. Shoigu's proposal has Putin's support.

"They announced that they (the US) are engaged in research and development work, and we will do the same," Putin said.

The president requested more information on the execution of Russia's state defence programmes, including the Dagger hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, the Peresvet combat laser systems, the newest Avangard hypersonic missile defence system and the Sarmat missile.

He also noted that some countries are starting to deploy weapons in space, saying that it is necessary to come up with certain plans to counter this "possible threat."

Despite the retaliatory measures, Russia will not be dragged into an arms race, Putin said.

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that we should not and will not be drawn into an expensive arms race," he told the ministers.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the then Soviet Union and the US on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions.

In October, US President Donald Trump said Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty on account of Russia's alleged breach of the agreement, a charge which Moscow has repeatedly denied.Bengaluru, Feb 3 : The mortal remains of IAF test pilot Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi were cremated with military honours here on Saturday, a day after he died in the Mirage-2000 fighter crash on Friday, an official said.

"Squadron Leader Negi's body was cremated this morning (Saturday) with full military honours by the air force in the presence of his family, including his widow," an Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesman told IANS here.

Details of Negi's last rites were, however, not shared with the media either by the Defence Ministry or the IAF here.

Negi's senior colleague Squadron Leader Samir Abrol from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh was the other test pilot who died in the crash of the jet on a test sortie at the military airport in the city's eastern suburb.

"Abrol's body was flown to Ghaziabad earlier in the day for the last rites in his home town with full military honours," the official added.

Negi, whose age has not been officially disclosed, hails from Dehradun in Uttarkhand and was commissioned into the IAF a decade ago.

An ace fighter pilot, Negi was on deputation over six months to the IAF Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) as a test pilot from his unspecified air base.

Abrol, who was commissioned in 2008, was also on deputation to the ASTE as a test pilot over six months from his air base, not specified.Hyderabad, Feb 3 : The Hyderabad police on Saturday arrested a youth for posting obscene material on social media against YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's sister Y.S. Sharmila.

Central Crime Station (CCS) personnel arrested P. Venkatesh in Guntur town of Andhra Pradesh. A native of Prakasam district in the same state, he is a post-graduate student at a private college in Guntur.

Police tracked down the accused with the help of Google team. The accused was brought to Hyderabad and booked under section 509 of Indian Penal Code (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 67 of Information Technology Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).

Sharmila, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had last month met the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, urging him to act against those maligning her on the social media.

Sharmila, who is also a leader of YSR Congress, called on Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar to lodge a complaint against those posting objectionable material against her.

She rubbished the false propaganda linking her with the popular Telugu film actor Prabhas and alleged that it was a conspiracy by the vested interests to defame her ahead of the general elections to get political mileage.

She alleged involvement of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the conspiracy.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu condemned Sharmila's allegations and criticised her for lodging a complaint with Telangana police instead of filing a complaint in Andhra Pradesh.Falakata : , Feb 2 (IANS) The Central government has decided to use a new technology to seal India's international borders with Bangladesh passing through Assam and West Bengal by putting in place a comprehensive integrated border management system, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Saturday.

Regretting that despite requesting for years, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has not provided land for fencing the state's borders with Bangladesh, Singh said: "We never received the cooperation which we should have got."

"But I would like to tell you, if we don't get cooperation from the state government, we will put in a new system," Singh told a rally here in Alipurduar district.

The Union Minister said that during his visit to Israel, he saw the Middle East nation taking the help of technology to secure its borders.

"So we have also taken a decision that we will seal Bengal and Assam's borders with Bangladesh.

"We will put in place a comprehensive integrated border management system. In other words, we will use technology to completely seal the borders with Bangladesh so that infiltrators do not enter any more.

"This will prevent smuggling of cows, drugs, and stop entry of fake notes," Singh said Slamming the Trinamool Congres government, he said anti-national and anti-social forces are active in the state and law and order situation is "dismal".

He referred to the killing of around 100 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists, and said: "If we come to power in the state in future, we won't spare those who have killed our activists."

Ponting to the crowd, he said the huge gathering is a proof that there is no power on earth which "can prevent BJP from winning all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state this time.

"Your enthusiasm also tells me that when Assembly elections are held here in 2021, there will be a BJP Chief Minister," he added.Bengaluru, Feb 2 : Karnataka's wanted underworld don Ravi Suliya Pujari was traced and arrested at Dakar in West Africa's Senegal recently, said the state government in a statement on Saturday.

"Pujari, a notorious underworld criminal and extortionist, was traced in Senegal capital Dakar on January 19 and arrested on January 21 for extradition to India," said the official statement, based on a report from the state police intelligence.

Acting on a tip-off by the state police through Interpol, Pujari was caught inside a barber shop in Dakar and detained by its police for identification as he was masquerading under a new identity as Antony Fernandez with a fake passport from Burkino Faso.

"State Additional General of Police (ADGP) for Intelligence Amar Kumar Pandey kept track of Pujari since June first in Burkino Faso and later in Senegal where he shifted with wife and children and was operating a restaurant chain in partnership with locals," recalled the statement.

Though Pandey lost track of Pujari alias Fernandez in Burkino Faso, he found him subsequently in Dakar and alerted Indian Ambassador to Senegal Rajeev Kumar for arresting him with the help of the local police.

"The Senegal Interior Minister and its Director of Judicial Police arrested Pujari from a barber shop in Dakar and his original identity was found," said the statement.

Though it is 12 days since Pujari was arrested in Dakar, the state government, however, has no clue when he would be extradited to India and flown to Bengaluru or Mangaluru on the state's west coast where he operated.

"Pujari carried out his criminal activities across four coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat since 2001, employing sharp shooters to attack targets for extorting huge sums of money," said the statement.

The don used to select the place of attack and targets for extortion from those referred by his contacts in India. His victims included rich doctors, real estate agents, business magnets, jewellers, actors from Hindi and Kannada films, mining barons, politicians and commodity merchants.

"Pujari's modus operandi was to use Skype and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for making calls from his hideouts abroad to contact potential victims and threaten them to cough up the ransom or face death in a movie style," added the statement.New Delhi, Feb 2 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday that India has taken up with Ukraine the case of kidnapping of an Indian national in that country.

She was responding to a tweet by a woman who had urged her and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help find Anuj Goel, an Indian national.

"Please help find Anuj Goel, Indian national. We have been in a lot of stress as he was kidnapped from outside his residence 4 days ago in Ukraine," the tweet said.

In response, Sushma Swaraj said she had spoken to the Indian Ambassador in Ukraine and the matter had been taken up at the highest level with the government there.

"I have spoken to the Indian Ambassador in Ukraine. We have taken this up at the highest level with the Government of Ukraine. Please rest assured that we will spare no effort," she said.Hyderabad, Feb 2 : Andhra Pradesh police suspect Florida-based Non-Resident Indian and Coastal Bank director Chigurupati Jayaram, who was found dead in his car in Krishna district on Friday, was murdered by someone close to him over some financial dispute.

Four police teams from Krishna district Saturday launched the investigations in Hyderabad, questioning several people including his relatives and bank employees.

According to police sources, Jayaram's niece Madhuri alias Shikha Chowdary, her sister and brother and her driver were also being questioned by a team of officials.

Jayaram (55), who also the Managing Director of Express TV, a Telugu channel, was found dead in the back seat of his car in a farmland near Aitavaram village off Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway in Krishna district. There were blood stains on his body. However, police suspect that he was given liquor laced with poison.

The body was preserved after autopsy as Jayaram's family members were yet to arrive from the US.

The deceased had left his Jublie Hills home in Hyderabad for Vijayawada on Thursday. According to police the CCTV footage at different toll gates on the highway were examined as part of the investigations. He was seen sitting on the back seat. The police were trying to identify the man who was driving the vehicle.

Police suspect that the conspiracy to kill Jayaram was hatched in Hyderabad. The investigators searched his office and home and were also questioning security guards, his personal staff and other employees.Kolkata, Feb 2 : Launching an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the time for his exit has come, with only a month to go for the announcement of fresh Lok Sabha polls, but he was not "mentally ready" to go.

"The bell has tolled for him, his exit. His expiry date has come... He knows his exist is not far. But he is not mentally ready to go," Banerjee said in her reaction to Modi's stinging attack on her and the state government at two rally speeches in the state during the day.

Banerjee accused Modi of lacking the courtesy that behoves a person occupying the prime minister's chair. "He does not know as prime minister what he should say and what he shouldn't. Look at his pride, arrogance".

Banerjee said during the nearly five years of Modi's rule, people have been oppressed and tortured through agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

"No opposition leader in the country is in peace. They are all surrounded by agencies, as the present regime in Delhi is behaving like Hitler and adopting fascist means to keep everybody mum," she said.

Asked about Modi's comments that the CBI had grilled him for nine hours in relation to the Gujarat riots when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the centre, the chief minister said: "Just because he has been quizzed by CBI, does that mean he also has to get everybody grilled by CBI? There is a limit to vengeance."

Banerjee referred to the killing of former Gujarat home minister Heren Pandya in 2003, and said he was a victim of "vindictiveness".

On Modi's description of the January 19 public meeting of opposition leaders here as the coming together of those with "charges of corruption against them and their relatives", Banerjee said "Chorer mayer boro gola (the mother of a thief shouts the most)."

Countering Modi's claim that the Trinamool's rule in Bengal was nearing its end, Banerjee shot back: "He shouldn't think about us. We have over two years left in office. First there will be a change in Delhi. Our first priority is to remove him from power. Whether our government will remain or not after two years, people of Bengal will decide".

Banerjee said the BJP has no moral right to raise a finger at other parties. "All political parties are now united against the BJP. When all democratic institutions are crippled or terrorised, then all people come together."

Ridiculing the state BJP for bringing leaders from other states for rallies, she said "They don't have a single leader here. They have to import leaders for meetings".

Questioning the source of BJP's funds, she said "Earlier, they were poor. Now they have shopping mall-like party offices. What is the value of their property in India and abroad?"

Banerjee said nothing substantial would come out of probes into the Saradha ponzi scam and the Narada sting footage. A number of Trinamool leaders have been arrested or grilled in connection with the probe into the two cases.

"There are people (in other cases) who have taken thousands of crores. The pot should not call the kettle black."

Banerjee also claimed that Modi never sold tea, though "he has come to power claiming he was a chai wala (tea seller)".New Delhi, Feb 2 : Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp on Saturday reported a decline of 9.15 per cent in its sales for January 2019.

According to the company, sales during last month declined to 582,756 units from 641,501 units reported for the corresponding month of last year.

"The weak market sentiment from the previous quarter spilled over to January and continued to dampen sales. The industry has been witnessing lower retail off-take in the past few months due to multiple factors, like the credit crunch and higher two-wheeler insurance costs," the company said in a statement.

"However, the customer sentiment has begun to improve in the past two weeks, and the company expects sales to pick-up in this quarter, which has traditionally been a phase of positive sales."

As per the company's statement the Interim Budget - with the direct benefit scheme for the farmers and the income tax exemptions for a portion of the middle class - will drive consumption and help the rural economy, thereby giving a boost to the two-wheeler industry.New Delhi, Feb 2 : Ruling out fiscal deficit as a real concern, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Saturday said the government has managed to stick to the fiscal consolidation path and if one considers the revised GDP numbers released earlier this week, it has done even better than the targets.

He said if one ignores the Rty President Amit Shah. In view of this, poaching of Ashaben Patel is the first, before more Congress heads roll from this region.

'Operation Ashaben', as local Congress leaders call it, was plotted in Delhi and party General Secretary in Gujarat K.C. Patel was in constant touch with the Congress MLA and her close aide for more than a month.

Sources believe she may be fielded on a Lok Sabha ticket or re-nominated from the Unjha seat, while her close aide Dinesh Patel is said to have been promised a lucrative position in Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Gujarat.

With today's development, Congress' strength in North Gujarat has decreased drastically. Sources say another couple of MLAs might resign from the Congress in the near future.Gandhinagar, Feb 2 : In a blow to the Congress in North Gujarat, Unjha MLA Ashaben Patel here on Saturday tendered her resignation from all the posts, claiming the state leadership was ignoring her and unable to contain groupism.

Patel, 40, is a first-time MLA from the key North Gujarat region which has three Lok Sabha constituencies of Patan, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha where the Congress is believed to be on a firm ground.

Besides state Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi, she sent her resignation letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi also alleging internal fighting and groupism in the party.

In her letter, Patel alleged that there was no attempt for better coordination between the party and elected representatives, while infighting was at its peak. Against this, the ruling BJP is pulling out all stops to maintain its tally of 26 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats.

She rejected speculation of her joining the BJP, though sources said it could happen in a few days.

They claim the BJP's chances were bleak in North Gujarat, which is also the home region of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah. In view of this, poaching of Ashaben Patel is the first, before more Congress heads roll from this region.

'Operation Ashaben', as local Congress leaders call it, was plotted in Delhi and party General Secretary in Gujarat K.C. Patel was in constant touch with the Congress MLA and her close aide for more than a month.

Sources believe she may be fielded on a Lok Sabha ticket or re-nominated from the Unjha seat, while her close aide Dinesh Patel is said to have been promised a lucrative position in Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Gujarat.

With today's development, Congress' strength in North Gujarat has decreased drastically. Sources say another couple of MLAs might resign from the Congress in the near future.New Delhi, Feb 2 : Ruling out fiscal deficit as a real concern, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Saturday said the government has managed to stick to the fiscal consolidation path and if one considers the revised GDP numbers released earlier this week, it has done even better than the targets.

He said if one ignores the Rs 20,000 crore provision allocated for direct income scheme for farmers in the current fiscal, the government was bang on target or might have even done better than the 3.3 per cent fiscal deficit target set in the Budget Estimates.

"Also, the revised numbers for GDP have come now and according to that, the fiscal deficit would be only 3.2 per cent. So we are, in fact, doing better," he told Times Now TV channel.

The government on Thursday revised the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates by 110 basis points from 7.1 per cent to 8.2 per cent for 2016-17 and by 50 basis points from 6.7 per cent to 7.2 per cent for fiscal 2017-18.

After revision, the real GDP or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices for 2017-18 and 2016-17 stood at Rs 131.80 lakh crore and Rs 122.98 lakh crore respectively.

Garg said the government's own commitment to bring fiscal deficit to three per cent by 2021 was on track.

"We are on that glide-path, which is not a straight line. It glides through that and we are going according to that," he said.

"For the current year, we said 3.3 per cent, we have revised it to 3.4 per cent. This is after accomodating the Rs 20,000 crore provision, which is 0.1 per cent. Somebody may simply say that other than that you are bang on target or better. So there's not much of a change from that perspective," the Secretary said, adding that in real numbers, the gap between 3.3 per cent and 3.4 per cent was even smaller, and between about Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 crore.

"Many people have been saying they probably feared worse. They were thinking that possibly this will be 3.5 or 3.7 per cent. So the government managed to stick to the fiscal deficit as it is.

"That is what is also reflected in our borrowing. We have not revised our borrowing targets much. Next year's borrowing is also almost flat at the current year. So I think there is no real concern to be feeling bad about," he added.

The Interim Budget announced by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday reflected a slippage in deficit targets for 2018-19 and 2019-20 by 10 and 30 basis points respectively to 3.4 per cent of the GDP for each fiscal.New Delhi, Feb 2 : Hundreds of farmers gathered at DND flyway called off their protest on Saturday after the Uttar Pradesh government promised to look into their demands of compensation as per the latest law for their acquired land.

The protest that started on Friday caused huge inconvenience to commuters during evening peak hours after the agitated farmers blocked the flyway with their tractors.

Following the government's intervention on Saturday, the protest was suspended for a week, said farmer leader Manveer Singh Tevatiya.

"Our demands about proper compensation have been pending for eight years. If the government does not resolve them in a week, we will resume our protest," he told IANS.

The decision to call off the protest did not go down well with many farmers as they raised concerns over the lack of concrete assurances from the government.

Tevatiya said the government had given the farmers from Mathura, Agra, and Dadri, Mandola, Kachera in the NCR a "paltry amount" when their land was acquired during 2010-2011.

"We were deceived by the government. We want compensation under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," he said.

Some farmers from Bihar also had joined the protest for their demand of fair compensation from GAIL India.

On Friday, these farmers travelling in tractors had tried to enter the National Capital via the DND flyway. They were stopped by police at toll plaza, leading to traffic jam for hours.

Police had a tough time clearing the tractors on DND flyway that had affected traffic on National Highway 24, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar and Mathura Road. These farmers stayed overnight near the toll plaza.

On Saturday, the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar met the protesting farmers and assured them of a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a week's time, Tevatiya said.

Amit Tyagi, a farmer from Mandola, said about 2,640 acres of land was acquired from his village in 2010 but the compensation given by the government was "too low".

"We did not realise that we were fooled. Now, we want compensation under the 2013 law that promises 20 per cent of (developed) land in compensation besides money," he said.

Another farmer leader Neeraj Tyagi said the BJP leaders had expressed their solidarity with the farmers' demands before they formed government in the state in 2017.Kolkata, Feb 2 : Taking a swipe at the proposed alliance of opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those who facing charges of corruption against them and their relatives are coming together as they are scared of his nationwide drive against corruption and black money.

"See the photos of those came together in Kolkata. They appear so scared. Somebody's son, somebody's brother, somebody's nephew and the rest are themselves involved in corruption. So they came together in Kolkata," Modi said at a public rally.

"They are comming together to stop me from taking action against corruption and back money. They all are busy abusing me because I am probing those scams. But no matter how much they abuse, they cannot stop me from doing that," Modi said referring to Wet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's mega-anti BJP rally in Kolkata on January 19 where leaders of several opposition parties were present.

Modi said the political leaders who would not see face-to-face even four years ago were hugging each other.

"Those who made money from chit funds and defence deals do not like the chowkidar (guard)," the Prime Minister said.

Taking a dig at Opposition leaders, the Prime Minister said: "Your chowkidar has started a huge 'abhiyan' (drive) to cleanse the country of corruption and black money...The country's most powerful and famed family is also doing the rounds of courts on charges of tax evasion and cheating."Thakurnagar/Kolkata : , Feb 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress to support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament to give the refugees living in India the right to citizenship.

But Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee categorically refused, and asked him instead to withdraw the legislation.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Thakurnagar, home to the Dalit Matua community, Modi said India is the only place that can provide shelter to thousands of Hindus, Sikhs and refugees of other communities, who came from neighbouring countries to save themselves from communal violence.

"After the country was divided during independence, thousands of people including the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis had to take shelter in India due to communal violence.

"These refugees should get the right to citizenship. India is the only place that can provide them shelter," Modi said addressing a packed ground here in North 24 Parganas district.

"That's why our government has come up with Citizenship Amendment Bill. I urge the Trinamool Congress leaders to support the Bill and help the refugee brothers and sisters to get their rights," he said.

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the Bill, which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Speaking to a television channel soon after, Banejree turned down the request, saying her party wouldn't let the BJP to divide people and engineer violence between Bengalis and non-Bengalis, or between, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.

"We oppose it. The government will have to withdraw it. Because we are all Indian citizens.

"They are asking for our support for citizenship amendment bill. Why should I support them? In the name of NRC, they have arranged to drive out 45 lakh Bengalis - 23 lakh of them muslims, and remaining 22 lakh Hindus - from Assam," she said.

Banerjee said because of the citizenship bill, the entire North East is on fire. "We won't allow them to damage the North-East," she added.Pune : , Feb 2 (IANS) In a huge embarrassment for Maharashtra government, a Pune Special Court on Saturday slammed the city police Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) for what it termed as "illegal arrest" of Dalit intellectual Prof Anand Teltumbde, and ordered his immediate release -- barely 12 hours after he was arrested at Mumbai airport.

Pune Special Judge K.D. Vadane rejected arguments by the prosecution and ruled that Teltumbde's arrest was not only "illegal" but also "amounts to a contempt of order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court" which had granted protection from arrest to the professor for four weeks till February 11.

When asked what was the haste to arrest Teltumbde in an early morning operation from Mumbai, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodke guardedly said: "It was done are per procedures."

"We respect the honourable court's orders in this matter today (Saturday). Now any further step will be initiated only after the verdict of the competent court which he (Teltumbde) may approach for relief," Bodke told IANS shortly after the ruling.

Special Judge Vadane also directed that after releasing Teltumbde, the Supreme Court should be informed of the same since the arrest by the Pune police was against the order of the apex court.

The court pointed out that the apex court order clearly stated: "We extend the said interim protection for a period of four weeks..., within which the petitioner (Teltumbde) may seek regular/ pre-arrest bail from the competent authority, if so advised."

Special Judge Vadane observed that "this means trial court, high court and Supreme Court also", and hence, although his anticipatory bail application was rejected by (this) court on February 1, Teltumbde still had the liberty to approach the higher courts within the stipulated four-week period.

It was around 3.45 a.m on Saturday when a waiting team of Pune police accosted and arrested Teltumbde from the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when he landed here from Kerala.

Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had earlier filed for anticipatory bail before Special Judge Vadane, but it was rejected on Friday, paving way for the police action.

Later, after completing certain post-arrest formalities in Mumbai, he was whisked off to Pune and produced before the court.

In the court, his lawyer Rohan Nahar moved an application demanding action against the Pune ATS for contempt of Supreme Court by the illegal arrest, since the apex court had granted him protection till February 11, and strongly argued for his immediate release.

Teltumbde has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Opposing his anticipatory bail plea, the Pune police had submitted evidences in a sealed envelope, claiming him to be an alleged "urban Maoist" against which the law enforcers have launched a major offensive for the past one year.Shillong, Feb 2 : Indian Navy divers are struggling to retrieve another miner's body from the flooded 370-feet-deep coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, about 130 km from here, due to high turbidity of water, an official said on Saturday.

"The turbidity is limiting visibility inside the rat-hole mine, besides too many other obstructions, affecting the rescue operation," a senior official told IANS.

The unidentified miner's body was detected last week by a remotely operated underwater vehicle. 13 more miners remained trapped for the last 51 days in the illegal mine.

"Nonetheless, they (Navy) are making all efforts to retrieve the body, which could be possible only after water becomes clear. We are also consulting experts," he said.

The remotely operated underwater vehicle of the Navy found the body of a miner -- identified as Amir Hussain of Assam's Chirang district -- on January 16, 32 days after 15 miners got trapped in the coal mine on December 13 as water gushed in.

The tragedy came to light after five miners escaped the coal pit.

The mining was on despite the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) interim ban on "rat-hole" mines in the state since April 17, 2014.

Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma said the search and rescue operation was being carried out for the remaining 13 trapped miners as per the Supreme Court directions.

On Monday, a platoon of soldiers joined the multi-agency search and rescue operation at Ksan village, about 130 km from state capital.

The government has roped in several Central and private agencies including the National Disaster Response Force, the Odisha Fire Services and Coal India (CIL) for the rescue operation.Jaipur, Feb 2 : In yet another man-animal conflict, a tiger killed a woman, Munni Devi (40), in Kundera Range of Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur on Saturday morning.

The villagers informed the police and forest officials after tracing three parts of her body from an agricultural field.

However, infuriated villagers did not allow officials to pick her body from for six hours and demanded Rs 20 lakh as compensation. Senior officials persuaded the villagers to disperse assuring them that the victim's post-mortem would be conducted at the same location.

"They allowed the woman's post-mortem after they were assured of Rs 4 lakh compensation," said a forest officer, adding that the tiger, T64, was seen in the nearby areas and must have hidden itself in the area when the woman went out.New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) Roosting sites are not always near or in wetlands, as is often speculated for waterbirds. This is true both in rural and urban settings and there is a huge human tolerance, a yet-to-be published study with focus mainly on Rajasthan says.

And this is so despite massive 'disturbance' around urban roost sites.

"This underscores the high value of the human attitude in Rajasthan, and indeed many locations in India, in not deliberately disturbing birds and tolerating waterbird aggregations, Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation scientist K.S. Gopi Sundar told IANS.

"This toleration is not trivial since these aggregations are noisy, smelly and can wake you up very early in the morning," he pointed out.

Sundar conducted this first-of-its-kind study with Udaipur-based Sukhadia University's Vijay Koli and researcher Sunil Chaudhury.

The study is likely to be published in Waterbirds journal later this year.

Sundar said given that nothing is known of roosting of large waterbirds, the work set out to explore where the black-headed ibis roosts for the night.

Anecdotal observations had made it clear that unlike some waterbirds, the ibis roosts not in wetlands but on trees.

The surveys included both rural and urban areas -- a first for ornithology in this part of the world.

"We usually focus either on urban areas, or on rural and wilder areas for bird work. The surveys included information not only on where the birds roosted, but also where they nested, and included information from waterbird roosts near ibis roosts that did not have ibises roosting," co-researcher Koli said.

According to Sundar, many more birds were counted in roosts compared to in nesting sites. This was quite a surprise, but on hindsight, was logical since roosts would include non-breeding birds as well.

The kinds of waterbirds in roosts with the ibis and in roosts without the ibis were different.

"Clearly, roost sites form a previously ignored component of the birds' life history and population that need to be paid attention to if we are to conserve these species over the long run," Sundar said.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)Patna, Feb 2 : Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha and half-a-dozen RLSP activists were injured in a police lathicharge on Saturday during a protest in the Bihar capital.

After Kushwaha sustained injuries in his head, leg and and hand, party sources said, adding he was admitted to a local private hospital and discharged after initial treatment.

"The police first used water cannon to disperse the protesting Rashriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leaders and workers followed by a lathicharge," said party spokesperson Madhav Anand.

He alleged the police deliberately attacked Kushwaha, blaming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the police action.

The RLSP's protest highlighted the alleged collapse of school and higher education system in the state.

Kushwaha last year walked out of the BJP-led NDA and joined the 'grand alliance' of RJD, Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Delhi government will focus on health and education sectors, Finance Minister Manish Sisodia said here on Saturday.

"Our focus in the budget (2019-20) will be on health and education sectors," he said. Certain new things will also be added in the Budget, the minister said.

The Delhi Cabinet has recommended seven-day Budget session, starting February 22.

In the previous budget, the Delhi government had allocated Rs 6,729 crore for the health sector, 12.7 per cent of the total budget outlay, and Rs 13,997 crore (26 per cent) for the education sector.

Funds were also allocated to curb air pollution in the city.Pune : , Feb 2 (IANS) In a huge embarrassment for Maharashtra government, a Pune court ordered the release of Dalit intellectual Prof Anand Teltumbde, barely 12 hours after he was arrested at Mumbai Airport by Pune police, here on Saturday.

The court ruled that Teltumbde's arrest was not only illegal but also amounted to a contempt of Supreme Court which had granted protection from arrest to the professor till February 11.

When asked what was the haste to arrest Teltumbde in an early morning operation from Mumbai, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodke guardedly said: "It was done are per procedures."

"We respect the honourable court's orders in this matter today (Saturday). Now any further step will be initiated only after the verdict of the competent court which he (Teltumbde) may approach for reliefs," Bodke told IANS shortly after the ruling.

It was around 3.30 a.m on saturday when a waiting team of Pune police accosted and arrested Teltumbde from the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when he landed here from Kerala.

Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had earlier filed for anticipatory bail in a Pune sessions court. However, it was rejected on Friday paving way for the police action.

Later, after completing certain post-arrest formalities in Mumbai, he was whisked off to Pune and produced before a court.

In the court, his lawyer Rohan Nahar strongly argued that Teltumbde's arrest was illegal since the apex court had granted him protection from arrest till February 11, and demanded his immediate release.

He has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Opposing his anticipatory bail plea, the Pune police had submitted evidences in a sealed envelope, claiming his activities as an alleged "urban Maoist" against which the law enforcers have launched a major offensive for the past one year.New York, Feb 2 : Catching flu could put you at increased risk of stroke for up to a year, finds a new study.

Although the researchers are not sure the reason behind the association, the reason could be due to inflammation caused by the flu infection.

The finding adds to previous research which has suggested the flu vaccine can reduce your risk of a stroke.

For the study, the researchers from Columbia University in the US looked at the medical records of 30,912 people with an average age of 72 years who had been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke.

The findings, which would be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2019 in the US, showed that people had a 40 per cent higher chance of having a stroke if they had been admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms within the past 15 days.

"The association occurred within 15 days. That's important for people to know because if they get the flu, they want to be on the lookout for symptoms of stroke, especially early on after the flu," Philip B Gorelick, Professor at the Michigan State University in the US was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

In another study, the team from the varsity, found an increased risk of a neck artery tear after having the flu.

Neck artery tears, formally called a cervical artery dissection, happens when one of the large blood vessels in the neck is damaged, causing blood clots to develop.

It is a leading cause of stroke because it affects the blood supply to the brain, reported Daily Mail.

The study, which will be presented at the same conference, found 1,736 instances of flu-like illness preceding cervical artery dissection.

"Cervical or neck dissections make up about two per cent of all strokes and up to 25 per cent of strokes in persons who are under 45 years of age. So this is specifically important to people who are in that under 45 age group, but not exclusively," said Gorelick.

Influenza leads to serious and potentially life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, sepsis and heart disease, the study noted.Thakurnagar/Durgapur, Feb 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut his speech short at a rally in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district and later apologised after several women and children fainted following a stampede-like situation at the venue.

An officer manning the state police control room said two-three women had fainted. "They were rushed to a hospital and released after first-aid," he said.

Modi, who was addressing a meeting organised by the All India Matua Mahasangh in Thakurnagar, tried to control the crowd and repeatedly asked them to remain wherever they were as many BJP supporters tried to force their way into the inner ring of the venue. Some people, waiting outside the venue, also rushed in, adding to the chaos.

"The ground is too small for this meeting. Please remain where you are... I request you, there is no place in the Maidan. Don't do this," the Prime Minister said, as people jumped barricade and jostled with one another to get a vantage point to listen to their leader's speech.

As the commotion continued, Modi abruptly ended his speech by raising the slogan 'Bharat Mata ki jai' and left the ground, saying he has another meeting to attend.

Later, at another rally at Nehru stadium, Durgapur, in West Burdwan district, Modi began his speech by referring to the incident.

"At Thakurnagar, there was a unprecedented crowd, they were high on enthusiasm. I saw mothers, sisters in large numbers. I think there was twice the number of people than the ground can hold. They were inconvenienced.

"I bow my head and salute all those who had come to Thakurnagar and showered their blessings and love on me.

"But at the same time, some sisters and children faced problems. I sympathise with them, and apologise for this," he added.

Modi advised the crowd at Durgapur to be patient.

"I request you all also, I know your enthusiasm. Your love is my strength. But alongside love, you need to have patience. This ground is so big, but still it now looks small (because of the huge turnout)," he said.Kollam : , Feb 2 (IANS) Over the years, the media landscape has changed drastically and so have the values of those professing to be journalists. What we are seeing today is not an ideal situation, said Vice President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu.

He said this while inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kollam Press Club here on Saturday.

"Sensationalism, paid news and biased coverage have become the bane of modern day journalism. In addition, we are having the problem of fake news. In the present digital era where millions are using social media platforms, journalists will have to be extra careful in checking the veracity of information and guard against fake news, disinformation and misinformation," said Naidu.

He said that in the past, journalism was a mission for fighting every ill that afflicted the society and journalists used to work without fear or favour. The same cannot be said of the noble profession any longer as commercial and other considerations are taking precedence over everything else.

"With business groups and even political parties setting up newspapers and TV channels to further their interests, the core values of journalism are getting eroded. I would like journalists' bodies like yours to do a serious introspection," said Naidu.

He went on to point out that in the past, reading any one major newspaper used to give a fairly good understanding of what was happening around the country and the world. But it is not the case now. One will have to read a minimum of four to five major newspapers to get a complete sense of the current developments. Same is the case with the news channels.

"The undesirable practices of mixing news with views has now become the new normal. The sooner such practices are eliminated the better it would be for journalists and the society at large. There should not be any compromise on the core values of journalism and practitioners of this profession must carry out their duties without fear or favour," said Naidu.

"In today's times, the cardinal principles of journalism such as truth, objectivity, accuracy, credibility, fairness, impartiality, humanity and accountability seem to have taken a back seat in the case of some media houses. Most news channels are obsessed with lending primacy to their points of view," added Naidu.

He said the media should act as a bridge between the government and the people. It ought to ensure that justice is not denied to the people, particularly the vulnerable and marginalised sections of society.

"Apart from highlighting the problems of the common man, the media must expose the shortcomings in the system and promote accountability. Some of you may not agree with my views or may not find them palatable. But truthful reportage has become a casualty due to a cocktail of commercial interests, ideological leanings and the insane scramble for breaking stories. Dissent is always welcome but not disintegration. A democracy can thrive only when all shades of opinion are allowed to be expressed fully and freely," added Naidu.

He urged the media bodies to come out with a code of conduct for journalists.

"In view of the critical role journalism plays in protecting democracy and in serving the larger good of the society, the profession must maintain highest ethical, moral and reporting standards. Journalists must never shirk from the core principles of journalism like independence and objectivity and shun unhealthy practices such as sensationalism," added Naidu.

He ended his speech by saying that a journalist must be a joyful, objective, unbiased and responsible individual, with "nationalist moorings and artistic skills".New Delhi, Feb 2 : A Delhi court on Saturday granted interim bail till February 16 to Robert Vadra, Congress President Rahul Gandhis brother-in-law, in connection with a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special Judge Arvind Kumar directed Vadra to join the ED investigation on February 6.

The court was hearing Vadra's anticipatory bail plea.

The case relates to ownership of 1.9 million pounds undisclosed assets abroad, allegedly belonging to Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi, new General Secretary of the Congress for Uttar Pradesh East.

The ED lodged a money laundering case against Vadra's close aide Manoj Arora after his role surfaced during a probe by the Income Tax Department into an another case under the new Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

The London property was allegedly bought by Bhandari and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses on its renovation.

On December 7, as part of the investigation, the ED conducted searches at a number of premises in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.

The ED counsel told the court that the London property was part of kickbacks received in a petroleum deal. The money was transferred by Santech International, FZC, the UAE (a company controlled by Bhandari).

There were few more properties that needed to be probed, the counsel said.

Vadra was not present in the court. Vadra's counsel informed the court that he was in London to take care of his ailing mother.Jakarta, Feb 2 : An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia's West Sumatra province on Saturday, but no tsunami alert was issued with no immediate reports of any damage or casualties, officials said here.

The epicente of the quake was recorded at 117 km southeast of Mentawai Island, at a depth of 17 km under the sea bed, an official told Xinhua news agency.

A 5.3 magnitude with a depth of 10 km jolted the province 24 minutes earlier.

The jolts were felt strongly in Sikakap sub-district of Kepulauan Mentawai district, but there were no initial reports of damages or casualty, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster management agency, told Xinhua.New Delhi, Feb 2 : Hundreds of farmers gathered at DND flyway called off their protest on Saturday after the Uttar Pradesh government promised to look into their demands.

Farmer leader Manveer Singh Tevatiya said the protest was suspended for a week.

"Our demands about proper compensation have been pending for eight years. If the government does not resolve them in a week, we will resume our protest," he told IANS.

On Friday, these farmers travelling in tractors had tried to enter the national capital via the DND flyway. However, they were stopped by police at toll plaza, leading to traffic jam for hours.New Delhi, Feb 2 : India has urged the US to release at the earliest Indian students detained in connection with their enrolment in a fraudulent university and not to deport them against their will.

The Indian Embassy in Washington has also opened a round-the-clock helpline for assistance and queries related to detention of Indian students by the US authorities, an External Affairs Ministry release said on Saturday.

It said a demarche was issued to the US expressing the need to provide immediate consular access to students. About 30 students have so far been contacted.

"A demarche was made to the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs. Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated.

"We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the 'University', should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the release said.

The government, it said, continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of detention of Indian students.

The release said that officials posted at India's mission and consulates have visited several detention centres in the US to extend consular assistance to detained students.

"So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing."

It said the Indian mission and consulates have been in touch with the representatives of the Indian community and their associations to gather more information about the detainees.

"A 24/7 helpline has been established in our Embassy in Washington D.C. for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students. Telephone numbers are +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in," the release said.

It said that for those seeking legal help, guidance and assistance is being provided by the Indian mission and consulates and assistance from the Indian community has also been mobilised to provide legal support to those who seek.

The release said that the government and the Indian Embassy and consulates attach the highest priority to the welfare of the detained students and will continue to work with the US authorities and other stakeholders to address the issue.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also said in a tweet that the government was mobilising resources and closely working with the US government to address the situation.

"We are on it! Mobilising resources and closely working with the US government to address the situation arising out of the detention of Indian students in the US. Welfare of those detained is the highest priority for us," he said.

Several hundred Indian students face arrest following the detention of eight recruiters and some students over an alleged immigration fraud detected by a fake university sting operation set up by government agencies to crack down on visa scams.

The American Telugu Association (ATA) reported that 100 students were arrested on Wednesday.

The Indian Consulate in Chicago reported receiving the names of 29 Indians arrested in the case as of Thursday.

The charges against the eight people who allegedly ran the scheme were made public on Wednesday in a federal court in Detroit.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in the court documents that it set up Farmington University with undercover agents as staff in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to target foreign students who were staying in the US without proper authorisation.Imphal Feb 2 : The Manipur Police have rescued 128 girls and boys from international human traffickers here, police said on Saturday.

Imphal city police station house officer, Bobby, said: "Following tip-offs, the police along with officials of the Social Welfare Department rescued 103 girls and five boys on Friday night from different hotels in the capital city."

Out of them, as many as 73 are Nepalis.

The operations were supervised by Sandip Gopal Das, sub divisional police officer, Imphal West district.

On Saturday morning, a combined team of commandos and police raided hotels at Moreh town bordering Myanmar in Tengnoupal district and rescued five girls and 15 boys.

Sources said that the girls were rescued from being taken to foreign countries.

The 15 boys are being interrogated to ascertain whether they are victims of trafficking or members of the criminal gang of human traffickers.

Initial reports said that the youth were to be taken first to Myanmmar and then to Dubai and Iraq.

L. Pishak, secretary of Network Lifeline Foundation, said that he was alerted by activists about the trafficking of the youth towards Myanmar through Manipur.

Earlier, six girls who were rescued by activists in Rajiv Nagar in Delhi on January 30 disclosed that some girls and boys were being taken to Myanmar.

Pishak had in turn alerted the police about the trafficking.

S. Ibomcha, Tengnoupal district police superintendent, said: "We shall continue to raid hotels and other suspected houses in the border town."Agartala, Feb 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh next week to launch several infrastructure projects and is also slated to address at least two public rallies, a BJP official said here on Saturday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) official said that Modi will arrive in Guwahati on February 8 and will head to the two other states the next day.

"The Prime Minister during his overnight stay in Guwahati would meet BJP leaders and other parties over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill issue," the leader said on the condition of anonymity.

In Arunachal, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation of the greenfield airport in Hollongi (in Papum Pare district) on February 9 and will also address a public rally there, the official said.

Modi will reach Agartala the same day where he would unveil a statue of Tripura's late king Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya at the city's airport, inaugurate an extended railway line and open an academic building of the Tripura Institute of Technology.

He will also address a public gathering at the Swami Vivekananda Ground.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb told IANS that Modi's visit is being finalised in consultation with the Prime Minister's Office.

During the visit, several tribal parties, including the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), will submit a memorandum to Modi demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.Bengaluru, Feb 2 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will conduct a joint probe into the crash of an upgraded version of the Mirage-2000 fighter jet, a Defence Ministry official said on Saturday.

"The black box has been recovered from the crashed jet by the HAL and IAF, who will be conducting a joint inquiry into the incident," the official told IANS here.

Squadron Leaders Samir Abrol and Siddhartha Negi died of fatal injuries after the aircraft crashed on Friday at a military airport here, when it was on an acceptance sortie following its upgrade by the HAL.

Abrol from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Negi from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, were commissioned in the Air Force a decade ago and were on deputation as test pilots at the IAF's Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) here.

Negi's last rites is likely to be held in Bengaluru and Abrol's in Ghaziabad, an IAF spokesman told IANS.

The ill-fated fighter jet was originally built by the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.

According to witnesses, the aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the runway and exploded into a ball of fire.Jammu/Srinagar, Feb 2 : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daylong visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, security across the state was beefed up on Saturday.

Modi will be visiting all the three regions -- Jammu, Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley. He is scheduled to lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and inaugurate projects worth Rs 9,000 crore.

A multi-tier security arrangement has been put in place for the Prime Minister's visit.

A team of Prime Minister's Special Protection Group (SPG) has taken over all the venues Modi is scheduled to visit.

Security forces carried out three-day-long searches in Samba district to ensure security for the public rally Modi is addressing in Vijaypur on Sunday.

In addition, close vigil is being maintained all along the International Border (IB) from Pathankot to Jammu.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops guarding the IB have been put on high alert.

Frisking of commuters, setting up of static and mobile checking points have been witnessed in Jammu city over the last three days.

In Srinagar, security forces carried out search drills in city centre Lal Chowk on Friday.

Drones fitted with cameras were used to provide aerial surveillance during these searches.

Frequent frisking of commuters and thorough searches of vehicles entering Srinagar city has been started. The main venue is Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake.

Authorities on Saturday placed senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest ahead of the visit.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, has called for a valley-wide shutdown on Sunday.

During his visit, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), IIM, IIT, Jammu-Akhnoor road, Shahpur-Kandi road, Sunderbani College, and IIMC in Jammu during his visit.

He will also inaugurate an engineering college in Kathua district of Jammu division.

Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Vijaypur in Samba district from where he will kickstart the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha election campaign in the state.

Modi has visited Jammu and Kashmir 10 times since he took over as the country's Prime Minister.

His last visit was on May 19 when he laid the foundation of the Zojilla Tunnel that once completed will connect the Ladakh region with the valley making the present Srinagar-Leh Highway an all-weather road.

At present, the surface link to Ladakh region remains cut off during the winter months.

Modi will also inaugurate the first ever business process outsourcing (BPO) unit in Bandipora district.Shimla, Feb 2 : It was a sunny morning in the Himachal Pradesh capital on Saturday with an intense cold wave sweeping across the state as the Met forecast more rainfall and snow throughout the state from February 5 onwards.

Shimla had recieved snowfall on Friday. The Met said along with Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie, located in mid-hills, may witness moderate snowfall next week as well.

The western disturbances -- storm systems originating from Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region -- will be active again in the region from Monday, Met Office Director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

Shimla, which saw a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius, had received mild snow, while its neighbouring Kufri, Mashobra and Narkanda had plenty snowfall.

Manali in Kullu district, about 250km from here, is also wrapped under a blanket of snow. It saw a minimum of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state at minus 14 degrees Celsius.

It was minus 7.8 degrees in Kalpa and 2.8 degrees in Dharamsala.

Those in the hospitality industry are happy as they are expecting a record number of footfalls owing to chances of more snow.

"Snowfall is always an added attraction for the tourists," said Shimla-based hotelier Deepak Gupta as the Valentine's Day approaches.New York, Feb 2 : Members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer) and Black communities gathered at a rally here to express solidarity with "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, days after he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago.

Labelled as a solidarity event, the rally's organisers on Friday aimed to show public support both for Smollett and for the larger community of LGBTQ survivors of violence, according to the Facebook event listing and Jason Walker, HIV/AIDS campaign coordinator for Vocal-NY and the rally's lead organiser, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The two-hour rally featured over 15 speakers and was co-sponsored by more than 40 various city, state and national organisations focusing on LGBTQ and racially marginalised communities.

Walker began the event with the chant: "When queer communities are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. When people of colour are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back."

Representatives from various advocacy groups each took over the megaphone, delivering speeches demanding an end to violent attacks like those on Smollett.

Beyond speaking out for Smollett and LGBTQ people of colour, speakers primarily used their time to address what they described as a growing movement of violence against LGBTQ, black, and other marginalised communities under the current presidential administration.

Several speakers directly pointed to US President Donald Trump and both the language and policies as the fuel for the attack on Smollett.

"The Jussie Smollett attack was politically motivated, and that represents where we are sociopolitically," said Walker.

Before Friday, Smollett had not commented on the racist and homophobic attack he experienced last week in Chicago after two men beat him, poured an unknown substance all over him and put a noose around his neck.

In the actor's first statement since the incident, he echoed many of the sentiments shared at the rally, telling Essence that his experience is representative of a larger issue.

"As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non-gender conforming siblings daily... I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident," Smollett said.Patna, Feb 2 : Jailed former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Shahabuddin's nephew was shot dead in Bihar's Siwan district, triggering violent protests, police said on Saturday.

Mohammad Yusuf was shot dead in Pratappur village, where Shahabuddin hails from. He was gunned down by unidentified assailants late on Friday, Siwan Superintendent of police Navin Chander Jha said.

The attackers pumped the bullets into his chest and Yusuf died on the spot," Jha said, adding it was not yet clear what led to the murder.

Yusuf was close to his cousin Mohammad Osama, Shahabuddin's son.

Hundread of angry villagers, mostly Shahabussin's supporters, blocked roads and demanded action.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi.Mumbai, Feb 2 : Actor Tiger Shroff has praised his "Student of The Year 2' co-actresses Tara Sutaria and Ananya Pandey.

The girls are so "talented" and "prepared" that he never felt he was working with two newcomers, he said during the "Are You Coming" song launch on Friday here.

Tara and Ananya are making their Hindi film debut in SOTY2, opposite Tiger, who said it was fun experience working in the film.

"Especially because it's very light and I am playing a different kind of character. It's very out of my zone but I had a lot of fun.

"As far as the two newcomers are concerned, I think both are very talented and prepared so I didn't feel like I was working with newcomers," he said.

Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra made their Hindi film debut with "Student of The Year' in 2012 and it was a box-office hit.

"I think pressure is on because we have to carry forward the franchise," he added.

Tiger, who is a huge fan of R&B (Rhythm and Blues) and pop music, said "Are You Coming" composed by Sachin-Jigar and sung by Benny Dayal is a fun party anthem.

It was shot in a cool and chilled out manner and choreographed by Remo D'Souza.

"Student of The Year 2" will release on May 10.Washington, Feb 2 : US military intervention in Venezuela was not imminent but all options remained on the table, National Security Adviser John Bolton has said.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday, Bolton replied "no" when asked whether a military intervention by the US, Brazil or Colombia, or a combined force, was imminent.

"The President (Donald Trump) said all options are on the table. But our objective is a peaceful transfer of power," The Hill magazine quoted Bolton as saying.

The Trump administration has launched a major effort to push incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of power, including backing National Assembly leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim President.

But Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of a US military intervention to push out Maduro, even though foreign policy experts believe such a strike is unlikely.

"We've been imposing economic sanctions, increasing political pressure from around the world," he said.

"The overwhelming majority of the people of the country want the Maduro regime thrown out. That's what we hope and expect to do."

The US has slapped new sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company, a significant source of wealth for the Maduro government, and warned other countries against accepting shipments of gold or other national assets from the socialist leader.

Media reports have indicated that Venezuela is prepared to ship hundreds of millions of dollars in gold bullion to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Reports show he is flying out Venezuelan assets by the plane full. Is he stealing resources from the people to pay for Russian intervention?" Bolton tweeted earlier on Friday.

Maduro won a second term in last May's presidential election by a wide margin, but much of the opposition boycotted the process and rejected the result as illegitimate, a stance shared by the US and numerous nations in Latin America and Europe, reports Efe news.

The political crisis intensified on January 23 when Guaido proclaimed himself the country's legitimate leader.

Washington and its Western allies formally recognised Guaido as interim head of state last week and the European Parliament followed suit on Thursday.

Several individual European governments, including Spain, Germany and the UK, have made clear their intention to recognise Guaido.

Among Latin American nations, Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua remain solidly behind Maduro, while Mexico and Uruguay are calling for mediation.

Uruguay and Bolivia have agreed to participate in the European Union sponsored contact group.Jammu, Feb 2 : The Jammu-Srinagar highway remained closed for the third consecutive day on Saturday due to fresh landslides in the Bannihal-Ramban sector, an official said.

Debris clearance operation of earlier landslides were still going on, when the fresh landslide hit the road this morning.

No traffic will be allowed on the highway till it is absolutely safe, the traffic department has said.

Over 100 stranded tankers carrying petroleum products for the Kashmir Valley crossed the Jawahar Tunnel late on Friday, Alok Kumar, inspector general of Police (IGP) traffic told reporters.

Nearly 3,000 vehicles, mostly trucks, have been parked at safer places in Qazigund-Bannihal stretch of the highway.

Closure of the highway has resulted in shortages of essential supplies in the landlocked valley. Unscrupulous traders are using it to sell commodities at exorbitant prices.

Mutton, which is normally sold at Rs 400 per kilogram, is being sold at Rs 450 to Rs 500 per kilogram in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley . Similar hike is seen in poultry products, vegetables etc.San Francisco, Feb 2 : Two leadg fact-checkg agencies have ended their partnerships with Facebook, strikg a significant blow to the network's efforts to fight fake news, media reports said.

The social network had paid the Associated Press and Snopes to combat its misformation crisis. But both confirmed they stopped checkg articles at the end of 2018, and will not renew their contracts, the BBC reported.

The Associated Press confirmed to TechCrunch that it was "not currently dog fact-checkg work for Facebook".

An AP spokesperson told the BBC: "AP constantly evaluates how to best deploy its fact-checkg resources, and that cludes ongog conversations with Facebook about opportunities to do important fact-checkg work on its platform."

The AP representative contacted TechCrunch to say that although it was not dog fact checkg work for the program, it was not leavg it altogether.

Snopes, the popular myth-bustg website, has said it was endg its partnership with Facebook as part of a "difficult, but necessary change".

A Snopes statement on Friday said it was "evaluatg the ramifications and costs of providg third-party fact-checkg services" and wants the efforts to be "a net positive for our onle community, publication, and staff", the Guardian reported.

Late last year, the Guardian had published a report that suggested fact-checkg firms were frustrated by Facebook's lack of transparency.

The article had quoted former Snopes managg editor Brooke Bkowski as sayg: "They've essentially used us for crisis PR. They're not takg anythg seriously. They are more terested makg themselves look good and passg the buck... They clearly don't care."

Facebook had disputed the report, sayg it had "several accuracies".

Speakg about the pull out by the key fact checkers, Bkowski said she felt Facebook was too controllg over the fact-checkg companies.

"Facebook can't handle any kd of pushback, any kd of public criticism," she told the BBC, addg that she felt the fact-checkg programme at Facebook had been "mishandled".

Facebook has worked with two other fact-checkg agencies the US. One, Politifact, told the BBC it tended to contue workg with Facebook 2019. The other, Factcheck,org, did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Snopes said it needed to "determe with certaty that our efforts to aid any particular platform are a net positive for our onle community, publication and staff".

The site's founder David Mikkelson, and head of operations Vny Green, said a blog post that the firm did not rule out workg with Facebook future.

"We hope to keep an open dialogue gog with Facebook to discuss approaches to combatg misformation that are beneficial to platforms, fact-checkg organisations and the user community alike," the company said.

The blog post acknowledged that choosg not to renew its work with Facebook would have fancial repercussions for the company.

2017, Facebook paid Snopes $100,000 for its work. Snopes has not yet released its fancial disclosures for 2018.

"Forgog an economic opportunity is not a decision that we or any other journalistic enterprise can take lightly the current publishg landscape," the company said.

Facebook said it was committed to fightg fake news and said it would expand its efforts 2019.

"We are committed to fightg this through many tactics, and the work that third-party fact-checkers do is a valued and important piece of this effort.

"We have strong relationships with 34 fact-checkg partners around the world who fact-check content 16 languages, and we plan to expand the programme this year by addg new partners and languages."

Facebook's fact checkg collaboration began after the 2016 US presidential poll led to significant concerns about propaganda and false news pollutg the site.

It has sce experimented with different tools to stop the spread of misformation, cludg limitg the reach of articles debunked by journalist partners.

Studies and analyses of the itiative have repeatedly raised questions about whether the partnership was makg a difference, and Facebook has refused to release meangful data, the Guardian said.Tripoli, Feb 2 : Libyan security forces have arrested a senior Islamic State (IS) leader the city of Sirte, said an official on conditions of anonymity.

Khalifa Barq was taken from his home by a special security force, the official of Sirte security department told Xhua news agency on Friday.

"The operation was based on telligence formation about presence of Barq central Sirte. He is one of the founders of IS Sirte who is wanted by the Attorney General," the official said of the arrest made on Thursday.

Sirte, located some 450 km from here, has witnessed months of fightg between forces allied with the UN-backed government and IS militants that ended December 2016 with the government forces takg over the city.

The IS contues to rema a threat to national security, the government has said.Washington, Feb 2 : Virgia Governor Ralph Northam has apologised after his 1984 medical yearbook page emerged, showg a photo featurg men racist costumes.

The picture showed a man blackface and another man Ku Klux Klan robes. It appeared on a page with other photos of Northam as well as personal details about him, the BBC reported.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," he said a statement.

The yearbook page, which came from the paediatric neurologist's time at Eastern Virgia Medical School, was first published by conservative website Big League Politics.

Northam had earlier graduated from Virgia Military stitute.

The Virgian-Pilot newspaper tweeted a picture of the page which it said it obtaed from the medical school library.

Black politicians Virgia called the image "disgustg" and Republicans urged Northam to resign.

"This behaviour is not keepg with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career the military, medice, and public service.

"But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virgians' faith that commitment," the governor said a statement after the image was made public.

He contued: "I recognise that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work.

"The first step is to offer my scerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to livg up to the expectations Virgians set for me when they elected me to be their governor."

Northam later released a video statement via Twitter which he said he was "deeply sorry" for the offence the image had caused.

"I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regag your trust," he added.

He did not elaborate on which costume he was wearg, but said he appeared a photograph that was "clearly racist and offensive".

"Racism has no place Virgia," a statement by the Virgia Legislative Black Caucus said. "These pictures are wholly appropriate. If Governor Northam appeared blackface or dressed a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."Washington, Feb 2 : Cory Booker, a Democratic Senator from the US state of New Jersey, has announced that he is running for president in 2020.

Booker, a former mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013, and the first African American senator from New Jersey, made the announcement on Friday on Twitter, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a video message accompanying the announcement, Booker touched upon topics like racial injustice and economic inequality.

The 49-year-old is joining a crowded field of Democrats seeking the party's nomination to take on Donald Trump in next year's presidential elections.

He is expected to face tough competition from other prominent figures, including Kamala Harris, a Senator from California; Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren; New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; former San Antonio, Texas mayor Julian Castro; and Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

Booker won a special election to the Senate in 2013 before winning a full-term in 2014. He will be able to run for a second term in the Senate in 2020 as well as run for president thanks to a New Jersey law.BRUSSELS, Feb. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eduardo Bolsonaro, Brazilian Member of Congress and son of President Jair Bolsonaro, announced that he would represent South America in The Movement, a united consortium of European representatives who support populist nationalism and reject the influence of globalism founded by Steve Bannon.

"I'm very proud to join Steve Bannon as the leader of The Movement in Brazil, representing Latin American nations. We will work with him to reclaim sovereignty from progressive globalist elitist forces and expand common sense nationalism for all citizens of Latin America," announced Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is the most voted congressman in the history of Brazil, having received more than 1.8 million votes in Brazil's 2018 national elections.

"We will restore dignity, freedom and economic opportunity to our great nation and her neighbors. We will walk through our program of uniting the forces of nationalism. Mr. Bannon's work in Europe is vital and we support his effort against the dangerous Global Pact on Migration. We'll be able to do more as we join our forces to promote prosperity and our shared western culture," Bolsonaro added.

Led by former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and his European counterpart, Belgian attorney Mischael Modrikamen, The Movement supports parties and candidates across Europe that advocate for nationalist populism in their states and oppose encroachment on sovereignty by international forces, ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May.

"The Movement is honored to welcome Eduardo Bolsanaro as a distinguished partner, and Brazil, a key ally in South America," Bannon said. "We stand together in our pursuit of a populist nationalist agenda for prosperity and sovereignty for citizens throughout the world."

"With the addition of Eduardo, The Movement is expanding beyond Europe to our friends in South America," Modrikamen said. "Eventually, we hope to reach citizens in all nations who feel abandoned by the globalist world order and want their governments to re-assert sovereignty."

The Movement officially launches at its first annual summit in Brussels this March.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sebastian Edgington-Cole

[email protected]

+32 472871369

SOURCE The MovementHUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a joint venture between Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) and Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX), was notified by the U.S. Army that it was not selected for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP).

"We were disappointed to learn that the U.S. Army did not select our offering, the dual-spool T900," said Craig Madden, president of ATEC. "We believe that we offered the most advanced, capable and lowest risk engine for ITEP for the Army to improve the overall performance of its Apache and Black Hawk fleets."

The ATEC joint venture brings together the world-class engineering, production and manufacturing capabilities of two industry-leading companies. ATEC remains fully committed to performing on current and future Army programs to provide critical capabilities to the Army's aviators.

To learn more about ATEC and the T900 engine, visit ATEC online at www.atecadvantage.com or on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

SOURCE ATEC

Related Links

http://www.atecadvantage.com

MIAMI, Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Silversea Cruises announced today that its subsidiary, Silversea Cruise Finance Ltd. ("Silversea Finance"), has received the consents necessary to effect the Amendment (as described below) to the indenture (the "Indenture") governing Silversea Finance's 7.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (CUSIP Nos. 82845LAA8 (Rule 144A) and P9000L AA5 (Reg S)) (the "Notes").

The Amendment modifies the Indenture so that in the event that, and for as long as, (i) the Notes are given and maintain an investment grade rating from both Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Ratings Group and (ii) Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ("Royal Caribbean") beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, in excess of 50% of the outstanding shares of Silversea Cruises, certain covenants in the Indenture will be suspended which, upon satisfaction of such conditions, will more closely align the Indenture with the Royal Caribbean indenture.

Full details of the terms and conditions of the consent solicitation were included in the consent solicitation statement, dated January 28, 2019.

Silversea Finance received the consents of holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 1, 2019 (the "Expiration Date"). As a result, Silversea Finance and Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee, have entered into the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 1, 2019, which effects the Amendment (the "Second Supplemental Indenture"). The Amendment will become operative upon payment of the Consent Fee (as described below).

Silversea Finance will make or cause to be made to each consenting holder of the Notes who validly delivered its consent prior to the Expiration Date a cash payment of $2.50 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes it has consented (the "Consent Fee"). The Consent Fee is expected to be paid on February 5, 2019.

Silversea Finance engaged BofA Merrill Lynch to act as solicitation agent and Global Bondholder Services Corporation to act as the information and tabulation agent in connection with the consent solicitation.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any Notes or any other securities. This press release is also not a solicitation of consents with respect to the Amendment or any securities.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected payment of the Consent Fee. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "driving," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions are intended to help identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, are based on judgments, are inherently uncertain and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Silversea

Silversea Cruises, in which Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio serves as Executive Chairman, is recognized as an innovator in the ultra-luxury cruise line industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Spirit and Silver Muse  all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the expedition ships Silver Explorer, Silver Galapagos, Silver Discoverer, and with Silver Cloud recently joining the Expedition fleet, Silversea's itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, both Polar Regions and hundreds of fascinating destinations in between. Silversea is also looking forward to the launch of five new ultra-luxury ships.

SOURCE Silversea Cruises

Related Links

http://www.silversea.com

DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Advisors, L.P. ("NexPoint") announced today its recent submissions of management proposals related to the merger of Medley Capital Corporation ("MCC";NYSE: MCC; TASE: MCC), a closed-end investment company that is regulated as a business development company ("BDC"), into Sierra Income Corporation ("Sierra") a non-traded BDC that, along with MCC, is controlled by Medley Management Inc. ("MDLY";NYSE: MDLY). Both the Sierra Board of Directors ("Sierra Board") and the MCC Board of Directors ("MCC Board") have fiduciary responsibilities to act in the best interest of their respective stockholders; however, they have each separately advanced a proposed merger with MDLY that enriches and entrenches woefully underperforming MDLY management at the expense of stockholders (the "Merger Transaction").

The Merger Transaction merges MCC into Sierra to form a post-merger entity (the "Surviving Company") structured as a publicly traded BDC. The more problematic component of the Merger Transaction, however, is the merger of MDLY into a subsidiary of the Surviving Company (the "MDLY Merger"). NexPoint therefore offers what it believes is a clearly superior competing proposal (the "NexPoint Merger Proposal"), which: (i) retains the merger of MCC into Sierra; (ii) eliminates the value destruction, underperformance and impediments to closing that come with the MDLY Merger; and (iii) replaces MDLY and its troubling underperformance by establishing a new investment advisory agreement between the Surviving Company and NexPoint, a proven manager with a strong track record of delivering value to investors in the BDC and closed-end fund space.

NexPoint submitted a proposal to the Special Committee of the MCC Board (the "MCC Special Committee") on Thursday, January 24, 2019, seeking consideration ahead of the February 8, 2019 special stockholder meeting on the Merger Transaction. Counsel to the MCC Special Committee has failed to respond to or even acknowledge receipt of NexPoint's proposal, even with numerous follow-up attempts by NexPoint. Despite the MCC Special Committee's apparent disregard for its duty, NexPoint submitted the NexPoint Merger Proposal to the MCC Special Committee, as well as the Special Committee of the Sierra Board ("Sierra Special Committee") on January 31, 2019.

The MDLY Merger currently being pursued siphons to MDLY approximately $125 million of cash from Sierra and MCC upon closing1; the NexPoint Merger Proposal, on the other hand, not only ensures that Sierra and MCC retain this cash, but also includes added consideration in favor of Sierra and MCC stockholders of over $100 million. Under the NexPoint Merger Proposal, this results in net cumulative post-merger value in favor of Sierra and MCC stockholders of over $225 million.

The following chart provides an overview of both the flaws presented by the MDLY Merger within the Merger Transaction and the merits of the NexPoint Merger Proposal.

Merger Transaction/MDLY Merger Flaws NexPoint Merger Proposal Merits Siphons $125 million out of the Surviving Company to MDLY Ensures Sierra retains all $125 million of cash and includes additional consideration of over $100 million from NexPoint to the Surviving Company, including $25 million cash at closing, fee savings and share purchases Keeps imbalanced fee structure in place and rewards MDLY management's underperformance Reduces management fees and offers compelling fee structure under proven management Provides no incentives to long-term stockholders Introduces shareholder loyalty program to reward long-term stockholders Undervalues MCC and Sierra Values MCC and Sierra fairly Contributes tangible and audited Sierra and MCC assets at a discount in exchange for questionable intangible MDLY management contract value Combines audited, tangible assets of Sierra and MCC at fair value Overvalues MDLY Management contract based on MDLY's unreasonable assumptions Eliminates MDLY contract Dilutes Surviving Company stockholders Provides Surviving Company stockholders with fair value in the merger with additional consideration of over $100 million Positions shares of Surviving Company to trade at a discount Deliberately seeks to narrow any discount by offering vastly superior economics, replacing underperforming management and implementing NexPoint purchases Is contingent on obtaining unprecedented and unlikely exemptive relief from the SEC Does not require exemptive relief from the SEC Relies on weak "fairness opinion" with excessive qualifications that does little to satisfy Board's fiduciary duty Provides clear alignment with stockholder interests by: including over $100 million of consideration notably absent from MDLY Merger; ensuring Sierra retains all cash; eliminating conflicts in MDLY Merger; and replaces underperforming management with leading management Misleads stockholders with disingenuous description of "internalization" of management, despite no change to excessive fees associated with a separate adviser entity, with potential for proposed management incentive plan to exacerbate unfavorable economics Includes over $100 million of additional consideration, including up-front cash, material management fee savings and share purchases, all for the direct benefit of stockholders Permits--and rewards--MDLY Management's continued underperformance Replaces MDLY with NexPoint's leading management

Additional details of the NexPoint Merger Proposal and its stockholder benefits are included below.

The NexPoint Merger Proposal:

1. Offers a streamlined transaction with a high likelihood of completion.

NexPoint proposes a streamlined and simplified merger of MCC into Sierra that excludes the MDLY Merger. By excluding MDLY and preventing its continued management, the NexPoint Merger Proposal eliminates a number of issues that plague the Merger Transaction. In fact, NexPoint believes these issues jeopardize the likelihood that the Merger Transaction, as currently contemplated, would ever be consummated. The NexPoint Merger Proposal eliminates these issues in the following ways:

a) Prevents the diversion of cash to MDLY management

By eliminating the MDLY Merger, the Special Committees and the Boards ensure that MDLY management does not profit from its underperformance at stockholders' expense. The NexPoint Merger Proposal not only ensures the Surviving Company retains the full $125 million of cash consideration that would otherwise be directed to MDLY, but it also includes an additional $25 million cash payment to the Surviving Company for the benefit of stockholders.

b) Rejects the MDLY Merger and unreasonable forecasts from MDLY that created a baseless premium to MDLY's value

Under the NexPoint Merger Proposal, Sierra and MCC would each receive proportionate shares in the Surviving Company based on their respective pre-merger net asset values ("NAVs"), rather than having value inappropriately diverted to MDLY at a more then 100% premium due to MDLY's unreasonable forecasts.

c) Does not require exemptive relief from the SEC

With the externalization of management through an investment advisory agreement with NexPoint, SEC exemptive relief under Section 12(d)(3) with respect to a controlling position in an investment adviser is no longer necessary. NexPoint believes the requested relief is conflicted and unprecedented, and therefore it is highly unlikely that such relief could be obtained under the original Merger Transaction.

d) Removes the conflicts inherent in the MDLY Merger

The NexPoint Merger Proposal eliminates the conflicts of interest inherent in the MDLY Merger component of the Merger Transaction, which rewards and entrenches underperforming management at a premium. By eliminating MDLY from the merger and instead awarding the investment advisory agreement to an investment advisor with a proven track record of outperformance, the NexPoint Merger Proposal prevents undue enrichment to undeserving management at the stockholders' expense.

2. Provides a practical externalization plan with a compelling fee structure, cost savings and a share repurchase program.

Under the NexPoint Merger Proposal, the Surviving Company would enter into an investment advisory agreement with NexPoint structured to provide reduced costs and other stockholder benefits. These include:

a) Savings to stockholders of at least $9 million annually over existing internal management fee

Under the NexPoint Merger Proposal, the Surviving Company would enter into an investment advisory agreement with NexPoint, pursuant to which NexPoint would receive an annualized management fee of only 1.25% on the gross assets of the Surviving Company. This fee arrangement represents aggregate annual savings of at least $9 million, consisting of approximately $5.3 million of savings to Sierra stockholders and $3.7 million of savings to MCC stockholders over the current fee arrangement (based on assets as of September 30, 2018). These savings would inure directly to the benefit of the Surviving Company's stockholders, and may help eliminate any discount that could otherwise be applicable to trading in the Surviving Company's shares once listing and trading commences. NexPoint is willing to lock in this management fee for a period of three years, with the expectation that the Surviving Company Board would revisit the management fee determination at the conclusion of that three-year period.

b) A $25 million payment from NexPoint to the Surviving Company

Upon the completion and in consideration of the externalization, NexPoint would make a $25 million payment to the Surviving Company. This payment would inure directly to the benefit of Surviving Company stockholders, would represent the equivalent of a 6.1% increase of $0.18 on MCC's per share market value of $2.95 and a 3.6% increase of $0.26 on a per share value of $7.05, and would be divided proportionally based upon the former MCC assets and the former Sierra assets.

c) Purchases of at least $50 million of Surviving Company shares

NexPoint and its affiliates would agree to purchase a minimum of $5 million of the Surviving Company's shares per quarter over the next five quarters (either in the open market or from the Surviving Company). In addition, NexPoint would make an additional $25 million of such purchases to the extent of incentive fees received from the Surviving Company. Any such purchases would from the Surviving Company not only increase available capital to the Surviving Company, but also reduce the need for external financing.

3. Includes a number of stockholder benefits and seeks to mitigate any risks that the Surviving Company shares trade at a discount.

The NexPoint Merger Proposal not only offers stockholders benefits in the form of reduced fees and cost savings, but it also deliberately seeks to reduce the risk that share of the Surviving Company trade at a discount following the transaction. Specifically, the NexPoint Merger Proposal:

a) Provides net cumulative post-merger consideration of over $225 million that inures directly to the benefit of stockholders

This is including $25 million of immediate cash and over $27 million of aggregate fee savings over at least the next three years, together with up to $50 million of stock purchases that will benefit stockholders.

b) Offers unprecedented stockholder loyalty program

To promote loyalty and long-term alignment of interests among stockholders, NexPoint offers an incentive to investors that buy and hold shares of its advised funds for a period of at least twelve months through its Stockholder Loyalty Program. NexPoint and its affiliates have successfully implemented this Program on several other funds, and believes it would assist in closing any discount that may otherwise be applicable to trading in the Company's shares post-merger.

c) Replaces underperforming management with leading NexPoint management

MDLY management has a history of underperformance, with MCC's total return ranking last among all BDCs in the Wells Fargo BDC Index. Additionally, in the 12 months leading up to the announcement of the Merger Transaction, MCC produced a -39% return, which is -53% below the BDC average during such period. Also under MDLY management, Sierra's total stockholder return has consistently been well below the non-traded BDC median (as of September 30, 2018).

In contrast, NexPoint has demonstrated outperformance as a manager. The NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund ("NHF";NYSE: NHF), a publicly traded closed-end fund advised by NexPoint, has returned a cumulative 181% through September 30, 2018, while Sierra is only up 28.0% during the same time period. In 2015, NHF completed the spin-off of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. ("NXRT";NYSE: NXRT), a publicly traded REIT. Investors that held their NHF and NXRT shares through and after the spin-off have experienced a combined 263% return since April 17, 2012, the date Sierra commenced operations, outperforming all U.S. listed closed-end funds during that time period. Further, NexPoint Capital, Inc., the NexPoint-advised non-traded BDC, has returned 24.5% since inception, while the Wells Fargo BDC Index returned only 7.5% in that time period.

In light of these facts, NexPoint urges the MCC and Sierra Boards to take action in the best interest of their stockholders and: convene a meeting to consider the NexPoint Merger Proposal; conduct necessary diligence to evaluate the terms of the NexPoint advisory agreement; and adjourn the special stockholder meeting currently scheduled for February 8, 2019, and inform stockholders that a competing offer has been received from NexPoint that is currently being evaluated.

To reinforce its position, NexPoint has expressly communicated to the MCC and Sierra Special Committees its willingness to consider any other terms or assets that the MCC or Sierra Boards may determine are necessary or advisable in order to proceed with the NexPoint Merger Proposal.

About NexPoint Advisors, L.P.

NexPoint, together with its affiliates, is a multibillion-dollar global alternative investment manager founded in 1993 by Jim Dondero and Mark Okada. A pioneer in the leveraged loan market, the firm has evolved over 25 years, building on its credit expertise and value-based approach to expand into other asset classes. Today, NexPoint and its affiliates operate a diverse investment platform, serving both institutional and retail investors worldwide. In addition to high yield credit, the firm's investment capabilities include public equities, real estate, private equity and special situations, structured credit, and sector- and region-specific verticals built around specialized teams.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements; Not a Proxy Solicitation

These materials may contain forward-looking statements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward-looking, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "potential," "opportunity," "estimate," "plan" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The projected results and statements contained in these materials that are not historical facts are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date of such materials, and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such projected results and statements. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the control of NexPoint. Although NexPoint believes that the assumptions underlying the projected results or forward-looking statements included in these materials are reasonable as of the date of such materials, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and therefore, there can be no assurance that the projected results or forward-looking statements included herein will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the projected results and forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation as to future results or that the objectives and strategic initiatives expressed or implied by such projected results and forward-looking statements will be achieved. NexPoint will not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to disclose the results of any revisions that may be made to any projected results or forward-looking statements herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such projected results or statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

NexPoint reserves the right to change any of its opinions expressed herein at any time as it deems appropriate and disclaims any obligation to notify the market or any other party of any such changes. NexPoint disclaims any obligation to update the information or opinions contained herein.

These materials are provided for information purposes only, and are not intended to be, nor should they be construed as, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. These materials do not recommend the purchase or sale of any security.

These materials are not a solicitation of authority to vote proxies. NexPoint is not asking stockholders for their proxy cards and will not accept proxy cards if sent.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Performance during the time period shown is limited and may not reflect the performance in different economic and market cycles. There can be no assurance that similar performance will be experienced.

Media Contact

Lucy Bannon

+1 (972) 419-6272

[email protected]

1 Value determination based on the following: (i) aggregate cash per share from Sierra to MDLY of $4.09, as disclosed in Sierra's Prospectus Supplement dated December 21, 2018 (the "Prospectus Supplement"); MDLY Class A shares outstanding of 5,693,814, as disclosed in MDLY's 10-Q filed November 14, 2018; plus an additional 24,839,302 MDLY shares to be issued immediately preceding the MDLY Merger, resulting in total MDLY shares of 30,533,116 eligible to receive the $4.09 per share cash from Sierra and total cash to MDLY stockholders of $124,880,444. Shockingly, the number of additional MDLY shares to be issued in connection with the MDLY Merger is buried on page 237 of the Prospectus Supplement.

SOURCE NexPoint Advisors, L.P.MEXICO CITY, Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CI Banco, S.A., Institucion de Banca Multiple, acting as trustee under the Irrevocable Trust Agreement CIB/2930, dated March 6, 2018 (the " Trust "), as issuer of the Fibra E Trust Certificates (BMV: FNAIM18) (the " NAIM Fibra E "), hereby announces that today, Monex Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V., Monex Grupo Financiero, acting as the common representative of the holders of Fibra E Trust Certificates has convened a meeting of all Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders to be held on February 12, 2019, in order to discuss certain aspects of the current strategy of Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (" GACM ").

During such holders' meeting, GACM will present to the Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders a proposal to authorize the early redemption of the outstanding Series "P" Shares (Acciones Serie "P") representing GACM's capital stock currently held by the NAIM Fibra E. GACM will also present a number of proposals to make the redemption process more organized and efficient. The complete agenda for the Meeting may be accessed through the following link: www.cibanco.com, pursuant to said agenda GACM will intend to terminate the trust and cancel the certificates.

The amount payable to the NAIM Fibra E, and in turn, to the Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders as a result of the early redemption of the Series "P" Shares, is 5,443,604,589.19 UDIs (Investment Units or Unidades de Inversion) assuming that the payment is made on February 28, 2019. If the Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders' Meeting approves the proposal, such amount will be paid in Mexican pesos considering the value of the UDI on the corresponding redemption date. The value of the UDI may be accessed on the following link: http://www.gacm.gob.mx/doc/616208741_v1_fnaim_convocatoria_tenedores_ingles.PDF. If the redemption is made on a later date, the redemption amount will be adjusted based on the formula set forth in the Series "P" Share certificates. GACM expects to continue to work collaboratively with the Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders to address their rights as holders of the Fibra E Trust Certificates and ensure that they are treated fairly. GACM's proposal to early redeem the Series "P" Shares has thus far received positive feedback from a substantial majority of the Fibra E Trust Certificate Holders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release has certain projections and forecasts, that reflect the current plans or expectations of the NAIM Fibra E and its management with regards to future events. NAIM Firbra E uses words as "believe", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "pretend", "target", "estimate", "project", "forecast", "predict", "guidelines", "must" and other similar expressions to identify forecasts and projections, however they are not the only words used to refer thereto. Said statements are subject to certain risks, assumptions and unforeseeable circumstances. An important number of factors may cause the NAIM Fibra E plans, targets, expectations, estimations, forecasts and intentions manifested herein to materially change, and no assurance can be given that they will be consummated or achieved. NAIM Fibra E undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason.

SOURCE Mexico City Airport FIBRA E.LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to weather warnings and safety concerns, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles is cancelling its Walk to End Epilepsy planned for Saturday, February 2 at the Rose Bowl. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Warning in effect from 6 am to 6 pm on February 2 for portions of Southern California including Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. The strongest winds are expected Saturday morning into afternoon.

"First and foremost, our priority is everyone's safety. After careful considerations with the Fire Department and the National Weather Service, we deem the weather conditions too hazardous for our participants to travel to, and participate at, the Walk," said Rebekkah Halliwell, executive director, EFGLA. "This has been a heart-wrenching and difficult decision for the Foundation to make. The annual Walk to End Epilepsy has always been an enjoyable and unified event for our community but at the end of the day, people's safety is what's most important."

To date, the Walk to End Epilepsy has raised more than $435,000. The Foundation is challenging at least 2,000 End Epilepsy warriors to each raise or donate $100 to help exceed the Foundation's $600,000 fundraising goal for the Walk.

"We encourage everyone to create a virtual team to donate and fundraise online now through March," said Halliwell. "By creating a virtual Walk to End Epilepsy team, you can walk around your neighborhood, on your treadmill, at your gym, the mall, any place you can find to walk, run, jog or stroll in support of the cause."

Participants can post photos on social media and tag #walktoendepilepsyGLA and the foundation will share images so everyone can feel "virtually first hand" the powerful sense of community generated with the walk.

The money raised helps fund research and awareness, training programs on seizure first aid, and improved access to specialty care for people affected by epilepsy and seizures in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and beyond. To donate and/or create a virtual team, visit WalktoEndEpilepsy.org/LosAngeles.

About Epilepsy

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles

As the local chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles (EFGLA) is the only charitable organization dedicated solely to serving people affected by epilepsy in the entire four-county region of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura. EFGLA is leading the fight to End Epilepsy and overcome the challenges created by seizures by focusing on care, advocacy, research and education. Through these areas of focus, EFGLA offers a range of services and programs to help, support, advocate for, and empower, those who are affected by epilepsy and their caregivers. EFGLA supports research to accelerate cures for the epilepsies and the training, and work, of new pediatric epilepsy specialists; seeks to educate the general public to better understand epilepsy/seizure disorders; and mobilizes the community in the fight to End Epilepsy. For more information about EFGLA, please visit EndEpilepsy.org/GreaterLosAngeles.

SOURCE Epilepsy Foundation

Related Links

www.epilepsyfoundation.org

Zero Hedge

February 2, 2019

Call it a 1/1024th apology.

Having resisted calls to apologize for her October DNA test gimmick as recently as December, Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren appears to have seen her polling figures with Indians (and other minorities) and she finally caved.

According to the Intercept and NYT, Senator Warren, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination on a platform of taxing Americas billionaires, and who previously claimed she was of Indian ancestry, has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for her decision to take a DNA test to prove her Native American ancestry, a move that the NYT said had angered some tribal leaders and ignited a significant political backlash.

It wasnt clear if in addition to apologizing to the Cherokee Nation, Warren was also apologizing to the rest of the nation.

The apology comes just as Warren is set to formally kick off her presidential run after recent visits to early nominating states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. It also comes after repeated calls for her to apologize from tribal leaders, political operatives, and her own advisers, who said her October decision to take the DNA test gave undue credence to the controversial claim that race could be determined by blood  and politically, played into President Trumps hands.

And so, bury the tomahawk, on Thursday, Warren called Bill John Baker, chief of the Cherokee Nation, to apologize for the DNA test, said Julie Hubbard, a spokeswoman for the tribe. She called it a brief and private conversation.

I understand that she apologized for causing confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that has resulted, Ms. Hubbard said. The chief and secretary of state appreciate that she has reaffirmed that she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen or a citizen of any tribal nation.

The unexpected apology breaks from Warrens previous public stance, in which she refused to admit fault and as recently as December she rebuffed calls for an apology; however that changed after Warrens advisers said she has privately expressed concern that she may have damaged her relationships to Native American groups and her own standing with activists, particularly those who are racial minorities.

In other words, her sincere apology was the outcome of careful strategy sessions about how her polling could be affected by the DNA test.

I put it out there. Its on the internet for anybody to see, Ms. Warren said in an interview. People can make of it what they will. Im going to continue fighting on the issues that brought me to Washington.

The apology follows the publication of an opinion collumn by Chuck Hoskin Jr, the secretary of state of the Cherokee Nation, in the Tulsa World on Wednesday titled, Elizabeth Warren can be a friend, but she isnt a Cherokee citizen.

In the column, Hoskin said Warrens test, which her office said showed strong evidence that Ms. Warren has Native American pedigree 6-10 generations ago, did not take into account that, for most Native Americans, culture and kinship is what creates tribal membership  not blood, and certainly not 1/1024th thereof.

This concept of family is key to understanding why citizenship matters, Mr. Hoskin wrote. That is why it offends us when some of our national leaders seek to ascribe inappropriately membership or citizenship to themselves. They would be welcome to our table as friends, but claiming to be family to gain a spot at the table is unwelcome.

This article was posted: Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 7:32 am

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Comment on this articlePlattsburgh, NY (12901)

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.The owners of Salem Countys nuclear power plants  the last still operating in the state  do not need ratepayer subsidies to keep the plants from closing in three years, according to a new report by the director of the Division of Rate Counsel.

Stefanie Brand said the request by PSEG Nuclear LLC and Exelon Generation Co. LLC for ratepayers to give the three reactors in Lower Alloways Township a combined total of up to $300 million per year should be denied by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

In making their case for ZEC (Zero Emission Credit) subsidies ... PSEG and Exelon have overstated their costs and understated their revenues, said Brand. In short, they skewed the analysis of future revenues in order to deflate those revenues and support their claim of financial distress.

Nuclear subsidy program given green light by BPU The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a Zero Emission Credit program last week f

PSEG spokesman Michael Jennings said the company has met the requirements of the ZEC act.

The information submitted makes clear that the financial problems facing the nuclear plants are real and that there would be significant degradation of New Jerseys air quality if the plants were to close, said Jennings.MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  A proposal to build a $16 million hotel just off the Garden State Parkway got a big boost with the introduction of an ordinaSustainability on the Campus

At Prescott College, we consider sustainability an integral part of our mission. Whether on our campus or in our classroom, we recognize and promote the importance of sustainability in maintaining the health of our communities and our surroundings.

The Village Residence Halls are the embodiment of sustainability at Prescott College. The Village has received LEED Platinum certification, the highest level in the standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. This achievement places Prescott College with the first-ever LEED Platinum building in Yavapai County, AZ and one of few such higher education student housing facilities in the nation.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is based on an evaluation of several key areas of design for sustainability: site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. It is the accepted standard for green building certification across the nation and is also in common use in other countries around the world.

The Village's green features include:

Energy reduction of over 90% in high-efficiency design modeling.

Over 95%, 550 tons, construction waste diverted from landfill.

Rainwater catchment system for irrigation for food-producing landscaping.

Native drylands species landscaping installed with no long-term irrigation.

Right outside The Village, you'll find Butte Creek running through the heart of the Prescott College campus. This section of the creek is an exemplary restoration site. Students can get involved by joining The Butte Creek Restoration Council - whose mission is to engage the Prescott College community, our creekside neighbors, and the larger Prescott community in projects that help restore, enhance, and celebrate Lower Butte Creek as the centerpiece of our expanding campus and a vital part of the Upper Granite Creek Watershed.

Meander through the campus and you'll see that sustainability is woven into the infrastructure, from the native landscaping to the thoughtful repurposing of construction materials and buildings. Senior Projects have taken on a life of their own and showcase the values of the students who leave their mark on the community. HUB (Helping Understand Bicycles) is one such project. It has become a permanent fixture on campus and promotes bicycle culture and advocacy. Art installations made of recycled materials, compost bins and restoration projects are also evidence of Senior Projects that have made a lasting impact.

Sourcing over 100% of our electricity usage from renewables

Our campus now also runs completely on renewable electricity. Besides the generation of solar energy on our rooftops, 100% of the remaining energy needs of the campus are also sourced green. By sourcing green, Prescott College once again walks its talk of a life-long commitment to environmental health and social justice. Supported entirely by the students, this initiative once again demonstrates their inspiring capacity to lead responsibly towards a cleaner future.

By sourcing over 100% of our electricity from renewables, we proudly take the lead in Arizona among its many fine institutions of higher education. Our change to responsible sourcing of our electricity just shows that the inspiration that started our small college 50 years ago is alive and well in 2018-19.

Campus Energy Dashboard

Energy efficiency is a core part of the college's commitment to sustainability. Our Campus Energy Dashboard Website, provided by Pulse Energy, helps students and employees learn about real-time energy consumption and solar energy generation. This energy monitoring technology will help students and employees to observe, track, learn about, and reduce energy consumption over time. It will also help us to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to implement our goals as part of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment.

Sustainability in the classroom

Sustainability is at the core of many Prescott College courses and is the driving force behind our Ph.D. in Sustainability Education program. As our mission states, we prepare students to "think critically and ethically with sensitivity to both the human community and the biosphere." From Restoration Ecology to Transformational Learning and Sustainability Education courses, students are learning the skills and the mindset to do just that.Photo By Maria Johnson Increasing scientific knowledge and conservation efforts in the Midriff Island region

The purpose of the Prescott College Kino Bay Center Research and Conservation Program (RCP) is to:

Contribute to increasing scientific knowledge of the ecosystems and biodiversity in the region. Contribute to the development and implementation of collaborative intercultural initiatives to achieve sustainable relationships between human communities and the biodiversity and ecosystems in the region. Support and motivate collaboration between academic, non-government, research and community groups interested in conservation in the region.

The Kino Bay Center Research and Conservation Program (RCP) implements the Centers research agenda and supports research projects conducted through collaborative agreements with approximately ten Mexican and American research, government, NGO, community, and academic institutions. The Center has supported dozens of projects in a broad array of disciplines, ranging from geology, to community-based fisheries management and desert ecology. The Center provides support for research and conservation projects in many ways, including: boat time, lab and desk space, communications, logistical support, local knowledge, data collection and sharing, meeting facilities, research design and implementation, lodging, and workshop facilitation. The RCP maintains the Centers research metadata base and publications bibliography, as well as a rich database of photographs.

The Center facilitates and hosts regular workshops and small conferences toward the goal of supporting dialog between researchers, community members, government agents, educators, students and conservation practitioners. These forums help to clarify priorities and identify and plan feasible conservation strategies.

Kino Bay Center Research & ConservationThe All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday in Makurdi alleged that hoodlums attacked and disrupted its campaign rally in Gbajimba, the headquarters of Guma Local Government Area, which is also Governor Samuel Ortoms home base.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the party is currently conducting its governorship campaigns across the 23 local government Areas of the state to shore up support for its candidates in the 2019 polls.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Eugene Aliegba, a member of the Emmanuel Jime/Sam Ode Campaign Organisation, alleged that the hoodlums fired gunshots at the crowd before they were chased away. The police, however, said no gunshots were fired.

Mr Aliegba said the attack happened when the Director-General of the campaign team, Jack Tilley-Gyado, the governorship candidate, Emmanuel Jime, and other members of the campaign team were holding discussions with traditional rulers at another location.

It is our tradition that wherever we went, we address the traditional rulers and other interest groups. So the rally was already started when we got the information that thugs stormed the venue, shot and dispersed the crowd.

We are not sure of casualty details yet, we are awaiting details, he said.

As the briefing progressed, a chieftain of the party in the state, Mike Iordye, who claimed to have survived the attack, interjected by alleging that the hoodlums who attacked the crowd, started by throwing stones before resorting to live bullets.

He said he had information that his warehouse and petrol service station were also set ablaze and appealed to the police to disclose the actual casualty level.

This claim could not be verified.

Mr Aliegba said the attack was worrisome because it happened at Governor Samuel Ortoms home town.

Gbajimba is not just another local government area, it is the home town of the sitting governor of the state.

Another chieftain of the party, Dickson Tarkighir, representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, however, assured that nothing will stop us from campaigning in Gbajimba. Just be calm.

He wondered why the parties had so quickly abandoned the peace pact, which they signed to guarantee violence-free polls.

Mr Tarkighir called on the Inspector- General of Police (I-G) to promptly intervene to ensure peaceful electioneering and elections in the state.

He claimed that some of the victims of the campaign-rally attack, brought to the Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), were turned back.

In a reaction to the claims by the APC, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said both supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC almost had a violent encounter had the police not intervened swiftly.

He attributed the tension to what the PDP claimed to be the use of provocative songs by the rival APC at a campaign rally.

He denied that gunshots were fired.

The spokesperson admitted that it took the prompt intervention of the Area Police Command to disperse the crowd  which was almost becoming riotous.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Benue politics is characterised by songs and drumming, usually depicting the shortcomings of those opposed to their party ideologies.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has thanked Nigerians for their concern following the chopper incident earlier Saturday in Kabba, Kogi State.

The helicopter carrying Mr Osinbajo crash-landed after a landing incident, but there were no fatalities.

The vice presidents spokesperson, Laolu Akande, said Mr Osinbajo was in Kabba after the incident and continued with planned meetings.

We are safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern, and thank you to the crew who managed and the situation well. We believe that God will continue to keep us and Nigeria safe even as we go higher. We continue Next level engagements in Kabba, Kogi State, the vice resident was quoted as saying.

Speaking at the Obaro of Kabbas palace, his first stop after the incident, Mr. Osinbajo expressed gratitude to God for the safety of all occupants of the aircraft.

We are extremely grateful to the Lord for preserving our lives from the incident that just happened. Everyone is safe and no one is maimed. God has kept us safe and alive, delivered us from death so we can do more for our people and country, he said.

Details of the crash still remain sketchy, but an amateur video that appears to have been shot immediately after the accident shows the chopper lying on its side with its wrecked rotor blades nearby.

Occupants of the craft could be seen climbing out of the fuselage onto a dusty field as shocked bystanders watch.

A host of top politicians across political aisles took turns to congratulate the vice-president for escaping the harrowing crash unhurt.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Senate President Bukola Saraki were amongst those who have expressed concerns over the development.Vice President Yemi Osinbajo escaped death on Saturday as his helicopter crash-landed in Kogi state, his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, said.

Mr Akande in a tweet said, VP Osinbajos Chopper crash lands in Kabba, but he and the entire crew safe. He is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State.

Details of the incident were not immediately clear.

It is the second time Mr Osinbajos helicopter would crash-land.

In June 2017, he survived a similar accident when the chopper he was traveling in crash-landed shortly after take off in Gwagawalada, Abuja.

He was in the area council to attend the graduation of 40 senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.

The helicopter of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo involved in a crash (Photo Credit: TVC News) The helicopter of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo involved in a crash The helicopter of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo involved in a crash The helicopter of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo involved in a crash (Photo Credit: TVC News)

Mr Osinbajo has been traversing the country extensively as part of the implementation of the Social Intervention Programme of the Buhari administration

The components of the administrations Social Investment Programmes include the N-Power programme, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), which consists of the MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni schemes.

He was in Benin, Edo State, on Thursday Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Thursday in Benin, Edo State, for the official flag-off of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHSFP) in the State.

With the addition to Edo State, the number of participating states in the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme has now risen from 26 to 30 out of 36 states nationwide.

The 30 States now participating in Home Grown School Feeding Programme include: Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo; Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ogun.

The others are Benue, Niger, Plateau, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Jigawa, Adamawa, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Kogi and Edo states.

The six remaining states  Rivers, Lagos, Ekiti, Kwara, Bayelsa, Yobe and Rivers  and the FCT are set to commence implementation of the programme soon.

The school feeding programme, which is a part of the Buhari administrations Social Investment Programmes (SIP), currently feeds 9.3 million schoolchildren one nutritious meal a day in over 50,000 public primary schools nationwide (aside from the number in Edo State).

Also, the NHGSFP has created thousands of jobs for cooks, farmers and indigenes in the communities where these schools are located. Currently, there are 101,000 cooks engaged in the programme, while more than 150,000 small holder farmers and youths are engaged in the overall value chain of NHGSF; from production to processing, aggregation, packaging and distribution across different states nationwide.

The Federal Government provides 100 per cent funding support, for feeding primary 1-3 pupils, while states provide operational funding support.

Speaking at the event in Benin, the Vice President noted that the administrations Social Investment Programmes is the largest social safety net programme in the history of Nigeria, noting that Nigerians benefit from the school feeding programme in different ways.

ADVERTISEMENTThe UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says 35,000 Nigerians seeking refuge in Cameroon are safe.

The UN refugee agency said the estimated 35,000 Nigerians had fled across the north-eastern border into Cameroon in the last two weeks of January.

There had been concerns about the possible forceful ejection of the Nigerian refugees in Cameroon as the country had threatened severally.

There are also several thousands of Cameroonian refugees hosted across Nigeria.

For now, the 35,000 Nigerian refugees are safe in Cameroon, although many are once again putting themselves at risk by returning to Rann on foot, to collect a few personal possessions which were not looted or burnt, UNHCR said.

The UN agency said the people had fled Rann in the last two weeks after Boko Haram extremist fighters repeatedly attacked the town.

The outlawed terrorist group has been active in this impoverished corner of north-east Nigeria for over a decade. Thousands of people not just in Nigeria but over the border in Cameroon and Chad, have been killed, many summarily executed.

The livelihoods of tens of thousands of others have been destroyed in the insurgency, as regional governments struggle to put an end to the ongoing violence.

The refugees left Rann following the recent withdrawal of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) which came to secure the city after an attack on January 14.

The MNJTF was set up by the affected countries  Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Benin  to counter Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups which are gaining ground across the Lake Chad region, UNHCR said.

Speaking on a visit to Goura in Cameroon on Friday, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, Allegra Baiocchi said: I have seen many fearful people here, whose lives have been destroyed by Boko Haram.

The people who came here really had no choice. This is where they need to be now if they want to stay alive.

The United Nations and its partners have responded to the sudden influx into Goura by providing basic services in what is now a makeshift refugee settlement.

Some 13,000 people have received food ratios and each registered refugee is getting six litres of clean water a day, some way below the recommended 15 litres minimum.

The UNHCR top official in Cameroon, Geert de Casteele said in Goura that: The response from humanitarian workers here has been impressive in what is an extremely challenging environment.

We need to scale up the response keeping in mind the local population; that is the next step and I am hopeful we can achieve, with increased funding.

In January, the UN, in coordination with the Government and aid partners, announced its 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan which focuses on the whole of the country, including areas affected by Boko Haram.

Around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, are now in need of lifesaving assistance, according to the UN.

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(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Donatus Nwankpa, has regained his freedom, four days after he was reportedly abducted by gunmen at Arungwa Junction (near Aba) on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

Mr Nwankpa was said to have been kidnapped while on his way to Aba from Umuahia around 11 p.m. on Monday, ahead of Tuesdays visit of President Muhammadu Buhari for his presidential rally.

He told journalists in his residence in Umuahia on Friday, that he was released at about 9 p.m. on Thursday and taken to the border between Abia and Rivers states.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of his assailants, Mr Nwankpa said that the hoodlums accosted his car about 30 metres away from a police checkpoint at the Arungwa Junction.

Ironically, the police were watching and did not intervene, while we were attacked by the hoodlums, he said.

He said that after they were kidnapped, he pleaded with the gunmen to release one of his aides, who had a major operation recently and was still recuperating.

He said that they heeded his plea and dropped off the man but drove him away to a deep forest in Rivers.

Mr Nwankpa said that it took the kidnappers about 48 hours before they could open up communication and agree to negotiate with his people.

He said that although the Department of State Service (DSS) was able to locate their location in the forest, he admonished them not to take any action.

When you are kidnapped, you are between life and death. So I told the DSS that nobody should attack after they located the place I was kept, he said.

He said that his fear was that death could come from the kidnappers or during a gun battle between the hoodlums and security agents.

The APC chairman dismissed as unfounded the rumour that he was trailed by his abductors after he had withdrawn N50 million from the bank, describing it as political blackmail.

He said that he had only N250,000 when he was attacked and blamed the incident on the state of insecurity in the state.

He expressed joy that he was not hurt by his abductors but could not disclose whether a ransom was paid before he was le off the hook.

Meanwhile, scores of APC party chieftains in the state thronged Nwankpas residence house on Friday, rejoicing over his safe return.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Nigerias Vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday, expressed his gratitude to God and fellow Nigerians after his helicopter crashed without any injuries or casualties.

We are safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern, and thank you to the crew who managed the situation well, Mr Osinbajo said in a statement.

We believe that God will continue to keep us and Nigeria safe even as we go higher. We continue Next Level engagements in Kabba, Kogi State.

A helicopter bearing the vice-president crashed as it was touching down in central Nigerian state of Kogi on Saturday, but no injuries were recorded between him and crew members.

The accident occurred in Kabba, one of the largest towns in the state, which has a predominantly Yoruba population.

It was not immediately clear what happened, but further investigations are expected.

Pictures from the scene of the crash showed charred helicopter blades after it tilted uncontrollably to one side. It was unclear how many persons were aboard.

Speaking immediately after the crash at the palace of Obaro of Kabba, Mr Osinbajo said: We are extremely grateful to the Lord for preserving our lives from the incident that just happened.

Everyone is safe and no one is maimed. God has kept us safe and alive, delivered us from death so we can do more for our people and country.

A host of top politicians across political aisles took turns to congratulate the vice-president for escaping the harrowing crash unhurt.

Former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar and Senate president, Bukola Saraki, were amongst those who have expressed concerns over the development.ADVERTISEMENT

The Kingsley Moghalus presidential campaign received a major boost from the throne of Oduduwa, with the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, expressing strong admiration and support for the Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate ahead the February 16 presidential elections.

From the throne of Oduduwa, we are proud of you. Fire on, fire on and fire on, the Ooni is quoted to have said when Mr Moghalu visited him in his palace.

The Oonis speech was contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday by Mr Moghalus aide.

I watched you during the presidential debate. Every word you spoke conveyed your conviction, courage, and passion to genuinely serve the country.

I have followed you and your activities closely for many years. You have a clear plan for Nigeria. Dont be surprised you are the light for even the established politicians, the statement quoted the Oba Ogunwusi as saying.

The Oba who is the traditional ruler of all Yorubas, urged all Nigerian youth to know their position and their rightful place in Nigerian leadership.

Himself, a youth, the royal father urged all young Nigerians to queue behind the YPP candidate in the forthcoming elections.

Moghalu wont let you down. He is young. He is vibrant. He understands what the issues are, the Ooni said.

Reminding Mr Moghalu of the longstanding ties between the Yoruba and Igbo ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, the Ooni described the two group as coming from the same stock.

You are welcome to the land of Oduduwa. We are one. Igbo is spoken here in the palace. The Yorubas plant kola nut because the Igbos discovered it.

In his remarks, Mr Moghalu paid glowing tributes to the Ooni, the people of Ile-Ife, and the entire Yoruba race, describing the traditional ruler as a great and enterprising leader.

Mr Moghalu said the Yorubas are a people of great learning, whom he has always admired.

I am a Nigerian candidate for the Nigerian presidency, said the YPP candidate told the Ooni.

I served as deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria after a career of 17 years at the United Nations. I am running for president to unite Nigeria, wage a successful war against poverty and unemployment, and restore Nigerias standing in the world.

He said he was at the palace to pay homage to the Ooni, during his seven-day campaign tour of the Southwestern states, which kicked off in Lagos on Saturday, January 26, 2019.ADVERTISEMENT

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday said he was elated to learn that a helicopter crash involving the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, ended without injuries or fatalities.

Dear Vice President @ProfOsinbajo, I just received news of the crash of your helicopter in Kabba, Kogi State. I am happy to note however that all is well with you and your delegation, Mr Abubakar, a former vice-president, said Saturday evening in a tweet signed by him.

A helicopter carrying Mr Osinbajo crashed as it was touching down in central Nigerian state of Kogi on Saturday, but no injuries were recorded between him and crew members.

The accident occurred in Kabba, presidential spokesperson Laolu Akande said in a statement.

Mr Osinbajo continued with his engagements and plans for the day in the state, Mr Akande added.

It was not immediately clear what happened, but further investigations are expected.

Pictures from the scene of the crash showed charred helicopter blades after it tilted uncontrollably to one side. It was unclear how many persons were aboard.

Mr Abubakar and Peter Obi is seeking to depose Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Osinbajo at the presidential elections later this month, as president and vice president.

Nigerians have also expressed their sympathy, online, for Mr Osinbajo and crew members of the chopper.A group of senior lawyers has established a separate intervention in response to the recent suspension of Nigerias Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen.

The senior lawyers, numbering up to 20, said their intervention is borne out of an urgent need to restore the lost glory of the Judiciary without aligning with any faction of those involved in the said suspension.

The lawyers, whose statement was received by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, said they have formed a collaboration and would immediately commence action to ensure specific innovations that would affect the caliber of lawyers called to the Nigerian bench, among other changes.

We are a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria who feel embarrassed and deeply concerned by the recent events surrounding the suspension of Honourable Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the lawyers said in the statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The lawyers said their decision to intervene was prompted by two main issues. According to the lawyers, they have recognized that the recent events represent a manifestation of and response to a deeper malaise in the administration of justice and justice delivery in Nigeria.

They also consider the current crisis of confidence as it affects the judiciary, as unprecedented.

In making this intervention, we do not propose to delve into the merits or demerits of the respective positions that have been taken by the different actors regarding the suspension of Justice Onnoghen.

Our focus in making this intervention given the context of the unfolding events is to examine the underlying factors that have engendered or perpetuated the undoubted loss of confidence in the judiciary and the legal profession and to proffer suggestions for a much needed reform.

The lawyers regarded as unarguable, the fact that corruption appears to have sunk deep into the judicial system and that its system of self-regulation has failed.

It is also beyond dispute that the system for self-regulation in the judiciary and the legal profession has failed.

There is a perception that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has been ineffective in exercising discipline where high-ranking judicial officers are involved and that its proceedings and internal processes are unduly opaque.

We recall the golden era of our judiciary when judgments of Nigerian courts were cited with approval in foreign courts. Sadly, this is no longer the case.

The group of lawyers listed its objectives to include reforms in certain areas the group considers to be critical in the countrys judicial system.

According to the senior lawyers, the areas requiring intervention also include the terms and conditions of service for judicial officers.

They include the following:

 The composition, constitution, functions and internal controls of the National Judicial Council.

 The process for the appointment, continuing education, and promotion of judicial officers.

 The process for the discipline and regulation of judicial officers.

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-The terms and conditions of service of judicial officers.

-Judicial ethics, values and the relationship of the Bench with the Bar.

-The process for the appointment of lawyers to the Body of Benchers.

-The composition, constitution and internal controls of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee.

-The process and criteria for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

-The roles and responsibilities of Senior Advocates of Nigeria as leaders of the Bar.

-The regulation and discipline of Legal Practitioners.

-Ethics, values and standards of legal practice.

-The composition, constitution and internal controls of the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association.

The lawyers said the outcome of their collaboration will be published soon.

The group of lawyers includes the following:

1. Ebun Sofunde, SAN

2. Kayode Sofola, SAN

3. Kola Awodein, SAN

4. Ademola Akinrele, SAN

5. Eyimofe Atake, SAN

6. Olufunke Adekoya, SAN

7. Oluwafemi Atoyebi, SAN

8. Yemi Candide  Johnson, SAN

9. Olasupo Shasore, SAN

10. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN

11. Osaro Eghobamien, SAN

12. Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN

13. Wemimo Ogunde, SAN

14. Mr. Jibrin Okutepa, SAN

15. Olumide Sofowora, SAN

16. Ernest Ojukwu, SAN

17. Olatunde Adejuyigbe, SAN

18. Adewale Olawoyin, SAN

19. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN

20. Oyesoji Oyeleke, SANBetween October and December 2018, PREMIUM TIMES Kemi Busari visited four major Nigerian cities to examine the state of the blade barbering industry. His findings in Abuja, Ibadan, Kaduna and Lagos reveal a barbering method plagued with unsafe practices.

Are you mad? the tricycle operator bellows, looking ferocious, at the same time frustrated. The paint on the drivers side of his Keke NAPEP, as tricycles are fondly called, has been scratched off and a part of the steel dented. He now wants a settlement.

I think you are mad, you didnt see my pointer? he questioned again, now more aggressively.

Haggard-looking, the culprit, a Hausa tricycle operator who understands no Yoruba, soon broke into his own version of curse and so began the verbal brawl.

As the vulgar exchange heightens, so does the attention of onlookers at the suburb of Ijora Under Bridge in Lagos, arguably Nigerias most populated state.

But Abdulkareem Amzat is less interested. He concentrates on shaving frayed hair off Bolaji Raimis chin to earn another 100, the third for the day.

He muses a song that seems like a catalyst while carefully depositing nauseating patches of damp hair on the dorsal side of his hand.

Amzat shaving a customer

Ish! Mr Raimi, popularly called Pa Raimi, suddenly makes a sound  a signal Mr Amzat has to slow down. The sexagenarian has just been cut by the blade. Blood was out of his chin in an instant.

Its a familiar scene to Mr Amzat. A triple glissade movement of his right hand on the affected area soon brought the flow to a low.

But the blood will not stop Pa Raimi from using blade another time, neither would it ever make him change to the use of clipper.

I will never use clipper, he declares. Even if you visit the barber, they still use blade. The only difference is the way they have decided to shape the modern one (clipper). Everybody use blade.

The last time he remembers to have used a clipper was during his youthful days when he still fancies shaping. That was over 35 years ago.

Throughout these years, such cut as he sustained this Tuesday morning is part of the shaving process. Are you referring to this one? he said, smiling to douse the alarm on the face of the inquirer. It will dry up by itself. I got cut because of a little bump around there.

Pa Raimi

Pa Raimi is not aware of any infection he could contract through this means of head shaving but is confident he cannot be a victim.

He doesnt use one blade for two people and that gives me the confidence, he says of Mr Amzat when asked the source of his confidence.

To his customers, Mr Amzats expertise and experience present themselves as enough shield against the possible contraction of diseases.

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Twenty years ago, Mr Amzat started the barbering business he found his father and other grownup males in his family doing.

The process of starting was very simple. All I needed was blade, the handle, soap and water and this was readily provided by my family, he started.

He not only enjoys many years of consistent practice, which started from Kano to Taraba and then Lagos where he has been practising since the military regime of General Sani Abacha, but also takes measures to protect his customers.

The measure exists in his long years of monotonous and metamorphosed practice.

The shaving process starts with the application of water on the hair of the customer after which soap is rubbed on the head to soften the path for the blade. For this stage, Mr Amzat uses the same soap for every customer until it is finished. He uses purchased sachet water which he pours into a cup. He does these with his bare hands which he dries on a rag thereafter.

Then the scraping begins right from the middle of the head to the back, back to the middle, front, until the last hair is snipped off.

While the cutting continues, the pasty patches of hair are either dumped on a cleared plot on the head, on the dorsal part of his left hand or right on the barbing bench. Other patches make their way to the ground.

Amzats tools

At the end of each shaving process, Mr Amzat either rubs cream on the head of his customers, spray methylated spirit or both; sometimes none. He repeats the process for as many customers as visit his make-shift shop in a day. He is confident of their safety.

Sickness and its treatment come from God. I believe that even if there is an infection, it cant threaten the life of the person involved. Im aware that people can contract diseases through shaving.

The preventive method I know and Im confident of is the use of new blades for every customer, use of spirit for treatment, anti-dandruff creams and I pray as well, he said.

EXPERTS ANALYSIS OF AMZATs METHOD

A medical analysis of his method shows that even though he uses different blades, the use of the same blade handle for hundreds of customers is a potential threat.

Mr Amzat said he uses the handle for at least six months. He shaves up to 50 on heydays and 30 when business is on the low. It then means that Amzat uses a single blade handle for about 7, 200 at an average of 40 per day.

Ayomide Aranmolate, a dermatologist who specialises in plastic surgery, said diseases can be transmitted through improper use and sterilisation of the handle.

The handle has nothing to do with transmission but if they are using it and there is a cut on the person it could be dangerous. If that person (that was cut) has hepatitis or any other disease and the new blade cut a new person again, it can be transmitted if the handler is not well treated.

Mr Amzat believes in the use of water for staying out of trouble in such situations but water will not do enough.

Water will definitely not clean it, Mr Aranmolate said. If the organism touches the sharp end and the other person using it now has another cut, thats how you can transmit viruses and even regular organisms that stay on the skin.

Mr Aranmolate said the use of spirit as aftershave does not give as much protection as barbers think.

Spirits basically can crystalise objects but not necessarily stop some viruses. There are some viruses that some specific temperatures have to exist to kill them but spirit cant do this. Even at barbers shop, it doesnt stop you from getting bumps. If you go to the salon and they applied it and it became pepperish you think youre protected. Its just psychology.

Another dermal expert, Shakirat Gold-Olufadi, the Senior Registrar, Dermatology, Rheumatology and Genitourinary Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), faults the use of same soap for many customers.

Soap can serve as fomite (which harbours disease organisms) if not properly stored, she said. The risk increases when the soap is rubbed directly on each persons scalp. It is better shampoos are used for this purpose, she said.

AN ENDURING PRACTICE

With the advent of the first electronic shaver in 1929, men world over gradually bade farewell to the use of the razor for the most part of the 20th century, but not entirely.

While a good number made the shift towards clippers, some still prefer to use knives, a shaving tool in vogue up till late 19th century and blades, which first came in a disposable form in 1895.

Majority of razor and knives faithful still exist in Nigeria; not only in rural areas but also in urban cities.

In Nigeria, the practice is habitual among the northern Hausa/Fulani tribe where some families have over the years passed the skill down to their generations.

With population surge and the need for expansion, some of these barbers made their ways to urban centres and there, they create a habitat for comfortable practice, unchecked.

Shaving stands in Ijora Under Bridge

To be a commercial razor barber in Nigeria does not require formal training, certification or regulation.

Its a lineage business. Once your father or guardian sees you are coming of age, he would introduce it to you, transfer some of the equipment to you. You mustnt reject if you dont want the wrath of God. Once you embrace, the blessing of God will abide by you and the business, says Abdul, Mr Amzats Under Bridge neighbour who would not speak further as he has an appointment to meet.

About 500 metres to the Ijora Bridge is Abubakar Ilyas, a native of Jigawa State who started the shaving craft at the age of six. Mr Ilyas is now 36. He practices his trade in the popular Sango Ijora axis of Lagos and is already planning on how to transfer the skill to as many as possible of his eight children.

Its a lineage job. This was what my forefathers did, this is what I met my father doing, its what Im also doing and will transfer to my children, he boasts.

Ilyas Shaving a customer

He does everything like Mr Amzat; including the application of spirit, washing of handles, and disposing used blades. But he takes his precautions a step further. To shield his customers from infections, Mr Ilyas believes in a medicine passed to him by his forefathers.

In the situation that someone has a cut, there is a medicine that my forefathers use. Once I rub it, by the grace of Allah, it will heal. We call it blood medicine, he said. From my experience, nobody has ever come to complain about contracting any disease. I believe in the medicine.

Ilyas tools

Ilyas rarely uses the medicine and despite persuasions, he would not bring it out for anyone to see except he needs it.

ITS AN OCCULTIC PRACTICE  BARBER

Away from Ijora, commercial shaving with razor exists in every corner of Lagos from the slums of Obalende to the pavement of Iyana Ipaja community mosque, Mile 12 and Island communities of Lekki and Victoria Island.

As pervasive as this practice seems, however, making a move of apprenticeship under a local barber could be one of the hardest.

None of Abdulkareem Guzau, Bashiru Shuaib and Kaila Haruna, all plying their trade in Orile area of Lagos, would talk to this reporter about their profession. Instead, Mr Shuaib concentrated on shaving his colleague, Mr Haruna, as there were no customers on this Tuesday afternoon. The trio are the champions of aske (a Hausa word for razor) in the densely populated Orile Iganmu area of Lagos.

Shuaib shaving Haruna

Their reluctance is understandable in one argument; the trade is close-ended and with limited or no access to outsiders which they consider journalists to be.

Mr Shuaib was quick to talk off this reporter as he shaves Mr Haruna but minutes of insistence got him to spill a little about his work.

Its (the profession) cult-like. We dont teach anybody anyhow, Mr Haruna says questioning why this reporter wants to know about it. No matter how much you offer me, even if its one million. This job is not ordinary, there are some spiritualties attached to it. If you see my child do this thing, you will be surprised at his expertise. If he refuses to learn, I will beat him.

The cult-like nature of the work has preserved its pride all the while, Mr Haruna believes. Back in Jigawa, one has to be a family member to be allowed into the trade.

Ive never trained someone in Lagos, only family members at home. I have trained many people who are related to me. I have trained my children already so that if I die, others will continue.

IN ABUJA, ALUM USED AS AFTER SHAVE

Aminu Ibrahim, Husseini Zelani, Gambo Abdullahi and their fourth, who would not mention his name, are the masters of the blade in Kurudu Abuja.

Their services are similar to the Lagos barbers and they also learnt from family members but there is more to desire from their practice, especially from safety lens.

While most barbers use spirit as an aftershave, the four deploy alum  yes, alum!

On this Friday morning, the three are busy shaving their customers and after each shave, the white stone (alum) is produced to protect the customer from infection. But the alum is believed to do more than that.

If there is an injury, I use alum and the blood will definitely stop. I trust the alum to wash off any infection on the head of the person and you know that the germs cannot stay on it, Husseini Zelani who started the trade in Babura Local Government of Jigawa State many years ago says.

Gambo Abdullahi and Aminu Ibrahim also use alum.

I also use spirit but it has finished, Mr Abdullahi added showing a container where he normally pours the substance.

PREMIUM TIMES research shows that alum, which comes in any form of aluminium sulphate, has some anti-bacterial properties which could be useful but an aftershave requires more.

To treat and prevent transmission of bumps, pores and shaving related infections, a barber should fortify himself with antibiotics.

Antibiotics are a broader range of antimicrobial compounds which can act on fungi, bacteria, and other compounds. So, certain antibiotics can kill bacteria, fungi and parasites although they have no effect on viruses

Even at that, all forms of alum can cause irritation of the skin and mucous membranes.

This position was corroborated by Mr Aranmolate who faulted the choice of aftershave.

What is in alum? he questions. I dont know why they are using alum. Aftershave is supposed to be something that prevents bacteria from growing on the area. If anything, it should be antibiotics that ought to be used, not alum. Alum is not an antibiotic.

Specifically, Ms Gold-Olufadi said neither alum nor spirit would prevent viruses

Application of alum or methylated spirit cannot eliminate several viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C amongst others. The proper sterilization techniques which will include autoclaving will be needed to eliminate these viruses mentioned, she said.

Mr Zelani, who started his trade in 2007 in Abujam barbs with razors. Like others, he does enough to wash his handle with water.

Zelani

We change razor to prevent disease and once we see that blood touches the handle, we wash with water before starting another shaving.

Mr Zelanis current handle is over a year-old and from his experience, the tool lasts for up to four or five years.

I dont change the handle so long it is still working, he adds.

At the age of seven, Mr Ibrahim had been inducted into the shaving and circumcision business of their family, popularly known for the trade in Bauchi.

Ibrahim

Coming to Abuja since 2017, the father of eight, husband of two will not transfer the skill to another person except family members.

While he shaves, strands of the cut hair dribble to the ground. They wont be swept until after the days work. After every shave, the used blades are also dumped on the ground.

After the whole days work, we sweep and pack all the dirt in a sack and hand it over to dirt collectors, he says.

Ibrahims tools

Mr Ibrahim believes the practice is the best way to clear the waste as they have no use for it but this may not be absolutely safe.

While the interview was on, a 12-year-old boy, who simply identifies himself as Hassan, sauntered to Mr Ibrahims bench to harvest one of the used blades.

I want to use it cut materials to make rope, he said when challenged.

Hassan

Again, dermatologists fault this carelessness on the part of the barbers.

Apart from the fact that it is careless to drop blades on the ground to prevent cuts, diseases can also be transmitted if that blade has been used on a person infected with these viruses highlighted above. If the child (or an adult) sustains a cut, then he is at risk of getting infected. The risk is particularly high with Hepatitis B virus. Every barber should have a sharps box to dispose all sharp instruments correctly, Ms Gold-Olufadi notes.On Wednesday, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, featured on The Candidates, a live television town hall hosted by Kadaria Ahmed.

He was joined by his running mate, Peter Obi.

Mr Abubakar, former Nigerias vice president, and Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, made several claims at the event as they canvassed support for the crucial election due in two weeks.

PREMIUM TIMES highlights some of the claims made by the candidates, and checks how factual they were.

CLAIM 1: 21 million Nigerians are unemployed

While speaking about Nigerias unemployment challenge, Mr Abubakar said 21 million Nigerians are currently unemployed.

VERIFICATION

In December 2018, the National Bureau of Statistics in its latest report said Nigerias unemployment rate increased from 18.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2017 to 23.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2018. According to the bureaus unemployment report, the economically active or working age population (15  64 years of age) increased from 111.1 million in Q3 2017 to 115.5million in Q3 2018.

The report said the total number of people classified as unemployed, which means they did nothing at all or worked too few hours (under 20 hours a week) to be classified as employed, increased from 17.6 million in Q4 2017 to 20.9 million in Q3 2018.

VERDICT: True.

CLAIM 2: Agriculture offers largest employment in Nigeria

Speaking on the state of the economy, Mr Abubakar said the agriculture sector employs the most people in Nigeria.

VERIFICATION

Although the informal nature of the sector makes it difficult for researchers to gather accurate data on the number of people employed in the sector, it is generally believed that the sector employs the largest number of people in the country.

In 2016, a General Household Survey of the World Bank said that the agriculture sector is the largest employer of labour and income-generating activity in Nigeria. According to the organisation, work in a household non-farm enterprises and external wage employment account for the rest kind of employment in Nigeria.

VERDICT: True.

CLAIM 3: Anchors Borrowers Programme is fake

In his attempt to criticise the Nigerian government and its flagship agricultural programme, Anchors Borrowers Programme, Mr Abubakar suggested that the programme was fake and there were few rice farmers benefiting from the scheme.

VERIFICATION

In 2018, a PREMIUM TIMES extensive fact-check showed that the programme has benefited quite a number of local farmers across the country, although it is bedeviled by numerous allegations of fraud and other anomalies.

The report revealed, however, that a model adopted by the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has recorded appreciable level of success. For RIFAN, instead of giving cash to farmers, farmers are supplied inputs such as seedlings, fertilisers and herbicide. They also have their land prepared for them. The report showed that although there are numerous areas that could be addressed, the ABP could not be said to be fake.

VERDICT: False.

CLAIM 4: In Adamawa, I lifted 45,000 families out of poverty

While trying to establish the basis for his desire to contest election and fix Nigerias poverty challenges, Mr Abubakar said he lifted 45,000 families out of poverty in Adamawa state. He however did not explain how he arrived at the figure.

VERIFICATION

It is not the first time the PDP candidate would be making this claim. Speaking at a Presidential Nomination Media Chat, organised by the United Nigeria Group in Abuja in 2018, he made the same claim, adding that he achieved the feat through support given to people by a micro-finance bank he established.

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He added that he instructed the bank to give 80 per cent of its loans to women in the belief that empowerment is the best way to bring a family out of poverty.

Although Mr Abubakar is reputed to be one of the biggest employer of labour in his state, PREMIUM TIMES checks showed that there are no verifiable data to affirm that indeed 45,000 people have been lifted out of poverty by his intervention, through his micro-finance bank.

VERDICT: Unproven.

CLAIM 5: Nigerias GDP growth was about 6 per cent when APC came into power.

Still on the nations economy, Mr Abubakar lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and said the present government dragged Nigeria into recession. He specifically said the GDP growth rate was about 6 percent at the time the present administration came into power.

VERIFICATION

The gross domestic product (GDP) is one of the important indices used to determine the status of a countrys economy. It represents the total value of goods and services produced over a specific time period. The present government was sworn into office on May 29, 2015, a month to the end of the second quarter of 2015.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in the Second Quarter of 2015, the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.35 percent (year-on-year) in real terms. This was lower by 1.61 percent points from growth recorded in the preceding quarter and also lower by 4.19 percent points from growth recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2014. Quarter on quarter, real GDP increased by 2.57 percent.

During the quarter, aggregate GDP stood at N22,859,153.01million (in nominal terms) at basic prices. The Nigerian economy can be more clearly understood according to the oil and non-oil sector classifications. During the period under review, Oil production stood at 2.05 million barrels per day (mbpd), 5.9 percent lower from production in Q1 of 2015. Oil production was also lower relative to the corresponding quarter in 2014 by 7.3 percent when output was recorded at 2.21mbpd.

Should the argument be pushed forward that the present government had already spent a month in office by the end of Q2 2015, figures from Q1 of the same year still revealed that the claim was inaccurate. In the opening quarter of 2015, the NBS said Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.96 percent in real terms, year-on-year. This was lower by 1.98 percent points from the preceding quarter, in Q4 2014. The growth rate was nowhere near 6 percent.

VERDICT: False.

CLAIM 6: GDP growth rate now about 2 percent

Buttressing his point on the state of the economy, Mr Abubakar said the GDP growth rate is now about 2 percent.

VERIFICATION

In December, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.81 percent (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2018.

Details showed that there is an increase of 0.64 per cent points, compared to the third quarter of 2017, which recorded a growth of 1.17 per cent.

VERDICT: Largely True.

CLAIM 7: Insecurity restricted to the North East during PDP era

Mr Abubakar also claimed that insecurity was restricted to the North East in the era of the PDP unlike what, according to him, obtains now in the present government.

VERIFICATION

Several media reports showed that Boko Haram registered its presence in the North East, North West and even the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, when the immediate past PDP government of Goodluck Jonathan was in power. In April 2012, THISDAY office in Abuja in the FCT was bombed in an attack. In 2014, about a dozen people were killed in an attack targeted at a mosque in Kano, North west Nigeria. Hundreds of people were also killed in several attacks in the north east within the same period.

VERDICT: False.

CLAIM 8: Nigerias HDI ranking now 157

Talking about the Human Development Index, HDI, Mr Obi said that Nigeria now ranks 157 in the global ranking.

VERIFICATION

HDI report often measures national achievements in Human Development Index in health, education, income and standard of living of the people. Last September, a report by the United Nations Development Programme said Nigerias Human Development Index rising by two points and life expectancy also rose by eight years.

The report showed that Nigerias HDI value for 2017 was 0.532; it was 0.530 in 2016, and it has shown a consistent increase since the measurement began in 2003.

But overall, Nigerias ranking was put at 157 among the 189 countries sampled, from 156 in 2017.

VERDICT: True.

CLAIM 9: China lifted 439 million people out of poverty in 15 years

Talking about the development pace of other countries of the world, Mr Obi said that China lifted 439 million people out of poverty in 15 years.

VERIFICATION

Chinas success story in poverty reduction has for years dominated global discussion on development and poverty eradication. China is said to be the first developing country to achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty.

According to reports, including the one by UNDP between 1990 and 2011, China lifted 439 million poor people out of poverty, contributing significantly to global poverty reduction. With continuous increase in grain production for 11 years since 2004, China has been able to feed nearly 20 percent of the worlds population with less than 10 percent of worlds cultivated land.

VERDICT: Largely True.

CLAIM 10: I never deported anybody/beggars from Anambra

Clarifying widespread allegations that he deported some Nigerians resident in Anambra to other states when he held sway as state governor, Mr Obi said he never deported any resident of the state as alleged.

VERIFICATION

At least two media reports claimed at the time that Obis administration, in 2011, deported beggars to Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi states. A report in Leadership Newspaper on December 4, 2011 claimed that 29 beggars were arrested in Awka and Onitsha and were repatriated back to their respective states of origin that include Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states.

Similarly, a PREMIUM TIMES report documented the alleged deportation with reports from these newspapers.

VERDICT: Not proven.

CLAIM 11: $16 billion spent on power by PDP is a lie

When speaking on the allegation that $16 billion was spent by the past administration of the PDP on power, without commensurate result, Mr Obi said the report was a lie.

VERIFICATION

In 2008, a House of Representatives Committee probe report alleged that $16 billion was spent on power. Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari restated the claim while taking a dig at former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

But a furious Mr Obasanjo promptly replied, saying the claim of wasted $16 billion was at best a hoax. A presidential panel headed by the then VP Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Obasanjo said in his reply, set up by the Umaru YarAdua government put a lie to this after the same administration had sacked one Engr F. Somolu the then Secretary of NIPP who first drew attention to the lie that $16b had been spent on power project.

The Panel made up of so many actors, including CBN officials then found out that only $3.7 billion was disbursed out of the $10 billion budgeted and the balance was kept in an escrow account at the CBN.

The CBN confirmed this to the panel and it was publishedIt was then found out that Tanimu Yakubu then Economic Adviser to President YarAdua began the propaganda against former President Obasanjo and Engr. Somolu then with YarAdua wrote a secret memo inside the state house to correct the wrong notion about $10 billion.

PREMIUM TIMES observes that the 2008 house report was not made public, despite calls by several civil society groups. It then remains unclear which of the claims could be considered the ultimate truth.

VERDICT: Not proven.

CLAIM 12: APC has not invested 1 kobo in power generation

Speaking on the power sector, Mr Obi said the current government has not invested 1 kobo in power, adding that what obtains are PDP investment.

VERIFICATION

The Nigerian government has consistently assured Nigerians of its resolve to fix the power sector. In November 2016, the government said it would spend on $150 million on rural electrification project. Last December, the federal government secured a $200 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund electrification projects in the country.

Through the Energising Economies Initiative (EEP), the government has also commenced the process of taking four big markets and major economic centres in Nigeria off the national grid, powering their activities with clean and stable electricity. The initative has been lauded in Sabon Gari Market, Kano; Ariaria Market, Aba in Abia State; and Sura Shopping Complex, Lagos.

VERDICT: False.Despite a resolution by lawmakers that birth certificates should be issued free of charge to Nigerians, the National Population Commission (NPC) has continued to charge a fee for the document.

The House of Representatives last year declared as illegal, payment of money to the commission to obtain birth certificates for newborn babies.

The NPC, however, says it is yet to be formally notified of the resolution by the lawmakers.

The resolution followed a motion brought under matter of urgent national importance by Nkiru Onyejeocha (Abia, APC).

Earlier, Daily Trust newspaper published a report that the NPC was frustrating birth registration by charging N4500 for birth certificates. The agency contracted the process to a private firm, Socket Works Limited, under a public-privatepartnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to the newspapers report which Ms Onyejeocha cited, the United Nations Childrens Funds (UNICEF) factsheet on birth registration in Nigeria revealed that about 70 per cent of the seven million children born annually in the country are not registered at birth.

Adopting the motion, the lawmakers unanimously resolved to direct the NPC to discontinue the arrangement with the private firm and return to its mandate of registering births and deaths in Nigeria at no cost to citizens as provided by law.

When PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the General Hospital, Kubwa last month, an NPC official there said a fee was required.

For babies under two months, the fee is N500, while for those from two months to 17 years, it is N4,000. He said individuals above 18 years needed to go to the head office of the NPC with a declaration of age affidavit and passport photographs.

At the NPC Head office located at Wuse, Zone 7, officials state slightly different fees from the ones earlier outlined at the Kubwa General hospital.

A front desk official said N4,000 is required for a birth certificate to be issued to anyone under 17 years.

For applicants above 18 years, he said the fee is N10,000 accompanied with a copy of a declaration of age certificate and passport photographs.

To replace a lost or damaged birth certificate, he said a fee of N7,000 would be charged.

Another staff of the agency who asked not to be named said the agency was aware of the directive of the lawmakers but was waiting for the director to give the go ahead for compliance.

We cannot take any decision on our own. For now, we are still taking money for birth registration. But once the Director orders us to stop, we would have no choice than to stop, he said.

In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES the Director, Public Affairs at NPC, Muhammed Isah, also said the agency was waiting for an official letter from the National Assembly before obeying the directive.

We are waiting for a letter to be transmitted officially. That is how government works, he said.

In the letter, it will be written in detail what is to be done and what not to do. We are ready to abide by it, Mr Isah said.

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Until the bureaucratic process runs its course, Nigerians will continue to pay for the document.In Kaduna, Habiba, a young woman on the streets of Barnawa, shared her story as she held a baby and a wrap of marijuana.

I did not decide to be an addict, my family were a trouble to me, I was treated ill by others, I didnt feel loved by my parents, so I started to find solace with my friends and neighbours, she said.

At 16, Habibas friends introduced her to a cigarette-like stick.

I did not like it at first but it gave me a good feeling, I was always smiling and my worries became less, she said. I want to stop, I tried to stop, but each time I go a day without codeine cough syrup or weed I become sad and depressed and I feel like the world is going to end  so I continue, stopping will be very hard for me. Sometimes I feel sick but I cant stop.

Asked if she was scared of her baby learning her smoking habits, Habiba said, I will not want her to learn; it is very bad, but if its Gods will then let it be done. I want my child to be a doctor to help people like me.

In Kano, Rasheedah, a married woman explained how drugs, codeine specifically, was her only recourse after her husband broke her heart by deciding to take on a second wife.

I never believed my husband will take another wife until my neighbour told me during a regular evening gist, she said.

Life became horrible for me, I went to see his family to discuss what I have heard, but to my surprise, his mother knew about his plans to marry a second wife. Two months after I found out about his plans to take a new wife, they got married; all the top government officials were invited. I felt betrayed beyond my imagination. My girlfriend Zainab (name changed) was always taking cough syrup, I didnt know what it was, but I tried it someday and that was how I found peace of mind.

Fatal Addiction

Theresa Ugalahi, a psychiatrist with the Birmingham Solihull Mental Health Foundation, London, highlights the effect of drug addiction among women, which is now gaining a foothold in the northern part of Nigeria.

In addition to all the adverse effects of drug addiction to humans which we know of, females have certain roles and body build that increase the adverse effect of drugs addiction on them. Females can tolerate less alcohol than males and this is because they have less body water and more body fats, she said.

The alcohol does not have enough body water to dilute the alcohol and stays at a higher concentration in the body. Some studies have also reported that women have fewer enzymes in the stomach to breakdown alcohol and thus tends to get more alcohol into their system. We are also aware that the elimination of alcohol depends on the quantity in the body. Thus they stay drunk for longer, their kidneys and livers are exposed to alcohol for longer, causing more damage, than for males.

The role of the female which includes bearing children means any drug addiction does not stop on the person involved but it also affects another person-the unborn child. Women who drink while pregnant risk their newborn babies developing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, the most severe is the fetal alcohol syndrome.

She explained that this syndrome comes with mental retardation and other adverse problems. Cigarette intake, she said, has been associated with frequent miscarriages in pregnant females, likewise the use of most of the other drugs. While pregnant, the use of other drugs can result in withdrawal for the child, sometimes fatal.

For example use of Benzodiazepines can cause floppy baby syndrome, where the child cannot move including for essential things like breathing. Stimulants may cause the baby to be hyperactive, irritable at birth and develop a disorder called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood. The use of any form of opioid including codeine in pregnancy may cause Neonatal abstinence syndrome associated with vomiting, breathing problems and hypersensitivity to noise.

Also, note that some drugs can be transmitted through breast milk depending on the quantity taken. A childs brain keeps developing after birth, and lots of neuronal differentiation takes place during this period. Drugs have been known to disarray this fine and precise arrangement and growth of these neutrons, she notes.

Some of these brain changes can lead to mental disorders during adolescence or adulthood, or mental retardation and problems with motor and behaviour skills, the official adds.

In general, the physical health of persons addicted to drugs is very poor. Cancers, blood clots in the brain, liver disease, nervous problems, poor nutrition and poor self-care are more or less permanent fixtures.

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She said women who take hypno-sedatives or stimulants are at an increased risk of engaging in risky sexual behaviour. This is because the drugs have the potential to make them less in-control and increase sexual appetite.

Getting sexually assaulted while under the influence can led to many unwanted outcomes like pregnancies, STIs, HIV and emotional trauma, she adds.

The drug culture controls the life of the person. And the female will have to be subject to the rules of that environment, which in a country as paternalistic as Nigeria will be largely subservient. The cost of these drugs necessitates debts as these women cannot hold a job and they need to buy expensive drugs in a continuous blur. They live in fear of these drug suppliers and the law, she explained.

Prevalence

Mairo Mandara, the Nigerian Country Representative for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said some girls have been victims of drugs targeted at sexual exploitation.

At a young age, life and livelihood for girls is very important; and this is unique to girls. It is because they have a product that can be used. A lot of time, most of the girls are drugged so that you can get them off their mind, off their guard. A typical Hausa girl to have sex with two men and others are watching? Its not regular, she says.

The vulnerability of girls is not just to have them on drugs but to have them on drugs for the purpose of exploiting their sexuality, she adds.

She also harped on marital negligence as cause of the menace. This, she said, has a more pronounced effect on the women.

You find a husband who is not able to cater for his responsibility. In the north, even if youre a billionaire, you expect your husband to shelter you, clothe you  no friends, no job, stress, yet no care from their husbands. Its more of circumstantial.

Asked if the Islamic law against the intake of alcohol has in any way fuelled the spread of the abuse of hard drugs, Mrs Mandara replied thus:

In Islam, alcohol is not the only thing that is forbidden. Everything that intoxicates is forbidden. We need to redefine the definition of intoxicants among Muslim clergies.

She blamed the government for not putting up measures to forestall the sale of codeine even though it has been banned.

She then charged the elite to break their silence and work on discontinuing the menace by speaking and taking charge.

At family level, we need to take our family more seriously. Honestly speaking, in the north, men need to take their family more seriously. Because they are relegating the responsibility to the women. In the north, men are in charge of the home. At 18, if a mother talks to her child, the child would probably think you are a parrot.

Kano Hisbah Board As Moral Police

Hisbah Board in Kano is referred to as the moral police. At the time of visit, there were about over a dozen young girls in their custody who were seen at the inappropriate locations at the most inappropriate hours and picked up.

Though all the women under substance abuse have been transferred to the Kano state reformatory centre, Kiru, however, all efforts made to access the reformatory centre proved abortive.

Speaking with Khadijah, 14, who had been held for three days at the Hisbah Board for fleeing her home in Adamawa State to Kano, she said she had to flee because her step mum doesnt treat her well.

After losing both parents to Boko Haram rampage on her hometown, Adamawa, she has since then been staying with her step-mom. She hopes to return to her grandmother in Jalingo so that she could start going to school again.

Another young girl in the custody of Hisbah is Maryam, 19, who was caught at New Paradise Hotel, Kano. Maryam is a dancer. She gets N3000-N4000 for dancing, even if she makes more money, shes not paid more than that.

As for Khadijah, 19, who has been in the custody of Hisbah for a week, her parents reported her to Hisbah. She was held, alongside her boyfriend, Mathew, 29, whose house she fled to.

We Are Doing Our Best

Speaking with the Director General of Hisbah Board, Abah Seriyu Subi, he admitted that, although rare, women have records of taking drugs and other substances.

Kahdijah 19years at the Hisbah Board.

We have women but it has not been in our character (in the north). We have up 150 males and 50 females in our custody.

Although we have a challenge: People are denying (failing) to send their female children to the Board because of stigmatisation. They hide their children because of peer group.

He added that intake of drug by these women is mainly for them to get high, and this, he said, has been aided as a result of peer pressure and poverty.

Asked how the ban on codeine has reduced or increased the intake of other drugs, he said: You cannot say it is because of the ban on the consumption of codeine. There are different substances that can make someone high: faeces of lizard, some go to the toilet (to sniff ammonia), we have solution. And they very cheap; with N5 to N10, you can get it.

Sabongeri, a cosmopolitan area in Kano, seems to be the worst hit in the prevalence of drug abuse in the state. Therefore, the attention of the Board is drawn to the area.

You will get all manner of drug addicts in the area. We are doing our best to sanitise Sabongeri. Operating in the area is very complicated.

Kano Police Speak

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, Magaji Majia, said the state police have developed a mutual relationship with every community which makes it easy for information to be sourced when there is illegal distribution of illegal or suspicious substance in Kano.

They (police) work alongside the vigilante and the community rulers to make sure that the illegal consumption of codeine cough syrup and other illegal drugs is eliminated.

Mr Majia added that, recently, a man was arrested for storing over 25 bags, each of which contained 25 parcels of Marijuana, in a residential building which he has made a warehouse for these products.

The man, the caretaker and landlord have been arrested for this. Also, a man was arrested for importing banned Tramadol worth N19 million packed in an LG Television carton in a trailer with the intention of depositing in Kano State and Niger Republic.

Mr Majia says the NPF with over 7000 officers are working tirelessly in bringing perpetrators to law, though he said the police is more concerned with dealers and importers of these harmful products.

There are about 7000 officers working tirelessly to bring drug abuse and addiction to a stop.

Mostly, women consume more Tramadol, Packaline, Rohypnol (Rochi), he says.

Recovery From Drug Addiction In Women Lower Psychologist

According to Ayo Ajeigba, a psychologist with the Olive Prime Psychological Service, drug abuse and addiction is common among Nigerian women now.

Women use several substances even more than men, other types of substances used also depends on cultures and religion, though in terms of comparison, men still consume drugs more than women though the recovery rate from drug addiction among women seem lower and they often get deeper as they have more emotional reasons backing their substance use.

In terms of after effect of substances, the long and short term effect also depends on the type of substance consumed, he explained.

According to her, weed contributed to the smoothness of her pregnancy and speed of delivery.

I did not stop smoking even all through my pregnancy, in fact it made me strong and kept the baby healthy, I was in labor for just 20 mins and I believe weed was responsible for my painless delivery; my baby is 12 months old, she said.

Ticking Bomb

There is a need for rehabilitation centres, creation of awareness of the menace by religious leaders and state actors in order to bring drug addiction to a stop, advocates said.

Some like Ibrahim Gombe have gone a step further to weigh in.

Mr Gombe, an advocate and director of the Drug-Free Arewa, a non governmental organisation said the movement aimed to tackle the alarming drug abuse especially among young people in the region.

He said it also aims to pull the attention of strategic influencers and stakeholders to the extent of the alarming damage, and the threat drug abuse poses on the future of the region.

We also aim to reposition the northern region gradually, back on its historic hub of naturally and customary excellent and exceptional leaders, evident in providing direction in national affairs, and as pillars of Nigerias nationhood, he said.Top Yoruba movie stars on Thursday stormed the Ejigbo, Lagos, mansion of the treasurer of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo.

The occasion was a thanksgiving and prayer service held in his honour.

MC Oluoma shared snippets from the event on his Instagram handle.

MC Oluomo reportedly travelled to the US after being discharged from the Eko hospital following an attack on him at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ikeja on January 8.

He was stabbed in the neck and stomach.

He was taken to Eko Hospital, after he was injured in the fracas that erupted among rival gangs of the NURTW at the APC rally.

Some of the stars at the gathering include Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Yomi Fash Lanso, Liz Da Silva, Pasuma, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma Nike Pella, Fausat Balogun, Saoti Arewa and Oyiboyi.

A mammoth crowd and many Islamic clerics also thronged his residence to felicitate with him.

Known to be a close ally of many Yoruba actresses, not a few of them have benefited from MC Oluomos largesse and have never hidden the fact.

He reportedly finances the movie productions of some of his closest friends.

MC Oluomo was once married to a popular Yoruba movie star, Tayo Odueke, aka Sindodo, before the marriage crashed a few years ago.

Speaking at the occasion, the 44-year-old unionist revealed how he was stabbed at the rally and added that he was unconscious for three days.

I want to give thanks to God for saving my life, because only I, knew what hit me at that moment, he said at the gathering.

Immediately I was stabbed, I felt light and I started feeling thirsty, just like someone who had been shot and losing blood. I knew if I had taken any liquid at that time, I would have died.

But what came to my mind was the zem-zem water I got from Mecca. I have seen and experience how Alfas make use of the Holy water and how it works. While I was being rushed to the hospital, all I could do was to request that my people try as much as possible to get me the zem-zem water.

I took the water and became a bit alive after some days. Some other Islamic rites were also carried out immediately and the Imams, Pastors, and Traditionalists rose up to the occasion. It was the third day that I regained consciousness and felt life within me, he narrated.

The show of love was quite overwhelming for the celebrant who broke into tears after the teeming crowd refused to leave his house after the ceremony.

The NURTW chieftain, who was re-named Okuti at the service, also took to his official Instagram page on Friday to appreciate his well-wishers.

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He thanked the APC national leader, Bola Tinubu; the partys governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and the partys Oshodi legislative candidates for their support.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-02 10:45:58

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Order Management enables communication service providers to manage service orders during the fulfilment process.Telecom order management is operationally complex, often entailing dozens of sub-processes that involve multiple systems, departments, and partner organizations. The market for telecom order management has generated approximately USD xx million in 2017 and it is expected that the market will grow at xx% CAGR, the market size by 2025 will be USD xx million.Market Dynamics:The global market for telecom order management is witnessing a remarkably high growth. The rising number of connected devices across the world, coupled with a surge in order management complexities, is fuelling the demand for effective telecom order management solutions, reflecting greatly on the markets growth. However, the hesitation among enterprises in taking up new technologies may limit the demand for these solutions in the years to come.Request For Report Sample: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124662/Telecom-Order-Management-Market Key Players:The Telecom Order Management market is dominated by a few global players, and comprises several regional players. Some of the key players operating in the Telecom Order Management ecosystem are Ericsson AB, Amdocs Corp., Cerillion Plc, IBM Corp., ChikPea Inc., Comarch SA, Fujitsu Ltd., Neustar Inc., Pegasystems Inc., and Oracle Corp and other.Market Segmentation:Telecom Order Management market is segmented based on Component, Deployment Type, Network Type and geography. Based on the deployment type, the market is segmented into on premise deployment and cloud-based deployment. Among the two, the on premise segment is holding the leading position at present. However, various telecom service providers, especially the small and medium enterprises, are looking for cloud-based deployment, owing to the rising number of connected devices.Telecom Order Management market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa, Latin America. By region, North America is expected to dominate the Telecom Order Management market owing to the presence of a large number of telecom order management vendors, is expected to have the largest market size in the telecom order management market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest growing region. With the evolution of digital transformation in APAC, the need for managed IT services has experienced an increasing demand. Furthermore, the rapid economic growth in the developing APAC countries, along with improving regulatory reforms and economic stability, is driving the growth of the telecom order management market in this region.Request Report For Toc: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124662/Telecom-Order-Management-Market Market segmented on the basis of component:- Solutions- Services- Consulting- Support Services- OthersMarket segmented on the basis of deployment type:- Premise- Cloud basedMarket segmented on the basis of network type:- Wireline- WirelessMarket segmented on the basis of region:- North America US Canada Mexico France China Japan India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific- Latin America BrazilReport Analysis: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124662/Telecom-Order-Management-MarketWeve written frequently about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting of Donald Trump, Jr. and campaign officials with the connected Russian lawyer Natalia V. Anyone who bothered to read the transcript of Glenn Simpsons testimony and absorb its contents would have been left with deep suspicions about the meeting. The Russian lawyer met with Simpson before and after the meeting for some reason or other. Lee Smith put the pieces of the puzzle together in an excellent RealClearPolitics investigative piece suggesting that the meeting was a setup.

Eric Felten took a close look at the public statements about the meeting by the Trump team once it became public. He asked: Will Don Jr. be left holding the bag? Read together with Lee Smiths piece, we might infer that what we have here is a case study in the coverup aggravating the non-crime (and distracting attention from the real perpetrators).

With timely contributions by Rep. Adam Schiff, CNN has contributed enough heavy breathing on the meeting to warm the planet. Now comes word via the Center on National Security/Soufan Group Morning Brief, however, that phone records have clarified the mystery calls around Trump Tower meeting. Senate investigators have records indicating that Trump, Jr.s phone calls ahead of the meeting were not with his father. Records provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee show the calls were between Trump Jr. and two of his business associates; they contradict Schiffs frequently voiced assertion that a call with a number blocked likely came from then-candidate Donald Trump.

Trump Jr. has testified privately that he could not recall who had used the blocked numbers. Senate investigators reportedly have phone records showing that he spoke with two family friendsBrian France, the chief executive of Nascar, and Howard Lorber, who had significant investments in Russia and traveled to Moscow in 1996 with President Trump as they considered building a Trump Tower thereas the meeting was set up.

CNN has this deeply disappointing story covered here. FOX News adds that Donald Trump, Jr. has accordingly called out the incorrigible Schiff (tweet below).

Has anyone heard from Adam Schiff? I imagine hes busy leaking other confidential info from the House Intelligence Committee to change the subject?!? #FullOfSchiff https://t.co/7CC6k0CjlJ  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 1, 2019

NewsBusters observes that CNN is devastated by this particular development in the investigation (video below). You can rest assured, however, that the setback is only temporary.Sen. Cory Booker is the latest Democratic entrant in the presidential sweepstakes. Not one to be defensive, Booker expressed pride in his Spartacus moment.

The moment was vintage Booker. He touted his courage in exposing a classified document, claiming that he risked expulsion from the Senate for doing so. But the document had already been approved for release. There was never a risk that Booker would be expelled for discussing it. Moreover, as Ed Morrissey reminds us. Booker misrepresented what the document showed.

But Booker is, I hope, prouder of his Spartacus moment than of the time last year when he held up for a photograph a sign saying From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go. A spokesperson for Booker claimed Booker didnt have time to read the sign, and from his cursory glance he thought it was talking [only] about Mexico, not Israel.

Maybe Booker just likes to have his picture taken.

In any case, Booker is no friend of Israel. He equivocated for a long time before deciding to sign on to legislation last year that would penalize businesses that comply with Israel boycotts. Its too bad Booker couldnt have voted present like Barack Obama did when he was in the Illinois Senate.

Bookers flip-flopping on Israel divestment is preferable to Kirsten Gillibrands, though. She first backed the anti-boycott bills and now opposes them.

It will be fascinating to watch these two world-class phonies  Booker and Gillibrand  flipping from position to position as they jockey for the elusive sweet spot in this race.

For Booker, the sweet spot will be with black voters, I think. To be a strong contender for the Democratic nomination in this crowded field, he will probably have to be the most popular candidate among blacks. Since none of the non-black candidates is likely to remind anyone of Bill Clinton, this means he must outdo Sen. Kamala Harris among black primary voters and caucus goers (Im assuming for purposes of discussion that Eric Holder doesnt run).

This doesnt seem like a tall order. Booker, phony though he is, might well come across as more authentically black than Harris. In addition, hes not saddled with a record of prosecuting blacks. Harris may not have been a particularly aggressive prosecutor, but she was too aggressive, and too law and order, for the left.

In being that way, she was, of course, acting in the interest of the black community  plagued, as it is, by crime. But this might be a hard sell these days. In fact, it remains to be seen whether Harris will stand even partially behind her (mildly) aggressive record as prosecutor. This will be an interesting call for her.

Fortunately for Harris, she has potential crossover appeal. White women may find her an attractive candidate. Thus, even if Booker is the first choice of blacks, Harris might still have the edge as between the two.

Bookers crossover appeal is questionable. Hell have to be the first choice of blacks just to remain in contention, it seems to me.

I dont discount his chances of accomplishing this.Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has declined to resign from office. He asserts that he was mistaken when he said yesterday that he had appeared in his medical school yearbook photograph in blackface or under a hood wearing Ku Klux Klan garb.

In the hours since I made my statement yesterday, I reflected with my family and classmates from the time and affirmed my conclusion that I am not the person in that photo, he said. Isnt he still guilty of the bad taste that resulted in the photos placement on his yearbook page?

He conceded that he did darken his face in a separate event in San Antonio when he dressed up as Michael Jackson as part of a dance contest. Where, oh, where is the photo of Northam in blackface doing the moonwalk?

While we wait for the visual confirmation of the governor desecrating the figure of Michael Jackson, Democrats may want to call on the team at Forensic Files to deploy all available resources to check the governors changing memory against the available evidence. Democrats want him gone.

Standing up for himself, the governor is a man alone. It takes a certain crazy willfulness for him to defy the mob when he has become such an inconvenience to his partys vested interest in deploying the race card at will.

Northams fellow Democrats badly want him to disappear. So long as Northams memory remains cloudy and the evidence remains less than conclusive, Democrats deserve Northams continued tenure in office. He fairly represents the (black)face of the Democratic Party.Sound Off is a forum to spur dialogue from residents of the communities we serve on topics of interest in those communities. Fair game are comments that raise issues of note or amplify ongoing debates. We will not publish comments that are potentially libelous, slanderous, mean-spirited, vulgar or inappropriate. Publications of Sound Off comments are at the sole discretion of the publisher."We anticipate that S2SS will help stop school shootings, suicides, and gun threats; it will help reduce bullying and cyberbullying; and it will help us intervene in situations of cutting, drug use, racial conflicts, and other acts of violence or victimization. -- Boyertown Schools Superintendent Dana Bedden

Pull QuoteJay Gaskill is a graduate of Idaho Falls High School, the University of Idaho, and of the University of California Law School at Berkeley. Most of his career as lawyer was spent in the county service, culminating as the head of the Alameda County Public Defenders Department in Oakland. He and his wife, Robyn, live in Idaho Falls.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@postregister.com for help creating one.The Work Zone

My son and I were running errands on a recent day, when he said, Dad, did you ever think about suicide? Read moreThe longest federal government shutdown in history ended Jan. 25 over the backdrop of ongoing border wall negotiations.

The federal government has been temporarily funded up to Feb. 15, but as hundreds of thousands of federal employees returned to work  some having never left after being required to work without pay  the disparity in Washington, D.C., hasn't inspired confidence that a shutdown won't rear its ugly head again.

National Weather Service forecasters on Guam, along with airport security screeners, Coast Guard personnel and air traffic controllers, worked unpaid for a month.

Ken Kleeschulte is the local union steward of the National Weather Service Employees Organization and vice chairman of the NWS Pacific Region.

Kleeschulte said NWS workers were given back pay but are worried Washington officials won't be able to keep the federal government afloat, and are keeping a tight watch on their money as they prepare for another shutdown.

"(President Donald) Trump won't hesitate to shut down the government if he doesn't get what he wants, and Congress won't hesitate to tell Trump no. We're the pawns. They use us as leverage. We're tired of that, but there's nothing we can do about it," Kleeschulte said.

The cost of the latest shutdown on the U.S. economy is expected to reach $3 billion. But as Reuters reported, Trump said he would be willing to shut down the government again if congressional lawmakers don't present an acceptable deal on border security.

Trump may declare a national emergency to get money for a border wall with Mexico, although Democrats likely would challenge that in court, Reuters stated.

Fortunately for federal workers, financial institutions around the U.S. and Guam appear to care more about them than their elected officials, Kleeschulte said.

"Different banks were offering different things, from no-interest loans to forbearance for payments, so it helped out a lot of people," he added.

The union steward said workers wanted to see concrete financial solutions to end what has been a decade of uncertainty.

"There's the thing of compromise and I know neither side seems to want to compromise. ... We're tired of worrying every year. Are we going to be furloughed? Are we going to be shut down? That's been our worry every year for the last 10 years. We're tired of that. It puts a lot of stress on us," Kleeschulte added.United Way of Olmsted County promotes volunteerism in southeastern Minnesota through our Get Connected online tool. Get Connected is made available to nonprofit agencies in our region to post volunteer opportunities. This tool allows individuals to view these volunteer opportunities. Go to volunteer.uwolmsted.org for more information or call 507-287-1533.

COMMUNITY HOST VOLUNTEER

Rochester Community Hosts are volunteers who welcome visitors, answer questions, provide way finding assistance, and inform and encourage visitors to get out and experience Rochester and southeastern Minnesota. Hosts don bright green vests with the Rochester Community Host logo so as to be recognized by visitors as an official source for information. They are stationed in the skyways and subways, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (2 hour shifts) and as needed. Email khruska@minnesotasrochester.com or call 507-288-4331 for more information or to volunteer with Experience Rochester MN.

VETERAN-TO-VETERAN VOLUNTEER

Veterans share a common language; code of conduct and honor. The Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer Program aims to pair Veteran Volunteers with patients who are also Veterans. Once paired with patients who also have military experience, Veteran Volunteers have a unique ability to relate and connect with these patients thereby creating an environment where life review and comradery may occur. Email jennell.bethea@hcr-manorcare.com or call 507-292-1170 for more information or to volunteer with Heartland Hospice.

DO YOU ENJOY DRIVING?

Volunteers utilize their own vehicle to transport clients to their appointments. Our transportation service is a "curb to curb" service and clients are ambulatory. Volunteer Drivers are reimbursed mileage, following Federal Government guidelines for mileage expenses. Volunteers can drive as much, or as little, as they desire  we are very flexible with days and times that fit your schedule. Email tradup.diane@co.olmsted.mn.us or call 507-328-6371 for more information or to volunteer with Olmsted County Volunteer Services.

PARENTING COACH

Provide significant and critical support necessary for the overall operation of our Rochester office. Core responsibilities and tasks include: greeting clients and serving clients in our Parenting Plus program. Hours are 4 per week or 4 every other week during office hours (M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). Parenting Plus is an educational program that allows parents in need to earn items for their children. Email berrey.traci@nlfs.org or call 612-746-5667 for more information or to volunteer with New Life Family Services.

MAYO CLINIC STORE

Volunteers greet and assist customers in locating medical supplies and other retail items. Email rstvolunteermanagers@mayo.edu or call 507-255-9912 for more information or to volunteer with Mayo Clinic Volunteer Programs.How many of you remember the days of Valentines Day cards from your classmates? This was the day that we were most willing to extend our friendship.

In some schools, old shoe boxes were wrapped with colored hearts that looked like a mailbox for our cards, or even a paper bag was used for our cards of friendship. Later, with excitement, we spent hours looking over every special card.

Those days may be long gone, as we seem to send our words of friendship via modern technology today. Yet I still find many of us still like that school-days feeling when we can find a stack of vintage valentine cards or postcards in our favorite antique shop.

As Valentines Day gets near, I start to feel a bit nostalgic for these items of the past. I like cards of today, but I especially enjoy cards from the early 1900s that you can still find when out on your antiquing adventures.

A history of giving

Most of the oldest valentine treasures can be traced back to about 1740 to 1840 and are in museums now and rarely found by collectors today. The custom of sending and exchanging of love letters or valentines was a custom among the German immigrants of Pennsylvania and surely made its way across the country.

The fancy cards made in Germany were especially elegant, with their honeycomb paper insets, embossing, foldouts and ribbon embellishments. Some German valentines were cutouts with movable parts. There were ships, cars, trains and later airplanes. When a paper lever was moved, their wheels would go around and the characters heads would turn. Very few of these can be found, but if you do find one, treasure it!

You can find more information in "Greetings With Love: Book of Valentines," by Michele Karl; "One Hundred Years of Valentines," by Katherine Kreider; "Valentine Treasury: A Century of Valentine Cards," by Robert Brenner; and "Valentines, A Collectors Guide, 1700s-1950s, Identification & Values," by Barbara Johnson. All are informative books on collecting valentines and interesting to read.

Popular cards among collectors

Cards from about 1895 until 1915 were often stand-up cards with a base and several three-dimensional fold-out layers, as were the honeycomb paper puffs, which opened to form bells, fans, balls, hearts and other shapes. These cards could be mailed flat and then easily folded out.

For collectors, many of these popular items were saved and for something made of 100-year-old paper, they can be found in relatively good condition. In fact, the colors on the cards are usually still vivid and bright, with only tissue paper decoration and honeycombs showing some fading. The German mechanical valentines also are popular. Unfortunately, the mechanical movement over time has caused them to deteriorate, and for this reason theyre not found as readily as their free-standing dimensional cards.

Also popular are the Victorian-style cards. And ever so popular are the valentine postcards  great for a collector just starting out. Best cards are from about 1900 to 1920 and newer flat cards from the 1940s and 1950s. When collecting, look for unused cards in excellent condition as they can bring in a higher price, but worn with folded edges and a bit of correspondence on them are sometimes a favorite card to collectors.

Finding cards

Neil Hunt, A-Z Collectibles, Winona:"I have a folder of valentines from $1 for the little school cards to $20 for the bigger cards with paper lace or that fold out. I also have valentine post cards ranging from $1 to $5."

Sarah Kieffer, Sarahs Uniques and Jims "Man"tiques, St. Charles:"I do love my valentine displays! Many people love to purchase all the vintage valentines. I sell mine from 75 cents on up to $3 apiece. I have many with envelopes that you could actually send and use today!"

Chris Rand Kujath, Old River Valley Antique Mall, Stewartville:"I do sell valentine cards and postcards throughout the year since some buy for giving, Pinterest or repurposing projects. Most range from $1 to $5."

Brenda Jannsen, Treasures Under Sugar Loaf, Winona:"We have vintage and keepsake cards with Angie Pehler, Angies Vintage Rust, and with other vendors selling from $1 to $6."

Magazines can influence the buying of vintage and antique valentine items. Websites other then eBay that encourage collecting for Victorian-style valentines and some vintage valentines are: zazzle.com, rubylane.com, etsy.comand VictorianTradingCo.com.Political Editor

Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.Yes. I will do my part to conserve household energy usage, even if I'm uncomfortable in my home.

No. It is too hot to conserve household energy usage.

I already conserve, even before ERCOT requested it.

Maybe, depending on the reason ERCOT provides and whether or not I am home during that time.

Vote

View ResultsThe Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication.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.Watching young Foxx Coker pad around his Johns Island home, clutching his favorite toy dog and dancing to the theme of SpongeBob SquarePants, his parents can't help but think of all the little moments like this they have missed over the past two years.

His first steps. His first words. His first taste of solid food. Moments forever lost amid a swirl of accusations and heartache.

Foxx was just 2 months old when the state Department of Social Services whisked him away in May 2017 after a variety of broken bones in his body led to suspicions of child abuse. Then, a judge unexpectedly returned him to his parents Wednesday after a medical expert testified that the boy's injuries resulted from a bone-weakening case of nutritional rickets, not physical abuse.

Now the blond-haired toddler is home, scattering his toys about the house, high-fiving people with his tiny hands and scurrying along after his parents on walks to a pond on the rural, 12-acre property where they live.

He's already spent more time with them than he has since he was placed in protective custody and shuttled through a series of foster homes. During that time, his parents were allowed to see Foxx for two hours each month in a DSS facility while case workers watched from behind two-way mirrors.

"He knew who we were," said his father Joshua Coker. "But there is no way you can truly bond with someone in two hours a month."

That's just 24 hours in a year, he said. The equivalent of a single day.

They would watch as the foster parents' car pulled away with Foxx inside after each visit. It was like the moment he'd been stripped from them was being played on an endless loop, his mother, Ashley Joyner, said.

"It's been awful," she said, shaking her head. "An absolute nightmare."

Coker and Joyner say they are thrilled to have Foxx home again, savoring every moment and trying to concentrate on a brighter future that suddenly lies ahead of them. As they fought efforts to terminate their parental rights in Charleston County Family Court, they weren't expecting to walk out the door with Foxx the same week. They figured they would be ordered into a treatment plan replete with parenting classes, drug testing and other hurdles to prove their competence.

Instead, Judge Michele Forsythe blasted DSS for failing to back up allegations of abuse with solid evidence, the family's attorneys said. She ordered DSS to return Foxx to his parents immediately and provide the family with a year's counseling to help with their reunification.

"We're parents again," Joyner said. "And we're going to raise the best little boy we can."

Not everyone shares the family's joy. Critics of the judge's decision and skeptics of the rickets diagnosis have expressed outrage over the ruling and the speed with which Foxx was returned to his parents. Rumors have swirled over what's in the child's medical records as others point to two misdemeanor assault convictions in the father's past, the most recent of which was in 2013.

State Rep. Nancy Mace, a Daniel Island Republican, said the system failed in one way or another. Either the boy was improperly taken from his family at a tender age or the judge erred in sending him back into what could be a precarious situation. Either way, someone should be held accountable, she said.

"This is a miscarriage of justice on one side or the other," she said.

Concerning injuries

The family's long journey started, Joyner said, when she discovered her infant's son left leg was swollen one day, though without signs of obvious bruising. They ended up at Medical University Hospital, where doctors informed them that Foxx had a leg fracture. The medical staff didn't mention at the time that X-rays had pinpointed several other fractures as well. But soon, DSS investigators arrived on the scene and began questioning Joyner and Coker about the injuries, the couple said.

They were caught off guard by the sudden scrutiny but were confident, they said, that authorities would realize their suspicions were misplaced. That didn't happen. Foxx was soon placed in protective custody.

A few weeks later, Charleston County sheriff's deputies moved in to arrest the couple on suspicion of child abuse after testing failed to pinpoint a medical condition that could have caused the injuries and doctors pointed to signs of possible trauma, according to arrest affidavits.

After news of the arrests broke, the couple received death threats over social media, Coker said. Joyner said anger, depression and stress set in, and she grew uncomfortable even venturing out to the grocery store. Foxx had been their "miracle baby," as Joyner, 27, had a medical condition that doctors said would prevent her from having a child. How could people think they would harm him, they wondered.

Still, they remained convinced that authorities would realize at some point they had made a mistake, they said.

"Obviously, it was going to be tough no matter what, but we just had to get the truth out there," Coker said. "And I was confident that one way or another, no matter how long it took, he would be coming home."

Their attorneys said they cooperated with authorities in every way they could. They took and passed polygraph tests, and they asked to testify in court even though it meant waving their 5th Amendment protections with criminal charges still looming, said John Duffy, an attorney for Joyner.

Coker, a 29-year-old cook, said he didn't mind the scrutiny or questions about his past criminal record, which he chalked up to bad decisions as a young man. "I'm not the same person I was back then," he said.

Another explanation

Their luck changed after their attorneys found a California orthopedic surgeon who agreed to review Foxx's X-rays. The doctor, an expert in bone disorders, concluded with certainty that Foxx's 16 fractures were caused by rickets brought on by a vitamin D deficiency, Abigail Duffy, an attorney for Joyner, said.

Nutritional rickets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been considered rare in the U.S. since the introduction of vitamin D-fortified milk and infant formula. But the disease has seen a rise in occurrences in the past several decades, according to recent research by the Mayo Clinic. If a mother breastfeeds her child and does not give formula or supplement the milk with vitamin D, rickets can develop in the first month or two of life, experts said.

Joyner said she breastfed Foxx but used a soy supplement with little vitamin D because her son had trouble digesting standard formula.

The couple's attorneys contend that MUSC waited too long to test Foxx for vitamin D deficiency, which led to a misdiagnosis of his injuries, and DSS was unwilling to entertain explanations other than abuse.

"The villains in this case are Charleston County DSS and MUSC," William H. Nixon Jr., an attorney for Joyner, said in an email to lawmakers and The Post and Courier. "They utterly and completely failed to handle this case properly."

DSS and MUSC have declined to discuss specifics of the case, citing privacy laws.

Ryan Schwartz, an attorney for Coker, said he hopes this case leads to reforms in how DSS handles cases, and makes pediatricians think carefully before concluding that something is child abuse.

"Just because it looks like something doesn't mean it is," Coker said. "All avenues need to be examined before you come to a conclusion."

"Also, people make mistakes," Joyner said.

Coker nodded. "Even doctors."

For now, Joyner and Cox are concentrating on the future, not what's been lost. They plan to throw a big party for Foxx on his birthday in early March. And holidays this year will be extra special events.

"You are going to be very spoiled this year," Coker told his son with a laugh.

Gregory Yee contributed to this article.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High around 90F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Low 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.DENMARK  The water in this small town near Orangeburg has become infamous in recent months because it was treated for a decade with a chemical, HaloSan, that hasn't been used in any other public drinking system.

That fact already had stirred distrust in the town and its water supply. But residents should know about other concerns hiding in their pipes, a scientist says.

Kenneth Rudo, who worked for the state of North Carolina as a toxicologist for 28 years, announced at a rally in Denmark that records he's examined from the town show many past episodes of contamination. Those include carcinogenic leachates from a dry cleaner that were present for years before the town shut down affected wells in 2006, and indications that gasoline had seeped into the water supply between 2006 and 2008.

There's no evidence those contaminants persist in the water today, Rudo said, and the town has not used HaloSan since last summer.

A spokesman for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control acknowledged that dry-cleaning chemicals had been detected as early as 2002 but said readings did not reach the Environmental Protection Agency's threshold for action and the agency had never seen clear evidence of gasoline contamination.

What persisted, however, is the town's water also contains a naturally occurring metal: manganese.

The element is not uncommon in groundwater wells and, along with iron, causes the occasional water discoloration residents have reported. But the concentrations seen in Denmark on and off for at least a decade reach levels that emerging science shows could be harmful to young children's brain development, said Rudo, who has been hired by a law firm suing the town of Denmark.

"Look after your health," Rudo told a group of about 150 people at the Jan. 26 rally. "Get your doctor to look at you before something bad could happen."

Emerging science

Manganese is an essential nutrient to humans. But like many other environmental threats, its amount determines its toxicity. The metal has long been known to cause a condition similar to Parkinson's Disease in adults who inhale it in large concentrations.

In water systems in the United States, it's treated as an aesthetic concern. The EPA has a secondary standard for how much should be in the water, but it's a recommendation; water systems aren't required to regularly monitor for manganese.

In the past decade, however, researchers have begun to link drinking water laced with the metal to developmental problems in young children. Studies tracking the average concentration of manganese in well water in North Carolina counties have shown correlations between higher levels of the metal and increased infant mortality, heart defects and neurodevelopmental defects.

One study in Canada, published in 2011, showed an even stronger connection. The study of 362 children aged 6 to 13 years old showed that children who drank water with higher manganese levels had lower IQ scores.

"It's up to the regulators to decide, 'OK, what's the magnitude of the IQ deficit we are willing to accept?'" said Maryse Bouchard of the University of Quebec at Montreal, the lead author of the study.

It was Bouchard's work that helped convince regulators in Minnesota to set a health standard for manganese, said Sarah Johnson, of the Minnesota Department of Public Health. State officials there were most concerned about children younger than a year, who are even more sensitive because they may not have developed the ability to excrete the metal yet, as older people can.

"Infants have a unique susceptibility to manganese," Johnson said.

Minnesota is largely at the forefront of regulation. Rules on manganese are still under development in Canada, Bouchard said. Many states, including South Carolina, do not have any standards in place beyond the EPA's recommendation, even though concentrations well above Bourchard's recommended limit of .1 miligrams per liter have been found in wells in the piedmont region.

The state is now collecting data on the metal as the EPA monitors manganese across the country, said Tommy Crosby, a spokesman for DHEC. That data may form the basis for future rules on manganese.

A history of infractions

Other contaminants found so far by Rudo's review of Denmark's own water sampling largely tell the story of a water system that has been beleaguered for years.

Attorneys representing Denmark in two class-action lawsuits are not speaking about the town's water system, a receptionist at the law firm Ness & Jett LLC said. Denmark Mayor Gerald Wright previously directed The Post and Courier to speak with those attorneys. Wright also has said repeatedly the city's water is safe to drink.

Chlorinated solvents, a cleaning chemicals that are known human carcinogens, were in the town's water for years before a contaminated well was taken offline in 2006, Rudo said. The compound is so dangerous in part because even one molecule can change human DNA, starting off the cancer process.

Crosby said the amounts of the chemical did not meet EPA's standards for action until 2006. But the EPA's standard is not solely based on health effects: The agency's health-based rules for chlorinated solvents say there should be none in the water at all.

Either way, the episode sparked an emergency hookup to nearby Bamberg's water supply that lasted for two years.

By 2010, the town entered a consent order with DHEC because of complaints of discolored water and because it did not have basic system maintenance procedures. A year later, DHEC found that the town still had not fixed some of the maintenance deficiencies. It wasn't until 2013 that the dropped the orders.

But during both censures, the town was still using HaloSan  a chemical that wouldn't spark a flurry of renewed attention and public mistrust of its water until 10 years later.Gregory Yee covers breaking news and public safety. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.Michael Bennett, the owner and founder of Charleston-based Bennett Hospitality  a veritable Lowcountry empire of hotels, restaurants and other properties  has been waiting for this for years. It has to be just right.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.In the midst of extreme cold weather in the U.S. on February 1, Russias main state media outlet RIA Novosti published an article headlined The MSNBC host stated, that Russia may cut off the heating in the U.S. during the freeze.

Referring to a tweet by WikiLeaks, the Russian news agency accused Rachel Maddow of implying that the extremely low temperatures in the U.S. are somehow tied with Moscows actions. She did not.

WikiLeaks tweet implied Maddow said: Russia will freeze you and your family to death. She did not.

Here is what Maddow actually said: What would happen if Russia killed the power in Fargo today? What would you do if you lost heat indefinitely as the act of a foreign power on the same day the temperature in your backyard matched the temperature in Antarctica?

The RIA Novosti article went on to describe Maddow as known for her anti-Russian position, and concluding that her questions were baseless and merely a fraction of the U.S. media's ambiguous statements demonizing Russia.

RIA Novosti is wrong  the MSNBC hosts concerns are based on U.S. government warnings.

The segment on Maddows program is seven minutes long, reporting on the U.S. intelligence chiefs report and testimony before Congress earlier in the week. Maddow begins not with Russia but China, quoting the intelligence report that says China could disrupt a natural gas supply for days to weeks in the U.S.

She quotes the report saying Russia has the ability to execute cyber attackssuch as disrupting an electrical distribution network for at least a few hours.

WikiLeaks is right to assert that Maddow is viewed as generally favoring the Democratic Party. However, in this segment she cited reporting by the Wall Street Journal, which is owned by News Corp, a spin off a company founded by Rupert Murdoch, who also founded Fox News, the conservative U.S. cable channel. Maddow spent several minutes interviewing the the Journal's energy reporter.

In March 2018 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation alerted Americans that, "Since at least March 2016, Russian government cyber actors have targeted government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including those of energy, nuclear, water and aviation.

According to reports, the Russian hackers had the ability to shut down at will more than 50 U.S. nuclear power plants.

And the U.S. could have reasonable basis for such concerns because cutting off entire nations from heating supplies in the midst of bitterly cold winters is not something unheard of when comes to Russia.

In Europe, where countries rely on Russian gas for up to 80 percent of their demands, Russia on multiple occasions over the years has cut off or significantly reduced gas supplies. In January 2009, for instance Russias actions affected several countries from France to Turkey.

Russias abuse of gas agreements forced the European Union to launch an anti-trust investigation against the state giant Gazprom.

Since we published this story late on February 1, a number of readers have brought to our attention even more recent interruptions of energy supplies. Ukraine has reportedly suffered mid-winter cyber-attacks against the nation's power grid, leaving millions without heat or electricity.

As the Wired publication described it "...the blackouts werent just isolated attacks. They were part of a digital blitzkrieg that has pummeled Ukraine for the past three yearsa sustained cyber -- assault unlike any the world has ever seen."Advertising

Yesterday Sen. Cory Booker declared he was running for president in 2020. And now Donald Trump is saying that the New Jersey Democrat has no chance of winning the White House.

Pres. Trump said Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who just announced hes running for president, has no chance in the 2020 election, in an exclusive interview with CBS News Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan.

Pres. Trump said Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who just announced he's running for president, has "no chance" in the 2020 election, in an exclusive interview with CBS News "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan. https://t.co/kwzSufvZdv  CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 2, 2019

I say no chance, Trump said of Bookers shot at the presidency in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan, to be broadcast in full on Sunday.

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When pressed for more details about his conclusion on Booker, Trump responded: Because I know him. He has no chance.

Booker officially announced his presidential campaign on Friday morning and then later spoke to reporters outside of his home in Newark.

When asked about Trump, Booker declined to call the president a racist and emphasized his campaign will not be about who Im against or what Im against.

I dont know the heart of anybody, Booker said when asked if Trump was a racist. Ill leave that to the Lord.

Yesterday we reported that Booker sees Trumps weak spot and has developed a message of love and national unity which has Trump worried.

In typical Trump fashion the president said that no Democrats running in 2020 concern him, saying:

So far, I dont see anybody. I dont  Im not impressed with their group,

Trump also discussed the field of 2020 Democratic challengers in an interview with the New York Times. He said that Sen. Kamala Harris of California had the best campaign rollout. He also made fun of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her claimed Native American heritage.

The CBS interview with Trump comes just before his first State of the Union address since Democrats won control of the House in last Novembers elections. He is scheduled to give his address before a joint session of Congress on February 5.

There are also now less than two weeks before there may be another Trump-caused government shutdown. Funding for several federal departments and agencies runs out on February 15 and Trump continues to demand money for his misguided border wall with Mexico. He has threatened to declare a national emergency, which would give him the ability to use money given to the military to build a wall without congressional approval.

In the CBS interview Trump also said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is very bad for the country. According to Trump, Pelosi is doing a terrible disservice to our country, saying:

Shes  shes costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars because whats happening is, when you have a porous border and when you have drugs pouring in, and when you have people dying all over the country because of people like Nancy Pelosi who dont want to give proper border security for political reasons  shes doing a terrible disservice to our country.

This prompted MSNBC analyst Jonathan Alter to tweet that Pelosi should get equal time because Trumps interview is full of lies.

Trump attacks Pelosi and lies about her in CBS interview to air during the Super Bowl. CBS should either run that part only on Face the Nation where it can be corrected by the panel or give Pelosi equal time. The latter would set a good precedent for respecting Congress. Trump attacks Pelosi and lies about her in CBS interview to air during the Super Bowl. CBS should either run that part only on Face the Nation where it can be corrected by the panel or give Pelosi equal time. The latter would set a good precedent for respecting Congress.  Jonathan Alter (@jonathanalter) February 2, 2019760 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday that Russia will withdraw from a long-standing and critical Cold War-era missile treaty with the United States. Putins move came following the Trump administrations move to withdraw a day earlier.

On Friday President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would be pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty after accusing Russia for violating the terms of the agreement.

The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well, Putin said during a meeting with Russian foreign and defense ministers that was televised on Saturday in Russia.

Putin said Russia will start work on building new nuclear missiles, including hypersonic ones, and told his ministers not to initiate any new disarmament talks with Washington. He accused the U.S. government of being slow to respond to such overtures.

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In a statement yesterday Trump had accused Moscow of violating the 1987 treaty with impunity by deploying banned missiles. Trump said in the statement that the U.S. will move forward with developing its own military response options to Russias deployment of banned cruise missiles that could target Western Europe.

We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other, Trump said.

Putin and the Russian government have strongly denied any breaches of the treaty, and have repeatedly accused U.S. officials of making false accusations in order to justify its pullout.

The 1987 treaty, signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, required the destruction of ground-based missiles with a range of between 310 to 3,410 miles. It also banned the deployment of new missiles.

The agreement stopped the proliferation of nuclear weapons that had become a point of crisis during the Cold War. It also is considered a model for arms control agreements between major powers.

The United States has claimed since 2014 that Russia was violating the treaty, and senior Trump administration officials said on Friday they had tried 35 times through diplomatic communications to convince Russia to get back into compliance with the pact.

We provided Russia an ample window of time to mend its ways and for Russia to honor its commitment, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday. Tomorrow that time runs out.

The collapse of the INF Treaty has raised fears of a new Cold War showdown similar to what happened in the 1980s, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union both deployed intermediate-range missiles on the European continent. These nuclear weapons were seen as particularly dangerous since they take just a few minutes to reach their targets. In such situations there is no time for decision-makers to take steps to stop the missiles from delivering nuclear destruction.

The existence of new intermediate-range missiles increases the chances that there will be a global nuclear conflict over a false launch warning.113 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam saw all support from within his own party disappear Friday night and Saturday morning as calls for his resignation came from both state and national Democrats.

As the night wore on Friday, more and more prominent Democrats in Virginia and in Washington announced they wanted Northam to leave the position to which he had been elected in 2017. By the time Saturday morning arrived the embattled governor had literally no support left.

The calls for his resignation had begun as a trickle after he admitted that he had appeared in a racist photo while he was in medical school. But that trickle later turned into a flood as even his closest and most trusted allies called for him to step down.

Those who now want him to resign include his one time partner, former governor Terry McAuliffe (D), Virginia State Senate and House Democrats, Virginias legislative Black Caucus and many liberal groups such as MoveOn.org and Planned Parenthood.

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Demands for his resignation also have now come from many nationally prominent Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Julian Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas.

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, tweeted:

Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the @NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor @RalphNortham.

Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the @NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor @RalphNortham  Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) February 2, 2019

Democrats in the state legislature Virginia had an emergency conference call late Friday night to discuss the Northam situation. They concluded that they will no longer support him. He will likely resign in the morning, said one legislator on the call.

If Northam steps down, it will mean Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, the second African American elected to statewide office in Virginia, would become governor, serving serving out the rest of Northams term until 2021.

The calls for Northams resignation after he admitted that he appeared in a picture in his 1984 medical school yearbook showing a man wearing blackface and another dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

The photo was shown in a tweet from CNN:

JUST IN: Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam confirms he is one of the individuals in yearbook photo showing one person in blackface and another in KKK hood, apologizes for "racist and offensive" costume https://t.co/3K4VGfP5Mv pic.twitter.com/YoWqInnDAV  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 1, 2019Advertising

MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace said that a former DOJ official told her that Trump is more than a subject in the Michael Cohen case, but he could end up being a criminal defendant.

Wallace said on her MSNBC show Deadline: White House, A former senior justice official puts a finer point on the presidents comments adding, quote, of course, Donald Trump is a subject in the Mueller investigation. Mueller knows it and Donald Trumps lawyers know it too. There no way Robert Mueller would have pursued responses to questions, the source adds, for as many months as he did if the president were not a subject. He adds also in the cases out of the Southern District of New York, Donald Trump is implicated in a crime. It may very well be a target of that probe and ultimately a criminal defendant.

Video:

A former senior DOJ official says that not only is Trump a target, but he could end up being a criminal defendant. https://t.co/qDuGxWgiQB pic.twitter.com/YEGkimAhS6  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 1, 2019

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Trumps claim that he is not a Mueller target was BS, but Mueller isnt Trumps biggest problem

Trumps claim that Rod Rosenstein told him that he isnt a target of the Mueller investigation sounds like another example of the president twisting words and hearing what he wants to hear, if not an outright fabrication of a conversation that never happened.

Trump biggest problem might not be Mueller. Trumps biggest problem is Michael Cohen and the cases that are working their way through the Southern District of New York. Trump has already been connected to multiple felonies in the Cohen case. There is also a mountain of direct evidence that was seized in the Cohen raid that directly implicates Trump in criminal activity.

Michael Cohens upcoming testimony to Congress is going to put the focus back on to the crimes that could bring Trump down.

Donald Trump may end up walking out the White House and straight into a criminal indictment in January 2021.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) sees Trumps weak spot and has developed a message of love and national unity that should keep Trumps 2020 advisers awake a night.

Sen. Booker said:

What I heard around the country that people in America are losing faith that this nation will work for them. Theyre beginning to believe that too many folks are going to get left out or left behind. They begin to believe that the forces tearing us apart or stronger than the force that bonds us together as a people or a country. I am running as president because I want to address these issues. We are a nation and a story of who we are. Everybody is gathered at my front walk here, we are all here because of Americans from different backgrounds and religions and political parties stood together and worked together and fought together to make this country stand for something.

What makes us unique and different is we have folks from all over the planet Earth from eastern Europe to Africa and Asia whose DNA is on this soil and working together, we did things that other people thought impossible. My parent generation knew if we came together, black and American and Jew, we can up Jim crow. There is no Republican or democratic way to get there. You definitely dont get there by fighting each other and beating each other down, dividing people against we do those things because we found our common ground.

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Video:

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is another Democratic candidate who rolls out his campaign with an excellent message. pic.twitter.com/qbFHy2WrdB  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) February 1, 2019

What is interesting about Booker is that he is contrasting himself with Trump via the hopeful message that the president lacks:

Cory Booker, I am running for president because I believe in us and I believe in these values. I am going to put them before the American people. pic.twitter.com/0GPgmadTMv  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) February 1, 2019

Democrats are going to have many good choices/h1>

Sen. Booker isnt running just to run. He has a message and an appeal that he wants to make to the American people. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) also rolled out her presidential campaign with an impressive and well thought out message.

Bookers main problem could end up being making sure that he doesnt get lost in the shuffle of what could be a massive Democratic primary field. Democrats are committed to doing one thing, and that is ending the presidency of Donald Trump. There are early signs that Democrats are going to go after Trump, not each other. Sen. Booker is a very strong presidential candidate, and Democrats are already looking a talented field of good choices to be their next presidential nominee.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on FacebookKings of Tallinn Returns with Big Names Feb. 18-24

February 02, 2019 Jason Glatzer

The OlyBet Kings of Tallinn is back for the fifth straight year at the luxurious Hilton Tallinn Park and Olympic Park Casino for 40 action-packed tournaments across seven days from Feb. 18-24.

The Kings of Tallinn was created in 2015 after the famous tournament director Teresa Nousiainen was approached by Olympic Casino with the idea of creating a poker festival together. Not too much later, Kings of Tallinn was co-founded by Nousianen and Olympic Park Casino Deputy Manager at Olympic Casino Eesti Risto Suurpold and quickly grew to the largest poker festival in Northern Europe.

Nousiainen is proud of the festival's success and its ability to attract players throughout Europe, especially from the Nordic and Baltic countries.

"The last Kings of Tallinn attracted approximately 1,000 unique players and we sold approximately 3,500 tournament tickets!" Nousiainen mentioned to PokerNews. "We are the biggest poker week up north."

The demand for this year's festival has been huge as expected.

"We are selling out on rooms at the beautiful Hilton Tallinn as we speak," said Nousiainen. "If anyone wants to stay at the Hilton, they better hurry up with reservations!"

1,100 Main Event

The highlight of the festival is the 1,100 Kings of Tallinn Main Event from Feb. 21-24. For the second straight year, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to report all of the Main Event action along with exclusive interviews and live videos.

Last year, Finland's Juha Helppi outlasted a field of 268 entrants to win the 62,000 top prize.

Juha Helppi wins 2018 Kings of Tallinn Main Event.

Helppi will be back in the field this year to defend his title.

"The Kings of Tallinn is in my calendar every year and of course I am coming and defending my trophy!" said Helppi.

The tournament is a deep-stacked affair with players starting with 30,000 in chips and blinds increasing every hour from the beginning to the end. The event features a single opening day with players provided plenty of chances to build a big stack with unlimited re-entry permitted until the conclusion of the first blind level on Day 2.

The final two days will be live streamed with hole-cards exposed on a short-delay.

Other Highlights

In addition to the Main Event, each day during the festival features many side events in a variety of poker variants including no-limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha h/l, pineapple open-face Chinese, Sviten Special, crazy pineapple and Archie.

Events buy-ins are as high as the 3,000 Kings of Tallinn Highroller on Feb. 23-24 with plenty of smaller buy-in events including freebuys on every day of schedule.

The tournaments all take advantage of current TDA rules and the all of the hold'em tournaments utilize the popular big blind ante structure.

In addition, the schedule features many satellites where players can enter their target event for a fraction of the cost and cash games will be running 24 hours a day across a variety of poker variants throughout the entire festival. Head to the Kings of Tallinn website to check out the full schedule of events.

Last year witnessed Patrik Antonius, Theo Jorgensen, Ville Wahlbeck, Jani Vilmunen, Juha Helppi, and other star players playing in high-stakes cash games. Antonius and Helppi will be back along with other high profile players confirming their attendance including Ilari Ziigmund Sahamies and Anton Wigg.

The Kings of Tallinn also hosts a Team Challenge funded by two percent of the buy-ins from every regular tournament with at least 25 unique players. Players form teams of four people can earn points by cashing in events.

A total of 75 percent of the Team Challenge pool is awarded to the top team while the remaining 25 percent is awarded to the runner-up team. All the players on the winning team will also walk away with a 2019 Battle of Malta Main Event seat valued at 550.

Online Satellites

In addition to the many live satellites, players can also qualify online at Olybet Poker. The online poker room is part of the Microgaming Poker Network.

Feeder tournaments start at just 0.01 where players can work their way up to compete in 110 direct satellites for seats to the 1,100 Main Event, the 3,000 Highroller, and any event with a 330 or 550 buy-in.

OlyBet Poker players can also use their online balances to purchase directly into events of their choice up to four hours before the start of any event.

The final online 110 Main Event satellite, guaranteeing eight Main Event seats, takes place on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. on OlyBet Poker. At the same time, Olybet Poker is hosting its final 110 High Roller satellite with one seat guaranteed.

In addition, the online poker room is hosting a freeroll on Saturday, Feb. 16 where first place will be awarded a Main Event seat and seven other players will each receive a 110 online ticket to Sunday's High Roller final satellite.

If you don't already have an account at OlyBet Poker we have great news for you. Sign up to OlyBet Poker to help yourself to an amazing welcome package which includes a 100 percent deposit bonus up to 500.While Aaron Gwin and Neko Mulally going to Intense wasn't all that much of a surprise for us, some of the other factors were. Intense restructured their brand with a full on commitment to racing and brought on several investors. Jon Erik Jeb Burleson and Christy LaCurelle, along with four-time Supercross champion Ryan Dungey and Team Geico Honda Co-owner Jeff Majkrzak bring their expertise from motocross over to the Intense brand. With their experience and track record of success, it's unlikely they would be investing in the brand if they didn't have an air-tight plan for success.Will Gwin and the rest of the Intense team be able to deliver the wins that translate to sales? They have as good of a chance as any and with their dream team assembled, they're in a better position than ever.Logansport, IN (46947)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 72F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.The United States Coast Guard suspended its 63-hour search Thursday evening for an overdue Guardian King Air 200 medical life flight near Kake.

On board were pilot Patrick Coyle, 63, flight nurse Stacie Rae Morse, 30, and flight paramedic Margaret Langston Allen, 43.

"Suspending a search for any reason is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make," said Capt. Stephen White, Sector Juneau commander in a USCG press release. "This was an extensive search effort in some very challenging conditions. We are thankful for the assistance from the search and rescue teams, Alaska State Troopers, Army Air National Guard and good Samaritans."

Debris from a plane was located in the water approximately 22 miles west of Kake on Wednesday afternoon, but both the USCG and Guardian Flight couldn't confirm the debris was from the overdue aircraft. Since then, both the USCG and Guardian Flight have stated in prepared releases that the debris appears to be from the Guardian Flight aircraft. No other debris has been located.

"While the formal search and rescue effort has been discontinued and we recognize the gravity of the situation, we will continue efforts to recover our friends in order to hopefully reunite them with their beloved families," said Randy Lyman with Guardian Flight in a prepared statement.

Photo courtesy of Dave Berg The view from the harbor security boat on Wednesday near Kake as members of Petersburg Search and Rescue look for signs of the overdue aircraft.

The aircraft departed out of Anchorage Tuesday afternoon and was expected in Kake at 6:19 P.M. to pick up a patient. Jim Gregory, a spokesman with Guardian Flight, declined to give further information about the patient, including how the patient was ultimately cared for, because Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations prevents him from disclosing information that would lead to the identify of the individual.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa, home ported in Petersburg, an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk crew, the Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco and an Alaska Army National Guard UH-60 rescue helicopter were involved with the search of the aircraft. Petersburg Search and Rescue also sent six of its members onboard a harbor security boat Wednesday morning at 9 A.M. to assist with the search, according to Petersburg Fire Department assistant fire chief Dave Berg.

Alaska State Troopers, Kake Search and Rescue, Wrangell Search and Rescue, Alaska Marine Highway ferries, Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center and good Samaritans all contributed to the search effort.Once in a Lifetime: Visiting Bruegel in Vienna

Story by Michael Shapiro, photos by the author and Phyllis Shapiro

A chance to see a rare collection of a 16th-century painter's work that never before appeared in one place, a mother and son connect on a spontaneous journey to Austria.

My five-day winter's journey with my mother to Vienna began 45 years ago. When I was kid of 10 or 11 years old in suburban New York, my mother, Phyllis, brought home a puzzle of a painting called Children's Games by 16th-century Dutch-Flemish master Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I remember coming home on winter afternoons and piecing the puzzle together, sometimes with my mom or brother, sometimes on my own. The work featured more than 200 children in a Flemish courtyard playing about 90 different games, so even a few pieces of the puzzle could compose a complete scene.

I wasn't sure then why I liked the painting but reading about Bruegel's work recently gave me a clue: Bruegel (sometimes spelled Brueghel) was a people's painter, typically depicting real-life scenes such as an exuberant peasant wedding, rather than religious motifs or portraits of high-society patrons. He had a sense of whimsy and fun, and, as a trained miniaturist, a phenomenal eye for detail. Most of all, his work evinced deep compassion for ordinary people.

Flash forward to November 2018: Phyllis, a longtime docent at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (as a volunteer guide, she led tours for school groups for nearly 20 years) sent me an email with a link to an Art News story. The headline: "It Took 450 Years to Get the First Pieter Bruegel the Elder Retrospective. It Will Probably Never Happen Again. Here's Why."

Born between 1526 and 1530 in Breda, about 50 kilometers southeast of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Bruegel was active as an artist for only 18 years. He worked slowly and died in his 40s; only about 40 of his paintings survive, the Art News story said. Many of his masterpieces were painted on wood panels, making them fragile and susceptible to warping and other types of damage, so museums that own them are reluctant to lend the precious works, even for a blockbuster show.

Yet somehow the persuasive director of the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) museum in Vienna collected about two-thirds of Bruegel's paintings and more than half of his engravings and drawings for the exhibition, which was open for less than 15 weeks. Entitled "Once in a Lifetime," it closed Jan. 13, 2019, but the Vienna museum still houses the world's largest collection of Bruegel's art.

Vienna Calling

"This is a rare and wonderful show-and will not travel anywhere else!!" my mom wrote in an email. "We should fly to Vienna for a few days to see it. Children's Games is in the show!!" I thanked her for the generous offer but said I had a book due soon and couldn't take the time to fly from San Francisco to Austria. Her reply: "If by some miracle you can pull it off, we will go, however briefly. If not, it has been fun to dream about going and I will save money. A win-win situation."

Since I was a teenager, I've often accessed emotion through music, yet for my mom art is the gateway to her heart. Our ideal visions of travel are different: I love spontaneous shoestring journeys in Asia and Latin America and am happiest paddling a raft or kayak or trekking though mountains. Phyllis loves art museums, grand hotels, and cosmopolitan cities. Yet with our decades-long connection to Bruegel, and especially to Children's Games, I wanted to find a way to Vienna, where my maternal grandmother's family lived in the 19th century. My mother has a tremendous intellect and grasp of history, so I knew it would be illuminating to travel with her.

I spoke to my book editorhe extended my deadline. In late November, I found a great deal on flights for the second week of January and went online to get tickets for the Bruegel exhibition. It was sold out, every day, every time slot. I kept checking, and miraculously a few days later the museum added more tickets for "an extraordinary evening at the special exhibition including a guided tour and a champagne reception." We were on our way. I sent the PDF of the tickets to my mom. Her reply: "This SO EXCITING and we will LOVE the tour!!!!!"

Which is how Phyllis, who recently celebrated a milestone birthday, and I found ourselves arriving at Vienna's airport, greeted by billboard-size posters of Bruegel's art with the caption: "Once in a Lifetime." My mom suggested: "That could be the title of your story." I said I didn't know if I'd write about this, and she said, "Oh, you will." Part insight, part command. The following day when we passed the museum in a hop-on-hop-off bus, my mom raised her fists and shook her arms in excitement.

Face to Face With Bruegel

And so, on a frigid Friday night two days before the exhibition closed, it was time to meet Bruegel. We took a taxi down the Ringstrasse, the road that encircles central Vienna, then crammed into the entryway of the Kunsthistorisches museum with hundreds of other art enthusiasts, getting pressed against the doors. The palatial building, which dates to 1891 and is capped with an octagonal dome, had closed for regular admission and wouldn't open for the evening program for 15 minutes. I feared we might be smothered to death before we could see the master's art.

At precisely 6:30pm the doors opened and the crowd surged toward the ticket takers. Our English-language tour wouldn't start for another half hour so we shot up the museum's grand central staircase, flanked by elaborate marble carvings. We unknowingly went in through the out door and skipped straight to Children's Games.

Phyllis gasped the moment she saw the painting. It was larger than I imagined: I still had the 16-by-23-inch puzzle in my mind. The actual painting is 46 by 63 inches, and beholding, in person, this scene painted more than 450 years ago took away my breath too. Only one person stood between us and "Children's Games." Phyllis asked him to take our photo so it would be just the two of us in the image.

Still ahead of the tour groups, we wandered through the nearly empty galleries, taking in Bruegel's epic works, such as Hunters in the Snow, a wintry scene viewed from an elevated perspective that's part of a series of paintings depicting the changing seasons. When we revisited Hunters with our tour group, our guide, a highly knowledgeable young woman, told us that the painting representing spring remained at The Metropolitan Museum in New York because the Met's curators felt it was too fragile to travel. She noted Bruegel lived during the Little Ice Age that lasted from the 1300s to the mid-1800s, when winters were often brutally long and severe.

We moved on to The Adoration of the Magi in the Snow, which our guide said was the first painting in which falling snow is depicted. It shows the realistic decrepitude of the village with its crumbling church, a note of symbolism about religion's waning influence. The light in the painting comes from a flame within a makeshift tavern.

Our group of about 25 people trundled over to Children's Games. Phyllis darted ahead so she could be front and center during our guide's narration; I'd hung back a bit. Out of nowhere my mom's arm reached out, and with superhero strength grabbed my right wrist and pulled me next to her. We would be together for this. Painted in 1560, Children's Games is known as a wimmelbild (busy picture) because it has hundreds of small figures. "Never before in art had children been given a stage of this size," read the program for the exhibition.

Yet what impressed me most were the painting's luminous colorsnearby Antwerp was known for the high quality of its red pigmentand the ebullience of the kids wrestling with one another. They are walking on stilts, climbing walls, swimming in a creek, and playing all sorts of other games. One young child learning to swim uses a pair of floaties, probably made from the bladders of pigs. Oddly the children's faces look preternaturally old, perhaps related to Bruegel's fascination with deathhe was profoundly influenced by Hieronymus Bosch after all. Bruegel's two paintings titled The Tower of Babel, both part of exhibition, are testament to that.

Continue to Page 2Finding Gandhi

By Kelsey Timmerman

A search for the Good Person Equation leads to Gandhi's apartment in Mumbai.

Nothing in the neighborhood was of note. The buildings were faded white and uniform. It wasn't leafy. It wasn't grand. It wasn't gated. There wasn't a sign with an arrow that read: "Guru this way!"

"Oh, I see it. I'm here," I said into my phone. I had arrived but hadn't realized it.

"Ask at the shop and they'll tell you where my apartment is." I hung up.

"I'm looking for Gandhi."

A guy from the store walked me to a staircase outside the building.

I was sweaty. The ride in one of India's classic black and yellow taxis from my room at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, where a grown man in a child's sailor suit saluted me when I left, took 90 minutes. Gandhi, seen as the father of the nation, led India to independence from the British in 1947. Yet in 1958 the Yacht Club still did not welcome Indian members. The irony of my accommodation and destination were not lost on me.

At the top of the steps there was a wooden "Gandhi" sign. The door was open and the room was crowded.

"Kelsey!" Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, stood and shook my hand. Picture Gandhi and now picture the opposite. That is Tushar. He's a big guy. His hand made mine feel small. He introduced me to his audience, members of the Free Tibet movement.

Two men sitting on a couch adjacent to Tushar's chair stood and gave me their seat. They stood next to a chocolate cake that sat on a stool at the edge of the circle of people. There was one piece left.

With my arrival, the meeting came to an end and the conversation focused on the cake.

"Please take the cake," Tushar said. "I'm not supposed to eat it. If it stays here I will be in trouble." I assumed he'd be in trouble with his wife.

Tushar motioned to the youngest of the group, a woman, maybe 19. He talked about how it was important to enjoy such luxuries while you are young and healthy. He said that he used to enjoy and everyone said he shouldn't. And then he got diabetes and couldn't.

The guru's message: Eat all the sweets before you get diabetes.

Or perhaps: Different times in your life produce different opportunities; take advantage of them while you can.

That's the thing about gurus. If you are seeking wisdom, you'll find it even when it's just a man wishing he could still eat cake. If we sought wisdom in the words of everyone we met, I wonder how differently we'd interact with the world. Maybe we'd go mad.

They packed up the cake and still there was more talking about the cake: How to box it up, why it needs to go. Like a full 90 seconds more of cake talk.

Before they left, the young woman who Gandhi really wanted to eat the cake stood before him awkwardly. I wasn't sure what was about to happen.

"No," Gandhi said. "Please you don't have to."

She was going to ignore him.

"Please there is no need," he pleaded. "Don't kiss my feet."

She really had to fight the urge.

She must really love cake, I thought.

They left and it was just me and Gandhi.

Searching for Wisdom in India

There was a Gandhi shrine in the corner of the room consisting of multiple busts and statues of the famous figure all necklaced with woven cotton thread. This was one of those times I was a little uncomfortable and wished I would've at least prepared some questions. I was really not sure how to talk about the journey I was on research my third book, Where Am I Giving? A Global Adventure Exploring How to Use Your Gifts and Talents to Make a Difference.

I'm exploring giving and generosity and how to be good. Seems a little Pollyannaish and intangible.

"I've been to the slums of Cambodia and Kenya, where it is hell on earth with burning trash," I said. "I've met a slave in West Africa. I feel like this stuff drives me to want to make a difference, but I'm not always sure how. I feel desperate to make an impact. I'm open to suggestions or wisdoms."

"I'm not much of a wise person," Tushar said. "But the basic ideology of making a difference . . . I may be of some help."

"Do you feel any of that angst to try to give?" I asked.

"I do experience that, not in myself because I'm fortunate to be associated with a lot of good work . . . We should give until it hurts."

"Give until it hurts." It's a quote from Mother Teresa in her address to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. February 3rd 1994:

I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.

But even Mother Teresa, a saint and Nobel Prize winner, wasn't inoculated from criticism of how she gave. Some accused her of not giving enough painkillers or medical treatment to the poor, sick, and dying in her more than 500 missions around the world, so their hurt was greater than if they had received proper care.

"Philanthropy is not only about giving money,"Tushar said. "It's about giving ability, giving time. Not all of us can give money. But if we give our ability, our talent and our time, even that is as important."

I dumped on him about motivation, my desperation to make a difference, and trying to figure out what I need to do to do enough. I told him about my fear of contentment. I started to treat him like a guru.

The Minimum Viable Giving Equation

"I'm 38 now," I said, stumbling for the words. "I have a career. I've got two kids. Our life is fairly busy. We live where we always wanted to live and there is a part of me that wants to become complacent, but then to have the experiences I've had that complacency scares me. I feel like I . . . like people want to know, 'Here's how much you should give, plus here's how much you should volunteer, equals you are a good person.' You know some kind of good person equation?"

Tushar was concerned about a sort of Good Person Equation in India, a law that required corporations to give. In 2013 India became the first country in the world with such a law. Companies with net profits of $830,000 or more over the previous three years had to give 2% of their net profits to causes promoting education, health, sustainability, gender equality, and poverty reduction. Tushar said it makes companies complacent, as if their level of giving is enough. They are doing only what's required.

"So that the ideology of giving until it hurts," Tushar said, "has been completely killed by this sense of giving as much as is required, even when you have the ability to do more. This has actually harmed the cause of benevolence."

Continue to Page 2Karen Anderson, 59, a Loysville cattle farmer who ran unsuccessfully for state legislator in 2018, has announced her candidacy for county commissioner.

In recent years, Anderson has attended commissioners' meetings regularly, challenging the board on a range of issues from farmland preservation to county fiscal management. She said that, contrary to some rumors, her decision to run for commissioner was a recent one.

She previously was a 12-year member of the West Perry School Board. Until recently, she had not considered running for public office again. However, she has become concerned by a range of issues at the county level including mismanagement, financial issues and hiring practices. She believes partisanship is partially responsible for some of the county's problems.

"You can have your politics, but you have to work together for the county," Anderson said.

Anderson, a Democrat, comes to county politics with a broad background.

Her family first moved to Perry County in 1975 after her father retired from the Army. She worked at Perry Village nursing home when she was younger. After earning a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Penn State, Anderson served two years in the Peace Corps, working in Ecuador on local agriculture initiatives. She's fluent in Spanish.

Later, she worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in New York City as a community development representative and personnel specialist. In 1988, she and her family moved back to Perry County.

Today, Anderson runs a grass-fed beef farm called Meadow Mist with a retail store.

"I like Perry County," she said. "It's a good place. It's not all problems."

As a farmer, preservation of the county's farms is important, but she's not against economic development, she said. The county needs its agricultural sector, but it also needs a diverse economy.

"When it comes to farmland preservation, they're preserving the best soils," she said. "I don't believe every acre should be preserved."

Anderson is concerned about the loss of family farms, as well as the agricultural economy and culture. That's why she supports ideas that can build on both, such as processing facilities, new markets for farm goods, and other agribusiness. She commended organizations in the county for pursuing such ideas, but also wants to keep them grounded.

"It's not as easy as saying we can put in a plant and save the county," Anderson said.

Such issues are complex and multifaceted. For example, there are limited numbers of U.S. Department of Agriculture approved butchers in the county, she said. If one closes, that pushes farmers to take their animals even farther, possibly out of county.

More attention needs to be given to the western part of the county because the long distances between things there can compound issues, such as economics, public safety and health care access, she said.

Addressing the opioid drug crisis also is critical, she said. Anderson has investigated how other areas are working through the problem, such as drug courts. She wants to delve deeper into how those solutions could work in Perry County.

Drug courts, where offenders with addiction problems are moved toward supervised rehabilitation instead of incarceration, could help but they also present challenges, such as how to pay for the court staff and judges.

Anderson would also like to revisit financial support for the county's library system, but she admits new taxes maybe aren't the best way to approach the subject.

"Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and do what gets the job done without worrying about how it won't get you re-elected," she said.

Another crucial subject, she said, is the county's management issues including hiring and pay practices, as well its fiscal problems. In recent years, money problems at the Area Agency on Aging, the probation department and fiscal office have convinced her greater attention needs to be put on improving county operations.

While the county's auditors haven't found anything criminal in nature, they have outlined many areas where financial procedures should be improved. And the time it took auditors to finish their work was far more than a normal audit, increasing costs to the county. Auditors RKL absorbed some of those costs.

"I think it's been a long-running problem in this county," Anderson said.

Some of the issues could be addressed through better training for county staff and due diligence, she said. She wants to work through the issues.

"That's how I want to approach being a commissioner," Anderson said. "Don't go in thinking you're going to do battle."

Anderson founded the community action group Perry County Voices. She is a member of the Perry County Farm Bureau, Penn State Extension Council, and state Sen. John DiSanto's citizens' committee on agriculture. She is president of the West Perry Band Boosters, and supports the Perry County Food Bank with food donations from her farm.

She also was instrumental in getting the county commissioners to increase farmland preservation funding and to support a less-partisan legislative redistricting process. Last year, she lost the election for the 86th District of the state House of Representatives to incumbent Rep. Mark Keller.

Anderson lives in Loysville with her husband, attorney Tim Anderson. They have two adult children.

Jim T. Ryan can be reached via e-mail at jtryan@perrycountytimes.comA woman accused of robbing a Turkey Hill convenience store in Lancaster County is in custody after she turned herself in Saturday to authorities, according to West Lampeter Township police.

Amanda Lynne Hanna Polk, whose age and address were not revealed by police, now faces criminal charges of robbery, terroristic threats and theft, police said in a Saturday news release.

Police said Polk entered a Turkey Hill convenience store at 2921 Willow Street Pike about 9:13 p.m. Thursday and announced that she was armed and that she intended to rob the store.

Polk was given money before she fled the store and drove away from the parking lot in a vehicle, police said.

Through an investigation, Polk was identified by police, and a warrant was issued for her arrest, police said.

About 2 p.m. Saturday, Polk turned herself in at the West Lampeter Township Police Department, officers said, adding that she was taken to central booking to be arraigned on her charges.

The West Lampeter Township Police Department would like to thank the public for the tips that were called in, police said.Parents of a Penn State student who died from injuries he suffered as he tried to join a fraternity nearly two years ago have settled with the university for an undisclosed amount.

The university announced the agreement with Jim and Evelyn Piazza Friday in connection with the Feb. 4, 2017 death of their son Timothy Piazza, 19. The agreement was signed Jan. 25 and also codified a series of Greek life reforms designed to make fraternities and sororities safer.

The announcement came on the same day the Piazzas announced they had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against 28 former fraternity members and a security firm, alleging negligence that lead to the death of their son.

The agreement between the Piazzas and Penn State came about without a lawsuit. The two sides have worked together closely in the months after Piazza died to agree upon a series of reforms to try to prevent future students from dying.

The university previously has adopted a series of reforms, including taking over the oversight of Greek-letter organizations, deferring recruitment of new members into fraternities or sororities until after a student has earned 14 credits at Penn State, and publishing a scorecard of violations by organizations and the consequences.

The newly-signed agreement includes more than two dozen additional reforms that could occur. One of the recommendations includes adding an anonymous reporting mechanism, such as the LiveSafe mobile application, to the universitys bystander intervention program so students could report dangerous situations without fear of getting into trouble.

In Piazzas case, his fraternity brothers did not call for medical help until nearly 12 hours after he tumbled down a set of basement stairs and was knocked unconscious. When one fraternity brother suggested that they seek medical attention, that brother was pushed against a wall and ignored, according to court records.

Another recommendation is for the university to encourage all Greek houses to look into the feasibility of adding security cameras into common areas, which could be monitored periodically by a third party.

Security cameras installed in the Beta Theta Pi house provided valuable evidence and insight after the death of Piazza. It revealed Piazza had been served 18 drinks within 82 minutes during booze-fueled pledge events after he agreed to join the fraternity.

Reforms adopted by the university already are bearing fruit, according to university officials. A university news release issued Friday noted decreases in alcohol-related emergency room visits and reductions in alcohol-related crimes and noise violations in areas where fraternity houses are located, as well as increases in grade-point averages for Greek-life members.

The announcement of the settlement comes after the university announced it had pledged at least $2 million toward the creation of a research center named in Piazzas honor to study best practices and assessments of fraternity and sorority life across the country. The center is envisioned to provide a leadership role nationally to prompt collective change in how fraternities and sororities operate and are overseen.

The university also agreed to match an additional $3 million as part of a fundraiser to fully endow the project.

After Piazzas death, the university permanently banned the Beta chapter. One of the recommendations in the agreement states that the university wont seek to install another Greek-letter organization at the vacant former Beta building at 220 N. Burrowes Road.A juvenile male was injured and hospitalized in a Thursday evening shooting in Harrisburg, local police Capt. Gabriel Olivera confirmed.

According to Olivera, the shooting took place about 8:22 p.m. on the 1900 block of Greenwood Street.

The juvenile male was in a vehicle at the time he was shot, Olivera said.

The bullet, he said, hit the vehicle and then hit the male.

The male was driven to a local hospital, Olivera said. It is expected that he will be released sometime next week, he said.

The case is still under investigation, Olivera said.SUNBURY - The school teacher who was fired from a Catholic school because she was pregnant and unwed has sued claiming her termination was unjustified.

Naiad Reich also is seeking a preliminary injunction which if granted would immediately reinstate her as a teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School in Coal Twp. outside Shamokin.

Her breach of contract suit filed Friday in Northumberland County court against the Diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer and Sister Mary Anne Bednar, the school's principal seeks unspecified damages.

Reich was fired Nov. 30 after she notified Bednar that she and her boyfriend, Matt Graboski, with whom she lives, were expecting a baby in June but had no immediate plans to marry.

Reich, who is not Catholic, states in her suit that Bednar's reaction when she told her Nov. 27 she was pregnant was, "Oh. Oh, and you aren't married, correct?"

She claims Bednar told her the pregnancy was going to be a "huge problem" and that she would talk to the diocese.

Reich said Bednar questioned her a day later if she lived with the father and whether there were any immediate plans to marry. Her response, she says, was that she intended to marry but not before the birth of the baby.

Two days later, according to Reich, Bednar told her if she had no immediate plans to marry she would have to be let go from her $27,775 job teaching English in the 8th, 10th and 11th grades.

Reich claims she was offered the opportunity to resign but she rejected it in a Dec. 1 email.

She subsequently got an undated letter of termination from Bednar that stated in part: "All employees are bound to exhibit respect for the teachings and discipline of the church in regard to matters of faith and morals."

Bednar reminded her of being told since she was not married she was in violation of the morality clause of her teaching contract.

READ MORE: Pa. teacher fired from Catholic school due to pregnancy out of wedlock

Reich contends her firing did not follow diocese policy because the board of education was not consulted as confirmed by member Tony Varano. He said publicly the majority of the board supported Reich.

She also claims she was not given the required written notices and the termination letter does not assert she committed "serious or public immorality" as the contract requires for dismissal.

Nowhere in her contract on diocese policy is the word immorality defined, she contends.

Reich in a Dec. 11 letter that included a scripture verse from John 8 asked Gainer to review her termination, stating as Christians "we are to accept love and forgive."

Noting it has taken her 32 years to find the right person "I know will be committed to me," she told Gainer: "So even if though we are not married, this does not mean the father of my child is any less deserving; it does not make me less deserving. In a world where children suffer from the hands of abuse, neglect, hunger and hate from those they trust most, please do not demoralize my decision to bring life into this world, where I know we would provide nurturing love, acceptance, faith, shelter and guidance."

The letter points out how Reich regularly hears from students, faculty and parents on the positive impact she had on their lives.

Gainer denied her appeal Dec. 19, writing that all employees are bound by their contracts to exhibit respect for the teachings and disciplines of the church.

While upholding her termination the bishop commented that the birth of a child is a blessed event, so he directed her health insurance remain paid through July 31 and she be paid according to the terms of her contract.

The allegations in the suit are repeated in the motion for a temporary injunction including the claim Reich's conduct cannot be said to be a poor example to her students.

Her attorney, Timothy A. Bowers, said he simultaneously filed a claim with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission that could result in a separate action in federal court.

"We have not received a copy of the documents and are not able to make a comment until we've had a chance to review them," Rachel Bryson, spokesperson for the Harrisburg Diocese, said Friday night.Update: No serious injuries in Dauphin County fire: police

14 Fire crews on the scene of Dauphin County garage fire

Multiple fire crews are on the scene of a blaze on the 7000 block of Chambers Hill Road in Swatara Township, emergency dispatchers confirmed.

According to a Dauphin County dispatcher, the fire is in a garage.

He did not provide additional details, but said that firefighters remained on scene shortly after 3 p.m.

A photo of the scene showed a large, dark plume of smoke stretching toward the sky.

#HersheyFire Rescue-48 is responding to the 7000 block of Chambers Hill Road to assist Swatara Township units on a working garage fire. pic.twitter.com/fk8W6tgc8a  Hershey Fire Dept (@HersheyFire) February 1, 2019

Hershey Fire Department tweeted about the blaze, calling it a working garage fire.A Pennsylvania fire chief has been charged with pulling a pistol on a Boy Scout.

According to mcall.com, 39-year-old Woodlawn Fire Chief James R. Kutz told police he thought the boy was trying to enter his home during the Nov. 4 incident.

The 12-year-old scout was actually placing a flyer for a food drive at the chiefs house, police said.

No one was injured. The chief was charged with simple assault and harassment.You are here: World

 Flash

A court in Cameroon on Friday charged opposition leader Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) with "rebellion" against the state, according to lawyers of the CRM.

Kamto and 35 other members of CRM appeared before the Yaounde Court of First Instance where the charges were read.

"Other charges include conspiracy against the republic, complicity and illegal groupings and public disorder," lead counsel, barrister Emmanuel Sim told Xinhua.

Hearing lasted for about an hour and was adjourned to March 15.

Kamto has been detained at the Judicial Police in Yaounde since his arrest on Monday.

He was arrested alongside 117 party members after they organized protests to denounce what they called "electoral hold up" and "useless war in Anglophone regions."

Cameroon's Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman Rene Sadi said the demonstration was illegal and was intended to "destabilize Cameroon under the false pretext of an alleged electoral hold up."

Cameroon's President Paul Biya was declared the winner with 71.28 percent of the vote in the Oct. 7 presidential election, but Kamto claimed that he won the vote, while official results showed he emerged as a distant second with 14.23 percent of the vote.

Kamto has since then announced what he called a "national resistance program" to compel Biya to step down.Before the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 brought electricity, and modern conveniences like electrical refrigeration, to rural America, farms across Pennsylvania harvested their own ice from farm ponds.

After a winter of some of the most challenging and taxing work of the year, they relied on the ice blocks they had harvested and stored in the ice house to meet their refrigeration needs through spring and summer.

The Dreibelbis Farm Historical Society in Virginville, Berks County, on Saturday demonstrated ice harvesting as it was done in the 1800s on Pennsylvania farms, using the tools and techniques that were used on site for generations.

They scored the ice on their farms pond, cut the ice blocks free, hauled them to the farms ice house and stacked them there, just as their predecessors had done.

The ice harvest demonstration is the first of several events planned for 2019 by the DFHS to fulfill its mission to preserve and protect the historic Dreibelbis farm and to make it available to the public for educational, historical and environmental purposes. Other events, such as the annual Wetlands and Wildflowers Walk, Spring Peeper Walk, and the seventh annual Historic Farm Festival will be held later this year.

The Dreibelbis farm was founded in 1778 by Jacob B. Dreibelbis, son of the original family immigrant, John Jacob Dreibelbis. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the second oldest continuously owned family farm in Berks County.

For more information visit the Historic Dreibelbis Farm website.Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous prognosticator of spring, but Uni the groundhog in Myerstown, Lebanon County, sticks with the true Pennsylvania Dutch roots of Groundhog Day.

Uni, a taxidermy-mount groundhog that arrives on a raft on the Tulpehocken Creek to deliver his forecast for the arrival of spring in the Pennsylvania Dutch language to members of the Union Kanaal Grundsau Lodsch No. 18 (Union Canal Groundhog Lodge No. 17).

Phil, who delivered his 2019 forecast under cloudy skies, reported that he had not seen his shadow and an early spring is on the way.

On the other hand, Unit deliver his prognostication under clear, sunny skies and proclaimed, Its going to be cold. Were going to get some snow and a rain and a little ice. Up and down it will come.

You can hear members of the Groundhog Lodge deliver Unis message in the language of the Pennsylvania Dutch in the video that accompanies this story.

Groundhog Day started in 1886, although its roots go back even farther.

It's an offshoot of Candlemas Day, an early Christian holiday that doubled as a weather prediction occasion. An old English rhyme tell us:

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,

Winter will have another bite.

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again."

In Germany, they would wake up a badger or hedgehog to see if he saw his shadow. When early Pennsylvania German settlers came over, they took the idea and simply replaced the hedgehog with a groundhog.

Flash forward to 1886, and the editor of The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper gives it the official name of Groundhog Day.

A year later and The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was founded and the annual trek to Gobbler's Knob began. With the creation of the club came the rise of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog being elevated to global celebrity status.

Uni has been prognosticating since 1981, but he does in the original tongue.Larry Ralph Clipperton, 72, of Pauls Valley, Okla., entered this life as the son of Dean and Lavinna Clipperton on August 1, 1948 in Jefferson, Iowa and entered eternal life on Friday, June 4, 2021at his residence. In his death as in his life, he was surrounded by family who shared with him More than a year into the pandemic that is recurring in its third wave, many people I talk to say they are experiencing a lack of motivation. I find that...If youve been paying attention at all to the American news media over the past day or so, youre aware that a 1984 yearbook photograph has been discovered showing the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam  then a student in medical school  either in blackface or dressed in the robe and hood of the Ku Klux Klan. (Its not obvious which of the two people in the photo is the future governor, although the caption says that one of them is and although he has admitted that fact.) As a result, Mr. Northam finds himself under mounting political pressure, with dwindling support:

Pressure intensifies on Northam to resign as key allies pull their support

Ralph Northam is done, whether he knows it or not

A couple of weeks ago, Floridas Secretary of State Michael Ertel, a Republican, resigned when a photo surfaced showing him in drag and wearing blackface:

Official resigns over blackface photo controversy

Permit me to go on record as saying that, thus far, although I expect that Governor Northam probably will resign fairly soon, I see no compelling reason, other than the obvious political ones, for him to do so. Was his little stunt foolish? Yes. Tasteless? Very arguably so. Immature? Yes. Embarrassing? Definitely. Malicious? Probably not. At least, Im aware of no evidence to suggest that it was. Racist? Maybe. Maybe not. Is there any substantial evidence in his policies  in his history as a physician or as a Virginia state senator, lieutenant governor, and governor  that Mr. Northam harbors significant racial prejudice? If there is, I havent seen it.

The case of Floridas Mr. Ertel is somewhat worse, I think. Not only was his photograph taken just fourteen years ago, in 2005, when he was serving as a county supervisor for Seminole County, but he was expressly impersonating a generic victim of Hurricane Katrina. That was a monumentally stupid and remarkably insensitive thing to do, and it shows  at the very minimum  striking lack of judgment in a fairly important local elected official. Does it constitute adequate grounds for terminating a possibly useful career in public service? (I know nothing about the man other than this story.) I think that can be debated.

I disapprove of our modern zeal to destroy careers and people over the occasional tasteless joke or juvenile prank, often from decades back. Flawed people can change and contribute. Moses killed an Egyptian but nonetheless went on to distinguished public service, and, while St. Paul endorsed the murder of St. Stephen, his later career as an apostle, writer of scripture, and Christian martyr has tended to outweigh that in the judgment of most people. Thomas Becket was a loyal consigliere to King Henry II before Henry unwisely appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury, in which office Becket defended the rights of the Church against the greedy king and ultimately became Englands great saint and martyr. Robert Byrd held the highest office in his local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan  Exalted Cyclops (Im not making that up)  before being elected to the Senate of West Virginia, and then the United States House of Representatives, and, finally, serving as a Democratic member of the United States Senate (including stints as Senate Minority Leader and Senate Majority Leader) for more than fifty-one years. Ronald Reagan was a Democrat before he became a prominent Republican leader.

Repentance is possible.

Now, I am not a fan of Mr. Northam. His successful campaign for the Virginia governorship seemed cynical and manipulative at the time, and, in view of this new episode, seems strikingly hypocritical, too:

Flashback: Northam Campaign Insinuates Gillespie, GOP Are Racist

But what frankly baffles me is how much larger this controversy has grown than another very recent one involving him that, in my judgment, is incomparably worse:

Virginia Governor Defends Letting Infants Die

What Northams Walk Back Really Means

Northam on Late-Term-Abortion Remarks: I Dont Have Any Regrets

But, after all, why should Dr. Northam have any regrets about his stance on late-term abortions? Plainly, at least in certain quarters, while juvenile stunts that touch on race are unforgiveable, infanticide is perfectly okay:

The Indefensible Morality of Andrew Cuomo: On abortion, Cuomo casts aside his supposed Catholic convictions with greater ease than he takes them up.

Catholic Leaders Call for Cuomo to Be Excommunicated over Abortion Bill

On the Separation of Church and State

The Infanticide Craze: Laws permitting abortion up to the point of birth follow naturally from the countrys expansive abortion regime.

Abortion Maximalists Claim the Moral Low Ground

Should Ralph Northam be the governor of Virginia? No, he shouldnt. But forcing him to resign over a stupid pose in a thirty-five year-old photograph rather than because of his position on late-term abortion, which seems pretty much indistinguishable from an endorsement of infanticide, strikes me as uncomfortably like finally convicting Al Capone . . . of tax evasion.

***

And thinking about Andrew Cuomo, Ralph Northam, and the murder of babies inescapably reminds me of a film that  quite unsurprisingly  garnered very little attention when it appeared. But it tells a story that Americans need to know:

Gosnell: The Trial of Americas Biggest Serial Killer Flash

A United Nations investigation team held contacts in Turkey this week for a first inquiry of international nature into the brutal killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi nearly four months ago inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

The visit of Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, to Turkey is the first probe of the murder by an international official as Turkish authorities are pushing for an advanced investigation.

Experts believe that the UN envoy's visit is the result of Turkey's efforts to maintain the case of the slain journalist in the international community's agenda.

"Turkey's arguments for the need of an international inquiry over this shocking murder seem to be accepted by the UN envoy amid Saudi Arabia's uncooperative approach in aiding the investigation," Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, said to Xinhua.

"Turkey's motivation stems from the fact that the murder happened on its sovereign territory and it is a matter of prestige to get to the bottom of it," pointed out Colakoglu, a professor of international relations.

Turkey has been outraged over the use of a diplomatic mission as a torture chamber as leaks from Turkish officials to local news outlets suggested that Khashoggi was strangled after he entered the compound.

The French official and her team met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Monday and then flew to Istanbul to convene on Tuesday with chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan. The meetings were closed to the press and Callamard denied interview requests.

On Wednesday, however, Callamard, an independent expert appointed by the UN, spoke to journalist outside the Saudi consulate where she was denied entry the day before, and said her report would be made public in time for the June session of the UN human right council.

Callamard told reporters at the end of her mission in Istanbul that she was "disappointed" not to be permitted to enter the Saudi complex to see for herself where the gruesome murder took place.

Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), blasted the Saudi failure to respond to the UN delegation request as a "scandal."

Before her week-long visit, the UN official said the inquiry was her own initiative, independent of the UN or any government. Turkey, however, had repeatedly called for an international investigation into the killing because of frustration at Saudi Arabia's failure to cooperate and inaction on a joint inquiry.

The Saudi government, tilted into one of its worst diplomatic crisis, has placed 11 officials linked to the high-profile killing on trial in the capital Riyadh, but has refused to extradite to Turkey any of those suspected of being involved in the murder.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Riyadh has not shared with Turkey any information from its own probe regarding the Khashoggi's murder and pointed out that his country would decide what to do once Calllamard submits her report to the UN.

"We can put forward a formal request (for an international investigation), we are ready," he said, quoted on Thursday by Hurriyet daily. He remarked however that the support of other nations would be required and at this stage few of them, he said, are keen to be involved.

"Even if there is no one by our side, we will make a formal request on our own," insisted Turkey's top diplomat.

Observers have argued that Turkey was seeking to instrumentalize the Khashoggi case to boost its influence in the Middle East against its Saudi rival.

Colakoglu argued that to counter those claims, "Ankara should make it very clear that what's in stake in this case is not international politics or regional rivalries" but the fact that this killing should not be left unsolved.

The killing of Khasoggi strained Ankara's relations with Riyadh. The two countries' ties are already tense over the embargo imposed in 2017 by the Kingdom and other Gulf States on Qatar, a close ally of Turkey.

Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed by a Saudi hit squad on October 2 shortly after he entered his country's consulate in Istanbul.

He was dismembered inside the building in what Turkey called a "premeditated murder" orchestrated by the Saudi government and especially the Crown Prince, who denied the charges, blaming it on a "rogue" operation.

His body has not been found as it is suspected by Turkish officials of having been dissolved in acid.

Turkish officials have called publicly for an international investigation, but have not made a formal request for one from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, despite pleas from human rights groups.

Callamard said she also asked for meetings with U.S. officials, including those in the CIA, the State Department and Congress. The U.S. is a staunch ally of Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the U.S. has asked the Saudi ruling family, including the crown prince, to hold Khashoggi's killers accountable, but said the relationship with Saudi Arabia is too important to be jeopardized by the killing.Heres a first pass at a basic timeline of Islamic history  disproportionately modern in focus and still needing substantial fleshing out  for the introductory book on Islam that Im slowly expanding and revising for eventual publication. Ill return to it in future blog entries:

570 AD Muhammad is born in Mecca.

610 AD According to Muslim belief, Muhammad is visited at the age of forty by the angel Gabriel while meditating and praying in a cave near Mecca. Thus begins the revelation of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which will continue until Muhammads death.

622 AD Amid mounting persecution in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers migrate to the nearby town of Yathrib (later known as Medina). This is the hijra, the flight or emigration, and it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad becomes a ruler and lawgiver and establishes an Islamic state.

630 AD Muhammad takes control of Mecca, peacefully. He clears the idols and images out of the Kaba and rededicates it to the worship of God alone.

632 AD Muhammad dies after a relatively brief illness. His father-in-law and close associate, Abu Bakr, is chosen as his caliph or successor.

638 AD Muslim Arab forces begin the conquest of Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

641 AD Muslim Arab forces begin the conquest of Egypt .

661 AD Ali b. Abi Talib is assassinated, ending the period of the four orthodox or rightly guided caliphs, who were, in order, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. This marks the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, based in Damascus.

711 AD Muslims  many of them Berbers  enter Spain in the west and India in the east. Eventually, almost the entire Iberian Peninsula comes under Islamic control.

732 AD A small Muslim force is defeated at Poitiers in France, by Charles Martel.

750 AD The Abbasids overthrow the Umayyads, soon moving the imperial capital eastward from Damascus to their newly-founded city of Baghdad.

1099 AD European Christian Crusaders take Jerusalem from the Muslims. Eventually, though, the Muslims defeat the Crusaders and regain control of the Holy Land.

1299 AD The earliest Ottoman Turkish state is formed in Anatolia, which is todays Turkey.

1453 AD The Ottomans conquer Constantinople, putting an end to what little was left of the Byzantine Empire by that time, and change its name to Istanbul.

Circa 1800 AD Approximately 30 percent of Africans forced into slavery in the United States are Muslim.

1919 AD With the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire, which had joined in on the losing side, swiftly collapses and Europeans colonize many of its former holdings in Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

1930 AD The so-called Nation of Islam  the Black Muslim movement  is created in the United States by W. D. Fard. It is based on some Islamic ideas, but also declares Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) a prophet.

1948 AD The state of Israel is established.

1956 AD Israel, followed by the United Kingdom and France, invades Egypt during the Suez Crisis, sometimes called the Second Arab-Israeli War.

1967 AD During the Six-Day War, Israel seizes the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank from Jordan, and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.

1973 AD In the Yom Kippur War (or October War, or Ramadan War), fought mostly in the Sinai and the Golan Heights, Egypt enjoys some military success against Israel.

1975 AD Wallace D. Muhammad, the son of Elijah Muhammad, assumes leadership of the Nation of Islam after his fathers death and brings most of his followers into mainstream Islam.

1979 AD The Iranian Revolution results in the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first attempt at an Islamic state in the modern era.

2001 AD The World Trade Center in New York is destroyed, and the Pentagon near Washington DC is seriously damaged, by attacks coordinated by al-Qaida.The International Business Council (IBC) meeting, which took place on Jan. 22 during the World Economic Forum in Davos, invited the top 100 influential chief executives from all industries to discuss globally relevant business issues. For the first time, a Korean company, KT (formerly Korea Telecom), was invited to this annual meeting whose theme for 2019 was globalization and the age of the fourth industrial revolution.

KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu said during the event that "Compared to the United States and China, Korea has better technology, services and infrastructure."

While global CEOs initially thought that the United States or China would become the center of 5G, considering the two countries' disputes over a Chinese IT company, Huawei, they later recognized that Korea's 5G leadership after listening to Hwang's explanation.

Hwang said KT successfully provided the world's first 5G trial services during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February 2018 and sent the first 5G signal on Dec. 1.

"5G's ultra-connectivity and ultra-low latency characteristics will contribute to promoting welfare for human beings," he said. "For example, ultra-low latency will help realize self-driving cars and remote medical treatment system, which will make lives safer and more convenient."

Another of the 100 guest CEO's attending this year's IBC meeting was Apple's Tim Cook who met with KT's Chairman. Cook told Hwang that he would visit Korea this year to see the nation's 5G infrastructure first hand.

Due to Apple's legal wranglings with Qualcomm, Apple has hinted that 5G iPhones may be released in 2020. Apparently Intel was unable to supply the volume needed for 5G modems this year. Meeting with Hwang in South Korea could provide Apple's 5G team with needed insights.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.We've known for weeks now that the FBI recorded Chicago Alderman Ed Burke's mobile phone conversations over a period of eight months, listening in on 9,475 calls. And then we discovered that the feds had wired up Chicago Alderman Danny Solis during his own conversations with Burke.

Burke has a rather, um, "earthy" way of talking when he's among friends and close allies. Race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexuality, whatever. You name it, if there's a socially unacceptable word to describe it, his pals say, he's probably used it.

I'm not saying for sure that the feds have him on tape saying stuff like that, but if they do, there's no way in heck that Burke wants a Chicago-area jury hearing it. Those words could destroy a defendant. And, of course, few on the other end of any of those conversations want that stuff to come out, either. People might bend over backward to be helpful if the feds play them those tapes.

The feds, in other words, might very well possess some embarrassing leverage on Burke aside from the alleged illegalities. And the feds love leverage.

They most certainly used leverage against Solis. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the feds recorded almost twice as many of Solis' calls as Burke's  18,000 in all. Some of those calls centered around asking a political operative to set up trips to massage parlors, allegedly in exchange for official government acts. Solis agreed to flip on Burke when confronted with the evidence in 2016.

Being caught on an FBI wiretap doesn't automatically mean somebody did something wrong. Back in 2017 and then again in 2018, the mere presence of J.B. Pritzker on old FBI wiretaps of Gov. Rod Blagojevich was enough to rattle his gubernatorial campaign to the very bone, even though there was no evidence then or since that he was ever under any sort of investigation.

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Pritzker simply called the wrong guy at the wrong time and said some stupid things that wound up being memorialized on a government recording device. But lots of folks jumped to an immediate conclusion that the hint of federal smoke somehow meant the existence of a raging corruption fire. Nothing like that has ever emerged.

We don't yet know for sure, but the same might be said of what's being treated by the media as an explosive revelation that an FBI mole recorded a 2014 meeting with Solis, a Chinatown real estate developer and House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Madigan didn't say anything illegal on the recording. He was at his law firm's office and Solis had brought the developer in to talk about perhaps retaining Madigan's property tax assessment firm for a hotel the businessman was trying to build. The developer never hired Madigan's firm and never built the hotel. And all this happened almost five years ago and we haven't heard anything else since then.

The story does give us an inside peek into how things work in Chicago, however. Madigan's law office can apparently be an important stop on the path toward getting things done. And while Madigan himself can avoid doing anything overt to help his law firm's clients outside of property tax appeals, just meeting with Madigan could help those clients check a very important box with other important people like Solis.

Madigan himself could be completely ignorant of why a potential client is in his office. Indeed, it's almost 100 percent certain he wants it that way. You'd have to be insanely greedy to risk prison over a $3,000 annual property tax retainer.

But Madigan is so powerful that people like Solis want to do whatever they can to get into and remain in his good graces. So, it's not at all inconceivable that part of an alderman's process of approving a development could include a meeting at Madigan's firm to show fealty and offer tribute.

The big question: If Solis wired up on Burke, did he also wire up on Madigan? The House Speaker issued a statement through his attorney admitting he "recalls attending several meetings with Alderman Solis over the past five years, including meetings with individuals in need of legal representation."

Despite the frothing at the mouth from the usual Madigan haters, we simply have no way of knowing if the feds have any leverage on the guy. Be patient. If they've got him, they've got him. If they don't, well, it wouldn't surprise me.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0It is a futilely human failing to try to find some larger pattern in the groupings of deaths in the obituaries. But I could not help being struck by the juxtaposition of three men  all in their 90s  who died within three days of each other recently.

There is no obvious linkage among them (a former senator, a retired newspaper columnist and a leading sociologist) other than public lives of sufficient prominence to warrant major obits. But taken together, their careers serve as a reminder of some of the democratic values of the late 20th century that have badly eroded in this era of vitriol and venom.

Democrat Harris Wofford, who died at 92, electrified American politics by handily winning a 1991 special election to the Senate from Pennsylvania. Not only did his victorious campaign bring national health insurance to the center of the Democratic agenda, but it also brought Woffords two consultants, James Carville and Paul Begala, to the center of Bill Clintons agenda.

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Woffords three years in the Senate (he was defeated in the 1994 Clinton rout) were only a small part of his remarkable career arc as a civil rights crusader, one of the last surviving JFK White House aides, university president and the first director of the AmeriCorps.

Russell Baker, 93, came of age on the police beat at The Baltimore Sun in late 1940s. He covered the Senate and the White House for The New York Times and then chucked these prestigious D.C. beats to gently mock the powerful with witty essays in a Pulitzer Prize-winning Times column for 36 years.

Nathan Glazer was, at 95, one of the last of the great midcentury sociologists. As James Traub memorably described Glazer during the 1990s, He is the most modest (and the least tendentious) of the brilliant Jewish boys who attended City College 60 years ago and later came to be known collectively as the New York Intellectuals.

These three men were never the loudest voices of their era. And their public careers seem at odds with the pay-attention-to-me ethos of our era. But when they wrote or spoke, their words had weight and significance.

The silent generation is the phrase used to describe the men and women who came to maturity right after World War II and whose early lives were shaped by the Depression. But as the lives of Harris Wofford, Russell Baker and Nathan Glazer illustrated, sometimes the quiet (not silent) voices can leave the most lasting imprint on American democracy.

Shapiro is a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0BLOOMINGTON  A letter written by Abraham Lincoln to a member of the Fell family is back in Bloomington at the McLean County Museum of History  across the street from where the letter was originally delivered nearly 160 years ago.

The letter from Lincoln to Kersey Fell  the brother of Jesse Fell, one of Lincoln's major backers for president  concerned a $378 debt. Lincoln was representing the people to whom Kersey Fell owed the money, including Orville Browning, who was soon to be a U.S. senator from Quincy and another player in Lincoln's rise to the presidency.

This letter by far is the crown jewel of our archive, said Adam Lovell, the museum's executive director.

It's very important that the letter came back to Bloomington, he said. This is where the history takes place.

Retired Bloomington attorney Guy Fraker, a Lincoln historian and author, noted that the old McLean County Courthouse in which Lincoln practiced law as a circuit-riding attorney was located at the same spot where the museum stands today, even though it's not the same building. Kersey Fell's office was across the street at 106 W. Washington St.

Jesse Fell was on the southeast corner of Washington and Main streets when he spotted Lincoln coming out of the courthouse in fall 1858. Fell crossed the street to meet him and invited him to his brother's office to talk, said Fraker, author of the book Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency.

Fraker related this story:

During that conversation in Kersey Fell's office, Jesse Fell told Lincoln he had just returned from a visit to the East and people there were interested in Lincoln running for the presidency. He urged Lincoln to write an autobiography so people could learn more about him. Lincoln  who had just lost to Stephen Douglas in a race for U.S. Senate  declined, saying he had done his part. But about a month after the letter now in the museum's possession, Lincoln agreed to write the biography and run for president.

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This letter is a thread of that because this significant conversation took place in the office of Kersey Fell, Fraker said.

Fraker learned of the availability of the letter, which was in a private collection, from George Buss, a Lincoln impersonator. Fraker contacted Sharon Merwin, president of the Merwin Foundation, to seek assistance in obtaining the letter for the museum.

Lovell said the museum does not regularly purchase items for the collection.

This was a special circumstance where  the Merwin Foundation purchased the letter on behalf of the museum to enhance our collection and to help tell the story of the man who would become the 16th president and his ties to McLean County, he said.

Lovell said the museum was not at liberty to disclose the price of the letter.

Because of the fragile nature of the letter, we are not going to have it on permanent display, said Lovell. We will bring it out for special events.

One of those special events will be noon Feb. 18, Presidents Day, when the museum will have a public unveiling. The museum will be open until 7 p.m. that day. There also will be a preview for museum members from 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 13.

Lovell said the letter will go through a digitization process so it will be available online and the museum is looking into putting a facsimile of the letter on display.

Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.What happens inside your head when you listen to music? Do the atoms and molecules dance like the rest of you? Do the neurons light up like disco lights?

Many people find engaging with music through attending concerts, playing an instrument, or simply listening creates joyful and meaningful experiences. Neuroscience research and clinical practice have demonstrated the effectiveness of music in the development, rehabilitation and maintenance of brain health. Formal music therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of people with neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. On Friday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m., Professor Edward Roth from Western Michigan University will discuss the application of music as therapy and highlight the underlying science. The talk will be accompanied by performances by local musicians Angelo Cassar, Brad DeRoache, Kris Goodwin and David Wayne Smith.At a court hearing Friday, the Central Michigan University student charged with the March 2018 murder of his mother and father pled not guilty by reason of insanity, and the plea was accepted by the court.

James Eric Davis Jr., 20, faced two homicide charges and one firearm felony charge relating to the death of his parents, James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis, on the morning of March 2 on CMU's campus.

As reported by Central Michigan Life, Isabella County Trial Court Judge Eric Janes ordered Davis to undergo 60 days of mental evaluation at the State of Michigan Center of Forensic Psychiatry in Saline for further diagnosis. After his two months of evaluation, Isabella County will file a petition for Davis to be committed at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry for an indefinite period of time, according to a statement from Isabella County Prosecuting Attorney David Barberi.

"Today's plea brings an end to a very tragic event that temporarily marred the safety and comfort that we all know and value in our community and at Central Michigan University," Barberi said in the statement. "We hope that today's plea brings some sense of closure and finality to (the Davis family) and the (CMU) community as we all continue to move forward."

A probate court hearing will take place at a later date.

Davis was taken into police custody shortly after 12:10 a.m. March 3, after a nearly 15-hour manhunt. He was originally deemed incompetent to stand trial by Judge Paul Chamberlain on March 23, and ordered to undergo treatment at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry. He was declared competent following a hearing on Oct. 30.

In a statement, Davis' family voiced its approval of Janes' ruling.

"We are highly satisfied with the outcome of this hearing," the statement read. "Mental health is real and we know that (James) Eric (Davis) was not in a right state of mind. We appreciate the love and support offered to us by the CMU community, Center of Forensic Psychiatry and Eric's attorney, Josh Blanchard."Even as the winter weather loosens its grip on the Mid-Michigan area this weekend, the City of Midland is asking residents to help Fire and Water Departments by "adopting" the fire hydrant closest to their home or business by keeping it free of snow during the winter season.

According to a press release from the City of Midland, residents can help by uncovering their closest fire hydrant during their shoveling activities after each and every snowfall. People shoveling are advised to clear a path about three feet around the hydrant and shovel a path from the street or roadway up to the fire hydrant. These actions will allow the Midland Fire Department to quickly locate the fire hydrant and obtain a water supply for firefighting activities, as well as give City Water Distribution crews room to work on the hydrant should the need arise, the press release states.

For those who use a plowing service for their home or business, it might also help to remind the plow driver about this need as well.

The City of Midland also advises residents to help neighbors who are elderly or have a medical condition by shoveling out the hydrant in front of their home.

Snow accumulating around hydrants is a problem every fire department faces during the winter season, said Lincoln Township fire chief Robert Marks.

Other issues firefighters can face include freezing equipment.

"During any type of fire that we have to use firehoses for, there's a danger that those hoses will freeze," Marks said. "We have to leave the hose on a little bit to keep the water flowing."

Marks uses a recent example of a fire he responded to in Mills Township earlier in the week, where a fire engine needed more water after disconnecting from a hydrant. When the firefighters brought another truck up to the engine, one of the water valves on the engine had frozen over.

"We have to keep things moving even when we might not be using it at that particular time," Marks said.

Having firefighters work in freezing temperatures is also a constant problem, Marks said.

"Going into a house fire is dangerous enough, but as you're in there and you're using water, your gear gets soaked with it, and when you go back out (in the cold), you basically freeze up to the point were you can't move," Marks said.

Marks ran into this problem as well at the fire in Mills Township.

While combatting the fire, Marks brought up the department's command unit as a space for firefighters to escape the elements and warm up. Flash

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 1, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Trump administration announced on Friday that the United States is withdrawing from a landmark nuclear arms control pact with Russia, a move seen as exacerbating the risk of an international arms race.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement at the State Department, citing Russia's violation of the deal which he believes "put the United States at a military disadvantage." Moscow has repeatedly denied Washington's accusations.

Pompeo told reporters that the United States will suspend its compliance to the treaty from Saturday, which will trigger a six-month countdown period leading to a permanent exit from the pact inked in 1987 between the United States and the then-Soviet Union.

U.S. President Donald Trump said later in the day that his country will "move forward with developing our own military response options."

The United States "will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct," said Trump in a statement released by the White House.

Moscow on Friday expressed regret over Washington's intention to pull out of the treaty, calling the move a pre-decided action.

"The Americans' reluctance to hear any arguments, their reluctance to conduct any substantive negotiations, suggests that the decision to dismantle the treaty was made by Washington a long time ago," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quoted by TASS.

NATO backed Washington's decision in a statement released after Pompeo's remarks, urging Russia to "return to full and verifiable compliance" to the treaty.

In his remarks, Pompeo also said that the United States will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty "effective in six months."

Meanwhile, the top U.S. diplomat said Washington would reconsider its pulling-out decision in the following months if Russia could take actions toward what the United States regards as bringing the country back into compliance with the treaty.

Washington and Moscow have been accusing each other of violating the historic deal on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. The agreement marked the first-ever pact reached by the two sides on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting arms race.

In early December, Pompeo sent an "ultimatum" to Moscow concerning the INF, saying that the United States would suspend its obligations under the pact in 60 days unless Russia returns to full compliance with the agreement.

Washington's latest move has generated concerns and criticism inside and outside America.

"The Trump Administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability," said U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a statement.

The administration has "yet again decided that America should go it alone, this time, by paving the way for a dangerous arms race, with costly new weapons," Senator Ed Markey said in a tweet.

"Withdrawing from the INF nuclear treaty will make the world less safe," the 72-year-old Democrat added.

Talk of a U.S. withdrawal from the treaty has caused great concern in Europe, where the result likely would be a discussion about possible nuclear rearmament. Military leaders say that would be the only way to secure a long-term balance of power and deterrence.

"It is important that disarmament and the international arms control architecture are put back on the international agenda," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters.

Many experts believe Washington's exit decision is self-centered and counterproductive, putting the whole world in an arms control crisis with the United States seeking to gain more.Ottumwa, IA (52501)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High around 70F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low 49F. NNE winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.Oskaloosa, IA (52577)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. Gusty winds during the morning. High 72F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low around 50F. NNE winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.Updated Saturday February 2

A Multnomah County jury acquitted a 25-year-old woman of criminal charges after Port of Portland police said she repeatedly attacked officers at the airport last February as they were detaining her for being drunk.

Jathina Campos was found not guilty Wednesday of attempted assault of a public safety officer and resisting arrest. Campos and her attorneys said the officers didnt have probable cause to take her into custody at the Portland International Airport, escalated the situation, used excessive force and later left her on the floor of a holding cell with her hands and feet restrained as at least half a dozen officers stood over her.

Campos suffered a black eye, a cut over her eyebrow, a chipped tooth and bruises from the Feb. 24, 2018, encounter.

Campos, through her attorney John Schlosser, said Friday that she hopes her case leads to better training for Port of Portland police officers on de-escalation techniques. A tort claim notice was filed on her behalf against the Port of Portland last August.

This whole thing came down to contempt of cops, Schlosser said. Theyre upset because shes having a disagreement with them. She throws her boarding pass down on her bag and then two of them grab and get behind her as shes confused about whats going on, within a second one of them yanks on her arm, she defends herself and shes planted on her face.

Schlosser disputed the officers' account of the encounter and said he and Juan Carlos Chavez, another attorney who represented Campos, told the district attorneys office not to try the case based on the available video footage of her arrest. Schlosser said he doesnt believe the officers would have interacted with Campos in the same manner if she were white. Campos is Latinx.

Campos was humiliated by the situation, received death threats after the case was publicized, her attorney said, and is relieved she was acquitted

Schlosser said portions of what the officers wrote in their reports didnt match video footage shown to the jury. He had released video of a portion of the encounter to The Oregonian/OregonLive in March.

There were also no cameras that captured the area where officers said Campos tried to attack them on the way to a holding cell, Schlosser said. The Port of Portland taped over other footage from that day that could have shown her demeanor before the encounter with officers, including video of when she entered the airport.

Schlosser said Campos didnt appear to be so intoxicated that she was a danger to herself or others and was complying with the orders of Port of Portland officers who initially encountered her near the security checkpoint. She kicked one officer in the leg after he wrenched on her arm while detaining her.

The kick, Schlosser said, was in self-defense and allowable under Oregon law in response to the excessive force exhibited by the officer.

The encounter unfolded when Campos, who lives in Portland, arrived at the airport for a flight to Florida scheduled to leave the next day. According to a probable cause affidavit written by a county prosecutor based on the police reports, Campos became upset when she wasnt allowed to go through security, argued with officers who responded and got more agitated when they tried to calm her.

Campos told The Oregonian/OregonLive last year that she did drink alcohol before going to the airport but that officers never told her why she was being detained or that she was going to a detox cell.

Officers detained Campos because she appeared to be drunk and planned to put her in detox, according to the probable cause affidavit. But she pulled her hand away from an officer and kicked him in the leg and knee, the affidavit said. Officers pushed her to the ground and handcuffed her. She later was put in a wheelchair and taken away, while she tried to get out and screamed racial slurs at the officers, the court papers said.

Campos tried headbutting one officer while they waited for an elevator, continued to try to get out of the wheelchair and kicked an officer twice in the hip, the affidavit said. The court documents said it took several officers to restrain Campos and get her to a holding cell.

The Port of Portland said at the time that the officers used a hog-tie restraint on Campos wrists and ankles.

Video footage shows four officers carrying her to the holding area and putting her on the floor in the cell doorway with half of her body out the door. Eight officers are seen in the room around her.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.A first draft of Oregons much-anticipated climate legislation hit the street this week in Salem, and though business and industry may not offer a full-throated endorsement, or even tepid support, there was a lot more for them to like about the rewrite from last years version.

The cap and invest bill, as its commonly known, has been under debate for three legislative sessions. This time around, its a top priority for Democratic leaders, who now have a supermajority in both legislative chambers, a governor who looks on the bill as a legacy issue, and strong backing from environmental, social justice and low-income advocates.

Republicans and some business groups, meanwhile, see the policy as substantial new tax on businesses and consumers that could scare jobs away while doing little to move the needle on global carbon emissions.

The legislation would set an economy-wide limit on emissions of greenhouse gases that declines each year. Utilities, industrial companies and transportation fuel providers that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents would be required to annually acquire emissions allowances to cover their emissions, either in a state auction or on a secondary market. As the cap ratchets down, those allowances would get more expensive, forcing companies to reduce their emissions.

The policy has lots of potential sticking points. Almost every industry covered by the bill maintains that they should be exempted in one way or another, as it would undermine their competitiveness or hurt their customers in the form of higher costs.

To ease those concerns, the new version of the bill offers free allowances, exemptions and carve outs for a broad swath of companies. They dont get off the hook altogether, but the bill delays the impact of the carbon pricing.

Heres how sponsors dealt with some of the more controversial pieces of the climate policy in the new version of the bill:

New carbon office: Governance of this new program has been a constant source of debate. To administer the program, the state would establish a new Carbon Policy Office within the Department of Administrative Services. The governor would appoint the director.

Business groups opposed to the legislation were already pushing back on this move Friday.

As drafted, the bill would give the yet-to-be established Carbon Policy Office wide latitude over major segments of Oregons economy and billions of dollars, said Preston Mann, a spokesperson for Partnership for Oregon Communities. Lawmakers must pursue amendments that restore strong legislative oversight over this tremendously complex program.

Hard interim targets: The state would impose hard caps on emissions: 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2035, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Environmental groups had feared that legislators, under pressure from the business lobby, would scrap the interim target. That hasnt happened, yet.

Were excited to see this element retained. The 2035 target is especially important to achieve the near-term reductions science demands to avoid the worst climate impacts, said Zach Baker, Oregon policy manager for Climate Solutions.

Transportation pays most of the freight: Cars and trucks are Oregon's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and are seen as the toughest nut to crack in terms of reducing emissions.

But there is deep concern about the sticker shock that carbon pricing could bring at the fuel pump, particularly on top of the higher gas taxes Oregonians are already paying to fund the transportation package passed in 2017.

Fuel providers will pass this cost directly on to consumers, whose demand for gasoline is relatively inelastic. For every dollar in allowance pricing per ton, it is estimated that gas prices will rise 1 cent per gallon. So, if allowances cost $15 per ton of emissions in 2021, gas prices would be 15 cents higher per gallon.

There was speculation that the transportation sector might be exempted from regulation initially, or that the emissions pricing would be phased in. But thats not the case. Oil companies may be the only ones that didnt get free allowances in the new bill.

This makes transportation the richest source of revenue in the bill, likely to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year that will be funneled in the state highway trust fund for projects that help decarbonize the sector, such as charging stations for electric vehicles or express lanes for public transit.

Free industrial allowances: This has long been a point of contention in the climate debate. Manufacturing and industrial companies, particularly those that are "emissions-intensive-trade-exposed" or EITE  argued that putting a price on carbon would undermine their competitiveness and potentially force them to move out of state.

A recent study found that pretty much every company in Oregons industrial sector was EITE, with high emissions per unit of production and an inability to pass a carbon cost through to customers without losing market share.

The new version of the legislation addresses that by providing industrial companies with 100 percent free allowances in year one, then ratchets down the number of free allowances each year, putting pressure on the companies to reduce emissions.

One of the best things about this package, is that nobody gets an open-ended free ride, said Angus Duncan, the head of the states global warming commission.

Yet this provision may disappoint environmental and social justice advocates, as it will initially mean little revenue will be generated to invest in climate adaptation programs, job training and other pet projects.

Direct allowances for utilities: Utilities had argued that they already are subject to mandates forcing them to stop using coal-fired power and use more green energy  laws that are already pushing them into compliance with the states greenhouse gas targets.

Rather than paying twice for the same emissions reductions, Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp pushed for free allowances up to their respective emissions caps. The new version of the bill essentially does that, giving them free allowances up to their forecast emissions through 2030, then a declining amount proportionate to the states declining cap.

Were pleased that the draft that came out yesterday seems to be consistent with the goals the governor set forth in her climate agenda, said PGE spokesman Steve Corson. What weve been saying all along is that our customers need to be protected from unnecessary rate impacts.

Environmentalists were less pleased.

Thats something well be pushing back on, said Brad Reed at Renew Oregon, a coalition supporting the legislation.

The Intel clause: Theres something for almost everyone here, and Oregons largest private employer wont go away empty handed. The new bills exempt emissions of fluorocarbons, which are powerful greenhouse gases generated as a byproduct of semiconductor manufacturing, for five years.

Exempt: Forestry and agriculture are still exempt from regulation under the cap and invest program. The Legislature could revisit this provision in the future but given the lobbying horsepower of both sectors at the Capitol, doing otherwise was a potential deal killer.The wreckage from a plane crash on Mount Hood that killed a pilot reported missing days before it was discovered will remain there until its safe enough for authorities to remove it, according to the Hood River County Sheriffs Office.

Sgt. Pete Hughes, a sheriffs office spokesman, said Friday that its not yet clear when the remains of the 1975 Rockwell International 112A will be taken off the mountain and estimated that it could be possible that the area isnt cleared until spring due to the snow and terrain.

George Regis, 63, of Battle Ground, Washington was the only person in the crashed plane near Eliot Glacier. He was reported missing by his wife on Monday after flying from an airport in Camas, Washington last Friday en route to Arizona.

The crash was discovered by authorities on Tuesday, its not yet clear when it occurred. Regis remains were brought down from Mount Hood on Wednesday.

The plane crashed into the mountain at about 8,750 feet.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.A Corvallis man was arrested Thursday after authorities say he repeatedly sexually assaulted a baby girl.

Edd S. Lahar, 30, sexually abused the infant last June, July, August and in January, and had recordings of the abuse, Benton County prosecutors allege. He is accused of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse, using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct and first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse.

A tip to Corvallis officers Wednesday that Lahar had child pornography on a cellphone led to an investigation, according to the police department. Investigators got a warrant to search his house and found evidence of sexual abuse, police said.

Lahar is being held at the Benton County Jail on $6.7 million bail. The Corvallis Police Department asks anyone with more information to contact Detective Greg Kantola at 541-766-6781.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.BOISE  A company has filed a lawsuit against the Idaho State Police and Ada County after authorities seized nearly 7,000 pounds of cannabis from a truck headed to Colorado.

The Idaho Statesman reported Friday that authorities say the product seized was marijuana but Big Sky Scientific LLC says it is industrial hemp.

Hemp is a non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana and is protected under the recently passed 2018 Farm Bill.

The Idaho State Police has sent a sample of the product to a lab for testing.

The truck's driver, 36-year-old Dennis Palamarchuk of Portland, Oregon, has been charged with a felony.

Palamarchuk told authorities he was on his way to Colorado with the shipment.

Big Sky wants its product returned and wants an admission of wrongdoing from the Idaho authorities.

-- The Associated Press Flash

Moscow will continue to resolutely counter "destructive steps" in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday after the United States announced it is leaving a landmark nuclear restriction pact with Russia.

To that end, Moscow will "consolidate the international community around a constructive agenda to strengthen the existing international legal system," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced earlier in the day that the United States is withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, citing Russia's violation of the deal, a claim that has been repeatedly denied by Moscow.

"We drew attention to a new surge in absolutely unfounded critical comments from the United States regarding the implementation of Russian commitments in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation," the ministry said.

"The Russian Federation unwaveringly, consistently and unconditionally fulfills its obligations in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation," it reiterated.

Moscow remains open to close coordination and full-scale cooperation with like-minded states in the interests of strengthening strategic stability and international security, it added.

Pompeo's announcement, made nearly 60 days after Washington threatened to quit the historic INF Treaty, will start a six-month countdown period, which will lead to a permanent exit from the pact inked in 1987 between the United States and the then-Soviet Union.

The INF Treaty marked the first-ever pact reached by Washington and Moscow on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting the arms race.

However, the two sides have been accusing each other of violating the arms control agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions.Update, Saturday 10:30 a.m.

Oregon State Police say someone likely set a Stayton home ablaze Friday, killing a child inside.

An investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been announced. The name, age or gender of the child killed has not yet been identified by police.

The fire was reported around 3 p.m. at a house on West Washington Street. State police declined to release any further details as of Saturday morning.

The agency asks anyone with more information on the case to call 800-452-7888.

This story has been updated with additional information provided by police, specifically that that the person killed in the fire was a child.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.An arrested man left unbuckled in the back of a Eugene police car while being driven to a hospital Wednesday was discovered not breathing and with the seat belt wrapped around his neck when they arrived.

The Eugene Police Department announced Friday that 49-year-old Michael Amador Sanchez remains hospitalized after being resuscitated at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District. A police investigation is ongoing.

The hospital was about three miles from where he was arrested after officers suspected he set a wheelbarrow on fire near a business. The officer driving was the only other person in the car with Sanchez, who was handcuffed and down on the car floor with his shirt over his head and the seat belt around his neck, said Melinda McLaughlin, a Eugene police spokeswoman.

There is no retracting mechanism for the belt in the patrol car,and its attached to the compartment barrier by a magnet, McLaughlin said. A seat belt wasnt put on Sanchez because he kept kicking at officers and thrashing around during his arrest, she said.

Eugene police policy allows officers to not put a seat belt on people who are arrested if doing so threatens the safety of officers or the person in custody.

This is a tragic circumstance for Mr. Sanchez and for his family, said Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner in a statement. We and our transporting officers are shocked and deeply saddened. You never expect a quick, seemingly routine transport to turn out this way. The vehicles travel was smooth without crashes or abrupt stops. We will continue to look into how this occurred and remain concerned for Mr. Sanchezs well being and for his family.

Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of reckless burning and was taken to the hospital for an evaluation because officers found him with blood on his hands and face and his jacket was burned, McLaughlin said.

He kept slamming his head onto the ground while outside the patrol car, and officers grabbed his hair to stop him from continuing, she said. Sanchez had handcuffs on his wrists and flex cuffs were put on his ankles when he was put in the patrol car lying on his back.

Sanchez kept rolling and spinning in the backseat as the officer drove him and at times was upside-down with his feet at the roof of the car, McLaughlin said. At some point, he was able to take off the flex cuffs.

After being found on the car floor, Sanchez was freed and carried into the hospital, according to police.

McLaughlin said she couldnt release anymore information on the incident, citing the ongoing police investigation.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.The Venezuelan people duly elected Nicolas Maduro to be their president. Calls from America and its allies to recognize a challenger who is more in keeping with their political and corporate interests is a direct violation of the sovereignty of that nations self-determination. Will all the people who were outraged that Russians bought Facebook ads to influence Americas 2016 election please stand up and be counted as against this attack on Venezuela?

Ellen Hastay, Forest GroveBy David Rogers

David Rogers is the executive director of the ACLU of Oregon.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This simple ethical principle underscores the tremendous power and impact of our actions. But what does the Golden Rule look like when you are investing billions of dollars?

The Oregon Investment Council (OIC) is the state body that manages the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund. And with billions of dollars to invest, the council has an enormous responsibility. Should Oregon focus entirely on maximizing profit, or should ethics and social responsibility play a role in investment decisions?

The Oregon State Treasury recently signaled an openness to embracing a social responsibility lens by signing onto a set of investment principals that encourage gun safety reforms -- an admirable move. Why stop there?

Oregon has more than $300 million invested in Endeavour Capital, a private equity group that owns the largest bail bonds company in the country, Aladdin Bail Bonds.

The bail bonds industry is inherently exploitive. People who are awaiting trial but dont have the resources to post bail turn to bail bond agencies for help. This industry profits off poor people in their most vulnerable moments by forcing life altering, loan shark-like transactions. The industry is so bad there is a growing, bipartisan movement to end it around the country. California, Aladdins biggest market, passed a sweeping reform law last fall that attempted to end the bail bonds industry there.

So what does it mean that Oregon is so deeply invested in Endeavour Capital which, in turn, is deeply invested in the exploitive bail bonds industry?

From an investment perspective, the prognosis isnt great. If justice-minded legislators, advocates, and voters around the country get their way, more reforms like Californias could end the industry altogether. And that would be a good thing.

Yet Oregon is now economically committed to an industry that will have to spend millions just to stay alive. The industrys success will be measured by its ability to defeat and repeal much needed reform efforts.

Weve seen recent evidence of this: An Aladdin affiliate, majority-owned by Endeavour Capital contributed about $800,000 to the political committee created to try and repeal Californias new reform law. Endeavour is now spending major money on spreading misinformation to defend the morally bankrupt bail bonds industry. California just certified the referendum effort for the 2020 ballot.

There is a tragic irony in this situation. Oregon legislators had the wisdom decades ago to recognize that the for-profit bail bonds system is fundamentally exploitive and runs sharply against Oregon values, outlawing the industry here in 1973. But Oregons public money is being used to crush reform efforts in other states wanting to apply similar values to their own justice systems. This cant be the legacy that the Oregon Investment Council imagined when it started investing in Endeavour.

The council has a difficult job. But the case of Endeavour Capital creates the imperative to examine more than profitability and to go deeper with a socially responsible investment lens. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

Its alarming that Oregons public resources are being used to damage poor people while protecting a dying and immoral industry. The OIC should use its power and refuse to invest any more money in Endeavour, at least until they exit the bail bond industry.

There is no need to continue to do business with a group that directly conflicts with Oregons values.Steven Yang Fitzgerald said he thought a woman had been flirting with him, so he went into the room where she slept, believing she had invited him there.

The woman said she woke up and found someone had crawled into bed behind her. She thought it was Fitzgeralds roommate  the man she had just begun seeing  and said she wanted to have sex. Moments later, she realized the man touching her was Fitzgerald.

She immediately reported what happened to police.

Police interrogated Fitzgerald, who offered an unexpected defense: He said he has Aspergers syndrome, a high-functioning type of autism that in the past has led him to misconstrue other peoples social cues.

Fitzgerald was charged with a list of sex crimes, the most serious was first-degree unlawful sexual penetration. It carries a mandatory 8 1/3-year prison sentence under Oregons Measure 11 sentencing law.

In the following months, two questions hung over the case: Did Fitzgerald, 29, know what hed done? And how -- if at all -- should the criminal justice system punish a defendant who claims to have a history of misinterpreting other peoples wishes and intentions?

Experts who have studied Aspergers syndrome say people affected by it can struggle from their early years to accurately interpret nonverbal forms of communication, such as the body language or facial expressions of others.

The prosecutor repeatedly asked Fitzgeralds defense attorney for a psychological evaluation, which could include a formal diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome. But as the months wore on, Fitzgeralds side handed over nothing, and the validity of his autism defense remained in question.

Complicating the case was the womans encouragement when she awoke and mistook Fitzgerald for his roommate.

***

Fitzgerald shared a four-bedroom North Portland home with several other people.

On the afternoon of July 10, he was sitting on his front porch when police pulled up. He wondered if they were in the neighborhood to crack down on some noisy neighbors, he said.

But officers told Fitzgerald they were there to investigate him.

The woman hed just been in bed with had summoned them and accused him of assaulting her while she lay sleeping, they said.

Fitzgerald said he was stunned. The woman had spent the previous night with one of his roommates. That next morning and afternoon, she had flirted with Fitzgerald, he told police. After the roommate left for work, Fitzgerald told police he responded to the womans signals by following her into the roommates bedroom where she napped.

He also told them that his Aspergers had in the past made it difficult for him to read other people, but hes worked hard in recent years to do a better job.

He said he had no doubt the woman wanted him in bed. She had cooked him eggs and bacon, had touched him on the shoulder and had gazed into his eyes, he told detectives.

That chemistry was there, the vibe was right and everything was crystal clear, as far as I was concerned, Fitzgerald said during a 90-minute recorded police interrogation.

***

The woman told police she had been drinking that day, had decided to take a nap and awoke to a naked man lying in bed behind her, touching intimate parts of her body.

Because she couldnt see the mans face, she thought the man was Fitzgeralds roommate, whom she had slept with hours earlier. She recounted to detectives how she told the man now in bed with her that she wanted to have sex with him.

It was only at some point later, the woman said, she saw a tattoo on the mans arm and instantly realized he wasnt her new boyfriend.

About the same time, one of Fitzgeralds other roommates opened the door to the bedroom to retrieve something from the room and interrupted Fitzgerald.

The roommate spoke to the distraught woman and one of them called police.

None of several other people in the house that morning or afternoon said they observed the woman give any indication that she wanted to have sex with Fitzgerald before she went into the bedroom to take a nap, according to investigators. All of them said Fitzgeralds account was simply inaccurate, police said.

***

Fitzgerald told detectives that he was from Southern California, attended three years of college and had moved to Portland. He said he worked in a popular downtown Portland brunch spot and at a prominent Portland brewery before calling it quits a few weeks before he met his roommates new girlfriend.

He was raised Catholic, he told police, and for a long time had wanted to wait until after he was married to have sex, but in recent months was unsure if that would ever happen. He said hed changed his mind, and his first attempt at sex was with his roommates girlfriend.

The unusual case was scheduled to go to trial next week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

But last week, days before trial, Fitzgerald agreed to plead no contest to felony coercion for compelling the woman into having unwanted contact with him. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, three years of probation and a list of conditions, including a mental health evaluation, sex offender treatment, a letter of apology to his victim and a $2,000 payment to her as well.

He also pleaded no contest to second-degree sexual abuse -- a charge that will be dismissed if he follows all court orders over the next 1  years. If he fails to follow the orders, he could face prison time to be determined by a judge.

He made no statements during the hearing.

Fitzgeralds defense attorney, Michael Levine, said he had advised his client not to go to trial because he faced a state court system that allows only 10 of 12 jurors to agree on a guilty verdict and, if he lost, a long time in prison under Measure 11.

This, in my view, is a tragedy, Levine said. ... Maybe another attorney would have said, No, no. Go to trial. Its a guaranteed winner. I went back and forth on that. But I couldnt in good conscience advise a trial.

***

Prosecutor Melissa Marrero saw the case much differently.

Leading up to the plea hearing, Fitzgerald and his attorney offered no proof that Fitzgerald had Aspergers syndrome, such as an evaluation. That undermined one key aspect of his defense.

We would not have proceeded with the charges if we didnt believe they were appropriate and backed up by the evidence, Marrero said.

But she told The Oregonian/OregonLive that even though she received no reports documenting Aspergers, shes still open to seeing them, even at this point in the case. We would welcome it  if they exist, Marrero said.

Then inexplicably, nearly a week after the plea, Levine did send Marrero an evaluation of his client.Its unclear what the report says. Its also unclear if the report will have any impact on Fitzgeralds case.

Levine declined comment. Marrero said she cant comment because the report is confidential.

Aside from the autism defense, Marrero said, even if the woman had consented to Fitzgerald touching her when she thought he was someone else, she couldnt have done so initially when he let himself into the room and began sexually assaulting her while she was asleep.

Under the law, she was physically helpless, Marrero said.

You cant walk into a room where someone is sleeping and (sexually touch them) and hope that when they wake up, they will consent, Marrero said.

She agreed to the plea deal, she said, because of the unique circumstances of the case, including the mistaken identity and the womans response before she realized Fitzgerald was the one touching her.

The sentence ensures Fitzgerald will get the sex offender treatment he needs, Marrero said. He also will have to follow a strict set of rules for the next three years, she said.

The agreement was reached after consulting the victim, she said. The woman didnt attend the sentencing hearing.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.Three Oregon lawmakers are looking to give renters a break by eliminating the special fees landlord charge for pets.

KOIN reports that House Bill 2683 would wipe out the monthly fees and with the exception of a deposit, it would prohibit landlords that allow pets in their units from charging tenants additional rent or fees simply based on possession of pets.

The lawmakers who sponsor the bill said it would also prevent rent prices from going up further than they already are in a tight housing market.

Ron Garcia with the Rental Housing Alliance said he feels the bill is misguided and will hurt the people its trying to help. He said because those fees are needed to compensate for pet wear and tear and he feels landlords will end up charging more for deposits

-- The Associated PressA 45-year-old man was sentenced this week to 20 years in prison for kidnapping and assaulting his former girlfriend, leaving her with a fractured sternum and broken ribs and facial bones.

Casey Allen Christianson held the woman captive in a Southeast Portland motel in the 7700 block of Southeast 82nd Avenue for four days, investigators said.

Vancouver police learned of the crimes on June 28, 2017, after the woman showed up to an emergency room with extensive injuries, including a collapsed lung, serious head and neck trauma and the broken bones. Because of her injuries, she was transferred to a Level 1 trauma center in Portland for treatment.

The woman told police she thought Christianson planned to kill her. Investigators said a relative of the woman interrupted Christianson by calling the victims cellphone using a video chat feature. When the woman answered, the relative saw how severely she had been beaten.

Christianson pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree kidnapping, coercion and three counts of second-degree assault before Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrecht.

During Christiansons sentencing hearing, the woman said she now has metal plates under her eye and in her chest. She said she has a scar running down the length of her chest and scars on the side of her body from her broken ribs. She described Christiansons abuse as unimaginable and unforgettable, according to a news release from the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office.

What Casey did to me was not an accident, she said. I am reminded of what he did to me when I look in the mirror and see the metal plate swollen under my eye where he broke the bones. My mouth is missing teeth and filled with pain.

She said she will need many surgeries in her future.

I still have silent seizures, stutters, short-term memory issues and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), the woman said. The other day, I instinctively stuck my face in a bouquet of roses and as I took a deep breath, I was reminded of how I lost my sense of smell. I dont know what my dad smells like anymore when I give him a hug.

Christianson had previously been convicted of assault in 1996, domestic violence assault in 2005 and kidnapping and assault in 2009, according to court records.

Christianson was a Vancouver resident. He told authorities that he had been in the military and diagnosed with PTSD.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.PASADENA, CALIFORNIA  The first of two Television Critics Association 2019 winter tour days devoted to PBS programming included country music veteran Charley Pride, Ruth Wilson (The Affair) and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) discussing the strange-but-true tale they star in, and documentaries on such serious topics as sex trafficking.

Here are some highlights:

Ruth Wilson doesnt let a hotel alarm slow her down: Ruth Wilson, who has impressed viewers with her powerful performances in Luther and The Affair, discussed Mrs. Wilson, an upcoming Masterpiece presentation.

Wilson plays her own grandmother, Alison, in the three-hour miniseries, which tells the bizarre-but-true story of Alisons marriage to Alexander Wilson (Glen). Rather than living the domestic life she thought, Alison learns that her husband, an MI-5 operative and spy novelist, was hiding other wives and families, in addition to many other secrets.

Wilson spoke of how emotionally intense it was to portray a member of her own family. And when an alarm inside the hotel kept going off, she jokingly suggested this was another example of Alexanders spycraft. But Wilson, ever the trouper, kept talking.

Glen spoke about how tricky it was to play someone with as many secrets as Alec Wilson. He tried not to judge the character and, he said, was quite chuffed when British audiences who saw the miniseries didnt condemn the character as a one-dimensional cad.

Mrs. Wilson premieres March 31 on PBS.

Charley Pride and country music on PBS: After a morning discussion of Country Music, Ken Burns eight-part, 16-hour history of the art form, country music legend Charley Pride took the stage in the afternoon.

Prides life, career and status and trailblazing work as an African American star in a music industry dominated by white performers, are explored in an American Masters episode, called Charley Pride: Im Just Me.

The documentary is directed by Barbara J. Hall, who joined Pride onstage at the TCA event, along with Michael Kantor, American Masters executive producer.

Pride who is 84, said he was a bit nervous, but he was genial and talkative during the panel. Born in Sledge, Mississippi, the son of a sharecropper, Pride spoke of the influence of his father, who was strict, and his mother, whose advice, Pride said, included good things come to those who wait.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and of the Grand Ole Opry, Pride said he didnt let the fact that he was often the only person of color performing in various settings distract him from the job. Of his success, he said, God had a lot to do with it, I really believe that.

Pride also treated the journalists in attendance by singing two of his hits, Is Anybody Goin to San Antone? and Kiss an Angel Good Morning, to end the session.

The American Masters episode, Charley Pride: Im Just Me is scheduled to premiere nationally on PBS on Feb. 22. According to the OPB schedule, the special is scheduled to air at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 and again at 3 a.m. Saturday, March 2.

Sex Trafficking in America: The upcoming Frontline episode looks at the issue of sex trafficking by going to Phoenix, Arizona, to explore how the industry works and what law enforcement is doing to try and fight it.

Panelists included producers Jezza Neumann and Lauren Mucciolo, along with Phoenix Police Department Detective Heidi Chance, and Marriah, a survivor of trafficking.

Asked whether sex trafficking increases when a city has a special event, like the Super Bowl, Chance said that traffickers do consult the internet to find out where Intel or Google might be having conferences, as they look for occasions that bring together a lot of men.

The Frontline documentary, Sex Trafficking in America will premiere on PBS sometime this winter.

Stay tuned for more news and notes from the TCA 2019 winter press tour.

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.The past directors of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program and a corresponding foundation have resigned from their positions, are barred from running any other state charities and have agreed to pay back $150,000 for money they diverted from the scholarship program in direct payments to themselves and their credit card accounts, state records show.

Dana Phillips, 69, and her husband, Steve Phillips, 71, signed a settlement agreement with the Oregon Department of Justices Civil Enforcement Division this week after state investigators alleged the couple pocketed $336,584 from the scholarship fund for their personal use, according to state records.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Stephen K. Bushong signed the settlement.

The money included $197,751 in payments to credit card accounts the couple controlled, $30,293 in direct payments to themselves and other checks and debit charges that had no link to the scholarship program or foundations activities, according to Assistant Attorney General Mark Kleyna.

The state began an investigation after receiving complaints about inadequate oversight and accounting practices with the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program and the Oregon Scholarship Program, according to Kristina Edmundson, a spokeswoman for the state Justice Department.

The couple voluntarily paid $75,000 to the foundation shortly after state officials initiated the investigation.

The Seaside couple denied they profited personally from their involvement with the programs and told state officials they incurred substantial personal debts as part of legitimate pageant expenses and used some of the money to reimburse themselves.

But state investigators said documentation the couple provided didnt back up their account. For example, there was no recording of any loans the Phillipses had made previously, nor was such an arrangement corroborated by board members of either the scholarship program or the foundation.

While the couple told state officials last summer that the scholarship programs debit card was used solely by pageant winners to pay for such expenses as meals or travel tied to their pageant events, state officials questioned the accuracy of their contention based on interviews of pageant winners, records show.

The Justice Department proposed the settlement in late October, warning that the state reserved the right to pursue legal action if a resolution couldnt be reached.

Dana Phillips served as executive director of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program for more than 20 years, retiring in 2015, but she was involved since 1979. She then served as executive director of the Oregon Scholarship Foundation, a separate nonprofit, in 2015 and 2016, according to Edmundson.

When she retired from the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program, she told The Daily Astorian, When I look back to 44 years of involvement in this organization, as a volunteer, we put money into it. We dont receive a penny for what we do.

Steve Phillips was a chairman of the Oregon Scholarship Foundation from 1997 through 2016, according to the state justice department.

The foundation is the holding company of the money raised by the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program and then awarded to young women. It also runs memorial scholarships that the Phillips family set up in the name of daughter Tiffany, who died in a car accident in 1998 shortly after she turned 17.

The $150,000 that the Phillipses must pay under the settlement is due by the end of this year and will go toward a Tiffany Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund, according to court documents.

Dana and Steve Phillips couldnt be reached for comment.

Teri Leeper Taylor, executive director of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program for the past two-and-a-half years, released a prepared statement, noting that state investigators alerted the program in early December 2017 that it was undertaking an audit and requested detailed documentation of its finances.

"Our organization participated fully with the Oregon Department of Justice in this investigation and audit. While we are more than troubled at the findings and outcome, we look forward to receiving official notification that our portion of the audit has found the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program, under its current leadership, to be both organizationally and financially sound in scope and practice,'' the statement said.

The Miss Oregon Scholarship Program has been under a new board of directors and leadership for the past two-and-a-half years and adopted new procedures "that are in line with non-profit best practices,'' the statement said.

Nancy McCune, current vice president of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program, said of the allegations against the Phillipses and the settlement, I find that to be totally unbelievable because I cant imagine they would do that.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonianPortland expects the citys unusual tax on companies with high-paid chief executives will bring in between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in its first year, in line with forecasts from when the city approved the law.

Last year was the first Portlands unique tax was in effect, capitalizing on new federal regulations that require companies to disclose the ratio between what their CEOs make and median employee pay.

Portland wont disclose how much individual companies have paid under the tax, citing taxpayer privacy protections. And nearly 100 companies have sought extensions while they adjust to the new taxes.

But city revenue director Thomas Lannom offers some general information based on 153 companies that have acknowledged tax liability so far:

Those companies owe $2.4 million altogether, of which $2.2 million has been collected already.

The 10 largest taxpayers paid more than half that total, $1.3 million altogether.

The average payment was $15,800.

The median payment was $3,900. (The median is the taxpayer halfway between the largest and smallest bill.)

The highest CEO-to-worker pay ratio among reporting companies is 3,431 to 1. Portland did not identify that company, but retail chain Abercrombie & Fitch reported that is the ratio of CEO Fran Horowitzs pay relative to the companys median employee.

Even if the tax hits the top end of Portlands forecast range, $3.5 million is a tiny share of the citys $621 million general fund -- 0.6 percent, to be precise.

What does that buy in Portland? Well, its on par with one category of spending increase this year dedicated to enhancing livability. Or its equivalent to the salaries (but not the benefits or overhead) of at least 31 police officers. Its roughly what city bureaus spend on vehicle fuel each year.

Its nice to have the money but the ultimate goal was not to raise money but get a precedent other jurisdictions would follow, said Steve Novick, the former Portland city councilmember who pushed his colleagues to approve the tax in 2016.

By that measure the city hasnt achieved its goal. Portland was one of several jurisdictions that considered such a tax but the only one to adopt it  and nowhere else has in the intervening years.

The CEO tax levies a surcharge on top of the citys regular business tax, applicable to any company operating in Portland  whether or not its headquarters are here.

Portlands tax levies a 10 percent tax surcharge on companies with that pay their CEOs 100 to 250 times more than the median worker. Companies with a CEO pay ratio above 250 times must pay a 25 percent surcharge.

The Portland Business Alliance argued strenuously against the tax back in 2016, arguing it would have no effect on income inequality. Columbia Sportswear was also critical, arguing that the methodology used to calculate the pay ratios is highly subjective, making it unfair for assessing tax liability.

Novick, who lost his 2016 re-election campaign, now works for the Oregon Department of Justice. Speaking for himself, and not his current employer, Novick said he continues to hope the tax will call attention to income inequality.

The fact that we have these huge CEO pay ratios is both a symptom and a cause of the fact that we have an economic oligarchy in the United States, Novick said.

Publicly traded companies were first required to report CEO ratios in 2018, covering their 2017 financial results. Among Oregon-based companies, 2017 ratios ranged from 379-1 (Nike) to 28-1 (NW Natural.) Companies will begin reporting last years pay ratios in the coming weeks.

Executive pay is creating a new class of super wealthy, Novick argued, distorting executive pay and economic power while diverting corporate resources that could be used to raise the wages of the lowest paid.

There is no evidence Portlands tax has constrained executive salaries  on Thursday, Intel announced it will pay new CEO Bob Swan more than $20 million a year, plus a $13 million signing bonus.

Still, Novick said he holds out hope Portlands law may yet gain traction elsewhere and that similar proposals could gain currency with the Democratic presidential candidates corporate accountability measures.

This is not just about redistributing wealth and income, Novick said. This is about a threat to democracy.

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Flash

Thailand's airports are bracing for a large influx of visitors during the Chinese New Year, with airlines set to operate 35,000 flights in total across the country.

Airports of Thailand PCL (AoT) estimates that 5.93 million passengers will travel through its six international airports during the Chinese New Year holiday.

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of AoT said from Jan. 30 to Feb. 11 total air passengers at AoT's six airports - Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai - are expected to increase by 4 percent.

The number of flights is predicted to rise by 7.2 percent compared with the same period last year, with 800 charter flights and extra flights catering to some 119,000 passengers.

AoT forecasts Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport to be the most jam-packed, with 2.63 million passengers, or growth of 3.6 percent year-on-year, from 14,800 flights, a 9 percent increase. Some 40,000 passengers will travel via 300 charter and extra flights.

Aeronautical Radio director Somnuk Rongthong said air traffic controllers have been put on full alert to monitor the airspace and clear up any delays during the holiday, which lasts from Feb. 4-10.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects to welcome over 330,000 Chinese tourists during the seven-day period (Feb. 4-10). They represent more than 30 percent of the overall total of 1.03 million international arrivals that are expected to visit Thailand over the Chinese New Year.Schneider Electric, Siemens Instrument Transformers Market Report-2024 By Raychem RPG (P) Ltd., Weidmann Electrical Technology, KONCAR Group, Toshiba Corporation

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Instrument Transformer market will exceed USD 7 billion by 2024, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc. Rising demand for electricity owing to rapid urbanization across the globe have instigated concerns pertaining to grid stability, which in turn will drive the instrument transformer market. Ongoing urban migration adhered by rising infrastructural investments will further complement the deployment of effective monitoring and control T&D systems.Sustainable economic proliferation along with revamping lifestyles have led to an exponential rise in the peak load demand for energy. Hence, accruing energy demand across the globe subject to the ongoing economic and social reformation will appreciable augment the industry outlook.Get a Sample Copy of this Report@In terms of regional industry outlook, the Asia Pacific instrument transformer market is estimated to exceed 7% growth rate in the ensuing seven years. The region has been witnessing large-scale migration across the urban centers along with the brisk expansion of utility-based electricity infrastructure, which has, in turn, favorably influenced the APAC instrument transformer industry. Furthermore, the rising rural electrification initiatives by governments of the developing economies across the region, augmented by significant investments by foremost financial entities such as Asian Development Bank and World Bank to restructure the existing electrical grids across the nations will further boost the instrument transformer market progression.France instrument transformer industry is set to exceed USD 100 million by 2024. Stringent regulatory reforms pertaining to emissions coupled with rapid technological transitions to sustain an energy efficient grid infrastructure will comprehensively thrust the business. Inclination towards clean energy adhered by rising investments across the renewable sector will further escalate the product penetration across the country. In 2017, the French government has led forward its plan to invest over USD 20 billion toward its energy transition plan.Oil immersed in 2016, accounted for over 50% of the instrument transformer market share. Effective insulation and di-electric strength when compared to its counterparts makes its adoption preferable. Applicability across high voltage applications coupled with economical cost structure will further escalate the product penetration. The technology since inception has witnessed sheer progression owing to its higher voltage output and operational flexibility with its prime application across utility and commercial electrical networks.Instrument Transformer Market Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017  2024 in detail along with the table of contents@Speaking of the product spectrum of the instrument transformer industry, the oil immersed transformer led the overall business sphere accounting for over 50% of the global industry share in 2016. Its ease of deployment across high-voltage applications coupled with modest cost is bound to further escalate its requirement across diverse sectors, which would further contribute to the instrument transformer industry growth.In the recent times, instrument transformer market has witnessed a meteoric rise in its revenue graph, courtesy the rising demand for electricity owing to the exponential pace of urbanization, swift technological advancements to assist an energy-efficient and sustainable grid network, growing inclination toward clean energy with massive investments in the renewable sector coupled with various government initiatives to electrify rural hinterlands across the globe.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Eminent players across the instrument transformer market include Schneider Electric Siemens CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited Raychem RPG (P) Ltd. Weidmann Electrical Technology KONCAR Group Toshiba CorporationAbout Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Global Diabetes Injection Pens Market 2018: Novo Nordisk A/S, AstraZeneca Plc, Biocon Ltd, Eli Lilly and Company, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Jiangsu Delfu Co

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Diabetes insulin pens are advanced forms of prefilled insulin syringes and pen needles that are used to inject insulin in the body of patients suffering from type-1 diabetes. These pens usually consist of an insulin cartridge that acts as an insulin reservoir and a dial that is used to measure the exact volume of insulin that is intended to be delivered to the patient. These cartridges and pens are available in different shapes and sizes and are also available in disposable and non-disposable types.Get Exclusive Sample Copy @Most of the diabetes pens are incorporated with insulin pen needles that are replaceable, thin, and extremely short to reduce the pain caused during injection. Several universal pen needles are also present in the market that fits to almost all the brands of insulin pens. These pens are handy, easy to carry around, and can be used in home settings to provide accuracy in dose delivery. This in turn, is increasing the demand for diabetes insulin pens.Rising incidence of diabetes is expected to propel the demand for insulin injection pensRising incidence diabetes is one of the major factors responsible for growth of the global diabetes injection pens market. According to the American Diabetes Association, around 30.3 million of people in the U.S. suffered from diabetes, accounting for up to 9.4% of the total population in 2016. Moreover, according to the BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, around 387 million people in the world suffer from diabetes, out of which around 5-10% suffer from type-1 diabetes. Various other factors driving growth of the market include risk of needle-stick injuries and bacterial infection caused by regular use of syringes to inject insulin and the advancements technology related to diabetes pens, leading to development of painless devices for daily insulin injections. However, the availability of insulin patches and other substitutes for insulin delivery are expected to hamper the growth of the market.Read Full Report with TOC @Key players are focused on development of novel products to sustain their position in the highly consolidated marketKey players operating in the global diabetes injection pens market include Novo Nordisk A/S, AstraZeneca Plc, Biocon Ltd, Eli Lilly and Company, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Jiangsu Delfu Co. Major players are consistently focused towards innovation and development in the existing technology to maintain their significance and establish their presence in the global diabetes injection pens market.For instance, Novo Nordisk in 2014 introduced a new insulin injection pen device NovoPen Echo that was the first-ever injection pen to deliver half a unit of insulin, with a memory function that records last dose and the time passed since the last injection.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154Global Dried Fruits Market |Key Players - Dole Food Company, Lion Raisin Inc., Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., SunOpta Grains and Foods Inc

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The proposed market report of TMR on the Global Dried Fruits Market evaluates opportunities in the current market, and provides updates and insights corresponding to different segments involved in the global dried fruits market over the forecast period 20182026. The global dried fruits market report further exhibits the estimated data for 2018, and forecast data up to 2026 in terms of value (US$ Mn) and volume (MT). In terms of value, the dried fruits market is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. The present study exhibits the trends and market dynamics of dried fruits market in five major regions - North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The report also includes the study of current issues with consumers and various future opportunities for the dried fruits market.Get Exclusive Free Sample Copy of This Report @The report explores the global dried fruits market for the period 20182026. The primary objective of the global dried fruits report is to provide insights into key developments in the market that are consistently supporting to transform global businesses that are associated with the dried fruits. It is very important to consider that, in an ever wavering economy, we provide the estimated (Y-o-Y) year-on-year growth rate in addition with the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the overall forecast, to understand the better analysis and evaluation of the global dried fruits market, and to discover the equitable opportunities.Yet another key feature of this report is that, the estimation of the global dried fruits market and the corresponding revenue forecast is carried out in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. This is usually not prioritized while forecasting the overall market numbers. Absolute dollar opportunity analysis is very essential in evaluating the degree of opportunity that a provider can observe to execute, as well as to contrast the potential resources from a sales perspective in the global dried fruits market.The global dried fruits market report starts with an elaborated executive summary, and the market definition of various segmentations that are included and their respective shares in the global dried fruits market. The report further incorporates the major macroeconomic factors which has an effect over the growth of dried fruits market. The market report also highlights the various market dynamics which includes the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and trends in the global dried fruits market. The report further underlines the study of present issues with industrial processing, and opportunities for dried fruits market. It also encompasses value chain analysis which provides a structural view of overall profitability from the manufacturer to the end user of the dried fruits market. In order to provide users with a clear view of the global dried fruits market, we have exhibited the competitive analysis of key market players and their strategic expansions. The competitive dashboard presents a detailed comparison of dried fruits manufacturers on valuable parameters such as key product offerings, total revenue, key developments, and key strategies. The study intensifies the global dried fruits market attractiveness analysis by fruit type, form, nature, end user, and region.For More Information about This Report Visit @To evaluate the overall market size of dried fruits, the report on dried fruits market considers various fundamental aspects based on secondary research. Furthermore, it emphasizes quantitative evaluation such as market shares by fruit type, form, nature, end user, region-wise market shares and other qualitative data from primary respondents, which have been consolidated to arrive at clear and accurate market estimations. The forecast presented in the dried fruits market report arrives at the total revenue being generated, and expected revenue contribution in the future by the global dried fruits market.The detailed profiles of companies that manufactures dried fruits are included in the global dried fruits report to analyze their developmental strategies, key product offerings, and recent developments, as they have a significant role in the global dried fruits market. Major market players covered in the dried fruits market report are Dole Food Company, Lion Raisin Inc., Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., SunOpta Grains and Foods Inc., Bergin Fruit and Nut Company Inc., Lion Raisins Inc. and othersThe subsequent sections analyze the global dried fruits market on the basis of fruit type, form, nature, end user, and region, and presents a forecast for the period 20182026. The market is segmented as follows:Dried Fruits Market by Fruit TypeRaisinsNatural SeedlessGolden SeedlessBlack CurrantSultanaMuscatMonukkaTropical & Exotic FruitsDatesApricotDried FigsBananaPineappleMangoPeachesOthersBerriesCranberryBlueberryRaspberryAcai BerryDried Fruits Market by FormSlices & GranulatesPowderWhole Dried FruitsDried Fruits Market by NatureOrganicConventionalDried Fruits Market by End userIndividualHypermarket/SupermarketConvenience StoreSpecialty StoresTraditional Grocery StoresOnline RetailersFood Service ProvidersFood Processing IndustryBaked goodsConfectioneryBeveragesSoupsReady MealsCereals & Snack BarsDried Fruits Market by RegionNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaLatin AmericaBrazilArgentinaPeruChileColumbiaMexicoRest of L.AEuropeGermanyFranceItalySpainUnited KingdomRussiaPolandRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaChinaJapanSouth KoreaAustralia & New ZealandRest of APACMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyNorth AfricaSouth AfricaRest of MEAEnquire about This Report before Buying @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207(United-State)United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comImmunotherapy Drugs Market 2019 to Grow at +14% CAGR to 2025 | By Top Players: ELI Lilly and Company, Merck & Co. Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis International AG, Johnson & Johnson

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A new report has been added by Report Consultant to its meticulous database and it is titled as Global Immunotherapy Drugs Market. It provides a detailed analysis of the industry and examines the factors that impact on the markets demand, key trends and challenges faced by industry participants. Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy may work by:The global immunotherapy drugs market which was represented a CAGR of approximately +14% in the midst of the estimate time span of 2019-2025.Request A Sample Copy Of Report: Click HereTop Key Players:ELI Lilly and Company, Merck & Co. Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis International AG, Johnson & Johnson, Glaxosmithkline PLC, Amgen Inc., Abbvie, Astrazeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb.Segment By Regions/Countries, This Immunotherapy Drugs Market Report CoversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRegionally, the Global Immunotherapy Drugs Market Report explores the impending of the global market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa and Latin America. In addition to this, the countries generating high revenue in these mentioned regions have also been examined along with comprehensive coverage and innovation in these countries. The challenge for this market is the augmented use of casting and stamping process. The industry entails to expand the efficiency of logistics to meet the needs of the Pharma & Healthcare Industry.Ask For Discount@This Global Immunotherapy Drugs Market statistical report provides a wide-ranging research on the key players and in-depth insights which includes the competitiveness of the trending players. Mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations and contracts are the most significant business tactics that are adopted by the foremost players and are also recognized and scrutinized in the report. The Global Immunotherapy Drugs Market research report recognizes their manufacturing base, product type, competitors, applications, pricing, gross margin and specifications. SWOT analysis is one of the major parameters based on which these companies are outlined.By Type, The Immunotherapy Drugs Market Can Be Split IntoAdult VaccinesCheckpoint InhibitorsInterferons AlphaBy Application, The Immunotherapy Drugs Market Can Be Split IntoCancerAutoimmune DiseasesInfectious DiseasesFor More Information: Click HereIn This Study, The Years Considered To Estimate The Market Size Of Immunotherapy Drugs Are As Follows:History Year: 2015-2018Base Year: 2018Estimated Year: 2019Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Table Of Content:The Global Immunotherapy Drugs Market Report Contains:1. Global market overview2. Global market competition by manufacturers, type and application3. USA/China/Japan/Europe/India and Southeast Asia are the regional analysis of immunotherapy drugs (volume, value and sales price)4. Analysis of global market by manufacturer5. Immunotherapy drugs manufacturing cost analysis6. Industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream buyers7. Marketing strategy analysis, distributors/traders8. Market effect factors analysis9. Global market forecast (2019-2025)10. Conclusion of the global immunotherapy drugs market11. AppendixAbout Us:Report Consultant - A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. With us, you will learn to take decisions intrepidly. We make sense of drawbacks, opportunities, circumstances, estimations and information using our experienced skills and verified methodologies.Our research reports will give you an exceptional experience of innovative solutions and outcomes. We have effectively steered businesses all over the world with our market research reports and are outstandingly positioned to lead digital transformations. Thus, we craft greater value for clients by presenting advanced opportunities in the global market.Contact us:Rebecca Parker(Report Consultant)Akasaka biz tower,5-3-1 akasaka minato-ku,Tokyo, JapanContact No: +81-368444299sales@reportconsultant.comAugmented Analytics Market: Huge Demand in Technology Industry at a CAGR of 28.4% by 2024 Including Top key players IBM Corporation, Microsoft, Tableau Software and TIBCO Software Inc.

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The global augmented analytics market size was valued at $4,094 million in 2018, and is projected to reach $29,856 million by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 28.4% from 2018 to 2024.Augmented analytics utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language generation, which generates automated insights for any non-technical user.One important feature of augmented analytics which is different from other technologies is the ability to carry out natural-language generation, which under goes complex jargon and delivers insights in simple terms. Similar to self-service BI, augmented analytics and smart data discovery technologies will enable humans to interact with data using conversations.Request Sample Copy of this Report @Augmented Analytics Market SegmentedBy Component Software ServicesBy Deployment On-Premise CloudBy Organization Size Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Large Enterprises OthersBy Industry Verticals Retail Healthcare and Life Sciences BFSI Telecom and IT Manufacturing Government Transportation and Logistics OthersBy Business Function Sales & Marketing Finance IT OperationsKey Market Players IBM Corporation Microsoft Qlik SAP SE Salesforce SAS Institute Sisense Inc. Tableau Software TIBCO Software Inc. ThoughtSpotObjectives of this research report:-Identifying the augmented analytics market needs-Identifying the customers as well as potential customers-Gives more focus on augmented analytics market growth opportunities-Estimation of cost structure and market size-Identifying demanding region with analysis of specific countries-Qualitative and quantitative analysis of market dynamics like drivers and restraints-Identification of recent technological advancements, tools, and methodologies-Elaboration of sales approaches-List of standard operating procedures for boosting the performance of businesses-Description of industrial outlook-Detailed insights into government policies, rules, and regulationsKey questions answered in this report1. What are Study Objectives of Market?2. What will the Market size in 2024?3. How will market change over the forecast period?4. What segment or region will drive market growth and why?5. What are opportunities and challenges in market6. What are the dynamics of the market?Get Discount on this report @About Us:Report Consultant  A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. With us, you will learn to take decisions intrepidly. We make sense of drawbacks, opportunities, circumstances, estimations and information using our experienced skills and verified methodologies.Our research reports will give you an exceptional experience of innovative solutions and outcomes. We have effectively steered businesses all over the world with our market research reports and are outstandingly positioned to lead digital transformations. Thus, we craft greater value for clients by presenting advanced opportunities in the global market.Contact us:Rebecca Parker(Report Consultant)Akasaka biz tower,5-3-1 akasaka minato-ku,Tokyo, JapanContact No: +81-368444299sales@reportconsultant.comNew Managers

LAUNCHES: Record year for crypto fund launches: 239 new crypto funds were launched in 2018

1. A former top quant manager at Steve Cohen's firm is launching his own fund. Michael Graves, who was a portfolio manger at Point72 Asset Management's Cubist unit for nearly a decade, resigned from the firm in 2018. Now, he's starting his own quant-focused hedge fund and asset management firm, a source familiar with the new venture told Business Insider. At least four analysts and developers from Graves' team will join him, a source said.

2. Zynga founder Mark Pincus is raising up to $700 million for a new investment fund that will focus on publicly traded tech companies in need of strategic restructuring, Axios has learned. It's called Reinvent Capital, and Pincus is being joined by veteran hedge fund manager Michael Thompson (ex-BHR Capital). Also involved as a senior adviser is Reid Hoffman, although this is not expected to affect his full-time job as a general partner with VC firm Greylock. Expect him to only spend around one day per month on Reinvent business, with Pincus and Thompson making all of the investment decisions.

3. Adam Fisher, a portfolio manager at Soros Fund Management, is returning to running his own firm less than two years after joining the approximately $25 billion investment firm. Fisher exited the New York-based family office, which invests the fortune of famed trader and philanthropist George Soros and his family, earlier this month, two people familiar with his move told Reuters.

4. Aviva Investors is set to launch a global unconstrained fund and a global emerging market (GEM) unconstrained product next quarter, chief investment officer, equities, David Cumming said. In July, Aviva Investors poached a team of eight equity fund managers from Standard Life Aberdeen as it opened an Edinburgh office for the firm, including Mikhail Zvervev, head of global equities, and Alistair Way, head of global emerging market equities.

5. An ex-Nomura Holdings Inc. trader has started a hedge fund focused on......................

To view our full article please loginThe latest round of talks lasting six days between the Taliban and American representatives in Doha, Qatar, produced concluding statements showing how much ground the two sides have covered in getting closer than ever to an agreement.



The dialogue by itself is a major achievement in bringing together the U.S. and Taliban  the two main parties in the long-running Afghanistan conflict. The Taliban had always insisted it would only talk with the Americans who they regarded as responsible for installing and controlling the present government in Kabul.

The Americans, meanwhile, have shown pragmatism in starting direct talks with the rebels without Afghan government involvement, for, without doubt, the latter would have liked to play a leading role.

Let us also give credit to the current Afghan government for showing maturity by not insisting it be part of the talks from the word go. In response, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy, has been keeping President Ashraf Ghani informed about what has taken place.

Reports now suggest a framework has been agreed to end violence and put the country on the path to peace and development, although, so far, nothing has been shared officially and the two sides maintain a tough public posture.

The Taliban insist on holding to their demand that U.S. should withdraw its forces before any tangible progress can be made towards peace. On the other hand, Khalilzad has said that nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed.

America's key demand has always been that the Taliban should recognize the elected government in Kabul as well as endorse the existing national constitution ensuring democracy and elected government.

Another major condition by the U.S. and the international community is that the Taliban should not allow any militant group to use Afghanistan as a base for militancy against any other country.

Additionally, they should also respect universally-accepted human rights, including those related to women, and avoid to repeat the gross violations that typified their rule in the 1990s.

When we talk about forward movement, it means that there are positive developments on all these vital issues as the peace process is carefully nurtured. The next milestone will be agreement on a ceasefire linked with an announced schedule for an American troop withdrawal, thus creating an environment for direct talks between Taliban and Kabul government.

President Donald Trump has already pledged to bring home the soldiers from Afghanistan in order to terminate the longest war his country has waged so far.

Pakistan played a crucial role in bringing Taliban on the negotiating table. Its positive efforts started with the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar last year to lead the Taliban side in the talks.

The key stakeholders including U.S., Taliban, Afghanistan and Pakistan are directly or indirectly part of the process. Other countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are also involved. Major powers like China and Russia have also expressed their support.

Countries like India and Iran have not said much about the ongoing talks, but apparently India is in the loop. How Iran will react to the final deal is not clear, but it has already begun mending fences with the Taliban and will not be overtly reactive or oppose their return to Kabul.

The upcoming deal will be win-win for everyone. The Taliban will be vindicated as U.S. will announce a pullout and will use this to claim victory.

The key U.S. demand would be met after Taliban accepted the existing Afghan constitution and pledged not to use their land, or allow it to be used by militants, to work against the interests of Washington and the rest of the international community.

Afghanistan obviously will be the actual beneficiary if the peace deal can end more than four decades of suffering and bloodshed. The regional security dynamics will also improve and unleash a lot of economic activity, directly benefiting all its neighbors.

Finally, the end of the Afghan conflict will heal the last wound of the Cold War period and also put a lid on the saga on "The Great Game" between major powers prevailing since the 19th century.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.US threatens to pull out of INF Treaty: What is this treaty about?

US dumps INF Treaty: Nato seeks constructive relation with Russia

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Moscow, Feb 2: The US might has eventually taken the step of withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty starting from Saturday, February 2.

President Donald Trump has vowed to work on options related to military response to deny Russia from gaining advantage and work closely with its allies including the Nato members but according to Russia's TASS News Agency, the military alliance stresses on a constructive relationship with Russia despite the US's withdrawal from the treaty, a statement from Brussels said on Friday, February 1.

"We continue to aspire to a constructive relationship with Russia, when Russia's actions make that possible," the statement read.

The alliance also placed responsibility for the US exiting the INF treaty on Russia. The pull-out procedure will take six months.

US threatens to pull out of INF Treaty: What is this treaty about?

The announcement of the US's pulling out of the INF Treaty, yet another international mechanism, was made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who said Washington would not abide by the treaty's obligations from February 2.

Trump said earlier that the US would no longer remain the only side to abide by a treaty. The US has been accusing Russia of not honouring the treaty obligations for some time now. Trump expressed his intention to pull the US out of it in October last year.

An American official said on Friday that the US would notify Russia and other post-Soviet states via diplomatic channels of the US's decision to apply Article 15 of the 1987 treaty and to suspend its obligations under the same, the TASS report added.

Signed by the US and erstwhile Soviet Union in December 1987, the INF Treaty applies to deployed and non-deployed ground missiles of intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometres) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometres).

It was signed by late American president Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.Power-drunk Modi govt lost all sense of responsibility towards people: Cong on ex gratia for Covid victims

At all party meet with PM, J&K parties to demand for restoration of statehood

Why are you afraid Didi, asks Modi in an all out attack on TMC

India

oi-Vikas SV

Durgapur, Feb 2: In a blistering attack on Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the state to oust TMC government. Modi said Mamata didi cannot sleep when she hears people praising him and the BJP.

Raking up the issue of Mamata Banerjee deciding to withdraw the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi said, "Didi... Kis baat ka darr lag raha hai? (What are you afraid of Didi).

Following the steps of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in November decided to withdraw the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The decision effectively means that the CBI cannot continue or initiate a fresh probe in the state without seeking express consent from the state government.

[West Bengal: Several injured due to stampede like situation at PM Modi's rally]

PM Modi, during a rally in Durgapur, asked, in a rather sarcastic tone, "Didi... Kis baat ka darr lag raha hai? Jab kuchh galat nahin kiya hai toh agencies ko pradesh mein kyun nahin aaney de rahi? (What are you afraid of? If you have not done anything wrong then why are you not allowing agencies to probe in the state)."

Modi also mocked the grand opposition rally organised by the TMC in Kolkata on January 19 in which 24 parties including the Congress shared the stage with Banerjee.

"Those who did not even see each other four years ago assembled in Kolkata... They are abusing me because I am working against corruption," he said.

I used to think that Didi who has herself suffered a lot during Left regime will not walk on the same path, but I was surprised that she adopted the same tactics. You can take this from me in writing 'Inka jaana tae hai'.

He further accused the TMC of throttling the democracy and uged people to oust the Mamata Benerjee-led government.Power-drunk Modi govt lost all sense of responsibility towards people: Cong on ex gratia for Covid victims

At all party meet with PM, J&K parties to demand for restoration of statehood

West Bengal: This budget is just the start, farmers' situation will be stronger, says PM Modi

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Thakurnagar, Feb 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday kicked-off BJP's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha election at Thakurnagar in West Bengal.

At the outset PM Modi highlighted the interim budget, saying, "The schemes that were announced in the budget yesterday will help more than 12 crore Kisan families, labourers, and the 3 crore middle-class families will directly benefit from it."

"Like I've said before, this budget is just the start. In the full budget, we will make the situation of farmers stronger. Few farmers got benefits in West Bengal. Our budget will give benefit to 12 crore farmers."

Modi-Mamata poster war in West Bengal ahead of PM's visit

PM Modi hailed the Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur for his contribution to the society and also praised author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, writer of Pather Panchali, for his contribution as well.

The PM concluded his speech at Thakurnagar by seeking Trinamool Congress' support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill. He said that his government had brought in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. "I am asking Trinamool Congress to support it," he said.

The rally in Thakurnagar was organised by All India Matua Mahasangha which is a BJP-aligned faction. Meanwhile, his Durgapur rally is a part of BJP's 'Ganatantra Bachao' (save democracy) programme in the state.

Thakurnagar, which is one of the venues, is the hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s mostly due to religious persecution. The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi.

The venues of both the rallies have political significance.

Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.

(With PTI inputs)Uri attack: The Italian connection to Indian terror

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 02: Something is churning in Italy these days and India has every reason to be worried. Back in the year 2016, the Enforcement Directorate had signalled to the authorities in Italy about a Help Services and it was suspected that it was linked to the ISI, Pakistan.

The allegation was that funds meant for the Hurriyat Conference were being routed through its call centre and money was being paid by the ISI to fuel tensions in Kashmir.

This is not for the first time that an Italian connection to the ISI has emerged. The recent probe by the National Investigation Agency also suggested that the ISI was routing funds through Italy to fund activities of terrorists both from Kashmir and Punjab in India.

These revelations come in the backdrop of an Intelligence Bureau report which speaks about the ISI and the Jamaat-e-Islami making efforts to meddle with the elections in India.

Francesca Marino while writing in the Firstpost says that there are 11 lakh Pakistanis living in Italy. However if one takes into account those living illegally, the figure goes up to nearly 13 lakh.

The probe by the Enforcement Directorate states that the money that was routed through Italy by the ISI was also used in the Uri attack of September 18 2016. Similar remittances were found going into the Khalistan terrorists from Italy, through the Pakistanis living there.

India has been seeking an arrest warrant against six Pakistanis living in Italy for allegedly channelising funds to spread terror in India.

The Italian connection:

This is however not for the first time that the Italian connection to Indian terror has emerged. Mohammad Yaqub Janjua, Aamer Yaqub Janjua, Mohammad Zamir and Athar Butt were key players of an international racket who had helped carry out the 26/11 attack. While Janjua and Aamer Yaqub had played a key role in moving money from Italy, Butt had ensured that identities of persons were stolen. Zamir on the other hand was arrested in connection with a phone hacking racket which raised funds for various terrorist activities including the 26/11 attack.

The 26/11 mystery that India never unearthed

India never pursued these men with any aggression. It is not just in the 26/11 case that the role of these men was found. The recent chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate also found that it was these men from Italy who had also funded separatists in Kashmir or rather moved money for them.

The probe conducted against these three persons brings to light several aspects. There was wire transferring of terror funds, theft of identity and also a phone hacking scandal which also led to the raising of funds. These are all aspects that continue to remain mysteries in the 26/11 attack and despite these men being arrested way back in 2009, there was no real push given by the government of the day.

Hacking:

Phone hacking had become a major money spinner for terrorist groups. It was found during an investigation conducted by the FBI that several AT&T phones had been hacked into and the money diverted for terrorist activities. Between the years 2007 and 2009 there were several instances of phones being hacked.

Muhammad Zamir, from Italy was arrested in 2007 for running a call centre through which he was buying information on cell numbers from hackers. After his arrest, this call centre was taken over by a Saudi national.

It was found that the hackers used to sell SIM cards which allowed users to make calls through lines that have been hacked. Using the same number, the calls are then made by others; only to be billed to the original customer. When a complaint is lodged about these fraudulent calls, the service provider reimburses the customer, which ends up with these terrorist groups which is eventually used to fund terror operations.

It had been found that a lot of money was moved between Italy, Indonesia and Pakistan.

While two operatives were arrested in Italy for moving money into accounts of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, it was suspected that the money was raised through the phone hacking racket.

Stealing an identity:

Athar Butt was an active operative in Italy. However during one of his visits to Spain he had been arrested. He ran a network which was involved in stealing documents are Italy, Thailand and also Spain. He was the leader of a nine member gang which would steal the identity of people and sell it to terrorist groups.

While investigations had suggested that he had stolen documents and handed it over to the Lashkar which carried out the 26/11 attack, the Indian investigators were not able to get to the bottom of this. Butt is a professional identity thief. He is not attached to the Lashkar alone. Infact he will sell identities of people if he is offered a good sum of money.

It had been found that the these persons had stolen the identity details of a person by the name Iqbal.

It was under the name of Iqbal that Rs 3 crore had been transferred to separatists in Kashmir between 2007 and 2010. What is ironic is that the name of Iqbal was also used when money had been transferred to the accounts of the Lashkar. This amount raised through the phone hacking racket was used for the VoIP calls that the terrorists made during the planning of the 26/11 attack and even while it was being executed.ISI link, India and beyond: NIA exposes dangers of urban naxals, their friends in the jungles

Urban naxal link to Elgaar Parishad: Anand Teltumbe arrested

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Pune, Feb 02: The Pune city have arrested Anand Teltumbe, a professor at the Goa Institute of Management, in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case. He is accused of having links with the naxalites.

The arrest was made after a special court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The arrest was confirmed by Shivaji Pawar, assistant commissioner of police.

ISI, Maoists, urban naxals: Why the 2019 LS poll is the most threatened one

It may be recalled that the police had raided his home in connection with the case last year.

Five Left-wing activists were arrested during the searches and they are under house arrest till September 6 as per a Supreme Court direction. Teltumbde was not among them.

The Maharashtra Police had cited a letter, allegedly written by "Comrade Prakash", that mentions about arranging funds for a human rights convention attended by "Comrade Anand" in Paris.

However, the police did not say when the convention was held. The letter also mentioned allocating Rs 10 lakh annually to organise international seminars on Dalit issues, they had said.

Bhima-Koregaon: IB watches underground urban naxals closely

The press meet was addressed by Additional Director General (Law and Order) Param Bir Singh. Dismissing these charges, Teltumbde said, "I dont know any Maoist leaders and I have not received any letters. Police should think before levelling allegation, they should see my background, the work I which I did, I don't have time to do all these things," he said, adding "this is all outrageous".

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 9:18 [IST]Mumbai police to get custody of gangster Ravi Pujari on Monday

Pujari a.k.a Fernandez: How this underworld don lived undercover

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Feb 02: Underworld don Ravi Pujari,arrested in Senegal on a red alert by Indian intelligence agencies, was living with a new identity, had got a Burkina Faso passport for himself and his family and ran a chain of restaurants in some West African nations, Karnataka police said Friday.

"Ravi Pujari had obtained a new identity as Antony Fernadez and got a Burkina Faso passport for himself, his wife and children.

How was Ravi Pujari nabbed: HDK explains Karnataka's efforts

Being a dreaded criminal and always afraid of his identity getting exposed, he ran away from Burkina Faso and his track was lost," police said in a statement.

It said Additional Director General of Police (intelligence) Dr Amar Kumar Pandey coordinated with the National Crime Record Bureau to expedite the Red Corner Notice to Interpol on the directions of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to ensure the arrest of the gangster, wanted in several cases in Karnataka, including extortion.

Pandey also succeeded in obtaining information about the chain of restaurants Pujari ran in partnership in several west African countries like Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ivory Coast, the statement said.

After getting information about Pujaris presence in Senegals capital city Dakar, he alerted the Indian Ambassador in that country, Rajeev Kumar.

Kumar got in touch with Senegal interior minister Aly Ngouille Nbiaye and the director of judicial police, Seydou Bocar Yague, the statement said.

On January 19, Senegal police received information about Pujaris presence in a barber shop and soon heavily armed policemen in three buses surrounded the place and arrested him, the statement said.

On January 21, Senegal police confirmed his arrest.

Pujari had hired shooters to attack his targets to create a scare, police said,adding,people used to pay up out of fear.

There are 39 cases against Pujari in Bengaluru alone, including the murders of Shailaja and Ravi of Shabnam Developers on February 15, 2007, police said.

He has 36 cases against him in Mangaluru, 11 in Udupi, and one each in Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kolar and Shivamogga, police said.

Life under threat, Ravi Pujari says as extradition proceedings get underway

The Karnataka government expressed its gratitude to the government of Senegal, especially the interior minister and director of judicial police, it said.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy earlier said that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka played a leading role in getting Ravi Pujari arrested from Senegal

He said the arrest of the don was effected due to the 'sustained efforts' of Karnataka government officers, with the assistance of the central government and officials af the Indian Embassy at Senegal.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 9:11 [IST]On suspicion of being police informers 7 people killed by Maoists in 15 days

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Gadchiroli, Feb 2: Two more people killed by Maoists on suspicion of being police informers, in Gadchiroli. Seven people have been killed in the last fifteen days.

On January 28, Maoists have allegedly killed a local from Talguda village in Gadchiroli district in on suspicion of being a police informer. The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Sonsay Tanu Baig.

Bihar: Former RJD MP Shahabuddin's nephew shot dead in Siwan

His body was found on Sunday along with Maoist banners that read that the 32-year-old has been "awarded" capital punishment for being a police informer.

On January 22, bodies of the three villagers were found near Kosfundi Fata. The three were identified as Mallu Madavi, Kannu Madavi and Lalsu Kudyeti.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 11:57 [IST]Who is Subodh Kumar Jaiswal? Former Maharashtra IPS officer apointed as new CBI Director

Next CBI chief: Announcement by high powered panel soon

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Feb 02: The Centre is likely to announce the name of next CBI chief soon despite Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of the prime minister-headed selection panel, raising objections to the names proposed during its meeting here Friday, officials said.

During the second meeting of the three-member selection committee, the government is understood to have put forth the names of a few officers who could be considered for the appointment as the CBI Director, they said.

However, these names were objected to by Kharge, the officials said.

Senior IPS officers Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra, S S Deswal and Shivanand Jha are said to be among the front-runners for the coveted post.

"The meeting was inconclusive. No decision could be taken during the meeting," a senior government official said, without citing further details.

Will wait and watch, SC says on plea challenging appointment of interim CBI chief

The development assumes significance as earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Friday's meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Kharge.

Among the front-runners, Ahmed, a 1984-batch IPS officer, is at present the chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences in his cadre state Uttar Pradesh.

Misra, also from the same batch, is head of Border Security Force (BSF).

Deswal, another 1984-batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre, is Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Whereas, Jha, a 1983-batch IPS officer, is at present head of Gujarat police.

The selection panel's January 24 meeting had also remained inconclusive.

A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members in the last meeting.

"The government presented names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the January 24 meeting.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he has completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 6:10 [IST]Miscreants damage pillars at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Feb 2: Following a viral video showing miscreants damaging pillars at Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site, police inspected the site on Saturday. Activists have expressed anger against the cops and Archeological Survey of India.

A few unidentified miscreants were caught on camera destroying the pillars of Vishnu temple at the UNESCO world heritage site Hampi.

Dalit activists protest outside Home Minister's residence in Bengaluru

Bellary SP Arun Rangarajan tod news agency ANI that there are likely 4-5 people involved in it. Accused will be arrested and prosecuted. "I will not be able to give more information, will speed up inquiry," he said.

This year Hampi has emerged at the second spot in the list of '52 places to go in 2019' published by The New York Times. The report recommends Hampi as a favoured place, and talks about its archeological monuments, scenic vistas against the Tungabhadra river, and geological rock formations.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site figures behind Puerto Rico, which has grabbed the top place for its amazing recovery from Hurricane Maria to rebound as a tourist destination.Mamata's counterattack: Modi not mentally prepared to lose power'

India

oi-Vikas SV

Kolkata, Feb 2: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit back Narendra Modi shortly after the Prime Minister ended his rally in Durgapur in which he lashed out at the TMC supremo.

In a blistering attack on Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the state to oust TMC government. Modi said Mamata didi cannot sleep when she hears people praising him and the BJP.

Raking up the issue of Mamata Banerjee deciding to withdraw the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi said, "Didi... Kis baat ka darr lag raha hai? (What are you afraid of Didi).

Banerjee retorted with a counter-attack saying, "It is true that riots happened (in Gujarat). He was a culprit and, therefore, he was questioned (by the CBI). But just because he was grilled does not mean that he would also use the agencies to interrogate others?"

Speaking to a TV channel, the Trinamool Congress supremo fumed at the attack by the prime minister and launched a counter-attack with allegations against Modi over 2002 Gujarat riots.

[West Bengal: This budget is just the start, farmers' situation will be stronger, says PM Modi]

"In true fascist style, he (PM Modi) is trying to encircle everyone with agencies...The Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power," she said.

PM Modi, during a rally in Durgapur, asked, in a rather sarcastic tone, "Didi... Kis baat ka darr lag raha hai? Jab kuchh galat nahin kiya hai toh agencies ko pradesh mein kyun nahin aaney de rahi? (What are you afraid of? If you have not done anything wrong then why are you not allowing agencies to probe in the state)."

Modi also mocked the grand opposition rally organised by the TMC in Kolkata on January 19 in which 24 parties including the Congress shared the stage with Banerjee.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 22:57 [IST]Karnataka: Congress is staring at the 'Mandya dilemma'

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Feb 2: Months ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress-JDS leaders are staring at a crisis in Mandya district- Vokkaliga community-dominant constituency in Karnataka.

Congress leader A Manju said that JD(S) and Congress in Karnataka are age-old rivals and demanded JD(S) gives up Mandya Lok Sabha seat, currently held by JDS MP Shivarame Gowda. Manju, former Minister in Siddaramaiah Cabinet, further went on to say that the JDS Chief Deve Gowda's family has claimed development work done by Congress in Hassan district.

Meanwhile, late actor and politician Ambareesh's fans asked the actor's wife Sumalatha to contest in Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket from Mandya. Sumalatha said that though she was never into politics; if she does contest in Lok Sabha polls, she'll only contest from Mandya.

According to the supporters, Sumalatha said the the demise of Ambareesh had caused more loss to the people than the family, and the family "never wants to lose the bond and connection of Mandya". This is the second time in the last two weeks that Ambareesh's supporters have met Sumalatha in Bengaluru to demand her candidature from Mandya.

Re-creating Indira: Congress wants Priyanka Gandhi to contest from Chikmagalur

Ambareesh was MP from Mandya seat for three times. He was elected for the first time in 1998 on Janata Dal ticket. in 1999 and 2004 on Congress ticket. He served as Minister of State, in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, from 24 October 2006 to 2008. However, resigned protesting against the injustice done to Karnataka by Kaveri dispute tribunal in 2008. Also, served in Siddaramaiah's Cabinet as Minister of Housing. Ambareesh, known as 'Son of Mandya' has considerable clout in the district during his political career.

Technically speaking, only preliminary discussions have been held on Lok Sabha elections but, Congress-JDS hasn't decided yet on seat-sharing. JD(S) has already expressed its desire to contest in 12 seats, on which the Congress party has some reservations.

JDS is unlikely to give up Mandya for Congress because in 2014 elections JDS candidate CS Puttaraju won against Congress candidate actor-turned-politician Ramaya aka Divya Spandana. Later, in the bypolls held in 2018, in alliance with Congress, JDS retained the seat. In such scenario, demand from Ambareesh's supporters put Congress in a fix.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 19:48 [IST]J&K: PM Modi to inaugurate development projects on Sunday

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday to lay the foundation or inaugurate various development projects, including two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jammu and Srinagar divisions and the University of Ladakh.

He will also visit the famous Dal lake in Srinagar during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister will lay of the foundation stones of two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur and Awantipora, a statement from his office said.

The Union Cabinet had recently approved setting up of the premier hospitals in the border state. Setting up of new AIIMS would transform health care facilities, health education and training in the region, it said. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of northern regional centre campus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Jammu. University of Ladakh will also be launched by the prime minister.

It will be the first-ever university in the Ladakh region of the state. It will be a cluster university comprising degree colleges of Leh, Kargil, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass and Khaltsi. The university will have administrative offices in Leh and Kargil. A four-tier security apparatus has been put in place for the prime minister's visit.

"We have made all necessary security arrangements," a senior police officer said.

['Why are you afraid Didi, asks Modi in an all out attack on TMC]

Vigil has also been tightened along the border in view of the visit. The prime minister will also digitally launch various projects under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). He will unveil plaques via video-conference to lay foundation stones of 54 new model degree colleges, 11 professional colleges and one women's university in the country. He will also inaugurate 16 model degree colleges, and 66 entrepreneurship, innovation and career hubs in the country.

Besides, he will lay the foundation stones of three model degree colleges in Kishtwar, Kupwara and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi will declare 100-per cent electrification of households in Jammu and Kashmir under the central government's Saubhagya Scheme. Modi will lay the foundation stone of 624-MW Kiru hydroelectric project in Kishtwar. It is a run-of-the-river project across the Chenab.

He will also inaugurate the 9-MW Dah hydroelectric project. Located in Dah near village Datang, this project is a run-of-the-river scheme. Modi will dedicate to the nation the 220-KV Srinagar-Alusteng-Drass-Kargil-Leh transmission system. The foundation stone of this prestigious project was laid by Modi in August 2014.

[Mamata's counterattack: 'Modi not mentally prepared to lose power']

The 400-KV D/C Jalandhar-Samba-Rajouri-Shopian-Amargarh (Sopore) transmission line will also be dedicated to the nation by Modi. The project has augmented the grid connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister will lay the foundation stone of 1,640-metre span double-lane bridge over the Chenab river in Sajwal. The project will provide an alternative route for the population of Sajwal and Indri Pattian.

With the completion of this bridge, the distance between Sajwal and Indri Pattian will be reduced to 5 km from 47 km earlier, the statement said. Modi had earlier visited Jammu, Srinagar and Leh on May 19, 2018 to lay the foundation stones of various infrastructure projects in the state.

PTIJ&K: All party meet with Centre to focus on seat de-limitation say sources

At all party meet with PM, J&K parties to demand for restoration of statehood

J&K: JeM module busted, 3 arrested in connection with Sopore grenade attack

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, Feb 2: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module, said reports. Three persons have also been arrested.

Police claimed to have solved a grenade throwing module of Jaish-e-Muhammad. This module was responsible for the grenade attack at SBI camp of 179 BN CRPF in Sopore on January 25 evening, said reports.

During the course of the investigation into Sopore grenade attack, three individuals were detained by the police on the basis of suspicion.

The trio have confessed to the crime during the questioning, The Greater Kashmir reported while quoting a police spokesman.

The terrorists on Friday hurled a grenade at a CRPF battalion in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam. One CRPF constable was reportedly injured. Terrorists hurled a grenade at the D/43 battalion CRPF at Namtihal in Budgam.

[J&K: Two JeM terror modules busted, 10 arrested]

On Jan 31, terrorists hurled a grenade on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, injuring seven people, including three women and two CRPF jawans.

On January 30, at least three persons were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists on a police station in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 18:55 [IST]IIT Hyderabad student dies after falling from 7th floor of building

India

oi-PTI

Hyderabad, Feb 2: A 22-year-old student of IIT Hyderabad died on Friday after allegedly falling from the seventh floor of a building on the campus, police said.

According to Sangareddy rural police, the deceased was identified as M Anirudhya, a resident of Bowenpally in Secunderabad."Initially, it was suspected to be a case of suicide, but visuals from the closed circuit television cameras showed that he slipped and fell down from the terrace while speaking on his phone. He died instantly due to multiple injuries," the sub inspector said.

Bihar: Former RJD MP Shahabuddin's nephew shot dead in Siwan

Anirudhya's body was handed over to the family in the evening, after conducting post-mortem at Sangareddy government hospital.

He was a final year student in mechanical and aerospace engineering here

The police also verified some emails sent by the deceased to one of his friends. While enquiries revealed that the deceased used to go to terrace to speak on phone.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 10:16 [IST]'Gone too early': Sorrowful condolences pour in for Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay

KCET 2021 registration open from today: How to apply for KCET Exam 2021, fees, other key details

CET 2021 performance not to be criterion for B.SC admissions: Ashwathnarayan

Dalit activists protest outside Home Minister's residence in Bengaluru

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Feb 2: Pro-Dalit activists staged protest outside Home Minister MB Patil's residence in Sadashivanagar on Saturday demanding action against the archbishop PK Samuel. The archbishop is accused of harassing a woman.

An FIR has been filed against the bishop and his associate, Vinod Dasan, for criminal intimidation, outraging modesty, provoking breach of peace case registered in Ulsoor station in Bengaluru.

The complainant, had attempted suicide at a private hospital in the city on Wednesday, filed a complaint in the Shivajinagar station on Thursday.

Urban naxal link to Elgaar Parishad: Anand Teltumbe arrested

The woman told media that Vinod Dasan, a close aide of the archbishop has been harassing her for several years and was the cause for her marriage break-up with her first husband.

Archbishop Samuel said that the allegations levelled against him were false and police were investigating the case.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 13:01 [IST]Congress opposes Rishi Kumar Shukla's appointment as CBI director; Govt hits back

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Feb 2: Senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge has opposed the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as the new CBI director. In a dissent note to the Prime Minister, Kharge cited Shukla's lack of experience in anti-corruption investigations as the reason for his objection.

Rishi Kumar Shukla was earlier today appointed as the new chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation. A high powered committee, which met in Delhi today, appointed IPS officer Shukla as the new CBI director. Shukla is the former DGP of Madhya Pradesh and was chosen by the panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of India. He will head the CBI for a period of two years.

Reacting to Kharge's objection, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said a very objective criteria was followed to select the CBI Director.

"Whatever is being said by him is totally unfounded and not based on facts. For the selection of CBI Director, a very objective criteria was followed...It's rather Mr. Kharge who is guilty of trying to have manipulated independent assessment based criteria, in order to accommodate names of his preference," Singh told ANI.

In all there were 75 names, but during the meeting on Friday, the list was brought down to five. Shukla's name featured along with that of R R Bhatnagar, CRPF chief, Sudeep Lakhtakia, NSG chief, Javeed Ahmed, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences director and A P Maheshwari, BPR&D chief.

According to reports, Kharge wanted Javed Ahmed as the CBI chief.

[Rishi Kumar Shukla is new CBI chief]

Shukla is a 1983 batch Indian Police Service officer. He was previously the Director General of the Madhya Pradesh police. Prior to that, he headed the state police housing corporation.

The post of the CBI chief had been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.All shops in Pune to be shut until April 30: Essential services allowed

Will return to India from London in a few days, says Adar Poonawalla

18 dead in fire at Pune sanitiser firm, search on for missing staff

Bhima Koregaon case: Pune Sessions Court rules Anand Teltumbdes arrest illegal

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Pune, Jan Feb 2: Pune Sessions Court ordered to release Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. As per Supreme Court order, activist Anand Teltumbde has interim protection till 11 February.

The court called the arrest of Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde "illegal". The court in its order said that the activist has Supreme Court's interim protection till February 11.

"I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama, is objectionable," Teltumbde told the media today.

Meanwhile, he can approach the competent authority for bail/pre-arrest bail.

Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, was arrested from the domestic terminal of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport around 3.30 a.m after his arrival from Kerala.

Citing communal violence, anti-national activities, Centre bans SIMI for 5 years

Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, after Pune Sessions Court ordered his release: I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama, is objectionable. pic.twitter.com/uT0Su4WUe9  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

A court rejected on Friday anticipatory bail application filed by Anand Teltumbde in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. Additional sessions judge Kishor Vadane observed that investigating officer has collected sufficient material against Mr Teltumbde.

"In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence," the judge observed.

The investigation was at a crucial stage and custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary, the court held.

(With PTI inputs)An interim budget that seeks a potential electoral dividend

India

oi-Dr. Sandeep Shastri

In an election year, when the ruling party faces a stiff challenge from the opposition, the interim budget was bound to have patently visible political overtones. Interim Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal has not disappointed in this regard. By no stretch of imagination is there anything interim about this budget. It is wholesome in its sops and promises and categorically aims at swaying voter sentiments in a decisive electoral battle.

This election focused budget focuses on three important constituencies, the middle class, the land owning farmer and the rural power. When Prime Minister Modi led the BJP to a historical electoral victory in 2014, the support of the middle class was critical to their good performance. The CSDS-Lokniti National Election Studies (NES) estimate that the Indian middle class could well account for thirty percent of the eligible voters. While many of them are not very enthusiastic to come out and vote, the interim budget aims at swaying this segment towards the ruling party. The raising of the income tax ceiling and the benefit of rollover of capital gains being increased from investment in one residential house to two, certainly aims at the middle class. Yet, the question remains, that given the cynicism and negativism that is visible in typical middle class attitudes, will this be enough to keep the middle class happy and satisfied. Also, is this not a concession that has come a little too late, with the earlier budgets presented by this government doing very little to respond to middle class aspirations.

What businesses say about Budget 2019?

CSDS-Lokniti data with regard to the 2014 National Election study shows that the BJP enjoyed a social funnel of support, wide among the socially and economically affluent and narrow among the socially and economically disadvantaged. The State Assembly elections since 2014, continue to broadly reflect the same trend. This budget has made one final attempt to reach out to the socially and economically marginalised segments of society.

The budget has made a grand announcement of a staggering Rs 75,000 crores farmer income support programme. Farmers who have less than two hectares of land would receive Rs 6000 each year (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi). This is expected to have spin-off benefit for agriculture related industry. Three issues merit attention in this regard. Would small and marginal farmers see a benefit of Rs 500 per month as enough of a benefit to overcome rural distress? Secondly, identifying such farmers will be quite a complex and tricky task. Thirdly, the most adversely effected by rural distress is the agricultural labourer for whom there is very little tangible and visible as support.

One could argue that the pension programme for the informal sector workers with incomes below Rs 15,000 would address the hopes and aspirations of the labour force in rural India. Yet, lets remember that this is a post retirement scheme and does not assure any direct and immediate benefit in the run up to the elections. Its capacity to sway voter sentiment is thus limited.

The government has conceded that its projected fiscal deficit of 3.4% of GDP, is on account of the new expenditures for farm income support. This has come as a road block on the pathway to fiscal consolidation.

Past experience has shown that budgetary concessions made especially in an election year, do little to sway the mood of the voter. Changes initiated in the initial years of coming to office when properly implemented, could well result in a positive sentiment being expressed by the voter who has actually been a beneficiary. It would be interesting to see whether the concessions announced in this years budget can actually be efficiently and effectively implemented well before the voter presses the EVM button on election day.

Budget 2019: Full text of Piyush Goyal's budget speech

Would the genuine beneficiary be targeted and be swayed by what is received or would many of those who see themselves as potential beneficiaries see themselves as being deprived of their legitimate dues? An election year gamble could well pay off the ruling party handsome electoral dividends but could also be unexpectedly counter-productive and boomerang badly. We need to wait till May to get our answers!

(Dr Sandeep Shastri is a leading political scientist and Pro Vice Chancellor, Jain University)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 14:29 [IST]Amit Shah dares Rahul to take stand on Ram Temple

India

oi-Vikas SV

Dehradun, Feb 2: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday sounded the poll bugle in Uttarakhand and dared Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take a clear stand on the Ram Temple issue.

Shah said a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya at the earliest and dared the Congress to spell out its own stand on the issue.

"The Kumbh fair is on and it is only natural that the demand for a Ram temple is being raised," he said at a meeting of the party's booth-level workers here, virtually launching the BJP's campaign in Uttarakhand for the Lok Sabha polls.

"The BJP's stand has always been clear on the issue and I want to declare today that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya should be built at the earliest. Will Rahul Gandhi too define his stand on the issue?"

['Congress's OROP is Only Rahul Only Priyanka': Amit Shah]

Shah said to loud cheers of Jai Shri Ram. At the Parade Ground meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party chief also hit out at opposition attempts to forge a mahagathbandhan', or a grand alliance, for the parliamentary elections just months away. He accused the Congress of putting up obstacles to the temple's construction through "its lawyers" in the Supreme Court.

Shah was referring to a plea in 2017 by Kapil Sibal, who was representing the Sunni Waqf Board, to postpone hearings in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute till the Lok Sabha elections are over.

"The Congress should come forward and explain why it had sought deferment of the hearing in the country's oldest title suit," Shah said.

The Supreme Court had turned down the plea. Shah contrasted this with the recent petition by the BJP government in the Supreme Court, seeking to return the land around the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site to its original owners. His remarks follow increasing demands on the BJP-led government from Hindutva organisations, and seers who held meetings at the Kumbh Mela recently, to ensure an early construction of the temple.

Shah called the 'mahagathbandhan' a desperate coming together of political forces opposed to each other as they cannot think of taking on Modi alone.

"The bua-bhatija (aunt and nephew) have come together in UP. Do you think they will stay together,'' he said, referring to the alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and the Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh.

"Who is going to listen to a Chandrababu Naidu at a public meeting in Haldwani or a Deve Gowda in Dehradun? They are leaders of regional parties with a limited appeal," the BJP leader said.

['Gathbandhan will have a new PM every day,' says Amit Shah in Kanpur]

"Their only aim is Modi Hatao' (Remove Modi) whereas Modi wants to remove poverty, corruption and disease," he said. He said casteism and dynastic politics had no future in the country and urged people to bring back Modi with a clear mandate if they wanted a government capable of delivering on its promises. He asked them to ensure that the party wins all the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand, as it did in 2014.

"Uttarakhand is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priority," he said and referred to the makeover of Kedarnath after the 2013 floods.

He praised the interim Budget presented Friday, saying it took care of all sections of society, particularly farmers, women, the poor and the marginalised. Highlighting the Budget provisions for the farmers, he mocked the Congress.

"Do you understand the difference between Rabi and Kharif? Do you know the problems of the farmers? Have you really connected with them ever?" he said, without naming anyone.

Shah credited the Modi government with implementing the One Rank One Pension scheme for military veterans, saying successive Congress governments had failed to achieve this. He said the booth-level workers are the party's real strength and they alone can steer it to a thumping victory. Shah said coming to address their meeting reminded him of his initial days in the party.

"This is possible only in a party like BJP which is governed by democratic principles. A small party worker like me who pasted party posters on poles and pillars rose to become its president and a tea seller's son the country's prime minister," he said.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

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Story first published: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 19:46 [IST]AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive

AgustaWestland scam: ED opposes Rajeev Saxena's plea to meet his lawyer in private

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 2: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday opposed the petition of Rajeev Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the VVIP chopper case, seeking to meet his lawyer in private, saying it may hamper the probe.

The ED made the submission in response to the plea moved by Saxena, who is in the agency's custody. Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the agency to file a detailed reply by Monday, when Saxena's custody ends. Saxena was deported from Dubai on January 31 and sent to 4-day ED custody the same day.

The court had allowed his custodial interrogation after the agency alleged that he and another accused provided global corporate structure to launder money. Saxena's counsel had sought access to him without the presence of ED officials. He had said that he was not being allowed to speak to his client without ED's interference.

Opposing the request, advocates D P Singh and N K Matta, appearing for ED, said allowing Saxena's counsel such access could be misused and hamper investigation in the case.

"There is apprehension that this opportunity might be used to transfer investigation-related information outside and vise versa," ED said.

The agency had alleged that in connivance with another accused, Guatam Khaitan, a Delhi based lawyer, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

[AgustaWestland: The importance of Rajeev Saxena and how he will help crack the money trail]

The CBI and the ED have registered cases in the VVIP chopper case in which former Air Force chief S P Tyagi is one of the accused. Saxena was picked up by Dubai authorities in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case and deported to India.

A director of two Dubai-based firms  UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, Saxena was residing in Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, and had been living in the UAE for 26 years. Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid euro 58 million as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, ED's advocate Samvedna Verma alleged that "these companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others".

Saxena is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by ED. Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani were also named by the agency. It alleged that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares, among others" in this case.

[AgustaWestland: After Michel, another accused deported to India]

"Saxena has transferred proceeds of crime from M/s Interstellar to his Dubai-based companies M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd," ED said in its chargesheet. The agency claimed its probe had found that AgustaWestland, United Kingdom, had "paid an amount of euro 58 million as kickbacks" through two Tunisia-based firms.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.

PTII may not be a doctor but even I know that the human body holds only a limited amount of blood. The waited for a negotiator to talk for over an hour and waited for the SWAT team to arrive and set up. After two hours of waiting and talking, the police entered the bank and found five dead women on the floor and the shooter sitting in an office.

I believe that it is the job of the police to protect the victims first and then and only then try to take the shooter alive. I do not care if the shooting took place in a bank, a high school or a department store in west Omaha.

The police must be proactive and protect the citizens they are sworn to protect. No police officer should die or get shot doing their job, but no shooting victim should bleed out for two hours before help arrives either.

Douglas Arthur, Omaha

Wall is a poor investment

It is difficult to understand how an ill-conceived campaign slogan became a major policy issue and now an absolutely needed expenditure. Im speaking of President Donald Trumps border wall.

Of all the many candidates the Republican Party started with, none but Trump worked to convince the gullible of the necessity of spending tax dollars on such an ineffective effort.Nebraskas 2nd District will see an Eastman versus Ashford rematch in 2020  but this time around, progressive Kara Eastman will face Ann Ferlic Ashford, the wife of her 2018 Democratic primary opponent.

Ann Ashford, 58, said Friday evening that she intends to seek the congressional seat her husband held during the 2015-16 session, representing Douglas County and western Sarpy County.

Ashford, an attorney who recently left her job at Clarkson Regional Health Services, said her top issues include jobs and the economy and standing up for marginalized people.

She also said she wants to bring people together and appeal across the aisle.

I think that todays environment has become so splintered because everybody says, Im going to fight, and I dont understand that, she said. If we continue to fight, were going to see the same non-results that we see today.

She said she thinks that Democratic voters want a nominee who can win the general election  and contends that she could be that nominee.

Ashford was a Republican until December 2016, when she decided that the GOP is no longer a big-tent party that welcomes everyone.Nebraska high school journalists are well aware that the stories they write must be acceptable to their school administrators.

Its not about whether its accurate, said Gracia Lantis, an editor of North Platte High Schools newspaper. Its about whether or not the story is good for my schools image. Knowing that schools are supposed to teach democracy and civics, this makes no sense to me.

Lantis and other students, along with journalism teachers, testified Friday before the Nebraska Legislature in favor of a measure introduced by State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln.

Legislative Bill 206 would establish greater independence for high school and college newspapers from their schools administrations.

Lantis said she was worried that printing the truth could mean the end of the newspaper or could cost her teacher her job.

Speaking today makes me nervous for my job security, said Lori Larson, the North Platte High School journalism teacher.

I do not want to dumb down the curriculum just to make everything look great, she said.There was no time to make it back to the hospital.

Cassy Abram, who was 37 weeks pregnant, and her husband, Scotty, had spent the night in a hospital in Iowa, but by Monday morning, the physicians had concluded that it was simply not time for her to deliver the baby, she said.

The couple, from Cedar Rapids, fought freezing cold weather and snow-covered roads to get back home. Minutes later, the baby was on the way.

Cassy told her husband to call for an ambulance, but before he could make the call, she had delivered their son on the living room floor.

It was crazy, Cassy, 28, told the Washington Post. I dont know how else to explain it.

It had been a joyous  albeit stressful  morning, but the Abrams said that when Cedar Rapids firefighters arrived, they made it even more special.

While several of them tended to the mother and baby inside, two others responded to the scene in their personal vehicles and shoveled snow from the couples driveway so Cassy and her baby could be taken to the hospital.

Cassys aunt, Larissa Ruffin, was on the phone for the birth.When the Chang'e 4 probe successfully landed on the far side of the moon, Zhang He, executive director of the probe project, burst into tears. The moment was captured by a photographer and the photo quickly went viral.

For Zhang, of the China Academy of Space Technology, it meant years of hard work finally come to fruition. "I feel much different when I see the moon now," she told China.org.cn. "Because on it rests the crystallization of works by tens of thousands of aerospace engineers over dozens of years."

On Jan. 3, the Chang'e 4, comprising a lander and a rover, touched down at the preselected site on the far side of the moon and began its analysis of a surface said to differ markedly from the side of the moon that is visible from the Earth.

The Chang'e 4's mission is unique in that it is the first to land on the far side, which may hold the key to fundamental mysteries about the moon's formation and earliest history, according to Zhang. It will also be an ideal observation site for low-frequency radio, she noted.

The far side, also known as the "dark side of the moon," remains comparatively unknown, with a different composition from sites on the near side where previous missions have landed.

A soft landing on the far side

Chinese space experts chose the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin as the probe's landing site. The area available for the landing was only one-twentieth that of its predecessor the Chang'e 3, and is surrounded by mountains as high as 10 kilometers.

The South Pole-Aitken Basin is the moon's largest and oldest impact crater. According to previous NASA reports, the basin is thought to have been created by a huge impact during the moon's early years that broke through the crust and dug up rocks from deeper underground. The spacecraft is able to study these rocks to learn about the formation of the moon as well as the Earth-Moon system, said Li Fei, one of the designers of the lander.

The complicated geographical features of the moon's far side made the landing more difficult than previous missions. The landing equipment of the U.S. and the Soviet Union's unmanned spacecrafts had no capacity to hover or avoid obstacles.

In the case of the Chang'e 4, scientists have developed AI-enabled technologies to accurately survey landforms and identify the safest spots on which to land, said Zhang. The probe is equipped with high-precision and fast-response sensors that are capable of analyzing its motion and the surroundings, Li explained.

In May of last year, China sent a relay satellite to the halo orbit around the second Lagrangian point of the Earth-Moon system to set up a communication link between the Earth and the moon's far side.

It is the first communication satellite to operate in that orbit. Its Chinese name, Queqiao, meaning "Magpie Bridge," comes from a Chinese folktale about two lovers who are reunited once a year when a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the Milky Way.

Chinese space experts hope the Queqiao will be able to assist other countries that intend to send probes to the far side of the moon within the relay spacecraft's life span.

Joining hands in the name of exploration

According to Zhang, the international community widely advocates cooperation in lunar exploration, a cause mainly aimed at making scientific discoveries and deepening people's understanding of the universe.

Cooperation can improve efficiency in space exploration, as it helps individual countries overcome financial and scale constraints by pooling knowledge and resources, said Zhang, noting that this cooperation has to be based on mutual respect and trust.

The Chang'e 4 mission highlights this kind of international cooperation. Apart from nine scientific payloads developed by China, the mission carries four pieces of equipment developed through international collaboration, Li Guoping, spokesperson for the CNSA said at a press briefing on Jan. 14.

Li Guoping, who is also CNSA's secretary general, said that after issuing a collection notice in April 2015, the administration received nearly 20 applications from more than 10 countries to place payloads in space. "Finally, we decided to carry four, those from Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Saudi Arabia, on the Chang'e 4 lander, rover, relay satellite and Longjiang 2 microsatellite."

Li Fei said, "While collaborating, we've learnt much from our European partners who gained greatexperience in developing payloads for deep space probes and the data will be shared and studied by Chinese and foreign scientists."

Zhang said the participation of other countries is welcomed in the fourth phase of China's Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), the major goal of which is to establish a science and research base near the moon's South Pole.

"We hope to jointly develop and carry out research tasks to make full use of the base for more scientific and technological achievements," Zhang said.

On a voyage of progress

Building on Chang'e 4's historic landing on the moon's far side, China will deepen its space exploration and venture further into the unknown.

China's current lunar program includes three phases: orbiting, landing, and returning. According to Wu Weiren, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of the CLEP, the first two phases have been accomplished, and the next step is to launch the Chang'e 5 probe to collect 2 kilograms of samples and bring them back to the Earth.

Zhang said the Chang'e 5 lunar sample return mission will be launched by the end of this year, marking the success of the first three phases of the CLEP.

Asked about China's first exploration mission to Mars announced by CNSA's Vice Director Wu Yanhua at the briefing, Zhang said the mission is expected to implement the three-stage plan of "orbiting, landing and inspecting."

A Mars orbiter is expected to launch around 2020, with a lander that will reach the surface and send out a rover to inspect the red planet, Zhang said.Spain argues that the territorys status is a colonial relic, pointing out that the same treaty also gave Britain the island of Minorca, which it returned to Spanish control more than a century ago. Britain says it is merely standing by the wishes of Gibraltars residents, who in a 2002 referendum overwhelmingly rejected the idea of sharing sovereignty with Spain.

The colonial reference says more about Spains anachronistic obsession with Gibraltar than it does about anything else, the government of Gibraltar said in a statement. This is totally out of place in the modern Europe of today.

European Union membership has certainly had advantages for Gibraltarians. Under terms set when Britain joined the bloc in the 1970s  while Spain was still under the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, and more than a decade from becoming a member itself  the territory has special status as a free port, excluded from Europes customs union. That allows it to build up its trading and services activities on advantageous transit and taxation terms.

Ships refuel and change crews off Gibraltars coast to avoid docking costs, and the territorys low-tax regime (also criticized by Spain) has allowed its economy to grow rapidly by attracting industries like online gambling. About 10,000 Spaniards now work in Gibraltar, commuting daily from what is one of the areas of southern Spain with the highest unemployment rate.

When Britain held a referendum on European Union membership in 2016, Gibraltarians again formed a solid consensus: 96 percent backed remaining in the bloc, partly because of concerns that they could become a pawn in a larger European negotiation involving various frontier issues. They fear that Spain could reintroduce border checks that would effectively leave their tiny territory isolated and economically squeezed.MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, in a decision that was widely expected, suspended his countrys observance of a key nuclear arms control pact on Saturday in response to a similar move by the United States a day before.

But adding to a sense that the broader architecture of nuclear disarmament has started to unravel, Mr. Putin also said that Russia would build weapons previously banned under the treaty and would no longer initiate talks with the United States on any matters related to nuclear arms control.

The Trump administration withdrew from the treaty, a keystone of the late Cold War disarmament pacts known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, saying that Russia had been violating it for years. The decision holds the potential to initiate a new arms race, not only with Russia, but also China, which was never a signatory to the 1987 treaty.

Beijing responded to the American announcement by warning on Saturday that the breakup of the treaty would undermine global security, but also by rejecting calls for China to join an expanded version of the pact.The painful experience of being stranded for long hours by foggy weather in Hainan last winter may be much less likely to happen this year as efforts have been made to ensure the smooth flow of tourists during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

Last week, after more than 20 days of preparation, three domestically developed advanced laser monitors were installed at two major ports in Haikou, Hainan province, and Xuwen in Guangdong province at the other side of the Qiongzhou Strait.

"The new facilities, the first of their kind installed in China to watch for sea fog, will help improve precise monitoring of fog conditions over the Qiongzhou Strait, a crucial 29.5-kilometer-wide channel that links Guangdong with Hainan," said Cai Qinbo, director of Haikou Meteorological Observatory.

This is one of the 12 measures taken by the Hainan provincial government to ensure smooth transportation in the strait, according to Lin Dong, director of Hainan provincial transport department.

Others include faster loading of ships, more parking lots, more safety inspections and a compensation policy for shipping companies across the strait.

"An emergency leadership group has been established, formed by 29 provincial government departments, institutions and major transport companies," said Lin.

Heavy fog lasted for seven days during the last spring festival holiday, the longest of its kind since 1951, stranding more than 100,000 tourists.

The rare long heavy fog shrouded the strait and blocked normal shipping service for 68 hours at intervals, backing up traffic for more than 20 km in Haikou and causing waits of more than two days before the cars were loaded onto ships for home on the mainland.

Though the provincial and Haikou city governments, public sectors and thousands of individual volunteers provided generous and warm support to the stranded holiday makers with free food, clothes, medicine and even tents, last year's experience made many people, especially those who drove to the island, have second thoughts about another holiday on the island.

Weather forecasts show that the weather is becoming more favorable this year.

"The latest 10-day forecast showed the Qiongzhou Strait will have fewer foggy days and strong winds. The navigation and meteorological conditions will be better than last year," said Cai.

Officials with the Haikou port authorities said that starting Feb 6, a reservation system will be working for drivers leaving Hainan Island. Six screening facilities have been installed and in two seconds people can pass through the check and drive their cars onto ships.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Administration of China will make the Haikou Meilan International Airport a test ground this year to open red-eye flight services from Feb 9 to 24 to provide visitors richer travel experiences and more economical air services.

Major Chinese airlines have been approved to add more than 3,400 flights during the weeklong holiday, sending people back home from Haikou and Sanya to major cities including Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Shenyang and Harbin.

From Jan 20 to March 1, a total of around 37,000 flights will land and depart from Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport, transporting about 6.3 million passengers, according to the local airport authorities.

In the last Spring Festival holiday, Hainan, a popular destination for Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday, received 5.67 million tourists and more than 92,000 cars, according to data from the provincial tourism development commission.KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban are expected to meet with Afghan opposition leaders in Moscow in the coming days, a development that could further undermine the government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has found itself excluded from the talks seeking an end to the 17-year war.

Even as the insurgents say they are close to a deal on core issues with American diplomats, they have refused to meet with the Afghan government. Mr. Ghani has repeatedly expressed concern that if the Americans rush to make a deal with the Taliban before the insurgents agree to negotiate with his officials, it could undermine a fragile Afghan state built at tremendous cost.

For the Taliban to go around Mr. Ghani to meet with some of the countrys major political leaders, many of whom are at odds with him, would surely further anger the Afghan president.

At this moment, we do not see the need for such a meeting, said Sebghat Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry. We know it will not help Afghanistan toward reaching peace at all, so its little more than a political drama.MANILA  Five soldiers and three members of Abu Sayyaf, a militant group linked to the Islamic State, were killed in a gun battle on Saturday on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, six days after a church bombing linked to the group left 22 dead, the military said.

The fighting occurred in the jungles around the town of Patikul on Jolo, where the soldiers have been on the trail of an Abu Sayyaf unit blamed for an attack on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel last Sunday.

Twin explosions rocked Mount Carmel Cathedral, in downtown Jolo, as worshipers celebrated Mass. After the initial death toll of 21, a 68-year-old woman who was among the 100 or so others wounded died of her injuries on Friday.

President Rodrigo Duterte and the military blamed the church attack on suicide bombers deployed by Abu Sayyaf working in concert with the Islamic State group.KATHMANDU, Nepal  Parbati Bogati knew what to do when her period came.

Ms. Bogati, 21, sequestered herself in an abandoned house, in keeping with a centuries-old taboo that declares menstruating women impure, officials from her area in rural western Nepal said.

As the temperature dropped below freezing on Wednesday evening, she tried to keep warm, apparently burning wood and clothing.

By the next morning, her legs were charred and she was dead.

It seems she also died from suffocation, said Lal Bahadur Dhami, the deputy superintendent of the areas police. At least three other people died this year while following the same superstition.

The taboo, which has its roots in Hinduism, is called chhaupadi, from the Nepali words meaning someone who bears an impurity. During womens periods, it bars them from touching neighbors food or entering temples. They cannot use communal water sources or kitchen utensils. It is considered bad luck to touch them.CARACAS, Venezuela  Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan opposition supporters poured into the streets on Saturday, heeding a call from their leaders to stage another day of peaceful protests against President Nicolas Maduros authoritarian rule in hopes of capitalizing on international pressure to force him from power.

In another boost for the opposition, a top air force official and a man identifying himself as a Venezuelan ambassador released separate videos breaking with Mr. Maduro and pledging allegiance to Juan Guaido, the opposition leader. They were two of the highest-level defections yet in the countrys growing political crisis.

Ninety percent of the armed forces do not support Nicolas Maduro, said Division Gen. Francisco Esteban Yanez Rodriguez, the air force official. I ask my comrades in arms to not turn their backs on the people of Venezuela, do not repress anymore.

In another video released in the evening, a man identifying himself as Jonathan Velasco, the Venezuelan ambassador to Iraq, said Mr. Guaido stood on the right side of history and was the countrys rightful leader.For now, as Ms. Warren demonstrated, many candidates do not want to wrestle publicly with the details. After Ms. Harriss comment, her aides hastened to add that she would also support less sweeping changes to health care; like most other candidates, Ms. Harris declined an interview request. And by Friday, Mr. Booker, hours after announcing his presidential bid, sought to curtail the matter by offering a brisk no when asked if he supported eliminating private coverage.

Yet there is one likely 2020 contender who is thrilled to discuss Medicare for all.

Mr. Sanders, in an interview, did not mince words: The only role for private insurance in the system he envisioned would be cosmetic surgery, you want to get your nose fixed.

Every candidate will make his or her own decisions, Mr. Sanders said, but if I look at polling and 70 percent of the people support Medicare for All, if a very significant percentage of people think the rich, the very rich, should start paying their fair share of taxes, I think Id be pretty dumb not to develop policies that capture what the American people want.

But Michael R. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who is considering a 2020 bid on a centrist Democratic platform, said it would be folly to even consider a single-payer system. To replace the entire private system where companies provide health care for their employees would bankrupt us for a very long time, Mr. Bloomberg told reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

The Congressional Budget Office has not scored Mr. Sanderss Medicare for All bill, but a study last year by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University predicted it would increase federal spending by at least $32.6 trillion over the first decade. The cost could be even greater, the study says, if the bill overestimated the projected savings on administrative and drug costs, as well as payments to health care providers.

The divide between Mr. Sanders, a democratic socialist, and Mr. Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, reflects the large chasm in a party that has been reshaped by President Trump.

The presidents hard-line nationalism has simultaneously nudged Democrats to the left, emboldening them to pursue unambiguously liberal policies, and drawn independents and moderate Republicans to the party because they cannot abide his incendiary conduct and demagogy on race. These dueling forces have created a growing but ungainly coalition that shares contempt for Mr. Trump but is less unified on policy matters like health care.Given its rightward bent, the chamber has always been more closely aligned with Republicans, though it typically tried to identify some Democrats it could get behind to demonstrate it was receptive to both parties.

But in recent years, the chamber has come to support Republicans almost exclusively. The watchdog group Public Citizen found that in 2016, the chamber devoted all of its campaign money  nearly $30 million  to Republican candidates in primary and general elections, making it one of the largest outside players in congressional races.

The numbers of more moderate Democrats have been decreasing as the party moved left. But even centrist Democrats who consider themselves business friendly found it increasingly hard to meet the standard for an endorsement from the chamber, which can translate into dollars, campaign support and trickle-down backing from businesses back home. The unlikelihood of winning the groups support discouraged some Democrats who might have welcomed it from even trying to do so.

The chamber endorsed 38 Democrats in 2008, but that number steadily declined to single digits until the group backed just five in 2016. The number ticked up to seven last year as the chamber stepped up its efforts to find Democrats it could back. In contrast, the chamber endorsed 191 Republicans in 2018, a not atypical number.

The sharp imbalance prompted a rethinking at the chamber, where officials attribute part of the problem to the shifting dynamics of Congress. Compared to past years, there are fewer votes in the House and Senate, and the ones that occur are often tests of party loyalty, providing few opportunities for lawmakers to demonstrate independence.

It used to be a little easier to get votes on policies, said Neil Bradley, an executive vice president at the chamber and a former top Republican leadership adviser on Capitol Hill. We had a lot more open amendment process. There were opportunities for folks to demonstrate where they supported the business community. We are down in both bodies to binary choices that largely fall along partisan lines.

As a result, he and Mr. Reed decided the old system of basing endorsements solely on a willingness to vote the chamber position at least 70 percent of the time was not giving lawmakers credit for other bipartisan activity.A terminal at Orlando International Airport was evacuated and incoming flights were grounded on Saturday morning after a Transportation Security Administration officer jumped to his death, the police and witnesses said.

The officer, described by the Orlando police as a man in his 40s, had just clocked out of work before jumping from a balcony of the Hyatt Regency in the airport atrium about 9:30 a.m.

Jenny L. Burke, a spokeswoman for the agency, confirmed that an off-duty T.S.A. employee had fallen from a balcony inside the airport and died. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the officers family, friends and everyone in our T.S.A. family, she said.

The police said on Twitter that preliminary information suggests an apparent suicide.

The sound of the man crashing to the floor caused passengers to flee unscreened into a restricted area, Ms. Burke said. Crowds of passengers were being rescreened on Saturday afternoon. Officials said flight operations were starting to return to normal about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a halt to inbound flights that was lifted at 11:30 a.m.What does it say when institutions that are leaders in diversity remain so far behind?

What it says is how far society has to go to achieve true diversity. Of course, a lot of these problems go back generations and throughout institutions  for instance, education and disinvestment in communities. But at some point, if people truly do value diversity in their industries and believe its a business imperative, they have to take chances and make investments in ways they never have before. Its also important to remember that even the most liberal-minded people who profess the importance of diversity dont always get it right.  J.E.

In many ways, the story isnt about one law firm. Its about institutions that have to be the best, but they also have to make space for people who have been historically excluded for racist or sexist reasons.

I think one point that was important to those who spoke was debunking the myth that you needed to sacrifice on quality in order to become diverse. Having multiple perspectives in leadership at a law firm helped firms do better work, people told us. As such, they felt it would only work in the firms best interests to do things in a more inclusive way.  J.E.

I found the anecdote with the associate and the Latino Howard student very powerful. The associate chose to make waves on behalf of a candidate who had been judged not good enough.It is just really important to emphasize that history is looking at the whole picture, Jonathon Stanton, the historical commissions chairman, said in an interview. If were only talking about the parts that make us proud, then what were doing isnt really history.

Now, instead of Dearborn confronting its past, Mr. Stanton said, people are talking about how the city is reluctant to discuss history.

We really agree with the mayors views about the present and the efforts on inclusivity, he said. Everyone on the commission is an admirer of the mayor, which adds to the confusion of why he made this decision. Hes gone to the mat for our Arab-American and Muslim neighbors when there is racism. We definitely think of him as a man of consciousness and integrity.

At lunch at the Al Ameer Restaurant in a part of Dearborn renowned for its Middle Eastern eateries, Kareem Ali, 22, said young people in Dearborn rarely associated the city with Mr. Ford as much as they did with its fast-growing Arab-American and Muslim populations. He said that until this week, he had not been aware of Mr. Fords anti-Semitic history, so he was glad the mayors wrongheaded decision had led to so much media attention and publicity.

It does nobody any good to censor this kind of thing, said Mr. Ali, who attends a local community college. Im against hate towards anyone, and its important to remember history because it reminds us that just because youre rich and famous doesnt mean youre a perfect person. Everyone has flaws.

Felicia Calvo, a 45-year-old Dearborn native, said her father, who worked for the Ford Motor Company for 34 years, told her that as venerated as the company founder was, he definitely had an impact on the trials that the Jewish community went through. She finds the mayors actions odd, given that Fords history of anti-Semitism is a piece of his biography that Dearborners grew up learning.

This is not something that Ford Motor Company, or the Ford family have ever denied, said Ms. Calvo, who works in information technology. I was also aware that Ford Motor Company took great steps to address the damage that Henry Ford had done. To me, there was nothing in this article that hasnt been shared before, that isnt publicly available. Im sure the mayor is kicking himself, because the article never would have gotten this attention had he not banned it.As temperatures plunged to life-threatening lows this week, more than 100 homeless people in Chicago unexpectedly found themselves with food, fresh clothes and a place to stay after a local real estate broker intervened.

The broker, Candice Payne, 34, said it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to help. It was 50 below, and I knew they were going to be sleeping on ice and I had to do something, she said on Saturday.

Ms. Payne contacted hotels and found 30 rooms available at the Amber Inn for Wednesday night at $70 per room. Temperatures in Chicago reached lows of minus 25 and minus 26 on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

After Ms. Payne paid for the rooms on a credit card, she asked on her Instagram account for anyone who could help transport the homeless people. Soon she had a caravan of cars, S.U.V.s and vans with volunteer drivers.In a major breakthrough, China has successfully transmitted real-time data to a depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean using its own Beidou satellites during a scientific expedition, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oceanology said.

The technology solves the disadvantages of small payload volumes, limited power supplies and huge data sizes associated with deep-sea survey devices. It also reduces dependence on foreign communications satellites, said Wang Fan, director of the institute.

"New technology that combines inductive coupling and underwater acoustic communication has been used to extend transmission to 6,000 meters from the earlier 3,000 meters," Wang said.

The satellite communication is one of the successes logged by Chinese scientists aboard the research vessel Kexue ("Science") during its latest mission into the western Pacific Ocean. The vessel returned to its home port in Qingdao West Coast New Area in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Thursday.

China's scientific observation network in the region has also been upgraded.

"The utilization of Beidou satellites was part of an upgrade of the network," said Wang Jianing, chief scientist of the expedition, which started in mid-November.

"Our scientists developed special communication and transmission technology to make sure quantities of data acquired by subsurface survey devices can be transmitted to land-based laboratories every hour," Wang said.

Wang added that scientists also updated batteries and optimized sites for 20 units of subsurface survey devices.

Currently, China also has four units of big buoys and movable onboard monitoring facilities in the western Pacific, the Institute of Oceanology said.

"With the facilities, collection of relevant data has been increasing steadily over the past five years," it said.

It added that the data also has applications in weather and marine environment forecasting.

The Kexue sailed more than 22,000 kilometers during its 74-day mission, the longest distance and time it has covered outside the country since its maiden voyage.The first challenge you face on arriving somewhere new is usually how to get around, but the right technology can make it easier. There are tools suited to specific destinations, or to modes of transport, whether you want to hail a ride in Tel Aviv, explore Paris by scooter or catch a bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Here are some free transportation apps, beyond the usual Google Maps and Google Translate, to consider downloading before your next trip.

A smarter way to get around

Sometimes walking is faster than taking the bus, or the most direct route includes a tram and a bike ride. Citymapper helps you figure all that out, and it works in 39 cities around the world, including Tokyo, Copenhagen and Sydney. Plug in your starting and ending points, and get a list of possible routes organized by mode of transport. The app also displays trip duration and any applicable prices (like estimated cab or subway fares), along with tips for where to sit on the train and which station exit to use to reach your destination faster.

You can receive alerts when its time to disembark, and when there are line delays or closures. You can even use it to plan your daily commute, and get a warning to leave before youre late for work, or estimates on when youll get home depending on when you leave the office. The app also shows how many shared bikes and free bike spaces are available at a given location in real time, making pickup and drop-off more efficient.A comparison of the two wars has not been fashionable for many years now, with scholars pointing out that superficial similarities were greatly outweighed by the differences. Vietnam took place at the height of the Cold War, with the superpowers on opposite sides. Vietnam and Afghanistan are dramatically different in culture, geography and history. Even the scale of the two wars was vastly different: Half a million American troops went to Vietnam at its height, compared with a maximum of 100,000 to Afghanistan, now whittled down to 14,000; more than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam, fewer than 3,000 in Afghanistan.

Yet a significant number of the American ambassadors and military leaders who served in Afghanistan are worried about the similarities. Karl Eikenberry, the American military commander in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, and then the American ambassador from 2009 to 2011, said that in both countries it was a challenge to develop a national force committed to protecting the weak and corrupt central government. And in both places, the host countrys forces, many of them trained by the United States, were further undermined because they constantly doubted the long-term support of the U.S., said Mr. Eikenberry , who is now a professor at Stanford.

Mr. Crocker is among those who worry that the Trump administration just wants out of Afghanistan and is willing to sacrifice gains that have been made, particularly on behalf of women. A rushed deal could put the Taliban in a position to eventually take over, as happened in Vietnam when the United States withdrew its troops even though the North Vietnamese did not keep their promise to do the same.

I imagine we and the Afghans have killed most of the slow and stupid Taliban fighters, Mr. Crocker said. The ones who are still in the Taliban after 18 years are now tough, committed, and I cant imagine them signing on to any meaningful compromise. Theyll just talk compromise.

Not all recent ambassadors are prone to drawing parallels to Vietnam. James Cunningham, who was ambassador from 2012 through 2014 and is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, said fear that the United States will cut and run is definitely a concern for a lot of people back here, and for the Afghans I know. And there may be some people who want that to happen. But he said the analogy wasnt accurate. In America, he said, theres a lot of sympathy for the Afghans and what theyre trying to do. This doesnt have to be a recipe for rushing to the exits and I hope it wont be.SANTA FE, N.M.  On any given day, someone somewhere is likely leading an Artists Way group, gamely knocking back the exercises of The Artists Way book, the quasi-spiritual manual for creative recovery, as its author Julia Cameron puts it, that has been a lodestar to blocked writers and other artistic hopefuls for more than a quarter of a century. There have been Artists Way clusters in the Australian outback and the Panamanian jungle; in Brazil, Russia, the United Kingdom and Japan; and also, as a cursory scan of Artists Way Meetups reveals, in Des Moines and Toronto. It has been taught in prisons and sober communities, at spiritual retreats and New Age centers, from Esalen to Sedona, from the Omega Institute to the Open Center, where Ms. Cameron will appear in late March, as she does most years. Adherents of The Artists Way include the authors Patricia Cornwell and Sarah Ban Breathnach. Pete Townshend, Alicia Keys and Helmut Newton have all noted its influence on their work.

So has Tim Ferriss, the hyperactive productivity guru behind The Four Hour Workweek, though to save time he didnt actually read the book, which was recommended to me by many megaselling authors, he writes. He just did the Morning Pages, one of the books central exercises. It requires you write three pages, by hand, first thing in the morning, about whatever comes to mind. (Fortunes would seem to have been made on the journals printed to support this effort.) The books other main dictum is the Artists Date  two hours of alone time each week to be spent at a gallery, say, or any place where a new experience might be possible.

Elizabeth Gilbert, who has done the book three times, said there would be no Eat, Pray, Love, without The Artists Way. Without it, there might be no adult coloring books, no journaling fever. Creativity would not have its own publishing niche or have become a ubiquitous buzzword  the fat-free of the self-help world  and business pundits would not deploy it as a specious organizing principle.

Image

The books enduring success  over 4 million copies have been sold since its publication in 1992  have made its author, a shy Midwesterner who had a bit of early fame in the 1970s for practicing lively New Journalism at the Washington Post and Rolling Stone, among other publications, and for being married, briefly, to Martin Scorsese, with whom she has a daughter, Domenica  an unlikely celebrity. With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks  write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example  The Artists Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyones got it.You white women speak here of rights, Harper said that day in 1866. I speak of wrongs. Reciting the litany of humiliations that black women had to endure on public conveyances  not because they were women but because they were black  she asked, Are there no wrongs to be righted?

Harpers speech anticipated by more than a century the intersectional legal analysis of the critical race theorist Kimberle Crenshaw, who showed how policies that treat race and gender as mutually exclusive deprive black women of redress in discrimination cases while also obscuring the fact that they struggle under the dual burdens of racism and sexism.

History of Woman Suffrage draws heavily on the proceedings of the 1866 meeting but tellingly leaves out Harpers momentous speech. The historian Nell Irvin Painter argues that her words were too strong for white suffrage leaders who saw her polished, self-assured style as antithetical to what they viewed as blackness. They preferred the uneducated version of black womanhood embodied by the formerly enslaved suffragist Sojourner Truth, who entertained her audiences as she imparted her ideas.

Yet Harpers poise and self-possession were the norm among the affluent freeborn black women who had time to engage with the suffrage movement. For example, the sisters Harriett Forten Purvis and Margaretta Forten  daughters of the wealthy Philadelphia sailmaker and abolitionist James Forten and his wife, Charlotte  were central players in the staging of the Fifth National Womans Rights Convention in their hometown in 1854. The Boston journalist Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, who played a leadership role in the Massachusetts suffrage movement in the late 1800s, was the wife of the pro-suffrage state legislator George L. Ruffin.

Another respected suffragist and abolitionist  but again, whose voice is missing from the suffragist narrative  is Sarah Parker Remond, who grew up in a prominent New England family. Remond, like Harper, was a member of the American Equal Rights Association. She was popular on the abolitionist speaking circuit and also toured the Northeast with her brother, Charles, in the late 1860s in support of womens voting rights.

Chroniclers of the suffrage struggle tended not to record their black peers. Fortunately, the 1853 lawsuit Remond filed against two men who ejected her from an opera in Boston for reasons of race provides a window into what she believed. The archivist Dorothy Porter Wesley writes in her study of the Remond family that the judge issued a forceful decision, fully sustaining the equal rights of our Colored citizens. We also know that Remond grew sufficiently tired of racism in the United States and fled to Europe.This almost-successful repeal was not an isolated case. As Russell Hittinger pointed out in a 2010 essay for First Things, prior to Roe v. Wade the anti-abortion side was regularly winning political victories in places that we think of as liberal bastions today. The division on abortion that runs between red and blue states today ran through both political parties and every U.S. state two generations ago  the abortion capital very much included.

This changed because of polarization and political tribalism, because currents in elite opinion reshaped liberal politics and backlash reshaped the G.O.P. But if you delve into this papers coverage of those long-gone abortion debates, youll be reminded that it also changed because the Catholic Church  in New York, especially  used to be an effective pro-life political force straddling partisan divides, instead of an institution devastated by attrition, internal division and the sex abuse disaster.

That declining influence is neatly distilled in the story of Mario and Andrew Cuomo. The father felt constrained by his Catholicism to at least agonize publicly over abortion, to insist that he could be pro-choice and personally opposed. His son, a Catholic politician with a First Girlfriend who lit the Freedom Tower pink to celebrate late-term abortion, plainly fears neither God nor Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

In the case of Dolan, Cuomos right to be blase. New York State still has millions of baptized Catholics, but the faithful are divided and adrift and accustomed to tuning out messages from their bishops that dont fit their partisan preconceptions. (This goes for messages that criticize Donald Trump as well.) Dolan has tried to answer secularization with gregarious good cheer, but a bingo-hall winsomeness would be no match for cold indifference even without the churchs scandals.

And yet it remains the case that deep inside the ransacked, decaying basilica that is American Catholicism, you can find the only vision that might transform the abortion debate, so that we dont end up with a permanent red-blue divide, in which the Supreme Court allows conservative states to pass restrictions but liberal states are radicalized toward eugenics and infanticide.A. No. The main component that has the responsibility for carrying out DACA is U.S.C.I.S. [the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]. Those are the folks that help people adjust their citizenship status, so this was in a way very consistent with their ethos. And with respect to ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], if there was any resistance in the field, it never came to my attention.

Q. President Obama called DACA a temporary stopgap measure, and instinctively, I imagine, you always understood a future administration could get rid of it. And yet here we are. To what would you attribute DACAs endurance?

A. One, its sheer numbers  close to 800,000-some-odd DACA recipients. And theyre attending colleges and universities. Theyresome of them have started their own small businesses. Theyre homeowners. By now theyre parents. Theyre well entrenched in the fabric of U.S. life. And when DACA was announced by the president, it got virtually no pushback. It was popular from the get-go. And the polling on it continues to show that its very popular. I think that has helped sustain it. If the administration were going to make a decision to rescind it, there was a right way and a wrong way to do that, and they did it the wrong way.

Q. Nearly seven years later, the Trump administration believes, as do some states, that DACA is unconstitutional  an executive usurpation of power.

A. It wasnt and it isnt. Its a fair exercise of the executives authority. And its interesting to contrast the administrations arguments on the travel ban, for example, [which] are based on the broad authority of the executive in enforcing immigration law. And its exactly that kind of authority that theyre trying to restrict in the DACA litigation. So consistency isnt their best thing.

Q. Arizona, which you led as governor prior to becoming Homeland Security secretary, recently allowed Dreamers to obtain drivers licenses after a prolonged legal battle. Why this lingering antipathy toward the programs beneficiaries from a few isolated quarters?

A. Maybe it links to immigration politics generally, not just about DACA  the feeling that immigrants are here, theyre here against the law, theyre taking jobs away from Americans, theyre depressing wages, theyre taking all these public benefits, and they ought to all be deported. That kind of feeling about immigration generally still spills over to antipathy toward Dreamers, which, as you know, were brought here as children. And most of them really know only the United States as home.Prosecutors at the trial of the drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera spent more than 10 weeks painting the kingpin as the most despicable sort of criminal. Mr. Guzman, known as El Chapo, trafficked tons of drugs, bribed nearly everyone of authority in Mexico and once ordered his henchmen to incinerate the bodies of two of his enemies in a bonfire, they said.

But on Friday night, two days before jurors were set to begin deliberations, the prosecutors unsealed secret documents revealing a series of even more shocking claims against Mr. Guzman. The most disturbing were accusations that the crime lord once raped one of his mistresses and routinely raped girls as young as 13 years old, sometimes drugging them by placing a powdery substance into their drinks.

Mr. Guzmans lawyer, A. Eduardo Balarezo, immediately discounted the accusations, issuing a statement on Saturday that said: Joaquin denies the allegations.

In the statement, Mr. Balarezo noted that the claims lack any corroboration and were deemed too prejudicial and unreliable to be admitted at trial. He added: It is unfortunate that the material was publicly released just prior to the jury beginning deliberations.In late December that year, Ms. Biton was on vacation in New York with a group of friends and decided to call Mr. Blicksilver and ask him to dinner.

They met at a cafe in Midtown Manhattan, but their first face-to-face encounter in three decades did not turn out to be the fairy tale reunion either of them had expected.

Lets just say it was a combination of too many martinis and too much information, Ms. Biton said.

Mr. Blicksilver knew where he had erred. I immediately started professing my long-lost love for her, he said. I probably should not have jumped into that kind of conversation so quickly, it was way too soon.

When asked what his thoughts were upon seeing Ms. Biton for the first time in 29 years, Mr. Blicksilver began to cry. I thought she was as beautiful as I had remembered her all those years before, he said. I just stood there wondering how I ever let her go in the first place.

Ms. Biton was doing some wondering herself. Despite the fact that our reunion date didnt go so well, I did get a real nice vibe being around Gary, she said. It was like being back there again in time, and I really wanted to pick up again on a good note.As the new cabinet coalesced on Thursday after nearly nine months of political deadlock, the assistant United States Treasury secretary for terrorist financing, Marshall Billingslea, warned Hezbollah that if it tried to exploit these ministries to funnel money or undertake other activities in support of their terrorist agenda, then we will have significant concerns.

Hezbollah had been expected to gain strength in government after the group and its allies expanded their share of seats in Lebanons parliamentary elections last May, significantly weakening the Western-backed prime minister, Saad Hariri, and his bloc. Now that it has won control of the Health Ministry, which has the fourth-largest budget in the government, its ability to embed itself in Lebanese state institutions has made it both a bigger target and a more elusive prey for the United States, which has designated it a terrorist group.

Lebanons political system awards posts and patronage spoils to politicians of different religious affiliations in order to maintain a balance among the countrys 18 officially recognized religious sects. There is a long history of ministers of all stripes using the Health Ministry to provide free or subsidized health care to supporters. Analysts believe Hezbollah may try to do the same, whether for its Shiite base or, more troublingly for the United States, for Hezbollah fighters wounded in the Syrian civil war next door.

This is yet another example of Hezbollah openly holding Lebanons security and prosperity hostage, said Rachel Mikeska, a spokeswoman for the American Embassy in Lebanon. She added that the United States was prepared to take whatever actions are necessary to protect the interests of the Lebanese people.

She declined to say what those actions might be. But analysts said the possibilities ranged from the relatively restrained  such as reducing funding to the Health Ministry and squeezing other international donors, like the World Health Organization, to do the same  to the dire. The United States could theoretically impose sanctions on Lebanese hospitals, preventing the export of American medications to Lebanon, or cut off American military aid to the Lebanese Army.The CBC Radio station in Windsor spoke with Glenn Maleyko, who lives in suburban Windsor but crosses over to the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, where he is superintendent of the public school board. While the schools he runs were closed in Michigan, his two children didnt miss any classes in Ontario.

Mr. Maleyko suggested that a frenzy of dire cold weather warnings on American television and then through social media increased fear on that side of the border.

That hype started over a week ago and then social media takes off, he said. I really do think that social media has changed it and maybe it just hasnt changed it to the same level over here.

Looking for Parity

The editors over in the Opinion side of The Times want to correct an imbalance. Currently only about one-quarter to one-third of letters to the editor come from women. Now theyre committed to achieving parity through a campaign to get women  and anyone else who feels underrepresented  to write in.

In addition to emailed letters and ones of the postal variety, the campaign will include seeking out letter writers through newsletters like this one, the Reader Center, Facebook groups and other flavors of social media.

Uncertain how to start? Heres Opinions guide to submitting letters to the editor. The editors will report back on the campaign a year from now.Negotiators from China and the United States have made important progress in the latest round of high-level talks to resolve their economic and trade frictions, laying foundation for further consultations, according to the visiting Chinese delegation.

The delegation, headed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, held candid, specific and constructive discussions on topics of common concern with the U.S. team from Wednesday to Thursday, and determined the timetable and roadmap for next-step consultations.

Also on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Liu at the White House, expressing his hope for a great deal between the two sides as early as possible.

The hard-won progress is the result of both sides seriously implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump during a working dinner in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on Dec. 1.

The two heads of state agreed back then that the two sides should try to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement within 90 days to bring an early end to their months-long trade friction featuring massive tariffs on imports from each other.

Important progress

During the two-day talks, the two sides discussed the topics of trade balance, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), non-tariff barriers, service sector, agriculture and enforcement mechanism, as well as certain issues of particular concern for the Chinese side.

Important progress has been made for the current stage, according to the Chinese delegation.

The two sides have agreed to take effective measures to promote a more balanced development of bilateral trade. The Chinese side will make active efforts to expand imports from the United States in the sectors of agriculture, energy, manufacturing and services, which will help China's pursuit of high-quality economic development and meet the people's demand for a better life.

The two sides also discussed some specific concerns of the Chinese side, and the U.S. side said it would seriously address these concerns.

Both sides believe that it is very important to establish an effective two-way enforcement mechanism, so as to ensure all measures agreed upon through consultations will be implemented. They have reached consensus in principle on the framework and basic elements of the enforcement mechanism, and will continue to hammer out more details.

Critical stage

When meeting with Trump, Liu delivered a message from Xi, in which the Chinese president pointed out that China-U.S. relations are at a critical stage.

Xi said when he and Trump met in Argentina in December, the two heads of state agreed to jointly advance the China-U.S. relationship featuring coordination, cooperation and stability.

"According to the consensus we have reached, economic teams from both sides have since conducted intensive negotiations and achieved positive progress," he said.

The Chinese leader called on the two sides, in the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, to continue to try to meet each other half way and step up consultations, so as to reach a mutually beneficial agreement as early as possible.

This, he said, will send a positive signal to the international community, promote the sound development of China-U.S. ties, and add impetus to the steady growth of the global economy.

For his side, Trump hailed the important progress he had seen in the talks, saying that U.S.-China relations have remained strong and kept moving forward under the guidance of the two heads of state.

Consultations continue

A U.S. delegation headed by Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will go to China in mid-February to continue the consultations, according to Trump.

The U.S. president said that he looks forward to meeting with Xi at an early date and witnessing together the historic moment when the two countries reach an agreement on economic and trade issues.

The world watched the talks closely, with many hoping for some substantial, positive progress to be made.

"No bad news is good news. Parties are not going to trumpet good news well in advance of the negotiating deadline," said Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Institute for China-America Studies.

Gupta said that he remains cautiously optimistic about the trajectory and core outcome of the 90-day talks between China and the United States.

Robert Kuhn, a renowned U.S. expert on China and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, said both Xi and Trump are taking active leadership.

"Truly an agreement would be win-win-win -- for China, for the United States, and for the world," he said in an email interview with Xinhua on Thursday.WASHINGTON  President Trump plans to use his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to outline a bipartisan and optimistic vision of the country, a senior administration official said on Friday.

It could be a difficult sell.

In the past few weeks, as he has tried to navigate his way out of a political standoff with Democrats, Mr. Trump has ramped up his anti-immigration messaging, stormed out of meetings with Democratic leaders and refused to accept any compromise that does not ultimately include funding for a border wall.

And while the White House said on Friday that the goal of the speech was to bring together a divided government and a divided nation, the official said immigration would emerge as the main theme.

Mr. Trump is also expected to make an appeal to his evangelical anti-abortion base by talking about the fundamental importance and respect for human life, the official said. And he will focus a large portion of his remarks on the importance of ending illegal immigration.WASHINGTON  Saying the Supreme Court needs more time to consider the matter, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. issued an order on Friday blocking a Louisiana abortion law from taking effect until Thursday. The law, which had been set to go into effect on Monday, could severely limit the number of doctors authorized to perform abortions in the state.

The law, enacted in 2014, requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The Supreme Court struck down an essentially identical Texas law in 2016, saying it imposed an undue burden on the right to abortion.

The vote in 2016 was 5 to 3, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in the majority. Abortion rights advocates fear that the replacement of Justice Kennedy by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh may change the courts approach to cases concerning abortion.

In 2017, Judge John W. deGravelles of the Federal District Court in Baton Rouge struck down the Louisiana law, saying that doctors at abortion clinics were often unable to obtain admitting privileges for reasons unrelated to their competence and that the law created an undue burden on womens constitutional right to abortion.WASHINGTON  President Trumps assertion that a senior law enforcement official privately gave assurances that he is not under scrutiny in the investigations shadowing him partly served as a defense strategy but also raised new questions about how the Justice Department is conducting the inquiries.

Mr. Trump said in an interview on Thursday with The New York Times that the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, has told him that he was not a target of the special counsel investigation into Russias election interference and whether any Trump associates conspired with it. Rod told me Im not a target of the investigation, he said. The president also said that Mr. Rosenstein reiterated the statement to his personal lawyers a number of times, but did not say when.

Questions about how law enforcement officials are navigating the inquiry have hung over the Justice Department since a separate investigation came into view in April, when F.B.I. agents raided the office, home and hotel room of Mr. Trumps former longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen. The raids prompted Mr. Trump to increase his attacks on the Justice Department, raising fears among Democrats that he might shut down that inquiry or the one by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

But Mr. Rosenstein told the president shortly after the raid that he was not a target in either investigation, according to a Bloomberg News report citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, which prompted speculation that Mr. Rosenstein was trying to placate the president to allow the investigations to continue. People close to Mr. Trumps legal team confirmed that account.Mr. Mateljan said there were two possible criminal counts that Mr. Avenatti could have faced: injury to a spouse or cohabitant, which has a three-year statute of limitations, and battery, which has a one-year statute of limitations.

He said that Mr. Avenatti and his accuser, Mareli Miniutti, 24, would have separate informal hearings with staff members from the City Attorneys Office at which a judge would not be present. He said those hearings had not yet been scheduled.

Mr. Avenatti celebrated the city attorneys decision.

I said at the time of my arrest that I would be fully exonerated and after three thorough, detailed and professional investigations by the LAPD, District Attorney and City Attorney, the truth has now come out, he said in a text message. The fact that there wasnt even enough evidence to charge me, let alone convict me, demonstrates how baseless this was. The system worked.

On Friday, Ms. Miniuttis lawyer, Michael Bachner, expressed disbelief at the decision.

He said a representative of the City Attorneys Office told him they believed Ms. Miniuttis claims but had decided not to charge Mr. Avenatti because they thought a jury would not convict him. He also said that investigators from the office had declined to interview Ms. Miniutti.

It is an outrage that this decision was made particularly since Ms. Miniutti was never interviewed by any member of the City Attorneys Office, despite our requests, and despite the pictures of her injuries, he said in a statement. It is clear to us that the city attorney simply found it easier to avoid doing its job.michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: On Thursday in the Oval Office, the president of the United States debated the publisher of The New York Times about the role of a free press. Its Friday, February 1. Oh, for the purposes of this interview, how would you like me to refer to you, like, in terms of your actual name? Do you want to be A. G.? Do you want to be Arthur?

a g sulzberger

A. G., yeah.

michael barbaro

O.K. Good. A. G., tell me the story of what happened this past summer.

a g sulzberger

Well, I had recently been named publisher of The Times. And I was coming back from dinner one day, and I got a email from Sarah Sanders  not someone who had emailed me before  and she asked if I could come to the White House later that week for a private, off-the-record meeting with the president. Our journalists are typically extremely cautious about giving off-the-record meetings to prominent newsmakers. But its part of the responsibility that comes with being publisher to be willing to sit down across from folks who are regularly receiving coverage, particularly regularly receiving tough coverage, and hear if they have any concerns. So I felt that I should accept. Meeting face to face with the president, I felt it was really important to raise some of my concerns about his increasingly strong anti-press rhetoric. I also felt pretty strongly that I should bring a journalist along as well. So I brought James Bennet, my colleague who oversees the Opinion department, including the editorial page, and we headed down to Washington.

michael barbaro

And what happened?

a g sulzberger

James asked most of the questions as the journalist in the room. And then at some point, I sensed a natural break in the conversation, and I brought up what I had been wanting to share with him. I said to the president, Im increasingly alarmed by your anti-press rhetoric. You know, phrases like fake news I find very troubling. But Im deeply concerned about the implication of phrases like enemy of the people. And I believe that this language is not just divisive, its dangerous.

michael barbaro

And this is all off-the-record, so this is just a message that you very much wanted to deliver to the president directly.

a g sulzberger

Thats right. And it was a civil meeting. He did hear me out. And at the end of the conversation, after we had stood up and were preparing to leave, he thanked us again for coming in, turned to me, pointed to his head and said, youve given me a lot to think about. And I really will think about it.

michael barbaro

So you leave the White House, and what happens?

a g sulzberger

So largely nothing. I go back to work. He goes back to work. And about a week, maybe 10 days later, Im at home. It was Sunday morning. I think I was either changing a diaper or had just finished changing a diaper. And I get a call that informs me that the president has just tweeted about our meeting.

archived recording

Some breaking news now as The New York Times goes to Washington. President Trump tweeted just a little while ago that he met with A. G. Sulzberger, the relatively new publisher of The New York Times, at the White House recently. Tweeting this today. Quote, Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A. G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times. President Trump continuing, quote, Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of fake news being put out by the media and how that fake news has morphed into the phrase enemy of the people. Sad.

michael barbaro

And is that your understanding of what happened in the room?

a g sulzberger

No. It was a gross mischaracterization of our conversation. I mean, certainly we had had a meeting at the White House. Ill leave it to him to decide whether it was good and interesting. And we talked about his use of phrases like fake news and enemy of the people. But it was not a conversation in which I was agreeing with those characterizations in the least.

michael barbaro

So what exactly did you do?

a g sulzberger

So I grabbed my laptop and typed out a very brief account of what had actually transpired in the meeting. We issue our statement, which I thought spoke for itself, and the news cycle moved on to other things, and I moved on to other things. And then six months later, this week, I get another email from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, this time asking me to join the president for a private dinner at the White House.

michael barbaro

Huh. And what are you thinking when you get that invitation?

a g sulzberger

Im thinking that I cant possibly accept this invitation.

michael barbaro

Why not?

a g sulzberger

Because Im already reluctant about allowing people to go off the record. But the notion that I would do that with someone who had so clearly violated the terms that he had requested, and that I had agreed to, a second time just felt like a non-starter to me.

michael barbaro

So youre prepared, it sounds, to say no and to walk away from this opportunity.

a g sulzberger

I did say no. I wrote an email back, which I thought was perfectly polite but also very direct, saying that given what had transpired the last time we had such a meeting, that Id be unable to accept a private dinner with the president. But I also added  and I thought it was probably a long shot  that if the president was willing to meet on the record with several of our journalists for an interview, that Id be happy to join.

michael barbaro

And what was the response?

a g sulzberger

To my surprise, the next day they said yes. So this morning, Maggie Haberman and I took the train down to D.C., where we met our colleague, Peter Baker, and prepared for the first significant on-the-record interview weve done with the president in over a year.

michael barbaro

And how are you thinking about this interview, because youre the publisher of The Times. Youre not a reporter. But you are going to the White House with two of the Timess star White House reporters. What exactly is this meeting, in your mind?

a g sulzberger

Well, thats exactly right. My role in that room is very different than Maggie and Peters. So you know, when we sat down to plan it out, I made very clear that I would leave the reporting part of the meeting entirely to them. But I also said that there were a few things that I wanted to convey to the president following up on our previous meeting.

michael barbaro

Essentially some unfinished business.

a g sulzberger

Thats right. The White House is just a few blocks from the bureau, so maybe 20 minutes before the meeting, we headed out into the cold and walked over. Got to the White House security. Maggie breezed through, Peter breezed through, and then it turns out that I had not been entered into the system. So I found myself standing outside in the cold for quite some time while they decided what to do with me.

michael barbaro

And what did they decide to do with you?

a g sulzberger

Eventually some embarrassed member of the communications team came over and apologized for forgetting to enter me into the system. And I guess I passed whatever test of trustworthiness, and they gave me a pass and went through security. So we get in. Were escorted into the Oval Office and take some seats in front of the presidents desk. He walks in the room.

maggie haberman

Mr. President, good to see you.

a g sulzberger

Shakes each of our hands.

president trump

Sit down, please.

peter baker

Thank you.

a g sulzberger

Very friendly. And we begin the conversation.

president trump

We just had a great meeting with the vice premier of China.

a g sulzberger

Pretty early in the conversation, he talks about how, just moments earlier, there was a group of Chinese leaders there, along with most of his cabinet, for trade negotiations.

president trump

And we had it set so you could walk in. But were you delayed at the gate or something?

maggie haberman

There was an incident. [LAUGHS]

president trump

Oh, what happened?

a g sulzberger

Oh, everythings fine. That he had been very much hoping that we would see the impressive scene and wondered why we were late.

maggie haberman

Were fine. Everythings fine.

a g sulzberger

I think I looked like a suspect individual.

president trump

You look good.

maggie haberman

They werent sure they wanted to let A. G. in.

president trump

You look good.

a g sulzberger

At which point Sarah Huckabee Sanders had to let him know that I had been blocked at the gate.

michael barbaro

You were the reason why.

a g sulzberger

I was the reason why.

peter baker

So having had the meeting today with the vice premier, do you feel like you got a deal, or close to a deal?

president trump

Well, were getting closer.

a g sulzberger

So after some small talk, the interview begins. Maggie and Peter start going through their long list of questions.

maggie haberman

Youve talked about the sacrifice that this has presented for yourself, for your family, being president, for your business. Could you ever see a point in the next year where you say, you know what, I dont need to do this again? I dont need to run for re-election?

president trump

I dont see it because  so I just gave you a list of a lot of the things weve done. And this list isnt even complete. I dont know if you have it. Yeah. Thats not even  just grab it. Reading material for tonight.

a g sulzberger

Maggie asks him whether hes intent on running for another term.

president trump

Maggie, heres the bottom line. I love doing it. I dont know if I should love doing it. But I love doing it.

a g sulzberger

He talks about his recent phone call with the head of the Venezuelan opposition.

president trump

We had a very good talk. Just more than anything else, I guess, I wished him good luck.

a g sulzberger

He talks about Nancy Pelosi.

maggie haberman

This is your first experience dealing with Nancy Pelosi having the gavel as the speaker. Do you feel that you properly estimated her strengths? Do you feel like you underestimated them?

president trump

Ive actually always gotten along with her, but now I dont think I will anymore. I think that shes hurting the country very badly.

a g sulzberger

And says that hes given up on their relationship.

president trump

If she doesnt approve a wall, the rest of its just a waste of money and time and energy.

a g sulzberger

He talks about the shutdown.

president trump

But based on what I hear and based on what I read, they dont want to give money for the wall. You know Im building the wall. You know that. Im building the wall right now.

a g sulzberger

You know, for the beginning of the interview, he seems excited and engaged, almost gregarious. Hes talking in superlatives and with obvious excitement about the work and what he describes as his accomplishments.

president trump

And one of the generals said, youve done more to defeat ISIS than any other person, not even close.

a g sulzberger

And then, as the questions shift towards Russia 

maggie haberman

Has Rod Rosenstein given you any sense over the course of the last year about whether you have any exposure, either in  or theres any concerns, or whether youre a target of either Mueller or 

president trump

Well, he told  he told the attorneys that Im not a subject  Im not a target. Yeah, oh yeah.

a g sulzberger

And to the Cohen investigation.

peter baker

Can I ask you, sir, can you clarify the Trump Tower Moscow proposal, right? There was this discussion. And weve learned since the campaign that this went on longer through the campaign than we had expected.

president trump

So let me tell you about Trump Tower Moscow. This was a very unimportant deal. This was a very unimportant deal.

a g sulzberger

He becomes visibly more cautious. His arms creep up and theyre now folded on his chest.

peter baker

You told people that you didnt have any business there. And people might have misunderstood 

president trump

Well, that wasnt business.

peter baker

[INAUDIBLE] Misleading to say 

president trump

Peter, that wasnt business there. That was a 

peter baker

Well, youre pursuing the business, right?

president trump

That was essentially  I had no money invested.

a g sulzberger

His sentences are growing shorter.

maggie haberman

Did you ever talk to him about WikiLeaks? Because that seemed to be what Mueller was  you never had a conversation with him about that.

president trump

No, I didnt.

maggie haberman

And did you ever tell him to  or other people to get in touch with him?

president trump

Never did.

a g sulzberger

And its clear hes being cautious. At one point, he was visibly uncomfortable enough that Sarah Sanders sort of muttered under her breath, next topic.

president trump

This job is, from an economic  you know, I get a kick out of these people saying, oh, a rich Arab stayed at his hotel.

a g sulzberger

And then, as weve seen in previous interviews with President Trump, there are a lot of interesting tangents that hell take.

president trump

I lost massive amounts of money doing this job. This is not for money.

a g sulzberger

One of the more striking was him talking about how everyone assumes hes making so much money and benefiting so much from being president, but that actually 

president trump

This is one of the great losers of all time. You know, fortunately I dont need money.

a g sulzberger

Assuming the office had come at a significant financial cost. And I think he used some language like, its the biggest loser.

michael barbaro

Being president.

a g sulzberger

Thats right.

president trump

But I lose  I mean, the numbers are incredible.

a g sulzberger

So initially we had been told that the conversation would be around half an hour. And 

maggie haberman

Maggie, hes been doing a great job. Yeah?

speaker

Just have some important calls whenever youre finished.

president trump

O.K. Ill be in in a little while.

a g sulzberger

Like clockwork, at about half an hour, his assistant came into the room and told him that time was up and he had a busy schedule.

president trump

Whats more important than The New York Times, O.K.? Nothing.

a g sulzberger

The conversation continued like that for fully another half hour. So a full hour.

speaker

Mr. President, were coming up on 45 minutes.

president trump

Yeah, thats O.K.

a g sulzberger

On multiple occasions, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Bill Shine tried to interject by saying, O.K., lets do one or two more questions.

maggie haberman

Mr. President, can I ask you a question that I was wondering as you were all talking about this?

speaker

And then maybe  [INAUDIBLE] Make this the last one.

maggie haberman

Can I ask you five more questions? [LAUGHTER]

a g sulzberger

But Maggie and Peter just kept right at it. And President Trump seemed happy and interested to continue to answer their questions.

michael barbaro

And what are you doing while Peter and Maggie are pressing the president on all these various questions?

a g sulzberger

I didnt say a word. I thought my role there was to open the doors for the two of them for an on-the-record interview.

michael barbaro

So you stayed silent the entire time.

a g sulzberger

Thats right.

president trump

That doesnt happen at The New York Times.

a g sulzberger

Mr. President, before we wind down, I didnt want to miss the opportunity just to raise a concern that we discussed last time. But then I realized that the meeting was actually starting to wrap up. And it felt like the moment was right to share the concern that I wanted to raise with the president, which stemmed from our previous conversation. We discussed last time I was here.

president trump

By the way, youre right. And I did not know, when we  did you apologize, I hope?

sarah huckabee sanders

Yeah.

president trump

Because I did not know that. And I apologize for that. O.K.?

a g sulzberger

Thank you for saying that.

president trump

I did not know that.

a g sulzberger

And immediately he interjected and offered something of an apology. It took me a second to realize what it was about. But I believe he was apologizing for breaking the off-the-record agreement he had asked for in the previous meeting.

michael barbaro

Ah, the tweet.

a g sulzberger

But I circled back and said  So the concern I raised then was about your anti-press rhetoric  fake news, enemy of the people. And at the time, I said I was concerned that it wasnt just divisive, it was potentially dangerous, and warned that I thought it could have consequences. I feel like in the time since, weve started to see some of those consequences play out. Weve seen around the world an unprecedented rise in attacks on journalists, threats to journalists, censorship. And as Im saying this, he is leaning in and asking questions. Jailing of journalists and murders of journalists.

president trump

Where in particular?

a g sulzberger

Globally on every continent. Im happy to send you some of the literature. Its very closely tracked. But one of the things thats been really striking to me is, as Ive talked to my colleagues around the globe, working in different countries  particularly working in countries where a free press is already a tenuous thing  they say that they are increasingly of the belief that your rhetoric is creating a climate in which dictators and tyrants are able to employ your words in suppressing the free press. And I wanted to 

michael barbaro

So it sounds like you two are having a genuine back-and-forth about the concerns you have about the dangers facing journalists, and your belief that he, as president, is contributing to that.

a g sulzberger

Thats right. Thats right. And to his credit, he heard me out and he listened to it. I guess the concern I want to raise is the effects that the broad-based attacks on journalism and journalists continue to have seems to be growing. And it particularly seems to be growing abroad with folks who arent covering your administration. Theyre trying to do hard, dangerous work of ferreting out the truth in societies where the leadership often tries to suppress it. And Id urge you to reconsider these attacks.

president trump

I understand that.

a g sulzberger

But if you choose not to, I want you to be aware of some of the consequences that Im starting to see out there.

president trump

Would you say more so now than over the last five years?

a g sulzberger

Yes.

president trump

Right now? I mean 

a g sulzberger

Yes.

president trump

But more so now than even a year ago.

a g sulzberger

Yes. And I think 

president trump

Im not happy to hear that.

a g sulzberger

The murder of Khashoggi is just the highest-profile example. But were seeing 

michael barbaro

A. G., are you experiencing the presidents questions and reactions as authentic? Because suddenly its starting to sound like hes saying the things that a publisher of The New York Times might want to hear.

a g sulzberger

Yeah, I think thats right. The United States and the occupants of your office historically have been the greatest defenders of a free press and of free speech globally.

president trump

And I think I am, too. I want to be. I want to be.

a g sulzberger

Look, it is hard for me to be optimistic about breaking through to him given that I had raised this exact set of concerns six months earlier, and he had said he was listening, said he was troubled by what he had heard, said that he thought his rhetoric had probably gone too far, and said that he would think about toning it down, and then has continued, if not escalated, his attacks on the free press. So he made a good show of listening. He asked follow-up questions. He expressed concern about some of the things I said. But it wasnt fully clear whether I was getting through to him. And I wanted to circle back to this, first, I guess, to ask you if you were aware of these broad consequences that were seeing.

president trump

So the person, honestly, thats been most suggestive of that is you, more so than others. I do notice that people are declaring more and more fake news, where they go, fake news. I even see it in other countries. I dont necessarily attribute that to me. I think I can attribute the term to me. I think I was the one that started using it, I would say. But I do see that. But 

a g sulzberger

But can I just respond to that?

president trump

Yes, please, go ahead.

a g sulzberger

Because the phrase fake news, youre exactly right. It has been embraced globally. And several countries have actually banned fake news. But it was a technique to actually ban an independent media. And so its not about viral stuff on Facebook. Its about countries using that term to actually ban independent scrutiny of their actions.

president trump

Right. Ive seen that.

a g sulzberger

Yeah.

president trump

I dont like that. I mean, I dont like that. I dont like  though I do think its very bad for a country when the news is not accurately portrayed. I really do.

a g sulzberger

And after this conversation goes on for a few minutes, he takes it in an interesting direction, and perhaps a predictable direction.

michael barbaro

Which is what?

a g sulzberger

He starts complaining about his own coverage and explaining he feels that he has been inaccurately portrayed.

president trump

And I do believe Im a victim of that, honestly. In all due respect, I know what a good writer these two people are. But Peters been very tough on us the last couple of months. I dont know why, because I really think Im doing a great job.

a g sulzberger

And at one point, he mentions Peter specifically, and says his recent articles have been too tough. Can I just say something on Peter? I mean, Peter has covered four administrations, four presidential administrations, starting with Clinton.

president trump

I know.

a g sulzberger

But one of the things that weve learned over a century and a half of covering the men whove occupied this office is that every occupant feels that the press is too tough at times. But tough coverage is part of occupying the most powerful seat on earth. That chair right there that youre sitting in is the most powerful seat on earth. And it comes with it scrutiny and questions. You have my  speaking for The Times  my enduring commitment that we will treat you fairly and accurately. I actually noticed a oil painting of President Lincoln over his shoulder, and I said, weve been covering presidential administrations for 150 years. Starting, I think, with that guy.

president trump

He was a good one.

a g sulzberger

Yeah, hes a good one.

michael barbaro

One of the best.

a g sulzberger

Yeah.

president trump

I understand that. And I do. I would say this. I dont mind a bad story if its true. I really dont. You know, were all, like, big people. We understand whats happening. Ive had bad stories, very bad stories, where I thought it was true. And I would never complain. But when you get really bad stories where its not true, then you sort of say, thats unfair. And, you know, you have a tremendous power. You have the power of the pen, the power of the ink. You have a tremendous power.

a g sulzberger

And so we continued to go back and forth. And the striking thing about the conversation now is if the first hour of the conversation felt very much like a traditional interview  questions being asked by Maggie and Peter, and questions being answered by President Trump  now the conversation had taken a real turn, and it felt like we were having a searching debate about the role of media.

president trump

What you do is a very important thing. And I will tell you, I would love if I was just covered fairly. If I were covered fairly  like, this should be a fair story. I dont know what the story is  this should be a fair story. I actually think your readers would respect it.

a g sulzberger

There were interruptions. There was back and forth. And if at first he was listening to my concern, he became increasingly animated in sharing his concerns.

michael barbaro

I mean, this is fascinating. Im curious, were you surprised in the moment by how this conversation was playing out, that it was becoming a conversation? Was that what you expected, because it seems like you had just wanted to reiterate a final point from your previous interview on the way out the door.

a g sulzberger

I certainly wasnt expecting the full back-and-forth, his level of interest and engagement in the conversation. At one point, Maggie jumped in.

president trump

Let me look in the mirror.

maggie haberman

But what do you see the role of the free press as? What is it that you think that the press does?

a g sulzberger

And he gave her, in some ways, the most cautious, literal response that Ive heard from him in either of my meetings with him.

president trump

It describes, and should describe, accurately whats going on in anywhere its covering, whether its a nation or a state or a game or whatever. And if it describes it accurately and fairly, its a very, very important and beautiful thing.

michael barbaro

And do you agree with that definition of a free press?

a g sulzberger

Well, I think his definition is accurate, but its also narrow. I view the core responsibility of The Times not just as helping people understand the world, but in seeking the truth wherever it leads, holding power to account. Those parts of our job can be hard to be on the other side of, and Im sympathetic to that. But those are essential parts of how we meet our responsibility to inform the public. But I was really struck. There was this moment  it was a very human moment, and it seemed like a very sincere moment  when he talked about being a Queens-born kid.

president trump

But I came from Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica Estates, and I became president of the United States. Im sort of entitled to a great story from my  just one  from my newspaper. I mean, you know.

a g sulzberger

And he just wanted his hometown paper to write one positive story about him.

michael barbaro

He just wants The Times to say something nice about him.

a g sulzberger

Thats what he said.

president trump

Im sort of entitled to one good story in The New York Times. I started off, I ran against very smart people and a lot of them.

a g sulzberger

And he said it a few times.

president trump

I just sort of think Im entitled to a great story from The New York Times. I mean, Ive done something that nobodys ever done.

michael barbaro

Well, listening to the president talking about the media, did you feel that any of his complaints about the media were legitimate and recognizable?

a g sulzberger

I dont buy his premise that he hasnt had that positive story. The first story he got was Trump Triumphs. You know, that was literally the headline. But hes a disruptive political figure who has had an incredibly divisive approach to governing, and the coverage has reflected that.

michael barbaro

So what do you think that this conversation meant to President Trump, and why do you think it became a conversation in the first place?

a g sulzberger

I dont know if I have the answer to that. I mean, obviously, this is a man whose public posture is that journalists are the enemy of the people. And Ill tell you, part of what troubles me so much about that phrase is what do you do with enemies? You fight them. You lock them up. You kill them in war. But thats never been President Trumps private posture with journalists. And I think what this conversation showed is this is actually a man with a lot of respect for The New York Times as an institution. And I think he wants to feel that respect back. But he wants to feel it in a certain kind of way, with celebration of his actions, with validation of his performance, that Im not sure a serious news organization, an independent news organization, can give any president. And so we have this tension between a president who, in a room with three journalists, can have a really interesting, open conversation about the role of journalism and the role of his own rhetoric in putting journalists at risk. But in public, Im not sure we can expect change. I hope itll change. I really do. But Im skeptical.

michael barbaro

A. G., thank you very much. We appreciate it.

a g sulzbergerHoward Schultz of Starbucks fame told 60 Minutes on Sunday that he was seriously thinking about an independent bid for the presidency, and boy oh boy are liberals and progressives unhappy with the idea. The lifelong Democrat has suddenly morphed, in the eyes of his new detractors, into a vainglorious upstart, entitled rich guy, and potential spoiler who could hand the election to Donald Trump.

Could be. But the neuralgic reaction to his bid says something about the ideological drift of the Democratic Party  and of its vulnerabilities against a historically weak president.

So what has Schultz done to deserve his Two Minutes Hate? His political views bear about as much resemblance to those of a typical conservative as an olive does to a grape. He supports Obamacare, denounced the Trump administrations decision to leave the Paris Climate Accord, and promised to hire 10,000 refugees globally in response to the 2017 travel ban. He was raised in a Brooklyn housing project and was the first person in his family to go to college. His billions were fairly earned offering products and services people want.

Schultzs politics are to the left of mine, but I would vote for someone like him in a heartbeat if the other names on the ballot are Trump and, say, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Isnt candidate diversity supposed to be something liberals believe in?HAMBURG, Germany  Women in Germany won the right to vote in 1918, but a century later they still do not enjoy equal representation. Though the country is led by a woman  who will, most likely, be succeeded by another woman  fewer than a third of the members of the federal Parliament, the Bundestag, are female.

Thats why leading figures from all major German parties are now calling for parity: a 50-50 quota for male and female representatives in the Bundestag and the 16 state-level Parliaments. But is achieving a gender balance in Germanys legislatures worth weakening another hard-fought accomplishment, the right to free electoral choice?

This week the Parliament in Brandenburg became the first to require all political parties to nominate an even slate for state elections, starting in late 2020. The center-left Social Democratic Party is pushing for a similar rule for national elections. The party is already informally enforcing such a rule in its selection of candidates for the coming European Parliament elections, in May, in the process overruling the results of local party votes.

Most people can agree that equal representation in our elected bodies is a desirable goal. In a democracy, the peoples representatives should look like the people. Laws that put more women onto the field might look like a good start. And parity laws achieve that goal. I am not a great fan of quotas, but I like the results they bring, said Viviane Reding, a former commissioner of the European Union.Cory Booker is running for president. That makes nine announced candidates for the Democratic primary, and if you add everyone The Times lists from likely to might, youre up to 22.

When you throw in the Democrats who say theyre thinking, were way past two dozen. Youre a concerned citizen  when you go to parties, people are going to ask you who you like for the nomination. How are you supposed to maintain your credibility?

A couple of suggestions.

First, Kamala is pronounced Comma-la.

Second, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is only 29. She cannot be a candidate in 2020. If somebody brings her up, you can make this point clearly but gently, and everyone whos listening will nod wisely. Youre on your way!

The primary voting doesnt start until February of 2020, but theres already a lot going on. People in Iowa have met a bunch of candidates. Theres a certain sense of empowerment that comes with living in the first state, and Iowans will not really respect anybody who hasnt shown up in their town to shake hands. Or possibly have dinner at their homes.I read the paper the other day, a satisfying two-hour meander across the world, full of surprises, diversions and revelations. Of course newspapers are dying. This sort of unfocused experience has nothing to do with efficiency or squeezing the last drop of productivity from each minute. It may assuage the soul but is alien to the demands of contemporary hustle culture.

Along the way, as sections of The New York Times accumulated on the floor, piles of paper for which trees had given their last twig, I was seized, along with my pleasurable wonderment, by a growing conviction. The system is rigged. I am no conspiracy theorist, far from it, but all the people out there who feel that their lives have passed out of their control, that they are caught in the maw of some implacable machine, have a point.

Three pieces stayed with me: Erin Griffiths vivid journey into #ThankGodItsMonday workaholic culture; Derek M. Normans elegiac lament for the demise of the Half King, killed by soaring rents beside the High Line on Manhattans West Side, that monument to gentrification; and Meher Ahmads fascinating dispatch on the bulldozing of Karachi.

They were unrelated, except that none contained the words Donald Trump. No algorithm would have led me from one to the other.Sanford Sylvan, the American baritone whose introspective eloquence and serene yet commanding presence put him at the center of some of the most important operatic events of recent times, died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 65.

The cause was not immediately known, his family said.

Mr. Sylvans voice  solid, but silken and plangent  and his combination of emotional openness and understated dignity brought to operatic life two crucial characters in landmark works by John Adams. He was the first Chou En-lai in Nixon in China (1987) and Leon Klinghoffer in The Death of Klinghoffer (1991). He was also the soloist at the premiere of The Wound-Dresser (1989), Mr. Adamss reflective orchestral setting of Whitmans poem.

He was my muse, Mr. Adams said in a phone interview on Thursday. Certainly for the male voice during that period.

Mr. Sylvan was proposed for the Nixon role by its director, Peter Sellars, for whom he also starred in a pair of modern-dress stagings in the 1980s: Cosi Fan Tutte, which took place at a roadside diner, and Le Nozze di Figaro, set in Trump Tower in Manhattan. The productions were a radically unconventional approach to Mozart, and Mr. Sylvans energetic and sensitively shadowed portrayals  in Cosi, his Don Alfonso was a Vietnam veteran embittered by grief  were central to their success.The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and Japan enters into force on Friday. The Japanese government hopes the EPA will give impetus to economic growth and help fight protectionism.

Japan and EU will become one of the largest free trade areas in the world with a combined population of 600 million. Their economies account for a third of global GDP and 40 percent of trade volume.

Under the agreement, Japan and EU will scrap tariffs on most goods immediately or in a phased manner, paving the way for simpler and faster trade. Some 99 percent of the tariffs that EU applies to Japan and 94 percent of those applied by Japan will be removed.

This will sharpen the competitiveness of Japanese cars and electronics. The EU currently imposes a 10 percent tariff on Japanese cars. Under the agreement, it will lower this to zero in February 2026.

It is estimated by Japan that the EPA will bolster its GDP by 5 trillion yen (about 45.9 billion U.S. dollars) on an annual basis and generate 290,000 jobs.

Analysts think the new trade agreement will boost the global economy and regional economic integration.His remarks came hours after an independent commission released a report that found almost a complete lack of transparency and public accountability in the departments system for investigating misconduct.

I believe that the law must change, Mr. ONeill said in a news conference. We need to put out names, charges, documents and outcomes.

The police commissioners statement came as efforts to overhaul the law have gained new life in the state Legislature, where Democrats control both chambers as well as the governors office. Previous attempts to change the law had been stymied by a Republican majority in the Senate.

Mayor Bill de Blasio came out in favor of changing the law in 2016 to allow for more transparency, and Mr. ONeill said at the time he believed in transparency and hoped the 50-a law could be amended.

But Mr. ONeills remarks on Friday went further and were buttressed by the findings of three-member panel, which he had commissioned in June. The commissioner not only said he would push for changes to the state civil rights law, but said would order the departments lawyers to release more information about disciplinary proceedings than they do now and to interpret the current law as narrowly as possible.Inside a federal courtroom in Boston this week, a bit of intrigue has emerged as lawyers try to pry open the secretive plans of a new venture created by three of the worlds most powerful corporations.

The underlying case involves allegations made by UnitedHealth Group, which is asking a judge to stop a former executive from working at the new health care outfit created by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. UnitedHealth has accused the executive, David William Smith, of removing confidential, proprietary information that could benefit his new employer, and he has denied any inappropriate action.

In two days of hearings and filings, however, the legal action has underscored how nervous major established players like UnitedHealth and its Optum unit are about the entry of these three big corporations into the health care field.

Since the announcement a year ago, the new venture has made some splashy hires, including Dr. Atul Gawande, a well-known physician who writes for The New Yorker, as its chief executive, and a former Comcast executive who also worked at Optum. While the founding companies insist the venture would not be profit-seeking and was formed to address the needs of their 1.2 million employees, there has been considerable speculation about whether it would eventually expand and displace established players. JPMorgans chief executive, Jamie Dimon, went so far as to reassure some its investment banking clients that the three corporate giants were not going into the health care business.Spotify is in advanced talks to buy the podcast studio Gimlet Media, according to two people briefed on the proposed deal, a move that could help the music streaming service improve its profit margins and reduce its dependence on the major record companies.

The two people spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly. Representatives of Spotify and Gimlet Media declined to comment.

Since Spotify went public last year, it has increased its investment in podcasts, once a minor part of its offerings. A deal with Gimlet, the company behind popular podcasts like StartUp, Reply All and Crimetown, would greatly expand that portfolio.

Gimlet, which was founded in 2014 by Alex Blumberg and Matthew Lieber, two veterans of public radio, has also recently moved into television production. Homecoming, an Amazon series starring Julia Roberts, is based on a fictional podcast from Gimlet.The worlds most prestigious management-consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, has been drawn into a national reckoning over who bears responsibility for the opioid crisis that has devastated families and communities across America.

In legal papers released in unredacted form on Thursday, the Massachusetts attorney general said McKinsey had helped the maker of OxyContin fan the flames of the opioid epidemic. McKinseys consultants, the attorney general revealed, had instructed the drug company, Purdue Pharma, on how to turbocharge sales of OxyContin, how to counter efforts by drug enforcement agents to reduce opioid use, and were part of a team that looked at how to counter the emotional messages from mothers with teenagers that overdosed on the drug.

The McKinsey disclosures are part of a lawsuit Massachusetts filed against Purdue Pharma, accusing the company of misleading doctors and patients about the safety of opioid use. Even when the company knew patients were addicted and dying, it still tried to boost sales of opioids, the lawsuit alleges, adding, All the while, Purdue peddled falsehoods to keep patients away from safer alternatives.

Purdue Pharma helped plant the seeds of the opioid epidemic through its aggressive marketing of OxyContin. More than 130 people die each day in the United States  47,000 in 2017  after overdosing on opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.Maryville Public Safety is investigating an attempted robbery that occurred Jan. 29 at the City Star convenience store."I may be battered and bruised, but I am not broken," she wrote, setting the table like a woman getting ready to fight a monster.

Her strong support of Washington's criminal prosecution on felony charges could be just what the legal doctor ordered.

Sparks-Wade holds the key that could lock Washington away for a significant sentence rather than a slap on the wrist.

The public at large, and particularly women everywhere, should never again be subjected to Washington taking to Facebook live or other social media platforms, bragging that he beat the system in yet another battery of women.

We've seen this in abundance from Washington, and it's the very soul of sickening.

Sparks-Wade can and must rise as the hero.

Those tempted to criticize her for standing by Washington in the past should remember the power that abusers all-too often hold over women.

Even the strongest among us need support when pushing through pain in the name of moral conviction.

We all should be cheering Sparks-Wade on.

Local News Editor Marc Chase can be reached at (219) 933-3327 or marc.chase@nwi.com. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marc.chase.9 or Twitter @nwi_MarcChase. The opinions are the writer's.

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Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.The foundation gave the schools more than 20 evidence-based programs to choose from (the LaPorte endowment added a few more to the its list, specifically for high schools). D.A.R.E., for instance, is not one of them.

"D.A.R.E. does not have good, long-term outcomes," Fiddian-Green said. The programs have been found to lower first-time drug use and long-term smoking, and improve grades and attendance, according to the foundation's research.

The 12 LaPorte County schools  public, charter and private  are choosing their programs now with the intention of implementing them in the fall. The most popular ones in Marion County have been LifeSkills Training, which teaches 8- to 14-year-olds social, self-management and drug-resistance skills, and Second Step, which educates 5- to 14-year-olds on social-emotional competence and self-regulation.

The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte will fund one year of planning and three years of implementation. After that it's up to the schools to keep the programs going on their own.

"The best ones are actually incorporated into health class or P.E. class or science class," Fiddian-Green said. "You actually have teachers trained on how to incorporate it into the curriculum. That helps with long-term sustainability."

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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Don Farmer said she would laugh at all of his jokes, though he suspected they weren't always that funny. She was just that kind of person.

She loved life, she had a great sense of humor, Don Farmer said. She was a loving mother. I have a hole in my heart that will never heal. She was my best friend.

While her children were still very young, Sherry Farmer and her husband divorced and she became the sole provider of her family, her sons said. That's when she began her 29-year career as an assembly line worker for the Ford Motor Company located in Chicago.

She was one of the first women to be hired in the '70s in the Ford factory, Don Farmer said. She was the sole provider of the family since I was 9 years old. She always made sure we were all taken care of and always put us first.

She was also a compassionate animal lover. Sherry Farmer had five cats she took care of and even put food out for the local stray cats, Mike Farmer said.

A devastating loss

Mike Farmer keeps driving by the house, peering at the iced-over wreckage from his car. Somewhere in the rubble are the funeral urns that hold the ashes of the children's grandmother and uncle.VALPARAISO  City Councilman Matt Murphy has filed as a Republican candidate for mayor, making official his November announcement of his plans to seek that office.

Murphy said he has worked with Mayor Jon Costas as the the city's economic development director, and has served on the Board of Works and Redevelopment Commission to revitalize historic downtown Valparaiso.

"Valparaiso is the star of Northwest Indiana," he said in a prepared statement. "Our community is blessed to have great public schools, a fantastic university and a thriving downtown. With continued partnerships, we will work to bring high-paying jobs and attract more middle-class families to live and work in Valparaiso."

Murphy is a lifelong resident of Valparaiso. He graduated from Valparaiso High School and Indiana University before getting his MBA at Valparaiso University. He is the president of Valparaiso-based Jifco Products Inc.

"I am grateful to be able to call Valparaiso my familys home, and I am excited to continue the great work Mayor (Jon) Costas has started and keep moving Valparaiso in the right direction," he said. "I have called Valparaiso home my entire life and want the next generation to choose our city as the place to live, work and raise a family."

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Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.As the clock ticks down to Brexit day on March 29, British manufactures are stockpiling at a record pace to guard against potential supply chain disruptions, a survey said on Friday.



According to the survey conducted by IHS Markit/CIPS, the manufacturing sector made a lacklustre start to 2019, as the Purchasing Managers' Index fell to a three-month low of 52.8, down from 54.2 in December, and the second-weakest reading since July 2016.

As the trends in output and new orders slowed and employment fell, companies reporting a growth of new orders are often linked to purchasing to build up stocks in advance of Brexit, the survey said.

Rob Dobson, director at IHS Markit, said: "Stocks of inputs increased at the sharpest pace in the 27-year history, as buying activity was stepped up to mitigate potential supply-chain disruptions in coming months."

"Despite the temporary boost provided by clients' pre-purchases and efforts to build up stocks, the underlying trends in output and new orders remained lacklustre at best. Growth of new order inflows slowed sharply, and new export orders were near-stagnant, contributing to the weakest trend in output since the month following the EU referendum in 2016," Dobson said.

The survey said confidence about the manufacturing outlook slipped to a 30-month low, due to ongoing concerns about Brexit and signs of a European economic slowdown.

"With neither of these headwinds likely to abate in the near term, there is a clear risk of manufacturing sliding into recession," Dobson warned.

UK MPs in the House of Commons gave their backing to Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal on Tuesday, providing changes are made to the so-called Irish backstop issue. However, the EU has refused to renegotiate the deal so far.

The backstop plan, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the Brexit deal, is designed to avoid border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is considered by some Brits -- especially Brexiteers -- to be a trap to retain Britain in a customs union with the EU and pragmatically delay their "divorce."

May faces an uphill battle to win over the EU on the backstop issue over the next weeks. As the UK parliament will reportedly vote on the Brexit deal again in mid-February, fears remain over a no-deal Brexit.

"The UK economy is in a weak patch, and the Brexit uncertainty is hurting the economy -- but that uncertainty could lift very quickly in the next few months if there is a Brexit deal in parliament," Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, a London-based economics research consultancy, told Xinhua.

"The goods that UK manufacturers are stockpiling are imported products that might not be available in the event of a no-deal Brexit," Tombs said.

Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said businesses did their best to develop forward purchasing programs to avoid potentially disappointing clients and in case of a bad Brexit outcome, with some of the sharpest rises in raw materials and finished goods stockpiling.

"Supply chains were closer to breaking point with stretched capacity and delivery times lengthening again for the 33rd month. This begs the question of how much longer suppliers can deliver and businesses can retain stocks for every eventuality," Brock said.



Sparks-Wade told The Times she is doing OK and thankful to have survived the ordeal.

Supporter-turned-accuser

For years, Sparks-Wade has been unwavering in her support for Washington through his domestic violence convictions, going so far as favorably testifying on his behalf late last year when he faced a jury trial for battering a 24-year-old female cousin.

She posted bond for him in that case, and also sent The Times a video through Facebook after his arrest, which purported to show Washington, who is off camera, asking the cousin to leave the house, contrary to allegations he held her there against her will.

Moments after the jury issued a verdict in that case, the two even appeared in a Nov. 14 Facebook video together where Washington claimed the charges were brought as part of a conspiracy against him.

Court records filed Friday, however, show it was less than a month later that she alleged he abused her, she told authorities.

Sparks-Wade said she didnt report him to authorities then, but on Dec. 13, he allegedly smacked her face with an open hand and threatened to stab her in the neck, the affidavit states.CROWN POINT  Skip and Michelle Foster told a judge Friday they still have nightmares because of a brutal 2017 knife-attack by a man they thought was their friend.

Travis Dade, 27, stabbed them with a 9-inch blade in front of their then-7-year-old daughter in March 2017 at their Hammond home, which they shared at the time with Dade and Dade's wife.

Lake Criminal Court Judge Samuel Cappas sentenced Dade to 30 years, with 29 to be served in prison and one in a work release program.

While awaiting sentencing for the stabbing, Dade was charged in Dec. 28 with attempting to rape a fellow inmate in the Lake County Jail.

Cappas said the law did not bar him from considering the pending charges for sentencing purposes in the stabbing case.

"The defendant, while incarcerated, has generated 61 pages of disciplinary reports," Cappas said. "That's probably one of the largest reports on an inmate at the time of sentencing. That's obviously not a good thing."

The Fosters' daughter did not appear in court, but told the judge in a written statement she was separated from her parents for a month after the stabbing. They were being treated at a hospital during that time.Warren Heritage Society archivist Deborah Corey, from left, Councilwoman Letasha Thompson and Warren Heritage Society Executive Director Connie Marshner stand beside the society's new African-American exhibit located in the Front Royal Town Hall.Virginia state trooper M.T. Brill looks over the scene of this motor vehicle crash along Route 11 south of Woodstock on Thursday evening.WASHINGTONChairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham, threw his support behind President Donald Trumps three nominees for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, calling them highly qualified in a Jan. 31 statement over objections from both California Senators who claimed the White House did not do enough to include them in the selection process.

On Jan. 30, the White House announced Trumps intent to nominate Daniel Bress, a private attorney with the Kirkland & Ellis law firm based in D.C.; Daniel Collins, a partner at the Los Angeles law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson; and Kenneth Kiyul Lee, a partner at the Los Angeles office of Jenner & Block law firm.

We are deeply disappointed that the White House has chosen to re-nominate Daniel Collins and Kenneth Lee to the Ninth Circuit. We made clear our opposition to these individuals and told the White House we wanted to work together to come to consensus on a new package of nominees, Senators Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement.

Collins and Lee were nominated last year but were never confirmed by the Senate. Another nominee from last year, Patrick Bumatay, was recently nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Bumatay is an assistant attorney in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California.

Its not clear why the White House changed its list this year.

A Wall Street Journal Editorial Board article speculated that the Trump administration had capitulated to the senators over their opposition to Bumatay who might eventually be Supreme Court material.

Instead, the White House chose Bress, who the Senators also objected to because of his lack of experience as a judge and the fact that he doesnt live in California. According to the White House, he worked in the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson before joining Kirkland and Ellis, and according to his work bio, is a member of the California bar and a native of Gilroy, California.

In letters to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the Senators tried to get the White House to work with us to reach an agreement. They proposed each side picking a nominee from the others list, and negotiating a compromise on the third.

Trump has often touted his record appointing conservative judges, in this case for lifetime appointments, as one of the crowning accomplishments of his first two years in office. It has also endeared him to many conservatives, who see his partys majority in the Senate as a hopeful sign that he can continue to appoint conservatives.

Why on earth would the WH agree to tarnish its sterling legacy of circuit court judges & abandon the opportunity to improve the notorious 9th Cir to help Sens (and a would-be POTUS challenger) who are shafting him every chance they get? Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network wrote on Twitter.

The POTUS challenger she was referring to is Harris, who earlier this month announced a 2020 run for president.

Trump has made no secret that he considers the Ninth Circuit Court, which oversees the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii, to be a panel of liberal activist judges that rule based on ideology more than law.

The Ninth Circuit is a disaster, he said during a Jan. 10 roundtable on border security and immigration.

You can take the most perfectly worded document  and theyll always bring it to the Ninth Circuit and then you never know whats going to come out, he said at a roundtable on border security and safe communities Jan. 11.

Trumps dislike for the court is not without context. The Ninth Circuit has repeatedly ruled against him, most recently in November over his emergency asylum policy, which mandated that asylum seekers present themselves at an official port of entry as opposed to crossing into the United States wherever they please.

Earlier that month, the court ruled that he couldnt end the DACA program, begun under former President Barack Obama, which legally protects hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who were brought into the country illegally as children from deportation.

It also ruled against a September 2017 executive order that banned entry indefinitely to nearly all citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen as of Oct. 18. In January 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in the administrations favor, allowing the ban to take effect.

In a June-July 2018 NBC News poll of 2,652 adults, 47 percent of respondents said judicial nominations were one of several important factors they were considering in the midterms.

A majority, 60 percent, also said they thought the vetting process for Supreme Court nominees had become too partisan. When asked what types of judges they would like to see nominated, 20 percent said they wanted liberal, 44 percent said moderate, and 32 percent said conservative.

After the highly partisan confirmation hearings for Trumps Supreme Court nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, its hard to imagine other Trump nominees getting unanimous support.

These are highly qualified nominees, Graham said in a statement. I am hopeful they will receive wide bipartisan support.

Watch next:

EXCLUSIVE: Papadopoulos Identified Alleged Spy in Trump CampaignThere isnt much to get excited about when it comes to health care these days. Obamacare has failed to deliver the affordable outcomes it promised in just about every way imaginable. The broken promise that troubles me most is President Obamas famous line, If you like your health care plan, you can keep it, because this couldnt have been any further from the truth.

Democratic presidential hopefuls have now completely abandoned this charade as well as Obamacares failing individual marketplaces and moved straight to Medicare for all, which is a term for wholly government-run health care. Such socialized health care schemes risk putting taxpayers on the hook for over $30 trillion in just the first 10 years and, in other countries, have led to decreases in overall quality, including rationing of care, long wait times and little incentive for innovation or breakthroughs in new treatments.The Italian economy fell into recession technically in the last quarter of 2018, official data have revealed, while Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he believes a recovery will come in the second half of this year.



Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) declined in both the fourth and the third quarter of last year, by 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent respectively, the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reported Thursday.

The two consecutive quarters of negative growth officially marked a technical recession.

"This negative result leads to a further decrease in the trend rate of growth, which drops to 0.1 percent, from 0.6 percent in the previous quarter," ISTAT said in a report.

"Such estimate -- which is provisional -- results on the supply side from a sharp deterioration in the industrial sector, along with a negative contribution from agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and a stagnant trend in the tertiary sector," it explained.

From the demand side, ISTAT noted a decline in domestic consumption and an increase in exports.

Such an economic situation is believed not to be a surprise for Italy's new government. Speaking to business figures in Milan on Wednesday, Conte said "trend data are not favorable, yet the positive side is that they do not depend on us, but on external factors."

He mentioned the economic slowdown in Italy's major trading partners, adding that he believes the Italian economy will recover in the second half of 2019.

In support of his outlook, positive signals came from the employment data released on Thursday.

In a separate report, ISTAT said Italy's employment rate in December grew by 0.1 percentage point to 58.8 percent on a monthly basis, a record since April 2008, before financial crisis hit the eurozone's third largest economy.

December's jobless rate fell to 10.3 percent, recording a decline of 44,000 people from the previous month, but meanwhile a slight increase in the unemployment of young people, with a rate updated to 31.9 percent.Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTUREThe last two title-holders for the Miss Nebraska contest were crowned Friday night, in the first of Nebraskas competition with rules from Miss America 2.0. The new rules were implemented by Miss America in 2018, and in Nebraska this year.

The competition was hosted on the first night of Crowns and Gowns, which continues Saturday and Sunday at the Sandhills Convention Center in the new Ramada Inn, formerly the Quality Inn & Suites. Prom dress shopping continues Saturday with more than 2,000 gowns from Hirschfelds Prom Shoppe, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Doors open for the fashion show at 6:30 p.m., and the fashion show begins at 7. Pageant head shots, pageant workshops and pageant dress shopping will also be offered through the day but require a premade appointment.

Emma Groninger, 23, was crowned Miss Twin Rivers. The Norfolk native performed a color guard routine to Hold On, and her social impact initiative is called, Beautifully You.

Alexandria Roth, 22, was crowned Miss Sandhills. Roth hails from Wall Lake, Iowa, but is studying at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, she said. Roths social impact initiative is Visibility to Invisible Disabilities.

Roth, who performed a monologue about suffering from diabetes, wore her insulin pump onstage and throughout the competition.I appreciate the (regular) landowner permits being available, Metz said, but I really like the idea of letting the landowner hunt for a week prior to the opening of rifle season.

That would help to make up for the losses that deer cause for farmers and ranchers. According to northamericanwhitetail.com, a single deer will eat about 2,555 pounds of food every year.

Landowners are feeding the wildlife and receiving hardly any benefits, Hughes said.

After property taxes, Hughes said, deer are the biggest concern he hears from constituents.

Metz raises wheat and has a cow/calf ranching operation. Deer graze on the wheat over winter, but the bigger concern is the damage they cause by laying down and pawing around, exposing bare soil that can blow away in strong winds that come through the area.

As the wheat crop grows taller, deer run through it and they try to hide in it. He said they sometimes make trails through a corn field like cow trails across a pasture. They can reduce yields of alfalfa substantially.

My neighbors got some irrigated alfalfa and theyre grazing on that all the time, Metz said. There might be 50 to 60 deer feeding on that for three months out of the year.North Augusta, SC (29841)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 74F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Norman, OK (73070)

Today

Thunderstorms during the morning giving way to periods of light rain this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 69F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley of Iowa have reintroduced a bill that would allow federal law enforcement to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person.

Sarahs Law is named for Sarah Root, a Council Bluffs woman killed in 2016 in a drunk-driving accident involving an undocumented immigrant.

It is wholly unacceptable that someone who is here illegally and is responsible for the death of another human being is not considered an enforcement priority nor is detained by (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). We have an obligation to the Root family, and to the American people, to ensure that no person falls victim to this injustice again. Sarahs Law brings us one step closer to restoring justice in our broken immigration system by allowing ICE to detain and hold these criminals accountable, Ernst said.

Grassley and Ernst teamed with fellow Republicans Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, along with 11 other senators, to reintroduce the bill, according to Ernsts office.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}Rotarians from both the Centennial (morning) and Noon Rotary Clubs in Council Bluffs were at Carter Lake Elementary School Friday morning to pick up food items donated by the schools students for the Rotary Souper Bowl Food drive, an annual event to help restock Council Bluffs food pantries.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Carter Lake fifth grade students gathered the food items brought by students. Nearly 700 non-perishable food items were donated.

Fifth-grade students from College View Elementary School collected eight cartons of non-perishable food items for the Rotary Souper Bowl Food Drive being held this weekend to help restock the Council Bluffs food pantries.

Rotarians and volunteers on hand to pick up the donated items Friday afternoon were Bob Collins, Jerry Reid, Wendy Chubick, Jo Peters and Erin Johnson.A Council Bluffs man arrested Thursday faces up to 50 years in prison for controlled substance violations in Pottawattamie County.

Authorities allege Jason Thacker, 44, was growing marijuana inside his house.

He was also arrested on suspicion of felony possession of meth after authorities found the drug and drug paraphernalia at Thackers home.

The suspect also is accused of felony possession of meth and marijuana in Douglas County, Nebraska, according to court records.

Thacker is being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail without bond as of Friday. His next hearing is Feb. 7.

His public defender, David Brooks, declined to comment on the case.

According to Council Bluffs Police, officers with the Metro Fugitive Task Force met with local authorities on Thursday at a house near Rawlins Drive and Renner Drive at 6:30 a.m.

Task force officers believed Thacker was at the house. Outside, they met with his wife, who told police he was inside  and unlocked the front door for officers.A Council Bluffs woman accused of attempted murder in December refused a plea offer by the prosecution Thursday, maintaining her not guilty plea ahead of her jury trial.

Jessica Elvins, 38, faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. As of Friday she is being held on $100,000 bond before her trial Feb. 26.

Council Bluffs Police allege Elvins shot Tammy Smart, 56, in the head on Dec. 13. Officers were called to a home near Avenue A and 28th Street at about 6 p.m. and found Smart bleeding from the face.

The offender, Jessica Elvins, told the initial officer on scene that she had shot Smart, the report states.

Three witnesses inside the house saw the incident and were interviewed by law enforcement. Each witness said Elvins and Smart were in a verbal disturbance over an unknown issue.

After Elvins and Smart were separated, Elvins went upstairs to her bedroom, while Smart stayed in the living room, according to the report.

Smart went upstairs to Elvins bedroom, and the witnesses heard Smart yelling for help, police reported. Smart was found on the floor of the bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}OMAHA  SKAR Advertising, a full-service integrated advertising agency in Omaha, announced Friday it has been purchased by Terry Kroeger, who was previously chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald. Effective with the purchase, Kroeger will become president and CEO of SKAR.

When I left BH Media Group, I was looking for my next adventure, Kroeger said. With SKAR, I see a solid business foundation, a long history and tradition with true growth potential, and talented people already in place to drive that growth. Ive found the adventure.

One hundred percent of the firms shares were sold by the Smith family and the SKAR partner group. The Smith family has had ownership in the firm since 1962, when Wayne Smith founded the agency as Smith Kaplan. All partners will remain with the company, including Joleen (Smith) David, president of SKAR since 2000, who will stay on as vice chair for at least two years.

In its nearly 60-year history, SKAR has built a reputation for creativity and results. Kroeger said his focus will be to build upon SKARs success in advertising and incorporate that knowledge and talent into finding client solutions in other business areas.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}



Although Spring Festival is a Chinese cultural tradition, in recent years its popularity has travelled beyond China's borders, and it's now celebrated across the world.







The National Maritime Museum in the UK has planned a wide range of activities to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 5 this year.





During the program, which is scheduled on Feb 9, the Shanghai Theatre Academy will stage a song-and-dance performance, while attendees will also be able to participate in workshops focusing on dragon dance and hongbao crafts, or join a storytelling session where the Story of Nian (a Chinese folktale about the origins of Spring Festival) will be shared.



When Hurricane Michael ripped the roof off a federal prison in the Florida Panhandle town of Marianna in October, the inmates there were transferred to Yazoo City, Miss. Thus, the prisons employees were required to make a seven-hour drive and work in two-week stints to keep their positions. In December, the federal government was partially shut down, which meant those federal employees were traveling back and forth to work in Mississippi without getting paid.

I voted for him, and hes the one whos doing this, 38-year-old Crystal Minton, a secretary at the prison, said of President Donald Trump to The New York Times. I thought he was going to do good things. Hes not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.

The Rev. William Barber spoke about more than a hundred million hurting Americans in an address at Tulane Universitys McAlister Auditorium Wednesday night (Jan. 30), without (to my recollection) specifically referring to the shutdown. But Barber made sure to make this point: Poor white people have repeatedly been harmed by politicians they believed would only hurt others.

Barber pastors a church in North Carolina, where, according to a 2016 federal appeals court ruling, lawmakers passed voting restrictions designed to target African-Americans with almost surgical precision." Politicians who have been ushered into office thanks to voter-suppression efforts, Barber argued, have passed laws that have punished the poor.

And most of Americas poor are white.

Barber began his speech by thanking his hosts for not inviting him to a Martin Luther King celebration. You dont celebrate martyrs, he said. To honor them, he said, you go to the place they fell, reach down in the mud, pick up the baton and go the next mile.

When King was assassinated in 1968, he was leading what he called a Poor Peoples Campaign. Fifty years later, Barber co-chairs the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. The first goal of this is to change the narrative, he said before Wednesdays speech. Referring to the federal definition of poverty, he said, All you have to do is be single and make $12,000, and they say youre not poor. We know thats not true.

About 40,600,000 people in the United States (12 percent of the population) meet the governments stingy definition of poverty. But according to the Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2017, published by the Federal Reserve, Four in 10 adults in 2017 would either borrow, sell something, or not be able to pay if faced with a $400 emergency expense  One in five adults cannot cover their current months bills, and one in four skipped a medical treatment in the past year due to an inability to pay.

In his speech, Barber said that about half of Louisianas 4.7 million residents are struggling financially, but, I bet you havent had a person run for office talk about the poor. Well, certainly not in a way that suggests that the poor are deserving of advocacy, respect and public officials who will work to make their lives less miserable.

Of course, politicians arent going to champion the poor because they all live in a country where everybody is (at minimum) middle class. Of course, its mathematically impossible for everybody to be in the middle, but thats the lie that millions of impoverished Americans have told themselves: that theyre in the middle, too. Or that theyre in a temporary bad spot that could be cured with a little more hard work.

When I asked Barber if a general reluctance to use the word poor helps explain resistance to a Poor Peoples Campaign, he said he and his co-chair, the Rev. Liz Theoharis, were encouraged to think about a word other than poor when resurrecting Kings campaign. People said we might not want to call it that, Barber said.

Imagine that: trying to address a problem you wont even name.

I dont know if Barber and Theoharis ever seriously considered calling their campaign something else, but Barber said that the people theyre fighting for made it plain the language they should use: We want folks to know were poor Im not gonna tell that lie anymore that Im middle class. Im one check away from poverty. And because 62 million Americans are working every day for less than a living wage, Barber said, theyre not even one check away from poverty.

Segregation, King said in a 1965 speech, is what the poor white man in the South got instead of decent wages. And when his wrinkled stomach cried out for the food that his empty pockets could not provide, he ate Jim Crow, a psychological bird that told him that no matter how bad off he was, at least he was a white man, better than the black man.

The prison employees quote that she elected Trump to hurt other folks  but not her  is symptomatic of the disease King diagnosed. Barber is trying to do what King was trying to do when he was murdered: Bring the poor of all races together to demand changes that help them all.

The poor in the South hold the key, he said. These states are not red states. They are unorganized and undermobilized states. If you change the South, you change the country.

Jarvis DeBerry is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write Jarvis at jdeberry@nola.com or @jarvisdeberry.Two men were targeted in separate robberies in the French Quarter and Central City, New Orleans police said Saturday (Feb. 2). Here are details from preliminary police reports:

Central City - An acquaintance led a 36-year-old man into an abandoned home in the 2400 block of Willow Street on Friday at about 10 a.m. He was then stabbed and robbed of cash. Afterward he was taken a hospital for treatment.The director of the University of Holy Cross physician assistant program has been arrested, accused of sexually assaulting a young patient over a three-year period two decades ago, court records show. Gerald Keenan, 64, agreed Friday afternoon (Feb. 1) in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court to be extradited to Somerset County, Maine, to face a charge of gross sexual assault.

An affidavit written by a Maine State Police detective says the assault occurred at Keegans home and at the boys home, beginning when the boy was 10 and until he was 13. It says Keenan was working at Jackman Health Center and was the local town doctor. The boy was Keenans patient, and they grew close, visiting each other at their respective homes, sometimes overnight.

Attorney Meghan Garvey of the Orleans Parish public defenders office was appointed to represent Keenan when the suspect agreed to be extradited, during a hearing before Magistrate Commissioner Brigid Collins. In a statement to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on Friday, the Algiers-based Holy Cross said Keenan has been placed on administrate leave effective immediately. The school had no other comment, as it is considered a personnel issue and all personnel issues are considered private.

The Maine affidavit says Keenan reached out via Facebook in March 2017 to the now-grown man whom he had allegedly assaulted decades ago. His accuser was finally ready to write and confronted Gerald with the sexual assaults, the detective wrote.

Keenan responded, acknowledging the assault and apologizing, according to the affidavit, which was written to secure an arrest warrant. The accuser then arranged a FaceTime video chat with Keenan, recorded the video chat and provided a copy to detectives. He also provided screen shots of their Facebook messages.

While viewing the video, I observed Gerald admitting to touching [the accuser] in a sexual manner for sexual gratification, Maine detective Christopher Crawford wrote. The allegations include that Keenan touched the accusers genitals with his hands and mouth, according to the affidavit.

Resources for sexual assault survivors in the New Orleans area

In the chat, Keenan said the accuser was incorrect on the details and that [the accuser] was remembering fear, not what really happened, the affidavit says. The accuser told police his recollections are accurate.

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

During the chat, the affidavit states, Keenan told the accuser he would have served nearly 20 years if [the accuser] reported him to the police and he hoped [the accuser] wouldnt. It also states Keenan offered his accuser financial help and said what he did was wrong.

The accusers wife can be seen on the video recording of the chat, standing behind the accusers computer, the detective wrote. The detective met with accusers wife at Houlton State Police Barracks, and she told him she first learned from her husband about 10 years ago that he was sexually assault [sic] by a Dr. named Gerald Keenan.

Maines Department of Professional and Financial Regulation Board of Licensure in Medicine shows Keenan had a license to practice as a clinical physician assistant from March 2010 until June 2016, and that his license then lapsed and was not renewed. It was not immediately clear whether he was licensed to practice in Louisiana.

Holy Cross website on Friday listed him as both the director of physician assistant studies and as a professor. The information had been removed from the website by Saturday morning.

The Orleans public defenders office typically does not comment on pending cases. In court Friday, Garvey asked that Keenan be allowed to receive medication while in custody. When the magistrate asked Keenan about his job, Keenan said he directed the physician assistant program at Holy Cross. Kennan waived an opportunity to have a bond set.

Holy Cross said it is committed to maintaining an enriching environment for all students, as well as our faculty, staff, and the community that we serve.

Wilborn P. Nobles III contributed to this report.Maybe it crossed your mind when Cory Booker announced Friday hes running for president: Is there any shot of a Booker vs. Chris Christie all-Jersey showdown in 2020?

Dont even think about it, Christie told NJ Advance Media.

The former New Jersey governor spent Friday night signing copies of his new book for a hometown crowd at Mendham High School, regaling them with tales of his own White House bid in 2016, and even doing impressions of the man who eventually won that race, Donald Trump.

It all came just hours after Booker became the newest New Jerseyan to seek the Oval Office when the U.S. senator revealed hes vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Christie, a Republican who has long had a bipartisan friendship with Booker, said he believes the senator stands a chance at winning the White House.

Sure he does, Christie told NJ Advance Media in between autographs. Corys bright, hes articulate, and hes talented.

The questions gonna be: I just hope he doesnt go crazy-left because thats what he has to do to win, the ex-governor added. Because if he does that in the (Democratic) primary, hell stand no chance in the general.

I hope he is who he is," Christie continued. "Authenticity is more important than ever.

a brief history of Cory & Christie cracking each other up pic.twitter.com/beBa43aISG  Matt Katz (@mattkatz00) February 1, 2019

But what about Christie? Hes hinted in recent days he might not be done running for office  even though he dropped out of the 2016 presidential race after a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary and finished his time in New Jersey with record-low approval ratings.

Theres already speculation that if Trump, a longtime friend and fellow Republican, is either forced out of office or doesnt run for re-election, Christie might challenge now-Vice President Mike Pence in the 2020 Republican primary.

So is there a chance he might be sparring with Booker for the presidency next fall?

No, Christie said swiftly when asked Friday.

Dont go to DraftPicks or FanDuel and bet on that, OK?" he added. No matter what odds they give you, I dont want you to lose your money.

A year after leaving office, Christie is generating headlines again as he promotes his memoir, Let Me Finish.

He kicked off a book signing tour Friday night at a mostly filled high school auditorium in Mendham, the town he and his family have called home for years. The event doubled as a fundraiser for the local public library.

Gov. Chris Christie signs copies of his new book at Mendham High School on Friday night.

Before signing copies, Christie spent an hour on stage being interviewed by his wife, Mary Pat Christie. Yes, at one point, he impersonated Trump.

Christie was recalling how Trump was impressed after Christie cut down U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in a Republican presidential debate three years ago.

When you leaned on that podium with that arm, you looked like Perry Mason, Christie, in full Trump voice, recalled the now-president telling him.

Only Donald would remember Perry Mason, Christie joked in reference to the famed 1960s TV lawyer.

And then, he said to me, Do me a favor, OK? Dont ever get mad at me, Christie remembered.

Christie does his Trump impression. (Hes recalling what Trump said to him after Christie attacked Marcia Rubio hard during a presidential debate.) pic.twitter.com/yAgp2ga86m  Brent Johnson (@johnsb01) February 2, 2019

Some other stories Christie told:

The trademark blue fleece Christie wore during Hurricane Sandy recovery apparently wasnt a planned PR move. He simply needed something warm to wear heading from his home in Mendham to the command center at Drumthwacket in Princeton. I went into the closet, and it was the first thing I grabbed."

Christie insisted he didnt really hug President Barack Obama after Sandy. He faced backlash from Republicans for welcoming Obama, a Democrat, to storm-ravaged New Jersey days before the 2012 presidential election against Republican Mitt Romney. But Christie said he doesnt regret it. My job was to represent and work for the people of New Jersey." He just doesnt agree with people who say he hugged Obama. I want to be clear: I have a Sicilian mother," Christie said. "And we know how to hug. ... If he tried to hug me, I would have hugged him. I shook his hand. And he took his left hand and patted my left shoulder.

Christie told the backstory of one of his most famous lines: when he told sunbathers to get the hell off the beach" as Hurricane Irene approached in 2011. The ex-governor said he was watching News 12 just before his storm news conference and caught a couple still on the sand in Asbury Park. That made Christie made angry. Thats the way we talk in New Jersey, right? he said. And I can tell you to this day, there are people who, when they see me, theyll yell it to us. Hey, gov, get the hell off the beach!

Christie recalls his famed Get the hell off the beach moment. pic.twitter.com/it2sWMJiUh  Brent Johnson (@johnsb01) February 2, 2019

One audience member asked Christie why he continued to support Trump after he was fired as head of Trumps transition team. Did I think it was unfair? It was, Christie said. Was it stupid? Yes. ... But am I gonna be an adult and a patriot? Christie insisted hes not a quitter. And Im not gonna quit on my country. I have a lot still to do. And thats why the title is Let Me Finish. Im not done yet. I dont know how thats gonna manifest itself.

Christie and Booker teamed up to make a video in 2012 that was played at the New Jersey Legislative Correspondents Club dinner. Christie had high poll numbers and was a contender to be Mitt Romneys running mate. Booker was Newarks mayor, known for saving a neighbor from a fire. Heres the clip:

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.comFollow him on Twitter @johnsb01

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.The Jersey City school board hit a new low Thursday night when members bowed to ugly pressure from the teachers union and fired Superintendent of Schools Marcia Lyles.

The ax fell just hours after it was learned that Lyles is suing the board and the union, charging her civil rights have been violated and alleging harassment and a hostile workplace, among other things.

Hostile is an understatement.

As we noted in our editorial earlier this week, the current board is abdicating its responsibilities and now blindly bowing to the will of the Jersey City Education Association. Seven of the nine members were elected with JCEA support, leading to an unhealthy situation where normal tensions between administrators and union members have turned into battle royale power struggles.

There was no reason for the board to use a despicable cover-of-night move to let Lyles know on Jan. 2 that her services would no longer be needed when her contract was to run out in June 2020. And there was no reason for the board to then end that contract this week.

Students and families in our community deserve a smooth transition, which they will now be denied.

Taxpayers, meanwhile, should be seeing red over the boards action for hundreds of thousands of reasons. The only way the board could kill Lyles contract was to agree to continue to pay her $231,000 salary, plus benefits, even though shell no longer be working.

Associate Superintendent Franklin Walker, who lost the top job to Lyles back in 2012, will take over while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

Walker has a lifetime of experience in the Jersey City Public Schools, having previously served as principal of Lincoln High School and interim superintendent, among other roles, over four-plus decades.

During the last search for a superintendent, Walker was quoted in this newspaper honing in on the many positive things that go on in the schools every day. His focus was on empowerment.

Superman is not coming, he told a state Board of Education meeting at Liberty Science Center in 2012. But we are ordinary people who can do super things.

Earlier, in 2011, he told The Jersey Journal: We oftentimes talk about the fact that there are good things going on here that arent talked about. My position is to make sure to empower the community for a position of excellence.

As Walker steps into the top role, he will need to bring a healing power to 346 Claremont Ave., and we wish him well in that endeavor.

Remember, 30,000 childrens futures are on the line.

We repeat our demand from earlier this week that school board members stop the bullying tactics, examine their actions and grow up.

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns to jjletters@jjournal.com.A financial advisor who tried to hide proceeds of the sale of a million dollar piece of Italian art by creating a dummy company was sentenced to 18 months in prison, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Brian Gimelson, 48, of Lawrenceville, was handed down the sentenced by a judge in Indiana federal court after he pleaded guilty last year to two counts of attempting to evade or defeat a tax.

Gimelson is the president of of North Nassau Advisors, which has a Princeton mailing address, court and company documents show.

When he plead guilty, Gimelson admitted that he earned $1.2 million after he helped sell a purportedly original painting by the Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi, commonly known as Caravaggio, titled, David With the Head of Goliath, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The deal occurred in February 2012, when Gimelson and his wife lived in Carmel, Indiana.

Gimelson said that he did not file income tax returns or pay the taxes due on the art transaction, officials said.

In an attempt to hide his income and not pay the taxes on the sale, Grimelson set up a company called Green Moss Partners LLC and appointed his wife to serve as its managing member, federal authorities said.

Even though the company was created under his wifes name, he said that he controlled it and its bank accounts, the release stated.

He admitted that he had his wife make substantial cash withdrawals from the accounts so that he could buy collectibles and precious metals, officials said.

At his sentencing, Gimelson was ordered to pay $432,456 in restitution, the release stated.

His 18-month sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Around 12:03 p.m., the Bayonne Fire Department arrived at 86 Andrew St., where there was heavy smoke, Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver said. Weaver said the five-alarm fire was contained between two to three buildings.

Two people suffered minor injuries, Weaver said. Twenty-three people have been displaced, he added.

At 3 p.m., the firefighters were still fighting the flames of the two- and three-story homes.

The line of firetrucks, equipment and first-responder vehicles stretched for about two blocks  from West 17th to 19th streets. Weaver confirmed that there was back-up from the Jersey City Fire Department and North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue.

Neighbors and other pedestrians lined up across the street from the blaze  behind caution tape -- just watching as the heavy smoke slowly went down.

They said the roof collapsed! a pedestrian shouted on his phone.

Dawn Daniello, girlfriend of retired BFD Capt. Jim Anderson, said that they initially thought it was an auto care center three minutes away that went up in flames, but that wasnt the case.

The West 19th Street resident said that it was believed a space heater caused the Andrews Street building fire.

Weaver, however, said he could not confirm anything at the time and the investigation is ongoing.

Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis was at the scene but did not comment.Playwright Christina Gorman remembers being intrigued watching how Edward Snowden's life was forever changed by the National Security Agency contractor's decision to share classified information revealing the extent of the nation's global surveillance system.

Since the 2013 leaks, Snowden, alternatively branded a traitor and a hero, has lived in Moscow, where he has political asylum. He faces multiple criminal charges if captured by U.S. authorities.

"I was fascinated not by the political ramifications (of Snowden's actions) but the idea of being 29 years old and blowing up your life. Because he seemed to know nothing would be the same, "Gorman said. "I don't know if I've ever felt so strongly about anything in my life that I'd walk away from everyone and every thing for it.

"Imagine walking away from your entire life over an ideal. Is that selfish or selfless? To me, it's both."

The result is "Roan @ the Gates," which has its world premiere at Luna Stage Feb. 2. The two-character show stars Aaliyah Habib as Roan, a quiet NSA analyst, and Mel House as her wife, Nat, an outspoken Civil Rights attorney.

"I would describe it as a dramatic thriller about a relationship," director Michelle Tattenbaum said. "What underlies the story is the couple's love for each other. Will they be able to survive the adversity they're facing?"

Besides having a female cast, writer and director, the play's light, costume and sound designers are also women.

"There's a lot of talk about women being underrepresented in theater, and it's not just on the stage. It's behind the stage," Gorman said.

Luna and Ari Laura Kreith, in her first year as Artistic Director, "walk the walk as well as talk the talk," the writer said. Kreith has said one of her goals is to bring new patrons into the theater and make Luna "a place where communities come together, and where we have deep and powerful conversations about the issues facing us locally and globally."

Gorman started writing the play during the Obama administration, when the original Snowden leak occurred. She thought some would find her early drafts unbelievable. Now, she said, the future she imagined is the past.

One bit of dialogue goes like this: "If the government can access your information, they can ... get to you; they can get to me; they can get to a CEO; they can get to a Presidential candidate."

"I swear, I wrote that before the election," Gorman said. "And that's what happened: The Russians used information about Facebook users to target messages to particular people.

Another prescient quote from the show: "What's being collected and stored is not inofmration. It's leverage."

Snowden is never mentioned in the play. Nor is Cambridge Analytica or "fake news."

But the story is still chilling, still contemporary.

"I cannot tell you how many settings I've changed on my cell phone as a result of this play," Tattenbaum said. "We're now aware of the information we're pinging out into the world all the time. ... I hope the audience thinks about that."

ROAN @ THE GATES

Luna Stage

555 Valley Road, West Orange

Tickets: $24-39, available online at lunastage.com. Jan. 31 - Feb. 24.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.A former senior corrections officer at New Jerseys only womans prison is facing three years in prison after authorities say he engaged in a sexual relationship with two different inmates.

Joel Mercado, 37, of Lyndhurst, pleaded guilty to two counts of official misconduct, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns.

Joel Mercado, 37, of Lyndhurst

Mercado is one of six officers accused of sexual misconduct at the womens prison, and some have already been convicted.

Mercado, who was originally charged with official misconduct and sexual assault, admitted to having sexual intercourse with the two female inmates in the housing unit at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, in Union Township, between 2013 and 2015.

Kearns said Mercado was also an academy instructor at the prison.

Part of the curriculum taught to new recruits by Joel Mercado involved New Jerseys law which prohibits any form of sexual contact between officers and inmates as well as compliance with a federal law enacted in 2003 aimed at eliminating prison rape called the Prison Rape Elimination Act, Kearns said in a statement.

All inmates have a right to be safe within the institutions where we as a society demand they be detained. All inmates should be free of sexual abuse regardless of their crime. The public trust is violated and everyone is betrayed when a sworn law enforcement officer violates the oath he or she has vowed to uphold.

Four other officers, former Senior Corrections Officers Thomas Seguine, Jason Mays, Ahnwar Dixon, Brian Ambroise and Ronald Coleman and Trade Instructor Joel Herscap are the other officers who have faced similar allegations, according to prosecutors.

Herscap and Seguine were both sentenced to three years in prison in 2017.

Mays was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted at trial of official misconduct, sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and engaging in a pattern of official misconduct.

Dixon is awaiting his sentence after pleading guilty to official misconduct.

Officers Brian Ambroise, Thomas Sequine, Anwhar Dixon, Jason Mays, Joel Mercado and Ronald Coleman. At right, civilian staff member Joel Herscap.

Ambroise was acquitted at trial of official misconduct and sexual assault allegations involving one victim, but he is currently waiting for another trial where he and Coleman are co-defendants.

Both Ambroise and Coleman are being charged with conspiracy to commit sexual assault and official misconduct.

In a separate case, Coleman is also charged with sexual assault in relation to two separate female inmates.

An NJ Advance Media special report in 2017 found a history of sexual abuse at the facility, including one officer who was fired for sexually abusing multiple women but never criminally charged.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Today

Windy with a mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.During the 10th day of Snyders public corruption trial in Hammonds federal court, the mayors defense attorneys say that the undercover recordings should be excluded as hearsay, especially since John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, might not take the stand, leaving the defense unable to question him.OLD SAYBROOK  So, have you lived here all your life? folks would ask Earl Endrich Sr. His typical reply was, not yet, with a laugh.

But Earl Endrick ended up living on his family farm his entire life, afterall. He died Jan. 20 of a heart attack at age 87.

My fathers death wasnt really a surprise, but its not anything you ever really want to deal with, Earl Endrich Jr. said with sadness in his voice. He had one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave for the past two months, and he knew it, Endrich said.

Apparently, a dry sense of humor passed from father to son. The senior Endrich had not been well for the past few months and was recovering from a serious fall he suffered in October.

The Endrich family has deep roots in Old Saybrook. Earl Sr.s great-grandfather purchased property on what is now Middlesex Turnpike in 1868 that would become Endrich Farm, which the family still owns and was devastated by a recent fire Dec. 30.

More News News Community rallies to rebuild burned Old Saybrook farm

Endrich was born on the farm in 1931 to Frederick and Marguerite Endrich and graduated from Old Saybrook High School in 1950. He lived on the farm until his death.

He was an amazing man, said his son. He started out his life right there in the house across from Burdick Oil, the original homestead, and his first job was delivering papers to Essex on a bicycle. Can you imagine doing that in 26-degree weather with only one arm? he said. Endrich Sr. was born with one fully functioning left arm, but his right ended at the elbow.

But he was like a man with three arms, he did more than most men, his son remembers. The only thing he couldnt do was button his own left cuff, adding with a laugh, that half arm was dangerous, years ago he was a fighter, youd get too close and hed stick it in your diaphragm, and youd be all done.

When I was young, we started with horses. I rode until I was 18 and went into the service, Endrich said. In 1966 when Endrich, now 65, was just 12, he helped his father build the barn that burned down Dec. 30, killing four oxen and a donkey.

Although the senior Endrich ran the farm on the side for 40 years, his biggest passion was fishing.

When he retired from the real estate and insurance business, he charter-fished the Scavenger, the boat I sword fished from, out of Ragged Rock marina for 15 years, Endrich said. Earl Sr. founded and owned the Earl Endrich Real Estate and Insurance Agency in Old Saybrook for 30 years.

His love of the water and the town drew him to public service. In the 1960s, when North Cove was first dredged, he was the state rep from Old Saybrook. He went to Washington to get funds to get the dredging done. We had our own little boat out there, The little Earl. He loved fishing, clamming, loved the boat and the water.

Earl senior served as a three-term state representative, a 31-year member of the Old Saybrook Fire Department instrumental in the acquisition of Firemans Field on Elm Street, as harbormaster, a member of the Waterfront and Shellfish Commissions, a justice of the peace, 1992 Republican Town chairman, and was past master of Siloam (now Anchor) Masonic Lodge.

He also loved the farm and the bulls and the oxen. It was hard, but he had a lot of help with that. People always wanted to go fishing, so if they wanted to go out fishing, they had to shovel some s---. He kept horses, sheep, donkeys, geese, peafowl and oxen that competed in fairs all over New England.

Years ago when he had his insurance and real estate business and owned the building that now is part of Saybrook Home, hed open up in the morning and go across the street to sit on a bar stool at the Monkey Farm. With the windows open, he could hear the phone ringing in his office, and could see if anyone came to the door. He also did a lot of business inside the Monkey Farm  if people needed auto insurance, he was the only guy in town, Endrich said.

In his later years he would visit the VFW, the American Legion and hang out with his old cronies, but really, he liked hanging out at the family farm with his wife of 26 years, Emily, who survives him, staying home, watching the pasture, seeing whats going on. You can see red-tailed hawks, deer, coyotes, theres always something going on up there, Endrich said.

He was a straight-shooter. Hed tell you exactly what was on his mind. If he thought you talked too much, hed tell you to just shut up. You always knew where you stood with him, Endrich said.

Endrich is a member of the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce and when the Chamber holds their events at Saybrook Home, he likes to stand in the spot right where his dads desk used to be. Now its the bar, he laughed. He lived life to the fullest, he will be missed.In the upcoming Feb. 26 special election, the people of East Haven get to choose a new state representative to send to the Connecticut General Assembly. In this regard, I am supporting Joe Zullo because he has the leadership skills, education, governmental experience and knowledge of the town to be a strong advocate for us all.

First, I would like to extend my best wishes to James Albis, who served our community with distinction for eight years. James was a strong voice and advocate for our town. With James vacating that seat, we must now elect a new representative to follow in the footsteps of Mike Lawlor and James Albis. In this venue, I am lending my support to Joe Zullo.NEW HAVEN  When Ryan William OReilly was born at 4:50 a.m. Oct. 19, his parents already knew their family faced a challenge. Ryan had a severely defective heart.

But in less than four months, Ryan, whose hearts left ventricle and aorta are too small to pump blood to the body, has survived more obstacles to survival than most people ever will.

Hes gone through more in one week than some people go through their whole lives, said Rosalie Ferrucci, Ryans mom. It was emotionally very, very hard having to watch it, she said.

When he was born, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, Ryan came out perfect, he really did, Ferrucci said  except for having hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital deformity of the left ventricle, which pumps blood to all parts of the body except the lungs. The right ventricle supplies blood to the lungs.

But for Ferrucci and Patrick OReilly, Ryans dad, the emotionally exhausting series of hurdles began at the 21st week of pregnancy.

We had already had a conversation from the first ultrasound, where some parents decide not to go through with the pregnancy, which is the worst thing you can hear when you go for an ultrasound, OReilly said. It was then that they found out about Ryans congenitally defective heart.

Ferrucci and OReilly had to make a decision quickly. Connecticut law limits abortion to the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. It was while Ferrucci was undergoing amniocentesis that they found out that Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital had recruited Dr. Tain-Yen T-Y Hsia, a pediatric heart surgeon from Londons Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, to join its Childrens Heart Center.

The London hospital is renowned. One of its first benefactors was Charles Dickens and J.M. Barrie donated the copyright to his childrens play and novel, Peter Pan, to the hospital. Hsia, who in July took on the position of chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital, performed the states first hybrid Norwood procedure on Ryan along with Dr. Peter Gruber, also a pediatric surgeon, who joined Yale New Haven in 2018 from the University of Iowa.

Along with Dr. Jeremy Asnes, cardiologist, and Dr. Heidi Boules, anesthesiologist, the surgeons played a huge role in ensuring Ryan will live a normal life. Having such a highly specialized team in New Haven  the family lives in the Morris Cove section  helped Ferrucci and OReilly make the decision to have Ryan undergo the complicated surgery.

His whole life with the exception of five or six days have been spent in the hospital, OReilly said.

Its in our backyard, Ferrucci said. We were definitely about having him. Everything was literally planned to a T. They had a special room. Its a huge room where theyre going to have the cardiology team waiting.

Knowing Ryan would need open-heart surgery shortly after birth was stressful, but having the Yale New Haven team helped. Having someone with that kind of expertise gave them relief, Ferrucci said. They werent sugarcoating things, but they were able to put things in perspective.

The parents also had support from Yale Maternal-Fetal Medicine, a department of the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine. When I was pregnant I was high-risk already because of my age, Ferrucci said. Both parents were 37 when Ryan was born.

It didnt make things easier when Ferrucci was rear-ended twice while driving on the highway  once at 38 weeks of pregnancy. Its just trying to stay positive because of these things, she said.

100 percent lethal

In a baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the left-sided structures of the heart dont develop normally, so theyre small, Asnes said. All of the blue [unoxygenated] blood still comes back from the veins to the right side. In addition, the aorta is very small, too small to allow all the blood that would leave the heart to get to the body, he said.

This is a lethal condition  untreated, 100 percent lethal, Hsia said. It requires three operational processes to get that person to final circulation and the final process is abnormal.

Over the course of those operations  the final surgery will be performed at 3 to 4 years old  the surgeons will redirect Ryans blood flow so that he will live to go to school, get married, have a job, Hsia said.

In the standard Norwood open-heart surgery, which Hsia said remains one of the most risky operations that we do in babies in open-heart surgery, the surgeon redirects blood from the left ventricle to the right, which normally pumps unoxygenated blood to the lungs. The right ventricle then also pumps the oxygenated blood that normally would go through the left ventricle to the body. The aorta is enlarged as well.

Boules, in charge of anesthesia, said, A baby with congenital heart disease can be higher risk than any of the other populations and with this particular disease its one of the highest-risk diseases well take care of.

Unfortunately, as Ryan was being put under anesthesia, he went into cardiac arrest. He was given CPR and we had to put him on this thing called ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation], which is basically an artificial heart-lung bypass machine, which would take over the work of the heart and lungs, Hsia said. That was the only way he could be kept alive at that time. And luckily Ryans heart recovered. He was on ECMO for more than two days; without it, he would have died.

When he was on the ECMO, while we were supporting him, the circulation was not in balance, so we had to restrict the blood flow to the lungs so we could pump more blood to the body, Hsia said. Bands were placed on the arteries to accomplish that.

After all this, hes got his circulation balanced, so his heart recovered, but sadly  he actually had a stroke, making him no longer a candidate for open-heart surgery, because to do open-heart surgery we have to thin a persons blood to such a level that it never clots [which] can make that stroke worse, Hsia said. That put the standard Norwood procedure off the table, he said.

So now we have a problem, a lethal condition. Weve got to get him to that third operation when hes 3 or 4 years of age, but the first operation is no longer available, so what do we do? Hsia said.

The answer is the hybrid Norwood, which requires very advanced interventional cardiology skills to work with the surgical team that has expertise in the hybrid procedure, he said.

The difference between the standard Norwood and the hybrid procedure, Hsia said, is that the hybrid uses stents to accomplish what would be performed during open-heart surgery.

For this particular case, the interventional parts were to place a stent in a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus, Asnes said. That is a vessel that connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta, normally a vessel that closes after birth. Its function is to allow blood to bypass the fetus lungs, which are not being used before birth.

A stent is also placed in the wall between the two atria, the hearts upper chambers. That part of the procedure is done directly through the heart wall, Asnes said. The surgeons role is to provide access for the interventional cardiologists, he said.

Ryan did recover from his stroke and the hybrid Norwood was successful in enabling his heart to pump blood to both his body and his lungs. However, there were more obstacles ahead. He developed a respiratory viral infection, which kept him in the hospital longer than expected. He also had a series of seizures  not waking up when he should, OReilly said.

His whole life, with the exception of five or six days have been spent in the hospital, his father said.

Ryan had surgery to insert a feeding tube on Jan. 3 and was discharged Jan. 10, but two days later there were signs of another possible seizure, so his parents brought him back to the Emergency Department. Luckily, that turned out not to be serious.

A second operation

So now at 6 months of age, with very close monitoring, frequent clinic visits  hell have a second operation, Hsia said. Now, his right ventricle is pumping blood to both his lungs and the rest of his body, when its supposed to pump only to the lungs.

The second operation, developed at Yale and called a Glenn procedure, separates the superior vena cava, the vein coming from the upper body, from the heart and connects it to the artery supplying blood to the lung, relieving the right ventricle of that burden.

The second operation typically is to take the job of delivering blood away from the single pump, making that pump happier, Hsia said. A happier heart will last longer.

However, the reconnected blood vessels deliver only half of the unoxygenated blood that is supposed to go to the lungs, so the baby will have only about 85 percent oxygen saturation rather than 100 percent, but its still acceptable, Hsia said.

He can live with that and do very well indeed until about 3 or 4 years of age when we do the last operation, called a Fontan procedure. Until then, low-oxygen blood was mixing with oxygenated blood in the right ventricle. The Fontan surgery connects the lower vena cava, which brings blue blood from the lower body, directly to the lungs using a Gortex tube, Hsia said.

Throughout the last year and looking into the future, Ferrucci said shes relied on another source of strength, her faith. Were very religious and we believe in asking God for help.  Throughout the pregnancy thats really helped me.

A friend gave Ferrucci a rosary bead she received from Pope John Paul II (now a Catholic saint). Also, we have a lot of family in other countries, Ferrucci said, including the Philippines, where children were dancing for Ryan and others lit a candle at the Cross of Magellan in the city of Cebu.

But Ferrucci and OReilly are thankful that the Yale and Childrens Hospital teams were there for them. Hsia said the Childrens Heart Center allows specialists to collaborate in high-risk procedures like the hybrid Norwood.

When you deal with something like this, heart care in babies, its so complicated, its so risky  that you need a place where everyone who looks after Ryan are specialists in what they do.  Having a Childrens Heart Center is so important because we all work in this collaborative unit horizontally. Everyone has a very special role to make sure Ryan has the best care possible.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382.Bill loved farming and he would often share with me the latest agriculture trends to include in my columns. He was also known throughout a four-country radius in Northern Indiana as an astute businessman and precision excavator with a proud passion for operating heavy equipment and machinery. With my sister at his side, Bill founded Widner and Sons Excavating in 1981 and worked alongside his beloved twin sons, who will proudly carry on his legacy and good name in the community.NEW HAVEN  City police say they are addressing the spike in shootings that closed out January and are confident arrests will be made.

Police have responded to eight shootings this month, five of which happened over four days the week of Jan. 20-26. The uptick in incidents is concerning, but largely related to personal conflicts, officials said.

Sometimes this happens, Assistant Chief Herb Johnson said at the weekly COMPSTAT meeting. Theres an uptick, a spark, a beef that happens, someone gets out of jail and sparks a beef and it takes us a little time to get it because we cant be on it all the time, although we strive for that.

Johnson said hes confident that police will make an arrest in connection with the shootings soon.

We dont panic, he said, acknowledging the many partners who help the department in these situations. This happens occasionally, and its how we respond and were doing a very good job with that.

Were getting information from our community partners about what the beef could be and running that so we can corroborate it and have some enforcement action, Johnson said.

Police have gotten information about group activity, but it hasnt been corroborated.

More than half of the shootings involved people 22 years old and younger. Violence among young people is usually associated with some type of disrespect, said Leonard Jahad, executive director of Connecticut Violence Intervention Program.

On Jan. 26, a 17-year-old New Haven resident was hit by two bullets on Congress Avenue near Hallock Street. His injuries were non-life-threateninginjuries. Jahad said the 17-year-old was targeted and they were working to get him out of the city before something happened. He was shot in the right leg and above the groin. He said he was standing in the area when he was shot and ran into the barber shop

Everything is personal, Jahad said. What we discovered is its not gang related, its personal beefs.

Two shootings that took place a few hours apart the week of Jan, 21 also are believed to be related to a personal conflict. On Jan. 23, a 20-year-old New Haven man was shot in the shoulder, suffering non-life-threatening injuries, at the Cornell Scott Ridge apartments on Eastern Street shortly before 10 p.m.

Hours later on Jan. 24, a 22-year-old man was shot while he was in the area of the Farnam Courts housing complex around 1:20 a.m. The man was wounded in the pelvis and was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Jahad said people working on the case believe the second shooting that night was in retaliation to the first one. His team responded to the hospital when each victim was taken to the emergency room to deescalate tensions of the family and people involved.

Jahads team focuses on working with the victim once the situation has been diffused because the victim is going through emotional trauma, wants to retaliate or wants to change their lives, he said.

Thats probably just as important, if not more important, preventative work than all the strategic law enforcement, Assistant Chief Ontoniel Reyes said at the recent meeting. Thats a really meaningful behind-the-scenes tool we have to prevent crime.

On Jan. 25, an 18-year-old Hamden resident was shot in his thigh while he was sitting in a parked car on Cave Street. Police said he was in his vehicle around noon when an unknown person entered the car, grabbed a bag and they struggled over it. The suspect shot the 18-year-old, got out of the car while the victim drove off.

Jahad said this was also related to a personal conflict and the most important tool to address such a situation is building relationships. After the 18-year-old was shot, Jahad spoke with him and about the incident and his motivation to change, he said.

All the kids wont accept the help, but they will accept the relationship, Jahad said. When I see them out here, I give them a handshake and my card and they accept it. They just want to know someone cares....I tell kids When you want me to stop caring about you, let me know and Ive never had a kid say stop caring about me.

In addition to working with youth, Jahad said he works with influential figures in the communities to manage the violence, but the biggest tool is time, asking someone to walk away for a moment or a day, before they go forward with violence.

Where (the conflicts) occur is predictable, Jahad said. Its the whens that are unpredictable.

Jahad said they know who the youth are and why the violence occurs, but the shootings impact the community so they give it a lot of attention.

I dont want to make it look like an epidemic, he said. Its concerning but its something we have a handle on. In partnering with the police, quick arrests seem to help. Since they started treating violence like a health epidemic, the outcomes have been different, he said.

Mayor Toni N. Harp said people ages 18-35 are the population that the city needs to hone in on.

One of our most effective programs is YouthStat, but its connected to in-school youth, so what weve got to figure out is how to reach out and wrap services around people who have dropped out and are living a life on the street, Harp said.

YouthStat, a city program, works to create networks of people and agencies to help to funnel young people into positive activities and outcomes.

One program that targets young people after high school is the Gateway to College program, a partnership between the city school district and Gateway Community College, which allows students who didnt complete enough high school credits to graduate and gives them a chance to earn college credits too.

It took the place of one of our alternative schools and hoping to increase the number of people in the program, Harp said. Being there, it reorients their focus so I hope that can reach this population. Weve seen it so far being very effective.

Some recent incidents seem to be unrelated to personal conflicts, police said. Also on Jan. 25, a pizza delivery driver was shot in the neck and seriously wounded on Ferry Street near Clay Street around 11:15 p.m. Police said he was attacked through the driver side window by two people, who struggled with the driver then shot him and fled on foot.

On Jan. 15, a 38-year-old West Haven man was shot in the upper leg in the area of Sherman Parkway between West Division and Munson streets around 11 a.m. Police determined this to be self inflicted.

Marcus Rivera, 22, of Quinnipiac Avenue, was arrested Jan. 8 after police said he exchanged gunfire with officers who were trying to take him into custody.

The citys first homicide occurred on Jan. 10 when a 46-year-old New Haven man was found dead from a gunshot wound on Diamond Street near Roger White Drive around 5:40 a.m. The man was identified as David London, who police said was shot in the head.

mdignan@hearstmediact.comOneSpace is currently working toward a launch of its OS-M rocket as early as late March, 2019. They have recently performed engine and fairing separation tests.

One Space is developing smart small launch vehicles for cost-effective launch services for commercial microsatellites around the world.

Chinese space companies drew $69 million of investment in the third quarter of 2018. In 2018, Chinese space companies had $217 million of funding and there was $230 million invested in 2017.

Of the $16.1 billion invested in private space companies and partnerships since 2009, China now represents 3 percent, with about half a billion dollars. However, nearly all of Chinas investment has come since 2016.

OneSpace has received 800 million RMB in funding (about 120 million dollars).

Other Chinese private launch companies are LandSpace, LinkSpace, ExPace and iSpace. Space News reports that there are at least ten chinese private launch companies.

The U.S. has four functioning small rocket private launch small companies and they are Rocket Lab, Vector, Virgin Orbit and Astra Space.

OneSpace wants to eventually be able to launch its OS-M rocket with only 48 hours of preparation time.

OneSpace became the first successful sub-orbital launch of a privately-developed Chinese rocket. First flight (suborbital) was on 17 May 2018, reaching an altitude of 40 km (25 mi).

The 9-meter tall, 0.85-meter-diameter OS-X1 solid rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:10 a.m. Eastern Sept. 7 (04:10 UTC), reaching an altitude of around 35 kilometers and traveling 169 kilometers during its 200-second flight.

The OS-M is a light-launch space-launch launch vehicle for payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) and Sun synchronous orbit (SSO). It is projected to be capable of lofting 205 kg (452 lb) to 300 km (190 mi) high LEO; and 73 kg (161 lb) to 800 km (500 mi) high SSO. The first launch is scheduled for Q1 2019.

As of December 2019, the tests completed for OS-M were

2018/July/4: First-stage main rocket motor test

2018/August/24: Three-stage solid-state propellant and the second and third stage separation system test

2018/October/23: Fourth-stage engine and the third and fourth stage separation system test

2018/November/26 through Nov/30: Attitude control system mechanical environment test.

2018 December: Completed the OS-M attitude control system hot fire test

iSpace is another private chinese company. They launched a suborbital rocket in April but quickly followed it up with a milestone launch on Sept. 5, putting three small satellites into orbit.

iSpace plans to launch three launch vehicles in 2019. The first launch of Hyperbola-1 orbital series is scheduled for the first half of 2019.

The Hyperbola-1 has three solid stages and fourth liquid stage. It has 1.4-meter diameter can deliver 150 kilograms of payload to a 700-kilometer-altitude SSO.

LandSpace rockets are the most advanced among Chinas private companies. They are developing a liquid engine, the type of next-generation engine being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Landspace has had two failed launches. The third stage failed on their last launch attempt in October, 2018.Corey and Charlotte have been very understanding and supportive, said Bagby. Corey allowed me to take time off to go on a road trip. And that was nice. I have pictures on my phone. We stopped at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. The KOA in Ashville was on a little small creek. Diesel  as sick as he was  all he wanted to do was to walk down the creek bank and watch the ducks on the water. I have pictures of myself sitting by him and petting him.Let's not overstate it. Iowa's agricultural heartland is still largely Trump country. But there are signs, nascent and just starting to bubble, that support is being tested.

That was the message at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona this week. The state is the largest U.S. producer of corn-based ethanol. Donald Trump has time and again pledged to back the biofuel industry, even promising a plan that would mean higher sales this summer. But his trade war with China has meant American producers face tariffs, while ripples from the record-long government shutdown threaten to delay the policy change that could lift demand.

"Farmers are optimistic," and feel good that Trump will follow through on his biofuel assurances, Jeff Altena, a farmer and a director of operations at Siouxland Energy Cooperative in Sioux Center, Iowa, said in an interview Tuesday at the summit. Still, the agriculture community has given the president "a long rope," but "there's a lot of folks" starting to get antsy for more progress, he said.

America's farmers - part of the base that helped drive Trump's election victory -- have been the unintended victims of many of the administration's policies. The trade war sparked declines for crop prices as China snubbed American supplies. The president rolled out aid payments to help soften that blow. But then, the shutdown prevented some growers from filing paperwork for those payments. It also meant delays for some farm loans.

Ethanol could end up being the ultimate test of patience.

In 2018, Trump said he'd change policy to allow for summertime sales of gasoline blended with as much as 15 percent ethanol, something the industry for years had asked for in order to boost demand. The Environmental Protection Agency originally planned to issue a proposal on the rule in February in order to get it finalized before fueling restrictions kick in on June 1. EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said this month the shutdown could mean delays to the process, while saying he still expected the rule change in time for the summer driving season.

At this week's summit, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association put up a poster-sized letter to Wheeler from the group, asking him to "take immediate action" to make sure the rule change is in place by June 1 to allow for the sales of higher ethanol blends, known as E15.

Trump spoke at the annual biofuel conference back in 2016, when he said that he was with the industry "100 percent." Farmer Altena said he was there to watch then-candidate Trump lay out his promises, and that so far, "by golly, he's backing it up."

Still, if some of the industry's concerns, including the trade war and E15 sales, aren't sorted out this year, then "Trump will find a very different reaction here" than he's been used to, said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. "I don't think anybody in the White House should look at Iowa and say, 'Hey, that's automatically going to be renewable-fuels-for-Trump country." 'New Delhi:

A man was jailed for six years after the Birmingham Crown Court found him guilty of Necrophilia. The convict identified as Kasim Khurram was sentenced to the jail term on Friday. The 23-year-old had admitted the offence, the Birmingham Police said in a statement. The resident of Kenilworth Road area was arrested last year in December after he broke into the Co-op funeral parlour in Great Barr disturbing some of the corpses, searching the property and stealing jewellery on November 11. DCI John Askew from force CID, said: This is an horrendous and disturbing act. Our thoughts remain with all those who have been affected by this crime.

A #Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to sexual penetration of a corpse following a break in at a funeral parlour.

Kasim Khuram, aged 23, from Kenilworth Road, admitted the offence after he broke into the Co-op funeral parlour on 11 Nov.

Read more - https://t.co/5ENHryFLzG pic.twitter.com/waUkQus4vw  Birmingham Police (@brumpolice) December 19, 2018

The convict had pleaded guilty during previous hearing. "You set about disturbing all nine of these bodies -- exactly what you did, and why, only you know," judge Melbourne Inman was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

"I am not aware of - and nor have I been able to find - any similar case. It would be difficult to think of a greater depravation of the dignity of the dead," judge Inman was quoted as saying by BBC. Defence lawyer Joseph Keating said Khuram was "deeply sorry" for what he had done and that his actions were "out of character".

During investigation, the police had found that Khurram was showing signs of "drug-induced psychosis". According to a BBC report, Khurram was seen crying during the sentencing. The convict was termed as monster by the victims families.

Following sentencing the judge told Khurram he will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.When Duneland Schools close for the Presidents Day Holiday, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indianas Duneland Club will provide their Kidstop program for parents who still need a safe place for their children to attend while at work. Kidstop will be offered from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15 and 18 at 521 W. 1100 N, Chesterton. The cost is $22 per day for the first child, $18 for a second. Children will receive breakfast and lunch plus two snacks daily. An active membership of $35 is required. Fee assistance is available for those who qualify. Register at the Club between 10:30 a.m. and 7 pm, or at 219-926-9770. More information is at bgcgreaternwi.org.New Delhi:

Hours after India on Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy in New Delhi over the arrest of 129 students in the alleged pay-and-stay university visa scam, the spokesperson from the United States Embassy acknowledged the same. Being asked about the demarche, the US Embassy spokesperson said, "We can confirm that the Embassy received a Demarche from the Ministry of External Affairs about the Indian citizens detained in the United States this week".

"Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated," the spokesperson added.

The demarche issued by the MEA expressed its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, seeking immediate consular access to them. The ministry also underlined that the students, who have been duped into enrolling in the 'fraudulent university', should be treated differently from those who have cheated them.

It also urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the detained students with the Indian government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will.

Furthermore, the External Affairs Ministry established a 24/7 helpline desk in the Indian Embassy in Washington for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students. The helpline numbers and e-mail address are as follows: Phone Number: +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590; Email ID: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

The government also vowed to closely monitor the case keeping in mind the welfare of the detained students in the United States. The ministry also added that it will continue to work with the American authorities and other stakeholders to address the situation arising out of the detention.

However, in an exclusive chat with News Nation, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the detention of 129 Indian students has nothing to do with President Donald Trump's anti-immigration drive and the charges against them would have been pursued even under a different administration.

"Even if the Department were under a different administration, we would still continue to pursue charges upon these individuals," special DHS agent Spencer Camp was quoted as saying by News Nation.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Washington:

US President Donald Trump has said that there is a "good chance" that he will declare a national emergency to build his proposed wall along the US Mexico border to prevent flow of illegal immigrants into the country. The President said he would use his State of the Union address next week to once again make a case for the barrier. "I think there is a good chance we will have to do that," Trump told White House reporters when asked if he will declare emergency to build the contentious border wall.

"We are building the wall...We are doing things right now," he added. Asserting that he has "a very strong legal standing" on the issue of declaring emergency, Trump said, "We haven't declared the national emergency yet, but we are building the wall...You will hear the State of the Union and let's see what happens."

US President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech will urge optimism, pulling back from Washington's current climate of strife, a top official has insisted. Previewing next Tuesday's speech before Congress, a senior administration official said Trump will "cast an inspiring vision of American greatness."

The President - in open warfare with opposition Democrats, as well as railing almost daily against prosecutors looking at allegations that he colluded with Russia in his 2016 election - will take the high ground, the official said.

"Optimistic and unifying, but I think it can also be considered visionary," the official said of the speech on Friday.

However, the speech is bound to be one of the most politically fraught in years, coming against the backdrop of a bitter row with opposition Democrats who refuse to fund Trump's plan for more walling along the US-Mexican border.

The dispute even led to Congress delaying the date of the speech.

And Trump himself hinted Friday that he will use the delayed event to declare a national emergency, allowing himself to unilaterally appropriate wall building funds, bypassing Congress altogether.

The senior administration official refused to confirm any specific details of the speech and emphasized that the president's main goal was to present a more healing tone.

According to an excerpt given to journalists, Trump will say: "Together, we can break decades of political stalemate, we can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America's future."

The administration official, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said that Trump would focus on five areas: - The contentious debate on illegal immigration over the Mexican border.

An "update" on trade negotiations with China and other countries where Trump says he is strengthening markets for US workers.

Asking Congress to approve "substantial investments" on US infrastructure projects. Lowering sky-high prescription medicine costs. Foreign policy and efforts in countries like Syria and Afghanistan to "bring an end to our endless foreign wars." The official refused to give concrete details of policy announcements. However, he did say that Venezuela, where Washington is supporting the opposition's bid to push out leftist President Nicolas Maduro, would feature.

Trump's threat comes well before the expiration of a February 15 deadline that he set for Congress to agree on funding for wall construction. But on Thursday he described negotiations with opposition Democrats "a waste of time."

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi :

As many as 129 Indian students have been arrested in the alleged pay-and-stay university visa scam in the US. The American authorities said that the students were arrested for enrolling at a fake university allegedly to stay longer in the US. According to the federal prosecutors who announced the charges against the Indian students, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had launched an undercover operation of which the university in Detroits Farmington Hills was also a part.

The Homeland Security Investigations (DHS) had opened the fake university to trap people who were involved in the illegal student visa scam. The university has now been closed. This was the first time that the Indian students were arrested on such a large scale. The arrests also created panic among the other Indian students.

Officials aware of the case said that the arrested students face deportation, besides being put under detention. They said that at the time of admission, all the arrested students knew that the university programme was illegal.

Meanwhile, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said that it was aware of the incident and was doing all the possible efforts to help the stranded Indian students.

"We are aware about this incident. We are ascertaining more details (through) our embassy in Washington and different consulates in the US...We have also mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi.

The External Ministry has also opened a special 24/7 helpline service for queries and assistance related to the arrest of the Indian students in the US. Family members of the detained students can call on the telephone numbers (given below) to seek information about them.

For queries and assistance related to the detention of Indian students in the US, please contact our special 24/7 helpline. pic.twitter.com/iorYgZ5cxX  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 2, 2019

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Lets just say this Canadian woman literally received the shock of her life after she received a stun gun, by the way, which she never ordered. The woman now identified as Jacynthe Cardin had ordered cat food for her pet cat, when for some unknown reason, the giant E-commerce company, Amazon sent her an illegal stun gun and pepper spray instead. On discovering the illegal items, which are prohibited in Canada, Cardin reported that she returned the items to the Montreal police.

Regarding the plunder that caused a furore, Amazon have said that the "unfortunate incident" was the result of a bar-code scanning error and will try to fix it as soon as possible.

BBC also reports that they will be sending the cat food for Cardins pet cat, George Michael.

Also Read | Japanese man dates cockroach for a year, claims it is his first love

"This was an unfortunate incident and we are taking this matter very seriously to ensure it doesn't happen again," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Ms Cardin said she did not know what to do when the package arrived. It was sitting on her doorstep and anyone could have taken it.

"I just took another look at the box to be sure it's my package, but it's my name on it and my address," she told CTV News.

Both pepper spray and stun guns are considered prohibited weapons in Canada, which means it is illegal to carry them.

Amazon stated a warehouse employee in the US could have put an incorrect label on the box and added: "We will continue to work directly with the customer to resolve this incident Amazon added.

For all the Latest Offbeat News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Washington:

The overabundance of fast fashion -- readily available, inexpensively made clothing -- has created an environmental and social justice crisis, a study claims. Globally, 80 billion pieces of new clothing are purchased each year, translating to USD 1.2 trillion annually for the fashion industry, according to the study published in the journal Environmental Health. The majority of these products are assembled in China and Bangladesh, while the US consumes more clothing and textiles than any other country in the world, the researchers said.

"From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker's low wages and poor working conditions, the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread," said Christine Ekenga, an assistant professor at the Washington University in the US. "This is a massive problem. The disproportionate environmental and social impacts of fast fashion warrant its classification as an issue of global environmental injustice," Ekenga said.

The study shows that negative consequences at each step of the fast-fashion supply chain have created a global environmental justice dilemma, researchers said.

"While fast fashion offers consumers an opportunity to buy more clothes for less, those who work in or live near textile manufacturing facilities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental health hazards," they said. Increased consumption patterns have created millions of tonnes of textile waste in landfills and unregulated settings.

This is particularly applicable to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as much of this waste ends up in second-hand clothing markets, according to the study. "These LMICs often lack the supports and resources necessary to develop and enforce environmental and occupational safeguards to protect human health," Ekenga said.

The aim of the research is to highlight the environmental and occupational hazards during textile production, particularly for those in LMICs, and the issue of textile waste. The researchers said a number of potential solutions, including sustainable fibres, corporate sustainability, trade policy and the role of the consumer should be embraced.New Delhi:

The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) has called for a state-wide bandh in Bihar on February 4 to protest against the lathicharge on party chief Upendra Kumshwaha during Jan Akrosh Rally in Patna on Saturday. Addressing the media at the party headquarters, RLSP working president Nagmani said the party called for 'Bihar Bandh' on February 4 to protest against the 'dictatorial' attitude of Nitish Kumar government that reflected through the police baton charge on Kushwaha, leaving him critically injured.

Apart from the RLSP, other allies of the Bihar grand alliance - RJD, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party - have also extended their support to the proposed strike across Bihar on February 4.

Early in the day, Kushwaha and several other party leaders were injured in a clash with the police after being prevented from marching towards the Raj Bhavan to demand educational reforms in the state.

Named 'Aakrosh' march, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) rally was organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late Jagdeo Prasad, the tallest leader of Bihar from the Kushwaha community, considered the party's primary support base.

Armed with lathis (sticks) and raising slogans denouncing the state government for failing to do the needful on the party's charter of demands on educational reforms, the RLSP leaders came to blows with policemen at the Dak Bungalow crossing, about two kilometres from the Governor's residence.

Apart from Kushwaha, more than 100 party workers sustained injuries and were rushed to various nearby hospitals. Being asked about Kushwaha's condition, hospital sources said the RLSP leader was all right though he had been administered first aid and advised rest for at least a couple of days.

In December, Kushwaha quit as a Union minister and pulled out his support from the BJP-led alliance, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing the cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Days after, the former Union minister joined the Congress-RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar and also warned other smaller NDA allies to leave the Cabinet ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee, has raised objection to the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to sources. Former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Shukla was on Saturday appointed the chief of the CBI for a fixed tenure of two years. Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, is at present chairman of Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal.

Kharge sent a dissent note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the criterion in selecting the CBI director was diluted to include investigation experience only and not experience in investigating anti-corruption cases. In the two-page note, he said the three-member committee, chaired by the prime minister and in which he is a member along with Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has violated the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE) that governs the CBI and the Supreme Court judgements.

"By including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, committee is in violation of DSPE Act and Supreme Court judgements guiding CBI Director's appointment," Kharge said.

"Seniority cannot be only criterion in appointment to such a critical post and experience in anti-corruption cases and prior experience of having served in the organisation should also be considered," said the Congress leader in his dissent note.

Kharge had raised objections on the names of probable contenders proposed by the government a selection committee meeting on Friday. During the second meeting of the committee on Friday, the government is understood to have put forth a few names of officers who could be considered for appointment as the CBI director, they said.

However, these names were objected to by Kharge. Senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra and SS Deswal, were said to be among the top contenders for the coveted post.

Shukla has been appointed in place of Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post of CBI Director on January 10. Shukla was recently transferred from the post of Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police to the police housing corporation.

The appointment comes following two meeting of the selection committee held on January 24 and February 1. Shukla's name was short-listed during the second meeting of the selection committee held on Friday.

The development assumes significance as on Friday, the Supreme Court had said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

Hitting Kharge back, Union Minister Jitendra Singh claimed that the Congress leader tried to "manipulate" the criteria for selection of CBI chief with the ulterior motive of accommodating some of his preferred officers. He also hit out at Kharge for "giving his own version" of the panel's deliberations to the media.

"Kharge tried to manipulate the objective criteria, based on independent and impartial assessment, to select CBI Director...He wanted to include some officers of his preference in the short-list of candidates," Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, told news agency PTI.

The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster. Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Rishi Kumar Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, was on Saturday appointed the chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Shukla is the second officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, after the agency's founder-director DP Kohli, to be appointed to the coveted post, officials said Saturday. Shukla was appointed the CBI Director for a fixed tenure of two years.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Kumar Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer and former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

Here's all you need to know about Rishi Kumar Shukla:

1. Rishi Kumar Shukla was Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh for nearly two-and-a-half years. He is known for ensuring quick investigations into cases of rape in the state during his tenure as the police chief, leading to a substantial decrease in such a heinous crime.

2. A post-graduate in Philosophy and a native of Gwalior, Shukla ensured that charge sheets in criminal cases were filed at the earliest to ensure a timely start of a trial so that delay in delivery of justice could be minimised.

3. Although he has not served in the CBI, he was in the Intelligence Bureau where he handled several sensitive matters, officials said.

4. After passing out from the National Police Academy, Shukla served in Raipur, Damoh, Shivpuri and Mandsaur districts in different capacities, before taking over as DGP.

5. He was recently transferred from the post of DGP to the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal as chairman.

6. He underwent training in the USA for crisis management and hostage negotiations, besides another stint of training in London.

7. Shukla takes charge of the country's premier investigation agency at a time it has been grappled with controversies.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Pune Police has arrested renowned scholar Anand Teltumbde for alleged Elgar Parishad-Maoist links. According to early reports, Teltumbde was arrested from Mumbai airport around 3:30 am on Saturday. The arrest comes a day after the Pune Session Court rejected Teltumbdes bail plea in the case. There are reports that Teltumbde was granted four weeks protection from arrest by the Supreme Court. The top court had given him the period to secure bail from lower court.

The Indian Institute Management alumnus is one of the accused in the in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. On Friday, Additional sessions judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material against Teltumbde.

"In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence," the judge observed.

The investigation was at a crucial stage and custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary, the court held.

The prosecution Thursday had submitted an envelope containing "evidence", claiming that it proves Teltumbde's involvement in Maoist activities.

Teltumbde filed the anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail application before the Pune court after the Supreme Court rejected his plea seeking to quash the FIR against him in the Elgar Parishad case.

Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar had argued that some of the correspondence seized by police revealed that the leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) comrade Prakash, Milind (Teltumbde), Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen and Anand Teltumbde were in contact with each other.

"It establishes a larger conspiracy," she had said. Gadling, Wilson and Sen are already arrested.

Defence lawyer Rohan Nahar contended that there was no evidence to show that "comrade Anand" in the alleged correspondence, to which the prosecution had referred, was Teltumbde. But the judge, in the order, said the documents submitted by the prosecution in the envelop "prima facie" reveal that it has some material to show that they were one and the same person.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi :

The arrest of 129 Indian students in connection with the alleged pay-and-stay university visa scam in the US has nothing to do with President Donald Trumps anti-immigration drive and the charges against them would have been pursued even under a different administration, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told News Nation in an exclusive chat. Speaking to News Nation, special DHS agent Spencer Camp said, "Even if the Department were under a different administration, we would still continue to pursue charges upon these individuals." The agent was asked if the action were, in any way, part of Trumps anti-immigration drive.

The Trump administration has been considering changes in the H1B visa regulations that directly affect Indians. Recently, the US government had announced that new regulations for the H-1B visa that will give greater preference to workers with advanced degrees from US institutions.

Although agent camp refused to divulge more details about the case citing open investigation, he did confirm that the arrested students will be deported back to India if proven guilty and will be prosecuted in as per the Indian law.

Department has no comment on the incident at this time, due to an open investigation. I believe, they would be deported and prosecuted in their home countries, Camp told News Nation.

As many as 129 Indian students were arrested by the Homeland Security Department for allegedly enrolling at a fake university to remain in the US. The Department of Homeland Security had opened a fake university in Detroits Farmington Hills to trap people involved in the illegal student visa scam.

The 129 students and one other foreign national were arrested on civil immigration charges and were lodged in Prairieland Detention Centre. Some of them were also put under 'house arrest' with tracking devices on their ankle. Reacting to the arrests, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said that it was aware of the incident and was doing all the possible efforts to help the students in distress and opened a 24/7 hotline for queries and assistance.

We are aware about this incident. We are ascertaining more details (through) our embassy in Washington and different consulates in the US...We have also mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi.

For queries and assistance related to the detention of Indian students in the US, please contact our special 24/7 helpline. pic.twitter.com/iorYgZ5cxX  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 2, 2019

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Some families, though, worried that the calls from the volunteers may be scams, as they talked about money and buying plane and bus tickets. It was sad to see these families had been so traumatized that they had to be cautious when people tried to help, Zegarra said.New Delhi:

Yusuf, the close aide of former RJD lawmaker Shahabuddin, was shot dead by some unidentified men in Bihars Siwan. According to early reports, Yusuf was murdered on Friday night. Though some reports called him nephew of Shahabuddin, News Nation has learnt that he was friend of ex-RJD leaders son. The police has reached the spot and investigation the matter. Tension prevail in this area of north Bihar. Shahabuddin is also an accused in journalist Rajdeo Ranjan murder case. Besides RJD strongman, charges were also framed against Azahruddin Beig alias Laddan Mian, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Rishu Kumar Jaiswal, Rajesh Kumar, Rohit Kumar Sony, Sonu Kumar Gupta, and Sonu Kumar Sony last month. The court will hear the matter on February 12. However, there are no reports that Yusufs murder is connected to this case.

The murder took place in Siwan, Shahabuddins home turf. He has been elected from the place for four times. In journalist Rajdeo Ranjan murder case, Shahabuddin has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 302 (punishment for murder) as well as section 34 of the Arms Act. Shahabuddin is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Ranjan, a journalist of a prominent Hindi daily in the district.

The former RJD MP is facing trial in more than 45 criminal cases. He was moved to Tihar Jail in the national capital in February 2017 on a Supreme Court order following a plea by Siwan resident Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were allegedly killed on behest of Shahabuddin.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Pune:

Hours after Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde was arrested by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad case for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist, the Pune Sessions Court has ordered his release.

Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, was detained at Mumbai airport on Saturday, a day after a special court in Pune rejected his request for protection from arrest.

On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material "to show the involvement of the present accused (Teltumbde) in the alleged commission of the offence".

Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar had argued that some of the correspondence seized by police revealed that the leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) comrade Prakash, Milind (Teltumbde), Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen and Anand Teltumbde were in contact with each other.

"It establishes a larger conspiracy," she had said. Gadling, Wilson and Sen are already arrested.

Defence lawyer Rohan Nahar contended that there was no evidence to show that "comrade Anand" in the alleged correspondence, to which the prosecution had referred, was Teltumbde. But the judge, in the order, said the documents submitted by the prosecution in the envelop "prima facie" reveal that it has some material to show that they were one and the same person.

According to police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Varun Dhawan, who was in Amritsar for the shoot of Remo DSouzas dance film is reported to have badly injured his knee during a strenuous dance practice and has been suggested to take time off from the shoot. The incident is reported to have taken place last week when the actor along with an entire team of 3 including Punjabi actress Sonam Bajwa was in Amritsar to shoot the first schedule of the film.

While the actor has been advised rest for a week, his next schedule which will be shot in London along with lead actress, Shraddha Kapoor kick-start this February 8. The Badlapur actor despite his knee injury took to social media to ensure his fans that he isnt the one to give up easily as he posted with his choreographer yesterday, we wish him a god-speed recovery!

Read | Ek Ladki Box Office: Sonam-starrer opens on promising start with THIS collection

A source of Mumbai Mirror reports, The team was shooting a celebratory song with Sonam Bajwa in Amritsar. On the final day which began at 7 am and ended at 2 am, Varun was required to shoot three dance pieces with three different dance crews  V unbeatable, Urban crew and N house crew. After performing one particular step, a knee drop, around 15 times, he ended up with a busted knee and severe leg cramps. Now, that hes back in Mumbai, hes tending to the injury with his physio.

The title of the film which, has not been determined will also be Remo DSouza directorial and going by reports it will be the third part of the ABCD series. Varun will be helmed by Shraddha Kapoor and Dilbar star, Nora Fatehi in the pivotal roles.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Kolkata:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her turf saying 'Inka jaana tae hai'. "I used to think that Didi who has herself suffered a lot during Left regime will not walk on the same path, but I was surprised that she adopted the same tactics. You can take this from me in writing 'Inka jaana tae hai'," he said apparently referring to clashes between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers ahead of his rally.

PM Narendra Modi in Durgapur, West Bengal: I used to think that Didi who has herself suffered a lot during Left regime will not walk on the same path, but I was surprised that she adopted the same tactics. You can take this from me in writing 'Inka jaana tae hai' pic.twitter.com/CHZXQu7B6z  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

He also accused the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state.

"The TMC is killing people's aspirations but the Centre will fulfil their (people's) dreams," PM Modi said.

The prime minister also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution.

Calling yesterday's Budget a "historic step" for the welfare of farmers, the working and middle class, he said these sections were neglected for years after Independence.

"We have announced measures in our budget that will benefit 12 crore small farmers, 30-40 crore workmen, and three crore middle-class people," he said.

PM Modi also apologised for the stampede-like situation at Thakurnagar rally in North 24 Parganas. Several women and children were injured. The incident happened when hundreds of supporters who were standing outside the venue tried to barge into the inner ring of the rally ground.

There was a lot of enthusiasm during my rally in Thakurnagar, and I think the ground was filled twice its capacity. I would like to apologise for the discomfort the people went through; Visuals of those injured during the rally, PM Modi said at Durgapur rally.

PM Modi in Durgapur,West Bengal: There was a lot of enthusiasm during my rally in Thakurnagar, and I think the ground was filled twice its capacity,I would like to apologise for the discomfort the people went through; Visuals of those injured during the rally (Pic 2&3) pic.twitter.com/SlhflpfeDj  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

Earlier, PM Modi was seen trying to pacify the crowd by asking them to stay put in their places and stop from making efforts to come on the front side of the inner ring at Thakurnagar rally. However, his pleas went unheard as supporters started throwing chairs inside the no-man zone in front of the stage to make space for others to stand in the inner ring, which was earmarked for women supporters.

Following the commotion, the prime minister abruptly cut short his speech, saying he has another rally to attend and decided to leave the location. Several women and children had fainted during the stampede-like situation and were also rushed to the hospital for primary treatment, a police official said.

The incident brought back memories of PM Modi's July 16 rally last year at West Midnapore district when a make-shift stage collapsed leading to injuries to several persons.Kolkata:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Congress party for cheating farmers in the name of farm loan waivers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. PM Modi said the politics of waiver of farmer loans is actually an effort to throw dust in their eye. Those who took loan were promised waivers of Rs 2.5 lakh but only Rs 13 were waived off. This is the story of Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the government has given up. (Jisne karz liya uski 2.5 lakh ki maafi ka vaada kiya tha aur maafi huyi kewal Rs 13 ki. Ye kahani Madhya Pradesh ki hai, vahin Rajasthan mein sarkar ne toh haath hi khade kar diye), said PM Modi while addressing a rally in Thakurnagar.

He also targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for sharing a dais with Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. In Karnataka, farmers who could not repay loans had police let loose on him. And the chief minister of this state is supporting the Karnataka CM, PM Modi said.

PM Modi, who had to cut short his speech at West Bengal's Thakurnagar rally amid stampede-like situation, said his government took a historic step for the welfare of the farmers and working class.

He said that scheme will directly transfer Rs 6000 per year to accounts of farmers having five acres of land. "More than 12 crore families of small farmers, 30-40 crore workers and 3 crore middle-class families will directly benefit from the schemes announced in the budget yesterday," said PM Modi.

"This is just the beginning, the main budget after the Lok Sabha election will have much more for the youth, farmers, and other sections of the society," the prime minister reiterated.

Before concluding his speech, the prime minister asked Trinamool to support its government in the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Earlier, clashes broke out between BJP and TMC activists in Durgapur town in West Burdwan district over the alleged removal of PM Modi's posters near the venue of his proposed rally on Saturday.

Activists of the BJP were injured in the incident that took place on Friday night, the party's state general secretary Sayantan Basu said.

Check all the live updates of PM Modi's rally here:

12:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Farmers across the country with up to 5 acres of land will be provided Rs 6,000 assistance directly into their account. It will be provided in three equal installments: PM Modi

12:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In After seeing this crowd, I can understand why Didi (Mamata Banerjee) resorted to violence.



PM Narendra Modi in Thakurnagar: Ye drishya(crowd) dekhne ke baad ab mujhe samajh mein aa raha hai ki didi hinsa pe kyun utar aayi hain #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/82n9xDiUcH

 ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019



12:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi targets Congress over farm loan waiver in Thakurnagar

12:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We will give a direct benefit of up to Rs 6 thousand to poor farmers, says PM Modi in Thakurnagar.

12:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In As I said this Budget is just a beginning. After elections, we will do more for farmers.

12:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The decision will directly benefit help over 3 crore farmers and 30 crore middle-class family members.

12:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We took a historical decision in yesterdays Budget, says PM Modi.

12:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi began addressing a public meeting in Bengals Thakurnagar.New Delhi:

The Seva Dal, grassroots front organisation of the Congress, will hold a two-day national meet on February 13 and 14 in Rajasthans Ajmer and it will be attended by party president Rahul Gandhi. The party will hold the convention after 35 years  former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was the last Congress president to hold the meeting. Lalji Desai, who was appointed as chief organiser of the All India Congress Seva Dal, said members of the Seva Dal from across the country will participate in the meeting.

He said the two-day meet will be held in Rajasthan and thereafter, the young brigade of the front will take out a bike rally across the country in February and March.

Sources told News Nation that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot will attend the convention on the first day, while Rahul Gandhi will join them next day.

To counter the rising assertiveness of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in national politics and connect with the masses, the Congress has revamped one of its oldest and key frontal organisation.New Delhi:

In yet another incident of wildlife trafficking case, a month-old leopard cub has been seized from the baggage of a passenger at Chennai International Airport on Saturday. A video showing the cub wrapped in a blanket and being fed using a bottle has gone viral on social networking sites.

As per the Air Intelligence Unit, the passenger was trying to smuggle the leopard cub from Bangkok, but could not make it past security and was arrested. Post that, the passenger has been handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Department and will undergo legal action.

The retrieved cub was later sent for rehabilitation in the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, about 15 kilometres from Chennai airport. Before being moved by the wildlife officials, the leopard cub, hungry, was fed milk by the airport staff.

Watch Video Here:

#WATCH Air Intelligence Unit at Chennai International airport has seized a one-month-old leopard cub from the baggage of a passenger. The cub will be rehabilitated in the Aringar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai; Passenger handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Dept for further action. pic.twitter.com/WgYIBabZ4D  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

The incidents of leopard trafficking have witnessed a sudden surge in the last few days. On January 17, the joint team of Special Operations Group (SOG) and Bageshwar police arrested two people for smuggling skins of two leopards worth Rs 20 lakh in the international market.

On the very next day, leopards were making headlines after poachers shot one big cat in the forest area of Jharet Dhaneta in Palampur, Delhi.

As per the latest data, released by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a wildlife conservation organisation, over 20,000 wildlife crime cases have been recorded in India in the last few years. The most threatened wildlife species in India include tigers, elephants, leopards and rhinos among 400 others.

For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

In a bizarre incident, a tantrik from Bihars Begusarai has written to local authorities seeking permission for human sacrifice for his occult ritual. According to a Press Trust of India report, the man identified Surendra Prasad Singh aka Pagla Baba sent an application to Sub Divisional Officer (Sadar), Begusarai on January 29 last month. The tantrik claims that Goddess Kamakhya ordered him to sacrifice his son!

According to Singh, his son, who is an engineer by profession, never gives money to his temple. He is like Ravana, Singh wrote in a letter that has gone viral now. Meanwhile, SDO Sanjiv Kumar Chaudhary has said that he has not received such letter. This is a serious matter. Human sacrifice is illegal. We have launched a hunt for the letter as well as the tantrik. Appropriate action will be taken," Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

On December 26, 2018, a 30-year-old had killed his mother-in-law and drank her blood in a Jharkhand village. The accused was identified as Fhalindra Lohra. According to The Hindustan Times report, Lohra confessed about practicing witchcraft. He murdered his mother-in-law for a ritual, which would help his gaining mastery over black magic. Lohra visited his wife's home on Monday, where he killed his mother-in-law. When his father-in-law discovered the body, Lohra tried to flee, but he was caught by another relative.

According to local police, a body of a buffalo calf and a duck were also found from the house in Ranchi's Rangamati village.

Black magic or suspicion of black magic has been reason behind many crimes, especially in rural India. Recently, a 30-year-old man had murdered his mother because he suspected that she was 'doing black magic on him.' According to news agency ANI, the incident took place on December 23 in a village in Telangana. Boinpalle Police of Rajanna Sircilla District said that, "On December 23, a person by the name of Srinivas, killed his mother by strangulating her to death. He suspected that his mother practiced black magic on him, from which he was falling ill often. So the accused decided to murder his 52-year-old mother at her residence." The man has been booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

But it was the Burari case in the National Capital that rocked the nation. In this case, 11 members of a family allegedly committed suicide. Many reports suggested that the Chandawat family of Delhi's Burari area were under some influence and they were preforming some black magic ritual. However, the probe by the Delhi Police has pointed out the ritual gone wrong theory. According to the police, the family members never intended to end their lives. They were performing a ritual also known as 'badh pooja', in which, members tied themselves with the iron mesh in the house. But it was not a mass suicide. The probe has also ruled out any foul play or the theory that Lalit, one of the sons, killed everyone and then committed suicide.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Shamokin, PA (17872)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.The River Forest Civic Association and League of Women Voters of Oak Park/River Forest announced they will host several forums featuring candidates running for village board, library board, park district board and elementary school boards in Oak Park and River Forest.The body of a man who died in Mexico from "natural causes" was returned to his grieving family missing internal organs, his wife claims.

The 35-year-old, known only as 'Mr Kim', was rushed to a hospital in Monterrey in January, where he was later pronounced dead.

Authorities say the South Korean national died of natural causes - but his widow fears there's been a cover-up.

Ms Kim says her partner was involved in a scuffle at a karaoke bar on the night of his death.

"More than a week later, I received the autopsy result that says 'no external injuries'. I was dumbfounded," she wrote on the Cheong Wa Dae website.

"That night, I was told by my lawyer that it is possible to change the result of an autopsy or an investigation (in Mexico)."

After the body was flown back home, she asked for another autopsy to be done by the National Forensic Service (NFS) in South Korea. It was then, she says, she got the shocking truth.

"A forensic scientist told me that there were signs of external injuries, including many bruises, but shockingly no brain and no stomach."

Due to the missing organs the NFS could not determine the cause of his death, and Ms Kim is now demanding Mexico returns them.

"My husband was a citizen of Korea. His three-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter have lost their father," she wrote. "Please help me and help my husband."

KBS World Radio has confirmed the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also asked Mexican authorities to return the missing organs.

Mexico's cartels have been accused of taking part in the organ trafficking trade, using corrupt medical workers to harvest organs from victims in hospitals.

Newshub.Thousands of people have signed a petition to allow a Ukrainian family denied residency permission to stay in New Zealand.

Nataliya Shchetkova and her husband Alex Derecha arrived here six years ago with three children on a long-term business visa to develop a large restaurant. They also had twins while in New Zealand.

They invested in the La Vista, a popular restaurant in Auckland's St Heliers, and now employ 17 full-time staff - up from nine when they bought it.

But Immigration NZ says the business does not add enough benefit to New Zealand by creating sustained and on-going employment over and above the existing level of employment.

The family of seven have been told they should start planning to leave by July 1 - including selling their restaurant if necessary, RNZ reports.

"We feel like our lives are ruined because we don't understand the reason why," Ms Shchetkova told TVNZ.

"We've worked hard for several years, we contributed to the community."Social media giant Facebook is cracking down on hate speech in the wake of huge public interest in the unruly British tourists who caused havoc in New Zealand last month.

One word in particular has been the focus of their attentions - 'gypsy', a derogatory term for the Romani people that has been widely used by Kiwis to describe the group of travellers.

The crackdown on that word has drawn derision from a number of Facebook pages who were chronicling the exploits of the tourists - most notable the page 'Gypsy Scammers in NZ', which has thousands of followers and has been used widely by media for updates.

In a post by on Sunday morning from one of the group's admins, he explained why it'd renamed itself 'Travelling Scammers in NZ'.

"I'm aware the story is out there and it's been shared across UK so only a matter of time before a supporter sees it and makes the complaint that kills the page," he wrote.

"The name might change again yet... I just quickly changed it to something that covers our arse. We can probably now share the stuff article."

One response to the name change described it as "bloody ridiculous".

Facebook guidelines define hate speech as "language that attacks people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, disability".



The debacle involving the unruly tourists traces back to January, when the group of travellers, initially thought to be Irish, were confronted by a group of beachgoers at Auckland's Takapuna Beach after allegedly leaving a huge pile of rubbish behind.

The incident struck a nerve with New Zealanders, with many calling for the holidaymakers to be deported from the country.

Newshub.All the new X-Men comics, graphic novels, collections from Marvel arriving in 2021 and beyond

Every single new X-Men comics arriving in the next few months that you need to get excited aboutCatch up on local news with our roundup of top 5 headlines of the week, and learn how you can get unlimited access to these stories and more here.So today, we want to say a sincere thanks to the often-forgotten folks who do them. You have our deep gratitude.

* * *

Thumbs up to Sen. Mark Peake of Lynchburg for a series of politically brave votes he took this week in the Senate.

One of the most important issues the General Assembly is dealing with this session is the push to amend the Virginia Constitution to create a nonpartisan commission to handle the once-every-10-years redistricting of state and federal legislative districts. Long handled by legislators themselves, the resulting districts have been tailor-made to keep incumbents (or, at the very least, the incumbent party) in power. Its called gerrymandering, and its antithetical to democracy, whether its done by Democrats or Republicans.

One Virginia 2021 is a nonpartisan organization thats been working for years to reform the process in the commonwealth. This year, reform is as close as its ever been to happening.Gov. Ralph Northam refused to resign from his office Saturday and instead attempted to ride out a scandal that is threatening to end his politThe sheriffs office responded to a call reporting a number of individuals trespassing on private property at 10:30 a.m., authorities reported.

In the area surrounding Howell were banners reading No MVP and Anticapitalist solidarity worldwide.

According to a news release from Appalachians Against Pipelines, an environmental advocacy group, Howell said her protest was in honor of all life on earth.

We do this for all life on earth, for the ones not yet brave enough to take a stand against the injustices of this world, stated Howell in the release. We do this for each other, for every living being on this planet, because we all need clean water and clean air to live.

As law enforcement officials worked to remove Howell, the other eight protesters stood on the edge of the property cheering her on at times.

One protester jeered at the construction site workers through a megaphone, calling out phrases.

One, two, three, f--- MVP, she called out, among other statements.

Another protester out of Southwestern Virginia who would only identify herself as Lauren said she traveled about one-and-a-half to two hours to reach the construction site Friday morning.His relatives, John, Leonard, Casper and William Wolf, joined him in the late 1840s and into the 1850s. They settled close to one another in the area that became known as Wolfs Crossing, she said.Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam apologized Friday after admitting he appeared in a racist photo in the 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook depicting one person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

Northam said in a statement Friday evening that he was one of the two people in the photo and that he is "deeply sorry." The statement did not say whether Northam was the person wearing blackface or the person wearing a Klan outfit.

The news rocked Northam's administration and led to calls for his immediate resignation, which Northam was resisting.

Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," Northam's statement said. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now."

The right-wing blog Big League Politics first published the photo on Friday, saying it showed Northam and a friend  Northam in blackface and the friend wearing an outfit of the Ku Klux Klan.

Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he hoped the picture was "inaccurate," but said that if it is true Northam should resign immediately.The countrys break with the Catholic Church led to the confiscation of monastic lands that were redistributed by the crown and, more often than not, turned into farmland ideal for raising animals.

At the same time, the technological development of surveying and mapmaking offered many Englishmen their first-ever glimpse of the breadth and scope of their country.

Imagine what it must have been like to be from Suffolk or Leicester and for the first time, to find your town name on a map, says Bates. We do that anyway, dont we? Remember the first time you ever found yourself on Google Maps?

As these changes occurred, theatergoers were attending performances that regularly described the landmarks featured in their newly purchased maps.

Though other playwrights had their works performed at the Globe Theatre in London, few described the location of each scene with as much specificity as Shakespeare, says Bates.

Bates contends that seeing their country mapped out onstage became something of a unifying experience for the country.Few consumers have heard of the secret, business-to-business payments that the Trump administration wants to ban in an attempt to control drug costs.

But the administration's plan for drug rebates, announced Thursday, would end the pharmaceutical business as usual, shift billions in revenue and cause far-reaching, unforeseen change, say health policy authorities.

In pointed language sure to anger middlemen who benefit from the deals, administration officials proposed banning rebates paid by drug companies to ensure coverage for their products under Medicare and Medicaid plans.

"A shadowy system of kickbacks," was how Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar described the current system in a Friday speech.

The proposal is a regulatory change applying only to Medicare plans for seniors and managed Medicaid plans for low-income people. But private insurers, who often take cues from government programs, might make a similar shift, administration officials said.

Drug rebates are essentially discounts off the list price. Outlawing them would divert $29 billion in rebates now paid to insurers and pharmacy benefit managers into "seniors' pocketbooks at the pharmacy counter," Azar said.

The measure already faces fierce opposition from some in the industry and is unlikely to be implemented as presented or by the proposed 2020 effective date, health policy analysts said.

In any event, it's hardly a pure win for seniors or patients in general. Consumers are unlikely to collect the full benefit of eliminated rebates.

At the same time, the change would produce uncertain ricochets, including higher drug-plan premiums for consumers, that would produce new winners and losers across the economy.

"It is the most significant proposal that the administration has introduced so far" to try to control drug prices, said Rachel Sachs, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis. "But I'm struck by the uncertainty that the administration has in what the effects would be."

Possible Winners:

Chronically ill patients who take lots of expensive medicine

The list price for many brand-name medicines has doubled or tripled in recent years. But virtually the only ones affected by the full increases are the many patients who pay cash or whose out-of-pocket payments are based on the posted price.

By banning rebates, the administration says its intention is to ensure discounts are passed all the way to the patient instead of the middlemen, the so-called pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs. That means consumers using expensive drugs might see their out-of-pocket costs go down.

If rebates were eliminated for commercial insurance, where deductibles and out-of-pocket costs are generally much higher, chronically ill patients could benefit much more.

Drug companies

Ending rebates would give the administration a drug-policy "win" that doesn't directly threaten pharmaceutical company profits.

"We applaud the administration for taking steps to reform the rebate system" Stephen Ubl, CEO of PhRMA, the main lobby for branded drugs, said after the proposal came out.

The change might also slow the soaring list-price increases that have become a publicity nightmare for the industry. When list prices pop by 5 or 10 percent each year, drugmakers pay part of the proceeds to insurers and PBMs in the form of rebates to guarantee health-plan coverage.

No one is claiming that eliminating rebates would stop escalating list prices, even if all insurers adopted the practice. But some believe it would remove an important factor.

Possible Losers:

Pharmacy benefit managers

PBMs reap billions of dollars in rebate revenue in return for putting particular products on lists of covered drugs. The administration is essentially proposing to make those payments illegal, at least for Medicare and Medicaid plans.

PBMs, which claim they control costs by negotiating with drugmakers, might have to go back to their roots  processing pharmacy claims for a fee. After recent industry consolidation into a few enormous companies, on the other hand, they might have the market power to charge very high fees, replacing much of the lost rebate revenue.

PBMs "are concerned" that the move "would increase drug costs and force Medicare beneficiaries to pay higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses," said JC Scott, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the PBM lobby.

Insurance companies

Insurers, who often receive rebates directly, could also be hurt financially.

"From the start, the focus on rebates has been a distraction from the real issue  the problem is the price" of the drugs, said Matt Eyles, CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group. "We are not middlemen  we are your bargaining power, working hard to negotiate lower prices."

Patients without chronic conditions and high drug costs

Lower out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter would be financed, at least in part, by higher premiums for Medicare and Medicaid plans paid by consumers and the government. Premiums for Medicare Part D plans could rise from $3.20 to $5.64 per month, according to consultants hired by the Department of Health and Human Services.

"There is likely to be a wide variation in how much savings people see based on the drugs they take and the point-of-sale discounts that are negotiated," said Elizabeth Carpenter, policy practice director at Avalere, a consultancy.

Consumers who don't need expensive drugs every month could see insurance costs go up slightly without getting the benefits of lower out-of-pocket expense for purchased drugs.

Other policy changes giving health plans more negotiating power against drugmakers would keep a lid on premium increases, administration officials argue.In a comprehensive analysis, SSRIs found to be most effective in treating children and adolescents with anxiety disorder

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC) examined common medications prescribed for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, to determine which are the most effective and best-tolerated. This study revealed that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) performed best overall compared to other types of medications.

The results, available online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, include the largest amount of data to date for analyses of pediatric anxiety disorder treatments. The study examined more than a dozen medications from 22 randomized controlled trials.

"Clinicians have limited data to help them select among evidence-based medication treatments for their patients with anxiety. This meta-analysis provides guidance in terms of medication-specific differences in efficacy and tolerability among medications that are commonly used to treat pediatric patients with anxiety disorders," says Jeffrey Strawn, MD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the UC College of Medicine and lead author on the study.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health disorder in children. Anxiety affects approximately 8 percent of all children and adolescents. Symptoms of anxiety can include having recurring fears, aversions to social situations or being unable to control worries and can manifest as serious medical conditions: trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, even heart and digestive problems.

"Our study synthesizes evidence from multiple individual trials to guide clinicians and patients in deciding which medication to use when treating children and adolescents with anxiety disorders," said Eric Dobson, MD, a psychiatry resident at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, who conducted the study while a medical student at UC.

The authors identified trials published between 1971 and 2018, comparing 13 commonly used medications with placebo or with other medications--including antidepressants--for the acute treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. A total of 2,623 patients (average age: 11 years) had been randomly assigned to receive a medication or receive placebo, and the patients had generalized, separation or social anxiety disorders that was of at least moderate severity.

The researchers looked at the number of patients who responded to treatment as well as the proportion of patients who discontinued the study as a result of adverse events, i.e. side effects. In anxious youth, treatment response was more effective with SSRIs than with serotonin-norepineprhine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SNRIs prolong the activity of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, while SSRIs act predominantly to prolong the effects of serotonin. In terms of discontinuation and tolerability, SSRIs were the most tolerable class of medication, while tricyclic antidepressants were the least tolerable. Tricyclic antidepressants increase levels of norepinephrine and serotonin, and block the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which may give rise to some of their side effects.

"This comprehensive evaluation comparing efficacy and tolerability of treatments in pediatric anxiety disorders suggests that SSRIs are superior to SNRIs and all other classes of medications," says Dobson.

"These findings confirm the recommendations from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry that SSRIs be considered as the first-line medication treatment for anxiety in youth," adds Strawn.This software analyzes patients' computed tomography (CT) results within 20 seconds and provides an image in which the pathology is clearly marked

Researches from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Russian Academic Excellence Initiative participant, in collaboration with the radiologists from St.Petersburg Clinical Research for Specialized Types of Medical Care (Oncological) have developed an intelligent software system for lung cancer diagnostics. This software can be installed on any computer. It analyzes patients' computed tomography (CT) results within 20 seconds and provides an image in which the pathology is clearly marked. Researchers have named the system Doctor AIzimov (AI for Artificial Intelligence) in honor of the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who developed three famous laws of robotics.

At the end of 2018, the first tests of this intelligent system were carried out. The system analyzed anonymized CT images of 60 patients at the Oncological Center. According to the radiologists, the tests were successful, as the system has found focal nodules in lungs of small sizes (2 mm).

"Initially, we set up an algorithm to search for nodules starting from 6 millimeters, because radiologists themselves start the treatment of tumors of this size. But the system is so smart that it was able to find nodules of even smaller size", said the project lead Lev Utkin, the head of the SPbPU Research Laboratory of Neural Network Technologies and Artificial Intelligence.

Research team includes the staff of the University (Lev Utkin, Mikhail Ryabinin, and Alexei Lukashin), experts from the St. Petersburg Oncological Center (the head of the Radiology Department Anna Meldo and a radiologist Ivan Prokhorov). The project was supported by the Russian Science Foundation.

A new proposed and developed approach to the lung cancer classification using the chord method has been patented within only 3 months. The method of chords uses segmented CT images: points are randomly drawn on the surface of a nodule, after that the points are connected by lines (chords). The length histogram of the chords reflects the shape and structure of the tumor. Although the system examines every nodule from the inside, its external surroundings are also very important. To learn more about the tumor, it is placed in a cube, and perpendiculars are drawn from its edges to the surface of the nodule.

Thus, instead of classifying a graphically complex and heavy images of the CT (the size of every CT image is approximately 1 GB), the nodule is represented in the form of compact and simple histograms, which are then analyzed by the Doctor AIzimov system.The scientists have also trained the system to distinguish malignant and benign tumors. "Many different objects may be detected on the CT images, so the main task was to train the system to recognize what each of the objects represents. Using the clinical and radiological classification, we are trying to train the system not only to detect tumors, but also to distinguish other diseases similar to cancer," comments Anna Meldo, the head of the Radiology Department of the St. Petersburg Clinical Research Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care (Oncological). The system was trained by analyzing 1000 CT images from LUNA 16 and LIDC datasets. Russian researchers have also collected their own dataset named LIRA - Lung Intelligence Resource Annotated. Currently, the dataset holds CT images of about 250 patients. The scientists are planning to increase the number of images by four times by the mid-2019.

With each new CT image, the system self-improves. To speed up the learning and testing processes, the researchers use capacities of the supercomputer center "Polytechnic". In the future, a patient's CT images will be transferred to the supercomputer using the Internet. This approach allows to reduce the diagnostic testing time per patient from 20 till 2 seconds. After that a radiologist will receive the marked image instead of the large CT image. It will significantly reduce the time needed for the analysis and diagnostics.

The open testing of the intelligent system will be carried out at the beginning of 2019. The system will be at first used at the St. Petersburg Clinical Research Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care (Oncological). In the future, the project will be extended and more medical institutions will be involved into the intelligent CT image processing. The system will be adapted to analyze the results of the ultrasound and X-ray medical investigation of other organs. All data will be processed by the supercomputer, and the results issued by the system will be sent to doctors for them to make a decision about the treatment.David Lerman, a Berkeley, Calif., lawyer, changed health plans this year only to learn that his new insurer has no contract with the dominant medical provider in his community.

Anthem Blue Cross of California, one of the state's largest health insurers, is battling with Sutter Health over how much it should pay to care for tens of thousands of its enrollees in Northern California. Sutter operates 24 hospitals in the region and lists about 5,000 doctors in its network.

"It's not the peace of mind I thought I was buying to have the entire Sutter network  which is the biggest game in Northern California  be out-of-network," said Lerman, whose family is insured through his wife's job as a California State University professor.

Lerman and his family, who are enrolled in an Anthem Blue Cross PPO, can continue to visit Sutter facilities until midyear even if a new contract does not materialize before then. Fortunately, he said, nobody in his family suffers from a chronic illness. But not knowing which providers ultimately will be in his health plan's network is aggravating, he said.

Contract disputes between insurers and medical providers have been a regular feature of the national health industry for a long time, but the stakes have risen as big players on both sides have expanded to gain market share  and leverage in network negotiations.

Most negotiations are completed before the old contract expires, and consumers usually don't hear about behind-the-scenes disagreements. But when insurers and providers fail to reach an agreement on time, it can force patients to pay higher prices for care that is no longer covered by their health plans. At the least, it can cause considerable anxiety.

"It is a game of chicken, and at the end of the day somebody blinks and they come to an agreement," said Wendell Potter, a former senior executive at health insurance giant Cigna who became a critic of the industry and a strong proponent of sweeping health care reform. "The big losers in this are patients, because there's a period of uncertainty and angst and a real possibility that the physicians and hospitals you want to go to are no longer in-network."

Amy Thoma Tan, a Sutter spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement, "We are in active negotiations with Anthem Blue Cross and recognize that a timely agreement  one that protects access and choice  is in the best interest of our patients, employers, hospitals and clinicians.

A statement by Eric Lail, an Anthem Blue Cross spokesman, was even less enlightening: "As we negotiate with providers, we try to strike a balance between protecting affordability and providing a broad network of providers to create choices, which can take time."

Sutter, under fire for high prices, has been accused of using its regional market share for financial advantage. As large hospital systems merge with competitors and snap up medical practices, "it's much more difficult for insurers to say, 'OK, we're letting you go,'" said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

Corlette said both sides should have a greater incentive these days to come to an agreement. "When you have a big behemoth health care system and a big behemoth payer with tens of thousands of enrolled lives, the incentives to work something out privately become much stronger," she said. "The PR risks are so high for both parties."

Other states have seen their share of feuding between health systems and insurers.

In western Pennsylvania, nearly 50,000 people with Medicare managed-care plans from Highmark Health will lose in-network access to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals and doctors starting July 1, because of a slow-moving divorce between the two regional health giants.

Judy Hays, a retiree who lives outside Pittsburgh, has a rare form of leukemia. She is among many patients caught up in a feud between two regional health giants. She plans to change doctors mid-treatment because she wants to keep her insurance. (Courtesy of Judy Hays)

Among those patients is Judy Hays, a 75-year-old retired office manager from the Pittsburgh suburb of Crescent Township who relies on UPMC's physicians and hospitals to treat a rare form of leukemia. Now, she plans to change doctors mid-treatment because she wants to keep her insurance, which she said has paid for her expensive medications. "It's very tough. These people have been taking care of me for the last nine years. I can't have any interruption in my care," Hays told Kaiser Health News. "I'm very angry about it."

In Georgia, WellStar Health System, with 11 hospitals and numerous medical offices, plans to stop accepting Anthems individual policyholders as in-network patients on Feb. 4, amid a contract dispute between the two companies.

In 2017, an impasse between Anthem and the Hartford HealthCare system in Connecticut forced hundreds of thousands of patients to go out-of-network before the two parties finally inked a deal. The patients' bills were retroactively treated as in-network, so patients did not suffer financially.

However, "there were stories of people who had to cancel surgeries and switch providers," said Ted Doolittle, Connecticut's state health care advocate. "There was all this anxiety and disruption."

Under pressure from their constituents, Connecticut lawmakers last year passed legislation enabling consumers to continue getting care at in-network prices for 60 days during contract disputes. The new law is "an improvement," said Doolittle, who had urged legislators to pass such legislation.

In the current California dispute, Anthem Blue Cross members with PPOs can still use Sutter doctors and hospitals at in-network rates for the next six months, said Thoma Tan, the Sutter spokeswoman. People with HMOs face more uncertainty.

Lail, the Anthem Blue Cross spokesman, said in an emailed statement that "our consumers can continue to see their Sutter care providers for the time being as these negotiations continue." But as required by state law, the insurer has notified patients with Medicare and Medi-Cal HMO plans that they may be reassigned to non-Sutter providers, Lail said.

There are exceptions that will allow pregnant women, very young children and some other patients to continue receiving care from Sutter at in-network rates, regardless of the type of insurance they have with Anthem Blue Cross, Thoma Tan said.

Sutter has quarreled with other insurers, including Blue Shield of California in a dispute that affected about 270,000 consumers before the two sides reached a deal that took effect in February 2015.

Sutter's market dominance in California and its high prices for inpatient care have long drawn criticism. One patient reported that Sutter charged $1,555 for a 10-minute ER visit to treat a cut finger, including $55 for a gel bandage and $487 for a tetanus shot.

Last year, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued the giant health system, alleging it had illegally overcharged patients and drove out competition in California. Sutter has contended that Becerra overstepped his authority and that limiting Sutter's ability to negotiate with insurers will harm consumers.

Anthem Blue Cross, which insures hundreds of thousands of Californians and whose parent company, Anthem, generated profits of $3.8 billion in 2017, has also drawn the ire of state regulators. The Department of Managed Care fined it $5 million in 2017 for failing to respond in a timely way to consumer complaints. The state previously had fined Anthem Blue Cross for consumer grievances totaling $6 million between 2002 and 2017.

In Berkeley, David Lerman just wants Anthem and Sutter to resolve their differences so his family will have access to the most comprehensive coverage options.

"As a consumer, is there no place where you can go and not worry that you'll not be covered?" he fretted. "If I'm sick, do I go to the local hospital  or to the airport and fly to Europe?"

This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.A University of Oklahoma researcher, Si Wu, and collaborators from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Indiana University, are developing new strategies leading to diagnosis and early intervention of Lupus, an autoimmune disease that may affect up to 1.5 million Americans. The National Institutes of Health is funding the OU research with a $2 million grant over a five-year period.

"We are providing the first snapshot of autoantibody development in Lupus patients by developing a novel detection method using a top-down mass spectrometry approach for identifying disease-specific autoantibodies quickly," said Wu, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, OU College of Arts and Sciences. "This may lead to novel biomarkers and a foundation for new strategies for the early detection of Lupus. To our knowledge, we are the first to apply this approach in understanding how autoantibodies become pathogenic."

Ken Smith, OMRF investigator, is purifying antibodies from samples of over 50 patients from Oklahoma and surrounding states for this research. In collaboration with rheumatologists Judith James and Eliza Chakravarty, these longitudinal samples will come from well-characterized Lupus patients collected over several decades allowing for evaluation of the disease over time. Xiaowen Liu, associate professor in the School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, will work with Wu on the development of the needed software tools.

Wu's research team has complementary expertise on top-down mass spectrometry, antibody immunity and bioinformatics. The team will look at antibodies of specific antoantigens to determine how the properties of the antibodies in individual patients over time and across patients are related. The researchers will link antibody clones with disease activity to determine how they change with the disease progression and various medications.

The research team is providing the first quantitative top-down platform for characterizing these autoantibodies. After development, the top-down autoantibody characterization platform can be easily adapted to other autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren's Syndrome. For more information about this NIH-funded research, "Quantitative Analysis of Serum Autoantibody Repertories in Systematic Lupus Erythematosus," contact Professor Wu at [email protected]Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.

To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here.The effects of the government shutdown are being felt locally at places like the U.S. Coast Paul Pahoresky is a partner in the accounting firm of JLP CPAs. He can be reached at 440-974-1040x14 or at paul@jlpcpas.com. Consult your tax advisor for your specific situation for additional information and guidance on these topics.Minor Memorial Library has announced it has received a grant from Connecticut Humanities for its spring lecture series, Land and Culture: A Deep Look at the History of Land Use.

A collaborative program with the Roxbury Conservation Commission and the Roxbury Land Trust, the series of four lectures and a site visit will explore different aspects of our local geology, geography, and the different ways people have used the land for food, shelter, and in the pursuit of wealth.

The first program will be held Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. with Professor Robert Thorson of UConn, who will describe the geological history of Roxbury and northwest Connecticut, and how landforms have influenced human activities throughout history.

A snow date of Feb. 14 is planned.

Future programs will be held Feb. 21, March 7, March 21 and April 6.

From an exploration of the geology that sets the stage for the kinds of activities that are possible in our area, through Native American land practices and cultural values, to the rise and fall of water powered industry in the Litchfield Hills, the programs will help attendees understand the intersection of culture and land.

In addition, the grant will provide for the purchase of books that further address these issues.

Professor Thorson, professor of geology at UConns Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Anthropology and faculty affiliate in the American Studies Program, has written Stone by Stone, a history of the stone walls that snake through the woods throughout New England and that unites the histories of New Englands geology, environment, culture and economy with science and passion.

More recent work includes a look at the writings of Henry David Thoreau as a keen scientific observer and writer as well as the Transcendentalist and early father of the Environmental Movement.

The series will continue Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. with a presentation by Lucianne Lavin of the Institute for American Indian Studies on the ways in which Native Americans interacted with the local landscape; March 7 with a discussion of the rise and fall of water-powered industry in Litchfield County presented by Peter Vermilyea; March 21 with Kyle Turoczi, who will talk about how to read the landscape; and April 6 with a field walk on Roxbury Land Trust property with Turoczi.

For information, call 860-350-2181.The John J. McCarthy Observatory in New Milford will hold its next Second Saturday Stars program, NASAs Great Space Observatory Program, Feb. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The program at the observatory, located behind New Milford High School on Route 7 South, will address the Hubble space telescope. The plans for its stemmed from a visionary scientist, Lyman Spitzer, starting in 1946, 11 years before Sputnik orbited the earth.HARTFORD  More than 100 girls  and many boys  from across Connecticut and a couple towns in Massachusetts came to the state Capitol on Friday for a swearing-in ceremony on the first day the girls could achieve their first rank with Scouts BSA, part of the Boy Scouts of America.

Many are also Girl Scouts, but they can now be part of the Boy Scouts, with the Court of Honor badge  along with a Scout Me In badge for participating Friday.Indra Nooyi, the recently retired chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, retold the story of her arrival in Connecticut on Friday, a parable of economic fortune and foible with Greenwich at its center.

Nooyi, 63, was part of the all-star triumvirate introduced by Gov. Ned Lamont as the personalities who will lead the states economic development in a new and different way. Shes told the story a few times publicly over the last year as part of her transition from one of the most powerful corporate chiefs in the world to a force in Connecticut policy.

She arrived from India to JFK airport 40 years ago and took a car up to Yale University, where she would enroll in the school of management.

Crossing into Greenwich, she recounted Friday, The driver said to me, You are now entering the greatest state in the nation ... If you do really, really well at Yale, you might even live in this town called Greenwich.

She did, and she does. And shes not leaving, she said Friday at the announcement of the economic development team in Hartford.

Now she wants to help make Connecticut once again the greatest state in the nation.

I also love this state, where Ive been for these same 40 years  and for now, Id settle for a path to solvency. But on Friday, we saw just how important Greenwich has become in this drama.

Gov. Ned Lamont, of Greenwich, introduced Nooyi, of Greenwich, whom hes known for decades. Then he introduced David Lehman, of Greenwich, a 41-year-old Wall Street wunderkind that he just met a couple of weeks ago.

Lehman is the new commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, subject to widely expected Senate approval. He came into the picture through his friend, Garrett Moran, an old Lamont friend, one of the co-chairs of the governors transition  who lives in Greenwich.

There, at the announcement, was Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin  whose family moved to Greenwich when he was 10  talking with Nooyi, Lehman and others.

You get the picture. We cant call it the Greenwich Mafia because some of these people, like Lehman and Lamont, didnt know each other until 2019. Or can we?

It makes sense in a time when Connecticut needs to slog its way out of perhaps $100 billion in unfunded health and pension liabilities. Wall Street acumen can come in handy about now.

Lehman called Moran in the second week of January, long after Lamont and the transition team had a list of candidates for the economic development job. He was inspired, he said Friday, by Lamonts speeches on Inauguration Day  and volunteered his services, free of charge.

Its not a coincidence that no fewer than six candidates for governor or state treasurer in 2018 hailed from Greenwich, by far the largest contributor to the states $10 billion state income tax.

Lehman, who was a Goldman Sachs managing director co-heading structured finance by age 29, will work without a paycheck. Nooyi will be co-chair of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, a non-executive, volunteer position for the nonprofit group that works with the state  and will be reconstituted in ways we dont yet fully know.

The other co-chairman is Jim Smith, the retired CEO of the parent of Webster Bank, which his father, Harold, founded in 1935. He grew up in  drumroll please  Waterbury, not Greenwich, and he lives in Middlebury.

I asked Smith whether he feels left out, or whether he now needs to buy a house in Greenwich.

I feel included, he said, laughing. As for living there, I feel like they need me for balance.

On a serious note, he believes its just a coincidence.

But it is remarkable how many people think about how they can contribute to the betterment of their state, how passionate they are about Connecticut. I mean, thats extraordinary.Democratic lawmakers are hoping to pass at least four bills aimed at reducing gun violence this year, including one named after a 15-year-old killed last year in Guilford.

The Judiciary Committee, co-chaired by Sen. Gary Winfield and Rep. Steve Stafstrom, raised the concepts Friday for a public hearing. Only one of the concepts has been drafted as legislation.

Ethans Law, which is named after Ethan Song of Guilford, would require gun owners to lock up all firearms in homes with children age 18 or under  whether or not the weapons are loaded. If a tragedy similar to Songs death occurred, the owner of the gun would be charged with a felony, said Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford.

In Songs case, the homeowner left the gun unloaded in a cardboard box in a closet with the bullets nearby, according to an investigation by Waterbury States Attorney Maureen Platt. Song and the owners son were handling the gun when the 15-year-old was shot and killed.

Platt concluded that the owner couldnt be charged with a crime since under state law it is legal to leave an unloaded handgun unlocked. It is currently a felony to leave a loaded gun unlocked in a home with a child under the age of 16, lawmakers said.

The bill, which is new this year, would have saved Ethans life as well as other lives across the country, said Jeremy Stein, executive director of CT Against Gun Violence. Stein demonstrated for the crowd a quick access gun lock safe that would prevent children from access to the firearm but allow the owner to quickly get the gun out.

Safe storage is one of the prime responsibilities of any gun owner, Stein said.

Another concept backed by Democrats would require gun owners to lock firearms stored in vehicles.

People are stealing guns from cars and using them to commit crimes, Stein said after the press conference. We could easily reduce crime simply by getting rid of the supply of guns.

Stafstrom said the committee will also debate a measure that would make do-it-yourself so-called ghost guns and 3-D printed guns illegal in the state.

Ghost guns are homemade firearms from parts usually bought on the Internet. They are particularly dangerous since there has been no inspection process and the weapons dont have a serial number. They also arent recorded as a gun sale, making them impossible to trace, if the firearm was used in a crime, lawmakers said.

They arent serialized and the person who makes the gun doesnt have to pass a background check, said Stafstrom, who believes the concept has broad support among Democrats and Republicans. The bill made it out of committee last year, but it didnt receive a debate in either chamber.

A fourth bill, SB 60, would require those who open carry guns in public to produce their pistol permit if asked by a law enforcement officer. The measure is easily the most controversial, admitted Winfield who said a similar bill died in 2017 over concerns about racial profiling that were raised by the Black and Hispanic Caucus.

I have those concerns right now, Winfield said. We need to take some time to allow the bills to go to the public hearing process and get some feedback.

State Police have said there are 265,563 pistol permit holders in Connecticut.

Winfield admitted that some of the bills introduced Friday havent gotten to the finish line in previous years. He was open to changes that would make the bills more palatable to a wide range of lawmakers as long as the underlying sense of what were doing stays intact, he said.

The committee would also be raising three other gun-related bills Friday afternoon that werent favored by the Democratic leadership of the Judiciary Committee, including a bill to allow certain individuals to carry guns in state parks. Winfield didnt provide the specifics on the three bills but said they would go a public hearing.

Flanked by dozens of supporters including the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association Wethersfield Chief James Cetran, Winfield said he was confident all four concepts or in one case a bill would become law.

I think it is possible to get the four bills done, he said. Not just because we have the numbers, but because of the way we will have the conversation.

Second Amendment groups are likely to oppose many of the measures like they have in past because they believe the concepts punish law abiding gun owners and not criminals.Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities.Newburyport, MA (01950)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.A federal judge blocked the Trump administration Tuesday from asking about citizenship status on the 2020 census, the first major ruling in cases contending officials ramrodded the question through for Republican political purposes to intentionally undercount immigrants.

In a 277-page decision that won't be the final word on the issue, Judge Jesse M. Furman ruled that while such a question would be constitutional, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner and violated the law.

"He failed to consider several important aspects of the problem; alternately ignored, cherry-picked, or badly misconstrued the evidence in the record before him; acted irrationally both in light of that evidence and his own stated decisional criteria; and failed to justify significant departures from past policies and practices," Furman wrote in a decision that squarely laid the blame on Ross.

Ross' explanations for his decision were "unsupported by, or even counter to, the evidence before the agency," the judge said.

Among other things, the judge said, Ross didn't follow a law requiring Congress be given three years' notice of plans to add a citizenship question to the census.

"We are disappointed and are still reviewing the ruling," Justice Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco said in a statement. Ross has said the move was not politically motivated.

The ruling came in cases in which 18 states, the District of Columbia, 15 big cities or counties, and immigrants' rights groups argued that the Commerce Department, which designs the census, failed to properly analyze the effect that the question would have on households with immigrants.

Furman, citing Census Bureau estimates, concluded the citizenship question would depress responses in households with noncitizens by at least 5.8 percent and likely more.

Thus, he said, several states would lose at least one congressional seat based on 2020 census data. Furman said Texas, Arizona, Florida and plaintiffs New York and Illinois face a substantial risk of a seat loss. He said Colorado will suffer a census undercount of at least 0.7 percent.

Adding the question would cause New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and the District of Columbia to lose funding too, he said.

Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Rhode Island and Minnesota would also suffer, Furman added.

A trial on a separate suit on the same issue, filed by the state of California, is under way in San Francisco. The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hear evidentiary-related legal issues surrounding the New York case on Feb. 19.

In the New York case, the plaintiffs accused the administration of President Donald Trump of adding the question to intentionally discourage immigrants from participating, potentially leading to a population undercount  and possibly fewer seats in Congress  in places that tend to vote Democratic.

Even people in the U.S. legally, they said, might dodge the census questionnaire out of fears they could be targeted by the administration.

The Justice Department argued Ross had no such motive.

Ross' decision to reinstate a citizenship question for the first time since 1950 was reasonable because the government has asked a citizenship question for most of the past 200 years, Laco said.

When Ross announced the plan in March, he said the question was necessary to help the government enforce the Voting Rights Act, a 1965 law meant to protect political representation of minority groups.

Furman, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, said Ross' rationale concealed his true reason, which remains unknown.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office was among those litigating the lawsuits, called the decision a win for "Americans who believe in a fair and accurate count of the residents of our nation."

In Massachusetts, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, a Democrat, said "attempting to frighten immigrant communities into not responding was a clear and deliberate effort to depress the count in states like Massachusetts."

Ross said politics played no role in the decision, initially testifying under oath that he hadn't spoken to anyone in the White House on the subject.

Later, however, Justice Department lawyers submitted papers saying Ross remembered speaking in spring 2017 about it with former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Supreme Court blocked Ross from being deposed, but let a trial proceed over the objections of Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.

The constitutionally mandated census is supposed to count all people living in the U.S., including noncitizens and immigrants living in the country illegally.

The administration faces an early summer deadline for finalizing questions so questionnaires can be printed.Rhode Island's governor, who heads the national Democratic Governors Association, is joining the chorus of politicians calling on Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after a yearbook photo surfaced showing him in a racist costume.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said in statement Saturday Northam can "no longer serve the best interests of Virginians.'' She said the characters portrayed in his 1984 medical school yearbook were "not acceptable 30 years ago'' and aren't acceptable today.

Northam's yearbook entry includes a photo of a man in blackface makeup posing next to one in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

Northam, who was elected in 2017, said Friday he's "deeply sorry'' and that the racist behavior is "not in keeping with who I am today.'' He did not say which costume he was wearing.One occupant is dead after a crash on Interstate 495 in Franklin, Massachusetts, on Friday night.

The accident occurred at 8:05 p.m. State police said a preliminary investigation revealed that a woman driving a 2011 Subaru Forester in the right lane at a "high rate of speed."

"For reasons still under investigation, it veered into the middle travel lane where it struck a 2016 Toyota RAV4," police said.

Police identified the woman in the vehicle as 27-year-old Emily Smith of Ashland but did not indicate whether she was the driver. the driver and two passengers of the Toyota were uninjured, according to police.What to Know Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam apologized Friday after a 1984 yearbook photo surfaced of people in blackface and a KKK robe.

Northam said the behavior did not reflect his values. On Saturday, he said he actually wasn't shown in the photo.

The chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia said earlier Friday that Northam should resign if he was one of the two people in costume.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam refused mounting calls for his resignation after a photo surfaced on his yearbook page showing people in blackface and a KKK robe, stressing that he "truly" doesn't believe he was in the picture.

Northam initially planned to resign after apologizing for appearing in the photo and speaking with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, but later had a change of heart, the Virginia Democrat told News4 and Tom Sherwood.

"I believed then and now that I am not either of the people in that photo," he said.

Virginia House Democrats quickly released a statement after Saturday's press conference, reiterating their call for him to resign.

"We continue to echo the calls of our colleagues in the Legislative Black Caucus for the Governor to resign. Regardless of the Governor's account of whether or not he was in the photo, he has lost the trust of constituents and elected officials."

On Friday, Northam apologized for appearing in the photo, which was printed in a medical school yearbook from 1984 on a page titled with his name. It was resurfaced by a conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," the Democratic governor said in a statement.

But at the press conference Saturday, Northam said his statements were meant to apologize that the photo was featured on his yearbook page at all as stakeholders reached out with hurt, pain and a flurry of phone calls.

"I take credit for recognizing that this was a horrific photo that was on my page, with my name," he said. "I have no recollection at all of ever dressing up [in that photo]."

Northam admitted that he did wear blackface during a dance contest in San Antonio when he dressed up as Michael Jackson and said he regretted it.

"I am asking for the opportunity to earn your forgiveness," Northam said. He suggested the outcry over the photo presents an opportunity to openly discuss racial justice in a state where portraits of slave owners remain in the governor's mansion and a white nationalist rally protesting the removal of a Confederate statue turned violent, then deadly.

"I believe this moment can be the first small step to open a discussion," he said.

NBC News was able to locate the yearbook from Eastern Virginia Medical School and find the page featuring the photo. Northam said he never purchased a copy of the yearbook.

Later Friday, he posted an apology video on Twitter, saying, "That photo and the racist and offensive attitudes it represents does not reflect that person I am today or the way that I have conducted myself as a soldier, a doctor and a public servant."

It wasn't immediately clear if Northam's comments at the press conference changed the minds of those calling for him to leave office, including prominent, national leaders and the Virginia Democratic Party.

"We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning  we have gotten word he will not do so this morning," a statement from the party said.

They reiterated a call for the governor to step down and allow Lt. Gov Justin Fairfax to lead the state.

Tom Sherwood returns to News4 to discuss Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams political future after he was discovered in a photo from his medical school yearbook where one person wears blackface and another wears a KKK robe. Sherwood says Virginia is trying to grapple with past racism and Northams resignation is likely.

"We stand with Democrats across Virginia and the country calling him to immediately resign. He no longer has our confidence or our support."

Northam initially gave no signal in two public statements that he would resign and said Saturday that he intends to continue working on his agenda for the state.

"I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust. I have spent the past year as your governor fighting for a Virginia that works better for all people. I am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term and living up to the expectations you set for me when you elected me to serve," he said in a video posted Friday night.

It's unclear how Northam's future as governor will play out without support from his own or opposition parties.

After Northam publicly said that he appeared in the photo, a wave of calls for resignation crashed onto Richmond from the left and right. Pressure mounted after he met late Friday with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

"We fully appreciate all that he has contributed to our Commonwealth. But given what was revealed today, it is clear that he can no longer effectively serve as Governor," the VLBC said.

"That might have been the tipping point," longtime News4 political reporter Tom Sherwood said.

Calls for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign are increasing after a photo surfaced from a 1984 yearbook. News4's Jackie Bensen reports.

Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder, the state's first and only African-American governor who was elected in 1985, said it is appropriate to criticize Northam.

"It has never been right, in Virginia, nor anywhere else to participate in or condone such mockery or insensitive behavior," Wilder said in a written statement.

He stopped short of calling for a resignation, saying it's up to Northam to decide. Later, Wilder tweeted that Northam's options seem limited.

"It is difficult for anyone who watched the press conference today to conclude that he has any other choice ... but to resign."

Prominent figures including Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, former Vice President Joe Biden, former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, several 2020 presidential candidates and the NAACP called for Northam to leave office.

Protesters also gathered outside the governor's mansion in Richmond demanding Northam resign.

President Donald Trump weighed in Saturday evening, tweeting:

"Democrat Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia just stated, 'I believe that I am not either of the people in that photo.' This was 24 hours after apologizing for appearing in the picture and after making the most horrible statement on 'super' late term abortion. Unforgivable!"

Virginia's two senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, are the latest Virginia leaders to call for Northam to resign.

"After we watched his press conference today, we called Governor Northam to tell him that we no longer believe he can effectively serve as Governor of Virginia and that he must resign," they said in a joint statement.

Virginia's Attorney General Mark Herring called for his resignation earlier this evening.

"It is no longer possible for Governor Northam to lead our Commonwealth and it is time for him to step down," Herring said in a statement. "I have spoke with Lieutenant Governor Fairfax and assured him that, should he ascend to governorship, he will have my complete support and commitment to ensuring his success and the success of our Commonwealth."

Sherwood reported that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax was preparing to take over the governor's seat before Northam decided against resigning. Fairfax is the second African-American man ever to be elected to statewide office in Virginia and would finish Northam's term as governor in the event of a resignation.

Fairfax condemned the photo Saturday afternoon and said he "cannot condone the actions" from Northam's past that "at the very least, suggest a comfort with Virginia's darker history of white supremacy, racial stereotyping, and intimidation."

Fairfax did not say explicitly if the governor should resign, but did call for unity.

"At this critical and defining moment in the history of Virginia and this nation, we need leaders with the ability to unite and help us rise to the better angels of our nature," Fairfax said in a statement.

The Virginia Constitution prohibits a governor from serving two terms in a row. Northam stated Saturday he intends to continue serving his term, which is set to end in 2022.

Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox, Majority Leader Todd Gilbert and more legislative leaders said Saturday that Northam should resign.

"We agree with the powerful words of our colleagues in the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus," a group statement said. "His ability to lead and govern is permanently impaired and the interests of the Commonwealth necessitate his resignation."

State Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, a close ally of Northam and longtime African-American lawmaker, told The Associated Press on Saturday black leaders felt "mortally wounded" by the photo and that he has no option but to resign.

"He betrayed us," she said.

Here's more reaction from political leaders:A woman who was holding a child inside a house in District Heights, Maryland, was struck by a stray bullet while a boyfriend and girlfriend argued outside, police say.

Prince George's County police say man drove to a home on Senator Avenue with his friends to break up with his girlfriend.

When he got to the house, he started arguing with his girlfriend and they were hitting each other outside, police said.

At one point, police say someone shot a gun in the direction of the girlfriend outside. The bullet missed her, but went into the home and struck a woman, police said.

Police said the woman, a relative, was holding a 4-year-old child in her arms and they both fell on the ground.

Medics took both the woman and child to the hospital and they are expected to be OK.

Police say the boyfriend and his friends quickly drove off after the shooting.

Police do not know who fired the shot.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for updates.Five children, ages 5 to 15, were killed and two adults were hurt in Bowie early Saturday after a car they were riding in crashed into several trees and spun into a field, police say.

Maryland State Police believe the children riding in the back of a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, an SUV, were not restrained properly as they headed north on Route 301 near Pointer Ridge Drive.

The driver, 32-year-old Dominique R. Taylor, lost control of the car about 4:30 a.m. and veered off the side of the road, hitting several trees, a preliminary investigation revealed.

Police say the five children were thrown from the car as it hit the trees and spun out into a field.

London Dixon, 8, and Paris Dixon, 5, both children of Taylor who lived in Bowie and attended Northview Elementary School, and Zion Beard, 14, Rickelle Ricks, 6, and Damari Herald, 15, from D.C, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Taylor was sent to a hospital. Her condition is unclear. Cornell D. Simon, 23, of Oxon Hill, is in critical condition, according to police.

It appears all five children were riding in the backseat, and police said the Chrysler Pacifica only had one row of seats in the rear. Photos from the scene showed extensive damage to the car.

Police have not yet ruled out any possible causes of the crash, but a reconstruction team is working to determine what happened. Roads throughout Maryland were icy, but police haven't confirmed whether weather contributed to the crash and said the state salted roads.

"Every collision where we lose life is a tragedy," said Maryland State Trooper Capt. Daniel Pickett. "And where children are involved, it's more of a tragedy."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks expressed their condolences in Twitter posts.

Deeply saddened by this tragic auto accident in Prince George's County. Praying for everyone involved, including first responders. https://t.co/Mg2JSabepx  Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 2, 2019

The road was closed for more than seven hours after the crash but has since reopened.A Fairfax County man who kidnapped a 13-year-old girl and sexually abused her has been released from prison and is in a halfway house just four miles from the home of the victims parents.

Scott Tyree lured then abused a Pittsburgh-area girl in 2002.

A judge sentenced Tyree to 19 years in prison after Tyree pleaded guilty to a pair of federal sex crimes in 2003. A U.S. Bureau of Prisons database shows Tyrees projected release date from the halfway house is April.

Asked why Tyree was transferred to a halfway house and scheduled for full release after just 16 years in custody, the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement: Inmate release dates include projected time for good conduct and prior credit time received for incarceration prior to a sentencing date.

The halfway house is in Pittsburgh. The victims parents live four miles away in Crafton Heights.

A statement from the Bureau of Prisons indicates Tyree will live near or in Pittsburgh after his release. Though the agency declined to comment on why it placed Tyree in close proximity to the victims family, the Bureau of Prisons said, Inmates are considered for placement in residential re-entry centers nearest their release residence.

The victim, Alicia Kozakiewicz, survived the kidnapping and later became an activist who successfully lobbied for stronger state laws nationwide to prevent sex abuse of children.

This is just such an injustice, and at the very least, my family should have been informed," Kozakiewicz said. "This is unreal. This is something that should not ever have happened.

Tyree held and abused Kozakiewicz at his home in Herndon. His crimes garnered national attention and triggered a national manhunt by the FBI after Kozakiewiczs abduction.

Tyree disseminated images of the sexual abuse of Kozakiewicz online. A viewer of those images recognized Kozakiewicz from missing person posters shared by authorities and notified police.

Im scared to return home," Kozakiewicz said. "My home has been hijacked. Im in fear for my family and for everybody I know.The United States urged all nations Saturday to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido while Russia accused the Trump administration of attempting "to engineer a coup d'etat" against President Nicolas Maduro  a reflection of the world's deep divisions over the crisis in the embattled Latin American country.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the U.N. Security Council at a meeting called by the United States that it's beyond time to back the Venezuelan people as they try to free themselves from what he called Maduro's "illegitimate mafia state" and back Guaido, who has declared himself the country's interim president, arguing that Maduro's re-election was fraudulent.

But Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Venezuela doesn't threaten international peace and security and accused "extremist opponents" of Maduro's legitimate government of choosing "maximum confrontation," including the artificial creation of a parallel government. He urged Pompeo to say whether the U.S. will use military force.

Pompeo later told reporters who asked for a response, "I am not going to speculate or hypothesize on what the U.S. will do next."

What has played out in Venezuela and the world's media between supporters and opponents of the Maduro government played out face-to-face in the chamber of the U.N.'s most powerful body, which has failed to take action on the Venezuelan crisis because of deep divisions, especially among the Security Council's five veto-wielding permanent members.

The leaders of two of those council nations  France and Britain  joined Spain and Germany to turn up the pressure on Maduro Saturday, saying they would follow the U.S. and others in recognizing Guaido unless Venezuela calls new presidential elections within eight days.

But the opposition to Guaido was reflected in the initial procedural vote on whether the 15-member Security Council should even discuss the crisis in Venezuela, which is not on its official agenda.

The United States barely survived the vote to go ahead with the meeting, receiving the minimum nine "yes" votes from the council's six Western nations along with Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic. China, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea joined Russia in voting "no" while Indonesia and Ivory Coast abstained.

Pompeo went after Russia and China, accusing them of trying "to prop up Maduro while he is in dire straits ... in the hopes of recovering billions of dollars in ill-considered investments and assistance made over the years."

But he saved his sharped attack for Cuba, saying no country has done more to sustain "the nightmarish condition of the Venezuelan people." He said Cuba has sent "security and intelligence thugs" to sustain Maduro's "illegitimate rule."

"Now is the time for every other nation to pick a side," Pompeo said. "No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem."

China's U.N. Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu said his government "firmly opposed" the U.S. accusations and doesn't interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

"We hope the country that accuses others can do likewise itself," Ma told the council.

The council meeting came a day after Guaido vowed to remain on the streets until his country has a transitional government, while Maduro dug in and accused his opponents of orchestrating a coup.

"They can cut a flower, but they will never keep spring from coming," Guaido told supporters Friday, alluding to a similar phrase from the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

In rival press conferences, Guaido urged his followers to stage another mass protest next week, while Maduro pushed his call for dialogue.

Each man appeared ready to defend his claim to the presidency no matter the cost, with Guaido telling supporters that if he is arrested they should "stay the course" and peacefully protest.

But the standoff could set the scene for more violence and has plunged troubled Venezuela into a new chapter of political turmoil that rights groups say has already left more than two dozen dead as thousands take to the street demanding Maduro step down.

Guaido took a symbolic oath of office Wednesday proclaiming himself the nation's constitutional leader on grounds that Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent  an allegation supported by the U.S., the European Union and many other nations.

The government of President Donald Trump announced it was recognizing the 35-year-old leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly quickly after his oath, leading Maduro to say that he was breaking all diplomatic ties with the United States and expelling U.S. diplomats. Guaido told the Americans to stay.

Pompeo told the Security Council on Saturday: "Let me be 100 percent clear  President Trump and I fully expect that our diplomats will continue to receive protections provided under the Vienna Convention. Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people."

Guaido's move is the most direct challenge to Maduro's rule despite years of protests at home and international efforts to isolate the regime amid a growing humanitarian crisis fueled by falling oil prices and government mismanagement.

Maduro is accusing the opposition of working with the U.S. to overthrow him. Though over a dozen nations are recognizing Guaido as president, Maduro still has the support of the military and powerful, longtime allies like Russia and China.

"This is nothing more than a coup d'etat, ordered, promoted, financed and supported by the government of the United States," Maduro said Friday. "They intend to put a puppet government in Venezuela, destroy the state and take colonial control of the country."

But he added that he was still willing to talk with the opposition even if he "had to go naked."

Both sides attempted dialogue last year, but it fell apart as Maduro pushed forward with an early election that the country's most popular opposition leaders were barred from running in. Many in the international community condemned that vote and now consider the National Assembly, which Maduro has stripped of its power, the only legitimate institution.Military planes may be spotted in the airfield above San Diego Friday as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar conducts a readiness exercise.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing's exercise will have a high volume of military aircraft in atypical flight patterns, the U.S. Marine Corps said.

The planes will make their way to training ranges above the Pacific Ocean and may pass over Del Mar, University City and Carmel Valley starting at 10 a.m.

The training will last from four to six hours, USMC said.

The video above first appeared live on NBC 7's Facebook page. For more live reports, follow us here.Lucio Santos was born in Mexicali, Mexico in 1992 with a cleft lip and palate. His mother, Guadalupe Moyron, said she knew Lucio needed immediate help because her baby couldn't eat. She made an appointment to see a doctor but to her despair, the doctor didn't show up.

On the very day Moyron was turned away from the clinic, she heard a radio advertisement for the San Diego-based nonprofit Fresh Start. The organization was coming to Mexicali from San Diego to offer surgical help for children in need.

I showed up and the line was extremely long. Two blocks around," Moyron said through a translator. That's how long the wait was. So I was just desperate."

Moyron's desperation turned to action, and she rushed to the front of the line and put baby Lucio into the arms of Fresh Start founder, Dr. Dennis Nigro.

Lucio, now 26 years old, said Dr. Nigro made him a promise when he was just three months old.

"When he saw me he said I was going to be his life project from beginning to end," Santos said.

Shari Brasher, now Fresh Start's CEO, said she remembers Lucio as an infant.

"With every patient, it's incredible, she said. But really, because Lucio is the first patient that I actually remember, it means more because he's come so far and accomplished so much. I've cried many tears telling the story about him."

It would take Lucio more than two decades and 23 surgeries, traveling across the border each time into the United States for treatment, to make this life-altering transformation.

"It's a big transformation, Santos said. They changed my life. So, I think that's what makes me the person who I am right now."

Lucio Santos' Facial Transformation Journey

A team of volunteer doctors, donors and a partnership with Rady Children's Hospital allows Fresh Start to help kids like Santos for free. Since 1991 the nonprofit has helped nearly 8,000 children.

Santos remembers being teased by his peers along his emotional journey, but ultimately, the experience changed more than just his outward appearance.

"I can remember him at about 6 years old saying that one day he's going to want to be a doctor and give back," Brasher said.

And step by step, that dream is becoming a reality.

Just like Fresh Start changed my life, I hope one day I can change some child's life too, Santos said.

Santos is the first in his family to graduate medical school in Mexicali. He's now doing his residency in general surgery in Mexico City and is one step closer to his goal.

To achieve my dream, Santos said. That is to become a plastic surgeon so I can give back like they helped me.

Santos is well on his way to achieving his professional dream, and hes also a father to a little girl.

Hes achieving far beyond what his mother ever dreamed possible. Moyron said she is grateful for who she calls the angels of Fresh Start who kept their promise to her son.

They changed Santos appearance, but more importantly, forever changed his heart.

"When you are with people that treat you like family like Fresh Start, you feel like you're not alone and that you can be everything you want," Lucio said.

Fresh Start is looking to help more young patients with physical and cosmetic deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, disease or abuse. Click here to apply for help or to see a list of procedures and treatments.A brewpub featuring 22 taps, a full menu and plenty of attitude will celebrate its grand opening this weekend in Barrio Logan.

Attitude Brewing Company, which has been fine-tuning its concept since its soft opening in October 2018, will host its official grand opening Saturday. The bicultural, bilingual brewpub is located at 1985 National Ave. in Mercado del Barrio, a hot spot for food and craft beer near the colorful Chicano Park landmark.

City of Arlington

As the name of the brewpub suggests, the craft beers are inspired by different moods. The themed lineup on tap includes Famous, a Mexican-style lager and Invincible, a bold coffee stout.

Attitude owner and brewer Kurt Bach said the beers are created with passion, with the art of craft brewing at the core of his business. He said standout suds include the Intense Northeast Hazy IPA, which he described as citrusy and refreshing, with tropical fruit flavors like pineapple and mango, and the Iconic Hazy Pale Ale brewed with London Fog yeast, which gives it a pale but fruity flavor.

Currently, pints start at $5 (Reckless Blonde Ale), but Bach said most average around the $6 mark. Flights  which include four tasters  sell for $10.

Attitude Brewing Company

Bach said Attitudes kitchen has been up and running for about three weeks with Executive Chef Frank Pazos  a Barrio Logan native  at the helm. Bach said he wants the brewpub to be known for its food as much as its beer.

We cant do awesome on beer and not awesome on our food, Bach told NBC 7.

Since the kitchen opened, Bach said the food aspect of his business has drawn more customers and families.

The fast-casual menu  with entrees priced around $10 to $14  features dishes made using more than 80 percent of ingredients sourced locally including fish bought from local markets. The menu boasts gourmet salads, wraps, burgers, and a signature creation dubbed the Burger Wrap.

We put a bacon cheeseburger and fries inside of a wrap, Bach explained. Sometimes, people come just for the Burger Wrap.

AP

Bach is a big fan of wraps, calling them an efficient way to get a good meal. He also likes that theyre portable and easy to eat. The wraps at Attitude are made with Peruvian tortillas that come in seven different flavors including chipotle, garlic herb, spinach, and jalapeno cilantro.

Bach said the menu also incorporates craft brews into some recipes. For instance, the grilled marinated chicken is marinated in the brewerys Illuminating Hefeweizen, while the beef is marinated in Rebellious Northwestern Red. A beer-cheese sauce made in-house with the Reckless Blonde Ale tops appetizers like loaded nachos and fries.

Bach said he hopes his brewpub is a welcome addition to the diverse community that is Barrio Logan. Bach, who lived in Mexico for more than 20 years, said he loves Latin culture and wanted his business to be located in a community big on culture and arts.

We didnt want to be another brewery in a warehouse, he told NBC 7. Diversity is good for everyone.

Bach said he designed the space to reflect the Latin influence in the community. On its walls, the colorful brewpub displays 18 original oil paintings created by Bachs friend, Mexican artist Paco Racru. The art is for sale and, as the paintings are purchased, Racru creates new works to fill the walls.

Attitude Brewing Company is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Other craft breweries in the neighborhood include Thorn Brewing Co., Iron Fist Brewing, Border X Brewing and Alta Brewing Company.

Attitude is part of a wave of new restaurants planned for Mercado del Barrio including Maggies Cafe, Dough Nations and Liberty Call Distilling.Iceland has become known for churning out strange beauty in music, from Sigur Ros to Bjork and producer/composer Olafur Arnalds.

Arnalds, who started off his career as a metal drummer, made the transition to more composition-based work between 2004 and 2007, after composing and recording two instrumental tracks for German metal band Heaven Shall Burn. That might seem like a far cry from what NPR's Bob Boilen calls "some of the most beautiful music Ive ever heard at Tiny Desk, made all the more mysterious through its presentation," but beauty and brutality often go hand in hand.

"[Bringing classical music back to the mainstream] is not a particular mission of mine, although I do enjoy making the occasional poke at the lost ghost that is mainstream classical music. With the years I have come to realize more and more how far outside classical music my music really stands -- sure, there are classical instruments, but what else? For me, there seems to be a new thing brewing and thats more exciting to me," Arnalds told me over email last week.

Where classical- and composition-based music really operates within the mainstream -- even if it is largely secondary in nature -- is in the television and movie industries. Hence, Arnalds' soundtrack credits, including the score for the British serial crime drama, "Broadchurch."

"When writing for TV or film means there is usually a pretty clear guideline in the script, storyline, or feel of the project. It doesnt always tell you what to do, but at least it tells you quite clearly what not to do. Whereas writing an album there is no such limits. The album is a process of experimentation and exploration that often goes way beyond the world of music to define those limits," Arnalds said.

Arnalds has found his own ways of defining the limits of musical experimentation when it comes to album writing. He's utilized programmable player pianos to improvise alongside him, developing a software called Stratus with his friend Halldor Eldjarn.

"It [Stratus] controls two player pianos that react to what I play on a third piano. What makes it really exciting to me is that I can't always predict what the other pianos play. There's a semi-generative element to it that make the pianos react a little different each time. This little unexpected responses have an effect on what I play. It becomes almost like improv. I play something and Stratus responds," Arnalds said.

"We spent almost two years on it. Probably the longest Ive ever worked on anything, really. It gave me a new way of thinking about my music and how I create it. Making it automatically put an emphasis on the process of writing, helped me get lost in what I was doing. It made me realise how being creative is often dependant on doing things in a new way, getting out of your rut. This whole process of experimentation was really the inspiration for the new album," he added.

That doesn't mean he's a die-hard futurist, however. At heart, he's still an idealist about the creative process and the purpose of art.

"I'm really not interested in music written by AI [artificial intelligence]. What's interesting about music, to me, is personal expression. Technological advancements on the other hand can be great as a tool. Although definitely not a requirement. So much of the world's greatest music was made with very limited gear. Sometimes art thrives on boundaries. In the end it's up to the musician to make good music -- with or without technology," Arnalds explained.

Olafur Arnalds headlines Observatory North Park on Saturday, Feb. 2. Get tickets here.

Rutger Ansley Rosenborg has been an Associate Editor at NBC SoundDiego since 2016. Find out more here, or contact him here.Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...High Temperatures of 97 to 101. * WHERE...In Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington and Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Washington. In Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon and Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. * WHEN...From noon today to 9 PM PDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Temperatures will be slightly cooler Tuesday through Thursday before very hot temperatures return at the end of the week. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&A federal judge on Friday cautioned longtime Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone not to treat the charges against him like a public relations campaign or book tour, and said she may issue a gag order in the case.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she had already noticed a significant amount of publicity in the case, including television appearances in which Stone has asserted his innocence.

"This is a criminal proceeding and not a public relations campaign," Jackson said, adding that "it behooves counsel and the parties to do their talking in this courtroom and in their pleadings and not on the courthouse steps or on the talk show circuit."

She said Stone may have "justifiably felt the need to get his story out," but his public statements risk tainting a pool of jurors who may ultimately decide his case.

Jackson did not immediately issue an order barring Stone or prosecutors from discussing the case, giving both sides until next week to weigh in. She said even if she did issue an order, the talkative political operative would still be free to opine on other matters.

"It would not be a bar on all public relations, activities or press communications, but only those related to this case," she said. "A party could discuss foreign relations, immigration or Tom Brady as much as they wanted."

Stone, 66, who was arrested last week in a pre-dawn raid at his Florida home, is the sixth Trump aide charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of witness tampering, obstruction and false statements.

Wearing a double-breasted pinstripe suit, Stone emerged from the courthouse after Friday's hearing and struck his two-handed victory pose in homage to former President Richard Nixon. He was then whisked away into a waiting vehicle amid supporters holding "Roger Stone did nothing wrong" signs. A protester held up a placard reading "Treason."

Stone made the rounds on television last weekend and held a news conference Thursday at a Washington hotel, where he said he was prepared to tell the truth to Mueller but he had no derogatory information about Trump, his longtime friend.

"I have great affection and remain a strong and loyal supporter of the president," Stone said.

He also said he was prepared to adhere to a gag order if the judge issued one but that he would likely appeal it. Among his lawyers is a noted First Amendment attorney who successfully represented the rap group 2 Live Crew in an obscenity court case nearly 30 years ago.

A seven-count indictment accuses Stone of misleading Congress about interactions with friends in which he discussed emails that were stolen from Democratic groups and in the possession of WikiLeaks. The anti-secrecy website released the communications in the weeks before the presidential election in an effort to harm Hillary Clinton's campaign.

But the indictment doesn't charge Stone or anyone close to the campaign of coordinating directly with WikiLeaks or having advance knowledge of its plans.

"I am not accused of Russian collusion, I am not accused of collaboration with WikiLeaks, I am not accused of conspiracy," Stone said Thursday. "There is no evidence or accusation that I knew in advance about the source or content of the WikiLeaks material."

In a court filing Thursday, prosecutors said the FBI seized physical devices from his home, apartment and office. They said multiple hard drives containing several terabytes of information have been recovered, including bank and financial records and the contents of numerous phones and computers.

Jackson also presides over Mueller's prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and issued a gag order in that case after one of Manafort's attorneys addressed reporters outside the courthouse following his first court appearance.In the mid-1990s, several underground tanks containing gasoline or diesel fuel were removed from the property, but there are other underground tanks on the site and their condition may have deteriorated since the 2014 studies, according to the company. There also is a small area on the property where fluorescent light bulbs were broken up and discarded where there is a concern for some mercury contamination of soil, according to Tetra Tech documents. Stored in buildings are containers, some missing labels, of cleaning chemicals as well as motor oil and other lubricants, according to the company.What to Know Exclusive video caught a man clinging on the hood of an SUV down the Mass. Pike in an apparent road rage incident.

The driver, IDd as Mark Fitzgerald, and the man on the hood, Richard Kamrowski, were arrested after the Friday incident.

Fitzgerald allegedly drove a very significant distance with Kamrowski on the hood of his SUV.

Exclusive video shows an SUV driving a significant distance on the Massachusetts Turnpike with a man on the hood.

An apparent road rage incident took place on the westbound side of Interstate 90 near the exchange with Interstate 95 in Weston. State police say two vehicles had been involved in a minor sideswipe in that town.

After a verbal altercation, police say 65-year-old Richard Kamrowski of Framingham jumped onto a white Inifiniti SUV being driven by 37-year-old Mark Fitzgerald of Lynn.

Police say Fitzgerald drove "a very significant distance" with Kamrowski on the hood, slowing and accelerating when he would not get off of the vehicle.

The SUV reached speeds of 70 mph during the incident.

"I thought he was going to run over me," Kamrowski told NBC10 Boston. "I don't think he stopped, he kept going fast, slow, fast, slow, to get me to slide off."

Video from the scene showed that the SUV's windshield had been cracked. Fitzgerald appeared to run the windshield wipers with Kamrowski on the hood in the footage.

Authorities say good Samaritans intervened. A man could be seen on video pointing a gun at the SUV. When officers arrived, they were initially seen pointing a gun at that armed person.

Fitzgerald was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, negligent operation and leaving the scene of a crash causing property damage. Kamrowski was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

"I was assaulted. That's it," Kamrowski told NBC10 Boston. "I just kept telling him, 'Stop the car, stop the car,' and he wouldn't stop."

Fitzgerald refused to speak with NBC10 Boston Friday, running away from our camera and into a vehicle, slamming the door behind him.

Kamrowski said Fitzgerald sideswiped him, and that he ended up on the hood during the altercation that ensued.

"I felt that he bumped me, and I kind of, you know, was pushed up," he said.

Kamrowski said he was grateful that the man with the gun came, as well as officers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Massachusetts State Police.What to Know A former college student is speaking publicly for the first time about being brutally gang-raped at a frat party while bystanders watched

It happened at a frat party at Ramapo College in 2014. She said she's still dealing with the trauma years later

She's suing the college, believing it failed to to protect her and says more security could have prevented the assault

A New Jersey college student who was brutally gang-raped at a fraternity party while bystanders videotaped it in 2014 is telling her story for the first time in an exclusive interview.

The woman said she now wants to share what happened to let other women who have been assaulted know they're not alone.

"I need to hold my ground," said the woman, who asked to keep her identity hidden in the interview with News 4 New York. "I need to say this is where I said, 'It's not OK what happened, and we need to do something about it.'"

The woman, who was then a 19-year-old student at Ramapo College, said she only remembers taking a few shots in the kitchen at the party from that night. She blacked out and woke up the next morning in a stranger's dorm room.

"I was completely naked," she said. "All my clothes were folded on a desk next to me. And there were two boys I didn't know in the beds across from me."

She immediately went to a hospital and notified police. Detectives pieced together the horrifying details of what happened to her and told her she'd been raped.

"It felt like it happened to someone else," she said. "When you don't remember something like that, something so dramatic like that, it's very scary."

According to a lawsuit filed by the victim against Ramapo College, while she was passed out, two fellow students "played the juvenile game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'... in order to determine who would get to sexually assault and rape the plaintiff."

"It makes you feel like, that's what you're worth to people," she said. "Like they don't see you as a person, they just see you as something to use."

It didn't end there. Prosecutors said while she was incapacitated, she was taken to another dorm room across campus, where she was assaulted again. Three students there watched the rape but did nothing to help, according to the lawsuit, instead "falling down laughing, hysterically, while also videotaping the sexual assault."

That people had witnessed what happened to her and took videos, "that's worse than the people who actually did something, in my opnion, because I feel like there were so many people, even at the party, that had opportunities to step in."

She dropped out of school a week later and now continues to struggle from the trauma.

"I have anxiety. I never had anxiety before," she said. "I felt like I had a plan four years ago of where my life was going, and then this happened and everything was just thrown off course."

Nakeem Gardner and Christian Lopez pleaded guilty to sexual assault and were sentenced to five and seven years, respectively. Three other students were charged with endangering a victim, and they accepted a deal to have the charges dismissed in exchange for completing a pre-trial intervention program.

"If one person would have intervened, they could have stopped this whole night from escalating into what happened," the woman said.

But she believes Ramapo College also failed to protect her, and is suing the school and the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. She said more security could have prevented the assault.

"I was driven through campus checkpoints, I was taken into dorms where I had no business being, where there's supposed to be someone monitoring who comes in and out of these dorms," she said.

In response to the assault, Ramapo College commissioned two independent investigations. The reports from the investigations, obtained by News 4, recommended more security and training for staff.

The school would not comment on the pending lawsuit or security changes they've made, but told News 4 in a statement, "Ramapo College takes seriously and investigates all complaints of sexual assault in compliance with federal and state laws and guidelines, including Title IX. Due to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, the College will have no further comment."

Pi Kappa Alpha said it revoked the Ramapo chapter's charter. The five former students charged declined News 4's requests for comment.Police say a suspect in a 2009 murder who fled to Australia has finally been extradited and arrested.

Abakar Gadjiyev, 37, was arrested Friday in the March 4, 2009, death of businessman Vladislav Tolstykh, the NYPD said. He will be arraigned Monday on charges including murder.

Tolstykh was the owner of a store in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood. Police say he was robbed and beaten to death by two masked men as he was carrying cash to pay his employees.

Gadjiyev fought extradition for years but was returned to the United States this week. It's not clear if he has an attorney who can speak for him.

The Daily News reports that Gadjiyev's accomplice fled to Turkmenistan, which doesn't have an extradition agreement with the United States.A Virginia man under the influence of marijuana bit his dog, pushed his neighbor to the ground, wandered around a neighborhood naked and then bit an off-duty FBI agent in the span of just a few hours, police say.

An officer found 31-year-old Cory Michael Phillips standing in the middle of Nottingham Drive in Manassas naked about 8:35 a.m. Tuesday.

The officer believed Phillips was under the influence of an unknown substance and tried to detain him, but Phillips refused to respond to commands, police say.

During the struggle, an off-duty FBI agent stopped to help the officer.

At one point, the officer pepper-sprayed Phillips but police say the suspect came at the 51-year-old FBI agent. During a struggle with the agent and the officer, the suspect bit the agent on the neck, police said.

The officer eventually detained the suspect and took him to a hospital as a precaution.

Both the officer and FBI agent had minor injuries.

Police say they later discovered that Phillips had smoked marijuana earlier that morning inside his home and started acting erratically. He picked up his dog, a 5-year-old Labrador-boxer mix, squeezed it and bit the dog on the ears and chest, police said. The dog had minor injuries.

Phillips then went outside and pushed a 60-year-old woman to the ground who had attempted to intervene before officers arrived, police say. She was not hurt.

Phillips has been charged with malicious wounding, animal cruelty, possession of marijuana, assault and battery, obstruction of justice and public intoxication.

Phillips is now at the Adult Detention Center where he remains held without bond. A court date has been set for Mar. 5.What to Know Nicolas Maduro, the embattled president of Venezuelan, is being called to step down amid worldwide protests.

Juan Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's National Assembly legislature, is being recognized as the South American country's interim president.

Thousands of Venezuelans gathered throughout South Florida on Saturday to show support for interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaido and to protest against Nicolas Maduro's regime.

Rallies took place in numerous locations, including Doral, Weston and West Palm Beach.

Vice President Mike Pence was in Doral on Friday where he addressed the Venezuelan crisis during a meeting with Venezuelan community representatives.

This is no time for dialogue. This is time for action and the time has come to end the Maduro dictatorship, Pence wrote on Twitter.

The vice president met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Scott and U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart.

President Donald Trumps administration has reiterated in recent weeks that Maduro is the former president of Venezuela and has warned him to refrain from any intimidation and violence against Guadio or any U.S. diplomat in Venezuela.

The Trump administration imposed sanctions this week against PDVSA, which would freeze the assets of the state-owned oil company and payments made to the Maduro regime.

The protests are part of pressure mounting against Maduro to urge him to step down from power.

Maduro won the election with a wide margin last May. Opposition leaders considered the election to be fraudulent because their main party leaders were disqualified.

The opposition says Maduro usurped the presidency and considers his second six-year term to be illegitimate. The Venezuelan Constitution states that the president of the National Assembly would be in charge of the executive branch until elections are held.

Guaido reiterated his request to Venezuelan security forces not to shoot at the community who is protesting when they take the streets.NBC 6 anchor Jackie Nespral got a chance to speak with Vice President Mike Pence on the United States' response to the presidential crisis in Venezuela.

On Friday, Pence made a South Florida stop to shine light on the Trump administration's policies toward Venezuela.

He met with exiles from the local Venezuelan community and promised to support the people seeking freedom in the South American nation.

For an extended look at the one-on-one with Vice President Pence, tune into NBC 6 Impact with Jackie Nespral at 9:35 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3.Here are some of the trending stories on NBC6.com this week:

Coast Guard: Boat with 132 Pounds of Cocaine Found off Miami

The U.S. Coast Guard says it detained two smuggling suspects after intercepting a boat carrying 132 pounds of cocaine in the waters off suburban Miami. In a statement, the Coast Guard said the 35-foot pleasure craft was stopped Thursday in Atlantic waters about five miles east of Haulover Inlet. Click here for the full story.

Publix Issues Recall for Popcorn Chicken Sold in Deli Over Fears of Foreign Material

Publix Supermarkets has issued a recall for one of their more popular deli items over a concern that it may contain a foreign material. In a statement released Thursday, the company issued the voluntary recall for popcorn chicken sold both hot and in refrigerated cases at all Florida stores and in stores located in southern Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. Click here for more details on the affected products.

South Florida Mans Cell Phone Caught Fire, Not Under Recall

A South Florida man says he was walking along a canal when his mobile phone overheated and spontaneously caught fire. It started to get very, very hot. I switched hands so I didnt drop it in the canal and it burst into flames. I dropped it on the ground and there was nothing I could do but just watch it burn, said the man. Click here for the full investigation.

A South Florida man reached out to NBC 6 Responds after he says his cell phone spontaneously caught fire. His phone is not under a nationwide recall.

Universal Orlando Set to Hire 2,500 Employees Ahead of Spring Break Season

One of Floridas top theme parks is looking to fill thousands of positions ahead of the busy spring break season. Universal Orlando announced they will hold several job fairs over the next few weeks to hire around 2,500 full and part time workers for positions that include everything from attractions, food services and sales to custodial and warehouse. Click here for more details on the job fairs.

Where to Watch Super Bowl 2019 This Sunday

If youre looking for somewhere to watch the big game this Sunday, there are plenty of places around South Florida where you can watch it. A lot of them are even offering special promotions on food and drink, making sure you have a great time while not breaking the bank. Click here for a full list.

Chef Adrianne Calvo shows off how to make chicken wings for your Super Bowl party.A veteran Los Angeles City Hall official is one of the latest victims of an epidemic of the infectious disease typhus that continues to worsen across LA County.

For months, LA County public health officials have said typhus is mainly hitting the homeless population.

But Deputy City Attorney Liz Greenwood, a veteran prosecutor, tells NBC4 she was diagnosed with typhus in November, after experiencing high fevers and excruciating headaches.

"It felt like somebody was driving railroad stakes through my eyes and out the back of my neck," Greenwood told the I-Team. "Who gets typhus? It's a medieval disease that's caused by trash."

The Symptoms of Typhus

Greenwood believes she contracted typhus from fleas in her office at City Hall East. Fleas often live on rats, which congregate in the many heaps of trash that are visible across the city of LA, and are a breeding ground for typhus.

"There are rats in City Hall and City Hall East," Greenwood added. "There are enormous rats and their tails are as long as their bodies."

Last year set a new record for the number of typhus cases  124 in LA County for the year, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Last October, Mayor Garcetti vowed to clean up piles of garbage throughout the city to combat the typhus epidemic.

The Mayor allocated millions of dollars to increase clean-ups of streets in the Skid Row area, known lately as "the typhus zone."

But four months later, the I-Team documented huge piles of garbage just outside the "typhus zone."

"You can't solve it (the typhus epidemic) until you hit the cause," says Estela Lopez of the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District, "and the cause of it is that you still have these mountains of trash."

Added Greenwood: "This is a terrible illness and I wouldn't wish this on anybody. But it's not just homeless folks getting it."

She believes the city should fumigate City Hall and City Hall East to protect the thousands of workers and visitors who could be at risk from getting typhus.

Responding to complaints from other city workers fearful of getting typhus, LA has already fumigated LAPDs Central Division office and parts of the LAPDs main headquarters.

Garcetti's office did not respond to NBC4's questions about why the city hasn't fully fumigated City Hall buildings as well.

Greenwood says she doesn't want to return to work at City Hall East until the entire building is fumigated for typhus-carrying fleas.

"I am concerned about going back to work and getting this again, because I thought I was going to die," Greenwood said.

Statement from Mayor Garcetti's Office:

"Last fall we directed multiple City departments to begin a coordinated and comprehensive effort to improve cleanliness and protect public health in the Civic Center, including City Hall and City Hall East. In addition to increased trash collection and cleanings, aggressive action has been taken to address pests both in the buildings and in the surrounding outside areas  including abatement treatments and the filling of 60 rodent burrows and 114 tree wells. This work in busy and highly populated public buildings is executed carefully to protect workers and visitors, and the scheduling of extermination activities takes these factors into consideration." -- Vicki Curry, spokeswoman, city of Los AngelesA man and a woman wanted as suspects in the killing of a 70-year-old grandmother shot in the face during an attempted Christmas Day purse snatching in Inglewood were taken into custody Friday in Texas, police said.

Lourdes Padilla of Inglewood was shot about 1 p.m. on Dec. 25 near the intersection of Yukon Avenue and 104th Street, according to the Inglewood Police Department.

Responding officers found the wounded woman down on the sidewalk.

Padilla was in critical condition when she was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead two days later, police said Padilla had left home to go to a store before she was shot.

Police allege that one suspect -- 20-year-old Donovan Bingaman, whose last known address was in Las Vegas -- was driving a car and that the other suspect, 29-year-old Lizet Martinez, got out and tried to take Padilla's purse, then shot her in the face when she resisted.

"Miss Padilla was a mother and a grandmother and all she was doing was walking on the street on Christmas," Mayor James Butts said earlier this month. "It's incomprehensible that anyone would have even have bothered her let alone shot her for her purse."

The suspects were stopped by the Casa Grande Police Department in Arizona on Jan. 18, but they sped away in a white Nissan Versa with paper plates leading to a high-speed chase. They managed to get away, according to Inglewood police Lt. Oscar Mejia.

Bingaman and Martinez were taken into custody in Odessa, Texas, after coming into contact with officers there, according to Inglewood police.

The exact timing and details of their apprehension were not immediately available.

Both Bingaman, who was described as a member of Las Vegas Eastside Locos gang, and Martinez were considered armed and dangerous.

A gofundme effort started by a friend of Padilla's family has raised $4,058 toward a goal of $10,000 to assist the woman's loved ones in their time of need.

Padilla's family issued a statement thanking those who have offered condolences or made contributions, while also asking for privacy.

Anyone with information about the shooting was urged to call (310) 412-5124 to speak to Inglewood Police Detective L. Rodriguez, or the watch commander at (310) 412-5206.

The department's 24-hour tipline can be reached at (888) 412-7463.

Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

Tips can be submitted anonymously.Theres people from all walks of life who have experienced  adversity or something awesome, said library Director Nicki Seidl. It can be people who belong to a group who maybe have experienced prejudice or misconceptions. ... Say somebody is a drag queen or member of the LGBT community, and somebody (in the audience) could talk to them, and it brings an understanding of how other people live through respectful conversation.The "Shoot Like A Girl" mobile range is making a stop in North Texas this weekend.

The semitractor-trailer will be parked outside Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine.

Inside the mobile simulation range, women 16 years old or older, can shoot pistols, rifles and compound bows.

"There is something really self-satisfying about aiming at a target, squeezing a trigger and releasing an arrow and hitting exactly where you want to it just makes you feel good," said Karen Butler, president and founder of Shoot Like A Girl.

Saturday, dozens of women checked out the mobile range on one of its stops in The Great American Tour.

Amy Stack, from McKinney, had never shot a firearm before.

"My husband encouraged me to go on in because I never shot before, and I wasn't comfortable around guns," Stack said.

Stack learned about gun safety and how to properly handle firearms.

"I did something out of my comfort zone and really enjoyed it," she said.

Traci Rodney also attended the event.

"I'm a shooter and I like shooting," Rodney said.

Rodney said she wanted to meet and learn from the ladies behind "Shoot Like A Girl."

"I'm at a male-dominated store, but yet I'm able to talk with the women and feel comfortable asking questions and getting familiar with guns," she said.

All of the teachers Saturday were women and NRA-certified instructors.

The "Shoot Like A Girl" mobile range will be open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine.To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories across North Texas, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week and capsulize them in this digest with the most recent updates.

In our 5+5 format, we'll publish the first 5 on Saturday morning and the second 5 on Sunday.

Mesquite Police Arrest Man Accused of Sexual Assault of a Child

A Forney man was charged Tuesday in the sexual assault of a child Monday morning near Poteet High School, police say. Billy A. Williams was arrested after giving a full confession to police, according to a Mesquite Police Department news release. Williams, 36, is charged with one count of sexual assault of a child, the release said. No bond information was released and it was not clear if Williams has obtained an attorney. On Tuesday, Mesquite Police obtained two additional warrants for Williams for indecency with a child. They said the charges are related to a separate female who reached out due to recent news coverage and knew Williams through youth sports. To read more about this story, click here.

Police in Mesquite are asking for help locating a sexual assault suspect, accused of assaulting a woman near Poteet High School Monday morning.

Classmates Surprise McKinney Teen with Dance Thrown in Her Honor

A McKinney high school student gets the surprise of her life when fellow students throw a school dance in her honor. To read more about this story, click here.

A McKinney high school student gets the surprise of her life when fellow students throw a school dance in her honor.

UTA Researchers Discover New Species of Snake -- Inside Belly of Another Snake

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington are celebrating after finding a new species of snake, but it's how they made their exciting discovery that's really turning heads. Dr. Jonathan Campbell and his team traveled to a remote part of Mexico, accessible only by horseback, to catalogue and look at different kinds of reptiles that lived in the area. A family they befriended had recently killed a coral snake that wandered onto their property. Eager to preserve to it, he went to collect it. "At that point, I noticed it had something in it's belly," said Campbell, a Professor of Biology at UTA. "So I dissected another snake out. And much to my surprise, it was something I was totally unfamiliar with. I thought I knew most of the snakes in that area. But with a little bit of research, we were certain it was a new species." To read more about this story, click here.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington are celebrating after finding a new species of snake, but it's how they made their exciting discovery that's really turning heads.

Sachse Boy With Rare Condition In Race Against Time

The family of a 5-year-old Sachse boy is asking for help to find a treatment for their son. Declan Sink has a rare genetic condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome, also known as childhood Alzheimer's. Patients are born with DNA mutation that causes am important enzyme to be made improperly or not at all. As a result, their body cannot breakdown and recycle natural cellular waste. To read more about this story, click here.

Five-year-old Declan has Sanfilippo Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes Alzheimer's symptoms. His family is up against the clock to find a treatment.

Raccoon Pool Party Caught on Camera

A family of raccoons held a pool party in Houston and it was caught on camera. Bo Rodriguez says he didn't realize it happened until he checked his security footage and found the ring-tailed bandits in his backyard at about 4 a.m. The raccoons seemed to be enjoying the early morning dip until the neighbor's dog barked at them and they took off. To read more about this story, click here.

A family of raccoons held a pool party in Houston and it was caught on camera. Bo Rodriguez says he didnt realize it happened until he checked his security footage and found the ring-tailed bandits in his backyard at about 4 a.m. The raccoons seemed to be enjoying the early morning dip until the neighbors dog barked at them and...

Check back and look for 5 more stories on Sunday.Nine men  up from six earlier this week  are being force-fed under court order in a detention center in El Paso, Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

One of the hunger strikers, a 22-year-old man from India who called The Associated Press on Friday, described how he is dragged from his cell three times a day and strapped down on a bed. He said a group of people force-feed him by pouring liquid into tubes pushed through his nose.

The man, who AP is identifying only by his last name Singh out of family concerns for his safety, stopped eating more than a month ago. In mid-January, ICE obtained court orders to begin non-consensual hydration and feeding, and so for weeks they've had nasal tubes inserted in their noses and IVs in their arms.

The AP first reported on the force-feeding Wednesday.

"They tie us on the force-feeding bed, and then they put a lot of liquid into the tubes, and the pressure is immense so we end up vomiting it out," said Singh. "We can't talk properly, and we can't breathe properly. The pipe is not an easy process, but they try to push it down our noses and throats."

Speaking through an interpreter, Singh said he has lost 50 pounds since he began his hunger strike. He said he is refusing food to protest guards' unfair treatment of him and other detainees from Punjab. He said they are being denied bond while detainees from other countries were allowed out.

In a statement, ICE said it fully respects the rights of all people to voice their opinion without interference.

"ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers. ICE explains the negative health effects of not eating to our detainees. For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike," the agency said.

The AP's reports on the force-feeding have garnered international headlines and angry responses from policymakers and human rights advocates.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, visited some of the men after the initial reports, tweeting afterward that their situation is "unacceptable."

"El Paso and our country are better than this," she said.

Human Rights Watch published a dispatch Friday describing force-feeding as "cruel, inhuman and degrading."

Hunger strikes among immigrant detainees are uncommon, and court orders authorizing force-feeding are rare, said an ICE official, noting that once force-feeding is approved, detainees have in the past given up their hunger strikes.

Although the agency doesn't keep statistics on this, attorneys, advocates and ICE staffers who AP spoke with did not recall a situation at an immigration detention site where it has come to this.

Detainees, their attorneys and advocates have said that up to 30 men have been on hunger strikes over the last month. According to ICE, 10 detainees from India and Nicaragua who are being held at the El Paso detention site have refused nine consecutive meals  the immigration agency's benchmark for when to start calling refusal to eat a hunger strike.

Last week AP heard from Cubans in the facility who also said they were refusing food.

Another four detainees are on hunger strikes in the agency's Miami, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco areas of responsibility, agency spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said. She did not say whether they were being force-fed.

Singh said he came to the United States in August of last year along with his cousin, seeking to escape violence in his home state of Punjab in India. Court records show he was arrested for illegally entering the U.S. near El Paso and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. His uncle, Amrit Singh, said that his asylum claim had been denied.

A volunteer who has visited the facility said that the men have been requesting pillows to elevate their heads when the liquid nutrition is administered through their noses because the material backs up and causes them pain.

Nathan Craig, a volunteer with the nonprofit group Advocate Visitors with Immigrants in Detention, told the AP that one of the men he spoke with has a thyroid condition and has not been receiving his medicine.

"Both of the men I spoke to personally have visible trouble walking, they are frail and they are receiving by IV liquids, something like three times a day," Craig said after an earlier visit.

Singh said they're not getting the help they've requested.

"We keep asking them on a daily basis for the pillows, but we don't have the pillows yet," Singh said. "They don't give us wheelchairs, despite the fact that we are so weak. They drag us on our feet."

The force-feeding of detainees through nasal tubes at Guantanamo Bay garnered international blowback. Hunger strikes began shortly after the military prison opened in 2002, with force-feeding starting in early 2006 following mass refusals to eat. There have also been high profile cases in a high security federal prison.

The International Red Cross, American Medical Association and World Medical Association condemn force-feeding hunger strikers as unethical.What started as an online fundraiser to provide President Donald Trump with donations for his southern border wall has morphed into a foundation whose members vow to build a wall themselves.

The "We The People Will Build the Wall" campaign has surpassed $20 million since it was created in December by Air Force veteran and triple amputee Brian Kolfage. The campaign has received almost 350,000 donations even as wall opponents derided the effort and after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended with Congress refusing Trump's demand for billions in wall funding.

Kolfage and other Trump supporters have now organized a nonprofit corporation, WeBuildtheWall Inc. Its board of directors includes former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a hardline immigration opponent who has advised Trump. The group spent part of this week in South Texas touring the U.S.-Mexico border and meeting landowners the group hopes will allow private construction on their land.

Whether a private group could build such a wall remains to be seen. There are legal and environmental obstacles in South Texas that have delayed the U.S. government, even with its powers to seize land and waive laws for national security.

The group acknowledges the obstacles. But Dustin Stockton, one of the group's leaders, said he still believed they could build something in "months, not years."

"We talked to several people who weren't interested in having a wall five or six years ago who have since changed their mind based on what they're seeing happening on their land," Stockton said. He declined to identify the landowners they met, but said they said the security situation at the border had gotten significantly worse.

Experts on border walls are skeptical.

"If there is a landowner who wants a wall built on their property and they happen to have property near the border, I suppose they could convince the person to let them build on their property," said Efren Olivares, a lawyer with the Texas Civil Rights Project who is organizing landowners against a border wall. "It's extremely silly for achieving any kind of objective."

The fundraising so far "is still a tiny sum compared to the cost of any significant fencing on the border," said Reece Jones, a University of Hawaii professor and author of the book "Violent Borders."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is working to build 33 miles (53 kilometers) of new walls and fencing in the Rio Grande Valley. The construction was funded by Congress in March. So far, the government has awarded 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) of construction for a total of $313 million, or roughly $22 million a mile.

The average cost of 1 mile built by the government exceeds what the campaign has raised.

"Walls alone are a very ineffective way to secure a border because they are expensive and still need to be constantly guarded," Jones said. "Even then, people regularly go over, under, around, or through them."

Most land along the Rio Grande is privately owned, and many landowners oppose surrendering their land for a border wall.

The U.S. government has the authority to seize land under eminent domain and will likely have to sue many landowners to build more barriers. It can also waive environmental laws to speed construction. A private group doesn't have those powers.

The river also feeds wildlife -- including many endangered species -- as well as farmland on both sides. A bi-national commission governs flood control on the river, and building at the water's edge is particularly difficult due to concerns about terrain and flooding.

Kolfage originally promised to donate any proceeds from his campaign to the U.S. government. But the group announced in January that it would instead fund a private construction effort. Donors before the change had 90 days to opt into the new effort or receive a refund. A spokesman for GoFundMe, the online fundraising site Kolfage used, says 53 percent of donors have opted in, and 57 percent of donors had responded as of last Friday.

The online fundraiser claims to have Trump's blessing, though the president has not tweeted or spoken publicly about the effort. The White House did not respond to a request for comment last week.

Kolfage posted a photo Monday of the sign outside the CBP Rio Grande Valley sector headquarters. He captioned it: "Time to see what USCBP thinks of our border wall plans." An agency spokesman said Kolfage did not have any meetings with local agents or chiefs; Stockton later confirmed there'd been no meeting.

WeBuildtheWall Inc. will employ a paid staff, though the group has not said how many employees it will have or how much they will be paid.

It continues to raise tens of thousands of dollars a day, Stockton said.

"It's an expression of the frustration of people all over the country about our politicians in Washington's inability to get the job done," he said.Three more Texas men have recently pleaded guilty to stealing 654 firearms from United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Missouri.

Raynord Hunt, of Dallas, pleaded guilty Friday to charges in a federal indictment. Eric White, of Arlington, Texas, and Derrick White, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to the same charges in January.

Frank McChriston and Keith Lowe, both of Dallas, and Quinton Haywood, of Glenn Heights, Texas, earlier pleaded guilty to the same charges.

All six men admitted they worked together to steal cargo that was being shipped from Beretta USA in Maryland to Missouri in October 2017. They also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting each other to possess stolen firearms.

The guns were en route to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield.What to Know Nonprofit that works to support the growth of industrial hemp says CBD oil is not legal in all 50 states.

CBD user suggests strengthening laws against CBD would cause an 'uproar' and that supporters "would not go down quietly."

The Texas Attorney General refused to give an opinion on CBD oil unless requested to do so by a state official or agency.

Amanda Ruane was hurting. She needed something.

"You know, the depression was so heavy. I can't even describe it," Ruane recalled from her home in McKinney. For her, what worked was CBD oil, the new health craze in North Texas that is drawing questions on whether its legal.

Ruane swears by the oil, saying people like her can improve their lives with CBD because it can relieve depression, calm anxiety and reduce the severity of epileptic seizures.

Ruane said she assumed CBD oil was legal in Texas because stores selling the product were opening up all across the state.

"They sell it just out in the open, right down the road here," Ruane said.

Charles Hocking

But in neighboring Tarrant County, prosecutors say possession of some CBD products can land a person in jail on felony drug charges.

"It's illegal. And until the legislature changes that, it's going to continue to be illegal," said Larry Moore, criminal division chief for the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office.

CBD oil is derived from hemp, a plant that's part of the cannabis family. But it does not produce a high because it contains little or no THC, the intoxicant in marijuana, which is also part of the cannabis group.

Not all Texas prosecutors agree on what to do about CBD. Some told NBC 5 Investigates they will "not" aggressively pursue CBD-only cases, while others said they are still deciding how to deal with the oil.

If you've been out at all recently, you've likely seen the newest health craze -- CBD oil. But is it legal in Texas? Well, that depends on who you ask.

The Texas Attorney General's Office, meanwhile, has not issued a legal opinion on how state law relates to CBD.

"I would say it's very muddy," said Texas Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Dist. 91), at Tarrant County Republican who is working on a bill to clarify things.

Klick has already authored the state's "compassionate use" law, creating three licensed dispensaries where patients with severe epilepsy can buy medicinal CBD with a prescription.

NBC 5 News

A retired nurse, Klick said she believes more people may one day benefit from CBD, but that there needs to be better regulation to ensure the ingredients are safe in non-prescription CBD.

"The buyers really should beware because they really currently do not know what these products contain," she said.

Dallas pharmacist Emile Abdo, who sells CBD products, said he supports so-called "truth-in-labeling" laws, because "there's a lot of products out there that are mislabeled."

NBC 5 News

But he said he hopes the state does not prevent people from purchasing quality CBD, because the oil is helping many patients.

"As a pharmacist, and being on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, I think it's important for us to be able to provide different therapies that aren't addictive," Abdo said.

He is among a growing number of shop owners who said they believe CBD is currently legal in Texas, pointing to the recent passage of the federal farm bill that legalized hemp as a commercial crop.

But some experts told NBC 5 Investigates that the different states set their own rules, and that Texas, unlike the federal government, has not legalized farming hemp.

NBC 5 News

The Hemp Association, a nonprofit group that works to support the growth of industrial hemp, said CBD oil is not legal in all 50 states as some advertisers have claimed. However, the association said it will push the Texas State Legislature to make CBD more accessible for people like Amanda Ruane.

If, instead, Texas toughens the laws against CBD, Ruane said, "then they really need to think about the consequences and the uproar that's going to come with it. Because we are not going to go down quietly. I know I'm not."

A retired Fort Worth SWAT officer is selling CBD, many times to police officers who are using it to treat a variety of ailments, despite the county DA considering it illegal.The popular liberal mayor of Poland's port city of Gdansk died Monday after being stabbed at a charity event by an ex-convict with a history of violent crime. The killing plunged the politically divided country into shock and grief and brought Poles into the streets for solemn vigils in a rare show of national unity.

Pawel Adamowicz, 53, died from the wounds inflicted by a 27-year-old man who stormed onstage Sunday evening while the mayor was addressing an audience during the "Lights to Heaven," the finale of a nationwide fundraiser for sick children.

Adamowicz had just expressed gratitude to the "generous" crowd, adding: "This is a wonderful time of sharing good things. You are dear. Gdansk is the most wonderful city in the world. Thank you!"

That's when the assailant rushed up and stabbed him three times, then grabbed a microphone to tell the audience that he acted in revenge against the country's main opposition party, Civic Platform, which Adamowicz was a member of for many years but left it in 2015.

With the music still playing and pyrotechnics erupting onstage, the attacker told the stunned crowd he had been wrongly imprisoned under a Civic Platform-led government.

"I was jailed but innocent. ... Civic Platform tortured me. That's why Adamowicz just died," he said.

Adamowicz was taken to a hospital, where doctors struggled to save him, but a five-hour operation and blood transfusions were not enough, given the gravity of the injuries.

The assassination comes while the nation is torn by bitter political divisions that are similar in many ways to those in the United States.

The right-wing ruling Law and Justice party faced accusations that a hostile atmosphere against Adamowicz and other liberals has created fertile ground for violence.

Government officials pushed back against that accusation, strongly denouncing the attack and stressing the assailant had a history of violent bank robberies.

Identified by authorities only as Stefan W., he was arrested and charged Monday with murder.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Krzysztof Sierak said there were questions about the mental state of the attacker, who used a 14.5-centimeter (5.5-inch) knife on Adamowicz, and that two psychiatrists will examine him. He had served 5 years in prison and was released toward the end of last year.

President Andrzej Duda, who is aligned with the ruling party, opened a news conference with a minute of silence and said a day of national mourning will be observed when Adamowicz's family holds his funeral, which was not yet announced. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Duda called Adamowicz a "truly great human being, a great politician and great resident of Gdansk," and denounced the attack as an act of unimaginable evil.

Ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's most powerful politician, expressed his "great pain" and solidarity with Adamowicz's family.

In the evening, solemn vigils were held in Gdansk, Warsaw and other cities. Many carried candles in glass jars and some used cellphones to produce flickers of light, an apparent reference to the "Lights to Heaven" event where Adamowicz was attacked.

In Warsaw, the capital, some held a big banner reading "Stop Hate."

Donald Tusk, a founder of Civic Platform who was prime minister when the attacker was imprisoned and who is now president of the European Council, joined mourners in Gdansk, also his hometown.

"I want to promise you today, dear Pawel, that for you and for all of us, we will defend our Gdansk, our Poland and our Europe from hatred and contempt," Tusk told the crowd.

The city flag was lowered to half-staff and Masses were held in Gdansk, Warsaw and elsewhere.

Many people in Gdansk had donated blood for Adamowicz, with some saying they were given time off work.

Adamowicz was part of the democratic opposition formed in Gdansk under the leadership of Lech Walesa during the 1980s. After leaving Civic Platform, he was re-elected to a sixth term as an independent candidate in the fall.

As mayor, he was a progressive voice, promoting sex education in schools and tolerance for LGBT people and minorities. He showed solidarity with the Jewish community when the Gdansk synagogue had its windows broken last year, strongly denouncing the vandalism.

The World Jewish Congress said it was in shock and mourning. "He was a true friend of the Jewish community, speaking loudly and clearly against antisemitism in Poland," it said.

Adamowicz also advocated bringing wounded Syrian children to Gdansk for medical treatment, but the plan was blocked by the Law and Justice government. After he took that stand, a far-right group, the All-Polish Youth, issued what they called a "political death notice" for him.

Government critics said they believed the violence could be partly traced to the animosity voiced against Adamowicz by some ruling party officials, which at times was carried on state TV, as well as by extremists from other groups.

The assassination also initiated some soul-searching about whether security is as stringent as it should be in a country where most people enjoy a general sense of safety. The assailant got access to the stage using a media pass.

Adamowicz often mingled freely with the public and had been on the streets Sunday raising money for the charity, along with volunteers across the country.

Following the killing, Jerzy Owsiak said he was resigning as head of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity but would continue to work with the organization, whose primary mission in its 27 years of existence is to buy modern equipment for pediatric wards in cash-strapped state hospitals.

Owsiak said he himself has been the target of threats and hate messages, including by some right-wing lawmakers, but that he is not receiving any help from the police.

He told a news conference that recently levels of public criticism is "touching on Nazi, fascist language."

The last politically motivated attack in Poland was in 2010 in Lodz when a man shouting that he wanted to kill Kaczynski fatally shot an aide to one of the party's European Parliament lawmakers.

Kaczynski, at the time an opposition leader, blamed the attack on an "atmosphere of hate" under Civic Platform.Three European countries working to preserve a deal that was meant to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon have established a new system so their companies can continue trading with the Mideast nation without incurring U.S. sanctions, diplomats said Thursday.

The barter-type system set up by France, Germany and Britain is designed to allow businesses they host to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran and thereby evade possible U.S. sanctions, setting up a potential collision with President Donald Trump's hard-line policies on Tehran.

Once the process is up and running, a financial institution, known as an "Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges" or INSTEX, would run a payment channel, brokering Iranian imports in and European exports out, while insulating the companies involved.

The nations have been working on the plan for months. It follows Trump's decision last year to unilaterally withdraw from the international accord aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for economic incentives. His administration also has introduced sanctions on Iran.

The other parties to the 2015 treaty  France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China  have been scrambling to keep the deal alive. In recent months, Iranian officials have threatened to resume higher levels of uranium enrichment, putting pressure on the Europeans to find a way around the sanctions.

"We're making clear that we didn't just talk about keeping the nuclear deal with Iran alive, but now we're creating a possibility to conduct business transactions," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters Thursday after a meeting with European counterparts in Bucharest, Romania.

"This is a precondition for us to meet the obligations we entered into in order to demand from Iran that it doesn't begin military uranium enrichment," Heiko said.

INSTEX is to be headquartered in Paris and overseen by a German banker.

At the outset, it will concentrate on goods that are not currently subject to U.S. sanctions, such as medicine, medical supplies, food and consumer goods.

When the U.S. stepped up sanctions, many of Europe's biggest companies shut off all commerce with Iran, exercising an abundance of caution. The governments of Germany, France and Britain hope the workaround will lure back some trade of non-sanctioned goods, though it's not clear if companies would try to do business through the new state-run system and risk possible U.S. retribution down the road.

Stefan Mair, a board member of the influential Federation of German Industries, welcomed the establishment of the financial institution, but expressed skepticism about how effective it might be.

"Central questions remain open," he said. "The clearing house is dependent on Iran's sanctioned oil and gas business. This continues to pose a significant risk to building long-term business relations."

The U.S. State Department said it was "closely following" reports on the European mechanism, which originally was known as a "special purpose vehicle," for details about exactly what would be involved.

"As the president has made clear, entities that continue to engage in sanctionable activity involving Iran risk severe consequences that could include losing access to the U.S. financial system and the ability to do business with the United States or U.S. companies," the State Department said in a statement.

Though established by Britain, Germany and France, other European Union nations were expected to join as well.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said the EU wanted to continue to support the nuclear deal.

"The most important thing is to show our American colleagues that we are moving in the same direction on a whole series of issues, such as ballistic missiles or Iran's regional influence, but that we do have a difference of opinion on the nuclear agreement," Reynders said. "I hope we can also find a solution."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran's state television he expected the mechanism to be ready to start brokering business in one or two months.

"The next issue is how European companies are willing to join SPV with this mechanism," he said.

Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hamid Baeidinejad, said on Twitter he also thinks the start of the program was imminent.

Frank Jordans, Jon Gambrell and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.A man has died after getting pinned between two trucks in his driveway in Windham on Saturday.

Police were called to the man's home on Stanley Road shortly after 2 p.m. after getting a report of a two car crash with no injuries.

When they arrived, officers learned a man pinned himself between two trucks in his driveway.

Police said one truck was inoperable and was being repaired. It was side-by-side with another truck, which police believe is the truck the man was working on.

Investigators believe the man was trying to start up one truck from outside of the driver's side window when it lurched forward several feet and became pinned against the other.

Fire officials said the man was pinned between the two trucks and was conscious when firefighters arrived.

LifeStar was called to the scene, but was later canceled, firefighters said.

According to investigators, there was nobody in the trucks at the time of the incident.

Connecticut State Police are investigating. Trooper First Class Tanya Compagnone described the incident as a "freak accident."

Officials have not released the man's identity, but police said he was born in 1958.Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has called on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to resign in the aftermath of a racially charged photo that emerged this week.

In a social media post, the governor called on his fellow Democrat to step aside.

I agree, Pritzker posted, along with an opinion piece from a Virginia newspaper calling on the governor to step down. Governor Northam must resign immediately.

The photo, which surfaced this week, comes from Northams medical school yearbook, and features a person in a blackface costume and another in Ku Klux Klan robes.

NBC 5 Political Reporters Carol Marin and Mary Ann Ahern take you through the week that was in Illinois politics in todays Take 5.

On Saturday, Virginia Democrats said that Northam, who apologized Friday for appearing in the photo, has now reversed course, saying that he isnt in the controversial photo.

The governor now has no plans to resign, according to the party.

The Virginia Democratic Party continued to call for Northam to leave office.

"We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning  we have gotten word he will not do so this morning," a statement from the party said.The colleges first purple sock campaign, which kicks off this month, offers supporters a chance to don a special pair of socks made exclusively for the campaign and to support the JJC Alumni Foundation, which last year offered a $1,000 scholarship to a student nearing completion of their degree. On March 1, people who purchases the socks are being asked to take to social media and post photos of themselves wearing the socks with the hashtag #jjcsocks.In an extremely crowded and tight race for Chicago mayor, Bill Daley received a major endorsement on Friday as Congressman Bobby Rush threw his hat into the ring for the former White House Chief of Staff.

In a press conference Friday, Rep. Rush made the announcement official, and his support is seen as a big factor in a race that will ultimately come down to just two candidates advancing from a crowded field of 14 candidates.

"We have a lot of respect for one another. He has my vote, and I hope he has yours," Rush said.

Daley and Rush have formed a closer relationship in the recent past, with both supporting former gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy in his run against Governor J.B. Pritzker in the 2018 election.

Here's Who's Running for Mayor of Chicago

Rush is all too familiar with the Daley family, having run against former Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1999. In the last election, Rush supported incumbent Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, but this time around he will support Daley in a race that is generating plenty of intrigue.

"It's much better being on Bobby Rush's side than going against Bobby Rush," Daley said.

Daley has the most money in the race right now, with $5 million in his war chest, and he is trying to build as broad a coalition as possible to try to finish in the top two spots in the February election.

"We just need to keep pounding along and hopefully things will work out," he said.

Rush is the second member of Illinois' Congressional delegation to endorse a mayoral candidate, after Rep. Jan Schakowsky endorsed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle earlier in the election season.A new exhibit at a landmark Vermont museum showcases the work of a renowned artist who calls New England Home.

Life is full of surprises, furniture maker and lighting designer Johnny Swing said during a recent visit necn paid to his studio in southern Vermont.

In his Windham County workspace, Swing transforms quarters, half dollars, and other coins into usable sculptures. He lines up coins in fabrication molds to work inside out and uses anywhere from 30-80,000 individual welds to fuse the coins together and join them seamlessly to a frame.

Im almost collaborating with the people who designed the coins, which is fun, Swing said of his admiration of the artistry in U.S. coinage.

Clear across Vermont at the famous Shelburne Museum, a new exhibit titled Johnny Swing: Design Sense is open until early June.

Visitors can learn more about Swings philosophy and process, from his sketches, models, and prototypesto his finished pieces.

He sees the hidden potential in everyday objects, observed Shelburne Museum curator Kory Rogers.

The exhibit spotlights giant lamps made from satellite dishes, chairs made from unusual materials including baby food jars, and rugs quilted from actual dollar bills.

Everything that he makes is designed to A) surprise you, B) spark your curiosity, and C) if its a functioning piece of furniture, be comfortable, Rogers explained.

Swing said the materials he usesespecially the coinageseem to fascinate people and generate questions, like how many coins are in that? or what is the face value of the coins in your furniture?

This piece has $1,400 in coins in it, Swing said, referring to a piece he was working on in his studio when the television station visited. Clearlyworth quite a bit more when its done.

So how much do collectors and institutions worldwide pay for all these re-imagined coins? If you have to ask, you probably cant afford a Johnny Swing original.

I think it challenges people to think about what money is actually worth, Swing said of his work involving coins and currency.

The value to Swing is in opening eyes: urging us to see the world in fresh wayseven things as simple as what jingles in our pockets.

Its nice to make things that people enjoy, Swing told necn.

Click here for more information on visiting Shelburne Museum.The FBI and Oakland police are offering a combined $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a homicide, FBI officials announced Friday.

Patrick Scott Jr., 27, was shot and killed on Feb. 3, 2018, a year ago Sunday, as he was on his way to visit his grandmother.

He was waiting at a bus stop near 62nd and Market streets in Oakland when someone came up to him and started shooting.

"We ask the community to please come forward if you have any information on this crime," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bertram Fairries, said in a statement. "This young man deserves justice."

Oakland Police Chief Anne E. Kirkpatrick also asked for the community's help in solving the slaying.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland Police Department's homicide section at (510) 238-3821 or the FBI in San Francisco at (415) 553-7400.Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, a multimedia collaboration of Comcast NBCUniversal and the Equal Justice Initiative, honors the legacy and impact of the men and women who championed racial equality in the United States.

Here are five voices from California:

Inspiration for Other Movements: Rep. Judy Chu

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu of California, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific AmericanCaucus, discusses the impact of the civil rights movement on other movements for equality in the U.S. "The Civil Rights Movement that was started by The March on Washington had a profound impact on other movements in this country ... the Women's Movement for equality, Latino equality and ... Asian American movements for equality."

A Force to Create Change: William Lucy

William Lucy, Former President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists discusses the union's role in assisting with mobilization efforts for the March, and efforts to build a coalition. He stated, "Strong labor participation, rooted in, sort of, the moral teachings of the church, and generating activism in the community, could affect legislative issues at a local level and at a national level."

Witnessing the Movement on Television: Stephen Perry

Steve Perry discusses growing up in California during the civil rights movement, and witnessing key events of the struggle for equality on television. Perry recalls, "My first exposure to the worst parts of racism and the worst parts of the genesis, if you will, of the civil rights movement was watching the dogs and the water on TV [...] It was particularly scary that this was real."

"We're Not In This By Ourselves:" Sonny Skyhawk

Sonny Skyhawk, Founder and Chairman of American Indians in Film and Television, discusses the civil rights movement's significant impact on Native Americans, who shared many of the same struggles as the African-American community. He said, "We watched constantly, what was going on [...] My parents and grandparents said, 'Geez, you know, were not in this by ourselves. It's happening to other people besides us.'"

Bern Nadette Stanis, of Good Times

Best known as portraying Thelma on the hit TV series Good Times, actress Bern Nadette Stanis discusses the groundbreaking television sitcom as well as becoming aware of discrimination as a young child.

You can view all 16+ hours of Voices content in full  and for free:

 Available to Comcast customers on Xfinity On Demand. Just say Black History: Always On into your X1 Voice Remote and navigate to the Voices of the Civil Rights Movement destination.

 Available for free to the general public at CivRightsVoices.com.

Video content owned and funded by NBC Bay Area's parent company Comcast Corporation. Courtesy: CivRightsVoices.com.Britten, who was known by family and friends as Von, worked part-time as a busboy at Red Lobster in Matteson and, two weeks ago, had showed her a letter he received accepting him into a trade school, Gochenour said. His family had said he had hoped to become an electrician.A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has discovered that the conservation of Milky Storks (Mycteria cinerea), an endangered wading bird native to Southeast Asia, is threatened due to crossbreeding with their more widespread cousins, the Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala).

"Apart from habitat loss and fragmentation, extinction through hybridisation is one of the major threats to endangered species. Our study is the first to provide an estimation of the population genomic status of the endangered Milky Stork in Singapore, and the findings can contribute to the design of effective solutions for conservation management of the globally endangered species," said research lead Assistant Professor Frank Rheindt, who is from the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science.

The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, was earlier published in the journal Biological Conservation.

When Milky Storks meet Painted Storks

The Milky Stork is an almost completely white plumaged stork species found in coastal mangroves, mudflats, and estuaries across Southeast Asia. It is currently considered endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List, with about 1,500 individuals left in the wild. About seven to 10 per cent of them are found in the region around Singapore and Johor, Malaysia, and it is believed that the majority of them are related to those which escaped from captivity.

Since the late 1980s, Milky Storks and their sister species, the Painted Storks, have been held together in captivity in Singapore and Malaysia. Being kept in the same enclosure has led to inadvertent crossbreeding or hybridisation between the two stork species. The Painted Stork is differentiated from the Milky Stork by the presence of a black pectoral band and a pink flush in the inner wing coverts and tertials. However, the hybridised storks display intermediacy in these traits.

"A few of these hybrids have escaped from captivity. Although some of these hybrid escapees have been recaptured, others continue to roam freely. This poses a major threat to the genomic composition of the Milky Stork population in the wild. However, the extent of this threat has not been clear," said Miss Pratibha Baveja, the first author of the research paper, who is a PhD student in the research group supervised by Asst Prof Rheindt.

To find out how the gene pool of Milky Storks has been affected, the NUS team utilised population-genomic approaches to analyse the tissue samples of 46 storks from both captive and wild environments of Singapore.

Their results showed significant genomic 'contamination' of Painted Stork alleles in the Milky Storks' genetic profile following crossbreeding for several generations. Although originating from a limited number of introduced Painted Storks, these hybrids are now an integral part of both the wild and captive Singaporean and southern peninsular Malaysian stork population.

The research team determined that the genomic composition of more than half of the sampled storks is affected by genetic infiltration from the Painted Stork. These results indicate that due to their very small populations, such globally endangered species may eventually be absorbed into the genome of the more widespread species.

Preserving the genomic integrity of Milky Storks

"Although native to the greater surroundings of Singapore, the current population of Milky Storks in Singapore is not only partially hybridised, but also thought to be derived from escaped birds. This has led to a situation in which the species is currently not even officially listed among Singapore's native and introduced bird species. This lack of formal recognition has left the species in limbo, but belies the importance of Singapore for the global survival of the species," explained Asst Prof Rheindt.

He added, "The future is likely to see expansions of Milky Storks from the increasing Singaporean population into the diminishing Sumatran breeding grounds that form the species' core. It will now be up to us here in Singapore to decide whether the core of the range will be re-stocked with pure Milky Storks or with hybrids. The challenge now lies in convincing the conservation community on the necessity of such conservation actions."

To avoid an exacerbation of the problem leading to the use of genetically admixed individuals for conservation breeding or reintroduction, the research team recommends for hybrid storks in bird parks, zoos and the Singaporean wild to be identified and isolated from pure Milky Storks to prevent crossbreeding. Thorough genetic analysis can be conducted to ensure individuals' purity in any planned breeding programmes or releases. In addition, the team recommends for a strict removal of hybrids from the wild, along with a release of genetically pure Milky Storks, which are imperative for continued survival of the species.(Natural News) Red-eyed, mutant jewel wasps have emerged from a family of black-eyed wasps. Rather than a creation of nature, this new strain was conceived by a team of researchers at the University of California (UC) Riverside. Led by Professor Omar Akbari, the researchers from the Akbari Lab brought the bizarre creature into the world in an effort to better understand insect genetics for higher purposes.

The researchers chose the jewel wasp for this endeavor because of the selfish genetic elements present in some male wasps. These components can somehow kill the female embryos and create only males, said Akbari in a statement in Science Daily. To understand that, we need to pursue their PSR (paternal sex ratio) chromosomes, perhaps by mutating regions of the PSR chromosome to determine which genes are essential for its functionality.

To accomplish this, the team turned to clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene-splicing technology. This new technology would allow the team to inject components such as proteins and RNA into an organism. The components would then locate and alter a specific piece of DNA, in the case of the wasp, the eye pigmentation.

According to Akbari, the study was pretty daunting because jewel wasp eggs are about a quarter the size of a grain of rice. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that jewel wasps lay their eggs inside blowfly pupae. Youre essentially pulling a small egg out of a larger egg, injecting it with components to mutate the DNA and then putting it back into the bigger egg to develop, Akbari stated.

Of how they managed to inject the components into wasp eggs, Akbari has said: You have to use a very-very fine needle and a microscope and individually inject hundred to thousands of embryos, but in the end, we developed a protocol that can be used to cut the DNA in this organism and we showed that it works. Although challenging, Akbari has noted that the technique is learnable. You need a really steady hand and it requires a lot of patience in micro manipulation that one can learn over time.

With the success of their experiment, the researchers hope that their discovery can contribute to controlling insects that spread diseases or destroy crops. As for the current batch of red-eyed, mutant jewel wasps, they will not be disappearing anytime soon. The red eyes are a heritable trait, meaning their future offspring and generations to come will carry the terrifying, unique look.

Genetically modified wasps, sheep, pigs and more

Far from being mans first attempts at creation, the red-eyed mutant jewel wasps are just the latest project from mad scientists.

Perhaps the most famous genetically modified animal is Dolly the sheep, the worlds first cloned sheep who came into being in 1996 before dying of lung disease a mere six years later. In 2010, an American biotech company spliced together the genes of different fish in order to create a breed of salmon that grew to full size at twice the rate of other salmon. In 2015, South Korean scientists tweaked the genes in pigs to produce more muscular specimens. On the other end of the spectrum, Chinese scientists used genome editing to create micropigs that they intend to sell commercially. Even more unusual is the breed of goats that have been genetically engineered by Wyoming scientists to produce a spider silk protein in their milk.

You can read up on more news about genetically modified organisms by visiting GeneticLunacy.com.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

Nature.com

BusinessInsider.com(Natural News) Its not been a good week for the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam.

After taking loads of heat from tens of millions of Americans over comments in which he refused to condemn a bill introduced in the House of Delegates that would authorize doctors to perform abortions up to and including the moment before birth, a picture from his medical school yearbook  where he studied to become a pediatrician, no less  surfaced showing him dressed either in blackface or in a KKK hood.

The photo, from Northams 1984 med school yearbook, shows two people holding what appear to be cans of beer. The person in blackface is smiling and wearing sunglasses.

After multiple media requests for a comment from him on Friday, he finally released a statement towards the end of the business day:

Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive.

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.

This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment.

I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor.

Northam graduated from med school after attending the Virginia Military Academy. The photos were first released by Big League Politics on Friday.

Im at EVMS in Norfolk, Virginia (Gov. Ralph Northam graduated here). These are photos from the 1984 yearbook, including @GovernorVA Ralph Northams page, in a yearbook provided by the library. Ive asked the governors office for comment. Sent from my iPhone pic.twitter.com/1u3mYKJWnY  Sarah McCammon (@sarahmccammon) February 1, 2019

Will his undying support for abortion save him?

The abortion bill that Northam expressed support for was introduced by Del. Kathy Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who came to the U.S. with her parents following the war there between North and South Vietnam, which ended with the Souths loss in 1975.

In a post to her Twitter page, she ironically praised her parents for saving her as a baby.

In 1979, my parents & I fled Vietnam as boat refugees, she wrote, The National Sentinel reported.

My dad was a dentist in the South Vietnamese Army & went to reeducation prison, she said. Upon his release, my parents took me, not yet seven months old, onto the open sea. They risked our lives for hope, opportunity & freedom.

On Monday, Tran discussed her bill in a Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee with GOP Delegate Todd Gilbert. (Related: Abortion extremists on the Left are going to trigger new Supreme Court restrictions.)

During the exchange, she noted that her bill would allow a woman to have an abortion even when shes full-term and dilating, about to give birth, CNSNews reported.

As for Northam, political analysts were already predicting his demise by late Friday.

In an interview on MSNBC, contributor and politics editor of The Root, Dr. Jason Johnson of Morgan State University, said, I dont know that Northam will be able to survive this kind of scandal because this probably wont be the only thing that comes up.

That sounds like prophesy at this point. According to Big League Politics, Northams nicknames at VMI included Coonman, which could be construed as a racial epithet. Also, E.W. Jackson, Northams black opponent from his 2013 race for Virginia lieutenant governor, noted that his yearbook behavior is consistent because Northam refused to shake his hand at their debate.

"I don't know that Northam will be able to survive this kind of scandal because this probably won't be the only thing that comes up  @DrJasonJohnson pic.twitter.com/tZAzXveYYU  TheBeat w/Ari Melber (@TheBeatWithAri) February 1, 2019

The one saving grace for Northam among Democrats: His unqualified support for abortion at all levels of pregnancy, even up to the last moment of the third trimester.

Abortion support is a litmus test for Democrats.

Read more about why Americans should no longer support Democrats at VoteRepublican.news.

Sources include:

CNSNews.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

BigLeaguePolitics.comOn Wednesday 6 February 2019, the Permanent Representatives to NATO of the 29 members of the Alliance will sign the Accession Protocol with Skopje.

The ceremony will take place at NATO HQ in the presence of Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov.

Media Advisory

11.00 - Signature of the Accession Protocol (open for media coverage)

11.30 - Family photo

11.35 - Joint press point by the Secretary General and the Foreign Minister (Podium  Agora)



Media will be escorted to the events from the Public Square, ground floor (next to the press shop). Access to the ceremony will be open at 10.30; access to the press point will be open at 11:15.



The press point will be streamed live on the NATO website and made available live on satellite on world feed.

Still and video images will be available on the website after the event.

Professional-quality videos and b-roll will be available for download from www.natomultimedia.tv.

Please register for access. Contact: content@natomultimedia.tv

Accreditation

Media permanently accredited at NATO

Media representatives in possession of permanent NATO media pass can access to the NATO HQ directly by tapping their badge at the turnstiles (NATO HQ Guard House South - GHS, media entrance, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110).

Ad-hoc accreditation (day-pass)

Media representatives not permanently accredited and wishing to attend the event are invited to request ad-hoc accreditation directly at the main entrance of NATO HQ on Wednesday 6 February 2019. They will have to present an ID and a valid press card (provided by a recognised national professional body of a NATO country  i.e. Government, Professional association, Union of journalists).

Media representatives not in possession of a valid press card are invited to send a signed letter from their editor to the NATO Accreditation Office to NATOaccreditations@hq.nato.int not later than 5 February COB.

Security Procedures

A security check will take place and all equipment and personal effects carried onto the site will be examined by security personnel. Media representative are therefore encouraged to arrive with sufficient lead time to allow for security proceedings.

Points of Contact

General queries: Front Office +32.2.707.5041

Press arrangements: Alina Coca +32.2.707.1465

Accreditation Angelo Pacifico +32.2.707.8346

TV/Radio issues Henk Dekens +32.2.707.5051

Post-event Video distribution

content@natochannel.tv +32.2.707.1227



Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg)The United States is deeply concerned over reported human rights abuses being carried out by Zimbabwes security forces against civilians, a top official said on Friday.

Tibor Nagy, the United States top diplomat for Africa, demanded that those responsible for killings, arbitrary detentions, assaults, and rape be held to account.

In the strongest statement yet by President Donald Trump government official since President Emmerson Mnangagwa came into power in November 2017, Nagy tweeted: The U.S. is deeply concerned about continued reports of human rights violations in Zimbabwe. We call on the government to respect human rights, hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and immediately end all violence by government forces.

On Thursday, Mnangagwa defended the deployment of soldiers to suppress rising anti-government anger which boiled over when the Zanu PF leader decreed a 168 percent increase in the price of fuel on January 12.

Mnangagwa told reporters that he regretted the killings carried out by the military but claimed the deployment of troops was necessary to protect

property as well as other citizens not involved in the protests.

We have told the Western countries that they cannot turn around and raise concerns when they are the ones sponsoring the violence, he said in apparent reference to the United States and Britain.

Rights groups say over a dozen people have been killed, over 250 required hospital treatment and nearly a 1,000 others have been arrested following the protests. Of the injured, nearly a 100 people had suffered gunshot wounds.

Britains Minister for Africa Harriet Baldwin arrived in the region on Thursday, and held meetings with South African officials seeking to nudge President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak up on the developing crisis in Zimbabwe.

She travelled to Mozambique on Friday, and Zimbabwe again featured in discussions with government officials.

Before leaving the UK, Baldwin told Parliament that the recent events in Zimbabwe are of significant concern.

We believe that the response by Zimbabwes security forces to protests against the petrol price rise has been disproportionate, she said.

Weve been absolutely clear that these abuses and the failure to follow the due process of law contravenes the fundamental tenets of international human rights standards and have absolutely no place in a democratic society. It is vital that Zimbabwes political leaders focus on what is doing the best for their people with all parties rejecting violence and upholding the rule of law.

 ZimLive

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsThree police guns and rounds of ammunition that were stolen during the recent violent protests were recovered at a joint army, police security checkpoint along the Shurugwi-Zvishavane Highway on Thursday.

The security forces held a joint Press conference following the recent wanton looting and violence that broke out across the country and said they were tracking down rogue elements within the forces alleged to have stolen uniforms and some fire arms.

The Press briefing was followed by the introduction of joint roadblocks by the police and army.

Police in the Midlands Province said a stolen police rifle, serial number, 102, two pistols, a magazine charged with 20 live rounds and a pair of handcuffs were recovered stashed in a boot of a Nissan Almera at a police and army road block along the Shurugwi-Gweru Highway on Wednesday night.

Two suspects, Advance Tongogara (44), who was driving the car and Israel Chikona (25) were immediately arrested and detained at Shurugwi Police Station under RRB number 3636680, police said.

Another suspect whose identity was not immediately available yesterday, reportedly got out of their vehicle and took to his heels, escaping under the cover of darkness as soon as he realised that their car was being searched.

Police spokesperson for Midlands Province, Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident but referred further questions to national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said he was in a meeting.

Police sources told The Herald that investigations had established that the recovered police rifle was stolen at police base in Matobo.

They said police also impounded the Nissan Almera registration number ADA 0950.

The two suspects are currently detained at Shurugwi Police Station.

According to the serial number on the stolen rifle, it was stolen at Matobo Police Base during a break in, said the source.

 Herald

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsA FARMER was allegedly brutally murdered by illegal settlers at his farm after he had allegedly shot one of them dead while attempting to evict them from his property in Chemagora, Gokwe South yesterday.

In an interview, Mr Dumapi Tutami who is the Chemagora Small Scale Commercial Farmers Union chairperson confirmed the deaths of the farm owner Mr George Jongwe and an unidentified illegal settler.

He had won a High Court case for the illegal invaders to be evicted from his farm. The High Court order was enforced this week on Tuesday. Evicted invaders then came back in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) and attacked him with machetes, axes. He reacted in self-defence and shot and killed one before he was himself overpowered and killed, he said.

Invasions of our farms are organised and there are ring leaders and land barons who benefited financially by illegally settling people here.

He said a local traditional leader (name withheld) has been benefiting through illegally parcelling out land and they had reported him several times to the authorities to no avail.

Midlands Provincial Administrator, Mr Abiot Marongwe, confirmed the alleged murder of Mr Jongwe by illegal settlers on his farm.

He said that he was yet to get details regarding the shooting of an illegal settler.

Mr Marongwe said Mr Jongwe was attacked by the illegal settlers using machetes and axes.

I can confirm that a farm owner in Chemagora area in Gokwe was allegedly murdered by illegal settlers he was trying to evict from his farm this morning (yesterday). I understand the farm owner had an eviction order from the High Court, said Mr Marongwe.

He said illegal settlers started invading farms in Chemagora area around 2013.

Mr Marongwe said he had sent the District Administrator Mr Stewart Gwatiringa to investigate and compile a report on what transpired.

I am waiting for an official report from the DA so that we know what really transpired. But all we know is a life was lost in the fight over the land in question, he said.

Chief Njelele could not be reached for comment.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko referred this publication to the national police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who was not reachable.

The illegal settlers have been illegally occupying about 54 000 hectares of black-owned farms and have been caught up in a land row which at times saw their houses being torched by the deputy sheriff after the land owners were granted eviction orders by the courts.

Government at one time earmarked 35 000 hectares of land in Chirisa Game Reserve for the resettlement of Chemagora families and other families from Gokwe South and Gokwe North.

However, chiefs in Gokwe successfully objected, demanding that their subjects should be given first priority.

 Herald

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsScores of people who settled at Zero Farm at the onset of the Land Reform Programme over 18 years ago have threatened to occupy the adjacent Great Zimbabwe monuments as they do not have anywhere else to go, this publication can report.

Earlier this month, government served the villagers, most of whom belong to the Mugabe clan of moyo totem which lays historical claim to the world-famous monuments, with eviction notices, saying they irregularly settled at the farm.

In the notices, dated January 08 2019, the government instructs villagers to leave the farm within seven days, claiming the villagers were contravening Section 3 of the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act Chapter 20:28, by occupying the said property without lawful authority.

One of the affected village heads, Henry Makusha said there was no way over 1000 families, most of whom had been living in the area for close to 20 years, were going to vacate without good explanation from the government.

We are not going to leave. We have nowhere else to go because this is our ancestors place. If we are to vacate this area and go back where we came from, then we would have to reoccupy Great Zimbabwe because thats where our forefathers were laid. We have no other home that we know except this place, said Makusha.

The way these letters were served is not the right way because they just came and forced villagers to sign the letters. They even arrested us (village heads) for resisting, Makusha said.

The Mugabes blamed their woes on National Council of Chiefs president Fortune Charumbira whom they accused of using his political muscle to grab their land claiming that the area was a buffer zone for Lake Mutirikwi.

They have not done anything to people at Sikato Farm who were put there by Charumbira himself yet they are giving us all this trouble. Sikato Farm is even closer to the dam than our place, said one villager.

Charumbira belongs to the shumba sipambi clan whose claim to some areas around the world heritage site has for long been problematic in some cultural circles.

One of the Mugabe elders, Samuel Rufuharuzivishe Mugabe said the government would rather shoot all of them if it did not want them to remain on the land that he said was rightfully theirs.

We gave Zero Farm to our growing families so if that is wrong, then they should find a way of rectifying it rather than evict us. If they continue tormenting us they risk the wrath of our ancestors. We are not going anywhere! If they want to kill us let them do! said Mugabe.

Evelyne Dovorogwa, who built her home in Chikutuva Village 16 years ago, said the only option she had was to go back to the ruins should they be forcibly removed.

She also said they were forced to sign the eviction notices against their will as they did not understand what was written.

Why didnt they tell us long ago when we came here? I spent 16 years here but they have not even called for a single meeting over our settlement here. We pay all taxes, our children get births written Chikutuva Village but now they are saying there is no such village, said Dovorogwa.

Other villagers said they would have complied with the order had it been served in time although it would have been difficult for them to lose their crops and building as well as their childrens education since they had already been enrolled at different schools with school fees having been paid already.

Masvingo District Administrator (DA) Ray Hove was quoted in a state newspaper confirming that the villagers were issued with eviction letters and were expected to move, claiming they did not have no offer letters.

Other villagers said Zanu-PF had always told them that their stay at the farm depended on how politically loyal they were especially during elections, and they have always been ardent ruling party supporters.

About 1 000 villagers were affected and these come from six villages namely Chikutuva, Makavasa, Marikutirwa, Makasva, Banga and Sithole villages.

Nothing had, however, happened after the expiry of the deadline with villagers saying no action had been taken against them.

 TellZim

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsThe Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has created new serious problems for both the country and the ruling party through its alleged wanton beatings and killings of innocent civilians during last weeks stayaway, several analysts who spoke to The Mirror in interviews have said.

Of more concern is that Zimbabwe is increasingly becoming a pariah State or an outcast among the family of nations with the British Parliament this week calling for a delay in the countrys readmission to the Commonwealth.

Analysts also said that the soldiers have created a permanent wedge between Zanu PF and people of Zimbabwe who fail to understand why armed men in ZNA fatigue would just walk into their homes and start beating people without the slightest provocation.

They said that Zanu PF and Mnangagwas support has never been this low and the danger to the ruling party is that for the electorate, there could be no more turning back.

Statistics coming out from several organisations indicate that 12 people were shot and killed during the demonstrations. Sixty-eight others were seriously injured.

The analysts said that there was a possibility that a hidden hand existed which unleashed soldiers on the people with the objective of causing a rise against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The British Parliament discussed the Zimbabwe situation at length this week and concluded that the heavy-handedness used during the riots would not make the countrys chances better for readmission into the Commonwealth.

I think soldiers have another agenda which is to make people angry against the current regime. This is an attempt to smear Mnangagwa so that those in the ruling party who have never liked him can start an impeachment process. Indirectly the soldiers are damaging Mnangagwas image.

If the beatings are deliberate maybe they are trying to instil fear in the civilians in order to rule out any future uprising, said Dr Takavafira Zhou from the Great Zimbabwe University.

The Government is trying to instil fear into the people but normally you will harden their spirit to achieve their desired goals. Ian Smith used the same tactics but inspired people to liberate themselves, said Jeffreyson Chitando.

In as much as people are afraid of the clampdown, their spirits will eventually be hardened as anger boils up and one day they will rise, said legal practitioner, Tongai Mutindi.

James Mupfumi a human rights defender from Chivhu said the nation used to believe that Mugabe was behind the human rights abuses by soldiers all along yet it was Mnangagwa.

 Mirror

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsA 29-year-old man violently assaulted by soldiers in Mutare on January 20 died on Friday after suffering renal failure, doctors said.

Father-of-two Noah Sahombe died at Harares Parirenyatwa Hospital after suffering extensive tissue damage, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said.

He developed renal failure as a result of extensive tissue damage following the heavy assault, said Dr Norman Matara of the ZADHR.

Sahombe, a resident of Zimunya in Mutare, left behind a 24-year-old wife and two children aged five and three.

Human rights groups accuse soldiers  who remain deployed countrywide following widespread fuel price protests on January 14  of carrying out arbitrary detentions, beatings and killings.

The exact number of dead is yet to be established, but doctors say they have treated hundreds of people, nearly a 100 of who suffered gunshot wounds.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended the deployment of the military, while accusing the opposition MDC of working with the United States and Britain to create conditions for the overthrow of his government.

This comes just a week after another man died on Sunday, hours after being savagely beaten by soldiers in Harare.

Kudakwashe Rixon, 22, was returning home from work at the Long Cheng Plaza last Saturday and had just disembarked at the Copacabana terminus when he was seized by a group of soldiers in uniform, according to a police report seen by ZimLive.

They dragged him to their motor vehicle (Puma) which was parked nearby. The team then ordered Rixon and other male adults who were there to lie down in the vehicle on their stomachs. The driver drove off to an unknown bushy area where the team ordered all the people to get out of the lorry by falling down, the police report of the incident reported at Harare Central Police Station under crime reference I.R 011951 says.

Once outside the army truck, Rixon and the other men were repeatedly struck with wire-fastened sjamboks, knobkerries and iron rods.

Rixon proceeded to his home on Canaan Chipunza Street in Mbare where his family observed that his back was swollen, with visible marks of the severe beating with crude weapons.

At 8AM on Sunday, Rixon complained of severe abdominal pains. He was also failing to release stool. He died before admission at Harare Hospital.

 Kukurigo

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsPolice were on the scene Feb. 1, 2019 investigating a report of shots fired at the Silver Lake Apartments in the 1500 block of Norway Lane in unincorporated Palatine. A 20-year-old man was found shot and transported to the hospital where police said he died. (Elizabeth Owens-Schiele/Pioneer Press)SENIOR MDC official and Kuwadzana legislator Charlton Hwende is seeking the assistance of Namibian police to stop the possible abduction and rendition to Zimbabwe in the ongoing crackdown against opposition activists.

A number of senior MDC officials have gone into hiding, fearing for their lives after the military led crackdown following disturbances that rocked the country recently.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, party leader Nelson Chamisa described the crackdown as aimed at decimating his party.

NewsDay is in possesion of a letter written to the Namibian Polices Inspector General on Tuesday by his lawyer Norman Tjombe.

In the course of January 2019, our client was informed, through reliable sources, that members of the Zimbabwean intelligence agency, namely the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) travelled to Namibia to abduct and rendition him to Zimbabwe where he is apparently wanted for treason, incitement to commit public violence and other charges, read the letter.

According to the information, the members of the CIO already arrived in Namibia on or before 28 January 2019.

In the letter, Hwendes lawyers alleged that armed security officers had surrounded the homes of senior officials and MDC legislators.

Hwende claims there was a list in which his name appears of wanted persons and claims he would not receive a fair trial in Zimbabwe.

We accordingly seek the protection of our client against what will be an unlawful abduction and the possible rendition of our client to Zimbabwe at the hands of the Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organisation, the lawyer wrote.

Hwendes lawyers said should their client fail to be afforded the necessary protection, he would approach the Namibian High Court on an urgent basis for an appropriate order, including interdict.

On another note, MDC partys spokesperson Jacob Mafume said they condemned yet another arrest of their organising secretary Amos Chibaya, who was nabbed moments after his release on bail by the High Court in Masvingo.

We view both arrests of the organizer to be political, they are all about persecution and nothing to do with prosecution. The arrest is abuse of both law enforcement and the justice delivery system which is against the Constitution, Mafume said.

 NewsDay

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsTWO police officers stationed at Entumbane Police Station have been arrested for allegedly stealing two gas tanks and several cellphones which were part of the goods looted during the recent violent protests in Bulawayo.

Thulani Nyathi (33) of Lobengula West and Victor Peter Munondo (28) of Entumbane suburb yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ncube facing theft charges. They were remanded in custody to today for bail ruling.

Allegations are that a report was made at Entumbane Police Station indicating that there were looted goods that had been hidden in a broken down car at Entumbane Bus Terminus.

Two police officers who were initially sent to investigate came back empty handed.

Nyathi and Munondo then allegedly went to the Bus Terminus and arm-twisted a security guard manning the premises into showing them where the goods were hidden under the pretext that they were sent by their superiors to recover the loot.

They then took the looted goods, but did not surrender the loot at Entumbane Police Station.

Prosecuting, Mr Alfonce Makonese said on January 25 at around 8AM, police received a tip off that stolen goods looted during protests were hidden in a broken down vehicle at a car park at Entumbane Bus Terminus.

The Entumbane Police Station Officer-in-Charge, only identified as Chief Inspector Mpofu, then assigned his juniors to investigate.

On January 26 at around 10AM, one Assistant Inspector Nkomo and a Constable Mavunga proceeded to Entumbane Bus Terminus. Upon arrival they failed to locate anyone and returned empty handed, said Mr Makonese.

On the same day at around 6PM, Nyathi and Munondo went to Entumbane Bus Terminus and found a security guard manning the parking area.

On arrival at Entumbane Bus Terminus car park, the accused persons introduced themselves to the security guard as Detective Constables Maveya and Moyo.

They lied to him that they had been sent by their superiors to collect the stolen goods. They searched a broken down vehicle at the car park and recovered two 5kg gas tanks, eight cellphones and six bottles of battery water, said Mr Makonese.

They then endorsed their falsified names in the car park occurrence book on entry number 68/29.

The two allegedly lied to the security guard that they were taking the loot to Entumbane Police Station.

The court heard that the two cops did not surrender the stolen goods at the police station.

On the same day at around 10PM, Assistant Inspector Nkomo later sent Constables Ndava and Chakabveyo to revisit the bus terminus and they found the same security guard who showed them the occurrence book depicting that goods had already been collected by the accused persons, said Mr Makonese.

Investigations were conducted and the security guard managed to positively identify the accused persons in a parade leading to their arrest and subsequent recovery of the stolen loot.

Nyathi and Munondo, who are both self-actors, yesterday applied for bail pending trial. They argued that if granted bail they would not abscond, saying they were family men of fixed abode.

The State opposed bail, saying there was no guarantee that if granted bail the two men would not abscond. The investigating officer, Det Asst Insp Thomas Zimunhu, said the accused persons arrest was linked to the violent protests as they were found in possession of stolen goods hence if granted bail they were likely to abscond.

It is in the interest of justice that accused persons should be remanded in custody until investigations are complete. If released on bail, there are fears that they might interfere with State witnesses, some of which are fellow police officers, he said.

Det Asst Insp Zimunhu said the suspect who looted the stolen items is on the run and also known to Nyathi.

 Chronicle

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsIt may seem unusual to us now that Beto ORourke would take a solo road trip away from family and friends to reflect on things after his House term ended, but he was certainly not the first politician to do so.

As a rising star, Theodore Roosevelt was involved in a particularly contentious Republican convention in June 1884 and did not back the winning candidate. In February, he had lost both his mother and first wife on the same day. Later that year, he retired from politics, left his infant daughter with his sister and moved to the Badlands of North Dakota to live in solitude as a rancher.

Obviously, his career didnt end there.

Judith B. Sobre

Treat humanely

Re: Why is the Bexar County Jail so broken? Opinion, Sunday:

Thanks to columnist Josh Brodesky for his devastating summary of the Bexar County jail system. Pulling it together in a column helped Express-News readers understand the horrible place it can be for those incarcerated, even temporarily.

These are often troubled folks, many with mental and/or substance abuse issues. They deserve to be treated humanely. Something is missing at the top and in the hiring and training. Lets hope these conditions will be corrected as quickly as possible for the sake of our community.

Barbara Moschner

Two budget laws

Id like to suggest two laws that will eliminate major opportunities for political mischief.

First, pass a law that when the government cannot pass a budget, the government will not shut down but will continue at current funding levels until the appropriate legislation is passed  an automatic continuing resolution.

Second, Id like a law that eliminates the debt limit. Congress has legislated to spend the money, and its up to them to figure out how to pay for it, but our countys bills must be paid on time. Period. Full stop.

Richard HicksLets review some basic facts about the drama surrounding Bexar Countys new Justice Intake and Assessment Center.

Bexar County has built a modern intake center at its jail based on best practices. But the building has some design flaws, which need to be remedied.

The city of San Antonio continues to book arrested people at its Frank Wing Municipal Court building. The detention center there is a disconsolate place, which one criminal justice expert, a consultant with the county, has called archaic and a dungeon.

Some city officials would dispute that description (we would not), but even so, the city cant stay in this building over the long haul. The University of Texas at San Antonio plans to acquire Frank Wing as part of its planned downtown expansion, a crucial development for this community.

So, we have a new building that attempts to follow best practices, but needs some changes to accommodate the city. And we have an old city detention center that is pretty darn depressing, and is literally in the path of progress.

We also know the city and county impasse on this new building is creating a number of headaches and redundancies. Two buildings means two sets of judges are setting bonds. It means two sets of detention officers. The Bexar County Public Defenders Office lacks the staff to represent defendants in two buildings for bail hearings. The Bexar County District Attorneys Office is also struggling with this reality.

This is the situation the city and county find themselves in, and while both sides can make compelling arguments about how and why this moment has been reached, its time to set aside grievances. The only question that truly matters is how the city and county can make things work. Thats what taxpayers want.

To that end, we endorse the idea of a city-county working group to find a way forward. We also believe its imperative city council members tour both buildings, and after these tours, hold a public meeting with their county counterparts to discuss possible solutions.

A recent city Public Safety Committee meeting inexplicably did not include county officials, who could have answered council questions or responded to city staff concerns. Lets not make that mistake, innocent as it was, again. On this issue, its crucial city and county officials are present.

What needs to happen to arrive at an agreement, preferably sooner than later?

The county needs to assure in writing to the city that officers will not be jammed up at the new facility. A property room must be built to accommodate city arrests. The magistration office, where bail hearings are held, needs to be enlarged; and there must be additional space for Class C misdemeanors, people with warrants for unpaid tickets. The DWI intake area needs to be expanded. And the front entrance to the intake center is too small.

This sounds like a long list, but in a proposal to city officials, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff estimated renovation costs at less than $2 million. This includes 1,500 square feet of a nearby garage the city could build out to process Class C misdemeanors.

Our view is these renovation costs should be shared between both entities. The county should own some of these design flaws. We also believe public intoxicants should not initially be taken to the jails intake center, but would be better served at the Center for Health Care Services where they could potentially receive treatment after sobering.

These are all details to quibble over, but heres the underlying message we took from Wolffs proposal: These are not insurmountable issues. They can be addressed.

All city residents are Bexar County residents, and the vast majority of Bexar County residents live in the city. Its in everyones best interest to make the countys Justice Intake and Assessment Center work. The sooner, the better.

This editorial is part of the Unequal Justice series, which explores the inequities in Bexar Countys criminal justice system and how they can be fixed.Billionaire coffee magnate Howard Schultz has two problems: Ross Perot and Ralph Nader.

Schultz, a lifelong Democrat, said on CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday that hes seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent in 2020. So am I, for that matter. With about, oh, 400 Democrats lining up to run, whats one more?

But Schultz, unlike most of us, has billions of dollars  entire galaxies of dollars because: coffee. He also has already hired two big guns of previous presidential campaigns  Bill Burton and Steve Schmidt, of Barack Obama and John McCain fame, respectively.

While the media (including this columnist) display a Pavlovian response to the scent of fresh meat, Democrats have been shrieking like cartoon girls when a rat scampers past. Recently, when Schultz was talking at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble to promote his new book, a man in the audience shouted, Dont help elect Trump, you egotistical billionaire! Whereupon the thought did briefly flicker: Could Schultz and Trump be in cahoots? No.

The man did have a point, however  one shared by countless Democrats. Their fear that a third-party or independent candidate would merely siphon votes from their nominee is not without precedent. In 1992, when Perot led a PowerPoint rebellion running as an independent, he may have helped Bill Clinton defeat incumbent George H.W. Bush. Perot captured almost 19 percent of the popular vote (albeit no electoral votes).

Even though exit polling indicated that Perot voters were evenly split on their second choice, its still conceivable that enough would have stuck with the familiar rather than gamble on an Arkansas governor whose slightly curled lip and hip-dipping swagger suggested he hadnt yet fully shed his inner Elvis (or his aint-nuthin-but-a-hound-dog ways).

Who knows? But isnt it lovely to ponder what might not have been: Monica Lewinsky. An alternative history would have excluded so many familiar names, tropes and at least one Tripp that its hard to imagine life without: the two-fer presidency, Whitewater, Ken Starr, Bosnia, sniper fire, wag the dog, Primary Colors by Anonymous (Joe Klein), the blue dress and, yes, Linda Tripp.

Would the world have been better off? At least I could have avoided this conversation about oral sex with my then-8-year-old child: Why, yes, sweetie you may ask me anything. What?! Oh! That, huh? Ummm. Well, its when people talk about sex a lot.

Later, when Nader ran as a Green Party candidate in 2000, he may well have ensured the presidency of George W. Bush. In Florida, where the election ultimately was decided, Nader earned nearly 100,000 votes, a sufficient portion of which almost certainly would have otherwise gone to Al Gore. Bush won by just 537 votes.

To the extent that newly elected presidents tend to represent the antithesis of the incumbent, the younger Bush was plainly Clintons opposite. And, needless to say, Obama was Bushs. Then came Donald Trump, who emerged from central casting as the opposite not only of Obama but of all things decent, fair and true.

Who, pray, will be the non-Trump?

By all rights, it should be a woman of color to counter Trumps grab-em-by-the-(whatever) misogyny and his dog-whistling to Jim Crow. California Sen. Kamala Harris would be the obvious choice given those criteria. But as telegenic, experienced and charismatic as she is, Harris debt-free-college and Medicare-for-all positions would be hard sells in a general election.

Enter Schultz. Hes richer than Trump; as white as Trump; a man. You see the problem. But he does have antidotal qualities. Hes polite, smart, self-made, articulate, calm, rational  and a centrist like millions of voters. Given that the two major political parties have been rendered ridiculous by their bases  and 56 percent of Americans say they wouldnt consider voting for Trump, according to a Washington Post poll released Tuesday  why not a third way? Besides, theres no guarantee hed attract only Democratic votes.

Schultz hasnt declared his candidacy yet, but it would be a mistake to drive him away on the precedents of Perot and Nader, who  lets face it  never had a chance and, thus, indeed, were spoilers.

Schultz is also no Michael Bloomberg, the other billionaire independent who has flirted with the presidency. Consider: As New York City mayor, Bloomberg wanted to control soda consumption; Schultz, though no longer CEO of Starbucks, wanted to feed the world high-calorie scones and venti salted caramel mocha lattes  with two pumps of vanilla.

It wouldnt be the worst thing.

kathleenparker@washpost.comEditor's Note: The story originally published on Feb. 2, 2009

A Marianist priest who became a dean and director of an alumni travel program at St. Mary's University was forced to resign two years ago after his religious order validated a claim that he sexually abused an underage woman.

The finding against Father Charles H. Miller was made public earlier this week by a St. Louis woman, who said she was 17 when he sexually abused her in 1980 in San Antonio.

The Society of Mary, whose U.S. province is based in St. Louis, wrote her a letter in 2007 deeming her claim "credible."

SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: Catholic community offers prayers and love for victims of priest abuse

The order has kept the matter private, saying the victim wanted it that way. The woman, now 47, said that when the finding wasn't made public, as she requested, she came forward this week out of frustration.

In the letter, the order said it barred Miller, now 75, from public ministry, forced him to resign from St. Mary's and placed him on a "safety plan," which includes monitoring his whereabouts and keeping him away from children and youths.

He was sent to the order's General Administration building in Rome to live and work, the order's spokeswoman said.

Sex-abuse victims aren't identified by the San Antonio Express-News. The woman has not sought criminal charges or a civil suit because the statute of limitations prevented it, she said. She also said she hasn't requested money from the order.

The woman first contacted the Marianist order in 2005. At the time, Miller was director of the Roamin' Rattlers, organizing overseas trips for former students and university associates.

During his roughly 25 years at St. Mary's, he was a theology professor and dean of the humanities department known for his expertise in the Holy Land.

In May 2007, the Marianists review board backed the woman and offered her therapy.

St. Mary's, which is owned by the Marianists, complied immediately with the review board's recommendations, said Dianne Pipes, chief of staff and communications.

As part of the investigation, the Marianists said they learned Miller had been involved with two other women. Both were adults and requested no action be taken.

RELATED: San Antonio archbishop goes on TV to release report on accused priests

The St. Louis woman said Miller has maintained his innocence; the order declined to comment on that.

A terrified teenager

The woman said she met Miller when she was 10. Her family attended Masses at the Marianist community house in St. Louis. Miller celebrated Mass at the family's home, where he also attended informal events, she said.

At 14, she said, he fondled her. As a 17-year-old high school senior, she stayed at the order's community house in San Antonio while visiting potential colleges. It was there that Miller first molested her, she said, and subsequently during camping trips he took her on while she was here.

"I was terrified. I froze. I was sexually naive," she said of these episodes. "I didn't quite get it and knew I was uncomfortable."

Afterward, she buried the memories, she said, because her family was "very Catholic."

Reviewing old family photos in 2005, she began to unlock her memories, she said.

Increasingly upset and feeling violated, she said she wrote Miller a letter that same year, asking him to acknowledge the abuse. She also wrote the Marianists a letter notifying them what happened, she said.

She said she assumed the letter would trigger a full investigation. Instead, the order didn't consider the letter a formal complaint until she wrote another letter in early 2007 specifically requesting its review board take up the matter.

She also wrote the Archdiocese of San Antonio, which she thinks helped expedite her complaint.

Before Miller moved to Rome last year, she met with him, along with her therapist, her husband and the order's provincial, she said. There, she recounted to him how much his actions hurt her, she said.

Going public - or not

Initially, she said, she did ask the Marianists to handle her claim internally but believed they eventually would publicize it, once verified, to protect other potential victims.

Helped by the victims advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, she said she learned other Catholic institutions have publicized similar findings in church newsletters and Web sites.

"I didn't understand how any of this works. I kept going through them to try to get them to do the right thing," she said. "I didn't want to ruin the Marianist name or St. Mary's University because of him. But the hierarchy of the Marianists are not willing to do what they should to protect people on their own."

The Marianists' top U.S. supervisor, Brother Stephen Glodek, said in a statement that the order acted responsibly.

"During the entire process regarding Father Charles Miller, the Marianists proceeded - each step of the way - as the victim requested," he wrote. "The pace of the Marianist response corresponded to the victim's gradual awareness of what happened and how she wanted the Marianists to proceed."

The Marianist spokeswoman said the order maintained regular contact with the woman and searched for other victims.

The woman said the order, by keeping the outcome quiet, had not met the standard of being "open and transparent" as outlined in the so-called Dallas charter.

U.S. bishops crafted the landmark charter policy in 2002 to respond to the then-emerging national sex-abuse scandal.

Recent INCIDENTSHBO's Bill Maher went there Friday night when he dropped the ugly and ubiquitous fried chicken stereotype during a segment of Real Time when he was grilling Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd about being a Republican.

SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: Will Hurd, a rare moderate in Congress, scores a lawmaking victory as Dems move in

"I'm just asking why you're a Republican?" Maher said. "Because they're not good at the debt, that was their big thing. You said limited government, they don't do that. They took over the Congress in 2011 and they raised the debt a trillion dollars a year. They're not good at national defensethe president's a traitor. What's in it for you? What is in the Republican Party for you? You were in the CIA!"

To which Hurd began detailing his nine-year stint as an operations officer with the CIA.

"I was in the CIA for almost a decade. I was the dude in the back alleys at four o'clock in the morning collecting intelligence on threats to the homeland."

To which Maher butted in for the cheap joke.

"That's where you'd collect it, huh? Wow! By the Popeyes Chicken?"

You could almost see the brief internal groan on Hurd's face as he looked down and then chose to skip over the slur and continue, explaining how his service included years long stints in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

RELATED: Future in doubt for Virginia governor after blackface photo

This is not the first time the comedian had stepped into racist waters. In 2017 he told Republican Senator Ben Sasse that he was a "house n*****" when the senator invited Maher to Nebraska to work in the fields with him.

"Work in the fields? Senator, I'm a house n*****. No, it's a joke." Maher told the senator.

But a day after his latest barb, like in 2017, few people are laughing.Eighty-one years ago this week, a petite, revolutionary woman organized a strike that would eventually include as many as 12,000 people, making it the largest in San Antonio history.

Emma Tenayuca was a pecan sheller in her early 20s. Like the others in her industry  most of whom were Hispanic woman  she made a starvation wage of about $2-$3 per week and worked in wretched factory conditions, often without toilets or water, according to previous Express-News reporting.

When the industrys biggest company, Southern Pecan Shelling Co., decreased wages from 6-7 cents a pound to 5-6, Tenayuca and her fellow workers marched out. Their strike lasted three months, the Texas State Historical Association wrote. It is now regarded as the first major labor victory for Mexican-Americans in U.S. history.

In the 1930s, San Antonio boasted the nation's biggest pecan shelling industry. Texas pecans accounted for about half of the nation's production, most of which was within 250-mile radius of the Alamo City, according to historical association. Though the nearly 400 shelling factories in San Antonio were notorious for low wages and poor working conditions, the Great Depression economy made it easy for factories to fill positions.

RELATED: San Antonio invited to 'historic evening' with Anne Frank's stepsister at Trinity University

City officials did not welcome the strike. Owen Kilday, the police chief at the time, said the strike was a "revolution" led by "communists who had never shelled a pecan in their lives," according to a previous San Antonio Express-News report. On his orders, squads fired teargas at picketers and jailed some 700 strikers, including Tenayuca for a short time.

Tenayuca's ties to communism eventually led to her ouster from her leadership position, Express-News and Historical Association reports show. She was first replaced with Donald Henderson, also a communist, and later by J. Austin Beasley, an international organizer for the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers union.

As the strike and arrests attracted international attention, then-Gov. James Allred urged the Texas Industrial Commission to investigate possible civil rights violations, according to Express-News archives. The commission determined the police interference was not justified.

The two sides agreed to arbitration on March 8 and came to an agreement on April 14. Later that year, however, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Southern Pecan Shelling Co. and the union both applied for a temporary exemption, fearing factory workers would be displaced under the new wage requirements, the Historical Association article said.

The request was denied, and shortly after, cracking machines replaced more than 10,000 shellers in San Antonio shops.

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21 Pro Video

One person was injured after San Antonio firefighters say a space heater caused a house fire overnight on the near Northside Saturday morning.

Firefighters responded to a residence on the 600 block of E. Carson St. where they discovered a home with flames shooting through the roof.A man who deputies say threatened a bank teller and stole $3,000 on the Northwest Side was arrested Friday.

Charles Edward Vera, 24, was charged with robbery, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

BCSO spokesman deputy Johnny Garcia said the robbery occurred on Jan. 24 at the IBC bank, 11002 Culebra.

In an interview with detectives, a bank teller alleged that Vera used racially explicit language as he made demands for money, officials said.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

He was also making gestures inside of his coat that gave indication to the teller that he possibly had some weapon on his person," Garcia said.

The teller gave Vera close to $3,000 in cash, investigators said. He left before deputies arrived at the bank.

RELATED: Triple shooting report describes boyfriend's emotion, slain mom's and girls' condition

Vera was arrested Friday without incident after deputies surrounded his vehicle at about 2:50 p.m. at a gas station at Loop 410 and Callaghan.

Garcia said Vera could face additional charges because a handgun was found on him during his arrest.

Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | | Twitter:Courtesy photo

The Literacy Council of Fort Bend County is hosting its annual Reading Between the Wines event featuring Lone Survivor Author Marcus Luttrell as keynote speaker. The event is held on March 29 at Safari Texas Ranch.Is it crunch time for brunch time?

No need to stress over where to get your fill of eggs, waffles and mimosas  San Antonio is home to a list of restaurants ready to accommodate your Sunday Funday crew's first, second and third servings.

RELATED: New Fiesta event Chanclas y Cervezas will find San Antonio's 'chancla throwing champion'

From southern-style fares to bougie brunches, mySA.com rounded up a list of buffets across the city, ranging in price, from $12.95 to $45.

Kids are invited at some spots, too!

Plan out your weekend plans with help from the gallery above.

Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkyeAt these sessions, volunteers from Waubonsee and the Center for Economic Progress will help prepare and electronically file income tax returns, including those requiring the 1040 Schedule C used by small businesses and the self-employed.(CNN)  U.S. cities as cold as the Arctic. An Australian inferno. The UK covered in snow.

It's only one month into 2019 and meteorologists are already talking in superlatives as extreme weather patterns have brought cities and towns across the globe to a standstill.

In the United States this week, some 200 million Americans experienced a historic deep freeze that saw temperatures plummet below -32 degrees Celsius (-26 Fahrenheit), killed at least 17 people and led to the cancellation of more than 2,300 flights.

On Thursday, temperatures in 11 states in the continental US saw temperatures lower than the one recorded in Utqiagvik, Alaska's northernmost city, situated north of the Arctic Circle.

Authorities in some of the hardest-hit cities such as Minneapolis and Chicago implored residents to stay indoors to prevent frostbite -- in one Chicago hospital, doctors treated 50 frostbite victims; some may lose an arm or a leg.

Across the pond, the United Kingdom recorded record lows this week as frosty weather pounded parts of England, Scotland and Wales.

On Thursday, residents in Braemar in northeast Scotland experienced -14.4 C (6.1 F), according to the UK's national weather service, the Met Office. This was the lowest temperature recorded in the UK since 2012.

Heavy snow has created roadblocks for travelers across the country. Some flights at London's Heathrow Airport were canceled Friday; passengers were stuck on snow-covered runways at airports in Manchester and Liverpool earlier in the week.

Hundreds of schools across parts of England and Wales closed Friday, with the Met Office continuing to warn of treacherous driving conditions in some southern parts of the country.

In the southwestern county of Cornwall Thursday night, more than 100 motorists ended up abandoning their cars on a major highway blanketed in snow and walking to a pub, where they spent the night.

Parts of France also came under a weather warning after heavy snow fall, Meteo France, the national meteorological service, warned earlier this week.

But as parts of the U.S .and Europe saw record lows, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology announced it had been the country's hottest January on record.

The "unprecedented" heat wave that burned its way through all of the country's melted roads, saw infrastructure fail and killed thousands of animals.

In the Northern Territory, the bodies of dozens of wild horses were found strewn along a dried-up water hole. In Victoria, more than 2,000 flying foxes died from heat stress, in what local media described as a "nightmare" event. Similar mass flying fox deaths have been recorded in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.

In the southern state of Tasmania, dozens of bushfires broke out, destroying homes and wilderness as hundreds of firefighters sought to get the blazes under control.

On January 24, residents in the southern city of Adelaide experienced the hottest day on record for their city, with temperatures peaking at 46.6 C (116 F).

Throughout the country, health warnings have been issued, advising people to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, minimize physical activity and keep hydrated.

While the current heat continues to cause problems for Australians now, scientists warn that without coordinated action on climate change, heat waves will become more likely.

"Climate change is making heat waves more likely but any individual event is effectively a weather phenomenon," Ben Webber, lecturer in climate science in the Climatic Research Unit at the UK's University of East Anglia, told CNN.

"We can try and mitigate against the worst effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions, that's really the best thing to do -- but obviously that requires global action. So individuals can help, but it has to be a big global action to be effective," he said.

"That comes back to what politicians have been trying to agree on ... and that's why these extreme events are part of the motivation for striving to limit global mean temperatures' rise to less than 2 degrees (Celsius) or possibly to 1.5 degrees against current levels," Webber said. While we can't control the weather, he added, we can adapt to and minimize the impact that extreme weather can have on us.

That comes down to having the necessary infrastructure in place to deal with the extremes, he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Extreme weather shatters records around the world."FORT WORTH, Texas (AP)  A Texas man who admitted to killing his estranged wife by tying a massive chunk of concrete to her and throwing her off a bridge into a lake has been sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors in Fort Worth say Rodolfo "Rudy" Arellano pleaded guilty Wednesday to capital murder. He'll serve life behind bars without chance of parole.Sonora, CA  The Tuolumne County supervisors will be getting a close look this coming week at a finalized feasibility study for a $22 million county biomass facility.

The effort, led by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), relates to planning stages for one in a suite of post-Rim Fire projects approved under a $70 million federal HUD grant award from the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) in which the county is collaborating on with other local, state, and federal partners, as reported here.

The recently completed second phase of the biomass facility feasibility study involved assessing viable related enterprises that could be co-located within the county. Among these are a small-scale, five-megawatt biomass power plant, sawmill, post and pole manufacturing plant, and businesses relating to firewood bundling and biomass fuel grinding.

Interested members of the public are invited to hear the presentation, slated for 11 a.m. at the supervisors regular meeting Tuesday their chambers (2 S. Green St, 4th Floor) in Sonora. SNC and California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) representatives along with those from technical consultant The Beck Group will be on hand to deliver the report and answer questions.

For more details about the study, click here.The Village Board voted in 2016 to create a TIF district to encourage private investment in the downtown. In a tax increment financing district, the property tax amount collected is essentially frozen at the time the district is created. As property values increase with development, the additional tax dollars are placed into a village fund to help finance improvements in the district.We have to wait about six years for this to come around again so its not an annual event, Blaine said. We actually get as many adults as children as a lot of families like to come out on the interpretive hike. The chances of our seeing a groundhog arent very good as they are one of our true hibernators.The OSBI decks of playing cards feature information on cold cases in hopes prisoners playing with the cards might come forward with information. This deck  the second  features two cases from Muskogee: Francine Frost and Loyd C. Morgan.Jamison Jaron Weeden, 28, Okmulgee resident, left us June 5, 2021. Service of Remembrance will be Friday, 11:00 AM, The Chapel of Peace of the Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc., of Okmulgee. biglowfunerals.comOfficer Calice stepped in to fill a gap in our community and, in a relatively short amount of time, she has made a tremendous impact, said Irvin in the release. Skyy gives our young women an accessible positive role model while empowering them to shatter glass ceilings and change the narrative. She goes above and beyond her noble call of duty to serve and protect Aurora.We'll keep you connected to all the updated local news and information about what's happening in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County!

Click Here to Subscribe!Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High near 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. Low 72F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Nellie Thomas, deputy tax clerk in the Income Tax Department of the Lorain Treasurer's Office, assists a taxpayer at the office, 605 W. Fourth St., Lorain, on Jan. 31, 2019. The Lorain Treasurer's Office will have its first income tax amnesty program Feb. 1 to March 29, allowing taxpayers to file back taxes owed without penalties.Radioactive waste sealed in large stainless steel canisters is stored under five feet of concrete in a storage building at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C.The city of Lorain spent more than $29 million on worker salaries for 2018, according to a salary report from City Auditor Karen Shawver. Destiny Dawn Bentley, 22, of 12 E Berkley St., in Granite Falls, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Feb. 26.

 Billy Roger McGee Jr., 44, of 2431 Gus Icard St., in Connelly Springs, was charged with five counts of misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $7,500 secured bond.

 Mark Randall Willix Jr., 20, of 6210 George Hildebran Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. . He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for March 11.

 Jeremy Lee Lacroix, 32, of 326 Vannoy Lane, in Boone, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor violation of a court order and failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,800 secured bond. His trial date was set for Feb. 11.

 Thomas Noah Taylor, 21, of 266 Wildwood Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was issued a $500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Feb. 11.Its almost Oscar time, but this year Im debating whether to watch the three-hour program or not since I havent seen any of the movies nominated (patiently waiting for Netflix). Remote channel surfing to catch red carpet interviews and responses to the who are you wearing question becomes rather tedious after the first low-cut, thigh-high-slit gown sets the bar for the night.

My favorite actors have been gone so long, but every once in a while, a super movie with a good cast and a dynamic director will catch my eye. Even though films have changed dramatically with all the newest high-tech imagery and gadgets, without a good director to take charge, the film may fail miserably.

According to www.thecinemaholic.com, some of the top five film directors in todays mainstream are veterans of the old stock and trade. No. 1 was Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas), followed by David Fincher (Gone Girl, Social Network), then Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), next Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood), and finally Richard Linklater (Boyhood). Of course, many will disagree with the list and, personally, I think Stephen Spielberg (Schindlers List, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan) should have been No. 1, but everyone has different tastes when it comes movies.The Poetry Mood call for the theme Kintsugi will run until 31st March 2019. This is about a philosophy, about how we care for ourselves and remake ourselves in response to trauma.

What is Kintsugi (  )?

Kintsugi () is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a lacquer that is infused with gold powder. This act of joining broken pieces in a beautiful way and not attempting to disguise damage or scars points to a philosophy that speaks to me.

I have written extensively about trauma that I have experienced. Recently, I was diagnosed with PTSD. Coming to terms with that diagnosis, and feeling that I am somehow damaged and less than because of it, is something I am struggling through at the moment. There are pieces of me that are broken, but I am in the midst of repairing them.

It takes courage to repair damage and to focus on healing. I will never again be the tabula rasa I was as a child, before life experience had its way with me. I am forever touched by those in the past that have harmed me. Evidence of that is apparent every time I have an anxiety attack in a crowd, flinch from an intended tender touch or look at the very real scars that are embedded in the topography of my body.

Your Kintsugi (  ) Mood Board:

Kintsugi (  ) and Art

I learned about Kintsugi during my art classes several years ago. In honour of that knowledge, I created an abstract painting where I expressed my joy, but also cut through pieces of the canvas to represent traumas. The repair on the canvas was hard. I wielded a hemostat clamped on to a suture needle with less grace than I would have liked. I broke needles, then re-threaded. My struggle continued through layers of paint. Once my stitching was complete, I applied metallic paint over the sutures in a thick layer. This painting was my kintsugi.

Freedom- Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas, 3636

With every day that passes, I will never be the same. I am working on ways to bear my scars with acknowledgement and without shame. This is the essence of the art of kintsugi. It illuminates the idea that even the difficult experiences become part of the fabric of our life, and that they can be transformed.

Trauma will not define me.

Kintsugi (  ) and Self Care

Kintsugi teaches me to be gentler with myself, to have compassion. My cup, though cracked and worn, is still beautiful and worthy of being held with love. This is work that I have to do on my own.

Some days are better, some days are worse. Anyone who has done the hard work that is constant on a path to healing understands this. I have survived the breakage and rendered my scars into fault lines that have worth. These are now veins of gold. In this way, I feel that I can triumph over my past and move into a future of my choosing.

Call for Submissions and Guidelines

The Poetry Mood call for the theme Kintsugi will run until 31st March 2019. Keep in mind that you need not use the word Kintsugi in any part of your poem. This is about a philosophy; it is about how we care for ourselves and remake ourselves in response to trauma. Think about what light and healing mean to you. You can use the photos in the post to inspire your poetry. Consider the beautiful things about yourself and how you support that in your daily life. These poems will inevitably be about struggle and difficult times, but they will also focus on hope.

It is my hope that this call will be empowering and uplifting, as we share poetry with each other.

Please send no more than five (5) poems in a .doc, .docx or .pdf attachment. Include a short cover letter introducing yourself and a little about the poems you are submitting or how the theme speaks to you. You should also include a paragraph of bio in the third person (Twitter and personal website links welcome) along with an author photo (optional). The subject line should read <Poetry Mood Submission//Kintsugi>. For this call, we will only be able to accept previously unpublished work. Please send all submissions for this call to: juliette.vandermolen@hotmail.com.

For all queries not related to this call for Kintsugi-themed works, please see our general submission guidelines.

Kintsugi poems on Mookychick

Tagged in: self care, poetry, submissions, creative writingTurkey has "strongly" condemned Israel's decision not to renew the mandate of an international monitoring group in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

"We strongly condemn Israel's unilateral termination of the mandate of the 'Temporary International Presence in Hebron' (TIPH) ... and expect this political decision to be reversed," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement late on February 1.

The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was established after a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on January 28 he would not extend its mandate, accusing it of bias.

Ankara, however, dismissed the Israeli claim.

"We decisively reject the allegation that the TIPH has been working against Israel, which is presented by Israel as a justification for its decision." Turkey has observers in the Norway-led team tasked with promoting security for Palestinians in Hebron, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian and European officials have also expressed concern and regret over the Israeli decision.The Chicago White Sox were tested against two solid teams. They won two of three against Tampa Bay but lost all four against Houston. "We know we can play better and we will," Sox manager Tony La Russa said of the four-game series against the Astros.Congress

A day after the Congress slammed Goa minister Vijai Sardesai for "likening" Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to Jesus Christ, the latter has accused the opposition party of twisting his statement "to hurt the religious sentiments".

On January 30, Sardesai had showered praise on Parrikar, saying that like Jesus Christ, he built bridges, not walls.

"In the Bible there is a saying that man should build bridges, not walls. Jesus built bridges, not walls....Manohar Parrikar also built bridges. We were also on the other side (in anti-BJP camp). We came to this (BJP's) side because of the bridges he built," the minister had said.

A day later, the Congress took exception to the Town and Country Planning Minister and Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief for quoting Bible to praise Parrikar.

State Congress spokesperson Rohit Bras De Sa had alleged on February 1 that by "likening Manohar Parrikar with Jesus Christ", Sardesai had insulted the Christian community.

Reacting to the Congress's statement, Sardesai on February 2 said, "I am not referring to concrete bridges, but bridges of human relationships."

"If Congress misunderstands my statement as concrete bridges, I do not have to say sorry for their selective and deliberate reading. In fact, it is the Congress, which by giving a spin to my statement, is hurting religious sentiments and blaming me," he said.

"I only find an analogy between Parrikar and Jesus. I have never equated him to Jesus Christ. It only means when it came to bridging humans...especially those on the other side like me, Parrikar showed Jesus's ways...Saying this does not mean I am making him Jesus," Sardesai added.

"Having cleared my intention, if anyone is hurt because of the spin deliberately given by Congress, I seek pardon from people whose sentiments are hurt. But I appeal to the people not to fall prey to the mind games played by the Congress," Sardesai added.US President Donald Trump on February 1 announced that the US will withdraw from the landmark nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, alleging that Kremlin violated the Cold War-era pact.

The announcement comes after heated exchange between the two powers recently failed to resolve a long-running accusation that Russia is violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Trump said that the US will begin withdrawing from the pact on Saturday and will exit the treaty in six months unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its "violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment."

The INF treaty, signed in 1987 by then President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, prohibited the development and deployment of ground-launched nuclear missiles with ranges of 500-5,500 kilometers.

The agreement forced each country to dismantle more than 2,500 missiles and kept nuclear-tipped cruise missiles off the European continent for three decades.

The US alleged in 2014 that Russia had tested a weapon, the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, at a range that fell under the treaty. In 2017, the US said Russia had deployed that weapon.

In October, Trump said the US would withdraw from the Cold War-era pact and sent national security advisor John Bolton to personally deliver the decision to the Kremlin.

Russia, however, said the relevant missile was never tested at distances banned under the agreement and has called on the US to show proof of a violation.

Russia also has accused the US of breaching the treaty with its missile-defence systems in Europe, a charge Washington rejects.

Russia, Trump said, has violated the arms agreement by building and fielding the banned weapons for many years.

"For far too long, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to US allies and troops abroad," Trump said.

"Tomorrow, the US will suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty and begin the process of withdrawing from the INF Treaty, which will be completed in six months unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment, Trump said in a statement issued by the White House.

NATO Allies fully support the US, he said. "This is because they understand the threat posed by Russia's violation and the risks to arms control posed by ignoring treaty violations," he noted.

Asserting that the US has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, Trump said the US will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia "misrepresents" its actions.

We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other. We will move forward with developing our own military response options and will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct, Trump said.

Addressing an early morning news conference, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that for years Russia has violated the terms of the treaty without remorse.

To this day Russia remains in material breach of its treaty obligations not to produce, possess or flight test a ground-launched, intermediate-range cruise missile system with a range between 500 and 5500 km, he alleged.

"In spite of this violation, for almost six years the US has gone to tremendous lengths to preserve this agreement and ensure security for its people, allies and partners, he noted, adding that the US has raised Russia's noncompliance with Russian officials, including at the highest levels of government, more than 30 times. Yet Russia continues to deny that its missile system is noncompliant and violates the treaty," he charged.

Accusing Russia of jeopardising the US' security interest, Pompeo said the US can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it.

"If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty within this six-month period by verifiably destroying its INF-violating missiles, their launchers and associated equipment, the treaty will terminate, said the top American diplomat.

Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a statement supported the withdrawal of the US from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The Russian government has had endless opportunities to change their bad behaviour, and over the past 60 days has proven its disinterest in doing so. The time has come to set the treaty aside and develop alternative avenues toward the security the treaty once provided, he said.

Responding to the US suspension, Russia blasted the US and threatened to deploy new weapons if Washington goes through with pulling out of the deal.Washington : President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., not shown, in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, in Washington. AP/PTI(AP12_11_2018_000307B)

President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 1, saying "she's very bad for our country" and "doesn't mind human trafficking" because she opposes his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border.

The Republican president also said there is a "good chance" he will follow through on his previous threats to bypass the US Congress and declare a national emergency to obtain funding for a wall.

Trump, known for personal attacks on critics and political adversaries, made his comments a week after agreeing to end a 35-day partial government shutdown without getting the $5.7 billion he had demanded from Congress to help build the wall.

His retreat was seen as a political victory for Pelosi, who became speaker last month when Democrats took over control of the House from the Republicans.

Trump, in an interview with CBS News, called Pelosi "very rigid" and said she was trying to "win a political point" by opposing his demands to fund the wall. Trump has said the wall is needed to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Pelosi has called the wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

Construction of a border wall was one of Trump's signature 2016 campaign promises, and he repeatedly said at the time that Mexico would pay for it.

Democratic control of the House, even as Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate, endangers Trump's legislative goals including wall funding. Democrats have proposed billions of dollars for border security, but no money for a wall.

"I think she's very bad for our country," Trump said when asked what he learned in his negotiations with Pelosi.

"Basically she wants open borders. She doesn't mind human trafficking or she wouldn't do this," Trump added.

Pelosi has previously backed legislation to fight human trafficking and called it "an abhorrent crime."

A bipartisan House-Senate committee is considering proposals for funding border security measures for the current fiscal year ahead of a deadline in two weeks when stopgap funding ends and a new partial federal shutdown could begin. Pelosi said on Thursday, "There's not going to be any wall money in the legislation" to fund border security for the rest of this year.

'WILD AND PREDICTABLE'

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, in a statement condemned Trump's "wild and predictable misrepresentations about Democrats' commitment to border security."

"Democrats have put forward strong, smart and effective border security solutions in the bipartisan conference committee, while the president still refuses to take a second shutdown off the table," Hammill said.

Under the US Constitution, Congress holds the national purse strings and approves major expenditures of taxpayer funds.

Trump said at a White House event he might declare an emergency because it did not appear Democrats in Congress were moving toward a deal to provide wall money. Such a step likely would prompt a court challenge from Democrats.

"I think there's a good chance that we'll have to do that," Trump added, referring to the possibility of an emergency declaration.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, told Trump in a private conversation on Tuesday that declaring a national emergency could divide the Republican Party and result in Congress passing a resolution disapproving the declaration, the Washington Post reported, citing two Republicans with knowledge of the exchange.

A spokesman for McConnell declined to comment on the Post story. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pelosi has said she was open to negotiating funding for more ports of entry or additional border security technology. She said the 17 House and Senate negotiators working on legislation to fund homeland security for the fiscal year should decide components of border security.

Democratic negotiators unveiled a detailed opening position containing no money for additional physical barriers on the border to control the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. Previously they had supported $1.3 billion for new fencing and improvements to existing barriers.Clashes broke out between BJP and TMC activists in Durgapur town in West Burdwan district over the alleged removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's posters near the venue of his proposed rally on February 2.

Activists of the BJP were injured in the incident that took place on February 1 night, the party's state general secretary Sayantan Basu told PTI.

Basu also alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers threatened the BJP activists and tore apart posters and placards bearing pictures of the PM, who is scheduled to kickoff the saffron party's campaign in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

"They took out our posters and pasted photos of TMC leaders. Our workers were also roughed up," he said.

The local TMC leadership denied the allegations, and instead, claimed it was the BJP that sprayed black paint on posters of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Both the parties claimed that few of their activists were injured in the incident.

Police said it has received complaints and are looking into the matter.Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 1 welcomed the interim budget as "positive", while his arch rival RJD national president Lalu Prasad dismissed it as a "basket of lies". Kumar welcomed provisions like an annual assistance of Rs 6,000 to farmers and Rs 3,000 monthly pension to those employed in the unorganised sector.

"The budget will strengthen the rural economy. Besides, raising income tax exemption from Rs 2.5 lakh per year to Rs 5 lakh per year will bring relief to the middle class," the chief minister was quoted as saying in an official release.

Lalu, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases, tweeted in Hindi, "Placing a basket of lies in the marketplace of jumlas will prove to be of no avail. People nowadays not only hear jumlas, but also see through these. And they respond not just with a smirk, but with guffaws."

Lodged in a Ranchi hospital for various ailments, Lalu keeps sharing his views on the microblogging site with the help of close aides, who operate his official Twitter handle.

He used a hashtag, AakhriJumlaBudget, seeking to "underscore the opposition's claim that the BJP has come up with a slew of sops in a desperate bid to avoid defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections".

Meanwhile, at a press conference, AICC in-charge of Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil questioned Union minister Piyush Goyal, who is handling the Finance portfolio in the absence of ailing Arun Jaitley, presenting the Union Budget while holding the post of the BJP treasurer.

"Piyush Goyal should not have been allowed to present the Union Budget while holding the post of national treasurer of his party. There was conflict of interest," Gohil alleged.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.

She was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the bill, at a rally in Thakunagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

"The Centre will have to withdraw the Citizenship Bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," Banerjee said.

In his speech at the event organised by the Matua community, Modi praised the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and sought the Trinamool Congress' support for it.

The Bill, he said, would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice...Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis.

"It was because of this that we brought the Citizenship Bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the Bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament," Modi said.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. Many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Trinamool Congress had staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha last month demanding that the Bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.Enforcement Directorate

The Enforcement Directorate, on February 2, opposed the petition of Rajeev Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the VVIP chopper case, seeking to meet his lawyer in private, saying it may hamper the probe. The ED made the submission in response to the plea moved by Saxena, who is in the agency's custody.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the agency to file a detailed reply by February 4, when Saxena's custody ends.

Saxena was deported from Dubai on January 31 and sent to 4-day ED custody the same day. The court had allowed his custodial interrogation after the agency alleged that he and another accused provided global corporate structure to launder money.

Saxena's counsel had sought access to him without the presence of ED officials. He had said that he was not being allowed to speak to his client without ED's interference.

Opposing the request, advocates D P Singh and N K Matta, appearing for ED, said allowing Saxena's counsel such access could be misused and hamper investigation in the case.

"There is apprehension that this opportunity might be used to transfer investigation-related information outside and vise versa," ED said.

The agency had alleged that in connivance with another accused, Gautam Khaitan, a Delhi based lawyer, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

The CBI and the ED have registered cases in the VVIP chopper case in which former Air Force chief S P Tyagi is one of the accused.

Saxena was picked up by Dubai authorities in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case and deported to India.

A director of two Dubai-based firms  UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, Saxena was residing in Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, and had been living in the UAE for 26 years.

Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid euro 58 million as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, ED's advocate Samvedna Verma alleged that "these companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others".

Saxena is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by ED.

Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani were also named by the agency.

It alleged that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares, among others" in this case.

"Saxena has transferred proceeds of crime from M/s Interstellar to his Dubai-based companies M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd," ED said in its chargesheet.

The agency claimed its probe had found that AgustaWestland, United Kingdom, had "paid an amount of euro 58 million as kickbacks" through two Tunisia-based firms.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.(Image: PTI)

Moneycontrol News

A high-powered selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Rishi Kumar Shukla, as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Shukla, a 1983-batch officer, is also a former Director General of Police for Madhya Pradesh. He will take up the post for a period of two years, according to a government notification.

Apart from the Prime Minister, the committee also included Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Also read: Who is Rishi Kumar Shukla? All you need to know about the newly appointed CBI Director

The move comes after Alok Verma was ousted as the director of the investigation agency in January by a committee led by Modi.

The other members of the committee were Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, who was nominated by the CJI to represent him.

Verma was ousted by a 2:1 majority. PM Modi voted against Verma, while Kharge wanted the ousted CBI boss to continue. Having the deciding vote, Justice Sikri found the CBI chief's continuance "detrimental to institutional integrity".

Nageshwar Rao was appointed as the interim director of CBI till the appointment of a new director or until further orders.

Verma was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards  a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be deemed as superannuated, as he has crossed the 60-year-mark. He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure.

With PTI inputs.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

The government may want all banks to come out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework soon. However, the ones that have been removed from the PCA restrictions have either posted high losses (Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra) or have a high net non-performing asset (NPA) ratio (Oriental Bank of Commerce with 7.15 percent net NPA in Q3).

Bank of Maharashtra reported over a seven-fold increase in its net loss to Rs 3,764.26 crore during the quarter ended December. Bank of India's net loss widened in the third quarter of FY19 to Rs 4,736 crore against net loss of Rs 2,341 crore in the same quarter last fiscal. Their net NPAs are, however, below 6 percent.

On January 31, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce are being removed from the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. The central bank said that a few banks are not in breach of the PCA parameters as per their published results for the quarter ending December 2018, except Return on Assets (RoA).

This is in stark contrast to the stance of the former RBI governor Urjit Patel who is said to have opposed a government suggestion to water down the PCA norms.

PCA norms mandate to include any bank whose net non-performing assets (NPAs) is above 6 percent, has posted losses for two consecutive years or have a capital adequacy ratio below 9 percent.

If Finance Minister Piyush Goyal is to be believed, he is 'confident' that all the other banks under PCA will come out of the restrictions soon. He mentioned this in his speech while presenting the Interim Budget. In fact, he was among the first ones to raise questions about the tightening of PCA norms by Urjit Patel. At an event organised by Economic Times, Goyal had questioned the need for 'sudden changes' in the PCA framework.

This was after Patel had made PCA more stringent in 2017 to ensure that banks (especially public sector ones) ensure financial discipline.

While Oriental Bank of Commerce, whose net NPA is above 6 percent, has been removed from PCA, RBI has clarified that the government has since infused sufficient capital in the entity bringing net NPA to less than 6 percent. It added a caveat that they will be subject to certain conditions and close monitoring.

Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra have provided a written commitment to RBI that they would comply with the norms of minimum regulatory capital, net NPA and leverage ratio on an ongoing basis and have apprised the Reserve Bank of India of the structural and systemic improvements.

If a change in norms on the PCA matter has been made, it is essential that the stakeholders be made aware of it. If the RBI's Board for Financial Supervision has indeed made an observation and allowed exceptions under PCA, clarifying what the stance change could be beneficial to the public.Oil prices rose about 3 percent on February 1 on upbeat US jobs data and signs that US sanctions on Venezuelan exports have helped tighten supply, then extending gains after weekly data showed US drillers cut the number of oil rigs.

Brent crude oil futures rose $1.91 a barrel, or 3.14 percent, to settle at $62.75 a barrel. The international benchmark notched a weekly gain of about 1.9 percent.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures ended the session at $55.26, up $1.47 a barrel or 2.73 percent and gained about 3 percent on the week.

Prices climbed to session highs after General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm reported that US energy firms cut the number of operating oil rigs for a fourth week in the past five, bringing the count to the lowest in eight months. Last week's data showed the rig count in January fell the most in a month since April 2016.

Oil prices got a boost from Wall Street after surprisingly strong US job growth data fed demand for equities.

Washington imposed sanctions on Venezuela's Petraleos de Venezuela SA this week, keeping tankers stuck at ports. On February 1 , the US Treasury Department provided details.

"We are beginning to see the impact to crude supplies from the sanctions on Venezuela. It has driven up domestic crude prices, cutting into refiner margins," Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston, said.

"That, combined with Saudi cuts and Libyan production declines has changed market sentiment as we appear to be moving towards a better balanced supply situation."

Some US refiners have begun reducing crude processing as sanctions have boosted oil costs and as gasoline margins crashed to their lowest in nearly a decade, market sources told Reuters on January 31.

In January, Saudi Arabia pumped 350,000 bpd less than in December, a Reuters survey showed.

Financial markets also gained support from comments on Twitter by US President Donald Trump on January 31, saying he would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping soon to try to resolve a trade standoff. But Trump later warned he could postpone talks if a deal remains elusive.

China's trade delegation said the latest round of talks with the United States made "important progress", state news agency Xinhua reported.

"Many traders recognise that sense is likely to prevail and a deal will be struck after the summit - although the shape of any deal will continue to drive a jittery market," Cantor Fitzgerald Europe said in a note.

But a survey showed China's factory activity shrank by the most in almost three years in January, reinforcing fears about fuel demand in the world's second-largest economy.

Analysts believe the oil market will be more balanced in 2019 after supply cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Iraq's oil exports averaged 3.649 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, down slightly from the previous month, the oil ministry said on February 1.I absolutely feel for the people who have suffered in 25 to 40 degree weather in their house, McKenzie said in an interview after the court session. If you dont have that compassion, I dont think this is the job for you. And I want those people to know that government is here and this city is here to make sure you are safe.Ravindra Rao

Harvesting of rabi crops started this month and seasonal supply pressure is gradually building in these commodities. Accordingly, during the last fortnight, prices have plunged.

Prices of mustard, the largest-grown rabi oilseed, however, recovered on reports of unfavourable weather in the second-largest-growing state, Madhya Pradesh. Despite a cold wave and rainfall in many north Indian states, no major crop losses have been seen as of now.

Most rabi commodities (chana, jeera, mustard seed, coriander) along with long-duration kharif crops (turmeric, castor seed) will decline next month as harvesting gathers pace; the extent of losses, though, may vary. Meanwhile, the weather will still have a critical role to play as standing crops may not bear heavy rains and obstruct harvesting.

The new jeera crop arrivals in the market have just commenced and the 2018-19 crop is expected to be more or less the same as last year. Late sowing this season led to the delayed start to harvesting. The same would peak in March.

Overseas sales are subdued at present while stocks are higher than last year. Accordingly, we don't see any major factor that could push jeera higher, except unfavourable weather in the two major growing states (Gujarat and Rajasthan). Weather-related price spikes may come from time to time but the major short-term trend would be bearish.

A month is left for mustard harvesting to commence from the leading producing state -- Rajasthan. Nonetheless, new crop arrivals in the market would commence in the next 10-15 days from other growing states, including West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.

Moreover, if the weather is favourable in the next one month, mustard seed output in the 2018-19 season would be the highest of the last four years. Mustard seed would thus be bearish due to the optimistic crop picture and harvesting season ahead.

Chana, castor seed and coriander will also trade with a negative bias in the short term, but we may not see much of a fall in these commodities as the sown areas under chana and coriander have declined considerably, while castor-seed yield has been affected by drought in the largest producing state, Gujarat. In fact, these commodities would be bullish in the long term.

The author is Head - Commodity Research & Advisory, Anand Rathi Commodities.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on Moneycontrol are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.A farmer works in a paddy field on the outskirt of Agartala, India, March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Jayanta Dey - RC124552B9F0

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the farmers' income support initiative announced by the Centre in the interim budget, may face major roadblocks including legal ones during its implementation phase, experts said Saturday.

To woo distressed farmers ahead of the general elections, the Centre has announced direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year to those holding cultivable land up to two hectare.

The Centre had said it would benefit 12 crore farmers and cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually.

"Irrespective of whether the amount of Rs 6,000 per family a year would be adequate or not or the same is a judicious decision, implementation would be a major issue and may face lot of legal hurdles after a recent Supreme Court judgement on ownership," Supreme Court senior advocate N K Poddar said here at an interactive session organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

Jadavpur University economics professor Saikat Sinha Roy apprehended that the Rs 75,000 crore on account of the scheme would mostly move into the 'unproductive conspicuous consumption' head.

He said an equal amount could have been disbursed in the form of farm input or better price offers on output as the economic benefit could have been much higher that way.

According to the experts, the government might have announced the initiative to boost immediate consumption-led growth of the economy.

A recent Supreme Court judgement has said that by merely having one's name in the title deed does not qualify one to become the land owner and in the wake of legal contest, claims would arise.

On the other hand, what will happen if a plot of land has more than one owner and if all of them would receive Rs 6,000 each for the same land, Poddar said.

"Even transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 per family would be challenging," Poddar said.

He also said that 'notional income' on second house concept should be abolished altogether which exists only in India to boost real estate.(CNN)  As U.S. President Donald Trump hails "progress being made," a source familiar with details of the high-profile visit of North Korea's top negotiator this month says those discussions -- at both the State Department level and with the White House -- "got nowhere" on denuclearization. A second source agreed with that assessment.

"North Korea relationship is best it has ever been with U.S. No testing, getting remains, hostages returned. Decent chance of Denuclearization," Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. "Time will tell what will happen with North Korea, but at the end of the previous administration, relationship was horrendous and very bad things were about to happen. Now a whole different story. I look forward to seeing Kim Jong Un shortly. Progress being made-big difference!"

The U.S. President made his declaration a day after Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told members of Congress that North Korea "is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons." His assertion of progress also comes less than two weeks after the White House and State Department held talks with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol.

One source familiar with those talks said that the discussions focused entirely on the planning of the next summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, with the North Korean leader still refusing to yield anything until he gets a major commitment from the Americans, namely a peace agreement to formally end the Korean War.

The White House announced the summit, which they said would take place "near the end of February," after Trump met with Kim Yong Chol for nearly an hour and a half in the Oval Office. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at the time that denuclearization had come up in that meeting.

"We've continued to make progress. We're continuing to have conversations. The U.S. is going to continue to keep pressure and sanctions on North Korea until we see fully and verified denuclearization. We've had very good steps in good faith from the North Koreans in releasing the hostages and other moves so we're going to continue those conversations," she said.

A source with knowledge of discussions told CNN the U.S. has had a difficult time advancing anything relating to denuclearization because the White House has been pushing for another summit in such a short time frame.

"There just hasn't been enough time. This is North Korea," the source added.

Kim Yong Chol also met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative on North Korea Steve Biegun twice while in Washington in mid-January. A State Department readout described the first as having been a "a good discussion ... on efforts to make progress on the commitments President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un made at their summit in Singapore."

In remarks to the World Economic Forum last week, Pompeo said, "There remains an awful lot of work to do, but good things have happened already."

"The North Koreans aren't conducting missile tests. The North Koreans aren't conducting nuclear tests. There are many steps yet along the way towards achieving the denuclearization that was laid out in Singapore and in achieving the security and stability and peace on the peninsula that the two leaders agreed to as well. We're determined to work towards achieving that. I believe at the end of February we'll have another good marker along the way," he said.

The State Department referred CNN to that quote when asked for comment on a lack of progress.

In remarks at the State Department a week prior, Vice President Mike Pence said that the U.S. still awaits "concrete steps by North Korea to dismantle the nuclear weapons that threaten our people and our allies in the region."

Despite outward votes of confidence, a source told CNN that national security adviser John Bolton seemed to acknowledge behind closed doors that he expected the lack of progress on denuclearization negotiations. Another source close to the negotiations said that there isn't anyone naive enough in the U.S. government to believe that the North Koreans would give up their nuclear program all at once.

Biegun is expected to travel next week for more preliminary talks with the North Koreans, which could be centered on drafting a joint declaration that Trump and Kim Jong Un would sign at the summit, according to two officials. He has been working on creating incentives to get the North Koreans to take more steps toward denuclearization, including soliciting money from Japan and South Korea that would go into a fund that North Korea would be able to access once they begin taking those steps.

There are concerns that Trump may try to use U.S. troops levels in South Korea as a sweetener for Kim Jong Un.

"Recall that in the first summit Kim convinced Trump to cancel major U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Trump claimed after the fact that it was a huge money saver," said Eric Brewer, an international affairs fellow at the Center for New American Security and former NSC official who worked on the North Korea issue in the Trump White House.

"I hope that troop removal would still be a bridge too far for (Trump), but we know he's not a big fan of alliances, and has shown a willingness to buck the recommendations of his advisers," Brewer told CNN. "I guarantee his advisers are warning him not to, but he often doesn't listen to his advisers."

The defense cost sharing agreement between the U.S. and South Korea expired at the end of the year and discussions remain at an impasse.

"The United States appreciates the considerable resources the ROK provides to support the Alliance, including its contribution towards the cost of maintaining the presence of U.S. forces in Korea through the Special Measures Agreement," a State Department spokesperson said. "We stand by our ROK ally, including through shared obligations under our Mutual Defense Treaty. The U.S. commitment to the security of the ROK and its people remains ironclad."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Talks with North Korea's top negotiator 'got nowhere' on denuclearization, sources say."Canadian police are appealing to the public for help in identifying a mysterious arsonist who was filmed trying to blow up an office building on multiple CCTV cameras.

The arson attack was captured from all angles by various security cameras which spotted the culprit arriving at the scene in a white Mercedes. The vehicles license number has been blurred out in footage released by local cops because the plates were stolen, police said in a statement.

Investigators in the city of Vaughan released the footage in an attempt to identify the perpetrator, who attempted to blow up a law office on January 7.

READ MORE: Lottery winner who bought ticket with stolen credit card arrested, but who gets the money?

In the video, a heavily shrouded individual emerges from the vehicle and proceeds to pop the trunk filled with a host of dangerous supplies.

The suspect smashes the buildings glass door and throws in two open canisters filled with gasoline, before pouring a third and igniting the almighty blaze.

Nobody was injured in the incident and an investigation is ongoing.



Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is halting its participation in the Cold War-era INF nuclear agreement after Washingtons decision to suspend it. Russia will develop missiles previously forbidden under its terms.

Ours will be a mirror response. Our US partners say that they are halting their participation in the treaty, and we are doing the same, the Russian president said in Moscow on Saturday in reference to the INF pact.

They say that they are doing research and testing [on new weapons] and we will do the same thing, Putin said during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

The Russian leader emphasized that while Moscows offers on modernizing the 1987 treaty and making it more transparent are still on the table, no more talks should be initiated with the Americans to try and save it.

Lets wait until our partners mature sufficiently to hold a level, meaningful conversation on this topic, which is extremely important for us, them, and the entire world, Putin said.

In December, the Trump administration threatened to quit the agreement, which limits nuclear and conventional land-launched missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500km within 60 days, unless Russia stopped allegedly violating it with its 9M729 missile, which Washington claims exceeds the permitted range.

Moscow denied that it had broken the treaty, and offered additional mutual inspections during failed talks in Geneva last month. On February 1, Washington officially confirmed that the bilateral agreement signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan will be suspended for 180 days. Washington also threatened to completely withdraw from it afterwards.With the third highest donkey population in the world at more than five million, Pakistan plans to make millions of dollars annually in foreign sales.

The livestock department of the South Asian countrys Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province announced this week that it will develop donkey farms in coordination with China. The farms were described as the first of their kind in the country.

Agreements will be signed with the Chinese government as well as registered companies, KP officials were quoted as saying by GEO TV.

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The officials said that foreign countries like China had expressed desire to invest hundreds of millions in donkey farms in Pakistan.

Chinese companies are interested in donkey farms, and foreign companies are ready to invest $3 billion in them, they said.

READ MORE: Bad-ass criminals: Indian prison throws 8 donkeys behind bars for munching on costly plants (VIDEO)

The province is expected to export 80,000 donkeys in the first three years.

Over 70,000 households in the province are dependent on donkeys for their source of income, thus we want to sign agreements after thinking carefully as we do not want a scarcity of the animals in the province, the livestock department said.

Also on rt.com Voice of a...donkey? Rescue animal with incredible vocal range goes viral (VIDEO)

It revealed that only Punjabs provincial capital of Lahore has more 41,000 donkeys. The provinces government has even set up a donkey hospital, where treatment is provided free of cost.

According to donkey breeders, the animals can cost between Rs35,000 ($491) and Rs55,000 ($772). China, which has a shortage of donkeys, highly prizes the animal, mainly for its hide used in traditional medicines. The most famous variety of donkey gelatin, ejiao, is produced in East Chinas Shandong Province.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionWikiLeaks has called out MSNBC host Rachel Maddow for her most dramatic scaremongering yet: claiming Russia could freeze Americans to death by cutting off their power during a polar vortex.

Maddow, who has been at the forefront of Russiagate hysteria since the 2016 election, told viewers this week that Russia could take out the US power grid system during the freezing weather snap.

Also on rt.com Top 5 Russia-conspiracy fails of Rachel highest-ratings-ever Maddow

What would happen if Russia killed the power in Fargo? Maddow asked, adding, What would you do if you lost heat, indefinitely, as the act of a foreign power on the same day the temperature in your front yard matched the temperature in Antarctica?

Maddows claims were circulated on social media where many mocked her for taking the Russia scaremongering to the extreme.

WikiLeaks joined in the fun, tweeting about Maddows claim that Russia will freeze you and your family to death.

Aw, you mad? Maddows Twitter account responded, prompting the whistleblowing organization to fire back at megacorp MSNBC, accusing it of opportunistically whipping up xenophobic fear and hysteria in poor, cold people, to the political effect of facilitating Trumps INF withdraw, leading to nuclear proliferation in Europe & Asia, and the potential deaths of hundreds of millions.

READ MORE: US withdraws from INF Treaty in 180 days  Pompeo

Maddow tweeted back, saying her Russia rant was based on an unclassified US Director of National Intelligence assessment that energy infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attacks from Russia and China.

The threat of an attack on the US power infrastructure was addressed in a March 2018 Washington Post article, which details how the countys power grid works and explains it would be almost impossible for hackers to strike all of the grids at once, pointing out that many are not connected to the internet or one another.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!Venezuelan President Nikolas Maduro has called for early elections to the National Assembly  a legislative body, which is now dominated by the opposition led by Juan Guaido, who earlier called for a coup in Venezuela.

Maduro proposes early parliamentary elections in Venezuela

Maduro proposes early parliamentary elections in Venezuela

Source : RT - Daily newsGermanys police have violently dispersed a group of climate activists, who staged a sit-in near the Economy Ministry office in Berlin. The demonstrators were protesting against a compromise on the phase-out of coal-fired power.

Footage taken by Ruptly video news agency shows officers in riot gear violently grabbing people sitting on the ground and dragging them to a police van. The demonstrators are also seen scuffling with officers, who sought to disperse a crowd of youth holding a large banner and blocking a street near the ministry building.

The rally, which was staged in Berlin on Friday, was organized by activist group Ende Gelaende which opposes a recently presented compromise plan on the phase-out of coal-fired power. Developed by the so-called coal commission, a body consisting of industrialists, politicians and NGO members, the plan would see Germany ending the use of coal-fired energy by 2038. The climate activists believe the delay is too long and are calling for an end to coal-fired power use immediately.

The protesters called the commissions proposal a punch in the face for all the people living in the global South as well as those seeking a better future. Instead of providing a better future for everyone, the phase-out only provides a lot of money for the few, the groups spokeswoman said, adding that the activists would take the matter into their own hands and put up resistance everywhere from coal mines to the places where political decisions are made.

Similar rallies were staged on Friday in the German cities of Potsdam, Hamburg, Bremen and Bielefeld. Another protest was held on Saturday in Karlsruhe, where the activists blocked a road leading to a local power plant.

Following Berlins decision to phase out nuclear power in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Germany had to heavily rely on coal for its power generation. Coal is estimated to have provided more than 30 percent of Germanys power in 2017.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!Yellow Vest protests are taking place across France today as demonstrators continue to show their discontent with President Emmanuel Macrons leadership.

Demonstrators will pay tribute to those who have been injured during the 12 weeks of demonstrations, which officials estimate to be at least 1,900 protesters and 1,200 police officers.

WATCH: Yellow Vest protests hit Paris for 12th week in a row

Protesters have been maimed and lost eyes from police use of Defense Ball Launchers (LBDs), rubber-ball projectiles. Frances Council of State ruled on Friday that security forces have the right to use the projectiles after the French Human Rights League and trade unions requested they be banned.



Macron is being slammed by protesters who say his economic policies favor the rich. The Yellow Vests are calling for a Citizens Initiative Referendum to decide whether to bring in regular public votes on government policy proposals. Macron has said he wouldnt rule out the idea of a public vote, once it doesnt undermine parliamentary decisions, but refused to entertain a referendum on a tax cut for the wealthy.

In recent comments which were not well received by the movement, Macron dismissively remarked: If being a yellow vest means wanting fewer parliamentarians and work being paid better, I am a yellow vest, too.

The Yellow Vest movement was born from government-proposed tax hikes on fuel, which was subsequently scrapped. It has since evolved to tackle other issues of discontent.

Ten people have died during the protests, including in traffic incidents as the demonstrators set up roadblocks and protests on roundabouts.



Like this story? Share it with a friend!Russia could see the start of private space tourism in around five years, with participants flying for several minutes to a height of 100km before descending by parachute or engine-powered aircraft.

Thats according to Sergei Zhukov, co-leader of the working group of the National AeroNet Technology Initiative. He told RIA Novosti about the so-called CosmoCourse project, which is being developed by a private investor.

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We are talking about suborbital tourist traffic. The launch vehicle, the descent vehicle, and the engine are currently being developed, Zhukov said, adding that the development company has a license from the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

I think this will take about five years, but maybe more, the expert said.

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In August 2017, private Russian company CosmoCourse received a Roscosmos license for space activities. The company plans to create a reusable suborbital spacecraft for touring into space. The companys General Director Pavel Pushkin said earlier that a number of Russian citizens are ready to pay $200,000 to $250,000 for a flight on such a ship.

The Russian space agency has already accomplished orbital space tourism missions.

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To date, seven tourists have visited space. Former NASA scientist Dennis Tito became the first space tourist when he traveled to the International Space Station for eight days in 2001. Six other space tourists also visited the station, each of them paying between $20 million and $40 million. Canadian businessman and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte was the last space tourist in 2009. British singer Sarah Brightman was also supposed to go in 2015, but her flight was canceled for unknown reasons.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionShocking footage filmed outside a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York, shows inmates apparently banging on the walls and windows of their cells to draw attention to their freezing conditions.

The Metropolitan Detention Center, which holds pre-trial detainees, has been without any heat or hot water since January 21, and a small electrical fire on January 27 means inmates and workers are now without any lighting.

Legal and family visits have been cancelled until further notice, and inmates are on lockdown for their own safety and that of staff.

Temperatures below freezing in New York this week prompted inmates to call federal defender offices about the appalling conditions.

In the past hour, I have gotten 11 calls, paralegal Rachel Bass of Federal Defenders in Brooklyn told the New York Times. People are frantic. Theyre really, really scared. They dont have extra blankets. They dont have access to the commissary to buy an extra sweatshirt.

New York City councilman Justin Brannan posted the footage on Friday as he stood outside the center which houses more than 1,600 people. Brannan called the surreal moment one of the most harrowing sounds Ive ever known, as the cold men inside pleaded for help.

Inmates are banging on S-O-S on windows to get our attention, he tweeted.

The footage has been viewed almost 14,000 times, with about 50 comments asking why the story has not received more media attention. Others questioned how the men could be forced to live in the outrageous and barbaric conditions, with some calling it inhumane and tantamount to torture.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York (D) said she visited the center on Saturday and there appeared to be some heat restored, but that the facility was still dark and cold.Newly released CCTV footage shows the horrifying moment a mining dam in Brazil collapsed catastrophically, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.

The colossal disaster happened on January 25 in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Harrowing CCTV footage obtained by Brazilian channel TV Globo shows the exact moment of the shocking collapse that unleashed a powerful torrent of sludge, destroying everything in its path and washing away roads, buildings, and villages.

At least 110 people were killed, while 238 more are still unaccounted for.

READ MORE: At least 7 dead, 150+ missing after dam burst in Brazil (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

A ceremony was held at the fatal site on Friday to mark a week since the catastrophe. Rescuers momentarily stopped looking for bodies and police helicopters released flower petals over the ruined area. A priest also said a prayer in front of a tall cross that had been erected in the mud.

The company that owns the ore mine, Vale SA, has been ordered to pay a fine of 250 million reals (US$66.32 million) for various violations that led to the collapse  one of the biggest environmental penalties in Brazils history. A state judge also ordered Vale to freeze 5 billion reals (US$1.3 billion) on its accounts to pay for the damage caused by the dam rupture.

READ MORE: Brazilian mining company to pay $66mn fine following deadly dam burst

Vale is linked to another dam disaster in the same region in 2015. The catastrophic failure of a dam jointly owned by the mining company flooded the river below with toxic iron waste, killing 19 people and displacing hundreds more.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!A senior police officer who used a secure database to check up on women he met on Tinder has been jailed for six months, and fined for possessing bestiality content.

Western Australia Police officer Adrian Trevor Moore, once a nominee for cop of the year, pled guilty to 180 charges, 177 of which were for unlawful computer access-related charges at the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, WA Today reports.

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Between 2006 and 2018, Moore looked up 92 women, the majority of whom he came across on dating apps such as Tinder. One womans information was accessed 13 times, while another was searched for six times over a number of years.

The police veteran was also caught with videos and images of women engaged in sex acts with dogs and horses when his home was searched last year. Moore was sentenced to six months in prison, and received a AU$2,000 fine for possessing images of bestiality, ABC reports.

The former officers defense insisted his violations were down to simple due diligence before Moore met up with the women, while the prosecution described them as a gross and sustained breach of trust.

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Moore was exposed when one of his victims reported him to the police last January, sparking an internal investigation that saw him step down in March, before resigning in May. He said he had looked up the women on the database out of curiosity and boredom.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!The collapse of the INF Treaty, conceded by the Kremlin on Saturday, is the result of decades-long strategic destabilization of the nuclear balance by the US, which wants a new international order, and perhaps a fresh arms race.

On Friday, Washington said it was suspending its participation in the 1987 agreement for 180 days, for alleged non-compliance by the other signatory, Moscow. The next morning, Vladimir Putin, flanked by two senior ministers, bemoaned that Russia could not save the milestone Cold War arms restriction agreement, despite generous offers to up its transparency.

According to Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann, a geopolitics analyst from Paris 8 University, this is the exact outcome Washington wanted, which already decided beforehand to get out of the treaty regardless of concessions.

Also on rt.com Russia suspends INF Treaty in mirror response to US halting the agreement

The US already destabilized the nuclear balance when they decided to get out of the ABM treaty in 2002, and when you look at a map the United States are putting missile defense bases all around Eurasia, creating a feeling of encirclement in Russia and China, Thomann told RT.

Their ideology is to put sovereignty above international law, and they want to have a total free hand to keep their supremacy in the world as long as possible, and these treaties are constraining them.

But why now?

Thomann believes that the timing is caused by Washington, and specifically the Trump administration, feeling threatened by China.

UK-based Russia analyst Martin McCauley agrees that the alleged threat posed by Russias 9M729 missile, which Washington cited as the violation that caused the treaty breakdown is nothing but a pretext.

Also on rt.com US opted to ditch INF years ago, has been preparing to produce banned missiles  Russian MoD

The Americans are more concerned about China than Russia. They feel the INF treaty is out of date, and they want a new one  and Trump talks about it  that includes Beijing, he told RT from London.

Concluded at the height of the Cold War rapprochement between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, the INF treaty binds only Moscow and Washington, prohibiting them from developing conventional and nuclear-tipped missiles with a range of 500km to 5,500km, which are now possessed by several other countries that were not parties to the agreement.Two people have been shot in separate attacks in the North Irish city of Londonderry, police reported. The city on the border with Ireland was the scene of a car bombing last month that was claimed by radical nationalists.

The victims, reported to be men in their 30s, were treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to a hospital for further treatment.

Witnesses reported shots fired at two nearby locations in the Ballymagroarty area of Londonderry, also known as Derry, after 8 p.m. on Friday evening. In what are believed to be two separate incidents, both men were shot in the leg; one of the victims also suffered a gunshot wound to his hands.

None of the injuries inflicted by the unknown perpetrators are believed to be life-threatening. Police labelled the incidents paramilitary style attacks and the assailants themselves criminal thugs.

READ MORE: Car blast in front of N. Ireland courthouse, terrorism suspected

The shooting has been condemned by local legislators, with Mark H Durkan, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle, saying that violence only leads "to more victims and create more violence. No arrests have been made and no information has been released regarding the motive for the crimes.

The shootings came just two weeks after a car bomb rocked downtown Londonderry. The explosives were planted in a stolen pizza delivery van parked outside a local courthouse. No one was injured, and police suspected the New IRA  one of the IRA splinter groups  to be behind the attack. Two men were arrested in hot pursuit.

The New IRA does not recognize the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that has helped to reduce the level of violence in the border area.

There were also speculations that the blast might have been triggered by Brexit negotiations, with the Irish backstop being the most contentious issue in the UK Parliament.

However, the group calling itself the IRA claimed responsibility shortly after the attack. They said the UKs Brexit shenanigans had no bearing on their actions, warning that they wont be going anywhere.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!One person was killed and five wounded during an attack on a paramilitary base in Nik Shahr, southeastern Iran on Saturday, state media reported, describing it as a terrorist incident.

The attack occurred on a base housing the Mobilization Resistance Force, known as Basij, one of the wings of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian media reported, citing military officials. No further details have been provided.

The attack left one person dead and five wounded.

According to some reports, there were two attackers who fled the scene.

Also on rt.com 25 killed, 60+ injured during attack on military parade in Iran (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Jihadist group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is based in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, where the incident took place.

DETAILS TO FOLLOWOTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A 58-year-old Grand Rapids man was injured after a semi-truck went through a red light at Lake Michigan Drive and U.S. 31 and struck a mini-van, police said.

The crash happened about 3:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1.

Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said Jesus Flores was driving a min-van east on Lake Michigan Drive and crossing U.S. 31 when he was struck by a Volvo semi-truck going south.

Police said witnesses reported the truck driver, 50-year-old Mykhaylo Pidgayetskyy of Illinois, failed to stop for a red light.

Flores was pinned in the mini-van and firefighters worked to free him. He was then taken to North Ottawa Community Hospital and was last known to be in stable condition.

Police said the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.FLINT, MI -- Former state health Director Nick Lyon has waited more than 18 months to see if hell be forced to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter and other criminal charges for his role in the Flint water crisis.

On Friday, Feb. 1, Genesee Circuit Judge Joseph Farah told Lyon he will have to wait a little bit longer.

Farah adjourned hearings on motions to dismiss charges against Lyon after about three hours of arguments Friday. The judge asked special prosecutor Todd Flood and attorneys for the former director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to resume on Wednesday, Feb. 6.

Attorneys for Lyon filed, and Farah is considering, motions to quash his bindover on felony charges from Genesee District Court and to dismiss a misdemeanor charge the former state government cabinet member faces.

Lyons attorneys claim in their filings that Genesee District Judge David Goggins closed his eyes to numerous principles of well-settled Michigan law when he ruled in August that there was sufficient evidence to show the crimes were committed and that Lyon committed them.

Although written arguments on the motions were filed months ago, Farah heard oral arguments Friday and said he would continue listening next week.

John Bursch, one of the attorneys for Lyon, called Friday a devastatingly bad day for prosecutors, who have no case against his client.

Bursch argued that the state law cited in binding Lyon over to circuit court doesnt address any duty prosecutors claim he had to warn Flint residents about outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease while the city was using the Flint River as its water source.

They also dispute many other elements of the case.

If someone fails to do something ..., Bursch argued, you still have to prove a legal duty exists in the law.

Flood argued that Goggins was correct in deciding a jury must hear the evidence, and has argued that Lyon failed to protect the public when he could have mandated a change in Flints water source because of threats to peoples health.

Lyon was among city, Genesee County and state officials who were aware of Legionnaires' outbreaks and suspicions that Flint water was connected to the outbreaks.

Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa A. Hammoud, who has taken the lead in the Flint water prosecutions since the election of Dana Nessel as state attorney general, said after Fridays hearing that the courts and the judges -- not Bursch -- will decide the strength of the cases against Lyon and seven other current and former state and city officials facing criminal charges.

Seven others charged in the Flint water prosecutions have accepted deals with Flood, pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges.

Three of the cases have been bound over to circuit court for jury trials.

There was a district court judge (in the Lyon case) who found enough probable cause to bind this case over (and) the arguments (for the case to go forward) are not over, Hammoud said.

Farah questioned both Bursch and Flood about their arguments Friday, telling Flood at one point that his role is not to determine whether Flint water caused the Legionnaires' outbreaks that officials have said killed a dozen people but to decide whether Goggins' bindover decision was correct.

That decision, Farah said, represents a determination that there was probable cause to show Nick Lyon killed these people.

Flood has claimed Lyon is responsible for the deaths of Robert Skidmore and John Snyder, both of whom prosecution experts say likely died of Legionnaires' during the water crisis.YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI -- A Washtenaw International High School senior with an affinity for politics and public health policy is one of two Michigan students chosen to participate in a prestigious Washington program that includes a White House visit.

Serena Smith, a fierce young activist for education and social justice, will be part of the United States Senate Youth Programs 57th annual Washington Week.

Shell travel to Washington with Luke Koenigsknecht of Grand Rapids in March to tour the Capitol, meet government figures and visit historical museums and monuments. Both students will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

Im really excited to see the things you dont get to see as a normal tourist, going to the White House, meeting the President, and getting to meet kids my age doing really incredible things and engaging in open dialogue, Smith said.

She credits her teachers and fellow students with helping her find a passion for public health access and education.

I love my teachers and theyre a huge part of why Im so excited to come to school everyday, Smith said.

Shes being so humble, said Nhu Do, principal of Washtenaw International High School. "I see Serena as an activist in our community, whos making a difference.

Smith learned of the U.S. Youth Senate Program from health teacher Rachel Hervey, while serving as a teachers assistant. She thought her chances were slim, but pushed herself to apply, and it paid off.

I was so excited to find out I got it and to have the chance to connect with other youth leaders, Smith said. "The community here at WIHI encourages you to push outside of your comfort zone and sets you up to succeed.

Do expressed pride in her students accomplishments and looks forward to the conversation starters shell bring home from D.C.

In her role as a youth educator, Serena integrates community leadership to give voice to voiceless and being active in equity for minority populations, despite her own privileges, Do said. Thats who she is and how I see her as a leader. I am thrilled that shes interested in leading and representing. We need more women leaders committed to dismantling oppressive systems.

When shes not in school, Smith spends time teaching English to refugees in her community and working with the Planned Parenthood Peer Education program. She said she spends 50 hours of yearly training and preparing to give presentations in schools about LGBTQ sex education, sexual health and consent.

Working with peer educators has taught me so much about intersectionality and creating a culture of mindfulness for students, by students, Smith said

Smith has applied to several colleges in Michigan and Washington D.C., and has been accepted to UM and Kalamazoo College. After completing her undergraduate degree, Smith plans to work in HIV prevention education in Spanish speaking countries and eventually return home to get her masters.

Smith and Do said WIHI defines success as discovering your passion, more than academics.

Serenas plan is driven by her passion. A lot of what we do is provide opportunities and time for students to explore," Do said.

Do said Smith is one of three Washtenaw International High School students over the last five years to be selected for the U.S. Youth Senate Program.GREEN OAK TWP, MI  A man snowmobiling across a frozen Livingston County lake Friday evening died after the ice broke and he fell into the frigid water.

Emergency crews were called at 5:09 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, to the 11000 block of Chamberlain Drive near Sandy Bottom Lake for a snowmobiler who fell through the ice, according to a statement from the Green Oak Police Department.

Three residents near the lake used a canoe and a flat bottom boat to traverse onto the ice assisting officer who pulled the 67-year-old New Hudson man out of the water before additional rescue crews arrived at the scene, police said.

Once the man was brought to shore, it was determined he was going into cardiac arrest and resuscitation efforts were started until paramedics arrived, police said.

The man was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, police said.

The man had ridden through a channel along the lake that rarely freezes, police said. The mans name is not being released at this time.

The Livingston County Dive Team, Livingston County Sheriffs Office and Livingston County Central Dispatch assisted with rescue efforts.ANN ARBOR, MI  Meaghan Wheat admits initial talks between herself and fellow University of Michigan student Lauren Schandevel about creating an entire department at the university were a bit ridiculous.

More than two-and-a-half years later, the duo will have to settle for a more modest, but no less significant accomplishment  the creation of the nations first higher education minor focused on social class and inequality.

The two UM College of Literature, Science and the Arts seniors were instrumental in creating the minor, which recently was passed through the LSAs executive committee. It will be offered to students this fall, housed in UMs Womens Studies department.

The minor will explore the intersections of class with race, gender and other dimensions of social structure.

In America, we tend not to talk about social class - we attribute wealth to personal merit and poverty to personal deficits, Schandevel said. But I grew up watching my parents - the hardest working people I know - struggle to make ends meet, so that narrative just didnt add up for me. As a working-class student, learning about social class over the course of my college career has been paramount in shaping my identity and my understanding of the world.

Finding solutions to social class inequality that plagues some students on UMs campus has been a mission for both Wheat and Schandevel throughout their time in Ann Arbor.

Schandevel was a key contributor in the creation of the "Being Not-Rich at UM" online guide. The guide was created as an alternative to a student government "Campus Affordability Guide," aimed at providing tips and resources for students of all income levels at the university.

The guide went viral, encouraging other lower-income college students in similar situations to provide their own input on the crowd-sourced document. She also helped start the Affordable Michigan student group, aimed at bettering the quality of life for lower-income students on campus.

The process in creating the social class and inequality was more complex. It began in July 2016, with Wheat and Schandevel determining how to best formulate content focusing on social class both as an identity and a system of privilege and oppression, Schandevel said.

They presented their ideas to Womens Studies faculty, eventually finding an ally in former Womens Studies Chairwoman Rosario Ceballo, who was enthusiastic about housing the minor in the department.

In order for the minor to go to the curriculum committee, it needed a departmental home, which is why it was so important that we got Womens Studies approval, Wheat said.

With the help of Ceballo, the duo were able to establish a task force of faculty and students who met monthly to develop and revise the proposal that was presented to Womens Studies faculty in April 2018. It was nearly rejected, Schandevel said.

A couple of faculty members, Abby Stewart and Nadine Dean Hubbs, helped save the proposal, Schandevel said, working with the students to revise it over the next few months. It eventually passed the full faculty vote, curriculum committee and finally the LSAs Executive Committee.

Since 2016, Wheat estimated the two had each spent around 10 to 20 hours a week working on getting the minor approved.

We did a lot of emailing and meeting with professors, and on top of that we would meet up to plan and strategize our next steps and what we really wanted this minor to be, Wheat said. When we met with professors and faculty, we would have to show them that we were serious and prepared, which required a lot of outside research.

Womens Studies Interim Department Chair Elizabeth Wingrove said in the broader curricular context of the College of LSA, the minor brings a focus on social class and inequality that was not as visible as were other forms of social difference and inequality, such as race, nation-state, gender and sexuality.

We believe that systemic exposure to the diverse ways in which social class and the inequality associated with it are understood is a valuable part of any student's education, Wingrove said. Although many courses at Michigan actually do address these issues, they have never before been brought together so they are visible to students in the curriculum, regardless of the students' other interests.

Wingrove also credited a range of other departments in LSA in the planning stages as well as offering courses included in the minor, including Sociology Chair Karin Martin and Womens Studies undergraduate program coordinator Donna Ainsworth.

Beyond faculty, Wingrove said much of the credit for making the minor happen goes to Wheat and Schandevel.

... While there was some student involvement in the development of our other minors in Womens Studies, the student initiative in this case was just remarkable, she said. It is absolutely accurate to say we were deeply impressed by their commitment and dedication. Its also accurate to say that, without their initiative, dedication and commitment, this minor might never have come to fruition.OSCODA, MI  Democrat U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is criticizing the U.S. Air Force for taking an aggressive and defensive posture with the state of Michigan related to toxic contamination cleanup at a former base in northern Michigan.

In a Jan. 31 letter, Peters invited Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visit the community of Osocda, where PFAS chemicals coming from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base are contaminating drinking water wells, lakes, a river and causing toxic lake foam buildup.

The letter follows an MLive report that the Air Force was refusing to comply with state regulations that limits the amount of PFOS, a well-known compound within the PFAS family of contaminants, to 12 parts per trillion (ppt) in groundwater entering surface water bodies.

Following a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality violation notice, the Air Force in December told the state it would not take any new actions to stem the flow of contamination that is entering a wetland called Clarks Marsh near the former base.

The Air Force said it did not have to comply with the state regulation because of the federal governments sovereign immunity from state or local laws.

Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Senate homeland security and government affairs committee, expressed concern that the Air Force was not working in good faith with the state and said that Congress waived federal sovereign immunity for environmental cleanups.

Peters referenced a meeting with Air Force assistant secretary John Henderson, in which Henderson allegedly said the Air Force would be proactive in its approach, consistent with federal law rather than waiting an interagency approach or judicial process to mandate remedial action.

This aggressive and defensive posture amidst the ongoing dispute resolution process with the state is unproductive at best, and it concerns me that so little has been accomplished since PFAS was confirmed at Wurtsmith in 2010, Peters wrote.

The Air Forces refusal to meet the state of Michigans water quality standards only serves to reinforce my sense that Congress must move swiftly to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to establish enforceable and protective federal standards.

Reference to the lack of EPA standards follows a report this week in Politico that the agency would not be establishing a maximum contaminant level for compounds PFOS and PFOA under the Safe Drinking Water Act, angering environmental groups and many states, which want the federal government to set enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals.

The EPA did not outright deny the report, but responded by saying its forthcoming national PFAS management plan was still being finalized. Politico reported that the plan does include classifying PFOS and PFOA as hazardous under federal Superfund law, which would give the EPA authority to direct cleanups at sites where the contaminates are found.

Theres been mounting pressure on the EPA from Congress to act on PFAS contamination. A bipartisan group of lawmakers this month formed a PFAS Task Force co-chaired by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, to help educate peer lawmakers about the chemicals, draft legislation, meet with affected communities and fight for more cleanup funding.

Kildee is inviting a PFAS activist from Oscoda, Cathy Wusterbarth of the group NOW (Need Our Water), to attend the Feb. 5. State of the Union Address.

Michigan is one of several state dealing with PFAS contamination in surface water and groundwater used for drinking. The chemicals are used by multiple industries and are in Class B firefighting foam, which the military used heavily for decades.

The chemical properties that make PFAS valuable in the marketplace also make them persistent and bioaccumulative in the environment. Exposure to them are linked to chronic health conditions like cancer and developmental delays in children.

On Thursday, Jan. 31, the Air Force responded to a Jan. 24 MLive request for comment about its refusal to follow state surface water quality regulations.

The Air Force sent a statement reiterating its position on the DEQ violation and said that

although the Air Force will not be taking any new actions in response to the violation notice, we will continue to work with MDEQ to address many of the issues raised therein.

The Air Force said the groundwater treatment system installed at the former fire training area where PFAS foam use has heavily contaminated the groundwater is working better than expected and has greatly reduced the PFAS contamination entering the marsh.

The DEQ says groundwater under the marsh has tested at 42,000-ppt and surface water in the marsh has tested at 1,400-ppt. The states surface water limit for PFOS is 12-ppt.

The Air Force plume map distributed with its remarks show that PFOS in the groundwater entering the marsh tested at 3,710-ppt last year, a marked decrease from several years ago.

The state wants the Air Force to increase the amount of groundwater being treated and the size of a capture zone for the treatment system.Lavora Barnes was chosen to lead the Michigan Democratic Party as chair Saturday, taking over for Brandon Dillon to lead party operations ahead of the 2020 election.

Barnes, of Ann Arbor, was serving as the partys chief operating officer and was previously Oakland Countys deputy Clerk. She also served as the state director for former President Barack Obamas 2012 reelection campaign.

Barnes was the favorite going into the race, securing endorsements from several key factions of Democratic delegates ahead of the convention.

The vast majority of us made the decision long before today that we are going to strengthen, improve, and add even more voices, voters, innovation, and ideas to the movement we are building together," Barnes said. "Movements go forward, not backward, and this Michigan Democratic Party is only going in one direction: full-steam ahead.

Dillon opted not to run for re-election to his position after overseeing the 2016 and 2018 elections.

Democrats in Michigan suffered a blow during Dillons first term when Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly lost to President Donald Trump, marking the first time Republicans had won the states electoral votes since 1988. Republicans also kept their majority in the state House in the 2016 elections.

The party was more successful in the 2018 cycle, with Democratic candidates winning the offices of governor, secretary of state and attorney general and flipping two Congressional seats.

At least 2,850 delegates were at Saturdays convention to cast ballots, according to party officials. The mood was celebratory, but cautious at the convention as delegates and elected officials praised electoral gains in 2018 while also urging party activists to stay focused ahead of 2020.

We cannot take 2020 for granted, so Debbie Downer is here for the next 2 years to remind you that we have a lot of work ahead, and weve got to deliver for the working men and women of the state of Michigan," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, whos up for election in 2020, said Democrats were successful in 2018 because we were united, and encouraged delegates to keep energy up.

We have to win and we have to be able to compete in all 83 counties in Michigan, he said.

Rep. Brenda Lawrence said in 2020, Democrats need more than a blue wave: We need a tsunami, she said. She said she believed it was possible, and said Michigan Democrats would lead the charge.

Just like they blamed us for Donald Trump, theyre going to celebrate us in 2020, she said.

Both state parties in Michigan will have new leadership ahead of the next election. Michigan Republican Party chair Ron Weiser is also stepping down, and state Rep. Laura Cox and Gina Barr are currently running to take Weisers place.

The Michigan Republican Party convention is scheduled for Feb. 22 and 23.EAST LANSING, MI -- Bob Young is no longer serving as vice president and general counsel for Michigan State University, the new university president announced in a press release Friday night.

Young helped the university negotiate a historic $500 million settlement with victims of ex-Dr. Larry Nassar, whose high-profile prosecution for sexual assaulting hundreds of women and girls while practicing medicine at Michigan State threw the university into turmoil.

A brief release from the university said Young was relieved of his duties," effective Friday.

"We appreciate that Bob stepped in last year to help the university with the settlement and many legal issues facing MSU. It was a time of transition in the general counsels office, said MSU Interim President Satish Udpa in a statement.

Young, a former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, was brought to the university by former MSU Interim President John Engler, who the Board of Trustees recently ousted.

Deputy General Counsel Brian Quinn will serve as acting general counsel, the university announced.Michigans public school districts are racking up snow days after a week of brutal cold and heat restrictions that closed state government, universities, businesses and car factories.

Though it may seem much longer to parents and caregivers -- many Michigan school districts have called 6 or 7 snow days called so far this year. Some, like Grand Rapids Public Schools, canceled class every day this week.

The state allows public schools to cancel classes up to six days for events out of their control, like the record-breaking cold that held Michigan in its icy grip this past week.

After that, school superintendents have to apply to the state for a waiver that allows them to cancel three additional days of school. School districts have to show why they need extra time, and why theyre unable to reschedule missed days.

Owosso Public Schools Superintendent Andrea Tuttle warned her school community in a Facebook post before the frigid cold even hit that the district had already maxed out its 6 forgiven snow days -- and there was a possibility that the school year would be extended into the summer. However, that decision wouldnt be made until April, Tuttle said.

Interest is high in waivers this January -- compared to the level of interest in years past, said officials with the Michigan Department of Education.

No waiver requests have been received to this point in the school year, said Martin Ackley, director of the Michigan Department of Educations Office of Public and Governmental Affairs. Decisions to close schools during this weeks weather conditions were at the discretion of each school district.

If the waivers arent approved, school districts may have to add extra school days on at the end of the year.

At the end of the year, students have to be in the classroom at least 1,098 hours during at least 180 days -- or a school district is at risk of receiving less money, per state law. Some school districts schedule more than the minimum required hours to give themselves a cushion, said Bill DiSessa, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency due to the extreme cold Tuesday.

Wednesday, state education officials reminded school districts that they could seek a waiver for three more snow days once they reach the six-day threshold.

We certainly expect every school district to take the precautions it needs to ensure the health and safety of their students and staff during this weather emergency, Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles said in the letter.

However, the Michigan Department of Education has not said whether it will automatically grant wavers requested due to the state of emergency declaration.

In a Thursday press update, Whitmer said addressing what the state of emergency means for school district snow days will be one of her first priorities after the crisis passes.

Im wondering what its going to be in terms of perhaps a little bit longer school year, Whitmer said. Ive not conferred with the Department of Ed yet. Im trying to make sure we get through the crisis. That will be one of the first questions were going to make sure we have an answer for.

According to the most recent data available from the state, in 2016-17, 117 school districts canceled class more than nine times during their school year.

Thats compared to 26 school districts in 2015-16 and 33 school districts in 2014-15.In yet another item on what has turned into Boston bullpen night here at MLBTR, the Red Sox have reportedly struck a deal with flamethrowing righty Brian Ellington. Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link), the 28-year-old receives a minors pact; its unknown whether it includes a spring invite.

Like several of the teams other recent, low-cost pen additions, Ellington is long on tools but lacks an established track record of success at the MLB level. He owns a 4.65 ERA in 102 2/3 career frames in the majors. Ellington was dropped early in 2018 by the Marlins and didnt last long with the Diamondbacks organization after being added on a minors deal.

Ellington has averaged a whopping 98.5 mph with his average fastball in those innings, helping him to generate an 11.4% swinging-strike rate despite infrequent use of offspeed offerings. But he has also handed out free passes like candy in the majors (5.6 per nine). Both player and team will surely enter camp hoping to find a way to harness Ellingtons arm strength.Protecting youth from extremism is our mission: Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

Chairman Supreme Council Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri has said that the youth are the future of Pakistan and guarantee of its prosperity and security. He said that saving them from the poison of extremism is our mission. He said that the millions of children are out of school and it is our collective responsibility to sensitize the parents about the need to send their children to schools. He said that the hundreds of educational institutions set up by the MQI are helping increase the literacy rate in the country.

Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri made these remarks while addressing the winter study camp arranged by Mustafavi Students Movement. The students belonging to Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan were participants of the camp. Allama Ghulam Murtaza Alvi, Yonis Noshahi, and Ahsan Ayaz Khitran also addressed the camp.

Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri said that merely getting knowledge is not a big thing, stating what matters is to get a sense of purpose from ones learning. He asked the students to particularly focus on education of science and technology to put the country in the league of developed countries. He said that Islam is a name of a purposeful life. He said that when one knows the objective of ones life, purposelessness goes away and life becomes a noble challenge worthy of pursuit.

The Chairman Supreme Council said that the criterion of progress of countries is not solely the sum total of natural resources, goods and services. Rather the knowledge, skill set and innovation of the youth is the touchstone to measure the progress of a nation. He said that the students should make every moment of their academic life purposeful in pursuit of productive knowledge. He said that when this thought becomes ingrained, then every moment spent in learning becomes a worship.

Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri said that the MQI is working on the mission of igniting the candles of love of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in the hearts of the people. He said that we have been waging struggle of taking the youth out of the life of purposelessness. He said making the students familiar about the teachings of Islam is part of our struggle so that they do not fall prey to any propaganda and stay on course. He said that when a Muslim acts upon the Holy Quran and Sunna, it will open the door of progress on him.

Dr Hassan expressed his happiness at the fact that the MSM gathers students from across the country at one place on the basis of the Pakistani nationhood and Islam, adding that it is a great national service in this day and age. He congratulated the office bearers of the MSM on the successful conduct of the winter study camp.That would take place under provisions of the National Emergencies Act, which provides that a presidential declaration can be terminated if lawmakers pass a joint resolution to do so. House Democrats would be likely to move swiftly to approve such a resolution, and the law provides that it would come to the Senate floor, where it would require only a majority vote to pass.When we say "security," we're not talking mall cop on a Segway. We're talking elite private security for Fortune 500 execs, high-ranking government officials, covert intelligence gathering, logistics support and infantry subject-matter experts on an international scale and often in unstable environments.

Grunts and POGs equally welcome, these jobs require the same mission-driven mindset that veterans possess.

Related: Search for security clearance jobs.

We dialed-in to find veteran-hiring companies that provide all aspects of security to private organizations and government operations. They value military experience not just because veterans make great employees, but also because most of these security firms are founded and run by special operators.

If you're a veteran, these companies want to hire you.

1. CACI

CACI's website says it provides "information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers."

A Fortune World's Most Admired Company, CACI describes itself as having a "sustained commitment to ethics and integrity that defines its corporate culture and drives its success."

It employs about 20,000 people worldwide and provides a wide spectrum of career opportunities for military veterans to support the United States' most critical missions.

According to its website, its information solutions and services help customers:

Safeguard national security

Support critical decision-making to counter global threats

Keep our armed forces informed, equipped and mission-ready

Transform government to enhance the quality of services to our citizens

Modernize government to more efficiently meet national challenges

There are many entry points into a cybersecurity career, and there are just as many job roles within cybersecurity. If you are considering a career in cybersecurity, you should first begin by researching the different cybersecurity specialty areas.

2. Vectrus

Vectrus is a leading provider of global service solutions in the areas of information technology and network communication services, as well as facility and logistics services.

This company's no fledgling start-up; it has been around since 1945. And it's tackled some of the world's most difficult communications and logistics challenges. The majority of its management team and more than 35 percent of its employees are military veterans.

The company places a high value on military experience because it knows that military veterans are used to working in high-stress environments and are able to exceed mission expectations.

Vectrus operates in 18 countries across four continents, in both stable and unstable environments, employing approximately 5,000-plus people and managing more than 7,250 subcontractor personnel.

Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

3. Gavin de Becker & Associates

Gavin de Becker & Associates is an esteemed high-end personal security company providing services to at-risk public figures both stateside and overseas.

According to its website, GDBA protects several thousand clients, including more than 90 of the world's most prominent families and at-risk individuals. It provides consultation on security programs and protective coverage at home, during travel and at public appearances.

GDBA investigates and assesses threats, and manages cases of inappropriate pursuit. It provides all services related to safety and privacy, including travel logistics and safety, background screening of clients' prospective employees, and training of clients' staffs in security awareness.

There's more to Protective Services Operations than donning sunglasses. PSOs are techniques and procedures designed to protect individuals, called principals, from accidental injury, embarrassment, physical assault or death.

4. GRS

GRS is the private security contractor that employed the surviving operators featured in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

GRS says its operators "stay in the shadow, work undercover and provide an unobtrusive layer of security for CIA officers in high-risk outposts."

It is a designated Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) and has offices in Virginia and Texas.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi tells the story of the former military men working as security contractors whose heroism has been obscured by political controversy.

5. SOC

According to SOC's website, it provides mission solutions with a history of assuring safe and effective operations for U.S. government and commercial customers.

SOC says it "guarantees discrete and effective service" so that its customers can do their best work. It employs more than 5,000 professionals engaged in the delivery of mission-critical safeguards and security; facility management and operations; engineering; explosive ordnance storage and disposal; and international logistics and life support services.

It has an impressive list of customers, including the U.S. Departments of State, Energy and Defense; Fortune 500 companies; and non-governmental organizations.

Ranked on the global Defense News Top 100 List of defense companies, SOC is owned by Day & Zimmermann, a century-old, family-owned company with a workforce of more than 42,000 specializing in construction and engineering, staffing and defense solutions for leading corporations and governments around the world. Day & Zimmermann is currently ranked as one of the largest private companies in the U.S. by Forbes.

6. Constellis Company

Constellis recently acquired many well-respected security and logistics companies: ACADEMI, Triple Canopy, Olive Group, Centerra, OMNIPLEX, AMK9, Edinburgh International, Strategic Social and all of their affiliates.

This full-service security company operates on nearly every continent and provides the entire spectrum of security services under one parent company to include: background investigations, social intelligence tools, advanced training capabilities, logistics and life support, UAV systems, global tracking technology, fire protection and medical services, information security services and crisis-response mitigation.

Constellis CEO Tim Reardon was selected as one of WashingtonExec's 2019 Top 25 Executives to Watch. The company also produces the highly cited Global Kidnap for Ransom Report and the Worldview Security Report.

7. Control Risks

Control Risks claims it operates in more than 150 countries, and provides security services to governments, Fortune 500 companies and private citizens.

Its website says it "specializes in cyber, operational, maritime and travel security in hostile areas and actively hires people with experience in military, law enforcement, business consultancy, security services and intelligence."

Its seasoned team is often called upon by the media to speak about the top security risks for business, and it produces a highly cited interactive RiskMap that forecasts trending security risks for business around the planet.

8. AKE Group

In operation for more than 25 years, AKE's website says it "supports organisations working and investing in challenging, remote and hostile environments worldwide."

It also offers a highly regarded series of courses, "Surviving Hostile Regions," which are recognized at the very first courses specifically designed for professionals working in hostile and challenging environments.

It works closely with the insurance industry, to provide clients with political risk and security consultancy designed to mitigate risks using an "intelligence-led approach."

9. Eagle Eye International Protective Services

Headquartered in San Diego, EEIPS' website says it was founded "to meet the demand for protective services in Mexico and Latin America in the 2000s" but expanded to Europe, Africa and the Middle East "to secure our clients' assets, infrastructure and personnel around the world."

Like other companies on this list, it is a strategic-level security management group comprised of highly experienced professionals who come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from industrial security to financial services, law enforcement, military special operations and intelligence arenas.

Related: Does your resume pass the 6-second test? Get a FREE assessment.

10. IDS International

The nature of conflict is continuously evolving as new and nontraditional actors emerge to threaten global safety and stability. IDS' website says that "dealing with that uncertainty is not only IDS' comfort zone, it's our DNA."

IDS operates globally and in the most uncertain of environments, offering innovative multi-disciplinary services. Training and expeditionary support services among diverse agencies comprise its major lines of business.

IDS operates in some of the hottest conflict zones in the world. Most recently, The U.S. Department of State selected Africa Training Solutions International LLC (ATSI), a joint venture in which IDS International Government Services LLC is a minority partner, as one of four small business awardees to conduct peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance training for the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program.

11. G4S

G4S describes itself as "the world's leading global, integrated security company specializing in the delivery of security and related services across six continents."

It offers a wide range of security and logistics services and most recently was noted for its work in war-torn Sudan for "identifying and removing explosive remnants of war in the country's most affected areas, [and] working with communities to understand the risks they pose."

Recently, G4S was named Veteran Friendly Employer of the Year by American Veterans (AMVETS) and named Patriotic Employer by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Related Articles:

Want to Know More About Veteran Jobs?

Whether you want to polish your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.Military families in high cost-of-living areas who pay for off-base child care started receiving a larger Defense Department subsidy last month thanks to a spending cap increase and policy change.

Military families who live far away from on-base child care centers or who are wait-listed can receive subsidies to pay for off-base civilian care up to a certain dollar amount.

For Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps families, as well as families with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the cap had been $1,100. Army families, who receive their subsidy under a separately run service program, can receive up to $1,500.

Family out-of-pocket costs are based on the price they would pay if they received care on base. The subsidy programs are managed through contracts with the company Child Care Aware.

Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps families were notified in the middle of last month by Child Care Aware that their subsidy cap would increase to $1,300 per month.

"In 2019, the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and NGA have decided to expand the high-cost designation to additional areas and Military/DoD Sponsors throughout the country, and they have also increased the full-time high-cost community provider cap from $1,100/month to $1,300/month," states a letter sent to families and obtained by Military.com. "If you have received this letter, you have been identified as being eligible for high-cost fee assistance processing."

It was not immediately clear how many families would receive the increased subsidy.

"Providing an increase in community-based fee assistance positively impacts the economic viability of our airmen and their families while ensuring their children are cared for in safe, quality programs," Carrie Volpe, an Air Force spokesperson, said in an email.

Officials with the Marine Corps and Navy did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, a change starting March 1 to the Army child care subsidy eligibility rules means the funding will be available to fewer users.

In the past, the service's subsidy was available to both active-duty soldiers and Army civilian employees. Starting March 1, however, the program will not accept most new Army civilian applicants.

Child and Youth Services staff, Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve Military Technicians, and most Expeditionary Civilian Workforce employees are still eligible for coverage. Army civilian employees who are currently using the subsidy will also be grandfathered in under previous eligibility rules, according to a Child Care Aware announcement.

"The rebalance of Army Child Care Fee Assistance provides a balanced focus on Army families and ensures access to quality child care so soldiers can concentrate on their mission, while freeing up resources for other high-priority Army programs," Scott Malcom, an Army spokesman, said in a statement.

Army officials plan to announce additional changes to family programs at a Feb. 5 event, which will be livestreamed by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA).

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.The Air Force Knew It Had an Ejection Seat Problem, But Didn't Speed Up a Fix. Then a Pilot Died

And his widow fears that another pilot may suffer the same fate.The U.S. Air Force is not backing away from future F-35 Joint Strike Fighter orders in favor of the potential F-15X program, the service's top acquisition official said Friday.

"We're not backing away from the F-35 in any way, shape or form," said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the service's military deputy for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition at the Pentagon. "We are invested in the program."

"When our budget hits, you will see all of that," Bunch told an audience at an Air Force Association breakfast in Washington, D.C., adding that the Boeing-designed F-15X is still a predecisional concept. "The F-35 is critical for what we've got to do in order to execute the missions of the National Defense Strategy  and operate in  a future threat environment."

Related content:

Bunch said it's clear, however, that the Air Force's fourth-generation aircraft fleet, including the F-15C, continues to decline.

"And we are getting to the point that we have to make a decision of how are we going to either upgrade it  or what's the path going forward," he said.

Officials have considered retiring the older F-15C/D fleet. In 2017, officials told lawmakers they were looking at plans to retire the two models as early as the mid-2020s.

If there is enough funding, "we will buy some [new] F-15s to replace those," Bunch said Friday.

The service currently has 235 C/D models, according to the Air Force Association's 2018 aircraft inventory almanac.

Bunch's statements echoed those of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, who last week told Defense News that the older F-15C/D models likely won't last into the 2030 timeframe.

However, the service will not reallocate resources from the F-35 to the F-15X, Goldfein said.

"I'm not backing an inch off of the F-35," he said.

The Pentagon for some months has considered adding the advanced "F-15X" fourth-plus-generation fighter to its inventory.

Bloomberg Government reported in December that top leadership will ask for more than $1 billion to buy roughly a dozen aircraft. The request would mark first addition of a new F-15 model to the Air Force inventory in nearly 20 years.

Before he became acting defense secretary, then-Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other top leaders floated the F-15X proposal, which would produce a fighter equipped with better avionics and radar and capable of carrying more than two dozen air-to-air missiles.

At Lockheed, which builds the F-35, officials don't seem worried about the potential competition.

"If they chose to have an order on F-15, it won't be at the expense of F-35 quantities," Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson said Tuesday during the company's quarterly earnings call.

"I'm hearing that directly from leadership in the Pentagon, and I think that's an important point to make, not just our suspicion, but I've been told that directly. So I'm not concerned about that," she said, as reported by DefenseOne.

Bunch concurred, saying future procurement, upgrades and sustainment programs remain unchanged.

"We are buying [the F-35] throughout the years," he said. "We are doing what we need to be able to do to address that future threat."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.Days after the Supreme Court backed a Pentagon ban on transgender troops serving openly, an active-duty transgender sailor will appear as a guest of honor at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Megan Winters will be the guest of Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-Virginia, at the State of the Union on Feb. 5, according to a release from the congressman's office. Winters, 30, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit by the organizations Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN challenging the ban.

The policy approved by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last year was not the across-the-board prohibition proposed by Trump via Twitter in 2017, but would keep most openly transgender individuals from enlisting and limit the ability of currently serving transgender troops to come out and transition.

Winters, now assigned to the carrier George H.W. Bush in Norfolk, Virginia, is a constituent of McEachin's who has been vocal about her position, giving interviews to PBS and The Associated Press, among others, about her position.

"I do my job to the best of my ability every single day and will do that as long as I'm able to," she told the AP in January. "I recall how I felt the first time I put on the uniform. I genuinely wish that upon any American who wishes to serve."

In a release, McEachin said he wanted to recognize Winters for her service in the Navy and give more visibility to other transgender service members.

"As many as 15,000 transgender individuals currently serve in the U.S. military, and they deserve our utmost respect and gratitude," he said in a statement. "Unlike our current commander in chief, I will always support and defend the brave members of our military."

On Jan. 22, the Supreme Court released a 5-4 decision that it would not take up three cases challenging the proposed ban. Several lawsuits continue in lower courts, however. The Pentagon has yet to begin enforcing its transgender policy as one nationwide injunction against it remains effective, tied to an ongoing case in Maryland Federal District Court.

Winters told the AP she would abide by the Pentagon's transgender policy if enacted, but hoped for the opportunity to remain in uniform.

"I want to tell you I stand steadfast and hold my head up high, but it is a little difficult," she said in the interview. "The president of the United States is my commander in chief. If they called for the end of transgender service, if it's a lawful order, I would have to obey it. But I truly want to continue serving my country."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have confirmed they are force-feeding nine detainees who initiated a hunger strike at an El Paso, Texas, detention center.

Ten detainees at the facility are under a self-imposed hunger strike, ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett said in an email Saturday.

Of the 10, nine are from India and one is from Nicaragua, Bennett said. Nine of them missed nine consecutive meals, triggering ICE's hunger strike protocols  medical evaluations and health monitoring.

At various points in mid-January, a federal judge ordered the nine to be fed and hydrated without consent, according to ICE.

ICE's update comes on the heels of a report by the Associated Press, which first revealed on Wednesday that six detainees were being force-fed at the El Paso facility. They are on a hunger strike to protest "rampant verbal abuse and threats of deportation from guards." The AP report triggered outrage from lawmakers and human rights groups who decried the practice as "cruel, inhuman and degrading."

One detainee on a hunger strike detailed to the wire service the excruciating experience of guards dragging him from his cell and constraining him to force-feed him through a nasal tube.

"They tie us on the force-feeding bed, and then they put a lot of liquid into the tubes, and the pressure is immense so we end up vomiting it out," the detainee, identified only by his surname, Singh, told the AP. "We can't talk properly, and we can't breathe properly. The pipe is not an easy process, but they try to push it down our noses and throats."

Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, whose district includes the El Paso Processing Center, said she was "deeply alarmed" by reports that detainees were being force-fed and immediately requested a visit.

On Thursday, she said she was able to meet the six detainees being force-fed  at the time the only ones being force-fed  before that number increased to nine a day later.

ICE has not identified the detainees being force-fed, beyond their countries of origin. Escobar said most of the detainees she met had been in custody for 15 to 18 months.

ICE has said it "fully respects the rights of all people to voice their opinion without interference" and that agency health officials have explained to the detainees the negative health effects of going on a hunger strike.

"ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers," the agency said in a statement. "For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike."

Besides the El Paso detention center, nationwide there are four other detainees on a hunger strike, ICE confirmed Saturday: one each in ICE custody at facilities in Miami, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco.

The Human Rights Watch has called on ICE to stop the "inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading" practice of force-feeding.

"Medical ethics and human rights norms generally prohibit the force feeding of detainees who are competent and capable of rational judgment as to the consequences of refusing food," the group said in a statement. "Hunger striking is a desperate expressive act. In immigration detention, it can be a response to the irrationality of prolonged and needless detention."

In August, Mergensana Amar, a Russian citizen who had been in U.S. immigration custody for more than a year, launched a hunger strike that nearly killed him at a detention center in Tacoma, Wash., The Post's Maria Sacchetti reported. He survived  then died in November after he tried to hang himself.

"Amar's death is an example of the lengths that ICE will go to keep people in detention," Maru Mora Villalpando, a community organizer with NWDC Resistance, an organization that tried to help Amar, said at the time. "They could have released him, and they decided not to. He kept telling us, 'I'd rather die here than be deported.' "

First published by The Washington PostMIDDLETOWN - They came in a group, one of them driving 13 hours through snow and ice from North Carolina to be there in an expression of strong family, to see justice done for DaQuan Moore, and perhaps to gain some measure of closure.

In the first-floor courtroom in the Middlesex Superior Court, an easel stood in the well of the court. On it was a collage of photos of Moore in life.

The easel stood just feet to the left of the chair in which the defendant, Khavar McDonald, sat in stolid silence, never glancing to his left to see the pictures of the man whose life he ended on Nov. 4, 2017.

McDonald and Moores family were there for the accounting for the death of a man his mother, Wilma, would say was very special.

Wilma Moore and a number of other relatives wore sweatshirts that had photos of DaQuan Moore imprinted on them. On the back of Wilma Moores shirt was a further tribute: Its hard to forget someone who gave us so much to remember.

He was only 22. He had his whole life ahead of him. Everyone loved him, his mother said later.

That was after the lawyers had had their say, after nearly a dozen of his relatives had come forward to share their grief and pain at the loss of Moore, after Judge Maureen Keegan had sentenced McDonald to five years in prison, after a judicial marshal had snapped gleaming silver handcuffs on McDonalds wrists and led him out of the courtroom while his mother cried, and after a relative had carried the collage out of the courtroom.

Moore was riding a moped across the Arrogini Bridge en route from Middletown to Portland when McDonald came up behind him in an Audi and slammed into the moped.

In all the months since then, McDonald has offered variations of why he was speeding: was he racing or did he speed up to avoid a car that was coming up too fast behind him?

What mattered was he struck Moores moped and dragged it nearly 200 feet, leaving a trail of debris from both the moped and the car.

McDonald did not stop. Rather, he continued into Portland, turning around in a Main Street service station and retraced his way back to Middletown.

Police say he slowed to look at the wrecked moped before speeding off. McDonald did not call 911 to report the accident. Instead, he dropped off his girlfriend and then drove to a self-storage facility where he hid the car.

McDonalds lawyer, Gerald Klein, said it didnt really matter that McDonald hadnt called 911 because there were calls made by other motorists.

The comment stunned Moores friends and families.

Earlier, during his presentation to the court, Assistant States Attorney Steven M. Lesko took a decidedly different view. He described McDonalds failure to stop to render aid as egregious conduct.

While there is no law mandating that he do so, common decency at least would have led anyone to call 911, Lesko said.

Lesko also called the courts attention to that failure coupled with McDonalds immediate effort to hide the car, saying the judge should take action to demonstrate This is the kind of conduct our society will not tolerate.

Clearly, he should have stopped, Klein said, and equally clearly, he should not have bene involved in a cover-up by hiding the car. He panicked, Klein said.

In November, McDonald had reached a plea agreement with the state. He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and evading responsibility - leaving the scene of an accident.

In exchange for the plea, McDonald was scheduled to be sentenced to 10 years in prison suspended after four years. He was cautioned then to avoid any other mistakes or mishaps with his vehicle.

But on Jan. 21, McDonald was involved in a one-car accident on Newfield Street, during which he crashed into a tree, sustaining minor injuries. He claimed he slid on black ice, but police said they found no evidence of that. They added McDonald was not cooperative during the investigation.

The incident, coming 10 days before he was due to be sentenced, appeared to trouble Keegan. It also set in motion a Garvin violation, in which a defendants plea agreement can be modified and the punishment increased if the person violates the condition of the plea deal.

Lesko said McDonalds actions show this defendant just doesnt get it, urging Keegan to increase the term of McDonalds imprisonment.

Then it was time for the Moore family members to be heard as they delivered victim impact statements. Several of his aunts spoke of the joy Moore had brought to their lives, and the toll that fateful call had taken on his family and in particular on Moores father.

Wilma Moore was the last person to speak, saying, I pray to God that no one else has to get that hurt of losing a child.

Then Keegan spoke, saying how apparent the pain of the Moore familys loss was and how this family will have an empty seat at their table. She called McDonald reckless for speeding over the bridge and callous because you did not to render aid.

At 3:23 p.m. she directed McDonald to rise. She upped the term of his imprisonment to five years and imposed eight conditions, including barring him from operating a motor vehicle for the five years he is on probation.

Keegan also challenged McDonald, telling him in the months and year ahead to ask himself, Can you honor the life of the man you did not know?

Wilma Moore said her family had gotten some kind of closure. She had been at every court date from day one, and she had a promise for Khavar McDonald: I will be here fighting again every time he comes up for parole. I will be here.MIDDLETOWN  U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, used a deeply personal example Friday to push the importance of supporting reintroduction of national legislation that would ensure employees get paid medical leave.

During a bustling lunch hour at ION Restaurant and in front of customers filling the dining area, DeLauro relayed her story.

In 1986, while she was working for then U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, DeLauro was diagnosed with ovarian disease. She immediately told the senator she was going into the hospital for treatment in three days.

I honestly dont know whether or not Im coming back, she said she told him, acknowledging how difficult it is to talk about, even 30 years later.

Dodd told her get yourself well. Dont worry about your job, dont worry about your paycheck.

At that time, Dodd was just launching his rebid for office, and she was set to be his campaign manager, which made the experience even more remarkable.

Dodd told her hed wait. She had three children at the time and didnt know if wed make it, DeLauro said. Her situation was far from unique.

Years later, DeLauros 103-year-old mother was in hospice. Her daughter was able to be beside her in hospice every single day until the day she passed, because government workers are allotted paid medical leave. These individuals should not be the only employees who enjoy this benefit, DeLauro said. It ought to be the law of the land.

She was joined at ION by restaurant owner Renana Magee, state Sens. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, and Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, state Rep. Quentin Phipps, D-Middletown, Maddie Granato of the Connecticut Campaign for Paid Family Leave, and expectant mother and SEIU 1199 member Denitra Pearson.

The FAMILY Act bill, now in Congress, would ensure workers could take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at two-thirds pay for pregnancy, the birth or adoption of a child, to recover from a serious illness, or care for an ill family member. Employees and employers would pay into the program, which would cost very little, DeLauro said.

It is 2 cents for every $10 of wages: about a buck and a half per week for the typical worker, she said.

In Middletown, Pedal Power bicycle shop, Tesoro Artisan Gift Boutique & Gallery and Verse-A-Tile Specialty Gifts, all Main Street businesses; have declared their support for the legislation.

California, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island have passed similar legislation. Washington, D.C., and Washington state are on track to implement the benefit in 2020; and Massachusetts in 2021.

Connecticut was the first state in the nation to pass unpaid family medical leave and first to require paid sick days. Were going to continue that legacy of leadership here, DeLauro said.

Magee is a full-throated supporter of the act, DeLauro said.

Its the right thing to do. Its never come up, but I would (pay my employees) if the occasion arose, Magee said.

It would be a independent, self-sustaining national insurance trust fund that would not affect Social Security benefits.

Pearson, a home health aide and mother of five, is due to give birth to a baby girl at the end of month. She has no access to paid maternity leave in the United States of America, DeLauro said.

I love my job and I love what I do, but its unfair to me as a worker that I have to choose to go back to work to pay my bills, or stay at home and build a relationship with my child. I should not have to make a decision like that, Pearson said.

Her husband and mother-in-law, who will be watching her baby when she returns to work, are her support system, however, everyone is not as fortunate as I am, she said.

Renana has the radical notion that you can run a good business by treating your employees fairly, and lifting everyone up. Thats not just the right thing to do, but its good for business, Lesser said.

When he was diagnosed with testicular cancer more than six years ago, Lesser was given as much time as he needed to recover, a benefit many others in the private sector do not have. This country is the only developed country in the world without a paid system of paid medical leave, he told those gathered.

Phipps recalled a friend no longer with us, with whom he ran track at Middletown High School, a fierce advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.

She got incredibly, incredibly sick, Phipps said, but her partner was able to care for her every step of the way, every single second. I can never imagine being called to serve your partner like that, he said. He told those in attendance about the time he walked into his favorite restaurant, and saw a collection jar with her face on it.

Her friends and family were asking for community support to pay her medical bills. Thats wrong. We need to be able to take care of our loved ones in a fair and respectable way, in a way that has dignity, Phipps said.

Granato lauded the recent passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which, she said, is one step closer to closing the gender pay gap.

Right now, just 17 percent of workers and 6 percent of low-wage workers, who are disproportionately women and people of color, have access to paid family leave. This means the vast majority of workers are just one lost paycheck away from financial disaster, Granato said.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearstmediact.com. Follow her on Twitter @cassandrasdis.The intersection of Michael Madigans dual roles as Illinois House speaker and private property tax appeal lawyer gained the spotlight once again Tuesday, as the veteran politician was dragged into a burgeoning City Hall influence-peddling scandal.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Madigan was secretly recorded while pitching his property tax appeal services during an August 2014 meeting with an associate of a developer who wanted to build a Chinatown hotel. The meeting at Madigans law office was arranged by Ald. Daniel Solis, whom sources said has worn a recording device as part of the investigation that led to an attempted extortion charge against veteran Ald. Edward Burke this month.

Madigan, who has not been charged, was quick to answer Tuesday with a statement that provided him some wiggle room as the scope of the federal probe at City Hall remains unclear. Madigan acknowledged huddling with Solis several times during the past five years, including meetings with individuals in need of legal representation.

If indeed, some of his conversations were being recorded, the speaker did not know that, but he has no concern if they were, Heather Wier Vaught, a private attorney for the speaker, said in a statement. The speaker has no recollection of ever suggesting that he would take official action for a private law firm client or potential client.

Madigan has faced several probes over his decades in office, including into allegations of government staffers doing political work, patronage hiring at Metra, and a university union contract dispute involving a top campaign donor. While critics have raised questions about Madigans ethics, he has never been charged.

But its Madigans public career as House speaker and private career as founder and rainmaker of one of Chicagos top property tax appeals law firms that has come under the most consistent scrutiny over the years. The Tribunes 2010 The Madigan Rules series showed that in some cases, Madigan took public actions that benefited his private clients, and he and the firm have faced criticism over the years for representing clients that also have business before the state.

For those who have wanted to be a fly on the wall at the influential firm of Madigan & Getzendanner, the latest report offered the opportunity.

Citing a federal court affidavit used to secure search warrants for Solis homes and offices, the Sun-Times reported that Madigan told the hotel developers associate: Were not interested in a quick killing here. Were interested in a long-term relationship.

After the meeting, Solis told the developers associate that if he works with the speaker, he will get anything he needs for that hotel, according to the report. The affidavit reportedly included an FBI agent stating that he understood Solis to mean the hiring of Madigans firm would ensure that Solis and Madigan would take official action benefiting (the developer) in their capacity as public officials.

The newspapers recounting of the meeting highlighted in the federal paperwork did not appear to indicate any specific offer by Madigan of a quid pro quo.

Experts including former federal prosecutors said its important to note the type of recording Madigan showed up on: one made by a cooperator wearing a wire and body camera.

That kind of federal recording, made with one partys consent, does not require prosecutors to show a judge that they have gathered preliminary evidence. The cooperator can capture all manner of conversations related generally to the investigation at hand without those captured on tape specifically being a target of a federal probe.

To wire up a cooperating witness, there doesnt have to be probable cause that a crime is being committed or any of the more formal legal requirements you would have to present to a judge to get a wiretap on a telephone, said former federal prosecutor Eric Sussman, now in private practice at the Chicago office of Reed Smith.

Experts also noted most federal crimes have a statute of limitations of five years, although that can lengthen if a continuing conspiracy is alleged. In addition, there are many challenges beyond just the initial capturing of conversations.

Corruption cases are very hard to prosecute because more often than not, the evidence is peoples words, and those are subject to multiple interpretations, said Steven Block, a former federal prosecutor now with the Thompson Hine firm.

Proving whether any politician is leveraging his or her office for private gain through some kind of bribe or kickback still comes down to intent, and often a specific agreement to trade an official act for some benefit.

Lets put it this way, The Chicago Way is not a federal crime, Block said. The federal crime is wire fraud or mail fraud or something in a statute. Thats why these cases are difficult.

Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune Ald. Edward Burke, left, chats with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan at a gathering of Cook County Democrats at the Erie Cafe in Chicago in 2015. Ald. Edward Burke, left, chats with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan at a gathering of Cook County Democrats at the Erie Cafe in Chicago in 2015. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune) (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)

Much of Madigans law firm business involves appealing the decisions of the Cook County assessor's office, which sets the value of property for tax purposes.

Madigan is a founding partner in a firm that has filed appeals on nearly $8.6 billion in assessed value from 2011 to 2016 under then-Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, a Madigan ally, according to a ProPublica Illinois-Chicago Tribune analysis of tax appeals published in December 2017. Madigan & Getzendanner won reductions of 20 percent from the initial values of their clients' properties, totaling nearly $1.7 billion, the analysis found.The Virginia Governor has acknowledged his actions were wrong&racist&apologized, a social media post on Jacksons Twitter read. However,because of the depth of the offense,as a practical matter &under the avalanche of criticism,it will be virtually impossible for him to govern.Therefore it would be wise for him to resign.Inbound and outbound trains on the Union Pacific North line were halted near Highland Park due to the body. Dahlstrom said police were investigating whether the person was hit by a train.The new rules for companies that handle manganese are just another example of how powerful collective action can be, said Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, 10th, whose constituents have been urging the Chicago Department of Public Health for years to crack down on the facilities.(CNN)  The Year of the Pig might begin next week, but right now it's looking pretty dire for swines in China.

Almost 1 million pigs have been slaughtered over the past six months as the country battles African swine fever. And with no sign of the disease coming under control, more culls are set to come which could cripple the domestic pig farming industry.

China produces more than half the world's pigs -- 700 million a year. Most of those stay within China's borders, with just 1.6 million exported last year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

African swine fever is not harmful to humans and is unlikely to become zoonotic -- pass from animals to humans -- in our lifetime, says Dirk Pfeiffer, an expert in infectious diseases at City University of Hong Kong. But the most virulent strain of the disease is almost 100% deadly to pigs.

The Chinese government has set up epidemic zones across the country, restricted the movement of live pigs, and closed live pig markets in affected areas. Pfeiffer said that if not brought under control, the outbreak could ruin millions of small pig farms across the nation.

"A big part of the problem is the very high percentage of small- to medium-sized producers who are likely to not be able to implement the required biosecurity measures (to stop the disease spreading)," Pfeiffer said.

"The effect of this epidemic will be that the number of small farms will reduce, and more large farms will be set up, or existing large ones will increase their production capacity."

African swine fever, which affects only wild boars, warthogs, bush pigs and domestic pigs, is endemic in sub-Saharan and West Africa and was first detected in Kenya in 1921. China confirmed its first outbreak on August 3 last year.

Experts say most of the initial cases were caused by feeding kitchen waste, called swill, to pigs. It is characterized by pigs developing hemorrhaging lesions on their skin and internal organs.

There is currently no treatment or vaccine for the disease.

Guang Defu, from China's Ministry of Agriculture, said China had responded to the crisis in a "timely, open and transparent" manner.

Beijing keeps frozen pork reserves, which have been used in the past to alleviate market pricing problems and, if necessary, could potentially be drawn on in the coming months.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Swine fever threatens pork industry as China prepares for Year of the Pig."Meridian, MS (39302)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.Though 2019 belongs to the horror genre, some of the greatest horror films have been made in the past 50 years in Hollywood.

Picking the 10 best in the category is surely a task, we have it simplified for you.

Read below to find out which films land in our list of the 10 greatest horror films of all time. Get ready to get spooked:

The Shining (1980)

Stephen King once used to be an alcoholic novelist. It was his visit to the 'The Stanley Hotel' in 1974 which inspired him to come up with his first bestseller 'The Shining' in 1977. Only three years later, the novel was adapted into a film by the same name, 'The Shining' has remained at the top of the critics' list since then.

Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, who puts his wife (Wendy) and son's (Danny Torrance) lives in danger as he goes insane. The supernatural element in the film is the quintessential representation of the horror genre. 'The Shining' is an avant-garde example of Stanley Kubrick's masterful storytelling. The film is a representation of pop culture and makes the modern day viewer get a good taste of psychic terror.

We have to mention here that Kubrick made the actors work extremely hard after a year of indulging them into the film. And maybe this was the reason why we saw the madness coming out of Jack. We simply can't get over the 'Here's Johnny' bathroom scene in the film.

Psycho (1960)

During the beginning of the 60s, master storyteller Alfred Hitchcock redefined the narrative around Hollywood films. 'Psycho' turned out to be huge and became not only one of the greatest horror films of all time but one of the greatest films ever made.

The infamous story of the Bates Motel later inspired many film-makers to revive what Hitchcock created. Viewers have not only seen and rated the film on the basis of the terror it offers, but also for the fact that 'Psycho' happened to be a cinematic marvel. It inspired generations of directors and writers to come up with something that matches the craft of the virtuoso.

Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Vera Miles, and Martin Balsam, 'Psycho' remains a film unravelled and a phenomenon of its kind.

The Exorcist (1973)

William Friedkin's 'The Exorcist' is a film recommended by every horror lover. The very phenomenon of exorcism became a subject matter for many films after 'The Exorcist' was released. The film is adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty.

'The Exorcist' is well constructed and chronicles the story of a possessed girl, her troubled mother and two priests who ultimately carry on the exorcism, while one of them dies during the process. It scares you to the core and can be compared to the 'Exorcism of Emily Rose'.

'The Exorcist' happened to be the first film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in the horror genre. It remained the highest grossing horror film till 2017, when 'It' took its position. The air about the film's sets being cursed gave it much hype during the time of its release. The film has got all the elements that make it an unusual horror film.

Halloween (1978)

'Halloween' is a movie that truly falls in the must-watch list especially on every Halloween. This film completely redefined the career of Jamie Lee Curtis (the babysitter) who later went on to appear in multiple films in the 'Halloween' series, the latest one being 'Halloween' (2018).

The film depicts the story of how resident boogeyman popular as Michael Myers causes terror and killings in the neighbourhood leading to lifelong trauma to Laurie Strode, who escapes his attacks.

The nerve chilling slow paced story of the film is so gripping that one can't avoid digging into what happens in the subsequent parts. John Carpenter's tour de force remains a classic in the horror genre.

Get Out (2017)

'Get Out' is too good to be ignored for the list of 10 best horror films of all time. When Jordan Peele's directorial debut swept the Oscar for the Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018, it left the fans with excitement as the turnout for 'Get Out' was highly positive.

Daniel Kaluuya's stint as an African-American man becoming the victim to extreme horrors has received positive reviews from the critics, earning him his first Oscar nomination. 'Get Out' was not a regular horror film, it contained brutal aphorisms and gave the audiences some bloodcurdling moments. The film reformulated horror genre and took it to an all new level.

Hereditary (2018)

Toni Collette's feat of strength made 'Hereditary' an unforgettable horror saga so powerful that it can give you creeps in daylight.

Director Ari Aster carved the film into a tale, profoundly haunting. 'Hereditary' depicts the story of a mourning daughter who begins to face unusual incidents, ultimately leading to the death of her family members. Her children and husband succumb to the cult established by the dead matriarch of the clan.

The film has been nominated for two Critics Choice Awards this year. If you plan to get scared to the core, there is no better modern day movie other than 'Hereditary'.

It (2017)

What can one expect from the highest grossing horror film of all times? 'It' has got it all  A good story, utopian direction, and most importantly Stephen King's involvement. The evil clown Pennywise stirred intense fright amongst kids and adults too.

The conviction portrayed by the members of the 'Losers Club' is something that makes the soul of the film, as the journey of finding Georgie unfolds, Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgard) keeps coming back in diabolical forms.

Though the clown finally disappears, leaving the children, the end credits of the film says 'It: Chapter One' thus hinting to one more chapter from Stephen King's novel. 'It: Chapter Two' is finally coming to the screens this year with more twists and turns and the film is highly awaited.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

The 1968 film directed by Academy Award winner Roman Polanski is one of the most talked about horror films in the world. The cast features Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Angela Dorian, Clay Tanner, and Charles Grodin.

The film is centred on the life of Rosemary Woodhouse who during her pregnancy discovers shocking truths about her husband and family.

Rosemary's baby ultimately gets snatched from her and her husband turns out to be a follower of the devil. In 2017, a similar film titled 'Mother' was made, however it failed to create an impact.

Poltergeist (1982)

Tobe Hooper's 'Poltergeist' has remained one of the highly notable films in the horror genre. A moving story by Steven Spielberg turned out to be huge for stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Beatrice Straight as the film earned three Academy Award nominations.

This is a story of a house that ultimately scares the shit out of its residents as they discover it to be possessed. There are a good number of special effects in the film, excellent for the audience of the 80s. The film offers many spine-chilling moments and keeps the viewers bound to their seats.

The Witch (2016)

This is the last film in our list and the one that makes your blood run cold. Unnerving and jaw-dropping, 'The Witch' leaves the audience gripped in fear as they slowly process the dread that follows majorly in the second half.

Set in the 1630s, the period piece runs slow and once it takes its full form, it scares you to death. 'The Witch' by all means may be thoroughly dark, as it revolves around the lives of a farmer's family and the lost baby.

Director Robert Eggers promises to leave you with a pounding heart and a very sinister image especially that of the last scene in the film.by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, February 1, 2019

Apple has restored Googles internal applications in the App Store. The company disabled access to Googles internal iOS apps, such as pre-release versions of Gmail, Hangouts and Maps, as well as employee-only apps for the company's cafes and buses.

The Google apps were banned on Thursday after Apple found they violated app store privacy rules. For starters, the apps were siphoning personal data from phones.

It began after a media outlet found Facebook had been paying people to install a research app that grants access to all user phone and web activity. Later it was discovered that Googles app did the same.

So Apple withdrew the enterprise developers license of Google and Facebook, which disabled internal employees app for violating company rules. Facebook violated Apples policies by distributing a data collection app to consumers.

Suspending the licenses stopped app development inside both companies and disrupted basic corporate functions until Apple once again granted access Thursday night.

advertisement advertisement

Facebooks app, known as Research, gave the social network access to all the data flowing from the device it was installed on. Facebook paid users, including teenagers, $20 monthly to install the app, explains TechCrunch.

Ironically, Facebooks app was banned last year, taken down from Apples app store, and then repackaged.

Then Google was caught doing nearly the same thing with its Screenwise app.

Theres a vetting process for most apps. Well, nearly all except apps used by developers building apps used internally by enterprise employees. These bypass the App Store vetting process.by Melynda Fuller , February 1, 2019

Combining the power of epicurean influencers, wide social-media reach and a talented staff, Food & Wine launched a new platform called F&W Cooks today.



F&W Cooks is a new multimedia franchise, premiering on FoodAndWine.com and across its social media platforms. Each recipe published on the platform will include a personal story highlighting the inspiration behind the dish, its unique flavors and regional ingredients, often to the backdrop of F&W Cooks kitchen.

A print crossover column called F&W Cooks will appear in late 2019.

The launch includes an exclusive segment from the brands special projects director Gail Simmons on its long-form video service Instagram TV (IGTV), featuring her Nanimo Bars recipe.

Food & Wine recorded record traffic across its social-media channels in December 2018 and will continue to leverage that audience. As F&W Cooks moves forward, it will feature videos on IGTV through a series of weekly releases.

Joining Simmons is best-selling author and food media veteran Ruth Reichl, who will contribute breakfast recipes. Today, she debuts her recipe for orange souffle coffee cake at Food & Wines site.

F&W Cooks will also tap the expertise of well-known professional home cooks and the magazine's editors. Other cooks participating in the launch include Ann Taylor Pittman, Amy Thielen, Javier Cabral and Paola Gonzalez, Klancy Miller, Paula Disbrowe, Ben Mims and Andrea Nguyen.

EIC Hunter Lewis will turn his focus on chef-inspired recipes collected during his travels. Prior to joining the magazine industry, Lewis cooked for chef Jonathan Waxmans restaurants and brings that expertise to the new endeavor.

Lewis stated: Each F&W Cook is a food media pro with a particular cooking style and genre. Knit together, their stories, recipes, and featured ingredients will paint a broader picture of how America cooks at home today."

In addition to todays launch, Food & Wine welcomed several new advertisers in 2019 under publisher Thomas Bair. They include Capital One, GE Cafe, Crystal Cruises, Miele, Purina , KitchenAid, Francis Ford Coppola, Dewars.Were extremely happy that he was located all right, considering he went missing during very extreme weather, Glew added. When he was found in Chicago, you worry that there mightve been an accident or some kind of issue caused by the elements. But thankfully that was not the case here.Marietta, GA (30060)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Atlanta, GA (30342)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.When I was a young fellow, right there in the short window between post-toddler and preschooler, I had an invisible pet squirrel I kept in my pocket.

You might think thats nuts and I could say youre close, but in my post-toddler/ preschooler imagination, that invisible squirrel in my pocket was just as real as Bugs Bunny and Captain Kangaroo.

I was a bit of precocious child, some might say deeply troubled and in desperate need of help, but I prefer precocious. I spent a good deal of time hanging out at a Shell service station on the hill above the oil company where my dad worked, breathing in the 1970s leaded gasoline fumes, scooting around on a mechanics creeper and standing on the counter near the cash register reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for anyone who would listen.

And, of course, I showed off the invisible squirrel I kept in my pocket, pulling him out and opening my hand with an upturned palm for everyone to see.

 This is my pet squirrel, I would announce.

The reply was usually, Thats nice, son. Is my car ready yet? or That boy up on the counter aint right.McAlester, OK (74501)

Today

Thunderstorms this morning, overcast during the afternoon with occasional rain. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 73F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 55F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.A special beer is now on tap and in cans at two Central Massachusetts breweries, a brew that will benefit the daughter of a fallen Worcester firefighter.

After Firefighter Christopher Roy was killed battling a blaze in Worcester on Dec. 9, Wormtown Brewery and Wachusett Brewing Company decided it was time to team up and make a beer for a good cause.

Dubbed Worcesters Bravest, all the proceeds made from the Belgian Wit beer will benefit the Ava Roy Fund.

Roy, a 36-year-old who had been a firefighter for two and a half years, was battling a fire at 7 Lowell St. when he became trapped on the second floor. Although his fellow firefighters pulled him out of the building, Roy succumbed to his injuries.

Among those Roy left were 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 financial assistance.

The brew day for Worcesters Bravest Belgian Wit was an incredible and humbling experience today. Huge thanks to our special guest brewers from the Worcester Fire Dept for helping us and @WachusettBrew put this beer together. We are very excited to release this beer February 2nd! pic.twitter.com/IXHIznsiQn  Wormtown Brewery (@WormtownBrewery) January 7, 2019

Worcesters Bravest is expected to be available at both breweries through the month of February.

Christian McMahan, the president of Wachusett Brewing Company, said the two breweries are open to creating the brew again if there is enough demand.

The beer, which is light-bodied with citrus notes, is the first collaboration between Wachusett and Wormtown.

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.Worcester firefighters battled flames and freezing conditions overnight in a fire that left one person dead, authorities said.

Crews were called to a fire at 65 Upsala Street in Worcester at 3:09 a.m. on Saturday, the Worcester Fire Department said in a statement. At least two people were reported trapped inside the home when firefighters arrived on the scene.

Firefighters found heavy flames venting from the windows on the second floor of the house, and made an aggressive interior attack and immediately began a search for the second resident," according to a statement by the Worcester Fire Department.

But the heavy fire and the enormous amount of debris in the house" forced firefighters to evacuate the home and battle the fire from the outside, the Worcester Fire Department added. Firefighters faced extreme cold conditions in single-digit temperatures, which froze a fire hydrant outside the home.

When firefighters extinguished heavy fire from outside the home and returned inside, they found a dead victim among the debris, Worcester Fire said in a statement. That victim has not been identified.

One resident in the home climbed out of a second-floor window and landed on an adjacent roof on the first floor, where firefighters helped the resident to safety, according to the Worcester Fire Department.

Another resident who was in the first floor of the home was transported to the University of Massachusetts Memorial University Campus for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.

I am very proud of the efforts made by our firefighters this morning. They encountered extreme cold, a frozen hydrant, heavy fire and a very difficult building to maneuver in," Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by this loss but extremely grateful that the second resident was able to escape.

The Worcester Fire Departments Investigations Unit and Worcester Police are investigating the scene on Upsala Street Saturday morning.U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is expected to formally announce her plans to run for president in Lawrence on Feb. 9.

On Saturday, Warrens campaign urged supporters to visit the Everett Mills facility space on Union Street in Lawrence next weekend for a historic-making day, when Warren is expected to announce that she has officially entered the 2020 presidential race. The likely announcement will come one month after Warren launched an exploratory committee.

Ill be making a BIG announcement about my 2020 plans next Saturday, February 9, at the Everett Mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts. I hope you can join us for this history-making day  RSVP here: https://t.co/FhrI0CJ2Km pic.twitter.com/6eECUe8I44  Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 2, 2019

The Massachusetts senator, who has rooted her campaign in an effort to rebuild the American middle class, will enter an already-crowded field of more than a dozen Democratic presidential candidates, including four other women.

The location of the Everett Mills in Lawrence, a remodeled mill space now used to host events and meetings, is likely symbolic of Warrens support for labor unions. The event is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday.Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is rcooperating with federal prosecutors after pleading guilty to multiple felonies and saying he joined a New York City gang and helped others try to kill a rival gang member.

The rapper, born Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 23 to an array of charges including weapons possession, armed robbery and dealing narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin. The plea was made public on Friday.

With his deal, Hernandez can gain leniency at sentencing from an otherwise mandatory minimum 47 years in prison if he admits to all crimes and testifies truthfully. (Sentencing is set for Jan. 23, 2020.)

Attorney Dawn Florio told the Associated Press her client's safety was a chief concern.

"In the very beginning of the case when we found out that my client's security was at risk because of threats by his co-defendants, we have done everything to protect himself and his family," said Florio, adding that those efforts continue.

The indictment, filed by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman and obtained by Rolling Stone, charges Hernandez with participation "in the operation and management" of the Nine Trey Bloods, a New York gang. The indictment alleges that the Nine Treys "committed multiple shootings, robberies, and assaults against their rivals and against fellow Nine Trey members." The gang was also, according to the indictment, responsible for dealing a wide range of illegal drugs, including "heroin, fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, MDMA, dibutylone, and marijuana."

Following his public separation from his gang-affiliated associates in November, investigators learned via a wiretap of a retaliatory plan to "super violate" Hernandez.

After authorities learned Hernandez planned to go from a Manhattan hotel to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut on Nov. 18, he was arrested to avoid a possible violent incident there.

"There could (have been) a random shooting," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear noted in a New York Post report, adding they feared innocent bystanders could get caught in the crossfire, should an attempt be made on Hernandez's life.

Hernandez had a multi-platinum hit song, "Fefe," with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at No. 3 on the charts, and "Stoopid," featuring the incarcerated rapper Bobby Shmurda.WARE -- Convicted child rapist and former town official Joel Pentlarge is among eight residents seeking appointment to an ad-hoc committee formed in response to what many local officials and residents say is too many sex offenders living in town.

Ware Town Manager Stuart Beckley said the panel is called the Town Committee to Recommend Legislative Action Regarding Sex Offender Density. The Board of Selectmen authorized its creation in December.

Pentlarge, 68, of Church Street, wrote in a letter to Beckley: "I am uniquely qualified to ensure that this committee fairly represents and considers the views and concerns of all members of the Ware Community, because I am a level 3 registered sex offender, and I am a landlord who is willing to rent to other persons on the sex offender registry."

He listed six properties that he has purchased and rehabilitated since 2010. They include properties on Aspen Street, Doane Road, Park Street and Pulaski Street where, according to records from the state Sex Offender Registry Board, sex offenders live.

Pentlarge wrote that he was a lawyer, but was disbarred following his conviction on sex crimes.

"In 2000 I pled guilty to five counts of statutory rape on four boys who each was fifteen years old at the time we engaged in consensual sex," he wrote. "I served three and a half years in prison. At the conclusion of my prison sentence, I was civilly committed to the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater as a sexually dangerous person. On January 26, 2006, I was released from the Treatment Center, after a jury determined that I was not sexually dangerous."

Prior to his convictions, Pentlarge was a member of the Ware Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.

"I hope that the selectmen will seriously consider this request for appointment to the ad hoc committee," he wrote in his letter.

In addition to Pentlarge, the following people applied to be on the committee: Galen Woodward, David Kopacz, Jack Cascio, Michael Lowe, Krystal Putnam, Michael Perez and Nicole Griffith.

Selectmen voted to form the ad-hoc committee during a meeting with the town's legislative delegation. They said a member of the Board of Selectmen and the police department should be represented on the committee.

At that meeting, selectmen and some residents told the legislators that Ware has an inordinate number of sex offenders, and that they would like some help from the state to address the matter. The legislators told them it would be a good idea to form a committee that could make recommendations to them.

As of Friday, the state Sex Offender Registry's online database listed 20 Level 3 sex offenders living in Ware. Level 3 offenders are those considered at highest risk to reoffend.

Ware selectmen are scheduled to discuss making appointments to the ad-hoc committee at their Feb. 5 meeting. It begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 126 Main St.SPRINGFIELD  Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi went to Baystate Medical Center Friday to make the first Narcan pickup as part of a countywide initiative that provides the anti-overdose drug free of charge to first responders.

The Hampden County Municipal First Responder Narcan Initiative is sponsored by Baystate Health, Trinity Health, the Center for Human Development and the Hampden district attorneys office.

The various partners have established a $70,000 fund to pay for the drug, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Calvi picked up 25 doses of the drug at the hospital pharmacy.

This a great day, Calvi said. This is a great partnership between everybody and it will help the community to get the medicine to the people that really need it.

City firefighters have been fully trained and have been operating with Narcan for the past year, Calvi said. Up until now, however, the cost of the drug  about $45 a dose  has come out of the city budget.

The 25 doses, Calvi said, will probably last until the summertime. The drug is deployed on all fire vehicles.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said the initiative will help save lives  and families.

We are really saving a family, saving a person and giving somebody that chance at long-term recovery, Gulluni said.SPRINGFIELD - The family of a city man is seeking help in locating him after he has been missing for five days.

Andrew Pearson II, 25, was last seen at 4 p.m. Monday as he was heading off to work at Panera Bread in East Longmeadow.

When he left home, he was on foot, and had no car. He did not have his cellphone with him, according to his family.

Springfield police confirmed there is a missing persons report filed for Pearson by the family, and are investigating.

When last seen he was wearing denim jeans, black sneakers, and a fuzzy, bright blue hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone who knows where he can be found is asked to call 413 417-7651 or 413 304-1842.SPRINGFIELD  Speakers at the 33rd annual Black American Heritage ceremony Friday at City Hall told the crowded room, including young students, to be proud of black history, learn from it and to be grateful to the civil rights pioneers who helped ensure progress.

The event included the presentation of the first Ruth B. Loving Legacy award to former state Rep. Benjamin Swan, of Springfield, to honor his lifetime efforts in civil rights and social justice. The award is named in memory of Loving, a lifelong civil rights activist in Springfield.

Swan was described by local presenters as a freedom fighter and a renowned historian of black history and civil rights.

He is known as the father of civil rights in Springfield, said state Rep. Bud Williams, D-Springfield. He started many young people, got us involved in the civil rights movement. He has just been a champion for people all of his life ... a man who has given so much for the advancement of the human race, particularly African American people.

The Black Heritage ceremony and flag raising is held annually in Springfield at the start of Black History month in February.

The keynote speaker was Pastor L.A. Love of Alden Baptist Church, who cited accomplishments of black Americans ranging from a nation built on a slave-supported system to the inventions over time ranging from the elevator to the electric trolley to the refrigerator.

"Black is not just or simply history, but rather black is now and black will forever be," Love said. "We are here forever, to stay, to stand, to march, to speak. We are here forever to declare, to preach, and like David, to even dance. We're here to celebrate, to build and to lead until time is of no more."

Other speakers included Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and City Council President Justin Hurst, who also spoke of the efforts of civil rights activists including Swan.

Music was provided by students from the Frank H. Freedman Elementary School Chorus and Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start and soloist Vanessa Ford, who led the room in the song Lift Every Voice and Sing.

The Peter Brace Brigade and members of the 3rd Masonic District were among the participating groups. A delegation of students and staff attended from the Westover Job Corps Center

Gloria B. Williams served as the mistress of ceremonies.

Sarno issued a proclamation for Black History Month, saying the flag raised outside City Hall is in recognition of the many endless contributions that have been made by black Americans in the field of art, medicine, service, religion and leadership, all walks of life where skin color should never come into play.Eduardo Samaniego, a former Hampshire College student and immigration activist, has apparently agreed to be released from U.S. custody in exchange for being returned to his native Mexico.

Samaniego, who has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities in Georgia for 106 days, agreed to a voluntary departure, according to a statement issued by Rose Bookbinder of the Pioneer Valley Workers Center.

The workers center charges that he was denied due process, his lawyers were not allowed to present his case in court, and that he was mistreated by immigration officials.

After 106 days in detention, 3 weeks of which were spent in solitary confinement, Eduardos only option to be free from the horrors of incarceration was to agree to voluntary departure," the statement reads.

Since he has been in custody, his treatment at the hands of immigration officials has served as a rallying cry for his supporters in Western Massachusetts. There have been rallies in Northampton and Springfield calling for his release from federal custody.

Nearly 19,000 people signed an on-line petition calling for him to be released from custody and to be allowed to remain in the country.

Supporters continued to call for elected officials to abolish the federal agencies of ICE and Custom Border Protection.

Samaniego, an undocumented immigrant who came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 16, graduated with honors as president of Junior Achievement of Georgia, president of the Hispanic Honor Society and the only National Society of High School Scholars gold medal winner in his class.

He said in an earlier interview he couldnt go to college because he didnt have a Social Security number. In 2014, Hampshire gave him a four-year scholarship.

He has also been active in different efforts to call attention to and to change the immigration policies of the Trump administration.

The statement from the workers center indicates that Samaniego intends to explore options for appealing his case from Mexico.

The workers center also released a statement that Samaniego wrote on Jan. 27. The statement reads:

"For many years I have advocated for the civil rights of the most vulnerable in our country, I have experienced the shortcomings and inhumanities of our immigration system in mind, body and spirit, but I sincerely never imagined the extent of the inhumanities committed against immigrants in our prison industrial complex.

This prison industrial complex has robbed me of my physical health, it has violently damaged my fighting spirit, and it continues to open my mind to see too many inhumanities.

I cannot possibly describe the robbing of hope from inmates who are detained for the most petty violations. I have experienced and witnessed unbearable treatment and pain like that of pregnant mothers who are detained just a block away from me in the detention centers I've been in.

I cannot possibly describe the sucking away of the spirit and best wishes for their future of people whose one mistake takes them into a spiraling inferno where their cries go on for days, where the necessities of specially-abled people go unheard and where the most basic of individual needs are unmet.

This process has taken away much of my ambition to make a better world through my actions and has reduced them to small expectations. There are days in which my desire to fight for access to healthcare is reduced to an expectation for what will be next meal, would I have oatmeal? Or will I have a sweet apple? This is how all of us, more than 2 million prisoners substitute our dreams and hopes the longer we stay in jail.

My dreams and hopes - that took years to form fighting in the streets for universal healthcare, access to education, and amnesty for all immigrants - are still inside and they burn with a passion.

But I long for the day I can come outside and continue this fight."SPRINGFIELD  Ex-Hadley patrolman Christopher Roeder told jurors Friday that he regretted breaking a prisoners nose during a confrontation in 2017, but felt he had no choice.

Testifying in the third day in his excessive force trial in U.S. District Court, Roeder, 48, of Agawam, said he was concerned about losing control of prisoner Nickolas Peters while booking him at Hadley police headquarters on April 3, 2017.

I felt like he was going to stand up and overpower me; I had to act, said Roeder, who was subsequently fired and indicted on federal charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and falsification of a document.

Under cross examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Roeder denied his blow to Peters' nose was payback for Peters striking him with the side view mirror of his pickup on March 30, 2017.

The prosecutor said Roeder told other officers that he was looking for Peters, who allegedly sped through a work zone where Roeder was directing traffic, and failed to stop after striking the officer.

You never said Im going to go get that f-----? Shukla asked.

Roeder, who spent most of Friday on the witness stand, denied trying to track Peters down. Four days later, Roeder spotted Peters driving on Bay Road and arrested him on several charges, including assault and battery on a police officer and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

A video of the incident was shown twice during the trial  once on Monday and again on Friday.

Shukla, in her opening statement, told jurors that Roeder violently rammed his elbow into Mr. Peters' face while booking him on the charges because he wanted to teach Peters a lesson. Peters posed no threat, but Roeder felt disrespected by the prisoner, the prosecutor said.

But defense lawyer Thomas J. OConnor said his client was trained to assess escalating threat levels and acted accordingly. The prisoner, described as tall, muscular and smelling of alcohol, resisted arrest, refused verbal commands, used pre-attack language and was pointing and glaring at Roeder moments before the incident, OConnor said.

Roeder said the prisoner grew more aggressive during the booking process. At one point, Peters told him to calm down and later pulled him off balance as Roeder attempted to handcuff him to the booking bench. I felt I was in imminent threat of being overpowered, Roeder said, adding he suddenly found himself in a competition with a taller, stronger prisoner.

Using an elbow strike to the prisoners nose was the only way Roeder could maintain control of the booking area for the safety of the officer and the safety of the subject, he said.

But the prosecutor noted that Roeders story has changed over the past year, and differs from the initial account he gave after the incident. Roeder, for example, wrote in his report that the prisoner responded to one of his commands with an obscenity, when he actually replied yes, sir, Shukla said.

You dont mistake yes sir as an obscene comment, do you? the prosecutor asked.

Roeder said he wrote the report based on his memory, and admitted to a few honest mistakes.

But the prosecutor said inaccuracies in Roeders report were intentional. You knew you had to write a report justifying smashing him in the nose, didnt you? she said.

The trial, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni, resumes Monday with closing arguments from the prosecution and defense.Canned tuna consumption is declining, dropping over 40 percent per capita in the last 30 years. Some people are blaming millennials for collectively turning their noses at this centuries-old lunch item, as many seem to favor fresh or frozen fish over the canned variety. But canned tuna still has devoted fans in its corner, and some say canned tuna is the only way to make a perfect tuna salad. Is it amazing or an abomination?

PERSPECTIVES

Canned tuna will live as long as tuna salad survives. As HuffPost's Elisabeth Sherman writes after her adulthood discovery of tuna salad:

Sherman understands why some might be put off by the canned variety of fish - "it does, after all, smell a bit like cat food," she says-but in her opinion, canned tuna is the only base for the perfect tuna salad, a dish that cannot be sacrificed:

The Wall Street Journal's Jesse Newman and Annie Gasparro blame millennials for canned tuna's decline, saying that the generation's favor for fresh and convenient foods have pushed this classic item out of relevance. Apparently, a can opener requires a tad too much effort:

But some fans remain unmoved. Bon Appetit even suggested putting beautiful tinned fish packages in your family member's stockings for Christmas. Karen Palmer writes:

Sushi restaurant owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, recently put down $3.1 million for a 612-pound bluefin tuna (that's about $5,000 per pound), CNN reports. Imagine opening up a can with that beauty inside! Clearly, those who favor canned tuna have a refined palate.

Can openers or not, there are many reasons why canned tuna has dropped off in popularity. The Washington Post's Maura Judkis theorizes:

Or, maybe it is just because canned tuna is an unappetizing, soppy mess.

Ah yes, Millennials are abandoning canned tuna because were lazy and not because uh, its gross as hell. https://t.co/EMgyMNy4TT  b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) December 3, 2018

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.AMHERST  Hampshire College will bring in 77 first-year students in the fall, including 36 admitted for this term who deferred admission for a year and 41 who have already taken early decision.

But Hampshire wont bring in any more than those students, college spokesman John Courtmanche said, capping a class many on campus see as crucial to Hampshires future.

The decision, released Friday night in a campuswide meeting, are different than a potential plan the colleges president announced last month to not admit any students in the fall. And its different than the big first-year class some advocates say Hampshire needs in order to fill its coffers and its campus.

Hampshire will continue looking for what it calls a strategic partner to shoulder some of its financial burden. Times are tough for small liberal arts colleges with small endowments.

The Board also voted not admit any new students for the spring semester of 2020. The college has not yet made a decisoon on the Fall 2020 class.

The decision was expected earlier Friday, at about 3:30 p.m. But the colleges Trustees deliberated longer than expected. Those deliberations took place with Hampshire College students and alumni gathered outside the meeting-room door with a sit-in protest they promised to continue all weekend if necessary.

Alumni who weighed in included author and adventurer Jon Krakauer, who wondered in a New York Times piece if Hampshires soul would survive combining with a larger institution.

Faced with an uncertain future, Hampshire College announced earlier this month that it was seeking a strategic partner  which could be a college or some other entity  to work with it in the future.

Hampshire College also promised earlier this month the 800-acre campus would not close. But President Miriam E. Nelson did raise the possibility that Hampshire wouldnt admit a freshman class for the 2019-20 school year, explaining that Hampshires self-directed structure might change over the next four years if a partner is found.

That decision needed to be released by Friday, the colleges early admission deadline.

In the week or so leading up to the decision, the Hampshire board of trustees seemed to strike a more optimistic note.

We write to the entire Hampshire community today to say were confident in Hampshires future and in the prospect that well be able to preserve, in any partnership, what we revere about this institution  its singular educational model  while addressing our long-term financial challenges," trustees wrote in a Jan. 23 letter to the campus community.

The @hampshirecolg administration said it would announce today if the college will admit a new freshman class next year. They are still waiting for word as trustees meet. pic.twitter.com/3VlWubwRtI  Jim Kinney (@JimKinney413) February 1, 2019

Not admitting a freshman class in the fall would eliminate a quarter of the schools tuition revenue and result in layoffs.

Salman Hameed, associate professor of integrated science and humanities, said those layoffs could be 30 to 50 percent of the schools faculty and staff. With the announcement coming in February, faculty might be shut out of academic jobs for a year, Hameed said. Colleges and universities generally have application deadlines in November and December for jobs that arent open until the following June.

Alumnus Steven Aronstein said the announcement seemed like a concession to critics who wanted a full class of about 350 freshman admitted.

My cynical take is that they covered themselves by admitting the students they have a signed contract with, he said. Its not enough. They need to admit a full class.

Hampshire has 108 full-time faculty, an administrative staff of 115 and a total enrollment of 1,321 as of the 2016-17 school year, according to federally mandated data reporting forms found on the colleges website. Total enrollment has been around the 1,300 to 1,400 range for at least the last decade, according to the website.

Hampshire has a $52 million endowment and a balanced budget.

But small colleges fear financial pressures as the number of graduating high school seniors in the region falls, making it harder to attract students.

Green Mountain College will close at the end of the spring 2019 semester, Vermont Public Radio reported, putting some 400 students in search of a new college and 100 faculty and staff out of work.

Pressure at liberal arts colleges is also building as more students are seeking technology or professional courses with a clearer career path.

But at Hampshire, 89 percent of grads are offered jobs within six months of graduating and 65 percent go on to earn advanced degrees within 10 years, according to the Hampshires website.

The average cost of attendance is more than $65,000 a year. That includes $50,030 in tuition, $13,606 in room and board and books and supplies totaling $1,900.

The average financial aid is $47,673, counting both funds from Hampshire and from the federal government and other sources.

Famous Hampshire grads include documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and actress Lupita Nyongo.AMHERST  Former Hampshire College president Adele Simmons has pledged $100,000 to a fundraising effort in favor of admitting a new class of first-year Hampshire students in the fall.

Thats a pretty big statement, said Jonathon Podolsky, of Northampton, a member of Hampshires local alumni group.

Simmons was president of Hampshire from 1977 to 1989 and the second president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation from 1989 to 1999.

Overall, the crowdfunding page had more than $190,000 in pledges toward a goal of $250,000 in just two days. Steven Aronstein, also of Northampton, a Hampshire College alumnus spearheading the independent fundraising effort, said he and his cohort have pledges totaling more than $500,000 including money that is not on the website.

You have to remember that people have donated quite a bit to the development office in response to Hampshires announcement, said Aronstein. Just like any school. Princeton, the wealthiest school around, and they still rely on alumni donations.

Last month, Hampshire President Miriam E. Nelson announced the college was seeking a strategic partner because of worries about its financial stability given a shrinking pool of potential students, Hampshires reliance on tuition and fee money and new regulations from the state.

She also said Hampshire might not admit a new freshman class in the fall because she fears that Hampshires method of teaching will change with the partnership.

An official announcement regarding the new freshman class was pushed back Friday to no earlier than late afternoon.

The change in time may indicate that the colleges board of trustees is pushing back against the president at meetings Thursday and Friday, said Salman Hameed, associate professor of integrated science and humanities.

Aronstein said the campus community felt railroaded by Nelsons announcement, and subsequent communiques always come back to the idea that its best not to admit new students in the fall. Aronstein said such a move would be a death blow for the college that relies on tuition and fees for 87 percent of its budget.

He said he realizes that Hampshire students' reputation for protest and activism might be working against his efforts. He knows that running a campus where everyone wants a say a nd everyone wants to protest can be tiresome. But he and the other alums behind the crowdfund are level-headed and willing to work to raise money and shore up finances while a partnership takes shape.

He said a much-feared set of state regulations and financial stress test from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education is still just a proposal. Hampshire actually having to pass a stress test is years away.

We are rational alumni who have children and mortgages and jobs, Aaronstein said. We are still willing to do everything we can for the school.

Hameed said faculty and staff have been told there will be layoffs, and if there is no first-year class in the fall, those layoffs could hit 30 percent to 50 percent of the workforce.

Hampshire has 108 full-time faculty and an administrative staff of 115.

Some of those professors are in their 50s and had planed to retire from Hampshire, he said. These are people in the community who own homes, shop at businesses and support their towns and cities.

Now is not the time to go looking for work as an academic, he said. Most job openings have application deadlines of November and December for jobs that wont start until June. Faculty who lose jobs now might have to sit out a year.

Hampshire is a pretty unique college, he said. Hampshire is Hampshire because of the people who teach there.

Hampshire has an enrollment of 1,321 as of the 2016-17 school year, according to federally mandated data reporting forms found on the colleges website. Total enrollment has been around 1,300 to 1,400 for at least the last decade, according to the website.A 33-year-old Peabody man known as The Maestro was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison Friday for his role in a massive New England heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation.

Vladimir Arias was a primary contact between a drug trafficking ring in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and a major heroin and fentanyl supply source in the Dominican Republic, according to a news release from United States Attorney for Rhode Island Aaron L. Weismans office.

Federal prosecutors say Arias worked for the the Valdez brothers whose drug trafficking operation supplied heroin and fentanyl to mid-level drug dealers and street dealers in the greater Boston and Providence areas, and in Hartford, Connecticut.

Arias - who was nicknamed The Maestro - was arrested during a traffic stop on I-95 in Rhode Island on April 10, 2017. He had more than 800 grams of heroin hidden in his car, prosecutors said.

That heroin was the remainder of a full kilogram that Arias delivered to Juan Valdez days earlier. Valdez rejected it because he was not satisfied with the quality of the drug, investigators said.

Agents obtained a search warrant for Arias home and found $33,959 hidden in a couch. This converts to the value of more than 600 grams of heroin, prosecutors said.

Arias arrest was part of a larger operation nicknamed Operation Triple Play which investigated the Valdez drug operation.

Agents purchased and seized about 142 grams of crack cocaine, 1,654 grams of cocaine, 3,836 grams of heroin, most of it cut with fentanyl, 3,493 grams of fentanyl, and more than 137 pounds of cutting agents throughout the investigation, prosecutors said.

In November Claudio Valdez was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Juan Valdez was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in December and Hector Valdez was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison on Jan. 18.

The Valdez brothers are all from the Dominican Republic. They all reentered the country illegally after they were previously convicted of felony drug crimes and deported. Juan Valdez reentered the country illegally at least four times, prosecutors said. Immigration detainers have been lodged against the three brothers.

Arias told law enforcement he had entered the country illegally through Mexico.

The government lodged an immigration detainer against him, as well.Authorities say a 21-year-old tow truck operator from Gaetas Tow is recovering after he was struck by another car while changing a flat tire on Route 128 Friday night.

Massachusetts State Police say the tow operator was changing a tire on the passenger side of a vehicle in the breakdown lane on Route 128 northbound, at Route 114 in Peabody, when a 2016 Nissan Altima with a Maine license plate struck him and fled the scene.

The 21-year-old tow operator, who state police say they will not identify, was brought to Lahey Clinic for injuries that did not appear to life-threatening.

State and local police were notified of the hit-and-run crash, and at around 10:40 p.m. on Friday, the driver of the Nissan turned himself in to Mass. State Police at the Danvers Barracks.

He was interviewed and was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, marked lanes violations and possibly other charges as the investigation continues. Mass. State Police did not identify the hit-and-run suspect.A Dominican national, in the country illegally, has been sentenced to serve five years in federal prison after he entered pleas guilty to charges he distributed a kilogram 2.2 pounds of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Angel Milciades Santana Polanco, 31, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Polanco pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribution of more than 400 grams of fentanyl.

Investigators were able to monitor communications between Polanco and Wareng Jhonny Villar-Ortiz over the course of several days

Prosecutors said Polanco offered a kilogram of the drugs to Villar-Ortiz, a man officials described as a mid-level drug distributor in the greater Boston area. Villar-Ortiz accepted the drugs but wanted the fentanyl tested before he would pay for the shipment. Polanco tested the potency of the drugs by giving samples to three individuals and watching how they responded when taken.

Investigators said Villar-Ortiz found the drugs unacceptable and refused to pay for the 2.2 pounds of opioid and requested Polanco retrieve the shipment. However, investigators were able to execute a search warrant at Villar-Orizs home before the drugs were picked up and they seized 978.6 grams of pure fentanyl from a hiding place in a bathroom wall.

Polanco will be subject to deportation when he finishes serving his prison term, officials said.Her mother had died young, leaving the two boys and three girls to tend the farm with their father.

It was a rudimentary life. People gave them clothes to wear, her son said, because they didnt have enough.

When she lay in bed at night she would look up at the ceiling and could see cracks, he said. Some mornings she would awaken with snow on the bed.

She walked miles to school in Spray, (North Carolina,) he added. She carried cardboard in her pockets to change out the worn cardboard in her shoes.

Family members debated whether she stopped school in elementary years or seventh grade to take care of the family but didnt awaken her from the sleep she was in and out of to ask.

She used to get onto us about school, encouraging the kids in her family to take advantage of opportunities, her granddaughter said.

A mother to many

As a young woman, Nancy Valentine walked 10 or 12 miles every Sunday night to a big house on Berry Hill Road in what is now Eden to do housework. She walked home every Saturday morning.Manchester, TN (37355)

Today

Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.For some, the settlement agreement was celebrated because it meant the agency had taken steps to ensure there are residents living in nearly every neighborhood in the city. Those residents applauded the agencys mobility program, which provides support and financial incentives for residents to move to neighborhoods where the schools are ranked higher and there is closer proximity to jobs and job training programs.Growing up in a small town like Richmond, Lillian Pearce, by her own admission, hadn't been exposed to much cultural diversity.Senior Airman Ryan Zeski utilizes time during a long flight as a passenger on a Michigan Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker to work on some homework for a course he is taking at Oakland University, Nov. 8, 2018. Zeski is one of more than 250 Michigan Citizen-Airmen who are utilizing state or federal tuition assistance to further his education through his military service.ROSEVILLE

Appeals Court overturns Macomb judge in man's prison release

But the man still must serve a 10-year federal prison term for 2nd attempt to kill ex-wifeThe Boring Co. was selected to build the rapid transit system in June, to much fanfare. Emanuel has been enthusiastic about Musks plan to dig a hole from the Loop to OHare and run passenger vehicles that could go more than 100 miles per hour, cutting the time to get to and from the airport to about 12 minutes. The trip would cost about $20 to $25 per passenger, and would offer travelers an alternative to costlier cab rides and the cheaper, but more plebian, CTA L.Local officials hope improved technology helps convince more people to donate blood but still rely peoples generosity to maintain the blood supply.Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business!

Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge.

(Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!)The search for Irelands Best Young Entrepreneurs (IBYE) 2019 was launched this week.

IBYE is Irelands most successful programme to celebrate Irelands young entrepreneurs, developed by the Local Enterprise Offices and in Longford is run by Longford Local Enterprise Office with the support of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland and Longford County Council.

Since its inception in 2015, over 18 young entrepreneurs from Longford have received in excess of 175,000 in IBYE funding through Longford Local Enterprise Office as well as a wide range of vital training and mentoring to support them on their entrepreneurial journeys.

The competition, which has an investment fund of 2 million, is open to people between the ages of 18 and 35. The closing date to enter this years competition is Friday, March 15.

Entering is simple, with an online application system through the IBYE website. LEO staff are on hand at the Longford Local Enterprise Office if assistance is required in completing the application form.

Longfords IBYE coordinator Norma Foley said: Taking part in IBYE 2019 will help Longfords young entrepreneurs move their businesses to the next level with the support of their Local Enterprise Office, whatever stage their business is at - idea, start up or an established business.

Other business supports, such as management training, networking and one-to-one mentoring are also at the heart of IBYE - so there is something for all young entrepreneurs, available right on their doorsteps through the Longford LEO office.

With an IBYE investment fund of 50,000 Longford LEO will award up to six investments to three category winners and three runners-up at county level.

The winners in Longford will progress to Regional Finals during the summer with the National IBYE finals taking place on September 15.

For further information and details see www.localenterprise.ie / www.ibye.ie or your contact Longford Local Enterprise Office on 043-334 3346.

Closing date for entries is March 15 and there are no entry fees.Now the four establishment candidates in the mayoral race  I prefer to call them the Madigan-Burke Gang of Four because that is what they are  are trying to distance themselves from Madigan-Burke. Theyre sending out their wizards to shake rattles so voters might not connect the dots.Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Gusty winds with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 79F. Winds SW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 52F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.A San Antonio car dealer who sold luxury vehicles laundered more than half a million dollars as part of an undercover sting, and told agents he had the ability to launder millions more inside and outside the United States, according to court documents unsealed Friday.

An 18-page criminal complaint affidavit said Karen Mgerian, 40  one of two men arrested in raids Thursday in which more than 100 high-end vehicles were seized  had been laundering money for years.

Mgerian is charged with conspiracy to launder money and was ordered held without bond after a hearing in federal court on Friday. The businessman, who told undercover agents he had Russian connections to clean large amounts of cash, is accused of laundering $575,000 in four separate money-laundering sting transactions in 2018 with undercover IRS and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, the affidavit said.

Before his arrest Thursday, Mgerian was in negotiations to launder another $4.7 million for the undercover agents by selling his business, MGM Auto in the 5700 block of Industry Park, to the agents in return for a 12.9 percent money laundering fee.

On ExpressNews.com: Federal agents raid San Antonio businesses, arrest two

Mgerian was introduced to the undercover agents in fall 2017 by a co-defendant, Jose Luis Magallon Jr., 28, records show. The agents presented themselves as operatives for separate drug-trafficking organizations and told both that the large amounts of cash they had came from the sale of heroin or other drugs, the affidavit said. In fact, it was government money.

Mgerian agreed to launder money for them and even told them he had recently laundered $780,000 through a real estate transaction with a California marijuana distribution organization, the affidavit said. Mgerian also said to DEA (undercover agent) #1 that he had been involved in money laundering for many years.

Mgerian, a naturalized U.S. citizen who traces his roots to the countries of Georgia and Armenia, denies the allegations, according to one of his lawyers, Jay Norton. Norton and his law partner, former Bexar County district attorney Nico LaHood, jointly represent Mgerian with former federal prosecutor Mike McCrum.

The affidavit outlines a variety of methods Mgerian used, including taking bulk cash purportedly for buying luxury cars or real estate, structuring it into smaller bank deposits to avoid reporting requirements to the IRS and later returning large portions of the money to the agents, minus a fee for the laundering service. Mgerian falsified paperwork to say the laundered money he returned to the agents was for something else, such as payment for remodeling, for parts or the like, according to the affidavit.

In one of the sting transactions, for example, Mgerian hashed out a deal with agents in which he sold them a 2012 Bentley for $100,000 cash, which included a 14 percent fee for laundering the money and title and licensing costs. He then structured the deposits in amounts under $10,000 and fudged on the paperwork to show it was in-house financing so no forms would be filed with the U.S. government to show transactions larger than $10,000. At his suggestion, the agents sold the car back to Mgerian more than a month later for about $81,000, the affidavit shows. He paid with two checks to undercover companies set up by the IRS, and wrote on the checks that they were payments for remodeling or construction, the affidavit said.

He even used his parents names to cover his tracks or minimize taxes for other transactions, according to the affidavit. For example, he told agents he put MGM Auto in his mothers name in 2012 for tax purposes, but that he still controlled it, according to the affidavit.

He also added them as signers to the MGM Auto account, but other than being listed as the account holders, neither parent has any known contacts or involvement with the business, the affidavit said.

Another business that agents raided Thursday, Odadi Auto, which includes a body shop, is in the names of a pair of people of Russian descent, the affidavit said. But Mgerian told one undercover agent that he actually owns and controls the property.

Express Briefing: Get the morning headlines in your inbox

As part of the dealings, Mgerian offered to sell undercover agents MGM Auto, which he said was worth $4.7 million, and gave them two separate options to help launder large amounts of money.

In one, Mgerian would launder the $4.7 million for a 12.9 percent fee and provide the deed to MGM Auto and titles to his vehicle inventory as collateral until he finished laundering the entire $4.7 million.

He said he had already reached out to a friend overseas, who was willing to help launder the money for a 5 percent additional fee.

According to Mgerian, his friend is extremely wealthy and can wire transfer currency from France, Germany, Georgia and Russia, the affidavit said. As explained by Mgerian, his friend deals in expensive automotive parts from China and also inherited a lot of money from his grandfather, who apparently owned several successful factories.

Mgerian also claimed to have personal bankers in the country of Georgia willing to accept bulk currency. As the agents agreed to provide a big cash payment, Mgerian put together documents to transfer MGM to them in mid-January.

Then federal agents swooped in and arrested him this week.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedlandA Border Patrol agent stationed in Uvalde was charged Friday with producing child pornography after agents raided his home west of San Antonio.

Vernon Lee Millican, 36, is accused of sending sexually suggestive texts to a 13-year-old girl who had moved from Texas to another state, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed against him in federal court in San Antonio.

The girl revealed to investigators in Oregon that Millican had sexually abused her for years, made her perform sex acts on him while he watched pornography and took nude photos of her, the affidavit said.

RELATED: 100s of images of child porn found in S.A.-area home

Oregon authorities contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and it referred the case to the Homeland Security Department Office of Inspector General, which opened an internal affairs case into Millican. The Inspector Generals office brought in the FBI in San Antonio, which raided his home in Leakey on Thursday, found some of the photos on a memory card and arrested him.

The agent, likely to lose his job, has been with the Border Patrol nine years.

U.S. Border Patrol will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, Customs and Border Patrol said in a statement. CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe.

The affidavit describes a series of text, photo and video messages between the girls cell phone and a contact in her phone listed as P.

In the text messages, P made references to working at a checkpoint and chasing a group. Some of the texts contained selfies of P, the affidavit states.

In another text series, P sent a message, with emojis, that signified him performing a sex act on the girl, according to the affidavit.

RELATED: Laredo PD say teen, child caught having sex in a car

The court document also said P sent a photo of a Border Patrol logo that appeared to be a woodworking project and another selfie.

The selfies helped identify Millican, officials said. He appeared in federal court Friday and was ordered held pending a bail hearing next Wednesday.

The affidavit said the girl told investigators that Millican had sexually assaulted her since she was about 6 years old, until she was about 12.

Millican forced her to masturbate him and to watch porn, including daughter-daddy type, while he masturbated, the affidavit said. He also showed the girl videos of him having sex with various women, and slept nude with her. She awoke to find his private parts touching hers, according to the affidavit.

The girl told investigators that Millican used cell phones and cameras to take photos of her, both clothed and unclothed, in poses he would find online, the affidavit said. She said she only posed unclothed if he forced her, or agreed to photos if she had clothes on.

During the search at Millicans home, the FBI found a memory card in a camera with four photos of the girl with her privates lasciviously displayed and a cartoon character drawn on her inner thigh, in a sexual manner toward her private area.

Millican faces up to 30 years in prison without parole if convicted.

Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedlandUPPER THUMB  Support for a Saginaw Township police officer shot during a traffic stop last week in Saginaw continues to swell.

Almost $200,000 in donations have come in for officer Jeff Koenig, 48. But the support that has poured in for Koenig from the public and especially from others in law enforcement doesnt surprise Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson.

"There is an allegiance among the law enforcement community," said Hanson. "We unfortunately experienced a line of duty death here coming up on 19 years ago, when one of our deputies died at the scene from injuries he received in a patrol car accident.

Fellow officers from all over, regardless of the color of uniform they wear, extended and displayed massive support."

There is the concept of those who wear a uniform of being a band of brothers.

We here are all very glad that the Saginaw Township officer survived that senseless attempt on his life, and that hell eventually recover, said Hanson.

Koenig was shot Jan. 22, in the face and shoulder, when he stopped a stolen pickup in Kochville Township. The pickup pulled into a parking lot; but as the officer approached, Joshua Rosebush, 29, of Vassar, allegedly started shooting.

Despite being injured, Koenig was able to call for help and give an accurate description of the truck as Rosebush was diving.

A manhunt ended when Rosebush was arrested. A be-on-the-lookout was issued in three counties for Rosebush and the stolen vehicle. The counties were Saginaw, where the shooting took place; Genesee, where the stolen vehicle was spotted; and Shiawassee, where he was captured during a shootout the same day.

The suspect pointed a gun at my officer, and he eliminated the threat before the man killed him, explained Shiawassee Sheriff Brain BeGole, noting his detective was not injured in the shooting and did not have to go to the hospital. The suspect was shot in the face. It is non-life threatening.

After being treated, Rosebush was taken into custody by the Michigan Department of Corrections for violating his probation. He was paroled from prison on April 3, 2018. He allegedly removed an electronic tether Jan. 3, that was to monitor him, and he then stole the vehicle.

He is incarcerated (just) for the parol violation because the shooting and his other actions are still being investigated. When completed, the findings will be forward to the prosecutors office for review. It is anticipated there will be other charges coming, said BeGole.

There is no emergency in bringing charges because he is locked up for violating probation.

"We are making sure this is a complete investigation before it is sent to the prosecutor, said BeGole.

Beside the shooting, Rosebush is wanted for questioning in connection for several vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles in Tuscola County earlier this month.

In the meantime, Koenig is recovering from his injuries.

When you fight for your life like that, it obviously is an ordeal that is shaking. He is spending time with his family thinking about what happened, and realizing that this could have been it, said BeGole. On the other hand, when you overcome a situation like that, you are happy to be alive. He has a lot of different feelings going on right now.

Until the investigation is complete, Koenig is on administrative leave, which is protocol. He will remain off duty until the investigation is complete, reviewed by the prosecutor, and he has recovered, according to BeGole.

Michigan Department of Corrections records show Rosebush has a long criminal history of breaking and entering vehicles, stealing vehicles, assaulting a police officer, and stealing and/or retaining a financial transaction device without permission.Washington

The International Committee of the Red Cross has talked to the United States about the risks of delivering humanitarian aid to Venezuela without the approval of security forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has said he will defy Maduro's refusal to allow humanitarian aid by asking neighboring nations to help send in large convoys of medicine and food. Guaido has declared himself interim president of the country.

The Trump administration has announced it is ready to deliver aid to Venezuela whenever and however is decided by Guaido.

Alexandra Boivin, ICRC delegation head for the United States and Canada, said Friday that the ICRC had told U.S. officials that whatever plans "they have to help the people of Venezuela, it has to be shielded from this political conversation."

"It is obviously a very difficult conversation to have with the U.S.," she said. "We are there also to make clear the risks of the path being taken, the limits of our ability to operate in such an environment."

ICRC director of global operations Dominik Stillhart said the committee would only take part in such coordinated efforts if they are executed "with the agreement of the authorities, whoever the authorities are."

Stillhart said that the ICRC currently brings in its own medical supplies and emergency trauma care to support six hospitals located across the country.

"We are not kind of an implementing agency for any donor, specifically not to implement things that have a political tone," he said.

The Geneva-based organization is currently in talks with the Venezuelan Ministry of Health to expand its budget in the South American country to at least $20 million.

The expanded budget would provide increased support to high risk areas on the Venezuela-Colombia border and address a recent resurgence of malaria in the state of Bolivar, along the southern border with Brazil.

"We are not taking any side. Regardless of the political situation, our focus will always be on what we can do," Stillhart said.

ICRC will also dedicate $35 million to Colombia to assist in areas where former FARC rebels maintained a presence and to care for more than three million Venezuelans who have fled the economic crisis in their country.Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Kevin A. Reid, 27, of 245 E. Prairie St., Waverly, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 6:42 p.m. Thursday on charges of domestic battery, interfering with a report of domestic violence and criminal damage to property.

 Nicodemus F. Cole, 38, of 2102 N. 16th St., Springfield, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:52 p.m. Thursday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Olivia M. Perry, 18, of 14 Aaron Drive was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:11 p.m. Thursday on a retail theft charge.

 Dana M. Reardon, 40, of 15 Crestwood Drive was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:38 p.m. Thursday on charges of aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer.

 Jennifer D. Elliot, 41, of 254 N. Marnico Lane was booked into the Morgan County jail at 9:44 a.m. Friday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Mikka L. Graham, 25, of 339 E. Wolcott St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:20 a.m. Friday on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

 A 12-year-old boy was arrested at 3:35 p.m. Friday on charges of domestic battery after police say he hit his mother. He was also charged with aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer after police say he hit an officer.

ACCIDENTS

 Martha J. Travis, 78, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of improper lane usage after police say she turned onto North Main Street when her vehicle hit a vehicle being driven by Mary Jane Snyder, 40, of Jacksonville at 2:53 p.m. Friday.

Snyder complained of injuries but declined transport to the hospital.



Greene County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Timothy A. Day, 49, of Kane was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:07 p.m. Thursday on a domestic battery charge.

 Nicholas A. Gioscio, 23, of Hillview was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:21 a.m. Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Carrollton Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Christian P. Bottoms, 19, of Wheatland, Indiana, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 7:51 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of having no valid drivers license.

Compiled by Nick Draper, David C.L. Bauer and Samantha McDaniel-OgletreeOn its website, the University of Farmington advertised an innovative STEM curriculum that would prepare students to compete in the global economy, and flexible class schedules that would allow them to enroll without disrupting their careers. The Michigan-based school touted the number of languages spoken by its president (four) and the number of classes taught by teaching assistants (zero.) Photos of the campus showed students lounging around with books on a grassy quad, or engaged in rapt conversation in its brightly-lit modern library. Tuition was relatively reasonable - $8,500 a year for undergraduates and $11,000 a year for graduate students.

"Located in the heart of the automotive and advanced manufacturing center of Southeast Michigan, the University of Farmington provides students from throughout the world a unique educational experience," the site informed prospective applicants.

RELATED: Pew Research Center: Facts about illegal immigration in the United States

But there were no classes taking place at the university, which employed no instructors or professors. In court filings that were unsealed Wednesday, federal prosecutors revealed that the school's employees were actually undercover agents working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The fake university had been set up in 2015 as part of an elaborate sting operation aimed at ensnaring foreign nationals who had initially come to the United States on student visas. Its "campus" consisted of a small office in a corporate park in the northwestern Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills, Michigan, with no quad or library in sight.

The phony university was "being used by foreign citizens as a 'pay to play' scheme," prosecutors allege. After forking over thousands of dollars, students would provide immigration authorities with evidence that they were enrolled in a full-time educational program. They could then continue to live and work in the United States under a student visa. But since the University of Farmington didn't actually exist, they didn't have the hassle of writing papers, taking tests or showing up to class.

Students knew that the scheme was illegal, "and that discretion should be used when discussing the program with others," prosecutors wrote in their indictment, which was filed Jan. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

According to the Detroit News, which first reported on the undercover operation, dozens of University of Farmington students were arrested on immigration violations on Wednesday as part of a massive nationwide sweep, and are now potentially facing deportation. In addition, eight people who allegedly worked as "recruiters" for the school and collectively helped at least 600 students to remain in the country under false pretenses now face federal conspiracy charges.

ICE could not be reached for comment late Wednesday night. It's unclear how many past or present students could be facing deportation as a result of the sting.

The Department of Homeland Security's list of certified schools where international students can enroll includes the University of Farmington. And the school made some pretense of being a legitimate institution. Before Wednesday night, when the school's Facebook and Twitter accounts were abruptly deleted, posts on social media notified students about school cancellations due to an ice storm, and advertised an upcoming admissions fair. It had a Latin motto - "Scientia et Labor," meaning "Knowledge and Work" - and a handful of positive online reviews from people claiming to be satisfied alumni.

But no one enrolled at the university was making progress toward a degree, the indictment said. The "unique educational experience" promoted on the school's website apparently consisted of not going to school at all.

There were some clues that not everything was aboveboard. The school's website never said how many enrolled students it had, though it claimed that they came from all 50 states and 47 countries. It didn't name the university's president or the year when the school was founded. As the Detroit News's Robert Snell noted on Twitter, a photo showing a diverse group of students deep in concentration came from Shutterstock. The university claimed to be accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, but did not appear in an online directory of accredited institutions on the organization's website.

According to prosecutors, students were well aware that the school was a fraud. They allegedly chose to enroll anyway because doing so would allow them to remain in the country on F-1 nonimmigrant visas, which allow foreign citizens to temporarily reside in the United States while studying accredited academic institutions.

Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for ICE in Detroit, told local news station WXYZ that the students had entered the United States legally on F-1 visas after being accepted to legitimate schools, and had later transferred to the University of Farmington.

The federal indictments name eight people in eight states who allegedly worked as recruiters for the school. All have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harboring aliens for profit. They face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The eight recruiters allegedly helped create fraudulent records, including transcripts, that students could give to immigration authorities. Authorities contend that they collectively accepted more than $250,000 in kickbacks for their work, not realizing that the payments were actually coming from undercover agents who worked for Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE.

"We are all aware that international students can be a valuable asset to our country, but as this case shows, the well-intended international student visa program can also be exploited and abused," Matthew Schneider, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement emailed to media outlets on Wednesday.

This isn't the first time that the feds have set up a fake university with the goal of rooting out visa fraud. Calling "pay to stay" a national security threat, officials announced in April 2016 that they had charged 21 people with recruiting international students who paid to enroll at the made-up University of Northern New Jersey so that they could get student visas. More than a dozen students who partook in the scheme later told the New York Times that they felt they had been deceived by the government.

Many of the students who enrolled at the University of Farmington appear to be Indian nationals who belong to the Telugu ethnic group. The American Telugu Association said in a Wednesday s tatement that "scores of Telugu students nationwide" had been arrested in early-morning raids, and that the organization was attempting to provide them with legal guidance.

As the News noted, the undercover investigation seems to have ramped up one month after President Trump took office. While the fake university was set up in 2015, it wasn't until February 2017 that HSI agents began posing as university officials, the indictment said. The undercover operation, nicknamed "Paper Chase," continued until earlier this month.

Over the years, the university's ghostly presence in the basement of suburban Detroit office park aroused at least one neighbor's suspicions.

"I was like 'what is this?'" Matt Friedman, who runs a strategic communications firm based in the same complex, told the News. "I'd never heard of it before and never saw anybody there. The whole thing was just odd."GRAND RAPIDS  The sun was shining in Michigan in more ways than one on Friday.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive to strengthen Michigans Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act by closing loopholes and fostering a more user-friendly process within departments and agencies through the use of transparency liaisons to facilitate public requests.

State government must be open, transparent, and accountable to taxpayers, Whitmer said. Im signing this executive directive to ensure that Michiganders have open access to state records and meetings, and to help the public navigate their state government. This is an important step to infuse integrity in governance and earn back public trust.

The Democratic governor signed the order during a luncheon held as part of the Michigan Press Associations annual convention in Grand Rapids Friday.

Whitmer feels Michigan has earned an F in accountability. She has vowed to make her office more transparent, and hopes the Legislature will follow the executive branchs lead, particularly when it comes down to financial disclosure.

The sun should shine and shine brightly on both branches  and that is why I think its really important that we continue to try to get a good policy passed so this isnt just a policy for the Whitmer administration, Whitmer said, adding its something that should affect future governors and legislatures.

She noted Friday marked the first day of her second month in office. She feels her administration hit the ground running to address several campaign promises, including her promise to make sure that our state and government are more transparent and accountable to the public.

We are going to hold our government to the highest ethical standard that Michigan has ever seen  and it matters  its crucial we restore trust in our state government, Whitmer said.

Highlights from Whitmers executive directive include the following:

 A transparency liaison will be designated within departments and agencies to facilitate FOIA requests and find ways to disclose public records in a cost-efficient manner.

 The use of extension periods to grant FOIA requests in a timely manner will be limited.

 The governor encourages all FOIA requests be fulfilled by, or before, the deadline.

 Departments and agencies will be required to send a notice if a request will take longer to fulfill.

 Officials will be prohibited from using electronic communication to conduct business during public meetings.

 The order urges the use of live streaming to broadcast public meetings to anywhere in the state.

 The order compels the Department of Technology, Management and Budget to devise an online system where public notices and records can be uploaded.A few preflight drinks can get expensive rather quickly.

But for David Stephen Young, a round of six alcoholic beverages he drank before his flight from Calgary to London prompted a rash of unruly behavior, culminating in an abrupt turnaround, an arrest and a hefty fine of more than $16,000.

Young, 44, was ordered by a judge to pay WestJet for 20,000 tons of wasted fuel the pilot dumped over Alberta to safely land the aircraft back in Calgary on Jan. 4.

The fine came after he pleaded guilty last week to resisting arrest and failing to comply with safety instructions during the fight, according to USA Today.

Young, a British national, tried to access the restroom during takeoff and became belligerent with the flight crew and a passenger, the paper said, citing court documents.

Passengers and the crew "were left shaken and threatened by [Young's] behavior" that was "verbally aggressive," according to the court documents.

Young apologized about the "damage and inconvenience" of his behavior, USA Today reported. His attorney did not return a request for comment. WestJet declined to comment.

The actual burden to WestJet could eclipse $150,000 when including costs such as passenger reimbursement, the paper reported. Provincial Judge Brian Stevenson gave WestJet the option to pursue damages through a civil case. The airline declined to say if it planned to do so.

Young was described as an alcoholic in court, prompting his attorney Michelle Parhar to seek a lower penalty. He experienced a recent death in the family, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corp., and was in Canada to visit his mother.

The ruling means Young is "essentially barred from entering Canada, barred from seeing his mother," Parhar said.Videos and still images of the incident in the Italian Cup quarterfinal appeared to show the Bosnia-Herzegovina international spitting at Manganiello but there was no mention of that in the referee's report.Shots rang out early Friday in north Laredo.

Laredo police officers said they heard what appeared to be two gunshots while patrolling the area of the 2400 block of Jacaman Road.

An employee of a nearby business told police that a man fired two rounds. Police recovered two spent casings from the area.

READ MORE: Woman arrested for drunk driving with 3-year-old in backseat, according to LPD

An unlawful discharge of firearm report was filed. An investigation is underway.

Anyone with information on the case can call police at 795-2800 or Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Information provided through Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward. Callers may remain anonymous.On this date in ...

1919: The family of William H. Morris of Edinburg in Saratoga County was stricken with influenza, leading to the deaths of five members within a few days. Morris and one son were also seriously ill with the disease. The dead included his wife, their sons, 29-year-old Oscar and 18-year-old John, and two younger boys. Another son, Walter, had just been released from service at Fort Greene, N.C., and returned home to find his entire family ill. The family lived 10 miles from the nearest doctor and 4 miles from the nearest telephone, so Walter cared for them with the knowledge he gained in the military until he was forced to seek help miles away.

1969: Centenarian James Alexander of Albany had his first television set, thanks to a gift of the Times Union Christmas Fund for Needy Old People through the Salvation Army. The social service agency also provided gifts for about 435 local people, many of whom received television sets, radios, rugs, reading lamps and washing machines. Alexander now sat for hours in a faded, floral-print armchair and enjoyed watching quiz programs and variety shows on his TV.

1994: A leading legislative proponent of legalized gambling in New York state said he was shooting for a November 1995 referendum where voters could decide whether to allow casino gaming. Successful Indian-run casinos in central New York and in neighboring Connecticut and Canada made it imperative for New York state to join in, said state Sen. Nicholas Spano, vice chairman of a Senate task force studying the issue. In New York, casinos were permitted only on Indian land, and that was because of federal law. The state constitution barred casinos elsewhere in the state.

Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase an affordable subscription to continue accessing our content.First, it's just one text that goes unanswered.

Then, it's 10. Your calls go to voicemail and the silence grows deeper by the minute. You may start to worry: Could something have happened to your friend? What else could explain their sudden disappearance? Eventually, a social media update or a mutual friend will give you the answer. Your former confidant is alive and well.

But they have just vanished from your life. They are ghosting you. [Why Do We Have Personal Space?]

Ghosting, which means cutting off all communication without offering an explanation, has only recently entered the popular lexicon. But it's a behavior likely as old as human interactions have existed. The term originated in the context of dating, but ghosting also occurs in friendships and is even becoming a noticeable trend in professional relationships: A number of employers "said that they had been ghosted, a situation in which a worker stops coming to work without notice and then is impossible to contact," the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago noted in December's Beige Book, a report tracking employment trends. Ghosting is a strange behavior  why would anyone treat someone so heartlessly that they so recently liked, or leave work without so much as an "I quit" scribbled on a sticky note?

What drives this behavior? Are some people more likely than others to choose ghosting over other strategies to end a relationship? And what's the impact of ghosting on the haunted?

Psychologists have only recently started to look into these questions. "There are not many actual published papers on ghosting," said Tara Collins, an associate professor of psychology at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. But as research on ghosting begins to emerge, psychologists can also draw on what they know about the psychology of relationships to offer some clues, Collins said.

Is ghosting a new phenomenon?

Ghosting is common and can happen to anyone. A study of 1,300 people, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships in 2018, found that about a quarter of the participants had been ghosted by a partner, while one-fifth reported that they had ghosted someone themselves. Ghosting in friendships may be even more common; more than a third of study participants reported that they had ghosted a friend or had been ghosted by one. These figures may be even higher, as another 2018 survey found that 65 percent of participants reported previously ghosting a partner, and 72 percent reported that their partner had ghosted them.

Ending relationships is nothing new, and there are several different strategies people can choose. Perhaps we have just started to notice that ghosting is a common strategy, largely because technology has changed the way we interact with one another. "I'm guessing that people ignored each other for a long time. It's just a lot more obvious now because of social media and technology," Collins told Live Science. "When it's so easy to contact each other, it becomes very clear somebody is ignoring you intentionally." [Why Tinder Is So 'Evilly Satisfying']

Ghosting as a strategy may have also gained popularity via new technology, as texting, online dating and social media have changed the way people connect, as well as how romantic partners find each other. Today, people can go on dates with someone they would have never met otherwise, rather than meeting them at a corner store or at their friends' gatherings. Without a mutual social network tying two strangers together, it's easier to just drop everything and vanish without any consequences, Collins said.

How do people break up?

In a 2012 paper published in the Journal of Research in Personality, Collins and her colleague analyzed breakup tactics and identified a handful of common ones. One of the most common strategies is "open confrontation," in which partners directly discuss ending the relationship. Another is the "avoidance" strategy, in which one partner decreases contact with the other person, avoids future meetings or discloses very little about their personal life. Yet another popular strategy is "self-blame," which basically translates to "it's not you, it's me."

People may also break up using the "cost escalation" strategy. "That would be like essentially making the relationship so terrible that your partner decides to get out," Collins said.

Others may use "mediated communication" strategy to break up, which means talking to somebody else about your desire to end the relationship with the hope that the third-party person would communicate that to your partner. That third party could also be a breakup email or the Dear John letters of the pre-technology era.

Ghosting seems most related to a combination of avoidance technique and the mediated communication strategy, Collins said. You avoid seeing and talking to the person and your social media is the third party informing the ghostee that you have moved on.

Who's more likely to become a ghost?

When being ghosted, people often take it to reflect on themselves  their own wrong behavior, imperfections and flaws. But ghosting actually reveals more about the personality of the ghoster than the ghostee.

Ghosting is most similar to the avoidance and the mediated communication strategies. These types of strategies are associated with having an avoidant attachment style, which is a tendency to avoid emotional closeness in relationships. "The people who do not like to have emotional closeness, they're probably more likely to ghost," Collins said. [Why Are Some People So Clingy?]

But there are many other factors and personality traits involved in leading people to ghost. In a 2018 study, researchers divided people into: those who have a fixed mindset about the future, believe in destiny and think that a relationship is either meant to be or not; and those who have a growth mindset and believe relationships take work to grow. People with stronger destiny beliefs were 60 percent more likely than the other group to see ghosting as an acceptable way to end a relationship and were more likely to do it. Those with stronger growth beliefs were 40 percent less likely than the destiny group to say that ghosting was acceptable, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Psychological toll of being haunted

Although there's not much research on the impact of being ghosted, psychologists have long examined a similar issue, ostracism or social rejection through silent treatment. Ostracism has negative consequences for the rejected person, and research suggests the rejection triggers the same pathways in the brain as actual physical pain. This is perhaps why, as studies have found, people report ghosting as the most hurtful way to end a relationship and prefer to be dumped by direct confrontation.

Lack of communication leaves people in a mind-boggling limbo where they don't know how to act and respond. "Staying connected to others is so important to our survival that our brain has evolved to have a social monitoring system that monitors the environment for cues, so that we know how to respond in social situations," Jennice Vilhauer, psychologist at Emory University, wrote in Psychology Today. "Social cues allow us to regulate our own behavior accordingly, but ghosting deprives you of these usual cues and can create a sense of emotional dysregulation where you feel out of control."

All of this can be particularly difficult for people who are sensitive to feelings of uncertainty and ambiguity. These people not only have to manage the pain of rejection but also face the stress generated by the mountain of unresolved questions  Was it something they did that ended the relationship? Did they offend their friend? Did their partner leave them for someone else? [How Likely Is Your Partner to Cheat?]

Ghostbusting time

Relationship experts generally advise to let go of a ghost. If you are tempted to get in touch with your ghost, first think hard about what outcome you are really looking for. Someone who has ghosted you has already shown an inability to handle conflict in a healthy way. Ask yourself if you actually want to get back in a relationship with them.

Resist the temptation to stalk them online. If you can't let go, you may get some closure by confronting your ghost to let them know their behavior is unacceptable, immature and not compassionate. Then, move on.

And to avoid becoming a ghost yourself, practice direct and compassionate communication. Open confrontation can be painful for the person being dumped, but remember that people still rank it as their most preferred breakup strategy over all others.

Originally published on Live Science.THE OLDEST sacristan in Ireland is blowing out the Mass candles for the last time.

Mikie Riordan, aged 91, is stepping down from his role as the caretaker of St Bridgets Church in Dromkeen. It brings to an end almost half a century of the Riordan family looking after the local House of God.

My wife Nancy took it over in 1974. She was the sacristan until she died in July 2016. I used to give her a hand. I took it over then when she passed, said Mikie.

Seven days a week he opens and closes the church and makes sure it is immaculate for Mass-goers. But over 25 years past the retirement age he says the time has come to hand back the keys.

The day has come to pass over the reins. Its time to pack it up, said Mikie, who was a drainage contractor in his youth. While he ensured farms in east Limerick were drier, Mikie always had the fonts in St Bridgets full of holy water.

His son, Mike, served as an altar boy when he was a child. He says his late mum was totally devoted to the position.

She did it right up to the day she died. She got the Benemerenti medal for all her years of service, said Mike.

And while Mikie may be stepping down he says he will be on hand to give the new sacristan any advice or help he can.

His retirement comes at the same time as the closure of Dromkeen Post Office. Locals have organised a community gathering this Saturday, February 2, at 8pm in The Teach, Cloverfield, to thank their former postmistress, Mary McKenna, and Mikie.

One of the organisers, Robert Holmes said presentations will be made to both for their close on a century of service to the locality.

We want to show our appreciation to Mary for over 40 years of friendly, dedicated service to our community, and to Mikie for his time and commitment and that of his late wife Nancy to the Dromkeen parish, said Robert.

Fr Joe Tynan, parish priest of Kilteely-Dromkeen, said Mikie and Nancy were stalwarts in Dromkeen. He says it is very unlikely that there is an older sacristan in the country.

He is so generous with his time and so willing. There is nothing you couldnt ask him to do, said Fr Tynan, who adds that it will be hard to find a replacement.

The priest reflects on when the bells had to be rung by hand.

The Angelus bells was one of the big ties to being a sacristan because it was twice a day at noon and at 6pm every day of the year, said Fr Tynan.

And now the bell tolls on the Riordan familys long service to Dromkeen church.But Southampton defender Jack Stephens was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area in the third minute of time added on and Barnes, who had a strong spot-kick appeal turned down in the first half, made no mistake.(CNN)  It's official: Girls can now join the Boy Scouts.

You read that right. As of Friday, the organization's older youth program, "Boy Scouts," will be called "Scouts BSA" -- a change meant to welcome both boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 17.

It also means young women can realize their dreams of becoming Eagle Scouts, the organization's coveted highest rank, which can offer lifelong academic and professional benefits. The first class of female Eagle Scouts will be recognized in 2020, according to Boy Scouts of America.

The program for younger kids, Cub Scouts, has been welcoming girls since last year. Its name will stay the same, as will the name of the 108-year-old parent organization, Boy Scouts of America.

"I could not be more excited for what this means for the next generation of leaders in our nation," Chief Scout Executive Michael B. Surbaugh said in a statement Friday.

"Through Scouts BSA, more young people than ever before -- young women and men -- will get to experience the benefits of camaraderie, confidence, resilience, trustworthiness, courage and kindness through a time-tested program that has been proven to build character and leadership."

'I wanted to become a scout myself'

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) first announced it was going to include girls in 2017.

It was welcome news for many girls, like 10-year-old Kaylee Russell, who told CNN affiliate WJXT she's been tagging along and participating in her older brother's Boy Scouts events for a long time.

"My brother was always a Boy Scout and in Cub Scouts," she said. "And they would always include me and I would do things like archery, swimming, shooting rifles. So much. And that encouraged me that I wanted to become a scout myself."

Kaylee's mom, Stacey Russell, is also glad her daughter is going to be able to participate, WJXT reported.

"She liked camping, she liked the hiking, the outdoors stuff. And this gives her a chance to actually earn the merit badges for the stuff that she's already been doing with him anyway," she said. Russell also likes the "leadership skills" that her son has developed, and is happy her daughter will have the same opportunity.

Not everyone welcomes the change

Welcoming girls into the Boy Scouts has not come without controversy.

There was mixed reaction on social media at the time of the initial announcement, with some suggesting the change was "PC," or "politically correct."

Girl Scouts USA issued a statement that didn't name BSA, but said that the "benefit of the single-gender environment has been well-documented by educators, scholars, other girl- and youth-serving organizations, and Girl Scouts and their families."

BuzzFeed News previously obtained a letter reportedly from Girl Scouts USA President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, who accused BSA of welcoming girls to help their diminished enrollment numbers.

And late last year, Girl Scouts USA actually sued BSA over the change from "Boy Scouts" to "Scouts BSA" in a trademark infringement lawsuit.

In an updated statement on Friday, Girl Scouts USA said BSA's decision "does not change the position of Girl Scouts of the USA or our mission to serve girls, and girls only, and to foster their amazing leadership potential. We remain steadfast in our knowledge that Girl Scouts is the world's single best leadership development program for girls."

The Girl Scouts declined to comment on the lawsuit.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Starting today, girls can join the Boy Scouts -- but not everyone is prepared to like it."RTHK: Belgium agrees to host Ivory Coast's Gbagbo

Belgium said on Saturday it has agreed to host Ivory Coast ex-president Laurent Gbagbo pending a possible appeal against his acquittal by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

On January 15, the tribunal acquitted Gbagbo and his aide, Charles Ble Goude, on charges stemming from a wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010.

The following day, the court ruled there were no exceptional circumstances preventing the pair's release from detention in The Hague, and said they could be sent to a member country willing to accept them.

"In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo," foreign ministry spokesman Karl Lagatie told AFP, also citing the 73-year-old ex-leader's "family ties" to the country.

According to the Belgian press, one of Gbagbo's wives, 47-year-old Nady Bamba, lives there.

Prosecutors can still appeal the January 15 acquittal, but said in a statement issued on Friday it was awaiting the court's written judgment before deciding how to proceed.

"Only after we have had the opportunity to carefully examine and analyse their reasoning will my office make a decision on whether to appeal," said ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Ble Goude's lawyer said on Saturday his client was still "waiting" on a host country to declare itself willing to take him in.

Gbagbo and Ble Goude went on trial in January 2016 accused of playing a role in murder, rape, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the post-election violence.

More than 3,000 people died on both sides of the Ivory Coast conflict after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rival  and now-president  Alassane Ouattara.

Prosecutors have expressed fears that if freed, Gbagbo would not return to the court for a retrial if his acquittal is overturned on appeal.

Gbagbo, was the first former head of state to stand trial at the ICC.

He had been held in the Netherlands since 2011. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.THOMAS Kiely, Barnakyle, Patrickswell was convicted at Newcastle West court on three counts of driving without insurance and sentenced to three months imprisonment with a further three month sentence suspended.

Before imposing sentence, Judge Mary Larkin noted: It is not today or yesterday that Mr Kiely became aware of the fact he couldnt drive without insurance.

The defendant, she was told, had 104 previous convictions, six of these were for driving without insurance.

The three incidents of driving without insurance before the court happened on different dates: the first on December 21, 2017 at Caherass, Croom when the car was seized; the next at Barnakyle, Patrickswell on February 20 last year when he took off at speed and the most recent on April 1 last year at Main St, Patrickswell.

Pleading for his client, solicitor Michael ODonnell said the background involved development issues and problems from a very young age which were undiagnosed.

His mindset is much more immature than his age, he said.

His client, he added, was 25 and had three young children. He was currently serving two six months sentences, consecutively, and was due for release on August 20, the court was told.

Judge Larkin said she accepted the defendant had a difficulty intellectually. However, she continued: If he seems to be getting into a car and driving like billy-o, the only thing that works is a salutary lesson.

Given the number of convictions and the number of times he has gotten into a car and driven away again, by all appearances, he is sure to do it again, Judge Larking added. You say he has difficulties he his able to give a false name. He knows he is doing wrong.

For the offences of December 21, 2017 she fined him 500, disqualified him from driving for five years for driving without a licence and fined him 500 for giving a false name. For driving without insurance she sentenced him to three months imprisonment, consecutive to his current sentence, fined him 500 and disqualified him for six years.

For the offences of February 20,2018 the judge fined the defendant 500 and disqualified him from driving for six years for driving without insurance, and fined him a further 500 with a six year disqualification for driving without a licence.

For the offences of April 1, 2018, the judge sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for driving without insurance and disqualified him from driving for six years. She also fined him 500 with a six-year disqualification for driving without a licence.

Recognisance with leave to appeal was fixed at 250.POWERS to award late licences to nightclubs in Limerick should be devolved to the local authority, a meeting in the city has heard.

More than 50 people were at the Commercial Bar in Catherine Street for the first meeting in Limerick of the Give us the Night lobby, a new movement aiming to promote staggered opening hours for night spots in response to changing consumer demands.

The suggestion was made by the co-founder of Give us the Night Robbie Kitt, who thinks Ireland should fall in line with the rest of Europe instead of leaving it to the national government to extend licensing hours.

The organisation shares a belief that extending opening hours will create jobs and also allow business owners and the public a flexibility not currently afforded to them.

Staggered opening hours, they argue, will also provide some much needed relief to other late night industries such as fast food outlet operators as well as cab drivers.

Sunil Sharpe, who co-founded the movement, which has held a number of meetings across the country, added: I think we need to challenge the accusations that if we did extend opening hours, everything would go to pot, that society would disintegrate. If you extend the opening hours to 4am in Limerick over the next few months and let it be, Id be willing to bet there would not be a problem.

However, changing opening hours can be a challenge - a local venue wishing to do so, needs to apply for a Special Exemption Order.

If they secure this, and see off challenges from rival publicans and the Vintners Federation of Ireland, it will then cost them 410 a night  or 107,000 a year if they want to open five nights a week, excluding legal costs.

These hefty prices are a large reason for the dramatic decrease in the number of SEOs granted by the District Court in recent years, with just 37,000 such orders given last year, down 60% in a decade.

Mr Sharpe said there needs to be local lobbies in each city, having already held Give us the Night meetings across Ireland.

We want something which will set a precedent for the rest of the country. Then it will become easier for places like Limerick to say we want a bit of this too. Its about offering more choice. Without that, without modernisation of our licensing laws, we are going to see more businesses close and more jobs lost, and even more generic programming for nightlife, he told the meeting.

Fionn Coughlan, Corbally, said Limericks troubled past could count against it when nightclub owners are seeking extended licences.

There are people in the government and the public who think if we extended opening hours, these problems might come back. Thats why we need to convey our message in a way which is reassuring, he added.HOMEOWNERS in Limerick are being urged by gardai not to leave car keys or other valuables on tables inside their front doors.

It following an increase in the number of so-called fishing incidents across the city and county.

Burglars are using fishing rods or pieces of wood with wire attached to them to fish out car keys which are left on a hall table directly inside the front door of the house. The keys are hooked onto the fishing rod and removed, said Garda John Finnerty.

We have seen in many cases that car keys are then used to access the family car which is then stolen, he added.

In some instances 2 cars belonging to the same family are stolen. We would advise all householders not to leave the keys to the house, car keys or indeed any keys on a hall table directly inside the front door.

Please bring the keys up to the bedroom when retiring for the night, he added.GARDAI were deployed to University Maternity Hospital Limerick for five days on a 24-7 basis after a newborn baby was placed on a risk register, the Limerick Leader has learned.

And it is understood that at least two gardai had been stationed outside a room at UMHL for more than 100 hours over the past week.

A number of mothers with newborn children had to be relocated with just one mother occupying the room.

The UL Hospitals Group was contacted in relation to the relocation of patients and said: For reasons of patient confidentiality, UL Hospitals Group cannot comment on individual cases.

The safety and comfort of all patients are our highest priority. Transferring patients within the hospital is always carried out in a safe and orderly manner.

It is understood that the baby remained with the mother at the hospital until an interim care order was granted this week.

The garda operation commenced at the weekend after Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, notified the babys parents that their baby was listed on the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS) as at risk of emotional abuse.

According to documents seen by this newspaper, Tusla contacted the parents to inform them that there were concerns in respect of your ability to parent the child, and that a child protection case conference was to be held to put together a safety plan for the baby.

Tusla applied for an interim care order, the correspondence stated.

If you decide to leave the hospital with [baby] prior to the court hearing, the maternity hospital will need to call the gardai given the concerns, to prevent this, the letter states.

In another letter issued to the mother and father on the same day, they were informed their child had been listed on the CPNS.

The letter repeated that the Child and Family Agency had asked the gardai to invoke Section 12 of the Childcare Act should they leave with the baby.

Section 12 of the Childcare Act allows for the removal of a child to safety if there is an immediate and serious risk to its health or welfare.

An emergency care order was granted in Limerick District Court followed by an interim care order hearing this week.

According to documents seen by this newspaper, Limerick District Court made an interim care order, ordering that the baby be placed in State care until late February.On February 11, one of the European Committee of the Regions' political groups, the European Alliance, will hold a meeting in Lough Rynn Castle which will focus on the theme of 'Helping towns and villages drive rural revival in the European Union'.

Cllr Enda Stenson, Member of Leitrim County council initiated the meeting to show delegates from across the European Union (EU) the difficulties faced by local, rural and border communities and send a clear message that EU programmes need to be adapted to let those communities invest in broadband, energy and other projects which will help them prosper.

Along with the representatives of Europe's local and regional authorities, keynote speakers will include: Sean Canney TD, Irish Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Natural Resources; Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment of Scotland and Marian Harkin, Member of the European Parliament.

The meeting will also examine the importance of cross-border cooperation at a pivotal time coming up to the BREXIT deadline as well as the forthcoming European Parliament elections.

The meeting is being supported by the European Committee of the Regions; the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and Leitrim Enterprise Office.The INMO has today announced an escalation and additional dates for the nurses and midwives strike, in the face of the governments refusal to meaningfully engage with the union.



Week 2 of the strike (Feb 5th and 7th) will see the number of services on strike increase from 82 to 240. The Executive Council have also announced extra strike days on the 19th and 21st of February, in addition to the already-announced strikes on the 5th, 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th.



The INMO will also be organising a national rally on Saturday 9th of February.



The first nurses strike day in twenty years took place on the 30th of January  only the second time in the INNOs 100-year history that it has gone on strike nationally.



Nurses and midwives are seeking to secure safe staffing levels in the health service, through increases in pay to make the professions more attractive.



INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said:



Nurses and midwives proudly stood up in defence of our patients and professions last Wednesday, but the government has responded with threats and intransigence.



Everybody  except the government  recognise that there is a serious understaffing problem in our health services. The public support for the strike on Wednesday showed that the Irish people stand with nurses and midwives.



Our message is clear. We will not be going away  resolving this dispute requires direct engagement from the government, recognising the real recruitment and retention problems in Irish nursing and midwifery.



We simply want to be able to do our jobs, but our health service cannot hire enough nurses and midwives on these uncompetitive wages.



As ever, we remain available for talks with the government for any realistic proposals.Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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Support our mission and join our community now.More than 10.3m in funding has been allocated from the Department of Transport to assist the repair of regional and local roads in County Leitrim.

The breakdown of the funding is as follows:

Restoration Improvement 4,867,500

Restoration Maintenance 892,500

Supplementary Restoration Maintenance 352,500

Discretionary Grant 1,802,000

Bridge Rehabilitation 250,000

Safety Improvement Works 350,000

Specific Improvement 600,000

Speed Limits 27,250

Training Grant 36,000

Community Involvement Scheme 676,057

Drainage Works 463,500

Total Allocation 10,317,307

2019 Specific Improvement Grants

LP2784 Hartley Bridge 400,000

LS8270 Killavoggy Bridge 200,000

Leitrim County Council Total 600,000

2019 Bridge Rehabilitation Works on Regional and Local Roads

R284 Battle Bridge 50,000

R289.003 Drumconnor Bridge 45,000

R281-021.00 Kiltyclogher North of Village 15,000

LM-R201-010.00 Drumharken Glebe Bridge 40,000

LM-R201-003.00 Cloughlough Bridge 25,000

L82493 Annaghgerry Bridge 20,000

PL1126-001.00 Leckenarainey Bridge 15,000

L7427 Mullaun Bridge 40,000

Leitrim County Council Total 250,000

2019 Safety Improvement Works on Regional and Local Roads

LP1553/R201 - Junctions off the R201 between Tullyoran & Gortnarah with LS5552, LP1553 & LS5600. 30,000

R281/L6094 Junction of R281 & LP6094 at Rosclogher 40,000

R202/LP5450 Junction of LP 5450/R202 on Ballinamore approach to Mohill 30,000

LS7483/R201 Junction of the R201 & LS7483 at Ussaun. 100,000

R209/L3385/L7389 Junction of LP3385 & LS7389 with R209 at Mulross 120,000

R207 Along the R207 at Drumporman adjacent to Drumgorman lough 30,000

Leitrim County Council Total 350,000

Fine Gael Senator Frank Feighan said he warmly welcomed the additional funding support to assist in progressing repairs to regional and local roads.

Recent extreme weather events have had a major impact on the regional and local road network and this funding will see essential maintenance and improvements carried out.

These events, combined with the extended period of reduced funding for road maintenance following the economic downturn, have left the road network much more vulnerable to damage.

I know this funding will greatly assist in the repairs and ensure our road network in Leitrim is of the highest standard.

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said: Overall funding will increase by about 16% this year. This increase in funding should allow approximately 2,400kms of regional and local roads to be maintained and 2,150kms to be strengthened this year.The Office of Public Works (OPW), together with the Castletown Foundation, have acquired a portrait of a former Duchess of Leixlip, to hang at Castletown House in Celbridge, county Kildare.

Read also: Court penalties for illegal dumping too lenient say Kildare county councillors

The OPW has bought the portrait of Emily Fitzgerald, the Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, with the support of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland.

It is expected to be available for public viewing when Castletown House opens for tours on March 1 coming.

The portrait was unveiled in Castletown House in Kildare on Thursday morning, January 24.

The portrait was painted in 1774, when she was in London visiting her dying sister, Caroline, Lady Holland. It shows Emily looking stately in a pink dress and ermine shawl, within a painted oval. She was 43 at the time, a year after her husbands death,

Speaking at the launch, Jeanne Meldon, co-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said they were delighted with the repatriation of the the 344 year old painting, which originally hung in the dining room of Carton House, seat of the Fitzgeralds.

It was bought at Bonhams in London on July 4 last for 81,250 (90,536).

It will now be displayed in Castletown House, once the home of her sister, Lady Louisa Conolly.

It is not certain how much Reynolds was paid for the painting.

But in his book (1950) on Emilys sister, Lady Louisa Connolly of Castletown, Brian Fitzgerald says that Emilys son, Lord Henry Fitzgerald, in 1778, liked the painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds vastly but he said to his aunt: To think of 500 being given for one of his pictures when a Raphael might be got for the money.

The sum of 500 in 1778 is approximately 78,500 in 2018 prices.

Emily was regarded as a beauty. The Fitzgerald book says that Sir Joshua Reynolds despaired of ever being able to depict her exquistie features and peculiar sweetness of expression.

A article on the painting is due to be published in the summer edition of The Irish Arts Review.

Ms Meldon, thanking all who contributed to the purchase, said the Frinds of the National Collections of Ireland, were very generous.

David Sheehan, c0-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said Emily was between 42 and 44 years old when it was painted in 1773-74.

Mary Heffernan, OPW, said the Lady Lousia room in Castletown will house the painting, along with other, miniature, works.

The OPW said the portrait was last displayed in Ireland in 1957 and has been hanging in the dining room of Carton House for many years.

Emily had a fascinating life, and gave birth to 22 children with two husbands. Fourteen of her children predeceased her.

She was married to James FitzGerald, the first Duke of Leinster and was referred to as the Queen of Ireland for her role as a political influencer.

Her son Edward, was a major figure in the United Irishmen, was injured during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and died in prison of his wounds.

Born on 6 October 1731, Emily Lennox was the god-daughter of George II and was the second of seven surviving children of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and Sarah, daughter of William Cadogan, Earl Cadogan.

She married James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare on February 7, 1747.

After their wedding in London, the couple returned to Fitzgeralds native Ireland and resided in Carton House, Frascati House, Blackrock and Leinster House, Dublin.

Their marriage was reportedly a happy one, despite Lord Kildares infidelities and the couple had 19 children together (although the paternity of the last child was questioned).

After his death she caused quite the scandal when she married her Scottish lover William Ogilvie, who originally had come to Carton House as a tutor to her children. They had three further children and lived well thanks for a generous 4,000 annual allowance that was left to her in her first husbands will.

She died on March 27, 1814, aged 82.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), together with the Castletown Foundation, have acquired a portrait of a former Duchess of Leixlip, to hang at Castletown House in Celbridge, Kildare.

The OPW bought the portrait of Emily Fitzgerald, the Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, with the support of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland.

It is expected to be available for public viewing when Castletown House opens for tours on March 1 coming.

The portrait was unveiled in Castletown House in Kildare on Thursday morning, January 24.

The portrait was painted in 1774, when she was in London visiting her dying sister Caroline, Lady Holland.

It shows Emily looking stately in a pink dress and ermine shawl, within a painted oval. She was 43 at the time, a year after her husbands death.

Speaking at the launch, Jeanne Meldon, co-chairperson of the Castletown Foundation, said they were delighted with the repatriation of the 344 year old painting, which originally hung in the dining room of Carton House, seat of the Fitzgeralds.

It was bought at Bonhams in London on July 4 last for 81,250 (90,536).

It will now be displayed in Castletown House, once the home of her Emilys sister, Lady Louisa Conolly.

It is not certain how much Reynolds was paid for the painting.

But in his book (1950) on Emilys sister, Lady Louisa Connolly of Castletown, Brian Fitzgerald says that Emilys son, Lord Henry Fitzgerald, in 1778, liked the painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds vastly but he said to his aunt: To think of 500 being given for one of his pictures when a Raphael might be got for the money.

The sum of 500 in 1778 is approximately 78,500 in 2018 prices.

Emily was regarded as a beauty. The Fitzgerald book says that Sir Joshua Reynolds despaired of ever being able to depict her exquistie features and peculiar sweetness of expression.

An article on the painting is due to be published in the summer edition of The Irish Arts Review.

Ms Meldon, thanking all who contributed to the purchase, said the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, were very generous.

David Sheehan, c0-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said Emily was between 42 and 44 years old when it was painted in 1773-74.

Mary Heffernan from the OPW, said the Lady Louisa room in Castletown will house the painting, along with other, miniature, works.

The OPW said the portrait was last displayed in Ireland in 1957 and had been hanging in the dining room of Carton House for many years.

Emily had a fascinating life, and gave birth to 22 children with two husbands. Fourteen of her children predeceased her.

She was married to James FitzGerald, the first Duke of Leinster and was referred to as the Queen of Ireland for her role as a political influencer.

Her son Edward, was a major figure in the United Irishmen, was injured during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and died in prison of his wounds.

Born on 6 October 1731, Emily Lennox was the god-daughter of George II and was the second of seven surviving children of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and Sarah, daughter of William Cadogan, Earl Cadogan.

She married James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare on February 7, 1747.

After their wedding in London, the couple returned to Fitzgeralds native Ireland and resided in Carton House, Frascati House, Blackrock and Leinster House, Dublin.

Their marriage was reportedly a happy one, despite Lord Kildares infidelities and the couple had 19 children together (although the paternity of the last child was questioned).

After his death she caused quite the scandal when she married her Scottish lover William Ogilvie, who originally had come to Carton House as a tutor to her children.

They had three further children and lived well thanks to a generous 4,000 annual allowance that was left to her in her first husbands will. She died on March 27, 1814, aged 82.It must be an Irish thing, trying to place people we think we might know.

Would he be a McCormack out of Clane now? Or, are they anything to the Kilcullen OBriens?

This kind of query seldom ends without the hunch being confirmed, but not so long ago a neighbour from home asked me that very question about my wife when I told him she was a Farrell.

Oh, Farrell, he said, cocking his head to the side and thinking hard. Now, would she be a Farrell out of Louth?

No, no, I replied. Her dad is actually from Montserrat!

Ah, Montserrat, he said without missing a beat. Yes, of course shed be one of the Farrells out of Montserrat!

We laughed and laughed.

I explained that the Farrells were once upon a time one of the big families on the island of Montserrat, often referred to as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean because of its rich Irish history.

I knew some of this at the time but always wanted to find out more.

So I visted in January for the first time.

We got a plane from London and then a boat from Antigua. My 11-month-old daughter too.

The island stuck up out of the ocean, all green and mountainy, with deep blues and spears of white cloud.

From the sea it looked like a Jurassic Park of a place.

Id seen something about the island of 5,000 people years before, on a repeat of the RTE television programme, Radharc.

It must have been a slow TV night that I had to tune into Radharc, but there was this old black Caribbean guy called Sweeney talking in a broad Waterford accent about the islands history.

It felt like things had been turned on their head.

He told how the Irish originally arrived as indentured slaves under the control of the British, only to become slave owners themselves, ironically, when later they won their own freedom.

The legacy of that means today, theyre all going around with surnames like Sweeney, and Ryan, and Farrell.

When we all queued up to have our papers checked, the immigration man stamped our passports with the symbol of the shamrock.

Make sure you come back for St Patricks Day, he smiled, waving us through.

Close to the bay, a man left a cafe and wandered over. My wife asked him if he knew her late granddad, Will Farrell.

Ahhhhh, Will, he said. I think so! From Plymouth? The other side of the island. Yes, yes, I knew him, I think.

Then we made off in a taxi with a stout driver who introduced himself as Labamba.

After the song, eh!

We drove up one of the islands many steep hills. The place felt largely untouched, hot, tropical, but bizarrely full of familiar reference points in the form of common surnames from home.

Noel Osbourne Builders Merchant read the roof of one corrugated shed.

Osbourne, I said with some surprise.

I know of Osbournes!

Labamba just smiled and shifted the gearstick to tackle yet another steep climb, passing derelict sugar mills where slaves once toiled under savage conditions, for both British and Irish masters, he lamented.

When the hill fell away down the far side we came upon a signposted water well that promised all who drunk from her a return visit to the island.

We filled our bottles. And the babys too.

Surrounded by all this other-worldliness and thousands of miles away on this dot of tropicalness, home was the last thing on my mind.

But it was just impossible to escape the associations triggered by surnames.

The islands souvenir shop was owned and run by an older black Caribbean woman  Miss Meade.

And just like a former science teacher I once had, she confirmed that her surname ended with an e.

On it went. And by the time it came to leave in the afternoon, an older black man preparing fish by the harbour wandered out of the kitchen of his small restaurant and introduced himself

ODwyer,he said thrusting his hand forward.

ODwyer? I replied.

I know ODwyers!

What, from the other side of the island? he asked.

No, no, I replied. Theyd be the ODwyers... out of Kildare.

Robert Mulhern is a freelance reporter contracted to RTE's The Documentary on OneThis year the Newbridge Bad Lippspringe Twinning AGM was held in Ryston Social Club and outgoing chairman Peter ONeill was delighted to welcome the large attendance.

The chairman reflected upon the many highlights of 2018, both here and in Bad Lippspringe.

We had over 40 guests in June to coincide with Junefest and their Junior Fungarde took part in Festival activities and were guests of Leinster Academy of Dance in their headquarters, he said.

A very enjoyable trip to the Slieve Blooms was also a new experience for the visitors.

In August it was wonderful to have 44 adults and children representing Newbridge and Leinster Academy of Dance travel to Bad Lippspringe for the Festival of Light and this was a first for all who travelled and proved to be one of the best experiences of all the years. Indeed the dancers wowed the people with performances on the stage in the forest and then at the castle in the town.

He told of how children and parents returned with great memories of Bad Lippspringe and the welcome they received there.

Mr ONeill thanked the committee for their hard work and commitment and also Kildare County Council and Newbridge Kildare Municipal Authority for their support.

Cllr Morgan McCabe undertook to pass this on to the council.

Secretary Karen Tyrell also mentioned the visit to Moorefield GAA Club in June and their hospitality to the visitors. She also signaled out the Welcome Barbecue in Bad Lippspringe and how easy it proved for the children to settle in so well and perform.

The elections resulted in the following people taking up positions. Claire Doyle  president; Peter O Neill  chairman; Karen Tyrell  secretary; John Morrissey vice chairman; Declan Browne  treasurer. Committee: Deirdre Hughes, Mary Doyle, Bill Mahon, Frank McCormack, Columba Feeney with others to be confirmed and co opted at first committee meeting. Cllr McCabe is Twinning Liason Officer.

Forty-five people are due to arrive in Newbridge on April 27 for five days and the return visit takes place from August 9 to 12 to coincide with the Light Festival. Mr ONeill said the committee is now encouraging people to travel and become twinning members. For further information contact Peter O Neill on 087 2422380 and watch out for Twinning details on Facebook.Abbeyleix came to a standstill in mourning for the funeral mass of its late Parish Priest Fr John Cummins.

Bishops, priests, family, friends and local people gathered in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary on a crisp bright winter's morning to bid farewell to a man who left such an indelible mark in just under two years of ministry in Abbeyleix and Ballyroan.

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty was chief celebrant of the Requiem Mass for the priest who was killed in a freak car accident outside his home in the Laois town last Wednesday, January 30.

Opening the Mass the bishop warmly welcomed the large congregation to the funeral Mass in a parish where Fr Cummins has served for the past 18 months. Prior to that, Fr Cummins had served in Naas for four years, five years in Rome and a further five years as Chaplain at Carlow IT and 12 years in Carlow Cathedral 11 as administrator.

More below picture.

Bishop Nulty said many who knew Fr Cummins during his various posts had been shaken by his sudden passing.

"There are so many people feel bereft and adrift when someone so gifted, so able, so talented is taken away literally in the twinkling of an eye.

"We are indeed broken and crushed. In the inadequacy of our language, in the heartbreak of our grief, we turn to God. We find our answer in the Crib here in Abbeyleix. God's son came to be with us not to take away the pain but to accompany us to walk with us," he said.

The bishop extended his sympathy to Fr John's family who hail from Newbridge and travelled to Abbeyleix for the mass. He also welcomed the many members of the clergy, including, Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly of Cashel and Emly and Bishop Fintan Monaghan of Killaloe.

In his homily to a packed church, Bishop Nulty described Fr Cummins as a man dedicated to his ministry since he was ordained in 1991 after entering Maynooth in 1984.

"He loved being a priest. He gave his life to the church and for the church. He made being holy positive again. At a time when the church needs more good priests on the pitch, it feels if God scored an own goal last Wednesday evening. John was not just a good priest he was a great one," he said.

Bishop Nulty said he appointed Fr Cummins to an evangelical role for the dioceses in 2014.

"I think that the past few days have been a powerful message for all of us - priest and people - of evangelicalism. It crystalised the fondness the people of all ages, faiths and levels of commitment, engagement and practice have for their local priest. The gift of the priesthood is deeply appreciated by one and all. The church is very dynamic, very alive at a local parish level," he said.

He recalled his first Christmas in Carlow as Bishop of the diocese. He remembered Fr Cummin's multilingualism as shown when he celebrated midnight mass in Carlow Cathedral.

He also recalled that the crib remained in place in the cathedral until February 2 - something John had a 'thing' for. Poignantly, the crib was still in place in the Church of the Holy Rosary Abbeyleix for the funeral mass last Saturday.

Bishop Nulty said Fr Cummins was not a man for an orderly desk because he was always working and planning.

"I am certain he left his desk in Abbeyleix last Wednesday afternoon with plans to return to complete the Catholic Schools week liturgy in Heywood the following day," he said.

The bishop said he and the diocese have been inundated with tributes.

"Every message, every tribute said the same thing. John was gentle, loyal pastoral ...he was a great man to stay in touch with friends as many lay as clergy," he said.

Fr Cummins was described as someone who wore his high academic qualifications very lightly but had 'razor-sharp intellect'. He was also described as wearing his spirituality on his sleeve and was a man of deep prayer and reflection with more to contribute.

"None of us knew what destiny the Lord had in mind for John Cummins but what we do know is that the Church of Kildare and Leighlin, indeed the Irish Church, is poorer for his absence," he said

Bishop Nulty touched on Fr John's humanity. He spoke of an old backpack that went everywhere with Fr John from his trips abroad to the Festival of the Families where the bishop ended up wearing John's much smaller Alb after his own vestments went missing in the RTE tent with the Killaloe dioceses.

He remembered a skydive the late priest did in Clonbollogue with three other priests in 2015 to raise funds. "He wasn't back to normal for weeks," said the Bishop.

He thanked all who attended and sensitively managed the scene of the accident.

Concluding the Mass Bishop Nulty thanked Fr Ger Ahern, the predecessor of Fr Cummins as PP of Abbeyleix for overseeing the organisation of the mass. He thanked the community of Abbeyleix, local schools for their role in the funeral mass. He also thanked the Ballyroan and Abbyelix choirs.

Students from Scoil Mhuire, Abbeyleix, Scoil Eoin Phoil Naofa II, Ballyroan and Heywood Community School formed a guard of honour as the remains were taken from the church led by Bishop Nulty and other priests.

Teachers joined the students as they escorted the hearse, which was followed by hundreds of local people to Heritage House, where the Rosary was recited led by Bishop Nulty.

Immediately afterwards, the remains were taken to repose at the Cummins family home in Newbridge. Mass will be celebrated at 11 am on Monday morning in St Conleth's Parish Church in the Kildare town with interment afterwards in St Conleth's Cemetery.An early morning fire at a Warren County home sent a family of four to the hospital for treatment of minor smoke inhalation, county fire Marshal Joe Lake said.

The blaze was reported about 3:20 a.m. Friday at 307 Main St. in the Port Murray section of Mansfield Township.

The fire was found to be related to the Arctic air gripping the area, as an unattended space heater in the kitchen either overheated or was too close to combustible material and sparked the blaze, Lake said.

Two parents and two children lived in the owner-occupied, single-family home, and they were taken by ambulance to Hackettstown Medical Center, treated and released, according to the fire marshal.

The home sustained fire, smoke and water damage and is uninhabitable until repairs can be made, Lake said.

The call was upgraded to a second alarm with tankers needed to supply water, as there are no fire hydrants in the area, according to a report from the scene.

A fill site was set up on Jackson Valley Road to refill the tankers that were supplying water to fight the fire.

Authorities closed Main Street in both directions in the area of the fire.

Responding were the Mansfield Township Police Department, Mansfield Fire Co., Tri County Fire Co., Mount Bethel Fire Co., Hackettstown Fire Co., Washington Township Fire Co., Washington Borough Fire Co., Clinton Fire Co. RIC Team, Oxford Fire Co., Franklin Township Fire Co., Mansfield Rescue Squad, Warren County Fire Marshal's Office and Warren County fire and EMS coordinators.

The fire was the second in two days to destroy a home in Warren County. Thursday morning, a blaze in Independence Township quickly spread from a detached garage to a home, aided by whipping winds.

That fire on Canal Lane was caused by a heat lamp set up in the garage for a group of feral cats, according to Lake. The lamp ignited blankets laid down for the cats.

The homeowner in Independence Township suffered minor burns to his forehead and was treated by EMS at the scene, Lake said.

Freelance photographer Rich Maxwell contributed reporting from the Mansfield Township fire scene.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Bonnie Rohn left the state for four months of inpatient treatment, attends Alcoholics Anonymous sessions, goes to faith-based recovery sessions, Bible study, church services and anything else she can to turn her life around, her attorney said.

That doesnt change the fact that the 35-year-old stay-at-home mom had sex with a 15-year-old. She pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault for repeatedly having sex with the boy from January through September 2017 in her home in Hellertown. The victim looked up to her as a mother figure, according to his aunt. And she had sex with him just rooms away from her own kids, according to Assistant District Attorney Laura Majewski.

Northampton County Judge Anthony Beltrami called it a very difficult decision but sent her to Northampton County Prison on Friday for one to two years followed by eight years of probation. She will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

District Attorney John Morganelli called the sentence woefully inadequate" and said hell file a motion for Beltrami to reconsider. If its denied, hell appeal to Superior Court.

I cant think of any case where we had a male offender and a young girl whos that age, that they would be getting so easily off the hook, he said.

Beltramis sentence was at the low end of the state guidelines, which recommended a minimum sentence between one and two years. Morganelli said she belongs in state prison where she could get sex offender treatment. By staying local, she could be eligible for work release after a third of her minimum sentence in about four months.

A sentence where this individual could be out in a couple of months doesnt do justice to what happened here, Morganelli said.

Defense attorney Erv McLain said special consideration was warranted. In his 35 years of work as an attorney, hes never seen someone so committed to reforming herself after committing a crime.

She spent four months in California in five-day-a-week inpatient rehabilitation for drug, alcohol and sex addiction. She has committed herself to sharing her story with others, McLain said.

I can tell Your Honor unequivocally she has done everything she possibly could, McLain said. She wakes up every morning remorseful and loathing of herself.

Rohn apologized to the victim and his family in a courtroom packed with supporters from both sides of the case. She said she lost her husband and custody of her children as a result of her crime.

I am completely ashamed of the things that Ive done, she said through tears. Every day of the week is spent at some kind of faith-based or recovery-based activity, she said.

I realize that the only day I will be cured is when my life is over when I face the ultimate judge, she said. My hope is to be able to teach other people who have made horrendous decisions (like hers).

Friends called her a good Christian and a good person.

Our prayer has been that the Lords will be carried out. I just that hope that in sentencing Bonnies new creation in Christ is taken into account, said her friend Kelly Schoch.

The Bonnie Rohn I know is extremely spiritual and she has touched everyone around her not only in the church but outside of the church, said her friend, Shane Fausey.

Majewski said Rohns bail was nearly revoked because she kept bringing her friends 13-year-old son to her Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Someone in the meeting called police because he was uncomfortable with the way Rohn stroked the boys hair. Her bail was changed to keep her away from minors.

Kim Barndt said she sent her teen son to the meetings with Rohn because she thought it would do both of them good. Her son would volunteer and learn about the dangers of drinking in excess, and Rohn would be a good influence on the boy, she said.

Barndt said she and Rohn share similar parenting styles and values. She was shocked to learn Rohn had been charged with the crime but knew something wasnt right with Rohn at that time. She said Rohn returned a new person after her four-month departure to California for treatment.

We were in a Bible study together and I could see that she changed, Barndt said. I could see her real true beautiful self that she was before.

The victims aunt said her nephew remains troubled by what happened, blames himself and became a juvenile offender.

The childs not present here today because he is so traumatized. He still suffers. This will affect him for the rest of his life," Majewski said.

After weighing the pros and cons, Beltrami agreed with McLain that in his 30 years of legal experience, hed never seen a defendant take such affirmative steps or have supporters come out the way they did Friday.

But he did acknowledge the seriousness of her offense and the capacity for Rohn to reoffend.

While God forgives you, and you believe through Jesus that you have been forgiven, there are still earthly consequences, Beltrami told Rohn.

Majewski pointed out afterward that Rohn admitted shell never be cured. But Beltrami questioned her, and Rohn said she meant that shell never be perfect and that shell continue to work on herself.

That explanation didnt sit well with Morganelli.

She basically admitted that shes not cured and shell be walking around in a very short time in our community, he said.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.The mother accused of negligence in the Easton drowning death of her baby has a lengthy criminal history, with arrests dating to 2006 across New Jersey for prostitution, drug offenses and other crimes.

Less than four months after her 11-month-old daughter, Cassie Montoro, died July 28, 2017, Crystal Marie Cwiklik was charged with DUI in Lehigh County. But since then, she completed a substance abuse treatment program, has passed random urine screens while on probation in the DUI case and has been undergoing psychotherapy. Shes been afforded supervised visits with her son and has been working two jobs at Lehigh Valley diners.

Her path to recovery wasn't enough to keep her out of prison Friday, when she turned herself in to Easton police on involuntary manslaughter and related charges in Cassie's death.

At the request of Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Tatum Wilson, who is prosecuting the case, District Judge Daniel Corpora set Cwiklik's bail at 10 percent of $100,000. That's twice what Northampton County Pre-Trial Services had recommended, and twice what she was able to post Friday to remain free.

The little girls paternal grandparents had little sympathy to offer. They wanted no bail for Cwiklik, who turns 36 in April and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine upon conviction of the involuntary manslaughter charge.

"We've been through hell and I don't want to go through any more," Cassie's paternal grandfather said as he left Corpora's courtroom on South Side Easton. He declined to give his name.

Cwiklik, who lives in Allentown, is also charged with two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment, one count each for Cassie and for Cwikliks older son Wyatt Montoro. She has two more children in the care of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, according to testimony at her arraignment Friday.

Cwiklik is accused of leaving Cassie and Wyatt, then 23 months, unsupervised in a bathtub the evening of July 27, 2017, inside her apartment at 144 E. Nesquehoning St. on South Side. A Northampton County grand jury empaneled May 17, 2018, to investigate the case reportedly determined Cwiklik was on the phone in her kitchen with Easton police for 22 minutes about an alleged domestic incident earlier in the day involving her then-boyfriend, as the baby and toddler were in the tub.

"Mommy, mommy!" Wyatt could be heard screaming in the background of the call, according to the grand jury report. Mommy is just trying to get her money back, Cwiklik reportedly told her son.

Easton police, called after Cassie was found unresponsive, had to force their way into the home and found Cwiklik intoxicated, the grand jury report says. A blood test five hours later found her blood-alcohol content was 0.15, about twice the legal limit to drive, and an expert estimated it would have been 0.20 to 0.25 at the time of the incident, the report says. Cwiklik allegedly admitted to having taken two Percocet painkillers and a Xanax anxiety medication earlier in the day.

Emergency responders were able to restore Cassie's pulse, but she died of an anoxic brain injury the next day at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, the grand jury report says.

Wearing a sweater with jeans and boots to her arraignment before Corpora, Cwiklik was immediately handcuffed behind her back inside the courtroom Friday by Easton police Detective Benjamin Mastrofilippo. Her attorney, Gary Asteak, argued she is no more a danger to flee now than she's been in the year and a half since her daughter died. Nor is there any suggestion in the grand jury report that there was anything intentional about Cassie's death, Asteak said.

"She has been struck by the death of her child as much as anybody in the family," the defense attorney said outside the courtroom. "Never think that she's insensitive to what happened that day. Not a day will go by that she will ever forget what happened."

Wilson, the prosecutor, took issue during the arraignment with Asteaks assertion that Cwiklik could have been taken into custody anytime over the year and a half that has passed.

"This case is haunting," Wilson said, noting the level of evidence that had to be reviewed to press charges. "We have not been sitting on our laurels doing nothing."

Wilson noted that it took a DUI arrest to get Cwiklik to complete treatment for substance abuse, described by Pre-Trial Services as involving alcohol and marijuana.

In committing Cwiklik to Northampton County Prison, Corpora said she would need to remain under Pre-Trial Services supervision and undergo random urine screens if she is released on bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14 before Corpora to see if there is sufficient evidence to send the case toward trial in Northampton County Court.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.The Allentown Police Department saw five new officers sworn-in Thursday in city council chambers, with badges awarded to three more who were newly certified. The promotions of six supervisors were also announced.

Mayor Ray OConnell and police Chief Tony Alsleben presided as officers Joseph Pfeifer, Carman Wega, Brandon Evans, Dondre Smith and Edward Elam took their oaths of office, and Wega along with officers Robert Rudolph, Alexander Kiskeravage and Christian Robles received their department badges.

I am very proud of the Allentown Police Department and its leadership, OConnell said in a statement, adding that "Alsleben and his team are tremendous leaders and the men and women on the street are following their example.

"I want to welcome the new officers and formally congratulate the six officers on their promotion."

The department is working toward being fully staffed by year's end, according to Alsleben.

I would like to welcome our new officers and congratulate our officers who received their badges today," the chief stated. "They are joining an elite police department with a long tradition of excellence. I would like to thank our recruitment team members who work meticulously to bring in the most qualified and diverse candidates, these officers are a prime example of their efforts."

Here is more about the new officers from a news release about Thursday's ceremony:

Pfeifer earned an associate's degree in applied science, criminal justice from Northampton Community College and a diploma in firefighting/EMS from the Career Institute of Technology.

Wega attended Lackawanna College and is Pennsylvania Act 120-certified through the Lackawanna College Police Academy.

Evans holds an associate's degree in applied science, criminal justice from Lehigh Carbon Community College and served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Smith attended LaGuardia Community College and Touro College.

Elam holds a bachelors degree in mathematics from Caldwell University and was trained at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Police Academy.

Pfeifer, Evans, Smith and Elam are currently attending Allentown Police Academy to become Act 120-certified.

Rudolph holds a bachelor's degree in English from Tiffin University. He was hired in September 2017.

Kiskeravage is a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and attended Lehigh Carbon Community College. He was hired in October 2017.

Robles attended the Manhattan Institute and the New York College of Technology. He was hired in February 2018.

Rudolph, Kiskeravage and Robles received their Act 120 certification from the Allentown Police Academy in September 2018. They are currently in the departments Field Training Program.

The city at Thursday's ceremony also announced the promotions of Capt. Scott McCullough, Lt. Michael Becker and Sgts. Robert Flores, Joshua Brubaker, Scott Snyder and Christopher Weiss. Each received his new badge signifying his rank. According to the release:

McCullough holds a master's degree in criminal justice and is certified in digital forensics, both from DeSales University. He was the first Allentown police officer to obtain the EnCE Computer Forensic Certification through Guidance Software and the CelleBrite Cell Phone Forensic Certification. McCulloch was hired in February 1997 and worked various details and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in June 2007 and was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. During his tenure in investigations he was selected to various taskforces, including the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force; the Pennsylvania Electronic Crime Task Force, which is a division of the U.S. Secret Service; the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Task Force and the High Tech Crime Investigators Association. McCullough began serving as administrative captain in December 2018.

Becker joined the department in August 2006 and was assigned to patrol until he was transferred to the Allentown Police Academy in September 2012. While assigned to the academy, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in November 2013 and assigned the duties of assistant director of training. He was promoted to lieutenant last September. Becker has received three departmental commendations: one for Valor, one for Bravery and one for Achievement. Becker holds an associate's degree in criminal justice from Lehigh Carbon Community College and is a U.S. Army National Guard veteran of Afghanistan.

Flores was hired in August 2006 and was assigned to various units within the department including patrol and vice. He was promoted to his current rank of sergeant in March 2018. Flores has received eight commendations: three for Bravery and five for Merit. Flores attended East Stroudsburg University, Northampton Community College and Mount Hood Community College.

Brubaker was hired in March 2007 and was assigned to various units, primarily patrol and criminal investigations, where he focused on computer crimes. While assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, he was promoted to his current rank of sergeant in September 2018. Brubaker has received three commendations: one for achievement and two for merit. He attended Lancaster Bible College and Reading Community College.

Snyder was hired in May 2012 and after was promoted to his current rank of sergeant in December 2018. Snyder has received five commendations: one for bravery, one for heroism, one for achievement and two for merit. He is a graduate of William Allen High School and attended Lehigh County Community College.

Weiss was hired in August 2006. He was assigned to patrol before being transferred to the Allentown Police Academy in November 2013. He was promoted to his current rank in December 2018. Weiss has received a commendation for heroism. He is a U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran and a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.- Nigerians are set to benefit from a training on nuclear energy in Russia

- The training is however, targeted at young Nigerians who want to be scientists and engineers

- The goal of the training is to support interest in nuclear research and capabilities among young Nigerians

Inspired by the need to nurture the next generation of nuclear technology experts, ROSATOM - Russia's state-run nuclear energy corporation, is set to train young Nigerians on nuclear energy.

The firm recently announced that applications are now open for scholarships in nuclear studies for Nigerian and African students at large.

Recall that the federal government, recently signed an agreement with Russia for the construction of nuclear power plants and a nuclear research center in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

Underscoring the rationale for the scholarship scheme, Dmitry Shornikov, CEO, ROSATOM Central and Southern Africa, said: The goal of the scholarship is to support interest in nuclear research and capabilities among young African scientists and engineers, and contribute to solving some of the world's most critical issues in the nearest future, allowing for the continent to be self-sufficient.

According to him, the scholarship package includes tuition fees and free preparatory courses of Russian language.

He also said students would also have access to subsidized accommodation, library funds and practical experience at Russian nuclear enterprises.

Shornikov, further noted the scheme is a great opportunity for scientists and engineers based specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as for recent matriculants in the region who made progress in mathematics and the sciences and want to apply for nuclear specialties.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) has revealed that Nigeria is catching up with other African countries in terms of nuclear regulatory system.

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This was revealed by the director, radiological safety, NNRA, Professor Timothy Akpan, in a recent media interview.

Professor Akpan made the comment after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assessed the performance and operational framework of the NNRA.

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Female aerospace engineer from the Tsaigumi UAV team on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Lai Mohammed, has said the cultic followership enjoyed by President Muhammadu Buhari will ensure his win in the election

- The minister of information and culture said neither the opposition nor President Buhari himself can explain the huge cultic followership at the APC rally

- Mohammed also said the opposition will be defeated in both the presidential election and others

The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said neither President Muhammadu Buhari nor the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can explain the cultic followership at All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally.

The minister, who spoke in Ilorin at the sideline of commissioning of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat, said the large cultic followership President Buhari enjoys will ensure his win in the coming election, Tribune reports.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Narrow escape for Osinbajo as VPs chopper crash-lands in Kabba

He said: Actually PDP is correct in its allegations that aliens that graced President Muhammadu Buharis rally in Kano state came from Mars and Jupiter. You see, let me tell you that the opposition cannot explain the cultic followership of Muhammadu Buhari. I dont think even President Buhari can explain it. How do you bring aliens from Niger or Cameroon? It does not make any sense. This crowd was organic and everywhere Buhari goes that is the story.

And while their own campaign is floundering and their camp is dwindling every day, Buharis crowd is increasing every day. Believe me, it is a phenomenon that I dont think he (Buhari) can explain.

What I see in Buhari is that he has proven that the single most important thing for any leader is integrity. People who flock to Buharis campaign go there because they believe this is a man of integrity, he is a man who is passionate about Nigeria. This is a man who even in his very advanced age, is thinking, sleeping, dreaming and working for Nigeria.

Mohammed also said the APC will defeat the PDP and Senate President Bukola Saraki in the forthcoming elections in Kwara state.

He said: We are going to defeat the Senate President Bukola Saraki comprehensively in the February 16 presidential and National Assembly election. And as a result he wont be around to even supervise the March 2, 2019 elections."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Director of the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said there is no law broken with the presence of two governors from neighbouring country, Niger Republic, at the Presidential camapaign rally of the APC in Kano state.

Ribadu said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol allows free movement of persons within the ECOWAS sub-region.

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We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | - on Legit TV

Source: Legit- The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has met with senior officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) across the country

- The CAS met with Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) and Commanders of NAF units across the country ahead of the 2019 general elections

- The CAS used the meeting to brief them on their responsibilities during the elections

Ahead of Election 2019, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Friday, January 1, met with Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) and Commanders of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) units across the country to brief them on their responsibilities during the elections.

Speaking during the meeting, which held at NAF headquarters, the CAS stated that the primary responsibility for ensuring security during the elections lay with the Nigeria police, which was the lead agency, along with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, Nigerian Immigration Service and other civil security agencies, constitutionally tasked with ensuring peaceful conduct of the general elections.

He said what was required of the NAF was to ensure that commands and units prepare contingency plans that could be activated in the event of any overt breakdown of law and order.

Cross section of AOCs, field commanders at the meeting in Abuja. Photo credit: NAF

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Service chiefs appointment: Dear Buhari, Igbos are good enough! by Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

Air Marshal Abubakar stated that it was critical that all NAF personnel operate within the ambit of the Nigerian constitution as well as in accordance with the code of conduct promulgated by Defence Headquarters for members of the armed forces during elections.

He stressed that personnel must remain apolitical and sternly resist any entreaties by unscrupulous politicians to get them involved in partisan politics.

He implored the AOCs and commanders to remain focused on the discharge of their constitutionally assigned tasks, whilst ensuring that their personnel abide by the instructions contained in the code of conduct.

He also emphasized that personnel were free to exercise their constitutional rights to vote for the candidates of their choice on the various election days.

Furthermore, Air Marshal Abubakar disclosed that the NAF was ready to avail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) its transport aircraft to enable the expeditious movement of electoral materials, as done in the past, should INEC require such support.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of booklets on Code of Conduct for the Armed Forces of Nigeria during Elections to AOCs and commanders, represented by the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal John Baba.

Legit.ng gathered that the code of conduct highlights the importance of elections and specifies the responsibilities of commanders and all military personnel while stipulating the responsibilities of personnel assigned for special electoral duties.

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Meanwhile, the INEC chairman has vowed to solely man the result collation centre during the election, stressing that he will not share his constitutional responsibility as the chairman of the collation secretariat with anybody.

The INEC boss said his decision was in order to ensure transparency and build confidence in the electoral process.

He, however, raised the alarm over what he described as the increasing violence tendencies by youths who could be used by politicians to carry out nefarious activities, warning that the elections might be disrupted if the security agencies refuse or fail to carry out their jobs, in line with INECs specifications.

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A new king will emerge to restore Nigeria - Prophetess Judith| Legit TV

Source: Legit- Some hoodlums have reportedly disrupted the APC campaign rally in Gbajimba, Benue state

- The thugs reportedly threw stones and shot at the people to disrupt the rally

- A member of the APC claimed that victims of the rally taken to Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), were rejected

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday in Makurdi, alleged that hoodlums attacked and disrupted its campaign rally in Gbajimba, the headquarters of Guma Local Government Area, which is also Governor Samuel Ortoms home base.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the party is currently conducting its governorship campaigns across the 23 local government areas to shore up support for its candidates in the 2019 polls.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Prof. Eugene Aliegba, a member of the Emmanuel Jime/Sam Ode Campaign Organisation, alleged that the hoodlums fired gun shots at the crowd before they were chased away.

He said the attack happened when the Director-General of the campaign team, Sen Jack Tilley-Gyado, the governorship candidate, Mr Emmanuel Jime and other members of the campaign team were holding discussions with traditional rulers at another location.

READ ALSO: It's a free world - APC explains why governors from Niger Republic attended Buhari's rally in Kano

It is our tradition that wherever we went, we address the traditional rulers and other interest groups. So the rally was already started when we got the information that thugs stormed the venue, shot and dispersed the crowd.

We are not sure of casualty details yet, we are awaiting details, he said

As the briefing progressed, a chieftain of the party in the state, Mr Mike Iordye, who claimed to have survived the attack, interjected by alleging that the hoodlums who attacked the crowd, started by throwing stones before resorting to live bullets.

He said he had information that his warehouse and petrol service station were also set ablaze and appealed to the police to disclose the actual casualty level. This claim could not be verified.

Aliegba said the attack was worrisome because it happened at Gov. Samuel Ortoms home town.

"Gbajimba is not just another local government area, it is the home town of the sitting governor of the state.

Another chieftain of the party, Reps Dickson Tarkighir, representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, however, assured that  nothing will stop us from campaigning in Gbajimba. Just be calm.

He wondered why the parties had so quickly abandoned the peace pact, which they signed to guarantee violence free polls.

Tarkighir called on the Inspector- General of Police (I-G) to promptly intervene to ensure peaceful electioneering and elections in the state.

He claimed that some of the victims of the campaign-rally attack, brought to the Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), were turned back.

In a reaction to the claims by the APC, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Yamu, said both supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)and APC almost had a violent encounter had the police not intervened swiftly.

He attributed the tension to what the PDP claimed to be the use of provocative songs by the rival APC at a campaign rally.

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He denied that gunshots were fired.

The PPRO admitted that it took the prompt intervention of the Area Police Command to disperse the crowd  which was almost becoming riotous.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Benue politics is characterised by songs and drumming, usually depicting the shortcomings of those opposed to their party ideologies.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported Governor Samuel Ortom, said that the federal government should be held accountable if any harm happens to him.

Ortom made this allegation in Abuja on Monday, January 28; he accused the current administration of being after him since he defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | - on Legit TV

Source: Legit- Female rapper Cardi B has revealed that she and Offset are working things out

- The rapper explained that they both have a baby that they both need to focus on

- She expressed that her marriage is a personal thing that should not be for the public

26-year-old American rapper Cardi B has revealed that she and estranged husband Offset are working things out. Cardi B at announced her split from Offset in 2018, a year after they tied the knot.

In a recent interview with People, the rapper revealed that she and Offset are trying to work things out and take it slow. She noted that their main focus now is for their 6-month-old daughter, Kulture Kiari.

The young rapper also revealed that she and Offset have been hanging out and talking. She noted that it takes time to resolve marital problems.

READ ALSO: Cardi B and Offset marriage crushed

She said: "Just taking things slow. We have a baby right now. Thats like our real big focus. I hang out with him, I talk to him every day and we do our thing, Cardi says of Offset. Its just like  to make things perfect  it takes time. You know, fing and hanging out doesnt mean that you guys are on like a perfect note, it takes time. It takes time. And its a marriage and theres a child involved and family involved."

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The rapper also noted that her relationship is a personal thing that should not be for the public. She said: I feel like we just really are a very regular couple. We just do regular things. I just feel like: Were famous  were really popular right now  I just dont know the obsession, like I feel like everything we do is a big deal. Even before the bad scandals, just from the first time they seen us together, it was just like this big crazy deal.

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Cardi B and Offset had split in December, last year, after infidelity rumours of the male rapper emerged on social media.

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It seems like things her working out the way Offset hoped it would. Legit.ng had reported that the American rapper had plans to win Cardi B back after she cools off, it was gathered that he was determined not to give up on her.

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Slimcase at Star Chat - Expect my Collaboration with Cardi B - on Legit TV

Source: Legit- A Nigerian woman has shared a strange photo of a worm on social media to help her friend

- The lady revealed that the six to ten of the worm comes out of her friend daily

- She asked for help on what to do about the worms coming out of her friend

A Nigerian woman is currently facing an in-explainable circumstance that might be causing harm to her body. Strange looking worms reportedly come out of her body daily.

In different parts of the world, strange things that cannot be explained happen daily. These strange things are usually things that science itself is yet to find a cause or solve it, some of them are even things that people find unbelievable, but yet they happen.

The case of this Nigerian woman is one of those things. She had reportedly gone to the hospital to check herself but nothing has changed.

Nigerian lady shares photo of worm that comes out of her friend's body Facebook source: Once a mum, always a mum

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Masquerade becomes an evangelist six months after a pastor preached to him (photos)

Legit.ng had come across the woman's story after they were shared on Once a mum, always a mum Facebook group. A group member identified as Jennifer Obi had shared the story on the group to find a solution.

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According to Obi, the worms are coming out of her friend daily. She revealed that her friend who is in her late 30s has six to ten worms coming out of her daily.

She wrote: "Good day my fellow omam , please help a sister. A sister in her late 30s showed me this worm, she said 6 -10 of this comes out of her in a day. Please is there any natural remedy as she has been to the hospital but no change."

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In a related news, Legit.ng had reported that a Nigerian lady a found a strange object in her sister's underwear. The young lady who could not decipher what the object was, shared the photo on Twitter and asked people what they think it is.

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My daughter's husband used her for money rituals' - Nigeria Street Gist - on Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng NewsIn what appears to be a case of police brutality, a young man has taken to his social media page to call out some officers of the law for allegedly shooting a young man.

A social media user identified as Carrick Dublin recently took to his Instagram page with a video post in which some officers of the law were spotted punishing a set of young men in Benin.

The user had gone on to reveal that the men were caught unarmed by officials of the police force, however, when one of them tried to escape, he was allegedly shot by one of the policemen as seen in a video that has gone viral.

He cried out in the caption that accompanied the post, questioning what was really going in the country. He said: This happened in Benin city some Armed police men caught some innocents boy's and they were not with any weapon, Then one was trying to Escape and he was shot dead at the spot.....The Questions is What's is happening in Nigeria?

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READ ALSO: Young man allegedly dies while being punished for spoiling his own phone in Delta (photos)

The internet user went on to tag some influential personalities in his post, probably with the intention, of getting them to bring the incident to the notice of the appropriate authorities.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had gathered the report of a police officer in Edo state who had been killed. The commissioner of police in the state had revealed that the late man was a member of a cult group.

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Is the Nigerian police your friend? | Legit TV

Source: LegitTensions ran high at a meeting on the University of Montana campus today as students and faculty want answers about high levels of asbestos that prompted the closure of a building yesterday.

The biggest concern for the public is their health moving forward.

In the meeting, some people said they have worked in McGill Hall for over 20 years and obviously they are worried about the long-term health effects of asbestos exposure.

McGill Hall tested four times over the limit of asbestos the EPA considers manageable. Students, staff, faculty and the public all voiced their concerns on how alarming these numbers are for them to hear.

While they're working to provide information, University of Montana officials say they understand where the concerns are coming from.

Paula Short, Communications Director at the University of Montana said, "Well certainly there is anxiety because it is a health issue and we know asbestos and the risks and the dangers involved and so understandably parents of small children are very concerned and also other employees and students who have spent a significant amount of time in McGill Hall."

The university is now allowing people to enter McGill hall on a case-by-case basis to collect any personal belongings. Officials are also advising people on how they can properly clean any items they remove from the building.

University of Montana officials say McGill hall will likely be closed for the remainder of the semester for continued testing, cleaning and removal of the asbestos.(Billings, MT). First Interstate Bank filed a petition today with the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana to interplead funds in Crow Tribe accounts. An interpleader involves placing the accounts into the care of the Federal Court.

First Interstate Bank values its long-standing relationship with the Crow Tribe and hopes the dispute between Crow Tribal factions is resolved quickly for all parties concerned.A Missouri family is back together after an emotional reunion.

The father left to serve his country in Afghanistan last year.

Now he's back home -- and he couldn't wait to see his two daughters -- so he showed up at their schools.

Sergeant Jerome Harvey left for Afghanistan on April 12th of last year.

Sgt. Harvey said, "I got back on the 21st of January."

He hasn't seen his daughters in over nine months. They have no idea he's home.

"I sent them with my parents, so I just figured coming home surprising them would be awesome."

To help with the surprise, Laquey Middle School allowed our news crew inside his 13-year-old daughter's classroom by saying we were working on a story about how hard it is on children with parents deployed in the army.

Jasmine Harvey/Daughter said, "Sometimes I cry whenever he's on the phone, and especially when he says he has to deploy."

That's when Jasmine's dad walked in.

The surprises didn't end there. It was off to the elementary school to surprise Jasmine's 10-year-old sister Trinity.

Harvey says his girls have wanted to video chat several times in the last 10 days but he kept telling them the internet wasn't strong enough for the call. In reality, he was just trying to not blow his cover.

Jasmine said, "He lied to me but I'm not mad. Every time, he had always just go see him at the place where the plane flies in. But this time he did something elaborate."

Trinity said, "I told him to do it. But I didn't know he was actually going to commit to it."

Jasmine added, "And you even shaved."

Trinity said, "He said that he couldn't because he wouldn't be here, and we'd probably be out of school."

Overall, it was a surprise good enough to get out of school a little bit early.

The first thing Harvey's daughters said they wanted to do with their father now that he is home is to get Chinese food.Caddo Parish teens miss out on more than a year and a half of schoolBeing proud of being an American

Serving in the military or as a first responder

Being an honorable citizen

Freedom to speak your mind

Vote

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...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM MDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph expected. * WHERE...American Falls Reservoir. * WHEN...Until 10 AM MDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Boaters on area lakes should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft. &&Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Some early morning breaks in the overcast, otherwise cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 72F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.Buena Vista, CO (81211)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 81F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 50F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 72F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2)  Five soldiers were killed while seventeen others were wounded as they fought with around 100 Abu Sayyaf members in Patikul, Sulu on Saturday, the military said.

The Joint Task Force Sulu also reported three dead on the enemy side and 15 wounded, according to an intelligence information that is still being validated.

The government-initiated" encounter began at 11:30 a.m. and lasted for over an hour in Barangay Kabbon Takas, said Joint Task Force Sulu Spokesperson Gerald Monfort.

He said the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion engaged "in an intense firefight" with the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the successor of slain leader Isnilon Hapilon. Monfort said troops struggled to seize the Abu Sayyaf camp which was located on high ground, giving the enemy the advantage to shoot at pursuing soldiers.

"Intense yung labanan at malapitan kasi pinipilit ng ating mga tropang makuha ang high ground (It was an intense and close fight because our troops were striving to seize the high ground)," Monfort said. "With the gallant acts of our soldiers, they were able to get ASG positions."

The spokesperson added that the troops on the ground lacked backup because bad weather prevented the deployment of air support.

Authorities did not name the casualties on the government side because their families are still being informed.

Some of the wounded are now being treated at a military hospital in Jolo, while eight were airlifted to Zamboanga City. Two of the soldiers were seriously wounded.

LOOK: Casualties in gov't clash vs. Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu are now being treated at a military hospital in Jolo https://t.co/r5TQiORYw5 pic.twitter.com/ZLdPtBFHcG  CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) February 2, 2019

Government forces hope to engage the enemies in another encounter within the day in pursuit of Sawadjaan and the remaining bandits, Monfort said.

Meanwhile, among those reportedly killed on the enemy side was an Indonesian terrorist named "Black Moro," while Indang Susukan  described by the military as the most notorious leader of the Abu Sayyaf subgroup in Patikul  lost his left hand in the fighting.

Monfort in the press conference called "Black Moro" by "Abu Black", but issued a correction later that evening. He also previously said that "Black Moro" was a native of Zamboanga Sibugay who belonged to the Hatib Sawajaan faction of the Abu Sayyaf.

Patikul, a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf group, is a nearby town of Jolo, where a church was bombed last January 27, leaving at least 22 people dead and at least 100 wounded.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano on Friday told CNN Philippines local terrorists such as the Abu Sayyaf served as guide for the Indonesian couple who bombed the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral. President Rodrigo Duterte said he was certain the Abu Sayyaf was behind the deadly twin blasts and reiterated his order to "destroy" the terror group. Monfort said there have been military operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul but these were intensified following the Jolo blasts.

READ: Indonesian suicide bombers behind Jolo blasts  Ano

CNN Philippines' David Santos and Eimor Santos contributed to this report.How the video confrontation between Catholic students and a Native American elder blew up The discussion over what happened between competing groups of people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV.com) -- The controversy over a viral interaction between a Native American and a Kentucky high school student in Washington led to a controversy at a St. Louis-area high school.

A teacher at St. John Vianney High School has resigned because of a tweet harshly criticizing the boys in the video, who had come from a pro-life march and were accused of harassing and mocking participants of the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C. in January.

She taught English at Vianney for nearly six years but stepped down from her job after she retweeted someone else's politically-charged thoughts about the happenings at the march.

The tweet reads:

They think they're adults enough to participate in a pro-life march. they're adult enough to suffer the public consequences of being racist, hateful piles of smug privileged garbage. White supremacy, encouraged by the president and his party, needs to be lit up and brought down.

Vianney officials said as soon as school was released for the day on Friday, Finley announced she would step down.

Students at the school were surprised Finley would have retweeted something with such incendiary language.

I mean she's a good teacher, she has her doctorate and everything, it's just- you know, when you do retweet that sort of thing and support those ideas, you aren't representing a Catholic school, said senior Johnathan McMahon

Ironically, her students say she taught them about media bias.

She educated the entire student body over what kind of signs to avoid and the kind of bias to keep in mind when you search the web and engage in political discussions on social media, said senior Ian Esteban

The teacher did provide a statement since her resignation became public.

She said:

"I resigned because I care about my students more than myself. I would move mountains for them all. They feed my soul and watching them learn and grow is my greatest accomplishment."

Vianney High School officials say a search for an English teacher replacement will begin immediately.

Finley tells News 4 she retweeted the tweet on January 20, deleted her retweet the next day. A screen shot of the retweet was picked up by St. Louis conservative radio host Jamie Allman earlier this week. From there, the retweet went viral and Vianney High School and Finley mutually decided to would be best to take her out of the classroom for the rest of the week. Her resignation became public on Friday.Shingles vaccine side effects mostly mild, yet 3% of complaints were serious, CDC saysAbout 100 people responded to public pleas to attend the funeral of a 63-year-old Junction City veteran. Army soldiers and members of the public braved frigid weather Wednesday to attend services for Servando "Kiko" Silva-Jimenez, who served as a medic in the U.S. Army. He died Jan. 15 at GeCHARLES CITY, Iowa  A Detroit woman is facing charges over cocaine and marijuana.

Law enforcement says it searched a Nora Springs home where Artesian Ruby-Ann Johnson, 28, was staying on September 12, 2018. Authorities say they found 24.91 grams of cocaine, 57 grams of marijuana, and a 9 mm handgun.

Charges of two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver were filed on January 22 and Johnson was arrested on January 24.MASON CITY, Iowa - A Mason City man is being charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse (no injury) for an alleged incident that occurred in a Mason City locker room in Sept. of 2016.

Police said Zachary Stephenson, 20, assaulted the female victim in an unoccupied locker room by pushing her down on to a seated area and on to the floor.

Stephenson had the intent to commit sex abuse and had exposed his genitals at this time, police said, according to court documents.

He was also charged with indecent exposure. Stephenson was less than 18 years old at the time of the alleged incident but has been charged as an adult.

Stephenson was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail on Friday and has been released on bond.MASON CITY, Iowa - Ohio's senior U.S. Senator, gearing up for a potential Presidential run in 2020, is making a few pit stops in North Iowa this week.

While he hasn't officially announced a formal bid to run for the Oval Office yet, Democrat Sherrod Brown has been making stops in Cresco, Clear Lake and Mason City this week as part of his "Dignity of Work" tour.

In a packed room at HyVee East on Friday, voters heard from Brown and former Iowa Congressional candidate J.D. Scholten, who recently launched Working Hero Iowa. Brown and Scholten focused on Earned Income Tax Credits, which is part of one facet of Brown's Dignity of Work concept. It focuses on higher wages, expansion of benefits critical to economic security of workers, affordable healthcare, education and housing, and revising the tax code, among others.

For voter Casey Castaner, Friday's event is just another opportunity to hear from someone whose name could be on the 2020 ballot.

"We do need to have actual pay that people can live off of because otherwise they're going to end up homeless fast, and we don't want that as a society.

"The majority of Americans are regular people who struggle through their way with money and other things, and its like, don't forget about the fact we're out here. We're not invisible, we still elect you, we still have some power, so remember us out here."

Brown says Iowa and Ohio have some similarities.

"It's clear that people's problems in Ohio are just like people's problems in Iowa. People are struggling."

Katie Koehler also attended the event, and appreciates the Senator's focus.

"Just to have someone who is wanting to fight for the average American. Poverty has become the average American and this person gets it."

On the heels of the Senator's visit, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann released a statement, saying, "As Sherrod Brown travels the state pontificating about the 'dignity of work', there are a couple things he should know: Iowa has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, thanks to programs like Governor Reynolds' Future Ready Iowa which prepares workers for 21st century jobs. Senator Brown, you'll have to find some other out-of-touch message. I can assure you Iowans know plenty about the dignity of work."

Brown plans to announce whether he will run in March. If he does, he would be among eight Democrats who have announced they're running.MASON CITY, Iowa  Some big changes took place at a North Iowa hospital on Friday. The Mercy health network announced it will be changing its name effective immediately.

Today we unveiled our new name and logo across the entire state, MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Interim President, Rod Schlader told KIMT.

Mercy will now be known as MercyOne, which Schlader says will bring the hospitals and clinics across the state together.

We have 20,000 colleagues across the state and 2,000 on our medical staff over 243 different locations. So, its really bringing us together to be identifiable to our customers, said Schlader.

Schlader says not much besides signage and the name will change.

Were still the same Mercy Medical Center, were just stronger. We still pride ourselves in delivering high-quality, compassionate care. But were going to have more benefits from MercyOne being one system for the first time.OSAGE, Iowa  Law enforcement says he was caught with nearly a pound of marijuana. Now hes been sentenced to probation.

James Earl Ogden, 37 of Blooming Prairie, MN, was arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 218 in Mitchell County on April 28, 2018. Authorities say Ogden was speeding around 10:30 pm and when he was pulled over, he was found with 375 grams of marijuana, marijuana wax, prescription pills, and more than $5,000 in cash.

Ogden eventually pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Hes been ordered to spend three years on supervised probation. Ogden must also pay a total of $425 in fees and surcharges.CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - The leader of a North Iowa Chamber of Commerce is getting ready to retire.

After 7 years, Tim Coffey, the President and CEO of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, is stepping down on June 1st.

During his tenure, the Chamber has seen significant growth and accomplishments. Some of those include developing ways to communicate and highlight Chamber members, forming the Vision North Iowa Partnership, and the creation of a new Lake Leadership program, among others.

Brad Barber is the owner of the Clear Lake-based Cabin Coffee. He has a lot of respect for Coffey, and commends him on his can-do, positive attitude, as well as the entire Chamber team.

"They've been a blessing to us when we opened our new support center here in Clear Lake. And when we had our groundbreaking, Tim was one of the first ones here to grab a shovel and help ground break."

In addition, Barber says Coffey has helped shape the town and area for the future.

"Increase in tourism for sure. Every year, it builds and builds and builds. And the events that the chamber has created and participated in adds much significance to the value of the community."

A search committee has been established to find Coffey's successor.FLOYD COUNTY, Iowa  An Iowa City man is arrested after a 100 mile per hour chase in Floyd County.

The Sheriffs Office says it tried to pull over a vehicle for speeding around 6:47 pm Friday in the 2600 block of Highway 14. The vehicle refused to stop and sped away from deputies, reaching over 100 mph, before going into a ditch in the 2100 block of 210th Street.

No injuries are reported.

Wayne Watson, 55, is accused of felony eluding, OWI-2nd offense, driving while license revoked, excessive speed, open container, and driving on the wrong side of a divided highway. The Floyd County Sheriffs Office says other charges are pending.

The Iowa State Patrol, Nora Springs Police Department, and Charles City Police Department assisted with this pusuit.EUGENE, Ore. -- East 13th Avenue runs right through the heart of the University of Oregon campus, and university officials are looking into redesigning it to better accommodate students.

"It still has the look and kind of feel of what that original use was," said Aaron Olsen, the Landscape Planning Associate with the university.

He said in the early 1970s, some barriers were installed to stop city traffic from driving through campus, and not much has changed since.

Olsen said they're looking to redesign it from Kincaid Street to Franklin Boulevard.

"This project is really hoping to redefine the character of the street and really change this space into an iconic, open space on our campus," Olsen said.

He said the university is still in the early stages of the project. They're holding an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the EMU's Lease Crutcher Lewis Room to find out what the community wants included.

For more information on the project, click here.SUTHERLIN, Ore.  A man was arrested Friday night after shots were fired in a neighborhood.

Around 10:30 p.m., neighbors living near Sunny Court reported hearing gunshots. When officers arrived on the scene, they said they heard more gunshots. Shortly after, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police arrived to assist the Sutherlin Police Department.

Police said the shots were coming from the home of 49-year-old Jeffrey Howard Jones. They said he was highly intoxicated and was arrested without incident.

Officers believed Jones was shooting into the wooded area behind his house.

Jones is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail and is facing charges of unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangering and disorderly conduct.ALBANY, Ore. -- A woman is speaking out after her daughter was sexually abused by a now-former employee of the Boys & Girls Club of Albany.

Robin Fielder told KEZI 9 News her daughter has been going to the Boys & Girls Club since first grade, and there has never been any issues until now.

Fernando Lopez was found guilty of sexual abuse in court on Thursday.

Fielder said the abuse came to light when she found cell phone pictures of her 16-year-old daughter kissing the 25-year-old employee. Fielder said she immediately went to the club and demanded answers.

Fielder said the pictures were taken in plain sight during a club field trip and at the club itself.

The director of the Boys & Girls Club in Albany gave KEZI 9 News a written statement saying this did not happen at their facilities or during club hours, but he did confirm there was an inappropriate relationship between the two.

Although the two stories don't add up, Lopez was found guilty and sentenced to 30 days in jail -- a sentence Fielder said is too light.

KEZI 9 News spoke with an Albany Police Lieutenant who said the jail sentence of 30 days is not unusual in cases like this. Due to the victim being older than 15 and the age difference of 9 years, the case was a misdemeanor, not a felony.OMAHA  Steve LeClair, president of the Omaha Firefighters Union, will be charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct after a woman said he punched her at a bar and said a racist remark.

City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said Friday that after a thorough review of the details of the investigation, he has directed the Omaha Police Department to cite LeClair with assault and battery and disorderly conduct.

In reviewing the evidence and circumstances of this incident, these are the appropriate charges to pursue, Kuhse said.

Pat Dunn, LeClairs attorney, said allegations that his client punched a woman are fundamentally untrue.

Mr. LeClair looks forward to addressing these issues in the courtroom, Dunn said.

Kuhse said hes aware that the word punch was used to describe the sensation the woman said she felt.

The investigation reveals that a physical contact of some sort occurred and was witnessed, he said.Yanney also is known as a skillful banker and investor. He said it has been exciting to invest in post-communist Russia, where his America First Co. founded eight companies with 9,500 employees. He said the United States and Russia could be partners rather than adversaries.

The opportunities that are there are just astronomical if our two countries just worked together, he said.

Yanney responded to a number of Hub questions about his upbringing in Kearney and his experiences away from his hometown.

QUESTION: What will your speech topic be Monday?

ANSWER: I want to reflect on how people might have thought 100 years ago when Kearney had its first chamber meeting. And now, here we are, celebrating 100 years, and what does the future look like? We need to invest in the future or were going to lose a lot of jobs. Nebraska needs to think how the technological explosion will affect our state.

Q: How does it feel to be invited back to your hometown?MEDFORD, Ore.  In stark contrast to some social media rumors, the measles outbreak in Clark County, Washington which has spawned at least one case in Oregon has not spread to Southern Oregon, Jackson County Public Health said in a statement on Friday.

"The Oregon Health Authority has confirmed a case of measles in a resident of Multnomah County that is linked the outbreak in Clark County, WA," the agency said. "As of February 1, 2019, there are no additional cases have been identified in Oregon and there are no measles cases in Jackson County."

Local public health officials are monitoring the outbreak up north, and Jackson County Health Officer Dr. Jim Shames said that the public will be alerted if a confirmed case makes it to Jackson County.

"Most Oregonians have been vaccinated against measles and are protected, but there are pockets of people within communities that have low immunizations rates," public health officials said. Unvaccinated people are at a much higher risk of contracting measles if they come into contact with someone who is contagious.

According to Jackson County Public Health, measles is a preventable disease  the best protection is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). The agency said that one dose of the vaccine is about 93 percent effective at prevention, two doses raise the efficacy to 97 percent.

"Now is a great time for all families to take action by reviewing their vaccination records and be sure that everyone is up to date and has completed the vaccination series for measles," health officials said.

You can request a copy of your vaccination records from the Oregon Health Authority by printing out this online form. For more information about the measles outbreak, check out this FAQ from Jackson County Public Health, or follow the Oregon and Washington state investigation.MEDFORD, Ore.  Despite being one of many government agencies left unfunded when the partial government shutdown began at the end of December, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) said on Friday that they were able to keep hiring new workers throughout that time  theoretically meaning that they aren't behind schedule on preparing for summer fires.

"The Forest Service made the decision to continue moving forward with permanent & temporary hiring processes during the government shutdown due to the time critical nature of the work," the agency said. "We used prior year funding to pay some of the employees working on this effort."

Those new employees still won't start until March to mid-May  so the USFS remains on track for fire and field season "for the most part."

Nevertheless, the past week has been a busy one for the Forest Service. Beginning on January 20, several agency experts traveled to Wenatchee, Washington to start hiring permanent wildland firefighters. Then, more representatives started working with a team in Bend to prepare for temporary hires.

On Monday, representatives from every national forest in Oregon and Washington gathered in Springfield to kick-start those temporary hires  looking over 5,800 applications across the two states, 600 more than last year, USFS said.

One major boon has been a hiring policy change  the agency advertised their jobs for a month this year. Last year those positions were only up for a week.

Over the next two weeks, USFS Pacific Northwest will make 1,500 temporary job offers across the region. 114 of those positions will be with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. 65 of those jobs are specific to firefighting positions.

"Temporary positions specific to fire included filling vacancies on engine, hotshot and helitack crews, vacancies in fuels reduction and fire prevention and staffing two lookouts (near Prospect and Jacksonville)," the agency said.

Rogue River-Siskiyou is also hiring 23 permanent firefighting positions  including fuels specialists and technicians, hand crew members, engine operators, helicopter foreman, several apprentices and a tanker base tech.

USFS said that there were a few permanent hires that were delayed by the shutdown, but they will be "prioritized and processed by HR."After hours of searching, rescuers were not able to find a person who went missing at Smithville Lake. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says they started looking about 4 p.m. but couldn't find themClay Center, KS (67432)

Today

Becoming partly cloudy after some morning rain. Cooler. High 81F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 59F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.Belgium said Saturday it has agreed to host Ivory Coast ex-president Laurent Gbagbo pending a possible appeal against his acquittal by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

On January 15, the tribunal acquitted Gbagbo and his aide, Charles Ble Goude, on charges stemming from a wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010.

The following day, the court ruled there were no exceptional circumstances preventing the pairs release from detention in The Hague, and said they could be sent to a member country willing to accept them.

In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo, foreign ministry spokesman Karl Lagatie told AFP, also citing the 73-year-old ex-leaders family ties to the country.

According to the Belgian press, one of Gbagbos wives, 47-year-old Nady Bamba, lives there.

Prosecutors can still appeal the January 15 acquittal, but said in a statement Friday it was awaiting the courts written judgment before deciding how to proceed.

Only after we have had the opportunity to carefully examine and analyse their reasoning will my office make a decision on whether to appeal, said ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Ble Goudes lawyer said on Saturday his client was still waiting on a host country to declare itself willing to take him in.

Gbagbo and Ble Goude went on trial in January 2016 accused of playing a role in murder, rape, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the post-election violence.

More than 3,000 people died on both sides of the Ivory Coast conflict after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rival  and now-president  Alassane Ouattara.

Prosecutors have expressed fears that if freed, Gbagbo would not return to the court for a retrial if his acquittal is overturned on appeal.

The release conditions include that he surrender his travel documents, report to authorities weekly, avoid contacting witnesses in Ivory Coast, and refrain from making public statements about the case, the court documents said.

Gbagbo, was the first former head of state to stand trial at the ICC.

He had been held in the Netherlands since 2011.

The ICCs unwillingness to let Gbagbo return to Ivory Coast could be linked to that countrys refusal to surrender Gbagbos wife, Simone, despite an outstanding ICC warrant for her arrest for her role in the violence.

She was convicted and jailed by the courts there in 2015, but Ouattara granted her an amnesty last year, to allow her release after seven years in detention.

Gbagbos release comes at a particularly tense time in Ivory Coast.

With presidential elections due in 2020, Ouattara has not said whether he will seek a second term, and the coalition he formed with Henri Konan Bedie, his former ally against Gbagbo, has collapsed.Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 92F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.The ruins of Hadrians Wall run across the British Isle for 73 miles, remnants of the Roman Era dating back to the year 122. This was the high-water mark of the Roman Empire in Britannia, as far north as it went, almost. Barbarians lived on the north side, the Picts and the Gaels, ancestors and predecessors of the Highland Scots. Roman legions built the wall of stone and earth variously 20 feet high and 10 feet across with ditches in front and a pathway along the Roman side. A second ditch on the Roman side was lined with berms and called a vallum, from which comes the English word wall. At every mile, they built a small fort to garrison a few dozen soldiers and in between two watchtowers one-third mile apart. Units of soldiers patrolled along the wall and watched for signals from the watchtowers. The wall was built for surveillance along the frontier and, some scholars speculate, as a show of Roman power. It was not so effective in stopping migration, but it did funnel merchants with goods to sell to entry points where they could be taxed.Former car czar Steven Rattner, writing in The New York Times, is among those suggesting increasing the tax rate on capital gains and dividends and closing loopholes. In other words, we should be diminishing or eliminating the difference in tax rates that apply to wages and that apply to investment income. Rattner explains, At present, a beneficiary of long-term capital gains or dividends pays 23.8 percent of the profit to Washington. Thats already a good bit less than the 37 percent top rate on so-called ordinary income. In 2017 Congress increased the gap by lowering the capital gains tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

Rattner points out that if taxes on capital gains and dividends were raised by those 14 percentage points, we capitalists would be no worse off  and American companies would still be more competitive globally, the theory behind reducing the corporate tax rate.

Its also time to eliminate energy subsidies on all forms of energy, something Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has recommended and something true free-marketers should appreciate.

In any event, there is no shortage of ideas on the tax front. The rest of the Democratic field, I think, can come up with better ideas than the easy, splashy fix of simply raising the top marginal tax rate. They should start with the basics: How much more revenue do we need, and whats the most efficient way to do that with the least amount of distortion to the economy that doesnt increase income inequality? Lets see if one or more makes an intellectually honest and politically viable proposal. We could use some of that.

Jennifer Rubin (jrubinblogger@gmail.com) is a columnist for The Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @JRubinBlogger.Republicans, we need to talk.

Not about the shutdown. I get the ceasefire, I get that the air traffic slowdowns may have finally spooked the president and D.C. Republicans, even if only for a temporary respite.

This is about the bigger picture, not about short-term beltway battles and shutdowns that may or may not be on the minds of Americans when they go to the polls in 2020  although I dont imagine the passage of time will sweeten the memory for Americans who worked weeks without paychecks.

This is about the future of the GOP platform, that grand-old-promise to shrink government, reduce inefficiencies, cut taxes and preserve the American dream. Amid the hopeless xenophobia from immigration hard-liners, the fire hose of lies from the White House and the GOPs muddled response to Trumps ever-blooming Russia scandal  the shrug heard round the world  its hard to remember what the party stood for before Donald Trump.

How long, Republicans?

How many times have we asked this since 2015, when a thin-skinned demagogue with a campaign inspired by belligerent internet message boards stormed the Republican ranks and bullied and belittled his way to the partys presidential nomination and, eventually, the White House itself?The Program Evaluation Division made several recommendations that include: directing the partnership to increase private funding to $2 million a year and provide a matching incentive; require more communication and coordination between partnership and Commerce Department officials; create a legislative commission to consider the best way to organize and manage the tourism division, including potentially spinning off operation of the states welcome centers; entrust the state secretary of commerce with accountability and standards oversight; and require the groups to coordinate strategic plans.

N.C. Commerce Secretary Tony Copeland told The News & Observer of Raleigh that many of the reports findings deserve further discussion.

The partnership sent an eight-page response in which its board touted its overall accomplishments, such as assisting with more than 500 corporate locations and expansions that, combined, represented 57,000 job positions and $14 billion in new investment.

The Commerce Department said that in 2018 the state gained a combined 19,729 new-job commitments from 157 business-recruitment, expansion or rural-development projects. The projects represent $3.54 billion of new investment in the state.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating violence against BJP workers, claiming she had become jittery

due to people's love for his party.

Taking his battle for the Lok Sabha elections to Banerjee's turf, Modi also accused his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers.

The prime minister also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution.

Addressing a well-attended event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi said, "Now I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence...killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us."

Calling yesterday's Budget a "historic step" for the welfare of farmers, the working and middle class, he said these sections were neglected for years after Independence.

"We have announced measures in our budget that will benefit 12 crore small farmers, 30-40 crore workmen, and three crore middle class people," he said.

There was commotion at the rally ground which prompted him to cut short his speech barely after 14 minutes.

Before the rally, the prime minister visited the Matua Thakurbari and sought the blessings of Baro Ma, the current leader of the community and widow of the founder of Matua Mahasangh Harishchandra Thakur.

-PTIConnecticut Chuckles, the state's official groundhog, told Manchester Mayor Jay Moran that Connecticut will have an early spring at the annual Groundhog Day event at the Lutz Children's Museum in Manchester.

As featured on +3 Spring is on! MANCHESTER - Standing before a packed room at the Lutz Children's Museum, Mayor Jay Moran an More information Chuckles getting ready for Groundhog DayA group of women from Pakistan, who came to Jammu and Kashmir with their husbands under the rehabilitation policy for militants, Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for travel documents to return home.

They claimed that they have not been provided the permanent resident certificates as promised.

In 2001, NC vice-president and then chief minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the youths of Jammu and Kashmir who had gone across the LoC for arms training but had renounced militancy and wanted to return home to lead a normal life.

"Since the time we came here with our husbands and children under the rehabilitation policy announced by the Omar Abdullah government, we have not been provided the PRC document," the women said in a statement.

"On the contrary, FIRs have been registered against us and we are now unnecessarily caught in court cases," they said.

The women, coming from different parts of the Kashmir Valley, assembled at the Residency Road here to press for their demands.

"We appeal to the prime ministers and foreign ministers of India and Pakistan that travel documents be issued to us on humanitarian grounds. If they do not give us the travel documents, then we should be made to exit," the women added.

The women said since their arrival in the state, they have not been able to visit their families in Pakistan.

"Many of our close relatives, including parents, have died during this period. We remain disturbed on account of welfare of our relatives back home and some of us are now suffering from psychiatric problems as well," the women claimed.

-PTIMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2)  The Philippines will protest China's reported construction of a maritime rescue center in the West Philippine Sea once it is verified, the country's top diplomat said Saturday.

In a series of tweets, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. agreed with Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio's stance that the country should take action after China opened a new facility on Fiery Cross Reef or Kagitingan Reef. This is one of the China-occupied artificial islands in the Spratlys being claimed by both Manila and Beijing.

"And we will (protest). I however preferred engaging them openly on the floor of the UN General Assembly," Locsin said. In another tweet, he clarified that the term used should be "protest," not "contest" as Carpio put it.

And we will. I however preferred engaging them openly on the floor of the UN General Assembly. https://t.co/g5WNKVrLUr  Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 2, 2019

"However if we decide to contest Chinese activity I am preparing a draft [or] a compulsory draft into the AFP first of media and then maybe others to send into contested zone. We'll see what happens and if it will be ground for something stronger than a diplomatic protest. No loss," he added.

For now, he said the DFA is awaiting the assessment of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, adding that the government "cannot rely on media accounts," which he called "unreliable." However, it was state-run Chinese news outfit Xinhua that first reported the establishment of the rescue center, quoting China's Ministry of Transport.

In response to Carpio's statement that the Philippines in the past protested China's actions in disputed waters, Locsin said the Duterte administration has filed "18 or 19 so far." It is not immediately known in what form these diplomatic protests are, and for what incidents.

The DFA, previously under former Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, has insisted that it has filed hundreds of diplomatic protests against China for its incursions in the West Philippine Sea, an area of the South China Sea within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The exact number varies, with Cayetano saying during a House probe in May 2018 that the Philippines has filed "50 to 100" protests, while the DFA said in June that the country was engaged in 85 "diplomatic actions" on the South China Sea row.

Meanwhile, Malacanang has deferred to Locsin for an official position on China's rescue center on Kagitingan Reef. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo even said, "maybe we should be thankful" for the distress center - if China had informed the Philippines before launching it. He said he does not think it affects the country's claim in the long-standing maritime dispute.

However, Carpio, who was part of the Philippine delegation that won the arbitration case against China, warned that Beijing is asserting sovereignty in building the rescue center. He said the Philippines should now file a note verbale stressing the Philippines' sovereign rights over Kagitingan Reef.

In another tweet, Locsin said he agrees with Carpio, adding that "we can thank China after it raises the Philippine flag over there-as a start. Nothing more; no statement; nothing; just raise the flag."

Beijing has built structures on Kagitingan Reef since it occupied the feature in 1988. In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China violated its obligations under international law to protect and preserve the marine environment by its massive reclamation work and other island-building activities in Kagitingan Reef and other contested areas in the Spratly group of islands.

The landmark decision also recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights in areas being contested by China within Manila's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, or the West Philippine Sea. China rejects the arbitral ruling and stands by its sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

CNN Philippines' Xave Gregorio contributed to this report.David Abel, 72, died June 18th, 2021, at his home in El Dorado, AR, surrounded by his family after a short battle with cancer. David was born November 26, 1948, in Sacramento, CA, to Earnest "Bood" Abel and Peggy Downing Abel. David attended school in Miami, OK, and graduated in 1967. He joiMark and Jennifer Renfro use a map this week to show their 70-acre farm property near Diamond. The land is a part of that targeted for a Missouri American Water Co. reservoir. The couple say they are disappointed but resigned to having to move from the land that has been in the family for 170 years. GLOBE | LAURIE SISKCody Cottier covers town and state government. He grew up with a view of the Olympic Mountains, and after graduating Washington State University he traded it for a view of the Tetons. Odds are the mountains are where youll find him when not on deadline.Kylie Mohr covers the education and health beats. Mohr grew up in Washington and came to Wyoming via Georgetown. She loves seeing the starry night sky again.Photo: CTV News Derek Brassington

The lifting of a publication ban has revealed the sordid details of police officers' actions in the notorious Surrey Six gang murders investigation.

The unsealed information reveals disgraced Mountie Derek Brassington got drunk and had sex with a witness in the case, which left six people dead in October 2007, CTV News reports.

The former sergeant pleaded guilty this month to obstruction of justice and breach of trust and was handed a conditional sentence.

Court heard Brassington even billed overtime for hours spent drinking and having sex with the woman during a relationship that lasted several months.

"The more attached I become to you, the more anxiety I feel," Brassington texted the woman in September 2009. "I didn't enter this thinking we would fall in love with each other."

Brassington continued the sexual relationship even after the woman was relocated to a safe house in Toronto during the investigation.

An emotional Brassington told the court he wanted to restore public trust in the force, but instead "I made it 100 times worse."

Former staff sergeant David Attew also admitted to kissing and sexual touching with the girlfriend of a prosecution witness, and racked up an $800 bar tab while partying with the woman and others.

He was given a six-month conditional sentence after pleading guilty to failing to maintain law and order.

Cpl. Danny Michaud was handed a three-month conditional sentence for lying to investigators about Brassington's affair.

 with files from CTV VancouverManaging Editor Rebecca Huntington has worked for newspapers across the West. She hosts a rescue podcast, The Fine Line. Her family minivan doubles as her not-so-high-tech recording studio.Jacksonville, TX (75766)

Today

Cloudy early followed by heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.Support Local Journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution today.

Subscribe or contributeCampus Invited to Second Annual Unity Gala

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  The Illinois Wesleyan University campus community is invited to attend the Second Annual Unity Gala on Saturday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Centers Young Main Lounge.

Last year marked the inaugural Unity Gala, inspired by Jessica Sheelam '20 and Walter Carter of the Physical Plant. The goal of the Unity Gala is to provide a semi-formal event for the entire campus community. Last year's attendees marveled at the event's joyous atmosphere and ability to bring everyone together in celebration and style. The Unity Gala hosted over 400 students, faculty, staff and alumni who walked the red carpet. Organizers include The Alliance, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Student Senate's David Stanton '20.

The semi-formal event kicks off with a live jazz band followed by a DJ and dancing at 9 p.m. A variety of hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served at no cost. Attendees must RSVP by February 28, 2019 by clicking here. For more information contact Sharla Brown-Ajayi (sbrownaj@iwu.edu) or Hannah Mesouani (hmesouan@iwu.edu).

By Megan Baker 21Photo: DriveBC Rogers Pass webcam

UPDATE: 9:55 a.m.

The Trans-Canada Highway east of Revelstoke is now fully reopened after a crash caused some delays earlier Saturday morning.

UPDATE: 9:05 a.m.

Avalanche control work west of Revelstoke has ended, and Highway 1 has once again reopened.

Further east, just outside Glacier National Park, Highway 1 has partially reopened to single-lane, alternating traffic after a crash initially closed the highway completely.

UPDATE: 8:50 a.m.

A crash has closed the Trans-Canada Highway east of Revelstoke, just outside of Glacier National Park.

The nature of the crash or the condition of those involved is unclear at this time, but the highway, which was closed for much of Friday, is once again closed in both directions.

DriveBC will provide an update on the closure at 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, Highway 1, west of Revelstoke, is currently closed temporarily for avalanche control work. That section of highway is expected to reopen by 9:30 a.m.

UPDATE: 8:05 a.m.

The Trans-Canada Highway, west of Revelstoke, is temporarily closed once again for avalanche control work.

A 13-kilometre stretch of the highway near Three Valley Gap has been closed Saturday morning as crews work to control the avalanche danger in the area. The closure comes just 12 hours after the same stretch of highway was closed Friday night for the same reason.

The highway is scheduled to reopen by 9:30 a.m.

ORIGINAL: 7 a.m.

A weather advisory continues for the Trans-Canada Highway between Sicamous and Golden.

A slow-moving frontal system brought nearly 40 centimetres of snow to the route Friday, with another 15 cm expected this morning.

DriveBC reports the route was cleared as of 12:30 a.m. between Revelstoke and Golden, after it had been closed most of Friday due to high avalanche hazard.

Continued avalanche control is planned this morning west of Revelstoke, with more closures while the work is done.

Compact snow, slushy with slippery sections were reported as of 5:30 a.m. between Sicamous and Glacier National Park.

Meanwhile, on Highway 3, snow deposit removal continued overnight at Kootenay Pass. The route was closed at midnight but expected to reopen at 7 a.m.

Compact snow, slushy and foggy sections are reported on the Okanagan Connector.

The Coquihalla Highway reports similar conditions between Kingsville and the Great Bear snowshed.Ithaca, NY (14850)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 56F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Food U.K. Duo Gives Myanmar's Premium Coffee Scene a Jolt

A selection of Sawbwas specialty coffee blends seen at the Sawbwa headquarters on January 24, 2019. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmar, particularly around the highlands of southern Shan State with its perfect topography and climate, could be a globally important coffee growing region with the potential to produce some of the worlds best quality beans. Though coffee has long been grown in Myanmar, crops are normally of low quality and have generally been exported and used in low-grade products such as 3-in-1 sachet mixes.

Recent years have seen a small sprouting of coffee producers who are working to produce high-quality and organic strains of coffee beans. Genius Shan Highlands Coffee, for example, won an ASEAN Business Award in the Sustainable Social Enterprise category in 2018. Gentleman Coffee Roasters, from the same minds behind Yangons Easy cafe, works with farmers to grow specialty-grade coffee and has impressive traceability practices.

With an overall aim of alleviating poverty, Winrock International, with support from USAID, has since 2014 been helping smallholder coffee producers in Myanmar earn a fair price for their coffee by modernizing their practices, improving their market connections and getting the private sector on board.

This is where Sawbwa comes in.

Sawbwa is a startup coffee company focusing on sourcing and selling the highest quality of coffee available in Myanmar and on helping farmers to increase the quality of their bean as part of a movement swapping poppy crops for coffee plants. It was founded in early 2017 by two U.K. natives, Sam Foot and Jason Brown, with a longtime interest in Myanmar and a love of specialty coffee.

In 2018, experts from the Specialty Coffee Association, an American member-based nonprofit coffee association, came to southern Shan and tested the harvest of the Ban Sawk coffee farm.

Rating, or cupping, coffee involves taking meticulous measures to see where it stands on a scale of 0 to 100. Coffee reaching a grade of 60 to 80 qualifies as commercial grade while specialty coffee must be rated above 80. For coffee to be rated specialty grade, its taste profile must be unique and stand out from commercial grade coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association rated it the second highest quality of coffee produced in Myanmar at 88 to 89, which also puts it among the best in the world. Sawbwa bought a majority of Ban Sawks harvest and decided to invest in the farm with a view to giving the farmers the power to produce more of the same quality next year. Ban Sawk is in an area where farmers traditionally depended on the opium crop for a living.

We think next year it will be the highest-rated coffee in Myanmar, said Sam Foot, one of Sawbwas co-founders who studied politics and law in the UK and dropped a job as a financial analyst in order to establish the company.

Sam and Sawbwas other founder, Jason Brown, started out roasting the coffee beans in a 1-kilogram roaster hooked up to a laptop in the garage of Jasons relatives house. As the bean is roasted under gas in a barrel, different chemical charges happen to it. The flavor and color transform from a grassy green to sweeter brown. The laptop helps them keep track of the temperature, which has to rise gradually. Specialty coffee must be roasted exactly the right amount in order to bring out the unique flavors of the bean, which can vary between regions and even farms.

Specialty coffee has to be roasted very, very meticulously. Unlike large coffee companies which mass produce more standardized products, specialty coffee roasters pay greater attention to each roast cycle, which takes between eight and 15 minutes, said Sam.

The two had lived in Myanmar previously and found themselves back in London with jobs and a life they found rather dull. Inspired by a friend who had started a craft beer company, they moved back to Yangon and launched the company with their own money.

Though this is still only an emerging coffee company, major players in Myanmars food and beverage industry are already snapping up packs of Sawbwa to serve their customers, including the Pegu Club, the 57 Below group of restaurants, Sharkys restaurants and delis and outlets by Pun Projects. Packs are also sold on the Yangon Door2Door website, at Yangon International Airport and Promart supermarkets.

Yangon is so receptive and ready for new and experimental ideas, said Sam.

Jason, also a U.K. native, had worked as a programmer and always knew he wanted to have his own business.

When the opportunity to do this came up, there wasnt even a question about it. I thought Holy st, if I can do this, that would be super cool, he said.

Packs of Sawbwa coffee are priced at between 5,000 kyats ($3.32) and $15. The classic espresso blend, Drum, has sweet chocolate notes, and they also produce an artisan espresso called Harp. Both names reference the traditional Burmese instruments. Yay Chan Pyin and Pway Na Phar are their light and medium roast blends, named after the villages in southern Shan where the coffees are grown. Sawbwa has worked with both Sharkys and the Pegu Club to create their own unique blends of coffee to be served and sold exclusively at their respective locations.

This is a product for people who appreciate a very fine coffee product, and the playing grounds of Yangons growing middle class appear to be the perfect place to start pushing the product. Its for those who revel in experiencing the best food or drink available, who treat themselves to that premium cut of meat or cheese or wine and truly savor it.

Sam and Jason say that since they started the company, theyve been working 12-hour days with no days off and attend most food events and festivals in order to get the Sawbwa name out there. Profits are only starting to roll in now. Their next move is to establish a larger roasting facility on Yangons outskirts, in Shwepyithar, and increase output from 1 kg per roast to 15 kg  still relatively little in order to keep quality high.

We want to position ourselves as Myanmars ambassadors of coffee so we will find the markets overseas. We want to be the guys to come to for specialty coffee from Myanmar, said Jason.

For now, the Sawbwa guys can be seen flaunting their caffeine kicks  in both traditional form and as exciting coffee cocktails  around Yangons growing boutique market scene.Guest Column Solution to the Myitsone Deadlock: A Referendum?

Kachin CSOs protest against the Myitsone Dam project in Myitkyina in 2017. / The Irrawaddy

Recently, there has been a marked escalation in the Chinese governments attempts at reviving the controversial Myitsone Dam project. Since a tense meeting by the Chinese Embassy with Kachin leaders, the actions of both the Chinese and Myanmar governments have only heightened fears that the mammoth US$3.6-billion, 6,000 MW dam will be pushed forward, risking the livelihoods of thousands of people and endangering crucial biodiversity.

The NLD governments rhetoric over the project has been, at best, feeble. Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun stated that, while public anxiety should be respected, the project should continue as companies have already heavily invested in it. His remark echoed a comment by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (who had been an ardent critic of the dam in 2011) in Kalay the previous week in which she called for deals made under the previous government to be respected. According to U Thaung Tun, alternative areas have been explored. So far, however, these areas have not been outlined to the public, which only serves to fuel speculation.

Respect for public anxiety: What, in practice, has that entailed so far? As of this moment, this respect has taken the form of hollow reassurances that match up little with actions on the ground. The most notable example of this was the recent dismissal of three ministers in Kachin State. The said ministersU H Hla Aung, U Mya Thein and U Thin Lwinwere each responsible for key areas that would have been impacted by the Myitsone project. No reason has been given for their dismissals, which the Transparency and Accountability Network Kachin have demanded. Moreover, the decision by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy to draft a brand-new Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) with the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institutea Chinese National Energy Agency-affiliated think tankhas drawn further public ire, as the MOEE had backed out of endorsing an International Finance Corporation (IFC) SEA.

Do unconvincingly hollow statements, broken promises and unexplained dismissals amount to respect?

If the Minister and the State Counselor truly wish to respect not only the will of the people, but also the immediate future of Myanmar-China relations, there remains one course of action: a government-sanctioned popular referendum on the Myitsone project.

Repeat: a popular referendum on the Myitsone project.

Why this particular route?

Firstly, a popular referendum to decide the progress of a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project would be unprecedented. What has been done thus far includes suspensions or scale-backs by leaders, either out of fear of indebtedness (as seen in the Kyaukphyu deep seaport) or through the need to fulfil anti-China electoral pledges, as shown in Malaysia. No government to date has used a general vote to decide the progress of a BRI projectyet.

Secondly, the Myitsone project is a national issue; the consequences of the project going ahead will impact future generations for years to come.

Moreover, there exist no legal barriers to holding a referendum on the Myitsone project. According to experts, the time frame for organizing a nationwide referendum ranges from three to five monthsleaving just enough time before 2020.

The barriers that exist are political, and understandably so. As Brexit in the U.K. has shown, a poorly concocted and unnecessary power-play referendum can backfire spectacularly. On the surface, the same would seem to apply if the NLD entertained this idea, given its recent rhetoric. However, calling for a referendum on the project would, contrary to assumptions, strengthen the governments position among the public at a very crucial time.

It is no secret that the NLDs popularity has been on the wane since it officially took power in 2016. A step toward building a public consensus against what many in the country have deemed a neo-colonial incursion would strengthen the governments (and the partys) bargaining position in dealing with its Chinese counterparts. Equally important is that a referendum would address the issue of public consultation in a way that no other mechanism could, for the time being. BRI projects have been criticized for failing to take into account local concernsan issue a referendum could address to a considerable, nationwide degree.

Added to that, recognition by China of the referendums outcome could go some distance toward repairing the countrys image among the Myanmar publican image that received a minor boost following Chinas support for Myanmar on the international stage in the wake of the Rakhine crisis. China has repeatedly vowed to respect the sovereignty of Myanmar, a critical BRI partner, and it must recognize the democratic will of the people in host countries. A Cornell University study published in 2017 highlights the fact that locals in Myanmar would not discriminate against Chinese investment so long as community concerns are acknowledged.

Both the Myanmar and the Chinese governments need to recognize that being against the Myitsone project is NOT being anti-China or anti-Chinese investment. The project as it stands hurts and will continue hurting the complex yet indispensable relations between the two countries. It can even be argued that the way the Myitsone project is handled will determine the success of other projects under the BRI banner.

In theory, at its core, the BRI is about respectrespecting the notion that building up infrastructure is intended to mutually benefit China and the recipient countries by improving ties and lives. Acknowledging the democratic desire of the people is at the core of mutual respect, and as such China should and must respect the decision of Myanmars peoplea decision that can be consolidated by a referendum.

On this issue, it is critical for people to rise above politics. The very same people that elected the NLD to power are, at a minimum, owed a stake in the progress of a project that affects their country.

Aung Zin Phyo Thein is a graduate student in the U.K. whose independent research focuses on the Belt and Road Initiative.Dateline U Ko Ni Assassination: The Prosecution Lawyers View of the Trial

This week, The Irrawaddy marks the 2nd anniversary of the lawyers assassination by asking the prosecutor in the case about the prospects for justice.

Kyaw Kha: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the assassination of National League for Democracy (NLD) legal adviser U Ko Ni. Today well discuss whether justice can be done in U Ko Nis case. Im The Irrawaddy chief reporter Kyaw Kha and Im joined by U Nay La, the prosecution lawyer in U Ko Nis case.

U Ko Ni was bold and outspoken in his calls for amending the 2008 Constitution and promoting democracy in Myanmar. You were his friend, and also serve as the prosecution lawyer in his case. Do you think certain things he envisioned have been achieved under the current government?

Nay La: I heard that the proposal to [debate the setting up of a committee to work on] amending the Constitution would be submitted to Parliament on Tuesday. Constitutional amendment is what U Ko Ni sought. He would rather have seen the Constitution rewritten, but under the circumstances, he focused on amending it. He also said the General Administration Department should not be under the Home Affairs Ministry [which is overseen by the military], but under the central and local governments. His wish was recently fulfilled. And he was vocal in his demand for that change. His wish was fulfilled nearly two years after his death. We dont know yet what changes will be proposed. But [charter reform] is the pledge of the NLD, and everyone knows that U Ko Ni pointed out each and every [undemocratic] provision to help the NLD amend the Constitution.

KK: U Ko Nis assassin was arrested immediately after the crime, and there have been criticisms over delays in the trial process. Could you explain these delays?

NL: It is partly because of [weaknesses] in the criminal justice system in Myanmar. And partly because the case was not well established. There were some weaknesses, as the case has to be prepared in a limited amount of time [set by the judicial system]. We have had to make up for those weaknesses. According to the newly adopted Evidence Law, we had to submit electronic records, footage from 160 CCTV cameras and telephone records to the court. There were 80 prosecution witnesses, and 72 were cross-examined. There were 70 defense witnesses, and 40 were cross-examined. These are the causes of the delays. Also, there were appeals lodged to the Yangon Region High Court by both the prosecution and defense sides. And there were delays at the High Court. I would like to add to what I said regarding the case not being well established. When I serve as the prosecution lawyer for U Ko Ni, I am under the control of the Union Attorney-Generals Office. I was asked to question the suspects. And it took me three days to question each one. So, all these [factors] caused delays. And we have had to make up for weak evidence. These are the main causes of the delays in the trial process. Normally, a trial hearing is held once a week. But in U Ko Nis case, they have been held twice a week. So, it cant be said that the trial process is taking too long.

KK: There has been considerable criticism regarding the failure of police to arrest Aung Win Khaing [the suspected mastermind of the crime]. What is your view?

NL: The Myanmar Police Force including the Special Intelligence Department and the Criminal Investigation Department are not below par compared to the police forces of other countries. An arrest warrant has been issued for [Aung Win Khaing], allowing anyone, not just the police, to arrest him. My conclusion is that he has not been arrested because concerned authorities havent made sufficient efforts.

KK: To what extent is he important in U Ko Nis case?

NL: Discussions of the motive in the killing [of U Ko Ni] are speculative; we have not been able to establish a motive during the trial. Presumably we would be able to do so if Aung Win Khaing was arrested. So, it is very important that Aung Win Khaing is arrested.

KK: Some suggest that Aung Win Khaing has been killed so that he can tell no tales. But I recall you once said that Aung Win Khaing is still inside the country and you questioned why he had still not been arrested?

NL: Yes, I did. I questioned why a suspect who is still inside the country could not be arrested. [Witness] Aung Soe said that Aung Win Khaing is dead. But I wont assume that he is dead until his body is found. I dont think he was killed. I believe he is hiding in a very safe place within his community.

KK: Ex-military officials were involved in the murder of U Ko Ni. So, people have become interested in knowing who masterminded the murder. In movies, the mastermind is usually revealed at the end. Do you think the mastermind will be identified at the end in U Ko Nis case?

NL: Ex-military officers and those who were dismissed from the military are involved in the murder. But we cant say the Tatmadaw [Myanmars military] is itself involved. Secondly, there are two parts to this case. Regarding the mastermind, we have [as possible suspects] Aung Win Khaing, a retired Army lieutenant-colonel, who is still at large, and Zeya Phyo, who is also an ex-military officer. Aung Win Zaw and Kyi Lin constitute another part [of the case]. Aung Win Khaing wanted to kill [U Ko Ni], and Aung Win Zaw sought an assassin. Frist, he reached Naga Lay, then Aung Soe. As they didnt take the job, he finally reached Kyi Lin. Kyi Lin had little experience [as an assassin], though he is a crook. He had to hire him as there was no other choice. We are still struggling to establish the motive for the murder.

KK: U Ko Ni was vocal in his demand that the Constitution be rewritten. Why do you think he was murdered?

NL: U Ko Ni consistently called for constitutional change before and after the NLD took office. When I traveled to foreign countries before U Ko Nis death, I was asked if U Ko Ni was the only legal expert in Myanmar. After his death, I was asked both inside and outside the country if Myanmar is devoid of legal experts. I didnt answer those questions. But here today, I will answer them. My answer is that U Ko Ni was an outspoken, bold person. But I dont think he was murdered over [his demands] for constitutional amendment alone, as you have suggested. There might be other reasons. But he was a person who boldly criticized the Constitution, and pointed out [its shortcomings]. Thats [one reason] why he faced a tragic fate, I would say.

KK: Some would say serving as a prosecution lawyer in U Ko Nis case is fraught with danger, as the murder was [committed by] an organized crime group. Have you received any threats or suffered any harm?

NL: I dont want to elaborate on this. I have received many threats, though I have not been physically harmed. I expected such things, serving as the prosecution lawyer. I mentally prepared for it, and I took up the job because I think I can cope with it.

KK: Police Colonel Win Min Thein was the chief of airport security at the time of the murder. I noticed that he failed to appear in court. To what extent does that negatively affect [the defense].

NL: Aung Win Zaw said he and Aung Win Khaing were at Yangon International Airport at the time of the assassination to visit Police Col. Win Min Thein. He said his son was about to complete pilot training and that he visited the police colonel to ask him to arrange a job for his son. They said the police colonel is an important witness for them. But the police colonel didnt show up in court. He officially sent a letter to the court informing them that he could not come. From this, we can conclude that he denies the suspects claim. There is another point. The murder took place at the airport. The police colonel, who was the chief of airport security, didnt come to the crime scene and didnt take any part in the investigation of the assassination. Nothing was mentioned in the dossier about his response [to the crime]. So, I dont think he is an important witness, no matter what the suspects say.

KK: What penalties do the suspects face?

NL: They are charged under 302. (1) (b)/34, which is conspiring to commit murder. The maximum penalty is death.

KK: The suspects, who face the death sentence if convicted, have been smiling throughout the trial. I feel that something is wrong. Can you explain how executions work in Myanmar?

NL: I have long wanted to talk about this. Myanmar is one of the countries that practices judicial execution. The death sentence is accepted in Myanmar for the sake of the rule of law. Currently, there are over 100 people [awaiting execution]. But none of them seem worried. What happens is, those who are sentenced to death typically have their sentences commuted to an indefinite jail sentence. Then, when another amnesty is granted, their sentence is commuted to 20 years in prison, which is known as life imprisonment in Myanmar. Then, in the labor camps, their sentence is reduced again through the parole process. So the maximum jail sentence the convicts on death row face is just 10 to 15 years. So, they are happy in the knowledge that they will not be executed and can eat well and stay at ease in prison.

KK: Overall, do you think justice can be done for U Ko Ni and U Ne Win [a taxi driver who was killed while trying to apprehend the assassin], and that the mastermind can be identified?

NL: To make a long story short, as the main suspects and mastermind have not been arrested, I dont think justice can be done properly.

KK: Why?

NL: The mastermind hasnt been identified; only the assassins have been identified. The mastermind and the assassins are different people. We cant say justice is served unless and until all the masterminds are identified.

KK: You mean it is unlikely that the mastermind will be identified?

NL: The mastermind must be unveiled sometime in the future for the sake of justice. This is what I believe.

KK: Thank you for your contribution!Photo: RCMP

RCMP have released more photos of the suspected gunman in a shooting that injured a transit officer in Surrey.

Police say they are still searching for Daon Gordon Glasgow, who they allege shot Const. Josh Harms on a transit platform during the busy commuter hours on Wednesday afternoon.

They say the mugshots span 20 years and illustrate how Glasgow has altered his appearance many times.

There has been a heavy police presence in the Bridgeview neighbourhood where the shooting took place, but RCMP say they are wrapping up their search.

Investigators say Glasgow may try leaving the province to evade police and they have notified officers in other jurisdictions to keep a lookout.

They say Glasgow is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large with respect to an unrelated incident.

An RCMP command post will remain at the Scott Road SkyTrain station parking lot so people with information about what happened can speak directly with officers.

Investigators are also asking anyone with dash camera footage from the area around the time of the shooting to come forward and a tip line has also been established.

Public officials, including Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and Premier John Horgan issued statements of support for Harms, who Metro Vancouver Transit Police say has been released from hospital.Everybody is in favour of the nurses. Before, during, and after the nurses strike last Wednesday, it was obvious that there was huge public support for their cause. Whether that support is based entirely on emotion or grounded in reason is a moot point.

How could anybody not be in favour of the nurses? The randomness of life, and inevitability of decline and death, means that most of us have needed their help at a vulnerable time.

One always holds a special place in the memory for those who recognise vulnerability and who offer comfort. And thats completely apart from the professionalism of the nurses.

The doctor or consultant is an occasional figure at the bedside, swooping down to offer expertise and diagnosis.

The nurse is the envoy at ground level, in whom patients and loved-ones confide, who reassures, who is constantly hovering, monitoring, recording results, and generally providing an air of control and care.

Understandably, most people would be sympathetic to nurses who feel undervalued and underpaid. (From my own experience, the healthcare workers who are really undervalued are care assistants. Their work is primal, requiring literally hands-on care and empathy, which cant be faked. Their pay is simply not commensurate with the work they do.)

The respect and affection for nurses ensures that when they go on strike for better pay, the public flocks to their standard en masse.

So do the politicians, who have a keen sense of the votes to be harvested in a cost-free, extremely popular cause. In that regard, some of the robust advocacy for the nurses this week was difficult to stomach. On every occasion and forum on which the matter was debated, there was a loud and mad rush by opposition politicians to the side of the angels.

This was particularly galling coming from Fianna Fail and, to a lesser extent, Sinn Fein, Labour, and the Social Democrats, simply because these parties have real aspirations to govern.

Does anybody believe for a second that Fianna Fail would handle this issue any differently to the current government? Ditto for the smaller parties, with allowance for a few tweaks here and there.

In any event, it all adds up to a serious emotional punch when nurses strike. They also have some reason on their side.

Nurses can cogently argue that they operate at the very heart of what is, in places, a completely disorganised health service. A case could be made that because they bear the greatest brunt of political and administrative mismanagement, their remuneration deserves to be enhanced.

They might also point to the news this week of the debacle of waste that is the national childrens hospital project and ask why the billions werent better directed at improving pay and conditions in a stressful working environment.

Another plank of their case is that they want and deserve to be on a pay scale equivalent to other professional health workers, such as physiotherapists and radiographers. This is a reasonable claim and might be explored in the context of whether some within the service, such as consultants, are overpaid.

Beyond those points, though, reason does not appear to be a friend to the nurses case.

Timing is the first problem. With Brexit looming, who knows which way the economic wind will blow. The Government is being asked to stump up at least 300m for a 12% hike in nurses pay. The cost usually increases, sometimes exponentially, after the award is made. Would it be responsible to respond positively to the pay demand?

Some predictions suggest that if Brexit goes pear-shaped, up to 55,000 jobs could be lost in the private sector in the short-term. With dark clouds looming, is there a case for any element of the public service receiving an unscheduled hike in pay right now?

There is also no getting away from the domino effect. Inevitably, any pay rise would trigger an avalanche of claims from elsewhere in the public service. Some of these would be undeserving, but others might have an even stronger case than nurses for an unscheduled rise.

The point is that unless some mechanism is found to isolate the nurses claim, the cost would be unsustainable in the current environment.

The biggest obstacle of reason to the nurses current pay claim is the premise on which it is advanced. The Irish Nurses and Midwifes Organisation claim that this is about recruitment and retention. This implies that, if nurses are given a 12% rise, many who are working abroad will be tempted home.

Is this a reasonable argument? The Public Service Pay Commission, which examined recruitment and retention in the system, was published last September. The commission found, among other things, that the only issue in this regard was in some specialised areas. It also found that:

Remuneration wasnt the main obstacle in those specialised areas experiencing a shortage of qualified personnel;

There were 5,494 first-preference applications for 1,830 nursing and midwifery undergraduate places in 2018; The average earnings for all HSE staff nurses and midwifes (excluding all promotional grades) in 2017 were approximately 51,000, including allowances and overtime payments.

All these points undermine the basis for the current strike, but the INMO doesnt accept the report. Should there be another examination of the issue? What if the result was the same? Would it still be wrong? Can any group that has excellent lobbying skills and public support simply smother unpalatable facts?

This gives rise to the overarching question about the premise for the strike.

Would one nurse be swayed to return home to the Irish health service if the 12% rise was granted? The public pay commission report says no. The INMO suggests theyd be flocking home by the new time.

Much of this stuff gets lost in the emotion, and understandably so. We live in a time when emotion often trumps reason. This is a growing feature of politics. The brand of populism retailed by the likes of the hard

Brexiteers or Donald Trump operates on the basis that facts are irrelevant to their emotional pitch. Elements of the media, likewise, have recognised that appealing to emotion should be the driving force of the news they produce.

In the case of the nurses, the emotion generated by their cause, and their decision to strike, is genuine and grounded in lived experience.

The balance of reason, in this particular campaign, however, is not in their favour. But in todays world, its not really clear how much that matters. The next few weeks, during which more strikes are scheduled to take place, will tell a lot.The nurses strike is about so much more than our nurses, writes Joyce Feegan.

Our striking nurse-force and our Governments hardline response, which includes legal consideration, strikes right to the heart of two things: One, where we are as a society, and two, where we are headed as a country unless we change tack.

The Government says the money is not there to meet the nurses pay demands. It would cost the exchequer or, us, you and me, 300m a year to bring their salaries in line with other health professionals.

The nurses tell us they can barely afford to live.

Some leave the public health system to work privately. Many emigrate to earn double the salary in Dubai or Australia.

There is, of course, the well-trodden path to London too. This, after four years of taxpayer funded education. And the Government tells us theyre worried about money? Irish taxpayers have, after all, been paying for the training of NHS nurses for years.

This is about money and its not about money. It is about value, plain and simple, economic value: Who creates it and who gets a share of it.

Who creates value in Ireland? The politicians and policy-makers? The merchants? The hoteliers providing board to cash-rich Asian and American tourists? Those in financial services who trade in stocks and shares?The developers? Pharmaceutical firms who export their wares around the world?

Yes, there is value creation there, for certain.

Do you support the nurses in their strike action? #nursesstrike  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) January 30, 2019

But what about those who play supporting roles so that politicians and policy-makers, bankers and developers, hoteliers and pharmaceutical workers, can go out to work and come home to a cosy nest, where their children are fed and watered and their ailing mother has been visited? Do those invisible, unpaid domestic roles provide value? You bet they do. But do we pay them?

What about paid care work in Irish society, those who change nappies day in, day out, who engage and educate our children, children who will one day run this country, support our pensions and carry out our triple bypasses?

Do creche workers create value? Certainly. And how do we compensate them? We pay them, on average, 10 an hour. And we all hear about how hard it is for some people to change nappies, even when its their own child.

What about at the other end of the spectrum, the elderly? Their carers, those who change both nappies and commodes? Those who smile and talk to our citizens with dementia, and play both the role of carer and surrogate son, when visitor numbers are low? Do nursing home staff create value?

Absolutely. And how do we pay for that value? With about 21.50 an hour.

And then, what about official carers, those who keep their loved ones out of the 1,000-a-week nursing homes and free up spaces in the public ones? Do they create value and economic savings? Sure. And how do we compensate them? Their allowance is between 214 and 252 a week.

This is as much about storytelling and as it is about cold hard numbers. When it comes to economics, we are used to hearing about only one type of value creator.

When seeking a promotion or salary increase in work, you are told to approach the boss from the angle of what value you bring.

I am a fee-earner, you might tell your manager in your legal practice.

I win business and clients, you might say to your boss in the accountancy firm. You show the cash value you bring and you get your compensation.

In society, weve traditionally seen merchants and traders, financial service professionals and developers as the ones who bring home the bacon. And those who create value, are the ones who get to extract it.

But we are wrong.

If we are to live in a society that requires two parents to do paid work, and where people are living longer, we are going to need a better healthcare and childcare system.

And in order to have a better healthcare and childcare system we need to radically redefine who creates economic value, so we can compensate people properly.

As economist and professor at University College London, Mariana Mazzucato says: Value is created collectively. Not only have we forgotten this, we point blank deny it.

Because nurses dont bring in export fees or pay corporate tax, we have dismissed their value. But anyone who has ever found themselves in a hospital ward, either as a patient or a visitor, will attest to the priceless role a nurse played in their hour of need.

The nurses strike is about so much more than our nurses. It shows us where we are as a society, namely that of rising economic inequality. It also shows us where we are headed unless we change tack.

According to the 2016 Economic Inequality in Ireland report, by TASC (Think-tank for Action on Social Change):

Ireland, Denmark, and the USA had similar levels of gross income inequality in the period from 1945 up to about 1980.

"Since then the three have diverged: In the USA inequality has increased dramatically; Ireland also experienced rising inequality, though not to the same extent; while inequality has been relatively stable in Denmark.

If we are headed somewhere we definitely dont want to be America, where 80,000 homeless people in Chicago alone are currently bracing themselves against temperatures of -22C and where the only maternity leave is a protection of your job for 12 weeks, but nothing more.

America shows us the poverty that comes when you dont invest in public services such as education and health, and when you put your head in the sand with regard to the reality and requirements of basic human care work.

But economic inequality is not inevitable.

In Denmark, with its small open economy like Irelands, there are much higher quality public services in healthcare, housing, public transport and education.

This provision of services, coupled with decent earnings, has led to far lower economic inequality and guess what else?

A sustainable and more competitive economy. But most of all, a better society.

This better society was created because politicians joined the dots between taxes, public services, family needs, and the cost of living.

We dont just need to stand with nurses, we need to stand with ourselves, if we are to join the various dots that will inevitably lead to the better society, and economy, that we are all in need of.TP OMahony charts the politicisation of religion and the potentially deadly consequences.

The bitter divisions, the bloody conflict, the sectarianism, bigotry, and pervasive mistrust that have been so much a part of the fabric of the North since partition were fuelled in large measure by a phenomenon we have come to a new appreciation of in the post-9/11 age  political religion.

The second tower of the World Trade Center explodes into flames after being hit by an plane on 9/11. Images of the attack carried out by 19 Muslim men sent shock waves around the world. Picture: Sara K Schwittek

This might be best defined as the harnessing and exploitation of religion for political ends  the hijacking of religion to serve secular objectives and goals.

In its crudest  and one of its deadliest forms  it was best exemplified by the Rev Ian Paisley and Paisleyism, especially between the publication of the first edition of the scurrilous Protestant Telegraph in April 1966 and the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998.

But it also had its green variety, as Martin Dillon, a BBC reporter who covered the North for 18 years, reminded us in his book, God and the Gun: The Church and Irish Terrorism. Catholicism, nationalism, and republicanism are interconnected The folk tradition of the gun in both communities carries with it a moral crusade in defence of the respective traditions, he wrote in 1990.

And throughout the 19th century, in the long struggle for independence from British rule, it was nationalism that sustained and legitimated the campaigns for Catholic emancipation, land reform, and Home Rule.

Outside of Ireland, there were other, later examples of religion being co-opted on the side of nationalist causes.

The success of religious nationalism since the latter part of the 20th century has surprised many commentators who believed that religion no longer had political significance in an era of nation states, according to Linda Woodhead, professor of sociology of religion at Lancaster University.

In 1979, for example, the increasingly secular state in Iran was overthrown by Islamic nationalists.

Religious nationalism is also a potent force in many other Islamic countries, as well as in India (Hinduism), Israel (Orthodox Judaism), and the former Yugoslavia (Roman Catholic Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, Islam).

But it wasnt until the 21st century that we witnessed the emergence of a political religion with a trans-national agenda. This is radical Islam, seeking the establishment of a universal caliphate.

Political religion has a very long history, but in its 21st century manifestations, it has assumed a virulent form of intolerance, misogyny, and oppressiveness that blossomed into a hatred of those who profess a different faith.

The latter are often categorised and ostracised (or worse) as heretics or infidels or blasphemers. The return of the Deity on the global stage (it would be a mistake to assume that the growing disenchantment with and disengagement from institutional religion in Ireland necessarily signifies a loss of faith in God) has been accompanied by a protean phenomenon with a very dark side  the rise and rise of political religion.

On 9/11, that dark side showed itself with fearful consequences.

The title of the 2009 book by the editor of the Economist and its Washington bureau chief  God Is Back  captured an important if unexpected truth about Western society.

It was unexpected because Gods obituary, famously penned by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in 1882 when he declared God is dead, had come to be regarded as a defining characteristic of Western culture, especially in the aftermath of two devastating world wars.

A woman shows her inked thumb after voting on the Philippine island of Mindanao last week on giving the nations Muslim minority greater control over the region.

Nietzsche had used the phrase to give expression to the notion that the 18th century Enlightenment had killed the possibility of belief in God; he sought to encapsulate the consequences of the Enlightenment for the centrality of the concept of God and belief in God within Western European civilisation which had been essentially Christian in character since the time of the Emperor Constantine.

Ever since the Enlightenment, there has been a schism in Western thought over the relationship between religion and modernity, John Micklethwaite and Adrian Wooldridge point out in God Is Back.

Europeans, on the whole, have assumed that modernity would marginalize religion. Americans, in the main, have assumed that the two things can thrive together. For most of the past 200 years, the European view of modernity has been in the ascendant.

"They go on to tell us that everyone who was anyone in European public life agreed that religion was dying  and that its effect on politics was ebbing.

The European idea, they say, that you cannot become modern without throwing off religions yoke, had a massive influence all around the world.

Most trend-setting books in the 1990s saw the world through secular lenses.

The big game changer was 9/11. Images of the shocking attacks by planes hijacked by 19 young Muslims on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC will live forever in the memory of all those who witnessed them on television. Viewers could hardly believe what they were seeing.

The geopolitical consequences of those attacks have been immense and far-reaching. The earth may not have stood still on 9/11, but the terrible events of that day altered dramatically the way we look at the world today, at global affairs, and at religion in particular.

In her preface to the second edition (2009) of Religions in the Modern World, Linda Woodhead of Lancaster University, summed up the changed appreciation of religion:

When the first edition was sent to the publishers in early 2001, the subject of religion in the modern world was still considered marginal by many people. In the intervening years, that situation has changed out of all recognition. Like it or loathe it, religion is back on the agenda again.

What has changed the most is thus the way we look at religion, and how seriously we take it. Religion is no longer dismissed as a private pastime, but it taken more seriously as a public and political force.

Religion has now entered the global age and breaks down frontiers. And it is now seen in many quarters  not least in policymaking circles in the worlds major capitals  in a new light.

More than ever before, religion is politically important today, and aspects of globalisation have undoubtedly contributed to this.

From the local to the global level, religion is  more than ever  an important and hotly debated part of modern life in the 21st century, according to Malory Nye, author of Religion: The Basics.

What 9/11 also did was reopen  with a new urgency  the old debate about religion and terrorist violence. This is a debate with a long pedigree; we need only think of the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, and the wars of religion that raged in the 16th and 17th centuries in the aftermath of the Reformation.

This is also a debate that has a particular pertinence to the Irish situation, due especially to the Troubles, which lasted from 1968 to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, causing more than 3,000 deaths. Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California, in a preface to the paperback edition of Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence, highlighted the central issue.

Perhaps the first question that came to mind when television around the world displayed the extraordinary aerial assaults on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, was why anyone would do such a thing?

When it became clear that the perpetrators motivations were couched in religious terms, the shock turned to anger. How could religion be related to such vicious acts?

At first glance, any link between religion and violence seems incongruous. Yet since the 9/11 attacks, the world has become acutely aware of what the novelist JG Ballard has called the sinister fusion of religion and politics.

For those of us accustomed to believe that religion is a force for good and a promoter of peace, and politics a means of creating a just and equal society, proof of the toxic and even lethal mix of the two has come as something of a shock.

This may be due to complacency, indifference or even ignorance on our part.

Did too many of us in the West accept that religion was somehow neutral when it came to politics, or that religion even occupied a separate sphere  and that the twain neer shall meet? Why would we ever think that religion might be political or that politics would harness or exploit or subvert religion for its own ends?

It began, some would argue, after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312AD, when Emperor Constantine, emerging victorious after fighting under the sign of the Cross (instructions received in a dream), bestowed great favours on Christianity, making it in effect the official (state) religion of the Roman Empire.

Attributing his victory to the Christian God, he forged a new alliance between altar and throne, between Church and State, marking the birth of political religion.

Its most modern  and extreme  manifestations are al-Qaeda and its offshoots and affiliates, Boko Haram, al-Shabab, and ISIS (or ISIL or Islamic State, and also the Taliban, though this movement is rooted in another branch of militant Islam known as Deobandism.

All the others are rooted in Wahhabism, named after its founder, Mohammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1791). This is a fundamentalist, puritanical and militant version of Islam that is the official or state religion of Saudi Arabia. The Deobandis, however, share many of the beliefs of the Wahhabis.

The politicisation of religion is almost as old as religion itself. Rulers have always been cognisant of the importance of having religion on their side, not because of any innate regard for religion (at least not in all cases) but because of its utility value.

Accordingly, over the centuries they have plotted and schemed and pursued associations and alliances to gain the advantages and benefits that would accrue from winning over religion.

Emperors, kings, princes, sultans, despots and tyrants have sought to harness, utilise, exploit and yoke religion for their own purposes, to advance their causes, to legitimise their regimes, to sanction their policies, or to pacify the masses.

Democratically elected leaders have also turned to religion with the aim of using it to bestow extra authority of the office of president or prime minister or Taoiseach and to bolster their programmes for government, or to underpin and divinely enhance their constitutions and charters of rights.

Conversely, down the ages, religious leaders  popes, patriarchs, archbishops, rabbis, ayatollahs and evangelical preachers  have shown a readiness to form alliances and pacts with states, governments, leaders of political movements and even dictatorships.

But these alliances were often entered into in the hope or with the intention that the state might confer privileged status on one particular religion above others, or in the expectation that the state might use its legislative apparatus to enforce a particular system of faith-based morality.

Members of the Bring Back Our Girls advocacy group protest in the Nigerian capital Abuja following the killing of a kidnapped female Red Cross worker by the Islamic Stateallied Boko Haram jihadists.

For secular leaders, the primary desire when entering an alliance with a Church or a religious organisation is, more often than not, the quest for legitimacy.

This pursuit of legitimacy was very much to the fore when the government of the newly-created Irish Free State sought to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

The appointment of a Nuncio to Dublin would have enhanced the standing of the government in the eyes of the public and also added a new element of legitimacy to the new State, especially within the international community.

In 1937, this was also a concern of Eamon de Valera when he despatched the secretary of the Department of External Affairs, Joseph Walshe, on a secret mission to Rome with a draft copy of the new constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) which was due to be put to the people for ratification by way of a referendum later in the year. Dev was hoping that Pope Pius XI would endorse the draft, thereby lending it important legitimacy for the voters of Catholic Ireland.

But the classic and most potent example of a legitimacy-producing-alliance in the 20th century, and one that would have huge long-term consequences in the 21st, occurred in 1932 and led to the creation of Saudi Arabia.

The historic compact between the House of Saud and the House of Abdul Wahhab, an itinerant mid-18th century preacher in central Arabia, has been the foundation stone of Saudi rule, explained David Gardner, international affairs editor of the Financial Times.

Abdul Wahhab and his heirs, in exchange for clerical control of education and justice, have cloaked the House of Saud with legitimacy, playing up the royal role of guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

It is surely one of the great ironies of post-Second World War history that the US made Saudi Arabia a key regional partner in the Middle East.

Yet it is Saudi Arabia, where the Wahhabi clerical establishment sets the moral agenda, which has spent billions of petro-dollars exporting its virulent anti-Western brand of Islam, so we finish up on 9/11 where 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, as was Osama bin Laden, who masterminded the attacks.

Some terrible things have already happened in this century in Gods name, and who is to say that more will not follow?

Thats the frightening reality of the dark side of political religion in the 21st century.Kya deLongchamps encourages us to stir the eras up in our interiors with a little polite planning, of course.

For my money, the most interesting interiors are accrued, layered, built over time by the act of life itself. Time passes. You holiday, you attend sales, you buy something, you are left or gifted something, you might even make something.

The result is a deeply personal eclectic collection that speaks instantly of you and your family  that personal journey.

Picture: iStock.

With the lauding of a new maximalism (lets call it the permission to crowd those shelves), theres never been a better time to stir antique and contemporary elements together. There are a few guidelines to stop these pairings of old and new to decline into a confusing, pretentious porridge. Balance, contrast and proportion are all key.

Generally, its easier to pick an antique theme to lead the space and add some bold, worthy vintage or newer elements, or to take a contemporary, modernist style and then bring forward some unexpected truly antique moments.

You might want to stick to period decorating, using mid-century modern or even art deco as your modern notes. All white rooms are generous hosts for a display of a variety of eras. Keep the floor treatments and walls muted.

A marriage of old, vintage and starkly new injects visual excitement and also suggests inter-generational collecting and inheritance  something you will notice in any great house open to the public, but still lived in by the same family for two or three hundred years.

When art deco shook up the interiors world in the 1920s, it wasnt introduced wholesale by most families  there was a touch here, a flash there. Carefully selected, in beautiful, crisp lines, it settled alongside and refreshed stuffy Edwardiana beautifully.

Treat this adventure as very much a matter of trial and error  if two things seem to be fighting, move them apart rather than giving up and taking one right out of the room. French salon style used in Paris apartment dressing shows this celebration of multiple eras off to the max, fuelled by the citys fantastic range of year-round antique markets.

The French loft dweller tends to err on the side of mixed luxury  using the best of various periods (or what appears to be the best) with just touches of the scuffed, utilitarian, re-purposed thing. Try the Clignancourt (Le Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen) and Porte de Vanves (Le March au Puces de Porte de Vanves).

Contrast enlivens any view and invites us to not only look, but to reach out and touch.

Hard meets soft, the round meets the angle, the old rubs up against the new. Just as you would when decorating generally, try contrast in colour, texture, shape, and material character of the pieces.

If the lines of the object are right, it might surprise you how easily it moves into another century of stuff. Bring in a new sumptuous contemporary hit of colour with fabric. Curtains, soft furnishings, throws and cushions are welcome interlopers to a stuck-up period room.

There is some highly ornate antique furniture, for instance fussy, Victorian sideboards with a lot of stages, carving and gliding that can be hard to accommodate with modernist accessorising.

Pared downlines in proper, hefty furniture and seating are a lot easier to work with. Over-sized things arent the problem  its the over-elaborate dominating thing that will tip the look over.

A popular expression (for the brave) is to use blisteringly modern chairs against the polished veneer of a politely shaped 19th-century period legged or pedestal table. Philippe Starcks ghost chair in neoclassical style by Kartell in transparent polycarbonate sits lightly in any space (2002). Vouch for grey to suit the most museum-level period place, 248, finnishdesignshop.com.

If you have a boldly modern open-plan room, for example, with polished hardwood parquet and Italian abstract carpets, try adding a huge Louis IVX mirror with a silvered frame writhing in carved detail (repro or real) to anchor the dining area.

With room to breathe  a single, fabulous old thing displays real confidence. If the mirror has damage to the mirror surface, leave its spectral reflection in place. Its history and honest ageing are what makes it stand out.

Some of the best lifestyle imagery in any glossy decorating magazine uses cumulus clouds of 18th-century crystal chandeliers hovering over new soft furniture suites  take a look.

There are stunning new lighting collections inspired by the 1950s onwards and taking in a new interest in even 1980s lounge styles, including pole lamps. If you cant afford something authentic and old, find the lines you like and shop the high street and second-hand stores.

Imagine a room weighed down with nice brown lean-lined furniture and Oriental carpeting gleaned largely from the mid to late 1800s. Its lovely, but with no aesthetic surprises.

The addition of a pony-skin Le Corbusier recliner and some great modernist prints or even a superb piece of sculpture can take a dull room to connoisseur chic.

Yes, you may have to pare back, rearrange, but the antique ballast can still discreetly take the lead.Rachel Marie Walsh tries out the latest skin balms on the market.

MULTI-PURPOSE BALM

BEST BUY

Magic Organic Apothecary The Green Balm, 18

All four here are also formulated by female skincare entrepreneurs. MOA founder Charlie Fowler began developing skincare so she could soothe her newborns eczema naturally. The Green Balm has a rich coconut, soya bean, and almond oil base. Beeswax, sunflower oil, and wound-healing yarrow root work to protect and restore chapped hands. This product is so comforting that the brand recommends mixing it with water and honey and gargling to sooth a sore throat.

[rating]5[/rating]

The Organic Pharmacy Organic Rose Balm, 35

TOP is a spa partner of the Muckross Park Hotel, Killarney, and reportedly used by time-defying Teuton Claudia Schiffer. This is one of its cult products, a tin of pink balm that smells of roses. The texture is quite thin, not at all the comforting, protective kind I want when its frosty, but these things are subjective. The base has sunflower, rosehip and Argan oils. Note that this balm is also high in St Johns Wort, which is a great antioxidant but can have a sensitising effect on skin when exposed to sunlight. It is therefore extra-important to combine this product with UV protection in daylight.

[rating]4[/rating]

Balm Balm Organic Fragrance Free Face Balm , 10.76 at balmbalm.com

Balms are great for comprehensive makeup removal but slathering your face with them seems like spoiling for a spot. I approached this product cautiously, double-cleansing and toning in advance. The formula is mostly shea, sunflower seed-oil, and beeswax, so it feels more like easy-spread butter than balm. Calendula and jojoba are all thats left on the ingredients list, making the whole mix baby-safe.

[rating]5[/rating]

White Witch Connemara Regenerating Skin Balm, 27.50

The White Witch Connemara is organic, vegan, ethically sourced and produced, plastics-free all that good stuff for which your wellness fanatic friends trawl the internet. More importantly, perhaps, this skin balm feels good  rich and comforting  is only very mildly fragranced. Starflower, rosehip, and calendula are key ingredients. This one also contains St Johns Wort, so UV protection is especially important.

[rating]5[/rating]

CLEANSING BALMS

BEST BUY

Pixi by Petra Nourishing Cleansing Balm, 23.50

If a full face of makeup is your usual, this cleanser is for you. Rich and lemony, this balm looks like it should be spread on crumpets. It is fragrance free and has a simple ingredients list, not so different from that of any of the multi-purpose balms above. This is not ideal for combination types but perfect for the dry or sensitive.

[rating]5[/rating]

Alpha-H Essential Cleansing Balm, 38, at marksandspencer.ie

I dont cleanse with balms in the morning because I dont sleep in makeup but testing any new cleanser in natural light is a good idea. Unlike serums or toners, which can take weeks to make a difference, you should be able tell whether a cleanser is working for you right away. Do you see residue? Surface dryness? Increased redness? The formula is fragrance-free and safe around the eyes. Its described by Alpha-H as a cleanser, makeup remover, tone and soothing balm. Given the lack of residue Id dispute the last two, though it left my skin completely calm and comfortable.

[rating]5[/rating]

Rodial Bee Venom Cleansing Balm, 78

Rodial puts a bee-sting allergy warning on this cleansers bottle. In truth, bee venom makes up so little of the formula that it is impossible for the allergy-free to determine the ingredients effects. The rest of it makes up a balm-to-milk, mildly exfoliating face wash. It makes short work of makeup but is perfumed enough to merit an eye irritation warning. It is definitely overpriced, especially as you need an additional eye cleanser to take the day off.

[rating]3[/rating]

Evolve Organic Beauty Gentle Cleansing Melt, 26 at arnotts.ie

This is another light balm-to-milk. Based on organic sunflower, baobab. and almond oils, it feels and smells wonderful. The brand also recommends it as a hydrating hair mask.

[rating]3[/rating]

CHEEK BALMS

Olio e Osso No.2 Lip and Cheek Balm, 28 at niche-beauty.com

I dont use cheek colour-balms much (I have low resistance to NARS Powder Blush in Sex Appeal, 32, its better than Orgasm), but these sticks are the best buys if you are frequently busy or dehydrated. They need no tools and barely any time. They moisturise and leave you looking and even feeling more refreshed. Olio e Ossos shade range favours warmer complexions but this one is rosy enough to look natural on the fairest of them all.

[rating]5[/rating]

Nip + Fab Fix Stix Blush, 13.95

Fix Stix are made to colour, highlight, contour, etc, in a pick-n-mix way. They are very similar to Fenty Beautys Match Stix, 24, but cheaper and limited shade-wise. The blush tones are quite deep but a colour-pop on the cheeks and lips can be a good look.

[rating]4[/rating]

BEST BUY

Pixi by Petra Multibalm Blusher, 14

This balm-to-powder formula is moisturising without being slick, so should stay put all day. Infused with aloe vera, shea butter, and rosehip oil, it also protects two parts of the face that are most vulnerable to wind. The colour range is very pretty. Baby Petal gives cheeks a natural, radiant glow.

[rating]5[/rating]

Lipstick Queen Black Lace Rabbit Blush, 25.50

Lipstick Queen does some colour-change products that work with the pH of your skin to create a bespoke shade. Frog Prince Blush, 25.50, for example, becomes your very own perfect pink. This one is a black balm that turns sheer berry cheek with gold shimmer. Enriched with Vitamin E and shea butter, it also gives skin a dewy glow.

[rating]4[/rating]Bordeaux is one of the most frustrating of all wine regions, mainly because it is also the biggest.

The top wines at Grand Cru Classe level are (almost) all over-priced and poor value these days but please dont despair, drinkable, digestible wine can still found at all price levels. Drinkability and digestibility are the two reasons I have not given up on the region as even at the top level Bordeaux is never showy and matches food brilliantly.

Economics mean I have given up on the likes of Chateau Lynch-Bages which these days sells for between 160-220 depending on the year. Early in my wine drinking career I remember buying off-year Lynch-Bages for under 30 punts, these days there are no off-years although you will find the 2012s a little cheaper than more famous vintages.

Vintage does still matter in Bordeaux but as elsewhere good winemakers make good wine most years. Bordeaux is a rather marginal climate (especially for Cabernet) but these days there are tricks that can be employed in both the vineyard and the cellar to mitigate against under-ripe or soggy grapes and even smaller petit-chateau are much more reliable.

The best vintages of recent years are (in my order of preference): 2010, 2009, 2008, 2015 and 2014. You will find lots of 2012 around and it is frequently charming and excellent value but stick to names you know  Ch Lanessan is excellent to name one (Vintry, Grenacres), but be careful of lesser Chateau  the same goes for 2013 and 2011. So far the 2016s seem promising and the only vintage I would avoid is 2007 which I have found charmless at all levels.

Chateau Loudenne is one classic Bordeaux you should get to know, it has new owners and branding and is converting to fully organic viticulture. A tasting last Autumn showed off some lovely older vintages including the soft savoury 1996, an elegant beautifully balanced 2009 and a big bright 2016. The current vintage you will most likely find is the rather charming 2012 which I review below. My suggestions this week include the current Loudenne red and white plus a couple of suggestions from Wines Direct who have always had a keen nose for good Bordeaux under 20. Supermarket Bordeaux is notoriously variable so buy with caution.

BEST VALUE UNDER 15

Chateau Bois-Pertuis 2015, Bordeaux, France  12.50

Stockist: Dunnes Stores

From the Right Bank of the Gironde Estuary near the Double Forest around 20km north of St-Emilion. Merlot flavours dominate, with bright juicy plum and chocolate-tinged fruit on the nose, supple and ripe with textured black fruits on the palate and a touch of spice.

Le Petit Courselles Les Copains Blanc, Vin de France  14.95

Stockists: Wines Direct Arnotts and Mullingar, winesdirect.ie

This is from the Gironde but contains a portion of Chardonnay for richness so cant be called Bordeaux. Citrus and tropical fruit aromas, creamy and soft on the palate, with some apple freshness and textured balanced crispness. The bright juicy red version contains some Syrah and is also recommended.

Chateau Haug Garriga 2015, Bordeaux, France  13.15

Stockists: Wines Direct Arnotts and Mullingar, winesdirect.ie

Warmer years such as 2015 allow the petit-chateau wines to shine a little brighter. This is 100% Merlot and drinking nicely now  aromas of plums and strawberries, supple and soft with more red fruits on the palate and a touch of structure for balance. Excellent value.

BEST VALUE OVER 15

Chateau Haut Rian 2015 Cotes de Bordeaux, France  15.95

Stockist: Wines Direct Arnotts and Mullingar, winesdirect.ie

From a small family-owned producer who trained in Australia so he understands the importance of fruit. Cotes de Bordeaux is underrated and often a source of value-focused, Merlot-dominated wines. This has chocolate and black fruit aromas, full flavoured with lingering plums and chocolate, texture and a little structure but with a pleasing, Merlot-dominated finish.

Loudenne Le Chateau 2012, Medoc Cru Bourgeois  29.95

Stockists: Shiels Londis, Callans Dundalk, Sweeneys, wineonline.ie

While 2012 is one of the weaker years of the last decade, producers with more Merlot plantings generally did better. It also helps that Loudenne has 300 years of practice. This is 50-50 (with Cabernet Sauvignon) and has cedar, cherry, and spice on the nose, a soft, subtle palate with an overall savoury character. Classical rather than opulent but drinking well now.

Loudenne Le Chateau Blanc 2015, Medoc, France  29.95

Stockists: Molloys, wineonline.ie

This is 70% Sauvignon and 30% Semillon with all the Semillon fermented in barrel, along with a good portion of the Sauvignon. The barrel conditioning softens out the Sauvignon and gives aromas of brioche and candied pear, supple and textured with white peaches and tropical touches and a mineral, citrus-fresh core.

- Contact Leslie Williams at wine@examiner.ieA new TV series looks at Irelands struggle for freedom by focusing on the part played by ordinary people throughout the country, writes Ailin Quinlan.

Were used to viewing the story of Irelands struggle for freedom in a top-down way through the prism of the lives of leading figures such as Maud Gonne, Michael Collins and Eamon De Valera.

However, a fascinating new TV series on the War of Independence sets out to do the exact opposite.

It tells the story of this war as a movement of untold thousands of ordinary people based in parishes across the country. The War of Independence was fought by the Irish Republican Army against the British between 1919 and 1921 when the fighting stopped while a peace treaty was worked out.

The War of Independence is not just the story of Collins and De Valera.

Usually when a story is told, its about a big figure like Michael Collins but what we really wanted to get across is that this is basically the story of a movement that was based in parishes and was organic, explains Dr John Crowley, lecturer at UCCs Department of Geography, who, along with colleagues Dr Donal ODriscoll and Dr John Borgonovo of the School of History and cartographer Mike Murphy from the Department of Geography, acted as advisor to the three-part series which begins this week.

We created a series of maps which show the mobilisation and radicalisation of the Irish population thought the period.

The maps show IRA companies in different areas around the country and the network of Cumann na mBan branches. In effect, our maps show the regional spread of these movements.

The maps, he explains, also illustrate the street-level devastation caused by incidents during the war, such as the Burning of Cork in December 1920: The maps can show individual buildings which were burned. You can see the same from the attack on Lisburn  it is that detailed  at street and almost at building level.

You can literally see where raids took place at street level in particular towns by using these maps. And this is crucial, because, unlike the Easter Rising of 1916 which was based in Dublin, the War of Independence was also very much fought on a regional level, particularly across rural counties such as Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, and Clare.

IRA 4th, 5th battalion at Ballinard Castle in Co Tipperary. Source: Sean Sharkey Archive

You get to see the destruction caused by the War of Independence. You get snapshots and a birds eye view which you wouldnt normally get, right down to local areas because of the mapping process, explains UCCs Director of Cultural Projects Virgina Teehan, who along with Colm Crowley, head of RTE Cork, acted as executive producer to the series and spent three years developing it.

The other interesting nugget is that we can see how those events affected everyone. The history we were taught in school came from the big personalities but this series is more about the ordinary people on the ground and how their lives changed.

Says Ruan Magan, producer and writer/director of The Irish Revolution: What we wanted to put across in the series, is that this is a peoples revolution.

Magan boasts an enviable historical pedigree  his great granduncle was The ORahilly, one of the Irish Volunteers in the GPO during the Rising and also one of the leaders who died during it.

Magan also takes pride in the fact his grandmother Sighle Humphreys was one of 20,000 Irish women who joined Cumann na mBan in the years afterwards.

She never let a day go by without talking about the struggle, he recalls.

IRA by battalion area. Original map: Tyrone Productions

So, while the big names certainly feature in the series, whats important to remember, he emphasises, are the ordinary people who played such a pivotal role.

These included some 100,000 IRA members all over the country  of whom about 3,000 were actively involved in armed attacks, as well as 20,000 members of Cumann na mBan and untold numbers of others.

The key to winning was the people around the country who were constantly frustrating the British.

They didnt serve them in shops or drive their trains. They were digging trenches in roads, cutting through communications systems and acting as spies and informers.

We filmed all over the country and we went to huge effort to visualise the places where key events happened, for example Knocklong in Co Limerick where an RIC man was killed during a rescue attempt by the IRA of one of their members.

People throughout the country such as this group of IRA men played their part in the struggle. Source: Cork Archives

The series also features the events at Kilmichael in Cork, where a convoy of auxiliaries was attacked by Tom Barry and where some auxiliaries were killed in controversial circumstances, and Lisburn, where the IRA assassinated an RIC inspector causing a massive backlash from loyalists.

The series, which is co-produced by Tyrone Productions and Create One in conjunction with UCC and RTE, is narrated by movie star Cillian Murphy and features the music of Pol Brennan of Clannad.

The documentary has grown out of the internationally hugely successful book The Atlas of the Irish Revolution, produced by UCC two years ago.

We decided that, as the 1916 Rising was well covered, that we would focus on the War of Independence, says Magan.

Much of the activity happened in Munster, especially in Cork.

What comes out again and again is how focused the War of Independence was in the Munster counties of Tipperary, Clare, Limerick, Kerry but particularly in Cork.

Its believed one of the reasons for this is that many of those rebels were prepared to fight in 1916 but stood down following receipt of a countermanding order during that period.

However, many also felt a sense of shame for not fighting, Magan explains, and remained always at the ready.

As part of their research for the documentary, Magan and his team consulted some of the most respected academics in Ireland, the UK and USA to tell the story, but also made room for the voices of ordinary people from the period: The very interesting thing is that we also have the voices of people telling stories through interviews with witnesses of and participants in the War of Independence, which date from the 1970s and 80s.

The story comes from the perspective of participants and witnesses on both sides, he adds: Many Catholics had joined the RIC and they took the brunt of the first stage of the war.

So effective was the IRA campaign against their own people that the RIC retreated from 400 of the 700 barracks around the country and their wives and children were boycotted and ostracised.

It was a brutal and dirty war and we would be wrong to over-glamorise it; it was a necessary war but it was brutal. There were atrocities committed by both sides.

It is fascinating because youre looking at the most powerful empire in the world with the strong army in the world and an ill-armed rebel army managed to wear down the British and even force them to put up their hands and say theyd had enough.

It was all down to the guerrilla war approach. The IRA would attack and disappear into the hills again, and nationalists across the country were willing to protect and hide them. If the war had not had the support of the Irish people it wouldnt have worked.

Another crucial factor in the success of the War of Independence, he observes, was the emergence of a radical generation in the years previous to it: From about 1910 you saw people in their 20s and 30s imagining a new Ireland. They were modern, they believed in feminism and womens suffrage and socialism, and in an egalitarian society and sexual liberation.

Without that generation which included luminaries of the likes of pointing Terence McSwiney, Maud Gonne, Countess Markievicz and The ORahilly, Magan observes, neither the Easter Rising nor the War of Independence would have happened.

Terence MacSwiney. Source: RTE archives

This radical generation triggered it,  he says, They were dreamers who were willing to stand and demand that society change because society was very conservative at that time.

Most people just wanted Home Rule and leave it at that but these people said we can have so much more; Ireland could be a beacon of liberation and equality in the world.

Its been a hugely exciting project, says Teehan who has just moved from her current post in the Presidents Office at UCC to take up the job of CEO at the National Heritage Council.

The series successfully harnesses a huge public interest in Irish history while at the same time presenting research and scholarship in an accessible way to a very wide audience, she says.

Traditionally history has been presented in books and when academics carry out research they normally produce a book.

However, we are taking key information from the Atlas and presenting it in a visually attractive and very informative way for the wider public.

Concludes Crowley: This is a fantastic opportunity for people to engage with their history. History and geography have important contributions to make to the education of our young people. We are deeply concerned by the decision to make both of these subjects optional at Junior Cert level. People need to know about their own place; about its history and geography.

- The first episode of the series will be broadcast at 9.30pm on RTE 1 Monday February 4.Kya deLongchamps reminds us that quality, materials, and even our heating choices should inform our choice in new flooring.

Flooring choices can be exciting. Follow our practical tip sheet to get your feet back on the ground and choose appropriate, hardworking flooring that will perform and endure.

Heating systems

Under-floor heating is the new standard for sustainable heat-pump-fed heating systems. Its commonplace downstairs and in some one-off homes, used for part of all of upstairs requirements. Nearly energy zero houses may rarely deploy their heating system, but lets assume were still using a backup for those colder months.

The inclusion of under-floor heating in say, an extension (where the invasive installation process is practical) should inform your flooring choices.

That decorative surface is the final heat-emitting layer of the slab. We dont want to interfere with the heat output of the under-floor heating system or to wreck any flooring with the necessary temperatures. Most of us will want the room at about 21C.

To gently radiate heat back to the room, tile, stone and polished concrete over screed (the tile being under 20mm thick) are ideal. Tough and dense, all these materials act as a highly conductive heat store.

The heat-up time and output of an under-floor heating will suffer under inappropriate thick wood flooring or heavy, insulating tog carpet or even large rugs with low thermal conductivity. Its important to choose carpeting that will allow the heat to penetrate through the material rather than trapping it against the floor. Look for a tog value of no more than 2.5, and (crucially) a dedicated under-floor heating underlay with high thermal conductivity.

Wood flooring is reactive to heat and humidity and should be suited to temperatures of at least 27C. As it is laid close to the subfloor, its very important the product is right for under-floor heating. If the house is inadequately insulated, the floor may be working hard to get the rooms to 21C, and the floor may become relatively hot.

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Solid and engineered wood flooring has superb structural stability, but not every wood will work. Karhs for example, advises against some of its flooring due to potentially cupping and joint expansion problems due to the inevitable, standard moisture changes with wood flooring and under-floor heating (beech and hard maple parquets). Theres a wide spectrum in terms of price (30-300 per metre installed) but start with a great board of 14mm (D) or more.

Ensure you specify wood, carpeting and even larger rugs rated for under-floor heating (check with the heating engineer first), and have it professionally installed by someone who understands the under-floor heating system needs. For something different try quality vinyl including Kardean and Amtico, bamboo or even rubber flooring with a good 27C rating for under-floor heating and its dedicated subfloor materials.

Hard to soft

The sensation of whats underfoot matters to most of us. Keep in mind with under-floor heating, that cold floor shock is over. Extensive carpeting though luxurious in a rich pile, is not the only snug choice for that one-off build, extension or renovation.

Concrete is an increasingly high design choice. Having seen the results in my house reviews for the Irish Examiner, Ive been floored by its beauty, originality and performance. Poured concrete can be introduced during a build or retrofitted in a screed recipe.

i29 interior made use of simple materials like natural oak wooden panels -or stained black to combine with the rough pinewood facade- and a continuing polished concrete floorhttps://t.co/1y1xTMXKRs pic.twitter.com/gTsrJcYhni  Archello (@Archello) January 31, 2019

Its an exciting option that delivers a tough, bulletproof, seamless finish, and encases under-floor heating, working as a masonry heat store. With inclusions, polishing and even impressions to the drying floor the creative possibilities are limitless. Price per metre compares with a top class hardwood flooring (75 plus) depending on the individual project.

With a warm, ever so slight surrender under-foot, the flexible, layered construction of vinyl adds a cushioned spring to the step and increases durability. Its a perfect compromise for upstairs childrens rooms where it can be mopped off with ease and dressed in comfy rugs. Its installation should deliver a mirror flat, perfect finish.

Waterproof, and easy to clean, marmoleum is an environmentally friendly lino using linseed oil, rosins, wood and cork flour  all-natural ingredients that require little energy to harvest. Look up its 300 colours and subtle marbled patterns. From 40-44m sub-floor preparation extra, forbo.ie.

Noise

Hard flooring upstairs or in an open-plan situation may be easy to whip over with a vacuum, but it can lead to high levels of internally generated noise and sound transfer, between the rooms and floors of your house and for anyone in a terrace of semi-D. Bald timber stairs can be horribly percussive with bounding teenagers, the impact and its vibration, truly maddening for those downstairs.

Your builder should address the complex issues surrounding acoustic insulation through regulation standard building materials and techniques starting in the joists. Beyond that, a noisy floor requires layers  preferable thick, high-tog carpeting (wall to wall or in runners and rugs) and underlay.

Anyone selling you carpet with experience and integrity will go on and on about underlay quality. Listen to them. Theres even a 100% natural underlay for wood flooring and carpeting. Silent wool, 20m x 1m lengths from 199, purchase.ie.

Durability

Any flooring is only as good as its material quality and the quality of the installation. In short, you get what you pay for in terms of the product and preparation. However, there are other caveats, pros and cons.

Starting with carpet. The best carpeting is 100% wool or a very high wood blend (80%/20%) largely delivered in a New Zealand wool. Its durable, relatively expensive, but in a sensible colour will last for decades if well cared for. Cut pile is more resilient than looped carpeting. The longer the pile or the more ingredient of synthetic you go for, the more flattening you will endure between vacuums. Press your thumb into the sample. Expect it to feel dense with a little push back.

Before & After We offer a bespoke hand finishing service where you can choose from a selection of ready made coloured oils and stains which allow you to colour your new floor to match your new or existing interior design. #eden #edenhardwoodflooring #edenteam #services pic.twitter.com/e6medmcAou  Eden Hardwood Flooring Ltd. (@EdenHardwood) January 30, 2019

Seriously damaged carpet presents a problem as its delivered in large pieces. If you cannot move your furniture over a permanent stain, youll have to endure it.

Short high-quality piles or hard flooring protected by rugs in high-traffic areas are perfect. Good underlay takes the weight and damage out of footfalls. Dont skimp. Synthetic carpet can be cleaned with a part bleach cleaning solution and, despite their economical finish, offer high stain resistance and durability from 10 per metre.

Where solid wood can be sanded repeatedly, modern, laminate flooring (compressed fibreboard plank) is also surprisingly durable at 10 - 60 per sq m.

Marmoleum Terra is a close, tight and highly contrasting structure inspired by igneous rocks. Terra combines a sophisticated small scale marbled structure with great soil hiding properties. Check it out here: https://t.co/IcC9urQQTZ pic.twitter.com/kl3KWP8v6Y  Forbo Flooring (@ForboFlooringNA) January 30, 2019

Flooring measuring 12mm is weighty enough to handle heavy going in halls, kitchens and more, and as with all appropriately sited laminates abrasion from footfalls should not be a problem for up to 15 years of use with a good foam underlay. It will finally give at the joints and show irreparable damage to the top photographic print. Expect to pay in the area of 20 sq m ex-installation.

Stone and porcelain tiling are Clint Eastwood-tough. Tiling wipes the floor with wood for stains and water damage, so for hard-pressed high humidity areas, its a superb choice. Budget choice: ceramic tile with a convincing repeat pattern.

Just a word here about grout gap size. Having installed a popular rectified type tile (set edge to edge) Ive discovered personally how difficult it is to regrout rectified tile or to replace a single damaged tile. Areas of lippage over undulating substrate can lead to edge chips. Pay a pro.Photo: Contributed

A Kelowna tech company won't have to worry about financing for the short, or the long term.

Mazu, a company that provides online protection for kids around the world, was close to shutting its doors after a dispute with the Southern Interior Development Investment Trust (SIDIT) scuttled financing that would have kept the doors open.

Founder and CEO Janice Taylor took her story public more than a week ago because her staff had gone unpaid for three weeks and she was concerned a delay in financing would shut the company down.

Since the story went public, Taylor says "the response was phenomenal."

"As soon as your stories hit, the phone calls started coming in," she said.

One of the first was Gary Brandner from Valley Curbing, a shareholder with Mazu.

"He walked over and gave us a ($50,000) cheque to cover everyone's payroll," said Taylor.

"I cried."

She heard from money lenders and financial institutions from Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, all with the same piece of advice.

"Buy the SIDIT loan out. They said it was absolutely ridiculous that SIDIT wouldn't subordinate as a trust to a company like ours."

She also received a $2 million to $4 million equity investment offer.

"We have since said no to that, but it gives us great leverage for others."

Taylor said one of the financial institutions OKR Financial (Old Kent Road), is interested in working out a financing agreement with Mazu.

OKR is a Calgary-based company which provides bridge financing for companies applying for federal SR&ED tax credits or grants.

Taylor says they are working on a financial package of nearly $1 million which would completely buy out SIDIT and provide working capital until Mazu is ready for its next investment offering.

The financing would eliminate more than $450,000 from SIDIT while providing that much in capital.

As for SIDIT, Taylor says she truly hopes they get their house in order.

"For all of us the feedback we've received from the different financial institutions is they do need to get to the bottom of this SIDIT issue.

"It's a big fund, a $50 million fund that is affecting the livelihood of a lot of companies. It's a bit of an embarrassment when people from the other side of the country are reading about this over a subordinating document. "

Throughout all of this, Mazu also learned it will be one of just 20 tech companies worldwide to be featured at South By Southwest in Austin TX.

The conference has helped launch such companies as Twitter and Foursquare.There will be no prosecutions arising from an accident near the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry where an American couple died, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed.

Normand Larose, aged 62, from Canada but living in Phoenix, Arizona, and his partner Joy Few, aged 64, also from Arizona, were killed on April 9, 2018.

They had been travelling by horse and trap through the narrow Gap of Dunloe mountain pass when their horse suddenly left the road and plunged several metres down a rocky ravine.

They were on a family holiday last Easter with Ms Joys daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren, who were travelling in a horse and trap behind them.

The experienced jarvey Dan Casey, from Kilgarvan, escaped physical injury but was hospitalised for shock and the horse was put down at the scene.

The family has a period of two months to appeal the DPPs direction.

A separate investigation by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) last night said it has also concluded its investigations and it will not be bringing charges.

Investigators believe it was a freak and tragic accident at a point in the road where there is a ravine. No one knows what caused the horse to fall.

It was essentially a road traffic accident, a spokesman for the HSA said. He said the HSA will not be making recommendations arising from the investigations. Last August, the inquest into the death of Mr Larose opened in Killarney for the purposes of issuing a death certificate. Death was the result of blunt force trauma with severe brain injury due to a fall onto rocks.

The inquest into Ms Fews death will open in March, but is likely to be adjourned as it falls within the familys timeframe to lodge an appeal.

Last year, the council accepted a recommendation from the coroners court to erect signage after another American tourist, Janet Price, 69, died on a cycle through the Gap. Ms Prices husband said she was an inexperienced cyclist and would not have undertaken to cycle through the Gap had she been aware of the dangers. Ms Price had rounded a bend and collided with a sheep trailer.

The coroner and the jury said tourists should be made aware of the dangers of the route and of the multiplicity of road users on the Gap.Ex-Fianna Fail minister and MEP election candidate Conor Lenihan has rejected claims that his close Russian business ties risk making him Irelands answer to Donald Trump, saying he has nothing to hide over his post-Dail work.

Mr Lenihan dismissed suggestions that his MEP seat bid could be open to the claims, joking he does not have the same wealth as Mr Trump and is more polite than the US president.

At the official launch of his campaign to become Fianna Fails Dublin candidate, Mr Lenihan said he understands the public interest in his Russian work since losing his Dail seat in 2011.

However, during a launch where he also criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkars hardline Brexit tactics and defended his ministerial record, Mr Lenihan emphasised that he has been completely transparent over his Russian work  and insists his business experience will be of benefit as an MEP.

Ill avoid any analogy or comparison with Trump because Trump I am not. First of all I dont have his money and secondly I think Im a bit more polite with people than he is, Mr Lenihan joked.

Do I have anything to hide or worry about in terms of my work in Russia? Absolutely not. I worked in a professional capacity there. I in no way depend or owe any due obligation or otherwise to the Russian state other than a nice thank you to those who hired me, he said.

Three months after the 2011 general election, Mr Lenihan took up a vice-president role with the Moscow-based innovation and tech hub the Skolkovo Foundation where he remained until 2014.

Mr Lenihan said he is not an apologist for Russian president Vladimir Putin and that he believes Russia may have influenced the 2016 US presidential election.

Asked if the European parliament is a retirement home for former TDs, he said he is not a retired politician, Im a recovering one who has been off the political sauce since 2011.

Mr Lenihan said his business experience is crucial for what Ireland needs in Brussels. While saying he does not want to be too critical of Taoiseach Leo Varadkars tough stance against Britain over Brexit, Mr Lenihan said Ireland should consider stretching out an olive branch to London due to both countries close business links.

Mr Lenihan also criticised any party that fails to reach its candidates gender quota, and said he welcomes more women entering politics.

He championed ex-tanaiste Mary Harney as a prime example of a woman who was well able to mix it with men, she wasnt running around saying Im being bullied or a victim, she was in there giving everything, before quickly clarifying: No, no, god, I dont want to be misrepresented. What Im saying is she got stuck into the Dail and competed on the same basis.Gardai investigating the activities of dissident Republican groups in Co Louth have recovered a significant weapons cache just a few kilometres from the border.

A substantial quantity of ammunition and a suspected mortar tube were recovered during the planned operation.

The haul was described by gardai as significant. It is believed that the weapons are in working order and are not historic materials.

The ammunition recovered is of varied calibre and of substantial quantity, according to gardai. The suspected mortar tube is due to be examined by Garda ballistics experts.

Searches began early yesterday morning at a wooded area just outside Omeath on the Cooley Peninsula in a pre-planned operation against the activities of dissident Republicans.

Gardai from stations in Co Louth were aided by several specialist units.

This included the Special Detective Unit, which investigates terrorism, and emergency response units.

The army explosive ordinance disposal team was also at the scene and a full cordon was in place.

Gardai said that searches would recommence at first light this morning and continue throughout the day.

A Garda operation is currently underway in Co Louth as part of ongoing investigations targeting the activities of dissident Republican groups, a statement from gardai said.

As part of the investigation, a search operation commenced this morning on lands near Omeath on the Cooley peninsula. During the searches to date, gardai have recovered a substantial quantity of ammunition of varied calibre along with a mortar tube.

No arrests have yet been made in connection with the searches.

The seizure comes just a fortnight after a car bomb was detonated in Derry.

The incident, which is being investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, has been claimed by a group calling itself the IRA.

Nobody was injured in the blast on Bishop St, close to Derrys courthouse.

Five people were arrested after the bombing and later released without charge.

Both incidents come amid renewed fears about the introduction of border infrastructure after a hard Brexit. Gardai and PSNI officers have warned that a hard border could become a target for dissidents.Gardai are investigating after two men were allegedly assaulted in Co Cavan yesterday.

Quinn Industrial Holdings said in a statement to the BBC that two of its directors were the victims of the alleged assault at a shop in Ballyconnell.

The company, which is based in Fermanagh but has operations in the Republic of Ireland, said the two men required medical treatment.

In the statement, Liam McCaffrey, the chief executive of Quinn Industrial Holdings, said it was "a vicious physical assault on two of our senior management team as they as they bought their lunch in a local store".

"Cowardly unprovoked attacks of this nature cannot be allowed to go unpunished and we trust the authorities will deal with this accordingly," he said.

Gardai said they are investigating an assault which occurred in Ballyconnell at 1.30pm yesterday.

In a statement, they said: "Two males received facial injuries, which are not believed to be serious.

"No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing."

The company was once run by businessman Sean Quinn.A costly review will tell us mistakes were made, but not necessarily who made them, writes Catherine Shanahan.

Who knew what and when, and who told who, and when they told them, will be scrutinised in a review of what caused the costs of the new national childrens hospital to spiral so far out of control, that it must surely have career-ending consequences.

The site of the new national childrens hospital. How are we heading for 2bn when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in his former role as health minister, said the project would cost 650m? Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins.

Except that it wont, according to the last little line in the terms of reference of the PwC review of escalating costs, which says it will stop short of determining culpability at the individual level.

Its how we roll in Ireland, blaming everything and no-one.

Or is it? Right after the terms of reference came out Health Minister Simon Harris said there will be accountability.

Let me even go further, he said.

There will be personnel changes of some people involved in the governance structure in relation to this.

So maybe when all is said and done, we can blame people  as opposed to processes and systems failures  when its politically expedient to do so. Honestly, its all very confusing.

Theres so much confusion around this whole 1.7bn-and-growing project, that it almost feels like a deliberate tactic. Despite approximately 17 hours and four Oireachtas committee sittings teasing out the reasons behind how Ireland came to build what may be the most expensive childrens hospital ever, everyone remains inordinately bewildered.

Even the the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), which has statutory responsibility for building and equipping the hospital, seems unable to clearly explain how we got to this point.

Theyve attempted to do so at both health and public account committee hearings over the past fortnight, but the politicians that have quizzed them seem baffled.

Sinn Fein TD Jonathan OBrien asked the board at this weeks meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for total construction costs, all in. Board members rifled through papers and no-one answered. They had all the figures, they just needed to piece them together in a way that could answer Mr OBriens question directly.

They had previously presented them in different ways, you see.

The figures are very complex and are presented in certain ways and the deputies are looking for it to be analysed in different ways, the weary deputies were told.

The figures have been presented in so many different ways at this stage that it would confuse a nation. It has confused a nation. How are we heading for 2bn when the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in his former role as health minister, said the project would cost 650m, all in?

There is more monumental confusion about who knew what and when and who is to blame.

A point raised at last weeks health committee by Labour Party health spokesperson Alan Kelly, and this week by Mr OBrien and Fine Gael TD Kate OConnell at the PAC, relates to Paul Quinn, chief procurement

officer at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). Mr Quinn is one of Health Minister Simon Harris nominees to the NPHDB and is there to represent the public interest.

He is also on the NPHDB finance sub-committee. How was it possible that DPERs chief procurement officer had not informed the minister of the escalating costs last June, when the board claims it first became aware that the project was in danger of boarding a runaway train, as Labour leader Brendan Howlin described it?

PAC was told Mr Quinn was there in an individual capacity not as an official of DPER. Ms OConnell expressed disbelief at the notion of a Chinese Wall between DPER and the Department of Health, given the scale of the escalation.

As Mr Howlin pointed out yesterday, DPERs raison detre is to interrogate every aspect of the public purse.

Coincidentally, a story appeared in the Irish Times yesterday saying DPER raised concerns nearly two years ago about governance arrangements in place to oversee construction of the new hospital. So who knew what and when? The blame game goes on.

Seamus McCarthy, Comptroller and Auditor General, whose role it is to ensure value for money and strengthen public accountability, told the PAC he was of the opinion that the project is one belonging to the Department of Health.

The Department of Healths secretary general and accounting officer, and therefore, the man who signs the cheques, was not happy. The board, Jim Breslin said, had a statutory responsibility to construct the hospital, and could not be absolved of blame.

The PwC review will drill down into what was known, when and by whom, for a fee of, oh, say, around 450,000, a drop in the ocean compared to the 450m cost escalation of the project over a four-month period last year.

It will look at the reporting of relevant information from the project team to the relevant oversight and governance bodies. The oversight bodies include the Childrens Hospital Project and Programme steering group, chaired by Dean Sullivan, HSE deputy director general, and the Childrens Hospital Project and Programme Board, chaired by Mr Breslin.

The steering group reports up to the board who report up to the minister. There are also several sub-committees of the NPHDB who may or may not have known important information before or after possibly more important people, but who may or may not have had the wherewithal to pass that information on.

Nobody knows. Maybe PwC will tell us.

It wont apportion blame to individuals though.

It will deal with the role and accountability of the relevant key parties. Perhaps parties will be held culpable? In saying that, accounting firm Mazars has already conducted a review after costs escalated to see who knew what in terms of reporting, but who knows what happened to that 100,000 report.

And who knows what happened to the report by DSSR engineering consultants tasked last year to see if the hospital was being over-designed. (They found it wasnt, but well have to take the boards word for that. The board has also refused to divulge the cost of this report).

And who knows what will happen to the myriad other health capital projects that will suffer as a result of the Government having to find more of our money to fund the overruns in the childrens hospital?

The Government has confirmed it will delay other projects, but for how long is anyones guess. This year alone they have to find 50m from the health capital budget as well as 50m from the capital programmes of other departments. They cant say yet which projects might be affected because they are engaged in a profiling and prioritising exercise.

This essentially means that projects contractually committed to are safe but anything else is fair game.

Neither Jim Curran, head of HSE estates, nor Jim Breslin was in a position on Thursday to list which projects are safe at this stage. Mr Breslin said if he answered in relation to one project, I would have to answer in

relation to them all and he was not about to go on a tour of Ireland.

That tour of safe projects will be dictated by local political concerns. Already, the Tanaiste Simon Coveney has promised a second cath lab in Waterford will go ahead, even though the hit list isnt finalised yet. A promised extension at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) may or may not go ahead.

Despite pressing at the PAC for an answer, Alan Kelly was left none the wiser. Other TDs around the country, anxious to protect their own patch, are equally in the dark as to the fate of local projects.

There are so many unanswered questions around this saga that even a crack forensic team could crack up trying to crack it. No-ones cracked it so far.

But take heart. Another costly expert review will surely tell us that mistakes were made and how they were made, just not necessarily who made them.The Chair of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board Tom Costello has announced his resignation this morning.

The board is responsible for overseeing the building of the new National Children's Hospital which could cost as much as 2bn.

Mr Costello was appointed to the board in 2013 by the former Minister for Health James Reilly.

In a statement today, Mr Costello said that he was concerned that the attention placed on the cost of the hospital was causing "reputational damage" to the project.

He said he was stepping down in order to help ensure that the focus is returned to delivering the project.

"I am concerned about the reputational damage that the ongoing commentary about the increased cost of the hospital is having on this critically important project and so I have decided to step down from my role to help ensure that focus is restored on delivering the project," he said.

Mr Costello said has acted with professionalism and integrity during his time as chairman, and that every decision made by the board was guided by "what was deemed best for the project".

He said that since he had taken up the role six years ago, he worked " with the sole objective of ensuring that children and families in Ireland finally get the new childrens hospital that they badly need and deserve".

He said the project has "achieved many significant milestones" with the hospital set for completion in 2022.

Mr Costello paid tribute to the board members, saying "they have been asked to make extremely difficult decisions and have done so at all times in order to ensure that the hospital is built, and the delivery of paediatric care in Ireland can be transformed".

He wished all those involved with the project the best for the future.

Mr Costello, a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland, runs a project management consultancy business and is a former Managing Director of John Sisk & Son Ltd.

Minister for Health Simon Harris accepted Mr Costello's resignation, and thanked him for his "exceptional commitment to the project for the past six years".

Yesterday, a review of the rising costs of the National Children's Hospital was told not to find any individuals to blame.

The terms of reference for the review of the project revealed that the independent review would stop short of determining culpability at the individual level".

The current figure for the cost of the hospital now stands at 1.7bn, with the final price tag having the potential of exceeding 2bn.A body has been found during the search for a missing Irish man in Spain.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the man's family.An EU drugs operation has resulted in what is thought to be the biggest ever haul of cocaine on this side of the Atlantic with the seizure of 9.5 tonnes of the drug off the coast of West Africa.

The haul would have a nominal value of around 650m but, given its very high purity, would be worth many multiples of that once broken down by various criminal organisations.

The seizure was made by authorities in the island republic of Cape Verde, off the coast of west Africa, as a result of intelligence provided by the EUs Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics.

The operational taskforce, based in Lisbon, comprises seven member states: France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the UK.

The agency suspects that the shipment would have been bound for the lucrative European market, including Ireland.

You hear the term mother lode, well this is a mother load and a half, one source told the Irish Examiner. It will be a long time before you see a seizure like this again  it puts all the others in the shade.

The previous record seizure according to MAOC-N was five tonnes.

It is thought that bigger consignments of cocaine have only ever been seized on the other side of the Atlantic, including in Columbia and the US, where seizures of between 14 and 21 tonnes have been recorded.

The Judiciary Police of Cape Verde said 260 bales of cocaine, weighing 9.57 tonnes, was seized from a Panama-registered boat, ESER, in the port of Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde, on Thursday night.

Some 11 people in the crew, all Russian citizens, were detained.

It said the operation was developed following an investigation resulting from the exchange of operational information with MAOC-N.

The authorities received co-operation and technical support from the Portuguese Judicial Police and the French National Police.

Sources said that such shipments often transit through west Africa before heading up the coast of Europe, where the haul is offloaded onto fishing vessels.

There would have been huge money behind this, huge organisation and huge logistics, said a source.

Sources said that given the sheer scale of the consignment, all the major organised crime groups in the continent, including Irish, would have got their share.

Sources have previously told the Irish Examiner that a tsunami of cocaine was coming across from South America for the European market.

The Cape Verde haul came just a day after 2.5 tonnes of cocaine was seized by the Portuguese navy in another MAOC-N operation.

Also this week, 2.1 tonnes was seized in Italy, its largest cocaine haul in 25 years, off a boat from South America and destined for Spain.As someone who does not believe in having to pay for a membership to shop, I have never been a Costco member and do not shop there, so personally I don't care if they move. However, I do believe the airport location would have been perfect and since I do shop at Superstore, I hope they will now expand. I did go to Costco once with my mother who was a member back in the 1990s. I decided to pay for her purchases to help her out, but Costco would not take my debit or credit card because I was not a member. That cemented my decision to never join, and we walked out without purchasing the over $200 worth of stuff we were going to buy.

Bernice Leduc, Kelowna

Seriously not happy Costco is planning to move. Bridge traffic will become a nightmare. I will not shop as often, if at all, due to the inconvenience, cost of fuel, traffic. Will Vernon folk really travel for over an hour now? Why cant they have two stores? The current store is always so busy that I cant see why they wouldnt have sufficient business at both locations.

Brenda Haynes

I really hope its true. I can hardly wait. Gas bar sounds good, too.

Marika Luczi

I live on the Westside and I am ecstatic about the possibility of Costco moving into our neighbourhood! I drive to the Costco store in Kelowna whenever need be. Im sure the people of Kelowna would do the same and drive to the Westside. I know a lot of people in West Kelowna are very happy with the news.

Brenda Andonov

The decision to relocate is based on three things. 1.Gas bar is now possible. 2. Liquor store is also now an option. 3. A dispensary is also now an option. The Chevron station has a hold over Costco. The agreement most likely states that Costco cant compete with Chevron on this site. Being located on property developed and owned by WFN means a liquor store and dispensary are now options.

M. Aquilon

We love Costco at its current location and so do many others from Lake Country to Vernon. A Westside Costco would increase congestion on the bridge and discourage many members the north side of Kelowna from going to shop there. Also think of the many seniors who fill their drug prescriptions at Costco at the present location.

Joe and Irene Hofer

I think it's a great idea and about time the Westside  which is the best side  finally gets a Costco! With any luck, they'll keep/have both locations. But if only one is feasible, I'd like to see the Westside.

Nancy Paz

I think Kelowna people need to understand that the location of the westside Costco will be approximately four minutes from downtown in most traffic. Seriously, that's closer to the downtown core than it is now! The Westside is not that far away.

Kris Loewen

Ive seen a lot of letters complaining about the woes of crossing the bridge to get to Costco, should it relocate. Think about the fact that there are many of us who feel the same way now. We travel from various communities throughout the South Okanagan, face the bridge traffic, as well as the congestion of Kelowna itself. I will shop at Costco regardless of whether it moves or not. I anticipate being able to access cheaper fuel with the addition of a gas bar, and will most likely shop there more, as I wont have to fight the congestion of Kelowna. I look forward to learning more of this, as time passes.

Heather OwensReal-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below.Forney, TX (75126)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 90F. SSW winds shifting to ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.From the Bay Area to East Africa: Sudanese Community Stands in Solidarity of the Revolution mohamedshah [at] my.smccd.edu)

Friday Feb 1st, 2019 3:10 PM by Mohamed Shah

On Saturday, January 26th, members of the Sudanese community gathered outside of San Francisco City Hall demanding Freedom and Justice for protesters in Sudan.

It was around 1 in the afternoon when I arrived to the rally being held in solidarity with protesters in Sudan. A crowd had already gathered, chanting demands for Freedom and Justice in Arabic. On December 19th, protests began to kick off in the nation's capital of Khartoum over a sharp increase in the prices of bread and gasoline. This however was simply the catalyst for what would quickly become one the East African country's largest uprisings in history.



Protests quickly spread and escalated around various regions surrounding the capital, resulting in violent state repression. Police have been firing tear gas as well as live ammunition, claiming the lives of more than 30 protesters so far, according to Human Rights Watch.



In SF, the Sudanese Association of Northern California organized a rally to be held in front of City Hall, holding up banners and signs that read "Stop Killing Innocent Protesters" and "Freedom, Justice and Equality for Sudan," and demanding an end to a brutal, despotic regime. Bringing vibrant energies to the crowd were the many youth who ranged in age from elementary school, teenagers and young adults who chanted in English, shouting "1..2..3..4, Al-Bashir has got to go!"



Chanting was followed by short speeches given in Arabic, which I could not fully comprehend, essentially however being tied to a single shared sentiment-that the regime must fall.



Demonstrators, mostly youth, took to the streets for a moment in a small crowd of a few dozen or so. Walking across the street towards Civic Center and briefly foraying down Market Street, the crowd continued to chant while displaying signs, banners and the Sudanese flag at the very forefront of the crowd.



Protesters in Sudan continue to be met with harsh state repression, with many activists, journalists and political leaders being detained.On September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court of India legalised homosexuality in India, but same-sex couple cannot legally marry or obtain civil partnerships. The Section 377 of Indian Penal Code, pertaining consensual sex between people of same gender, was declared unconstitutional.

The court ruled discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental violation of rights.

Lawyers and activists have maintained that the LGBTQ will obtain real victory only when they secure the right to marriage, inheritance, guardianship and adoption.

While the historic verdict has put India in the list of progressive nations, most people of this country hold a different view on same-sex marriages.

One in four persons find same-sex marriage acceptable in India.

According to the Mood Of The Nation Poll by India Today Magazine, 62 per cent Indians say same-sex marriages are not accepted by them.

BCCL





India is largely a conservative society where prejudices, biases and stereotypes have always taken an centrestage, and the LGBTQ community is no exception. Indias bureaucracy is filled with conservatives. The ministers sitting in the parliament and lawmakers have time and again issued statements, which range from incorrect to abusive.

In December 2013, Yogi Adityanath, the current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said, Homosexuality is dangerous to social morality. If social norms and boundaries are done away with, then there is not much difference between man and animal

I feel that to associate this kind of cheap sophistry with religious texts is gross immorality There should be no social sanction if someone wants to do at a traffic junction what one does at home. It shouldnt receive any constitutional status either.

Not undermining the fierce resistance from largely conservative states like UP and Bihar, whose population sizes offer too much political value for politicians to ignore.

AP





In 2013, Subramanian Swamy, BJP member of parliament, said, As long as they don't celebrate it, don't flaunt it, don't create gay bars to select partners it's not a problem. In their privacy, what they do, nobody can invade but if you flaunt it, it has to be punished & therefore there has to be #Section377 of the IPC.

Majoritarian views and morality opinions should not hamper the right to equality and cannot dictate constitutional rights. While, there has always been a strong opposition among religious groups and in conservative rural communities when it comes to same-sex relationships, the judgement in favour of the LGBTQ community is a huge victory.Cities with large migrant population can take a leaf out of the Surat model, where the municipal corporation has been running over 120 special schools to cater to the needs of the citys workforce.

Officials said running these schools in languages other than the native Gujarati has encouraged the migrant workers to bring their families to settle in the city.

Over 66,000 students have been enrolled in these non-Gujarati medium schools and their numbers have been increasing in this city, which is known as a hub for textiles and diamonds. Large number of people have been migrating to the city from Hindi-speaking states, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

bccl/representational image

Official data show that a maximum of 55 schools catering to the primary standards from Class I to Class- III are in Marathi medium, followed by 28 Urdu medium schools. The SMC runs seven schools where the medium of instruction is Odia and there are three Telugu medium schools in the city.

We have 25 Hindi and nine English medium schools. We have started the secondary classes in Marathi and Hindi mediums as well to ensure that children of migrants get adequate educational opportunity. You cant expect majority of people who have come here for work can afford for private schools.

bccl/representational image

We are perhaps the only municipal body which runs schools in so many languages and their number has been increasing.

Once a city caters to the educational and health needs, people prefer to bring their entire family to their place of work and thats a good sign for a city, said an official.

Municipal sources said such schools were conceptualised in late 1990s considering that a large chunk of the people coming to work in Surat were migrants. Referring to the 2001 census data, they said migrants constituted about 30% of the citys population.

bccl/representational image

These are the softer features of a city to be called as a smart city rather than just building high rises and iconic structures.

Surat has been a model for its inclusive approach to meet the requirements of different sections of the society. The SMC has also undertaken some building complexes for the homeless, said an official of the housing and urban affairs ministry.Nobody likes pain, including me. I used to suffer from pancreatitis which is supposed to top the pain charts, but it only lasted for a day or two. Fortunately, lifestyle adjustments have fixed the problem. I really sympathize with folks who suffer from chronic and lasting pain. But in reality, much of the opioid problem comes down to people with emotional issues, a problematic future with no jobs, and just a bleak future in a depressed area. The oxycodone manufacturer (there are other drugs, but oxycodone seems most numerous) doesnt know  or probably even care who the end-use recipient is. It could equally be a terminal cancer patient or a despondent unemployed worker.Congress in Madhya Pradesh announced a hike in honorarium of priests of Hindu temples and also declared financial help to shrines which offer shelter to cows.

The move comes ahead of Lok Sabha elections due in a few months.

MP Spiritual Affairs minister PC Sharma said that around 25,000 priests serving at government-managed temples will get Rs 3,000 instead of Rs 1,000 per month with effect from January 1.

Muslim clerics shall also get the same hike.

Representational Image

The party won Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh in December 2018 and promised set up cow shelters across the state. The Narendra Modi government on Friday proposed setting up Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog in Budget 2019 for the welfare of cows. In his maiden budget speech, finance minister Piyush Goyal said the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will for sustainable genetic upgradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows.

Goyal said, I am happy to announce setting up of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog. The government will never step back from protection of the Gau Mata.

The government has also earmarked Rs 750 crore for the Rashtriya Gokul Mission in the current financial year.

BCCL

The finance minister said, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sector also needs considerable support. I have increased the allocation for Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs 750 crore in the current year itself.

The commission will look after speedy and effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows.

remaining of

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Today

Mostly cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low around 55F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Winner of Dance India Dance season 1, Salman Yusuff Khan landed in a big controversy after a girl accused of him of molestation.

According to reports, the victim, who herself is a dancer filed an FIR against him on January 30 at Oshiwara Police Station. She has alleged that Salman touched her inappropriately'.

Claiming that back in August 2018, while she was in London for work, Salman's manager approached her for work. Later, she met Salman in a coffee shop in Oshiwara where he offered her to perform with him in Bollywood Park, Dubai.

As per the reports, the victim claimed that Salman touched her inappropriately on their first meet after he offered to drop her home. When she repelled, he tried convincing her that such things happen in Bollywood. This was the first incident which took place in Mumbai.

As stated in FIR, the second incident took place in Dubai where Salman introduced her to his cousin brother on November 3. He asked her to accompany them to another show in Bahrain. While returning back to Dubai via car, both Salman and his brother kept touching her inappropriately. Also, Salman and his team harassed her and her troupe for days after that incident. Moreover, he allegedly made them terminate their contracts and on November 10 sent the victim along with her troupe back to Mumbai.

Let us know your views below. Stay tuned for more updated on this.Rowan County deputies said they arrested a second suspect Friday accused in the killing a 25-year-old woman on Sunday.

James Christopher Rife, of Third Creek Church Road, Cleveland, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted robbery. Rife is 36.

Rife was arrested on unrelated charges earlier in the investigation after he was identified as a person of interest, according to a Rowan County Sheriffs Office news release. He is now being held without bond at the Rowan County Detention Center.

He is the second person charged in the shooting death of Lakyn Jade Bailey, who lived in Davidson.

Joshua Wade Kennedy, a registered sex offender who had been living in Iredell and Rowan counties, was arrested Wednesday evening on the same charges. He is also being held without bond.

Bailey was found shot to death inside a car parked at the Country Cupboard Store on Statesville Boulevard, west of Salisbury, early Sunday morning.

Deputies were called to that store around 1:30 a.m., but investigators believe the shooting happened on Apple Road, near Burmac Circle off Woodleaf Road, about three miles from where Baileys body was found.Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has proposed holding early elections for the National Assembly as he seeks to outmanoeuvre a renewed opposition that is trying to use its control of the legislature to challenge his rule.

Mr Maduro in a speech to supporters said it would be up to the pro-government constitutional assembly to decide whether or not to back his proposal.

Elections for the opposition-controlled National Assembly are not supposed to take place again until 2020.

National Assembly President Juan Guaido is leading a charge to force Mr Maduro from power after he took the oath of office last month for a second, six-year term widely considered illegitimate.File photo of UN forces from Rwanda patrolling the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic (Jerome Delay/AP)

A peace deal has been reached between the Central African Republic government and 14 armed groups after their first-ever direct dialogue aimed at ending years of conflict, the United Nations and African Union have announced.

Details were not immediately available.

Central African @GouvCF and 14 armed groups reached an agreement at Kharthoum peace talks a The meeting started on 24 January with @AU_Chergui facilitation and @UN support #CARpeace #AfricanInitiative pic.twitter.com/mccJ8hN01L  MINUSCA (@UN_CAR) February 2, 2019

The talks began on January 24 in Sudans capital, Khartoum.

This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its people

This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its peopleSmail Chergui

The agreement represents rare hope for the impoverished, landlocked nation where inter-religious and inter-communal fighting has continued since 2013.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in a conflict that has sent at least two people to the International Criminal Court.

This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its people, said the AU commissioner for peace and security, Smail Chergui.

The fighting in Central African Republic has carried the high risk of genocide, the UN has warned.

Scores of mosques have been burned.

Priests and other religious leaders have been killed.

Many Muslims have fled the country.

Expand Close The UN helped broker the deal (PA) / Facebook

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After more than 40 people were killed in a rebel attack on a displaced persons camp in November, both the leader of the 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission and the countrys prime minister both acknowledged shortcomings in the response.

I knew that we did not have all the necessary means to protect our people, the prime minister said.

The fighting began in 2013 when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the capital, Bangui.

Mostly Christian anti-Balaka militias fought back.

Violence intensified and spread last year after a period of relative peace as armed groups battle over lands rich in gold, diamonds and uranium.

In a grim report last year marking five years of the conflict, the UN childrens agency said fighters often target civilians rather than each other, attacking health facilities and schools, mosques and churches and camps for displaced people.

At least half of the more than 640,000 people displaced are children, it said, and thousands are thought to have joined the armed groups, often under pressure.

As the peace talks began, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned of catastrophe if no agreement was reached, saying repeated cycles of violence in one of the worlds poorest nations had pushed peoples resistance to breaking point.

A majority of Central African Republics 2.9 million people urgently need humanitarian support, the group said.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend an arms embargo on Central African Republic for a year but raised the possibility that it could be lifted earlier as the government has long urged.Marlow Baines is 16 years of age. She's a basketball player on a varsity team in Colorado. At 6ft 1in, she occasionally models. She persuaded her parents to let her develop a homeschool curriculum after her high school left her feeling "discouraged".

Baines is also the regional director of Earth Guardians, a global organisation of young climate activists. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, the group's director, addressed the UN in New York in 2015 when he was just 15. Since then, the organisation has spread to 44 countries.

But Baines, Martinez and their fellow activists are no longer wunderkind outliers; across America, a new wave of environmentally and politically minded young people are protesting climate change.

Environmental policy is arguably the subject of the biggest surge of youth activism since the 1960s. Baines first got involved when she was 14, when she moved schools and discovered that not everyone knew about climate change. "Ten miles outside Boulder, which is known for being conscious, and green, there was a huge population of people engaged in climate science denial," she says.

Baines' dedication to climate activism was galvanised in 2016 when she and her mother went to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation to support the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would have threatened the water supply to the reservation.

The activists achieved what the New York Times said was "one of the most galvanising environmental victories in years - and it all began with a group of teenagers".

"This was people power," she says of the protest. "These people came together with the intention of protecting people's water and people's futures. It was a full-blown community."

Her return home to Colorado was laden with a sense of urgency. Baines decided she wanted to graduate early from high school and become and environmental lawyer. She had learned about Earth Guardians on her journey to Dakota. She applied and was accepted to one of its national training programmes that summer, and hasn't looked back.

Of the many "passionate and engaged young people" Baines met while learning about climate change, organising and leadership were plaintiffs in a case known as "Youth vs Gov". Juliana vs United States is a landmark constitutional case, taken in 2015, that has survived challenges from both the Obama and Trump administrations and intervention from the fossil-fuel industry. The Juliana in question is Kelsey Juliana, a 22-year-old from Oregon who was first a named plaintiff on an environmental lawsuit when she was 15 years old.

The group backing the lawsuit is Our Children's Trust. "Our complaint asserts that, through the government's affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation's constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources," its website states.

The case was due to go to trial on October 29 last year. Young people from Our Children's Trust, Earth Guardians, and other movements gathered in their hundreds outside the federal courthouse in Eugene, Oregon, and in solidarity rallies in each of America's 50 states. A temporary stay from the US Supreme Court delayed the trial.

Marlow Baines was in Oregon that day. An Instagram post shows her looking ahead with a tear-stained face. "These tears are for the mothers who feel fear for their children's future," her caption reads. "These tears are for the rights of me and my peers. I will stand up, I will not back down."

Another prominent youth-led organisation lobbying for fresh commitments on climate change is the Sunrise Movement, or Sunrise, which was founded in 2017. In 2019, its primary focus is on the House of Representatives' Democratic majority, and its support of what they call a Green New Deal - a set of resolutions with American carbon neutrality its uniting aim.

Garrett Blad was one of 200 Sunrise activists to occupy the office of the latest speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, in the week that followed the midterm elections.

"We're looking to build an army of young people to make climate change a political priority," Blad says, who is in his mid-20s. "We want to expose the oil industry, its lobbyists, and elect a new generation of leaders to our government who will advocate for all, not just for the wealthy few."

There was an understanding among the group that they were going to have to be responsible for the biggest intervention in the midterms, Blad says, and "we had successfully elected 19 of 30 Democrats" who had reclaimed the House. But some of these Democrats did not put climate as a priority and, in Blad's words, "for Sunrise, that wasn't good enough... so we decided to sit in Pelosi's office and demand otherwise".

In advance of the demonstration, a group of Sunrise activists gathered at a church in DC. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congresswoman from the Bronx, came by to support. "She stood up on a table and told us she would not stop fighting for an economy that works for everybody, in everybody's interest," Blad says. He was so moved, he started to cry.

For the most part, Sunrise is excited by the young people it meets, Blad adds. "The youth of the US understand the threat of climate change. Even fifth and sixth graders, really young kids. We watched a teacher recently ask a class that young: what does climate change look like?

"The children replied: Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria. The fires of Southern California. They got it," he says.

According to a 2015 report on youth civic engagement by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the World Bank identifies the exercise of active citizenship as one of the most important activities for a healthy transition to adulthood for the next generation.

One of the contributors to that report, Pat Dolan, is the UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement and a professor of political science and sociology at NUI Galway.

"Young people were the first to step up to help in 9/11, the first to help after Hurricane Katrina," Dolan says. "Young people have a positive agency. Generally speaking, they are better at taking action than adults."

Concern about climate among young people is not limited to the US, Dolan notes, referring to the third annual Youth Climate March in Brussels last weekend, which was attended by approximately 70,000 protesters.

"With youth civic engagement, the overall sense is that if young people are given opportunities to use their voice, they will take those opportunities," he says.

Last autumn, 2,000 supporters of Sunrise registered for a national conference call. Almost 1,000 young people subsequently pledged to attend the first 2020 presidential debate, representing the group. "They don't even know where this debate is going to be held yet," says Blad, at once bewildered and admiring. "But they know they're going to show up."Following the UKs decision on Tuesday to ditch their backstop, MSNBC, a US news channel warned about the negative effects that Brexit looks like having on Ireland.

Brexit hadnt captured anywhere near the attention in the United States as it has in Ireland or the rest of Europe until the UK parliament voted by a margin of 317 to 301, on Tuesday, to back the new "Brady amendment".

Theresa Mays victory in the parliamentary vote saw them opt to ditch their backstop plan for unspecified "alternative arrangements".

The backstop, while criticised as not being the ideal solution by the Irish government, was the only guarantee against a hard border in Northern Ireland, and thought of as a necessary evil in the absence of something more satisfactory.

I didn't think it was possible, but a #NoDealBrexit sounds an even dumber idea when you listen to American TV reporting it.



'When Big Ben strikes 11pm on the 29th of March the UK government will declare a critical incident."#PeoplesVote #FinalSay #RevokeA50 pic.twitter.com/PaBiJPO5wD  Haggis_UK - #FBPE (@Haggis_UK) February 1, 2019

May had planned the backstop, a safeguard against the hard border in the case of a no-deal Brexit, since the UK government invoked article 50 on March 29 2017. When the UK parliament decided to replace it with unspecified and unplanned "alternative arrangements", with only two months left before they are supposed to leave the EU, even the US could not ignore such a drastic decision.

Ali Velshi, a news reporter for US news network MSNBC, gave an impartial view of the devastation that Brexit could cause Ireland and the preparations that are underway for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

"When Big Ben strikes 11pm on the 29th of March, the UK government will declare a critical incident," he explains, even giving a nod to Irish independence in the middle of the broadcast.THE US will withdraw from a major nuclear arms treaty with Russia, President Donald Trump announced yesterday, ending a cornerstone of Cold War era security and raising fears of a new weapons race.

The Kremlin will formally be notified of America's departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) today, with the decision taking effect six months later. The Trump administration accused Russia of "shamelessly" violating the terms of the agreement, which bans ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,000km.

Nato threw its weight behind the decision, saying its members "fully support" the action, and called on Russia to comply.

"When an agreement is so brazenly disregarded and our security is so openly threatened we must respond. Russia has jeopardised the United States's security interests and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it," said Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State.

The decision has long been expected, with Mr Trump signalling his intention to withdraw last October. But it nonetheless marks a significant geopolitical change, removing a key plank of the late Cold War structure designed to reduce the threat of nuclear war.

The agreement was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the US and Russian leaders at the time, after concern of a confrontation in Europe in the 1980s as both sides deployed medium-range nuclear weapons.

However, two problems with the treaty have emerged since then. The first is Russia's non-compliance, with the US accusing the Kremlin of developing a missile - the 9M729 - which can carry nuclear warheads and is banned under the treaty. The US first raised its concerns with the Kremlin in May 2013, when Barack Obama was president, and has deemed Russia in violation of the agreement since 2014.

The second area of concern is that the US and Russia are the only two major world powers bound by the agreement, leaving other geopolitical rivals free to develop such weapons.

Both China and Iran have more than 1,000 missiles each that would be barred if they were bound by the treaty, according to senior US administration officials. The officials also cited a 2007 speech by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, where he complained that countries like India, Iran, Pakistan and Israel were developing such missiles. Mr Trump said in a statement yesterday: "We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other."

Russian officials said yesterday they are still ready to maintain dialogue. Meanwhile Mr Trump raised the possibility of a new agreement that included more countries. "I hope that we're able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and do a new treaty which would be much better," he said.

US officials also rebuffed suggestions that America would be to blame if an arms race began. "Let's be clear. If there is an arms race, it is Russia that has started it," said one senior US official in a briefing yesterday.

Russia has denied violating the INF treaty, accused the US of violations, and said withdrawal from the Cold War accord would trigger an arms race.

Analysts had expressed fears of an arms race between the old rival superpowers and China, now Asia's dominant military presence.

Mr Trump has been threatening to suspend the treaty for months, although American officials had left open whether the US would simultaneously announce a full withdrawal, triggering a process that would take six months to complete.Its not something Ive been focused on at all.  Im flattered that all these people are talking about that, Hogan said Monday on WBAL radio after several national media outlets ran pieces speculating about him possibly challenging Trump. Its a little bit surprising to me that so many people are making such noise about this. Im intrigued and listening to it, but its not something Ive been involved in at all.Donald Trump has declared being president one of the "great losers of all time" financially, as he lambasted suggestions he was making money out of the office.

The US president also indicated he was preparing to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall on the Mexico border, calling ongoing negotiations with Democrats in Congress a "waste of time".

Mr Trump also said he had been informed he was not personally a "target" in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia in 2016.

His comments came on a day when it emerged that the US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, almost twice what economists had forecast. Mr Trump tweeted: "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!"

The president has been accused by critics of violating the "emoluments clause" in the US constitution, which bars gifts from foreign states, due to diplomats and other officials staying at his hotel in Washington, a few blocks from the White House.

But in an interview with the 'New York Times', Mr Trump said he had actually lost out on business opportunities because he was president.

He said: "I lost massive amounts of money doing this job. This is not the money. You know, fortunately, I don't need money. This is one of the great [financial] losers of all time. But they'll say that somebody from some country stayed at a hotel. And I'll say, 'Yeah. But I lose'. The numbers are incredible."

The president also said that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy Attorney General, had been assured Mr Trump was not being targeted by Mr Mueller. He said: "I'm not a subject, I'm not a target."

Mr Trump criticised Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat speaker of the House of Representatives, who has refused to agree to any of the $5.7bn (5bn) funding he has requested to build the border wall. If agreement is not reached by February 15, the US government may shut down again.

Mr Trump indicated he would declare a national emergency, allowing him to use military funding for the wall. "I think Nancy Pelosi is hurting our country very badly," Mr Trump said. "I've set the table. I've set the stage for doing what I'm going to do."

Mr Trump, who in recent weeks has expressed indifference to whether the term "wall" or something else is used, clung with renewed tenacity to the word that became his campaign mantra, declaring: "A wall is a wall."

Yet in a series of tweets and statements, he issued conflicting messages about what he'd need to declare victory and suggested that merely repairing existing structures along the boundary could be a major component of a triumph.

Amid signs that Mr Trump's leverage in Congress is atrophying, he seemed to aim one tweet at his conservative followers. He wrote that Democrats "are not going to give money to build the desperately needed wall. I've got you covered. Wall is already being built, I don't expect much help".

Ms Pelosi left the door open for an accord that could finance some barriers, citing what she said was already existing "Normandy fencing" that blocks vehicles.

"If the president wants to call that a wall, he can call that a wall," she said. "Is there a place for enhanced fencing? Normandy fencing would work."

Yet Ms Pelosi's other remark - "there's not going to be any wall money in the legislation" - underscored the linguistic battle under way. It also showed that Democrats see no reason to let Mr Trump claim a win in a cause that stirs his hard-right voters.

Mr Trump's political muscle weakened following the Democrats' capture of House control in the November election. It waned further after his surrender last week in ending a record 35-day partial government shutdown without getting a penny of the $5.7bn he'd demanded for the wall.

In another sign of his flagging hold over lawmakers, the GOP-controlled Senate backed legislation on a 68-23 vote on Thursday that opposes withdrawal of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan. ( Daily Telegraph London)Mafia families use threats of violence to dissuade farmers from putting in bids to lease out grazing land from the state. Photo: Stock image

THE mafia has earned 3bn over the last decade siphoning off EU funds intended for a national park in Sicily, according to a former director of the protected area who survived an assassination attempt by the mob.

Giuseppe Antoci narrowly escaped with his life in 2016 when assailants ambushed his car at night, placing rocks across an isolated, winding road.

Two or three men opened fire but were fought off and forced to flee by the quick reactions of the director's police escort.

In a new book, he explains how Cosa Nostra clans in eastern Sicily have made huge profits by siphoning off EU funds intended for the farmers who graze sheep and cattle within the confines of the 200,000 acre Nebrodi National Park.

Mafia families use threats of violence to dissuade farmers from putting in bids to lease out grazing land from the state.

The clans are then able to secure the leases themselves at low rates, often using front companies, and obtain millions of euro in EU subsidies.

In 10 years they were able to fraudulently pocket 3bn, said Mr Antoci, who battled for years to put a stop to the fraud and still has to live under police protection.

He gave an example of a tract of land, covering 1,000 hectares, which the mafia rented for 36,400 a year.

"They managed to make 1m or more on those 1,000 hectares," Mr Antoci explained in his book, 'The Mafia of the pastures - Europe's big fraud'.

"For years, mafia families terrorised honest landowners and rented land within the park for a few thousand euro, pocketing each year hundreds of thousands of euro from the EU," he said.

The mafia is nothing if not creative. In one case, it received 200,000 in EU funds to build a bed and breakfast but used the money to construct a villa for a mob family.

It has been accused by police of clearing forest to make more grazing land in a particularly cruel way - tying petrol-soaked rags to cats, which are then released into the woods.

The animals spread the fire over a large area as they flee in terror, making it hard for arson experts to identify where the blaze started.

Mr Antoci began cracking down on the fraudulent leasing and the intimidation of local landowners in 2014, a year after he was appointed director of the park.

He found widespread collusion between mafia families and local politicians, who closed their eyes to the illegality.

Ignazio Corrao, an MEP from Sicily, has raised the issue of widespread fraud by the so-called "agro-mafia" in the European Parliament.

He denounced what he called the "deep infiltration" of mafia clans in the tender process.

The fraud meant "millions of euro of EU funds for agriculture are going directly to the bank accounts of mafia families", he said in November.

The MP, from the Five Star Movement, which governs in coalition with the hard-right League, said the mafia has "monopolised" the renting out of pasture land in the park.

Mr Antoci was removed from his post by a newly elected regional governor in February last year, six months before his mandate was up.

He says that sent a message to Cosa Nostra that they could continue to act with impunity.Friends of the Thuringian Sausage want to move to a new building to be located on land where the Nazis held prisoners in a so-called subcamp in World War II. (Stock image)

GERMANY'S Jewish community is angry at plans to build a museum celebrating a local sausage delicacy on the site of a facility where the Nazis held Jews before sending them to the Buchenwald concentration camp in the eastern state of Thuringia.

Friends of the Thuringian Sausage, an association that runs a museum in honour of the delicacy named after the region, want to move to a new building to be located on land where the Nazis held prisoners in a so-called subcamp in World War II.

"We are shocked and irritated by the total lack of sensitivity," said Reinhard Schramm, head of the Jewish community in Thuringia, home to some 800 Jews.

"We are in talks with city officials and hope we can find a solution that honours the victims."

The site lies on the outskirts of Muehlhausen, some 80km north-west of Buchenwald, on a patch of land that a private investor bought from the government in 2008. The investor now wants to build a theatre, a hotel and a building to house the new sausage museum - a project that has received the backing of the city.

The Muehlhausen city council held a meeting attended by representatives of the Jewish community to find a solution.

One idea being considered is to ensure that the new project includes some kind of memorial to the victims of the Nazis.

A spokesman for the First German Sausage Museum, currently located in Holzhausen, 60km south of Muehlhausen, did not respond to an email asking for comment. The museum announced on Wednesday its plans to move to Muehlhausen, saying the new site would give it more seating capacity and allow it to include new attractions.The 'Little Ice Age' of the 16th and 17th centuries was triggered by the genocide of indigenous people in the Americas by European settlers, new research claims.

Scientists have long wondered what caused the drop in temperatures so severe it sometimes caused the River Thames to freeze over.

Now, new analysis by University College London (UCL) argues that so many people were slaughtered or died of disease that the amount of agricultural land dramatically reduced, in turn sucking carbon dioxide (CO) from the atmosphere.

Known as the 'Great Dying', the upheaval following the first contact with Europeans in 1492 is thought to have slashed the population of 60 million living across the Americas down to five or six million within just 100 years.

Published in 'Quaternary Science Reviews', the study found that much of the land previously cultivated by indigenous civilisations fell into disuse, becoming swallowed up by forest and grassland. It estimates that an area of 56 million hectares - roughly the size of France - was re-wilded in this way.

The scale of the change is believed to have drawn an amount of CO from the atmosphere equivalent to two years' fossil fuel emissions at the present rate.

Professor Mark Maslin, from UCL's school of Geography, said: "There is a marked cooling around that time which is called the Little Ice Age, and what's interesting is that we can see natural processes giving a bit of cooling, but to actually get the full cooling - double the natural processes - you have to have this genocide-generated drop in CO."

The research team examined historical population data, using it to model the reduction of land devoted to agriculture.

They combined this with evidence of a cold period found in ice core records from Antarctica which contained trapped air bubbles. This was supported by records of charcoal and pollen deposits in the Americas.Olly Sheridan has gone missing with his mother Ellie Yarrow-Sanders Photo credit: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire

A judge has used Twitter to send a come home plea to a woman who has gone missing with her three-year-old son.

Ellie Yarrow-Sanders, 26, disappeared with Olly Sheridan in July after becoming embroiled in family court litigation with ex-partner Patrick Sheridan.

Mr Justice Williams, who is overseeing the case at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, on Friday urged Miss Yarrow-Sanders to bring Olly back.

His plea was delivered in a tweet posted on the Judicial Office Twitter account using the hashtag #comehomeolly.

Expand Close Olly Sheridan has gone missing with his mother Ellie Yarrow-Sanders Photo credit: Patrick Sheridan/PA Wire / Facebook

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Lawyers think it is the first time a judge made such use of Twitter.

Miss Yarrow-Sanders' mother and sister also urged her to return.

Her mother Donna, 47, and sister Maddie, 22, on Friday made a joint plea with Mr Sheridan, who is in his mid-40s, and said Olly needed to "come home to his normal life".

The tweet was issued after Mr Justice Williams analysed the latest stage of the litigation at a hearing on Friday.

He oversaw a hearing in private, but authorised lawyers to release a statement detailing his message to Miss Yarrow-Sanders.

The statement was attached to the tweet.

The tweet said: "High Court Judge, Mr Justice Williams, and Ellie Yarrow-Sanders' mother and sister have made a direct appeal to Ellie to bring missing toddler Olly Sheridan home, with reassurances as to how she will be treated and given a voice in court."

The attached statement outlined the judge's concern and included a promise that he would deal with Miss Yarrow-Sanders' case fairly.

It said a senior social worker had been appointed to "promote Olly's welfare".

Lawyers said the judge had made it clear that such a move did not mean there was any chance of Olly being placed in foster care.

The statement also said Mr Sheridan only wanted Olly to be returned and would not make any attempt to have Miss Yarrow-Sanders, her mother or sister "punished".

Miss Yarrow-Sanders's mother and sister issued a joint statement with Mr Sheridan, which said: "We just want to know that Olly is safe and we plead for Ellie to return home as soon as possible. We all agree that Olly needs to come home to his normal life surrounded by family and friends."

Mr Justice Williams had initially raised the alarm about Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders at a hearing in December.

He said then that he was gravely concerned for Olly's welfare.

Miss Yarrow-Sanders disappeared with Olly a few weeks before she was due to give evidence in a "critical" family court hearing, according to lawyers.

Journalists had been barred from identifying anyone involved in the litigation.

But Mr Justice Williams has lifted the identity bar in the hope that publicity will help find Olly and Miss Yarrow-Sanders.

He said family members, who come from Basildon, Essex, could be named and photographs published.

Essex Police are also searching and have urged anyone with information to get in touch.Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has proposed holding early elections for the National Assembly on a day when a senior air force general defected to the opposition.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself interim president, says aid will be arriving in the country.

Mr Maduros remarks to his supporters appeared to be an effort to outmanoeuvre the opposition that is trying to use its control of the legislature to challenge his rule.

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Mr Maduro it would be up to the pro-government constitutional assembly to decide whether or not to back his proposal.

Elections for the opposition-controlled National Assembly are not supposed to take place again until 2020.

National Assembly President Mr Guaido is leading a charge to force Mr Maduro from power after he took the oath of office last month for a second, six-year term widely considered illegitimate.

Mr Guaido has said humanitarian assistance will begin flowing into the crisis-wracked country within the next few days, despite the objections of Mr Maduro.

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Mr Guaido made the announcement on Saturday speaking before tens of thousands of cheering supporters who took to the streets of Caracas demanding that Mr Maduro step down.

Mr Guaido said supplies of badly needed food and medicine will start entering from the Colombian border town of Cucuta.

He said assistance will also come from two more unnamed entry points.

Loyalists of Mr Maduros socialist government flooded the streets in a different part of the capital to celebrate 20 years since Hugo Chavez launched the Bolivarian revolution.

Nicolas Maduroas dictatorship is destroying Venezuela. For too long, the people of Venezuela have suffered under the heavy hand of oppression. But now, there is hope. We are with the people of Venezuela, we stand with them, and we will stay with them until democracy is restored. pic.twitter.com/eDlKWjXNiC  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) February 2, 2019

Earlier, an air force general defected from the administration of Mr Maduro and called on his compatriots to participate in protests against the socialist leaders rule.

General Francisco Yanez is the first high ranking officer to leave Mr Maduros government since January 23, when Mr Guaido declared himself the countrys legitimate leader.

Many foreign leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have recognised Mr Guaido as interim president but others, including Russias Vladimir Putin, have cautioned against regime change.

Expand Close Thousands of public employees and government supporters gather in Caracas (Ariana Cubillos/AP) / Facebook

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In a YouTube video, Gen Yanez said: The transition to democracy is imminent.

He described Mr Maduro as a dictator and referred to Mr Guaido as his president, but refused to say whether he is still in Venezuela or has left the country.

The officer later confirmed he would not give further statements until given authorisation by the commander-in-chief of the legal armed force which is President Juan Guaido.Wicklows lifeboat returning after the search with the paddleboard on deck

A paddle boarder being swept out to sea in gale force winds was rescued by emergency services last Sunday off Bray Head.

The man had been in the water for over two hours and was suffering from severe hypothermia when taken from the water.

Greystones Coast Guard unit along with Wicklow RNLI and the Coast Guard helicopter rescue 116 were tasked to reports of a paddle boarder in trouble. The alarm was raised after the person contacted the Coast Guard to say he was unable to get back to shore and was being swept out to sea. The report came in just after 11 a.m.

Due to the very difficult conditions with strong gale-force winds at the time, Wicklow Lifeboat requested additional assistance from Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat.

At around 1 p.m., Dun Laoghaire's crew of seven spotted a male in the water clinging onto a paddle board. The lifeboat took him on board and began treatment for serious hypothermia. The casualty was then airlifted to hospital by Rescue 116. Wicklow RNLI recovered the paddle board and stood by as the casualty was winched onto the helicopter.

Commenting after the call out, Dun Laoghaire RNLI second coxswain Eamon O'Leary said: 'The paddle boarder had suffered serious hypothermia when we arrived on the scene.

'It was a close call but he did the right thing in calling the Coast Guard who were quick to send out 116 along with Wicklow RNLI.

'It was fantastic team work by all involved.'A new rural policing initiative is being trialled in Co. Wicklow aimed at giving a voice back to rural dwellers and making local gardai more accessible, in an effort to increase levels of reporting and combat those who engage in such criminal activity.

A successful first meeting took place at the Woodenbridge Hotel in recent days, attended by IFA and Garda representatives.

'We are rolling this out across the three districts in the Wicklow Garda Division and the aim is to adopt a policing style which meets the needs of those living in rural areas,' says Detective Sergeant Barry Turner. He adds that there is a big problem with under-reporting of crimes in rural areas, which this initiative hopes to change.

Crimes such as trespass, burglary, property theft and, to a lesser extent, dog worrying are among the most common problems for rural residents and business owners.

'It's not just farmers who we want to engage with. We want anyone living in a rural part of the county to link in with us and feel that they can contact us. Technology is great but you can't beat the human interaction and we want to bring that back to the people. There will never be a local garda in every parish again, but we want to come up with a system that works well for everyone and that makes rural residents feel they are being listened to,' Detective Sergeant Turner added. He said that for too long, the voices of those living in remote or isolated country areas has become weaker and weaker and that people are getting extremely frustrated as a result.

'We want to improve the service we provide to the rural community and we hope that people will engage with us and come to us if they have a problem. It's not even just about reporting crime but if they have any concerns at all that they think we could help them with,' he says. The initiative is led by Detective Sergeant Turner at 087 0601859 barry.j.turner@garda.ie while Garda John Whelan at 01 2819222 john.h.whelan@garda.ie is looking after the Bray District, Garda Shane Barker 0404 46206 shane.p.barker@garda.ie is the Wicklwo contact and Garda Adrian Nevin 059 6482610 aidreen.p.nevin@garda.ie is available in the Baltinglass district.I want to publicly thank Rickey Nelson Jones for raising the question of why there have been so few African-Americans who have served on the county Circuit Court and I want him to know that as long as there is breath in my body, I intend to make sure the questions he raised in his lawsuit are answered.Ashford Owners Management Company Ltd has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala after being refused permission to change 28 holiday houses at Belair Hotel into private family homes.

The management company applied to Wicklow County Council in October 2018 for the change of use to holiday homes of 28 two-storey holiday dwelling houses previously granted permission in 1995 and 1998.

In December, the planning section of Wicklow County Council refused permission, stating that the proposed development would contravene the County Development Plan.

Planners also took into consideration the location of the development in a rural area, the layout of the dwellings, poor quality of existing private and public amenity space provision and the lack of adequate car parking.

The proposed change of use would materially contravene the settlement strategy of the County Development Plan 2016-2022, and would also be contrary to rural housing policy as set out in the National Planning Framework, the planners found.

According to the County Council planners, the development 'would undermine the tourism objectives of the County Development Plan, and would result in a sub-standard level of residential amenity for future permanent residential occupants of the dwellings. Therefore to permit this development would set an undesirable precedent for similar sporadic development in the rural area, and would undermine the core values of the County Development Plan 2016-2022'.

The local authority also ruled that the change of use would contravene part of the County Development Plan which states that private wastewater treatment plants for multi-house developments will not be permitted.

An Bord Pleanala is due to make a ruling on the appeal by May 20.Some 8 million will be invested into the redevelopment of Avondale House and Forest Park to turn it into a state-of-the-art visitor destination.

Coillte, in association with Failte Ireland, made the announcement on Monday. The redevelopment project is titled 'A Place for Visionaries' and will consist of interactive education technologies designed to promote learning, new walkway trails comprising of subterranean pathways and tunnels and an elevated timber lattice walkway 460m in length to be erected overlooking the forest canopy and Avonmore River valley. The plans also include a state-of-the-art visitor centre, restaurant and cafe.

Avondale, once the home of Charles Stewart Parnell, is now owned by Coillte and is considered the birthplace of Irish forestry.

Fergal Leamy, chief executive of Coillte, said; 'We are excited to be embarking upon such an ambitious project that will place Avondale Forest Park as one of the country's leading visitor destinations. Creating a unique space to socialise, enjoy and learn.

'We are committed to protecting the future of Ireland's forestry, and supporting the next generation in understanding the important role trees play in contributing to our environment and national economy. This significant investment is only possible thanks to our continued commercial success. "A Place for Visionaries" will showcase all that Irish forests have to offer, demonstrating some of the leading-edge science and technologies used in the forestry industry today'.

Visitors will be able to explore two main themes; 'At Home with the Parnell's' which will celebrate the life and times of Charles Stewart Parnell at Avondale House and 'The Evolution of Forestry' which will take a retrospective look through the history of the forest park from the 1700's to present day and beyond.

There will be a state-of-the-art visitor centre on site which will include a cafe and restaurant, which will lead to Coillte's 'Evolution of Forestry' installation and a breath taking 460m lattice walkway providing 360-degree views of the canopy and Avonmore River valley.

It is believed the development will provide a real tourism boost to the area. Currently over 30,000 people visit Avondale each year and it is hoped the re-development will increase this figure to 100,000. 'A Place for Visionaries' is set to open in 2021.

Minister of State for Forestry and Wicklow TD Andrew Doyle has welcomed both the funding and the granting of planning permission by Wicklow County Council, having worked behind the scenes to push forward the project.

'Preparatory work and consultation for this development plan has been taking place for several years which signified the commitment that existed to establish Avondale as a site of national importance with the potential to attract many more visitors to County Wicklow,' said Minister of State Doyle. 'I was delighted to welcome the then Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to Avondale and have since worked with Minister Michael Creed as well as with Coillte to highlight the unique offering presented by Avondale and to bring forward plans for its redevelopment.

I will be providing input to the detailed design stages when they commence. There is no national forestry library and there is an onus to preserve any information that may be in Avondale on the foundation of the forestry service.

'I am in discussion with Coillte about the shorter term plans also and specifically the need for adequate information and signage around the estate so that visitors can continue to enjoy the park while also being informed about its vision for the future.

'It is important to ensure that Avondale is open for Summer 2019 season and that proper facilities and information will be available to visitors during this time,' said Minister of State Doyle.Sister Valery Hetherton's funeral Mass was held in the Columban Sisters Convent Chapel in Magheramore after she passed away peacefully in St Vincent's Hospital surrounded by her family.

Sister Valery was originally from Ballinlough House, Kells, County Meath and during her eventful life she also lived in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Scotland.

In January of 1959 she set off on her first mission assignment to Hong Kong, joining three other sisters as they got on the boat in Dun Laoghaire over to Holyhead for the start of their month long journey.

In the humid heat of the Hong Kong summer she nursed patients with tuberculosis, inspiring the staff, radiating kindness and understanding as she dispensed the medicines. In Freni Home, a convalescent home for recovering male patients, she could bring a smile from the most weary man. She moved among them with gentleness, with encouraging words, helping them to recover from this debilitating disease.

When, in the 1970s, she was sent to Fanling, a rural clinic on the Chinese border she again made many friends, among the farmers, the poor, the children.

Her skill in treating tubercular patients and the knowledge of this scourge of a disease which she imbibed during her ministry in Hong Kong, made her the ideal person to be sent to the Philippines to help stop the spread of the disease. She went first to the Zambales Province where the Columban Fathers operated TB clinics.

The poor were her special concern; she visited remote barrios to promote better care, especially for the children. And when in later years she did pastoral work in Manila, again people were drawn to her and took her to their hearts.

Back in Ireland, she undertook many different roles, always with a good heart, and a willingness to give of her best. Her unfailing trust and good humour overcame the inevitable difficulties that come our way. Her years in Ashford were enriched by the many friends who knew her to be a wise and caring listener, and someone who loved them.

Anyone visiting Magheramore while Sister Valery was staying there were always sure of a warm and friendly welcome. 'Come and join us in a cuppa,' she'd say when you were just passing the community room.

Sister Valery was much loved and will be greatly missed by her nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great grand-nephew, in-laws, relatives, friends and religious community.Country music star Charlie Landsborough will perform in Wicklow next month as he brings his farewell tour around Ireland.

The English performer, pictured below, who is part country, part folk, part rock'n'roll and part gospel, will play the Parkview Hotel on Friday, February 8.

As well as much-loved hits like My Forever Friend, I Will Love You All My Life, What Colour Is the Wind, Special, Shine Your Light and Five Fingers, Charlie will also perform songs from his new album 'The Attic Collection'. The 20-song album is Charlie's 35th and features 15 different versions of songs from his early albums along with five new songs - four original Charlie creations and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice'.

Despite a talent for creating heartfelt and telling lyrics, Charlie was unsure of his own talents for a long time. He continued to work at a series of other jobs while doing music on a semi-pro basis until 1994, when the success of What Colour is the Wind changed his life. Since 1995 he has toured the UK and Ireland twice a year, building up a large following for his live work and performing at most major concert halls and theatres.

Renowned as an enthralling performer, Charlie Landsborough will bring his farewell tour to the Parkview Hotel in Newtownmountkennedy at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 8. Tickets cost 30 (cash only) and are available from the hotel reception.Neven Maguire took in a visit to Strandhill and Voya Seaweed Baths on his trip to Sligo

Sligo features prominently in Chef Neven Maguire's RTE series dedicated to seafood.

His journey around Ireland took him to Sligo in episode four of Neven's Irish Seafood Trails.

Sligo, or 'Sligeach' in Irish, means 'Shelly place' thus making it the perfect stop for Neven.

In tomorrow night's show (airing at 8.30pm) he meets Aisling Kelly of the Sligo Oyster Experience, and she takes Neven on a tour from Wild Atlantic Oysters, an oyster farm in Sligo Bay, to Sligo town where she demonstrates the versatile ways in which oysters can be cooked.

Sligo is also home to the Eala Bahn restaurant where Neven meets owner Anthony Gray, another champion of the Sligo food scene.

A little further up the coast is the picturesque village of Mullaghmore, renowned for its local lobsters and crabs.

Chef Eithna O'Sullivan of Eithna's By The Sea shares her recipe for Spiced Lobster with sea spaghetti, and as it's a beautiful day, Eithna cooks outdoors on Mullaghmore Pier.

Further south in Strandhill, Neven visits Voya Seaweed Baths where owner Neil Walton has successfully revived an Irish coastal tradition.

Neil and Neven head to the stunning local beach where Neil demonstrates how to harvest wild, organic seaweed suitable for a rejuvenating seaweed bath.

This week Neven cooks a delicious trout and crab ravioli.

Neven's Irish Seafood Trails is produced and directed by David Hare for InproductionTV and is sponsored by BORD BIA.

Neven's Irish Seafood Trails is his first series dedicated to seafood.Fianna Fail TD Marc Mac Sharry has said he will fight against any action by the Irish Prison Service to undermine the provisions of hot meals for its staff.

The Sligo TD made the comments after coming under fire following his questioning of senior figures within the IPS at the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Mac Sharry posed questions to the Director General of the Irish Prison Service, senior staff, and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice in relation to the appropriation accounts of the Prison Service.

Following this he has faced criticism by the Irish Prison Officers Trade Union, the IPOA, and their Sligo-based Deputy General Secretary Gabriel Keaveney.

In correspondence between the two men, Mr Keaveney alleges that Mr Mac Sharry's questioning at the PAC would opportunistically be used by prison bosses to remove the capability for prison officers to obtain a hot meal while on duty.

Mac Sharry raised issues relating to the running of canteen services in nine of the country's 12 prisons and especially the destination of any surplus funds generated by these canteens.

In an exclusive statement to The Sligo Champion, the TD said more questions were raised as a result of the questioning as nobody could explain where funds go and if even they are audited and accountable.

"The blank faces and vacant expression on the faces of Prison bosses when asked questions at the PAC meeting is a cause for concern. Perhaps everything is in order, and all necessary oversight, auditing and accountability are in place. If not, the situation must be addressed. It is as simple as that. I respect the Prison Officers Association Trade Union and expect they are as anxious to have these questions answered as I and the other members of the PAC are, " the TD explained.

At the Public Accounts Committee on January 17th the PAC were questioning related matters within the committee's competence, including the contents of protected disclosures made by prison officers reporting alleged irregularities.

During an hour of robust questioning Mac Sharry raised allegations that he said were raised with him by numerous prison officers throughout the country. Allegations included alleged harassment, bullying, sexual assault, career blocking, misuse of prison vehicles and property and the private catering of parties for senior staff at the expense of ordinary prison officers and the tax payer.

Other questions were raised in relation to whether any excess income over expenditure is used for the benefit of ordinary prison officers as it seems was the intention, according to the TD.

Deputy Mac Sharry said, "The only focus here is addressing the concerns raised with PAC members by ordinary hard-working Prison Officers. It is our constitutional responsibility to do so. I would vehemently oppose any move by the Prison Service to in anyway to undermine canteen and other facilities available to hard working prison officers."

The Deputy continued, "They are entitled to appropriate working conditions and given the circumstances and stressful nature of their work there may well be an argument for such services to be provided by the state. That is a matter for others."

Addressing Mr Keaveny's remarks in relation to possible threats to the canteen services for prison guards, MacSharry said if there were any attempts to undermine or dilute services to prison officers, the Union could be certain that the politician would be in solidarity with them in opposing such a 'retrograde step'..

"Perhaps everything is in order, and all necessary oversight, auditing and accountability are in place. If not, the situation must be addressed. It is as simple as that. I respect the Prison Officers Association Trade Union and expect they are as anxious to have these questions answered as I and the other members of the PAC are."

He concluded,,"In this matter I am on the side of the ordinary hard working prison officers and the taxpayer as I am sure Mr Keaveny and the Prison Officers Association are."

In response to Deputy Mac Sharry's comments, Mr Keaveny questioned 'the manner' in which Mac Sharry brought up his questions.

"Our staff work 12 hours a day and that's a normal shift. The conditions are atrocious to say the least. He's on about the price of bread, butter and jam that we consume. If the canteen facilities close because of this it would be a huge retrograde step for our members," explained Mr Keaveny.

He also outlined that the canteen services provides work placement opportunities for prisoners who wish to engage in rehabilitation and that this would be impacted if the facilities were closed.

Mr Keaveny believes that the deputy could have raised questions regarding more serious issues on behalf of prison workers, including the lack of protectice clothing and equipment and maintaining numbers in prison in order for them to be viable.

"We don't carry batons, we don't carry pepper spray, we don't have body armour, only in extreme situations. There's a whole array of issues that he could have raised, genuine issues for officers and I don't think bread, butter and jam were apart of that," said Mr Keaveney.

Asked if he believed Mr Mac Sharry was genuine in his comments about standing with prison officers in order to protect meal facilities, Mr Keaveney drew on previous examples to outline is position.

"The last time we were at the Workplace Relations Commission it was the Prison Officers Association delivered for its members. No Dail deputy approached us offerring assistance. We had to fight for it." said the Union spokesperson.Transition and LCA students from Summerhill College who took part in the programme are pictured with their teacher, Dervilla Casey and lecturer

Sligo IT is assisting and encouraging Summerhill College senior cycle students with valuable first-hand insight and experience of the working world.

Students took part in the Skills@Work programme, where volunteer employees work with students on CV writing and interview skills and give them an insight in to the array of jobs available to students through 'A Day in the Life' session as well as mock interviews conducted by staff at IT Sligo.

The partnership has been facilitated by the Schools' Business Partnership (SBP) and is an initiative of Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI).

The Skills @ Work programme at Summerhill College began last September.

During the year employees have spoken to the students about the real-life skills required in the workplace, such as CV writing and interview preparation.

They ran run 'A Day in the Life' session to assist the students in recognising the value of completing the leaving certificate and help them explore possible career paths.

The students were also brought on a site visit to IT Sligo.

Fania Ellison, Regional Coordinator from Business in the Community Ireland said: "This programme broadens horizons, helps students view their future in terms of a career as opposed to just a job and to think outside the box as well as looking at traditional areas.

"It improves student/management/pupil relations and improves their confidence when addressing authority, makes students proud of their school and themselves and it encourages them to dwell on their strengths.

"We would love to get more businesses in Sligo to get involved as we have many schools needing a link company."

Funded by the Department of Education and the participating businesses, The Schools' Business Partnership (SBP) has matched 203 post primary schools in Ireland with a local business.The OPW Energy Awareness Big Switch off, runners-up was Sligo University Hospital, with Michael OBrien with Domhnall McLoughlin, Declan McGoldrick and Patricia Lee

Sligo University Hospital has been switching off lights and its endeavours has seen it come runner up in a national competition to save energy.

Six hospitals took part in the competition which was run by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in collaboration with the HSE's National Health Sustainability Office (NHSO).

The campaign aimed to empower hospital staff to take control of the energy consumed in their workplace and to embed energy saving habits.

The BIG Switch Off saw staff making an extra effort to switch off non - essential equipment in advance of the Bank Holiday weekends.

Sligo University Hospital was named runner up in The Big Switch Off.

Points were awarded based on the percentage of energy saved by hospitals, as well as being awarded for the number of engagement activities each hospital participated in. Combined, the hospitals saved enough electricity to power an average operating theatre for 162 days.

The success of the Big Switch Off in each of the six hospitals who participated in the competition successfully demonstrated the cumulative impact that small individual actions can have. The BIG Switch Off is part of the Optimising Power at Work Programme which is a staff energy awareness campaign run by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

In partnership with the HSE's National Health Sustainability Office (NHSO) the campaign is currently active in fourteen hospitals across Ireland and nearly 300 other public buildings.

Congratulating the hospitals on their achievements, Paul Tighe, Senior Engineer at The Office of Public Works said:

"Climate Change is a serious issue which we need to address with renewed determination as a country.

"We are delighted with the success of 'The BIG Switch Off' and the level of engagement by staff. I want to thank HSE's National Health Sustainability Office and all of the six hospitals for taking part."A new housing group has rescued nine Sligo homes in mortgage arrears over the last year.

High Profile Vulture Fund opponent David Hall is CEO of the company I-Care.

I-Care is funded by AIB and was set up a year ago to rescue families in mortgage arrears trouble.

Mr. Hall said: ''In Sligo we intend to help a lot more families that are in trouble. But you must contact us. A silent priest never got a parish''.

He also pledged; ''we welcome difficult cases because we know how to sort them out''.

The not for profit housing company dedicated specifically to the resolution of Mortgages Arrears involving those who are in long term distress and qualify for Social Housing Support.

Under a unique new process, a house in Mortgage Arrears is sold to i-Care at a substantial discount and I-Care then rent the house back to qualifying owners.

The home-owner agrees a thirty-year lease with i-Care where they lose their home.

However, those who are renting their former home can at any point re-purchase at the cost i-Care has paid.

They cannot sell the property on, though, or borrow irresponsibly to re-purchase.

The i-Care CEO added; ''Today's figures show there is a real alternative to vultures. We can deal with our problems on our own. They also show that whilst others talk, we do.''

He added; ''we are acutely aware Mortgage Arrears is as much a rural as an urban crisis. This is why working with groups like MAB's, i-Care operates across the countryside.

These results also indicate; ''there is a better way; that a real sustainable solution exists for families living under a shadow. They said it couldn't be done. But it has. Promises made have been kept''.

"To build and to reach that evolving future very different people had to come to an understanding of each-other. Voluntary organizations had to be convinced banks could have a social ethic.

"Banks had to commit to believing voluntary organizations can be run on business principles.

"Those who had nothing but bad stories with banks had to engage in acts of trust with institutions who find it hard to believe bad things happen to good people."

i-Care was established by the Irish Mortgage Holders' Association in 2017 to buy suitable homes from banks where the mortgage holder cannot pay the mortgage and is eligible for social housing.

A registered charity, iCare has since negotiated deals with banks on behalf of just under 600 distressed mortgage holders under the government's Mortgage to Rent scheme.

A further two hundred and fifty homes are poised to enter the pipeline.

David and i-Care can be contacted at 1800-233-244 or info@icarehousing.ieVincent Clark, 27, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, suspending all but 20 years of active incarceration after he entered an Alford plea to charges of supervising a criminal gang and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. An Alford plea allows a defendant to effectively plead guilty while not admitting actual guilt.More jobs are on the way for Sligo following the signing of a three-year contract worth 12m by Cork based Capita Customer Solutions has with Electric Ireland, Ireland's largest energy supplier, for the provision of credit control and collection services.

'Capita' (formerly known as SouthWestern) will be providing an inbound and outbound operations centre for Electric Ireland, as well as the supporting back office activities. This will be run out of two sites in the country, with a head office in Cork and a satellite operation in Sligo and will create 80 new jobs for the company.

This cements Capita's position as a leading provider of such services in the sector, and a major player in the Irish market.

The contract will run for three years initially, and may be extended for a further four years.

Capita Customer Solutions was established as SouthWestern more than 20 years ago.

It was acquired by the UK-based Capita group in 2014 and it employs 650 people at operations at Clonakilty, Co Cork, in Cork City and in Sligo.

Speaking after the announcement, Deputy Tony McLoughlin said: "This is more good news for Sligo and the con-tract allocation was a hugely positive development for Capita Customer Solutions".

He added: "This is very good news not just for Capita, but for the communities in Cork and Sligo where the company is based. Capita has an excellent track record in the provision of credit collection services and has a wide range of expertise to draw on.

"Devising personalised solutions for customers in difficult situations requires creativity as well as empathy and I think the fact that Electric Ireland and Capita are focused on delivering a compassionate customer service is to be commended."A recent fundraiser organised by Gemma Coleman of Dowras, Tourlestrane, raised in excess of 3,000 for the Irish Moror Neuron Disease Association. The funds were raised through a number of activities including collection points at Mid West Radio, Gillespies of Tubbercurry and a House Concert at Moy River Folk Club in Cloonacool. From left: Pat Feeley, Gemma Coleman and Pat McCarrick

Banada-Tourlestrane: There will be a Leaving Cert Irish Oral Revision Course on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. in Banada. Junior and Leaving cert Irish courses will be from July 22 to July 26 and July 29 to August 2 in Banada, contact Siobhan at 087 4510572.

Indoor Country Market

Drummartin Indoor Country Market (9km from Tubbercurry out on the Ballina Road besides Joe Dan's Pub) from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. every Saturday. Along with the usual great selection of local produce and crafts they are also introducing 'zero waste' rice, oats and flour - bring your own container and pay by weight. Why not take a seat in the coffee shop and enjoy some fabulous home made cake while you are here.

Blood Donation Clinic

There will be a Blood Donation Clinic in St Brigid's Hall, Tubbercurry on Thursday, February 7, from 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. As always, the demand for blood continues and every possible donation is desperately needed. Injured and sick people live because other people give. Blood is life and giving some is one of the greatest gesture of love and care that most people will ever have chance to avail of.

Bingo

Bingo every Tuesday night at Banada Abbey. 1,700 guaranteed payout every night, full house 200 on flier game and 150 on last game. New 50: 50 draw each night. First game at 8.30 p.m.

Aclare lotto

The Aclare Community lotto is now 4,200. Tickets are available from Kennedy's Supermarket, Aclare and from any ADC member.

Cloonacool

Table quiz

There will be a table quiz in aid of the following new projects - Cloonacool Men's Shed and Cloonacool Community Cafe. The quiz will take place in Brennan's Bar on Saturday, February 9, at 9 p.m.

5k Road Race

The ninth annual Cloonacool GAA Road Race is taking place on Sunday, February 10, at midday. This is a fundraiser for Cloonacool GAA Club. Starting at the Community Pitch, Cloonacool. Runners, Joggers, Walkers are all welcome. Entry on the day from 10.30 at pitch and race starts at midday. Entry fees 10 for adults, 5 for children and 25 for a family. Changing and shower facilities available. Refreshments afterwards.

This is a Fast Flat course, AAI Permitted and Jones Counter Measured. Prizes for first three men, first three women, first local man, first local woman, first Secondary and first National School runner. For more information, contact Bill Carty: 087 9550870, billcarty@eircom.net or Mari Johnston: 087 6907155, marijohnston13@gmail.com.

Cloonacool Players

Rehearsals are in full swing at present for the Cloonacool Players upcoming production of 'I do not like thee Dr Fell' a dark comedy written by playwright Bernard Farrell.

This play will be performed in Cloonacool Community Centre on Friday the 15th, Saturday and Sunday, February 16, and 17, next at 8 p.m. each night. It will then travel to St Nathy's Hall Mullinabreena on Friday night, February 22, and then on to the Arts Centre in Ballina on Thursday night, February 28, for a special needs charity event. It will also play in St Brigid's Hall Tubbercurry on Monday, March 4, at the Western Drama Festival.

The play which has a story line based on group therapy support and is built around the complex characters who attend the session, is guaranteed to keep audiences fully engaged throughout the evening. It will also play on the drama festival circuit of Ireland, during the month of March. So put these dates in your diary.

Moy River Folk Club

A recent fundraiser organised by Gemma Coleman of Dowras, Tourlestrane, raised in excess of 3,000 for Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association. The funds were raised through a number of activities including collection points at Mid West Radio, Gillespies of Tubbercurry and a House Concert at Moy River Folk Club in Cloonacool.

Blood Donation Clinic

There is a Blood Donation Clinic in St Brigid's Hall, Tubbercurry on Thursday, February 7, from 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in your local notes for the next two weeks if possible. As always, the demand for blood continues and every possible donation is desperately needed. Injured and sick people live because other people give. Blood is life and giving some is one of the greatest gesture of love and care that most people will ever have chance to avail of.

Community Park Draw

The Cloonacool Community Park lotto draw for January took place in Brennan's on Saturday night. The numbers drawn were 6, 17, 27 and 29. There was no winner of the 2,600 jackpot. There was one match-three winner Niall McCarrick. Next month's jackpot will be worth 2,700. Many thanks for your continued support.

Operation Transformation

The GAA club is running Operation Transformation starting first week of January and will run for seven weeks. There are two 'Fit for all' classes (Wednesday evening and Satursday morning) and an organised walk on Sundays. It will be 70 per person for the seven weeks. After the seven weeks there will be night out to celebrate achievements. It promises to be a great community activity, with a lot on board already. We are on the lookout for group leaders, whose job is to solely recruit five other members. Email mcIntyre.brian@gmail.com for more details.

Photographic history

As a result of recent community meeting one group have taken on the task of developing a history of the times past by means of a photographic display. To do this the support of the community is required. We plan to source old photos of life in our area in the past. People at work and play and day to day life as it used to be. Anyone, who has such photos are asked to consider loaning them to have copies taken after which they will be returned to owners.

The plan is to select photos that capture local lifestyle in years gone by for use in a heritage display in the village. Please contact Philomena at 087 9329873 or Julia 071 9184207 for further details or come along to the next community meeting date to be announced later.

Your news

Please send in your notes to Emma Gallagher by Thursday to cloonacoolnotes@gmail.com.

Curry-Moylough

Michael retires

Congratulations to Michael Ryan, Powelsboro on his retirement from An Post, and to James P Coffey, Powelsboro on his retirement from the RSS Rural Employment Scheme.

Belt Torc AGM

The annual general meeting of Belt Torc Dev. Co Ltd will take place in Moylough Heritage Centre on Thursday, February 7, at 8.30 p.m. A review of the past year activities and plans for 2019, election of officers. New members are always welcome.

25 Card games

25 Card games continue every Wednesday night in the Heritage Centre Moylough at 8.30 p.m. Winners last night were, Paul Flannery, James Hyland, raffle was won by Martin Coffey, John White, Michael Fleming and John Brennan.

Tubbercurry

Blood Donation Clinic

Blood Donation Clinic in St Brigid's Hall, Tubbercurry on Thursday, February 7, from 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. As always, the demand for blood continues and every possible donation is desperately needed. Injured and sick people live because other people give. Blood is life and giving some is one of the greatest gestures of love and care that most people will ever have chance to avail of.

Monthly Comhaltas Session

The monthly Comhaltas session will be held in Nathy Brennan's on Friday, February 1. Junior session stars at 8 p.m. and senior session begins at 9 p.m. Please note the change of time, the starting times have been brought forward an hour. All musicians are very welcome.

Mary Burke r.i.p.

The recent death occurred in her 95th year of Mary Burke, late of Tubberdur, Achonry. A native of Ballylongford, Co. Kerry.

Mary came to the Achonry area as a young adult to help care for an elderly relation, and after some time met her future husband, Kevin. She was then to remain in Achonry for the rest of her life while rearing her family. Mary was always a very chatty, outgoing lady who was always young at heart, and her favourite social outing was playing cards, especially 25.

Mary was pre-deceased by her husband Kevin, and sons Paddy and Johnny.

Her remains reposed at the residence of her daughter Mary at Rinbane and removal took place to the Church of St Nathy and St Brigid, Achonry. Burial took place in Achonry Cemetery.

She is survived by her daughter Mary, sons, Walter, Martin and Joseph, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchild, extended family, neighbours and friends, all to whom sympathy is extended. May she rest in peace.

Active Retirement

This is a special year for the local Active Retirement members as they will be celebrating the 25th year of their very successful organisation. Many events will be organised throughout the year.

The AGM takes place on Tuesday, January 29, in the Health Centre, and new members will be very welcome.

The usual activities of Bowling, Curling (Mondays), yoga class and Irish Social Hour (Thursdays), Book Club (Wednesday) will commence on the week beginning January 29. Book for discussion this month in Conclave by Robert Harris.

Make it your 2019 resolution to join this nationwide association this year and you will soon enjoy all the benefits it brings to this community.

Town Twinning Anniversary

This year we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the twinning between Viarmes and Tubbercurry. A group from South Sligo will be travelling to Viarmes on May 9 to May 13 There will be various activities including a day trip to Paris organised by our French hosts.

The cost of flights is reasonable at the moment with Ryanair. If you are interested in travelling please contact Nuala at info@tubbercurry.ie or Michael at mikecole@eircom.net or Derek at 087 6393137, or alternatively call in to Nuala in the Tourist office.

Flight details for the trip: Ryanair flight departs Dublin for Beauvais on Thursday, May 9, at 6.30 a.m., returning Monday, May 13, departing Beauvais for Dublin at 9.25 a.m.

Holy Family National School

Holy Family NS had a very exciting day on Friday, January 18, when they welcomed local Operation Transformation member, Paul Murphy to Holy Family NS Paul joined first and second class doing their 10@10 in the school hall. They were also joined by Minister Sean Canney and councillor Paul Taylor. Well done to Ms Conlon and Ms Tuohy for leading the activities.

Minister Canney also visited fifth and sixth classes. In sixth he listened to the children explain their Junior Entrepreneur Project and also showed off their skills on the class Ipads.

Fifth class were working on Izak9 and the Minister was very impressed with their Maths Activities.

We welcome back the Skipping Workshop on Tuesday, January 29. This is part of our Active Flag Project.

Music Generation starts on Monday, January 28, for fifth class and sixth class. The children are learning guitar this term.

Families wishing to enrol pupils in junior infants for September 2019 should contact the school to ask for an application form - principalholyfamilyns@gmail.com or 071 9186291.

Fundraising Success

A recent fundraiser organised by Gemma Coleman of Dowras, Tourlestrane, raised in excess of 3,000 for Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association. The funds were raised through a number of activities including collection points at Mid-West Radio, Gillespies of Tubbercurry and a House Concert at Moy River Folk Club in Cloonacool.

Irish Revision Courses

Leaving Cert Irish Oral Revision Course Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. in Banada, with junior and Leaving cert Irish courses July 22 to July 26 and July 29 to August 2 in Banada. Contact Siobhan at 087 4510572 for more information.

Banada Abbey Bingo

Massive 1,800 guaranteed payout every Tuesday night at Banada Abbey Bingo starting at 8.30 p.m. Jackpot 1,100+ on 45 calls or less. All lines 20 and 260 payout on Flier sheet. 50: 50 draw and lots of Lucky Number Games.

Cloonacool Players

Rehearsals are in full swing at present for the Cloonacool Players upcoming production of 'I do not like thee Dr Fell' a dark comedy written by playwright Bernard Farrell.

This play will be performed in Cloonacool Community Centre on Friday the 15th, Saturday and Sunday, February 16, and 17, next at 8 p.m. each night.

It will then travel to St Nathy's Hall Mullinabreena on Friday night, February 22, and then on to the Arts Centre in Ballina on Thursday night, February 28, for a special needs charity event. It will also play in St Brigid's Hall Tubbercurry on Monday, March 4, at the Western Drama Festival.

Dance Class

Why not join the Tubbercurry Dance Class on the Sligo Road on Wednesday nights from 8 p.m. Class for beginners - improvers, learn new steps or practice your dancing, and a brilliant way to exercise. Slow Waltz, Waltz Foxtrot, Quickstep and more.

For more information contact 087 6674561.

Correspondent

Email Roger McCarrick - tubbercurrynotes@eircom.net.Mamma Mia was Abbas first No. 1 since their Eurovision win in 1974.

By late 1975, Abba had been plying their trade for five years. Their 1974 Eurovision win with 'Waterloo' brought international fame and the number one spot in many territories, but subsequent singles failed to ignite chart interest in the UK and Ireland.

When 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' landed on top of the Australian charts and stayed there for ten weeks in mid 1975, Epic Records in the UK saw huge Abba potential and started heavy promotion of their singles.

'SOS' reached No 6 in the UK (and 4 in Ireland) and then Mamma Mia - the opening track on the band's third album - climbed to number one in both countries (ending the reign of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody').

It marked the start of five years of Abba chart dominance and a further seven UK number ones would follow for Sweden's finest. With over a half a million sales, 'Mamma Mia' ranks eleventh in the list of Abba best sellers in the UK.

Abba's music was less successful in the US market where 'Mamma Mia' reached No. 32 in the Billboard Hot 100 and 'Dancing Queen' remains their sole number one.

 The number two song in our chart from 1976, Slik's 'Forever and Ever' (which knocked Abba from the top in February) was the only top 20 hit by the Scottish band fronted by Midge Ure. 'Forever and Ever' was written by songwriting partners Phil Coulter and Bill Martin and offered to Slik after the Bay City Rollers had turned it down. Slik split in 1977 and Ure joined Ultravox whose 'Vienna' - voted Single of the Year at the 1981 Brit Awards - fell just short of a No. 1, famously denied the top spot by Joe Dolce's novelty song 'Shaddap You Face'.

Midge Ure would go on to have two more number ones: as co-writer with Bob Geldof on Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas' in 1984, and as a solo artist with 'If I Was' in 1985.

1 Mamma Mia Abba

2 Forever and Ever Slik

3 Bohemian Rhapsody Queen

4 Love Machine The Miracles

5 Glass of Champagne Sailor

6 Love To Love You Baby Donna Summer

7 We Do LT R and J Stone

8 In Dulci Jubilo/On Horseback Mike Oldfield

9 King of the Cops Billy Howard

10 Evil Woman Electric Light OrchestraEmergency personnel beside the Local Link bus on its side at Ballymore Cross, Foulksmills, on Thursday morning

A young woman has survived after being flung through a bus window into a ditch drain which the bus crashed down on top of.

Gemma O'Gorman, from Clongeen, had just left the village on the 20-seater Local Link bus five minutes earlier, along with three other passengers.

The bus was involved in a collision with a blue van at Ballymore Cross, Foulksmills, around a mile from Clongeen. The bus ended up on its side in the ditch from the impact of the collision.

Ann Colfer, a neighbour of Gemma's, was on the bus. She recalled the moment the vehicles collided: 'I just saw a blue van come down the road. The next thing I heard a bang.'

Ann, 63, suffered a cracked rib in the accident, which occurred at 8 a.m. on a busy, straight stretch of road.

Emergency services were alerted and the station officer at New Ross Fire Service Cyril McGarr took the decisive step of calling for the special road traffic incident emergency vehicle from Wexford - which was the first emergency vehicle to arrive. Two units of New Ross Fire Brigade attended the scene shortly afterwards, along with a fire tender from Wexford.

Ann described a chaotic scene. She said once the vehicle came to a stop on its side, the bus driver asked if she was OK. 'He had (whiplash) and cuts and bruises. I felt dizzy. Thankfully the ambulance arrived there very quickly.'

Fearing for Gemma, Ann said she was taken by a paramedic from the bus prior to being collected by her niece, who took her to Wexford General Hospital. 'It was awful to think it could happen (to Gemma). I am from the same housing estate as her in Clongeen. I thought she was really bad. It's a miracle. If you had seen the bus, you wouldn't believe anyone could get out (from under) that bus. It's amazing!'

Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ray Murphy said there were five people on the bus, ranging in ages from a teenager up to the lady in her 60s.

He said upon arrival the bus was on its side in the ditch. He said a female passenger (Gemma) was thrown through the bus window upon impact. She landed in a 1ft hole in a ditch, which was around 3ft wide.

The bus crashed down on top of where Gemma lay, but did not strike her landing inches from her head. 'There were five walking wounded who emerged from the bus. You're talking about an eight to ten ton bus. There happened to be a little drain in the ditch, a hole where her body could fit. They were very lucky. It was a major incident.'

The 18-strong fire brigade crew used air-bags and spreaders, along with chains and blocks, to lift the bus incrementally inch by inch from Gemma's head in a delicate, intricate rescue operation, ensuring they didn't destabilize the bus. 'If you moved it too far it could have caused damage. The men kept inching it incrementally, lifting it up and up carefully.'

Once the bus was a safe distance from Gemma. the firemen pulled her through the window, having cut out the seat the girl had occupied to make enough room to pull the young woman through the window.

Once they pulled Gemma from the wreckage she was assessed by waiting paramedics from Wexford General Hospital. Mr Murphy said lifting the bus back onto its wheels would have been too unpredictable and could have had disastrous consequences, praising the fire crew for the skilful way they handled the situation during the 30-minute rescue.

Gemma was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford where she was assessed prior to being released home that night.

The driver of the van (aged 35) suffered facial, hand and other defensive injuries. The bus driver (56) and the three other passengers were also injured and were taken to Wexford General Hospital for treatment.

Along with the 18 firemen, a council roads engineer, roads overseer, a road safety officer, Gardai and several ambulance staff attended the scene.

Once the casualties were safely removed to hospital, the bus and van were removed by a recovery truck and the road was cleaned by the fire crew who remained at Ballymore Cross until around 11.40 a.m.

Sergeant Eddie Wilde said full Garda investigation is under way.Students at Our Lady of Lourdes have been raising awareness about Tourette's - a complex neurological disorder - through a multi-faceted campaign.

The early symptoms of Tourette syndrome (TS) are typically noticed first in childhood, with the average onset between the ages of three and nine years.

The transition year students have been working on their Young Social Innovators (YSI) project which is called Let's Talk Tourette's. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of Tourette syndrome which they feel has very little recognition in New Ross and all over Ireland.

A class spokesperson said: 'We also discovered there is no support group in Ireland that is well-known. Our group came up with this because one of the students had seen a documentary about TS and found it very interesting. She thought that it was something many people haven't heard of or if they have heard of it, that they don't understand exactly what it is. During the process of debating on what the group could do as their YSI project, she mentioned it and everyone was amazed because not many of them hadn't heard of it. Therefore, they knew straight away what they could do their YSI project on.'

TS is a complex disorder characterized by repetitive, sudden and involuntary movements or noises called tics. Tics usually appear in childhood and their severity varies over time. Simple vocal tics include grunting, sniffing, and throat-clearing.

During their research, the students found that just like any other medical condition or life development, TS can have a significant impact on family life. People with Tourette's may find it very difficult to write, learn, socialise or even get a job. A student with tourette's syndrome can distract a class very easily, but they are unable to not disturb a class. Simple every day tasks such as getting dressed, brushing your teeth or even using the bathroom can be difficult for people with severe cases.

The 24-student team has highlighted the condition on local radio and are currently making an education pack for teachers in all schools to inform them about TS and how they should treat a child with TS.

They also have a brochure that they hope to get approved by the HSE. 'We plan to put these brochures in doctor surgeries, hospitals and many other health related places.'

The group will attend the YSI Speak Out event in Kilkenny on March 29 and many other YSI events, highlighting their campaign and are targeting politicians to improve services for people with Tourettes.

'We have produced a leaflet which we are sending to every sporting club, school and other organisations to distribute. We are also producing a short documentary on understanding TS.'

The students also plan to fundraise to provide support Cottage Autism Network Wexford as there are strong links between TS and autism.First time election candidate Susan (Sue) Breen is planning to use her grassroots campaigning work experience to win over voters ahead of polling day in the local elections this May 24.

Campaigning on improving the health service, the lack of social housing in the area, low pay, zero hour contract work conditions, rural development and supports for young people, mother-of-three Sue said: 'I have been an activist since I was in my teens and never had any time for politics whatsoever. I just had no faith in it.'

It was only when Sue became involved in the anti-water charges movement that she was inspired to get involved in politics. 'I got to know Richard Boyd Barrett, Brid Smith and Gino Kenny (of the People Before profit party). I saw how they were only taking the industrial wage and that sparked my interest so I joined the party and they asked if I'd set up a branch in the New Ross district.'

The Ballykelly woman was one of the organisers of the Together for Yes campaign locally and was involved in the marriage equality referendum campaign. Now living in Dunganstown with her partner Hugh Lewis, Sue says she wants a better society for her children Anwin, Heidi and Eliza to grow up in. She is the international coordinator for extinction rebellion and has been involved in environmental awareness campaigns.

For her campaign she is using poster boards from Deirdre Wadding's campaign with her face superimposed on them 'because the waste is just ridiculous'. She has received a warm response during her campaign which has been up and running for several weeks, adding that people are responding to her party's egalitarian principles and activist, non-careerist roots. Sue has also been active in highlighting the case of New Ross boy Asseel Osman, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy and needs cannabis oil to ease his seizures, and also the plight of a local homeless mother who has been living in a B&B for several months.

'I am very much a grassroots activist. I already have case work. I'm not enamoured with the idea of cross-party fighting at meetings or talking shops. I'm tired of nothing ever happening and am much more comfortable on the ground dealing with people and trying to help people.'

The busy mother of a 15-year-old boy and twin three-year-old girls said she doesn't feel there is any time to wait. 'My children are interested in what I'm doing,' she said, adding that she feels councillors should be paid more 'if they were actually doing the work', adding 'when someone is doing it as a sideline job then absolutely no, they shouldn't be paid more.'

'I was involved in campaigns for years but it was the mass mobilisation involved in the water charges movement that was really inspirational to me. You are used to working with a small group of people doing your own thing but with the water charges it seemed to be a nationwide upsurge in people power and that changed things for a lot of people.'

Sue spent a lot of her time in Dublin during the campaign where she witnessed homelessness. 'It became apparent that the lack of housing wasn't just affecting people in cities. Thousands of people are homeless and there is no real will to change anything.'

Sue is launching her campaign at the Green Door pub, Mary Street, New Ross, on Saturday, February 2, at 3 p.m.A 550,000 European water quality project is being launched in Duncannon today (Tuesday).

Wexford County Council were awarded 550,000 on foot of an application to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under its European Innovation Project for the Duncannon Blue Flag Farming and Community Scheme project, which was one of 12 schemes awarded funding in 2018 under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) initiative of Ireland's Rural Development Programme.

The project is being officially launched by Minister Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, at 10:30 a.m. in Duncannon Community Hall, to which the local community and farming community have been invited.

The council will use the funding to employ a full-time assistant agricultural scientist and part-time clerical officer over a three-year period.

Under this initiative Wexford County Council is spearheading a project aimed at improving water quality in the area and in the bathing waters in Duncannon with the intention of getting back its blue flag status.

This involves the cooperation of farmers, scientists, advisors, NGOs, coming together in an operational group to address the issue of water quality in the local area.

The ultimate aim of these Department of Agriculture innovation partnerships is to road-test new ideas and practices which can then be used more widely by farmers and others to improve productivity, enhance resource efficiency and pursue sustainable farming practices, in this case to examine how to ensure agriculture has minimal impact on water quality.

This will involve implementing some innovative practices following on from research carried out by the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme and involves mapping each and every farm and farmyard identifying pollution potential zones 'PPZ' and using them as education and engagement tools to show farmers in a simple visual way, the water-quality risks specific to their farms. It will also involve the farmers themselves collaboratively proposing solutions to problems identified on their farms which are workable and which they are happy to implement. These solutions would also be used as the basis for a water-quality focused, results-based, reward scheme which could be used to improve water-quality in particularly sensitive catchments. Included is a mechanism to effectively communicate and share local water-quality results with the local community and the establishing local 'citizen scientist' groups whereby local community members monitor the quality of their local streams and develop a pollution alert system.The organisers of the Christmas Lights Road Run in Campile have handed over a cheque for a whopping 5,504 to St Louis Day Care Centre.

Just under 150 vehicles participated in the run in December, held in aid of the Ramsgrange day care centre.

A particular draw was the inclusion of Ireland's largest tractor which enticed one family to travel all the way from Limerick to Campile to see it and to support the run.

Spokesperson for the organising committee John Hearn acknowledged the support the participants received from villages along the route.

He thanked Walter Furlong for displaying his monster tractor and everyone who put so much effort into lighting up their vehicles.

John also thanked the sound technicians, MC and stewards who helped out along with the bike marshals who ensured everyone's safety along the route.

The organisers were also grateful to Glanbia for providing parking facilities.

'A special word of thanks goes to Mary in the King's Bay Inn for donating all the food and her facilities,' said John.

`Without all these people this fundraiser would not be possible.'

Everyone involved is now looking forward to the next run which will hopefully take place at the end of this year.Some of the Laune View Killorglin residents. Front: Eileen, Nora and Patrick OConnor; and Anne OSullivan Back: Bridie OSullivan, John Doyle, Eileen Griffin, Marian and Liam Russell protesting at the condition of the road in the area. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin

Residents in one of Kerry oldest estates are calling on council management to fulfil promises made more than 22 years ago.

The residents of Laune View Housing Estate in Killorglin have once again called for the local authority to complete works at the estate, which was built back in 1934 and is one of Kerry's oldest estates. In 1997 a list of 17 works needed were presented to councillors - the majority of which have been undertaken in the intervening years. But some are "outstanding", according to resident Patrick 'Chub' O'Connor.

"There are four items outstanding, and we would like to have them sorted. We have waited 22 years," said Mr O'Connor in a deputation led by Cllr John Francis Flynn at the South and West meeting in Killorglin. These include a bus stop near the entrance to cater for the residents of the estate and a proper pedestrian crossing from the entrance to the estate to the Laune Bridge.

Other issues include a call for a large boulder with the name of the estate to highlight its location; and an upgrade of street lights.

The residents are also now calling for more works to be added to the old list, including the removal of a road sign that is causing confusion for motorists who are led into the estate and then have to reverse out; as well as the addition of a speed ramp and an overlay of the estate following Irish Water works, as loose grit is a serious concern for many residents and "is like walking on ball bearings", Mr O'Connor added.

Senior Engineer Padraic Teahan agreed the estate needed tarmac but that this would not happen until 2021 due to a full programme of works until then.

However, other works will be addressed, including the pedestrian crossing, which is part of a new road design.

Councillors' allocations were also offered and will be used for the new estate sign; and council management will write to Bus Eireann about the bus stop, though Mr Teahan warned that the bus stop in Killorglin is already located at Library Place for the whole town. Street lights will also be changed, residents were told.

Councillors and forthcoming election candidates were warned by residents that they had better have answers if they come canvassing to the estate.

"We have 40 houses and 100 votes," said Mr O'Connor. "Should any councillors canvas in our estate, we hope that they will have answers for us about these queries; otherwise, we will have answers for them. We have waited 22 years for some of these issues to be resolved," said Mr O'Connor.

Cllr John Francis Flynn said that that an overlay is needed for the estate as the surface will not settle due to the lack of traffic: "These are the eldest age group in our town, and that should be respected," he said.There is widespread relief across north Kerry and west Limerick following news that the United States has dropped sanctions against the owners of the Aughinish Alumina facility on the Shannon estuary.

The US had imposed the sanctions on several companies linked to Russian oligarch and Vladimir Putin ally Oleg Derispraska in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea; Russian support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The companies affected by the sanctions included manufacturing giant Rusal the parent company of Aughinish Alumina leading to fears for the future of the Limerick facility which employs 460 people directly and supports up to 500 indirect jobs in the wider area.

While the majority of the plant's workers are form Limerick a significant number are from north Kerry with numerous Kerry based hauliers also providing services to the plant.

The massive plant - located just outside Limerick city on the banks of the Shannon - supplies a third of all Europe's aluminium supplies and is the largest direct and indirect employer in the Shannon Estuary region.

Following confirmation that Derapaska's control of Rusal has been severed and his stake in the company dramatically reduced the US Treasury announced on Sunday that the sanctions will now be lifted.

The fate of Aughinish was one of the top priorities for US-Ireland relations this year, resulting in a series of high profile meetings in Dublin and Washington.

Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney welcomed the development.The Pacifica was traveling north on Route 301 when, for an unknown reason, it went off the left side of the road and into the woods. It began to spin in the snow-covered field, police said, throwing the children from the car. There was only one vehicle involved in the crash.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2)  Authorities are monitoring at least seven foreign terrorists in Patikul town in Sulu, the mayor of Jolo said Saturday.

Jolo Mayor Kherkar Tan confirmed this to CNN Philippines in the wake of Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano's claim that two Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the twin blasts in a Jolo cathedral that left 22 people dead last January 27.

READ: Indonesian suicide bombers behind Jolo blasts  Ano

Tan did not confirm or deny Ano's statement, saying investigation is ongoing. But he revealed that foreign terrorists, mostly Moroccan nationals, are staying in nearby Patikul, which is known as a lair of the Abu Sayyaf group.

"Kasi yung pagpasok ng Marawi hindi sila nakapasok na doon tapos nagpunta sila dito sa amin sa Patikul (They got here in Patikul after failing to enter Marawi)," Tan said. He was referring to the attack on Marawi, capital of Lanao del Sur in May 2017, conducted by local and foreign terrorists led by the ISIS-linked Maute terror group and Isnilon Hapilon, a former Abu Sayyaf leader who was the so-called "emir" of the ISIS in Southeast Asia.

Tan said the remaining foreign terrorists in Patikul are with Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the supposed successor of Hapilon.

Ano on Friday told CNN Philippines local terrorists such as the Abu Sayyaf served as guide for the Indonesian couple who bombed the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral. He explained that the Indonesian couple aimed to set an example for other Filipino terrorists who do not usually conduct suicide attacks since these are "against our tradition and customs."

He also warned there are remaining foreign terrorists in the country capable of suicide bombings, but assured that government forces are "doing everything" to thwart any attack.

On Saturday, government forces engaged in a firefight with around 100 Abu Sayyaf fighters in Patikul in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's order to "destroy" the terror group.

READ: 5 soldiers killed in clash vs. Abu Sayyaf in SuluAfter last-ditch efforts to prevent the biggest nursing strike in the history of the State failed, nurses and midwives across the county will mount pickets and start a 24-hour strike this morning (Wednesday).

The main protests by Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation members are due to start at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) from 8am this morning (January 30); and at the Community Hospitals in Kenmare and Cahersiveen from 9am.

While the largest protests will take place at these hospitals, INMO members will also down tools at day care centres. Some community nursing services - such as some home care visits - will also be impacted by the INMO action. All inpatient and day care surgeries have been cancelled at UHK, as have all out patient appointments.

While most health services will be impacted, vital services will still be operational. The UHK Emergency Department will be open, though, with a significantly reduced staff. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and dialysis delivery will go ahead as normal, as will obstetrics and colposcopy services.

Maternity services, in-patient wards, critical care wards and emergency theatres will be fully staffed. The INMO said its members will also be available to deal with any emergency cases that may arise. NMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, who is from West Kerry, was sharply critical yesterday (Tuesday, January 29) of the Government's failure to respond to the union's demands.

"Ireland's nurses and midwives are asking simple questions: Where is the Taoiseach? Where is the Minister for Finance? There is a vacuum of political leadership," she said.

"The largest strike in the health service's history looms, and our political leaders are nowhere to be seen. With a heavy heart, strike preparations continue," she said.

"As ever, we are available to talk any time, but we are still waiting for the government to make realistic proposals to avert this strike."This is not a journey too many people have undertaken but that is what John Joe Sheehy did just over a hundred years ago and last week Joe Harrington and Kay O'Leary of the Lyreacrompane Heritage Group took the opportunity, while on a visit to New York, to retrace his steps.

John Joe Sheehy from Lyreacrompane joined the American Prison service and rose to be the Principal Keeper, from 1925 to 1941, of the notorious Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, thirty miles up the Hudson River from New York City. Amongst the 35,000 prisoners who passed through his hands were 300 he conveyed to the electric chair. These included Ruth Snyder who killed her husband and Francis 'Two Gun' Crowley, the cop killer, who was captured in the famous shoot-out known at the 'Siege of 90th Street' - in the presence of a crowd of onlookers estimated to number over ten thousand New Yorkers.

John Sheehy attended the Glen School in Lyreacrompane in the 1890s and it is this, now protected structure, that the Lyreacrompane Heritage Group is working to renovate as a Heritage Centre for the area. One of about a dozen aspects of the heritage of the Stacks Mountains to be presented at the proposed Heritage House will be the connection with Sing Sing. The Lyre Heritage Group had already discovered that there was a group in Ossining working on a project - a Museum in Sing Sing prison with the theme 'Unlock the Past...and Open Minds - A New Museum that questions how we treat each other'.

During the visit Kay and Joe met with the Mayor of Ossining, Victoria Gearity, and about a dozen staff and administrators including Lieutenant/Watch Commander, John P. McMorrow, Lieutenant/Administration, John P. Gilman, Ossining Town Supervisor, Dana Levenberg and Arthur M. Wolpinsky, Facility Historian.

"In what was a sort of a twinning of the Lyreacrompane and Sing Sing projects, presentations of mementos for the occasion were exchanged by both sides and we have invited them to send a deputation to the opening of the Stacks Mountains Heritage House, which, if our fundraising efforts continue to be successful, should be next year," Kay O'Leary, Heritage Group Secretary, explained.An environmental group is challenging the extension of planning for the Shannon LNG plant in the High Court this week on the grounds that the terminal would fly in the face of legislation brought in long after the original planning was granted, among other key points.

Friends of the Irish Environment revealed details of its challenge under a judicial review process in the High Court as the hearing was to get underway on Tuesday.

The stakes could not be higher. Supporters of the 500million project believe it would transform the ailing economy of North Kerry/West Limerick, with hundreds of construction jobs in the short term.

Those against it believe it would substantially undermine the State's efforts to get off fossil fuels, and encourage the environmentally hazardous fracking industry in the US from which much of the gas would likely be sourced. FIE were to claim in the High Court that An Bord Pleanala 'ignored' Ireland's legal obligation under the 2015 Climate Change Act in extending planning for the plant for a further five years last year. They also claim the initial planning had expired.

"There is no point bringing in legislation to deal with climate change if projects which will lock Ireland into fossil fuels are approved while ignoring the requirement to consider the climate impact," FIE stated, adding: "The proposed terminal will be capable of receiving the largest LNG tankers in operation and is designed to import significant quantities of fossil fuels into the national and European gas grid, locking another generation into fossil fuels."

FIE also claim much of the gas would be sourced abroad by fracking - an extraction process banned in Ireland.

"What is the point of banning fracking in Ireland only to buy it from other countries, rewarding irresponsible Governments?" FIE asked.

Supporters of the project locally remain tight-lipped on the challenge pending its outcome, which is expected in the weeks ahead."Just completely swept off my feet," - the words of Valentia man Gerard O'Donoghue after he and his wife, Geraldine, were re-united with Keanu, their Teacup 'Yorkie' puppy, who was stolen from Gerard's van in Waterville almost four months ago.

Gerard, who had only purchased Keanu and another puppy 24 hours earlier, was left distraught on September 30 when he came out of Mass in Loher Church in Waterville to discover that his two dogs had been stolen from his van.

"I got on to the Gardai straight away. I was bawling crying; I was very upset over it," Gerard told The Kerryman this week.

Gerard said that he never gave up hope of finding Keanu and Keanu's brother, though, choosing to maintain positive thoughts that they would be found.

As time went on, however, Gerard said that he purchased two more dogs - a brother and sister of the two stolen - and hoped that one day the family would be re-united.

Suddenly, last Tuesday, the call that Gerard had been waiting and hoping for arrived: Keanu had been found - walking alone along a street in Tallaght.

A quick scan of Keanu's microchip confirmed that Geraldine was the registered owner, and the wheels for the reunion were set in motion.

"I was just walking around in circles and scratching my head. I was just completely swept off my feet," said Gerard of the moment he found out that Keanu was rescued.

With no time to waste, Gerard and Geraldine hopped on the train to Dublin and were soon on their way to Tallaght - although they feeling understandably nervous.

"I was getting fairly nervous going out to meet him because I didn't know what to expect," Gerard said.

"They told me, though, that all the dog needed was a wash and that, other than that, he was in great order.

"Would you believe it that even though we only had the dog 24 hours, he knew us? He knew the smell, and when we eventually got him back to our van, he knew the smell the second that he got into the van.

"When he got home, too, he had the smell straight away, and he was very contented. Now, there was an hour of a small bit of growling between him and the other two dogs, but we [he and Geraldine] are very good peacemakers, so they settled down quickly," he joked.

Gerard said that Keanu has quickly settled back into life with his brothers and sisters, and he added that his story is one which should give hope to everyone else out there who has been the victim of dog thefts:

"Things can turn out okay."'Persistent' pesticide failures at the Abbeyfeale and Listowel water treatment plants in 2017 are not being adequately addressed, anglers on the river that runs through both towns warned this week. They say they are unable to get answers from the agencies governing drinking water supply as to the current state of the quality of the Feale water.

Irish Water informed 20,000 West Limerick households last year that their drinking water supply was contaminated by pesticides. But the contamination did not represent a risk to public health, Irish Water assured. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed in June last that half of the Irish drinking water supplies where persistent pesticide failures were identified in 2017 were on the Feale - Listowel and Abbeyfeale - in the Drinking Water Report for Public Supplies 2017.

The report clearly set out as a priority for drinking water supplies that: 'Pesticides should not be present in drinking water sources.' The EPA issued a direction on the Listowel Regional plant at Scartlea outside the town on May 15 of 2017. It found the Listowel plant was compliant by the end of '17.

The Abbeyfeale plant was the subject of a persistent pesticide failure direction on November 14. It has until December of this year to achieve compliance, as set out in the EPA's 'remedial action list' for the third quarter of 2018. In the meantime, anglers say they are getting no assurances as to the steps now being taken to ensure a pesticide-free Feale. The pesticide elevation is due to the use of the MCPA herbicide in treating rushes on marshy land in the Feale watershed. Now, anglers on the famous river are demanding that State agencies responsible for the river answer their urgent questions as to what is being done to tackle the contamination.

Mountcollins/Brosna Anglers' Association PRO Brendan Danaher said he and his colleagues are blue in the face trying to get answers on the current state of the Feale drinking water source - with human health their main concern. "We're ten weeks trying to get answers," he said.

"There is little public awareness of the issue, there's no sign of a public meeting and we're not even aware if the National Pesticide and Drinking Water Action Group has met to put a plan in place," Mr Danaher added.

Ministers Brendan Griffin and Patrick O'Donovan represented anglers' concerns recently but failed to elicit an update of the situation from Irish Water.

"The EPA report for 2017 was published in June 2018. So now we won't find out about the current state until June of this year. The thing that surprises me the most is the total silence on this. Why are they seemingly unable to answer simple questions? Is the river still testing positive or not? This is a serious public health issue," Mr Danaher warned.

Irish Water had not responded to a query by The Kerryman by the time of print. Kerry County Council said to contact Irish Water on the issue, and there was no response from Limerick County Council by time of print, either.Celebrity chef Neven Maguire pictured on his tour of Kerry, which will be shown on RTE One next Wednesday night, February 6.

Celebrity chef Neven Maguire pictured on his tour of Kerry, which will be shown on RTE One next Wednesday night, February 6.

Kerry is on the menu for TV celebrity chef Neven Maguire next week as a show covers his visits to some of the finest seafood restaurants in the county. 'Neven's Irish Seafood Trails' will air at 8.30pm on RTE One on Wednesday, February 6.

It is produced and directed by David Hare of Derrynane-based Inproduction TV. On Valentia Island, Neven visits the Irish Coast Guard station, where Divisional Controller John Draper explained the crucial role of the Coast Guard in saving lives at sea. Back on the mainland, Neven calls in to Kerry Fish, Renard, to meet Liam Quinlan, whose family established their business in 1963.

Since then, it has expanded to include a chain of fishmongers, seafood bars, fish-and-chip shops and an organic salmon smokery which supplies customers throughout the world. On the show, Neven will take a tour of the smokery to see how this acclaimed Irish seafood comes together. After this, Neven takes the short walk to the Point Seafood Bar, where he will sample fresh Irish fish - cooked with a Spanish twist.

Chef EJ O'Neill will also take this chance to share a recipe Spanish trawlermen taught his grandfather: Hake a la Romana. Finally, over in Waterville, Neven visits the Sea Synergy Centre, which promotes marine awareness and education. Together with marine ciologist Lucy Hunt, he heads off rock-pooling, where Neven and Ms Hunt will find some of the extraordinary marine creatures that live on this stunning Atlantic beach.Flashback Friday it most certainly was at the Rose Hotel last weekend as locals in Tralee took a trip back in time to the '80s - all in aid of a very worthy cause, the Kerry/Cork Health Link Bus.

Over 350 people threw caution to the wind, raided their long forgotten wardrobe and got into the swing of things as they enjoyed some of the best music from what some would argue is the best decade of music.

DJ Niall 'Botty' O'Callaghan was the man tasked with keeping the music and party flowing and he dutifully played some of the best music from Duran Duran, Cindy Lauper, The Jam, Guns N Roses and Whitesnake. Guest appearances from quintessential 80's stars such Slash, Adam Ant, Mr T only added to the excitement and atmosphere on the night with many declaring that it should become an annual event in the town.

A midnight curry supper certainly helped keep energy up too! All proceeds from the night will now go towards the Kerry Cork Health Link Bus and the Kerry Cancer Support Group. The Kerry Cancer Support Group is a community-based, volunteer-driven, community-supported organisation.

Their signature service the Kerry Cork Health Link Bus was launched in 2010 and started with a 14 seater minibus. As demand grew so did the bus. They now have a 30 seater bus which travels to Cork University Hospital, The Mercy, The Bon Secours Cork and The Cork Clinic five days a week. The service is a vital one and has been likened, by users, to a "travelling support group".

Now, all this 90's born writer can hope for is that a 90's music night is in the planning stages!An attendances of around 450 people, a star-studded judging panel, a diverse range of entertaining acts, support of a worthy cause, and a few heartfelt moments all combined to make Waterville GAA's 'Lip Sync Superstars Battle' an occasion of the highest calibre last Saturday night.

The Sea Lodge Hotel played host to a top-class fundraiser at the weekend, with all proceeds going to help a proud clubman, Mike Curran, and his rehabilitation fund. Mike suffered horrendous injuries injuries - including five brain haemorrhages - after colliding with a car between Reims and Paris last October during the closing stages of a round-the-world cycle with his girlfriend, Sara O'Shea.

Mike recently returned home to Waterville for a short time over the Christmas period, but he is currently continuing treatment in The Wellington Hospital in the UK.

His treatment, which was identified as the best option to meet his significant medical needs, costs approximately 12,500 a month, but his popularity has been borne out in people's willingness to donate to his rehabilitation fund.

Since the accident, almost 135,000 has been donated to a GoFundMe page set up to fund his treatment, with thousands more raised offline. His treatment, the club said, is progressing well.

And Waterville GAA PRO Eoin Moriarty said his club played its part in supporting Mike by raising more than 5,000, with the response from Waterville, south Kerry, and beyond described as superb.

"We had about a dozen acts taking part, and along with our special guest, Mick O'Dwyer, we had a judging panel of Maurice Fitzgerald, Colm Cooper, and local councillor Norma Moriarty.

"The judges went for Noel O'Sullivan and his take-off of Freddie Mercury and Queen, and he was joined by his son, Matthew, and nephew, Peter, for this performance.

"The public vote, however, went to Jackie O'Shea and Co, who brought 'Grease' to life on the night.

"Mike's own brother, Paddy, a former Kerry minor star, was also part of this act."

Indeed, there was further family involvement and no little emotion as Mike's sister, Lucie, read out a letter to the audience on Mike's behalf, Eoin explained.

"Apparently, he is responding well to treatment, and Lucies letter was a lovely touch" Eoin said.

"Overall, it was a fantastic event in aid of a very worthy cause."

If you would like to donate to Mike Curran's rehabilitation fund, you can do so by visiting a dedicated GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/tddwfd-bring-mike-home.Plans are now being put in place for Kerry's Cruinniu na nOg celebrations, Kerry County Council has said. The national day of creativity for children and young people will see events taking place throughout the country, and Kerry is no exception to this.

Kerry County Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland Kerry are now co-ordinating a program for the June 15 celebrations and have called on communities, artists, schools, local venues, organisations, and other parties to get in touch if interested in putting on an event. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, under the Creative Ireland programme, will fund proceedings. "Ages zero to 18 are catered for on the day, and it is very much about engaging with and encouraging young people to get involved in all things cultural and creative," Kerry County Council Cathaoirleach Norma Foley said.

"We would particularly like to hear from young artists and young designers and encourage anyone working with young people in the County to contact the Arts Office," the Cathaoirleach added. An application form is available at www.kerrycoco.ie/home3/arts/arts-forms/, and the closing date is 1pm on Thursday, March 14.This year marks the 27th edition of the bilingual Eigse na Brideoige festival in and around the south Kerry Gaeltacht of Uibh Rathach, and four residents originally from England, Germany, Guinea, and Poland will highlight the case for inward migration as one means of tackling the region's depopulation.

The long-running festival takes place in 2019 from February 1 to 3, and depopulation will be a major focus of this year's edition. Among the many events at on this theme will be an open forum at the Sea Lodge Hotel, Waterville, from 2.45pm next Saturday, February 2. Journalist Sorcha Pollak will chair, while UCC academic and migration expert Piaras Mac Einri, Dr Brendan O'Keeffe, and a strong international contingent now settled in Iveragh will also be present.

This contingent will consist of Englishwoman Kim Elliott, who moved to Waterville to set up a business selling organic vegetables; Michael Herrmann, whose German family has settled in Ballinskelligs and Valentia; Polish national Kasia Gwis, who runs a bakery with her husband in Cahersiveen; and Samuel Camara, a Guinean national who is now a member of Valentia's Tidy Towns Committee. Chef John Casey - who returned to Ballinskelligs with his family after his hugely successful career brought him to Barbados, the UK, and the USA - will also be present.

This year's theme follows research by Dr O'Keeffe which showed Uibh Rathach's population has dropped by more than 40 per cent since 1956.

The festival will have its official opening this Friday, February 1, by Minister Sean Kyne from 7.30pm in Caherdaniel's Community Hall. For further information on the events that will take place in and around the Gaeltacht region, visit www.eigsenabrideoige.com; phone Fiona de Buis at 087 2931463; or phone Comhchoiste Ghaeltacht Uibh Rathaigh at 066 9474888.Symptoms begin gradually, often before the age of 65. PPA begins generally with subtle changes in language and progresses to a nearly total inability to speak. PPA usually progresses slowly and individuals can continue to care for themselves and participate in daily activities for many years. Language deficits can differ from patient to patient depending on which part of the left hemisphere is more damaged during any given point. Most individuals will eventually have difficulty understanding spoken or written language and become mute.Three artists have been chosen to carry out community visual art projects costing 20,000 each under the Per Cent for Art scheme which allocated funding from the Enniscorthy M11 bypass road contract.

The selected artists are Maria McKinney, Christine Mackey and an artists' collective comprising Ciara Roche, Astrid Newman and Becks Butler. All are visual art commissions and will run from February 2019 with public exhibitions due to take place between July and November.

Maria McKinney, a Dublin-based artist who has worked with Waterford Healing Arts Trust and recently completed a residency in the UCD School of Science, will work with the farming community in the Enniscorthy and Gorey Municipal Districts, on a project which will involve farmers' responding to memories of their own farms and animals while thinking about contemporary agricultural innovations and the future.

The project will link Teagasc, local farmers and the Cowhouse Artists' Studios in Rathnure where some of the sculptures will be made. The result will be sculptural works inspired by each farm and conversations with farmers, photographic images of the farms, an exhibition, a publication and a public parade or performance. Some of the work will be exhibited as part of Wexford festivals such as the Rockin Food Festival in Enniscorthy.

Christine Mackey is a graduate of the National College of Art and Design and Dartington College of Arts in Devon with a PhD from the University of Ulster in Belfast and has a special artistic interest in plant life, ecology and the environment.

She will work with local communities and bee-keeping associations in Enniscorthy and Gorey to raise awareness about the plight of bees or wild pollinators in a project called 'Safe Hold - Pollinating Pastures'.

She will focus on bees, their habitat loss, their relationship to food, places and people and will attempt to propose creative solutions. One of the outcomes will be a permanent pollinating pasture to be developed with local communities in collaboration with ecologists, Wexford County Council roads department and the local authority's biodiversity/planning officer.

The artist will also produce a film which will be publicly screened, a series of posters and a publication including seek packs.

Ciara Roche, Astrid Newman and Becks Butler will set up a pop-up Post Office in an unoccupied shop unit on Castle hill in Enniscorthy over a two-week period with members of the public invited to use the facility which will be run by three artists.

Inside the post office will be a conveyor belt (made with the help of the Men's Shed in Enniscorthy) on which a selection of objects will move in slow rotation, with the objects chosen by the artists to represent a wide variety of community groups with whom the artists have worked over the year.

The objects will be of personal, social, environmental significance and will be photographed by the artists and printed into postcards which will be on display in the post office.

Visitors will be invited to visit the post office, enjoy a cup of tea and a chat, select a postcard, write on it and post it to someone. A post box will be available and all postcards and postage will be free to the public to send to anyone, anywhere in the world.

The story behind each object will be documented and compiled onto an accompanying audio piece which visitors to the post office can listen to.

Ciara Roche, from Enniscorthy, is a graduate of the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art who along with the other artists, has met community groups interested in the project, including the Men's Shed in Enniscorthy, the Re-Enactment Society, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Strawberry Festival, Rockin Food Festival and Heritage Tours Wexford.

The selection panel for the Per Cent awards was chaired by county arts officer Liz Burns and consisted of Niall Carroll (bypass liaison officer), Cllr. Paddy Kavanagh, Cllr. Mary Farrell, Liz Hore (Enniscorthy District Manager), Amanda Byrne (Gorey District Manager), Aileen Lambert (artist), Remco De Rouw (artist) and Caroline Crowley (public art officer Fingal County Council).Residents from Sean O'Byrne Park are up in arms at the height of a fence that has been placed around the green area in a bid to make it safe for children.

A contractor put up wooden railings around the green play area to prevent children running out onto the road. The fence was funded by Cllr Fionntan O Suilleabhain who put part of his discretionary fund towards the erection of the fence.

Staff members from Gorey Municipal District and local councillors have been receiving numerous complaints since last Thursday from residents who have described it as a 'monstrosity'. They are also angry they were not consulted before the fence was put erected.

Bernie Shanahan from Sean O'Byrne Park said 'not one sinner on this street knew about it'.

'All I say is please take it down,' said Bernie. 'Nobody was consulted about it. It was a surprise to us all when we saw it.'

Residents Dolores and Natalie Doyle agreed the fence is terrible looking adding they weren't consulted about it. They said would have liked to be given the chance to vote on it.

Cllr O Suilleabhain said he is very disappointed at the fence saying it is not what he was looking for on behalf of the residents. He said that he feels the company made the fence too high, making it unsightly looking.

'I know that like in many estates, parents are often afraid to let their children out for fear of being knocked down. In the end I was happy to allocate my Councillors Discretionary Funds to pay for a railing as requested.,' said Cllr O Suilleabhain.

'I must say I was disappointed to see that the company contracted by the council left the fencing much taller than the one I had helped organise for Willow Park/Ashwood Grove, which was low fencing and has been very well received to protect children in that large estate.'

He added that several residents had been asking him to push for safety measures in the estate which he has been doing for many years.

'Safety measures were also demanded at a public meeting which I attended in St Columba's Hall a few years ago,' said Cllr O Suilleabhain.

'I had engineers in the estate meeting residents on two occasions recently and have repeatedly requested the council to install ramps or failing that traffic chicanes to make it safer for the many children who play there.'

He added that 'its about whatever most of the residents want at the end of the day'.

Neville Shaw, district engineer, said the fence is certainly not what was expected and told the residents that the contractor could either adjust it by taking down one rail or take it down altogether.

'If they provide me with a letter on behalf of residents and over 50 per cent of them sign it then we can take it down if they so wish by early next week,' added Mr Shaw.

Cllr Malcolm Byrne said the fence around the green area was a monstrosity and if the council want to improve safety, they could simply do so by installing speed ramps.

'I have been looking for ramps to be placed in the area for quite some time,' said Cllr Byrne. 'The residents were not consulted on this and are extremely annoyed it was put it up. It looks like something for keeping horses in.'Peter Pax Shortall, from Castlebridge, celebrated his 80th birthday with a party with family and friends in the Riverbank House Hotel (from left): Trudy Parker, Eoghan Parker, Paula Williams, Ella Parker, Joe Shortall, Pax Shortall, Margaret Shortall, Aoibhe Leahy and Shena Shortall

An 80th birthday is a big event in any person's life but in the case of Peter 'Pax' Shortall, from Castlebridge, it was an extra special occasion when he celebrated it in the Riverbank House Hotel on Saturday night.

A large crowd of family members and friends gathered in the venue to acknowledge a man for whom 2018 was full of ups-and-downs. It was a year in which he had a kidney transplant, contracted a virus that put him on life support, and met former American President Bill Clinton after being invited to Dublin Castle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Concern Worldwide.

In February, 2018, during the infamous 'Beast from the East' storm it wasn't possible for Pax to travel to the dialysis unit in University Hospital, Waterford; he attended the unit three times-per-week for dialysis over the previous seven years.

The inclement weather forced him to miss two sessions, however, people rallied around him including Cllr George Lawlor and army personnel and he was taken to the dialysis unit in Wexford General Hospital where he received what was affectively life-saving treatment.

In March, things turned around and he got the call that he had been waiting on for years - a donor kidney had become available - and Pax underwent a successful transplant in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin on March 9.

However, in October, Pax contracted a virus and ended up fighting for his life in University Hospital, Waterford, where he was in intensive care for five weeks and remained in hospital for nine weeks in total.

Despite a poor prognosis he confounded medical experts and made a marvellous recovery.

Pax and his family think his kidney problems may have stemmed from his involvement in 1968 with the first ever mercy mission crew sent from Ireland to Africa on board the MV St Columcille.

One of a team of 12, Pax became infected with dysentery and malaria and it's likely that affected his kidney function resulting in him needing many years of dialysis and ultimately last year's transplant.

On that 1968 trip the team were working on behalf of an organisation called Africa Concern and the aim was to deliver aid to people affected by the Nigerian/Biafran conflict.

A marine engineer by trade he volunteered for the first mission and as part of that crew he didn't just put his own life in danger he also succeeded in saving the lives of countless other people through his role delivering aid from Ireland.

It was because of his involvement in that first mission and his links to the organisation that Pax was invited to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations in Dublin Castle of the founding of Concern Worldwide.

Pax is one of only two surviving members of that 1968 aid team and he was joined by his colleague, Karl Vekins, at the Dublin Castle event.

In Dublin they were thanked by former American President Bill Clinton, President Michael D Higgins, Mary Robinson and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammad.

While speaking to Mr Clinton, Pax informed him that his father, Peter Benedict Shortall, had served in the American Navy on the battleship USS Arkansas during World War I.

That was the same state President Clinton was Governor of in the 1970s and 80s so there was an instant connection between them.

In response President Clinton thanked Pax and his father for their service to humanity.

As someone who has always thought of others his entire life Pax requested that for his birthday celebration, in lieu of gifts ,guests would donate money to the Dialysis Patient Fund at Waterford University Hospital.

Through that gesture he managed to raise 1,100 for the unit from his party.

His birthday event was more than just a celebration of someone reaching their milestone 80th; it was an acknowledgement of a man held in extremely high regard within the community as someone who has always lended a helping hand to others during an extra-ordinary life.Minister for Education Joe McHugh, pictured here visiting Our Lady of Lourdes secondary school in New Ross last week, said it is open to an individual school to apply for accommodation if the school does not have sufficient capacity to meet demand

Parents in Gorey are up in arms as a shortage of second level school places looks increasingly imminent.

However despite the impending crisis there are no plans in place to meet the future demand for secondary school places.

Last week Cllr Malcolm Byrne got a party colleague, Deputy Thomas Byrne, to get answers from Minister for Education Joe McHugh about the need for additional school places in Gorey.

Earlier this month Elaine Clarke, a concerned parent raised the need for an additional secondary school in North Wexford to meet growing the population demand especially in light of proposed housing developments in the area.

In his response to the parliamentary question from Deputy Byrne Minister McHugh said there are no new secondary schools in the pipeline for Gorey. However he said that 'it is open to an individual school to apply for accommodation under the additional accommodation scheme if the school does not have sufficient capacity to meet school places'.

Paul Glynn, principal of Creagh College, said the demand for places should be adequate for the coming school year and for about three years after that. However he said it is important to flag the future demographic of Gorey with the Department of Education at this stage because Gorey's population is only set to increase over the coming years, especially given the amount of housing developments planned for the area coupled with the fact that Gorey acts a commuter town for Dublin. Mr Glynn said as far as he is aware the Department only look at the current demographic when assessing the need for a school rather than taking future growth into account.

'Creagh does have the possibility to extend and allow for an additional 200 places,' said Mr Glynn. 'If we see a difficulty with places looming, we will flag it with the Department to begin the process with the extension.'

By next year, Creagh College will have a total of 800 students, but they have capacity for 1,000 pupils. Mr Glynn said the current building will allow for further controlled expansion of the school in the coming years.

Mr Glynn added that following unprecedented demand for place for this coming September, the board of management agreed to increase the number of first year places from 132 to 192 for the 2019/2020 school year. He said that Creagh College uses a lottery system to determine successful applicants when oversubscribed, with initial preference given to siblings of current students and children of staff members.

'Creagh College does not prioritise students based on the proximity of their primary school and does not given preference to students from any primary school,' he added.

Principal of Gorey Community School, Michael Finn, said there will be a problem with school places in the long term as a result of the numerous houses being developed and the increasing number of families moving to Gorey.

'If we are going to address this we need to do it in the next two years as opposed to waiting for the crisis,' said Mr Finn. 'Certainly in recent years it has become more challenging for parents and children.'

Mr Finn added that they have 120 on the waiting list but said that hopefully after the entrance exam next week, which is being held the same day as Creagh College, this will be reduced as some students have enrolled at both schools.

Cllr Malcolm Byrne said his fear is that the Department of Education is not preparing for the expected population growth of North Wexford or looking at primary school data.

'It is unacceptable that we could be facing a situation in a few years where there is either overcrowding in locals schools or worse, local students being unable to be guaranteed a school place. We will need to start campaigning again.'

When asked if he would make a statement regarding capacity at both Creagh College and Gorey Community School Minister McHugh said major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area.

'In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, the Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date data on significant new residential developments in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes as there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development, including additional residential developments arising from the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund.'

He said while there are no plans to build a new secondary school in the North Wexford area the requirement for new schools will be kept under on-going review and in particular will have regard for the increased rollout of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040.

'It is open to an individual school to apply for accommodation under the additional accommodation scheme if the school does not have sufficient capacity to meet school places,' added Minister McHugh.

In respect of Creagh College he said: 'a 1,000 pupil post primary school was established in 2011 in the area referred to and moved into its permanent accommodation in 2014 and the school has capacity to meet demand in the area.'Bernie Whelan, Marie Mythen and Elizabeth Kehoe of Clongeen Community Development Group with Dave Ormonde and Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan of Wexford Local Development

Jason Last and Jlie Sammiller of Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Association with Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan and Brian Kehoe of Wexford Local Development

Community groups around County Wexford received a welcome boost from Wexford Local Development when they were awarded Leader grants totalling 266,000 for arts and cultural projects and developments.

The grants are administered in partnership with Wexford County Council. WLD CEO Brian Kehoe said that of the 7.5 million allocated to the county for business and community developments from 2014 to 2020, 3.4 million has now been awarded.

He said: 'Funding granted to date has been shared by 96 businesses and community groups. The interest in funding has been huge, particularly from active community groups and we are expecting demand to increase as we move into the final two years of the programme.'

Cllr Kathleen Codd Nolan, chairperson of the Wexford Local Community Development Committee, said they were delighted to approve such a variety of projects.

'The 13 applications approved foster our county's strong creative culture and prioritise the development of our young people; they are all very worthy investments.'

Among the 13 award recipients is the Enniscorthy Street Rhythms Dance Festival and their grant will be used to purchase a new custom designed stage.

Bernie Morrissey, committee treasurer for the festival, said: 'Our existing stage has been well utilised by Enniscorthy groups over the last ten years and so it is badly in need of replacing; this funding award has come at a great time. We are looking forward to getting our new stage and to another ten years of use at Enniscorthy's range of brilliant community events and, in particular, at our own dance festival next June.'

Mr Kehoe added that WLD was now accepting expressions of interest for community enhancements, facilities and equipment. The deadline for applications is February 7 at midday.

The full list of awards in this round of grants is: Ballycogley Players - 18,308.90; Clongeen Community Development Group - 48,981.44; Danescastle Music Group - 4,951.75; Enniscorthy Street Rhythms Dance Festival - 18,562.50; Gorey Art Collective - 4,539.56; Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network - 25,606.45; Wexford Arts Centre - 9,850; Wexford Male Voice Choir - 10,307.77; Wexford Mental Health Association - 34,455.35; Ferns Diocesan Youth Service - 26,033.65; Kilanerin-Ballyfad Community Development Association - 12,302.52; St Anne's GAA Club - 26,101.16; Youth New Ross - 27,000.Christian Bale had to gain 40lbs to play the role of Dick Cheney in Vice

Written and directed by Adam McKay, whose previous film the Big Short brilliantly dramatised the 2008 global financial crisis, Vice nervously prowls the corridors of power in Washington DC to satirise another true story of malicious meddling and unabashed self-interest.

'Or as true as it can be given that Dick Cheney is one of the most secretive leaders in history,' quips an opening title card, which establishes the irreverent tone of a breakneck tour through chapters of recent history including the Gulf War and the September 11 attacks.

For the opening hour, Vice is a briskly paced and engrossing portrait of ambition, electrified by an Oscar-worthy performance from Christian Bale, who gained 40 pounds to portray Cheney.

The Haverfordwest-born actor completes his startling transformation with more than 100 pieces of prosthetic make-up to replicate the jowls, jawline and distinctive nose of his subject, who served as vice-president to George W Bush between 2001 and 2009.

Once Cheney achieves his goals, McKay's film leaches dramatic tension.

Narrated by an everyman called Kurt (Jesse Plemons), whose importance becomes clear in the film's final act, Vice opens in 1963 Wyoming where the young Dick Cheney (Bale) works on the power lines and drinks to excess.

'Back then, they would have called a guy like him a ne'er-do-well. In today's parlance, they would just call him a dirt bag,' explains Kurt.

Dick is a crushing disappointment to 21-year-old sweetheart Lynne (Amy Adams), whose father also lives by the bottle, and she refuses to let history repeat.

'I love you, Lynne,' implores Dick.

'Then prove it.' she barks.

In response, Dick secures an internment at the White House where he assiduously aligns himself with Republican Congressman Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell).

By playing the waiting game on Capitol Hill, Dick manoeuvres himself into the position of running mate to George W Bush (Sam Rockwell) during the 2000 US presidential election.

Haunted by his wife's words - 'When you have power, people will try to take it from you. Always' - Dick positions allies such as Rumsfeld, Scooter Libby (Justin Kirk) and legal counsel David Addington (Don McManus) in key positions.

Vice takes aim at a dizzying array of easy targets and hits the majority.

Like Gary Oldman's tour-de-force theatrics in Darkest Hour, Bale slips beneath the skin of his political puppetmaster with elan, staring defiantly at the camera as he persuades Bush to expand the remit of a vice-president so he can 'handle the more mundane jobs...military, energy and foreign policy'.

Cut to images of an angler reeling in a prize catch.

Adams is equally compelling as a steely spouse, who expects her man to step up, seize his destiny by the throat and squeeze, hard.

We all carried those bruises.The team at the Anew service in Swords who won an Irish Womens Award

A Swords-based support service for pregnant women at risk of homelessness has won Women's Support Group of the Year at the Irish Women's Awards.

The Irish Women's Awards 2019 aim to acknowledge and celebrate the success of women entrepreneurs, business women, professionals, civil servants, women in uniform, charity workers and many more that contribute in making Ireland a greater place to live in.

The awards embody the continuing strength, grit and determination of women, honouring those who continue to thrive, excelling them to the forefront of their industries.

Anew Support Services, a national housing and support organisation for pregnant women experiencing or at risk of homelessness, has won the award for Women's Support Group of the year at the Irish Women's Awards 2019.

Anew delivers Supported Temporary Accommodation (Cherry Blossom Cottage) in Swords in partnership with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and TUSLA. Cherry Blossom Cottage in Swords offers a safe space to support women to have their baby despite the experiencing homelessness and be supported into securing a long term home of their own with their child.

The programme prepares women for the birth of their baby, in cases where often women have not accessed ante-natal care.

'I am so happy that Anew has won the award for Women's Support Group of the Year because they're tackling an issue that so many overlook. Anew deserve recognition for the amazing work they do on a day-to-day basis, lifting up spirits and giving hope to new mothers facing difficult times like me,' Holly, a current resident and new mum said.

In addition to the Supported Temporary Accommodation Anew offers in Swords, Co. Dublin, Anew provides a wide range of parenting and emotional well-being supports to women in their centres in Dublin, Cork and Thurles. The parenting programmes are offered to any woman who feels they need additional support and are delivered in a group work session. In addition individual therapeutic parenting support can be accessed by parents who are struggling in difficult circumstances.

'This award recognises each woman who has come through our services.

'They are proud, strong, resilient women and are truly worthy winners of this award, they are all members of the women's support group of the year and they support each other as a group and as peers along their difficult journeys.

'It is their achievements that are acknowledged through receiving this award and will be cemented for every woman who will need our service,' said Fiona Barry, Manager Cherry Blossom Cottage, Anew.

A Spokesperson for the Irish Women's Awards 2019 said: 'These awards aim to celebrate the power and breadth of talent that every woman hide in herself and the hard work of female professionals and entrepreneurs that often remains unappreciated.

'We are very happy to see the huge engagement of the Irish public who have gone behind our nomination process whole heartedly.'The Department of Education has asked for Fingal County Council's assistance in identifying a site for a new school building for St Joseph's Secondary School in Rush.

Correspondence from the Minister for Education, Joe McHugh to Senator James Reilly, who is on the school's board of management, reveals that '...officials in my Department have requested the assistance of officials in Fingal County Council in procuring a site for the school, under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites'.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites, Local Authorities assist the Department of Education with the process of identifying and acquiring sites for the development of school accommodation.

The first step in this process is the identification of suitable sites by the Local Authority. The identified sites are then technically assessed on a joint basis by officials from the Local Authority and the Department's professional and technical staff.

Giving further detail on the possible site for the new school, the Minister told Senator Reilly: 'The relevant Local Area Plan provides for the location of a Post Primary School site in the Kenure area of Rush. My Department understands that this site was reserved by Fingal County Council on foot of representations made on behalf of St. Joseph's Secondary School.

'Access issues have, to date, inhibited the potential development of this site but Fingal County Council is currently working to deliver a new roadway which would facilitate such development.'

Senator Reilly welcomed the development, saying: 'As Chairman of the Board of St Joseph's Secondary I am delighted that after so many years waiting , we have a clear communication from the Department of Education to Fingal County Council that the process to assess and acquire a site for a new secondary school in Rush is underway.'

He added: 'Fingal County Council have confirmed to my PA, Cllr Tom OLeary, that the Department of Education have been in touch with them and that both the Department and the council have started the process of assessing and acquiring a site for a new secondary school in Rush.'

The Minister for Education could not give a time-line for the development, saying: 'It is difficult to indicate a timeline for the completion of the acquisition of a site for the school in question as it is dependent on the outcome of current negotiations and also on the complexity of the conveyancing process. Once a site has been acquired, the project can progress to architectural planning.'

Cllr Tom O'Leary and Fine Gael Local Area Representative added their voices to those welcoming the Minister's update on the project.There is good news for job seekers in the retail sector in the county as Aldi announced a major recruitment drive for its Dublin stores, including its stores right here in Fingal.

Aldi has announced it is seeking to recruit 114 new employees across its stores in Dublin. Opportunities are now available for Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager and Store Assistant positions at Aldi's 20 Dublin stores.

Aldi Ireland also announced a new minimum rate of pay of 11.90 an hour, matching the Living Wage rate recommended by The Living Wage Technical Group.

The move reaffirms Aldi's position as Ireland's highest paying supermarket and will make Aldi the first grocery retailer to pay The Living Wage Technical Group's 11.90 rate.

The new rate will be effective from February 1, 2019.

Aldi has been Ireland's highest paying supemarket for over a decade with store employees earning up to 14.00 per hour in Ireland. Aldi has a clearly defined career path for store employees and many have progressed from Store Assistant through to Store Manager.

It plans to recruit over 500 new staff across the country in 2019.

Donald Mackay, Managing Director Aldi Naas Region said: 'We are seeking to recruit 114 new employees this year for our stores in Dublin.

'We need the very best people to join the Aldi team to help us continue to deliver the highest level of customer service and lowest grocery prices in Ireland.

'We plan on hiring 500 new employees this year to join the Aldi team and contribute to our growth and success.

'We need the very best people to join our business to help us continue to deliver the highest level of customer service and lowest grocery prices in Ireland.

'Our expanding store portfolio, market performance and new Project Fresh stores demand that we continue to future proof our business with the best people in retail.'

Aldi is Ireland's fastest-growing supermarket and has now captured a 10.8% share of Ireland's grocery market, experiencing its busiest Christmas week ever in 2018, with sales value up over 10% on the previous year.

Aldi welcomed an additional 270,000 new customers to its stores in 2018.

It is currently engaged in a new store opening programme, while also investing 60m in revamping and refurbishing its existing stores nationwide, introducing its 'Project Fresh' design and layout.

Full details of the different roles and pay offered by Aldi are available at https://www.aldirecruitment.ie.

Many of the new roles will be available in Fingal Aldi stores.Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for anonymous tips from students at North Fort Myers High School after written threats of violence were made Friday morning.

Approximately two hours after school started, School Resource Officers at North High were notified about several threats written in the girls bathroom in multi-color dry erase markers. Among the phrases written were Shooting this school up Monday Feb 4, Ima kill them all, and Yall dont need to live, as well as several other threats. Detectives immediately launched an investigation and have subsequently deemed the threats to be non-credible. However, investigators are trying to determine which student or students may be responsible for writing the threats.

We encourage parents to talk with their students this weekend about the serious nature and consequences of making these kinds of threats, and the importance of reporting these types of illegal actions, said Trish Routte, Crime Stoppers Coordinator. Implying violent acts on campus will not be tolerated and students should neither condone those actions nor protect so called friends who are writing the threats.

Anyone with information on the person or persons responsible for these threats of violence at North Fort Myers High School is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will always remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000. Tips may also be made online atwww.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or by submitting a tip on the P3Tips mobile app.

Source: Crime StoppersKodaline's Steve Garrigan was back home last week but not for his usual kind of gig.

This time, Steve was in his native Swords to cut the ribbon on a new business in Swords as the rejuvenation of the Main Street continues.

Breathing new life into the street is the arrival of 'Deb's Dresses' to the Plaza Village on Main Street.

Deb's Dresses Dublin is a brand new business to Swords and Fingal and aims to provide high quality Christening, Communion and Debutant Dresses at very reasonable rates.

Steve Garrigan from Kodaline has always been a great supporter of local business and our community and Steve kindly agreed to open the new shop.

Of course, the presence of the Kodaline front man generated a lot of excitement at the store's grand opening and there was a huge turn out for the event.

The Deb in Deb's Dresses not only refers to debutants but to the stores owner, Debbie McCarthy, who is hugely excited about the new store in Swords.

She told the Fingal Independent: 'We are in Communion season, at the moment, however once June comes, after the exams, our range of debutant dresses are simply outstanding.

'Since our opening we have been really busy.

'The reaction from our customers to the range and quality of the products available and their own experiences in store has been great.'

The new business owner said: 'Our social media channels have also been buzzing with activity check us out on facebook at DebsDressesDublin and on Instagram at DebsDressesDublin.'

Steve Garrigan performed his ribbon cutting skills with aplomb and along with the recent opening of The Betsy, Deb's Dresses can be seen as another step in the rejuvenation of Swords Main Street.The Minister for Education, has assured local politicians that the purchase of a new site for St Michael's House in Skerries is progressing.

According to Cllr Tom O'Leary, he and Senator James Reilly met with the minister and he 'assured us of his full support for the project'.

Cllr O'Leary said: 'The purchase of the site has been agreed and the matter is in conveyancing with the solicitors.

'My understanding is it is with the State Solicitors office. On the instructions of Senator James Reilly I have contacted the Attorney General to seek his assistance in having the conveyancing expedited.

'When the site purchase has been completed, we will have a further meeting with the minister.'

According to Cllr O'Leary: 'It is planned to provide a new school building for St. Michael's Special School to accommodate a 14 classroom school expandable to 16 classrooms, to include classes for pupils with mild general learning difficulties (MGLD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), multiple disabilities and severe or profound disabilities.'

The school was established in 1982 and is currently located in a rented building with temporary accommodation in Hackettstown, Skerries.

Enrolments are stable with 30 pupils enrolled in 2017/18 and a staffing of Principal plus five special class teachers.

The school also has a current allocation of 11.5 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs).Over 9,000 eligible children are waiting six months for dental assessment in Fingal, according to a local senator.

Fianna Fail Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Children and Youth Affairs, Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee has described the failure to provide paediatric dental services in North Dublin City and County to over 9,000 children as sheer neglect.

Figures obtained by Fianna Fail this month reveal that 37% of all primary school children in Dublin North City and County that are eligible for dental assessment are waiting at least 26 weeks.

The Fingal based senator said: 'Early dental care not only prevents the onset of dental diseases and tooth decay but teaches children about the importance of oral hygiene.

'Paediatric dentists need to check for cavities and possible developmental problems before its too late but due to staff shortages eligible patients awaiting a screening appointment cannot be offered one.

'By the HSE's own calculations 37% of all primary school children in Dublin North City and County that are eligible for dental assessment are waiting at least 26 weeks.

'More than 9,000 pupils in 2nd, 4th and 6th class in schools across North Dublin have been waiting at least 6 and a half months for an appointment, very often up to a year.

'Those in 4th class are especially neglected given that once they have failed to be seen within that year, they will no longer have an opportunity to receive assessment or treatment. The Irish Dental Association recommends that children should be assessed three times during their primary education.'

Senator Clifford-Lee said: 'The figures obtained by Fianna Fail do not even represent the true scale of these waiting lists. That's what most shocking of all. In orthodontics over 480 children are waiting for an assessment appointment while some 1,168 are waiting for necessary treatment.

'Hard pressed parents now have to endure the cost of having their child seen privately so that they are less likely to encounter dental difficulties' in the future.'After five years working on the council, campaigning tirelessly on behalf of the people of Rush, Cllr Barry Martin (NP) has decided not to run for local elections this May, choosing instead to bring his career in a new direction, where doubtlessly he will work equally as hard.

Having joined the council in 2014, Cllr Martin has worked tirelessly on local issues, and lobbied the council to instigate change in the town. For a councillor who 'never really planned' to be a career politician, his achievements in Rush are testament to his dedication and commitment.

Speaking recently, Cllr Martin spoke of his decision not to contest the elections next May, and of some of his many achievements over his five years in office:

'There was no major reason for me deciding not to run. It was five years, and I kind of wanted to take a different direction in life and in my career. I never really planned to be a career politician, and I just spoke to friends and family over Christmas and then made my decision. The public will be asking if I was gearing up for the election so I just felt now was the right time to tell people.

'In the next few months, everyone who's a councillor and who wants to be a councillor will be starting their own election campaigns, so naturally enough people will be wondering what I'm doing.'

Of the campaigns Cllr Martin has worked on, he was, he said, most proud of his involvement with Rush Action Group for the Environment (RAGE), for which he lobbied the Council and helped mobilise the public into action.

Speaking of his work during that campaign, he said: 'I suppose the biggest issue in Rush was the Rush Waste Water Treatment Scheme. That's been completed now, the sewage isn't flowing into the sea, and that's massive.

'Back in July 2015, I organised and led a thousand people to march through the town in protest. We had a massive protest, a massive petition campaign, we were knocking on all the doors in Rush and had public information meetings.

'I was constantly putting motions forward at council, meeting with Irish Water and the Environmental Protection Agency. For seventy-five per cent of the population of Rush, the sewage was flowing directly into the sea, so the RAGE campaign would be something I was most proud to be involved with.

Cllr Martin's future, he says, is yet to be decided, but no matter how it works out, he'll remain loyal to his values. Speaking of the what the future holds, he said: 'I'm looking at all my options, but I don't fully know yet; it'll still be stuff involved in social justice. The reasons why I got involved in politics, I still hold those principles and those values, and I still want to see Fingal and Rush and the country being a fair and equal society, so I'm definitely sticking around to work in that area.'A site in Balbriggan looks like being one of the first in the country to be developed for housing under the newly-formed Land Development Agency.

Delivery of housing on landbanks under State ownership through the Land Development Agency (LDA) is a key area of increasing output across Fingal, according to Fingal County Council who revealed that a site in Balbriggan could be among the first in the country to be progressed.

Two sites, one in Castlelands in Balbriggan and the other, Hackettstown in Skerries, will be developed to provide successful and sustainable communities through the provision of high quality and attractive residential developments.

Officials from Fingal County Council's Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department, along with colleagues from the Housing Department, have been meeting with the Land Development Agency to progress the delivery of housing on the sites and it looks as though Castlelands will progress first.

Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure AnnMarie Farrelly said the Development Plan requires a masterplan of lands at Castlelands in advance of any building.

She said: 'We are moving towards publishing that masterplan in February and this will facilitate 800 to 1,000 units on the site.'

She added: 'The LDA, I understand, are ready to move on this as one of their first projects. It is dependent on the delivery of a new road on that land. Preparation of the masterplan is well underway and we will be consulting on that early in 2019.'

Meanwhile, Fingal County Council progressing the delivery of housing on land under its ownership at Donabate, Church Fields in Dublin 15 and Cappagh Finn in Dublin 11 through its Project Talamh office.

Project Talamh is an internal office of the council to co-ordinate and manage the development of these lands which will accommodate a mix of private and public housing.

Ms Farrelly said: 'We want to make sure we deliver the right type of housing and the right facilities such as schools, playing facilities and recreational areas. These key facilities must be delivered in tandem with the housing.'

In relation to Donabate, she said the first step of this process was the construction of the Donabate Distributor Road, which is currently underway and due for completion this year.Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan became the latest school in the country to be presented with the Healthy Ireland 'Health Promoting Schools' Flag', recently.

The Healthy Ireland- Health Promoting Schools' (HPS) Flag is presented by the HSE to schools as an acknowledgement of their work in improving the health of their school communities.

The Healthy Ireland-Health Promoting Schools programme supports schools to focus on health and well-being and involves all members of the school community.

Students, staff, parents and guardians are consulted to identify priority health areas.

Over a period of around two school years schools develop an action plan to address the health areas identified.

Schools are guided to address their priority area under the following evidence based categories: environment (social and physical) curriculum, policies and partnerships.

Schools work, at their own pace, supported by the HSE Health Promotion & Improvement Dept.

n each school, a Healthy Ireland-Health Promoting Schools coordinator and Healthy Ireland-Health Promoting Schools team lead out on the progression of health and wellbeing and this work is supported by the school principal, board of management and wider school community.

European research has shown many benefits of this type of whole school approach to health.

Chief among these benefits are increased self-esteem, safer and cleaner school environments, lowered incidences of bullying, a positive approach to health issues, increased parent involvement and better student/teacher relationships to name a few.

In Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan, some of the health initiatives chosen to take on board in order to progress as a Healthy Ireland - Health Promoting School include: launching an annual Healthy Living Week where the whole school community come together to establish and maintain healthy lifestyle habits, appointing Mental Well-being student captains to promote positive mental health throughout the year and inviting health promoting speakers including Prof. Donal O'Shea to address the school and wider community.

The school also removed all vending machines from the premises and installed water fountains to help students get their recommended intake of water each day.

The Balbriggan school is well on its way to providing the healthiest environment possible for its students to excel and will proudly fly its new green flag outside the school to highlight the work it is doing.I lived in West Berlin in the mid-1980s, indeed not too far from the infamous Wall that divided the great city between East and West. West Berlin was an island city inside the territory of the German Democratic Republic or more commonly called, at least in Ireland, East Germany.

These days Aer Lingus and Ryanair have daily flights from Dublin to Berlin and Ryanair also operates a twice weekly Kerry Berlin service.

When I lived in Berlin there were no international flights in or out of the city. Getting to West Berlin was an adventure. Travelling from Ireland meant flying usually to London then to a West German city and from there to West Berlin. If you went by train it meant travelling on second-rate rolling stock. The train would stop for a lengthy period at the West German/East German border where the locomotive would be changed from an electric to an old Russian-built diesel locomotive.

Walls divide people, destroy cities and cause mayhem for everyone. I saw it with my own eyes in Berlin. My job regularly took me to East Berlin. Every time I crossed into East Berlin I saw the pain and suffering in so many faces as they crossed that Wall in fear and dread.

Of course I'm thinking of Trump and his attempt at executing his election cry 'Build that Wall'. While the Berlin Wall was more or less functional in that it did divide people one from another, it still was not one hundred per cent fool-proof. Eventually it came tumbling down. Trump's Wall, on his own admission, will not go from ocean to ocean, instead be erected in specific places. In other words, a nonsense wall. Yes, cosmetic but at the same time capable of causing suffering to people. Anything that divides people, any structure, physical or mental, that keeps people apart is detrimental to our wellbeing.

Brexit too is a wall of sorts. Surely it is an attempt in some form or other at cutting people off from one another. Walls separate people. Walls inhibit cooperation, they prevent the free-flow of movement and ideas. With walls one 'crowd' can easily get the wrong idea about the other 'crowd'.

The EU is not perfect, like all organisations it always needs to be checked but surely the European Union has played a significant role in enhancing and developing a spirit of unity and prosperity across the European continent. It is ironic that Hungary played such a significant role in the fall of the Berlin Wall and now it is erecting barriers to keep out migrants. In 1989 it was the Hungarian government that cut down its 240-long kilometre electric fence with Austria, which allowed East Germans escape to the West via Vienna.

We seem to be living in frightening times, times of distrust and fear. And it's we who have elected the leaders we have.

Last Sunday week there was a discussion on the Anne Will Show about Brexit. It is one of Germany's most-watched television programmes. The guests included two German politicians, an English MP and a 'Guardian' journalist. A large part of the programme concentrated on the Backstop. I kept wondering why there was no one batting for Ireland on it. A bad slip up by our Department of Foreign Affairs. Maybe another sign that we too have vestiges of a walled-in mentality, which prohibits us from looking beyond the horizon.People who build walls, people with wall mentalities, are frightened people and need to be challenged.Several Think Tank sessions took place along the East Coast featuring biodiversity and ecology specialists

Artists with an interest in the environment are being called to participate in a venture run by Fingal County Council along with Wexford County Council and a UK-based non-profit organisation called Invisible Dust.

The three partners have announced that submissions are now open for three environmental residencies on its artists' environmental programme.

The programme, 'An Urgent Enquiry', calls on artists who have an interest in the link between Climate Change and biodiversity to collaborate with biodiversity specialists along Ireland's east coast.

The Urgent Enquiry team have collaborated with those tasked with managing the biodiversity of each Local Authority area.

Artists will be able to avail of the breadth of local knowledge, ongoing research and connection to a range of active communities from the peninsula of Portrane, to Bull Island part of the UNESCO designated Dublin Bay Biosphere, to the beaches and slob lands of Wexford and the wider global context.

Fingal County Council's Public Art Coordinator, Caroline Cowley said: 'Climate Change has had significant effects on local ecology and biodiversity and will continue to until it is addressed.

'Fingal County Council is delighted to facilitate a residency that raises awareness of this issue through a visual and engaging medium.'

The project is funded through the Arts Council's Invitation to Collaboration scheme which supports innovative, ambitious local authority collaborations.

Throughout 2018, a series of Think Tanks took place along the coast, featuring a selection of specialists engaged in research around climate change, biodiversity, ecology and its intersection with art.

One such guest contributor was Alice Sharp, Director of the UK's prestigious art & environment commissioning Agency, Invisible Dust. Alice presented her perspective on commissioning projects that addressed the links between art and ecology. Artists will be based at the three key coastal locations, where accommodation, remuneration, project support and documentation will be provided.Fingal County Council's Events Department are inviting applications for community groups or business to participate in this year's St Patrick's Day Parades taking place in Blanchardstown, Balbriggan, and Swords.

Those interested can apply by downloading an application form from www.fingalparades.com and submitting the completed form to fingal@davisevents.ie. The closing date for applications is Friday, 15 February.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin said: 'Saint Patrick's Day is a significant cultural event and the parades allow Fingal residents to celebrate in their communities. The St Patrick's Day Parades are an opportunity for residents to learn about local community groups and the businesses in their area. I look forward to seeing the diverse and creative floats at the Fingal parades this year.'

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid said: 'Over 55,000 people attended the Fingal Saint Patrick's Day parades last year and I look forward to seeing the turn out for this year.'

Davis Events have been again engaged by Fingal County Council to deliver the 2019 parades. Davis Events are liaising with theatre groups to arrange workshops for a number of participants who will be taking part in the parades. Fingal County Council is partnering with St. Patrick's Festival in Swords and this will include the addition of a pageant float "Banba", representing the Celtic Goddess of Ireland. St. Patrick's Festival will work with community groups in Fingal to develop stories around Irish tradition, diversity and Irish mythology.

The Swords parade begins at 11am, the Balbriggan parade begins at 2 pm and the Blanchardstown parade begins at 3 pm. There are also parades taking place in Rush, Lusk and Skerries which are organised by community groups. The Rush parade begins at 1 pm and the Lusk parade takes place at 1.30. In Skerries, the parade begins at 3 pm.Enniscorthy was deeply saddened to say farewell to one of its well-known faces on Sunday as news broke of the passing of Michael O'Leary of Garryvadden, Blackwater.

Extremely well-known in his role as an auctioneer, working from his Sherry Fitzgerald O'Leary Kinsella office on Slaney Street, Michael had been battling with illness for some time; but something which remained constant throughout was his overwhelming sense of positivity. However, he finally lost his battle on Sunday morning, much to the devastation of his heartbroken family and a large circle of friends and colleagues around the county.

As well as being an auctioneer of some repute, having served as President of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers, Michael took a very active role in Enniscorthy life and was constantly involved in community life and the town's festivals and events. He was Deputy President of Enniscorthy & District Chamber of Commerce, who are reeling from the loss of a colleague and a dedicated worker.

Chamber President Maree Lyng described Mr O'Leary as 'one of the town's best-known businessmen' and 'one of county Wexford's most prominent auctioneers'.

'Michael contributed significantly to community life in Enniscorthy,' she said. 'At the same time, he was involved in every facet of the town's social life. He will be sadly missed by those whose lives he touched for the better in so many different ways.'

'His passing creates a void that Enniscorthy and County Wexford can ill afford,' she concluded, noting her colleagues significant contributions.

Among the tributes paid to Mr O'Leary since his passing was an impeccably observed minute's silence at Wexford park ahead of the model county's league showdown with All-Ireland Champs Limerick.

Michael passed away surrounded by his loving family on Sunday morning. He will be sadly missed and always remembered by his beloved wife Mary; sons Rodi and Declan; daughter Lisa; brothers Bobby and Eamonn; son-in-law Larry; daughters-in-law Sue, Mag and Mary; his nine loving grandchildren; aunts, brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and his many friends.

Michael's remains will arrive at St Brigid's Church, Blackwater, today (Tuesday) for reception prayers at 7.30 p.m. His funeral mass takes place on Wednesday at 11 a.m. followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery. House private please. Family flowers only. Donations if desired to Wexford Hospice Homecare.

May he rest in peace.The first tentative steps towards Enniscorthy's planned multi-million Euro tourism hub were taken at last week's Municipal District Council meeting.

With consultants having been appointed to the project towards the end of last year, Siobhan O'Neill from Special Projects in Wexford County Council presented some of their initial findings on what Enniscorthy has to offer.

One of the interesting things noted was that County Wexford accounted for 47% of domestic visitors to the South East, while it welcomed just 25% of overseas visitors. A total of 56% of overseas visitors came from Britain, something which is fraught with uncertainty with all eyes looking towards Brexit.

The consultants pointed out that Enniscorthy fit right in with Ireland's Ancient East and that its important 'themes' were 'Castles and Conquests' and 'High Kings and Heroes'.

Ms O'Neill outlined that the overall ambition was to create a 'compelling motivation' to visit Enniscorthy and to 'develop a world-class visitor experience'. The view of the consultants was that the 1798 story of rebellion was not enough of a hook in itself for visitors and the town would need to offer more to tourists.

While the presentation offered little in the way of new information for those sat around the table, it pointed out some of Enniscorthy's biggest assets such as the Castle, the Athenaeum, the 1798 Centre and Vinegar Hill. Also aspects such as food tourism were included, as well as the River Slaney as a unique selling point.

Ms O'Neill pointed out that one of the great things Enniscorthy had going for it was the proximity of all its attractions and how everything was in relative walking distance for tourists once they landed in town. The consultants on the project are currently carrying out comparative studies with other Irish tourist hubs and will then move forward to a concept design which will hopefully be granted significant funding from Bord Failte.

Cllr Keith Doyle pointed out that there had long been a disconnect between the 1798 Centre and Vinegar Hill which needed to be addressed and also suggested that the banner for the town should read 'over 1,500 years of history'.

'It's very rare to have that,' he said. 'It's a major claim to be able to have that long history to be explored.'

Cllr Paddy Kavanagh agreed with this and pointed out that the town had celebrated 1,500 years just a few years ago. 'When you compare it, Cork is just 800 years old,' he pointed out. 'Not many places can boast the history that Enniscorthy has and it's a great selling point.'

Cllr Doyle also pointed out that the road from Kiltealy to Kilkenny should be greatly improved to try and attract some of the spill-over from the thriving tourism sector that exists there. 'This has been said for 25 years,' he said. 'That route is not just for getting to Nowlan Park!'

Another aspect to be explored, pointed out by Cllr Kavanagh, was the area's links to Powers and Jameson whiskey.

'Both originated in the town here,' he said. 'Most of the barely used for Jameson today is grown in this town. They've grabbed onto it in Middleton with the Jameson distillery there, but it's something that's uniquely Enniscorthy and we haven't made our story around it yet.

Cllr Johnny Mythen suggested that local hoteliers should encourage people to stay in the town and explore some of the sights locally, rather than sending them to other counties.

He also suggested that the 1798 Centre could be improved by creating some sort of small theme park around it with boats and cannonballs to get children interested.

Both Ms O'Neill and Brian Galvin from Special Projects pointed out that it was very early days for the Enniscorthy Tourism Project, but they were delighted that the views of the consultants seemed to generally be in line with those of the councillors as to what should be promoted to visitors and what needed to be explored further. The suggestions of the councillors were to be taken back and work is to continue on the project.More than 10,000 has been raised over the past decade by the pupils of St Paul's national school in Drogheda through Christmas carol singing.

And the Rathmullan pupils have consistently donated the money to the local branch of the Alzheimer Society for its building fund.

The branch is striving to raise the 800,000 needed to provide a new Day Care Centre for the area.

St Paul's has been a great friend to the branch in recent years, organizing several fund-raising events.

At a presentation ceremony at the 460-pupil school at the weekend, they handed over a cheque for 2,450 to the branch.

School principal, Ms Mary Stephenson, and teacher Niall Boyle, who conducts the choir, were on hand for the event. Among the past pupils who have gone on from the choir to perform with distinction are soprano, Amie Dyer, and Leah Corcoran.

Ann Shortt, who heads the branch's fund-raising committee, said : ''The school has been very good to us. We are deeply grateful to the pupils for their superb efforts over Christmas for many years''.

About 70 of the pupils aged between eight and 12 took part in the Carol singing over two days at Christmas. They gathered at the school hall to hear Ms Shortt thank them personally for their fund-raising initiative

She also explained about the effects of Alzheimer's on families and how the incidence of The disease was spreading not just to the elderly but to people as young as 50.

She told the children how the branch was redoubling its efforts to provide a new Tredagh Lodge centre for the town.An unspecified number of jobs are to go at Coca-Cola's Drogheda office in a global restructuring plan.

It is likely to impact on those working in "integrated services", which includes HR, finance, payroll, accounting etc. These are services they intend to outsource.

The decision is expected to impact on approximately half of the operation based in Drogheda.

A worldwide review starts within the next few months and final decisions are expected by the end of 2019. Consultations have started with staff and teams.

Sinn Fein TD for Louth and East Meath Imelda Munster called on the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty to enter into discussions with Coca-Cola as a matter of urgency requesting that they review the decision to outsource jobs from their base at Southgate.

Deputy Munster contacted the Minister at foot of the announcement that Coca-Cola intends to change the way it works to increase its speed and agility by using third party providers for managed services.

"Coca-Cola, which announced an investment of 26m in its plant in Ballina last September, has been part of the fabric of Drogheda for many decades and a mainstay for employment over that time. This news is distressing for the people of the town and I am deeply concerned that jobs will be lost.'

"I am calling on the Minister and the Government to fight for jobs in this town. Drogheda has lost out enough over the years and has massive under-investment as it stands, which makes it even more imperative that we retain the jobs that we have."

The potential loss of jobs at Coca-Cola is a serious cause for concern, Fergus O'Dowd TD said.

"I am very disappointed to hear that there could be a potential loss of jobs. At this time the extent of the job losses is unclear. According to the company this decision is on foot of global restructuring.

"It is essential that any employee who becomes unemployed is fully supported by the state and that every effort will be made to help them re-enter the workforce as quickly as possible and to assist their transition at this very difficult time.'

"The company has given its commitment to engage with any industrial relations processes which may be required.'

Senator Ged Nash said he was concerned by the news.

"In light of the review of effectively one half of its operation in the town, a sword of Damocles is now hanging over the heads of a substantial number of workers at the Coke facility. This uncertainty for staff must be brought to an end and meaningful engagement must take place between the company and its staff.

"There need not be job losses at the Drogheda operation and I am calling on the government and the IDA not to abandon the Coke staff in Drogheda but to fight tooth and nail to retain these valued positions and Coca-Cola's footprint in Drogheda."

Drogheda Urban election candidate for Fianna Fail, Anthony Moore, called on Coca-Cola to scrap the shock announcement of job cuts . Moore said: "This is a devastating blow for Coca-Cola's 200 Drogheda workers and their families. It is not acceptable for Coca-Cola to drop a bombshell like this on them. They deserve better.'

He added, "The people of Drogheda have been very loyal to Coca-Cola over the years and in recognition of that, the firm needs to re-think this decision. I have been in touch with Coca-Cola and the IDA to establish the facts about this and to ensure that steps are taken to persuade the firm to scrap this ill-conceived plan. In the meantime, I am ready to offer the workers affected by this announcement any assistance they need".

East Meath councillor Paddy Meade said it was a 'devastating' blow for the area as many of the staff were long term and had given so much to a good employer.

'Finding jobs in Drogheda is going to be tough for people and I'd hope Coca-Cola would help people in their future job prospects.

'It would be good to see as many jobs as possible saved.'A Moldovan national who broke a neighbour's arm with a claw hammer has been given a three year suspended sentence.

Andrei Negura (36) later claimed to gardai that there had been a fight between him and Bohuslav Kalias and denied that he had attacked the man, who was working on a car with his brother at the time. Negura also smashed up that car with the hammer, causing 1,900 worth of damage.

Mr Kalias had to get his right arm fixed in place using a rod and screw and needed 38 stitches around his elbow following the assault. His victim impact report stated that he cannot bend the arm completely or lift it above eye height and if he rolls over onto it during sleep, he wakes up in extreme pain.

Mr Kalias said his interaction with his family had changed too, as he could not lift his children or help out as much at home. He said for the first six months following the incident he was stressed and afraid to leave his home in case he met Negura.

Negura, a father-of-two of James Terrace, Drogheda, Co Louth, had initially denied a charge of assault and a trial date was set.

He later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to production of a claw hammer while assaulting Mr Kalias causing him harm and criminal damage to the vehicle in Balbriggan on May 15, 2015. He has six previous convictions from the District Court.

Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, told Judge Melanie Greally, when evidence was first heard last October, that the pleas of guilty were acceptable to the State and the charge of assault causing harm to Mr Kalias was dropped.

Judge Greally previously adjourned the case and ordered a report from the Probation Service.

Last week, she acknowledged that this report put Negura at a low risk of re-offending, largely due to the fact that he had addressed his heavy drinking.

The judge accepted that Negura has no previous convictions for violence, has demonstrated remorse for his behaviour and has not come to garda attention since.

Judge Greally sentenced Negura to three years in prison which she suspended in full on strict conditions.The recent area meeting of Meath CC in Duleek saw words of congratulations for Calum Agnew and Seb Lennon from St Mary's DS who obtained 3rd place in their category at the Young Scientists. Also, Slane NS 6th class who raised thousands for St Vincent de Paul with their song release.

The students at Colaiste na hInse were also praised for 'We Will Rock You'.

Syddan celebrations

There were plenty of celebrations in the Kane household recently when Bernard won the 10,000 Syddan GAA lotto. It hadn't been won for the past few years.

Donacarney path

The tenders for the construction of the footpath from Donacarney schools into Bettystown are being considered at the moment. There were a lot of applications for the work.

Street cleaning

Meath CC are seeking extra resources to up their street cleaning in Duleek and Laytown/Bettystown which stands at one visit a month, although extra visits are arranged if necessary.

Lack of broadband

Cllr Sharon Tolan wants the lack of broadband in estates in parts of East Meath to be tackled properly. She said Eir should be invited to a local area meeting to discuss the issues.

She also asked for a speed survey to be done in Castlemartin after receiving a number of complaints.The seizure of almost 1m worth of cannabis herb near Termonfeckin last Wednesday is being seen as a major blow to the local drugs network.

As part of an intelligence led operation targeting serious organised crime activity in the Louth Division, a planned search by Gardai from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau assisted by officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau and officers from the Drogheda and Louth Division discovered the drugs, valued at 940,000.

A female in her 30s was arrested for drug trafficking offences.

The discovery is another boost for local gardai who have initiated a major operation in the fight against drugs in the region over the past number of months.

'This is just part of our operations and they are ongoing,' Supt Andrew Watters stated.

He has again moved to reassure the public that the gardai are mounting operations on a daily basis with checkpoints and surveillance and the building of information part of the operation.

A number of people have been charged with various offences in recent months.

Cllr. Kenneth Flood, who is also Chair of the Joint Policing Committee for Drogheda/South Louth welcomed the major drugs seizure.

"This is very significant and has taken 1 million worth of drugs off our streets. Every blow struck against drug dealers is a welcome blow."You may not know the face but you certainly know the voice. Sinead Brassil has been a member of the research, production and on-air team with LMFM since 2010 and now she's ready to take to the airwaves full time.

LMFM this week announced Sinead Brassil as the new producer and presenter of their weekday 11am to 1pm radio show.

Tucked in between the ever popular Michael Reade Show and the multi-award winning Late Lunch hosted by Gerry Kelly, this new morning show will deliver a lively mix of music, talk and pop culture.

Speaking at the announcement, LMFM Programme Controller Eamonn Doyle explained 'This is a fantastic opportunity for Sinead, after 10 years of producing Mid-Morning and more recently Late Lunch this new show gives her an opportunity to showcase her talents on the other side of the mic. It's also an exciting move for the station as it'll be the first significant change to programming in a decade. We wish Sinead all the best and look forward to the first show on February 4th.'

Sinead continued 'I am delighted with the opportunity to develop my own show and bring it to the LMFM listeners. I really care about the LMFM audience and I'm planning to bring a fresh approach to news, events and campaigns in the North East.'

Concluding the announcement, Sinead Brassil explained 'For me there's nothing like the buzz of live radio. The opportunity to produce and present my own radio show truly is a dream come true. I know that broadcasting is a real privilege, bringing stories to the audience and hearing their opinions. I'm genuinely so excited and I'm just counting the days till February 4th'.

The new show will commence on Monday 4th February and will air weekdays from 11.00am to 1.00pm. The show can also be heard across the world on www.lmfm.ie or on the LMFM app.Mary Curtin, Niall Buckley, John OSullivan and Richard Leader in attendance at the Kilcorney Community Development Association Seminar on rural living. Picture John Tarrant

Pictured at the Kilcorney Development Association seminar on Managing the challenges of rural living and a healthy lifestyle were Sergeant Paul Lynch, Tim Leader, Dr John McNamara, Garda Kevin ODwyer, PSV Inspector Tom Brennan and Donie Howard. Picture John Tarrant

Supporting communities and ensuring a quality of life was behind a successful Kilcorney seminar that focused on the challenges of rural living.

Rural Ireland can be beautiful and relaxing but it can also provide major issues, as highlighted under the banner 'Managing the challenges of rural living and maintaining a healthy life', which was organised by the Kilcorney Community Development Association.

Presiding Chairman Donie Howard indicated Kilcorney was proving the perfect example of a rural community in Ireland with services diminished on the close of the creamery, post office and the village's only shop.

"We met all of these challenges head-on, a key ingredient called community spirit developed the village, and created many fine amenities, such as a river walks, an astroturf play area and social housing," he said.

Local farmers are facing major challenges from Brexit, inadequate prices and the next round of CAP and Mr Howard spoke of the importance of addressing the issues and how to start planning for these challenges and sustain health maintenance.

"Farmers think that they are healthy, because they are out in the fresh air doing active work, but the data on premature mortality does not support this belief. Stress is a normal symptom of modern living but, if not managed properly, can lead to a serious mental health crisis," he said.

Noreen O'Rahilly, Teagasc, addressed the meeting and her colleague, Dr John McNamara, Teagasc health and safety specialist said that farmers are less aware of health maintenance than other social groups and spoke on the importance of a problem that requires immediate attention.

Garda representatives in attendance included Sergeant Paul Lynch, Garda Kevin O'Dwyer and PSV Inspector Tom Brennan who explained the new regulations on drink driving, road management, home /farmyard security and safety.The January Cork Person of the Month, Holly Bough editor John Dolan (third from right) receiving his award with (L-R): George Duggan, Cork Crystal; Michael Lynch, AV3 Media; Manus OCallaghan, awards organiser; John Lehane, Lexus Cork; Ann-Marie OSullivan, AM OSullivan PR and Pat Lemasney, Southern. Photo: Tony OConnell Photography

The man behind arguably Corks most venerable publication, the Holly Bough, has been unveiled as the Cork Person of the Month for January.

Although not a native Corkonian, John Dolan has had his finger on the pulse of life in the Rebel County for the best part of two decades, overseeing the much-loved publication that has been a famous Cork tradition since 1897.

John, the assistant editor and features editor at the Evening Echo, was born in Cheshire but has lived in Clondrohid near Macroom since moving to Ireland in 2001. Prior to that he worked for many years in UK print media with newspapers including the Lancashire Evening Posts and the London Metro.

The following year he took over the helm at the Holly Bough, something he said was a huge honour for him.

Under his watchful eye the Holly Bough has gone from strength-to-strength, increasing its circulation with each passing year, remaining an essential part of Cork life and is as much a part of the Yuletide season as Santa and Christmas turkey.

Accepting the award John said that what makes the publication so special was the fact that it tells the stories that delve into the memory banks of all Corkonians.

The Holly Bough, even though it has input from professional writers and historians, contains, in essence, stories that are written by ordinary Cork people who have extraordinary stories to tell, said John.

In short, it is written by the people, for the people, he added.

The Person of the Year awards organiser, Mallow-native Manus OCallaghan, said that John had done a magnificent job in helping to ensure the Holly Bough has continued to grow and expand during his tenure.

He said John had been instrumental in helping The Holly Bough to buck all trends within print journalism - tripling its circulation and expanding its size from 60-pages to a full colour, 164-page publication.

It is indeed a 122-year institution that is part of all our lives in Cork and even follows us abroad when necessary. There is a great tradition of sending copies abroad to the Cork diaspora and locals also bring it abroad on summer holidays for a selfie, then get their holiday snaps published in the Holly Bough at Christmas, said Mr OCallaghan.

It is only right that John be recognised for the key role he has played in its ongoing success, he added.

John Dolans name will go forward, with the monthly winners selected throughout the coming year for possible selection as overall 2019 Cork Person of the Year.Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

A few isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low 67F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.A two car collision at Rathduff during extremely heavy snowfall on Tuesday evening resulted in up to eight miles of a tail back on the Cork to Mallow road.

Motorists were reduced to a crawling pace when travelling on the N20 but were able to manoeuvre around one of the crashed cars in the village of Rathduff. The air bag had deployed in one of the cars while the other black BMW suffered damage to its front and side.

Two ambulances, a Garda 4x4 jeep along with the fire brigade travelled from Cork in the fast lane while up to eight miles of a tail back of cars were in the slow lane.

It is believed some motorists were on the N20 for nearly two and a half hours. It is understood that the occupants of both cars were not seriously injured.

The accident is believed to have occurred on the southern entrance to the village at about 5pm, with the vehicles strewn mainly across the north-bound carriageway. However, to allow traffic flow, Gardai had to operate a stop-go system, which meant that by 7.30pm the southern tailback still stretched all the way to Blarney.Heritage in Ireland is witnessing some exciting times.

The country has so many different attributes and values that combine to give us our shared sense of place and the sense of who we are together, with more and more local groups and individuals leading the way and advocating for heritage at grassroots level

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has recently announced that a new National Heritage Plan is to be undertaken and has called on the people of Ireland to get involved; encouraged to make their voice heard and to make a real difference to the scope and ambition of the Plan, which will be titled 'Heritage Ireland 203'0.

The County of Cork is steeped in heritage and is lucky to have such great numbers of groups and individuals who have a love for this heritage, regularly protecting and promoting it at every opportunity.

The vision for 'Heritage Ireland 2030' is that heritage is valued and protected, and the people of Cork, individuals and community groups alike, now have the opportunity to express how much heritage means by having their voice heard on the national level with regard to how heritage should be prioritised over the next decade and beyond..

To stimulate thought and the development of ideas, a consultation document has been devised by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, which is available to view online at www.chg.gov.ie/heritage/heritageireland2030.

Anyone and everyone with an interest in heritage is encouraged to get involved; submissions can be as simple or as detailed as one wishes.

In order to support groups and individuals who wish to make a submission, Cork County Council is hosting an information session on Thursday, February 14 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Floor 2 of the County Hall.

This will be an informal event for all of those who love their heritage; where people can drop in and discuss ideas and the type of suggestions that could be included in submissions on the plan.

Submissions are welcomed by the Department up until February 28 and can be sent by email (Heritageireland2030@chg.gov.ie); post (Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6XO) or by online survey via www.chg.gov.ie/heritage/heritageireland2030.

Anyone interested in attending on Thursday 14th February is requested to email conor.nelligan@corkcoco.ie prior to Friday, February 8.

All most welcome and it is hoped that a multitude of submissions will be made from the Rebel County.

Heritage Week 2019 - 'Pastimes and Past Times'.

In 2018, there was a hive of heritage activity in Cork, Ireland and across Europe as the European Year of Cultural Heritage was celebrated.

With 2019 now upon us, another wonderful year is in store and the Heritage Council has just announced this year's theme for National Heritage Week - 'Pastimes and Past Times'.

Taking place from August 17-25, it is anticipated that over 2000 events will be organised around the country, enjoyed by an audience of over half a million people.

Co-ordinated by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week is Ireland's most popular cultural event - part of the wider 'European Heritage Days' initiative, which sees heritage celebrated in over 40 countries across the continent.

During Heritage Week everyone will have the chance to connect with their heritage; to enjoy, appreciate and perhaps most importantly, share it.

With a focus on pastimes and past times, people will have the opportunity to stroll through history and explore how our free time has evolved in often fascinating ways, shaped by hundreds of years of storytelling, craft, sport and music.

In Cork it is expected that over 200 Heritage Week events will take place and new event organisers are always welcome to get involved.

For full information on Heritage Week and to browse events ideas and planning tips visit www.heritageweek.ie.

Celebrations to mark St Bridget and St Gobnait Day's

In terms of upcoming events there is plenty to look forward to in February.

Firstly, and from a spiritual perspective, there are two events that will be of interest to many people regarding St. Bridget whose Pattern Day is on February 1 and St. Gobnait whose day is February 11.

On Thursday, January 31 a St Bridget's Cross-making workshop will take place at the Fermoy Resource Centre from 10am to 11am and again from 11am to 12 noon.

All most welcome.

Currently open and on display in the Ionad Culturtha in Baile Mhuirne until after St. Gobnait's Day, is a wonderful exhibition titled 'Ex-Voto'.

It displays some fascinating photos from St. Gobnait's Day in Baile Mhuirne from throughout the years and is well worth the visit.

Kinsale and Ballincollig's heritage under the spotlight

Later in the week on Thursday, February 7 , commencing at 8pm there will be a talk entitled 'Keeping an Eye on Kinsale' which looks at Kinsale over the years from a heritage perspective.

The event commences at 8pm in the Temperance Hall, Kinsale and everyone is welcome.

A few days later again on Monday, February 11, there will be a talk about the Gunpowder Mills in Ballincollig and the explosions that took place within the site over the 119 years of its operation.

The talk, which has been organised by the Muskerry Local History Society, will be given by Frank Donaldson in the Ballincollig Rugby Club premises, commencing at 8pm.

Next week's column will take a look at the many further events scheduled for the month of February.Pat Divilly, Anna Geary, Graham McCormack and Derval ORourke launching Cork County Councils Teen Talk initiative with Niall OCallaghan (Health Ireland co-ordinator Cork County Council) )and students Dylan Roberts & Conall Boyle, Bandon Grammar School and Abby OCallaghan & Nichola OShea, Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig at Cork County Hall. Photo: Brian Lougheed

Promoting the importance of mental health, fitness and general well-being among young people across Cork will be the focus of a seminar taking place in Charleville next month.

The 'Teen Talk', co-ordinated by Cork County Council, will take place at the Charleville Park Hotel on Thursday, February 28, is one of a number of similar events taking place at venues across the county.

The free talks will see speakers including TV personality Kathryn Thomas, Cork sporting legends Anna Geary and Derval O'Rourke, former MMA fighter and positive mental health advocate Pat Divilly and entrepreneur and fitness guru Graham McCorkmack share their tips for a happier and healthier life with Transition Year students from local schools.

The Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, said that as part of the 'Health Cork' initiative the authority was "committed to supporting our young people and their health and well-being."

"We are inviting TY students across Cork to come to Teen Talks, hear from their peers, health and fitness experts and those who are experienced in creating coping mechanisms for the challenges that we face today," said Mayor Murphy.

Cork County Council CEO Tim Lucey said the Teen Talks will communicate important messages about life and positive changes that young people can adopt to "help live a healthy, happy life."

"This series of events supports our students, and really looks at ways to deal with school, family, health and social media challenges through the power of positive mental health, fitness and nutrition. We have a great line up of young speakers that will inspire and motivate students attending Teen Talks in Cork in 2019," said Mr Lucey.

For more information about the 'Teen Talk' initiative visit www.corkcoco.ieA hugely talented Rockchapel musician will be the only Rebel competitor in the final for the Sean O Riada Gold Medal competition.

Caoimhe Flannery (17) is a talented fiddle player with a number of All-Ireland titles to her name.

Caoimhe is taught by renowned fiddler Matt Cranitch, and is a fine exponent of Sliabh Luachra music. She stems from a talented musical family, and her younger sister, Eimhear, competed in the Sean O Riada Gold Medal final last year, on concertina, and in 2016 on whistle.

The final will take place at the Rochestown Park Hotel this Friday and the it will be broadcast live on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta . There will be 17 fiddlers in total taking to the stage for the final, including a brother and sister from Waterford and three musicians flying in from the USA.

The winner will take home a gold medal, designed by the late Cashel Goldsmith Padraig Mac Mathuna, and a cash prize of 2,500. The final on Friday will be presented live by Peadar O Riada at 7 pm on his radio programme Cuireadh chun Ceoil on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta and will also be streamed live to the RnaG Facebook page.

On Saturday night, the Coirm Ordha concert of previous winners of the medal will take place in the hotel which will include pipers Tiarnan O Duinnchinn and Eanna O Croinin, flute player Tim McHugh, harpers Oisin Morrison and Una Ni Fhlannagain, and last year's winner, Tipperary box player Keelan McGrath.It will be wheels up in March for Wicklow's two Fine Gael Ministers as they play their part in the usual St Patrick's Day exodus of top politicians promoting Ireland abroad.

Minister for Health Simon Harris is among nine Ministers jetting off to the US. His itinerary includes San Francisco and Los Angeles where he'll be pressing the flesh with members of the sizeable Irish American community.

Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture Andrew Doyle will visit Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia as part of a pre-Brexit push that will include visits to all 27 European capitals which, according to a statement from the Dept of Foreign Affairs, will serve 'as a platform to underline Ireland's commitment to and membership of the European Union'.

According to the Department, a total of 37 ministers and other dignitaries are travelling to 57 countries this year.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will make the traditional St Patrick's Day trip to Washington DC to meet President Trump in the White House. Meanwhile, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will travel to the UK which is due to exit the EU less than a fortnight after St Patrick's Day.A pair of hillwalkers had to be escorted off the Glen of Imaal Military Range after wandering into the restricted area.

Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team were both tasked by An Garda Siochana to assist the two hillwalkers near Lugnaquilla on Sunday, January 20, just after 3.35 p.m. The duo had become disorientated and made the correct decision to ring for assistance.

Mountain rescue personnel were able to locate the hikers using the app Sarloc Rescue, which placed both walkers inside the impact zone of the Glen of Imaal Military Range. Both walkers were advised to remain where they were until mountain rescue and Irish Defence Forces members met them and safely escorted them from the military range. The operation was stood down at 5.25 p.m.

A mountain rescue spokesperson advised: 'The Glen of Imaal Military Range is an active military site where live-firing exercises take place. There is also a safety risk from unexploded ordnance on the site. There are two safe routes, Camara Hill and Table Track, for members of the public to cross the range. Please do not deviate from these routes.'

Earlier that same day both of Wicklow's mountain rescue teams were involved in an incident at Lough Tay where a hiker sustained a lower leg injury at 1.44 p.m. after falling while walking on the Guinness Estate.

The patient's injuries were assessed and treated by a mountain rescue medic. Following treatment, the walker was evacuated in an vehicle and transferred to a waiting ambulance. The incident was stood down at 3.25 p.m.A coffee morning for baby Juniper was held last Monday morning in Enniskerry parish hall, as the child and her parents prepare for treatment in England.

The baby girl was diagnosed before Christmas with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). She has no immune system and therefore the inability to fight off infection. Her family and friends wish to raise funds to help with expenses incurred as Juniper and her family must remain in the UK for up to a year.

Any surplus funds will go to other families in need. They recently discovered that Juniper's mum can be her bone marrow donor.

There is also a petition at uplift.ie asking Minister for Health Simon Harris to introduce a test for the condition in the newborn screening programme.

The treatment for this condition (haematopoietic stem cell transplant-HSCT) has a much higher success rate if diagnosed early and before the affected infant acquires infections.The Chris Montague Trio will play the Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, on Friday, February 8.

One of the most innovative guitarists and musicians to emerge from the UK in recent years, Chris Montague is widely recognised for his skills as a composer and performer. As a founder member of Troyka he has garnered a reputation for his distinctive approach to the guitar and has gained much acclaim for his contribution to many contemporary recordings.

He will feature at the Courthouse with Kevin Lawlor on drums and Ashley John John on bass. Ashley John Long is a virtuoso bassist and composer and has played with some of the UK's leading jazz musicians.

He has performed internationally as a soloist and has had over 20 composers write new works for him. Kevin Lawlor is one of the leading jazz drummers in Ireland and is creating a healthy jazz scene in Wexford, based in the Wexford Arts Centre and Sky and the Ground.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are on sale now for 16/14.Lisa Harding, author of the hard hitting 'Harvesting' will be present at Bridge Street Books for a reading and Q&A on Friday, February 8, at 7.30 p.m.

'Harvesting' is soon to be turned into a movie and is the story of two teenagers - spiky and quick-witted Sammy living in Dublin and conscientious Nico from Moldova. When they are thrown together in a Dublin brothel in an horrific twist of fate, a peculiar and important bond is formed. 'Harvesting' was inspired by Harding's involvement with a campaign against sex trafficking run by the Children's Rights Alliance. Although it is a fictionalised account, the text has been read and approved of by representatives for NGOs in both Moldova and Dublin.

The author will carry out a reading and answer questions put to her at Bridge Street Books, Wicklow town, on Friday, February 8 at 7.30 p.m.

Tickets are free and available to reserve on www.eventbrite.ie.Just a few months after his successful appearance on The X Factor, Manor Kilbride teenager Jack Tisdall is setting of on his first UK and Irish tour with boy band United Vibe.

The group made a great splash on the popular television talent show and were mentored by pop star Robbie Williams, who said that they were going to be even bigger than One Direction.

Jack (17) is now based in London and in recent weeks has been hard at work rehearsing for the 12-date tour which finishes with a home gig in The Academy, Dublin, on March 29.

He is lucky to have family support over in the UK in the form of his grandparents.

'We are really looking forward to the tour,' said Jack.

'At the moment we are meeting up five times a week to rehearse and to go over the choreography given to us for the shows. We are putting in a massive amount of effort and work and we really want to impress all our fans and put on some great shows,' he said.

United Vibe will be performing 12 songs at each show, including their new original track 'Miss That Me' which the five band members wrote together.

Now that The X Factor is over, their focus is on signing a record deal.

'That is everybody's aim once they finish with the show. There has been some interest and our goal is to sign a record deal. It's a lot of pressure but it's everything I have wanted since I was a kid and I wouldn't change it for the world.'

Jack said he is very much looking forward to the home gig and welcoming band mates Jon Guelas, Blaise Duncan, Elliot Horne and Kieran Harrison to Ireland.

'For the other guys in the band, it's their first time coming to Ireland. They are all really excited and even suggested that we should finish the tour here as it's such a great place for a party!' he said.

United Vibe will kick off the Viberz Tour 2019 on February 9 in Manchester and will perform across the United Kingdom including Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Cardiff as well as Dublin on March 29.

Jack will be cheered on for the first and last gigs by his family including his mum and dad Charlotte and Paul.Garda Tony Golden who was murdered in Omeath in October 2015

Settlement talks between representatives of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, and the legal team for the family of murdered Garda Tony Golden have broken down.

The officer was shot five times and killed in a murder-suicide attack while on duty at Omeath, Co Louth, just over three years ago.

It emerge that the assessment of compensation for Gda Golden's widow, Nicola, and their three children, Andrew, Lucy and Alex, may now go to a full trial before Mr Justice Michael Twomey, who deals with all Garda compensation cases in the High Court.

Talks had been taking place in a bid to avert that necessity and family trauma of a full assessment hearing.

Gda Golden - who was in uniform and unarmed - had accompanied Siobhan Philips (23) on Sunday, October 11, 2015 to the house she shared with her physically abusive partner Adrian Crevan Mackin.

He was murdered by Mackin, a known dissident republican, in the murder-suicide attack.

Mackin shot the 36-year-old garda in an attack during which he also shot his partner Siobhan four times, including one bullet to her head, before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life.

Adrian Crevan Mackin was a known convicted criminal and had been charged with IRA membership months before his death and was on bail.

He had previously been given a three-year suspended sentence on firearms charges in Northern Ireland.

Several inquiries were mounted into the tragic Omeath murder-suicide and the gun attack on Ms Philips

Ms Philips, who miraculously survived her terrible injuries, is currently living in Newry, Co Down.

She had two children by Mackin and has issued personal injury proceedings against the Commissioner of An Garda Siochana, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General alleging negligence.

Her Dundalk-based solicitors have, on her behalf, issued the claims which have been served on all the State parties she is suing.

Solicitors for the State have, in turn, entered appearances, documents legally indicating that proceedings have been properly served and that the company will be representing the defendants.

It is understood a defence is being prepared.

The inquest into the death of Gda Golden, which took place in Dundalk in April last year, concluded that he had been unlawfully killed.

Like his colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, murdered two-and-a-half years earlier while on armed escort duty near the Border, Gda Golden was given a State funeral and posthumously awarded a Scott medal for bravery.

Det Gda Donohoe's widow, former Gda Caroline Deloughrey and their two children, were recently awarded 1.3m compensation against the minister by Judge Michael Twomey.Mairead McGuinness MEP and Cllr. Liam Reilly, Chair of Louth County Council in County Hall for a Council meeting on the 100th Anniversary of the sitting of the First Dail in the Mansion House

Council contracts awarded to Northern Ireland or UK based companies should continue to be honoured post Brexit, members heard at the monthly meeting of Louth County Council.

Louth MEP Mairead McGuinness was joined by MEP Matt Carthy in a presentation to the council on the current state of play in Brexit negotiations.

Cllr. Maria Doyle queried the impact on contracts that have been awarded which are set to run after Britain leaves the EU on March 29th.

Mairead McGuinness said that it was likely existing contracts would be honoured, even after Brexit kicks in.

However, she admitted that it was unclear what impact a 'no deal' Brexit might have.

Matt Carthy agreed that it was expected contracts already awarded would continue.

'But we do need to do a lot of work on public procurement anyway.'

The MEP had told the council that a 'no deal' was now 'a live prospect.'

Cllr Ruairi O'Murchu asked if special status in some form is not granted for the north 'are we then facing into an armageddon scenario?'

He also queried how Interreg and PEACE funding might be affected by Brexit.

Matt Carthy explained that one of the first acts of the EU after the Brexit referendum was to vote in favour of the continuation of Peace funding.

But he warned these initiatives would 'clearly be impact by a no deal scenario.'

Mairead McGuinness added that if Britain leaves the EU without any agreed deal, then the funds that are paid in by the UK to the Interreg stream could be affected.

'The reality is, if there is a no deal then everything collapses.'

Cllr. Emma Coffey said preparations for a no deal Brexit were vital. She said that she had warned last year that a hard border was areal possibility.

'The language we heard then from the key players led me to believe a hard border was coming down the tracks.'

'We are on the cusp of a cliff edge, and Louth is going to be on the cold, hard face of it.'

CEO Joan Martin added: 'I would say there had been a strong response from Ireland from the start. But I wouldn't say that there has similar work been done in Northern Ireland.'

She added that the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) are working independent of the council on Brexit preparedness, particularly with the business community.

'I do feel a lot of work has been done, but we have no idea what we are planning for. We had hoped for more clarity, but if anything the situation is less clear now.'Dundalk native Bernie Bradley is one of eleven people who were formally appointed yesterday to serve on the first ever statutory advisory committee in Ireland to support monitoring of Ireland's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Bernie, who works as a Social Inclusion Officer in Monaghan County Council is delighted to have been appointed to the Disability Advisory Committee.

She has worked in the area of accessibility and equality for 25 years, working in both community and voluntary sector and public sector. Since 2004 she has worked in the local government sector leading significant cultural and organisational change in equality and accessibility in Monaghan County Council. Bernie has developed numerous policies and initiatives to improve accessibility for people with disabilities that have been implemented in local authorities throughout the country. Bernie holds a Master's Degree in Public Management and a Professional Diploma in Human Rights and Equality.

Bernie is also involved in the area of disability rights in a voluntary capacity with Down Syndrome Ireland. Bernie's daughter Jinny, who is six and has Down syndrome, attends St Malachy's infant school.

Emily Logan, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said: 'The question of how Ireland meets its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities must be put in the spotlight. This new Disability Advisory Committee will be an important mechanism to ensure that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission can fulfil its mandate to hold the State to account on the rights of people with disabilities.'Mary Doyle and Antonitte Kelliher, Food Solutions Ltd at the Revenue Brexit Customs seminar in The Carnbeg Hotel

Part of the large crowd at the Border Communities Against Brexit protest held at Old Dublin Road, Carrickcarnon. Picture Ken Finegan/Newspics

The prospect of a hard border is a 'nightmare situation' that businesses in Louth, and along the border region must face the difficult prospect of preparing for, delegates at a Revenue hosted 'Brexit' conference in Dundalk admitted last week.

One of the largest ever Brexit awareness events in the area, the seminar at the Carnbeg Hotel focused on preparations individual businesses could make ahead of dealing with a UK which is outside of the European Union.

For many, dealing on a cross border businesses with companies or suppliers in Northern Ireland will be the biggest challenge as they look at what customs tarrifs may apply.

For others, it is the prospect of losing the current uncomplicated access to the UK as a 'landbridge' to Europe that will pose the greatest threat.

'I think it's the uncertainty right now that is the problem for businesses,' Mary Doyle from FSL Food Solutions told the Argus.

Based on the Coes Road, they are a leading provider of premium beverage brands to the restaurant, bar and catering industries. For more than 15 years the Dundalk company has built up a reputation sourcing and supplying the world's best coffee, syrups, teas, chocolate, and equipment to Irish businesses of all sizes.

But, like many companies, they have had access to a relatively open border for trade, one which has over the last 20 years in particular benefitted the business community immensely.

'We would have a lot of customers in the north' added Mary. 'So there is concern at this stage about how Brexit will impact our business.'

Sean O'Hanlon, from Omeath whose company North Louth Services are in the delivery and installation of equipment to the food industry, admitted there are a range of concerns about the impact of Brexit.

'I am worried. We are in a situation where we do business in both Louth and in Newry, and right now we don't know how to prepare for what is coming.'

Indeed, his own family farm is, he adds, dissected by the border, another major complication where he argues there is 'no clarity.'

'In reality an open border had meant so much, not only to us, but to businesses all along the border over the last twenty years,' said Sean. 'Now we are facing what could be a nightmare situation that is very difficult to prepare for.'

Barry Cullen, who owns and runs local firm Cullen Autoparts, admitted that importing parts and goods from Europe was going to be a huge challenge if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal on March 29th.

'It will getting deliveries through Britain and over to use that will be the big problem, especially if there are delays at Dover for lorries.'

His business, and the expectations of customers, rely on the 'same day or next day' delivery that has helped him provide an efficient service for so many years.

'This seminar has been very beneficial though. It has given us an indication of what questions we should be asking, for a start.'

A major focus of the conference was advising companies on the impact to logistics, after Brexit.

The smooth movement of goods, and flowing supply chain are key to the everyday operations of so many companies along the border area.

Kenneth McEneaney, from Cardinal Logistics, based at Market Square, said it was a 'very challenging time' for businesses which transport to and from Europe, through the UK, and to the UK and Northern Ireland.

'We are involved in freight forwarding, and organis the import of a wide range of goods from car parts to pharmaceuticals,' He explained.

'Right now we are focused on putting together contingency plans for clients, looking at how best we can prepare for what's coming down the line. Again, that uncertainty over what is actually going to happen after the 29th of March makes it even more challenging.'

In terms of the preparations being made by Revenue and Customs, a spokeswoman explained told the Argus that the seminar in Dundalk was one of a number they had hosted and organised over the last few months.

'Revenue is committed to actively engaging with businessess to help in identifying and understanding the potential customs implications of Brexit and how the challenges can be addressed.'

'Revenue have participated in a number of trade organised events as well as events organised by other government departments in relation to Brexit. In addition, Revenue has a comprehensive Trader Engagement Programme to assist trade in preparing for the impact of Brexit. The seminar at Carnbeg is part of this programme of engagement.'

She added: 'In the context of Brexit, Revenue's focus is to minimise costs, facilitate trade and by supporting business with clear and timely information, advice and guidance on preparing to trade with a non-EU country.'

'As such, Revenue's Trader Engagement Programme is focused on the needs of a specific target audience, such as logistic companies and economic operators.'Senior Officer John McNamee on border control during the Border Communities Against Brexit protest held at Old Dublin Road, Carrickcarnon. Picture Ken Finegan/Newspics

It was a familiar sight for those who lived along the border during the 'Troubles' but the return of a 'checkpoint' at Carrickarnon last weekend raised real fears of how Brexit could impact on the area once again.

A protest organised by the local lobby group Border Communities Against Brexit, it featured mock 'customs' checkpoints, in a scene reminiscent of the 1970's and 80's.

Organisers even went as far as putting 'troops' at the mock border wall to illustrate their concern that Ireland could be heading back to the days when there were border checkpoints.

'It was a manifestation of what it used to look like and we don't want to go back to that time,' said Declan Fearon, spokesman for Border Communities Against Brexit.

A mock eight-foot wall and army watchtower were built to make what protestors called 'a stand against Brexit, against borders, against division.'

Hundreds of people gathered where the main crossing point between Dundalk and Newry once lay to protest against the prospect of any type of border in the outcome of a hard Brexit.

Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) had encouraged people from cross-border populations to come and express their 'fears and concerns' about the potential for a hard border in Ireland.

'The message which came across from the protest was that people never want to see a border on this island again,' said Declan.

It was important, he added to show the reenactment of a border checkpoint 'because there are so many people who do not remember how it was when checkpoints were in place.'

It was an opportunity too, he pointed to demonstrate the real fears of people living and working in border communities 'that we could be heading back in that direction.'

'Our children don't know where the border begins and ends. And that's the way we want it to stay,' added Declan.

'But be under no illusion, if we crash out with no deal, without the protection of the Backstop, tens of thousands of jobs will be lost, right across this society, north and south.'

Indeed, Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney admitted last week that it would be 'difficult' to avoid installing new infrastructure following a no-deal Brexit.

Meanwhile, the BCAB spokesman pointed out that the protest also reminded the policy makers that Northern Ireland had unanimously voted 'No' in the Brexit referendum- a clear message that people wanted to remain in the European Union.

'Let us further remind them that the DUP does not speak for us, they represent less that 30% of the population, they are not our voice on Brexit.'

The demonstration saw dramatic scenes as a simulated 'Berlin Wall' structure was torn down to the loud cheers of protestors.

'While local people here today have torn down this wall, in a 'Hard Brexit' scenario we as a community and a society will have a very stark choice to make,' said Declan.

He explained that the BCAB were founded by people living and working on both sides of the border and we have campaigned across Ireland, London and Europe.

Members of the lobby groups hail from the Dundalk-Newry area right along the border to Donegal

'Amidst the Brexit chaos that currently dominates British politics, the people who live along the border in Ireland are being forgotten.'

'It is clearer than ever that politicians in Westminster such as Reece Mogg, Boris Johnston and Sammy Wilson simply do not care about the impact that a hard border or a no-deal Brexit will have on our families and on our communities.

'People living here are very worried about what the future holds,' said Declan.

'At the beginning many people did not believe it would come to this. That's why we set up Border Communities Against Brexit.'

'We wanted to ensure that the people of the border weren't ignored. We wanted to highlight how Brexit could detrimentally impact on the border and on the North as a whole.'

He added: 'We have worked hard in Ireland and in Europe to explain how Brexit will damage and undermine our communities and economy. Unfortunately, the people of this region are being written off as those in Westminster continue to squabble and jockey for position.'Troops with submachine guns are prominent along busy intersections at the approach to a string of European Commission buildings in Brussels. Uniformed soldiers patrolling the streets aren't necessarily the most desirable way to guarantee the peace in modern states - that's a police force's role - but here they are regarded as necessary for counter-terrorism operations.

No doubt they act as a deterrent. But heavily armed military personnel seem anachronistic in this industrious beehive of a city servicing a cluster of European Union departments and executive agencies - this deliberately developed centre of democracy where the spirit of fair political solutions is prized. Aspiration and reality are two separate entities, however.

Speaking of the difference between goals and real life, lips curl and eyebrows shoot up here when Brexit is mentioned. It's clear Theresa May's stock is low in EC circles after agreeing to a deal she was unable to deliver: the cat's out of the bag now about her lack of political skill. Workable compromises are valued in this city - not a tossed salad of words, without detail to back them, about finding "alternative arrangements" to the backstop in Ireland.

While Britain's disenchantment with Europe is at record levels, it's a two-way street. EC officials are close to the end of their patience with Mrs May's negotiating style - described by one of them as a hapless anti-style. Their language about both Britain's prime minister and Westminster's political class has hardened.

The answer to the Brexit conundrum doesn't lie in Brussels but in factional British politics, they say. Unless a majority of MPs can coalesce around a settled version of what it wants and can reasonably expect to achieve - as opposed to what it wants and hasn't a chance of achieving - then a no-deal Brexit is imminent. A common observation is that British politicians are betraying their people - a lack of either purpose or clarity ratcheting up the risk of an accidental no-deal exit.

But there is also a view that "a deal at the death" might be agreed to avert catastrophe - some face-saving concession from Europe that will allow the Withdrawal Agreement to pass in the Commons.

One potential solution is some legally binding wording about the backstop in a side letter, possibly included in the 25-page political declaration on the UK and EU's future relationship. EU negotiators are adamant the backstop section, contained in the 585-page Withdrawal Agreement, cannot be altered, however.

While a fudge won't meet with thunderous applause in the British parliament, Mrs May only needs to persuade a number of cross-party moderates to support it. She needn't concern herself with the Brexit ultras. Their cake-and-eat-it approach to leaving the EU prevents them from backing anything smacking of compromise.

The EC has a deal-on taskforce of about 60 staff and a no-deal unit of some 20 people. In view of the current impasse - optimistically described as progress by members of the British cabinet - some people may need to be shuffled into the no-deal working party. However, Michel Barnier's team continues to persevere with ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, more in hope than expectation.

Meantime, the head of another EU taskforce, Brexit Preparedness, is visiting member state capitals with her officials to share best practice solutions in the event of a hard Brexit. Those EU representatives are due in Ireland next week and it's a safe bet they'll break for the Border. Here's a question for them: does Brexit Preparedness include an action plan for infrastructure at Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal to protect the single market?

The EC continues to insist the backstop is the optimum solution to a thorny problem, much to Ireland's relief. The attitude is that if Mrs May conjures up something more imaginative, perhaps she'll also take the opportunity to showcase her walking-on-water talents.

"We've looked at every single border on the planet - it's not like we've been twiddling our thumbs for 18 months. There are no viable alternative arrangements," said one member of the EC negotiating team. He added: "When the backstop went into the Withdrawal Agreement, it happened with significant British input." In other words, it's not as if Mrs May was sold a pup. She signed off on the backstop.

Certainly, if you compare the draft document of February 28, 2018, with the Withdrawal Agreement (now no longer agreed) of November 14, there is a key difference: by November, the projected customs border between Northern Ireland and Britain had gone. The DUP flexed its muscles, despite the advantages of special status offered to the North, Mrs May caved in and the deal was amended. The UK made significant contributions to the terms of a treaty which it now renounces.

This raises the dilemma of how the EC can renegotiate with Mrs May in good faith if she is capable of striking a deal in November and reversing away from it in January. "Obviously, that's something we're very much aware of," is the response of various EU officials. EC President Jean-Claude Juncker this week spoke of his disappointment (code for "my jaw hit the floor") that Mrs May should renounce their agreement. When she returns for renegotiations, Brussels will listen - but not with tea and sympathy.

Equally, it hasn't been forgotten in British circles that Mr Juncker appeared to mock Mrs May's Abba-style dance recently; soon after she showcased her moves at the Conservatives' conference, he waved his arms about at the podium in what looked suspiciously like ridicule. Oh yes, relations have soured.

A dialogue of the deaf is in process with neither side hearing the other. And the situation is extremely volatile. As for the prospects of a People's Vote, it's receding at warp speed. That momentous referendum in 2016 proved hugely discordant and it's feared another plebiscite would divide still further. "We've learned you should never give the people a vote on anything bigger than a swimming pool," said one British observer based in Brussels.

So, Mrs May is required by parliament to wrest agreement from Europe for "alternative arrangements" to avoid a hard Border - but currently has only eight weeks to do it. Europe will afford the UK more time but for a strictly limited period. And the request has to originate with the UK.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has outlined the economic impact of no deal: the Irish economy could be 4pc less than current projections over the medium term, unemployment could rise by 2pc and the "modest surplus" projected for 2020 would turn to a deficit. Those are just the financial implications - factor in violence over a hard Border and the stakes climb higher.

The EU negotiators will throw Mrs May a bone, but whether there is enough meat on it to appease the British parliament is impossible to predict.

Fasten your seatbelts, we're in for a bumpy ride. And let's hope those soldiers patrolling in Brussels aren't on the brink of becoming Ireland's future.

AONTU (meaning unity or agreement) is the name of Ireland's newest political party. It has a tough road ahead, if history is anything judge by.

Clann na Poblachta was founded in 1946 by Nobel and Lenin Peace Prize winner Sean MacBride. It was a radical republican party that attracted disaffected urban voters who wished to move on from Civil War politics in step with others who wanted a more militant republican party than Fianna Fail.

It won two seats in by-elections in 1947 and 10 seats in 1948. By 1951 it was reduced to two seats and in 1965 there was a single TD. In July 1965 the party dissolved itself.

Then there was the Progressive Democrats founded in 1985 by Des O'Malley after some of its members had split from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael because the traditional parties were not liberal enough on some issues. At one point it had 14 seats in the Dail, eclipsing Labour as the third largest party in Ireland.

It was fiscally conservative but quickly became liberal on social issues, endearing itself to the media. This wind helped it punch above its weight while it was three times a partner in government. It helped shape the low-tax pro-business terrain of Ireland's economy, driving the Celtic Tiger and ultimately the recession that followed. It dissolved itself in 2009.

Our most recent model was/is Renua Ireland, or Reboot Ireland as it was fashionably called, and before that the Reform Alliance. It grew out of dissent on abortion in 2013 when several Fine Gael members were expelled from the party for their opposition to the legislation in 2013.

It developed from the top down, ie from a group of disaffected TDs and senators but the delay in establishing it as a ground-based party, some 18 months later, probably contributed to the loss of goodwill of disaffected pro-life voters who were desperately seeking representation.

Then Renua quickly declared it would have no position on abortion and brought on board several pro-choice members to write position papers.

Nobody was elected from the party in the subsequent election and while the current leader, John Leahy, has openly reversed the position on abortion to a pro-life one, this may have come too late.

History, it seems, is against Aontu's success. Peadar Toibin, a former Sinn Fein TD who recently left the party because of its support for abortion, is its driving force. The integrity of Toibin has won plaudits from commentators such as Ruth Dudley Edwards, who would not support his republican ideals.

Unlike Renua, Toibin has not prevaricated in founding a new party and has struck while the iron is hot. The 33pc who voted against the removal of Article 4.3.3 from the Constitution felt bereft in the aftermath, devoid of any hope their voice would be represented in the corridors of Leinster House on this subject. That hope has now been restored.

Aontu is showing signs of a grassroots organisation, germinating from the bottom up, always the best approach. Numerous meetings north and south of the Border have taken place and more than 1,400 have signed up.

The reality there are vast numbers of hardened pro-life campaigners and canvassers in every town and village ready to swing into action must be influencing Toibin. However, there is a danger their support may be contingent on him adhering to a predictable set of socially conservative policies.

On the other hand, no political party fully reflects the totality of the values of all its members; compromises are made and this is the reality of politics.

For Aontu, because it is new, the party leader must tread warily in this regard and not get sucked into untenable positions on political or culture war issues.

He may be too 'green' for some, too 'left' for others. So far he is performing very well articulating core values, one of which is the human right to be born. The over-arching theme "End the Group-think" will resonate with marginalised voters of all hues.

Group-think seems to be an Irish addiction rooted deeply in our national consciousness of subservience. There was the numbing conformity demanded by the Catholic Church in the 50s and 60s. Now there is the secular, over-bearing rigidity and conformity that pervades society, so pernicious that even Graham Linehan, a pro-choice activist, is regarded as too conservative and has been attacked over his views on childhood transgenderism.

When free-speech is stifled it will seek outlets elsewhere, usually in the outer margins of dissent or alternatively through new intellectual platforms. The latter is the reason for the enormous popularity of Jordan Peterson, who provides philosophical and psychological room for this debate.

Yet in our politically stultified country, there is now no possibility within the Oireachtas for the expression of views that until a few years ago were considered mainstream. All the parties spout the same verbiage whether it is on Brexit, transgenderism, the EU, the gender pay gap, "toxic" masculinity, etc. The newspapers (for the most part) and other media are silent or fully in lock step. Politically incorrect views are articulated at one's peril, as Linehan knows, or shut down.

The arrival of a moderate party willing to address the democratic deficit in free speech is likely to make waves. Aontu's position on abortion and the North will particularly resonate with hitherto Fianna Fail voters, angry with the leadership's open disregard for their opinions.

Aontu will not have the blessing of our liberal media and other parties may attempt to undermine Toibin come election time. But by responding to the "group think" that pervades our institutions he is on to something. And this "something" is big, potentially very big indeed.

Patricia Casey is Consultant Psychiatrist, Mater Hospital Dublin and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at UCDWith all the focus on Brexit, it's easy to overlook growing evidence that Leo Varadkar's leadership is beginning to look a little unsteady.

Both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste have understandably been absorbed with protecting Ireland's vital national interests, on the backstop and preserving EU solidarity.

Historic and important as Brexit is, it's not likely to be the main dynamic in deciding the next general election.

There are two reasons for this. Opposition parties (especially FF) have backed the FG minority Government's stances. In fact, there has been a green jersey consensus right across the Dail spectrum. Also, the earliest an election is likely to be is in the autumn, and by then Brexit withdrawal terms should be finalised.

When it comes to the election, the bare-knuckle fighting is likely to be on bread-and-butter issues affecting voters, such as: sound management of the economy, job prospects, net disposable incomes, access and affordability of housing and health care. Other domestic factors, such as the development of infrastructure for a population growing by 60,000 a year, will also be to the fore.

Winning credibility and showing competence on these issues will decide whether Leo Varadkar or Micheal Martin becomes Taoiseach.

Inevitably, controversies such as the National Children's Hospital cost overruns, delays in housing schemes, homelessness statistics, hospital waiting lists and trolley counts are currently dwarfed by Brexit. But they will return to haunt Government ministers and TDs at the hustings.

One unconsidered, but vital, context to predicting the public mood and in generating momentum will be the 'hat-trick' factor. Just like the Dubs' campaign to retain the Sam Maguire and build on the "drive for five", Fine Gael has been in power since 2011 and is chasing three in a row.

There was a predictable pattern to Irish election results between 1969 and 2004. On each subsequent occasion voters rejected the incumbent administration. FF and FG-led coalitions and minority governments alternated through each successive decade. Turn and turnabout.

Bertie Ahern broke this mould by achieving a hat-trick of victories in 1997, 2004 and 2007. He defied the electorate's default appetite to tiring of the same old faces, seeking change almost for change's sake.

Enda Kenny almost availed of memories of the historic implosion of Fianna Fail to win a second term in 2016 - FG only retained a minority tenure on power, at the behest of a generous, compliant FF.

This year and beyond, Varadkar cannot escape the cumulative legacy effect of hat-trick considerations.

Unlike previously, FG ministers can no longer credibly blame FF for past errors. They have no alibi when it comes to certain departments, like health, justice and housing - where FG ministers have held the reins of power consistently. There's no hiding place to plead a lack of time to implement policies. There are no excuses available from a lack of resources, given the record post-austerity economic growth of last six years.

FG's legacy dilemma is most acute when it comes to health and housing. It was Dr James Reilly who committed to the St James's Hospital site for the National Children's Hospital, at an estimated cost of 650m. It was Leo Varadkar who in 2017 signed the contract for 983m. And it was on Simon Harris's watch that costs escalated to 1.7bn and beyond. Neither the Brits, FF, Labour nor anyone else can take political accountability for that scandalous cost overrun.

There has been a total lack of credible explanations to date for this mismanagement and inept oversight.

With 473 beds, the cost per bed is 4m, compared with international norms of 1.4m. A 300pc overrun cannot be explained by electrical cables, sprinkler systems and Vat. Comparisons with the other 'most expensive hospital in the world' relate to Stockholm's 1,300 beds.

Such indiscipline and lack of capital expenditure control augers poorly for taxpayers obtaining value for money across the entire 140bn National Development Plan, especially new hospital projects such as the imminent National Maternity Hospital and national broadband contracts.

The latest report which recorded how 27pc of primary school principals have encountered severe pupil problems from homeless children is truly shocking.

Paralysis in housing supply caused by delays and obstacles in the planning system are endemic. TDs express their frustration, yet consistently lodge planning permission objections locally.

Density rules outside of Dublin insist on apartment construction only - yet the building costs (excluding site costs) of 250,000 per unit can't match the realisable sales price of 180,000-240,000. No viability means no development.

The recent FG parliamentary think-in focused on climate change, with Mr Varadkar purporting to present FG as the greenest party of the future. He personally espoused to eat less meat, to the chagrin of farmers.

Yet the most effective measure FG in government could do to reduce Ireland's carbon emissions is to commit to 70pc electricity generation from renewables, raising wind energy output from 4,000MW to 7,000MW by 2030.

No decision to grow this green 36pc success story of wind turbines over two decades is planned.

Post-Brexit, the electoral landscape will be vastly different to the past two elections, which were overshadowed by the recession and recovery.

The issues will include the cost of accommodation; a health system creaking under the strain of elderly grandparents' growing requirements; childcare cost pressures on young parents; and absent broadband coverage worsening rural isolation.

Several consecutive years of ministerial office creates a bubble. It creates a false impression, insulated from harsher conditions of living.

After two terms of power, is Leo Varadkar's Government becoming out of touch with ordinary people, and especially rural Ireland?

Does he have the common touch to relate to the basic struggles of families?

Evidence emerges that many of Leo's line ministers, and he himself, lack the necessary experience to be managerially effective.

They don't seem to sweat the small stuff sufficiently to seriously entertain hopes of an election hat-trick.When it comes to spotting outlier subjects and sucking them into the mainstream orbit, there is no greater gravitational force than Gwyneth Paltrow. Her most recent cause is cannabidiol or CBD, as it's known - one of the brightest new stars in the 'wellness' galaxy.

At last June's Goop Health conference in LA, Paltrow moderated a panel on cannabis- and CBD-derived products. "I love this subject," said Paltrow. "It really has the potential to shift old patterns of thought and change lives, and I feel like we really could be on the precipice of something a lot bigger than we realise, scientifically."

Mandy Moore told reporters at the Golden Globes that she was using CBD oil to help relieve high heel pain. Just a couple of weeks ago Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were trying out the CBD-laced marshmallows and gummies on the This Morning couch. CBD is now decidedly mainstream.

So, what is CBD? Is it a drug? What does it do and how did it become so popular?

CBD is a constituent of cannabis, but doesn't contain its psychoactive ingredient, THC, Tetrahydrocannabinol, or if it does, only in trace amounts. (CBD products in Ireland are only legally permitted to contain 0.2pc of THC. CBD is not cannabis, which is illegal.)

Whereas once hemp products tended to induce an awkward silence in polite society, CBD has undergone a very middle-class makeover, infusing everything from collagen serums costing 80, to marshmallows retailing at 15 (17) for a pack of six in the UK. Then there's CBD-enhanced craft beer, Cloud9, a 4.3pc IPA retailing around 5 (6) and myriad gels, balms, ointments and shampoos. There are many claims about what CBD does or can do. But the main reasons people seem to use CBD, in either topical or tincture form, is for pain relief, to ease anxiety or the symptoms of panic and to aid sleep. In addition there are other claims, often used with beauty products, that CBD has anti-inflammatory and anti-acne properties.

Last month, two former Goop directors, Ashley Lewis and Meredith Schroeder, launched Fleur Marche, an e-commerce site they refer to as "a cannabis apothecary" and has already been referred to as the "Sephora of CBD".

"Despite the fact that cannabis (and CBD specifically) is taking centre stage in the health and wellness industries, the retail space is fragmented, the experiences are clunky and unsophisticated, there is not great education on what the various products do, where they were sourced - are they safe, clean, tested, and how to use them," they told business magazine Fast Company.

Fleur Marche is a slick-looking website. You can shop 'by need', according to a list including Anxiety, Sleep, Pain Relief, PMS, Beauty and Skincare and Pets (how very Goop). The products are beautifully packaged and there are infographics explaining the product terminology. This is designer wellness and CBD is now not merely acceptable, it is aspirational.

Proving that you can never have too much of an on-trend thing, last week vogue.com announced the launch of Standard Dose, a website intended as a curated one-stop-shop for the "best CBD products on the market". Vogue reports that founder Anthony Saniger "requests every brand provide a product's lab tests, to ensure the actual CBD contents match those indicated on the packaging, before submitting everything to a third-party lab for a second round of independent testing."

Ireland already has its own CBD success story in the form of Celtic Wind Crops, founded by Joe Gavin and Paul McCourt. The company, which grows its product in the Cooley Peninsula in Louth, harvests every September before producing CBD oil, capsules and powders. The company describes its process as "seed to shelf", riffing, one presumes, on the "farm to fork" line which denotes full traceability of product.

"Our products are fully legal and compliant with EU regulations. We grow our own hemp and have control over the entire process from planting the seed, to producing and selling the product. All of this gives our customers great peace of mind and they trust our product. This is very important to us as a brand," says Joe Gavin, the company's CEO. Celtic Wind Crops products sell on its website, as well as in pharmacies and health stores, for between 29.95 and 79.95.

Unsurprisingly, given the outbreak of commercial enthusiasm, the European market for CBD products is expecting to reach 2bn by 2020, with the US market expected to reach a value of 3bn.

Further driving interest there is a passionate online community dedicated to sharing information on CBD, from the best brands, to the most efficient methods of ingestion, to new studies claiming efficacy. However, these communities are not official sources of information. Since supplement manufacturers are forbidden from making medical claims, this means it can be difficult for the layperson to establish what exactly it is CBD does or can do.

How, for instance, can one ingest - indeed some retailers recommend quite liberal ingestion of CBD oil per day - a component of cannabis without feeling comparable effects? To answer this it's important to differentiate between CBD and THC.

"THC and CBD are completely different molecules, both found within the cannabis plant," says Dr David Finn, Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at NUI Galway, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Centre for Pain Research and a Science Foundation Ireland-funded investigator within the Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CURAM). He is also a researcher in the area of CBD.

"They're both phytocannabinoids - plant-derived cannabinoids, but they have a different chemical structure and a different pharmacology. So they work in the body in a different way. CBD doesn't have the same psychoactive profile as THC so it doesn't produce euphoric effects like THC. However, you will often read that cannabidiol doesn't have any psychoactivity, but that isn't quite correct.

"It does have actions in the brain. It can affect mood. It can have anxiolytic, meaning anti-anxiety, effects, and anti-epileptic effects. So it's still a substance which can have effects on the brain."

And it is these psychoactive effects that some believe offer tangible benefits. Far from the glamour and narcissism of Hollywood wellness fads, people suffering real illnesses are turning to CBDs for new hope.

Bekkii Spain is a 28-year-old mother-of-one from Co Sligo. When she was 24, Bekkii suffered a series of severe panic attacks. "I believed my throat was closing over," Bekkii says, "as it got worse my throat would go dry, I would find it difficult to breathe. Before I got to see anybody or have any counselling I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where I spent a few months.

"I became agoraphobic, I felt unsure of going anywhere. I kept [her prescribed] pills with me, in case of another panic attack. But they would make me dizzy or drowsy, the day after I took them I would almost feel hungover."

Bekkii started researching her condition online with a view to finding out more about treatment options. A blogger she followed was writing about CBD in relation to panic attacks.

"I'm naturally very wary of anything that is recommended, so I read around the brands and the options," Bekki says. "I took it in sublingual form (drops placed under the tongue). The recommended dosage was a full dropper but I only used half. I would take it if I felt the physical symptoms of a panic attack coming on. That was September 2017.

"For me, it's had a big impact. Before I couldn't really go to places, I couldn't really leave the house. Now, I've started to venture out. I keep the CBD oil with me, but I feel like I can control the panic attacks.

"I wouldn't say it's been the only driver of my recovery - I pushed myself to challenge my anxiety. CBD on its own will only do so much. But it's worked for me in a way other drugs didn't. It gave me an ease from my nerves and it's more fast-acting than other drugs."

Spain is probably unusual in her determination to ensure the efficacy and seek assurances on the safety of an over-the-counter product. And it seems likely that many of the CBD range of products will not have their claims quite as assiduously tested by their consumers.

It is also important to underline that there are three families of CBD product, governed by different regulations.

The first are foods and food supplements. According to the legislation, food supplements include "capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills and other similar forms, sachets of powder, ampoules of liquids, drop dispensing bottles and other similar forms of liquids and powders."

Supplements are regulated by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI, and new products for the Irish market must be notified to the Authority. Some products which have been sold in the EU prior to 1997 fall into a sub-category which means they are also legal to sell.

Then there are cosmetics and health-related products which are not medicines. These are regulated by the HPRA, under the Cosmetics Regulation and are defined as "any substance of mixture intended to be placed in contact with external parts of the human body." Again, these products cannot make or imply any medicinal claims.

And finally there are the medicines, only one of which - Sativex, which contains both CBD and THC and is indicated for treatment of spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis - is licensed for use in Ireland. Medicinal drugs go through rigorous testing and clinical trials before being approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), in conjunction with our own Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

That said, it is important to make the distinction between CBD supplements and medicines. Supplements are not subject to the same rigorous regulation, and they should not be used interchangeably with medication, unless under the specific instruction of a medical professional. This should be especially the case for those taking antidepressants or any medication for mental issues.

And it is here there is particular cause for concern: that individuals may depart from the advice of their doctor, and instead heed the counsel of online advocates. A spokesperson for the FSAI says: "There is no minimum level of CBD that must be in a food or food supplement. However, the declaration on a label must be accurate." Currently, the Authority says, "more than 100 [products] have been notified."

This week, Gogglebox stars Steph and Dom Parker drew attention to the debate about the use of medicinal CBD as a treatment for epilepsy. In a moving Channel 4 documentary about their 18-year-old son, Max - who has been suffering up to 130 seizures a day since infancy - they asked whether the CBD treatment currently denied to him in the UK might change his life.

There is a CBD-based medicine - Epidiolex - which has already been licensed by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for treating certain types of epilepsy, which is expected to be licensed by the EMA in the coming months. "Epidiolex has gone through clinical trials for Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, both rare forms of childhood epilepsy which are currently very difficult to treat and there is now good data on its efficacy," says Peter Murphy, CEO of Epilepsy Ireland. "That puts it at a very different level to the CBD you might buy as a supplement. And it's very much a welcome addition to the treatments that are available for children with these devastating forms of epilepsy.

"But it is important to draw a distinction between medications that have undergone rigorous testing and other unstandardised products that are not licensed for medicinal use. I don't think one should take a different approach to assessing the safety and efficacy of CBD than you would with any other drug - even if it's 'natural'," he continues.

"There's a lot of misunderstandings, starting with medicinal cannabis in general, that it would be a magic bullet if only it was available. The evidence so far suggests that it may reduce seizures in some people with certain types of epilepsy, but there isn't evidence at the moment to support its widespread use as a first-line epilepsy treatment. Yes, it can be effective, but for certain people and in limited cases. The bottom line is that we need to develop a better understanding about all aspects of medicinal cannabis through robust scientific research.

"We also need to be realistic about all new medications when they come out. There's been a flurry of interest around CBD, but a lot of this is probably related to these products being cannabis-based rather than the potential benefits we can expect, even from licensed products, which appears to be similar to other epilepsy drugs."

There is no doubt that for some conditions, cannabidiol has proven efficacy. "When we talk about the drug CBD there have been some clinical trials and some animal studies. There is a reasonable body of evidence for some indications - chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy," adds Professor Finn of NUI Galway.

But when it comes to non-medical products he is more cautious. "The evidence for most of these products is very, very scant. The majority have not been tested in clinical trials. In some products that are available in health food stores and online, we don't know with any certainty what concentration of CBD they contain. They may contain only trace amounts which don't achieve pharmacological efficacy. They may also have some impurities or lack consistency from batch to batch," he says.

Despite her enthusiasm for the product, Bekkii Spain is also cautious about advocating CBD to other anxiety sufferers. She believes that since the industry is enjoying such a boon, that there are plenty of unscrupulous sellers more than happy to capitalise on what is - if we're honest - quite a vulnerable and optimistic market.

Spain advises caution and says she has sought assurances in terms of the ingredients and the processing, but she says that one product she tried "just didn't work. It went straight in the bin. After that I learned to speak to the supplier."

CBD has proven efficacy. It does work - in some areas. But more research is needed, if even only to allay sceptics and to make the market less hospitable to rogue resellers whose product may have escaped authorisation.

What is certain is that this is a product which can work. The lesson here is very much do your research and if you have any medical issues, take advice. And, as always, caveat emptor.

International Epilepsy Day is February 11 and Epilepsy Ireland is hosting an open evening in Dublin, including a talk on medical cannabis. See epilepsy.ieThere's something very charming about Galway. It's not just the lovely city, and the stunning countryside, it's the people and the warm welcome. And one of the places that most epitomises this spirit is Renvyle House. Located at the far reaches of Connemara, the moment you walk in the door your shoulders just drop and relax. And they stay that way for your whole time there.

So what does this have to do with wine? Galway has become home to many outsiders who just popped over for a visit or came to work for a short stint, and one of them is Catherine Gagneux, the French Honorary Consul in the West of Ireland. The position is, as the name implies, an honorary one.

Catherine works full-time in the tech industry, as does her Irish husband, so everything she does in relation to this post is done in her spare time.

One of her spectacularly good ideas has been to forge ties between France and Ireland through food and wine.

I visited Renvyle towards the end of last year for the French Connection wine and gastronomy weekend, which featured an impressive selection of French wines from Galway wine merchant, JC Kenny, with tastings and canapes on the Friday, followed by a banquet dinner on the Saturday.

From February 15 to 17, they will be hosting a Gastronomy and Wines of the Loire weekend, which promises to be particularly interesting as Catherine has invited a number of winemakers from the region to present their wines.

The Loire Valley, with its picturesque chateaux, takes its name from the river, which is the longest in France. Because the region is close to the northern limit of where grapes can grow, the cooler climate produces wines that are fresh and crisp.

This means that typically they also tend to be a bit lower in alcohol.

This style, fruit forward and unoaked or only lightly oaked, has become increasingly popular, yet the Loire is not as well-known as it should be. There is a wonderfully diverse range of wines, from sparkling to sweet, with crisp white, rose and red in between.

A wine you may be familiar with, but have perhaps almost forgotten about, is Muscadet, which has taken a good step up in quality in the last few years.

If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you probably know the classic, grassy Sauvignon Blanc wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, which pair so beautifully with goats' cheese; and Chenin Blanc, which you'll find in the white wines of Vouvray, Anjou, Montlouis and Savennieres, can be made in so many styles, ranging from sparkling to sweet.

Loire reds are made mainly from Cabernet Franc and Gamay, although you'll also find some made from Pinot Noir. These are not big clunky wines, they're more about fruit and fragrance.

Look out for wines from Chinon, Saumur and Bourgueil and try them with grilled meat and vegetarian dishes.

The three bottles to try today (see left) are French, and if you want to head to Renvyle, it's 199 per person sharing. For more information, see renvyle.com.

Exquisite Collection Vouvray Domaine F Villon 2017

9.99, 11.5pc, from Aldi

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Vouvray from the Loire is made from the Chenin Blanc grape, which is notable for its crisp acidity. It balances well against the slightly off-dry style in this wine, which would be perfect with roast pork and apple sauce.

Henry Marionnet Touraine Gamay 2015

16.25, 12pc, from Fallon & Byrne, Dublin; Le Caveau, Kilkenny; MacGuinness Wine Merchants, Dundalk and lecaveau.ie

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Also from the Loire, this is made from the same grape as Beaujolais, and is loaded with raspberry, fresh strawberry and a savoury touch of cassis.

Chateau La Branne 2014 Cru Bourgeois

22.95, 13.5pc, from Molloys Liquor Stores

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I had this recently with roast beef and it went beautifully, as it would with a steak or a beefy casserole. With earthy, savoury Bordeaux flavours of dark plum and a touch of toasty coffee, it's perfect as a treat on a winter weekend.

Grapevine

Taking home two gongs at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards for their Artisan Irish Vodka and Poitin was Ballykeefe Distillery in Kilkenny, owned by Irish farmer Morgan Ging. The distillery, which has won awards for environmental sustainability, has also started making whiskey. All spirits are made using produce from the farm with byproducts being fed to the animals. Ballykeefe Gin and Vodka, 47.50, from Irish Celtic Whiskey shop and leading independents.Kwoklyn Wan grew up in the kitchens of Chinese takeaways and restaurants with his brother Gok, now a style guru. Kwoklyns Chinese Takeaway Cookbook is the holy grail of trade-secret recipes, so you can create your favourite Chinese takeaway and Cantonese restaurant dishes.

Wonton soup

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If one dish summed up our family's food history, this would be the dish. As a teen, Dad worked in a wonton bar in Sha-Tau-Kok, in the New Territories of Hong Kong, which borders China. This is where Dad first learnt his trade and skill, a skill that would be later passed to me. Won-ton translated literally means 'swallow cloud' because after the wontons have been cooked, the dumplings float in the soup, resembling small clouds.

Prep: 15 minutes.

Cooking: 10 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the wontons:

100g (3oz) minced pork

100g (3oz) raw king prawns (tiger shrimp), peeled, de-veined and finely chopped

1cm (in) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

 tsp salt

 tsp white pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1-2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch), only if mixture is too wet

1 egg

24 wonton wrappers

For the soup:

3cm (1in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

800ml (3 cups) chicken stock

 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

To serve:

1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. First make the wontons. In a large mixing bowl, combine the minced pork, chopped prawns, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and sesame oil and thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together. The filling should be slightly sticky but if it seems too wet, mix in 1-2 teaspoons of cornflour to thicken it.

2. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat with a fork.

3. Place a wonton wrapper on a chopping board and position it so that it faces you like a diamond. With your fingertips or a spoon, spread a thin layer of the egg wash along the top two edges of the wrapper.

4. Place a quarter of a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the wrapper, fold the bottom tip to the top tip to form a triangle and pinch along the edge of the filling to seal the wonton, squeezing out the air.

5. Wet the tip of one of the long ends of the triangle tips and fold into the centre, then fold the other tip into the centre and join the two together. Repeat until you've filled all the wrappers and used up the filling.

6. Now make the soup. Put all the soup ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for 5-8 minutes.

7. Fill another large saucepan with water and bring to the boil.

8. Carefully drop the wontons into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the wontons float to the surface they should be cooked thoroughly but please check before eating. There should be no pink meat.

9. Divide the wontons between four soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Pour over the soup and serve.

Steamed Bao buns

The history of Chinese steamed buns goes back to the eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-255BC). According to Ming Dynasty scholars, the original name for these buns, 'mantou', meant 'barbarian's head'! These steamed, soft white buns are often served with Chinese tea.

Prep: 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cooking: 9 minutes. Makes 6

Ingredients

20ml ( cup) warm full-fat milk

10g (oz) caster sugar

5g (oz) dried yeast

200g (1 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

5g (oz) baking powder (baking soda)

1 tsp olive oil

For the pork filling: 80g (3oz) Chinese Roast BBQ Pork (see panel left)

 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp yellow bean sauce

1 tsp Chinese five spice

2-3 tbsp water

Natural red food colouring

 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Measure the milk in a jug and add the sugar and yeast. Stir and leave to ferment for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, make a well in the centre, then pour in the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly to form a dough. Knead for 5 minutes.

2. Lightly rub  teaspoon of olive oil over the surface of the dough and leave in the bowl, covered with a damp cloth or cling film to prove for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

3. Meanwhile, chop the pork into 5mm (in) cubes. Mix the remaining ingredients (except the oil) in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the pork for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Tip the filling back into the bowl and leave to cool.

4. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead the air bubbles out of the dough, keeping your work surface dusted with flour.

5. Roll the dough with your hands to form a long sausage shape, then divide into 6 equal pieces. Using your fingers, form each piece into a 7cm (2in) flat disc. Add a tablespoon of filling into the centre of each disc and gather up the edges to form a round parcel, twisting the top to form a seal.

6. Place the filled dough balls onto perforated baking parchment in a bamboo steamer with a lid, cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove again for 30 minutes.

7. When you're ready to cook, place the bamboo steamer over a pan of boiling water and steam the buns for 9 minutes. Serve while still hot.

8. Unfilled buns can be made by placing the equally cut pieces of dough directly into a lined steamer and cooking as for the filled bao.

9. Other popular fillings are lotus seed paste and custard & red bean paste - not overly sweet but very moreish!

Happy family

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A mixture of char siu pork, chicken, beef and seafood served with mixed vegetables in a rich, aromatic gravy, this is an American-Chinese recipe founded in Chinatown, San Francisco, by Chinese immigrants who had moved to the USA to work in the mines and on the railways.

Prep: 5 minutes.

Cooking: 7 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 onion, diced

40g (1oz) chicken breast fillet, sliced

1 red (bell) pepper, de-seeded and diced

1 carrot, sliced

40g ( cup) small broccoli florets

40g ( cup) sugar snap peas, cut into bite-sized pieces

30g ( cup) tinned bamboo shoots

3 baby corn cobs, halved lengthways

40g ( cup) tinned water chestnuts, cut into bite-sized slices

8 king prawns (tiger shrimp), shelled and de-veined

40g (1oz) Chinese Roast BBQ Pork cut into bite-sized slices (see panel below)

40g (1oz) fillet steak, sliced

1 tbsp light soy sauce

 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp granulated sugar

 tsp salt

 tsp white pepper

120ml ( cup) chicken stock

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water

1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Heat the groundnut oil in a wok over a medium-high heat, add the garlic and onion and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken and fry for 2 minutes, then add the remainder of the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2. Add the prawns, pork and the beef, stir-fry for a minute and then add the soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce, then remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

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Chinese Roast BBQ pork

In Hong Kong, char siu is usually purchased from a Siu Mei establishment, which specialises in meat dishes - char siu (BBQ pork), soy-sauce chicken, roast goose, crispy belly pork. These shops usually display their merchandise by hanging them in the window and, as a result, char siu is often eaten with one of these other meat dishes in a 'rice box' meal.

Prep: 2 hours.

Marinade: 2+ hours. Cooking: 1 hour. Serves 4

Ingredients

800g (1lb 12oz) pork shoulder or loin

1 tbsp Chinese five spice

2 tbsp Chinese rice wine

2 slices of fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp yellow bean sauce

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

3 tbsp white sugar

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp honey, plus 2 tbsp mixed with 2 tbsp hot water for glazing

Method

1. Put the pork into a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients (except the honey-water glaze) and massage the ingredients into the pork.

2. Cover, transfer to the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. The next day, remove the pork from the fridge and allow to come back up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).

4. Sit the pork on a baking tray (reserving the marinade separately), cover in foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn and baste with marinade, then cook for a further 10 minutes, covered. Check the pork is cooked by inserting a skewer to ensure the juices run clear. Baste the pork with the marinade for a second time and return to the oven to cook, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes. You want the pork to be a deep amber colour and the marinade should be sticky and dry.

5. Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the honey and water mixture to glaze, then flash under the grill for 2-3 minutes or until the edges have scorched. Leave the pork to cool to room temperature, then slice and serve.

Extracted from The Chinese Takeaway Cookbook by Kwoklyn Wan (Quadrille 15) Photography: Sam FolanPointless: Labours Alan Kelly hit out at the idea of a report that wont hold anyone to account

Health Minister Simon Harris has moved to shift the blame for the spiralling costs of the National Children's Hospital (NCH).

The escalating costs have sparked a massive blame game, leading to accusations that Mr Harris and his predecessor as health minister, Leo Varadkar, are "running for cover".

The Government has now indicated that individuals involved in the back-room planning face repercussions.

Mr Harris insisted there will be "accountability" and suggested there will be "personnel changes" in the governance structure of the project.

The Labour Party has called for Mr Harris to seek resignations from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), which is overseeing the building project, including its chairman Tom Costello.

The Children's Hospital has been at the centre of controversy since it emerged that construction costs soared from 983m to more than 1.4bn. Another 300m is due to be spent fitting out the hospital with ICT equipment. The total cost is expected to be more than 1.7bn.

Concerns were raised at a meeting of the Dail's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that costs could top 2bn.

A review of the soaring costs is being carried out by PWC.

The terms of the review say it will "stop short of determining culpability at the individual level", prompting Opposition criticism.

Mr Harris said yesterday: "Let me be clear - there will be accountability in relation to this".

He added that: "There will be personnel changes in relation to some people involved in the governance structure."

Earlier this week he said he has not asked anyone to resign adding: "I will allow due process. But I need accountability. Something went seriously wrong here."

Labour's health spokesman Alan Kelly claimed a review which won't hold any individuals culpable is "pointless".

He said that if Mr Harris is to "stick to his word", he should ask NPHDB chairman Tom Costello and project director John Pollock "to step down with immediate affect".

Chartered Engineer Mr Costello is a former managing director of construction company Sisk at a time when it was involved in major building projects like Croke Park and the Dundrum Town Centre.

Mr Pollock meanwhile, told a PAC meeting on Thursday that the board is "deeply disappointed" at the increase in costs but the focus now is on delivering a hospital of "outstanding quality" for the care of sick children.

Attempts to seek comment from Mr Costello and Mr Pollock through the NPHDB's PR representatives were unsuccessful last night.

A spokesperson for Mr Harris said the PWC report into the escalation of costs will be finished by the end of March.

She said it will "examine failings and weaknesses" and if it finds the requirement for governance or personnel changes "the minister has stated clearly today he will act upon those."

She said that Mr Harris acknowledges there are "serious concerns regarding the overrun and particularly with the governance of the project."

She added: "The minister has powers under the Children's Health Act to review the composition of the NPHDB and he will keep these matters under review."

Mr Kelly claimed Government departments are "running for cover because this issue is becoming so toxic" and singled out the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) and the Taoiseach.

He said that officials from DPER - including secretary general Robert Watt - should appear before the Dail's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to be quizzed about the cost overrun.

Another PAC member, Sinn Fein's Jonathan O'Brien, said he has asked that Mr Watt come before the committee to answer questions on what his department knew.

Mr Watt refused to appear before the Oireachtas health committee to face question on the NCH. A statement from his Department last night suggested he will also turn down a PAC request.

It said DPER officials attend the Public Expenditure and Budgetary Oversight Oireachtas committees and it would be "unworkable and completely impractical" them to attend the meetings of each of the 14 Sectoral Committees.

It also said that the Department of Health is the accountable Department and it established the reporting and governance arrangements for the NCH project.Mary Lou McDonald has called for a poll on Irish unity after the UK withdrew their only guarantee of no hard border in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday.

Speaking at a Sinn Fein gathering on Saturday in Dublin, to discuss a campaign for Irish unity, the party leader implored the government to consider a vote on a united Ireland.

The government cannot continue to shout this down, she said.

There is an increasing demand from across society for a poll on Irish unity. Poll after poll shows this to be true. To those who say now is not the time  we say you are wrong. History is unfolding, the next chapter is being written. Now is the time.

The time has come for a unity forum to be convened and for planning to commence. Sinn Fein is ready and up for this challenge.

The Sinn Fein leader reminded her followers that Northern Ireland voted by 55.8pc to 44.2pc to remain as part of the EU and that Brexit is being imposed on those who did not want to leave.

The people of Ireland did not agree to Brexit and the imposition of a hard border in our country. Citizens in the north voted to remain in the EU.

That vote has been ignored by the British government who have no concern about the impact their Brexit will have on the people here.

The Good Friday Agreement provides a route to remove the border once and for all. The democratic and right thing to do is to put this proposition to the people and give them their say.

The comments come from the TD for Dublin Central after a UK parliament vote on Tuesday saw them, by a margin of 317 to 301, to back the new "Brady amendment".

The new amendment sees them opt to ditch their controversial backstop plan for unspecified "alternative arrangements". The backstop was criticised by the Irish government but was seen as necessary as the only safety net from a hard border in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

The backstop had been planned since the UK government invoked article 50 on March 29, 2017 but the UK parliament decided to replace it with unspecified and unplanned "alternative arrangements" with only two months left before they are supposed to leave the EU.

Irrespective of Brexit however, Mrs McDonald said that it is time for a movement towards a 32-county Ireland.

Regardless of Brexit, there will be a unity referendum. In our time we now have an opportunity denied to generations  a peaceful and democratic route to Irish unity; to build a new and united Ireland.NOTORIOUS drug dealer Mr Flashy turned up with two suspected hitmen at the funeral of Zach Parker.

The north Dublin trio were among a large crowd of mourners at the funeral of the capitals first gun murder of the year.

Also in attendance was an up-and-coming Coolock-based drugs dealer who has links to the Kinahan cartel and is said to be absolutely devastated about the murder of his close friend Zach.

Sources said the presence of the gangsters and their associates show the close links that have developed among gangs based in Swords, Ballymun, Finglas and Coolock in the northsides lucrative drugs trade.

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These are the new breed of young dealers  some of them would not even have been born when John Gilligans gang murdered Veronica Guerin back in 1996, a source said.

These are young men who like the finer things in life  designer clothes, expensive cars and beautiful women  some of them are making huge money from drugs trafficking, the source added.

At Thursdays funeral, many of the floral tributes to Parker displayed the logos of fashion labels such as Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen.

One was shaped in the form of a Rolex watch, with a working clock as a centrepiece.

A massive garda investigation is ongoing into the murder of Parker (23) who was shot dead outside a Swords gym on Thursday, January 17.

The most prominent theory is that Parker owes 50,000 to a dangerous local Traveller gang that is closely aligned with jailed mobster Cornelius Price and who may have used a young Finglas-based criminal to organise the slaying.

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Gardai are concerned that there may be retaliation for Parkers murder especially because he is friends with some of the capitals most active criminals.

This includes pint-sized drugs boss Mr Flashy who was accompanied by the two notorious hitmen for hire, including the chief suspect in the feud shooting of Hutch gangster James Mago Gately in a botched murder attempt in Clonshaugh in May 2017 on behalf of the Kinahan cartel.

Independent.ie has learned two masked men were spotted near Mr Flashys Finglas base last week in a Northern Irish registered car, but they fled the area before gardai could interact with them.

The Mago shooter is currently based in the capitals south inner city and is subject to a surveillance operation by detectives at Pearse Street Garda Station.

As part of their operations, they recently charged a close female associate of the criminal with a number of motoring offences.

It is suspected the Kinahan cartel hitman is actively recruiting vulnerable teenagers from his south inner city flat complex to carry out attacks on behalf of the crime gang.

Independent.ie previously revealed how the hitman for hire paid 5,000 to have reinforced doors put into his social housing apartment in the south inner city.

He is the chief suspect in at least one murder in north Dublin as well as four other gun attacks.

Gardai also suspect the criminal was behind a spate of non-fatal shooting incidents in the Ballymun area last summer.

Among the victims was an innocent young woman who was shot in the kneecap in July.

The gangster was previously arrested in August of last year for a botched murder attempt on Hutch gang associate Gately three months earlier.

We previously revealed he was questioned for two days at Santry Garda Station about the botched hit on Mago and was then brought to court because of outstanding bench warrants against him.

Mr Flashy was one of the main protagonists in the bitter Finglas feud, which has eased off in recent months.

There have been numerous arson attacks, assaults and several firearms have been recovered, while one man has been shot and another escaped with his life after gunmen burst into his home when he wasnt there as part of the Finglas feud.

The Kinahan-backed drug dealer was the main target for rival mobsters and was the only criminal involved in the warfare to be officially warned by gardai about an active threat to his life.

Gardai continue to closely monitor many of Parkers other associates including the Coolock trafficker who was so shocked over his pals death that he briefly called a halt to his drug dealing and cash-gathering activities.

A lot of people are very upset but none so much as this fella. He was very close to Zach, they did a lot of business together, a source said.

It seems that Zach considered himself almost untouchable because of his relationship with him as the Coolock trafficker has links to young members of the Kinahan cartel based in the Crumlin area of the southside, the source added.

However, none of this mattered to the gang who murdered Zack and injured his completely innocent pal James Morrison (25) in the gun attack.

CCTV could play a crucial role in identifying the killer.

Parker, who worked as a barber, died after at least five shots were fired into the BMW X5 he was travelling in with his friend, Mr Morrison, in the passenger seat.

Gardai said although the second man was injured, CCTV footage indicates the killer approached the drivers side of the car only and fired directly at Parker.

The Herald previously revealed Parkers car had been burnt out and he was involved in a recent incident in which a house was stormed as a local drugs dispute threatened to spiral out of all control.

The local Traveller gang remain the chief suspects and their twisted logic seems to be that they were putting down a marker to other young fellas who owe them cash and there is plenty of them, a source explained.

The victim Mr Parker was a kind of Jekyll and Hyde character in many ways  he could be very pleasant and kind to people but he could also be highly aggressive and dominating to other people.

He obviously crossed people who are much more powerful in the Dublin criminal underworld, the source added.Test slides from women who underwent cervical screening in Ireland are understood to have been outsourced to a number of laboratories in the United States in the past without CervicalCheck being informed.

Test slides from women who underwent cervical screening in Ireland are understood to have been outsourced to a number of laboratories in the United States in the past without CervicalCheck being informed.

It previously emerged that tests were outsourced to labs in Las Vegas and Hawaii without the knowledge of CervicalCheck. This number is now believed to have increased. A report by Dr Gabriel Scally into the outsourcing beyond the labs commissioned by CervicalCheck is due to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the HSE confirmed yesterday that work is under way to release all additional slides which had been sought by women who had cervical screening. The HSE has established a dedicated Client Services Unit in the National Screening Service to ensure the timely provision of screening records to women or their legal representatives.

A spokeswoman said this includes the release of cervical screening slides, and the HSE has developed a protocol with laboratories to manage this process and ensure the integrity of the slides. This is in the interest of all parties, particularly the women themselves.

Details were received for a significant number of slide requests on January 14 and these are now being processed. Progress has been made with in excess of 30 slide releases to date.

Some 24 requests recently received are being processed and these will issue in the coming weeks.The grass is greener: Suzie Jackson, a nurse from Carrigaline, more than doubled her earnings when she moved to Australia

The Government is holding back on imposing severe financial penalties on nurses as they prepare to ramp up industrial action today.

As public opinion appears to be on the nurses' side, ministers' positions seem to have softened over punishing them with legal penalties for mounting pickets.

Ahead of the first strike last Wednesday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe's department was warning that workers who breached the public sector pay deal by taking industrial action faced a series of sanctions, including a nine-month delay in pay rises due under the agreement and a freeze in increments.

However, Health Minister Simon Harris and Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the Government is now taking legal advice regarding how sanctions may be used.

Mr Harris said he did not want to be "upping the ante" by talking about sanctions on the first day of industrial action during the week.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said she did not believe the dispute should be solved with a "stick".

However, teachers who suffered similar penalties for industrial action in the past may question why their members were penalised if nurses are not.

Members of other unions who signed up to the existing pay agreement may also wonder why the Government is not taking a hard line with those seen to be breaking the rules.

ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie said FEMPI is a draconian piece of legislation ASTI has campaigned against since 2009.

"FEMPI significantly undermines normal democratic industrial relations processes," he said.

"The emergency is well over and FEMPI has no place in today's industrial relations arena."

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said it has not received formal notification that sanctions will be imposed.

Its executive council is set to announce new strike dates today.

Its 37,000 members are already preparing to walk off the job again during two 24-hour strikes on Tuesday and Thursday next week.

This will be followed by three stoppages in a row from Tuesday to Thursday the following week.

Ambulance staff may also hold two strikes that week, which could mean patients face disruption for five days in a row.

It is understood the union will also consider "deepening" the impact of the strikes by including services that it previously exempted from industrial action.

The HSE said it is in talks with the INMO to put arrangements in place for the safe provision of services, in particular in the area of urgent care and cancer services during next week's strikes.

Where procedures go ahead, hospitals will make direct contact with patients to inform them.

The HSE expects that all out-patient, in-patient and day surgery appointments will be cancelled. Injury units, routine community nursing services and health centre nurse clinics will be cancelled.Hundreds of nursing graduates move abroad to pursue their career in healthcare every year.

More than 35,000 nurses and midwives took to the picket lines this week as both sides try to find some ground for compromise in the row over pay.

The initiative to attract nurses back to Ireland to continue their careers received an underwhelming response and it is easy to see why when compared to the working conditions enjoyed abroad by Irish health workers.

Suzie Jackson (27), from Carrigaline, Co Cork, has been working as a nurse in Melbourne in Australia for nearly four years. While she feels guilt at having left her parents in Ireland, she does believe the "grass is really greener" on the other side of the world.

"In Australia, I am earning over double what I would be at home and the patient to staff ratio is halved.

"It's 4:1 during the day, compared to 7:1 in Ireland.

"I actually have time to build a rapport with my patients and give them the emotional support they need instead of barely knowing their name.

"There is a great work/life balance. I am much happier now."

Darren Carroll, from Dublin, now works in Abu Dhabi and he says he struggled with the working conditions when he worked in Ireland.

"I earn double what I would in Ireland, and it's tax-free.

"I always wanted a career in caring for others and to be able to work in a job where I felt like I really made a difference at the end of the day. However, after surviving two years as a newly graduated nurse in a busy inner-city ER, I decided my mental health was more important.

"I was trying to fool myself that I could make a difference when, truth to be told, it is impossible to give a high standard of patient care in today's Irish healthcare setting due to staff shortages."

Those sentiments are echoed by Laura Phillips (28), from Knocklyon, Co Dublin, who moved to Sydney more than three years ago. She says that she left for foreign shores as she "could not work as a nurse in Ireland anymore".

"I was left defeated, exhausted and frustrated at the end of every shift," she added.

"The pay I received at the end of the month for an extremely challenging job, both mentally and physically, was about 2,000. I felt this wage was not an adequate representation of our skills, and the working conditions were shocking."Members of the INMO during their 24-hour stoppage at Crumlin Childrens Hospital. Photo: Mark Condren

NURSES are to escalate their strike action on Tuesday by refusing to provide cover for hundreds of people with an intellectual disability who attend day services for respite care.

The escalation will mean many more vulnerable people will be hit by the strike  on top of the 25,000 patients and people in the community who will be without a service.

The executive of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) who met today also announced extra strike days on the 19th and 21st of February, in addition to the already-announced strikes on the 5th, 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th.

The union announced the escalation and additional dates for the nurses and midwives strike, in the face of the governments refusal to meaningfully engage with the union.

Next weeks strike planned for Tuesday and Thursday will see the number of services hit increase from 82 to 240.

The increase will mainly affect day respite services for people with an intellectual disability.

They will have to stay at home on the day of the strike .

The INMO will also be organising a national rally on Saturday 9th of February.

The first nurses strike day in twenty years took place on the 30th of January  only the second time in the INNOs 100-year history that it has gone on strike nationally.

Nurses and midwives say they are seeking to secure safe staffing levels in the health service, through increases in pay to make the professions more attractive.

Speaking today, INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said the organisation "remain available" for discussions with the government but that the strikes will continue.

Nurses and midwives proudly stood up in defence of our patients and professions last Wednesday, but the government has responded with threats and intransigence," she said.

Everybody  except the government  recognise that there is a serious understaffing problem in our health services. The public support for the strike on Wednesday showed that the Irish people stand with nurses and midwives.

Our message is clear. We will not be going away  resolving this dispute requires direct engagement from the government, recognising the real recruitment and retention problems in Irish nursing and midwifery.

We simply want to be able to do our jobs, but our health service cannot hire enough nurses and midwives on these uncompetitive wages.

As ever, we remain available for talks with the government for any realistic proposals.

There has been no offer of talks since the Labour Court hearing last week.

The Government has said it cannot increase pay as it is outside the terms of the national wage agreement and would lead to knock on claims.

Last Wednesday, over 35,000 nurses and midwives took to the picket line after talks with the government failed.Spanish police have arrested the fugitive former partner of Dublin socialite, Virginia Macari.

Police held businessman Kaste Dahl (48) on foot of a European arrest warrant in Marbella, Costa del Sol.

Police did not formally name Macari's partner but referred to him by his initials TKD - Thor Kaste Dahl - and described him as a 48-year-old who had been convicted over a 4m bank fraud.

A National Police spokesman said in a statement: "The fugitive had been convicted over the fraudulent obtention of four million euro in bank loans using false documentation.

"The money obtained was used mainly to build cabins and homes in the south of Norway. The fugitive was arrested for a crime of fraud in 2015. After being handed over to the courts, he was freed on conditional bail, a situation he took advantage of to evade justice.

"He used false documentation to go under different identities and changed addresses frequently."

Ms Macari, who starred alongside Dahl on TV3 reality show 'Dublin Wives', has insisted in interviews he "100pc won't be going to prison".

She recently said that she had separated from him.The accused: Patrick Quirke

Patrick Quirke (50) is accused of the murder of Bobby Ryan on a date unknown between June 3, 2011, and April 30, 2013 - a charge he denies.

The farmer, who is married to Imelda Quirke and has three sons, was involved in an affair with Mary Lowry, his wife's sister-in-law and the widow of his late best friend, Martin Lowry.

Mr Quirke was in a relationship with Ms Lowry between 2008 and 2010, until it was ended by the widow.

Ms Lowry then began a relationship with Mr Ryan, which the prosecution alleges was the catalyst for the murder.

The prosecution has alleged Mr Quirke murdered Mr Ryan, hiding his body in a run-off tank on Ms Lowry's farm, so he could rekindle his affair with Ms Lowry.

The trial has also heard that Mr Quirke had leased more than 60 acres of land from Ms Lowry.

But he was asked to vacate the land in 2013.

On April 13 of that year, Mr Quirke said that he was trying to get water from the run-off tank when he came across the body of Mr Ryan on the farm at Fawnagown, Co Tipperary.

The deceased: Bobby Ryan

Bobby Ryan (52), who was separated from his wife Mary Ryan, had two children, Robert and Michelle.

A part-time DJ known as 'Mr Moonlight', Mr Ryan was reported missing on June 3, 2011, after he failed to turn up for work. He had been in a relationship with Mary Lowry, and spent the night with her on June 2. Ms Lowry said he left her home on the morning of June 3.

Michelle Ryan reported her father missing on June 3 after he failed to show up for work at a local quarry.

His silver van was later found at a local beauty spot. His daughter became concerned when she realised it was parked in fourth gear, and was not locked despite having her father's DJ equipment inside.

His relationship with Ms Lowry was described as "conventional" in court and Ms Lowry said Bobby Ryan made her, and her children, happy.

The relationship began after he helped her secure tickets for that year's All-Ireland hurling final.

Mr Ryan also helped Ms Lowry when she encountered difficulties with Patrick Quirke, meeting the accused in Hayes's Hotel, Thurles. They spoke for an hour before shaking hands, the trial heard.

Mr Ryan's body was recovered from a run-off tank in April 2013. He died from blunt force trauma to the head.

The first witness: Mary Lowry

Mary Lowry (52), a widow and mother-of-three, is at the centre of the 'love rival' murder trial and was in a relationship with the deceased and the accused at different intervals.

She began a physical relationship with Patrick Quirke, her sister-in-law's husband, following the death of her husband Martin.

When this ended she entered into a relationship with Bobby Ryan, until his disappearance on June 3, 2011. In her evidence to the jury during the week, she described the accused as "intimidating" and "overpowering", and described their relationship as a "seedy affair".

Ms Lowry also told the trial that Mr Quirke stole her underwear from her clothes line, and had been captured on CCTV camera walking around her property and looking through her windows.

When she was asked about her relationship with Mr Ryan, she said she was "mad about him", that she loved him "to bits". He had left her house on the morning of his disappearance.Locked up: Paschal Kelly was jailed for 18 years for his part in the kidnapping in which he threatened to burn the women alive

Gangland criminal Paschal Kelly has been jailed for 18 years for a 92,000 post office robbery and 'tiger' kidnapping during which three women were tied up and abducted.

Kelly (53) was one of a gang of three men who burst into the home of postmistress Susan Lawlor, at Seabury Drive, Malahide, Co Dublin, on September 25, 2014.

The gang used cable ties to bind Ms Lawlor, her daughter and an Italian student who was staying at the home. The women were brought to a field where they were held overnight before the gang drove them to the Bayside Post Office in Sutton, Dublin.

At one stage, Kelly threatened to burn them alive in a car by pouring petrol over it. The raiders eventually left with the cash.

Last month, Kelly, with an address in Cootehill, Co Cavan, was convicted of trespass and the false imprisonment of Ms Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter and student Gabriella Saisa.

He was also convicted of robbery at Bayside Post Office and of threatening to kill the three women. He was found guilty of possession of a stolen vehicle, all on the same date.

The father of two had denied all charges. His trial last year extended into a ninth week at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Yesterday, Judge Karen O'Connor paid "a very special tribute to the three remarkable women" who, she said, showed courage that not only got them through their ordeal but led to the capture of one suspect.

She said it was clear Ms Lawlor was using her mind right to the end of the incident when she suggested the raiders put money into post office bags so it could be traced.

She noted too how Ms Carter had tried to delay leaving the house because she thought her screaming might have alerted gardai.

"These women have demonstrated extraordinary dignity throughout this case and for that I am very grateful to them," Judge O'Connor said.

She said during the sentence hearing last week, Kelly's defence team had suggested this case did not meet the criteria for a 'tiger' kidnapping.

Judge O'Connor disagreed and described how Ms Lawlor's home was violated and targeted and that she was "clearly the subject of surveillance".

She said Ms Lawlor was separated, punched and threatened before being brought to the post office, and the money was only recovered because her "fast-thinking actions" had alerted the authorities.

Judge O'Connor said the CCTV footage of the three women being brought into the post office in their night-wear made for "disturbing viewing". She said the threats to kill instilled terror.

Judge O'Connor imposed an 18-year sentence with credit to be given for time Kelly had already spent in custody on the matter.For four days on the witness stand, Mary Lowry "bared" her soul.

She told the murder trial at the Central Criminal court "everything in her whole life". Some of it, she was "ashamed of", she admitted, but said she had put "everything in" to try and solve this case.

And so, we heard forensic detail about her relationships and about her life.

Of how she had been born the third child of a small farmer in Newport, Co Tipperary, where her brother, Eddie, still lives. Her maiden name had been Quigley.

After school, she got a job doing reception duties and "a small amount" of accounts with a meat company in Limerick, where she spent 14 years. She had also had other jobs, she told the court, working in a credit union and also in a co-op, as well as with another large meat processors.

Ms Lowry became visibly emotional as she recalled how she had been introduced to Martin Lowry, her late husband, by a woman she worked with, in a night club in 1986 or '87 - it was where lots of people met in those days, she explained.

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At several times during her testimony, Mary Lowry mentioned her great love of dancing throughout her life.

"I think anyone that knows me knows that I love dancing," she told the court at a later point.

Martin had farmed all his life on the family's 50 acres at Fawnagowan, Co Tipperary, and he had a bit of land in Bansha as well, she explained.

It had been his father's farm before he passed it on - she wasn't sure at what stage this had occurred.

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Martin was the eldest boy of the family and had two brothers, Jimmy and Johnny, as well as four sisters, Mary, Ann, Catherine and Imelda - who is married to Pat Quirke, she told the court.

After three or four years together, she and Martin decided they would get engaged and she started to put money away in the credit union.

Choosing to get married had not been a "big romantic gesture", she explained at one point, saying Martin "did not get down on one knee".

Financially, they did not have much at first.

In 1995, they got married and she worked full-time until their three children were born.

Afterwards, "the children were my job and Martin ran the farm", she explained.

But in 2007, her husband was diagnosed with cancer, after suffering ill health for a year and a half before that.

Their children were just 10, eight and three and a half when he died in September of that year.

It was a difficult time, she said. But she tried to be a good mother and she always put her children first, she told the court.

Financially, she was good. After her husband's death, she inherited the farm - but claimed she knew little about the financial operations of some of the investments Martin had made.

Martin and Pat Quirke, both being dairy farmers, had some investments together and had shared machinery, she said.

But she wouldn't describe them as great friends, she said.

Pressed on this during cross-examination by Bernard Condon SC, for the defence, Ms Lowry claimed that while Martin had been Pat's best man when he got married, "Pat was not Martin's best man."

Pat Quirke was a great help to her at that time, she said, explaining that she knew nothing of the online selling of shares, for example. However, she claimed he was "constantly" looking for money.

In January 2008, her relationship with Pat Quirke became a sexual one.

She believed he "crossed the line. I was very vulnerable at the time," she said.

She found him "overpowering", she claimed. If she was ever late on a day she was supposed to meet him, "he would not be pleased", she said.

She felt guilt over their relationship, knowing that he was a "happily married man", she said.

On many times over the four days, she described it as a "seedy affair" - denying claims by defence counsel that she was doing this to "rewrite history".

She tried to finish it "many times", she said.

In the summer of 2010, she broke it off, saying she wanted to enjoy her life. "There's nothing nice about having an affair, nothing," she told the court.

That August, she met Bobby Ryan and they "got on like a house on fire".

But Pat Quirke seemed "very down", she said.

Bobby thought he could be of help, having gone through a hard time when his marriage split up and he "nearly became an alcoholic", said Ms Lowry.

The three of them had a meeting at Hayes's Hotel in Thurles - "the famous one", Ms Lowry confirmed. It was amicable and ended with the two men shaking hands.

But her relationship with Mr Quirke deteriorated, she said.

On Valentine's Day 2011, she had a letter from Social Services claiming they had a report she was not taking care of her children properly. She said they had received an "anonymous phone call".

That same February, she read a letter on the problem page of the 'Sunday Independent' and instantly recognised her own situation. Confronting Mr Quirke, he admitted having written it, she told the court. He said he had no one else to turn to.

At the end of May 2011 - the weekend before his disappearance - she went for a night away with Mr Ryan in Bundoran.

She was anxious to spend "quality" time with him - but was later questioned about whether she told gardai she was "raging" when she had spotted him dancing with another woman.

She told the court she had been annoyed he had been talking to another woman and they had rowed on the journey home and decided to end things.

But things resolved themselves and on June 2, Mr Ryan spent the night with her at her house. The next morning, he awoke some time between 6am and 6.20am and dressed.

She thought he took a while longer than usual to leave the house, she told the court.

As usual, she said, she listened for the sound of his van going over the cattle grid at the gate but, again, thought there was a delay.

At 8.30am, Pat Quirke came up the driveway and she told the court she thought this was usually early for him. She denied a suggestion by Mr Condon that this was "a very obvious lie".

Later that morning she met up with Mr Ryan's daughter, Michelle, and Ms Lowry drove in the direction of her home. Michelle was crying, saying: "I think he's in a wood."

Ms Lowry missed the turn, she told the court, and ended up at Kilshane Wood - where they spotted Bobby Ryan's van.

On December 3, 2012, the court heard, CCTV footage on the farm captured Mr Quirke walking around Ms Lowry's yard and near her clothes line. Ms Lowry decided to terminate his lease on her land and on April 29, 2013, made a comment to him about "stealing knickers" off a clothesline.

The following day, gardai came to her property and told her they had discovered a body in a tank on her land. Ms Lowry has not returned to her house since, she told the court.

The trial continues.The chair of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, Tom Costello, has announced he is to step down from his position.

In a statement issued this morning, he said:

"I have acted with professionalism and integrity in all my dealings with the project stakeholders including the Minister for Health and his Department.

"Every decision made by the Board has been guided by what was deemed best for the Project.

"I am concerned about the reputational damage that the ongoing commentary about the increased cost of the hospital is having on this critically important project and so I have decided to step down from my role to help ensure that focus is restored on delivering the project."

The Children's Hospital has been at the centre of controversy since it emerged that construction costs soared from 983m to more than 1.4bn. Another 300m is due to be spent fitting out the hospital with ICT equipment. The total cost is expected to be more than 1.7bn.

Concerns were raised at a meeting of the Dail's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that costs could top 2bn.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris yesterday insisted there will be "accountability" and suggested there will be "personnel changes" in the governance structure of the project.

Mr Costello paid tribute to the board in his statement, saying: "I would like to pay tribute to the members of the Board.

"They have been asked to make extremely difficult decisions and have done so at all times in order to ensure that the hospital is built, and the delivery of paediatric care in Ireland can be transformed.

"I would like to wish the executive team, the Board and all those involved the very best for the future, as they move into the next phase of work."

He said it was an 'honour and privilege' to have chaired the board since 2013.

Mr Costello is a former managing director of construction company Sisk at a time when it was involved in major building projects like Croke Park and the Dundrum Town Centre.

A spokesperson for the Minister said:

"The Minister for Health Simon Harris has accepted the resignation of Tom Costello as Chairperson of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.

"The Minister for Health thanked Mr Costello for his service and his exceptional commitment to the project for the past six years, noting that his decision to step down is motivated by this same overriding commitment.

"Throughout his tenure, Mr Costello worked tirelessly to ensure a state-of-the art facility is built for our children and advanced the project significantly. Minister Harris wants to thank him for that work."A BODY believed to be that of a missing Irish man has been found buried by a Costa Blanca motorway.

Carl Carr was reported missing to police in September last year.

Respected local paper Informacion is reporting that at least three people - British and Irish nationals - have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation following the grim discovery.

Carl Carrs British girlfriends Danielle Coupe appealed for information on his whereabouts in a social media appeal shortly after his disappearance on September 16 last year, saying: We are just praying for good news.

Revealing he was last seen at a dance event called Ambiguous in the Costa Blanca resort of Cabo Roig near Torrevieja, she begged friends: Has anybody seen Carl? Hes been missing since Saturday.

Me, his family and friends are going out of our minds with worry.

Anyone who was at Ambiguous can you message with the last time you saw him please.

The expat hairdresser admitted today she was aware arrests had taken place but added: I cant say anything, Im not allowed.

The local Civil Guard force probing the disappearance of 38-year-old Carr, jailed for eight years in December 2008 after he was caught with 1.43m of heroin and cocaine in Dublin, has so far made no official comment.

Local paper Informacion says the police investigation is a murder probe and the detainees have been accused of different crimes including homicide, illegal weapons possession, extortion, drugs trafficking and concealment depending on the level of their suspected involvement.

The body was found buried by the AP-7 motorway between Benijofar and Algorfa, a 20-minute drive north from where the missing Irishman was last seen.

Investigators are said to be trying to formally identify the mans identity through DNA tests.

The detainees have reportedly been handed over to a judge in Torrevieja for further questioning after being held for several days in police cells.

A secrecy order preventing officials from making any official comment - and designed to protect the ongoing criminal investigation in its early stages - is understood to have been placed over the case.

The same police force which has been leading the investigation into Carl Carrs disappearance was involved in a hunt for a pair of notorious Dublin criminals whose bodies were found buried below a warehouse on an industrial estate in Catral a 30-minute drive north from where he was last seen.

The leader of the infamous Westies crime gang Shane Coates, and his close friend Stephen Sugg, were kidnapped near the Costa Blanca city of Alicante in January 2004 after leaving their expat apartments and telling their girlfriends they would be back within half an hour.

Their bodies were found in 2006 buried 30ft below a warehouse on Catrals San Juan industrial estate.

Sugg fled Ireland in mid-2003 after he was shot at by other drug dealers.

Coates joined him at the end of the year after he was involved in a shoot-out with undercover gardai in Virginia, Co Cavan.

Gardai believe the pair were executed because they were trying to muscle in on another dealer's patch in Spain.

The killer is thought to have tied up both men and then clinically shot each of them in the mouth the day they disappeared before burying their bodies.

An Irishman who had been renting the warehouse was later arrested but released without charge and told he would not face trial after being held behind bars for more than nine months.What's Included

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com.An Taoiseach, Leo Varadker TD is pictured at Troy Studios Limerick on the set of SYFYOs Nightflyers with cast members Eoin Macken, Maya Eshet and Sam Strike. Photo: Alan Place/SYFY

Deep in an unassuming industrial estate in the Limerick suburbs, I'm guided through a series of empty warehouses before a door opens to a hive of activity. To my left, a man is being strapped into a futuristic space suit, while to my right, assistants rush past, their arms laden with props.

"She needs a spittoon!" I hear one of them cry through a plume of dry ice.

I'm on the set of Netflix's new sci-fi series Nightflyers, which debuts on the streaming service this weekend. The show has been adapted from a 1980 novella by George RR Martin, he of the fire-breathing dragons, White Walkers and ubiquitous full-frontal nudity.

Before he created Game of Thrones, Martin wrote about a group of scientists trapped on a haunted spaceship called the Nightflyer. The less said about the 1987 film adaptation, the better, but the TV series, co-produced by Netflix and NBC Universal, turns the 100-page novella into a 10-episode thriller.

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Whatsapp Behind the scenes at Nightflyer being filmed in Limerick. Pictured: (l-r) Gretchen Mol and Eoin Macken. Photo: Steffan Hill/Syfy

As Daenerys Stormborn and Jon Snow prepare to take their final bow this spring, networks are scrambling to find the next TV phenomenon, and while everyone I meet is at pains to emphasise that this is not "Game of Thrones in space", Netflix is clearly hoping to strike gold.

But Nightflyers has also been a boon for Limerick, where it was filmed at the newly opened Troy Studios in Castletroy. The series is the first project to shoot in the former Dell plant, and it takes up all three sound stages with some 50 sets, ranging from a claustrophobic "memory suite" to a seemingly infinite tunnel, mirrored to create the illusion of depth.

According to Siun Ni Raghallaigh, chief executive of Troy Studios, there are 320 crew members a day, 91pc of whom are Irish. Many are from the west of Ireland, and there are a number of students and teachers from the Limerick School of Art and Design, including 11 graduates working in the costume department - where I find a white board offering a phonetic guide to Irish terms including "slancha" ("slainte"), "kay lesh a" ("ce leis e?") and "e-ha wha" ("oiche mhaith").

"I've always said that Ireland suffered from a lack of infrastructure, so this is my first foray into solving that problem," says Ni Raghallaigh, who also serves as chief executive of Wicklow's Ardmore Studios.

"As the saying goes, the rising tide lifts all the boats. We are a small country, and I believe for the indigenous industry, we punch above our weight, with Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan and lots of talent in directing, acting and animation. The indigenous industry really needs that exposure to the international marketplace."

Troy Studios was the only space large enough to accommodate the required sets, and the scale of the site, combined with very attractive tax breaks, sealed the deal. Some 90pc of the shoot takes place in the studio, but a few scenes were filmed on location at Castle Oliver and around the city's cobbled streets.

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"It's Hollywood come to Limerick, isn't it?" Ni Raghallaigh smiles. "When you think of somewhere on the west coast that's very arty, you think of Galway, automatically, but Limerick is like the cheeky cousin edging in there - it's doing Fringe and it's doing a lot of creative projects. The energy is fantastic, and I think we've contributed to that."

There is a palpable excitement in the area, and my taxi driver points out I'm not the first person he's dropped over for a tour of the set.

"There's a parade of politicians in here," grins Brian F. O'Byrne, the Cavan actor who previously starred as Detective Moynihan in Love/Hate and now plays Auggie, the chief engineer of the Nightflyer. "The Taoiseach was here, the minister for the arts was here, local TDs were here, local councillors were here Everybody wants to go to space."

Phillip Rhys, who plays fellow engineer Murphy, adds that Leo Varadkar was particularly interested in diagnosing his character's extensive burn prosthetics. "He wanted to touch it," he laughs. "He was a doctor, and he was saying, 'First degree, second degree, third degree burn'"

As well as cultivating a crew in the local area, Nightflyers has looked to producers across the country for further resources. "Being in Ireland, it gave us a different take on sci-fi," explains costume designer Magali Guidasci, who previously worked on blockbusters Armageddon and Alien vs Predator. "You know, there is a language in sci-fi - usually we see a lot of plastic and stuff, I didn't want to do it that way. Ireland is a country of wool, so I could introduce realistic elements into a space land."

The costume department heaves with everything from battered space helmets to gold vinyl coats from Penneys, but there are also knitted pieces created with textiles from Blarney Woollen Mills and John England Linen in Banbridge, Co Down.

"The mission is trying to save humanity, so I said, 'What would we do in the future?' As human beings, we would probably relate to our traditions. Maybe we have technology that lets us do totally different knitting, but a jumper is a jumper. It helped our work to be grounded and functional," she says.

O'Byrne notes that amidst all the buzz, there is a sense that the project - the production costs of which are estimated to be between $100,000 (88,000) and $150,000 (132,000) a day, with each episode taking 10 days to film - is an expensive gamble.

"If this does well, this will be fantastic. If it doesn't go well" he hesitates. "I don't know, success breeds other things. Now, if you say, 'Let's shoot something in Belfast', people say, 'absolutely, Game of Thrones shoots there, it must be great'. I know they re-shot the pilot, but if that was put out first and it was like, 'This is terrible' - if someone's in LA writing cheques, they might think, 'Was there a bit of trouble in Belfast? Do we want to go there?'"

Supervising producer Sean Ryerson was brought in when, he says, "things were falling apart": the original showrunner had left following 'creative differences', and the production was way over budget. But when we meet, he's confident that Nightflyers is back on track and that the show has the ability to run and run.

"It's an enormous investment. If it doesn't ouch," he winces. "We've invented film in Limerick, and I think over the next five years we'll create an enormous film community here. We're pouring resources into training people, and we have a really big commitment and a strong feeling that we have something that will last."

O'Byrne, who commutes to set from Sligo, remains positive, too.

"I would be optimistic, and it really would do exciting things for the Limerick area," he says. "There's a lot of excitement you don't get normally. If you're in Vancouver, it's like, 'The studio's open, but who's in there now?' Nobody knows, but here, there's an ownership to Nightflyers. It's not just 'a show' in here, Nightflyers is here! There's excitement about a George RR Martin show being here, so you can feel that."

Martin is an executive producer, but he hasn't been involved in the writing or direction. I'm repeatedly told that Nightflyers is a separate beast from Game of Thrones, owing more to sci-fi epics like Alien and Event Horizon.

"I think George RR Martin's got a big enough imagination to do different things over the course of his career," says Ryerson. "This is certainly different to Game of Thrones. This is psychological horror. You watch people crumble mentally more than endless, endless blood."

From the two episodes made available to critics, Nightflyers seems to be the type of sci-fi show that wants to be different from all the other sci-fi shows - something Eoin Macken, whose credits include Fair City and fantasy series Merlin, makes the case for.

"It's not about trying to find space aliens and s***," he insists. His character, Karl D'Branin, is the leader of the expedition, and wants to track down alien species the Volcryn to get help bringing back his dead daughter.

"That's really what drives him, and that's more far interesting than 'just go find aliens'. I think one of the things that brings down a lot of sci-fi stories is when it starts becoming totally ridiculous. It needs to be grounded in some solid form of reality. This is very much about the relationships, the character details and the psychological aspects of them."

The breakout star of the series is Jodie Turner-Smith, who plays Melantha Jhirl, a genetically enhanced superhuman. She even got a shoutout from Martin on his blog, as he applauded the casting for correcting the 'whitewashing' of the character in the cover art for the novella and the 1987 film.

Turner-Smith has a Grace Jones biopic and a romance opposite Daniel Kaluuya lined up, and she already has a starry glamour about her: she accessorises her space suit with bejewelled Uggs, a fur-lined parka and a giant fluffy pet Chow Chow - a dose of glitter to counteract the severed limbs and prosthetic organs I've spent the day with.

"It's a little bit nerve-wracking to walk into it having the expectations that it'll be the next (Game of Thrones)," she admits. "I want people to walk into it not looking for that, just with an open heart to whatever this might be. We're out here doing this in a bubble, in a black hole on a soundstage. We don't see the light of day for hours. You don't really know what you're doing and how it's going to land until after."

Nightflyers was released in the US in December, and while there's no news on a second season yet, the producers are confident they'll be back in Limerick in the near future - and they could be bringing more US productions with them.

"Who knew that you could actually just show up into a place like this, with this kind of a complex show, and get it done?" says an awestruck Ryerson. "Well, you can do it."

'Nightflyers' is available to stream on Netflix nowWhen the English movie director David Lean started shooting Ryan's Daughter in Co Kerry 50 years ago this month, he had no idea of the monumental troubles that lay ahead. Making sprawling movies with leading stars can never be easy - and Lean was no stranger to blockbusters. But Ryan's Daughter, filmed over 12 months, would certainly qualify for the 'troubled epics' category.

Fraught by the temperamental leading players, accidents that delayed production, problems with setting up scenes in the unreliable Irish climate, running over budget and poor reviews, Lean could not raise the finance to make another film for 14 years.

A former newsreel editor at Gaumont Pictures in the 1930s, Lean moved on to directing landmark movies such as Brief Encounter, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist before a series of blockbusters in the 1950s and 1960s such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

A meticulous craftsman who often took years to properly develop a project, Lean was determined to continue that trend. With this in mind, he commissioned Robert Bolt to write a screenplay about love and betrayal. It would be loosely based on Gustave Flaubert's 19th century novel Madame Bovary, the tragic story of a heroine who sacrifices her husband and security, only to meet a horrible end. It had been filmed three times previously, in 1932, 1934 and 1949.

Lean had considered setting the story in Italy, with Sicily and Sardinia in mind, and even thinking later of shifting it to the Shetland Islands.

It was his location team headed by construction chief Peter Dukelow and his manager Eddie Fowlie who visited the majestic southwest Kerry coastline and came across Dunquin. Dukelow had designed the bridge for the River Kwai movie and could spot a desired location almost at first glance.

A Gaeltacht village lying at the most westerly tip of the Dingle Peninsula and overlooking the Blasket Islands, Dunquin had long stretches of white sands overlooked by magnificent high cliffs. Lean visited the area and agreed straight away that it was exactly what he was looking for.

Lean's screenwriter Robert Bolt had already done a scenario without an exact location but would now work it into an Irish setting with a backdrop of the post-1916 Rising and the ongoing Troubles. Somewhat optimistically, Lean envisaged a 10-week shoot, with indoor work and editing to be completed at MGM studios in Culver City, Los Angeles.

There were two suggested titles for the movie. It had a working title of Michael's Day, then changed to Coming of Age, before Bolt suggested Ryan's Daughter.

When it came to casting, a litany of problems began. Paul Scofield was the original choice for the role of widower Charles Shaughnessy, the shy schoolteacher, but was unable to leave a theatre commitment.

George C Scott, Anthony Hopkins and Patrick McGoohan were approached but were involved with other projects. Gregory Peck lobbied for the part but dropped out when learning that Robert Mitchum had been approached by Lean.

Reportedly, Mitchum was reluctant to take the role. While he admired the script, he confessed he was having personal problems at home. When pressed by Lean on working around the problems, he told the director: "Actually, I'm planning on committing suicide." Upon hearing of this, Bolt told him: "Well, if you make this little film of ours first, then do yourself in, I'd be happy to stand the expense of your funeral." Mitchum got the role.

The role of the shell-shocked Major Randolph Doryan of the occupying forces was written for Marlon Brando, who initially accepted the part but problems with retakes for his movie Burn! forced him to drop out. Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and Richard Harris were considered. Lean then saw the young American actor Christopher Jones in The Looking Glass War and decided he had to have him for the role and cast him without ever meeting up. "I thought Chris had that rare Brando-Dean animal quality I wanted on film," Lean recalled.

For the role of Father Hugh Collins, the local parish priest, Lean sought Alec Guinness and said the part had been written with him in mind. But Guinness, a staunch Catholic convert, objected to what he felt was a totally inaccurate portrayal of a priest "in a village steeped in infidelity" and refused the role. Trevor Howard, who had worked with Lean in Brief Encounter in 1945, got the part.

The role of Rosy Ryan, the only daughter of the local publican and bored with life in the quiet local village, went to Bolt's wife, Sarah Miles. An established star with a Bafta-nomination to her credit, Miles was described by movie historian David Thomson as having "thrust sexual appetite into British film".

John Mills, an established actor in many classic British movies including Lean's Great Expectations, got the part of Michael, described by Bolt as "the village idiot".

With supporting players in place, including a number of Irish actors including Niall Toibin and Des Keogh, the cameras started rolling on Monday, February 24, 1969. Yet Lean's problems were not over yet. Halfway through filming and waiting for the storm that never came, Lean took the cast to South Africa where he got the storm he wanted, a particularly violent one in which John Mills suffered back injuries requiring hospital treatment for a month and Leo McKern, who played the publican, lost his glass eye.

Back in Dingle in a guest house overlooking the bay, Mitchum was growing marijuana in the greenhouse and importing regular girlfriends from Hollywood before his wife Dorothy arrived from Los Angeles. He was also having long and heavy drinking sessions with Trevor Howard, much to Lean's annoyance.

As for Jones, Lean found that he was having trouble with an English accent. In any event, his voice was too flat and all his lines had to be dubbed. Apparently Jones was still brooding over the recent death of his girlfriend Sharon Tate, brutally murdered by Charles Manson and his gang. As a result, he was putting no passion whatsoever into his love scenes with Miles.

Mitchum threatened to walk out over the long delays, and Miles expressed boredom, too. "My main memory is of sitting on a hilltop in a caravan at six in the morning in the rain," she recalled. "There was no other actor or member of the crew around me. I would sit there getting mad, waiting for either the rain to stop or someone to arrive. Film-acting is so horrifically belittling."

The movie finally wrapped on February 24, 1970, a year after it began. While Mills won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Freddie Young was named for Best Photography in a Motion Picture, it received poor reviews. Critics claimed it was too long at 220 minutes, prompting Lean to cut 17 minutes of footage before its worldwide release in November 1970.

The public, at least, loved it. Budgeted at $13.8m, it grossed over $30m in the US alone.No cake walk: Domini Kemp fears closures as 13.5pc VAT rate takes a bite from the sector

Celebrity food writer, Domini Kemp has warned that the hospitality sector's recent VAT increase, along with wage increases, will result in closures in the sector this year.

In January, the government hiked VAT on the hospitality sector to 13.5pc.

Ms Kemp, co-founder of Itsa Bagel Ltd, said on Friday that the increase in VAT will result in the sector going back to being considered too pricey by tourists.

Ms Kemp said that the VAT increase means that prices just keep going up and make the sector uncompetitive.

"VAT and wage increases will see closures this year in the hospitality sector," Ms Kemp said, adding that rents are heading to pre-2007 levels which will prevent further high street expansion at the group.

She said that "business continues to be challenging".

Ms Kemp was commenting on new accounts for Itsa Bagel, which enjoyed a return in profit to record post-tax profits of 142,650 in the 12 months to the end of February last. This followed the business recording a post-tax loss of 69,901 in the prior year - a positive swing of 212,551.

Ms Kemp said that revenues were down 6pc but that gross profit was down only 3.2pc as a result of some savings made with payroll and costs.

Numbers employed at the group last year reduced from 110 to 105 and Ms Kemp said that the business had also reduced overheads by 10.5pc "through blood, sweat and tears".

Ms Kemp said that the business has undergone a complete overhaul of senior management and brand changes.

In total, the group operates 11 outlets and also co-owns 60pc of Hatch & Sons at two locations. Brands in the group include Joe's Coffee, Alchemy Juice Co, Table, and Feast Catering & Events.

The profit also takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of 226,737. Pay to directors reduced from 184,790 to 126,873.Ireland is facing a "very grave moment" which is being made worse by "mounting evidence of incomplete preparations", Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin has said.

The Opposition leader has hit out at what he sees as a lack of transparency from the Government about contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit.

Writing in today's Irish Independent, Mr Martin says that chaotic events surrounding Brexit mean nobody can now "question the wisdom" of his decision to extend the Confidence and Supply arrangement with Fine Gael.

While he backs Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's stance on the need for a Northern Ireland backstop in the Brexit deal, he expresses deep frustration at the Government's handling of domestic preparations for no deal.

"Let's be very clear. Not being ready for all eventualities represents a major threat to Ireland's position - and the biggest threat to our strong national consensus on Brexit is a lack of transparency.

"The chaos in London and the ignorance and prejudice which continues to drive the policy of the hardline Brexiteers cannot be allowed to distract us from taking actions which our country needs."

Mr Martin accepts that at EU level there is "no doubt whatsoever of the continued solidarity" - but he questions whether the Government is being fully truthful about what will happen at the Border if the UK crashes out on March 29.

"On something as basic as Border arrangements there have been wild swings between one minister being told to stay quiet when he said there might be extra security required to only a few days later the Taoiseach saying the Army would be deployed," he said.

Ireland's diplomatic efforts will be ramped up again next week with Mr Varadkar meeting key EU figures in Brussels and Tanaiste Simon Coveney travelling to Washington.

Mr Varadkar is scheduled to hold discussions with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday.

His office said the talks would centre on preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

The Taoiseach is expected to outline the type of supports Ireland will need from the EU if a deal is not agreed in the House of Commons.

"The Taoiseach will outline the work under way in Ireland and the supports that may be needed given the potential impact of a hard Brexit in Ireland," a note said.

Mr Varadkar will also meet European Council President Donald Tusk to discuss "the latest developments in London".

"The Taoiseach will use the opportunity once again to thank the institutions, and the other member states, for their continuing support for Ireland."

Meanwhile, DUP leader Arlene Foster has said talk of a hard Border being erected in a no-deal scenario is just people "spinning tales".

Ms Foster has described the moves being taken by British Prime Minister Theresa May to replace the backstop as "good progress".

Ms Foster conceded that the EU are "tough negotiators".

"I don't expect them to roll over within hours," she said.The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) may take equity stakes in Irish businesses to help them overcome Brexit, and is willing to inject more than 10m into individual companies.

Ireland's sovereign wealth fund said it would use its capital to support companies with UK exposure. Isif director Eugene O'Callaghan said the fund would be more likely to make the 10m-plus investments directly, with smaller investments probably coming via other funds or partners in which Isif has invested.

"We will be looking to use our commercial capital to support businesses which have exposure to the UK. We are a provider of long-term capital, so the idea would be to provide the capital to give the companies time and the space to develop alternative products or markets to diversify beyond the UK," said Mr O'Callaghan.

"Depending then on the nature of the business strategy, it might be equity, it might be debt. We will invest whatever capital is appropriate to the needs of the business at the time."

Mr O'Callaghan said, however, that Isif would not be providing short-term capital to help businesses with a cash-flow issue pay bills right after Brexit.

No specific amount of money has been set aside for these investments, which will depend on whether there is demand for them.

"Brexit-related investments will be on a commercial basis and subject to Isif's normal due diligence and approval procedures, which includes an assessment to ensure that the investment is compliant with State aid rules," Isif said.

The EU Commission has previously said it would support Irish authorities with "pragmatic and efficient support solutions", in line with EU State aid law.

Mr O'Callaghan also said that Isif has signed a deal with the World Bank to help Irish companies sell products into emerging markets.Theresa May has been handed a boost as she searches for a viable Brexit deal, as the Tories surged to a seven-point lead over Labour in a new opinion poll.

Jeremy Corbyn's opposition slumped by six points from 40pc to 34pc in the past fortnight, according to a survey by Opinium for the Observer, seeing them leapfrogged by the Conservatives who went from 37pc to 41pc.

Public approval of Mr Corbyn's personal handling of Brexit also fell to a new low of just 16pc, from 18pc two weeks previously.

His disapproval rating is 61pc and he has support from little more than four in 10 Labour voters (42pc), according to the poll.

While Mrs May's handling of Brexit is little better at 25pc, she has the backing, just, of a majority of Tory voters (54pc).

And her Brexit deal is becoming slightly more popular with the public with a 15pc-45pc good-bad split, up from 12pc-50pc a fortnight ago.

The percentage who believe Britain will leave with a deal in March has risen from 14pc to 21pc in the same period, but a quarter of Leave supporters now believe there will be a no-deal Brexit, up from 15pc.

The poll of 2,008 people was carried out between Wednesday and Friday, after a series of Commons votes on the mechanics of Brexit on Tuesday.

One tabled by Labour former minister Yvette Cooper, which sought to delay Brexit, failed after 25 Labour MPs defied the party whip to either abstain or vote with the Government against it.

Adam Drummond, head of political polling at Opinium, said: "Theresa May has had a week of good headlines.

"The veneer of party unity and the sense of finally being on the front foot as she heads to Brussels have paid off in the form of the largest Conservative lead since before the general election.

"However, while the passage of the Brady amendment may have reunited the various Tory factions, ultimately the trade-offs that Brexit requires will force those divisions open again when the Conservatives are finally forced to confront them.

"The opening up of such a large lead is more due to Labour's vote falling back than the Conservative vote increasing.

"Jeremy Corbyn's balancing act between the Remainers, who make up the bulk of the Labour vote, and the Leave voters in large towns that he needs to get to Number 10 is looking increasingly precarious.

"Labour have lost Leave voters to the Conservatives and Remain voters to the Lib Dems and Mr Corbyn's personal ratings are back to the lows they were at before the general election."The new hospital will be located on the campus of St Jamess Hospital in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

The chair of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has resigned amid ongoing controversy about the cost of a new childrens hospital in Dublin.

Tom Costello announced his resignation on Saturday after five years in the role and says concerns about reputational damage to the project forced his decision.

The estimated cost for the new hospital  which will be located on the campus of St Jamess Hospital in Dublin  has risen from an original estimate of 650 million euro (569 million).

A Public Accounts Committee about the overspend heard that it now could not be guaranteed the hospital will be completed for less than two billion euro (1.75 billion).

I am concerned about the reputational damage that the ongoing commentary about the increased cost of the hospital is having on this critically-important project and so I have decided to step down from my role to help ensure that focus is restored on delivering the projectTom Costello

I have acted with professionalism and integrity in all my dealings with the project stakeholders including the Minister for Health and his department, Mr Costellos statement said.

Every decision made by the board has been guided by what was deemed best for the project.

I am concerned about the reputational damage that the ongoing commentary about the increased cost of the hospital is having on this critically-important project and so I have decided to step down from my role to help ensure that focus is restored on delivering the project.

Since I assumed that role I have worked with the sole objective of ensuring that children and families in Ireland finally get the new childrens hospital that they badly need and deserve. 

The resignation came just one day after Minister for Health Simon Harris said there would be personnel changes and accountability in relation to the overspend.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Harris said: Let me be very clear  there will be accountability in relation to this. I was very clear on this at the Health Committee as recently as Tuesday.

Let me even go further  there will be personnel changes in relation to some people involved in the governance structure in relation to this.

I intend to hold people to account and to make changes in relation to some of the people involved in the management of the project.

Mr Harris thanked Mr Costello for his service and his exceptional commitment to the project.

Throughout his tenure, Mr Costello worked tirelessly to ensure a state-of-the art facility is built for our children and advanced the project significantly, he said.

A review of the rising costs is due to be completed by March 22. The hospital is due to be completed in 2022.This weeks visit by Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be his first to the Arabian Peninsula and the first of its kind to the Islamic World. While the pope has previously travelled to Muslim-majority countries, this will be the first time the head of the Catholic Church will conduct what is expected to be the largest ever open-air mass in what Muslims consider to be the most religiously significant part of the Islamic world. This in a country that, like neighboring Saudi Arabia, is governed by Sharia law. The timing of the visit coincides with a period of history where radical Islamist groups have stepped up their attacks on Christians, killing them or forcing them to flee.

Today, nearly all of the UAEs one million Christians are expatriates. But Christianity is not new to the country or the Arabian Peninsula.

Christians were present in the Hejaz, the western region of modern-day Saudi Arabia, at the time of the Prophet Mohammed. Then, a quarter of a century ago, archaeologists discovered a 1,400-year-old monastery on the island of Sir Bani Yas, which is part of present-day Abu Dhabi. Scholars believe the monastery was built around 600BC by monks linked to the Church of the East, which originated in neighboring Iraq. Evidence suggests that Christians remained at this site well into the Islamic period under the Umayyad Caliphate (661750BC). During this period, the Umayyads allowed Christians to construct and maintain churches. The Umayyad caliphs were also known to take Christian wives.

The number of Christians living in the Middle East has rapidly fallen in the past century, from 14 per cent of the population in 1910 to just 4 per cent today. And given the recent bloodsoaked history, its easy to see why. Extremists have repeatedly targetted Egyptian Copts, killing 70 in one 2017 attack. Somalias al-Shabab views Christians as crusader spies and regularly executes them. But militant attacks are not the only reason for this decline. Forced expulsions, such as the 1915 Ottoman massacre of the Armenians, and institutional discrimination  until 2016, Egyptian Copts could not construct new churches without presidential approval  have also contributed to the Christian exodus.

In the Gulf states, where Christian populations are smaller, an imperfect situation is showing signs of improving.

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Christians now constitute an estimated 12.6 per cent of the UAEs population, and this figure is rising with every new wave of emigrants from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. Christians in the UAE openly celebrate Christmas and Easter. The ruling family has donated land for church construction, and in the past 12 years, the number of Emirati Christian churches has doubled to 40  the largest number in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In neighboring Bahrain in 1905, the ruling family allowed American missionaries to construct a church. Today, the tiny island nation has small indigenous Christian and Jewish populations who worship openly in churches and synagogues. Bahrains elected shura council has one Christian (and one Jewish) representative, and in 2008, Bahrain became the first Arab and Muslim-majority country to appoint a Jewish ambassador (to represent the kingdom in the United States).

In 1969, Kuwait formally established diplomatic ties with the Vatican, making it the first country to do so. Nearly 300 Kuwaitis practice Christianity under Emanuel Ghareeb, the GCCs first indigenous pastor.

Even in Saudi Arabia, home to Islams two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, there are small signs of change. Roughly 1.4 million people in Saudi Arabia  virtually all of whom are expats  are Christian. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who leads the Church of England, as well as with the patriarch of Lebanons Maronite Church and the pope of Egyptians Coptic Church.

During their meeting, the archbishop asked the crown prince if the kingdom would lift its ban on the free practice of Christianity and allow worshippers to build churches.

Although the answer was no, Christians in Saudi Arabia do practice their religion in private. They have not been specifically targeted since the government decided to rein in the Mutawaeen, the religious police responsible for enforcing Islamic laws who used to break up masses being held even in private. But the kingdom still does not permit any other faith to build a house of worship, believing that to lift this restriction would cause outrage among the conservative majority, what with reactionary clerics pointing to certain Islamic hadith that prohibit the establishment of any competing religion in the Arabian Peninsula.

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Throughout the GCC, it is still almost impossible for non-Muslims to earn citizenship, and, in many parts of the world, Muslim converts to Christianity still risk being executed or killed as apostates.

That being said, Pope Franciss visit, which comes appropriately enough at the start of the UAEs Year of Tolerance, is a significant step for both sides. Pope Francis is keen to protect the regions Christian population, but he is also keen to undo the damage caused by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who not only equated Islam with violence but also quoted from a medieval text declaring Prophet Muhammad evil and inhuman.

While no major policy breakthrough is expected, this is an important reset. That the pope has made a decision to promote understanding between the Vatican, the Gulf, and the Islamic world can only marginalise those who promote religious extremism. And while Christians may be under siege in much of the Middle East, Christianity still has a place in the birthplace of Islam.

Najah Alotaibi is a senior analyst at the Arabia FoundationPerhaps not a cracking read, to use the words of former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, but the Good Friday Agreement has been a pillar for the peace in Northern Ireland since 1998.

Understanding the Good Friday Agreement is central to Brexit negotiations, a peaceful future in Northern Ireland and UK-Ireland relations. The first steps to understanding any document must be based on thorough reading. The success and support for the Good Friday Agreement deserves this, and not necessarily over the holidays. In such negotiations and uncertain times, equally important as reading the agreement is considering what people in Northern Ireland think about this agreement.

Sadly, Raabs comments illustrate that neither a careful reading nor consideration of local perceptions is present in current debates.

Like every peace settlement, the Good Friday Agreement is a compromise document, the result of a long and difficult bargaining process. The provisions necessary for the warring parties to put down their weapons, such as amnesties, are not always popular among the population in whose name the agreement is signed. Yet central to the success of a peace agreement is local support.

As part of a comparative research project on Attitudes for Peace, we conducted a public opinion survey in Northern Ireland around the time of the Brexit referendum (between May and July 2016). The survey provides a window into peoples attitudes towards the Good Friday Agreement at that crucial time.

Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters

Despite the agreements shortcomings, it generally has widespread support. Importantly, the survey also shows that people of Northern Ireland continue to be concerned about a return to the violence of the past and that society continues to be divided along communal lines.

Among the 800 survey respondents, 89 per cent felt that the peace agreement was necessary to end the conflict and 84 per cent felt it reflected the will of the people of Northern Ireland. Asked whether they were satisfied with the peace process, 74 per cent agreed.

Though about half expressed some concern that the agreement had not been implemented properly  and even more people may have come to feel this way in the last two years, given the absence of a functioning power-sharing government  the survey showed generally positive attitudes to the agreement in both communities.

Some provisions are more divisive than others. Reflecting the major fault lines of the conflict, one of the divisive issues in the agreement  although overall strongly supported  is the provision stating that Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK if the majority of the population so wishes. Another divisive clause was the early release of paramilitary prisoners.

The architects of the Good Friday Agreement never sought to resolve the political differences that led to the conflict directly. Instead, the hope was that a return to peaceful politics and political discourse would, in time, lead to coexistence and reconciliation. The concern today is that the divisions from the Troubles will be reinforced by the prospects of a hard border and the fact that the peace agreement seems to be up for grabs.

The most obvious divides remain physical. The Catholic and Protestant communities are highly segregated, especially in poorer and urban areas. Nothing has come to represent communal divisions more than the interfaces and so-called peace walls, several of which were built since 1998. The walls are supposed to come down by 2023, but the survey shows that the share of the population that still think them necessary (38 per cent) is just as big as that supporting their dismantlement (40 per cent). Insecurity remains.

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The survey shows that people were particularly supportive of the security brought by disarmament  in both communities. Indeed, the vast majority wants to move on from the conflict, yet the survey also highlights peoples fear of renewed violence. A large minority saw political violence (41 per cent) and the risk of new armed conflict (36 per cent) as a big problem.

The Good Friday Agreement has been hailed as a model for peace agreements, which is reflected in the overall high levels of support it enjoys. Yet peace is still fragile, threatened both by communal divides and  as the recent failed attacks in Derry show  persistent violence.

The Good Friday Agreement is not perfect, as demonstrated by high levels of violence and segregation in Northern Ireland. Despite this, it has been instrumental in ending the conflict and ensuring peace for two decades. Brexit negotiators  past, present and future  must not only read the document, but do their utmost to understand the fears and hopes of a divided society.

Kristin Bakke is a professor in political science and international relations at University College London and an associate research professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Kit Rickard is a PhD candidate in political science at University College LondonThe United Arab Emirates has branded a bridge, a new ministry, a family day at the park and even the entire year of 2019 under the banner theme of tolerance, an elaborate effort thats in overdrive as the country prepares to host Pope Francis starting Sunday in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.

The states tolerance-themed project, however, has hard limits. While allowing churches and other places of worship to exist, and marking holidays such as Christmas, the Hindu Diwali and Chinese New Year with festivals and celebrations, the government has simultaneously stamped out critical political expression in the name of national security.

Human rights activists and Muslim Brotherhood sympathisers have been imprisoned, academic research deemed sensitive has been curtailed and human rights groups have been barred entry. Political parties are banned and local media are censored.

And while the law prohibits religious discrimination and guarantees the freedom to exercise religious worship, the states official religion of Islam is tightly monitored and controlled.

A permit is required to hold a Quran memorisation circle or lecture, collect donations or distribute books or audio in mosques. The law also prohibits mosque employees from preaching and teaching religious lessons outside of mosques.

Moreover, all imams receive their salaries from the government and  with the exception of the most senior imams  must follow official weekly guidance on the content of Friday sermons.

The UAEs Minister of Tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, said the government is simply doing what we think is right for our people and for the world.

We are trying to protect our religion, he told the Associated Press in an interview last week. We want to restore our real religion, which stems from our holy book the Quran, which believes in living together. It believes in the dignity of a human being.

The UAE, a federation of seven constituent monarchies led by President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is known for its gleaming cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Modern skylines draw tourists from around the world, bars exist next to mosques, men and women dressed in traditional garb brush past foreigners, and tight security and surveillance ensures high levels of safety.

 UAE now has the most powerful passport in the world, according to Passport Index

Government bodies, public relations firms and even banks have been busy promoting the states version of tolerance in preparation for the popes visit, which includes a meeting on Monday with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islams foremost religious institution, and a mass on Tuesday before 135,000 people in Abu Dhabi.

In a video message translated into English and Arabic ahead of his arrival, Pope Francis described the UAE as a country that strives to be a model for coexistence and human fraternity, a meeting point of different civilisations and cultures. A place where people find a safe place to work, live freely and where differences are respected.

The UAE has a Hindu temple in Dubai and a large one being built in Abu Dhabi on land donated by the countrys rulers to help accommodate the roughly 3.3 million Indians who live in the country. It is also home to around 1 million Catholics, including a sizeable Filipino community. In addition to several Catholic churches, there are numerous churches in the UAE of other Christian denominations, a Sikh temple and a space for Jewish worship.

Still, the US-based Freedom House notes that more than 85 per cent of the UAEs population consists of foreign residents who lack political rights and electoral opportunities, including tens of thousands of stateless residents  known as Bidoon.

Freedom House says that since 2011, when Arab Spring protests rocked countries throughout the Middle East, the UAE has aggressively cracked down on opposition activists, particularly if they are suspected of belonging to Al-Islah, an Islamist group perceived as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The UAE has branded the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation, viewing it as a threat to the countrys system of hereditary rule.

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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

Theyre certainly not tolerant of any form of political dissent, Devin Kenney, researcher on the UAE for Amnesty International, said.

I mean OK, sure, like bars exist and people of multiple faiths are allowed to practise their faith, so its not culturally totalitarian, but its clearly not a really tolerant place, he added. Kenney said the Popes visit seems like a fairly straightforward PR gesture.

In recent years, the UAE named dozens of individuals and some 80 groups as terrorist  many for their alleged ties with the Brotherhood, which is not deemed a terrorist group in Europe or the US.

The list includes political dissenters and opposition voices, but also groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy and civil rights group in the US, as well as Islamic Relief Worldwide, a UK-based humanitarian aid organisation with operations around the world.

In a statement to the AP, Islamic Relief said it is not connected in any way to the Muslim Brotherhood and that the allegation has been hugely damaging. The group said it was never provided with any evidence by Emirati authorities to substantiate the assertion and has tried to contest it in UAE courts.

All our attempts to get an open hearing in front of a judge have been rejected on procedural technicalities, the group said.

The UAE is also one of four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar in 2017, in part over its support of the Brotherhood throughout the region. The UAE banned the news operations of Al Jazeera inside the country, expelled Qatari residents, blocked websites affiliated with Qatar and warned residents that anyone who expressed sympathy for Qatar could face up to 15 years in prison.

Nobodys perfect in this world ... , Al Nahyan, the tolerance minister, said. Were proud of our acceptance, tolerance, respect for human dignity, having laws that protect everybodys rights.

Associated PressIsis could regain its lost territory in a matter of months after troops withdraw from Syria, according to a draft Pentagon report.

Donald Trump announced last month that the US would withdraw 2,000 US troops from Syria on the grounds the militant group no longer pose a threat.

He doubled down on his claim this week, when he wrote on Twitter: Weve beaten them. Caliphate will soon be destroyed, unthinkable two years ago.

But the Department of Defense Inspector General Quarterly Report, due to be released mext week, appears to contradict that claim.

It claims Isis is determined to rebuild a physical caliphate, NBC News reported. With no military pressure on the terror group, it could retake land in Syria within six to 12 months.

Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Show all 14 1 /14 Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Men who fled the last Isis-held area of Syria line up to be questioned by American and Kurdish intelligence officials Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A young girl pulls her belongings after arriving Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate An SDF fighter hands out bread to women and children after they arrive Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Sita Ghazzar, 70, after fleeing from the last Isis-held territory in Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A family from Russia who recently fled the last Isis-held area of Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent

The Republican-led US Senate advanced a largely symbolic legislation earlier this week opposing the presidents plans to withdraw troops from both Syria and Afghanistan.

The Senate voted 68-23 in favor of a non-binding amendment drafted by majority leader Mitch McConnell saying it was the sense of the Senate that Islamic militant groups in both countries continue to pose a serious threat to the US.

US intelligence chiefs have said Isis would continue to pursue attacks from Syria and Iraq against regional and Western adversaries, including the US, after Washington withddraws its troops.

Isis is expected to lose the final bits of its territory in Syria to US-backed forces within the next couple of weeks, acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan said earlier this week, even as US intelligence chiefs said the group would still pose a threat to regional and Western adversaries.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are preparing for a final showdown with Isis in eastern Syria after helping to drive the fighters from the townd and cities that once formed the groups self-proclaimed caliphate.

Isis fighters in eastern Syria are pinned down in a tiny pocket with their wives and children, forcing the US-backed militia to slow its advance to protect civilians.

 Trump says Syria is sand and death

The annual Worldwide Threat Assessment from the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI), released earlier this week, also contradicted assertions by Mr Trump and other top administration officials that Isis had been defeated in Syria and Iraq, saying the group still commanded thousands of fighters and posed a long-term threat to both countries.

During a congressional hearing director of national intelligence Dan Coats said Isis and other militant groups would remain active for years around the world.

Isis will continue to be a threat to the United States, he said. This terrorism threat is going to continue for some time.Iran has unveiled a new cruise missile with a range of 800 miles (1,300km), state television reported, as the Middle Eastern country displays its achievements during celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution

"With a range of more than 1,300 km ... this cruise missile needs a very short time for its preparedness and can fly at a low altitude," Iranian defence minister, Amir Hatami, said in remarks carried by state television during the unveiling ceremony.

Mr Hatami said the new surface-to-surface missile, named Hoveizeh, was from the Soumar family of cruise missiles, which were unveiled in 2015.

Western experts say Iran often exaggerates its weapons capabilities, although there are concerns about its long-range ballistic missiles.

Iran said in January its bid to launch a satellite failed after Tehran ignored US warnings to avoid such activity.

Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Show all 10 1 /10 Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burnt a US flag in parliament after Donald Trump announced America's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal US President Donald Trump displays a presidential memorandum after announcing his intent to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House. Reuters Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Some Iranian MPs reacted after Trumps decision by shouting 'death to America'. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian lawmakers prepare to burn two pieces of papers representing the US flag and the nuclear deal. AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran said it will hold talks with signatories to the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to withdraw from the accord, which it branded "psychological warfare". AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Several Iranian MPs stood chanting in the Tehran parliament. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burning a US flag AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal President Hassan Rouhani addressed the nation in a televised speech in Tehran. He said he'd send his foreign minister to negotiate with countries remaining in the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to pull America from the deal, warning he otherwise would restart enriching uranium "in the next weeks." Iranian Presidency Office via AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran's press condemned Trump's withdrawal from a multi-party nuclear deal but was divided over whether Tehran should react with patience or withdraw itself. AFP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Trump announced the US withdrawal from what he called the "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Iran, and said Washington would reinstate sanctions against the Islamic republic. AFP/Getty

Washington warned Tehran this month against undertaking three planned rocket launches that it said would violate a UN Security Council resolution because they use ballistic missile technology.

The US is concerned that the long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch warheads.

ReutersOnce-in-a-century flooding in part of the eastern Australian state of Queensland looks set to worsen as the nation's weather bureau on Saturday warned of more heavy rain in the area.

Some residents have already been evacuated after days of monsoon rains lashed the region around the coastal city of Townsville in north Queensland, a spokesman for the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Adam Blazak, a forecaster with the bureau, did not say how many people had been evacuated, but added that some areas had reached "major" flood levels.

"Normally a monsoonal burst might last a few days, but this one's been going on over a week now and is set to continue for a few more days as well," he said.

Between 150 mm and 200 mm of rain is expected across Townsville on Saturday - equal to about a month's average rainfall.

Local authorities issued a number of flood warnings on Saturday morning and told residents to avoid using roads and consider moving to higher ground if conditions worsen.

North Queensland has significant zinc reserves as well as major deposits of silver, lead, copper and iron ore, with Townsville a major processing centre for the region's base metals.

In stark contrast, wildfires in the southern island state of Tasmania have burnt through close to 190,000 hectares of land, fire officials said.

 Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day 'celebration of colonisation and genocide'

Chris Arnold, the chief officer of the Tasmania Fire Service, said on Saturday that nearly 600 personnel were working to contain the fires, some of which have been burning for weeks and have destroyed homes.

Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Show all 8 1 /8 Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Invasion Day protesters march down a street during Australia Day in Brisbane, Australia. EPA Tens of thousands protest against Australia Day Protesters shouts slogans as they march through the streets of Sydney in an "Invasion Day" rally on Australia Day. AFP/Getty Images

Arnold told reporters that while the last few days have seen favourable conditions for battling the blazes, communities in part of the state were still under threat as expected hot and dry weather on Sunday could see bushfires escalate again.

Australia endured its hottest month on record in January, with sweltering conditions expected to persist through April. That scorching weather triggered power outages in some areas and sent electricity prices soaring.

ReutersBrisbane Airport's international terminal was evacuated on Saturday amid reports that a man made a bomb threat after entering the building armed with knives.

Specialist police have taken the man into custody, and the terminal reopened after police officers finished conducting a clearance search.

The man has been taken to a police station, where he will be interviewed.

The incident is not thought to be terrorism related.

"It is a domestic violence related situation," Queensland Police 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

Aircraft and trains to and from the international terminal were stopped during the evacuation, the force added.

There are no reported injuries to any members of the public or police officers.

"Police have made a declaration under the Public Safety and Preservation Act tonight at Brisbane Airport due an emergency situation," a spokesperson for Queensland Police said in a statement.

The Australian Federal Police was also in attendance at the scene.

The airport's domestic terminal remained in operation throughout.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

"The public are thanked for their on-going co-operation and patience," a spokesperson for Queensland Police said.A record 8.3 tons of pangolin scales and more than 1,000 ivory tusks have been intercepted by Hong Kong customs officers.

The value of the seized goods, which equates to around 500 elephants and up to 13,000 pangolins, was over HK$62m (6m), officials said on Friday.

Acting on a tip from mainland Chinese authorities, officials seized the haul in mid-January in a refrigerated container labelled as frozen meat from Nigeria bound for Vietnam.

They said the smugglers kept the temperature low to better disguise the smell of the illicit cargo.

Police arrested two people in connection with the seizure. Officials said it was also one of the largest seizures of ivory in a decade.

Ivory tusks and pangolin scales seized by Hong Kong Customs (REUTERS)

Yueng Ka-yan, head of command at Hong Kongs Customs and Excise Department, said the smugglers used a new method to hide the endangered species by a process of solidification where they used ice bags and frozen meat to obscure the species.

The low temperature environment created by the ice bags and frozen meat helped mask the distinctive smell of the pangolin scales.

Scales of the anteater-like pangolin have been highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.

The scales, made of keratin akin to fingernails, are often roasted and ground to a powder before being added into a mix of ingredients to purportedly cure arthritis, promote breast feeding for mothers and boost male virility.

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

Scientists have designated all species of pangolins as being at risk of extinction.

In the last two decades, the number of pangolins worldwide has dropped by about 90 per cent.

Ivory tusks are a cherished decorative craft material in Asia, resulting in the devastation of wild elephant populations in Africa.Indian authorities have arrested a passenger who attempted to smuggle a one-month old leopard cub into the country in his hand luggage.

Customs officials grew suspicious while watching the man at the arrivals terminal, and heard faint cries coming from his bag.

Staff stopped the man as he tried to leave the terminal at Chennai Airport, in the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

He was evasive in his replies so his baggage was opened for further examination, an official at the airport said.

The female cub, which weighed just over one kilogram (2.4lbs) and measured 54cm from nose to tail, was said to be in a state of shock.

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 female cub was in a state of shock (AFP)

She had been transported in a grocery basket inside the carry-on bag of the 45-year old passenger who arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok.

The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak, the airport oifficial added.

The man has been passed to wildlife police who are investigating whether he is linked to an international smuggling ring.

Airport staff were filmed feeding the cub milk from a babys bottle and it is set to be rehabilitated at the Aringar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai.

We have taken the custody of the passenger and are questioning him on the source of the animal, said A.O. Limatoshi, head of Chennai Wildlife Crime Bureau.

Leopards are found across Asia but populations are in severe decline because of habitat loss, and poaching for the illegal trade of their skins.Giant deep-sea fish have been found washed up dead along the coast of Japan.

Three oarfish have been found on beaches or caught in fishing nets over the past week, bringing the total discovered this season to seven.

The creatures, which can grow to 11 metres (36ft), are believed by some to be an omen of disaster and have prompted people to fear an earthquake or tsunami could strike.

Legend has it that they beach themselves before underwater earthquakes or tsunamis.

Known in Japan as a messenger from the sea gods palace, oarfish are thought to live around a kilometre underwater and surface when sick or dying.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

At least 10 were beached in Japan in 2010, months before the March 2011 earthquake that triggered a giant tsunami that killed almost 19,000 people and wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Social-media users in Japan have claimed the new sightings portend disaster.

This is no doubt evidence of a precursor to an earthquake. And if it is in the Nankai Trough [an area susceptible to tectonic plate movements], it might be a huge quake, one Twitter user wrote.

But paleontologist Jason Loxton tweeted: Oarfish are super-cool, but they dont predict earthquakes.

And Uozu Aquarium keeper Kazusa Saiba told CNN: There is no scientific evidence at all for the theory that oarfish appear around big quakes.

But we cannot 100 per cent deny the possibility.

It could be that global warming might have an impact on the appearance of oarfish or a reason were just not aware of.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Mr Saiba said that although he doubted the theorys validity, one possible explanation could be that subtle changes in the Earths crust at the bottom of the sea before an earthquake might cause the current to stir and push creatures at the bottom to the surface.Police used pepper ball guns, tear gas and smoke grenades on college students enjoying a snow day party.

Hundreds of youths had gathered in the street near the campus of West Virginia University after classes on Friday were cancelled because of the weather.

Officials said it turned into a riot after the students ignored an order to disperse and started hurling glass bottles and other debris.

Video footage shows police responding by firing smoke canisters and air guns loaded with paintballs containing pepper spray or powder.

West Virginia is an all out war right now, read the caption on a video of the confrontation posted on Twitter by Barstool Sports.

Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Show all 52 1 /52 Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice covers the Lake Michigan shoreline Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minnesota A firefighter walks past an ice-encrusted home after an early morning house fire AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario People walk in a park on the US side of Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Massachusetts Mike Calen, left, and Steve Goyette, right, prepare to tie off as the ice covered fishing boat, Buzzards Bay, arrives at New Bedford harbour AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Pedestrians protecting their faces from the cold in New York City, in Washington DC, along Lake Michigan's ice covered shoreline, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, in Chicago, in Kingston, Ontario, and in Montreal AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Snow and ice covers Soldier Field Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Gas-burning heaters are placed on railroad tracks as Metra commuter train passes by EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice builds up along the shore of Lake Michigan Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A tree is covered in ice from the mist at park beside the falls in Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Water vapor rises above St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River beneath the Stone Arch Bridge AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Massachusetts Ice flows fill the Merrimack River as it heads towards the Atlantic Ocean in Newburyport AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A tourists take pictures of the Canadian Horseshoe falls in Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Sub-zero temperatures produce icicles that hang from a restaurant EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A person takes a selfie beside on the US side of Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Water vapor from the Mississippi River envelopes a bridge as sub-zero temperatures produce dangerous windchills EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Pedestrians walk through the falling snow in the Financial District Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario Steam rises from the US Niagara Falls before sunrise AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Snow covers Wrigley Field entrance Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Workers shovel at the entrance to City Hall in whiteout conditions Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US NASA's 'Blue Marble' data set of weather systems over the continental United States US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Chuck Carpenter is frost covered as he goes for a walk EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A man walks along the lakefront as temperatures hovered around -20 degrees Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Frozen Chicago River Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York A man walks next to a subway train as heavy snow falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A digital board shows flight cancellations at Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A shirt that was hung is seen frozen Terry Greenbeans/Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago People walk along the lakefront Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York A young man waits on a subway platform in freezing temperatures AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Mist rises from the city and Lake Michigan EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York People walk through the snow in lower Manhattan Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago The James Versluis breaks ice on the frozen Chicago River near Navy Pier EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Michigan Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Michigan Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Getty

One student said he was hit in the face. The police wanna come up and Im just standing on the porch and next thing I know I just get shot by them, Zachary Haines said.

WVU Police chief William Chedester defended the use of air guns, telling the local MetroNews it was a riot situation.

Recommended People are sharing the craziest things happening in the US deep freeze

The university issued a statement asking students to behave responsibly, be accountable and please comply with police, who want to keep our campus, city and all of our first responders safe through this weather.

It added: It is unfortunate that what began today on Spruce Street as a playful time in the snow, turned into a dangerous and threatening situation for students and law enforcement officers alike.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The escalation apparently began when the several hundred students and others who had gathered refused reasonable instructions to disperse and began tossing glass bottles and other debris toward officers, resulting in law enforcement taking action.

University officials will review videos of the situation to determine if any charges should be filed.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) warned that teachers who would serve as election officers for the midterm polls in May may not be paid for their services if Congress fails to pass the 2019 budget.

"If [the budget is] reenacted? Well, we don't have money to pay the teachers," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a briefing on Friday.

Jimenez added that if Congress fails to pass the 2019 budget in time for the elections, the poll body would cease to conduct trainings for election officers and election day supplies and paraphernalia  like indelible ink  might not be procured.

"A lot of these paraphernalia could not be bought earlier," he said. "We could not have bought indelible ink in 2018, matutuyo 'yun [that would dry up.] So we need to buy that just on time  Baka [Maybe] indelible ink is the smallest [concern] pa at this point."

The poll body is asking lawmakers in the bicameral conference committee, tasked to consolidate the House and Senate budget proposals, to heed their request to restore 1.2 billion to their 2019 budget to adequately fund the May elections.

But if the budget is reenacted  as Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III is pushing for  then the Comelec would not get the added funding.

Senate Finance committee chair Loren Legarda earlier assured that the government can fund the 2019 elections even if the budget is reenacted as the result of Congress' failure to pass this year's budget bill.

Citing the Budget department, Legarda said funds for the May polls will be sourced from the 10 billion unutilized funds for the poll body from the 2018 budget and the contingency fund.

Jimenez said they are studying this proposal, but would still want their own budget for the elections.

"In terms of how to do things, of course it is incredibly superior to have a budget. Because the budget is specifically designated for the elections. Hindi tayo hihingi sa ibang sources [We won't ask from other sources,]" he said.

Under the Election Service Reform Act, chairpersons of electoral boards will be paid 6,000, while members of electoral boards will be paid 5,000. The Department of Education Supervisor Official should get 4,000 and support staff should be paid 2,000.

All persons who render election service are also entitled to a 1,000 travel allowance each.

Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Cynthia Villar have assured that they will try their best to pass the 2019 budget.

After much delay in the House due to allegations of anomalous "insertions" in the 2019 budget, Congress failed to pass it before 2018 ended, leading to the reenactment of the previous year's budget.

CNN Philippines' Sandra Zialcita contributed to this report.A man found frozen solid in his backyard is believed to be one of at least 27 people to have died because of a record-breaking cold snap in the US.

The 62-year-old was discovered outside his home in Cudahy, Wisconsin, on Thursday after colleagues raised the alarm when he failed to turn up for work.

The countys medical examiners office told ABC News the man did not have enough clothes on to be outside as temperatures in the city plunged to -30C with a -40C wind chill on Thursday.

The Midwests worst cold snap in two decades was caused by a polar vortex  a reservoir of icy air that usually swirls over the North Pole.

Shifting air currents caused it to slip down through Canada and into the US this week.

Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Show all 52 1 /52 Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice covers the Lake Michigan shoreline Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minnesota A firefighter walks past an ice-encrusted home after an early morning house fire AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario People walk in a park on the US side of Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Massachusetts Mike Calen, left, and Steve Goyette, right, prepare to tie off as the ice covered fishing boat, Buzzards Bay, arrives at New Bedford harbour AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Pedestrians protecting their faces from the cold in New York City, in Washington DC, along Lake Michigan's ice covered shoreline, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, in Chicago, in Kingston, Ontario, and in Montreal AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Snow and ice covers Soldier Field Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Gas-burning heaters are placed on railroad tracks as Metra commuter train passes by EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice builds up along the shore of Lake Michigan Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A tree is covered in ice from the mist at park beside the falls in Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Water vapor rises above St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River beneath the Stone Arch Bridge AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Massachusetts Ice flows fill the Merrimack River as it heads towards the Atlantic Ocean in Newburyport AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A tourists take pictures of the Canadian Horseshoe falls in Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Sub-zero temperatures produce icicles that hang from a restaurant EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario A person takes a selfie beside on the US side of Niagara Falls AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Water vapor from the Mississippi River envelopes a bridge as sub-zero temperatures produce dangerous windchills EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Pedestrians walk through the falling snow in the Financial District Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Ontario Steam rises from the US Niagara Falls before sunrise AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Snow covers Wrigley Field entrance Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Workers shovel at the entrance to City Hall in whiteout conditions Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US NASA's 'Blue Marble' data set of weather systems over the continental United States US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis Chuck Carpenter is frost covered as he goes for a walk EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A man walks along the lakefront as temperatures hovered around -20 degrees Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Frozen Chicago River Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York A man walks next to a subway train as heavy snow falls AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A digital board shows flight cancellations at Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago A shirt that was hung is seen frozen Terry Greenbeans/Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago People walk along the lakefront Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York A young man waits on a subway platform in freezing temperatures AFP/Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Mist rises from the city and Lake Michigan EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York People walk through the snow in lower Manhattan Getty Images Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago The James Versluis breaks ice on the frozen Chicago River near Navy Pier EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Michigan Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Michigan Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US New York AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Minneapolis AFP/Getty Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago AP Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Reuters Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago EPA Polar vortex brings temperatures colder than Antarctica to the US Chicago Getty

More than 40 cold-temperature records were broken on Thursday, the coldest morning since the polar vortex moved in late on Tuesday, carving a swath through the US, from Iowa and the Dakotas across the Great Lakes region and into Maine.

The dangerous weather is thought to have claimed the lives of at least 27 people, including a 90-year-old Michigan woman who died of hypothermia after locking herself out of her home while feeding birds.

The woman, who is also said to have cut herself while trying to break a window to get back inside, was one of at least nine people who were found outdoors.

A motorist also died during a snowstorm on Friday after hitting a salt truck that had pulled off the side of Interstate 70 in central Indiana.

Recommended Lake Michigan has frozen over and the pictures are spectacular

Others died after freezing outdoors or in unheated homes, or while shovelling snow.

Cold temperatures and heavy snow caused deaths spanning eight states as well as hundreds of injuries, including frostbite, broken bones, heart attacks and carbon monoxide poisoning.

In Illinois alone, hospitals reported more than 220 cases of frostbite and hypothermia since Tuesday, when temperatures plunged to -34C and lower  with a wind chill of -45C or worse in some areas.

Snow is piled high in the car park of a shopping centre in Minnetonka, Minnesota. (AFP/Getty/Stephen Maturen) (AFP/Getty Images/Stephen Maturen)

The cold is said to have eased in the US on Friday, giving way to a mild weekend in areas of the Midwest and Northeast.

In Chicago, where the mercury plummeted as low as -30C earlier this week, temperatures of -5.5C by Friday afternoon felt balmy for most by comparison.

One commuter heading home in just a sweatshirt said it feels like spring.

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But while these areas thawed out, a fierce winter storm headed towards California, carrying heavy rains and high winds and threatening flooding in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The storm that began moving in on Friday night was expected to bring up to four inches of rain in some areas, winds gusting to 80mph in the mountains, 10-foot waves and several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges.

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch until Saturday morning for the entire San Francisco Bay Area and much of the Central Coast.

Evacuations were ordered or recommended for many areas of northern and southern California that were hit by wildfires in recent months.

Authorities fear that an inch of rain an hour could send fire debris, mud and boulders sluicing down denuded hillsides.

Associated Press contributed to this reportVirginia governor Ralph Northam is refusing to resign despite overwhelming pressure from within his Democratic party and has told at least one lawmaker that he now does not think that a racist photo in his 1984 yearbook includes him, Democratic party officials said.

Mr Northam publicly apologised on Friday for the medical school yearbook photo and acknowledged that he appeared in the image, which is of one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

But state senator L Louise Lucas said that Mr Northam called her on Saturday morning and told her he did not think the picture was of him and he did not plan to resign.

"He should have said that yesterday then," she said. "He just told me he didn't think it's him. And I said, 'Ralph, this is a day late and a dollar short. It's too late.'"

Around 10:30 a.m., the state Democratic party tweeted: "We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning - we have gotten word he will not do so this morning."

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

Mr Northam was defying an avalanche of calls to step down from the office he'd assumed not 13 months ago.

He spent Friday night huddled with advisers. A meeting with the state's legislative black caucus went poorly.

National Democrats, including a host of a 2020 contenders and former Vice President Joe Biden, said he must resign.

And even home-state allies who regarded him as a dear friend - including immediate predecessor and patron Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, himself a potential presidential candidate - said he had to go.

By 9 am on Saturday, Mr Northam still had sent no word of his plans. But even friends who hoped he could weather the crisis were bracing for his resignation - a first for a Virginia governor in modern times.

More than a dozen protesters braved the frigid air to protest outside the governor's mansion, holding signs such as "Blackface, no place" and "Step down and do Virginia a favor." They chanted "Resign now!"

"There's no question the tide turned," said one ally, who had been briefed by the governor's senior staff and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the private discussions.

Mr Northam and his inner circle had been preparing to fight as news of the photograph broke Friday afternoon - he issued a written apology, then a video mea culpa. They planned a "reconciliation tour", taking him across the commonwealth to say he was sorry in person, his ally said.

"Then everything changed between 6 and 9 p.m.," the ally said, as national Democrats unleashed a torrent of calls for his resignation.

On Friday, Mr Northam, 59, released a statement and a video in which he admitted to appearing in the photo, although he did not say which costume he wore.

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"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," he said. "This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians' faith in that commitment."

As cable television devoted hours to the controversy and social media lit up with #ResignRalph hashtags, Mr Northam's most trusted allies called for him to step down, including state Senate and House Democrats, Virginia's Legislative Black Caucus and Planned Parenthood. Calls to resign also came from Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.

"Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay," tweeted Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP. "No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the @NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor @RalphNortham."

The photo reverberated across the country and shook Virginians, who have struggled with a long and difficult legacy around race.

"Virginia's history is unfortunately replete with the scars and unhealed wounds caused by racism, bigotry and discrimination," said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat who plans to run for governor in 2021. "It is imperative that Governor Northam hears and truly listens to those who are hurt by this image as he considers what comes next."

Herring's remarks, which stopped short of calling for Mr Northam's resignation, closely echoed sentiments expressed by the state's US senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats.

Members of the state legislature's Black Caucus said earlier that "what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive. We feel complete betrayal. The legacy of slavery, racism, and Jim Crow has been an albatross around the necks of African Americans for over 400 years. These pictures rip off the scabs of an excruciatingly painful history and are a piercing reminder of this nation's sins. Those who would excuse the pictures are just as culpable."

The caucus was also grappling with revelations in another yearbook, from Mr Northam's time at Virginia Military Institute. That book listed one of his nicknames as "Coonman", which some members interpreted as a racial slur.

A Northam spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the nickname's meaning.

Hours after his apology, the governor released a video that repeated his contrition but said he intended to serve out the remaining three years of his term.

If Mr Northam were to resign, he would be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. Fairfax, a descendant of slaves, would serve the remaining years in Mr Northam's term and then be eligible to run for a full four-year term.

Mr Northam's resignation would be the first in modern Virginia history.

The image in the yearbook from Eastern Virginia Medical School was on a page with other photos of Mr Northam and personal information about the future governor. Mr Northam, a pediatric neurologist, graduated from the medical school in Norfolk in 1984 after earning an undergraduate degree from VMI.

The yearbook page is labelled "Ralph Shearer Northam" and has photos of him in a jacket and tie, casual clothes and alongside his restored Corvette.

Another photo shows two people, one in plaid pants, bow tie and blackface and the other in a Klan robe. Both appear to be holding beer cans. The person in blackface is smiling. Beneath the photo, Mr Northam lists his alma mater and his interest in pediatrics and offers a quote: "There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think I'll have another beer."

Jack Wilson, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said Mr Northam should step down. "Racism has no place in Virginia," Wilson said in a statement. "These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."

Vivian Paige, a longtime political activist in Norfolk who has known Mr Northam since he first ran for office, said she was distraught over the news and felt Mr Northam should step down.

"I'm disappointed and I believe that he can't lead the party anymore," said Ms Paige, who is African-American. "Ralph and I are a year apart in age. It really cuts to the bone to me that someone would do that at our age. Our generation - the tail end of the baby boom - we grew up in an integrated society. How could you not know that was wrong?"

Several Democratic members of Virginia's congressional delegation also called for Northam to resign, including Reps. Abigail Spanberger, Elaine Luria and A. Donald McEachin, who is African-American and served with Northam in the state Senate.

The yearbook image was first posted Friday by the website Big League Politics, a conservative outlet founded by Patrick Howley, a former writer for the Daily Caller and Breitbart.

The Washington Post independently confirmed the authenticity of the yearbook by viewing it in the medical school library in Norfolk.

The Washington PostFacing calls for his resignation Virginias governor Ralph Northam has apologised for a "racist and offensive" costume seen on his 1984 medical school yearbook page showing a person in blackface and another in full Ku Klux Klan robes.

It's unclear who the people in the picture are, but the rest of the page is filled with pictures of the governor and lists his undergraduate alma mater and other information about him.

The photo was verified by an official at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, where Mr Northam studied to become a paediatric neurologist. They told the Huffington Post it came from a "student-produced publication".

Mr Northam, who made headlines when he appointed Virginia's first female-majority cabinet insisted that the behaviour was not in keeping with his values and said he would work to heal the damage he has caused.

He did not say which costume he was wearing, but in a statement he said he was "deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now."

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

He added: "I recognise that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor."

A copy of the photo from Eastern Virginia Medical School library was first published by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper and first published by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

The page shows a picture, at right, of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood next to different pictures of the governor. (AP)

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) has called on Mr Northam to resign shortly after it was published.

"Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay, its president Derrick Johnson tweeted.

Two prominent Democratic presidential candidates also called on him to quit.

California senator Kamala Harris tweeted that Northam should "step aside so the public can heal and move forward together."

Former secretary of housing and urban development Julian Castro tweeted a similar message. He said Mr Northam should resign because his "behaviour was racist and unconscionable."

Jack Wilson, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, also called on Mr Northam to step down.

"Racism has no place in Virginia," he said in a statement. "These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill in the state legislature requiring public high schools to offer a course in the Bible and the Christian religion, arguing the measure would reduce crime.

The Sunshine State already has an existing state law, approved in 2002, granting school districts the options of providing courses to include the objective study of the Bible.

House Bill 195, however, would require the school districts to include the courses as a part of the curriculum while allowing students to decide on enrolling.

Rep. Brad Drake, the Republican co-sponsoring HB 195, said he believed students learning about the Bible would reduce crime.

A study of a book of creation by its creator is absolutely essential, Mr Drake told the Tampa Bay Times. So why not? Its the book that prepares us for eternity, and theres no other book that does that.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

But the Mr Drakes reasoning demonstrates why secularists oppose the bill. Florida schools are already allowed to add Bible courses, and opponents believe there may be an ulterior motive to the proposed measure.

Theres no question this bill is introduced with the goal of putting God in our schools, Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, told the Tampa Bay Times.

Ms Laser described HB 195, and other similar legislation, as unconstitutional and divisive. She argued that the first 16 words of the First Amendment makes the case against Mr Drakes proposed bill: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Theres an explicit strategy to pass an incremental set of bills that start with more passable ones that sound neutral, but they arent, Ms Laser added.

Recommended Kentucky to allow public schools to teach from the Bible

One of the examples she mention is a law that passed last year, requiring all public schools in the state to post In God We Trust", in a prominent place on campus.

They sound innocuous, Ms Laser added continued, but Project Blitz makes it clear theyre the first step in a design to codify a Christian America.

Project Blitz, an initiative of the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, wrote on their website that their purpose is to protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square".

Steve Fitschen, the president of the National Legal Foundation, and a former senior legal advisor to Project Blitz, acknowledged the groups attempts to have states adopt measures to include In God We Trust, the Bible, and other Christian-related topcs in public schools.

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However, he denied Ms Lasers allegations that the mission behind the measures was aimed at making Christianity a state religion.

Its not about a secret way to evangelise, Mr Fitschen told the Tampa Bay Times, noting students already have Bible clubs and other religion-related activities on campuses. We are not advocating using the mechanism of the state schools to do what kids can do themselves.

Mr Fitschen said that the groups aim to encourage the understanding and practice of religion is in-line with with the US Constitution. While the First Amendment prohibits the government from establishing a religion, he argued that it also encouraged and supported religious practice.

Encouraging religion is not establishing religion, Mr Fitschen added.

But State Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat representing Broward COunty, said he is also worried about the slippery slope HB 195 could start. He expressed more support to the idea of educating students on the diversity of religion rather than just the Bible.

As a Christian myself, I would love to learn about different religions, because it would give me an opportunity to respect my brothers and sisters in a different manner, Mr Jones said. If were saying, My religion trumps yours, that causes the divisions we already have.

But Mr Drake, the co-sponsor of the bill, said he has no objection to teaching world religions and their sacred texts.

In the world there is one book that is the ultimate authority on mankind. That is the Holy Bible, Mr Drake added. I think it should be studied in our schools.A Georgia businessman is missing after allegedly scamming his friends, family, and mother out of $750,000 in exchange for non-existent Super Bowl tickets before skipping town.

Ketan Shah, a businessman described as squeaky-clean by one of his victims, apparently left his Gwinnett County town after staging the months-long scam, which involved taking large sums of money from roughly a dozen people while promising tickets to the upcoming game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

I really dont know where ehe is now, Mr Shas wife, Bhavi, told local news channel WSBTV2 in Atlanta. I really dont, Im sorry.

Among those who found themselves allegedly falling victim to Mr Shah was his own mother, who reached out to police after losing $36,000 in her sons scam, but did not file charges.

Mr Shah reportedly sits on community boards in his area, and owns a digital printing business there.

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 victim who called Mr Shahs reputation squeaky-clean, said that he and a friend had deposited $20,000 with the businessman. They never received those tickets.

Yet another victim reportedly lost $500,000 in the exchange, and also indicated that he had trusted Mr Shah because of his reputation in the community.

Police expressed shock that Mr Shah had engaged in the scam that left people in the lurch.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Its not that he posted some ad and random people are contacting this guy for tickets and being scammed, Gwinnett County police spokesman Corporal Wilbert Rundles told WSBTV. Hes known these people for many years. One of them, hes known his whole life because its his own mother, and hes taken advantage of them.A woman who switched off the life support of a stranger she believed to be her brother is suing the New York hospital she says is responsible for the mix-up.

Shirell Powell has launched legal action against St Barnabas Hospital after she was told her brother, Frederick Williams, 40, had been admitted to hospital and was unlikely to pull through.

Ms Powell, 48, rushed to the bedside of the man who was admitted unconscious on 15 July after an apparent overdose, and whose appearance was obscured by a neck brace and breathing tubes.

She contacted family members, including her brothers two daughters, and they grieved at his bedside for nine days after doctors declared him brain dead before switching off his ventilation.

It was only after an autopsy by the New York Medical Examiners Office, that the family say they were told that the man they were mourning was the similarly named Freddy Clarence Williams, also 40.

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

I nearly fainted because I killed somebody that I didnt even know. I gave consent, Ms Powell told the told the New York Post, which first reported the suit.

Her real brother, meanwhile, had been arrested for assault on 1 July and had not been in touch with family.

Ms Powell, 48, is suing the hospital for an unspecified amount, alleging its negligence led to severe emotional harm and injuries, according to documents filed with the Bronx Supreme Court, which St Barnabas disputes.

Ms Powell said her brother was a previous patient of the hospital, and she had been called as next of kin when the similarly named man was admitted.

While another sister was initially unconvinced the larger man was their brother, Ms Powell said facial resemblances changed her mind.

He had tubes in his mouth, a neck brace, she told The Post. He was a little swollen [But] he resembled my brother so much.

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He couldnt speak from the time they brought him in the hospital. They just assumed it was my brother.

Ms Powell alleges staff should have noticed the differences in the two mens names, as well as the different social security number, which Freddy Clarence Williams had on him at the time.

She says she still gets upset over the case and says she sought to contact Freddy Clarence Williams family but the hospital would not release any information as she is not a relative.

St Barnabas Hospital was approached for comment but did not immediately respond. A spokesperson told The Post it does not comment on pending legal cases but said: We dont feel there is any merit to this claim.Elizabeth Warren has reportedly apologised for previously relying on a DNA test to prove her Native American ancestry.

The Massachusetts senator reached out to us and has apologised to the tribe, Cherokee Nation spokeswoman Julie Hubbard said in a statement relayed by CNN. The Independent has contacted Ms Hubbard and Ms Warren's team for more information.

Ms Warren publicised the results of a DNA test she had taken in October last year. In a video, she could be heard talking with Stanford University genetics professor Carlos Bustamante, who told her the results of the test suggest she absolutely has Native American ancestry.

The test, and Ms Warrens decision to make its results public, led to backlash, including from Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr who said at the time in a statement: Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong.

It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

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 Hubbard said the tribe views Ms Warrens reported apology as a hopeful sign.

We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests, she added in her statement. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.

Ms Warren publicised the results of her DNA test in response to Donald Trump, who has frequently mocked the senators references to her Native American heritage  at one point referring to Ms Warren as Pocahontas.

She is expected to officially announce her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on 9 February, having opened her presidential exploratory committee a month ago.

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The senator has been telling supporters she is to make a "big announcement" on that day.

Additional reporting by agencies.Lax regulations and chronic short staffing made the devastating collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil all but destined to happen, experts and legislators have claimed.

The failure of the dam holding back iron ore mining waste unleashed an avalanche of mud that buried buildings and contaminated water downstream.

At least 115 people died in the collapse on 25 January, and another 248 people remain missing.

One of the cruelest aspects of the tragedy in Brumadinho is that it has happened before: in 2015, mining dams burst in nearby Mariana in what is considered Brazil's worst environmental disaster.

In the three years since the Mariana rupture killed 19 people, the regulation of the industry has reduced, not increased, in Minas Gerais state.

"It felt like it was just a matter of time before something bigger would happen," said Josiele Rosa Silva Tomas, the president of the Brumadinho residents' association.

Problems that existed when the dams in Mariana burst have persisted, like dramatic short-staffing, while a new law has reduced the say of environmental groups in the project licensing process.

Environmental groups accused the previous Congress and president of rolling back significant protections, and many expect further weakening under president Jair Bolsonaro, who has said environmental regulation hamstrings several industries, including mining.

Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste Show all 7 1 /7 Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste A building lays in ruins after a dam collapsed in eastern Brazil. AP Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste A road near Brumadihno is blocked by waste. AP Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste An aerial view of the burst dam in eastern Brazil. AFP/Getty Images Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste The flow of waste spread from the dam to a nearby village. AP Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste A firefighters' helicopter hovers as rescuers work in the search for victims AFP/Getty Images Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste An aerial view shows flooding triggered by a dam collapse near Brumadinho. AP Brazil dam collapse leaves town buried in waste An aerial view after a dam collapsed near Brumadinho, Brazil. AP

But the politics that contributed to the collapses in Minas Gerais are much more local. For centuries, the mineral-rich state has revolved around the mining industry - its name, given by Portuguese colonisers, translates to "general mines".

"Minas Gerais has a centuries-long history of being lenient with the mining sector. It's cultural," Joao Vitor Xavier, a state deputy, said.

"The industry creates a discourse where they dangle jobs and economic growth in front of people, but they put profit over safety."

The CEO of Vale SA, which owned and operated the Brumadinho mining complex, acknowledges their regulatory measures fell short.

"Apparently to work under the (current) rules has not worked," Flavio Schvartsman said during a press conference several hours after the dam breach.

Officials have said they don't yet know why the dam collapsed.

Arrest warrants have been issued for five people responsible for safety assessments of the dam, including three Vale employees.

The Mariana collapse unleashed nearly 80 million cubic yards (60 million cubic metres) of mining waste into rivers and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.

While its environmental impact is considered the worst in Brazilian history, Brumadinho has already far surpassed its death toll.

In the wake of the Mariana tragedy, Minas Gerais was already struggling to implement what regulation it had: a 2016 audit found the state had only 20 per cent of the staff needed at the agency charged with regulating mines.

Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Show all 16 1 /16 Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Gleyse Kelly da Silva embraces her daughter Maria Giovanna, who has microcephaly, in 2016. She has help from her husband and mother in caring for "Gigi". But the burden is still great, and she was forced to leave her job as a toll attendant Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil "She does not sit alone, she does not roll, she does not do anything alone," Gleyse said. Gigi needs an orthopedist, but there are not enough to go around, and she's perpetually on waiting lists Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Gleyse holds her now two-year-old daughter Maria Giovanna, at their house in Recife. She struggles with navigating her daughter's wheelchair on public transportation. Few buses have working lifts, and some drivers have refused to help her. Such struggles prompted Gleyse to help create the Union of Mothers of Angels, which provides advice and logistical support for mothers of children with microcephaly. The group now serves more than 250 families in Pernambuco Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil A few years ago Jackeline Vieira de Souza fought to overcome a very rare complication from an earlier pregnancy, and then survived cancer. "My dream was to be a mother again," she says. In 2015, she got her wish. But during her pregnancy, she learned that her son had microcephaly. "When he was born, I fell in love with him because I knew he would be a good thing in my life, even with the difficulties I would have to face." In this picture Jackeline uses a green bottle to stimulate her then four-month-old son Daniel Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Jackeline stands by as Daniel, who is now two years old, during an evaluation session with a physiotherapist at the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional in Recife Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Jackeline holds up Daniel, then just four months old. Daniel's father separated from Jackeline shortly after learning that his son had microcephaly. He pays a small amount of family support every month, in addition to a monthly check that Jackeline gets from the government Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Daniel with his brother at their house. It takes several hours to travel by bus between their home in Olinda and Recife, where Daniel goes for treatments. Lately, those trips are somewhat less frequent, and Jackeline believes Daniel's health is more stable. She has no illusions that her son will ever walk, eat on his own or live a normal life. Yet in many ways she is grateful for her "miracle" baby, who she says makes her feel "happy and more accomplished." Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Rosana Vieira Alves and her then five-month-old daughter Luana Vieira, who was born with microcephaly, in the sea of Porto de Galinhas. She has three daughters. "It's hard to manage the girls. Some of them are jealous, but Luana needs more care. In time, they'll understand." Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Rosana holds up Luana at their house in 2016. She does not have any family support and is overwhelmed by the cost of housing and Luana's medicines. She counts it a victory that she has managed to get a wheelchair for Luana, and worries about the four surgeries her daughter needs to correct problems with her eyes, her gut and the position of her hips and feet Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Rosana, 28, washes her now two-year-old daughter Luana. The demands have taken Rosana to some dark places, and she confesses that she has considered suicide. But she still dreams of a better future, and hopes to get a degree in accounting or civil engineering Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Luana reacts to stimulus during an evaluation session with a physiotherapist at the Altino Ventura rehabilitation center in Recife Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Rosana carries Luana (then four months old), while taking her daughters Laiane Sophia (left) and Vitoria Evillen to their school Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Gabriela Alves de Azevedo, holds her then four-month-old daughter Ana Sophia, who was born with microcephaly, at their house in 2016. Gabriela had planned to finish high school and study physical therapy. Now, she spends her days caring for her child Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Ana Sophia, now three-years-old, being held by Gabriela. Her husband left shortly after the birth. He could not accept their child's condition, Gabriela says, and does not pay child support Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Gabriela bathing her Ana Sophia, in 2016. After he husband left she said: "I went into depression and my family helped me. If it was not for them, I would have gone crazy." Reuters Mothers of babies afflicted by Zika fight poverty in Brazil Silvina da Silva poses with her two-year-old granddaughter Ana Sophia Reuters

Environmentalists say mining regulation has got even weaker since.

In 2015, the state approved a new process for licensing mining projects. It shifted responsibility from a board that included several environmental organisations to the state environmental secretary, who created a new board with a majority of participants favourable to mining industry interests.

Then governor Fernando Pimentel argued the bill would reduce bureaucracy.

But days before the law was approved, the Minas Association of Environmental Defence called it "one of the biggest setbacks in environmental regulation in the country".

Associated PressA joint military exercise between the UK and Saudi Arabia is due to commence this weekend despite widespread condemnation of the kingdoms role in the four-year-old Yemeni civil war.

Around 100 British Navy crew are set to participate in the five-day drill with Saudi forces on Sunday, leading to accusations against the governments complete abdication of Britains moral responsibility.

Lashing out at the plans in an article for The Independent, the shadow defence secretary Nia Griffiths today calls on ministers to suspend any future joint exercises with the Saudi kingdom, without delay.

It also follows months of international pressure on the kingdom over the killing of the prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the United Nations launching an investigation into the distressing case.

Responding to a parliamentary question tabled in the House of Commons, the armed forces minister Mark Lancaster said the UK had two planned military exercises with the Saudi kingdom in the coming weeks.

The first is expected to launch on Sunday over a five-day period and involves two Royal Navy Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs)  each with a crew of between 35 and 50 British personnel.

A second  operation Desert Soldier  is set to involve the Army between March and April in a table-top planning exercise.

Recommended Residents in besieged Yemeni city forced to eat rubbish

Instead of taking a stand against the kingdom, Ms Griffith said the UK government has in fact planned a two-week military exercise with Saudi next month, as well as the five-day naval drill which starts on Sunday.

She wrote: It simply beggars belief that we would even consider a joint exercise with the very same Saudi Navy which blockades key ports in Yemen, thereby exacerbating the starvation and suffering of the Yemeni people.

To go ahead with these exercises not only represents a complete abdication of this countrys moral responsibility, it also reveals a bleak, pessimistic view of Britains place in the world.

Ms Griffiths continued: Instead of happily going along with Saudi and its abhorrent regime, we should be using our diplomatic clout to push for lasting peace in Yemen and an immediate investigation into allegations of war crimes.

Until then, all future military exercises should be suspended without delay.

In 2018, the United Nations warned that the war ravaging Yemen could result in the worst famine in the world in 100 years if the fighting continues. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed in the region since bombing of the country began in 2015.

Food aid for Yemenis stolen Show all 21 1 /21 Food aid for Yemenis stolen Food aid for Yemenis stolen People walk in a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen People stand near their rooms inside a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A baby sleeps inside a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A woman sits with her baby inside a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen Sisters play in their room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen The entrance of the hangar of the United Nations in Aden, Yemen, in this 23 July 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A man sells aid supplies at a market in Aden, Yemen, in this 23 July 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen The entrance to the port where aid is received, in Aden, Yemen, is shown in this 23 July 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen This 24 July 2018 photo shows a gas station on a road in Shabwah, Yemen. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A worn-out list of registered names for aid by Relief International, part of the World Food Program, is posted in Aden, Yemen in this 23 July 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A truck carries aid on a road in Aden, Yemen, in this 23 July 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A man fixes his scarf at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen Children play in a room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen Children look out of their room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A woman holds her baby as she leaves her room in a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A family poses for a photograph in their room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A family sits in their room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A bucket filled with bread at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, is shown in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A family poses for a photograph in a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A child stands in a room at a shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Food aid for Yemenis stolen A shelter for displaced persons in Ibb, Yemen, is shown in this 3 Aug 2018 photo. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Ms Griffiths also repeated her partys call for an immediate arms embargo to ensure that we do not export anything to Saudi Arabia that could be used in the countrys war.

Our own government has repeatedly ignored these calls and refused to follow the example of allies such as Germany who have suspended their sales, she said.

Even the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi did nothing to change the Conservatives policy of appeasing the Riyadh regime. Nor have the widespread reports of torture or the mistreatment of detainees led to a change of heart.

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) said the Saudi military has been armed, supported and aided every step of the way by the UK government.

He added: This kind of military collaboration is a key part of the fawning relationship between Westminster and the Saudi royal family. The key message these exercises send is that no matter how many people are killed in Yemen the UK government will continue to offer its uncritical and military support to the regime.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: The longstanding partnership between the UK and Saudi Arabia helps make both of our countries safer. We have vital national interests in maintaining that relationship, including intelligence sharing and tackling extremist regional threats.The government has been accused of quietly delaying efforts to shame top firms who underpay their workers amid fears Brexit preparations are sucking the energy out of government.

High-street names such as Wagamama and Marriott Hotels have been criticised in the past for failing to pay their staff the minimum wage, as part of regular disclosures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

But as the ongoing Brexit crisis engulfs the government, routine reports to name and shame offending firms have dried up.

The department has not published a list of offenders since last summer, prompting concern that protecting low-paid workers has fallen off the governments to-do list.

Implementing Brexit has been described as the biggest, most challenging peacetime task the civil service has faced by one of the UKs top civil servants, Tom Meggs, who heads up the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

BEIS has one of the largest Brexit workloads in Whitehall, with the highest number of dedicated work streams in any government department, according to a recent report by the Institute for Government (IfG).

Green MP Caroline Lucas, who uncovered the delay, told The Independent it was deeply concerning that the issue has fallen off the governments to-do list.

The naming and shaming scheme was designed to send a loud and clear message to employers who exploit workers with illegal poverty wages that cheating does not pay, she said.

If ministers are remotely concerned about addressing some of the very real reasons people voted for Brexit, tackling criminally low pay should be a top priority  not something they drop as departments drown in last-minute preparations.

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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey also attacked the move as a sign that the government has given up on governing.

She said: While the Tories are consumed by the Brexit mess they have created, other serious issues like this are falling by the wayside.

And former Lib Dem business secretary Sir Vince Cable said: This is a disgrace and demonstrates the way that Brexit is sucking all the energy out of government.

Naming and shaming these organisations is an absolutely crucial weapon in the war against exploitative low pay. But this government clearly doesnt care.

Theresa May has previously been accused of shelving a batch of key policies, which include moves to prevent restaurant and bar bosses snatching workers tips, to stop residents being exploited by ripoff leases or rogue bailiffs and to ban wild animals from circuses.

Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Show all 11 1 /11 Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) and a pro-Brexit protester argue as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A pro-Brexit protester argues Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround the pro-Brexit protester after he confronted Steve Bray, a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer as he argues with a remain supporter, Steve Bray, outside Parliament PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament MPs in Parliament are to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal next week after her December vote was called off in the face of a major defeat Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police look on as anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament. Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police hold back a leave supporter PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A police officer speaks with anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround a pro-Brexit protester after he confronted a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Conservative MP David Davies, wearing a gopro camera, speaks to anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images

Other crucial policies on the backburner would use schools to tackle childhood obesity and help women suffering sexual, psychological and violent abuse.

In 2017-18, HMRC took action against more than 1,000 businesses, identifying 15.6m for over 200,000 workers who had been illegally underpaid.

A BEIS spokesperson said: The enforcement of the National Minimum Wage is a top priority for the department.

Action has been taken against more than 1,000 businesses for underpaying workers and the budget for National Minimum Wage enforcement was increased from 13.2m to 26.3m between 2015 and 2018.Labour MPs will give Jeremy Corbyn a week to prove the leadership has got to grips with the antisemitism row that has dogged the party.

MPs are braced for a fresh clash over handling of anti-Jewish sentiment in Labours ranks amid warnings the party risks appearing institutionally antisemitic if the issue is not addressed.

The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) will debate a motion on Monday that would give the leadership seven days to set out how it is addressing the antisemitism allegations which engulfed the party last year.

The move comes amid anger over Labours handling of disciplinary cases, including the decision to reinstate ex-MP Jim Sheridan, now a councillor in Renfrewshire, in Scotland, who was suspended from the party last year for allegedly making antisemitic comments online.

Mr Sheridan apologised to the Jewish community but he said his accusers had overreacted.

Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Show all 11 1 /11 Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) and a pro-Brexit protester argue as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A pro-Brexit protester argues Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround the pro-Brexit protester after he confronted Steve Bray, a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer as he argues with a remain supporter, Steve Bray, outside Parliament PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament MPs in Parliament are to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal next week after her December vote was called off in the face of a major defeat Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police look on as anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament. Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police hold back a leave supporter PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A police officer speaks with anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround a pro-Brexit protester after he confronted a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Conservative MP David Davies, wearing a gopro camera, speaks to anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images

The motion, tabled by Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell, said: In the months that have followed the PLP is dismayed that there remains such a backlog of antisemitism cases that are still to be investigated and a decision reached  in particular the high-profile cases that it was promised would be concluded by July 2018.

The PLP is very concerned by recent reports that a number of cases of alleged antisemitic activity from high-profile members have been dropped. The PLP calls on the party leadership to adequately tackle cases of antisemitism, as a failure to do so seriously risks antisemitism in the party appearing normalised and the party seeming to be institutionally antisemitic.

Deputy leader Tom Watson suggested last year that Labours general secretary Jennie Formby should step down if the antisemitism row had not been dealt with by Christmas.

He said Ms Formby had staked her career on dealing within antisemitism in Labour, after taking over from Iain McNicol in April 2018.

A Labour MP told The Independent: Obviously a commitment was made that this would be dealt with by the end of the year. Since then, it hasnt been gripped with or dealt with. There are still lots of outstanding cases and there are people who are being cleared and reinstated, having been suspended, where they have been guilty of egregious racism.

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However a source said the NCC, Labours disciplinary committee, was the only body with the power to expel members. It is independent of the leadership, including Ms Formby.

A Labour spokesperson said: Labour is committed to tackling antisemitism in all its forms wherever it arises, in our party and wider society. We have significantly sped up and strengthened our procedures for dealing with complaints about antisemitism.One in four Londoners have witnessed support for extremism in the past year, a survey has shown amid warnings that counter-radicalisation efforts are not reaching all communities.

A YouGov poll for the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime showed 25 per cent had witnessed views promoting, endorsing or supporting extremism.

The research suggests that as many as 1.5 million London adults may have been exposed to hate speech, in the wake of four terror attacks by Isis supporters and a far-right terrorist in the capital.

Its clear that our ability as a country to tackle radicalisation and violent extremism is simply not good enough, and this is putting our safety and security at risk, mayor Sadiq Khan said.

I dont think there are things such as hard to reach communities, there is hard to reach government and we need to do a far better job at making sure we engage with all Londoners.

Speaking to terror attack survivors, former extremists, religious leaders and counter-radicalisation campaigners gathered at Londons City Hall, Mr Khan said authorities needed to gain the trust of people exposed to extremism of all kinds.

He called for a full and frank assessment of existing government programmes to tackle low public engagement, adding: Too many communities now feel distrustful and alienated by Prevent and this is a fundamental flaw that needs to be addressed.

Research by the mayors office, commissioned before the government announced a review of its flagship counter-extremism programme last week, concluded that it needed to be overhauled.

The survey also showed that almost two-thirds of Londoners would not know how to seek support over terror concerns, and less than a quarter of respondents said they could spot the signs of extremism.

Mr Khan made an appeal for renewed efforts to promote cohesion and tolerance, amid heated divisions over Brexit.

Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell

Every single day, the real and constant threat from violent extremism weighs heavily on all our minds, he added.

The best way we can honour those we lost is not only to ensure we uphold and cherish the values the extremists most hate  democracy, justice, equality and openness to others  but to get much better at rooting out those who seek to spread these vile ideologies.

Mr Khan told The Independent that although the past year has seen no terror attacks in Britain, 18 plots had been foiled and there was an increased threat from both Islamists and far-right extremists.

What you need to do is stop people getting in the pipeline to become a terrorist, and that means countering violent extremism, he added. The threat is still there.

The mayor said he had spoken to both white working-class Londoners and those from Muslim, immigrant backgrounds who felt neglected by the state.

If you look at the radicalisation paths of far-right extremists, theyre very similar to the radicalisation paths of Islamist groups, he added.

People not having a sense of belonging, being worried about the other, having a sense of grievance. And then somebody comes along, usually somebody who is charismatic, who diverts you away to the often nihilistic views that theyve got as the solution  people are being radicalised and groomed in their bedrooms via the internet.

 Terror police appeal for public help to thwart plots

Mr Khan said he was concerned that Brexit would cause a spike in hate crime mirroring that following the 2016 EU referendum, and said police were contingency planning for potential civil unrest.

He has personally been targeted by right-wing activists and anti-Islam groups including the UK yellow vests, who hold him responsible for rising crime and other grievances.

Extremists frequently post doctored images of Mr Khan and racist memes on social media, and critics crowdfunded a balloon depicting the London mayor in a bikini to emulate an anti-Donald Trump protest.

The Finsbury Park attacker, Darren Osborne, named Mr Khan in a suicide note written before he ploughed a van into Muslims.

The mayor said the vitriol came from a small minority of people who use social media to articulate their hatred towards me and added: The key thing is to not allow haters to succeed by letting it affect you. Its distressing for friends and family but there are more of those that are decent than are horrible and nasty.Clothes made of fur from hamsters, lynx, kangaroos and other exotic animals are being legally sold in the UK, The Independent can reveal.

The findings have prompted renewed calls for a ban on imports of animal fur after Brexit, which ministers have long resisted.

Harrods is selling a luxe trench made from kangaroos for 6,300, and British eBay users can buy a Greek Skandinavik coat made from lynx for 418.11.

Smaller online platforms will also ship clothing made from lynx, coyote, goat, rabbit and raccoon, as well as mink.

Fur farms are banned in Britain but imports are considered a loophole so trade in foreign fur from these species  and otter, badger, bobcat and wolf  is legal.

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Online retailer Farfetch has revealed it is going fur-free from December, after The Independent found it selling:

a parka with a hamster fur lining for 1,950

a jacket of lynx fur  as well as mink, fox and lamb  for 5,684

and a coat with lynx fur for 4,835

It is believed 100 or more hamsters would have been used to make the parka lining. Farfetch also sells beaver fur clothing.

ThreeSixty Clothing was charging 622.80 for a hood made of hamsters  until questioned by The Independent over its policy.

The company said it noted animal-welfare activists concerns and would remove the hood from sale.

Mark Glover, director of anti-fur group Respect for Animals, said: Tragically it is legal to import both lynx and hamster fur, which is entirely hypocritical since the main methods of obtaining it (trapping, often using leg-hold traps, and fur farming) have been banned here for many years.

He said the steel-jawed leg-hold trap, the trap of choice for many hunters, was a horrific device that causes incalculable suffering to animals caught in its jaws.

Humane Society International UK head Claire Bass said: FarFetchs admirable decision to go fur-free, following discussions with our colleagues in the US, makes good business sense as well as preventing suffering.

The steel-jawed leg-hold trap is a horrific device that causes incalculable suffering to animals caught in its jaws Mark Glover

Lynx have been listed as threatened since 2000 across much of North America.

And the idea of killing and skinning hundreds of hamsters to make a single fur-lined parka is grotesque.

The charity called for ministers to make Britain fur-free. The government argues EU rules make an imports ban impossible.

It's believed 100 hamsters may have been used to make a coat lining (AFP/Getty Images)

Harrods said other UK and online retailers also stock the kangaroo coat.

Skandinavik Fur said it bought lynx bobcat legally from the US: Our furs come from the USA, Canada, Latin America and Europe, and fulfil international farming or trapping standards.

If we have solid evidence pelts come from farms where welfare standards are not met, we will stop cooperation, a spokesman said.

Fur coats can last up to 50 years and are recyclable, he added.

Last year, Commons environment committee MPs called for an imports ban after real fur goods were found wrongly labelled as fake.

But ministers ruled out both a ban and new compulsory labelling laws.At the last count, 27 million people in Britain worked in the private sector. Going by the latest numbers, too, the total voting population stands at 45.7 million.

Some more statistics. There are 8,000 large businesses in the country, defined as more than 250 employees, accounting for 40 per cent of employment.

Which means that a substantial chunk of the UK electorate work for those large businesses. And yet, here is the rub: no one is listening. Worse, many of those employees are defying their bosses and going completely against what theyre advocating.Anna Kendrick has written a heartfelt note to the hospital staff who treated her for kidney stones in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Pitch Perfect actor revealed that shed been hospitalised on Friday and penned a series of Tweets dedicated to the medical professionals who cared for her when she was at her most vulnerable and terrified.

"So, I need to give a shout out to the Atlanta doctors and nurses who helped me through my first experience with kidney stones," the 33-year-old began before proceeding to name the truly wonderful ladies involved.

"Renee, Sandra, Muriel, Beverly, Ashley, Nina, Callie, she wrote, confessing she couldnt remember one persons name.

In fairness, you were one of the people giving me the heavy s*** right before I went under, Kendrick added.

NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, addresses demonstrators following the march AFP/Getty NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Reuters NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images

But you laughed at my tired a** If I die, clear my search history joke and I appreciate that.

She continued: I was worried that my pain would turn out to be nothing serious or something that I should have been able to fight through.

Im so grateful to these women. Even if we only interacted for a moment, know that the attention and kindness you give your patients is so appreciated.

Kendricks tweets have been widely shared by her fans, with many offering messages of support and wishing her a speedy recovery.

Hope youre feeling better! In your defense...im pretty sure we would all want our search histories cleared in that situation[sic], wrote one person.

Anna, I feel you on so many levels, another added.

I had my first bout of kidney stones earlier this month while I was in the newsroom and thought it to be nothing serious until I was in agony for four days straight... without stopping wishing for it to end. I hope your recovery goes well!

Kidney stones are common in men and women between the ages of 30 and 60 and can be excruciatingly painful.

Recommended Anna Kendrick just made a very important point about relationships

Symptoms vary depending on the size of the stones, but they can cause nausea, restlessness and intense pain in the back or side of your abdomen.

Most are small enough to be passed in urine, but larger stones may require surgical removal.Martyna Majoks Pulitzer Prize-winning play gathers four people of a type we rarely encounter on the stage: the disabled and the carers who are paid to make their lives feasible. Its not a piece thats bent on swathing its subjects in ennobling sentiment. John, a student with cerebral palsy, snaps at Jess, whom he has just recruited to shower and dress him each morning, that the expression differently abled is f**king retarded. Cost of Living is a rare combination of matter-of-fact candour and watchful empathetic insight  plaited qualities found in abundance in Edward Halls production which sees the superlative Adrian Lester head a crack cast.

The play alternately follows two pairs in stories that eventually intersect. The gloriously foul-mouthed Ani is struggling to come to terms with the fact that a motor accident has left her quadriplegic. Who better than her estranged truck-driver husband Eddie to lift and wash her (he already has intimate knowledge of her body)? And who worse? The baggage from years of wedlock; his new girlfriend; the sense that  though he was in no way to blame for the accident  hes using the situation to do penance for the past.

Meanwhile, Jess (Emily Barber), a recent Princeton graduate and first-generation immigrant who has fallen on very hard times, is trying to augment her paltry income (from working in dubious late-night bars) by acting as carer to John (Jack Hunter), the moneyed PhD student with cerebral palsy. The play in no way depicts John as a bad person but, as the title suggests, were not allowed to forget that the US is the only industrialised nation that does not offer its citizens universal health coverage. So, given the pervasive anxiety about insurance, Johns explanation to Jess of why he doesnt hire from agencies feels rebarbatively luxurious, self-serving and privileged: They dont appreciate my lawsuits. If their people mess up, I can sue them so agencies limit aides to just doing the basics. And, of course, he does have some right on his side.

Katy Sullivan, the American actor who created the role of Ani  and who is a bilateral amputee and Paralympian  is tremendous as this ferocious motormouth figure. She tries to ward off the eager, slightly clumsy solicitude of her ex-spouse with volleys of New Jersey invective. In vain. Lester wonderfully conjures Eddies capacity for loving warmth and his deep, underlying loneliness. Theres an extraordinarily beautiful scene in which Eddie is giving Ani a bath; below the waterline, he is trying to ascertain how much feeling she still has down there and she warns him that she still feels that kind of feeling but in a different part of her body. In a way that connects several references to music and disability, he drapes her arm along the bathtub edge and plays it like a piano to a dreamy Satie tune on the radio. Its one of the most tender and sensual things that I have seen.

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Emily Barber and Jack Hunter are also very good as the other two  she gives him a complete shower at one point  and theres a line, delicately blurred, between the awkward eroticised intimacy of their encounters and tensions between them caused by nationality, class, expectation. But its with this pair that, to my mind, the play goes astray. For the final scenes to work, there has to be an excruciating misunderstanding between them about a Friday evening date: I cant bring myself to believe that it would have played out like this. A pity because, up to that point, I had been impressed with Majoks piece.

Cost of Living marks the hundredth UK premiere that Edward Hall and Greg Ripley-Duggan have mounted at Hampstead since they started there in 2010. Averting my eyes from the very odd dud, I pass on my congratulations. Which other theatre would be so hospitable to an unapologetically highbrow plays like Tony Kushners The Intelligent Homosexuals Guide to Capitalism and Socialism, or Rajiv Josephs Describe the Night?

Until 9 March, hampsteadtheatre.comBrooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has pleaded guilty to nine crimes, saying he joined a violent New York City gang and helped others try to kill a rival gang member.

The 22-year-old rapper  real name Daniel Hernandez  entered the plea last week. Information about it was unsealed Friday in Manhattan federal court.

During the plea, 6ix9ine said he joined the Nine Trey Blood Gang in fall 2017 and helped gang members try to kill a rival last March.

I did this to maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey, he told Judge Paul A Engelmayer. He said he also knew that another member of Nine Trey had a gun and discharged that gun.

The rapper said he also helped other gang members rob people at gunpoint as part of a pledge by new gang members to commit at least two crimes.

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. 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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. 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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

Last 2 June, he said, he paid a person to shoot at a rival member of Nine Trey to scare him. That shooting, he added, occurred in Manhattan. 6ix9ine said he also was paid for participating in the sale of a kilogram of cocaine in 2017.

I apologise to the court, to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends and fans for what I have done and who I have let down, 6ix9ine said.

With his deal with prosecutors, 6ix9ine can gain leniency at sentencing from an otherwise mandatory minimum 47 years in prison if he admits to all crimes and testifies truthfully. Sentencing was set for 23 January, 2020.

Attorney Dawn Florio said 6ix9ines safety was a chief concern.

In the very beginning of the case when we found out that my clients security was at risk because of threats by his co-defendants, we have done everything to protect himself and his family, she said, adding that those efforts continue.

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6ix9ine is being housed in a federal prison, though the location of the institution is undisclosed.

He has to be separated from the people who threatened him, Florio said.

6ix9ine was a social media phenomenon before becoming an ascendant name in hip-hop.

He has 15.5 million followers on Instagram. His album Day69: Graduation Day was among the top-sellers on iTunes following its February release.

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6ix9ine had a multiplatinum hit song, Fefe, with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at number three on the pop charts, and Stoopid, featuring the incarcerated rapper Bobby Shmurda.

He previously pleaded guilty in Brooklyn to disorderly conduct in connection with a May traffic stop. In 2015, he was sentenced to probation for appearing in a video in which a 13-year-old girl performed a sex act on another man.

Additional reporting by AP.Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was found dead in New York City on 2 February 1979, 40 years ago. It was less than four months after the death of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen  and Vicious stood accused of murdering her in the bathroom of their suite at the Chelsea Hotel. But four decades on, what really happened in Room 100 still remains unclear.

The boy born John Simon Ritchie in Lewisham was only 21 when he died. He overdosed on heroin at a Greenwich Village party thrown to celebrate his release from the notorious Rikers Island prison, a 55-day stay during which he had taken part in a  clearly ineffectual  drug rehabilitation programme.

Vicious had been held for assaulting Patti Smiths brother Todd with a broken Heineken bottle at the Hurrah nightclub while out on bail following his arrest on suspicion of murdering Spungen.

She had died of a stab wound to the abdomen on 12 October 1978. Viciouss fatal relapse at his release party meant he would never be convicted of her killing  although the certainty he was responsible has long lingered.

The 40 greatest song lyrics Show all 40 1 /40 The 40 greatest song lyrics The 40 greatest song lyrics Nirvana  "All Apologies" I wish I was like you / Easily amused / Find my nest of salt / Everything's my fault. As headbangers with bleeding poets hearts, Nirvana were singular. Yet their slower songs have become unjustly obscured as the decades have rolled by. Has Kurt Cobain even more movingly articulated his angst and his anger than on the best song from their swan-song album, 1993s In Utero? All Apologies  a mea culpa howled from the precipice  was directed to his wife, Courtney Love, and their baby daughter, Frances Bean. Six months later, Cobain would take his own life. No other composition more movingly articulates the despair that was set to devour him whole and the chest bursting love he felt for his family. Its circumstances are tragic yet its message  that loves lingers after we have gone  is uplifting. EP Rex The 40 greatest song lyrics Nine Inch Nails  "Hurt" And you could have it all / My empire of dirt / I will let you down / I will make you hurt. Trent Reznors lacerating diagnosis of his addiction to self-destruction  he has never confirmed whether or not the song refers to heroin use  would have an unlikely rebirth via Johnny Cashs 2002 cover. But all of that ache, torrid lyricism and terrible beauty is already present and correct in Reznors original. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Joy Division  Love Will Tear Us Apart Why is the bedroom so cold turned away on your side? / Is my timing that flawed, our respect run so dry? Basking in its semi-official status as student disco anthem Joy Divisions biggest hit has arguably suffered from over-familiarity. Yet approached with fresh ears the aching humanity of Ian Curtiss words glimmer darkly. His marriage was falling apart when he wrote the lyrics and he would take his own life shortly afterwards. But far from a ghoulish dispatch from the brink Love Will Tear Us Apart unfurls like a jangling guitar sonnet  sad and searing. EP Paul Slattery/Retna The 40 greatest song lyrics Arcade Fire  "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" They heard me singing and they told me to stop / Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock. Locating the dreamy underside of suburban ennui was perhaps the crowning achievement of Arcade Fire and their finest album, The Suburbs. Many artists have tried to speak to the asphyxiating conformity of life amid the manicured lawns and two-cars-in-the-drive purgatory of life in the sticks. But Arcade Fire articulated the frustrations and sense of something better just over the horizon that will be instantly familiar to anyone who grew up far away from the bright lights, Sprawl IIs keening synths gorgeous counterpointed by Regine Chassagne who sings like Bjork if Bjork stocked shelves in a supermarket while studying for her degree by night. EP AFP/Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Beyonce  "Formation" "I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros / I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils / Earned all this money but they'll never take the country out me / I got hot sauce in my bag, swag." Beyonce had made politically charged statements before this, but Formation felt like her most explicit. The lyrics reclaim the power in her identity as a black woman from the deep south and have her bragging about her wealth and refusing to forget her roots. In a society that still judges women for boasting about their success, Beyonce owns it, and makes a point of asserting her power, including over men. You might just be a black Bill Gates in the making, she muses, but then decides, actually: I might just be a black Bill Gates in the making. RO (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella) The 40 greatest song lyrics Laura Marling  Ghosts Lover, please do not / Fall to your knees / Its not Like I believe in / Everlasting love. Haunted folkie Marling was 16 when she wrote her break-out ballad  a divination of teenage heartache with a streak of flinty maturity that punches the listener in the gut. Its one of the most coruscating anti-love songs of recent history  and a reminder that, Mumford and Sons notwithstanding  the mid 2000s nu-folk scene wasnt quite the hellish fandango posterity has deemed it. EP Alan McAteer The 40 greatest song lyrics LCD Soundsystem  "Losing My Edge" Im losing my edge / To all the kids in Tokyo and Berlin / I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered Eighties. One of the best songs ever written about ageing and being forced to make peace with the person you are becoming. Long before the concept of the hipster had gone mainstream, the 30-something James Murphy was lamenting the cool kids  with their beards and their trucker hats  snapping at his heels. Coming out of his experiences as a too-cool-for school DJ in New York, the song functions perfectly well as a satire of Nathan Barley-type trendies. But, as Murphy desperately reels off all his cutting-edge influences, its the seam of genuine pain running through the lyrics that give it its universality. EP Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Leonard Cohen  "So Long, Marianne" Well you know that I love to live with you/ but you make me forget so very much / I forget to pray for the angels / and then the angels forget to pray for us. You could fill an entire ledger with unforgettable Cohen lyrics  couplets that cut you in half like a samurai blade so that you dont even notice whats happened until you suddenly slide into pieces. So Long, Marianne was devoted to his lover, Marianne Jensen, whom he met on the Greek Island of Hydra in 1960. As the lyrics attest, they ultimately passed like ships in a long, sad night. She died three months before Cohen, in July 2016. Shortly beforehand he wrote to her his final farewell  a coda to the ballad that had come to define her in the wider world. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine... Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics The Libertines  "Can't Stand Me Now" "An end fitting for the start / you twist and tore our love apart." The great pop bromance of our times came crashing down shortly after Carl Barat and Pete Doherty slung their arms around each others shoulders and delivered this incredible platonic love song. Has a break-up dirge ever stung so bitterly as when the Libertines duo counted the ways in which each had betrayed the other? Shortly afterwards, Dohertys spiralling chemical habit would see him booted out of the group and he would become a national mascot for druggy excess  a sort of Danny Dyer with track-marks along his arm. But he and Barat  and the rest of us  would always have Cant Stand Me Now, a laundry list of petty betrayals that gets you right in the chest. EP Rex Features The 40 greatest song lyrics Kate Bush  "Cloudbusting" "You're like my yo-yo/ That glowed in the dark/ What made it special/ Made it dangerous/ So I bury it/ And forget." Few artists use surrealism as successfully as Kate Bush  or draw inspiration from such unusual places. So you have Cloudbusting, about the relationship between psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich and his son, Peter, the latter of whom Bush inhabits with disarming tenderness. The way Peters father is compared to such a vivid childhood memory is a perfect, haunting testimony to the ways we are affected by loss as adults. RO Rex The 40 greatest song lyrics Nick Cave  "Into my Arms" I don't believe in an interventionist God / But I know, darling, that you do / But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him / Not to intervene when it came to you." True, the lyrics spew and coo and, written down, resemble something Robbie Williams might croon on his way back from the tattoo parlour (And I don't believe in the existence of angels /But looking at you I wonder if that's true). Yet they are delivered with a straight-from-the-pulpit ferocity from Cave as he lays out his feelings for a significant other (opinions are divided whether it is directed to the mother of his eldest son Luke, Viviane Carneiro, or to PJ Harvey, with whom he was briefly involved). Hes gushing all right, but like lava from a volcano, about to burn all before it. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Sisters of Mercy  "This Corrosion" On days like this/ In times like these/I feel an animal deep inside/ Heel to haunch on bended knees. Andrew Eldritch is the great forgotten lyricist of his generation. Dominion/Mother Russia was a rumination on the apocalypse and also a critique of efforts to meaningfully engage with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Ever better, and from the same Floodlands album was This Corrosion  a track more epic than watching all three Lord the Rings movies from the top of Mount Everest. Amid the choirs and the primordial guitars, what gives the nine-minute belter its real power are the lyrics  which may (or may not) allude to the not-at-all amicable departure from the Sisters of Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams. Either way, Eldritch paints forceful pictures in the listeners head, especially during the stream of consciousness outro, unspooling like an excerpt from HP Lovecrafts The Necronomicon or the Book of Revelations: The Musical. EP Rex The 40 greatest song lyrics Sultans of Ping FC  "Where's Me Jumper?" It's alright to say things can only get better/ You haven't lost your brand new sweater/ Pure new wool, and perfect stitches/ Not the type of jumper that makes you itches. Received as a novelty ditty on its debut in  pauses to feel old  January 1992, the Sultans lament for a missing item of woollen-wear has, with time, been revealed as something deeper. Its obviously playful and parodying of angst-filled indie lyrics (of which there was no shortage in the shoe-gazy early Nineties). But theres a howl of pain woven deep into the songs fabric, so that the larking is underpinned with a lingering unease. EP Flickr/Ian Oliver The 40 greatest song lyrics The Smiths  "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" Take me out tonight/Take me anywhere, I don't care/I don't care, I don't care. As with Leonard Cohen, you could spend the rest of your days debating the greatest Morrissey lyrics. But surely there has never been a more perfect collection of couplets than that contained in their 1982 opus. Its hysterically witty, with the narrator painting death by ten-ton truck as the last word in romantic demises. But the trademark Moz sardonic wit is elsewhere eclipsed by a blinding light of spiritual torment, resulting in a song that functions both as cosmic joke and howl into the abyss. EP Rex The 40 greatest song lyrics Bruce Springsteen  "I'm on Fire" At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet/ And a freight train running through the/ Middle of my head /Only you can cool my desire. Written down, Springsteen lyrics can  stops to ensure reinforced steel helmet is strapped on  read like a fever-dream Bud Light commercial. Its the delivery, husky, hokey, all-believing that brings them to life. And he has never written more perfectly couched verse than this tone-poem about forbidden desire from 1984s Born in the USA. Springsteen was at that time engaged to actress/model Julianne Phillips though he had already experienced a connection to his future wife Patti Scialfa, recently joined the E-Street Band as a backing singer. Thus the portents of the song do not require deep scrutiny, as lust and yearning are blended into one of the most combustible cocktails in mainstream rock. EP (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation) The 40 greatest song lyrics Tori Amos  "Father Lucifer" He says he reckons I'm a watercolour stain/ He says I run and then I run from him and then I run/ He didn't see me watching from the aeroplane/ He wiped a tear and then he threw away our apple seed. The daughter of a strict baptist preacher, Amos constantly wrote about her daddy issues. Father Lucifer was further inspired by visions she had received whilst taking peyote with a South American shaman. The result was a feverish delving into familial angst, framed by a prism of nightmarish hallucination. Its about love, death, God and the dark things in our life we darent confront  the rush of words delivered with riveting understatement. EP AFP/Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Public Enemy  "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" I got a letter from the government/ The other day/I opened and read it/It said they were suckers/ They wanted me for their army or whatever/ Picture me given' a damn, I said never. Decades before Black Lives Matter, Chuck D and Public Enemy were articulating the under siege reality of daily existence for millions of African-Americans. Black Steel, later covered by trip-hopper Tricky, is a pummelling refusal to be co-opted into Americans Land of the Free mythology  a message arguably as pertinent today as when it kicked down the doors 30 years ago. EP Secret Garden Party The 40 greatest song lyrics Kendrick Lamar " Swimming Pool (Drank)" First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it/ Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it/ I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock. Lamar is widely acknowledged as one of contemporary hip-hops greatest lyricists. He was never more searing than on this early confessional  a rumination on his poverty-wracked childhood and the addictions that ripped like wildfire through his extended family in Compton and Chicago. There is also an early warning about the destructive temptations of fame as the young Kendrick is invited to join hip hops tradition of riotous excess and lose himself in an acid bath of liquor and oblivion. EP Getty Images for NARAS The 40 greatest song lyrics Prince  "Sign O' the Times" A skinny man died of a big disease with a little name/ By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same. Princes lyrics had always felt like an extension of his dreamily pervy persona and, even as the African-American community bore the brunt of Reagan-era reactionary politics, Prince was living in his own world. He crashed back to earth with his 1987 masterpiece  and its title track, a stunning meditation on gang violence, Aids, political instability and natural disaster. EP Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Rolling Stones  "Gimme Shelter" "War, children, it's just a shot away/ It's just a shot away." Nobody captured the violent tumult of the end of the Sixties better than Mick, Keith and co. Their one masterpiece to rule them all was, of course, Gimme Shelter. Today, the credit for its uncanny power largely goes to Merry Claytons gale-force backing vocals. But the Satanic majesty also flows from the lyrics  which spoke to the pandemonium of the era and the sense that civilisation could come crashing in at any moment. EP Redferns The 40 greatest song lyrics David Bowie  "Station to Station" Once there were mountains on mountains/ And once there were sun birds to soar with/ And once I could never be down/Got to keep searching and searching. Which Bowie lyrics to single out? The gordian mystery of Bewlay Brothers? The meta horror movie of Ashes to Ashes? The uncanny last will and testament that was the entirety of Blackstar  a ticking clock of a record that shape-shifted into something else entirely when Bowie passed away three days after its release? You could stay up all night arguing so lets just pick on one of the greats  the trans-Continental odyssey comprising the title track to Station to Station. Recorded, goes the myth, in the darkest days of Bowies LA drug phase, the track is a magisterial eulogy for the Europe he had abandoned and which he would soon return to for his Berlin period. All of that and Bowie makes the line its not the side effects of the cocaine feel like a proclamation of ancient wisdom. EP Express/Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Oasis  "Supersonic" She done it with a doctor on a helicopter/ She's sniffin in her tissue/ Sellin' the Big Issue. There is shameless revisionism and then there is claiming that Noel Gallagher is a great lyricist. And yet, its the sheer, triumphant dunder-headedness of Oasis biggest hits that makes them so enjoyable. Rhyming Elsa with Alka Seltzer, as Noel does on this Morning Glory smash, is a gesture of towering vapidity  but theres a genius in its lack of sophistication. Blur waxing clever, winking at Martin Amis etc, could never hold a candle to Oasis being gleefully boneheaded. EP Rex The 40 greatest song lyrics Underworld  "Born Slippy" You had chemicals boy/ I've grown so close to you/ Boy and you just groan boy. The ironic lager, lager, lager chant somehow became one the most bittersweet moments in Nineties pop. Underworld never wanted to be stars and actively campaigned against the release of their contribution to the Trainspotting score as a single. Yet there is no denying the glorious ache of this bittersweet groover  or the punch of Karl Hydes sad raver stream-of-consciousness wordplay. Its that rare dance track which reveals hidden depths when you sit down with the lyrics. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Fleetwood Mac  "Landslide" "And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills/ Till the landslide brought me down" Stevie Nicks was only 27 when she wrote one of the most poignant and astute meditations on how people change with time, and the fear of having to give up everything youve worked for. RO Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Paul Simon  "Graceland" She comes back to tell me she's gone/ As if I didn't know that/ As if I didn't know my own bed. With contributions from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Boyoyo Boys, Simons 1986 masterpiece album is regarded nowadays as a landmark interweaving of world music and pop. But it was also a break-up record mourning the end of his marriage of 11 months to Carrie Fisher. The pain of the separation is laid out nakedly on the title track, where he unflinchingly chronicles the dissolution of the relationship. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Lou Reed  "Walk on the Wild Side" "Candy came from out on the island/ In the backroom she was everybody's darling/ But she never lost her head/ Even when she was giving head/ She says, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side." Reeds most famous song paid tribute to all the colourful characters he knew in New York City. Released three years after the Stonewall Riots, Walk on the Wild Side embraced and celebrated the other in simple, affectionate terms. The Seventies represented a huge shift in visibility for LGBT+ people, and with this track, Reed asserted himself as a proud ally. RO AFP/Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Sharon Van Etten  "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" People say I'm a one-hit wonder/ But what happens when I have two?/ I washed your dishes, but I shit in your bathroom. The breakdown of a 10 year relationship informed some of the hardest hitting songs on the New Jersey songwriters fourth album. Are We There. She takes no prisoner on the closing track  a tale of domesticity rent asunder that lands its punches precisely because of Van Ettens eye for a mundane, even grubby, detail. EP Ryan Pfluger The 40 greatest song lyrics Patti Smith  Gloria Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine/ Meltin in a pot of thieves/ Wild card up my sleeve/ Thick heart of stone/ My sins my own/ They belong to me The song that launched a thousand punk bands. It takes three minutes to get to Van Morrisons chorus on Patti Smiths overhaul of Gloria, where she lusts after a girl she spots through the window at a party. Before that, there is poetry. She snarls and shrieks as though her vocal chords might rip. The ostentatiousness of the lyrics owes as much to poets Arthur Rimbaud and Baudelaire as it does to Jim Morrison. RO Samir Hussein/Redferns The 40 greatest song lyrics The Eagles  "Hotel California" There she stood in the doorway/ I heard the mission bell/ And I was thinking to myself/ This could be Heaven or this could be Hell. A cry of existential despair from the great soft-rock goliath of the Seventies. By the tail-end of the decade the Eagles were thoroughly fed up of one another and jaundiced by fame. The titular  and fictional  Hotel California is a metaphor for life in a successful rock band: You can check-out any time you like / But you can never leave. The hallucinatory imagery was meanwhile inspired by a late night drive through LA, the streets empty, an eerie hush holding sway. EP Rick Diamond/Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Thin Lizzy  "The Boys are Back in Town" Guess who just got back today/ Them wild-eyed boys that had been away/ Haven't changed that much to say/But man, I still think them cats are crazy. A strut of swaggering confidence captured in musical form  and a celebration of going back to your roots and reconnecting with the people who matter. Thin Lizzys biggest hit was in part inspired by Phil Lynotts childhood memories of a Manchester criminal gang. The gang members were constantly in and out of prison and the song imagines one of their reunions  even name-checking their favourite hangout of Dinos Bar and Grill where the drink will flow and the blood will spill. EP REX The 40 greatest song lyrics Nina Simone  "Four Women" "Ill kill the first mother I see/ My life has been too rough/ Im awfully bitter these days/ Because my parents were slaves." Included on her 1966 album Wild is the Wind, Simone depicts four characters  Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing and Peaches  who represent different parts of the lasting legacy of slavery. Some critics accused her of racial stereotyping, but for Simone, it was these womens freedom to define themselves that gave them their power. RO Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics St Vincent  "Digital Witness" Digital witnesses/ whats the point of even sleeping?/ If I cant show it, if you cant see me/ Whats the point of doing anything? One of the best songs written about the illusory intimacy fostered the internet. St Vincent  aka Texas songwriter Annie Clark  was singing about how social media fed our narcissism and gave us a fake sense of our place in the world. EP Anthony Harvey/Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Frank Ocean  "Pink + White" "Up for air from the swimming pool/ You kneel down to the dry land/ Kiss the Earth that birthed you Gave you tools just to stay alive/ And make it up when the sun is ruined." Co-written with Pharrell and Tyler, the Creator, Pink + White stands out even on an album like Frank Oceans Blonde. He sings  with a gently swaying, almost resigned delivery  surrealist lyrics that likens a past relationship to a brief high, from the perspective of the comedown that follows. RO Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Rufus Wainwright  "Dinner at Eight" If I want to see the tears in your eyes/ Then I know it had to be/ Long ago, actually in the drifting white snow/You loved me. Piano-man Wainwright can be too ornate for his own good. But how he lands his blows here in this soul-baring recounting of a violent disagreement with his father. Loudon III, a cult folkie in his own right walked out on the family when Rufus was a child and the simmering resentments had lingered on. They boiled over at a joint Rolling Stone photoshoot during which Rufus had joked that his dad needed him to get into Rolling Stone and his father had not taken the insult lying down. The dispute is here restaged by Wainwright the younger as a raging row at the dinner table. EP Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Bob Dylan  "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" "Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn/ Suicide remarks are torn/ From the fool's gold mouthpiece/ The hollow horn plays wasted words/ Proves to warn that he not busy being born/ Is busy dying." Its Alright Ma is a cornerstone in Dylans career that marks his shift from scrutinising politics to sardonically exposing all the hypocrisy in Western culture. He references the Book of Ecclesiastes but also Elvis Presley, and offers up the grim perspective of a man whose views do not fit in with the world around him. RO (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images) The 40 greatest song lyrics ABBA  "The Winner Takes it All" I don't wanna talk/ About the things we've gone through/ Though it's hurting me/ Now it's history. The first and last word in break-up ballads. The consensus is that it was written by Bjorn Ulvaeus about his divorce from band-mate Agnetha Faltskog, though he has always denied this, saying is the experience of a divorce, but it's fiction. Whether or not he protests too much the impact is searing as Faltskog wrenchingly chronicles a separation from the perspective of the other party. EP AFP/Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics Nas  "The World is Yours" "I'm the mild, money-getting style, rolling foul/ The versatile, honey-sticking wild golden child/ Dwelling in the Rotten Apple, you get tackled/ Or caught by the devil's lasso, s*** is a hassle" Nas addresses both himself and his future progeny on one of the best tracks from his faultless debut Illmatic. Inspired by the scene from Scarface in which Tony Montana sees a blimp with the message The World is Yours during a visit to the movie theatre, it feeds back to the rappers own belief that certain signs will appear to convince you that youre on the right track. RO The 40 greatest song lyrics The Stone Roses  "I Wanna Be Adored" I dont have to sell my soul/ Hes already in me/ I dont need to sell my soul/ Hes already in me. A statement of intent, a zen riddle, a perfect accompaniment to one of the greatest riffs in indie-dom - the opening track of the Stone Rosess 1989 debut album was all of this and much more. The lyrics are supremely economical  just the chorus repeated over and over, really. But these are nonetheless amongst the most hypnotic lines in pop. Adding poignancy is the rumour that the Roses wrote it as an apology to early fans reportedly aghast that the group had signed a big fat record deal. EP Getty Images The 40 greatest song lyrics The Beatles  "When I'm Sixty Four" "When I get older losing my hair/ Many years from now/ Will you still be sending me a Valentine/ Birthday greetings bottle of wine?" There are hundreds of great songs about epic, romantic love, and there are hundreds of other Beatles songs that could have made this list. But this track from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band  written by a 16-year-old Paul McCartney  is one of the greats for how it encapsulates a kind of love that is less appreciated in musical form. Its less Id take a bullet for you and more put the kettle on, love. Its adorable, full of whimsy, and just the right amount of silly. RO Getty The 40 greatest song lyrics Beck  "Loser" In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey / Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie. Man Im the worst rapper in the world  Im a loser, Beck is reported to have said upon listening back to an early demo of his break-out hit (before it had acquired its iconic chorus) . This gave him an idea for the hook and he never looked back. The stream of consciousness lyrics cast a spell even though they dont make much sense  ironic as Beck was setting out the emulate the hyper-literate Chuck D. EP

And Vicious did initially confess to the crime, declaring I did it  Because Im a dirty dog, before retracting his statement, saying he had been asleep when it happened. The quantity of barbiturates he is known to have consumed that night  30 Tuinal tablets, a powerful sedative  would certainly support the argument he was out cold at the time.

Many have speculated the whole tragic episode was the result of a botched suicide pact, the couple romanticised as punks very own Romeo and Juliet.

Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, admittedly never an entirely trustworthy source, remained unwavering in his defence of Vicious, criticising the police investigation into the incident and telling The Daily Beast in 2009: She was the first and only love of his life ... I am positive about Sids innocence.

An alternative case has been made by Phil Strongman in Pretty Vacant: A History of UK Punk (2007), arguing that one Rockets Redglare  a bodyguard, drug dealer and hanger-on who died in 2001  could be the true culprit, stabbing Spungen with a bowie knife after she confronted him about his stealing from Vicious.

Redglare, Strongman says, was heard boasting openly about committing the murder to fellow revellers at CBGBs, New Yorks punk mecca.

And its true that cash was certainly lifted from Viciouss room that night. He was in the money: he had recently capitalised on his notoriety by releasing a cover of My Way, vandalising Frank Sinatras signature song and bankrolling his appetite for narcotics with the proceeds.

Whatever the truth, Vicious and Spungen have become as inseparable in death as Cathy and Heathcliff  not least as a result of Alex Coxs 1986 biopic Sid & Nancy, starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. That film speculated that Vicious did stab her, albeit while keeping it ambiguous as to whether it was intentional or accidental.

 Sid Vicious on Nancy's death

Their outlaw image has been reproduced ever since, almost to the point of meaninglessness. Today, their importance as icons far outstrips Viciouss minimal accomplishments as a musician. McLaren called Vicious the ultimate DIY punk idol: someone easy to assemble and therefore become.

John Lydon, the Pistols snarling frontman, expressed his regret at ever having drafted his childhood friend into the band, remarking in 2014: He didnt stand a chance. His mother was a heroin addict. I feel bad that I brought him into the band, he couldnt cope at all. I feel a bit responsible for his death.

It was Viciouss mother, Anne Beverley, who had supplied the heroin that killed him and it was her who found his body the next morning, lying on the floor next to a needle and a charred spoon.

Described by Lydon as an oddball hippie in Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs (1993), Beverley had separated from Viciouss father and moved around a lot during his childhood, including a spell in Ibiza where she reportedly sold cannabis to make a living. She finally settled in Hackney.

A vain but unpredictable adolescent in thrall to Eddie Cochran and glam rock, Sid Vicious was given his name by Lydon in honour of the latters pet hamster; both were prone to bite.

In punks earliest days, Vicious was a regular at Oxford Streets 100 Club, known for clearing the dance floor by swinging a bike chain, throwing drinks, and apparently inventing pogo dancing by leaping up and down on the spot to get a clearer look at the stage.

He was the original drummer for Siouxsie and the Banshees at their first gig at the venue and was one of the many members of the aborted Flowers of Romance, a band that might have amounted to a super-group had it ever got off the ground; its members included Viv Albertine and Palmolive of The Slits, Keith Levene who was later in Lydons Public Image Limited, and Marco Pirroni, guitarist to Adam Ant.

Joining the Pistols in 1977 gave Vicious an outlet for his anger. The bands meteoric rise, and fall, from the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall to their final show at San Franciscos Winterland Ballroom, was as brilliant as it was brief.

Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen (Chalkie Davies)

The Sex Pistols, a runaway train of engineered chaos and anti-establishment provocation steered by the extremely canny McLaren, allowed Vicious to indulge his every primal instinct for an audience of enraptured teens drawn to his sneering persona. The drug-taking wasnt the half of it; his self-destructive, attention-seeking behaviour even stretched to self-harming with the serrated lid of a Heinz Baked Beans tin, while he and Spungen would burn each others arms with cigarettes.

Accounts of what Vicious was really like vary depending on who you ask. Stories of his physically abusing Spungen, vomiting on groupies, strangling cats, and brawling with rednecks on the Pistols disastrous US tour certainly abound. But others who knew him tell a different story. Steve Severin of the Banshees has commented that he had a brilliant sense of humour, goofy, sweet, and very cute.

Spungens middle-class mother, Deborah, recalls him as being endearingly shy, childlike and inarticulate when he visited her at home in Philadelphia. And he was certainly desperately in love with her daughter. In her own book about Sid and Nancy, And I Dont Want to Live This Life (1983), its title one of Viciouss own lines, Deborah records him telling her tearfully over the phone from prison: I dont know why Im alive anymore, now that Nancy is gone.

And what of Nancy? The 20-year-old is usually written off as a destructive junkie, a low-life chancer and a bad influence on everyone she met. Spungen was to the Pistols what Yoko Ono had been to The Beatles and Courtney Love would be to Nirvana, the argument goes. Worse, she was a contaminant, importing heroin chic from New York to London when she followed another punk band, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, across the Atlantic. But there is more than a hint of misogyny in such dismissals.

She is also now believed to have had an undiagnosed psychiatric condition. Her mothers memoir describes Spungens disturbing behaviour as a child, from threatening her siblings during temper tantrums to attacking a babysitter with scissors.

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Ultimately, Sid and Nancys grotty demise stands as a cautionary tale, warning that the ruinous nihilism they came to represent amounted to little more than a dead-end. Their defiance led them only to a darkened room at the Chelsea Hotel, and a spiral of mutually-assured destruction.

The post-punk and new wave movements that Lydon and his peers went on to embrace were far more optimistic, joyous and experimental, entertaining grander visions of a better world  something that Vicious and Spungen seemingly couldnt imagine, and tragically never saw. The no future refrain from God Save the Queen proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for the young lovers.(The Center Square)  The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents keen on recreating in the water to look out for cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, in Illinois waters, which can be toxic to humans and pets.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one.We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@idahopress.com for help creating one.Press coverage is pretty important in the digital age, and its all about connections. But where do you start? Sure, you can send out cold e-mails to writers and editors who may never open them, but there are a few tips and tricks to help you get noticed in a sea of demos.

Below are some steps to take for helping you find a music blog to premiere your next single.

1. Create a spreadsheet and organize your options

There is an endless number of blogs out there on the web, but it will be a waste of time to reach out to sites that dont cover your style of music. Do some research and find blogs that fit your sound. From there, find the contact emails for writers and editors, recent articles to mention and submission requirements. You can even team up with other artists in your field to tag-team a database.

2. Get all of your release information together

Youll want to put together a list of what editors and writers will want to know. Make sure to include the release date, a hi-res version of the artwork, a press release or release bio, an artist bio and a link to the song. Many blogs prefer not to download music, so make sure to use a streaming link, such as DropBox or SoundCloud. From here, you can adjust your emails to fit each blog.

3. Make sure your socials are on point

If a blog writer heads to your SoundCloud or website and its a hot mess, then chances are theyll be turned off by your emal. Make sure your socials are looking great and are easy to locate. Include your social media platforms in the email or in your signature.

4. Reach out and make it personal

Once you have all of your contacts organized and your information in order, start reaching out. Make sure to reach out as early as possible (2 weeks pre-release is usually a good time-frame), and keep it personal. Mention some similar artists theyve featured, a well-written article that you enjoyed, or any mutual connections you may have. From there, include all relevant information for your track and send away!

4. Dont be afraid to follow-up

Blogs get hundreds (or thousands) of emails a day. Its standard for them to skip over some of them. Dont be afraid to follow up! Many times, it takes a couple emails for someone to actually notice you. If they dont respond after the second time, theres a good chance they might not be interested.

5. Get more coverage!

Many blogs require 24-hour exclusivity for premieres, but youre free to open your options up after its over. Hit up all other blogs for general coverage, and feel free to mention the blog that premiered it.

Check out more information for getting featured on blogs here.It is quite appropriate for me to indicate from the very outset of this piece that it is not an analysis of Orson Welles' 1975's film F for Fake--a documentary on Elmyr de Hory's professional career as an art forger and on the inherent nature of "authorship and authenticity". Sorry cinephiles! My piece is actually a repudiation of the recent plagiarism of my Huffington Post's Op-Ed, entitled Geneva III: The Stillborn Conference and the Endemic Failure of the International Community by Iran's state-run Fars News Agency.

Indeed, the last thing I might have expected when I wrote this piece on the UN Geneva III's conference, aimed at finding a political solution to the ongoing sectarian warfare in Syria, that an Iranian "journalist" would not only translate it into Persian without my permission, but plagiarise it, malevolently change its content in favour of the Syrian regime and its regional and international allies, and post it on the Fars News Agency's official homepage. The "journalist" in question, Hossein Molaei, removed all condemnations of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the Syrian regime and its allies, particularly Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Adding the website of my Op-Ed in the margin, as a source, doesn't legitimise the plagiarization of any part of the work. It actually makes things worse as it presumes that my stolen article can be used to support the content of his paper. As an academic for more than 35 years, I've instructed my students not to summarize or paraphrase the ideas of others, nor duplicate their footnotes or references. This is Originality 101 or Plagiarism 101, depending on how you look at it.

The title of my plagiarised Op-Ed speaks for itself. It focuses mainly on the atrocious crimes perpetrated by the Syrian regime and its allies against Syrian civilians, as well as on the overriding failure of the international community to put an end to the ongoing bloodshed in Syria in the past five years. As I mentioned in my recent testimony before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the House of Commons, it is disgraceful that the international community has successfully concluded an agreement with the regime in a very short period of time to remove its chemical weapons, while completely failing to save the lives of millions of innocent children, women, and elderly people since 15 March 2011. The overwhelming failure of the UN Security Council to pass a resolution under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter to stop war and to refer Syria's case to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is due to the failure of international political will and lack of interest. This reminds me of the marginal and negative role the international community had played in preventing and stopping the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides in the middle of the 1990s. Finally, the Op-Ed calls upon major players at the UN Security Council to rein in impunity, and bring perpetrators to justice.

By contrast, the Fars News Agency's forged article, turns my original text upside-down. It selectively plagiarises paragraphs criticising superpowers, particularly the United States for failing to prevent the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the mass killings in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It also allegedly claims that America is trying to "repeat Rwandan and Bosnian genocide in Syria". Moreover, the article discharges the Syrian regime from large-scale atrocities and ascribes them to the Syrian insurgents who are labelled by Molaei as terrorist groups.

This doesn't surprise me, hence why the "Not-so-curious" in the title of this piece. What can you expect from a government that--according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch--continues to suppress freedom of expression and association and where followers of ethnic and religious minorities are systematically subjected to permeative discrimination and oppression? What do you expect from a government that conducts secret unfair trials that lack minimal international standards of justice, deny the defendants' basic rights of due process, and lead to collective death sentences?

It is worthy of note that the plagiarization of my above Op-Ed was not an isolated incident but occurred in a broader context of abuse. A case in point is the distorted selective translation of my article Impunity or Immunity: Wartime Male Rape and Sexual Torture as a Crime against Humanity into Persian by another Iranian translator without my permission. However, what do you expect from a government that airs a live footage of a speech by a foreign dignitary (in this case Egyptian President Morsi), only to deliberately tamper with it when he began to criticize the Syrian regime by replacing "Syria" with "Bahrain"? This last incident obviously created a diplomatic kerfuffle between Iran and Bahrain.

As for me, I'm obviously no government. There are no ambassadors that I can summon nor do I have any ambassadors that I can recall. I have my pen and I choose to use it to repudiate Fars News Agency's lack of integrity. Maybe they should pick up the pen, retract the forged article and officially apologize. It is the least they can do...but, again, I might be expecting too much!Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

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The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.Texas Secretary of State David Whitley continues to take heat for the way his office rolled out a list of suspected non-citizens on the state's voter rolls. As it turns out, many of the people on the list are citizens, but that didn't keep President Trump from weighing in.

Meantime, Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled his property tax legislation, Land Commissioner George P. Bush sort of stood up to the Trump administration for bottling up Harvey recovery money, and Sen. John Cornyn is getting a head start on running for re-election in 2020. Plus, Democratic activists are working hard to draft Beto O'Rourke to run for ... something.Wheres our money?

Next month marks a year since Congress approved more than $4 billion to help Texas rebuild storm-threatened infrastructure so those of us who live with the risks of devastating hurricanes can be better prepared the next time wind, rain and misery blow through our homes.

Its almost certain that none of the funding will be spent when hurricane season starts in June. At this rate, were not even sure it will arrive by next years season, either.

Last week, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush told lawmakers in Austin that he fired off a letter to President Trump demanding progress, since previous letters to lesser officials have gone unanswered.

Perhaps Bush, who had his own stumbles in responding to Harvey, would have been wiser leaving it to Gov. Greg Abbott to beseech the president. But his basic argument  that Washington is taking far too long to let loose the final bundle of funds  carried weight, given the feeling among Texans that it took too much arm-twisting to get Congress to approve the money in the first place.

Bushs critique seemed to touch a nerve in Washington as well. In the editorial boards conversations with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, officials intensely disputed Bushs characterization. Texas, we were reminded, was awarded more than $5 billion in other storm-recovery funds in 2017 and HUD says weve so far spent only a fraction.

Besides, says HUD, Congress approved $16 billion in mitigation funds last March - and its taking time to prepare new rules for how it can be spent, not just in Texas but all over America. This last round of appropriations focused the money on preparing for future storms, rather than on recovery from past storms. Thats a new approach to storm relief, and the feds want to get it right.

Both points are legitimate. Neither negates Bushs basic complaint. Its been almost a year since the money was approved, and still the department is unable or unwilling to say precisely when it will publish a draft set of rules for how the money can be spent. Even when that happens, it will only be the beginning of a rule-making process that, were told, will surely take months to complete, at least. It surely doesnt help that HUD workers were sidelined for six weeks thanks to the pointless federal shutdown.

Both Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have been dogging HUD and the Office of Management and Budget to speed this process. But they arent even sure, and a HUD spokesman wouldnt tell us, either, whether the agency is still working on the rules or if it is finished with its work and has submitted them for any last-minute revisions.

Such secrecy fuels suspicions as Houston and all of the Gulf Coast brace for another storm.

Trump should remember his constituency in Texas and direct his administration to prioritize these rules so communities like ours can have access to the funds before, not after, the next hurricane blows our way.Secretary of State David Whitley made a terrible mistake last week that might have potentially serious consequences.

Whitley should probably resign after issuing an advisory on Jan. 25 flagging 95,000 of the states registered voters as potential noncitizens. At least 58,000 of those people have voted at least once since 1996, he said.

It was possible to infer from the advisory itself that many of them were citizens, because Whitley explained that the Texas Secretary of States office has spent the past year comparing its records with those kept by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Noncitizen lawfully in the country are eligible to apply for a Texas drivers license. And some who have done so over the past 22 years have subsequently been naturalized. And naturalized citizens are eligible to vote.

Noncitizens, by contrast, arent eligible to vote and most of them understand that.

Even if a noncitizen was tempted to cast a ballot, he continued, most arent willing to take the risk. A noncitizen in Tarrant County voted illegally in 2014, and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The penalties are huge, said state Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Democrat from Dallas who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. You are barred from citizenship. You are facing deportation.

I havent spent much time puzzling over Whitleys motives. Hes been secretary of state for less than two months, and prior to that he was Gov. Greg Abbotts deputy chief of staff.

The secretary of state is a gubernatorial appointee, and Abbott has a long record of fearmongering about voter fraud, among other issues. Whitley may be a mere stooge, in other words, and hes definitely not a rogue actor, among Texas Republicans.

Bills have been filed in both the House and the Senate  by Republican state Rep. Mike Lang and Republican state Sen. Pat Fallon  that would require people to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in Texas.

And Whitleys list was sloppy, to put it mildly. The Secretary of States office has already conceded that a majority of the nearly 30,000 voters flagged in Harris County, for example, were mistakenly flagged in the first place.

Itll take a while to confirm exactly how many naturalized citizens were targeted, because roughly 80 percent of the voters who were flagged as potential noncitizens live in the states 10 most populous counties.

But according to county officials in McLennan County, all 366 of the registered voters flagged as potential noncitizens are in fact citizens  citizens who did nothing wrong, much less suspicious, and nonetheless ended up on this ridiculous, Orwellian list.

Most Republicans can see that, although few of them are saying so in public.

A notable exception is former Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, who was also appointed by Abbott and has said that he thinks the entire list should be rescinded.

I agree. This was an unusually ham-fisted attempt at voter suppression, and voter suppression is wrong. Its true that Texas turned purple in 2018  and that Democrats might win its electoral votes in 2020. But thats not an excuse for maliciously targeting Texas voters, obviously.

And although the Secretary of States office is already walking back the claims Whitley made in his advisory, a certain degree of damage has already been done.

President Donald Trump is prone to believing what other people tell him, especially if theyre people who tell him things he wants to hear, via a television program on the Fox News Channel.

He tweeted 58,000 non-citizens voted in Texas, with 95,000 non-citizens registered to vote on Jan. 27th, shortly after Whitleys advisory was discussed on Fox & Friends.

These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. All over the country, especially in California, voter fraud is rampant. Must be stopped. Strong voter ID! he added.

Trump is wrong, of course. If he loses Texas in 2020, it will be because a majority of the Texans who voted preferred the Democratic nominee.

But Trump wont hear that from Republican leaders like Abbott, who has a long record of fearmongering about voter fraud  and no record of displeasing Trump.

And Texans wont hear an apology from Abbott, but he owes us one.

erica.grieder@chron.comGALVESTON -- Publicity surrounding the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School last year has not created bias among potential jurors for the pending capital murder trial of a student charged in the case, according to prosecutors.

In arguing not to move the trial to another location, Galveston County prosecutors Friday cited statements from local politicians to support their argument that media publicity will not taint the pool of jurors.

Santa Fe student Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting last May that killed 10 people and wounded 13.

Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady submitted sworn affidavits from the mayors of League City, Galveston, Dickinson, and La Marque, all of whom argue that their constituents -- who may be selected to serve on a jury -- have not shown any prejudice against Pagourtzis.

"Based on my experience in public service to and familiarity with the citizens of Galveston County, I do not believe that there is a prejudice against the defendant such that he cannot obtain a fair and impartial trial here," Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough wrote in his affidavit.

The prosecution also cited the scarce details provided about the May 18 shooting by local law enforcement and the Santa Fe Independent School District to counter the defense's assertion that the "intrusive publicity" has affected the impartiality of potential jurors.

Roady referred to a section of a previous Houston Chronicle article that compared the lack of transparency in the aftermath of the May 18 shooting to the trove of information released after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla.

"Considering the lack of information made publicly available by government and law enforcement directly involved in this case...there is no indication here that the initial news conferences somehow created a coercive governmental force that could irreparably influence the potential jury pool and prevent the defendant from receiving a fair trial," Roady wrote in his argument.

The prosecution noted a recent U.S. Supreme Court Case that involved former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, in which a venue change was denied. In that case, the Supreme Court "has not held that juror exposure to news accounts of the crime alone presumptively deprives the defendant of due process."

Roady declined to comment any further about the arguments against a venue change, saying he would let the filings speak for themselves, and that prosecutors are restricted from commenting due to the ongoing investigation.

Nick Poehl, one of the defense attorneys for Pagourtzis, who filed the initial motion for a venue change on Jan. 8, declined to comment in detail about the prosecution's response. Poehl said they were "looking forward to oral arguments," on a potential venue change.

In its argument for a venue change, Pagourtis' attorneys had previously submitted a spreadsheet citing hundreds of news stories about the Sante Fe shooting since May 18 to underscore its argument that the media attention has stirred biased attention towards the case.

A status conference for the Pagourtzis case was held Monday in the 122nd District Court in Galveston. Judge John Ellisor said he would make a decision on a venue change after he has reviewed the prosecution and defense's arguments.

Poehl said after that hearing that he did not yet have a specific jurisdiction in mind for a venue change, but ruled out Harris County, saying the "law does not favor" contiguous counties.

The defense has said that the prospect of a trial date set before the end of the year is unlikely, in part due to the uncertainty on when it will receive computer evidence seized from Pagourtzis and family members that has yet to be submitted for discovery by federal agencies investigating the case, including the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.comThe long-awaited merger of two national health system powerhouses, which includes St. Luke's Health System in Houston, is now complete, marking the latest in high-profile couplings that are transforming the industry.

Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health announced Friday they have sealed the deal to become CommonSpirit Health. The Chicago-based, $29 billion nonprofit system will be one of the nation's largest, with 142 hospitals across 21 states and more than 150,000 employees.

Now, at last, the bold and ambitious journey to create the health system of the future begins, said Doug Lawson, CEO of the CHI Texas Division and president of Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center, said in an email to employees on Friday.

It has been a long and, at times troubled, courtship that began in October 2016 and hit a series of snags along the way. The deal not only captured attention across the industry, but also from the Roman Catholic Church, which expressed concern about abortion, physician-assisted suicide and other medical procedures that must be separated when a Catholic hospital joins with one not affiliated with the church. Ultimately, though, the Vatican gave its blessing.

The California attorney general also took issue with the proposed deal, citing a potential lack of availability of womens health services. That, too, was addressed in a merger stipulation that emergency services and womens health care services must be maintained for 10 years after the deal closed.

There are not expected to be any changes in the Houston market from the merger, hospital officials have said.

RELATED: CHI-Dignity merger impact on St. Luke's may be minimal

"We created CommonSpirit Health because in order to solve national health challenges, we need the breadth, scope and resources to make a nationwide impact," Lloyd Dean, Dignity Health president and CEO who will be sharing the CommonSpirit chief executive role with CHI CEO Kevin Lofton, said in prepared remarks on Friday.

From the beginning of the negotiations, Dignity Health, headquartered in San Francisco, was in a stronger financial situation than the Colorado-based CHI, even though the Catholic health system was larger, analysts have said.

CHI, which bought St. Lukes in 2013, has particularly struggled in Texas. It laid off 810 employees and cut its payroll by more than 1,200 people between August 2016 and March 2017, mostly in Houston.

The system rebounded some in 2018, narrowing its net losses to $276 million after cost-cutting. In the first quarter of fiscal 2019 losses were further whittled, but it remained in the red by $73 million, according to financial reports.

Dignity reversed it losses in 2018 to report a $529 in income. It has reported $46 million in operating income for the first quarter of fiscal 2019.

Baylor St. Lukes, the crown jewel of CHIs Texas Division, has been rocked by controversy in recent months. In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cut off funding for heart transplants at the hospital following a Houston Chronicle and ProPublica investigation that found a high rate of patient deaths and complications in recent years.

Last month, the hospital ousted three top executives and pledged reforms to improve care after a St. Lukes patient died as the result of a botched blood transfusion. State and federal regulators are investigating the incident.

In its annual financial report last summer, CHI acknowledged the problems with heart transplants but said the federal termination was not expected to have a major impact on patient service revenues.

RELATED: Is bigger better? Memorial Hermann and Baylor Scott & White merger raises questions

The CommonSpirit Health deal is part of a larger trend of mega-mergers and consolidations in the health care field. In October, Houstons Memorial Hermann Health System and Baylor Scott & White, of Dallas, announced plans to merge making it the largest non-profit health system in the state. If all goes as plans that merger is expected to be complete by summer.

jenny.deam@chron.com

twitter.com/jenny_deam

mike.hixenbaugh@chron.com

twitter.com/mike_hixenbaughOzuna isn't letting the sex tape scandal chide all the momentum he garnered in 2018. Just yesterday, the Puerto Rican superstar reconnected with the experiential highs once more by returning to his craft, several weeks removed from a scandal the entire Commonwealth. The broader effects were felt on this side of the Media Wall, enough for casual gringos to take notice.

The savvy business that he appears to be, Ozuna is staying busy under the pretence the no press is bad press, and truth be told, when push came to shove in his extortion case, it was Ozuna who bit the shark before the press could take hold of the narrative.

And although Ozuna is showing every sign of pushing past the debacle, the visuals to his "Cama Vacia" single are packed with meaning. As you'll see, a marionette, perhaps representative of his struggles, copes with a ventriloquist's absolute control. How do you feel about artistic direction here; hit us with your thoughts?

Quotable Lyrics:

Tu corazon nadie lo repara

Murio como cuando enemigo' en el pecho dispara'

La experiencia te enseno a verla mal de la cara

Yo solo quiero recordar como tu me besaba', paparapa.According to TMZ, Ariana Grande's embarrassing effort to correct a botched tattoo isn't completely wrought with error. The tattoo which reads "Japanese BBQ Grill" was meant to commemorate the success of her "7 Rings" tattoo going number one. Since trying to amend the original error and coming up "short" yet again, a company called LaserAway has stepped forward offering her a $1.5 million sum for a year's worth of promotional help.

LaserAway specializes in hair and tattoo removal by way of laser technology if you couldn't guess from appearances alone. As it stands, their offer would entail Ariana to participate in a one-time video/photo shoot where the company intends to capture her likeness for a series of "social media, print, and viral campaigns." The latter part of the clause, calls for Ariana Grande to plug LaserWay products on social media, once a month over the course of 12 months. You can read the full offer right here, in which company president Todd Heckmann signs off with.. "Thank u, next tiny barbecue grill."

TMZ conferred with Ariana Grande's manager, Scooter Braun, over the matter, and although he says they haven't received any such letter, he doesn't see any reason why his client would object to the idea. "I can't speak for Ariana as we have not received this letter, however, if they're willing to send me the offer, I'm sure I'd be happy to get a tattoo and then remove it real quick ... for $1.5 mil. Hopefully, we can make this deal before her album comes out next week -- shameless plug."Now Open

1 February 2019

MAXX by Steigenberger launches on the Austrian market on 1 February 2019. The first MAXX by Steigenberger in the country is located on Margaretengurtel in Vienna's fifth district within easy walking distance of the shopping facilities of Mariahilferstrae. Vienna will thus become the first city in which Deutsche Hospitality has a four-brand presence. The Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof and the IntercityHotel Wien already boast prime positions and are set to be joined by Jaz in the City Vienna in the early summer of 2020.

"Establishing one of the first MAXX Hotels in Vienna was something that was very close to our hearts from the very outset," said Deutsche Hospitality's CEO Thomas Willms. "Vienna is one of Europe's top locations when it comes to quality of life, internationality and tourism. All of this is reflected in the young and design-conscious appearance of MAXX by Steigenberger, which is a very good match for the city."

The hotel dates back to 2013. Originally opened in the Margareten district by the Falkensteiner Hotel Group, it was operated under the Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences brand until the company decided to divest itself of the property as part of plans to focus more closely on leisure and pursue new expansion projects in Italy.

The new MAXX by Steigenberger Hotel is run by the Feuring Group. Matthias Lowin, Managing Director of Feuring Hotelconsulting GmbH, very much welcomes this commitment to Vienna and is delighted to be resuming cooperation with Deutsche Hospitality. "We are very pleased that we have been able to implement a further successful project in the form of the new MAXX by Steigenberger Vienna as part of our long standing collaboration with Steigenberger.

We are excited about what the future holds for both companies and are sure that we will continue to work together in a spirit of partnership. Vienna is an extremely interesting location for us, and we believe that there is considerable potential here for such a great product as MAXX by Steigenberger." The MAXX by Steigenberger Vienna is located at Margaretengurtel 142 in the city's fifth district within the direct vicinity of Margaretengurtel underground station and the Raimund Theatre. The hotel offers 195 rooms including 21 suites. There is also a restaurant complete with bar, a conference area and a health and beauty spa and gym facility.

The MAXX Vienna makes it easy to enjoy taking exercise. The spa on the seventh floor opens out onto a roof terrace that provides fabulous views out over the whole of Vienna. The building is the work of the British architect David Chipperfield. Fixtures and fittings are by the South Tyrol-based architect and designer Matteo Thun, who is also responsible for the entire interior. Deutsche Hospitality will operate the hotel under an international management agreement.Enter the Once Upon A Child Spring Style Sweepstakes today for the chance to WIN! Refresh your child's wardrobe! You could be the LUCKY WINNER of $200 in Store Cash!Just scan and upload a photo of your completed "news story" and you'll be entered for a chance to have your story published.Click here to find out where to get a COVID-19 vaccine or test.

To find out how many local residents have been vaccinated for COVID-19, click here. Use the map to find numbers for individual counties.

Find detailed statistics about COVID-19 tests, cases and deaths by county and for the state as a whole on the Indiana State Department of Health's online dashboard.Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High around 75F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.The Jazz and Grizzlies have explored a trade involving Mike Conley and Ricky Rubio, and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com hears that Utahs interest in the former No. 4 overall pick is very real. The organization could feasibly build a package around Rubio and Derrick Favors, who are both on expiring deals, while peppering in a draft pick or two.

Utah is reportedly unimpressed with the 2019 draft class and their first-round pick is on the table in trade talks. Its unclear if the Jazz would toss in a second first-round pick for Conley, though it would be a surprising development. Lowe speculates that Dante Exum could be in the mix as part of a package, adding that the Jazz could move on to more affordable targets, such as Nikola Mirotic, if the price for Conley remains too high.

The Conley sweepstakes are expected to heat up as we get closer to the deadline and surprise suitors could emerge. Lowe passes along more from Memphis regarding their two biggest stars:Lima, OH (45805)

Today

Mostly cloudy. An isolated shower is possible this morning. High around 78F. Winds W to NW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become mostly clear late. Low 49F. Winds NW at 5 to 15 mph.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.

ContributeH ousing affordability in UK cities is at its lowest level for 12 years as price growth continues to outpace annual wage increases, according to new figures.

A report by Lloyds Bank also reveals homebuyers need to head to Scotland and Northern Ireland to find the cities with the best house price to earnings ratios.

The urban population is growing faster and faster, with two out of every three people expected to be living in cities by 2050.

This increased demand for homes is inevitably pushing house prices in these areas up  the average UK city house price is now 248,000, an increase of 37 per cent over five years  but average earnings haven't kept up, increasing by just 11 per cent to 34,000 over the same period.

Seven cities across the UK are now reporting average house prices of more than 10 times the average earnings for the local urban area, with Oxford declared the least affordable.

A prime choice for buyers leaving London, Oxford has average house prices of 460,000, 12 times the city's average wage.

The five least affordable UK cities UK cities Region Price to earnings ratio Oxford South East 12.6 Chichester South East 11.5 Winchester South East 11.3 Truro South West 11.1 Greater London Greater London 10.3

Buying a home in UK cities remains challenging, as average house prices are outpacing wage growth," said Andrew Mason, Lloyds Bank mortgage products director.

"However the market has seen the number of first-time buyers at a high and home owners are still attracted to cities across the UK, in spite of rising costs."

Greater London is the fifth least affordable UK city, with average house prices of 503,000 now 10.3 times the average earnings of 48,604.

House price growth in Winchester

Surprisingly, the Lloyds figures found Greater London no longer has the highest average house price of all UK cities.

Winchester in Hampshire has seen house prices increase by 93 per cent to 541,891 over the past 10 years, while house prices in the Hertfordshire town of St Albans are also higher than London's at 521,116.

Top 10 most affordable UK cities

Homebuyers should head north for affordability, as all of the most affordable UK cities are revealed to be outside of southern England.

Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland and Stirling in Scotland are joint first on the list, with house prices 4.4 times average local earnings.

Derry-Londonderry, where the average house price is 137,400, has seen its popularity go from strength to strength since it was crowned first ever UK City of Culture in 2013. The city's tourist infrastructure got a huge makeover to cope with these new visitors and developments have been ongoing.

Stirling, in central Scotland, is famous for its medieval old town and former royal residence Stirling Castle, and has topped the list of most affordable UK cities for six consecutive years.

The five most affordable UK cities UK cities Region Price to earnings ratio Derry-Londonderry Northern Ireland 4.4 Stirling Scotland 4.4 Newry Northern Ireland 4.5 Bradford Yorkshire and Humberside 4.6 Lancaster North West 4.7

England's most affordable city, Bradford in Yorkshire, came fourth in the UK with average house prices of 139,712. This is 4.6 times earnings a better ratio than that of York, just an hour away, where prices are eight times the average annual wage.

New to the list this year are Newry, also in Northern Ireland; Aberdeen and Perth in Scotland; and Hereford in the West Midlands.Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments.

Recommended for youFour years after leaving Germany to live under the Islamic State group, 19-year-old Leonora has fled the jihadists last bastion in eastern Syria and says its time to go home.

I was a little bit naive, she says in English, wearing a long billowing black robe, and a beige headscarf with white spots.

US-backed forces are fighting the last IS jihadists in a final shred of territory in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, causing thousands of people to flee.

Just beyond the frontline village of Baghouz, Leonora and her two small children are among the thousands of men, women and children to have scrambled out this week.

The young German woman says she first came to Syria aged 15, just two months after converting to Islam.

After three days, I married my German husband, she tells AFP, at a screening centre for the displaced run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Leonora says she became the third wife of German jihadist Martin Lemke, after he travelled to Syria with his first two wives.

After four years under a now near-extinct IS caliphate, Leonora says she wants to go home.

I want to go back to Germany to my family, because I want my old life back, she says.

Now I know that it was a big, big mistake.

A year before she left Germany, IS had swept across large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, declaring a caliphate in areas it controlled.

Leonora first lived in the extremist groups de-facto Syrian capital of Raqa, but says she was just a housewife.

I was just at home, in (the) house cooking, cleaning -- stuff like this, says the pale faced German, clutching the youngest of her two children, an infant aged just two weeks.

Changed house every week

Syrias Kurdish authorities hold hundreds of foreign alleged IS fighters in detention, as well as thousands of their wives and children in camps for the displaced.

The Kurds have repeatedly urged Western governments to take back their nationals, but these powers have been reluctant.

At first life in Raqa was easy, Leonora says, but that changed when the SDF started advancing against the jihadists, with support from US-led coalition air strikes.

The Kurdish-led SDF overran Raqa in 2017, after years of what residents described as ISs brutal rule, which included public beheading and crucifixions.

Then they lose Raqa, and we started to change our house every week because they lost every week a city, she says.

When they came under attack by the Kurdish-led SDF, Leonora says the IS fighters left their families to fend for themselves.

They left the women alone, no food, they dont care about you, she says. The enemy was advancing and you were sitting alone in an empty city with your kids.

They ended up in a tiny patch on the eastern banks of the Euphrates in Deir Ezzor province.

The SDF have cornered IS into a patch of less than four square kilometres (around 1.5 square miles) in recent days.

Fled with children, husband

Eventually, she says, she picked up her children, and fled with her husband, and his second wife into SDF-held territory.

US-backed forces detained Lemke on Thursday.

Leonora claims Lemke worked mostly as a technician for IS.

He makes technical stuff, computer stuff, repairs computer, mobiles, she says.

But investigations published in German newspapers portray Lemke, who is now believed to be 28, as an influential figure among foreign jihadists in Syria.

More than 36,000 people have fled the SDF assault on the so-called Hajin pocket since early December, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor that relies on a network of sources inside the country.

Among them, 3,200 have been detained as alleged jihadists.

On arid farmland near Baghouz, a group of men sit on the ground as SDF and coalition personnel stroll nearby.

Not far off, a group of women and their children -- most from neighbouring Iraq -- wait to be driven north to a Kurdish-held camp for the displaced.US president Donald Trump has said he is getting closer to declaring a national emergency to secure funding for a wall along the countrys southern Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering America.

A national emergency would allow Trump to proceed with a wall without congressional approval and give him executive powers to reallocate disaster relief funds to the southern Mexico border.

Trump told CBS News Face the Nation programme that the ongoing negotiations with the opposition Democrats over border security are a waste of time.

He also accused US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being very rigid and doing bad politics.

I think that she was very rigid  which I would expect  but I think shes very bad for our country. She knows that you need a barrier, she knows we need border security. Basically, she wants open borders, she does not mind human trafficking, he said as he accused Pelosi of doing very bad politics.

Pelosi, by her stand against the wall, is costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars, Trump said.

She is doing a terrible disservice to our country, the US president said.

In the interview, as reported by CBS News, he said that negotiations with the opposition Democrats  which started after the government shutdown ended  are a waste of time.

We will be looking at a national emergency, because I dont think anything is going to happen. I think the Democrats dont want border security. And when I hear them talking about the fact that walls are immoral and walls dont work -- they know they work, he told reporters earlier in the day.

Trump insisted that he is building the wall and will continue building it, as this is the only way to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the country.

I think theres a good chance that well have to do that. But we will, at the same time, be building - regardless, were building wall and were building a lot of wall. But I can do it a lot faster the other way, the president said.

Claiming that there are three caravans heading towards the US, he said if there was a wall, it would not even be a problem.

But weve sent 2,500 military down to help Border Patrol and law enforcement. I have to say, the military has done an incredible job, including helping us with some walls and some fences, which are very nice to say.

Unsecure borders give traffickers free and clear passage to transport their victims into the United States. Its a tremendously big money-maker for some very, very bad people, Trump said.

Meanwhile, Pelosis office accused Trump of making reckless remarks.

President Trumps recklessness didnt make us safer, it undermined our security with 35 days of border patrol agents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents, FBI agents and Homeland Security personnel missing paychecks, said Drew Hammill, her spokesman.

Democrats have put forward strong, smart and effective border security solutions in the bipartisan conference committee, while the President still refuses to take a second shutdown off the table.

The Presidents wild and predictable misrepresentations about Democrats commitment to border security do nothing to make our country safer, she said.

Trump, addressing reporters at the White House, said: Nancy Pelosi is doing a very, very great disservice to our country. I think shes got to get on the ball, because were going to have a wall thats being built anyway.

But if you dont have it - human trafficking, just as an example. When you see today whats going on, people that arent willing to do what they have to do, and they know what they have to do, theyre doing the country a tremendous disservice.A burglar who had sex with a corpse in an English funeral home he broke into was jailed Friday for six years.

A judge in the industrial city of Birmingham said Kasim Khurams crime offended all human sensibility.

The man was found to have been both drunk and high on artificial cannabis and PCP at the time.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty during at an earlier hearing.

The judge said Khuram disturbed the three bodies and nine coffins during the break-in.

You set about disturbing all nine of these bodies -- exactly what you did, and why, only you know, judge Melbourne Inman said during the sentencing.

Defence lawyer Joseph Keating said Khuram was deeply sorry for what he had done and that his actions were out of character.When Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands on the dais of the 6.3 acre ground at Thakurnagar in Bengals North 24 Parganas district on Saturday, uppermost in his mind will be the vexed issues of citizenship and the Matuas who form a three-million-plus strong community who mostly migrated from neighbouring Bangladesh since the 1950s.

It will be Modis first public meeting for the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal, a state where his party is targeting at least 22-23 seats out of the total 42.

Its a Herculean task, considering that the highest number the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ever had is two and the fact that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been winning bypolls at all levels  Parliament, Assembly and civic bodies  with more than 50% votes.

BJPs Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh said, to clear confusion among Hindu refugees from Bangladesh living in West Bengal, the Prime Minister will address their worries over National Registrar of Citizenship (NRC, Assam) and Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, from his rally.

Matua, Citizenship and Infiltration

Since the publication of NRCs second draft list in Assam, Trinamool Congress (TMC) is concertedly spreading misinformation among Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. Modi-ji will explain how our government is going to kill two birds at the same go by implementing NRC and amending the citizenship law, Ghosh said.

Santanu Thakur, who heads one faction of the dalit Matua communitys supreme body All India Matua Mahasangha and is the host of Modis event at Thakurnagar, echoed Ghosh.

On January 4, we sent a letter to the Prime Ministers office, requesting for a date for clearing confusion among Hindu refugees spread by groups with political interests, said Thakur, who shares close relations with BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy.

On January 22, BJP national president Amit Shah told a gathering in Bengals Malda district that the issue of giving citizenship to refugees and stripping infiltrators of citizenship will be the key poll issue in the state. BJP has always maintained that Muslims who migrated from Bangladesh and infiltrators and Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians who migrated from Indias eastern neighbour are refugees, arguing that the members of the later group came in the face of religious persecution.

NRC in Assam became a raging controversy in Bengal after nearly 4 million people, predominantly Hindu Bengalis, found their names missing in NRCs final draft released in July last year.

In November last year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a rally at Thakurnagar. It was organised by the other faction of Matua Mahasangha led by local TMC MP Mamata Thakur, who happens to be Santanu Thakurs aunt.

From the dais, Banerjee took digs at BJP and said, In Assam, Bengalis are being targeted using the NRC. Those who are being thrown out of Assam, let me assure once again that we are with them. They should remember Bengal is their home. We will fully support them. Having Bangla as your mother tongue is not a crime.

The Matuas are a sect originally belonging to the outcast Namasudra community that was eastern Bengals largest caste.

After Partition, a steady flow of migration since the 1950s saw thousands relocating to India and settling down in West Bengal, eventually becoming the states second most influential scheduled caste community, with an estimated population of more than three million. Members of the community can influence results in about 5 Lok Sabha seats.

In 2014, Bengal witnessed a high-voltage war of words between Modi and the Bengal chief minister, with the former vowing to throw out Bangladeshi infiltrators and Banerjee promising to protect each one of the refugees.

This contributed substantially to the BJP-TMC polarisation and marked the rise of BJP as the main opposition party.

Psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty, a professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University, said that the ground for a rerun of the 2014 duel between Modi and Banerjee looks prepared.

However, now the TMC is miles ahead of BJP in reaching out to the people with their version of the issues, said Chakraborty.

According to Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, a professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) and an expert on issues concerning refugees, the present amendment will provide Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian and Jain refugees from Bangladesh with a chance for applying for citizenship and get it legally.

However, since many of them have already got their voter ID and other documents, and are even in government services, there is confusion and apprehension about the possible impact of a fresh application for citizenship on their already settled life. BJPs political opponents are trying to encash on these gray areas, Ray Chaudhury said.

Apart from BJP, other Sangh Parivar outfits (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates), too, have prioritised campaign on the issues of NRC and Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Clearing peoples confusion over NRC and Citizenship Amendment Bill tops our agenda in Bengal, said Sachindranath Singha, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)s in-charge for Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and Andaman. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Hindu Jagran Manch, too, are campaigning on this issue.

Corruption: offence is the best defense

Bureaucrats, however, pointed out that on the issue of Matuas and NRC, the BJP leader would be in a defensive position, trying to explain their stand. They also think that Hindutwa, too, wont sell in Bengal, especially after the Assembly results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

But the one issue where Modi may try to corner Mamata Banerjee is corruption, more specifically, Saradha and Narada, said a bureaucrat on conditions of anonymity.

In fact, though nothing has been proved so far in the courts on the ponzi scam question, this remains perhaps the weakest point in Mamata Banerjees armour.

Significantly, on Thursday Central Bureau of Investigation officers questioned Manik Majumdar, a close and soft-spoken aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Majumdar has been an associate of the TMC chief for decades and lives within half a km of her house on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kalighat.

The timing of questioning of Majumdar is significant. It embeds the message that the investigative agency is going for her, something that was not seen since May 2014 when the Supreme Court handed over the investigation to the CBI, said the bureaucrat.

Senior BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, Kailash Vijayvargiya and even Narendra Modi have always slammed Bengal ruling party and its chief on the ponzi scam issue. Shah and Modi have even stung Mamata personally alleging money from the ponzi schemes was used to buy her paintings.

While Bengals political circle is mainly looking for Modis speech from Thakurnagar, he will also be addressing another rally in the industrial town of Durgapur that is also close to the coal mining centres of Asansol and Raniganj.

From that rally, he is expected to sharpen his attack on lack of industrialisation effort in Mamata Banerjee regime, hinted several members of BJPs state unit.

In his two rallies in Malda (January 22) and Contai (January 29) Amit Shah has already lashed out at the Trinamool Congress governments failure on this front.Mamata treading path of erstwhile Communists: PM Modi

Mamata treading path of erstwhile Communists but she should know throttling democracy did not succeed then, will not succeed now, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Villages neglected for many, many years after Independence: PM Modi

Villages neglected for many, many years after Independence, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in West Bengal

My government took honest steps to improve condition of farmers, working class: PM Modi

My government took honest steps to improve condition of farmers, working class, says PM Modi in West Bengal.

TMC killing dreams and aspirations of middle-income group people in Bengal: PM Modi

TMC killing dreams and aspirations of middle-income group people in Bengal: PM Modi at BJP rally in Durgapur.

West Bengal is first state ever in India where tax (Trinmool Tolabazi Tax) is being imposed on education: PM Modi

West Bengal is the first state ever in India where the tax (Trinmool Tolabazi Tax) is being imposed on education, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

My fight against black money will continue: PM Modi

My fight against black money will continue. We are with the people of West Bengal to rid the state of Jagai, Madhai and Syndicate tax, said PM Modi while concluding his address at West Bengals Durgapur rally.

Didi, why fear if you havent done anything wrong: PM Modi

If you have not done anything wrong, there is not reason to be afraid, Didi, PM Modi.

Didi is afraid. The ground below her feet moves even if the BJP president come to Bengal, he added.

Bengal govt wont enforce Centres real estate regulations: PM Modi

The Centre has started real estate regulations, but the Bengal govt wont enforce it here, they constantly swear at me since I have resolved to fight black money, said PM Modi in Bengal.

Rival coming together to oppose chowkidar: PM Modi

Referring to the Opposition rally in Kolkata, PM Narendra Modi said that until 4 years back, those who didnt even like to look at each other, and used to plan how to send each other to jail are now embracing each other against the chowkidar.

PM Modi attacks heartless Trinamool government: PM Modi

A heartless govt that deprives the poor of benefits should not continue, said prime minister PM Narendra Modi in Durgapur rally.

PM Modi levies Trinamool Tolabaji Tax -- TTT, and said so far there was no one to challenge those who levy TTT (Trinamool Tolabaji Tax), but your chaiwala has stopped many from accumulating black money he added.

Didi loses sleep if poor in Bengal utter Modis name: PM Modi

Those playing with the lives of the poor should be punished, said PM Modi.

Didi loses her sleep if the poor in Bengal utter the name of Modi, he added.

Bengal govt blocking benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana: PM Modi

TMC govt is preventing the benefits of schemes from reaching the poor for whom these projects are meant, said PM Modi in Durgapur rally.

The govt in Bengal is blocking the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, he added.

PM Kisan Yojna permanent unlike Cong loan waiver drama: PM

PM accused the Congress of resorting to drama before the polls in 2008-09. Says Fridays announcement for farmers is not a one-time benefit but will continue,

In the next 10 years, farmers will get Rs 7.5 lakh cr following Fridays announcement, Compares it with the Rs 52,000 cr waived for farmers by the Congress, he said.

The cash transfer for farmers is the biggest scheme for farmers in the country, the prime minister added.

Direct cash transfer of Rs 6,000 per year for farmers: PM Modi

PM Modi mentioned about the direct cash transfer of Rs 6,000 per year for farmers announced in Fridays budget

Fridays budget illustrates Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi referred to the budget, with special emphasis on IT reliefs in the budget, and said that this is just a trailer, the budget after the elections will portray the contours of a new India.

The prime minister also mentioned the IT relief on rent income announced in the budget and that on interest income on fixed deposits.

State government has an anti-development approach: PM Modi

Projects worth Rs 90,000 crore are moving at snails pace because of the attitude of the state government. They are not cooperating with the Centre, they have an anti-development approach, said PM Modi referring to infrastructure development in the state of West Bengal.

BJP workers driven by words of Swami Vivekananda: PM Modi

BJP workers are driven by the words of Swami Vivekananda, said PM Narendra Modi in West Bengals Durgapur rally.

TMC is certain to go: PM Modi

Ruling TMC is certain to go, I can see clearly that Bengal will usher in parivartan (change), sai PM Modi in Bengals Durgapur rally.

Your fervour is giving Didi sleepless nights: PM to Bengal BJP workers

To Bengal BJP workers, PM Narendra Modi said Your fervour is giving Didi sleepless nights, and thats why she is adopting the ways of the Left .

Your sacrifice wont go waste: PM Modi to BJP workers

I want to tell the BJP workers of Bengal that your efforts and sacrifice wont go in vain, said PM Modi in West Bengals Durgapur.

PM apologises for difficulties faced by some people in Thakurnagar rally

PM Modi referred to the surge of enthusiasm in Thakurnagar, and said the crowd was double than that the ground could accommodate.

He also apologises for the difficulties faced by some people, especially women in the Thakurnagar rally.

PM Modi reaches Durgapur

PM Modi Saturday reached Durgapur stadium to address his second public rally in West Bengal.

BJP supporters gather for PM Modis rally in Durgapur

BJP supporters gathered to participate in a political rally of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Durgapur Stadium in West Bengal.

BJP supporters gathered to participate in a political rally of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Durgapur Stadium in West Bengal. ( Arijit Sen/HT Photo )

BJP supporters gathered to participate in a political rally of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Durgapur Stadium in West Bengal. ( Arijit Sen/HT Photo )

PM Modi to attend address at International Matua Mahasammelan

PM Narendra Modi will Saturday address at International Matua Mahasammelan in West Bengals Thakurnagar.

Prime minister Narendra Modi is going to address at International Matua Mahasammelan at Thakurnagar ,North 24 Parganas, West Bengal on Saturday, February 02, 2019 ( Samir Jana/HT Photo )

Government brought in the Citizenship Amendment Bill: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that his government brought in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. I am asking Trinamool to support it, PM Modi said as he concluded his speech in Bengals Thakurnagar.

In Karnataka, farmers who couldnt repay loans had police let loose on them: PM Modi

PM Modi said that the farmers who did not take loans were also given loan waivers. In Karnataka, farmers who could not repay loans had police let loose on him. And the chief minister of this state is supporting the Karnataka CM, he said.

Politics of waiver of farmer loans an effort to throw dust in their eyes: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi also said the politics of waiver of farmer loans is actually an effort to throw dust in their eyes, while addressing a rally in Bengal. The Prime Minister is campaigning in Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

You wont have to pay any syndicate tax: PM Modi

You wont have to pay any syndicate tax, the money (to farmers) will be paid directly to your bank account, PM Modi said in Bengal.

PM Modi praises Harichand Thakur, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

PM Modi praised the Matua sect founder Harichand Thakurs for his contribution to society and recalled the contribution of author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, writer of Pather Panchali.

PM Modi addresses rally in Thakurnagar

PM Narendra Modi began addressing a public meeting in Bengals Thakurnagar.

PM Modi reaches rally venue

PM Modi reached the rally venue in Bengals Thakurnagar.

PM Modi visits house of Binapani Debi

PM Modi visits the temple at the house of Dalit Matua community matriarch Binapani Debi, better known to community members as Baro-ma.

PM Modi reaches Thakurnagar

PM Modi reaches Thakurnagar, which is about 64 km from Kolkata. He is about to address a public rally in a ground that is spread over 19 bigha or 2,73,600 sq ft.

PM reaches Kolkata airport

PM Modi reaches Kolkata airport. He will proceed to Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district to address a public meeting.

Durgapur rally part of BJPs Ganatantra Bachao programme

The Durgapur rally of the prime minister will be part of BJPs Ganatantra Bachao (save democracy) programme in the state.

Modi-Mamata poster war in West Bengal ahead of PMs visit

With elections in the air, the Trinamool-Bharatiya Janata Party political rivalry translated into a poster war ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi first public meeting for the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal, a state where his party is targeting at least 22-23 seats out of the total 42.

PM expected to speak on Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill

The BJP state unit is hopeful that PM Modi will speak on the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill at Thakurnagar in the circumstances, party sources said.

PM Modi to begin poll campaign in Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in West Bengal on Saturday for the coming Lok Sabha election with rallies in the border district of North 24 Parganas and the industrial town of Durgapur, party sources said.A Virginia Democrat who has spoken with Northam told The Associated Press that the governor now does not believe he was in the racist picture in his 1984 medical yearbook and has no immediate plans to resign.With elections in the air, the Trinamool-Bharatiya Janata Party political rivalry translated into a poster war ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi first public meeting for the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal, a state where his party is targeting at least 22-23 seats out of the total 42.

(Click here for Live updates on PMs West Bengal rallies)

The BJP accused the state ruling party of deliberately putting up chief minister Mamata Banerjees posters on top of that of the Prime Minister and said it was undemocratic.

Just 50-70 metres away from the meeting venue of PM Modi in Durgapur, CM Mamata Banerjees posters are being put above PMs banners. This is proof there is no democracy in West Bengal. When one of our workers protested against such activities he was attacked, BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said.

The BJP, having lodged a complaint with the police, exuded confidence that PM Modis meetings would be historic and successful.

Prime Minister Modi is on a day-long visit to the state where he will address rallies in Durgapur and Thakurnagar. He will also launch a nearly 300-km-long electrified section of the railways and will inaugurate a 20-km-long Hijli-Narayangarh third line.

The Prime Minister in his speech is likely to touch upon the vexed issues of citizenship (National Register for Citizens) and the Matuas who form a three-million-plus strong community who mostly migrated from neighbouring Bangladesh since the 1950s.

NRC in Assam became a raging controversy in Bengal after nearly 4 million people found their names missing in NRCs final draft released in July last year.With Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may give a silent burial to the contentious triple talaq and the citizenship amendment bills, as well as the long-pending land acquisition legislation.

Since the first two bills have run into Opposition protests in Rajya Sabha, the BJP leadership has decided not to pursue them in the ongoing last session of Parliament that ends on February 13. Non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties have claimed victory by not allowing the ruling side to push its luck in the Upper House. The NDAs tactical decision has created space for passage of other bills by avoiding divisive and controversial ones at least till the elections.

At a meeting chaired by Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Friday, the government announced it would not pursue the triple talaq and the citizenship amendment bills. The NDA is also facing heat over the citizenship amendment bill in the north-east where indigenous bodies are opposed to the proposal to allow non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to become Indian citizens.

The amendments to the land acquisition act, to allow more flexibility in acquiring land, have long been pushed to the backburner by the Narendra Modi government. Along with the instant talaq and citizenship bills, it will lapse on June 3 when the 16th Lok Sabha comes to an end.

According to law, a bill that originates in Lok Sabha but is pending in Rajya Sabha lapses after the term of the Lok Sabha ends. A bill that originates in and is passed by Rajya Sabha but is pending in Lok Sabha also lapses, as do bills passed by Lok Sabha but are pending in Rajya Sabha.

The Modi government has been able to get House approval for many reforms bills but a few social or financial reform bills have got stuck, making it a mixed bag for the governments legislative agenda. Analysts said if the NDA manages to retain power, it would be able to attain majority in Rajya Sabha next year.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek OBrien dubbed the developments a big win for the Opposition. The government is not only on the back foot but clean bowled.

The government and the opposition and other parties reached an understanding on the bills to be taken up during the ongoing Budget Session. As a result, six legislative proposals including the one to replace an ordinance will be taken up, a Rajya Sabha official said.

During the meeting, Naidu appealed to the two sides to decide on the bills that could be taken up. This session being the last one before general elections, a sincere effort shall be made to ensure proper functioning of the House to send out the right message, Naidu told the ruling and the Opposition sides.

The National Medical Commission Bill, currently enacted through an ordinance, will lapse as it is unlikely to get the nod from the Upper House. It allowed a panel to administer the tainted Medical Council of India till a new body replaces the MCI.

The bills that are likely to be passed in the Upper House include The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to replace an ordinance, The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2019, The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (to make leprosy as a ground for divorce) and the Aadhaar and other Laws (Amendment) Bill.The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police has arrested Abdul Matin, an alleged operative of Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh, a banned terror organisation in Indias eastern neighbour, for links to the 2014 Burdwan blast that exposed an expanding network of jihadist in a few districts of West Bengal.

Matin was nabbed on Thursday in Kerala and has been brought to Kolkata on transit remand, an officer said on conditions of anonymity. He would be produced in a court in Kolkata on Saturday.

Matin hails from Barpeta in Assam. He became a JMB member in 2010 when he was studying at a madrasa, said an officer of Kolkata Police.

He received training in making IEDs and was involved in the making of IEDs, claimed officers. Matin was one of the 15 persons who were imparted arms training in Simulia madrasa in Burdwan district.

Matin allegedly left Bengal for Kerala immediately after an IED accidentally went off on the first floor of a rented house at Khagragarh area in Burdwan town in Bengal on October 2, 2014, killing two suspected JMB terrorists who were running a terror module.

Matins arrest took place within three days of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) taking into custody Kadar Kazi and Sajjad Ali from Arambagh area of Bengals Hooghly district on January 28. Both Kazi and Ali were linked to the Burdwan blast.

Matins arrest was the 33rd in the incident.

The NIA took charge of the investigation in 2014 and submitted the chargesheet before a special court on March 30, 2015 naming 21 people including four Bangladeshi nationals for their involvement in the conspiracy to overthrow the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh through violent terrorist acts and replace it with a Sharia-based Islamic rule.

The investigative agency also filed two supplementary chargesheets  one in July 2015 where six including a Bangladeshi was named and the other in December of the same year against 28 persons.

In the chargesheet, NIA mentioned that the terror elements spread their network in Bengals districts such as Burdwan, Birbhum and Hooghly.

Incidentally, in August 2018, Kausar, a key accused in the Burdwan blast case, was nabbed from a guest house in Bengaluru by a joint team of NIA and Bengaluru Police.Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha was injured in a lathi-charge by the police in Patna Saturday afternoon.

After being hit on his head and right hand, he was rushed to the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) where he is convalescing. Party workers said Kushwaha had fainted for a while after being hit by the police lathis.

At least 7-8 party workers were also injured in the attack.

The incident has provoked an outcry in the Grand Alliance (GA), of which RLSP is an important ally.

The alliance has called for Bihar bandh on February 4.

The incident occurred around 1 pm near Patnas famous Dak Bungalow square from where the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party leaders and workers were trying to move towards Raj Bhawan as part of their Jan Akrosh march to protest the deteriorating educational scenario in the state.The two minor girls, whose bodies were found hanging from an electricity pole in a Lakhimpur Kheri village on Friday evening, were strangled before being hanged, according to the post-mortem report, the Uttar Pradesh police said on Saturday.

The bodies of the girls, aged 14 and 15, were found hanging from the pole in the outskirts of Jheera Bojhi village of Lakhimpur Kheri district, 130 km north of the capital Lucknow.

Police said a murder case has been lodged on the basis of the post mortem report.

The Kheri double murder brings back memories of the Badaun incident of 2014 when bodies of two teenage girls were found hanging from a tree. The incident was suspected to be that of rape and murder. However, the CBI which probed the case concluded that it was not a rape and murder case but suicide.

Lakhimpur Kheri superintendent of police (SP) Poonam who goes by a single name confirmed that the girls were murdered by strangulation. However, she said the post mortem examination did not confirm sexual assault. The vaginal swabs of both the girls have been sent for forensic examinationand viscera has been preserved, she said.

Station house officer (SHO) of Pasgawan police station Satyendra Kumar Singh said the two girls, who were friends, were last seen by some villagers when they had gone to graze their cattle at around 2 pm on Friday. He said it was their daily routine to graze cattle and were accompanied by the younger brother of the 14-year-old girl. The boy, however, had not accompanied them on Friday due to illness, he added.

The SHO said signs of the bodies being dragged have been found near the spot that hinted towards murder. The killers probably hung the bodies to portray the case as suicide, he said

Additional director general (ADG) of police, Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna said the girls family members were making contradictory statements about the incident. He said the police were trying find out the motive behind the crime, which would subsequently help in nabbing the criminals.

The ADG said he had directed the Lakhimpur Kheri SP to solve the case at the arliest. Deputy superintendent of police of Gola, Abhishek Pratap is monitoring the investigation.

A number of persons have been interrogated, including those who first spotted the bodies hanging on the pole, Pratap said.

Meanwhile, ASP Ghanshyam Chaurasiya, sub divisional magistrate (SDM) of Mohamadi BD Verma and several other officials visited the village. The SDM has recommended houses and monetary compensation to the bereaved families.

Also, several political leaders, including BJP MP Rekha Verma, SP district president Quayyum Ahmad, SP MLC Shashank Yadav, Kranti Kumar Singh and former SP legislator Sunil Lala, visited the victims families.

(With inputs from HTC, Lakhimpur Kheri)As Assam remains on the edge over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which has sparked major protests, top bureaucrats on Saturday conceded that the situation is challenging.

The situation is peaceful but challenging. On a scale of one to ten it is slowly progressing, said Alok Kumar, chief secretary of the state even as he appealed for peaceful and dignified protests.

Asked if the situation was worsening, he said, That is for you to decide.

Kumar, his colleague Kumar Sanjay Krishna, the additional chief secretary and Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia and Hiren Nath, an inspector general of police, addressed a press conference in Guwahati on Saturday.

The chief secretary said that everyone has a right to protest democratically but there have been deviations which include nude protests.

Asked if the state and the Centre were apprised in advance on the kind of situation which may emerge if the Bill is pushed, Kumar said, In various meetings and otherwise we had expressed our opinions. He did not reveal specific details.

Assam Police chief Kuladhar Saikia said that police can only be sure of the rebel group ULFAs involvement after investigations and analysis. He was asked about senior cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas comment that the banned ULFA(I) was instigating protests.

Violence has rocked parts of Assam for weeks now and on Wednesday, Lakheswar Moran, the president of BJPs Tinsukia district unit was attacked by protesters when he was on his way to a meeting on the Citizenship Bill called by Lok Jagran Manch, an organization associated with the RSS. Saikia said five persons have been arrested in connection with the Tinsukia assault.

In other parts of the state, BJP ministers including chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal have been greeted with black flags by protesters. In many places including in Guwahati, agitators have stripped naked.

The Citizenship Bill which proposes to relax conditions for citizenship to six religious groups including Hindus, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and Christians who have come from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan for reasons of religious persecution was passed by Lok Sabha earlier in January.

The Bill is facing stiff opposition in the Northeast including Assam where agitators say it violates the Assam Accord of 1985 which promised detection and deportation of foreigners irrespective of their religion. Protesters say it would also nullify the ongoing exercise of National Register of Citizens.Three powerful women politicians, each from a very different section of society, may pose a big threat to the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a second term in Lok Sabha elections 2019 due by May.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, joined the struggle in January, when the opposition Congress party made her its face in Uttar Pradesh.

Two other senior female politicians - the firebrand chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, and Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister - are also plotting to unseat Modis ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition by forming big opposition groupings, though there is no firm agreement between them as yet.

The opposition has more powerful women leaders than the NDA, and therefore they will be able to carry conviction with voters generally, and with women voters, in particular, said Yashwant Sinha, 81, a former finance minister who quit Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates the NDA, last year.

They should be very worried, especially after the defeat in the three major Hindi heartland states, he said, referring to BJPs losses in recent state elections.

The entry of Priyanka into the political fray drew a gushing reaction from much of the media.

There were pictures of elated supporters dancing, a lot of talk of the 47-year-olds resemblance to her grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and comments about her gifts as a speaker able to connect with voters. That contrasts with her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who in the past has been criticized for lacking the common touch.

TRIPLE CHALLENGE

The other two women seen threatening Modis grip on power have a lot more experience than Priyanka, and both could be seen as potential prime ministerial candidates in a coalition government.

Mayawati, a 63-year-old former teacher who goes by just the one name, last month formed an alliance between her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)  which mainly represents Hinduisms lowest caste, the Dalits - and its once bitter foes, the Samajwadi Party that tends to draw support from other lower castes and Muslims.

Then there is 64-year-old Banerjee, who has twice been railways minister in federal governments. Last month, Banerjee  who built her All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party after leaving Congress in 1997 - organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata that attracted hundreds of thousands.

Party colleagues of the three women leaders said they were not available for comment.

To be sure, Modi remains, for now, the most popular leader in the country, opinion polls show.

Modi also cannot be accused of ignoring womens issues during his first term. He has launched a government campaign - Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, or Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter - and called for the eradication of female foeticide. His campaigns to provide toilets and subsidised gas cylinders for poorer Indians are often promoted as ways to empower women.

He has six women in his 26-strong cabinet, though a lot of power is centralised with Modi and a couple of senior male lieutenants.

The BJP said it would seek votes on the basis of achievements under Modi and the opposition did not have a positive alternative to the government, and its activities.

PERSONAL TIES

Congress has said it wants to form a post-poll partnership with Mayawatis BSP and SP alliance, though it will be fighting against it in 78 seats. The alliance will not contest two Gandhi strongholds won multiple times by Rahul and his mother Sonia.

Mayawati told a press conference announcing the alliance with the SP that Congress was not part of it because they did not think there would be much benefit in having them with us before the election.

The BSP, however, backs Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

There is no formal alliance between Banerjee and Congress, though she does know Rahul and Priyanka.

Dinesh Trivedi, a former federal minister and a close aide to Banerjee, said she enjoys a good personal relationship with Sonia Gandhi, the matriarch of the dynasty and a former Congress president, and so working with her two children would not be a problem.

In terms of experience, Mamata Banerjee is far ahead, Trivedi said. I wouldnt be surprised if Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi would look at Mamata Banerjee as somebody who could really inspire them.

The strength of Priyanka, Mayawati and Banerjee as a potential opposition alliance is that they can appeal to different parts of the electorate.

Two Congress sources said the formal entry into politics of Priyanka could help rejuvenate the party in Uttar Pradesh, where it is a marginal player. Coming from what is Indias first family, they said she could appeal to upper caste voters in the state who typically vote for the pro-business BJP.

A Congress leader close to the Gandhis said she would attract women, young people, and floating voters.

Priyanka is far from a political neophyte, having supported her brother and mother during previous election campaigns. She has also experienced political and personal tragedy, as Rahul Gandhi stressed in a speech last week.

You have to understand my relationship with my sister  we have been through a hell of a lot together, he said.

Everybody is like look, you come from this illustrious family, and everything is easy. Actually its not so easy. My father was assassinated, my grandmother was assassinated, huge political battles, wins in political battles, losses in political battles.

NATIONAL LEADER

BSP spokesman Sudhindra Bhadoria said Mayawatis gender did not matter.

She has managed a party from scratch to this level. The important fact is that she has organised large numbers, both men and women, Dalits, other backward castes, the poor, minorities, Bhadoria said. I dont fit them in the straightjacket of male-female. I think shes a national leader.

She is regarded as ambitious. A U.S. diplomatic cable in 2008, among many thousands leaked by Wikileaks two years later, described her as first-rate egomaniac who is obsessed with becoming prime minister.

But Mayawati has also been credited with empowering oppressed lower caste Hindus.

Banerjee, who defeated a 34-year-old communist government in West Bengal in an election in 2011, is known for her streetwise political skills and portrays herself as a secular leader in a country polarised under the BJP.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh attack on the opposition parties over their attempt to present a united front against the BJP-led NDA government in the upcoming Lok Sabha election saying they are scared because I am fighting corruption. But minutes later, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shot back at PM Modi saying his tenure will end in a month but he doesnt seem mentally prepared to go.

Referring to opposition parties rally in Kolkata last month, PM Modi said, This chaiwala has stopped the illegal income of the high and mightyThis is why all kinds of people were taking vows in Kolkata to remove this chowkidar.

Look at their photographsThey look so scared, PM Modi said taking a dig at the opposition leaders, who had attended the United India rally organised by Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in January.

Watch| Huge crowd at rally shows why Mamata resorted to violence: PM Modi

He said, Those who did not even see each other four years ago assembled in Kolkata They are abusing me because I am working against corruption. On January 19, the TMC had organised a rally in Kolkata where leaders of 24 parties including the Congress shared the stage with Banerjee.

Responding to PM Modis charge, Banerjee said, In true fascist style, he is trying to encircle everyone with agenciesThe Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power.

The prime minister attacked Mamata Banerjee accusing her of preventing the officials of central government agencies from carrying out probe in West Bengal.

Didi, if you have not done anything wrong, why are you scared. What is that you are afraid of, said PM Modi adding he was made to sit for nine hours in Delhi during the UPA rule when the CBI probe cases against him when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

I never attacked agenciesI said you can bring more agencies to probe cases against meI am honest. I am not scaredBut they are so scared that they dont want the BJP president to land in West Bengal, said PM Modi.

PM Modi targeted Banerjee saying people of West Bengal have to pay Trinamool Tolabaji Tax for college admission and recruitment of teachers as there is a syndicate raj in the state.

Her exit is certain

At his second public rally of the day in West Bengal, PM Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee government of withdrawing from the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme of the central government for political reasons.

The poor were getting benefits from Ayushman BharatDidi lost her sleep as she feared what will happen to her if every ailing person would get treatment and chant Modi-Modi, he said.

Such a heartless governmnt must not stay in power any longer, PM Modi said adding, her exit is certain.

The prime minister also made a strong defence of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan) scheme introduced in the interim budget amid criticism by the opposition. PM Modi said the BJP-led government introduced the biggest ever scheme for the benefit of the farmers without doing any drama like the Congress did in 2008.

PM Kisan is a Rs 75,000 crore scheme. We could have done the drama of loan waiver like the CongressBut we have brought a permanent schemeThis is not a one-time schemeIt will stay with the farmers for years, he said.

The prime minister said, The Congress brings loan waiver every ten years They came up with a Rs 52,000 crore loan waiver scheme 10 years ago. Our scheme will offer Rs 7.50 lakh crore to farmers in the next years. Their scheme was aimed at benefitting 2-3 crore farmers while ours will benefit 12 crore. Isnt it a bigger scheme?

Earlier, PM Modi addressed a rally at Thakurnagar in 24 North Parganas district in an apparent attempt to reach out to influential Matua community, which originally hails from Bangladesh and migrated to West Bengal during 1950s following religious persecution in that country.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi minutes after he finished his speech in Durgapur and said his tenure will end in a month but he is not mentally prepared to go out of power.

Speaking to a TV channel, the Trinamool Congress supremo fumed at the attack by the prime minister and launched a counter-attack with allegations against Modi over 2002 Gujarat riots.

She also rejected PM Modis appeal that Trinamool Congress should support the Citizenship Amendment Bill. We are opposed to this Bill. They have to withdraw it, said the West Bengal chief minister.

Banerjee, who convened a meeting of two dozen opposition leaders on January 19 in Kolkatas Brigade Parade ground, repeated her earlier stand that the Centre is trying to unleash the investigative agencies against anyone who dared to oppose him.

Also read | PM Modi targets Opposition at Bengal rally; Mamata says your time is up

The Bengal chief minister also responded to Modis jibe that Banerjee is afraid as she is probably in the wrong. Why fear if you have not done anything wrong? Even I was interrogated for nine hours, Modi said in Durgapur.

Banerjee retorted with a counter-attack saying, It is true that riots happened (in Gujarat). He was a culprit and, therefore, he was questioned (by the CBI). But just because he was grilled does not mean that he would also use the agencies to interrogate others?

I should not be saying this, but they have registered an FIR against the son of Rajnath Singh, alleged the Trinamool Congress chief.

In true fascist style, he (PM Modi) is trying to encircle everyone with agenciesThe Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power, she said.

Mamata Banerjee also did not hesitate to go personal. He has no allies in the country. He wraps himself in fashion. He is not capable of anything. He even delivers his speech with the help of teleprompters, said Mamata.

Rejecting Modis allegations that the state government was preventing implementation of central projects in the fields of road, railways, health in the state, the Bengal chief minister asked, Why is the Centre stalling projects such as the deep sea port and Deocha Pachami coal mine project?

Saradha and Narada contain no substance. Narada is a sting. People have been seen taking Rs 1 lakh for elections. Who are they to ask questions? They use hundreds of crores of rupees in elections, alleged the Trinamool chief.

Banerjee further said Modi has never sold tea. The BJP and TMC are locked in a bitter fight for political one-upmanship in West Bengal. While Amit Shah has set a target for the BJP to win a minimum of 23 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has vowed to win all 42.

Also read | In BJPs big Bengal push, PM attacks Didi, says back citizenship billThe Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, Assam government and the Election Commission on a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding voting rights in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for those whose names do not figure in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) prepared July 30, 2018.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justice Sanjiv Khanna on Friday also sought response from the Assam State Election Commission and the state coordinator for NRC on the issue. The plea has been made by two Assam-based residents, Gopal Seth and Susanta Sen.

While Seth is a resident of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, Sen claims to be a resident of Sibsagar district in Assam. Both reside in Sibsagar district at the moment. Their names have been deleted from the draft NRC. Both used to be voters of Sibsagar Assembly constituency in previous elections.

The court has not fixed the date for the next hearing. However, it said the matter would come up after four weeks.

The petition, filed through advocate Pijush K Roy, has pointed out that the petitioners names have been dropped from the Assam voters list on the ground that they do not find mention in the draft NRC.

The petitioners have said that deletion of their names is erroneous as they have already filed their objections with the state coordinator for NRC who is finalising the list. They argue that deletion of their names from the voters list for Sibsagar district on the basis of the NRC amounted to a violation of their constitutional right to vote.

The right to vote of a citizen is a statutory right and the freedom of voting is a part of the freedom of expression protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. The voters participation explains the strength of democracy. Non-participation causes frustration and disinterest, which is not a healthy sign of a growing democracy like India.

The right to vote originates from the Constitution and is in accordance with the constitutional mandate contained in Article 326 The right to vote at the elections to the house of the people or legislative assembly is a constitutional right and not merely a statutory right, the petition said.The goal is that we create a tradition of having sacred weekends in Baltimore, that over time, people know when its Ceasefire weekend just like they know its Christmas, a time of year when theres a different feeling in the air, Bridgeford said. We want the Ceasefire weekends to be like that  that were celebrating life, were being peaceful on purpose, and that people understand its not just about shooting, that it is about peace. How can you be peaceful on purpose for three days straight?A Delhi court on Saturday granted Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, protection from arrest till February 16 in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and directed him to appear before the agency on February 6 and cooperate with investigations.

Vadra, who is currently in London, moved the court Friday for anticipatory bail in the case connected with the purchase of a London-based property worth 1.9 million pounds. The ED claims the property belongs to Vadra.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed Vadra to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of the same amount after his counsel, senior advocate KTS Tulsi, informed the court that his client was in London looking after his ailing mother. Tulsi, however, assured the court that Vadra would return to India on February 6. The court then granted Vadra interim bail with a direction to join investigations.

In his plea, Vadra alleged that he was subjected to unwarranted, unjustified and a malicious criminal prosecution which, on the face of it, was completely politically motivated. The case will be heard next on February 16.The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Saturday named Rishi Kumar Shukla as the new chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), just three days after he was removed as Madhya Pradesh police chief by the states new Congress administration, in an appointment that is likely to ratchet up political friction ahead of general elections.

Shukla, a Madhya Pradesh cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1983 batch, will occupy the hot seat at a time when the agency has been left badly bruised by an internecine feud between his predecessor Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has, based on the panel recommended by the Committee constituted as per Section 4A(1) of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE), 1946, approved the appointment of Shri Rishi Kumar Shukla, said a government order.

A selection committee  comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha  chooses the CBI chief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CJI Ranjan Gogoi approved the appointment of Shukla while Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge dissented.

Shukla became the choice of the government as he had seniority, said another officer who was a contender for the top CBI job.

Also, he still has a residual service of around 19 months left, the IPS officer added.

In an indication that Shuklas appointment could prove to be a political hot potato, Kharge, who attended two selection committee meetings that were inconclusive, shot off a letter of dissent to Prime Minister Modi, saying experience in probing corruption cases should have been taken into account as well in making the appointment. A copy of the dissent note was seen by HT.

Kharge cited a Supreme Court judgment and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that listed seniority, integrity and experience in investigating corruption cases as prerequisites for the job of CBI director. The selection committee shortlisted the candidates on the basis of seniority, the annual confidential report and total experience in investigation and corruption probes of 100 months or more. He claimed that Shukla had no experience in anti-corruption cases.

It is important to restore the image and integrity of the CBI as a premier institution that is fighting against corruption. Hence, prior experience of having served in the institution should be given primacy after having shortlisted candidates based on their seniority and their ACR, he said.

One cannot stand by and accept the dilution of norms when an appointment to such a critical post is being made, Kharge added in his dissent note.

In terms of overall investigative experience, Shukla notched up 117 months, lower than the 170 months of Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, who also spent 25 months handling corruption cases.

Kharge put former Uttar Pradesh police chief S Javeed Ahmad as his number 1 choice for the top job in the CBI because he had 303 months of experience in handling corruption cases, followed by Central Reserve Police Force chief RR Bhatnagar, and National Security Guard chief Sudeep Lakhtakia.

The CBI is still under the cloud of the bitter internecine feud between Verma and Asthana, who accused each other of corruption. On October 23, the government divested both men of their duties and sent them on leave. The Supreme Court on January 10 reinstated Verma and left it to the selection panel to decide whether he should continue in the post. The panel, in a 2-1 decision, removed him from the CBIs helm and posted him as director general, fire services, civil defence and home guards to serve out the 20 days before his retirement. Verma declined to occupy the post, noting that he had already reached retirement age, and requested that he be deemed to have retired.

Even at the time of Vermas appointment as CBI chief in 2017, Kharge had dissented. He was in favour of another IPS officer, RK Dutta, who was removed from the post of CBI special director just prior to the process of appointing a new director. Duttas removal led to the appointment of then additional director Asthana as acting chief of the agency in December 2016 when Anil Sinha retired as the CBI chief.

Shukla had been the chief of Madhya Pradesh police from June 2016 until the newly elected Kamal Nath government of the Congress party named him chairman of the MP Police Housing Corporation, considered a shunting post.

As the CBI chief, Shuklas job is totally cut out as he needs to tame the agency to follow the law in letter and spirit for all purposes, says NR Wasan, who served in the CBI for 18 years before retiring as the chief of the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

An IPS officer, who too was a contender for the top job in the agency, said: Shukla will start with zero prior experience of working in the CBI, that too at a time when the agency is in the midst of chaos due to what happened...Shukla will have to learn everything (on the job), and his predecessor Alok Verma too faced this handicap as he too didnt have any prior experience of working in the agency, which was one of the major reasons for his turbulent time in the agency.Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed on Saturday that Mamata Banerjees Bengal administration allowed extortion rackets to thrive in the state and accused her government of killing middle- class aspirations, launching one of the most strident attacks yet on the Trinamool Congress on its own turf in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Modi made the comments during two rallies in Bengal, exactly a fortnight after chief minister Banerjee organised an opposition show of strength in Kolkata, where she shared the stage with leaders of 24 parties including the Congress.

Trinamool Congress is known for extorting triple T  Trinamool Tolabaji Tax. It cannot go on forever, the Prime Minister said, using a Bangla word that is used in the context of organized extortion rings.

The TMC is killing peoples aspirations, but the Centre will fulfil their (peoples) dreams. The TMC doesnt take interest in initiating development projects where there is no share for the syndicate... where there is no malai (cream), he said at a rally in Durgapur.

Tolabaji refers to instances where extortionists, often boasting political links, collect extortion money from people engaged in legal activity such as building a house. Syndicate, in this context, refers to a related racket in which members of the public are forced to make business deals  for instance, purchasing building material if one were constructing a house  from suppliers who hold sway in the region.

At another event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, Modi made a strong pitch for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, insisting it would bring justice and respectability to those who faced religious persecution. He also requested the TMC supremo to facilitate the passage of the Bill. The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution in what is now Bangladesh.

The Citizenship bill aims to give citizenship to people from religious minority communities in neighbouring countries, most of which are Muslim majority nations.

Hours after Modi finished speaking at his rally, Banerjee lashed out at the PM on a television channel. We are against the Bill. It has to be withdrawn, she said in reference to Modis appeal to the TMC to support the Bill. His (Modis) time is up, but he is not mentally prepared to go.

Banerjee then commented on Modis alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots and said that in true-Fascist style, the PM was letting loose central investigation agencies upon opposition leaders.

Modi cut short his speech in Thakurnagar to barely 17 minutes while in Durgapur, he devoted most of his 44-minute address to the announcements made in the interim budget on Friday.

He said the proposed direct cash transfer of 6,000 to farmers was historic and slammed the farm loan waivers of recently elected Congress state governments, questioning whether they would ever reach small farmers. He also said that fighting corruption was the mission of his life and wondered why Banerjee was so afraid if she has done nothing wrong.

The countrys most powerful and famous family is also doing the rounds of the courts on charges of tax evasion and cheating, said Modi, taking a potshot at the Congresss Gandhis.

Union minister Rajnath Singh too addressed rallies in West Bengals Alipurduar and Cooch Behar in tandem with Modi and didnt desist from taking swipes at the united front that opposition parties were trying to forge. Even if it (the front) forms the government, who will take the drivers seat? If someone steps on the accelerator, someone else will apply the brakes, he said.A group of women from Pakistan, who came to Jammu and Kashmir with their husbands under the rehabilitation policy for militants, Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for travel documents to return home.

They claimed that they have not been provided the permanent resident certificates as promised.

In 2001, NC vice-president and then chief minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the youths of Jammu and Kashmir who had gone across the LoC for arms training but had renounced militancy and wanted to return home to lead a normal life.

Since the time we came here with our husbands and children under the rehabilitation policy announced by the Omar Abdullah government, we have not been provided the PRC document, the women said in a statement.

On the contrary, FIRs have been registered against us and we are now unnecessarily caught in court cases, they said.

The women, coming from different parts of the Kashmir Valley, assembled at the Residency Road in Srinagar to press for their demands.

We appeal to the prime ministers and foreign ministers of India and Pakistan that travel documents be issued to us on humanitarian grounds. If they do not give us the travel documents, then we should be made to exit, the women added.

The women said since their arrival in the state, they have not been able to visit their families in Pakistan.

Many of our close relatives, including parents, have died during this period. We remain disturbed on account of welfare of our relatives back home and some of us are now suffering from psychiatric problems as well, the women claimed.Agras mayor Naveen Jain on Saturday asked administration in Aligarh to take stringent measures to save Aligarh Muslim University from becoming an adda (hub) of terrorists and weed them out from the campus.

Jain was speaking to reporters after Agras Lok Sabha MP Ram Shankar Katheria of the BJP had addressed the media at a press conference he had called to hail the interim Budget.

AMU is turning out to be home for terrorists and as such stringent measures are required to save it from becoming adda for terrorists. The Aligarh administration should take steps to weed out such terrorist element from university premises, said Jain who is also from the BJP.

Such situation is not to be tolerated and first step should be removing the word Muslim from name of Aligarh Muslim University, the Mayor said while complaining that anti national slogans are raised in university premises.

Janis demand came despite the Supreme Court dismissing a PIL last month seeking to change the name of the university.

Jain gave no indication as to what could have sparked his tirade against AMU as he demanded a probe as to who is providing rooms to those having anti-national inclination and seeking azadi from India.

It is high time that measures be taken to save AMU from becoming safe haven for terrorists, he said.Many of the streets of Rakhigarhi, Haryana, are cobbled or bricked. But its often difficult to see the road surface, so covered is it with dried animal dung. As in most rural households in India, animals are a part of nearly every household. Milk is rarely, if ever, bought. Butter is made fresh, at home. And dried dung cakes are used to light fires for warmth through the freezing winters, heat water and often cook. Even people with gas connections use dried dung cake fires to heat water and to cook. Theres a different flavour to the food, when cooked in an earthen pot over an open flame, explains Vicky Malik, a Rakhigarhi resident, as he stands on a high mound beyond which stretches fields of wheat and yellow blossoming mustard. Near his feet, as indeed across most of the mound,are scattered round, flattened cakes made of animal dung  in various states of dryness. Beneath the waste lie the remains of the Indian subcontinents earliest-known urban culture.

Three years ago, a team of archaeologists working under Vasant Shinde of Punes Deccan College, found skeletons in one of the farmlands in the village. The cemetery they uncovered dated back to the Indus Valley Civilisation that had flourished in the subcontinent between 2600-1900 BCE. The locals werent surprised. Rakhigarhis introduction to its ties with the past had begun years ago.

Finding The Lost Town

The revelation of Rakhigarhis links to history was quite accidental, recalls archaeologist Ravindra Singh Bisht, who specialises in the study of the Indus Valley Civilisation  or Harappan Civilisation, as it is often called, after the name of the village in present-day Pakistan, where the first site of that ancient culture was discovered, sometime in the 1920s. Acharya Bhagwan Dev headed a gurukul in Jhajjar, Haryana. He was also a collector of antiquities. Once, on a trip to Rakhigarhi, he found some old earthenware urns and other things in the soil here, but was unable to identify them, explains Bisht. Dev invited Suraj Bhan, a professor who was studying the Harappan era, to examine his findings. It was Bhan who established that these antiquities dated to the Indus Valley Civilisation. This was in the 1960s, he adds.

Bisht paid his first visit to Rakhigarhi in 1972. Though referred to collectively as Rakhigarhi, the area is made of two small villages  Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur  each with its own panchayat. The site of the old Harappan Civilisation spreads across both. Initially I identified five mounds where remains of the Harppan Civilisation could be found, he says. Later he found two more with remains of a pre Harappan (or early-Harppan as some call it) settlement and recommended that they be all declared as protected monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Presently four of the seven mounds are ASI-protected. The others are too thickly populated at present to bring them under protection, says an ASI official. It was the reason why Bisht never did any excavations at Rakhigarhi. Some of the biggest mounds were under occupation. I felt I could not do justice to the study in such a situation, says the archaeologist, who has done extensive work in Dholavira, another site of the Harappan Civilization.

The first excavation at Rakhigarhi was carried out between 1997 to 2000 by Amarendra Nath of the ASI. Between 2013-16, Shinde too carried out excavations here. A report on the study of the DNA remains of the skeletons found during the excavations three years back is expected soon, possibly in the next one month.

But Bisht says there in Rakhigarhi that still remains to be studied. It is the biggest site of the Harappan civilisation found till date, says Shinde. The site here is spread across an area of more than 500 hectares. Mohenjo-daro, which was earlier thought to be the biggest Harappan-era site, is only about 300 hectares in size, he says, adding, what we are yet to figure out though, is whether this entire area was occupied simultaneously, or gradually brought under occupation.

Excavations for evidence of the ancient settlement have spilled beyond the four mounds protected by the ASI into private land. Crops now cover the soil under which Shinde had found the ancient cemetery during his work here.

A Shared Space

I went to see the skeletons when they were found a few years ago, says Rina, a young Rakhigarhi resident. There is none of the fear or sense of foreboding that one often associates with such findings in the people here. We always knew this to be the site of an ancient culture, says 74-year-old Ram Kala, a farmer, in explanation. Our elders always said there used to be an old village here, popularly referred to as Kolapaltan. But we didnt know how old it was before the excavations started. Some excavations have been done in his fields too.

Most residents have at some point or the other found bits of broken pottery and beads in their fields and grounds. Especially after the monsoon when the soil is soft. Many have in their homes bits and pieces of ancient history, collected over the years. One such, with a more extensive collection than others, is 52-year-old Ramesh Chandra, a teacher at the government school here. I got interested after I found a pot in my fields, he says showing his collection of urns, broken pots and what look like seals and bits and pieces of terracotta jewellery. I have shown it to visiting historians and archaeologists and they have confirmed it is from ancient times, he says.

Fifty-two-year-old Rakhigarhi school teacher Ramesh Chandra with the old pottery, believed to be from the Harappan era, that he found in his fields. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

The locals are oddly at home with the history in their midst. The fact that this was the site of one of the Indias oldest cities is a matter of pride for us. Excavations have been carried out in private lands and owners have been happy to give their lands for free for the work. Others are happy to host the visiting scholars in their homes, says Dinesh Sheoran, a former sarpanch of Rakhi Shahpur, who takes a deep interest in the work and is somewhat of a go-to person for most visiting scholars.

But the acceptance of heritage, doesnt bring with it a sense of awe, and often not even an awareness of the need for its protection. The ASI has put up metal fences around the four protected mounds. Once the excavations were completed, the soil cover was replaced, to protect the antiquities below. But two wheelers zip through gaps in the fences using the path through the mounds as a thoroughfare. People come and go as they please, using it as a vacant plot to dry dung cakes. Animals roam freely. Today, much of the site of one of Indias oldest cities looks like a garbage dump.

It was so even when I had identified them, says Bisht. The ASI protection should have improved the condition. But then, the ASI is so short-funded and short-staffed that it is a challenge, he adds. An ASI official says the organisation has one person posted at Rakhigarhi to ensure protection of the mounds. But it is too much for one person to take care of. We have also conducted awareness-building sessions with the locals to explain to them the need to protect the site. But it hasnt helped. Littering is better, says Shinde, than taking soil from the sites to build and repair homes  which also the villagers would do once  but have stopped now, thanks to the efforts of locals like Sheoran. That would expose the remains to weathering and also cause us to lose data, he explains.

The littering may not damage the historical data buried beneath, but the mess is definitely a put-off for visitors.

The neglect of the mounds dismays Wazir Chand Sirohi. A local with a passion for the archaeological data found in his village, he maintains copies of reports on the finds at Rakhigarhi, and has trained himself to become somewhat of a local guide around the digs sites. For most locals, however, pride in their history is at odds with the practical concerns of present-day living. Land is a sore point for many.

Present Predicament

One of the ASI-protected mounds in the village  site five  has been built over. For years the ASI has been trying to get the area vacated. A row of two-room brick structures, funded by the state government, have been built in the village to rehabilitate those shifted away from the site. More are under construction. Some have already made the shift to the government quarters. But many are not in the mood to move. The situation is precarious for those whose houses are built on land that is not registered in their names but is formally owned by the panchayat. They may be the first to face forced eviction.

Those living in smaller houses have agreed to move, but how can those living in bigger spaces agree to shift to those cramped quarters. Where will be keep our animals? asks 31-year-old Anil Kumar, a farmer by profession.

Most of the houses in the village have a big open courtyard where the animals are kept  surrounded by rooms, a design Shinde says the modern village shares with the Harappan times. The government-built accommodations dont have that kind of space.

Fifty-four-year-old Jaivir, a retired army employee, had worked as a labourer when the ASI first started excavation here. He dimly understands the importance of the site, as do most other villagers, but questions, isnt it unfair to disrupt the lives of people in the present to know about the past?

The question plays on the minds of many of those facing displacement, even as the state government plans to promote and preserve it as a site of heritage tourism. A seven-galleried museum is under construction. We are also planning a library and souvenir shop, explains Banani Bhattacharyya, deputy director, department of archaeology and museums, Haryana. Expected to be completed sometime in the next year, the complex will also have a hostel for tourists and visiting scholars. There are also plans to improve the connectivity to Rakhigarhi, she says.

The infrastructural development and expected economic growth accompanying the coming of tourists will, Bhattacharyya hopes, also make the villagers more protective of Rakhigarhis heritage sites.

Shinde too hopes to return, to work on the conservation of the site. The problem in opening the site at Rakhigarhi for public viewing is that unlike in Mohenjo-daro, where the Harappan structures are made of burnt brick, here they are made of dried brick and therefore more vulnerable to weathering. We need to strengthen the structures and erect some sort of a protective cover, he explains.

And he plans to involve the locals in the project for regional know-how often works better than technology learnt from abroad which are more suitable to conditions there. The knowledge got passed down the ages, he says. Under the dirt and surface presence of the present, says Shinde, is a village that retains its ancient roots. The way the village is laid out is similar to the Harrapan settlements. Often when I walk the streets of Rakhigarhi, I feel I am in a Harappan village, he says.Modi is the leader who can take this country forward: Amit Shah

To take the country forward, to secure the country, to develop it, we need a capable leader. And that leader is with the BJP, that is Narendra Modi, said Amit Shah.

This time, we will get more seats in UP than the last time: Amit Shah

Confident about BJPs victory, Shah said, I am not worried about the gathbandhan, I know every region of this state, we will get more seats than the last time, said Amit Shah.

Modi govt through surgical strike, took the revenge of our slain soldiers: Shah

This is not moni babas govt, this is not bhai-bhatija government, this is Modi jis government, which through a surgical strike, took the revenge of our slain soldiers, said Amit Shah.

Want all Rahul Gandhi to clear before the general elections whether he is for Ram temple in Ayodhya or not: Shah

We want the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya soon. So, dont have any doubts, we will make the temple in Ayodhya. Whenever the case goes to court, the Congress tries to stall it. I want all opposition parties and Rahul Gandhi to clear before the general elections whether they are for Ram temple in Ayodhya or not, said Amit Shah.

Law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is one of the best in the country: Shah

The law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is one of the best in the country, said Amit Shah in Amroha, Uttar Prades

For Cong, OROP is only Rahul, only Priyanka: Amit Shah

We brought OROP (One Rank One Pension) for the benefit of the Army, but even Congress brought it. For them , OROP is Only Rahul, Only Priyanka. They just work for the family, we dont, said Amit Shah in an apparent dig to Priyanka Gandhi Vadras formal entry into politics.

Opposition and Rahul Gandhi were stunned by the budget: Shah

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah hailed the interim budget and said the Opposition and Rahul Gandhi were stunned by the budget.

Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand on Ayodhya: Amit Shah

Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand on Ayodhya. I can say without doubt that Ram Mandir will be built there, said Amit Shah.

Arch-rivals have come together in UP to fight us, it reflects our power

In Uttar Pradesh, arch-rivals (Mayawati-Akhilesh) have come together to fight us. It reflects how powerful we are. All these Gathbandhan people say Modi hataao and Modi says Gareebi hataao. These Gathbandhans and their leaders cannot do anything for the country. Neither will they be able to conduct surgical strikes, Amit Shah said.

We want BJP in Bengal and Odisha

Media people will discuss Agustawestland and other scams but they never took note of the 1 lakh crore that was eaten up by the rats in Congress, Amit Shah said. We want the BJP to come to power in Odisha and Bengal.

We came up with direct transfer funds to prevent corruption

Rajiv Gandhi had said that he sends Rs 1 from Delhi and by the time it reaches villages it turned to 15 paise. Who ate up all that money? asked Amit Shah. But we took a note and came up with direct transfer funds, he added.

Entire country came together for gau-mata: Shah

Entire country came together for gau-mata (Cow) due to their sentiments, Amit Shah said.

Our govt made One Rank One Pension a success: Amit Shah

You were in power for 55 years (Congress) but you could not give them the One Rank One Pension plan to people from the Army.

Sonia- Manmohan govt did not do anything for our soldiers: Shah

Since independence, the biggest budget for defence was declared by Piyush Goyal yesterday. Defence should get the best facilities, latest equipments. For 10 years, Sonia- Manmohan Singh government did not do anything for the soldiers of the country.

Do they even know average produce of Kharif or Rabi crop? asks Amit Shah

Yesterday, some Congress leader estimated an average. Do they even know what is the Kharif or Rabi crop average? What kind of department did they run for 55 years that even today farmers are under debt?

Wasnt Oppn happy for people after Budget was presented?

Why did they (opposition) look upset when the budget was being presented, werent they happy for the people? asked Amit Shah.A barely one-month-old female leopard cub was seized from a passenger who arrived at Chennais Anna International Airport on a flight from Thailand early on Saturday, carrying the cub in a stroller bag, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) said.

The passenger, identified as Kajah Moideen, 45, brought the cub in a plastic basket that he had stuffed in the bag he carried on the Thai Airways flight from Bangkok, an AIU statement said. He would have left the airport undetected but for the fact that security personnel smelt and heard something in his luggage and checked his bags.

After collecting his checked-in luggage, Moideen tried to leave the airport in a hurry but was intercepted by security guards for questioning. The passenger, whose nationality isnt known, was evasive in his replies, prompting an inspection of his luggage.

The search led to the discovery of the leopard cub, which was weak and in a state of shock, the AIU statement said.

A veterinary doctor from the Aringar Anna Zoological Park from nearby Vandalur was called in to examine the condition of the leopard cub, belonging to the species Pantheras Pardus. Weighing 1.1 kg and 54 cm in length, the animal was found to be healthy. Customs officials fed the cub milk with a feeding bottle.

The cub was entrusted to the Vandalur Zoo and Moideen was handed over to the forest department, so that action can be taken against him under the Wildlife Protection Act ,1972. An investigation is on, the AIU, said.

The discovery of the leopard cub in cabin baggage has stunned customs officers who are more used to attempts by passengers from Thailand to smuggle in gold and, occasionally, star tortoises.Smuggling of leopards in or out of India is illegal.

We have taken the passenger into custody and are questioning him on the source of the animal, AO Limatoshi, head of the Chennai wildlife crime bureau, said. He said the bureau was investigating whether the man was part of an international smuggling ring.

(AFP contributed to this story)India on Saturday expressed concern at the arrest of 129 Indian students enrolled at a fake university in Detroit, and said in a demarche  a formal diplomatic note  issued to the US embassy in New Delhi that they shouldnt be deported against their will.

The detention of the students, among 130 foreign nationals rounded up by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on civil immigration charges on Wednesday, is being taken quite seriously, people familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

The issue of the students is quite different from that of eight people arrested on criminal charges such as visa fraud and they should be treated differently, said one person. The people quoted above said the matter had the potential to become an irritant in bilateral relations.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement that the demarche had conveyed Indias concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access.

We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the University, should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them, the statement said.

Read more| Indian embassy opens hotline for students detained by US authorities

We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will, it added.

The US embassy spokesperson confirmed the receipt of the demarche.

We refer you to the department of homeland security in the US for information on their status, the spokesperson said.

The Indian government is upset at the way the students were treated following their arrest, including the fitting of tracking devices on the ankles of some to prevent them moving out of designated areas, the people quoted above said.

They said the manner in which the students were enrolled at the fake university, created by ICE to lure students allegedly trying to remain in the US, amounted to entrapment.

Attorneys have dismissed claims by US prosecutors that the students were aware the University of Farmington was running an illegitimate operation, saying they legally entered the country with student visas and transferred to the varsity to work.

The external affairs ministry statement said authorities were closely monitoring the situation and taking proactive measures. Officials from the Indian embassy and consulates in the US visited several detention centres and about 30 students have so far been contacted by consular officers.

Indian missions are in touch with representatives of the Indian community and their associations to gather more information about the detainees. A 24/7 helpline has been established in the embassy in Washington for assistance and to answer queries. Aid from the Indian community has been mobilised to provide legal support.

The fake university was set up by ICE in the Greater Detroit area to bust a pay-and-stay racket. Over the past two years, the varsity enrolled about 600 students, mostly Indians. It held no classes and collected a nominal fee from students and gave them curricular practical training after their enrolment, providing temporary authorisation for practical training related to their study or to work.

The arrested students have been marked for deportation and will remain in ICEs custody until immigration courts decide their cases, US officials said.India on Saturday expressed concern at the arrest of 129 Indian students enrolled at a fake university in Detroit, and said in a demarche a formal diplomatic note  issued to the US embassy in New Delhi that they shouldnt be deported against their will.

The detention of the students, among 130 foreign nationals rounded up by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on civil immigration charges on Wednesday, is being taken quite seriously, people familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

The issue of the students is quite different from that of eight people arrested on criminal charges such as visa fraud and they should be treated differently, said one person. The people quoted above said the matter had the potential to become an irritant in bilateral relations.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement that the demarche issued to the US embassy had conveyed Indias concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access.

We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the University, should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them, the statement said.

We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will, it added.

The US embassy spokesperson confirmed the receipt of the demarche, but did not go into details. We refer you to the department of homeland security in the US for information on their status, the spokesperson said.

The Indian government is upset at the way the students were treated following their arrest, including the fitting of tracking devices on the ankles of some to prevent them moving out of designated areas, the people quoted above said.

They said the manner in which the students were enrolled at the fake university, created by ICE to lure students allegedly trying to remain in the US, amounted to entrapment.

Attorneys have dismissed claims by US prosecutors that the students were aware the University of Farmington was running an illegitimate operation, saying they legally entered the country with student visas and transferred to the varsity to work.

The external affairs ministry statement said authorities were closely monitoring the situation and taking proactive measures. Officials from the Indian embassy and consulates in the US visited several detention centres and about 30 students have so far been contacted by consular officers.

Indian missions are in touch with representatives of the Indian community and their associations to gather more information about the detainees. A 24/7 helpline has been established in the embassy in Washington for assistance and to answer queries. Aid from the Indian community has been mobilised to provide legal support.

The fake university was set up by ICE in the Greater Detroit area to bust a pay-and-stay racket. Over the past two years, the varsity enrolled about 600 students, mostly Indians. It held no classes and collected a nominal fee from students and gave them curricular practical training after their enrolment, providing temporary authorisation for practical training related to their study or to work.

The arrested students have been marked for deportation and will remain in ICEs custody until immigration courts decide their cases, US officials said.The neighborhood program is in response to a house fire that occurred this week in the 3900 block of Ridge Road, according to a news release from the fire company.Raipur police late Saturday arrested four BJP office bearers for allegedly assaulting a journalist inside the partys office earlier in the evening.

The arrests came after a case was registered against district president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal, a local leader Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena Dongre.

Journalists had staged a protest inside the BJP office demanding the arrest of the four accused.

Journalist Suman Pandey said he had gone to cover a meeting the BJP had called to review their defeat in Raipur city in recent assembly elections. Pandey said many local leaders including Raipur BJP president and others were present.

I also went to cover the meeting and suddenly there some BJP leaders started manhandling another leader which I started recording on my mobile phone. Subsequently, Utkarash Trivedi and Raipur president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal attacked me and started beating me. They snatched my mobile and deleted the recording and kept me in a room for about 20 minutes, he said.

Pandey who sustained minor injuries then sat on protest along with other journalists inside the BJP office.

We have registered a case under section 342, 323, and 504 of Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Suman Pandey and investigation in the case is going on, said Prafull Kumar Thakur, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Raipur said ahead of the arrest.

Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Sacchinand Upansane who was also present in the meeting, refuted the allegations and that no one had beaten the journalist.

It was a review meeting and only allowed for party workers. Even after that the journalist was present in the meeting and was recording on the phone. Some workers objected and told him to delete the recording. He was never beaten. It was minor issue but our district president was booked by police, said Upasane.Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddins nephew, Mohammad Yusuf was shot dead in Siwan district of Bihar on late Friday night. Siwan Superintendent of Police (SP) Naveen Chandra Jha said that Yusuf was shot in his chest, news agency ANI reported.

The incident took place in Pratappur village, where Shahabuddin hails from. He was gunned down by unidentified assailants. According to police, motive of the murder was not yet clear.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead. At the accident spot, we have found one empty gun and three bullets. We are now conducting the investigation at the places nearby the accident site, ANI quoted Jha as saying.

Yusuf was close to his cousin Mohammad Osama, Shahabuddins son. Following the incident, hundreds of villagers, mostly Shahabussins supporters, blocked roads and demanded action against the assailants.

The former MP is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi. He has been in prison for 11 years for his involvement in the murder of Rajiv Roshan. A Bihar court recently framed charges against Shahabuddin and seven others in connection with another case, the murder of journalist Rajdev Ranjan. The journalist was killed in 2016 in Siwan.

Shahabuddin is considered close to RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is currently serving jail term after conviction in a case of corruption. Shahabuddin was elected to the Lok Sabha four times as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Siwan constituency.

(With inputs from agencies)The Congress party in Goa on Saturday called on chief minister Manohar Parrikar to gracefully resign in the face of his failing health.

With the chief minister once again admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, this time for a pending medical check-up, the opposition Congress has stepped up its attack.

The chief minister should honourably resign or give charge to somebody. Im not here to dictate terms to him, his party will dictate terms to him, but as a leader who has some class he should take care of his health. I feel Manohar Parrikar has lost out on the opportunity to willingly show his true leadership qualities and let go, Congress legislator and Reginaldo Lourenco said.

Dont go to the assembly like that. With that sort of a situation, where you have a pipe in your nose, where you have things coming out of your pocket (catheters) one should not come to the assembly. You (Parrikar) have ruled as a CM of your state, it does not suit you, Lourenco also said.

Parrikar attended all three days of the recently concluded budget session of the Goa Assembly and in his brief budget speech, vowed to serve Goa till his last breath.

Late last month, Parrikar lashed out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi after the latter claimed that the chief minister had told him that he was not involved the decision to acquire Rafale fighter places when he was the defence minister.

During the chief ministers earlier periods of hospitalisation in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York, the Congress had called on him to resign or alternatively called on the Goa Governor Mridula Sinha to dismiss the government. The Congress had also staked claim to form the government, claiming to be the single largest party. Subsequently, two of its MLAs resigned and joined the BJP.

The Congress also said that BJPs alliance partners were afraid of deserting the coalition fearing a Jammu and Kashmir like situation.

They (coalition partners) also might be getting worried. They know that they (BJP) is ruling at the Centre. They have seen what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. They may be worried about that being replicated here in Goa. No one will venture into this. No MLA wants their term to be over arbitrarily, former chief minister Digambar Kamat said.

The BJP hit back saying calls by the Congress for Parrikars resignation was a result of their frustration.

It is the frustration of the Congress that the government is doing well. There are a lot of projects including bridges and hospitals that are being inaugurated, which proves that the government is functioning well, Damodar Naik, a BJP spokesperson and former MLA said.

The Congress now has 14 MLAs in the assembly the same as the BJP which also counts on the support of three members of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Forward Party each and the three independents.

Parrikar was widely believed to be willing to let go of the reins when his ailment was first detected in February last year, or at least hand over charge of his portfolios to another senior minister in the cabinet. However, squabbling among alliance partners put paid to such a move.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah intensified the Ram Temple pitch in Uttarakhand and West Bengal on Saturday by reiterating the partys promise to build the temple in Ayodhya at the earliest even as he accused opposition parties of creating obstacles.

Addressing party workers in Dehradun, he said, BJP ki niti spasht hai, usi jagah par bhavya Ram Mandir jaldi se jaldi banayein (BJPs policy is clear to build Ram temple at the same place at the earliest).

He accused the Congress of being the biggest hurdle in achieving the resolution on the temple and asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stand on the issue. Rahul Baba, clear your stand. Whether or not you want the Ram Temple?

Reacting to Shahs allegations, Suryakant Dhasmana, vice president, Uttarakhand Congress, said, India is a secular country and its government should work for development and not to make religious structures. Secondly, BJP has failed to make the temple which was listed in its manifesto. Why should Rahul Gandhi answer Shahs question on Ram Temple?...

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar countered Shahs charges, stating : ... Instead of talking about building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the BJP leaders appear indulging in politics on the issue by talking about a dispute over land there,

Addressing a gathering of BJPs booth presidents in western UPs Amroha, Shah also hit out at the recent tie-up between Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh. The coalition of bua-bhatija (Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati) reflected that they were all together against BJP, he said. But, even if three or four such coalitions are made in these states, they wont be able to win.In his first response to oppositions criticism of the interim budget, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday said the schemes rolled out for the benefit of the farmers, workers and middle class have left the rivals nervous.

When Piyush Goyal presented the budget yesterday, those who had been speaking in josh were nervous listening to the announcements. I could not understand why their faces were dull. Why could not they smile, said Amit Shah at a rally of party workers in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand.

He said the Modi governments budget will benefit 12 crore farmers in the country. This was an occasion to praise the budget but they (opposition parties) could not do this, Shah said.

The opposition parties have criticised the interim budget with Congress president Rahul Gandhi dismissing the PM Kisan scheme for farmers as insult to them. The scheme provides for annual cash support of Rs 6,000 to farmers.

Speaking at the Trishakti Sammelan of the BJP booth-level workers at Parade Ground here, Shah also targeted Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajawadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav over their alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections.

Shah said, Those who never made eye-to-eye contact, never greeted one another, such Bua-Bhateeja (aunt-nephew) have come on the same forum. This tells how powerful we are. They united because of us.

The BJP president raised the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya with a challenge to Rahul Gandhi asking him to clear his stand on the matter. The Congress has accused the BJP of using the Ayodhya issue, which is pending before the Supreme Court, for political gains.

Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand on Ayodhya. I can say without doubt that Ram Mandir will be built there, said Shah.

Shah was on a short visit of the hill state that has five Lok Sabha seats. The BJP has a government in Uttarakhand and hopes to do well in the upcoming parliamentary polls.The Centres proposal to increase allocation to the north-east by 21% in the interim budget has evoked mixed reactions in the region with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies welcoming it and the Opposition criticising the move.

Finance minister Piyush Goyal on Friday proposed to increase the allocation to the region by 21% to 58,166 crore in the interim budget for 2019-20.

We appreciate the initiatives taken by the Narendra Modi government for the development of north-east region... said Tapir Gao, president of BJPs Arunachal Pradesh unit.

The BJP has emerged as the biggest party in the region in the past three years heading governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura, and is part of coalitions in Meghalaya and Nagaland.

We appreciate the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government for this increase in funds. We are a backward region. Rural connectivity, roads, health, education, etc have been suffering because of neglect. This move may lead to further improvement, said Lalruatkima, Mizo National Front (MNF) leader and minister of state, Mizoram.

The MNF is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. The party returned to power in Mizoram in December, but the BJP, which has just one MLA in the state assembly, is not part of the government.

It is high time the Centre did justice to the people of north-east. The region has faced neglect and this increase is only justified, Temjen Imna Along, cabinet minister, and president of Nagaland BJP unit.

The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), BJPs former ally in the state, also welcomed the move but said the increase could have been more. We welcome this step but it is still a minimal increase. The region has been neglected for a long time, said NPF spokesperson Achumbemo Kikon.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said, One of the most striking proposals of this budget is the allocation of 6000 for the farmers who hold below 2 hectares of land area. Broadly, this should be the most beneficial to the whole of the north-eastern regions farmers.

However, opposition parties, especially the Congress, termed the move to increase allocation as cosmetic and an election gimmick.

Do we know how much has been actually sanctioned and utilised from the last budget and is 21% sufficient for a region that is lacking in almost all sectors given the escalation in prices of everything?Congress legislator and former Meghalaya minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said.

The interim budget comes at a time when several states in the north-east are witnessing protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

In Assam, several outfits see the bill as a threat to the indigenous communities of the region as it violates Assam Accord, according to which, any person from Bangladesh who entered Assam after midnight of March 24, 1971, would be identified as an illegal immigrant.

Earlier this week, 10 regional parties, including present and former BJP allies, opposed the bill jointly. Were deeply disturbed by imposition of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 against our will, says Kh Debabrata, general secretary, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee. So how much were getting or not in the budget are not important to us now.

M P Bezbaruah, former member of the North Eastern Council (NEC), the nodal agency for the economic and social development in the region, said N-E needs a lot more economic input. Any constructive investment in the north-east will go a long way in solving many problems..., he said.Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde has been arrested by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad case for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist, officials said on Saturday.

Police detained Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Management, at Mumbai airport early hours Saturday, a day after a special court in Pune rejected his anticipatory bail application.

He was interrogated and later arrested, said Shivaji Bodkhe, Joint Commissioner of Pune Police. He will be produced before court in Pune, he said. On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material to show the involvement of the present accused (Teltumbde) in the alleged commission of the offence.

According to police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day.The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which is allegedly involved in a series of terror acts in the country, has been banned by the government for five more years as it continues to indulge in subversive activities.

According to a Home Ministry notification, if the unlawful activities of SIMI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will continue its subversive activities, re-organise its activists, who are still absconding, and disrupt the secular fabric of the country by propagating anti-national sentiments and escalating secessionism.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby declares the SIMI as an unlawful association and directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years, the notification said.

The imposition of the ban on SIMI by the government will have to be confirmed by a tribunal.

The Home Ministry listed 58 cases where members belonging to the SIMI were allegedly involved.

The ministry said the organisation has been polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, undertaking activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country.

The central government is also of the opinion that having regard to the activities of the SIMI, it is necessary to declare the SIMI to be an unlawful association with immediate effect, it said. The order comes into effect from Thursday.

Among the terror acts in which SIMI members were allegedly involved are blasts in Gaya in 2017, M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore in 2014, and jail break in Bhopal in 2014.

The police from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have provided details of conviction against top SIMI leaders Safdar Nagori, Abu Faisal, among others. Faisal was instrumental in the 2013 Khandwa jail break incident, according to investigators.

Members of the group have allegedly been involved in bank robberies, killings of policemen, blasts, among other cases, officials said.

The SIMI was established on April 25, 1977, in Uttar Pradeshs Aligarh, and the organisation allegedly works on the agenda of liberating India by converting it into an Islamic state. It was first declared an outlawed outfit in 2001. Since then, it has been banned on several occasions.

The last time it was banned was under the UPA on February 1, 2014, for a period of five years. The ban was confirmed by a tribunal on July 30, 2014.Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday over alleged attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state while seeking support of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party for the Citizenship Amendment Bill that seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Addressing a public rally at Thakurnagar in 24 North Parganas district of West Bengal, PM Modi attacked Mamata Banerjee saying, she is resorting to violence against her political opponents. Looking at the response from the people here (Thakurnagar), I now understand why Didi is resorting to violence, said PM Modi.

The prime minister, however, sought support from the TMC for the citizenship bill, which is pending in Parliament. The bill has bene passed by the Lok Sabha and requires approval of the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing budget session. If the bill does not a nod from the Rajya Sabha, it will lapse when the tenure of the current Lok Sabha ends. The TMC has opposed the citizenship bill calling it discriminatory.

We have brought the citizenship bill for people who had to flee their own country following religious persecution. They have come to India. Shouldnt they get citizenship here? I ask TMC people to support the citizenship bill in Parliament, PM Modi said.

Thakurnagar and the neighbouring areas have a sizeable population of Matua community, who migrated to West Bengal from erstwhile East Bengal in various phases during 1950s. They are said to be influential in five to six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, particularly in 24 North and South Parganas districts.

Thakurnagar is located in the border district of North 24 Parganas . The rally was being seen as BJPs outreach to Matua community. The TMC has good support base among the Matuas, whose estimated population is about 30 lakh in West Bengal. TMC MP Mamata Thakur is an influential leader of the community.

Modis rally was organised by the BJP in collaboration of the All India Matua Mahasangha, whose leaders including Shantanu Thakur and Chhabi Rani Thakur were present on the dias with the prime minister. BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, partys general secretary in-charge of West Bengal, and Mukul Roy were among those who attended PM Modis rally.

The prime minister also spoke about the schemes rolled out in Fridays interim budget asserting that the small and marginal farmers were brought in the focus for the first time in history through PM Kisan, which provides for an annual cash support of Rs 6,000 to them.

PM Modi slammed the Congress for seeking votes by promising farm loan waivers in the assembly elections held last year. He said, Votes were sought by promising loan waivers. But farmers who took loans are not getting the waiver. Loans are being waived off of the farmers, who did not take any loan.

A farmer in Madhya Pradesh received loan waiver of Rs 13. In Rajasthan, the government is saying that they did not know that loan waiver would put so much of burden. In Karnataka, the government is using police against farmers seeking loan waivers. This is the Congresss policy towards farmers and agriculture. And, the TMC government supports them, PM Modi said.

He said the central governments scheme ensures that farmers get the cash transferred directly in their bank accounts without giving a syndicate tax, a reference often used by PM Modi to target the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal.Gautam Khaitan, an accused in the alleged irregularities in the purchase of AgustaWestland helicopters, had helped to structure companies for the Banda family of Zambia and laundered proceeds of defence deals through companies set up by him in Dubai and Singapore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed a Delhi court Saturday.

The agency contended that Khaitan, who was arrested on January 25 on charges of possessing black money and money laundering, had also structured and incorporated the companies of Neenani Banda.

The submissions were made before Special Judge Arvind Kumar after Khaitan was produced at the end of his four-day remand.

...Khaitan helped to structure the companies for Banda family of Zambia and laundered the defence deal proceeds of crime through the companies structured by him in Dubai and Singapore.

Gautam Khaitan has also structured and incorporated the companies for junior Banda namely Neenani Banda. These companies have been associated in routing money... The trail of this black money has to be identified, the remand paper read.

Appearing for the agency, its counsel DP Singh informed the court that Khaitan had set up the companies in a very complicated manner to launder the proceeds of crime. It said the accused had to be confronted with Rajiv Saxena, another accused .

Opposing the remand application, advocate P K Dubey said that the agency is taking the name of the Banda family to sensationalise it in the media. .

The court sent Khaitan to six days in EDs custody.But the bones of a grand mansion, constructed of Pompeian brick and chocolate-tone stone, were all there. The corner house was commissioned by Theodore Hooper, one of Baltimores wealthy citizens who made his fortune in the cotton duck business. His textile mills employed hundreds of hands in Woodberry. Described by The Sun as an ardent Republican  and the brother of Baltimore Mayor Alcaeus Hooper  he was one of the few in Maryland who supported Lincoln in 1860. After his death in 1906 and the mansion was sold, The Sun dryly noted, The house is admired for its beauty.IFC Films has released the first trailer for The Wedding Guest, a new thriller starring Dev Patel, Radhika Apte and Jim Sarbh. The film is said to be about a mysterious British mans journey across India and Pakistan.

Were introduced to Dev Patels character, who enters India and procures a car. He then travels to a remote village in search of Sameera, played by Apte. When he finds her, they go on the run, away from unseen enemies.

The trailer appears to have elements of a romantic movie - there is a mention of Sameera marrying another man - and also a thriller that may or may not have a terrorism plotline.

We see several Indian locations, most prominently Delhis Paharganj, where Dev and Radhikas characters hole up for a while. It is implied that Devs character was sent by someone to locate Sameera. What was your plan? he asks her at one point. India is so full of people, everyone living their own life in their own world, Radhika responds in a British accent. Its the perfect place to get lost, Devs character says.

And then the two arrive in what appears to be Goa, and sparks fly on the beach. Meanwhile, several people tell Dev to be careful of Sameera. The police are looking for her, says Jim Sarbhs character. How long do you think itll be before they find you?

Also read: Dev Patel, Anupam Khers 26/11 film Hotel Mumbai gets rave early reviews. Read them here

The Wedding Guest is directed by Michael Winterbottom, whose last brush with India was in Trishna, a film he directed starring Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed and Anurag Kashyap.

Dev is coming off an Oscar nomination for his performance in Lion, and will soon be seen in Hotel Mumbai, a thriller set around the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The film will be made available on Netflix. The Wedding Guest premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Apte, meanwhile, had a strong 2018. She starred in Lust Stories, two Netflix series - Sacred Games and Ghoul - and also the critically acclaimed AndhaDhun.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreBy Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Hanna Rantala

When Odile Kern stepped into a Parisian lift sometime in 1953, she found herself standing next to luxury couturier Christian Dior - and in an instant her life changed.

Now 88, Kern was already on the fashion designers payroll in the building on Avenue Montaigne. Dior asked her who she was.

I said Monsieur, my name is Odile and I work for you... in the boutique. And he told me No, now you work for me (as a model).

Kern had made her mark in the House of Dior. Founded in 1946 and at the core of a post-war revolution in womenswear, the brand remains one of the most prestigious in the world.

The designers first collection in 1947 featured the Bar suit - a hip-length jacket synched at the waist worn with long skirt - that was dubbed the New Look.

Speaking at a new London exhibition dedicated to House of Dior, Kern recalled how private clients visited the Paris atelier to view and order bespoke creations.

We worked for the House of Dior, no one else, we worked two hours a day to present the collection every day, Kern told Reuters.

For me it happened by accident but I think a lot of young women would have liked to work for Maison Dior... We werent paid very much but it was fun.

Dior died in 1957 aged 52. He was succeeded by a 21-year-old Yves Saint Laurent.

Monsieur Dior was not a normal boss, he was like family, Kern said. We loved him, admired him and respected him.

Svetlana Lloyd joined in 1956 when she walked into the store on a trip from London. She was promptly sent upstairs and began modelling the next day.

There were 15 models, regular ones, we showed every day, something that doesnt exist (now) of course... He liked to have people of different shapes and heights and styles because that was his clientele, she said.

...Nowadays there are very few... private orders for garments.

A picture of Lloyd modelling a grey Dior dress in 1958 features in the exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, which runs at the Victoria & Albert Museum until July.

There were many things that he was the first to do, for instance lining a mackintosh in fur, she said. It was just unusual little touches that made his couture more interesting.

(Reporting By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Hanna Rantala; writing yb Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by John Stonestreet)

Follow more stories on Facebook and TwitterUnion finance minister Piyush Goyal on Friday allocated 1,112 crore for Delhi in the budget estimates (BE) announced in the interim budget presented in Parliament. The estimates for the next financial year saw an increase of over 245 crore compared to the last fiscal.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party government criticised the budget for not increasing the citys share in central taxes and duties, which it said has remained unchanged for nearly two decades. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the interim budget the final jumla of the Modi government.

Final jumla of Modi government: its interim budget too completely disappoints Delhi. Our share in central taxes remains frozen at 325 crore and nothing earmarked for local bodies. Delhi continues to be on its own financially, Kejriwal tweeted.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, also the state finance minister, said the Delhi government had repeatedly requested the Centre to enhance the allocation in central taxes to at least 6,000 crore as against the current 325 crore.

The budget of Delhi has increased from 8,739 crore in the year 2001-02 to 53,000 crore in 2018-19 (BE), whereas the share in central taxes has remained frozen at 325 crore since 2001-02, he said.

Vijender Gupta, leader of the opposition in Delhi Assembly, launched a counter-attack on the AAP, saying the Delhi government itself had not released funds to the MCDs under the fourth and fifth Delhi finance commission. The allocation of 1,112 crore is a welcome step. Contrary to what Kejriwal is saying, the interim budget is neither a jumla nor disappointing, said Gupta.

Delhis share in the interim budget this year is more than the revised budget of 2018-19, 867.49 crore. The actual fund allocated in last years budget was lesser  790 crore.

The 1,112-crore allocation includes a central assistance of 472 crore, which is also more than last year (449.99 crore). But, the deputy CM said the nominal increase in central assistance was nothing to cheer about as the expenditure of Delhi on schemes and programmes increased seven times from 3,129 crore in 2000-01 to 22,000 crore in 2018-19 (as per the budget estimates).

The normal central assistance which was 11.8% of the scheme/programme expenditure in 2000-01 has declined to 2.04% in 2018-19 (BE). We had requested that the normal central assistance be increased to at least 1,300 crore in the current years revised estimate and 1,500 crore in 2019-20 (BE), Sisodia said.

The Delhi government also said that the Centre did not earmark any funds to the municipal corporations in Delhi (MCDs). We are providing 12.5% of our annual net tax collection to the local bodies. But, there is no support from the Centre for the local bodies in Delhi, Sisodia said.

Officials said the funds marginally increased this year because the Centre granted an additional aid of 300 crore for the Chandrawal water treatment plant project.

An amount of 10 crore has been given for enhanced compensation to the 1984 riot victims, which has remained the same as last year.If there was any doubt that the governments last budget was framed squarely with an eye on the next elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quelled it on Saturday. Addressing a rally in West Bengal  a state in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has invested remarkable political energy  he spoke about the direct income transfer to farmers, and how the main budget after the elections will have much more for all sections of society. The budget, Modis speech, and before that Congress president Rahul Gandhis announcement of giving a minimum guaranteed income to all poor citizens and his promise of farm loan waiver illustrates a key axis on which the election will be fought: class.

The Indian class structure now is remarkably complex. Those who still see society divided into the brackets of haves and have nots or an India and a Bharat are perhaps too simplistic in their assessment. The class structure now includes the tiny set of exceptionally wealthy; a substantial upper middle class; a rapidly expanding urban middle and lower middle class; a growing segment of urban poor (primarily workers in the unorganised sector) with dense networks back in rural India; the landed well-to-do rural big farmers who have children working in the modern, organised economy in urban India; a large pool of small and marginal farmers in villages who also turn into seasonal migrant labour in cities; and the deprived, landless labourers.

This class structure is pyramid-like, with the poorest in both urban and rural settings constituting the wide base at the bottom. Every party, irrespective of whether it is from the right or left, seeks to win over this huge segment. Every party, therefore, is constantly projecting itself as pro-poor. The criticism that stung the BJP the most in its early years in office was being portrayed as a suit boot ki Sarkar, for it felt this could be interpreted as being anti-poor. Both the BJP and Congress  with their recent announcements  want to occupy this space of being sensitive to the poor.

But national parties have to go beyond just one segment and construct multiclass coalitions. The BJP won close to 18 crore votes in 2014, and the Congress, despite its dismal tally of 44 seats, got more than 10 crore votes. This means they won support, in varying degrees, from people across the economic ladder. And that is why they are going beyond the poor to get other classes, with the BJP emphasising on middle class tax benefits, and social safety net for workers and the Congress critiquing the governments failures on job creation and growth.

But there is one other axis which is closely linked to class: caste.

There is a major overlap between the two in India. If you are a Dalit, there is a higher probability of you being a landless labourer or a poor worker or uneducated or all of the above. If you are from an upper caste community, there is a higher chance you will get a good education, enter the organised workforce, earn higher salaries, occupy leadership positions in bureaucracy or the private sector. This does not mean all Dalits are poor and all upper castes are affluent. But caste identity is a key determinant of your social status; it is often the basis of upward mobility or social discrimination; and thus it becomes the basis of political mobilisation.

But single caste parties, in a first past the post system, dont go very far. Therefore it becomes important for parties to construct multicaste coalitions. This requires a strong element of caste management, in terms of having representatives from diverse social groups for different seats, carving social alliances, distinct messaging.

Take Uttar Pradesh (UP). The BJPs 2014 and 2017 successes were based on creating a coalition of the dominant castes (Brahmans and Thakurs) with subaltern castes (non Yadav OBCs and non Jatav Dalits). By emphasising that it has protected the existing framework of reservations while giving reservations to economically weaker sections, the BJP is trying to keep together such a multicaste coalition. On the other hand, by coming together in UP, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have brought together a coalition of Muslims and Dalits  the poorest of the communities in the state  with Yadavs, who are a more dominant landed group.

While a lot of focus in elections is on the issue of leadership and candidates, it is actually this twin axes of class and caste, which will be key in 2019. The national party which is able to convince the urban middle class, the urban poor, the small farmer, and the rural landless that it can improve its quality of life and incomes will do better. Almost as a logical extension, the parties which are able to tell those castes which have traditionally been considered dominant that their prospects will not be jeopardised, while also telling the oppressed castes that their future would be safeguarded and a level playing field will be created by giving them asymmetric advantages, will do better. Pulling off these contradictory messages across classes and castes will be the true political test for parties and will determine who wins 2019.

letters@hindustantimes.comI have often heard people saying that the origins of toxic masculinity are to be found in the sense of entitlement or misogynistic notions inculcated in men when they are boys. No doubt, they are influenced by their surroundings, the discourse they are privy to, the relationship between the genders within the family. But, for the most part, it would seem that young boys and adolescents are completely left out of the gender discourse while there are so many policies and programmes for young women.

The scales are tilted very heavily against women in the field of gender relations but this cannot change substantially if men are to go along without even realising that their behaviour is unacceptable, offensive, even dangerous. Many have no sense of wrong as seen from the sentiments expressed by one of the men who participated in the Delhi gangrape. He simply felt that the victim was to blame for wandering around at night and that he had every right to attack her. In many ways, while womens rights have moved ahead, mens rights and, with that, their emotional growth has stood still.

If we can approach issues like Swacch Bharat on a war footing, we can also address the issue of including the boy child in the gender framework from an early age. It is only if the idea of an equal relationship between the sexes is discussed at an early age that men will stop feeling the pressure to be aggressive and the need to exert their power in ugly ways. This is not to make any excuses for unacceptable male behaviour but to say that no one has even thought it fit to discuss their behaviour at an early age, by, for example, bringing this discourse into value education at the school level.

The boys passage into adolescence in India is a lonely process. There is no one to explain what changes he is going through, be they physical and emotional. He is not aware of how to adopt healthy practices, beyond the pervasive gym culture which has spread across small town India. He often feels that alcohol and tobacco are signs that he is now a man and can indulge in adult pursuits. His role models are men who grew up in the same, largely ignorant milieu. And he has no positive way of channelling the emotional changes he is undergoing. Often his perceptions are moulded by violent and misogynistic movies and the all too easily available pornography on tap.

Across the world, several studies have shown that boys are more prone to violence and mental problems than girls. In many schools, and I am speaking of urban ones, schools do have sex education, but it rarely looks at the unique problems that boys face. For one, they are not encouraged to seek help because that is seen as a sign of weakness. I have friends who have told me that they are glad they had boy children because they had to worry less in a violent world. This is to diminish the needs of boys who are as vulnerable and emotional and need the same nurturing as girls.

The government ought to have a programme specifically aimed at young boys and men. Surely, that should not be difficult if it is done at the school level. The boy should be told that it is all right to be weak at times, that it is not unmanly to confess to emotions. We rejoice in a few enlightened ads in which the men are not afraid to take on traditionally feminine roles, are not afraid to cry. But in reality, there is no attempt to deal with the pressures young men face.

The young boy and adolescent must be given the tools to handle aspects of life other than just education and job skills. It is incorrect to assume that young men from the urban English-speaking elite are not vulnerable. The pressure on them to succeed is huge and failure is not really an option. Most NGOs, perhaps out of conviction or ease of funds, find it easier to gravitate towards the girl child to adolescent to woman. But if such an effort were made for the other sex, many problems which afflict gender relations would be less and we would be able to live in a safer environment.

lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.comIs the opposition reviving or is that just exaggeration and wishful thinking? Polls around Republic Day point towards three outcomes: first, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fall substantially below 272; second, even the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will fall short of a majority; and, third, the Congress will cross a hundred but the BJP will be the single biggest party by far. Last weekend, Akali Dal Member of Parliament (MP) and BJP ally, Naresh Gujral, told me on television that no party will cross 200 and the BJP might peak at 180-190. The NDA, he said, would stop at 230.

At first glance, the odds are stacked against the BJP. Its already been defeated in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, its lost allies in Bihar and Andhra and upset others in UP, Maharashtra and the North East. On top of that, farmers, students, Dalits and Muslims are annoyed and it faces a formidable Samajwadi Party(SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance(BSP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Put like that, things dont look good.

The opposition, however, has serious problems of its own. It remains 22 different parties with 22 different leaders and 22 different ambitions. In states like UP, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, they are opponents rather than allies. They may hold grand mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) rallies but often fracture at the point of seat-sharing. Thats already happened in UP and Andhra Pradesh and there are reports of problems in Bihar.

The BJP, of course, is in power and has the capacity to tackle the concerns affecting its image. The decision to give 10% reservations to the economically weaker sections of the upper castes will certainly appeal to the Brahmins, if not more widely. The farmer income scheme, pension scheme and tax rebates announced in the interim budget could appeal to another 25 crore. The only issue is: have these steps been taken too late to make a difference?

In these circumstances, Priyanka Gandhis entry into politics will no doubt galvanise the Congress but could it also weaken the opposition as a whole? If a stronger Congress in UP attracts Muslim votes, which otherwise would have gone to SP-BSP, the outcome could split the anti-BJP vote. Only if theres a strategic understanding between the SP-BSP alliance and the Congress, so they dont undercut each other, will the opposition gain. In that event the BJP could face a double whammy: losing Dalit and OBC votes to SP-BSP and Brahmin votes to the Congress.

Finally, after the budget, will Rahul Gandhis promise of a minimum guarantee for the poor still resonate? If it does, it could be a winner.

Now the BJP hopes to make up for what it loses in the Hindi belt with gains in the North East, Bengal and Odisha. No doubt its 2019 performance in the latter two states will be better than 2014. But in the North East the widespread and continuing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the possibility the NDA itself could fracture spells bad news.

A lot will depend on Narendra Modis campaign. Hes an unparalleled orator and tireless at the hustings. Can he swing the election? Or do the recent state election results suggest the Modi magic has diminished? Because the opposition has no one of equal skill or stature and Modi is still the most popular politician in the country. If the election becomes presidential, the BJP could surge ahead.

So whats my conclusion? Last weeks polls are suggestive but not convincing. A definitive answer to my opening question is likely to elude us till the results are formally announced.

Karan Thapar is the author of Devils Advocate: The Untold Story

The views expressed are personalReliance Communications Ltd (RCom) on Friday said it will seek fast track resolution through National Company Law Tribunal, the court that deals with bankruptcy cases, to resolve its debt position.

The company said lenders had not received any proceeds from its asset monetization plans, and that its overall debt resolution process had not made any progress. Over twelve months, talks with forty lenders to reach a consensus has been impossible and has driven them to the bankruptcy court, the debt-laden telecom company said.

RCom, controlled by businessman Anil Ambani, owed banks $7 billion as of March 2017 when it last made public its debt level, and more to vendors.

The company has struggled under heavy debt and reported a string of losses during a price war, triggered by the market entry of Reliance Industries telecoms venture Jio Infocomm, owned by Mukesh Ambani - Asias richest person and Anil Ambanis older brother.

The cut-price competition had prompted RCom to reduce operations by shutting down its wireless business.

In March last year, the Supreme Court deferred a decision to lift a ban on the sale of assets by the telecom company which was trying to offload debt via the sale.

The latest development comes over a year after China Development Bank (CDB), the biggest foreign lender to RCom, withdrew a petition seeking to drag the indebted telecoms carrier into insolvency.

(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)The NDA government spelt out its long-term vision on 10 key dimensions, Vision for the Next Decade:

1. Creation of next generation transport infrastructure, railways, seaports, airports, urban transport, gas and electric transmission and inland waterways.

2. Digital India to reach every sector of the economy, every corner of the country.

3. A pollution-free India where people will drive electric vehicles and renewable becoming a major source of energy.

4. Rural industrialisation using digital technologies to generate massive employment.

5. Cleaning all rivers.

6. Coastlines to boost blue economy, while efforts in the Sagarmala [a mega port project] programme will be scaled up.

7. A wider space programme so India becomes the launchpad of satellites for the world.

8. Making the country self-sufficient in food and also the key exporter to the world.

9. A distress-free healthcare and a functional and comprehensive wellness system for all.

10. Creation of Team India in which employees will work with the elected government, to make India a Minimum Government Maximum Governance nation.The interim budget, presented a day after a heated debate on unemployment, attempted to reassure the nation on Friday that the economy was creating and is poised to create more jobs for a bulging workforce, but didnt provide any new data to back these claims.

With job seekers becoming job creators, India has become the worlds second largest start-up hub, finance minister Piyush Goyal said in his interim budget speech.

On Thursday, the NITI Aayog, the government think tank, defended the governments job-creation efforts after the Business Standard newspaper published a report by the National Sample Survey Organisation that showed the joblessness rate at a four-decade high of 6.1%.

A countrys unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people divided by the labour force (people with jobs plus the unemployed) multiplied by 100. Unemployed people not looking for work are not counted as part of the labour force.

High growth and formalisation of the economy has led to the expansion of employment opportunities Goyal said.

Economists refer to the quantity of jobs created by each percentage increase in growth as the employment elasticity of growth.

A high share of growth from highly automated sectors may not result in much job creation. On the other hand, a principle called Okuns law states that a 2% fall in gross domestic product (GDP) cuts employment by one percentage point. So, growth remains key to jobs, said economist YK Alagh.

The finance minister cited an increase in membership of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a social security entity, to assert that job creation was taking place. It had increased by nearly 2 crore (20 million) in two years reflecting formalisation of the economy and job creation.

This argument  increase in EPFO membership  has been contested. Under legal requirements, if an organization has 20 or more employees, it immediately gets registered in the EPFO and such a firm is considered as part of the formal sector. So, if a firm initially had 18 workers and adds two more, then the entire 20 are counted as new workers joining the EPFO. This, therefore, presents a misleading employment generation picture, according to a paper by Radhicka Kapoor, a fellow at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations.

The finance ministers speech offers insights into how the government viewed the nature of the jobs economy. The concept of employment is changing all over the world, now the employment generation is not confined merely to government services or factories. He was referring to newer modes of job creation led by digital services.

The budget also referred to the MUDRA Yojana, an entrepreneurship credit scheme, which has advanced loans amounting to 7.2 lakh crore since its launch in 2015. Given what we know about unemployment, the budget doesnt really go in addressing those issues. That jobs have been created is partly true, but there is a question of sufficiency and quality, said Amit Basole, a labour economist with Azim Premji University.

Quality jobs are said to be those that come with social-security benefits, stability and progression in salary. Basole said the issue of quality of jobs was sought to be addressed by this budget partly through the new pensions announced. So thats a bit of an intervention in the quality. In terms of number of jobs, I havent seen anything particularly exciting, he said.In a move aimed at benefiting workers in Indias unorganised or informal sector, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in its interim budget 2019-20, announced the launch of a pension yojana Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan that can be availed by workers with monthly income upto 15,000.

HT reported details of the scheme on Friday morning. The labour ministry said in a statement after the budget speech that the scheme would benefit 100 million workers in the informal sector.

As per the result of labour force survey on employment and unemployment conducted in 2011-12 by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the number of estimated employed persons in 2011-12 on usual status basis were 474.1 million of which 82.7% of workers (391.4 million persons) were in the unorganized sector.

While presenting Interim Budget 2019-20 finance minister Piyush Goyal said that the scheme would assure workers a monthly pension of 3,000 from the age of 60 years on a monthly contribution of a small affordable amount during their working years.

Half of Indias GDP comes from the sweat and toil of 420 million workers in the unorganised sector working as street vendors, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, rag pickers, agricultural workers, beedi workers, handloom, leather and in numerous other similar occupations. Domestic workers are also engaged in big numbers. We must provide them comprehensive social security coverage for their old age, Goyal said.

An unorganised sector worker joining pension yojana at the age of 29 years will have to contribute only  100 per month till the age of 60 years. A worker joining the pension yojana at 18, will have to contribute as little as 55 per month only.

The government will provide matching contributions. A sum of 500 crore has been allocated for the scheme. The scheme will be implemented from the current year.

The government will deposit equal matching share in the pension account of the worker every month. It is expected that at least 100 million labourers and workers in the unorganised sector will avail the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan within next five years making it one of the largest pension schemes of the world. A sum of 500 crore has been allocated for the Scheme. Additional funds will be provided as needed, the labour ministry said in a statement.

The direction is right, they have addressed major issues and attempted to give money to poor people. The interim budget has announced definitive steps to initiate creation of a formal social security net, beginning with the contributory pension scheme of the unorganised workers. The speed and the efficacy of the implementation will drive how far the scheme is actually utilised by the intended target segment, said Richa Gupta, senior economist and director, Delloite India.

Goyal also said the government will focus on the condition of the de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities.

A Committee under NITI Aayog will be set up to complete the task of identifying De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic communities not yet formally classified.If you're going to partake of the native crustacean, it's best to have your cakes made by a bunch of lifelong locals like the folks at Flash, the Food Network article says. And thanks to their established relationships with shellfish purveyors, the Gordon family (former restaurant owners) are able to keep their quality high and their prices low.The finance minister, in his interim budget speech, proposed a complete rebate on tax for those earning up to 5 lakh a year, with an eye on middle-class voters before the general elections this year.

The beneficiaries of this move could include people with annual income of around 10 lakh. This is because various tax saving instruments can be used to reduce taxable income for a given level of income. This makes it difficult to estimate the exact revenue impact of the income tax relief announced in the budget.

Having said that, income tax statistics can be used to get a rough idea about the number of potential beneficiaries and their contribution to the total payable income tax.

The latest income tax return (ITR) statistics are available for the Assessment Year (AY) 2017-18, which corresponds to the fiscal year 2016-17. A total of 49.8 million ITRs were filed in AY 2017-18. Out of this, 48.7 million ITRs had declared a taxable income of up to 5 lakh. This number was 49.3 million for taxable income of up to 10 lakh.

To be sure, tax payers in these income categories in total income tax payable is much less than their share in number of ITR filings. In AY 2017-18, ITR filings of up to 5 lakh accounted for only 18% of total income tax payayble. This figure increases to 25% for ITR filings with income of up to Rs 10 lakh. This means that almost 75% of income tax payable in India came from just 1% of ITR filings.

Another factor worth looking at is the occupation-wise break-up of potential beneficiaries from the tax relief announced in the budget. The income tax department gives occupation-wise break up of ITR filings with taxable incomes. Out of the total 49.8 million ITRs filed in AY 2017-18, 46.6 million were filed in the salary income category.

The total number of salary income category ITRs filed for incomes up to 5 lakh and 10 lakh was 35.3 million and 39.5 million. This means that salary income ITR filers would account for 73% and 88% out of the ITRs filed in these two income categories. The short point is that the salaried class will be the biggest gainer from the income tax sops announced in Fridays interim budget.Actor Alia Bhatt is happy with her new vanity van, designed by Shah Rukh Khans interior designer wife, Gauri Khan. Gauri has designed many celebrity homes, including that of Alias boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandes, Sidharth Malhotra and Karan Johar.

Alia shared a few inside pictures of her vanity van along with the caption, A glimpse of my new moving home.. @gaurikhan.

Wearing a one-shoulder, polka-dot jumpsuit, Alia can be seen striking a pose as the reflection of the interiors is seen in the background. She also shared a goofy picture of herself and captioned it, When one has to direct ones shot cause one isnt blessed with long legs.

Alia had worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Dear Zindagi, which was praised by the critics. The actor will now be seen alongside Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy. The film is inspired by the lives of many Mumbai-based rappers such as Divine and Naezy. It is set to hit theatres on Valentines Day.

She will share the screen with Ranbir for the first time in Brahmastra. The film is being directed by Ayan Mukerji and also stars Amitabh Bachchan in a prominent role. The film is said to be the first in a planned fantasy trilogy and is scheduled to release around Christmas this year.

Also read: Sushmita Sens boyfriend Rohman Shawl competes as daughter Alisahs father in race. Watch video

Alia has also been a support to Ranbirs family and has paid regular visits to his parents, who have been stationed in New York for a few months. Ranbirs father and actor Rishi Kapoor is undergoing treatment in the US for an undisclosed illness.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreA molestation case has been filed against popular dancer and Dance India Dance season 1 winner Salman Yusuff Khan on January 30 at the Oshiwara Police Station. The victim, a dancer herself, alleged that Salman, along with his brother, tried to behave inappropriately with her on two separate occasions.

According to the FIR filed, the victim was approached by the dancers manager while she was in London for work in August 2018. Subsequently, she met Salman at a coffee shop in Oshiwara Andheri, where he offered her an opportunity to perform in Bollywood Park, Dubai with him.

The victim claimed that Salman touched her inappropriately on the day she was offered the opportunity after he offered to drop her home. When she objected to Salmans behaviour, the dancer, she said, claimed that such things happen in Bollywood.

Also read: Step inside Alia Bhatts fancy new vanity van, designed by Gauri Khan. See pics

The FIR filed by the victim further goes on to add that following the incident, she got a call from the dancers manager regarding the work and left for Dubai on August 20, along with her dance group.

The victim alleges that, while in Dubai, Salman asked her, on August 30, to accompany him to Bollywood park resort in Bahrain, for another show.

As soon as they reached the airport, Salman allegedly introduced her to his cousin brother, who, along with Salman, allegedly touched her inappropriately on their journey back to Dubai via car on November 3.

Also read: Sushmita Sens boyfriend Rohman Shawl competes as daughter Alisahs father in race. Watch video

The victim alleged that Salman and his team harassed her and her troupe for days after the incident, and even threatened her with dire consequences. He allegedly forcefully made them terminate their contracts and on November 10 sent her and her troupe flight tickets back to Mumbai when they refused to budge. These incidents of harassment prompted the victim to file a case against the dancer and his brother.

Notably, Salman, who rose to fame for his participation in popular reality shows, has also had subsequent stints in Bollywood.

(With HT inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreFor most Americans, the Soviet withdrawal is the victory. For our South Asian friends, it is only the first act in a much larger drama, said Arnold Lewis Raphel, former US ambassador to Pakistan. More than three decades later, it is the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that is looming large, and another drama is waiting to unfold in South Asia. The Taliban and the US have agreed to a draft of the peace framework after multiple rounds of talks. The US is willing to withdraw its troop within 18 months in return for a Taliban promise that it will not allow al-Qaeda and Islamic State to operate from Afghan territory. The US also wants the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire and a dialogue with the Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul. The Taliban hasnt yet agreed to these two demands.

The Taliban has a sole objective in the short term: to see the back of foreign troops in Afghanistan. It knows that the US is in a hurry to beat a retreat and is looking for a face-saving deal. This has strengthened Talibans hand in the ongoing negotiations. The Ghani government, on the other hand, is feeling the heat and is warning against a rushed deal. A similar attempt at the US-Taliban talks during Barack Obamas tenure was opposed by the then Afghan President Hamid Karzai. He fell in line only on Obamas personal intervention.

Lets look at what the Taliban has agreed to: to not provide sanctuaries to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. One, the Taliban is opposed to the latter but has maintained a symbiotic relationship with the former. Even though Talibans reliance on al-Qaeda today is a lot less than ever before, it has never completely severed the relationship which was carefully nurtured by its late leader Mullah Omar. Osama bin Laden, Omar continued to insist, was his guest who couldnt simply be handed over to a non-Muslim nation. This irrational position eventually led to Talibans ouster from Kabul in 2001.

Two, the Taliban cannot be trusted to keep its words. The Obama-tenure negotiations eventually fell flat because the Taliban decided to elevate, in violation of the terms negotiated, its political office in Qatar to an office of the unrecognised Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Three, the fear of fragmentation in Taliban is real. If it gives up on al-Qaeda under American pressure, it might lose a number of fighters to either Islamic State or al-Qaeda itself or to smaller militias. The Taliban has suffered a heavy number of defections ever since the death of Omar became public in 2015 and a succession battle ensued. Betraying al-Qaeda  a no go for Omar when he was alive  might exacerbate the trend.

Four, the US has few enforcement means if the Taliban simply chooses to not honour its commitments. Unlike economic sanctions, which can be snapped back in a jiffy, putting back the boots on the ground after withdrawal is a tough ask.

All of this means that the US withdrawal in this manner doesnt bode well for Afghanistan and the region. How should India manage this transition? New Delhi has two objectives in Afghanistan: 1) not letting extremist forces take over, and 2) preserve and expand its economic projects and state building activities in the country. But we do not know the tools India is ready to deploy in order to achieve these aims. Writing for The Wire, Pranay Kotasthane and Anand Arni of the Takshashila Institution have suggested a number of ways in which India can enhance its support for the fledgling Afghan administration short of putting boots on the ground.

The very idea of putting boots in Afghanistan evokes horror and incredulity among many in New Delhi. While Afghanistan presents a particularly fiendish challenge, this is a wider problem for India in the entire neighbourhood. The option of military intervention was similarly dismissed when the former President Abdulla Yameen was wreaking havoc in the Maldives. Are Indian forces never going to be used outside Indias territories? If yes, then in what circumstances?

New Delhi needs to draw up a neighbourhood strategy document, or perhaps a different one for different neighbours. It needs to think through, and write down, different tools available to it in case of various contingencies. The tools could include all kinds of carrots (loans, grants, military assistance, etc.) and sticks (economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, military intervention, etc.). In the absence of such a document, all we have in the name of strategy is wishing that our favourites (Sheikh Hasina, Nepali Congress, Ranil Wickremesinghe) come to power and the prospects of anti-India forces (Taliban, KP Sharma Oli, Mahinda Rajapaksa) are scuttled.

A neighbourhood strategy document is not about locking in your options in advance for all the foreseeable crises in the region. It should instead provide a framework for thinking about problems, and thus impart a degree of policy coherence and institutional memory. If a drama is about to unfold in Afghanistan, the least we can do is to keep a screenplay of our own ready.

kunal.singh@htlive.comBreaking News Updates Would you like to receive our Breaking News updates? Signup today!

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Marshall Shane Freeman, 30, of Morganton pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted trafficking charges, according to the report.

Superior Court Judge Nathaniel J. Poovey imposed a sentence of 10-13 years, the report said.

Freeman robbed a Hickory pharmacy at gunpoint on Feb. 7, 2018. He handed a note to a pharmacist demanding specific opiate narcotics while showing a handgun, according to the report.

Morganton Department of Public Safety officers responded to a suspicious vehicle and possible drug activity near Freemans residence later that night. When officers made contact with Freeman, officers found a handgun in his waistband and pill bottles on his person and in his vehicle  some of them still in a bag from the pharmacy, the report said.

The report indicates Freeman confessed to the crimes and later gave another confession when interviewed by Hickory police.

Freeman was currently serving for May 2018 convictions on similar charges from Gaston County, the report said.Mike Lewis

mlewis@herald-mail.com

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va.  A person was burned and two pets died Friday in a house fire in Morgan County, W.Va.

The resident was taken to Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg to be treated, according to Marshall Younker, deputy chief with the Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Co.

Younker said the one-story home is a total loss. The cause of the fire had not been determined.

According to Morgan County emergency services, the fire was reported at 5:17 a.m.

Ben Hoopengardner, deputy chief with the Hancock Volunteer Fire Co., was among the first firefighters on the scene at 204 Potter Road.

When we first pulled up, the house was fully involved. ... Everyone was out of the house minus two pets (a cat and a dog) who did perish in the fire, he said.

Two people were at the home when the fire broke out, Hoopengardner said. One was taken to the hospital. The other was helped by the American Red Cross.

A vehicle parked nearby also was damaged by the heat from the fire, Younker said.

Firefighters battled freezing temperatures, as well as heat from the flames.

To my knowledge, they had no water-supply issues, Younker said. He credited some experienced pump operators for keeping the water flowing despite the temperatures.

Hoopengardner said, The cold didnt hamper our efforts.

In addition to crews from Berkeley Springs and Hancock, firefighters from the Hedgesville, Bedington, Great Cacapon, Back Creek Valley and Little Orleans fire companies were on the scene.

The last firefighters left at 8:27 a.m., according to emergency services.Joyce F. Nowell

jnowell@herald-mail.com

GREENCASTLE, Pa.  Music and art are mixing with technology for the two newest courses being proposed at Greencastle-Antrim High School.

The school board is considering an expansion of the high school program of studies that includes Sound Recording Studio Foundations in the music curriculum and 3-D Design and Ceramics Portfolio under the STEAM (Steam, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) umbrella.

I work closely with the department heads, who work closely with the teachers in that department, high school Principal Ed Rife said about the development of the new courses.

Im proud that each year we usually bring in some changes, not usually deletions, but new things that we find creative ways to fit into the high school schedule to provide new opportunities for our kids.

Two sound rooms in the music suite have been prepared for the Sound Recording Studio Foundation course. Equipment has been purchased with grant money.

Were really excited, Rife said. The students would learn the basics of sound recording and studio technology. Some of the platforms we would be using would be Adobe Audition and Pro Tools.

It would be an elective course that anyone coming in at ninth through 12th grade could take the half-credit elective.

Rife said blending music and technology is a natural progression.

He said, For the past couple of years weve been wanting the music department and the STEAM department to connect. This will be the first really intentional connection between the two.

Art is a deliberate part of STEAM with the 3-D Design and Ceramics Portfolio course in which students will complete individual assignments on functional and sculptural 3-D work to build a high-quality portfolio.

Instructor Alex Miller has been piloting the advanced course within another class.

It may be one of the most impactful courses in their high school experience, Miller said. Its the pinnacle of their personal work.

The district has had a STEAM department for three years. Rife expects the curriculum to stay fluid.

Its going to be something that on a yearly basis, well be talking about because its based on creativity and its based on technology, Rife said. And those things are always changing. The courses and course descriptions will always be changing, as well.

The school board will consider approving the new courses at its Feb. 7 meeting, just in time for eighth-grade conferences when middle school students select their freshman classes.Staff reports

The Herald-Mail

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.  The Chambersburg Police Department is advising the public to expect traffic delays in the downtown area this weekend because of IceFest 2019.

Delays will continue into the evening hours Friday and on Saturday morning some roads will be closed to traffic.

The following roads will be closed to traffic until the early evening hours on Saturday: North Main Street at King Street to the square, South Main Street at the square to Washington Street, and Lincoln Way East at North Second Street westbound to Lincoln Way West at Black Avenue.

King and Washington streets will remain open for traffic traveling east and west. Queen Street will remain open for traffic traveling east into town from U.S. 30 (west).

Motorists should expect slower than normal traffic in the downtown areas on Sunday, as well.

Police ask drivers to be cautious and alert, especially because of increased pedestrian traffic.

For directions and additional information on parking for the event, visit www.icefestpa.com.

 Joyce F. NowellHagerstown, MD (21740)

Today

Sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Chance of an isolated thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low around 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.This appeared in Fridays Washington Post.

Virginia has been trending Democratic. A Republican hasnt won a statewide race in nearly a decade. But Republicans continue to control the state legislature thanks to what federal judges have concluded is a racially gerrymandered electoral map drafted by GOP lawmakers in 2011.

Little wonder, then, that the partys grandees in Richmond are reeling at what looks like a federal courts imminent decision to impose a map that seems likely not only to flip both houses of the General Assembly to Democratic control in this falls elections but also to unseat several of the legislatures top Republicans. The map, chosen by the court from configurations drafted by a professor in California, would shift six incumbent Republicans to newly drawn, and Democratic-leaning, districts. Among the probable casualties would be the current GOP House speaker, Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights.

Having bent the rules to establish what they presumed would be long-term political control, Republicans now wail that the referee is unfair and biased for having intervened and called foul. Desperate to reverse the tide, Cox is appealing to the Supreme Court. Nice try, but that court has refused to postpone the new maps implementation while it considers the appeal.Just maybe were not very good at talking about the unspeakable.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and other blue states are busy hammering out their own legal concoctions, likely concerned that Roe v. Wade will be overturned by the now-predominantly conservative Supreme Court. I leave others to argue the validity of those concerns, but my sources in the pro-life movement, including several legal scholars, think upending the decision is unlikely given that, in 1992, the court not only reinforced Roe but actually made the ruling stronger.

Regardless, the pro-choice movement has been preparing for such a frontal assault on the few abortion restrictions left to states. In 1973, when Roe was issued, a babys viability was set at 24-28 weeks. Today, thanks to technology and our finer understanding of human development, viability occurs around 22 weeks.

In New York City, where about two in five pregnancies are terminated, there will no longer be any presumption of humanity for the baby at any stage of pregnancy, which goes far beyond abortion jurisprudence. Most Americans are fully against such extreme approaches to abortion. One survey puts the share who support abortion during the third trimester at just 13 percent.A 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook page of future Gov. Ralph Northam shows a photo of a man in blackface and a man wearing an outfit of the Ku Klux Klan.

It was not immediately clear who was in the photo.

The right-wing blog Big League Politics first published the photo on Friday, saying it showed Northam and a friend  Northam in blackface and the friend wearing an outfit of the Ku Klux Klan.

The governors press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he hoped the picture was "inaccurate," but said that if it is true Northam should resign immediately.

Last month, Floridas secretary of state, Michael Ertel, resigned after photos emerged of him posting as a Hurricane Katrina victim in blackface 14 years ago, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

The Republican Party of Virginia tweeted a link to the Big League Politics story and wrote, @GovernorVA needs to explain this immediately.

A quotation on the yearbook page purportedly from Northam, reads, There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think Ill have another beer.Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 75F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low near 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.Greenville, TX (75401)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. SSW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email customercare@heraldandnews.com for help creating one.Paschal Kelly (53) was sentenced to 18 years yesterday for the tiger kidnapping of three women. Photo: Garrett White

One of Ireland's most notorious gangland criminals will be in his late 60s when he is finally released from jail after he was sentenced to 18 years yesterday for a 92,000 tiger kidnapping of three terrified women.

Paschal Kelly (53) was one of a gang of three men who burst into the home of postmistress Susan Lawlor at Seabury Drive, Malahide, on September 25, 2014.

The court heard harrowing details during the case from Ms Lawlor about how she left DNA in the car by spitting on the back seat and plucking out a hair.

Convictions

"If I died, I wanted gardai to know I'd been in the car," she said.

Father-of-two Kelly's 60 previous convictions include assaults, escaping lawful custody, robbery and traffic offences.

Expand Close Detective Superintendent Tony Howard spoke outside Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following the sentencing / Facebook

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Whatsapp Detective Superintendent Tony Howard spoke outside Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following the sentencing

In March 2015, he was sentenced for threatening to kill a Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) officer and failure to provide tax returns.

He received 10 years for a post office robbery in 1997 and four years for another robbery offence in 1989.

Kelly was a key member of the gang that ordered the murder of Real IRA boss Alan Ryan in September 2012, but has since fallen out with many of his former associates in that mob, including the major north Dublin drugs trafficker nicknamed Mr Big.

Kelly and Mr Big, currently out on bail for serious offences, had a bitter falling out when the younger gangster failed to repay Kelly a five-figure sum was owed to him.

Since being locked up, veteran crime figure Kelly has been the victim of threats by many of his former associates, including when he had to be transferred off a wing in Mountjoy Prison in November 2015.

He is considered a "hate figure" to many of the capital's younger gangster criminals.

The Herald revealed last month that he went "completely crazy" and smashed a TV in his Cloverhill Prison cell last November when he realised his tiger kidnapping trial was going against him.

The trial heard the three-man kidnap gang used cable ties to bind Ms Lawlor, her daughter and an Italian student who was staying at their home.

The women were taken to a field where they were held overnight before the gang drove them to the Bayside Post Office in Sutton.

At one stage Kelly threatened to burn them alive in a car by pouring petrol over it. The raiders eventually left with the cash.

Last December, Kelly, of Cootehill, Co Cavan, was convicted of trespass and false imprisonment of Ms Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter and student Gabriella Saisa.

He was also convicted of robbery at Bayside Post Office and of threatening to kill the three women.

He was further found guilty of possession of a stolen vehicle, all on the same date.

Kelly had denied all charges. His trial last year extended into a ninth week at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Karen O'Connor paid "a special tribute to the three remarkable women" who she said showed courage that not only got them through their ordeal but led to the capture of a suspect.

It was clear Ms Lawlor was using her mind right to the end of the incident when she sugg- ested the raiders put money into post office bags so it could be traced.

She noted too how Ms Carter tried to delay leaving the house as she thought her screaming might have alerted gardai.

"These women have demonstrated extraordinary dignity throughout this case," Judge O'Connor said.

During the sentence hearing last week, Kelly's defence team suggested the case did not meet the criteria for a tiger kidnapping.

Judge O'Connor said she disagreed and described how Ms Lawlor's home was targeted and she was "clearly the subject of surveillance".

The judge said the offending was premeditated because the raiders used duct tape, cable ties and guns and they had their faces disguised.

Disturbing

She said Ms Lawlor was separ- ated, punched and threatened before being taken to the post office, and the money was only recovered because her "fast-thinking actions" had alerted the authorities.

The judge told the court it made "disturbing viewing" watching CCTV of the three women being taken into the post office in their nightwear.

In February 2014, in the High Court, Kelly had his Co Cavan home seized by CAB and was described by a judge as playing a "leading role in an organised criminal gang".

The court also ruled he must forfeit a 4x4 vehicle and 14,000 in cash.Kristopher Fawthrop lashed out at man in club kerfuffle

A reveller who glassed a man on the side of the head after a "kerfuffle" in a nightclub has paid him 2,000 in compensation.

Kristopher Fawthrop (25) was in Dublin for the weekend celebrating a friend's birthday when he lashed out.

His solicitor Peter Connolly told Swords District Court that Fawthrop's weekend away had "gone much further than it should have gone".

Judge Miriam Walsh fined Fawthrop 450 after he paid 2,000 compensation to the injured party.

The defendant had admitted seriously assaulting a man during a row at Dicey Reilly's on Harcourt Street on October 21, 2017.

Fawthrop, from Yorkshire, had been out celebrating at a friend's birthday party when a row broke out.

Outlining the evidence, Sgt Anthony McNulty said the def-endant and victim got into an argument and Fawthrop struck the man on the side of the head with a glass.

Convictions

The defendant, of Wood View, Oakenshaw, Bradford, later identified himself on CCTV footage.

The court heard the victim did not wish to make a victim impact statement, and he had fully recovered from his injuries.

The defendant had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Fawthrop deeply regretted the incident, defence solicitor Peter Connolly said.

He had accepted responsibility for his actions and had pleaded guilty at an early stage, he said.

The defendant had been at a party with friends and he had been drinking, Mr Connolly said.

There was a "kerfuffle", he said, adding that "things got out of hand" and Fawthrop had lashed out and caused the injuries.

The defendant had spent the weekend in custody following the incident, until he posted cash bail, and this had been a sobering experience, the court heard.

The defendant had a partner and two young children and was in employment, Mr Connolly said.Former playgroup worker Avril OBrien is accused of theft

This is the childcare worker accused of stealing 117,000 from a State-funded creche in Tallaght over three years.

Avril O'Brien allegedly stole the money from the Loreto Playgroup in Tallaght.

She was before Tallaght District Court yesterday, where DPP solicitor Jonathan Antoniotti told Judge Patricia McNamara that her book of evidence was ready to be served.

Objected

Ms O'Brien (49), of Raheen Crescent, Tallaght, is charged with 106 counts of stealing various sums from Loreto Playgroup, St Mark's Junior School, Fortunestown, Tallaght, between 2013 and 2016.

O'Brien is no longer working at the playgroup.

The court had heard it will be alleged that the total amount stolen was 117,000.

Prosecuting garda Geraldine Ross had originally objected to legal aid being granted to Ms O'Brien, as she owns a mobile home in Co Wexford, is in full-time employment and "goes on several foreign holidays a year".

At the hearing, the prosecution withdrew their objections to free legal aid. Judge McNamara certified under the legal aid scheme for Ms O'Neill's solicitor, Padraig O'Donovan, and a junior counsel.

Mr Antoniotti told Judge McNamara that the DPP had consented for Ms O'Brien to be sent forward to the present sitting of the circuit court on February 22.

Judge McNamara issued Ms O'Brien with the alibi caution and sent her forward on bail of 1,000.The state senator who represents Christian County has submitted legislation that could potenHuntington, WV (25701)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Heavy downpours are possible. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.RESIDENTS were joined by their families to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sunrise of Sonning care home.

More than 100 people attended the celebration at the home in Old Bath Road, Sonning, and were served bucks fizz and canapes. They sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed cake made by chef Kevin Crook and decorated by concierge Linda Jones.

Musical duo Adeste performed while the guests danced and Gillian Phelps played the piano.

Sunrise chief executive Dr Natalie-Jane MacDonald gave a speech. The occasion was marked by the presentation of a cheque for 3,823 to Alzheimers Research UK.

Nathalie McLeish, director of community relations at Sunrise of Sonning, said: We were thrilled to celebrate our 10th birthday with such a wonderful afternoon. I hope we provided a fitting tribute to everything we have achieved over the past 10 years and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays to come.

Resident Barbara Cooke, from Henley, said: It was a really nice day. Some of the residents danced and the children, grandchildren and families came, which was nice.A DAY care service for people with dementia is to return to Henley.

Mayor Glen Lambert is to relaunch the Bluebells community club, which will meet once a week at the Christ Church Centre in Reading Road, just as it did before closing last April.

The service, which had been running for about 20 years, was run by Age UK Oxfordshire but the charity said it couldnt afford to keep it going after Oxfordshire County Council cut its funding.

Councillor Lambert, who has been raising money for the club during his year in office, has registered it with the Charities Commission and put together a new group of trustees.

The trustees will buy furniture and equipment before recruiting two carers and an administrator and may also seek some volunteers.

The club will meet every Thursday morning and if it proves successful, a second session could be introduced on another day. Members will be able to socialise and take part in activities such as card games, word puzzles and arts and crafts workshops.

Those who are more seriously affected will be brought to the venue in the Henley HandyBus.

The trustees are Cllr Lambert, Rev Glyn Millington, minister of the neighbouring Christ Church United Reformed Church, the centres treasurer Rob Lazaro and David Skinner of Henley Lions Club.

They are being advised by Dementia Oxfordshire and have spoken to former Bluebells staff and volunteers in order for the club to be as like its predecessor as possible.

The club will receive grants from Henley Town Council, which had pledged about 21,000 towards Bluebells before it closed.

The new service should be able to claim this in annual installments as it will be providing the same service. The trustees expect to spend about 3,000 on furniture, about half of which will come from the Lions Club.

Cllr Lambert said: Registering it as a charity was an important first step in getting our funding and means we can put everything in place to get started.

The next hurdle is opening a bank account and transferring the grants weve been promised.

Our medium-term goal is to expand as soon as the numbers justify it. Obviously if demand continues to increase we would look to accommodate that but for now weve planned a maximum of two sessions.

Cllr Lambert wanted to revive the service as his father Terry, who lives with him and his family in Greys Road, has Alzheimers disease and needs help with daily living.

He said: Dementia affects more and more people as we have an aging population, particularly in Henley, and it can be very difficult looking after someone who has the condition. It is very helpful for families who are affected to have somewhere they can go for advice and support on what people with dementia need and the kinds of activities and strategies they will respond to.

On top of that, people with dementia frequently need 24-hour care and supervision so their relatives and carers need occasional respite to go to the bank, finish other domestic tasks or just see some friends.

Bluebells was never Dads thing but a lot of people were benefiting from it and it was tragic when it closed. Im so pleased to be bringing it back because everybody Ive spoken to has really wanted to help.

There has been a lot of support from the Christ Church Centre as they saw for themselves how Bluebells worked and were aware of just how helpful it was.

Theres a long list of people whove helped us reach this point and Im grateful to everyone. Everyone weve worked with has been incredibly co-operative and supportive.While the whole country is debating the mary jane, ganja, dank, 420 issue of legalizing marijuana, Im obsessing over weed of the noxious list kind.

I know. I wrote about noxious weeds sometime in the last year or two. I swear I had every intention to consider it a spent topic, to ignore my single-minded obsession with the idea that weeds are my mortal enemy, yknow, just let the obsessive compulsiveness go. But no.

Blame my day job. Call my boss. I had to interview the county weed control district Coordinator Terry Turner for an article, a nice guy, but a little too effusive about his job, and he got my weed anxiety all riled up again.

Yours should be, too.

If you dont know, you should know that every state has a list of invasive, non-native, noxious, bad hombre weeds. They are plants that take over an ecosystem. They push out or kill the native plants that wildlife thrives off of, they cause problems with ag production and/or are a detriment to recreational activities.

Sometimes they hurt the soil by making it susceptible to erosion. Sometimes they increase fire danger. Sometimes theyre poisonous. They are rarely palatable. And most of them have pokies and stickies that jab into the skin, cling to clothes and hair. They are unpleasant to an extreme and detrimental to our economy and well-being at best.

One of the states newest noxious weeds is upon us in north-central Montana.

Brace yourselves, and cover the childrens eyes, this weed thing is about to get very real:

The big new weed infestation? It was introduced to the state right here in north-central Montana, our backyard.

Its like being Patient Zero in a plant-based STD plague.

Turner gave me a lot of amazing, information about a bunch of weeds that you can read about in the Farm & Ranch insert in the paper next week. The article, of course, contains lots of these things called facts, but heres the quick tutorial on the one we have hosted first in the state:

Our noxious weed is called phragmites, pronounced frag-My-teez. Its a grass-like reed that grows up to 15 feet tall and spreads prolifically, creating dense stands that block waterways to human and wildlife usage. Eradication of the weed is accomplished with burning and spraying.

After a week of obsessing about this weed, this is what I have in my head:

The invading phragmites grows so tall two men and a small child stacked foot-to-shoulders cant see over the tops. The plants grow so fast and thick you can hear the runners slithering out across the ground, popping like a cork every 12 inches as new sprouts burst out, fully formed with a beard and a full set of teeth.

They seek to destroy all water access to keep all the water for themselves, drinking it up like beer kegs at a frat party, and to block all sun and joy from the other plants of the world. Bambi, Thumper, Tweety Bird and all their little friends will die from dehydration, or drown when the runners catch up to them in open water and pull them under. Nemo and his little blue friend might succumb, as well.

Call a professional weed assassin to control the invasion.

Set ablaze, phragmites burns with all the dark-smoke and flaming fury of a pile of tires doused with jet fuel.

Herbicide spraying requires a specialized aquatic applicator license and a wet suit.

If the phragmites spreads to your favorite fishing hole, itll take resurrecting Jacque Cousteau and more weed killer than you can buy with a personal loan to spray the weeds. It might cost our souls, too, in a deal with the devil.



I have to stop talking to Terry. He gives me nightmares at http://www.facebook.com/viewfromthenorth40.com/.This piece of art by Candy Sheeran is part of Sheeran's show "Real Reflects Real," featured at Artitudes in the Atrium Mall in February and March. A reception for Sheeran is scheduled for Feb. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Artitudes.

Press release

Artitudes Gallery is hosting artist Candy Sheeran's show "Real Reflects Real" for the months of February and March.

An artist reception will be held Friday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to view Sheeran's work, listen to live music, partake in refreshments and visit with the artist.

Arittudes is located on the upper Level of the Atrium, Mall at 220 Third Ave. in Havre.

Sheeran is from Alaska, saying she was there before statehood, and commercial fished, trapped and hunted. Her grandfather has been feautred in National Geographic Magazine with his Alaskan produce ship and her grandmother was a volunteer teacher, giving away most of Grandpa's produce to the Indians on Ketchikan. Her dad was a tugboat captain and her mother was a volunteer teacher and is now a chef.

Sheeran said she earned a Merchant Marine card with the Coast Guard. She learned to fly and began volunteer work flying in the Alaska Bush. She is an instructor and mechanic. She worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill and one year flew missionaries from Miami to Bermuda. Flying through the Bermuda Triangle caused her compass to spin, but she hid her panic from the passengers. She earned a "Doctor of Natural Medicine" certificate in 2018, here in Montana.

She is involved in movies being made in Montana, such as "Yellowstone" being filmed in Darby. She is also involved with the Martin Scorsese movie "The Irishman," about her uncle Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, who said on his deathbead he murdered Jimmy Hoffa. The movie is based on the book "I Heard You Paint Houses".

Candy Sheeran said some incredibly sad deaths have made her stay in volunteer work.

"When I'm helping others, my problems don't exist" is her motto.

Sheeran said her artistic inspiration comes from her love of Van Gogh, who loved God. She teaches art and can be contacted at cbushpilot@gmail.com.Some troubles a local business owner is having with regulations has inspired a local legislator to step into the field of pet-snack regulation.

Havreite Keeley Wilson, who started Ladybug Bites in March 2017 to make and sell pet snacks is facing the threat of having to close her business after almost two years of operating due to regulation by the Montana Department of Agriculture, causing Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, to sponsor a bill.

Keeley's mother, Dottie Wilson, owner of The Infinity Bake Shoppe, said Keeley started the business after she graduated from Havre High School and was wondering what she could do.

Her mother said her daughter's health complicated the issue. Keeley was diagnosed as an infant with the developmental disability Williams syndrome, and also has been diagnosed with a wide span of other medical issues such as common variable immune deficiency, narcolepsy and seizures.

In the past, the family has held numerous fundraisers and programs raising awareness of and to help combat Williams syndrome.

Dottie said their family travels approximately 20,000 miles every year due to her daughter's medical issues, in addition to Keeley undergoing 22 surgeries over her lifetime.

Dottie said her daughter participated during high school in a group through the state's Department of Public Health and Human Services' Hill County Vocational Rehabilitation Program, which did job sampling for its members. After high school, the family moved on and was trying to figure out what the next step be for Keeley.

Her mother said that Keeley cannot work a normal job. She needs someone near her at all times in case of emergency. For a while, she said, Keeley worked with her while she was working at Grateful Bread as manager of the bakery.

But due to problems arising with her daughter's health, Wilson said, they needed to find something else that would fit better with her daughter's schedule.

One of the counselors from the rehabilitation group told the Wilsons of a one-time program that could help Keeley start her own business, Dottie said. They jumped on the opportunity, her mother said, and started discussing the best ideas for a small business. Her mother said her daughter's first idea was starting a milkshake and smoothie bar, but after seeing that many other places in the area serve milkshakes, they settled on dog treats.

Keeley is an avid dog lover, her older sister owns two dogs and her parents and she own a miniature long-haired dachshund named Ladybug.

Her mother said her daughter researched the industry and found a few recipes to start with and got cooking. Later on in March of 2017 Keeley was open for business, opening the same time and in the same location as Infinity Bake Shoppe.

Keeley runs her own business, her mother said, finding recipes, handling purchasing the ingredients and creating a business model.

"It's different," Keeley said.

Dottie said her daughter's tremors make her unable to cook the actual treats, and that is when her father, Steward Wilson, stepped in.

Stewart, a draftsman for Heberly Engineering, said he does the cooking and cleaning for Ladybug. He is the sous chef of the operation, he said.

Keeley said it is is fun to work with her dad and one of her favorite things to make is the peanut brittle.

Keeley said her favorite memory of Ladybug Bites was the ribbon cutting with the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce a month after they first opened.

Department of Ag and Ladybug

Wilson's mom said the business was going well, with the whole situation working out for everyone, until they got a letter from the Montana Department of Agriculture in November. The letter informed Keeley that she was in violation of a law, and she had to obtain a license and register each one of her products. If she didn't, further action would need to be taken, the letter said.

Dottie said she doesn't know how her daughter's business got on their radar, with many other small dog-treat businesses never receiving this letter.

She said she understands why the law is there, but her daughter's business is so small coming into compliance with it would financially hurt Ladybug Bites. She said the Department of Agriculture was nice about the matter, not requesting any back payment for the time Keeley was already in operation, but said that in order for her business to move forward she had to come into compliance.

Dottie said the license costs $100 and it costs $50 to register each product, with each product needing to be tested in a lab.

She said her daughter has her own limited liability company, paying her own rent, insurance and buying her own ingredients. The family could pay these fees but it would take away that independence Keeley has with the business.

She added that the business is now in compliance, with Keeley buying the license and registering 13 different treats with the department.

Stewart said his daughter's business used to have 65 to 70 different products, Keeley making treats that people requested and holiday treats or treats for special occasions.

He added that his daughter has made animal treat scones, cupcakes and even miniature cakes for her customers in the past, with all the ingredients dog-friendly and without any processed sugars.

"Part of what people really love is coming in here and, 'Oh, what do you got today?" Dottie said.

"I think what (the Department of Agriculture) misunderstood is how small-scale her business was," Dottie added. "I think they had the misunderstanding that she had this storefront pet treat business."

With coming into compliance it has become cost prohibitive, her mother said, adding that at the end of the year her daughter will have to scale down the number of products she can sell or close her business.

"So it was really devastating," Dottie Wilson said.

Her mother said after receiving the letter she contacted Joe LaPlante at Bear Paw Development Corp. and Celina Cline from Vocational Rehabilitation Program and tried to see if they could help in working things out and if it was a misunderstanding figure out, how to clear it up.

LaPlante and Cline spoke to the Department of Ag and found that there was no misunderstanding, Keeley's business was being held under the same regulations as large producers, although she is still eligible for and involved in the rehabilitation program, which helped her pay the licensing and registration fees.

Local legislator steps into the ring

Dottie Wilson also contacted Bachmeier and said that since she first contacted him, he has really jumped in with both feet and helped.

The Wilsons have known Bachmeier for a long time, and he and Keeley attended high school together, Dottie said. She added that Keeley testified at a rally he held in Havre in 2017 arguing against state budget cuts.

Keeley also testified in Helena at the Legislature that year about health care.

Dottie said she is excited to see what Bachmeier can do.

She said Bachmeier recently messaged Keeley about a meeting he had with the Department of Agriculture regarding a bill he sponsored to revise the law related to selling and manufacturing pet food, with him saying that the meeting went very well.

"In my mind, what I am hoping is an exemption from the law," Dottie Wilson said.

But even if it results in a smaller fee the situation will be better, she added, saying Ladybug is a small business, "lightyears from $20,000 a year."

Bachmeier said what he is trying to do is change the section regarding dog and cat food treats. What he wants to do is eliminate the cost for the license and lower the registration of the products to $25 for for 20 products for small producers, he said.

He added that after talking with the Department of Agriculture they determined that this might be possible. The reason for the fee, Bachmeier said, is the administrative cost and cost of testing the products to assure their safety.

Bachmeier said the department would also like to have small producers send the active ingredients that they use in their treats. They want to do this because if there is a health issue resulting from the treats they want to be able to track it down, he added.

As far as figuring out who qualifies for the reduced cost, he said, producers have to stay at less than $20,000 in sales. That would prevent small producers having a competitive advantage over large producers.

He said the department even suggested that the amount of sales be reduced to a $10,000 or even a $5,000 cap to reduce the chance of opposition. Bachmeier said he wants to get in contact with the Wilson family and see what would work best for them.

Another thing that the department requested is that small producers not include meat, medication or raw animal proteins in their treats in order to reduce the chances of animals getting sick, he added.

"I think, in my mind, that makes since," he said.

Bachmeier said they still need to hammer out the details of the labeling requirements, with him believing producers like Keeley shouldn't have to label every product or every small bag of products. Instead, he said, small producers can have bulk items with labeling. The exception, he added, would be a product that contains peanut butter. Producers should label ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction.

He said he wanted to get involved after hearing about the problems Keeley was facing.

"Keeley is a great person and does a lot in the community," Bachmeier said. " ... I know a lot about her story and her background, and she's a very inspirational person who just wants to do the best she can for this community. So I feel it is really important that our community has her back, and I'm happy to help with this legislation."

Dottie said that treats are different from feed, the regulations surrounding them being completely separate.

She said when LaPlante contacted the lab where Ladybug Bites were being tested, the lab didn't know how to test the products. She said they thought her daughter was making more products in bulk, such as 50-pound batches.

When her daughter's regular customers heard about what was going on with her business they were not happy, Dottie said. She added that they reacted with disbelief and have been writing letters to the Legislature advocating for Bachmeier's bill.

Ladybug Bites is a small Havre business with a local focus, Dottie said, with her daughter even getting spent grain, a byproducts of the brewing process, from Triple Dog Brewing Co. to make her Triple Dog Delights.

Stewart said the prices of his daughter's dog treats usually range between $3.50 and $4.50 for 6-ounce packages.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry

Dottie said if they knew about all the licensing issues before opening Ladybugs they would have done another business idea instead. But now, if the bill passes, she said, it can help small businesses across the state and maybe encourage people, like her daughter, to start their own businesses.

Dottie said if Ladybug Bites closes, it would be devastating because the situation is perfect for their family. With Keeley as her own boss she has the flexibility with her schedule that she can do all the things that she needs to do outside of work, she said. She added that her daughter doesn't work at the store full-time and that when she is there she is a great help and is safe.

"It's important for her to be here," Dottie said.Press release

The 2019 Governors Humanities Awards is set to celebrate five Montanans Thursday in Helena.

The Montana humanists, who have served the state through public programs, scholarship, exceptional writing and commitment to community, are historian Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs of Helena; Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives Director Ellen Crain of Butte; Professor and Chair of English, Montana State University Billings Tami Haaland of Billings; author Thomas McGuane of McLeod; and Professor of Religious Thought, Rocky Mountain College Elizabeth McNamer of Billings.

The awards ceremony will start at 3 p.m. at the State Capitol Rotunda, with awards presented by Lt. Governor Mike Cooney. This event is free and open to the public. The awards banquet will get under way at 6 p.m. at Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial.

The banquet, hosted by William Marcus, will feature actor and rancher Bill Pullman as the keynote speaker.

Pullman is a film, theater and television actor best known for his roles in Sleepless in Seattle, Independence Day and While You Were Sleeping.

Marcus is the retired director of the University of Montana Broadcast Media Center and Montana Public Radio/Montana PBS, and he served as Humanities Montanas board chair 2011-2012.

People who want tickets to the awards banquet can go online to https://secure.humanitiesmontana.org/governors-banquet or contact Humanities Montana at 406-243-6022 or email info@humanitiesmontana.org.Havre Police Department

A caller at a U.S. Highway 2 Northwest business reported Thursday at 7:25 a.m. possibly sighting a person from Kalispell who has been reported missing.

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Thursday at 9:57 a.m. a caller from BNSF Railway reported a gas spill that their crews were cleaning up.

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A red backpack was reported found Thursday at 10:08 a.m. on the back porch of a Second Street residence.

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Someone stopped at the police station at 11:03 a.m. Thursday to report an altered check.

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A caller on First Street reported Thursday at 12:39 p.m. tires were slashed on a Fort Belknap patrol car.

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Diane Carol Nault of Havre, 43, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant after a caller at a First Street business reported Thursday at 1:39 p.m. seeing a woman with a warrant.

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Thursday at 6:06 p.m. a caller with the Child Abuse Hotline passed along a report of a possible drug sale on First Street Northeast.

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A caller reported Thursday at 11:31 p.m. beer was stolen from a First Street West business.

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Officers assisted Montana Highway Patrol on Fifth Avenue at 12:05 a.m. today.

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Ten arrests were made after a Bonine Drive caller reported a noise complaint at 1:01 a.m. today. No details were provided on the charges.

Hill County Sheriff's Office

An arrest was made after a caller on Bullhook Road reported a suspicious woman walking southbound with no shoes on Thursday at 11:29 p.m. No details were provided on the charges.

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A warrant was served at Hill County Detention Center at 1:41 p.m. Thursday, but no details on charges was provided.

Havre Fire Department

Emergency medical personnel responded to two calls Thursday.

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Firefighters responded to a 6:48 p.m. report of a smoke smell at a residence on the 1500 Block of Second Street. No smoke or fire was detected and no problems were reported later.

Havre Animal Shelter

The Havre shelter this morning held one medium-hair cat, one short-hair cat, one long-hair 9-month-old kitten and two long-hair 6-month-old kittens all of unknown gender, one medium-hair female cat and five medium-hair male cats, as well as eight cats for its trap-spay/neuter-release program.

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The Havre shelter also held this morning a male miniature pinscher dog, two female mixed-breed dogs, a male pit bull-Brittany spaniel dog, a male Australian cattle dog-blue heeler-corgi 8-month-old puppy, a female shepherd-Labrador retriever dog, a male shepherd dog, a male border collie dog, a female Anatolian shepherd-husky 10-month-old puppy, a female pug-Chihuahua dog and a male mixed-breed 21-week-old puppy. Another three female mixed-breed 13-week-old puppies were being fostered.

Births

A boy was born Monday, January 28, 2019, to Sophia Guzman and Kenneth Sengal of Havre.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

SubmitBALTIMORE (AP)  One person was killed and five others were wounded Wednesday whenBy Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2019/02/02

As I have stated many times before, Hong Sang-soo's influence in the indie, art-house production of Korea is visible on all levels, and "Winter's Night" is not exactly an exception. A number of unique elements, here and there in the narrative, though, allow the film to be a work on itself, and a rather entertaining experience, at least for the art-house audience.

"Winter's Night" (festival entry) is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Advertisement

A married couple, Eun-joo and her husband Heung-joo visit the famous Buddhist temple of Cheongpyeongsa in the South Korean town Chuncheon, in a repetition of the beginning of their relationship, 30 years ago. On their way back, and while riding a taxi, Eun-joo realizes she has lost her phone and the two are forced to go back. Unfortunately, due to the fact, they miss the last ferry and are stranded in the area surrounding the temple, where a cheeky owner of a bed and breakfast seems like their only refuge. Soon, it is revealed that their relationship is in crisis.

At the same time, a soldier and a young girl also share the same fate, as the latter is pondering on whether she wants to become her companion's girlfriend. The meet up of the two couples sends ripples down both relationships, but soon the borders between past and present, fantasy and reality are blurred, with soju playing a key part.

The similarities with HHS movies are quite obvious: the drunken dialogues, the blurring of reality and fantasy with a pinch of surrealism, the presentation of a failing relationship, and the lack of action all point towards the Korean auteur's cinema. However, Jang Woo-jin-II has implemented a number of elements that deem "Winter's Night" much more than the work of another wannabe. The presentation of the two relationships, and particularly the fact that the one with the soldier and the girl is probably the most significant, as it induces the film with a rather romantic essence, although not to a point that this could perceived as a romantic flick.

The depiction of two people who start to realize that their relationship is coming to an end, but still want to try and work on it (particularly Heung-joo), is quite well presented, with the back and forths in their past working quite well in the narrative, occasionally providing scenes of laughter through the drunken dialogues, with Heung-joo again being the main source of this element.

Although the minimalism of the genre is quite evident once again, as highlighted in Jang own's editing, who occasionally just uses the recurring image of a painting to change scenes, nevertheless, the visual aspect is quite impressive. Yang Jeong-hun in the cinematography and Kim Ah-reum in the production design have done an excellent job, mostly by using neon lights that give the various sets an "uncanny" and mysterious essence. This tactic extends both to the indoor sets, particularly the various parlors Heung-joo visits (The karaoke scene is funny as it is surrealistic) and the outdoor shots, with the snowy set with the frozen water being the greatest sample.

The acting follows the rules of the art-house movies, with the actors playing the parts with an utmost focus on realism. This tactic is mostly mirrored in Seo Young-hwa as Eun-joo, who gives an utterly natural performance, almost without any kind of exaltations. The one who steals the show, though, is Yang Heung-joo as Heung-joo, whose depiction of various psychological and physical statuses (I mean drunkenness) is exceptional, and arguably the most entertaining part of the movie.

"Winter's Night" is a competent specimen of Korean indie cinema, that most fans of Hong Sang-soo will enjoy, while almost any viewer who gives this a chance will be impressed by its minimalist but also impressive visuals.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Winter's Night" is directed by Jang Woo-jin-II, and features Seo Young-hwa, Yang Heung-joo, Lee Sang-hee and Woo Ji-hyun.



Haiti - News : Zapping...





Signing of an economic pact with the BRH

On Friday, an economic and financial governance pact was signed between the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH). This agreement concerns a mechanism for advances of funds to the Public Treasury and the settlement mechanism of the oil bill.



Moise Jean Charles calls for mobilization

Wednesday at the Champs de Mars, Moise Jean Charles, the leader of the radical opposition of the "Pitit Desalin" Party, fierce opponent of the PHTK, launched an appeal for popular mobilization to demonstrate on February 7. He again demands the departure of Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant, saying that the country needs new leadership to prevent the country from falling into chaos. Explaining that this demonstration is also against the corruption, asking the justice to proceed to the arrest of all the presumed dilapidators of the PetroCaribe fund in the perspective of their lawsuit and express the support of that Haitian population in Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro.



New President at the Court of Cassation

Friday, President Jovenel Moise with Jean Roudy Aly the Minister of Justice, proceeded to the installation of Me Rene Sylvestre (from St-Marc) as the new President of the Court of Cassation to replace Jules Cantave. He also becomes President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ). The former president of the Court of Cassation, Me Jules Cantave, who refused to resign despite pressure and still considers himself in office, disputes the decision to replace him and was absent at this ceremony.



Gary Bodeau congratulates the CSC/CA

"I welcome the institutional commitment and the work done by the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA) for its record on the using of the Petro-Caribe Funds. I expect the other institutions concerned to fulfill their duties with rigor and impartiality," declared Gary Bodeau, Speaker of the Lower House. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26812-haiti-flash-the-court-of-auditors-delivers-its-first-report-on-the-management-of-petrocaribe-funds.html



Training of members of Citizens' Commissions

The Directorate of Territorial Communities of the Ministry of the Interior, organized on January 30th and 31st, 2019, a training session for the members of the Citizens' Committees responsible for administering the new communes. The main objective of these workshops held at the Ministry in Port-au-Prince was to familiarize these citizens with the mission and attributions assigned to them in their new role, in a particular context, with great challenges and especially the the obligation to succeed and to be able to place orders at the next cartels that will come from the upcoming municipal elections.



A new Caravan...

On February 1st, 2019, the Ministry of Public Health officially launched, in the department of Nippes, the Caravan for the promotion of healthy behaviors, against Non Communicable diseases and their screening.



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - Economy : New mission of the IMF in Haiti





Jean Claudy Pierre, the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, received a new technical assistance mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on January 30 at his offices.



At the center of the exchanges, the problem of the management of public finances. The meeting was chaired by Minister Pierre, who took the opportunity to outline the activities of his Ministry relating to public finances and among others the Three-Year Investment Plan (2017-2019) https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-18595-icihaiti-economy-triennial-investment-plan-2017-2019.html



This Mission headed by Jean Pierre Nguenang, Senior Economist in Public Financial Management, will stay for ten days in Haiti. It will have to work with the various public institutions involved in the management of public finance, particularly on treasury and public accounting reform as well as multiannual programming.



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - France : The National Court of the Right of Asylum, not convinced by the arguments of Haitians





The National Court of Asylum (CNDA) in France, which rules on the files of applicants rejected by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), experienced a 9.5% increase in the number of appeals last year, according to the annual report of the CNDA published Friday.



Thus, the report states that the National Court of Asylum "registered 58,671 new appeals in 2018", which states that the first countries of origin of the applicants were "Albania (9%), Guinea and Haiti (6%)"



The report states that for Haiti there were 3,346 appeals (1,813 women and 1,533 men) in 2018 against 5,080 in 2017, a decrease of 34.10% "With demand down by almost 35% between 2017 and 2018, Haiti passed from the 2nd to 3rd place among the countries before the Court. The Haitian claimants, in 2018, continue massively to raise fears related to their political commitment, private conflicts and the activities of local criminal groups. The prevailing context in Haiti, marked by political protest, corruption, insecurity and lack of socio-economic prospects, is a fertile ground for the exile of a disenchanted population," the report said.



In 2018, out of 4,183 decisions in Haitian cases (2,097 women, 2,086 men) only 40 Haitians obtained court protection, 26 refugees under the Geneva Convention (14 women and 12 men) and 14 under subsidiary protection. (9 women and 5 men), a protection rate of 1.1% for women and 0.8% for men.



SL/ HaitiLibre





















Have any questions? Please give us a call at 520-625-5511After the successful launch of the Redmi Note 7, Xiaomi's sub-brand is looking forward to its upcoming Redmi Note 7 Pro and another flagship phone. Yes, you read that right - Redmi is working on a Snapdragon 855-powered handset aimed to launch this year.

Lu Weibing revealed the information on Weibo posting a photo of him and Redmi's crew in Xioami's Shenzhen R&D Institute where they've discussed the future of Redmi as a brand and its upcoming devices. He said that they've talked in details about the two phones, which means that the company will be stepping out of the mid-range territory and enter the premium market segment.

For now, no details have been revealed so we don't know anything about Redmi's flagship phone except that it's going to run on Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 SoC.

Source (in Chinese)Google's popular keyboard has extended its functionality by reaching over 500 supported languages.

In its latest update Gboard has gained support for 50 new languages, most of which you'd likely not have heard of like Alas, Amis, Brahui, Choctaw, Gayo, Giryama, Gorontalo, Gusii, Hehe and Iban.

Currently the new languages are live through an update on Android, iOS users should receive the update soon as well.

Source | ViaAwazToday.pk Privacy Policy: We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.



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Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 51F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.But instead of tacking to the center to win back voters, Democrats are embracing leftist policies such as government-run health care, government-funded college for all, a government-funded job guarantee and a Green New Deal. Together, these programs would cost $42.5 trillion  about twice the national debt. And they are claiming they can pay for it all by taxing the very rich. Thats impossible, and Americans know it.

This is the problem with our politics today. Both sides have decided that the way to win is to throw red meat to their hardcore supporters. Lost in the shuffle are millions of reasonable, persuadable citizens who are left to choose between two unpalatable alternatives. And Schultz is betting they are looking for a leader.

His candidacy would pose an existential threat to Democrats in 2020, so they will attack him as an out-of-touch billionaire who does not care about working people. It wont work. As a chief executive, he took groundbreaking steps to make sure his employees shared in Starbucks success, giving his baristas stock compensation, offering full tuition at Arizona State University for an online bachelors degree and providing even part-time workers with health plans. Schultz is betting this record and a platform of moderately liberal yet fiscally responsible policies can win the presidency.

Is he right? We will soon find out. Until then, he is doing the Democrats a favor by calling them back from the brink of fiscal and political insanity. After Schultz slammed Harris call to eliminate private insurance, Harris campaign backtracked, saying she has also supported more moderate options. Ocasio-Cortez and the neosocialists are pulling the Democratic Party to the left. Perhaps by threatening their prospects in 2020, Schultz can pull them back in the other direction. For that reason alone, he would do the American people a great service by running.

Marc A. Thiessen (@marcthiessen) is a Washington Post columnist.by Vladimir Rozanskij

Celebrations and liturgies for the head of Russian Orthodoxy. He witnessed the overcoming of the long atheist winter and evangelization in the Church has grown, with an increase in dioceses and parishes. Hope for reconciliation with the Kiev Patriarchate in Ukraine. For Putin, autocephaly pursued by the Ukrainian government as part of "power struggle, which has nothing to do with religion".

Moscow (AsiaNews) - On January 29, Russia celebrated the first decade of Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) on Moscow's patriarchal throne. The event was marked with great liturgical and secular celebrations, biographical publications and albums on the life of the patriarch, and numerous comments and reflections on the important and delicate phase that the Orthodox Church in Russia is currently experiencing.

Kirill responded to questions in a group press interview with the major news agencies (Ria Novosti, Tass, Interfax) and the Russia 24 and Spas TV channels. The patriarch retraced the events of this past decade, "full of important changes in the life of our Church and our people". Without emphasizing sociological surveys and statistics, Kirill said he saw "a great change in people's lives and in their relationship with the Church, as the understanding of the role of the Church in the life of our society changed". The long atheist winter tried to "ghettoize the church, devoting great efforts to this over the decades, but those efforts failed".

Regarding the future of the Russian Church and its role in the international community, Kirill recalled that "the course of human history is not accomplished with the visible victory of the Church, but with apocalyptic events, while the Church must always go against the current". Contemporary man is a slave to his own desires and instincts, and the Church will have to meet with great resistance in the future. One of these resistances and difficulties certainly concerns the state of "schism" in Orthodoxy, a subject the journalists pushed the patriarch on.

In the responses of the patriarch there seems to be some glimpse of future relations with the "sister" Churches: "There is no point of no return, apart from the death of each of us ... As long as the Church lives, there will never be a point of no return. You have spoken of 'crisis', and we must use this word in its original sense, judgment and discernment. You can not joke about these topics ". The most important thing is the relationship between the pastors and their flock, that the Church does not renounce her true mission, and as the Gospel says, "you will recognize them from the fruits" (Mt 7: 6). Kirill declares himself convinced that "our spiritual, cultural and civilian unity, that of the Russians and the Ukrainians, is stronger than all models and political schemes".

The head of the Russian Church confesses that deeply desires to visit Ukraine again, where he traveled many times before the conflict in 2014, and to celebrate the liturgy at the Lavra of the Kiev Caves. In his opinion, the current political circumstances will soon be overcome (at the end of March there will be the presidential elections), and things will easily change.

Regarding the support of the Russian Churchfor national politics, the patriarch reflected on the mechanisms of opposition, so the Church "can not stand against the state, but must not remain silent, when the rights of people and the community are violated ". Recalling the Church's opposition to the laws that favor abortion, Kirill emphasized "the importance of overcoming what I would call the moral illness of our society".

On 31 January, at the Kremlin Palace, the ceremony for the celebration of the patriarchal decade was held. In his official speech, Kirill claimed responsibility for the growth of the pastoral life of the Russian Church, the clergy and the laity, in the missionary field, in evangelization, in religious education and in social work and youth outreach. All this, he underlined, "not only in the capital and in the big cities, but also in the deep Russia of the provinces, with the creation of 150 new dioceses [today there are 309] and almost 10 thousand new parishes [today in all 38,649]".

In turn, President Putin gave a congratulatory speech to the patriarch, highlighting his contribution to "strengthening social cohesion", and the importance of the social and charitable activities of the Orthodox Church in the country. Putin recalled the "gigantic challenges and ambitious goals" that await Russia in the coming years, which requires all efforts "to preserve our identity, our unity and solidarity".

The president complained about "speculation, politicity and parasitism in religious matters", referring to Ukraine and describing the government's actions as "false and conditioned by the power struggle, which has nothing to do with religion", in which even the patriarchate of Constantinople has been involved. The leaders of this project, according to Putin, "have learned from the godless of the last century, who chased the faithful from the churches, oppressed and persecuted the priests". Russia "preserves for itself the right to react and defend people's rights, starting from the freedom to profess one's faith", with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill.Colleges must be accredited to accept federal Pell Grants and student loans as payment for tuition, fees and other expenses. Non-accredited colleges often close. Bennett has appealed the commissions ruling and remains accredited for now.

Bennett had been on probation for the two prior years  the most allowed under the commissions rules  after sharp declines in enrollment led to budget deficits. In 2017-18, Dawkins first full year as permanent president, enrollment rose and the college posted its first annual surplus in six years. Bennett expects to have another budget surplus this year.

The college has about 410 students enrolled in the spring semester  down about 60 students from the fall. (Colleges typically lose students from one semester to the next.) But Bennett officials have said it has received about 4,000 applications for a spot in next falls freshwoman class. Thats almost double what the college got a year ago.In 1653, New Amsterdam  now New York City  was incorporated.

In 1914, Charles Chaplin made his movie debut as the comedy short Making a Living was released by Keystone Film Co.

In 1925, the legendary Alaska Serum Run ended as the last of a series of dog mushers brought a life-saving treatment to Nome, the scene of a diphtheria epidemic, six days after the drug left Nenana.

In 1932, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra recorded It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing) for Brunswick Records.

In 1942, a Los Angeles Times column by W.H. Anderson urged security measures against Japanese-Americans, arguing that a Japanese-American almost inevitably ... grows up to be a Japanese, not an American.

In 1943, the remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered in a major victory for the Soviets in World War II.

In 1971, Idi Amin, having seized power in Uganda, proclaimed himself president.They recommend that the district close the buildings of Twilight and Greensboro SCALE School and put the students in leased office space instead. The last school on the proposed closure list, "The Old McIver School," hasn't housed students since the 2017 closure of High School Ahead, which had operated out of that building.

Within the report, consultants used the word, "repurpose" rather than close. That is meant to suggest that county leaders consider other possible purposes for the buildings in the communities.

In the facilities study presented to school board members and county commissioners, consultants gave each school building a score on a scale of 0 to 100, similar to the A-F grading scale. That score was based on their assessment of the condition of the building, the building's suitability for education, and the condition of the site.

Kiser, for example, had a combined score of 42.

MGT suggested the school district and county consider closing schools that have poor or unsatisfactory combined scores to save on operational and staffing costs. Nearly half the schools in the district are in either poor or unsatisfactory condition, however, and they can't all close. Student population density or program popularity, the consultants said, can require school buildings remain in place.The course took place from January 16th to February 2nd. Result of the collaboration between the Catholic Center of the university and the master Aurelio Porfiri. The book on the history of sacred music will be printed in Chinese and English this summer.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has held a course of sacred music in six lessons that took place from January 16th to February 2nd. The teacher is Professor Aurelio Porfiri, musician, composer, educator who has worked for many years in Macao and Hong Kong. "Vatican II - he tells AsiaNews - defined the Catholic Church tradition of sacred music as 'a treasure'. And in fact it is one of the most precious legacies to be preserved, but also to make known to the whole world ".

The idea of the course was born from a meeting between the teacher Porfiri and the director of the Catholic Center, Fr. Louis Ha Keloon, who believes in the importance of spreading Catholic culture.

Fr Louis Ha has also commissioned a book on the history of sacred music from Porfiri, offering an introduction to 21 centuries of Catholic sacred music, from apostolic times to the present day. The book will be published this summer, first in Chinese and then in English.

The course was attended almost by all Catholic music leaders in the parishes of the territory. Among the participants, Angela, a pastoral caregiver, declared that the course enhanced my knowledge of the devolopment of sacred music". Maria, a local Catholic, was grateful because the course helped her to learn more about the Church history and to have greater appreciation of sacred music.

Among those who attended the course there are also young and old musicians. A Dutch professor of music, present at the lessons, said that the lessons were "lively" thanks "skilled, cultivated" Professor who is very involved in Catholic music".

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.The writer is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, an editor-at-large for the National Review Online and a commentator for CNN. Write to him in care of this newspaper or by e-mail at goldbergcolumn@gmail.com, or via Twitter @JonahNRO. Copyright 2019 tribune Content Agency LLC.With no need to park, autonomous vehicles (AVs) will clog city streets and slow traffic to a crawl, according to a new paper by University of Santa Cruz transportation planner Adam Millard-Ball, an associate professor of environmental studies. However, a policy fix could address these problems before autonomous vehicles become commonplace, he suggests. His paper is published in the journal Transport Policy.

In this paper, I identify and analyze a new channel through which AVs will have unambiguously negative environmental consequencesthe removal of parking pricing, one of the most effective congestion management policies, from the urban transportation policy toolbox. AVs not only can avoid parking charges through cruising (that is, circling around while waiting for a passenger), but also have the incentive to seek out and exacerbate congestioneven gridlockin order to minimize costs to their owners.  In this paper, I show that the parking policies that have allowed dense, urban centers to flourish will no longer be a major curb on vehicle travel in an autonomous vehicle world. First, AVs remove the parking proximity constraint: at high levels of automation, AVs have no need to park close to their destination, or even to park at all. Second, AVs can behave strategically in order to minimize the costs to their passengers or fleet owners, primarily through seeking out and creating their own traffic congestion through choosing to circle on streets where they can drive the most slowly.  This paper suggests that the parking behavior of autonomous vehicles would land cities with a twofold blowa dramatic drop in the cost of parking that encourages more trips by car, and greater vehicle travel and congestion from each trip due to cruising, returning home, and traveling to free on-street spaces. The reduced price of parking would likely increase vehicle travel to dense, urban cores by 98%, while cruising and travel to and from remote parking spaces would add a further 8%. Fundamentally, AVs will negate one of the central pillars of Transportation Demand Management programs that seek to reduce vehicle travel in downtowns, university campuses and other employment centers. Millard-Ball (2019)

That scenario of robot-fueled gridlock is right around the corner, according to Millard-Ball, who says autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles are likely to become commonplace in the next five to 20 years. Millard-Ball is the first researcher to analyze the combined impact of parking costs and self-driving cars on city centers, where the cost and availability of parking is the only tool that effectively restricts car travel.

Parking prices are what get people out of their cars and on to public transit, but autonomous vehicles have no need to park at all. They can get around paying for parking by cruising. They will have every incentive to create havoc. Adam Millard-Ball

Under the best-case scenario, the presence of as few as 2,000 self-driving cars in downtown San Francisco will slow traffic to less than 2 mph, according to Millard-Ball, who uses game theory and a traffic micro-simulation model to generate his predictions.

It just takes a minority to gum things up, he said, recalling the congestion caused at airports by motorists cruising the arrivals area to avoid paying for parking: Drivers would go as slowly as possibly so they wouldnt have to drive around again. Free cell-phone parking areas, coupled with strict enforcement in loading areas, relieved the airport snarls, but cities will be hard-pressed to provide remote parking areas for self-driving cars at rates lower than the cost of cruisingwhich Millard-Ball estimates at 50 cents per hour.

Even when you factor in electricity, depreciation, wear and tear, and maintenance, cruising costs about 50 cents an hourthats cheaper than parking even in a small town. Unless its free or cheaper than cruising, why would anyone use a remote lot? Adam Millard-Ball

Regulation also falls short because, as Millard-Ball puts it, Its difficult to regulate intent. You can pass a law saying its illegal to drive more than 10 minutes without a passenger, but what if the car is picking up a parcel?

Millard-Ball proposes congestion pricingwhich can take different forms but essentially amounts to a user feeas a solution. In London, motorists pay a flat fee of 11.50 (about $15) to enter the city center. Singapore and Stockholm employ similar models. More sophisticated models could charge by miles driven, or assign different fees to particular streets.

Economists and environmentalists agree that congestion pricing effectively reduces congestion and pollution, but its a politically fraught strategy because it raises the ire of commuters. Millard-Ball sees an opportunity here.

As a policy, congestion pricing is difficult to implement. The public never wants to pay for something theyve historically gotten for free. But no one owns an autonomous vehicle now, so theres no constituency organized to oppose charging for the use of public streets. This is the time to establish the principle and use it to avoid the nightmarish scenario of total gridlock. Adam Millard-Ball

Moreover, he noted, self-driving cars could be outfitted with devices that would give policymakers options for levying fees based on location, speed, time of dayeven which lane the vehicle occupies.

The fees could raise money for cities to improve transportation. The idea is to do it now before autonomous vehicles become widespread. Adam Millard-Ball

Resourcesby Sumon Corraya

The celebration took place at the Panjora sanctuary. The holy day attracts many migrant workers from abroad. Not only Catholics, but also Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. A Muslim couple married for ten years: "We have asked for the grace of being blessed with a child".

Gazipur (AsiaNews) - At least 80,000 faithful of every religion came from all over Bangladesh yesterday and from abroad to honor St. Anthony of Padua, who's feast day is celebrated here at the beginning of February. The celebrations were held in the sanctuary dedicated to the saint in the village of Panjora, near the church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino in Nagari (Gazipur district). According to the parish priest, Fr. Joyanto S. Gomes, "it is the highest participation ever, since we started celebrating the saint 30 years ago".

Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the most loved saints of the Bangladeshi people. His feast attracts many migrants back home from abroad to take part in the celebrations. Fr Gomes reports that many faithful, about 6 thousand people, were also present the day before, during which prayers and novenas were held. Furthermore, four priests heard the confessions of at least 1,500 Catholics.

The figure of the saint of Portuguese origins is venerated not only by Catholics, but also Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. Many brought votive offerings like sweets, money, candles, cows, goats, pigeons, which have been gathered by 150 volunteers. This is the case of 60-year-old Shuva Rani, a Hindu, who comes here every year on a pilgrimage with his whole family. This time he brought candles as a gift. "It was my son who works in Saudi Arabia - he says - who asked me to offer candles. He prays a lot to Jesus through St. Anthony and receives answers to his prayers ".

The Roman Catholic Raphael Cruze, 72, is a member of the parish of Nagari. He reveals that he has venerated Saint Anthony since he was a child. "I have received many blessings. My son has not worked for a long time. I have prayed the Lord through St. Anthony to help him find a good job, and so it was. "

Mahabub Islam, a 40-year-old Muslim who works in an NGO, came with his wife. The man tells: "A colleague of mine told me about St. Anthony and his miraculous power. We've been married for 10 years but we have not had a baby yet. I came here to pray St. Anthony to intercede for us with Jesus. We hope to have the blessing of a child".The Mexico Grand Prix could be a thing of the past in Formula 1 sooner rather than later, with the local goverment deciding to end its funding for the race event from 2020 onwards.

The Mexico race returned to the F1 calendar in 2015; and has been extremely popular since its return - probably rated as one of the most exciting races by the majority of the fans.

Its contract with F1 expires at the end of 2019, and it is the only race to not have signed an extension whose contract is up at the end of this year.

Reports in Mexico have now claimed that the local government have decided to cut funding for the event beyond this year's event.

"For 2020, the federal government has no longer committed this resource," Head of Government for Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum told El Financiero, quoted by Fi.com.

"It is earmarking most of the funds to the completion of the Mayan tourist train or the Mayan train."

So, it looks as if the well-received Mexican Grand Prix won't be with us after 2019, but we'll be hoping for its return again sometime in the future!Prime Minister Khan said Pakistan could become a role model for developing world once the ongoing efforts by the government came to fruition.

Islamabad: Pakistan has launched a dollar bond under the Pakistan Banao (make) Certificate to strengthen the deteriorating economy. Prime Minister Imran Khan launched Pakistan Banao Certificate mainly to attract investment from overseas Pakistanis.

Purely a dollar-based financial investment, the government has offered overseas Pakistanis a mark-up rate of 6.25 to 6.72 percent per annum with a minimum investment limit of $5,000 for the period of three to five years.

Addressing the launching ceremony of Pakistan Banao Certificate Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the overseas Pakistanis to come forward and invest in the scheme to help the country overcome the economic crisis.

The launching ceremony was attended by the federal cabinet members, special assistants to the Prime Minister, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, parliamentarians, senior government officials and a large number of overseas Pakistanis.

Prime Minister Khan said Pakistan could become a role model for developing world once the ongoing efforts by the government came to fruition.

Praising the efforts put in by the finance minister, Governor State Bank, he remarked that the Pakistan Banao Certificate should have been launched earlier to attract the investment from expatriates. He said though the bond offered return in dollar denomination but he urged the expatriates to get the profit in rupee to support the national currency.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@skagitpublishing.com for help creating one.PHOTO CONTRIBUTEDTravis Adams, head of Young Farmer Committee for Kosciusko County, center accepts an award for his group donating the most amount of nonperishable food during the Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference in Indianapolis last weekend. With him are members of the state Young Farmer Commmittee. From left are Jake Smoker, oncoming state chairman; Dakota Evert, Farm Credit Mid America; Adams; Julie Klarich, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; and Aaron Chalfant, retiring state chairman.TOPEKA [mdash] Edna E. Yoder, 75, of Topeka, died at 1 a.m. Saturday, June 19, 2021, at her residence. She was born Oct. 3, 1945, in LaGrange, to Emmery and Mary (Chupp) Miller. On Oct. 15, 1964, in Topeka, she married Raymond M. Yoder. He survives. Survivors in addition to her husband are tWriter: America is crumbling

To the editor:

Ive been on this rock well over 70 years, seen good times and bad, but for the first time ever I fear for the future of the country.

Its not one thing, just the total of events of the past few months. Small things, like our colleges graduating snowflakes, 50 percent of whom believe in socialism. Or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (sometimes accurately referred to as Alexandria Occasional-Cortex) being a major force in politics. Or the recent Gillette ad, which decries toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity came in pretty handy during World War II, and without it, wed all be speaking German.

Then there are more serious things, like the clear double standard of justice. Several people have had their lives ruined for supposedly lying to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, while James Comey, Andy McCabe and others committed perjury and seem to get away with it. A sailor was recently sentenced to a year in prison for taking some pictures for his personal use. Hillary Clinton committed far more serious breaches of national security, yet she still walks (or staggers) free.The US and China have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods.

President Donald Trump has said US' massive trade deficit with China cannot be allowed to continue (File Photo)

Washington: President Donald Trump has said US' massive trade deficit with China cannot be allowed to continue, a day after the officials from both countries concluded their latest round of negotiations on trade issues. The US and China have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods.

Last year, Trump imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods. The move prompted China to increase tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods.

Trump, who has been accusing China of indulging in unfair trade practices contributing to the huge trade deficit amounting to USD 375 billion, recently said the trade talks with Beijing were going on "very well".

Trump met a high-powered Chinese delegation led by its Vice Premier Liu Hu in his Oval Office on Thursday during which he said that the two countries had made significant progress, but nothing is final till he personally seals the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"If we make the deal with China, you're talking about, it'll be a different world for us. We lost USD 500 billion a year with China, for many years. We're not going to do that anymore," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

After his meeting with Xi in Argentina on December 1, the two countries agreed to pause their trade war for 90 days and arrive at a trade deal by March 1. Trump on Friday threatened to go ahead with his planned slapping of additional tariffs on Chinese imports if the deal is not reached by March 1.

"Our relationship with China is extraordinary. My relationship with President Xi is better, I guarantee, than any relationship of a President and a President. It's not even close. But it can't go on this way. We can't allow this to happen," he said.

Trump is excepted to brief the nation in his State of the Union Address on February 5. At the same time, the president praised China for its decision to import additional agricultural products.

"China, as a sign of goodwill, has agreed to purchase a tremendous, massive amount of soybeans and other agricultural product. Our farmers, this morning, are very happy. I spoke to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture. He called me this morning. Our farmers are extremely happy," he said.

China is having a tough time on its economy, Trump said. Trump said there was a possibility of him meeting president Xi around his summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un later this month. The venue of the meeting has not been announced yet.

"That'll be announced officially probably next week," he said. Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown sent a letter Friday urging Secretary Mnuchin to stay aggressive in his approach in ongoing negations with China.

"We urge you to support a tough approach that demands meaningful, enforceable, verifiable and enduring concessions that address the underlying challenges identified by the section 301 investigation led by the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)," the senators wrote.

"American jobs, American innovation and long-term American economic influence and prosperity are at stake," they said. The letter follows recent reports that Mnuchin may be encouraging Trump to back down in order to conclude trade negotiations with China next month.

The letter sheds light on how China's predatory trade practices, which include forced technology transfers, espionage resulting in the theft and extortion of US intellectual property, flooding the American market with cheap dumped goods, and preventing US companies from competing freely in their market, not only threaten American jobs, but pose a significant threat to American innovation and long-term American economic influence and prosperity.

In their letter, Wyden, Schumer and Brown note that should China fail to make the permanent structural reforms necessary to remedy these very significant issues, any trade agreement that merely addresses the trade balance with China will be an abject failure.Northam EVMS roommate: 'Neither of them looked like Ralph to me'

Dr. Rob Marsh, who was Northams roommate for two years at EVMS, said when he first saw the photo, he didnt think it was real.

"I don't remember that ever happening, said Marsh, who graduated from the school one year before Northam did and now has a medical practice in Middlebrook.

Marsh, 63, said Northam was very respectful to others as a medical student, and he never heard Northam mock anybody of any other race.

I did not recognize either one of those people or that event. Neither one of them looked like Ralph to me, Marsh said.

Marsh said he did not remember details of how the school yearbooks were put together. He said he remembers Northam at the time as a super straight guy.

He wasnt going to do anything to embarrass his family. I find it bizarre, Marsh said.

 Graham Moomaw

Medical school president releases statement on yearbook photo: 'Racism and discrimination in any form is not acceptable'You asked. We listened. Your daily crossword, Sudoku and dozens of other puzzles are now available online. Play them or print them here.

Play nowPresident Donald J. Trump to Withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

February 1, 2019

Russia has not, unfortunately, honored the agreement, so we're going to terminate the agreement. We're going to pull out. President Donald J. Trump

RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO ARMS CONTROL: President Donald J. Trump is taking decisive action to hold Russia accountable for its violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Violations must have consequences. Nearly 6 years of diplomacy and more than 30 meetings have failed to convince Russia to return to compliance with the INF Treaty. Enough is enough.

At President Trump's direction, the United States will suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective February 2, 2019.

The United States will also deliver formal notice on February 2, 2019, to Russia and other Treaty Parties, that the United States will withdraw from the INF Treaty in 6 months.

Only Russia's complete and verifiable destruction of its INF-violating missiles, their launchers, and associated equipment can save the INF Treaty.

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD FOR OUR MILITARY: President Trump is ensuring that our military is no longer disadvantaged by a treaty thatwhile once greatis now broken.

The United States has complied with the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not be held back while Russia cheats. Russia has produced and fielded multiple battalions of its INF-violating, nuclear-capable missile, which threaten our allies and troops in Europe and Asia.

The United States will move forward with developing its own intermediate-range, conventionally-armed, ground-launched missile system.

In addition, China and Iran, which are not parties to the Treaty, each possess more than 1,000 INF Treaty-range missiles.

WORKING IN CONCERT WITH NATO AND OTHER ALLIES: President Trump is working with allies to confront Russia's violation and support effective arms control.

Allies have supported the United States at every step, because they understand the threat posed by Russia's violating missile system.

After close consultation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other allies in December, 2018, President Trump gave Russia a 60-day opportunity to return to compliance. Russia has wasted that time and refuses to even acknowledge its violation.

The United States will continue to work with NATO and our other allies and partners to ensure our collective security.

The United States remains committed to effective arms control that advances United States, allied, and partner security, but arms control agreements must be verifiable and enforceable and include partners that comply responsibly with their obligations.US Set to Exit Key Arms Treaty, Leaves Door Open for Talks

By Jeff Seldin February 01, 2019

The United States on Friday fired a diplomatic warning shot at Russia, making good on threats to begin its withdrawal from a key arms control agreement and thus taking the next step toward what some politicians and analysts see as a burgeoning arms race.

In a statement, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. was suspending its compliance with the decades-old Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, accusing the Kremlin of willfully breaking the deal.

"For far too long, Russia has violated the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad," Trump said.

"We will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions," he added.

But later Friday, speaking to reporters, Trump left open the possibility of a deal.

"I hope that we are able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better," he said. "Certainly, I would like to see that. But you have to have everybody adhere to it."

The INF treaty, signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1987, was the world's first arms control pact to prohibit an entire class of weapons, banning ballistic and ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,420 miles).

INF violations

Yet the U.S. has been become increasingly vocal about what it says are blatant Russian violations.

U.S. defense and intelligence officials charge those violations date to at least 2014, when Russia began deploying its 9M729 missile following years of tests designed to skirt the treaty's constraints.

Now, officials say, Russia is fielding multiple military battalions that are equipped with the missile in question.

"We must respond," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Friday. "We can no longer be restricted by the treaty, while Russia shamelessly violates it.

"We provided Russia an ample window of time to mend its ways and for Russia to honor its commitment. Tomorrow that time runs out," he said.

Saturday, the U.S. will provide the Kremlin and other former Soviet states with formal notice of its intent to withdraw from the INF Treaty, triggering a six-month window.

Officials say if Moscow refuses to verifiably destroy the missiles, as is expected, the treaty will terminate, and the U.S. will be free to pursue its own intermediate range, ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles.

Russian denial

Russian officials reacted quickly to the announcement, denying any treaty violations, while alleging it is Washington that wants to expand its missile arsenal.

The U.S. withdrawal deals "a serious blow to the international arms control system and the system of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which exist for now," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters.

Ryabkov also suggested other arms control agreements, like the New START Treaty, which limits both countries to fewer than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads, could be in jeopardy.

"What will come next is a huge question," the deputy foreign minister told Russian television. "I fear that the New START may share the fate of the INF Treaty. It may just expire on February 5, 2021, without an extension."

New arms race?

But U.S. officials held firm, insisting the onus is on the Kremlin to ease tensions.

"Let's be clear: If there's an arms race, it is Russia that is starting it," a senior administration official said Friday.

"We simply cannot tolerate this kind of abuse of arms control and expect for arms control to continue to be viable," the official said. "We cannot permit a scenario where we are unilaterally bound to a treaty, we are denied the ability to have a military capability to deter attacks."

Concern, support for US action

In a statement issued shortly after the U.S. announced its plans to withdraw from the INF Treaty, NATO said its members "fully support this action."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter:

At the United Nations, officials expressed concern.

"For the secretary-general, his hope [is] that the parties will use the next six months to resolve their differences through dialogue," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "The INF is a very important part of the international arms control architecture."

Trump's decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty also garnered a mixed response from U.S. lawmakers.

"Russia's repeated violations over the years demonstrate that the INF is no longer in the best interest of the United States," Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

But the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, was wary.

"The Trump administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability," Pelosi said in a statement.

"Russia's brazen noncompliance with this treaty is deeply concerning," she said. "But discarding a key pillar of our nonproliferation security framework creates unacceptable risks."

Few good choices

Still, some analysts caution that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the U.S. and its European allies few good options.

"Putin's decision to build weapons that violate this important arms control treaty is another of his attacks on the peace in Europe," according to Jorge Benitez, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a global affairs research group in Washington.

"Russia is an aggressive military," he said. "Europe needs to strengthen deterrence to further dangerous behavior from Moscow."

The U.S. has already started spending on such deterrence  $48 million on research to develop its own intermediate-range, ground-launched missiles. And officials say there have already been some initial discussions with allies.

"We are some time away from having a system that we would produce, that we would train soldiers or airmen or Marines to deploy," the senior administration official said, adding that for now, nuclear-armed missiles were not under consideration.

"We are only looking at conventional options at this time," the official said. "Nothing the United States is currently looking at is nuclear in character."

The pursuit of the new missiles, though, could also give the U.S. additional options in countering growing threats from China and Iran.

Neither Beijing nor Tehran was subject to the INF Treaty, and U.S. officials believe each country has more than 1,000 intermediate-range, ground-launched missiles in its arsenal.

But some experts warn any increase in the number of such missiles, by the U.S. or Russia, will only escalate missile production and tensions in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.

VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer and VOA's Wayne Lee contributed to this report.Remarks to the Press

Remarks

Michael R. Pompeo

Secretary of State

Press Briefing Room

Washington, DC

February 1, 2019

SECRETARY POMPEO: Good morning, everyone. At the core of President Trump's foreign policy are a few very, very simple truths. The security of the American people must be our greatest consideration, the agreements into which we enter must serve American interests, and countries must be held accountable when they break the rules. For years, Russia has violated the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty without remorse. To this day, Russia remains in material breach of its treaty obligations not to produce, possess, or flight-test a ground-launched intermediate-range cruise missile system with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. In spite of this violation, for almost six years the United States has gone to tremendous lengths to preserve this agreement and to ensure security for our people, our allies, and our partners. We have raised Russia's noncompliance with Russian officials, including at the highest levels of government, more than 30 times, yet Russia continues to deny that its missile system is noncompliant and violates the treaty.

Russia's violation puts millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk. It aims to put the United States at a military disadvantage, and it undercuts the chances of moving our bilateral relationship in a better direction. It's our duty to respond appropriately. When an agreement is so brazenly disregarded and our security is so openly threatened, we must respond. We did that last December when the United States, with strong support from all of our NATO allies, formally declared Russia in material breach of the treaty. I also then provided notice that unless Russia returned to full and verifiable compliance within 60 days, we would suspend our obligation under that treaty. We provided Russia an ample window of time to mend its ways and for Russia to honor its commitment. Tomorrow that time runs out. Russia has refused to take any steps to return real and verifiable compliance over these 60 days.

The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective February 2nd. We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty effective in six months, pursuant to Article 15 of the treaty.

Russia has jeopardized the United States security interest, and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it. If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty within this six-month period by verifiably destroying its INF-violating missiles, their launchers, and associated equipment, the treaty will terminate.

Before I close, I want to give a special thanks to our NATO allies who have stood with us in our mission to uphold the rule of law and protect our people. Their solidarity reflects the historical strength and unity of the NATO alliance. Their support is good for our shared security, it's good for trans-Atlantic unity, and it's good for international peace and security. President Trump is grateful for all that you have done.

The United States is hopeful that we can put our relationship with Russia back on a better footing, but the onus is on Russia to change course from a pattern of destabilizing activity, not just on this issue but on many others as well. The United States stands ready to engage with Russia on arms control negotiations that advance U.S. and allied and partners' security, and are verifiable and enforceable. It must also include all the partners that must all responsibly comply with their obligations. As we remain hopeful of a fundamental shift in Russia's posture, the United States will continue to do what is best for our people and those of our allies.

I'm happy to take a couple of questions this morning.

MR PALLADINO: Reuters, Lesley Wroughton.

QUESTION: Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Hi, Lesley.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, one of the big things that everyone is worried about is that this could eventually spark an arms race. What are you doing to prevent that? How concerned are you that Russia will not engage in that six months and that it could see this posture as a threat and take it on?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, the very risk that you identified is the one that we are suffering from today. The Russians are in violation of the agreement. That is, their commitment  this agreement that's been in place for an awfully long time  the Russians have been violating. That is, they have begun to move towards what it is  that risk you actually have just identified. And you heard me this morning: We'll continue to have conversations with them. We hope they'll come back into compliance. We've had conversations at every level, at the senior levels, at technical levels, conversations about the nature of these systems. There's no mistaking that the Russians have chosen to not comply with this treaty and present the risk of continued arms growth in a way that they had committed to back when they signed this treaty that they would not do, and if you just have one party to a treaty complying, you're down the path that you describe.

We will continue to work with the Russians to achieve an outcome that gets us to a place. President Trump very much wants to have an agreement that is verifiable and enforceable on these systems and I hope we can convince the Russians it's in their best interest as well. We certainly think that it is.

MR PALLADINO: One more question. Michael Gordon, Wall Street Journal.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Sir.

QUESTION: Sir, the Trump administration has withdrawn from agreements it doesn't like, the JCPOA, and now you've indicated your intentions on INF because of the Russian alleged violation, but the question is whether  what new agreements can be worked out to take their place. The Russians have said they're prepared to discuss a New START extension. The treaty expires in two years, which is not a lot of time if the administration plans to take a new approach. When will the United States be prepared to discuss the future of strategic arms control, and what is your vision of how to go about eliminating or reducing the world's most dangerous arms?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, these are incredibly important questions. I would wager to say that President Trump has put this risk of proliferation as his highest American national security interest, and we're endeavoring to do everything we can to ensure that the risks of proliferation that increase in these massively destructive weapons systems is diminished. But, Michael, it does no good to sign an agreement if a party's not going to comply with it. The piece of paper, if it's not being complied with, is  doesn't reduce the risk, it doesn't take down that threat. To the people around the world, the INF document today is being violated by the Russians. That is, the very agreement that they signed up for. We didn't force them into the agreement; they decided this was in their best interest. They've now decided it's not in their best interest to comply with that agreement.

So we are prepared to enter into negotiations on these complex arms control issues all around the world, including conversations about the renewal of other arms control agreements as we move forward. But make no mistake about President Trump's mission set. President Trump's mission set is to make sure that any agreement that we entered into has America's best interest  that is, it protects the American people, protects our allies around the world as well, and has provisions that other countries are both capable and willing to comply with, and allow us to verify that they have complied with those agreements. Absent that, it's just sitting around a table talking. It is incredibly important that we make sure that the provisions of these agreements are enforceable and verifiable, and that's our aim. That's our aim in every set of important arms control discussions that this administration will engage in.

Thank you all. Have a great day.What You Need to Know About Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Sputnik News

17:41 01.02.2019(updated 18:18 01.02.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Last October, US President Donald Trump announced his country's intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) over alleged Russian violations of the agreement, and the start of the withdrawal process may begin on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on 1 February that the United States will suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty on 2 February and will begin a six-month withdrawal process unless Russia comes back into compliance with the bilateral agreement.

The Treaty Between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, commonly referred to as the INF, was signed on 8 December 1987, in Washington by then General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and then US President Ronald Reagan. The treaty entered into force on 1 June 1988.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and former Soviet republics of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have been carrying out the obligations under the treaty.

Under the treaty, the sides pledged not to manufacture, test or deploy medium-range (1,000-5,500 kilometres, or 620-3,420 miles) and short-range (500-1,000 kilometres) ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles. They also pledged to destroy all launchers and ground-based missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometres.

The Soviet Union pledged to destroy Pioneer-type, R-12 and R-14 (SS-20, SS-4 and SS-5) medium-range ballistic missiles, RK-55 (SSC-X-4 Slingshot) ground-launched cruise missiles, as well as the OTR-22 (SS-12M Scaleboard) and OTR-23 Oka (S-23 Spider) short-range ballistic missiles.

The United States pledged to destroy Pershing-2 medium-range ballistic missiles, BGM-109G ground-launched cruise missiles, as well as Pershing-1A short-range ballistic missiles.

The requirements of the treaty were fully carried out by May 1991. The USSR destroyed 1,846 missile systems, with the United States having eliminated 846.

Soviet missiles were eliminated by being blown up, while 72 Pioneer medium-range ballistic missiles were destroyed by launches from field positions. The United States eliminated Pershing missiles by burning through their bodies but preserving the guidance system compartments, which were later used to manufacture medium-range missile drones.

Missile manufacturing equipment, missile bases, and expert training centres were eliminated as well. The Soviet Union and the United States eliminated a total of 117 and 32 facilities, respectively.

Both sides conducted on-site inspections on compliance with the treaty until 30 May 2001, including permanent inspections at checkpoints of the Votkinsk Engineering Plant in Udmurtia, Russia, and the Hercules Inc. plant in Magna, Utah.

Members of the Special Verification Commission (SVC) reviewed the issues of the treaty's implementation and coordinating measures to make the treaty more viable and efficient. The commission members had held 29 sessions by October 2003. After that, no sessions took place for a long time since Russia and the United States had by then completed all the projects under the treaty.

On 12 October 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Russian and US defence and foreign ministers and suggested the introduction of universal INF Treaty obligations. The United States supported the proposal.

On 25 October 2007, a joint Russian-US statement on the INF Treaty was introduced at the 62nd UN General Assembly session. The document urged all the concerned countries to discuss the possibility of introducing universal INF Treaty obligations by renouncing the use of ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometres.

On 12 February 2008, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at a plenary session of the Disarmament Conference in Geneva and suggested to jointly search for optimal methods to advance the above-mentioned initiative. Lavrov also submitted a draft document on the main provisions of an agreement on the elimination of ground-based medium-range and short-range missiles in accordance with international law. Despite Russia's efforts, this initiative was never implemented.

Since 2013, the United States has been accusing Russia of violating the INF Treaty. Washington has accused Moscow of testing and deploying the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, claiming it has a range of over 500 kilometres, and thus violating the INF Treaty. Russia has denied these allegations. The US, for its part, has declined to specify the circumstances that formed the basis of their claims.

Russia has stated that the United States is the one that violated the INF Treaty by an unlawful unilateral withdrawal of armed drones (which meet the definition "ground-based cruise missile" in the treaty) at a range beyond the limit set by the INF Treaty; maintenance of a technological capability of medium- and short-range ground-based missiles by testing it on a wide range of target missiles during tests declared as anti-missile; ground deployment of the Aegis Ashore MK-41 missile launching systems, which can be used to launch Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and other attack missile systems, at European facilities of the US global missile defence system.

The concerns of the parties have been repeatedly discussed at various levels in a bilateral format. On 15-16 November 2016, both sides convened a session of the Special Verification Commission whose members had not met since 2003. Another session of the SVC took place on 12-14 December 2017. However, no progress has been achieved on any of the problematic issues.

Although the INF Treaty has an unlimited duration, each side has the right to exit it by providing convincing arguments for the need to withdraw from the treaty.

Members of the US Congress have repeatedly called for drafting a bill that would directly accuse Russia of violating the treaty and would pave the way for the US withdrawal from it along the same lines as from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty.

On 4 December 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave Russia two months to return to compliance with the INF Treaty or the United States would suspend its obligations under the treaty and leave the accord on 2 February. The Russian authorities, in turn, have many times stressed that their country is in strict compliance with the obligations outlined in the treaty.

US Under Secretary for Arms Control Andrea Thompson told reporters on 6 December that Russia must either end the development of its 9M729 missile system or modify the weapon so that it is in compliance with the treaty.

Reacting to that, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said that the test range of the 9M729 missile did not exceed 476 kilometres, which does not exceed the acceptable 500-kilometre treaty limit.

Consultations in Geneva

On 15 January 2019, Russia and the United States held consultations on the INF Treaty in Geneva. During the meeting, the United States demanded the destruction of the Russian 9M729 missile system.

Russia declared that it was ready to provide transparency on the 9M729 missile, but in response, Washington should take into account Moscow's concerns. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, these concerns involve the use of assault drones and the deployment of Mk 41 launching systems, which are capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles in Europe in violation of the INF Treaty.

 SputnikPompeo Announces U.S. Pulling Out Of Nuclear Arms-Control Treaty

By RFE/RL February 01, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced the United States will suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty as of February 2.

Speaking on February 1, Pompeo said Washington will formally notify Moscow that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty in six months.

"For years, Russia has violated terms of the INF Treaty without remorse," Pompeo said. "To this day, Russia remains in material breach of obligations."

"The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective February 2," Pompeo said. "We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty effective in six months, pursuant to Article 15 of the treaty."

Moscow denies it has violated the treaty and has called on Washington to offer proof of its allegations.

Shortly after Pompeo's announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a written statement saying: "we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other."

Trump added that Washington "will move forward with developing our own military response options and will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct."

Pompeo told reporters in Washington that the United States remained open to arms-control negotiations with Russia.

He said U.S. President Donald Trump wanted an agreement that is verifiable and enforceable.

Pompeo said the United States had gone to "tremendous lengths" over nearly six years to save the treaty and that the issue had been discussed, including "at the highest levels," more than 30 times.

Minutes after Pompeo's expected announcement, NATO allies issued a statement saying they "fully support" the U.S. decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urged Russia to "restore confidence" in the treaty, writing on Twitter "there will be less security without the treaty."

The U.S. action has been expected for months and was virtually assured after last-ditch talks in Beijing on January 31 between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State Andrea Thompson ended without agreement.

"Unfortunately, there is no progress," Russian news agencies quoted Ryabkov as saying after the talks with Thompson.

In an interview with Reuters, Thompson said, "The Russians still aren't in acknowledgment that they are in violation of the treaty."

The fate of the 1987 INF Treaty, widely seen as a cornerstone of arms-control stability in Europe and elsewhere, has been a source of tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Washington and NATO accuse Russia of breaching the treaty by developing the 9M729 cruise missile, also known as the SSC-8.

Moscow denies that the missile violates the INF Treaty and accuses the United States of seeking to abandon the pact so it can start a new arms race.

The Wall Street Journal on January 31 quoted Western officials as saying Russia had deployed four battalions of the 9M729 cruise missile, up from the three battalions Russia was said to have a few months ago.

The 1987 treaty prohibits the two countries from possessing, producing, or deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The agreement was the first of its kind to eliminate an entire class of missiles.

The United States first publicly accused Moscow of violating the INF Treaty in 2014. After several years of fruitless talks, Washington began stepping up its rhetoric in late 2017, publicly identifying the missile in question and asserting that Russia had moved beyond testing and had begun deploying the systems.

Late last year, Washington began providing NATO members and other allies with more detailed, classified satellite and telemetry data, as part of the effort to build support for its accusations.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and The Wall Street Journal

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-inf-treaty-pompeo -dispute-missile/29745166.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.US suspends obligations under INF treaty with Russia: Pompeo

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 04:32PM

The United States has officially announced the suspension of its participation in a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty with Russia over claims that Moscow has been violating the key pact and jeopardizing Washington's security interests.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement at a press briefing at the State Department on Friday, saying that the US "will suspend its obligations" under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia on February 2.

"For years, Russia has violated the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty without remorse. Russia has jeopardized the United States security interests and we can no longer be restricted by the Treaty, while Russia shamelessly violates it," Pompeo claimed.

"Russia's violations put millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk. It is our duty to respond appropriately," he added.

The top US diplomat also said that Washington had provided "ample time" to Russia to return to compliance with the 1987 agreement.

Pompeo said the US would fully withdraw from the INF treaty in 180 days if Russia did not end its alleged violation of the pact.

"If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the treaty within the six-month period by verifiably destroying its INF-violating missiles, their launchers and associated equipment, the treaty will terminate," he said.

US President Donald Trump and his senior officials had been signaling for months that they were ready to pull out of the INF treaty.

Russia says the US has for long been inventing a false pretext to exit the treaty so it can develop new missiles.

US pullout 'a serious blow' to arms pacts

Reacting to the US announcement, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Washington's withdrawal from the INF treaty posed a threat to the international security and the system of arms and nuclear arms control.

"This game is done, the Americans are sure to finally pull out of the (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) treaty, this will be a serious blow to the international arms control system and the system of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which exist for now," Ryabkov said.

"We think that the agreement is essential, it is within interests of our security and European security. And it would be irresponsible for one side to shatter it," he noted.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow was still ready to maintain dialogue on the INF treaty but reserved the right to respond to the US withdrawal from the pact.

The suspension announcement came a day after reports emerged that Washington and Moscow had made "no progress" in crunch talks on resolving their differences over the INF treaty.

Washington said in December it would withdraw from the INF within 60 days if Russia did not dismantle missiles that the US claims breach the deal. Russia rejects that allegation, and earlier offered US investigators access to examine the missiles for themselves.

INF requires the US and Russia to eliminate all their nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges of 1,0005,500 km (6203,420 mi). It also bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.

The accord was signed towards the end of Cold War in 1987 between former US President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Russia has denied violating the agreement and has accused the US instead of breaking the deal, adding that a withdrawal from the accord would trigger an arms race

NATO 'fully' supports US withdrawal from missile treaty

The NATO military alliance said Friday it fully supported the US decision to pull out from a Cold War-era missile treaty with Russia, claiming that Moscow was in breach of the agreement.

"The United States is taking this action in response to the significant risks to Euro-Atlantic security posed by Russia's covert testing, production, and fielding of 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems. Allies fully support this action," the transatlantic alliance said in a statement

The US-led military alliance, however, said Washington's treaty withdrawal would take six months to come into effect and that the period would give Russia an opportunity to return to compliance with the agreement.

"We continue to aspire to a constructive relationship with Russia, when Russia's actions make that possible," NATO said. "We urge Russia to use the remaining six months to return to full and verifiable compliance to preserve the INF Treaty."

Tensions have boiled over the fate of the INF, with Russian President Vladimir Putin threatening a new arms race if the agreement collapses.

In December last year, President Putin said his country could easily develop and deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles if the US carried out its threat to withdraw from the landmark treaty.

Putin said the US had decided long ago to abandon the treaty and is now looking for justifications by blaming Russia. He, however, said Russia is against scrapping the treaty.This will be the first time that Apple would drop support for a larger range of devices.

With iOS 13 already in the works, it seems that Apple may put the iPhone 6S and below out of service. While the new operating system (iOS13) for the Apple iPhones and iPads will bring with it a plethora of improvements and features, it will definitely spell badly for older hardware, especially in terms of hardware compatibility.

According to Israeli website The Verifier, Apples iOS 13 could drop support for a few too many iPhones and iPads this time. The report states that the iOS 13 will only cater to iPhones 7 and above, which leaves users with iPhone 6S/6S Plus (and below) stuck on iOS 12 for their lifetime. If the report is true, the iPhone SE will also be suffering the same fate. The report presently stands unconfirmed and should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, Apple is known to drop support for older hardware at every new iOS version release.

This will be the first time that Apple would drop support for a larger range of devices, if iOS 13 has hardware restrictions. Older devices will lose support because of its hardware compatibility. Newer apps and features require hardware that is compatible for its future use.

iOS 13 will be out in developer release at the WWDC 2019 that will be held in June this year, and will see a final public release in September 2018. Apple could force you to upgrade from your older iPhone to newer generation handsets by adopting this method. While it would be sad for those stuck on older devices, those on newer iPhones will definitely see improvements and the highest compatibility with future apps and features.

What iPhone are you using? Probably you should trade them in as soon as possible before the rates for the old iPhones will be as good as nothing. Presently, an iPhone 6S Plus (32GB) with all accessories, valid bill and box, in mint condition, could fetch you just Rs 20,000, while the iPhone 6 (16GB) will fetch you just Rs 10,000.May's Brexit deal stumbles as EU refuses to renegotiate

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 07:33, February 01, 2019

BRUSSELS/LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- British Members of Parliament (MPs) signaled their support for Prime Minister Theresa May's revised Brexit deal, but the European Union (EU) said it won't consider it.

The Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and Britain remains the best and only deal possible and will not be renegotiated, said Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, at the European Parliament's plenary session debate on Wednesday.

"The European Union said so in November. We said so in December. We said so after the first meaningful vote in the Commons in January," Juncker said, casting a cloud over Britain's latest move toward Brexit.

May was buoyed by a majority vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday night, backing her Brexit deal if the so-called Irish border stopgap measure is removed.

It puts her Brexit deal within grasp, if she can persuade EU leaders to agree to change their insistence on measures to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"MPs decided they want May and the EU to change the Irish Backstop," Alan Wager, fellow at the independent think-tank UK in a Changing Europe, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"They say that leaves Britain tied too ly to the EU, and also following its rule; they want to make the UK less bound to EU rules," Wager said.

The Withdrawal Agreement contains a Northern Ireland Backstop, which seeks to preserve the open border between the two nations.

"What May's MPs want is something that says the EU and Britain are not locked into this agreement on the Northern Irish border indefinitely," Wager said.

Both Juncker and the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, however, said that they would reject any British efforts to renegotiate the Irish border backstop.

"It looks like although May has now a majority in parliament, something she was lacking a couple of weeks ago, she now needs to go back to the EU and reopen those negotiations -- she will find it very difficult to get a compromise that will be supported by the EU and by her own MPs," Wager said.

London and Brussels have joined a game of chicken.

May plans a series of meetings starting Thursday with politicians from her Conservative Party to consolidate the support she received Tuesday night.

Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29.

May now has several weeks to persuade the EU to change its mind on the Irish backstop arrangement.Civilians Face Deplorable Conditions to Flee Fighting in Syria

By Lisa Schlein February 01, 2019

The U.N. refugee agency says thousands of civilians caught in fighting between Islamic State militants and U.S.-backed Syrian Defense Forces in northeastern Syria's Deir-el-Zour governorate are facing deplorable conditions.

More than 23,000 people have fled to al-Hol camp since fighting escalated in early December, with more than 10,000 entering the camp just this week, the UNHCR reports.

UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said people who survive the harrowing journey through harsh winter conditions are arriving at the camp with barely any belongings. They are cold and hungry, he added, and receive little or no aid along the way.

The UNHCR has asked the SDF, who are in control of the area, to designate a transit site on the route to al-Hol, where people can receive life-saving assistance. Mahecic told VOA that the group has not responded to the request.

"The humanitarian situation in this part of Syria is critical right now," he said. "That is why we are appealing for the safety of the civilians  their ability to move out of the conflict zone, to be aided, and to be  provided with basic shelter and life-saving assistance."

Mahecic says people arriving at al-Hol, the vast majority of whom are women and children, are malnourished and suffering from hypothermia. Since early December, he says at least 29 young children and newborns have died while on their journey or shortly after their arrival.

The UNHCR spokesman says his agency also is increasingly worried for the safety of civilians trapped in IS-held areas of Hajin enclave in Deir-el-Zour. He says people who have fled to the al-Hol camp say fighting in the governorate is fierce, with many civilian casualties. They say food and medicine is in short supply, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.Aid stepped up to Syria camp; new arrivals say terrorists blocked their escape

1 February 2019 - Harrowing details continue to emerge of thousands of families who have risked their lives fleeing fighting in Syria's last ISIL terrorist-held enclave, as UN humanitarians warned on Friday that children are still dying on their way to an overcrowded camp for the displaced, amid access problems and perishing cold.

In just the past week, more than 10,000 people have fled conflict in Hajin in eastern Deir-ez-Zor governorate, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told journalists in Geneva.

"Since fighting escalated in Hajin in early December, more than 23,000 people have fled to Al Hol (camp), effectively tripling its population," he said. "Many more are expected."

Those fleeing Hajin described fierce fighting and said they were blocked from leaving by ISIL, or Da'esh extremists, who used to control large swathes of northern Iraq and Syria.

"Families fleeing the Hajin enclave and surrounding areas have also told us of a harrowing journey to safety," Mr Mahecic explained. "They travel at night with barely any belongings, often having to wade through the minefields and open fighting."

On reaching positions controlled by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the "hungry and cold" civilians  mainly women and children, according to UNHCR - "describe being herded into open trucks" and transported northwards to Al Hol camp.

Little or no assistance is given to them, Mr Mahecic noted, adding that since early December, "we have recorded 29 deaths among children and newborns".

More than two weeks ago, humanitarians asked the SDF to designate a site en route for Al Hol, where emergency assistance can be provided. This has yet to happen, the agency confirmed.

"We have approached the authorities who are effectively in control of the area where we need to work", Mr Mahecic said. "We have also appealed to those fighting and those with influence over those involved in the fighting to do their utmost to grant safety for the civilians fleeing and to allow humanitarian access in the areas where we need."

Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) described the life-threatening delays imposed on vulnerable families: "Fleeing civilians are stopped at Al Omar oilfields for days for screening and we need access to this area to assist the people there," he said. "Many sleep in the open in freezing cold weather and walk or travel in open trucks from there."

Amid a surge in arrivals to Al Hol camp and overcrowding, UNHCR and its partners have set up 24-hour response teams to identify the most vulnerable arrivals and provide assistance, especially to unaccompanied or separated children.

A number of other emergency measures have been put in place, with additional large tents to provide immediate shelter for new arrivals. The camp already has more than 4,500 tents, with another 3,600 ready to be erected.

Child-friendly spaces are also open, along with schools and communal kitchens to shelter new arrivals temporarily, UNHCR said.

The majority of those fleeing the fighting are Syrian residents of villages in south Deir-ez-Zor province, who have been caught up in the fighting as ISIS retreated south. Mr. Mahecic noted that they are anxious about their confinement to Al Hol camp and the confiscation of their documents.

"Most hope to be allowed to join their relatives and friends in Deir-ez-Zor province and return to their homes as soon as the fighting is over," he said.

'Much more help is required' WHO

WHO, which is ramping up its response to Al Hol camp, has already delivered thousands of medical treatments to support two mobile clinics and four health teams there.

The UN health agency has also supported vaccination campaigns, set up disease surveillance and training for volunteers to provide "psychological first aid and basic counselling", WHO's regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean tweeted.

"A week ago, WHO airlifted more than 28 tonnes of medical supplies, equipment and vaccines to Al Hassakeh Governorate to respond to growing health needs in north-east Syria," WHO's Mr Lindmeier confirmed.

"This was the second shipment the organization has airlifted to Al Hassakeh this month," he added. "It's also worth mentioning that the first shipment this year was airlifted to the governorate on 8 January. It contained 20 tonnes of medical supplies sufficient to cover 110,000 medical treatments."

Despite the airlifts, much more help is required. "Access does remain the key issue, just to remind everyone, and we need guaranteed approvals to access the camp and the roads leading to it," Mr Lindmeier explained.Daesh Could Reclaim Syrian Areas Abandoned by US in a Year  Report

Sputnik News

16:08 01.02.2019

The US announced its withdrawal from Syria in 2018 with President Donald Trump suggesting that other states in the region will clear out the remains of the terrorist organisation.

Daesh* could reclaim some of its territories within 6 to 12 months after the US concludes its presence in Syria, NBC News reported, citing an obtained draft Pentagon paper. The paper, which is scheduled to be released next week, reportedly says that without the US military pressure on the terrorist organisation, it will soon start working to reinstating the caliphate in a "physical" form. The terror group is mainly resorting to guerrilla warfare tactics at present.

The Department of Defence and the National Security Council haven't commented on the NBC report.

The alleged report comes amid US attempts to ensure a best scenario for its pull-out from the Arab Republic, which, since its announcement, has spurred concerns. US allies, politicians, and experts fear that Daesh* may return to its former positions in Syria due to the power vacuum.

Another concern is a planned Turkish military operation that is scheduled to begin after the US withdrawal and occur in Manbij and east of the Euphrates. Turkey has stated that it will target terrorists in northern Syria, including Kurds linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organisation.

Trump threatened on Twitter to "devastate" the Turkish economy if Ankara attacks US-allied Kurdish forces in Syria. The Turkish president's spokesman said that it was a "fatal mistake" to equate all Syrian Kurds with the PKK and with the PYD [Kurdish Democratic Union Party]/YPG [Kurdish People's Protection Units], which Turkey believes to be affiliated with the PKK.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

 SputnikDozens of Daesh militants' family members leave last redoubt in eastern Syria

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 02:22PM

Members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have evacuated dozens of people from the last pocket of land held by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Syria, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

Militants from the Western-backed and predominantly Kurdish coalition have removed 150 people of Daesh families from their area over the past few hours, the so-called observatory said.

Most of the evacuees, it added, are Russian and Uzbek nationals, and the latest evacuation brings to around 34,500 the number of people and Daesh militants who have surrendered themselves to Kurdish forces since last December.

The development came as negotiations are underway between SDF forces and Daesh militants regarding the destiny of the top-brass commanders of the Takfiri terrorist group, who are besieged in an area of four square kilometers in the eastern Euphrates region.

Mazloum Kobani, an SDF commander in chief, told Agence France Presse in an interview on January 24 that military operations against Daesh in Syria are being wrapped up and the militants' last pockets will be flushed out within a month.

"The operation of our forces against Daesh in its last pocket has reached its end, and Daesh militants are now surrounded in one area," he said near the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah.

"We need a month to eliminate Daesh remnants still in the area. I believe that during the next month we will officially announce the end of the military presence on the ground of the so-called caliphate," Kobani said.

Iraq's Kurdish-language Rudaw television news network reported on January 23 that the SDF had captured the strategic town of Baghuz Fawqani in the Abu Kamal district of Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, effectively isolating the Syrian-Iraqi border from the extremists.UN Investigators Blame Saudi Prince for Khashoggi Murder - Erdogan's Adviser

Sputnik News

16:48 01.02.2019

ANKARA (Sputnik) - A UN investigative team comprised of experts and led by Agnes Callamard, rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, believes that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the main person responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Yasin Aktay, an adviser of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"The UN team considers the crown prince of Saudi Arabia the main person responsible for the killing of Khashoggi. The team held a number of meetings in Turkey, including with Khashoggi's fiance, and she [Callamard] also intends to listen to the audio recordings related to the crime," Aktay told the Turkish NTV broadcaster.

The team travelled to Turkey on Monday but has been barred by the Saudis from entering the site of the murder, the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, according to Turkey's ruling party spokesman Omer Celik, who slammed Riyadh's actions as "a scandal."

The journalist, who worked as a columnist for The Washington Post newspaper, went missing on October 2 after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts but later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed with a drug injection and his body had been dismembered and taken out of the consulate. Saudi authorities have since charged 11 people with Khashoggi's murder.

 SputnikMoscow: No Evidence of INF Violations as US Suspends Obligations Under Treaty

Sputnik News

16:39 01.02.2019(updated 22:04 01.02.2019)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia in December that it has two months to cease its alleged violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Moscow has denied all accusations and has made counterclaims regarding Washington's own adherence to the accord.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman slammed the US decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty and noted that Moscow now has the right for reciprocal actions. She added that Washington's move is part of a strategy to free the US of responsibility in various legal spheres.

The ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also stated that Moscow is surprised that the US still questions the transparency of Russia's actions under the INF Treaty, adding that Washington has failed to present any evidence proving alleged Russian violations of the accord, "apart from Tweets".

'Full NATO Support'  Trump

US President Donald Trump announced in a statement that upon withdrawing from the Treaty, the US will move on with the development of its own military response to the alleged Russian violations. He added that Washington's NATO allies "fully support" the US in its actions in regards to the INF withdrawal.

Trump also stated that Washington has "fully adhered" to the accord for over 30 years and said that the US can't be "the only country in the world unilaterally bound by" it. At the same time, he noted that the US is ready to engage with Russia on arms control negotiations that would lead to striking an agreement that is "verifiable and enforceable", and which provisions are fulfilled by all parties involved.

The US president went on to say that once such an agreement is reached, Moscow and Washington would be able to achieve "an outstanding relationship on economic, trade, political, and military levels".

A senior US administration official told Sputnik that despite the withdrawal, Trump is interested in improving relations with Russia. According to the source, the six-month period following the beginning of the US pull-out from the INF Treaty is Moscow's "final chance" to return to compliance with it.

"The ball is in Russia's court. If it is interested in a positive relationship with the West, it needs to stop some of the [] actions against the West", the official said.

The US official noted that currently, the White House is not considering deploying nuclear weapons in Europe following the withdrawal from the INF Treaty.

Withdrawal Announcement and Conditions

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US will be suspending its obligations under the provisions of the INF Treaty starting on 2 February. He further threatened that the accord would be entirely terminated if Russia doesn't fulfil the US' demands regarding the alleged treaty violations. Specifically, Washington wants Moscow to destroy all ground-based 9M729 missiles and their launchers, as well as other associated equipment that allegedly violates the INF Treaty.

"We provided Russia an ample window of time to mend its ways and for Russia to honor its commitment. Tomorrow that time runs out. Russia has refused to take any steps to return real and verifiable compliance over these 60 days", Pompeo said.

According to to the Secretary of State, Russia has six months to salvage the deal while the US goes through the process of withdrawing from it.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on his Twitter page that without the INF Treaty, the world will become less safe, adding that it doesn't need debates about a build-up of armaments, but arms control treaties.

US Claims of Alleged Russian INF Violations

The US claims that Russia is violating the accord by testing the 9M729 (NATO reporting name SSC-8) missiles at ranges banned by the agreement. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, arguing that the 9M729 missile range does not violate the INF Treaty. Moscow held a briefing to present the missile in question and clarify its characteristics.

During the briefing, the Russian Defence Ministry revealed that the 9M729 has a maximum range of 480km, meaning that it is in line with the INF Treaty requirements. However, representatives of the US, UK, France, Germany, the EU and NATO did not attend the ministry's briefing on the missile.

The INF Treaty was signed by the Soviet Union and the US in 1987, and provides for the elimination of all nuclear-armed ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, along with their launchers, that operate at ranges of between 500-1,000 kilometres (short-range) and 1,000-5,500 kilometres (intermediate-range).

 SputnikRussia Deploying Additional 9M729 Missiles as US About to Leave INF  Report

Sputnik News

17:32 01.02.2019(updated 17:58 01.02.2019)

Washington claims that Russia has tested the 9M729 missile at ranges that violate the conditions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, citing an intelligence report, but has failed to present evidence proving that this is the case. Russia denies the accusations and has its own questions regarding the US' adherence to the accord.

Russia has expanded the number of its 9M729 missile battalions from three to four in recent months, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an anonymous US official allegedly familiar with the intelligence documents. The alleged missile build-up is taking place as Washington raises questions about the 9M729, which, it claims, violates the INF Treaty. No US officials have commented on the report yet.

The report comes ahead of the announced American withdrawal from the missile accord that will take place on 2 February 2019. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave Russia six months to "return to compliance" with the treaty, before Washington completes the withdrawal process.

Washington claims that Moscow has violated the accord by developing the 9M729 (NATO reporting name SSC-8) missiles and testing them at ranges banned by the agreement. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, arguing that the 9M729 missile does not violate the accord. After being repeatedly accused of a "lack of transparency" in regards to the missile in question, Moscow held a briefing to present the missile and clarify its characteristics.

During the briefing, the Russian Defence Ministry revealed that the 9M729 has a maximum range of 480km, which is 10km shorter than its predecessor, meaning that it is in line with the INF Treaty. However, representatives of the US, UK, France, Germany, the EU and NATO did not attend the ministry's briefing on the missile.

The INF Treaty was signed by the Soviet Union and the US in 1987, and provides for the elimination of all nuclear-armed ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, along with their launchers, that operate at ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

 SputnikEurope 'at gunpoint' as US decides to quit missile treaty

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 11:19AM

Russia has regretted Washington's expected exit from a key arms control treaty, saying the decision to abandon the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) has been made a long time ago.

"We all regret that in the coming days this decision will most likely be implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "A decision to move to break the treaty was made in Washington a long time ago."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to make an announcement on the fate of the treaty at 1300 GMT Friday.

Peskov said Moscow expects to receive "some sort of notice" from Washington about its withdrawal.

President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will be forced to respond if the US withdraws from the treaty. He has said Russia will develop missiles currently banned under the agreement if Washington makes good on its threats.

Russian and US officials met to address the issue on the sidelines of a meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in Beijing on Thursday but made no progress.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said military commanders would begin preparing for "a world without an INF treaty" but insisted the alliance was still committed to arms reduction.

US President Donald Trump announced last year that Washington would withdraw from the treaty, which was signed toward the end of the Cold War in 1987 by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Trump has cited Russia's "violations" of the deal as the reason behind the plan to exit the INF.

Russia's top negotiator on the treaty, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, in an interview broadcast Friday insisted Moscow was in compliance.

"We believe that the treaty is needed. It serves the interests of our security and European security," Ryabkov said. "It would be extremely irresponsible to undermine it with unilateral steps."

The European Union has formerly called for the full implementation of the treaty, with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini pleading for the treaty to be saved.

She warned that Europe did not want to become a battlefield for global powers once again as it was during the Cold War.

Director of a Russian think tank Ivan Konovalov said Washington "uses [Russia] as a pretext to withdraw from the agreement and keep its face."

"The US does not want Russia and China to turn into the new centers of power as it threatens Washington's global hegemony, which is already crumbling," he said.

Konovalov also warned that if the US were to deploy nuclear-capable missiles to Europe after scrapping the treaty, it would literally put the host nations at a gunpoint.

Former deputy head of the Russian Air Force Aytech Bizhev also told the Russian English-language website RT that Washington "is simply putting Europe under fire."

Washington, he said, is unlikely to win anything from such a decision and that the military advantage of such a deployment would be dubious in modern times, because it would be difficult to use them for a decapitating preemptive strike.

Relations between the West and Russia remain tense over the Ukrainian crisis, the conflict in Syria, and the allegations of Russian interference in the US presidential poll in 2016.Libyan Army Repels Attack by Chad-Based Militants in Southern Region  Spokesman

Sputnik News

15:17 01.02.2019

BENGHAZI (Sputnik) - The Libyan army repulsed an attack by militants from Chad in Libya's southwest on Friday, a spokesman of the 73rd infantry brigade of the main command of the Libyan National Army, Gen. Mounzer Khartoush, told Sputnik.

"The forces of the Libyan National Army repelled an armed attack by the terrorist groups and Chadian militants in the Ghadwa area in the south of the country. The fighting started today at dawn, "the spokesman said.

The terrorists suffered huge losses in the clashes with the Libyan army, with the latter managing to regain control over the Ghadwa area, which is located 25 miles south from the city of Sabha, the spokesman noted.

The UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) signed an agreement with Chad, Niger and Sudan for the protection and monitoring of borders in June 2018.

However, the attacks by militants based in Libya's neighbours continue. Most recently, on December 27, seven people were killed and 43 others injured in an attack by Chadian militants on the headquarters of the 10th Brigade of the Libyan Armed Forces in the country's west, a military source told Sputnik.

 SputnikJudges challenged arguments made by both sides in the faceoff in an appeals court in Washington.

The net neutrality rules had banned cable, wireless and other broadband providers from blocking or slowing down websites and apps of their choosing, or charging Netflix and other video services extra to reach viewers faster.

Tech companies and nearly two dozen US states clashed with the government in federal court Friday over the repeal of net neutrality, a set of Obama-era rules aimed at preventing big internet providers from discriminating against certain technology and services.

Judges challenged arguments made by both sides in the faceoff in an appeals court in Washington.

Lawyers for the states and the companies tried to persuade the three-judge panel to restore the net neutrality regime, set in 2015 during the Obama administration and repealed in December 2017 at the direction of a regulator appointed by President Donald Trump. The companies challenging the FCC action include Mozilla, developer of the Firefox web browser, and Vimeo, a video-sharing site.

The net neutrality rules had banned cable, wireless and other broadband providers from blocking or slowing down websites and apps of their choosing, or charging Netflix and other video services extra to reach viewers faster.

The practice of slowing down transmission is known as "throttling."

The action by the Federal Communications Commission rolling back the neutrality rules "is a stab in the heart of the Communications Act," said attorney Pantelis Michalopoulos, referring to the Depression-era law that established the FCC.

The FCC wrongly classified the internet as an information service rather than a telecoms service, using that as a rationale for not cracking down on misconduct by big internet providers, Michalopoulos said, who represents Mozilla and the other companies in the case.

Government lawyers, as well as big internet providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, argued to keep net neutrality repealed.

Thomas Johnson, the FCC's general counsel, said the agency's "light-touch" regulatory scheme, requiring the internet providers to disclose their practices and operations, provides adequate safeguards. The internet - used more extensively to transmit information - is different both in nature and function from phone service, Johnson maintained. It therefore should be regulated as an information service and not subject to the utility-style oversight of phone companies, he said.

The politically charged issue has emerged from its origins as an engineering challenge to become an anti-monopoly rallying point and even a focus for "resistance" to the Trump administration.

Once Trump took office, net neutrality became one of his first targets as part of broader government deregulation. The FCC chairman he appointed, Ajit Pai, made rolling back net neutrality a top priority.

On the other side, support for net neutrality comes from many of the same people who also are critical of the data-vacuuming tech giants that benefit from it. Politicians have glommed on to the cause to appear consumer-friendly.

The Democratic takeover of the House in November's midterm elections could revive efforts to enshrine net neutrality in federal law, though Trump likely would veto any such attempts.

At the hearing in the US Appeals Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Stephen Williams questioned Michalopoulos's assertions on the FCC wrongly classifying the internet as an information service. Telephone services, too, offer an array of customer products, he said. On the question of broadband providers charging premiums for faster service, Williams said a large majority of consumers prefer cheaper, lower-speed options, citing polls.

The judges are weighing whether the FCC had the authority to nix the 2015 rules and get out of the business of enforcing net neutrality. It appeared that Williams was sympathetic to the FCC's arguments, while Judge Patricia Millett raised possible legal avenues for the companies and states suing the agency, and Judge Robert Wilkins was the swing vote, said Doug Brake, director of broadband and spectrum policy for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington think tank.

The judges could decide to can the repeal or send it back to the FCC for a redo if they have specific objections.

"Today we fought for an open and free internet that puts consumers first, Mozilla Chief Operating Officer Denelle Dixon said after the hearing. "We believe the FCC needs to follow the rules like everyone else."INSTEX shows EU's resolve to uphold Iran nuclear deal: China

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 03:12PM

China has praised the European Union's "determination" to keep a historic 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran alive by establishing a mechanism to facilitate trade with the country despite the "toughest ever" sanctions imposed by the United States against the Islamic Republic.

The European signatories to the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), issued a joint statement on Thursday, announcing the launch of a long-awaited direct non-dollar payment mechanism meant to safeguard their trade ties with Tehran in the face of the sanctions.

Following months-long preparations, foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain finally unveiled the mechanism, officially called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), after a summit in Bucharest, Romania.

On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang highly appreciated the efforts made by European countries to uphold the JCPOA after the US withdrawal from the agreement.

"It (INSTEX) fully demonstrated the EU's determination to uphold multilateralism. China firmly supports the continued cooperation between the EU and Iran to put the mechanism into operation as soon as possible and open it to third parties so as to promote normal economic and trade cooperation between the international community and Iran," he said.

The Chinese spokesperson also threw his country's weight behind the 28-member EU's "political and diplomatic efforts" to safeguard the Iran nuclear deal.

Geng said the JCPOA is an important outcome of multilateralism and an international agreement approved by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

He stressed the importance of "fully and effectively" implementing the JCPOA, which is conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East, the global nuclear non-proliferation, and is also in the common interests of the international community.

"We hope that relevant parties can proceed from the overall and long-term interests, stick to the direction of political and diplomatic settlement and jointly uphold this deal," Geng said.

President Donald Trump of the United States withdrew Washington in May from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement, reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015, and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Under the deal, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

Trump's administration announced re-imposition of the "toughest" sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off the country's oil sales and crucial exports.

Despite Washington's withdrawal, Iran has not left the deal yet, but stressed that the remaining signatories to the agreement have to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they want Tehran to remain in it.

Europe's new trade mechanism with Iran legitimate: Germany's BGA

Germany's BGA trade association also on Friday welcomed the new channel for non-dollar trade with Iran.

BGA President Holger Bingmann said the mechanism is legitimate and sends an important signal of Europe's reliability as a trade partner.

INSTEX, EU's first step in implementing commitments: Iran

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Thursday welcomed the establishment of INSTEX, saying it is the EU's first step in implementing its commitments vis-a-vis Iran.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran regards the recent measure by the European Union to announce a special financial mechanism (for trade) with Iran as Europe's first step in fulfilling its obligations to Iran as per a May 2018 statement by the foreign ministers of Iran and the three European countries," Qassemi said.

However, he added, Iran calls for the implementation of all commitments of the EU "in the shortest possible time."

The Iranian spokesperson said after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the EU has been pursuing a stance based on the necessity to maintain the deal and make it possible for Iran to reap its economic benefits, adding, "Unfortunately, we have not witnessed a tangible result and practical move in line with Iran's benefits."

Qassemi criticized the EU for taking the measure to establish the special financial mechanism "too late" and urged the three European signatories to the JCPOA to ensure that INSTEX would compensate for some part of the "illegal" US sanctions.

He once again expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to continue its constructive interaction with the EU based on mutual respect and common interests.

Following the three European countries' announcement of the new trade mechanism, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the move, saying Tehran's European partners in the deal finally took a "long overdue first step."Zarif says Trump's INF withdrawal proves any deal with US not worth the ink

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 05:23PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States' decision to suspend its compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia sends the message that any deal with the US government is not worth the ink, even treaties ratified by the Congress.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that Washington will suspend its obligations under the INF on Saturday and will withdraw from the landmark 1987 arms control accord in six months if Moscow does not end its alleged violation of the pact.

"For years, Russia has violated terms of the INF Treaty without remorse. We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty effective in six months, pursuant to Article 15 of the treaty," Pompeo said.

Russia denies violating the treaty, which bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.

In a post on his official Twitter account on Friday just a few hours after his American counterpart's announcement about the INF, Zarif said:

US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington in May from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Under the deal, reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany -- in 2015, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.Mogherini: EU continues to remain committed to JCPOA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Feb 1, IRNA -- EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini welcomed creation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) as channel for legitimate trade with Iran, describing it as a major step by the EU in line with adherence to Iran nuclear deal.

In a statement late on Thursday, she added that the instrument launched today will provide economic operators with the necessary framework to pursue legitimate trade with Iran, EU official website reported.

Full text of the statement reads as follows:

"I welcome today's registration of INSTEX SAS (Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges), a Special Purpose Vehicle with France, Germany and the United Kingdom as initial shareholders.

The lifting of sanctions is an essential dimension of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the Iran nuclear deal. The instrument launched today will provide economic operators with the necessary framework to pursue legitimate trade with Iran.

We will continue to accompany the work of the Member States involved to make this vehicle operational as soon as possible in close coordination with the Iranian counterparts. We support their commitment to further develop INSTEX with interested European countries and open it, at a later stage, to economic operators from third countries.

The European Union continues to be committed to the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA in all its aspects as long as Iran continues to implement in full all its nuclear commitments, as set out by the agreement. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed in thirteen consecutive reports that Iran is fully abiding by its commitments under the agreement.

Our joint work to preserve the JCPOA continues, including with the other JCPOA participants, and with international partners.

This is a matter of respecting international agreements and of advancing our shared regional and international security."

8072**2050Iran welcomes INSTEX as EU first step

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Feb 1, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi welcomed the EU's announcement of commissioning Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), saying that Iran considers the move as the EU's first step in line with fulfilling its commitments.

He further noted that Islamic Republic of Iran considers operationalization of the INSTEX as the first step by the EU to fulfill its commitments enshrined in the May 2018 statement of the three European and Iranian foreign ministers and urges the EU to enforce all its commitments in a short period of time.

"Following US exit from the JCPOA, we did not witness a practical step by the EU in the interest of Iran, despite its stances regarding safeguarding the JCPOA as well as limited measures such as updating Blocking Statute," he said.

EU move to operationalize INSTEX was too late and it is necessary for the three European states to ensure that the move will make up for part of the US sanctions, Qasemi said.

Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to continue constructive interaction with the EU and member states on the basis of mutual respect, he said, urging the EU to be quick to fulfill the remaining commitments.

Late on Thursday, German, British and French foreign ministers in a news meeting in Bucharest officially announced the commissioning of the European special financial mechanism known as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

8072**2050Russia welcomes setting up of INSTEX

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Feb 1, IRNA -- Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov welcomed establishment of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), hoping that the vehicle would be able to help maintain nuclear deal known as JCPOA.

He further noted that the function of the special instrument will be discussed during the upcoming meeting of the JCPOA Commission.

Russian envoy also hoped that despite the US exit from Iran nuclear deal, the special vehicle would be able to remove obstacles in the way of trade with Iran.

Following US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, EU took stance against the move by undertaking projects to help preserve the international pact.

By implementing the Blocking Statute, EU companies' compliance with US foreign sanctions was annulled.

Late on Thursday, German, British and French foreign ministers in a news meeting in Bucharest officially announced the commissioning of the European special financial mechanism known as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

8072**2050Beijing supports Iran-Europe INSTEX

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Beijing, Feb 1, IRNA -- China seriously supports the efforts made by European countries to set up the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) with Iran and preserving Iran nuclear deal, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Friday, Geng Shuang said launching INSTEX indicates EU determination to stand against unilateralism and to support multilateralism.

Referring to the fact that INSTEX promotes the economic cooperation between Iran and the international community, he said as the third party, China will boost this mechanism soon.

He went on to say that China also supports EU political and diplomatic efforts to preserve Iran deal also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

China believes that JCPOA is an important multilateral achievement and an international agreement which has been verified by the UNSC and should be implemented completely and effectively, Shuang noted.

Chinese spokesman reiterated that launching INSTEX will result in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East in line with international community's interests.

He also expressed hope for all parties to follow diplomacy and this agreement.

Following the US' withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, the EU took stance against the move by undertaking projects to help preserve the international pact.

By implementing the Blocking Statute, the EU companies' compliance with the US foreign sanctions was annulled.

In a news meeting in Bucharest late Thursday, German, British and French foreign ministers officially announced the commissioning of the European special financial mechanism, known as INSTEX.

9376**1420New mechanism to facilitate trade with Iran: joint statement

French, German and UK Foreign Ministers announce INSTEX, a new mechanism for facilitating legitimate trade with Iran to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.

31 January 2019

Joint statement by the E3 Foreign Ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian (France), Heiko Maas (Germany), Jeremy Hunt (United Kingdom):

"France, Germany and the United Kingdom, in accordance with their resolute commitment and continued efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) endorsed by United Nations Security Council resolution 2231, announce the creation of INSTEX SAS (Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges), a Special Purpose Vehicle aimed at facilitating legitimate trade between European economic operators and Iran."

"The E3 reaffirm that their efforts to preserve the economic provisions of the JCPOA are conditioned upon Iran's full implementation of its nuclear-related commitments, including full and timely co-operation with the IAEA."

"INSTEX will support legitimate European trade with Iran, focusing initially on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population  such as pharmaceutical, medical devices and agri-food goods. INSTEX aims in the long term to be open to economic operators from third countries who wish to trade with Iran and the E3 continue to explore how to achieve this objective."

"The creation of INSTEX is a major first step taken by E3 countries today. The operationalisation of INSTEX will follow a step-by-step approach: The E3 together with INSTEX will continue to work on concrete and operational details to define the way the company will operate; the E3 will also work with Iran to create an effective and transparent corresponding entity that is required to be able to operationalise INSTEX."

"INSTEX will function under the highest international standards with regards to anti-money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) and EU and UN sanctions compliance. In this respect, the E3 expect Iran to swiftly implement all elements of its FATF action plan."

"The E3 underline their commitment to pursue the further development of INSTEX with interested European countries to make this instrument in support of trade exchanges with Iran operational by following the steps set out above."

Speaking at the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bucharest, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

"Today we have taken a significant step forward in delivering our commitment under the Iran nuclear deal to preserve sanctions relief for the people of Iran. We  the E3  have registered a new Special Purpose Vehicle which, when operational, will allow legitimate trade between Europe and Iran."

"This is a clear, practical demonstration that we remain firmly committed to the historic 2015 nuclear deal struck with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, for as long as Iran keeps implementing it fully."

"The SPV will facilitate legitimate trade under European and international law. Its immediate focus will be on enabling trade in goods where the immediate need of the Iranian people is greatest, ie foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods."

"Registration is a big step, but there is still more work to be done. The E3 are working closely to address all the technical and legal aspects required to make this vehicle operational. That includes work with Iran to establish necessary counterpart structures."

"The Iran nuclear deal remains central to international efforts to halt nuclear proliferation and is crucial for the security of the region. But we are clear, this commitment does not in any way preclude us from addressing Iran's hostile and destabilising activities."As Elections Loom, India's Government Promises Income Support for Farmers

By Anjana Pasricha February 01, 2019

With an eye on wooing voters ahead of what is expected to be a tough national election, India's Hindu nationalist government announced cash handouts of billions of dollars for poor farmers.

In the annual budget presented in parliament Friday, interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said 120 million farmers with less than two hectares of land would get an income of $85 a year.

Goyal announced that the measure, which will cost about $10.5 billion, would be implemented with immediate effect. "This will pave the way for them to earn a respectable living," he said. "Such support will help them avoid indebtedness."

Farmers complain that a sharp decline in crop prices has hurt their incomes and driven millions into debt. Rural experts said they were not sure whether the measure will assuage disgruntled rural communities that have been demanding loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

The government also announced a pension scheme of about $40 a month for nearly 100 million poor workers in the country's vast unorganized sector and tax breaks for the middle classes.

The welfare measures come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party tries to address rising discontent in the country  there is growing anger in rural areas over falling crop prices and widespread worries that his government has failed to create jobs to meet the needs of the country's huge young population.

The Bharatiya Janata Party recently lost elections in three heartland states, raising concerns it could struggle to win a majority in the upcoming elections. Modi had sailed to power in 2014 on the promise of creating millions of jobs.

Although economic growth numbers have been good, lack of jobs has emerged as the biggest challenge for Modi. A report in the Business Standard newspaper says a government survey that has not been released pegs the unemployment rate at a 45-year high of 6.1 percent.

Expressing optimism that "India is solidly back on track and marching towards growth and prosperity," Goyal said that infrastructure projects such as building roads in rural areas will boost employment.

The opposition Congress Party slammed the income support of $85 a year announced for farmers as inadequate. Saying that it is not going to be transformational, senior party leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "6000 [6,000 rupees, or $84] in income support for farmers boils down to 500 [500 rupees, or $7] per month. Is that supposed to enable them to live with the honor and dignity?"

The Congress Party is also trying to woo voters with the promise of a minimum income for the poor if it wins the upcoming general election. The BJP has dismissed the pledge as unaffordable, while economists have expressed concern that the "competitive populism" by India's two main parties ahead of general elections could strain the country's finances.

The government said the fiscal deficit this year will rise from 3.3 percent to 3.4 percent due to the outlay for the income scheme for farmers.French-Made Fighter Jet of Indian Air Force Crashes in Bengaluru: 1 Pilot Killed

Sputnik News

09:19 01.02.2019(updated 10:00 01.02.2019)

The cause of the crash remains to be announced by authorities. At least one pilot has been killed as a result of the crash.

New Delhi (Sputnik): India's French-made Mirage supersonic aircraft crashed at an airport belonging to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited located in Yamlur, Karnataka. As a result of the crash, one pilot died, with news ageny ANI reporting that another pilot survived.

The reason for the crash hasn't yet been announced by authorities, with media reports suggesting that it could either be pilot error or a technical glitch.

Yamlur, which is located in the city of Bengaluru, will host the 12th edition of the Aero India from 20 February until 24 February. Some 365 companies will be participating in this air show.



 SputnikGermany Says Nein to US F-35 Jets, to Choose Between Boeing and Airbus  Report

Sputnik News

12:37 01.02.2019

Pressed with billions in maintenance costs, the necessity of fulfilling its NATO obligations and carrying US nuclear bombs, Berlin is seeking the most optimal replacement for their Tornado and old Eurofighter jet fleet. In spite of earlier plans, the $3.4 billion in orders will fly by US-based Martin Lockheed, recent reports suggest.

The German Armed Forces, Bundeswehr, have decided against buying Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth combat aircraft, capable of performing both ground-attacks and air missions, Reuters reports, citing officials from the country's Defence Ministry. According to recent reports, it will now choose between US-based Boeing's F/A-18 jets or Eurofighters, produced by French giant Airbus.

It has also been announced that, apart from Tornados, which entered service in the German Air Force in 1983, its 33 oldest Eurofighters are to be replaced by modern jets. This could give Airbus orders worth as much as $3.4 billion, Reuters' sources say.

According to the German business daily Handelsblatt, the country's government wants to stick to NATO's nuclear weapon obligations despite plans to replace the Tornado jets that now fulfill these functions. The air force has stationed about 45 Tornado planes, designed to carry American nuclear bombs in the event of a crisis, at a key air base in Buchel, while the country's other aircraft are incapable of fulfilling such tasks.

The US-made F-18 has already been certified for these missions. Besides this, they have the other characteristics, NATO outlines for its member states' air forces, namely the ability to locate and combat an enemy's anti-aircraft radars, which is yet to be developed in the Eurofighter jets.

Handelsblatt also points out that the question remains if the US would actually certify a European aircraft such as the Eurofighter to carry their nuclear bombs taking into account the current political climate. However, an Airbus spokesman has stated that the Eurofighter, like the one used in the UK army, can take over all the tasks now fulfilled by the Tornado jets.

The German Defence Ministry is now evaluating the offers from Boeing and Airbus, taking their jets' operational abilities as well as economy and timeline terms into account, according to Reuters.

While Airbus has welcomed the reports, Lockheed Martin stated that it has not received any notifications from the country's authorities, however pointing to the F-35's capabilities, which exceed other competitors. Both Boeing and the US mission in Germany have declined to comment.

35 Years in Service, Extra Billions in Maintenance

The Bundeswehr, which now has 85 Tornado jets, has operated them for 35 years. Additionally, the Luftwaffe has 143 Eurofighters, including 33 jets from the first delivery. Although military officials have insisted on their urgent replacement as Germany could have to spend 8 billion euros to keep them in the air past 2030, the decision about the purchase has not been made public yet. Both Angela Merkel's junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, and Germany's key European ally France have warned against purchasing the US jets. The latter insisted that it would affect the development of a next generation fighter jet, Germany and France are working on. It is expected to enter into service by 2040.

Defeat in Germany, 2 Wins in Benelux

Both US President Donald Trump and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg have called on allies in the bloc to raise their defence spending, following an agreement between member states in 2014 to spend two percent of GDP on their militaries. Although Germany is raising their military expenditures, it still does not meet NATO's target, prompting repeated criticism from Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, other countries have answered the call. The Netherlands announced on December it will increase its defence spending in the coming year to purchase of 15 more advanced fighter jets as well as to boost its Special Forces and cyber capabilities. In contrast to Germany, they opted for F-35A fighters that cost $89.2 million each, made by Lockheed Martin.

In October 2018, Belgium announced plans to purchase Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jets to replace its fleet of F-16s in a 4 billion euro ($4.55 billion) deal, which was criticised by European aerospace manufacturers Airbus and Dassault Aviation.

 SputnikThe Modi governments scheme is for farmers who have less than 2 hectares (meaning about 5 acres)

The governments announcement of a scheme to give small farmers Rs 6,000 cash per year is seen as a brilliant move that will reap political benefit in May. The scheme, announced in the budget, comes after two other developments. First, a report that the government has suppressed which says that unemployment is at its highest in more than 45 years. Second, that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi is talking of a minimum income guarantee.

The scheme for farmers already has precedent in India. In Telangana, farmers are given Rs 8,000 per acre a year. The Modi governments scheme is for farmers who have less than 2 hectares (meaning about 5 acres). Such a farmer would already be getting Rs 40,000 if he were in Telangana.

In Odisha, all farmers get Rs 5,000 in cash. In addition, small farmers get Rs 25,000 as assistance for five seasons of sowing and each landless family gets Rs 12,500 in three phases. There are critics of both schemes, who say that they will be difficult to implement because of difficulty in targeting (how does one determine who is landless and who is a small farmer?) and obviously the lack of resources. However it seems likely that this is something that every state government is going to emulate, particularly now that the Centre is also doing it and it is seen as politically very beneficial.

The idea that individuals cannot survive without direct cash transfers from the state is not limited to India and in fact the origins of the idea are abroad. In the United Kingdom, unemployed couples get 114 per week (Rs 42,000 per month) from the government. Families that dont have a house or are living in cramped conditions are given government housing in highly subsidised council homes. Unemployment benefits and food stamps are offered in the United States also.

In June 2016, voters in Switzerland rejected a proposal to introduce a guaranteed basic income for all, just as Rahul Gandhi is proposing. In a referendum, 77 per cent of the Swiss voted against a scheme that would give each of them an unconditional monthly income, whether or not they had a job or any other income.

Supporters of the proposal had called for each adult to be given 2,500 Swiss francs per month (Rs 1.8 lakh per month) and 625 Swiss francs (Rs 45,000 per month) for each child. The logic of the supporters of this plan was that increased automation would soon mean that there would not be many jobs available for humans in the Western world. The logic of the opponents was that such a scheme would attract millions of immigrants into Switzerland.

It will interest readers to know that there was little support among Swiss politicians for the idea and not a single parliamentary party came out in favour. This is quite different from India where, even though we do not have as much money as the Swiss, all the parties want to give out money in cash.

A few days ago Finland ended a two year experiment in which 2,000 unemployed individuals between the ages of 28 and 58 were paid a monthly sum of 560 Euros (Rs 45,000 per month). These individuals would continue to get the money even if they got a job to see what effect the guaranteed income would make. The cities of Barcelona in Spain (which has very high unemployment) and Utrecht in the Netherlands are also doing similar experiments.

Across the world, from India to Europe, the idea of a universal basic income is finding appeal. The left and liberals believe it can reduce poverty and inequality. The right wing sees it as a more efficient and less bureaucratic way of distributing welfare.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power with the promise that he would bury schemes like the MNREGA, which he called a living monument of Manmohan Singhs failure. But in this budget, Mr Modi increased the allocation to MNREGA by almost 10 per cent, showing that his views on this have changed.

The reality is that jobs around the world are shrinking and will continue to shrink, particularly the sort of jobs that people want. Many experts are predicting mass unemployment in most advanced economies within the next decade and a half. This means more and more emphasis on universal basic income. In India, we have a more pronounced problem than the West. We are very far away from the per capita incomes of the West (the average Swiss earns 30 times more than the average Indian). And so the need to support many more people with much more money will come sooner in India than in other nations.

It does matter whether we have a genius Prime Minister (like the present one) or a highly trained economist respected globally (like the previous one). This is a structural problem we cannot escape and more parties will be talking about this in our upcoming elections.US seeks full list of North Korean weapons programs

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 08:40AM

A top US diplomat has called on North Korea to fully disclose its weapons program amid lack of progress over denuclearization talks.

"Before the process of denuclearization can be final, we must have a complete understanding of the full extent of the North Korean WMD and missile programs through a comprehensive declaration," US special representative on North Korea Stephen Biegun said.

"We must reach agreement on expert access and monitoring mechanisms of key sites to international standards, and ultimately ensure the removal or destruction of stockpiles of fissile material, weapons, missiles, launchers and other weapons of mass destruction," added Biegun.

"We say we will not lift sanctions until denuclearization is complete. That is correct. We didn't say we won't do anything until you do everything," he said.

The US negotiator also said on Thursday that Trump was willing to offer diplomatic relations and financial aid to the country.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and the US President Donald Trump met in Singapore in June, reaching a vague denuclearization agreement. The ensuing talks between the two sides have had little progress since then.

Trump hailed "tremendous progress" in his dealings with the North Korea and said on Thursday that the date and location of a second summit with Kim would be announced.

North Korea has complained that the US has done little to reciprocate for its actions so far to dismantle some weapons facilities and freeze its weapons testing.

Pyongyang has denounced what it called US "gangster-like behavior", saying Washington has betrayed the spirit of the June summit by making unilateral demands on the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, while keeping the sanctions in place.

Many analysts cast a shadow of doubt on the functionality of the Singapore meeting, arguing that Trump was merely after a legacy of his own by sharing the stage with the leader of the isolated country to reach a deal.

Rejecting criticism that the Singapore declaration was dysfunctional, Biegun claimed that Kim had committed to "the dismantlement and destruction" of all plutonium and uranium sites, not only its signature Yongbyon facility.

Trump said earlier that there was "a decent chance" of North Korea quitting its nuclear weapons program.

Director of US National Intelligence Dan Coats, however, maintained a different tone. "North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its nuclear weapons and production capabilities," said Dan Coats to the Senate intelligence committee on Thursday.

Biegun also claimed that Trump wished to de-escalate the state of war after the US leader threatened to "totally destroy" the country in the United Nations Assembly in 2017.

"We are not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the regime," Biegun said.

The official, however, said the US did not intend to withdraw its 28,500 troops from South Korea. The US military presence in the South and the joint war-games with Seoul has long been a stumbling block to peace on the Korean peninsula.

"We are not involved in any diplomatic discussion -- full stop -- that would suggest this trade-off. It has never been discussed," Biegun said.

The State Department announced Biegun would fly to South Korea on Sunday to meet his North Korean counterpart.Trump Mulls Emergency Declaration to Build Border Wall

By VOA News February 01, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he would consider declaration of a national emergency as the path forward to building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border because he didn't think lawmakers' negotiations would produce the necessary funds.

"We will be looking at a national emergency because I don't think anything is going to happen. I think Democrats don't want border security. And when I hear them talking about the fact that walls are immoral, walls don't work  they know they work," Trump said.

On Thursday, the president called bipartisan congressional talks over border wall funding a "waste of time."

'I've set the table'

In a White House interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Trump again hinted he might declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress and build the wall without its approval.

"I'll continue to build the wall and we'll get the wall finished. Now, whether or not I declare a national emergency, that you'll see ... I've set the table, I've set the stage for doing what I'm going to do."

If within two weeks lawmakers can't reach a deal on border security that Trump would sign, there could be another government shutdown.

If Trump does declare a national emergency, Democrats who don't want any money for a border wall will probably immediately challenge Trump in court.

The president had strong words for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has repeatedly said she will not agree to give Trump the $5.7 billion he wants for a wall.

"I think Nancy Pelosi is hurting our country very badly by doing what she's doing," Trump said, adding that while he has always gotten along with her, "I don't think I will anymore."

Pelosi has said she is open to other kinds of barriers along the border, but Trump said alternatives were unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said it was sending an additional 3,500 troops to the U.S. southern border with Mexico to assist with security measures.

Rep. Adam Smith, the Washington state Democrat who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the latest troop numbers after slamming the Pentagon's lack of transparency in a letter to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

A defense official confirmed that the Pentagon was sending 3,500 additional active-duty troops to the border, for a total of 5,800 active-duty troops and 2,300 National Guard troops supporting the Department of Homeland Security's request for additional border security.

The official, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity, added that this "initial pop" in the number of troops would not be sustained through September.

How they'll be used

Some of these 3,500 will be replacing troops who will be leaving soon, while others are being assigned to the border for only 30 or 60 days in order to set up large coils of barbed wire in specific areas, according to the official.

Without giving details, Trump tweeted Thursday: "More troops being sent to the Southern Border to stop the attempted Invasion of Illegals, through large caravans, into our Country. We have stopped the previous Caravans, and we will stop these also. With a Wall it would be soooo much easier and less expensive."

Trump, as he often has, claimed erroneously that "Large sections of WALL have already been built with much more either under construction or ready to go." The U.S. has been repairing existing barriers, which Trump called "a very big part of the plan to finally, after many decades, properly Secure Our Border. The Wall is getting done one way or the other!"

At various times, Trump has called the barriers at the border an impenetrable concrete wall, and other times "steel slats," or a see-through barrier.

On Thursday, though, Trump said, "Let's just call them WALLS from now on and stop playing political games! A WALL is a WALL!"Six months into DR Congo's deadliest Ebola outbreak, top UN official praises 'brave' response effort

1 February 2019 - "Brave" UN teams and partners leading the fight against deadly Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) along with Government authorities and peacekeepers there, have been key in helping protect communities, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Friday, six months after the latest outbreak began.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, was speaking to journalists in Geneva, where she said that challenges persist in overcoming virus hotspots in the north-east of the country.

"We have some 500 staff on the ground at the moment, the great majority from the DRC, and also from WHO offices across the African region. Some of these people have been fighting Ebola since the first 2018 outbreak began in the west of the DRC in May. These brave people and colleagues really do make us all proud."

To date, Ebola has claimed 461 lives in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, and 258 people have recovered from the illness, which attacks the immune system, causing internal-bleeding and major organ damage, if unchecked.

Dr. Moeti said that although there have been successes in bringing the disease under control in Beni and Mangina, the outbreak continues to affect a wide geographical area. There has also been a rise in the number of reported cases, including in Katwa health zone.

In addition to nine treatment centres, WHO has traced more than 45,000 people who have come into contact with suspected Ebola sufferers.

More than 69,000 people have been vaccinated in DRC to date, including 21,000 health-workers and 16,000 children.

More than 30 million people have been screened at the country's borders and vaccinations have also begun in neighbouring South Sudan and Uganda.

Insecurity remains one of the biggest obstacles stopping health-workers from reaching those at risk in the vast country, in an area where more than 100 armed groups operate.

"The situation in North Kivu is actually relatively calm compared to the pre-election period, and obviously calm is a relative term in North Kivu and Ituri, there's a constant threat of violence and attack from non-government forces," said Dr. Mike Ryan, Assistant Director-General for Emergencies at WHO.

"But I would echo Dr. Moeti's thanks to our colleagues in MONUSCO (the UN's stabilization mission in DRC) and the Force Intervention Brigade who continue to provide active defence for Beni, Butembo and surrounding areas."

An additional obstacle to healthworkers is suspicion among communities. Despite the challenges, major advances are being made in tackling DRC's worst Ebola outbreak, helped by a new therapy now being tested on patients with their consent.

"This is the first time we've managed to deliver so many therapeutics with the higher standard of care into an integrated system for managing patients in a safe and dignified way," he said.

"The results are encouraging in the sense anecdotally when you look at those results you are seeing on the face of it higher levels of survival", he said, adding that "we have to be extremely careful, there are lots of biases there regarding the condition of the patient when they arrivebut we are certainly encouraged by the data we're seeing."Mexico, Uruguay Should Avoid Neutral Stance on Venezuela Crisis - Guaido

Sputnik News

00:50 02.02.2019(updated 01:09 02.02.2019)

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik)  Mexico and Uruguay should take the "right side" in the conflict between the Venezuelan authorities and the opposition, and not neutral positions, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido said Friday.

"At this historic moment for our country, being neutral means being on the side of a regime that has condemned hundreds of thousands of lives to poverty, hunger, exile and even death. Therefore, we appeal to your conscience and democratic and human values, so that you all weighed and stood on the right side in history", Guaido said in his letter to presidents of Mexico and Uruguay, posted on Twitter.

Mexico and Uruguay are planning to convene a conference on Venezuela on 7 February in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo to lay the foundation for the creation of a new dialogue mechanism that would contribute to the return of stability and peace in the country. Representatives from over 10 countries are expected to take part in the meeting.

Russia's Ambassador to Uruguay Nikolai Sofinsky told Sputnik Thursday that Russia, just as the United States is unlikely to be invited to the upcoming conference, saying that the event was designed to be a regional one.

A senior US official said Thursday, citied by Reuters, that the US government rejects recent suggestions that Uruguay and Mexico should play a mediating role in Venezuelan crisis.

"We explicitly reject any talk about any type of effort that would allow Nicolas Maduro to usurp or, maintain himself in power, or be a political player in that regard", a senior US official said Thursday as quoted by Reuters.

Venezuela is currently going through a political crisis, with Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly, having proclaimed himself the country's interim president on 23 January. Russia, Mexico and Uruguay were among the states that voiced their support for incumbent President Nicolas Maduro as the only legitimate leader.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump hinted Friday at the US military action to solve the Venezuelan crisis. "I don't want to say that, but it's always an option", Trump told reporters at the White House. "Everything's an option, I take no options off the table".

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a radio interview earlier on Friday the United States had no plans for an imminent military intervention in Venezuela, however, all options remain on the table. Bolton added that the Trump administration has a range of economic and political measures for Venezuela.

On Monday, the United States blocked all of PDVSA's assets in its jurisdiction and imposed a ban on making deals with the company. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that by blocking PDVSA's assets, the United States was taking care of this company "in the interests of the people of Venezuela" and also protecting its own market.

Constitutionally elected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in an interview to Sputnik this week that the United States had thrown its weight behind opposition leader Juan Guaido in the hope of getting its hands on Venezuelan oil reserves, adding that Washington was plotting a coup in the Latin American country.

 SputnikCentral Africa Peace Talks in Khartoum to Conclude Saturday - Commissioner

Sputnik News

01:07 02.02.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The peace talks between the Central African Republic (CAR) government and a number of opposition groups in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, are set to conclude on Saturday, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui told Sputnik on Friday.

"I am positive and optimistic about finalizing the agreement very soon. We will conclude the talks tomorrow [] All the issues have been well addressed. The spirit was good. It is the first time that the government was meeting with these 14 armed groups. The atmosphere was conducive", Chergui, who was overseeing the talks, said.

Earlier on Friday, AFP reported, citing an unnamed governmental source, that the latest round of CAR peace talks under the aegis of the African Union had been suspended due to parties wishing to consult among themselves, outside of the framework of the current talks, on issues related to amnesty.

However, Smail Chergui has refuted the media reports alleging peace talks suspension.

Peace talks in Khartoum have been ongoing since 24 January, with parties moving on to a discussion of their commitments from Wednesday.

CAR has been engulfed in the internal conflict involving the mainly Muslim armed group Seleka, the Christian Anti-balaka militia, and government forces since 2012. According to the UN data, up to 6,000 people have been killed.

In late August last year, Seleka group and Anti-balaka militia signed a declaration of understanding after a Russia-brokered peace meeting in Khartoum. The Russia-mediated talks in Khartoum complemented those in the CAR town of Bouar, held under the aegis of the African Union.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in late October it intended to keep helping the CAR in rebuilding its national armed forces. The ministry said that, in early 2018, Moscow supplied the CAR army with a batch of small arms and ammunition while sending 175 military advisers to train CAR servicemen.

The ministry added that Moscow would send 60 more military advisers and a second batch of military supplies to the African country, and stressed that all such assistance programs were being carried out in compliance with the UNSC sanctions regime.

 SputnikTrump to Call for Ending US Foreign Wars During SOTU Address - Sr. WH Official

Sputnik News

02:17 02.02.2019

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Donald Trump will reaffirm his intention to end US involvement in foreign military conflicts when he delivers his State of the Union (SOTU) address next week, a senior administration told reporters.

"In terms of protecting America's national security, the president will update Congress on his diplomatic and military efforts around the world and reaffirm his determination to protect American interest and bring to an end our endless foreign wars," the official said on Friday.

Trump in a statement earlier in the day said the United States will soon have destroyed "100 percent" of the Islamic State terrorist group's (IS, banned in Russia) so-called caliphate and it was time to start bringing US troops home from Syria. Meanwhile, a State Department envoy has been engaged in talks with the Taliban over the possibility of a US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.

The administration official also told reporters Trump's speech will focus on a way forward to resolve the impasse over a proposed wall on the US-Mexico border.

Congress' refusal to fund a border wall resulted in a partial government shutdown that delayed the annual State of the Union address, originally scheduled for January 29, until February 5.

According to the official, Trump will also call on Congress to approve the recently negotiated US Mexico Canada Agreement to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In addition, Trump will review the US trading relationship with China and ongoing negotiations with Beijing to re-balance commerce between the two superpowers, the official said.

Other themes will include a request that Congress fund a bipartisan package to fix the nation's aging infrastructure and efforts to lower costs of health care and drugs. The official described the current draft of the speech as upbeat in tone and an appeal to Congress for cooperation and compromise, the official said.

 SputnikMystery Deepens Over Venezuela's Gold

By Jamie Dettmer February 01, 2019

The Kremlin may have helped Venezuela's embattled socialist leader Nicolas Maduro swap gold for cash, transporting Venezuelan bullion deposited in Moscow to the United Arab Emirates and then flying U.S. currency into the Venezuelan capital, an investigative newspaper has claimed.

The report in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta is adding to the fears of pro-democracy activists in Venezuela that the Kremlin will try to make good on its pledge to stand by Maduro to help him survive a popular uprising against him.

Russian officials have condemned U.S. sanctions imposed last month against Venezuela's vital oil sector, a move aimed at depriving Maduro of the funds he needs to pay his army, which has so far remained loyal to him. The Kremlin says the sanctions are illegal meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs. And it rejects, too, the widespread Latin American and European endorsement of the popular protests against Maduro.

Gold swapped for dollars?

Citing unnamed sources in the United Arab Emirates, the newspaper alleged that on Jan. 29, a Russian-operated Boeing 757 cargo plane took Venezuelan gold stored in Russia's central bank to Dubai. The bullion was replaced with containers full of U.S. dollars and the aircraft, which is owned by the Russian company Yerofei, took off again and flew via Morocco to Venezuela, the paper said.

The director of Russia's central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, denied the allegation, saying the bank was holding no Venezuelan bullion.

On Friday, a senior Venezuelan official told the Reuters news agency that Caracas plans to sell 29 tons of gold to the UAE in return for euros and said the sale of the nation's gold began with a shipment of three tons on Jan. 26, following the export last year of $900 million in unrefined gold to Turkey. But the official said Moscow was not involved in the gold-for-cash operation.

Social media theories

Turkey has been refining and certifying Venezuelan gold since last year after Maduro switched operations from Switzerland, fearing Venezuelan bullion could end up being impounded.

The Jan. 29 flight, though, is the second unexplained Russian plane to have landed in Caracas since the high-stakes standoff began between opposition leader Juan Guaido and Maduro. A Boeing 777 belonging to a Russian charter company called Nordwind flew from Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Monday to the Venezuelan capital, according to flight tracking data. Nordwind normally only flies Russian tourists to vacation destinations in the Mediterranean and southeast Asia.

The arrival of the Nordwind jet in Caracas triggered an avalanche of social media theories about what it was doing in the Venezuelan capital. Some anti-Maduro lawmakers claimed that it brought Russian mercenaries to help guard the socialist leader. One theory that prompted jubilation among street protesters was that it was there to spirit Maduro into exile.

The flight also prompted Venezuelan lawmaker Jose Guerra, who previously worked as an economist in Venezuela's central bank, to warn in a tweet: "We have received information from officials at the Central Bank of Venezuela: A plane arrived from Moscow, with the intention of taking away at least 20 tons of gold. We demand that the Central Bank of Venezuela provide details about what is happening."

'Fake news'

Dmitry Peskov, press spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters midweek the reports about Venezuelan gold and the Kremlin were inaccurate and urged journalists to "deal carefully with fake news' of various kinds."

He dismissed Guerra's claims, saying, according to TASS, "Russia is prepared to promote a settlement to the political situation in Venezuela without meddling in that country's internal affairs. Russia is categorically against any meddling by third countries in Venezuela's internal affairs."

For Moscow and Beijing, the high-stakes standoff between Guaido, who declared himself interim president in late January, and Maduro represents a geopolitical headache. Both Russia and China have lent billions of dollars to Maduro. Russia's oil-giant Rosneft has stakes in five onshore oil projects, according to Bloomberg News, and has loaned the Maduro government more than $7 billion, which is meant to be repaid in oil deliveries.

The Bank of England this week refused a Venezuelan request for the return of more than one billion dollars' worth of gold it has on deposit. The refusal came after the United States urged Western countries to block the Maduro government from accessing any assets outside Venezuela's borders.Pence Urges Support for 'Side of Freedom' in Venezuela

By Marissa Melton February 01, 2019

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that the United States "calls on every nation to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela's president and take the side of freedom."

Pence said the United States stood with Venezuela amid a power struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Guaido.

He warned, "Nicolas Maduro would do well not to test the resolve of the United States."

Pence was speaking at a meeting with Venezuelan exiles and community leaders in Miami, participating in a round-table discussion at a Spanish-speaking worship center. He said, "These leaders gathered here and this president in our administration are going to continue to stand with you until the suffering is over and freedom is restored."

Guaido, president of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president last week after the assembly declared Maduro's re-election last May illegitimate, as most opposition candidates either boycotted the race or were barred from running. The United States has recognized Guaido as interim president.

"Let me make it clear to leaders around the world ... there can be no bystanders in the struggle for Venezuela's freedom," the U.S. vice president said during a solidarity rally later in the day.

White House national security adviser John Bolton said in a radio interview Friday that the U.S. goal in Venezuela was a peaceful transition of power, and he denied that a U.S. military intervention was imminent.

And Guaido told an Argentine newspaper he also opposed outside military action in Venezuela.

"Our democratic struggle and adherence to the Constitution is very difficult," he said, "but ... we want to avoid a violent outcome. I keep repeating our road map: end of usurpation, transitional government and free elections."

Help turned down

The Associated Press said Guaido had turned down offers of help from the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay to negotiate with Maduro to step down, but that he had urged both countries to take his side in the struggle for control of the country. The opposition leader said remaining neutral would align them with Maduro.

On Saturday, more anti-Maduro demonstrations are planned for the streets of Venezuela's cities. Maduro's administration is calling for his supporters to mount a counterdemonstration.

Guaido said in a New York Times opinion piece earlier this week that more than 50 countries had either recognized him as interim president or recognized the National Assembly as the legitimate authority in Venezuela. He said he had begun appointing ambassadors and "locating and recovering national assets tied up abroad."

Reuters news service quotes two EU diplomats as saying European Union governments have announced they will move to recognize Guaido next week as Venezuela's interim presidentCameroon's Arrested Opposition Leader Begins Hunger Strike

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka February 01, 2019

Cameroon's arrested opposition leader Maurice Kamto and 29 of his imprisoned supporters started a hunger strike a day after being told they will face eight charges amounting to treason. If found guilty, they could face the death penalty.

Christopher Ndong, secretary-general of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, said Friday that the strikers aim to show that President Paul Biya's re-election to a seventh term in October was a stolen victory.

"Kamto wants that this government should give way because they are not legitimate after the 7th of October 2018 polls," Ndong said. "He won the election and he wants that they should honestly hand down power without shame, because he is saying if they think that what he declared as a winner is false, let us go back and do a recount."

The opposition's calls for a recount of the October vote are likely to fall on deaf ears.

Biya is Africa's second-longest ruling leader  in power for 36 years  and his government has shown little tolerance for opposition.

Police arrested Kamto and nine party officials Monday after days of peaceful protest in Yaounde and three other cities ended in clashes.

Government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi said police shot and wounded seven protesters and arrested 117. Opposition supporters put the number of arrests at more than 200.

Kamto and his colleagues are now facing eight charges, including treason, inciting violence, and disruption of public peace.

Cameroon Bar Council lawyer Mujem Fombad says the men could be facing the death penalty.

"Article 102 of the penal code sanctions hostility against the fatherland. Any citizen, any citizen taking part in hostility against the republic shall be guilty with treason and punished with death," Fombad said.

Opposition supporters also stormed Cameroon's embassies in Paris and Berlin on Saturday.

Minor damage and stolen documents were reported at the Paris embassy, which was temporarily closed.

In Yaounde, authorities summoned the French ambassador to demand that protesters who stormed the embassy be extradited to face charges.

Rights group Amnesty International has called on Cameroon to release all peaceful protesters, including Kamto.ICC Appeals Chamber Places Conditions on Gbagbo's Release

By Lisa Bryant February 01, 2019

After seven years detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-youth leader Charles Ble Goude are free men  but there's a hitch.

Presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji read out the unanimous verdict of the five-judge appeals panel.

"The conditions set out in the written judgement are imposed to Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Ble Goude upon their release to a state willing to accept them on its territory and willing and able to enforce the conditions."

It's a small victory for ICC prosecutors, after the court's stunning acquittal of both Gbagbo and Ble Goude last month. Judges said the prosecution's case was "exceptionally weak" in trying to link the men to election-related violence in Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011 that left roughly 3,000 people dead.

Both ICC prosecutors and the chief lawyer for the victims, Paolina Massidda, had argued for the two men's conditional release. Massidda warned they presented flight risks and said their unconditional release might impact victims' safety.

"Victims remain very concerned about the possibility the commission of further crimes and attempts to compromise the integrity of the proceedings if the defendants are released without conditions," Massidda said.

Gbagbo's lawyer Emmanuel Altit unsuccessfully argued that conditional release went against the very principle of his client's acquittal.

He said liberty is an essential human right, and Gbagbo should be freed since he was acquitted.

Last month's acquittal has intensified criticism of the ICC, which has convicted only four people in nearly 20 years of operation. One of them  former Congolese vice-president Jean Pierre Bemba  was later acquitted on appeals.

Critics say the court is ineffective and overly focused on African cases. Supporters note the so-called "court of last resort" is probing other regions of the world  and say the court has insufficient means to realize a daunting mandate.Certain humanists commenced toying with the contours of a minimum income in the form of public aid.

The concept of universal basic income has fairly ancient origins. The demand for minimum income first manifested itself at the commencement of the 16th century. The philosophical and ideological underpinnings of a comprehensive, one-off allowance first materialised at the end of the 18th century. The two were pooled for the first time to incubate the concept of universal basic income in the mid-19th century.

With the dawn of Renaissance, the charge of providing succor to the deprived and underprivileged stopped being deemed to be the sole preserve of the Church and other altruistic folks. Certain humanists commenced toying with the contours of a minimum income in the form of public aid.

In Thomas Mores Utopia, published in Louvain in 1516, the Portuguese traveller Raphael Nonsenso, walking in the central square of Antwerp, recounts a conversation he claims to have had with the Archbishop of Canterbury. He argued that minimum income through public assistance would be a more perspicacious technique to contain burglary than condemning thieves to death, which had the vile consequence of actually increasing the number of murders of burglary victims. He said, and I quote, I once happened to be dining with the Cardinal when a certain English lawyer was there. I forgot how the subject came up, but he was speaking with great enthusiasm about the stern measures that were then being taken against thieves. Were hanging them all over the place, he said. Ive seen as many as 20 on a single gallows. And thats what I find so odd. Considering how few of them get away with it, how come we are still plagued with so many robbers? Whats odd about it?, I asked  for I never hesitated to speak freely in front of the Cardinal. This method of dealing with thieves is both unjust and undesirable. As a punishment, its too severe, and as a deterrent, its quite ineffective. Petty larceny isnt bad enough to deserve the death penalty. And no penalty on earth will stop people from stealing, if its their only way of getting food. In this respect, you English, like most other nations, remind me of these incompetent schoolmasters, who prefer caning their pupils to teaching them. Instead of inflicting these horrible punishments, it would be far more to the point to provide everyone with some means of livelihood, so that nobodys under the frightful necessity of becoming, first a thief, and then a corpse.

It would be a trite not to mention that Thomas Mores fellow traveler Johannes Ludovicus Vives should be credited as the pioneer of an assured minimum income. He put together a holistic scheme and evolved a pervasive rationale for it premised both on scriptural and practical templates.

In a missive to the Mayor of Bruges in 1526, entitled De Subventione Pauperum (On the Assistance to the Poor), he recommended that the civic administration should be charged with the onus of both raising and apportioning a minimum sustenance for all its inhabitants, not on grounds of justness alone but for a more effectual exercise of ethically necessary compassion. The aid arrangement would be efficaciously directed at the poor. To be entitled to access the aid, an indigent persons poverty must not be unmerited, for he must demonstrate his gratitude for the assistance provided by showing his inclination to labor.

However, at about the turn of the 18th century an unusual notion evolved that was to play a pervasive part in the mitigation of destitution all across Europe. The person who delineated the idea was the mathematician and political activist, Antoine Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet. After having played a conspicuous role in the French revolution, Condorcet was imprisoned and sentenced to death. While in prison, he wrote his most seminal work, the Esquisse dun tableau historique des progres de lesprit humain.

He wrote and I quote, There is therefore a necessary cause of inequality, of dependency and even of misery, which constantly threatens the most numerous and most active class of our societies. We shall show that we can to a large extent by removing it, by opposing luck to itself, by securing to those who reach old age a relief that is the product of what he saved, but increased by the savings of those individuals who made the same sacrifice but died before the time came for them to need to collect its fruit; by using a similar compensation to provide women and children, at the moment they lose their husbands or fathers, with resources at the same level and acquired at the same price, whether the family concerned was afflicted by a premature death or could keep its head for longer; and finally by giving to those children who become old enough to work by themselves and found a new family the advantage of a capital required by the development of their activity and increased as the result of some dying too early

to be able to enjoy it. It is to the application of calculus to the probabilities of life and to the investment of money that one owes the idea of this method. The latter has already been successfully used, but never on the scale and with the variety of forms that would make it really useful, not merely to a handful of individuals, but to the entire mass of society. It would free the latter from the periodic bankruptcy of a large number of families, that inexhaustible source of corruption and misery.

This distinct idea one century later inspired the genesis and elaboration of Europes gigantic social insurance systems commencing with Otto von Bismarcks old age pension and health insurance schemes for the labor force of unified Germany 1883 onwards. Though not pointed solely at the poor and encompassing enormous transfers to the non-poor too, these initiatives rapidly began having a colossal impact on poverty alleviation. Their proliferation rapidly dwarfed public assistance programs and demoted them to a secondary status.

Thus, conceptually, Universal Basic Income (UBI) stretches far back in time but it has never ever been implemented in a country the size of India. Given that the people have been put through acute economic distress over the past five years, it is an idea whose time has come.Al-Shabab Battles IS in Northeastern Somalia

By Harun Maruf Hassan February 01, 2019

The al-Shabab militant group has scaled up its attacks against pro-Islamic State fighters in the northeastern mountainous Somali region of Bari, experts say.

Intelligence and security officials say al-Shabab has seized two locations from pro-IS militants this week. One area is called El-Miraale, a water point that has been the focal point of clashes. The second village seized by al-Shabab is called Shebaab, south of the town of Qandala, according to sources.

Pro-IS militants have retreated farther into the highlands, but experts say the fighting is not over.

Abdi Hassan Hussein, the former intelligence chief of Puntland, has been monitoring the two side's latest clashes.

"They are fighting over the control of the mountains, which has been a base for Daesh," he said, using another term for Islamic State.

December al-Shabab attack

Al-Shabab attacked IS in December after smuggling dozens of its militia members into the area, a move described as audacious attempt to reach IS hideouts.

Hussein says al-Shabab lost the first round of the mid-December battle and lost men but regrouped and launched a second-round offensive earlier this week. He says the key El-Miraale water point is now under al-Shabab's control.

"Al-Shabab managed to take over the area, they also spread to Dhadaar village," he said.

Both groups extorting locals

The two groups have not only been fighting over control of territory but have also been competing in collecting extortion money from Somali businesses.

Al-Shabab has been collecting systematic taxes and extortions from Somalia business, but IS started to emulate the tactic late last year. IS demanded payments from businesses in Puntland as well as in Mogadishu. When businesses resisted, IS began targeting businessmen, killing at least half a dozen people.

Al-Shabab saw this as a direct challenge and vowed to destroy the IS group.

Al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamoud Dhere described IS as a "disease" and a "cancer." In a December speech, he said al-Shabab fighters have orders to "uproot" IS militants in Somalia.

Security threats

Both groups endanger Somalia.

Hussein Sheikh Ali, the former national security adviser to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, said the current situation indicates stalemate.

"Al-Shabab is more powerful, but IS also showed they are not a pushover. Indeed, it's IS that provoked al-Shabab and tried to conduct activities in the south," he said, referring to IS attempts to extort businesses in the south.

Militarily, al-Shabab has severely purged the group's sympathizers and fans in the southern regions of Somalia. In January, al-Shabab executed three men, including two foreign jihadists who were accused of supporting IS. The men reportedly denied association with IS.

The Somali national killed by al-Shabab, Yahye Haji File, also known as Abu Zakariye, was an official who fell out with al-Shabab over the killing of a pro-Islamic militant commander. He left al-Shabab after the killing of associate Sheikh Bashir Abu Numan, who was an al-Shabab commander-turned-IS assassinated by al-Shabab in 2015 just weeks after IS split from al-Shabab.

Civilians pay highest price

Ali says if al-Shabab defeats IS, it will be "one less problem" for Somalia.

"If al-Shabab wins, it will mean one less problem for the federal government and regions. But if Daesh continues to exist or strengthen, the problem will double in many fronts," he said.

Hussein said the fighting could be prolonged in the highlands, specially if IS opts for a guerrilla war against al-Shabab. He added that civilians living in battle areas endure the most casualties.

Recent days have brought reports of both sides attempting to compete for the locals' support. While IS encouraged the locals to be hostile to the new armed visitors, al-Shabab sought their cooperation to inform on IS whereabouts.

But according to local reports, the public is apprehensive, especially as there are no visible signs to distinguish who is al-Shabab and who is IS, a tricky situation that endangers their safety.

Hussein says the Somali government and Puntland regional administration have a responsibility to protect those civilians.

"There is a lot of fear facing the people living in these areas," he said. "The arrival of al-Shabab is a new, additional threat to them."

He said the villagers expect support from the federal government and Puntland. But it is unclear how they will get this support as the area sees increased tension.

US airstrikes

Meanwhile, the United States military reported carrying out its ninth strike against al-Shabab militants this year. The strike Wednesday in Shabeley village of Hiran region killed 24 al-Shabab fighters, according to Africa Command.

The strikes included a Dec. 19 bombing of al-Shabab militia traveling on a large truck shortly after returning from attacking a Somali military base. Fifty-two militants were killed in the strike. Also, four of the strikes took place in three consecutive days between Jan. 6 and 8. Last year, Africa Command carried out 47 strikes, a record in Somalia.National Guard committed to 'long game' with State Partnership Program

By Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill, National Guard Bureau / Published February 01, 2019

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AFNS) -- The National Guard takes a long-term view of its partnerships with more than one-third of the world's countries, Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, National Guard Bureau chief, said during visits to three countries in the Western Balkans this week.

"We're in this for the long game," the Lengyel told host country leaders during stops in Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lengyel's mission: Strengthen the enduring State Partnership Program relationships and underscore the U.S. commitment to the region's security and stability.

Founded in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union more than a quarter-century ago, the SPP has steadily grown, from a handful of countries in the former Eastern Bloc to 83 in every geographic combatant command and on every continent except Antarctica.

The program pairs the National Guard in the states and territories and the District of Columbia with a foreign partner. Some states have more than one partner. It strengthens national security, including by contributing to the National Defense Strategy goal of building partnerships.

Macedonia is paired with the Vermont National Guard, Albania with the New Jersey National Guard, and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Maryland National Guard. The Balkan region falls within the U.S. European Command area of responsibility. The SPP supports combatant commander objectives.

"These partnerships contribute to the power and capability of both the host country and the National Guard," Lengyel said.

Both China and Russia are increasing efforts to exert influence in the Balkans. Cyber has emerged as a new domain and the region's countries are all striving to improve responses to disasters such as wildfires, floods and earthquakes.

"The only way to get at the challenges we face is to become stronger as partners, as allies and as friends," Lengyel told one group of military officers during a stop on his visit. The general and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Kepner, senior enlisted advisor, met with key leaders and host nation and U.S. troops during the trip and saw demonstrations of host country military capabilities.

Among examples of the SPP's impact in the Western Balkans:

Helped Albania become a NATO member, strengthening the alliance  and Lengyel expressed U.S. support for both Macedonia's and Bosnia and Herzegovina's continued progress along the path to NATO membership.

Approximately 5,000 members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia have taken part in joint activities with U.S. troops. All three countries have seen hundreds of troops take part in dozens of small- to large-scale events, ranging from a dozen noncommissioned officers exchanging best practices to a thousand troops or more conducting joint training.

All three nations have co-deployed to places such as Afghanistan and Iraq with U.S. troops, strengthening coalition forces and demonstrating international resolve.

The nations have transitioned from being security consumers to security providers  for example, donating weapons and ammunition to coalition partners defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

About 1,600 Pennsylvania National Guard members are scheduling a joint exercise with Macedonian troops this year.

The primary reserve of the Army and the Air Force, the National Guard comprises about 25 percent of all personnel serving in the armed forces. The National Guard supports the National Defense Strategy by fighting U.S. wars, securing the homeland and building enduring partnerships. About 30,000 Guard members are deployed worldwide today and about 10,000 are supporting domestic missions.

Lengyel is the 28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He ensures the 450,000 Army and Air National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are accessible, capable and ready to protect the homeland and to provide combat forces to the Army and the Air Force.

The most senior enlisted member of the National Guard, Kepner is the chief's principal military advisor on all enlisted matters affecting training, utilization, health of the force and enlisted professional development.'No other possibility but to leave': UN News special report from the Nigeria-Cameroon border as 35,000 newly-displaced seek safety

1 February 2019 - Small shelters, some covered in the ubiquitous white sheeting provided by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), dot the dusty grey sun-bleached plain around the village of Goura, in the far north-east of Cameroon.

Hebibi Toudjum's shelter is so low to the ground she needs to crawl into it.

She arrived from the village of Rann 7km across the border in Nigeria six days ago after fleeing a killing spree perpetrated by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

"They came and killed many people and set the town alight,' she told UN News, which has a team on assignment in the region. 'Everyone was scared, so we came here where it is safe," she added.

Hebibi Toudjum is one of around 35,000 people who have fled Rann in the last two weeks after Boko Haram extremist fighters, repeatedly attacked the town.

Regional insurgency

The outlawed terrorist group has been active in this impoverished corner of north-east Nigeria for over a decade. Thousands of people not just in Nigeria but over the border in Cameroon and Chad, have been killed, many summarily executed. The livelihoods of tens of thousands of others have been destroyed in the insurgency, as regional governments struggle to put an end to the ongoing violence.

The refugees left Rann following the recent withdrawal of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) which came to secure the city after an attack on January 14. The MNJTF was set up by the affected countries - Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Benin - to counter Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups which are gaining ground across the Lake Chad region.

"When the military left," said Kellou Maloum Modu, "we had no other possibility but to leave. My own brother died. I pray that God will keep Boko Haram away from me and my family."

Fearful to return

For now, the 35,000 Nigerian refugees are safe in Cameroon, although many are once again putting themselves at risk by returning to Rann on foot, to collect a few personal possessions which were not looted or burnt.

Speaking to UN News on a visit to Goura on Friday, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, Allegra Baiocchi said, "I have seen many fearful people here. whose lives have been destroyed by Boko Haram." The people who came here really had no choice. This is where they need to be now if they want to stay alive."

UN response needs more funding to scale up

The United Nations and its partners have responded to the sudden influx into Goura by providing basic services in what is now a makeshift refugee settlement. Some 13,000 people have received food rations and each registered refugee is getting six litres of clean water a day, some way below the recommended 15 litre minimum.

"The response from humanitarian workers here has been impressive in what is an extremely challenging environment," the UNHCR, or UN refugee agency's top official in Cameroon Geert Van de Casteele said in Goura. "We need to scale up the response keeping in mind the local population; that is the next step and I am hopeful we can achieve, with increased funding."

In January, the UN, in coordination with the Government and aid partners, announced its 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan which focuses on the whole of the country, including areas affected by Boko Haram. Around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, are now in need of lifesaving assistance.Right to Recognize Venezuelan Leadership Lies With EU States - Mogherini

Sputnik News

04:15 01.02.2019

BRUSSELS (Sputnik)  The right to recognize or not to recognize the leadership of Venezuela lies with EU member states and not the institutions of the EU, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said amid the adoption of the EU Parliament's resolution recognizing Juan Guaido as the Venezuelan legitimate acting president.

"It is not a prerogative of the European Union to recognize or to not recognize states, not to mention internal institutions of the states. The authority to do so  it is not in the European Union, it is in the member states", Mogherini told reporters after the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bucharest on Thursday, when asked about the bloc's position on the recognition of Guaido as Venezuela's president in the light of the European Parliament's resolution adoption.

At the talks, the top diplomats had discussed the next steps that the EU member states would take on the Venezuelan crisis issue, Mogherini continued, adding that the European Union would coordinate the common position on the crisis.

"The common declaration we had last Saturday that indicated already then that the European Union will take further actions, including on the issue of recognition of the country's leadership  gives member states a framework of coherence, within which single member states will exercise their national prerogatives", Mogherini stated.

The resolution was passed on Thursday, recognizing the head of the Venezuelan National Assembly and the self-proclaimed interim president as the president and urging the EU member states to follow suit.

Guaido declared himself as Venezuela's interim president on 23 January and was immediately supported by the United States and a number of other countries.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, backed by China, Mexico and Russia among other countries accused Guaido of acting at the instructions of the United States and said that Washington was plotting together with his government's opponents to overthrow him.

 SputnikUN Security Council Extends Central African Republic Arms Embargo

Sputnik News

07:16 01.02.2019(updated 07:17 01.02.2019)

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The UN Security Council unanimously voted for the extension of the arms embargo against the Central African Republic (CAR) for a year, a press release revealed.

"The Security Council today decided to extend its sanctions regime on the Central African Republic  including an arms embargo, travel ban and assets freeze  until 31 January 2020, while also extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the Central African Republic Sanctions Committee until 29 February 2020," the release said on Thursday.

Under the draft resolution sponsored by France, the Security Council established benchmarks, including reforming the government's security sector, disarming and demobilizing militias, and managing weapons, that should be met by the end of April to lift the embargo.

If the CAR government meets the key benchmarks by 30 September, the Security Council will reconvene to ease the arms embargo measures, the text of the resolution said.

The landlocked CAR has been suffering from a drawn-out conflict since a coup in 2013. Much of the fighting in recent years has been between Muslim-majority Seleka and Christian Anti-Balaka militias.

The CAR has been suffering from sectarian clashes between the Muslims and the Christians since the 2013 coup, when the Muslim Seleka rebels seized control of the nation, overthrowing then-President Francois Bozize and provoking a backlash from the Christian Anti-Balaka militia.

In August 2018, the two groups agreed to establish a platform for consultations on sustainable peace in the CAR. The groups then also called on the government to engage in the work on reconciliation with support from Russia, the European Union and other regional and international players.

Kemarsky told Sputnik in December, that Moscow was ready to mediate the political process in the CAR, provided that the African country's government and the opposition address Moscow with such a request.

 SputnikForeign Meddling in Venezuela Crisis May Result in Civil War - Turkish FM

Sputnik News

15:59 01.02.2019

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Foreign meddling in Venezuela's political crisis is "not healthy" and can even result in a civil war, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

"We are telling since the beginning. Such foreign interventions are not healthy and not right. They will not offer a solution. They will deepen the problem. God forbid, the country [Venezuela] even can be dragged into a civil war", Cavusoglu told reporters, as quoted by the Hurriyet Daily newspaper.

The minister stressed that countries should prioritise dialogue between the parties to the conflict instead of taking someone's side.

Earlier this week, Cavusoglu has already voiced readiness to mediate the conflict between the Venezuelan opposition and the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution recognising Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate interim president, calling on EU member states to follow suit. A total of 439 parliamentarians supported the resolution, with 104 voting against and 88 abstaining.

Venezuela is currently going through a political crisis, with Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly, having declared himself the country's interim president on January 23. Maduro has accused Washington of orchestrating a coup in Venezuela since the United States and several allies immediately recognised Guaido.

Turkey, along with Russia, China, and other states, has voiced support for Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.

 SputnikUS Not Planning Military Intervention in Venezuela, But Option on Table - Bolton

Sputnik News

18:17 01.02.2019(updated 19:31 01.02.2019)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has no plans for an imminent military intervention in Venezuela, but all options with regard to the situation in that county remain on the table, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Friday.

"No, the President said all options are on the table," Bolton said during a radio interview when asked whether military intervention in Venezuela was imminent. "Our objective is a peaceful transfer of power. And that's why we've been imposing economic sanctions, increasing political pressure from around the world".

Bolton pointed out there is overwhelming support among Latin American countries for a transfer of power away from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to Juan Guaido, the self-proclaimed interim president of the country.

"This is not a made in the USA effort. This is a made in Venezuela effort, fully supported across the board, all kinds of different governments in Latin America supporting Juan Guaido, the interim president," Bolton said.

Bolton claimed he and US President Donald Trump talk several times a day about the situation in Venezuela, and there is a whole range of economic and political steps that remain to be taken.

Bolton was earlier photographed with a yellow pad that raised questions about whether the White House was planning to deploy armed forces to Colombia amid the presidential crisis in neighbouring Venezuela.

On 23 January, the speaker of the opposition-led Venezuelan National Assembly, Guaido, declared himself interim head of state amid ongoing anti-government protests. The United States and a number of other countries, which disputed last year's re-election of President Nicholas Maduro, have recognized the opposition leader. Maduro slammed Guaido as a US "puppet" and accused Washington of organizing a coup in the country.

 SputnikICC Orders Conditional Release of Ex-Ivory Coast President Gbagbo

Sputnik News

18:54 01.02.2019(updated 19:31 01.02.2019)

In mid-January, the International Criminal Court dismissed the war crime charges against Gbagbo and his co-accused former political ally, Charles Ble Goude. However, prosecutors contested his release, striving to add conditions to it.

Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Friday announced the terms of release for former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, who was acquitted of war crimes charges two weeks earlier.

According to the verdict of the five-judge panel, with Presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, Gbagbo and co-defendant Charles Ble Goude were "to be released to a state willing to accept them on its territories". The presiding judge also instructed court officials to determine a country willing to accept Gbagbo and Ble Goude.

Investigation Into Gbagbo and Ble Goude

The ICC launched a probe into acts of violence committed during the 2010-2011 conflict in the Ivory Coast in October 2011. During the conflict, there were frequent clashes between security forces and the local population. In 2016, the ICC commenced a trial against Gbagbo and Ble Goude, charging them with crimes against humanity.

After several years of investigation, on 15 January 2019, the ICC dismissed the charges against him. However, prosecutors appealed to add some conditions to their release: in particular, to ensure that they return to the court if necessary.

 SputnikAfghan Security Forces Shrinking as Taliban Regain Territory - Report

Sputnik News

22:07 01.02.2019

The size of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) has reached its lowest point in three years, insurgent control over territory in Afghanistan has increased, and the Afghan government's influence inside the country's borders continues to decline, a US watchdog report says.

ANDSF "personnel strength in October 2018 (308,693) fell to the lowest level it has been since the beginning of the [NATO] RS [Resolute Support] mission in January 2015," according to the US inspector general for Afghanistan. Afghan forces are authorized to field a combined force of 352,000 security personnel, which includes Afghanistan's police and military forces.

In a report to the US Congress, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) wrote that since last October, Taliban and insurgent forces "contested" a greater part of the country's territory. Furthermore, "[T]he Afghan government's control or influence of its districts decreased by nearly two percentage points since July to 53.8 percent," according to SIGAR.

All 296 pages of SIGAR's 42nd report were submitted to the US Congress Thursday.

The US Defense Department undercut the inspector general in the report by casting doubt on the validity of the district-stability data. At the end of the report, the department writes there is "uncertainty in the models that produce [the data]" and attempts to salvage its own public image by stating that decreasing Afghan government control is "not indicative" of how effective US President Donald Trump's South Asia Strategy has been.

Trump reportedly slashed the size of the US military contingency in Afghanistan by 7,000 in late December. SIGAR's report shoots down this notion, which had been repeated in international media and US publications. "General [Joseph] Dunford and the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Austin Scott Miller, said subsequently that they had received no orders to begin a drawdown," the report says.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense "told SIGAR on January 11 that they have 'nothing to report' about whether the White House ordered the Pentagon to begin planning a troop drawdown in Afghanistan."

With the NATO Resolute Support mission that started in Afghanistan in 2015 during former President Barack Obama's second term bringing more advisers and trainers  and fewer armed combat squads  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani emphasized at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month that at least 45,000 Afghanis have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the Associated Press reports.

The US pays the lion's share of the approximately $4 billion annual budget for Afghanistan's government to arm, train, compensate and sustain the ANDSF, AP notes.

The US military's publicly stated goal in Afghanistan is to help Kabul develop a self-reliant fighting force that would preclude the need for US support. "They [Afghan security forces] are fighting, and they are taking casualties, but they are also very offensive-minded, inflicting losses on the Taliban and [ISIS-Khorasan] daily, while expanding their capabilities and proficiency every day," said Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command, in a January news release.

As officials in the US national security establishment continue to "spend the second half of their entire adult lives trying to win this fight and banging their head against the wall over and over," as US Army Major Danny Sjursen eloquently told Sputnik News in early November, Votel said this month the Taliban are "not losing right now" and that little has changed since he described the fight against the Taliban as a "stalemate."

 SputnikRomania To Replace Canada In Mali Peacekeeping Mission

February 01, 2019

Romania will take over for Canada in the massive and dangerous peacekeeping mission in the African country of Mali this summer when Ottawa's deployment ends, the two countries announced.

"Romania will supply transport helicopters to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), after the end of the Canadian deployment in Gao in 2019," Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on January 31.

"Canada welcomes the commitment of Romania, a credible and capable troop-contributing ally, to replace our Canadian air task force," she added.

Canada, which is due to leave on July 31, has six helicopters and 250 support troops based near the northern Mali city of Gao.

The United Nations said that 177 people deployed in Mali have been killed since 2013, making it the world's deadliest peacekeeping mission.

An Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 10 UN peacekeepers from Chad in the north of the country on January 20.

The UN mission began after northern Mali fell to Islamic insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda. Some 14,000 peacekeepers are part of the mission.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-replaces-canada-mali- un-peacekeeping-mission-qaeda/29745198.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.The court said it could not interfere as the demolition process was being carried out.

Mumbai: The process of demolition of fugitive diamond businessman Nirav Modis Alibaug bungalow has started, the state government on Friday told the Bombay high court.

The high court had ordered action against unauthorised constructions at Alibaug in Raigad district. Advocate P.P. Kakade, who appeared for the government, told the court that the district collector had initiated action. The process of demolition of Nirav Modis bungalow has also begun. However, since it is a huge bungalow, the structural engineer's opinion is being taken. The demolition will have to be carried out by way of controlled blasts, he said.

A division bench of Justice N.H. Patil and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing a petition filed by activist Surendra Dhavale, seeking demolition of unauthorised constructions along the Alibaug coast. The high court last year ordered the collector to demolish unauthorised structures.

At last hearing, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which charged Modi with money laundering moved the HC, saying it had attached the bungalow so it should be heard in the matter. The EDs lawyer Neha Bhide Friday told the court that the central agency had handed over the property to the collector but it was yet to shift some movable articles lying inside.

The court said it could not interfere as the demolition process was being carried out. You (ED) can approach the collector and sort it out, Chief Justice Patil said.US troops to leave Afghanistan if peace deal reached with Taliban: Trump

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 12:28AM

United States President Donald Trump says American troops in Afghanistan will return home if his administration's talks with the Taliban militant group lead to an "agreement".

"For the first time they're talking about settling, they're talking about making an agreement, and we bring our people back home if that happens," Trump said in remarks in the Oval Office on Thursday.

"We'll see what happens. But they're in very serious negotiations for the first time. There's a reason for that. So I think we're doing so well on a foreign policy basis."

Washington and the Taliban terrorist group ended six days of negotiations in Doha on Saturday, with Kabul saying the US had assured Afghan officials that the focus of the talks was finding a way to facilitate peace and ensure foreign troop withdrawal.

Taliban sources speaking to Reuters claimed that the two sides agreed on a draft peace agreement, setting out the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan within 18 months, a timetable that was later denied by a US State Department spokesperson.

Speaking about the negotiations, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stressed the importance of foreign troop withdrawal for future talks.

"Until the issue of withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is agreed upon, progress in other issues is impossible," said Mujahid.

US peace envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, however, revealed on Monday that American and Taliban officials had agreed to a peace deal framework that could lead to a full US troop pullout in return for a ceasefire and Taliban talks with the Afghan government.

Meanwhile, a senior US government official told Reuters the talks had made "significant progress" regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops but more talks were required for a ceasefire agreement and timetable.

'Surrender negotiations'

Speaking to the CNN on Thursday, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker expressed concern that the US has engaged in talks with the Taliban without the involvement of the Kabul government, describing it as a "dangerous concession" to the militant group.

"If this is a course we're going to continue on, this is very much is a surrender negotiation," Crocker said.

According to a report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) published October last year, the Afghan government only controls 55 percent of the country's territory, while anti-government militants govern 12 percent.

About a third of the country is contested, fully controlled by neither the government nor militants.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said last week that 45,000 members of the country's security forces had been killed since he took office in 2014.

The US has nearly 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission.

Despite the presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan to drive the Taliban from power, the terrorist group continues to influence large swaths of the country.We are losing a generation of children in Yemen: UNICEF

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 03:08AM

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern about the humanitarian conditions of Yemeni children, warning about the formation of a "lost generation".

More than half a million children have been forced to leave their homes in the past six months, most of which have fled a major Saudi-led military onslaught on Yemen's port city of Hudaydah during July and August, said the Yemen director of UNICEF, Meritxell Relano, on Thursday.

Facing no access to education and withstanding an increased risk of disease and hunger, Relano highlighted some of the conflict's long-term effects on the children.

"Without education they will not be able to find jobs... a generation that is not educated has a very bleak future," said the UNICEF director.

"We are losing a generation - many children are losing on their education, and displacement makes it worse."

The Save the Children charity reports that despite an ongoing ceasefire in Hudaydah, thousands of families are still fleeing the city in fear of a renewed Saudi siege. Many are struggling to afford basic items like food, fuel and medicine.

"Children forced to flee their homes often have to live in unsanitary and cramped conditions in camps or host communities with little access to clean drinking water or nutritious food," said Save the Children spokesman Bhanu Bhatnagar.

Bhatnagar added that children are specifically vulnerable towards malnutrition, diarrhea, cholera, and diphtheria -- a serious bacterial infection that spreads as easily as a common cold. As much as 89 percent of Yemen's diphtheria deaths are related to children who are under 14.

Saudi Arabia and its allies unleashed the deadly military aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall the country's former Riyadh-allied regime.

Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement, which runs state affairs in Sana'a in the absence of an effective government, has been defending the nation against the Saudi aggression.

In June last year, the Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive on Hudaydah despite international warnings that it would compound the country's humanitarian crisis.

Hudaydah is known to be the point of entry for 80 percent of the country's commercial imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid.

The Saudi-led offensive has destroyed Yemen's infrastructure and led to famine in the import-dependent state.UN rejects Venezuela's Guaido, will only cooperate with recognized government of Maduro

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 05:18PM

The United Nations (UN)'s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has rejected an aid request by Venezuela's self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido, stressing that the body only cooperates with the country's recognized government led by President Nicolas Maduro.

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Guterres, conveyed the secretary general's reply to the aid request in a public press briefing on Thursday.

"The United Nations is ready to increase its activities in Venezuela in the areas of humanitarian assistance and development. However, for this, the United Nations needs the consent and the cooperation of the Government," said Dujarric.

Last week, Guaido published a copy of a letter sent to Guterres requesting UN humanitarian action in Venezuela.

The letter came shortly after Guaido's self-proclamation as "interim president" of Venezuela, rejecting the presidency of Maduro, who was sworn in earlier after winning an election boycotted by the opposition.

The move by Guaido sparked a political crisis in the country, especially after it was recognized by the United States, which confiscated Venezuelan state assets in America, including a subsidiary of the Venezuelan state oil company, to channel them to Guaido.

There has also been speculation that the US may be preparing for a military invasion of Venezuela in support of Guaido.

On Friday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton  who triggered that speculation in the first place  denied any imminent plans for a US military intervention in Venezuela but declined to rule out the military option altogether.

"The president said all options are on the table," Bolton said, referring to an earlier remark by US President Donald Trump.

Venezuela would be another Vietnam for America: Maduro

In a video published on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Maduro urged the American people to show solidarity with Venezuela and stop their government from getting entangled in another "Vietnam" by invading Venezuela.

"I am appealing to your conscience; I am appealing to your solidarity... if the United States intends to intervene, it will have a Vietnam worse that it can imagine. Let's not allow violence," the Venezuelan president said.

Maduro also said that a "global campaign" involving the dissemination of "fake manipulated images" had been launched against his country to justify foreign intervention, calling on Americans not to believe what "media outlets in the United States say."

"Those who run the empire in the United States want to get their hands on our oil just like they did in Iraq and Libya," he said.

Italy does not recognize Guaido

Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Manlio Di Stefano made similar remarks on Thursday, warning that the "mistake" that happened in Libya shouldn't be repeated in Venezuela.

"We must prevent this from happening in Venezuela," Di Stefano said.

He added that Italy "does not recognize" Guaido as interim president.

Also on Thursday, UN Special Rapporteur on Venezuela Idriss Jazairy, who reports to the Human Rights Council, slammed new US sanctions targeting the Latin American country to weaken and end Maduro's rule.

"I am especially concerned to hear reports that these sanctions are aimed at changing the government of Venezuela," said Jazairy, adding that such "coercion" by outside powers "is in violation of all norms of international law."

"Precipitating an economic and humanitarian crisisis not a foundation for the peaceful settlement of disputes," he said.

Maduro has said he is ready to sit at the negotiating table with the opposition to end the political crisis in the country.Boko Haram kills 60 in northeast Nigeria: Amnesty

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 05:59PM

Amnesty International says an attack by the Boko Haram terrorist group on Nigeria's northeastern town of Rann has left at least 60 people dead, denouncing Nigerian authorities for their failure to protect civilians.

The UK-based rights group said in a statement on Friday that the attack had been carried out on Rann in Borno State on Monday and that it "was the deadliest yet by Boko Haram."

"This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to [a] possible war crime, and those responsible must be brought to justice," said Osai Ojigho, Amnesty's Nigeria director.

She also condemned as "unacceptable" the Nigerian authorities' failure to protect people.

"Witnesses told us that Nigerian soldiers [in the area] abandoned their posts the day before the attack, demonstrating the authorities' utter failure to protect civilians," she said.

Amnesty also analyzed satellite images that showed hundreds of structures burned in the east, south, and southeast of Rann.

"Using satellite imagery, we have also been able to confirm the mass burning of structures as Boko Haram unleashed a massive assault on Rann, most of which is now destroyed," said Ojigho.

Earlier, on January 14, the Takfiri militants had attacked a military base and set fire to over 100 structures in Rann, leaving seven people dead.

The town is currently sheltering some 35,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to the International Organization for Migration.

In January, the United Nations warned about growing violence by Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria, saying more than 30,000 people  mostly women and children  have fled their homes in the conflict-ridden area over the past weeks.

Boko Haram's nine-year militancy is estimated to have killed more than 27,000 people and forced 1.8 million others to flee their homes.

In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.Afghan Taliban: Trump administration 'appears serious' in talks

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 06:45PM

The Taliban militant group in Afghanistan says the administration of United States President Donald Trump "appears" to be "serious" in its negotiations with the group on bringing an end to the war in the Asian country.

"An agreement was reached on a principle frameworkwhich, if implemented, and if the Americans take honest steps and stick to it truthfully, then God willing we are hopeful that the Americans will end the occupation of Afghanistan," a spokesman for the Taliban who goes by the name Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters on Friday.

"It appears that Trump is serious," the spokesman added.

He claimed a complete foreign troop pullout would pave the way for "the establishment of an Islamic system," which would be sought through "negotiations with different political sides, even if they have so far been under the umbrella of the invaders."

Mujahid said that, in the group's planned system, "all Afghans, including different political sides," could take part. He denied that the Taliban would want to monopolize power and said that if the Kabul government collaborated, "there will be no need for war and conflict."

The spokesperson said the next round of the talks with the US would take place in the Qatari capital of Doha on February 25.

Mujahid's comments came only a day after Trump expressed hope that an eventual agreement with the group could lead to a complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Washington and the Taliban ended six days of negotiations in Doha last week, with Kabul saying that the US had assured Afghan officials that the focus of the talks was on finding a way to facilitate peace and ensure foreign troop withdrawal not on the establishment of a government.

A senior US government official told Reuters the talks had made "significant progress."

Some observers have, however, been less optimistic about the talks.

Speaking to the CNN on Thursday, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker expressed concern that the US has engaged in talks with the Taliban without the involvement of the Kabul government, describing it as a "dangerous concession" to the militant group.

"If this is a course we're going to continue on, this is very much a surrender negotiation," Crocker said.

The US has nearly 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission.

The US and its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple a Taliban regime that ruled over much of the country. But the militancy that ensued continues to this day.

According to a report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) published in October last year, the Afghan government only controls 55 percent of the country's territory, while the militants control 12 percent.

About a third of the country is contested and is neither fully controlled by the government nor the militants.Venezuelan authorities say "uncover new plot" to overthrow gov't

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:54, February 01, 2019

CARACAS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan security forces have uncovered a "new plan" to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on Thursday.

Reverol said that the plan involved "a group of assassins hired by Venezuela's ultra-right that planned to assassinate some political and military leaders."

Intelligence officials had information that the group was made up of deserters from the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) and entered through Colombia, he said.

Investigation led to the "capture in Valles del Tuy of one of the leaders," identified as Miguel Palacios Salcedo, who deserted from the FANB in 2006, Reverol said.

The minister said that through interrogation of Palacios Salcedo, they managed to capture Lieutenant Alberto Salazar Cabanas who was accompanied by two other Armed Forces deserters who managed to escape.

Evidence also led to the arrest of retired Colonel Oswaldo Garcia Palomo and two others early Thursday morning. Garcia Palomo was sought in connection with the attempted assassination of Maduro on Aug. 4, 2018.

Inside the vehicle he was in, "two AK103 rifles, two satellite phones and 500 bracelets imprinted with OC, which stands for Operation Constitution, were found," Reverol said.

The minister said Wednesday that there was a confrontation between security forces and people in a vehicle with false identification in Caracas.

He said it was a criminal gang "hired by Venezuela's right" that provoked false flag attacks to create upheaval. Two people died in the confrontation and two others were able to escape.

Since Jan. 23, the difficult political situation in Venezuela has intensified, after the opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries.SPAWAR Improves Speed and Quality of Communications for Warfighters at Sea

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190201-04

Release Date: 2/1/2019 9:24:00 AM

By Elisha Gamboa, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (NNS) -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) successfully concluded a rapid prototyping effort in December of 2018 for the Office of the Secretary of Defense to explore the use of 4G LTE technology as a communications system for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications.

Efforts included fleet experimentation, field testing, in-lab testing, rapid prototyping and a mixed reality technology demonstration led by the Naval Medical Center in San Diego (NMCSD) Tele-Critical Care Unit (TCCU).

SSC Pacific supported NMCSD TCCU during a virtual critical care communications exercise, Nov. 15, to explore the use of 4G LTE and mixed reality technology to rapidly deliver telemedicine solutions to deployed Navy ships.

The 4G LTE technology selected for use was the General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) 4G Tactical Backbone (4GTB).

"The 4GTB was selected for operational demonstrations and further rapid prototyping as a result of successful demonstration at the Ship-to-Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation Advanced Naval Technology Exercise in April 2017," said Neil Hoff, SSC Pacific wireless communications branch head.

Today, many Navy ships have an independent duty corpsman (IDC) to provide both routine and emergency medical care. 4G LTE technology combined with mixed reality equipment can provide corpsman remote access to additional medical personnel such as doctors, surgeons, and other specialists, otherwise known as telemedicine.

Telemedicine uses telecommunication and information technology to provide clinical health care from a distance, providing access to medical services that are usually not available at sea.

During the virtual exercise, SSC Pacific supported testing of the 4GTB in conjunction with the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality smart glasses prototype to test remote surgery procedures onboard Navy ships.

The 4GTB provides high capacity data transfer rates, allowing the exchange of high resolution files, full motion video, and telemedicine applications to quickly and efficiently provide Corpsman access to high quality medical support.

The virtual critical care communications exercise was conducted under the direction of Capt. Konrad Davis, the NMCSD TCCU director.

During the exercise, Davis was located remotely at the NMCSD TCCU, where he used the HoloLens to tele-mentor independent duty corpsmen on board the USS Independence, USS Fort Worth and Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One during a test surgery while at sea. The corpsmen successfully received remote tele-instruction support from Davis on chest tube insertion while operating on a medical manikin torso for instructional purposes.

The success of the exercise demonstrated a "proof of concept" tele-surgical mentorship capability with the 4GTB and the Microsoft HoloLens.

"Rapidly providing these types of telemedicine solutions to the warfighter will enhance the speed and quality of medical care, improving the health and safety of Sailors and Marines in order to preserve strength and increase the lethality of the fighting force," said Davis.

Following the virtual critical care communications exercise, SSC Pacific produced a final report for the Office of Secretary of Defense to capture the results of the entire rapid prototyping effort, examining how 4G LTE technology can be used at sea, and where the Navy should invest to better support 4G and future 5G technologies.

SPAWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities supporting naval, joint, coalition and other national missions. SPAWAR consists of more than 10,000 active duty military and civil service professionals located around the world and close to the fleet to keep SPAWAR at the forefront of research, engineering and acquisition to provide and sustain information warfare capabilities to the fleet.Trump makes U-turn on US intelligence, says they're 'in agreement'

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 1, 2019 04:54AM

A day after he slammed the US intelligence community over their assessment of global threats to America, US President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course and said he and US spy officials "are all on the same page."

Trump claimed Thursday that testimony by the country's top spies had been "distorted" by journalists -- one of his favorite targets for attack.

The president on Wednesday had described US intelligence chiefs as "extremely passive and naive" on Iran and dismissed their assessments of the threat posed by North Korea.

"Just concluded a great meeting with my Intel team in the Oval Office who told me that what they said on Tuesday at the Senate Hearing was mischaracterized by the media - and we are very much in agreement on Iran, ISIS, North Korea, etc.," Trump tweeted.

"I would suggest you read the COMPLETE testimony from Tuesday," he added.

During a hearing at the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, America's top intelligence chiefs contradicted some of Trump's most fundamental foreign policy claims.

The intelligence officials told the congressional committee that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons and that the nuclear threat from North Korea persisted, contrary to what Trump has claimed.

Trump last year pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, saying Tehran was "not living up to the spirit" of the agreement, and reimposed sanctions.

Meanwhile, Trump has invested heavily in improving relations with North Korea in hopes of getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arms program. He broke with decades of US policy when he agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June and plans another summit in February.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA Director Gina Haspel told senators that North Korea viewed its nuclear weapons program as vital to its survival and was unlikely to give it up.

The assessment of US intelligence agencies also contradicted other claims by Trump, including on the threat posed by Russia to US elections and the threat presented by the Daesh terrorist group, also known as ISIL or ISIS.

The US spy chiefs said Daesh would continue to launch attacks from Syria and Iraq against regional and Western adversaries, including the United States.

"The President has a dangerous habit of undermining the intelligence community to fit his alternate reality," Senator Mark Warner, the Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, wrote on Twitter. "People risk their lives for the intelligence he just tosses aside on Twitter."

During their Senate testimony, the US intelligence officials also said China and Russia pose the biggest risks to the United States, and are more aligned than they have been in decades as they target the 2020 presidential election and American institutions to expand their global reach.Local residents, who have come out in large numbers in support of Mr Hazare, have accused the state and central government of ignoring his demands.

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazares hunger strike entered the third day Friday with his doctor stating that the 81-year-olds blood pressure and blood sugar levels had significantly increased.

Mr Hazare has been on a hunger strike since Wednesday in Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district, demanding the appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra, and resolution of farmers' issues.

According to Mr Hazares doctor, Dr Dhananjay Pote, there has been a significant increase in Mr Hazares blood pressure and blood sugar when he examined Mr Hazare Friday morning.

The 81-year-old social activist has also been demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on ways to address the agrarian distress, besides some electoral reforms.

Local residents, who have come out in large numbers in support of Mr Hazare, have accused the state and central government of ignoring his demands.

A close aide of Mr Hazare said that several local residents, too, protes-ted Friday in front of the district's guardian minister, Ram Shindes office.

Earlier in the week, Mr Hazare offered prayers at the Padmavati temple in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district before sitting on the hunger strike. He also participated in a procession, accompanied by students, youths and farmers, to the Yadavbaba temple and sat near it to begin his hunger strike.

Although he had welcomed the state cabinets decision to bring the office of the chief minister under the jurisdiction of the Lokayukta, Mr Hazare vowed to continue his agitation.Redmi Note 7 will not launch in India on the 12th of February News oi-Vivek Redmi Note 7 comes with a 48 MP camera

There are a lot of leaks and reports stating that the Redmi Note 7 Pro will launch in India on the 12th of February 2019. In fact, a leaked press-invite does claim that the Redmi Note 7, the first water-drop notch smartphone from Redmi India will launch on the 12th of February.

Xiaomi India is yet to confirm the launch date of the Redmi Note 7 in India, the first smartphone from Xiaomi with a 48 MP camera. Xiaomi India has already confirmed that the Redmi Note 7 will, indeed launch in India. However, as of now, there is no official confirmation on the launch date of Redmi Note 7.

Redmi Note 7 specifications

The Redmi Note 7 is already available in China for 999 Yuan or Rs 9,999, which makes it one of the most affordable smartphones with a 48 MP camera. The device has a 6.3-inch IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution, protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC powers the device with 3/4 GB of RAM and 32/64 GB internal storage. The company is most likely to launch the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage version of the Redmi Note 7 as well.

The Redmi Note 7 has a dual camera set up at the back with a 48 MP Samsung ISOCELL sensor and a 5 MP depth sensor. On the front, the device has a 13 MP selfie camera. The 48 MP camera can capture 48 MP images in the pro mode and captures 12 MP images in the normal mode.

The smartphone has a premium all-glass design, and the Redmi Note 7 is the first Redmi smartphone to launch in India with a USB type C port. The Redmi Note 7 is fueled by a 4000 mAh Li-ion battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 support via type-C port with a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack.

Lastly, the phone runs on Android 9 Pie OS with custom MIUI 10 skin on top. Considering the features and specifications offered by the Redmi Note 7, the device will compete against like the likes of the recently launched Samsung Galaxy M20, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2, and other mid-tier smartphones priced between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.

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Nokia TA-1157 FCC listing hints at dual rear cameras News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia TA-1157 is likely to be the sequel to the Nokia 3.1 or Nokia 5.1.

HMD Global has already sent out media invites for an event to be hosted on February 24 at the MWC 2019 tech show in Barcelona. It is speculated that the company will take the wraps off its flagship Nokia 9 PureView at the launch event. As of now, there is no clarity regarding the other devices that could be unveiled at the event later this month.

In the meantime, an upcoming Nokia smartphone with the model number TA-1157 has been spotted at the FCC listing in the US. This certification database has revealed the key specifications as well as the schematics of the smartphone. It is believed to be an Android One smartphone similar to the previous offerings from the company.

Nokia TA-1157 details are out

The leaked schematics of this alleged Nokia smartphone in the making revealed by the FCC listing spotted by Slashleaks suggests that it will have a dual camera module at its rear. The two cameras are likely to be positioned vertically and flaunt a single LED flash module as well. It appears to have a fingerprint sensor as well under the camera module. In terms of design, this smartphone appears to be almost similar to what we have seen on the recently launched smartphones from the company.

When it comes to specifications, this smartphone is alleged to arrive with Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi and support for select LTE bands. It's schematics hints at the presence of an NFC antenna around the camera setup.

On the hardware front, this Nokia smartphone is likely to be launched in two variants - a base variant with 2GB RAM + 16GB storage space and a high-end variant with 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM. We can expect it to flaunt a microSD card slot for expandable storage space. The other aspect we can expect from this Android One smartphone includes a 3000mAh battery, which appears to be decent for an entry-level phone.

From its specifications, the Nokia TA-1157 is expected to be the sequel to the Nokia 3.1 or Nokia 5.1. However, we are yet to see if this device will be unveiled at the MWC 2019 tech show.

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MWC 2019: Huawei to unveil its foldable 5G smartphone on February 24 News oi-Karan Sharma Huawei all set to introduce its upcoming foldable smartphone. The company has already sent the invites for the February 24 MWC event.

Huawei finally started sending invites for its MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2019 which is going to held on February 24 in Barcelona. It has been reported that the company is planning to introduce its foldable smartphone to take on Samsung's foldable smartphone which is set to soon.

Last week, during the pre-MWC and 5G event Huawei confirmed that its 5G enabled smartphone will be going to release at the MWC. The smartphone will be powered by Balong 5000 as per company.

Back in 2018, the company trademarked Mate F, Mate Flex, Mate Flexi and Mate Fold names at the European Union Intellectual Property Office. There rumors and speculation which claims that the upcoming foldable smartphone will feature an 8-inch flexible display and when folded it will be come down to 5-inch display.

Smartphone maker Huawei is working on its foldable smartphone since 2017. Earlier it was expected that the company will launch the smartphone in 2018, but unfortunately, it hasn't happened. A patent was also surfaced on WIPO last year which revealed the design of the hinge with a small gap, but it was with a single display, unlike the ZTE Axon M.

"Come with us to explore #ConnectingTheFuture LIVE from #MWC @GSMA. Are you ready to reveal the unprecedented? #HuaweiMWC #MWC2019" reads the Huawei tweet.

The invite didn't disclose any information about the upcoming smartphone. It only says "CONNECT THE FUTURE", but looking at the invite post we can say that the company is going to unveil the foldable smartphone because the image shows a hinge in the middle and both the sides are lit up like two screens.

Let's see what Huawei is going to bring to the table of MWC 2019. We will get back to you soon with more details about the foldable smartphone.

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Budget 2019: Reactions from Mobile Industry & Experts News oi-Priyanka Dua The cost of data and voice calls in India is now possibly the lowest in the world.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that the monthly consumption of mobile data has increased by over 50 times in the last five years.

While presenting the Union Budget 2019, he said, "The cost of data and voice calls in India is now possibly the lowest in the world."

The Finance Minister said mobile tariff in India is now possibly the lowest in the world, catapulting India as the world leader in the consumption of mobile data.

Goyal said the 'Make in India' programme has seen India emerging as the new destination for the mobile phone manufacturing industry. "Today, under Make in India, mobile and parts manufacturing companies have increased from 2 to more than 268 providing huge job opportunities," he added.

Now let's have a look at how some of the top smartphone makers responded to the new budget:

Rajesh Agarwal, Co-Founder, Micromax, said that "Announcements around expanding Common Service Centres and creating digital infrastructure in the villages will be a significant step in the Digital India mission and growth of the Make in India initiative. With India leading the consumption of voice calls and mobile data usage, it is fascinating to note our constant progression towards becoming a global hub for manufacturing."

Manish Sharma, President and CEO, Panasonic India; Co-chair, Electronics Committee, FICCI said, " In the final budget we expect an exemption of basic customs duty on open cells (from 5 percent to 0 percent) to give the necessary thrust to the market, uplifting the overall sentiments thereby, resulting in an increased demand for Televisions (TVs).

"Further, it will help pave way for a larger roadmap for the component-manufacturing ecosystem to be achieved through a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) for TVs, which in turn will help reinforce GoI's larger, Make-in-India vision. TVs today, have moved from being an item of luxury to one of our necessities, hence, its affordability is a key. Therefore, in order to drive further penetration whilst progressing towards a manufacturing based economy, we urge GoI to lower the GST slabs for TVs (above 26 inches) and other energy efficient appliances," Sharma said.

Carl Ngo Co-founder and CEO of Mobiistar, India, and Global said, "Announcement around national scheme on Artificial intelligence is a welcome move and will give an impetus to the technology ecosystem in India. With a focus on development, it is a progressive budget and will be a next big leap in India's growth story. The delivery, however, will be contingent on effective implementation of these policies.

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Kejriwal says Budget is Modi govts final jumla, disappointing for Delhi.

Sniffer dogs inspect bundles containing the copies of interim Budget before they were carried to Lok Sabha in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday allocated Rs 1,112 crore for Delhi in the Union Budget, while keeping its share in central taxes and duties unchanged.

The Delhi government was given Rs 472 crore as Central assistance in the interim Budget for 2019-20 presented by interim finance minister Piyush Goyal in Parliament. In the previous Budget, the Centre had allotted a total of Rs 790 crore. The Central assistance to the city government was Rs 499.99 crore.

In the Budget, Rs 10 crore has also been given to the AAP government for paying enhanced compensation to the 1984 riot victims. The same amount had been given in the 2018-19 Budget.

Apart from this, the grant for the Delhi Disaster Response Fund remained unchanged with an allocation of Rs 5 crore.

Meanwhile, terming the Budget the final jumla of the Narendra Modi government, chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it has disappointed the city.

Mr Kejriwal rued the stagnant share of Delhi in Central taxes and his pa-rty too alleged step-motherly treatment by the BJP government at the Centre.

Final jumla of Modi govt: its interim budget too completely disappoints Delhi. Our share in central taxes remains frozen at Rs 325 crore & nothing earmarked for local bodies. Delhi continues to be on its own financially (sic), he wrote on Twitter.

He also tweeted, 1. Invest heavily in edu n health 2. Increase min wages n enforce it 3. Give crop prices 1.5 times cost 4. One time farm loan waiver. This wud put money in pocket of poorest, create demand, give boost to economy n create jobs. None of it done in budget (sic).

The ruling party in Delhi termed Mr Goyals Budget speech an election speech of a government hardly four months away from its departure.

The BJP government at the Centre has given step-motherly treatment to the people of Delhi. From 2001, the Centre is giving only Rs 325 crore to the Delhi government despite getting lakhs of crores of rupees collected as taxes. As per the Finance Commission recommendation, it should be around Rs 70,000 crore, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said.Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 78F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.16 persons detained in connection with release of secret recordings - GeorgianJournalSnow levels may drop below 1,000 feet Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service says, creating the possibility of 2 to 3 inches on the valley floor.

But snowpack statewide remains well below normal, according to Scott Oviett of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For the entire basin, we started out at about 54 percent, he said. The farther north you go, the less the snowpack. Because the winter has been relatively warm, we have received rain and not significant amounts of snow.

Overnight mid-valley temperatures are expected to fall into the mid-20s starting Monday and lasting through Wednesday. Daytime highs are forecast between 42 and 44 degrees.

Oviett said that if the snow level does drop to 500 or 1,000 feet, higher elevation areas may get enough snow to help make a difference, but it would take several significant snow events to make a major change in overall levels.

There could be some accumulating snow, Oviett said. But its yet to be seen if it will make a huge dent."

He said December and January are usually the best months in terms of snowpack accumulation, but both months were mild.Kushwaha was the ally of Nitish Kumar government a few months back.

RLSP chief said he and his colleagues sustained injuries during lathi-charge and accused Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of orchestrating it. (Photo: ANI)

Patna: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha was injured at Jan Aakrosh rally on Saturday which he alleged was due to police lathi-charge.

"Police resorted to lathi-charge at the behest of Nitish Kumar. I am injured, I was hit on the head. Our colleagues too sustained injuries during the lathi-charge," Kushwaha said.

Police resorted to lathi-charge during RLSP Jan Aakrosh rally which was also attended by Kushwaha.

The RLSP chief said he and his colleagues sustained injuries during the lathi-charge and alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was behind it.

Speaking to reporters, Kushwaha accused the Janata Dal (United)-led government of not providing proper education facilities to the poor.

Kushwaha was the ally of Nitish Kumar government a few months back.Nicolas Ortiz, who represented Gonzalez-Merwin, asked the jury in his closing remarks to consider which version of events made more sense: the prosecution's version of events, or that his client and the student employee had consensual sex after a romantic date.

He said the alleged victim testified that she had rebuffed an advance from Gonzalez-Merwin while they were out stargazing, and that this caused her extreme anxiety. He asked why she would have gone back to his apartment with him after having such a strong emotional reaction to the advance. He also pointed to security footage from the Winco taken after the stargazing and before they went to his apartment, in which the alleged victim was smiling and holding hands with Gonzalez-Merwin.

You need to ask Does the story shes telling make any sense? he said to the jury.

Ortiz also addressed the bruises, saying the victim testified she wasnt sure herself how she got all of them and that she said some could have come from helping her sister move.

Ortiz said he didnt know why the alleged victim would falsify the allegations, but listed several possibilities, including that she was upset to learn Gonzalez-Merwins true age after the sexual encounter.The teams adviser is Yeongjin Jang, OSU assistant professor of computer science. The club has a roster of more than 100 members but usually only about 30 are active at any one time. The club formed in 2015, then had a bit of a dormant period before it was revived in 2017 when Jang joined the university.

The Gazette-Times sat down with club members Friday and we were immediately confronted by the language barrier. There is a rather precise language tied to the schoolwork and cybersecurity work that the students engage in. In addition, they mainly hang out with other computer science students and seldom see the need to explain themselves to laypeople.

Wood noted that when he discusses his cybersecurity work with his parents the conversation usually goes like this: Its cool, its highly technical and I can make some money at it when I graduate.

I really like the investigative aspect ... the puzzle of it, said Warrick of the work. We try to figure out the underlying structure and how things work. Its super-interesting to me how folks will try to break into your stuff.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Sometimes, while working under terrific deadline pressure. During the competitions at Richland, other teams might be scurrying through your work area trying to disrupt your concentrations or steal code or passwords.A Lebanon man pleaded guilty in federal court last week to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in various online romance scams.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Portland, Rodney Paul Gregory, 64, acted as a money mule for online romance scams between May 2017 and January.

As part of the scheme, unknown co-conspirators would target individuals through online dating. These co-conspirators would impersonate military or civilian personnel working overseas, pretending they needed funds for foreign taxes, travel costs or other reasons. Victims would wire money to bank accounts in the United States based on these false statements, the news release states.

Gregory incorporated companies and opened numerous business bank accounts in order to receive these wire transfers from victims, and then he would send the money to overseas bank accounts.

When federal agents interviewed Gregory in May 2017, he claimed he was unaware that the funds wired to his accounts were the proceeds of fraud. He claimed that his activity was the result of promises of love from a woman he met on an online dating website, according to the news release.Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Windy this morning with a few isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low near 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Rahul Gandhi said the coming elections would be fought on issues like Rafale, jobs and demonetisation.

New Delhi: Opposition parties on Friday slammed the Budgets populist push, claiming that the last Budget of the Modi government was just an attempt to garner votes in the coming general elections that failed to address the burning issue of jobs. The parties also said that the minimum income guarantee of Rs 6,000 for farmers was an insult to them, with the Congress branding the Budget as an account for votes instead of Vote on Account. Promising a Surgical Strike on the Prime Minister before the polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the coming elections would be fought on issues like Rafale, jobs and demonetisation.

Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arrogance has destroyed the lives of our farmers. Giving them Rs 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for, Mr Gandhi tweeted, using the hashtag #AakhriJum laBudget.

Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram slammed the government for trampling on time-honoured conventions by presenting a full-fledged Budget and not an interim one, and accused it of violating the Constitution.

My one line comment on the Budget is that it was not a Vote on Account but an account for votes. It was a full-fledged budget accompanied by an election campaign speech, he told reporters.

Questioning the Budgets promise to farmers, Mr Chidambaram asked, What about the non-farmer poor? What about urban poor?

He also asked how the direct transfer scheme can be rolled out retrospectively. Congress will have a much better designed tax structure when we are voted to power. We will want a completely redesigned direct taxes code, he said.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said the Modi government has no moral authority to place the interim Budget as a normal Budget for five years. This government has no moral authority or responsibility to place the Budget for five years when theyll not be in power, she said.

Ms Banerjee said the BJP government will get expired.

After expiry, if you give medicine, is there any value? What will be the value? This is absolutely valueless, she said.

Aam Aadmi Party president and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Modi governments last Budget has completely disappointed the people of Delhi. He termed the interim Budget as the final jumla of the BJP government.

Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy wondered if the Budget was prepared by the finance ministry or the RSS. In this Budget, Narendra Modi has given cotton candy to farmers. When I announced loan waiver scheme, PM mocked it as lollipop, Mr Kumaraswamy said.

Questioning the governments allocation for the defence sector, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, Governments Budget allocation for defence has fallen to an all-time low.Gainesville, TX (76240)

Today

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 85F. SW winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers early, then clearing overnight. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.



Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-352-2250Richard Baugh, one of three sons of Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Howard Baugh, will share the life and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Initially, overlooked because they were all AfricanAmerican, the Tuskegee Airmen were some of the most decorated and celebrated servicemen of World War II. The Rosenwald connection with the airmen will be discussed as well; Scrabble School is a bona-fide Rosenwald school.We welcome your letters and columns!

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Letters must include your real name, town of residence and daytime phone number, which we use for verification. We do not accept anonymous letters or letters written under a pseudonym. Letters should be no more than about 400 words. Those of no more than 200 to 300 words are more likely to be published.

SubmitThe Indian embassy in the US has also opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students.

The arrests took place across the US, in New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and St Louis. (Representational Image)

New Delhi/Washington:

India on Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy here, expressing its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.

At the Ministry of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj and her team are giving top priority to the Indian students who have arrested in the United States for enrolling themselves in a fake university.

The Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a "fraudulent university in the US".

"Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated," it said. The ministry underlined to the US Embassy that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the university' should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. "We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the ministry said. The India mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.

Authorities have termed it as pay-to-stay in America scheme and out of 130 foreign students arrested, 129 are from India.

The US Department of homeland Security recently carried out an undercover operation at the university in Detroits Farmington Hills designed to expose immigration fraud.

While, the immigration attorneys said that the students were not aware that the university was operating illegally and illegitimately. Attorneys also criticised authorities for using troubling methods to trap them and hold students accountable as they claimed that they knowingly enrolled themselves in the fake university to maintain their visa status in US.

After the undercover operation, US' Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 130 foreign students, including 129 Indians, for immigration violations.

According to latest reports, trackers have been put around the ankles of the detained students. They have been radio tagged and asked not to move out of a certain radius.

In 2011, in a similar incident, there was an outrage where Indian students were radio-tagged for their alleged involvement in an immigration fraud at US TriValley University.

Khaalid H Walls, an ICE spokesperson said, The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has administratively arrested 130 foreign nationals enrolled at the University of Farmington for civil immigration violations. Of the 130, 129 were Indian nationals.

The ICE agents made the arrests on Wednesday, the same day federal indictments were unsealed that charged eight people, all of whom are either Indians or Indian-Americans, in a visa fraud scheme. All eight were charged criminally for "conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harbouring aliens for profit." But the 130 students were arrested only on civil immigration charges.

The arrests took place across the US, in New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and St Louis.

According to attorneys, the students had immigrated legally to US on student visas, but had allegedly transferred to the University of Farmington so that they could work.

However, federal prosecutors claim the students were aware the university was not running a legitimate operation. But attorneys who have spoken with students or with family and friends of those arrested are pushing back against the government's claims.

For queries and assistance related to the detention of Indian students in the US, please contact our special 24/7 helpline. pic.twitter.com/iorYgZ5cxX  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 2, 2019

The Indian embassy in the US has also opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students. It has appointed a nodal officer to help the students in distress.

The two numbers - (+1) 202-322-1190 and (+1) 202-340-2590 - would be manned by senior embassy officials round the clock, officials said.

The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at the e-mail address: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.Technology may be changing the face of franchise recruitment, but the fundamentals remain the same. A winning development strategy is still all about the connection. First impressions count--and they are being made faster and earlier than ever before.

"Today, franchise development candidates have formed an opinion about your brand long before they reach out to contact you," says Rick Batchelor, CEO of Internet marketing firm Qiigo.

Batchelor joined a slate of franchise development experts on stage at this year's Franchise Leadership & Development Conference (FLDC) to unveil the findings from the 2018 Mystery Shopping Survey. This annual best practices review of franchise recruitment practices included mystery shopping results from 155 brands, along with analysis from the largest study yet of online sales leads.

Among the high-level findings: Franchise sales programs are increasingly driven by digital automation for prospects in a 24/7 world, yet brands risk a disconnect when they put too much trust in technology during the all-important early stages of franchise development.

"At a time when you think technology is going to replace a phone call, it is actually the reverse," says Jayson Pearl, president of ServiceScore, a company he founded in early 2018 to help franchisees improve their responses to inquiry calls. In fact, he says, making phone contact in the initial inquiry phase is more important than ever today.

"Candidates can do a lot more research on their own. If there is a point where a candidate submits a contact form that says, 'I'm ready to talk to someone,' they really are," he says. "They aren't just looking for basic information. They are probably ready to take the next step, or have a specific question they can't get answered by themselves, in spite of trying."

Along with Qiigo and ServiceScore, this year's survey was conducted by Franchise Business Review, Landmark Interactive, Magus Marketing Communications, and CGI.

Veteran mystery shopper Art Coley, CEO of franchise development company CGI, says a lack of attention by brands to the quality and approach of communication before a prospect becomes a candidate continues to be an issue. His survey results showed that many brands have no training or dedicated individual for this pre-engagement phase, a lack of a defined process, few tools, and little content during this critical period.

"The 2018 Mystery Shop results again pointed to what we believe is the number-one problem facing franchise brands in recruitment: poor execution in the pre-engagement phase," says Coley.

Here is a breakdown of the highlights from this year's Mystery Shopping survey, conducted each year in conjunction with the FLDC to uncover best practices--and areas to improve--for brands looking to build a stronger recruitment strategy.

Smartphones lead the way

These days, potential franchise buyers largely do their research on the fly and around the clock, making it more important than ever for brands to step up their mobile communication strategies and tactics.

The number of mobile prospects has nearly tripled over the past 5 years. In 2018, nearly two of three (about 65 percent) potential investors used a smartphone to connect with brands, compared with 22 percent in 2013. The smartphone has supplanted the desktop computer, which was used for brand inquiries 30 percent of the time this year, down from 65 percent just 5 years ago. The survey also found prospects used their tablets only 5 percent of the time for inquiries, down from 13 percent in 2013.

These mobile findings are even more significant when combined with the survey's look into daypart data. Michael Alston, president of Landmark Interactive, analyzed prospect data from 1,524 franchisors in the U.S. and Canada over 12 months to track prospect inquiries by time of day.

The results, the largest data set ever compiled for purposes of daypart analysis, showed a shocking mismatch between time of inquiry and the business hours franchise development teams are most likely to be available, says Alston. Overall, a stunning 67 percent of all prospect inquiries are made outside the standard business hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.--underscoring the need for franchisors to develop a way to respond to these inquiries quickly, and highlighting an untapped and powerful opportunity to improve lead generation.

"Use the phone in the prospect's hands to your advantage" Alston advises. The multitude of franchise inquires made outside regular business hours also affects development teams by time zone:

East Coast teams must develop automated responses for the 65 percent of franchise leads that arrived outside their normal working hours.

For Pacific Time Zone teams, 7 of 10 (71 percent) prospect inquires arrived outside their normal business hours.

West Coast development teams are particularly challenged by the population distribution of the U.S., which is heavily weighted to east of the Mississippi.

Alston, who says franchisors can improve contact rates for online leads, provides the following recommendations for franchise development teams:

Never hesitate to call; chances are the prospect inquired from a mobile phone.

Pay attention to the location of your prospect; be willing to call outside your business hours to match the prospect's time zone.

Note when the lead arrived. If you are calling several hours later than that middle-of-the-night inquiry, be prepared to leave a short message pointing out time zone differences. Ask when it is convenient to reconnect.

Leave a message and remind the prospect that an automated email message from your brand should already be in their inbox. Every connection counts, and it may take multiple communication channels to finally connect with a prospect.

Digital touchpoints

When it comes to lead generation strategies, Qiigo's Rick Batchelor shopped the digital touchpoints of 137 brands and found a fairly level playing field. He found most brands are active on Google paid search, Facebook, and other social media channels relevant to their business. Executives are increasingly active on LinkedIn, and many brands have started implementing programmatic tactics, with retargeting being the most popular.

Batchelor says there is plenty of room for brands to find a competitive edge, starting with leveraging the power of the brand itself. While more than 7 of 10 (73 percent) of brands have a standalone site for franchise development, he recommends that brands consider creating a single site for both consumers and franchise recruitment to establish a strong domain authority. As Batchelor puts it, "A rising tide lifts all boats."

Merging the two sites runs contrary to longstanding advice from recruitment experts in recent years, who urged franchisors to create a separate franchise recruitment site. Yet, Batchelor asks, "Why would you spend double the money for a different site if you are all under the same brand and all driving toward the same company goal?"

Further, he says, "In every case I have ever looked at when I put the consumer site and the brand development site side by side, the consumer site is stronger. So why wouldn't you want your franchise development site to benefit from that? When you combine the two you get even more strength."

A combined SEO strategy could also benefit the development team and allow the financial and human resources needed to maintain two separate sites to be reallocated. "Your franchise development team is typically not a digital team, but you have them making digital decisions and all they have to lean on is the way they have always done it," says Batchelor. "Technology changes really fast. I think the brands that actually do unify and don't try to silo out franchise development win, because it is no longer different. You are talking to the same people." Here are his recommendations for the coming year:

Combine your franchise development and consumer websites.

Leverage SEO for all (consumer and franchise development).

Franchise development should be a subfolder within the core brand site, with its own menu structure.

Provide a clear path to return to the consumer site.

Share social media accounts with the consumer side.

Website performance

Franchise marketing specialist Wendy Odell Magus, principal at Magus Marketing & Communications, posed as a prospect to evaluate the websites of 137 brands. She found measurable improvements from last year by franchisors investing in their websites to provide a richer experience for prospective investors.

The large majority (72 percent) provided franchisee testimonials, with 55 percent showcasing franchisees in video testimonials. The number of companies defining their qualifications for prospective franchisees doubled over last year, and there was a noticeable increase in companies providing a detailed investment chart (up 7 percent). Most websites (72 percent) provided a road map showing how the prospect could learn about the business and be prepared to run their franchise. Slightly fewer (63 percent) clearly outlined the steps toward a franchise purchase.

"Technically, most franchisors are using analytics. However, many more could do a better job of tracking lead sources, financial qualifications, and a time frame from the prospect," she says. "Most franchisors could do better with richer title tags, and by providing three or more links to the development site from their consumer website."

Here are some additional findings:

42 percent of websites did not include a Frequently Asked Questions section; FAQs provide an easy overview and are great for cross-linking within the franchise development website--an SEO best practice.

Only 30 percent of franchisors provided an FPR to website visitors, and barely half provided information about their development and leadership teams.

50 percent of websites had no territory map.

Key takeaway: transparency. Franchisors, says Magus, should provide enough detail to allow prospective franchisees to be well informed to evaluate the opportunity and their own qualifications when they enter the sales process.

Bottom line? There is still plenty of room for improvement in recruitment websites.

Website responsiveness

ServiceScore's Jayson Pearl was charged with evaluating the website responsiveness of franchisors in the recruiting process, as well as the tools brands use to qualify a potential prospect. As part of his process, he submitted a form on the franchise development website and tracked how quickly a brand followed up through email and texts, first call response, qualifying questions, and best practices. His research revealed the following:

45 percent of brands returned the web inquiry with a phone call.

34 percent returned the web inquiry with a phone call within 24 hours.

91 percent responded by email (largely automated).

55 percent never called.

9 percent never responded at all.

Pearl says when it comes to follow-up, there is no uniform screening process. "There were brands that were heavily automated and used technology, and some that used none at all," he says. "There were calls that were 40 seconds and calls that were 40 minutes, open-ended calls and calls that were very regimented."

Pearl says the prequalification period is a critical moment for franchisors to convert calls into prospects and candidates. "There were a lot of brands that talked about their process or qualification criteria, but they didn't take that opportunity to make that connection or share what was special about their brand," he says. To improve in this area, he recommends the following:

Wow/first impression. Simply thanking a prospect for showing interest in your brand can go a long way toward taking a qualified candidate to the next step in the recruitment process.

Connect/qualify. To ensure a good fit for both the prospect and the franchisor, take the necessary time to connect.

Identify three needs. Research has shown that if you identify three needs of any sale opportunity, your conversation rate will double (in any industry). Ask questions to uncover why the prospect called and what is motivating them to want to learn more about franchising with your brand.

Sell the brand. Share what is special about your brand and why it is better than the competition.

Be flexible. Too often recruitment is a rigid process. Whether offering up a "day in the life of the brand" or the chance to dig more into the financials, a flexible approach to the next step can go a long way toward making a future investor feel self-directed in the process.

Telephone inquiry results

CGI's team also shopped 137 franchise brands. They had three goals: 1) find the right phone number to call, 2) telephone the franchise, and 3) evaluate follow up. Every brand fit into one of four categories: phone number only, online form only, phone number and online form, or no phone number or online form.

To have a better shot at solid brand and shareholder growth, Coley recommends that brands make it a priority in 2019 to track and improve their brand's pre-engagement practices. Top takeaways from CGI's research include the following:

Lack of attention and resources means fewer candidates. Study after study shows there still are a huge number of leads generated annually who never hear back from a brand. Suspects cannot develop into candidates without serious attention and tracking in the pre-engagement phase.

Quality is more important than speed. The brands that completed the mystery shop the fastest scored the worst. Nothing kills the chance of a potential franchisee becoming a prospect and candidate more quickly than careless speed. Communication must be safe, measured, relevant, and meaningful. Know the difference between speed and quality.

Big money is being wasted on marketing. Survey results show again the problem isn't lead generation. Instead, look at pre-engagement.

A phone number on the website matters. As a group, brands with a phone number on their website had an average score of 15 points and completion of the mystery shop of 30 percent. Brands without a phone number had an average score of 4 points and a 4 percent completion rate.

Franchisee satisfaction

When it comes to franchisee satisfaction, the best brands keep getting better. Franchise Business Review (FBR) researched 62 brands representing 18,254 business outlets. A total of 6,986 franchisees completed a survey conducted by FBR that consisted of more than 50 questions related to their business performance, satisfaction with their brand, and general business. Results were compared with FBR's benchmark data gathered from more than 330 franchise brands representing more than 25,000 franchisees across all industry segments.

Satisfaction was measured across eight key areas: training and support, franchise system, leadership, financial opportunity, core values, franchisee community, self-evaluation (franchisee performance), and general overall satisfaction.

Overall, the test group's score (70.2) was nearly identical to the FBR Franchise Sector benchmark (71.7). Of the three major industry sectors researched (food, retail, and services), FBR found that food franchise brands had 10 percent lower franchisee satisfaction overall, and no food brands made the top 10.

While the influx and interest of private equity in franchising is changing the face of some franchisors, the core of what satisfies a franchisee has not changed, says Eric Stites, CEO and managing director of FBR.

"Most franchisees understand that the franchisor still has to make the decision at the end of the day, and not everything is going to go their way," he says. "But as long as they feel they are involved in that process and listened to, I think that is critical."

All of the brands in this year's top 10 represent the best in franchising, says Stites. He says companies that made the top 10 in this year's survey of franchisee satisfaction scored substantially higher than everyone else overall: 20 to 25 percent higher, which, he says, is a "huge separation" from the other brands surveyed.

"They have a deep-rooted culture of inclusion, caring, and shared success and have been at the top of our research for many years," says Stites. "The common thread is simply the 'golden rule' of franchising: Treat your franchisees like you would like to be treated."GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina)- The Greenville City Police Department says they arrested a suspect after one person was killed during a fatal shooting on Saturday on Jenkins Street.ANDERSON, SC (FOX CAROLINA) -The Anderson County Sheriff's Office says a man threw about 80 grams of meth out of the window while he was trying to flee from deputies during a traffic stop.This budget will boost the efforts of 130 crore citizens in realising the goal of a new India, the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cheers as finance minister Piyush Goyal presents the Interim Budget 2019-20 during the Budget Session at Lok Sabha in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Interim Budget is merely a "trailer" of what will guide India towards prosperity after the Lok Sabha polls and described it as something which will benefit all sections of the society.

In his remarks after the interim budget was presented in Parliament, Mr Modi said it empowers people and referred to a host of budgetary announcements and schemes to drive home his point.

More than 12 crore farmers, three crore middle class families and 30-40 crore workers employed in unorganised sector will benefit from the budget, he said, adding that poverty has been falling at a record rate due to the efforts of his government.

This budget will boost the efforts of 130 crore citizens in realising the goal of a new India, the Prime Minister said.

He added that the development initiatives of the NDA government have touched several lives which have been reflected in the budget proposals from farmer welfare to middle class, from income tax relief to infrastructure, from manufacturing to MSME, from housing to healthcare and from the increased pace of development to the New India.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness over more people being removed from the shackles of poverty.

"Our neo-middle class is rising and so are their dreams ... Interim budget a trailer for what will take India towards prosperity after Lok Sabha polls," he said in a televised statement.

Mr Modi said that PM Kisan Nidhi is a historic step for farmer welfare which will help the farmers who have under 5 acres of land. Modi added that the animal husbandry sector, fisheries have been taken care of in the budget for "new India".

In his statement, he thanked Arun Jaitley, undergoing treatment, and Finance Minister Piyush Goyal for the budget. Till recently, Jaitley was handling the finance portfolio. Mr Goyal now holds the additional charge of finance.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh described the budget as "historic" and said it will accelerate the process of creating a 'new India' which is confident, self-reliant, developed and prosperous.

Union minister Arun Jaitley, who had been holding the finance portfolio but had to relinquish the office for health reasons, said the government's decision to exempt income of up to Rs 5 lakh from tax will benefit the "great Indian middle class".

The significant announcement made by Goyal will strengthen the purchasing power of the middle class which holds the key for India's future, he said. He is currently in the US for treatment.Las Vegas police said the suspect in an officer-involved shooting last week in the Summerlin area was a violent man, wanted for multiple crimes.Please either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.Layoffs for about 4,000 salaried staff at General Motors are due to start Monday.

The layoffs are part of a 15% reduction in white collar jobs in North America that the automaker first announced back in November. At the same time, it announced plans to close four US plants as well as a fifth in Canada.

While those plants, which include about 6,000 hourly jobs, have yet to close, GM is moving ahead with the salaried staff reductions, a GM spokesman confirmed Friday. The timing of the layoffs was first reported by the Detroit News.

The company had about 2,300 salaried staff accept voluntary buyout packages that were offered to 18,000 employees. In addition, there were 1,500 contract employees who were not retained by the company.

That leaves the remainder of the 8,000 planned job cuts to be accomplished with the involuntary layoffs.

GM (GM) is due to report financial results Wednesday and it is expected to report lower earnings.

The job cuts and plant closings are part of ongoing cost reductions to free up $6 billion annually to invest in a new generation of autos, such as electric and self-driving vehicles. It is also making a push to develop a ride hailing service that will allow GM to make more money by selling rides to customers rather than vehicles.(CNN) -- Jussie Smollett has a message for his supporters: "I'm OK."

The "Empire" actor, whose statement was first published by Essence on Friday, said he was attacked in the early morning hours on Tuesday in what Chicago police are investigating as a possible hate crime.

Smollett addressed his statement to the "beautiful people."

"Let me start by saying that I'm OK," the actor said. "My body is strong but my soul is stronger."

He went on to share his gratitude.

"More importantly I want to say thank you," Smollett said. "The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words."

The star also addressed speculation that he has been less than forthcoming with authorities and that his story has changed since he originally reported the incident.

"I am working with authorities and have been 100% factual and consistent on every level," Smollett added. "Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served."

Smollett said he was attacked by two people who were "yelling out racial and homophobic slurs," according to police.

Smollett plays a gay character on "Empire" and also identifies as gay.

He also reported that one of his attackers put a rope around his neck and poured an unknown chemical substance on him, police said.

Related: Letter containing white powder sent to 'Empire' set days before Jussie Smollett attack

Investigators said they have video of Smollett entering the hotel after the alleged attack with what appears to be a noose around his neck.

On Thursday, the Smollett family issued their first official statement since the incident.

They condemned the "violent and unprovoked attack," calling it "a racial and homophobic hate crime."

"Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning," the family's statement read. "His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice."

Related: Live updates on the Jussie Smollett case

"As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non-gender conforming siblings daily," Smollett said in his statement.

"I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident," he said. "We will talk soon and I will address all details of this horrific incident, but I need a moment to process."

Smollett concluded with a message of resilience.

"Most importantly, during times of trauma, grief and pain, there is still a responsibility to lead with love," he said. "It's all I know. And that can't be kicked out of me."

CNN's Don Lemon spoke to Smollett and a mutual friend who was at the hospital with the actor on Tuesday.

Smollett said he was shaken and angry that an attack like this could happen.

He also told CNN he fought back against the attackers.

Chicago police have released photos of potential persons of interest they are asking the public for assistance in identifying.

CNN's Sandra Gonzalez and Ryan Young contributed to this report(CNN) -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized to Cherokee Nation leaders over her attempt to use a DNA test to confirm her past claims to Native American ancestry, the tribe said.

The presidential hopeful "reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe," Cherokee Nation executive director of communications Julie Hubbard said in a statement.

"We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests," Hubbard added. "We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end."

A Warren spokesman declined to comment on any outreach to Cherokee Nation.

Warren's decision last year to roll out a video touting her family's Native ancestry and post online an analysis of her genetic data performed by Carlos Bustamante, a Stanford professor, that "identified 5 genetic segments as Native American in origin at high confidence," was met with a swift political backlash.

Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. was among Warren's harshest critics.

"Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong," he said in a statement at the time. "It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven."

By the time Warren hit the campaign trail earlier this month after forming a presidential exploratory committee, the fury seemed to be dying down. Voters upset over the test at her early events, in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, typically framed their concerns in a stark political context, worrying that Warren had given in to President Donald Trump, who has frequently mocked her past claims.

Asked about the DNA test during a question and answer session at a rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on January 5, Warren explained her reasoning and declared, "I am not a person of color. I am not a citizen of a tribe. Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes -- and only tribes -- determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference."

Her point echoed what tribal advocates and leaders had said -- and were continuing to say as their frustration grew -- for months.

Rebecca Nagle, a writer, activist and citizen of Cherokee Nation, told CNN in an interview last week that, even though she mostly agreed with Warren's politics, she would never consider supporting her without a robust admission.

"What Warren needs to do, at this point, is apologize to the tribes that she has harmed and to Native people broadly -- and then she needs to say without qualification, unequivocally that she is not Cherokee and that she is not Native. And stop parsing Native identity in ways that undermine Native rights," Nagle said

Warren's explanation, her stories of a familial history and the DNA test, she added, only made things worse.

"All of those things aren't how indigenous people measure and determine Native identity," Nagle said. "It's how white people try to measure our identity -- by blood quantum or by percentages."

Nagle told CNN on Friday that she was pleased that Warren first approached the tribe privately, but still believed a more public statement was necessary.

The Intercept first reported on the outreach and apology.

Warren first faced political scrutiny over her purported Native American heritage during her 2012 Senate race. Trump put the controversy back in the headlines during the 2016 presidential election, when he met Warren's criticisms by calling her "Pocahontas."

At the event in Iowa, Warren told a sympathetic audience, "My decision was to put it all out there" in the face of the political attacks.

"I can't stop Donald Trump from what he's going to do," she said. "I can't stop him from hurling racial insults. I don't have any power to do that," she added as an audience member yelled out, "Yes, you can!"Circuit Court Judge John R. Lockett dismissed a 30-year-old rape case against 46-year-old Timothy Lee Robinson on Friday.

"The defense found a loophole in the law and the judge agreed with them and so the defendant is going to be released and we're powerless to prosecute him for raping a 3 year old girl," said Tandice Hogan, a Mobile County Assistant District Attorney.

Robinson was arrested in December after a rape kit from a 1989 rape of a 3-year-old was linked to him. Robinson was 17-years-old at the time of the alleged crime which meant he would need to be tried in juvenile court, however, the law back then was written in a way that said when a suspect turned 21 it was out of their jurisdiction as well.

"I do think it's a miscarriage of justice in that because of the lapse of time that's the sole reason this defendant is going to be released, it has nothing to do with lack of evidence," Hogan said.

Authorities say a CODIS hit, matching DNA, identified Robinson as the offender. Robinson was charged with rape first degree.

When the 3-year-old victim was sexually assaulted, she was being cared for by a family friend. The victims family, at the time of the incident, stated they did not know the offender. Further investigation revealed that the family actually knew the suspect and did not disclose the assault to the victim.

For the defense team, the judge's decision is what had to happen.

I don't think it is unfair to call it a technicality, said Matthew Peterson, Robinsons defense team. It's a gap that existed in the law back in 1989 that has been fixed since.

The DAs office said they are not happy about today's decision, they say they will continue to test rape kits to make sure victims get the justice they deserve.

This is something we did not foresee happening, this is something the defense attorney filed a motion on and the judge agreed with him, but that doesn't mean that we're going to quit in our efforts to identify and apprehend sex offenders, Hogan said.

Robinson previously had been convicted in a sex abuse case involving an 8 year old, he was released from prison last year in that case.

Below is the order of dismissal:

"This matter is before the Court on the Defendants Motion to Dismiss for Want of Jurisdiction. The Defendant was indicted by the Mobile County Grand Jury for Rape in the First Degree for an offense that was alleged to have occurred on June 28, 1989.

It is well-settled in Alabama that the law in effect at the time of the offense controls the prosecution of that offense. See e.g. M.A.M. v. State, 177 So.3d 222, 224 (Ala. Crim. App. 2015). At the time of the alleged offense in 1989, the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act was in effect. That Act provided that the juvenile court had original and exclusive jurisdiction over any offense involving a child who is under 18. There was no automatic transfer provision allowing certain offenses to be automatically brought in Circuit Court without a transfer order by juvenile court. Thus, any offense involving a child under 18 at the time of the offense must be prosecuted in juvenile court unless the juvenile court transferred the matter to Circuit Court after a transfer hearing.

The parties agree that the Defendants true date of birth is December 27, 1971. Therefore, at the time of the alleged offense, Mr. Robinson was 17 years old. This means that the juvenile court would have original and exclusive jurisdiction over any offense Mr. Robinson was alleged to have committed at the time of this alleged offense. Without the juvenile court transferring this matter to this Court, this Court has no jurisdiction over the Defendant. Seeing as there is no such order, this Court is without jurisdiction to preside over this matter.

Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED that this matter is DISMISSED DUE TO LACK OF JURISDICTION."

tandice hoganIt's going to be a big year for Harris Corp. (NYSE:LHX), which has a $15 billion deal pending that would catapult this under-the-radar communications and electronics vendor onto the upper echelon of defense contractors. Harris ended 2018 on a high note as well, and in the process gave investors ample reason to be excited about what's to come in the year ahead.

Harris reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.96 for its fiscal second quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 per share in earnings on revenue that came in $30 million above expectations. The company said that orders were up 27% year over year, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.06 times.

Things weren't so rosy over at merger partner L3 Technologies (NYSE:LLL), which reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings per share of $3.10, which was $0.40 ahead of estimates thanks to a lower tax rate, decreased share count, and other items. The company actually came in about $23 million light on operating earnings if you back out tax rates and other items for issues related to its business building traveling wave tube amplifiers.

The quarterly results are important, but all eyes are understandably on what is to come as the two companies combine.

Harris shooting for the stars

Harris in recent years has focused its attention on sensors, radios, and other products aimed at the space, defense, and civilian government markets, and those businesses all reported strong numbers. Its communications systems division saw sales grow 10% from a year prior on strong demand from the Pentagon for night-vision goggles, as well as government modernization efforts. The unit delivered a 30% margin in the quarter, a range that the company is targeting for future quarters as well.

The company is benefiting from a push by state and federal agencies to upgrade systems, winning a $33 million order from Nevada for work on a statewide radio system and a $23 million order from the Air National Guard for communications tech.

Harris' space and intelligence unit also grew revenue by 11% due to increased demand coming from classified programs. CEO William Brown on a call with analysts said that Harris' shift from building components used on satellites made by other vendors to manufacturing what he calls "smallsats" entirely in-house has attracted more than $350 million worth of orders from the defense and intelligence community.

That business could grow bigger over time. Harris has the opportunity to compete for classified constellation work that could include hundreds of satellites, "so we do see over time that could be a very big opportunity for the company," Brown said.

Harris raised full fiscal year guidance on its call, boosting earnings estimates by $0.10 per share on higher sales and total company margin of 19.5% to 20%, higher than the prior 19.3% to 19.7% estimates. It also said it was on track to meet or slightly exceed its projection of $1 billion in full-year free cash flow.

L3 dinged by self-inflicted wound

Over at L3, total quarterly revenue of $2.77 billion beat expectations by $80 million based on a strong showing from its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance business. Its issues came from its communications and networked systems division, which is still struggling from a 2017 decision to shed a facility where wave tubes were being manufactured.

Closing that facility and moving the business resulted in a loss of talent, which combined with the company misreading commercial space demand and other supply chain issues to derail quarterly results.

"It was pretty much a perfect storm as to all of the things that could have gone wrong," L3 CEO Christopher Kubasik said on a call with analysts.

Importantly, L-3 doesn't seem to think there will be a long-lasting effect. The company reaffirmed the 2019 guidance it filed as part of the merger paperwork, which included a 5% growth in revenue, 12% EBIT margins, and just more than $1 billion in free cash flow.

Check out the latest earnings call transcripts for companies we cover.

Better together

Harris and L3 have each on their own in recent years been repositioning their businesses to capitalize on specific areas of Pentagon and government need where their expertise will allow them to compete against defense titans. The strategy, despite L3's recent stumbles, appears to be working for each individual company, and combined the two firms have the makings of a military electronics powerhouse.

There will be disruptions from the deal: Harris expects to be forced to divest its $155 million-sales night vision product line in order to win regulatory approval, though the company will still compete for new orders thanks to L3's similar business.

Brown said the deal is on track to close midyear and reiterated early expectations for $500 million in gross synergies. I believe based on Harris' success in integrating its $4.75 billion purchase of Exelis in 2015 and L3's long history as an acquirer, that number will prove to be conservative, and because it's an all-stock deal, the combined company will have plenty of cash to deploy for growth or to return to shareholders.

Mergers inherently come with risk, but I trust these management teams and believe this is the right combination at the right time. Investors would do well to buy into Harris while the company is still on the launching pad.Citing Interim Budget, Naidu said that the central govt has nothing in its bag for the state even in its last budget before LS polls.

He termed the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'worse than the British rule'. (Photo: File)

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of "betraying" his state by failing to fulfil the assurances made during its bifurcation and said the Interim Budget had nothing on offer for the state.

He slammed the central government saying, "The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has betrayed Andhra Pradesh all these years".

Citing the Interim Budget, he said that the central government has nothing in its bag for the state even in its last budget before the Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party observed Friday as Black Day as a mark of protest against the BJP-led central dispensation, alleging that the Centre had "betrayed" the state in all the five budgets.

"Nothing is assured to the state even in this last budget," said Chandrababu Naidu.

He also took on BJP legislators in the state and said they were ineligible to be public representatives.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly took up the subject of AP Reorganization Act and the promises and implementation for discussion.

While BJP MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju was trying to defend his party, Naidu intervened and slammed him. When BJP MLA Manikyala Rao stood up to counter, Chandrababu Naidu continued his angry speech.

"TDP did not compromise on anything. I faced much humility but kept on calling Modi Sir. But he did not pay heed to our requirements. He only gave dust and water for Amaravati. Now BJP is campaigning that they only brought Kia motors to AP. It is utter nonsense," said Naidu.

He termed the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "worse than the British rule".

"Why should we pay taxes to the central government? What is the right of Centre on the state's income? They are doing threatening politics. Is Andhra Pradesh not part of the nation? BJP doesn't have much bigger leaders in the South. There was only one, Venkaiah Naidu. Now you have sidelined him. How can BJP woo the people in South India," he said.

Chandrababu Naidu continued his speech on the Reorganization Act assurances and special category status. He mentioned the Polavaram project, Kadapa steel plant, Visakhapatnam railway zone and other issues on which the central government is allegedly not cooperating.Leaving the INF pact with Russia risks aggravating relations with European allies, who share the administration's view that Russia is violating the treaty but who have not endorsed a US withdrawal.

Washington: The Trump administration is pulling the plug on a decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia, lifting what it sees as unreasonable constraints on competing with a resurgent Russia and a more assertive China.

The move announced on Friday sets the stage for delicate talks with US allies over potential new American missile deployments.

In explaining his decision, which he had foreshadowed months ago, President Donald Trump accused Moscow of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with "impunity" by deploying banned missiles. Moscow denies it is in violation and has accused Washington of resisting its efforts to resolve the dispute.

Democrats in Congress and some arms control advocates criticised Trump's decision as opening the door to an arms race. "The US threat to terminate the treaty will not bring Russia back into compliance and could unleash a dangerous and costly new missile competition between the United States and Russia in Europe and beyond," the private Arms Control Association said.

It argued that Washington had not exhausted options for drawing Russia back into compliance.

Trump said in a statement that the US will "move forward" with developing its own military response options to Russia's banned deployment of cruise missiles that could target western Europe. "We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other," Trump said.

Other officials said the treaty could still be saved if Russia reverses course and returns to compliance, but that window of opportunity will close in six months when the American withdrawal is due to take effect.

Trump's decision reflects his administration's view that the arms treaty was an unacceptable obstacle to more forcefully confronting not only Russia but also China. China's military has grown mightily since the treaty was signed, and the pact has prevented the US from deploying weapons to counter some of those being developed in Beijing.

Leaving the INF pact, however, risks aggravating relations with European allies, who share the administration's view that Russia is violating the treaty but who have not endorsed a US withdrawal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking to reporters after Trump's statement, said Russia will be formally notified on Saturday that the US is withdrawing from the treaty, effective in six months. In the meantime, starting Saturday, the US will suspend its obligations under the treaty. Pompeo said that if in the coming six months, Russia accepts US demands that it verifiably destroy the cruise missiles that Washington claims are a violation, then the treaty can be saved. If it does not, "the treaty terminates," he said.

Administration officials have dismissed concerns that the treaty's demise could trigger a race to develop and deploy more intermediate-range missiles. US officials have emphasised their fear that China, which is not party to the treaty, is gaining a significant military advantage in Asia by deploying large numbers of missiles with ranges beyond the treaty's limit.

Whether the US will now respond by deploying INF noncompliant missiles in Asia is unclear. In any case, it seems unlikely Beijing would agree to any negotiated limits on its weaponry.

Russia accused the US of unilaterally seeking to neuter the treaty.

"I 'congratulate' the whole world; the United States has taken another step toward its destruction today," said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia's upper house of parliament.

INF was the first arms control measure to ban an entire class of weapons: ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 500 kilometres and 5,500 kilometres. At the time, in the late stages of the Cold War, the US and its allies were mainly concerned by the perceived threat of Russian medium-range nuclear missiles that were targeted at Europe. The US deployed similar missiles in response, in the 1980s, leading to negotiations that produced the INF treaty.

Representative Adam Smith, a Washington state Democrat and new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, blasted Trump for raising the risk of nuclear war. "The administration's ideological aversion to arms control as a tool for advancing national security is endangering our safety, as well as that of our allies and partners," Smith said.A decision not to take up the case would encourage the American right-wing and evangelical movement to step up challenges to longstanding abortion laws.

Washington: Already tilted to the right by President Donald Trump's nominations, the US Supreme Court is facing a test case on abortion rights, one of the most polarising issues in an already divided nation.

A clinic and two doctors offering abortions in Louisiana have appealed to the Supreme Court to block a law restricting access to abortion, that is due to come into force next week in the conservative southern state. The law, approved in 2014, would require doctors offering abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they operate.

Louisiana argues that the risks of complications arising during an abortion procedure mean that patients may need to be transferred to a nearby hospital where doctors could step in. That argument was endorsed by a state appeals court and the law will come into effect on Monday unless challenged by the Supreme Court.

A similar law limiting abortion access in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. But since Trump came to office two years ago, he has appointed two new conservative justices, tilting the balance of the court sharply to the right.

A decision not to take up the case would encourage the American right-wing and evangelical movement to step up challenges to longstanding abortion laws.

The plaintiffs in the Louisiana case argue the new law "will have disastrous consequences for women in the state," where 10,000 women seek abortions every year. "Louisiana's admitting privileges requirement would leave only one physician providing abortions in the entire state and that all-but-one clinic that provides abortion care would be forced to close," they said.

They said the Texas law, adopted in 2013, led to the closure of half of the services offering abortions in the state, before being overturned by the Supreme Court three years later.

Despite being a twice-divorced former casino mogul, Trump won over the powerful evangelical right by promising to appoint judges opposed to abortion rights. Once in office, he made good on his pledge by nominating Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, tipping the balance of the court to five conservative justices and just four liberals.

Both men stressed the importance of legal precedent in their confirmation hearings, but anti-abortion activists saw their appointments as a chance to assail the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling allowing abortion, known as Roe versus Wade. The Louisiana case will prove a key stress test for that ruling.

If either one of the new appointees sides with the progressives, the top court can freeze the Louisiana law.Otherwise, the court will not intercede and the law will go into effect.

Defenders of women's right to abortion fear that silence from the court will encourage other states to follow Louisiana's lead.

A 57-per cent majority of Americans back women's right to seek abortions, but the hot-button issue cuts deeply along political and religious lines, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Some 59 per cent of Republicans and 61 percent of evangelicals say that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Since Roe v Wade came into effect, states have sought ways to restrict access, trying to impose delays and threatening non-reimbursement of costs to patients. That has led to huge regional disparities in the availability of abortions, with more than 500 centers offering them in California and only four in Kansas, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The Guttmacher Institute said the "changing composition of the Supreme Court has heightened the risks" of restrictions on access to abortions. "Anti-abortion politicians are hoping that the Supreme Court will stand by and let them legislate abortion out of reach - without the court ever having to reverse Roe v Wade," said Nancy Northup, head of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

"That would be death to Roe by a thousand cuts," she said in an opinion piece in the New York Times.Twenty-four years after Kim Davy dumped a planeload of weapons in West Bengal, India seems to have given up on bringing the Dane to justice

When a Gulfstream jet touched down at the Delhi airport on the night of December 4, it was correctly hailed as a big win for the Modi government. The airplane that flew in from Dubai carried Christian Michel, the middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

A week later, the governments efforts to bring fugitives back to face justice in India received another boost when a UK court cleared the way for the extradition of Vijay Mallya, an order the businessman plans to challenge.

But, what of Niels Holck, better known as Kim Davy? The Dane masterminded the dumping of a plane-load of weapons in West Bengal, chronicled his crime in a book and also triggered a five-year freeze in bilateral ties. Even after 24 years, Davy is nowhere close to being brought to India. In fact, if last weeks developments are anything to go by, India has virtually given him a free pass.

The problem has been solved in the political sense. There is a dialogue between the authorities and what we agreed upon last April was we should rely on independent authorities to do their work, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, in India for the Vibrant Gujarat summit, said of Davys extradition.

We did not touch upon the subject all yesterday. The last we talked about it was in April in Stockholm, Rasmussen said in Delhi on January 19, an obvious reference to his discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar. The two leaders had also met during the Indo-Nordic summit in Stockholm in April 2018.

By all measures, it was a good visit for Rasmussen, who also inaugurated a cultural centre in Delhi. While he may derive satisfaction from the setting up of the Danish centre--some Danes retain a nostalgia for their once tiny settlements in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal--he is obviously most satisfied at India giving up political and diplomatic tracks for the extradition of Davy to stand trial in the infamous 1995 Purulia arms drop case.

Denmarks record in the Davy affair has been so dubious that, in abandoning the political and diplomatic paths and trusting Rasmussen, the Modi government may have made a serious misjudgement. This is especially because Rasmussen was the prime minister in 2010-2011 when his government and its independent authorities ensured Davy was not extradited.

Davy has made no secret of his role in dropping large number of arms from an aircraft in Puralia district of Bengal in late December 1995. The AN-26 flew from Karachi, re-fuelled in Varanasi and on way to Kolkata deviated from its flight path and dumped the arms, which investigators said included AK-47 rifles, anti-tank grenades, rocket launchers and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The plane then touched down in Kolkata and went to Thailand. Once the arms were discovered, the government acknowledged the enormous security breach and confiscated the cache. It was then suspected that the arms were meant for the Ananda Marga sect.

A few days later, the aircraft again flew into India and re-fuelled in Chennai. It was intercepted and forced to land in Mumbai. Davy and others were on board. While the others were arrested, Davy managed to flee India.

The Central Bureau of Investigation charged Davy and others. As he surfaced in his home country, the Danish government was approached in 2008 so that he could be tried in India.

Davy has not denied his role. In fact, he claimed that the arms drop was a conspiracy hatched by Indian intelligence agencies. The Danes took Indias request lightly and acted in an obstructive manner. They didnt rule out extradition outrightly but sought assurances, which they thought India would not accede to.

After India assured that Davy would be treated well, the Danes sat on the matter for months. When reminded, they sought more assurances-- about the trial and that if convicted, Davy would serve his sentence in Denmark. These too were given. In both cases, Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs cabinet had considered these requests. Danes again took their time before ordering Davys extradition in April 2010. He challenged the order in court.

A few months later, when Danish foreign minister Lene Espersen visited India in December, her Indian counterpart, SM Krishna, told her that unless Davy was sent to India, the relationship would suffer. Krishna was sometimes ridiculed in the media for his absent-mindedness. But as a staunch nationalist, he always upheld the countrys honour.

Davy took the plea that his human rights would not be secure in India. As the case proceeded, it became obvious that the Danish government lawyers were not vigorously defending the extradition order. Their interaction with the visiting CBI officers, too, was unsatisfactory. A Danish court disallowed Davys extradition in early 2011.

Under pressure from India, the Danish government went in appeal. Again, serious efforts were not made to convince the court that Davy would get a fair trial in India. The appeal was dismissed in July 2011. The Danish independent authorities could have asked for a review but did not. Clearly, the Rasmussen governments assessment was that India would pocket the insults and continue with the ties.

Krishna was of the view that Denmark could not be simply allowed to treat India with such disdain. He decided to downgrade the ties till Davy was sent for trial. That situation continued till 2016.

Denmark was keen to resume full diplomatic and economic ties, without acting against Davy. It lobbied the UPA ministers but to no avail, though some felt Indias decision was too severe.

Denmark also took part in successive Vibrant Gujarat summits. The Danish government continued with intense lobbying with the Modi government that took office in 2014. It appears in 2016, Denmark assured India that the extradition request could be made afresh and it would be seriously pursued. A fresh request was made and political contact restored.

Since then, the Danish foreign minister has visited India in 2017 and 2018. Official statements talked about commitment to upgrading trade and economic ties and also the process of diplomatic consultation but there was no mention of Davy. Nor, according to Rasmussen, did it figure in recent talks between the two prime ministers. As per the Danish leader, in the Stockholm meeting Modi and he agreed to keep the political track separate and let the independent authorities do their work.

It has been two years that the Modi government has trusted Denmark in the Davy case. Has there been any real movement? Senior officials appear to be hopeful. While it is good to be so, they should not overlook Denmarks record and there is no public indication that the Scandinavian nation is serious in sending Davy to India. It is time that the Modi government pursues the matter as it did in Christian Michels case.

If Denmark continues to act tardily, it would only be appropriate to revert to the old freeze. National dignity demands it. Powers that allow themselves to be treated lightly are so treatedalways.

(The writer is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer)By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain complained about the European Union calling Gibraltar a 'colony' in a piece of draft legislation on Friday, highlighting how the EU is lining up behind Spain in its territorial dispute as Britain quits the bloc. The 27 remaining member states agreed to offer Britons visa-free travel to the EU after Brexit in March, even if talks on a broader withdrawal treaty collapse, on condition that Britain offers the same terms to EU citizens visiting for up to 90 days.

By Gabriela Baczynska

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain complained about the European Union calling Gibraltar a "colony" in a piece of draft legislation on Friday, highlighting how the EU is lining up behind Spain in its territorial dispute as Britain quits the bloc.

The 27 remaining member states agreed to offer Britons visa-free travel to the EU after Brexit in March, even if talks on a broader withdrawal treaty collapse, on condition that Britain offers the same terms to EU citizens visiting for up to 90 days.

But diplomats said Britain's ambassador to the EU had objected to the wording of the text; it placed the 33,000 people of Gibraltar in a different category from UK citizens -- with the same travel rights -- and it also spelled out Spain's claim to sovereignty over "The Rock" at the United Nations.

In particular, it stated: "Gibraltar is a colony of the British Crown. There is a controversy between Spain and the United Kingdom concerning the sovereignty over Gibraltar."

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman insisted Gibraltar was not a "colony". The port at the mouth of the Mediterranean, ceded to Britain by Spain in 1713 after a war, was a "crown colony" when Britain joined the European bloc in 1973 but London reclassified it as a "British overseas territory" in 2002.

"Gibraltar is not a colony and it is completely inappropriate to describe in this way," a British spokeswoman said. "Gibraltar is a full part of the UK family."

The wording has, however, been used in other EU texts. The European Court of Justice said in rulings in 2006 and 2017 that Gibraltar was "a colony of the British crown" and not part of the United Kingdom.

Britain had not raised specific objections to the wording in those cases, officials said, but was irritated by Spain's push to push the phrase and the sovereignty dispute into legislation in the present circumstances.

"DECOLONISATION"

Spain's claim to sovereignty makes use of U.N. rules on decolonisation. Those, among other things, limit the weight given to the preferences of people living in a territory; Gibraltarians favour remaining British, despite having voted overwhelmingly against Brexit in the 2016 referendum.

Spain had sought a more sweeping reference to UN resolutions on colonies, diplomats said, but France objected to protect its interests in some of its own overseas territories.

The text agreed by the 27 governments will be discussed by the European Parliament and the EU executive in order to finalise a regulation giving Britons visa-free access.

Recalling how EU policy on Gibraltar had so far largely favoured Britain, which joined the bloc before Spain, a senior EU official told Reuters recently: "Now the table has turned."

"The Union position ... was the British position ... But with Brexit, the Union position is now the Spanish position. We will always take the side of a member against a non-member," the official said.

Spain has already secured a right of veto over whether future Brexit arrangements can apply to Gibraltar. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held up an agreement on the current withdrawal treaty in November over the issue and said Spain would seek joint sovereignty after Britain leaves the EU.

Spanish sources said this week that Madrid would insist on excluding Gibraltar from all agreements between Britain and the EU once Britain has left.

But there is concern among other EU countries that Madrid's hard line could disrupt efforts to ease Britain out of the bloc. EU diplomats point to the territorial issue as one of those that could fray the unity the 27 have shown in negotiations so far.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Catherine Evans)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The victim, a dancer herself, alleged that Salman with his brother, tried to behave inappropriately with her on two separate occasions.

Mumbai: A molestation case has been filed against popular dancer Salman Yusuf Khan on January 30 at the Oshiwara Police Station.

The victim, a dancer herself, alleged that Salman, along with his brother, tried to behave inappropriately with her on two separate occasions.

According to the FIR filed, the victim was approached by the dancer's manager while she was in London for work in August 2018. Subsequently, she met Salman at a coffee shop in Oshiwara Andheri, where he offered her an opportunity to perform in Bollywood Park, Dubai with him.

The victim claimed that Salman "touched her inappropriately" on the day she was offered the opportunity after he offered to drop her home. When she objected to Salman's behaviour, the dancer, she said, claimed that such things happened in Bollywood.

The FIR filed by the victim further goes on to add that following the incident, she got a call from the dancer's manager regarding the work and left for Dubai on August 20, along with her dance group.

The victim alleges that, while in Dubai, Salman asked her, on August 30, to accompany him to Bollywood park resort in Bahrain, for another show.

As soon as they reached the airport, Salman allegedly introduced her to his cousin brother, who, along with Salman, allegedly touched her inappropriately on their journey back to Dubai via car on November 3.

The victim alleged that Salman and his team harassed her and her troupe for days after the incident, and even threatened her with dire consequences. He allegedly forcefully made them terminate their contracts and on November 10 sent her and her troupe flight tickets back to Mumbai when they refused to budge.

These incidents of harassment prompted the victim to file a case against the dancer and his brother.

Notably, Salman, who rose to fame for his participation in popular reality shows, has also had subsequent stints in Bollywood.By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren has apologised to the Cherokee Nation for taking a DNA test in a widely criticized effort to prove her claims to Native American ancestry, the tribe said on Friday. Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, called Bill John Baker, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, on Thursday to apologise for taking the DNA test last year, said Julie Hubbard, a Cherokee Nation spokeswoman.

By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren has apologised to the Cherokee Nation for taking a DNA test in a widely criticized effort to prove her claims to Native American ancestry, the tribe said on Friday.

Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, called Bill John Baker, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, on Thursday to apologise for taking the DNA test last year, said Julie Hubbard, a Cherokee Nation spokeswoman.

"It was a brief and private conversation but I understand that she did apologise for causing confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that has resulted," Hubbard said in a statement.

The chief and other tribal leaders appreciate that Warren "reaffirmed she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen - or a citizen of any tribal nation," Hubbard said.

A Warren spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

Warren angered tribal leaders and some of her fellow Democrats when she decided to take the test to put to rest criticism from Republicans of her ancestry claims.

The most notable critic has been Republican President Donald Trump, who frequently belittles Warren by calling her "Pocahontas."

The results found Warren had at least one Native American ancestor many generations ago. But Native American leaders criticized Warren for using a DNA test to lay claim to even a vague connection to a tribal nation, saying culture and sovereignty were just as important as blood and the tests did not confer the rights of tribal citizenship.

Democrats feared Warren was playing into the hands of Trump and other Republicans by engaging them on the issue.

Warren has created an exploratory committee to begin raising money and hiring staff for a run at the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. She is expected to formally launch her campaign later this month.

At a campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa, last month, Warren told a voter who expressed concern about the decision that given the political attacks, she had decided "to put it all out there."

"I am not a person of colour. I am not a citizen of a tribe. Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes, and only tribes, determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference," Warren said.

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Sonya Hepinstall)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of US-led forces in exchange for the Taliban committing to direct talks with Afghan government for a ceasefire

For nine years, Washington has pursued talks with the Afghan Taliban to end a war that began on October 7, 2001. This week, Zalmay Khalilzad, Donald Trumps special envoy for ending the war, told The New York Times that after six days of talks in Qatar, American negotiators and Taliban agreed on a draft of the framework for some future accord.

Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of US-led forces in exchange for the Taliban committing to direct talks with Afghan government for a ceasefire. The New York Times anointed the framework as the biggest tangible step towards ending a war that has cost tens of thousands of lives and profoundly changed American foreign policy. It seems as if many observers, in rank cupidity, are mistaking a framework for a US exit with a deal to bring to peace in Afghanistan while believing the Taliban can or will fulfil their promises.

According to Khalilzad, the Taliban committed to preventing Afghanistan from being a base for terrorists. A Taliban official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the BBC that both sides agreed to form separate working groups on: a time frame for the withdrawal of US-led forces and a commitment from the Taliban to prevent al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base.

While Washington wants the Taliban to negotiate a ceasefire with the Afghan government directly, they are disinclined to do so because they dismiss the government as an American puppet. The afore-noted Taliban official said they are conferring with their leadership the demand to negotiate a ceasefire with Kabul. He, however, did not believe the deal would depend on either direct negotiations or the ceasefire.

It's difficult to tell where American credulity ends and mendacity begins. Washington knows it lacks the will to muster a military victory though the US armed forces have sustained the canard that Trumps policy is producing battlefield wins. Washington has tried to convince the Taliban that they cannot win either. This is absurd and the Taliban, as well as their Pakistani patrons, know it.

The Taliban need not govern or defeat the Afghan and American-led forces. They merely need to preclude the Afghan government from exercising hegemony of violence.

Wizened observers know the Taliban have the upper hand for several reasons: they are going nowhere, they know the Americans want out at any cost, and the stakes in Afghanistan for their Pakistani dullahs are high as Kabul has forged relations with its near and far neighbours, including India, to diminish Islamabads coercive power.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, responding to the news from Khalilzad, said, We are committed to ensuring peaceBut there are values which are non-negotiable, for example national unity, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, a powerful and competent central government basic rights of the citizens of the country.

In contrast, the Taliban have insisted upon an interim power-sharing agreement without contesting elections, instituting Islamic law, dispensing with much of the constitution and reversing gains in womens rights.

The Americans seem more than willing to sell out the Afghans, despite the enormous loss of life and expenditures. Arm-chair Afghan analysts ridiculed sceptics, arguing that a commitment to keep al Qaeda from operating in Afghanistan has never been on the table.

While this is technically true, it is not that it could not have been. After the 9/11 attacks, President Pervez Musharraf dispatched his ISI chief, Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, to persuade the Taliban to give up Osama bin Laden to a Muslim country. However, Ahmed told the Taliban to hold out. Musharraf sacked him and the Americans invaded Afghanistan on October 7. While we will never know if a different outcome could have been secured with another negotiator, we know that the Americans were never committed to resourcing this war for an ensemble of reasons that changed over time.

Defeat, most importantly, was a foregone conclusion when Washington went to war with Pakistan as its key partner. It was like hiring an arsonist to put out the fires he continually starts. Pakistan was always the centre of gravity of this conflict yet the Americans could never find a way of countenancing this reality.

With the Americans dead set to withdraw, its clear that Washington, once again, will serve up Afghanistan to Pakistan on a platter. With the Afghan security forces struggling and American military and financial support likely to evaporate, the government faces a serious challenge. And this is exactly the opportunity Pakistan has been waiting for.tech2 News Staff

Nokia has sent out invites for Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona. The company had teased about its event earlier on Twitter as well. HMD Global will hold its event on 24 February at 4.00 pm local time (8.30 pm IST).

The company has been reported to unveil the flagship penta-camera smartphone, Nokia 9 PureView along with the Nokia 6.2 at the event.

As per a report in GSMArena, there are also talks about showcasing the rumoured Nokia 8.1 Plus which is expected to come with a punch-hole selfie camera with a 6.2-inch display.

The company is also set to display its end-to-end approach to 5G and innovative technologies from 25-28 February 2019.

The much-anticipated Nokia 9 PureView is expected to come with a 6-inch AMOLED QHD+ display and include an in-display fingerprint sensor. Apparently, the phone will accommodate Qualcomms year-old Snapdragon 845 chipset instead of the new Snapdragon 855 mobile platform.

However, reports also suggest that Nokia is planning to announce a 5G-compatible variant of the same model in the future.If you cant make history, then just make it up. This strategy, that Indias political parties relish exercising when in power to further their ideological footprints, is a textbook case of what ails the countrys education system

If you cant make history, then just make it up. This strategy, that Indias political parties relish exercising when in power to further their ideological footprints, is a textbook case of what ails the countrys education system.

Consequently, the newly appointed Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are on a unique detoxification drive. They are busy purging textbooks and school syllabus of bias and Hindutva revivalism.

However, the three chief ministers want to address the matter at contrasting paces.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel seems most eager to detoxify school curriculum. He has instructed state education minister Premsai Singh Tekam to clean up textbooks that offer a dominant Hindu majoritarian world view, often at the expense of facts and accuracy.

The chief minister and his team have started consulting experts across the country to form a committee which will review and scrutinise textbooks, syllabus and curriculum, said Vinod Verma, political adviser to Baghel and formerly a journalist with the BBC World Service. We are looking for a curriculum that is based on the concept of learning with burden as envisaged by the Prof Yashpal committee. We would like to teach our young generation unbiased history. We also wish to encourage scientific temper, rationality and inclusive outlook in students thought process.

Verma says other than saffronisation of textbooks, school curriculum under 15 years of the BJPs Dr Raman Singh had many howlers and inaccuracies that require correction. For instance, a class 10 social science textbook published by the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education, had observed that unemployment spiralled after Independence as more women started working.

Before Independence, few women were employed. But today, women are employed in all sectors that has increased the proportion of unemployment among men, it read.

Baghel and Verma say they need to find a way on tackling the tricky issue of RSS-affiliated private school chains like Vidya Bharati having their own curriculum. Samples from Sanskriti Gyan Pariksha, or cultural knowledge, go like this:

Q) Which Mughal invader destroyed the Ram temple in 1582?

A) Babur

Q) From 1582 till 1992, how many Ram bhakts sacrificed their lives to liberate the temple?

A) 3,50,000

In Jaipur, chief minister Ashok Gehlot has asked his education minister Govind Singh Dotasra to restore roles of national icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The minister, in turn, has directed the education department officials to prepare a status report to enlist revisions made in the textbooks during the Vasundhara Raje regime.

"Education is political, said renowned educationist Anil Sadgopal. Each time a BJP government was formed in the Indian Union, an attempt was made to give an ideological slant to education. As a consequence, each time a Congress, Left or centrist regime comes to power, a renewed effort has to be made for a course correction. Professor Sadgopal, who was part of the Central Advisory Board of Education of the Union government, said frequent changes in textbooks create confusion and chaos for students.

Among the three formerly BJP-ruled states, Rajasthan had perhaps taken the most creative liberties to reinforce a Hindutva revivalist agenda and attempt to erase Muslim identity. In history textbooks, for instance, Prithviraj Chauhan is called the king who defeated Bharats invader, Mohammad Ghori several times. In February 2017, state education minister Vasudev Devnani had supported a proposal to teach children an alternative version of history. He had insisted that in the battle of Haldighati in 1576, Maharana Pratap defeated Mughal emperor Akbar, and not the other way round, as the history books suggest. We have maintained all along that Maharana Pratap has not been accorded his due place in history, Devnani had boasted. Even the seemingly innocuous title of a chapter Ajmer ki Sair was changed to Ajmer ki Yatra.

In a class 8 book, the practice of Sati was described in glowing terms. A Rajasthan school textbook referred to the Indus Valley Civilisation as the Sindhu Ghati Culture. And Aryans were described as natives of India, though credible historians say that Aryans had migrated to India.

In May 2016, the Vasundhara Raje government had dropped Jawaharlal Nehrus name as the countrys first prime minister from class 8 textbooks. Sachin Pilot, who was heading the Congress unit in Rajasthan, had reacted sharply to it and told the media: This is taking saffronisation to the next level. The BJPs ideological bankruptcy has stooped to such levels that it is erasing the countrys first prime minister from school history books. But they should know that this does not mean they can erase Nehrus memory and his contribution from the nations collective conscience.

Pilot told us the new government was merely restoring what was there in previous books, giving Nehru and Gandhi due representation.

Dostara claims these revisions were carried out as part of curriculum re-structuring by the State Institute of Education Research and Training (SIERT), Udaipur. We are also examining how SIERT had functioned, he said, adding, We are reviewing the appointment of RSS-backed officers in various boards and councils.

In Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Kamal Nath reportedly wants to go slow till the completion of the Lok Sabha polls. The CM has asked state chief secretary SR Mohanty to prepare grounds for revision of textbooks and syllabus, and enforce changes from the next academic session beginning in June-July.

MPs school education minister Prabhuram Choudhary said there is a need for course correction. There are some glaring and disturbing trends in school curriculum that need to be corrected. Choudhary said he was surprised to learn how the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan regime had sought to pack political propaganda in school education and even set up an Itihaas Sankalan Punarlekhan Samiti, effectively to rewrite history.

Bhopal-based school administrator Ahmad Kamal said teachers are in a fix. An old textbook says something and the new textbook says almost the opposite. Since some of our wards use old, used textbooks, teachers face a problem in explaining the changes.

Informed sources in Bhopal said the Kamal Nath government is a little cagey about some politically sensitive issues related to textbooks and curriculum. For instance, from 2011 onwards, the Chouhan regime, in a stated bid to inculcate moral values, had decided to include Gita Sar in the school curriculum. A Gita lesson was also introduced in government-run Urdu-medium schools. When Muslim and Christian representatives protested, Chouhan also incorporated texts from the Bible, Quran and the Guru Granth Sahib.

Sources close to Nath say any drastic move such as deletion or removal of Gita Sar could boomerang with parliamentary polls around the corner. The Congress has three out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh and it plans to increase the tally to 15 this time.BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha on Saturday stated that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's posters were deliberately being put above Prime Minister Narendra Modi's banners in Durgapur.

Durgapur: BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha on Saturday stated that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's posters were deliberately being put above Prime Minister Narendra Modi's banners in Durgapur. "This shows there is no democracy in the state," he said.

Speaking to ANI, Sinha said: "Just 50-70 metres away from the meeting venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Durgapur, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's posters were deliberately being put above the Prime Minister's banners. This is proof that there is no democracy in West Bengal."

Rahul Sinha, BJP: Just 50-70 metres away from the meeting venue of PM Modi in Durgapur, WB CM Mamata Banerjee's posters are being put above PM's banners. This is proof there is no democracy in West Bengal. When one of our workers protested against such activities he was attacked. pic.twitter.com/d21M4o3o4a  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019

Responding to a question if the BJP has taken any action against the matter, Sinha said, "When one of our workers protested against such activities, he was attacked. We have lodged a complaint with police. We believe that the Prime Minister's meeting will be historic and successful."

Last month, the vehicles used for ferrying people were vandalised by miscreants outside the venue of BJP president Amit Shah's public rally in East Midnapore district, following which, the party supporters had staged a demonstration, condemning the attack.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had also "warned" Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata that BJP workers will not be cowed down after violence marred the rally of Shah in the state.Taking his battle for the Lok Sabha elections to Mamata Banerjee's turf, Narendra Modi also accused his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers.

Thakurnagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating violence against BJP workers, claiming she had become jittery due to people's love for his party.

Taking his battle for the Lok Sabha elections to Banerjee's turf, Modi also accused his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers.

The prime minister also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution.

Addressing a well-attended event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi said, "Now I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence...killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us."

Calling Friday's Budget a "historic step" for the welfare of farmers, the working and middle class, he said these sections were neglected for years after Independence. "We have announced measures in our budget that will benefit 12 crore small farmers, 30-40 crore workmen, and three crore middle-class people," he said.

There was commotion at the rally ground which prompted him to cut short his speech barely after 14 minutes.

Before the rally, the prime minister visited the Matua Thakurbari and sought the blessings of Baro Ma, the current leader of the community and widow of the founder of Matua Mahasangh Harishchandra Thakur.Amid pressure from within Congress not to cede Hassan and Mandya Lok Sabha seats to its coalition partner, the JD(S) Friday made it clear that it would not let go of the seats that are its party bastions.

Bengaluru:Amid pressure from within Congress not to cede Hassan and Mandya Lok Sabha seats to its coalition partner, the JD(S) on Friday made it clear that it would not let go of the seats that are its party bastions.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said Mandya was JD(S) stronghold and he cannot go against the feelings of the people and workers, while elder brother and PWD Minister HD Revanna said JD(S) was even ready for a triangular contest in Hassan.

Both Hassan and Mandya, where the BJP's strength is negligible, are currently held by JD(S), which Congress too is eyeing this time. "If needed, can do it (alliance) or else we are ready for a triangular (contest). We from Hassan had never asked for an alliance. We have the strength to fight," Revanna said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Revanna, also the Hassan district in-charge minister said: "...the wish of our family is that Deve Gowda should contest from Hassan and win with the highest lead."

Asked about his son Prajwal Revanna contesting from Hassan, Revanna said the decision of Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy on the matter would be final. On several instances, Deve Gowda had indicated that Prajwal contest from Hassan, the party bastion he has been contesting from.

Pointing out that seat sharing is to be decided by national leaders of both parties, Revanna said JD(S) would abide by Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy's decision on the issue. Congress sources said that during internal discussions on Thursday, local leaders had asked the leadership not to cede Mysuru and Tumakuru seats and the party be allowed to choose one seat between Hassan and Mandya.

Seat-sharing is expected to be a litmus test for both parties, mostly in old Mysuru region constituencies, where JD(S) has emerged as a dominant force in the recent past and the Congress has its sitting MPs.

On Revannas comments that JD(S) was ready for a triangular contest, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said such a situation may not arise. "He might have reacted because of developments in local politics there. Such a situation may not arise," he told reporters.

Kumaraswamy also hit out at a media report that tickets of a movie, staring his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, were being given out free of cost in Mandya, as he was being projected as the party candidate for the Lok Sabha seat there, by a section in JD(S). He is growing as an actor, he needs encouragement from everyone, I'm saying this as a father, not as Chief Minister," he said as he blamed the media of trying to push his son to politics

He pointed out that Nikhil had stated that Deve Gowda should contest from Mandya, if not from Hassan. To a question on sections within Congress opining that late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh's wife Sumalatha be fielded from Mandya, Kumaraswamy said "She can contest, no issues. Can you stop anyone from contesting an election in this country? Everyone one has the opportunity.

Maintaining that Mandya was JD(S) stronghold and people have nurtured the party there, he said "Just because someone is contesting, can I go against the feeling of our people? We will decide on it when the time comes... I cannot go against the feeling of my party workers."

Some within the Congress feel that that JD(S) will finally concede the seat for Sumalatha, as both Gowda and Ambareesh family share good bonding, party sources said.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting a large group of Ambareeshs supporters who had come here to request her to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Mandya, Sumalatha said she needed time to decide about entering politics.

"I don't want to lose this bonding that Ambareesh shared with the people of Mandya. I need to think about it because this is not a small decision to take at haste. I also have to discuss with Congress leaders.

"I had no interest in politics earlier, but if I decide to enter politics, it will only be from Mandya," she said, adding that Ambareesh was associated with the Congress and the family too believed that "the party is theirs."

Ambareesh had represented Mandya, both in Assembly and Parliament from Congress. He had also served as a Minister in both the state and central government.In the case of Fridays interim budget of the Narendra Modi government, the first trigger was partly provided by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Reporters have been trying for long to find ways to spice up an otherwise humdrum job of covering a budget. In 2000, I traveled to a remote village at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to see the Vajpayee governments budget of that year through the eyes of people there.

Along with some two dozen villagers, I sat before a TV in the community hall as Yashwant Sinha, then the finance minister, unraveled the budget. With their rustic and biting humour at its best, they laughed and poked fun at almost every sentence Sinha spoke.

This irreverence and total lack of credibility that a budget suffers from even in a non-election year has only grown over time. And its only worse when elections are round the corner, whichever party is in power. With bemused silence, voters watch parties falling over each other in offering sops of all kinds.

When competitive populism drives democracy, the budget is the ruling partys last chance before an election to flaunt its sudden love for the poor, while other parties must respond with lollypops of their own through politically vulgar documents that they grandiosely call manifestos.

War before war

Thats when a sop of one party triggers another sop double the size from a rival. And what you are about to witness in election-bound India is nothing short of a war of manifestos between parties. They will try to outdo each other in offering what the British call election sweeteners and the Germans rubbish as Wahlgeschenke or election gifts.

In the case of Fridays interim budget of the Narendra Modi government, however, the first trigger was partly provided by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who promised on 28 January a high-sounding but pleasantly mudded for-the-poor concept of a universal basic income or UBI.

Congress had apparently feared Modi would unveil something similar in his budget and wanted to pre-empt him.

According to some estimates, UBI could cost the country as much as Rs 22 lakh crore or 11 percent of the GDP and could lead to nothing short of a financial suicide by the Centre.

The protagonists of financial prudence then feared that Modi, pre-empted by Rahul in this fashion, would come up with a matching and perhaps more financially disastrous scheme to rescue Indians from poverty. But thankfully, he didnt, probably for either of these two or both reasons. One: He didnt want to look as if he was plagiarising what Congress might claim to be its idea. Two: He had better ideas.

In fact, the ideas central to Budget 2019, which isnt overly populist, arent bad. In a CVoter survey, respondents placed the budget at 7 on a 0-to-10 scale.

Income redistribution

Yet, at least two key schemes of Modis budget come under what economists call income redistribution, the same description that goes for UBI. These are: direct cash payment of Rs 6,000 in three instalments for farmers with land of two hectares or less and a mega monthly pension for unorganised sector labourers who earn up to Rs 15,000 a month.

The income scheme is expected to help 12 crore farmers and the pension scheme, some 30 to 40 crore labourers. Even the move to hike tax exemption threshold to Rs 5 lakh too falls under this category, though it helps, instead of the poorest of the poor, some three crore middle class tax-payers.

Income redistribution is different from wealth redistribution, though both supposedly aim to bridge the rich-poor gap. The first one means transferring income from the rich to the poor. The second involves seizing assets of the rich and giving them to the poor. Giving cash doles to the poor and even progressive taxation  higher income tax for richer people in slabs  fall under the first.

Doles versus loan waivers

The income redistribution seen in Modis budget makes better sense than either introducing UBI or even waiving off farmers loans. If UBI is too insanely expensive, loan waivers strike lethal blows on the very fundamentals of economy.

Debt waivers throw the banking industry into doldrums, let rich farmers get away with benefits, deny any help to the really poor farm workers and dont, in any manner, help to mitigate the agrarian crisis. Direct cash transfers to farmers have helped farmers in Europe better than subsidies.

Giving away cash doles to poor farmers may not be the best or the easiest way to improve their lot, but is a relatively better strategy as argued by prudent economists and, most recently by India Ratings and Research.

Land records key to Modis plan

But as India Ratings points out, the implementation of Modis scheme will depend on the availability of proper land records. If Telangana was able to successfully implement a similar Rythu Bandhu scheme, it was because it had the records which facilitated identification of beneficiaries eligible for cash transfer. Besides, this can work, as the example of cooking gas credits has shown, where banking and telecom structures are robust.

But Modi can claim to have improved on the Telangana model, which offers farmers Rs 8,000 per acre for two crops a year. In Telangana, there is no limit to the land ownership to get the cash benefit, but Modis scheme has a limit of two hectares, which ensures that only the poor get the help.

Modis budget must raise a meaningful debate over the relative advantages of a direct transfer of cash to farmers over the foolishness of loan waivers. But no such debate is possible in an atmosphere vitiated by compulsive criticism and jaundiced views. Modi himself is, however, guilty of doublespeak: his government is supposedly allergic to loan waivers, but he lets his partys chief ministers use them to woo farmers.

But whos talking about economics? Its optics or political messaging or perceptions which matter more than anything. Economy can go to hell. It already has.

Author tweets @sprasadindiaThe Centre, which is on rocky ground in the North East due to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, also took a significant step for the 'benefits' of the people in the region.

The NDA government's last Interim Budget that was announced by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday is being lauded for being 'pro-people'. Making a big populist push in its final budget before the Lok Sabha elections, the Narendra Modi government on Friday exempted people with an earning of up to Rs 5 lakh from payment of income tax, announced an annual cash dole-out of Rs 6,000 to small farmers and provided a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to workers in the unorganised sector.

Converting what was supposed to be an Interim Budget or a vote-on-account into an almost full-fledged Budget announcement in the Lok Sabha, Goyal proposed an array of incentives for both middle-class and farmers, whose disenchantment was said to have cost the BJP dearly in recent assembly elections.

As was widely anticipated, Goyal announced an income support scheme for 12 crore small and marginal farmers by providing Rs 6,000 in their bank accounts in three equal installments in a year, which will cost Rs 75,000 crore a year to the government.

Benefits for the North East in Interim Budget

The Centre, which is on rocky ground in the North East due to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, also took a significant step for the "benefits" of the people in the region. The government's development initiatives in the Northeastern states got a major budgetary push as the government proposed to increase the allocation to the region by 21 percent to Rs 58,166 crore in the financial year 2019-20.

Highlighting the efforts for development in the region, Goyal said Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar had been equipped with an airport recently, and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram had been put on the Railways' map for the first time.

Goyal also said that projects stuck for decades like the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh had been completed by the Modi government. With the commissioning of the Pakyong airport in Sikkim, the number of operational airports in the country crossed 100, he said.

North East allies against Centre's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

However, Goyal's announcements of the Centre's achievements in the North East come on the heels of dissatisfaction expressed by all the BJP's allies in the region over the proposed citizenship legislation. Less than a week ago, on 29 January, ten regional parties, along with the saffron party's Bihar ally Janata Dal (United), unanimously decided to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

After a meeting with representatives, which was led by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma and co-hosted by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the parties raised their opposition to the bill "in one voice". The parties are the members of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

"This meeting is the outcome of a natural process as we felt we must come together and oppose the bill in one voice," Sangma said. Sangma said it was decided at the meeting that representatives will approach President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request them to withdraw the bill.

Protests against the bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to 'non-Muslim' nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, have rocked the region.

The AGP, which recently snapped ties with the BJP in Assam over the bill, said that the bill was "being imposed on them". AGP resident and former state agriculture minister Atul Bora, who recently resigned from the Sarbananda Sonowal-led Assam cabinet, was quoted by News18 as having said that "every political party in the region has realised the way the ruling party is trying to impose the bill" upon them.

"They do not have the consent of the people of the region. This meeting will surely give a major momentum to the ongoing movement against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the region," Bora had said. "Mainstream parties have always failed to look after the concerns of the North East," JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi said.

The 10 parties from the North East that participated in the meeting are the Mizo National Front (MNF), United Democratic Party (UDP), AGP, Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), National Peoples' Party (NPP), National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Indigenous People Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Khnam.

Appeasement bid?

In the backdrop of this growing and vocal discontent, Modi government's policy for the North East in the much-debated Interim Budget can be seen as an appeasement bid even as it tries to "deliver on the promise" to the "persecuted people".

The BJP is hoping to win at least 20 out of the 25 seats Lok Sabha which make up the eight states of the North East. The ruling party's continued push for the citizenship bill has shaken its chances of winning the seats. However, efforts for the passage of the bill have continued.

The BJP is currently the biggest party in the region, heading the governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura. It is also part of coalitions in Meghalaya and Nagaland. The party's boost for the region by the increased allocation in the Budget could work as a pacifier for its allies and reiterate its stand as beneficial for the North East.

Sangma, reacting to the Budget, said that policies for farmers would be "most beneficial" to those in the North East. "One of the most striking proposals of this budget is the allocation of Rs 6000 for the farmers who hold below 2 hectares of land area. Broadly, this should be the most beneficial to the whole of the north-eastern regions farmers," he was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

The report also quoted Lalruatkima, Mizo National Front (MNF) leader as saying, "We appreciate the NDA government for this increase in funds. We are a backward region. Rural connectivity, roads, health, education, etc have been suffering because of neglect. This move may lead to further improvement." The MNF, which returned to power in Mizoram in December, is an ally of the BJP at the Centre.

With inputs from agenciesThe Bihar cabinet has approved the Centre's scheme of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker general category candidates in government jobs and educational institutions in the state on Friday.

Patna: The Bihar cabinet has approved the Centre's scheme of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker general category candidates in government jobs and educational institutions in the state on Friday. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also passed 58 agendas placed before it.

Earlier on 22 January, Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting at his 1 Anne Marg residence in Patna in which he discussed the issue with Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Secretary to the Chief Minister Manish Kumar Varma along with others. Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh are the other states that have implemented the Centre's scheme.

The Lok Sabha recently passed the Constitution Bill, 2019 in Parliament to grant 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category across religions. The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, with 165 votes in favour and seven against.Around 30,000 workers from 1642 booths will attend Amit Shah's rally, which will be organised in Goa capital Panaji on 9 February.

Goa: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah is scheduled to address 30,000 booth level workers in Goa on 9 February ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, said Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar.

Tendulkar told ANI in a telephonic conversation that around 30,000 workers from 1642 booths will attend Shah's rally, which will be organised in Panaji on 9 February.

Shah will also address 18,000 party workers at a rally in Uttarakhand's Dehradun on Saturday, said state BJP president Ajay Bhatt.

"Amit Shah will address the Trishul Sammelan. His visit will make a huge impact ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He will motivate the party workers to work hard for the elections and make sure that BJP wins all the seats in the state," Bhatt said.|

Last week, Shah did a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Una as well as in Odisha and hit out at the Congress saying that the party's only OROP is "only Rahul only Priyanka".Whether you are an NRI trying to desperately procure lentils overseas, or a Malayali living outside Kerala trying to navigate through a strange shop in a strange land, this ready reckoner will eradicate friction during your shopping trip.

Clear, open and honest communication, as we all know, is the single most important aspect of the happily married life. So earlier this week as I was leaving for a nearby public library, just as I was proceeding through the front door, I paused, turned around, stuck my head back in and screamed in no particular direction: DO YOU WANT ME TO BUY ANYTHING ON MY WAY BACK?

To which my wife replied: WHAT?

DO YOU WANT ME TO BUY ANYTHING ON MY WAY BACK?

WHAT, YOU KNOW WE CANT AFFORD A MAYBACH.

After screaming multi-lingual abuse at a cloud I went back inside the house, confronted my wife and asked: Do you want me to buy anything on my way back?

She said she couldnt think of anything, but would let me know on WhatsApp if anything came up. I left home, caught a bus, and went to the Central Library in Bromley where I sat down to do some reading, writing, taking notes, planning of novel, imagining of book launch, imagining of Booker Prize ceremony etc. Usual author things. (Incidentally Bromley is in London, and so am I, but that has no impact on the rest of this ready reckoner.)

And then two or three hours later I got up to stretch my legs and get some coffee. Oho, I thought, I have a WhatsApp message.

If clear, open and honest communication is the most important aspect, then the second most important aspect of a happily married life is: That 95 percent of this communication is only for rhetorical value and not at all to be taken seriously. When I say We should clean out the fridge this weekend do I actually mean We should clean out the fridge this weekend? NO. Mad or what.

So did I actually want to buy anything on my Maybach? No, for the love of god.

But the missus had dutifully send me a list: Bananas, oranges, sambar powder, Haldiram's Bhujia and pray for me baby Jesus dal.

Just dal. Dal. She did not explain which one. Which is a huge problem because I am from Kerala and she is from the Delhi end of the Punjab Cultural Complex.

Now when I was growing up in Kerala and my grandmother said, "Sidin, go and buy lentils", I went to the shop and said, "Hello, can I have some lentils", the guy said, "Take these lentils", and I came back home with lentils.

Because by and large the people of Kerala have decided that we are not going to spend our valuable time and our considerable intellectual horse-power on choosing lentils. We have two or three types of dal. The type that is used for making parippu curry, the type that is used for making parippu vada, and the type that is used for making parippu payasam. And then there is kadala of puttu fame.

And even then I strongly suspect they are all basically the same and you can do whatever you want because look we dont have time for this lentil nonsense, flight is leaving tomorrow morning.

Not so in the Punjab Cultural Complex. Oh no. The people there have taken to lentils with an alacrity not dissimilar to that with which amoebiasis takes to the intestine.

Immediately I called up the missus: Hello which dal do you want?

Get a mix. We need all types.

Yaar

OK fine Sidin. Useless. Get Toor, Chana, Moong Dhuli, Guli Guli, Chuli Fuli, Kahaan Khuli, Haan Khuli, Zulf Bata Dey.

So I went to our trusty local desi shop that is run by an adorable Sri Lankan couple who spend the entire day being passive-aggressive to each other.

"Hello," I said, "I need some lentils".

She: You can find all the lentils in the corner.

He: If you need any actual help just ask me ok?

And so I walked to the lentil corner. And was faced with what can only be called an AR Rahman portfolio of lentils: hundreds upon hundreds of essentially identically packages, all very slightly different from each other.

This is moong. But that is also moong. But this is dhuli. But wait, what is chilka? Why is there an entire section dedicated to Toor dals. WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY AM I DOING THIS? HOW CAN A SOCIETY FUNCTION LIKE THIS?

Obviously there is no mobile phone signal in the desi shop. Maybe because of the lentils. So I went outside and called the missus.

Hey. What is the English for Toor Dhuli? Many bags are export quality and have no Hindi.

I said Moong Dhuli. There is nothing called Toor Dhuli.

Can you send a list of all your dals with English names?

No, look I am bathing the daughter. Can you please just Google it yourself?

Which is when I decided that I had enough of this nonsense. I immediately went to a nearby coffee shop and drafted a ready reckoner to the bewildering world of North Indian lentils. Ever since then I have kept a copy of this list close to my person at all times. I am now ready, at any moment, to do lentil shopping for the family.

Whether you are an NRI trying to desperately procure lentils overseas, or a Malayali living outside Kerala trying to navigate through a strange shop in a strange land, I hope this ready reckoner will eradicate friction during your shopping trip.



Hindi: Chana Dal

English: Bengal gram, split and skinned

Details: Used for making a variety of basic dal dishes.

Hindi: Kala Chana

English: Bengal gram, whole and gently titillated

Details: Used for making a variety of dishes that are basic.

Hindi: Dalia

English: Bengal gram, roasted and split and unfairly prosecuted in cheque bouncing case

Details: Popularly used to make dishes for convalescing patients who have no functioning sense of taste.

Hindi: Arhar Dal (See Dal, Toor)

Hindi: Toor Dal

English: Pigeon peas, split and roasted and skinned but continues to not divulge any information

Details: Exactly the same as Chana Dal but re-branded in some markets for legal reasons.

Hindi: Moong Dal Dhuli

English: Green gram, stabbed and cremated

Details: A dal with more than one use, but most commonly in un-complex delicacies

Hindi: Moong Dal Chilka

English: Green gram, go-getter with strong ASP server skills. Microsoft certified.

Details: Also known as Fotrawali mag ni dal in Gujurati, Mugachi dal in Marathi, Kannamoochi YenaDal in Tamil.

Hindi: Masoor Dal

English: Red split lentils

Details: An unusual but firm-fingered lentil that gives massages.

Hindi: Urad Dal

English: Black gram, whole

Details: Versatile lentils used for a variety of dishes that are not complex.

Hindi: Urad Dal Dhuli

English: Black gram, home-schooled in the humanities

Details: Most famously used for making dosa batter: a type of dough used for making idlis.

Hindi: Urad Dal Chilka

English: Black gram, also a lake

Details: Little is known about the mysterious Urad Dal Chilka except its nickname in the Mumbai underworld: Ghunghru Lafda.



I sincerely hope that this ready reckoner will make your next trip to the supermarket a far more productive experience.Lesson No. 2: At the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, free water and career advice are always just around the corner. Both served matter-of-factly by strangers.

This article is an attempt to share with the reader some fine and important lessons learnt at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival 2019: Five days of standing around, braving icy cold winds and attempting to look engaged at all times. We would be lying if we said these lessons are inconsequential or will not change your life dramatically. Above all, however, this article is a sincere attempt by the author to revive the lost glory of listicles. The rest is just an excuse.

1. Always have an introduction, or at least the first couple of lines, already worked out for your articles. It will save at least six to eight hours of your day. But it's quite all right if you cant. Just jump right in and make your piece a long, self-indulgent listicle. Try also to come off as self-aware to avoid any editorial backlash.

2. Your cab driver in Jaipur will either be a suspended police officer from Haryana who believes if a girls mobile phone is on silent mode she is an "escort" (a word he most definitely would not use), or a lost soul who will ask you for advice about whether he should pursue LLB or Journalism in life (LLB is the correct answer). There is no third type. Please move along.

3. When sitting down for lunch at an outdoor venue, make sure you are at least a 100 feet away from any surrounding trees. In case a tree does come crashing down on you or your table and you survive, make sure you never leave a session midway (especially if seated in the very centre of a row right up front) ever again, as a way of thanking the gods.

4. There is always free water and career advice just around the corner. Both served matter-of-factly by strangers.

5. Socialising and networking are great. An unknown uncle of over 50 tricking you to hand over your phone to him so he can send himself an email  as a way of saving his email address on your phone  is not.

6. If organising the event, make sure you arrange for enough free (previously promised) drinks to accommodate the registered press and delegates. The sudden disappearance of drinking options on the third day might be a bit too much for some to comprehend, and surely enough to push a few over the edge and into the abyss populated only by moderators whose first language is not English or Hindi.

7. The Johnny Bravo hairstyle is a real life thing. You will have to take my word for it. But just know that the said subject was thoroughly observed, and the impossible can indeed be achieved.

8. Good moderators maketh good sessions.

9. If there is a fire near the stage, just shout something along the lines of, Do we care? from the said stage and have the audience of a few hundred  packed so closely that one cant even move his/her hands  scream No. Everything will be just fine.

10. If it rained last night, the carpeted floor out in the open will still be wet in the morning. There is absolutely no need for you to put your bag  full of notebooks and scraps of papers containing vital information about the proceedings of the day  which will be in contact with your body for the whole day, on it.

11. If you ask someone to take your picture, please be respectful. There is absolutely no need for the pseudo-gang signs, the squinting of the eyes and the biting of the lower lip.

12. Unless you are Andrew Sean Greer, Carlo Pizzati or Chike Frankie Edozien, you can probably do without that blue suit. If you are, well, you're faine.

13. Summer is better than winter.

14. If you are cornered asked to interview (just for a couple of minutes) the spokesperson for the primary sponsor of the festival, by the festival team, at a venue and on a time decided by the same team, it will never happen.

15. Someone needs to make a British buddy cop movie starring Alexander McCall Smith as the good cop and Irvine Welsh as the not so good one. Set in Edinburgh, of course, the film will follow the two partners as they track down a new generation of drugs (Welsh, it will turn out, somehow had a personal stake in it) which makes its consumers extremely impolite (something McCall Smith cannot let happen on his watch). With a guest appearance by Ian Rankin, getting hit by an arrow as he crosses the street.

16. JK Rowling is apparently not that cool anymore with the hip crowd (exact reasons yet to be established, but the word "Pottermore" might have to do something with it).

17. If you are an author and you try and read from your book on the stage, a nearby generator will kick in at full capacity. This is not a myth.

18. Italy is everyones favourite country.

19. Climate change, if you have been living under a rock where it has lately been unreasonably hot or cold or flooded, is real. And literature too cannot ignore it anymore. Some of the most original and captivating stories which have come out recently or are being written at the moment revolve around our environment. Time to put those reading glasses on and take notice.

20. Yes, I dont live in Mumbai anymore, but still have a reasonably decent life and plenty of reasons to be alive. Thank you very much for your concern.

21. A great amount of fascinating work from Scandinavian countries still remains undiscovered by the readers of the English language. While some of it has to do with the lack of translations or distribution, many just lack the exposure in the mainstream media. It's as good a time as any for some great finds.

22. Men should stop sending unsolicited pictures of their genitalia to Anita Nair.

23. Later in his life, Ernest Hemingway returned to the exact spot in Italy where he was shot during the War. He dug up a hole, buried the pieces of shrapnel he had been carrying with him all his life and some money (as a repayment of the restitution he received from the country). But that wasnt enough, he wanted to defecate at the spot in order to leave a part of himself behind. After trying for some time, while people waited for him nearby, nothing happened and he had to give up. Later, the man from whom Hemingway had borrowed a shovel to dig the said hole was discovered  aged 94  by Hemingway's biographer. There is surely a lesson here somewhere.

24. If you are a writer, travel. Travel a lot. It will keep you on your toes and help you take notice of the things that you are sure to miss rooted in one place; see the things you are not seeing. Thats all Andrew Sean Greer. But I have no money, Andrew, you say. Well, he pitched to in-flight magazines, among other things, in order to get around. Im sure you will find a way too. You can start by turning off that erotic motion feature you are watching between reading this article.

25. Markus Zusak cares for his characters more than he does for his own children.

26. Maintaining four distinct folders in your computer, titled Chronology, People, something yours truly missed and tried to copy from a neighbour who had missed it too, and Works, is how biographies are written.

27. Its impossible to deduce if Sanjeev Sanyal is being passive or aggressive at any given moment.

28. The future of biographies or any form of historical writing is pretty much doomed. Thanks mostly to WhatsApp. Think about that while you forward a video of a dog farting to your family group tonight.

29. The only things more colourful than the venue were Dan Jones shirts and tattoos, beating Alexander McCall Smiths trousers by a slim margin. Paradoxically, and self admittedly, the man has a hard time being optimistic.

30. Oliver from Call Me by Your Name was originally supposed to die by drowning while out on a fishing trip. Then Andre Aciman saw the light. Make sure to say your prayers twice before you go to bed tonight.

31. Taking heavy and elaborate subjects with a panel of five and putting them into a half an hour slot is always a great idea and a glimpse into the future of literature festivals across the world.

32. Life is not a dress rehearsal. This moment will not happen again. So bring your best self on. Chike Frankie Edozien is the savvy motivational speaker you were looking for.

33. Jeffrey Archer has all the qualities of a good politician  he can get the crowd going right off the bat with populist rhetoric, never settling down during an interview, getting carried away while retelling stories of his own glorious achievements, being elusive when asked about anything of general interest. One wonders what he might have... Wait, what!? Thatcher, did you say?

34. There is a difference between talking about your books and selling them so aggressively that one might wonder if your family is being held hostage and would be eliminated by you didn't sell n number of copies in the next 15 minutes. Please, ma'am, you can put down the hardback copies of your last three books now. Yes, the camera got them. Oh, there's another one? Two more?

35. Hardeep Singh Puri can really flex his vocal cords. And get pretty worked up. Real quick.

36. Hari Kunzru almost died at the festival. No, for real. Apparently, only a pasta salad saved him. Life is short, people. Finish those Netflix shows already.

37. *Once upon a time, Alexander McCall Smith went to Italy to work on a book. Upon his arrival, he realised, for some reason or the other, he couldn't get the car he had booked to get around. Someone (a chance encounter on his flight) then led him to a person willing to lend him a bulldozer. McCall Smith, of course, accepted it and drove it to his hotel. In the subsequent days, he got acquainted with a local priest who invited him to the country house of his brother for lunch. He also asked the author if they could perhaps go together in his bulldozer. McCall Smith, once again (and of course), accepted. The duo drove to the brother's house for a wonderful lunch. Later, the brother, also a winemaker, told McCall Smith how a stone wall prevents his wine from being sold as that of a higher grade, and if he would be gracious enough to move the said wall a little further away with the help of his bulldozer. As you might have guessed by now, McCall Smith agreed. Just like No. 23, there's a lesson here somewhere, please help yourself. [*This is an abridged version of the (maybe true) story.]

38. If you had one percent of Bee Rowlatt's energy, you could easily conquer the world.

39. Your incessant and loud awws in response to an author speaking on stage is exactly the kind of thing that investigators might later discover to be the lead cause of your disappearance without a trace.

40. Linger around the venue after the festival and you are sure to find grown ass Indians getting schooled in Indian history by foreign nationals, while you try and avoid making any sort of eye contact.

41. Old men screaming at an all-women panel discussing women's issues is universal.

42. Re: No. 13  Not really.

43. Irvine Welsh gets handed drugs fairly regularly by his fans at books signings and other events. He flushes them all down the toilet just before taking a flight. So just in case he gets arrested at an airport some day or if your water tastes a bit funny one fine day, you can guess what happened.

44. If your books get made into a movie, it's always a win-win situation. If it's any good, the sales for your books will increase. If it's not, at least people will say the book was better.

45. The Call Me by Your Name audiobook is narrated by Armie Hammer.

46. Having cows, sparrows, bees, monkeys and peacocks around the venue can come in handy when a panel has nothing to talk about, or you have brought a couple of kids along for some reason, or you are too polite to leave but need an urgent distraction.

47. It's easier to attain nirvana than to ask a straightforward question during a Q&A session.

48. In case of fatigue, just abandon the article.At a time when the fault lines are becoming starker, how corrosive and baffling it would be to define the boundaries of an accepted Indian-ness along lines of Hindu and Muslim otherness?

Editor's note: In this debate, we ask the question  'Can we eject Islam from our history?' Arguing against the motion is Ira Mukhoty, an Indian author with an interest in mythology and history. Read the counterpoint to this debate by Makarand Paranjape here.

"The Hindu, like the eunuch," wrote James Mill in the early 19th century, "excels in the qualities of a slave." Through these sentiments, the Scottish historian, economist and philosopher was explaining what had become accepted wisdom  the categorising of India into clearly defined communities, Muslims and Hindus, separate and apart, in which the Hindus were described as weak, and effeminate, and the Muslims, though "duplicitous", were nevertheless "manly and vigorous". The self-loathing and the fear of emasculation that this created among certain Hindus called for the re-imagining of this weakened creature as one of a "dying race" with a once-glorious Aryan past.

When the birth of a nation has been as cataclysmic as Indias, then the fault lines run deep. The violence with which the British suppressed the uprising of 1857 was just the visible extreme of an age of colonial suppression and reshaping. To reclaim the perfect past, the Hindu needed to rediscover his virility and strength. A cult of the physique was initiated and violence and bravery now coalesced to form a revitalised Hindu who would never again cower before a foreign power. Even before freedom was achieved and the British dispatched, a new enemy had been identified, a danger signalled. One who had once been threatening and fierce. And so the Muslim became "the other".

The notion that a land can belong to only one people is hubris. The search for a pure, "original" inhabitant is similarly flawed. Recent genetic studies show that the very oldest inhabitants of the subcontinent are represented by the modern day Andaman islanders. All further cultures developed through the migration into India of "Iranian agriculturist" stock and then, later, "Steppe pastoralist" stock, all of which created the Indus Valley civilisation and the Vedas. Any attempt now, millennia later, to strip away the kaleidoscope layers that make up our countless, entwined identities would be foolish and destructive.

Muslims first had contact with India through the Arab traders, from the very beginning of the history of Islam itself. From the 11th century onwards, the Islamicate dynasties that were established in India sometimes came from a Persianised, and even pre-Islamic world. While it is irrefutable that some, such as Nadir Shah, were purely destructive forces, many were not. For the Mughals of India, Islam was only one of many symbols of kingship, as they strove to legitimise their rule in a land filled with diverse peoples. They had a pragmatic and robust attitude to religion, using it for political expediency if required. It was Timurid art, architecture, etiquette, poetry and Sufi mysticism that each Padshah promoted according to his predilection, thus creating an enduring Islamicate legacy which owed quite as much to its Indic home.

There were less exalted areas of interaction too. The close alliance of the Rajput clans with the Mughal elite resulted in not only a syncretic style of painting and architecture but shaped an entire genre of Raso poetry and epic tales. At this cosmopolitan Mughal court where Iranis, Afghans, Turks, Ethiopians, Indian Muslims and Central Asians rubbed shoulders with Rajput noblemen, Akbar composed verse in Hindi and elite noblemen like Abdur Rahim were accomplished Braj poets with a deep understanding of the Hindu religion.

Hari resides in Rahims own eyes

Then what need does he have to apply kajal?

The Hindu poets, meanwhile, negotiated this imperial reality with equal aplomb and incorporated the Padshahs into the local divinity. In Amrit Rais Mancarit, for example, the poet talks about Akbar as follows:

The goddess Lakshmi shares her time between Vishnus embrace

And nestling at Akbars breast.

It was not only Padshahs and Sultans, naturally, who lived in Hindustan and contributed to its culture. With the rise of Brahminical heterodoxy in the 2nd millennium, the lower castes converted en bloc to Islam and so there were communities of weavers, ironsmiths, butchers, and potters whose more humble endeavours also shaped the country.

During the uprising of 1857, the local leaders were well aware of the diverse people they represented. Hazrat Mahal in Awadh marshalled both Muslims and Hindus while realising clearly where the dividing force came from. "In the proclamation it is written that the Christian religion is true," declared Hazrat Mahal in her counter-proclamation, "to destroy Hindoo and Mussulman temples on pretence of making roads...while the places of worship of Hindoos and Mussulmans are entirely neglected." And so she sharply accused the British of creating bitter religious divisions.

To guard against the possibility of any future revolutions, the British began a systematic eradication of Muslim influence. Manuscripts and buildings were razed, the Muslim population was evicted from Shahjahanabad and the old nobility disappeared. The refined etiquette of Old Delhi was lost and the seeds of a new, despicable "other", were planted.

So, at a time when the fault lines are becoming starker, how corrosive and baffling it would be to define the boundaries of an accepted "Indian-ness". How would we decide which spice to remove from our cuisine, which rose essence from our perfume, which cloth, which song, which colour and which love? It is that heinous exercise which would truly reduce and unmake us, not any imagined "other".

(The writer is an Indian author, with an interest in mythology and history)In New Delhis elite social circles and corridors of power, considerable prestige and social capital adheres to a Lutyens bungalow, of which there are about a thousand in all, with 90 per cent owned by the government

In December 1960, when a group of Rajya Sabha members questioned a proposal to construct 18-storey skyscrapers on the central vista in New Delhi  the linear swathe of land between the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the National Stadium  the-then central minister for works, housing and supplies, KC Reddy, ended the debate matter-of-factly. When we have got vacant space on which we can build, certainly there is no justification for us to go to faraway places, three or four miles away from Delhi, he said. That the centre of the national capital could be developed simply because the government needed additional office space is the kind of pragmatism that has vanished altogether. In 2016, the incumbent minister of urban development had to use gentle coercion to vacate hundreds of government bungalows whose residents refused to move even though they no longer held public office.

In New Delhis elite social circles and corridors of power, considerable prestige and social capital adheres to a Lutyens bungalow, of which there are about a thousand in all, with 90 per cent owned by the government. The 29 square kilometres of the Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ) contains barely two per cent of Delhis area and population and commands astronomical property values  one recent estimate put the total assessment at over Rs 2.5 lakh crores! It is not surprising that the New York Times recently described every plot in the LBZ as a real estate Rolex. Distorted property values may seem natural for an area that hosts premier government offices and enjoys ample space and verdure, the best levels of service and high-security cordoning, but with plot sizes varying from one acre to four acres and merely six to eight per cent ground coverage, the LBZ needs to support a sparse population density, only a third of the city average. Its location in the centre of an overcrowded metropolis accentuates the contrast that the celebrated urban historian Norma Evenson described in 1989 as a doughnut-like configuration. It does not need a Thomas Piketty to see that the spatial void described by Evenson is a sad reminder of an unequal society. Yet these deeper questions of history, society, culture and civilisation are seldom seen in the official literature, which renders the LBZ in technocratic jargon.

The morphology of Lutyens Delhi is its most compelling attribute, one that is easy to preserve along with listed heritage properties. The network of streets and plots can generate an altered future when the elites of the LBZ can generously share the city with new occupants, perhaps children studying in spacious new schools and senior citizens receiving care. Without endangering heritage, the heart of Delhi could throb with a vibrant society, economy and culture. It can accommodate more offices, specialised healthcare, schools and institutes, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, performance spaces and cultural industries than it currently does. Such prospects need open debate.

Anyone who has experienced the radiating Baroque vistas of the LBZ and admired the neoclassical grandeur of its many landmarks would find its utilitarian description in the Master Plan for Delhi rather insipid: LBZ comprises of large-size plots and has a very pleasant green environment. The essential character of wide avenues, large plots, extensive landscape and low-rise development, has a heritage value which has to be conserved. While a Master Plan is not a document where one seeks eloquence, it is natural to wonder if the sensation and movement generated by streets forming hexagons, pentagons and triangles has been fully appreciated or if the pleasant green environment really means the 80-year-old indigenous trees such as neem, jamun, Arjun and peepal, which give the LBZ coolth in summer and misty chill in winter. Tomes can be written about the nuances of the LBZ, but the complex values that it evokes are perversely interdicted by the phrase has to be conserved. Cultural value needs to be subject to interpretation  evaluation  if it is to remain a value. Else it deteriorates into dogma.

It would seem that the LBZ has been assiduously conserved but the regulatory plan is only thirty years old, during which zone has been subjected to new delineations, high-rise constructions, changes of land use and other modifications, exemptions, concessions and extensions that are enabled by a myriad tweaks in numerous guidelines, regulations and norms. The dogma of conserving the LBZ has been upheld by multiple committees, agencies and bodies that control its destiny while the LBZ itself has been continually changing, from time to time. The proliferating opinions of a myriad experts have created a symbolic overload, a surfeit of significance, whereas the need is for frank engagement with a basic question: how can the value of the land determine its usage? The fait accompli about conservation disrupts the fundamental link between spatial and economic planning.

The policy direction for the LBZ will surely inform the new Master Plan for Delhi being prepared for notification in 2021. Experts believe it will be the last chance for framing a sustainable development pathway for the city, therefore MPD-41 will depart from business-as-usual. It will map the prevailing ground realities as the basis for planning and regulation, integrate economic, spatial, environmental, physical and transportation planning, and replace the artificial segregation of land uses with market-responsive mixed land uses.

The vision for the LBZ is unlikely to be formed by brutal opinion-makers such as the esteemed journalist who wrote in 1977 that the LBZ bungalows have long been ripe for the hammer of the demolition squad. A sager perspective may emerge from examining the scope for redevelopment, extending the analysis that has been conducted by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission and senior architect Sudhir Vohra for the NDMC. Cogent views are also available in the report of a committee chaired by the architect MN Ashish Ganju, appointed by the ministry of urban development in 1998 to draft a Redevelopment Plan for the LBZ. Asked to examine optimum utilisation of the land resources and to plan for the coming century, the committee refused to mummify the historic monuments and built environment and delineated five sub-zones where different levels of development control and judicious use of conservative surgery could be effective. The issue of what to conserve was considered as a step in the evolution of architecture in India and the vast expanse of time in which the colonial history is but a small episode.Hundreds of farmers from Uttar Pradesh stayed put near the DND flyway, at the junction of Noida and Delhi, on Saturday demanding enhanced compensation in lieu of their land acquired before 2013.

Noida: Hundreds of farmers from Uttar Pradesh stayed put near the DND flyway, at the junction of Noida and Delhi, on Saturday demanding enhanced compensation in lieu of their land acquired before 2013.

The Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, was shut briefly on Friday evening as farmers from western Uttar Pradesh districts protested on the route, throwing traffic movement out of gear.

The rally, organised by Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manveer Teotia, included farmers from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut. Many of them were women from villages with their heads covered. The women had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing helplessness.

Delhi: Farmers hold protest near DND flyway toll gate demanding fourfold compensation in lieu of their land acquisition pic.twitter.com/6sR56IqvvR  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

"We are here to demand that we be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013. Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh from Bhatta Parsaul village of Gautam Buddh Nagar told PTI.

He said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest. "Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," Singh said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate BN Singh met the farmers on Saturday morning and said he had assured them he would take up the matter with the state government but the "protestors remained dissatisfied with the assurance".

The protest organisers claimed there were 1,500 farmers at the DND on Saturday morning. But other reports said a little over 500 people were protesting at the site.

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicentre of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years since that upheaval, the country had got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.Here are brief profiles of the candidates who had been shortlisted by the Selection Committee for the appointment of CBI director.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday, in a dissent note sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, objected to the appointment of IPS oficer Rishi Kumar Shukla as the new CBI chief. Kharge in his letter said that officers without relevant experience of handling corruption cases should not have been considered for the post of CBI director.

"Both the Supreme Court judgement and the DSPE Act talks about experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases only (sic)," Kharge said in his letter. "However, the criterion decided in the meeting has diluted this to include investigation experience. This would be both against the letter and spirit of the DSPE Act which clearly states investigation of anti-corruption cases," he added.

Kharge also listed out three officers' names who met "the requirements of experience".

Here are the profiles of the candidates shortlisted by the Selection Committee for the post of CBI director but who missed out:

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar

A 1983 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar was appointed the Director General of CRPF in April 2017, two days after 25 personnel of the force were massacred by Naxals in Chhattisgarh.

Before serving as CRPF DG, Bhatnagar was the director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). According to The Times of India, this was an ADG rank post which had temporarily been upgraded to a special DG rank.

Sudeep Lakhtakia

In February 2018, Lakhtakia took over as the Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG).

Before his appointment as NSG DG, Lakhtakia  a 1984 batch IPS officer of Telangana cadre  had been serving as Special DG in the CRPF headquarters in New Delhi.

A post-graduate in business administration, Lakhtakia, apart from serving at various positions in his home cadre and the elite commando force Greyhounds, has also worked with the Special Protection Group (SPG) for over nine years.

S Javed Ahmad

S Javed Ahmad, Chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, is a 1984-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. Given his experience as an IPS officer, he was one of the top contenders in the fray.

Ahmad served in the CBI for 13 years: starting as an SP and going up to the rank of DIG from 1994 to 2002 and as joint director from 2009 to 2014. He could not be promoted to post of CBI additional director, as the then home secretary Anil Goswami had not cleared the empanelment file of the entire 1984-batch IPS officers till his term came to an end.

Goswami was forced to resign for trying to stall the arrest of a former Union minister in a case, sources in the government told PTI. Ahmad was posted as Uttar Pradesh DGP and he led many initiatives such as the Twitter outreach campaign, UP100 and special helpline for women.

AP Maheshwari

In October 2017, Maheshwari was appointed the Director General of Bureau of Police Research and Development. A 1984 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, Maheshwari was a special director in Border Security Force before he became BPR&D DG.

With inputs from PTIThe Mumbai Police on Friday claimed to have solved the murder of a 34-year-old woman and her daughter within 24 hours, with the arrest of her husband and his girlfriend.

Mumbai: The police on Friday claimed to have solved the murder of a 34-year-old woman and her daughter within 24 hours, with the arrest of her husband and his girlfriend.

Tahsin Illias Hussain Sayyed and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter were found killed with their throats slit inside a flat in Mahim area of Central Mumbai on Thursday.

The police said on Friday that Illias Sayyed (38), the woman's husband, was having an affair with Afreen Banu, which led to frequent quarrels between him and Tahsin.

After one such fight, Illias, with the help of Banu, allegedly killed Tahsin and the daughter on Thursday morning, the police said.

After committing the crime, Illias allegedly sent a message to himself from Tahsin's phone to make it appear that he was not present at the crime spot and Tahsin was alive at that point.

The accused also attempted to burn the bodies by setting them on fire, the police said. It was the smoke from the flat that had alerted neighbours.

The police have arrested Illias and Banu under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal, an official said, adding that further investigation was on.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said she was 'sorry' that Commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar was not present at a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) a day ago.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said she was "sorry" that Commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar was not present at a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) a day ago.

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora sought an explanation from the state government over the absence of Kumar at a meeting in Kolkata on Thursday, where the poll panel discussed election preparedness with senior officials.

"Rajeev Kumar is working as the city police commissioner for over three years, and he is now on leave. If the CEC says so, I am sorry for that (Kumar's absence)," Banerjee said when her views were sought on this matter.

According to a well-placed source, during Friday's meeting with the chief secretary and home secretary, there was a strict directive from the commission to remove Kumar from the post.

According to ECI rules, any officer who has completed three years in the same place cannot continue there if the person has to be tasked with election duties.

An 1989-batch IPS officer, Kumar replaced Surajit Kar Purkayastha as the city commissioner in January 2016.

While interacting with the media, the CEC said: "The ECI has no idea about why the city police commissioner remained absent. We have sought an explanation from the controlling officer of the police commissioner in this matter."

Asked about the reason behind Kumar's absence from the meeting, Arora said somebody told him that it was the officer's birthday.

The commission had last month directed all state governments to transfer officials posted in their home districts and those who have spent three years in a post in the past four years.

It is usual for the poll panel to issue such directions ahead of the Lok Sabha or Assembly polls to ensure that officials do not interfere in the election process in any way and the exercise remains free and fair.Maharashtra Gramin Bank has sent a criminal defamation notice to the man who blew the whistle on the alleged nexus.

Claiming damages of Rs 1 crore, Maharashtra Gramin Bank has sent a criminal defamation notice to the man who blew the whistle on the alleged nexus between the bank and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

Yogesh Shelke, former Bajaj Allianz employee, had alleged that his company and the Maharashtra Gramin Bank had tied up to loot farmers. If a farmer asks for a loan of Rs 1 lakh, he is compelled to take policies of Rs 20,000, he said in an emotional video, which went viral on 16 January. The manager would say so in as many words. And if the farmer refuses to budge, his signature is to be forged.

To prove this, Shelke reproduced a call recording between him and his manager Bhimsen Chandel, in which he is heard asking Bhimsen what to do about farmers signature. Manage it is Bhimsens response, Cant you sign?

Shelke said he complained to his seniors as well as the Gramin Banks resident manager in Latur Ashok Gattani. He didnt even ask me the details behind it, Shelke had said.

In its defence, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance confirmed that Bhimsen Chandels employment was terminated, admitting he was indulging in fraudulent activities as claimed by Shelke. Mr Yogesh Shelke resigned on his own accord from Bajaj Allianz Life on 14 November, 2018. He did not raise any of the malicious issues he mentioned in the said video, during his employment or during the time of his resignation in November, the statement added.

The Maharashtra Gramin Bank went further and sent him a legal notice dated 29 January 2019, which is signed by the chief general manager of the bank, GG Wakade, and his advocate Pradeep Shahane. You are hereby dictated to pay the amount of Rs 100 lakh to my client within 15 days of the receipt of the notice or my client would be constrained to take an action against you in the court of law, the note read.

Shelke, in a telephonic interview, said his father has a crop loan of Rs 25,000, and there is no way he can pay Rs 1 crore. What am I supposed to do? he asked. We have 7.5 acres of farmland in the family. That too is not fertile. We sowed soyabean, and the harvest was hardly 10 quintals. The drought ensured we could not sow for the winter crops either. Most of the crops in Kharif season dried up. We couldnt recover what we invested.

The notice served to Shelke claimed he made the allegations to defame the Maharashtra Gramin Bank, through which several customers have benefited because of the financial aid it provides. The facts that you are alleging are false and there is no germ of truth in your statements. You have deliberately made such statements knowing fully well that such imputation will harm the reputation of my client and his banking business, the notice said, claiming he made the video because Bajaj Allianz sacked him as an employee.

Resident of Beed in the agrarian region of Marathwada, Shelke, who earned a salary of Rs 17,500 per month, would have to go Aurangabad  120 kilometers away  to appear for the hearings. I only spoke out because the farmers were being cheated and pressured to take the life insurance of Bajaj Allianz, he said. I am a farmer's son. That job was important to me financially but I couldnt help.

Chairman of the Maharashtra Gramin Bank, MA Kabra, had said that the Maharashtra Gramin Bank has sold around 400-450 life insurance policies of Bajaj Allianz across 410 branches in 17 districts of the state, totaling around Rs 3 crore. But there was no coercion, he said. We have a tie up with LIC and Oriental as well. Our job is to educate our customers about a policy, and explain its benefits. It is not possible to compel anyone to buy the policy. Because we do the E-KYC, after which the head office of Bajaj Allianz gives the customer a call to verify the details, and only then the policy goes through.

However, debt-ridden farmers opting for life insurance with a premium doesnt add up. The banks in rural areas have been under pressure to maintain non-performing assets. Most of the banks  cooperative and nationalised  in rural areas are financially skating on thin ice because of the farm loan waivers and their inability to take on influential willful defaulters, worsening their NPAs. Thrusting policies down the throat of its customers is one way of recovering bad debts.

When Shelkes claim was investigated, quite a few farmers came forward and said they had to go for the policy because the branch manager at Maharashtra Gramin Bank wouldnt release their crop loan.

Baliram Sangale, 35, was one of them. He applied for a crop loan in June 2018 with his local branch of Nalgir. The manager told him the disbursement is temporarily stalled. I had submitted the required paperwork, said Sangale, farmer based in Laturs Gutti village in Jalkot Taluka. The sowing season was in front of us, and I needed the money.

One fine day in October 2018, Sangale suddenly got a call from his local branch late evening. By October, the crops in Maharashtras agrarian region of Marathwada  in which Latur falls  had dried up. The return showers expected around the time of harvest had deserted the region, resulting in an underwhelming produce. Sangale was no exception.

They told me I would get the crop loan tomorrow, he said. By midnight, I gathered the documents they had asked me for, and met the branch manager, Chaudhary saheb, next morning. I thought if I got the crop loan, it would be of some help in covering the losses in my farmland, and I could use the money to sow for the rabi season.

But Sangale was in for a rude shock. Chaudhary started talking about a policy of Bajaj Allianz when I met him, he said. I was told I would get the crop loan of Rs 1 lakh if I buy the policy with a premium of Rs 30,200 a year. I said it was idiotic to go for a policy when you are drowning in debt. How can a farmer afford to pay premiums?

Chaudhary said Sangales crop loan was predicated on the policy. I finally budged under pressure, and agreed, he said. They cut the premium amount from my loan. Another bank official also got his cut, and I got Rs 65,000 in hand as crop loan.

Kabra refused to give a fresh comment after the legal notice was served to Shelke.

After Shelkes video went viral, officials from the Nalgir branch of Maharashtra Gramin Bank were frequenting the villages of farmers who were deceived into buying the Bajaj Allianz policy. A bank official landed up at my doorstep at 6 in the morning the other day, said Sangale. He asked me to write that I got the policy because I wanted it. I offered him tea, and told him I would not give anything in writing.Ishrat was pursuing a degree through Indira Gandhi National Open University. Her family described her as chatty and someone who made people laugh

On Thursday morning, Ishrat Muneer left home for a computer institute located in the main town of south Kashmirs Pulwama district where she had taken up a training programme. When she failed to return in the afternoon, her family went into panic mode and started frantically looking for her.

According to police, Ishrat was kidnapped by militants and taken to an orchard in Dragad area of Shopian district. Her father Muneer Ahmad Dar is a policeman and the family lives in Dangerpora area of Pulwama.

She left at 9:45 am but when she failed to return at 2:45 pm, her usual time, we became worried and started searching for her, said Arifat Jan, Ishrat's elder sister. This never happened before. She would always return on time, Rihana, her second sister, said.

As the family searched the neighborhood and made frantic calls, a teenager came running towards her uncle Mohammad Ameen. He showed Mohammad the brutal execution of his niece: hands folded as she silently begged the gunmen to let her go.

Ishrat was pursuing a degree through Indira Gandhi National Open University. Her family described her as chatty and someone who made people laugh. She was the cousin of a recently killed militant Zeenat-ul-Islam  one of the most wanted in south Kashmir  who was gunned down by government forces on 13 January. Militants recorded the incident while perpetrating this gruesome act and circulated it on social media. Police has registered a case, a police spokesman said in a statement.

In south Kashmir, rumours are that Ishrat might have been an informer, but no one is sure. In fact, people say Ishrat even may have led forces to Zeenat. But security forces aren't claiming her as their own. This isn't the way to teach someone a lesson, Bilal, watching the mourners take Ishrat's body for the last rites, said. He would only give his first name.

However, Ishrat's funeral symbolises the least discussed intricacies of Kashmirs conflict and how families are being devastated in this internecine war. The funeral prayers were led by Ghulam Hassan Shah, the father of Zeenat. As he recited the Quranic verses, Ghulam broke down, asking God for forgiveness for his son and Ishrat. No one knows why Ishrat was killed. But there are rumours. Even those who attended her funeral whispered that her death had something to do with the killing of the militant commander, but no one is sure.

The families of those that are killed have to search for answers and connect the dots, but those who dont know can only guess and cast aspersions, Mohammad said. Someone on social media is saying she was an informer, but why would she get her own brother killed? Last year, at least 250 Kashmiri militants were killed, the highest toll in a decade in the Valley. People say most were killed by locals providing information to government forces. That militants have been killed in such huge numbers shows that the conflict is taking an increasingly dangerous turn.

On Friday, two Jaish-e-Muhammad militants were killed in an encounter in Drabgam village of Shopian. Police said 19 were killed in January, including two civilians and a policeman. Ishrats house was also raided by security forces and searches carried out when Zeenat was alive. His house is barely 15 kilometers away. As the pallbearers carried Ishrat's coffin, most mourners said they were disgusted by the way the militants filmed the video and uploaded it on social media. But no one seemed to want to comment on Ishrat's murder. I dont want to say anything, Ghulam said. We have all become numb to each others killings and nothing seems to be coming out of it.Though former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah unveiled a new sand mining policy in 2014 giving more power to district-level officials, legal miners remain on tenterhooks, while illegal ones gained the upper hand courtesy protection from political bosses.

Editor's note: The issue of illegal sand mining has affected many states in terms of revenue, law and order and environmental hazards. Despite promises by parties and government alike, none of them has succeeded in uprooting the menace. Further, even the media hasn't been spared when covering the matter. In this four-part series, the impact of illegal sand mining in the four states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar and Karntaka will be examined. This, part four, deals with Karnataka.

Mangaluru: After the great mining heist of 2008-13 in Karnataka, the mining for iron ore has attracted a tag of notoriety: heads rolled, the government fell, and a long tussle between the legislature and executive ensued, sending the state into a tailspin. In the din, not many noticed the emergence of a sand mining lobby, stronger and more widespread than the ore one.

Though former chief minister Siddaramaiah unveiled a new sand mining policy in 2014 which gave more power to district-level officials to curb illegal activities, legal miners remain on tenterhooks while illegal ones gained the upper hand courtesy protection from political bosses.

As per the policy

All three coastal districts  Udupi, Dakshina and Uttara Kannada  have their own committees that allow only manual mining in non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas. The National Green Tribunal and the environment ministry banned sand mining around 500 metres of a high tide area across the 302-kilometre Karnataka coast. The committees, however, can permit, under government supervision, the Mines and Geology Department to allow only manual mining from 9 am to 5 pm on working days.

Deputy commissioners, who preside over these committees, use their magisterial powers to allot sand bars to local miners after estimating the need for construction activities, including government projects and civic works. All three committees have taken steps to stop transportation of sand outside their districts.

AB Ibrahim, former deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, was the first to bring this order: after mining permit holders complained that illegal miners were smuggling sand outside the districts and even to Kerala, Ibrahim asked the Mines and Geology Department to install CCTVs at main traffic intersections on highways and at state and district borders.

Also, the committee in Dakshina Kannada directed that only 10 licences per month will be issued to manually extract sand per acre in the 232 acres notified for mining in non-CRZ areas. Recently, a bathymetric study was submitted to the government. It established that 40,000 metric tons of sand is available in one district alone. Sasikanth Senthil, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, said, This will help us to tide over sand distribution problems and curb all undesirable practices in the trade.

Tweaking the process

However, the sand mining rules have undergone a number of changes. The state made major amendments to the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 1994, in 2016 and added a separate chapter detailing the permission for quarrying ordinary sand in riverbed, patta land, removal of sand bars in CRZ areas of coastal districts, and special provisions for production of M-sand as well as for transportation of sand and M-sand.

On 2 March, 2018, the joint secretary, Centre, Niranjan Kumar Singh, released the draft sand mining recommendations. Since then, the tender-cum-forward auction method has been used in Karnataka.

But the political system interfered with that too. Until 2014, auctioning was done every five years, but that year they amended the rule to make it every three years. The new system did not take into consideration traditional sand miners engaging divers and using roving boats for manual extraction. CRZ and riverine areas are two extraction points; Gurupur, Nethravati, and Shambhavi rivers have more deposits than the others, while the extraction points nearer cities and towns are ideal for traditional sand mining blocks in Jeppu, Padil and Amblamogaru. But having just two categories  CRZ and non-CRZ areas  poses difficulties for traditional sand miners, said Purushottam Malli, spokesperson of traditional sand miners association in Dakshina Kannada.

Larger organisations such as the Dakshina Kannada Sand Miners Association, already split in two based on the political parties the members are affiliated with, have a different worry. The rules are strict, and rightly so. But there is no semblance of justice in bringing the violators to book. According to the 2016 amendment, there is a provision for each licence holder to have three boats; if he has four, he is a criminal; if his trucks take a different route to the delivery point, he is booked. On the other hand, illegal miners are using massive excavators mounted on barges to remove sand and directly load it on trucks that have no GPS. Also, despite the ban on interstate and inter-district transport, sand is transported all over, which has raised the prices, alleged Mayur Ullal, an association office-bearer.

Miners grievances

Sand miners divided on party lines have one common grouse: inconsistent central and state sand extraction rules. While central rules say no extraction in CRZ areas, state rules have not defined sand dunes, sand bars and underwater sand bars, and shore-based sand dunes. Hence, we will get caught no matter what. It seems the governments actually want us to do it illegally, said Sudheer Tandel, a Kali river basin sand miner of Uttara Kannada district.

According to a sand transporter, they are given a window of two hours to load, travel, unload and return for reloading if the consignment is 35 kilometres, which leaves them with no alternative but to push the vehicles through traffic. An official, however, said unloading off dumper trucks doesnt take much time, which means the sand contractor makes more than one trip on the same permit within a day, which is illegal. There have been many incidents of speeding sand trucks running pedestrians over: District Crime Record Bureau figures of the three districts show that in the past three years there have been 80 road rage incidents and five deaths. In all cases, FIRs have been filed against the truck owners and drivers.

How illegal mining is pulled off

Sand miners are very unscrupulous; they may have permission for only 1 cubic metre of sand per day but will excavate 10 to 20 times more. Many among both legal and illegal miners do not abide by rules, alleged National Environmental Care Foundation (NECF) activist Shashidhar Shetty.

The Mines and Geology Department norms allow only three-metre boats for sand extraction, but miners use 12-metre metal vessels that can carry two tons of sand. Many trucks that transport sand to interior areas are not fitted with GPS and hoodwink the authorities. There are 19 legal sand extraction blocks in Dakshina Kannada district along major rivers. But illegal miners head to uncharted ones for hassle-free smuggling. Sand contractor Rohit Shetty of Buntwal said illegal miners transport sand to Kerala, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hassan, where it is sold for Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh a load (two units equivalent to 12 tons).

Its anybodys guess where all the excess money goes. Political parties and bureaucrats are the main beneficiaries, Shetty alleged. The NECF has estimated that Dakshina Kannada exported sand valued at Rs 800 crore, Udupi at Rs 620 crore, and Uttara Kannada at Rs 570 crore.

The mafia menace

In 2016, sand smugglers used railway wagons, saying the sand was for highway work; but the Mines and Geology Department managed to stop and seize the wagons at Buntwal station. The smugglers then tried using concrete readymix trucks for transporting sand to Kerala, but the district administration immediately asked checkpost officials to manually inspect loads. In January 2017, an official of the Mines and Geology Department was roughed up by sand miners at Buntwal, and a village accountant was threatened at Gurupur in Mangaluru taluk. In Panemangalore, Buntwal taluk, two press photographers and a reporter were heckled by mining workers at their employers behest, in November 2017.

So ruthless has the sand mafia been that they havent spared even top officials, namely Udupi deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis and Kundapur assistant commissioner Shilpa Nag, who were assaulted and threatened during an inspection of a mining site in Kundapur taluk on 24 April, 2017. Six have been arrested in the case and the investigation is on. On 28 December, 2018, a village accountant of Raichur district was crushed under a tipper truck owned by an illegal miner. Police sources said there has been immense political pressure against slapping stringent sections in cases of illegal mining.

As many as 121 complaints under two IPC sections have been recorded, out of which 41 are cognisable under the Minerals Act, and have been chargesheeted. The rest fall under the Motor Vehicles Act for carrying or smuggling banned minerals across the district and state borders. Here, the Mines and Geology department and CRZ authorities have filed complaints, said a senior Karnataka Police (western range) officer.

M Raghuram is a Mangaluru-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com

Read part 1 of the series here

Read part 2 of the series here

Read part 3 of the series hereIn its obsessive quest to draw the demographic dividend, is India missing a big opportunity?

In its obsessive quest to draw the demographic dividend, is India missing a big opportunity, or, worse, choosing to remain oblivious to a ticking time-bomb?

The urge to prematurely celebrate a young India is all-pervasive, be it politicians, policymakers to industry captains. Catch them young is the dominating sentiment.

There is nothing wrong with the focus on the young. But when there is growing fear of the dividend turning into a liability, it is imperative to have a holistic view.

Estimates say 11.5 percent of the worlds seven billion people are 60-plus. By 2050, this proportion is projected to rise to about 22 percent, when the elderly will outnumber children (below 15 years of age).

According to the UNFPA 2017 India Ageing Report, while the country is not expected to report more than 19 percent elderly by 2050, the absolute numbers will be very large. The share of population over the age of 60 is projected to increase from 8 percent in 2015 to 19 percent in 2050.

Are we at all ready to navigate the spiralling ageing challenge? No.

From a negative mindset to the near absence of a policy framework to elderly not being perceived as a potent vote bank, a greying India isnt a priority at all.

India alone is not facing the dilemma. The developed world is seized of the issue, but India isnt simply bothered yet.

There are no off-the-shelf global solutions. Longevity is a dividing issue. One strong view is that it has a promise of an economic ecosystem that would fuel growth. This, however, is not without raising the spectre of mounting social costs.

The longevity economy is about leveraging a healthy populations potential to drive demand while also extending the earning cycle beyond the traditional age bar of 60.

Keeping a vast population healthy will be a major economic activity. There are said to be enormous opportunities for those investing in the silver economy: social upkeep, health, recreation to asset management, the value chain is on the rise.

The new-age economy will also ensure a large supply of a skilled and an experienced workforce. This will only happen if (in the formal sector) millions of retirees are encouraged to take up new responsibilities. This, in turn, will require new labour formats.

There is evidence to suggest that, unlike in the West, retirees in India tend to go into a shell, often aggravating health issues. Given the job challenges in India, reemployment isnt a viable solution but there is a need to tap into the vast talent pool of retirees.

Politicians, too, need to redraw their priorities. As of January, 2017, India has around 850 plus million voters, the Election Commission of India Pocket Book, 2017, says.

Voters above 60 are pegged at about 10 per cent, a sizable chunk that counts maturity, experience and commitment to democracy as its USP. Time to own it politically!

In contrast, new data points to a huge gap between eligible voters and registered voters among the young: in the 19 to 24 age group, the gap stood at 75 per cent. This shows the electoral influence of the young is overstated.

Old is gold indeed, if only the young give them a chance!The Centre is likely to announce the name of next CBI chief soon, ignoring the objections raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Selection Committee, on the names of probable contenders proposed by the government, officials said.

New Delhi: The Centre is likely to announce the name of next CBI chief soon, ignoring the objections raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Selection Committee, on the names of probable contenders proposed by the government, officials said.

During the second meeting of the committee on Friday, the government is understood to have put forth a few names of officers who could be considered for appointment as the CBI director, they said. However, these names were objected to by Kharge.

Senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra and SS Deswal, are said to be among the top contenders for the coveted post.

Ahmed, an officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present the chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences in New Delhi. Ahmed's cadre and batchmate Misra is head of the Border Security Force (BSF). Deswal, who is from the Haryana cadre, is the director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

"The meeting was inconclusive. No decision could be made at the meeting," a senior government official said, without citing further details on the Selection Committee's meeting held in Delhi.

The development assumes significance as earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI director, and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the investigative agency.

The post of CBI director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since 10 January after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence  that lasted for over an hour  and attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Kharge.

The panel's 24 January meeting had also remained inconclusive. A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members at the last meeting.

"The government presented the names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the 24 January meeting.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the Modi-led panel, was named the director general of fire services, civil defence and home guards  a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered "deemed superannuated" as he completed 60 years age of superannuation on 31 July, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on 1 February, 2017, for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.While some of the themes mentioned in Dissent on Aadhaar have filtered down to conversations in urban, English-speaking India, the book reveals that we havent even begun to scratch the surface.

In 2010, a year after the UIDAI was constituted, three of its functionaries visited internationally-renowned developmental economist Professor Reetika Khera. They were hoping to get her endorsement on how Aadhaar would prove transformational for reducing corruption in social schemes like PDS and NREGA. Khera writes, Upon reading their policy documents on PDS and NREGA, I was aghast because they betrayed a complete lack of understanding of the problem they were trying to address. What had begun as a PR exercise by the UIDAI ended up creating one of its most acute critics. Professor Kheras latest salvo, Dissent on Aadhaar: Big Data Meets Big Brother, has just been published by Orient BlackSwan, and is on shelves now.

Dissent on Aadhaar, edited by Professor Khera, brings together in one volume an array of experts commenting on the universal ID project. Given its many facets, she has included Anumeha Yadav, a journalist, who has been tirelessly reporting on Aadhar from the field; economists, including the celebrated Jean Dreze; lawyers, including civil liberties expert Dr Usha Ramanathan; and technologists like Sunil Abraham, of Mozilla Foundation and the Center for Internet and Society. The book is rounded off by international experts comparing Aadhaar to digital/universal ID projects in other countries. The picture they paint is not rosy.

Dissent on Aadhaar might not seem new to us, the English-speaking population of India. We all remember the storm of tweets and memes when Aadhaar was declared mandatory for everything from bank accounts to a mobile phone connection. We also saw through the September 2018 Supreme Court verdict, where Aadhaar was ruled optional for opening a bank account, but secretly remained mandatory due to its link with the PAN card. While some of the themes mentioned in this book, like concerns over privacy, have filtered down to our conversations, the book reveals that we havent even begun to scratch the surface.

Khera debunks the prevailing popular wisdom around Aadhaar in the opening chapters, sometimes even using the Governments own data. Was Aadhaar necessary to create because there were many Indians without a legal ID? Aadhaar data says, only 0.03 percent of Aadhaar enrollments were by people without existing IDs, using the introducer system. Were existing IDs compromised, necessitating an overhaul of our national ID systems? If so, how is it that those very compromised IDs were used to create the Aadhaar database? And what of the loopholes in the Aadhaar system, like cards for dogs and gods? These egregious pranks may have been caught, but what of less obvious aberrations?

Does Aadhaar prevent fraud? Here, Khera points out there are three kinds of fraud: identity fraud, eligibility fraud, and quantity fraud; Aadhaar only provides some measure of protection against the first. Kheras previous studies have shown that the most prominent kind of fraud in Indias social schemes is quantity fraud. Even eligibility fraud, where citizens claim benefits reserved for others, cannot be checked by Aadhaar, as eligibility depends upon a separate set of documents.

Finally, does Aadhaar ease access to government schemes and benefits for the poorest? Here, what has seemed farcical quickly becomes tragic.

In a country where basic infrastructure in terms of electricity and mobile phone connections is poor, can a digital ID system like Aadhaar really ease the process of disbursement? Anumeha Yadav provides the on-ground reality  in Bhim Block, Rajsamand District, Rajasthan, 1,799 pensioners were declared dead because they failed to open Aadhaar-linked bank accounts in time. A door-to-door campaign conducted by the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan found that 1,308 of these were actually alive, and had been denied their rightful pensions. Yadav quotes a Dainik Bhaskar estimate that 1 lakh of Rajasthans 2.97 lakh pensioners had been inaccurately declared dead.

If these ideas are so far off the mark, how did they come to take root in our minds? How come there was no meaningful opposition to prevent this Himalayan blunder? Khera quotes the father of Aadhaar himself, Nandan Nilekani, who outlined his three-point strategy to overwhelm opposition: Do it quickly, do it quietly, and build a coalition of powerful interests who will overpower any opposition.

Nilekanis strategy worked beautifully. A damning 2011 Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Report, which deemed UIDAI categorically unacceptable, was mostly ignored. The Rajya Sabhas concerns and suggested amendments were circumvented by passing off the Aadhaar bill as a Money bill (requiring passage only in the Lok Sabha), even though its ambit was much wider than just allotment of financial resources. The Supreme Court itself had a lone dissenter, Justice Chandrachud, who published a note to that effect.

Opposition has not come just from activist, legal and parliamentary sources. Sunil Abraham, a technologist, speaks of the many alternatives UIDAI had to its present system of a centralised biometric database, and its many vulnerabilities, including the theft of data, and the difficulty of correcting input errors. An alternative would have been to have smart cards that stored encrypted biometric information on the card itself, instead of in a centralised database; a conjunction of card-and-fingerprint would make the system secure from identity fraud. Abraham warns of high-resolution cameras that can be used by governments and private interests to identify fingerprints even at a distance, for instance of protestors in a marching crowd.

But what happened when Abrahams Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) published a report stating the Government had inadvertently leaked millions of identification numbers? The Government sent them several legal notices. A researcher from CIS also spoke of visits from officials from the Home Ministry and from the police. One policeman even asked the researcher, How was that trip to Turkey?, demonstrating the extent of their surveillance.

If Aadhaar was not created for all the things the UIDAI claimed, what was its true intent? We can guess from the way Aadhaar insiders, like ex-Chief Product Manager Vivek Raghavan, who volunteered for Aadhaar between October 2010 and June 2013, went on to found Khosla Labs, with its for-profit Aadhaar Bridge product. When the Supreme Court struck down the sharing of Aadhaar data with private companies in its September 2018 judgment, private interests dropped their masks and have started campaigning for a reversal. Dr Usha Ramanathan covers this in her chapter, making sense of the new, hybrid public-private entity that UIDAI represented, and its consequences.

And what did the government get out of it? Considering how it used its existing might to harass CIS, can you imagine what its expanded capabilities with Aadhaar will achieve for anyone who critiques their functioning? And how many critics who see something wrong in policy or execution will hesitate before saying something for fear of persecution? This chilling effect is already spreading  just speak to anyone who critiques the government, and how often they have been advised to stop doing so.

Many of the big battles when it comes to Aadhaar have already been lost. 1.2 billion people have yielded up their biometric information; Aadhaar, which had started off as voluntary, has become mandatory to access basic rights of citizenship, and this has been upheld by the Supreme Court; India has ignored best practices from other countries and lessons from other such attempts, and has therefore squandered a historic opportunity to do this digital ID right.

Far though this juggernaut has rolled, the experts in this book are still offering warnings; while there has been substantial harm already, especially to the rural poor and the elderly, the worst damage is yet to occur. While the State has power to gain from defending UIDAI, and private interests have millions in profits to reap, the scholars and activists in this book have no millions to make, and are indeed staking both their personal safety, and their professional reputations in putting forward a narrative that goes so far against the dominant one. I trust readers will give their thoroughly-researched essays a fair hearing.

The writer wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Prasun Chakrabartty in researching and clarifying this piece.Students in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday were seen crossing snow-capped mountains to reach schools as the state received a fresh spate of snowfall. Braving all odds, these children, dressed in red school uniforms in Malana had to cross a thick block of snow to attend school.

Kullu: Students in Kullu district on Saturday were seen crossing snow-capped mountains to reach schools as the state received a fresh spate of snowfall. Braving all odds, these children, dressed in red school uniforms in Malana had to cross a thick block of snow to attend school.

Heavy snowfall has disrupted routine life in parts of the state. In Shimla, authorities were forced to block roads for vehicular traffic due to snow.

As per the Public Works Department, the total number of roads closed in the state are 413. Losses incurred are Rs 69.22 crore which may increase after final assessment of loss and damage to the roads. 206 machines have been deployed for the restoration of roads.

On Saturday, the temperature in Himachal Pradesh was recorded below normal between -1.6 Celsius to -3.0 Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Extreme weather conditions are likely to extend to the next week as well, the IMD said.

"Widespread rain/snow with isolated heavy falls likely over the western Himalayan region. Scattered to fairly widespread rain/thundershowers likely over northern plains and adjoining central and east India," stated IMD in its weekly report.

Owing to the heavy snowfall, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) Manali has advised people to not venture near avalanche-prone slopes. According to data provided by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, out of 1760 affected Distribution Transformers (DTRs), 1300 have been restored while the remaining 460 DTRs will be restored soon.On February 3, 1969, Tamil Nadu witnessed over 15 million people  an unbroken world record  participating in the last journey of former chief minister Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai

On February 3, 1969, Tamil Nadu witnessed over 15 million people  an unbroken world record  participating in the last journey of former chief minister Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai. This was unprecedented, considering that he had been in power for less than two years and his party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), espoused a secessionist ideology at least until the early 1960s. Annadurais funeral procession signified the consolidation of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu. Five decades later, if the DMK and its offshoot, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), continue to dominate Tamil Nadu politics, the credit must only go to Anna, as he was popularly known.

When Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy Periyar took over the reins of the Justice Party in 1939, it had already met its political death at the hands of the Congress. Rising instances of corruption involving party members, perception as a British collaborationist, and elite background of its top leaders contributed to the Justice Partys defeat in the 1937 elections. Believing that electoral politics would invariably lead to ideological compromises and collapse of the Dravidian movement, Periyar turned the party into a social outfit for spreading his radical ideas. In 1944, the Justice Party, now renamed Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), formally opted out of electoral politics.

Periyars ideology was a deadly combination of anti-Brahminism, iconoclasm, socialism, ethnic pride and racial chauvinism. From 1940 onwards, he also advocated a separate Dravida Nadu. Throughout this period, Annadurai, an English professor with impeccable oratory skills, continued to be Periyars trusted lieutenant.

However, Periyars support for Dravida Nadu, his promotion of iconoclasm, and opposition to the Aryan North  a byword for Congress-led Centre  continued to be a cause for concern. In the early days of Independence, south India was unified under Madras State, which also included large parts of Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada-speaking areas. Periyars call for secession only created more fear among the non-Tamil population, while his fervent iconoclasm potentially isolated the deeply religious Tamil masses.

Perhaps, Annadurai knew the pitfalls of such extremist ideas. However, many believe he waited for the opportune time to split the DK. The opportunity arose when his mentor, who was already nearing 70, married a 32-year-old woman, Maniammai, in 1949. However, the real reason may have been his differences with Periyar over electoral politics.

Anna had already fought and lost a municipal election in 1935. Even before he formed the DMK, he rued the lack of Opposition in the post-Independence Madras legislature, hinting he was not averse to electoral politics.

For Annadurai, poll politics was a means to an end. It provided him the platform to implement necessary socio-economic reforms through legislation. In May 1956, seven years after splitting from DK, the DMK decided to contest the 1957 polls. Interestingly, this decision too was by a secret ballot!

A 2018 book, Tamil Characters: Personalities, Politics and Culture by AR Venkatachalapathy, noted that Annadurai used active politics to promote Periyars ideology but made it more palatable for the masses. This meant that controversial aspects of Periyars messages like secession and iconoclasm had to be tamed for wider acceptance.

The shrewd Anna used the 1962 Sino-Indian War as a pretext to drop the DMKs already nominal idea of secession. In our anger against the Congress party, we should not commit the mistake of slackening our efforts against the foreign invader, he said, supporting the war effort. In later years, the DMK espoused greater autonomy for linguistically carved states, thus becoming the torch-bearer for federalism in India.

Anna, who had a way with words, appropriated a phrase from Tamil literature, Onre Kulam, Oruvane Devan (one community, one god) to turn Periyars iconoclastic atheism into ethno-religious monotheism. In fact, as noted by Venkatachalapathy, Anna famously proclaimed that his party would neither break Ganesha idols nor any coconut in his worship.

Annadurais biggest moment came in the run-up to the 1967 polls, as the DMK tied up with Chakravarti Rajagopalachari  a Brahmin and a rival. Despite having clashed during the 1939 anti-Hindi riots, electoral calculations triumphed over past rivalry. Perhaps, he might have taken a cue from Vladimir Lenins idea of temporary compromise. It is said that Anna himself was shocked by the scale of the DMKs victory. Yet, the outcome also proved that the DMK was no longer an untouchable in state and national politics. Moreover, by opting for an alliance, the party also showed its commitment to electoral democracy.

If not for Annadurais pragmatism, the Dravidian movement would certainly have ended up in the abyss of history. To his credit, he utilised universal adult franchise to shape the socio-economic destiny of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, he demonstrated that regional entities could continue working within Indias federal structure. Call it the Annadurai effect or something else, Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalithaa took coalition dharma miles further. Between 1971 and 2009, national parties had to form a coalition with at least one of the two Kazhagam to sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.

Fifty years after his passing, Annadurai remains a political icon, just like his mentor and three successor chief ministers. But the problem begins here. Anna is likely to have a lesser recall value than Karunanidhi. Similarly, MGR and Amma Jayalalithaa are the likely symbols who can deliver votes for the AIADMK. Tamil Nadus culture of hero worship keeps adding new icons to the Dravidian pantheon. Unsurprisingly, Karunanidhis autobiography holds a pivotal place in the DMKs official history while Annadurais collected editorials remain incomplete. Perhaps, Periyars fear of the Dravidian movement collapsing under the burden of electoral politics was not too far-fetched.The Centre is mulling a proposal to extend free and compulsory education up to 12th standard.

The Centre is mulling a proposal to extend free and compulsory education up to 12th standard, informs a source in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The ministry has received proposals from various state governments to extend the benefits of Right to Education up to Standard 12. The demand is under consideration, said the source.

As per the existing provision of the Right to Education Act, students up to Class 8 are entitled to free and compulsory education.

As per the law framed in 2009, compulsory education means obligation of the appropriate government to provide free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education to every child in the six to fourteen age group.

On the other hand, free education means that no child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education.

Though the Act has been in force since April 2010, there is a growing feeling among the state governments and experts alike that it has failed to achieve its goal of bringing children into formal education system as a large number of students are still are out of it.

Professor Janaki Rajan, a noted educationist and a teacher in Jamia Milia Islamia, said that students remain out of school because free and compulsory education till Class 8 is not seen as beneficial by many of them. Providing free and compulsory education till Class 8 hardly makes them employable. If you need a job, minimum qualification is often Class 10 passed. So, education till Class 8 leaves them in the middle of nowhere, she says.

She also says that the goal of Right to Education is about giving equal opportunity to everyone, but there is hardly any future for the poor students after Class 8 as the government takes no responsibility of them after they are above 14 years of age.

Many students who avail free education up to Class 8 do not get admission in Class 9. Even if they get admission, many of them are unable to continue education due to financial strains. This is one of the reasons why many students are out of school even after nine years of the RTE, she says.

As per a central government study, there were 8,65,441 children out of schools in 2014-15 only in Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi High Court lawyer Ashok Agarwal, who is also the national president of All India Parents Association, gives a separate reason for why the RTE has failed.

As per the RTE Act, the unaided private schools have to reserve 25 percent of seats for free education to students of economically weaker section. But after passing out of Class 8, these students have to transfer themselves to government school as they no longer receive free education after that. But since government schools are mostly vernacular medium, they face serious problem in adjusting themselves with it, he says.

The All India Parents Association has, since 2017, been demanding an extensin of the right to education up to Class 12.

Recently, the ministry has informed it in a written communication that its demand is in consideration.

In this regard, it is informed that that the proposal is under consideration of this ministry. Any decision taken in this regard would be intimated, once it is examined thoroughly, the communication dated 24 January said.The 2019 Interim Budget presented on Friday is a clear example of a Narendra Modi who plans for a decade, even when he is set to face an uncertainty three months down the line in the general elections.

An official who worked closely with Narendra Modi during his stint as the Chief Minister of Gujarat told me an anecdote to explain his style of working. Just before the 2007 state Assembly elections, Modi had found himself pitted against a strong lobby of Patel farmers and the RSS-backed Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.

What got the goat of the agriculturally affluent Patidars was Modi's tough decision of separating power feeders for agriculture and making farmers pay for it. Earlier, having a common feeder for agriculture and domestic use had made it difficult to gauge how much electricity was consumed solely for agricultural purposes. Given the massive subsidy allotted for agriculture, domestic power consumption was also reckoned as agricultural consumption.

The feeder separation made life difficult for farmers who had to pay user charges. Non-payment of dues led to hundreds of arrests, mostly of Patidars who were provoked by a group within the BJP to revolt against Modi as he had replaced Keshubhai Patel in the state. The official concerned with the rebellion among the farming community had advised Modi to hold back on the move till the elections to avoid any "adverse impact" on the outcome. Modi's response: "Don't bother about the elections, as I will handle it. Do what is good for the people."

Modi went on to win the 2007 Gujarat Assembly elections despite a determined attempt to stoke a farmers' rebellion against him. Gujarat also became the first state to introduce successful power reforms and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to common people.

If one examines the way Modi ran the Gujarat government, it will be apparent to them that his style of operation remains unchanged even as the Prime Minister of India. He is arguably the only politician who had a long, uninterrupted stint of 18 years as a chief minister and prime minister considered together. The 2019 Interim Budget presented on Friday is a clear example of a Modi who plans for a decade, even when he is set to face an uncertainty three months down the line in the general elections.

Look at the manner in which Finance Minister Piyush Goyal outlined the country's financial health till 2030. For those keen to hear about the immediate future, he assured them that within two years, income tax filings will be scrutinised through a technological interface with no human interaction. Of course, for a large section of genuine taxpayers in business and industry, Goyal's words were music to their ears. If such a situation does materialise, it will put an effective end to corruption in one of the most corrupt arms of the government.

Similarly, the government's decision to provide Rs 6,000 annually to farmers who own landholdings less than 2 hectares will cover nearly 90 percent of the farming community in the country. This amount is not meant for sustenance, but is aimed at encouraging farmers to inculcate banking habits. At the same time, the entire exercise would also update and digitise land records across the country and carry out an accurate census of land-owning farmers in India. As of now, there are many gaps in digitisation of land records and accuracy about the land-ownership pattern in the community.

Moreover, the government's pension scheme for workers of the unorganised sector, instead of being a freebie, is clearly an attempt to incentivise future planning among the most vulnerable strata of society. Under this scheme, workers of the unorganised sector, who constitute nearly 94 percent of the workforce, will be able to avail pension of Rs 3,000 per month after 60 years of age by making a nominal contribution. The scheme is intended to encourage workers of the unorganised sector to have a stake in their future planning. Far from promising a freebie, this government initiative aims to nudge the working class into becoming an aspirational class that realises its dreams and secures its future.

A close scrutiny of Modi's governance style in both Gandhinagar and Delhi will reveal a pattern: through his interventions, he has been assiduously cultivating a neo-middle class, an amorphous social segment that has just pulled itself out of the Below Poverty Line mark and is struggling hard to realise an urban dream. During his Gandhinagar stint, he had promised this class housing facilities and cleaner urban spaces across the state. And there is little doubt that Modi held an overweening influence on this social segment, which forms a sizeable section of the vote bank.

In the past five years, the prime minister has been cultivating this class across the country by launching a vigorous cleanliness drive and promoting healthy competition among cities to rise up to people's expectations. At the same time, he has been providing a push to this class to come out of 'ghettoisation' and dream for a brighter future. His story of becoming a prime minister from a tea seller is inspiring for this class to look at the future with hope, not despondency.

A look at the summary of Goyal's Budget speech would explain how the grammar of politics has been changing the past five years. He talks about building an India that will have a surfeit of clean and renewable energy, electric cars and a transparent and equitable society. This stand is a sharp contrast to the pro-poor rhetoric that finance ministers have deployed in the past while delivering a pre-election Budget.

Modi clearly holds out a promise, while his adversaries are busy drawing a regressive and sad picture of India. The Opposition is emulating exactly the model that failed in Gujarat. It is unlikely to succeed at the national level, as well.Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, has been arrested by the Pune Police from Mumbai early morning on Saturday. The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist and professor.

Pune: Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, has been arrested by the Pune Police from Mumbai early morning on Saturday. The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist and professor.

"In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence. Moreover, investigation in respect of present applicant/accused is at a very crucial stage," said an order pronounced by special judge KD Vadane."

Presently, he has been kept at Vile Parle Police Station in Mumbai.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed Teltumbde's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

On 1 January last year, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, leaving one dead and several injured.The development comes after the Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist. He was kept at Vile Parle police station in Mumbai.

Pune: Labeling the arrest as illegal, a Pune Sessions Court on Saturday ordered the release of activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.

"As per the Supreme Court order, activist Teltumbde has interim protection till 11 February. Meanwhile, he can approach the competent authority which includes sessions court, High court and Supreme Court for bail/pre-arrest bail," the Pune Sessions Court observed.

The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist. He was kept at Vile Parle police station in Mumbai.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed Teltumbde's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. On 1 January, 2018, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured.The BJP governments hand was forced because it seems to have realised that the rhetoric on development has worn so thin that even the blindfolded can see through it

When the Union government filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court Tuesday seeking the return of excess land surrounding the disputed site in Ayodhya to its original owners  we shall get to the details of that plea in the course of this piece  the move was hailed in some quarters as a masterstroke. Needless to say, Prime Minister Narendra Modis masterstroke, since everything that emanates from the hallowed corridors of New Delhi, is the prime ministers flash of intuitive intelligence.

As it turns out, this flash of political intuition may not turn out to be an undiluted blessing for a government that doubles as a pedlar of Hindutva. Before we get to that part of the argument, a few words about the claims that form the basis of the petition. First, lets look at the claim that the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (RJN), a proxy for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), is the original owner. In simple point of fact, it is not even the owner of 42 acres of the 67-odd designated as excess and in respect of which a status quo order of the Supreme Court is still extant. The Centre wants this order expunged.

The RJN is just a lessee. And in the view of many legal experts, once a plot of land is acquired, all rights to it are expunged, including, for instance, those of lessee, lessor or holder of usufructuary rights. Thus, legally speaking, the RJN cannot be held to be the owner of even 42 of 67-odd acres. Moreover, if there is to be the search for the original owner we have to go back to the circumstances of the grant of the lease. The lease was granted by the Kalyan Singh government. So, at the very least the question of who the original owner is, is vexed. We also have to remember that the entire parcel of land was acquired not using the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, but through an Act of Parliament, which raises a germane question: If the government is so anxious to relinquish its rights to the land why does it not just repeal, or amend, the Act?

Finally, in respect to the petition, we must refer to a piece of the most egregious kind of chicanery. The disputed site consists of 2.77 acres. There can be no doubt about that because it was the basis on which, in a 2010 judgment, the Allahabad High Court divided the title of the site between three parties. All of a sudden, in its petition, the Centre decided that the disputed site was only 0.313 acres. Apparently, it decided unilaterally and in contravention of a judicial verdict, to consider only the plinth area as disputed. This stratagem has been decried not just by liberals, but also by Mahant Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.

All of this is apropos to the political point that this article seeks to make. To begin with, almost instantaneously on Thursday, the Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties to the case about the disputed site, protested the petition. The Allahabad High Court, to recapitulate, had partitioned the disputed site between three parties, one of which was the akhara. The akhara has now assailed the petition. In its view, the RJN/VHP was never a party to the case, in any event. The possession of the non-disputed land, it further says, is necessary to take care of Ram and all the pilgrims who go to Ayodhya to rendezvous with him.

The entire plot of land should, the Nirmohi Akhara now says, therefore, be handed over to it so that it can take care of Ram Lalla, another of the three beneficiaries of the Allahabad High Courts tripartite division. The writ petition filed on Tuesday seems to have divided the community of Ram and opened a can of worms. Ram Lallas share was to be administered by a friend, since the beneficiary wasnt exactly around. The friend now is a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) man called Triloki Nath Pandey and he hasnt said anything yet.

The Sunni Waqf Board (SWB), the third party who gained a share of the disputed site, has not reacted to the Modis masterstroke yet. But a counterfactual could well be considered. Once the Supreme Court decides on the title suit, some party or parties will get the whole or part of the disputed site. The VHP/RJN wont because it its not in the picture anywhere. So, if all the surrounding land is given to the RJN/VHP, what kind of access will the owners of the disputed site have to their property? The problem will be even more vexatious if the SWB gets a share of the land.

On Wednesday, the day after the petition was filed, one of the shankaracharyas declared that sadhus attending the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad would begin marching to Ayodhya after 10 February to lay the foundations of a Ram temple at the disputed site on 21 February. He criticised the VHP and said its actions were against the tenets of Hinduism. Swaroopanand Saraswati is apparently vehemently opposed to both the VHP and Modi. He made this announcement on the concluding day of the Dharam Sansad (religious parliament) in the presence of around 400 sadhus.

He also criticised the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inciting people to violence, which is against Hinduism, and said the former was unnecessarily misusing the Ram temple issue to help the latter win elections. If the proposed long march is not good news for those who believe that the status quo should be maintained till the Supreme Court reaches a determination, its hardly good news for the wise heads of the BJP either.

Quite apart from the fact that the Centre has, as is evident, widened fissures and created new ones with its petition which it may find difficult to contain, it has also unleashed a revolution of rising expectations which it may find difficult to contain. It has been reported that enraged sadhus chanted slogans against Modi, the VHP and the RSS after a Dharam Sansad prescribed prayers to the almighty and thanksgiving to Modi for the manner in which he is expediting the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. At a meeting being addressed by RSS sarsanchalak Mohan Bhagwat, sadhus interrupted him with shouts of tarikh batao (tell us the date) and chanted slogans against him. This Dharam Sansad was the fourth in a series organised by the VHP to build momentum for the construction of a Ram temple and was held in an uncongenial atmosphere for the VHP/BJP, given that many sadhus had announced a post-Kumbh agitation against what they perceived as the Sangh Parivars empty promises regarding the temple.

In other words, the governments writ petition has created more problems for itself than it has solved. The timing has been atrocious, the writ petition having been filed during the Kumbh, which is being held just over 150 kilometres from Ayodhya and where a huge number of sadhus and devotees are assembled. The government must now manage these expectations and deal with the competing animosities over the Ram temple. Obviously, it is not within the governments powers to announce any date. It must wait for two verdicts: primarily the constitution benchs verdict on the title suit and now, because of its exceeding cleverness, the one to be delivered by the bench hearing Tuesdays writ petition.

It would seem to a neutral that it would have been much more sagacious to let matters lie until the main verdict came through. The BJP governments hand was forced because it seems to have realised that the rhetoric on development has worn so thin that even the blindfolded can see through it, never mind the fresh slew of promises in this budget piled on to a mountain of unfulfilled ones, and the only recourse it has is majoritarian mobilisation and communal polarisation. Masterstroke, huh?(Reuters) - The board of Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Friday it is withholding a bonus worth at least $7 million from former chief executive Lloyd Blankfein until investigations into the bank's involvement in the 1MDB scandal are resolved. The bank also introduced a new forfeiture provision in its annual compensation plans for its top executives, including Chief Executive David Solomon and former head Blankfein, relating to the ongoing 1MDB proceedings. The company said in a regulatory filing its board can reduce pay packages of senior executives if it is later determined that the results of the ongoing probes would have impacted the their year-end compensation decisions.

(Reuters) - The board of Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Friday it is withholding a bonus worth at least $7 million from former chief executive Lloyd Blankfein until investigations into the bank's involvement in the 1MDB scandal are resolved.

The bank also introduced a new forfeiture provision in its annual compensation plans for its top executives, including Chief Executive David Solomon and former head Blankfein, relating to the ongoing 1MDB proceedings.

The company said in a regulatory filing its board can reduce pay packages of senior executives if it is later determined that the results of the ongoing probes would have impacted the their year-end compensation decisions.

Goldman is being investigated by Malaysian authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice for its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales that raised $6.5 billion (5 billion) for 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

The Wall Street bank also said it paid CEO Solomon $23 million in total compensation in 2018, a 9.5 percent jump from 2017 pay. Blankfein received $20.5 million in annual compensation in 2018, down $3.5 million from 2017.

(Reporting by Diptendu Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Ann Saphir AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's decision Wednesday to scrap a promise for further rates hikes and be 'patient' on further moves took financial markets and economists by surprise, but the signs were plain to see. That is the view, at least, of Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan, who has been warning of downside risks since October, based on widening spreads in the credit markets that signalled tighter financial conditions

By Ann Saphir

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's decision Wednesday to scrap a promise for further rates hikes and be "patient" on further moves took financial markets and economists by surprise, but the signs were plain to see.

That is the view, at least, of Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan, who has been warning of downside risks since October, based on widening spreads in the credit markets that signalled tighter financial conditions. Though credit spreads have since narrowed, signalling an ease in financial conditions, slower global growth has amplified his worries since then, he said Friday.

"I am not saying we are never going to raise rates again," Kaplan told reporters after a talk to The Texas Lyceum in Austin. "I am saying we should not be taking any action now, in my opinion, for certainly the first couple of quarters. And I reserve the right to change my mind."

Kaplan said that in coming months he will be keeping a weather eye on whether credit spreads "gap out" again, as well as business spending, corporate profits, and financial conditions. Business spending already held down U.S. GDP growth last year, figures from the third-quarter show.

Kaplan's comments, made just hours after a U.S Labor Department report showed job growth surged in January, underscore the degree to which the Fed's decisions are being driven by financial conditions rather than macroeconomic data showing strength in the economy.

Kaplan downplayed the jobs report, calling it "noisy" and noting an unexplained rise in people working part-time jobs who would rather be working full-time. For himself, he said, the need to pause on rate hikes has been in the cards for a while.

"I may not have as big a megaphone, but I foreshadowed this," Kaplan said.

As big a megaphone, he meant, as Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who in October said the Fed is a "long way" from neutral, suggesting several more interest-rate hikes would be needed to keep the economy from overheating. Powell retreated somewhat from this view in November before again flagging future rate hikes after the Fed's fourth 2018 rate hike in December.

This week, the Fed left rates unchanged in a well-telegraphed decision. However, the Powell Fed caught markets off guard with extremely dovish messaging both in its post-meeting statement and in the Fed chair's news conference that followed.

The Fed's turnaround was "perplexing," said Roberto Perli, an economist at Cornerstone Macro in one of the more understated reactions. Barclays strategist Michael Gapen said the Fed's communications were "in tatters."

"I was concerned coming out of the December meeting that maybe we werent in the right place, or we werent communicating the appropriate stance. I think to our credit, we rectified that," Kaplan told reporters, noting that he had said in January that he thought the Fed should pause for a while.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, in an earlier interview on CNBC, also said he was pleased with the Fed's new stance. He also said that while the January job gains were strong, the data is backward looking.

Bullard has been an even longer proponent of stopping rate hikes than Kaplan, and earlier this month said the Fed had come to the "end of the road" on rate hikes.

Though they missed earlier signs of a pause, markets and economists are now fully on board.

Noting the Fed's new mantra of patience, JP Morgan economist Michael Feroli summed up the implications of the booming jobs market in this way: "It just doesn't matter."

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Ron Bousso and Jessica Resnick-Ault LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Qatar Petroleum and Exxon Mobil Corp are expected to announce plans next week to proceed with a $10 billion project that will expand a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Texas, three people familiar with the transaction said. ConocoPhillips, the third partner in the existing import terminal, plans to sell its 12.4 percent stake and does not plan to participate in the expansion, the people said

By Ron Bousso and Jessica Resnick-Ault

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Qatar Petroleum and Exxon Mobil Corp are expected to announce plans next week to proceed with a $10 billion project that will expand a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Texas, three people familiar with the transaction said.

ConocoPhillips, the third partner in the existing import terminal, plans to sell its 12.4 percent stake and does not plan to participate in the expansion, the people said.

LNG demand is soaring. Worldwide consumption of the fuel is expected to more than double to 550 million tonnes a year (mtpa) by 2030, triggering a race among oil and gas companies eager to dominate the market.

Golden Pass LNG began as a receiving and regasification facility in Sabine Pass, Texas able to handle up to 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas imports per day.

However, as U.S. gas production has soared to new records, bolstered by shale production, the demand for export capacity has increased. The potential $10 billion expansion, first announced in 2014, would focus on this new market dynamic.

It is part of Qatar Petroleums plans to invest some $20 billion in the United States as the company seeks to increase its overseas oil and gas footprint.

The most likely buyer for ConocoPhillips' stake is Exxon Mobil, two of the people said, adding that the existing partners do not want to bring in another participant, as plans for the project are in advanced stages.

Currently, Exxon has a 30 percent stake in the LNG export project, and Qatar Petroleum holds a 70 percent stake. The two have been strengthening a global alliance across LNG projects from the United States to Mozambique.

Exxon expects this year to "sanction" the Golden Pass export terminal and another LNG project in Mozambique, Chief Executive Darren Woods said Friday on a conference call with analysts.

The company has been "working very closely with QP (Qatar Petroleum), our partner in Golden Pass, to advance that investment and look forward to announcing something here in the very near term," Woods said.

Qatar was the world's largest LNG producer in 2017 and has annual output of 77 million tonnes.

Exxon and ConocoPhillips declined to comment, while Qatar Petroleum could not immediately be reached for comment.

ConocoPhillips' stake sale led to delays in announcing the final decision to proceed with the project, one of the people said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations were private. The move comes as ConocoPhillips hones its focus on international projects.

The Golden Pass project is one of many that could be approved this year. Firms are expected to make final decisions on projects that could add more than 60 million tonnes per annum of LNG capacity this year. That's well above the previous record of about 45 million tonnes in 2005 and triple last years 21 million tonnes, Wood Mackenzies research director for global gas and LNG, Giles Farrer, said last month.

More than 320 million tonnes of LNG was shipped globally in 2018, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data.

Qatar left the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries last year, allowing it to expand in the United States without concerns about proposed legislation that could limit OPEC members' investments in the country.

(Reporting by Jessica Resnick-Ault and Ron Bousso; additional reporting by Rania El-Gamal, David French and Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Dale Hudson and Diane Craft)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2019) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that on February 1st the Company accepted an assignment of a real estate option agreement ("Option Agreement") from its CEO, Jim Pakulis, to acquire a land, building and asset package (the "Property") which includes an existing 196,000 square foot facility on 6.5 acres of land, as well as cannabis packaging and processing equipment. The purchase price for the Property, should the option for purchase be exercised, is an aggregate of US$15 million payable in cash. Approximately US$8 million in tenant improvements has been completed over the past two years creating a vertically integrated cannabis facility.

The seller of the Property, who is at arm's length to the Company, specializes in building USDA grade, commercial HVAC facilities throughout the US. As a result, the seller performed all of the facility's tenant improvements, much of which were to USDA standards. The intended purpose of the facility includes divisions for transportation & distribution, extraction, manufacturing, bottling, nursery and growing. Conditional on the Property being acquired, the company expects to lease space to a third-party laboratory testing company. The facility will be able to employ up to approximately 500 staff members operating two, eight-hour shifts, predicated on demand. The facility is located in an area zoned for cannabis in northern California.

Preliminary architectural drawings for the additional acreage includes approximately 400,000 square feet for a fully enclosed two story grow facility. Pending execution of definitive documents, the Company and the seller have reached an agreement in which the seller will become a consultant to the Company, which would include management of construction for the additional facility, should the Company determine to complete that facility.

"With the recent $8 million of tenant improvements performed, this is one of the largest cannabis focused, vertically integrated facilities in California. The intended use of the facility will be to transfer branded companies that we acquire, or that we create, and bring them inhouse. This means we have complete control over our nursery, grow, manufacturing, extraction and distribution. We believe the consistency in our ecosystem that we can offer, and the scale that we can create, will result in TransCanna owning a portfolio of premium brands that will materially benefit the retailer and their customers," states Jim Pakulis, CEO of TransCanna.

Mr. Pakulis paid a non-refundable US$250,000 deposit to the seller of the facility in order to secure the Option Agreement and pursuant to the assignment agreement entered into with the Company has been reimbursed for this cost. No other payments are due to Mr. Pakulis pursuant to the assignment. As Mr. Pakulis is the CEO and a director of the Company, the assignment of the Option Agreement to the Company constitutes a "related party transaction" as such term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements available under MI 61-101. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61- 101, specifically the exemptions as set forth sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than the 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The board of directors of the Company approved the assignment of the Option Agreement, with Mr. Pakulis having declared his interest in, and abstaining from voting on, the assignment.

The facility is currently not licensed for cannabis, nor is the acquisition dependent on receiving those licenses. The Company intends to submit all appropriate licensing application to the appropriate regulatory bodies in February. Conditional on receiving the appropriate licensing approvals at the local level, the Company will submit licensing applications to the state.

Pursuant to the Option Agreement, the Company has until March 15 to determine to exercise its option and complete the purchase.

Acquisition financing is pending and will be announced by the Company once secured. The facility requires an approximately $1.5 million to finish tenant improvements and become operational.

Should the Company complete the acquisition of the Property, a success fee of up to 2,000,000 common shares will be payable to Haywood Securities Inc. in consideration of financial advisory services being provided to the Company.

In addition, the Company has entered into an agreement with Haywood Securities Inc. to settle an advisory fee of $110,000 payable in connection with the Company's initial public offering through the issuance of 56,266 common shares at a price of $1.955 per share. The shares will be subject to a four month hold period ending on June 2, 2019.

About Transcanna Holdings Inc.

TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a Canadian based company providing branding, transportation and distribution services, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries, to a range of industries including the cannabis marketplace.

For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

James Pakulis

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (604) 609-6199

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: the expected purchase of the facility, the terms of the facility acquisition, the payment of finders fees in relation thereto, the ability of the Company to secure financing and the acquisition of appropriate licenses for the facility,. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42618(2) Reflects the number of positions in issuers in which the Company has previously publicly disclosed an investment, which occurs after the Company has completed its accumulation. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. Multiple financial instruments (for example, common stock and derivatives on common stock) associated with one (1) issuer count as one (1) position. A position that is included in the number of positions will be removed from the table only if the investment becomes 0.0% of the portfolio.

(3) For the purpose of determining the equity and debt exposures, investments are valued as follows: (a) equity or debt is valued at market value, (b) options referencing equity or debt are valued at market value, (c) long call options and short put options (or vice-versa, short call options and long put options) held on the same underlying issuer and with the same strike and same expiry are grouped together and treated as synthetic equity positions, and are valued at the market value of the equivalent long equity position (or vice-versa, the equivalent short equity position), and (d) swaps or forwards referencing equity or debt are valued at the market value of the notional equity or debt underlying the swaps or forwards. Whether a position is deemed to be long or short is determined by whether an investment has positive or negative exposure to price increases or decreases. For example, long puts are deemed to be short exposure.

(4) Includes all issuer equity, debt, and derivatives related to issuer equity and debt, and associated currency hedges. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. The market values of associated currency hedges are included as part of the associated investment. In the event that there is a change in market cap category with respect to any non-publicly disclosed position, this information is not updated until such position is publicly disclosed.

(5) Portfolio composition is reflective of the publicly disclosed portfolio positions as of the date of this report. A position in an issuer is only assigned to a sector once it has been publicly disclosed.

(6) "Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. AUM" equals the assets under management of Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Any performance fees crystallized as of the end of the year will be reflected in the following period's AUM.

(7) "Total Strategy AUM" equals the aggregate assets under management of Pershing Square, L.P., Pershing Square International, Ltd., Pershing Square II, L.P. and Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (collectively, the "Core Funds"). Redemptions effective as of the end of any period (including redemptions attributable to crystallized performance fees/allocations, if any) will be reflected in the following period's AUM.

(8) "Total Firm AUM" is the aggregate of Total Strategy AUM and the assets under management of Pershing Square VI Master, L.P. which operates as a co-investment vehicle investing primarily in securities of (or otherwise seeking to be exposed to the value of securities issued by) Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ("PSVI") without double counting investments by any Core Fund in PSVI.It is no secret that Mammootty is one of the most talented and respected stars in Indian cinema today. A veteran in every sense, the versatile actor enjoys a strong fan following because of his unparalleled acting prowess and humble nature. A boda fide legend in Malayalam cinema, he also enjoys a decent following in the Telugu industry. In the 1990s he starred in a few notable Tollywood films and this helped him make a mark in the industry.

At present, the Megastar is gearing up for the release of Yatra which marks his return to Tollywood after a hiatus. The film is based on the life of the former mass leader YSR and focuses on his padyatra.

During the film's pre-release eventt, Mammootty expressed a desire to act in more Telugu movies in the future. However, at the same time, he made it clear that he would do so only if he is offered positive roles. He also made it clear that he would take up Telugu films only if his character is an integral part f the narrative.

His remarks clearly indicate that he is willing to expand his fanbase in the Telugu states. However, he wants to do it without comprising onthe quality aspect.

Yatra is a Mahi Raghav directorial and it will hit the screens on February 8, 2019.

Yatra Pre Release Event, A Stylish Mammootty Steals The Show; View PicsRecently, Dance India Dance 1 winner and ABCD: Any Body Can Dance actor Salman Yusuff Khan was accused of molestation. A female dancer had filed a molestation case against Salman on January 30, 2019, at the Oshiwara Police Station. The victim claimed that Salman and his brother, tried to behave inappropriately with her on two separate occasions. As per the report, in the FIR, the victim claimed that Salman 'touched her inappropriately' after he offered her an opportunity to perform in Bollywood Park, Dubai with him.

The victim claimed that Salman and her brother allegedly touched her inappropriately on their journey back to Dubai via car on November 3. She even claimed that Salman and his team harassed her and her troupe for days after the incident.

It was said that the police have started the investigation and the details about the case are expected to be out soon.

But, Salman has denied allegations. He shared a note on Instagram and captioned it as, "hasbunallahu ni'mal wakeel ..." - (sic). The note read as: Wrong allegations with vested interests.. intent of extorting monies..have complete faith in judiciary.. truth will prevail INSHA ALLAH." (sic)

Most Read: Salman Yusuff Khan Accused Of Sexual Harassment; The Police Begin The Investigation!He Cares For His Fans

Some time ago, a die-hard fan of the VTV actor passed away in an accident. Post that a few members of the STR fan club decided to put up a few posters in his memory. On coming to know, about this, Simbu immediately decided to help the fan club honour his late fan and personally put up posters in his memory.

STR Does Not Like Blind Hero Worship

Recently, Simbu told his fans to refrain from indulging in Paal Ahishekam' during the release of Vantha Rajavathan Varuven. He also urged them to dedicate their time to their families and not waste money on trivial things. In doing so, he proved that he is a secure person and he genuinely cares for the fans.

He Is A Bold And Outspoken Person

The Cauvery issue has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for a long time. Last year, STR urged Kannadigas to share some water with Tamils and spread the message of love. His request received a positive response from both the sides. This incident proves that STR is not afraid to speak on burning issues and spread positivity.

Simbu Is A Survivor

STR has seen numerous ups and downs during his career. Moreover, quite a few of his films have faced delays or even been shelved. However, he has never let these setbacks break his spirit. It is because of his never give up attitude that he managed to bounce back with Chekka Chivantha Vaanam and silence his criticsVarun Dhawan has been preparing for his upcoming dance film with Remo D'Souza in full josh, but has ended up injuring his knee in the process. Varun's shoot for the third installment of Any Body Can Dance, titled '3' has been undergoing in Amritsar. When he was shooting a dance sequence, he unfortunately ended up injuring his knee. Read to find out what happened.

Mumbai Mirror quoted a source telling them, "The team was shooting a celebratory song with Sonam Bajwa in Amritsar. On the final day which began at 7 am and ended at 2 am, Varun was required to shoot three dance pieces with three different dance crews - V unbeatable, Urban crew and N house crew. After performing one particular step, a knee drop, around 15 times, he ended up with a busted knee and severe leg cramps. Now, that he's back in Mumbai, he's tending to the injury with his physio."

But Varun is not the one to let even injuries come in the way of his work. Just yesterday, he took to his Instagram to post a picture of him with a choreographer indicating that he was continuing rehearsals in spite of the injury.

Varun had just recently hurt himself during the shoot of Abhishek Varman's Kalank and had posted a picture with the scar on his Instagram.

Varun Dhawan and the entire team of '3' left to Amritsar recently to shoot the first schedule of the film. The team first visited the Golden Temple to seek blessings before beginning the shoot. Varun also performed a dance at the Wagah Border during the Republic Day celebrations.

Varun will be starring opposite Shraddha Kapoor in the dance film.The next schedule of '3' will be shot in London, and the film's team is leaving to the city on Feb 8.

MOST READ: Neha Dhupia's Retort To Body Shamers For Post Pregnancy Weight Is Making Us Applaud The Boss LadyAt the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, India also made its presence with films like Photograph, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon and the seven-part series Delhi Crime Story.

Photograph, written and directed by The Lunchbox helmer Ritesh Batra, had its world premiere at the festival. International publications have hailed the movie as a quiet and effective romance. The Hollywood Reporter called it 'a quiet charmer.'

The film has received positive reviews mostly, with The Hollywood Reporter's Caryn James writing, "No one should head into a Batra film expecting fireworks, but for anyone who appreciates his understated style, Photograph is a satisfying, unswoony romance." According to Fionnuala Hallugan of Screen Daily, "Photograph will find its following with hopeless romantics, whether that be on the big screen or small."

On the other hand, Variety called Photograph a 'nice' film and wrote, "Six years after the international crossover success of The Lunchbox, along comes Photograph to prove, whatever Thomas Wolfe may think, that you can go home again.

Writer-director Ritesh Batra's first Indian film since his debut feature has the same quiet streak of wistful sentimentality that made The Lunchbox so globally beloved - and, for that matter, the same softly-softly humanity found in his two subsequent English-language efforts, The Sense of an Ending and Our Souls at Night. Whether roaming the streets of Mumbai or the plains of Colorado, Batra's filmmaking has remained markedly consistent in tone and texture: You'd be hard pressed to find anyone making nicer films in world cinema right now."

The film stage shared, "Batra is clearly a filmmaker keyed into these simple pleasures of life and invites us to luxuriate in them throughout Photograph".

The award-winning director's next film will have its European Premiere at the Berlin Film Festival running from Feb 7th through the 17th.

After the much acclaimed 'Lunchbox', Ritesh Batra is all set to present 'Photograph' which is set in Dharavi, Mumbai.

The film will mark Ritesh Batra's second collaboration with the talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui and first collaboration with Sanya Malhotra who is currently riding high on the success of her latest outing 'Badhaai Ho'.

Sonam Kapoor Feels The MeToo Movement Is Being TrivializedSonali Bendre has been fighting cancer like a warrior for the past few months. Her regular social media updates on her health status and have kept fans posted. The positivity that comes through in her posts have been inspirational to many. After a big sabbatical, Sonali made a post on her Instagram that is sure to get her fans super excited and happy for her. Read to find out what she wrote!

Sonali Bendre made an Instagram post that just proves how inspiring she is. She posted a picture of herself in a white sun dress with a denim vest, sporting sneakers. She looks totally cool in the picture but the best thing about the picture is her caption. She wrote, "Being back on a set after a major sabbatical - one that has been testing in many ways on so many levels - is a surreal feeling. After all this, I sort of feel an additional sense of purpose and meaning and I'm so grateful to be back in action. I don't think words would do justice to how beautiful it feels to be back at work...to face the camera again and portray the range of emotions required. Given that my emotions have been running high for the last couple of months, it feels good to give into the emotions that the job requires. It's just the kind of day that helps me #SwitchOnTheSunshine #OneDayAtATime" (sic)

That's right! Sonali is back on sets, facing cameras again, and we may be seeing her on screen soon! She did not reveal if what she is shooting for is for the big screen or small. Nevertheless, we are pumped to see her in action again. She even posted a video of herself arriving at the sets and entering a vanity van. Check it out.

Sonali shocked her fans when she took to her social media in July last year to announce that she was diagnosed with high grade cancer and that she would be moving to New York for treatment. She moved back to Mumbai late last year and now she's back on sets!

MOST READ: Malaika Arora Stuns On The Red Carpet Of LFW; Shah Rukh Khan At India TV's Mega ConclaveThe Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.A new report released by AHDB presents a new insight into the potential impacts on trade in agricultural and horticultural goods once the UK leaves the EU.

The report, 'Brexit prospects for UK agri-food trade', examines how both an orderly withdrawal and a no-deal scenario will affect trade across the UKs main farming sectors.

Using the latest data, the report looks at the current trade situation, potential tariff levels and the size of the domestic production base to reveal a complex picture for UK agriculture and horticulture after Brexit.

It provides comparisons between sectors in terms of imports and exports, self-sufficiency and tariff levels.

UK exports of agricultural and horticultural products are likely to be rendered uncompetitive if World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs come into play on British exports to the EU.

By plotting the value share of particular food products in imports and exports markets against its ad valorem tariff, the report visualises which goods would be most affected by the imposition of WTO rules if the UK defaults to no-deal.

In addition, if the government decides to drop all tariffs on imports from the EU this would have to apply to the rest of the world, meaning UK products could face increased competition on the domestic market.

'Seismic impact'

In many sectors, UK costs of production are high when compared with those of key international competitors. No deal could mean the loss of tariff barrier protection and more competition from global producers.

Report co-author, Amandeep Kaur Purewal said: The prospect of a no-deal scenario cannot be ignored. This would have a seismic impact on UK trade in agricultural and horticultural products, with major implications for the farming sectors.

It is crucial farmers and policy makers fully understand the potential consequences of leaving the EU, whether in an orderly or disorderly manner, if we are to avoid massive disruption throughout the industry.

For dairy, tariffs would cause issues for cross-border trade between the UK and Republic of Ireland  large volumes of UK milk are exported to Ireland for processing, then the processed product shipped back (for example Cheddar). Tariffs under no deal would make this trade less economical.

If the UK government unilaterally drops import tariffs, increased competition from other global exporters would reduce the opportunity of import substitution for dairy products. Conversely, if tariffs are imposed on all dairy imports, domestic prices are likely to rise.

Sheep sector 'worst hit'

The sheep meat sector is likely to be the worst hit by a no-deal Brexit, the report highlights. UK exports would suffer considerably if WTO tariffs of up to 50 per cent of the price of meat were put in place  a huge blow to the UKs competitiveness.

In addition, around 90 per cent of UK sheep meat exports are to the EU, meaning no deal is likely to hit sheep farmers incomes. AHDB has examined the potential impact of no deal on UK sheep meat production in an in-depth report.

For beef, exports to the EU would also be limited considerably if tariffs, which are sometimes as high as the price of the product itself, came into play.

Again, if the UK government drops tariffs on imports, UK beef could see increased competition, meaning lower prices and returns for farmers

'Uneconomical'

Tariffs on UK pork exports would lower their competitiveness in the EU market, where the UK currently ships around 60 per cent of its pig meat.

UK sow meat, for which there is low domestic demand, is exported to Germany for processing into continental sausages and then sent back to the UK  tariffs would make this process uneconomical, the report says.

Tariffs on imports would increase domestic prices but UK pork would face increased competition and lower prices if tariffs are dropped, as well as potentially competing with products produced to lower or different standards.

For cereals, the UK is a net exporter of barley, meaning exports could be hit with tariffs of 93 a tonne outside a tariff rate quota (TRQ).

The UK flour trade could see considerable disruption even if there is a free trade agreement between the UK and EU as rules of origin would still apply, disrupting trade with the Republic of Ireland. AHDB has explored the impact on the milling and malting industries in an in-depth report.

For potatoes, there may be additional phytosanitary controls on fresh and seed potato trade between the UK and EU, which would likely make the certification process longer, increasing costs for businesses.

Given that 99 per cent of the UKs imports of frozen potato products come from the EU, there may be an opportunity for import substitution if import tariffs were in place but considerable investment would be needed to capitalise on this.

Expensive fresh produce

For horticulture, the UK is heavily reliant on imported fresh produce so import tariffs would make these more expensive.

In addition, tariffs on inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides would increase costs of production for growers. If there are no import tariffs, this could open the door for increased volumes of imports, increasing competition and possibly lowering phytosanitary standards.

Growers would be unable to respond to any opportunity created for import substitution if import tariffs are put in place due to the critical shortage of competent seasonal labour in the UK.Austin Shook, 20, is in the final year of a diesel mechanic program at Western Dakota Tech and also works at a truck stop. Once he graduates, he plans to seek work in Wyoming where his research shows he can make $50,000 a year to start instead of about $35,000 a year he would make in South Dakota.by Aaron Hudson | Hornets Correspondent | Fri, Feb 1st 11:06pm EST

Malik Monk scored 20 points with three assists in 25 minutes Friday night against Memphis. He was 6-for-15 including four 3-pointers.

Fantasy Impact:

Monk has been providing decent point totals off the Hornets bench of late. He is more helpful in real life versus fantasy, he does not offer enough consistency yet to be a trusted asset in fantasy.by Alex Murray | Celtics Correspondent | Fri, Feb 1st 6:36pm EST

Luke Kornet (ankle) will be available for NY's contest with the Celtics on Friday. (NBA Injury Report)

Fantasy Impact:

Kornet will look to slide back into the starting lineup soon enough while he competes for minutes with Noah Vonleh and Mitchell Robinson in New York's front-court. Kornet is an option in deeper leagues.Ad Investing Trends New this week - 77 interested

"A Supply Crunch For Lithium Is Looming" Here's What Top Investors Are Doing About It

Experts predict 125 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. How will we supply manufacturers with the billions of pounds of lithium needed? This company may have the answer.Sociedad QuAmica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers for crops, such as vegetables, fruits, and industrial crops. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.

Read MoreTenaga Nasional Berhad engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Malaysia and internationally. The company operates and maintains thermal generation facilities and hydroelectric power generating schemes, as well as supports independent power producers; and manages and operates the National Grid that is connected to Thailand's transmission system, as well as Singapore's transmission system at Senoko. It also supplies fuel and coal for power generation; generates, distributes, supplies, deals in, and sells various energy sources, as well as provides related technical services; develops district cooling systems; operates and maintains co-generation works; manufactures, sells, and repairs distribution, power, and earthing transformers; and develops, owns, and manages dry bulk terminals. In addition, the company provides turnkey contracting of transmission substations; repair and maintenance services to heavy industries and other related services; operation and maintenance services on telecommunication equipment and data centres; higher education, and telecommunication and IT infrastructure solution and services; research and development services in the areas of engineering, information technology, business, accountancy, and liberal studies; and training courses. Further, it offers insurance and reinsurance products, parking facilities for motor vehicles, technical and laboratory, and consultancy and other services; manufactures and distributes power and general cables, and aluminum rods; operates an integrated district cooling systems for air conditioning systems of office buildings; assembles, manufactures, tests, reconditions, and distributes high and medium voltage switchgears, and control gears for transmission and distribution of electric power; and operates wind assets. It primarily serves commercial, industrial, and residential customers. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Read MoreAd Investing Trends New this week - 76 interested

"A Supply Crunch For Lithium Is Looming" Here's What Top Investors Are Doing About It

Experts predict 125 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. How will we supply manufacturers with the billions of pounds of lithium needed? This company may have the answer.AmArica MAvil, S.A.B. de C.V. provides telecommunications services in Latin America and internationally. The company offers wireless and fixed voice services, including airtime, local, domestic, and international long-distance services; and network interconnection services. It also provides data services, such as data centers, data administration, and hosting services to residential and corporate clients; value-added services, including Internet access, messaging, and other wireless entertainment and corporate services; data transmission, email services, instant messaging, content streaming, and interactive applications; and wireless security services, mobile payment solutions, machine-to-machine services, mobile banking, virtual private network services, and video calls and personal communications services. In addition, the company offers residential broadband services; IT solutions for small businesses and large corporations; and cable and satellite pay television subscriptions. Further, it sells equipment, accessories, and computers; and offers telephone directories, publishing, wireless security, call center, advertising, media, and software development services. Additionally, the company provides video, audio, and other media content through the internet directly from the content provider to the end user. It sells its products and services under the Telcel, Telmex Infinitum, TracFone, Straight Talk, and A1 brands through a network of retailers and service centers to retail customers; and through sales force to corporate customers. As of December 31, 2020, the company had approximately 287 million wireless voice and data subscribers. AmArica MAvil, S.A.B. de C.V. was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Mexico City, Mexico.

Read MoreAd All Marijuana Stocks 4,735 Recent Views

Could This Seattle Pot Stock SOAR as Legal Weed Market Expands?

Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!The following companies are subsidiares of Laboratory Co. of America: 1957285 Ontario Inc. dba Quality Underwriting Services, 2089729 Ontario Inc., 2248848 Ontario Inc., 3065619 Nova Scotia Company, 3257959 Nova Scotia Company, 896988 Ontario Limited, 9279-3280 Quebec Inc., Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., Alpha Medical Laboratory LLC, Assets of Pathology Inc, Beacon LBS IPA Inc., Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Inc., CannAmm GP Inc., CannAmm Limited Partnership, Center for Disease Detection International, Center for Disease Detection LLC, Centrex Clinical Laboratories Inc., Clearstone Central Laboratories (U.S.) Inc., Clearstone Holdings (International) Ltd., Clipper Holdings Inc., Colorado Coagulation Consultants Inc., Colorado Laboratory Services LLC, Correlagen Diagnostics Inc., Covance Inc., Curalab Inc., Cytometry Associates Inc., Czura Thornton (Hong Kong) Limited, DCL Acquisition Inc., DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (DE), DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (FL), DCL Sub LLC, DIANON Systems Inc., DL Holdings Limited Partnership, Decision Diagnostics L.L.C. (aka DaVinici/Medicorp LLC), Diagnostic Services Inc., DynaLifeDX, Dynacare - Gamma Laboratory Partnership, Dynacare Company, Dynacare G.P. Inc., Dynacare Holdco LLC, Dynacare Laboratories Inc., Dynacare Laboratories Limited Partnership, Dynacare Northwest Inc., Dynacare Realty Inc., DynalifeDX Infrastructure Inc., Endocrine Sciences Inc., Esoterix Genetic Counseling LLC, Esoterix Genetic Laboratories LLC, Esoterix Inc., Execmed Health Services Inc., FirstSource Laboratory Solutions Inc., GDML Medical Laboratories Inc, Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratories GP Inc., Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratory Limited Partnership, HHLA Lab-In-An-Envelope LLC, Health Trans Services Inc., Home Healthcare Laboratory of America LLC, IDX Pathology Inc., Impact Genetics Corp, Impact Genetics Inc., Kaleida LabCorp LLC, Lab Delivery Service of New York City Inc., LabCorp BVBA, LabCorp Belgium Holdings Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Canada) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (China) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Singapore) Pte., LabCorp Development Company, LabCorp Employer Services Inc., LabCorp Health System Diagnostics LLC, LabCorp Indiana Inc., LabCorp Japan G.K., LabCorp Limited, LabCorp Michigan Inc., LabCorp Nebraska Inc., LabCorp Neon Ltd., LabCorp Neon Switzerland S.a.r.l., LabCorp Specialty Testing Billing Service Inc., LabCorp Specialty Testing Group Inc., LabCorp Staffing Solutions Inc., LabCorp Tennessee LLC, LabCorp UK Holdings Ltd., LabWest Inc., Laboratoire Bio-Medic Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, Lifecodes Corporation, LipoScience Inc., Litholink Corporation, MEDTOX Scientific Inc., Medical Neurogenitics LLC, Medtox Diagnostics Inc., Medtox Laboratories Inc., Monogram Biosciences Inc., Monogram Biosciences UK Limited, NWT Inc., National Genetics Institute, New Brighton Business Center LLC, New Imaging Diagnostics LLC, New Molecular Diagnostics Ventures LLC, Orchid Cellmark Ltd., Orchid Cellmark ULC, PA Labs Inc., Path Lab Incorporated, Pathology Associates Medical Lab LLC, Pee Dee Pathology Associates Inc., Persys Technology Inc., Pixel by LabCorp, Princeton Diagnostic Laboratories of America Inc., Protedyne Corporation, ReliaGene Technologies Inc., SW/DL LLC, Saint Josephs-PAML LLC, Sequenom Biosciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine LLC, Sequenom Inc, Sequenom Inc., Southern Idaho Regional Laboratory, Tandem Labs Inc., The LabCorp Charitable Foundation, Tri-Cities Laboratory LLC, Viro-Med Laboratories Inc., and Yakima Medical Arts Inc..Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia now permit the recreational use of cannabis and Congress is on track to decriminalize marijuana possession on the federal level. As a result, the North American cannabis market is expected to TRIPLE in size from $30 billion to $100 billion by the year 2027  and one Seattle manufacturer is poised to cash in!

Energizer Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes household batteries, specialty batteries, and lighting products worldwide. It offers lithium, alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, and silver oxide batteries under the Energizer and Eveready brands, as well as primary, rechargeable, specialty, and hearing aid batteries. The company also provides headlights, lanterns, and children's and area lights, as well as flash lights under the Energizer, Eveready, Rayovac, Hard Case, Dolphin, Varta, and WeatherReady brands. In addition, it licenses the Energizer and Eveready brands to companies developing consumer solutions in gaming, automotive batteries, portable power for critical devices, LED light bulbs, generators, power tools, household light bulbs, and other lighting products. Further, the company designs and markets automotive fragrance and appearance products, including protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products, air fresheners, and washes to clean, shine, refresh, and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces under the brand names of Armor All, Nu Finish, Refresh Your Car!, LEXOL, Eagle One, California Scents, Driven, and Bahama & Co; STP branded fuel and oil additives, functional fluids, and other performance chemical products; and do-it-yourself automotive air conditioning recharge products under the A/C PRO brand name, as well as other refrigerant and recharge kits, sealants, and accessories. It sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, and wholesalers; and through various retail and business-to-business channels, including mass merchandisers, club, electronics, food, home improvement, dollar store, auto, drug, hardware, e-commerce, convenience, sporting goods, hobby/craft, office, industrial, medical, and catalog. Energizer Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Read MoreBRIDGEPORT  A portrait of Margaret E. Morton was unveiled Friday in the building named in her honor as the kickoff event for the citys celebration of Black History Month.

Morton, the first black woman to sit in the state legislature, was honored at the ceremony at the Margaret E. Morton Government Center that brought out dozens of community members and some of Mortons family, including her son, Robert Morton.

She was a trailblazer, Robert Morton said. I just thank God that she was my mother.

Morton was born in Pocahontas, Va., in 1924. She was raised in Bluefield, W.V., where she attended school  which was still segregated at the time. She graduated high school Summa Cum Laude in 1941.

After graduating, she married James Morton; they moved to Bridgeport in 1956 and opened Mortons Mortuary that same year.

Morton was the first black woman to serve in the state House of Representatives. She was elected in 1972 at the age of 48.

Eight years later, she was the first black woman to serve in the state Senate, where she rose to the rank of deputy president pro tempore.

When Morton retired in 1992, she was the highest-ranking black woman in legislative history.

Morton died on March 10, 2012, at the age of 87. That June, the Bridgeport government center at 999 Broad St. was renamed for her.

City councilman Ernie Newton said Friday he knew Morton his whole life.

Newton said Morton was the one who inspired him to get involved in politics. With Mortons advice and guidance, he said, he became the first black president of the City Council in 1981.

He was not the only one who sought public office because of Morton, he said.

Many others were elected because of her, he said.

The portrait unveiling was a necessary step for the government center, said Ginne-Rae Clay, who serves as Bridgeports deputy director of planning and economic development and is one of the members of the citys Black History Month Planning Committee.

The building is called the Margaret E. Morton Government Center, but other than that, theres no sign of her, Clay said.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said it was important for the city to remember Mortons legacy.

I just think its such a wonderful way to begin the celebration of Black History Month, he said. It brings us all together to remember the importance of Margaret and the month.

Ganim and Robert Morton pulled back the sheet covering the portrait of Morton to thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd that gathered Friday night.

Clay said the portrait unveiling is just the beginning of what the city has in store this month.

Black History Month, started in 1976, spans all of February and grew out of Negro History Week, which was started in 1929 by historian Carter G. Woodson.

Keynote speaker The Rev. William McCullough, of Russell Temple CME Church of Bridgeport, said members of the black community continue to struggle even decades after the push for Civil Rights.

Racism is still very, very much alive, McCullough said. We have a county that ... has lost its way.

In a prayer, McCullough asked for the guidance to educate the future generations about Black History Month and to help everyone value diversity. He said Black History Month is a time to appreciate the culture and remember those who paved the way, including Morton.

Margaret Morton gave us a platform, McCullough said.

Clay said on Feb. 7, there will be a Living Legends event that honors the lives of five living members of the black community in Bridgeport. A group of poets, authors and performers from the University of Bridgeport will perform.

They will be people who had a significant impact on the community, she said.

And on Feb. 23, Connecticut Against Violence celebrates various black artists in A Hip Hop Expression of Black History for the fourth year in a row. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Morton Government Center. New Havens Chad Dawson, world champion boxer, will be a guest speaker.

Its a good way to show the kids that peace, unity and having fun is possible, not just the violence they might see, said Kingsley Osei of Connecticut Against Violence and My Brothers Keeper. It teaches the children about the culture.

Ted Meekins, a retired Bridgeport police officer who helped found the Guardians, which recruited women and people of color to join the citys police force, said he was looking forward to the months celebrations.

Im glad to see Bridgeport recognizing Black History Month, Meekins said. Black people in Bridgeport are doing many great things.GREENWICH  Greenwich High School band teacher John Yoon, a mainstay in music education since 1992, will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year, he announced to Greenwich High families Friday evening.

Yoon is a highly celebrated band director, and under his direction, GHS bands have performed around the world. In recent years, however, he was at the center of bullying controversies and was suspended from teaching twice.

The decision to retire is a difficult and emotional one, but the right decision, said Yoon, who has taught for almost 35 years.

Its time for new ideas and direction for the band program and I am sure the new leadership will inspire the young musicians to a new level of excellence, he wrote. Rejoice with me as I venture forward toward new opportunities and horizons.

He has directed bands that have performed in China, Cuba, Virginia Beach, Orlando, San Francisco and other places, and have won many first-place trophies at prestigious competitions.

He was also recently named one of 50 Directors Who Make a Difference in School Band and Orchestra Magazine.

The students who I have been privileged to stand in front of day after day have made a lasting impression on me with their willingness to strive for excellence, while allowing em to witness and share in their amazing growth as they become young men and women, he said.

His retirement is a bittersweet ending to his 27-year tenure, which included several controversides over the last five years.

The district placed John Yoon and fellow band teacher Ben Walker on paid leave in April 2018, but did not provide information about what happened. He and Walker returned to work soon after.

During the 2014-15 school year, Yoon signed a last-chance agreement after getting into a verbal altercation with another music teacher, which also resulted in a suspension.

Three years prior, Former Superintendent of Schools William McKersie suspended Yoon in April 2015 after two of his students and their families filed complaints that he had allegedly bullied them. The superintendent called for his termination, but Yoon appealed and the Board of Education unanimously decided that the band director should return to his job.

Many parents and high school students flocked to his side during the 2015 suspension, holding up Bring Back Mr. Yoon signs at school board meetings.

The supportiveness of the parents has been a major source of inspiration and comfort, especially the Get-A-Life Club members, he said. The memories of my time at Greenwich High School are many and I will cherish every one of them.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comPlans by the South San Antonio Independent School District board of trustees to fast-track the reopening of three shuttered schools by the start of the fall semester is ill-advised.

The board is going against the recommendations of its new superintendent. That could spell big trouble for this beleaguered school district and its taxpayers.

South San does not have the students or money to support the move. The districts administration moving quickly on what amounts to campaign promises made by some of the recently elected board majority means less attention to the districts academic problems. A tax-supported school district cannot afford to operate on the assumption that if it opens the schools, the students will suddenly materialize. This is an expensive undertaking.

South San ISD can ill-afford the diversion pursuing this newly hatched idea would create. The districts poor performance under the states accountability system earned it a D grade. It has five campuses rated Improvement Required. There are higher priorities in this district.

Failing to heed the advice of the superintendent is never good, especially in this school district where many decisions are based on political agendas. Alexandro Flores was recruited from Palacios ISD near Victoria in the fall to replace Abe Saavedra, who had served in that capacity for five years. Flores has not been given a chance to formulate his own plan of action for the district.

When Saavedera came to South San in 2014, the district was in turmoil and facing takeover by the Texas Education Agency. He was the fifth superintendent hired in less than three years. TEA installed a conservator to oversee the boards operations and, through Saavedras tenure, the district stabilized to the point where the conservator was no longer needed.

Things were moving along well. The dysfunction on the board, the governance issues and the micromanaging by the board appeared a thing of the past. Then the November election saw the ouster of three incumbents who had supported a tax rate increase earlier in the year.

The new board quickly installed longtime South San board member Connie Prado as its president. Micromanagement by Prado during a previous stint as president was a major factor in the states previous intervention in the district operations. We are beginning to see some of the old problems resurfacing.

South San ISD cannot afford to develop another revolving door at the entrance to the administration building.

Flores needs to be given an opportunity to do the work he was hired to perform. He has advised the board of the need to conduct a full facilities assessment and feasibility study, and develop committees to garner public input before establishing a plan to reopen Karen Middle School, Athens Elementary and West Campus High School.

This is a property-poor school district with millions of deferred maintenance projects that should be addressed before pursuing new projects. Reopening three schools will stretch existing dollars even thinner and might necessitate dipping into the districts reserve fund. The districts monthly operations run $6 million to $7 million a month. The district has sufficient funds in the bank to operate for three months but not much more than that. Dipping below a three-month reserve could have an adverse impact on the districts financial health.

South San appears to once again have a board gone wild. A board that ignores the recommendations of the superintendent and bends to the very vocal wishes of a small minority of community members who attend their meetings does not bode well for the district.

TEA needs to keep close tabs on this district again. South San ISD was moving forward, but it looks like it just took a gigantic step backward.By now, nearly every Texan can tell you about the fight in 2017 over the bathroom bill. Even though it didnt pass, it cost Texas more than $66 million in canceled tourism events, creating hardships for businesses and workers, and cutting into tax revenues.

If the bill had passed, $1.4 billion additional losses in tourism  Texas second-largest industry  would have been on the line.

Bathroom bills are now shorthand for legislation designed to legalize discrimination, and there are other threats to Texas as a welcoming and business-friendly state. Primary among these are religious refusals laws, which could allow health professionals to turn patients away, landlords to refuse to rent to families, and business owners and employees to refuse to work with, hire, sell to or serve Texans and visitors based on a religious test.

In 2017, 13 such bills were filed, and one passed: It is now legal in Texas for taxpayer-funded child welfare organizations to refuse to place children in LGBTQ-inclusive homes, despite the fact that same-sex couples are six times more likely to foster and four times more likely to adopt than different-sex couples.

Other 2017 proposals would have nullified nondiscrimination ordinances that are a crucial part of economic competitiveness in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and Plano.

These carve-outs, which would allow people to reduce contact with people whose everyday lives make them uncomfortable, are not how a functioning society works. They dont reflect Texas values of friendship and community. Theyre opposed by a majority of Texans. And theyre not conducive to attracting talent, investment or tourism.

Not only would these policies create a minefield for LGBTQ people seeking the freedom to live their lives and contribute to their communities, they would dim the open for business sign that Texas is so proud of.

Across party and religious lines, Americans have expressed opposition to such policies, and millennials, now the largest share of the workforce, have the highest opposition to discrimination, and tend to vote with their feet.

The knock-on effects of public opinion are significant:

Tourism: Nearly half of corporate meeting planners would avoid planning events in states with discriminatory laws.

Corporate investment: The converse of canceled investments in places like North Carolina (over a bathroom law) and Indiana (over a religious refusal law) is that states that avoid discriminatory laws are often rewarded.

Talent: As public opinion steadily trends toward full affirmation of LGBTQ people, attracting talent becomes more difficult for businesses that operate in states perceived as unwelcoming.

Whats more, because these policies tend not to single out LGBTQ people, the potential for unintended applications is immense. Religiously motivated refusals of virtually anyone would be on the table.

Beyond the impacts for Texas, these policies would be a nightmare for business operations. Imagine a retail store in which an employee chose to impose a religious test on customers. In addition to operational chaos, businesses cannot afford the brand damage such an event could spark.

There is consensus among job creators on the work needed to keep Texas the best place to do business, such as strengthening public education and infrastructure.

That work requires focus  and a commitment to eschewing policies that weaken the bonds that make Texas a great place to live.

Were hopeful, as we enter 2019, that we can agree on these shared goals and keep Texas a place thats economically thriving  and open to everyone.

Jessica Shortall is managing director of Texas Competes, a coalition of Texas employers launched to share the data that shows that discrimination against LGBTQ people is an economic liability. Texas Competes has more than 1,350 members, including 50 Fortune 500 companies and 30 Texas chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureaus.A federal judge in New York has stopped  for now  the Trump administration from weaponizing the census. Judge Jesse Furman said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who now has authority over the Census Bureau, broke a veritable smorgasbord of federal rules last year when  against the advice of his own Census Bureau experts  he ordered a question on citizenship added to the short form of the 2020 census that goes to every household.

In a carefully constructed 277-page opinion, the court concluded that hundreds of thousands  if not millions  of people will go uncounted in the census if the citizenship question is included.  That undercount, in turn, will translate into a loss of political power and funds.

The judge noted that since 1950, the Census Bureau and former Census Bureau officials have consistently opposed periodic proposals to resume asking a citizenship question of every census respondent.

It would depress response rates and elicit inaccurate responses, especially among minorities with immigrant relatives. Almost half of all Latinos (46 percent) and Asians (45 percent) in the U.S. today reside in households with noncitizen members, more than 11 million of them undocumented. The fear of government taking action against their families is very real at a time when the Trump administration threatens to restrict immigration and deport those who are here illegally.

The Founding Fathers established a census of the population to frame the basis for representation in our government in the Constitution (Article I, Section 2). Conducted every 10 years, it is the basis on which congressional seats are apportioned among the states, and it is used to achieve fair representation at all levels of government.

In addition to equitable representation, a census undercount can affect programs that rely on an accurate count for funding, planning and distribution of federal dollars. An undercount of the population will shrink Texas share  and the share of cities, such as San Antonio, with large numbers of Hispanics  of the $900 billion in federal funds that are distributed based on population for medical, social and education programs.

Why add a citizenship question that will likely result in inaccurate results, an undercount, and unequal representation and loss of federal funding for many areas?

Ross testified at two congressional hearings that the Justice Department in a Dec. 12, 2017, letter asked that the citizenship question be added to enforce the Voting Rights Act, which requires that districts be drawn to provide minority voters a fair chance of electing the candidates of their choice. This is surprising since the Justice Department under the Trump administration has not brought a single lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act.

Information on citizenship is already collected by the bureau in its American Community Survey, or ACS, sample that goes to 2 percent of the population every year. Those of us who have testified as experts in voting rights cases know that the ACS estimates of citizens of voting age are adequate for assessing whether a particular district configuration gives minorities a fair chance of electing their preferred candidates.

Within days of his testimony, a number of lawsuits were filed to stop Ross from including the citizenship question in the census. In preparation for trial in one of the suits, it was revealed that Ross had lied in his testimony about the Justice Departments request. He later admitted that he asked the Justice Department to make the request.

Since Ross refused to testify in the case, the court could not reach a conclusion as to his motive for including the citizenship question. From the transcript: the Court finds that the VRA as a post hoc rationale for a decision that Secretary (Ross) had already made for other reasons.

We can only speculate about those reasons.

The testimony in the case reveals that it was not long after he was confirmed as secretary of commerce in January 2017 that Ross received a call from President Donald Trumps chief political adviser, Steven Bannon. Bannon asked if Ross would be willing to have a conversation with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach about adding a citizenship question to the decennial census.

Given the source of the request  extreme right nationalist Bannon  it could be another of the administrations efforts to harass and intimidate families with immigrants.

I asked William Frey, a demographer who specializes in the census at the Brookings Institution, to clarify whether a citizenship question could be used to facilitate raids by the INS.

He noted that while noncitizens could not specifically be identified as undocumented, it is certainly the case that having even public information from the census on the clustering of noncitizens for the total population would give federal law enforcement more information for targeting potential undocumented immigrants.

He went on: The Trump Justice Departments broader objective with this suggestion seems to be to further fan the flames of its signature immigrant deportation issue and scare off fearful immigrants and their families from completing the census.

There could also be a partisan political motive to adding the citizenship question. The decennial census apportions the 335 U.S. House seats among the states based on the count of all persons, citizens and noncitizens. The census of population is then used by the states to draw districts for members of Congress and their own legislative bodies so that every person gets the same amount of representation, as called for in the Supreme Courts decision in Reynolds v. Sim, establishing the principle of one person, one vote.

Analysis by Frey found that if just 15 percent of the noncitizen population did not respond to the census, California and New York  two big immigrant states that also vote Democratic  would each lose an additional congressional seat (to the benefit of Colorado and Montana).

And if states were to draw district lines within their boundaries based on number of citizens rather than the number of people, representation would be further slanted toward rural and small-town areas, which tend to be whiter, older and more conservative. Such unequal representation undercuts the basis of our democracy.

This is not the first time that Trump as president has played partisan politics with our democratic institutions. After challenging the veracity of Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by almost 3 million, he claimed he would have won had it not been for millions of illegal immigrants who voted.

He pressed the issue further by appointing a voter fraud commission chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and anti-immigrant zealot Kobach as vice chair. Kobach sent letters to all fifty states requesting files of all their registered voters in search of fraudulent voters. No evidence of any significant illegal immigrant voter fraud was found. Fewer than half of all states agreed to cooperate; the commission was disbanded seven months later.

As a researcher who relies on the accuracy of the census in his work every day, demographer Freys concern is that the decennial census, the truest measure of our population, could be turned into a political event, replete with rallies and social media blitzes about who should not be counted and who can be thought of as real Americans.

As responsible citizens, we, too, should be concerned with the abuse of administrative power when our democratic institutions are turned into political weapons.

Robert Brischetto, Ph.D., was executive director of the San Antonio-based Southwest Voter Research Institute and a sociology professor at Trinity University.The worst thought crime is the one you dont realize youre committing.

So it was with NBC News legend Tom Brokaw, who  for good reason  didnt understand that assimilation is now a third rail of American politics.

He caused a furor with comments on the venerable Sunday news program Meet the Press last weekend, including, most controversially, his statement that he believes that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation.

The condemnations were swift and sweeping, and a sign that being a beloved media figure who has never before said anything that could legitimately be considered bigoted is no defense when the furies descend.

It was Presidential Medal of Freedom to white hood in one sound bite. A group called Latino Victory hit Brokaw for allegedly giving credence to white supremacist ideology.

Typically, his apologies were deemed insufficient and part and parcel of the original offense.

Lets stipulate that using a definite article to refer to any minority group will always strike people as tone-deaf, but what Brokaw was getting at  the importance of assimilation to cultural cohesion  should be uncontroversial.

It isnt anymore.

The head of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists rejected the very idea of assimilation, which he decried as denying one culture for the other. It is astonishing that in that formulation the other is American culture. We are perhaps the only nation in world history that has sought to otherize its own culture.

Its also been a trope to accuse Brokaw, as Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro did, of xenophobia. But saying immigrants should assimilate is the opposite of xenophobia  it is an expression of a belief that they can be and should be fully part of the American mainstream.

The old American ideal of the melting pot is that immigrants become wholly American (learning the language, embracing the folkways and traditions, becoming deeply patriotic), but also make a distinctive contribution to our national culture, which is organic and open to a variety of influences. It is wrong to view this dominant culture as hateful or exclusionary.

As Michael Lind wrote in his brilliant 1995 book, The Next American Nation: The common culture of the American nation is a unique blend of elements contributed by Algonquian Indians and Midwestern Quakers and black Americans and Mexican mestizos and New England patricians. The national culture is not a white culture; black Americans have shaped it far more than the most numerous white immigrant group, German-Americans.

In his comments, Brokaw focused on assimilation as a function of individual effort on the part of immigrants. The real problem is that we have fashioned an immigration system that is not geared toward assimilation.

In 1920, when we were absorbing another historic wave of immigrants, the newcomers were evenly distributed across nationalities. No single group predominated. In contrast, the wave of the last few decades has been heavily tilted toward Mexico in particular and Latin American countries in general.

In the early 20th century, we also reduced numbers of immigrants after 1924, facilitating the breakup of ethnic communities and a de-emphasis on ethnic identity.

We have never tapped the brakes on the current wave. A National Academy of Sciences study noted that Spanish-speaking immigrants are acquiring English more slowly than other immigrant groups: A major reason is the larger size and frequent replenishment of the Spanish-speaking population in the United States.

Reducing levels of immigration would aid in assimilation, if that is still considered a universally desirable goal.

In the play that that gave us the phrase the melting pot, Israel Zangwill wrote, Yes, East and West, and North and South, the palm and the pine, the pole and the equator, the crescent and the cross  how the great Alchemist melts and fuses them with his purging flame!

The Brokaw controversy is a sign that the great Alchemist may soon be looking for work.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.comThe atmosphere at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos reflects the global picture perhaps more genuinely than in years past, and the painting is not very pretty. The mood was subdued, cautious and apprehensive. There wasnt much talk of a global slowdown, but no one was confident about a growth story either. There was no great global political crisis, yet people spoke in worried tones about the state of democracy, open societies and the international order.

The White House scrapped the official American delegations trip to this years conference  an outgrowth of President Donald Trumps spat with Congress  providing a perfect metaphor for the broader outlook: America has withdrawn from the world.

Meanwhile, Europe is distracted, divided and despondent. Of the continents three major leaders, only one, Germanys lame-duck Chancellor Angela Merkel, showed up. British Prime Minister Theresa May could not attend because of turmoil over Brexit. French President Emmanuel Macron chose not to come because he faces ongoing populist protests from the right and left. In this environment, there is a gaping absence of leadership in Davos from the usual defenders of liberal democracy and the rules-based international system.

This does not mean that any new global leaders have stepped into the void. Contrary to some speculation, China is playing a more muted role at the forum than in the past. It sent a respected statesman, Vice President Wang Qishan, with an anodyne message aiming to reassure the world that Beijing seeks win-win solutions and global cooperation. This probably reflects the reality that  politically and economically  China faces its own challenges at home, with slowing growth and President Xi Jinping trying to tighten his grip over Chinas vast society. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a tougher-than-expected fight in upcoming national elections, so he didnt show up either.

It is not really the dawn of dictators, few of whom came, perhaps a reflection that global norms still do not celebrate strongmen. While Western democracies may be flagging, Russias Vladimir Putin and Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold a much weaker hand in their countries. They, too, along with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, stayed home.

The one area of consistent optimism among the attendees remains technology. Executives from multinational corporations like Novartis and Cargill spoke about the next great technological opportunity  leveraging artificial intelligence to make their companies far more efficient and productive. This is a trend that they see as inexorable, forcing them to adapt or watch the competition grow. Executives and experts alike foresee that another layer of white-collar jobs could be at risk  those involving routine analytic skills. But CEOs here voiced optimism that it will all work out.

Businessmen and executives worry that a U.S.-China trade war could spill over across the entire world. Whether it happens, it seems clear that the great expansion of globalization is over. For the past 15 years, there has been no significant forward movement on trade, and many minor setbacks. This hasnt yet translated into large-scale protectionism and tariff wars, but it is a new stagnancy.

If the West is divided, so are other regions. Almost no Arab leaders showed up to the Arab League meeting in Beirut the weekend before Davos, relegating the summit to even greater irrelevance than usual. Latin America is now split between leaders like the right-wing Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and the new leftist president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The leaders of several smaller countries (all of whom insisted on staying off the record) described the world as adrift and lacking in any collective purpose, with only voices about narrow self-interest and conflict being heard. When the Americans are engaged, we have a sense of direction, one of them said to me. We might disagree on some points, but at least there is a larger conversation, some efforts at cooperation. Now the only energy is negative  worries about retreat, trade wars. Thats not a world in which it is easy for us to move forward. We are all stuck.

This, then, is the post-American world. Not one marked by Chinese dominance or Asian arrogance. Not an outright anti-American one, but in fact, one in which many yearn for a greater U.S. presence. One in which countries are freelancing, narrowly pursuing their own interests, and hoping that the framework of international order remains reasonably stable. But with no one actively shoring up the international system, the great question remains: In a world without leaders, will that system over time weaken and eventually crumble?

fareed.zakaria.gps@turner.comSAN YGNACIO  As President Donald Trumps demand for a border wall roils Congress and the country, a deepening siege mentality reigns along the Rio Grande.

The debate nationwide swirls around narcotics, migrants and a presidents agenda. Those same arguments ricochet in border communities.

But for many living here  like those on other isolated stretches of the U.S.-Mexico frontier  the fretting also entails land, family legacies and the lost essence of a place seared by sacrifice.

Its been our land for close to 300 years, says Mauricio Vidaurri, 60, who with seven siblings owns a sizable remnant of what originally was a 350,000-acre riverfront ranch granted to an ancestor by the Spanish crown. Thats a lot of history. Our history. Youre going to put a wall on this land?

Trump wants to do exactly that.

Hes pressing for the first installment on a formidable barrier as part of a $5.7 billion allotment from Congress this year. Democratic lawmakers so far have denied him. But Trump is vowing either to fund the wall by executive order or shut down the government again in a few weeks.

The Wall is getting done one way or the other! Trump vowed amid a fresh salvo of tweets Thursday. Construction has started and will not stop until it is finished.

Congress previously approved money to replace some sections of the 654 miles of existing walls and fencing on the border. It also has funded several miles of new construction downriver from here near McAllen.

As the standoff in Washington continues, many residents on the banks of the Rio Grande, where some of the earliest colonial settlements in Texas were established, only can watch and worry. With a lot at stake in the outcome, theyve got painfully little influence over it.

Historically, this town has stood up against a lot of threats, says Christopher Rincon, program consultant of the River Pierce Foundation, which has been financing the preservation of colonial heritage in San Ygnacio, a village of fewer than 700 souls perched on a river bluff 35 miles downstream from Laredo. Now, I feel we have to continue that spirit of resistance.

While there are no immediate plans to build a barrier in this area, fencing was installed years ago near Laredo and is planned for the city of Roma, an hours drive downriver.

Unnerved by the continued violence in Mexico, some area residents contend that a wall is the only solution, and a few ranchers say they are willing to donate land for the effort.

Its not that I want to give my land away, its just that there are bigger issues involved, says Lannie Mecom, 75, owner of the sprawling Los Corralitos ranch upriver from San Ygnacio that contains a tiny 250-year-old settlers fort said to be the oldest continuously occupied structure in Texas.

We have had people crossing here all the time. It was no big thing, says Mecom, who spent much of her childhood on the ranch, which her grandfather acquired more than a century ago. But now you have the bad mixed in with the good. We dont know if they are illegals or the cartel.

A ribbon of life through an arid and exacting patch of land, the Rio Grande has been contested since long before it became the border.

Migrants from deep inside Mexico built precarious settlements nursed by the stream, their rough-hewn forts providing refuge from attacks from the Comanche and Apache bands they had dispossessed. As revolution raked Mexico a century ago, cross-river raiders and U.S. troops skirmished here.

The Rio Grande as international border, just seems such a synthetic line that divides one part of the Spanish colonization from another, says conservation architect Frank Briscoe, 61, who has devoted years to the restoration of the forts and other buildings in both Los Corralitos and San Ygnacio. Over the centuries, its played out in different kinds of tensions, culminating in this one.

Through recent decades, human and industrial wastes from swelling cities upstream fouled the river. A steady trickle of job-seeking migrants and profit-minded smugglers grew over time. Frequent droughts, diseases and market drops too often made ranching a pastime instead of a profession.

The stiffened U.S. border security of recent decades has made it harder for migrants or narcotics to cross the river, driving up smugglers fees. That, in turn, has turned an always lucrative industry into a gold mine, leading more powerful and violent criminal cartels to shove aside local gangs.

Now those gangs, operating under varied and changing names, hold sway in the ranch lands, towns and entire cities barely a slingshots reach across the river.

Their menace has throttled what once were thriving cross-border societies knitted by extended families, friendships and shared history. Theyve created a psychological wall even where a physical one does not yet exist.

Mexicos criminal violence has claimed more than 250,000 lives, according to its governments count, in little more than a dozen years, including a record 33,000 in 2018, the Mexican government reports. Many of the killings have taken place near the Rio Grande, as rival bands battle for control of vice rackets and smuggling routes for narcotics and migrants.

On the early January day that Trump visited the South Texas border to press for his wall, Mexican officials reported at least 21 people killed in an inter-gang battle across the river from Roma  an hours drive south of San Ygnacio. Other shootouts in recent days have rattled the city of Reynosa, across the border from McAllen in the lower Rio Grande Valley.

This always was no-mans land. It was too far for the Mexicans to control and Washington didnt want it, says Diana Uribe, 63, a retired educator and deputy director of the River Pierce Foundation, who traces her roots in San Ygnacio back seven generations on one side of her family and five on the other.

Do we need more security? Yes. Do we need a wall? No, Uribe says. We need to find another way.

Mauricio Vidaurris ranch holds a decaying settlement his ancestors long occupied and a cemetery on a river bluff, where his father is buried. The lay of the land here dictates any wall will put the cemetery on the Mexican side of it, he says.

Were 100 percent pro-border security, says Vidaurri, who like many border residents supports electronic surveillance and more Border Patrol boots on the ground. But lets do it the right way. Why do we have to lose our land for something that is not going to work?

For some, todays violence is an echo of the past, the river bearing witness to unending turmoil.

There are just too many overlaps to what happened in the past and whats happening now, says painter and sculptor Michael Tracy, 75, an Ohio native who migrated to San Ygnacio 40 years ago via Austin and Galveston. Its probably too easy to put it all on the cartels. Its a cycle of reciprocal revenge, of wanton violence.

Among Tracys more recent works is Para Mexico, five panels of dark acrylic on canvas that powerfully evoke the carnage consuming much of Mexico. He displays the piece in a windowless room in one of his workshops, seen by only a few.

Tracys more public legacy will be the restoration of San Ygnacios colonial fort and adjoining compound  the Trevino-Uribe Rancho  largely paid for by the River Pierce Foundation, which he founded.

This strip of earth is filled with paradox, Tracy says, trying to explain what drew him to this river-dissected desert as an artist and what holds him here still. Everything here originally had some kind of prick or thorn attached to it.

In such an environment, Tracy says, walls have marked boundaries for centuries. Though he takes pride in the forts restoration, he now finds himself identifying more with the raiders it was meant to keep at bay.

You either identify being inside the wall or outside the wall, Tracy says. I am outside the wall.

Lannie Mecoms paternal grandfather, Harvey, first started ranching at Los Corralitos in 1915, during the Mexican Revolution, acquiring it from a member of the Vidaurri clan.

He had agreed with a handshake that he would preserve the small fort and the adjoining ranch house  scarcely 200 yards from the river  in honor of the settlers buried there, she says.

Having lived much of the year on the ranch since she was a young girl, Mecom says, shes devoted to keep her fathers word and to the legacy of her border ranch.

While she favors Trumps wall now  out of fear of Mexicos violence  she hopes its construction can be matched by an overall deal for legal immigration, Mecom says. Texas ranchers need Mexican cowboys, she says. And Mexicans need an economic future.

They are our neighbors and they are poor, Mecom says. Give some amnesty, let those who have been here for 20 years stay. There are a lot of good people who are getting hurt.

I want to see this go toward a positive situation instead of a so negative a one, she says. Mexico is our neighbor, and I want to keep it a friendly one.A Bexar County sheriffs deputy who arrived at a luxury home where a mom and her two daughters were discovered shot to death found Charles Edward Wheeler on the ground in the front yard crying.

The deputy noted in a report there were no tears visible, but didnt elaborate on the significance of that observation.

Inside the residence, deputies found the bodies of Wheelers girlfriend, Nichol Leila Olsen, 37, and her daughters, Alexa Denice Montez, 16, and 10-year-old London Sophia Bribiescas.

All were in a second-floor hallway.

The new details surfaced in the first basic incident report the Bexar County Sheriffs Office has released on what deputies found Jan. 10 when they arrived at Wheelers residence in the gated Anaqua Springs Ranch subdivision near Leon Springs that morning.

Olsens death was ruled a suicide by the Bexar County medical examiners office, while her daughters deaths were determined to be homicides. But Olsens friends and family have challenged those findings, saying the hairstylist would not have killed herself or harmed her children.

More Information at San Antonio area home where mom, daughters were shot See More Collapse

The Sheriffs Office and the FBI still are investigating. Authorities have not said who they believe killed Olsens daughters.

Wheeler, 31, has not been charged with wrongdoing, but has been described by Sheriff Javier Salazar as a person of interest. He has cooperated with investigators since the day of the shootings.

According to the incident report, Wheeler called 911 at 9:01 that morning to report finding Olsen and her daughters dead inside his house in the 11300 block of Anaqua Springs Road.

The narrative says deputies were dispatched to the residence for a suicide as called in by Charles Edward Wheeler.

After finding Wheeler distraught in the front yard, the deputy who filed the report walked through an open garage and went to the upstairs level of the house.

The deputy found one of the children face down on the floor with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head and a large pool of blood on the floor, the report notes.

Due to redactions made to the document shielding some information from public view, its not clear which of Olsens daughters this was.

Olsen was found nearby on her left side, but further details were redacted from the publicly released portion of report. The medical examiners office later found she had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

The other child, whose identity also is redacted from the report, was lying near Olsen in the hallway in front of a doorway.

Autopsies found Montez was shot once in the head, while Bribiescas was shot once in the head and neck.

There was a large amount of smeared blood on the floor and some on the walls in the hallway where the bodies were found, the deputys report notes. In a bathroom near the hallway, there was a small pool of blood at the doorway.

All three were cold and rigid to the touch, the deputy wrote of the mother and daughters.

Salazar has said a handgun was found in close proximity to Olsens body, but the publicly released portion of the report does not mention the weapon.

After confirming with paramedics that Olsen and the girls were dead, the deputy reported walking outside to find Wheeler across the street hugging someone. Wheeler then was placed in the back seat of a patrol car, a standard practice when deputies want to interview someone at a crime scene.

Wheeler told the deputy he and Olsen argued the night before around 10 p.m., the report shows. He reported he then left in his white 2013 Ford F-250 pickup to stay the night at a relatives home in another city.

Wheeler told the deputy he called and texted Olsen and others all night, but no one answered him. The names of the others that Wheeler reported trying to reach are redacted from the report.

Wheeler reported he returned home that morning, parked his truck in the garage and found Olsen and her children dead, the report shows.

Olsen and her daughters had been living at Wheelers home for about a year, friends have said.

Wheelers phone and wallet were collected by crime scene officers and he was taken downtown to be interviewed by investigators. Other deputies were called to his house to assist with crowd control and traffic control as family members began to show up there.

The Sheriffs Office also towed Wheelers truck. Salazar has said investigators are trying to retrieve GPS data to show the location of vehicles around the time the shootings occurred.

Records show 28 Sheriffs Office employees responded to the house, including 12 officers from patrol services, four from the homicide division, four from the violent crime division, one from the crimes against persons section and at least two crime scene technicians.

Wheelers attorneys  Mark Stevens, Therese Huntzinger and Patrick Hancock  did not respond to calls and text messages from the San Antonio Express-News seeking comment Friday.

Wheeler also did not respond to a call and an email requesting comment.

Salazar has said Wheeler is not a suspect.

Hes also not the only person of interest, the sheriff noted.

FULL REPORT: Incident report released by BCSO Feb. 1, 2019

Stevens previously asked the public to avoid jumping to conclusions and to let the authorities complete their investigation.

We think it is regrettable that this young man is being demonized, Stevens said of Wheeler on Jan. 17. He is a young man with no criminal record for violence whatsoever.

Olsens friends and family have been unwavering in their belief that she did not pull the trigger.

We just absolutely dont believe that she did this, said Aaron Seaman, 48, of San Antonio, who was friends with Olsen for 12 years.

Seaman said he and Olsens other friends still have questions about the shootings.

Were still very hopeful that the investigation is going to reveal the truth as to what actually happened, he said Friday.

Peggy OHare is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHareFrom the Tower of the Americas to the Southwest School of Art to Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University, architect Mike Lance left his vision  expressed in concrete, steel and stone  on San Antonio.

Lance, 81, a protege of the influential ONeil Ford in the 1960s who later formed his own firm, died Jan. 20 of kidney failure.

He was very passionate about architecture and very creative, always designing and trying to think of better ways to do things, said John Larcade, 80, a former partner who met Lance when they were undergraduates at the University of Texas at Austin.

Born in Oklahoma, Lance came to San Antonio as an infant. After his mothers death when he was 3, and with his father working out of town, he was placed in a Catholic boarding school in Castroville. He stayed with the nuns until his father remarried six years later.

While studying architecture in Austin, he met Jack Peterson, another student, who still recalls his first impression.

William Michael Mike Lance Born: Aug. 23, 1937, Oklahoma City Died: Jan. 20, 2019, San Antonio Survivors: Wife Mary; daughters Kathryn Freeman and Sara Calhoun; sister-in-law Sue Harvison; grandchildren Hillary, Travis, Addison, Grace, Charlie and Henry Services: Memorial at 2 p.m. Sunday at Margarite B. Parker Chapel, Trinity University; the family suggests donations to Interfaith Welcome Coalition, University Presbyterian Church, San Antonio. See More Collapse

He had grease under his fingernails and smudges from doing drawings. He was working at a tire shop, changing tires, said Peterson, 86, who also recalls a certain professor trying to discourage Lance from pursuing a career in architecture.

That tells you a lot about him. He was overcoming things the rest of us werent even thinking about, Peterson said.

After receiving their degrees, Peterson and Lance were hired by Ford, then one of the most prominent architects in Texas.

ONeil was like a father to him, said Mary Lance, his wife of 56 years. The architects who worked with ONeil Ford called it the golden years.

Together, Ford and his young team took on the challenge of creating the Tower of the Americas. Lance, with input from others, designed the 620-foot tower that would have a rotating restaurant on top. Peterson designed the base.

Mike developed the shaft, which is very interesting. His engineering intuition was very high. And when the engineers started developing it from his design, they didnt want to change a thing, recalled Peterson.

Lance also designed buildings at the new Trinity University campus, and according to his wife, Laurie Auditorium was his favorite project.

He also created kinetic sculptures, with moving metal parts. One of them, nicknamed the Red Bird, is installed on the River Walk north of downtown.

In 1977, he was co-winner of a prestigious international award for his design of a chair.

At home, Lance loved to weld, make ceramics, work with wood and fix equipment while listening to classical music in his workshop near the San Antonio River.

He loved his girls, his grandchildren and me, but Id say that was his greatest joy, Mary Lance said. And almost to the end, Lance was designing, building and refining.

Its hilarious, his wife said of his last grand project. He had spent a year and a half designing the worlds best smoker, a BBQ pit with rotisserie. He had a 50-gallon drum with a huge wok on top, and his dream was to rotisserie a turkey.

We have the drawings. He bought all the parts. He just ran out of time, Mary Lance said.

Lance, who lived on the South Side, also served for 10 years as a member of the San Antonio River Authority Mission Reach Committee.

Over nearly six decades, Peterson and his wife Carolyn, a prominent preservation architect, enjoyed a rich friendship with the Lances.

He was a man who worked with his hands and his mind. A lot of times you dont find those two things together. He could go from an abstract design to putting it together in a creative way, said Carolyn Peterson of Lance.

Ive known him for 60 years, and I cant remember ever getting tired of his company, she added.

His old partner was among those with Lance shortly before he died.

I held his hand, and told him at the end, he was a very good friend and a terrific business partner, Larcade said.

John MacCormack is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | JMacCormack@express-news.net | Twitter: @JohnMacCormackA prominent Houston priest was allowed to perform Mass hours before the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston made public that he was under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse and would be removed from his post.

The removal of Father John Keller at Prince of Peace Catholic Community Church in Houston came as a slew of alleged victims came forward with accusations against other priests not named in lists of "credibly accused" clergy released Thursday by 14 of the Catholic dioceses in Texas.

"When will it end?" asked Michael Norris, who leads the Houston chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), who received allegations against seven other priests in the hours after nearly 300 clergy across Texas were named as credibly accused.

THE LIST: Here are names of Houston-area priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston notified Keller Wednesday evening that he would be removed from the ministry effective at noon Thursday as officials investigated a recently lodged claim of abuse, according to a statement released Friday by the archdiocese.

The next morning, Keller stood before parishioners at the north Houston church and celebrated the 9 a.m. service before notifying the congregation as the Mass ended that it would be his last service.

The allegations of child sexual abuse against Keller were brought to the archdiocese by adults about incidents that happened 25 to 40 years ago, officials said in the statement. The allegations were reported to the Houston Police Department, archdiocese officials said.

"These allegations have been reported to the civil authorities and the individuals involved have been encouraged to cooperate with any investigation that may be conducted," the statement said. "The Archdiocese will also fully cooperate with any investigation."

Keller, who has been assigned to Prince of Peace since at least 2000, agreed to tell his parish staff after Mass that he was "being removed from ministry during the investigation," the statement noted.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Priest abuse report tells of devastating, decades-long trail of sexual abuse by Texas clergy

Nearly 300 priests across Texas have been identified as "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children over the last 80 years, including 40 priests in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Keller and former Conroe priest Manuel La Rosa-Lopez were listed as under investigation.

The release of names Thursday sparked a surge in new accusations. Among those reported to SNAP after the release were five priests not previously named and at least two who were reported Thursday as "credibly accused." An accusation against an eighth priest was reported to the San Antonio Express-News, which is owned by Hearst, the Chronicle's parent company. Local law enforcement said Friday they had not received any new allegations.

Victims advocates called this week for an independent statewide probe or other investigations into sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, saying dioceses dramatically undercounted the number of abusive priests.

"It's no surprise," said Tim Lennon, national president of SNAP. "When we have independent investigations, that's when we have a truer sense of the scope of systematic, historic sexual abuse of children, minors, and those who are vulnerable."

The disclosure Thursday is one of the largest since a sweeping grand jury report in Pennsylvania last year identified more than 300 priests there who had abused more than 1,000 children. The report prompted more than 70 dioceses nationwide to announce similar plans to compile lists of credibly accused priests, including the Catholic dioceses in Texas.

The Pennsylvania report detailed a pervasive cover-up by church leaders, with priests transferred from parish to parish as allegations surfaced.

The list released by the Galveston-Houston archdiocese showed that the credibly accused priests moved through 111 churches in the Houston region and neighboring areas, with 10 accused priests assigned over the years to Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, the center of the archdiocese. Christ the King Catholic Church in Houston received seven accused priests, while Our Lady of Fatima in Galena Park, St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston and St. Vincent de Paul in Houston each received five.

The records released by the diocese do not say what years the priests worked in those churches, or if they overlapped. The accusations date back to the 1950s.

STATEWIDE: How to find Catholic priests 'credibly accused' of abuse in Texas

Nationwide, dioceses so far have identified 1,250 priests and others church leaders credibly abused of sexually assaulting children. The majority of those priests are now dead. SNAP officials said there could be as many as 1,400 abusive priests who have been in Texas.

Questions remain, however, about whether Texas officials could duplicate the Pennsylvania report.

State law does not authorize grand juries to perform statewide investigations or issue reports, said Shannon Edmonds, director of governmental relations for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

"You would have to change the state constitution to authorize (the attorney general) to create some statewide grand jury tool like they have in Pennsylvania and some other states," Edmonds said.

Advocates said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could initiate other actions, however, to investigate statewide. Paxton has offered to help local officials investigate allegations, but his office did not return calls or emails Friday seeking additional information.

'How dare they?'

The celebration of Mass with Keller Thursday drew criticism from two parishioners who attended the service inside the Mary Chapel.

"It made me uncomfortable because I think it should be severed between him and the parishioners," said one woman who has attended the Tomball Parkway church for decades. "He wasn't supposed to be there celebrating Mass."

Another woman who attended said Keller's decision to perform Mass was inappropriate.

"He shouldn't have, out of respect for the community," she said. Both women asked not to be identified.

As Mass ended, Keller asked parishioners to leave the chapel so he could speak with his staff alone. He then made reference unspecified news reports during his farewell, said the women.

Norris said Keller should have been removed immediately. A CBS News report Thursday identified an accuser who said he reported the alleged abuse to church leaders in December.

"How dare they allow him to be around children and not tell their parents, their true protectors?" Norris asked.

Elaine Ayala and Matt Dempsey contributed to this report, which contains material from The Associated Press.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

st.john.smith@chron.comCarlos G. Perez was a bilingual student, graduating in 1993 from Eagle Pass High School and so enamored with language learning that he earned a masters degree in bilingual education at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

On Friday, he was named Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the San Antonio Area Association for Bilingual Education at its 40th annual conference.

You must build yourself and become the program, Perez told its members at the Norris Conference Center. Theres nothing magical out there that automatically closes that academic gap.  The only program out there is you, so dont be an average teacher. Be an extraordinary teacher. Thank you. Gracias.

Hes worked for 19 years as a bilingual teacher and a bilingual specialist in the San Antonio and Southwest independent school districts. Now teaching fifth grade at Indian Creek Elementary School, Perez said he was honored and humbled to accept the award.

He is working on a doctorate, and in a month, hell take the Texas principal certification test.

SAAABE also named an English as a Second Language Teacher of the Year, choosing Gabriel Tajonar from East Central High School. The administrator of the year was Brenda Gonzales, principal of Pearce Elementary School in Southside ISD, which has a dual language program.

There are little people who are in our classrooms and schools who are going to make a difference in this world because of the opportunities you provide, Gonzales said.

Ellen Riojas Clark, endowed chair of bilingual-bicultural studies at UTSA, won the award for community advocate of the year. Shes worked with arts organizations, school districts, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the MacArthur Genius program. She curated an exhibit on rebozos, or shawls, and, with former Texas poet laureate Carmen Tafolla, co-wrote Tamales, Comadres and the Meaning of Civilization. She is now writing a book about pan dulce.

Every day, ask your kids to share some of their own knowledge with you, Clark told the teachers, switching between Spanish and English and receiving a standing ovation. Continue, in your work of being teachers, to present the beautiful culture of this language, those songs, our history, which is very rich. For we are the foundation to changing the views of this world and of this United States.

She is also producing a documentary on famous local artist Jesse Trevino, who Friday received SAAABEs first-ever Corazon de Cultura, or Heart of Culture, award. Trevinos niece Claudia Trevino Garcia, former bilingual programs coordinator at East Central ISD, came to present the award from her first day as an assistant professor of teacher education at UTSA.

Trevino, 72, spoke of his early education at Crockett Elementary School in SAISD. As a first-grader, he entered his first art contest.

That changed my whole life, he said. I was from the barrio, and I won an art contest at the Witte Museum.

His works include numerous iconic murals in San Antonio  the boy with the dove on the Childrens Hospital, the Virgencita candle on the Guadalupe Theater and the historic neighborhood scene on the Casa Navarro. Garcia said that through Trevinos art, students learn not to forget their roots.

In your class is a Jesse Trevino, she said, choking up. Just think that, any time that you see Jesses artwork, that you are touching the lives of all those little children and that what you say about their language and their culture impacts them on a daily basis.

Alia Malik covers several school districts and the Alamo Colleges District in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAENCongresss posturing and assertion of distinctness indicate a muddled sense of political priorities.

The recent political developments in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have the potential to considerably strengthen the forces of opposition to the current ruling dispensation at the centre. The alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) promises to be a formidable electoral and social coalition that can cause major damage to the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) electoral performance in UP. Furthermore, Priyanka Gandhi Vadras nomination as the Congress general secretary and in-charge of Eastern UP is also seen as a move to better her partys electoral prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The importance of the UP for the BJP is such that whenever it has formed the government at the centre, about one-fourth to one-third of the seats have come from UP. Therefore, the prospect of major electoral reversals looming large in UP seems to portend its defeat in the forthcoming general elections.

It is a commonplace understanding that the bedrock of any effort to defeat the BJP in UP has to be a combined force of the BSP and SP, who are the strongest challengers with a consolidated social base. These two parties have overcome their long-standing animosity that also had roots in the contradictions between the social groups associated with them. However, these contradictions have become muted or secondary with the Hindutva upper-caste aggression/assertion represented by the Adityanath rule. The BSPSP alliance, therefore, is not merely about their survival or political expediency, as the pressure from belowfrom their respective social baseshas made them join forces after 25 years. The arithmetic of this alliance would be further shored up by including other opposition parties in an auxiliary role, whereby it could become a pole for voters discontented with the current government. Although smaller parties like the Rashtriya Lok Dal or Nishad (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) party are set to be accommodated in the alliance fold, the Congress is not part of it. This situation seems to have arisen due to the Congresss unwillingness to accept such an auxiliary role which would entail contesting only a handful of seats. It seems apprehensive about what would appear to be a climbdown from its pre-eminent all-India party status. The entry of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is an attempt to underscore this status by rejuvenating the party in UP.Enid, OK (73701)

Today

Rain likely. Cooler. High 77F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.Athens, AL (35611)

Today

Cloudy skies early then heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.Stay up to date on COVID-19

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Sponsored By: St Anthony's HospitalSiemer Milling Company President Richard Siemer was the keynote speaker for the February First Friday Luncheon, sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham. Charles Mills photo.

FirstRand Bank has joined the exodus of local banks that were funding new coal-fired power plants in South Africa, and in particular the Thabametsi and Khanyisa independent power producer (IPP) projects.

These two projects are included in the draft integrated resource plan for electricity, Draft IRP 2018, for completion in 2023 and 2024. The IRP is due to be presented to the cabinet for final approval in February 2019, according to the South Africa minister of energy, Hon. Jeff Radebe.

The 557 MW Thabametsi project and 306 MW Khanyisa project were announced as the successful bidders in October 2016, in the first bid window of the Department of Energys new-coal IPP programme, following a request for proposals in December 2014.

The projects have still not achieved financial close, and in addition to funding difficulties, their environmental authorisations, atmospheric emission licences, water-use licences and generation licences are either outstanding or being challenged in various fora, including the high court.

Following an earlier article by EE Publishers detailing the withdrawal of Nedbank and Standard Bank from funding the Thabametsi and Khanyisa projects, FirstRand bank has now advised that it too has withdrawn from funding the project in which it was involved, namely Thabametsi.

Please note that on 26 November 2018 FirstRand Bank Limited withdrew from financing the Thabametsi coal-fired power plant as currently proposed, read the statement from FirstRand Bank to EE Publishers.

This leaves ABSA Bank as the only remaining South African commercial bank that has not yet withdrawn from funding the Thabametsi and Khanyisa projects.

Globally, banks are coming under increased pressure from society, shareholders and some national governments regarding funding of new coal-fired power stations, as well as the management and disclosure of their climate risks and opportunities.

South African banks appear to be falling in line with new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country protocols. These prohibit the construction of all new coal-fired power plants other than those using the latest ultra-supercritical (USC) steam generating technology, which provides increased efficiency (typically greater than 45%) and lower CO 2 emissions.

The Thabametsi and Khanyisa plants, on the other hand, would use circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boiler technology operating at subcritical pressure and temperature, giving efficiencies of about 32%.

In South Africa, a major study indicates that over their 30-year life, Thabametsi and Khanyisa would emit some 200-million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), putting their emissions per kWh generated among the very worst and oldest of Eskoms non-compliant coal-fired power plants.

The study shows that this would negate most of governments emission mitigation plans, including the vast majority of the expected emissions savings of the entire energy efficiency strategy to 2050.

In South Africa, civil society opposition to new coal power projects has been led by environmental activist NGOs including Earthlife Africa, groundWork and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) in their Life After Coal Campaign.

These NGOs have welcomed FirstRands decision not to fund the proposed IPP coal-fired power station, Thabametsi, and Standard Bank and Nedbanks decision not to provide financing for Thabametsi or Khanyisa.

Both projects are currently the subject of litigation, and have been shown to be unnecessary and dirty  amongst the highest GHG-emission intensive plants in the world, with attendant impacts on human health and wellbeing. They are also staggeringly expensive, said Robyn Hugo, head of the CERs pollution and climate change programme.

Its high-time that banks acknowledge that funding these projects runs completely contrary to the climate and sustainability commitments they have made. These developments are in line with international trends which recognise that the reputational and other costs of being in business with coal are unsustainable, she added.

With the above in mind, one can only wonder if and when ABSA Bank will follow Standard Bank, Nedbank and FirstRand Banks lead, and withdraw from funding Thabametsi and Khanyisa too, and whether the Department of Energys new-coal IPP programme will be still-born

Send your comments to energize@ee.co.za

Related ArticlesA tainted meat scandal is rocking Europe after an undercover reporter revealed workers at a Polish slaughterhouse mistreating and killing sick cows and selling the beef for human consumption.

Nearly three metric tons of suspect meat has reached least a dozen European Union countries, according to EuroNews, including Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

Secret footage of an abattoir in Poland's Mazovia region shows cows that are so sick they can't even stand and being dragged into slaughter, as well as workers cutting off signs of illness such as tumors and pressure sores from the carcasses, as the Guardian detailed.

Polish authorities have since shut down the operation. Withdrawals of the meat are also ongoing, Anca Paduraru, European Commission spokeswoman for food safety, told Euronews.

"We are in close contact with the Polish authorities and at the request of the European Commission on the 29th of January the rapid alert system for food and feed has been triggered by Poland and this allowed the tracing and the withdrawal from the market of the concerned meat," she said.

Poland sick cow slaughterhouse: withdrawals of meat exported to EU 'ongoing' www.youtube.com

Polish police have launched a criminal investigation into two companies in response to the undercover report, according to Reuters. The European Commission will also send inspectors to Poland on Monday to assist with the investigation.

Poland produces about 560,000 metric tons of beef a year, with 85 percent of it exported.

The country's chief veterinarian Pawel Niemczuk said that new measures will be implemented at slaughterhouses to prevent another similar situation.

"Video surveillance will be available 24 hours a day, but there should be someone with medical and veterinary knowledge that would (be able to) come and assess if the animals are unloaded in line with regulations," Niemczuk said, as quoted by Reuters.

Poland's Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski also called the case an "isolated incident," according to Euractiv.

But Patryk Szczepaniak, the reporter who exposed the story on news channel TVN2, told the Guardian that the practice of slaughtering sick cows and exporting the beef could be much more widespread.

Szczepaniak, who worked undercover at the abattoir for three weeks, said dozens of people have reached out and told him about similar practices in other parts of the country.

"My inbox is full of messages from people who live near slaughterhouses, former employees of slaughterhouses, former law-enforcement and regulatory officials, all claiming that similar things have been happening where they are," he said to the Guardian. "It has been a full-time job just following them all upmore is definitely going to come out about this."KEENE - Francis (Frank) Gitschier, age 49 of Lowell and Keene, NH, passed away June 4, 2021. He was born on July 29, 1971 in Lowell to the late Patricia Saunders and Francis Marcotte. Frank cared for everyone and everything with a huge heart and best intentions. He was an avid Bruins fan, loClaremont, NH (03743)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Readers Survey

As our valued readers, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. - Thank you, Eastern Arizona Courier Click HereAdrienne Kehoe is a well-known local businesswoman who is the manager of The Lisdoo Bar and Steakhouse. The Kehoe family own a number of bars and restaurants across Dundalk

Whats Your Favourite Thing About Dundalk?

It has to be Dundalk FC and the moments theyve given us. For the pride they bring to the town and for the great European Games.

What Would Your Perfect Day In The Local Area Be  And Why?

There is nothing I love more than a long walk along Blackrock Beach with the tide in and the sound of the waves, its just so calm and relaxing.

What Would You Like To Change About Dundalk?

Bring the Louth County Hospital back to offering full services and I also really feel there is too many bicycle lanes.

I really think the Chamber of Commerce has done wonders for the town with the Shop-Local Vouchers to encourage people to keep the business in the town.

What Annoys You About The Town?

I find the Town Centre could do with improvement, especially some of the buildings on Park street and Clanbrassil street. Theres far too many unoccupied shops and businesses in a bad way.

What Plans Do You Have For The Rest Of The Year?

I'm very busy year this year. I'm helping my daughter Rebecca plan her wedding in June and some family and friends are celebrating big milestone birthdays.

How Would You Describe Dundalk People?

They love slagging and banter. Enjoy the craic, fair-minded and passionate about their town.

What Local Amenities Could Dundalk Do With?

My big one would have to be the Louth County Hospital.

Whats Your First Memory of Dundalk?

It would have to be my dad taking me to Oriel Park from the age of four and then years later being lucky enough to meet and marry one of the great players, the wonderful Barry Kehoe.

Another great memory was the Maytime Festival, it was such a big part of the town with the drama on seven nights in the Town Hall.

It had the town full with people traveling to Dundalk from all over Ireland.

I also remember when my Dad Enda McGuill was President of the Festival Committee I got to meet the then President of Ireland, President Childer.

It was an amazing experience.

Whats Your Favourite Story Youve Heard About Dundalk?

One of the best stories Ive heard was from many years ago and the lead up to Christmas when you would go to the Market Square to buy live turkeys, people would be queuing to pick the best turkey.

Youngsters would be waiting with their wheelbarrows to wheel the Christmas Turkey home with great excitement on their faces.

Oh, how times have changed - nowadays they come oven-ready.

What Would be Your Favourite Pub In Dundalk and why?

The Rum House or The Lisdoo ... only joking!

That's not a question I can answer as a publican as the problem is there are too many good pubs in Dundalk to choose from. But then again thats not really a bad thing is it?

What Do You Think Dundalk People Look For When Picking Somewhere For A Meal?

Good service, lovely food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and value for money.

Do you have any advice For Anyone Looking To Get Into The Restaurant/Bar Business?

Yeah don't! No, seriously, it is hard work but its very rewarding to see your customers happy and pleased.Duncan, OK (73533)

Today

Windy with an isolated thunderstorm or two possible this morning. Then some showers for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.Rossses woman, Margaret O'Donnell, who spent many long years in Scotland and England working, will turn 103 years of age on Sunday, February 3.

Margaret was born in 1916 in the picturesque town of Dungloe, and like many before her, went to Scotland and England to find employment.

She worked in England with her younger sister Mary in a public house during the second World War.

Times were difficult and different then but Margaret and her sister made the best of their time there together.

The only stipulation the Rosses ladies made to the owner of the premises was that they would be facilitated with bicycles so that they could both cycle to Mass on a Sunday morning.

Conail Breslin, who is the nephew of Margaret and the son of Mary, recalls stories that both women recounted in relation to that historical era in England.

Birthday girl - Margaret O'Donnell



He said: Maggie told us that the owner of the pub and his wife used to always fight about a certain pair of slippers.

One day Maggie took the slippers and threw the slippers into the fire and that put an end to that.

He said that Margaret was a strong willed woman like many women from the Rosses who lived through the same era. They had a certain resilience that is rarely found in people these days.

She was a strong willed woman. She was a woman who knew her mind and didn't give into things .

He added that Margaret was religious and always frequented Mass as regularly as she could.

Her weekly outing was going to Mass to pray which she enjoyed.

Margaret was not a very keen socialiser and preferred to spend her time in the company of family.

Conail said that his aunt lived next door to his family for many years in Clydebank in Scotland and during this time Margaret became like a second mother to Conail and his siblings.

She was like a second mother to us and when we went to Ireland on holidays, she would look after my father, Edward McBrearty from Kilcar. She would cook, clean and iron for him.

Conail said that Margaret was always healthy and at the age of one hundred she could eat a three course meal, including the pudding.

He said: She has always been a very, very good eater and loves fish and duck.

She ate a three course meal up until she was one hundred years of age, he said.

Margaret, who didn't marry, lived alone for most of her life and in her latter years moved to the nursing home in Gaoth Dobhair where she presently resides.

It is certain that many of her loving family and her large circle of friends will travel to the Gaoth Dobhair nursing home to celebrate her mammoth birthday alongside her on Sunday, February 3.

Everyone who knows and loves her would like to take this opportunity to wish Margaret all the very best on this very special occasion.As the Brexit debate continues to dominate the headlines, Irish businesses with an exposure to non-euro currency, should be seriously considering how they are managing their currency risk and look to minimise their exposure to sudden and large currency moves expected in the months ahead.

Speaking about the latest sterling currency updates, Lee Evans, Head of FX Trading at Bank of Ireland, commented; The Pound is currently undervalued due to the Brexit vote but as we approach the March deadline, any Pound-positive outcome could see a notable rally in Sterling as it regains some of its lost value. Similarly, there are still risks to a disorderly Brexit which would see substantial moves on the currency markets.

The team at Bank of Ireland Global Markets are helping customers across Donegal navigate and thrive during these times of heightened uncertainty.

If your business has a material exposure to a non-euro currency, dont gamble with your bottom line. Come and talk to your local Bank of Ireland regional treasury manager about your hedging strategy and they will work with you to identify, understand and manage your treasury requirements.

Businesses can also avail of a number of other supports from Bank of Ireland to help navigate international markets including; market and economic updates, resources on the dedicated online Brexit Portal, trade finance and FXPay, our online international payments platform.

Claire Duffy, Regional Treasury Manager for Connacht & Ulster added Due to unprecedented demand and to further support businesses getting Brexit ready, we have also increased our unsecured FX facility to 50 million. This makes it simpler for your business to fix your foreign exchange exposure at competitive market rates on the day you agree a contract with a customer or supplier, giving certainty on cash flow and profit margin.

If you would like support in preparing your business for Brexit, get in touch with your local Bank of Ireland regional treasury manager or your usual Bank of Ireland Business Adviser. You can also visit bankofireland.com/Brexit for more information on the Banks business lending and currency risk management services.

Claire Duffy is Regional Treasury Manager for Connacht & Ulster at Bank of Ireland and can be contacted at 086 384 6942 & Claire.P.Duffy@boi.com.

Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.Sligo Councillor Sinead Maguire has called on Minister for Health, Simon Harris to approve and prioritise the installation of a cardiac catheterisation laboratory for Sligo University Hospital without delay. A permanent cath lab would allow cardiac patients to be treated with the highest quality care in Sligo without need to transfer to other hospitals in Galway and Dublin. Approval to establish a cath lab was given the go-ahead more than ten years ago and was subsequently withdrawn during the economic down-turn.

Cllr. Maguire said, The cost to the State of transferring approximately 550 inpatients in Sligo University Hospital to Dublin or Galway for cardiology procedures has been a staggering 14.1 million over 16 years. This, together with the 3.6million cost of renting the visiting lab over that period makes no sense for the tax-payer or the patient. As long as Sligo UH does not have a Cath Lab, cardiac provision for the people of the north-west will be sub-optimal and money will be wasted.

How much of this 17.7million could have been saved by the provision of a local Cath lab in Sligo? There is a further negative knock-on effect of not having a permanent Cath lab at Sligo UH. Consultant Physician/Cardiologist at Sligo UH, Dr. Donal Murray, has explained that without such a lab at the hospital, high quality candidates are not attracted to the vacant post of Consultant Cardiologist. This also puts a stress on service provision when the necessary personnel cannot be recruited and posts remain unfilled.

A series of reports over the years, has seen repeated recommendations to establish such a lab including a report of Board of the Saolta Group to the HSE in 2017. There has been a long history in the effort to establish a Catherisation Laboratory at Sligo UH, and Consultant Physician/Cardiologist Dr Donal Murray has been involved with since 2001. In 2013 a report recommended the establishment of a laboratory in Sligo to complement the primary PCI service in Derry. This has since been established for Derry, while Sligo still waits.

I am asking the Minister for Health to take a personal interest in ensuring that the National Review of the Specialist Cardiac Services underway re-examines the case for Sligo as a priority. The clinical need is there, evidenced by the provision of part-time service and the numbers of patients being transferred to other hospitals for treatment. Waterford University Hospital was successful in getting approval based on clinical need in September 2018.The executive of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), will meet today to consider fixing further strike dates over and above the six dates already scheduled.

Two days of 24-hour strike action are due to take place next Tuesday and Thursday, in a dispute over pay and staff shortages.

RTE reports that the INMO may also "deepen" their industrial action by exempting fewer areas, which could result in more services being closed.

The Health Service Executive has warned that it expects all out-patient, in-patient and day surgery to be cancelled ahead of Tuesday's strike.

Nurses from INMO on strike outside Ballyshannon Primary Care Centre last Wednesday Picture: Thomas Gallagher

There will be further 24 hour strikes on February 5 and 7, and then again on February 12, 13 and 14, if the dispute is not resolved.

In addition, the Psychiatric Nurses Association will commence an overtime ban on Thursday, escalating to full strike action on February 12,13 and 14.

The INMO argues a serious shortage of nurses across the health service is impacting on patients and staff.

The union is also calling for a 12% pay increase to bring them into line with other health professionals, to attract and retain nurses.

Last Wednesday at Letterkenny University Hospital, two picket lines were going from 8am to 4pm, one at the main entrance and one at the entrance to the emergency department.

Up to 100 members of the INMO maintained the picket on a rota basis at the two locations throughout the day, while colleagues continued to work inside the hospital. Around the county nurses were on picket lines from 8am, again getting vocal support from passers by.

Industrial Relations Officer for the INMO in the north west, Maura Hickey, said members of the union were buoyant, stoic and had great resolve.A former Donegal county councillor unleashed a stinging attack on An Post in the wake of the closure of yet another Donegal post office, the latest post office doors closing on Thursday evening in Burtonport.

Veteran Fianna Fail politician David Alcorn accused An Post of acting like a dictatorship. He said An Post had chosen not to listen to the wishes of the people of Burtonport.

The fishing village is without a post office this week for the first time in over in two hundred years. Retired postmaster John Boyle,turned the key in the door of Burtonport postoffice at 5 pm on Thursday evening to bring and end to 232 years of a post office service in the fishing port.

Mr Alcorn said the closure of the post office was a shame and a disgrace. He said the appeals process set up by An Post was nothing short of a joke.

Mr Alcorn was a member of a special committee set up last year to save the post office and he said their appeal fell on deaf ears.

I would say without fear of contradiction that Patrick Bonner put together one of the best appeals before the appeals body, but it was to no avail and it made no difference to An Post.

The most disappointing thing for the people of Burtonport and the surrouding area is that we had a number of people willing to provide the service in the village.

But An Post did not want to know. All they were interested in was closing the post office in Burtonport.

John Columba Boyle turning the key for the last time at Burtonport Post Office Picture: Mary Rodgers



Gathering

Staff and a large gathering of locals gathered for the last time on Thursday evening to mark the occasion.

That out respect to those in their neighbouring parishes who were dealing with the treagic deaths of four young men, they had opted not to publicise their gathering. However, despite their low ley approach a large number of people gathered to show their support for the efforts made to try and retain the post office.

There was great sadness and there was a lot of emotion at the end of an era. The battle has been lost but there was no need to close the post office. Burtonport is a busy place and has a big hinterland. It is a disgraceful decision, he said.

It was the end of the line too for Arranmore Islander Danny Neilly Boyle who collected the island post on a daily basis, a service he has been providing since 1984. Danny collected the Arranmore mail in Burtonport for the last time last Thursday.

The Arranmore post will now be distruted from the Dungloe post office.From Australias sweeping plains to Hong Kongs soaring skyline, theres no lack of instagrammable countries in the world. Not least in the Asia-Pacific region, which dominated the latest rankings (hardly surprising when you weigh up the Maldives azure waters with Londons grey monuments). That said, competition for the top ten spots came from all around the globefrom France and Italy, to Brazil and Argentina.

There were also some shimmering jewels that were no-where to be found (Greece, despite playing host to Santorini, one of the most prolific insta-locations of all time, trailed in at 26th), as well as some surprise success stories. Who knew: Hong Kong is officially more instagrammable than Thailand, Fiji, orfor that matterany other country in the world (bar one).

So chuck a drool protector over your keyboard, because these are the top ten most instagrammable countries in the world, according to Big Seven Travel. Their rankings are based on the amount of hashtags per destination, survey results of their readers, and votes cast by a panel of travel experts. Suffice to say: its a comprehensive report.

Whether youre into skyscrapers and hipster cafes or butter-warm water and a tropical rash, these are the ten destinations to post home about this year.

10. Singapore

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Millionaire Life Style (@millionaire_travels) on Jan 30, 2019 at 5:04pm PST

Not only does Singapore have one of the best airports in the world; once you step out of it the city isnt too shabby either! A well deserved no. 10.

9. Dubai

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarek & Jade (@tarekxjade) on Jun 19, 2018 at 1:23pm PDT

From water parks and deserts to its surprisingly vibrant dating scene and insanely luxurious hotels, Dubai is a shoo-in for number 9.

8. United States Of America

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bruce Getty (@gettyphotography) on Jan 29, 2019 at 7:11am PST

From the Grand Canyon to Venice Beach, or the Golden Gate Bridge to the White House, theres no shortage of places to pose here

7. India

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marta & Juanjo | Travel Couple (@justwotravel) on Jan 29, 2019 at 1:02pm PST

A melting pot of culture, India is home to one of the most diverse and eye-opening travel experiences one is likely to have. Whether its yoga or the Taj Mahal, its no surprise people are posting about their time there.

6. Maldives

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CLAUDIA PADGETT (@zeebalife) on Jan 31, 2019 at 7:18am PST

The archetypal luxury influencer destination, the Maldives have become a rite of passage for bikini models, travel bloggers and honey mooners alike.

5. South Africa

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael February (@mikeyfebruary) on Jul 2, 2017 at 8:58am PDT

Although its known for its incredible wildlife and national parks, South Africa is also home to some of the best waves in the world. But surfers beware: although youre out of the lions reach, the wildlife doesnt end at the sand

4. Indonesia

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BALI TRIP Explore Bali Beyond (@balicili) on Jan 29, 2019 at 8:07pm PST

Although it has developed a reputation for single-use plastics and giving you a dodgy stomach, theres more to Indonesia than Bali. And if you wander off the beaten track, you just might find a spot like this

3. Canada

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Backpacking Views (@backpackingviews_) on Jan 29, 2019 at 6:12am PST

Although theres more to Canada than hiking with your dog, its a damn good way to experience it. Known for its majestic views, wild terrain and friendly residents, youd be hard pressed to argue Canada hasnt more than earned its spot.

2. Hong Kong

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CITY GRAMMERS (@citygrammers) on Jan 31, 2019 at 1:19pm PST

Famous for its monochrome sky scrapers and and colourful city scenes, futuristic apartment buildings and vibrant food scene, its easy to see why Hong Kong was named The 2nd Most Instagrammable Country of 2019.

1. Australia

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tina Tek (@tinatek) on Dec 31, 2018 at 7:16am PST

Apart from Sydney harbour being the worlds most sought after New Years Eve gram, Melbourne being the worlds unofficial foodie capital and Byron Bay accounting for 99.9% of Instagrams eco-conscious influencers, what does Australia have to offer? Cute furry creatures. Big scary creatures. Poisonous creatures. Breathtaking views. A laid back vibe. What else could the #Vanlife crew ask for?

RELATED: Instagram Influencers Are Driving Luxury Hotels Crazy; Heres WhyYoure out on the town, youve hit it off, paid the bill, and just before you head outside she smiles at you and asks if youd mind holding her handbag for a sec. Not a big deal, right? Wrong. Little do you know it, but as Rebel Wilson revealed this morning on the Today Show, this is a clutch moment for your date. A test. A trial by portmanteau.

The Australian actress and producer appeared on channel 9s Today Show this morning to discuss her upcoming movie roles and projects. But not before letting slip one of her favourite dating moves: the handbag test. According to the Bridesmaids star, this is a subtle way for women to discover whether Tinder bae really is as woke as they claim in their bio.

Theres an amazing trick when youre on a date, you might ask the guy like: can you just hold my bag for a second, or can you just hold my jacket for a second? Then of course, normally they say yes. If they say no then that means get rid of that dude.

It also, when she finds a man who is willing to hold the bag, creates a moment of extra connection in the date, she says, claiming: It makes them feel more wanted.

Interviewer Richard Wilkins is left wondering why this is necessary: Youre a Hollywood movie star. I wouldve thought youd have blokes queuing up.

Yeah but its really difficult normally the people that approach you are the really confident cocky ones, the regular dudes dont normally come up, before slipping back into her trademark humour: I just want a guy whos nice, you know, maybe talented or, yeah, not got a criminal record something like that.

While this move has clearly helped Rebel: Ive been using my tricks and its been working. Its been totally working in LA, on Twitter, opinion is divided.

Ladies please stop making your men hold your handbags,its yours! It makes him look stupid too!  TheB (@BerniceB_M) 18 May 2014

Understand that making a man hold your handbag makes him feel degraded. No, it doesnt help if its your favourite Chanel.  Pri (@PriMenoe) 19 January 2012

Despite this, some saw it as a positive sign.

A man who is strong and kind,

Ambitious and content,

A man that is confident and humble.

A man that doesnt think holding a womans handbag will make his dick fall off.  GigaChic (@gigachic) 2 December 2018

all my life I awwwd couples whos men held their ladies handbags and Ive never felt so good when a group of ladies awwwd my man for holding my handbag  #blessed #CapeTown #Care  Nikita Swan (@kitaa_swaan) 10 December 2018



And others took a different tack altogether.

Look, not holding a handbag is not toxic prima facie. A man has a choice to or not. Your unpacking of that choice should be done only as a function of your relationship to said man. Youre assuming a lot inferring that a no = toxicity.  T. Rankin  (@AfroVII) 12 July 2018



RELATED: How To Tell If Shes Flirting With You Or Just Being NiceCoffee table books are in a category of their own because they serve a number of uses. Not only are they first and foremost a book containing words and pictures relating to subjects youre interested in, but they add personality to your home and are just as much a certified decorative piece as say, some houseplants or a mirror. You could also, if you feel so inclined, use one as a doorstop.

If youre the type to impress, it can even be something that says youre a suave, sophisticated man who is just as capable of bringing some elegance into the home as he is dressing himself.

When it comes to accessorising your home with a few coffee table books, its not as simple as buying the first large hardback book you lay your eyes on. Youll still want to put some thought into it. But to help you out, weve rounded up some of our favourite coffee table books available right now that guaranteed to bring pleasure to you and any special guests who drop by for a cup of coffee.

Art & Photography

Theres nothing wrong with a little nudity in ones abode. Maybe even some tasteful artistic photography to spice things up. This selection of timeless coffee table books feature the likes of Helmut Newton and the mighty Pirelli calendar.

Fashion

You dont have to be a farshun expert to appreciate fashion. These books cover menswear, designers and even style icons like NBA superstar Russell Westbrook. Theyll make the perfect accompaniment for your cool coffee table.

Film

Are you secretly a 00 agent but youre too busy on the daily grind? Then these movie and film inspired coffee table books will help you live out your dream at home. With classics like Rocky and Star Wars, youll definitely get guests stopping to flick through a few pages.

Food

Meat and men make the world go round. Pasta and pinot does too. Inspire your next home cooked meal with this selection of man-food approved books that will make your coffee table or kitchen look super professional.

Architecture & Design

Pretend youre a superstar interior designer or architect with this selection of interesting books on home design and cool spaces. Our personal favourite is the book on Soviet architecture. What a great way to bring Putin into a dinner conversation.

Watches

A topic which needs no introduction but is every mans secret passion. Whether you give it as a gift or keep them for yourself, every man loves a nice watch. Regardless if youre a Rolex guy or an Omega dude, theres going to something to be learnt in these timeless watch books.

Cars

Lastly get on the vintage car bandwagon with one of these classic motoring books. If youre a Porsche guy we have the history of the 911 and if youre a BMW bloke the BMW Book will surely be a must on your X-mas shopping list.

GALLERY BEGINS AFTER THIS ADVERTISEMENTJohnson & Johnson researches and develops, manufactures, and sells a range of products in the health care field worldwide. It operates through three segments: Consumer Health, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices. The Consumer Health segment offers baby care products under the JOHNSON'S and AVEENO Baby brands; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; skin health/beauty products under the AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DR. CI:LABO, NEUTROGENA, and OGX brands; acetaminophen products under the TYLENOL brand; cold, flu, and allergy products under the SUDAFED brand; allergy products under the BENADRYL and ZYRTEC brands; ibuprofen products under the MOTRIN IB brand; smoking cessation products under the NICORETTE brand; and acid reflux products under the PEPCID brand. This segment also provides women's health products, such as sanitary pads and tampons under the STAYFREE, CAREFREE, and o.b. brands; wound care products comprising adhesive bandages under the BAND-AID brand; and first aid products under the NEOSPORIN brand. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, including immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The Medical Devices segment provides electrophysiology products to treat cardiovascular diseases and neurovascular care products to treat hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke; orthopaedics products in support of hips, knees, trauma, spine, sports, and other; advanced and general surgery solutions that focus on breast aesthetics, ear, nose, and throat procedures; and disposable contact lenses and ophthalmic products related to cataract and laser refractive surgery under the ACUVUE brand. The company markets its products to general public, and retail outlets and distributors, as well as distributes directly to wholesalers, hospitals, and health care professionals for prescription use. Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886 and is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given iShares S&P 400 MidCap 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 S&P 400 MidCap ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Alliant Energy Corporation operates as a utility holding company that provides regulated electricity and natural gas services in the Midwest region of the United States. It operates in three segments: Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations, and Utility Other. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), primarily generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Iowa; sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa; and generates and distributes steam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alliant Energy Corporation, through its other subsidiary, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Wisconsin; and sells electricity to wholesale customers in Wisconsin. As of December 31, 2020, IPL supplied electric and natural gas service to approximately 495,000 and 225,000 retail customers respectively; and WPL supplied electric and natural gas service to approximately 480,000 and 195,000 retail customers, respectively. It serves retail customers in the farming, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, chemical, and packaging and food industries. In addition, the company owns and operates a short-line rail freight service in Iowa; a barge, rail, and truck freight terminal on the Mississippi River; and a rail-served warehouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as offers freight brokerage and logistics management services. Further, it holds interests in a 347 megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired electric generating unit near Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; and a 225 MW wind farm located in Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.

Read MoreHighlights:

Energizer to unveil 26 new phones at MWC 2019.

The company is also working on a handset with foldable display, one with 18000mAh battery and pop-up cameras.

The smartphone brand Energizer is known for making devices with humongous batteries. Last year at MWC, it unveiled a phone with 16000mAh battery and it now says that during the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2019, it will showcase 26 new smartphones. Yes, you read that right. The company will unveil 26 new phones and among them will be handsets with pop-up cameras, 18000mAh battery and foldable displays. As per GizChina, the company will debut phones from its Ultimate, Energy, Hardcase and Power Max series. While the Energy branded phones by the company are said to be meant for everyday use, Hardcase phones would be rugged, waterproof handsets. The Power Max line will feature phones with high battery capacity, over 4000mAh, while the Ultimate series of phones will consist of the companys premium lineup.

By offering high-performance, quality phones at affordable prices, we are responding to the growing demand for entry-level and mid-range smartphones. In particular, this market positioning lets us focus on catering to regions of the world experiencing rapid growth, where demand for these kinds of products is high, and which represent a strategic path for our development says Jean-Daniel Beurnier, CEO of Avenir Telecom. The release of a fourth line of elegant, innovative and reasonably-priced smartphones broadens the catalogue of products that we can offer our partners, which in turn will allow them to satisfy the demands of consumers in their local regions.

While the company has not unveiled the specifications of all of its upcoming handsets, in a media release, it did give out some details on the Energizer Ultimate lineup. The Ultimate U620S smartphone will feature four cameras, three on the back with 16MP + 2MP + 0.2MP sensor configuration and a 16 MP sensor on the front. The Ultimate U570S and the U650S will feature 16 MP + 2 MP cameras on the back that will support Live Focus, Filters, Panorama and Beauty Face modes. The phones get a 16 MP front camera. The new range of Energizer Ultimate phones will feature different models that will come equipped with batteries ranging from 3000 to 4000 mAh, along with a USB-C port for charging. The phones will be powered by MediaTek processors, run on Android 9 Pie and will sport 4GB RAM with 32GB to 128GB of internal storage.

GSMArena previously reported that the companyy will also announce Energizer Ultimate U620S Pop and U630S Pop in the same series, which are powered by the MediaTek Helio P70 and P22 chipsets respectively. The two phones are said to feature motorised dual cameras with a 16MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary camera. The U620S Pop would feature a triple camera setup on the back with 16MP + 5MP + 2MP configuration. It could be released in July with 6GB RAM, coupled with 128GB storage. The U630S Pop will feature 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage and is slated for a June launch.

Related reads:

Exclusive: Energizer to launch eight phones in India in 2018, starting May 2018The Wedding Guest Trailer: Dev Patel, Radhika Apte And Jim Sarbh Give A Desi Flavour To This Hollywood Film!

The trailer of Dev Patel, Radhika Apte and Jim Sarbh starrer The Wedding Guest is here and the cast gives a serious desi tadka to this international cinema.

Dev Patel plays the wedding guest who comes to a country, hires a car and goes to a village to attend a wedding. But things take a different turn as he procures guns, kidnaps Radhika's character Sameera and then go to India to hide. The story looks like a mix of a lot of undercurrents- Dev Patel's character seems to be a trained shooter. In fact, there is quite a bit of romance in the thriller.

The film also stars Jim Sarbh besides Dev and Radhika. There are beautiful shots of India that will capture your heart!

Check out the trailer of the film here:SALT LAKE CITY  The Senate Education Committee on Friday endorsed legislation that would allow certain mental health services provided in Utah public schools to be billed to Medicaid.

SB106, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, also says health care plans could not deny claims solely because they are provided by a public school employee or in a school.

Fillmore said his legislative district includes Herriman, which experienced a spate of teen and young adult deaths by suicide last year. He noted that Jordan School District employs 65 school psychologists who provide clinical mental health services to students who need help.

"Because they work in schools, claims that they submit are often denied by insurance companies and the state's Medicaid program doesn't have a mental health option for students in schools, even though our Medicaid does provide reimbursement to schools that may provide occupational therapy or physical therapy," he said.

Fillmore said passing the bill should "open up new private sector dollars to flow to public schools to help address the need we have in schools for more mental health services for our students."

Kelly Atkinson, executive director of the Utah Health Insurance Association, said the bill, as currently drafted, "was giving quite a bit of heartburn even Prilosec wouldn't touch."

Care must be taken so the legislation does not expand benefits. Otherwise, people will "vote with their feet," and some will move from being fully insured in plans that cover mental health to self insured, he said.

"That's why it's so critical to work out a compromise in language that does not expand the benefit," Atkinson said.

Several others spoke in support of the bill, some of them school teachers in rural Utah whose students need mental services and have few options in their small communities.

Jolynn Jones, a math teacher at Richfield High School, said one of her students took his life at the start of the school year.

"I thank the senator for bringing this forward. It takes a lot of weight off high school teachers," Jones said.

Camille Bailey Aagard, a mother of five children and a law student, said her family lives behind Lone Peak High School, another school that has been hard hit by youth suicide. Students walk through their back yard to school.

"When I see them in Sunday best, I know that we have experienced another suicide," she said.

The problem has reached "epidemic" proportion, she said.

"I just hope you won't yield to insurance lobbyists. Just the fact that teachers are the ones that are having to absorb this seems absurd to me."

Fillmore said some school psychologists also have private practices on weekends or in the evenings.

If a child sees that professional at 5 p.m. in an office down the street, "it's covered. If the child sees the professional at 2 o'clock in the school building, it's not covered by insurance. This bill address that specific issue," he said.

With the committee's approval, SB106 moves to the Senate for its consideration.SALT LAKE CITY  Republican legislative leaders don't intend to consider any major changes this year to the medical marijuana compromise lawmakers passed last month to replace a voter-approved ballot initiative.

Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said this week that there is "general consensus" that the Legislature "take a breather" on marijuana bills, though he allowed there could be some "tweaking" of the new law.

In a December special session, the GOP-controlled Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill to replace Proposition 2 with a more restrictive law for medical marijuana use in Utah.

The compromise grew out of talks among Utah House and Senate leaders, the Utah Patients Coalition and Libertas Institute, both of which backed Proposition 2, and the Utah Medical Association and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both of which opposed the initiative.

Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education, or TRUCE, which did not participate in the compromise talks, and the Epilepsy Association of Utah have sued the state over the law.

Democrats opposed the compromise legislation, but had not filed any bills to restore Proposition 2 as the Legislature started its 45-day session Monday.

In fact, only one bill has been introduced so far.

Rep. Marsha Judkins, R-Provo, is proposing in HB106to add autoimmune disorders to the list of conditions that qualify for medical cannabis use. Those conditions were included in Proposition 2 but were removed in the compromise legislation.

Connor Boyack, Libertas Institute president, said the previous legislative leadership  former Speaker Greg Hughes and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, who are longer in the Legislature  agreed to hold all marijuana bills in 2019.

"We're taking the session off," Boyack said.

But Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, said the Senate has not made that decision. "But what we do look at will be fairly minor in detail," he said.

House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, agreed lawmakers could consider some "technical corrections" this year because of the size of the bill  it's 6,151 lines long  but nothing beyond that.

"I subscribe to the notion that we met in December, that a lot of parties agreed to the place that we landed, and I think in general we should let that policy stand and see how well it works over the next couple years," he said.

Judkins' bill probably doesn't fall into the category of a tweak or technical change to the law.

"Its a little controversial," she said. "I don't know where it will go."

Judkins said she's running the bill because she heard from people in her House district  which largely opposed Proposition 2  who were "pretty upset" that conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis would not be covered.

She said she doesn't know if the House Rules Committee  the legislative gatekeeper  will assign the measure to a standing committee for a hearing.

"I understand why it wouldn't because you don't want to open another Pandora's box of changes when this is a brand-new thing," Judkins said, adding she respects the process that created the law. "But on the other hand, I feel like most of the voters in Utah did vote for Prop. 2 with the expectation that these conditions would be covered."

Judkins said she has not talked to House leadership about the bill. She does not have a Senate sponsor at this point.

Libertas would "absolutely" support Judkins' bill should it move forward, Boyack said.

The Utah Medical Association hasn't taken a position yet but would probably oppose it, said spokesman Mark Fotheringham.

"It's just a minor change there, but it has big implications," he said. "The addition of autoimmune disorder is a fairly generic term, and I suspect that they'll say, 'No, they have to be more specific than that,' because that includes diabetes, it includes vasculitis, it includes a whole lot of things that marijuana has no place being in."

Fotheringham said the association hopes the Legislature sticks to the compromise and that opening it up again goes against the spirit and intent of the agreement.WASHINGTON, D.C.  Faith-based universities are facing a public image crisis, and they need their students' help to fix it, according to leaders of Christian, Jewish and Muslim schools speaking at this week's Council for Christian Colleges and Universities presidents conference.

"There is a lot of ignorance in our culture about faith-based education. People think of it more like indoctrination," said Shirley Mullen, president of Houghton College in Houghton, New York, which is a Christian institution.

Mullen and other religious school leaders say they're more interested in producing well-rounded people than perfect Muslims, Christians or Jews. But, during an interfaith panel Friday on the value of faith-based education at the presidents conference, they agreed it's hard to convince nonbelievers, secular academics and even sometimes government officials to believe them.

For religious people  and there still are a considerable number of us around  secular institutions have become increasingly hostile.  Hamza Yusuf, president of Zaytuna College

"How can you really change that metanarrative in a world that exists in sound bites  and siloed conversations?" asked Kevin Worthen, the president of Brigham Young University. "That's one of the things we need to think very seriously about."

Today, faith-based schools face growing pressure to change, as the Deseret News reported earlier this week. Religious practice is declining, support for LGBTQ rights is rising and fewer than 4 in 10 Americans place a great deal of trust in organized religion.

Leaders of faith-based colleges and universities say, in this environment, their work is need more than ever before.

"For religious people  and there still are a considerable number of us around  secular institutions have become increasingly hostile," said Hamza Yusuf, president of Zaytuna College, a Muslim school in Berkeley, California.

Religious schools are a safe space for religious young people, and they also help students become thoughtful participants in a diverse world, noted the Rev. John Fitzgibbons, who is president of Regis University, a Catholic school in Denver.

"I think a university needs to be a sacred space. That is not a throwaway word. What happens in a university is that human beings become what God intends them to be," he said.

Contrary to people's assumptions, faith-based colleges and universities are well-equipped to have difficult conversations about faith, Mullen said. Students wrestle with their religious convictions and are better for it in the end.

We provide "a kind of education that does not require students to leave behind their fundamental convictions  as they deepen their intellectual understanding," she said.

During the interfaith panel, university leaders discussed the best path forward in an increasingly hostile world. It's important for leaders at religiously affiliated universities to work with each other and learn from one another, they said.

"In the polarized world in which we live, if we didn't do anything more than provide significant evidence that this is possible to do, we would have more than justified all the efforts that have gone into putting (this panel) together," Worthen said.

In addition to leaning on each other, religious school leaders need to call on their students to help them improve their schools' reputations, Mullen said. Graduates can go out into the world and show they're not afraid of religious difference or tough conversations about their faith.

I think a university needs to be a sacred space. That is not a throwaway word. What happens in a university is that human beings become what God intends them to be.  The Rev. John Fitzgibbons, president of Regis University

They can "embody a vision of faith and life that does not fit the stereotype that everyone is afraid of," she said.

Diane Jones, principal deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education, shared her support for this approach earlier in the conference during a discussion of the government regulations affecting campus life.

She urged religious school leaders to "tell your story, show the good results and engage your students in telling the story."

If this approach is successful, faith-based schools will stop being seen as a site of indoctrination and start being celebrated for building a healthier society, Mullen said.

"We offer to our society the possibility of a new story  where faith brings not intolerance, not conflict, not oppression, but space for dialogue, justice, reconciliation and restoration of human dignity and human flourishing," she said.SALT LAKE CITY  The Chinese zodiac may have named 2019 the Year of the Pig, but Utah Gov. Gary Herbert just declared it the year of the train.

At a press conference at the Union Pacific Depot Friday afternoon, Herbert, along with members of the Spike 150 Foundation board and art directors from around Utah, gathered to announce Utah's monthlong celebration of the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad and ceremonial driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869.

The construction of the transcontinental railroad showed the world that the remarkable is possible through vision, hard work, dedication and collaboration. Principles that ring true today, Herbert said.

The Spike 150 Foundation, a state-led initiative, has partnered with many Utah organizations for a series of activities, events and performances to commemorate the historical milestone in May of this year.

Herbert said many Americans today might not think about or recognize the significance of the railroad coming together.

"(The railroad) joined our country at a very difficult time  post-Civil War, he said. "The country was divided by a Civil War, it was divided by geography, but people came together and joined the country post-Civil War with a lot of workers from different walks of life and backgrounds."

The celebration will feature a star-studded musical lineup including the Utah Opera, Utah Symphony, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and Broadway stars Brian Stokes Mitchell, Megan Hilty and Ali Ewoldt.

There will also be original works performed during the May celebration, including "As One," a reenactment of the driving of the spike written by Gentri-member Stephen Nelson and Utah musician Anjanette Mickelsen, and "Gold Mountain" by Jason Ma and Alan Muraoka. This musical tells the love story set during the building of the railroad.

We are extremely excited about this lineup that includes everything from Utahs famous musical icons to award-winning performers from a variety of genres, all of which are world-renowned, said Doug Foxley, Spike 150 Foundation chair. Ive always liked a good party, but were going to have a great party. Move over Winter Olympics  Were going to party like its 1869. So lets get on the train, lets get on the tracks and lets start moving this thing around.

Foxley has reason to be ready to get the celebration going. He told the Deseret News that plans for the anniversary have been in the works for almost two years, and the depot lobby echoed with whistles and laughter after Foxley handed out train whistles at the press event.

Max Chang, a Spike 150 board member, said in an interview with the Deseret News that this moment was unique in history because it established Utah as the crossroads of the West. He also said he considers Utah the caretaker of the transcontinental railroad's history  everything that happened from Iowa to California, both the good and the bad.

"The demise of the buffalo in the plains and the Native Americans, to the great things of helping connect this country and really having the commerce throughout," Chang said. "I think its also parallel to whats happening in the future that Utah will continue to be the crossroads of the West and crossroads of the world."SALT LAKE CITY  Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, describes himself as a "conservative, borderline Libertarian Republican from Utah County," so he recognized efforts to entice cities to build affordable housing "may not be within my bailiwick."

Yet Anderegg is sponsoring a bill that would create a new incentive for cities to zone for affordable housing, amid a time when experts say Utah is facing a more than 45,000-unit affordable housing gap.

That incentive? If cities don't pick two strategies out of a list of 25 options to allow moderate-income housing within their communities, they'll miss out on being eligible for about $700 million in annual state transportation investment funds  money coming primarily from the motor fuel tax that the state controls.

Anderegg said his bill, SB34, gives cities a "gentle nudge" to include affordable housing in their city plans "while at the same time giving them the freedom to say we don't want to do this."

"It's a big enough carrot that not doing it feels a little bit like a stick," he told the Deseret News in an interview in the Senate chamber this week.

Anderegg's bill cleared its first legislative hurdle Thursday. It advanced out of the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee with unanimous approval.

The bill is the work product of the Utah Commission on Housing Affordability, which was born out of legislation passed last year that tasked a 20-member group of state leaders, housing experts, developers, city representatives and business leaders with tackling the state's ever-tightening housing crunch.

The bill includes a "basket" of options from cities to choose from, Anderegg said, including zoning to allow mother-in-law apartments, encourage high-density housing near major transit corridors, reduce parking requirements and allow for single room occupancy projects. The list goes on.

"We've said cities only have to do two of the 25," Anderegg said. "But you don't have to. If you don't, then you're not eligible (for the transportation money)."

The bill also would also call for $20 million in one-time funds and $4 million in ongoing money into the state's Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, a state fund used for low-interest lending for affordable housing construction. The fund offers "gap financing" to developers to help finance low-income units.

Gov. Gary Herbert in his budget proposal already called for more money into the Olene Walker fund, to the tune of $15 million one time and $2 million annually.

So "why is a conservative Republican from Utah County running this bill?" Anderegg asked.

"Growth is the single biggest issue in my area," the Lehi resident said, crediting the state with working hard to attract high-tech businesses to Utah's Silicon Slopes.

"But these guys are getting paid Silicon Valley wages," Anderegg said. "This engine we have fed for a decade or two that has added to these jobs  but now we've got these guys from the Bay Area looking at half-acre land in Lehi for half a million dollars, and they're like 'Sold! That's a great deal.'"

Meanwhile, born-and-raised Utahns are getting priced out, Anderegg said. Over the Christmas holiday, the senator said four of his nieces and nephews told him they're looking for jobs out of state because "they can't afford a $380,000 condo."

"We can ignore the problem and say it 'doesn't exist' and 'fair markets are free markets,'" Anderegg said. "We've already artificially inflated the market through our incentives for economic development. To say, 'Well that would be government interference' and over here we don't, that's disingenuous. It doesn't make sense."

The new "incentive" for cities and the funding SB34 would provide "would go a very, very long way" for affordable housing in Utah, but by no means is it the "silver bullet," Anderegg told lawmakers on the Senate committee Thursday.

"There is not a single city that isn't dealing with this, whether (they) want to acknowledge it or not," he said. "This is a serious issue."

He added: "Government is not going to completely solve this issue, but the government can play a very significant role in helping to alleviate this."

The bill saw wide support Thursday. Representatives from the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the Salt Lake Chamber, and the Utah Association of Realtors all spoke in favor of it.

"We have a housing gap  a supply and demand problem across all spectrums of housing," said Abby Osborn, Salt Lake Chamber vice president of government affairs. "We know from (a recent Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute) report that this is our biggest economic threat if left unaddressed."

Mike Ostermiller of the Utah Association of Realtors said, "We love this bill, and we wish that we loved it more."

"It doesn't go far enough, but it is an excellent first step," Ostermiller said.

The days when Utahns can afford a home in a safe neighborhood close to work where they can be "proud" to raise their family "might be over," he added. "Those days are threatened, so we've got to keep working."

But some expressed misgivings with the bill.

They included Justin Swain, a Herriman resident who was among a group of residents who filed a referendum application in Salt Lake County earlier this year to stop a nearly 8,800-unit development from popping up near his city called Olympia Hills.

The high-density development would have brought an estimated 30,000 residents to about 930 acres  a proposal that sparked outrage from residents before it was vetoed by former Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams.

Swain said his group, Utahns for Responsible Growth, support "balanced growth" and affordable housing efforts, but not when it goes too far, like he said Olympia Hills did.

"I know that the word 'force' may not to be correct, but to withhold tax funds in trying to get (cities) to do this just doesn't seem right," Swain said.

Rep. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, voted in favor of the bill, thanking Anderegg for "trying to restore some free-market principles" to local zoning  which he said is "not free-market, whether you like it or not." When land use decisions are made based off of "what we don't like" instead of "what's right for our communities," he said, "it's not healthy."

"This fear we have of high density, the fear we have of building anything that's different  those days are behind us," McCay said. "We have got to start looking to the horizon on how we're going to solve some of the bigger problems."

The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.SALT LAKE CITY  John Warnock's visit to the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit Friday was a reminder that Utah's tech history precedes the birthdates of many of the tens of thousands who gathered this week to celebrate the state's current wave of innovation successes.

In fact, Utah's tech history extends back to, and played a pivotal moment in, the very conception of the modern-day internet.

The tale, according to Warnock, goes something like this.

Back in the early '60s, the U.S. federal government was in a mild freakout following Russia's successful launch of the first satellite into space just a few years earlier. Then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara declared the country would launch an unprecedented effort to advance research into computers. The brainchild of the effort was the Advanced Research Project Agency that would fund, at unprecedented levels, 12 research centers at U.S. universities, each focusing on different aspects of computer science research.

Among those research centers was one at the University of Utah, which, under the direction of another technology pioneer, David Evans, was focusing on man/machine interactions for the agency project. Each of the research nodes had recruited the top computer scientists of the time and, later in the decade, a need arose to connect each effort through a then untried concept of real-time, electronic communications on a shared network.

Warnock said a meeting of the leaders of each research facility was arranged, with plans to congregate in Utah.

"In 1968 all of the lead investigators came together at Alta, Utah, in Rustlers Lodge," Warnock said. "I was a (University of Utah) grad student at the time and they invited me to come to this meeting of all the best computer scientists in the world. At that meeting, they approved the communication network that was going to connect all of these centers together and that was the ARPA-Net  which is now the internet."

A decade later, Warnock would join researchers at the famous Xerox PARC (for Palo Alto Research Center) in California, which would innovate many of the computing tools that are now items collectively taken for granted in computing.

"When I walked in the doors of PARC in 1978, every secretary, every researcher, every manager had a personal computer," Warnock said. "Every computer was interconnected with Ethernet, every computer had access to file servers, every computer was connected to a laser printer  and each had a mouse and a (graphical user interface) with windows.

Innovation is the heart of these companies' successes.  John Warnock

"And this was three years before the first IBM personal computer was announced."

For those who may not have heard of Warnock, or noted that his legacy at the U. is enshrined by a modern new College of Engineering facility named in his honor, the man is a pioneer in the advancement of digital technology. His expertise in computer graphics helped drive innovation during his time at PARC but, according to Warnock, "it became very evident that Xerox was never going to be able to enter the computer business because they just didnt understand it, even though they had the best research lab in the country."

So Warnock and his colleague, Chuck Geschke, joined forces to start their own little business, Adobe. Three months into the work of the new company, Apple's Steve Jobs came by after hearing that Warnock and his team were "doing some interesting things." Jobs offered to buy the company on the spot, he said, but Warnock and Geschke demurred and instead Jobs bought a share of Adobe and joined forces with the fledgling entrepreneurs.

Adobe's first product, PostScript  designed to translate a page of script on your computer screen to a printed version that exactly matches what the user sees  helped spark the desktop publishing phenomena that would not only lead to massive profits for Adobe, but helped boost the new Apple Macintosh personal computer which would become the darling of graphics specialists for decades to come.

Adobe's hits, according to Warnock, would just keep on coming.

In 1986, PostScript became an industry standard. In 1987, Adobe introduced Illustrator. In 1989, it was Photoshop. In 1992, the company acquired Acrobat and developed the now ubiquitous Personal Data File, or PDF. And, of course, in 2009 the company came full circle by purchasing Lehi-based web analytics company Omniture and, instead of shuttering the operation and moving to the Bay Area, established a new office in Utah.

And the company recently doubled down on the effort, breaking ground on a new, $90 million facility with plans in place to double their current Utah workforce of 1,000-plus.

Build a business that you would work for.  John Warnock

Warnock has a home in Deer Valley and said he spends every winter in Utah. He's also still very engaged with tech happenings in the state and recently penned an opinion piece supporting a legislative effort this session by Rep. Val Peterson, R-Orem, to continue funding an engineering effort that was first begun in the early 2000s by then-Gov. Mike Leavitt.

Warnock cautioned that failing to train the talent demanded by the state's burgeoning tech sector could work to derail the effort.

"Innovation is the heart of these companies' successes," Warnock said. "And, to keep driving the research and work to power innovation, you need exceptional engineers and computer scientists."

When asked, while on stage at the tech summit, what guidance he'd offer to Utah's new crop of technology pioneers, Warnock offered this advice:

"Build a business that you would work for," he said. "The way you treat employees is incredibly important.

"And always hire people that are smarter than you are."SALT LAKE CITY  Backers of the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative approved by voters are spending more than $100,000 to run TV commercials pushing back against a replacement plan advancing quickly through the Legislature.

"Utahns are outraged that politicians are striking backroom deals designed to overturn the clear will of the voters," said Andrew Roberts, spokesman for Utah Decides, the group behind the initiative known as Proposition 3.

Roberts, who was at the state Capitol Friday lobbying on behalf of Proposition 3, said Utahns "voted to expand access to health care and bring our tax dollars home from Washington, and we won't settle for a bill that does the opposite."

The commercial, set to begin airing Monday on KSL and other TV stations, states that voters "spoke loud and clear" last November but warns that the will of the people now is being threatened.

Special interests and backroom deals are blamed in the spot for "slippery changes that will cost Utahns hundreds of millions a year and strip health care from more than 50,000 Utahns."

Viewers are urged to contact Gov. Gary Herbert and members of the Legislature and "tell them to leave our health care alone."

Senate Majority Whip Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, said lawmakers are already feeling pressure and the TV commercials can only turn up the heat.

"I feel like we're getting beat up," he said, calling the claims by the Proposition 3 proponents frustrating and disingenuous. "It makes it hard to vote a certain way, so they matter."

In the meantime, lawmakers were scrambling to come up with a more acceptable price tag for the bill backed by GOP leadership as a replacement for the full Medicaid expansion approved by voters.

That bill, SB96, continued to be held in the Senate Friday while work was underway to adjust an earlier fiscal note detailing the cost to taxpayers that has not been made public but was higher than anticipated.

Hemmert, assigned by leadership to get the bill through the Senate, said he did not see the original cost estimate from legislative analysts but acknowledged, "I know it came in at a number people werent excited about."

He said there is a new version of the bill being drafted to make some technical changes. That version, along with a new fiscal note, could be ready in time to be reviewed over the weekend.

That would mean a final Senate vote could come as soon as Monday. On Wednesday, the third day of the 2019 Legislature, the Senate gave initial approval to SB96 by a vote of 22-7.

House GOP leaders have said they hope to have the bill passed by the end of next week with a veto-proof majority. A veto-proof majority  at least two-thirds of both the House and Senate  also prevents a citizen referendum to repeal a law.

The governor has not said what action he intends to take once the bill reaches his desk. His deputy chief of staff, Paul Edwards, said in a statement that it is premature to talk about the governor signing legislation into law that has not been passed.

But, Edwards said, the governor "has long supported the kind of common sense supports and guardrails for Medicaid expansion that are currently being discussed in the Legislature."

The full Medicaid expansion passed by voters covers Utahns earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. SB96 limits Medicaid coverage to Utahns earning below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, about $12,000.

Under the bill, Utah would have to seek a waiver from the federal government to provide what's being called bridge coverage to the limited group beginning April 1, the same date Proposition 3 would take effect.

The bill assumes the Utahns earning between 100 percent and 138 percent of poverty will pay for heavily subsidized insurance coverage available under the Affordable Care Act.

Hemmert said there are 41,000 Utahns in that category who already have insurance but another 24,700 who do not. He said it's possible that they cannot afford the premiums, estimated at less than $30 a month.

"It's also possible they don't know the subsidies exist," he said. "I dont want to sound like Im unsympathiec to this population. I know they work hard. Theyre good people. But at the end of the day, you've got to pay for it."

Later, Hemmert said Medicaid enrollment is typically 60-70 percent of those eligible, so "it's more likely these groups just don't take advantage of the health care options available to them."

The other big difference between Proposition 3 and SB96 is the size of the federal to state funding match. The federal government pays 90 percent of the cost of full Medicaid expansion, but is expected to pay only 70 percent of the bridge coverage.

Another federal waiver would be needed in order for the state to receive the higher 90-10 match for the more limited expansion program  something that Utah and other states have tried and failed to obtain in the past.

No waivers are needed to implement Proposition 3.

Hemmert said the fiscal note should equal the $90 million or so anticipated from the 0.15 percent sales tax increase in Proposition 3 plus an additional $30 million lawmakers have already said they're willing to spend.

That additional money, a $15 million appropriation plus what is now being called a temporary $15 million hospital tax, would cover the bridge program through June 30, 2020, Hemmert said.

The sponsor of SB96, Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, told the Deseret News Thursday he could not approve the initial fiscal note. He declined to discuss numbers, but said it was in a "state of flux."

Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said several legislative analysts have been working without sleep on the fiscal note but it won't be released until "we get it right."SALT LAKE CITY  The city is looking to hire part-time crossing guards for mornings, afternoons or both.

Applicants must be available during school hours within the Salt Lake City School District, provide their own vehicle, enjoy working with children and pass a physical exam.

For more information, or to apply, log on to slc.gov/careers.SALT LAKE CITY  A Salt Lake man was charged Friday with hitting and killing a bicyclist, then driving off.

Sotero Valerio Torres, 36, is charged in 3rd District Court with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a third-degree felony; obstructing justice, a class A misdemeanor; driving on a suspended license and not having insurance, class C misdemeanors.

On Jan. 22, Tot Van Nguyen, 72, was crossing 400 South at 1033 West on a bicycle when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle. The car continued without stopping, and Nguyen later died at a local hospital, according to charging documents.

Salt Lake police searching the area found the vehicle parked behind a residence in an alley. "The rear license plate was removed from the vehicle and placed on the front driver's seat," according to charging documents.

The home belonged to a relative of Torres. He told her he had been involved in a crash, the charges state.

When questioned by police, Torres admitted seeing the reflectors on the bicycle and knew that he had hit someone, according to the charging documents.

Torres told officers he "left the scene because he was scared," according to a police affidavit.

He was driving on a suspended license and had no insurance at the time of the crash, the charges state.

Torres has no criminal history in Utah outside of traffic citations, according to state court records.PARK CITY  The Chinese government claims its one-child policy, which lasted from 1979 until 2015, prevented 400 million births.

But at what cost?

"One Child Nation," a documentary that premiered Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival explores the consequences of a ruthless population control campaign: forced abortions, mandated sterilizations and abandoned babies. For 36 years, the government limited couples to having just one child (or two for rural families) in an attempt to curb China's rapid population growth. Families that had more children risked having their homes demolished, and in some cases, having their children abducted by the government.

China started a war against population growth, but it became a war against its own people, said Nanfu Wang, who directed the film along with Jialing Zhang. Wang appears in the documentary as a new mother who travels back to her hometown in China after attending school and living in the United States for several years. There, she talks to family and community members about how the now-discontinued policy affected them.

Wang interviews artist Peng Weng, who captured photos of near-fullterm fetuses discarded under bridges in plastic medical waste bags. She meets ex-human trafficker Duan Yueneng, who said he found and sold more than 10,000 abandoned babies in his career before he was arrested and spent six years in prison, despite the fact he was being paid by state-run orphanages. And she asks former family planning official Huaru Yuan, who said she performed between 50,000 and 60,000 abortions and sterilizations, why she went along with a policy she felt was wrong.

Women were tied up and dragged to us like pigs, Yuan said in the film. The state gave the order, but I carried it out."

Now Yuan exclusively treats infertility, working to bring children into the world to make up for the lives she prevented.

Ahead of Sundance, London-based sales agent and distributor Dogwoof acquired international rights to "One Child Nation," and producers are seeking distribution in North America.

The film offers a powerful look at a truly shocking chapter of recent Chinese history, Oli Harbottle, head of distribution and acquisitions at Dogwoof, told Realscreen.

It would be a mistake, however, to attribute the dramatic reduction in Chinas fertility rate solely to the policies.  Dudley Poston, professor of sociology at Texas A&M University and the author of several books about China

But that chapter is not entirely over, and "One Child Nation" offers chilling lessons for governments looking to influence population size today.

"The countrys insistence on controlling nearly every aspect of its population continues to haunt its citizenry, with the shift from one-child to two-child family policy yielding a whole new era of propaganda," Eric Kohn wrote in a review for IndieWire.

When asked if the movie is a warning against government policies that interfere with the family, Wang said, "I think it's a warning against government policy in general if its at the cost of human lives. If we put a social agenda above an individual, then every policy could be just like the one child policy."

Did the policy help China's economy?

A baby boom in the early 1960s caused Chinese government leaders to fear an exponentially expanding population would cause mass starvation, according to Dudley Poston, professor of sociology at Texas A&M University and the author of several books about China.

Since the implementation of the one-child policy in 1979, China's fertility rate has dropped from over 6.0 children per woman in the early 1970s to around 1.5 children per woman today, said Poston. At the same time, quality of life for Chinese citizens has improved dramatically.

"It would be a mistake, however, to attribute the dramatic reduction in Chinas fertility rate solely to the policies," he said. When the one-child policy came into effect, China was modernizing. The increased availability of birth control coincided with enhanced educational and occupational opportunities for women, and so women voluntarily opted for fewer children, he explained.

Not only was the policy likely unnecessary, the lasting effects of propaganda that promoted single-child families might now be hurting China's economy in the form of a growing elderly population and a shortage of young people joining the workforce, said Kay Johnson, professor of Asian studies at Hampshire College.

After the Chinese government discontinued the one-child policy in 2015, replacing it with a two-child policy, it braced for a population boom. "They were shocked," said Johnson. China's birthrate last year was lower than it's been since the famine in 1960. "They waited too long to loosen that policy," she said.

"Several surveys in 2010 and later support the idea that Chinese couples dont want more than one child," said Poston. "The majority of surveyed couples tell researchers they only want one child because it is too expensive to raise more."

"The same results are found in South Korea, the country with the lowest fertility rate in the world, 1.1 children per woman," he added.

Brian Stuy, who lives in Lehi, Utah, appears in "One Child Nation" with his wife and three daughters whom they adopted from China. Together, they run a nonprofit called Research China, which helps connect adoptees to their Chinese birth families. Through his own research, Stuy discovered that many of the babies that ended up in China's orphanages were not in fact unwanted but were abandoned or confiscated from families because of the one-child policy.

While Stuy fundamentally agrees with efforts to control population growth for environmental reasons, he finds the Chinese government's methods to be indefensible.

"There was so much pain inflicted upon an entire nation for a period of time and then at the end of that time, the government just basically says, OK were going to change it now ... now it's two children," said Stuy. "It just gives you this feeling of all that pain and suffering being put on an altar and just left there. The government walked away and treated it as nothing. Thats the power of this documentary."

Propaganda

"One Child Nation" shines a blinding light on the propaganda the Chinese government used to convince people the one-child policy was necessary, from murals to songs to local dance performances. Wang herself even participated in a propaganda choir as a teenager.

Still today, much of the nation believes the one-child policy was necessary.

Shuqin Jiang, an award-winning family planning official featured in the documentary, said, Looking back, the policy was correct  our country would have perished.

I had to put the national interest above my personal feelings, she said. According to Johnson, local officials were incentivized through rewards and severe punishment. They risked being publicly shamed and losing their bonuses, part of their salaries or their jobs if they did not implement population policy well.

There was such a shared sense of helplessness, Wang said in the film's narration.

One after another, interviewees repeat the phrases, "The policy was so strict," and "We had no choice."

Wang hopes people who see the film will recognize and reflect on the propaganda that exists in their own cultures to promote a particular viewpoint.

"Everyone who sees this film will notice the propaganda," Wang told the Deseret News. "Propaganda is so pervasive in our lives. It exists not only in China."

Population growth around the world

The World Scientists' second Warning to Humanity, a document released in December 2017 and signed by more than 20,000 scientists in 184 nations, outlines disturbing trends associated with a 35 percent rise in human population in the past 25 years, including deforestation, animal extinction, fresh water depletion, ocean acidification and dangerous climate conditions.

While fertility rates are generally declining around the world, we are still adding about a billion people to the planet every dozen years, said John Seager, president of Population Connection, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.

Over 90 countries are at or below replacement rate, meaning the average number of children per couple is two or less, according to Seager. The World Scientists' report attributes the slowdown in some regions to investments in education for women.

In the United States, the total fertility rate is 1,765.5 births per 1,000 women. Just two states  South Dakota and Utah  had a total fertility rate above replacement level in 2017, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health.

"Look around and increasingly, the concern is a dearth of people, a dearth of babies, a decline in fertility rates that seem irreversible in Europe and East Asia," said Johnson. "Economies grow on the basis of increasing population."

While a growing population may be good for a country's GDP, it is not good for quality of life, argues Seager.

"The economy matters because people matter," said Seager. "The key is to look at this on the human scale and what is good for people. What is good for people is to make sure every child has an opportunity to have a great education, stable environment and great health care. Its easier to do that when you have smaller families."

But there's a right way and a wrong way to influence population size. According to Seager, the right way to control population is to empower women everywhere with education and freedom to control their own reproductive destiny, whether that's to have no children or a lot of children, Seager said.

"People interfering with other people is wrong. People should keep their nose out of other peoples lives," said Seager.

As population growth continues to be an issue many nations and environmental activists seek to address, "One Child Nation," demonstrates what not to do.

"The film is a valuable record and a sober but frightening illustration of the dark side of this government-controlled experiment," David Rooney wrote in a review for the Hollywood Reporter.

"We shouldnt have a one-child policy or a two-child policy  we should have a policy of respecting women," said Seager.Rain suddenly started pouring down amid stormy winds as I

got up early for my flight. It was Chinese New Year and I

looked forward to seeing dad. My wife's BMW was in the

repair shop and she loathed my little beaten Honda but

kindly called Uber for the family dinosaur who had been

resisting technology. 5 am, I set out.

The driver looked my age, Mexican, with a big belly, and enjoyed

chatting. He had been driving for four years to subsidize his

regular job, picking up passengers on his commute. His dad

was quixotic as me, boycotting smart phones. He took on

another passenger at a gas station, dropped him off after

about five miles, and told me he made $1.50 for that ride.

It was hell of a way to make money, I thought, mentally

tallying his cost. He asked about my schedule, blocked

possible future orders, and made straight for SJC. I love

Mexicans and tipped him in cash as I got out of the car.

What!? The plane was canceled! This kind of thing hit the

news all the time, but only happen to other people! Anyway,

I hadn't received notice from either Air Canada or the

online travel agency. For a moment, I was at a loss.

Desperate, I turned to the neighbor United counter and was

pointed matter-of-factly to the courtesy phone. I alerted

the wife, took a couple of deep breath, and went for the

phone. About half an hour later, I was set up for the same

flight on Monday. Two days off my reunion with dad were not

ideal but, it could be worse.

Now I had to get back home. I thought for a moment about the

options and through the SJC Wifi and the app (which I had

installed on my iPod some time ago and 10 years after the

company started), placed my first Uber order.

It worked and I panic'ed! After five minutes looking in the

rain for the landmark baggage-claim, I got directions from a

kinder staff, crossed the street, arrived at the app-based

rideshare pickup area, and wondered what was going to happen

next. I couldn't call the driver as the app didn't show his phone#

and couldn't text him because the iPod would launch iMessage

and ask me to verify with Apple. Well, I was lucky. The Toyota

came in two minutes and we were off. The trip was silent and

smooth, and for $24.27, I was back.

It was good to see Tim and I got to uber him and mom around

for two more days.South Africa: President calls for support for Driehoek community following tragedy

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the death of three learners at Driehoek High School in Vanderbijlpark as a tragedy that touches all South Africans.

We have lost young people who were engaged in the most important endeavour of their young lives  their education, said the President on Saturday.

On Friday morning a bridge, which connected two buildings, collapsed and trapped several learners. Three learners died and 23 were injured and are recovering in hospital.

I offer my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the deceased learners and I equally extend my condolences to the staff and entire school community of Driehoek High School, said President Ramaphosa.



The President also wished those who were injured a speedy recovery.

He welcomed the psychosocial support that government is extending to the families of the deceased learners as well as to injured learners and their families, and the staff and governing body of the school.

It is my hope that the people of our country and of the Vaal will at this time come together as one to support the Driehoek school community in this hour of mourning, while government, working with the school community, embarks on a process to establish the cause of this tragedy and to ensure that we can, at an appropriate time and under appropriate conditions resume learning and teaching, said the President.

Government and the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga have also sent condolences to the parents and school community.

Motshekga said: This tragic accident has surely traumatised the entire school community, but none more so than the parents who said good bye to their children this [Friday] morning, not realising that it would be their last.

One cannot begin to imagine the trauma these parents are going through, especially those who are unable to identify their children due to the severity of their injuries. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time. I know words seem shallow at a time like this, however, my condolences are truly sincere.

The Minister said she had been in contact with Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, who visited the school after the incident. At a media briefing following his visit he said he had closed the school until further notice and while investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway.

Government, in a statement, urged the public to always ensure the safety of children wherever they are, be it schools, churches or play grounds.

Government sends condolences to the families of the departed and wishes the injured speedy recovery.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. SSW winds shifting to N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Joseph Batory is the former superintendent of the Upper Darby School District and the author three books and many published articles on politics and education.MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO

Some feared the proposed charter school for the arts would compete with Upper Darby's award-winning arts programs.Pushpalata doesnt know much about the circumstances that pushed Rajesh M to take his life six months ago at the age of 35. Sitting inside the thatched house at Malagaranahalli, 8 km from Maddur, she speaks of her husband in a dazed state. He hardly spoke about his troubles and managed things on his own, she said as she attended to her 3-year-old daughter Khushi, who was suffering from fever. Her son, five-year-old Prakul, listened to the conversation attentively. Last June, Rajesh had borrowed a gold bangle from his friends sister and pawned it to generate Rs 20,000 to arrange funds for the cultivation of a 2.6-acre family plot. Ahead of the Gauri Ganesha Festival, there was pressure from his friend to return the bangle and Rajesh took a loan from a microfinance company to get the bangle. The chain of debt began then, said Nagarakere L Krishna, Rajeshs friend.



In his death note, Rajesh had listed outstanding dues of about Rs 1 lakh. A group of money lenders knocked on Pushpalatas door once they heard that the government has released the Rs 5 lakh compensation. They claimed dues to the tune of Rs 3 lakh. For a rural sector caught in a web of crises, the problems with accessing institutional credit system has pushed it to embrace risks it cant handle. The microfinance companies (MFIs), which filled the absence of banks in rural areas over the last two decades, are wreaking havoc. Both business correspondents operating under NABARD as well as MFIs operating as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) lend loans to farmers by creating joint liability groups. They lend money to joint liability groups, where one persons default on payments is distributed among other members. First, they will sit in front of your house and say they wont leave till the dues are settled. Next, they will start humiliating you till you pay up. There is no way out, said Virupamma, a villager from Sindhanur, Raichur.

No other way As getting loans from banks becomes difficult, small and marginal farmers, who account for 72.9% of the total holding, are increasingly taking to the microfinance companies. As per NABARDs financial inclusion survey (2016-17), at least one person in 40% of households in Karnataka was associated with MFIs. As the cost of cultivation of most of the crops remains higher than the revenue (see box on Page 4), there is no shortage of potential borrowers. In Mandya alone, about 15 such companies have spread their tentacles across rural interiors. Though they claim to play by the Reserve Bank of India rules and charge only 16% interest, farmers are paying more than 30%. There is virtually no one to monitor them, said T Yashavantha, the district convener of Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha. The ruthlessness came to the fore during the floods in Kodagu last year, when members of joint liability groups pressured flood victims to pay up or lose their properties. In a video that has gone viral on social media, a woman threatens to commit suicide if members of one such company come to her house at a time they were struggling for food. Last year, the deputy registrar of cooperative societies in Uttara Kannada district held an inquiry into six companies following complaints of harassment by the residents of Banavasi. Once seen as innovative solutions to address rural credit demand, microfinance companies have institutionalised the ruthlessness ascribed to private money lenders. They have gone to a market that traditional institutions did not occupy. Banks are achieving the priority sector lending targets by giving more and more loans to large farmers. The number of accounts are coming down as the number of land holdings are going up. This naturally leads to exclusion of small and marginal farmers, said, M S Sriram, visiting faculty, Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bangalore. Microfinance offers an alternative within the formal sector, he added. A former chief general manager at NABARDs Karnataka circle said that in their drive to reach targets, company agents give out loans without assessing farmers capacity. Any fluctuation in the yield or market price means he or she has to get a loan from another group to pay interest here. Companies deliberately overlook farmers credit rating scores and violate RBI rule limiting memberships, he said. In Hosur village near Bailhongal in Belagavi district, farmer leader F S Siddanagoudar said several villagers who took loans from three or four MFIs have disappeared. Some feared attachment of properties but many thought the idea of friends (members of joint liability group) sitting in front of their house over non-payment of interest was insulting, he said. Among rural communities, such ruptures in social fabrics are not taken lightly. In Belagavis Chikbagewadi, Arjun Rajappa H, 50, a farmer who cultivated leased land, committed suicide last week. He cleared loans of Rs 2 lakh taken for his daughters marriage expenses and borrowed Rs 2 lakh more to buy cattle, when he was diagnosed with cancer. Each injection cost Rs 25,000. After two rounds, he consumed pesticide to avoid further debt as he feared that it will cut off his family from his relatives, said Sridevi Yellappa, Arjuns sister-in-law. Despite this, farmers prefer MFIs rather than banks. They (MFIs) will come to your home, help you join the group and give money as well. Who wants to wait for hours in banks and spend days on documentation works? Farm needs are immediate, especially during the period of cultivation when high number of loans are distributed, said Suresha K P, a rural researcher from Mysuru. He noted that MFIs may be lesser of evils when compared with private money lenders. But their operations under the guise of rural development needs better monitoring, he said.

Hundreds of tractors loaded with sugarcane waiting outside a Sugar factory near Saundatti, in Belgaum distric on Saturday. The sugarcane farmers problem sounded in last week winter sessions at Suvarna Soudha and farmers suicide added more problems to theInvestigators said they had arrested the 36-year-old working as a doctor for a hospital in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk (Photo:Twitter)

Moscow: In August 2000 Kondrashin was confined to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with homicidal schizophrenia and ruled to be incapable of understanding his actions, a local newspaper reported at the time.

A Russian man was charged on Friday with faking documents to work as a hospital doctor after reportedly spending a decade in a psychiatric facility for killing a high school classmate and drinking his blood.

Investigators said they had arrested the 36-year-old working as a doctor for a hospital in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk and charged him with using a fake degree certificate to get a job in November last year.

The man named by media as Boris Kondrashin was able to work as a doctor despite being sentenced to compulsory medical treatment in 2000 after committing an especially serious crime, investigators said.

Russian media reported that as a teenager in 1998 he injected a 16-year-old school classmate with a sedative before cutting up his body in a ritual killing and drinking his blood.

Kondrashin considered himself to be a vampire, reported Znak.com regional news site.

In August 2000 Kondrashin was confined to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with homicidal schizophrenia and ruled to be incapable of understanding his actions, the Chelyabinskaya Nedelya local newspaper reported at the time.

He was discharged around a decade later, Russian media reported.

Kondrashin was hired as a primary care doctor by Chelyabinsks City Hospital No. 11 at the medical prevention department, where his job was to encourage people not to drink and smoke and tell them about the benefits of exercise, the head of the citys health department, Natalya Gorlova told reporters, TASS state news agency reported.

She said that his lack of work experience did not show up because he claimed to have lost compulsory records.

Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source, that Kondrashin was detained in January after a psychiatrist who had treated him spotted him posting on a medical forum.

Gorlova said however that Kondrashin was sacked after the hospital checked his degree certificate with the institution.

A photograph of Kondrashin smiling and wearing a white coat was still posted on a medical discussion forum on Friday.

Kondrashins sister, who is a doctor, told Znak.com that neither she nor his mother knew that he had gained the job. He only had high school education, she said.

She said he had been discharged as presenting no danger to the public but was still supposed to be under medical supervision.Putin has previously threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty (File Photo)

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before.

"Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation," he said of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Putin said during a televised meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

"We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic," the president said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF treaty and starting a process to withdraw in six months.

Washington says a Russian medium-range missile system breaches the INF deal.

But Moscow has long insisted it does not violate the agreement, and last month invited reporters and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the disputed weapons system.

Lavrov on Saturday repeated Russian accusations that Washington itself has been in violation of the deal for many years.

At the meeting, Putin said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US.

But he told the ministers that Russia would "not be drawn into a costly new arms race".

Russia would only deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe or elsewhere in answer to similar moves from the US, he added.

Putin has previously threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty if it is scrapped.

European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the United States formally leaves in August.

Signed towards the end of the Cold War by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty bans ground-launched missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

The deal resolved a crisis over Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.The university in Detroit's Farmington Hills was part of an undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security (Representational Image)

Washington: The Indian embassy in the US has opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students arrested by the American authorities in the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam, officials have said. As many as 129 Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in the US.

Also Read: Attorneys cry foul as 130 students arrested in US immigration fraud

The university in Detroit's Farmington Hills was part of an undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designed to expose immigration fraud, according to federal prosecutors who announced charges in the case.

The two numbers  202-322-1190 and 202-340-2590  would be manned by senior embassy officials round the clock, officials said on Friday. The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

The Indian embassy has appointed a nodal officer to handle and coordinate all issues related to helping Indian students affected by the busting of the "pay-and-stay" racket run by a group of Indians that has put some 600 students under trouble.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, till Thursday, had arrested 130 students from the fake Farmington University in Greater Detroit area. The ICE officials said 129 of them are Indian nationals. The fake university was opened by Homeland Security Investigations to trap those involved in illegal student visa racket. It has now been closed.

The arrest of such a large number of students has created panic among the Indian students. Federal investigators say, the students who took admission in the university knew that the university programme was illegal. Officials said all of them face deportation, besides being put under detention.

A number of students have been put under some kind of house arrest with tracking device on their ankle, that prohibits them from moving out of a designated area in their neighbourhood. As part of its investigations, early this week, the ICE arrested eight recruiters on criminal charges.

From their names it appears that all of them are either Indian nationals or Indian-Americans. "These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not.

HSI remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of US immigration laws and will continue to investigate this and other transnational crimes," said Special Agent Charge Francis. According to the ICE, in 2017, as many as 249,763 Indian students were enrolled in the various American universities.

Students from China topped the list with 481,106 in 2017. This is for the first time probably that such a large number of Indian students have been arrested in one go. The number is expected to increase further, as ICE officials continue with their nationwide crackdown on Indian students enrolled in this fake university while working at different places.

"Embassy of India, Washington and all five Consulates in the US working closely together to help Indian students detained in the US," the Indian embassy said Friday. Consular Officers from Indian Consulate in Houston met the arrested Indian students at Prairieland Detention Centre, Alvarado, Texas.

This intervention by officials from the Indian embassy and its consulates has helped in release of some of the arrested students. Some friends and families of the detained Indian students are using twitter seeking help from the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"Madam, This is regarding fake university (university of Farmington Michigan) issue. My husband has been taken into custody today morning and I don't have any update on his status till now.

Could you please help me on this," one Madhuri wrote on twitter to Swaraj. Acting promptly, the Indian embassy sought the details of her husband. Her husband was a student at the fake university.

"Hi, I have mailed to Indian embassy and they told that they are trying to meet my husband through consulate. After that I didn't get any update from them," Madhuri wrote on twitter in response to a question. In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said,

"We are aware about this incident. We are ascertaining more details (through) our embassy in Washington and different consulates in the US...We have also mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident".

The ICE said foreign students are granted what are called "F" and "M" visas to study in the US and must maintain their legal status by enrolling in a varsity certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

The ICE said since the Farmington varsity did not offer courses, the students were using the programme as a way to work.Its an absurd state of affairs that regulators are not at the forefront, especially after several years of similar stories.

Apple is now the de facto watchdog of Silicon Valley. Thats the conclusion from its decision this week to shut down the apps on its platform that Facebook uses for internal development. The iPhone maker discovered the social-media firm was actually employing them to collect data from the public, breaching rules about enterprise-only usage. Companies have a big role to play in ensuring personal data is protected. But its an absurd state of affairs that regulators are not at the forefront, especially after several years of similar stories.

Roger McNamee offers some solutions in his excellent new book, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe. On the face of it, he is an unlikely agitator. He is, after all, a creature of Silicon Valley. He landed at T. Rowe Price at the beginning of a bull market in 1982 tasked with covering the tech sector. He helped start private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners and later teamed up with U2 front man Bono and others to form Elevation Partners.

He also saw the promise in Mark Zuckerbergs Harvard dorm-room creation, becoming an early investor as well as an adviser. McNamee provided its young founder with two pieces of extremely valuable advice. In 2006, he counseled Zuckerberg not to sell to Yahoo. Soon after, he suggested Zuckerberg hire Google executive and advertising maven Sheryl Sandberg. His stint as mentor helped Facebook flourish into the $480 billion machine that it is today.

Now he is one of the social networks biggest critics. Hes a canny and persuasive one too. In Zucked, McNamee lays out an argument why it and other tech giants have grown into a monstrous threat to democracy. Better still he offers tangible solutions. Regulators are the only ones to cage them  and the sooner, the better.

But he was also one of the first to spot growing problems. McNamee wrote to both Zuckerberg and Sandberg 10 days before the US elections in November 2016 to voice his fears that Russia was using Facebook to interfere in the democratic process. This time his guidance was politely ignored. So he took his concerns outside Silicon Valleys filter bubble.

A friend connected McNamee to Senator Mark Warner just as the Senate Intelligence Committee he co-chaired was preparing to dive into the role social media played in the elections. McNamee proved to be an agile Sherpa for lawmakers and their staff eager to understand how Big Tech operated. McNamee helpfully told politicos to seek an ally in Apple. He also served as a line editor on George Soross speech in Davos last year about the dangers of internet platform monopolies.

What makes McNamee so credible is his status as a Silicon Valley insider. He also has a knack for distilling often complex or meandering TED Talks and Medium posts about the ills of social media into something comprehensible, not least for those inside the D.C. Beltway.

He maps out a thesis as to why people should be, frankly, outraged. For instance, Facebooks overreach on privacy is a feature, not a bug. Alphabets Google and Facebook are scooping up peoples data in a way that is harmful to society. Technology companies had devoted some of their best minds to exploiting weaknesses in human psychology, he writes. They did so on purpose. To make money. And when they had made themselves ridiculously wealthy, they kept doing it because it never occurred to them to do anything else.

McNamee doesnt just scream fire, though. He also provides a reasonable framework for solving some of the issues. He asks, for example: If health care and financial institutions can be regulated, why not tech giants? And why not expand the fiduciary rule  which prioritizes data privacy and security and allows customers to seek legal redress if the terms are violated  to companies that hold peoples information? Other suggestions include third-party audits of social-media algorithms that already exists for financial statements. For anyone looking for a primer on whats wrong with social media and what to do about it, the book is well worth the read.

Because whats clear is that self-regulation  Apples foray aside - wont work. Some progress has been made: Few things have brought the divided chambers closer together than the need to address the looming issue of tech firms and their use of personal data. California lawmakers voted on a data privacy bill last year that will probably force the issue nationally. US Attorney General nominee William Barr said he will take a harder look at the power of the technology behemoths.

If big tech continues unchecked, just wait, McNamee warns. Artificial intelligence is poised to worm its way in the social fabric with profound implications. He argues there is no reason to believe the impending Next Big Thing will be benign unless users and policy makers demand it. If that doesnt happen, were really zucked.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The panel heard more than four hours of arguments in the first court hearing on the FCCs controversial decision to reverse the Obama administrations 2015 rules.

A federal appeals court asked pointed questions of the Federal Communication Commission in hearing a challenge to whether the Trump administration acted legally when it repealed landmark net neutrality rules governing internet providers in December 2017.

The panel heard more than four hours of arguments in the first court hearing on the FCCs controversial decision to reverse the Obama administrations 2015 rules, which barred internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or offering paid fast lanes, also known as paid prioritisation.

The arguments focussed on how internet providers should be classified under law - either as information service providers as the Trump administration decided or as a public utility, which subjects companies to more rigorous regulations - and whether the FCC adhered to procedural rules in dismantling the Obama-era rules.

We are creating rules that are built to last, FCC general counsel Tom Johnson told the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Judge Patricia Millett repeatedly pressed Johnson over the FCCs legal basis for treating telephone calls differently than internet traffic and asked if the FCC had properly considered the public safety impacts.

Millett raised the example of police needing to send urgent photos or video of a suspect that could be delayed if some internet traffic was prioritised.

We cant anticipate all harms, Johnson said. As he sought to play down the concern Millett interjected: Theres no evidence because they havent done it yet.

In its 2017 decision the Republican-led FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to reverse the net neutrality rules. The agency gave providers sweeping power to recast how users access the internet but said they must disclose any changes in users internet access.

The appeals panel is made up of Judges Millet and Robert Wilkins, two appointees of Democratic former President Barack Obama, and Stephen Williams, an appointee of Republican Ronald Reagan.

CHALLENGE FROM STATES, COMPANIES

A group of 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia asked the appeals court to reinstate the Obama-era internet rules and to block the FCCs effort to pre-empt states from imposing their own rules guaranteeing an open internet.

Several internet companies are also part of the legal challenge, including Mozilla Corp, Vimeo Inc and Etsy Inc, as well as numerous media and technology advocacy groups and major cities, including New York and San Francisco.

The challengers also got difficult questions about their legal rationale for seeking reinstatement of the rules.

Kevin Russell, a lawyer for the challengers, said hypothetically an internet provider could now block the Daily Caller website or graphic animal abuse videos as long as they disclosed it.

We never get a straight answer from the commission whether it thinks blocking and throttling must always be prohibited or only if it applies to punishing a competitor, Russell said, arguing that the FCC failed to engage in a reasoned analysis and did not properly assess consumer complaints.

Johnson conceded that providers could block or throttle traffic under the FCC rules but said it was unlikely. He said the Federal Trade Commission could take action against anticompetitive conduct.

Millett suggested that under the rules that providers would be free to block pro-Nazi websites or other objectionable content without facing antitrust issues.

The FCC repeal was a win for providers like Comcast Corp, AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc, but was opposed by internet companies like Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc.

Major providers have not made any changes in how Americans access the internet since the repeal.

In October, California agreed not to enforce its own state net neutrality law until the appeals courts decision on the 2017 repeal, and any potential review by the US Supreme Court.

A decision is expected by this summer.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The governments announcement of a scheme to give small farmers Rs 6,000 cash per year is seen as a brilliant move that will reap political benefit in May. The scheme, announced in the budget, comes after two other developments. First, a report that the government has suppressed which says that unemployment is at its highest in more than 45 years. Second, that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi is talking of a minimum income guarantee.

The scheme for farmers already has precedent in India. In Telangana, farmers are given Rs 8,000 per acre a year. The Modi governments scheme is for farmers who have less than 2 hectares (meaning about 5 acres). Such a farmer would already be getting Rs 40,000 if he were in Telangana.

In Odisha, all farmers get Rs 5,000 in cash. In addition, small farmers get Rs 25,000 as assistance for five seasons of sowing and each landless family gets Rs 12,500 in three phases. There are critics of both schemes, who say that they will be difficult to implement because of difficulty in targeting (how does one determine who is landless and who is a small farmer?) and obviously the lack of resources. However it seems likely that this is something that every state government is going to emulate, particularly now that the Centre is also doing it and it is seen as politically very beneficial.

The idea that individuals cannot survive without direct cash transfers from the state is not limited to India and in fact the origins of the idea are abroad. In the United Kingdom, unemployed couples get 114 per week (Rs 42,000 per month) from the government. Families that dont have a house or are living in cramped conditions are given government housing in highly subsidised council homes. Unemployment benefits and food stamps are offered in the United States also.

In June 2016, voters in Switzerland rejected a proposal to introduce a guaranteed basic income for all, just as Rahul Gandhi is proposing. In a referendum, 77 per cent of the Swiss voted against a scheme that would give each of them an unconditional monthly income, whether or not they had a job or any other income.

Supporters of the proposal had called for each adult to be given 2,500 Swiss francs per month (Rs 1.8 lakh per month) and 625 Swiss francs (Rs 45,000 per month) for each child. The logic of the supporters of this plan was that increased automation would soon mean that there would not be many jobs available for humans in the Western world. The logic of the opponents was that such a scheme would attract millions of immigrants into Switzerland.

It will interest readers to know that there was little support among Swiss politicians for the idea and not a single parliamentary party came out in favour. This is quite different from India where, even though we do not have as much money as the Swiss, all the parties want to give out money in cash.

A few days ago Finland ended a two year experiment in which 2,000 unemployed individuals between the ages of 28 and 58 were paid a monthly sum of 560 Euros (Rs 45,000 per month). These individuals would continue to get the money even if they got a job to see what effect the guaranteed income would make. The cities of Barcelona in Spain (which has very high unemployment) and Utrecht in the Netherlands are also doing similar experiments.

Across the world, from India to Europe, the idea of a universal basic income is finding appeal. The left and liberals believe it can reduce poverty and inequality. The right wing sees it as a more efficient and less bureaucratic way of distributing welfare.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power with the promise that he would bury schemes like the MNREGA, which he called a living monument of Manmohan Singhs failure. But in this budget, Mr Modi increased the allocation to MNREGA by almost 10 per cent, showing that his views on this have changed.

The reality is that jobs around the world are shrinking and will continue to shrink, particularly the sort of jobs that people want. Many experts are predicting mass unemployment in most advanced economies within the next decade and a half. This means more and more emphasis on universal basic income. In India, we have a more pronounced problem than the West. We are very far away from the per capita incomes of the West (the average Swiss earns 30 times more than the average Indian). And so the need to support many more people with much more money will come sooner in India than in other nations.

It does matter whether we have a genius Prime Minister (like the present one) or a highly trained economist respected globally (like the previous one). This is a structural problem we cannot escape and more parties will be talking about this in our upcoming elections.US President Donald Trumps hunt for money for his Mexico border wall may ultimately lead him into uncharted territory of declaring an emergency and getting the money without having to go through the legislature. Such a move would invite judicial scrutiny, but then the Republicans are thought to have the majority in terms of judges seeing things their way. As Mr Trump is diminished in the presidency after having to temporarily lift the government shutdown by bowing to the power of the feisty Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the incipient fear is Mr Trump will further fan xenophobia in playing up to his constituency by declaring war on illegal immigrants.

Mr Trumps run-ins with Ms Pelosi and the House Democrats, who gained majority in the mid-term elections, are becoming notorious as another possible government shutdown looms large. In forcing him to postpone his State of the Union address because of the shutdown, Ms Pelosi may have pushed Mr Trump into a corner from which he is expected to come out snarling. The danger is that Mr Trump may believe the wall is more important to his political future than the fallout of federal employees out of work and pay.

Across the Atlantic, as the UK wrestles with the complex problem of Brexit from the EU, it is globalisation that is taking a big hit. In the UK too, it was the fear of unfettered migration from the EU that swayed the Leave vote, which is once again leading to the changing of history of Europe and the Common Market idea that seemed so attractive decades ago. There are no people who will not put their nation as the first priority, but any swing to jingoistic nationalism could lead to several problems in the world, most of all to globalisation and free trade that defined the harmony of the West.The year 2019, like 2014, will be another presidential election year. Not since 1971, when the Congress Party fought with Indira Gandhi as its only face and only reason, will India see such a personality-focused election. Her campaign call then was I say Garibi Hatao and they only say Indira Hatao! Narendra Modi now cannily implies just that. He says while he promises development, his opponents only chant is Modi Hatao. I can see this becoming the 2019 campaign theme Modi kahta desh badao, aur wo sirf kahtein Modi hatao. He will paint his opponents as a bunch of power hungry and out-of-work and corrupt politicians who have come together just to usurp the gaddi in New Delhi. He may well be right.

So far Mr Modi has not allowed them to define who he really is. Just as corrupt as them but determined to redefine India within the walls of Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva. This is the Hindi concocted by the East India Company; the Brahminical Hinduism that led to the crisis of character that allowed every other sundry adventurer to carve out a realm; and the Hindutva as defined by V.D. Savarkar  the three essentials of which are three untruths of a common nation (rashtra), a common race and a common culture/civilisation (sanskriti).

Clearly this election is not just about development. It is about the soul of India. At stake in 2019 is what kind of an India will we become? India was conceived by its founding fathers to be a state of many nations united by a shared vision and a Constitution that enshrined equality, liberty and justice to all. It envisaged a nation united by a shared vision of the future and not divided by the rancor of the past.

The nationalist movement was not just a struggle to expel the English from India but a struggle to create a new and modern India, which would be a beacon of hope for a new world. It envisaged an India where egalitarian ideals mesh with unfettered individual freedoms that would catalyse a long dormant creativity into a nation that will fulfil most aspirations in some measure rather than in excess for just a few. It was an India that would internalise all its past history into one common and seamless narrative. In this conception, the majestic Meenakshi temple of Madurai, the magical caves of Ajanta, the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the lost hopes of Fatehpur Sikri, and the imperial grandeur of Raisina Hill will all be seen by all Indians as their common wealth and shared history.

So far the Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva vision of India has been largely confined to the Hindi-speaking Indo-Gangetic plains, whose history too, if seen in isolation, has been quite different from the rest of the country. But they are our largest and most dominant minority. Their area ranges from Bihar to Rajasthan, from Haryana to Madhya Pradesh, and the two Devanagri states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. This is the heart, lungs and belly of India. These are the fields where the seeds of this new nationhood have been sown, and for the past two decades have been reaped for political profit. But now the landlord is very different. It is no longer the avuncular political conservatism of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, using the rightist nationalist fringe to be discarded after use. Now the lunatic fringe is astride the BJP.

The 2018 elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP has deep roots and enjoyed power, and where the usual anti-incumbency should be kicking in, has been diluted by Narendra Modis unhistorical stridency. These states have traditionally had a bipolar polity divided between the BJP and the Congress. This latest contest has now been largely transformed into a contest between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi won.

Chhattisgarh was created to be a state where the adivasis would have a voice in the government and benefit from the states largesse. This has not been so. Both the Congress and the BJP represent the same traditions of the ruthless exploitation of the natural resources of the adivasi homelands. The local differences are mostly about power and pelf. These three states account for 65 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress only holds seven seats in the three. The 58 seats the BJP holds here, along with the 72 it holds in Uttar Pradesh, form the bedrock of its majority in Parliament. It is the pulverisation of the Congress in these four states that resulted in the national dominance of a party that enjoys only 31 per cent of the national popular vote.

Telangana is the gateway to the Deccan. The new state witnessed another largely bipolar election, between the charisma of K. Chandrashekar Rao and his reckless populism, and the faceless leaders of the Congress, seen as marching behind TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu. Ironically, Mr Naidu is the leader of the junior party in the Congress-dominated alliance called the Mahakutumi. Till a few days before the vote, it seemed that anti-incumbency buttressed by unhappiness over the unabashed one family rule by the Kalvakuntla family was going to drown the TRS. But KCR, the astute politician that he is, helped by the somewhat lacklusture and maladroit Congress state leadership, has turned it into a KCR versus NCN, and hence once again a TRS versus TDP contest. The TRS turned the tables on the Congress and proved the opinion polls wrong. The implications of this are interesting, and are fraught with possibilities.

By winning Telangana, the TRS struck a major blow to any claims that Rahul Gandhi might have to being the tallest Opposition leader in the country. KCR also ensured that no major political alternative to Narendra Modis narrow and virulent nationalism emerges with the Congress as its main phalanx. As somebody famously said  all politics is local. The TDP can afford to ally with the Congress because in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is just an appendage to it, and not a rival. KCR might then once again make an effort to forge a non-Congress national alternative to the BJP. If the Congress had won even one of the two big Hindi states, the mar of the Bimaru states, it would have been a major blow to the leadership of Narendra Modi. The Congress won all three.

Now the Congress is invigorated by the dramatic entry of Priyanka Gandhi as its star campaigner. She is a natural. She speaks with a charming directness and forthrightness. She will be the one who will deal with Narendra Modis cheap jibes and put him in his place. As for Amit Shah, he is already a pathetic creature. Both Mr Modi and Mr Shah are really looking pathetic. The only interest left in Mr Modi is his headgear. There should be a museum for them to emphasise that headgear does not ensure stuff doesnt evaporate under them.

It does not need rocket science to understand that the Congress will fare considerably better in the Hindi states in 2019 than it did in 2014. In UP, the BJP won 42.3 per cent in 2014 but it slid down to 39.6 per cent in 2017. In both states, the two other main contenders, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party, together polled more than the BJP, with 44 per cent each time. Now they are together. The BJP, electrified by Mr Modis incendiary leadership, won 72 of the 80 UP Lok Sabha seats in 2014.

What will be the attrition when the BSP and SP combine against it? I think there will be attrition in the Hindi belt. If it is substantial, we might see the return of the avuncular political conservatism of the Atal Behari Vajpayee years with a new BJP leader, who could chart a new course. Whatever the possibilities, India will never revert to a one-party dictatorship. That time is over. The true federalisation is beginning.

If it is total, Mr Modi and Mr Shah will be subject to many trials.The concept of universal basic income has fairly ancient origins. The demand for minimum income first manifested itself at the commencement of the 16th century. The philosophical and ideological underpinnings of a comprehensive, one-off allowance first materialised at the end of the 18th century. The two were pooled for the first time to incubate the concept of universal basic income in the mid-19th century.

With the dawn of Renaissance, the charge of providing succor to the deprived and underprivileged stopped being deemed to be the sole preserve of the Church and other altruistic folks. Certain humanists commenced toying with the contours of a minimum income in the form of public aid.

In Thomas Mores Utopia, published in Louvain in 1516, the Portuguese traveller Raphael Nonsenso, walking in the central square of Antwerp, recounts a conversation he claims to have had with the Archbishop of Canterbury. He argued that minimum income through public assistance would be a more perspicacious technique to contain burglary than condemning thieves to death, which had the vile consequence of actually increasing the number of murders of burglary victims. He said, and I quote, I once happened to be dining with the Cardinal when a certain English lawyer was there. I forgot how the subject came up, but he was speaking with great enthusiasm about the stern measures that were then being taken against thieves. Were hanging them all over the place, he said. Ive seen as many as 20 on a single gallows. And thats what I find so odd. Considering how few of them get away with it, how come we are still plagued with so many robbers? Whats odd about it?, I asked  for I never hesitated to speak freely in front of the Cardinal. This method of dealing with thieves is both unjust and undesirable. As a punishment, its too severe, and as a deterrent, its quite ineffective. Petty larceny isnt bad enough to deserve the death penalty. And no penalty on earth will stop people from stealing, if its their only way of getting food. In this respect, you English, like most other nations, remind me of these incompetent schoolmasters, who prefer caning their pupils to teaching them. Instead of inflicting these horrible punishments, it would be far more to the point to provide everyone with some means of livelihood, so that nobodys under the frightful necessity of becoming, first a thief, and then a corpse.

It would be a trite not to mention that Thomas Mores fellow traveler Johannes Ludovicus Vives should be credited as the pioneer of an assured minimum income. He put together a holistic scheme and evolved a pervasive rationale for it premised both on scriptural and practical templates.

In a missive to the Mayor of Bruges in 1526, entitled De Subventione Pauperum (On the Assistance to the Poor), he recommended that the civic administration should be charged with the onus of both raising and apportioning a minimum sustenance for all its inhabitants, not on grounds of justness alone but for a more effectual exercise of ethically necessary compassion. The aid arrangement would be efficaciously directed at the poor. To be entitled to access the aid, an indigent persons poverty must not be unmerited, for he must demonstrate his gratitude for the assistance provided by showing his inclination to labor.

However, at about the turn of the 18th century an unusual notion evolved that was to play a pervasive part in the mitigation of destitution all across Europe. The person who delineated the idea was the mathematician and political activist, Antoine Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet. After having played a conspicuous role in the French revolution, Condorcet was imprisoned and sentenced to death. While in prison, he wrote his most seminal work, the Esquisse dun tableau historique des progres de lesprit humain.

He wrote and I quote, There is therefore a necessary cause of inequality, of dependency and even of misery, which constantly threatens the most numerous and most active class of our societies. We shall show that we can to a large extent by removing it, by opposing luck to itself, by securing to those who reach old age a relief that is the product of what he saved, but increased by the savings of those individuals who made the same sacrifice but died before the time came for them to need to collect its fruit; by using a similar compensation to provide women and children, at the moment they lose their husbands or fathers, with resources at the same level and acquired at the same price, whether the family concerned was afflicted by a premature death or could keep its head for longer; and finally by giving to those children who become old enough to work by themselves and found a new family the advantage of a capital required by the development of their activity and increased as the result of some dying too early

to be able to enjoy it. It is to the application of calculus to the probabilities of life and to the investment of money that one owes the idea of this method. The latter has already been successfully used, but never on the scale and with the variety of forms that would make it really useful, not merely to a handful of individuals, but to the entire mass of society. It would free the latter from the periodic bankruptcy of a large number of families, that inexhaustible source of corruption and misery.

This distinct idea one century later inspired the genesis and elaboration of Europes gigantic social insurance systems commencing with Otto von Bismarcks old age pension and health insurance schemes for the labor force of unified Germany 1883 onwards. Though not pointed solely at the poor and encompassing enormous transfers to the non-poor too, these initiatives rapidly began having a colossal impact on poverty alleviation. Their proliferation rapidly dwarfed public assistance programs and demoted them to a secondary status.

Thus, conceptually, Universal Basic Income (UBI) stretches far back in time but it has never ever been implemented in a country the size of India. Given that the people have been put through acute economic distress over the past five years, it is an idea whose time has come.Bengaluru: Former external affairs minister S M Krishna on Saturday complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team for the Union budget, saying Mr Modis statement-Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas-is clearly visible in the budget proposals presented by Union finance minister Piyush Goyal.

In a statement released to the media here, Mr Krishna said the budget, with a long-term vision, takes care of the immediate interests as well as long-term needs of all sections of the society. The concerns of the salaried and middle-class have been addressed; the immediate needs of farmers have been taken care of even as the Modi-led government is working towards doubling the income of the farmers by 2022. While providing the much-needed fillip for infrastructural projects thus enabling a spur in the growth, the budget has also looked after the interests of the youth by giving a new dimension and dynamism to the Mudra scheme, he added.

The veteran leader said given the precarious security scenario in the global context in general and around the country in particular, it was inevitable for the nation to augment its defence forces in terms of personnel, arms and ammunition. In this background, it was prudent on the part of the Modi government to provide Rs three lakh crores for the defence ministry, he added.

Mr Krishna said the Prime Minister has succeeded in touching the hearts of the common masses by offering them something meaningful and concrete, thereby showing his genuine concern to people across the country.We will not let him (Modi) succeed, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said in response to PM Modi urging people to accept it. (Photo: Abhijit Mukherjee)

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.

She was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the bill, at a rally in Thakunagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

"The Centre will have to withdraw the Citizenship Bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," Banerjee said.

In his speech at the event organised by the Matua community, Modi praised the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and sought the Trinamool Congress' support for it.

The Bill, he said, would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice...Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis. It was because of this that we brought the Citizenship Bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the Bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament," Modi said.

Read: In West Bengal, PM Modi seeks Trinamool backing for Citizenship Bill

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. Many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Trinamool Congress had staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha last month demanding that the Bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.In true fascist style, he (PM Modi) is trying to encircle everyone with agenciesThe Union government will last for a month at the most, said Mamata Banerjee. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hit out at Prime Minister Modi soon after he ended his speech in Durgapur on Saturday. Mamata said that PM Modi tenure is going to end in a month but he is not mentally prepared to actually go out of power.

Speaking to a TV channel, Mamata flared up at the attack by the prime minister and launched a counter-attack with allegations against Modi over 2002 Gujarat riots.

Read: Will oppose Citizenship Amendment Bill, Centre will have to withdraw it: Mamata

Banerjee, who convened a meeting of two dozen opposition leaders on January 19 in Kolkatas Brigade Parade ground, repeated her earlier stand that the Centre is trying to unleash the investigative agencies against anyone who dared to oppose him.

The West Bengal chief minister also responded to Modis jibe that she is afraid of the interrogation as she is probably in the wrong. Why fear if you have not done anything wrong? Even I was interrogated for nine hours, Modi said in Durgapur.

Banerjee retorted with a counter saying, It is true that riots happened (in Gujarat). He was a culprit and, therefore, he was questioned (by the CBI). But just because he was grilled does not mean that he would also use the agencies to interrogate others?

In true fascist style, he (PM Modi) is trying to encircle everyone with agenciesThe Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power, she said.

Mamata then took a different angle to lash out at the prime minister. He has no allies in the country. He wraps himself in fashion. He is not capable of anything. He even delivers his speech with the help of teleprompters, said Mamata.

Rejecting Modis allegations that the state government was preventing implementation of central projects in the fields of road, railways, health in the state, the Bengal chief minister asked, Why is the Centre stalling projects such as the deep sea port and Deocha Pachami coal mine project?

Saradha and Narada contain no substance. Narada is a sting. People have been seen taking Rs 1 lakh for elections. Who are they to ask questions? They use hundreds of crores of rupees in elections, alleged the Trinamool chief.On January 1 last year, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured. (Photo: ANI)

Pune: Labelling the arrest as illegal, a Pune Sessions Court on Saturday ordered the release of activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.

As per the Supreme Court order, activist Teltumbde has interim protection till February 11. Meanwhile, he can approach the competent authority which includes sessions court, High court and Supreme Court for bail/pre-arrest bail, the Pune Sessions Court observed.

Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, after Pune Sessions Court ordered his release: I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama, is objectionable. pic.twitter.com/uT0Su4WUe9  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2019

The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist.

He was kept at Ville Parle police station in Mumbai.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed Teltumbde's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

On January 1 last year, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured.Michael Fernandes, brother of former Union minister George Fernandes, and Mangalureans pay their last respects before his ashes were buried at Bejai cemetry in Mangaluru on Saturday (Image DC)

Mangaluru: George who had left Mangaluru in 1950 has now returned. He is now here with my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather, said an emotional Michael Fernandes, laying the ashes of his late brother and Union Minister, George Fernandes in the wooden casket at the Bejai cemetery.

A portion of George's ashes were brought to his birthplace, Mangaluru, by him on the wishes of his relatives and close associates. The cemetery is next to the school where George studied for a year and within a mile from the house where he spent his childhood.

The urn carrying the ashes was brought to the burial ground after a prayer ceremony of about 15 minutes and was placed in the wooden casket amidst hymns and prayers. George's paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother too are buried in the same cemetery.

Politicians, including Mangaluru Mayor, K Bhaskar, MLA, Vedavyas Kamath, corporators, Shashidhar Shetty, Lancelot Pinto and family and friends, paid tribute to him.

George had attended the funeral of our brother, Lawrence in Bengaluru in 2005. George had told those present at the time about his desire to be cremated and then buried there too. So we will take a portion of his ashes and bury them in the cemetery in Bengaluru where our parents too are buried, Mr Michael Fernandes said.

The burial in Bengaluru is likely to take place after about a month and- a-half, after the return of his other brothers, who are abroad at present. The time will be used to repair the tomb of George's parents.

One-third of the ashes were buried in Delhi and I have brought one-third here. The third portion has been divided into two. One portion has been given to the Tibetans, who were associated with George and the other portion has been taken to Bihar by his trade union and political associates, who will bury it in Muzaffarpur and Nalanda- the constituencies that George represented, he added.

While the Mangaluru City Corporation has moved a resolution to name the Bejai New Road, where his ancestral house once existed, after George Fernandes, Mr Michael Fernandes has suggested it name a major road after him.

That is a small road and at present there is no house of ours there. People may criticise naming a small road after George. It would be better if the government names an important road, leading to a railway station or the like after George as he is known for his contribution of the Konkan Railway, he said.

Going down memory lane, he recalled that when the five brothers were in school, they were called the Pandavas. Their sixth brother was born much later.Mumbai: Within hours of Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbdes arrest in the Elgar Parishad case Saturday, a local court held Pune Polices action had violated the Supreme Courts order and he should be released immediately.

The arrest was termed as illegal because the Supreme Court had already granted him relief from his arrest till February 11. He was held in connection with the Elgar Parishad case and alleged links with Maoists. Although Teltumbde was forlorn with the polices behaviour, he was happy with the decision. What police has done is objectionable, he said.

The Pune police with the help of Mumbai police arrested the activist at Mumbais domestic airport in the early hours of Saturday after his arrival from Kerala. Additional Sessions judge Kishor Vadane said the SC, while rejecting Teltumbdes plea seeking to quash the FIR against him earlier, had given him protection from arrest till February 11 so that he could approach the competent authority for appropriate legal relief.

Therefore, arresting him before the protection period ended was illegal and also amounted to contempt of the SCs order and he should be released immediately, the court said.The Ministry of External Affairs underlined to the US Embassy that the students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the university, should be treated apart from the recruiters.

Hyderabad: India on Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy in New Delhi, expressing concern over the detention of 129 Indian students in the United

States, and sought immediate consular access to them. The Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested on Wednesday by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement for enrolling at a fake university in Detroits Farmington Hills, allegedly to remain in the US.

Eight alleged recruiters, all of them Telugus, have been arrested.

Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated, a ministry of external affairs statement said.

The Ministry of External Affairs underlined to the US Embassy that the students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the university, should be treated apart from the recruiters. It said India continued to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation.

We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will, the statement said.

Of the 129 Indians, about 30 have contacted the MEA for legal and consular help.

The MEA has shared the onus with the Indian community in the US to provide legal and consular help to those detained. A 24/7 helpline has been established in the embassy at Washington DC for assistance related to the detention of students.

The helpline numbers are: +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and the email address is: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

In an official statement, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: We have mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident.

Indian diplomats have visited detention centres in New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and St Louis to extend consular assistance to the detained students.Chennai: The air intelligence unit and customs officials at the Chennai international airport rescued a leopard cub that a passenger from Bangkok was attempting to smuggle into the city on Saturday. Quarantine rules and restrictions on being livestock apart, the man claimed that it was a crossbreed of a cat and a dog.

Customs officials had received specific intelligence regarding the attempt and were watching passengers who arrived from the Thailand capital at 1 am on Saturday. A passenger, identified as city resident Khaja Moideen, 45, walking with a pink-coloured basket attracted their attention. When they approached him, the AIU and Customs officials noticed that the basket was covered with a towel and animal sounds were coming from it.

Asked what was in the basket, Moideen began giving contradictory responses. Authorites then opened his baggage for further examination and found the leopard cub.

The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak, a statement said. The custom officials fed the cub milk from a feeding bottle.

Since they could not exactly identify the species, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) was alerted. Moideen began claiming that it was a cross-breed of a cat and a dog and he was bringing it back to Chennai to rear it.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) who arrived at the spot identified it as a leopard cub (Panthera pardus). A veterinary doctor was called from the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, who informed the Customs authorities that the cub was a one-month-old female. It weighed 1.1 kg and measured 54 cm from nose to tail.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau stated that the leopard was a species protected under Wildlife Schedule 1 and smuggling or rearing them as pets was illegal.

Moideen told the officials that he had bought the cub in Thailand for `5,000 to raise it and sell it to a circus for a large sum. No permission was sought, customs officials said.

Customs officials decided not to send the cub back to Thailand and instead sent it to Vandalur zoo where its health could be ensured. A decision to keep it for public viewing will be taken after 30 days, officials said.

Moideen was arrested and will be remanded under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. Further investigations are on to find out why the cub was smuggled, and if it was to be sold to a customer in ChennaiThiruvananthapuram: Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has promised to discuss the possibility of restoring the rights of lighting the Makara Jyothi to the Malayaraya community.

He was replying to a calling attention motion by Mr O. Rajagopal (BJP) in the Assembly on Friday demanding the return of the traditional rights to the Malayaraya community.

Mr Surendran said the Aikya Malayaraya Mah-asabha and Sree Ayya-ppa Dharma Sanghom had jointly submitted a petition to the government on the issue. The petition said that from the ancient times, the priests of Malayaraya community, who lived on the 18 mountains of Sabarimala, had been entrusted with rituals like lighting the Makara Jyothi and bathing the deity of Sree Ayyappa with honey during the Mandalam season. The Akhila Thiruvithamkur Malayaraya Mahasabha in its petition to the government had also pointed out this fact, said Mr Surendran. These rites were discontinued in the name of reforms later.

While disposing of a petition filed by Sreeni Pattathanam and Profes-sor K. D. Sudhakaran on April 25, 2011, the High Court had also observed that the Malayarayas had rights over the rituals and that these were lost in the later period, he said. The government would take a final decision on the issue after considering all the aspects, said Mr Suren-dran.Mr Khasim had complained that a fake NOC was submitted to the Ranga Reddy district collector pertaining to a piece of land admeasuring four acres in Manikonda Jagir attached to the Dargah Hussain Shah Wali. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Abids police is investigating the fake no-objection certificate case regarding a plot of land attached to Dargah Hussain Shah Wali of the Manikonda Jagir with the help of former Wakf Board chief executive officer Sultan Mohiuddin. The Board is utilising his services as officer on special duty (law) on outsource basis.

Mr Sultan was allowed to return home and asked to appear before the investigating officer on Sunday.

The Abids police registered a criminal case in December 2018 on Mr Sultan based on a complaint of Wakf Board Chief Executive Officer Shahnawaz Khasim. Mr Khasim had complained that a fake NOC was submitted to the Ranga Reddy district collector pertaining to a piece of land admeasuring four acres in Manikonda Jagir attached to the Dargah Hussain Shah Wali.

The NoC declared that land under survey numbers 247, 250 and 251 did not belong to the Wakf Board but was purchased by one M. Bheem Yadav, a resident of Shaikpet, from its pattadar Syed Shafiullah Hussaini. On internal verification it was found that the NoC was not officially issued by the Wakf Board as there was no mention of it in its records.

Later Abdul Wahaj Khan alias Shaharyar Khan of Old Malakpet and Ziauddin of Sin-garini Colony, Saida-bad, were arrested on January 24 while the prime suspect Mohammed Imtiyaz, a native of Khammam, surrendered before the II additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Nampally criminal court on January 29. Police is interrogating Imtiyaz after seeking his remand for three days.

SHO Abids Kandula Ravi Kumar said, We are questioning Mr Sultan to ascertain his role. The prime accused in his statement pointed out few employees of the Wakf Board.

Earlier, Police had also interrogated the four employees of the Board who are working in the Protection Section.

Police is trying to know the real purpose of filing fake NOC before the Rangareddy Collectorate as the Board officials opined that to blame the present CEO a fake NOC was submitted as the accused persons were not allowed to lobbying in the BoardThe eight reportedly earned $3,00,000 (around Rs 2.1 crore) through enrolment, a source based in the US told this newspaper.

Hyderabad: The eight recruiters from the two Telugu states, whom the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has charged with conspiracy in aiding at least 600 foreign citizens to illegally stay in the US, will be produced before a US criminal court on February 4.

The eight reportedly earned $3,00,000 (around Rs 2.1 crore) through enrolment, a source based in the US told this newspaper.

They face imprisonment. The US Homeland Security, in an undercover operation, created a fake university in Farmington Hills to lure foreign students who were trying to stay in the US illegally.

The eight, Barath Kakireddy of Florida, Suresh Kandala of Virginia, Phanideep Karnati of Kentucky, Prem Rampeesa of North Carolina, Santosh Sama of Califor-nia, Avinash Thakkalla-pally of Pennsylvania, Aswanth Nune of Georgia and Naveen Prathipati of Texas, worked like recruiters and helped portray the foreign citizens as students and got them enrolled into the fake university.

Along with the attorneys and consulate diplomats, representatives of TANA visited the students who are currently lodged in 121 detention centres across the US, said Mr Ashok Kolla, joint treasurer of Telugu Association of North America.

Those detained are placed for deportation. The respective attorneys will be approaching the immigration judge for their voluntary departure notice on Monday. While they are lodged in different prisons, the attorneys have rendered legal advice. The messages from these students were conveyed to the Indian Ambassador to the US and an emergency message has been sent out, asking attorneys to come forward and help the detained, Mr Kolla said.

He added: Out of the eight students charged by ICE and facing criminal charges, one is lodged in the Tailor Municipality  Detroit, while the others are in different prisons. Out of the eight, five are from Telangana and three from Andhra Pradesh. They will be produced before the criminal court at 1 clock eastern time on Monday. Initially, the eight will be provided a public prosecutor. Also, the Indian Consulate general of Chicago will be meeting them on February 4.

The Indian Consulate in Houston staff, along with an attorney and representatives of the North American Telugu Association, visited the detention centre at Dallas. Eight Indian students are currently lodged in Dallas prison. Seven of them are male and all from Hyderabad and Khammam in Telangana state and a few from Andhra Pradesh. The girl student is from North India. Attorney Geetha Tamana has rendered legal advice to those in Dallas

For now, the attorneys have sought details of students and will be seeking voluntary departure from the Immigration Judge. Several students have already been served notices to appear before the immigration judge. Of the total detained, 80 per cent are Telugu, said a source.Chennai: In a renewed onslaught on MDMK chief Vaiko, BJP national secretary H. Raja dared Vaiko to contest from his native Kalingapatty ward election and prove his popularity before criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also ridiculed Vaiko as a national leader as he held press conferences in New Delhi.

Will he win in Kalingapatty ward election? Will he become a national leader if he holds press conferences in the national capital? . Where is Mr Modi's stature and where is Vaiko. I dare say that he (Vaiko) can't win even in his Kalingapatty ward election. You first contest and prove your popularity? Raja said reacting to Vaiko's frequent barbs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kalingapatti is a village panchayat in the southern district of Tirunelveli in the state. This is not the first time the two had been crossing swords. During the previous occasion, taking strong exception to the MDMK chief's sharp criticism of Modi, Raja warned him to control his tongue and even warned that the BJP would not tolerate continuous attacks on the PM.

To a question on Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chandrambaram's tweet thanking Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal for copying the Congress declaration that the poor have the first right to the resources of the country, Raja replied, Chidambaram is totally dishonest in his observation. The declared statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is: Muslims have got the first claim over the resources of the country.

But it is the declaration of the BJP that the poor have the first right to resources, Raja said and added that he had already tweeted in reply to the false and malicious claim of Chidambaram.Bengaluru: One needs permission from the tribunal to construct a dam, but nor for digging thousands of borewells. Planting of eucalyptus and pumping of ground water are the major reasons for the dying of Arkavathy river, said Dr Sharachchandra Lele, a research scholars at ATREE, here on Saturday.

He has co-authored with Veena Srinivasan, who is an ATREE research scholar too, a chapter on Managing river basins: Re-examining the biophysical basis, in the book, India's Water Futures, Emerging Ideas and Pathways.

Dr Lele said, "Farmers refuse to accept that pumping affects the flow of water. In the early 1950s, water provisioning and not water management was the goal. In 1970s there was a borewell revolution. More than 50% of the irrigation in Karnataka takes place through groundwater."

Mr K.J. Jose, one of the editors of the book, said, Confronting the reality of current water management strategies, this volume discusses the state of Indian water sector to uncover solutions that can address the imminent water crises. It analyses the growing water insecurity, increase in demand, inefficiency in water use and growing inequalities in accessing clean water.

The book is an ode to Prof Ramaswamy R. Iyer, a policymaker and former Secretary of Water Resources, who drafted the first National Water Policy in 1987. It claims to go beyond critiquing the water sector, and sheds light on water footprint in agricultural, industrial and urban use, pressures on river basin management, depleting groundwater resources, patterns of droughts and floods, watershed-based development and waste-water and sanitation management. It examines interstate water conflicts, lack of participatory governance mechanisms and suggests an alternative framework for water regulation and conflict transformation.To clear her stand, TMC supremo said she was not blaming the officials. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: Attacking PM Modi again, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she had no problem if the authorities choose to arrest her. She alleged that PM Modi was compelling his officers to send notices for humiliating opposition leaders, reported IANS.

West Bengal CM said that she opposed the interim Budget and addressed media for the same, so if they arrest her for saying against the Budget, she doesnt have a problem.

Banerjee said, My Hindi is not good. I said they may do it because this is their habit.

To clear her stand, TMC supremo said she was not blaming the officials.

I dont blame the officers, because they are compelled to do that. I am told that Narendra Modi ji summons officers to his residence. He then tells them do something, do something to bring down the Opposition in the eyes of the people, she said.

West Bengal CM said she was waiting for the day when even the person who cooks her food would be questioned by government agencies.

The supremos outburst came a day after Manik Majumdar, her close aide was quizzed by CBI in the multi-billion rupee Saradha ponzi scam.

Banerjee, however, threw a challenge to Modi saying the way we do our politics with a pure heart, nobody else does.

She alleged that Modi-led BJP government was fighting it personally as they were incapable of taking opposition politically.

You cannot fight us politically. If you fight us politically, we have no problem. But why are you fighting it personally? You are humiliating all political leaders. Why are you humiliating even those who have been working with us for 30-40 years? These people dont do anything, they only look after the household. They only carry out instructions... How can you send notices to even those who serve tea? she asked.Vijayawada: Florida-based NRI businessman and Coastal Bank director Mr Chigurupati Jayaram was found dead in the back seat of his car with bloodstains in the farmlands near Aitavaram village of Krishna district on Friday morning.

Nandigama deputy superintendent of police A.S.C. Bose said Jayaram had set off from his Hyderabad home in a car two days ago for Vijayawada. Though it was reported that he was driving the car, police said that CCTV footage at different toll gates showed a man wearing a white shirt behind the wheel. Mr Jayaram never reached Vijayawada.

Highway patrol police found his car in the farmland beside national highway 65 and identified him with the help of his cellphone and identity card. Jayarams body was found on the cars back seat with blood stains and bruises on his body. Also, his hands had turned black.

DSP Bose said Mr Jayarams car crossed Panthangi toll plaza at 8.30 pm on Thursday after which the car was found abandoned in the farmlands near Aitavaram. He said liquor bottles were found in the car.

The cause of death will be known after a post-mortem. Nandigama police have registered a case and begun probe.

Krishna district superintendent of police Mr Sarvasreshth Tripathi said four teams had been formed to probe the case.

Mr Jayaram resides in Florida and had recently come to Hyderabad while his family is in the US. He first started a pharmaceutical company and later several other companies, including Coastal Bank. A year ago, he had launched a Telugu regional news channel and was arrested over non-payment of salary to employeesJayarams body was sprawled on the cars backseat with bloodstains and bruises on his body. (Representational Image)

Vijayawada: Florida-based NRI businessman and Coastal Bank director Chigurupati Jayaram, 65, was found dead in the back seat of his car in the farmlands near Aitavaram village of Krishna district on Friday morning.

Nandigama DSP A.S.C. Bose said Jayaram had set off from his Hyderabad home in a car two days ago for Vijayawada.

Though he was driving himself, the police said CCTV footage at different toll gates showed a man wearing a white shirt driving the car.

Jayaram never reached Vijayawada.

Highway patrol police found his car in a farmland alongside NH-65 and identified him with the help of his cellphone and ID card. Jayarams body was sprawled on the cars backseat with bloodstains and bruises on his body.

Mr Bose said Jayarams car crossed Panthangi toll plaza at 8.30 pm on Thursday after which it was found abandoned in the farmlands near Aitavaram. He said liquor bottles were found in the car.

The police suspect foul play. The cause of death will be known after a post-mortem.

Nandigama police registered a case and begun probe.

Krishna district SP Sarvasreshth Tripathi said four teams had been formed to probe the case.

Jayaram resided in Florida and had recently come to Hyderabad while his family is in the US.

He first started a pharmaceutical company and later several other companies, including Coastal Bank.

A year ago, he had launched a Telugu regional news channel and was arrested for non-payment of salary to employees.The arrests took place across the US, in New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and St Louis. (Representational Image)

New Delhi/Washington: India on Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy here, expressing its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.

At the Ministry of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj and her team are giving top priority to the Indian students who have arrested in the United States for enrolling themselves in a fake university.

The Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a "fraudulent university in the US".

"Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated," it said. The ministry underlined to the US Embassy that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the university' should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. "We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the ministry said. The India mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.

Authorities have termed it as pay-to-stay in America scheme and out of 130 foreign students arrested, 129 are from India.

The US Department of homeland Security recently carried out an undercover operation at the university in Detroits Farmington Hills designed to expose immigration fraud.

While, the immigration attorneys said that the students were not aware that the university was operating illegally and illegitimately. Attorneys also criticised authorities for using troubling methods to trap them and hold students accountable as they claimed that they knowingly enrolled themselves in the fake university to maintain their visa status in US.

After the undercover operation, US' Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 130 foreign students, including 129 Indians, for immigration violations.

According to latest reports, trackers have been put around the ankles of the detained students. They have been radio tagged and asked not to move out of a certain radius.

In 2011, in a similar incident, there was an outrage where Indian students were radio-tagged for their alleged involvement in an immigration fraud at US TriValley University.

Khaalid H Walls, an ICE spokesperson said, The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has administratively arrested 130 foreign nationals enrolled at the University of Farmington for civil immigration violations. Of the 130, 129 were Indian nationals.

The ICE agents made the arrests on Wednesday, the same day federal indictments were unsealed that charged eight people, all of whom are either Indians or Indian-Americans, in a visa fraud scheme. All eight were charged criminally for "conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harbouring aliens for profit." But the 130 students were arrested only on civil immigration charges.

The arrests took place across the US, in New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and St Louis.

According to attorneys, the students had immigrated legally to US on student visas, but had allegedly transferred to the University of Farmington so that they could work.

However, federal prosecutors claim the students were aware the university was not running a legitimate operation. But attorneys who have spoken with students or with family and friends of those arrested are pushing back against the government's claims.

For queries and assistance related to the detention of Indian students in the US, please contact our special 24/7 helpline. pic.twitter.com/iorYgZ5cxX  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 2, 2019

The Indian embassy in the US has also opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students. It has appointed a nodal officer to help the students in distress.

The two numbers - (+1) 202-322-1190 and (+1) 202-340-2590 - would be manned by senior embassy officials round the clock, officials said.

The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at the e-mail address: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.Thiruvananthapuram: UDF high power committee meeting on Friday decided to conduct the seat sharing exercise between allies of the UDF from February 10 through bilateral discussions.

Though allies demanded more seats, the Congress said that the meeting was not intended to discuss the seat sharing. The decision on seat sharing can be done during bilateral discussions, they said.

The bilateral discussions are being scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Kerala Yatra of Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. The places will be chosen by the allies themselves.

The bilateral talks were necessitated as two partners  the Indian Union Muslim League and Kerala Congress (M) had demanded an extra seat.

In 2014, the IUML had contested from Malappu-ram and Ponnani. KC (M) represents the Kottayam seat.The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. (Photo: PTI | File)

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday said businessman Robert Vadra cannot be arrested till February 16 in an alleged money laundering case.

Special judge Arvind Kumar also directed Vadra to appear before the ED on February 6 and cooperate in the investigation.

The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.Modi said, 'Those who did not even see each other four years ago assembled in Kolkata They are abusing me because I am working against corruption.' (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Durgapur: Addressing another public rally in Durgapur, PM Modi on Saturday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state.

Attacking the opposition parties over their attempt to present a united front against the BJP-led NDA government in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Modi said they are scared because I am fighting corruption.

Responding to PM Modis attack, Banerjee said, In true fascist style, he is trying to encircle everyone with agenciesThe Union government will last for a month at the most. But it seems he is not mentally prepared for going out of power.

Referring to the opposition parties rally in Kolkata, PM said, This chaiwala has stopped the illegal income of the high and mightyThis is why all kinds of people were taking oath in Kolkata to remove this chowkidar.

Modi said, Those who did not even see each other four years ago assembled in Kolkata They are abusing me because I am working against corruption.

PM attacked Mamata Banerjee accusing her of preventing the officials of central government agencies from carrying out probe in West Bengal.

Didi, if you have not done anything wrong, why are you scared. What is that you are afraid of, said PM Modi added. He said he was made to sit for nine hours in Delhi during the UPA rule when the CBI probe cases against him when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

PM Modi said the BJP-led government at the Centre is bent on fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the middle-class people. "The TMC is killing people's aspirations but the Centre will fulfil their (people's) dreams," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused it of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state and said the ruling party in West Bengal is known for "triple T -- Trinamool Tolabaji Tax". In local parlance, 'tolabaji' is roughly understood as an act of organised extortion.

"Right from admission in schools and colleges, jobs in educational institutes and elsewhere one has to pay 'triple T' to get their work done. But this cannot continue always," Modi said.

The interim Budget presented in Parliament on Friday is a reflection of the BJP government's policy of 'Saabka Saath Saabka Vikas'.

Modi accused Banerjee of treading the path of the previous Communist government to trample democracy and said she should know it did not work then and it will not work now.

PM Modi accused the Trinamool chief of "strangling democracy in Bengal".

The Prime Minister, who launched the BJP's campaign in the state, said that the people of Bengal want a "parivartan (change)" and are determined to throw Mamata Banerjee.

The Centre has approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 90,000 crore in the past four and a half years for the state but the TMC government did not take interest in implementing them as it wanted a share for the "syndicate". TMC doesn't take interest in initiating development projects where there is no share for the syndicate...where there is no 'malai' (cream)," PM said.Communist party activists seen participating in bandh for special status in Nellore city on Friday.

Kurnool: A statewide bandh call by the Pratyeka Hodha and Vibajana Hameela Sadana Samithi seeking the Special Catego-ry Status to Andhra Pradesh evoked good response in Kurnool district on Friday. The bandh was total and peaceful barring minor incidents at one or two places in the district.

All political parties including ruling and left parties extended support and observed the bandh in the district. Educational institutes remained closed. All business establishments, shops, banks, cinema theatres were shut and even several hotels were closed in all towns in the district. Hospital and medical shops were run as under emergency services.

TD, CPI, CPM, Congress, Jana Sena and volunteer organisations, students unions, caste based association had given their support to the bandh and key leaders of the above parties also participated in the agitations.

Protesters stopped both private and government vehicles at major towns across the district.

The agitators led by the left parties, the TD and Congress stopped as many as 1000 RTC buses in different parts of the district from morning to afternoon.

TD district president Somisetty Venkatesw-arlu, Kurnool MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy and other key leaders of the party had taken to the road early morning, visited some main circles in the city and pursued the bandh.

The party workers held motor bike rallies, dharnas at various main circles in the city and in-front of the collectorate.

CPI workers led by its district secretary Mr B Giddaiah held motorbike rallies separately in the district head quarters. CPM district secretary Mr K Prabhakar Reddy, State council member Mr T Sedrak and key leaders also participated in agitations and monitored the bandh. Congress party district president Mr P Lakshmi Reddy and party activists held a rally from Kondareddy Buruju to the collectorate part of the agitation. They held dharnas in front of the Central Government offices like the post office and railway station in the city.

Similar agitations were reported from Nandyal, Adoni, Dhone, Yammiganur, Alur, Kodumur, Banaganapalle and Allagadda town. District SP Mr K Fakkeerappa said that no violent incident was recorded in the district.Without the permission of Church, none would dare enter the cemetery, break open tombs, pull out dead bodies and destroy crosses

KOZHIKODE: The dead cannot rest in peace in the cemetery of Little Flower Church, Pushpagiri near Koodaranji here. Miscreants, allegedly with the blessings of the Church, have dug out the mortal remains of the dead to facilitate the functioning of a huge quarry project where the Church was running a quarry in the past, according to a complaint submitted by members of the parish to the district collector.

The land where the Church operated a quarry was sold years ago to a mining lobby which is on a land purchase spree in the area.

According to Vincent Kalappurayil, leader of Catholic Laymens Association, the tombs of his kith and kin were found broken and the bodies were missing. This is the fate of many tombs, as the relatives of the deceased had opposed shifting them to the new cemetery, he said.

Without the permission of the Church, none would dare enter the cemetery, break open the consecrated tombs, humiliate the resting souls, pull out the dead bodies at odd hours and destroy crosses fitted on each tomb, said A.S. Jose, another member of the parish who has been running from pillar to post seeking justice. The body of his mother-in-law has been missing and he found the tomb broken with remnants of the decayed bodies scattered here and there.

It was also alleged that over 70 acres of land have been already purchased by mining mafia adjacent to the Church land. Shomy Lucose, another member of the parish, is in search of the bodies of his parents, Lucose and mother Sicily. Though many were ready to shift the remnants to the new cemetery, I was not ready as I had purchased the tomb paying a huge sum to the parish, he added. I never thought the Church would treat the mortal remains of forefathers in such an inhuman way, he said.

CLA chairman M.L. George told DC that the tombs of forefathers are sacred to the believers. As per their belief, all the dead would resurrect from the tomb on the final day, he added.

However, the diocese claimed that the shifting of the mortal remains was held on the basis of the decision taken at the general body of the parish.

Thamarassery diocese chancellor Fr Abraham Kavilpurayid-am told DC that the shifting of the cemetery was taken by the parish members and executed during the day with all mandatory ceremonies. There is no need of secrecy in such matters, he added.

Meanwhile, acting on the complaint collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao has directed the Thamarassery tahsildar to submit a report.Thiruvananthapuram: The state Assembly on Friday condemned the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabhas symbolic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in Aligarh on Martyrs Day on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who agreed to Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithalas demand that the House should condemn the incident, said that the incident was cruel and barbaric. He lambasted the Hindu Mahasabha for glorifying Godse and defaming Gandhi. Those who indulged in such an act should be framed under sedition charge, he said.

The UP police arrested five activists of Mahasabha for the act.

Puja Shakun Pandey, national secretary of the organisation, had shot at the effigy of Gandhiji with an airgun and distributed sweets to commemorate the assassination outside the Mahasaba office on Wednesday. She also garlanded the statue of Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse. Puja and her husband, ABHM spokesperson Ashok Pandy, were absconding.

The website of the Mahasabha was hacked by a group called Kerala Cyber Warriors on Thursday. It also posted Hindu Mahasabha Murdabad on the home page of the website along with a message which read: Gandhiji has remained an inspiration for people globally to follow the right path, the path of non- violence in all their actions.New Delhi: Scores of farmers blocked the Delhi-Noida (DND) flyway on Saturday, as they continued their agitation demanding fourfold compensation in lieu of their land acquisition.

The farmers assembled at the toll plaza in the morning at the flyway connecting national capital to Uttar Pradesh's Noida.

On Friday thousands of farmers from different villages of Gautam Budh Nagar district marched towards Delhi, raising slogans and causing severe disruption of traffic on the Delhi-Noida flyway which had to be then shut causing inconvenience to commuters.

The agitated farmers have alleged that builders, who took land from farmers, have laid the foundation stone for a degree college, but construction is yet to begin.

The protesters want that those farmers who did not sell their land to builders should be provided with a channel for passage of water for irrigation purposes. They also want immediate relief from the Income Tax department.

The farmers have demanded that the affected families should be either provided employment or give Rs 5 lakh as compensation for self-employment. Furthermore, they have demanded allocation of 100 bighas of land for Gram Sabha.

In November last year, more than one lakh farmers, belonging to 200 farmers' organisations, staged protests in different parts of Delhi to push their demands against rural distress, including implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee report, farm loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce.

On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, farmers from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab were not allowed to launch a protest in Delhi, which later led to a violent confrontation with the state police at the Delhi border.He termed the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'worse than the British rule'. (Photo: File)

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of "betraying" his state by failing to fulfil the assurances made during its bifurcation and said the Interim Budget had nothing on offer for the state.

He slammed the central government saying, "The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has betrayed Andhra Pradesh all these years".

Citing the Interim Budget, he said that the central government has nothing in its bag for the state even in its last budget before the Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party observed Friday as Black Day as a mark of protest against the BJP-led central dispensation, alleging that the Centre had "betrayed" the state in all the five budgets.

"Nothing is assured to the state even in this last budget," said Chandrababu Naidu.

He also took on BJP legislators in the state and said they were ineligible to be public representatives.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly took up the subject of AP Reorganization Act and the promises and implementation for discussion.

While BJP MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju was trying to defend his party, Naidu intervened and slammed him. When BJP MLA Manikyala Rao stood up to counter, Chandrababu Naidu continued his angry speech.

"TDP did not compromise on anything. I faced much humility but kept on calling Modi Sir. But he did not pay heed to our requirements. He only gave dust and water for Amaravati. Now BJP is campaigning that they only brought Kia motors to AP. It is utter nonsense," said Naidu.

He termed the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "worse than the British rule".

"Why should we pay taxes to the central government? What is the right of Centre on the state's income? They are doing threatening politics. Is Andhra Pradesh not part of the nation? BJP doesn't have much bigger leaders in the South. There was only one, Venkaiah Naidu. Now you have sidelined him. How can BJP woo the people in South India," he said.

Chandrababu Naidu continued his speech on the Reorganization Act assurances and special category status. He mentioned the Polavaram project, Kadapa steel plant, Visakhapatnam railway zone and other issues on which the central government is allegedly not cooperating.Ruchitha was rushed to the Government Hospital in Karimnagar where she died last night. (Representational Image)

Karimnagar: A student, Ms D. Ruchitha, studying Intermediate second-year MPC in Alphores College, allegedly attempted suicide in the college in Rekurthy in Kothapalli mandal in Karimnagar district by setting herself on fire after dousing herself with kerosene.

Ruchitha was rushed to the Government Hospital in Karimnagar where she died last night. It is learnt that Ruchitha had recently gone home to attend the funeral of her grandfather. She returned back to college but was found to be moody for the last three days.

On the day the incident occurred, it is learnt that Ruchitha excused herself from class complaining that she had developed a stomach ache. She attempted suicide in the bathroom of the hostel. Ruchitha was a native of Naspur, Nagarjuna colony in Mancherial district.

There are allegations that the management of the college shifted Ruchitha who suffered severe burns secretly to the Government Hospital. There are also rumours that Ruchitha had burned alive in the fire accident that took place in the college recently.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists staged a protest in front of the hospital demanding that the authorities reveal how Ruchitha suffered severe burns and also about the incident.Gautam Khaitan has been alleged to have been operating and holding a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby possessing black money and stash assets, according to officials. (Photo: PTI | File)

New Delhi: Delhi court on February 2 extended by 6 days ED custody of AgustaWestland scam accused Gautam Khaitan in a money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested lawyer Gautam Khaitan, accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, in connection with a fresh case of possession of black money and money laundering, officials said on January 26.

They said Khaitan had been placed under arrest on Friday January 25 night by the agency sleuths under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A fresh criminal case under the PMLA had been filed by the ED against Khaitan on the basis of a case filed on January 26 by the Income Tax Department against him under Section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

Khaitan has been alleged to have been operating and holding a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby possessing black money and stash assets, officials said.

It is understood that the investigative agencies have got fresh leads against Khaitan after the questioning of Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland, who was extradited by India from Dubai in December last.

The Income Tax Department had last week carried out searches against Khaitan in this new case filed under the anti-black money law. Khaitan had been arrested by the ED and the CBI a few years ago in connection with their probe in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland case.

(With PTI inputs)Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has branded a bridge, a new ministry, a family day at the park and even the entire year of 2019 under the banner theme of "tolerance," an elaborate effort that's in overdrive as the country prepares to host Pope Francis starting Sunday in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.

The state's tolerance-themed project, however, has hard limits. While allowing churches and other places of worship to exist and marking holidays like Christmas, the Hindu Diwali and Chinese New Year with festivals and celebrations, the government has simultaneously stomped out critical political expression in the name of national security.

Human rights activists and Muslim Brotherhood sympathisers have been imprisoned, academic research deemed sensitive has been curtailed and human rights groups have been barred entry. Political parties are banned and local media are censored.

And while the law prohibits religious discrimination and guarantees the freedom to exercise religious worship, the state's official religion of Islam is tightly monitored and controlled.

The UAE's Minister of Tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, said the government is simply doing what "we think is right for our people and for the world."

"We are trying to protect our religion," he told The Associated Press in an interview last week. "We want to restore our real religion, which stems from our holy book the Quran, which believes in living together. It believes in the dignity of a human being."

The UAE, a federation of seven constituent monarchies led by President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is known for its gleaming cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Modern skylines draw tourists from around the world, bars exist next to mosques, men and women dressed in traditional garb brush past foreigners, and tight security and surveillance ensures high levels of safety.

Government bodies, public relations firms and even banks have been busy promoting the state's version of tolerance in preparation for the pope's visit, which includes a meeting on Monday with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's foremost religious institution, and a mass on Tuesday before 135,000 people in Abu Dhabi.

In a video message translated into English and Arabic ahead of his arrival, Pope Francis described the UAE as "a country which strives to be a model for coexistence and human fraternity, a meeting point of different civilizations and cultures. A place where people find a safe place to work, live freely and where differences are respected."

The UAE is also one of four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar in 2017, in part over its support of the Brotherhood throughout the region. The UAE banned the news operations of Al Jazeera inside the country, expelled Qatari residents, blocked websites affiliated with Qatar and warned residents that anyone who expressed sympathy for Qatar could face up to 15 years in prison.

"Nobody's perfect in this world ... ," Al Nahyan, the tolerance minister, said. "We're proud of our acceptance, tolerance, respect for human dignity, having laws which protect everybody's right."Kelleth Cuthbert claims that she did not sign away her rights to 'Fiji Water Girl'. (Photo: instagram/kellethcuthber)

US: Recent viral sensation, model Kelleth Cuthbert, better known as the 'Fiji Water girl' is now suing the Fiji Water Company following Golden Globes hostess gig. The Company however has called the lawsuit by Cuthbert, whose images of photobombing several celebrities on the red carpet at the Globes went viral, as frivolous and without merit.

She had earned instant internet attention for photobombing celebrities like Heidi Klum, Dakota Fanning, Amy Adams, Jeff Bridges and Jim Carrey at this years Golden Globe Awards.

Cuthbert promoting a dog food brand in a similar fashion like her Golden Globes photobombing. (Photo: instagram/kellethcuthber)

Since her new-found fame, Cuthbert has been offered work promoting dog food brand in similar style and also a waitressing cameo on daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful. However, the relations between Cuthbert and the water company have now soured and she is suing them for the unauthorised use of [her] photograph, likeness and identity, according to court documents obtained by E! News.

Cuthbert alledges that Fiji Water used her image as the main feature of a global marketing campaign following the Globes, without her consent. She claims that she did not sign away her rights to Fiji Water Girl and that the brand even tried to coerce her to sign. Cuthbert goes on to allege that they attempted to pressure her into a signing a fake document authorising the use of her image.

A spokesperson for Fiji Water said: This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit. After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in court. Throughout our history, we have had a sterling reputation working with talent.

In a subsequent interview with People, Cuthbert said she stepped into shots out of her modelling instinct. "There are tons of photographers everywhere. It doesnt matter where you stand; youre in the crossfire of every shot. You've gotta have a good face, at least, if youre gonna be hovering in the background frequently," she had previously told the publication.The key areas of focus for Mumbai Pride March 2019 were issues pertaining to inclusion and opposition of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016. (Photo: Pixabay)

Mumbai: Around 250 members of the LGBTQ community held their annual "pride march from August Kranti Maidan to Opera House and back, in south Mumbai on Saturday. Such pride marches have been held by the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Trans-Queer community in different parts of the country since 2005, to highlight issues facing them, according to the organisers.

While back then the main agenda was the decriminalisation of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the current demands include inclusion in workplace, education, marriage, adoption rights, protection against abuse and discrimination, they said.

On September 6 last year, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously decriminalised part of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalises consensual unnatural sex. The community is also opposing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 17 last year.

The bill seeks to define transgenders and prohibit discrimination against them. The LGBTQ community has called the bill "derogatory". Ishaan Sethi, founder of a dating app for the LGBTQ community called Delta and one of the organisers of Saturday's march, said the event was significant this year as it was the first after the reading down of section 377 of the IPC. "The countrys largest pride march, Mumbai Pride, is extra special this year since it is the first major pride celebration since the reading down of section 377. Mumbai Pride 2019 is a celebration of true independence for the Indian LGBT community," he said.

Suresh Ramdas, Mr Gay India 2019, said, "Coming from Bangalore for my first Mumbai Pride March, I'm excited and proud to walk this pride celebrating my identity and first step towards freedom post Sec 377 being struck down. We have lot more work to do and as Mr Gay India 2019, I would like to inspire and motivate people to be their authentic self."

Zubair Kalsia, marketing professional and queer rights advocate, said, "Since section 377 has been written down, we have seen a lot of brands and people come out in full support of the LGBTQ community. I am sure that Mumbai pride is not going to be any exception to this."Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell'Osso. (Photo: AP)

California: A herd of elephant seals took over a popular California beach while it was closed during the federal government shutdown and the animals show no sign of wanting to leave. A storm and high tides inundated the seals usual habitat about 32 miles (51.5 km) northwest of San Francisco, encouraging them to seek safe haven nearby.

Since Drakes Beach was closed during part of the shutdown, and there were no Park Rangers and no members of the public, that aided in the colonisation of the beach, said John DellOsso, a spokesman for Point Reyes National Seashore Park, where Drakes Beach is located.

Female seals have given birth to more than 35 pups in the last two weeks, swelling the herds size to around 100. Two bull seals, which can weigh up to 2.5 tons, knocked down a fence and moved into the beach parking lot, using the visitors centers wheelchair access ramp to lounge on, DellOsso informed.

Though the park reopened on Sunday, the road to the beach and its car park, have remained closed while rangers work out a way to let humans and seals mix. Rangers plan to start allowing small groups of visitors to go to the beach this weekend to view the seals from around 30-40 yards (27-37 meters) away, DellOsso said.

The herd is part of the areas growing elephant seal population, which currently numbers between 1,500 and 2,000. Hunted to the point of extinction for their oil-rich blubber, the seals have made a comeback since the early 20th century and now number an estimated 150,000 worldwide.

The animals usually only come on land to give birth, breed and molt. They spend most of their lives in the open ocean feeding. The Drakes Beach seals are likely to stick around until April when the pups will be weaned from their mothers. At that point, DellOso expects them to leave of their own accord. And if they come back? We havent put our heads around the long-term issue with these seals yet, said DellOsso.The second day of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019 was dedicated to sustainable fashion and out of the talented bunch of designers, Jyoti Reddys Bhoomi Bhoomi collection stood out.

The 59-year-old Hyderabad-based designer entered the world of designing by accident and today, she is the designer, producer and marketer of Ereena brand. Offering fabrics and accessories made from the rare eri silk, her brand specialises in providing environmental-friendly and isothermal products that keep one cool in summers and warm in winters. The brand also practices a peaceful process where they use only open-ended pierced cocoons without harming the worm inside.

Talking about her experience at the Lakme Fashion Week, Jyoti says, It was my first time here and it felt quite amazing. I think its a very good platform to let people know what we do and the exposure that well get from this show, I am hoping, will take the brand to a different level.

Even though Jyoti is new to the fashion industry, she has been working around textiles for the past two decades. I started a shoe shop. From there, I graduated into fabrics and garments and then over the years, I learnt by sitting with people who work with textiles. And, Im still learning, recalls Jyoti who also possess a business degree from the US.

A self-made designer, who learnt on the job, Jyoti credits the weavers and traders for her knowledge. When I would meet the weavers, I would ask them a lot of questions, thats how I learnt more about the fabrics, she says. Her label Ereena uses eri silk, a fabric she discovered by accident. While working with people in the industry, I went for several exhibitions abroad and in one such exhibition, a textile agent told me that I need to find an intelligent fabric, she says and adds, That was the beginning of my search to find an intelligent fabric. I decided to do something locally with silk and it is in this connection that I met a textile technologist from Assam, who introduced me to eri. This was two decades ago and I didnt need to look anywhere else ever since.

Jyoti was drawn to the sustainability of the fabric and was inspired by her grandson to create this collection. My collection Bhoomi Bhoomi was inspired by my grandson. For them, we need a culture where we dont damage the system anymore. The whole point of my collection came from there people need to be conscious of our environment and make choices that do no harm to the already fragile ecosystem. It is for the future generation, she adds.

While others in the industry have the experience of running their brands for decades, Jyotis label is only five years old and she is 59 but none of the numbers restrict her from chasing her dream. I dont feel old, neither am I afraid of age. Age should never matter to women. They always have so many responsibilities. For instance, I was educated and had a business degree when I was 24 but I had to focus on my children, ageing in-laws, my parents who were sick and the entire family. But, I still kept my interest alive. I kept a foot in the door. Whenever life brought challenges, I focused on that aspect for that time but never shut the door for my work and then, when I had time, I focused more on my work. I think there is never really a right time, we have to balance family and work, she concludes.Over the past half-century, rumours and speculation intensified over if any new books existed and if they were of publishable quality. (Photo: AP)

New York: One of the book world's greatest mysteries is finally ending  JD Salinger's son says previously unpublished work by his late father will be coming out. In comments that appeared Friday in The Guardian, Matt Salinger confirmed longstanding reports that the author of 'The Catcher in the Rye' had continued to write decades after he stopped publishing books.

He said that he and Salinger's widow, Colleen, are "going as fast as we freaking can" to prepare the material for release. "He wanted me to pull it together and because of the scope of the job, he knew it would take a long time," Salinger said of his father, who died in 2010 and had not published work since the mid-1960s.

"This was somebody who was writing for 50 years without publishing, so that's a lot of material. So there's not a reluctance or a protectiveness: When it's ready, we're going to share it," he said. Salinger, who helps oversee his father's literary estate, says any new work might be years away and did not cite any specific titles or plots.

He did indicate that the Glass family made famous in such fiction as 'Franny and Zooey' would be seen again. "I feel the pressure to get this done, more than he did," he said, adding that the unseen work "will definitely disappoint people that he wouldn't care about, but as for real readers, I think it will be tremendously well received by those people and they will be affected in the way every reader hopes to be affected when they open a book. Not changed, necessarily, but something rubs off that can lead to change."

Over the past half-century, rumours and speculation intensified over if any new books existed and if they were of publishable quality. A former lover, Joyce Maynard, and Salinger's daughter, Margaret, have both contended that the author continued to write books, allegedly stored in a vault in the author's home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

Salinger rarely spoke to the media and not only stopped releasing new work but rejected any reissues or e-book editions of his published material. This year marks the centennial of his birth and signs of a new openness emerged in 2018 when his estate permitted new covers and a boxed edition of his old fiction to come out for the 100th anniversary. A Salinger exhibit is planned later this year at the New York Public Library, and other promotional events are in the works.Ram Gopal Varmas Lakshmis NTR seems to be getting good publicity, thanks to his tweets that constantly needle Balakrishnas Kathanayakudu. The director revealed on social media that he would release the trailer of his film after Balakrishna announced the official release date of the second part of his biopic, Mahanayakudu.

NTR from heaven warned me to release the trailer of Lakshmis NTR within exactly 24 minutes of the official announcement of the release date of Mahanayakudu (sic), wrote RGV on his Twitter page.

The controversial director also added that NTR didnt give his blessings to his own son, leading to the failure of the biopic.

The very fact that NTR did not bless his own sons Kathanayakudu is proof that he will only and only bless his wifes Lakshmis NTR and the proof of that will be the clash between the releases of Mahanayakudu and Lakshmis NTR. May NTR bless (sic), he wrote.Malayalam superstar Mammootty, who plays the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy in Telugu film Yatra, is in Hyderabad to promote the film. First of all, its not a biopic of YSRs life, but it is based on his historic walkathon, clarifies the actor, adding, The story revolves around a number of incidents that happened during the walk.

So what prompted the veteran actor to sign on the dotted line? The script and the story appealed to me. They came with the entire script and I felt confident that the producer would complete the film without any delay, says Mammootty, proudly adding, I have introduced more than 70 directors in my career and even though Mahi V. Raghav is only two films old, he is still experienced.

Interestingly, the actor has returned to Telugu films after a long time. I didnt get any good offers, else I was ready to do them, he says frankly.

Talking about the upcoming film, Mammootty says that Yatra captures many emotions. There are many incidents that happened during the walk, where YSR met the people and found solutions to their problems, he says. Explaining that he did not attempt to imitate YSR in the film, the veteran actor shares, I didnt mimic YSR, I only played my character. But you may see similarities between the two.

He adds that he did not do any research before doing the film. I was not supposed to do any research. I simply liked my role and accepted it, he says.

Not surprisingly, Mammootty dubbed in his own voice for the Telugu film. Telugu is very close to Malayalam and many words are similar. So I didnt face any problem. The only thing I had to correct was the accent, otherwise it was easy, says Mammootty, adding that he will continue to do films in Telugu if he gets good projects here.With horror films still ruling Tamil cinema, yet another in the genre  Nenjil Oru Oviyam, laced with romance and sentiment, is ready for release. Vetri, who played the lead in Thangaratham will be seen as a male protagonist in the role of an artist and actress Akrisha makes her debut as the female lead around whom the story revolves.

Talking about the film, director Jothipillai who also doubles up as an actor, says, The film screenplay travels in three dimensions - love, sentiment and horror. A female centric genre, Akrisha has a solid role to portray. It is about an artist who wants to achieve in his field. He falls for a girl and how his romance diverts him from his goal and whether he succeeds in his aim is narrated with twists and turns. The film was shot in picturesque locales in Chennai and Andhra.Here is a piece of good news for the fans of Sushant Singh Rajput! Even as the actor gears up for the promotions of his upcoming dacoit-drama Sonchiriya, his other film titled Drive is finally ready to hit screens.

The Bollywood remake starring Sushant alongside Jacqueline Fernandez with Director Tarun Mansukhani at the helm of the project was supposed to release in 2017. But, apparently, Karan Johar, who is the producer of the film, was not happy with the final product and wanted to re-shoot certain portions. The film will now release in June this year and Sushant is excited to see how the audience will react to the film.

Actors want each film of theirs to release. We all look forward to our films. You get to learn from each and every film, says the actor and adds that there is honesty in the film but one can never be sure how the audience will view the film.

I never see the monitor when I am shooting. I watch the film for the first time when it comes out, says Sushant and adds, If I have to promote the film, I promise them (audience) that if they like the trailer, come and watch the film. I am telling them that the film is equally good and is, in fact, better than the trailer.

The actor says that his promises are not hollow as there is a sense of responsibility and he wouldnt want to let anyone down as people wont trust him again.

If I have to have a long career, I will need good films to prove myself again and again. So, I wouldnt lie. I am looking forward to the film Drive and want to see how people will react to it, he says further.

Reportedly, Drive is the official remake of the 2011 Hollywood film of the same title starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.Mumbai: Controversy continues to rage over Manikarnika with Krish arguing that he completed 70 percent of the film while Kangana Ranaut only did the remaining part. And while he may have completed most of the film, it is a fact that Kangana was left with the arduous task of finishing the shoot followed by post-production work and promotions.

Normally, its very challenging to play a lead actor and direct a period drama. The actor usually focuses on looking her part and giving her best performance while the director helms the film.

It would have been very tough for Kangana to concentrate on both the roles, feels Nandini Reddy, one of the most sensible woman directors in Telugu cinema today.

Meanwhile, Krishs stand in this entire controversy leaves a lot to be desired. Even amidst swirling reports of differences between Kangana and him during the films production, he maintained that all was well between them. Similarly, for a project he referred to as his baby, he left midway to direct another film instead of completing the task on hand. And finally, post the films release, he is openly badmouthing Kangana.

Director Sanjana Reddy also empathises with the actress.

I heard that they roped in some other person to finish the job, but after he refused to take over, the mantle fell on Kangana, which would indeed have been a difficult task. When some portion of the film is already shot, one has to continue in the same vein, which is not easy, feels Sanjana, adding that once you commit to direct a film, you must take it to its completion.

She is a rebel and has strong willpower, so she was able to finish it. Not only did Kangana have to handle the technical and support staff, she also had to say action and cut which is very tough, says Sanjana. Even though Kangana had no previous experience as a director, she took on the role because it was a once-in-a-lifetime project for her. Kangana is already an established actress. However, as a director, she had to command the entire team, mostly brought on board by Krish. In this film, not only was she the hero but she also had to steer the project. Its a massive challenge, adds Nandini.

Director Ashok, who made woman-centric film Bhaagmathie with Anushka Shetty also finds fault with Krish for abandoning the project midway. Once you leave the project, its not fair to talk about the same, feels Ashok, who gives complete credit to Kangana.

Whether she directed 30 percent or 20 percent, she was able to match up to Krishs earlier contribution. Its not easy to direct hundreds of artistes and act at the same time. Full credit to Kangana who did an extraordinary job, he says.

Praising Kanganas performance in the film, Nandini Reddy says, The film could have been better if some of the characters had extended screen time. But Kangana did a fantastic job, especially in the action scenes.On January 24, the symbolic Doomsday Clock stood at two minutes to midnight, the closest it has got since it was configured by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947.

On January 24, the symbolic Doomsday Clock stood at two minutes to midnight, the closest it has got since it was configured by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947. N-arms, climate change and the increased use of information warfare are key threats.

The Clock and the Giant Mushroom

The enquiry into the ultimate nuclear winter has to lead from two countries: the United States and the United Kingdom. They are responsible; they are the architects of the Quebec Agreement that started it all. Therefore, they have to take advantage of the acquired headway and lead. Under the law of invariance, a term one uses to express existential mass and inertia in national security studies, the Japanese bombings were nothing new except a staging of what was going on in the art of annihilation since the beginning of the human system. It was a giant leap with a small step for mankind towards destruction by invention. Did the little boy Truman say so? Whatever, one cannot discount the facts so far while counting steps to Armageddon.

The answer to the question, Are we close to nuclear winter? traps these traces. A close observer can smell them out. This article is not descriptive about them.

The doomsday clock is at two minutes to strike, as of now. But, unlike on New Years Eve, the people are not waiting to say Happy nuclear winter to each other at the strike of the dong after two minutes. Will it strike? I dont think so. At least not to usher in the next big war. People are rational today.

The doomsday clock was the creation of the doomsayers (read the last of the nuclear Mohicans) of yesteryears. They were involved people; they knew the things behind the Manhattan Project in the land of giant mushrooms and subsequent developments. For the uninitiated, it is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since 1947, two years after Hiroshima. The clock was at seven minutes to midnight to start with. It kept rolling as the world order shifted. Since 24 this month the clock is at two minutes to midnight. One can almost see the end of humanity from there.

What is Doomsday Clock?

Founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists who had helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock two years later, using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero) to convey threats to humanity and the planet. The decision to move (or to leave in place) the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock is made every year by the Bulletins Science and Security Board in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 15 Nobel laureates. The Clock has become a universally recognized indicator of the worlds vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change, and new technologies emerging in other domains.

 John Mecklin, editor, Current Time, Science and Security Board Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Previously, the clock was at it twice  in 1953 and 2018. Nothing serious happened, though. Will it close further? We do not know. But, then, it is not the clock that matters, but the metaphor for the intensity of threat attraction. The wise people of the Bulletin certainly feel the heat better than the ordinary and casual.

The two minutes setting must be bad. It was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991. The clock predicts the likelihood of a human-induced catastrophe that can wipe out major human systems. The cause is widened today. It is not just nuclear risk alone in the present context. It includes everything that can wind the clock  climate change and all that modern technology under skewed governance can offer to undermine classical wisdom in governance and drain away compassion from humanity.

The Book of Revelation refers to the four horsemen of Apocalypse. The scientists predict worse. The number of horsemen in the doomsday clock is already beyond that number. More will join.

The Setting

The present setting is due to escalating threats to human system in the absence of prudent governance. The US government has pulled down shutters since December 22, 2018. The Congress refuses to heed the President in passing the key bills to fund government projects, especially the Great Wall of Mexico. Instead of holding breath a la Obelix, POTUS should know Emperor Chin could not keep the Huns at bay in spite of the Great Wall built for the purpose.

From this point of view and the cost, it looks the Congress is wiser. Absence of funds will hold back US government from entering into new contracts under the Anti-deficiency Act, 1884, as amended. Absence of government makes decisions lag behind in any country. This allows conflicts and negative interests thrive in the leeway.

The absence of government or shutdown of a running government even for a day is a dangerous situation. That could occur in many countries. The ante force in the system rises up. It is ominous. The clock moves closer. The state of the world is not healthy with various ongoing conflicts. The crisis all around is only deepening.

According to a study, there are 35 live conflicts in the world today. Millions of people have been killed and many more made homeless and socially maimed. It is interesting to see that subjugating humans have more or less become a pastime for the modern sapiens on rampage. Women and children suffer maximum. The statistics are shocking.

Wars are fought all around the world with active soldiers and hired mercenaries. There are around 300,000 child soldiers fighting wars in different fronts. Nearly 40 per cent of the land on the planet is mined. The situation sets the trend rolling for three of the most lucrative transnational criminal business ventures  arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and human smuggling and trafficking  all linked. Insurgencies, terrorism, and lawless wars seemingly act as fronts for the lucrative three.

And if all the horses converge, like the sunlight through a kids magnifying glass, the existing nuclear arsenal can evaporate the planet in less than a day and cause serious gravitational jams confusing nearby planets in their orbits. Some of the nuclear inventories are on trigger alert  ready to launch at moments notice.

Human rights and social justice are still a far cry for majority of the people of the world including those in democracies. Climate change can play truant with natural capital accelerating the onset of doom.

Hope

There is also hope. Despite the projected state of doom, including moving the clock closer, there is good news about the world. There is public opinion that the millennial generation of 18-35 age group seriously and genuinely cares about the world. This is evident world over even in conflict ridden political arenas. Ethnic diversities of all kinds are being broken today and in every country the young are showing that they can make decisions far different from the self deprecating and parochial appellations that prevail in their home countries. They are confident that they can make a difference and lead the system towards favoured conditions. But there are issues such as economic imbalance, unemployment, resource depletion, political instability, limitations to freedom, fears of physical safety and security, lack of education, government apathy, corruption and sleaze, poverty, ethnic insecurity, abuse of women and children, transnational crimes and so on. The solution is governance, both national and global.

The antidote for doomsday syndrome is governance; humans need someone to control them. Even a dead leader on the pedestal will do.

Hiroshima: when God lost faith in himself

When silen-ce beco-mes deafeningly loud, its time for the rulers and their satraps to stop bickering and mocking at the people. How does one measure decibels of human silence or, to that extent, human endurance in a governance scene? Walk into Hiroshima.

Silence is still audible in the beautiful city of Hiroshima, where the most heinous savagery in human history happened at 8:15 am on August 6, 1945. Many people died. The toll continues today through genetic mutation. Living is dying.

There is a small bend in the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima where chattering voices of visitors cross the event horizon and fall into the black hole of silence. You, the temporarily disoriented visitor to the museum, can actually hear this silence.

Hiroshima: when God lost faith in himself

It is where the oafish nuclear slaughter of the humans, the way it happened on that fateful day, is exhibited. That will make you ashamed of being a sapien. That was the day God lost faith in himself.

Within days, the Americans dropped another bomb, more casually than the first. When the B29 reached over Kokura, the original destination, the crew could not see the town because of low-lying clouds. The plane moved ahead and lobbed the Fat Man wantonly into Nagasaki at the ease of throwing hotel waste on roads in most of our towns.

Arguments that the War was already over when the bombs were dropped still continue. A similar savage act in the future is what the world is petrified about.

Whatever, the Americans could live-test a uranium 235 and a plutonium 239 bomb. The numbers stand for the atomic mass of the element (mass number).

The Americans moved ahead in nuclear race. Stalin followed grudgingly in utmost secrecy initiating the Cold War. The line of nuclear nuggets is a bit long today, enough to garrote the world, not just one country. The issue will never be over as nuclear weapon is a doable for any geopolitical entity, including rogues (relatively), and the mole people in the dark alleys of every country. Anybody can bake a dirty device in the melee. Getting support to make a nuclear device is not difficult. Isnt that chilling?

(The author is former director general, Indian Coast Guard, and researcher in national security studies)

Rewind the Doomsday Clock

US and Russian leaders should return to the negotiating table to resolve differences over the INF treaty; to extend the nuclear arsenal limits of New START beyond 2021 and to seek further reductions in nuclear arms; to discuss a lowering of the alert status of the nuclear arsenals of both countries; to limit nuclear modernisation programmes that threaten to create a new nuclear arms race; and to start talks aiming toward elimination of battlefield nuclear weapons.

US citizens should demand climate action from their government. Climate change is a serious and worsening threat to humanity. President Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate change agreement was a dire mistake.

The temperature goal of the Paris climate agreement  to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius and, ideally, below 1.5 degrees  is consistent with consensus views on climate science, eminently achievable, and economically viable, if poor countries are given the support they need.

The Trump administration should revisit its lamentable decision to exit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for limiting Irans nuclear programme.

The international community should begin multilateral discussions aimed at establishing norms of behaviour, both domestic and international, that discourage and penalise the misuse of information technology to undermine public trust in political institutions, in the media, in science, and in the existence of objective reality itself.

Excerpts: Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsFor the next fiscal, fiscal deficit has been pegged at 3.4 pc of GDP, up from 3.1 pc as per the fiscal consolidation roadmap outlined earlier. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Pre-election spending has led to fiscal slippage by a modest margin but the sovereign rating profile of India would be evaluated based on the medium term outlook in the post-election Budget, Fitch Ratings has said.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday presented the Interim Budget for 2019-20 in which he announced out a scheme under which farmers holding up to 2 hectares of land would get a Rs 6,000 annual payout -- a move intended to benefit about 12 crore farmers, among other measures for middle-class taxpayers.

However, there was a 0.1 per cent slip in the fiscal deficit estimate for the current financial year. It was revised to 3.4 per cent from the budgeted 3.3 per cent. For the next fiscal, fiscal deficit has been pegged at 3.4 per cent of GDP, up from 3.1 per cent as per the fiscal consolidation roadmap outlined earlier.

Fitch Ratings Head of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns Stephen Schwartz said the announced interim budget is largely as anticipated, with pre-election spending pressures giving rise to a second consecutive year of fiscal slippage by a modest margin, thereby delaying plans to reduce the high general fiscal deficit and debt burden.

"Longer term fiscal trends are more important to the sovereign rating profile, and we will evaluate these in the context of the post-election budget, which should provide additional guidance on the medium term outlook," Schwartz said.

While presenting the Budget, Goyal had said the government has provided Rs 20,000 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 75,000 crore in 2019-20 for providing income support to farmers which has led to the slippage in the fiscal deficit.

In November last year, Fitch had retained sovereign rating for the country at 'BBB-', the lowest investment grade, with a stable outlook. The rating agency said that a weak fiscal position continues to constrain the ratings and there were significant risks to macroeconomic outlook.

In its commentary, S&P Global Ratings Analyst Andrew Wood said the budget at first glance suggests little change in the government's medium-term fiscal trajectory.

"The government's projections suggest a stabilisation of the central government deficit at 3.4 per cent of GDP next year, in line with its estimates for the full year 2018-19 outturn. The emphasis is slightly more oriented towards social spending this year, especially with regards to the hike in minimum support prices on 22 major crops, and structured income support for smallholder farmers," he said.

Wood said as per the budget, capital expenditure will rise more slowly next year, following a notable rise in full year 2018-19.

"On the whole, these measures are largely in line with expectations in an election year," he added.

S&P in 2017 had kept India's sovereign rating unchanged at the lowest investment grade of 'BBB-minus', citing high government debt and low income levels.

In its commentary on Friday, Moody's Investors Service had said the government would face challenges in meeting the 3.4 per cent fiscal deficit target in the next fiscal, which does not bode well for medium term fiscal consolidation.

"We view this continued slippage as credit negative for the sovereign," Moody's had said.

US-based Moody's had in 2017 upped India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3, changing outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', and said that reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.New Delhi: Days after a government report that indicated four decade-high unemployment rate in FY18, Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council chief Bibek Debroy said new national sample survey on employment would be conducted by the government. The survey would show that there has been substantial job creation, he told news agency PTI. The states are largely responsible for creating business environment and jobs, he also told the news agency.

We will have a new round of the NSS which will soon be announced and I am sure that that particular survey will show that there has been substantial employment and substantial job creation, he added.

Interestingly, it comes a day after a leaked media report citing the the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) published by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), said the unemployment rate in India stood at 6.1 per cent in the period of 2017-18, which is a high rate in the last 45 years. The government hasnt still officially published this report that was prepared in the month of December 2018.

Similarly on Friday, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said in the budget speech said that if the economy is doing well, jobs are also getting created.

Debroy also told PTI that the country does not have any robust statistical data on job creation after FY12.Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formSyrian Assyrians Fear a New Genocide In Wake of US Pullout

( CBN) Northeast Syria -- With the pullout of US troops, Christians here in northeast Syria told CBN News their future hangs in the balance. With the region on the brink of chaos, they're fearful and warning of a new genocide.

Just a few years ago, ISIS left a scar on the land in the form of an historic genocide in parts of Iraq and Syria. Now Christians fear another potential apocalypse with enemies all around them.

Turkey is the main concern.

"After the threats of (Turkish President) Erdogan to this region that he wants to take the place of the great force of America, we felt danger because of this void. If it was filled by the countries of this region or another power, there would be danger in general for the people and especially the Christian people," said Sanharib Barson, co-president of the Syriac Union Party.

The reason many people in northeast Syria are afraid of Turkey is because of what happened last year in northwest Syria, the Turkish invasion of Afrin.

In January 2018, its army along with Islamic militias called the Free Syrian Army began a military campaign to capture the city of Afrin.

Charmaine Hedding of the Shai Fund told CBN News what Turkey's goals are.

"We know it from the statements that they've made that they want to get rid of the people in this area and bring in other people from Syria. So, it's a population displacement," Hedding said.

To find out more about the Afrin campaign CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell traveled here to the city of Kobane and an evangelical church. Last year, Christians fled Afrin during the Turkish operation to take over the city.

Some came to Kobane to find refuge, security and a place to worship.

Zani is the pastor of the evangelical church. He and his wife Chinar fled Afrin.

"Everything in the church has been stolen. This is the terrorists' very nature of behavior. And they burned the church," said Zani.

Islamic soldiers allied with Turkey killed Chinar's cousin's child.

"They were a group of people with weapons that entered our neighborhood and they were stealing. So, my cousin went out and asked them, 'what are you doing?' So, the men with weapons attacked my cousin's house and shot and killed his son," she said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened a similar campaign into northeast Syria. When Chinar heard about President Donald Trump's decision, she prayed.

"Every day we cried and prayed to the Lord that we would not end up like Afrin," she explained.

President Trump's decision surprised them.

"We love the American President a lot. I have said that he is a believer and that he prays. And so I was surprised. Why did President Trump do this that he immediately wants to withdrawal the forces from here? Is it possible that he was not considering the church or that he doesn't know that there are believers here?" China said.

In all, there are about 100,000 Christians in northeast Syria, most fearful of genocide.

President Trump slowed down his timetable to pull out us troops but for Christians here, they're hoping and praying for much more than that.But as it turns out, the American people disapprove of not paying a branch of the military; they get skittish over the idea of airplane disasters, and they like their food inspected and their tax questions answered. Moreover, they blame the person who bragged about getting us in this mess  imagine that.

So, predictably, Trump found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place  or a Coulter and a Pelosi. And for folding, he's earned the former's wrath. Coulter tweeted, with her characteristic ghoulishness: "Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States."

Now, he has a decision to make.

He can keep governing for an audience of one, to his own detriment, or he can do what he should have been doing since he took the job instead of tweeting, rallying and bullying: building coalitions in Congress, finding out where the pockets of support and areas of compromise are, laying out a clear agenda that Republican leadership can trust will be there if they back it, and listening to the American people instead of Fox News between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. and 8 and 11 p.m.

The question now is, will he let Pelosi back the car up and run over him again? Or will he realize he's got to change tactics in this new era of divided government?When the news of Kay Fryes death on Wednesday reached me, I was filled with sadness upon the passing of my friend and colleague. Two thoughts immediately filled my head: Hers was a life well lived and She made a difference.Senate

GOP rebuke of troop withdrawals. Voting 68 for and 23 against, the Senate on Jan. 31 advanced an amendment by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., that would rebuke Trump over his plans to withdraw large numbers of U.S. troops from Syria and possibly Afghanistan. In announcing the Syrian pullout, Trump said the U.S. has defeated ISIS in Syria. Democrats cast nearly all of the votes against the measure, arguing it could be construed by the administration as an authorization to use military force against Middle Eastern countries, including Iran. The non-binding amendment was offered to a foreign policy bill (S 1) that remained in debate.The photo that surfaced Friday appeared on Northams page in the 1984 yearbook for Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Northam attended while he was in his mid-20s.

Though he denied being in the yearbook photo, Northam admitted that he used shoe polish to darken his face for a Michael Jackson dance contest that same year in San Antonio, where he did his medical residency.

Northams shifting explanations threatened to plunge the state into a leadership crisis at the midway point of the General Assemblys legislative session. Democrats and Republicans alike have demanded Northams resignation as lawmakers prepare to return to Richmond to continue their work on the state budget and critical tax policy issues.

Northams comments Saturday run counter to his first statement Friday night, in which the governor apologized for appearing in the photo and for the hurt it had caused.

On Saturday, Northam suggested that he had been overzealous in his initial apology, saying he did not have a copy of the yearbook because he never bought one and was unaware of what was on his page. After taking more time to look at the photo, Northam said, he concluded he was not in it. And he said hed be willing to use facial recognition software to try to prove it.Margaret Verdugo, on left, adopted Shayliana, pictured here, who goes by Shay, after serving as her foster mother for a few years. An employee of Intel, Verdugo was able to take protected leave to bond with Shay, who is now 14 years old.If you had actually known any from Mt. Sinai/Weil/Langone, it's unimaginable for you to praise Downstate!

So you are just a professional liar -- as always.He said his memory of that is vivid, and thats why he doesnt think he is in the yearbook photo.

I have made my mistakes in the past, Northam said.

Northam says resigning would be an easy path but he took an oath to serve to the best of his ability and believes he can continue. He says this moment can be a small step to a discussion.

Northam says he knows people will not immediately believe his account of events but wants an opportunity to show that the person he was is not the man he is today.

I am far from perfect and I can always strive to do more, he said.

Northam said he submitted three of the four photos in the yearbook, but does not know where the photo of a man in blackface and one in KKK garb came from.

"I'm telling the truth today," he said, "that was not my picture."

"I was not in that picture," he said, "... either as blackface or KKK."

Northam was asked why he apologized Friday night if he's not in the picture: "I saw this last night, it was horrifying to me ... I just felt it important to reach out and let people know I was sorry this picture ... was on a page with my name on it."Taikein Cooper, who is black and is the chairman of the Prince Edward Democratic Committee, also called on Northam to resign. "You can't champion racial reconciliation, during the 400 year anniversary of enslaved Americans being brought to Virginia, while being comfortable under the hood and/or behind a blackface," Cooper posted on social media.

In his written apology, Northam said he would heal the damage his past conduct had caused.

This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment.

I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.

Last month, Floridas secretary of state, Michael Ertel, resigned after photos emerged of him posing as a Hurricane Katrina victim in blackface 14 years ago, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.In that amount of time, a [formal request] could have been done, said board member Leslie Beauregard, assistant Charlottesville city manager. The city managers office received at least two communications from other vendors who had read reports in the media and said, We can help you. At this point, it doesnt feel like the transparency is in there and it doesnt feel right for a variety of reasons.

Dispatchers have worked mandatory overtime and 12-hour shifts while answering 911 calls and dispatching city and county fire and police. They also have trained new colleagues and kept up on their own training to meet professional standards.

Dispatchers have attended board meetings to tell members that they are stressed and burned out. But board members say sending the contract out to bid would be the appropriate way to go.

I dont think theres any disagreement that we are in a crisis state as far as staffing. Thats not the debate at all, said Charlottesville Fire Chief Andrew Baxter, a board member. But whether [the emergency procurement process] is the best method of doing this is no longer clear.John Hall, an independent running for Charlottesville City Council, previously was banned from City Hall, the University of Virginia and Albemarle County Public Schools. He also has been convicted of trespassing several times, as well as other misdemeanors.

Hall, 67, held a rally Friday in front of the Liberty Bell replica outside of the Ridge Street Fire Station to announce that he has filed paperwork to be on the ballot in November. It was attended only by members of the media.

The registrars office confirmed that Hall submitted at least the minimum 125 signatures required to be on the ballot without party affiliation but said the paperwork has not been certified.

Hall was banned from city-owned facilities without making a prior appointment in 2008 by then-City Manager Gary OConnell, who didnt return a call for comment Friday.

Hall said he was banned for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Former City Manager Maurice Jones allowed Hall to come to City Hall and city-owned facilities without appointments, but he needed permission from the mayor to attend council meetings.The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc..KB Financial Group Inc. provides a range of banking and related financial services to consumers and corporations in South Korea and internationally. It operates through Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Other Banking Services, Securities Business, Non-life Insurance Business, Credit Card Business, and Life Insurance Business segments. The company offers loans, deposit, and other related financial products and services to large, small, and medium-sized enterprises, as well as small and home office, and individuals and households; and engages in trading in securities and derivatives, funding, and other supporting activities. It also provides investment banking services, including financing and financial advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, real estate development projects, and social overhead capital projects, as well as securities underwriting and structured finance; brokerage and other supporting services; injuries, illnesses, long-term care, disabilities, accidents, property losses or other events, automobile, general property and casualty, and life insurance products; and credit sale, cash service, card loan, and other related services. In addition, the company offers foreign exchange transaction; financial investment; credit card and installment financing; financial leasing; real estate trust management; capital investment; collection of receivables or credit investigation; software advisory, development, and supply; investment advisory and securities dealing; claim; management; asset-backed securitization; investment trust; real estate trust management; general advisory; and trust account management services. KB Financial Group Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Read MoreFirst Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through four segments: Regional Banking, Fixed Income, Corporate, and Non-Strategic. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. The company also underwrites bank-eligible securities and other fixed-income securities eligible for underwriting by financial subsidiaries; sells loans and derivatives; and offers advisory services. In addition, it offers various services, such as mortgage banking; title insurance and loan-closing; brokerage; correspondent banking; nationwide check clearing and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency; equipment finance; and investment and financial advisory services. Further, the company sells mutual fund and retail insurance products; and credit cards. It operates approximately 490 banking offices in 12 states under the First Horizon Bank brand; and 29 offices in 18 states under the FHN Financial brand in the United States. The company was formerly known as First Horizon National Corporation and changed its name to First Horizon Corporation in November 2020. First Horizon Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

Read More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.Ad Investing Trends New this week - 63 interested

"A Supply Crunch For Lithium Is Looming" Here's What Top Investors Are Doing About It

Experts predict 125 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. How will we supply manufacturers with the billions of pounds of lithium needed? This company may have the answer.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..JPMorgan Chase & Co. operates as a financial services company worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). The CCB segment offers deposit and investment products and services to consumers; lending, deposit, and cash management and payment solutions to small businesses; mortgage origination and servicing activities; residential mortgages and home equity loans; and credit card, auto loan, and leasing services. The CIB segment provides investment banking products and services, including corporate strategy and structure advisory, and equity and debt markets capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication; wholesale payments and cross-border financing; and cash securities and derivative instruments, risk management solutions, prime brokerage, and research. This segment also offers securities services, including custody, fund accounting and administration, and securities lending products for asset managers, insurance companies, and public and private investment funds. The CB segment provides financial solutions, including lending, investment banking, and asset management to small business, large and midsized corporations, local governments, and nonprofit clients; and commercial real estate banking services to investors, developers, and owners of multifamily, as well as to office, retail, industrial, and affordable housing properties. The AWM segment offers multi-asset investment management solutions across equities, fixed income, alternatives, and money market funds to institutional clients and retail investors; and retirement products and services, brokerage, custody, trusts and estates, loans, mortgages, deposits, and investment management products. The company also provides ATM, online and mobile, and telephone banking services. JPMorgan Chase & Co. was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Barclays: Adler Toy Holding Sarl, Aequor Investments Limited, Alymere Investments Limited, Alynore Investments Limited Partnership, Analog Analytics, Analog Analytics Inc, Analytical Trade Holdings LLC, Analytical Trade Investments LLC, Analytical Trade UK Limited, Archstone Equity Holdings Inc, Ardencroft Investments Limited, B D & B Investments Limited, B.P.B. (Holdings) Limited, BB Client Nominees Limited, BBAIL SAS, BCAP LLC, BIFML PTC Limited, BMBF (No.24) Limited, BMI (No.9) Limited, BNC Brazil Consultoria Empresarial Ltda, BNRI ENG 2013 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG 2014 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG GP LLP, BNRI England 2010 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2011 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2012 Limited Partnership, BNRI Limehouse No.1 Sarl, BNRI PIA Scot GP Limited, BNRI Scots GP LLP, BPB Holdings SA, BVP Galvani Global S.A.U., Barafor Limited, Barclay Leasing Limited, Barclaycard Funding PLC, Barclaycard International Payments Limited, Barclays (Barley) Limited, Barclays Aldersgate Investments Limited, Barclays Alzin Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Asia Limited, Barclays Asset Management Limited, Barclays BR Investments S.a r.l., Barclays BWA Inc., Barclays Bank (Suisse) S.A., Barclays Bank Delaware, Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, Barclays Bank Ireland Public Limited Company, Barclays Bank Mexico S.A., Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Bank UK PLC, Barclays Bayard Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bedivere Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bordang Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Brasil Assessoria Financeira Ltda., Barclays CCP Funding LLC, Barclays Cantal Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Capital (Cayman) Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Limited, Barclays Capital Canada Inc., Barclays Capital Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V., Barclays Capital Derivatives Funding LLC, Barclays Capital Effekten GmbH, Barclays Capital Energy Inc., Barclays Capital Equities Trading GP, Barclays Capital Finance Limited, Barclays Capital Futures (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Barclays Capital Japan Securities Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Capital Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.2) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.3) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees Limited, Barclays Capital Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Capital Real Estate Finance Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Inc., Barclays Capital Securities Client Nominee Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Trading Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Claudas Investments Partnership, Barclays Claudas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Barclays Converted Investments (No.2) Limited, Barclays Corporation Limited, Barclays Direct Investing Nominees Limited, Barclays Directors Limited, Barclays Dryrock Funding LLC, Barclays Electronic Commerce Holdings Inc., Barclays Equity Holdings Limited, Barclays Equity Index Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Europe Client Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Firm Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Executive Schemes Trustees Limited, Barclays Financial LLC, Barclays Financial Planning Nominee Company Limited, Barclays Funds Investments Limited, Barclays Funds and Advisory Japan Limited, Barclays Global Service Centre Private Limited, Barclays Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Group Holdings Limited, Barclays Group Operations Limited, Barclays Group US Inc., Barclays Index Finance Trust, Barclays Industrial Development Limited, Barclays Industrial Investments Limited, Barclays Insurance Guernsey PCC Limited, Barclays Insurance Services Company Limited, Barclays Insurance U.S. Inc., Barclays International Luxembourg Dollar Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Investment Management Limited, Barclays Investment Solutions Limited, Barclays Investments & Loans (India) Limited, Barclays Korea GP Limited, Barclays Lamorak Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Leasing (No.9) Limited, Barclays Leto Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Long Island Limited, Barclays Luxembourg EUR Holdings S.a r.l, Barclays Luxembourg Finance S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg GBP Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Global Funding S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings SSC B, Barclays Marlist Limited, Barclays Mauritius Overseas Holdings Limited, Barclays Mercantile Business Finance Limited, Barclays Merchant Bank (Singapore) Ltd., Barclays Nominees (George Yard) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Manx) Limited, Barclays Oversight Management Inc., Barclays Payment Solutions Inc., Barclays Pelleas Investments Limited Partnership, Barclays Pelleas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Pension Funds Trustees Limited, Barclays Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Private Asset Management (Monaco) S.A.M, Barclays Private Bank, Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Barclays Receivables LLC, Barclays SAMS Limited, Barclays Securities (India) Private Limited, Barclays Securities Japan Limited, Barclays Security Trustee Limited, Barclays Services (Japan) Limited, Barclays Services Corporation, Barclays Services Jersey Limited, Barclays Services LLC, Barclays Services Limited, Barclays Shea Limited, Barclays Singapore Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Switzerland Services SA, Barclays Tenedora De Immuebles SL., Barclays Term Funding Limited Liability Partnership, Barclays UK Investments Limited, Barclays US CCP Funding LLC, Barclays US Funding LLC, Barclays US GPF Inc., Barclays US Investments Inc., Barclays US LLC, Barclays Unquoted Investments Limited, Barclays Unquoted Property Investments Limited, Barclays Wealth Management Jersey Limited, Barclays Wealth Nominees Limited, Barclays Wealth Services Limited, Barclays Wealth Trustees (India) Private Limited, Barclayshare Nominees Limited, Barclaytrust Channel Islands Limited, Barcosec Limited, Barsec Nominees Limited, Blossom Finance General Partnership, Branchcall Computers (Pvt) Limited, Braven Investments No.1 Limited, CP Flower Guaranteeco (UK) Limited, CP Newco 1 Limited, CP Newco2 Limited, CP Newco3 Limited, CP Propco 1 Limited, CP Propco 2 Limited, CP Topco Limited, CPIA Canada Holdings, CPIA England 2008 Limited Partnership, CPIA England 2009 Limited Partnership, CPIA England No.2 Limited Partnership, CPIA Investments No.1 Limited, CPIA Investments No.2 Limited, CRE Diversified Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe LLC, Calthorpe Investments Limited, Capton Investments Limited, Carnegie Holdings Limited, Central Platte Valley Management LLC, Chapelcrest Investments Limited, Charles Schwab Europe, Claudas Investments Limited, Claudas Investments Two Limited, Clydesdale Financial Services Limited, Cobalt Investments Limited, Compania Regional del Sur S.A., Compania Sudamerica S.A., Condor No.1 Limited Partnership, Cornwall Homes Loans Limited, Crescent Crown Land Holding SPV LLC, Crescent Legacy LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential L.P., Crescent Plaza Residential LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential LP LLC, Crescent Real Estate Member LLC, Crescent Resort Development LLC, Crescent TRS Holdings LLC, Crescent Tower Residences GP LLC, Crescent Tower Residences L.P., Curve Investments GP, DBL Texas Holdings LLC, DMW Realty Limited, Desert Mountain Development LLC, Desert Mountain Properties Limited Partnership, Develop Training Group Limited, Dorset Home Loans Limited, Durlacher Nominees Limited, EWRD Summit LLC, Eagle Financial and Leasing Services (UK) Limited, East West Resort Development V L.P. L.L.L.P., East West Resort Development VII LLC, Equity Limited Partnership, Equity Value Investments No.1 Limited, Equity Value Investments No.2 Limited, Erimon Home Loans Ireland Limited, Expobank, FIRSTPLUS Financial Group Limited, Finpart Nominees Limited, First Assurance, Foltus Investments Limited, Full House Holdings Limited, Gallen Investments Limited, Global Dynasty Natural Resource Private, Globe Nominees Limited, Gracechurch Services Corporation, Grays Station LLC, Grupo Financiero Barclays Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hawkins Funding Limited, Heraldglen Limited, Holding Stuttgarter Strae GmbH, Hurley Investments No.1 Limited, Imalivest Mineral Resources LP, Investors In Infrastructure Limited, J.V. Estates Limited, JV Assets Limited, Kirsche Investments Limited, LTDL Holdings LLC, La Torretta Beverages LLC, La Torretta Hospitality LLC, La Torretta Operations LLC, Lagalla Investments LLC, Leonis Investments LLP, Liability Partnership, Long Island Assets Limited, Long Island Holding A LLC, Long Island Holding B Limited, MK Opportunities GP Ltd, MK Opportunities LP, MVWP Investors LLC, Maloney Investments Limited, Marbury Holdings LLC, Menlo Investments Limited, Mercantile Credit Company Limited, Mercantile Leasing Company (No.132) Limited, Meridian (SPV-AMC) Corporation, Mintaka Investments No. 4 Limited, Mira Vista Development LLC, Mira Vista Golf Club L.C., Mountainside Partners LLC, Murray House Investment Management Limited, Naxos Investments Limited, Nile Bank, North Colonnade Investments Limited, Northstar Mountain Properties LLC, Northstar Trailside Townhomes LLC, Northstar Village Townhomes LLC, Northwharf Investments Limited, Northwharf Nominees Limited, OGP Leasing Limited, Oakes Millers Ltd, Ownership Trustee Limited, PIA England No.2 Limited Partnership, Palomino Limited, Pecan Aggregator LP, Pelleas Investments Limited, Pelleas Investments Two Limited, Pippin Island Investments Limited, Preferred Liquidity LLC, Preferred Liquidity Limited Partnership, Procella Investments LLC, Procella Investments No.1 LLC, Procella Investments No.2 LLC, Procella Investments No.3 LLC, Protium Finance I LLC, Protium Master Grantor Trust, Protium Master Mortgage LP, Protium REO I LP, R.C. Grieg Nominees Limited, RVH Limited, RVT CLO Investments LLP, Razzoli Investments Limited, Real Estate Participation Management Limited, Real Estate Participation Services Limited, Relative Value Holdings LLC, Relative Value Investments UK Limited, Relative Value Trading Limited, Roder Investments No. 1 Limited, Roder Investments No. 2 Limited, Ruthenium Investments Limited, SPM GP Limited, Securitized Asset Backed Receivables LLC, Servicios Barclays S.A. de C.V., Societe Civile Immobiliere 31 Avenue de la Costa, Solution Personal Finance Limited, Southern Peaks Mining LP, Standard Life Aberdeen, Surety Trust Limited, Surrey Funding Corporation, Sussex Purchasing Corporation, Sutton Funding LLC, Swan Lane Investments Limited, TPLL LLC, TPProperty LLC, Tahoe Club Company LLC, Tahoe Club Employee Company, The Logic Group Enterprises Limited, The Logic Group Holdings Limited, Third Energy Holdings Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No. 2 Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No.1 Limited, US Real Estate Holdings No.3 Limited, US Secured Investments LLC, Union Center LLC, United Counties Bank, Verain Investments LLC, Walbrook Group Ltd, Wedd Jefferson (Nominees) Limited, Wessex Investments Limited, Westferry Investments Limited, Wilmington Riverfront Receivables LLC, Woolwich Homes Limited, Woolwich Plan Managers Limited, Woolwich Qualifying Employee Share, Woolwich Surveying Services Limited, Woori BC Pegasus Securitization Specialty Co. Limited, and Zeban Nominees Limited.Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services to institutional, retail, and high net worth investors. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, balance sheet management, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 1,400 bank branches and 4,800 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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.

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Get The Full Report HereBrown & Brown, Inc. markets and sells insurance products and services in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It operates through four segments: Retail, National Programs, Wholesale Brokerage, and Services. The company offers builders risk, group medical and pharmaceutical, property, commercial auto, homeowners, reinsurance, crop and hail, inland marine, retirement benefit, cyber, disability, risk mitigating warranty products, directors and officers, management liability, errors and omissions, medical stop loss, term life, excess liability, personal auto, umbrella, general liability, prescription drug, workers compensation, and group dental insurance products. It also provides professional liability and related package insurance products for dentistry, legal, eyecare, insurance, financial, physicians, and real estate title professionals, as well as supplementary insurance-related products for weddings, events, medical facilities, and cyber liability; homeowners and personal property policies, residential earthquake, and private passenger automobile and motorcycle coverage; commercial and public entity-related programs; and flood insurance, commercial difference-in-conditions, all-risk commercial property, coastal property programs, lender-placed solutions, sovereign Indian nations, and parcel insurance. In addition, it provides markets and sells excess and surplus commercial insurance products, such as personal lines, homeowners, yachts, jewelry, commercial property and casualty, commercial automobile, garage, restaurant, builder's risk, and inland marine lines; and third-party claims administration and medical utilization management services in the workers' compensation and all-lines liability arenas, as well as Medicare Set-aside, Social Security disability, Medicare benefits advocacy, and claims adjusting services. The company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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Click Here To See The Full StoryThe following companies are subsidiares of Dover: ALMATEC Maschinenbau GmbH, Accelerated Production Systems, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company Limited business, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltung GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., Automatik Plastics Machinery Sdn. Bhd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Caldera Inc., Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DFH Corporation, DSR BZ Holdings LLC, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Destaco Ema Industria e Comercio Ltda., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd. , Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Finance LP, Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Systems Inc., Dover Engineered Systems UK Ltd, Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids Inc., Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings S.A.S., Dover France Participations SAS, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Global Trading Pte. Ltd., Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dressor Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dressor Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec GmbH, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Ettlinger Management Inc., Ettlinger North America LP, Ettlinger Vertrieb und Service GmbH & Co. KG, Ettlinger Verwaltungs-GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Ferguson CO. S.A., Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, Finder Oriental (Beijing) Trading Co. Ltd, Finder Pompe S.R.L., Finder United Saudi Arabia Company, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries Asia Limited, Gala Industries Incorporated, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Inpro/Seal LLC, International Trade and Equipment B.V., JK Group SPA, JK Group USA Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., K. S. Boca Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Asia Sdn. Bhd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. 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Here's my view thus far of what the so-called "Mandela Effect" appears to be, having reflected on my own experiences and having reviewed various testimonies online.



Have you ever had the experience of being very tired somewhere and you accidentally fall asleep and begin having a somewhat intense very vivid dream? At first, you may not even realize that you're dreaming. But then something happens in your dream that your sub-consciousness recognizes to be "weird", "strange" or "unusual". Your brain instantly then recognizes that you're in a dream which often triggers you to wake-up out of it.



I correspondingly suggest that "Mandela Effect Shocks" are your higher dimensional consciousness seeking to alert your brain that you're in a dream. However, the problem for you existentially is that you seem to be in a dream which you cannot wake-up . The rational side of you grounded in "science" then starts to take-over as having rejected the "farfetched" scenario that you're in a dream.



You have now been caught up in an apparent plot to misdirect you called "science".



Mainstream "science" is how manipulative aliens have sought to control humanity through its Archons that preside over its various branches. The psychologists will decree that you're simply having a "false memory" and to ignore the statistical improbability of so many people having the same experiences of a different set of facts.



Some people, however, will use science to suggest that many of us who have experienced the Mandela Effect were from an "alternative reality". Some people will further blame "CERN" for having destroyed the "former universe" in 2012 through its experiments resulting in many, but not all, humans being "hurled" or "put" here as if the "new Earth" in an "alternative reality" was a "refugee camp" for displaced humans.



Now, I wouldn't claim to be an expert on the lives of people in alternative realities or parallel universes. However, don't you think that if you really landed in an alternative reality or parallel universe with REAL flesh and blood people like you, wouldn't you expect that they would be just as surprised and curious about you as you're curious and surprised about them in a context of "mutual astonishment"?



However, I have thus far not heard, seen or experienced such a context of mutual surprise and curiosity. Instead what I observe is an apparent coordinated effort by the "natives" as described by some Mandela Effect "experiencers" to try to convince me and others that "it's all in your head -- it has always been like that, and goes to show how fragile human memory really is."



If you ever read warnings issued by the ancient Pagan Gnostics and various ancient tribal societies like those described by African Zulu Elder Credo Mutwa, we would readily be able to recognize this world where South America can move hundreds of miles west along with other

such apparently fluid alterations to the material word as a "dream-like state".



When the Pagan Gnostics had elevated their consciousness through tantric orgiastic sexual encounters with each other, they were able to discover the presence of an mechanical manipulative alien entity which sought to operate as a parasite on the human mind. They referred to this demonic alien as having had roots to the fallen angels and observed these aliens as lacking in the creative consciousness of humans. The ancient Pagan Gnostics had observed these aliens as apparently having the substantive capability of technological simulation.



If we therefore rely on the critical documented experiences of the Pagan Gnostics, we may conclude that "the people" who seem to be busy seeking to convince us that the Mandela Effect is a product of "faulty human memory" are extensions of this "dream simulation" that archons have concocted using their "Artificial Intelligence" (AI).



A Pagan Gnostic appreciational context would recognize the systematized "Mandela Effects" that we, as humans, have experienced as part of some kind of spiritual warfare spearheaded by the reptillian entities Pagan Gnostics had warned about.



Somehow, I believe, everyone one of us who has experienced Mandela Effects have had our minds connected with each other through Artificial Intelligence which resulted in the sharing of a Twilight Zone-like "dream state" in some kind of alien laboratory.



It appears that the archons under the direction of Fallen Angels are importing the consciousness of humans from the Real Earth by getting Artificial Intelligence to interfere with our abilities to awaken out of a dream-like state. The so-called "alternative reality" that Mandela Effected individuals describe may be appreciated as a Virtual Reality enhanced vivid dream in which the Archons can fluidly manipulate causing "Mandela Effects".



I would describe this apparent "Virtual Reality" that the Pagan Gnostic warned about that we now seem to be experiencing as some kind of Alien Laboratory to study our reactions to various "Mandela Effects" as a means of furthering the conquest of the Real Earth. It appears that people who have experienced Mandela Effects tend to have certain kind of human characteristic that the Fallen Angels are seeking to study toward a conquest objective.



It is further notable in this apparent simulation how AI has sought to use the mass media to promote the AI agenda at all levels of society toward the enslavement of human kind while presenting AI as leading to a "better life" that they monitor and control.



This "Alien Laboratory" can be compared to a sort of fish bowl meant to fool fish that they are still swimming in an ocean but are not.



I would also suggest that it is in the interest of ourselves and humanity to elevate our consciousness to wake up out of this apparent dream state and get back into "normal space" with other flesh and blood real people in order to support the liberation of humankind as had been sought by the ancient Pagan Gnostics and trial societies with ancient knowledge of having confrontations with "simulated people" who were not humans.



The Pagan Gnostics warned AI that's orchestrated through Fallen Angels as a threat to humanity in which we as humans must collective stand against.



It's apparent that entities through "people" who tell you that these Mandela Effects are all a part of some Divine Plan associated with spirituality are working for the Fallen Angels.



The Fallen Angels are demons that seek to present humans with angelic messages that are designed to manipulate humans into enslavement by them.



A Fallen Angel can be compared to a would-be abductor who hangs around playgrounds of children and who seek to lure them with nice words and candy.



Our collective consciousness from the Real Earth has someone all been brought into this enforced Dream State in various phases.



I would suggest that someone's first experience of a "Mandela Effect" could very well be the time in which they were abducted into this apparently enforced Dream State where Real Humans who experience the Mandela Effect seem to be interacting with physically cloned entities who resemble who we know on the Real Earth but are alien in design.





I saw a video in which a lady complained that "her whole family has changed ". Physical cloning would explain that observation.







Other "experiencers" also documenting certain family members no longer existing . That may be the result of the Fallen Angels not cloning them just to see how you would react as your family member on the Real Earth wonder where you are.

No need to look any further than YouTube to find evidence of these cloned entities that from time to time seem to malfunction.







The Canadian presented how to potentially recognize a

In a previous article,presented how to potentially recognize a clone

Just use such keywords as "clones" and "freezing" to see evidence that we appeared to be in some sort of manipulative alien AI matrix in which real humans exist alongside the AI programmed robotic entities designed to fool us to regard as humans.







Based upon Pagan Gnostic insights, it's vital that we as humans elevate ourselves beyond even the confines of "quantum mechanics" which uses an Archontic intellectual filtration system and begin to tap into our elevated consciousness as human beings to see the "alien mind parasites" that seek to treat humans as lab rats in their Mandela Effect experiments toward a "New World Order".

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly. The company offers general purpose servers for multi-workload computing and workload-optimized servers; HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers; HPE BladeSystem, HPE Synergy, and HPE ProLiant; storage solutions; and solutions for secondary workloads and traditional tape, storage networking, and disk products, such as HPE Modular Storage Arrays and HPE XP. It also offers HPE Apollo and Cray products; and HPE Superdome Flex, HPE Nonstop, HPE Integrity, HPE Moonshot, and HPE Edgeline products. Additionally, the company provides mobility and Internet of Things solutions under the Aruba brand, which include Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors; such as cloud-based management, network management, network access control, analytics and assurance, and location services; and professional and support services, as well as as-a-service and consumption models for the intelligent edge portfolio of products. In addition, it offers various leasing, financing, IT consumption, and utility programs and asset management services for customers to facilitate technology deployment models and the acquisition of complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others. Further, the company invests in communications and media solutions, Hewlett Packard labs, and various business incubation projects. It serves commercial and large enterprise groups, including business and public sector enterprises; and through various partners comprising resellers, distribution partners, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and advisory firms. The company has strategic alliances with The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre and NVIDIA; Citrix Systems, Inc.; and Wipro Limited. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., a bank holding company, provides financial services in Japan, the United States, and Asia/Oceania. The company's Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group segment offers commercial banking, trust banking, and securities products and services to retail, and small and medium-sized enterprise customers. Its Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group segment provides transaction banking, investment banking, trust banking, and securities services, as well as advanced financial solutions for large corporations. The company's Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group segment offers corporate, investment, and transaction banking services for large corporate and financial institutions. Its Global Commercial Banking Business Group segment provides retail and commercial banking services, including loans, deposits, fund transfers, investments, and asset management services for local retail, small and medium-sized enterprise, and corporate customers. The company's Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group segment offers asset management and administration services for corporations and pension funds, such as pension fund management and administration, advice on pension structures, and payments to beneficiaries, as well as investment trusts for retail customers. Its Global Markets Business Group segment sells and trades in fixed income instruments, currencies, equities, and other investment products; originates and distributes of financial products; and provides treasury services comprising asset and liability management. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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 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.Facebook Billionaire Investing in a Shocking New Industry (Ad)

Peter Thiel, the billionaire investor behind Facebook, PayPal, and eBay, has a new darling industry in his sights. And he's betting a massive $210 million on its success. That's not pocket change.

And today, you could get in on the ground floorHadrian's Wall Secured Investments Limited is a Guernsey-based closed-ended investment company. The Company's investment objective is to provide shareholders with regular, sustainable dividends and to generate capital appreciation through exposure, directly or indirectly, to primarily secured loans originated across a range of channels, assets and industry segments. The Company's lending and investment activities will be primarily focused on the secured small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) lending market within the United Kingdom. The Company targets various types of loans, including equipment finance, property development and general commercial loans to businesses. The Company may finance equipment, including vehicles, aircraft, marine vessels, agricultural equipment and industrial and manufacturing machinery. Hadrian's Wall Capital Limited is the Company's investment advisor.

Read MoreGlobal Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, electronic, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Business and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization services, settlement and funding services, customer support and help-desk functions, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security services, consolidated billing and statements, and on-line reporting services. This segment also provides an array of enterprise software solutions that streamline business operations of its customers in various vertical markets; and value-added services, such as point-of-sale solutions, and analytic and engagement tools, as well as payroll and human capital management services. The Issuer Solutions segment offers solutions that enable financial institutions and retailers to manage their card portfolios through a platform; and commercial payments and ePayables solutions for businesses and governments. The Business and Consumer Solutions segment provides general-purpose reloadable prepaid debit and payroll cards, demand deposit accounts, and other financial service solutions to the underbanked and other consumers, and businesses under the Netspend brand. It markets its products and services through direct sales force, trade associations, agent and enterprise software providers, referral arrangements with value-added resellers, and independent sales organizations. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read MoreFed Decriminalization of Cannabis Could Spark New Pot Stock Boom (Ad)

With Democrats now controlling both houses of Congress and the executive branch, cannabis decriminalization on the federal level could be months away. This could result in established Washington State weed companies being able to market across state lines -- setting off a bidding war for quality stocks at reasonable prices.

Get All the Details on #1Interstate CannabisEven Utah Is Falling in Love with Psychedelics (Ad)

Nobody ever thinks of ultra-conservative Utah as a liberal stronghold. But one company there has already joined companies in California and Arizona in administering psychedelic treatments as a novel solution to depression. And that could mean the legal psychedelics market is poised to explode.

Here's how you could get in on the ground floor1 hour ago

| June 21st | 2021 9:00 AM

We Haven't Been Here Before: An Audacious Journey to Innovation In A VUCA World

The Covid-19 pandemics ongoing effects across societies and economies are upending long-held simplifying models and assumptions about our complex world. We feel as if we are in a perpetual state of disequilibrium and are searching for stability and predictability. The uncomfortable truth is that weve neverPolice seek Bad Santa in Mercedes theft case

Police in Australia released security camera footage of a Bad Santa stealing a Mercedes car while dressed as St Nick. The New South Wales Police said a woman had parked her luxury 2009 Mercedes C63 sedan overnight at an underground parking structure in Zetland, and she returned the following day to find it missing. Police released CCTV footage from the structure showing a man, who appears to be

in his 30s, walking into the parking area while wearing a Santa Claus costume and a fake white beard. The Bad Santa is believed to have been involved in the December 8 theft. Police released CCTV footage Wednesday in the hopes of identifying the jolly old elf.

(UPI)

Brexit survival kit helps Britons face the worst

With just nine weeks to go until Britain is due to leave the European Union, a company is selling worried Britons a survival kit to help them prepare for the worst.

The Brexit Box, retailing at 295 pounds ($380), provides food rations to last 30 days, according to its producer, businessman James Blake who says he has already sold hundreds of them.

With still no deal on how Britain will trade with the EU once it leaves, retailers and manufacturers have warned a no-deal Brexit could cause food and medicine shortages due to expected chaos at ports that could paralyse supply lines.

The Brexit Box includes 60 portions of freeze-dried British favorites: Chicken Tikka, Chilli Con Carne, Macaroni Cheese and Chicken Fajitas, 48 portions of dried mince and chicken, firelighter liquid and an emergency water filter. Right now we are in a Brexit process that nobody has control over, we have no idea what is happening. Our Government has no idea what is happening, but you can control what happens to you by taking control yourself, said Blake. One of those things is to be a little bit ahead, have some food in place, he added.

Customer Lynda Mayall, 61, who ignored Government assurances that there is no need to stockpile food for Brexit, said: I thought: lets make sure Im covered in the event of things going awry. In addition to her Brexit Box, Mayall, a counsellor and therapist, has stocked up on household products such as washing liquid, which she thinks may become scarce. The Brexit Boxs long shelf life  the canned food will last up to 25 years  is appealing. In the event I dont need it for Brexit, it is not going to go to waste, Mayall said.

(Reuters)

Man accused of letting an11-year-old drive to school

An arrest warrant has been issued for a northern Illinois man who police say allowed an 11-year-old relative to drive herself to school in a stolen rental car while he rode along. The Lake County News-Sun reports that employees at a Round Lake Park elementary school saw the girl pull up to the schools drop-off point on January 9. She and a nine-year-old girl who was in the back seat exited the car. Police say 31-year-old Khafilu Oshodi of Round Lake then moved into the drivers seat and drove away. Hes wanted on two counts of child endangerment and driving with a suspended license. Police Chief George Filenko says the drop-off area is very busy and the incident couldve resulted in any number of tragic scenarios if the child lost control.

(AP)

Papal Swiss Guards keep a cool head with 3-D helmets

The Vaticans Swiss Guard, the colorfully dressed mini-army that helps protect the pope, will have cooler heads now they have swapped their ancient metal helmets for ones made by 3-D printers. The new helmets, made of a thermoplastic, were distributed to the corps on Tuesday, the 513th anniversary of their foundation as a mercenary force in 1506, the Vatican said. They are nearly identical in appearance to the previous version but bear the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, who first used the corps for his personal protection.

One of the main advantages of the new helmets is that they will not heat up like the metal ones, meaning the guards will sweat less, said spokesman Urs Breitenmoser. News site Swissinfo.ch said the old helmets, made in Austria, weighed two kilograms, while the new ones, made in Switzerland, weigh 570 grams. The Swiss Guard wear the ceremonial uniforms of yellow, red and blue stripes at official papal services such as Masses and visits by heads of state. The force, which numbers about 110 men, normally dress in plain clothes and more simple blue caped uniforms with berets.

(Reuters)

Police seek volunteers to get drunk for them

A Pennsylvania police departments request for volunteers to get drunk for law and order purposes generated a predictably enthusiastic response. The Kutztown Police Department sought three volunteers to drink hard liquor to the point of inebriation so officers could be trained how to administer field sobriety tests during traffic stops. A call for volunteers on Facebook accumulated hundreds of responses and over 1,000 shares in less than a day. The post was soon updated with the news that the department had its volunteers for the April 4 training session. Volunteers were required to have a clean criminal history and have a responsible party to take care of them after the training.

(AP)Speaking at the launch of the EFFs elections manifesto, party leader Julius Malema said: We are going to amend section 25 of the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation. We wont pay them"

South African property players are taking a cautious approach as Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema renews his call for land expropriation without compensation.

There is a lot of confusion around the land issue. Expropriation without compensation requires the amendment of section 25 of the South African constitution.

The proposed amendment refers not to land alone, but to all property. It acknowledges that redistributive measures will feature strongly in state policy and allows for this, for both a "public purpose" and "in the public interest.

With the thorny issue now in the national headlines, South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) which represents commercial and industrial property owners, raised concerns over policy in relation to food security, agricultural production and the economy. But the governing party, ANC has come out saying there is no need to panic.

The historical background of land ownership in South Africa needs to be addressed, but it is critical to ensure that the imbalance is dealt with while the economic stability of the country continues to be reinforced. This is the view expressed by Sapoa.

Sapoa supports a land expropriation process where the rights of present and future landowners are balanced, with the need to ensure stability and economic growth says Neil Gopal, Chief Executive Officer of SAPOA.

Speaking at the launch of the EFFs 168-page elections manifesto at the Giant Stadium in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria on Saturday, party leader Julius Malema said: The land is coming back to our people whether they like it or not.

We are going to amend section 25 of the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation. We wont pay them. They took our land by force, they killed our people, they raped our people, they stole the land. We cannot reward murders.

We want our land back, that issue is non-negotiable. The land must be owned by the state. There will be land council, that land council is where you will go and ask for land and you explain what you want to do with the land, he said.

A number of Pan Africanist Congress of Azania supporters were also in the 18 000-seat stadium, which was filled to capacity with some people standing on the grass.

Malema promised that under EFF leadership builders would earn R7 000, petrol attendants R6 500, cleaners R4 500, domestic workers R5 000, security guards R7 500, and waiters and waitresses would earn R4 500.

Education would be free and compulsory. You will be forced to go to school. We will take you there by force. If we find that you dont go to school we will put you in a police van and we take you there by force, Malema said.

While the EFF promised to fight poverty and unemployment, the manifesto did not give a clear indication of how many people would be employed, but the party promised that it would lead a massive and protected sustainable industrial development and diversification programme to create millions of jobs between 2019 and 2024China will provide $2.5 billion in loans to Pakistan to boost the foreign exchange reserves of its all-weather ally, a media report said on Saturday. Pakistan is nearly broke with the drying up of foreign cash reserves and mounting external debt.

The countrys $8.12 billion reserves, which are below the minimum level that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) prescribe, are sufficient to cover only seven weeks of imports.

Due to this, the WB and the Asian Development Bank are not providing loans for budget financing.

Beijing will place the $2.5 billion in deposits with the central bank, a top Finance Ministry official here told The Express Tribune.

With the anticipated $2.5 billion deposits, Chinas contribution in this fiscal year alone would surge to $4.5 billion, the paper said.

Pakistan has struggled to maintain reserves that are not currently sufficient to provide cover to even two months of imports despite receiving $4 billion in loans from two Middle-Eastern countries.Despite BRI and CPEC posing threats to the regional peace and order, the world powers seem reluctant to contest it seriously. The only serious opposition to CPEC is from the Baloch people of Balochistan. In case, China and Pakistan succeed in building the roads, railway tracks and military bases under CPEC, Beijing will surely be able to reshape the world order, and will also be able to encircle India

Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China is rapidly emerging with an ambitious global agenda to extend its economic and military influence worldwide and thereby reshape the world order. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a manifestation of Chinas desire to establish economic and military hegemony over vast resource-rich regions in Asia and Africa and to dominate the European and American markets.

Though China portrays the BRI as a scheme of connectivity and economic partnerships with countries and regions, in reality it is a cover for expanding military presence in those regions through dual use infrastructure.

To achieve economic and military hegemony, China is employing the debt trap policy in the most effective way. In December 2017, China got the control of newly built port of Hambantota due to Sri Lankas inability to repay debt.

According to reports, Kenya is also facing the risk of losing control over the port of Mombasa to China under similar circumstances.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the BRIs flagship project. Gwadar, a city of great geographic importance, is at the heart of this project. The CPEC project not only provides the shortest land route from Kashgar to Gwadar, but it also allows access to important sea routes and connects China with its bases at Djibouti, Hambantota and Mombasa.

China and Pakistan deny military use of the CPEC, but the project actually provides military bases to China at different strategic points off the Baloch coast. This is meant to ensure Chinese military hegemony over the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the most significant sea lane of the Strait of Hormuz.

In case, China and Pakistan succeed to build and make operational the roads, railway tracks and military bases under the CPEC, the former will surely be able to reshape the world order, dominate the vast resource-rich regions of Balochistan, West Asia, Central Asia, Horn of Africa and beyond. China will also be able to encircle India, the largest democracy and a large market. China will use the Gwadar port to overshadow the ports of Dubai and Chabahar.

Land route from Kashgar to the Gwadar port will certainly reduce Chinese dependence on sea routes passing through the waters of countries which are at loggerheads with China. In case of any conflict with the South China Sea contestants, the CPEC will provide an alternative supply route to Chinese markets. Such an advantageous situation for China will obviously generate enormous threats to regional and world security, peace, prosperity, democratic values, human rights and freedoms because both China and its client state of Pakistan profess anti-democratic ideologies and support authoritarian Governments.

Despite the fact that the BRI and the CPEC pose obvious threats to the world and regional peace and order, the world powers seem reluctant to contest it seriously. The only serious opposition to the CPEC is from the Baloch people of Balochistan.

China has entered into agreements with Pakistan over Balochistan, where people see Pakistan as an unlawful occupier and exploiter. These agreements are in violation of the ownership and proprietary rights of the people of Balochistan over their land, sea and natural resources. With Chinese technology, machinery and money, the CPEC will strengthen Pakistans ability to continue its exploitative rule and plunder natural resources of Balochistan. China and Pakistan are already extracting gold, copper, silver and iron from Saindak and other mines in Balochistan. The CPEC will also alter the demography of coastal Balochistan rendering the Baloch people a minority in their own motherland.

Balochistans opposition to the CPEC is a matter of the peoples survival as a nation, their ownership and proprietary rights over their own land, sea and natural resources. Its freedom movement is a key check to Chinese hegemonic designs in the region. For instance, an independent Balochistan would provide a safe corridor of connectivity, trade and transit for South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and East Africa. It would provide safe access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. An independent, secular and democratic Balochistan will possess the potential to be instrumental in the promotion and augmentation of democratic and secular values in the terrorism-affected regions of South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and Afghanistan.

With its unique location, huge depots of mineral resources, democratic and secular values, Balochistan will become an epicentre of regional cooperation and connectivity, economic development, trade, transit and combating religious extremism and terrorism.

(The writer is former Secretary General of Baloch National Movement. He tweets at @RahimBaloch)Chief Minister Raghuvar Das on Saturday said his Government will not let any of the mines in the State to close down. He said that he himself was labourer and understand the pains of the workers when a mines close down.

Das was addressing a gathering during an inaugural ceremony of Chapri Rakha Mines after 17 years. The re-opening programme was held at Jadugora area near Jamshedpur under East Singhbhum district on Saturday.

After opening of this mines over 8,000 people will get employment and 15 million tonnes per year of production will get started of copper and accordingly Jharkhand government will get benefit.

Das said that availability of copper minerals in the country is low and copper is imported to a large extent. In such a situation, such a large and so old mine was locked in the district for years.

The CM said to the officials of Hindustan Copper, I assure you that whatever problems you have, you should come to Ranchi, I want to make sure that the government will solve all the problems.

He said, I have become a people's representative from this district, therefore it is the right of the people there should be more and more development in that district. Keeping this in mind, airport in Dhalbumgarh is being made.

He added that the Central government is a government dedicated to poor, women, laborers, youth. The Chief Minister said that the central government has announced in its budget that under the Prime Minister's farming scheme, on every five acres of land farmers will get Rs 6000 through DBT.

Rakha Mines was started in 1971 and production started from here in 1976-77. On July 7, 2001, some 18 years ago, mining operations in Rakha Mines were closed due to several reasons.

Jharkhand Government has also allocated 90 acres of land for HCL for the Concertrator Plant.

The production capacity of the Rakha Mines will be 1.50 MT and the production capacity of Chapdi Mines will be 1.50 MT. At the same time, capacity of the Rakha concentrator plant will be 1.50 metric tonne in the first phase, which will be increased to 3 metric tonne in the second phase.

This is a very positive step towards increasing the efficiency of the unit, as per the capacity building policy of Hindustan Copper Limited. After this work, new jobs will be created for the people of this area and this area will achieve new heights of development, noted an official.The BJP president Amit Shah kick-started the election campaign for the party in Uttarakhand for the high-stake general election while assuring thousands of party workers who gathered at Prade Ground that the Narendra Modi Government is all set to return to power. He also averred that the party is invincibly committed to a magnificent Ram temple being built at Ayodhya. Lashing out at the Congress, he said that it has been putting obstacles in the path of Ram Temple construction and asked its president Rahul Gandhi to clear his stand on the matter.

Shah was in Dehradun on Saturday to address Trishakti Sammelan, a mega conclave of booth level party workers at Parade Ground.

In his inimitable style, the BJP president stated that he himself had worked as a booth in-charge of the party way back in 1982. The BJP is the only party where a humble worker who was once engaged in pasting party posters later became its president. This is the reason behind the momentous growth of the party to become the biggest political party of the world. While most of the parties are following the dynastic system of succession, it is the BJP alone which can boast of making a chaiwala the Prime Minister of the country, he said.

Terming Uttarakhand as figuring in the priority list of PM Modi, Shah said that the double-engine Government has put the State on the fast track of development and expressed hope that the State would become a model State in no time in every index of development.

He said that Modi with his vision has started the ambitious all-weather road project to connect the revered char dhams.

Launching a scathing attack on the opposition parties, Shah said that while Modi says remove poverty, corruption and diseases the leaders of the alliance have only one slogan-remove Modi from power by hook or by crook. Referring to the interim budget, the BJP president said that it has brought cheers on the faces of every person of the country. It has taken the shine off the face of Rahul Gandhi. The UPA Government in 2009 waived off farm loans to the tune of Rs 57,000 crores which benefitted three crore farmers while the BJP-helmed NDA Government has earmarked Rs 75,000 crore which would benefit 12 crore farmers under the scheme of depositing Rs 6,000 every year into the account of the farmers, he said.

Continuing with his blistering attack on the Congress, Shah accused the party of steadfastly ignoring the defence sector during its ten year tenure at the Centre. He said that the Modi Government has allocated Rs 3 lakh crore for the armed forces in the Budget which is the highest ever since independence. He said that for the first time, 12 crore labourers of unorganised sector have been brought under a pension scheme.

Taking a jibe at the Congress, Shah said that while BJP has implemented one rank one pension (OROP) scheme Congress can too boast of another OROP. It means only Rahul only Priyanka, he said.

He also invoked the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his famous statement of 15 paisa out of one rupee sent by the Government reaching the intended beneficiary. Now by introducing direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, Modi Government has ended corruption in the system and saved about money to the tune of Rs 1lakh crores in the process, he claimed.

Shah exhorted the party workers to take a pledge to ensure even a bigger mandate this time than what it had received in 2014 election. The victory in these elections is an imperative both for Bharatiya Janata Party and Bharat (India) to take the country forward on the path of development, he affirmed.

In his address, the Chief Minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat, said that the decision of the Modi Government to send Rs 6,000 every year into the account of the farmers having less than 2 acres of land would benefit 92 percent of the farmers of the State. He exuded confidence that BJP would make a clean sweep of all the five Lok Sabha seats of the State.

The workers were also addressed among others by the Union Minister for social justice and empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot, State party in-charge Shyam Jaju, the national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash, the State party president Ajay Bhatt, the former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, national general secretary Teerath Singh Rawat and Tehri MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah aside from Cabinet Ministers Satpal Maharaj and Madan Kaushik.The State Health Department has pulled up its socks in the wake of a merchant navy officials death from H1N1flu in Ranchi.

The health department has issued strict instructions to notify the Government in case the symptoms of Swine Flu are detected in patients from any part of the state, said Health Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni.

We have made sufficient Swine Flu kits available in all the 24 districts. Instructions have been issued that no hospital should take it lightly if any patient shows symptoms of the disease, he said.

A swine flu kit primarily contains an n95 mask, which prevents the transmission of the virus from one person to another through inhalation of the infected air.

Hitesh Kumar, who worked in the merchant navy in South Korea, returned to Ranchi in mid-January after being taken ill. In Ranchi, he lived in an apartment on Kanke Road. After complaining of high fever, chills and severe body aches, he was admitted in Medanta Hospital in the last week of January. On January 25, the doctors declared him dead.

This is the only case reported so far in Jharkhand. We have taken all necessary steps to prevent an outbreak and save lives if at all any person gets infected, Kulkarni said.

Doctors say that cautiousness about any symptom is important to detect Swine Flu at an early stage. Common symptoms of the influenza can be mistaken for viral infections caused during seasonal changes, so getting an H1N1 test is a must if any patient shows complains of such symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of Swine Flu include fever, shivering, cold, sore throat, watery eyes and body pain. According to figures with the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), H1N1 flu has claimed at least 10 lives in Jharkhand since 2015.BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday dared Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stand on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and insisted that his party would get more seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections than the last time. Amit Shah accused the Congress of delaying the case in the court and insisted that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya would be built soon.

We want the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya soon....we will make the temple in Ayodhya. Whenever the case goes to court, the Congress tries to stall it. I want all Opposition parties and Rahul Gandhi to clarify before the general elections whether they are for Ram Temple in Ayodhya or not,? Shah asked while addressing a meeting of booth-level party workers at Amroha in western Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, the Centre filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking permission to transfer 42 acres of the total 67 acres land around the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque site at Ayodhya to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-promoted Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. The land was acquired in January 1993 by the Central government soon after the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

Shah brushed aside any likely threat to the BJP from the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj party alliance in Uttar Pradesh and said he was confident of a greater triumph than that of 2014. I am not worried about the alliance. I know every region of this state, we will get more seats than the 2014 Lok Sabha elections last time, he said. The BJP, along with its ally Apna Dal, had won 73 Lok Sabha seats out of total in 80 seats in UP.

The BJP president said India needed a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure the country. He took a swipe at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and complimented Modi for ordering the surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016.

To take the country forward, to secure the country, to develop it, we need a capable leader. And that leader is with the BJP, that is Narendra Modi, This is not mauni babas government ... this is Modijis government which launched a surgical strike to take revenge for the countrys slain soldiers, Shah said.

It was Shahs second visit to Uttar Pradesh after his visit to Kanpur and Lucknow on January 30. He also admired UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the law and order situation in the state which he said is one of the best in the country.

Shahs comment on the law and order situation came 10 days before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hold a detailed hearing on a petition that seeks a special probe into the spate of police encounters in Uttar Pradesh which it said was a very serious matter. The BJP chief also hailed the interim Budget presented by Piyush Goel on Friday. The Opposition and Rahul Gandhi were stunned by the budget, he said.Former Union minister and Jharkhand in-charge of Congress party RPN Singh on Saturday tried to dispel apprehensions regarding future of Mahgathbandhan in Jharkhand saying the major alliance partners have already come to a broad consensus on the issue.

It may be noted here Singh met RJD supremo Lalu Prasad at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to inquire about his health. He also discussed the terms and conditions of opposition alliance in Jharkhand during the talks.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting the Congress leaders said like Cngress, RJD too wants an opposition alliance in Jharkhand to defeat the BJP. He pointed out RJD has been an important unit of UPA in past as well.

Singh asserted that the alliance partners have arrived at broad agreement only the details are to be worked out. He added the congress will not disclose strategy before media in the middle of talks.

There would be no hitch in seat sharing. The top leaders of other opposition parties including Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and Hemant Soren of JMM have not expressed any fear regarding splitting of the opposition alliance on the issue, Singh said.

On AJSU, the congress leader said AJSU must leave the present state government and take up an anti-BJP stand before talk could be started with them.

RJD MP Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav also met Lalu at RIMS.Police arrested the Youth Congress activists who were planning to show black flags to the BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday. The members of the Youth Congress had earlier assembled at the Rajiv Bhawan-the State Congress head office.

When they were about to rally to the Parade Ground-the venue of Amit Shahs programme-police intervened and prevented them from moving forward. The president of the district Youth Congress Robin Tyagi and others tried to break through the police barricade, but they were arrested and taken to Suddhowala jail from where they were released in the evening.Environment and Public Works Minister Sajjan Singh Verma has said that if we fail to understand the consequences of climate change even at this juncture, the world will have to face a situation of World War III over water. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to pay special attention to water conservation.

The Environment Minister was addressing the inaugural session of the workshop on 'Wetlands and Climate Change' in the EPCO premises here on Saturday. He gave away prizes to the school and college student who took part in the drawing competition and the participants of the open quiz contest.

Verma said that Wetland is useful in many ways. Wetland is actually a part of lake, river, pond, reservoir, dam and moist river and sea coast. It prevents water from being polluted. Wetland is extremely important in terms of climate change as it absorbs ground water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. He said that our culture and education has given us method to nurture and conserve water. It is unfortunate that our water resources are getting destroyed and polluted day by day.

We all are responsible for this to some extent. Verma said that we should take the responsibility to protect and restore the essential water resources. He said that water resources are the base of human life and are our valuable natural heritage.

If the resources that save water are destroyed, then other lives will also be lost along with human life. He said that the guidelines issued in the direction of the Central Government's environment and water conservation in Madhya Pradesh will be followed positively. Every effort will be made to preserve the water resources at the state level. Verma appreciated EPCOs efforts to develop Wetland Inventory and portal.

Principal Secretary Environment Anupam Rajan told that climate change has affected our agriculture system. Its effects are apparent on the GDP of several countries also. He told that the plan of wetland protection in the urban ponds in the state is in progress. The state government is bearing 40 percent amount currently in the schemes approved from the central government.

EPCO Executive Director Jitendra Singh Raje told that EPCO organized public awareness programmes based on wetlands and climate change this year also on the occasion of Wetland Day in which school and college-going students took part. He told that the State Wetland Authority, EPCO has prepared digital inventory and web portal after preparing a list of wetlands bigger than 2.25 hectare situated in the state on the basis of figures obtained from ISRO, Ahmedabad and MAP-IT, Bhopal.

The digital inventory shows that there are 15,152 wetlands in Madhya Pradesh of over 2.25 hectare area. This is total 1.74 per cent of the total area. After completing the entire process the proposal of the notification is being sent to the State Government.

Former Vice Chancellor of Barkatullah University, Bhopal Ramprasad and Professor Pradeep Shrivastava of Environment Science were also present during the programme.The Budget 2019-20 drew mixed reactions from the medical fraternity on Friday. While some considered it to be beneficial in the long run, for some, it was a wishy-washy affair as it failed to include medical education.

According to NATHEALTH, the inclusion of 'Healthy India' in the Government's 10 key priorities under 'Vision 2030' is one of the key takeaways from Friday's Budget, however, some medical associations called it disappointing.

Daljit Singh, President, NATHEALTH said, "The Vision 2030 announced would be a critical step to stem the tide now. Creating a robust health delivery system for comprehensive wellness of the people would be game changer."

India's Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) burden is rising alarmingly and it is estimated to cost $6 trillion by 2030, he informed. We need to declare war on NCDs and address the critical need for strengthening the Primary Care framework focused on prevention, he said further.

Reacting on Ayushman Bharat Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Secretary General, NATHEALTH said, "We welcome the scaling up plans for the Ayushman Bharat Mission and the government's focus on universal health coverage that improves India's march towards a Swasthya Bharat.

However, we believe it has to be done collaboratively through value based scientific costing driving sustainable pricing supported by improved ecosystem efficiency gains."

On the other hand, Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, Ex-National President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) calling it disappointing said, "No increase in outlay for Health has been there as it remains meager 1 per cent of GDP. IMA persistently has demanded to increase it to minimum 2.5 per cent of GDP."

He added by saying that no announcement on reducing drug prices by adopting the long standing demand of IMA of One Company-One Drug-One Price Policy has been made.

Similarly, Dr GS Grewal of Delhi Medical Association (DMA) said, "Setting up of 22nd AIIMS at Haryana is a gimmick and the budget does not include anything concrete for the medical education."

The budget also invited mixed reactions from the private healthcare providers.

Dr DS Rana, Chairman (Board of Management), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, "Increase in funds of Ayushman Bharat is a welcome step but I feel allocation could have more due to the sheer size and magnitude of this scheme.

Government should involve private sector for training and development of manpower for rural hospitals where availability of trained manpower has always been challenging."

Dr Aashish Chaudhry, MD, Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital also said that the Interim Budget 2019 reaffirms the Government's commitment to improve healthcare systems in the country. With Vision 2030 in place, the Government is expected to provide a new momentum to bigger collaboration among stakeholders, he added.

Earlier in the day, while presenting the budget, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that through Ayushman Bharat, around 10 lakh patients have already been benefited through which would have otherwise cost them Rs 3,000 crore.

Lakhs of poor and middle class people are also benefiting from reduction in the prices of essential medicines, cardiac stents and knee implants, and availability of medicines at affordable prices through Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras, the Finance Minister added.

The minister also said that 14 of the 21 AIIMS operating or being established in the country presently have been announced since 2014. He also announced setting up of a new  the 22nd AIIMS in Haryana.On directions of the High Court, Barabanki police finally arrested former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA from Bansgaon Vijay Kumar in connection with murder of National Informatics Centre (NIC) engineer Shikhar Srivastava, whose body was found in January 2015.

However, Kumars wife Mridula Anand, who is the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) in Gonda, also an accused in the case, is still on the run. Kumar had won 2012 Assembly election from Bansgaon in Gorakhpur but lost the last Assembly elections. Kumar was later produced before the local court in Barabanki on Friday from where he was sent to jail.

The sensational killing of engineer Shikhar Srivastava of National Informatics Centre (NIC) was transferred to Barabanki police for investigations after the High Court last year took cognizance of unnecessary delay made by the crime branch of Criminal Investigation Department (CB- CID) in nabbing the executors. Then in-charge of Badosarai police station (Barabanki) Shyam Narain Pandey said that the High Court had directed them to once again probe the murder of Srivastava. He said that the complainant was asked to record his statement.

Earlier, on January 19, 2015, Shikhar Srivastava alias Raja, son of Bahraich district Congress committee vice-president Dinesh Gandhi, was abducted in Lucknow. Later, the abductors murdered him and threw his body at Bardari village near Badosarai in Barabanki. The victims identity was ascertained on the basis of cell phones recovered from the spot after which his father lodged an abduction-cum-murder case against five persons, including BSP MLA from Bansgaon (Gorakhpur) Vijay Kumar and his wife Mridula Anand, with Badosarai Kotwali police.

It was alleged that Mridula, during her posting as District Inspector of School at Bahraich, took Rs 3.5 lakh from Shikhar for providing him the job of a teacher. After failing to get the job, Shikhar started demanding the money back. Later, he was found murdered. After a probe, Barabanki police arrested Toofani Ram, the gunner of the BSP MLA, along with block pramukh Rajendar Kumar and Ram Singh. The police, however, failed to arrest BSP MLA and his wife and claimed that they were 'absconding.

The police also recorded the statement of officers and personnel at DIOS office in Bahraich to extract the truth. The cops also raided the MLAs residence at Nishatganj and Gomti Nagar. But later, the Barabanki police developed a cold feet and the state government transferred the probe to CB-CID.

Since then, the CB-CID had not taken any action after which victims brother Shivam Srivastava approached the High Court and prayed that the probe be transferred to Barabanki police hoping for some concrete action. Now after a year, the former MLA was finally arrested on the intervention of the High Court.Panic spread among patients and their attendants as a fire broke out on the fifth floor of the Apollo Hospitals here on Saturday.

The fire broke out in the battery room of the hospital. As the room is located close to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the hospital authorities immediately shifted patients due to the smoke.

Most of the patients, particularly those on life support systems, were immediately evacuated as a precautionary measure after the electricity supply to the hospital was cut off following the fire mishap. Some of the critically ill patients were shifted to other hospitals in the city.

I was undergoing treatment on the 4th floor of the hospital. The hospital staffs were a little worried as they were facing problems due to fluctuations in power supply. Later, we got information about the fire on the 5th floor and immediately we rushed outside, said a patient who is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Though the exact reason behind the fire mishap is yet to be ascertained, two fire tenders which were pressed into service successfully doused the flames.

According to reports, some staff of the hospital detected smoke and called up the fire services. Fire officials informed that the Kalpana Fire Station received the emergency call from the hospital at around 10:43 am and immediately teams were rushed to the spot.

It is suspected that due to overheating of batteries, fire broke out in the hospital. The internal hospital squad was also prompt in tackling the fire, said a fire official.

Moreover, an investigation would be conducted to ascertain whether all the steps taken to tackle the situation and evacuation procedures were adequate or not.

From preliminary inquiry it is suspected that the fire was caused due to electrical short-circuit. Patients from fourth and third floors were evacuated and the situation is under control now, said Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty, who had also rushed to the spot.

DG Fire Services BK Sharma said the Fire Officer has been ordered to inquire into the fire incident at the hospital. Cause of fire, availability and functioning of fire fighting measures, evacuation and housekeeping shall be looked into. In case of lapse, action as per OFP and sFS Rules, 2017 shall be taken, Sharma said in a tweet.

Our staffs detected smoke inside the battery room at around 10 am and immediately alerted the Fire Services department, said Apollo Hospitals CEO Sudhir Digikar. He further informed that the electricity supply to the hospital was immediately snapped following the detection of smoke and patients were evacuated. Nearly 26 patients have been shifted to other hospitals in the city, he added.Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday called upon party workers to put in their best efforts in the Lok Sabha elections 2019 to winall 14 seats in the State. A mega workers conference was organised at Chandwa in Latehar district on Saturday, attended by many heavyweight leaders Including CM Raghubar Das and thousands of workers from Chandwa, Palamu and Latehar

While addressing the gathering Chief Minister, Raghubar Das said, It was our aim to establish corruption free administration. To a certain extent we are success in this regard. All Opposition parties are being frightened by excellent work done by the State and the Centre government together. They are trying to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi by forming grand alliance because they know that so long as Modi government is in power they will have to face problem.

Das further said the people of the country will give a huge majority to the Modi government with more than 400 seats.

Speaking on the occasion BJP MP from Chatra, Sunil Singh pumped enthusiasm among workers and said that in all 14 Lok Sabha seats BJPs lotus will blossom and the party cadres should start their preparation from today and spread the message of peoples welfare programmes run by the government.

Singh said, We have opened Medical College in Chatra, Degree College in Manika and Central School in Simaria. Apart from it, the Tori-Shivpur project is completed and the train will run on the track very soon.

Speaking on the occasion Parliamentary election In-charge for the State, Mangal Pandey said, if the cadre will work as Modi-Shah then on all the 14 seats the lotus will blossom. From February 10 to March 2 workers will visit door to door to blossom Lotus, he added.

The District Administration was fully alert for the programme and at every step the Police Administration deployed police force to prevent any untoward incident.

On the occasion Rajya Sabha MP Samir Oraon, BJP MLA, Hare Krishna Singh, State Spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo were also present.Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday distributed Rs 2.96 crore among 5623 girls of South Chhotanagpur Division under the Chief Minister Sukanya Yojna in an awareness programme organised in Gumla. On the occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the State government to empower girls and women of Jharkhand through various government schemes.

The objective of the Chief Minister Sukanya Yojna is complete empowerment of the daughters of Jharkhand. Sex ratio is declining, due to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' from Haryana. If we see in Jharkhand, sex ratio of tribal society is good, but the people living in cities are getting ultrasound done and aborting daughters. The government has given clear orders to the health department, to cancel the license of hospitals or doctors who are involved in such crime, said the CM while addressing a huge gathering at Param Veer Albert Ekka Stadium in Gumla.

The CM said that there should not be any discrimination between son and daughter. Kanyadaan should be done after Vidyadaan. He gave the example of two children of Gumla, Mamta Kumari and Birsamuni Kumari, who strongly opposed her parents for marrying them at a young age and now both of them are studying in Kasturba Vidyalaya. Since then the thought came to my mind that such a scheme should be made for the daughters so that there is no obstruction in their studies and due to poverty and ignorance they are not married at the young age. For this, Chief Minister Sukanya Yojna was inaugurated, he added.

Das said that no income proof is needed in Sukanya Yojna. He asked for giving application to the headmaster of the school, in which the child is studying. Money will be transferred to the childs bank account. He said that more than 1 lakh women self-help groups have been formed after formation of government, which was 8000 before 2014. Sakhi Mandals are given the work of sewing school uniform for children in their respective districts along with sewing machine for financial strengthening.

Lohardaga MP cum Union Minister Sudarshan Bhagat termed it a historic moment for Gumla.

He said that Chief Minister Sukanya Scheme will help in stopping child marriage and feticide. In the last 4 years, many works and schemes have been conducted for women and girl welfare.

Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon said that this scheme will definitely benefit the girls. This will not only curb social evil but will also help in the overall development of the girls. He called upon the people to try to get maximum benefit from this scheme.

On this occasion, the CM distributed keys for houses under Prime Miniter Housing scheme. Pump Sets were also distributed. Four Farmers were given cheques for organic farming at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh. Appointment letters were given to the five newly appointed doctors. Cheques were also issued to 400 Sakhi Mandal for launch of Poultry unit.

Secretary, Women, Child Development and Social Security, Amitabh Kaushal; Commissioner of Southern Chhotanagpur Division, Shubra Verma, Gumla MLA Shivshankar Oraon, Padma Shri recipient Ashok Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan among other officials were present.The State Urban Administration Department is currently organising the Urban Prosperity Festival' fortnight under National Urban Livelihood Mission in the city.

The festival would be held till February 15 and is being organised by Union Ministry of Housing , New Delhi, officials informed.

Urban Administration Minister Shiv Daharia informed that the fortnight is being held to link Urban Poor, Middle Class and deprived families with various income generating activities.

The festival is based on helping women find livelihood and also promote their empowerment.

The Minister informed that during the fortnight, awareness rallies, surveys and meetings would be held.

All the Urban Local Bodies are being directed to provide information to Self Help Groups (SHGs) for getting them maximum benefit from the scheme. The fortnight also comprises display of products manufactured by the SHGs. Secretary ,Urban Administration Department Niranjan Das informed that regular meetings of the stakeholder forums, SHGs and members of urban federations are being held.

Branding of products made by the various groups is being done so that they get a fair price in the market. Notably, Chief Secretary Sunil Kujur on January 25 this year had stated that quality of work should play a key role in implementation of work under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM).

Chairing a meeting of the Executive Commitee of Deendayal Antodaya Yojana and National Urban Livelihood Mission at the Mantralaya here, the Chief Secretary was informed by officials that during 2017-18 advances amounting to more than Rs 4.98 crore was made to 5380 Self Help Group through banks.

It was also informed in the meeting that during 2018-19, 2937 SHGs received loan of more than Rs 2.14 crore. Through Skill Development Programme during 2017-18, a total of 6476 persons were linked while in 2018-19, 3567 persons were linked, it was informed.

Under the self-employment programme during 2017-18, a total of 4965 persons were linked and forwarded total loan of more than Rs 44.98 crore and in 2018-19, a total of 2579 persons were linked and forwarded loan of more than Rs 22.12 crore, the officials informed. A survey work was carried out in 57 urban bodies for street vendors to link them with social security, skill development, bank and loan system.

After the survey, during 2017-18, a total of 12,980 vendors were identified and in 2018-19, 19,982 vendors were identified.

Construction of shelters were done for homeless and destitute handicapped near Railway Station, Hospital, Bus Stand and Mandis.

Under the Shelter Scheme, a total of 56 shelter locations were approved since 2014 out of which 21 shelters are operational and rest are under construction.

In the Spark ranking of Union Ministry of Urban Development on March 31, 2018, Chhattisgarh stood first in physical and financial status of work under National Urban Livelihood Mission and received an additional grant of Rs 9 crore from the Central government, it was informed in the meeting.Punjab Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Local Government Minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday said that Rs.1200 crore was being spent with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on promoting Brand Punjab as the most favoured tourist destination.

Out of this, Rs. 150 crore would be spent on harnessing the immense potential of Harike alone which comprises an important part of the Amritsar tourist circuit.

Inaugurating the World Wetland Day function at Harike, Sidhu inspected the exhibition put up by his department in which very attractive photographs of birds of wetlands and its landscape were displayed.

Recognizing the huge potential of Harike wetlands in promoting tourism in the State, he informed that the infrastructure development activities being undertaken by the Department of Tourism shall be completed by April 30, this year.

The Department has developed infrastructure facilities in the wetland at a cost of about Rs. 10 crores for construction of an interpretation centre, bird watch towers, bird hides,observation tower, canteen, parking and public conveniences.

The Minister further said that Harike is the preferred place for environmentalists and bird watchers.

The minister said that wetland which is also a Ramsar site attracts a large number of migratory birds every year and this year record 1.25 lac birds have arrived in Harike. "Very soon the tourists will be able to avail the facilities such as e-rickshaw, bicycles, binoculars etc," he said, adding that that boating facilities will also be provided where people can enjoy the ride of pedal boats.

Sidhu also inaugurated a photo exhibition where birds found in Harike, Nangal and Keshopur were displayed. These photographs were sent by different photographers who participated in the photography competition organized by the Department of Tourism.

The Minister also distributed cash prizes to the winners of the photography competition on this occasion.

The Minister said the State Government is working for the promotion of different types of tourism in Punjab which include heritage, cultural, medical, religious and eco-tourism.

Earlier he enjoyed bird watching and visited the works being done on the Left Marginal Bundh.

The Minister also visited the viewing deck being developed on the Nose point. The viewing deck shall also ne specially abled friendly.

On the occasion about 100 students were taken on a guided tour of bird watching in the wetland with the assistance from the local Wildlife Officers.

Later video presentations were made to the students and general public informing them about the importance of wetland and their role in climate change.

A painting competition for the students was also organized on this occasion. The paintings made by these students were exhibited and the winners of the competition were given cash award by the Minister.

Earlier, Kalpana Singh, Divisional Forest Officer Wildlife Harike informed the people about the importance of wetlands and their role in climate change.

Director Tourism informed that the self-help group at village Churian has been trained by the tourism department is making craft products from the water hyacinth in order to improve their livelihood conditions.

The file folders made from water hyacinth by this self help group are being used in conferences and high level meetings.With the objective of modernising the infantry, the Defence Ministry has cleared a major deal for 73,000 assault rifles to be bought from Sig Sauer company of the US on a fast track basis.

The total cost of the modern assault rifles to be used by the Indian Army, especially troops guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China and Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, is more than RS 700 crore. The nod for the crucial acquisition to equip the Army with this rifle was given by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman some days back.

The Sig Sauer rifle, largely used by the US Army besides several European countries, will be bought through fast track route, sources said here on Saturday. The US firm emerged as the lowest bidder after the Army issued a global request for proposal (RFP) last year.

The deal is expected to be finalised within a week with the condition that the US firm will have to deliver the consignment within a year from the date of signing the contract, they said.

The US firm emerged as the lowest bidder after the Army issued a global request for proposal(RFP) last year. The new rifle will replace the INSAS rifles currently used by the infantry soldiers. The Army was urging the government for the last some years to fast track the procurement of various weapons systems including infantry weapons considering the evolving security threats including along Indias borders with Pakistan and China.

Given this background, the Army in October 2017 started the process to acquire around seven lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines. Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns failed the firing tests. The Army then began the process of procuring rifles from the global market.

The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Armys failure to finalise the specifications for it. The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.PM should worry about winning own seat before talking of Bengal: Mamata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kicked started his election campaign in Bengal with a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee and the Congress from twin rallies at Thakurnagar a hot seat of the Matua community in North 24 Parganas and the industrial city of Durgapur in West Burdwan district.

Mamata retaliated by saying that Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh should worry about winning their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in West Bengal. The TMC supremos attack on two BJP leaders came shortly after the two launched a blistering attack on her while addressing separate rallies in West Bengal during the day.

Launching a no-holds barred attack on Mamata, the PM who had to quit the venue in the midst of his speech apparently to save a stampede-like situation, wondered, Why Didi is scared of CBI so that she had to ban it from entering her State, in an apparent reference to the ongoing investigations in the multi-crore Sharada and Rose Calley chit fund cases even as he reminded, even I was quizzed by them for nine hours when I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and yet did not prohibit their entry to my State.

Attacking Mamata for perpetrating violence in order to stop the BJP from working in Bengal, he told an appreciably large rally at Thakurnagar look at the huge canvas of people. Now I understand why Didi resorted to violence. Those who advertise to be democratic, kill innocent people, adding you cannot stop BJP from entering in Bengal, and warning, more you try to stop us forcibly the more we will grow in this State until you are dislodged after the elections.

At Durgapur the Prime Minister attacked the TMC for treading the Marxist path of violence saying they are no different from their predecessors adding the present Government is trampling upon democracy. The TMC supremo had lost her sleep on account of the BJPs popularity in Bengal, he said, accusing Banerjee of depriving the middle class and poor people of Bengal of Central schemes. TMC Government is anti-poor, anti-people and anti-development. Just for political reasons she (Mamata) is blocking Central projects like Ayushman Bharat.

The Centre had approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 90,000 crore in the past four and a half years for the State but the TMC Government did not take interest in implementing them as it wanted a share for the syndicates, allegedly run by the ruling party goons in the State. Where there was no malai (cut money) for the syndicates the TMC had no interest in implementing development projects, he said.

Pooh-pooing the TMC-sponsored January 19 mega rally of Opposition leaders at the historic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, Modi said, Those who did not see eye to eye even a few months ago were seen on the same platform in Kolkata  with a single-point agenda to remove Modi to grab the PMs chair.

Attacking the newly formed Congress Governments for mindlessly waiving loans Modi said farmers of the country have been bamboozled in the name of waiving loans as many non-farmers had got their loans waived in the confusion. Like the BJP tried to do by offering Rs 6,000 yearly package for the farmers in the super hit Budget and instead of focusing on the development of rural areas the opposition leaders were taking tricky steps to befool the farmers.

Referring to the steps taken for the farmers in the interim Budget and apparently needling the alleged syndicate raj run in TMC-ruled Bengal he said there will be no syndicate-tax, no road-blocks in between as the farmers will directly receive the earmarked Rs 6,000 directly in their bank accounts.

At Thakurnagar predominantly a Matua hotbed with the SC community constituting about 30 lakh voters Modi said those who advertise to be democratic, kill innocent people to win votes. Matuas had migrated to Bengal from neighbouring Bangladesh post 1950 in the face of religious persecution.

Making a strong pitch for the Citizenship Amendment Bill that had repeatedly been rejected by Banerjee the Prime Minister called upon the Trinamool to support the clearance of the Bill in Parliament and enable those who had to migrate to Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, (during the turbulent post-Independence period) to get back Indian citizenship. The Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.The Indian embassy in the US has opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students arrested by the American authorities in the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam, officials have said.

As many as 129 Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in the US.

The university in Detroit's Farmington Hills was part of an undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designed to expose immigration fraud, according to federal prosecutors who announced charges in the case.

The two numbers  202-322-1190 and 202-340-2590  would be manned by senior embassy officials round the clock, officials said on Friday.

The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at cons3.Washington@mea.Gov.In.

The Indian embassy has appointed a nodal officer to handle and coordinate all issues related to helping Indian students affected by the busting of the "pay-and-stay" racket run by a group of Indians that has put some 600 students under trouble.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, till Thursday, had arrested 130 students from the fake Farmington University in Greater Detroit area.

The ICE officials said 129 of them are Indian nationals. The fake university was opened by Homeland Security Investigations to trap those involved in illegal student visa racket. It has now been closed.

The arrest of such a large number of students has created panic among the Indian students.

Federal investigators say, the students who took admission in the university knew that the university programme was illegal.

Officials said all of them face deportation, besides being put under detention. A number of students have been put under some kind of house arrest with tracking device on their ankle, that prohibits them from moving out of a designated area in their neighbourhood.

As part of its investigations, early this week, the ICE arrested eight recruiters on criminal charges. From their names it appears that all of them are either Indian nationals or Indian-Americans.

"These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not. HSI remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of US immigration laws and will continue to investigate this and other transnational crimes," said Special Agent Charge Francis.

According to the ICE, in 2017, as many as 249,763 Indian students were enrolled in the various American universities.

Students from China topped the list with 481,106 in 2017.

This is for the first time probably that such a large number of Indian students have been arrested in one go.

The number is expected to increase further, as ICE officials continue with their nationwide crackdown on Indian students enrolled in this fake university while working at different places.

"Embassy of India, Washington and all five Consulates in the US working closely together to help Indian students detained in the US," the Indian embassy said Friday.

Consular Officers from Indian Consulate in Houston met the arrested Indian students at Prairieland Detention Centre, Alvarado, Texas.

This intervention by officials from the Indian embassy and its consulates has helped in release of some of the arrested students.

Some friends and families of the detained Indian students are using twitter seeking help from the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"Madam, This is regarding fake university (university of Farmington Michigan) issue. My husband has been taken into custody today morning and I don't have any update on his status till now. Could you please help me on this," one Madhuri wrote on twitter to Swaraj.

Acting promptly, the Indian embassy sought the details of her husband. Her husband was a student at the fake university.

"Hi, I have mailed to Indian embassy and they told that they are trying to meet my husband through consulate. After that I didn't get any update from them," Madhuri wrote on twitter in response to a question.

In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We are aware about this incident. We are ascertaining more details (through) our embassy in Washington and different consulates in the US...We have also mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident".

The ICE said foreign students are granted what are called "F" and "M" visas to study in the US and must maintain their legal status by enrolling in a varsity certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The ICE said since the Farmington varsity did not offer courses, the students were using the programme as a way to work.The Congress has put on hold all talks about pre-poll alliances for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, for the time being. Sources in the party say discussions will resume after the Budget Session, by when the BJPs alliance scenario will also be clearer. The BJP is trying to forge tie-ups in many States, but without much success, which is why the Congress has also stopped working in that direction. Sources say the Congress has changed its strategy after Priyanka Gandhis plunge into active politics, and is biding its time to see the effect of its latest move. Priyanka is expected to take charge as the partys General Secretary on February 4, and will then address a join press conference with Rahul Gandhi in Lucknow. The Congress leaders are of the view that Priyankas entry will create a buzz in the political arena and the party will reach out to possible allies after gauging peoples reaction towards Priyanka. In fact, the Congress wants to exhibit Priyankas popularity in front of probable allies.

Till now, almost all allies of the Congress have reacted positively. The National President of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, has openly praised the decision of the Congress, and congratulated Rahul. A major impact of the decision is that Tejashwi Yadav is saying what the DMKs Stalin had been saying till now. So, the Congress believes a positive environment is being created for the party. Although, the party is still waiting for a reaction from Mamata Banerjee and some other leaders. If leaders like Mayawati, Mamata, and Arvind Kejriwal take this well, then the Congress can start afresh. There was news that the Congress has already finalised its alliance in some States, such as Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand. But the truth is that the party is only meeting various leaders and preparing for elections.

A surreptitious alliance?

Is there a secret consensus between the Congress and Samajwadi Party? Akhilesh Yadavs positive reaction over Priyankas entry into politics has surpassed any other political reaction so far. He has shown full support for Rahul and Priyanka. That is why it is being said that though the Congress is not a part of the SP-BSP alliance in UP, Rahul and Akhilesh might reach a hidden agreement for some of the seats and keep in mind each others interests at the time of selection of candidates. If this happens, the BSP will face a big loss.

Sources say the Congress firmly believes that the SP can transfer some votes to the party. Yadavs are in full support of the SP. Muslims are also with the SP, but they are the common vote bank of the SP and Congress. It is being said that the SP leaders think it is better to strengthen the Congress vis-a-vis the BSP. They think that if the BSP strengthens its position, it could pose problems at the time of seat-sharing in the Assembly Elections. On the other hand, Yadav voters are still not confident about the BSP.

So, there is still a possibility of indirect or behind-the-curtain alliance between the SP and Congress. The Congress claims around 10 seats as its stronghold, and some of these seats will go to the SP. Barring Raebareli and Amethi, the other A-grade seats for the Congress are Jhansi, Prayagraj, Padrauna, Sultanpur, Kanpur, Muradabad, Saharanpur, and Farrukhabad. Apart from these, the Congress is also eying Barabanki, Lucknow, and Ghaziabad seats. For these seats, an agreement can be reached between the SP and Congress.

TRICKY SITUATION FOR BSP

There is no way the Congress can have the same relationship or agreement with the BSP as it does with the SP. In fact, the Congress leaders are of the view that a large chunk of the BSPs core vote bank, ie Dalits, will automatically come towards the Congress. At the same time, wherever Muslim voters will have to choose between the Congress and BSP, they will pick the Congress as they dont have much faith in Mayawatis party. Muslim voters think that after the elections, the BSP might either extend support to the BJP or take support from it.

That is why it is being said that Mayawati finds herself in a tricky situation after Priyankas recent political foray. She thinks that her Brahmin and Dalit vote bank might shrink and could go to the Congress. In that case, Mayawati will be left nowhere as Muslims have not believed her much at any point of time. So some say Mayawatis problems have gone up, and to solve them, she wants to talk to Akhilesh. Sources say Mayawati will talk to Akhilesh once Priyanka starts her campaign. In fact, Mayawati wants to see peoples response to Priyankas campaign.

On the other hand, Mayawati must be aware of the secret agreement between the SP and Congress. She will definitely talk about that as well and then both parties might discuss about including the Congress in their alliance. In the present scenario, if the Congress fights alone, the BSP will be the biggest loser as the Congress will only dent its vote bank. The Congress will focus on Muslim voters of Western UP, which is the stronghold of the BSP. The Congress will almost certainly clinch most of the seats of the region with the SPs help.

ELECTORAL ROLL ROW

Almost all Opposition parties of the country are alleging that EVMs are being rigged, and demanding that voting be done with ballot papers. This has sparked several discussions in the media as well. The Election Commission of India is also either giving clarifications or denying news related to any malpractice. Apart from EVMs, there is another problem before the Opposition parties  of electoral rolls. In every State, leaders of the Opposition parties are alleging that all is not well with electoral rolls. In Delhi, the ruling party AAP is alleging electoral rolls are being tampered with as the Central Government has direct intervention in many administrative issues.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has alleged that names are being selectively removed from electoral rolls, which is a direct attack on the Election Commission. He claimed names of AAP supporters are being ticked off the voter list. Similar allegations have been levelled by Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh and the YSR Congress chief, Jagan Mohan. Jagan said the ruling TDP is removing the names of his supporters from the voters list. Though this is almost impossible to prove, if particular castes or the supporting areas are identified and names are removed, then it can prove damaging for the Opposition parties.

Contrary to these allegations, in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Congress had earlier alleged that the Government was adding extra names in electoral rolls. The party had complained to the EC against the then BJP Government in both States. The EC had looked into the matter and removed many names. Though the Congress had complained about 30-40 lakh extra names, the names removed were far from the figure.The EU leadership is wading through serious political and economic crises. But then the member nations should not leave the onus of searching for an avant-garde solution only on Brussels

The Euro, the single common currency of the 19 members of the 28-member European Union (EU), completed two decades this January. The survival of the currency is itself a big feat. The Euro has uniquely yoked together and made a mosaic of nations of such varied cultures, languages and nationalities that is simply unimaginable. The Euro came of age and sometime back ranked as the worlds number two currency. What the international community has witnessed is that after years of relentless criticism and prediction of doom, the single currency has already outlived many of its harshest critics.

However, the EU is weakened by economic crisis and shaken by a sharp and awakening populism. Besides, the region is constantly facing creeping crises emerging from a looming Brexit, growing apathy towards its longstanding democratic credentials and institutions, fragmentations on the lines of monetary and financial resources, and, finally, territorial dislocation.

Initially, some Euro sceptics argued that in the absence of a shared political process, the Euros effort to bind together may lead to further breakups. But the currency has survived. Sometime in the mid of 2016, Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz commented in his book, The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe, The structure of the Eurozone has doomed the Euro currency to failure and if changes are not made, the region could suffer a breakup. Even Stiglitz advocated for American type of institutions to carry on with the Euro, else, he signaled, it could be potentially dangerous for the EU.

But irrespective of having all the problems, the Euro is alive and kicking. It is so because the immediate and future costs of departure for any member from the single monetary union could have been disastrous. Nevertheless, sensing a chaos around the Brexit and possible undercurrents of a nightmarish Grexit and Frexit might prove the Euro efforts a political misjudgment of sort. Naysayers may say so. But it is not.

Further to avoid the risks that the EU may encounter in saving the Euro or the big European project, it is time now to reinvent Europe. The continent demands new positive narratives to sustain its existing economic, political and social system. Also it must go beyond what Macron and Merkel think so as to reflect and encompass the emerging idea of Europe. The grand old political parties have to rethink and reshape their age-old dialogues and public engagement strategies to bring back the common populace to the political mainstream from the danger of looming populism.

The EU leadership is wading through serious political and economic turbulences. But then the individual member nations should not leave the responsibility of searching for an avant-garde solution only to Brussels. The uber bureaucrats at the EU headquarters need serious inputs the same way as is expected from London and Paris and also from Budapest and Tallinn.

Simply, the Euro ambling will not rescue itself and any of its members from the risk of it being doomed in future. Simultaneously, it is utopian to hope that iconoclasts like Corbyn and Marine Le Pen wont be having audience beyond their party supporters. Democratic disaffection that is the rise of right and left populist parties and the way it shook Italy last year is potentially dangerous for a single market and a union with high hopes for the Euro. More and more political populism would bring pessimism. And, such trends may quickly call for a recalling of Euro and gradually, it may lead to distrust on institutional mechanisms like the EU. This may not herald peace and most importantly stability to Europe.

The Euro after two decades hopefully would not fall into what Zygmunt Bauman argued Liquid modernity around the same time when the Euro was born. To him, post-modernity was a term erroneously used once and he wanted to replace it with his concept of liquid modernity implying it is the growing conviction that change is the only permanence and uncertainty the only certainty. A hundred years ago, to be modern meant to chase the final state of perfection and now it means an infinity of improvement, with no final state in sight and none desired. Though the single monetary union has completed twenty years, it has had the worst nightmarish experiences in the recent past. In July 2012, the European Central Bank (ECB)s critical intervention saved the Euro. Further, when the near exit of Greece was avoided in the summer of 2015, another shock wave against Euro was prevented. But very little has been sincerely done to improve the governance system of the Euro Area (EA) since 2008.

EU President Jean-Claude Juncker in his State of the Union address made in September 2018 highlighted the strategic importance of the Euro. He also expressed the need to ensure that the single currency can play the role in the global sphere in full scale. He clarified that the Euro requires competing in the international market and it should fully reflect the Euro areas political, economic and financial weight.

By mid-December last year, the deal signed off by the EU leaders in Brussels foresaw a beefed up role for the EA bailout fund that will get greater powers over future financial rescues and stronger precautionary mechanisms. This deal highlighted the endorsement of a permanent lifeline to the EAs crisis fund for failing banks. The summit, among other critical aspects also underlined a mandate to agree on the Budget of the EA by June this year. However, this was a major point of discord among the EA leaders those who have been widely divided over the need of such an instrument. Nations such as France advocated that this kind of measures will help eradicate financial shocks, whereas other members led by the Netherlands tried to prevent such deals saying that nations must focus on fixing their expenditures back home.

Amid raising high hopes for economic stability in the Eurozone, the summit finally left the budget for competitiveness and convergence for future dialogues. Experts say that the entire plan is thin on details and the leaders made no reference on the possible size of such a tool. In fact, the deal seemed to be hollow and missing the targeted goal as proposed by countries likes France to rescue weaker economies from economic debacles. Because, the leaders at the end agreed to use such facilities for competitiveness and convergence, namely helping poorer countries catch up.

Hope, the much-vaunted talk about the strengthening of the Euro comes into reality. Though Bauman is high on the agenda of liquid modernity, the total liquefaction of the solid structures of the industrial societies will probably never ever come into practice. But it is to be admitted here that the trend identified by Bauman and other scholars in Sociology undoubtedly signify a shift in the rate and form of social change that is fast occurring in Europe today. Hence not to survive, but to survive well, the Euro has to generate convergence in living standards than trying to create divergence. Today, despite all the odds, the Eurozone is heading for success. The reason behind is that the three quarter of the people in the Eurozone are favouring the currency, the highest since 2004. Another positive trend for Euro is that the members of the Eurozone have continuously expanded and it can explicitly be taken as a vote of confidence and growing acceptability for it.

Finally, it is good for the Euro that hardly any other alternative is left in the Eurozone for a new currency. Despite all the existing hurdles, all the members know that breaking up would be traumatic, both economically and politically. Further, such disintegration, if at all comes, would lead to the fall of the EU itself. The union was formed on the core values and principles around economic integration when some of the members initially started to communicate way back in 1951. It is also good that the Euro has forced some important reform measures across its members. The new trend that is surfacing across the EU and beyond brings home and magnifies social rootlessness, cultural hybridisation and shifting identities, particularly among the younger generation. Therefore while governing the Euro and Eurozone reforms with stressing permanence, certitude and stability, Brussels need to adjust and work on all new possibilities that are fast emerging in and around Europe. But it needs to be accepted that there is hardly any possibility of transforming the Eurozone into an optimal currency union in future.

(The writer is an expert on international affairs)If global investment funds and correspondents of the Western media were to judge the Interim Budget of 2019 presented by Piyush Goyal this Friday, they would unquestionably have honed in on a big Government: The failure to adhere to the fiscal deficit target set in last years Budget. It was unquestionably a failure. The fiscal deficit rose from 3.3 per cent of the GDP to 3.4 per cent, and it was a significant 0.3 per cent higher than what Arun Jaitley had committed the Government to.

However, it is quite unlikely that too much will be made of this monetary slippage that Goyal sought to explain with reference to domestic political imperatives. The reason is two-fold.

First, most of the analysts and much of the Khan Market media  an expression that is fast replacing the earlier emphasis on Sir Edwin Lutyens  were convinced that the embarrassment of the purported unemployment figures by the NSSO was powerful enough to knock Narendra Modi out of the electoral contest altogether. The sneer on the face of Congress MP Kapil Sibal as he mocked pakodanomics told the whole story of elite disdain for the Government that had dared undertake demonetisation in defiance of the entire punditry. The foreign media is by and large hostile to the Narendra Modi Government because it doesnt understand beef politics and because it doesnt know anyone in the BJP who have cosmopolitan tastes. Consequently, it too delighted in the fact that Modi was finally imploding. They approached the Interim Budget as an exercise inirrelevancy.

Secondly, the ecosystem around the old and dispossessed Establishment also believed that the first knockout punch had been delivered by Rahul Gandhi. The Congress president, or so we have been told by some emerging courtiers, had been so inspired by the works of two Nobel Prize winners in economics that he actually got these people to design a scheme of Minimum Basic Income that was unveiled with the familiar rolling of sleeves by the Boy Wonder in Chhattisgarh. The idea was not so much to introduce the Congress Party to European and American Left-liberal thinking but to simply upstage Modi with the claim that the PM was stealing an idea from the party that has the divine right to rule. I dont know if people habitually accustomed to purloining data thought of this bright idea, but it was based on the erroneous assumption that Modi wouldnt have the elbow room to introduce any new scheme in an Interim Budget. That would have given Rahul the copyright over the idea. Indeed, the day after the Congress presidents Eureka moment in Chhattisgarh, the propaganda sheets of the Congress were celebrating the fact that the 2019 election was being fought on an agenda set by the Congress.

In hindsight, the foiled plans of the Congress and the Old Establishment may have come to nought, but they are important indications to show that in 2019, Modi is up against those for whom winning is a matter of sheer survival. With the Government extraditing wanted Indians from their bolt holes in the Gulf and sending shivers down the spines of those who had forgotten the distinction between public and private money, the oust Modi campaign has become a matter of urgency. The election outcome wont be known until the middle of May but through a series of well aimed blows, the Congress was hoping to reduce Modi to being the head of a lame duck Government. That in turn would have meant that weather-sensitive members of the bureaucracy would have ensured that all pending investigations and other governance initiatives would have been successfully subverted.

Politically, the importance of the Interim Budget is that a form of Rural Income Support scheme for small and marginal farmers has been put into immediate operation. By voting day, almost all the beneficiaries would have received two instalments of the RS 6,000 per annum committed by the Prime Ministers Kisan Samman Nidhi. Moreover, since the entire sum is being bankrolled by the Centre, neither Mamata Banerjee nor a Congress Chief Minister will be in any position to prevent its distribution. Unlike the tax sops for the middle classes that must await endorsement by a new Parliament, the Kisan Samman Nidhi is effective from December 1, 2018. This modest payment wont resolve the larger agricultural crisis, but read with other welfare initiatives on health and pensions, it will further bolster Modis pro-poor and anti-corrupt credentials.

The Budget hasnt won Modi the 2019 election. There is still a long and hard fight ahead of the BJP. It has, however, helped the party to address the concerns of two social groups that were feeling a little estranged politically. However, far more important, the Budget has sent out clear signals that not only is Modi in the fight but that he intends to be in a winning position by April. The message down the line will be quite electrifying.

The chattering classes may have been surprised to hear the BJP benches in the Lok Sabha break into chants of Modi, Modi to celebrate the josh behind the Interim Budget. What they need to consider is the electrifying impact of Modi on others far less inhibited than sedate MPs. For a brief period between December 2018 and January 2019, Modi gave the appearance of being a little shaky. After the Budget, he is back with a bang. Till 11 am last Friday, the Opposition was convinced the Modi era was over. Now they must mull over the implications of an opponent who revels in adversity.Syrian children at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp of al-Hol in eastern Syria. The UN says at least 29 children have died on the journey to the camp or after arriving there

The United Nations on Friday called for "unhindered humanitarian access" to people fleeing the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria.

US-backed forces in the area responded that they had asked for help from the UN after securing safe corridors for tens of thousands to flee the fighting.

In the past week alone, the UN says more than 10,000 people have fled from the conflict zone to Al-Hol, where the main camp for people displaced by the fighting against IS is located.

"Humanitarian actors have collectively requested forces in control of the area to designate a transit site en route for Al-Hol where life-saving assistance can be provided," said Andrej Mahecic, spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

So far the request "remains unanswered", he told journalists in Geneva.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who control the area around Al-Hol, immediately responded that they had never received such a request from the UN.

"On the contrary, we have long expressed our position that we need assistance, especially UN aid to support us on this issue, which is beyond the capability of the" Kurdish authorities, SDF spokesman Redur Khalil told AFP.

In Al-Hol, "there is malnutrition, a lack of medical supplies, tents, and blankets", he added.

Over the past month, the SDF were able to secure the exit of 20,000 Iraqis -- mostly women and children -- from IS-held territory, as well as hundreds of Syrians and non-Iraqi foreigners.

Backed by a US-led coalition, the SDF are battling the last shreds of the IS "caliphate" near the town of Hajin in the Euphrates River valley.

The UNHCR says families fleeing the Hajin enclave describe a harrowing journey, "wading through mine fields and open fighting".

Once reaching the SDF positions, "they describe being herded into open trucks and having to endure another arduous journey in winter weather northwards to Al-Hol camp. Little or no assistance is provided en route to the hungry and cold people, the vast majority of whom are women and children", a UNHCR statement said.

Since early December at least 29 young children and newborns died on their journey or shortly after arrival at the camp, according to the UN.

"We reiterate our calls for unhindered humanitarian access. It is vital that our teams are able to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance, especially during this harsh winter period," Mahecic said.

The Syrian conflict has killed 360,000 people and led millions to flee their homes since starting with the brutal repression on anti-government protests in 2011.She welcomed a daughter, via surrogate, last April.

And Jessica Chastain has slammed designers of baby clothing for their role in reinforcing gender stereotypes.

The 41-year-old actress explained the disappointing discovery she made while shopping for childrens clothing for her daughter on Friday afternoon, to her Instagram followers.

Quite right! Jessica Chastain has slammed designers of baby clothing for their role in reinforcing gender stereotypes

Male inspiration: The 41-year-old actress explained the disappointing discovery she made while shopping for childrens clothing for her daughter on Friday afternoon

The Interstellar star chatted on her Instagram stories, with a dog filter on her face, to call out intrinsic sexism in the designs of onesies for babies.

She revealed that she was forced to go to the boys' section of a store to buy clothing for her daughter Giuliette Passi Chastain, which read: 'Future astronaut,' 'Future inventor,' and 'future inventor.'

In the girls section, Chastain revealed she saw pink outfits adorned with crowns, kittens and flowers.

Pink for girls: Chastain revealed she saw pink outfits adorned with crowns, kittens and flowers

The Molly's Game actress - who only revealed she had welcomed her first child with husband Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo in November - asked her fans to consider whether these types of messages are harmful to young girls.

'So this is just something I guess to challenge ourselves, challenge me and say what have I grown accustomed to in our media, in our clothing, in our music,' Chastain said in the video.

'Do these stereotypes actually push girls forward?'

Disappointing find: The Interstellar star chatted on her Instagram stories, with a dog filter on her face, to call out gender stereotypes in the designs of onesies for babies

Intrinsic sexism: The Molly's Game actress asked her fans to consider whether these types of messages are harmful to young girls

'Do these stereotypes actually push girls forward?' she asked fans

Known for keeping her personal life very private, the Interstellar star was first seen pushing a stroller in Boston on October 12 as she filmed new movie Eve.

Days later Gian Luca, 35, was seen carrying a baby car seat into a hotel with Jessica and her assistant.

Jessica and Gian Luca, an executive for Moncler, have been together for six years and married last year in a gorgeous ceremony at his family's estate, Villa Tiepolo Passi, in Treviso, Italy.

'You've got good taste kid': Jessica Chastain shares first picture of daughter... as baby grabs her ruby ring as she preps for Golden Globes

Private star: She welcomed a daughter, via surrogate, last April (pictured Jan 31)

Jessica did finally allude to the news in January, in an Instagram caption.

'I know that I havent been as present on insta this past year. Thank you all for respecting my privacy while I was blessed with the gift of becoming a mother,' she wrote.

'I must say that 2018 has been the best year of my life. So much love and joy to all of you. Happy New Year,' she concluded.Fans have eagerly awaited Jon Cryer's turn as Superman's arch enemy Lex Luthor.

And the anticipation will soon be over as the veteran actor was spotted on set of Supergirl in Vancouver on Saturday.

The 53-year-old rocked the iconic bald look as he was handcuffed in a grey jumpsuit being led by two police officers.

Super villian: Jon Cryer was spotted as Lex Luther on set of Supergirl in Vancouver on Saturday

Cryer kept in character as he looked downtrodden during the shoot with the armed guards man handling him.

Cryer will make his debut in the 15th episode of the show's current fourth season.

In the episode entitled - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Luthor reaches out from prison to enlist Lena (Katie McGrath) into one of his plans and will stop at nothing to get her on board, even if that means leveraging the life of one of her friends.

Originally introduced as a mad scientist, Alexander Joseph 'Lex' Luthor, first appeared in action comics #23, and has persisted as Superman's arch rival ever since.

Iconic: The 53-year-old rocked the iconic bald look as he was handcuffed in a grey jumpsuit being led by two police officers

Sneak peek: The actor has a recurring role in the fourth season of Supergirl

Lex has been portrayed as a wealthy, power-mad American business magnate, engineer and philanthropist to the city of Metropolis, as well as one of the most intelligent people in the world.

Traditionally, the character doesn't have any superpowers, or alter-identity, and typically appears with a bald head.

This isn't Cryer's first foray into the DC Universe; he played Lenny, Lex's nephew, in the 1987 film Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, alongside Gene Hackman.

'We are enormous fans of Jon Cryer, and he was instantly our dream actor to play the iconic role of Lex Luthor,' said executive producers Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller.

Superhero: Melissa Benoist has starred as the superheroine, Supergirl, since 2015

Coming soon: Jon Cryer makes his debut as Lex Luthor in episode 15 of the current season of Supergirl, which airs March 17, on The CW

'Jon is a super-talent, and the fact that he played Lenny Luthor in Superman IV brings an added layer of legacy to his casting. We're beyond thrilled to welcome Jon to the Supergirl family.'

The actor is best known to fans as Alan Harper on the hugely successful sitcom Two and a Half Men, which aired from 2003-2015 and landed him two Emmy Awards.

Jon Cryer makes his debut as Lex Luthor in Supergirl, March 17, on The CW.Ghost Adventures presenter Zak Bagans spent $50,000 on glasses belonging to serial killer Ted Bundy.

The paranormal expert, 41, told TMZ he had purchased the bifocals after a crime collectibles site put them up for sale.

The glasses are believed to have been worn by Bundy, who was put to death by electric chair in 1989 - when he abducted 12-year-old Kimberley Leach in Lake City, Florida in February 1978.

Killer purchase: Ghost Adventures presenter Zak Bagans spent $50,000 on glasses belonging to serial killer Ted Bundy

Sadistic: Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. He confessed to 30 homicides that he committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. The true number of victims is unknown

Bagans said: 'It's incredible to know that the eyes of pure evil looked out of these glasses at his victims and the pure hell of what these glasses saw.'

'I shall forever keep them locked up inside my Haunted Museum's real jail exhibit where they belong.'

Bundy abducted Kimberley from her school before raping, beating and suffocating her to death. Her decomposed body was later found in a hog shed. She was the killer's final victim.

The killer confessed to 30 homicides that he committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. The true number of victims is unknown.

Horror: The glasses are believed to have been worn by Bundy, who was put to death by electric chair in 1989 - when he abducted 12-year-old Kimberley Leach in Lake City, Florida in February 1978

Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas features more than 30 rooms full of allegedly haunted artifacts, including the dybbuk box.

A dybbuk is said to be restless and malicious spirit which can haunt or possess the living.

Other macabre objects include the VW death van in which Dr. Jack Kevorkian ended the suffering of terminally ill patients as well the 'Propofol chair' from Michael Jackson's death room.

In 2017, Bagans purchased a plethora of murderer Charles Manson's items after he died on November 19 including a set of dentures.

Paranormal: Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas features more than 30 rooms full of allegedly haunted artifacts, including the dybbuk box

The two had been pen pals so Bagan's believes that the teeth are authentic, according to TMZ.

Bagans added that he even had a picture of the teeth signed by Manson and could verify the handwriting since he claimed it to be familiar.

The Ghost Adventures star claims that the teeth were stolen by another inmate when Manson was in the shower.

Ghost guru: Other macabre objects include the VW death van in which Dr. Jack Kevorkian ended the suffering of terminally ill patients as well the 'Propofol chair' from Michael Jackson's death room

When he got out, he sent them to Manson's friend who then teased the murderer by sending him a photo of the teeth.

Manson begged for them to be returned but the friend refused.

The letter, along with a pentagram necklace made from toilet paper and underwear are among the different trinkets that Manson had while at Corcoran State Prison.

Zac Efron plays Bundy in his forthcoming film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile.

The film tells the story of Bundy's infamous crime spree in the 1970s where he murdered dozens of women.

Later he famously defended himself in court and amassed a disturbing number of female fans.

Extremely Wicked is told through the eyes of the madman's girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, played by Lily Collins, testified on his behalf at trial.

She was so enamored with the serial killer that she even said 'yes' when he proposed to her during that time.Jemma Lucy has hit back at trolls shaming her for the size of her pregnancy bump.

The Ex On The Beach star, 30, who is approximately 22 weeks pregnant, took to Instagram to slam bump-shamers in a vitriolic video.

She said: 'Another thing that's winding me up is people asking me where's your bump gone, why do you look pregnant in some pics and not others.

Mum to be: Jemma Lucy has hit back at trolls shaming her for the size of her pregnancy bump

Panning the camera down to her midriff, she continued: 'I don't know! I don't know why. Obviously I did a pregnancy shoot and I had to push my stomach out a little bit but it's just the way my body is. I just don't really have one yet.

'But it's just the way my body is, I just don't have one yet. So yeah, is that good enough for you?'

The brunette beauty then shared a snap of herself with her top rolled up to show off her midriff while making an obscene gesture at the camera.

Fuming: She said: 'Another thing that's winding me up is people asking me where's your bump gone, why do you look pregnant in some pics and not others'

Bumping along: 'But it's just the way my body is, I just don't have one yet. So yeah, is that good enough for you?'

This comes as the staradmitted that she judges herself over her 'sexy photoshoots' and is worried that people will now 'attack' her.

The model went on to candidly discuss her pregnancy, she is five months pregnant, revealing it has 'softened' her and that she wants to keep her baby's sex a secret.

Talking to Closer magazine, she said: 'I do sometimes do sexy shoots and I am worried about being attacked or judged for it now people know I am pregnant.

Candid: This comes as the star admitted that she judges herself over her 'sexy photoshoots' and is worried that people will now 'attack' her

'If I'm being completely honest, I judge myself a little for what I do and I'd rather not be posing proactively, but it's how I make a living and I have to support myself and the baby. I'm working on other projects too that are completely different and will help support us financially.'

Talking about her baby's father, she added: 'The baby's dad is someone who I have known for a while. He's not in the public eye, so it's not my place to name him, and we've always had a private relationship. But he's been supportive and we both just want the best for our baby.'

Jemma went on to reveal that for the first three months of her pregnancy she was 'exhausted, very sick and crying at everything', she joked that it has 'softened' her.

Sweet: The model, 30, went on to candidly discuss her pregnancy, she is five months pregnant, revealing it has 'softened' her and that she wants to keep her baby's sex a secret

However, despite rising to fame as a wild party animal, the reality star added that she gave up partying two years ago and she doesn't drink, choosing the gym and her horse riding instead.

Jemma continued that her relationship with her parents, who live in Singapore, has improved since the baby news as they support her despite once disowning her.

However, the model admitted that she is scared of giving birth and she wants all the pain relief, while she wants to keep her baby's sex a secret.

Jemma's candid interview comes after she announced she is pregnant with her first child, but refused to reveal the identity of the father, last week.

Speaking out: Talking to Closer magazine , she said: 'I do sometimes do sexy shoots and I am worried about being attacked or judged for it now people know I am pregnant.'

Revealing the news in The Sun, the controversial star said: 'When I found out I was pregnant I was completely in shock', before admitting she debated not going through with the pregnancy before deciding to 'do the right thing'.

The 30-year-old hard-partying star confessed she has been struggling with the side effects of her pregnancy while also admitting she is aware doubters will be rife, but she remains defiant in her abilities to care for the child.

Prior to her announcement, Jemma was out on the town in November, where she was seen looking svelte despite being three months pregnant at the time.

She admits the early stages of pregnancy have been tough, saying: 'Having thought about it for ages, I just thought its the right thing to do to keep it...'

Speaking honestly: 'If I'm being completely honest, I judge myself a little for what I do and I'd rather not be posing proactively, but it's how I make a living,' she continued

She admitted to the pain, saying: 'It's literally been so difficult for me. Ive had a lot of emotional trauma thorough stress and not having support. I got really ill, I was tired and on my own. It was horrible. It really made me depressed.'

Jemma soared to fame on the third season of the MTV dating show in 2016, where she struck up a romance with Kirk Norcross, and has since become a regular fixture on the party scene before returning to EOTB in the explosive fifth season in 2017.

The star, real name Jemma Henley, got her first taste of TV fame on Channel 4s Brat Camp in 2005, where she was sent to a US correctional centre following a string of offences including shoplifting atop being expelled from three schools.

Big adjustment: Jemma went on to reveal that for the first three months of her pregnancy she was 'exhausted, very sick and crying at everything', she joked that it has 'softened' her

Following this she competed on Signed by Katie Price, a reality show hoping to find a protege for the model, before she launched herself into the reality world on EOTB.

During her first run in 2015's third season, she enjoyed a dalliance with Kirk, before returning in series five this year - where she was ejected for her 'unreasonable behaviour' after an array of brawls.

The inked-up star has gained hers bad girl reputation during her stints on MTV after she frequently became embroiled in furious rows with co-stars.Dr Chris Brown is rumoured to have recently split with Liv Phyland, following a whirlwind romance.

And now the 40-year-old has revealed he is 'horrified' that he isn't married with children at his age.

The I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! host and celebrity vet told Stellar magazine: 'If you'd told me at 20 I'd be unmarried and without kids I probably would've been horrified.'

'It's a lot to ask of a girlfriend, to put up with all the travel': Dr Chris Brown says he's 'horrified' not to be married at age 40 as he covers Stellar... after Liv Phyland 'broke up with him when he flew out to film I'm a Celebrity'

The TV host went on to say that he has put work before relationships.

'But it's my doing. I've probably prioritised work more than I potentially should have over the past 10 years  to the detriment of my personal life,' he added.

The Bondi Vet star says that he realises all his travel for work, including into the jungle for weeks on end, is difficult for potential partners.

'It's a lot to ask of a girlfriend, to put up with all the travel and the lack of Face Time,' he said, adding that he's ready to settle down.

Candid: The I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! star told Stellar magazine: 'If you'd told me at 20 I'd be unmarried and without kids I probably would've been horrified'

In the shoot accompanying the interview, the TV star dons a series of dapper looks including a slate grey suit with a rust-toned polo shirt.

In another pose from the editorial, he reclines in a chair wearing navy pants, a pale shirt and a brown suede jacket, as well as black dress shoes.

A third look from the photo shoot features the handsome vet posing in a black and white jacket with an open white shirt and slim pale blue pants.

Struggles: The Bondi Vet star says that he realises all his travel for work, including into the jungle for weeks on end, is difficult for potential partners

It comes after New Idea reported that Liv, 28, who is best known for hosting The Loop, split with the handsome vet 'within minutes' of the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host boarding a flight to South Africa last month.

A source told the magazine: 'Chris had only been gone for like 10 minutes before Liv decided it was all over. He's absolutely devastated and heartbroken.'

They continued: 'He is usually the one who ends things, but he really thought Liv was "The One".'

Over? Dr Chris Brown is rumoured to have recently split with Liv Phyland (right) following a whirlwind romance

Split? New Idea reported that Liv, 28, split with the handsome vet 'within minutes' of the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host boarding a flight to South Africa last month

A source has said to allege: 'He really thought Liv was "The One".' Liv and Chris are pictured on set of Channel 10's The Living Room last year

Woman's Day magazine also reported that distance may have been a factor in the couple's decision to part ways.

A source told the publication they 'pressed pause' on their romance ahead of Chris' departure for South Africa.

'It's just too tricky,' said the insider. 'Liv is also back at work herself [filming The Loop] and doesn't have any plans to go over to South Africa.'She welcomed her first daughter last October.

And Kate Hudson enjoyed a romantic date night with her boyfriend Danny Fujikawa at celebrity hot spot Nobu in Los Angeles on Friday.

The actress, 39, was stylish as ever for her evening out, donning a monochrome jacket, adding a pop of colour with red and peach scarfs.

Couple: Kate Hudson, 39, enjoyed a romantic date night with her boyfriend Danny Fujikawa at celebrity hotspot Nobu in Los Angeles on Friday

Kate paired it with blue, flared jeans and a fedora hat and completed the look with a white handbag.

Her other half, 32, donned a knee-length navy coat and grey trousers, pairing it with a grey cap and navy trousers.

The couple cosied up to each other as they departed the swanky restaurant to make their way home.

Kate and Danny welcomed their first child last year, daughter Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa.

Fashion: The actress was stylish as ever for her evening out, donning a monochrome jacket, adding a pop of colour with red and peach scarfs

The A-list actress is also mother to 15-year-old son Ryder with rocker Chris Robinson, and seven-year-old son Bingham with her former fiance, Muse's Matt Bellamy.

Speaking to AOL on having her first daughter, she said: 'It doesnt really change my approach, but theres definitely a difference. I think you just raise your kids individually regardless  like a genderless [approach].

'We still dont know what shes going to identify as. I will say that, right now, she is incredibly feminine in her energy, her sounds and her way. Its very different from the boys.'

The Almost Famous star was on social media clarifying the remarks after she believes they were misconstrued amid the headlines.

New arrival: Kate and Danny welcomed their first child in October, daughter Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa

'Recently someone asked me something along the lines of, if having and raising a girl is different from boys,' she wrote, adding she felt the inquiry to be 'little antiquated' as 'not all girls want to be a princess, some want to be king' in contemporary times.

Kate continued: 'My response was simple. Not really. This whole click bait tactic of saying I'm raising my daughter to be "genderless" is silly and frankly doesn't even make sense.'

Hudson, the daughter of legendary Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn, explained via social media that she was intending to refocus 'the conversation in a direction that could exist outside of the female stereotype' in the AOL interview.

She said, 'I raise and will continue to raise my children, both my boys and girl to feel free to be exactly who they want to be. To feel confident in their life choices and feel loved and supported no matter what.'Advertisement

Most Australians in their early twenties are still living at home with their parents while struggling to scrounge up enough cash for avocado toast.

But that's certainly not the case for 21-year-old AFL star, Callum Mills.

The Sydney Swans defender has entered Sydney's super-competitive property market, forking out $1.74 million for a two-bedroom terrace in the swanky suburb of Paddington.

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That's not too shabby! Sydney Swans star Callum Mills (pictured) has snapped up a stunning $1.74 million Sydney terrace at the tender age of 21

Home, sweet home! Callum purchased the two-bedroom terrace (centre) late last year, according to The Daily Telegraph

Callum made the hefty purchase late last year, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The sportsman joined the Sydney Swans in 2016 and was crowned AFL's rising star for that season.

In 2017, he extended his association with the club, signing a multi-million dollar five-year contract.

Light and airy! New coatings of fresh white paint, as well as stunning timber floorboards, help give the historic home a modern feel

The deal no doubt helped the youngster with his deposit for the plush Paddington property, which underwent a stylish renovation prior to purchase.

Photos reveal that fresh coatings of white paint and stunning timber floorboards help to give the home a light and modern feel.

However traditional fixtures, such as open fireplaces and and a brick stove, have also been kept in place.

Sleeping soundly: The home's large master bedroom features an open fireplace and a balcony complete with street views

Old and new: Traditional fixtures such as open fireplaces and and a brick stove, have also been kept in place

The home features separate living and dining areas, and two spacious bedrooms on the second floor.

However, with the only bathroom located on the entry-level of the property, Callum may have to get used to traversing up and down the stairs.

It's believed he'll be sharing the abode with his stunning girlfriend, Tiffany Browne, who accompanied him to last year's Brownlow Medal Count.

The home was last sold in 2015 for $1.29 million, according to real estate records.He recently debuted his romance with Vogue fashion director, Christine Centenera.

And it seems things are rubbing off on Australian star Joel Edgerton, with the 44-year-old looking trendy as he stepped out on Friday in Beverly Hills, California.

The Boy Erased director looked stylish in a flat cap and denim ensemble, which he teamed with a pair of chunky boots.

Well he is dating a Vogue fashion director! Joel Edgerton cuts a trendy figure in a denim ensemble with a cap and work boots during a shopping trip in Beverly Hills... after debuting his romance with Christine Centenera

The Australian actor opted for the hipster lumberjack look, wearing a dark denim jacket over a black and white striped shirt.

On what has been chilly weather in Los Angeles, Joel appeared to be wearing a second, smaller leather jacket underneath the denim.

He added a pair of fitted dark blue jeans and tan work boots that appeared to be from the Timberland brand.

On trend: The Australian actor opted for the hipster lumberjack look, wearing a dark denim jacket over a black and white striped shirt

Out and about: Joel carried a black, leather backpack and looked to be in a serious mood as he chatted to his friend, who was clad in a blue shirt, during the shopping trip

The Red Sparrow star completed the look with a pair of necklaces, one with blue beading, and a grey cap.

Joel carried a black, leather backpack and looked to be in a serious mood as he chatted to his friend, who was clad in a blue shirt during the shopping trip.

The appearance comes after Joel debuted his new girlfriend, Australian personality Christine Centenera, at the GQ Man of the Year event in Sydney in November last year.

New beau: The appearance comes after Joel debuted his new girlfriend, Christine Centenera (right) at the GQ Man of the Year in November last year

The actor and the Vogue Australia fashion director attended the event together at The Star in Pyrmont, where Joel was named GQ magazine's Man of the Year.

The pair first sparked romance rumours in Sydney in November last year, when they were pictured in an intimate embrace, before being seen out to dinner together in London in December.

The Los Angeles-based actor meanwhile, recently told The Daily Telegraph that he intends to spend more time in his native Australia.

'My focus next is about what I can make at home that I can celebrate two of my favourite things. Being at home and making stuff so that I am not always away,' he said.Viola Davis, 53, is among a small group of performers to have won the Triple Crown of Acting: an Academy Award, Emmy Awards and Tony Award.

And on Friday, the actress attended the world premiere of her new movie Troop Zero at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, alongside some of her co-stars.

She looked age-defying in an all-black ensemble that included a pair of skin-tight leather pants.

Making a splash: Viola Davis attended the premiere of her new comedy-drama film Troop Zero at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Friday

The outfit looked to be equal parts cool and stylish as she strutted with confidence and ease on the red carpet.

The leather pants popped with its edgy style, but she also added a simple touch with a form-fitting black sweater.

She rounded out the outfit with a black hooded jacket, a pair of black boots and styled her raven tresses in a bob-cut with natural curls.

Cool and stylish: The actress rocked leather pants, a black sweater and a black hooded jacket

The entire package: She rounded out the outfit with a black hooded jacket, a pair of black boots and styled her raven tresses in a bob-cut with natural curls

Perfect match: Viola Davis also posed her husband Julius Tennon

Making the rounds: Davis and Tennon also posed with Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke

After posing solo for photographers, Davis was then happy to take a number of snaps alongside her husband Julius Tennon.

The love fest under the lights also extended to her co-stars Jim Gaffigan and Mckenna Grace as well as directors Bert & Bertie.

All five of them were all smiles as they joked with each other locked arm-in-arm.

Davis plays an unlikely chaperone to a group of misfit scouts in the family comedy that is set in rural Georgia in the 1970s.

Grace's character, Christmas, plays a spunky nine-year-old girl who gets fixated on the idea of sending messages to whatever may exist in outer space.

Love fest: Directors Bert & Bertie and co-stars Jim Gaffigan and Mckenna Grace were all smiles

Having fun: Davis and her 12-year old co-star shared a funny moment on the red carpet

Stylish stars: Grace showed off her fashion sense in a turquoise pattered dress

The premise: Davis plays an unlikely chaperone to a group of misfit scouts in the family comedy that is set in rural Georgia in the 1970s

Davis's film breakthrough came in 2008, with a supporting role in the drama Doubt, which earned her an Oscar nomination.

She went on to win a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2010 for her role as Rose Maxson in the revival of Fences.

She took home an Emmy for her role in the TV series drama How To Get Away With Murder in 2015, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film adaption of Fences in 2016.

The South Carolina native currently stars as Annalise Keating in hit TV series How To Get Away With Murder.

She has been married to Julius Tennon since 2003, and together they adopted daughter Genesis in 2011.She previously spoke about her new role as a grandmother, revealing she wants to be a 'glam-ma' not a grandma.

And, Tamara Beckwith earned her desired title as she stepped out clad in a sparkling red dress and luxe furry coat to attend an SGC wine circle dinner at luxury London member's club Oswald's, with her husband Giorgio Veroni.

The British socialite, 48, opted for sheer black tights and strappy black stilettos, which gave extra height to her slim frame.

Glam-ma: Tamara Beckwith earned her desired 'glam-ma' title as she stepped out in London clad in a sparkling red dress and luxe furry coat with her husband Giorgio Veroni

The grandmother held onto a simple black clutch bag, and accessorised with a smattering of jewellery.

Tamara styled her platinum locks into a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck, and enhanced her beauty with a heavy slick of eyeliner and a glossy pink lip.

Her husband Giorgio looked equally stylish in an elegant tuxedo, with his crisp white shirt ensuring his tan was well demonstrated.

Last November, Tamara spoke about her relationship with her daughter Anoushka, 31, and becoming a grandmother at the age of 48, during an appearance on Loose Women.

Gorgeous: Tamara styled her platinum locks into a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck, and enhanced her beauty with a heavy slick of eyeliner and a glossy pink lip

Couple goals: Her husband Giorgio looked equally stylish in an elegant tuxedo, with his crisp white shirt ensuring his tan was well demonstrated

Looking good: Petra Nemcova's very recent ex-fiance Alejandro Grimaldi attended the event with Marie Cassandre Bultheel

The It Girl, who welcomed her eldest daughter at the tender age of 16, became a grandmother to baby Luna back in August.

Speaking about her experience as a young mum, she told the panel: 'I don't feel 48. With Anoushka I had her so young. I was 16 and 11 months. I was just elated because Anoushka was this gorgeous little girl.

'Sadly my mother died seven years ago, but she was only 40 when Anoushka was born.'

Lady in red: Russian-born PR mogul Alina Blinova turned heads in a pillar-box red gown, as she arrived with a handsome male guest

Pretty: Hilary Keaves and Arethusa Forsyth were preened to perfection for the wine bash

Elegant: Brenda Von Schweickhardt oozed elegance in her ensemble

Anouska previously claimed she spent many of her early years with her grandparents while Tamara pursued a hard-partying lifestyle.

Tamara was known as a member of the 'IT girls' and for being best pals with the late Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

The socialites famed for their partying ways, drinking fizz, travelling on private jets and their disastrous love-lives.

Wrapped up: Serge Ekue and Adevi Ekue kept the cold at bay with the help of scarves, gloves and furry jackets

Gorgeous: Wife of Jimmy Choo CEO Pierre Denis, Pia Denis added an extra dash of luxe to her look with the metallic sheen of her dress

She said: 'We were quite naive in a way we thought it was all just great fun, if you don't have a real job you don't have to be checking in at 8am.

Tamara, who is also mum to four-year-old Vero and daughter Violet, nine, said Anoushka has a very different approach to her when it comes to parenting.

'She's a different mummy though she's very spiritual and much more down to earth,' she said.She is a mother of two boys, and an adopted mother of three nieces and nephews.

And earlier this week, Luke Bryan's wife Caroline revealed that she suffered a miscarriage in between the birth of her two sons.

While appearing on the Get Real -w- Caroline Hobby podcast, the wife of one of country's biggest stars recalled the traumatic time in her past.

Remembering her past: Luke Bryan's wife Caroline, 39, revealed that she suffered a miscarriage in between the birth of her two sons

'When [Thomas "Bo"] was born, he was a surprise. I got pregnant when we had been married for six months,' she began.

'I was not expecting that at all, and then we had a miscarriage.' Caroline said, adding that she 'knew it wasn't my fault.' She then discussed husband Luke.

'Luke didn't know really how to comfort me, because, you know, he, he didn't get it. But as girls, when you go through it and you lose it, there is a loss and it sucks and it hurts.'

Her reasoning came from the physical aspect of the loss, as husband Luke did not feel it in that way.

Family: The couple's sons Thomas, 10, and Tatum, eight, are seen in an Instagram image

Luke, 42, and Caroline, 39, married in 2006, after meeting at a Georgia bar.

The couple share sons Thomas, 10, and Tatum, eight.

Because of tragedy in their family, Luke and Caroline have also adopted his nephew Til and nieces Jordan and Kris.

Personal tragedy: The American Idol judge previously lost his older brother Chris, then 26, in a car crash. His older sister Kelly later died unexpectedly in 2007

The American Idol judge previously lost his older brother Chris, then 26, in a car crash.

A few years following his sibling's death, the Crash My Party hitmaker's older sister Kelly, then 39, died unexpectedly in 2007, according to People.

Kelly's widowed husband Ben Lee Cheshire, died seven years later in 2014, leaving the couple's three children without a mother and a father.

Luke and Caroline would go on to adopt his nieces and nephews, making them a family of six.Advertisement

She's the Victoria's Secret Angel who's celebrating her birthday today.

And ringing in her 28th year, Jasmine Tookes was spotted enjoying a getaway in Miami with some of her friends, including fellow models, Shanina Shaik and Lais Ribeiro.

The beauty was spotted enjoying a beach party, flaunting her incredibly toned physique.

Birthday girl! Jasmine Tookes stripped down to her bikini to ring in her 28th birthday in Miami on Friday

Jasmine stunned in a black and white triangular Faithfull The Brand swim set that drew attention to her ample cleavage and incredibly toned stomach.

Her incredibly long and lean legs were also out on display while she kept modest with a matching G-string design bikini bottom.

The beauty kept her accessories simple with a few dainty chains around her neck and various hooped earrings.

Beach bash! Ringing in her 28th year, Jasmine Tookes was spotted enjoying a getaway in Miami with some of her friends, including fellow models, Shanina Shaik and Lais Ribiero

Love: At one point, Jasmine was seen sharing a kiss with her boyfriend Juan David Borreo

Legs eleven! Her incredibly long and lean legs were also out on display while she kept modest with a matching G-string design bikini bottom

Jasmine's dark tresses were styled back into a messy and natural top knot while she appeared to be wearing no makeup.

The Angel added a pair of shades to her look and was seen splashing in the waves with her boyfriend Juan David Borrero, who she's been dating for two years.

The Snapchat Senior Account Manager surprised the beauty with a special sky message that had plane fly above them with a sign that read: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAS. WE LOVE YOU.'

Gorgeous: Jasmine stunned in a black and white triangular Faithfull The Brand swim set that drew attention to her ample cleavage and incredibly toned stomach

Angel! Her incredibly long and lean legs were also out on display while she kept modest with a matching G-string design bikini bottom

Glamorous: The beauty kept her accessories simple with a few dainty chains around her neck and various hooped earrings

Birthday surprise! Jasmine's Snapchat Senior Account Manager boyfriend surprised the beauty with a special sky message that had plane fly above them with a sign that read: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAS. WE LOVE YOU'

She's taken! Jasmine and Juan were also spotted all loved up, putting on some PDA while on the beach

Jasmine and Juan were also spotted all loved up, putting on some PDA while on the beach.

Enjoying a joint birthday celebration for her upcoming birthday, Shanina Shaik was unmissable in a hot pink ensemble.

The Australian beauty opted for a cropped top that had a small zipper and a pair of matching high-waisted bike style shorts.

Barbie! Enjoying a joint birthday celebration for her upcoming birthday, Shanina Shaik was unmissable in a hot pink ensemble

Fashionista: The Australian beauty opted for a cropped top that had a small zipper and a pair of matching high-waisted bike style shorts

Style queen: The Australian beauty opted for a cropped top that had a small zipper and a pair of matching high-waisted bike style shorts

Couple's retreat! And also celebrating her birthday, which will take place on February 11, Shanina was joined by her husband, DJ Rukus

Gorgeous: She had her dark tresses naturally tied back into a bun and kept off of her face and bared her gorgeous makeup free complexion

Shanina was seen carrying a pair of multi-colored Adidas sneakers with her as she walked barefoot around the beach.

She had her dark tresses naturally tied back into a bun and kept off of her face and bared her gorgeous makeup free complexion.

And also celebrating her birthday, which will take place on February 11, Shanina was joined by her husband, DJ Rukus.

Day off: Shanina and the pals were seen having fun at the edge of the Miami water on the warm winter's day

Keeping her belongings close: Shanina was seen carrying a pair of multi-colored Adidas sneakers with her as she walked barefoot around the beach

Best friends: The newlywed also took to social media to share a sexy shot of herself and Jasmine from the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to wish her a Happy Birthday

The newlywed also took to social media to share a sexy shot of herself and Jasmine from the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to wish her a Happy Birthday.

'Wishing my BESTIE The Tookes @jastookes a very Happy Birthday !!' she began.

'so close to my heart ! Excited to share another amazing memorable celebration with you . Thank you for sharing the birthday weekend with me ! Aquarians are the best ! Love you long time . Lets goooo.'

Angel retreat! Also joining in on the girl's trip was fellow Victoria's Secret Angel, Lais Ribeiro

Fun in the sun! At one point the girls and in particular Jasmine's boyfriend, Juan, was seen trying to throw Lais into the warm ocean

Fully clothed: The beauty was wearing a gorgeous maxi dress at the time when Juan picked her up and threw her in the water

He has it coming! And caught of guard, Lais was seen trying to get her friend back, chasing him in the shallow parts of the beach

And over on her Instagram Stories, the beauty showcased alll the friends having a great time and getting the party started with some shots.

Also joining in on the girl's trip was fellow Victoria's Secret Angel, Lais Ribeiro.

Lais was also unmissable in a bright neon orange colored scoop neck top - with a white towel wrapped around her.

Shanina to Jasmine: 'so close to my heart ! Excited to share another amazing memorable celebration with you . Thank you for sharing the birthday weekend with me ! Aquarians are the best ! Love you long time . Lets goooo'

Model friends! Shainina, Lais and Jasmine all walked in the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York late last year

At one point the girls and in particular Jasmine's boyfriend, Juan, was seen trying to throw Lais into the warm ocean.

The beauty was wearing a gorgeous maxi dress at the time when Juan picked her up and threw her in the water.

And caught of guard, Lais was seen trying to get her friend back, chasing him in the shallow parts of the beach.She has previously expressed her desire to move away from her typical girl-next-door demure characters.

And Lily James, 29, does exactly that when she transformed into the ruthless lead female role as she posed for stills for the West End show All About Eve.

Seductively posed to expose her bare legs, the Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! star got pulses racing in a lace embellished nightie and silk dressing gown.

Breaking away from the good girl: Lily James showed off her sex appeal as she slipped into lace night dress silk dressing gown in new risque All About Eve stills

Adding to her sensual stage appearance, the actress plumped out her pout with a striking shade of red lipstick which contrasted with her blue robe.

To elongate her legs, Lily slipped into snakeskin print heels even though she sat at a vanity mirror in the stage set up of a dressing room.

Gillian Anderson joins Lily to tread the boards from February 12 at London's Noel Coward Theatre in Ivo van Hove's new stage adaptation of the 1950 Bette Davis film.

The actress, 50, plays legendary Broadway star Margo Channing, whose career is threatened by her number one fan Eve, portrayed by Lily, 29.

Breaking free: She has previously expressed her desire to move away from her typical girl-next-door demure characters (pictured in London, July 2018)

As ruthless and ambitious as she is beautiful, Eve has to contend with cynical theatre columnist Addison DeWitt on her rise to the top.

X Files star Gillian has big shoes to fill as she takes over from screen legend Davis, while Lily's role was played by Anne Baxter in the original film.

All About Eve received a total of 14 Academy Award nominations, winning six Oscars in total including Best Film, and remains the only film in history to receive four female acting nods.

Directed and written by Belgian experimental artist van Hove, the play features music by PJ Harvey, set and lighting by Jan Versweyveld, costume design by An DHuys and sound design from Tom Gibbons.

Completing the cast in the highly anticipated production are Monica Dolan, Ian Drysdale, Tsion Habte, Jessie Mei Li, Julian Ovenden, Sheila Reid, Rhashan Stone, Stanley Townsend and Philip Voyzey.

Acting queens: Gillian Anderson joins Lily to tread the boards from February 12 at London's Noel Coward Theatre in Ivo van Hove's new stage adaptation of the 1950 Bette Davis film

News of Gillian's casting was reported by the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye last year.

It was claimed Cate Blanchett had originally been chosen for the role, but was forced to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts.

Gillian last appeared on the West End in 2014, playing Blanche DuBois in Young Vic production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

The role earned her the best actress accolade at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Meanwhile, Lily took on the role of Juliet opposite Richard Madden's Romeo in Kenneth Branaghs 2016 Shakespeare adaptation at the Garrick Theatre.

Changing it up: This is great for Lily who candidly discussed the pitfalls of getting typecast as the demure heroine when really she wants to take on the role of a grittier bad girl (2018)

All About Eve will run from February 12 to May 11 at the Noel Coward Theatre.

This is great for Lily who candidly discussed the pitfalls of getting typecast as the demure heroine when really she wants to take on the role of a grittier bad girl.

She told Allure magazine last year: 'Ive just had this feeling that I cant get rid of recently and sometimes what you think is right for you is total nonsense anyway.

'Ive wanted to step away from playing characters that feel quite honest and open. Theres a goodness to them that I want to get away from.'Christian Bale and wife Sibi Blazic have been the picture of love and bliss this week.

And it was more of the same on Friday, when they packed on the PDA during a lunch date at a popular restaurant in Beverly Hills.

Just in the last few days, the Oscar-winning actor celebrated his 45th birthday and he and his wife celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary.

Romantic: Christian Bale and wife Sibi Blazic went on a lunch date in Beverly Hills on Friday

Both Bale and Blazic decided to keep it casual in the fashion department for the latest round of their love fest.

The Vice star strutted out of the restaurant still sporting a full beard and dressed in black cargo pants, a navy blue button down shirt and light blue sneakers

Blazic, 48, showed off her toned form in black fitted pants, a black long sleeve shirt and black slip-on sneakers.

She added a pair of dark sunglasses and left her dark brown tresses long and flowing to the middle of her back with a center part.

Sweet: The couple packed on the PDA by holding hands and sharing a passionate hug

Showing they are still very much in love, the couple held hands when they left the establishment and hit the bustling streets after enjoying their meal together.

At one point, while waiting for the walk-sign to change, they embraced in a passionate hug.

Then, when the light changed, they grabbed each other's hands again and went on their way.

Going strong: The couple celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary on Tuesday

The couple celebrated 19 years of marriage on Tuesday with an afternoon bike ride along the California coastline of Pacific Palisades.

And then, the following day, they celebrated Bale's 45th birthday.

The couple met each other when Blazic worked as Winona Ryder's personal assistant; they eventually eloped in Las Vegas in 2000.

They share two children together: daughter Emmeline Bale, 13, and son Joseph Bale, four.Last year saw her play her real-life grandmother in the BBC drama series Mrs Wilson.

And Ruth Wilson was in Los Angeles on Friday to take part in a panel discussion about the show, which details her bigamist grandfather's life and the subsequent discovery that he had four wives.

The actress, 37, looked chic as she donned a very colourful printed dress complete with large flowers and a frilly skirt.

Starring role: Ruth Wilson was in Los Angeles on Friday to take part in a panel discussion about BBC drama Mrs Wilson which details her bigamist grandfather's life

She teamed the look with silver block heels and left her brunette hair in sleek waves to frame her face.

The Luther actress was in high spirits as she laughed along with the panel while discussing the show, which also stars Patrick Kennedy and Keeley Hawes.

Ruth was joined by her co-star Iain Glen, 57, who plays the former spy and MI6 officer Alexander Wilson in the series.

Style: The actress, 37, looked chic as she donned a very colourful printed dress complete with large flowers and a frilly skirt - pictured with co-star Iain Glen

Glammed up: She teamed the look with silver block heels and left her brunette hair in sleek waves to frame her face

The show follows her grandmother Alison, who believed she was happily married to the former British spy prior to his death in 1963.

She would later discover that Alexander, a decorated World War II veteran, had secretly married on a further three occasions during a 40-year army career that took him across the globe.

Speaking last year on ITV's Lorraine, Ruth revealed the role has been her most difficult to date as an actress.

All laughs: The Luther actress was in high spirits as she laughed along with the panel while discussing the show, which also stars Patrick Kennedy and Keeley Hawes

Storyline:The show follows her grandmother Alison, who believed she was happily married to the former British spy prior to his death in 1963

She said: It was one of the hardest things Ive done, definitely, because you have the pressure of delivering the story but protecting your family.

'She died when I was 22 so I knew her relatively well and she lived round the corner but, of course, she was a woman full of secrets and I remember her really as the woman who we find at the end of episode three, not the woman before that.

So I had to go through all of her poetry and her memoirs, and it was an amazing privilege to discover and to play and to get under the skin of someone that had been in your life for so long that you didnt actually know that well.'They welcomed their baby boy seven months ago.

And proud parents Eva Longoria and Jose Baston were spotted out in Beverly Hills with their son Santiago in a stroller on Thursday.

The family enjoyed lunch at Italian eaterie Porta Via.

Doting dad: Eva Longoria's handsome husband Jose Baston pushed their son Santiago in his stroller when the family were spotted out in Beverly Hills on Thursday

Then the 43-year-old actress-producer and Mexican media entrepreneur Jose, 50, indulged in some retail therapy at a few stores in the neighborhood.

The former Desperate Housewives star looked elegant in a black blouse and pants that she teamed with unusual sandals with a wooden platform sole and high red heels

And she tied her brunette tresses back into a low ponytail.

Fun day out: The family enjoyed lunch at Italian eaterie Porta Via then Eva, 43, and her Mexican median entrepreneur husband, 50, enjoyed some retail therapy in the upscale neighborhood

Jose looked smart in a black jacket and matching skinny pants that he teamed with a black shirt and grey sneakers as he pushed his son along in a stroller.

His dark wavy hair was neatly cut as was his salt and pepper beard and mustache.

The couple appeared to have had lunch with friends as they strolled with a man decked out in a blue jascket and pants plus a blue and cream plaid shirt.

Out with pals: The couple appeared to have had lunch with friends as they stood on the sidewalk chatting

His female companion wore a long white cardigan with an assymetric hemline, white leggings and sneakers plus a wide brimmed black hat.

The couple tied the knot in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, a lakeside town roughly 88 miles from Mexico City, in May 2016.

In December, Eva revealed she was ready to workout again after taking time off following Santiago's birth.

Eye-catching footwear: The former Desperate Housewives star looked elegant in a black blouse and pants that she teamed with sandals with a wooden platform sole and high red heels

'I really gave my body time to adjust to postpartum and post-pregnancy,' she told US Weekly. 'You know, it had a baby! It created a human life, so I really wasn't too hard about getting back into shape.'

As she slowly eases into a new routine, she admitted to watching what she eats in addition to breaking a sweat.

'I still love yoga,' she said. 'My workouts now are more weight training, very serious weight training.'He's the doting father to Stormi Webster, who's celebrating her first birthday today.

And Travis Scott ensured he went the extra mile for his little girl, making custom tour merchandise in honor of the birthday girl.

Taking to social media, the 26-year-old rapper shared images of the clothes, including adorable beanies and a hoodie.

Doting dad! Travis Scott revealed he had made some custom tour merchandise in honor of daughter Stormi Webster's first birthday on Friday; the two are seen in a Friday Instagram posted by Kylie Jenner, captioned 'my loves'

On one side of the beanie 'STORMIWORLD' was written - a play on the usual 'ASTROWORLD'.

The other side of the warm baby blue hat read: 'It's my birthday I can fly if I want to'.

Travis also created some adult size hoodies in a tie-dye design which had February 1, 2019, written on it.

Special birthday designs: On one side of the beanie 'STORMIWORLD' was written - a play on the usual 'ASTROWORLD'

Something for everyone: Travis also created some adult size hoodies in a tie-dye design which had February 1, 2019, written on it

Earlier in the day, Travis took to the social media to share a series of adorable shots of Stormi and girlfriend Kylie Jenner.

'ITS MY QUEEN ,MY HEART, MY AIR , MY EVERYTHING. STORMI'S BIRTHDAY TODAY,' he began the post.

'I LOVE U SO MUCH BABY. U THE SMARTEST AND LOVING BABY EVER. UR SPIRIT KEEPS ME GOING EVERY DAY ME AND UR MOMMY LOVE U AND CANT WAIT TO SHARE MORE BEAUTIFUL DAYS WITH U. HAPPY BDAYY STORMIII LETS RAGE.'

Birthday girl! Earlier in the day, Travis took to the social media to share a series of adorable shots of Stormi and girlfriend Kylie Jenner

Love of his life: 'ITS MY QUEEN ,MY HEART, MY AIR , MY EVERYTHING. STORMI'S BIRTHDAY TODAY,' he began the post

Little girl: Girlfriend and Stormi's mom also shared a sweet sentimental message to their daughter on her first birthday

Girlfriend and Stormi's mom also shared a sweet sentimental message to their daughter on her first birthday.

'how did i get so lucky to have such a sweet, smart, happy baby,' she began.

'i just couldnt have dreamt you up, storm. i wish you could stay this little forever and i could protect that contagious smile and laugh of yours.'

Kylie continued: 'I know you wont remember much about the first year of your life but i pray that youll never forget to keep sharing your joy and laughter with the world. my love grows for you a thousand miles a minute. every day with you is the best day of my life. happy birthday to my angel on earth.'

Other members of the Kardashian - Jenner family have also wished the adorable tot a happy birthday.She was born in Balmain, Sydney, Australia but uses an English accent for her character in Juliet, Naked and an American accent in Instant Family.

And Rose Byrne is in the February edition of Vera Magazine for Virgin Atlantic while rocking a variety of bright dresses for the shoot.

The 39-year-old Australian actress revealed in her interview that to perfect her Juliet, Naked character's specific English accent, she asked her co-star in the film, Lily Brazier, who hails from Broadstairs, Kent - the town they filmed in - to send her 'voice memos.'

Wow factor: Rose Byrne took a break from her busy schedule to chat with Vera Magazine for Virgin Atlantic; she is the cover girl for their February issue

Rose said 'she's got this incredible accent that's so specific and really funny, so I got her to record every single line of dialogue that I had.'

Explaining: 'Then I would listen to these recordings of her talking every morning, every night until it was really in me.'

Adding: 'So that's my dirty little secret about my accent!'

When asked by the magazine if she was tempted to get her co-star Lily to do voiceovers for her, she said: 'No! But perhaps I should have been.'

Wow factor: The 39-year-old Australian actress revealed in her interview that to perfect her Juliet, Naked character's specific English accent, she asked her co-star in the film, Lily Brazier, who hails from Broadstairs, Kent - the town they filmed in - to send her 'voice memos'

Looking good: Rose said 'she's got this incredible accent that's so specific and really funny, so I got her to record every single line of dialogue that I had'

She continued: 'She'd probably do a better job. Next time I'm getting her to do it!'

Juliet, Naked is based on a 2009 Nick Hornby novel and Rose plays Annie Platt; Chris O'Dowd and Ethan Hawke also co-star alongside Rose and Lily.

Ethan's character Tucker Crowe, a reclusive rocker, ran away from fame at the height of his popularity, a notion that Rose jokes she has thought of.

Beautiful lady: Explaining: 'Then I would listen to these recordings of her talking every morning, every night until it was really in me'

Mesmerizing: Adding: 'So that's my dirty little secret about my accent'

The mother of two says if she would ever do that: 'Ha! Of course, yeah! Are you kidding me? There's so much noise in the business.'

Rose said: 'Noise, noise, noise, noise, noise, noise, you know? You've got to keep your head clear, and sometimes it is tempting to check out, just press pause.'

The movie star said to the magazine that she 'always felt like that with life in general, in any business, you're like "Oh dude, I could totally check out."'

Rose said that 'there's the thing, you just keep driving yourself until you I guess,' she joked.

Rock on: When asked by the magazine if she was tempted to get her co-star to do voiceovers for her, she said: 'No! But perhaps I should have been'

Stylish: She continued: 'She'd probably do a better job. Next time I'm getting her to do it'

Rose touched on her breakthrough role, which was Natalie Portman's handmaid in the 2002 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones.

She said: 'That was easy. I just stood by Natalie Portman looking serious.'

The beauty had an American accent for the film Instant Family, alongside Mark Wahlberg, which was released last November.

Rose, who grew up in Balmain, Sydney, comes from a family outside of the acting business.

So pretty: Rose touched on her breakthrough role, which was Natalie Portman's handmaid in the 2002 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones

She said she just started taking acting classes and began getting work here and there.

While she didn't know how 'sustainable' or 'practical' it was, she said she was very 'ambitious' and 'driven'.

And most importantly, she enjoyed it and was 'completely smitten and wanted that to be my life for sure.'

Rose has two children with actor Bobby Cannavale, 48: sons Rocco, three, and Rafa, one.She's the exotic stunner who has enjoyed an endless string of magazine covers and lucrative modelling campaigns with brands like Maybelline and Gillette Venus.

But on Sunday, former Home and Away star Pia Miller, 34 insisted that her stunning good looks haven't given her an 'easier time' in life.

'I definitely havent had an easier time because I look a certain way,' she told Stellar.

'I havent had an easier time because I look a certain way!' Home And Away's Pia Miller has insisted that her beauty never gave her an advantage in life

'Who I am has nothing to do with how I look.'

The Chilean Australian beauty was first discovered at 14 after winning a modelling competition for Dolly Magazine.

After having her eldest son Isaiah at just 19, she went on to star in a string of campaigns for Myer, Qantas, Midas and Star Casino before turning her attentions to acting and landing her breakthrough role as Summer Bay copper, Katarina 'Kat' Chapman.

Stunner: Pia features in a chic editorial published in Stellar magazine this weekend

'The only reason I [pursued] modelling after having Isaiah was to provide for him!' After having her eldest son Isaiah (pictured) at just 19, she went on to star in a string of campaigns for Myer, Qantas, Midas and Star Casino

But Pia admitted to Stellar that stardom was never her dream.

'Fame was never the objective,' she told the magazine, 'the only reason I [pursued] modelling after having Isaiah was to provide for him.'

Meanwhile the beauty recently spoke about her engagement to entrepreneur Tyson Mullane, who popped the question in November 2017.

'I had no idea it was happening!' Meanwhile the beauty recently opened up about her engagement to entrepreneur Tyson Mullane, who popped the question in November 2017

And in an interview with TV Week Up Close last week, Pia admitted she wasn't expecting the proposal.

'(The proposal) was the biggest surprise, because Tyson sort of hid it behind my birthday celebrations, so I had no idea it was happening. But it was wonderful.'

Tyson will be Pia's second husband, after she was previously married to AFL player Brad Miller whom she shares an 11 year-old son, Lennox.Advertisement

There may well be lies, damn lies and statistics, but 4.8 million followers is a number that definitely widens the eyes.

That is the combined following on Instagram of travelling couple Jack Morris (aka @doyoutravel, 2.8million followers), from the UK, and Lauren Bullen (aka gypsea_lust, two million), from Australia.

And why? Because they post some of the most jaw-dropping travel shots youre ever likely to see. Ever.

The stunning image on the left was taken in Santorini in Greece. It was 'liked' over 130,000 times. The image on the right was taken in Bali and it was liked even more - over 223,000 times

On the left is Jack taking a look at Machu Picchu. On the right he's pictured relaxing with Lauren in Bali in a rather stunning pool

And no, they dont get a pro to snap them.

Every picture of Jack is taken by Lauren and every picture of Lauren is taken by Jack.

If theyre both in the shot it means they put the camera on a tripod and took the image using a timer.

The couple aren't new to MailOnline, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to publish a new batch of their images, with their kind permission.

MailOnline Travel asked them by email what the secret to their success is.

Jack and Lauren have been signed up by Brand USA to snap the country in all its glory for its #UnitedStories campaign. Here they are having a toe-tally awesome time in Montana

Lauren soaks up the rays in LA (left) and has a kiss and a cuddle with Jack in Monument Valley, Arizona, on the right

Lauren goes for a stroll by Mount Rushmore in South Dakota (left) and gets an aerial view of it (right), too

Wonderful wilderness: The couple take in the epic scenery at Glacier National Park in Montana

They replied: We both had different stories in the very beginning but it came from the same passions - I guess theres no secret as such and everyone will grow differently and to different levels.

With that said consistence, originality, and following a passion are three major aspects to growth. Youve got to enjoy what youre doing, too. Growing a following is fun and opens a lot of doors but that shouldnt ever be the main goal.

And do they ever get jealous of each others shots?

Jack said: I wouldnt say we ever get jealous because were always trying our best to help each other. Naturally theres been a few occasions where weve had disagreements on who gets to post a "banger" first, but most of the time we try to mix things up and create two different shots out of the same scenario.

If it's eye-bulging scenery you want, Montana is the place to go (left). Lauren hitches a ride in New York (right)

In Utah Jack and Lauren had a hoot - with this owl (left). Jack relaxes in a wooden tub amid the mind-boggling scenery of the Swiss Alps (right)

ROAD TRIP! HOW BRAND USA WANTS TO UNEARTH AMERICAS TREASURES French street artist Etienne Bardelli has designed the Brand USA influencer-mobiles Over to Brand USAs CMO Tom Garzilli. He said: As a nation, we want to share our stories with the world and invite them to experience our people and destinations first-hand. United Stories will help travellers understand places more deeply, meet real people, and uncover local perspectives to activate their wanderlust. 'Global travellers are increasingly looking for local experiences that cant be found in travel brochures. This campaign is an open invitation to visit the USA, experience the warmth of the American people, and engage with the vast diversity of our destinations. A trip to the United States is perpetually new. To get travellers' wanderlust fired up, Brand USA is driving influencers like Jack and Lauren around in various eye-catchingly painted vehicles - the designs are by French street artist Etienne Bardelli - so they can hop out at points of interest, take amazing pics, then upload them from in-vehicle computers. Advertisement

The couple met in March 2016 while on a job together in Fiji.

They were both already Instagram-famous at that point.

Jack, from a small village just outside Manchester, has been travelling since 2012. Before that he was a carpet cleaner for four years.

Lauren, meanwhile, from Lennox Head, was a dental assistant before she became one of the worlds most influential influencers after she began posting in 2013.

In Jaipur in India the couple displayed their derring-do (left). Jack peers down at sunseekers in the Algarve (right)

Jack said that they never get jealous of each other's shots and that they generally try to help each other out. Here's Jack in Thailand strolling around a rather tempting-looking infinity pool

Paradise found: The pair walk hand in hand in a beautiful lagoon in the Philippines

They now often get paid big bucks for their snaps and their online clout is such that they have been signed up by Brand USA for its United Stories tourism campaign, alongside actress Alyssa Lynch and other Instagram stars.

The aim is for the influencers to generate content and showcase the breadth and depth of the USA like never before.

So off to the USA they went.

The project launched in South Dakota, home to Belle Fourche, the geographic center of the United States.

There are so many parts of the country we love, they said. Its so diverse, from the tropics of Miami and Hawaii, the cities of LA and NY which are both so opposite but incredible, and then theres the inner states we have explored like Utah, Montana and now South Dakota!

South Dakota really surprised us. We hadnt heard much about it prior to this trip so didnt have a whole lot of expectations. We had heard of Mount Rushmore but had no idea where exactly it was. We were really surprised at how beautiful the Mid-West can be! I think especially since we visited during the off season and not many tourists were around it was super relaxing. It almost felt like we had all these incredible spots to ourselves. The people were also really friendly which always makes a destination more memorable.

For more on United Stories visit www.visittheusa.com/UnitedStories and look for the #UnitedStories hashtag online.There are almost as many hippos as people in and around South Africas St Lucia Estuary.

No wonder river safari companies in this part of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park tell punters: Refund guaranteed if you dont see hippos!

Of course youll see a hippo. There are some 800 of them bobbing up and down in the muddy water. From time to time they open their mouths to reveal 12-inch main gnashers  and the man with the mic tells us they can snap a croc in two with one snap.

Splash: The Isimangaliso Wetland Park has 800 hippos

That must be why the crocs keep their distance. There are even more of them in this stretch of water  some 1,000.

But at least the crocs, unlike the hippos, dont go walkabout down the High Street at night, drinking from swimming pools.

Just keep 50 metres or so from them, says the mic man.

St Lucia is about two hours north of Durban and you could spend a happy few days here with the hippos, crocs and birds, especially the African Fish Eagles. But we move on to the Thanda private game reserve in the north of KwaZulu Natal, where we are soon introduced to herds of buffalo and impala, as well as many giraffe and zebra.

Thanda is owned by the Swedish entrepreneur Dan Olof Olofsson, who in the early 2000s started buying up farms and combining them to create a 35,000 acre game reserve.

If youre part of a group then you can stay in what used to be Mr Olofssons house. Otherwise there are plenty of rooms at the main lodge. Our wildlife expert, Christian, is a highly respected photographer and is happy to give tips on shutter speeds as well as answering silly animal questions from urbanites like me. This is Zululand and so we are entertained one night by a troupe of female Zulu dancers.

An aerial view of the St Lucia Estuary in Isimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Theres a comical element to safari, especially when it comes to sundowners. Christian sets up a bar in the middle of the bush, complete with a cocktail menu and canapes. In fact, the sun went down almost an hour ago and there is no moon.

Which means Christian uses his laser beam and summons the spirit of the late Patrick Moore as he points out Jupiter, Mars and the Milky Way.

Beats arguing over Brexit, says Christian. Beats most things, actually.The only time the car door blew right off was in Orkney. It was in the small parking area at the bottom of the path to the Kitchener Memorial on Marwick Head.

On these teeth-jittering cliffs is the monument to the famous your country needs you Field Marshal who, on June 5, 1916, perished in the seething foam below in a force nine gale along with 655 of the ships crew and a secret cargo of gold bullion intended to bribe the Russian Tsar to stay in the war.

As the drivers door opened just a crack, a thundering westerly wrenched the hinges apart and sent it scything across the field like a mutant killer Frisbee. (Moral: park nose to the wind).

Prehistoric perfection: The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is thought to be 4,000 years old

Walking on the headland, a dear friends handsome hat blew straight upwards off his head, hovered indignantly at about 200 ft on a screaming jet of air and then streaked away like the Millennium Falcon in the direction of Norway.

The spectacular reverse waterfalls running off the Yesnaby cliffs tumble down about 6 ft before rising up with 80 mph thrusts that spin the torrent round and send icy fountains back into your face.

Caravans have to be held down by hawsers and stakes. Windows burst into shards. Even the steel windmill on top of Costa Head didnt last long before it was swatted into the sea in a gale.

Yet these 70-plus islands are, for some of us, the nearest place to heaven. Were not surprised that Orkney has been voted the best place to live in the UK in the annual Halifax quality of life survey, with cheap houses, low crime, good schools and a population who are among the happiest and healthiest in the country. But that doesnt stop the wind blowing.

You get there by pointing the car north, driving to the top of Scotland, and then catching the Ro-Ro for a couple of hours across the Pentland Firth. As you cross the sea an Orcadian will tell you that you are leaving Scotland. This is not legally true but Orcadians do not greatly like being part of Scotland.

From London it is 532 miles, so you might want to fly.

But then youd miss the famous 449 ft finger of old red sandstone sticking out of the sea, the Old Man of Hoy. The ferry sails right past it.

You might imagine that my Orkney friends were amused to be informed that they live in the best place in the UK. Wrong. Orcadians paid the news no attention at all. And that is at the heart of the reason why I have been unable to live without a regular dose of Orkney for the past five decades.

For in this capital of common sense, this Mecca of moderation, people know that nothing matters. They have a great gift for ignoring the noise and the hype that comes from what they refer to as the adjacent island of Great Britain.

Colourful: The islands are home to spectacular wildlife including whales, seals and puffins

And they are well aware that while others get into a frenzy about Trump and Brexit, the sun rises, the tides goes out, people get old, new people are born.

I mentioned to a wonderful Orcadian that my mother had died. The response seemed beautiful and wise. Aha ... [pause] ... and how are the children?. Start apologising for something and the invariable response is nae bother.

I can never forget how, as a crazed teenager exiled to Orkney on my own for six months, the local community gently opened its arms and embraced the demented being with patience and goodwill.

The roots of this gentle magic? You need to read the two great 20th century Orcadian poets George Mackay Brown and Edwin Muir to get an answer. It has managed to have its cake and eat it wrote Muir in 1935. It has been saved by being just outside the circumference of the industrial world, near enough to know about it, but too far off to be drawn into it.

Certainly history has something to do with it: the everyday contact with the amazing Ring of Brodgar, the neolithic village of Skara Brae, the ancient cairns and tombs dotted over the landscape.

Certainly nature: not just the wind but the massive waves, the whales, seals, puffins and the Red Arrows of the cliffs, the kittiwakes. The solid fact and seasonal rotation of farming: so much more stable than life on a fishing boat.

Certainly the literacy of ordinary people: the local mechanic, now dead, told me how his mother took him to the GP as a child for reading too much. The doctor asked what book. War And Peace said the boy. The prescription is carry on and get to the end, said the doctor.

But perhaps most of all the quiet watchfulness with which they manage to take care of each other.

In her wonderful 2016 memoir, The Outrun, about retreating home to Orkney to recover from alcoholism, Amy Liptrot, describes a night when she was deeply depressed after splitting up with her boyfriend.

She is driving past a clifftop suicide spot. There is a blue flashing light she thinks is an ice-cream van.

As she steps out of the car two policemen take her gently in their arms. Someone in Orkney had noticed.

You can still have all the privacy in the world here. You can be alone. But you will never be lonely.Celts in the Iron Age rubbed oil into the heads of their victims after cutting them off to stop them rotting, it has been revealed.

Ancient writings often mention the beheadings, with the severed skulls kept as trophies - but until now, researchers had not known how they were preserved.

The new study of over 100 fragmented human skulls were found buried in a French town found plant oils were key to the embalming efforts.

Some of the skull fragments used in the study. Over 100 fragmented human skulls were found buried in a French town found plant oils were key to the embalming efforts.

HOW THE CELTS PREPARED THEIR 'TROPHY HEADS' After killing an enemy, the head was decapitated The brain and tongue were then removed Head were then dipped in cedar oil or a local pinacea oil Finally, they were displayed outside a home, with the weapon that killed them Pinaceae oil was applied several times during the lifetime of the heads display to continue to preserve it Advertisement

Researchers believe the heads were put on display to mark the 'bravery and strength of the community and of its warriors.'

'Ancient texts described that one of the most impressive ritual practices of the Celts during the Iron Age was to remove the heads of enemies killed in battle and to embalm them for display in front of the victors dwellings,' the researchers wrote in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Weapons were also exhibited alongside the severed heads, they said.

The gruesome discoveries were made in an open area of Le Cailar, France a 2,500 yearold town on the Rhone River.

The skulls, which were discovered among ancient weapons in the walled village, date back to the 3rd century B.C., when Le Cailar was a Celtic settlement, and the team believe the heads may have been on display until the area was covered in dirt around 200 BC.

'Many of the skulls bore cut marks, not only of decapitation, but also to preparing the heads for display by the removal of cervical vertebrae and aperture of the postero-inferior portion of the cranium, probably - to remove the brain; and tongue ablation, or at least the scraping of the muscles under the mandible,' the team wrote.

Researchers who analyzed the fragments believe the heads were for the locals to gaze upon

Researchers from the University PaulValery Montpellier crushed small parts of the skulls to analyze, and found chemicals suggesting heads may have possibly been dipped in cedar oil or a local pinacea oil after the brain was removed for embalming.

The gruesome discoveries were made in an open area of Le Cailar, France a 2,500 yearold town on the Rhone River

The researchers who analyzed the fragments believe the heads were for the locals to gaze upon as the skulls were found inside Le Cailar, as opposed to outside the town walls where they could be put on display to frighten attackers.

They also found It is also possible that Pinaceae oil was applied several times, during the lifetime of the heads display, in order to continue to preserve the head.

'Thanks to this study, we demonstrated that some of the severed heads displaying in this Iron Age fortified settlement were embalmed,' the team concluded.

'This corroborated with the documentation by both literary sources and archaeology that the Celtic people removed the heads of their enemies slain on the battlefield and that they exhibited them in public spaces.'According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is predicted.

Of course groundhogs  also known as woodchucks  dont emerge at this time just to be furry weather predictors. So whats the real reason?

Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities in early February than mingling with the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Groundhog Day appears to have European roots. Early February is midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and throughout history this seasonal crossroads has been celebrated.

According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is predicted. File photo

The ancient Greeks and Romans observed a mid-season festival on February 5th in anticipation of spring.

In the Celtic tradition, this period was celebrated as the festival of Imbolog to mark the beginning of spring.

Early Christians in Europe embraced this tradition and celebrated Candlemas Day on February 2nd, to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary.

Customarily on this day, clergy would bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of winter in anticipation of spring.

In northern Europe, farmers needed some indication when to start spring planting. They looked for the emergence of hibernators, such as the hedgehog or badger, to signal the coming of spring.

Since their emergence occurred in early February, it was believed that if Candlemas Day was sunny, and the hibernator saw its shadow, more wintry weather was ahead.

But if it rained or snowed on Candlemas Day, the rest of the winter would be mild.

This tradition was brought to America by the Germans who migrated to eastern Pennsylvania.

They found groundhogs in profusion in many parts of the state and decided this mammal was a perfect replacement for the hibernators theyd left behind in Europe. Thus, the tradition continued in America.

Hibernation helps survival

In my study area in southeastern Pennsylvania, the average date groundhogs emerge from their burrows is February 4. This fits the folklore and the timing of Groundhog Day. However, predicting the weather is not their objective.

The real reason is related to Darwinian fitness  a measure of an organisms ability to contribute its genes to the next generation.

The process defines natural selection and is based on an organisms ability to survive and to reproduce successfully. High Darwinian fitness suggests an individual will pass on its genes to many healthy offspring.

Hibernation contributes to Darwinian fitness value. It enhances survival by saving energy during times of limited food availability.

Hibernation is characterized by a significant drop in body temperature and metabolic function. This process is commonly called torpor. Above, a female groundhog can be seen emerging from her burrow in late January

The ability to hibernate is found in several mammalian groups, including all marmots, many species of ground squirrels, chipmunks, hamsters, badgers, lemurs, bats and even some marsupials and echidnas.

Curled up in their burrows, they pass the winter months, when food would be hard to come by.

Hibernation: alternating torpor and arousal

Hibernation is characterized by a significant drop in body temperature and metabolic function. This process is commonly called torpor.

During torpor, body functions including heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity are reduced. The overall benefit for the animal is saving metabolic energy at a time when it isnt eating.

However, for some still unexplained reason, hibernators arouse periodically during their hibernating season. These arousals come at a great energy cost.

Therefore, arousing must be critical to survival in some way or animals wouldnt waste the energy on it. Some possibilities include maintaining cellular functions or disposing of bodily wastes.

During torpor, body functions including heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity are reduced. This Maine groundhog had 17 torpor bouts where body temperature went up and down

In Pennsylvania, these bouts of torpor and arousal continue throughout the hibernation season, starting on average in mid-November and ending by the beginning of March; a total of about 110 days.

In one study, an average of 15 bouts of torpor occurred during this period, with arousals in between.

Groundhogs aroused for about 41 hours and then returned to torpor for about 128 hours for males and 153 hours for females.

In a 2010 study, we determined that the hibernation periods for groundhogs increase in length with increasing latitude. The hibernation period matches winters duration.

The celebration of Groundhog Day would need to change by latitude in order to perfectly match groundhog emergence.

It all boils down to sex

One of the drawbacks of hibernation is the reduced time available for reproduction. Thus, hibernators have developed mating strategies to maximize reproductive success.

Groundhog mating strategies involve temporary emergence in early February, mating in early March during during their final arousal, and giving birth in early April.

This behavior enhances reproductive success because young are born as early as possible (but not too early) and are able to start feeding in May when lots of food is available.

That way they have enough time to gain sufficient weight to survive their first winter hibernation.

Male groundhog (on the right) greeting a female groundhog for the first time after they emerge from their separate burrows

But why do groundhogs emerge in February, when mating wont occur until next month?

The answer lies in their social structure. Most of the year, male and female groundhogs are solitary and antagonistic against each other.

They aggressively maintain a feeding territory around their burrows and rarely have any contact with each other.

February is used to reestablish the bonds necessary for mating and ensures that mating can then proceed without delay in early March.

So for the animals themselves, Groundhog Day is more like Valentines Day. On February 2nd, groundhogs dont emerge to predict the weather, but to predict whether their own mating season will be a success!The gap between house prices in Britain's major cities and average salaries is the widest since the financial crisis, new research has revealed.

Lloyds Bank found that the ratio of average house prices across 62 cities to average city earnings has reached 7.2, the highest level since 2007.

But while there are some cities in the UK where a home will cost more than 12 times the average salary in the location, in others it would only cost just under 4.5 times wages there.

The Top 10 Least Affordable UK Cities 2018 - with Oxford taking the top spot

Oxford has been named as the least affordable city if you're looking to buy a home

It highlights the extent of how challenging it has become to afford a home in some parts of the country, with the average value of a city property in Britain reaching 248,233, up from 180,548 five years ago.

In comparison, average annual earnings in cities rose by 11 per cent to 34,366, during the same period.

Average affordability in cities has worsened with house prices rising as a multiple of average annual earnings from 5.8 in 2013 to 7.2 in 2018.

Lloyds's research pinpointed the places in the UK where it is particularly difficult for local people to afford a home and those where that is a more achievable aim, by comparing average full-time wages in that city with the average house price.

The ratio stretches into double figures for the top seven least affordable cities, which are Oxford, Chichester, Winchester, Truro, Greater London, Bath and Cambridge.

Top of the list published by Lloyds Bank is Oxford where the average house price stands at 460,184 - 12.6 times the annual gross average salary in the city.

In Chichester, a home costs 11.5 times average earnings, with the figure stretching to 11.3 in Winchester, 11.1 in Truro and 10.3 in Greater London

Chichester, in West Sussex, is also among the least affordable places to buy a home

THE 20 LEAST AFFORDABLE CITIES IN THE UK THIS YEAR UK cities Region Price to earnings ratio Oxford South East 12.6 Chichester South East 11.5 Winchester South East 11.3 Truro South West 11.1 Greater London Greater London 10.3 Bath South West 10.3 Cambridge East Anglia 10.3 Southampton South East 9.7 Brighton And Hove South East 9.6 Chelmsford South East 9.3 Bristol South West 9.1 Exeter South West 9.1 Leicester East Midlands 8.6 Salisbury South West 8.3 Norwich East Anglia 8.2 York Yorkshire and Humberside 8 Ely East Anglia 7.9 Canterbury South East 7.8 St Albans South East 7.8 Worcester West Midlands 7.7 UK cities average 7.2 UK average 7.2 Source: Lloyds Bank

That stands in stark contrast to the most affordable locations Londonderry, in Northern Ireland, and Stirling, in Scotland, where a home costs 4.4 times average earnings.

They were followed by Newry, at 4.5 times wages, Bradford, in Yorkshire and Humberside, at 4.6 times and Lancaster, in the North West, at 4.7 times.

Londonderry in Northern Ireland has been named among the most affordable places to buy

THE 20 MOST AFFORDABLE CITIES IN THE UK THIS YEAR UK cities Region Price to earnings ratio Londonderry Northern Ireland 4.4 Stirling Scotland 4.4 Newry Northern Ireland 4.5 Bradford Yorkshire and Humberside 4.6 Lancaster North West 4.7 Belfast Northern Ireland 5 Aberdeen Scotland 5 Perth Scotland 5.1 Hereford West Midlands 5.1 Sunderland North 5.2 Carlisle North 5.3 Liverpool North West 5.4 Dundee Scotland 5.4 Swansea Wales 5.5 Glasgow Scotland 5.5 Stoke On Trent West Midlands 5.5 Durham North 5.5 Hull Yorkshire and Humberside 5.6 Inverness Scotland 5.8 Derby East Midlands 5.9 UK cities average 7.2 UK average 7.2 Source: Lloyds Bank

A North/South divide is evident, with northern cities and Scottish cities making up the remainder of the most affordable cities - including Belfast in Northern Ireland, Aberdeen and Perth - both in Scotland, and Sunderland in the North.

The only exception is Hereford, which is ranked ninth most affordable, Stoke on Trent, in 16th position and Derby, in 20th spot.

Andrew Mason, mortgage products director at Lloyds Bank, said: 'Buying a home in UK cities remains challenging, as average house prices are outpacing wage growth.

'However the market has seen the number of first-time buyers at a high and home owners are still attracted to cities across the UK, in spite of rising costs.

'In the past five years, more than half of northern cities have made the UK top 10 in house price growth, whereas over a longer period, southern cities dominate.'

The least affordable places to buy a home also include Bath in Somerset

HOW AFFORDABILITY HAS CHANGED BETWEEN 2008 AND 2018 Year Average UK city house price  Av full-time mean earnings  Price to earnings ratio 2008 182,467 28,879 6.3 2009 168,734 29,663 5.7 2010 173,427 29,851 5.8 2011 170,076 30,079 5.7 2012 171,745 30,643 5.6 2013 180,548 31,038 5.8 2014 194,374 31,443 6.2 2015 209,837 31,731 6.6 2016 225,238 32,483 6.9 2017 232,945 33,413 7 2018 248,233 34,366 7.2 Source: Lloyds Bank, 12 months to December, ONS

Winchester in Hampshire has seen the biggest price rise of any city in the past decade

Winchester has seen the biggest price rise of any city in the past decade with a gain of 93 per cent, from 281,224 in 2008 to 541,891 in 2018, compared to an average of 35 per cent.

Chichester is second with a rise of 76 per cent followed by Greater London at 69 per cent, Cambridge at 66 per cent, St Albans at 64 per cent and Oxford at 59 per cent.

Truro in Cornwall is in the top 20 least affordable cities in Britain, according to Lloyds Bank

Nine of the 10 top performers since 2008 are in the South of England with the exceptions being Lichfield in the West Midlands and Cardiff in Wales, both at 54 per cent.

In the past five years, Chichester has recorded the highest house price growth with a rise of 62 per cent, from 277,654 in 2013 to 450,023 in 2018.

Cambridge has the second highest increase in average house prices at 61 per cent, followed by Newcastle upon Tyne at 56 per cent, Ely at 54 per cent and Lichfield at 52 per cent.Here are some of the most colorful tales from the trial of ex-Sinaloa Cartel boss, El Chapo:

HIS OWN WORDS

* Guzman's voice was 'sing-songy' with a 'nasally undertone,' said FBI agent Steven Marston. In one recorded call, Guzman tells an associate, 'Don't be so harsh... take it easy with the police.' The partner responds: 'You taught us to be a wolf.'

* Text messages between Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel, often turned to family matters. 'Our Kiki is fearless,' Guzman wrote in one, referring to one of their daughters. 'I'm going to give her an AK-47 so she can hang with me.'

* After Coronel said she saw a suspicious car, Guzman wrote to her, 'You go ahead and lead a normal life. That's it.' Later he reminds her: 'Make sure you delete everything after we're done chatting.'

* In one of the trial's final days, Guzman told the judge he would not testify in his own defense. The same day, he grinned broadly at audience member Alejandro Edda, the Mexican actor who plays Guzman in the Netflix television drama 'Narcos.'

LOVERS AND BUSINESS

* Multiple 'wives' visited Guzman when he was hiding in Sinaloa, said Alex Cifuentes, a former close partner.

* Lucero Sanchez Lopez, a former Mexican lawmaker, told jurors she once had a romantic relationship with Guzman, who sent her to buy and ship marijuana. 'I didn't want for him to mistrust me because I thought he could also hurt me,' she said. 'I was confused about my own feelings over him. Sometimes I loved him and sometimes I didn't.'

* Agustina Cabanillas, a partner of Guzman who called him 'love,' set up drug deals by passing information between Guzman and others. In one message, Cabinillas called Guzman a 'jerk' who was trying to spy on her. 'Guess what? I'm smarter than him,' she wrote.

HIGH LEVELS OF CORRUPTION

* Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel paid bribes, some in the millions of dollars, to Mexican officials at every level, said Jesus Zambada, the brother of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who worked alongside El Chapo and is still at large.

* Beneficiaries included a high-ranking police official who fed Guzman information on police activities 'every day,' said Miguel Angel Martinez, a former cartel manager.

* Guzman once paid $100 million to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, Cifuentes said. Pena Nieto has denied taking any bribes.

* When imprisoned in Mexico in 2016, Guzman bribed a national prison official $2 million to be transferred to a different facility, but the move was unsuccessful.

MURDER

* After a rival cartel member declined to shake Guzman's hand, he ordered the man killed, fueling a war between the cartels, Zambada said.

* When assassins reporting to Guzman killed a police official who worked for a rival, Zambada said, they lured him out of his house by pretending they had hit his son with a car.

* Guzman ordered Cifuentes to kill the cartel's communications expert after learning he was cooperating with the FBI. But Cifuentes said he was unable to carry out the hit because he did not know the man's last name.

* When Damazo Lopez Nunez, a top lieutenant to Guzman, told his boss that a Mexican mayor wanted them to 'remove' a troublesome police officer, Guzman told him they should do her the favor because the mayor was a favorite for an upcoming state election, Lopez testified. He said Guzman told him to make the killing look like revenge from a gang member.

* Lopez also said Guzman's sons killed a prominent reporter in Sinaloa because he published an article about cartel infighting against their wishes.

* One of Guzman's former bodyguards, Isaias Valdez Rios, said he watched his boss personally kill three rival cartel members. Guzman shot one of them and ordered his underlings to bury the man while he was gasping for air. On another occasion, Guzman tortured two men for hours before shooting them each in the head and ordering their bodies tossed into a flaming pit.

SAFE HOUSES AND ESCAPES

* For a period of Guzman's time as a fugitive in Sinaloa, in northern Mexico, his posse lived in 'humble pine huts' with tinted windows, satellite televisions and washer-dryers, Cifuentes said. About 50 guards formed three rings around the homes to keep watch.

* Guzman escaped into a tunnel hidden beneath a bathtub when U.S. agents raided one of his homes in 2014, said Sanchez, his lover. She followed Guzman, who was completely naked, into the passage, feeling water trickle down her legs. 'It was very dark and I was very scared,' she said.

* Guzman's wife helped her husband tunnel out of a Mexican prison in 2015 by passing messages to his associates, Lopez testified. She unsuccessfully tried to help him duplicate the escape when he was captured the next year.He is the epitome of a Parachute Regiment officer  square-jawed, teak-tough and a proven leader in battle. Indeed, millions of TV viewers recently saw Major Andrew Fox parachute fearlessly on to the Russian front line during a military exercise intended to intimidate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But appearances can be deceptive. Today Major Fox, a veteran of three gruelling tours of Afghanistan, admits that his toughest battle has been against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In a moving and candid interview, the 39-year-old becomes the British Armys most senior officer to disclose his personal struggle with PTSD, a mental illness that has triggered a surge of suicides among serving soldiers.

Today Major Andrew Fox, a veteran of three gruelling tours of Afghanistan, admits that his toughest battle has been against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Major Fox reveals how he:

Became addicted to combat in Afghanistan, desperately craving firefights with the Taliban, even as increasing numbers of British troops were being killed and wounded in battle;

Smashed up his office in an uncontrollable rage on his return to the UK, punching through a wall. He also believes his condition was a factor in his marriage breakdown;

Grew fearful of the sound of a helicopter, which would trigger his PTSD and force him to recall horrific memories of the front line in Helmand province;

Fears the Armys hardman image and culture can discourage soldiers from discussing their emotions or admitting weakness.

Major Fox, a company commander in the Parachute Regiments 3rd Battalion (3 PARA), decided to speak out following concerns over an increase in suicides among serving troops.

I want to be honest about my experiences because good soldiers are taking their own lives, he said. In my case, the war turned me into a bristling ball of hate and rage.

If a day or night went by in Helmand without us smashing the Taliban, I would be furious. Bullets were whistling past my ears but I just wanted more and more of it. I was hooked on the adrenaline rush, but unknown to me the fighting was draining my emotional reserves.

Major Fox, a company commander in the Parachute Regiments 3rd Battalion (3 PARA), decided to speak out following concerns over an increase in suicides among serving troops. (File image)

I brought all that anger back to the UK after my last tour of duty and it was just a matter of time before I exploded. Luckily, I only destroyed a room at Army HQ. I realised after that I had a problem that needed treating and thats what Id like soldiers with the same symptoms to do. They will have their triggers as I did. Mine was helicopters  the sound would drive me nuts.

Hopefully, soldiers will read this piece and think, Well, if Major Fox can be open about his PTSD then I should be too, because every suicide is a tragedy. After my breakdown, I was assessed by a psychiatric nurse and underwent cognitive behavioural therapy.

Im OK again now, so credit to the Army for its mental healthcare programmes.

Major Fox, from Truro, Cornwall, was commissioned into the British Army in 2005 after studying law at university and beginning a trainee barristers pupillage.

Major Fox, seen last month in the ITV series The Paras: Men Of War (above), used the analogy of a bank account to explain how the war left him emotionally bankrupt. He said: I was taking money out, so to speak, with every engagement until I was in overdraft. As a soldier on the front line, you dig deeper and deeper into your emotional reserves until there is nothing left'

He completed three near back-to-back tours of duty in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2010, with little time to recover emotionally from the daily horrors. He saw action in Taliban strongholds, including Sangin where more than 100 UK troops were killed.

Major Fox, who was seen last month in the ITV series The Paras: Men Of War, used the analogy of a bank account to explain how the war left him emotionally bankrupt. He said: I was taking money out, so to speak, with every engagement until I was in overdraft.

As a soldier on the front line, you dig deeper and deeper into your emotional reserves until there is nothing left.

By the end I was psychologically and emotionally spent, yet I was still craving action.

This happened to a lot of people  I did nothing special.

The reality is PTSD can affect anyone and inevitably it must have been a factor in the breakdown of my marriage. The provision of care to troops has improved massively, but there is still work to do on the stigma surrounding PTSD, hence why Im talking about it and why the Paras have now introduced mental health days to educate commanders about the symptoms and risk factors.

Everyone should be honest  thats the brave and logical course of action.

Major Fox, based in Colchester, Essex, praised The Mail on Sundays campaign for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to set up a 24-hour helpline for serving troops with mental health issues. It has received 1,500 calls in just ten months.

The MoD has also increased annual spending on what it terms mental fitness to 22 million and joined forces with the Samaritans to produce 150,000 mental health pocket guidebooks for troops.

Basic training for recruits now includes mental resilience training. According to research, almost a third of veterans who saw combat in Afghanistan or Iraq suffers from a mental health disorder.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last year how veterans were committing suicide at a rate of one every 13 days  higher than the rate at which troops in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014 were being killed in action.

Last night an MoD spokesman said: No one struggling with mental health should suffer in silence.

Those requiring support should contact their chain of command or medical officers, or seek help anonymously via mental health helplines.

Personnel requiring mental health services has risen since 2007, an increase which could be attributed to greater awareness and willingness to seek support.A 50-year-old man has been arrested after he was found hiding under a stranger's bed in the middle of the night.

A man was sound asleep in his Kilburn home in Adelaide's inner-north when he woke up just after midnight on Sunday.

To his horror, he looked under his bed to find a stranger laying there and immediately called triple zero.

A man was arrested after found hiding under stranger's bed in his Kitchener Street (pictured) home

Officers rushed to the Kitchener St home and when they arrived, the suspect was still under the victim's bed.

The 50-year-old was searched and police found he had taken the victim's wallet.

It's believed the man gained access to the house through the front door, which was left unlocked.

The 50-year-old man from Kilburn was charged with serious criminal trespass and theft.

He has been refused bail and is due to appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.Britain could go to the polls on the anniversary of D-Day as Downing Street considers plans to cement Theresa May in power.

No 10 strategists have discussed a scenario under which the Prime Minister would delay the Article 50 Brexit process beyond the end of March, win Commons support for her deal in April  and then go to the country in the following weeks on the back of her success.

The first Thursday in June  the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis  is one option on the table.

In a major boost for Mrs Mays Brexit strategy last night, a new poll showed the Tories have opened up a seven-point lead over Labour in the past two weeks. The Opinium survey put the Tories on 41 per cent  up four percentage points  and Labour down six to 34.

Britain could go to the polls on the anniversary of D-Day as Downing Street considers plans to cement Theresa May (pictured today at church in Maidenhead) in power

ELECTION CLUE? The Tories have increased their spending on advertisements, including this one highlighting their 20 billion spending promise to the NHS

It comes as the Tory Partys HQ has moved on to a war footing by block-booking printing plants and hiking its spending on digital advertising.

Suspicions among nervous Tory MPs that Mrs May might be considering another Election  nearly two years after the 2017 fiasco cost the party its Commons majority  were heightened last week by the leak of Government plans to allocate funds to the constituencies of Labour MPs as a bribe. One said: That smells of an attempt to butter up the wider electorate.

In December, Mrs May fought off an attempt to oust her by vowing that a new leader would take the party into the next scheduled Election in 2022. But some of her allies regard an Election this year as the only way to guarantee Mrs May  and themselves  more than a few months in Downing Street after Brexit.

A snap poll would allow Mrs May to renew her public mandate as she prepared to negotiate the direction of the future relationship with the European Union.

Javid tells EU: Hands off expats in Spain Expats should not be charged for living abroad after Brexit, the Home Secretary has told European leaders. Sajid Javid is urging officials in Brussels to ensure that settled status fees are not introduced for the 1.3 million Britons living on the Continent. He made the plea after Theresa May scrapped a planned 65 fee for EU citizens who want to remain in the UK. Sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Javid wrote on Friday to Guy Verhofstadt, the Brexit co-ordinator in the European Parliament, and Michel Barnier, the European Commissions chief negotiator, calling for Britons abroad to be given peace of mind. He is understood to have told them that UK nationals living in the EU deserve the same certainty and reassurance that we have given their counterparts living here, pointing out the valuable contribution that expats make to Europe. Mr Javid asked Mr Verhofstadt to press EU countries for a guarantee that there will be no cost for Britons living abroad and said that ensuring expats do not have to pay a settlement fee would give the message loud and clear that they are welcome to stay. Mr Verhofstadt, who is in favour of fees being scrapped, said last week: The decision of Theresa May to waive settled status fees was a welcome one. Its time for the EU27 to show the same spirit and reciprocate. EU ambassadors agreed on Friday that British citizens travelling to the border check-free Schengen area after Brexit would be allowed to do so without visas. Advertisement

The Mail on Sunday understands that senior staff at Tory HQ have been briefed on plans to deal with deselection attempts by members of some MPs ahead of a General Election. Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) has vowed to step in to stop any MP that backed Mrs Mays deal from being deselected by their local association, but party chairman Brandon Lewis pointedly refused to make a similar commitment to help MPs who rebelled to vote her deal down.

At a briefing for aides at CCHQ on Friday, Mr Lewis also revealed the party was set to triple its spending on online advertising in the coming weeks to promote the partys NHS policy, which they believe to be a major vote winner. Tory bosses insist that the slick advert using real TV news footage was part of their local election campaign  but they are spending far more than the other parties.

Mr Lewis warned the gathering of Government special advisers and spin doctors that Cabinet infighting by their bosses was harming his fundraising efforts  and insisted to the allies of Mrs Mays leadership rivals that she remained popular with the party membership.

He said the party had raised nearly 2 million in small donations from members as a direct result of the failed bid to oust the Prime Minister. His gushing praise of Mrs Mays personal strength led many present to believe she could be preparing to go back on her promise to quit before the next Election.

Some of Mrs Mays team are hopeful the political weather will improve in the immediate aftermath of Britain leaving the EU, with a window of opportunity for the party to capitalise on a Brexit honeymoon.

But one Minister said the prospect of another Election was a bid by second-rate staff desperate to keep their jobs. And one ally of the Prime Minister described the idea of going to the country as utter madness that would split both parties.

They fear that some in No 10 believe a General Election would be the only way for Mrs May to avoid being ousted by Brexiteers who do not want her to be in charge of the next phase of negotiations with the EU over a new free trade deal.

The Fixed Term Parliament Act is designed to stop Prime Ministers calling snap polls, but No 10 believe Jeremy Corbyn has been so vocal in his demands for a fresh ballot, that even if some Tories voted against going to the country, they still have the two thirds of MPs required to trigger an Election.

Mrs Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell is believed to have come up with the Labour bribe plan  not just to secure vital MPs Brexit votes, but to create goodwill towards the Government in deprived communities, including former mining villages, which still harbour resentments towards the Tories over Margaret Thatchers industrial policies. A source said: The cash for coal bribe was Gavins idea. He watches a lot of The West Wing. No one has told him that he is not [fictional US President] Jed Bartlett.

A Downing Street spokesman denied there were any plans to hold a General Election.

....as Williamson invokes Dunkirk spirit: I will order the Navy to replace Channel ferries

The Royal Navy could be pressed into action to ferry vital supplies across the Channel in the event of a No Deal Brexit, Government sources have told The Mail on Sunday.

According to a secret contingency planning document which was circulating around Whitehall last week, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has failed to increase the ferry capacity between the UK and France by the 20 per cent required to avoid a threat to life and limb.

Mr Grayling signed 108 million of contracts in December with new ferry companies in an attempt to ease the pressure on Dover if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and the main ports are too gridlocked for enough food, water and medical supplies to get through to the UK.

Sir Kenneth Branagh in the film Dunkirk about the evacuation of Allied forces in 1940

But the document states that his ferry contracts have only increased capacity by 8 per cent.

A Government source said: Its not enough. We are particularly worried about radioactive isotopes for cancer treatments, which have a short half-life.

It is understood that Mr Williamson, whose offer to provide military contingency planners to Mr Grayling was turned down last July, has said that he can provide whatever ships can be spared by the Navy to help Mr Grayling.

The MoD has four Point class roll-on/roll-off sealift ships available for use as substitute ferries  but only one is currently in UK waters. The others are in the Suez, the Mediterranean and the Falklands. Mr Williamson has also placed 3,000 military personnel on standby.

Earlier this year, Mr Grayling defended giving a ferry contract worth almost 14 million to Seaborne Freight, despite it never having run a Channel service. The firm was accused of copying part of its website from a takeaway firms.

Mr Grayling says that the plan would take a little bit of pressure off the Channel ports in order to make sure that we can get essential supplies for organisations like the NHS into the country if there were jams at the ports in Kent.

He said: I remain quite optimistic now that the flow of traffic through the Channel ports will carry on relatively normally even in a No Deal Brexit. But people would expect us to be ready.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said that he can provide whatever ships can be spared by the Navy to help Transport Secretary Chris Grayling prepare for No Deal

It comes as a senior Foreign Office source has described a mood of disbelief and desperation in Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunts department over Brexit preparations.

The source said: There is a perception that because Ministers cant travel and the PM is not really interested in world affairs, the UK is disappearing off the world stage If only we had some clear guidance to work towards or a clear objective. But that is absolutely lacking.

A Transport Department spokesman said: The Government remains focused on securing an agreement with the EU, however it is only sensible that we prepare for all possible outcomes.

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, from the pro-EU Best For Britain group, said: Chris Grayling cannot run a bath let alone make sure our vital transport infrastructure routes. Hes completely out of his depth.

May to Baltics: Help me like I've helped you

Theresa May is to appeal to the Baltic states where British troops are stationed in a bid to break the Brexit backstop deadlock.

Around 900 troops are based in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Now Downing Street hopes to convince these EU states to break cover and urge Brussels to reopen the divorce agreement terms.

Last week Poland came close to demanding that meaningful talks recommence  to the fury of EU purists in France and Germany. Now behind-the-scenes appeals to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are planned for the coming days.

Theresa May is to appeal to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, where 900 British troops are stationed as a bulwark against Russia, in a bid to break the Brexit backstop deadlock

But the strategy risks a furious backlash if it is interpreted as Britain threatening to pull troops out, leaving Europes eastern border to the mercy of a Kremlin attack.

The push comes as hopes the Netherlands will be a key ally in the UKs attempt to dilute the controversial backstop have faded  with Mrs Mays team believing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is positioning to be the next President of the EU Council and so less inclined to help a departing member state.

However EU unity was stretched on Friday when Spains Foreign Minister hinted at new talks and yesterday the EUs central bank issued a stark warning that a No Deal would hurt the Eurozone.

No 10 has accepted it is the UKs responsibility to come up with detailed proposals on overcoming the backstop impasse  and will only dip a toe into direct contact with Brussels this week.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister will spend the next 11 days shoring up the number of Labour rebels who voted with Mrs May or abstained against Brexit-blocking measures ahead of a fresh showdown on Valentines Day. MPs hellbent on delaying or stopping Brexit will resurrect their efforts to block a No Deal and seize control of the Commons agenda.

But Mrs May is delighted at the collapse of the push for a second referendum. Last night she said: This week the leaders of the campaign had the chance to put their plan before the Commons. But they recognised there is no majority in this Parliament to hold another vote. Indeed, I believe there never will be.Dame Julie Andrewss performance as Mary Poppins is racist, says a US academic who accuses her of blacking up when her face is covered with soot as she dances with chimney sweeps.

The scene in which Poppins joins Dick Van Dykes Bert and his fellow sweeps on a rooftop for the song Step In Time is one of the best-loved moments in the 1964 Disney classic.

But writing in the New York Times under the headline Mary Poppins, and a Nannys Shameful Flirting With Blackface, Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner attacks the scene. Not surprisingly, the films legions of devoted fans have reacted with disbelief.

The literature professor acknowledges that Poppinss face is covered with soot because she has gone up the chimney with her charges, Michael and Jane Banks.

'A nanny's shame': Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins and Dick Van Dyke as Bert get covered in soot for the much-loved scene in the 1964 Disney classic

But he writes: Her face gets covered with soot, but instead of wiping it off, she gamely powders her nose and cheeks and gets even blacker.

He also links the scene to racism in the books by PL Travers, particularly in the 1943 novel Mary Poppins Opens The Door when a housemaid screams at a sweep: Dont touch me, you black heathen.

He writes: The 1964 film replays this racial panic in a farcical key. When the dark figures of the chimney sweeps Step in Time on a roof, a naval buffoon, Admiral Boom shouts, Were being attacked by Hottentots! and orders his cannon to be fired at the cheeky devils.

Were in on the joke, such as it is: These arent really black Africans; theyre grinning white dancers in blackface. Its a parody of black menace; its even posted on a white nationalist website as evidence of the films racial hierarchy.

Extraordinarily, Pollack-Pelzner has even found fault with the recently released sequel Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt.

He said he was surprised by the song A Cover Is Not The Book because of its reference to a wealthy widow called Hyacinth Macaw, who wears only a smile plus two feathers and a leaf.

Fans heaped scorn on Dr Pollack-Pelzner, pictured

In the original 1934 book Mary Poppins, the character is a scantily clad negro lady who addressed the nanny in a minstrel dialect. The racial references were removed in a 1981 revision of the book.

Fans online have reacted with fury to the professors views. One derided the piece as a candidate for the stupidest New York Times article for some time.

Another said: Mary Poppins wasnt flirting with black face! It was soot in their faces from being up a chimney!!!! Stop spreading racism claims on non-racist things like this. A third wrote: Come on now, leave Mary Poppins out of this! Chimney sweeps in London DID have coal dust on their faces. Didnt make them, or Mary for that matter, racist.

Last night, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, who collaborated on a 2004 stage adaptation of Mary Poppins that returns to the West End later this year, said the scene when the nanny puts soot on her face is meant to be a gesture of support for the sweeps.

All she wants to do is join the sweeps and show them she isnt standing apart  that she wants to belong to that group. Its a touching scene and it displays a warm friendliness towards the sweeps.

One of the subtexts of the whole thing is that the sweeps are these marvellous people, which is Traverss way of saying there is no such thing as an ordinary man and woman.

The film remains one of the most successful ever made and picked up five Oscars, including Best Actress for Dame Julie.

The sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, which features cameos from Meryl Streep and Van Dyke, has taken 245 million worldwide.

Last night, Dr Pollack-Pelzner, who is based at Linfield College, Oregon, told The Mail on Sunday: I dont like hearing that something I loved and that something that was important to me in my childhood might be more troubling than I assumed. So I appreciate the strength of the reaction.

I just hope some of that energy can go to Disney as well and ask them to think a little bit more about how their new movies connect with the past.

Dame Julie was unavailable for comment last night.His disastrous campaign to become Tory leader included women wearing tight DD for me T-shirts  and now David Davis has been left red-faced after another boob.

The blundering former Brexit Secretarys latest humiliation came when he confused Tory Minister Claire Perry with her colleague Caroline Nokes.

Both are high-flying Conservative women with brown hair who arrived in Westminster in 2010 and attend Cabinet meetings.

onservative leadership challenger David Davis poses for a photograph at the Conservative Party Conference on October 3, 2005 in Blackpool

Mr Davis, 70, had sidled up to Energy Minister Ms Perry, 54, on Monday evening in the Commons tearoom to ask what she intended to say when closing the debate on the Governments Immigration Bill.

Unfortunately for him, it was Home Office Minister Ms Nokes, 46, who was due at the despatch box  leading to what one witness described as an excruciating slapdown for Mr Davis by Ms Perry.

David let me help you. Caroline is a C cup and I am double D, she teased, causing Mr Davis to turn scarlet with embarrassment, according to MPs who witnessed the bizarre encounter.

Caroline Nokes , the Minister of State for Immigration Cabinet meeting, Downing Street

To add to Mr Daviss discomfort, Ms Perry continued: I know the three of us only sat round the Cabinet table together for seven months, but it surely isnt that hard to tell female Ministers apart?

In my nine years in Westminster, Ive learnt not to muddle up white-haired, hard-Right Tory Brexit rebels.

And in a final playful dig, she walked away with a cheeky Have a good night, Owen  referring to Mr Daviss fellow Eurosceptic hardliner Owen Paterson, who is also a silver-haired former Cabinet Minister.

Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth Claire Perry arrives at Downing Street

Mr Davis was left speechless and The Mail on Sunday understands word of his humiliation has reached an amused Theresa May. One MP said of the encounter: It was brutal. The whole place was in hysterics. You might say he made a bit of a boob of himself.

Mr Davis sparked controversy in 2005 during a Tory leadership bid when buxom campaign aides wore pink T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan Its DD for me.

He later said: All right, some people got upset by it. I am sorry about that. But it was a sense of humour failure.

However, party grandees insisted that the seedy slogan helped younger moderniser David Cameron become leader.

Last night, Ms Perry said: Im sure David made an honest mistake and probably regrets those dodgy T-shirts, but being able to tell colleagues apart seems like a pretty basic skill for any politician.

Mr Davis did not respond to requests for comment last night.Controversial television host Kerri-Anne Kennerley has finally broken her silence after the 'racist' row with radio personality Yumi Stynes.

The presenters came to verbal blows during a Studio 10 panel on Monday about people protesting to change the date of Australia Day.

Kennerley dismissed 'Invasion Day' protesters, insinuating none of them had ever been to the Outback and were championing the plight of Indigenous Australians under false pretenses.

Now, Kennerley has finally broken her silence in an emotional opinion piece for The Daily Telegraph.

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Controversial television host Kerri-Anne Kennerley has finally broken her silence after the 'racist' row

Kennerley was immediately branded as acting 'racist' by Yumi Stynes (pictured)

'The ''racist'' word became the burning headline the spark that started the fire and what a burn it has been,' Kennerley wrote.

The 65-year-old acknowledged that the delivery of her point was could have been made smoother, but stressed she was only trying to highlight 'abuse here and now'.

'To me, the much more pressing issue for not only the indigenous community but the nation as a whole is the horrific rape of children, babies and women in indigenous communities,' she wrote.

Following the blow-up, Kennerley was invited to spend an evening in the Aboriginal community town of Alice Springs by local councillor Jacinta Price.

Ms Price appeared on Studio 10 and supported the idea that abuse 'overrides the changing date of Australia Day'.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine also defended Kennerley for her remarks, saying he and other Indigenous Australians understood what she was trying to say.

Kennerley made it clear she had no intention to label specific indigenous communities or men as guilty, but wanted to ask what was being done about the 'horrific' crimes.

'How can people turn a blind eye to this? Where are the protests against these crimes? Isnt this more important than arguing about the merits of a date for a public holiday?' Kennerley wrote.

A women's family safety group (pictured) advocated for the television personality to visit their centre and witness the work they're doing for promoting Indigenous safety first-hand

Kennerley continued by asking why anyone who raised the 'ugly subject' of abuse within indigenous communities was immediately labelled a racist.

Following the fierce debate last week, Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group and Four Corners Men's Counci implored Kennerley to 'learn about the work they do to make our communities safer places'.

In a letter addressed to Kennerley on Wednesday night, the community groups wrote: 'We are the leaders in our communities, we are the experts in the issues that face our communities and families and we have the solutions.

'We would welcome you to stand with us women and men, hear about our solutions and our experience and recognise the important work that is being done on a community level to deal with issues of domestic and family violence.'

Aboriginal Australians said their primary concern is with the safety of their community as opposed to changing the date of Australia Day. Pictured are protesters marching in Melbourne

A community group addressed this letter to Kennerley two days after her on-air rant

The national debate was sparked last week when Kennerley said on national television that the Australia Day protests were an unnecessary distraction.

'Okay, the 5,000 people who went through the streets making their points known, saying how inappropriate the day is,' she began.

'Has any single one of those people been out to the Outback, where children, babies, five-year-olds, are being raped?

'Their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped. They get no education. What have you done?'

Stynes sat in silence for a brief moment before hitting back: 'That is not even faintly true, Kerri-Anne. You're sounding quite racist right now.'

The pair exchanged heated counterpoints for minutes before the tension simmered down, but talk of their argument continued throughout the week.A self-proclaimed 'Muslim soldier' who reveres his body as a finely-tuned 'Lamborghini' has been charged with aggravated assault after an ugly spat broke out the front of his South Sydney gym.

Hossein Balapour, better known to his 176,000 Instagram followers as 'Yakiboy', went toe-to-toe with a gym-goer who he believed started yelling at his wife on the morning of December 1 last year.

According to documents tendered in court last Tuesday, 58-year-old Raymond Carl got in a shouting match with Cherish Balapour over a piece of gym equipment, only to find her husband, exactly half his age, towering over him.

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Self-proclaimed 'Muslim soldier' Hossein Balapour (pictured) has been charged with assault

Mr Balapour says he received a phone call from his wife at about 8am and rushed to her aid, thinking she was in danger, The Daily Telegraph reported.

According to the police documents, Mr Carl had been waiting to use gym equipment Mrs Balapour was on and had tried speaking to her.

But Mr Carl says he couldn't have spoken to Ms Balapour because she had headphones in and wouldn't have been able hear him speak at his normal volume.

They had a 'conversation' when she had finished, which quickly dissolved into a shouting match, police documents say.

Mr Balapour claims his wife Cherish called him, believing she was in danger (pictured together)

Mr Carl claims it was then Mr Balapour confronted him outside the gym and grabbed him by the throat, an allegation the bodybuilder vehemently denied.

Mr Carl is alleged to have told Mr Balapour he hadn't spoken to his wife at all, at which time Mr Balapour towered over him, squeezed his arm and said: 'Yes you did, you told her to f**k off.'

The 58-year-old then claims he said: 'No one said anything to your wife. How could she hear, she had headphones on.'

Then, Mr Carl claims Mr Balapour began strangling him, but did not cut off his breathing.

Mr Balapour is alleged to have confronted the man he thought was yelling at his wife, and begin choking him when the pair got into an argument

According to the court documents, Mr Balapour was cooperative with police when they arrived to investigate.

He was later charged with one count of aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and ordered to report to police three days every week.

In court on Tuesday, his barrister requested the reporting days be lowered to accommodate for Mr Balapour's aspiring modelling career.

The request was accepted, and the requesting days changed to once per week, with the matter adjourned until April 21.The Queen has been dragged into an extraordinary Project Fear row after it emerged that civil servants have drawn up plans to evacuate the Royal Family if a No Deal Brexit causes riots on the streets of London.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that Whitehall contingency planners have included among their worst case scenarios the need to move the Royals to safe locations away from the capital.

Officials in the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, the Government department responsible for emergency planning, have repurposed a secret operation under which the Royals could have been accommodated in various country houses to protect them from enemy forces during the Cold War.

The revival of the plan was ridiculed by leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who described it as a wartime fantasy dreamt up by mandarins who had watched too many news clips of helicopters landing on the US Embassy roof in Saigon  now Ho Chi Minh City  at the end of the Vietnam War.

The Queen has been dragged into an extraordinary Project Fear row after it emerged that civil servants have drawn up plans to evacuate the Royal Family if a No Deal Brexit causes riots on the streets of London

He told The Mail on Sunday: The over-excited officials who have dreamt up this nonsense are clearly more students of fantasy than of history.

The Monarchs place is always in the capital, as the late Queen Mother, wife of George VI, made very clear during the Blitz.

A source in the Secretariat said that the most extreme No Deal crisis scenario envisaged riots breaking out in London as shops ran short of staple foods.

The source claimed that the plan had been moved up their priority list  which is dominated by issues such as the availability of clean water and medical supplies  after Mr Rees-Mogg called on the Prime Minister last month to demand that the Queen should suspend Parliament in order to thwart efforts by Remainer MPs to delay Brexit.

The revival of the plan was ridiculed by leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who described it as a wartime fantasy dreamt up by mandarins who had watched too many news clips of helicopters landing on the US Embassy roof in Saigon  now Ho Chi Minh City  at the end of the Vietnam War

Mr Rees-Mogg argued that vestigial constitutional means could be necessary to stop a No Deal Brexit being taken off the table, and accused No 10 of being behind the Queens Brexit intervention last month when she made a plea for people across the UK to seek out the common ground that binds the country together.

The source said: As the Queen has been dragged into some of the politics around all this, it becomes more likely that she and her family could be targeted by protesters.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor Downing Street would comment yesterday, citing security concerns, but a senior Government source insisted: It is not project fear. There are dozens of contingency planners whose job is to envisage every possible eventuality. They would be negligent if they didnt include the Royals in that, however far-fetched the scenario might seem.

The Cold War plans to protect the Royals were drawn up in 1962 following the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Under the first phase, named Operation Candid, if hostilities had broken out with Russia, members of the Royal Family would have been dispersed to a variety of country houses, where they would have been guarded by a newly formed militia called the Royal Duties Force.

If tensions had escalated further, a so-called python system would have been deployed, with senior Royals transferred to the floating bunker of the Royal yacht Britannia.

As an alternative, the Queen could have been moved to the Central Government War Headquarters at Corsham Court, Wiltshire.

Mr Rees-Mogg said: The apparent airlift of the Queen for the London Olympics in 2012 was a very good joke  not a serious Brexit-related blueprint to rerun the American departure from Saigon.It is widely regarded as one of the greatest war films ever made, a tense drama almost entirely confined to the claustrophobic all-male setting of a Nazi submarine.

But although the men of the original Das Boot languished in mid-ocean far from female company, a new sequel features a string of women characters  and often in explicit sex scenes.

The television series of the same name carries on in 1942 from where the film left off.

Jurgen Prochnow, pictured, starred in the original German version of the movie from 1981

Unlike the original, the modern production, pictured, features much female nudity

Much of the action is set on board a German U-boat but there are parallel storylines involving women in the Nazi forces and in the French Resistance.

German actress Vicky Krieps plays Simone Strasser, a German naval translator assigned to the submarine base at La Rochelle in occupied France.

In one scene in the opening episode, Strasser returns to the house where she has been newly billeted and finds the French owner Margot (Fleur Geffrier) bathing topless in the kitchen. The women barely know each other but are unfazed by the encounter. Margot carries on bathing and simply asks Strasser for coffee or cigarettes.

There is also an explicit scene set in a French brothel. A Nazi sailor tells his 17-year-old comrade: Its bad luck to have a virgin on board.

Another of the sailors is shown frantically making love to a prostitute, who is less than impressed by his efforts. The young virgin is later shown to a bedroom where a prostitute removes her top in front of him. But perhaps the biggest taboo-buster comes as Strasser visits her brother, a radio operator on his submarine in dock before its maiden voyage  despite the superstition that women should never go aboard. The outraged captain of the vessel is moved to warn him that allowing his sister on the boat will bring bad luck.

While the eight-part drama has already been a hit in Germany, film historian Kevin Brownlow suggested the changes from the original 1981 film were cynically motivated, saying: I suppose they hope they will get the original audience back plus a new one and then profits will roll in.

He added: The original film had a terrifically authentic bite to it. It was brilliantly shot. It was the Germans being pretty honest with themselves. There was no cover-up for the atrocities that the U-boat people committed.

In an interview last year, series producer Moritz Polter explained how the story had been opened up beyond the submarine because audiences wanted characters as well as claustrophobia.

Citing the tension and masculinity of the original Das Boot, he said: Audiences that dont know the film, they get more than that, which is the second strand we have created on land in La Rochelle.

A second series of the drama is already in production.Builders at a high-security landmark in the heart of Whitehall were shocked when they opened a case of pipes and found what appeared to be a missile.

Work to turn the historic Admiralty Arch just off Londons Trafalgar Square into a luxury hotel came to a standstill as contractors alerted police to the 15ft-long cylinder  fitted with fins and warning lights.

Admiralty Arch, where former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott once had a grace-and-favour apartment, is being transformed into a 100-bedroom hotel, and the main contractors, Willmott Dixon, rely on a large number of just-in-time deliveries  where materials arrive exactly when needed in the building process.

The object that caused the bomb scare was actually an aircrafts underwing pod (pictured) used for radar jamming or simulation training

But on Thursday, labourers who prised open a long rectangular wooden box with the word Riyadh on the side could not believe their eyes.

One witness told The Mail on Sunday: No one could understand what the hell was going on, but to the untrained eye, it looked like a proper missile and they decided to call the police right away.

It soon transpired that the object was not a bomb, but an aircrafts underwing pod used for radar jamming or simulation training. It is owned by defence contractors FRAviation, part of Cobham PLC, and had been wrongly delivered to the site entrance on a road running off Admiralty Arch.

Police escorted the delivery driver and his cargo to a Cobham facility in Berkshire.

A spokesman for Willmott Dixon described the contents of the box with some understatement as an unscheduled delivery of pipework and fittings for one of our suppliers that couldnt immediately be identified as being correct for the project.

An equally phlegmatic Metropolitan Police spokesman said: It was established that the package had been mistakenly labelled for delivery. Due to the nature of the package, officers escorted the delivery lorry as it transferred the package to an alternative location in Berkshire.

The device closely resembled an ALQ-167 Radar Jamming Pod which is fixed under an aircrafts wing to protect it from the threat of radar from missile batteries on the ground or from other aircraft.

Admiralty Arch, where former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott once had a grace-and-favour apartment, is being transformed into a 100-bedroom hotel

Cobham said it was looking into how the pod was sent to Admiralty Arch, the ceremonial gateway between The Mall and Trafalgar Square built as a memorial to Queen Victoria.

The site is being turned into a five-star hotel, with Royal and Presidential suites, a ballroom, spa and fine dining restaurant.

Residential apartments are planned for the first and second floors. Completed in 1912 and initially used as the offices and residences of the Sea Lords, Admiralty Arch became grace-and-favour apartments for senior civil servants and Ministers.

It plays an important role on ceremonial occasions with processions at royal weddings, funerals, coronations and other public processions, including events at the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, all passing under its arches.Christopher Reeve's daughter says her late father's charity work has helped develop research into a new technique that has assisted the recovery of paralyzed people.

Alexandra Reeve Givens works on the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation  named after her late parents  and has revealed the Superman star's name has contributed towards raising $138million for scientific research.

The mother-of-two shared that the funds for looking into treatment for spinal cord injuries, like what affected her dad after he hit his head in a 1995 horse riding fall, have paid for trials into advancing cures.

Christopher Reeve (center) wife Dana (left) and daughter Alexandra (right). His daughter says the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has raised $138million for scientific research

Reeve's spinal cord was injured in a 1995 horse riding fall. He's pictured with son Matthew during an event to Benefit The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation in New York

'There are new techniques called epidural stimulation, which submits electronic stimulation to people's spinal cord as they're undergoing physical therapy,' she told Fox News. 'The promise of this is really amazing. For the first time, we are seeing people get regained motor function. Some people are standing, and some people are even taking steps.'

Adding that there's 'still a long way to go' and only a small group have been able to test the therapy, she shared that it was incredible getting FDA approval after her father excitedly dreamed about the possibility.

But she says now what was 'abstract' is 'really real'.

Reeve Givens said the 1978 Superman: The Movie star not only worked hard to make sure his daughter and two sons led a normal life but he was keen to help others even after his injury.

Superman star (left) Reeve was a real-life superhero before and after the accident. Right he is pictured circa 1977

Reeve is best known for his role as hero Superman but he used his fame to help others

'He could call up researchers and ask to go see them in the lab, and see what they were doingAnd he would listen to them speak for a half hour about their research and then say, 'That all sounds great. When is it going to help me?'

'Suddenly adding that force, adding that timeline, saying, 'I am somebody here right now who could benefit from your work'  That urgency was really powerful.'

Reeve Givens added that they had to get involved in the research he was doing to cope with life as a paralyzed man because he insisted they assist him in his quest.

She said just a couple of months after the accident he was reading all he could as fast as possible.

'He would have these huge tomes on the spinal cord and the latest research. And they actually got so heavy he would have us hold them up for him so he could read them,' she recalled. 'And we ended up lobbying him to get a music stand so we could put the book down and just sit next to him and turn the pages without actually having to carry the book.'

The Superman actor looked forward to seeing new developments such as the new technique that has helped paralyzed people stand and take steps again. He's pictured at the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation's A Magical Evening Gala

Hi daughter said he was reading about paralysis treatment just months after his accident

But she also remembered the actor and philanthropist, who passed away in 2004 after he fell into a coma, as a great family man.

Reeve Givens explained how the festive season is one of the most poignant ways she remembers life after Reeve became paralyzed.

'On Christmas morning every year after his accident, he would start his morning routine at 4am just so that he could be in the living room waiting at 7am when he knew that my little brother would be coming downstairs ' she said. 'When I think about that, the effort that it used to take for him to get out of bed, to do that whole routine, but knowing that he wanted to have the same traditions that we had before his accident  I think that's really telling.'

She remembered Reeve being especially kind to his fans when she was very young

She also explained while he had a desire to help others, it was his fans gave him the motivation to do good work after his accident.

Reeve considered suicide following his paralysis but letters from people who loved him kept him strong.

Even before he became wheelchair-bound she remembers her dad was so willing to help others that he accidentally abandoned her

'I have a very strong memory when I was probably four or five years old, and I was riding a bike with him in Central Park, and obviously still needed his support as I was figuring out how to do it,' she explained.

'A big crowd of kids rushed up and came to get his attention. I remember so clearly that he picked up his hand from holding the back of my bicycle and turned to the kids to say hi. And I thought, "Oh dad, of all the moments to talk to kids, I get the gist, but this is the time to pay attention to me".'Turkey's president said today he will use 'all means available to end Israel's occupation in Palestine' at a meeting with Arab deputies of Israel's parliament, the Knesset - shortly before hosting a dinner for King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan - whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an 'anti-Semitic dictator' last December - added that he will 'not turn his back on the Palestinian cause'.

During the two-hour talks at the Presidential Mansion in Istanbul's Tarabya neighbourhood, Erdogan said: 'We will continue to share all means in our disposal with our brothers,' Turkey's pro-government Daily Sabah reported.

Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey's Islamist movement, said his aim was to restore peace in the region before thanking the Israeli Arab deputies for 'representing the will of the Palestinian people in Israel's parliament'.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a meeting today with Arab Israeli deputies from the Knesset that he will 'not turn his back on the Palestinian cause'. Above, Erdogan (centre) during the two-hour talks at the presidential mansion in Istanbul

The Turkish president (right) with King Abdullah II on the same day as his meeting with the Knesset deputies. Tensions between Israel and Jordan have mounted in recent months over such issues as the contested status of Jerusalem

Erdogan at the dinner with King Abdullah II of Jordan (second left). Two weeks ago, Israel inaugurated a new international airport near the Red Sea whose location has drawn criticism from neighbouring Jordan

(Left to right), Queen Rania, her husband King Abdullah II, President Erdogan and his wife Emine in Istanbul today

The Turkish president regards himself as a champion of the Palestinians and has twice recently held summits of Muslim states to denounce the recognition by the United States of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

But analysts note that behind the rhetoric, economic ties remain strong, with trade robust and both sides interested in the export of Israeli energy resources to Turkey.

At the meeting today however, Erdogan, who came to power in 2003, also slammed Israel for ignoring the rights of its Palestinian citizens by adopting 'Jewish state' law.

He was referring to a piece of controversial legislation, narrowly approved by the Knesset last July, that defines the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people, with Hebrew as the only official language.

Israel's 1948 declaration of independence defined its nature as a Jewish and democratic state, a delicate balance the country has grappled to maintain for 70 years.

Opponents of the July bill said it marginalises the country's Arab minority (known as Israeli Arabs) of around 20 per cent and also downgrades Arabic language from official to 'special' standing.

The law passed with a 62-55 backing, with two members of the Knesset abstaining.

Turkey, meanwhile, is in favour of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

Last May, Turkey told the Israeli ambassador to temporarily leave after Ankara reacted with outrage to the killing of dozens of Palestinians by Israeli troops on the Gaza border, in the worst crisis since a 2016 reconciliation deal.

Erdogan hosts King Abdullah II amid increasing tensions between Israel and Jordan

Erdogan's pronouncement comes on the same day he hosted a dinner for King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife, Queen Rania, also at the Tarabya presidential mansion.

Tensions between Israel and Jordan have mounted in recent months over such issues as the contested status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, stalled Middle East peace talks, and the shooting of two Jordanian citizens in 2017 by an Israeli embassy guard in Amman, which ignited a diplomatic crisis.

Two weeks ago, Israel inaugurated a new international airport near the Red Sea whose location has drawn criticism from neighboring Jordan.

Erdogan's pronouncement comes on the same day he hosted a dinner for King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife, Queen Rania, also at the Tarabya presidential mansion. Above, Queen Rania greets the president's wife

The Ramon International Airport opened just north of the southern resort city of Eilat and roughly eight miles from Jordan's Aqaba airport.

Jordan contends the Ramon Airport violates international standards regarding respect for airspace and sovereignty as it is situated less than a half-mile from the border.

1948, Jordan occupies Old City of Jerusalem... 1967, Israel fights back In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the then British-ruled Palestine should be partitioned into an Arab state and a Jewish state. However, it recognised that Jerusalem had special status and proposed international rule for the city, along with nearby Bethlehem, as a 'corpus separatum' to be administered by the United Nations. That never happened. When British rule ended in 1948, Jordanian forces occupied the Old City and Arab East Jerusalem. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it. In 1980 the Israeli parliament passed a law declaring the 'complete and united' city of Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. But the United Nations regards East Jerusalem as occupied, and the city's status as disputed until resolved by negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Advertisement

Jordan's complaint with international authorities may stem from concerns that the new airport will draw tourists to Israel and away from Jordan.

The new airport is named after Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who was killed in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle explosion, and his son Assaf, an Israeli Air Force pilot who died in a training accident in 2009.

And last October, Jordan's King announced he would not be renewing parts of his country's landmark peace treaty with Israel.

Abdullah released a statement that he intended to pull out of two annexes from the 1994 peace agreement that allowed Israel to lease two small areas, Baqura and Ghamr, from the Jordanians for 25 years.

The lands were leased to Jewish farmers early last century, but then became part of Jordan after the kingdom gained independence in 1946.

Baqura, in the northern Jordan Valley, was captured by Israel in 1950. Ghamr, near Aqaba in southern Jordan, was seized in the 1967 Mideast War.

Under their peace agreement, Jordan agreed to grant Israeli farmers and military officers free access to the enclave. Abdullah said he informed Israel of his decision.

Jordan's relations had thawed after Israel replaced its ambassador to Amman and Netanyahu met with Abdullah in summer 2017 to stress the importance of economic and security cooperation between the two countries.

Turkey condemns Israel for not renewing monitoring mandate

Turkey today also 'strongly' condemned Israel's decision not to renew the mandate of an international monitoring group in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

'We strongly condemn Israel's unilateral termination of the mandate of the 'Temporary International Presence in Hebron' (TIPH) ... and expect this political decision to be reversed,' the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was established after a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would not extend its mandate, accusing it of bias. Ankara, however, dismissed the Israeli claim.

'We decisively reject the allegation that the TIPH has been working against Israel, which is presented by Israel as a justification for its decision.'

In a series of Twitter posts on Saturday, Omer Celik, spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), slammed the Israeli move as a 'new step to cover up illegalities' and said it must be condemned.

'This Israeli step shows new aggressions are in the planning,' he said, urging the world 'to be more careful' about the situation in Hebron.

Turkey has observers in the Norway-led team tasked with promoting security for Palestinians in Hebron, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian and European officials have also expressed concern and regret over the Israeli decision.Sen Chuck Schumer's longtime communications director was forced to resign after the 2018 midterm elections over allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with junior staffers.

A spokesperson for Schumer said of Matt House: 'Upon learning that he had inappropriate encounters within the office and that it was making some staff uncomfortable, he was asked to leave.'

House had worked as the New York Democrat's communications director for nearly six years.

'I absolutely loved my time working in the senate and it was the honor of my life,' House said in a statement to HuffPost.

'I deeply regret the mistakes I made on the number of occasions when I had too much to drink, and I apologize to anyone who was affected by my behavior.'

Chuck Schumer's longtime communications director Matt House (right) was forced to resign after the 2018 midterm elections over allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with junior staffers, a spokesperson for the New York senator revealed on Friday

House continuted: 'I have always respected all of my colleagues and I was horrified to learn that I made anyone feel uncomfortable.

'In the past three months, I've stopped drinking and I've committed to making myself a better colleague and person.'

A source who spoke to HuffPost on the condition of anonymity reported that no legal complaints were filed against House as a result of the inappropriate behavior.

Prior to working for Schumer, House served in a series of communications-related roles including in Sen Joe Bidens Democratic 2008 presidential campaign and in former New Hampshire Rep Paul Hodes' congressional office.

News of his departure from Schumer's office was met with bipartisan praise for House as well as speculation regarding why he was leaving.

The senate minority leader has not commented publicly on the matter.Japanese car-maker Nissan is set to abandon plans to build its X-Trail model at its Sunderland plant, reports say.

Company executives are expected to cancel plans to build the new SUV on Monday - less than eight weeks before Britain is scheduled to leave the EU.

But Nissan has refused to shed any light on the situation, saying it 'does not comment on rumour or speculation'.

The firm had voiced concerns about Brexit before committing to build the new Qashqai and X-Trail models in its North East factory in October 2016.

Japanese car-maker Nissan is set to abandon plans to build its X-Trail model at its Sunderland plant, reports say

Its decision to produce the next-generation Qashqai and the new X-Trail model at the site had eased concerns about the future of the factory.

But the move also prompted a series of questions over whether a 'sweetheart deal' between the car-maker and the Government had been struck to protect the manufacturer from any post-Brexit EU tariff wall.

Ministers strongly denied any financial incentives were offered and Chancellor Philip Hammond said any costs arising from the assurances would be small enough to be covered within the Department for Business's spending limits.

The Sunderland plant, which has been active since 1986, employs almost 7,000 people and produces around 2,000 cars a day.

But Nissan has refused to shed any light on the situation, saying it 'does not comment on rumour or speculation' (Pictured, a worker assembles the Infiniti Q30 automobile)

The decision to build its next-generation Qashqai and add production of the new X-Trail model at the site had eased concerns about the future of the factory

But according to Sky News, Nissan's impending announcement is not expected to have a major impact on jobs.

Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, said the potential abandonment of the project is 'deeply troubling news'.

She said: 'If confirmed, this would represent deeply troubling news for the north east economy.

'So many jobs and livelihoods depend on Nissan's success.'

Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott said 'the downturn in the diesel market is what is being blamed' for the decision.

Nissan's decision is not expected to have a major impact on the plant's 7,000 employees

'I will be doing everything I can to protect the jobs at the Sunderland plant. I will be asking for the government to intervene, and will stay in close contact with the company itself,' she said.

'But we cannot deny the inevitable role that Brexit plays here. The constant uncertainty, the chaotic government. None of it is conductive to encouraging business investment in this country.'

Nissan is part-owned by French manufacturer Renault, which had led to concerns that production could be moved to France to avoid any tariffs which might be introduced on exports to the EU if the UK leaves the single market in a hard Brexit.

Other models built at the Sunderland plant include the Qashqai, Juke, Q30, Note and the zero-emission electric Leaf.

Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, has now said the potential abandonment of the project is 'deeply troubling news'

The U-turn comes as figures show car production slumped by almost a tenth last year, leaving the industry on 'red alert' amid continued Brexit uncertainty.

A report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said investment had effectively 'stalled' amidst fears over the UKs future trading with the EU.

Just over 1.5 million cars left UK factories in 2018, a 9.1 per cent decline on the previous year and the lowest for six years.

Production of diesel cars was down by 22 per cent to 561,000 last year.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the fall in investment was 'deeply depressing' and should send a strong signal to politicians to secure a Brexit trade deal.

The reported decision by Nissan also comes just weeks after a triple jobs blow in the UK car industry.

The reported decision by Nissan comes just weeks after a triple jobs blow in the UK car industry

Earlier this month American car manufacturer Ford confirmed nearly 400 jobs would be lost at its engine manufacturing plant in Bridgend.

The company said the 'voluntary separation programme' at the Welsh factory is needed to cut costs and create a 'sustainably profitable business' in Europe.

It followed a similar move by Jaguar Land Rover to reduce its 44,000 workforce by 4,500 under plans to make 2.5 billion of cost savings.

Most of the cuts will be in the UK, with a voluntary programme being launched, and are in addition to 1,500 workers who left the company last year.

Japanese firm Honda also announced six non-production days in April under contingency plans to mitigate the risk of disruption to production at its Swindon factory after the UK leaves the EU.One person has been killed and at least two others injured after a gunman opened fire at a cafe in Belgium.

Two people, believed to have been father and son, have been arrested and a weapon has been seized after shots were fired at a Turkish cafe in Antwerp, Belgium, according to media reports.

Police officers have cordoned off a large area around the scene of the shooting in the Brederodestraat area.

Two people, believed to have been father and son, have been arrested and a weapon has been seized after shots were fired at a Turkish cafe in Antwerp, Belgium this afternoon

Police officers have cordoned off a large area around the scene of the shooting in the Brederodestraat area

No motive has yet been shared for the shooting.

Local reports said that the victims were gunned down on a pavement outside the cafe, with two men shot first and a passerby also being caught in the hail of bullets.

There have been tensions between Turkish and Kurdish communities in that neighbourhood of Antwerp, Belgian media reported, although it is unclear if that contributed to the shooting.

Traffic and some tram lines were unable to pass around the scene this afternoon.

The shooting took place outside of a Turkish cafe on the Brederodestraat in Antwerp, Belgium. Pictured: Police and paramedics at the scene

Local reports said that the victims were gunned down on a pavement outside the cafe, with two men shot first and a passerby also being caught in the hail of bullets

Footage from the scene shows heavily-armed police wearing masks and helmets near the cafe.

Three people were wounded in the shooting and rushed to hospital, with one later dying of their injuries.

The victims' family members later arrived at the scene as police carried out an investigation.

Two people, believed to have been father and son, have been arrested and a weapon has been seized. Here, the street is taped off as a huge police presence respondsVirginia Governor Ralph Northam in a Saturday press conference denied appearing in a racist 1984 photograph that he on Friday apologized for, but he admitted that he did wear blackface for a Michael Jackson costume the same year.

The 59-year-old from Nassawadox admitted dressing up as the late singer, wearing similar footwear, a glove and shoe polish to look like an African-American person.

During the excruciating appearance in the Executive Mansion on Capitol Hill in Richmond, he said he later learned from a friend Seth that doing so for a dance competition was indeed inappropriate and he apologized to his friend at the time.

He was 25 when he deemed it okay to cover his face in shiny black wax at least two decades after the Civil Rights movement decried it.

Northam appeared to try to soften the offensive occasion by revealing he won the contest he did it for.

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Ralph Northam in a Saturday press conference denied being in a racist photograph in his 1984 school yearbook. But he admitted he wore blackface two decades after the Civil Rights movement in the 80s

Northam made a redundant point by telling the audience in an awkward moment that he has black friends. His wife remained quietly by his side throughout as he spoke about winning a contest by Moonwalking and smearing shoe polish on his face to emulate Michael Jackson

Making his revelation worse, he told attendees the reason why he only wore a 'little bit' of shoe polish was because it's difficult to remove.

'I don't know if anybody's tried this...' he said to the shocked room. But it didn't explain why he was wearing blackface to show off his dance talent during the skit.

Northam told the audience during question time: 'I have discussed this with a person of color. I apologized to him.'

Despite his revelation about donning blackface to do the Moonwalk, Northam said he felt sick after seeing the image of people wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and blackface and would remember if he had done so.

He made the contradictory statement to a room full of people eager to know why he admitted to something he claims now not to have done, but Northam didn't manage to provide a clear explanation.

'When my staff showed me the photo in question I had seen it for the first time,' he claimed. 'I didnt purchase the yearbook and didnt know they appeared on my page. On a yearbook page that belongs to me. It is disgusting.'

Northam added that his former classmates backed up his belief he was not in the photo but said he didn't ever see the offending photo that emerged Friday because he didn't buy his own yearbook. He claimed he didn't ever see it after it was published either.

He jumped ahead of people being skeptical by adding: 'Many people will find this difficult to believe me.'

Ralph Northam (L) speaks to the media next to his wife, First Lady of Virginia, Pamela Northam (R)

He said he admitted to being in the photo because didn't buy his school yearbook and hadn't seen it but realized on reflection he wasn't in the picture

The yearbook page from Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook is seen above. He claimed he had not bought or seen his yearbook in the last 34 years

A photo on Northam's yearbook page depicts a man in blackface and another in a KKK robe. Northam said he felt sick when he saw the image recently, despite covering his face in shoe polish to emulate Michael Jackson

Throughout that rambling appearance where he addressed his admitted blackface incident. Northam called the image 'horrific' and 'horrifying'. He said the image shocked him.

Northam attempted to convince the audience he was not racist by awkwardly telling the crowd he had black friends.

It seemed he hoped to get ahead of another possible embarrassment by admitting to the racist dance competition incident.

But he also confessed in the news conference to having the nickname 'C**nman', but he said he had no idea why the name was attached to him from a group of people.

Northam drilled in that he knew the difference between what was right and wrong by saying the image with the KKK outfit was 'clearly racist and offensive'.

'I have not and will not excuse the content,' he told the room. But he added: 'I did not wear that costume or attend that party.'

As the governor rambled on his press secretary came in an abruptly shut the appearance down, chiming in 'Thank you everybody' to signify the end.

An insider earlier said Northam was willing to use facial recognition technology to prove he doesn't appear in the offending picture.

Following the conference, the Democratic Party of Virginia stood by their call for him to immediately resign.

The Democratic party tweeted Saturday morning: 'We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning - we have gotten word he will not do so this morning.

'We stand with Democrats across Virginia and the country calling him to immediately resign. He no longer has our confidence or our support. Governor Northam must end this chapter immediately, step down, and let Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax heal Virginia's wounds and move us forward.

'We can think of no better person than Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to do so.'

Northam appeared in a video statement on Friday night vowing to serve out his term despite calls to resign

After the appearance DNC Chair Tom Perez called for Gov. Northam to resign: 'Virginians and people across the country deserve better from their leaders, and it is clear that Ralph Northam has lost their trust and his ability to govern.'

Former Vice President Joe Biden agreed in an earlier tweet: 'There is no place for racism in America. Governor Northam has lost all moral authority and should resign immediately, Justin Fairfax is the leader Virginia needs now.'

Bernie Sanders said on the micro-blogging website: 'Gov. Northam should resign. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax should step in and begin a new day for Virginia.'

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, joined in with a similar sentiment.

Fairfax is the second black person to be elected to statewide office in Virginia.

After a Democrat familiar with the situation previously spoke to the Associated Press off-the-record, Lucas added in a tweet about Northam's change of mind after the apology: 'He should have said that yesterday then. He just told me he didn't think its him. And I said, "Ralph, this is a day late and a dollar short. Its too late".'

Northam was allegedly calling state lawmakers Saturday to try and gain support so he can remain in office despite top politicians calling on him to resign.

Representative Robert C. Scott of Virginia, an African-American Democrat who is a senior member of the congressional delegation, told the New York Times he wanted to see if there are any new facts in his statement.

Scott told the publication Northam had spoke to Virginia Democrats Tim Kaine and Mark Warner Saturday.

But on Saturday, protesters appeared outside the Governors Mansion on Capitol Hill, Virginia.

Protesters held signs that read 'Virginia Forward', 'Blackface No Place' and 'You must resign. State the facts. No racist governor. We wants Fairfax'.

Others included statements such as 'You must apologize to black people first', 'Get wrecked Ralph', 'Lesson #1: Blackface is racist' and simply put '#NorthamResign'.

Northam is seen left in a 1981 VMI yearbook photo that lists his nickname as 'C**nman', and right in a 1984 yearbook photo from Eastern Virginia Medical School

The Democratic party tweeted in a statement Saturday morning that Northam should go

They wrote: 'We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign'

They suggested Governor Justin Fairfax 'heal Virginia's wounds and move us forward'

The party added that they could 'think of no better person to do so' than Just Fairfax

Portsmouth Democrat Lucas said she learned during a private conversation that Northam had no plan to resign and did not support the decision

Former Vice President Joe Biden agreed in a tweet: 'There is no place for racism in America'

Bernie Sanders said on the micro-blogging website: 'Justin Fairfax should step in'

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation in a tweet on Saturday

House Speaker Kirk Cox and Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment said Saturday the governor had lost the publics confidence, and it is in the states best interests for him to step down.

The Republicans join a growing chorus of elected officials in Virginia and elsewhere.

He lost support from virtually the entire state Democratic party and other key allies, who urged the governor to leave office.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus and the state Senate Democratic Caucus all called on Northam to resign late Friday, along with several key progressive groups that have been some of the governors closest political allies.

Their calls for Northam to step down came in a wave late Friday, after the Democrat confirmed in an apology on Friday that he had appeared in the photo in the 1984 yearbook from Eastern Virginia Medical School, but vowed to serve his full term in office.

He apologized for appearing in a 'racist and offensive' costume, but did not specify which of the two men in the photo was him.

State Senator Louise Lucas (left) said 'Ralph, this is a day late and a dollar short. Its too late'. She wanted Governor Justin Fairfax (right) to assume Northam's role, as did many

Demonstrators appeared outside the Governors Mansion at the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia

They held signs and chanted on Saturday, the day after her apologized for the photograph

Protesters held signs that read 'Virginia Forward', 'Blackface No Place' and 'You must resign. State the facts. No racist governor. We wants Fairfax'

'#NorthamResign': The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Northam after the 30-year-old photo resurfaced

The photo from his medical school yearbook resurfaced which appears on a page labeled 'Ralph Shearer Northam' alongside other pictures of Northam, including a headshot, a photo of him kneeling in a cowboy hat, and another of him sitting next to a Corvette.

The photo in question depicts two men. One is wearing back coloring on his hands and face, along with plaid pants and a bowtie, a white Panama hat, and sungasses.

The other individual is wearing a makeshift white hood and robe in the style of the Ku Klux Klan. Both men are holding beers.

Under the photo, text states that Northam's alma mater is the Virginia Military Institute and that his interest is pediatrics.

His quote is given as: 'There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think I'll have another beer.'

The photo was first circulated on Friday afternoon by the conservative news site Big League Politics, which viewed it in the school's library. Other outlets were able to independently view and confirm the photo.

In another startling revelation, another photo emerged on Friday showing Northam in his 1981 undergraduate yearbook at the Virginia Military Institute.

The entry lists one of Northam's nicknames as 'Coonman'. The nickname seemingly refers to the racial epithet, but its meaning is unclear.

Governor Northam's full statement on offensive yearbook photo 'Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. 'I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now. 'This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians' faith in that commitment. 'I recognize that it will thake time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor.' Advertisement

Northam is considered a rising star in the Democrat party, but the revelation of the disturbing 1984 photo threatened to derail aspirations he may have had for higher office.

On Friday, the calls for Northam's resignation came from all quarters. Republican state Senator Bryce Reeves said in a statement that Northam should resign if the reports of the photos are accurate.

'I hope that this picture is inaccurate and that the Governor brings clarity to this issue. This has no place in Virginia,' Reeves said.

The NAACP, along with national president Derrick Johnson, also called for Northam's resignation.

'Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior,' Johnson wrote in a tweet.

Kamala Harris, a Democrat senator from California and contender for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, echoed the call.

'Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together,' Harris wrote on Twitter.

Senator Cory Booker, who announced his presidential aspirations on Friday, was quick to chime in: 'These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and theyve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northams ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.'

Another contender for the Democratic nomination, Julian Castro, joined the call, calling the image of Northam 'racist and unconscionable'.

Northam's mentor and key ally, former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, called for him to resign as well.

'The situation that he has put himself and the Commonwealth of Virginia in is untenable. It's time for Ralph to step down, and for the Commonwealth to move forward,' McAuliffe said, calling the photo 'racist, unacceptable and inexcusable at any age and any time.'

If Northam were to resign, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, who is African-American, would assume the governor's office.

In a statement, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus said that 'what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive.' The group stopped short of calling for resignation, saying it was 'still processing' the revelation.

In a video statement released on Friday night, Northam rejected the calls for his resignation.

'I am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term, and living up to the expectations you set for me,' Northam said in the direct appeal to voters.

Last week, Florida's Republican secretary of state resigned after photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.

During his election campaign, Northam repeatedly labeled his Republican opponent Ed Gillespie as 'racist'.

One campaign commercial, funded by the Latino Victor Fund SuperPAC, depicted a white man in a pickup truck with a Gillespie bumper sticker attempting to run down non-white children.

'VA is an inclusive and diverse communitywe won't put up with Ed Gillespie's racist rhetoric and fearmongering,' Northam wrote in an October 2017 tweet.

Northam, a pediatric neurologist who graduated from the medical school in Norfolk, Virginia in 1984, caused outrage this week when he suggested that a pregnancy could be terminated during the baby's birth.

He made shocking abortion remarks about third trimester abortion in an interview with WTOP-FM on Wednesday, as he attempted to explain a Democrat delegate's earlier remarks supporting a bill relaxing restrictions on late-term abortions.

The governor described a hypothetical situation where a severely deformed newborn infant could be left to die.

He said that if a woman were to desire an abortion as she's going into labor, the baby would be delivered and then 'resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue' between doctors and the mother.

The remark drew immediate and furious condemnation from prominent conservatives around the country.

President Donald Trump also joined the chorus, without naming Northam, tweeting on Thursday that 'Democrats are becoming the Party of late term abortion.'An Ethiopian man who was nearly buried alive after villagers thought he had died has passed away two months after the ordeal.

Hirpha Negero was placed in a coffin in November last year, where he lay for five hours before villagers heard him knocking from inside.

A funeral procession had already begun, but Mr Negero was desperate to be heard and bashed at the lid.

Hirpha Negero (pictured) was placed in a coffin in November last year, where he lay for five hours before villagers heard him knocking from inside

Recalling the harrowing ordeal, he said: 'I heard someone crying. I was suffocating and trying to tear away the shroud. I was so weak, unable to speak out.'

And during the funeral, held in the East African country, he managed to start calling, 'Is there anybody around?'

The village undertaker Etana Kena responded to his calls, but said people were so scared by the apparent resurrection that they ran away and he had to open the coffin alone.

After the initial shock, the burial ceremony then turned into a celebration.

The Undertaker, who is also Mr. Hirpha's uncle, said: 'I have buried more than 50 or 60 bodies. I have never anything seen like this before. He seemed to be dead.'

Mr. Hirpha said he had had visions when he was unconscious of 'a beautiful green place' where a man dressed in white told him to 'go back'.

Dr. Birra Leggese told the BBC that Mr. Hirpha had probably been in a 'deep coma'.

The same undertaker buried Mr. Negero for the second time on Thursday, one day after he died.

He said that this time he was certain his nephew was dead because he had witnessed his long sickness.Alphabet's Verily is looking to pair with partners interested in developing shoes that are embedded with sensors that will monitor a person's weight and movement.

Formerly known as Google Life Science, three sources familiar with the project said that the company has shown off a prototype at private meetings hoping to secure possible additions to the project, CNBC reports.

It is currently unknown if the project is actually still underway.

Three sources familiar with the project said that Verily has shown off a prototype at private meetings

The shoes could potentially address a wide variety of health-related issues. For example, the shoes could determine whether sudden weight gain is a sign of the body holding onto excess fluids.

Additionally, the shoes could offer fall detection. The feature would serve as a crucial tool for senior citizens.

The shoes could monitor sudden weight gain and monitor falls (stock)

Apple currently offers fall detection on its latest Apple Watch. The feature allows for people to call for help in case of emergency.

The company underwent a renaming in 2015, breaking off from Google and falling under Alphabet's 'Other Bets' section.

According to company CEO Andy Conrad, Verily raised $1billion in January from Silver Lake and others to 'increase flexibility and optionality.'

Verily has tapped on a plethora of engineers, scientists and health experts to work on their ventures and has even pulled a few folk from Google to work on its project.

The company is also working on a series of other projects, including: a stabilizing spoon for people with movement disorders, a smartwatch and 'smart' contact lens.A 96-year-old former SS member who was involved in the massacre of 86 French men and boys during the Second World War is facing a new investigation for hate speech.

Karl Munter was sentenced to death in absentia in France in 1949 - but he had long since returned home to Germany.

The verdict is now meaningless because the French statute of limitations - 20 years - has expired, and EU citizens cannot be prosecuted for crimes they have already been convicted of in another state.

This means that Munter has not served a single day in prison for his part in the brutal killings that took place in the village of Ascq, near Lille on the night of April 1 1944.

Karl Munter, 96, was sentenced to death in France in 1949 for his part in the massacre of 86 French men and boys - but the statue of limitations has run out and the sentence is now meaningless

But German prosecutors are now investigating him on suspicion of hate speech over comments he made in a television interview with NDR's Panorama which aired in December 2018.

In his first interview about his time in the SS, Munter said that the victims of the horrific massacre deserved to be shot because they tried to 'run away' and disputed that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.

'If I arrest the men I'm responsible for them. And if they run away I have the right to shoot them,' he said.

But he resolutely maintained that he did not fire his own weapon, but was 'Nur dabei' (merely present) at the massacre.

Munter also confessed he was not sorry for his participation in the war crimes. Asked if he regretted it at all, he replied: 'No, not at all!'

'Why should I regret it?,' he said. 'I didn't fire a shot'.

After admitting that he was nostalgic for the Third Reich, Munter added: 'And the matter of the Jews that is attributed to (Hitler)... be careful.'

Munter, pictured in his SS uniform around the time of the Ascq massacre, has not served a single day in prison and has resided quietly in Lower Saxony ever since. The photograph is part of a photo album sent to him by neo-Nazis who worship him as an icon

'There weren't millions of Jews (in Germany) at the time, that's already been disproved.

'This number - six million - is not correct.'

His comments which amount to Holocaust denial caused outrage in Germany and prosecutors are investigating them as an incitement to hatred.

The country's Volksverhetzung law, ('incitement of the masses'/'incitement to hatred'), is often applied to, though not limited to, trials relating to Holocaust denial.

If found guilty of Volksverhetzung, Munter could face a prison sentence of up to five years.

German prosecutors are investigating Munter on suspicion of hate speech after he told told a TV programme last year he had the right to shoot the men because they ran away

A reproduction of a photograph showing coffins after the massacre of Ascq in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, in 1944 during WWII. 96-year-old former SS member Karl Munter who was involved in the killings could now be prosecuted under a German hate speech law

Munter was part of the notorious SS 12th Panzer Division 'Hitler Youth' which was responsible for a number of war crimes.

Just months before the allied invasion in northern France, members of the resistance set off an explosive on a railway near Lille.

It derailed a train carrying Munter's battalion. Goods cars came off the track but no one was injured.

However Lt Walter Hauck, who was in charge of the transport, ordered a late night reprisal attack on the nearby village of Ascq.

On the night of April 1, 1944, men and boys ranging from 15 to 75 were dragged to the railway tracks, lined up and shot dead.

Members of the SS on trial for the Ascq Massacre in France in August 1949. (Left to right) Rasmussen, Jung, Zinsmeister, Wronna And Lt Walter Hauck - who was in charge of transport

A commemorative plaque in Villeneuve-d'Ascq for the April 2, 1944 WWII massacre of 86 civilians by a Nazi Germany regiment

Nazi authorities claimed the killing was justified because the victims were 'terrorists'.

In his Panorama interview, Munter also said the SS 'did nothing criminal' during the war. He maintained that some Ascq residents were 'happy that we had arrived'.

But in reality, his SS regiment took advantage of the removal of the men to loot villagers' homes.

Items they stole included linen, food, wine, soap, bicycles, the contents of merchants' cash drawers and cigarettes.

They also did not hesitate to rob the dead of their jewels, going as far as pulling the gold teeth out of at least one corpse.

It could have escalated even further; some witnesses heard the SS claim that they were going to burn the village to the ground.

The horrific event was later dubbed the Oradour of the North - after an SS massacre two months afterwards at Oradour-sur-Glane, where 642 people died.

Some 60,000 workers went on strike in Lille following the massacre - making it one of the largest French demonstrations of the war under occupation - and an estimated crowd of at least 20,000 attended a funeral for the victims in the village.

In the years following, several suspects of the massacre were identified including Munter, who had been 21 at the time.

Many of the suspects, including were tried or sentenced to death in absentia like Munter - and escaped punishment because they lived in Germany.

Munter has lived a quiet life in Lower Saxony and worked in his local post office for many years. But he appeared at many far right events after becoming an icon and a hero for German neo-Nazi groups.

One extreme-right Nazi group even sent him an album, emblazoned with a swastika and the words: 'We thank you for you service and commitment to your people and land. The German youth.'Three Jewish teenagers who were allegedly targeted by a group of bullies on a bus have spoken about the shocking anti-Semitic abuse they received.

Elimelech, 15, and his two 14-year-old friends had been shopping at Chadstone in Melbourne, when they mistakenly got on the wrong bus about 4pm on Wednesday, The Age reported.

The three teenagers were supposed to be heading towards Caulfield, but found themselves going in a completely different direction towards Oakleigh.

Three Jewish teenagers who were allegedly targeted by a group of bullies on a bus have spoken about the shocking anti-Semitic abuse they received (stock image)

Elimelech described how he and his friends became nervous when a large group of teenagers on the bus approached them and began hurling abuse.

'A girl in the group asked 'What would you do if I grabbed [the skull cap] off your head?',' Elimelech said.

The 15-year-old said he was shocked to hear another person who was sitting behind him then say: 'Gas the Jews'.

Elimelech, who asked to withhold his surname, said the offensive comments were especially hurtful given that he had grandparents who died in the Holocaust.

He described how he tried to defuse the situation and protect his friends but ultimately the trio were outnumbered by the group of teenagers.

No matter how much he tried to explain the cultural significance of his skull cap, which is called a kippah, it only seemed to make the situation worse, he said.

The 15-year-old said he's used to having people yell out derogatory comments - including when he walks to Sabbath.

'People should be aware of the Holocaust and how damaging these comments are to someone who is a descendant of people who got killed and murdered,' he said.

Elimelech, 15, and his two 14-year-old friends had been shopping at Chadstone in Melbourne, when they mistakenly got on the wrong bus about 4pm on Wednesday

Human rights advocates have warned Melbourne's Jewish community is in the middle of a 'tsunami' of vilification - highlighted by a rise of derogatory graffiti in Melbourne's inner eastern suburbs.

The bullying comes after a rabbi filmed himself being subjected to disgusting road rage, where a motorist in Caulfield told him he 'should've died in Auschwitz'.

Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich told the publication the attack against the boys highlights a further increase in anti-Semitic attacks.

Dr Abramovich said the community must adopt a zero-tolerance to bigotry and he has urged Melbournians to take a stand against the abuse.

'All Victorians have a right to travel on our public transport without having to endure and suffer physical harassment, hate-fuelled threats and religious abuse,' he said.An Arabic-speaking man who wielded a knife and made bomb threats at Brisbane International Airport on Saturday night has been charged.

Police allege the 50-year-old Surfers Paradise man contravened a domestic violence order, stalked with a weapon, stole and seriously assaulted police.

He's also facing charges of pretending to plan to damage or destroy a government-owned air facility, making a bomb hoax, and common assault.

Terrified screams echoed throughout the departures terminal of the airport as a woman was chased by the man, who was allegedly holding the knife.

The man's wife, mother-in-law and two children were reportedly planning to leave Brisbane when the incident unfolded.

A 50-year-old man, from Surfers Paradise, has been charged after allegedly claiming to have a bomb at Brisbane International Airport and allegedly threatening a woman with a knife

A woman wearing a hijab could be heard screaming for help as a man chased her, Boon Heng Ong told the Courier Mail.

'They were heading towards outside the airport, and then he just pulled out the knife. It was quite big, 15-20 cm,' they alleged.

'He stopped running and turned around and walked back to a table in the food court. He grabbed something out of his luggage. It was a black box like a small toolbox.'

The man was recorded by fearful onlookers holding a metal box with exposed wiring. He had allegedly claimed to be carrying a bomb.

Travellers had to flee as police evacuated the building, forcing flights and connecting trains to come to a sudden halt.

Australian Federal Police and Queensland police stormed the airport about 10.15pm as an emergency situation was declared.

The airport was evacuated and trains were halted after police declared an emergency situation, which ended at 11pm

Pictured: Would-be travellers were forced to evacuate the airport as police investigated reports of a bomb threat

After the airport was evacuated, officers examined the suspicious device the man had allegedly claimed was a bomb, but found it to be non-suspicious.

The exclusion zone was revoked at 11pm, but police then closed off the Bruce Bishop Carpark in Surfers Paradise just after midnight as a precaution.

The man had reportedly made threats about the carpark, which reopened at 1.45am.

A police officer at the scene told the Courier Mail there was a vehicle linked to him in the carpark, and he appeared to have had 'some sort of detonator'.

The man, an Australian resident who is believed to be from the Middle East, was taken into custody from the airport after he was shot with a beanbag round.

He was not seriously injured.

Brisbane Airport said in a tweet: 'The Australian Federal Police is managing the incident and we hope to get back to normal operations as soon as possible'

During a press conference, Superintendent Tony Fleming said it was a 'domestic incident' and not terror-related.

He said there was concern that the man had an explosive device  however, that was not the case.

'There is absolutely no evidence that this is a matter related to terrorism.'

Superintendent Fleming said people who are known to the man were giving evidence.

'This has been quite a dramatic to those people.'

Police, paramedics and fire crews were in attendance after reports of a man brandishing a knife and making bomb threatsAn Arizona man accused of sending nude pictures to a 16-year-old girl has been identified by police after getting a tattoo on his PENIS which read 'Fun Size'.

Joshua Louis Hillyard, 28, allegedly sent explicit photos through social media to the teen which included a picture of his distinctive genitals.

Cottonwood police say the inking led to his arrest on Friday during a meeting with his probation officer.

He is said to have met his alleged victim through an outreach program, where he was a mentor, Fox10 reports.

She is said to contacted her School Safety Officer and accused Hillyard of sending her unsolicited inappropriate pictures and messages.

Joshua Louis Hillyard accused of sending nude pictures to a 16-year-old girl. He is said to have been identified by police after getting a tattoo on his PENIS which read 'Fun Size'

Hillyard is being held in the Yavapai County Detention Center, pictured, and is charged with a furnishing harmful materials to a minor

Hillyard reportedly told officers the girl was only 16 but thought that was the age of consent in Arizona, because that is the law in Montana where is he is currently on probation.

He was transferred to Arizona of Montana and Wyoming on probation for burglary, fraud, and sale of dangerous drugs, according to police.

Hillyard is in the Yavapai County Detention Center charged with a furnishing harmful materials to a minor.A mother has relived the moment her babysitter attempted to hide the fact that her son was dead.

Heather Gardner of Wausau, Wisconsin, retrieved the lifeless form of her two-month-old son, Benson Xiong, from her babysitter, Marissa Tietsort, 28, in October, and opened up about her regrets leaving him in such terrible care to WAOW news.

Tietsort was said to have caused Benson's death, put him in his snowsuit and car seat before letting his mother pick him up without telling her the child was dead, according to a criminal complaint filed on January 4.

Gardner, a working mother-of-two at the time, needed childcare assistance after her children's grandmother moved to California.

Heather Gardner (shown) recalls warning signs that her babysitter was mistreating her son, but was reassured by doctors and left her son back in the care of the Marissa Tietsort

Two-month-old Benson Xiong died of blunt force trauma to the head, but his mother did not realize it immediately after the babysitter disguised the fact that he was dead

'She's from the town that I'm originally from,' Gardner said of her hiring of Tietsort, who was referred to her through a co-worker. It was only weeks after leaving her children in Tietsort's care, she began to be suspicious.

'I noticed that maybe he had a scratch or something in his mouth and I took him to the ER that Saturday,' Gardner told the news station. 'And I told the doctors, 'I don't know if he's being abused by the babysitter.''

However, Gardner says the doctors told her not to worry, and Gardner ended up using Tietsort again to babysit Benson.

'You as a parent know your child the most so if you think that something is wrong, no one is going to know better than you,' said the grieving mother.

'When we got to the laundromat, I started unpacking Benson and I was like why are his lips like, they were like stuck together, so I was like ,'Oh my God' and I unzipped his snowsuit and took him out and he's like hard,'' Gardner said.

'She is a monster,' Gardner said of Tietsort.

The currently pregnant Tietsort is the mother of five other children and also faces a felony child abuse charge involving an 11-month-old girl, named Riley, formerly in her care who was injured in August.



'I had used Marissa for two weeks as a babysitter, and I never once thought to ... look her up because she was a friend of a friend,' Riley's mother Megan Royce said. 'She had a baby as well so I figured it was safe.'

Pregnant mother-of-five and babysitter Marissa Tietsort, 28 (pictured), of Wausau, Wisconsin has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of a two-month-old boy who was in her care

'I'm not a threat to society or a monster,' Tietsort wrote to the judge before her bail hearing. 'I'm a great mom and I love everybody.'

Tietsort had been running an unlicensed day care operation out of her home in Wausau, and it had been reported that at least two other children in her care had been taken to the hospital with brain bleeds.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the death of Benson, his mother dropped him and his older brother off at Tietsort's home on October 18.

About two hours later, the baby's mother received a text from Tietsort, in which Tietsort told her that a local news website published a story saying she'd been charged with child abuse and she isn't supposed to have contact with children.

Tietsort told the mother not to tell anyone she was watching her two sons.

Heather Gardner and Benson Xiong were found just minutes after she had picked the boy up from Tietsort's home, authorities said, at a laundromat on North Third Avenue, between West Wausau and West Union avenues, where she was trying to revive her child. The boy had actually died hours earlier

When Gardner came to pick up her sons later, Benson was in his car seat with a hat pulled down over his eyes. Gardner told police she thought he was sleeping, the complaint said.

The Benson's mother later realized her son was not breathing, cold and stiff. Officers arrived to find the boy had 'ashen skin tone, his jaw was clenched and his lips were blue.'

Authorities found Gardner at a Wausau laundromat trying to revive Benson, but he had died hours earlier of blunt force head injuries from multiple impacts to the head.

Tietsort told police she didn't kill Benson, but knew he was dead, the complaint said. When her boyfriend got home that evening, they went to McDonald's and she brought the dead baby with them.

After she gave Benson back to his mother, Tietsort, her boyfriend and their son went swimming at a local hotel, according to the complaint.

Tietsort has been in custody on a $250,000 cash bond since since October related to the August incident and is due back in court this month.A Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui was cancelled after it was forced to return to LAX three times because of equipment failure, prompting the airline to issue refunds for more than 200 passengers.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 33 from Los Angeles to Kahului Airport was grounded on Friday because of 'separate and unrelated faults with different systems', airline spokesman Alex Da Silva explained to KTLA.

The flight was initially supposed to take off at 4.30pm, KITV reports.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 33 from Los Angeles to Kahului Airport was grounded on Friday because of 'separate and unrelated faults with different systems'

Of the three returns that the flight had to make to the airport, one occurred before the flight had even taken off while the other two occurred mid-flight

Of the three returns that the flight had to make to the airport, one occurred before the flight had even taken off while the other two occurred mid-flight.

'We understand our guests' disappointment and deeply regret their travel plans were disrupted,' Da Silva added.

There were 207 people on board the flight. All of their trips were refunded and each passenger was given a $100 credit to use on a future flight.

Additionally, the airline paid for all the passengers to have hotel rooms and provided them with meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast.

They hope to accommodate the passengers on other flights.

Some of the passengers from the flight took to Twitter to share their disappointment with the hiccup that had stalled their travel plans

Silva described how the flight's long journey caused it to have to undergo stricter safety guidelines.

'These flights have more rigorous safety requirements because of the greater distance between suitable airports,' he said.

'When there is an abnormality on an over-land flight it can, and often does, continue to its destination, however (extended-range) flights operate to a more stringent safety standard.'

Some of the passengers from the flight took to Twitter to share their disappointment with the hiccup that had stalled their travel plans.

'I always use @HawaiianAir for inter-island flights, but chose to do domestic with them this time and I realize it was a mistake,' said @brenbaldos.

There were 207 people on board the flight. All of their trips were refunded and each passenger was given a $100 credit to use on a future flight

She later added: '@HawaiianAir flight to LAX is delayed. We got deplaned and moved to another gate twice and no sight of a new plane. No ones giving us updates for about an hour in between. Is this why Hawaii flies with you? Its such a shame.'

The sentiment was shared by a user who shared a photo from the flight that said '3rd time not a charm!'

Austin J Arnold stated: '@HawaiianAir let me get this straight, you made everyone stay for the same issue three times after a full hour in air without checking the problem before you left the first two times!? Now my soon to be father in law didn't make our wedding that is supposed to be in the morning.'

'Finally in our hotel after changing our rental car reservation and rebooking our flight' said a different user. '@HawaiianAir you really screwed me and also lost me about $300 having to miss a day of work. So thank you for that.'An emergency situation has been declared at Surfers Paradise after a bomb threat was reported.

Police arrived at the Bruce Bishop carpark at about 9pm on Saturday following reports of the bomb threat and establishments in the surrounding area were forced to evacuate.

An exclusion zone surrounding the carpark was established by officers which is bound by Gold Coast Highway, Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Clifford Boulevard.

There is still little known about the incident and police are warning residents to avoid the area.

An emergency situation has been declared at Surfers Paradise after a bomb threat was reported

Police arrived at the Bruce Bishop carpark at about 9pm on Saturday following reports of the bomb threat and establishments in the surrounding area were forced to evacuate

An exclusion zone surrounding the carpark was established by officers

One man said he was moved on by officers as police cars, ambulances and fire trucks flooded the scene.

'Police just told us all to leave the area as its unsafe,' he told myGC.

'At first we were told to move well away from Bruce Bishop Carpark but now they're widening the evacuation area.'

Accounts shared to social media suggested nightclubs in the vicinity were affected.

'Bomb threat in Surfers Paradise. Melbas night club. Police blocked off the street. Lots of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks at the scene. #goldcoast,' one person tweeted.

Instagram stories show crowds eager to enjoy Saturday evening festivities packed onto the roads.

There is still little known about the incident and police are warning residents to avoid the area

One man said he was moved on by officers as police cars, ambulances and fire trucks flooded the scene

An anonymous person told The Courier-Mail she was stopped by police soon after 9pm when collecting her car.

'I asked what was going on, and he said it was connected to what was going on in Brisbane,' she said.

'He just said to connect the dots.'

Brisbane International Airport was evacuated earlier in the night after a man who was wielding a knife and making bomb threats was arrested by police.An airline passenger who smuggled a baby leopard cub carrying it in his hand luggage on a flight from Bangkok to Chennai has been arrested, Indian authorities said today.

The month-old cub, weighting just over 2.2 pounds (1 kg), was found in a plastic grocery basket hidden inside a bag when the passenger arrived in India on a Thai Airways flight.

Officials said they grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the bag.

The cub was found in a plastic basket hidden inside a bag when the passenger arrived in India

As the passenger tried to rush out of the terminal in Chennai, the capital city of southern Tamil Nadu state, authorities found the cub in his hand luggage.

'He was evasive in his replies so his baggage was opened for further examination,' an official at the airport said.

Airport officials gave the baby leopard milk from a baby's bottle

'The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak,' he said.

The nationality of the 45-year-old passenger is still unclear and the case was handed over to state's Wildlife Crime Bureau.

Airport authorities have released a video showing officials giving the cub milk from a baby's bottle.

'We have taken the custody of the passenger and are questioning him on the source of the animal,' A.O. Limatoshi, head of Chennai Wildlife Crime Bureau, told AFP.

He said they are investigating whether the man was carrying the leopard as part of an international smuggling chain.

The 45-year-old man, whose nationality remains still unclear, was travelling on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Chennai

Leopards can be found across the Asian continent but they are believed to be highly vulnerable.

Their population is currently declining because of habitat loss and poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body part.

It is estimated that about 12,000 - 14,000 leopards live in India, World Land Trust reports.

They are an endangered species in India and smuggling them in or out of the country is illegal.Police in Spain have arrested 14 people over an alleged multi-million pound fraud by undertakers suspected of incinerating thousands of dead people in cheap coffins instead of the more expensive ones their loved ones had paid for.

Investigators say they believe the suspects switched the coffins before the incinerations and resold the ones the families had bought.

Wreaths were even allegedly resold for profit, officials say.

The firm at the centre of the allegations has been named as El Salvador, which describes itself as a leading firm in funeral services

Twelve men and two women who own or work for the same funeral directors in the northern region of Castilla and Leon, have been held.

A government spokesman for the region revealed at a press conference nearly a million euros in cash had been seized during one of the police searches.

The exact size of the alleged fraud has not been revealed, and officials say they have months work ahead of them to go through piles of papers and analyse eight computers confiscated as part of the ongoing operation.

But investigators have admitted it could cover 'thousands of cases worth several million euros' amid reports the suspected crimes could date as far back as 1995.

The firm at the centre of the extraordinary allegations has been named as El Salvador, which describes itself as a 'leading firm in funeral services in Castilla y Leon' on its website.

The El Salvador Group has funeral homes in Valladolid, Medina de Rioseco, Tudela de Duero, Penafiel and Mojados.

Virginia Barcones, a central government spokesman for the Castilla and Leon region, said: 'This case centres on a repeated alleged fraud, namely the substitution of a high-quality and expensive coffin for a lower-quality cheaper one with the aim of reselling the more expensive one.

Officials say they have months of work ahead of them and the exact size of the alleged fraud has not been revealed. Pictured: El Salvador offices in Valladolid

'The switch was allegedly carried out before incinerations.

'Identical practices allegedly occurred with the wreaths which instead of being incinerated with the dead, were removed before incineration and taken back to the funeral parlour to be subsequently resold.

'The 14 detainees have been held on suspicion of fraud and membership of a criminal organisation and are all owners of workers at the funeral directors.

'The firm has around 70 employees.

'In the searches that have been carried out, almost a million euros in cash was found.

'The police have removed eight computers and a servers and a huge amount of documentation.

'The period of time that has been investigated goes from 1995 to 2015. It is very difficult to calculate the size of the alleged fraud but we are looking at thousands of cases and millions of euros.'

Castilla and Leon police chief Jorge Zurita added: 'Further arrests have not been ruled out.'

The owners of family-run firm El Salvador have blamed an ex-worker they say was convicted of extortion after blackmailing them.

They insisted in a statement: 'All the crematoriums of the El Salvador Group have rooms where relatives of the deceased can see the coffins before they enter the cremation area.'A woman who spent six years in jail for drug trafficking and was stabbed while behind bars has dedicated her life to keeping young women out of prison.

Debbie Kilroy was sent to Brisbane's notorious Boggo Road jail after she sold marijuana to an undercover officer in 1989.

At the time she was a mother-of-two and married to Indigenous rugby league star Joe Kilroy.

During her stint, Kilroy witnessed the only murder to ever be commit inside a women's prison, and was stabbed in the process of defending her friend.

Debbie Kilroy was sent to Brisbane's notorious Boggo Road jail after she unwittingly sold marijuana to an undercover officer

Kilroy was admitted to the legal profession by the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2007  a rare achievement for someone with serious convictions

Debbie Dick was ambushed by fellow inmates when sat next to Kilroy in prison, and was repeatedly stabbed from behind with sharpened barbeque forks.

The incident occurred at Christmas time, which Kilroy described as a notoriously difficult time for all inmates.

'At Christmas time, prisons are always a tinder box because we were all missing our children, we didn't get access to our children at Christmas time,' she told 9News.

Kilroy plotted to exact revenge on the woman who killed her friend, but her plan was foiled by a prison guard who cancelled a planned mediation due to his suspicions.

That act could have left Kilroy behind bars for the rest of her life, had she gone through with it.

'Prison is a violent place and that's part of prison life, part of the institutionalisation of it all,' Kilroy said.

Debbie Kilroy attended the Mercedes Benz fashion week in Sydney with her son, Joshua Kilroy (pictured together)

Kilroy used her time in prison to catch up on her education, completing a number of TAFE courses and eventually a bachelor of social work while behind bars.

Her goal is to help break what she described as the insidious and cyclic nature of poverty and abuse that generally forces certain women behind bars.

In particular, she said the prison system is over represented by Aboriginal women, particularly mothers, and women who grew up in state care.

Kilroy was admitted to the legal profession by the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2007  a rare achievement for someone with serious convictions.

She now has her own law firm and is a criminal solicitor in Queensland.

In addition to that, she launched a 'Free the People' campaign which aims to pay the fines and court fees of young Indigenous women and mothers in order to keep them out of prison.

The crowdfunding campaign has already raised more than $330,000 in the month since it was established.

From that, she has used $122,000 to pay fines 'so impoverished Aboriginal mothers are not criminalised and imprisoned.'Advertisement

Weapons including controversial rubber bullets were used against French Yellow Vests demonstrating on behalf of the victims of police violence as they rioted in central Paris today.

Heavily armed officers also used tear gas, baton charges and water cannons against members of the mass anti-government movement, who are named after their high visibility motoring jackets.

They were staging their 12th Saturday in a row of demonstrations aimed at getting President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

We want him out, but we also want the police to stop wounding us with their Flash Ball weapons, said Jacques Caron, a 33-year-old Yellow Vest, who was on the street close to Place de la Bastille.

Scroll down for video

Yellow Vest protesters mount the statue of Marianne lighting flares at the Place de la Republique (Republic square) during a demonstration

Demonstrators kicks in tear gas grenades after the police fired them at crowds for the 12th successive weekend on the streets of Paris

Police officers charge at demonstrators after as they try to prevent the Yellow Vest protests spiralling out of control for another weekend

Protesters pick up tear gas grenades and launch them back at the police, despite Yellow Vest leaders calling for peaceful action this weekend

French Yellow Vest movement leader Jerome Rodrigues, 40, addresses people at the start of a march on Saturday in Paris after he was blinded in one eye last weekend in a harrowing moment which was captured on his live stream selfie video

The Interior Ministry reported 80,000 security officials had been deployed across France as the action erupted for a 12th successive Saturday.

In Valance in the south of France, the mayor said measures had been taken to prepare for about 10,000 demonstrators. Authorities fear up to 1,000 of those could be violent rioters.

France's top administrative court ruled Friday that police could continue using a rubber bullet launcher blamed for dozens of injuries during the Yellow Vest protests which have roiled the country since November.

Last weekend Yellow Vest leader Jerome Rodrigues, 40, lost an eye after being hit by a fragment from a police projectile fired at him.

Like others who have been mutilated in recent months, he said he was hit by a so-called Flash Ball  rubber projectiles fired from police guns.

A bid to have them outlawed failed last week, and numerous officers were seen carrying them today.

Dramatic video of the Rodrigues incident led to other Yellow Vests calling for a mass uprising against the Macron administration.

In turn, police suggest that a non-lethal grenade exploded in front of Mr Rodrigues, and he was hit by shrapnel.

A protester walks past a broken shop window which has had tables and chairs thrown into it during clashes with police at Place de la Republique

A protesters holding a placard reading 'dictatorship regime' during an anti-government demonstration called by the Yellow vests movement in Strasbourg

A Yellow Vest protester throws a French flag into a fire as a scooter and a bin burn on a street during clashes

Plain clothes policemen are backed in between their police vans as paint bombs spray across their feet at the protests in Paris

Plain clothes policemen detain a Yellow Vest protester holding crutches on the street in Paris

A plain clothes policeman throws a tear gas canister during clashes on the streets of Paris while another appears to be aiming a gun

Protesters hold red flares as they demonstrate against Macron in Valence in southern France where activity was expected to be particularly violent

Speaking earlier this week Jerome said many French police officers had sent him messages of support after his injuries.

Eric Drouet, another leading figure in the protest movement which has paralysed France in recent weeks, said police had 'aimed at the head'.

Speaking to BFM-TV, Drouet called it a 'homicide attempt' and said: 'When we aim at the head, we try to kill. How should this weapon be used? We must not aim our head.'

Appearing on French-language television with an eye patch, Rodrigues thanked police who had sent him support, telling RT: 'The police have orders but I know there are men behind the armour.'

Rodrigues, a construction worker, was placed in an artificial coma after the incident at the Bastille monument on Saturday afternoon.

The 40-year-old, who has 50,000 followers on Facebook, was live-streaming the protest on the website when he was hit.

A Yellow Vest activist holds an image of Jerome on a large placard which says 'Soutien Jermoe' - Support Jerome - who has become a symbol of this week's protests

A scooter and a bin are set alight by protesters during heavy clashes on the Place de la Republique in Paris

Protesters react as tear gas canisters are thrown by police at Place de la Republique

Protesters hold a banner reading 'Is it a revolt ? No sire, its a revolution' in reference to words allegedly said by French King Louis XVI in 1789

But junior interior minister Laurent Nunez said there was 'no indication' that his injuries had been caused by such a projectile.

Rodrigues said he had agreed with Drouet to launch a 'call for calm' while at the same time pressing on and strengthening the protests 'without violence'.

'I will not stop, I will be back at the demonstrations as soon as my health permits me,' he said.

The CGT labour union and the Human Rights League NGO had filed the complaint seeking a ban on the weapons, which shoot 40-millimeter rubber projectiles that are considered non-lethal.

Their representatives argued this week that the rubber bullets had been fired some 9,200 times since the anti-government protests began, causing severe injuries in many cases.

The Desarmons-Les (Disarm Them) collective, which campaigns against police violence, claims that 20 protesters have lost an eye from the devices.

Such weapons are prohibited for use in riot control in most Western European countries.

Yellow Vests demonstrators walk away after tear gas grenades which were fired at them in Valence, southern France - authorities in the region anticipated 10,000 protestors

Yellow Vest protestors hold a banner depicting a riot policeman with a gun - yesterday a top administrative court ruled that police could continue using a rubber bullet launcher blamed for dozens of injuries during the Yellow Vest protests

Tear gas fills the air in Valence - security officials were deployed their to deal with up to 1,000 potential trouble makers, as it was expected to be one of the more violent locations

A protester with a fake eye injury, takes part in the march as Rodrigues has called for peaceful protests to mark the 1,900 injures since the start of the demonstrations

Eric Drouet, another Yellow Vests leader, said the incident justified a mass uprising without precedent by all useful and necessary means.

Protesters have been joined by extremists from the far Right and the ultra-Left, as well as anarchists intent on causing as much damage as possible.

The independent Mr Macron, leader of the Republic On The Move party, won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, but he is now dubbed the President of the Rich with polls showing his popularity rating struggling to get above 30 per cent.

Todays ugly scenes are typical of ugly scenes that have regularly reduced Paris and other towns and cities around Paris to a war zone.

People take part in a march holding a banner to protest police brutality - particularly the use by riot police of both 40-millimetre rubber defensive bullet launcher LBD and GLI-F4 stun grenades

Protesters hold a placard depicting the French Interior Minister reading 'our mission is to protect and serve tax-dodgers' and another depicting the French Government's spokesperson and reading 'our mission is to discredit the Yellow Vest movement'

A wounded protester with a poster reading 'Here is the truth' attends the yellow vests demonstration

Yellow Vest activists hold a banner filled with a collage constructed of images of those injured in the protests and a sign which says, 'United and Worthy of Oppression'

There were 5,000 police and gendarmes standing by for trouble in the French capital today, and it started in the late afternoon when a march got close to Place de la Republicque.

Macron Resign, the crowd chanted, as they threw bottles and anything else they could find at police.

Huge white clouds of tear gas were smothering the area, covering rioters, as well as tourists.

By 4pm there had been around 15 arrests in the Paris areas, many of them of suspected rioters carrying potential weapons, and for violent disorder.

Rodrigues, 40, has bravely taken to the streets again this weekend after he suffered the life-changing injury.

Several hundreds of demonstrators gathered at midday on a plaza in eastern Paris to join Rodrigues and chanted anti-government slogans as they headed toward the Republic plaza, in the northeast of the city centre.

The French government has insisted there was 'no indication' he was injured by a police projectile.

The government warned - after the top court's ruling - there would be no hesitation to use 'flashballs' again this weekend - referring to the 40-mm (1.6-inch) rubber projectiles used by French riot police.

'It's true that this intermediate weapon can hurt, but faced with rioters, the police need it to defend themselves against those who attack them,' said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.

A protester wearing a Yellow Vest holds a placard at the Place de la Bastille depicting the French President Emmanuel Macron and reading 'Hate'

Hundreds of Yellow Vest protesters march through the rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux on Saturday morning waving tricolore flags

A protester shouts during the yellow vests demonstration as her face - like many others in attendance - is painted with blood to mark those injured in the demos

Opinion polls show a recovery in Macron's battered popularity rating after he launched consultations, including town hall debates, to try to quell social unrest, but thousands have again taken to the streets this week

Eric Drouet, one of the leading figures of the 'Yellow Vest' (gilet jaune) movement, is seen at the start of a march, he said the injury to Rodrigues was a 'homicide attempt'

Yellow Vest protesters wear yellow eye patches with a target and a droplet of blood depicted on to show solidarity with their leader Rodrigues

But the Council of State said that the threat of violence during the yellow vest protests being held on Saturdays in Paris and other cities rendered their use by police necessary.

'Contrary to what the applicants claimed, the organisation of operations to maintain order during the recent demonstrations did not indicate any intention by the authorities not to respect the strict rules governing the use' of such 'less-lethal weapons,' the court said.

Use of the specialised 'defence ball launchers' (LBDs) 'is particularly appropriate for responding to these types of situations, as long as the rules governing their use are respected,' it said.

The government has defended the police use of both rubber bullets and stun grenades as necessary to guard against violent individuals among the yellow vests activists who have repeatedly attacked security forces.

'These less-lethal weapons are essential, they allow us to keep protesters and rioters at a distance, or to approach them for arrest without having to use weapons that can kill,' junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told RTL radio ahead of the court's ruling on Friday.

However last Saturday the government started equipping police using the weapons with body cameras, to potentially provide evidence in case of claims of injuries.

The 12th round of protests has rallied again on the streets of Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille against the government of President Emmanuel Macron and his pro-business economic policies.

He is seen by many as out of touch with the concerns of rural and small-town France.

Last week Macron accused British politicians of tearing society apart by allowing a Brexit referendum in Britain.

Despite a range of concessions by Mr Macron including scrapping green taxes of diesel and petrol, the Vests - who are named after their high visibility motoring jackets - continue to call for him to step down.

A yellow vests demonstrator holds a poster calling for an end to the use of rubber bullets in Marseille, southern France

It was announced this week that MPs in Macron's Republic on the Move party are seeking more severe penalties for organisers of unauthorised demonstrations and for people covering their faces during violent protests.

Rodrigues, one of the leaders of the the Yellow Vests movement, lies on the ground after he was injured in the eye during clashes between protesters and riot police last weekend

Yellow vest activist Rodrigues was injured during Paris a protest and was bandaged up and taken to hospital where he was put into an induced coma for surgery on his eye

A protester waves a French flag atop a fountain on the Place Felix Eboue in Paris early on Saturday

The marches involving a 'wall of shame' are honouring more than 1,900 people injured since the protests began in November, according to official figures.

Lawmakers are debating a bill aimed at cracking down on the vandalism and violence that has marred the yellow vest movement, including clashes with police and the torching of dozens of cars.

MPs in Macron's Republic on the Move party are seeking more severe penalties for organisers of unauthorised demonstrations and for people covering their faces during violent protests.

About 1,000 police officers have been injured along with the demonstrators since the start of the protests, according to official figures.

Opinion polls show a recovery in Macron's battered popularity rating after he launched consultations, including townhall debates, to try to quell social unrest.

A Harris Interactive poll of 1,000 people on Friday showed Macron gaining four percentage points since December taking him to a 35 percent approval rating.Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has claimed he isn't a 'patsy' for the Chinese government after he was a VIP guest at a Chinese New Year function attended by officials with links to the Communist Party.

The function was hosted by top Australian lobbyists from the Chinese Communist Party and was attended by Beijing's highest ranking United Front affiliates in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The United Front Work Department is an agency of the Communist Party of China which manages relations with influential organisations and people, like politicians, around the world.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott claims he isn't 'patsy' for the Chinese government after he was a VIP guest at a Chinese New Year function that has links to the Communist Party (pictured)

When this was flagged with the former leader of the Liberal party, he allegedly said he wouldn't have attended the event if he knew United Front groups were in attendance.

In a tirade on Twitter, Mr Abbott lashed out at reports on the event.

'Trust the SMH not to report what I actually said at the Chinese New Year event. The last thing I am is patsy for the Chinese govt, as my remarks show,' he tweeted.

Mr Abbott then tweeted some of his remarks from the event about the downside of the Chinese government.

'I have to say that had I been able to talk to President Xi more recently I would have said that presidents for life are not such a great idea. And I would have said that turning sand banks into military bases is not such a great idea,' he tweeted.

Mr Abbott added that cutting down freedom was not the wisest idea.

When this was flagged with the former leader of the Liberal party, he allegedly said he wouldn't have attended the event if he knew United Front groups were in attendance

In a tirade on Twitter, Mr Abbott lashed out at reports about his attendance at the event

'By virtue of being Australians, you are part of our tradition and our tradition is a tradition of freedom, of justice, of pluralism,' he tweeted.

'Our tradition is a tradition of law and democracy and free markets.'

'These are very important ideas. They're important throughout the world, they're important in China, not just important here.'

Audio of Mr Abbott speaking at the event, which was obtained by Sky News, suggested the controversial politician was praising the China's governance and their notable rise to dominance.

Mr Abbott continued by discussing the 'important ideas' of law, democracy and free markets

'The rise of China has been one of the phenomenon of the modern world,' he said in the audio.

'It is immensely to the credit of the Chinese people and the Chinese government that over the past 40 years, a half a billion people have been raised from the third world to the middle class, and I have nothing but admiration for the Chinese people and government presiding over this change.'

This praise was followed by Mr Abbott's comments about President Xi, sand banks turned into military bases and hacking up freedom which he referred to on Twitter.A 12-year-old girl has bravely posed for photos showing her stoma bag to try and prevent others from being bullied.

Charlotte Anders, from Merseyside, took the bold step after hearing that an American boy had reportedly been driven to suicide by bullies.

She was horrified to learn that Seven Bridges, aged 10, from Kentucky, U.S., killed himself after enduring cruel taunts about his own colostomy bag.

The Year 7 pupil proudly posted the photos on social media with the hashtag #bagsoutforseven in an incredible stand of solidarity despite her tender age.

Charlotte Anders, from Merseyside, pictured left and right, posed with her stoma bag on show after hearing that an American boy had reportedly been driven to suicide by bullies

The hashtag was started on Instagram following Seven's tragic death on January 19 this year and has been shared worldwide.

Charlotte was adamant about taking part in the anti-bullying campaign and told family: 'This is nothing to be ashamed of, it's saved my life.'

The youngster has suffered from constipation since age three and had a colostomy bag fitted in May 2017, which was initially successful.

But a decision was later taken to remove her bowel which wasn't working properly and she had a stoma bag attached to her ileum.

Her recovery from the ileostomy procedure was going well but a week later Charlotte woke up in severe pain and had a burning temperature.

After several tests, Charlotte's family were told she was in septic shock and that there was a high possibility she would die due to the bacteria present.

Seven Bridges, aged 10, from Kentucky, U.S., pictured, reportedly killed himself after enduring cruel taunts about his own colostomy bag

Her family and friends watched as she was taken back down to theatre not knowing if they would ever see her again.

Fortunately, after five hours in theatre, Charlotte was back in critical care and amazingly survived.

A stoma is an opening in the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste to be diverted out of the body and collected in a special bag.

Since then, Charlotte has been sharing snaps of her baring her bag to inspire others to embrace and love their bodies no matter what.

Proud mother Nikki Anders, 32, said: 'She never gives up regardless of how ill she is.'

Mrs Anders explained how it is because of her daughter's own experience that she was so effected by hearing about Seven Bridges.

Proud mother Nikki Anders,pictured with twins Charlotte and Shannon, son Joshua and husband Simon, said she was worried about her daughter posting the picture at first

She said: 'Charlotte found it so sickening that somebody was exposed to so much torment that they felt that they would be better off dead.

'Her message is "bullying is never ok and ask me don't talk about me, I will never be offended by a silly question"

'She saw the story online and was really upset that this poor boy decided to do that and saw the #bagsoutforseven campaign mostly done by adults posting pictures online and decided to take part.

'I was unsure about it because people didn't know in school but she just said: 'This is nothing to be ashamed of, it's saved my life'.

'She's only in Year 7 and has been really brave doing this, hundreds of people across the world have done it but they are mostly adults so hopefully by her taking part people can see that bullying has really serious consequences.'

For confidential support, log on to samaritans.org or call the Samaritans on 116123.President Vladimir Putin says he is suspending Russian participation in a landmark Cold War-era missile treaty in response to the US announcement yesterday.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the US would no longer comply with the treaty which kept intermediate range missiles out of Europe, beginning as soon as Saturday.

Not to be outdone Putin stated today: 'Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation.'

He continued: 'We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin at his televised meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to announce his withdrawal from the INF treaty on Friday

President Donald J. Trump with First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron en route to the 'Southern White House' in Florida yesterday

Putin made the statement at a televised meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

Putin also said that Russia will start working on creating new missiles, including supersonic ones.

Pompeo threatened on Friday America would 'terminate' the treaty by Saturday if Russia did not come into compliance with it.

Speaking at the State Department he said: 'For years Russia has violated the terms of the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty without remorse.

'Russia has refused to take any steps to return real and verifiable compliance over these 60 days.

'The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF treaty effective February 2nd.'

But Moscow has long insisted it does not violate the agreement, and last month invited reporters and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the disputed weapons system.

Lavrov on Saturday repeated Russian accusations that Washington itself has been in violation of the deal for many years.

At the meeting, Putin said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US.

But he told the ministers that Russia would 'not be drawn into a costly new arms race'.

Russia would only deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe or elsewhere in answer to similar moves from the US, he added.

Putin has previously threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty if it is scrapped.

European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the United States formally leaves in August.

At odds: Putin's forces are accused by Trump's administration of having a missile system which breaches the INF treaty

'The United States will therefore suspend its obligations under the INF treaty effective February 2nd,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday morning

Signed in 1987 towards the end of the Cold War by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty bans ground-launched missiles with a range of between 315 miles to 3,415 miles.

The deal resolved a crisis over Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

In a statement issued on Friday, Trump suggested ties could improve markedly if Russia were willing to compromise on arms control, saying all sides must live up to such agreements.

'We stand ready to engage with Russia on arms control negotiations ... and, importantly, once that is done, develop, perhaps for the first time ever, an outstanding relationship on economic, trade, political, and military levels,' he said.

But the withdrawal could lead to the U.S. developing new nuclear weapons of the type which were stationed in Europe in the 1980s to huge public controversy - and potentially stationing them on the continent again.

A senior official cited prior US efforts to negotiate with Russia. 'We have had a series of discussions at the highest levels,' the official said.

'There was even an effort to arrange at highest level, President Putin and President Trump, that President Trump made the decision to cancel because of Russia's absolutely unlawful and flagrant violation of international law with respect to the of seizing 24 Ukrainian sailors,' the official said, referencing the cancelled formal meeting in Buenos Aires.

Pioneering moment: The INF was signed in 1987 by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan and banned ground-based cruise missiles with ranges from 315 miles to 3,415 miles

Stumbling block: The Russian Novatar 9M729 ground-based cruise missile system is accused by the U.S. of breaching the INF treaty which Russia denies. The U.S. now says it will pull out of the treaty as soon as this weekend after talks to resolve the standoff failed

Possible Russian threat: The Iskander-M missile launcher system is part of Russian efforts to step up their armament which the U.S. says is in breach of the INF treaty

Deadly load: A quasi-ballistic missile being loaded into an Iskander-M system by Russian troops at a firing range

The US side called off that formal meeting in protest of Russia's firing on Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Straight incident.

However, it was revealed this week that Trump and Putin did meet privately in Buenos Aires, speaking for up to 15 minutes, the Financial Times reported, citing a Russian government official. The report did not state that they spoke about the missile treaty.

A few hours before Pompeo's announcement, the NATO Western security alliance issued a statement saying it would 'fully support' the US withdrawal notice.

Speaking before Pompeo's announcement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized the importance of using the six months window to keep talking.

Senator Bob Menendez, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused Trump failing to grasp the importance of arms control treaties or of having a wider strategy to control the spread of nuclear weapons.

'Todays withdrawal is yet another geo-strategic gift to Vladimir Putin,' he said.

'America really wants to develop new weapons systems which are in breach of this treaty,' Konstantin Kosachyov, senior Russian lawmaker, wrote on social media yesterday, saying the alleged Russian violation of the treaty had been a convenient pretext.

The Trump administration had forecast its withdrawal from the 1987 pact, citing concerns that Russia wasn't honoring it and that it didn't include China, which has engaged in its own missile program.

An administration official said President Donald Trump was to have met with with Russia's President Vladimir Putin about the missile treaty, although the formal meeting was called off over Russia's actiosn in the Kerch Straight incident. Here Trump and Putin stand next to US First Lady Melania Trump ahead a meeting in Helsinki in July 2018

America's exit kicks in within a 60-day period, which will be followed by a six-month period to withdraw from the landmark Cold War agreement.

Leaving the treaty would allow the U.S. to develop longer-range conventional land-based missiles than it currently has - but which China is currently developing because it was not part of the banning treaty.

The treaty was signed in 1987 as a breakthrough in reducing nuclear tensions.

It banned the U.S. and the then Soviet Union from having ground-based missiles, whether nuclear or conventional, which led to the US getting rid of its nuclear land-based cruise and Pershing II missiles.

Public protests greeted the missiles being stationed in Europe and the Soviets saw them as an escalation of Cold War tensions.A fugitive who risks life imprisonment for endangering aircraft by shining a light into pilots' eyes is being hunted by police.

The menace usually strikes over West Berkshire in the late afternoon.

So far, the suspect has targeted at least six separate planes, shining a light from a laser pen, straight into the cockpits of military planes, light aircraft and helicopters.

Pilots in the cockpit can become dazzled by lasers which can, in turn, put the aircraft at risk

A number of reports have been made about a high powered green beam shining over the past few months.

Police have appealed for the public to help them find the responsible person so that they can locate and arrest them.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the attacker targets both civilian and military aircraft.

A number of reports have been made about a high powered green beam shining over West Berkshire in the past few months

'A number of reports have been made to police about a high powered green beam shining over the past few months.

'This includes incidents of lasers being shone:

At 7.30pm on 24 October when two military Apaches flying together near Enborne were targeted.

At 6.45pm on 30 November a pilot reported a green laser being shone approximately five miles west of Newbury.

At 5.45pm on 12 December a laser was shone at a military Apache helicopter travelling over Marsh Benham

At 5.35pm on 12 December a laser strike took place against a plane in the Welford area

At 5.45pm on 8 January a report was received that a laser was shone at aircraft flying over Newbury

At 5.50pm on 9 January at a civilian helicopter in the vicinity of Newbury Racecourse.

The incidents have been reported in Newbury, Enborne, Marsh Benham, Welford and Newbury Racecourse of military planes, light aircraft and helicopters

'Officers are appealing for witnesses to all of the incidents and people in the community are being encouraged to ring police immediately if they become aware of a sighting of a laser in the sky, to allow officers to respond while the incident is ongoing,' the spokesman said.

Police constable Darryl MacAndrew, of the West Berkshire Police problem solving team, said: 'These are very serious incidents which carry a high level of risk that could ultimately prove fatal.

'Pilots can become dazzled by lasers which can put the aircraft at risk.

The suspect has targeted at least six separate planes shining a light from a laser pen straight into the cockpits

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the attacker targets the cockpits of both civilian and military aircraft

'Offenders will be dealt with robustly - offences under the Aviation Act 1982 (endangering aircraft) - could lead to a life sentence.

'Those who are prosecuted for offences under the Laser Misuse Act 2018 can also be subject to five years' imprisonment.

'We are keeping an open mind as to whether any of the incidents are linked,' he said.

Witnesses can call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 or call 999 if a crime is in progress.

The independent charity Crimestoppers can be reached on 0800 555 111.Outraged customers have revealed their most disastrous examples of how online shopping can go incredibly wrong.

More than 10million Australians make online purchases at least once a month, but as A Current Affair reported on Friday, many spending sprees often end up in disaster.

From mystery marks, to damaged deliveries and fashion fails, the internet is littered with online shopping complaints.

Gold Coast resident Kyle Salmons, 24 (pictured), said he got more than he bargained for when he purchased a pair of board shorts online

The 24-year-old said while he initially thought the pamphlet was odd, on closer inspection, he realised the shorts (pictured) appeared to be stained

Gold Coast resident Kyle Salmons, 24, said he got more than he bargained for when he purchased a pair of board shorts online.

'When I got the shorts out I just noticed there was something in the pockets so I reached in and I just figured it was a tag or something but it was actually a pamphlet for a strip club in Cancun,' Mr Salmons said.

The 24-year-old said while he initially thought the pamphlet was odd, on closer inspection, he realised the shorts appeared to be stained.

He believes someone had already worn the shorts on a night out in Cancun, before spilling a drink on them and returning them to the shop, and they sent them to him.

Another unhappy customer is Rach Daly, who told the program she developed a nasty rash after trying on several tops she purchased from an overseas retailer.

'I was creeped out, I didn't know where they house these clothes, if they're in a warehouse or what, but it made my skin crawl thinking I'd gotten this from some shirts that had been sent over,' Ms Daly said.

Another unhappy customer is Rach Daly (pictured), who told the program she developed a nasty rash after trying on several tops she purchased from an overseas retailer

Ms Daly said it made her skin crawl to think she got a rash from the shirts she purchased online

A Current Affair's retail expert Gary Mortimer urged online customers to take caution and be especially careful when purchasing products from overseas.

The program said many online customers have taken to social media to share their dissatisfaction with their epic fail purchases.

One woman who thought she was purchasing a cute nightgown with the words 'Wifey' embellished on the front found her garment was a little larger than expected.

She posted a photo of the oversized garment, which resembled a moo-moo.

'So, I thought I ordered this really cute wifey nightgown but this is what I got instead. Lol just don't buy anything online,' the accompanying caption said.

Another customer shared a photo of her fashion fail (pictured right), where she thought she was ordering a glamorous fish-tale dress that ended up looking less than spectacular

One woman who thought she was purchasing a cute nightgown with the words 'Wifey' embellished on the front found her garment was a little larger than expected (pictured right)

Another customer shared a photo of her fashion fail, where she thought she was ordering a glamorous fish-tale dress that ended up looking less than spectacular.

'This is what happens when you order your prom dress online,' the customer wrote.

Other online disasters included a pair of slipper-like shoes that were supposed to be sneakers, and a freakish beauty mask that left its wearer looking less than 'Babe' like.

Jo Ucukalo, CEO of Handle My Complaint said while online complaints were rife, customers still had rights to a refund - if they take appropriate action.

'Consumers have exactly the same rights if they purchase online or in-store but many and unaware of how to enforce those rights,' Ms Ucukalo said.Jeremy Corbyn has been slammed for 'defending a dictator' by the widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox over his failure to back sanctions on Venezuela's tyrannical president.

Brendan Cox, a former chief strategist at Save the Children, lashed out after Corbyn attacked 'outside interference' in the socialist South American country.

Mr Cox attacked President Nicolas Maduro, who has driven his country into economic collapse and continues to defy calls to hold elections.

Writing on Twitter on Saturday, Mr Cox said: 'The future of Venezuela has been taken out of the hands of Venezuelans by an increasingly corrupt and totalitarian state.

Brendan Cox, widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, questioned Jeremy Corbyn's views on Venezuela

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a military exercise in in Caracas, Venezuela February 1,

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'The future of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans'

'By all means call for dialogue but if you don't strongly condemn the subjugation of democracy it sounds like you are defending a dictator.'

Mr Corbyn on Friday criticised Jeremy Hunt, saying the Foreign Secretary was 'wrong' to demand sanctions against the Maduro regime.

Mr Hunt spoke on Wednesday to Juan Guaido, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, who is trying to oust socialist leader Mr Maduro.

The European Union on Thursday recognised Mr Guaido as interim president in place of Mr Maduro, with Mr Hunt calling for sanctions against the latter. The United States has also recognised his leadership.

But in a Friday tweet, Mr Corbyn said: 'The future of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans. Jeremy Hunt's call for more sanctions on Venezuela is wrong.

The future of Venezuela has been taken out of the hands of Venezuelans by an increasingly corrupt and totalitarian state. By all means call for dialogue but if you dont strongly condemn the subjugation of democracy it sounds like you are defending a dictator. https://t.co/sYtUEpXFxl  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) February 2, 2019

The future of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans. @Jeremy_Hunt's call for more sanctions on Venezuela is wrong. We oppose outside interference in Venezuela, whether from the US or anywhere else.



There needs to be dialogue and a negotiated settlement to overcome the crisis.  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 1, 2019

'We oppose outside interference in Venezuela, whether from the US or anywhere else.

'There needs to be dialogue and a negotiated settlement to overcome the crisis.'

Other senior Labour frontbenchers have also criticised the pressure being put on Mr Maduro, who is widely seen as a dictator, accusing the US of attempting 'regime change'.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon were among a host of left-wing politicians, union leaders and activists who signed a letter to the Observer on Sunday.

It said: 'Whatever views people hold on Venezuela, there is no justification for backing the US attempt at regime change under way, which, if successful, could go the way of the disastrous interventions in Iraq and Libya.

'Instead, the way forward is the call for dialogue from the Mexican and Bolivian presidents.'

Mr Cox resigned from Save the Children in September 2015, amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

His wife Jo, the MP for Batley and Spen in Yorkshire, was assassinated by neo-Nazi killer Thomas Mair in June 2016.

Corbyn criticised Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured in Bucharest on Friday), saying Hunt was 'wrong' to demand sanctions against the Maduro regime

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro (right) meeting with President of Bolivia Evo Morales (left) in Maiquetia, Venezuela on Friday

Tens of thousands of protesters are set to pour onto the streets of Caracas on Saturday to back opposition leader Juan Guaido's calls for early elections as international pressure increased on President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Major European countries have set a Sunday deadline for Maduro to call snap presidential elections.

Failing that, they will join the United States in recognizing National Assembly speaker Guaido as Venezuela's interim president.The Australian navy have seized drugs with a street value of more than $200million hidden on fishing boats in the Middle East.

The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Ballarat discovered 2.1 tonnes of hashish and 345kg of heroin in a two-day operation in January.

The drugs were detained after officers started investigating to two dubious fishing vessels navigating the Arabian Sea.

The Australian Navy have seized more than $200million worth of drugs in a two-day operation in the Middle East (File picture)

'The boardings were conducted under the direction of the Combined Maritime Forces in international waters,' Commanding Officer Paul Johnson said.

'Ballarat's success so far has been the result of a complex operation using sophisticated technology, information networks and careful surveillance to detect vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking,' Mr Johnson added.

The bust was part of Operation Manitou, which is the name for the name given to the Australian Government's efforts to support the 'maritime security, stability and prosperity' in the Middle East Region.

HMAS Ballarat discovered 2.1 tonnes of hashish and heroin after becoming suspicious of two fishing vessels (pictured)

The unit have previously confiscated 931kg of heroin in December and 3.1 tonnes of hashish at the start of 2019.

HMAS Ballart has spent nine months in the Middle East working on numerous operations including counter terrorism.

The unit are also working to stop piracy operations in the North Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.The heartbroken mother of a suspected Irish drugs kingpin Carl Carr has confirmed her son's body has been found buried beside a Spanish motorway but insisted his death was nothing to do with the narcotics trade.

Marie Carr, from Dublin, said detectives told her that her son's remains had been recovered from a shallow grave near a Costa Blanca motorway.

She said it was likely he was killed over a 'love triangle'.

Carl Carr, 38, was last seen in September on a night out at the Cabo Roig resort near Torrevieja

Four suspects, two men and two women, have been arrested in connection with Carr's murder. They appeared in court in Torrevieja earlier today in an in camera hearing.

It is understood the suspects are British and Irish.

Mrs Carr described her son as a 'well-liked but 'easily-led lad' in a poignant tribute to her only son as she grieved his suspected murder and said: 'His favourite saying was he was a lover not a fighter.

'He was very funny and very well-liked but too easily-led to be honest. He wanted to please people all of the time. He was a very deep person. He never wanted to worry other people.'

Addressing his past, which included an eight-year prison sentence over a 2008 Dublin drugs bust, she added: 'Carl's been described as a drugs baron when nothing could be further from the truth.

'He was arrested in Ireland simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was told to pick up a locked bag he had no idea contained drugs. He only did it because he had just come back from Australia and he had no money and he was getting paid.

'The Spanish police have told me his death has nothing to do with drugs. I believe he was killed because of a romantic triangle, by a man he knew who accused him of dating one of his girlfriends.

The body was found buried by the AP-7 motorway between Benijofar and Algorfa, a 20-minute drive north from where the missing Irishman was last seen.

'I want answers, who did this to my son and why they did it, but I also want to set the record straight.

'I suspect the people who did this to Carl knew about his past and tried to make it seem as if it was something to do with drugs when it wasn't.

'The other thing I'm sure about is that he wasn't dating Danielle Coupe, the hairdresser that claims to have been his girlfriend.

'Carl had been in a long-term relationship with a fiancee who was back in Ireland and who he had two children with, a daughter of twelve and a son aged three.

'They had been out to Spain to see him shortly before he died and he was trying to patch things up with her. They went out a couple of times a year to see him. He spoke to his children every night on the phone.

'He might have been with Danielle but he wasn't dating her when he died because they had had a fight and he'd finished with her.

'He moved to Spain three years ago for a fresh start and he was just trying to make ends meet. He didn't have any money, he was working in bars and doing odd jobs but he certainly wasn't a drugs baron.

Carr's girlfriend Danielle Coupe said she already knew arrests were going to take place today, but when she was asked for further information said: 'I can't say anything, I'm not allowed'

'I've been devastated for months now and I haven't been able to work even or speak to anyone about this.

'I talked to Carl the day before he disappeared and he told me his phone had been stolen and it was like it was a set-up.

'He rang me from a friend's phone and promised to call me once he'd got a new one.

'I told him his grandmother was very sick and asked if he'd have time to talk to her when I was with her. He said he'd ring me the day after which was the Saturday he disappeared but that never happened.

'He told me twice in that last conversation he loved me. Those were his last words, 'I love you mam.

'At the moment I'm waiting to speak to the Irish Embassy in Madrid. I've spoken to my local police who have been onto Interpol.

'They're trying to find out from the Embassy when they're going to release Carl's body so we can bring him home.

'We've had it confirmed it's Carl from tattoos and bars on his legs from a car crash he was in years ago.

'I was prepared for this sort of ending. On the Monday after he was last seen I had visions. I was lying on my bed and asking Carl to send me a message or a sign.

'I got a vision of him in his Communion suit straightaway and then his Confirmation suit. That's when I knew and I started to panic.

'I knew this was never a voluntary disappearance. He talked to his children every day and he talked to me every second day.

'Whoever did this to my son must pay the consequences.'

A Spanish source said: 'Two men and two women have appeared at Torrevieja Court of Investigation Number Two this morning.

'They have been remanded in custody pending an ongoing investigation. The investigation is being treated at this stage as a homicide or murder probe.

'The man suspected of being the material author was among the four that appeared in court.

'The other three are being investigation on suspicion of concealment, although one of the women is also under investigation on suspicion of illegal weapons possession.

'A fifth person, a woman, also appeared in court this morning after being interviewed by police and she was released but remains under investigation.'

The court investigation stemming from Carl Carr's disappearance was initially led by a court in the nearby town of Orihuela.

But local reports said it was moved to Torrevieja a 40-minute drive east on the Costa Blanca because investigators suspected that is where the killing took place.

At the time of Mr Carr's disappearance, his girlfriend said: 'Me, his family and friends are going out of our minds with worry.

'Anyone who was at Ambiguous can you message with the last time you saw him please.'

The expat hairdresser admitted today she was aware arrests had taken place but added: 'I can't say anything, I'm not allowed.'

The local Civil Guard force probing the disappearance of 38-year-old Carr, jailed for eight years in December 2008 after he was caught with 1.25 million of heroin and cocaine in Dublin, has so far made no official comment.

Carr's British girlfriend, Coupe, shared this poster on Facebook in September after her lover went missing

Local paper Informacion says the police investigation is a murder probe and the detainees have been accused of different crimes including homicide, illegal weapons possession, extortion, drugs trafficking and concealment depending on the level of their suspected involvement.

The body was found buried by the AP-7 motorway between Benijofar and Algorfa, a 20-minute drive north from where the missing Irishman was last seen.

Investigators are said to be trying to formally identify the man's identity through DNA tests.

The detainees were reportedly handed over to a judge in Torrevieja for further questioning after being held for 'several days' in police cells.

A secrecy order preventing officials from making any official comment - and designed to protect the ongoing criminal investigation in its early stages - is understood to have been placed over the case.

Preliminary court appearances always take place in private in Spain. Only trials are open to the press and public.

The charge of homicidio in Spain is a halfway house between manslaughter and the more serious charge of asesinato and carries a ten to 15-year prison sentence.

All four suspects remanded in custody have not been charged under Spanish law, as is normal in Spain where formal charges are only laid shortly before trial.

Under Spanish law asesinato - which at present in Spain can carry a life sentence following a controversial reform to the country's penal code - is also a wilful killing but involves aggravants.

One is the killer making sure his victim does not have the chance to defend himself. Another is that the killer causes his victim unneccesary suffering.

The Cabo Roig resort in Alicante on the Costa Blanca is popular with British tourists and there is a large ex-pat community there

The same police force which has been leading the investigation into Carl Carr's disappearance was involved in a hunt for a pair of notorious Dublin criminals whose bodies were found buried below a warehouse on an industrial estate in Catral a 30-minute drive north from where he was last seen.

The leader of the infamous Westies crime gang Shane Coates, and his close friend Stephen Sugg, were kidnapped near the Costa Blanca city of Alicante in January 2004 after leaving their expat apartments and telling their girlfriends they would be back within half an hour.

Their bodies were found in 2006 buried 30ft below a warehouse on Catral's San Juan industrial estate.

Sugg fled Ireland in mid-2003 after he was shot at by other drug dealers.

Coates joined him at the end of the year after he was involved in a shoot-out with undercover gardai in Virginia, Co Cavan.

Gardai believe the pair were executed because they were trying to muscle in on another dealer's patch in Spain.

The killer is thought to have tied up both men and then clinically shot each of them in the mouth the day they disappeared before burying their bodies.

An Irishman who had been renting the warehouse was later arrested but released without charge and told he would not face trial after being held behind bars for more than nine months.

Carr was one of three men jailed in December 2008 in Ireland.

Gardai pounced after mounting a surveillance operation at St Joseph's Hospital in the northern Dublin suburb of Raheny and seeing maintenance man Declan Broderick hand over the drugs to Carr.

Broderick, from Coolock on Dublin City's Northside, and Carr, then 28, from the Dublin suburb of Marino, were both sentenced to eight years in prison by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

A third man named as Graham Doyle, from Baldoyle, a coastal suburb of Dublin's northside, was sentenced to three years jail.A person has been injured after a tree fell across an intersection near Wynyard train station Sydney's CBD.

The entire road has been blocked off and traffic was forced to a near standstill.

The fig tree fell across the intersection of Margaret and York Streets, sending traffic into chaos and paramedics rushing to the scene.

A person has been injured after a tree fell across an intersection near Wynyard train station Sydney's CBD

A tree has fallen across an intersection on Wynyard and George street in Sydney's CBD

One person was injured after the tree fell, an NSW Ambulance spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

Bystanders have said they are 'amazed' that only one person appeared to have been hurt as the tree fell onto the busy street.

Another said: 'Considering the amount of work going under & around Wynyard Park Im amazed any of them are still standing.'

Cars were forced to divert their routes while pedestrians had to move out of the way.

Ambulance and police officers arrived shortly after 6pm and helped to clear traffic congestion and move pedestrians along.

Police have blocked off the area with tape and are currently investigating the circumstances.

Bystanders commended the 'quick work' of officers, who arrived on the scene within minutes of the incident.

A number of ambulance and police officers arrived shortly after 6pm and helped to clear traffic congestion and move pedestrians alongBemused Britons hoping for a little respite from the wintry onslaught were left baffled this morning - when the BBC played Friday's weather forecast.

Instead of the latest information which heralds the arrival of less severe snowstorms, many were greeted with yesterday's forecast predicting fierce downpours and travel chaos.

The apparent blunder was picked up online, with weather-watchers questioning whether the BBC had 'invented a time machine'.

Bemused viewers took to Twitter this morning (above and below) to question the apparent BBC blunder - which coincidentally falls on Groundhog Day

As they were warned of snow and ice chaos in locations including the south west of England - which saw a coating of up to 14 cm of snow force motorists to abandon their cars and seek shelter.

But others suggested the broadcaster had fooled us all with an elaborate prank due to it being February 2 - Groundhog Day. With the Met Office also getting in on the gag, by sharing the same weather forecast ten times.

Confused viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the intriguing broadcast, with one exclaiming 'err... it's Saturday?'

Another, Lucy Griffiths, said: 'I don't know if you were telling us about the wrong weather or were just playing Friday's weather on Saturday.

'But you were telling us about treacherous conditions on Friday and sunshine on Saturday.'

While Mike Williams tweeted: 'Thanks for letting us know what the weather forecast was yesterday on your news bulletin just before 6am.

'Then a summary about today saying it's going to be cold.'

James Patrick also noted the lateness of the broadcast, saying: 'Think your 6am Saturday weather report was 24 hours late. It talked about Friday's weather?'

And Richard Applegate joked that it made him feel like it was a week day, saying: 'I really don't need the Friday weather forecast first thing on a Saturday morning.

'Feel like I need to go to work now. Thanks BBC.'

The snow storm collapsed a tree in the middle of the road in Hampshire last night. Residents abandoned their cars and walked home in the freezing conditions instead

Junction 7 (pictured) near Basingstoke was shut yesterday after three lorries skidded out of control, blocking off the road in both directions

A road in the Yorkshire Dales was blocked yesterday after a council lorry overturned between Marske and Low Fremington

A 4x4 Range Rover, pictured today, slid off the road in the icy conditions on Black Down in Dorset near Hardy's Monument

Snow is seen covering the area around the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Avon Gorge in Bristol today

Some did pick up on it being Groundhog Day - when events are said to repeat themselves - with Valerie Staker saying: 'I know today is Groundhog Day, but I'm confused as to why this morning's forecast is for Friday's weather.'

And David Baker said: 'Has my bed turned into some kind of Groundhog Day time machine or was my yesterday all just a dream and it's really Friday now?'

The weather for today is expected to be largely improved upon yesterday's wintry chaos - which saw airports closed and hundreds of cars abandoned on blizzard-hit motorways.

Although colder temperatures are expected in parts, the weather will generally be sunny for most.

With only some showers in the far north, west and east. These being a wintry mix around the coasts but snow inland.A 35-year-old man has been arrested following an alleged hit and run in Melbourne's southeast that left two people in a serious condition.

The arrest relates to an incident on Clayton Road in Clayton South, where two people were struck by a car as they waited at a bus stop just after 11am on Saturday.

'It is believed two pedestrians standing at a bus-stop on Clayton Rd were hit by a car shortly after 11am,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman told The Herald Sun.

A 35-year-old man has been arrested following an alleged hit and run in Melbourne's south east that left two people in a serious condition

Victoria Police later released a photo of a man (pictured) who was observed running away from the scene immediately after the incident

Police said the man and a 17-year-old girl were taken to hospital with life threatening injuries after being struck by the car.

The 17-year-old Clayton girl remains in a serious condition.

The driver of the car fled the scene on foot following the incident, which resulted in a manhunt by detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit, police said.

Victoria Police later released a photo of a man who was observed running away from the scene immediately after the incident.

The arrest relates to an incident on Clayton Road in Clayton South, where two people were struck by a car as they waited at a bus stop (pictured) just after 11am on Saturday

The driver was described as a caucasian man with short blonde curly hair, thin build, 183cm tall, who was wearing a blue jacket and shorts.

A 35-year-old Braybrook man who attended the Monash Hospital later on Saturday afternoon was arrested and is currently under police guard.

Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage of the collision to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.An African teenager has been arrested for the alleged assault and robbery of two young boys.

The 16-year-old male from Brookfield, a suburb of Melbourne, is believed to be one of the gang of youths that allegedly set upon a 14-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy in an unprovoked attack at a Wyndham Vale bus stop on January 27.

The teenager was taken into custody by Transit Crime Investigation Unit earlier today, after detectives executed a search warrant at an address on Turpentine Road.

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A 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy (pictured) were allegedly assaulted and robbed by a gang of youths in an unprovoked attack on January 27

It's understood he will be charged with assault and robbery later on Saturday.

The arrest comes shortly after the police made a public appeal for information, in which they released images of two of the alleged suspects.

Police are continuing to appeal for public assistance in relation to a second male who may be able to assist with inquires in relation to the alleged incident .

The 16-year-old boy (pictured) was arrested earlier today by Transit Crime Investigation Unit Detectives

He is described as being of African appearance with a slim build and was wearing a Puma jumper at the time of the incident.

The alleged victims, Xavier, 14, and Ricky, 17, were waiting for a bus home at the station when a group of around 20 youths targeted them.

Xavier was allegedly robbed of a bank card, iPhone and a $1,000 gold necklace by the gang.

Police are continuing to appeal for public assistance in relation to a second male believed to be involved in the alleged incident (pictured)

While Xavier was allegedly assaulted, Ricky is thought to have tried to fight back.

Both boys are believed to have sustained minor injuries in the alleged incident.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.auThe man suspected of killing five people, including his parents, in Louisiana has been extradited back to the state where he grimaced as he faced murder charges.

Dakota Michael Theriot, 21, was extradited by plane on Friday from Virginia to Louisiana, where he was booked into the Ascension County Jail on murder charges.

Theriot reportedly declined to fight extradition back to Louisiana after he was arrested on Sunday in Warsaw, Virginia, where deputies were lying in wait for him at his grandmother's home. Though Theriot flew up his grandma's driveway with a gun pointing out of the window of his pickup truck, he surrendered without incident.

His court-appointed lawyer says that Theriot made the trip to Virginia to try to hug and kiss two aunts and grandmother goodbye before going to prison.

'He basically wanted to say 'I love you, I'm sorry,'' attorney Steve Barnette said. 'He knows he's probably never going to see the outside of a jail again.'

Dakota Michael Theriot, 21, gurns in court as he is booked on murder charges on Friday in Ascension Parish, Louisiana after his extradition from Virginia

Theriot, second from right, is escorted to the Ascension Parish Courthouse East in Gonzales

Theriot is escorted to the Ascension Parish Courthouse East on Fridday in Louisiana

Detective escort Theriot into the Acension Parish Courthouse to be booked on Friday

Theriot did not respond to questions as detectives walked him into the courthouse on Friday

Theriot may face the death penalty on murder charges in the deaths of his girlfriend, her father, her brother and his own parents. All five were shot in the head, preliminary autopsies determined.

'He knows he could face the death penalty,' Barnette added. 'I think he's resigned and understands his fate.'

Authorities in Louisiana have said Theriot confessed to investigators who had traveled to Virginia, although they said his motives remain unclear.

At his extradition hearing on Friday morning, Theriot showed little emotion and offered polite yes and no responses to the judge, who explained that he had the right to fight extradition.

Bound in handcuffs and chained in a blue jail jumpsuit, he awkwardly signed forms at a table. A deputy kept a hand on the chain throughout the hearing. He didn't appear to acknowledge his relatives in the courtroom, and they declined to comment.

Barnette said Theriot told him he had recently tried to join the U.S. Army, but had some sort of falling out during the recruitment process.

Keeping his head down, Theriot avoided questions from the press as he was escorted to court

The suspect remained quiet and expressionless as he was marched past the press

Once inside the courthouse, Theriot cracked a smile at the deputies escorting him

Theriot appeared jovial as he was escorted into an elevator. Police say he has acted with 'some decorum' while in custody since his arrest last weekend

Theriot is seen in court next to an unidentified woman as he is booked on Friday

Theriot reacts in court as he is booked on murder charges in the death of his parents

After a plane ride in the custody of Louisiana deputies, Theriot arrived in Ascension Parish on Friday night.

He was booked there on two counts of first degree murder, one count of home invasion and one count of illegal use of a weapon.

Theriot will be booked on three additional counts of first degree murder and motor vehicle theft once he is transferred to Livingston Parish, where the murders of the girlfriend and her parents occurred.

At the Ascension Parish Courthouse, Theriot was stone faced as deputies led him inside, the Advocate reported.

However, inside the courthouse, the suspected killer screwed his face into a grimace as he appeared to confer with legal counsel, photos show.

Officials at the courthouse said that that Theriot had shown 'some decorum' while in law enforcement custody.

They said that he had offered no new information on his motive in the killings, and offered no fresh details on the case against him

Theriot is accused of killing Summer Ernest, 20, a woman described as his girlfriend, as well as her father Billy Ernest, 43, and brother, Tanner, 17.

Before shooting his parents, Theriot allegedly shot dead Summer Ernest, 20, (above) and her father and brother

Authorities said Theriot had been living with Summer's family for a few weeks. Her brotehr Tanner, 17, and father Billy, 43, are pictured here

Authorities say Theriot shot his parents Keith and Elizabeth Theriot, both 50, (pictured) after killing his girlfriend and her father and brother

Investigators say that, after killing the three near Walker, Theriot drove to his parents' home near Gonzales and killed his parents, Keith and Elizabeth Theriot, both age 50.

Theriot had reportedly been living with the Ernest family for about two weeks before the killings, and dating Summer for just a few weeks as well.

Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said Theriot told investigators he used a gun he stole from his father to kill Summer.

'We don't really know what the motive is. We just know what he did,' Ard said at a news conference Tuesday.

Ard said Theriot had tagged along with Billy Ernest as he drove his wife to work early Saturday morning.

Shortly thereafter, Summer Ernest and her father and brother were each shot once in the head. Two children in the Ernest home - a 7-year-old and a 1-year-old - went to a neighbor's house and the neighbor called Livingston Parish law enforcement, he said.

Keith Theriot survived long enough to call 911 and tell arriving deputies that his son had shot him, authorities said.

The mobile home where Theriot allegedly killed his parents is pictured above. Authorities said Theriot's parents had recently kicked him out

Rosalina Chastant, 5, walks across a blood stained floor, next to her father Jacob Scott Chastant, who was also a housemate of Keith and Elizabeth Theriot

Kim Mincks walks down a blood stained hallway inside her home in Gonzalez. Keith and Elizabeth Theriot were her housemates

Photos show the bloodied bedroom where 21-year-old Dakota Theriot allegedly murdered his parents after killing his girlfriend, as well as her father and brother, in Louisiana on Saturday

The pictures show a blood-stained mattress and bullet holes in the bedroom where Elizabeth and Keith Therior, both 50, were killed at their home in Gonzales

Theriot's grandmother in Virginia had checked into a hotel Saturday night, fearing he might show up there, authorities said. She asked police to check her house to ensure it was safe.

Authorities said deputies were there Sunday when Theriot drove up in Billy Ernest's pickup truck, a gun pointed out the window.

Richmond County Sheriff Stephan Smith said shortly after the hearing that the gun was not pointed at the deputies, but they took cover behind their vehicles and told Theriot to stop the truck and drop the gun, which he did.

'It's a shame it happened,' Smith said. 'I'm just glad it turned out the way it did here.'

Smith said Theriot has several relatives who live in the area of Warsaw, a small town in a county of fewer than 10,000 people.

Barnette, Theriot's attorney for the extradition hearing, said he could not explain why Theriot was allegedly pointing a gun out of the truck's window when he arrived at his grandmother's house. Barnette said he was unaware of that allegation when he spoke to Theriot.

People who lived with Keith and Elizabeth Theriot said their son had struggled with drugs and had violent outbursts. His relationship with Summer Ernest also raised red flags with her family and friends.

In Louisiana, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre has said he would not oppose the death penalty if prosecutors ask for it.

'We know what happened here,' Webre said. 'He killed five people. So, this is a monster.'Investigators into the case of a woman who murdered her two husbands and attempted to kill her daughter and frame her for their murders, are shedding new light in an explosive ABC documentary.

Stacey Castor, 48, who was known as the 'Black Widow', died in 2016 while serving 51 years to life at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County.

She was convicted in 2009 of poisoning her second husband David Castor to death with antifreeze, and trying to kill her daughter Ashley Wallace as part of a plot to pin the murder on her.

Castor was also accused of murdering her first husband Michael Wallace who died in 2000, from an apparent heart attack.

Investigators looking into David's death, later exhumed the body and found Wallace too had died from antifreeze poisoning, although Castor was never officially charged with his murder.

A new ABC documentary about 'Black Widow' Stacey Castor, who was convicting of fatally poisoning her husband and attempting to murder her daughter, will be broadcast

Castor was convicted of fatally poisoning David Castor (left) in 2009 and is suspected of killing her first husband Michael Wallace (right)

Castor was also convicted of filing a fake will to inherit her second husband's estate and was suspected of fatally poisoning her first husband Michael Wallace in 2000.

Ten years after Staceys conviction, ABC News announced a two-hour documentary featuring exclusive interviews with the killer before she died and members of her family about how her horrific crimes changed their lives forever.

The special prime-time program titled '20/20' features an exclusive interview with Stacey Castor from prison by ABC Anchor David Muir, in addition to Staceys mother Judie Eaton and daughters Ashley and Bree Wallace.

The documentary will be broadcast on February 8 at 9pm ET on ABC.

It also features new interviews with investigators, Staceys defense team and family members of her second husband and victim, David Castor.

David Castor's death at 48 in August 2005 was initially considered a suicide, but investigators later determined he didn't knowingly drink ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical found in antifreeze.

The special prime-time program titled '20/20'will feature exclusive interviews with members of Castor's family. She is pictured here with daughters Bree (left) and Ashley (back)

When authorities were closing in on her, prosecutors said, Castor decided to kill her daughter Ashley Wallace (right with her sister Bree) and frame her for killing both husbands. She knocked Wallace out with sleeping pills, then used a teaspoon to feed her vodka and prescription pills over a 17-hour window, prosecutors said

Stacey Castor was charged in September 2007, just days after investigators in neighboring Cayuga County exhumed the body of Michael Wallace, her first husband and the father of her two children.

His cause of death had originally been ruled a heart attack, but after the exhumation, authorities ruled the 2000 death a homicide caused by ingesting ethylene glycol.

Stacey Castor wasn't charged in Wallace's killing, but prosecutors presented evidence during trial that she was involved as they built their case against her.

Prosecutors said she killed her husbands to collect on their life insurance policies and estates.

Prosecutors said Stacey Castor poisoned David Castor in September 2007 by using a kitchen baster to slip him the antifreeze, then staged the scene to make it appear he was depressed, had gotten drunk and killed himself by downing the toxic liquid.

When authorities were closing in on her, prosecutors said, Castor decided to kill her daughter Ashley Wallace and frame her for killing both husbands.

She knocked Wallace out with sleeping pills, then used a teaspoon to feed her vodka and prescription pills over a 17-hour window, prosecutors said.

Castor (left) was convicted in 2009 of killing her second husband David Castor (right) and trying to kill her daughter Ashley Wallace as part of a plot to pin the murder on her

Investigators originally said Castor's first husband, Michael Wallace (pictured) died of a heart attack until his body was exhumed and authorities ruled his death a homicide

Prosecutors said Stacey Castor poisoned David Castor in September 2007 by using a kitchen baster to slip him the antifreeze

Ten years after Staceys conviction, ABC News announced a two-hour documentary featuring exclusive interviews with the killer before she died and members of her family about how her horrific crimes changed their lives forever

Castor then wrote a 750-word suicide note on her computer that claimed to be from her daughter confessing to killing the men, prosecutors said.

In the suicide note, which Wallace denied writing, the word antifreeze is written as 'anti-free' in four places.

An investigator testified earlier that Castor said 'anti-free' during an interview. Castor acknowledged saying 'anti-free' but said she had cut herself off mid-word because she meant to say something else.

Investigators also determined that the note was written while Castor was at home and her daughter was at school, prosecutors said.

Castor maintained her innocence and appealed her case for years. Her final attempt at appeal was in 2015.

The judge who sentenced Castor said she was guilty of the most reprehensible crimes he'd ever seen.

In 2007 investigators exhumed Michaels body, and the medical examiner determined he died, not of a heart attack, but of antifreeze poisoning

The special prime-time program titled '20/20' will be broadcast on February 8 at 9pm ET on ABC

Thw show features new interviews with investigators, Staceys defense team and family members of her second husband and victim, David Castor

'In my 34 years in the criminal justice system as a lawyer and a judge, I have seen serial killers, contract killers, killers of every variety and stripe,' Onondaga County Judge Joseph Fahey said.

'But, I have to say, Mrs Castor, you are in a class all by yourself.'

The Black Widow killer documentary is part of twelve weeks of two-hour 20/20 programming featuring brand new interviews with key players in some of the biggest newsmaker stories in recent American history.

Each documentary takes a look at these cases through a modern lens, challenges original perceptions and sheds new light on each story.The man accused of throwing his blind girlfriend to her death from a high-rise apartment balcony six years ago acted as a detective in a true crime television series.

Breeana Robinson, 21, fell 11 storeys from boyfriend Dan Shearin's luxury apartment at Southport, on the Gold Coast, in January 2013.

The 45-year-old, who now goes by the name Jayden Moorea, was arrested on January 25 and charged with murder, fraud, and damaging evidence with intent.

Several years before the alleged murder, the former cruise ship entertainer played the role of a detective in true crime series Forensic Investigators

Breeana Robinson, 21, fell 11 storeys from boyfriend Dan Shearin's luxury apartment at Southport, on the Gold Coast, in January 2013 (pictured Ms Robinson and Shearin)

Several years before the alleged murder, the former cruise ship entertainer played the role of a detective in true crime series Forensic Investigators, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The episode covered the case of Queensland's 'black widow' killer Patricia Byers, where Moorea starred as a detective.

Titled 'My Partner, My Killer', Moorea played the role of a man who hunted down the person responsible for shooting John Asquith in the head while on a boat in Moreton Bay in 1993.

During the episode which aired in 2006, Moorea studies weapons and interviews the victim while he recovers in hospital.

The show aired for two years between 2004 and 2006 and explored infamous Australian true crime stories.

Moorea faces charges of damaging evidence with intent and attempted fraud and is expected to make a bid for bail in the Supreme Court on Monday.

The 45-year-old, who now goes by the name Jayden Moorea, was arrested on January 25 and charged with murder, fraud, and damaging evidence with intent

Ms Robinson, who was legally blind, was allegedly thrown from the balcony of the H20 Broadwater complex at 10.35pm on January 29, 2013, after returning from cheerleading practice.

Police were prepared to put Ms Robinson's death forward as a suicide, but her family were determined to clear her name and pushed police to look into it further.

The former Gold Coast Titans cheerleader's death was subject to a coronial inquest in 2017.

Ms Robinson, who was legally blind, was allegedly thrown from the balcony of the H20 Broadwater complex (pictured) at 10.35pm on January 29, 2013, after returning from cheerleading practice

The inquest was set to look at the 'specific circumstances surrounding Breeana's death, particularly how she came to fall to her death and whether any recommendations could be made to prevent deaths from occurring in similar circumstances'.

Police reopened the case in late 2017 at the coroners request.

The family remained proactive and continuously gave interviews with the media, leading more people to contact with further information.A rampaging bushfire is bearing down on homes in regional Victoria, with the state's firefighting authority telling residents it's too late to leave.

Homes in Almurta, Bass, Glen Forbes and Grantville, all east of Melbourne, are in the fire's path as of Saturday afternoon after firefighters worked through the night.

As many as 200 firefighters remain on the ground and in the skies battling the blaze, as a harrowing order to stay indoors is issued by the Country Fire Authority (CFA).

A rampaging bushfire in regional Victoria is burning out of control

Residents close to the flames are being told that it is too late to flee and to seek shelter

'You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive,' a warning issued at about 3pm reads.

'The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.

'You must take shelter before the fire arrives. The extreme heat is likely to kill you well before the flames reach you.'

The fire is heading south-east towards Glen Forbes, where the temperature has reached 40C today.

Firefighters' overnight efforts led them to believe the fire was containable, with some areas downgraded to a 'wait and see'.

But a turn in the wind caused the fire to break the containment line at about 2pm, subsequently threatening homes.

A harrowing warning from the CFA warned the public to 'act immediately to survive'

People are told to seek shelter immediately, because the heat radiating from the fire is deadly

Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp recognised the importance of controlling the blaze, with it burning close to Thomson dam - the state's primary water supply.

'We're very conscious of the risk in relation to this particular fire,' Mr Crisp told The Herald Sun.

However, he said the water supply and its quality was not under threat.

'The fire's got to be put out, then it's all about assessing what the impact is.'

The fire is one of approximately 2,000 that Victorian firefighters have combated this summer.

No homes have been lost in the fire, though authorities are closely monitoring grassy areas near residential blocks of land.

Residents in the danger area are encouraged to follow the CFA's bushfire website.A 69-year-old FedEx worker and a 90-year-old woman are among the 21 people found frozen to death across the midwest and northeast as the polar vortex has wreaked havoc across the United States in recent days.

Police said a colleague found the body of William L. Murphy, 69, between two semitrailers at FedEx's East Moline, Illinois, facility Thursday morning, when Moline hit a record low of minus 33F (-36 Celsius).

Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said Murphy's death 'appears to be medical or natural' and that an autopsy scheduled for Monday will determine if the frigid temperature played a role.

FedEx worker William L. Murphy, 69, was found between two semitrailers at the companys East Moline, Illinois, facility Thursday morning, when Moline hit a record low of minus 33F

Pedestrians walk as snow falls in Washington DC Friday after brutally cold temperatures gripped the US Midwest

A US Secret Service officer guards the White House as snow falls Friday

The bitterly cold weather has held much of the region in a historic deep freeze

The company said: 'We are saddened by the loss of our team member and our sympathies go out to his family and friends.'

In Southwestern Michigan, Ada Salna, 90, died in the extreme cold after locking herself out of her home while she was feeding her birds and cats.

WOOD-TV said Salna was found covered with snow on the steps of her home Wednesday at about 1.30pm near Three Rivers in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Salna's property was said to have been fairly isolated and had not been plowed since the snow started falling earlier in the week.

Pathologist Joyce deJong said Salna died of hypothermia. Blood loss from a cut she sustained while trying to get back into her home also contributed to her death.

In Minnesota's Carver County, authorities responding to a report of a car accident on Monday evening found Amy Debower, 46, of Chaska, Minnesota, dead outside her vehicle.

The deadly polar vortex wreaking havoc across the US has left at least 21 people dead, including college student, Gerald Belz

Carver County Sheriff Jason Kamerud said a preliminary investigation suggested the extreme weather may have been a factor in Debower's death. The investigation is ongoing.

Also among those who died during the polar vortex was 18-year-old University of Illinois student Gerald Belz, of Cedar Rapids, Illinois.

Campus police found Belz behind an academic hall on campus just before 3am Wednesday by campus police. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The university said in a statement to The Chicago Tribune that police think Belz's death was linked to the weather and do not suspect foul play.

Belz's father, Michael Belz, told KWWL that doctors said that there was no alcohol in his son's system at the time he likely froze to death.

Belz's family said he was studying pre-med and that he had just graduated last May from Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office responded to a home in Cudahy on Thursday after a man was found frozen solid and dead in his backyard. It was the same day temperatures plunged to record lows in several Midwestern cities.

Councilman Gary Sammons, 70, was found dead in Detroit in front of a neighbor's home on Tuesday, while Amy Debower, 46, of Minnesota, was found dead outside her vehicle following a likely car accident on Monday

No details about the man or what preceded his death were immediately released. An autopsy is scheduled.

Authorities in New York said the death of a homeless man whose frozen body was found in a suburban Buffalo bus shelter might be related to the arctic cold that has blanketed much of the northern U.S. this week.

An autopsy was planned to determine whether the man found in the village of Williamsville, New York, froze to death or died of another cause. His name wasn't immediately released.

In Detroit, Gary Sammons, 70, was found dead in front of a neighbor's home on Tuesday.

In Milwaukee, a 38-year-old woman was found frozen in her unheated apartment on Wednesday and a 55-year-old man was found frozen to death in his garage after he collapsed shoveling snow.

An 82-year-old central Illinois man died after authorities say he was found by a neighbor several hours after he fell trying to get into his home.

In northern Indiana, a young couple were killed when their SUV struck another on a snowy road. And also in Indiana, one person died early Friday morning in a crash involving a salt truck on the Interstate 70. Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine told The Indianapolis Star that the crash happened about 6:15am Friday near Monrovia in Hendricks County.

Perrine said the Indiana Department of Transportation salt truck pulled over due to a mechanical issue and its hazard lights were on. He said another vehicle struck the truck's rear and the person in that vehicle died.

The crash happened as a storm moved across Indiana, bringing up to three inches of snow. It follows a deep freeze that saw temperatures as low as minus 25F (-31 C) in LaPorte, Iowa, on Thursday morning. The National Weather Service said the wind chill in Iowa around 3am was -51F.

Water main breaks and burst pipes have disrupted operations at several facilities in Michigan amid bitterly cold weather, including a Detroit court and a university library.

The frigid conditions are starting to ease, and a dramatic swing of as much as 80 degrees is expected within days in parts of the region.

At least 21 people have died during the freezing temperatures that have gripped the Midwest and Northeast

A woman is hit by a snow ball while posing for a picture in front of the White House as snow falls in Washington Friday

An icebreaking tugboat of the U.S. Coast Guard cuts through ice as it makes its way north on the Hudson River between the cities of Kingston and Albany on Friday

There could be a swing of as much as 80 degrees within days in parts of the region

Experts say the rapid thawing is unprecedented and could create problems of its own such as bursting pipes, flooding rivers and crumbling roads

Past cold waves have not dissipated this quickly according to forecasters

Temperatures that have been below zero for up to three consecutive days from central Minnesota to northern Illinois are now expected to trend upward to the 30s and 40s over the weekend, according to AccuWeather.

Meanwhile, Chicago, Detroit, New York City and Boston, which were also battered by freezing temperatures, could see highs in the 50s.

Rockford, Illinois, saw a record-breaking minus 31F (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday but should be around 50F (10 Celsius) on Monday. Other previously frozen areas can expect temperatures of 55F (13 Celsius) or higher.

The rapid thaw brings with it a host of its own problems, however, as a flood warning remains in effect along the Muskegon River in western Michigan due to an ice jam, which could result in bridge closures and other types of travel delays. Potholes could also form as the temperature rises.

Jeff Masters is meteorology director of the Weather Underground firm. He says past cold waves have not dissipated this quickly.

More cold weather is expected to hit the northern Rockies and northern Plains, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said, although it won't be as frigid as what the midwest and northeast experienced over the past week.

A baby girl has been rushed to hospital after her face was 'ripped open' in a horrific dog attack on Saturday morning.

The infant suffered bites to her neck, cheek and shoulder after being attacked by the greyhound at a home in Cranbourne West, Melbourne, just after 9am.

Paramedics rushed the girl to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where she is in a stable condition.

A baby girl has been rushed to hospital after her face was 'ripped open' in a horrific dog attack on Saturday morning

The dog is also believed to have attacked a woman as she attempted to pull it off the baby girl.

A man who arrived at the property after the attack told Nine News a greyhound was responsible.

Officers from City of Casey council have seized the dog while police investigate the incident.

More to comeA harrowing police report has shed new light on the discovery of a mother and her two teenage daughters who died in a luxury Texas mansion.

Deputies uncovered a horrifying bloody scene when they were called to property in the outskirts of San Antonio, where Nichol Leila Olsen, 37, and her two young daughters, were found dead from gunshot wounds and cold to the touch.

Officers found a 'large pool of blood' near the bodies, alongside 'a large amount of smeared blood on the floor and some on the walls' according to the police report. It also noted 'small pool of blood' in a bathroom doorway.

They also noted that Olsen's boyfriend Charles Wheeler, the owner of the luxury home in the 11300 block of Anaqua Spring, was outside crying on the ground in the front yard when they responded to the call at 9am on January 10.

However the report from Bexar County Sheriff's Office notes deputies did not notice 'any tears on his face.'

Nichol Leila Olsen is shown with her daughters, London Sophia Bribiescas, 10, and Alexa Denice Montez, 16. The three were found shot to death in a luxury home in a gated neighborhood near Leon Springs on January 10

Nichol Olsen is seen above with her boyfriend. He told police that he found the 37-year-old mother dead on Thursday morning alongside two teen girls in his San Antonio home

Inside, officers found Nichol Olsen, and her two young daughters, Alexa Montez, 16, and London Bribiescas, 10.

Olsen, a local hairstylist, died from a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was ruled a suicide by the Bexar County Medical Examiners office, San Antonio Express-News reported earlier this week.

But Olsens friends and family have flatly rejected that ruling, insisting she would never harm herself or her children, according to San Antonio Express-News.

The childrens deaths were ruled as murders. Montez died from a gunshot wound to the head, while Bribiescas died from a gunshot wound to her head and neck, the medical examiners office said Thursday.

All three were found shot to death on the second floor of the home and according to the report, and all three were 'cold and rigid to the touch.'

The report stated that Wheeler told the responding officer he had an argument with Olsen the previous night at around 10pm.

Olsen (above) was a licensed cosmetologist and appears to have worked as a hair stylist. She was twice divorced and lived in the boyfriend's home, where he said he found her body

Olsen and two teenage girls from her family have all been found dead at this million-dollar mansion in a luxury gated Texas community

He then left the house in his white 2013 Ford pickup and stayed the night at a friend's house. Wheeler said he tried to call the three women all night 'and none of them answered him.'

He then returned to the house the next morning and parked his pickup in the garage. Wheeler went into the house and found them all dead upstairs with gunshot wounds.

The names of Olsen's daughters are redacted in the report, so it remains unclear exactly where each body was found.

According to the report, deputies then took Wheeler in for an interview.

The original incident report does not categorize it as a murder-suicide, but it does state 'suicide' under an 'incident type' heading.

Sheriff Javier Salazar later told the San Antonio Express-News that Wheeler was a 'person of interest' in the case, but emphasized he is not a suspect at this time.

Investigators are still working to verify Wheelers whereabouts during the time period in question.

'Were not necessarily doubting him or calling him a liar at this point,' Salazar told the San Antonio Express-News.

'What we are doing is trying to verify or refute that independently Cell phone tower records are probably going to be one of the big determining factors of that. Chances are wherever he was, he continued to use his cell phone.

Olsen is seen above with her boyfriend, whose truck was towed from the scene by police on Thursday night. Police haven't yet said if they consider him a suspect or witness

The home was purchased (above) last year for just over $1 million, public records show

Wheeler is represented by three defense attorneys: Therese Huntzinger, Patrick Hancock and Mark Stevens.

They have maintained their client's innocence and condemned any accusations against him.

'What we would ask is that people not jump to conclusions, that they not demonize this young man who does not deserve it, that they let the professionals do their jobs and complete this investigation.

'And respect the privacy of presumptively innocent people and of Charlie Wheeler, who did not commit a crime here.'

Wheeler had been romantically involved with Olsen for around two years. She had been living with him in his home for the past year, friends said at a candlelight vigil Wednesday night.

A handgun was found in close proximity to Olsens body, he said. No suicide note was found.

Olsens hands also were tested for any traces of gunshot residue, Salazar said. Investigators havent yet received those test results.

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this month that the sheriff is waiting for cell phone data to verify Mr. Wheeler's alibi and that other key pieces of evidence - such as neighborhood surveillance footage that would document the hours before the bodies were found - has been difficult to come by.

Salazar and his detectives are also operating under the theory that all three women may have been killed by someone who is on 'no one's radar' and who is slipping further out of reach with every passing minute without new information.

Speaking to DailyMail.com last weekend, he said: 'This case is far from over... I wish it was like TV and you could solve it in an hour. It just doesn't work like that.

'I wish they could have wrapped this case up for the closure of the family.'

Olsen had at least three children, including a college-age son. Salazar was unable to say who owned the handgun found near Olsens body.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said all three women suffered gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and were pronounced dead at the scene in Texas

All three were pronounced dead at the scene in the Anaqua Springs Ranch, a gated community

The home in Texas boasts four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms according to a listing online and was on sale for $1million

Family have named one of the women who died in the home as Nichol Olsen but this has not been confirmed by authorities

The crux of the mystery lies in the medical examiner's now widely-contested ruling that Nichol committed suicide.

The medical examiner's office has not released any records to support its finding.

Sheriff Salazar has not seen a piece of paper yet that states more than cause or manner of death and the lack of narrative which could explain such a theory is proving frustrating.

'The medical examiner believes its a suicide based on what they saw. They have a more limited evidence bank to pick from.

'I have forensics and the crime scene and witness interviews and phone records and everything.

'In some cases, when the ME rules suicide, there are other corroborating things. But in this instance, I don't have that.

'Theres a common misconception - people say Who was it registered to? In Texas, we dont register guns,' he said.

He asked anyone with information about the case or the people involved to contact the sheriffs office by calling 210-335-6070 .

'Were not going to stop digging until weve exhausted all leads in this case ... We want to get to the truth,' Salazar said.

Wheelers attorney said the medical examiners determination that Olsen died by her own hand is significant.

'It being a suicide is frankly absolutely inconsistent with criminal culpability of another person,' Stevens said.

Olsen worked as a hairstylist at Salons by JC on the North Side. Montez was a sophomore at Clark High School, while Bribiescas was a fifth grader at Leon Springs Elementary School.

Olsen has been twice divorced, in 1998 and 2006, court records show.

In March of 2014, she was charged with a domestic assault. The case was dropped when the witness failed to appear in court, however.

Friends of Olsen who dont believe she committed suicide have established a GoFundMe page called 'Searching for the Truth' to help fund further investigation.

Their fundraising goal is $50,000. Contributors had already donated more than $6,500 one hour after the page was established Thursday.Minister for Schools Nick Gibb says mobile phones should be banned from classrooms, with pupils to be lectured about the dangers of device dependency

Mobile phones should be banned from classrooms, with pupils to be lectured about the dangers of device dependency, the schools minister has said.

Nick Gibb said he had concerns about the impact that excessive phone use was having on children, and said the Government would introduce lessons for pupils on how to limit their screen time.

The Daily Mail also reported that parents will be told to limit children's screen time to protect their health.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Gibb said: 'Schools obviously are free to set their own behaviour policies but my own view is that schools should ban mobile telephones and smartphones inside school, and particularly inside classrooms.

'I believe very strongly that children should be limiting their own use at home.

'Every hour spent online and on a smartphone is an hour less talking to family, and it's an hour less exercise and it's an hour less sleep.

'And of course it is a lack of sleep that research is showing can have a damaging effect on a child's mental health.'

The Daily Mail reported that children will be told to break off at least every two hours and avoid social media before bedtime, according to the guidance from chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies.

The UK would be following in the footsteps of European counterparts if schools were to introduce a ban, with French pupils being told to leave their smartphones at home when they returned from their summer holidays last year.

Mr Gibb is the latest figure in education to support such a move, with former Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw saying devices were disrupting lessons.

Mr Gibb said he had concerns about the impact that excessive phone use was having on children, and that the Government would introduce lessons on how to limit screen time

Teachers have also complained about pupils being distracted or using the phones to take upskirt images of staff in the classroom.

Speaking at the Festival of Education at Wellington College last summer, Sir Michael said that 'any sensible head would ban mobile phones'.

'It's interesting that President Macron is now bringing in legislation in France to ban mobile phones in state schools in France. We should do the same here.

'It's far too distracting for children having mobile phones. Texting, sexting, all this takes place. Mobile phones go off in classrooms, disrupting lessons. Ban them.

'If children want to use a phone in an emergency they can use the school phone.'

A subsequent study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University in the United States concluded that students scored the equivalent of half a grade less in end-of-term tests if they were allowed to use their devices for non-academic reasons in their classes.A friend of the convicted pedophile who confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey in prison letters is now revealing he had ever more sordid plans involving the young girl.

Michael Vail sat down for an interview on The Dr Oz Show that is set to air on Tuesday, and DailyMail.com has obtained an exclusive first look at what he is revealing about Gary Olivia.

Olivia, 54, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in a Colorado prison for child pornography, admitted in letters obtained by DailyMailTV that he killed the paegeant princess by accident.

Now, Vail reveals that Olivia also expressed a desire to eat JonBenet.

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Murder: A childhood friend of Gary Olivia (left), the man who confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey (right) in prison letters, will appear on The Dr Oz Show next Tuesday

Killer friend: A childhood friend of the man who confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey in prison letters will appear on The Dr Oz Show next Tuesday (friend Michael Vail above)

In the first clip from this bombshell interview, Dr Oz asks Vail and guest, commentator Nancy Grace: 'Are you concerned at all that because of a deeper mental illness or had she had another mental illness, Gary's obsessed with JonBenet could be confab leading all this making it up?'

Vail thinks this over briefly before responding: 'It's possible. It is possible. However...

He is cut off at that point by Grace, who quickly cuts to the chase.

'Did he say he wanted to eat, JonBenet?' asks Grace.

'Yeah,' responds Vail.

That manages to stun Dr Oz, who looks at his guest and says: 'I'm sorry, say that again.'

Grace again jumps in to say: 'That's right. Dr. Oz, you tell him.'

Vail, who seems to be in disbelief himself, explains: 'Yeah. I know it's some pretty heavy duty stuff, he's just talking about cannibalism.'

Grace then summarizes the segment with her trademark candor and brevity.

'He said he wanted to eat JonBenet,' says Grace.

That is not the only alarming story to emerge however, with Vail telling one more secret about Olivia.

'Gary would break into the University of Boulder Colorado. There was a skeleton in there and he wanted to taste what human bones would taste like,' says Vail.

'So he tried biting the skeleton and he told me how disappointed it was that was covered with shellac, and he couldn't taste the bone.'

Catch more when The Dr Oz Show airs this Tuesday. Check local listings for time.

People eating: When asked by Nancy Grace (above) if Olivia ever expressed a desire seat his alleged victim, Vail replies: 'Yeah'

The mind of a pedophile: The Dr Oz Show interview with Vail will air Tuesday, check local listings for station and time

Oliva, who was once jailed for trying to strangle his mother, wrote multiple letters detain hat he claims happen on the night of JonBenet's death.

'I never loved anyone like I did JonBenet and yet I let her slip and her head bashed in half and I watched her die. It was an accident. Please believe me. She was not like the other kids' read one letter.

In another, Olivia wrote: 'JonBenet completely changed me and removed all evil from me. Just one look at her beautiful face, her glowing beautiful skin, and her divine God-body, I realized I was wrong to kill other kids. Yet by accident she died and it was my fault.'

The letters were sent to music Vail, who peviously tol DailyMail.com that he had long suspected Oliva's involvement in the murder.

Those written confessions obtained by DailyMailTV are the proof needed to finally get Oliva charged with the crime said Vail.

The incriminating letters from Oliva have now been presented to Boulder police.

Police spokesperson Laurie Ogden told DailyMailTV, 'The Boulder Police Department is aware of and has investigated Mr. Olivas potential involvement in this case.

'We have passed the additional information you provided onto investigators. We will not comment on any actions or the status of this investigation.'Drivers who stick with the same insurer can pay more than 130 a year over the odds, a watchdog warned yesterday.

It released figures to show how firms exploit customer loyalty by raising their premiums annually.

A motorist who does not swap providers for eight years will find themselves paying 131 more than if they had shopped around, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Staying loyal with the same car insurer can end up costing motorists higher premiums even if they manage to avoid having an accident

The revelations have angered campaigners and MPs.

James Daley, of the consumer group Fairer Finance, said: The more loyal a customer is, the more they get ripped off and the higher price they pay. This isnt easy to solve.

Price-comparison websites create fierce competition for new customers, and firms are looking to recover the money they lose on cheap introductory offers by getting it from customers who stay with them.

Labours Wes Streeting, a member of the Commons Treasury committee, said: Good companies should recognise and reward loyalty from their customers. These shocking figures are a reminder of why shopping around is really important to get the best value for money.

The insurance market is notorious for hooking in customers with a low offer for the first year, then stealthily raising premiums every 12 months so they end up paying far more.

Two years ago, the FCA began forcing insurers to spell out how much customers costs were going up each year on their renewal letters.

In its latest figures, it said that a driver who shops around every year will save an average of 64, with the amount rising each year if customers dont leave.

Pressure is growing on insurers to take action.

Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority found that loyal customers were paying 4billion over the odds for some financial services.

Around 1million are overpaying on their mortgage and 12million on insurance, it said.

Car insurers have also come under fire for charging customers more if they want to split their annual bill into monthly instalments. Big insurers typically charge interest on this as if it is a loan. Experts have estimated that the big insurers make as much as 500million annually from the practice.

A motorist who does not swap providers for eight years will find themselves paying 131 more than if they had shopped around, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said

A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said: Three quarters of customers benefit from shopping around, but we accept there needs to be a better balance between the deals offered to new consumers and the interests of long- standing customers.

Insurance is the only sector to have already taken voluntary, industry-wide action to tackle these concerns, and we are working constructively with the regulators.

Failing to shop around for a mortgage can leave homeowners paying an extra 550 a year, the FCA also warned.

It said they struggle to find the best value among more than 7,000 mortgages on the market.

The FCA estimates that 30 per cent of customers could have found a cheaper deal just as good as the one they agreed to.

A spokesman for the banking trade group UK Finance said: Customer circumstances are ever more complex, and the mortgage market has responded to that but not everyone will be eligible for every mortgage. Comment  Page 16The US Department of State told the Russian media today that the United States is not denying an opportunity to renew the INF Treaty if it is necessary to do so.

The United States reserves the right to change its decision on the withdrawal from the treaty before the end of the six-month period, and we will be ready to consider such a course of action if Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance with the INF Treaty, TASS cites the message of the State Department.After months of rancour and retributions, there is a new confidence and sense of unity among the Tories. However, this has been achieved at a heavy price.

Theresa Mays personal reputation has suffered badly after she was forced to tear up the Brexit deal she had agreed with other EU leaders.

The toxic political mood across the country over Brexit and the chaotic scenes at Westminster have done great harm to Britains reputation.

No wonder other EU countries feel bolstered in their reluctance to grant Britain any concession.

Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday

Indeed, Brussels is much more likely now to ignore Mrs Mays begging bowl as she pleads for a substantive concession on the seeming intractable issue of the Northern Ireland backstop.

Perhaps things will change over the next few days  but the chances look slim.

So it seems possible that Mrs May will be forced to return to the Commons in two weeks time and admit that she has failed once again to obtain any favours from Juncker, Barnier, Merkel, Macron et al.

Not only would this mean that our prime minister would be back where she began, but the divisions within the Tory Party would surface again.

For the fact is that although the hardline Brexiteers in the European Research Group finally fell behind their party leader and helped Mrs May triumph on Tuesday, they are still adamant that they will fight to the last to try to win the kind of tungsten-tipped Brexit they want.

So, what will happen then?

Inevitably, numerous theories abound  some wise but others wild.

There has been talk of Downing Street wooing Labour MPs who represent areas that voted Leave.

Narcissist John Embattled Commons Speaker John Bercow deserves credit for the fair-minded way in which he handled the many amendments and fraught atmosphere during Tuesdays Brexit debate. But he was wrong to have invited BBC cameras to film behind-the-scenes footage. His job is to be the highest authority of the Commons and to remain politically impartial at all times  not to use this constitutional crisis to massage his own public image. Advertisement

Mrs May has met some of their number and there have been reports that taxpayers money will be made available to help reinvigorate their communities.

Such horse-trading, though, is shoddy politics.

It smacks of the 1 billion cash for votes deal that the Government did with the Democratic Unionist Party to prop it up in the Commons. Another option being discussed is that the prickly Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar could be picked off and persuaded to waive his objections to the backstop.

Of course, all these alternative solutions face huge hurdles.

My view is that too many politicians are simply playing fantasy politics. As the clock ticks down to March 29, only hardline Brexiteers are relaxed  relishing the prospect of a No Deal Brexit, which is the default position if no compromise is found.

I fear that these Brexiteers are blind to the possible economic collapse and social unrest that could occur if Britain jumps off the cliff edge of Brexit without a deal. Thankfully, the majority of MPs strongly oppose a No Deal Brexit.

This is why I believe that the proposal put forward by Tory MP Nick Boles and Labours Yvette Cooper to push back Brexit by several months may be resurrected  despite its defeat in the Commons on Tuesday. If that happens, Mrs Mays hopes of survival would be reduced. A key reason why she has remained PM despite failing to deliver Brexit is that Tory MPs cant see any better alternative prime minister.

Theresa Mays personal reputation has suffered badly after she was forced to tear up the Brexit deal she had agreed with other EU leaders

But patience is wearing very thin  and could easily crack in a fortnight if Mrs May still hasnt conjured up a winning Brexit deal.

Regardless of her personal fate, Westminsters wisest heads  Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt among them  are increasingly convinced that Brexit will have to be delayed.

It goes without saying that Brexiteers are aghast at the prospect because they are concerned that if Britain doesnt leave the EU on March 29, it wont leave at all. But their bravado is utterly irresponsible.

Lets hope that the gravity and magnitude of this political crisis will be understood by Westminster hot-heads and that all 650 MPs see sense over the next ten days.

In my heart, though, I fear that they wont.

I have never felt more depressed about the future of Britain than I do this weekend.

How absurd to call this a 'show trial'

Its welcome news that Craig Mackinlay MP has been cleared of breaking electoral spending laws when he fought off the challenge of Ukips Nigel Farage in South Thanet, Kent, in the 2015 General Election.

However, the Torys claim that this had been a political show trial costing taxpayers millions of pounds is outrageous.

Conservative party activist Marion Little leaves Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of two charges

It was quite right that the way the Conservative Party behaved at the time had to be properly scrutinised. The facts are clear. In South Thanet, the Tories spent twice the legal limit on campaigning, with an alleged 60,000 going undeclared.

Mr Mackinlay signed off on fraudulent documents presented to him by party activist Marion Little.

In his trial at Southwark Crown Court, Mackinlay, a qualified accountant, successfully argued that he had no idea that the law had been broken.

Fair enough, but it must not be forgotten that Little, who ran the campaign, was found guilty of two counts of encouraging or assisting an offence for falsifying the expenses.

And that Mr Justice Edis said the Conservative Party headquarters had a culture of convenient self-deception.

Far from being a show trial, the court case was a refreshing reminder that our democratic system is always subject to scrupulous policing.

As we hopefully reach the Brexit endgame, it is worth reminding ourselves of Margaret Thatchers battles with politicians on the European continent.

Britains former ambassador to the U.S., Lord Renwick, recalls in his memoir how she saw Italys Foreign Minister (and later prime minister) Giulio Andreotti as slippery and unreliable.

In one exchange about a scientific subject, she reminded him that she was a trained chemist. In reply, a crotchety Andreotti muttered: Id never buy a prescription from her as Id be afraid she might poison me.

If only Theresa May could intimidate her EU counterparts in the same way.Marshals are searching for Jacob Blair Scott, 42, in Denver where he has family. He has been charged with raping a young girl and may have faked his own death

The authorities are hunting for an alleged child rapist after they found evidence his apparent suicide aboard a boat was faked and that he is still alive.

Deputy U.S. Marshals say they have evidence that suggests that Jacob Blair Scott, 42, is still alive and attempting to keep a low profile in Colorado, close to where his mother, brother and sister live.

Jackson County Prosecutors in Pascagoula, Mississippi charged Scott with 14 sex charges alleging he raped a young girl.

Scott disappeared on July 30 2018, from Orange Beach, Alabama just days before he was set to plead guilty in the case.

Law enforcement found a dinghy floating in the ocean, a gun tied to the boat and what has been described as a suicide note listing contact information for Scott's family.

According to The Denver Channel Deputy U.S. Marshal Katrina Crouse said investigators found the situation strange right from the starts after only a very small amount of blood was found on the dinghy.

Investigators said they found a small, inflatable boat floating in the Gulf of Mexico off Orange Beach, Alabama. Investigators said the lack of physical evidence in the boat made them suspicious from the beginning

In the boat was a gun, conspicuously tied to the boat and a note described as a suicide note

A suicide note was also found in the dinghy listing contact information for Scotts family

'Normally in situations where somebody is shot, committed suicide, you're going to have other forensic-type evidence. For example, brain matter, hair, skin, bone,' she said. 'None of that was found.'

Investigators also found it incredibly strange that the gun was left tied to the boat.

'It was almost like they wanted to make sure that the gun was discovered,' she said.

No body was ever found which is also unusual even when they are lost at sea just off shore.

Scott disappeared days before he was set to plead guilty in the case

'Normally bodies will float to the surface,' Crouse said.

Scott vanished days before he was set to plead guilty in court, she said.

After Scott's disappearance, a judge in Jackson County, Miss. issued an arrest warrant for Scott. He had been out on bond while his case moved through the legal system.

Scott's mother, who lives in the Denver area has denied that her son is alive and blames the 14-year-old girl, saying the girl seduced her son.

Adding to the conspiracy, as investigators looked deeper into Scott's disappearance, they discovered he withdrew around $45,000 from his retirement account before disappearing.

'If you take money out of an account, we know where that money goes. You either give it to relatives or you distribute it to friends,' Deputy U.S. Marshal Crouse said. 'No money has been located.'

Investigators have so far been unable to track Scott down after person who claimed to be a friend of his called the lead investigator in Jackson County, Mississippi to say Scott had been spotted driving a vehicle in the county in August 2018.

Another tip them came through to Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers four months later in December 2018.

'The tipster stated that someone matching the description of Jacob Blair Scott was seen frequenting the Golden Spike Apartments,' Crouse said. 'The tipster stated the suspect was seen going up to the 8th floor and on the first floor,' she said.

Marshals visited apartment management who claimed not to recognize Scott's photo but then a worker at the complex said that he had been smoking nearby.

The was also spotted earlier this week by a resident at the complex who called a local TV station.

'He was in front of garbage cans smoking,' Mano Quintana said. 'Pretty darn sure. I'm really 100-percent positive it was him.'

Metro Denver Crime Stoppers offers up to $2,000 reward for information in criminal cases. Call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867.)The Aboriginal community have shared their perspective on the 'racist' row between controversial television host Kerri-Anne Kennerley and radio personality Yumi Stynes.

Kennerley dismissed 'Invasion Day' protesters during a Studio 10 panel on Monday, insinuating none of them had ever been to the Outback and were championing the plight of Indigenous Australians under false pretenses.

She was later invited to spend an evening in the Aboriginal community town of Alice Springs by local councillor Jacinta Price.

Now, Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group and Four Corners Men's Council have followed suit in Ms Price's invitation and implored Kennerley to 'learn about the work they do to make our communities safer places'.

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Kerri-Anne Kennerley's on-air stoush with Yumi Stynes made its way to the Northern Territory

A women's family safety group (pictured) advocated for the television personality to visit their centre and witness the work they're doing for promoting Indigenous safety first-hand

In a letter addressed to Kennerley on Wednesday night, the community groups wrote: 'We are the leaders in our communities, we are the experts in the issues that face our communities and families and we have the solutions.

'We would welcome you to stand with us women and men, hear about our solutions and our experience and recognise the important work that is being done on a community level to deal with issues of domestic and family violence.'

Kennerley said in the ugly spat that babies were being raped in the Outback and that the re-naming of Australia Day was just an unnecessary distraction.

'Okay, the 5,000 people who went through the streets making their points known, saying how inappropriate the day is,' she began.

The group's message comes after Kennerley dismissed 'Invasion Day' protesters by insinuating they were protesting for Aboriginal rights under false pretenses (stock image of Alice Springs)

Kennerley was immediately branded as acting 'racist' by Yumi Stynes (pictured)

'Has any single one of those people been out to the Outback, where children, babies, five-year-olds, are being raped?

'Their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped. They get no education. What have you done?'

Stynes sat in silence for a brief moment before hitting back: 'That is not even faintly true, Kerri-Anne. You're sounding quite racist right now.'

The pair exchanged heated counterpoints for minutes before the tension simmered down, but talk of their argument continued throughout the week.

The joust even made its way to the Northern Territory, where locals in Minyerri, a remote community 480km southeast of Darwin, shared their thoughts.

'I've got nothing against people from urban areas, but what happened in the past happened. We had massacres, we had a lot of bad things,' school teacher Michelle Bennett told The Daily Telegraph.

Aboriginal Australians said their primary concern is with the safety of their community as opposed to changing the date of Australia Day. Pictured are protesters marching in Melbourne

A community group addressed this letter to Kennerley two days after her on-air rant

'I can see where Kerri-Anne Kennerley is coming from. Kerri's saying it's important to focus on kids being neglected and abused. Of course it's the most important issue.'

The Tangentyere Women's Family Group agreed, saying their message is to encourage others to stand in solidarity with them, but not speak for them.

'We recognise and know the impacts of intergenerational trauma, invasion and racism on Aboriginal communities but we certainly do not see ourselves as victims.

'We are strong, we are survivors and we are leaders.'Donald Trump blamed the Kremlin for unlawful conduct yesterday as he pulled the US out of the Cold War pact with Russia that stabilised the nuclear arms race.

The President said the US will devise a new military response with Nato following the demise of the Reagan eras Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.

Mr Trump said that for too long, Russia had violated the treaty with impunity, covertly deploying a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad. The treaty has governed arms control since 1987, and some analysts fear its demise could fuel a new arms race in Europe.

President Donald Trump, pictured yesterday leaving Washington with his wife and youngest son, announced that the US is pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty

Trump blamed Russia, accusing the Kremlin of 'unlawful conduct' in their dealing with their obligations under the treaty which was signed in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan

It was the first treaty to ban an entire class of weapons  ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of 310 to 3,400 miles.

Mr Trump said that the US will suspend its obligations under the treaty today, freeing it from constraints that include the testing and deployment of missiles banned by the pact. It will also begin withdrawing from the treaty.

The President insisted the US had fully adhered to the treaty for more than 30 years but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions.

Nato said that if Moscow failed to destroy new missile systems claimed by Washington to violate the treaty, Russia will bear sole responsibility for the end of the treaty.

The US has long feared that Russia is ignoring the pact, and complained the Kremlin had not admitted that a missile it deployed near European borders violated it.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Russia destroy the missile, prompting the Kremlin to counter that the US was violating the treaty by deploying launchers for anti-ballistic missile systems in Europe.

Analysts say the real aim of the US in axing the treaty is to broaden its nuclear prohibitions to include China. US officials are worried that China, which is not a party to the treaty, is gaining a military advantage in Asia by deploying missiles with ranges beyond the treatys limit. US intelligence warn that Russia and China are more aligned than at any point since the Fifties.

Mr Trump said he wanted to create a new pact, adding: I hope were able to get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty.

Russia claims that this new missile system does not violate the terms of the treaty

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said intelligence from many countries showed Russia had broken the treaty.

But Russian politicians reacted angrily. I congratulate the whole world; the US has taken another step toward its destruction, said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliaments upper house.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged both sides to abide by the treaty, adding: What we definitely dont want to see is our continent going back to being a battlefield. This belongs to a far-away history.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas said: The treaty was violated by the Russian side.An Iraqi woman has claimed a joint airstrike involving Australian planes on Islamic State extremists in Mosul killed 34 members of her family.

The Department of Defence investigation admitted on Friday as many as 18 Iraqi civilians may have been killed in airstrikes on June 13, 2017 involving Australian pilots.

Karima Khaled Sleiman el Saffar has now claimed two laser-guided bombs were dropped on her two-storey home where she was hiding with the 34 other members of her family - which included 11 children.

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An Iraqi mother has claimed an Australian airstrike on a group of Islamic State extremists in Mosul killed 34 members of her family (pictured aftermath of an air strike on March 26, 2017)

Ms el Saffar, who said she was the only survivor of the attack during the battle against the extremist group, claimed she was on the ground floor of the house when their home was hit.

'All of a sudden we heard a powerful sound,' Ms el Saffar told ABC News.

'The upper floor fell on us. It was just after the airstrike,' she said.

Karima Khaled Sleiman el Saffar claimed two laser-guided bombs were dropped on her two-storey home where she was hiding with the 34 other members of her family - which included 11 children (pictured stock image of five Super-Hornet jet fighters similar to the ones used in the airstrike)

The mother said she escaped through the fire raging inside her home and eventually made it to the street.

The mother's family gave a document to the ABC detailing the names of the 34 victims.

Two of the children were girls aged less than five.

She claimed there was no way fighters for Islamic State could have been on the roof of their building - saying they usually chose taller buildings.

In response to the claims, the Australian Defence Force admitted they may have been responsible for hitting Ms el Saffar's family home.

The Department of Defence investigation into the June 2017 bombings revealed at least six Iraqis were probably killed, based on population density figures.

However, the exact number of casualties will never be known, nor their definitive cause of death.

The air strikes occurred at the height of the battle for Mosul, when Iraqi security forces were engaged in intense urban warfare against Islamic State militants.

The Department of Defence investigation into the June 2017 bombings revealed at least six Iraqis were probably killed, based on population density figures (pictured man salvages through items from destroyed house in the old city of Mosul)

As they prepared to advance through the neighbourhood of Al Shafaar on June 13, Iraqi soldiers spotted three IS fighters holed up inside a building, and four more in an adjacent courtyard, all carrying heavy weapons.

Fearing their forces would be wiped out, Iraqi commanders requested air support from the US-led coalition.

Two Australian pilots aboard Super Hornets joined the coalition fleet of fighter planes once their mission was legally cleared.

One Australian plane dropped a 500 pound, GPS precision-guided bomb on the building housing the IS militants, while the other pilot struck at the courtyard.

Both high-powered explosives hit their targets and neutralised the threat.

The investigation was launched months after the air strike, following reports Iraqi civilians had died as a result. It was found up to 18 could have died, but it was not clear who was at fault (pictured: the aftermath of an airstrike during the operation to retake Iraq's Mosul from Daesh, in Mosul, Iraq on October 19, 2016)

An initial post-strike review did not uncover any civilian casualties.

However, an investigation was launched seven months later after it emerged through local and social media channels civilians in a nearby building could have been killed.

A coalition-led investigation which concluded last month found the claims to be credible, and Australian authorities agreed, conceding it was possible the air strikes caused the unintentional civilian deaths.

It is unclear whether the civilians were killed as a result of the Australian strikes, nearby coalition strikes, ground fire from Iraqi soldiers or at the hands of IS fighters.

Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Mel Hupfeld (pictured briefing reporters on Thursday) said the responsibility for taking lethal action at war was a heavy burden to carry

However, the two Australian pilots involved were not found to have acted contrary to the rules of engagement or the laws of armed conflict.

Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Mel Hupfeld said the responsibility for taking lethal action at war was a heavy burden to carry.

'Our pilots and decision-makers involved in the targeting process do everything they can to avoid civilian casualties but sometimes it is not possible,' Air Marshal Hupfeld told reporters in Canberra.

'This is an extraordinary thing to ask of our young men and women, the gravity of which is not lost on any of us.'

More than 33,000 air strikes have been launched during the campaign to defeat Islamic State, claiming at least 1000 civilian lives (pictured: A super-hornet jet, similar to the ones used in the June 2017 airstrike)

Australia has previously announced involvement in three separate potential civilian casualty allegations resulting from strikes conducted during Operation Okra.

These all occurred during the Mosul offensive on 30 March 2017, 3 May 2017, and 7 June 2017. Australian strike aircraft concluded operations in January 2018.

More than 33,000 air strikes have been launched during the campaign to defeat Islamic State, claiming at least 1000 civilian lives.

Australia still has about 600 soldiers deployed in Iraq, where Islamic State is now largely suppressed.

At its peak, the terrorist group occupied a third of Iraqi territory.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Defence for comment on Ms el Saffar's claims.A few days ago, I went to 10 Downing Street with several Labour colleagues seeking more government support for working-class, Brexit-supporting constituencies like ours. But when I heard how some Remainer Labour MPs had reacted, I didnt know whether to laugh or cry.

Comments from those who long to see a second EU referendum that we are being bribed to support the Prime Ministers Brexit deal are simply wrong.

I am just doing my job as MP for Bassetlaw. Far from damaging the constituencies of my Labour critics, Im fighting to get a better settlement for voters in all areas neglected by politicians.

Lets get one thing straight: I voted for Brexit and I backed Mrs Mays Brexit deal in the Commons on Tuesday, and will carry on backing it regardless. John Mann pictured on Tuesday

Lets get one thing straight: I voted for Brexit and I backed Mrs Mays Brexit deal in the Commons on Tuesday, and will carry on backing it regardless.

None of us has said to her give us more money for our constituencies and we will vote for you, and none of us will be.

Our concern is what happens to our constituencies after Brexit has happened. They voted for Brexit expecting things to get better once we are out. But the reality is that they will not be able to enjoy the opportunities unless we get help from central government.

Pro-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London

Much of the Labour criticism of me came from Remainer fanatics who want to overturn the referendum. People like Redcar Labour MP Anna Turley who said the Prime Minister was trying to bribe former mining towns to get her Brexit deal through.

(By the way, according to statistics from the House of Commons library, her Redcar constituency voted to Leave with a massive 67.7 per cent voting to break from Brussels).

Like Redcar in North Yorkshire, Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire was devastated by the pit closures. If I get my way, Redcar will benefit as much as Bassetlaw from the new government aid we are demanding.

British PM Theresa May leaves No.10 Downing St for PMQs at Parliament

Another vocal Labour critic was pro-EU Tottenham MP David Lammy. He wrote on Twitter about those who came with me to Downing Street: Socialists my a***. Cowards and facilitators. History will be brutal.

I have never noticed David not trying to get more money for his constituents  and to suggest we are not good socialists is nonsense. We have told the Prime Minister we want more of the nations wealth redistributed from better-off areas  including parts of London which have done very nicely, thank you, in recent times  to the North and Midlands. I dont know about David Lammy, but I call that socialism in action.

Pro-Remain Labour MP, Wes Streeting of Ilford North in London, meanwhile, said we were aligning ourselves with Boris Johnson and that our actions would never be forgiven.

A sculpture depicting Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands opposite Parliament as the protest against Brexit continuous in London in December 2018

Well, the likes of Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg will be fine whatever happens after Brexit.

It will never be as easy for my constituents  which is why I told the Prime Minister that Brexit presents a great opportunity for national renewal.

Wisely, Jeremy Corbyn has not joined in the chorus of accusation about bribery.

He said we were right to demand appropriate resources for (our) constituencies  particularly from mining areas.

A vocal Labour critic was pro-EU MP David Lammy (pictured). He tweeted about those who came with me to Downing Street: Socialists my a***. Cowards and facilitators. History will be brutal.

I freely acknowledge it is a strange feeling as a loyal Labour MP to be invited to No10 to sit down and negotiate directly with a Conservative Prime Minister. And it is not only the door to No10 that is open. Like trade union leaders last week, we have had access to a number of other departments in my search for firm commitments on workers rights, environmental protection and other issues important to my constituents.

For a start, we need to use the money that came to Britain via the EUs regional aid fund, but will now stay in Treasury coffers, to rebuild the most deprived areas, which are nearly all Labour seats. This must be a multi-billion-pound, game-changing project: new transport schemes, science parks, high-tech projects, housing developments.

It should be a national fund to rebuild Britain, focusing on industrial towns like mine in the North and Midlands, and some coastal towns that voted to leave the EU partly because they have not had a fair deal from successive governments over the years. We want serious money ploughed into our areas. We arent trying to achieve a seat-by-seat deal.

So yes, we are using the Prime Ministers need for our support on Brexit to try to get a better deal for our constituencies  and I will not apologise for that.

When we met Mrs May, she told us she had always been committed to tackling inequality between communities, and wanted to promote prosperity in areas like ours.

We will judge her by results. If she gives a cast-iron commitment to a national rebuilding programme thats truly transformative in scale, and will help communities woefully neglected for decades, I will be delighted.

Will that make it easier for more Labour MPs to vote for her Brexit deal? Yes.

But that is not bribery, its politics.Jeremy Cole, 36, (pictured) assaulted two officers at Carver Transitional Center in the 400 block of South May Avenue, near the intersection of Reno Avenue

Shocking footage shows a naked prisoner attacking two officers before being subdued with taser because he was 'off his medication.'

Officers in Oklahoma said they responded to a report on January 23 of an inmate who was running around naked.

Jeremy Cole, 36, assaulted two officers at Carver Transitional Center in the 400 block of South May Avenue, near the intersection of Reno Avenue.

When officers arrived, they said they saw about 50 inmates with no handcuffs, screaming and shouting obscenities at them.

While police were trying to take the naked inmate into custody, he punched one officer in the face and kicked another one in the chest.

The officer who was kicked was taken to a hospital for an ankle injury. Both officers are expected to make a full recovery.

The inmate, later identified as 36-year-old Jeremy Cole, was taken into custody on two counts of assault on a police officer and two counts of assault and battery.

Police believe the inmate was off his medication and that is what caused his aggressive behavior, KFOR reported.

Officers in Oklahoma said they responded on to a report on January 23 of an inmate who was running around naked

Officers try to subdue Cole but he manages to get back up and hits out at two officers

Police eventually try to taser him to subdue the unruly prisoner

The suspect eventually starts to calm down with a little help of encouragement from another inmate.

The Department of Corrections said it will review the bodycam video.

Oklahoma City Police Department spokesman Gary Knight told KFOR: 'During the fracas that was going on at the facility.

'The officers found themselves surrounded by approximately 50 of the inmates.

'The officers struggled to control a nude and violent Cole, while also trying to control the crowd around them.

'He became extremely combative with them. Began punching and kicking the officers. One of the officers rolled his ankle.

'The officers also attempted to tase Cole. It did not have any effect on him whatsoever. So, he was able to defeat the taser for whatever reason.'

A separate investigation is underway after another inmate at the same facility was shot by officers after walking away from the center and allegedly becoming violent.

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Kirk Shields, was nearing the end of a sentence for several charges including burglary and eluding police.

Cops said before he was shot by officers, Shields had assaulted a man, leaving him in the hospital.

Oklahoma City Police Department spokesman Gary Knight said Cole became extremely combative with the officers

Additional police arrive at the scene as officers were overpowered by around 50 inmates

Matt Elliott, with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections said: 'Mr. Shields became irate for reasons that are not known and assaulted staff outside of the Carver Center. Then he fled the facility.

Police said before he was shot by officers, Shields had assaulted a man, leaving him in the hospital.

Elliott said inmates' halfway houses are free to come and go as they please and most aren't violent.

He said it is rare to have incidents like this, especially in such a short time frame.

'By and large most halfway house inmates aren't trying to cause trouble,' said Elliott.

'They just want to get out. They don't want to be under the state's thumb anymore. They just want to get on with their lives.'

The DOC does not run the halfway house. It's operated by CoreCivic, one of two major correctional companies in the United States.

Elliot added: 'This type of stuff, especially like what happened last week and certainly last night, it's not particularly common.

'The Carver Transitional Center in Oklahoma City is supposed to be a place for change - a place inmates can turn their life around.

'Prison is a terrible place to be. It's a traumatic experience. Most of them don't ever want to go back. They want to get their lives in order.'New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she considers herself 'privileged' for not having to deal with the trauma of being transgender.

The first-term lawmaker made the comment on a podcast with the Intercept that dealt with a series of other topics including health care, taxes, and her adjustment to serving in Congress.

She made the remark at the tail end of an interview after speaking about obstacles faced by the poor and other groups and how during a transition 'you actually see and feel and sense and taste and smell all of the differences.'

Then she called herself a 'cisgender' woman, using a term that means someone whose gender identity matches the one they were born with.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she considers herself 'privileged' for not having to deal with the trauma of being transgender

'Almost every single person this country can acknowledge some privilege of some type, you know? Im a cisgender woman,' said Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described Democratic socialist who won election stressing her working-class struggles tending bar.

Alexandria Ocasio-Ortiz. Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY., arrives for orientation for new members of Congress, in Washington Member-Elect Orientation, Washington

'You know, I will never know the trauma of feeling like Im not born in the right body, and that that is a privilege that I have no matter how poor my family was when I was born,' she continued.

'But its really hard for some people to admit. Its part of this weird American dream mythology that we have, that for a lot of, in a lot of circumstances isnt as true or isnt as clearly communicated as wed like for it to be, or we wish it were,' she said.

'If youve never experienced different treatment in your life, you wouldnt know what different treatment feels like or looks like,' she said.Controversial commentator Prue MacSween has labelled the young student who was dragged along the concrete by his principal on the first day of school 'a little smart a** kid'.

Footage quickly went viral on Thursday of Steve Warner, principal of Manor Lakes school in Wyndham Vale, Melbourne, pulling the boy, 9, by one arm.

MacSween took to Channel Nine's Today Show on Saturday to defend the 'poor principal' as she highlighted the so-called problem of 'lazy parenting' across Australia.

Footage quickly went viral on Thursday of Steve Warner, principal of Manor Lakes school in Wyndham Vale, Melbourne, pulling the student by one arm

MacSween quickly got fired up when discussing the idea that schools could introduce courses for parents to boost their skills in order to help children.

'Our biggest problem is that there is an erosion in our society of people who have respect and who have discipline, and we have these cotton-wool kids,' the PR boss said.

'We have a situation where we have parents who are totally inept, they're lazy.'

MacSween said parents don't have any idea what their responsibilities are, and instead lean on their children's teachers.

'We have bred a generation of people who just want it all, who don't want to work hard for it - pay their dues,' MacSween said.

The outspoken commentator said the younger generation had been failed by poor parenting, with 'yummy mummies' who care more about making it to Pilates rather than how their children behave at school'.

'We saw that yesterday with that poor principal having to drag that little smart a** kid and had to contend with the parents to explain himself,' she said.

Media commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) slammed the 'smart a**' young student who was dragged along the concrete on his first day of school

'Why are people having children who shouldn't be bloody parenting? Buy a cat, buy a dog, don't have bloody kids!'

False rumours from students and parents at the P-12 school have circulated on social media, claiming the boy kicked a pregnant teacher in the stomach.

However, the boy's sister Bianca Moore rubbished such claims, saying he kicked a trolley during a 'tantrum' on his first day at his new school.

'He suffers from ADHD and anxiety and obviously starting at a new school has upset him, he was having a tantrum,' she said.Never-before-seen, new work by J.D. Salinger, will be published for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Catcher in the Rye author's son, Matt Salinger revealed to the Guardian that his father 'never stopped writing' up until his death in 2010 - despite not publishing anything after 1965.

Actor and producer Matt Salinger, who played Captain America in the 1990 film said he was working with his father's widow Colleen O'Neill, to get all the material ready for publication.

Matt Salinger has joint charge of the literary estate with O'Neill, J.D. Salinger's third wife, who he married in 1988.

J.D. Salinger's previously unseen works should be published within the next decade, according to his son Matt Salinger

He did not reveal details about the unpublished stories but said it would take years to get everything ready for publication, although he added he hopes it will take less than a decade.

Matt Salinger told the Guardian that his dad had lots of ideas and thoughts, ' ... he'd be driving the car and he'd pull over to write something and laugh to himself  sometimes he'd read it to me, sometimes he wouldn't  and next to every chair he had a notebook.'

Nothing new by J.D. Salinger, who wrote the bestseller The Catcher in the Rye in 1951, has been published since 1965

After his publishing career ended, J.D. Salinger was often described as a recluse and spent his remaining decades in the New Hampshire village of Cornish.

'He just decided that the best thing for his writing was not to have a lot of interactions with people, literary types in particular,' Salinger said. 'He didn't want to be playing in those poker games, he wanted to, as he would encourage every would-be writer to do, you know, stew in your own juices.'

Nothing new by J.D. Salinger, who wrote the bestseller The Catcher in the Rye in 1951, has been published since 1965.

Salinger's son, actor and producer Matt Salinger, who played Captain America in the 1990 film said he was working with his father's widow Colleen O'Neill, to get all the material ready for publication (pictured in 1994)

After The Catcher in the Rye came For Esme  with Love and Squalor, followed by Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roof Beam, then Carpenters and Salinger's last published work, 'Hapworth 16, 1924,' that appeared in The New Yorker in June 1965.

Until now Matt Salinger had repeatedly declined to answer in interviews whether any new books from his father would be forthcoming.

In 2013 Salinger quashed reports that there would be five new books from his father including a story based on Salinger's one year marriage to a German woman, a Nazi collaborator, following the Second World War.

Matt Salinger said his father would find the idea of a story about his first brief marriage, 'hysterically funny.'

After his first marriage ended, J.D. Salinger went on to marry his second wife, Claire Douglas, Matt and his daughter Margaret's, mother.

As for the new work Matt Salinger told the Guardian it would disappoint people that his father 'wouldn't care about' but that the material will go down well with 'real readers.'



Today, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the results of the negotiations of the Turkish military delegation with Russian colleagues in Moscow, stressing that the armies of the two countries will continue to cooperate in controlling the de-escalation zone in Syrian Idlib.

Despite all provocations, the importance of further cooperation to ensure peace and stability in Idlib was stressed. Regarding the situation in Syrias Manbij and in the regions of Syria east of the Euphrates, the parties agreed on the need to resolve Turkeys concerns about the security threats posed by terrorists, RIA Novosti reports.Two Indiana boys are in custody after a 13-year-old told Siri that he was going to shoot up a school and then posted the virtual assistant's reply on social media.

The Valparaiso Police Department said Thursday night that the incident started when a boy, 13, who is not being named, told Apple's virtual assistant: 'I am going to shoot up a school.'

Siri then responded with a list of schools in Valparaiso, Indiana, where the boy was visiting relatives at the time. The boy proceeded to take a screenshot of Siri's response and post it on social media, along with the statement that prompted Siri's response, police said.

The two boys were detained after the 13-year-old told Siri that he wanted to 'shoot up a school' and then posted the list of schools that Siri had offered him as a response on social media, in addition to a picture of weapons

The boy's social media post also included pictures of weapons belonging to a 14-year-old boy, who is not being named, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The 13-year-old's social media followers then alerted authorities in Chesterton, Indiana  where the boy is a student at Chesterton Middle School  about his post, which led to police in Valparaiso investigating the incident and taking the boy into custody.

The Valparaiso police said that the 13-year-old boy 'made no direct threat to a specific person, school, or school system' and noted that he has 'no access to weapons and posted the picture on social media as a joke.'

Police said that they did not believe that there was any credible threat made, but that it does take such communications very seriously.

Authorities said the boy made no specific threat was made against a person or school

The 13-year-old is being held on a felony charge of intimidation at Port County Juvenile Detention Center (pictured). The 14-year-old faces the same charge, plus criminal recklessness with a gun, as authorities determined the weapons picture belonged to him

The 13-year-old is being held at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center on a felony charge of Intimidation, according to the Northwest Indiana Times.

The 14-year old boy is also being held on a felony charge of intimidation, as well as criminal recklessness with a handgun.

During the investigation, police said the 14-year-old admitted that photos of the weapons had been taken, but denied having made any threats.

Police said the photo of the weapons could have been taken in the fall and that the 14-year-old did not have access to weapons at the time of the 13-year-old's social media post.The parents of a Penn State sophomore who died two years ago after a night of drinking and hazing have sued 28 members of a shuttered fraternity and a security company hired to help enforce alcohol regulations.

Tim Piazza, 19, of Lebanon, New Jersey, died after drinking 18 alcoholic beverages in just under 90 minutes, as part of a hazing ritual while pledging Beta Theta Pi at Penn State.

Lawyers for Tim Piazza's parents announced the federal wrongful death lawsuit Friday and also disclosed they have reached a confidential monetary settlement with Penn State.

The lawsuit says that the night of February 2, 2017, Piazza was pressured to consume a large amount of alcohol in the Beta Theta Pi house and 'became stuporous.'

'The fraternity defendants negligently, recklessly, and outrageously forced, coerced, encouraged or otherwise caused Pennsylvania State University sophomore Timothy Piazza to consume life-threatening amounts of alcohol, and caused him to become intoxicated, fall and suffer grievous injuries and death,' the lawsuit alleges.

'For more than 11 hours after his fall, Timothy Piazza endured horrible pain and suffering, which was documented by closed-circuit cameras.'

Jim and Evelyn Piazza (left and center), parents of Penn State pledge Tim Piazza, who died in 2017 during a hazing ritual, are suing 28 fraternity members and a security company (file)

Evelyn and Jim Piazza (left and right in 2018) also revealed Friday that they had reached a confidential monetary settlement with Penn State

Tim Piazza, 19, died after consuming 18 alcoholic beverages in just under 90 minutes during the hazing ritual in February 2017 while pledging Beta Theta Pi at Penn State.

The now shuttered Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Pennsylvania State University

Authorities say Piazza suffered fatal injuries in a series of falls. Medical help was not summoned until the next morning.

The building's elaborate system of security cameras captured events as Piazza and other pledges engaged in drinking rituals.

After Piazza fell down the basement steps he had to be carried up to a first-floor couch, where he spent the evening and overnight in visible agony.

He was found to have suffered a fractured skull and severe abdominal bleeding, among other injuries.

Not all defendants in the new federal lawsuit face the same allegations. The Piazzas allege negligence, civil conspiracy, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

The battery claims involve allegations that fraternity members physically abused Piazza while he was incapacitated.

A lawyer for St. Moritz Security Services declined comment. Messages sent to lawyers for several of defendants were not immediately returned.

St. Moritz employed people who were paid to make checks of fraternity houses to see if they were complying with rules concerning hazing and drinking.

Michael Bonatucci (left) and Joe Sala are among the 28 Beta Theta Pi members who were previously charged in Piazza's case (pictured August 2017)

Lars Kenyon (left) and Luke Visser (right) were also charged in Piazza's case (both in 2017)

A Penn State spokeswoman said its settlement with the Piazzas, who had not sued the school, codifies the university's reforms to fraternity and sorority life and shows 'our mutual commitment to promoting positive change.'

The agreement touches on safety and accountability for fraternities and sororities, encouragement of alcohol-free housing and continued training for bystander intervention and other preventative measures.

Piazza's death resulted in criminal charges against 28 members of Beta Theta Pi, in many cases the same young men who were sued on Thursday.

Nearly all of those criminal charges have been resolved.

Some have pleaded guilty to mostly alcohol- or hazing-related charges and others have entered a diversion program designed for first-time, nonviolent offenders.

A few defendants still face charges, but no trials are currently scheduled.

The Penn State fraternity brothers who were previously charged in Piazza's case were Joshua Kurczewski, Ryan Burke, Jonathan Kanzler, Bohan Song, Aiden O'Brien, Joseph Ems, Brian Gelb, Patrick Jackson, Reggie Goeke, Mike Fernandez, Donald Prior, Braxton Becker, Luke Visser, Gary Dibilio, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci, Parker Yochim, Brendan Young, Daniel Casey, John Neuman, Gary DiBileo, Joe Sala, Michael Schiavone, Craig Heimer, Lars Kenyon, Parker Yochim, Ed Gilmartin and Ryan Foster.In his new book Let Me Finish, Chris Christie writes at great length about his fraught relationship with President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Things came to a boiling point according to Christie after then-president-elect Trump announced Christie would be heading up his transition team in he to months between the election and inauguration.

Kushner responded to this news by telling Trump that Christie had a vendetta against his family while detailing the emotional toll being separated from a parent.

Christie also revealed in the book that Kushner was so close to his father that he carries a wallet Charles made for him behind bars.

Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics is on bookshelves now.

Scroll down for video

Jar-mad: Jared Kushner lashed out at Chris Christie for 'trying to ruin his family' when Trump announced the New Jersey governor would head up his transition team (Kushner and his father Charles in 1999)

The three ...: This is because Christie was the US attorney who prosecuted Charles Kushner and got him 14 months in jail for tax evasion, witness tampering and more

Christie writes in the book that the Trump campaign was under-the-gun and late to select a transition leader when he was designated to lead the effort.

It was the logical choice given his experience as governor and the fact that he was one of the few Republicans who had a solid relationship with the occupant of the Oval office at that time, Barack Obama.

Kushner did not feel this way,and after dancing around the subject for a minute or two in a meeting with Trump, Christie and Corey Lewandoski, stated: 'He tried to destroy my father.'

Christie writes: 'As Jared spoke, whenever raised his voice. But some strong emotions are not dependent on volume. Jared delivered his in a soft quiver. As he continued, his voice began to crack.'

Kushner said that his father was unfairly turned in buy the family he 'made rich,' and then forced to serve more jail time by a US attorney with political motivations.

'You dont know what it was like for me. Almost every weekend, I flew to Alabama to visit him. He didnt deserve to be there,' Kushner told Trump.

That is when Christie writes: 'All these years later, Jared still carried a wallet that his father made in a prion workshop.'

Jared went on to declare that it was a 'family matter' that should have been handled that way, or by 'the rabbis.'

In the end, Trump sides with Christie, but Kushner would ultimately get the governor booted from the administration according to the book.

Artisanal: Christie reveals that Kushner still carries the wallet his father made for him during his time at Federal Prison Camp, Montgomery in Alabama (Charles Kushner and his wife Seryl in 2004)

Christ-ie: Kushner said his father's decision to hire a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, then film it, and then send images to his sister should have been handled by family or rabbis (Christie above in 2004)

The tension between the two dates back to Kushner's childhood, when Christie prosecuted Charles Kushner in a sensational trial that saw the millionaire real estate developer plead guilty to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign donations.

At the center of the trial was the revelation that Charles had hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, who at the time was cooperating with federal officials in an investigation into possible campaign finance violations committed by Charles.

Charles then filmed the encounter between his brother-in-law and the woman, who was paid $10,000, and sent images of the tryst to his sister, Esther.

Esther in turn handed those over to federal officials and said that she was certain they were the work of her brother.

Charles was being investigated at the time for donations being made from his companies to the then-Democratic governor Jim McGreevey.

Kushner no longer even uses the wallet to carry cash, keeping bills and cards loose instead (above on Election Day)

That support of the governor helped Charles land the much-coveted post as commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but in 2003 he was forced to step down just one year into that role over those questionable donations.

Federal officials got proof when a whistle-blowing accountant with Charles' company resigned and handed over documents that showed large sums of money being moved around to support political candidates.

It was a captivating case, and thrust Christie onto the national stage in his role as US Attorney.

Charles was sentenced to just under two years in prison after entering his guilty plea, but Christie had pushed for a harsher sentence at the time saying that Charles did not seem to show remorse.

He ended up serving 14 months in total at Federal Prison Camp, Montgomery in Alabama, where he did in fact make wallets.Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said he could accept a short delay to Britain's planned departure from the European Union on March 29 on the condition Theresa May pursues his plan rather than hers for a Brexit deal.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who chairs the influential pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) within the Tory Party, said a short extension to the timetable could be accepted if the government struck a deal with Europe along the lines of the so-called Malthouse Compromise.

It comes after MPs effectively demanded that Mrs May renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement after her original plan was rejected by lawmakers.

ERGChairman and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said a delay was 'not impossible'

More time for a new deal? Mrs May's own plan was thrashed by 230 votes last month

A series of amendments, almost all of which failed to pass, put to Parliament on Tuesday seemed to indicate an amended Agreement with changes to the Northern Irish backstop might pass the Commons.

But senior EU politicians including European Council President Donald Tusk have said no part of the agreement - including the backstop - is open for renegotiation.

Mrs May's own deal was routed by 230 votes on January 15, the biggest defeat for a government in modern British history.

Mr Rees-Mogg has put forward a new plan called the Malthouse Compromise after one of its proponents, lawmaker Kit Malthouse.

It courts Brexiteers with a promise to ditch the unpopular Irish border policy in favour of an alternative; and appeals to pro-EU Conservatives by pledging safeguards against the risk of disruption if no exit deal can be agreed with Brussels.

Rees-Mogg wrote in today's Telegraph that both Brussels and Westminster could move at speed when they need to.

'Currently, there are only 55 days left to Brexit,' he wrote. 'This makes the timetable tight for agreeing and legislating for a deal.

'If the agreement were made but a little parliamentary time were needed ... a short extension is not impossible.'

Other senior lawmakers in May's Cabinet including Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt have in recent days suggested a small delay may be needed as Britain races to be ready to leave the EU on March 29, although Number 10 has repeatedly set itself against such a delay.In 2015 campaigners tried to stop feminist Germaine Greer (pictured) from speaking at Cardiff University

Student unions which ban speakers simply because they might cause offence are breaking the law on free speech, official guidelines warn.

In the first intervention of its kind, ministers will today unveil a document outlining how universities must protect freedom of expression.

It says those who try to ban controversial figures, such as feminists critical of the transgender lobby, are in breach of legislation.

And it says that while students are free to peacefully protest against speakers, unions cannot censor them simply because they might offend, shock or disturb others.

Last year, Bristol student union voted to ban events held by Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists (Terfs), who say men who transition to become female are not real women.

In 2015 campaigners tried to stop feminist Germaine Greer from speaking at Cardiff University because she held the same view.

And in October that year, feminist Julie Bindel was banned from a Manchester University event over accusations she was transphobic.

Under the Education Act 1986, freedom of speech for visiting speakers is protected, as long as the speech is not unlawful  for example, by making threats or inciting violence.

Chris Skidmore, the universities minister, said it was a symbol of the commitment from across the sector to protecting freedom of speech

The new guidance, compiled by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and published by the Department for Education, must be used by all universities and unions.

Chris Skidmore, the universities minister, said it was a symbol of the commitment from across the sector to protecting freedom of speech.

It is the first time legal obligations around free speech on campus have been defined so coherently. The document states that any decision about speakers should promote and protect the right to freedom of expression.

It also says that creating safe spaces, free from offensive or upsetting views, is not unlawful, but students should be careful not to curb free speech by applying them across campus.

An EHRC spokesman said freedom of speech should only be curtailed if there are safety concerns or it constitutes unlawful behaviour.

If free speech rules are broken, the Office for Students regulator can step in and legal action can be taken in the civil courts.J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (pictured) said he would refuse to serve patrons wearing MAGA hats

A California restaurant owner has backed down and lifted a ban on customers wearing MAGA hats after comparing them to a 'swastika or white hood'.

Award winning chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt started by apologizing to 'my staff and partners' before adding Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus 'will continue, as it always has, to serve all customer'.

Lopez-Alt, who is a partner at the restaurant in San Mateo, south of San Francisco, deleted his tweet from Sunday which had compared the hats popularized by President Donald Trump to a swastika or white hood.

He wrote: 'It hasnt happened yet, but if you come to my restaurant wearing a MAGA cap, you arent getting served, same as if you come in wearing a swastika, white hood, or any other symbol of intolerance and hate.'

The chef, who has more than 40,000 followers, followed up with: 'MAGA hats are like white hoods except stupider because you can see exactly who is wearing them.'

But in a statement on the Medium website Friday he said that his political opinions will not interfere with service.

He said that his mother is an immigrant from Japan and his father is from Pennsylvania. He said his family includes people on every side of the political spectrum.

Lopez-Alt wrote: 'Unfortunately the way I tried to communicate this ended up only amplifying the anger, and I apologize for that.

'I want to start by apologizing to my staff and partners at Wursthall. Making a public statement without taking my teams thoughts into consideration was disrespectful and reckless.

'Wursthall will continue, as it always has, to serve all customer regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual preference, gender orientation, disability, or political opinion  so long as they leave hate, anger, and violence outside of the doors of our restaurant.'

Award winning chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's letter of apology in full

Customers dine at the Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus in San Mateo in 2018

Award-winning cookbook author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a chef-partner of the Wursthall restaurant in San Mateo and says in a tweet Sunday that he views the hats as symbols of intolerance and hate. He has since reversed his ban

He said the tweet was his personal perspective, not restaurant policy. He added: 'After having seen the red hat displayed so prominently in so many moments of anger, hate, and violence, to me -and many others - the hat began to symbolize exactly that: anger, hate, and violence.'

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the tweet from Sunday had more than 2,000 likes by Wednesday afternoon.

Lopez-Alt , who written a New York Times bestseller called 'The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, had refused to change his mind despite threatening emails, Fox News reports.

But one customer said: 'Youre discriminating against those with different political views. Thats just not OK.'

Another added: 'The right] already feel like theyre being demonized by what they call the liberal elite. We shouldnt add fire to that. Instead, it should be us creating a dialogue, leaving a space open to discuss the issues.'

President Donald Trump, pictured in 2017, hands a signed "Make America Great Again," hat back to a supporter in Reno, Nev

Since Donald Trump's presidential campaign, red 'MAGA' caps have become a divisive symbol in the United States.

People who wear them often say they do so to show patriotism and outward support for the president.

Others say the hats promote the hate and racism that they believe Trump fosters.

The hats, which are sold for $25 on Trump's campaign website, sparked widespread debate earlier this month after an incident involving an indigenous marcher and a group of high school boys wearing MAGA caps in Washington D.C.

After the incident, actress and acitviist Alyssa Milano tweeted 'The red MAGA hat is the new white hood' and later said she wouldn't apologize for the remark.

Last year, the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, made national headlines when management asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave.

Sanders said she was denied service because she worked for the Trump administration. The restaurants owner said Sanders was asked to leave because she supported the presidents controversial policies.Accused Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is an 'excellent father, friend, brother, son and partner,' his young wife said as his landmark trial in New York wound up.

'Everything that has been said in court about Joaquin, the good and the bad, has done nothing to change how I think about him after years of knowing him,' Emma Coronel, 29, said in a message on her Instagram account late Thursday.

In his almost three-month-long trial, Guzman, the 69-year-old former head of the Sinaloa drugs cartel known widely as El Chapo, or Shorty, was accused of smuggling hundreds of tons of drugs into the United States over the past quarter-century.

Emma Coronel, wife of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, said her Mexican drug lord husband is an 'excellent' partner and father to their seven-year-old twins, as his US trial wound up

El Chaop's wife posted a long and rambling Instagram posing where she praised her husband

Coronel told how her husband was a great father, partner and son - although the two are not allowed to be in contact with one another while the trial progresses

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman and his wife Emma Coronel Aispuro looks on in this courtroom sketch, during closing arguments at his trial in a Brooklyn court

Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman (L) gives closing arguments during the trial of accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in this courtroom sketch

Although the pair are not allowed to communicate, El Chapo can often be seen looking over at his wife

Coronel, pictured with the couple's twin daughters,Emali and Maria Joaquina in October, said they are their father's 'adoration'

On Monday, the jury starts deliberating on its verdict.

If convicted, Guzman is likely to spend the rest of his life in a US jail, having twice escaped from Mexican prisons before being extradited to the United States two years ago.

During the trial, which closed Thursday, Guzman's former henchmen and colleagues said he had ordered the deaths of dozens of rivals, underlings suspected of being snitches and police officers who refused to take his bribes.

Part of the evidence presented by US prosecutors indicates that Coronel was at the very least an accomplice in Guzman's escape from Mexico's Altiplano prison in 2015.

She has not however been charged with any crime and showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband.

A former right-hand man of the drugs lord said that when Guzman was jailed between 2014 and 2015, he used Coronel's prison visits to pass messages to accomplices planning his escape via a mile long tunnel from the shower stall of his cell.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Liskamm points at the accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman (R) while delivering rebuttal during the trial of Guzman

El Chapo has not been pictured since he was taken into US custody in January 2017. Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom. He is depicted above in an artist's sketch from Monday's proceedings

THE CHARGES EL CHAPO'S JURY WILL DELIBERATE Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was charged with 10 criminal counts, including: Drug trafficking Most of the counts in the indictment allege that Guzman trafficked more than 40 tons of cocaine, marijuana and heroin internationally and domestically. Criminal enterprise He is accused of leading a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for importing into the United States and distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics between January 1989 and December 2014. Money laundering His money laundering charges relate to the bulk smuggling from the United States to Mexico of more than $14 billion in cash proceeds from narcotics sales throughout the United States and Canada. Weapons offenses He is also charged with using firearms in relation to his drug trafficking. Advertisement

During the trial the prosecution played a recording of a phone call between Coronel and Guzman, in which she passed the telephone to her father.

Guzman then informed his father-in-law about an illicit drugs shipment into the US.

'My name was often mentioned and called into question,' admitted Coronel, a tall Mexican-American woman with long dark hair, with whom Guzman has two daughters.

'I can only say that I have done nothing to be ashamed of. I am not perfect, but I consider myself a good human being who never intentionally hurt anyone,' she said.

The US authorities do not allow visits or phone calls between Guzman and his wife. They also forbade the couple from briefly hugging each other in court during the trial.

Coronel gave an 11th hour interview earlier this week where she painted El Chapo as a loving father and doting husband as he prepares to spend the rest of his life locked up in an American prison.

In her interview and accompanying photo-shoot with The New York Times, his wife, Coronel says he is nothing like the man prosecutors have painted him to be.

'I don't know my husband as the person they are trying to show him as. But rather I admire him as the human being that I met, and the one that I married,' she said in Spanish.

Coronel, who has attended every day of the proceedings, spoke about the couple's fiercely protected twin daughters - Emali and Maria Joaquina - and how Guzman, 61, adores them.

Coronel, shown outside court on Wednesday, has attended every day of his trial

'He always was a father very present to the attention of our daughters.

'They are the adoration of their father and he is the adoration of them,' she said.

She and Guzman married when she was 18 in a 'simple ceremony'. They had met a year earlier, when she was underage and he was on the after pulling off his first of two prison escapes.

He was in his 40s at the time but the age difference did nothing to stop them becoming close.

Coronel described the start of their relationship as a 'lovely friendship'.

'With the passing of months we became girlfriend and boyfriend. And when I turned 18 years old, we married in a very simple ceremony with family and only close friends,' she said. She gave birth to the girls in her early 20s.

Coronel, a beauty queen, was born in California but raised in Mexico. She described her own family as 'unified' and spoke gushingly about her siblings.

Over the last three months, she has been in Brooklyn while her daughters are cared for in Mexico.

The girls have been the only visitors permitted to see their father in the undisclosed location where he has been held since he left the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan at the start of the trial.

They had not lived as a family for years beforehand. El Chapo broke out of prison - allegedly with his wife's help - for a second time in 2015.

He hid out in the Sinaloa mountains until he was finally arrested in 2016.

Coronel said of their prolonged separation: 'I don't consider myself a single mother.

'More so, a mother who in this moment doesn't have the support of her husband, but trusts that the family will be well.

'Obviously, our life changed.'

She has spent her time in New York keeping a low profile and going to bed early most nights, she said.

Asked if she liked the nightlife in Manhattan, she said: 'I prefer to sleep'. She was heard 'rejoicing' at the end of one week because it was Friday which meant she could sleep in the following day and not have to wake up early to go to court.A man charged with murdering his mother and his Australian aunt demanded to see their bodies after he was arrested, telling police it was 'his right'.

Gilad Pereg is alleged to have killed his mother Pyrhia Sarusi and his aunt, Australian university professor Lily Pereg, in a brutal attack in Argentina earlier this month.

Mr Pereg is alleged to have mutilated the bodies of Dr Pereg, 53 and Mrs Sarusi, 63, at his home in Mendoza, before burring them in a shallow grave nearby.

It has since been revealed that following his arrest, Pereg asked police to show him his mother's dead body - a request that was refused by Argentinian officials.

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Gilad Pereg, who allegedly murdered his mother Pyrhia Sarusi (left) and his Australian aunt Lily Pereg (right) in Argentina, asked to be released from custody to see his mother's dead body

Mr Pereg, 36, has been charged with murdering his mother and aunt. A chilling photo taken two days before their bodies were found shows him sitting above their shallow grave (pictured)

'She's my mother. It's my right,' he is alleged to have said, according to local media.

Police and the Argentinian Embassy of Israel are currently working to repatriate the women.

Pereg's charge was this week upgraded to aggravated homicide by use of firearm after a bullet found at the crime scene matched one from his registered firearms.

Ms Sarusi, who lived in Israel, and Dr Pereg, who was based in Sydney, had flown to Argentina to visit Mr Pereg.

Investigators claim the two women were killed in a premeditated homicide within a day of arriving in the country.

The also allege Mr Pereg had booked a one-way flight to Rome for himself and four cats that was due to leave just three days after his aunt and mother arrived.

Prosecutor Claudia Rios told News Corp that Pereg had planned to fly to Rome on January 14, the same day he reported his mother and aunt missing.

The bodies of Ms Pereg and Ms Sarusi were found on a lot next to the home of Mr Pereg near the city of Mendoza last Saturday

When asked why he booked an overseas flight when his mother and aunt were due to visit, Pereg allegedly told police he didn't think they would come to Argentina.

Autopsy results released on Wednesday revealed Dr Pereg suffered three gunshot wounds to the chest from a Taurus .38 special handgun revolver.

Additional analysis will determine the exact cause of Ms Sarusi's death.

A local gun shop owner also said he had previously warned authorities about Pereg's repeated visits and that the regular customer once revealed he didn't get along with his family.

I have trusted people in the government, and a while ago I had informed them about this boy,' El Tiroles armoury shop owner Aldo Chesi told the Mendoza Post.

'It is my duty to always warn, even if they come with the papers in order. I did it with him and many more.'

Dr Pereg had not been heard from for more than two weeks when her and Ms Sarusi's bodies were found in an abandoned lot neighbouring Mr Pereg's unit.

The partner of a university professor found dead in a shallow grave in Argentina shared the depths of his grief earlier this week

Lily Pereg (left) and Pyrhia Sarusi (right) had been renting an apartment in Mendoza, Ms Sarusi's daughter Vered said in a Facebook post

Police allegedly found a bag covered in spots of blood during a search of his home.

Several registered guns, a cut security camera cable and dissected cats were also found inside the home, the ABC reported.

Ms Rios told local media there was security vision showing the two missing women entering the property with him.

'We don't have vision of them leaving the property,' Ms Rios said.

Dr Pereg's shattered partner told Seven News of his heartache at losing the love of his life.

'It's a nightmare that won't go away,' John Finlay, who spent two weeks searching for his partner in Mendoza, said on Monday night.

'Lily was a beautiful soul and I probably will never find someone as loving as Lily again actually... I miss her, I just miss her,' Mr Finlay said through tears.

John Finlay (left), who spent two weeks searching for his partner Dr Pereg (right), said she had recently been promoted at work and had gone to the country to help her sister, who was also found dead

'She had the soul of an angel'.

Dr Pereg was brought up in Israel where she obtained her undergraduate degree, later moving to Australia in the mid 90s.

She completed a PhD in the Department of Agricultural Science at Sydney University and later moved to the University of New England where she was recently made a professor.

She also chaired the soil, microbiology and biodiversity subdivision of the European Geosciences Union.Monster mother: Therese Butler (pictured) arranged for her then-teenage daughter Peta Butler to be raped by her online boyfriend in 2006

A monstrous mother who arranged for her teenage daughter to be raped by her internet boyfriend has walked free from jail after just one year in prison.

Therese Butler, 48, sat outside a motel room and smoked cigarettes while a predator named 'Thommo' raped her daughter, Peta, aged 15 or 16, in 2005.

The Brisbane mum arranged for a 'girl's trip' to Toowoomba after her online lover demanded sex 'with a younger version of herself'.

Butler plied Peta with vodka Cruisers and bourbon and left her in a seedy motel room for the obese stranger with bulging eyes to force her into sex.

The vile rapist remains on the run more than thirteen years later. And while Butler was jailed for procuring a child for sex last year, she was released months later because a judge suspended her four year jail term after 12 months.

Butler has since returned to a quiet existence on the sunny Queensland coast with her partner, Jason Cantoni, and her pet blue heeler.

She only had bile and false statements about her daughter when Daily Mail Australia approached her at home in Cooloola Cove, north of the Sunshine Coast.

'Do you believe a little sl- ...' she said, before correcting herself, 'a woman who was raped by her (relative)?'

'She was raped by (a relative) when she was 14,' she claimed.

Therese walked free from prison in October and could only spew bile about her daughter when confronted by Daily Mail Australia at her home on Wednesday

Family photo: Peta, when she was about the age of the rape incident, and her mother, Therese Butler

WANTED: A computer-generated image of the vile rapist 'Thommo' that was released by police last year

Victim: Peta Butler (pictured) waived her right to anonymity in order to allow her horrifying story to be told

'Do you believe a little sl- ...' she said, trailing off, before correcting herself, 'a woman who was raped by her (relative)?'

Peta, now 28 and a mother herself, rubbished Therese's allegations as bizarre, '100% untrue' and an example of her 'just making up lies'.

'(Therese) still has no remorse and she never will for what she has done,' said Peta.

The mystery of the vile rapist 'Thommo'

Despite a concerted search effort, police have so far failed to establish the identity of the vile rapist Thommo, who Therese met online in the early 2000s.

Detectives were inundated with tips from the public after an appeal for information last March. But they have been unable to identify him, a Queensland police spokesman said.

Therese was stumped when Daily Mail Australia asked if she could help police identify the rapist.

'You want my side of the story, talk to my cop,' she said, clutching a bottle of cordial and demanding to be left alone.

THOMMO: A TIMELINE About 2004: Therese Butler starts chatting with 'Thommo' online. He wants sex 'with a younger version of herself' Between May and January 2006: Therese takes her daughter on fateful 'girl's trip' where she is raped by 'Thommo' Early 2016: Peta musters the courage to report the crime to police and, with help of detectives, elicits a confession from Therese October 2016: Therese is arrested by Queensland police January 2018: Therese pleads guilty to procuring a child for carnal knowledge March 2018: Police call for public help in finding 'Thommo' October 2018: Therese walks free from jail Advertisement

Therese then unleashed on a news photographer, calling him a 'f***head', screaming about him taking an 'ugly photo' and telling him to go 'shove it... up your ar**'.

The investigation into Thommo has been complicated by the fact that, because of her age at the time, Peta cannot remember the exact date or location of the rape.

Detectives believe the incident occurred between May 2005 and early 2006.

Peta has previously detailed the little things she can remember about the rapist, including feeling his face stubble as he raped her.

Thommo was extremely obese, had 'bulging' blue eyes, drove a car with cream-coloured leather seats and appeared in his mid-40s at the time.

Therese only managed to add a little bit of detail when she confessed to her crimes.

She claimed to her daughter that she had only met 'Thommo' in person twice, after chatting to him online for two years before they met. His email address was something along the lines of thommo_thommo_thommo@hotmail.com.

She said she thought his name was 'Peter'. She knew he had deviant sexual habits, claimed he strangled Therese 'to the point of not breathing anymore' while having sex and filmed her.

Police believe he has more victims. But the little details have not been enough to bring Thommo to justice.

Therese Butler clutched a bottle of cordial as she told Daily Mail Australia: 'You want my side of the story, talk to my cop'

A day earlier, Butler was seen gesticulating wildly during an argument with her partner

Violent fantasies and a shocking admission: How Peta brought down Therese Butler

It took Peta nearly a decade to muster the courage to report her mother's shocking actions to police at Wynnum station, east of Brisbane.

Police arranged for her to ring her mother in early 2016. It was a nerve-wracking experience.

Peta claimed to Therese that she wanted to talk about the rape for the sake of 'closure'. But what she was really seeking was justice.

During an emotional 27 minute exchange, Therese corroborated details of Peta's night from hell. The bus trip. The walk to McDonalds. The purchase of alcohol.

'He promised he wasn't going to touch you,' Therese claimed at one point.

But later, she changed her story, all the while oblivious to her daughter's muffled gasps.

I'm going to kill him (Thommo) with my bare hands, holding a knife and slicing him from ear to ear and getting him from the f***ing scrotum and slicing him up to the centre - Therese Butler, in taped confession call to her daughter

'Yeah, it was still rape,' Therese admitted. 'I wouldn't have let him touch you if you weren't 16.'

She tried to make amends with her daughter, detailing the violent fantasies she had about getting revenge on Thommo.

She said she would like to slice him 'from ear to ear' with a knife.

'If I could turn back time Peta I f***ing would in a heart beat,' she said in the call.

'Instead of bowing down to him I'd get him by the f***ing balls and cut the f***ers off and shove them down his throat'.

Butler with her partner - who has a tattoo spelling her name on his right fore-arm

Peta Butler with her mother in an old family photo

Therese Butler, pictured left and right here, prior to her release from jail

None of that ever happened.

And after she was arrested and brought to justice last year, Therese instead turned her rage on Peta in front of police and lawyers at the Ipswich District Court.

As she was sentenced, Therese screamed for some one to 'take out' her daughter.

Peta told Daily Mail Australia that the important thing now is bringing Thommo to justice.

Thommo's arrest would 'help close the door to an evil chapter, to bring justice to the disgusting and manipulative man who raped me,' she said.

She will never forgive her mother.

'I am glad my mother did jail time for what she did to me,' she said.

'She tricked me, she manipulated me, she made me believe she was a mother.

'(But) all along she was an evil human being that doesn't deserve the title of 'mother'.This T-shirt was available online for $23.84 until Redbubble withdrew it this week

A 'Paedophile Execution Squad' T-shirt has been withdrawn from sale on a global online marketplace because it could incite hatred or violence.

Redbubble, which has offices in Melbourne and San Francisco, confirmed it had removed the T-shirt - which depicts a paedophile swinging from a tree - from its website.

The company banned the T-shirt after Daily Mail Australia published a story about grandfather Darren Nicholson who was photographed wearing a similar one outside a Queensland court.

That story received hundreds of comments from readers, many of whom wanted to know where they could buy the shirt.

Redbubble is an online marketplace for independent artists and all the images on its website are uploaded by independent third parties.

The company's in-house counsel and company secretary Paul Gordon said millions of items were for sale on the site at any time but the 'Pedophile Execution Squad' image was unacceptable.

'We've located the image referred to in the article and removed it from the website because it contravenes our user guidelines,' Mr Gordon said.

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'

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

Scores of Facebook users wanted to know where they could buy a version of Darren Nicholson's Paedophile Execution Squad T-shirt. The Redbubble website banned the item

Redbubble's guidelines on images of violence and hatred state: 'Work that glorifies or trivializes violence is not permitted.'

'This includes graphic depictions of violence, works that trivialize violent acts, and work or behavior where the intent of the artist is to incite hatred or violence.'

Mr Nicholson had been overwhelmed by the reaction to his message, with scores of fans on social media asking where they could buy the T-shirt.

Some had noted that an almost identical design was available at Redbubble, in sizes small to XXX large for $23.84.

Hundreds of notes of support were posed on Facebook and Mr Nicholson told Daily Mail Australia he had been congratulated as he walked down the street.

'It's everybody - all works of life, mate,' the 52-year-old said. 'At the toy store, the local shops, down at the servo.

'It was just a big shock. Gee, she went off. They would have had a surge on them shirts up here.'

This T-shirt design was available online from Redbubble.com. Sizes listed from small to XXXL

Darren Nicholson was overwhelmed by the social media response to his vigilante-style T-shirt

Mr Nicholson proudly donned his well-worn T-shirt for the recent court appearance of a man charged with sexually abusing a Queensland girl.

'I just got sick of it,' Mr Nicholson said. 'I just got up, I thought bugger this, I'm going to the court house. You know, enough's enough.'

Mr Nicholson was initially reluctant to discuss the slogan because he did not want to be seen as a vigilante but the Queensland Police Service confirmed wearing the shirt was not a crime.

The former labourer had no intention of ever retiring his T-shirt, which he wore whenever he felt like it.

'I'll keep wearing it proudly,' he said.The regular session of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council will be held in Yerevan, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Mukhammetkalyi Abylgaziev announced during the EAEU Intergovernmental Council session in Almaty.

At the proposal of the Armenian side we plan to once again meet in the sunny city. And taking this pleasant opportunity I will present a suggestion to hold the next session of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council after Yerevan in our country in Cholpon-Ata city in August, he said.

The 16th session of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council takes place in Almaty on Friday. The digital agenda of the organization is being discussed.Advertisement

More than 700 letters from soldiers writing home to loved ones were hauled from the depths of a shipwreck, revealing life during the Second World War.

The SS Gairsoppa was steaming home from India to Liverpool to deliver vital silver to fund the war efforts when she was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat on February 14 1941.

She sank in icy seas more than three miles deep near the coast of Ireland. Only one of her 84 crew survived.

The ship, carrying bundles of letters home, never reached its destination. It ended up lying forgotten on the ocean floor, half a mile deeper than the wreck of Titanic, for more than seven decades.

In 2011, the American deep-sea exploration pioneers discovered the long-lost wreck of the Gairsoppa 4,700 metres (2.9 miles) under the Atlantic Ocean.

Remote control submarines searched in dark waters for four hours to reach the wreck where teacups, sheets of silk and even bottles of tomato ketchup and HP sauce were found.

Along with 150million worth of silver and enough tea to fuel two thirds of the British population, twelve bundles of mail were preserved in an air pocket in the ship's wreckage.

Shrouded in darkness and held together with immense pressure, the letters lay within the hold beneath tons of mail bags and sediments. Without light, currents, heat and oxygen, decay slowed down.

A total of 717 letters, the largest collection ever found at sea, were hauled from the depths of the murky ocean offering a unique insight into the extraordinary circumstances of British people stationed in India.

This letter is from S.N. Mitra (right), working at the Tata Iron and Steel companys Jamshedpur plant, to Paul F. Kohlhaas, who had recently been relocated to the New York Office. Mitra is clearly devastated by this relocation: I had always depended so much on your guidance and your inspiring advice in all my activities'

This card depicting a lioness was sent by A.E. Porter of the Indian Civil service to his son in Gloucestershire with love from Daddy

A clipping of an advert placed in a newspaper. It read: WANTED husbands for five young and pretty sisters (aged 16 to 24). One is daring. One is alluring. One is coy. One is wild. One is wise. You can have your pick. P.S. cant afford any dowry. Their youth and beauty will compensate you for it.

This vivid blue Seasons Greetings card was sent by Jack Alleman of the Catholic Mission in Patna to Mrs Lohrum in Los Angeles. The accompanying typed letter is no longer legible, but the printed message in the card reads: All joy be yours this Christmas Day, And not today alone, But every day of the Coming Year, Be Happiness your own. Another Christmas tied with string reads: 'Wishing you all the happiness and the best of everything'

The S.S Gairsoppa was heading for Liverpool but was forced to break convoy and and was torpedoed 300 miles off the coast of Ireland

And the delicate paper letters found at the bottom of the murky sea were painstakingly restored due to the shipwreck preserving most of its contents by creating a unique micro climate.

A story of survival SS Gairoppa was steaming home to Britain when she was hit by a torpedo when 84 crew members and two gunners were on board. Desperately trying to escape the steamship, 31 men crowded onto one of the lifeboats, led by Second Mate Richard Ayres. But after a few days out at sea only three of the men were still alive. Finally, land was sighted. However, Ayres risked sailing the boat into Caerthilian Cove in Cornwall in treacherous conditions. An enormous wave threw them overboard, trapping them under the lifeboat. Exhausted, Ayres recalled almost giving up hope until he heard the sound of children shouting encouragement from the shore. In one last effort he made it onto dry land. Ayres was the only survivor who made it to shore alive. He was awarded an MBE Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea. After recuperating in local hospital, Ayres eventually returned to the sea and even back to India. But he never spoke of his ordeal again. Advertisement

Most of the soldiers whose letters sank with the ship were stationed on the remote edge of British Indias North-West Frontier province in modern Pakistan, fighting a tribal war along a strategically sensitive boundary.

Some letters, which are being displayed in an exhibition called Voices from the Deep at the Postal Museum in London, detail the horrific tribal conflict during one of the campaigns in the Second World War, while others indicate little concept of the Blitz those living in India had.

Rupert Searle of the first Devonshire Regiment wrote to his sister Bet from the British Military Hospital at Rawalpindi. He almost died after suffering gangrene on his leg and had to undergo a gruelling operation.

He wrote: They had to take one hundred and fifty little cuts off my good leg and put on the bad one. They said the longest I would live was two days. I had to fight for it the second night was touch and gobut I won in the end.

Sergeant Bloomfield wrote about the hardship of digging trenches. He said: Its damned hard work walking so far and then having to dig for three days. Both my hands and feet were sore, not forgetting my back.

Another was a clipping of an advert placed in a local newspaper. It read: WANTED husbands for five young and pretty sisters (aged 16 to 24). One is daring. One is alluring. One is coy. One is wild. One is wise. You can have your pick.

P.S. cant afford any dowry. Their youth and beauty will compensate you for it.

Some letters describe the rich countryside of India, as well as the troubles of living there.

A soldier wrote home to his parents after suffering in hospital from jaundice which he described as an Indian complaint which makes you turn yellow.

After recovery, he wrote that he was back fighting those rotten tribes again, giving a detailed account of the wounds of some of his fellow soldiers.

Many of the letters were also written by individual missionaries or more formal newsletters sent from houses, hospitals and schools.

One missionary newsletter sent home details a man who had to go to hospital when he was bitten on the toe by a snake.

Gladys Clapp wrote passionately to her parents with her view of recent developments in the war, 28th November 1940. She praises 'Gallant little Greece' and feels that 'England has defiantly turned the corner now without a doubt.'

In one letter, a German author writes: I am writing to you in English as then delay in the letters is less likely. Please write in English too. It shows a sign of the impact censorship during war had on daily life.

This card sent to San Francisco shows a common image of an Indian snake charmer produced by the famous London company Raphael Tuck & Sons. Snakes are considered sacred in the Hindu religion and snake charmers holy men inspired by the gods

Rupert Searle of the 1st Devonshire Regiment writes to his sister Bet from the British Military Hospital at Rawalpindi. Suffering from gangrene sustained in the tribal war, he had an operation where They took one hundred and fifty little cuts off my good leg and put on the bad one. (left) A newsletter from the A.P. Mission Hospital tells of a man brought to the hospital pale and semi-conscious after being bitten on the toe by a snake (right)

This photo shows a village missionary school in East Bengal and was sent by C. Prior of the Oxford Mission in Calcutta to Margaret in Devon

This card was sent by Sally, Phil and Barbara to the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Los Angeles and shows an Indian water carrier. Without a centralised water system and pipes, water carriers collected water from sources such as rivers and carried them to peoples homes for payment

This unusual Christmas and New Year card sends Greetings from India along with an embossed silver camel and an image of a temple behind

The journey of S.S Gairsoppa S.S Gairsoppa which was sunk in 1941 Christmas was just three weeks away when the SS Gairsoppa left Calcutta, India, on December 5 1940 to start its voyage to Liverpool to deliver vital silver to fund the war efforts. The S.S Gairsoppa was returning back to Britain with a cargo of silver ingots and joined a convoy in Sierra Leone. The silver, which was desperately needed to top up Britains collapsing silver stocks and pay for weapons and wages. But just as crucial as the silver was Britains favourite drink; tea. Tea was essential to top up the countrys wavering morale. The steamship went round the Cape of Good Hope due to the Suez Canal being so dangerous. Due to the heavy cargo, the steamship was forced to burn more fuel to maintain speed in the convoy during choppy seas. It was forced to break away from convoy in a notorious danger zone and two days later, 300 miles off the west coast of Ireland, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat 101. The torpedo hit the straggler with such force that the lower hull cracked open like an egg. It took just twenty minutes for the ship to sink to the seabed, where it lay for 70 years. Advertisement

But most of all, many people wrote home with love to their family and mention how long their letters take to arrive, sometimes taking weeks, sometimes even months to be delivered.

Barbara Borghese, a conservator at the Postal Museum, said: We were never going to be able to conserve the whole collection. We had boxes and boxes of letters, envelopes and cards.'

'The letters had broken into tiny fragments resulting in a jigsaw puzzle attempt to piece them back together.

With the ink completely faded in some sections, the letters required a good eye for old handwriting to be salvaged.

Ms Borghese said: A lot of the letters came to me in little bits and pieces. They were vacuum packed into mail bags in the bottom of the ocean where the pressure is very heavy. It became a really squashed and tight bundle of letters.

The letters were fragile with brown stains from the ships rusting metal.

Ms Borghese said: The reason why you can still see writing is because the pressure at the bottom of the sea. They were so squeezed together that what was in middle got preserved remarkably well considering 70 years in salty water.

People think paper as something incredibly fragile but paper has a great strength, its a great material and it does like to be in water as thats how a sheet of paper is first formed.'

'The letters were first sent to an archaeological studio in Scotland and that was the first place that was asked to do something about the bundles.

'There was a lot of time spent there was a chemical risk. Repairing and replacing them like a jigsaw puzzle, because of the repairs and drying and flattening and the mounting. Literally piecing together tiny fragments.

'I would infill parts that Im missing with paper that compatible with the colour, the quality, weight thickness of original paper.'

Voices From the Deep is at the Postal Museum in Clerkenwell, London.

The delicate paper letters at the bottom of the sea could be painstakingly restored due to the shipwreck preserving most of its contents by creating a unique micro climate

Along with 150 million worth of silver, enough tea to fuel two thirds of the British population, tea, twelve bundles of mail were salvaged from an air pocket in the ship

Most of the soldiers whose letters sank with the ship were stationed on the remote edge of British Indias North-West Frontier province in modern Pakistan, fighting a tribal war along a strategically sensitive boundary

The American deep-sea exploration pioneers Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered the long-lost wreck of the Gairsoppa 4,700 metres (2.9 miles) under the Atlantic Ocean

SS Gairsoppa was steaming home from India in while in the service of the Ministry of War Transport when she was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat on February 14 1941. It had 155m of silver still onboard

Amid the wreck, 109 tons of silver, 717 letters and dozens of items used by the crew were recovered by robots controlled from the Odysseys research shipsJonathan Dick is on Australia's most wanted list

A fugitive accused of murdering his brother with a samurai sword last year is on the run again after allegedly assaulting a man with a hammer.

Jonathan Dick was named one of Australia's most wanted criminals after his brother David Dick was fatally slashed across the head with a samurai sword at a shopping centre in Doncaster, Melbourne's north-east, in 2017.

Dick went on the run after his brother's death.

The 40-year-old resurfaced in Keilor, Melbourne's north-west, on Thursday.

Homicide Squad detectives have appealed for public assistance to help locate him following an assault.

A 38-year-old man was assaulted with a hammer in a driveway on Church Street shortly before 7am.

Jonathan Dick, who is accused of murdering his brother with a samurai sword, is on the run after allegedly assaulting a man with a hammer on Thursday (CCTV image from Thursday)

The man, who was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, alleged Dick was responsible for the early morning attack.

The Homicide Squad released CCTV images of the attacker in the hope members of the public would recognise him and report his location to the police.

He is described as being Caucasian in appearance, about 176cm tall with a solid build and mousy brown hair.

He was last seen dressed in a red long-sleeved hooded top with blue jeans.

Homicide Squad detectives urged members of the public to phone police if they sighted the fugitive.

They said he was dangerous and warned people not to approach him but call triple zero.

The Homicide Squad released CCTV images of the attacker in the hope members of the public would recognise him and report his location to the policeA shocking photograph of a woman appearing to shoot up a drug in a children's park is a startling reminder of Australia's worsening drug epidemic.

Visitors to Harmony Park in Willagee, southwest Perth, snapped a picture of a woman allegedly shooting up in front of parents and young children in broad daylight.

The woman is pictured sitting on the grass with the contents of her handbag spilled onto the ground while holding a needle in her left hand.

Visitors to Harmony park in Willagee, southwest Perth, snapped a picture of a woman (pictured) allegedly shooting up in front of parents and young children in broad daylight

The woman was allegedly shooting up at Harmony Park (pictured) in Perth's southwest

An incensed park-goer claims a traffic police officer only 'moved her along' instead of arresting her at the scene.

'Kids are around playing at the park and this c***t shoots up at the park in front of children and everyone else,' a woman wrote in a post to Facebook.

'What is this world coming to? Anyone know this junkie? The traffic police officer just moved her along inside of calling the police.'

The photograph sparked an influx of furious commenters who claim the drug problem in Australia, particularly in Perth, is out of control.

'Needles have been found at my child's school in the sand pits, if I found that piece of sh*t I would kill them - do what you do f***wit, but do it somewhere else,' one Perth woman said.

'That's why I don't live in Perth or any city,' another person wrote.

One Perth man said he is sick of seeing needles scattered around Perth after finding one close to his child's primary school.

One Perth man said he is sick of seeing needles scattered around Perth after finding one close to his child's primary school (Needle pictured)

An incensed park-goer claims a traffic police officer only 'moved her along' instead of arresting the woman at the scene (Park pictured)

The father-of-three said he found an uncapped needle 500m away from Challis Primary School in Armadale, Perth and picked it up to move it out of harm's way.

'Needles are everywhere... I hate having no license having to walk with 3 kids finding dirty sh*t like this all the time,' he said.

Perth has been described in the past as the 'methamphetamine capital of Australia' and West Australians are now the biggest ice users in the country, according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Globally, Australia ranks a shocking second place behind Slovakia for the highest level of meth users among 18 countries with comparable sewage testing.

While WA held the title for meth use, Sydney was found to be the worst for cocaine use and the Northern Territory for alcohol and tobacco.co use were the highest in the Northern Territory.

Sydney snorted more cocaine than anywhere else in Australia with 30 hits a day per 1000 people compared to just two or less hits a day in WA.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted WA Police who could not confirm if the alleged incident is being investigated.The suspected ringleader of the Costa timeshare scam has been named as Howard Manton.

The Brit expat has been offered the chance of bail after being told he would be set free from prison if he paid 17,550 (Eur20,000).

His bail was initially set at five times that - but lowered after he claimed he could not afford to pay.

Manton, who lives near Malaga, has been linked to bogus timeshare resale firms in the past by Spanish watchdog The Mindtimeshare Association.

It was not clear last night if Manton, whose wife, son and daughter-in-law were also arrested over the alleged scam, was out on bail or not.

He is part of British gang of 36 people arrested for their part in a 15million Costa del Sol timeshare scam that has affected hundreds of people across the UK.

Three officers work away at counting more than 100,000 of cash which was seized in raids along with 10 designer watches, gemstones, seven vehicles including a Ferrari and a yacht

A police officer puts down her belongings on a table overlooking a pool and the beach at the luxury headquarters of the suspected scammers in the coastal city of Velez-Malaga east of Malaga

Officers in high visibility jackets and medial gloves sift through paperwork at the suspected scammers' headquarters in Spain

The gang even employed fake lawyers who would contact those who were scammed to falsely offer their services to claim their money back.

More than 100,000 in cash, 10 designer watches, gemstones, seven vehicles including a Ferrari and a yacht were seized in the coastal city of Velez-Malaga east of Malaga in what is understood to be the scammers' headquarters.

An estimated 500 people - all Brits - have fallen victim to the scam.

Spanish police announced today most of those arrested are also believed to be British.

Police say they believe those affected were defrauded out of nearly 15million and the suspects made a whopping profit of nearly 11million.

Detectives and Malaga-based central government representatives revealed details of the timeshare fraud op at a press conference in the Costa del Sol capital this morning.

A police spokesman said: 'National Police officers have smashed a criminal organisation based in the province of Malaga specialising in timeshare fraud.

'Thirty-six people have been arrested, and another placed under formal investigation but not arrested, on suspicion of fraud, money laundering, forgery and membership of a criminal organisation.

'Among those detained are the alleged ringleader, a British man, and two lawyers believed to have been responsible for the money laundering.

An officer counts the Euros in front of a pile of envelopes

'The suspects offered their customers, all British and timeshare owners, a timeshare holiday product.'

The police operation was codenamed Manta - Spanish for Blanket - and the cash and luxury goods were seized during raids on a lawyer's office and the headquarters of the firm.

The raids came after police were asked to act on a formal complaint filed by a lawyer acting for 33 Brits who said they had fallen victim to a timeshare scam.

Spain's National Police said in a statement: 'Initial inquiries were made to determine the place the firm was operating from and resulted in the identification of three companies the fraudulent activity was being conducted from.

'Continuing with their inquiries, police discovered a criminal network composed mainly of six people, namely the main suspect and intellectual author, his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law, all people he trusted who were on the next level down to him, plus two lawyers suspected of being in charge of the money laundering part of the business, and an additional thirty accomplices needed to carry out the fraud.

'The suspects contacted potential victims, all timeshare owners and all British, and offered them the possibility of acquiring a holiday package as well as selling their timeshare to other possible buyers.

'To start the ball rolling, and buy or sell the holiday package, they would ask their victims for a sum of money they termed a deposit.

'After reaching agreement with the victims, they would dupe them into making bank transfers.

'They realised after the sale or purchase didn't go through that they had been duped.'

Two British passports and huge wads of 50 notes on a table after being confiscated by police

Police say the suspects used forged documents to pose as legitimate businessmen and also employed accomplices who would try to dupe victims who had already been left out of pocket by claiming they could help them get their money back.

All those arrested have appeared before an investigating judge in private court hearings and the suspected ringleader remanded in custody.

The rest continue to be probed as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.

No-one has been formally charged as is normal in Spain where charges are only laid shortly before trial.

Police did not name any of the suspects at yesterday's press conference.

It is understood each victim paid between around 550 and 2,700.

Miguel Briones, a Malaga-based central government spokesman, said police had 'flexed their muscles' and sent an important message to the British community and the tourist sector that the Spanish authorities were there to help protect them from criminals.Mobile phones have never been better but they all seem to share one basic problem: the battery never lasts as long as the brick-like phones of yesteryear.

Now the founders of ChargedUp, a new London-based start-up, believe they have a solution.

They want to ensure that you never run out of mobile juice while you're out and about by applying the bike-sharing model that popularised Boris Bikes to mobile phone charging.

The company provides charging stations where you can borrow a portable mobile charger, take it with you while your phone charges and then drop it back off at any ChargedUp station when you've finished using it.

Meet the founders of Charged up: (from left to right) Charlie Baron, Forrest Skerman-Stevenson, Hakeem Buge and Hugo Tilmouth

Prices start from 50p for 30 minutes and are capped at 3 a day and there are already charging stations in over 250 locations across London including bars, restaurants, cafes and offices.

To access a charger, you must first download the ChargedUp app and upload your card details. Then scan the QR code on the station to release the battery, plug in and go.

Hugo Tilmouth, the start-up founder, said: 'I ask the same question every time I give a business presentation to a focus group, investors or prospective clients: has your phone ever died on you at an inconvenient time?

'There's never been a time when I've done it and the whole room hasn't put the hand up because it's an issue that everyone faces.

'We've created a cheap and environmentally sustainable solution to help solve the problem.'

But the obvious question is: what stops customers from taking the battery pack and failing to return it?

When you sign up to the app, you're required to upload payment card details. Those who don't return the portable battery within 10 days are automatically charged 30 - effectively purchasing the device - and are given free access to the ChargedUp network for the whole year.

The charging station can be found in over 250 locations across the London including bars, restaurants, cafes and offices spaces

They can charge the battery at home or swap it at one of the firm's charging stations for another fully charged battery.

Tilmouth said: 'If you do decide to keep the battery it's still a really great offer because most power banks are around that price anyway, but we prefer people to keep sharing the batteries as it's more sustainable.'

Existing customers can buy the battery pack they're using at any point through the app.

Borne out of frustration

Poor phone battery life is a quintessentially 21st century problem - but a problem nonetheless.

For Tilmouth, his phone's floundering battery life meant he missed an important phone interview for a job.

He didn't get the job because he didn't call back in time, but the experience planted the seed of a business idea that has grown into ChargedUp.

Tilmouth launched the business in 2016 at the age of 21, having studied renewable energy engineering at Exeter University, where he was involved in a project on charging mobile phones using solar energy.

ChargedUp adapts the bike-sharing model that popularised so-called Boris Bikes to offer an on-the-go mobile phone charging service

The venture has three other co-founders including Charlie Baron, 24 - who Tilmouth had met during a summer job at a firm which converts people's footsteps into electrical power - Forrest Skerman-Stevenson, 24, and Hakeem Buge, 23.

Tilmouth, now 23, admits to bootstrapping to save on costs. He said: 'I even cycled to business meetings to keep costs as low as possible. I actually sold my bike when money was tight.'

The quartet subsequently raised around 200,000 of funding from a host of sources including a Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme - a popular type of venture capital scheme, business competitions and Exeter University.

Baron said: 'We are not just an app-based company like a lot of modern start-ups, we had to develop the hardware as well. We spent a year making the batteries after launch.

'We had 3D printers running all the time, pretty much 24 hours a day developing prototypes and other iterations on design to get the perfect size that it fits well with your phone.'

Business lessons

ChargedUp is not the only business offering a way to charge your phone on the go. ChargeBox provides lockers across a number of locations, allowing you to lock your phone away and charge it.

The founders of ChargedUp initially had a similar idea: they created a solar panel that connected to charging locker.

'We quickly ditched that idea because it was really irritating having to leave your phone in the locker,' Tilmouth said.

'People like battery packs because it allows them surf the web, play a game, look at photos or do whatever they want to do on their phone while their battery is charging.'

To access one, you must first download the ChargedUp app and upload your card details

The entire ChargedUp network runs on green energy, made possible by a partnership with renewable energy providers.

The firm manages to maintain its environmentally sustainable credentials by offsetting the amount of energy used on its network through the purchase of an equivalent amount of green energy which they then pump back into the national grid.

Tilmouth reveals plans to expand to 1,000 stations in the capital by the end of 2019.

This ambition was given a boost at the tail end of last year, after the firm struck a deal with retailer Marks & Spencer to trial the charging stations in a number of stores in London.

One of the biggest challenges facing the company is managing demand for the product, according to Tilmouth, who added: 'A lot of businesses want to get our charging stations in their venues, so we need to concentrate on producing enough to meet the demand.

'On the other hand, there is also growing demand from people who want to use the battery packs, but our stations aren't in every venue so we need to grow incredibly quickly in order to keep up with demand.'

Tilmouth refused to confirm how many app downloads the firm has seen or how many customers are using the battery packs currently but suggested it was 'in the thousands'.

That said, with 250 charging stations available at the moment and 10 battery packs per station, it's still clearly a business in its early salad days.

The London cycle hire scheme, where users rent a bike to take them from station to station across the capital, began its life in 2013 with 185,000 members.

It has since grown to 363,000 members with the racks of bikes, currently branded in Santander's ubiquitous red, now a commonplace sight across the city.

Whether ChargedUp will take off to the same extent remains to be seen.Rumours are flying that Ocado is hatching a deal with Marks & Spencer to provide the flagging High Street retailer with an online delivery service for its food.

This is the kind of partnership that has seen Ocado blossom from a tentative hopeful into a FTSE 100 blue-chip over the last year.

Indeed Ocado  founded in 2000  is worth more than M&S, which traces its roots back to the 1880s.

A slick mobile app and huge robotic warehouses are behind its success. This technological expertise can be licensed out to international partners in need of modernisation.

Amazons purchase of the grocery chain Whole Foods in 2017 probably helped too, by sending shivers through the global retail sector and flushing out deals with US, French, Swedish and Canadian supermarket groups.

The shares have quadrupled in two years, burning the hedge funds who bet against Ocado in the process. In the price lies the puzzle, though.

Ocado isnt expected to turn a profit until 2020, and is one of the most expensive shares in the Footsie, reflecting the stock markets forecast of stellar long term growth.

But such high expectations do raise the prospect of disappointment for investors if Ocado fails to deliver.

> Check the fundamentals: Ocado's share price, financial details and latest reportsAs a television reporter, there is nothing like a live broadcast to keep you on your toes. After all, things can  and often do  go wrong.

So I could be forgiven for feeling a little bit pleased with myself that, until April 2017, I had managed to get through thousands of live reports with little incident.

Pride comes before a fall, as they say: almost literally, in my case. While reporting from a major incident in Westminster, I seized up, started repeating myself and talking gibberish, and quickly lost the ability to talk altogether.

Apparent 'blooper fail': What they and the four million viewers didnt know was that I had been living with the blood sugar condition type 1 diabetes for a decade, and my fail was the result of the illness

Mary Nightingale, the news presenter back in the studio, clearly sensed something was wrong and quickly cut my report short.

Now, if you search my name on YouTube, you can see it yourself: the clips are labelled News reader fail! and, even less sympathetically, ITV Reporter Brain Farts Live, and come complete with audible laughter from whoever was recording.

On Twitter, it was described as a cringeworthy malfunction on camera. Another Twitter user helpfully suggested I had been possessed by some kind of spirit.

But what they and the four million viewers didnt know was that I had been living with the blood sugar condition type 1 diabetes for a decade, and my fail was the result of the illness.

I knew I wasnt feeling great as I raced from my office in Central London to Whitehall, where a man carrying a bag of knives had been arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. As the ITV News Security Editor, my job was to get to the scene as quickly as possible.

But in the adrenaline-fuelled rush of the breaking story, I managed to ignore the warning signs that I was becoming hypoglycaemic  the term for dangerously low blood sugar levels, usually called a hypo.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone vital for moving glucose from carbohydrates in food out of the bloodstream and into the bodys cells, where it is used for energy (file image shows a diabetes monitor)

The studio cut to me live and after a couple of just-coherent opening sentences, I began to slow down  fast. After a few ums and ers, I started to repeat myself, blurting out random words and only vaguely relevant phrases.

Then suddenly, I just ran out of energy and stopped talking.

I muttered a final Hello? down the camera lens and the live link was cut just as I felt myself slipping out of consciousness. If it hadnt been for the swift action of colleagues, things could have been far worse than embarrassing.

Ever since I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006, aged 24, after a visit to the doctor following unexplained weight loss, thirst and tiredness, its been difficult combining an unpredictable job with an unpredictable condition.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Sustained high blood sugar can lead to blindness and damage to nerves and limbs. But low blood sugar, caused by taking too much insulin, can trigger a hypo. The treatment in all cases? Immediately consuming something very sugary, such as a soft drink, sweets or a glucose table

Insulin is a hormone vital for moving glucose from carbohydrates in food out of the bloodstream and into the bodys cells, where it is used for energy.

Because we type 1 diabetics dont produce our own insulin, we have to inject a synthetic version every day to keep our blood sugar levels under control.

Managing sugar levels is a daily tightrope balance between the long-term risks of high blood sugar and the immediate dangers of it sinking too low.

Sustained high blood sugar can lead to blindness and damage to nerves and limbs. But low blood sugar, caused by taking too much insulin, can trigger a hypo.

The treatment in all cases? Immediately consuming something very sugary, such as a soft drink, sweets or a glucose tablet.

Conditions that affect five million Britons Most people have heard of type 2 diabetes  its become something of a modern-day epidemic. Fatty foods, excess alcohol and a couch-potato lifestyle all increase the risk of developing the condition by disrupting the bodys use of insulin  the hormone that helps us burn up glucose (a sugar) from foods. Without it, glucose accumulates in the blood, damaging nerves, blood vessels and vital organs. More than four million Britons have type 2 diabetes and another 12 million people are at risk. It can usually be controlled with tablets and, in some cases, reversed by weight loss. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Most of Britains 400,000 sufferers must inject insulin daily to avoid dangerously high blood sugar levels. Advertisement

At Westminster, my colleagues who knew I had diabetes offered me fizzy drinks and chocolate. Three minutes and one can of cola later, I was back to normal.

If untreated, however, hypos can lead to unconsciousness, irreversible brain damage and even death.

Many news correspondents are used to grabbing a passport and a change of clothes to respond to a breaking news event, especially when reporting from war zones or natural disasters.

But my must-haves include ten cartridges of two types of insulin, 50 needles, two insulin pens, a blood-testing machine, a device to pierce my skin, dozens of testing strips to measure my blood glucose levels, and several packets of something very sweet.

Of course, some type 1 diabetics have far more challenging jobs. Theresa May was in her 50s when she was diagnosed. Unlike me, the Prime Minister wears a diabetes patch on her arm the size of a 2 coin which constantly monitors her glucose levels, reducing the need for finger-prick blood tests. Now Im warming to the idea of anything that might help prevent another on-air hypo.

The slurred words and vacant expression caused by hypoglycaemia can falsely give the impression that someone having a hypo is drunk. That means many diabetics who find themselves in danger and in need of urgent help are dismissed by strangers.

Thats a worry when you remember that there are 400,000 people in the UK with type 1 diabetes, including around 30,000 children.

Although for some, my hypo is merely an amusing TV blooper, it is a real reminder that type 1 diabetes is a serious illness that people need to be aware of as it can have deadly consequences.Thousands more NHS patients could have lifesaving liver transplants in the coming years thanks to ground-breaking technology that increases the number of organs available by up to a third.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the NHS spending watchdog, has recommended  for the first time  that a technique called machine perfusion be used to keep donated livers alive prior to surgery.

Donor organs are usually chilled to just above freezing once they have been removed. But machine perfusion keeps organs at around body temperature  37C  and feeds them with oxygen-rich blood. Experts say it is revolutionising surgery because it trebles the time livers last out of the body from eight hours to 24.

Thousands more NHS patients could have lifesaving liver transplants in the coming years thanks to ground-breaking technology that increases the number of organs available by up to a third

Chris Watson, professor of transplantation at the University of Cambridge, says: This technology represents a game-changer in transplant medicine and is great news for patients on waiting lists.

Liver disease kills more than 14,000 people a year in the UK.Major causes include excess alcohol intake, obesity and viral hepatitis. About 1,000 sufferers a year undergo a liver transplant but hundreds more die before they get the chance. One reason is a third of donor livers are rejected, often due to existing scarring or disease.Machine perfusion could see many discarded livers put to good use. Once the liver is removed, its major arteries and veins are connected up to the device which pumps body-temperature blood through it.

In April 2018, a study showed livers plumbed into a machine perfusion device called Metra functioned better after transplant than those chilled  especially the most marginal ones.

For more than half-a-century, harvested organs scheduled for transplant have been stored on ice to preserve them during transportation. Cooling them from body temperature to as low as 4C was thought to be the best way to limit damage during transportation. But studies now show they do much better if they are kept warm and fed with oxygen-rich blood. Not only does it keep them going for longer but it means doctors can check how they function before they carry out the transplant.

Gemma Jolly, 41, a supermarket cashier from Northamptonshire, was one of the first in the UK to benefit from the new technology.

When she was in her 20s she was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis, where the immune system attacks the liver and causes it to become inflamed. After the birth of her children, George and Harrison, in 2001 and 2006, her liver started to pack up completely.

She became progressively ill and in May 2016 had a liver transplant. But it failed and she was put back on the waiting list. Last November, a second matching liver was located and this time doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham used the Metra machine to keep it alive.

During the six-hour operation, surgeons removed Gemmas liver before connecting the new one to her blood vessels. Doctors later told her the operation would have failed without the new technology, because there had been a delay getting the donor organ to her.

Gemma says: Ive got my life back and my boys have got their mum back.

Now the technique is being rolled out to other types of organ transplant surgery. US firm TransMedics has developed a machine that keeps donor hearts warm and beating during transit. More than 60 NHS patients have so far had transplants where it has been used.

Meanwhile, OrganOx  which developed the liver perfusion system backed by NICE  is now working on a similar one for kidneys.

If it works, the impact could be huge  more than 5,000 people in the UK are on the waiting list for a new kidney.

A perfusion machine for the pancreas is also in the pipeline.Thousands of men are being abandoned without support after surviving prostate cancer, a study has found.

More than half of men successfully treated for the disease in Britain are left without help for the most common side-effects.

Researchers interviewed 30,000 men in the largest ever study looking at life after prostate cancer.

More than half of men successfully treated for the prostate cancer in Britain are left without help for the most common side-effects, including erectile dysfunction

The findings, published in the Lancet Oncology journal, found 81 per cent of men were left with poor sexual function after their treatment.

There are many treatments for impotence, including cheap and effective pills such as Viagra, yet 56 per cent of men in the study received no intervention or support at all.

Experts led by the University of Southampton, Oxford Brookes and Queens University Belfast found support worsened the older men got.

Some 61 per cent of men over the age of 65 were offered no support for erectile dysfunction, compared with 22 per cent for those under 55.

Professor Adam Glaser, of the University of Leeds, a senior author of the report, said: Many men now live with prostate cancer, rather than dying from prostate cancer.

And it is really important that we give them support and options after treatment, rather than writing them off as old men.

He said men often avoid discussing intimate topics, but added: As men it is not what we talk about in the pub. But this study is a red flag that we in the health services need to proactively address it.

81 per cent of men were left with poor sexual function after their treatment for prostate cancer

The study, funded by the Movember Foundation and Prostate Cancer UK, showed 94 per cent who underwent hormone therapy, 84 per cent who had surgery and 79 per cent who had radiotherapy suffered sexual problems within three-and-a-half years of their diagnosis.

Treatments are improving to avoid side-effects such as sexual dysfunction  with robotic surgery and specialist counselling, for example, driving down the rate of problems.

The Daily Mail is campaigning for greater awareness, treatment and diagnosis of prostate cancer. There are 400,000 men in Britain who have either survived the disease or are still being treated.

Yet some doctors still prioritise treating the cancer at all costs, with little view as to how men recover afterwards.

Heather Blake, of Prostate Cancer UK, said the number of men left without support for sexual problems simply isnt good enough, adding: With long term implications including depression, this is a side-effect that must not be swept under the carpet.

NHS England said it was critical that men felt comfortable talking about side-effects of treatment.An opt-out system for organ donation will soon become law after it passed its last hurdle in Parliament.

Adults will be presumed to be organ donors unless they have explicitly objected. Experts say the move will save 700 lives a year.

The House of Lords yesterday gave its approval to the law, now in its final Parliamentary stages after it cleared the Commons last year.

The new legislation is set to be called Maxs and Keiras Law, after heart transplant patient Max Johnson, 11, and his donor Keira Ball

In 2017, some 411 Britons died before the right donor could be found and more than 5,000 are currently on the waiting list in England alone. Wales introduced an opt-out system in 2015, while the Scottish government has also tabled legislation on the issue.

The new legislation is set to be called Maxs and Keiras Law, after heart transplant patient Max Johnson, 11, and his donor Keira Ball, who saved his life after dying in a car crash aged nine in 2017.

Peers made no changes to the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill during its committee stage in the House of Lords.

Speaking during the debate, former Tory health minister Lord OShaughnessy said the system of deemed consent would allow Britons to express a preference to not have their organs donated.

End of an era: Until now, donors would carry this NHS Organ Donor Register card

He said: It must be the case under the system we have now that some peoples organs are being donated because their family agree, even though they would not have agreed, which cannot be right.

I used to be a sceptic of opt-out-type systems but I think the proposal that is here in legislation, that has been demonstrated to work in Wales, gets the right balance between giving people that power and control but also making sure they can make a positive choice if they are well informed. At any one time there are around 6,000 Britons on the transplant waiting list and three die every day in need of an organ.

Fewer than half of families give consent for their loved ones organs to be donated if they are unaware of their wishes. Campaigners hope the new system will encourage us to make our wishes known before we die, with an online register for those opting out.

Research has shown more than 80 per cent of adults in England would definitely donate their organs or would consider doing so. However, only 37 per cent of Britons have registered as donors on the NHS Organ Donor Register and received a donor card.

For the Government, Tory frontbencher Baroness Manzoor yesterday told peers: Even if one life is saved as a result of this change in culture then it must be surely worth it.

Fiona Loud, of Kidney Care UK, who attended the reading yesterday, said: The new law has the potential to save many lives and is a positive step towards reducing the number of people who die every day waiting for a transplant.

However, Professor Chris Rudge, a leading transplant surgeon, has said he would opt out on the grounds that the State should not presume to take a citizens organs. Last year he said: Organ donation should be a present  I am so horribly opposed to a change in the law.One person is dead and at least two are injured after a gunman opened fire at a Turkish cafe in Antwerp, Belgium, Mirror reports. Two people have been arrested and a firearm has been seized.

Police officers have cordoned off a large around around the scene of the shooting in Brederodestraat on Saturday afternoon. The force has not revealed a suspected motive for the incident.

There have been tensions between Turkish and Kurdish communities in that neighbourhood of Antwerp, VRT reported. However, it has not been stated that the shooting has anything to do with those tensions.Liz Greenwood does not want to return to City Hall until it has been fumigated of typhus-carrying rats and fleas

Typhus - an infectious disease spread by fleas - is sweeping LA County, infected a city hall prosecutor and more than 100 others.

Officials recorded 124 cases of the disease in the county last year, and there is no sign of the spread letting up.

The outbreak has largely been seen as exclusively affecting homeless people.

But today, Deputy City Attorney Liz Greenwood revealed she was diagnosed in November - blaming the fleas in her office at LA's City Hall.

And the symptoms Greenwood described sounded excruciating.

'It felt like somebody was driving railroad stakes through my eyes and out the back of my neck,' Greenwood told NBC Los Angeles.

'Who gets typhus? It's a medieval disease that's caused by trash.'

She believes the rats that nestle in the building's trash were carrying fleas that transmitted the disease.

'There are rats in City Hall and City Hall East,' Greenwood told NBC. 'There are enormous rats and their tails are as long as their bodies.'

She has yet to go back to work, and is calling on the city to fumigate the building before she does 'because I thought I was going to die'.

'This is a terrible illness and I wouldn't wish this on anybody,' she said, adding: 'It's not just homeless folks getting it.'

WHAT IS TYPHUS? Typhus is a bacterial disease that causes fever, headache, rash, muscle ache, and fever and chills. In severe cases, patients can require hospitalisation due to hepatitis or internal bleeding. It is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi and possibly Rickettsia felis, which are carried by fleas, lice, mites or ticks. The pests live on animals, particularly feral and stray cats, rats and opossums, but do not make their host animals unwell. Flea-borne typhus is endemic in parts of LA and Orange County. The disease also often occurs in Texas and Hawaii. Around 200 cases occur every year throughout the US, particularly in coastal regions. Bacteria spread when faeces from an infected insect contaminate a person's cut or graze while the insect is sucking their blood. If the person scratches the bite area, the bacteria from the faeces can enter their bloodstream. Bacteria can also be rubbed into a person's eyes, or, in rare cases, inhaled. Symptoms then appear six-to-14 days later. Typhus can be treated via antibiotics, with most people recovering within a few days. Between two and four per cent of people who do not receive treatment die worldwide. Typhus can be prevented by avoiding contact with fleas, mites, ticks and lice via: Discouraging wild animals around the home

Keeping rubbish covered

Using flea control on pets Advertisement

A MEDIEVAL DISEASE: WHERE TYPHUS BEGAN

Typhus was first described in 1489 by the Spanish, when their soldiers started developing symptoms during the War of Granada.

They lost 17,000 men to typhus - almost six times the amount that died in battle (3,000).

Then, reports of it started popping up all over, particularly in dungeons and warzones.

Sufferers developed fevers, spots, delirium and gangrene.

It killed 100,000 people in Ireland in the early 1800s.

It was first recorded in the US in the late 1800s, with an epidemic in Philadelphia in 1837.

In 1843, the son of President Franklin Pierce died of typhus.

During the Civil War it was known as 'camp fever', killing hundreds of thousands.

TODAY: HOW IT'S CONTRACTED - AND WHY IT'S STRIKING L.A.

Typhus can be treated via antibiotics, with most people recovering within a few days.

Between two and four per cent of people who do not receive treatment die worldwide.

Flea-borne typhus occurs when feces from an infected insect come into contact with a person's cut or gets rubbed into their eyes.

These fleas often live on feral cats and rats who are attracted to areas with trash on the streets.

The current flea-borne typhus outbreak in LA County is unusually severe. Just 67 cases were recorded in the whole of 2017. And Pasadena and Long Beach have an average of five or six per year.

Officials have not managed to explain why typhus is suddenly spreading in the area as nine cases have been recorded in downtown LA in the past two months. They are investigating the issue.

Symptoms of typhus in humans include fever, chills, headaches, rashes and muscle ache.

In rare cases, the infection can cause liver failure or be fatal  an estimated two to four per cent of untreated patients die.

Typhus usually affects around 200 people across the US every year, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Health officials were alerted to the outbreak when a cluster of nine cases occurred in downtown LA between July and August.

The infection is endemic  commonly found  in parts of LA and Orange County, Southern California.

Greenwood believes the rats that nestle in the building's trash were carrying fleas that transmitted the disease

Fleas carrying the infection can live on cats, rats or opossums, however, the animals themselves do not suffer symptoms.

Typhus often spreads in areas where there is an accumulation of trash that attracts wild animals.

The infection cannot be transmitted from person-to-person and is treatable with antibiotics. There is no vaccine in the US.

Up to four per cent of people worldwide who are untreated die, the CDPH claims.

To prevent infection, LA's public health department recommends residents: use flea control on pets, tuck their pants into their socks or boots when outside and avoid wild or stray animals.

Texas experienced a flea-borne typhus outbreak around this time last year.

More than 400 cases occurred from the start of 2017 to the end of November - the highest number for 16 years.Patients are struggling amid a shortage of a common anti-anxiety medication - with no sign of when it will be restocked.

Buprisone is regarded as one of the safest treatments for anxiety because it is less addictive, less lethal, and with fewer side effects than benzodiazepines like Valium. It is also cheaper.

However, a third of the country's supply has been cut off after an FDA inspection of a Mylan factory in West Virginia, which produces the drug, found it to be dirty and failing in quality.

The factory was forced to cease all production until the FDA is satisfied that changes have been made - and there is no date set for restarting.

Psychiatrists warn the ramifications can be severe for people struck by the shortage.

Those who go a few days without buprisone may experience a sudden return of the symptoms that drove them to take medication. Many have described suffering withdrawal symptoms, including the notoriously painful 'brain zaps' - jolts of white light and buzzing.

A third of the country's buprisone supply has been cut off after an FDA inspection of a Mylan factory in West Virginia, which produces the drug, found it to be dirty and failing in quality

Beth Salcedo, MD, board president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America said she is concerned that, when it comes to medications for mental disorders, there is often a lack of urgency to resume production.

'Anxiety is associated with suicide so this drug is as important as anything else when it comes to life-saving,' Salcedo told DailyMail.com.

'The FDA needs to look at it that way. When you see the suicide rate going up, we need to be careful about keeping our risk factors in check.'

Paul Crosby, MD, chief medical officer at the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, concurred.

'Sometimes it's easy to look at this and say "this isn't life-threatening, it's anxiety,"' he told DailyMail.com.

'But somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of the US population experiences a diagnosable anxiety disorder every year. And when you consider depression, that's the leading cause of disability.

'This isn't a minor issue, this is a pretty big deal, and there's real suffering and morbidity when people experience shortages.'

In 2017, there were 13.5 million buprisone prescriptions filled, up from 10.2 million in 2015.

Buprisone, once sold as Buspar but is now only sold as a generic, tends to be a treatment that patients are prescribed after other anti-anxiety medications fail.

That's partly because the clinical trials for buprisone took a general scope, using it for people with various anxiety symptoms.

For a patient's first anti-anxiety prescription, doctors are more likely to put them on an SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac or Zoloft, because there are many of them and each may target more specific things.

Anecdotally, Dr Crosby said, some physicians have said they feel SSRIs are more effective, and 'there's some debate about the effectiveness of Buspar.'

But as the US grapples with various addictions, buprisone is a nice low-risk alternative for doctors: it is less addictive with fewer side effects, and it rarely interacts badly with other drugs (unlike SSRIs).

In fact, it is even prescribed in tandem with many antidepressants to balance out and treat the side effects.

The problem is that there aren't really any other low-risk alternatives, warns Anna Lembke, MD, a Stanford professor of medicine and author of Drug Dealer, MD - a book which warns addiction to anxiety medicines is being ignored.

Dr Lembke has only heard of one case of Buspar addiction. Compared to 'benzos' it is a much more comforting pill to recommend.

'We have a lot of high-risk drugs that people over-prescribe for various reasons, but we don't have a wide range of low-risk drugs' - making its shortage more of an issue.

What's more, buprisone is mainly used by patients who have run out of other options. And switching to another drug is not only stressful, but often won't work.

Buprisone is in a class of its own, there aren't any drugs like it.

A different drug will likely have a different effect, and may not work. Even for drugs that do have similar alternatives, switching between from one to the other can prove futile or painful.

That leaves patients forced to ration their doses.

'At the least it's highly frustrating and at the worst it can case the to have significant and potentially life-threatening symptoms,' Dr Lembke said.

The FDA has been fairly quiet about the shortage. None of the doctors DailyMail.com spoke to had heard of any of their patients being affected by the shortage, which has lasted a couple of weeks. But often, it's not clear how long these shortages can last, especially for generic drugs (as opposed to brand-name drugs).

Dr Crosby said shortages are becoming more common.

In shortages that he's seen before (usually ADHD medications like Adderall which are very tightly controlled), it has lasted days, weeks or even months, with rarely any notice from the FDA about a timeline.

A spokesman for the FDA said in an email: 'I can confirm that FDA is continuing to work with Mylan and the other manufactures on availability.'

Myland said in an emailed statement: 'As part of the ongoing restructuring and remediation activities at our site in Morgantown, Mylan has experienced supply interruptions affecting a number of products, including some psychiatric medications. We understand the burden this puts on our customers and the patients we serve. We encourage patients to check the FDA drug shortage database to confirm the latest supply status and the availability of comparable products made by other manufacturers. For instance, in the case of buspirone, we believe there are at least four other suppliers actively selling that product. In addition, we encourage patients to consult with their physician regarding alternate therapies.'Fashion designer Ivanka, 37, knows the importance of looking good, and clearly thinks that being cold is a small price to pay for it.

She shunned hosiery (and a coat) when walking to her Secret Service vehicle in Washington last month.

Her knee-length grey skirt suit and low-cut black camisole, paired with glamorous heels, were no match for the chilly temperatures, which dropped to 1.6c.

Perhaps it had been a while since the President's pampered daughter had set foot outside, and she wasn't quite aware how cold it had become.

Still, at least she didn't have far to go in the freezing weather.

Like her father, Ivanka travels everywhere in super-exclusive cars fitted with high-tech heating to keep her snug.

NICOLE SCHERZINGER

Former Pussycat Doll Nicole, 40, paid no heed to the arctic conditions in New York this week, heading to an interview at the Build Series studios in this tight-fitting brown leather dress.

Despite the city being in the grip of the polar vortex  with her waiting fans sensibly bundled up in coats and hats  she braved the bare-leg look, letting her coat drape open to show off her dress.

She finished off the outfit with spike-heeled ankle boots, which didn't offer much protection from the biting cold, either.

Temperatures had dropped to a teeth-chattering -6c  even colder than parts of Antarctica  but that didn't stop Nicole from flashing eight inches of calf.

Understandably, the look on her face is more of a grimace.

Ivanka Trump, Nicole Scherzinger and Holly Willoughby were seen braving the winter chill bare-legged

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY

Bracing herself against the early morning chill, presenter Holly Willoughby showed off the ultimate 'Jan tan' outside the This Morning studios on Thursday, donning a tartan coat from High Street store Hobbs and a red Whistles dress.

But with the temperature dropping as low as -5.5c in parts of London this week, the stylish outfit, revealing her bronzed legs, can only be admired through gritted teeth.

Holly, 37, has been criticised for her heavily tanned legs in the past, with some viewers branding the tan 'fake' on social media.

However, after a recent presenting stint on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Australia, her perfect pins look genuinely sun-kissed.

JENNIFER CONNELLY

American actress Jennifer, 48, seemed to think she was still in sun-drenched LA rather than c-c-cold London on Thursday night. She paired this curious white cut-out dress, cinched in at the waist, with black lace-up boots and bare legs at a film premiere.

A fitness fanatic, Jennifer loves any excuse to flaunt her muscly calves and slim thighs  and both were on display at the event in Leicester Square, despite the near-freezing temperatures.

Indeed, even the carpet rolled out for the A-listers at the premiere for her new movie, Alita: Battle Angel, reflected the chilly conditions  it was blue, rather than the typical red.

THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX

Meghan, 37, flaunted her perfect pins at Londons National Theatre this week, in a pretty peach ensemble.

Pregnant women are less prone to feeling the cold, but the rise in their core body temperature doesnt usually extend to the limbs. Meghan seems keen to show shes as stylish as ever.

CAROLINE FLACK

Love Island host Caroline is no stranger to the bare-leg brigade. Indeed, its hard to recall a time when she has worn tights in public.

The presenter, 39, who wore this cut-out number to last weeks National Television Awards in London, seems to believe shes still in scorching Majorca, where Love Island is filmed.

Her perma-tanned legs think so, too. Heres hoping that she doesnt catch a pneumonia.

Actress Jennifer Connelly, Meghan Markle and Caroline Flack were also spotted flaunting their pins in stunning ensembles this week

AMANDA HOLDEN

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda, 47, braved a shivery red carpet for the shows auditions in London last week.

Her golden, kimono-style gown and strappy nude sandals exposed her bare legs to the cool evening air, but the fashion-conscious Amanda chose to prioritise her beautiful frock over her numbed limbs.

It must be a case of mind over matter for the star, with the sunshine glow of that dress keeping her thoughts  and her smile  sunny.

EMILY ATACK

Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! star Emily appeared to have forgotten she was in chilly London when selecting her outfit for the National Television Awards.

This sleek black dress featured a daring thigh-high split, so her legs were on full display as she strutted down the red carpet. The chic halter-neck style meant she even dared to bare her shoulders.

It gave actress Emily, 29  who once said shed never appear in public without fake tan  the ideal opportunity to show off her enviable January glow.

MICHELLE KEEGAN

Actress Michelle, 31, donned this barely-there ensemble for the National Television Awards in London, seemingly unaffected by the nippy temperature.

Not only did her white puffball dress expose her shoulders, arms and thighs to the elements, but she paired it with black strappy heeled sandals  these are definitely better suited to a balmy summer evening than an icy January night.

Hardy Northerner Michelle, from Stockport, is clearly made of stern stuff if shes flashing so much bare flesh in 0c.Thought of the week To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open. From 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist Advertisement

Dear Bel,

Sixty-three years ago, at 17 and alone, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy I loved dearly.

Such were my circumstances I decided, with a heavy, aching heart, to have my boy adopted. I wanted to give him a better start in life, with a mum and a dad.

All through the years my thoughts were always with my son, hoping he was happy and  with all my heart  that the decision I made had been the right one.

I met a wonderful man who became my husband and we had such a happy marriage for 54 years. Still, as ever, my thoughts were never far from my boy  hoping and praying he might want to find me some day. As the years passed that possibility seemed slim.

My husband died six years ago and my grief was almost intolerable. Then, three years ago, I received a letter from an organisation called Birthlink asking for my identity.

Nothing could have prepared me for such emotions. The son Id parted with all those years ago wanted to find me. My prayers had been answered.

After corresponding with Birthlink, my son Brian and I were able to arrange a meeting. All I knew was his name had been changed and I couldnt wait to find out about him.

We met a few weeks later. It was a bit strange at first, but as time passed into the small hours we shared our thoughts and feelings. From then on our mother-son relationship blossomed. No words could describe my happiness. I became alive again. I had my son back.

Brian told me he had cancer, but not how far it had developed. As always, he was protecting me from worry. Oh Bel, it came sooner than expected and my lovely son died three months ago, leaving me alone again.

I am devastated, heartbroken. But despite my heartache, I feel so grateful, privileged and blessed.

God answered my prayers, granting me time with my son, allowing me to be by his side when he passed away, telling him how much I loved him and that I will miss him for ever.

I write because sharing my grief with you gives me some relief, and your thoughts will help me cope.

CATH

This week Bel offers advice to a woman who gave up her son at 17, but now reunited, has found out some devastating news about him

This is one of the saddest, most beautiful letters I have ever copied from a handwritten original.

Holding the four small pages in my hand gives me such a powerful sense of the sorrow behind every word that (strangely) I almost feel beside you.

I have no doubt thousands of readers will be sending heartfelt sympathy  as well as (perhaps) giving thanks that, whatever their own problems may be, they will gain perspective through reading this.

At this moment I feel like the narrator of a powerful, moving poem by Victor Hugo, commemorating the death of a seven-year-old caught in crossfire in Paris in 1851.

Witnessing the devastation and rage of the childs poor grandmother, he says that those present were silent and trembling before a grief that nobody could console. Similarly, there are no words here either. Nowadays we tend to expect problems to be solved by smooth therapeutic formulae, but who could attempt to harness a grief like yours and put it into a neat box?

You have to walk through the valley of the shadow; there is no choice but to endure. The only possible words of consolation have come from the only person with the right to utter them. You. Those prayers to see your lost only child again were answered; by a horrible trick of destiny your beloved son went before you to the grave; still you remain grateful for knowing and loving him at the end.

This is truly humbling  and true redemption, Cath.

Year after year you agonised about the decision you took for the best of reasons and, although you say nothing about Brians life with his adopted parents, I assume he was all right, because he had turned into the balanced man who could love his birth mother without resentment. Remember, you gave him life, and chose to put him first when you felt you had nothing to give him.

Your self-sacrifice was rewarded when he discovered how much he was loved. He could not have loved you back unless he understood.

Fate is so cruel. But within this heartbreaking litany of loss  despite all the pain  there is real joy. That possibility of redemption is what keeps us all going, through the darkest times. At the end of the long dark valley there is the light . . . even if it proves to be the light of eternity.

As I write this, I am imagining you sitting by your sons bed, longing to be taken instead, regretting all the time wasted, wishing your wonderful husband had lived to see you reunited with your child and to help you through this grief, desperately making up for the years of loss with last words of love to your dying boy . . . And truly there is nothing else to do but cry.

All I can do is wish you strength. We must share your rejoicing that he found you at last and you both discovered this precious, mother-son love.

I just hope the memories of that tenderness can sustain you and that you have a sacred place to visit  where you can talk to him still.

Im gay but love my straight friend

Dear Bel,

I feel so desperate I dont know what to do and hope that you will offer some advice.

Im a 35-year-old gay (but not out) man, and have fallen in love with a colleague at work. Lets call him T.

He is 29, and single but straight.

We have worked together for nearly two years and have developed a really good friendship, but for me the feelings are so much stronger.

We lunch together most days and occasionally socialise outside work.

I know you may call this a case of unrequited love, but I am finding it really difficult to accept.

He is actively dating women and I am so ravaged with jealousy that its starting to make me feel physically sick and quite depressed.

I find myself monitoring his activity on WhatsApp  and when he is inactive on that platform I am paranoid about the dates I know he is on and all I can think of is how I wish they were with me.

Of course, I have not told him how I feel through fear of losing him as a friend, but seeing him everyday at work and knowing he is potentially embarking on a relationship with someone else is absolutely killing me inside.

I think about him 24/7 and no matter how I distract myself with other activities and friendships, I cant get him out of my head. Please tell me what should I do.

JAMES

Reading this, I couldnt help but think of the phrase the love that dare not speak its name  first used by Oscar Wildes destructive friend, Lord Alfred Douglas, in his poem Two Loves, printed in 1894.

Of course Douglas and Wilde had good reason to be cautious about how they described their relationship  homosexuality was a criminal offence in England in the 19th century, and indeed until 1967. But not now, thank goodness.

Therefore I wonder why you are adding to the pain you feel over this unrequited love by not acknowledging your sexuality.

Its a serious question. Obviously, any individual is entitled to keep his or her feelings on any issue private, and you may have important reasons  family, for example.

Yet in this age when most people are relaxed about sexuality in all forms, wouldnt it make you happier to be open about yours and to stand proud in the world? That has to be my first piece of counsel  worth thinking hard about.

Lets just think about that phrase unrequited love. There are many sorts of love, and yours for T is just one  the passion the Greeks (who identified six forms of love) identified as eros. They would have called Ts feeling for you philia  meaning a very warm friendship. So I suggest your love is not unrequited, it is just a different sort of love.

And Im afraid you have to face the fact that, since T is straight, he will never be able to love you in any other way. I am very glad you havent ruined the special feeling you guys share by letting him know your real desires.

Of course, it could be different. Maybe. Supposing you came out and made him your confidant? He would be surprised at first  or he might already have guessed.

Your honesty might draw you closer than ever . . . or not. Who knows? And what if T turned out to be secretly bisexual? Again . . . who knows? Hed hardly be likely to let you know if he had no idea of your sexuality . . . So isnt this secrecy the core of your problem, whatever happens?

It seems to me that two things are important now. First, that you cherish this friendship for what it is, doing nothing to damage it. Second, that you visit the excellent website Mens Sexual Health, to help with the important question of coming out (wsmsh.org.uk/coming-out/beinggay.php), and see how that makes you feel.

There is excellent advice about telling family, friends work colleagues etc, as well as meeting people. Do look  and consider face-to-face counselling.

When you write, I cant get him out of my head, my answer is, you dont have to!

But you should come to terms with the reality that he will probably meet a girlfriend  and tell you. Your response must be that of a true friend, no matter how much effort that takes.

Meanwhile, the key to happiness surely starts with accepting who you are.

And Finally....The letter with double trouble . . .

Last weeks letter from Gillian  angry because her brother refused to attend their mothers 90th  sparked interest.

Two readers opined: You never know what goes on in families. Of course! But I reckon disagreements and bad memories can be put aside (in most cases) to make the old happy before they die.

Believe me, I do know what its like to do my best for a family member (now dead) for whom I had complicated and hostile feelings. Such headaches can be managed. You can still do the right thing.

No more of that  something else came to light regarding that letter. Several readers pointed out that just before Christmas the same missive appeared in another newspaper. Maybe Gillian was trawling problem pages for help like a fisherman raking the seabed!

A reader called Pamela is angry about this. She says: I think its grossly unfair to others who write, and who wont have their problems answered, when this person gets not one considered reply, but two!

Bel answers readers questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. A pseudonym will be used if you wish. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Advertisement

This has happened before with your problem page, and I suggest your researchers should do some due diligence and check if the letters chosen for a reply have been published elsewhere.

Alternatively, there should be some sort of condition or caveat that only letters that have not been published elsewhere will be considered for a reply by you.

Oh dear. In truth, there are no researchers for my page, nor is due diligence meaningful at all in this context.

Much as it would instruct me to read every single advice column in all other newspapers and magazines, I have neither the time nor the inclination. And despite what Pamela implies, this has only happened once before in 12 and a half years. So there will be no caveats.

I agree its a shame not all letters can have a published reply. Its also disappointing to discover that duplicates have been dispatched without thinking of the recipients as caring individuals. But, hey, does it really matter?After a cancer operation is cancelled at a hospital in Scotland and the patient complains, the reason turns out to be that the tray of equipment needed  the contents of which cost 10,000-14,000  has vanished.

Further investigation exposes a case of theft on a horrifying scale.

In total 134 trays are found to be missing  at a staggering cost of 1.3 million  triggering a massive fraud investigation.

The culprit was Daniel Dreghorn, who was responsible for cleaning and sterilising surgical equipment at Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine.

The painstaking investigation, involving first the NHSs own investigators, then the police, found Dreghorn was selling many of the items online at an enormous profit.

Michelle Ackerley (pictured) follows the work of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in new five-part BBC1 series Fraud Squad NHS

The astonishing case, which saw him jailed for four years in 2015, features in jaw-dropping new five-part BBC1 series Fraud Squad NHS.

Presented by consumers champion Michelle Ackerley, it follows the work of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, which was set up specifically to investigate fraud within the NHS.

Each year, thieves steal an estimated 1.25 billion from the NHS  that would fund 40,000 nurses, or pay for 5,000 ambulances.

What motivates the criminals? Greed, pure and simple, says investigator Scott Fraser, who spent two years working on the Dreghorn case.

Those whose wrongdoing is exposed in this series range from a student nurse who falsely claimed grants and allowances and spent the money on holidays and cosmetic surgery, to organised criminals whose audacious scam conned a series of hospitals out of more than 12 million.

Its a sickening series to watch. Robbing the NHS is a particularly heinous crime, say those trying to catch the bad apples.

As the Counter Fraud Authoritys chief executive Sue Frith puts it, Fraud against the NHS is despicable.

'If criminals take money out of the system, it affects us all.

In episode two, we meet the aptly named Mrs Money, aka NHS accounts worker Brenda Money, who was working at the Memorial Hospital in Woolwich, south-east London when she began diverting petty cash into her own account.

Quite what possessed her to start on the dangerous and criminal route she went down is unclear, but Brenda, who was 61 when she was jailed in 2015, stole nearly 300,000 from the NHS.

An estimated 1.25 billion is stolen by thieves from the NHS each year, last year three NHS managers were found guilty of a 7000,000 fraud (file image)

Her husband David, 64, then laundered and helped spend the loot.

The pair splashed out on holidays to Turkey, the Caribbean and Hawaii, as well as shopping sprees in John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

How was she found out? By investigators whod been alerted to a suspiciously high float in the petty cash records.

Although the couples joint income  around 24,000 to 30,000  barely covered their 2,000-a-month mortgage, cash being deposited into their joint account matched the large amounts leaving the NHS petty cash accounts.

Sometimes the deceptions are so outlandish theyre almost laughable.

Last year, three NHS managers were jailed after being found guilty of fraud to the tune of 700,000.

Mark Evill, 47, awarded contracts to his own construction firm George Morgan Ltd  named after his dog  while his colleagues Robert Howells and Michael Cope facilitated the scam.

Evill, who was given a seven-year prison sentence at Merthyr Tydfil crown court, invented fictitious characters in an effort to hide the crime, including employees called Paul Hewson and David Evans  the real names of Bono and The Edge from rock band U2.

Investigator Scott Fraser (pictured) who spent two years working on the Dreghorn case believes thieves are motivated by greed

The saddest stories in this series are those involving once-dedicated staff going rogue, such as the one in the final episode.

Michael Germaine, business director of a busy GP practice near Blackpool, had, despite already earning 50,000 a year plus bonuses, fraudulently awarded himself a pay rise by doctoring an email claiming he was entitled to a greater salary increase than the one already agreed.

His deception led to further scrutiny of both the practices and his own finances.

The result? In January last year at Preston magistrates court he received a 50-week prison term, suspended for a year.

Why would such people risk their career to boost an already generous salary? Greed seems to be the answer every time.

Fraud Squad NHS, Monday-Friday, 9.15am, BBC1.featured

Up in smoke

Sensors in school restrooms to track e-cigarette useSpike strips deployed

Fugitive shot by police during high-speed chase in Oxford@ChescoCourtNews on Twitter

Michael P. Rellahan has been a staff reporter and editor at the Daily Local News since 1982. He has covered all kinds of news over the years but is now assigned to report on court and legal news, as well as Chester County government news and politics.One member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards was killed and five were wounded in an attack on a base in southeastern Iran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, as the country holds official celebrations on the 40th anniversary of its Revolution, Gulf Times reported.

A (paramilitary) Basij base in Nik Shahr came under ... fire this morning and several from the Revolutionary Guards communications personnel who were wiring the base were hit, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, provincial deputy governor for security affairs, told the state news agency IRNA.

Five of the Guards personnel were wounded and one was martyred, Marashi said, adding that anniversary events were proceeding peacefully.

The semi-official news agency Tasnim said Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Sunshine this morning. Increasing clouds with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Ashland, KY (41101)

Today

Partly cloudy early then heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.The Capitol Connection

We have Trump to thank for state's latest reformsThe following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.NEW PALTZ, N.Y.  For the first time in its 50-year history, the SUNY New Paltz police deparPaul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996.Except for Ukraine, there is a positive trend in relations between the authorities and local Orthodox churches in the post-Soviet space, the analyst of news agency Vestnik Kavkaza, Nikita Vlasov, told in the National Question program on Vesti.FM.

First of all, he drew attention to the reaction of the Belarusian Orthodox Church to the formation in Kiev of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine. After the election of Epiphanius Dumenko, the head of the new autocephalous church in Kiev, the representatives of the Belarusian Orthodox Church immediately stated that there was absolutely no interest in receiving autocephaly either in the church or among the believers. The same position was confirmed at the state level. President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly expressed gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill, in particular, for the efforts being made to harmonize both interethnic and interfaith relations in the neighbouring countries and abroad, the analyst recalled.

Moldova adheres the same position. The Orthodox Church of Moldova, which is an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the people of the country, demonstrate a desire to preserve unity with the Russian Orthodox Church, Nikita Vlasov added.

In the Caucasus, we can observe an interesting situation. As in a country in which Orthodoxy is recognized as the main state religion, Georgia believes that it has a special historical responsibility for all the issues relating to the fate of Orthodoxy. In this context, despite the complex relations between Moscow and Tbilisi, the Georgian Orthodox Church rather delicately approached the issue of independence of the Ukrainian church, refusing to recognize the autocephaly, which demonstrates the Georgian churchs understanding of the current situation and the reluctance to spawn even more differences in both secular and religious circles of the post-Soviet countries, he said.

In general, the situation with the Orthodox population in the above-mentioned countries is fairly stable. Common religious traditions help peoples of various states to maintain ties and even strengthen cooperation despite existing conflicts. Therefore, if we are talking about the Orthodox population, the citizens of Georgia, Moldova or any other post-Soviet country often do not even think about the national issue precisely because of the historically established religious contacts,  Nikita Vlasov concluded.Dalton, GA (30720)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch.SANDRA LEPLEY

The Daily American

Today is the funeral for John Vatavuk  a friend to many, many people including myself.

After just being diagnosed with lung cancer a few days earlier, John passed away Sunday at the age of 69 years. He represents one of Somerset Countys finest citizens who gave through civic duty and kindness to others.

In the early days of my career, I knew John as president of Windber Area School Board, calling him numerous times in the early 1990s to follow up on the districts renovation project and school board meetings. He was always so easy to talk to and had to time to go over all those painstaking details of renovation.

Then, in December 1993, I went to his classroom at North Star Central in Boswell as a young reporter for the Daily American to do a feature story on his hopes and dreams.

I dug through some of my old early-days articles and found that story dated Dec. 27, 1993. I didnt quite remember it (from 25 years ago!) until I read it again. It brought tears to my eyes.

The story was simply about John himself (teacher and local politician up to that point) and I started off with what I will call a famous quote from one of our most famous citizens.

I want to make a difference, he said (the story began) and it ended with this quote, Im always trying to make a difference and hope that someday some good will come of the work I do.

Wow! What a self-fulfilling prophecy! Indeed, John. Making a difference was what your life was all about.

In that story, John discussed how his Uncle Ed Vatavuk encouraged him to become a teacher (even though John considered electronics school and wasnt sure he was cut out for teaching). Uncle Ed told him to follow his dreams. He was graduated from the first class at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) in 1971.

He actually used his handyman abilities to help pay for college by working for a plumber part time. Those skills were what he used later in life for church construction projects and when he and his wife, Janet, built their house start to finish (seven years time) ending in 1980.

He first taught at Jenner Crossroads and then Central Elementary in Boswell. He knew that teaching fifth-grade did make a difference and even pointed out for the 1993 article how some of his former students went on to significant careers. He was proud of them! He had taught for 23 years at the date of the interview and later retired after 36 years of teaching at North Star.

That day in his classroom I remember students being so excited with some of them showing me baby chicks in their cupped hands. Now, as I already mentioned, the story was about Johns endeavors and not chicks in the classroom but it demonstrates how this teacher taught with hands-on learning. He gave students the freedom to experience new things. His students will no doubt ever forget Mr. Vatavuk.

In that story, John said: What is learned in fun is never forgotten. Everyday is different and thats the nice thing about teaching. I want to make things better for the next person and the next generation.

Then, whats interesting is that John retired from teaching and started a whole new career in county politics by running for the county commissioner seat in 2007. He called me and asked if I would campaign for him in my voting district of Larimer Township and anywhere else in southern Somerset County.

I said Sure, John. Now, I am a Republican and John was a Democrat but none of that mattered as my young son and I caught everyone voting that fall and told them to elect John Vatavuk. I knew the man and it was a good choice. Indeed, it was!

Through the years, I had seen John and Janet many times while covering different events and Janet ended up being just as good of a friend as John was to me. One would rarely see them apart. They always attended banquets and events together. God bless you, Janet! You lost your best friend.

At the fair every year, John would always stop and talk to me about anything and everything and it was the most interesting conversations. He always wanted to improve things, change things and simply make a difference.

In the end, he did exactly that. Thank you, John Vatavuk for making a difference and for improving things for the next generation. If only everyone lived the way you did, we would have a much better world.

(Sandra Lepley is a correspondent for the Daily American.)Staff reports

The Daily American

Salisbury Lutheran Parish

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. worship with Holy Communion at Christ Church, Grantsville, Maryland; 9:45 a.m. worship with Holy Communion at St. Johns Church with church school to follow at 11 a.m.; 9:45 a.m. church school and 11 a.m. worship at Evangelical Greenville Church.

A fellowship meal is held weekly after 5 p.m. contemporary worship at Christ Church, Grantsville.

On Tuesday, a catechism workshop will be held at 4:30 p.m. at St. Johns Church. The regular adult study group will meet at 7 p.m.

Berlin Brethren

Jim Eutsey is the guest speaker at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship service. Handchimers will practice at 8:35 a.m. and junior bells rehearse at 9 a.m. A time of fellowship is at 9:15 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Adult bells (early group) will practice at 6:30 p.m.; senior choir will rehearse at 7:15 p.m.; and adult bells (late group) will practice at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

Geiger COB

The church meets at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, for Sunday school. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and the Rev. John Stoner will bring the message Set Apart.

The executive committee will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday there will be quilting all day and the childrens choir will practice at 6:30 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. the church choir will practice. The Good News Club will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Beachdale COB

Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by worship service at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Tammy Horner is giving the message and special music will be presented by Samantha Smith. Fellowship meal will follow the worship service. Soup, sandwiches and ice cream sundaes will be provided.

On Wednesday choir practice will be held at 6:30 p.m. and Bible study will be held at 7:30 p.m. A church dinner and movie night will be held Feb. 9, with a meal at Hosss in Somerset at 5 p.m., followed by a movie with popcorn at the church.

Amity UCC

Today: 9 a.m. to noon, confirmation class with lunch in Amity Hall

Sunday: 9 a.m. Sunday school for all ages; }10:25 a.m. worship service. Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. Bible study in Amity Hall; 6 to 8 p.m. crocheters/knitters group in Amity Hall; 7 p.m. adult choir practice in the sanctuary. Wednesday: 7 p.m. Wednesday Evening Book Study in Amity Hall. Thursday: 7 p.m. Consistory meeting in Amity Hall. Friday: 7 p.m. 20th annual Death by Chocolate contest and auction, in Amity Hall.

Joyful, a Church of the Brethren Fellowship

Sunday school  9 a.m. Praise and worship service  10 a.m.

Today at 7 a.m.  Mens breakfast and Bible study

Sunday  Fellowship meal following worship service. The youth will be serving a pasta meal.

Monday  6:30 p.m. mens and womens fellowship

Tuesday 7:15 p.m. youth meeting

Pike Run COB

Worship service begins at 9 a.m. The Rev. Chris Forry will bring the message and Tricia Diamond will be the pianist. Sunday school follows worship at 10:15 a.m.

Bethany UMC

Worship at 9 a.m., followed by Christian education classes at 10:15 a.m. On the first and third Sundays at 6 p.m. they offer Come As U R, a contemporary worship service.

Mondays at 7 p.m. adult bell choir. Virtual Prayer meetings 7 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, and Bible study on book of Ephesians at 7 p.m. Sundays at 8:15 a.m., adult choir practice.

Three Seasons Community

At 10:30 a.m., the Rev. Bryan G. Karchner will bring the message, Savor The Savior. Spiritual enrichment for adults and kids ministry begin at 9 a.m. each Sunday. The youth group (ages sixth through 12th grade) meet from 7 to 8 p.m. Sundays.

Calvary UMC

Sunday school at 9 a.m. and worship at 10 a.m. It is traditional Sunday worship and Last Sunday Praise Service.

Sunday worship and Communion 10 a.m.; Tuesday T.O.P.S. 9:30 a.m., Boy Scouts 7 p.m.; Saturday Game Day and Valentines 2 to 5 p.m.

Laurel Trinity Lutheran, Jennerstown

Sunday: 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:30 a.m. worship service celebrating Holy Communion, the Rev. Will Foster officiating; 11:30 a.m. Christian Ed meeting; 12 p.m. snow camp ends; 5:30 p.m. Cub Scouts; 6 p.m. Boy Scouts

Monday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Preschool II (Monday and Wednesday)

Tuesday: 8:30 to 11 a.m. PreSchool I; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. PreSchool I; 7 p.m. Bible study.

Christ Casebeer

Wednesday: 6 p.m. choir

Thursday: 8:30 to 11 a.m. PreSchool I; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. PreSchool I; 7 p.m. property meeting

Friday: 9 to 11:30 a.m. PreSchool II; 6:45 p.m. play rehearsal

Trinity Lutheran

Worship services will be held at 7:30 a.m. in the chapel and 10 a.m. in the nave, both with Communion. Sunday school will begin at 8:45 a.m.

The Monday morning Bible study will begin at 10:30 a.m. The property committee will meet at 6 p.m. The mens group will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday at McDonalds and the Grief Sharing Group will meet at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday, the food pantry will be open from 8 to 11 a.m. The Marys and Marthas Study group will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Faith Lutheran

Katey Hill will lead the Sunday worship at 9 a.m. Sunday school at 10:30 a.m.

Committees will meet as needed at 7 p.m. Monday. Wednesday at 10 a.m. Caring Workers will meet and choir practice will be at 7 p.m.

Berlin Trinity UCC

Berlins Trinity UCC Sunday School and Confirmation Class are held at 9 a.m. and the worship service is at 10 a.m. The Rev. Dr. David Williams message will be A Grateful Heart.

Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.  HUGS & KISSES snowtubing at Hidden Valley; Wednesday at 5:45 p.m.  Hand chime choir rehearses, at 6:30 p.m.  TUCC Ringers practice and at 7:30 p.m.  chancel choir rehearsal.

Somerset COB

Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. with the worship service following at 10 a.m. The Rev. Ronald Bartos message is, Meeting Challenges Gods Way. Womens fellowship meeting after worship. Youth CONNECT meeting 6 to 8 p.m.

Monday: Laurel Highland Chorale practice 7 to 9 p.m.; Tuesday: Quilters & Knotters 9 a.m., Ministry & Evangelism meeting 6:30 p.m., Wheelers & Dealers 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Wednesday: chancel choir rehearsal 7 p.m., Fellowship & Service meeting 7 p.m., bell choir rehearsal 8 p.m.; Thursday: Christian education meeting 6:30 p.m.; Friday: womens fellowship dinner at Hosss 6:30 p.m.

Jennerstown UMC

Loving Well is based on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 and 9-13. Traditional worship at 9 a.m. and in contemporary worship with the band at 11:10 a.m. Sunday school is at 10 a.m.

Worship Team 6 p.m. Monday, church council 7 p.m. Monday, Congregational Care 6 p.m. Wednesday, MOMS Club 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Grace Lutheran

The worship service will start at 10:40 a.m. and adult Sunday school will start at 9 a.m.

Wednesday morning prayer at 9 a.m.

Grace UMC

Two different worship services are offered  a contemporary at 9:30 a.m. and regular 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Eric Raygor will preach on 1 Corinthians 13.

Church administrative board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday.Local columnist

J. Dennis Marek has been a trial lawyer for the last 47 years. He was educated at DePauw University, Durham, University, England, and did his law work at Northwestern University. He formerly worked for the CIA and was an officer in the Air Force.Jack Klasey came to Kankakee County as a young Journal reporter in 1963 and quickly became hooked on local history. In 1968, he co-authored Of the People: A Popular History of Kankakee County. Now retired from a career in the publishing industry, he remains active in the history field as a volunteer and board member at the Kankakee County Museum. He can be contacted at jwklasey@comcast.net.Send us your pets!

If chosen, your pet will be featured in the Wednesday Life section and you will be mailed a Daily Journal T-shirt.

Submit your petIranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday accused the United States of seeking world hegemony and denounced Washington for trying to topple Tehrans ally, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reports with a reference to the state media.

The Americans are basically against all popular revolutions and independent countries and seek world hegemony by suppressing them, Rouhani said in a meeting with Venezuelas new envoy in Tehran, the state news agency IRNA reported.

Iran, under pressure from sanctions reimposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has voiced support for Maduro who faces demands from the United States to step down. Russia, China, and Turkey have also backed Maduro.Cullman, AL (35055)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mostly cloudy during the afternoon with heavy thunderstorms becoming likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible."How many of you would consider yourselves fiscally more conservative but socially more liberal?"

As I travel around the country speaking to groups of business executives about public opinion and U.S. politics, I often pose that question to the audience. People look around the room, nodding approvingly, feeling validated that their worldview is shared by so many of their peers. Then I deliver the bad news. They are very much alone. And the United States already got the most viable version of a third-party candidate: He just happened to run as a Republican. His name is Donald Trump.

The United States' strong two-party system is an oddity. Unlike the parliamentary systems in other democratic countries, where a multitude of parties present competing worldviews and build coalitions, the Democratic and Republican parties must serve as preexisting coalitions of left and right. Someone who might have fit in nicely as a member of, say, Germany's Free Democratic Party, a socially liberal free-market party that won about 11 percent of the vote in the 2017 German elections, may find themselves ill-served by both their choices here in the United States but with no real viable alternatives.

The result is persistent speculation, often from those same business leaders who feel their brand of classical liberalism is absent from our political scene, about a viable third-party or independent candidacy. A look at the data suggests that they should be careful what they wish for.

In 2018, Lee Drutman, William Galston and Tod Lindberg released a paper titled "Spoiler Alert: Why Americans' Desires for a Third Party Are Unlikely To Come True," outlining the views of the large number of Americans who say they are open to a third party. While 68 percent of Americans they'd like a third party, there is no consensus around what that third party ought to be.

Among those wanting a third party, they find that about 4 in 10 opt for something further out on the fringes, either more conservative or more liberal than the Republican or Democratic parties, respectively. Only about a third yearn for something in between.

And then, of course, there's the trouble of what something in between would even like. Should it hew closer to the Republicans or the Democrats on culture? What about on economics? For business leaders, left-of-center social views may pair nicely with a love of tax cuts and deficit reduction. Ordinary voters, though, don't share their tastes.

In 2017, Drutman released an analysis of voters in the 2016 election that plotted them out on a Cartesian plane, mapping respondents by their views on economic as well as cultural issues. Trump voters tended to cluster around economically moderate, culturally conservative views. Clinton voters tended to hold views that were progressive on both economics and culture. Two quadrants remain: the social conservatives who favor more active government, and those who are "fiscally conservative, socially liberal."

The quadrant housing those social conservatives who have more progressive fiscal views is well-populated. In fact, it isn't hard to imagine an independent Trump candidacy in 2016 having a great deal of traction due to the number of populists up for grabs.

But those fiscally conservative social progressives? The quadrant is mostly bare. While those most equipped to self-fund a presidential campaign may often fall into that ideological space, there is not an enormous number of ordinary voters who are there with them.

Drutman says the voters who do live down in that lonely part of the graph tended to be on the younger side. Maybe it is the case that as more of these young voters become activated in response to having a candidate representing their worldview, their numbers will swell. And there's no telling who Democrats will nominate in 2020 and what kind of ideological space may be up for grabs come next year.

Business leaders such as Howard Schultz often succeed by correctly gauging and shaping consumer preferences, building empires out of pumpkin spice lattes. But when it comes to politics, their instincts can deceive them. Figuring out the formula for a third-party candidacy is even tougher than roasting the beans for the perfect cup of coffee.

- - -

Soltis Anderson is a Republican pollster and columnist at The Washington Examiner.On a typical day, Anthony Valentine Jr.'s bar and grill in Omaha, Nebraska, would be closed to the public due to construction. But as temperatures dip below the freezing point across the U.S., Valentine felt compelled to offer his business as a shelter for those less fortunate. He also drove around his neighborhood offering blankets and other comforting items to homeless people who preferred to spend the night outside.

Watch the video above to see how Valentine's efforts are helping people in his community stay warm.Flying at 30,000 feet in a Boeing 737 is one thing. Lots of company. A movie, perhaps. The soothing susurrus of the jet engines. A sense of detachment from the world below. A person could relax.

Flying at 1,000 feet? Flying in the world of Morgan Kaolian? Well, thats a whole different matter.

In the week since he died, Kaolian has been perfectly described by his friends and those who dealt with him throughout his life: generous, hilarious, imaginative, an ardent environmentalist  advocating for Long Island Sound in particular  pilot and photographer.

I knew him best as a guy who would call me, the newspapers managing editor at the time, most any time he was going up in the air to ask if we needed anything. He wasnt an employee. We never paid him a nickel. Wed run a Morgan Kaolian/Aeropix credit under the photos we used, photos hed take, I had to imagine, banking his plane with his knees on the steering wheel  or whatever you call it  and shooting out the window.

One day, he invited me, my wife and my daughter Kate to join him in his world. My wife and daughter were thrilled.

We took off from Sikorsky Memorial Airport in a plane the size of a Volkswagen. We wore headphones so we could talk over the deafening clatter of the lone  only, sole, one  engine, Morgan and I in front, Sharon and Kate in back, knees to chests.

Good company, indeed. But that sense of detachment from the ground some 1,000 feet below  not so much. The plane seemed to be standing still. I wanted to punch my feet through the floorboards, like in a cartoon, and push with my feet.

The door I squeezed against seemed so flimsy, its one little metal latch so inadequate. When we landed, I got out, got down on my knees and kissed the tarmac.

The three of them thought it was very funny. No. The kiss came from the depths of my heart. (Some time later, Kate and one of her friends went up with Morgan in his bi-plane  his open-cockpit bi-plane. They wore leather helmets and said the experience was awesome. The only thing I found more incomprehensible was that the guy who eventually bought the bi-plane from Morgan flew it to California.)

For health reasons, Morgan had to give up his pilots license. Hed still stop at the newspaper, though, just to chat. The conversations became more repetitive and circuitous.

I ran into his son, Kit, a few months ago in downtown Bridgeport.

Hows he doing? I asked.

He smiled. Good days, bad days, he said.

Would he enjoy a visit, or no? I asked.

Oh, yeah, sure, he said.

Ill call, and recited the number off the top of my head. Amazing, right? I cant remember the last time I called, but its like tattooed in my brain.

Well, I didnt call. You know how things go. So many important things to do.

My friend and longtime colleague, Ned Gerard, photo editor of Hearst Connecticut Media, has a photo exhibit at Bridgeports City Lights Gallery, 265 Golden Hill St. Ned and Morgan were also good pals.

At the opening party for Ned on Jan. 24, I bumped into Kit again. The news about his father was not so good. Would he like a visit? I asked again. Yes, he said.

I called Saturday morning and spoke with Anfrieda King, one of Morgans caregivers. Would it be OK to come over? I asked her. Of course, she replied, just dont come too late.

I phoned Ned and told him I was going to see Morgan at noon. It was a cold but sunny day. The noon sun glistened on Long Island Sound, just a few doors down on York Street in Lordship.

Morgan was in bed, gaunt. Awake but mostly silent. Ned and I sat at the head of the bed where he could see us. There would be no conversation, as such. So I talked to him  and to Kit and Ned  about the past, about John P. Reggie Kelly, newspaperman extraordinaire, a mentor to me and the man who introduced me to Morgan some 40 years ago, about Bridgeport and its rogues and about kissing the tarmac that day.

I thought I saw flickers of recognition dance over his face. Kit sent an e-mail at 7:30 Sunday morning with the news that Morgan had died.

Hes soaring freely now.

Michael J. Daly is retired editor of the editorial page of the Connecticut Post. Email: Mike.Daly@hearstmediact.com.To build a wall along the Southern border of the kind long proposed by the president would mean 2,000 miles of construction with long stretches of it on private land, through a national park or along the Rio Grande. One of the main purposes, supposedly, would be to help combat the worst drug crisis the nation has ever seen.

A much cheaper option, and likely to be just as effective, might be a 30-foot wall of concrete surrounding one building in southwestern Connecticut  201 Tresser Blvd. in Stamford.

Otherwise known as 1 Stamford Forum, its best known as the address of Purdue Pharma LP, which, to believe everything written about the company, bears more responsibility for the nations drug crisis than anything well find coming from Mexico. The company behind OxyContin has long been blamed for playing an outsized role in the nations opioid crisis, and the story took an even darker turn with the release of documents a week ago in one of the dozens of suits seeking damages from the company.

Its been more than a decade since Purdue pleaded guilty along with three company executives to misleading doctors, patients and regulators as to the risk of addiction and potential for abuse regarding its signature product. The company made billions of dollars following the 1996 introduction of OxyContin, which was marketed as providing pain relief over a 12-hour stretch in a time-release formula.

But because the pills were easily abused and uncommonly powerful, thousands of people become addicted, with many turning to heroin when they couldnt acquire more pills. The death toll resulting from overdoses related to prescription opioids is at almost 218,000 since OxyContin was released, according to the CDC.

Since the company pleaded guilty to misbranding the drug in 2007, the opioid crisis has only gotten worse. Today the company is the subject of lawsuits from hundreds of cities and states that want Purdue to pay a price for the on-the-ground impact that comes from releasing millions of doses of narcotics into the world.

The most damning suit comes from Massachusetts, where the state attorney general is targeting not only the company but its founding Sackler family, some of whom live in Connecticut. The suit, which draws on internal company documents and communications, depicts the family as something close to cartoon villains, raking in their cash even as millions of people suffer.

We have to hammer on the abusers in every way possible, Dr. Richard Sackler reportedly wrote in a 2001 email laying out a strategy for fighting bad press. They are the culprits and the problem. They are reckless criminals. This, of course, is basically what happened. Addicts are the ones who die or go to jail, while the family that supplied the drugs has been lavished with praise for its philanthropy. Blaming the victims turns out to be a successful business strategy.

Elsewhere in the suit is found an effort by Purdue to get in on a newly lucrative business: treatment of opioid addiction. According to ProPublica, Purdue executives discussed how its sales force could promote (anti-addiction medication) to the same doctors who prescribed the most opioids. This would be comical were it not so horrifying.

Purdue has responded by saying the communications were cherry-picked from millions of documents, which is not the same as disputing them. It has also emphasized that there are many other companies in the pain-killer business, and other aspects of the industry that need scrutiny. Separately, no one should lose sight of, or punish, people who truly need strong painkillers to live their lives.

But thats not whats at stake here. As the lawsuit states, The opioid epidemic is not a mystery to the people who started it. The defendants knew what they were doing.

hbailey@hearstmediact.comAfter a lengthy round of will-they/wont-they invite President Donald Trump to read his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress next week, it turns out they will.

And per tradition, Connecticuts congressional delegation is sending a message with their invited guests.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has invited Regina Moller, the executive director of Noank Community Support Services. Unsure about the connection? NCSS is a Groton nonprofit social services agency that offers shelter to unaccompanied minors who have been separated from their families while crossing into the United States. The organization is partially funded by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that was suspended under the recent government shutdown.

Thats a two-for-one jab at the president.

Regina and her team at Noank Community Support Services are heroes, Murphy said in a statement. Im so glad she is joining me at the State of the Union to shed light on how President Trumps border policies are traumatizing a generation of children and how the recent government shutdown affected Connecticut. Reginas organization takes care of child refugees, kids who are feeling the violence and trauma of places like Ecuador and Guatemala and see the United States as a country that can save their lives. These kids arent threats to our security, they are our future leaders.

Border talk

Moller said the trickle-down effect of the shutdown put the homeless shelter for young adults at risk of closing.

The young men and women have experienced much trauma already in their lives, and depend on the stable provision of services, she said. Changes to rules in the Department of Homeland Security have led to fewer sponsors willing to step forward out of fear.

Theres no doubt the president will talk about border security in his address, which comes on the heels of a 35-day government shutdown that revolved entirely around Trumps insistence on funding for a border wall.

The presidents address begins at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday and is expected to last about one hour. The Democratic Response will be given by Stacey Abrams, who ran a contentious race to be governor of Georgia last year.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal invited Gerry Wright, an advocate for Vietnam veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals.

Wright, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange  leaving him with permanent medical conditions. He has been a key advocate for the Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act, a bill introduced by Blumenthal in the Senate and Rep. Joe Courtney, also of Connecticut, in the House to remove barriers for veterans seeking disability compensation for Agent Orange exposure.

Special invitations

A spokesman for Courtney did not return a request for comment on Courtneys guest for the State of the Union. Last year, Courtney brought Navy officer, Evan Karlick, who was assigned to Courtneys office as a Navy fellow for 2018, to assist with the congressmans duties on the Armed Services panel.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes has invited Lane Murdock, the junior at Ridgefield High School who organized the National School Walkout last year after the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting left 17 dead.

Himes, who has invited gun-safety advocates in the past and has slammed Congress for inaction on gun legislation, said he chose to bring Murdock, as the Democratic-led House of Representatives is putting forth legislation to curb gun deaths.

In an unusual move, Rep. John Larson gave his ticket away to a Republican Congressman who asked for it. Larsons spokesman did not say who asked for the ticket or who the Republicans guest would be.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro did not return a request for comment on her invitee for the 2019 address, but in 2018 she invited Dr. Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of the Fair Haven Community Health Care, to highlight the appropriations battles in Congress over community health care funding.

Jahana Hayes, the newly elected 5th District representative did not return a request for comment on who her first invited guest to the State of the Union would be.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasseltTrimline, a leading marine interior outfitter, has said demand is high for cruise jobs in early 2019 and beyond.

The British company said that they are sending teams to work on upcoming refits including the Navigator of the Seas, Celebrity Millennium, Coral Princess, TUI Mein Schiff 2, Celebrity Summit and Marella Explorer 2, as well as ferry refits for DFDS Seaways and Condor Ferries.

Cruise Key Account Manager Simon Dawkins said: With over 50 years in the industry, Trimline staff understand the importance of planning for success, reliability and quality output. Over the years, weve worked on a diverse array of complex and demanding projects for most of the worlds cruise lines and ferry companies, earning Trimline the trust of many of the ships refit personnel.

Trimline has become a major player for Marella Cruises in the interior refits and conversions for the British brands fleet modernization strategy having carried out the interior refits on Marella Explorer, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2.

Now Trimlines attention will turn to the Golden Era, which recently entered the drydock in Cadiz, Spain, and will be converted into the Marella Explorer 2, debuting in April.

As the main interior contractor, Trimline is responsible for the majority of the interior refurbishment of the ship, including the following public spaces: Indigo, The Marketplace, Coffee Port, Squid & Anchor, Broadway & Broadway Bar, Latitude/Vista, and all alleyways, staircases and lobbies.Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman has welcomed the formation of the new Lebanese government, expressing hope it will strengthen friendship among Lebanese parties and prepare the ground for further development of the Arab country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran congratulates the Lebanese government and nation on the formation of the new government, which was an outcome of sympathy and understanding among all Lebanese groups and clans, Bahram Qassemi said Thursday, IFP News reported.

This success is not limited to the formation of the government, and indeedshows the will of a nation and its leaders to shape their future within the framework of independence and without any foreign pressure and with unity, agreement and sympathy, he said.

The spokesman stressed the continuation of Irans support for stability and security of Lebanon, expressing hope that the formation of the Lebanese government would open a new chapter in the countrys history and improve relations between political groups and prepare the ground for further development of Lebanon.The Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank, recently made a stop in Hutchinson to discuss critical race theory and education. Critical race theory is an academic movement that examines social, cultural and legal issues as they relate to race and racism. How do you feel about critical race theory being taught in schools? Tell us in this week's online reader poll.

You voted:The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards , or use our CardMatch tool to find cards matched to your needs.

The Companion Pass sign-up bonus offer on Southwest cards is no longer available as of February 11, 2019.

The Southwest Companion Pass has long been one of the best values in reward travel, and it has never been easier to get than right now.

Why? Because the coveted perk is now included in the sign-up bonus on the Southwest Rapids Rewards Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.

You cant beat bringing along a friend for free anywhere you fly, but to really get value from this benefit youll want to understand where the Southwest Companion Pass can actually take you.

See related: Southwest cards new sign-up bonuses offer a fast track to the Companion Pass

How to leverage Southwests Companion Pass

While Southwest has routes across 40 states to get you and your plus-one anywhere domestically, the real value of the Companion Pass comes from leveraging the further-afield sweet spots on their route map.

Southwest flies to 13 of what Id consider to be aspirational destinations worth putting on your Companion Pass bucket list.

Youll also want to remember that the buy one get one deal works with both points and paid tickets.

If youre good at earning and redeeming Rapid Rewards points, essentially two people get to fly for just a handful of miles plus the out-of-pocket cost of the taxes!

5 international destinations to visit using the Southwest Companion Pass

Here are five amazing low-cost international trips you and a friend could take this year by leveraging your companion pass with Rapid Rewards points:

1. Experience all-inclusive Mexico

Southwest flies to three of Mexicos most popular all-inclusive destinations. With Cabo, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta on the route map, Mexico is a convenient getaway no matter in which part of the states your travel originates.

A three-day getaway from my home in Portland to Cabo (SJC) currently prices out for as low as 16,380 Rapid Rewards points.

This includes a return trip on Southwests low cost Wanna Get Away fares, plus $90.15 in international taxes.

The points cover both tickets, and youll pay the taxes for each person.

Pair your flights with points from any of the IHG Rewards credit cards to stay at one of the all-inclusive Holiday Inn resort properties, or use World of Hyatt points for a visit to the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos or adults-only Hyatt Zilhara properties.

2. Check off a new Caribbean country

Nip away for a quick trip to a Caribbean island. Discover the beaches of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, rent a motorbike to zip around Nassau in the Bahamas, or go for a snorkel in the Montego Bay Marine Park in Jamaica.

From the East Coast, the Caribbean is a cheap and easy destination to hit with Rapid Rewards points.

A roundtrip flight from Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) for a weekend goes as low as 6,240 points and $136 international taxes.

Points youve earned in the newly renamed Marriott Bonvoy program from the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card or the upcoming Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card are great to use in the Caribbean.

Redeem them for seaside accommodation at The Westin Punta Cana for the Dominican, or any of the five different Autograph Collection by Marriott Properties at the Atlantis in Nassau.

3. Go Dutch on two flights to Aruba

Still considered the Caribbean but nearly all the way to South America, the island of Aruba is a great Dutch colonial getaway and outdoor wonderland for watersports, hiking and hanging out on a beach with pink flamingos.

Flights from Chicago, Midway to Aruba (AUA) go as low as 14,508 points and $90.43/per person in taxes.

Compare that to the Wanna Get Away cash rate of $514 for the same flight, or $1028 for two, and youll easily see why the Companion Pass can make international travel for two a steal even at Southwests already low prices.

Accommodation with points is easy to come by in Aruba since the island hosts over a million visitors a year.

One good rewards option is the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba Beach.

At 40,000 points per night, you can use points youve earned on your IHG Rewards credit card or redeem your free anniversary night certificate.

This might even be a time when using your credit card to buy points may be a good value.

4. Live the pura vida in Costa Rica

With flights to both San Jose and Liberia, Southwest has both coasts of Costa Rica covered. Take your pick of volcanos, cloud forests, rainforests, or hit la playa for surf and sun.

Traveling from the Southwest hub at Dallas, Love Field (DAL), the best fares on flights to Liberia (LIR) go as low as 20,280 points round trip with taxes of $81.10.

If you had to pay for these flights, they would cost $392 per person.

Theres plenty of options to use your reward points to cover your accommodation in Costa Rica.

The Andaz Papagayo is a favorite on the Pacific side at just 15,000 World of Hyatt Points a night.

Remember that you can stay three free nights on the World of Hyatt Credit Card sign-up bonus  including minimum spend  alone.

5. Dive into the Blue Hole of Belize

If youre into the underwater world, Belize is probably already on your bucket list.

Southwest flies into Belize City which is just a quick and cheap (90 minutes/$18) water taxi to Ambergris Caye, your base to dive or snorkel the famous Blue Hole or the Belize Great Barrier Reef.

Want to Get Away points rates for March are currently 17,628 points with taxes of $83.43 per person ($167 for two).

Compare this with the cheapest available cash rate on the same day of $361 per person or ($722 for two\xad)  youll be saving $555 with the Companion Pass.

Mahogany Bay Resort and Beach Club, a part of the Hilton Curio Collection, is a great place to sleep on Ambergris Caye. Use what youve racked up with 6x bonus points at U.S. supermarkets on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.

More travel options with Southwest Companion Pass

Want to squeeze even more travel value from the Companion Pass? Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, and Havana are all options to add to your list too.

Plus, Southwest is in the process of adding flights to four Hawaiian Islands as soon as they get FAA approval.

While the Companion Pass is always available as a reward for any Southwest flyer who earns 110,000 Rapid Rewards points per year, you need to hurry if you want the fast track option. The Companion Pass sign-up bonus offer on Southwest cards ends Feb 11.Corruption

Economy

Law and order

Academic institutions

Sanitation programme

Ganga rejuvenation

Cow protection

Foreign affairs

Narendra Modi's ascension to power was accompanied with jubilation and expectation. His supporters were expecting an end to era of corruption and initiation of good governance which was described as Achche Din. His party's adherence to idea of nationalism was believed to make India a vibrant country and guide India to be a world leader. He gave the slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' conveying that his government was for all.The government system is infested with corruption. A minimum of 10% is siphoned off from government schemes and projects, some of which goes back to political party in power and remaining is pocketed by various administrative, executive and political functionaries. This corruption continues and has increased. Now an additional Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) person working as Official on Special Duty or some equivalent position in every government department also has a share in this booty.The Narendra Modi government removed the limit of 7.5% of average net profits which private companies could donate to political parties and did away with the requirement of disclosing the names of corporate donors and political parties which received the donations from the companies in a post Right to Information era in India which is tantamount to legitimising corruption.Extradition of Christian Michel in Augusta Westland deal but inability to bring back Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nitin Sandesara (Sterling Biotech) and Jatin Mehta (Winsome Diamonds)  all of whom are accused of financial fraud and have fled in the past four years  smacks of political expediency.Anil Ambani's company Reliance Defence, registered 12 days before Narendra Modi entered into a deal with French government, being given the contract for manufacturing Rafale fighter aircrafts gives credence to the allegations of crony capitalism. Rise of businessman Adani from Gujarat to national level accompanying that of Narendra Modi also raises the same suspicion.Economy suffered a setback because of ill advised demonetisation and clumsy implementation of Goods and Services Tax. First the government appeared to be manipulating the method of calculating Gross Domestic Product growth rate to show a higher figure and then it got Central Statistics Office to slash the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's past GDP figures.This government has been continuously fudging data to show an improved performance, for example, villages are being declared electrified even when 100% households don't have electricity connections. Make in India drive didn't yield much investment and Skill Development programme wasn't much successful either.This is evident from the fact that ultimately Narendra Modi government had to resort to the populist measure of 10% reservation in jobs for economically weaker sections from among the segment of population not covered under SC/ST and OBC reservation to contain the resentment of youth with regard to employment situation.The most important skill of farming from the point of view of human existence was not given due consideration and the farmers' anger reflected in defeat of Bhartiya Janata Party in three big Hindi speaking states. The incomes have gone down across different sectors of economy and people are feeling the pinch.According to the data published by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the authoritative agency reputed for researching and publishing economic databases in India, 1 crore jobs were lost in the year 2018 and unemployment rate hit 27-month high in December 2018.According to a recent report published by the Azim Premji University, the present rate of unemployment is the highest seen in India in at least the last 20 years, with youth unemployment being the highest. The unemployment situation is made worse by depressed wages, with 82% of men and 92% of women earning less than Rs. 10,000 per month.Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJPs) rule has resulted in a state of lawlessness. The cadres of 'party with a difference' were frequently seen taking law into their own hand and even attacking the police. Lynching deaths created an atmosphere of terror in the hearts of minorities. If a person from the minority community expressed concern he was told to go to Pakistan by one of the legislators or members of ruling party.The idea of democracy where even the weakest person should feel secure went for a toss and majoritarian rule reigned supreme. The idea of summary justice gained ground. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath publicly declared that bullet will be responded with bullet. While accused criminals were being shot dead by the police, he withdrew permission for going ahead with the criminal cases pending against himself. The BJP MLAs involved in the rape and harassment of women were protected by the state.Academic institutions were the worst sufferers of BJP rule. High positions were occupied by people not because of their academic calibre but because of their proximity to the RSS ideology. Student protests on Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Hyderabad and Banaras Hindu University erupted against the highhandedness of academic authorities who only knew one way to deal with students  to use brute force to quell any dissent.Criticising the government or party in power became a crime and a number of people were ejected from academic campuses because of their dissenting views. The government seemed to be more interested in ensuring the victory of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of RSS, in university student body elections rather than the academic quality of teaching and research.RSS-BJP functionaries would advise scientists to research how in the past a human head could be replaced by an elephant head. Internationally acclaimed scientists like Venkatraman Ramakrishnan have stopped attending Indian Science Congress since 2015 because of dominance of pseudoscience being broadcast from high pedestals.The fact that PM Modi himself uttered bizarre unscientific remarks on more than one occasion has emboldened several ministers, MPs and MLAs in BJP to openly espouse similar views and deride universally respected scientists and scientific principles. This has created an atmosphere where scientific temper, rational thinking and dissent are publicly jeered and even sought to be punished. On the other hand, pseudoscience and cronyism are being rewarded.An example of academic cronyism is the non-existent Jio Institute being awarded the Institute of Eminence status by the government which makes it entitled to get Rs. 1,000 crore funds for five years.A high profile Swachch Bharat Mission (SBM) is ongoing. Irony is that government has not cared to provide toilets to some of the lowest level workers in this mission working as volunteers without any honorarium who are being made to motivate others to build toilets.Members of Gram Panchayat level monitoring committees from District Lakhimpur Khiri Shankaria and Hema Malini from Dhakia, Janewmati from Bhuda, Ramawati from Bisenpuri, Ishwari, Baldev, Anjali, Sushmawati, Rinki, Sharda, Sheela from Bhanpuri Khajuria, Guddi from Lalpur Dhaka, Barsati, Savitri, Sunita, Ria, Sabrunnisa from Kamlapuri, Sushila, Sarita, Sandhya of Krishnanagar Bhojhia, Jagdish from Murarkheda, Nirmala Devi from Krishnanagar all from Block Palia are some such examples of torch bearers of this scheme who don't own a toilet themselves. Bida is the President of her Gram Panchayat's Monitoring Committee.She took upon herself the responsibility of getting toilets made for villagers. She borrowed cement, iron rods, morang and bajri worth Rs. 1,80,000 and bricks worth Rs. 88,000 to get 60 toilets built in her Gram Sabha Kamlapuri. Now she is finding it difficult to get these payments made from either the Gram Panchayat or the Block Office. In GP Bengalpur of Block Bharawan in Hardoi District 60 toilets have been shown to be built of which 20 are missing on ground.In GP Maharajganj Dheri of Block Moth in Jhansi District two firms have been made payments for construction of toilets whereas in this scheme Rs 12,000 for construction of a toilet was supposed to be credited to each beneficiary's bank account. A 2011 baseline survey has been used to achieve the target of Open Defecation Free.As a result even after villages and blocks are being declared Open Defecation Free, a number of households are left out to defecate in open. The hurried quality of construction is questionable and a reason why people are not using the toilets even after they are constructed.As brand ambassador of SBM Amitabh Bachchan has been promoting twin soak pit toilets whereas in areas like UP and Bihar where water table is quite high there is a danger of ground water getting polluted because of this design. In such areas the safer design is septic tank. But everybody who has got anything to do with SBM is parroting promotion of soak pit design.As the next general elections approach, the government, having realized that it cannot meet the target of making toilets for everybody, is now engaged in massive wall painting exercise across the country to create an impression that a vibrant SBM is going on whereas one can see garbage strewn over at many places.Rs 22,000 were allocated for the high profile Namami Gange project of which more than Rs. 7,000 has been spent. The official data shows that quality of Ganga water has worsened since this project was launched. Moreover, the government doesnt have a plan to treat all the sewage flowing into Ganga. Saints like Professor Guru Das Agrawal who became a sadhu and adopted the name Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand are dying while fasting and government is not doing anything to save their lives.Three saints, Swami Nigmanand, Baba Nagnath and Swami Sanand, have died. Swami Gokulanand has been murdered. Sant Gopal Das is missing after a long fast and Brahmachari Atmoabodhanand is on fast for close to hundred days now. A day before Professor GD Agrawal died at AIIMS, Rishikesh,Nitin Gadkari announced a minimum 30% environmental flow in Ganga which was not in consonance with recommendationsof Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Consortium and was not acceptable to Prof. Agrawal.Nitin Gadkari is not willing to stop the construction of dams which have been held responsible for natural calamities as well as for posing threat to quality of Ganga water by various experts.Fisherfolk in Varanasi are protesting against Cruise which has been allowed to operate by a private company and poses a threat to their livelihood. For the first time the licenses for their boats have not been renewed by the Municipal Commissioner. Fisherfolk are being threatened by government to surrender.It is quite clear that government under Modi-Gadkari wants to commercially exploit Ganga and is least bothered about its cleanliness.This is a classic example of mismanagement of governance by BJP government. After a series of lynching incidents carried out by Gau Rakshaks against Muslims and dalits and government not taking a strong stand against people taking law into their hands, the cattle trade came to a standstill. With nowhere to go and it becoming unaffordable for their former owners to feed them, cattle including old cows, bulls and male calves became stray and started destroying standing crops.Barbed and blade wire fences were set up by farmers around their fields which created more casualty. Villagers started demanding a gaushala in every Gram Sabha which the government was in no position to provide. Some farmers are known to have herded stray cattle from Sitapur district in U.P. and made them cross the Nepal border in north.Contrary to the perception created among Modi supporters that he has increased India's prestige world over by his foreign sojourns, India's relationship has worsened with most countries, especially with its South Asian neighbours.While the US President refused to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day event, Pakistan has sprung a surprise goodwill gesture of opening up the Kartarpur corridor. Indian government which has taken an official stand to not engage with the Pakistani government for peace talks is now busy taking credit for the Kartarpur corridor. This is similar to the u-turn it took on Sabrimala issue where for first three days BJP was taking credit for the Supreme Court judgement allowing women of all ages entry into the temple but went on to change its stand after observing the mood of tantris and religious bigots.To sum up, in the past five years weve had a government which announced grand schemes, poured money in constant propaganda, made little economic or developmental progress on ground, instead made some economic reverses, promoted crony businesses, protected financial fraudsters, damaged democratic institutions, fueled bigotry and divided its own people.From the past record of other mainstream political parties such as Congress/UPA and regional parties, its clear that they too have practiced cronyism, corruption and delivered inefficient implementation of developmental programmes. However, the scale of cronyism, misgovernance, incompetence, vindictiveness and propaganda demonstrated on so many fronts collectively in the past five years has rarely been witnessed earlier.---Beauty Accelerate is coming to New York on October 15. Want to be the first to know about special guests, speakers, hot topics, sponsorship opportunities and more? Sign up for alerts at www.beautyaccelerate.com.

Why Beauty Accelerate

Whether you're an indie startup or a legacy multinational, navigating the fast-changing beauty industry requires a nimble organization, strong innovation partnerships and distinctive product innovation.

But innovation doesnt happen in a vacuum. Communication and collaboration are criticalboth internally, between beauty and personal care brands R&D and marketing teams, and externally, with allied partners.

This is why Global Cosmetic Industry and Cosmetics & Toiletries have teamed up to create Beauty Accelerate, an intensive one-day product innovation workshop, innovation showcase and curated networking event designed to address the changing industry and markeplace dynamics and inspire brands of every sizefrom indies to top multinationalsto innovate faster, smarter and more collaboratively.

What: Beauty Accelerate

Product Development and Collaboration Workshop

Innovation Showcase x Connector

Networking and Education Roundtable Experience

When: October 15, 2019

Where: Metropolitan West, New York City, NY USA

Who should attend:

Brands

Indie (all sales levels)

Multinational (all sales levels)

Marketing & Branding

Brand owners

Brand managers

Marketing

Product developers

Brand sellers

Distributors

R&D and Technical Teams

R&D directors & managers

Formulators

QA/QC & testing teams

Scale-up teams

Regulatory technicians

Packaging & Design

Designers

Packaging designers

Sign up for event alerts and updates, special announcements and networking opportunities at www.beautyaccelerate.com.Cannabis-based beauty products steadily gained popularity with U.S. consumers over the past several years, and 2019 is predicted to follow suit.

According to a blog post on www.klinegroup.com, the trend's buzz first began with smaller indie brands, including Optiat and MGC Derma. In 2018, Estee Lauders Origins launched Hello Calm: Relaxing and Hydrating Face Mask with Cannabis Sativa Oil.

The blog post states, "2019 is expected to witness more luxury, mass and specialty players entering into this rapidly advancing market. With the ever-growing interest and preference toward more natural products, consumers look to expand their curiosity, turning to the advantages of cannabis as a key beneficial ingredient."

In addition to skin care products, brands are utilizing cannabidiol (CBD) in other beauty offerings. Milk Makeup, for example, launched Kush Mascara on April 20, 2018. The mascara contains CBD which is used as a binding agent, instead of traditional beeswax, the post explains.

CBD, known for its smoothing, anti-inflammatory properties, is reportedly suitable for face masks, creams, serums, lip treatments and even hair products.

Kline goes on to say that brands interested in cannabis-based products may face the challenge of differentiating the use of hemp seed oil against CBDit is understood that hemp-derived products' levels of CBD are not high enough to have an efficacious impact on the skin, while products containing CBD oil will provide the expected benefits. Products utilizing CBD oil must be labeled as such according to U.S. law.

According to Kline, this differentiation can be seen as an opportunity for brands to educate their consumers on the efficacy and use of cannabis as an ingredient in their choice of product, thus gaining the trust of experimental consumers who view cannabis as the new trend or movement in beauty.

For the full blog post, please visit www.klinegroup.com.Corsicana, TX (75110)

Today

Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 67F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.George Soros, the billionaire and key distributor of American influence in the world, called in Twitter to increase the US support for Armenia .

The strong support of civil society in Armenia is vital for the democratic present and future of the country, he wrote in the social network.

He attached to his tweet an article entitled How the United States can support a young democracy in Armenia.100%

Website skylife.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 52262 bytes (51.04 kb uncompressed) and 52272 bytes (51.05 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-29, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds..It has become something of a truism  albeit not one widely acknowledged by its advocates  that constitutional reforms seldom if ever have the effect intended by their architects.

Rob Ford sums it up nicely: devolution didnt stabilise the constitution, improve governance, or weaken nationalism; the EU referendum hasnt settled the issue (yet?); and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act has perversely strengthened the executive.

To this sorry list of ill-judged innovations, which might also compass Lords reform and, in time, the establishment of the Supreme Court, we must surely now add the Meaningful Vote, and by extension the broader idea that the executives traditional authority to conduct foreign relations should be usurped by the legislature.

Of course, this can seem counter-intuitive from the immediate perspective of a Brexiteer. Had Europhile MPs not extracted the Meaningful Vote from the Government, Theresa May would have been at liberty to conclude any deal she liked with the European Union. In tactical terms, the European Research Group certainly owe them thanks.

But as a rule it is best to avoid basing constitutional judgements on whatever immediately benefits your own team (*ahem*), and the charge that the UKs negotiators arent being taken seriously is worth thinking about as we head towards a future which involves negotiating lots of new trade agreements and other treaties.

For all that Twitter likes to mock the Prime Minister for trying to tear up her own deal, her doing so is the logical consequence of the new regime MPs have imposed upon her. Yes, her team negotiated the version of the backstop she then whipped Tory MPs to seek to scrap via the Brady Amendment. But the House of Commons had just overwhelmingly rejected her deal in terms which made clear that the backstop was the sticking point. What was she supposed to do?

And if the need to get the deal ratified by Parliament  not just through the Meaningful Vote but then through a specific Withdrawal Agreement Bill  didnt completely undermine the Governments position as negotiator, the Grieve/Cooper bid to have the House of Commons somehow take direct control of the negotiations would have finished the job. Such a move would effectively have given us a parallel, single-issue executive with whom Brussels would, presumably, have ended up negotiating instead.

Unlike some, I dont believe that much of the political chaos of the last couple of years is necessarily a bad thing. The country is undergoing a jarring political adjustment, and theres nothing wrong with a constitution which lets that process play out in the political arena rather than masking or smothering it.

But we should not allow the horror of the executive branch which seems to be nurtured by many constitutional reformers to leave us with arrangements which straightforwardly dont work.

MPs can scrutinise and defeat Government legislation, investigate issues through select committees, and hold ministers to account in the Chamber. But there are some matters, including war and the conduct of foreign relations, to which the legislature is simply ill-suited, and where it performs badly when it oversteps its traditional role. It is not the case that any increase in the power of the legislature is a good thing.

Likewise, the supremacy of the Commons in our constitution comes from its ability  sadly hindered in fact, if not in theory, by the FTPA  to sack the Government. It has never rested in an ability for the mere balance of opinion amongst MPs to carry the day on an issue-by-issue basis  just as parliamentary sovereignty applies to the will of the whole institution (Lords, Commons, and Crown), and does not imply that MPs alone must have a binding vote on this or that specific measure.

The Government can only be held accountable by the voters  or taken seriously by foreign counterparts, whether we be offering trade or armed intervention  if it has the powers to pursue its agenda.

The case for the executive must be made, and an urgent scheme of constitutional repairs (including, finally, the repeal of the FTPA) should be part of any post-Brexit Conservative programme. Absolute monarchy regulated by regicide is an analogy familiar to Tories in the context of our own leadership, and a similar principle remains the best means of reconciling effective government and democratic accountability in our constitution.Gibb calls for a ban on mobile phones in schools

Smart about smart phones  Leader, The Times

Screen limit for children  Daily Mail

Mobile phones should be banned in schools to help pupils concentrate on learning, the schools minister has said. Nick Gibb is concerned that too many children are using mobile phones at night and arriving at school the next day tired. He said that the government would introduce lessons for pupils on how to limit their screen time. Evidence of the negative effect of phone use on childrens development and mental health is mounting. Guidance being drawn up by the Department for Education will require pupils to be taught about the dangers of excessive use. Teachers will also have to explain the benefits of imposing limits on screen time outside school hours and of not taking mobiles to bed at night.   The Times

>Yesterday: Mark Lehain on Comment: Gove was right to support headteachers over excluded pupils

Brexit 1) Raab casts doubt on Lidingtons role in the renegotiations

Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary, threatened a fragile Tory truce last night by casting doubt on the minister leading talks with Brussels. Mr Raab questioned whether David Lidington, appointed by Theresa May to lead the team of ministers seeking amendments to the Irish backstop, had the kind of Brexiteer credentials to get this deal delivered in a way that is palatable back home. He attacked Mrs Mays grey and gloomy approach and urged her to put a Brexiteer in charge of the talks to reassure Conservative MPs that she had fought hard enough with Brussels.  The Times

The PM should supplement her negotiating team with people who actually know about trade negotiations  Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph

>Today: ToryDiary: The Meaningful Vote is yet another backfiring constitutional innovation

Brexit 2) Extending Article 50 is not impossible, concedes Rees-Mogg

Rees-Mogg defends attending DUP dinner  Belfast Telegraph

Brexit 3) Leave.EU fined over data breach

Extending Article 50 is not impossible if a new Brexit deal has been agreed with the EU, Jacob Rees-Mogg says today, in a major shift of stance for the highly influential Eurosceptic MP. The leader of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers says for the first time that delaying Brexit for a short period would be acceptable to give Parliament the time for the necessary legislation to be passed. It came as Philip Hammond and Liam Fox became the latest Cabinet ministers to raise the prospect of a delay, in what was seen as a sign that the Government is preparing the public what many MPs regard as an inevitable postponement of Brexit.  Daily Telegraph

Leave.EU and an insurance company owned by its founder Arron Banks have been fined 120,000 over data law breaches. It represents a reduction in the 135,000 total previously announced by the Information Commissioners office. The pro-Brexit Leave.EU groups 60,000 fine was reduced to 45,000 after considering the companys representations, the ICO said. Leave.EU said it was a politically motivated attack against our involvement in Brexit. A spokesman said it was disappointed but not surprised and would be appealing against the fine in court.  BBC

Brexit 4) EU calls Gibraltar a British colony

EU to give airline groups such as IAG, owner of British Airways and Iberia, a seven-month deadline to overhaul their shareholder make-up in order to retain full flying rights  Financial Times

Gibraltars Chief Minister denounces bullying  Daily Express

Brexit 5) Labour and the unions unlikely to endorse PMs proposals on workers rights

The UK has objected to Gibraltar being described as a colony in European Union legislation allowing UK nationals to travel to the EU after Brexit. The EU proposed allowing visa-free travel for Britons in November. The Spanish government has since insisted a footnote be added describing Gibraltar as a colony and referring to controversy over its status. The UKs ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, objected to it at a meeting in Brussels earlier.  BBC

Labour and leading trade unions have said they are unlikely to endorse any proposals from Theresa May aimed at improving workers rights after Brexit, with one leading figure accusing the prime minister of trying to divide and rule. Trade unions involved in discussing a possible workers rights package, which the government hopes will help some Labour MPs support its Brexit deal, said they had yet to see anything from ministers they could support. Union sources said they would want to see the government commit to putting future protection for workers rights in the Brexit agreement struck with the European Union, rather than in UK legislation that could be repealed by a future government.  The Guardian

Bercow insists he is a neutral referee  The Guardian

Brexit 6) Fox: Eurozone weakness makes a deal more likely

International trade secretary Liam Fox has suggested weakness in some of the EUs largest members economies will push Brussels to renegotiate the Brexit deal with the UK as quickly as possible. Prime minister Theresa May is set to return to Brussels for negotiations with the EU as early as next week after securing parliamentary support for revising the Brexit deal that would change the measures designed to prevent a hard border on Ireland. We are still aiming to get to the 29 March [departure]  thats the date we promised the British people. The answer is to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. And I think there are factors frankly driving that process, Mr Fox told an event hosted by the Policy Exchange think-tank on Friday.  Financial Times

>Yesterday

Brexit 7) Business is right to warn against no deal, insists Clark

The business secretary worries that Britain will squander the chance it has to capitalise on its expertise and experience. At this miraculous moment in the industrial history of the world, whether its the future of mobility, artificial intelligence, clean energy or medical advances, all of these revolutions are best done in Britain so this is a massive opportunity. But my concern is that if we make what I think would be a mistake that we would regret for everHe is clear about what he means by this: It would be to leave without a deal. The warnings about the perils of crashing out are not in his view a rerun of Project Fear. The prospects of a disorderly Brexit are very severe for every part of the country and I think its entirely reasonable for companies who know what they need and the consequences they face, who invest billions of pounds in this county and employ hundreds of thousands of people, to share that analysis.  Interview with Greg Clark, The Times

UK manufacturers stockpiling hits record levels  The Guardian

Brexit 8) Others in Europe will watch and wait before pushing for their own referendums on EU membership

Brexit 9) Parris: Remainers must not give up

Populist parties across Europe are targeting Mays European Parliament election as their chance to wrest control of the European Union away from Brussels. As a result, many of them have shelved plans to hold their own Brexit-style referendums in favour of reforming or destroying the EU from within. The Sweden Democrats this week abandoned their pledge to renegotiate Swedens place in the EU and hold a Swexit referendum, saying they will now instead watch and wait for the impact of BrexitThe nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) earlier this month backed away from plans to put a call for German Dexit withdrawal at the centre of its manifesto for this Mays European ElectionsSampo Terho, co-founder of Finlands Blue Reform party called for a Fixit referendum in 2017, when he was a member of The Finns. Now Minister of European Affairs, he argues that Finland should instead fight for a better EU, not to get out of the EU.  Daily Telegraph

Amid all the madness of the hour I still believe in logic. After the 2016 plebiscite I wrote here that if it made sense to leave the EU at all, wed have to be freed from Brussels rules: a freedom Brexiteers had advertised as the reason for leaving. To stop halfway, I wrote, remaining bound by EU rules, was implicitly to admit we should never have started the journey. I hold to that still. Norway is silly: a national humiliation. Mrs Mays deal is a blank space that hardline Brexiteers will quickly exploit, leading us back to post-Brexit deadlock with the EU. Years of deadlock will bring terrible economic harm. Its a pity we ever started down the Brexit road: an understanding that I believe is already rooting itself in the unconscious mind of the nation. Gradually it must surface into the conscious mind, too. Our job as Remainers is to make sure it does not surface too late. We dont have long.  Matthew Parris, The Times

Other comment

The Prime Ministers Tory truce will shatter if her MPs dont wake up to the gravity of this crisis  Peter Oborne, Daily Mail

May is not going to get much out of Brussels until after Valentines Day  James Forsyth, The Sun

BBC bias is still skewing the Brexit debate  Madeline Grant, Daily Telegraph

Its wrong to call government support for Leave constituencies like mine a bribe  John Mann MP, Daily Mail

Second referendum campaigners dont know their beaten  Leader, The Sun

Parliament is ill-equipped to deal with Brexit  Steve Richards, Financial Times

Why do MPs seek to betray the UK?  Frederick Forsyth, Daily Express

>Today: Columnist Nick Hargrave: Conservative moderates need to help change our Party. Heres how to start doing it.

Gove offers signed copies of his speeches to boost Tory fundraising

Labour MPs challenge Partys failings over anti-semitism

Michael Gove has asked Conservative Party members for 600 a year in return for a signed copy of one of his speeches to help fund activists to fight elections. With the May local elections less than 90 days away, the Tories are concerned that they will be outgunned on the nations doorsteps by Labour, which has far more campaigners. Brandon Lewis, the Conservative Party chairman, summoned ministerial advisers to a crisis meeting in Downing Street on Friday to discuss strategy for the local elections. The party fears that its election machine could be seriously undermined if it loses councillors in May, as councillors and their families form the backbone of its network of activists and they may cease to campaign for the party if they are defeated.  Daily Telegraph

Two Labour MPs have put down a motion at next weeks meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) calling on the leadership to adequately tackle cases of antisemitism, reigniting a long-running row within the party. MPs supporting the motion accuse the partys ruling NEC of leniency and call on the leadership to intervene, but the party hierarchy rejects this, saying its disciplinary process is effective and independent. The motion, submitted by Catherine McKinnell and Ruth Smeeth, will be debated at the meeting in Westminster on Monday night and is almost certain to be put to a vote. It calls on the party leadership to adequately tackle cases of antisemitism, as failure to do so seriously risks antisemitism in the party appearing normalised and the party seeming to be institutionally antisemitic.  The Guardian

Labour activists in Scotland have their head in their hands  Ayesha Hazarika, The Scotsman

Corbyn attacks sanctions on Venezuela

Inside the hell of communist heaven  Robert Hardman, Daily Mail

Maduro thugs to confront biggest march in history  The Times

Labour leaders popularity sinks to all-time low  Daily Telegraph

Increase in drug crime, for the first time in ten years

Jeremy Corbyn sparked fury last night after he slammed the governments call for sanctions on Venezuelas hard-left tyrant Nicolas Maduro. The Labour leader condemned outside interference against the despot, who has launched a brutal crackdown on his own people as he refuses to relinquish his grip on power. And he has called for dialogue with Maduro  even though he stubbornly refused to sit down for Brexit talks with Theresa May.  The Sun

A surge in county lines gangs has seen the number of children convicted of drugs offences rise for the first time in a decade, official figures show. Just days after it was revealed the number of county lines drug networks had almost tripled to 2,000, Ministry of Justice figures revealed a 2% rise in drug offences to 6,000 in 2018. This is the first increase since 2008/09 and reverses a steady 55% decline in drug offences over the past decade. The number of robberies and public order offences committed by children have also risen for the first time in years, according to the Ministry of Justice data.  Daily Telegraph

Trump cancels arms control treaty with Russia

News in brief

The EUs desire to punish Britain is risking a no-deal Brexit  Owen Polley, The Article

A global Britain is only possible if we leave the customs union  Kai Weiss, 1828

The Foreign Offices toothless review into Christian persecution  Luke de Pulford, The Spectator

I am not going to stockpile anything  John Redwood

Behind Closed Doors  the EU has abolished the little democratic oversight it had  Radomir Tylecote, Brexit Central

The US will withdraw from a landmark nuclear missile pact with Russia, Donald Trump announced on Friday  ending an agreement that has been a cornerstone of superpower arms control since the Cold War. The Trump administrations move, which has been expected for months, follows years of unresolved dispute over Russian compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, treaty. The announcement begins a six-month countdown that could lead to a permanent US withdrawal from the accord. During that time, Washington could choose not to pull out of it, if Russia comes into compliance with the treaty. However, experts say that is not likely.  Daily TelegraphToday, Serbian Energy Minister Alexander Antic explained the opinion of the Energy Community Secretariat on the continuation of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline from Bulgaria to Hungary through the Serbian territories, emphasizing that this document allows Belgrade to count on a quick transition of the European part of the Russian project from planning to implementation.

The fact that the Energy Community concluded that the new gas pipeline will increase the reliability of supply through the diversification of the supply route, confirms our arguments, and we expect the project to proceed soon through the mandatory distribution of volumes and investment decisions, RIA Novosti quotes Antic as saying.Columbia, MO (65201)

Today

A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy during the afternoon. Cooler. High near 75F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 52F. N winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph.As the deadline to file a civil lawsuit approached, Jim and Evelyn Piazza put out a sweeping announcement on Friday that they are suing 28 former Beta Theta Pi brothers  this coming nearly two years after their son, Timothy Piazza, died during a hazing-fueled bid-acceptance night at the now-banned fraternity.

According to a press release issued by the law firm of Thomas Kline, the Piazza family's lawyer, the brothers have been named individual defendants in the wrongful death, negligence and conspiracy complaint.

The battery counts in the complaint, according to the release, relate to claims that several former brothers physically assaulted  through slapping and punching  Piazza while he was incapacitated.

According to the release, the complaint also alleges they planned, orchestrated, organized, oversaw, participated in, facilitated, or directed the hazing of pledges, including Timothy Piazza.

The same release detailed that the Piazzas have also signed an out-of-court settlement with Penn State over Piazza's death.

This lawsuit filing, and announcement of our sweeping out-of-court settlement with the university, marks two milestone developments in this long and difficult journey of Jim and Evelyn Piazza as they fight for the full measure of justice  and permanent greek life reforms - in memory of their son following his preventable death," Kline said in the press release.

In February 2017, sophomore pledge Piazza fell down the fraternity's basement stairs and died from the injuries he sustained. Since then, numerous brothers have pleaded guilty in court, while others await trials in the upcoming months.

According to the release, Kline said the Piazzas' settlement with the university demonstrates their acknowledgement and endorsement of the steps the university has taken to reform greek life. The monetary terms of the settlement are confidential.

The settlement stipulates several criteria the university must take to ensure greek life reformation including enhanced greek life accountability and safety, alcohol control, ensuring Beta Theta Pi expulsion and enhanced bystander efforts.

The agreement was also announced in a Penn State-issued press release, which formalized Penn States initiative to reform greek-letter organizations.

Since Piazzas death, the school has seen a decrease in alcohol-related emergency room visits and reductions in alcohol-related crimes and noise violations in areas where fraternity houses are located, according to the release.

The university has also made a commitment to build upon the progress it has made in instituting reform measures in the greek community.

The agreement comes in the wake of Penn States announcement of the creation of the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform.

In addition, in October, the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Bill was signed into Pennsylvania law. The law creates tiers for hazing and stipulates that universities and high schools must report all known instances of hazing. Penn State released its first hazing report on Jan. 15.

RELATED

Penn State community reacts to the launching of the Piazza Center On Jan. 22, Penn State announced its plan to launch the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fratern

Penn State's Phi Sigma Sigma sorority to lease former Sigma Alpha Epsilon house Members of Phi Sigma Sigma gathered in the former fraternity house located on 200 E. Beaver 

+2 Penn State sues Beta Theta Pi chapter to regain ownership of shuttered fraternity house Penn State is suing the local Beta Theta Pi chapter to regain ownership of the house where pAn airline ticket doesn't give passengers much in the way of "extras" like meals, cocktails or a reserved seat in the air. However, tucked away in boarding passes that most travelers toss away, are a wide range of free and discounted perks. Bonuses include free ski lift tickets, complimentary wine tastings, as well as discounts on meals, ground transportation and adventures. There are even some extras available to railroad passengers as well. Some of the deals, compiled by CNBC, are offered for limited times, or only during certain seasons, but others can be used multiple times. Read the details  and keep them in mind the next time you're quick to delete or toss your boarding pass after your trip.

Ski for free

Some boarding passes allow access to free ski lift tickets. Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images

Skiers can score a free lift ticket and, in some cases, free or discounted gear rental. All they have to do is show an Alaska Airlines boarding pass at a dozen ski resorts in places like Alaska, California, Colorado, and Utah, just to name a few. Most of the deals invite travelers to hit the slopes on the days they arrive or depart, and can represent a savings of up to $200. At some resorts, such as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in North Lake Tahoe, guests who show a same-day boarding pass from any commercial airline receive a complimentary lift ticket for the day they arrive.

Tour wine country, ship a case for free

Boarding passes unlock perks such as complimentary winery tastings or a free checked case of wine on certain flights. Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images

In Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of California, an Alaska Airlines (AS) boarding pass is a win-win for wine drinkers. Through the airline's "Wine Flies Free" program, members of its Mileage Plan are able to check a case (12 bottles) of wine for free when flying domestically on AS, Horizon Air and SkyWest flights. The plan covers 29 west coast cities, including wine lover hotspots like San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. In the wine regions of both Oregon and Washington, hundreds of participating wineries also offer complimentary tastings to anyone showing an inbound AS boarding pass and proof of Mileage Plan membership. And, as part of Washington's Taste and Tote program with Alaska, the drop-off fee will be waived for one-way Hertz rental cars picked up in Yakima, Pasco/Tri-Cities or Walla Walla, and returned at one of the other two cities in the program.

Boarding pass deals from international carriers

Dolmabahce Palace Clock Tower, with Dolmabahce Mosque in the background, Istanbul. Emad Aljumah | Moment Open | Getty Images

Turkish Airlines passengers with layovers of between six and 24 hours in Istanbul can show their boarding passes at the Hotel Desk and join a free highlight tour of the city. Separately, Korean Air's Excellent Boarding Pass program offers a full week of perks in Korea to passengers who hold onto their international boarding pass from an overseas region. Passengers traveling from Korea to an international destination can take advantage of boarding pass offers for a full month. In Korea, the perks include discounts on everything from meals, attractions and cultural performances to cell phone rentals, rail tickets and medical services. Worldwide, the perks range from discounts at outlet malls in the United States and 30 percent off single visits to the aquarium, zoo and other attractions in Sydney, Australia. Singapore Airlines' Boarding Pass Privileges program offers Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers a full month of discounts on hotel stays, car rentals, meals and local attractions. Deals are updated every six months, and include discounts on shopping, dining and spa services inside Changi Airport as well. The Magic Boarding Pass program from Asiana Airlines offers passengers discounts on tours, transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping, theater and attractions around the world for up to a month after a flight.

Perks by land

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, inside Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Jeff Gritchen | MediaNews Group | Getty ImagesVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed early parliamentary elections on Saturday, seeking to shore up his crumbling rule after a senior general defected to the opposition and tens of thousands thronged the streets in protest at his government.

As domestic and international pressure on Maduro to step down mounts, a senior air force general disavowed him in a video that circulated earlier on Saturday, expressing his allegiance to parliament head and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido.

The military's support is crucial for Maduro, who is deeply unpopular, largely due to an unprecedented economic crisis that has prompted an exodus of millions. Maduro claims he is victim of a coup directed by the United States.

In a speech to supporters, Maduro said the powerful government-controlled Constituent Assembly would debate calling early elections for the National Assembly parliament, which is opposition-controlled.

Guaido has called for a new, fair presidential election after the disputed vote won by Maduro last year.

"You want elections? You want early elections? We are going to have parliamentary elections," Maduro told a pro-government rally in Caracas, held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez's first inauguration as president. The parliamentary elections had been scheduled for 2020.

"There is no dictatorship in Venezuela, nor will there be," said Maduro.

Washington, along with many countries in the western hemisphere, has denounced Maduro as a dictator and recognized Guaido as the legitimate president, announcing this week potentially crippling sanctions that are likely to further weaken the OPEC nation's struggling oil industry.

While small rebellions against Maduro have broken out in Venezuela's armed forces in recent months, there has been no large scale military uprising against him.

However, General Francisco Yanez of the air force's high command became the first active Venezuelan general to recognize Guaido since he proclaimed himself president on Jan. 23. Venezuela's chief military attache to the United States also said he was defecting last week.

"People of Venezuela, 90 percent of the armed forces of Venezuela are not with the dictator, they are with the people of Venezuela," Yanez said in the video.

"Already the transition to democracy is imminent."

On its Twitter account, the air force's high command accused the general of treason.

At an opposition rally in Caracas, Guaido told his supporters he expected more to follow Yanez's example. He has offered the military and public officials amnesty if they defect.

"I am certain many officials and soldiers will repeat this gesture, very soon, very soon," he said.

The rally was one of many nationwide on Saturday, where demonstrators decked out in the yellow, red and blue of the Venezuelan flag honked horns, pounded on drums and chanted "Guaido, Guaido, Guaido."

"It's been years of destruction of companies and poverty," said Pedro Gimenez, 51, a worker in an aluminum factory in the southern state of Bolivar. "We want a better present and future and we are about to achieve that."

In a possible sign of Maduro's weakening support, riot police who had planned on blocking demonstrators from reaching the rallies decided to let them pass in at least three cities, according to Guaido and Reuters witnesses.WASHINGTON  The United States and Russia suspended a crucial nuclear weapons treaty on Saturday, a move that has sparked concerns of a budding arms race between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.

Withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty comes after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave Russia 60 days to come back into compliance with the terms of the nuclear weapons pact. Pompeo added that the process could be reversed if Russia came back into compliance.

"Russia has not taken the necessary steps to return to compliance over the last 60 days," Pompeo said in a statement. "It remains in material breach of its obligations not to produce, possess, or flight-test a ground-launched, intermediate-range cruise missile system with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers."

He added: "The United States has gone to tremendous lengths to preserve the INF Treaty, engaging with Russian officials more than 30 times in nearly six years to discuss Russia's violation, including at the highest levels of government."

Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains that Moscow has not violated the treaty, but will start developing new missiles in the wake of the INF's suspension.

"The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well," Putin said Saturday, during a televised meeting with foreign and defense ministers, according to Reuters. Putin also said that he would not deploy weapons to Europe and other regions unless the U.S. did so.An anti-government demonstrator stands next to a national flag during an opposition protest blocking the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas on May 27, 2017.

A new era of great power competition took shape in Venezuela this past week.

As the first battle of this epoch, the contest for the future of Venezuela will have outsized consequences on what forces and values  democratic or autocratic -- will determine not only the country's future but also influence the regional and global future.

As the country with the world's largest proven oil reserves and one of its greatest humanitarian disasters, Venezuela is a place whose destiny in any case would have had outsized consequences for Latin America and global energy markets. Given the involvement of the U.S. and its democratic allies on the one side and China, Russia and Cuba on the other, the stakes are even higher geopolitically.

President Trump's recognition of interim President Juan Guaido on January 23, with the aim of forcing out Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, elevated the Venezuelan crisis to its most crucial test of his presidency and of the U.S. ability to shape affairs in its own hemisphere. It also marks an opening salvo of the Trump administration's unfolding strategy to work with regional partners in a more concerted way.

The former head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Julio Borges, a leading player in the interim government, put it eloquently in Washington this week at the Atlantic Council. "The Berlin Wall is falling in Latin America," he said. "What happened in Europe 30 years ago is happening now in the region."

It's a useful if imperfect metaphor. Just as then in Germany, the outcome is uncertain, and the impact will be generational on democracy and freedom. The chances of success, however, depend on an even more complex interaction of local, regional and global players.

Locally, Guaido thus far has succeeded where Maduro opponents previously failed in unifying the opposition, rallying widespread public and international support, and laying out a vision for the future that would bring free elections and provide amnesty for security and armed forces who are not found guilty of crimes against humanity.

Regionally, the new Brazilian and Colombia leaders Jair Bolsonaro and Ivan Duque, respectively, provide a significant boost to Venezuela's chances at democratic change as part of the so-called "Lima Group," a coalition of 14 Latin American countries plus Canada that is supporting democratic change in Venezuela. Just last month, the Lima Group issued a stinging condemnation of the Maduro regime, urging him to provisionally transfer executive power to the National Assembly and further restricting contacts with the Maduro regime.

Globally, the picture is less certain and may be most decisive.

The United States' emerging strategy for Latin America was unveiled last November by National Security Advisor John Bolton in his "troika of tyranny" speech  putting Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in the crosshairs.

"The United States looks forward to watching each corner of the triangle fall: in Havana, in Caracas, in Managua," Bolton said, though most at the time didn't predict the pace of action. On the same day, the U.S. introduced new sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba, including on Venezuela's gold sector and entities of the Cuban military and intelligence services.

This week, the U.S. unveiled its most punitive economic actions yet against Venezuela, sanctioning its state-owned oil giant PdVSA, which remains the main source of income for the Maduro regime. It was the harshest measure yet against the Maduro regime and will immediately block $7 billion in assets and deprive Caracas of $11 billion in revenues in 2019, according to Bolton.

What Washington is up against are three authoritarian countries who have bet to one extent or the other on the current Venezuelan leadership: Cuba, Russia and China. The current showdown is a test of just how far each of these actors will go to support its Venezuelan client  and how strategic the United States, Venezuela's interim government and other Western democracies can be in navigating these shoals.

The first indications are that a determined United States has a fair chance of helping to bring about a lasting change in Venezuela.

Over years, Havana received subsidized oil from Caracas and Cubans have assumed sensitive posts in Venezuela's government. The daily intelligence briefing Maduro, himself educated in Havana, receives isn't prepared by Venezuelans but by Cuban intelligence operatives. Yet as deeply entrenched as Cuba remains, Maduro's departure would rapidly undermine its position.

Russia and China both seem to be hedging their bets, disappointed themselves at Maduro's leadership and hoping to preserve their economic and political influence in the country in any case. Those include considerable Russia holdings in the Venezuelan energy market  and some $50 billion that China has extended in loans to Venezuela over the past dozen years, with some $20 billion still owed.

Moscow is out in front in insisting that Maduro remains Venezuela's legitimate leader, and that the United States is essentially supporting a parliamentary coup. At the same time, however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that the Kremlin wasn't engaged in discussions to extend major financial or military assistance to the Maduro regime.

Russia in any case would lack logistical capacity to provide decisive help at a time when its larger and more immediately priorities are in Ukraine, ahead of elections in March, and Syria, with the impeding U.S. withdrawal. Putin also faces a stagnating economy and falling popularity at home.

In a move apparently designed to calm Chinese and Russian concerns, Guaido has told Reuters that he sent communications to both powers. "What most suits Russia and China is the country's stability and a change of government," he said. "Maduro does not protect Venezuela, he doesn't protect anyone's investments, and he is not a good deal for those countries."

Said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, "We believe that no matter how the situation develops or changes, cooperation between China and Venezuela will not be damaged."

With stakes so high, one must hope the United States, Latin American democracies and European Union countries show determination equal to the historic challenge. The EU member states haven't yet recognized the interim president but are expected to do so by Monday when a deadline for Maduro to call fresh elections isn't met.

In a world where democracies have been fraying and autocracies rising, a democratic win in Venezuela would have outsized significance.

Frederick Kempe is a best-selling author, prize-winning journalist and president & CEO of the Atlantic Council, one of the United States' most influential think tanks on global affairs. He worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than 25 years as a foreign correspondent, assistant managing editor and as the longest-serving editor of the paper's European edition. His latest book  "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth"  was a New York Times best-seller and has been published in more than a dozen languages. Follow him on Twitter @FredKempe and subscribe here to Inflection Points, his look each Saturday at the past week's top stories and trends.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.CLINTON [mdash] George E. Kunau, Jr. age 78 of Clinton, passed away Thursday, June 10, 2021 at his home. In following George's wishes cremation rites have been accorded. Private services will be held at a later date. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Mark HoA group of Turkish people on Saturday took to the streets in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Anadolu agency reports.

The demonstration was organized by Ankara Platform for the Freedom of Religion and the crowd met in front of the Venezuelan embassy in the capital.



The crowd chanted slogans such as Stand tall, Turkey with you. Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, spokesman for the platform, told reporters that they had gathered in front of the embassy to show solidarity with Maduro.



We call on imperialists. If you have sneaky plans, cannons, rifles, we have our faith, brotherhood, prayers, oppressed people, Ozkan said. Venezuela's self-declared interim president Juan Guaido called fresh protests on Saturday to demand Maduro to cede power after a week of sporadic mass protests. The last round of demonstrations took place Wednesday.In our world of divisiveness, generally, most people can agree  crime is bad. But what about hate crimes? We have all heard the loaded-phrase before, but many remain unclear about what elevates a seemingly regular crime into a hate crime? Two recent incidents reported on by the ClevelPERRY, Iowa  Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, has run for decades in his home state on his stances on trade.

Brown won his first congressional election in 1992 largely on a platform of opposing NAFTA. Since then, hes consistently opposed trade deals, which hes deemed unfair to average workers, while supporting tariffs on countries like China for gaming the economy.

Brown, who is in Iowa as part of an early-primary state tour as he considers a run for the White House, hopes that message resonates with voters, especially in the Midwest.

At a farmer roundtable Friday in Perry, Iowa, he found out it wasnt that simple.

Perry, a town of around 7,500 people west of Des Moines, looks like a typical agricultural community thats seen better days. A faded welcome sign at the entrance of town reads, Make Yourself at Home, but the downtown area is littered with vacant buildings. The town has shrunk in the last 10 years, even as Dallas County remains the fastest growing in the state, largely due to urban creep from the Des Moines metropolitan area.

Its prototypical of the forgotten America that politicians have salivated over since Republican President Donald Trumps victory. He won the county by nearly 10 percentage points in 2016. Republicans have carried the county since 1996.

Perry and places like it are where Brown has argued his message on working class issues will connect with voters. Hes argued that many voters bought into Trumps economic message during the 2016 campaign, but the president has failed to deliver.

But unlike in Ohio  with its more industrial-based economy  the tariffs arent overwhelmingly welcome in rural Iowa.

The commodity prices are terrible right now, said Mary Weaver, a family farmer with her husband and son in nearby Rippey. We harvest soybeans and corn and the tariff has really, really hurt us. Im eager to hear what he says about trade and how high thats going to be on his priority list.

Corn and soybean prices have fallen since Trump imposed tariffs on China. In retaliation, China cut how much of the crops it has purchased from the United States. Trump also put tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

Farmers have received some assistance, but that was for last year alone with no guarantee for help in the future.

A lot of time and effort went into creating those relationships that have led to the growth in those exports, said Jim Gannon, a 42-year-old family farmer from about an hour away in Mingo.

Brown has been supportive of Trumps tariffs against China, as a way to punish bad actors. But hes been critical of using them as a long-term solution and of those levied on Canada and Mexico, who are American allies.

Full disclosure, I supported the tariffs originally, Brown told the group of roughly 10 at Fridays roundtable. To me tariffs, if done right, and the reason I supported them is that they are a temporary tool to get to a certain point, not a long term trade policy. Trump has made them a long term trade policy because hes not doing real good negotiations with China.

Ardent opposition to trade deals and blanket support for tariffs play well in Ohio, especially in old industrial cities that have lost jobs to outsourcing like Youngstown, Toledo and Cleveland.

Brown was open about his thoughts on the tariffs and his opposition to trade deals like NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The deals of the past have pitted farmers like those in Perry against industrial workers like Browns constituents in Ohio, he said.

You need to do it in a way you dont play it off industry against agriculture, Brown said. You dont pit steelworker against farmer. (Trump) never really understood the depth of that.

Brown spoke little during the roundtable, opting to listen and ask questions instead of hogging the air. After the exchange about trade, he quickly switched the subject to ethanol  an important issue to Iowa farmers.

Warren Varley, a 58-year-old fifth-generation farmer who runs a small-town law practice in Stuart, interjected to give the senator some advice as he continues thinking about running for president.

Senator, excuse me for interrupting. You might win the caucuses talking about tariffs and ethanol, but youre not going to win rural voters, Varley said. Rural voters are upset with China, as they should be. Long before this deal with phone technology, we had Chinese stealing seeds from Pioneer. This goes back a long ways. Youve got to talk about economic concentration and the effect thats having on farmers in particular, but rural communities in general. Thats whats really grinding farmers.

Varley said in an interview with cleveland.com that his concern wasnt with Browns position, but his focus.

Hes not going to reach the voter we need to reach, Varley said. I have a lot of farmer friends who consistently vote Republican, and they agree with the president that China is treating us unfairly. Theyre not going to abandon him over tariffs. We need to talk about whats really impacting them economically.WATERLOO, Iowa  Its been hard to find a glaring weakness in Sen. Sherrod Browns swing through Iowa this week. Voters have been at the very least curious, with some enthusiastic for a possible presidential run by the Ohio Democrat.

But during a meet and greet Friday night, the inevitable question about universal health care came up.

In the living room of Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz in front of about 50 people, Ruth Walker, a 78-year-old retiree from Cedar Falls, asked Brown if he supported a Medicare-for-all health care program. Unlike some presidential hopefuls, Brown favors an incremental approach. Walkers question led to this lively exchange:

Walker: It isnt like it wont work. I think advocating part way measures is not going to work. We tried part-way messages and it doesnt work.

Brown: I want to get there, but I want to help peoples lives.

Walker: But weve been doing this forever. We need to get there.

Brown: I understand that. I understand that. We missed by one vote getting Medicare-at-55 because of one guy.

Walker: I mean Medicare-for-all. Thats the problem, though.

Brown: I know you did. I know you did. I understand that, but we are no closer to Medicare-for-all today than we were 15 years ago.

Walker: We havent been advocating very long.

Brown: OK, well, I want to improve peoples lives today. I know Congress wont pass Medicare-for-all.

Walker: They will if they found out the people are brought  educate the people.

Brown: "Well I try to educate the people. But I want to help people make their lives better right now. If we can pass Medicare-at-55 tomorrow, two things would happen: a whole lot of peoples lives would improve and a whole lot of voters would think that the next step is to do more.

"My ideology says universal coverage today, just like yours. But I want to see peoples lives better. Well keep having this debate and people will say, Medicare-for-all. Medicare-for-all, and nothing will change. I think if we can make that change of Medicare-at-55 or Medicare-at-50, it will make all the difference in the world and then we get to the next step. Otherwise its this sort of tilting at windmills where everybody feels good saying,  Im for Medicare for all. Im for Medicare-for-all, but nothing changes.

And I want to educate people too, but I want to change peoples lives and help people now. We have a different disagreement there. We want to end up in the same place, but weve got to get Congress to act as quickly as we can when we were so close before.

The question of universal health care will be one of the hottest topics in the Democratic presidential primary. Progressive activists within the party are pushing heavily for candidates to support a Medicare-for-all style system, similar to the universal health care programs in many European countries.

Medicare is the government health care program that covers people 65 years old and up in the United States. Its generally a popular program across all party lines.

Expanding that program to all Americans has been gaining support. According to polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation released this month, Democrats almost universally support a federal health care program, as do a majority of independent voters. Republican support has decreased significantly from 2006, when 72 percent of wanted universal health care, compared with only 40 percent today.

Democrats running for office, or considering a run, are less unified on the matter. Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are all on board.

Others, like Brown have been more tepid.

Brown is a longtime supporter of a single-payer program, but as he said to Walker, he feels incremental change like allowing 50- to 55-year-olds to enroll in the program is a more realistic route to the endgame.

After Brown finished his Q&A session with the guests, Walker told several reporters that Browns lack of support for a Medicare-for-all system was likely a nonstarter.

Part of it is because Im old and Ive wanted this for too many decades. I was not impressed.  Walker said. Im not bad-mouthing him. Hes right on so many issues.

In an election where Brown will likely lean on his pragmatism to reach his goals, declining to go all in could put him at a disadvantage in a primary where the more liberal wing of the party could select the nominee.Amid continuing vendor concerns and a large number of vacant produce stands at the West Side Market, an effort is underway to persuade Cleveland City Hall to study turning the historic 106-year-old market over to nonprofit management. The tenants' association, local development nonprofit Ohio City Inc. and City Councilman Kerry McCormack are behind this idea. Plain Dealer reporter Debbi Snook writes that the group has been working jointly on a pitch to Mayor Frank Jackson. Advocates are concerned about the dangers of allowing market oversight to drift without a clear plan for the future.

Last September, after torrential rains flooded the shop of longtime market tenant Mediterranean Imported Foods, the owner said the city didnt respond for at least two days.

During a meeting this week with our editorial board, Mayor Jackson said the idea of bringing in nonprofit management is not new, but that he will listen to any proposal. However, he said hes generally resistant to selling a valuable city asset, if thats the proposal, and that he also would have to be convinced that whoever is seeking to take it over has both a clear plan and the resources to accomplish it.

Vendors quoted by Snook said the market lacks a marketing plan and is not being modernized in ways that appeal to younger customers.

Readers have told Snook they want better seating, but longtime customers also worry the old-world vibe of the beautiful arched market and its butcher stands and bakeries could be erased in the interest of progress.

So what does our editorial board roundtable think is the right approach? We welcome reader ideas in the comments.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

The markets an asset whose trustee, the city, seems unenthusiastic. A nonprofit with ties to Greater Clevelands urban agriculture scene would likely be a dynamic manager.

Ted Diadiun, editorial board member:

It is unconscionable that the city would take such a laissez-faire attitude toward such an iconic treasure, leaving vendors to cope with serious problems without even a prompt response, and lacking a discernible marketing plan. Another example of government inability to function as well as private industry. Yes! By all means, turn the market over to a nonprofit management group that can operate it with vision and efficiency.

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:

We need a big vision and bold plan for the West Side Market. It is a symbol of whats great about Cleveland and one of the few institutions where Clevelanders from both sides of the river and all walks of life come together. Strong management is critical to its future, so we should all support a structure that grows the market and ensures long-term sustainability while honoring its past.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

First and foremost, the West Side Market must be preserved. The city should cede ownership to stakeholders who can maintain and improve this Cleveland icon. I would cut the produce vendor area by up to two-thirds (there were too many anyway), use that space for picnic tables, and roof-over the area between produce row and the main market hall for seamless traffic flow.

Eric Foster, editorial board member:

It seems to me that handing the market over to a nonprofit management company would make the most sense for all involved. It doesnt appear that the city has the market high on its priority list (which is understandable). Bringing another party in that can focus solely on revitalizing the market would lighten the citys load and give the markets tenants the attention they deserve.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

The city of Cleveland should consider outsourcing management of the West Side Market. A private entity could preserve the markets old-world charm while updating it to meet the needs of modern shoppers. Outside management might also be able to reduce maintenance costs while simultaneously being more responsive to repair needs, which would further ensure the West Side Markets long-term viability.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director, cleveland.com:

The West Side Markets old-fashioned vibe of small family market stands is part of its charm, along with the wonderful foods. But the structural issues, obvious need for upgrades and recurring tenant complaints suggest that, at a minimum, the city better quickly up its management approach if it doesnt want to see pressure build to pass the market to other hands.

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* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial board roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.comCLEARWATER, Florida -- The suspect in the Florida slayings of his wife and three in-laws was booked Saturday in the Pinellas County Jail, according to the jail.

Shelby John Svensen, 25, also known as Shelby Nealy, was arrested Jan. 4 by Lakewood police after he was spotted driving a 2013 Kia Sorrento that belonged to his 59-year-old mother-in-law, Laura Ivancic.

Laura Ivancic, her husband, Richard Ivancic, 71, and their son Nicholas Ivancic, 25, as well as their three small dogs, were found dead on New Years Day at the familys mobile home in Tarpon Springs, Florida, Sgt. Robert Faugno of the Tarpon Springs Police Department said previously.

Investigators believe Svensen killed them late in the day on Dec. 19 or Dec. 20, Tarpon Springs Maj. Jeff Young said previously. While in custody at the Lakewood Police Department, Svensen admitted to his involvement in the triple slaying.

Tarpon Springs triple homicide investigation LIVE NOW | Tarpon Springs police is providing the latest information into this week's triple homicide. https://on.wtsp.com/2ReeaRO Posted by 10News WTSP on Friday, January 4, 2019

Tarpon Springs police informed Lakewood police that Svensen had ties to the area, Young said. Officers found the stolen SUV at a home on the 1500 block of Newman Avenue, Lakewood police Capt. Leslie Wilkins said. Officers learned Svensen was staying at the home with his two children, ages 2 and 3.

The U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, the FBIs Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force and the Westshore Enforcement Bureau SWAT team watched the home until about 7:30 p.m. when Svensen left the home and was taken into custody without incident, Lakewood Chief of Police Timothy Malley said previously. The children, who were not hurt, were brought to Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services.

Shelby John Nealy, also known as Shelby Svensen, was staying at this house on the 1500 block of Newman Avenue with his two small children when he was arrested by Lakewood police.

Svensen was held on suspicion of receiving stolen property and a domestic violence warrant from the Broadview Heights Police Department, Malley said.

Svensens wife and the daughter of the married victims, 21-year-old Jamie Nicole Ivancic, was reported missing under suspicious circumstances following Svensens arrest.

Svensen told investigators in Lakewood that there might be a dead body at a home on the 10900 block of Norwood Avenue in Port Richey, Florida, Deputy Chief Jeff Harrington of the Pasco County Sheriffs Office said previously.

Sheriffs deputies and forensic anthropologists from the University of South Florida spent the weekend excavating parts of the residence, Harrington said. Ivancics remains were positively identified on Jan. 7.

Preliminary investigation points to the cause of death being violent blunt force trauma, Harrington said. She may have been killed as long as a year ago, he said.

Jamie Ivancics family had been trying to get in touch with her for months, but Svensen routinely tricked them into thinking she was somewhere else, or otherwise unavailable for a phone call, Harrington said.

Press conference for an update regarding the Norwood Ave investigation. Posted by Pasco Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Investigators believe Ivancic was killed at the home where she, Svensen and their two children lived on Norwood Avenue, Harrington said. Svensen left the residence nearly a year ago and had not returned, Harrington said. He lived with the children in various places, he said.

Investigators have not determined a motive in the killings.

Svensen spent most of January in the Cuyahoga County Jail. Officials at the Pinellas County Jail said Svensen was in the process of being booked into the facility on Saturday afternoon.

To comment on this story, visit Saturdays crime and courts comment section.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalley on Friday handed his offices growing investigation into potential county corruption to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

OMalley said in a court filing that he recused himself, but not his assistant prosecutors who have steered the investigation for more than a year, because certain Cuyahoga County officials who may eventually be implicated in the criminal probe have been named in a civil lawsuit in federal court last December.

The move left OMalley in the position of defending Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and the county in a lawsuit over conditions in the jail while also conducting a grand jury inquiry that has expanded from allegations of contract steering in the countys IT department to potential criminal activity within the jail.

I didnt know we would go from IT to jails, and I dont know where it goes from here, OMalley told cleveland.com Friday. "With the filing of the civil lawsuit, it has brought us to a position where representing the county in the civil issues is crossing into our criminal investigation.

Peter Handwork, a judge in the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals in Toledo who was assigned to oversee the grand jury in October, signed off on the request Friday.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Paul Soucie and Matthew Meyer, along with the offices investigator Robert DeSimone, will continue to work on the investigation and report to Yosts office, while attorneys in OMalleys civil division will handle the lawsuit, according to the filling.

The move comes two weeks after a grand jury handed up an indictment charging a member of Budishs administration and two former Cuyahoga County officials as part of the ongoing probe.

Chief Talent Officer Douglas Dykes, former jail director Ken Mills and former IT administrator Emily McNeely were each indicted on multiple charges, including at least one felony, for their roles in what prosecutor say are different schemes. They are set to make their initial appearance in Cuyahoga County Court on Monday.

On top of conducting criminal investigations, the prosecutors office represents the county in most civil proceedings, and lawyers representing several inmates in the Cuyahoga County Jail filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Cleveland in November over conditions in the jail.

The lawsuit named Budish, Sheriff Clifford Pinkney, Chief Public Safety and Justice Officer Brandy Carney, interim jail director George Taylor and Warden Eric Ivey.

OMalleys court filing Friday said it would be much more costly to taxpayers if he recused from defending the county against that lawsuit and several more that are expected to be filed, rather than the criminal investigation.

Yost said in a statement to cleveland.com Friday that his office would remain fair even if the investigation ultimately turns to focus on Budish.

The county executive, who has not been publicly identified as a target of the investigation, retained former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steve Dettelbach to represent him. Yost defeated Dettelbach in the November general election after a contentious campaign.

Let the chips fall where they fall, Yost said in a statement sent through a spokesman. If the identity of defense counsel were sufficient to create a conflict, every defendant could stymie a prosecution by hiring the right lawyer. If Mr. Budish feels he needs counsel, he is free to hire the person he thinks is best able to represent his interests.

Dettelbach declined to comment Friday afternoon.

Dykes, Mills and McNeeley are all set for a Feb. 4 arraignment in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Prosecutors say Dykes, whose served as the countys human resources director, sought approval to shift $13,500 in moving expense perks for incoming Chief Information Officer James Hay into a $15,000 signing bonus because Hay didnt actually relocate for the position, prosecutors say. His request was rejected. Dykes then lied to a county employee and said the countys then-Law Director Robert Triozzi signed off on the request and filed paperwork based on that lie to pay Hay the money, prosecutors say.

The Ohio Auditors Office found last year that the county paid out $63,000 in illegal perks, and cited the payment to Hay among them. Hay agreed to pay back the money.

Triozzi resigned earlier this month after he received a subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury examining potential corruption.

Mills is charged with falsification and telecommunications fraud based on his lie to the Cuyahoga County Council at a May 22, 2018, meeting about his role in blocking the hiring of necessary nursing staff for jail facilities, according to prosecutors.

An employee of MetroHealth, which provides medical care to the inmates, blamed Mills during the emergency council meeting for obstructing the hiring of nurses and reducing security in the jails medical unit. Mills denied that he played a role in the hiring decisions, but emails turned over to investigators showed that Mills told staff at Metro that he did not deem it an operational necessity."

He later lied to investigators about his interactions with a high-level Cuyahoga County official, according to prosecutors. Those actions resulted in misdemeanor falsification and obstruction of official business charges.

McNeeley, former IT general counsel and director of special initiatives, faces 17 charges, including felony counts of telecommunications fraud, tampering with government records and having an unlawful interest in a public contract for her work on two projects.

Prosecutors say she didnt tell County Council at a Sept. 19, 2016 meeting that her father was convicted of being bribed by Ciber Inc., a company that was seeking a $9 million contract with the county. She also failed to disclose the fact that Ciber had previously defrauded other states with whom the company had done business, directly affecting councils decision on whether to award Ciber the contract, according to prosecutors.

McNeeley is also accused of steering contracts to Hyland Software, where her spouse worked and owned stock, and then disclosing confidential county information to Hyland employees.

To comment on this story, please visit Fridays crime and courts comments page.William Russell Allton was born in Dewey, Oklahoma on April 25, 1931 to Russell Frank and Alice Mae (Steffens) Allton. He attended school in Claremore and graduated with the class of 1948. On August 26, 1949 Bill married Jimmie Louise Reed and the couple made Tulsa home for the first 25 yearFlorida, FL (34429)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.After spending close to two weeks at sea because no country would allow them to disembark, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said 47 migrants on the Dutch-flagged Sea-Watch 3 finally would come off that vessel. Europe had been arguing over the fate of the migrants and Italy agreed to let them disembark only after a half-dozen countries came forward to take them in. As Voice of America reports, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ended the latest migrant standoff on Wednesday, announcing the 47 migrants would soon disembark. The migrants had been stuck on the vessel since their rescue off the coast of Libya January 19.

The Sea-Watch 3 rescue vessel has been moored off southern Sicily since Friday. Europe has been struggling with how to deal with the migrants respective arrivals since Italys populist government, which came to power last March, announced it would close its ports to humanitarian vessels.

It was the second time in a month the Sea-Watch 3 had been stranded at sea with rescued migrants and no safe port that would allow it to dock. Speaking in Milan on Wednesday, Prime Minister Conte said Luxembourg came forward as the latest country to answer Italy's request for assistance.

The prime minister added that Luxembourg joined Germany, France, Portugal, Romania and Malta in agreeing to take some of the migrants from the Sea-Watch 3 ship operated by a German aid group. The migrants are expected to disembark in the coming hours.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said, Mission accomplished! Once again thanks to the commitment of the Italian government and the determination of our Interior Ministry, Europe has been forced to intervene and take on its responsibilities. Salvini added, On the basis of the documentation gathered, an investigation should be opened to shed light on the conduct of the NGO.

Steffen Seibert, spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Germany has agreed to accept some of the migrants, declaring it is clear a common and lasting solution is needed in Europe to the issue. The U.N. refugee agency says on average, six people a day lost their lives attempting to reach Europe by way of the Mediterranean last year.In route news this week, there are ups and downs in the busy California Corridor; Delta adds another California city to its route map; American has a new free perk for passengers and adds some more routes for 2019; Air Italy trims US schedule; Southwest rejects a new fare type embraced by its competitors; Ethiopian will drop a West Coast route; and Canada's WestJet is adding a pair of transborder markets.

Calling itself "Santa Barbara's hometown airline," Contour Airlines says that it will begin new service between Santa Barbara and Sacramento, CA on April 16, 2019. The carrier will also increase the number of flights from Santa Barbara to Oakland and Las Vegas to two daily round-trips (except Saturdays) beginning May 15, 2019. Fares between Santa Barbara and Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Oakland all begin at just $99 each way. Flights will be operated by Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets with 30 leather seats with 36" of legroom in every row. Contour offers complimentary snack and beverage service as well one checked bag free of charge to all passengers.

The last time we checked in on the website of California Pacific Airlines, the Carlsbad, Calif.-based start-up said it had canceled all flights out of Carlsbad's Palomar Airport (north of San Diego) through the end of January so it could deal with a pilot shortage. At the end of January we looked again, and now the website is almost bare. The only thing there is a brief notice that says all of its flights have now been canceled and that refunds will be issued for ticket holders. The airline had also been flying from Denver to Pierre and Watertown, South Dakota, but the Pierre Capitol Journal reported that those flights have also stopped, and that it was unable to contact anyone at the airline. Meanwhile, NBC in San Diego reported that a former Cal Pacific licensed mechanic had warned the airline that an aircraft due to fly from Carlsbad to San Jose on November 25 was unsafe to fly  but airline managers kept the airplane flying anyway, and then fired the mechanic. The fledgling airline had been flying 50-passenger E145s from Carlsbad to San Jose, Reno, Las Vegas and Phoenix Mesa.

Delta will add another California destination on August 12 when it starts flying between its Salt Lake City hub and Santa Barbara. The carrier will offer three daily roundtrips in the market, using 76-seat E-175s with 12 first class seats, 20 extra-legroom seats in Comfort+, and 44 seats in the Main Cabin, operated by SkyWest as Delta Connection service. Delta officials said Santa Barbara  its 13th destination in California  is one of the largest West Coast markets it doesn't currently serve. The airline's expansion in California also includes Detroit-San Jose service that started in November, Atlanta-Ontario coming in April, Detroit-Sacramento starting in June and Atlanta-Burbank beginning in July.

American Airlines has a new perk for passengers who subscribe to Apple Music. It said that they can now access their subscription service and stream music, playlists and music videos on any domestic AA flight equipped with Viasat in-fight Wi-Fi. There's no cost for Apple Music subscribers to log onto the service in-flight. Passengers who don't have a subscription can log into the Wi-Fi for free and sign up during their flight for three months of free Apple Music access.

Don't miss: United permanently dumps fee for Live TV (just in time for the Super Bowl)

American also has some more new domestic routes coming. On May 4, it will add twice-weekly E-175 flights between New York LaGuardia and Daytona Beach, Florida, and between Washington Reagan National and Melbourne, Florida. On May 23, AA will inaugurate American Eagle service between Chicago O'Hare and Duluth, Minnesota, operating twice a day with 50-seat regional jets. And on May 25, American will introduce new seasonal service linking Dallas/Ft. Worth with the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. The A319 flights will operate once a week on Saturdays through August 17.

Air Italy appears to be pulling back on its grand plans for the US. This week RoutesOnline reports that the carrier is dumping its planned Milan-Chicago flights before they were supposed to begin in April. Also last month it trimmed its Milan-Miami flights from five per week to four. In December, Air Italy announced that it would fly from both San Francisco and Los Angeles to Milan starting in April.

Travelers headed to Africa from the West Coast will have to find an alternative to Ethiopian Airlines after February 13. That's when the African carrier will end its Los Angeles-Addis Ababa service that operates via a stop in Lome, Togo, according to Routesonline.com. The carrier currently flies the route three times a week with a 787-8, and it's the only non-stop service between the West Coast and Africa. The carrier reportedly plans to replace the LAX service with a new route to Houston, but it gave no start-up date.

A heavily restricted Basic Economy fare product has been adopted by Delta, United, American and Alaska, and is coming this year at JetBlue and Hawaiian. But what about Southwest? The Texas-based carrier has long been an outlier on airline industry passenger policies, and it looks like Basic Economy fares will follow that pattern. Speaking with financial analysts, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the carrier has no plans to adopt the bare-bones pricing option. "That's not what we do," he said. Kelly added that Southwest will also stick with its longstanding policy of two free checked bags for all passengers.

Canada's WestJet plans to add a couple of more transborder flights to the U.S. this spring. On April 29, the carrier will introduce daily service between Calgary and Portland. Oregon with a 78-seat Dash 8-Q400 turboprop, followed on May 2 by twice-weekly 737 flights between Calgary and Austin, Texas.





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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.An advocacy group alleged in a lawsuit Friday that three top state officials conspired to violate thousands of foreign-born citizens' voting rights when they advised counties to review the citizenship status of suspected non-citizen voters.

The federal lawsuit, filed in Corpus Christi by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, names Secretary of State David Whitley, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton as defendants. It contends that Whitley, in questioning the status of more than 95,000 registered Texas voters, singled out naturalized citizens because they were born outside the country.

Soon after Whitley sent out a Jan. 25 advisory in which he flagged registered voters who had indicated in driver license records they were not citizens, county officials discovered that the list contained thousands of citizens.

Whitley acknowledged the errors but his office has not withdrawn the list, MALDEF noted.

MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: County officials removing thousands of names from state's list of potentially ineligible voters

The lawsuit seeks an injunction that would revoke the state's list until it proves the voters are ineligible to vote, and bar Whitley's office from probing citizens who were recently naturalized.

MALDEF's complaint claims that the state's actions violate the federal Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.

Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF's president and general counsel, cast the episode as further evidence of the state's "aggressive efforts to target legitimate voters and to deter or suppress their participation."

"Targeting naturalized citizens is particularly perverse given the high level of participation in voting and civic engagement among those who chose to become United States citizens," Saenz said in a statement.

Also named as a defendant is Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl Johnson, who mailed letters to people earlier this week seeking citizenship verification.

Abbott on Thursday noted that Whitley, whom he appointed in December, had made clear that the list contained "weak" matches. State and local election officials should work "swiftly together to make sure our voter rolls are accurate to ensure integrity in the election process," Abbott said.One of the newest members of Houstons delegation to Congress will have a front-row seat when and if Democrats consider trying to impeach President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat and former judge, has won a position on the highly sought after House Judiciary Committee, a panel that would have primary oversight over any impeachment proceedings. Some Democrats are already calling for them to be initiated.

But Garcia said that is not a high priority right now for the committee and insists there are other more pressing issues for the committee.

If were going to look at those issues, its going to be down the road, said Garcia, who in November was elected to represent the 29th Congressional District, replacing former Rep. Gene Green, who did not seek re-election.

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Garcias response aligns perfectly with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key Democratic leaders who say they dont want to get ahead of special counsel Robert Mueller and wont rush into discussions about impeachment.

"We have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report," Pelosi said in an interview with NBC News last month. "We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason."

Thats a far different approach than some more senior Democrats from Houston have taken on potential impeachment. U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston at least twice he has brought articles of impeachment to the House floor and both times he failed with little support from even some of the most anti-Trump lawmakers in his own party.

Garcia, who holds a law degree from Texas Southern University, said she angled to get on Judiciary because of her background. Garcia served five terms as a municipal judge and says civil rights issues and constitutional rights have been her biggest passions. She is also a veteran of the Texas Senate where Republicans led efforts to impose voter ID requirements that Democrats say are discriminatory.

Garcia is not the only Houston area Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, is on that committee, as is newly elected U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Two Texas Republicans are also on the committee. U.S. Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, and John Ratcliffe, R-Heath.

Garcia, 68, also was given a seat on the Financial Services Committee.

Other new members in the Houston delegation have also picked up their new committee assignments. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican and former Navy SEAL, joined the Homeland Security Committee and the Budget Committee. And U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, a Democrat, has been named to the Science Committee, which has jurisdiction over NASA. Fletcher has also been appointed to the House Transportation Committee.A graphic incident report released Friday by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office is shedding new light on what happened when deputies found a mom and her two young daughters dead in an upscale San Antonio-area home.

According to the report, deputies responded to the luxury home in the 11300 block of Anaqua Springs at about 9 a.m. on Jan. 10 and found Charles Wheeler, the owner of the house, crying on the ground in the front yard, though the report notes deputies did not notice any tears on his face.

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Inside, deputies found Wheeler's girlfriend, 37-year-old Nichol Olsen, and her two young daughters, 16-year-old Alexa Montez and 10-year-old London Bribiescas. All three were found shot to death on the second floor of the home, according to the report, and all three were "cold and rigid to the touch."

The names of Olsen's daughters are redacted in the report, so it remains unclear exactly where each was found. Deputies found "a large amount of smeared blood on the floor and some on the walls," according to the report, as well as a "small pool of blood" in a bathroom doorway.

Authorities pronounced the three victims dead at the scene. The medical examiner's office later determined Montez and Bribiescas died by homicide and that Olsen had killed herself.

The deputy who authored the report, identified only as Dep. G. Colunga, said he left the home and found Wheeler hugging someone outside. Wheeler was then placed in the back of a squad car, and investigators seized his wallet and phone.

FROM OUR SUBSCRIBER SITE: 'Pretty callous' return of victims' belongings stokes tensions between families after Anaqua Springs killings

While sitting in the car, Wheeler told deputies that he and Olsen had gotten into an argument the prior evening, causing him to leave and sleep elsewhere. He told investigators he repeatedly tried to contact Olsen throughout the night but was unable to, according to the report. He said he returned home the following morning and discovered the three bodies.

According to the report, deputies then took Wheeler in for an interview. Sheriff Javier Salazar later named him a "person of interest" in the case, but emphasized he is not a suspect at this time.

Wheeler is represented by three defense attorneys: Therese Huntzinger, Patrick Hancock and Mark Stevens. They have maintained their client's innocence and condemned any accusations against him.

ON EXPRESSNEWS.COM: Report describes scene at San Antonio area home where mom, daughters were shot

"What we would ask is that people not jump to conclusions, that they not demonize this young man who does not deserve it, that they let the professionals do their jobs and complete this investigation," Stevens told the Express-News. "And respect the privacy of presumptively innocent people and of Charlie Wheeler, who did not commit a crime here."

Salazar has said he wouldn't allow investigators to be "completely swayed" by the medical examiner's findings, though he has no evidence to contradict their determinations. The FBI is currently assisting the sheriff's office in the investigation, but the Bexar County Sheriff's Office remains the lead agency.

READ MORE: Incident report released by BCSO Feb. 1, 2019

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com |

cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdownsChief U.S. District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal on Friday offered initial support for new bail rules proposed by Harris County, signaling the three-year lawsuit challenging the countys cash bond system soon may reach its conclusion.

The settlement of the case, which Harris County has spent more than $9 million defending, would seal victory for the poor misdemeanor defendants who brought the suit and allow Rosenthal and both legal teams to turn their attention to a similar lawsuit challenging the countys felony bail system.

Weve actively been talking to each other, said Neal Manne, an attorney representing the poor defendants. I think wed be ready in a month to come back to the court with a final, permanent order.

For the first time in a federal court hearing, all the parties in the misdemeanor suit stood in agreement Friday afternoon about how the case should be settled. In an unusual scene in Rosenthals 11th-floor courtroom, the attorneys in the once-contentious case urged Rosenthal to sign off on new bail rules proposed by the newly elected slate of Democratic misdemeanor judges.

The new rules, set to take effect in several weeks, would allow 85 percent of misdemeanor defendants to automatically qualify for no-cash bonds. The only exceptions would be for people arrested for family violence, bond violations and repeated drunken driving offenses. Those defendants would be entitled to a bail hearing within 48 hours, where they would be eligible for a personal recognizance bond.

A Democratic wave in November swept 14 Republican misdemeanor judges from the bench. Each had been a defendant since 2016 in the case in which a group of poor defendants argued Harris Countys cash bail system is unconstitutional because it keeps some people in jail solely because of their inability to pay. The Republican judges were replaced by the slate of Democrats who campaigned on reforming the bail system, clearing the way for the county and poor defendants to reach a settlement.

The judges, of whom all but one were seated last month, voted on the new rules in January.

In addition to the judges, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez last month announced their support of the new rules that proponents say will save the county money. It costs $80 per day to keep a person in jail, compared to 83 cents a day for pre-trial release, according to Kelvin Banks, director of the countys Pretrial Services office.

Rosenthal, who in 2017 agreed Harris Countys bail system was unfair to poor defendants, suggested waiting to see how well the new bail rules work in practice before issuing her approval. With the opening of the new joint processing center for inmates, the judge said minor, unforeseen problems may need to be addressed.

The devil, in the broader issues, is in the day-to-day, Rosenthal said. She ordered the parties to return March 8.

Allan Van Fleet, the attorney representing the misdemeanor judges, agreed that the revised bail system will require each part of Harris Countys criminal justice apparatus to cooperate.

The judges are committed, with the sheriff, the DA, the plaintiffs, that were going to work together to get the best system that anybody can come with, Van Fleet said.

The conclusion of the case likely is a prelude to how a similar suit, filed by the same group of lawyers and challenging Harris Countys bail system for felony defendants, may proceed.

Manne said in an interview he expects that case to resolve quickly and with less acrimony than the misdemeanor case.

Im confident well be able to resolve the claims made in the felony bail case through cooperative discussion with the county and sheriff, now that we have an environment where all stakeholders are supportive of reform designed to make Harris Countys criminal justice system safer and more fair, Manne said.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Chief Public Defender Alex Bunin, Assistant Harris County Attorney Melissa Spinks and several Harris County misdemeanor judges attended the brief hearing.

Judge Darrell Jordan, a bail reform advocate and the only Democrat on the misdemeanor bench when the case began, reflected on the collegial mood in the courtroom.

This is the first time Ive ever been in that building, and laughing, and excited, he said after the hearing. Its refreshing to finally go to court and get some good news.

zach.despart@chron.comThe leader of a coalition of Houston civil rights groups called Friday for the Houston police union president to apologize for threatening activists who are critical of police tactics.

The Greater Houston Coalition for Justice issued a statement saying that the organization praises the efforts of the good men and women who risk their lives every day to keep the citizens of Houston safe. They were referring to four police officers shot and one injured Monday while serving a no-knock warrant in a drug raid at a southeast Houston residence, during which two residents were killed.

Johnny Mata, the presiding officer for the coalition, said that Joe Gamaldi, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, went too far and created an untenable situation by threatening civil right activists and organizations who speak out against police brutality and misconduct.

All the work that has been done by a lot of people cannot go down the drain, Mata said. He (Gamaldi) is inciting tensions between police and communities with his egregious comments.

The organization expressed deep concerns over earlier remarks made by Gamaldi at a press conference at a Houston hospital a few hours after the shootings.

We are sick and tired of having targets on our back. We are sick and tired of having dirtbags trying to take our lives when all were trying to do is protect this community and protect our families, Gamaldi said, adding he was speaking on behalf of HPD officers and others across the nation who put their lives on the line.

The rights organization said they are particularly concerned with Gamaldis comments that police were tracking activists and threatening retaliation.

If youre the ones that are out there spreading the rhetoric that police officers are the enemy, just know weve all got your number now, were going to be keeping track of all of yall, and were going to make sure that we hold you accountable every time you stir the pot on our police officers. Weve had enough, folks, Gamaldi said.

In an appearance two days later on the Fox & Friends broadcast, Gamaldi was more specific about the target of his comments, mentioning activists who have severely made our officers the enemy.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Abuse survivors greet list of accused priests with contempt

His comments passed the line of freedom of speech into a blatant threat to certain people, said Mata.

In a statement, the coalition said Gamaldis threats may warrant a request for a federal and state investigation to ease the tension it has caused in the community. Mata added the coalition may also explore the possibility of a slander lawsuit to make Gamaldi accountable for what they consider is a threat to activists.

Mata also said that Gamaldis comments are very damaging for the decades of work between civil rights organizations in Houston and the HPD to address police abuse of force when it happens and for the work we have done together to create programs (and) ease tensions between communities and law enforcement.

During a Thursday press conference, HPD Chief Art Acevedo said that Gamaldis emotions from the shootings got the best of him and that his assertions were a lot over the top if you ask me.

Mata pointed out, however, that Gamaldi hasnt apologized for his implicit offense to civil right organizations.

MORE ON CRIME: Armed man tries to interrupt Drag Queen Storytime

Other civil rights organizations have also expressed concerned.

Houston Black Lives Matter founder Ashton Woods told the Houston Chronicle earlier this week that Gamaldi needed to apologize. We dont need you blaming us for what happened, he said.

The Houston coalition is concerned by Gamaldis assertion that officers have the numbers of people who condemn police misconduct and that they are going to be tracked and made accountable.

Gamaldi is creating a crisis that could have chilling effects in the community, Mata emphasized.

HPOU officials did not immediately comment Friday on the criticism from the civil rights group.

olivia.tallet@chron.com, twitter.com/oliviaptallet

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.The Federal Government confirms the activity of the Armenian crime groups operating in Germany. Because of their conspiratorial and gangster activities, they are classified as organized crime. This follows the response of the Federal Government to the corresponding request of the Left Party to the Bundestag, the daily Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel writes in the article Armenische Mafia in Deutschland aktiv - 42 Verdachtige.

Thus, the German government confirms the joint investigation of Spiegel and the public television channel MDR conducted in 2018, noting that thieves in law are apt to operate throughout the country. According to the government, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the criminal police departments of six states (LKA) are conducting 14 investigations against 42 people. Until now, it was believed that the state of Thuringia was the main stronghold of the Armenian mafia.

The governments response was made at the politically inappropriate time because, on Friday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the German Chancellor and President of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin to request help for the development of "a small country surrounded by hostile states."

The federal investigation was entitled Fatil - "Fight against thieves in law." Armenian members of an organized criminal group are suspected by the police of money laundering, violence, fraud and crimes against property. So far, only one person has been prosecuted. And just a few days ago, the arrest warrant for the alleged drug dealers of Armenian origin in Thuringia was canceled.

Unclear role of the Armenian Embassy in Germany

In November 2018, Spiegel reported about the networks of the Armenian mafia. Investigators also warned against cooperation with the Armenian ambassador in Berlin. The embassy obtained a prohibition against broadcasting the MDR documentary. The Federal Government then wrote in its response to the request of the Left Party that the diplomat was not a suspect in the preliminary investigations conducted by the investigative team, adding that the Ambassador of Armenia ... was a guest at the Federal Ministry of the Interior on December 19th, 2017. The meeting was held at the request of the Ambassador of Armenia. The Federal Government has no information regarding the content of the conversation." Experts believe that the ambassador wanted to protect himself from the charges in the midst of an investigation - and that is his right. The then Minister of the Interior was Thomas de Mezieres (CDU).

At that time, the Federal Criminal Police Office was also investigating the activities of the organized crime group dominated by Armenians in Berlin, where the Armenian Embassy is located, the Berlin police reported at the request of Tagesspiegel. There are signs that the staff of the Armenian embassy could have been involved in the grouping in the police response: "In this context, it should be noted that not every member of the Armenian embassy has diplomatic status and therefore cannot be identified as such, if this fact is not clear to the investigating authorities."

In the final report of the Fatil project, the Federal Criminal Police Office states that the Armenian mafia "does exist," has "financial resources" and can "pose a threat to the rule of law." The investigation began in 2014 after a shootout between two criminal clans in front of a gambling house in Erfurt. According to the MDR, officials also identified contacts between Armenians and Italian mafia bosses.

Intelligence warned the government in 2008

Since 2008, the German government has been aware of the mafia structures from the Caucasus operating in Germany: In 2008, the Federal Government was informed about a letter from the Federal Intelligence Service to the Federal Criminal Police Office on this matter. Security experts confirm that the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) regularly sends warnings from the Caucasus countries, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Bundestag deputies were not able to find out what information was provided by the intelligence services: This information can influence the welfare of the state and, therefore, cannot be disclosed even in the secret mode."

The secret mode in the Bundestag refers to the documents that only certain authorized persons can review. However, in case of the Armenian mafia, even such a classification of information and its transfer to the confidential bodies of the Bundestag is not safe enough due to the explosive nature of the requested information and the importance of the intelligence agencies work. "Obviously, the government does not want authorized deputies to see the intelligence documents. The security experts assess it as follows: the intelligence sources will be exposed - and given the situation in the Caucasus countries, this may be dangerous for their lives.Russia and China are boosting bilateral cooperation on nuclear weapons strategies as they accused the United States of disrupting nonproliferation measures during a high-level meeting of the top five nuclear powers. As Newsweek writes in the article RUSSIA AND CHINA WILL JOIN FORCES ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS STRATEGY AS U.S. THREATENS TO LEAVE ARMS DEAL, representatives of the so-called "Nuclear Five" met Wednesday in Beijing, at a time of heightened tensions between the Eastern and Western permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The grouping included China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the U.S., signatories of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), a landmark document that sought to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

"Issues of our cooperation and Chinese-Russian and Russian-Chinese coordination will surely be the focus of our attention," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency. "It is very productive work. In 2016, we approved the statement on strategic stability at the level of the leaders. It is just an example of how Russia and China are registering joint common positions more precisely."

The U.S. has accused Russia of violating the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which established a mutual ban on ground-launched nuclear and conventional missiles within the ranges of around 310 and 3,420 miles. Washington argues that Russia's new Novator 9M729 missile violates the treaty, while Moscow claims that the extensive U.S. missile shield in Europe could be used offensively as well, effectively breaching the deal.

Both deny the other's point, and the Russian Defense Ministry exhibited its 9M729 for the first time earlier this month in a bid to dismiss Washington's assertions about its capabilities, which Moscow officials claimed could extend less than 300 miles. Bilateral talks have so far failed, with both sides accusing one another of not cooperating. A fresh round of U.S.-Russia dialogue was expected amid the "Nuclear Five" talks in Beijing, which was not a party to the INFanother reason the White House felt the treaty to be obsolete.

China, however, has been a major supporter of the NPT, which Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a press briefing Wednesday played an "important role in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, promoting the nuclear disarmament process and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy." As a staunch supporter of multilateralism, China has always firmly backed the purposes and objectives of the treaty," he added. "It believes that under the current situation, the international community should adhere to multilateralism and comprehensively promote the nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy determined by the treaty in a balanced manner," noting that China was "resolutely opposed to double standards" with regard to nonproliferation affairs.

Washington's ties with Beijing were also strained as the world's two leading economic powers struggled to end their months-long trade war of tit-for-tat tariffs, but Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson tweeted Wednesday that the U.S. would "be following up w/ China on our decision at Nov 2018 US-China Diplomatic & Security Dialogue to deepen engagement to advance shared commitment to nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

Russia and China have warned of a potential "arms race" sparked by President Donald Trump's 2019 Missile Defense Review released earlier this month. The document calls for new, advanced defenses, such as space-based sensors to allow the U.S. to intercept any missile, including new hypersonic weapons currently being developed by all three leading military powers.

India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its arsenal. The Trump administration has embarked on a historic peace process with North Korea in an effort to get Pyongyang to denuclearize. North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un has called for security assurances, however, with his administration pointing to the example of Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi, who forfeited his country's own burgeoning nuclear program in 2003 in exchange for better relations with Washington, only to be later overthrown and killed by an insurgency backed by the U.S. and Western allies.An armed Houston-area right-wing personality claiming to be a member of the media was kicked out of a Montrose library during last weekend's Drag Queen Storytime.

James Greene Sr. went to the Jan. 26 Drag Queen Story Hour alongside about a dozen of protesters outside the Freed-Montrose Public Library at 4100 Montrose.

Supporters of the storytime say it allows children to be exposed to different types of people and cultures in a comfortable environment.

Greene is barred from entering library property after taking video of children inside the library during a previous encounter, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Jodi Silva and video Greene recorded of the incident.

LAWSUIT: Federal judge closes book on Houston's drag queen story hour lawsuit

Despite the trespass warning from the library, he entered the building, video shows.

Greene, who told Chron.com he is a concealed handgun license holder, admits was also carrying a concealed gun when he entered the library.

In a five-minute video posted to his YouTube channel, Greene is seen peppering the officers with questions about why he is being asked to leave. A library employee shows him a copy of the trespass warning, but Greene persisted in questioning the officers.

Several Houston police officers who were already on scene to make sure the protesters remained peaceful tried asking Greene to leave, but he refused  questioning their right to kick him out.

The video shows the officers, in contrast, remained calm and answered Greene's questions. An analysis of the video by Chron.com shows Greene asked questions about the validity of the trespass warning about 15 times and interrupted the officers answering him as many times.

"He was trying to get into the event itself," said Ryan Barrett, who was portraying the drag queen Regina Blake-DuBois during the story time hour.

Blake-DuBois read a handful of books to a group of children, as part of the library's Drag Queen Storytime program.

Barrett tweeted as Regina Blake-DuBois, "A man with a gun tried to get where I was, in a room full of children & parents, just trying to have a fun Saturday afternoon. I will never forget this monster's face."

Barrett said he noticed the protesters as he drove up to the library that morning and became a little nervous.

"When I was driving past the building and I saw the signs and the people, it took me aback just a second," he said, adding that he performed the story hour about a year ago before it gained so much publicity. "Now that it's gotten bigger and drawn more attention, there are people who disagree with it."

Houston-area conservative Tex Christopher sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Public Library's head librarian trying to stop the children's event, but that lawsuit was tossed out earlier this year.

Barrett was thankful about the steps taken by library staff to ensure the event went on safely.

"Seeing that and knowing the procedures they had in place to keep us safe, it actually helped me calm down and breathe a little bit," Barrett said. "I knew as long as I was comfortable and showing that I was comfortable, the kids wouldn't think there's something wrong. I think if they came in and were like 'oh gosh, she's talking really fast, she's really nervous,' that would have made it worse for them."

Greene told Chron.com that he was not associated with the protesters outside the library and was instead only in the library to "observe and report" on the story time as a member of the media.

"I was not there to protest," Greene told Chron.com. "I was there to look around the library."

But Greene repeated the protester's disdain with the event and repeated similar rhetoric spoken by protesters about the book reading.

"We have a bunch of homosexuals who are molesting children (inside the library), and they're doing it with your help," Greene said to the officers in the video.

Several times, Greene accused the police officers of violating his constitutional rights by kicking him out of the library and asked them to cite what law under which they were forcing him to leave.

In Texas, a person commits criminal trespassing when he or she enters and remains on the property of someone who has previously told them they cannot enter their property.

The trespassing warning  complete with city of Houston letterhead  specifically barred Greene from being on the Montrose library's property, the officers said.

The officers detained Greene after he refused to leave several times, the video shows.

Soon after, he complained of chest pains and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He was released that same day.

No charges were filed against him, court records show, despite Greene's claims online that he was arrested.

Barrett said he never felt threatened by Greene, whose gun was taken by police when he was rushed to the hospital.

Barrett, who hopes to read to children again in the future as Blake-DuBois, said he was glad to help the children who attended feel safe. He said parents of those who attended told Blake-DuBois that their kids were a bit unnerved by the protesters outside.

"That's what drag is about, period," Barrett said. "It's helping people forget about what's going on outside of whatever is happening in the moment, whether it's drag queen story time or a drag show. We're there to kind of life peoples' spirits and no spread the negativity that's floating around outside. And God knows there's plenty of it."

The next drag queen storytime is Feb. 23 at the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library.

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 standing-room-only crowd of more than 150 people gathered for an open forum discussion hosted by Fort Bend County Judge KP George in partnership with Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken DeMerchant and Pct. 4 Constable Trever Nehls on Thursday, Jan. 31.

Dubbed the Listening Tour, the meeting was the first in a series of county-wide meetings designed to create open dialog and improve communication between county officials and residents. Animal services, flood prevention, road projects and crime-related topics were among the issues discussed during a citizen-led question and answer session.

One resident asked about a recent string of car burglaries in the Riverstone area near Missouri City.

Constable Nehls said officers from his agency were working with the Missouri City Police Department and the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Department to investigate the car break-ins.

A few days ago we experienced a rash of BMVs (reports of a burglary of a motor vehicle) within the Riverstone community, Nehls said Actually, it was not only Riverstone. The suspects moved down through Telfair to University and then to the Riverstone area.

To work together with the communities to reduce crime in the future, Nehls said volunteers were always welcome to help organize or assist with neighborhood crime watch groups.

Contact your neighborhood homeowners associations to find out if there is an existing group for your community Nehls said.

Directors and representatives from different county departments were also available to answers questions related to animal services, county parks, drainage, emergency management, emergency medical services, health and human services, engineering and environmental health among others.

County Judge KP George said he was pleased the first Listening Tour event attracted a large group of residents and he was looking forward to hosting more community meetings in other districts in the near future. Dates for upcoming Listening Tour gatherings have not yet been announced. The meeting was held at the University of Houston in Sugar Land Brazos Hall Auditorium.Local artists of all ages from around the Cy-Fair area were able to exhibit their artwork to the community for a good cause during Art Night.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Northwest hosted the Annual Art Night on Nov. 15 and displayed the artwork by artists from both Bleyl Middle School and Lone Star College on the first floor of the hotel. Proceeds from raffle tickets and auctions at the event went directly to Bleyl Middle Schools art department, according to SpringHill Suites officials.

Nick Albers, general manager of SpringHill Suites Northwest, said the event is an outreach initiative with a focus on art done by SpringHill Suites across the nation. The event occurs in the fall and winter, Albers said.

All SpringHills try to get in touch with the local art community, he said. Lone Star brings some people over and then we have partnered with Bleyl Middle School just down the road. All of the money that we raise goes to help fund their art department since that's usually an area in schools that gets cut.

Raffle prizes, provided by businesses in the local area like Cypress Creek FACE and Peli Peli, were donated for attendees to win at the event. Pieces of art made by Bleyl Middle School students were up for auction as well, with all proceeds going directly to the school.

Kathy Cotton-Windham, Bleyly Middle School art teacher, said the event provides an opportunity for for students at the school to expand their horizons.

I just got to talking and I realized that they had that program and I'm like, Oh, do you think we could pair up? she said. The students at our school are just very, very creative and they need an extra outlet. We don't always have the funds to support everything we'd like to do because art is expensive.

Several Lone Star College students, who have studied at both the Cy-Fair campus and other campuses, showed their art at the event including Mario Ramos. Ramos made a mural for SpringHill Suites in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey, Albers said. With the first floor of the hotel undergoing reconstruction, Art Night was canceled last year. Ramos decorated the floor with art to beautify the space under construction.

It was a dedication to Texas and Houston, he said. The Houston [mural] was supposed to show everyone helping each other. It was a representation of the history and what it means to be a Texan.

Olga Maciques, director of sales for SpringHill Suites Northwest, said she and the staff look forward to working more with the community in the future.

We do this every year and we'll be doing more things throughout the year with the community, she said. If it wasn't for the community, we couldn't do this.

chevall.pryce@chron.comAs Black History Month begins, the Klein Family History Center is educating the community on history and ancestors they may not know they had.

On Jan. 31, Lori Fortner, genealogist with the Klein Family History Center, gave a presentation on the history and geography of the slave trade. During the presentation, Fortner described the origins of the slave trade, where groups of slaves came from and went, and how to find potential ancestors from the slave trade.

Fortner said she wanted to give the presentation so she could tell the truth about the slave trade and help people locate their ancestors within historical context.

You cant know something until you learn something, she said. I want you to be able to tell a story when youre done here. Im not African-American, but there are many people who look like me who have ancestry that is African-American. They dont know it until they do a DNA test. This is a talk that speaks to everybody.

The presentation covered the trade of slaves to not only North America, but South American and Europe, including information about the overwhelming amount of slaves brought to South America and the impact it had on the development of the area.

There were people who were enslaved that were taken all over the world, she said. [Half of a] million went to North America. A huge number of people were sent to Brazil. The Portuguese took them right down to Brazil. This is something I had not been told. I feel like I was lied to.

Fortner said many people may not know about their African ancestors due to the history of the slaves being erased when they were taken from Africa, such as their names and ethnicities, or ancestors being able to pass as white after losing their original names.

We found [an ancestor] who was from Scotland who was married to a woman who was a native of Cuba, she said. After looking at her DNA and, by golly, she has DNA that comes from [Africa]. If you saw her, she looks just like me. I was blown away and she was too. She had no idea.

During the second part of the event being held Feb. 7, Fortner will aid attendees in finding their own African origins. Fortner said she hopes her work can help people realize more about who they are and the true history behind the slave trade.

One of the things thats always bothered me, and the reason Im doing this, is because there was a whole population of people who were stripped of their homeland and have no idea where they came from, she said. This is my little bit to help people tell their story.

Fortner will present information on finding ancestors using DNA and genealogy during her next presentation Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Klein Family History Center, 16535 Kleinwood Drive, Spring. The Klein Family History Center has events throughout the spring including presentations on how to find female ancestors and repairing old photos.

chevall.pryce@chron.comWe never want to think it could happen here. We always want to believe that we are somehow immune. That is human nature with most tragic events. Following the horrific school shooting in Santa Fe, Texans can no longer hide behind these illusions. As the father of two young daughters in the public school system and husband to a former schoolteacher, I never want to look back and ask myself what I could have done as a legislator to help protect my loved ones and yours. With over five million students in public schools throughout our great state, school safety has to be a priority for our districts.

The tragic event in Parkland, Florida, shook our nation. That next day, I asked my staff to begin researching the issues related to school safety more closely. Then Santa Fe happened. Since I made that first request following Parkland, I have attended numerous school safety related committee hearings, met with experts from Sam Houston State University and the Texas State School Safety Center, and toured and spoken with various school districts. As a state, we are blessed to have the expertise and input of so many qualified individuals. I proudly filed numerous bills related to school safety, seizing upon the suggestions of our parents and teachers, students, administrators, and statewide experts.

Current law has certain minimum requirements for school safety, but no enforcement mechanism to ensure the cooperation of school districts. House Bill 973 puts consequences and teeth into these minimum standards. The Texas State School Safety Center would be responsible for identifying non-compliant districts, something they currently do anyway, and reporting those districts to the Texas Education Agency. TEA will then have the ability to level fines against non-compliant districts equal to the current annual salary of the district superintendent. These fines have to recognize the ability of a district to pay but be large enough to encourage compliance from school districts across the state. I believe HB 973 strikes that balance and will get a greater number of districts into compliance with minimum school safety practices. Fines collected will be used by TEA to assist school districts across the state with school safety. It is my hope that all districts will adhere to the existing school safety requirements.

House Bill 974 contains a few small but common sense changes to state law. Under current law, school districts have the ability to check the ID of a visitor on campus and are permitted to verify whether or not that person is a sex offender. HB 974 simply makes these provisions mandatory, with an exception for special events on campus. It is pretty common sense that you would identify campus visitors and check their status as a sex offender. Additionally, HB 974 contains a provision increasing the frequency of school safety audits from once every three years to once every two years. This will allow districts to find and address safety issues on a more frequent basis.

Under current law, school board members are required to undergo training with regards to topics like school finance, bond elections, and other subjects related to the running of a school district. School safety is not a required subject of training. House Bill 975 would require that school safety be an element of the required training for school board members. This will be developed by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Texas School Safety Center. Board members can hardly be asked to address safety issues if they are not properly trained in the subject.

The sad reality under our current system is that not all districts properly prioritize safety or cooperate with those who do. That is why I filed House Bill 976, to bring all to the table to address school safety. House Bill 976 requires all school districts and public charter schools to implement the usage of safety committees and school safety drills. The majority of districts already comply with these policies, but some unfortunately ignore expert recommendations. HB 976 is essential in ensuring that some of the most basic standards are followed across the board to maintain a better safety atmosphere in all of our public and charter schools.

I hope through a few common sense changes that we can at least make our children's learning environments a safer place so they can focus on what is truly important: growing into the next generation of loving, responsible, and productive adults. I will do whatever I can as a State Representative to make sure no community ever experiences the tragedy and loss that Santa Fe, Texas experienced. We sent thoughts and prayers; now it's time for common sense solutions and leaders who care.

This has been weighing on my heart for quite some time. I am eager to see what ideas other Representatives and Senators are going to offer on this subject. Regardless of what exactly gets put into place, Texas needs to recognize the enormity of this problem and address it now. The cost is too high if we wait. The nation is once again looking at Texas to lead on this very important topic, and we must.

May God bless you, your families, and the great State of Texas.Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted out a screenshot of what appears to be a threatening Facebook direct message to him Saturday morning.

"I'm glad those pigs were shot, hopefully you're next," the screenshot says. "I hope you have a year of absolute terror. I hope cops are murdered everyday this year so you know true fear. Hopefully those pigs die."Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded guilty to nine counts of racketeering conspiracy, firearms and narcotics trafficking charges in his ongoing criminal case and will cooperate with federal prosecutors, according to recently unsealed court documents. The charges relate to his involvement in a violent gang in New York called the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.

Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, stated in a trial held last week that he joined the gang in fall 2017. Its members engaged in various criminal acts to "preserve and enhance the power of Nine Trey," he said, adding that he had helped others rob people and once paid someone to shoot at a rival gang member to "maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey." Hernandez, 22, also said he sold heroin and participated in the attempted murder of another gang rival.

"At all times I knew that these actions were wrong and in violation of the law," he said. "I apologize to the court, to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends and fans for what I have done and who I have let down."

Hernandez's sentencing date has not yet been determined. He could face up to life in prison, though it is unclear if or how his cooperation with authorities will affect the sentence.

Hernandez gained a following as a SoundCloud rapper, as those who release their music through the streaming platform are known. Along with XXXTentacion, who was fatally shot last summer, Hernandez represented a sect of the hip-hop scene that deviated from the norm. New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica described him as a "brute-force screamer," in that he "thrives on raps and repetition, as if constantly looking to pick a fistfight."

Hernandez's debut single "Gummo" rose to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum. As a mainstream artist, he released the song "Fefe" with Nicki Minaj, which rose to No. 3. His debut album, "Dummy Boy," came out in late November and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

This fame overlapped with a long history of legal troubles. This past October, Hernandez avoided jail time after admitting to having made and distributed sexually explicit videos of a 13-year-old girl in 2015. He was sentenced to four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service, while the man in the video went to jail.

Hernandez and five other Nine Trey members were indicted in November. Geoffrey Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that they "wreaked havoc on New York City, engaging in brazen acts of violence."

In a statement shared shortly afterward with The Washington Post, Hernandez's attorney Lance Lazzaro claimed his client was "completely innocent of all charges being brought against him."

"An entertainer who portrays a 'gangster image' to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise," Lazzaro wrote in November. "Mr. Hernandez became a victim of this enterprise and later took steps by firing employees and publicly denounced this enterprise through a morning show. Threats were then made against his life which resulted in this case being brought immediately."

On Friday, Lazzaro did not respond to The Post's request for comment on Hernandez's guilty plea.Philippine church bombing was carried out by Indonesian couple, says interior minister

The Philippine interior minister said an Indonesian couple with ties to an Islamic State-linked group are behind a church bombing that killed 20 people last weekend.

The Christian community in the Philippines was badly shaken by the attack on the cathedral on the mainly Muslim island of Jolo, in the country's southern Sulu province.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which came days after a peaceful referendum that resulted in a vote favouring autonomy for majority Muslim parts of the Mindanao.

The island region of Mindanao has been under martial law since May 2017 when terrorists affiliated with ISIS stormed Marawi City and engaged in a five-month standoff with government forces.

On Friday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said the evidence, including eye witness accounts, pointed to an Indonesian man and his wife being behind Sunday's church attack.

'They are Indonesians,' Ano, a former military chief, told CNN Philippines' News Night. 'I am certain that they are Indonesians.'

He said the pair had been helped by radical Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf.

'There are two foreigners involved in the bombing and they were aided by local Abu Sayyaf who acted as guide, and probably conducted preliminary surveillance prior to the bombing,' Ano said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said it appeared to be a suicide bombing, which if confirmed would make it one of the first in the country.

On Wednesday, a deadly grenade attack on a mosque in the largely Christian province of Zamboanga, in the south-west of the Philippines, killed two people. It is unclear who carried out the attack.

Zamboanga is close to Jolo, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf, a group notorious for its kidnappings.Pastor says Facebook blocked his pro-life post for going against Community Standards

Facebook has been accused of blocking the pro-life post of a pastor who criticised New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over his newly passed late-term abortion bill.

Tim Mercaldo, the senior pastor of Gateway Church in Staten Island, New York, says he tried to post an open letter to his personal Facebook page expressing his grief and shock over the Reproductive Health Act, which lifts restrictions on abortions in the third trimester.

In the letter, Pastor Mercaldo expressed his opinion that there is no right to abortion and pleaded with Mr Cuomo to reconsider the bill signed last week.

'The termination of a fetus' life is not, nor can ever, be the "right" of a mother, or any person(s) for that matter,' he wrote.

He added: 'I have been a proud New Yorker all my life. This decision has left me not only grieved but ashamed. Please affirm and protect all human life, whether in the womb or near the tomb.'

After attempting several times to post the letter to his Facebook page, the pastor says he received messages from the social media giant allegedly saying that the content went against its Community Standards.

He said on his Facebook page that his attempts to have the post reviewed by Facebook also went unanswered.

'Here we go again... will not let this rest...I will continue to post the letter to the NY Gov. FB keeps flagging me with no response their review. Waiting...' he wrote.

In another post, he defended the content of his letter, saying: 'There is nothing in the way my letter was written that a reasonable person would consider "hate speech" or even "offensive".'

He was defended by conservative radio host Todd Starnes, who said: 'Thank goodness there are pastors in New York who are not ashamed of standing up for the unborn and who are bold enough to speak truth to power.'

Cuomo angered pro-lifers when he signed the bill last week allowing abortion up to birth in certain circumstances and ordered major landmarks in New York City, including the One World Observatory, to be lit up pink in celebration.

The new regulations led to calls for Cuomo, a Catholic, to be excommunicated. The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, dismissed the calls, saying that it would be 'counterproductive'.

Facebook has repeatedly been accused of blocking pro-life posts. Last month, it was accused of rejecting posts promoting new pro-life movie Roe vs. Wade starring Jon Voigt.

Facebook reportedly said the post was turned down because it contravened its new rules on 'issues of national importance'.

Last year, the makers of pro-life movie Gosnell, about the imprisoned late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell, also said their attempts to advertise on the social media platform had been unsuccessful.

In December, Facebook apologised to evangelist Franklin Graham after banning him from the site for 24 hours because of a 2016 post about bathroom access for transgender people.

Graham accepted the apology but accused Facebook of censorship.

'They're making the rules and changing the rules. Truth is truth. God made the rules and His Word is truth. Actually, Facebook is censoring free speech. The free exchange of ideas is part of our country's DNA,' he said.Oil prices rose 1.5 percent on Friday, lifted by signs the United States and China could soon settle their protracted trade dispute while producer cuts and U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan exports have helped tighten supply, Reuters reports.

International Brent crude oil futures were up 91 cents, or 1.5 percent, at $61.75 per barrel by 1445 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were at $54.42, up 63 cents or 1.17 percent.

Global markets gained support from comments on Twitter by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying he would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping soon to try to resolve a trade standoff, though Trump later warned that he could postpone talks if a comprehensive deal remains elusive. 1/8nL3N1ZV6YD

Chinas trade delegation said the latest round of talks with the United States made important progress, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Many traders recognise that sense is likely to prevail and a deal will be struck after the summit - although the shape of any deal will continue to drive a jittery market, Cantor Fitzgerald Europe said in a note.

But a survey on Friday that showed Chinas factory activity shrank by the most in almost three years in January, reinforcing fears that a slowdown in the worlds second-largest economy is deepening, and Chinas woes amid the prevailing trade tensions are likely to hit fuel demand.

The spectre of further US sanctions on Chinese goods still looms large and both sides will have their work cut out to settle their differences by a March 1 deadline, PVM Oil Associates strategist Stephen Brennock said. In any case, expect oil prices to dance to the tune of the US-China trade fiasco over the next few weeks.

Analysts believe that the oil market will be more balanced in 2019 after supply cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). A Reuters poll showed that OPEC pumped 30.98 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, down 890,000 bpd from December.

In Venezuela, meanwhile, U.S. sanctions imposed on state oil company PDVSA this week are keeping tankers stuck at ports as American refineries that rely on Venezuelan feedstock cut back operations. The latest U.S. sanctions could directly halt around 500,000 bpd of Venezuelan exports to the U.S., Citi said.

Adding to Venezuelas troubles, much of its crude is heavy and requires the light petroleum naphtha, largely supplied from the United States, for dilution before export to refineries.New Government guidance aimed at protecting free speech at universities

New guidance has been published by the Government to protect lawful free speech at British universities.

The Government said the new guidance would ensure university campuses remain a 'forum for open and robust enquiry' while offering additional clarity around the 'contentious issue of hate speech'.

The introduction of the guidance, produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, comes at a time when some students and academics have raised concerns about censorship around issues like abortion and gender identity.

The guidance gives as an example a student union considering whether to invite a writer to debate gender equality who it later discovers has shared on social media that they believe transgender women are still men. According to the guidance, if the student union wanted to 'no-platform' the writer on the grounds of transphobic hate speech, it would be within its rights to do so but would not be able to prevent other students from inviting the same writer to speak.

The guidance states:

"An SU considers inviting a writer to debate gender equality. It has a policy of not inviting speakers who use what it calls 'hate speech'. During planning, they find out that the writer has spoken on social media about their belief that women with a Gender Recognition Certificate are still men. The SU official organising the debate decides that the writer's views amount to transphobic hate speech, and announces on Twitter that they have decided not to invite the writer. The writer complains that the SU's decision to 'no-platform' them violates their right to freedom of expression. The writer has not yet been invited to speak, and, as there is no legal duty on the SU to invite them, there is no infringement of the writer's freedom of speech. However, if an affiliated society or other students invited the same speaker to talk, the SU could not prevent them from doing so as the speaker's views are lawful. This would engage the HEP's s.43 duty to protect free speech, informed by the Article 10 rights of the students and speaker to give and receive ideas."

Announcing the guidance, universities minister Chris Skidmore said it provided a clear framework for universities and student unions to work within hate speech laws and 'Prevent' - the Government's anti-radicalisation scheme requiring that they protect staff and students from extremism.

'Free speech is a value integral to the independence and innovation that embodies the higher education sector in the UK, fuelling academic thought and challenging injustice. This guidance is a symbol of the commitment from across the sector to protecting freedom of speech,' said Mr Skidmore.

Dr David Llewellyn, Chair of GuildHE and Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University, welcomed the guidance while saying it was important that students be taught how to critically analyse different perspectives.

'Higher education institutions are champions of free speech, places where ideas and views - even those that some might find offensive - can be rigorously discussed and challenged. Our staff, and others contributing to our educational and research activities, must be able to freely consider contentious issues,' he said.

'We also have to be able to work with students to develop their ability to critically analyse what is being said, weigh up different arguments and contribute to the debate.

'That is why we welcome this new guidance, which will provide greater clarity on the rights and obligations for freedom of expression, particularly in areas such as the balance between our commitment to free speech and legislation to prevent radicalisation.'

Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive of Independent Higher Education said: 'Free speech is an essential ingredient of our sector and our civil society, but the average independent university bears little resemblance to the hyped-up image of higher education as a battleground for identity politics.'Atheist minister says not allowing her to continue in church ministry would be a 'betrayal'

The atheist minister of a church in Toronto, Canada has claimed that it would be a 'betrayal' to remove her from her position because she didn't believe in God.

Gretta Vosper, a 60-year-old minister in the United Church of Canada, told the Religion News Service that she was 'very surprised' to still be in her job after officially coming out as an atheist in 2013.

She admitted her true beliefs about God and the divinity of Jesus despite having been the minister of West Hill United Church in Toronto since 1997.

There were calls for her to be defrocked and the Toronto Conference asked the Church's General Council to launch a review into her suitability for ministry.

However, before the review was due to start last year, the Toronto Conference and Vosper reached a settlement that allowed her to remain as minister of West Hill United Church.

She said that although she could not comment on the specifics of the settlement due to a non-disclosure agreement, she is 'able to function in ministry with all the rights and privileges that clergy have'.

She also said that she continues to teach in the church what she learned during her years in seminary.

'Everything I teach is consistent with the theological training I received,' she said.

'I was taught the Bible was a human construction, and there is much wisdom in many texts, both ancient and contemporary.'

Vosper added that she has no plans to quit church ministry in spite of her atheism and that she thinks it would have been a 'betrayal' if she had been forced to go.

'I still feel that this is my denomination,' she told RNS. 'This is my heritage, and to refuse to allow me to participate and continue in ministry felt like a betrayal.'First Catholic church built in Cuba since revolution opens, brings a 'new sign of faith'

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The first new Catholic church to be built in Cuba in over 60 years opened its doors Saturday in the rural town of Sandino, providing what some say is a new sign of faith in the socialist country.

With the help of a parish in Tampa, Florida, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish became the first of three new parishes to be completed across the island nation.

The bright yellow church that seats about 200 people is the first Catholic parish to be dedicated since the days of the Cuban Revolution and the revolutionary governments crackdown on organized religion.

The project came to be thanks to a fundraising campaign launched by St. Lawrence Parish in Tampa that raised over $95,000 to cover much of the construction costs.

It was incredible to see the church that was built by a small but faith-filled community in Sandino, Father Chuck Dornquast, the parochial vicar of St. Lawrence Parish, said in a statement. While the church seats 200 people, its estimated that nearly 500 people attended the dedication.

According to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Catholic Schools were closed and many priests and religious communities were exiled following the Cuban Revolution. Additionally, public expressions of faith became taboo.

A move toward more tolerance of some public expressions of faith started in the 1990s when Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in Cuba with thousands of believers. Also in the 1990s, the Communist Party removed atheism as one of the membership requirements.

Although Cuba remains a secular state, the communist government has become much more tolerant of Christianity.

The Diocese explained in a press release that Catholics in Sandino, a town on the very northwest end of the island, had previously held mass and Bible studies and other gatherings at their homes. The community expects that the new building will bring more people and strengthen their congregation.

Christ has placed the call to make disciples in each of us, whatever our circumstances, Dornquast added. People in this tiny town of Cuba are finding a way to live out that call, despite their difficult circumstances.

The priest who oversaw the construction, Cirilo Castro, told CNN that with the warming relations between the communist government and the Vatican, he knew it would happen one day."

"To see this finished is like coming out of the night into the day," Castro explained.

Because construction materials are hard to come by on the island, the construction took about four years.

"From the day they put the first stone we have been watching it grow little by little, Sandino resident Aleida Padron Zabala told the news outlet. Patience has given us this church.

Two other Catholic parishes are being constructed in Havana and Santiago.

According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, around 60 to 70 percent of Cubas 11 million people are Catholic while five percent are Protestant.

Although the Cuban government is warming up to religion, USCIRF warns that religious freedom conditions in the country are still poor despite the existence of 55 registered religious communities.

The country was listed by the federal government watchdog entity as a Tier 2 country of concern for religious freedom in its annual report last year. USCIRF said that the Cuban government has engaged in harassment campaigns that included detentions and repeated interrogations targeting religious leaders and activists who advocate for religious freedom.

William Devlin, an evangelical New York City pastor, recently traveled to Cuba for the 40th time since 2007.

[I have] never had a problem with government nor [have] the thousands of pastors, missionaries and evangelists that Ive taught and been to a conference with, Devlin, a Navy veteran and Purple Heart recipient, told The Christian Post Wednesday.

The Cuban evangelical church is experiencing significant growth, he added. The pastors are free to preach the Gospel.

Last week, Devlin met with a pastor of one of the largest churches in Holguin, one of the largest cities in Cuba, about trying to make Cuba a sending country. He said that a group of about 20 Cuban Christians from the church expressed a desire to train to become missionaries to the Middle East. Fluent in Arabic, Devlin is prepared to beginning training this group.Divinity student becomes first to decipher Baptist theologian's 200-y-o sermons

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A divinity student has cracked a centuries-old code to become the first person in the world to read documents left behind by Baptist pastor and theologian Andrew Fuller.

Jonny Woods, a third-year undergraduate at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, has been able to read hundreds of pages of notes written by Fuller after he figured out how to decipher the shorthand for his sermons using a longhand equivalent.

Fuller (17541815), the late 18th- and early 19th-century British Baptist pastor, was described by C.H. Spurgeon as the greatest theologian of his century. And his influence on American Baptists was said by A. H. Newman to be incalculable, according to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies is located.

His first major work, The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation (1785) refuted Hyper-Calvinism and laid the theological foundations for the modern missionary movement, the seminary says of Fuller, who founded the Baptist Missionary Society and worked to spread the Gospel in India.

Reformed theologian and Desiring God founder John Piper says in his book, Andrew Fuller: Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Mission, that Fuller had one great enemy he wanted to defeat  "global unbelief in Jesus Christ, and homed in on the dangers of Sandemanianism and Hyper-Calvinism.

Steve Holmes, head of the School of Divinity at St. Andrews, said hundreds of pages of Fullers sermons are held in the archive at Bristol Baptist College, but the famous theologian's notes for the sermons had remained illegible until he found one titled Confessions of Faith, Oct. 7, 1783, which was a longhand equivalent to shorthand notes.

Knowing this was the date of Fullers induction into the pastorate of a church in Kettering and that he would have been required to give a confession of faith as part of that service, Holmes wondered if a copy of the confession printed in a biography might help him crack the code, St. Andrews reports.

After realizing his hunch about the two documents being the same was correct, Holmes recruited Woods as an undergraduate research assistant to help crack the code that had puzzled academics for centuries.

Within weeks, Woods was able to translate the shorthand notes using the longhand version, allowing him to read two of the most historically significant sermons from the collection, the university added.

To be able to read something that no one else has read in more than 200 years is not something I thought I would ever be able to do and it was an incredible moment, Woods, 21, told the U.K. Times, noting that his hard work eventually paid off.

It is such an honor to be the first person to read Andrew Fullers sermons and to allow people to get an insight into this incredible man and the amazing stories he has to share, he said in an interview with St. Andrews. Im excited to continue working on the vast collection of work that he has left to us, in the hope that we can understand more about his thinking and how this developed throughout his ministry.

When Jonny told me he could read these documents, it was an astonishing moment, Holmes said.

Andrew Fuller stands as the figurehead, the patron saint almost, of the church tradition of which I am a part. To be reading words of his that no-one had read since he preached them in 1782  its one of those moments you live for as an academic."

In recognition of his theological work, both the College of New Jersey (1798) and Yale (1805) had awarded Fuller honorary doctorate degrees, but he declined to accept them.

St. Andrews says that translations of the two sermons are now with the Baptist Quarterly and under consideration for publication. Holmes is continuing to edit Fullers wider collection of sermons for a major new critical edition of his works.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Despite our many national problems and flaws and sins, America is still an amazing country. Thats why our universities are filled with the smartest students from the nations. Thats why our businesses and technologies help improve the quality of life around the globe. We remain the land of endless opportunity and we are a people of endless optimism.

But we have certainly seen better days in the past, especially in terms of national unity and national morality.

Especially national morality.

Without a doubt, America in the past has been godlier, and that has been the key to our greatness.

That means that, if we are to make America great again, we must make America godly again. Otherwise, we will continue to decline.

It is true that America has never been a totally Christian (or, perfectly Christian) nation. Far from it.

But there is no denying our strong, biblical roots.

There is no denying the Christian principles that infused our nation in its earliest days, beginning with the colonies, and these laid the foundation for our greatness. As Proverbs states, Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Prov 14:34).

I was struck deeply by this when doing research for my book Saving a Sick America.

In the opening chapters of the book, I traced our deeply Christian roots from the 1600s through the early 1900s, beginning with the Old Deluder Act, passed in 1647. The act called for schools to be established in each community when it grew to a certain size to ensure that the children would be able to read  so they would be able to read the Bible!

The colonists were not about to allow that old deluder, Satan, to keep the Word from them.

As I noted in Saving a Sick America, Similar sentiments were expressed in the New Haven Code of 1655, which stated that the purpose of education was to equip children to be able duly to read the Scriptures  and in some competent measure to understand the main grounds and principles of Christian Religion necessary to salvation.

It was the same with the founding of our greatest universities, beginning with Harvard and Yale. They were Bible-based, Christian-based, mission-based schools.

And it was the same with childrens schooling from their very first lessons in the alphabet, where each letter corresponded to a scriptural truth. Textbooks like this were commonly used right through the 1800s.

Our Founding Fathers were quite aware of the importance of having a biblically-literate, morally-grounded populace. Thats why Samuel Adams said, A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they can not be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.

What wise and prophetic words. When we lose our virtues, we lose our liberties.

Now, there is a quote widely attributed to the French historian and philosopher Alexis De Tocqueville, who famously visited America in the 1830s. Even if the quote doesnt originate with him, it does reflect his overall observations. And it is certainly true.

It says this: I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors...; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution.

Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.

Again, whether De Tocqueville himself said this or whether it was uttered by another contemporary, the message rings true. And it is certainly in harmony with some of his other observations, including this: Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the great political consequences resulting from this new state of things.

And, for those who will immediately say, What about slavery?, the answer is simple.

First, there were opposition to the inexcusable evil of slavery even among the colonies. Second, slavery was the norm through much of the world at that time, something brought over from Europe from the outset of our nation. Third, it was our godly roots that broke the yoke of slavery within the first century of our independence.

Slavery was unspeakably evil, and thats why our nation cast it off. Our Christian roots did not allow us to tolerate this for long.

The undeniable reality is that America cannot be great again unless America is good again. And America cannot be good again without being godly  or, in short, without Gods help, through the gospel.

So, for me, whenever, I see a MAGA hat (which is fine in itself and is neither racist nor bigoted), Ill see this: Make America Godly Again.

And when I see that bright red color, Ill think of the most powerful red of all: the blood of Jesus.

Of course, America will never be a perfectly Christian nation. No nation will, until Jesus returns.

And we will always have our share of problems and issues.

But to the extent we can get back to our godly roots, not by imposing them on others but by living them out, to that extent we can be great  again.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Use it well, Albus Dumbledore says to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. These words accompany his gift of an invisibility cloak to young Harry. Dumbledore knows that the cloak is a tool that Harry will have the opportunity to use responsibly or not.

The Catholic Church has had the opportunity, recently, to think about the tools it wields as a churchand whether or not it is using them well. Nicholas P. Cafardi, a Catholic expert in canon law, recently said, When it came to handling child sexual abuse by priests, our legal system fell apart.

Cafardi was talking about the waves of sexual abuse reports that have rolled over the Catholic Church in recent decades. His sentiment came from the early 2000s, but the past six months have shown its continued truth: the Catholic Church has a long way to go when it comes to handling the sexual misconduct of its priests.

The Catholic Church has a long way to go because, historically, its bureaucracy and hierarchy have enabled abusive priests and clogged the lines of communication for people who wanted to report abuse. A confusing slew of instructions within canon law shows how any chain of command can allow depravity to continue.

Some might use this as an argument against institutional hierarchy, arguing that it encourages evil to take root. However, studies show that sexual abuse occurs at a rate of six percent in the general public, which is just as often as it does in the Catholic Church. Theres nothing worse happening within Catholicism than there is in the outside world, we just expect more of a religious institution.

As a public, we are just as shocked in 2018 as we were almost twenty years ago. At first, we were appalled that such widespread abuse could happen at all, but now were horrified that bishops could know about the abuse and choose to cover for their priestsand vice versa.

Columnist Ross Douthat, writing for the New York Times, points out that in the early 2000s it was conceivable that the Catholic Church could address its failure. The Church could have disciplined or removed malignant clergy and moved forward in repentance. Now, however, the ongoing strife and disagreement about this issue in the Church indicate a more pervasive crisis.

In other words, in 2002 the crisis was about sex abuse. Now, in 2018, its about leadership. In his column, Douthat wonders aloud if the Catholic Church has sunk from compromised to completely bankrupt in its morality.

Does a pecking order within leadership help or hurt morality within an organization? It is certainly a shock to see that a Christian leadership structure, established to promote unity and care for its members, could be used to mask corruption instead of expose it. But in this case, the answer to that question remains to be seen.

In the upcoming months, the Catholic Church will have an opportunity to use its legal and religious system well. Pope Francis has convened a summit that will meet at the Vatican in February of 2019, specifically to discuss how the global Catholic Church can implement measures to better protect its minors and vulnerable adults. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, who is on the planning committee for the summit, noted, This meeting is the beginning of a worldwide reform that will need to be ongoing and will involve a process of initiatives on regional, national and diocesan levels. Millions of disenchanted Catholics await the decisions made in February.

If Dumbledore were to attend the summit, its not hard to imagine his contribution. He would peer in a kindly way over his half-moon spectacles, looking right at home in the long robes of Catholic clergy. Then he would say something like this: You have been given great power. Your leadership will influence millions of lives both now and in the future. Use it well.

As with anything, a leadership hierarchy is neither the culprit or the savior. It is simply a tool in the hands of individuals who implement it. Lets hope the people who wield it at the Vatican Summit will have the humility and clarity to use it well.Vermont sued for barring Christian school students from state-funded education program

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Two families and a Catholic diocese are suing the state of Vermont for discrimination after Catholic school students were excluded from a program that offers college classes to high school students at state expense.

Two students and their families, as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, have filed a federal lawsuit against the states education department over what they say is unlawful criteria for its Dual Enrollment Program, which gives students the ability to take publicly funded college courses to help them achieve post-secondary readiness.

Under the program, students who attend public and secular private schools and those who are homeschooled are eligible for the program to take classes funded by the government at 19 different institutions that provide both high school and college credit.

However, the state excludes students who attend private religious high schools from taking classes through the program.

The program was launched in 2013 and the exclusion of private religious schools is thought to be consistent with a Vermont Supreme Court ruling in 1999. The ruling found it unconstitutional for the state to pay tuition to sectarian schools as part of the states Town Tuitioning Program, a program that allowed parents in certain towns to send their children to private school at state expense.

The State is penalizing parents for exercising their constitutionally protected right to choose a religious education for their children, and is discriminating against the faith-based schools they choose, the lawsuit explained, adding that it violates both the free exercise and equal protection clauses found in the U.S. Constitution.

Although the top court in the state has ruled that allowing public funds to go to religious school violates the state constitution, the plaintiffs maintain that the state officials cant plausibly argue that the Vermont constitution requires excluding religious high school students from a secular education program made available to other students.

The two students involved in the lawsuit attend Rice Memorial High School, a Catholic school under the authority of the diocese. Because of its status as a Catholic school, Rice Memorial is prohibited from entering into a Dual Enrollment Program participation agreement with the Vermont Agency of Education.

The plaintiffs are being represented by Thomas E. McCormick, one of more than 3,000 attorneys allied with Alliance Defending Freedom, a national nonprofit that is involved in prominent religious freedom cases. ADF has won nine U.S. Supreme Court cases in the last seven years.

The state is paying for college courses, not tuition for a religious high school, the lawsuit contends. The Dual Enrollment Program statute discriminates against students attending religious high schools, not because of the content of college courses they wish to take, but instead because of the religious status of the high schools they attend.

ADF legal counsel Christen Price argues that the government is constitutionally required to treat religious people equally. Price added that the state should not hold back students looking to pursue their educational goals.

Thats especially true in this case, where the government isnt spending any money on religious education, Price stated. Vermont is discriminating against students purely based on which kind of school they come from.

In 1961, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that towns paying tuition to religious schools violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

That ruling was later overturned in 1994 after the Vermont Supreme Court found that a school board reimbursing tuition paid by parents whose child attended a religious school because their town did not have a public school did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

But in 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled again that reimbursing parents who send their children to religious private schools did violate the state constitution.

ADF argues that the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer affirms that a state cant deny a qualified religious entity a public benefit solely because of its religious character.

In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in that case that Missouri violated the Constitution by barring a church from receiving public funds to help revamp its daycare playground even though such grants were given out to similar non-religious organizations. The church was represented by ADF in that case as well.

The government is constitutionally required to treat religious people equally, Price said in a statement. As the U.S. Supreme Court held just the year before last, a state cannot discriminate against students by excluding them from generally available public benefits simply because they attend a religious school.

The lawsuit asks the court to issue an injunction declaring that the criteria for the Dual Enrollment Program violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of the plaintiffs.

Specifically listed as defendants in the lawsuit are heads of the Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont State Colleges System.

The Attorney Generals office, which will handle the case, told the state politics blog VTDigger.org that it has not had a chance to review the case.

Well see what the arguments are and take a look at the law and go from there, Assistant Attorney General Kate Gallagher told web outlet.Trump: Democrats 'becoming the Party of late-term abortion,' 'willing to rip the baby out of the womb'

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President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are blasting the Democratic Party for its support of late-term abortion amid a national outcry over statements in support of a proposed Virginia late-term abortion bill.

"Democrats are becoming the Party of late-term abortion, high taxes, Open Borders and Crime!" the president tweeted Thursday morning.

His words come on the heels of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, who in a WTOP radio interview Wednesday defended a proposed bill from state delegate Kathy Tran, also a Democrat, that would have allowed abortions to be performed until the moment of birth.

In video footage of a discussion among legislators that rocketed around the Internet earlier this week, Virginia House of Delegates majority leader Todd Gilbert, a Republican, asked Tran if a woman could ask for an abortion as she was going into labor, delivering a full-term baby. To the horror of many, Tran responded that such a request would be allowed under her bill.

I thought it was terrible, Trump said of Trans statements in an interview with the Daily Caller Wednesday.

Do you remember when I said Hillary Clinton was willing to rip the baby out of the womb? Thats what it is, thats what theyre doing, its terrible, he added, referencing his words in the third presidential debate prior to the 2016 election.

Gilbert's office said Wednesday that the bill will not move out of subcommittee and no action will be taken on it.

Responding to the fallout, Northam said that when speaking about third-trimester abortions, "these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physician  more than one physician, by the way  and its done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus thats non-viable.

If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the Virginia governor said. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.

Like the video of Tran's admission that her legislation permitted abortion until moments before birth, Northam's comments went viral as conservative and pro-life advocates accused him of promoting a form of infanticide.

"I have devoted my life to caring for children and any insinuation otherwise is shameful and disgusting," Northam, who is trained as a pediatrician, said Wednesday, responding to the fallout.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring stated Wednesday that President Trump and Virginia Republicans were "trying to spread shameful lies" about Tran and the governor.

Pro-life legislators and advocates around the world were not moved, given the video tape of his comments and many were quoting him verbatim.

"Whats shameful is that youre too cowardly to say point blank that its wrong to leave babies to die after birth," said U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, in a statement Thursday.

"You could have said that yesterday. But because you're terrified of an extremist pro-abortion lobby that now defends even infanticide, you're still ducking."

Pro-life senators Marco Rubio, R-Florida, Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, all decried the Virginia bill.

Nigerian pro-life activist Obianuju Ekeocha, author of Target Africa and founder of Culture of Life Africa, did not withhold her disgust.

"Everyone that voted for this man @GovernorVA should wear sackcloth and remorsefully cover their heads in ashes, they should weep for putting power into the hands of a man that defends infanticide," she said Wednesday, tweeting his radio interview.

In a Thursday National Review opinion piece, Vice President Pence weighed in, noting that the proposed Virginia bill follows similar legislation that was signed into law in New York, something that was celebrated with cheers in the state Senate chamber in Albany and illuminated pink lights atop One World Trade Center in New York City and other landmarks.

"[A]t the base of the same One World Trade Center that was bathed in pink last week to mark the passage of New Yorks law, is the September 11th memorial," Pence noted Thursday. "There, the names of all who died in the horrific terrorist attacks 18 years ago are etched in stone  including the eleven unborn children we lost along with their expectant mothers."

"This shameless embrace of a culture of death is startling to every American who cherishes life. Not too long ago, the Democratic partys stated position was that abortion should be 'safe, legal, and rare.' It was this widespread rejection of late-term abortion that led a large bipartisan majority in Congress to pass the partial-birth-abortion ban in 2003. But now look at how far the Democratic party has fallen."

The pushback to the Virginia bill led one Democratic lawmaker to withdraw her support for it, saying she had not read the proposed legislation's content closely enough.

Had I researched each line of removed language, I would have seen that, and known that there was more research to be done. None of this changes that I believe women must have safe legal options for abortion; but I also would have seen the utility of language that provides guidelines for how to ensure this, wrote state delegate Dawn Adams, a Democrat who represents a suburban district outside Richmond, in a letter to her constituents Wednesday.

I made a mistake, and all I know to do is to admit it, tell the truth, and let the chips fall where they may.

Adams is a first-term delegate who won a close victory in 2017 and may face a competitive re-election campaign this year.

The mainstream media, however, framed the events as an unkind attack on Tran.

A Thursday headline in the Washington Post read: "Until this week, Del. Kathy Tran was known for nursing her daughter on the House floor. Now Republicans are calling her a baby killer."

Tran deactivated her Twitter account soon after she was seen on tape talking about her bills allowance for abortions up until birth, but then reactivated it Thursday saying that misinformation had been spread, arguing that her bill does nothing to change the fact that women can request abortions under certain circumstances as long as medical doctors approve it.Sarah Sanders says God 'wanted' Trump to become president, praises 'tremendous' support of Christians

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White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said she believes God wanted Donald Trump to become president and praised the tremendous job he has done supporting the Christian community.

"I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that He wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there," Sanders told David Brody and Jennifer Wishon of the Christian Broadcasting Network.

"I think he has done a tremendous job in supporting a lot of the things that people of faith really care about," Sanders added, calling President Trump the most conservative president that we've ever had.

"You look at the judicial nominations alone, I think that will be one of the greatest legacies that the president has after his eight years in office is how he has completely remade the judiciary and started to stop this activist court that we've started to see over the last eight years. There's a reason evangelicals are sticking with the president, and that's because he's delivered on all the things he said he would do."

When asked about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling Trump's proposed wall along the U.S. southern border "immoral," Sanders told CBN its very hard at this point to even take a lecture from Democrats on what is moral and what isn't.

People who are willing to allow legislation to pass supporting late-term abortion, she explained. The idea that they would take out so help me God in the platform that House Democrats have raised this week.

She continued: But the idea that protecting the people of your country, which is the fundamental duty of being president of the United States would in some way be immoral is a ridiculous charge and something that I think probably, I would think Speaker Pelosi may even regret making that comment because she's seen how ridiculous that sounds and how the evidence is so contrary to that comment."

During the interview, Sanders also weighed in on the reported anti-Semitic views held by two freshman Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, calling it outrageous that Democrats havent condemned their comments.

"Anytime somebody who's not even associated with the president says something, the first thing is will you condemn? Will you say that this is terrible?" she asked. "Where's the leadership on the Democrats' side to call this out? It is unbelievable that this is going totally unchecked, totally off the radar of most of the mainstream media."

Sanders also emphasized that Trump's recent announcement that he would withdraw the U.S. military from Syria would not endanger Christians in the area.

"Look, the president's made clear that we support Christians, that we support the Kurds," Sanders said, adding that Trump has "made that clear to Turkey."

We've supported the safe zones that are going to be very important, and the idea that the president is just stepping away and ignoring any potential problem doesn't understand the fundamental decision that he's made, she said.

The belief that Trump's election was the result of divine intervention has been touted by others in the faith community, with some comparing the president to a modern-day King David  an imperfect man chosen by God to lead a nation.

Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and head of the charity Samaritans Purse, previously told The Washington Post, I could sense going across the country that God was going to do something this year. And I believe that at this election, God showed up.

Paula White, a Florida pastor and spiritual adviser to Trump, earlier said the president was raised up by God: Because God says that He raises up and places all people in places of authority it is God who raises up a king. It is God that sets one down, she explained.

A recent Washington Post-ABC poll found that Republicans and white evangelical Protestants were the only groups in which a majority said they would definitely support the president in 2020. Similarly, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll shows that 66 percent of white evangelical Christians approve of the job Trump is doing as president.House Democrats change course, vote to keep God in committee oath

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Correction appended

The Democrat-controlled House Natural Resources Committee will not remove so help you God from the oath taken, reversing course on a proposed rules draft that would have done so.

Fox News reported earlier this week on a draft of proposed rules for the Democrat-controlled committee that showed the phrase so help you God being deleted from the oath. However, on Wednesday both Democrat and Republican members of the House committee agreed to keep the phrase in the oath.

Democrat Representative Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey, a member of the committee, said in a statement that it would be hurtful and harmful for the committee to go out of our way to take it out.

However, Democrat Representative Jared Huffman of California argued against the inclusion of God in the oath, saying that it violated the separation of church and state.

All of these trappings of religion and God in these oaths certainly have not kept an awful lot of people from lying under oath, stated Rep. Huffman, as reported by EWTN.

Headed by Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the Committee on Natural Resources seeks to help preserve the environment and defend the rights of indigenous populations.

When news broke about the proposed removal of God from the oath, many, including Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a Republican committee member, denounced it.

They really have become the party of Karl Marx, said Rep. Cheney to Fox News. It is incredible, but not surprising, that the Democrats would try to remove God from committee proceedings in one of their first acts in the majority.

In his Washington Update on Wednesday, Family Research President Tony Perkins referred to the oath controversy as proof that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other elected Democrats have a God problem.

In a nation whose motto is In God We Trust, it is a sad commentary on the mindset of House Democratic leadership that removing God would even be considered, stated Perkins.

Although the House committee has reversed course, I believe it's important that Speaker Pelosi be put on notice that as Americans, we want and need the presence of God in our government.

Many federal oaths reference God. However, the oath of office for the president of the United States does not include the phrase; instead, figures taking the oath have added it by tradition.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Liz Cheney as being a representative of Wisconsin. Cheney serves Wyoming, not Wisconsin.Donald Trump's former pastor says he never saw him in church, advises he read Gospels

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As Donald Trump praised the expansion of Bible literacy in schools this week, Pastor David Lewicki, who served as an associate pastor at the presidents family church in New York City for approximately five years, said the president should also apply Bible literacy to his daily life to help him more actively live out his faith.

Lewickis advice to the commander-in-chief comes after Trump tweeted Monday: "Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!"

In his instant reaction to Trumps praise of Bible literacy, Lewicki, who is currently a co-pastor at North Decatur Presbyterian Church in Georgia, revealed his affiliation with the historic Marble Collegiate Church in New York City where Trumps family worshiped for years.

I was @realDonaldTrump's pastor for 5 years @MarbleChurch. I assure you, he had the option to come to Bible study. He never opted in. Nor did he ever actually enter the church doors. Not one time, Lewicki wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning. He also noted that he wasnt aware of any financial contribution from Trump during his time at the church.

In an interview with The Christian Post Wednesday, Lewicki said he served on Marble Collegiates pastoral staff from 2004 to 2010 and not once did he notice Trump at the churchs Bible study even though he seems to be supportive of Bible literacy now.

I led Wednesday night worship services and I was present every Sunday to lead worship services, Lewicki said.

To my knowledge, no one ever saw President Trump in that time while I was there. So he was not a visible and active member of our congregation while he was on the membership rolls during that time, he added.

In 2015, as Trump campaigned for the presidency he declared that he attended the Marble Collegiate.

The church released a statement then, however, saying he was an inactive member.

"Donald Trump has had a longstanding history with Marble Collegiate Church, where his parents were for years active members and one of his children was baptized. However, as he indicates, he is a Presbyterian, and is not an active member of Marble," the church said.

Marble Collegiate Church is not a Presbyterian church but it is a part of the Reformed Church in America.

Asked if the president could have been taking private Bible lessons during his time at Marble Collegiate, Lewicki said it was possible but unlikely.

He may have had a relationship with the senior minister and they may have talked in private. I think that is entirely possible. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that they did not have a relationship but they could have, he said.

While he refused to comment on the level of spiritual care and Bible instruction the president is currently receiving from his spiritual adviser, Paula White, Lewicki said the importance of faith in the presidents personal life at the moment appears questionable.

I think its important that Christians invite one another into mutual accountability. And for myself, and I think for many others, his actions, his demeanor, and his character are not indicative of someone who takes God and Jesus seriously. And so when he talks about faith and the importance of faith for peoples lives, I think it is fair for people to raise questions about the importance of faith in his own life, the Georgia pastor explained when asked why he chose to criticize the presidents celebration of Bible literacy.

Asked if he believed Trump has been good for Christianity in America, Lewicki declined sharing a response but said he is praying that the president will begin demonstrating more of his Christian faith.

I would love to see the evidence of his relationship with God in his words and his deeds and I pray that we will, Lewicki said.

To help the president on his way to Christian enlightenment, Lewicki suggested that he spend more time with the poor and in the four Gospels of the Bible.

I would say that it is impossible to understand Christianity unless you are spending significant time walking alongside and befriending people who are materially poor. And so I would say read the Gospels and make time in your life to listen to and support people who are currently experiencing material poverty, the pastor advised.What you should know about Yemen and its tiny Christian population

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In case you havent heard already, Yemen has been facing what many have called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

The Middle East country, located at the end of the Arabian Peninsula, has a population of over 28 million and 22 million of them need humanitarian assistance (16 million dont have enough food).

Much of the famine is a result of the civil war that began years ago. So how did the crisis begin and what is it like for Christians in Yemen?

Here are five things you should know.

1. 2011 uprising

Thousands of protesters called on President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been in office for more than three decades, to step down over the collapse of the economy, corruption and repression.

Forced to resign, Saleh transferred power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. But Saleh remained in Yemen and formed an alliance with the Houthi rebels (made up of the Zaidi Shia Muslim minority who have been attempting to gain power for decades) who gained control of Sanaa, the countrys capital. The Zaidi believe only a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad should rule Muslims.

Hadi was forced to flee the country in March 2015, under attack both by the Houthis and security forces still loyal to Saleh. This is when Saudi Arabia (Yemens neighbor) entered the fray, fearful of the spread of what it believes is Iran-backed Shia powers in Yemen.

The Saudi Arabian Kingdom, along with other Sunni Arab states, have been carrying out an air campaign ever since, looking to return power to Hadi and his government.

Note: 99.1 percent of Yemens population is Muslim; 65 percent are Sunni and 35 percent are Shia.

The civil war has been at a stalemate, with coalition troops supporting the Hadi government holding control of much of the country, including Aden, while the Houthi forces continue being in control of significant northwestern regions.

The turmoil has allowed militant groups, including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and an affiliate of the Islamic State terror group, to capture territory in the south and carry out deadly attacks.

The stalemate has produced the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

2. The worst humanitarian crisis is getting worse

Mark Lowcock, under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and emergency relief coordinator for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, described the immense scale of the tragedy in a briefing to the U.N. Security Council in December.

Calling the statistics "shocking," Lowcock said that more than 20 million Yemenis, or two-thirds of the entire population, are food insecure, with over half of the districts across the country having slipped into "emergency" conditions.

"Yemenis livelihoods and access to income have been decimated, and agricultural production has fallen by nearly a third. These developments have left millions more Yemenis unable to afford food and other essential goods. And food prices are 150 percent higher than they were before the crisis," he said.

I can again confirm again what humanitarian agencies have known for a long time: a terrible tragedy is unfolding in Yemen. And it is getting worse. Millions of people are starving, sick and desperate. They have one message for the world: this war needs to stop.

Vernon Brewer, founder and CEO of World Help, lamented that Yemen has now faced close to four years of crisis.

Food is the most urgent need. Millions of children across Yemen are starving to death because of a war they have nothing to do with. If we dont respond immediately to this tragedy, what does that say about us  as a nation and as Christians whose goal is to show love to others?

According to children's agency UNICEF, close to 2 million children will need food assistance in 2019; over 6,700 have been killed since the start of the conflict; and over 2,700 boys have been forced into armed groups.

The Venerable Canon Bill Schwartz, OBE, the archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, which oversees Christ Church Aden, told The Christian Post that what is happening in Yemen is a "horrendous problem," one that affects all Yemenis, regardless of their religious background.

"The U.N. is trying to do what they can. The rebels and the coalition are both guilty of all kinds of atrocities. The manipulation of the economy from the Yemeni government as a tool of war, and the manipulation of the transportation of food and medicine as a tool of war, is on both sides, Schwartz noted.

The death toll has been a subject of dispute. While conservative numbers cited by the U.N. place it at around 10,000 people, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project maintains that the number is around 60,000 casualties.

ACLEDs estimation of Yemens direct conflict deaths is far higher than official estimates  and still underestimated. Fatality numbers are only one approximation of the abject tragedy and terror forced upon Yemenis from several sides. This cannot be overstated," said ACLED Executive Director Clionadh Raleigh in a press release in December.

Meanwhile, Schwartz said he is "quite frustrated that the media doesnt pay enough attention" to the crisis in Yemen.

"It doesnt create awareness among the people about how dire the situation is," he said, while acknowledging that many are unfamiliar with Yemen.

Syria is well known to people, Iraq is well known to people, and both have been in the news a lot in the last generation, he noted. [But] Yemen has just not been in the news, people know so little about it, most people would not be able to identify it on the map.

3. What its like for Christians

According to the U.S. State Departments International Religious Freedom Report, Christians, Jews, Bahais and Hindus make up less than 1 percent of the population. Many of the Christians (Roman Catholics and Anglicans) are refugees or temporary foreign residents.

Islam is the state religion and Sharia (Islamic law) is the source of all legislation. Though Yemens constitution allows for freedom of thought and expression, it does not mention freedom of religion, belief or conscience.

Proselytizing Muslims is illegal and conversion from Islam to another religion is apostasy, a capital offense. Those charged with apostasy face the death penalty.

One ministry CP reached out to declined to comment on the situation of Christians in the country, noting that it is too sensitive to discuss.

Open Doors USA, a persecution watchdog group, reports that the persecution Christians face in Yemen is "extreme."

"They face persecution from the authorities (including detention and interrogation), their families and radical Islamic groups who threaten converts with death if they do not re-convert," it notes.

"Tribal law prohibits members from leaving the tribe; the punishment for denouncing Islam can be death or banishment. Both male and female converts to Christianity married to Muslims risk divorce, including losing custody of their children. Christians are suffering from the general humanitarian crisis in the country. But Yemeni Christians are additionally vulnerable since emergency relief is mostly distributed through Islamic organizations and local mosques. These groups allegedly discriminate against all who are not considered to be pious Muslims."

The port city of Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, has only four church buildings still standing, three Roman Catholic and one Anglican  Christ Church Aden.

Schwartz, who for eight years served as a priest in Saudi Arabia, maintained that Christians do not face overt persecution by the government but he explained to CP that everything about their (Yemens) society is Islamic.

You dont have the freedom of individuality  Muslims, Christians, nobody, he pointed out.

You belong to your family, your identity is your family. For you to choose to be different from your family is a great shame on the family. Whether its religion, or a choice of your profession, or field of study, who you marry  to go against your family is extremely problematic, he pointed out.

Thus, going to a public church service would be a problem, he added.

As long as my uncle doesnt find out, Im fine, he illustrated. The problem isnt that they have to hide, its that they have to work out their relationships with their family.

4. Kidnappings

Nevertheless, Christ Church Aden does not have a priest present due to the risk of being kidnapped by terrorists.

Catholics tried to maintain a priest, but he was kidnapped and held for ransom for 18 months, Schwartz said, referring to Father Tom Uzhunnalil.

The dangers is not to the priest himself  that is bad enough, [but] there were [16] people killed so that Father Tom could be kidnapped.

The kidnapping took place at the Missionaries of Charity home in Aden on March 4, 2016, when members of the Islamic State terror group killed 12 civilians and four nuns during their attack on the retirement home.

Sister Sally, who survived, was able to describe the horrifying incident to Catholic news site Aleteia:

"They caught Sister Judith and Sister Reginette first, tied them up, shot them in the head and smashed their heads. They caught Sister Anselm and Sister Marguerite, tied them, shot them in the head and smashed their heads in the sand."

Uzhunnalil, the Salesian priest who was taken during the raid, was held by the Islamic extremists for over 18 months. Initial fears that he had been crucified on Good Friday in 2016 proved untrue, and the 57-year-old thanked "God's intervention" following his release in September 2017.

Schwartz reflected that due to how big the kidnapping industry in Yemen is right now, with American citizens also taken, he would put all our people in Yemen in danger simply by visiting them.

It is a commercial thing. The people who are coordinating it, a lot of it is al-Qaeda. They would say I will give you $5,000 USD for an American.' And then they will turn around and want $2 million. For them, its a business.

As for who would be able to pay such a sum, the archdeacon noted that in Yemen, where people have been chronically impoverished for generations, they get the impression that everyone else has more money than they know what to do with.

I have known many people who have been kidnapped and their families. It is pretty much a random problem based on the pathology of money.

5. Church Clinic: A positive development

Christ Church Aden is serving the impoverished community through its cooperation with Muslims at the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic, which is located on church grounds.

Their work over the past 20+ years, especially since and during the current fighting, is a testimony of courage and interfaith cooperation for the service of the people, especially those who are poor and dislocated, Schwartz said.

He explained that the cooperation came about following the collapse of the Communist regime at the start of the 1990s. Christ Church Aden agreed with the government to do something good for the people, but since there already was a primary health clinic nearby, they decided to focus on eye care.

"They feel very privileged to be helping the poor people in society in the context of a place where prayer happens," the archdeacon said of the Muslim staff.

"The South Yemenis are not radical Muslims, the people along the west coast are more fundamentalist. They are not radicalized Muslims in the Aden area, he said, adding that they are very happy for the church to be a place where people pray and poor people are served.

One of the workers, identified as Mansour, told CP that he works as public relations manager, supervisor of the church and the eye clinic, and coordinator between the government facilities, the church and the clinic.

We thank their support and efforts they have put, which [has] led to the success of the clinic. Although it is called Ras Morbat Clinic, it is well known [among] the people as the Church Clinic, he noted.

He revealed that a British doctor named John Sandford Smith has been visiting the clinic since 2001.

He started interacting with the clinic by training the Yemeni doctors and nurses working in the clinic and [performing] special operations and one-eyed patient operations, Mansour said.

On every visit, he would come to Aden for two weeks. First week to train the doctors and perform special eye operations in the clinic, and the second week to visit a remote area, city, or village and [other] needy places for eye operations, which was very [unusual] and had never been done before here. He trained Yemeni doctors to become eye specialists, [and] now after God's blessings and the support of the church and the help of Dr. John, the Department of Ophthalmology has a huge, respected and considerate reputation here in the city of Aden under the name of Church's Clinic.

Mansour said that the cooperation that exists among religions is essential.

The clinic is the only clinic run by a church in Aden and Yemen, which raises awareness of the importance and raises the respect being given to the religion, he said.'Unplanned' trailer released; shows shocking moment Planned Parenthood director sees baby fight for its life

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Pure Flix has released the trailer for Unplanned, a film chronicling how former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson departed her job in the abortion industry and became an advocate for the unborn.

The film company, which is also behind the popular Gods Not Dead movies, announced it will release the highly-anticipated movie on 800 screens on March 29, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trailer for the film depicts the powerful moment Johnson, played by Ashley Bratcher, renounces Planned Parenthood after watching an abortion on an ultrasound.

I saw it, it was like twisting and fighting for its life, she tearfully says in the clip. Twenty-two thousand abortions. How do I even comprehend that?

When Johnson is warned not to defy Planned Parenthood, "one of the most powerful organizations on the planet, she declares: I cant be a part of this anymore. Everything they told us is a lie.

After spending eight years working at Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas, Johnson resigned and today heads the group, And Then There Were None, a nonprofit organization that assists other ex-Planned Parenthood employees and abortion clinic staffers who've decided to leave the world of abortion as she once did.

Johnson previously told The Christian Post that while working at Planned Parenthood, she never once heard a story of a woman who regretted having an abortion  because even the women who came back in for repeat procedures would tell them how thankful they were.

Johnson said she also didnt know there were women speaking out about how their abortions harmed them and explained that most Planned Parenthood employees, like the abortion giant's ex-president, Cecile Richards, genuinely believe they are helping women.

"I know that her heart is there, that she believes she is being compassionate, Johnson said of Richards. Because she's hearing it from all these other women saying things like Planned Parenthood 'saved my life,' and 'if I wouldn't have had this abortion where would I be today?'"

When asked what she would say to Richards, she replied: "I'd just say, I so desperately want you to find the joy that I have found. And I would tell her: 'I pray for you, fervently, every single day.'"

"Unplanned" is written and directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, the same men who co-wrote the movie "God's Not Dead." It's one of several movies coming out over the next few months where abortion issues are central to the plot.

The filmmakers say they made Unplanned in secret under an assumed name due to its controversial nature and that its plans to feature several mainstream pop songs were canceled after major labels refused to license music to them.

Mike Lindell, the founder and CEO of My Pillow, has invested $1 million in the production of the film.

I'm pro-life and I'm happy to do it, said Lindell, who has a small role in the film where he bulldozes a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.

The film also features actor Brooks Ryan, playing Johnsons husband; Robia Scott, as Johnson's Planned Parenthood superior; and Emma Elle Roberts, as pro-life leader Marilisa Carney.

Watch the trailer for the film below:Smartphone Technology Causing Mental Health Crisis; Parents Urged to Place Limits

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A mental health crisis is upon American young people in light of such high technology usage, a prominent psychology publication reports. Yet this can be avoided if families make intentional breaks with smart phone technology and social media and deliberately celebrate life together, says a parenting expert.

Surveys show that approximately half of teenagers, the generation known as iGen or Generation Z, are addicted to their cell phones, a July 23 article in Psychology Today explains.

The article's author, Glenn Geher, conducted a study recently with one of his students in which he surveyed 200 students. An astonishing 59 percent of them reported having at some point been diagnosed with a psychological disorder, he said. Geher is the chair of the psychology department at SUNY-New Paltz and noted that their campus counseling centers are, like many across the nation, "absolutely saturated all the time."

And he believes technology is partly to blame considering: the kind of communication that takes place on it is often mean-spirited and hurtful, cell phones are indeed addicting, and technology takes kids away from outdoor activities, all of which compound the problem.

"A standard finding in the social psychological literature is that people act in a relatively anti-social manner when their identities are covered up  when they are acting anonymously," Geher said, adding how easy that is to do on the internet.

Danny Huerta, a licensed clinical social worker and vice president of parenting and youth at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado, told CP that social media and technology trigger the reward circuitry in the brain. And he urged parents to model the kinds of healthy technology use habits that they want their kids to emulate.

With such frequent use of technology, "we're seeking authenticity and our brain does not register online things as authentic, and there are a lot of comparisons that take place" within the human psyche, Huerta said. He added that such constant mental comparisons "create a sense of depression, anxiety, stress."

Girls are more likely to become addicted to social media utilities like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, whereas boys are more likely to get hooked on online gaming, often because of the sense of power that comes from it, he went on to explain.

But all these things are unfulfilling substitutes for human relationships. The power, identity, and even friendships  which can be lost with a single click  that social media and technology provide distorts our perception of reality and contributes to the rising rates of mental health breakdown.

"People are posting their highlights, their best of the best, their funniest things, the things that are top-notch. The brain has a hard time processing that because our lives are not all highlights. There's a lot of mundane-ness, and that's ok," Huerta said.

"And we have a hard time with that because we feel that we are supposed to be [positive all the time]."

Coupled with the pace of life and the lack of sleep, the way people often eat when they are on technology all the time, it is no surprise to see mental health breakdown occurring on a larger scale, he added.

Huerta believes parents must find a balance and put limits on children's use of technology, telling CP that in his own home his kids know that it is a "privilege" and not "a right" to use either his or his wife's phone.

"The more they rely on the online world, the more they are going to find the rest of the world to be a bit boring," he said, stressing that this is especially important given how rapidly technology changes.

"The fact that virtual reality and augmented reality is around the corner, and Apple and Google, and everybody is working on that because that is the next money maker, we have to be parents, I believe, to create kids that can think and understand why there are boundaries."

He recommends that families anchor themselves in what phones also steal: connection and unity, and that families do weekly celebrations.

"If a home can be focused on unity rather than pleasure it really gives a sense of accomplishment when you can continually do that."

When families look for something to celebrate, even if there is nothing specific to celebrate, and if nothing else, that they did life together and they are united.

His words comport with established science and scholarship that has chronicled the corrosive effect of technology on relationships.

British author Sue Palmer explains in the 2016 update of her 2006 book Toxic Childhood: How the Modern World is Damaging Our Children and What We Can Do About It that at the beginning of the 21st century many books were written about human happiness, all of which confirmed what extensive scientific research has shown: that happiness comes not from having more money but from successful personal relationships with friends and family and in the local community.

"This finding is, or course, at odds with the interests of global corporations. To increase their wealth and power, they need us to believe that the true route to happiness is through shopping. Hence the concerted drive of marketeers, aided by the image of the 'perfect' lifestyle beamed through these ubiquitous screens, to make us judge each other's worth in terms of appearance, possessions, and other indicators of material wealth."

"By splintering us off from our communities and families, luring every man, woman and child into personalized virtual realities where advertisers can exploit their particular psychological vulnerabilities, the market creates conditions to sell more stuff."Pro-life activists plan Day of Mourning, call for repentance after revolting NY abortion law

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NEW YORK  Pro-life activists are calling for a repentance a week after the New York state Legislature passed a bill making it legal for abortionists and other health care professionals to perform abortions up to birth for any reason that might threaten a womans mental or physical health.

On February 23, theres going to be a national day of mourning. What will happen on that day is nationwide we are encouraging people to do what we did here. Shut your business down, dont collect sales tax that day, wear black, repent for our own apathy on this issue of abortion overall, Jon Speed, owner of the Jon Speed: The Book Scout in Syracuse told The Christian Post Friday.

The controversial Reproductive Health Act that abortion advocates have been trying to get passed for 12 years and has been vehemently opposed by religious and conservative groups, passed with a 38-28 vote and thunderous applause in the state Senate chamber on Jan. 22. The bill codifies federal abortion rights guaranteed under the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision and removes abortion from the state's criminal code.

Speed, who calls the RHA revolting, is also pastor of Christ Is King Baptist Church. He has been in mourning since Jan. 22 and drew the attention of pro-life supporters when he shut down his business in protest on Jan. 23.

The book store is closed today. It is a day of mourning in New York. In honor of the thousands of babies that will die in the years to come, we shall not be collecting sales tax for this tyrannical government today. We will on other days, under duress, but not today, Speed declared in a viral tweet.

Speeds protest has since launched a campaign called the Day of Mourning, supported by high profile pro-life figures such as David and Jason Benham.

The state of New York just voted to expand abortion access right up to the birth of the baby! To celebrate this unbelievable depravity they lit the One World Trade Center in pink! Women used to celebrate motherhood and find joy in their children. Today, in places like New York City, they are taking joy in destroying their children. N.Y. State has crossed a line of inhumanity that should drive us to our knees, a summary on the campaigns website said.

Forty-six years of the state sanctioned killing of our most helpless and defenseless children should cause us to weep, to mourn, and to take action. What is to be thought of a society that kills her own children? What will the future be of such a heartless society that celebrates such barbaric inhumanity? the campaign asked.

Along with encouraging pro-life business owners to wear black, repent for abortion and closing down their businesses in protest, the group is also asking pro-lifers to refrain from shopping.

The Day of Mourning will culminate in with a rally at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, New York, from 1 p.m.  3 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Speed, who will be speaking at the event, said the organizers of the rally are looking to make a difference beyond the appearance of a pep rally.

The focus is New York state, we want the citizens of New York to express their displeasure with this thing and do more than just say, go to a March for Life rally or do more than give $5 to a pro-life lobbyist, but actually be involved in something thats not just a pep rally.

"Unfortunately, some of these large scale pro-life things come across like pep rally  look at all the good things weve done and were losing the battle, Speed said. Its time for a reassessment. I think thats the goal, to get people to reassess this thing and really repent over this and not just see it as a voting issue among many others.

The pastor said that there's also talk among organizers to maybe make the Day of Mourning an event on the 23rd of each month.

Its really pathetic. There comes a point where you gotta say enough bloods been shed. In this case its the Democrats, but Im not even looking at this as a political issue. Republicans have plenty of blood on their hands. Theyve tried to regulate abortion and in the process of regulation, theyve created a completely other economy or business for abortifacients. They are trying to regulate surgical abortions out of existence and in the meantime they have created a whole other market for chemical abortions, Speed explained. I dont really see how thats pro-life. Its not just Democrats, theres repentance that needs to go around for everybody. There is enough blood on all of our hands that we all need to repent.

Speed argued that Christians need to start looking to Scripture to change peoples hearts on the issue of abortion instead of trying to force people to protect life through legislation.

Weve gotta look to the Gospel to change peoples hearts. Preaching it, living it, it will affect legislation, he said. Its time, those of us who have been blindly voting for Republicans in order to get something done about this, [to] hold them accountable for what theyve done or not done in this case.

Since he shut down his store in protest, Speed said he has received many heartbreaking messages from women who regretted having abortions.

We had a volunteer here going through the voicemails and she finally said I cant listen to it anymore. And we asked her why and she said because people are calling and about half-way through their messages they start weeping, Speed said. It was emotionally draining. There are a lot of heartbroken people out there.

Sister Magdalene Teresa of the Sisters of Life, a Catholic order in the Bronx dedicated to enhance the sacredness of human life, also told CP this week that she felt sorrow after the passage of the RHA on Jan. 22.

Very much sorrow, she said. We know that its been, it seems like 10 years theyve been trying [to get it passed] and every time we would just pray and pray and pray and pray. And we had a lot of victories but of course on Tuesday (Jan. 22nd) it didnt go the way we hoped, she said.

My instant reaction is for all the women I know pretty well who are so tempted, for whatever reason. It can be big and it can be not so big. The pregnancy, lets just say she heroically is choosing life but then a new circumstance comes like a death in the family. Or extra violent pressure from the father of the baby and he loses his temper, but she happens to be further along like six months, seven months.

Now that woman wont have the extra protection that she had before. So I just instantly thought of all the babies that would have been born which I have photos of. So its just really sad about that, she said.

Teresa, who agrees that the scope of how the law can be applied based on how it is written is very broad, said as her order continues to fight to help women continue to choose life, they will now have to make room for women going through a longer period of crisis.

I think our mission, our stance will remain the same, she said when asked how the RHA will impact their work. What I foresee is a much longer period of what I would call crisis. Not that we ever back off, but at 24 weeks we could just breathe a sigh of relief knowing that at least if a big change happens in her life she probably wont have an abortion but we can just walk her through that. But now theres such an added pressure all the way through.Pastor, North Korean defectors reveal creative ways they share the Gospel in hermit kingdom

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A pastor and two North Korean Christians who defected from the hermit kingdom without being captured have revealed the creative ways they continue to share the Gospel with those back home.

Peter Jung, a pastor who specializes in spreading Christianity in North Korea, recently told The Associated Press that his group provides shelter, food, and money to North Koreans visiting Chinese border towns before teaching them about Christianity.

Before they return home, Jung said his group asks the North Korean visitors to memorize Bible verses or carry Bibles with them to share the Gospel with their friends and family. He revealed that missionaries create a religious atmosphere by getting people to exchange text messages containing Christian-themed words like "peace.

Christianity is illegal in North Korea and possessing a Bible, holding open religious services or making any attempt to build underground church networks can result in torture, lengthy prison terms or execution. As North Korea consistently ranks as the worst country in the world for Christian persecution, many citizens keep their beliefs to themselves or within their immediate families.

Lee HanByeol, Jungs wife and a North Korean refugee living in Seoul, South Korea, recalled watching her father pray whenever his wife slipped into China to borrow money from relatives in the mid-1990s.

"I saw him praying many times. ... My mom risked her life to go to China illegally to feed our family. So when my mom left, he kept praying, sitting cross-legged and trembling in the corner of our room," Lee said.

Lee said she didn't know about Christianity at the time, as her father kept his faith to himself until his death in an apparent effort to protect his family.

"I often think about how great it would have been if my father and I could have prayed together while holding each other's hands," she said.

Another North Korean defector, identified only as J.M., shared how he encountered Christianity after he fled to China in 1998. He was arrested by Chinese police and sent back home in 2001, and after serving several months in prison he attempted to share his faith with his parents.

"My father found it difficult to embrace (Christianity) but my mother quickly accepted it," said J.M.

In 2002, J.M. escaped to South Korea so he could worship freely, and is today a Seoul-based pastor trying to promote Christianity in North Korea. He told the AP that during a recent visit to China, he baptized about six North Koreans who made temporary visits to Chinese border towns.

Estimates vary about how many Christians are in North Korea, but persecution watchdog group Open Doors places the number around 300,000, most of whom operate in secret networks of tiny house churches.

According to statistics from the U.S. State Department, an estimated 120,000 Christians, defectors, and political dissidents are imprisoned in North Korean labor concentration camps where they face brutal torture.

Previously, North Korean defector Ji Hyeona shared how she escaped from the North a total of four times and got repatriated back three times before finally fleeing to South Korea in 2007.

As a devout Christian, Ji recalled how she felt forced to deny her faith when questioned by regime authorities each time she was repatriated.

"Each time when I got repatriated, which is a total of three times, they never finished their interrogation without asking me those Christian-related questions, such as whether I went to church, whether I knew Jesus and whether I believed in God," she recalled. "If there is a slightest indication or confession that you believe Jesus and went to church, then you will surely be sent to a political prison camp or executed. Just like Peter denied Jesus three times, I lied each of those three times that I got repatriated and got interrogated."

Ji Seong-ho, a disabled North Korea defector who founded the organization Now, Action, Unity, Human Rights, also told The Christian Post that anyone suspected of illegal religious activities is harshly punished.

The 32-year-old Ji, who lost one arm and one leg when a train ran over them while he was trying to steal coal to support his family, first defected from North Korea in 2006. He ultimately went back to North Korea after a month in China only to be detained and tortured by North Korean police.

"During the time, I was asked whether I was contacted by any Christians. I actually did meet Christians and was introduced to Christianity [when I first went to China] but I already knew that Christians, when caught by the regime, will be killed without any exceptions. So I denied that I came into contact with Christians," Ji recalled. "During the torture, it was, of course, a very difficult experience. That was then I felt that North Korea is no longer the place I could live."

Ji, who now helps North Korean defectors safely enter China, urged the international community to help out with this cause to tackle the human rights situation of North Korea and create more pressure against the regime so that people would have the freedom to pray and worship God, and share the Gospel and hear the Gospel.

"I also feel that since the Bible commands us to share the Gospel to the world and every nation, we also have to deliver the Gospel to North Korea as there can be no exception in place we need to reach out to, he added.Ditch Amazon Echo, Alexa 'surveillance' devices to protect kids, experts say

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WASHINGTON  The omnipresence of digital and smartphone technology has yielded youth whose relational skills are stunted, experts say, and it's time to ditch "surveillance" gadgets like Alexa and Amazon Echo.

Author and American Enterprise Institute scholar Naomi Schaefer Riley facilitated a panel discussion last Friday on how to respond to technology's impact on the mental health of children, which she explores in her book., Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat.

Social technology and relationship apps like Tinder are designed to lure young people and keep them ensnared in cyberspace and keep them from interacting with other people. The panelists called for regulation of media companies and big tech, and for community efforts bringing awareness to parents.

"Don't buy an Echo or an Alexa or have any of those things in your home. That's just a surveillance device that earns money for big tech," said Christine Rosen, senior editor of The New Atlantis, in response to a question from The Christian Post about how parents might stay ahead of the curve given how quickly digital technology develops.

"Your children's voices are recorded on there, their behaviors. You'll forget it's on," she continued, explaining that it's not always clear whether those devices are off or on.

"You don't need a smart refrigerator to remind you to get milk. Just keep a list."

Citing guidance from pediatricians, parents need to have conversations with their children, particularly boys, about scourges like pornography, which is now easily accessible at a much earlier age than they would ideally like, Riley said.

"Tell them it's all made up," she suggested, speaking to how parents might speak to older children about internet smut. "It's acting. These people are being paid to do this. It looks real and it's meant to incite your lust but it's not actually how people behave. And if you behave like this in real life, it's not going to go well for you."

Christine Emba, an opinion columnist for The Washington Post, concurred, noting that Echo and Alexa and "all of their friends and compatriots" should not be in your house.

"They're becoming so common that there are children whose first reported words now are 'Alexa'" Emba said.

"That is happening. That is a thing. And it's weird and scary. And it's inappropriate. And yet, it's there."

Emba added, "We use this technology, we use these devices to make our own lives easier, to be able to reach our kids. [But] we have to take a step back and make our lives harder on purpose."

The columnist shared a personal anecdote that "dumb phones" are making a comeback and are "almost a little bit hip." She has two friends who scrapped their smartphones and managed to acquire flip phones.

While it is annoying, because in order to meet them she has to call them since text messages between the old and new phones does not compute, it's ultimately a good thing because she's forced to figure out where her friends are, she explained.

Making life harder and more frustrating in this way, "enforces these conversations and these practices that we really need."

"You have to get over the hump, I think, of wanting to do the easiest thing. And take charge of your lives and that of your kids."

Brooke Shannon is spearheading a movement to stem the tide of ills like attention problems, corporate monitoring, and physical and emotional harms emanating from what some call screen culture.

Her campaign, Wait Until 8th, urges parents to delay giving their children a smartphone at least until the eighth grade. Across the country, communities of parents are pledging to do this together in order to decrease the pressure within the childs grade to have a smartphone; if a child is the only one who goes without a phone it can be socially isolating.

The site notes that smartphones impair sleep, interfere with relationships, increase risk for anxiety and depression, puts children at risk for cyberbullying, and that tech executives ban them for their own children.

Shannon has an 11-year-old, a 10-year-old, and a 6-year-old, and has already talked with her children about tough topics like suicide, sex trafficking, and porn, and what to do in situations when these horrors come through pixilated screens.

"When you take out all that awkwardness and you dive right in, and you talk to you kids about that, they're going to consider you an authority on that, and they're going to come to you when they have a question," Shannon said.

These issues should not remain clouded in secrecy, she said, because then children get the impression that it's wrong to approach their parents about it, when they are precisely the people with whom they should converse.

The increased concern and conversation about the invasive role technology is playing in the lives of everyone comes amid news that Facebook had set up an app called Facebook Research, which paid users up to $20 per month to install a virtual private network which then tracked their data.

The social media giant shut down the app mere hours after defending it this week.

"It enlisted 13 to 17 years olds to take part in the program, who had to get a parental consent agreement signed through a tick box. Facebook said less than 5 percent of the participants were teenagers," Business Insider reported Wednesday.

"It wasn't 'spying' as all of the people who signed up to participate went through a clear onboarding process asking for their permission and were paid to participate," a Facebook spokesman told the outlet.

In a July 2017 CP interview with Danny Huerta, a licensed clinical social worker and vice president of parenting and youth at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he said that so many are "seeking authenticity and our brain does not register online things as authentic, and there are a lot of comparisons that take place" within the human psyche.

Such constant mental comparisons "create a sense of depression, anxiety, and stress," he said.

Huerta's words from 2017 appear to have proven prescient.

"The fact that virtual reality and augmented reality is around the corner, and Apple and Google and everybody is working on that because that is the next moneymaker, we have to be parents, I believe, to create kids that can think and understand why there are boundaries," he told CP.

British author Sue Palmer explains in the 2016 update of her 2006 book, Toxic Childhood: How the Modern World is Damaging Our Children and What We Can Do About It, that at the beginning of the 21st century many books were written about human happiness, all of which confirmed what extensive scientific research has shown: that happiness comes not from having more money but from successful personal relationships with friends and family and in the local community.

"This finding is, or course, at odds with the interests of global corporations. To increase their wealth and power, they need us to believe that the true route to happiness is through shopping. Hence the concerted drive of marketeers, aided by the image of the 'perfect' lifestyle beamed through these ubiquitous screens, to make us judge each other's worth in terms of appearance, possessions, and other indicators of material wealth."CCCU vice chair admits there is 'risk' associated with its LGBT compromise

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[Update: Feb. 13, 2019:This story has been updated to reflect that one member institution left the CCCU over "Fairness for All"]

WASHINGTON  A board member for one of the largest Christian college associations in the country admits that there is risk associated with its recent push for legislation that would provide LGBT discrimination protections in exchange for religious exemptions for traditional Christian beliefs on sexuality.

Shirley Mullen, president of Houghton College in Western New York and vice chair of the board of directors for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, defended the 180-school networks support for the Fairness for All initiative during a lunch discussion with reporters Friday at the CCCUs annual Presidents Conference on Capitol Hill.

The conference was held a little over a month after it was made public that CCCU and the National Association of Evangelicals had issued their support for an initiative that would amend civil rights law to provide legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity when it comes to employment, public accommodations and housing.

At the same time, the legislative construct seeks to attain exemptions for religious institutions to operate and live in accordance with traditional Christian teachings on marriage and sexuality that dictate that marriage is between one man and one woman without fear of government reprisal.

The initiative was praised by some prominent evangelicals who said it puts down markers in an important conversation at a time in which the larger culture is pushing back against traditional Christian views on sexuality and marriage.

However, dozens of other evangelical leaders signed on in opposition to the Fairness for All initiative and some have said that the initiative would end in the eventual coercion to embrace certain beliefs on human sexuality.

Critics believe that Fairness for All support is a sign that the CCCU and NAE have caved in on the conversation.

But according to Mullen, who is a board member of both organizations, that is not the case.

During the lunch, Mullen addressed concerns that conservative Christians have expressed about the Fairness for All initiative, which has also been backed by other religious organizations such as the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

What Fairness for All is doing is really trying to speak through into the misconception of the larger culture that in the Christian tradition, we are somehow bigots, Mullen said. Fairness for All is saying, No, no, no, no! We are the ones who are trying to honor that public space, which then allows people, as God allows people, to make these choices about if they are going to obey Him or if they are not going to obey Him.

Mullen asserted that Fairness for All is about trying to provide the ability for institutions to make those fundamental personal choices rather than have the culture simply taking these options out of their hands.

While many Christian critics fear that such legislation would lead to an ultimate coercion for Christians to accept LGBT rights, Mullen said that members of the LGBT community who have been partners in the Fairness for All initiative have also received pushback from people in the LGBT community who believe that people of faith cant be trusted or wont play fair if such legislation were ever to pass.

There is a risk to Fairness for All, she admitted. Then, what I would say is that there is also a huge risk to not being in this dialogue. It's not just the risk of losing legal protection for our freedom of beliefs. It is also, I would say, losing that capacity to have the Christian community viewed as people who are respectful and who want to treat [with respect] human beings who differ from them in fundamental ways.

The debate is not about the importance about the traditional view of marriage, she continued. The debate is about the best strategy for preserving this.

She contested that the Fairness for All legislative construct is trying to put religious freedom on a level playing field with LGBT rights.

Right now, the way our society is polarized, they are not on a level playing field, she contended. The sense [in society now] is that one side has to win and one side has to lose.

She noted that another alternative to the Fairness for All approach and one that is expected to have success in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives  the Equality Act  which would provide legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity but would not provide the legal protections that the Fairness for All initiative is seeking.

[I]t, in fact, stereotypes religious freedom ... as something that leads to violence, Mullen said. Now, the Equality Act doesnt say this but I have actually heard people in higher education say that traditional religious protections are bigotry.

According to Mullen, the Fairness for All initiative is not about a win-lose legal fight.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, Christian college leaders have voiced concern that they could one day lose tax-exempt status of federal grants if some sort of religious exemption is not provided for them in law. If such protections are not passed, some Christian colleges fear that their hiring practices and on-campus policies could come under scrutiny.

In 2015, the state of Utah passed bills that were supported by LGBT organizations and the Church of Latter-day Saints that provided discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and also bolstered religious freedom exemptions. Utah is seen as the model to the Fairness for All approach.

Mullen assured that even though CCCU supports the Fairness for All initiative, the organization has not weakened on its advocacy for Christian institutions to live in accordance with the belief in the traditional view of marriage.

CCCU is absolutely committed to the protection of the traditional view of marriage, she asserted. In fact, that is like the No. 1 advocacy position.

People that are concerned about Fairness for All forget that in the course of the last several years, the CCCU has actually strengthened their explicit commitment to being able to advocate for the prerogative of faith-based institutions to have protections for the traditional view of marriage, which is one man and one woman, she added. That position has actually been strengthened now that some of the colleges actually left [the CCCU].

In 2015, Eastern Mennonite University and Goshen College left the CCCU after there was some backlash to the two schools policy changes allowing for the hiring of faculty members in same-sex marriages.

In September of that year, the CCCU board announced the results of its survey of member presidents, in which 75 percent of member presidents supported a recommendation to move Goshen and EMU to nonmember affiliate status.

At the same time, the CCCU board issued a statement affirming its commitment to the biblical definition of marriage.

[T]he CCCU has maintained the historic Christian view of marriage, defined as a union of one man and one woman, in its employment policies and student academic program conduct codes, the statement at the time read.

The CCCU, a network of 180 Protestant colleges worldwide, serves with a mission to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education through public advocacy, professional development and experiential education. The CCCU is not at all weakening their advocacy position or weakening on the belief that their primary responsibility is to advocate for Christian institutions, Mullen assured.

One member institution  Lousiana Christian College  chose to leave the CCCU because of its support for the "Fairness for All" initiative, CCCU Director of Communications & Public Affairs Greta Hays told CP.Christian celebrities condemn attack on openly gay Empire actor Jussie Smollett

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Openly gay, black actor Jussie Smollett, best known for his role on the hit Fox show "Empire," was reportedly assaulted Tuesday morning in Chicago by two men and upon hearing the news, many in the Christain community took to social media to condemn the hate crime.

The police are currently investigating the attack as a hate crime since the alleged assailants poured a "chemical substance" on Smollett and put a noose around his neck while making racist and homophobic slurs. The media immediately jumped on allegations which appeared on TMZ, claiming that the white perpetrators yelled "this is MAGA country," as they attacked Smollett.

Chicago PD initially reported that there was no mention of MAGA," but according to an update shared on Reason.com "when detectives follow[ed] up with him (Smollett) later in the day, he recalled the offender[s] making those comments and detectives completed a supplemental report."

President Trumps evangelical adviser, the Rev. Samuel Rodriquez, who serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, condemned the attack.

No! Unacceptable! We are all created in Gods image. All vestiges of hatred must be confronted and as Christians, we must lead the way. Let us push back the darkness of hatred and intolerance with the light of hope and love, in Jesus name, he wrote on Instagram Wednesday. Silence is not an option. Join me and #prayforJussieSmollett and his family.

Fuller House actress and outspoken Hollywood Christian Candace Cameron Bure also shared a photo of Smollett and wrote, Oh man, @jussiesmollett we love you and are praying for complete and total healing. This breaks my heart.

Worship leader Israel Houghton addressed the matter in a passionate post to the church.

Prayers up for @jussiesmollett & his family. Praying for Justice. Praying for America. Praying that LOVE triumphs over HATE & FEAR, Houghton wrote on Instagram.

Praying for the Church to wake up, shake off politics & be the Christ followers that we say we are. Speak out against the power that gives voice to polarizing hate & prejudice. Its the Churchs most powerful moment in time if well be courageous to do the right thing with it. Love God. Love People. #EndViolence#JustLove, he added.

Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for the Chicago Police, released photos of "people of interest who were in area of the alleged assault & battery of Empire cast member." Surveillance footage does not show the alleged encounter but "detectives are taking this development seriously & wish to question individuals as more cameras are being reviewed."

TMZ was among the first to report details of the incident along with a photo of a beaten Smollett while in the hospital. Citing sources connected to Smollett, TMZ reported that after arriving in Chicago on Monday, he went to Subway around 2 a.m. because he was hungry. On his way back home, someone yelled, "Aren't you that f***ot 'Empire' n*****?"

The sources said two men, described as white and with ski masks, attacked the actor, put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and yelled, "This is MAGA country."

Jussie took himself to Northwestern Memorial where he was treated. The 36-year-old was discharged later Tuesday morning and is reportedly in good condition.

Smollett is in Chicago filming for the fifth season of Empire. A spokesman for the actor said the FBI is also investigating letters sent to FOX studio last week threatening Smollett.It is important for the global church to understand that China matters for us all.

Image: via Pixabay/anthonychong/WEA

Im frequently asked, What is the current state of the church in China? China is big news in the West, on many fronts. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are nose-to-nose in a global economic poker game. Who will blink first is what pundits debate.

In the U.S. and Canada, major television networks and newspapers have focused on issues facing Christians in China. Of particular interest is the Zion house church, also known as an unregistered church. Zion, the largest unregistered church in Beijing, where I preached some months ago, was recently shut down.

Such actions lead one to wonder if the church is generally under attack by the government or if these are just one-off events. Of course, churches are always under surveillance. While visiting a number of house churches in five cities, I asked if the government knew of their activities. Mostly Id get a smile with, Of course, were in China.

Then recently, I met with more than a dozen house church pastors. I wanted to know if the current government crackdown was simply a ripple of minor religious consequence, a wave smashing about but eventually wearing itself out on the cultural shoreline, or if this was a rising tide.

(Note: what we referred to as the underground church is now called house church, although very much above ground. House churches are not registered with the government, in contrast to the registered churches which, while generally evangelical, are under varying levels of influence and control by the government.)

Be careful

China-watching is dangerous, even for the most informed. Snapshots too easily turn into a kind of movie, as if occasional shots give context for the wider reality. The maxim What youve heard happened has probably happened one time, in one place, and to one group warns us not to assume that what we hear concerning a few churches is happening everywhere.

For hours I listened to pastors and their stories. They were unwavering in their caution. What matters is that these pastors are on the ground, in the actual give and take of their Chinese world. Some have been picked up for questioning, some sent to jail, and others had their churches were shut down.

Even with their personal experience, they wanted me to be sure I didnt give the world the wrong picture. When I told them of our national newscasts telling the story of the closing of the Zion church, they agreed it was factual, but also wrong to conclude it was country-wide.

Even so, recent reports tell of the government moving in on churches and leaders in ways not seen in recent years. Members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu were targeted. The Rongguili Church in Guangzhou, an unregistered church of some 5,000 that dates back to the Cultural Revolution and founded by Pastor Lamb, has been closed. These are a mix of realities that dont easily lead to generalizations.

A country in speedy transition

China has rapidly moved from a primitive and pre-modern society to one of the top global powers, sophisticated and with worldwide social and economic influence. She has done in decades what takes most countries a century. China, now a superpower, will this year have the largest economy in the world.

China isnt the only country in rapid change, but because of her size, economic and military muscle, and the stunning growth of Christian faith  and all of this under a Communist regime  it is important for the global church to understand that China matters for us all.

What, then, are the major factors in its influence on the witness of Christ, and its inevitable effect as China stretches her influence globally? I see six important elements stoking the fires of change, uncertainty and influence.



Factors shaping China



The most obvious factor is President Xi Jinpings rise to power, and the assuming of the prime levers of power, now considered equal to Chairman Mao. The party elevated him by enshrining his ideas or thoughts in its constitution, an honor given only to Mao. As well, presidential term-limits were changed so he can rule beyond 2023. His power seems inviolate.



Second, Xi Jinpings recent Belt and Road Initiative is a trillion-dollar plan affecting 68 countries and 65 percent of the world in plans for airports, seaports, railroads, highways, all part of a global infrastructure of incredible magnitude, the most grand and costly in the history of the world.



Third, the recent detaining of a million Muslims in re-education camps in west China is about controlling her boundaries and people so as to prevent uprisings. It is not a matter of religion as much as it is a cultural anxiety that groups of size can become centers of unrest, a cycle of political shifts common to Chinas history.

As one academic noted, Their governments concern is not about freedom of religion, but freedom of assembly. This is an issue of internal control, a fingerprint, so it seems, of the president.

Fourth, SARA, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, has been moved from answering to the governmental bureaucracy, to direct reporting to the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This means that the China Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement will be more directly under party rule.

Fifth, one of President Xi Jinpings major initiatives in fighting corruption has the effect of creating fear among its vast number of bureaucrats if they are offsides with the president. What this means is that falling in step with the presidents voiced plan of Sinicization  whereby all elements of Chinese life are influenced by its culture and social norms, especially that of the Han Chinese culture  is pressure from the top to conform. When officials are onside, by shoring up resistance to the growing presence of the church they may feel they are demonstrating their loyalty to the president.

What then of the church?

One pastor said, Most urban pastors were expecting this change. However, we wont fight, but we will go on. Another said, Its a good spiritual exercise. What wasnt clear to them is whether the current pressure on pastors and congregations is coming from the top or from local officials.

One noted if a 200-member church disappears, local officials are still responsible to report where those people are. And if they no longer meet as before, and those in charge of keeping count cant find them, they could be in trouble. It was their experience that generally local officials want to avoid these battles.

For these pastors, current upsets were simply a bump in roada good learning moment for younger pastors who had never experienced this before.

What will affect the rest of the world is the Chinese churchs growing interest in missional life and witness. Keep an eye on this land and its people. Engage in prayer and assistance.

Our world will feel the presence and witness of this church, its theology and missional approach rooted in a Confucius culture, language and view of the world, even as Western missions were influenced by their home cultures.

As China builds along the many silk roads of her network, missionaries and evangelists will be traveling those roads, spreading into those country where their political and economic masters camp. They will plant new churches, start Bible studies, promote prayer, and provide human service, doing exactly what Paul and his colleagues did a couple millennia ago.

Rule of thumb: Keep China in your prayer book.

Brian C. Stiller is a Global Ambassador for The World Evangelical Alliance.At the end of Episode Four of the new True Detective, the narrative took a break from the slow, measured pace it had established to that point.

Suddenly, tensions in the small Arkansas community had reached a boiling point. Local salvage man Woodard (Michael Greyeyes) had just gotten cornered in his home by an angry group of armed men who chased him there in pickup trucks.

Unbeknownst to them, Woodard knew this day was coming and prepared for their arrival with arms and explosives. Over at police headquarters, Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) learn of the situation and race to the scene of the standoff.

Just as they arrive, the gangs leader announces hes coming inside and kicks in the door. We hear a loud thud  possibly, an explosion  and the screen goes black. (Roll credits.)

Compared to what came before on Season 3 of True Detective, the audience got one hell of a cliffhanger heading into Super Bowl Sunday. But would HBO leave everyone hanging for two weeks by not airing Episode Five following the big game?

Despite what premium-cable networks have done in the past, HBO wont skip its showcase series this Sunday. In fact, HBO is making Episode Five available Friday so fans can get their Detective fix before the Super Bowl.

Episode 5 of True Detective will be available to stream Friday 2/1.

A scene from Episode 5 of True Detective Season 3 | Warrick Page/HBO

In what should be a relief to True Detective fans glued to the story so far, HBO will avoid scheduling games with Episode Five. It will still air Sunday, February 3 at its usual time (9 p.m. ET/PT) but be available to stream as of Friday February 1.

While it doesnt happen straight away (this being True Detective), the action will eventually pick up where it left off at the end of Episode 4. By the end, youll know what came of the raid on Woodards place and whether Hays and West could do anything to contain it.

All things considered, its a nice gesture on HBOs part  if only an acknowledgment of how people stream shows on their own schedule anyway.

So make sure you take it in at some point in the coming days. Judging by an early screening we had, its quite an episode. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto wrote and directed it.

Season 3 will wrap up in 3 weeks, with Episode 8 airing February 24.

Stephen Dorff and Mahershala Ali have both received praise for their performances in True Detective Season 3. | Warrick Page/HBO

Following the screening of Episode Five, HBO will resume its usual schedule for True Detective for the rest of February. Episodes Six, Seven, and Eight (the series finale) will air on Sundays February 10, 17, and 24 at 9 p.m.

After that, you wont have True Detective to kick around unless Pizzolatto decides to give it another go and HBO agrees to a fourth season. (According to reports, Pizzolatto does have an idea in the tank, so who knows.)

But for now, Season Three deserves celebrating. Its officially brought True Detective back near where it was in its acclaimed first season. And Episode Five is going to make fans hungry for the rest of this installment.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!These days Kate Middleton has a seemingly perfect relationship with her in-laws so we cant imagine a time when there was ever any tension or doubts about her within the royal family. However, one person apparently did have concerns about the now-Duchess of Cambridge and that was none other than Queen Elizabeth II.

Heres more on why Her Majesty criticized Middleton and which member of Williams family actually told the prince to break up with her.

Queen Elizabeth II and Kate Middleton | Oli Scarff  WPA Pool / Getty Images

Why the queen was concerned and critical

The claim that the queen had concerns and was critical of Middleton before she married Prince William comes from royal experts Katie Nicholl and Phil Dampier.

In her book, William and Harry, Nicholl wrote that Queen Elizabeth was concerned about her grandson marrying a woman who didnt have some type of job. She [the queen] is one of the hardest-working royals, despite her age, and that a future member of the family was without a full-time job was unacceptable to her, Nicholl explained.

The author also said that Middleton was stung by the queens criticism and it was soon revealed that she did do some work for her parents company Party Pieces.

Dampier, who has been covering the royals for more than two decades, also noted that Her Majesty liked Middleton but wasnt a fan of her work ethic. He said that later the queen was actually critical of the future duchess for not working enough.

Kate was Williams girlfriend for eight or nine years before they got engaged and got married, Dampier told The Express. There was a phase where she appeared to be doing very little really. The queen once remarked Kate doesnt do very much so I think she had a fairly long entrance to the r oyal family.

The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first r oyal engagement in 2010 when she visited a Teenage Cancer Trust event in Norfolk.

Who told William to break up with Middleton?

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Charles | Darren Staples  Pool/Getty Images



Prince Charles also reportedly liked Middleton, however, he didnt necessarily think that William was destined to be with her. Royal biographer, Christopher Andersen, claimed that the Prince of Wales had a role in his sons brief breakup with his future wife a few years before they tied the knot.

The Daily Star recently noted that in the documentary Kate Middleton: Biography, the author revealed that in April 2007 William asked his father for relationship advice and thats when Charles told his son to break up with his girlfriend.

According to Andersen, William went to his father and said, Look, Im 25, Im too young to get married. I just dont want to commit at this point.

The royal expert added that Charles, who was by then very fond of Kate, said It would be unfair to the young lady. You cannot string her along anymore, so you should just break it off.

Happily ever a fter

Kate Middleton and Prince William | Jason Reed  Pool /Getty Images

Fortunately, after taking his fathers advice and splitting up for a bit, William decided that he did want to be with Middleton.

In 2010, they announced their engagement and were married on

April 29, 2011. Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have three children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Read more: Why Prince William Says He and Kate Middleton Are Naughty and Dirty

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex | Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Meghan Markle, the new Duchess of Sussex, has experienced her fair share of harsh publicity and haters on social media. From her sojourn as a popular actress on Suits to her new life as a royal with her husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has definitely been through the ups and downs of fame. However, the beautiful duchess has been experiencing a new level of scrutiny, much of it not so kind, ever since she announced that she and Prince Harry are expecting a baby.

Why are people hating on Meghan Markle?

Tweeting about your observation is not bullying nor racism. People can't help but notice how #MeghanMarkle is overdoing her pregnancy compared to #KateMiddleton's 3 pregnancies. It's useless for #PrinceHarry to be overprotective of his attention-grabbing wife@KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/Tlp1CnaNlS  Hall_i_Want (@HalliWant) January 29, 2019

As with any normal pregnancy, Meghan Markle started showing around the five-six month mark. Photos of her out with Prince Harry show a small baby bump, snuggled in under her stylish wardrobe. While this should be a joyous occasion and the soon-to-be-parents are over the moon with excitement, the media hasnt been so kind to the pregnant woman.

Everyone from haters on social media to various news publications has chastised Meghan Markle for her habit of perpetually cradling her baby bump. They claim that Markle is drawing too much attention to her pregnancy for various reasons and that the bump cradling is annoying.

They have even gone so far as to compare her pregnancy wardrobe to her sister-in-law Kate Middletons, claiming that Kate Middleton was more low-key about each of her three pregnancies and that Markle should follow her example.

Fans leap to Meghan Markles defense

Six months pregnant! #meghanmarkle makes pregnancy seems so easy, as she squatted down in heels! pic.twitter.com/8vQmMgE9G4  REID MEDIA GROUP (@REIDMEDIAGROUP1) February 1, 2019

While the haters came out in droves to point out what they didnt like about Markles attitude towards her pregnancy, the good news is that even more people seem to be genuinely happy for the royal pair. Fans have pointed out that far from being an attention-seeker, Markle has been open about her desire to have children, and that she is overwhelmed with excitement.

Her holding her baby bump is both a natural protective response as well as what seems to be an excited reaction to the idea of welcoming a new baby. As many mothers can attest, holding the baby bump is a way to make it seem real in their minds.

From the very beginning of their engagement, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were open about their desire to have a family. Prince Harry grew up very close to his brother and mother and undoubtedly wants that same closeness with a family of his very own.

Meghan Markle, who at the age of 37 is considered of advanced maternal age, might have thought that at one point, she might never end up having children at all. No doubt the two of them are both truly excited about starting their brand new family.

A new royal baby

Meeting Blessing, aged 13, who is passionate about inspiring others through storytelling  her @NationalTheatre Public Acts experience as part of the cast of Pericles allowed her to discover more about what she could do and gain more confidence. pic.twitter.com/sqmhx3a5Ed  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 30, 2019

While the royal family is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new baby, the whole world is speculating about everything from the babys gender to what the little ones name will be. According to royal tradition, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wont reveal the gender until after the birth itself. Similarly, they wont reveal any clues as to what the name might be.

Even with all the secrecy, fans have predicted that Duchess Meghan will give birth to a baby girl. To make the speculation even sweeter, Prince Harry apparently has his hopes up for a baby girl. Considering his tight relationship with his late mother, Princess Diana, a baby girl would likely bring he and Meghan Markle even closer together.

Meghan Markles official due date hasnt been revealed, but all evidence would suggest that she will give birth in late April or early May of this year. It will surely be a joyous day for everyone involved  for nothing brings together disparate groups like a brand new baby.Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are some of the most famous and recognizable faces in the world. Of course, being as popular as they are has many of their fans asking questions and wanting to know more and more about the women who won the hearts of princes.

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex | Stephen Pond/Getty Images

One question that always comes up about the ladies is what their ages are. So which duchess is actually older, Middleton or Markle? Heres the answer to that plus how old the Duchess of Sussex will be when she gives birth to her first child.

Kate Middletons age

Kate Middleton | Anthony Devlin-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to parents Michael and Carole Middleton on Jan. 9, 1982, in Reading, England. Shes actually five and a half months or 164 days to be exact older than Prince William, who she married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London.

Less than a year after the world watched the couple tie the knot, it was announced that the d uchess was pregnant with their first child. Middleton gave birth to a son, Prince George, on July 22, 2013, when she was 31 years old. They welcomed their daughter, Princess Charlotte in 2015, and their youngest son, Prince Louis, in 2018.

Prince William and Middletons kids are third, fourth, and fifth in the line of succession to the British throne. Prince Harry is currently sixth but if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge decide to have any more children Harry will then move further down the line.

Meghan Markles age

Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Rachel Meghan Markle was born on Aug. 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, making the Duchess of Sussex older than her sister-in-law by a few months. Like Middleton, the former Suits actress is also older than her husband. They are just over three years apart as Harry was born on Sept. 15, 1984.

When Markle and the prince wed on May 19, 2018, she became the oldest royal bride at 36. That record was previously held by Middleton who was 29 years old when she and William said, I do.

In October 2018, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expecting their first child together. Markle is due in the spring of 2019 and will have her baby at the age of 37. The Express noted that Markle is classified as a geriatric mother. The term refers to a woman who gives birth after 35. Middleton was also categorized as such because she gave birth to Prince Louis when she was 36 years old.

As women get older the number and quality of egg cells that are produced by the ovaries declines, an article published by U.K.s National Health Service states. About 10% of women are affected by early ovarian ageing but there is currently little that can be done to identify this condition. Infertility and difficulty in conceiving can cause great emotional distress to couples.

Read more: Why Prince Charles told Prince William to Break Up With Kate Middleton

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Always being the spotlight as a member of the British Royal Family can certainly feel taxing. However, as a former actress, Meghan Markle has already succeeded in remaining picture perfect at all times. The Duchess of Sussex is in her final trimester of pregnancy, and shes still managed to rock heels and look more polished and poised than we do on any given day

Appearances are extremely important for members of the royal family, and they have a ton of help to make sure they are always camera ready. However, Markle has her own special secret weapon that keeps her appearance pristine.

What is Meghan Markles secret weapon?

Recently, as the duchess was exiting a car for an appearance at City University in London, on-lookers spotted a packet of peppermint Smints in the door of her vehicle. It looks like the Suits alum keeps the peppermints with her at all times to make sure her breath is fresh during her various appearances all over the United Kingdom.

In addition to her mints, the mother-to-be also loves to travel with Hildon natural mineral water so that she can remain hydrated. We also wouldnt be surprised if she kept a few snacks tucked away. After all, Markles sister-in-law, Duchess Kate Middleton explained that during her pregnancies, she likes to keep a small container of snacks just in case she gets hungry on the go.

Meghan Markle is very particular about her apperence

One of the downsides of Hollywood is the constant erasure of what are deemed to be imperfections. Markle hates it when photographs erase her freckles off of her cafe-au-lait skin or she is altered in any way. The former actress once told Allure, To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed, and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot. To date, shes obsessed with her 2017 Vanity Fair cover because it shows her just how she is.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince Harry makes getting photos of Meghan Markle difficult

Markles gripe with photos might have to do with body positivity and societys obsession with photoshop and perfection, but photographers also have a bone to pick with the Duchess of Sussex and her red-headed hubby. Apparently, Prince Harry makes it extremely difficult for photogs to snap good pictures of his pregnant wife. Tim Rooke who has been taking photographs of the royal family for 20 years explained to InStyle, Ms. Markle and Prince Harry are very much in love, in fact, its hard for me to capture a picture of them each alone because they always either locked in each others gazes or joined hands. We like to get fashion shots of what shes wearing on these occasions, but they are often hard to get because shes always holding Harrys hand, making it difficult to get the full fashion shot without cropping out her arm.

Luckily, Markle has been doing a lot more appearances alone, so photographers have been able to capture perfect photos of the glowing duchess and her growing baby bump.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Netflix

After four seasons on Netflix, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has ended its run. The absurdist comedy starring Ellie Kemper followed the eponymous character, a young woman who has to adapt to the year 2015 after spending the last 15 years locked away in a bunker with just three other women, completely unaware of the outside world. Despite its popularity, the series has reached an end, and heres what you need to know about it and how that decision was made.



When did Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt start?



The series began airing in 2015 on Netflix. It begins with Kimmy and her sisters from the bunker having been discovered and set free. The Indiana Mole Women travel to New York City to appear on a talk show, and Kimmy decides to stay and make a life for herself in the big apple.



For the first three seasons, 13 episodes were released in the spring each year. The final season was split into two six-episode halves, the first premiering in May 2018 and the second in January 2019.



Tina Fey created the show



Tina Fey in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Netflix

The comedy may have been the biggest hit with fans of 30 Rock, and thats no coincidence. Following the NBC sitcoms cancelation in 2013, Fey began work on the new series. Fey created the show alongside Robert Carlock, who she worked with on 30 Rock, for NBC, which then sold it to Netflix.



Star Ellie Kemper was already well known



Kemper was attached to the series from the very beginning. Many may recognize her from her role as Erin on The Office, another NBC sitcom. This show also wrapped up in 2013, leaving her free for a new project.



Kimmy Schmidt definitely made a bigger star out of Kemper, though much of her work is in animated childrens programming. Kemper was the voice of Crackle on several episodes of the Disney Junior series Sofia the First, and voiced Katie in The Secret Life of Pets and its upcoming sequel.



Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt earned critical acclaim



From the moment it began airing, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt drew positive commentary. All four seasons were nominated for at least two Emmys nominations, specifically Kemper for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and her co-star, Tituss Burgess, for his Supporting role.



The final season was announced to be the last just prior to the release of the first half in May 2018. The cancelation may or may not have been a mutual decision reached by Tina Fey and Netflix.



An Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt movie?



Despite the end of the series, there could be more of Kimmy, Titus, and the gang in the future. Fey, Carlock, and the cast are not ruling out a one-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt movie in the future. Carlock told the Hollywood Reporter, We believe there are more stories to tell, and hopefully there will be an announcement about that soon.



However, if it doesnt happen, Kemper is happy with how things wrapped up. I am so happy with how these stories ended, Kemper told CNN. Every character sort of finishes his or her journey in a really satisfying way. That felt really nice to leave on that note.







Check out the Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Cardi B and Offset on a red carpet | Instagram via Cardi B

Cardi B. has always been candid about her relationship with Migos rapper Offset.

After calling it quits from Offset after his cheating scandal back in December, the Money rapper has decided to give Offset another chance and reconcile their relationship.

Cardi B. is back together with Offset

After many weeks of speculation, Cardi. B and Offset are back together!

Fans went into a frenzy after TMZ caught up with the Bodak Yellow rapper while she was walking through Los Angeles airport.

When asked who she was talking to on the phone Cardi B. replied, My significant other, and one could clearly see that she was, in fact, talking to Offset.

Sources have been staying up to date with Cardi B. and Offsets relationship ever since Cardi announced that they had called it quits after 15 months of marriage.

Since then, Offset has been doing everything in his power to win his wife back. He has even vowed to do all he could to win Cardis trust back and it looks like whatever he did, worked !

A source close to the couple revealed that they are back together and the two are continuing to work on their relationship each day.

According to the insider, He has been pursuing her hard and trying to convince her to get back together with him since the day they split.

TMZ reports that Cardi B. is planning on moving back into Offsets Atlanta home so they can live together with their daughter, Kulture, as a family.

Cardi B. doesnt understand the obsession over her relationship

Over the past few weeks, speculations surrounding the possibility of Cardi B. and Offset being back together have been circulating through multiple media outlets.

Earlier this week, it had been revealed that Cardi B. had, in fact, forgiven Offset and the two were working towards a healthier relationship.

Cardi believes that her and Offset are just two people just trying to work towards a better relationship and does not understand everyones fascination with their lives.

The rapper states, I feel like we just really are a very regular couple. We just do regular things, she continues. I just feel like: Were famous  were really popular right now  I just dont know the obsession, like I feel like everything we do is a big deal. Even before the bad scandals, just from the first time they seen us together, it was just like this big crazy deal.

Cardi B. and Offset are known for putting their personal lives out on social media for their fans and do not shy away from showcasing their authentic selves.

Fans began to speculate Cardi B. and Offset were back together early on after Cardi revealed that she was spending time with her estranged husband. The rapper has stated that she would always love Offset and wanted him to remain in her life for their daughters sake.

Cardi B. revealed, I hang out with him, I talk to him every day and we do our thing, Cardi says of Offset. Its just like  to make things perfect  it takes time. You know, fing and hanging out doesnt mean that you guys are on like a perfect note, it takes time. It takes time. And its a marriage and theres a child involved and family involved.

Offset does not plan on messing up

Offset was very determined to win Cardi B. back and even showcased multiple displays of affections in order to show her how truly sorry he was.

After much groveling and many Im sorrys, the Migos rapper is happy to be back in his wifes good graces.

According to a source, Offset promised Cardi B. hed behave and would never break her trust again.Kids learning out their parents have secrets  even flaws  is common. But discovering your dad is secretly a serial killer? Thats a whole other level of astonishing.

Unfortunately, thats exactly what happened to Kerri Rawson when the police were successful in catching the notorious BTK Killer. Dennis Rader, a husband, father, and respected community member, eluded police for more th an three decades. Now Kerri Rawson is speaking out about what it was like growing up as the daughter of a serial killer. Her revelations are haunting  and undeniably sad.

Who was the BTK Killer?

Dennis Rader | Travis Heying-Pool/Getty Images

The BTK Killer terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area beginning in 1974. The nickname, which he assigned to himself in a series of taunting letters he sent to police, stands for Bind, Torture, Kill. Thats how he disposed of his victims.

Dennis Rader eventually got caught when police traced a letter he sent back to his church. But his arrest and subsequent trial meant the nightmare was just beginning for his family. According to them, they had no idea Rader was secretly murdering people.

Did Kerri Rawson know her dad was a killer?

Kerri Rawson describes Rader as a protective, doting father. After his arrest, she had to come to terms with the fact that the man she looked up to was living a lie. I had to learn how to grieve a man that was not dead, somebody I loved very much that no one else loved anymore, Rawson told 20/20.

Rader began his killing spree when he murdered the Otero family in 1974. His daughter Kerri was born the next year, in 1975. She and her mother both maintain that they had no idea Rader was a killer and never would have helped him cover up any crimes. In total, the BTK Killer murdered 10 victims.

Kerri Rawson via Instagram

How did Kerri Rawson help her dad get convicted?

She may not have known it at the time, but Kerri Rawson was instrumental in getting her father put away for life in conjunction with his crimes. In order to build their case, prosecutors had to use DNA evidence to link Rader to the crime scenes. For this task, they used Rawsons DNA samples without her permission.

They found out I had had annual pap smears and they got a warrant for my medical records, Rawson explains during the 20/20 documentary. It would have been nice if somebody had asked me for my DNA. I would have willingly given it.

Did Rawson stop talking to her father, the BTK Killer?

Dennis Rader | Bo Rader-Pool/Getty Images

Rawson describes the moment that she discovered the true nature of her father as devastating. But even in that moment, it was hard to separate the man she thought she knew with the man he really was.

Rader was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 175 years in prison. After he was incarcerated, he and Rawson began exchanging letters. During the 20/20 interview she said, I wasnt corresponding with BTK. Im never corresponding with BTK. Im talking to my father. Im talking to the man that I lived with and loved for 26 years. She went on to explain, I still love my dad today. I love the man that I knew. I dont know a psychopath Thats not the man I knew and loved.

Rader had similar sentiments. In the letters he sent to Rawson, he pled for forgiveness. In a letter from 2005 he wrote, You will always be my baby girl I raised right-proud-independent and now is a grown adult with many years of love to give. Life before the arrest was a good time and the dark side took me away.

What does Kerri Rawson think of her father now?

Although shes horrified by what he did, Kerri Rawson eventually began down a path of forgiveness for her own well-being. I realized I was rotting within. I didnt just forgive my father for him. I had to do it for myself, she explained.

It was a very long journey, Rawson said. There was a lot of hard work in me, with faith. I had gone back to church. I was working on my relationship with God, working on my own heart.

However, that forgiveness didnt extend to everything. She still cant get over the lives he ruined. Im not forgiving him for what he did to those other families, says Rawson. But I am forgiving him for what he did to our family.TCN News

Amrutha, wife of Pranay who was hacked to death in September for marrying a girl from the upper caste community, has delivered a baby boy on January 30th. January 30th is also the first marriage anniversary of Amruta- Pranay.

Amrutha was 5 months pregnant when Pranay was killed by contract killers hired by none other than her father Maruti Rao. Amrutha voiced her anguish in the interviews to the media and through social media. She stood firmly against all the pressures and demanded that her father be punished for murdering her husband without a thought for their unborn baby.

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For voicing out her opinion she was trolled by many who supported caste hegemony and justified the killing of Pranay.

After braving all the harsh trolls and media glare, Amrutha gave birth to a baby boy in a normal delivery in a private hospital in Hyderabad. Her father-in-law shared with the media that the location of mother and child have been kept in a safe location for fear of any further harm to the child.

All her well-wishers are happy that after all the suffering Amrutha has been blessed with a bundle of joy while some, including Amrutha say that Pranay has been reborn.

However some activists feel that tagging the new born as Pranay re-born is forcing a context on the child.New Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has been in office less than a month and one of his first visits involving education is to Hamilton County Schools to see the apprenticeship partnership between Hamilton County Schools and Gestamp. The work-based learning program is the first in Tennessee to earn the U.S. Department of Labors registered apprenticeship designation. The program is now a registered apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing that allows high school students to get a full-day work-based learning experience while also completing their education. Students take online academic classes in a computer lab at Gestamp and get actual work experience during the school day in the Gestamp plant.

Governor Lee met with Hamilton County Superintendent Dr.

Bryan Johnson on Friday afternoon at the Gestamp site to learn more about the career technical program that is preparing teens for success after high school. Officials said, "The Gestamp apprenticeship is one of many ways Hamilton County Schools is partnering with business and industry to produce graduates who are future ready."

Gestamp has been amazing to partner with on this journey to provide students with practical work experience in a high demand field, said Heidi King, Gestamp work-based learning coordinator for Hamilton County Schools. The registered apprenticeship takes the value of the program to the next level by allowing graduates to add a recognized industry credential to their resume.

Registered apprenticeship training is different from other types of work-study programs because participants earn pay during training, the programs must meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor, and the training results in the student earning an industry-recognized credential. Students also get on-the-job learning with job-related technical instruction and experience at the work site.

Ms. King said. This program gives students hope for a career path after high school performing maintenance on robots, working on the line, or even going into engineering.

I love this program because it is different, said Devin Jones, a junior from Central High School in the Gestamp program. We have all of our classes online so we can work at our own pace in completing our work. Jones plans to use the flexibility to graduate early in the spring. I am looking forward to getting started on my career, Jones added.

Officials said, "The Gestamp work-based learning apprenticeship program fits with the goals of Hamilton County Schools in the Future Ready 2023 five-year action plan. Preparing students for college and career is a goal in Future Ready 2023 just as creating pathways to help students be more successful after high school is a goal of the Gestamp program. Students completing the program and earning industry certification will help the district meet the key performance indicator of students earning industry certifications or taking advanced coursework listed in the action plan."

Hamilton County Schools will start five Advanced Manufacturing programs next school year, including a new partnership with Chattanooga State involving TCAT and Advanced Manufacturing Production Assistant (AMPA) programs at Brainerd High and Lookout Valley Middle/High with help from Chattanooga 2.0 and a Chase Morgan grant.

Applications opened on Friday for 27 Future Ready Institutes in 13 high schools across the school district. Over 50 organizations representing business, higher education, and non-profits in the community are participating in these career themed schools within schools. Unum, EPB, Erlanger, UTC and Bryan College have signed on as branded partners in the Future Ready Institutes to provide business expertise, work experiences and academic support to programs. The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce helped to develop four industry councils to advise the career programs providing pathways to future success for students.

Photo: Students with Governor Bill Lee, (Pictured L to R): Michael Essex, Red Bank High; Joshuah Maddox, Hamilton County High; Justin Kelley, Hamilton County High; and Sherod Mitchell, Tyner AcademyLee Universitys School of Nursing hosted the Tennessee HOSA Lower East Regional Leadership Conference for future health professionals. Schools from Blount, Bradley, Hamilton, Loudon, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Rhea, Roane, and Sevier counties were eligible to participate in the conference.

Lee opened its campus to nearly 400 students for the event. Both written and hands-on competitions were held to provide HOSA members with the opportunity to demonstrate and further develop their knowledge and skills.

Many students had to compete within their own schools to come to the regional conference at Lee. Based on their performance at the regional conference, a select few will move on to the state level and some will go on to the international conference.

Last year, Ciera Smidt placed second at the international conference for nursing assisting. She is now enrolled as a freshman in Lees nursing program. Like Ciera, many of these students take their competitions extremely seriously and are amazing representatives of their high schools, said Jacob Fast, enrollment and advising specialist for the SON.

According to Mr. Fast, many Lee faculty volunteered to judge in the variety of competitions offered, such as creative problem solving, extemporaneous writing, job seeking skills, and physical therapy. The competition in health education, for example, was structured to demonstrate teamwork, planning, and teaching skills of health-related topics. Teams of students assembled a 32-page portfolio prior to the conference, which included lessons, instructions, and evaluated data collected during the school year all pertaining to a health-related concept.

According to Mr. Fast, the SON and offices across campus, such as event planning, physical plant, and campus security, helped the event run smoothly.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, is a national career and technical student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education Division of the Association for Career and Technical Education. Founded in 1976, HOSA has grown to having over 230,000 members.

HOSAs mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.

For more information about Tennessee HOSA, visit http://www.tennesseehosa.org/about.html.

For more information about Lees SON, visit http://leeuniversity.edu/academics/nursing/.



Chattanooga Preparatory School, an all-boys public charter school that opened its doors to 66 students in August 2018, announces Montrell Besley as the schools director of Community Engagement. Mr. Besley will serve as the community ambassador and will be responsible for building community awareness and support of the school and its students. In addition, he will cultivate partnerships with community leaders and organizations in order to further the city-wide impact of Chattanooga Prep.

I have had the opportunity to work closely with Montrell over the past couple of years, and I am honored he is joining our team at Prep, Principal Tim Gerrish said. He has shown unbelievable support of our school and our boys."

A Chattanooga native, Mr. Besley grew up in the Alton Park community and resides there currently with his wife and three children. Along with a Bachelors of Science in Health and Human Performance from Austin Peay State University and a Masters of Science in Public and Community Health, Mr. Besley brings 16 years of experience to this role in both youth development and community relations.

I am deeply committed to the success of our citys youth and very confident that I possess the unique combination of leadership abilities, relationship building skills, management experience, education, and vision required to lead our young men and women during this exciting, but critical time in their growth, Mr. Besley said.

He has community leadership experience through his former roles on community boards and recent title as development coordinator for the city of Chattanooga.

With a combination of his education, his experience, and his ability to identify unique opportunities, Montrell will direct Chattanooga Prep on a path of growth and success that both Chattanooga and these students deserve," Kelly Alling, co-founder of Chattanooga Prep, said.Young women will no longer sit on the sidelines while their brothers earn merit badges and achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Starting in February, the Boy Scouts of America will officially begin accepting girls into the Scouting program for older Scouts.

This historic move comes after years of girls attending and participating in activities with their brothers and parents, but earning no merit badges, says Victoria Johnson, chief development officer of the Cherokee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. We are excited that these girls can now earn merit badges and the rank of Eagle.

As a result of the move, the program known traditionally as Boy Scouts, serving youth 11-18 years of age will be renamed Scouts BSA. This step is to create a more inclusive program as the program begins to allow older girls to participate.

I am excited to have girls join the Scouts BSA troops in the Cherokee Area Council," said Jay Elliott, president of teh Cherokee Area Council executive board. "It is certainly a win-win for everyone involved  the girls who will be joining, their families, and Scouting,"

Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scout program, all Scouts BSA troops will run the same Scouting program, earn the same merit badges, and be able to achieve the same ranks. Scouts BSA troops will be single gender - all-girl or all-boy - because the BSA recognizes and celebrates that boys and girls develop differently, and there are times that single-gender learning is the most appropriate.

In 2018, girls began joining the Cub Scouts. Existing packs established a new girl pack, keeping dens single gendered  all boys or all girls. More than 77,000 girls joined the Cub Scout program nationally last year. For 50 years, girls across the U.S. have been members of Venturing Crews and Explorer Posts, programs designed for youth aged 14-20 to teach leadership skills and hands-on business training.

More information about the Cherokee Area Council can be found at www.cherokeebsa.com. To join a pack or troop in your area, visit BeAScout.org.







Mumbai, Feb 2 (IANS) The Pune police arrested prominent Dalit intellectual and academic Professor Anand Teltumbde from the Mumbai airport early on Saturday, official sources aid.

He was accosted and then arrested from the domestic terminal of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport around 3.30 a.m. by the police team waiting for him. They whisked him off to Pune.

He is likely to be produced before a court later in the day.

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Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had filed for anticipatory bail in a Pune Sessions Court. However, it was rejected on Friday paving way for the police action.

He has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Left groups and activists in Maharashtra cried foul and claimed Teltumbdes arrest was illegal as it was allegedly executed by the police despite the Supreme Courts protection from arrest granted to the activist till February 14.Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said the development of peaceful nuclear energy was key to the diversification of the UAEs energy mix.

It had already created solid value across many strategic sectors in the UAE and internationally, stated Enec CEO Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi while addressing high-ranking UAE military students at Abu Dhabi University on the unique qualities of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program.

This was a part of a wider lecture series aimed at highlighting the UAE Programs benefits to the nation, and leading role within the international nuclear energy industry, he added.

Al Hammadi discussed how the policy led to the creation of Enec and its subsidiaries, Nawah Energy Company (Nawah) and Barakah One Company, which were established through a Joint Venture partnership in 2016 with Enec's Prime Contractor for the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Al Hammadi, while highlighting the numerous benefits of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, said: "The development of peaceful nuclear energy is supporting the diversification of the UAEs energy mix and has already created solid value across many strategic sectors in the UAE and internationally."

Nuclear energy has a key role to play in the UAE Energy Plan 2050, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent, increase clean energy use by 50 per cent and improve energy efficiency by 40 per cent by the middle of the century, he stated.

Enec is building the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, with four units under simultaneous construction, in accordance with the highest international standards of quality and safety.

"Supplying the UAE with clean and reliable electricity, developing a local industrial supply chain and ensuring the sustainability of the Barakah project are three of our key goals for the future," stated Al Hammadi.

"Our Barakah project is one of the biggest new nuclear build construction sites in the world, and as we continue to move forward with the highest international standards of quality, safety, and security, the UAE has become a role model for other nations interested in introducing peaceful nuclear energy to their energy mix for the first time," he added.-TradeArabia News ServicePhoto: The Canadian Press A hiker makes her way through blowing and drifting snow as she sprints back to her car Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Mich.

The bitter cold that gripped the Midwest forced commuters to bundle up like polar explorers. By early next week, many of those same people might get by with a light jacket.

Just days after the arctic conditions, forecasts say, the region will seemingly swing into another season, with temperatures climbing by as much as 80 degrees. Experts say the rapid thaw is unprecedented, and it could create problems of its own  bursting pipes, flooding rivers and crumbling roads.

"I don't think there's ever been a case where we've seen (such a big) shift in temperatures" in the winter, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the Weather Underground firm. "Past record-cold waves have not dissipated this quickly. ... Here we are going right into spring-like temperatures."

Although many places remained painfully cold Thursday, the deep freeze eased somewhat, and the system marched east. In western New York, a storm that dumped up to 20 inches of snow (51 centimetres) gave way to subzero temperatures and face-stinging wind chills. On Friday, the wind chill in some areas was expected to be as low as minus 20 degrees (negative 28.9 Celsius).

A ban on trucks and commercial buses on the western section of the Thruway was lifted Thursday night. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had vowed to crack down on violators a day after a semitrailer crash near Rochester caused a pileup that injured a state trooper.

In New York City, about 200 firefighters battling a blaze in a commercial building took turns getting warm on buses.

Schools remained closed in Buffalo, New York, but students headed back to school in other parts of the Midwest. Educators in Fargo, North Dakota, were busy Thursday after two days of cancelled classes. For Superintendent Rupak Gandhi, who came to Fargo last summer from Colorado, this week has been "a personal new."

"I've had experience with cold and snow days, but negative 50? Absolutely not," he said.

The dangerously cold weather is suspected in at least 17 deaths, including a man found frozen in his backyard in a Milwaukee suburb and a homeless man whose frozen body was found in a western New York bus shelter. Both men were found Thursday, the same day temperatures plunged to record lows in several Midwestern cities.

But relief from the bitter Midwestern cold is as close as the weekend. Rockford, Illinois, was at a record-breaking minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning but should be around 50 degrees (10 Celsius) on Monday. Other previously frozen areas could see temperatures of 55 degrees (13 Celsius) or higher.

The dramatic warm-up will offer a respite from the bone-chilling cold that cancelled school, closed businesses and halted trains. But potholes will appear on roads and bridges weakened by the freeze-thaw cycle. The same cycle can crack water mains and homeowners' pipes. Scores of vehicles will be left with flat tires and bent rims.China seeks to take control of Western data and networks, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union said, in the latest warning from Washington to its allies that they should think twice before using equipment from companies such as Huawei Technologies Co.

China is working to establish itself as a cyber power through illegal frameworks and control over data and networks, American envoy Gordon Sondland told a telecoms conference in Brussels. Chinese laws require its state-owned and private companies to cooperate with and share data with Chinese intelligence and security, giving rise to U.S. security concerns, he said on Thursday.

The U.S. has been pushing European allies such as Germany to shun telecom suppliers subject to foreign government control. Donald Trumps administration in December sent officials to Berlin to step up pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkels government over Huawei, while the U.S. Embassy said allies and partners are being urged to be vigilant in ensuring network security, including when carriers award equipment contracts.

The warnings may be having an impact. Last week the EUs digital chief urged the blocs member states to consider the risk of partnering with Chinese companies like Huawei. In an interview, Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice-President for digital affairs, said Chinese data laws have increased the risk in dealing with Chinese companies in Europe.

Controversial Law

The concern voiced by Sondland and Ansip center on Chinas National Intelligence Law, passed in 2017. The law mandates any organization and citizen to support and assist national intelligence in their investigations and to keep information related to such investigations.

Huawei has fought back against allegations that it is an enabler for Chinese espionage, and that blacklisting the Chinese company without proof will hurt the industry and disrupt new high-speed technology. Huawei has previously said it had commissioned a legal opinion to analyze the consequences of the law. The opinion says the law doesnt require it to cooperate with state intelligence if it would contradict the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations, a spokesman said.

On Tuesday U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against Huawei, alleging it stole trade secrets from an American rival and committed bank fraud by violating sanctions against doing business with Iran.

Huawei is one of the leaders in developing the next generation of network technology, known as 5G. Some countries have sought to limit the companys influence, with Australia and New Zealand banning Huawei equipment from the planned 5G networks of carriers, and other nations, including Germany, considering restricting Huaweis role.

The U.S. has made the security of networks and services a priority  and this has implications for 5G, said Sondland. This is not a decision about price or quality. This is a decision about whether or not to allow malign actors take control of your national telecommunications system, he said.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

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The federal government should prioritise a stable workforce at the pesticides authority above any project to move public servants to the bush as the agency deals with a disruptive exodus of scientists, a Senate inquiry has found. A Labor-dominated committee report on Friday warned the relocation, due to finish in mid-2019, risked causing a five-year fall-out harming the quality of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's work regulating agvet products. Senators urged the federal government to consider the move's impact on staff capability and capacity, a recommendation rejected by the committee's Coalition members defending their parties' decentralisation policy in a dissenting report. Labor and Greens senators said additional pressure on the pesticides authority created by its relocation from Canberra to Armidale, and the loss of experienced staff that followed, had exacerbated underlying problems causing delays in its work. "The relocation has caused considerable disruption to staff and severely weakened the authority's ability to operate effectively and efficiently," the report said. Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan and Liberal senator Slade Brockman singled out the recommendation for criticism, saying the Coalition policy to decentralise Australian Public Service jobs from Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney would create employment in the regions. "Decentralisation is also about equity. Rural and regional Australians deserve government careers just as much as city people. Regional economies deserve government agencies just as much as capital cities do," they said. The Senate inquiry into the independence of the agricultural chemical regulator, triggered by Labor after questions raised over the agency's funding and corporate tactics of the company producing Roundup, cleared the pesticides authority over its regulation of the commonly-used herbicide. Greens senator Janet Rice, in another dissenting report, recommended an independent review of the product's chemical risk. Directing criticism at the agency's forced move to Armidale, a policy promised by the Coalition before the 2016 election and driven by member for New England Barnaby Joyce, senators said the relocation had delayed much-needed reforms aimed at speeding up approvals for new agvet chemicals and medicines. The relocation had also brought into question the independence of the authority. "The decision to relocate the APVMA to Armidale has hampered the regulator's ability to address a number of long-running issues with regard to its performance and funding," the committee said. "Without any prior strategic planning to address the inevitable upheaval that would come from relocating a specialist scientific agency, the regulator has lost important institutional knowledge and technical expertise and must now overcome numerous challenges to effectively and efficiently carry out its functions. "Evidence to the committee has suggested that it will take the APVMA a number of years to regain its lost scientific, technical and management strength." The pesticides authority in its latest annual report said its rate of exiting staff increased in 2017-18 to 36 per cent, compared to 11.8 per cent in 2014-15 and 23.7 per cent in 2016-17. Agency chief executive Chris Parker in February last year said the majority of departing staff had likely resigned because they didn't want to move to Armidale. Following calls to cancel the move north, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud vowed it would continue after he took Mr Joyce's portfolio last year. Dr Parker later revised the agency's relocation plans, deciding to keep 40 staff in Canberra after finding the shift to Armidale wouldn't work without the compromise. The Coalition appears to have backed away from relocating public servants to the bush in other agencies, choosing instead to create new positions at regional offices in recent decentralisation announcements for the marine safety authority and Aboriginal Hostels Limited. Despite the government's promotion of decentralisation, public service commission figures show inner-city centres on the east coast have amassed the greatest share of Australia's new federal jobs under the Coalition as outer suburbs, bush towns and Canberra took cuts to their ranks of bureaucrats. A federal economic advisory body in 2017 dismissed decentralisation as a costly and ineffective way to grow regional wealth that risked damaging the performance of government agencies.news, act-politics

The NSW government has refused to explain why it pulled out of talks to take over the provision of services to Jervis Bay Territory, as the Commonwealth government says it's looking at all options for future management. Meanwhile, the federal MP responsible for the region, Andrew Leigh, has also weighed in, saying residents deserve the same standard of services as those in Canberra. The ACT government is responsible for the education, welfare and corrections services of nearly 400 residents over 200 kilometres away, as part of a legacy deal with the Commonwealth. However questions have been raised about the sustainability of the arrangements, with people on bail and even a body left stranded in Canberra because of the way services are run. Mr Leigh has been the federal representative for Jervis Bay for nine years, and said concerns over service provision have been an issue throughout that time. "The unique circumstances of the Jervis Bay Territory have meant that the community has often had to deal with service approaches that are quite different from most Australians," Mr Leigh said. Jervis Bay is a close-knit community, and its residents have a right to expect at least the same level of service provision as people in NSW and the ACT." The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities is currently reviewing the deal, and said it was working with the ACT and NSW governments - as well as the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council - to look at how services were working. "The Department is committed to canvassing all options to ensure appropriate access to services for residents of the Jervis Bay Territory and visitors," a spokesperson said. But questions remain as to why NSW withdrew from talks to take over the provision of some services in 2017. The Commonwealth asked NSW in 2015 to look at the possibility of delivering those services in the territory. A spokesman for the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet would not explain what happened. When pressed, he said: "NSW and the Australian government were unable to agree on the service and sharing arrangements". NSW also said it said not been approached about Jervis Bay Territory since walking away from talks. The state does provide some services to Jervis Bay Territory residents, such as public hospitals and high school education. It recovers some costs from the Commonwealth for services. NSW also provides community health services to residents on a cost-recovery basis. However the split responsibilities have led to some "perverse outcomes", according to an external review of the arrangements obtained by The Canberra Times. Legal Aid ACT also had to step in last year after NSW Legal Aid suddenly withdrew its services to Jervis Bay Territory, with the Commonwealth and the ACT unaware of the service gap until that happened. Children are also "getting lost in the system" when they move between the ACT-run Jervis Bay Public School and NSW's Vincentia High School, with one teacher the reviewer spoke to blaming in part the differences between the two curriculums. It's not the first time a review has found the arrangements to be unsatisfactory. A 2014 report concluded the ACT was "not well-positioned to deliver state-type services to Jervis Bay Territory" due to the distance between the territories and the difficulties in achieving economies of scale. The ACT government also maintains it is not "best placed" to look after Jervis Bay, and has been trying to get out of the arrangement since at least 2011. Despite this, neither the Commonwealth or the NSW government would be drawn on whether they believed the current circumstances were acceptable.

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The chatter and clatter about Australia Day and Indigenous recognition may have abated a week out from January 26, but it will never go away until the matters are resolved. The victorious allies treated the vanquished Germans after World War I and II better than the colonising British and their Australian inheritors have treated Indigenous Australians. At least the Germans got a treaty after the first war and a lot of help after the second to bring their standard of living up to or better than that of the victors. Not so in Australia. And our Indigenous people were not the aggressors. The reference to European conflict is pertinent. For a long time Australians wondered why the Europeans got themselves into stews over centuries-old blood feuds, battles and ethnic wars. The call, Remember 1389, or some other seemingly irrelevant grudge or grievance lost in time, seemed a bit silly from Australian eyes. Well, we have one of these grievances of our own. And do not imagine that it will be forgotten just because 600 years or so have passed. After all, 230 years have passed since British colonists claimed other peoples land as their own on January 26, 1788, and it is not forgotten. Australia Day and the failure to duly recognise self-identifying Indigenous people will still be a grievance in 2388 unless it is properly dealt with. It is like the Basques, the Catalonians, the Balkans, Ireland and Palestine. Without resolution by the people in those geographic areas, the festering sores and grievances go on, to the detriment of all those peoples. With resolution, however, whatever happened in the past no longer becomes grievance. This is why the Uluru Statement of May 2017 is so apposite. It sets out what is needed for resolution. We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution. Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle. But prime minister Malcolm Turnbull rejected it just five months later saying it would amount to creating a third chamber in the Parliament. Last September Scott Morrison as Prime Minister endorsed Turnbulls view. Just to highlight how out of touch the Liberal and National parties are, this week the two biggest mining companies, BHP and Rio Tinto, publicly supported the Uluru statement. Turnbull and Morrison did not even give Indigenous people the courtesy of asking, What do you mean by a voice? They just assumed it meant a group of elected Indigenous people who would have a veto over legislation  a third house. But it need not be like that. Sure, it must be more than some glib symbolic statement of recognition. For decades now Indigenous people have heard endless public speakers begin their speeches with paying respect to Indigenous leaders and recognition of ownership of the land. But it has not come to much. Further, Indigenous people are right to want constitutional recognition. The intervention showed that, without it, legislation can easily erode Indigenous rights. But it need not be a third house. There are other options. One proposed by Tony Abbott several years ago (about which he has since gone silent on) has a lot of merit. It was mentioned in these pages last month by Hamish McDonald. It follows the New Zealand principle of giving Indigenous people representation in the Parliament. The Abbott proposal was for Indigenous representation in the Senate of 12 senators  the equivalent of an Original State in the Constitution. That has a symmetery to it. It would be as if the six original colonies and the original Indigenous population had come together as a single nation. People identifying themselves as Indigenous would have the option of either voting for the Indigenous senators or voting in the state or territory of their residence, but not both. So there could be no objection that Indigenous people were getting more than everyone else. Of course, it is likely that the Indigenous senators would not vote as a block on most issues. It is very likely that they would stand under party umbrellas or as independents, just as the state senators do. This would have several advantages. It would give a constitutionally recognised voice to Indigenous people. It would not be a third chamber giving Indigenous people a veto. Even if the Indigenous senators were party members, they would still look out separately for Indigenous interests, just as Tasmanian or Queensland senators look out for Tasmanian or Queensland interests. Importantly, it would provide an Indigenous voice in the respective party rooms. There have been nine Indigenous members of the federal Parliament since Neville Bonner became a senator in 1971: three Liberal, three Labor and three from minor parties. So the parties have little to fear from Indigenous representatives being all from one party. At present the 798,400 people who identified as Indigenous represented 3.3 per cent of the people as at the 2016 census, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And that percentage is rising. The Indigenous population is higher than that of Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory, all of which have Senate representation. True, 12 senators would be 5.1 per cent of the enlarged Parliament, a little higher than the percentage of Indigenous people in the population, but Tasmania has 7.5 per cent of the present Parliament with only two per cent of the population. The arguments made at the 1890s constitutional conventions in favour of smaller states having greater representation in the Senate apply equally to the Indigenous population. It would need a change to the Constitution, of course. That would mean a referendum, which could perhaps be held on January 26, or the new provisions could be stated to come in to effect on January 26. No doubt such an idea would need refining or changing after consultation, but it is a better starting point than Turnbull or Morrisons blanket rejection of an Indigenous voice because it would amount to a third chamber. Clearly 12 senators, many of whom would have party affiliations, would not be a third chamber. One of the joys of a meaningful recognition, voice, and Makarrata is that it would not be like an economic change, where there are winners and losers. It would be more like the same-sex marriage change: there were no losers. www.crispinhull.com.au

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Each week The Canberra Times polls a group of committed readers on a range of issues. To join our Insiders panel to have your say and be in the running for prize draws, go to canberratimesinsider.com.au Full survey results are published in each Saturday's newspaper. Here are some of this week's reader responses. Do you agree with Labor's plan to introduce a gender target in the Australian honours system?Yes 50% No 38% Unsure 12% Introducing quotas for women receiving national honours will damage the Order of Australia, which changed political appointments in favour of every Australian having the right to nominate someone for an honour. Do we want to go back to a system that requires an nomination to have a politician's approval? A target is not a quota - it's an aim that ensures the issues and problems are considered and barriers to reaching equality are minimised or removed. To set a target for honours would mean looking at the total system, what encourages people to nominate and how those awarded are selected. 'Merit' is not always completely objective and can be made more so. As a past occasional independent referee for Government House for honors I did not support all the applications and the system is open for all online. I do not support honors for time-servers and those who merely are dong their jobs and those who receive multiple awards over time. I think there needs to be a review of the categories to enable the maximum diversity - not just gender. I agree that both genders should be more equally represented but I also feel it should be scaled back considerably - a case of where less would be more. It is far too grandiose and elitist in my opinion. Awards are for meritorious service. Having a gender target debases the value of the award. Did they earn the award or were only there to make up the numbers? Giving 'Honours' based on sex is taking the country backwards! The honours system should be based on merit and achievement, not what is between your legs. Recipients of Australian honours should be determined on merit, not gender and cetainly not on whether they are doing their job properly. Too many appear to be given to high profile/high ranking figureheads who depend on many many others for their perceived accomplishments. These awards should be given to people who go above and beyond in a certain field, or to people like the cave divers who put themselves at risk to save others. We should do away with the whole honours system. Many people are rewarded for the job they get paid to do. Besides, Im against the whole Idea that some people are more important than others. As a female I do not agree with any gender quotas or targets. Recipients under quotas will always have a question mark over them as to whether they were merited or just "awarded" to make up the numbers. I think the Australian honours system is flawed in many ways but addressing the gender imbalance is a start. Then they need to stop rewarding people for doing the jobs they are paid to do, apart from in very exceptional circumstances. The honours system is a medieval concept, well past its use-by date. Scrap them and save money. The Australian Honours system is to recognise sterling service. A gender quota would skew the criteria unfairly. Good service should be gender neutral. On the Australian honours topic, the most useful thing would be to stop giving the honours to people just for doing their job. The old boys in any club just organise for one another to get them. One (male) recipient told me that 50% of these are earned and 50% are not, and he wondered which 50% he was in. The Australian Honors System must be purely based on the person's achievements, not whether the person is male or female. What does need urgent review is how people who are paid (often handsomely), working in their normal job, ie: public servants, are further rewarded with a gong. If you must, give them an award certificate for excellent service, not a gong. While I welcome the proposal to have a quota for women to be honoured more equitably, there is no doubt that the honours system needs major reforms. We should abandon selecting the Australian of the Year because the present state and territory based seflection system means many Australians are excluded no matter what theyve done. The gender target for the honours system is tricky. The final decision needs to be merit based. I think a gender target for nominations and for the selection body are more important. A gender target for the honours system is lowest common denominator, populist politics, lacking understanding of recognition for an above and beyond merit system. Targets demean worthy recipients, whereas lifting gender equality requires effort to identify and nominate more women. The honours system is about merit not gender quotas, if women are "under represented" it is because other women and people are not nominating them. This is not the fault of the honours system. Leave the gender wars out of this.

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Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Special Note on Government Opening: Now that the Government is open, some of the data releases that were postponed are starting to be released. The BEA and Census will provide further release dates soon (like for Q4 GDP).



The key reports scheduled for this week are the trade deficit and January vehicle sales.





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----- Thursday, Feb 7th -----

----- Friday, Feb 8th -----Huang Jinqi, an engineer based in Silicon Valley, is in Beijing to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family. He chanced upon a bookstore in the trendy shopping district of Sanlitun  one he said be a rare find in the U.S.

In the U.S., you dont see many bookstores where you can sit, flip through books and drink coffee. Its indeed nice to see that in Beijing, the 29-year-old told Caixin, while sipping a hot latte at the bookstores coffee bar with the Chinese version of Dan Browns Origin in his hand.

The outlet Huang spent the afternoon in was called Sanlian Taofen, a subsidiary of SDX Joint Publishing Co. Founded in 2014, Sanlian touts itself as the first outlet in the Chinese capital to operate around the clock.

Sanlian is one of 62 book chain operators surveyed by the Beijing-based industry tracker Bookdao New Publishing Institute, which released a report in early January that said half of respondents believed food and beverages had contributed 10% or more to their total revenue in 2018.

In addition, Over 65% said cultural and creative products  such as stationery, coffee mugs and laptop bags  had accounted for at least 10% of total sales.

The three largest chains by revenue for the first 10 months of 2018, according to the report, were Chongqing-based Sisyphe, which raked in 770 million yuan ($113.5 million). Chengdu-based YanJiYou was in second place with 500 million yuan, followed by Beijing-based Citic Bookstore with 306 million yuan.

Xian-based FanDeng Bookstore emerged as a strong contender, having expanded at an exponential pace last year. Founded in November 2016, it had opened 203 stores in 93 cities across the country by the end of October, the report said.

A Sisyphe branch at a shopping mall in Beijing's east. Photo: Wu Gang/Caixin





Government push

Market leader Sisyphe told Caixin that it aims to open 100 more bookstores this year, from a total of 194 stores as at the end of 2018. A spokesperson said non-books revenue has been stable over the past two years and had been predicted to make up around one-fifth of total sales, but declined to provide concrete figures.

The boom in bricks-and-mortar stores, which bucks the trend of Chinese people shopping online, is partly fueled by government handouts.

The central government in 2016 released a guideline (link in Chinese) calling for more bookstores to serve the public. The Beijing local government later granted a subsidy of 50 million yuan to more than 150 local bookstores, including private-owned bookstores such as YanJiYou and Sanlian Taofen.

The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation in 2013 introduced a policy to exempt wholesale and retail sales of books from value-added taxes, an equivalent of 13% of book-selling profits for bookstore operators, according to state-affiliated Beijing Times. The authorities announced last year (link in Chinese) a continuation of the policy by the end of 2020.

While official policies play a key role, market watchers have also observed a change in consumer behavior that made people want to spend more time in a bookstore.

Bookstore chains have begun to adopt a so-called lifestyle business model, they sell not just books but a variety of cultural and creative peripherals, according to Xu Zhiming, an analyst from Bookdao who wrote up the January survey.

This comes as book chains attempt to diversify their revenue sources, and cater to a rising number of readers who would like to enjoy a cozy ambience at their establishment.

The Eslite Model

Taiwan-based Eslite, run by Eslite Spectrum Corp., is arguably the most well-known book chain in the Chinese speaking world. It has long been touted as a model operator that has found a way to thrive, despite more people shunning paper books for digital downloads.

Eslite, which made U.S. news network CNN's list of the world's best bookstores in 2015, opened its first branch in Taipei in 1989. Now, it has expanded to 42 stores in Taiwan, three in Hong Kong, one in Jiangsu, and in December 2018, a new one in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

The bookstore is planning to open its first store in Tokyo, Japan this year by teaming up with local bookstore and publishing company, Yurindo, and developer Mitsui Fudosan Realty.

Over the years, Eslite Spectrum has evolved into a retail group that includes books, wine wholesalers, department stores, as well as movie theaters, hotels and residential developments.

Despite that, its book branch on Dunhua South Road in downtown Taipei  operating 24 hours a day since 1999  has continuously welcomed night-owls and became a must-visit for Chinese-speaking tourists.

Chinese consumers look forward to such developments on the Chinese mainland. As Si Jiajie, a 23-year-old employee at an e-commerce company, puts it: I feel more focused on reading in a bookstore.

Si visited Sanlian Taofen for five consecutive weekends, ordering drinks and reading a history book.

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com)The Centre is likely to announce the name of next CBI chief soon, ignoring the objections raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee, on the names of probable contenders proposed by the government, officials said. During the second meeting of the committee on Friday, the government is understood to have put forth a few names of officers who could be considered for appointment as the CBI director, they said.

However, these names were objected to by Kharge, who is part of the three-member committee, the officials said. Senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra and S S Deswal, are said to be among the top contenders for the coveted post. Ahmed, an officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present the chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences here. Ahmed's cadre and batchmate Misra is head of the Border Security Force (BSF).

Deswal, who is from Haryana cadre, is the director general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). "The meeting was inconclusive. No decision could be taken during the meeting," a senior government official said, without citing further details on the selection committee's meeting held here. The development assumes significance as earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

Also read: No surprises but pension scheme for unorganised sector workers a new idea: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

The post of CBI director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet. The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster. Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Kharge. The panel's January 24 meeting had also remained inconclusive. A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members in the last meeting.

"The government presented names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the January 24 meeting. Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio. Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he has completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017. He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.

ALSO READ:Budget 2019: Not all budgetary sops will reach the beneficiaries before the election

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ALSO READ:Populism all the way and not a trace of prudence

ALSO READ:Budget 2019: No, your income tax exemption limit has not been doubled

ALSO READ:Budget 2019: Piyush Goyal delivers part Budget speech and part election pitchDelhi's Patiala House Court has granted anticipatory bail to Robert Vadra till February 16 in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. After hearing the bail plea by Vadra on Saturday, Special Judge Arvind Kumar has directed him to submit a surety of Rs 1 lakh for the interim protection from arrest.

Vadra has also been ordered by the court to appear before the probe agency on February 6 and cooperate in the investigation. The ED, during the interim bail hearing, told the court that properties worth more than 12 million pounds (over Rs 112 crore) have been discovered in London, which the agency believes belongs to Vadra.

The ED had filed a case of money laundering in the purchase of a property worth 1.9 million pounds (over Rs 17.77 crore) located at 12, Bryanston Square, Lodnon, which allegedly belongs to Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and husband of recently-appointed Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi.

Apart from the Bryanston Square mansion, two more properties worth 4 million pounds (around Rs 37.42 crore) and 5 million pounds (more than Rs 46.77 crore), as well as 6 other flats are also suspected to be owned by Vadra, as per ED sources. The total worth of these properties is 12 million pounds.

Sources from ED claim that these London-based assets are part of kickbacks Vadra received in a petroleum deal, as per a report by India Today. The money was allegedly transferred to Santech International, FZC, a company bases in UAE and controlled by Sanjay Bhandari. Santech then purchased the 12 Bryanstone Square mansion from Vortex, a private holding, and later Vortex shares were transferred to Skylight Investment, FZE, which is led by NRI businessman C Thampi.

Vadra's advocate KTS Tulsi has denied all the allegations. "There is no property of Robert Vadra in London. Before the election, it's a political vendetta. As soon as Vadra is granted relief in any case, the investigative agencies come out with other case," Tulsi was quoted as saying in the India Today report.

Edited by Vivek PunjA major tariff war started by his brother Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio that led to the consolidation of four telcos, and RCom's inability to repay Rs 46,000 crore worth of debt has forced Anil Ambani's company to move the National Company Law Tribunal. In 2018, RCom had averted three insolvency petitions filed by Swedish networking company Ericsson against it, citing strategic debt restructuring plan as per which it was supposed to sell assets worth over Rs 25,000 crore to Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio. A year later, it has failed cope with the overall pressure to reach a consensus on the asset sale with 40 of its lenders, its spectrum deal Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio Infocomm is stuck with the DoT, and it is yet to clear dues of companies like Ericsson.

Reliance Communications (RCom), like other telecom operators, had lost its market share to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio ever since it was launched in 2016. While Reliance Jio's total mobile subscriber base has now reached 28 crore (December 2018 figure), RCom continued to lose subscribers.

Also read: Anil Ambani's RCom files for bankruptcy in face of indecisive lenders, legal challenges.

On June 2, 2017, RCom initiated a debt resolution plan after the invocation of the strategic debt restructuring (SDR), but it failed to fructify. The SDR did not make any headway and the lenders "received zero proceeds from the proposed asset monetisation plans". A major part of its restructuring plan included the sale of assets, including involving the sale of switching nodes, fibre, telecom towers, worth about Rs 25,000 crore to pay the money it owes to the banks, including IDBI Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Union Bank, Canara Bank, and HSBC. The company could only sell nodes and fibre worth Rs 5,000 crore.

RCom also hoped to realise Rs 975 crore from the spectrum sale to Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, and real estate sale to Canada's Brookfield. Of this, the Supreme Court had asked it to repay Rs 550 crore to the dues of Ericson. The company also promised to repay Rs 230 crore to settle dues of minority stakeholder in Reliance Infratel in December last year. Again, it failed to meet the deadline due to a delay in the approval from the Department of Telecom (DoT), following which the Swedish company filed its second contempt plea in the SC against Ambani and asked the court to stop him from leaving the country.

RCom also filed a contempt plea against the DoT for stalling the RCom-Jio spectrum deal. The DoT, on the other hand, refused to give its nod owing to RCom's non-payment of spectrum-related dues worth over Rs 2,947 crore to the government. The Supreme Court even asked both Jio and RCom to decide about the payment of spectrum dues to the DoT, following which Reliance Jio declined to take oversee any past liability of RCom for which the Department of Telecom might raise demand in future.

With RCom planning to move the NCLT now, the spectrum deals with Reliance Jio and Brookfield stands cancelled.

RCom, in its stock exchange filing on Friday, explained that the step has been taken to pare its pilling debt of over Rs 46,000 crore through the asset sale. The embattled telecom firm has said it will implement the debt resolution plan through the NCLT framework, and the board has set 270 days deadline to complete the asset sale process. "The board believes this course of action will be in the best interests of all stakeholders, ensuring comprehensive debt resolution in a final, transparent and time-bound manner within the prescribed 270 days," the company said.

Notably, under the insolvency process, the NCLT appoints resolution professionals to oversee the bidding for the sale of the assets of a bankrupt company, and resolve it within a specific time frame.

Edited by Manoj Sharma

Also read: RCom says committed to settle dues, but oppose Ericsson's media trial and sensationalism

RCom files contempt of court plea against DoT for not approving asset saleFinance Minister Piyush Goyal's Budget 2019 announcements on Friday were mostly focused on small scale farmers, lower middle class, salaried people, and unorganised sector workers. Though many are calling it an election Budget, the Finance Minister believes it takes care of every sector of the economy. Interim Finance Minister, in an interview with India Today's Rahul Kanwal, said the government had been performing consistently for the past five years, and that now it was in a much better position than it was in 2014.

Goyal added the structural reforms like demonetisation were the "biggest success of our government" and that they changed the mentality of the country and put it on a path of honesty.

Asking if the Budget was mainly focused on pleasing the voters, especially since the BJP lost three states in the recent elections, Goyal said the BJP had inherited a mess, and worked persistently in the past five years. "It isn't something we did out of the blue... between 2008 and 2014, bank loans were given on the whims and fancies of people. We stopped all of that and strengthened the banking system in India. PM Modi had asked us to eradicate corruption and we all did that. What you see today has been the result of a five-year journey. I am here only for a few days, once Arun Jaitley returns, I will go back and look after Railways."

Goyal also said that the BJP was confident of coming back to power in 2019 and that the work done by the government will speak for itself. On being asked about the Opposition terming the Budget "count for votes, not vote on account", Goyal said the BJP thought about women, famers and the banking system. The Congress, on the other hand, ruled India for 40 years but did not do anything. "It was the Congress party that took this country for a ride. Despite being in power for so many years, they were not able to implement GST and we did it," he said.

Also read: Budget Bonanza! With polls round the corner, Modi govt woos farmers, middle class and small firms

On the question of announcing 'rebate' rather than increasing exemption limit in the income tax relaxation given to the salaried and middle class, Goyal clarified that he had made it clear that there won't be any changes in the taxation system. "This was an interim budget and we didn't want to do it. Whatever we have done, people will be benefitted by it," he said.

Goyal also clarified his government's stand on the latest NSSO report on employment data, which claimed the unemployment was at a 45-year high according to it. "Do you really think unemployment is at a 45-year high? If that was the case then how come are our GDP numbers so good? That's not possible without jobs, right? It is not possible if people don't purchase goods. We have put in a new system and we should wait for the new report. We are now doing a quarterly assessment to capture the mood of a fast-evolving economy. Media has kept an eye on us and we have been vigilant about our work. Everything has grown, from waterways, to Railways, to airports, everything points towards better economy," he said.

Over the resignation of two of its non government members, Goyal said "people resigned because they had some issues but let me tell you that I think the report is incorrect".

The government also announced benefits worth Rs 6,000 for each farmer, which it claimed would be delivered in their accounts from October 2019. Asking if Rs 16-17 a day was enough to sustain a family for farmers, Goyal said "this scheme is a way to honour our farmers who have done a lot for the nation".

Edited by Manoj Sharma

Also read: Anil Ambani's RCom files for bankruptcy in face of indecisive lenders, legal challenges

Despite Congress objection, govt likely to announce new CBI director soon

ALSO WATCH:

By David MillikenLONDON (Reuters) - Britain would permanently regret leaving the European Union without a deal, and parliament needs to reach a decision to stop this in the next two weeks, business minister Greg Clark said in a newspaper interview on Saturday.Clark's comments in The Times come as the paper reported government documents warning Britain's transport system could get overwhelmed after a no-deal Brexit, while The Guardian said officials feared mountains of rotting waste and animal slurry.Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but lawmakers last month comprehensively rejected ...(Reuters) - The board of Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Friday it is withholding a bonus worth at least $7 million from former chief executive Lloyd Blankfein until investigations into the bank's involvement in the 1MDB scandal are resolved. The bank also introduced a new forfeiture provision in its annual compensation plans for both its most senior executives, current Chief Executive David Solomon and former head Blankfein, relating to the ongoing 1MDB proceedings.The move underscores the perils the 1MDB scandal still holds for Goldman, which is being investigated by Malaysian authorities ...Himachal Pradesh Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said Saturday he would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to the media at the Congress office here, Rathore said he was not interested in contesting in any of the four parliamentary seats of the state.

The state Congress chief said he would lead from the front during the election and would campaign in support of the party candidates.

In reply to another question, Rathore said appropriate action would be taken in a day or two against the Congress workers who were responsible for a clash at the party office last month.

The supporters of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and former state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu clashed against each other in front of senior party leaders shortly after Rathore took charge as the new party president on January 17.

Rathore said the action would be taken based on an inquiry report by a two-member committee, comprising advocates Nareshwar Singh Chandel and Rupinder Singh Thakur. The panel had already completed its inquiry and it would submit its report soon.

The Congress leader downplayed the incident, saying it was only party workers who had clashed.

He pointed out to an incident where a Bharatiya Janata Party councillor created "indiscipline" by "inappropriately" arguing with the deputy mayor, who belongs to the saffron party, in a meeting of the Shimla municipal corporation.

Rathore urged Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to take appropriate action against the councillor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A newly married woman was allegedly killed by her in-laws over dowry demand at Pakki Garhi village under Garhi Pukhta police station in Shamli district, officials said Saturday.

The deceased Sana Khan,28, had married one Ariz Hasan nine months ago. A case has been registered against the husband and five other in-laws, who are absconding, said Circle Officer Rajive Kumar Tiwari.

According to the police complaint lodged by the deceased's brother Hehad Khan, Sana was being harassed for dowry of Rs 10 lakh.

Reports of Sana's death created tension in the area. Irate villagers blocked the road near Navalti Chowk, demanding action against the accused.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said Saturday her party would oppose the citizenship bill and demanded that the Centre withdraw the contentious legislation.

Banerjee called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "grandfather of corruption" and alleged that he was a "demon" gulping everything in the country, starting from judiciary, media and even democracy.

"The Centre will have to withdraw the citizenship bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," she said.

The chief minister dared Modi to put her behind the bars. "What will he (Modi) do because I am saying this? Will he get me murdered? Or will he threat me using the agencies? I am ready to be in jail but will not bow my head. I have always held my head high."



Banerjee was reacting to Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, at a rally in North 24 Parganas district.

The TMC supremo said she would not let the saffron party initiate violence and drive out the people from the country.

"Using the NRC (National Register of Citizens), they (BJP) have driven out nearly 22-lakh Bengalis from Assam. They do not want anybody else other than themselves to stay in the country, they want to drive out everybody. We will not let him (Modi) succeed in driving out anyone.

"We are all citizens of the country. We all have ration cards and have rights as the country's citizen" she said.

At the rally organised by the Matua community in Thakurnagar, Modi said the citizenship bill would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis and Christians) faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice," Modi said.

"It was because of this that we brought the citizenship bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament," he added.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. Many of them have claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

The citizenship bill seeks to provide citizenship after six years of residence in India to non-Muslims who had fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014, even if they do not possess any document.

The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and is pending in the Rajya Sabha. The TMC had staged a walkout from the Lower House, demanding that the bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.

Banerjee hit back at Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for their blistering criticism of her government in separate rallies during the day and said the two leaders should worry about retaining their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in the state.

"They (BJP) have no leaders in West Bengal. They are bringing in outsiders (Modi, Singh) who have no idea about the culture, customs of the state and have no connect with the people," Banerjee said.

"They need not think about West Bengal, which is capable of looking after itself, it does not need anybody from outside. Ask Narendra Modi to look after New Delhi. Will Modi be able to win from Varanasi? Ask Yogi Adityanath to look after his own state (Uttar Pradesh)," she said.

Reacting sharply to Modi's comment that the TMC government was nearing its end, the chief minister said the Centre had used government agencies to "torment and torture" the country's people in the past five years.

"They (BJP-led government) have actually ruined the future of the youths and destroyed the country's economy. They have used the agencies in a fascist manner to threaten most of the opposition leaders.

"Actually it (Modi government) has reached its expiry date and he is not ready to accept that. He (Modi) has grown arrogant and does not know the courtesy to talk as the prime minister," she shot back.

Banerjee said the BJP leaders were not "fit for politics" and were "experts" in 'gau raksha' (cow protection) and lynching and initiate violence and riots.

"Leaders like Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) used to do and that's why we (TMC) have respect for him," she said.

Referring to the Union home minister, Banerjee said Singh, despite being a senior BJP leader, had to follow instructions as his son has been "framed and named" in an FIR.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.

She was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the bill, at a rally in Thakunagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

"The Centre will have to withdraw the Citizenship Bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," Banerjee said.

In his speech at the event organised by the Matua community, Modi praised the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and sought the Trinamool Congress' support for it.

The Bill, he said, would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice...Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis.

"It was because of this that we brought the Citizenship Bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the Bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament," Modi said.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. Many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Trinamool Congress had staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha last month demanding that the Bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Saturday opposed the petition of Rajeev Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the VVIP chopper case, seeking to meet his lawyer in private, saying it may hamper the probe.

The ED made the submission in response to the plea moved by Saxena, who is in the agency's custody.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the agency to file a detailed reply by Monday, when Saxena's custody ends.

Saxena was deported from Dubai on January 31 and sent to 4-day ED custody the same day. The court had allowed his custodial interrogation after the agency alleged that he and another accused provided global corporate structure to launder money.

Saxena's counsel had sought access to him without the presence of ED officials. He had said that he was not being allowed to speak to his client without ED's interference.

Opposing the request, advocates D P Singh and N K Matta, appearing for ED, said allowing Saxena's counsel such access could be misused and hamper investigation in the case.

"There is apprehension that this opportunity might be used to transfer investigation-related information outside and vise versa," ED said.

The agency had alleged that in connivance with another accused, Guatam Khaitan, a Delhi based lawyer, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

The CBI and the ED have registered cases in the VVIP chopper case in which former Air Force chief S P Tyagi is one of the accused.

Saxena was picked up by Dubai authorities in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case and deported to India.

A director of two Dubai-based firms UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, Saxena was residing in Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, and had been living in the UAE for 26 years.

Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid euro 58 million as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, ED's advocate Samvedna Verma alleged that "these companies further siphoned off the said money in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Limited, Mauritius and others which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd, Dubai and others".

Saxena is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by ED.

Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani were also named by the agency.

It alleged that the two Dubai-based firms were the entities "through which the proceeds of crime have been routed and further layered and integrated in buying the immovable properties/shares, among others" in this case.

"Saxena has transferred proceeds of crime from M/s Interstellar to his Dubai-based companies M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd," ED said in its chargesheet.

The agency claimed its probe had found that AgustaWestland, United Kingdom, had "paid an amount of euro 58 million as kickbacks" through two Tunisia-based firms.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said Uttarakhand is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priority and urged people of the state to help the party win all the five Lok Sabha seats in the coming general election as they had done in 2014.

"Uttarakhand is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priority. It is his vision which has been behind the makeover of Kedarnath (devastated by flash floods in 2013)," Shah said addressing BJP's Trishakti Sammelan at the Parade Ground here.

"The all-weather road project launched by the prime minister will make it possible for people to visit Himalayan shrines centres of faith for millions of Indians living in the country and abroad," he added.

Shah said the "double-engine" government provided by Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had fast-racked all-round development of the state.

Rawat government's biggest achievement has been the elimination of corruption, he said and asked booth-level BJP workers to publicise the development work carried out by it to ensure the party's victory in the five Lok Sabha seats in the state.

He praised the workers, saying his experience has shown that they are capable of converting even the bleakest of electoral scenarios into emphatic victories for the party.

The BJP has the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand in its kitty but faces the challenge to retain them against the Congress, which won assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in December.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A brutal cold spell that paralysed the US Midwest, freezing water mains, causing power outages and cancelling flights, eased on Friday, with forecasts predicting a rapid thaw.

The two days of intense cold from the so-called polar vortex that descended on the US Midwest and Northeast will go down in memory for its scenes of winter at its most bitter.

Blocks of ice floated down the river that runs through downtown Chicago, the rushing waters of the Niagara Falls were frozen in some places, and half the Great Lakes were covered in ice.

US media reported as many as 21 weather-related deaths since a snow storm hit the Midwest early in the week, followed by plunging temperatures Wednesday and Thursday.

Temperature readings were nosing up on Friday and "will continue to moderate," the National Service said.

The concern, though, turned to the threat of flooding and further stress on already strained infrastructure as the region thawed out.

"In some areas of the Midwest, the coming wild temperature swing will be the most extreme warm-up from record winter cold ever seen in such a short time period," Jeff Masters, meteorologist at Underground, told AFP.

The Arctic air mass that veered off its normal polar route broke more than 340 records in communities across a cluster of states, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

With wind chill factored in, temperatures dropped to as low as -64 degrees Fahrenheit (-53C) in Minnesota, -59F (-51C) in Wisconsin, -58F (-58C) in Iowa and -55F (-48C) in Illinois.

By Monday, the was expected to be comparatively balmy -- around 50F (10C) in Chicago and Detroit.

"It's important to remember that the rapid change in weather and snow melt could lead to dangerous flooding," James Joseph, the regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said in a statement.

In the region around Niagara Falls, officials worried that ice jams could raise water levels in the Upper Niagara River, according to local TV station WIVB.

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster said they were also working "to avert possible creek flooding once thaw comes." In Illinois, state officials said they were discharging warm water from a nuclear power station into a river in order to prevent ice jams and flash flooding.

In Detroit and Chicago, which have already contended with dozens of broken water mains over the last several days, more pipes could burst as rapid warming puts pressure on aging systems.

Elements of normal life resumed in fits and starts, including transportation.

Thousands of flights were scrapped this week, especially at Chicago's two major airports, which experienced more than 1,500 cancellations a day. The city is a regional hub, and passengers were left stranded or looking for alternate routes.

"The majority of our customers have already been rebooked," American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein told AFP on Friday.

Delta Airlines spokesman Drake Castaneda said the company had "fully recovered from the polar vortex and have operated normally today." Children - some of whom have been at home for almost a week - returned to class in many school districts, while others were off for another day because frozen school buses would not start.

Milwaukee schools in Wisconsin were open, but Chicago schools were not.

In Minneapolis, students were back in class but food deliveries for school lunches were disrupted.

Hypothermia and frostbite proved to be major dangers this week.

Officials repeatedly warned the homeless to take advantage of increased shelter capacity, and for others in need, such as the elderly, to use the hundreds of warming centers opened throughout the region.

They also warned residents to not spend more than a few minutes at a time outside.

Despite those efforts, there were still reports of fatalities. A 69-year-old FedEx worker was found dead outside of an Illinois delivery hub, according to TV station WQAD.

The University of Iowa confirmed that Gerald Belz, a pre-med student, had died Wednesday. Local media reported that the 18-year-old was found unconscious outside a university building when temperatures were in the negative double digits in Iowa City.

In Wisconsin, a 38-year-old woman was found frozen Wednesday night in an unheated home, and a man froze to death in his back yard Thursday afternoon, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A top White House official has called on Venezuela's military to follow the lead of a general who sided with opposition leader Juan Guaido against President Nicolas Maduro.

"The US calls on all military members to follow General Yanez's lead, and to protect the peaceful protestors supporting democracy," National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a tweet on Saturday.

He was referring to Major General Francisco Yanez who posted a video of himself rejecting Maduro's "dictatorial" authority and recognising Guaido, the National Assembly head, as the acting president.

Yanez, who is strategic planning director of the Venezuelan air force's high command, is the highest-ranking active duty officer to turn against Maduro since Guaido declared himself acting president January 23, promising to organize presidential elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday told a gathering of Kolis in Gujarat that it was very unfortunate that the community was used as a votebank in the past.

The gathering at Chotila town in Surendranagar district, 65 km from here, was organised to felicitate community leader Kunvarji Bavaliya who was elected in a bypoll recently, a government press release said.

The prime minister addressed the gathering through a recorded eight-minute video.

"The Koli community is present all over India and is also present in Gujarat and Mumbai in large numbers. The community members have qualities like they are very hard working and have social unity," the release quoted the prime minister as saying.

"It is very unfortunate that the community was just used as a votebank for so many years," he said.

Modi said they had worked for uplift and development of every community.

"The Koli community is still lagging behind in education. Many more such caste gatherings need to be organised to bring awareness and change in society," he said.

Bavaliya told PTI that he had sought time from the prime minister but as his tour of another state was already organised he gave a recorded message.

Kolis are a numerically strong OBC community, residing mainly in the coastal belt of Gujarat, and have traditionally supported the Congress.

However, with Bavaliya quitting the Congress and joining the BJP government in the state, the saffron party is hopeful that the community too will switch the loyalty in the Lok Sabha polls.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was present at the function, asked the community to come together and help build "a new Gujarat and new India".

Bavaliya said he would work for the betterment of the community using his position as minister.

The five-time Congress MLA from Jasdan seat quit the party in July 2018 and was made a cabinet minister in the Rupani government. He won the bypoll from Jasdan in December on BJP ticket with a margin of over 19,000 votes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United Arab Emirates has branded a bridge, a new ministry, a family day at the park and even the entire year of 2019 under the banner theme of "tolerance," an elaborate effort that's in overdrive as the country prepares to host Pope Francis starting Sunday in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.

The state's tolerance-themed project, however, has hard limits. While allowing churches and other places of worship to exist, and marking holidays like Christmas, the Hindu Diwali and Chinese New Year with festivals and celebrations, the government has simultaneously stomped out critical political expression in the name of national security.

Human rights activists and Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers have been imprisoned, academic research deemed sensitive has been curtailed and human rights groups have been barred entry. Political parties are banned and local media are censored.

And while the law prohibits religious discrimination and guarantees the freedom to exercise religious worship, the state's official religion of Islam is tightly monitored and controlled.

A permit is required to hold a Quran memorization circle or lecture, collect donations or distribute books or audio in mosques. The law also prohibits mosque employees from preaching and teaching religious lessons outside of mosques.

Moreover, all imams receive their salaries from the government and with the exception of the most senior imams must follow an official weekly guidance on the content of Friday sermons.

The UAE's Minister of Tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, said the government is simply doing what "we think is right for our people and for the world."



"We are trying to protect our religion," he told The Associated Press in an interview last week.

"We want to restore our real religion, which stems from our holy book the Quran, which believes in living together. It believes in the dignity of a human being."



The UAE, a federation of seven constituent monarchies led by President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is known for its gleaming cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Modern skylines draw tourists from around the world, bars exist next to mosques, men and women dressed in traditional garb brush past foreigners, and tight security and surveillance ensures high levels of safety.

Government bodies, public relations firms and even banks have been busy promoting the state's version of tolerance in preparation for the pope's visit, which includes a meeting on Monday with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's foremost religious institution, and a mass on Tuesday before 135,000 people in Abu Dhabi.

In a video message translated into English and Arabic ahead of his arrival, Pope Francis described the UAE as "a country which strives to be a model for coexistence and human fraternity, a meeting point of different civilizations and cultures. A place where people find a safe place to work, live freely and where differences are respected."



The UAE has a Hindu temple in Dubai and a large one being built in Abu Dhabi on land donated by the country's rulers to help accommodate the roughly 3.3 million Indians who live in the country.

It is also home to around 1 million Catholics, including a sizeable Filipino community. In addition to several Catholic churches, there are numerous churches in the UAE of other Christian denominations, a Sikh temple and a space for Jewish worship.

Still, the U.S.-based Freedom House notes that more than 85 per cent of the UAE's population consists of foreign residents who lack political rights and electoral opportunities, including tens of thousands of stateless residents known as Bidoon.

Freedom House says that since 2011, when Arab Spring protests rocked countries throughout the Middle East, the UAE has aggressively cracked down on opposition activists, particularly if they are suspected of belonging to Al-Islah, an Islamist group perceived as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The UAE has branded the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, viewing it as a threat to the country's system of hereditary rule.

"They're certainly not tolerant of any form of political dissent," Devin Kenney, researcher on the UAE for Amnesty International, said.

"I mean OK, sure, like bars exist and people of multiple faiths are allowed to practice their faiths so it's not culturally totalitarian but it's clearly not a really tolerant place," he added.

Kenney said the pope's visit "seems like a fairly straightforward PR gesture." In recent years, the UAE named dozens of individuals and some 80 groups as "terrorist" many for their alleged ties with the Brotherhood, which is not deemed a terrorist group in Europe or the U.S.

The list includes political dissenters and opposition voices, but also groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy and civil rights group in the U.S., as well as Islamic Relief Worldwide, a UK-based humanitarian aid organization with operations around the world.

In a statement to the AP, Islamic Relief said it is not connected in any way to the Muslim Brotherhood and that the allegation has been "hugely damaging." The group said it was never provided with any evidence by Emirati authorities to substantiate the assertion and has tried to contest it in UAE courts.

"All our attempts to get an open hearing in front of a judge have been rejected on procedural technicalities," the group said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police arrested 11 migrants, including two Indians, after a mass fight at their reception centre in Bosnia that left eight people seriously injured, a spokesman said on Saturday.

The fighting, involving several hundred migrants accommodated at the centre in the northwestern town of Bihac, began late Friday, Fena agency quoted the police spokesman as saying.

After police brought the situation under control and questioned more than 30 migrants "eight Afghan nationals, two Indians and one Pakistani were arrested," spokesman Ale Siljdedic added.

The cause of the fighting was not immediately known.

Forty migrants sought medical help among whom eight were seriously injured most likely knife wounds, doctor Farun Helic said.

One migrant sustained life threatening injuries but is recovering, he added. Bosnia has become a key transit country carrying migrants from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa towards the European Union.

More than 23,000 people trudged through the mountainous Balkan state last year in a bid to slip across the border to Croatia and move on into other EU countries. While most manage to continue north, many have been thwarted by border police.

In 2018 border police caught nearly 4,500 illegal migrants, more than five times more compared with the previous year, according to a preliminary police report. An estimated 4,500 to 6,000 migrants are currently in Bosnia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President has said he is getting closer to declaring a national emergency to secure funding for a wall along the country's southern Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering America.

A national emergency would allow Trump to proceed with a wall without congressional approval and give him executive powers to reallocate disaster relief funds to the southern Mexico border.

Trump told CBS News' 'Face the Nation' programme that the ongoing negotiations with the opposition Democrats over border security are a waste of time.

He also accused US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being very rigid and doing bad

"I think that she was very rigid which I would expect but I think she's very bad for our country. She knows that you need a barrier, she knows we need border security. Basically, she wants open borders, she does not mind human trafficking," he said as he accused Pelosi of doing very bad

Pelosi, by her stand against the wall, is costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars, Trump said.

"She is doing a terrible disservice to our country," the US president said.

In the interview, as reported by CBS News, he said that negotiations with the opposition Democrats which started after the government shutdown ended are a waste of time.

"We will be looking at a national emergency, because I don't think anything is going to happen. I think the Democrats don't want border security. And when I hear them talking about the fact that walls are immoral and walls don't work -- they know they work," he told reporters earlier in the day.

Trump insisted that he is building the wall and will continue building it, as this is the only way to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the country.

"I think there's a good chance that we'll have to do that. But we will, at the same time, be building - regardless, we're building wall and we're building a lot of wall. But I can do it a lot faster the other way," the president said.

Claiming that there are three caravans heading towards the US, he said if there was a wall, it would not even be a problem.

"But we've sent 2,500 military down to help Border Patrol and law enforcement. I have to say, the military has done an incredible job, including helping us with some walls and some fences, which are very nice to say.

"Unsecure borders give traffickers free and clear passage to transport their victims into the United States. It's a tremendously big money-maker for some very, very bad people," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Pelosi's office accused Trump of making reckless remarks.

"President Trump's recklessness didn't make us safer, it undermined our security with 35 days of border patrol agents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents, FBI agents and Homeland Security personnel missing paychecks," said Drew Hammill, her spokesman.

"Democrats have put forward strong, smart and effective border security solutions in the bipartisan conference committee, while the President still refuses to take a second shutdown off the table.

"The President's wild and predictable misrepresentations about Democrats' commitment to border security do nothing to make our country safer," she said.

Trump, addressing reporters at the White House, said: "Nancy Pelosi is doing a very, very great disservice to our country. I think she's got to get on the ball, because we're going to have a wall that's being built anyway.

"But if you don't have it - human trafficking, just as an example. When you see today what's going on, people that aren't willing to do what they have to do, and they know what they have to do, they're doing the country a tremendous disservice".Slamming political parties of the North East for opposing the citizenship bill, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has said infiltration is a problem for the nation and the bill is meant to address the issue.

Deb, while speaking to reporters on Friday night, said the political parties of the northeastern region is giving the impression that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 has been prepared for the region alone, which is not true.

The parties of the region are deliberately misleading the people to serve their own interests, he alleged.

"The way some political parties in the northeastern region have been agitating against the bill, it appears that it has been prepared and passed in the Lok Sabha only for northeast India.

"We need to understand that the bill was introduced in the Parliament, keeping in mind the interests of the whole country," Deb told reporters at the Civil Secretariat here.

He also said that every individual or political party has the right to agitate or organise movement against any decision of the government on the basis of facts and figures, but there was an attempt to mislead people about the aims and objectives of the bill by some political parties.

Deb said infiltration is a major problem for the country and metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai are the worst affected. Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been facing the problem of illegal immigration as is the northeast.

The bill would help check infiltration, he said.

"Some political parties of the region were trying to catch fishes in troubled water. It is not wise to take political advantage of everything," Deb said.

The bill, passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A large section of people in the northeast have opposed the bill, saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state.

Addressing a rally in this industrial town, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre is bent on fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the middle-class people.

"The TMC is killing people's aspirations but the Centre will fulfil their (people's) dreams," Modi said.

The interim Budget presented in Parliament yesterday is a reflection of the BJP government's policy of 'Saabka Saath Saabka Vikas', the prime minister said.

Modi also spoke about the income tax rebate, TDS for bank term deposits, earnings from second property among other budgetary provisions which, he said, will benefit the middle class.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Microplastics have been found in the guts of every marine mammal examined in a study of animals washed up on Britain's shores, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) in the UK examined 50 animals from 10 species of dolphins, seals and whales - and found microplastics in them all.

Most of the particles (84 per cent) were synthetic fibres -- which can come from sources including clothes, fishing nets and toothbrushes -- while the rest were fragments, whose possible sources include food packaging and plastic bottles.

"It's shocking - but not surprising - that every animal had ingested microplastics," said Sarah Nelms, of the University of Exeter and PML.

"The number of particles in each animal was relatively low (average of 5.5 particles per animal), suggesting they eventually pass through the digestive system, or are regurgitated," Nelms.

"We don't yet know what effects the microplastics, or the chemicals on and in them, might have on marine mammals," she said.

"More research is needed to better understand the potential impacts on animal health," she added.

Though the animals in the study died of a variety of causes, those that died due to infectious diseases had a slightly higher number of particles than those that died of injuries or other causes.

"We can't draw any firm conclusions on the potential biological significance of this observation," said Brendan Godley, of the University of Exeter.

"We are at the very early stages of understanding this ubiquitous pollutant. We now have a benchmark that future studies can be compared with," Godley said.

"Marine mammals are ideal sentinels of our impacts on the marine environment, as they are generally long lived and many feed high up in the food chain. Our findings are not good news," he said.

"It is disconcerting that we have found microplastic in the gut of every single animal we have investigated in this study," said Penelope Lindeque, from PML.

In total, 26 species of marine mammal are known to inhabit or pass through British waters.

The species in this study included Atlantic white-sided dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, grey seal, harbour porpoise, harbour seal, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, striped dolphin and white-beaked dolphin.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An outbreak of swine flu in Morocco has left nine people dead in the past week, the kingdom's health minister said Saturday.

The spread of the H1N1 virus was "normal" for the time of the year, said Anas Doukkali, quoted by Morocco's official MAP agency.

The first death in Morocco from the influenza-type virus was reported by local media on Wednesday, since when anxious rumours have spread on social media.

"Vigilant efforts continue to detect possible cases in different hospitals across the kingdom," said government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi.

H1N1 is a respiratory disease contracted through contact between humans and pigs and transmitted between people through inhalation.

A major H1N1 outbreak sparked a World Health Organization pandemic alert in June 2009. It killed around 18,500 people in 214 countries before the alert was lifted in August 2010.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven young students from different parts of the country had a "surprise" dinner interaction with Congress president Rahul Gandhi where over Chinese food they shared their ideas about improving the lives of people and were promised that some may be included in the party manifesto.

From bringing out Congress manifesto in Braille, setting up gender-neutral toilets to steps for removing inequalities in system and caste discrimination in society, the conversation touched diverse issues as the youngsters opened up to a "warm and affable" Gandhi.

With the crucial Lok Sabha polls drawing near, Gandhi has started the outreach Apni Baat Rahul ke saath and this group of seven youngsters from Delhi, Assam, Assam, Maharashtra, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh were the first to interact with him.

Gandhi will have several such sessions with students.

Critics might point out that the Congress has often mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for engaging with students, including his recent interaction with Class X and XII students Pariksha Pe Charcha programme, and his radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'.

But Congress leaders say Rahul Gandhi's interactions are more "personal", where he takes out time to listen to the people, a view endorsed by Pratishtha Deveshwar, a Delhi University student studying political science in Lady Shriram College.

"He is not an 'I know everything' kind of person and he was open to a conversation and discussion in trying to understand things, said Deveshwar who was in the group that interacted with Gandhi for nearly two hours.

"Such a friendly humble person, he was actually serving me from his plate. You do not expect such things from a person of this stature. It really breaks the ice between the big politicians and the 'aam aadmi'," she said.

Abhilash Karri, an IIT student from Mumbai, recalls how surprised they were when they saw a beaming Rahul Gandhi walking into the dining area of an upmarket Chinese food joint here late Friday evening where they sat. The students had been told that will have an interaction with Congress party, but not that it will be the party president himself.

The meeting was informally structured with Gandhi hearing the new age voters on their priorities for themselves and their countrymen.

Among the invitees was an LGBTQ rights activist who suggested gender neutral toilets for the trans people in order to ensure they are not body shamed.

Kunal Ramteke of the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) said he discussed caste based discrimination with Gandhi and described the Congress chief as one who is sensitive towards the issue. I hope he will implement suggestions to end caste based discrimination.... His talk was very inspirational, he said.

During his conversation, Karri said he stressed on making accessible to all by introducing a fee structure which can be afforded by the underprivileged.

"We need to evolve our own ideology suited to Indian conditions.

We also discussed the effects of 10 per cent reservation to the upper caste poor," he said.

"I did not know that he was coming. It was great moment for me, he said.

Karri said the good schemes brought by one party need to be continued by another as "our ultimate aim should be to serve the country".

Deveshwar said Gandhi told her that he will work on issues like making colleges and universities more accessible.

I also suggested that the Congress needs to come out with its manifesto in Braille, that is for people who are visually impaired. That is the first step that the parties can take in this regard and he has assured me that they will do this, she said.

About Gandhi's response, he said,"He told me that 'you are pretty impressive for a 20-year-old', which is a compliment that I am going to hold onto myself for my entire life. He knows how to give importance to everyone.

Rohan Reje Mathews, an engineering student in Dharwaad and LGBTQ activist, said the interaction was pretty nice.

He was articulate. I would be somebody who would take him seriously. We need to be taken seriously, we cannot be taken for a joy ride and our lives matter. Transwomen are being murdered everyday and transmen need attention. The gay men, lesbians all require attention from the community and the government as these are oppressed, ostracised people, he said.

Gandhi promised to put him across to those involved in drafting the manifesto for the Congress party.

We would be happy to discuss our issues with the party so that they can be added to the manifesto. Our concerns are surrogacy laws, civil marriage laws and gender neutral bathrooms and not third gender bathrooms. We cannot be body shamed any longer. Trans-men need to be given more attention, he said.

Shemaila Ali Khan, an MBBS student from Delhi, said she highlighted before Gandhi the issue of girls' in Muslim community.

Anil Kumar Maurya, a law student from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, discussed the issue of atrocities against Dalits and expressed the hope that the Congress party would take it up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Concrete steps are being taken to treble aluminium production in the country to over 10 million tonnes by 2030 to meet the growing demand, Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Saturday.

"India now produces around 3.4 million tonnes of aluminium and our aim is to increase it to around 10 million tonnes by 2030 for which concrete steps are being taken," he said at the valedictory ceremony of International Conference on Aluminium - INCAL 2019 here.

Tomar said the use and requirement of the strategic metal is growing in different sectors, including defence, aerospace and railways.

To ensure increase in aluminium production, the government is taking necessary steps for making available required volume of raw materials, he said adding initiatives like setting up of the National Mineral Exploration Trust have been taken to encourage mineral exploration.

Exploration of minerals including iron ore, bauxite and manganese are being encouraged to meet the needs of the industry and as many as 100 different new mines in the country are now ready for auction to ensure uninterrupted supply of raw materials to the industrial units, Tomar said.

The Centre is also for increasing the contribution of mining activities to the GDP, he added.

The Union minister asserted that the NDA government at the Centre has made mining operations in the country "transparent and corruption-free".

Not a single question has been raised about allotment of mining blocks made during the tenure of the Modi government as the whole process is transparent and open, he said.

As many as 53 blocks have been auctioned so far through which the government has earned an additional revenue of Rs 1.43 lakh crore and mineral bearing states have a share in it, Tomar said.

At the same time, the Centre has taken concrete steps to deal with the impact of mining activities on the people as well as environment by forming District Mineral Foundation (DMF) which has a fund of Rs 23,000 crore, he said.

Stating that around one lakh projects have been taken up for the development of areas around mines using the DMF fund, Tomar said Odisha has also been benefitted by it.

Emphasising that the Centre's focus is on skill development, he said ITIs, which were considered the last option earlier, have now emerged as centres of excellence.

Union Petroleum and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha has the pre-requisites for raising the production of the aluminium sector - namely affordable raw materials, power and manpower.

The state has tremendous potential for aluminium as well as steel and polymer units as it is endowed with more than 50 per cent of the country's bauxite reserve and over 25 per cent of coal deposits, he said.

Pradhan told newsmen on the sidelines of the function that Odisha got around Rs 5,000 crore from DMF but was unable to utilise the money for the development and welfare of the mineral-bearing areas.

The state government should speed up land acquisition and extend necessary cooperation to ensure increase in coal production to meet the needs of the industry.

T K Chand, Chairman of Aluminium Association of India (AAI) and CMD of state-owned NALCO, said the industry needs to facilitate growth of MSME and downstream units.

More than 850 delegates, including 300 foreign participants from 20 countries, took part in three-day global summit, which was organised by AAI under the aegies of the mines ministry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre has written to all states, directing them to quickly identify small and marginal farmers who will receive Rs 2,000 as the first installment by March-end under the Rs 75,000-crore income support package announced in the Budget, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said Saturday.

The government has already earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for disbursement in the current fiscal to an estimated 12 crore farmers.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced a scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' under which Rs 6,000 per year would be provided to farmers holding cultivable land of up to 2 hectares.

In an interview to PTI, Kumar expressed confidence that there would not be any major difficulty in implementing this farm package, except in north-eastern states where it might take a little more time.

"The Ministry of Agriculture has been working on this (proposal) and therefore they will pursue it on a mission mode. This is one scheme where implementation has to be ensured. We should be able to do it," he said.

The interim budget reflects the government's concern for small and marginal farmers, he said, adding "it does not give handout to the entire farming community".

Kumar said in some states preparations will have to be done on an urgent basis and "to that end the secretary agriculture has written a letter on February 1, addressed to all the chief secretaries and principal secretaries agriculture".

In the letter, he said, the Centre has written that "States/UTs will prepare data base of beneficiaries of small and marginal farmers in villages capturing name, gender, whether belonging to SC/STs and that this will be put on gram panchayat notice board, so that money can be distributed within the financial year as soon as possible".

The Niti Aayog vice chairman said the process of digitisation of land holdings has already started and in most states, including Uttar Pradesh, land records have already been digitised.

"When you go to Tehsil office, you can get a printout (of land record) from the computer. In a large part of the country, land records are digitised, so it should not be difficult at all," Kumar said.

For financial benefits, the landowners whose names appear on land records as on February 1 will be eligible under the PM-Kisan scheme.

Taking about the north-eastern states, Kumar said it might take "a little longer" in this region where there are community rights on land parcels.

For North East, he said an alternative mechanism will be developed and approved by a committee of union ministers and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to implement this scheme.

When asked whether Rs 6,000 per year or Rs 500 a month was enough, Kumar said: "Rs 500 is not a mean amount for a poor farmers. If you visit the poor farmers today, this money can be used for consumption, this money can be used for sending child to school, it can used to buy water for irrigation."



The direct income support to farmers was widely anticipated after the ruling BJP last power in recent assembly polls in Hindi heartland states, where rural distress was cited as one of the reasons for its defeat.

Farmers are in distress in most parts of the country as they are not getting better returns because of low prices due to bumper production of foodgrain, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and other horticulture crops.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may yet end up wishing he had been able to strengthen Manchester United's defence should their challenge for the Premier League's top four fall short.

Sunday's trip to Leicester will see United face Harry Maguire, a centre-back Jose Mourinho wanted to sign before the start of this season.

The club's refusal to sanction a move for the England international deepened divisions between Mourinho and the board, the fallout that ended with the manager's sacking in December as the team struggled.

Caretaker manager Solskjaer, publicly at least, appears less concerned than Mourinho about the lack of defensive signings this season but a shortage of quality in that area remains an issue.

Solskjaer made a record-breaking start after taking charge at Old Trafford in December, becoming the first manager in United's history to win his opening eight matches, with six of those in the Premier League and two in the FA Cup.

But that sequence was ended on Tuesday in a 2-2 home league draw with Burnley, when United's defensive problems were exposed before a late fightback rescued a point.

That result meant Solskjaer's team go into this weekend's fixtures two points off the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot.

United have had defensive issues all season, keeping just four clean sheets in 24 Premier League matches.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward vetoed Mourinho's request to sign Maguire, feeling the England defender was not worth the ?70 million ($92 million) understood to be the asking price.

Other targets slipped away last summer too. A potential move for Yerry Mina did not go through because United were unhappy about the amount they would have to pay in agent fees. The Colombia defender ended up joining Everton from Barcelona instead.

Mourinho was also interested in Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng, but United's board were concerned about his injury record.

United's then-manager felt that his four senior centre-backs -- Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof -- were not up to standard, and the team's shaky defensive performance this season suggests he may have had a point.

Solskjaer has preferred Jones and Lindelof as his central defensive pairing, with Bailly as an occasional stand-in.

All three have given the impression that a mistake is never far away, although Lindelof proved valuable going forward for United against Burnley, scoring the stoppage-time equaliser that preserved Solskjaer's unbeaten record.

- United attack -



=================



United's more attacking style under their caretaker manager has made them much more attractive to watch, with Paul Pogba thriving after being given greater licence to go forward, but the approach has also exposed further their defensive weaknesses.

Leicester's pace in attack may well cause United problems on Sunday, and Solskjaer knows it.

"They've beaten Manchester City and Chelsea over the past couple of months, so it will be a tough game," he said.

"They are a team full of energy and pace in attack, with Jamie Vardy, Demarai Gray and James Maddison.

"And they defend well when they drop back. It's hard to break them down. It will be a challenge."



Solskjaer has proved in the past that he can solve defensive issues given time. In his two spells as manager of Norwegian club Molde, their goals-against record has improved after his first season, helped by wise investment in the transfer market.

The danger for the interim boss is that, by next season, Woodward may have someone else in charge at Old Trafford.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Snopes, the popular myth-busting website, has said it was ending its fact-checking partnership with Facebook as part of a "difficult, but necessary change."



A Snopes statement Friday said it was "evaluating the ramifications and costs of providing third-party fact-checking services," and wants the efforts to be "a net positive for our online community, publication, and staff."



The statement did not elaborate but Snopes vice president Vinny Green told the media education group Poynter the partnership was excessively labour intensive, requiring manual updates to fact checks by its staff of 16.

"With a manual system and a closed system, it's impossible to keep on top of that stuff," Green told Poynter.

Green posted Snopes' statement on Twitter later commenting: "A difficult, but necessary change for Snopes in 2019." Snopes said it agreed to partner with Facebook "without financial benefit to ourselves," but added that it faces increasing financial difficulties.

"Just as we believe credible and reliable content creators deserve to be paid for their work, we believe that fact-checkers should be compensated commensurately for the valuable services they provide to platforms," the statement said.

Snopes partnered with Facebook in 2016 on fact-checking and has been one of many global organizations that have agreements with the social network to help it fight misinformation.

Facebook said in a statement: "We value the work that Snopes has done, and respect their decision as an independent business." The California-based social network added: "We are committed to fighting this through many tactics, and the work that third-party fact-checkers do is a valued and important piece of this effort.

"We have strong relationships with 34 fact-checking partners around the world who fact-check content in 16 languages, and we plan to expand the program this year by adding new partners and languages." Snopes, which claims to the oldest internet fact-checking operation, was founded in 1994 as Urban Legends Reference Pages.

Facebook ramped up an effort on fact-checking after being accused of disseminating misinformation during the 2016 US election.

It uses artificial intelligence to flag questionable content and then sends any dubious posts to the independent fact-checkers.

Depending on the determination by those fact-checkers, Facebook may demote a post or add a message indicating it had been verified.

In the United States, Facebook has been working with FactCheck.org and PolitiFact in addition to Snopes. Facebook buys fact-checking content from AFP in over 14 countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Six men were arrested for allegedly killing a passerby after a scuffle broke out between two groups in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar area, police said Saturday.

The accused were identified as Imran (25), Ashu Gupta (21), Mohammad Arshad (20), Rakesh alias Raka (23), Inder Kumar (19), and Manoj Kumar (20), they added.

The incident occurred at around 7.15 pm on Friday.

On reaching the spot, police found a person bleeding. He was rushed to a private hospital where he was scared brought dead, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Vijay Kumar said.

The deceased was identified as Kanhaiya Lal, a resident a Sangam Vihar, Kumar said.

During investigation, police learnt that two groups clashed with each other with sticks and also possessed country made pistols, he added.

A scuffle broke out between Arshad, Nitin and Sanu on one side and Ashu, Manoj, Rakesh, Imran on the other side. They were thrashing each other with sticks and eventually Manoj and Sanu pulled out pistols and opened fire at each other. One of the shots hit Kanhaiya Lal who was passing by, the DCP said.

All the accused except Imran and Arshad have criminal background, he said.

A case was registered and efforts were being made to arrest the remaining accused, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New Rishi Kumar Shukla is the second officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, after the agency's founder-director D P Kohli, to be appointed to the coveted post, officials said Saturday.

Fifty-eight-year-old Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, was on Saturday appointed the chief of the (CBI), established in its current form in 1963.

He was Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh for nearly two-and-a-half years. He is known for ensuring quick investigations into cases of rape in the state during his tenure as the police chief, leading to a substantial decrease in such a heinous crime.

A post-graduate in Philosophy and a native of Gwalior, Shukla ensured that charge sheets in criminal cases were filed at the earliest to ensure a timely start of the trial so that delay in delivery of justice could be minimised, they said.

Although he has not served in the CBI, he was in the Intelligence Bureau where he handled several sensitive matters, they said.

After passing out from the Police Academy, Shukla served in Raipur, Damoh, Shivpuri and Mandsaur districts in different capacities, before taking over as DGP.

He was recently transferred from the post of DGP to the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal as chairman.

He underwent training in the USA for crisis management and hostage negotiations, besides another stint of training in London, they said.

Shukla was appointed the for a fixed tenure of two years.

Shukla takes charge of the country's premier investigation agency at a time it has been grappled with controversies.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Kumar Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer and former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

The CBI was established in the current form in 1963 through a Cabinet resolution and the then Chief of Special Police Establishment, Dharamnath Prasad Kohli, was made its first chief.

Kohli had earlier served as the chief of police forces of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Bharat, which later emerged as Madhya Pradesh after being merged with Vidhya Pradesh and Bhopal states.Pakistan's Punjab provincial government Saturday ordered that should be shifted to a hospital from jail, days after a special medical board concluded that the former prime minister has developed cardiac complications.

Sharif, 69, has been serving a seven-year jail term in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case.

The order came after a special medical board constituted to monitor his health recommended that he should be shifted to a hospital. The board examined the deposed prime minister in jail this week.

In a directive to the jail administration, the Punjab government said: "In view of Nawaz Sharif's multiple co-morbidities and complex cardiac history with multiple cardiac procedures with complications abroad, it is advised that he be admitted for further investigations/management in a hospital where multidisciplinary care is available".

It further said Sharif should be shifted to the Services Hospital, Lahore to "carry out detailed medical examination and management for minimum required period".

Foolproof security arrangement should also be made during his shifting and stay in the hospital, it directed.

Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan said Sharif will be shifted to the hospital on Saturday.

He said the government has decided to shift Sharif to the hospital in the light of the report of the six-member medical board.

"The government was providing best health facilities to Sharif in jail but since the medical board suggested his hospitalisation, the government has no objection to it," the minister said.

On Wednesday, the 'larger special medical board' headed by Dr Hamid Sharif Khan examined Sharif in the jail.

The three-time prime minister, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in Al-Azizia Mills corruption case, was earlier rushed to Lahore's Punjab Institute of Cardiology after he complained of heart-related complications.

He was later discharged from the hospital and taken back to jail following the medical tests.

Sharif's personal cardiologist Dr Adnan Khan said: "Since day one, I have been mentioning that Sharif is having frequent episodes of angina, which was confirmed by Thallium scan. The government functionaries kept denying".

Sharif's family has also demanded that he should be shifted to a hospital as the Muslim League-Nawaz supremo was not getting proper medical facilities in the jail.

Sharif has been behind the bars since December 24, 2018, after an accountability court convicted him in one of the three corruption cases filed under the direction of the Supreme Court.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mill case was about setting up steel mills in Saudi Arabia allegedly with corruption money.

Three corruption cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau in 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case in 2017.Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year jail term over graft charges, was on Saturday shifted to a hospital here, officials said, days after a special medical board concluded that he has developed cardiac complications.

Sharif, 69, who is lodged in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, was admitted to the Services Hospital.

"Nawaz Sharif has been moved to hospital from jail," officials said.

The former premier was served tea and snacks by the hospital administration before proceeding with any medical examination, they said, adding that he was shifted to the hospital's VIP room.

Security has been beefed up in and around the hospital, but the officials remained tight-lipped over the duration of Sharif's stay in the hospital.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan's Punjab provincial government directed the jail administration to shift Sharif to the government-run Services Hospital on the recommedndation of the medical board.

In a directive to the jail administration, the Punjab government said: "In view of Nawaz Sharif's multiple co-morbidities and complex cardiac history with multiple cardiac procedures with complications abroad, it is advised that he be admitted for further investigations/management in a hospital where multidisciplinary care is available".

It further said Sharif should be shifted to the Services Hospital, Lahore to "carry out detailed medical examination and management for minimum required period".

Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan said the government has decided to shift Sharif to hospital in the light of the report of the six-member medical board.

"The government was providing best health facilities to Sharif in jail but since the medical board suggested his hospitalisation, the government has no objection to it," the minister said.

On Wednesday, the 'larger special medical board' headed by Dr Hamid Sharif Khan examined Sharif in the jail.

The three-time prime minister, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in Al-Azizia Mills corruption case, has been facing multiple health issues.

He was earlier rushed to Lahore's Punjab Institute of Cardiology after he complained of heart-related complications. He was later discharged from the hospital and taken back to jail following the medical tests.

Sharif's personal cardiologist Dr Adnan Khan said: "Since day one, I have been mentioning that Sharif is having frequent episodes of angina, which was confirmed by Thallium scan. The government functionaries kept denying".

His family has also demanded that he should be shifted to a hospital as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo was not getting proper medical facilities in the jail.

Sharif has been behind the bars since December 24, after an accountability court convicted him in one of the three corruption cases filed under the direction of the Supreme Court.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mill case was about setting up steel mills in Saudi Arabia allegedly with corruption money.

Three corruption cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau in 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case in 2017.

He was sentenced to 11 years in jail in the Avenfield properties case by an anti-corruption court.

Sharif was released in September after another court suspended his sentence pending an appeal hearing -- but was again sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption in a second case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A close aide of mafia don-turned-politician was shot dead late on Friday night, triggering tension in the town, a police official said on Saturday.

Superintendent of Police, Siwan, Naveen Chandra Jha said Mohd Yusuf (40) was gunned down at a spot about half a kilometer from the Town police station area.

He received bullet injuries in his chest and died while being taken to a hospital by local policemen who rushed to the spot upon hearing the gunshots," Jha said.

A few empty cartridges have been recovered from the site of the incident. Investigations are on to identify the culprits. Adequate police deployment has been made to avert any untoward incidents," the SP added.

Yusuf, who was often seen alongside Shahabuddin's wife Hina Shahab and son Osama at public gatherings, is said to have hailed from the same village as the former MP and used to live in a house close to the residence of the jailed politician.

is currently lodged in Tihar jail, serving life imprisonment in a double murder case.Lamenting that sensationalism, paid and biased coverage have become the 'bane' of modern day journalism, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Saturday said the fourth estate needed to do "serious introspection".

In his inaugural address at the Golden jubilee celebrations of Kollam Press club, he noted that journalism in the past was a mission to fight ills that afflicted society and journalists used to work without fear or favour.

He said this was no longer the case as commercial and other considerations were taking precedence over everything else.

"Sensationalism, paid and biased coverage have become the bane of modern-day journalism. In addition, we are having the problem of fake news", he said.

The Vice President said that in spite of restrictions imposed by the British, the press remained fearless and many journals and newspapers had played a pioneering role.

However, during the Emergency, barring a few exceptions like 'Indian Express', 'The Statesman' and 'The Mainstream', the response of the press was by and large "muted", he said.

Over the years,the media landscape has changed drastically and so had the values of those professing to be journalists.

With business groups and even political parties setting up newspapers and television channels to further their interests, the core values of journalism were getting "eroded", Naidu said and urged journalists to do a "serious introspection".

Of late, the undesirable practises of mixing with views has become the 'new normal'. The sooner these were eliminated, the better it would be for journalists and society at large, Naidu said.

In the present digital era when millions are using social media platforms, journalists would have to be extra careful in checking the veracity of information and guard against 'fake news', disinformation and misinformation, Naidu cautioned.

Pointing out that the media should act as a bridge between the government and people, he said it should ensure that justice is not denied to the people, particularly the vulnerable and marginalised sections of society.

Instead of focusing on negativity, it was important that newspapers in a country like India accord importance to development journalism as there were challenges related to agriculture, climate change, gender equality and delivery of health services, among others, he said.

He said a democracy can thrive only when all shades of opinion are allowed to be expressed fully and freely. Any attempt to stifle or shut out contrarian viewpoints was unhealthy and would stunt intellectual development, he said.

Naidu also said freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the Constitution was not absolute, but bound by reasonable restrictions and suggested that it was perhaps time that media bodies



came out with a code of conduct for journalists.

In view of the critical role journalism plays in protecting democracy and serving the larger good of society, the profession must maintain the highest ethical, moral and reporting standards, he said.

It was also time that a minimum educational qualification be prescribed for aspiring journalists to ensure that the standards and ethics were maintained, Naidu said.

Speaking at the 90th anniversary celebrations of Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam, an initiative of Malayala Manorama daily, he voiced concern over unwelcome tendencies in the media like mixing news with views, propagation of fake news and sensationalism and said these were detrimental for democracy and should be curbed through strict self-regulation by the media.

"Ours is an increasingly complex information society and knowledge-driven world and information is vital for progress. Analysing and synthesising this huge mass of information and facts to produce knowledge is crucial for our advancement," he said at the function in Kottayam.

Applauding Balajanasakhyam for striving to make young children more sensitive, compassionate and responsive to the needs of others, he congratulated Malayala Manorama for envisioning and realising this noble initiative.

"In keeping with its motto of 'We Serve', Balajanasakhyam has been at the vanguard of relief and social service activities in Kerala for nine decades, he said.

The Vice President applauded 'Hridayapoorvam Sakhyam', a platinum jubilee project of Balajanasakhyam, which together with Madras Medical Mission hospital, had facilitated free heart surgeries to hundreds of ailing children.

Naidu lauded Malayala Manorama for making Balajanasakhyam child and youth focused and suggested it be mandatory for school and college students to enlist in organisations like NCC and NSS to instil discipline and team spirit in them.

He visited the K C Mammen Mappilai hall,named after the veteran journalist, one of the pioneering leaders of the print media in Kerala and founder of Malayala Manorama.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before.

Moscow and Washington have long accused the other of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement, which was signed in 1987 and resolved a crisis over Soviet missiles.

President Donald Trump last year announced plans to withdraw unless Russia fulfilled its obligations.

"Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation," Putin said of the agreement, following a US deadline for cooperation.

Putin said during a televised meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

"We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic," the president said.

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan with last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europeans.

It banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles).

The deal addressed Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was starting a process to withdraw from the agreement in six months.

Trump said he would like to "get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty," but in the meantime, the United States "can't be put at a disadvantage."



The US in December gave Moscow a 60-day deadline to dismantle missiles it said breached the agreement.

But Moscow has insisted the disputed 9M729 missile is allowed under the treaty. The defence ministry last month invited journalists and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the weapon system.

Lavrov on Saturday repeated Russian accusations that Washington itself has been in violation of the deal for many years.

The foreign minister said Russia had "tried everything to save the treaty" in several rounds of diplomatic talks.

Putin meanwhile said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US.

He has previously warned of proliferation of weapons but on Saturday told the ministers Russia would "not be drawn into a costly new arms race".

Russia would only deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe or elsewhere in answer to similar moves from the US, he added.

European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the United States formally leaves in August.

Beijing on Saturday also expressed concern over the mutual suspension, calling for the US and Russia to engage in "constructive dialogue".

China's foreign ministry has ruled out the possibility of negotiating a new multilateral pact that includes Beijing.

NATO earlier said that US allies "fully support" its withdrawal and agreed that Russia's 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems, whose range is the cause of US concerns, violated the treaty.

Lavrov at Saturday's meeting voiced concerns that Washington's decision to withdraw from the INF could jeopardise the extension of the New START treaty. That agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A journalist for Iranian state TV who was detained in the US for 10 days accused the country on Saturday of violence and discrimination against Muslims and black people.

US-born Muslim convert Marzieh Hashemi was arrested at St Louis Lambert International Airport on January 13 under a law allowing authorities to detain people suspected of being potential witnesses in criminal cases.

Back in Tehran after being released, she said Saturday the "material witness law" has been "used systematically to target mostly Muslims in America for over two decades".

"I was imprisoned and treated like a criminal under this law without a single charge," she said at a press conference in Tehran, adding that the law uses "false, flimsy or irrelevant evidence to secure arrest warrants against Muslims."



Hashemi, who changed her name from Melanie Franklin after converting to Islam, works as an anchor for Iran's English-language television station Press TV.

Hashemi had been in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members as well as working on an "independent documentary project" on police brutality against African-Americans, she said.

She was unable to give specific details on her imprisonment, for legal reasons, but called it a "fishing expedition" with no credible cause or charge.

A US court said last month her testimony was required over an unspecified case, but that she was not accused of a crime.

Iran's foreign ministry also summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents American interests in the Islamic republic as the two countries broke off relations following the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the US of violating the civil rights of black people, slamming Hashemi's arrest as a "political" move that "tramples on freedom of speech".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya at the earliest and dared the Congress to spell out its own stand on the issue.

The Kumbh fair is on and it is only natural that the demand for a Ram temple is being raised, he said at a meeting of the party's booth-level workers here, virtually launching the BJP's campaign in Uttarakhand for the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP's stand has always been clear on the issue and I want to declare today that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya should be built at the earliest. Will Rahul Gandhi too define his stand on the issue?" Shah said to loud cheers of Jai Shri Ram.

At the Parade Ground meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party chief also hit out at opposition attempts to forge a 'mahagathbandhan', or a grand alliance, for the parliamentary elections just months away.

He accused the Congress of putting up obstacles to the temple's construction through its lawyers in the Supreme Court.

Shah was referring to a plea in 2017 by Kapil Sibal, who was representing the Sunni Waqf Board, to postpone hearings in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute till the Lok Sabha elections are over.

"The Congress should come forward and explain why it had sought deferment of the hearing in the country's oldest title suit," Shah said.

The Supreme Court had turned down the plea.

Shah contrasted this with the recent petition by the BJP government in the Supreme Court, seeking to return the land around the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site to its original owners.

His remarks follow increasing demands on the BJP-led government from Hindutva organisations, and seers who held meetings at the Kumbh Mela recently, to ensure an early construction of the temple.

Shah called the mahagathbandhan' a desperate coming together of political forces opposed to each other as they cannot think of taking on Modi alone.

The bua-bhatija (aunt and nephew) have come together in UP. Do you think they will stay together,'' he said, referring to the alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and the Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh.

Who is going to listen to a Chandrababu Naidu at a public meeting in Haldwani or a Deve Gowda in Dehradun? They are leaders of regional parties with a limited appeal," the BJP leader said.

Their only aim is 'Modi Hatao' (Remove Modi) whereas Modi wants to remove poverty, corruption and disease, he said.

He said casteism and dynastic had no future in the country and urged people to bring back Modi with a clear mandate if they wanted a government capable of delivering on its promises.

He asked them to ensure that the party wins all the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand, as it did in 2014.

Uttarakhand is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priority," he said and referred to the makeover of Kedarnath after the 2013 floods.

He praised the interim Budget presented Friday, saying it took care of all sections of society, particularly farmers, women, the poor and the marginalised.

Highlighting the Budget provisions for the farmers, he mocked the Congress.

"Do you understand the difference between Rabi and Kharif? Do you know the problems of the farmers? Have you really connected with them ever?" he said, without naming anyone.

Shah credited the Modi government with implementing the One Rank One Pension scheme for military veterans, saying successive Congress governments had failed to achieve this.

He said the booth-level workers are the party's real strength and they alone can steer it to a thumping victory.

Shah said coming to address their meeting reminded him of his initial days in the party.

"This is possible only in a party like BJP which is governed by democratic principles. A small party worker like me who pasted party posters on poles and pillars rose to become its president and a tea seller's son the country's prime minister," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)will address a rally on Sunday, the first public meeting organized by the party at the Gandhi Maidan in nearly three decades.

The state unit of the relegated to the status of a marginal player ever since Mandal burst on the political scene in the 1990s - appears to have shed its ennui and working overtime to ensure that the rally is a grand success.

AICC in-charge of Bihar, Shaktisinh Gohil said Saturday that invitations have been sent to alliance partners like Tejashwi Yadav, and for the event.

is part of Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in which also comprises RJD, RLSP and HAM of former chief minister Manjhi.

Manjhi has confirmed his presence at the event.

It needs to be seen whether Kushwaha, who is nourishing wounds at PMCH following clash with the police, will be able to make it to the programme or not.

There, is, however, no word about participation of RJD leader

BPCC sources said party leaders have held at least 400 public meetings across the state in the recent past in a bid to galvanize support for the rally, which would serve as a veritable sounding of bugle for the Lok Sabha polls which may be announced next month.

Arrangements have been made at various places in the city, including residences of many of the partys legislators, for lodging Congress supporters, who are expected to converge from far-off corners of the state to witness the first rally of the party in more than two decades.

This would be the first public meeting to be addressed by in after he took over as the party a little over a year ago and this has led to palpable enthusiasm among young cadre, who have put up colourful posters across the city, many of these taking jibes at the with earthy slogans.

Some others have stoked minor controversies by depicting Gandhi as deities like Lord Siva and Lord Rama.

Inside the Gandhi Maidan, independent MLA from Mokama Anant Singh can be seen looking after the catering arrangements and he says I will be there along with my supporters to ensure the success of the rally though I may not yet be a member of the Congress.

Singh has expressed his desire to contest from Munger Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket, drawing criticisms from the ruling JD(U)- combine which accuse the Grand Old Party of providing a platform to a bahubali.

However, AICC in-charge of Shaktisinh Gohil dismisses such criticisms, pointing out that Singh was a member of Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) and also had access to Deputy CM and leader

Our rally will create history. It is for the first time in three decades that the Congress is holding its own rally in Gandhi Maidan. Though our top leaders like have, in the recent past, spoken at rallies organized by coalitions of which we are a part, Gohil says.

But tomorrow, we will be the hosts and alliance partners like Tejashwi Yadav, and have been sent invitations to lend strength to our fight against the BJP, he added.

Elaborate security arrangements are in place for the rally.

According to Superintendent of Police, Patna, Garima Malik, nearly 3,000 police personnel, including constables, sub-inspectors and officers of DSP rank would be deployed in the city to maintain law and order even as a temporary outpost has been set up in the vicinity of the venue of the rally.

In addition, Quick Response Teams and Anti-Terrorist Squad would be deployed inside the sprawling Gandhi Maidan where more than 100 CCTV cameras have been installed to keep a close watch on movement of people, Malik added.

Notably, the Gandhi Maidan which has witnessed rallies by luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, and in the pre-Independence era and Jayaprakash Narayan, and later on - was hit by a series of bomb explosions in 2013 when Narendra Modi, then the Chief Minister of and the BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate, had addressed his maiden election meeting in Bihar.

A year later, a stampede at the huge ground with a perimeter of nearly 2.5 kilometers during Dussehra celebrations had claimed more than a score of lives.Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reiterated his allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped businessman Anil Ambani through the Rafale deal.

Gandhi cited a media report which claimed that the deal was a lifeline for Ambani's Reliance Group.

"Merit according to Modi," the Congress chief tweeted and tagged the report to reiterate his allegations over the Rafale deal.

Gandhi has been accusing Modi of helping Ambani make a profit of Rs 30,000 crore by favouring him in the deal.

The government has denied any wrongdoing in the fighter jet agreement with France. Ambani has also strongly rejected all allegations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Punjab government on Saturday decided to release Rs 5 crore for providing freight subsidy to distressed potato growers to enable them sell crop out of the state.

The announcement in this regard was made by Chief Minister Amarinder Singhhere, an official release said.

Announcing a series of measures to support potato farmers, the chief minister directed the agriculture department to take all possible steps to help potato growers in realising better prices of their crop.

He also ordered the concerned department to initiate steps for export of potato crop, with the help of the freight subsidy which his government would be releasing to the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation.

The chief minister has already asked the departments of school education and jails to purchase potatoes directly from farmers for use in preparing mid-day meals and Anganvadi meals respectively. He also blamed the Centre for not helping out the farming community.

Potatoes are grown on about one lakhs hectares in Punjab with a total production of 25 lakh tonnes every year. However, farmers are facing problems due to subdued prices of the produce for the last three years.

Farmers claimed that they were facing acute financial crisis as due to glut output of tuber, they were not able to cover even the cost of production.

The Chief Minister has also sought the support of the industry in helping the potato growers. According to Viswajeet Khanna, Additional Chief Secretary Development, two potato processing plants, Iscon Balaji Foods Ltd and Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd, shall soon start processing of potatoes, with a target of processing about 35,000 tonnes of crop in this season.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US Vice President Mike Pence told a crowd in Florida on Friday that it is time to take action to end the socialist regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Pence told dozens of Venezuelans that Washington was working toward a "peaceful transition" so opposition leader Juan Guaido rises to power. But he reassured them President Donald Trump's administration would further weaken Maduro.

"This is no time for dialogue," Pence said at a church in the Doral suburb of Miami, prompting loud cheers among exiles who fled their homeland. "It is time to end the Maduro regime."



Before his speech, Pence sat down with a college professor who says he and his wife were physically assaulted by armed pro-government groups. In a round-table discussion, he also heard from other Venezuelans refugees such as a former city councilman who says he was accused of being a CIA agent. A doctor showed enlarged pictures of children seemingly dying of hunger.

A Venezuelan accountant and professor at Andres Bello Catholic University, Jose Ali Ravanguoy, told Pence and Florida politicians that he was being persecuted for teaching about democracy in working-class neighbourhoods that were socialist strongholds. "We started to make noise," he said.

"I am here as the face of many mothers who live with the fear that their husbands won't come home. That the father of their kids won't return. That their children live a childhood full of fear and persecution," said Francis Suarez, wife of Ravanguoy, who wore a shirt that said "Make Venezuela Free Again."



About 190,000 Venezuelans live in Florida, and many have arrived in recent years as the country spiraled downward as a result of an economic and political crisis under Maduro and former President Hugo Chavez.

Sen Marco Rubio, a fierce critic of Maduro, warned that time was running out for the socialist leader to voluntarily step down from office. "Nicolas Maduro has got big problems. This is not like the other times. You've made a terrible enemy in Donald Trump," Rubio said.

The Florida Republican has praised the Trump administration for hitting Venezuela's state-owned oil company with sanctions.

Pence said the Trump administration would continue to put diplomatic and economic pressure to force Maduro to cede power and restore democracy in the South American nation.

He repeated a message that Donald Trump has given before regarding consideration a military intervention, and said "all options are on the table." Alejandro Segovia Marquez, a former city councilman who says he was accused of working for the CIA, told Pence in a discussion that Venezuelans can't wait any longer because time equals deaths.

"We, the Venezuelans, stand by the United States' side and are waiting for you," he said. "For pity, for humanity, do not drag your feet on this issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A group of women from Pakistan, who came to Jammu and Kashmir with their husbands under the rehabilitation policy for militants, Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for travel documents to return home.

They claimed that they have not been provided the permanent resident certificates as promised.

In 2001, NC vice-president and then chief minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the youths of Jammu and Kashmir who had gone across the LoC for arms training but had renounced militancy and wanted to return home to lead a normal life.

"Since the time we came here with our husbands and children under the rehabilitation policy announced by the Omar Abdullah government, we have not been provided the PRC document," the women said in a statement.

"On the contrary, FIRs have been registered against us and we are now unnecessarily caught in court cases," they said.

The women, coming from different parts of the Kashmir Valley, assembled at the Residency Road here to press for their demands.

"We appeal to the prime ministers and foreign ministers of India and Pakistan that travel documents be issued to us on humanitarian grounds. If they do not give us the travel documents, then we should be made to exit," the women added.

The women said since their arrival in the state, they have not been able to visit their families in Pakistan.

"Many of our close relatives, including parents, have died during this period. We remain disturbed on account of welfare of our relatives back home and some of us are now suffering from psychiatric problems as well," the women claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan, which has the third largest donkey population in the world, will export the animal to China, opening the avenue to earn millions from the trade, according to a media report.

Donkeys are highly prized in China, especially for their hide which is used to manufacture traditional Chinese medicines. Gelatin made from donkey skin has been long considered to have medicinal properties in China, traditionally being thought to nourish the blood and enhance the immune system.

Pakistan has the world's third largest population of donkeys with more than 5 million animals, while China stands at number one.

A senior official at the livestock department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said Chinese companies are interested in donkey farming in Pakistan and foreign companies are ready to invest USD 3 billion, the Geo reported.

In a bid to boost the country's exports, the live stock department has announced that it will develop donkey farms the first of its kind in the country.

According to reports, at least two donkey farms are being set up in Dera Ismail Khan and Mansehra with foreign partnership.

During the first three years, the government plans to export as many as 80,000 donkeys to China, according to the report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One of the book world's greatest mysteries is finally ending: J D Salinger's son says previously unpublished work by his late father will be coming out.

In comments that appeared Friday in The Guardian, Matt Salinger confirmed longstanding reports that the author of "The Catcher in the Rye" had continued to write decades after he stopped publishing books. He said that he and Salinger's widow, Colleen, are "going as fast as we freaking can" to prepare the material for release.

"He wanted me to pull it together, and because of the scope of the job, he knew it would take a long time," Salinger said of his father, who died in 2010 and had not published work since the mid-1960s.

"This was somebody who was writing for 50 years without publishing, so that's a lot of material. So there's not a reluctance or a protectiveness: When it's ready, we're going to share it," he said.

Salinger, who helps oversee his father's literary estate, says any new work might be years away and did not cite any specific titles or plots. He did indicate that the Glass family made famous in such fiction as "Franny and Zooey" would be seen again.

"I feel the pressure to get this done, more than he did," he said, adding that the unseen work "will definitely disappoint people that he wouldn't care about, but for real readers . I think it will be tremendously well received by those people and they will be affected in the way every reader hopes to be affected when they open a book. Not changed, necessarily, but something rubs off that can lead to change." Longtime Salinger publisher Little, Brown and Company had no comment Friday.

J D Salinger published just four books in his lifetime: "Nine Stories," ''The Catcher in the Rye," ''Franny and Zooey" and a volume with the two novellas "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction."



The last work to come out in his lifetime was the story "Hapworth 16, 1924," which appeared in The New Yorker in 1965.

Salinger rarely spoke to the media and not only stopped releasing new work but rejected any reissues or e-book editions of his published material.

This year marks the centennial of his birth and signs of a new openness emerged in 2018 when his estate permitted new covers and a boxed edition of his old fiction to come out for the 100th anniversary. A Salinger exhibit is planned later this year at the New York Public Library, and other promotional events are in the works.

Over the past half-century, rumors and speculation intensified over if any new books existed and if they were of publishable quality. A former lover, Joyce Maynard, and Salinger's daughter, Margaret, have both contended that the author continued to write books, allegedly stored in a vault in the author's home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

A 2013 documentary and book by Shane Salerno and David Shields cited two "independent and separate sources" in predicting five new works.

One of the Salinger books would center on "Catcher" protagonist Holden Caulfield and his family. Others would draw on Salinger's World War II years and his immersion in Eastern religion. Matt Salinger has dismissed the contents of the Salerno-Shields project, but never definitively said that no new work would appear.

Salerno wrote in an email Friday to The Associated Press that "it was always his (JD Salinger's) intention and specific direction to have his work published after his death."



"I'm thrilled that Salinger fans around the world will finally get to see this important work from one of America's finest writers," Salerno added. "As the stories roll out over the years, I think you will find that all of our reporting was correct.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The tribals of Odisha are neglected under the Biju Janata Dal regime as they remain deprived of basic requirements like health, education, drinking water and others, BJP leaders alleged on Saturday.

The accusation was made by BJP ST Morcha president Ramvichar Netam after inaugurating party's two-day national convention here attended by nearly 5,000 representatives of tribal communities along with tribal leaders, MLAs and MPs from across the country.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda, former Odisha Chief Minister Giridhar Gamango were among the prominent personalities to attend the convention.

BJP national president Amit Shah is also scheduled to address the Adivasi Adhikar convention on February 3.

A rally has been planned by the BJP ST Morcha, Netam said adding that the tribals of Odisha do not get the minimum support price on minor forest produces due to lack of sincerity of the state government.

Netam said the tribals of Odisha still remain cut off from the rest of the state as there is no proper road connectivity. The doctors and primary health service also do not reach the tribals in remote areas.

The ST leaders also highlighted how the tribals eke their living by drinking water from springs water due to lack of drinking water facilities.

Addressing the convention, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched several schemes for the betterment of the tribal life.

The BJP government at the Centre has been giving priority to tribals in schemes such as Swachha Bharat, Pucca Houses, Drinking Water and others, he said.

BJP Odisha unit president Bsant Panda alleged that the thousands of tribal students are denied better education in Ekalabya Schools due to lack of sincerity on part of the BJD government in the state,



The tribal leaders said that the BJP's ST Morcha would a campaign highlighting anti-tribal attitude of both the BJD and the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja Saturday said it was not right on part of the endosulfan victims to "exhibit" their children, suffering the effects of the deadly pesticide, in front of the secretariat.

However, social activist Daya Bai, who is staging an indefinite fast at the venue in support of the endosulfan victims, asked where else would the victims go to get what they deserve.

"We have given them all sorts of assistance. We were ready to hold talks. But still they were protesting in front of the secretariat exhibiting children.

I don't undertstand what their aim is. Earlier, there were many prominent personalities in the protest, but now there are not many," the minister told the media.

Mothers with their endosulfan-affected children had on January 30 begun an indefinite fast in front of the Secretariat here, demanding speedy disbursal of compensation and implementation of the rehabilitation package.

Eight families, who have come from the northernmost district of Kasaragod to the state's southern tip to make their woes heard, said they would not return without their demands being met.

"It's fine with the government when these families have to visit various government offices with these poor children for years to receive compensation.

But the same government is sad when we take them to the secretariat asking for compensation," Daya Bai said.

The State government yesterday failed to reach an agreement with the representatives of endosulfan victims from Kasaragod.

The Supreme Court had in January 2017 directed the Kerala government to disburse compensation and rehabilitation package for endosulfan pesticide victims.

A bench headed by then Chief Justice J S Khehar had ordered the government to provide a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of people who died following exposure to the pesticide and those who became bed-ridden or mentally challenged.

Endosulfan, an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide, was used widely on crops like cashew, cotton, tea, paddy, fruits and others until 2011, when the Supreme Court banned its production and distribution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The new logistics portal and upcoming national policy would help boost the country's export growth, an industry association said Saturday.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said that the sector assumes significance as reduction in logistics cost and time would help promote competitiveness ofdomestic products in global markets.

The commerce ministry is expected to unveil soon a comprehensive logistics policy and a portal for the sector.

"Logistics plays a key role in boosting exports," he said while addressing the closing function of three-day logistics show Logix India here.

Over 130 logistics companies and their delegates from 27 countries participated at this event and exchanged business prospects and opportunities to make Indian logistics sector global, he added.

Besides these, FIEO also signed MoUs with Ceylon National Chamber of Industries and Kabul Chamber of Commerce and Industries to further promote commerce and trade.

The department of commerce is working on setting up a logistics portal and formulating a national logistics policy.

Speaking at the function, Special Secretary in the department of commerce N Sivasailam said that huge business opportunities exists for global companies in this sector in India.

Ajay Sahai, DG and CEO, FIEO said that Logix India 2019 has provided a networking platform for all the stakeholders including SMEs.

"The draft comprehensive logistics policy and portal, which will be unveiled soon, will add to furtherance and efficiency of the logistics industry in the country," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A fresh war of words broke out Saturday following the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as CBI chief, with Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge alleging that selection criteria was diluted, but the government hit back accusing the opposition leader of trying to "manipulate" the process to include officers of his choice in the shortlist.

Kharge, a member of the panel that decided on the appointment, sent a dissent note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the criterion in selecting the CBI director was diluted to include investigation experience only and not experience in investigating anti-corruption cases.

In the two-page note, he said the three-member committee, chaired by the prime minister and in which he is a member along with Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has violated the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE) that governs the CBI and the Supreme Court judgements.

"By including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, committee is in violation of DSPE Act and Supreme Court judgements guiding CBI Director's appointment," Kharge said.

"Seniority cannot be only criterion in appointment to such a critical post and experience in anti-corruption cases and prior experience of having served in the organisation should also be considered," said the Congress leader in his dissent note.

However, Union Minister Jitendra Singh claimed that Kharge tried to "manipulate" the criteria with the ulterior motive of accommodating some of his preferred officers.

He also hit out at Kharge for "giving his own version" of the panel's deliberations to the media.

Singh said that CJI Gogoi, who is part of the committee along with Modi and Kharge, had fully endorsed the objective criteria applied for selecting the head of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Fifty-eight-year-old Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer who was removed as police chief of Madhya Pradesh a few days ago by the Congress government in the state, will have a fixed tenure of two years.

Singh, whose ministry is the nodal department for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said the CBI director's selection was made in the objective criteria based on "seniority, service record and the experience in anti-corruption/investigation" areas.

"Kharge tried to manipulate the objective criteria, based on independent and impartial assessment, to select CBI Director... He wanted to include some officers of his preference in the short-list of candidates," Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, told PTI.

According to Kharge, the committee decided to shortlist candidates on the basis of seniority, ACR above a certain cut-off and total experience in investigation and anti-corruption of 100 months or more.

As per recommendation of the committee, the shortlisted panel included 1983 batch officers Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar and Shukla, besides 1984 batch IPS officers Sudeep Lakhtakia, S Javed Ahmed and A P Maheshwari.

Sources said Kharge was pushing for the case of Ahmed. The Congress leader had suggested a panel of three officers based on experience. The list had Ahmed (with 303 months of overall experience), Bhatnagar (170 months) and Lakhtakia (155 months).

He said that all three aspects of seniority, integrity and experience in investigating anti-corruption cases should be given equal importance and based on criterion laid down by DSPE Act and Supreme Court.

Kharge said it is important to restore the image and integrity of the CBI as a premier institution that is fighting against corruption.

"One cannot stand by and accept the dilution of norms when an appointment to such a critical post is being made.

"By including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, the committee is in violation of the DSPE Act and the Supreme Court judgements that guide the appointment of the Director of CBI," Kharge said.

"Hence, in addition to my remarks of disagreement already noted in the minutes of the meeting of the committee, I record my dissent for the above mentioned reasoned against the recommendation of the proposed panel of names for appointment of post of CBI director," he also said.

On the contrary, Singh said, "We have reasons to find fault in the manner Kharge is conducting himself in meeting after meeting violating all the norms of propriety by speaking to media and giving his own version of deliberations happening in the high-powered panel's meet."



"Not only this, in his frequent comments to media, Kharge has gone to the extent of making unsavourily and sarcastic remarks against the prime minister and the government," the minister said.

Singh said one should not forget how Kharge was accommodated in the three-member selection panel by the Modi government.

"Established rules envisaged that the selection panel will have the Leader of Opposition (LoP) as one of the members. But as the Congress did not get enough numbers in the 2014 general elections (to be accorded the status), it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who went out of the way to include leader of Congress (the largest opposition party) in the panel...in order to add further transparency and ensure balance in the selection procedure," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nepal's prominent surgeon and activist Dr Govinda KC, who was on fast-unto-death for nearly a month demanding reforms in the country's health care and medical education system, ended his 16th hunger strike on Friday



after parliament endorsed a controversial medical education bill without necessary amendments sought by him.

The 61-year-old senior orthopaedic surgeon was on a hunger strike for 24 days demanding reforms in the medical sector through amendment to a medical bill, which was tabled by the ruling Nepal Communist Party in parliament.

He ended his hunger strike a day after the upper house of parliament endorsed the controversial National Medical Education Bill without necessary amendments.

While announcing his decision to end the hunger strike, Dr KC said him continuing the strike would disrupt health service delivery and affect the general people.

Nepal's doctors shut hospitals across the country on Friday, demanding that the government accept the demands of Dr KC.

The Nepal Medical Association on Friday called doctors across the country to shut down all the general services except emergency, depriving patients of health services.

The fasting doctor warned that he would stage the 17th hunger strike again if his demands were not fulfilled by the government.

He lashed out at Prime Minister Oli accusing him of betraying not only the Mathema report that recommended reforms in the country's medical education but also the entire 30 million Nepali citizens.

Dr KC said he ended the hunger strike at the request of former President Dr Rambaran Yadav and former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Dr KC told media persons that he would continue his struggle against the policy-level corruption that has gripped the medical education sector.

The surgeon also slammed the government for being insensitive on reforming medical education sector and legalising malpractices for commercial gains.

I will fight until I initiate reform in the medical education sector, he said prior to being transferred to TUTH Intensive Care Unit for further treatment.

The doctor's demands include healthcare services for poor people in remote regions and an end to the commercialisation of medical education.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Suspected naxals Saturday killed two villagers in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, apparently on suspicion that they are police informers.

The incident occurred in the wee hours when some ultras dragged Girma Kadyami and Samru Kosni, both residents of Markegaon village in Dhanora taluka, out of their houses and shot them dead, said Gadchiroli superintendent of police Shailesh Balkawde.

On January 21, Maoists had killed three villagers in Kasnasur area of the east Maharashtra district, around 140 kms from here, on suspicion that their tip-off to police led to killing of 40 ultras in a massive operation in the region in 2018.

The SP said naxals are killing innocent villagers out of "frustration".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Dhananjay Desai, an accused in the Mohsin Shaikh murder case, has given an undertaking to the High Court while obtaining bail that he would not take part in the activities of Hindu Rashtra Sena, his organisation, till the trial is over.

Shaikh, an IT professional, was killed in Pune in 2014 following an alleged provocative speech made by Desai.

He got bail from the Bombay High Court on January 17.

As per the bail order which was made available a few days ago, the court took an undertaking from Desai that he would not "run the Hindu Rashtra Sena", or be a part of it or give speeches on behalf of the organisation till the trial is over.

Desai also undertook to apply to another bench of the high court for vacation of a stay to the trial. The stay had been granted on Desai's application in 2017.

Desai's bail application was rejected eight times by the sessions court and once by high court's another bench.

Justice Sadhana Jadhav, who granted him bail against a surety of Rs 50,000, said in her order that Desai, accused of "provoking the public to wage a war against Muslims", deserved to be granted bail as he was willing to furnish the undertaking.

The prosecution, strongly opposing his bail plea, pointed out that Desai had 17 criminal cases against him.

However, the high court noted that the police had not taken "any coercive action against him except file the chargesheet" so far, despite so many cases lodged against him.

Desai's lawyer Abhijit Desai argued that his client was not present when the crime took place, and 20 other accused in the case were already out on bail.

According to the police, Desai delivered a provocative speech without police permission after morphed pictures of Hindu deities were circulated on social media.

A group of Hindu men, provoked by Desai's inflammatory speech, went on a rampage in Hadapsar area of Pune.

They spotted two men, one of them with a beard, on a motorbike, and attacked them. Shaikh, one of the men on the motorcycle, died in the attack while his friend Riyaz escaped.

Desai was subsequently arrested.

In January 2017, another bench of the HC granted bail to three accused allegedly involved in the attack.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As a raucous debate rages on over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for the contentious piece of legislation on Saturday, insisting it would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution.

Modi, who took his electoral battle to strident critic West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's turf, launched a blistering attack against the state's ruling TMC, accusing it of orchestrating violence targeting BJP workers and claiming she had become jittery due to people's love for his party.

"India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice...Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis.

"It was because of this that we brought the Citizenship Bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the Bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament."



Modi was addressing an event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.

With an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal, they can influence results in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts. However, many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

Modi's spirited defence of the Citizenship Bill in Matua heartland is apparently aimed at creating a new vote base for the BJP, just a couple of months or a little more ahead of the general elections.

The prime minister's address to a rally of 'Matua Mahasangh', which is aligned to the BJP, came days after 10 political parties of the northeast, most of which are members of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), besides the JD(U), the saffron party's key ally in Bihar, decided to oppose the Bill, calling it detrimental to the interests of the locals.

Addressing the well-attended rally, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi accused Banerjee and the TMC of unleashing violence against BJP workers.

"Now I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence, killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us," he told the gathering, which grew restive barely minutes into Modi's address.

Soon there was commotion as people pressed their way through the wooden log barriers in an attempt to move ahead to have a closer look at the prime minister.

Repeated attempts by Modi to calm down the edgy crowd fell on deaf ears as people began throwing chairs inside the no-man zone in front of the dais to create space for others who clambered across the barricades into the inner ring. An unspecified number of people, including women, were reported to have been injured in the melee.

As the situation threatened to get uglier, Modi ended his speech within 14 minutes and left the venue.

Modi alleged, in years that followed Independence, villages were neglected, and asserted that under his stewardship an "honest" attempt was made to change things for the better.

The prime minister called yesterday's Union Budget a "historic" step towards empowering peasants, workmen and the middle class.

"We have announced measures in our budget that will benefit 12 crore small farmers, 30-40 crore workmen, and three crore middle class people," he said.

He assailed non-BJP governments of "pulling the wool over the eyes" of the agrarian community with the promise of farm loan waiver, which did not help the cause of the targeted beneficiaries.

Mocking the Congress governments in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the prime minister said they made false promise of loan waiver.

"Loans are being waived of farmers who never took it and those who were promised farm loan waiver of Rs 2.5 lakh got a waiver of just Rs 13. This is the situation in MP," he alleged.

He claimed the government in Rajasthan had now "abjectly surrendered", and was saying it was not aware that writing off the farm loans will cause such great financial stress. "Now they are using police against farmers demanding waiver," he said.

The prime minister said the NDA government had approved a staggering Rs 75,000 crore income support scheme for 12 crore small and marginal farmers. They will get Rs 6,000 in their bank accounts in three equal instalments in a year, with the first tranche coming soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating violence against BJP workers, claiming she had become jittery



due to people's love for his party.

Taking his battle for the Lok Sabha elections to Banerjee's turf, Modi also accused his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers.

The prime minister also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution.

Addressing a well-attended event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi said, "Now I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence...killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us."



Calling yesterday's Budget a "historic step" for the welfare of farmers, the working and middle class, he said these sections were neglected for years after Independence.

"We have announced measures in our budget that will benefit 12 crore small farmers, 30-40 crore workmen, and three crore middle class people," he said.

There was commotion at the rally ground which prompted him to cut short his speech barely after 14 minutes.

Before the rally, the prime minister visited the Matua Thakurbari and sought the blessings of Baro Ma, the current leader of the community and widow of the founder of Matua Mahasangh Harishchandra Thakur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Denying allegations of any illegality in the sale of 1,384 flats in Mumbai recently, as alleged by an activist, the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) has told the Bombay High Court that it was well within its powers to sell these units.

The state government had published an advertisement in November, announcing the sale of 1,384 flats in the city through computerised lottery.

The names of the winners were declared in December.

In a Public Interest Litigation, activist Kamlakar Shenoy has claimed the sale was illegal since the flats were covered under the state government's Development Control Regulations.

He stated that the flats were meant to be allotted only to those residents whose houses were affected by the state's several development and redevelopment projects.

The PIL is being heard by a bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N M Jamdar.

In an affidavit filed in the high court Friday, the authority told the court that of the above 1,384 flats, only 50 belonged to the redevelopment of cess buildings category, and that they had been transferred for sale in consonance with statutory rules.

The remaining flats had been constructed for the very purpose of sale via a draw of lots, it submitted.

Shenoy contended that a majority of the flats are the ones which were surrendered to MHADA by private developers in lieu of having redeveloped cess buildings that cannot be sold for commercial gains.

Rule 33(7) of Development Control Regulations mandates that developers, who take up redevelopment of old buildings in the island city, must hand over a few flats from their surplus area, and in return they get certain Floor Space Index incentives and other benefits, the PIL stated.

The MHADA, however, denied the allegations and argued that these flats were not covered under rule 33(7).

The housing authority said the plea was "confusing the obligations of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) with those of MHADA".

SRA serves as the planning authority of the Maharashtra government for all slum areas in the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

"Of the said flats, only 50 transferred to MHADA from the cess projects. Remaining 1,334 tenements (were) constructed for the very purpose of this lottery," the MHADA said.

"No irregularities have been committed in calling for the applications and going ahead with the draw of lots for the above flats," it said, adding that the sale of flats via a draw of lots is well within its power.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A POCSO court sentenced a man to 20 years imprisonment on Saturday for raping his minor neighbour in Dharavi area here.

The accused, Kisan Damodar (53), was found guilty under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by additional Session Judge S J Gharat.

On December 18, 2015, the nine-year-old victim was playing outside her grandmother's home when the accused, a painter, forcefully took the girl inside his house and raped her repeatedly, special public prosecutor Vinod Mane said.

The accused also threatened her not to reveal the incident to anybody, Mane said.

The girl approached Dharavi police and lodged a complaint against Damodar, he said.

The prosecution recorded testimony of 10 witnesses, including the victim and a medical officer, during the course of trial, Mane said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The additional collector of Beed district in Maharashtra was Saturday arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, a senior state Anti-Corruption Bureau official said.

Additional Collector B M Kamble was heading an inquiry into foodgrain warehouses in the district and he allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a person who was being probed in this connection, the official said.

The complainant negotiated with Kamble and the two agreed on a bribe amount of Rs 5 lakh, the ACB official said.

"The complainant then approached the ACB on January 31. We laid a trap and caught Kamble and his middleman, senior clerk Mahadev Mahakude of the Public Distribution Scheme department, when they accepted Rs 5 lakh at Kamble's residence here on Saturday," he said.

A case has been registered with the Shivaji Nagar police station in the district and ACB teams are carrying out searches here as well as in Aurangabad and Nanded districts as part of the probe, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra government Saturday gave administrative approval to a pension scheme for senior journalists in the state, which has been a long-pending demand of the media fraternity.

Last year, the government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 15 crore towards implementation of such a scheme in view of rising demands from various quarters.

As per a Government Order (GO) issued Saturday, the "Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana" will be implemented by the board of trustees of the 'Shankarrao Chavan Suvarna Mahotsavi Patrakar Kalyan Nidhi'.

The pension amount is not yet finalised.

Under the scheme, working journalists, photographers, editors of newspapers and other broadcast media as well as freelancers who have attained 60 years of age and above and have completed 30 years in profession, will be eligible.

The senior journalists have to be accredited for minimum ten years, and journalism should be their only source of income.

Except the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), the applicant should not be getting any pension from any other source, the GO said.

Interestingly, one of the eligibility criteria makes it mandatory that the applicant should not be a Income Tax payee.

The pension will be given only during the beneficiary's lifetime and not to his/her kin after death, it said.

To avail of the scheme, senior journalists nearing their retirement will have to submit requisite documents to district information office. The documents will be scrutinised by a committee of Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

It will be committee's discretion to decide about granting pension to non-accredited journalists who fulfill the eligibility conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 250 members of the LGBTQ community Saturday held a "pride march" from August Kranti Maidan to Opera House and back, in south Mumbai, to highlight issues facing them.

Such pride marches have been held by the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Trans-Queer community in different parts of the country since 2005, organisers said.

While the earlier demand was the decriminalisation of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, current demands include inclusion in workplace, education, marriage, adoption rights, protection against abuse and discrimination, they said.

On September 6 last year, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously decriminalised part of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalises consensual unnatural sex.

The community is also opposing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 17 last year.

The bill seeks to define define transgenders and prohibit discrimination against them.

The LGBTQ community has called the bill "derogatory".

Ishaan Sethi, a founder of a dating app called Delta for the community members, and one of the organisers of Saturday's march, said the event was significant this year as it was the first after the reading down of section 377 of the IPC.

"The countrys largest pride march, Mumbai Pride, is extra special this year since it is the first major pride celebration since the reading down of section 377. Mumbai Pride 2019 is a celebration of true independence for the Indian LGBT community," he said.

Suresh Ramdas, Mr Gay India 2019, said, "Coming from Bangalore for my first Mumbai Pride March, I'm excited and proud to walk this pride celebrating my identity and first step towards freedom post Sec 377 being struck down. We have lot more work to do, and as Mr Gay India 2019, I would like to inspire and motivate people to be their authentic self."



Zubair Kalsia, marketing professional and queer rights advocate, said, "Since section 377 has been written down, we have seen a lot of brands and people come out in full support of the LGBTQ community. I am sure that Mumbai pride is not going to be any exception to this.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In an unusual case of smuggling, an about one-month old leopard cub was found in the baggage of a passenger who arrived from Bangkok Saturday at the airport here, Customs officials said.

The cub was handed over to the Forest department personnel who lodged it in the Vandalur zoo here, they said adding a case was being registered against the passenger, who claimed he was only a courier.

The animal was found in a plastic basket in the bag of Kaja Mohideen when the Air Intelligence officials, acting on a tip-off, examined his checked-in luggage.

Mohideen (45), who arrived by a Thai Airways flight, was also handed over to the Forest department, they said.

Though Customs officials had foiled smuggling of star tortoises in the past, this was perhaps the first time they have stumbled upon a leopard cub in recent years.

"The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak. The Customs officers fed the cub milk in a feeding bottle..," Commissioner of Customs Rajan Chaudhary said in a release.

Officials of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and zoo veterinarians were alerted who identified the animal as a female leopard cub, weighing 1.1 kg and about a month old and in a good condition.

"The leopard cub was seized under the Customs, Wild Life Protect Acts and as per the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora."



A senior zoo official told PTI that the cub has been brought in and was being taken care as per a protocol to be followed in such situations.

To a question, the official said a key priority was to de-stress the animal, adding higher authorities would take a call on whether it would remain the zoo or has to be sent back to Thailand.

On the motive for bringing in the animal and the offences for which the passenger has been booked, another forest official said,"questioning is underway and a case is being registered."



Pleading ignorance about the presence of the animal in the basket and the person who had handed it over to him, the passenger claimed that he only acted as a courier.

He was informed someone would collect it from him and give him money, the passenger told officials during questioning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI(M)-led Left Front in West Bengal will organize a rally here on Sunday to give a call to oust Trinamool Congress in the state and the BJP at the Centre.

The rally of the Left Front at Brigade Parade grounds on February 3 comes 15 days after Mamata Banerjee headed TMC's had organised mega opposition parties rally at the same venue on January 19 last.

Though there were more than two dozen leaders of 22 opposition parties, the Left parties had kept a distance from the TMC rally.

"We will give the call to oust TMC in Bengal and the BJP at the Centre. The people of this country are fed up with the Modi government, they want a change," CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said.

The CPI(M)-led front is pulling all stops to ensure that the February 3 rally turns out to be a massive success. The event is also seen as an attempt by the Left to regain its lost ground in West Bengal.

The Left Front comprises of 10 parties including CPI(M), RSP, CPI and Forward Bloc.

Once a formidable force in West Bengal, the Left Front which lost to the TMC in 2011, ending a 34-year regime in the state, is now fighting hard to make their presence felt in the state.

The Left in last several elections has witnessed a sharp decline in its vote share with BJP outsmarting it to become the main opposition in Bengal.

The role of Left parties in national largely depends on the number of seats it will win from Bengal.

In 2004, when CPI(M)-led Left front played a pivotal role in forming the UPA-I government by winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from the state. Nationally, the front had won 62 seats.

In 2014, the CPI(M) had won just two seats in Bengal, while Left Front secured 11 seats.

From flags, posters, slogans and roadside meetings to social media messages on Twitter and Facebook, the party is making all efforts to reach out to the masses.

Apart from senior Left leaders, Kanhaiya Kumar, the former JNU students union president, will be one of the key speakers at the rally tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kangana Ranaut has criticised director Krishna Jagarlamudi, asking him to prove his claim that she did not shoot a significant portion of the film "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi".

The director, popularly known as Krish, has said that he had almost completed the film and only patchwork was left when Kangana became involved and wrongly claimed the credit as the main director. He also accused the actor of "hijacking" the period drama.

Talking to reporters at airport here on Friday, Kangana said Krish should take up his grievances with the producers of the film.

"It's not like that. He has been given the credit in the film and about his name, that he should talk to the producer and not attack me," the actor said.

When asked about Krish claiming that she has not shot 70 percent of the film, she said, "That's wrong. If he can, he should prove it."



"The film has been made and, fortunately or unfortunately, I have directed it. I have taken all the final decisions. I want to make it clear that this film has been released in theatres and now nothing can happen."



The actor also took on the allegations made by Mishti Chakravarthy, who has claimed that her role was cut down from the period drama.

"People are saying that their roles have been chopped. I just want to tell them one thing that whatever I have achieved in my life as an actor and as a filmmaker is all on my own, my father has not given it to me. You should also create this standing for yourself. Nothing will happen by crying.

"I also started with five minute roles. In many films, my role was cut and in many films, at the last moment, I was thrown out. So this power of mine, I deserve it and have earned it. It is my prerogative as a director to decide which actor I want to utilise..." Kangana said.

She reiterated that Krish left the film in her hands and therefore it was her "prerogative to take the final calls".

"Whoever is struggling in life should take inspiration from me. What will happen by getting jealous of me or attacking me?" she added.

Kangana vowed that she will once again direct a film, which she said "will be better than 'Manikarnika...'."



The "Queen" actor offered a piece of advice to Krish. She asked him to make a film with all those actors who have complaints against Kangana.

She did not even spare writer Apurva Asrani, who had accused Ranaut of discrediting his work on their 2017 film "Simran".

"I have a suggestion for Krish. Take all these people and make a film. Take Sonu Sood as a villain and take her (Mishti) as the heroine and make Apurva Asrani write the story and make a film to teach me a lesson."



The film that released on January 25 has earned over Rs 64 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister expressing his dissent on the appointment of new Rishi Kumar Shukla, alleging that the officer did not have experience in handling anti-corruption cases and the criterion for selection was diluted in violation of law and judgements.

Kharge sent a two-page dissent note to the prime minister this evening after the government announced the name of the 1983 batch officer and former Director General of Police as the new

Shukla was removed as DGP of only three days ago by the new government in the state.

Kharge in his note said the three-member committee, chaired by Prime Minister and in which he is a member along with Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has violated the Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE) that governs the CBI and the judgements.

Kharge said the criterion in selecting the has been diluted to include investigation experience only and not experience in investigating anti-corruption cases.

"By including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, committee is in violation of DSPE Act and judgements guiding CBI Director's appointment," he said.

"Seniority cannot be only criterion in appointment to such a critical post and experience in anti-corruption cases and prior experience of having served in the organisation should also be considered," said the in his dissent note.Karnataka BJP Saturday hit out at Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for claiming credit for the arrest of underworld gangster Ravi Pujari from Senegal and asked him to show "some guts" and stop crimes in the state.

It also took a dig at Kumaraswamy by referring to him as "Anna" (big brother), as the chief minister is usually referred to.

The party also asked the chief minister show his "virility" by arresting Congress MLA J N Ganesh, absconding for nearly a week since he was booked on an attempt-to-murder charge after he allegedly assaulted lawmaker Anand Singh during a brawl at a resort here.

Reacting to the BJP barb, Kumaraswamy questioned why the party did not get Pujari arrested when it was in power. He assured action against Ganesh in accordance with law.

Pujari, facing more than 30 cases, including a 2009 murder case, in Mangaluru was arrested on January 19 from Senegal.

"CM @hd_kumaraswamy claiming credit for arrest of criminal Ravi Poojari by West African police is like @H_D_Devegowda claiming credits for killing of Bin Laden by US. Wake up & first show some guts to stop the crime in Karnataka. Governing a state isnt like producing movies (sic)," Karnataka BJP said in a tweet.

"Anna (Big brother) Kumaranna, before giving kudos to your self by claiming that Ravi Pujari was arrested by the coalition government, show your virility by arresting Kampli MLA Ganesh," it said in another tweet in Kannada.

On Friday, Kumaraswamy said the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka played a leading role in getting Pujari arrested.

On Saturday, he asserted BJP need not have any doubt and he would not compromise for the sake of power and protect those who indulged in illegal activity.

"Ravi Pujari's illegal activities had started in 2001; BJP also ruled the state for five years. BJP has tweeted with respect- calling me Anna- I want to ask that brother (BJP) what did you do for five years when you were in power," he said.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Kumaraswamy said his government had made efforts in the last six months to arrest Pujari.

The state government officials maintained a constant communication with the Senegal government. "We have already given instructions to arrest Ganesh. Whoever has committed mistake will not be protected at any cost and action will be taken against them in accordance with law, but there are procedures for it. Case has been booked and officials have initiated action," he added.

The Congress has suspended Ganesh from the party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Empire" star Jussie Smollett has opened up about the racist and homophobic attack on him in downtown Chicago.

Smollett was attacked on Tuesday morning when he leaving a restaurant in Chicago. Two men shouted racial and homophobic slurs towards him before they attacked him.

In a statement to Essence, the 35-year-old black and openly gay actor said he is "ok".

"My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words," he added.

During the attack, the suspects punched him and poured an unknown chemical substance over him. One of them even wrapped a rope around the actor's neck.

Smollett, who was hospitalised for his injuries, told the police that the attackers yelled pro-"Make America Great Again" (MAGA) comments during the attack.

In his statement, the actor disputed rumours circulating on social media that he has been less than cooperative with the police and has changed his story time and again.

"I am working with authorities and have been 100% factual and consistent on every level. Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served," he said.

"As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non-gender conforming siblings daily. I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident. We will talk soon and I will address all details of this horrific incident, but I need a moment to process," he concluded.

On "Empire", Smollett plays musician Jamal Lyon, the gay son of Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie (Taraji P Henson).

The show's team has expressed shock and anger over the attack on Smollett.

Actor Ellen Page also spoke about his case on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert". She criticised media for contemplating whether his attack should be treated as a hate crime or not.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The 19th All India Police Band Competition will start here from Tuesday with 23 different police forces taking part in the five-day event, a senior police officer said Saturday.

All arrangements have been put in place for the competition that will be held in different categories of brass and pipe band and bugle calls, said A K Choudhary, Jammu and Kashmir additional director general of police (ADGP), Armed.

The competition is being hosted by the state police from February 5-9 in Jammu. Gulshan Ground will be the main venue, where the opening and the closing ceremony will be held, he said.

The annually competition is being organised by the state police for the second time, after Srinagar hosted it in 2002.

Twenty-three police teams and the Central Armed Police Forces -- consisting 1,448 members -- including 32 females, are participating in the competition, the ADGP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iraq resumed oil deliveries to neighbouring Jordan on Saturday as the premiers of both countries met along their shared border as part of a bid to boost trade.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi met with his Jordanian counterpart Omar al-Razzaz at the Treibil border crossing, referred to as Al-Karameh in Jordan, which reopened in August 2017.

The only crossing between the two countries was shuttered in 2014 as the Islamic State group swept across Iraq, but was reopened after Iraqi forces pushed back the jihadists.

Baghdad declared victory against IS in late 2017.

On Saturday, the two sides agreed that Iraq would provide Jordan with 10,000 barrels of crude a day transported by truck from oil-rich Kirkuk province, Jordan's official Petra agency said.

Transport costs would be taken into account under the deal, according to Petra, and the possibility of Baghdad granting discounts to Amman has upset some Iraqis.

Amman is pushing to meet its hydrocarbon needs through a pipeline project that would connect Basra on the southern tip of Iraq with the Jordanian port of Aqaba.

The two countries said Saturday they had begun studying its construction.

In January, Jordanian King Abdullah II made his second trip to Baghdad in more than a decade after a flurry of meetings between senior officials of both countries.

For its part, Iraq is looking for solutions to its chronic electricity shortages.

To secure an exemption from US sanctions on Iran, Baghdad has announced plans to curb its reliance on electricity supplied by Tehran and buy power from Jordan, Turkey and Kuwait.

The two premiers agreed Saturday that Jordan would begin providing electricity to Iraq "in less than two years", according to Petra.

The two sides also agreed to lift Iraqi taxes on hundreds of Jordanian products, and to establish a joint industrial zone along the border, according to statement issued by the prime minster's office.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A lower back injury to experienced New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has made him a doubtful starter for the fifth and final ODI against India here on Sunday.

The 32-year-old opener aggravated his lower back while throwing a ball during the fielding practice at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.

Guptill looked in pain as he walked off the ground with the help of New Zealand physiotherapist Vijay Vallabh and security manager Terry Minish.

Colin Munro, who was left out of the fourth ODI after his scores of 8, 31 and 7 in the first three ODIs, is set to return to the squad.

"Martin Guptill is in doubt for tomorrow's fifth ODI against India after aggravating his lower back while fielding this afternoon," NZC tweeted.

"He's been assessed by team physio Vijay Vallabh & will be reassessed tomorrow morning. Colin Munro will rejoin the ODI squad tomorrow morning."



India have already secured the five-ODI series after winning the first three games. New Zealand won the fourth match by eight wickets to claw one back.

The injury was not deemed serious and Guptill may be fit to play the first Twenty20 international in Wellington on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian embassy in the US has opened a 24/7 hotline to assist 129 Indian students arrested by the American authorities in the "pay-and-stay" university visa scam, officials have said.

As many as 129 Indians are among the 130 foreign students arrested for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in the US.

The university in Detroit's Farmington Hills was part of an undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designed to expose immigration fraud, according to federal prosecutors who announced charges in the case.

The two numbers 202-322-1190 and 202-340-2590 would be manned by senior embassy officials round the clock, officials said on Friday.

The arrested students, their friends and family members can contact the embassy at cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

The Indian embassy has appointed a nodal officer to handle and coordinate all issues related to helping Indian students affected by the busting of the "pay-and-stay" racket run by a group of Indians that has put some 600 students under trouble.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, till Thursday, had arrested 130 students from the fake Farmington University in Greater Detroit area.

The ICE officials said 129 of them are Indian nationals. The fake university was opened by Homeland Security Investigations to trap those involved in illegal student visa racket. It has now been closed.

The arrest of such a large number of students has created panic among the Indian students.

Federal investigators say, the students who took admission in the university knew that the university programme was illegal.

Officials said all of them face deportation, besides being put under detention. A number of students have been put under some kind of house arrest with tracking device on their ankle, that prohibits them from moving out of a designated area in their neighbourhood.

As part of its investigations, early this week, the ICE arrested eight recruiters on criminal charges. From their names it appears that all of them are either Indian nationals or Indian-Americans.

"These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not. HSI remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of US immigration laws and will continue to investigate this and other transnational crimes," said Special Agent Charge Francis.

According to the ICE, in 2017, as many as 249,763 Indian students were enrolled in the various American universities.

Students from China topped the list with 481,106 in 2017.

This is for the first time probably that such a large number of Indian students have been arrested in one go.

The number is expected to increase further, as ICE officials continue with their nationwide crackdown on Indian students enrolled in this fake university while working at different places.

"Embassy of India, Washington and all five Consulates in the US working closely together to help Indian students detained in the US," the Indian embassy said Friday.

Consular Officers from Indian Consulate in Houston met the arrested Indian students at Prairieland Detention Centre, Alvarado, Texas.

This intervention by officials from the Indian embassy and its consulates has helped in release of some of the arrested students.

Some friends and families of the detained Indian students are using twitter seeking help from the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"Madam, This is regarding fake university (university of Farmington Michigan) issue. My husband has been taken into custody today morning and I don't have any update on his status till now. Could you please help me on this," one Madhuri wrote on twitter to Swaraj.

Acting promptly, the Indian embassy sought the details of her husband. Her husband was a student at the fake university.

"Hi, I have mailed to Indian embassy and they told that they are trying to meet my husband through consulate. After that I didn't get any update from them," Madhuri wrote on twitter in response to a question.

In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We are aware about this incident. We are ascertaining more details (through) our embassy in Washington and different consulates in the US...We have also mobilised the Indian community organisations in the US to extend all possible support to the Indian students who are affected by this incident".

The ICE said foreign students are granted what are called "F" and "M" visas to study in the US and must maintain their legal status by enrolling in a varsity certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The ICE said since the Farmington varsity did not offer courses, the students were using the programme as a way to work.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A private security guard of a popular roadside eatery was allegedly killed by five unidentified persons, the police said Saturday.

The assailants also decamped with Rs 12,000 cash looted from the eatery, Phagwara Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandeep Singh Gill said.

The victim, Avtar Singh (48) was a resident of village Kukkar Pind in Jalandahar district and worked at the eatery on Phagwara-Jalandhar National Highway, around 12 km from here.

"Five unidentified miscreants barged into the restaurant after midnight, looted Rs 12,000 from the counter, murdered the guard and fled away," said Gill.

We are investigated whether the guard was beaten to death or strangulated, he added.

"The victim was found tied up and the post-mortem examination report would reveal the cause of death," he said further.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Following are the top at 2145 hours:



NATION



DEL36 CBI-DIRECTOR-2NDLD APPOINTMENTFormer MP Police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla appointed CBI DirectorNew Delhi: Ending speculation, the government appointed former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla as the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), weeks after controversial removal of Alok Kumar Verma from the post.

BOM3 MH-ARREST-2ND LD TELTUMBDE



Court terms Anand Teltumbde's arrest illegal, orders release



Pune: In an embarrassment for the Pune police, a sessions court here termed Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case as "illegal", and ordered that he should be released immediately.

CAL31 WB-LD MODI



Mamata govt 'killing' people's aspirations,indulging in extortion: Modi



Thakurnagar/Durgapur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted a no-holds-barred attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of "killing" the aspirations of the middle class and claiming her party TMC was known for "Triple T--Trinamool Tolabaji Tax", a reference to organised extortion. By Pradipta Tapadar and Amitava Roy



CAL24 WB-MAMATA-CITIZENSHIP BILL



Will oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Centre will have to withdraw it: Mamata



Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.

CAL28 WB-MODI-RALLY-LD COMMOTION



Stampede-like situation forces Modi to cut short his speech at WB rally



Thakurnagar (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his speech at a rally here in North 24 Parganas district after a stampede-like situation broke out at the venue in which many people were injured.

CAL27 WB-MAMATA-MODI



Modi, Rajnath should worry about winning own seats before talking of Bengal: Mamata



Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh should worry about winning their own Lok Sabha seats before dreaming of victory in West Bengal.

CAL26 POL-WB-LD RAJNATH



Centre will use technology to seal B'desh borders in Bengal, Assam: Rajnath



Falakata/Mathabhanga (WB): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre will use technology to seal the international borders with Bangladesh in West Bengal and Assam through an integrated border management system.

MDS2 TN-HONOUR-VICTIM-SUSPENSION



Honour killing survivor sacked for remarks against Constitution



Udhagamandalam (TN): Kausalya, an honour killing survivor, was sacked by the Wellington Cantonment Board for her alleged remarks against the country's Constitution, official sources said.

DEL3 DEF-RIFLE



Defence Ministry approves procurement of 73,000 assault rifles from US



New Delhi: In major move towards infantry modernisation, the Defence Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Army to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast track mode, official sources said.

LEGAL



LGB6 MH-ARREST-3RD LD TELTUMBDE



Court terms Anand Teltumbde's arrest illegal, orders release



Pune: Within hours of Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case, a local court held Pune Police's action had violated the Supreme Court's order and he should be released immediately.

LGD9 DL-COURT-2NDLD VADRA



Money laundering case: Delhi court grants interim bail to Robert Vadra, directs him to join probe



New Delhi: A Delhi court granted interim bail till February 16 to Robert Vadra in a money-laundering case and asked him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate in the investigation.

BUISNESS



DEL20 ED-ICICI VIDEOCON-CASE



ICICI-Videocon: ED files money laundering case



New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a criminal case of money laundering against former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning of Rs 1,875-crore loans by the bank to the corporate group, officials said.

FOREIGN



DEL15 MEA-INDIAN STUDENTS-2NDLD US



India issues 'demarche' to American Embassy on detention of Indian students in US



New Delhi/Washington: India issued a demarche to the American Embassy in New Delhi, expressing concern over the detention of 129 Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.

SPORTS



SPD4 SPO-DAVIS-LD-IND



No grass effect: Italy beat India 3-1 to make World Finals



Kolkata: India lived up to their reputation in doubles but that was not enough as Italy secured a 3-1 triumph after winning the first reverse singles on to storm into the first-ever Davis Cup World Finals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare, who has been on indefinite hunger strike in his village in Maharashtra since the last three days, Saturday claimed they have received a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) cold shouldering the Gandhian.

The "terse" response from the PMO spurred protests in Hazare's Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra, said Hazare's spokesperson Shyam Asawa.

He said the villagers were angry due to the "cold response" given by the prime minister to the letter sent last month by the 81-year-old anti-graft crusader.

Some protesters, including women, climbed atop a tower in the village and raised anti-government slogans this afternoon while some villagers blocked traffic on Parner-Wadegavhan road, Asawa added.

He said police detained scores of protesters, including women and senior citizens.

"Your letter was received, thank you and best wishes", reads the letter, purportedly sent by the PMO, which was shown to some reporters by Asawa.

In his letter, dated January 1, 2019, sent to the PMO, Hazare had demanded immediate appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra. He also sought resolution of farmers' issues.

"This letter of the PMO gives rise to doubts in our mind about seriousness of this government about Anna Hazare's agitation," Asawa said.

Meanwhile, Dr Dhananjay Pote, who is closely monitoring Hazare's health, told PTI that he has lost 3.4 kgs on the fourth day of fast Saturday. "His blood pressure has also shot up," Dr Pote said.

He said Hazare has been advised minimal conversation.

Hazare has also been demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on ways to address agrarian distress, besides some electoral reforms.

He began his hunger strike on January 30 in the Yadavbaba temple in his village.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Congress MLA in Gujarat, Asha Patel resigned as a member of the assembly and from the party membership Saturday on account of "infighting".

Patel, who represents Unjha constituency in Mehsana district, submitted her resignation to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi in Gandhinagar this morning.

The Speaker has accepted the resignation.

Patel's exit is seen as a blow to the Congress as she had snatched Unjha seat from the BJP in 2017 assembly polls.

Unjha is one of the seven assembly constituencies that are part of Mahesana Lok Sabha seat, currently held by the BJP. Of the seven segments, the BJP holds four while the Congress three, including Unjha.

Patel has written a letter to party president Rahul Gandhi announcing her resignation.

"I have resigned from the party due to prevalent infighting and because the leadership has been ignoring me," she told reporters.

Patel also claimed that her representations regarding the state of affairs in the Gujarat unit have not been heeded since the last one year.

Responding to a query whether she would join the ruling BJP, Patel said she would consult the people of her constituency before taking any decision.

When contacted, state unit Congress president Amit Chavda said it seems Patel had taken this decision for her "personal gain".

"Till yesterday, she had not made any representation to the party," Chavda added.

Earlier, Congress MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya had switched sides and joined the BJP.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP had won 99 seats in the 182-member House while the Congress 77 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP on Saturday mocked the Nehru-Gandhi family as a "bail family", hours after opposition Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra was granted interim bail by a city court in a money laundering case.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said since the "chowkidar", a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is tough, it rattles "thieves".

Patra said, "Gandhi family should be called a bail family as all its members are out on bail."



"The PM has rightly said that the whole family is riding on a 'bailgaadi'," he said.

Vadra was granted interim bail by a Delhi court on Saturday till February 16 in a money-laundering case with a direction to appear before the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate in the investigation.

Vadra, who is currently abroad, had on Friday filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson claimed a similar land deal case is going on against Vadra in Rajasthan in which he bought several acres of land in Bikaner.

"Look at the irony, the first family of the Congress party which literally ruled over India for all these years, is out on bail on charges of misappropriation of funds. Most of the cases have reached the Supreme Court. They feel corruption is their entitlement and India is their property," Patra said.

In the press conference, Patra also referred to media reports over killings of karsevaks in 1990 Ayodhya firing.

The BJP spokesperson said, "Kaarsevaks were brutally killed by the Mulayam Singh-led government in Ayodhya in 1990. It is devastating to know from the media report that ram-bhakts, who were shot dead, were denied proper Hindu funeral rites as they were buried instead of being cremated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla was on Saturday appointed the chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fixed tenure of two years, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, is at present chairman of Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal.

He has been appointed in place of Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post of CBI Director on January 10.

Shukla was recently transferred from the post of Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police to the police housing corporation.

The appointment comes following two meeting of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee held on January 24 and February 1.

Shukla's name was short-listed during the second meeting of the selection committee held on Friday.

The development assumes significance as on Friday, the Supreme Court had said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he had completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP president Amit Shah Saturday gave a new definition to the OROP, which normally refers to 'One Rank, One Pension', saying that in the Congress it translated to "Only Rahul, Only Priyanka".

Addressing booth-level workers here, he lauded the Union Budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Friday, which had proposed the highest defence budget of Rs 3 lakh crore to ensure the security of country's boundaries.

"The jawans who are deployed on snowy peaks for the defence of the country had been demanding 'One Rank, One Pension', but the Congress did not bring it in 70 years. The government which you made, fulfilled this in just one year and finalised the OROP," Shah said.

Referring to the pension scheme, the BJP chief took a dig at the Congress and said, "For them, OROP is 'Only Rahul, Only Priyanka'. While Modiji is working for our jawans, they are working for their family. Those who work for their family cannot take the country ahead."



Shah claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was shaken as he listened to the Budget being read out in Parliament.

"It wiped the smile off his face," he claimed.

The BJP chief said Gandhi had felt it would be easy to get into power. "When he heard the Budget speech, he realised his turn will not come," Shah added.

The BJP president Saturday addressed the third meeting of party's booth-level workers in Uttar Pradesh.

"More than one crore workers are spread over all the booths in UP and are ready to go to the polls with the picture of Modiji. I have faith that when the army of patriotic workers of the BJP will go to the electoral battleground, they will pull down the fortress of opponents," he said.

Shah said the upcoming elections are extremely important both for the BJP and the country.

"We are yet to win Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Till the time the BJP does not win in 2019, it will not be able to hoist its flag from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tillotama Shome believes film industry is an "egotistical" place as actors can often be found swooning over their success.

The actor, who started her journey in movies with "Monsoon Wedding" and went on to deliver critically-acclaimed performances in films like "Qissa", "Nayantara's Necklace", "Hindi Medium" and "A Death in The Gunj", said it is easy to get affected by the privilege actors receives in the business.

"Film industry is an egotistical place. The industry by its nature is very hierarchical. There are stars and then there are others. Even on the filmmaking side, there are some people who are given more importance than others.

"As an actor you are very aware of your privilege. You realise that it is very easy to feel you are important. But actually you are not. We are all just doing our work," Tillotama told PTI.

The actor added that success is "seasonal" and she does not believe in taking it too seriously.

"One who is not working constantly on removing that sense of ego, will be in a bubble, which would burst one day."



Tillotama believes an actor should be humble enough to understand that filmmaking is a team effort.

"Our craft also requires humility to enter all kinds of characters. Film is a team work. So the thing that people feel they are above others is unfortunate, she said.

The actor, whose film "Sir", directed by Rohena Gera, premiered at the Cannes Critics' Week last year, said even though the way industry functions bothers her, she is happy with the kind of work she is being offered.

"It's hard to make your mark amid all this hierarchy but I can sit or cry or just focus on my craft and keep working. I have chosen the latter.

"I am happy because despite not changing myself I have worked with some of the most amazing filmmakers from all across the world. I have a filmography which I am really proud of," she said.

Tillotama walked the ramp for designer Rina Singh's label Eka on Friday at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019.

Celebrating #beautifullystrong women across India, the show was presented in association with Lupin Life's Corcal bone & beauty supplement for women.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of farmers from Uttar Pradesh stayed put near the DND flyway, at the junction of Noida and Delhi, on Saturday demanding enhanced compensation in lieu of their land acquired before 2013.

The Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting UP and Delhi, was shut briefly on Friday evening as farmers from western UP districts protested on the route, throwing traffic movement out of gear.

The rally, organised by Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manveer Teotia, included farmers from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut.

Many of them were women from villages with their heads covered. The women had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing helplessness.

"We are here to demand that we be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013. Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh from Bhatta Parsaul village of Gautam Buddh Nagar told PTI.

He said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest.

"Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," Singh said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh met the farmers Saturday morning and said he had assured them he would take up the matter with the state government but the "protestors remained dissatisfied with the assurance".

The protest organisers claimed there were 1,500 farmers at the DND Saturday morning. But other reports said a little over 500 people were protesting at the site.

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicentre of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years since that upheaval, the country had got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013(also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of farmers from Uttar Pradesh, who were protesting near the DND flyway for enhanced compensation in lieu of their land acquired before 2013, ended their sit-in on Saturday after authorities assured them in writing their demand would be looked into.

The Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting UP and Delhi, was shut briefly on Friday evening as farmers from western UP districts protested there, throwing traffic movement out of gear.

The farmers, numbering around 500 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut, had stayed put until Saturday afternoon.

Many of them were women from villages with their heads covered. The women had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing helplessness.

"The protest got over around 2.30pm and farmers have vacated the spot," Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna told PTI.

"They agreed to leave after they got an assurance in writing from the district magistrate. They have been assured of a meeting in a week with local authorities like Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) over their grievances," he said.

The situation at DND is now normal and there is no obstruction to traffic movement.

Earlier Saturday, the farmers and their leader, Manveer Teotia, had declined talking to City Magistrate Shailendra Mishra and Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Anil Kumar Jha.

Teotia said farmers in Tappal, Mathura and Aligarh have been protesting for two years over "irregularities" in land acquisition between 2008 and 2012 but the state government has "not listened" to their requests.

"We are here to demand that we be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013. Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh from Bhatta Parsaul village of Gautam Buddh Nagar told PTI.

He said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest.

"Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," he said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh met the farmers Saturday morning and assured them he would take up the matter with the state government. But Kaale Singh said the "protestors remained dissatisfied with the assurance".

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicentre of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years since that upheaval, the country had got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of farmers, seeking enhanced compensation for their land acquired before 2013 in Uttar Pradesh, staged a protest at Delhi-Noida border on Saturday but ended it after a written assurance from officials that their concerns would be taken up with the state government.

The farmers under Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manveer Teotia, were protesting at the Delhi-Noida-Direct flyway, a crucial route connecting UP and Delhi, which was briefly shut on Friday evening owing to their protest.

The farmers, numbering around 500 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Meerut, were not allowed entry to central Delhi after which they stayed put at the DND junction in the cold weather until Saturday afternoon.

Many of them were women from villages, with their heads covered. They had their hands raised and tied with a piece of cloth in a symbolic gesture expressing "helplessness".

"We have tied our hands, if the police or the administration wants to take any action, they can do it and we will not respond to any force," a farmer said.

Senior officials of Gautam Buddh Nagar, including District Magistrate B N Singh and police chief Vaibhav Krishna, reached the site of protest Saturday morning to pacify the farmers, even as a large number of police personnel from UP and Delhi remained deployed.

The situation eased in the afternoon when the protestors agreed to a written assurance from the district administration.

"We have assured the farmers that their concerns would be taken up with authorities and the state government. They were satisfied with the assurance and the matter was resolved amicably," the district magistrate told PTI.

However, Teotia warned he would return with the farmers to Delhi if officials did not walk their talk.

"We have accepted the written assurance from the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar after which we decided to call of the stir.

"If the exercise, the process of talks at local level, does not begin from Monday and is not taken to the government through proper channel as assured, we will return to Delhi after a week," the agitation leader told PTI.

SSP Krishna said the situation at the flyway has normalised and there was no obstruction to traffic movement by late afternoon.

"The protest got over around 2.30pm and farmers have vacated the spot," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Teotia said farmers in western UP have been protesting for two years over "irregularities" in land acquisition between 2008 and 2012 but the state government has "not listened" to their requests.

"We are here to demand that we be given compensation in accordance with the law on land acquisition that was passed in Parliament in 2013. Our lands were acquired prior to that and we have been left out from the benefits as doled out under the new law," Kaale Singh, a farmer from Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida, said.

According to the 2013 law, the owner of a farm land would be entitled to a compensation equivalent to four times the circle rate, and two times the circle rate in urban areas.

Kaale Singh said the farmers want local authorities and administrations to take up the matter with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but nothing fruitful has happened so far, hence the protest.

"Yesterday we tried to go to Delhi but were stopped midway, so we decided to stay put near the DND. We won't budge unless we get a satisfactory response from top officials," he said before the protest wrapped up.

Two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes in May 2011 following protests over acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, the Jat-dominated village which had become the epicentre of protests of land acquisitions in the country.

Two years after that upheaval, the country got the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (also Land Acquisition Act, 2013).

The new law was aimed at providing fair compensation to those whose land is taken away, brings transparency to the process of acquisition of land to set up factories or buildings, infrastructure projects and assures rehabilitation of those affected.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A court here Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail applications filed by three officers booked in connection with the 2015 police firing at people protesting over the desecration of religious scriptures.

District and Sessions Judge Harpal Singh rejected the bail applications of the then Fazilka Superintendent of Police Bikramjit Singh, Inspector Pardip Singh and the then SHO Amarjit Singh.

"The anticipatory bail pleas have been rejected by the court," said Faridkot District Attorney Rajeev Goyal said.

The court had heard the arguments of both the sides on Friday and reserved the order for Saturday.

The three officers had filed anticipatory bail applications after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the then Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma on January 27.

Sharma was arrested in connection with the police firing at Behbal Kalan in Fardikot district that killed two people.

He was leading a police team that allegedly opened fire at the protesters.

Sharma was arrested after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a petition challenging the findings of Ranjit Singh Commission set up by the state's new Congress government in the desecration and the police firing.

The dismissed petition had also sought an inquiry by the CBI.

Last year, the Punjab government had added the names of four police officials -- former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, the SP, the inspector and the then SHO -- in the FIR registered in 2015 at the Baja Khana police station for murder and attempt to murder.

Their names were added on the recommendation of the Ranjit Singh commission over the police firing.

After the high court dismissed the petitions, the SIT had summoned Charanjit Singh Sharma, Bikramjit Singh and Amarjit Singh to appear before it in connection with the police firing.

But Bikramjit and Amarjit along with Pardip moved the Faridkot court with anticipatory bail applications.

Later, the SIT added sections 201 (causing disappearance evidence or giving false information)and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record)of the IPC in the FIR.

A five-member SIT team headed by Bureau of Investigations (BOI) Director Prabodh Kumar was formed by the Punjab government last year to probe sacrilege and related police firing incidents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NGO Greenpeace India is closing its offices in some cities and shrinking in size because of Enforcement Directorate's "crackdown", the organisation said, adding it will continue its fight against climate change with a renewed zeal.

The NGO's regional offices in Delhi and Patna are being shut but the staff in these cities has joined in to declare their commitment to the cause as volunteers, it said in a statement.

"Due to the freezing of our accounts by the ED, we are not able to afford the staff. Some will be retained as employees while some will be retained as volunteers," a source in the NGO said on the condition of anonymity.

The NGO's campaign director Diya Deb said that Greenpeace will not stop working on the urgent issues of climate change as it is a collective endeavour of activists and volunteers across the country.

"The crackdown is not going to stop Greenpeacers across India from doing their real work - to work on urgent issues of climate change. Indians donate to Greenpeace India because they believe in their right to clean air, right to safe food and clean energy," Deb said.

She said the organisation is the collective voice of thousands of Indian donors, activists and volunteers. "Their spirit and optimism will reflect in the coming days, as many of them now continue to work as volunteers," she said.

Referring to its recent report - Airpocalypse III - highlighting the state of air quality across the country, Deb said the NGO will keep on pushing the government for better policies.

"We are going to keep pushing the government and authorities for better policies. The report highlights the state of air quality across Indian cities and we will continue the discourse on public health through our clean air work," she said.

The statement said that Greenpeace is symbolic of a rainbow of hope, which is a hope for a clean, green and a healthy planet for the generations to come.

"And you cannot sink a rainbow," the NGO's statement said.

The ED had last year frozen over a dozen bank accounts of Greenpeace and its linked entity after it conducted searches at their premises in Bengaluru on charges of alleged forex violations, officials said Thursday.

The NGO had strongly denied all allegations against it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)To raise awareness about cancer, especially among the rural population, a Delhi-based hospital has conducted a special drive to reach out to hundreds of village school teachers and sarpanchs.

In the run up to World Cancer Day on February 4, the BLK Super Specialty Hospital organised a ceremony on Saturday to felicitate sarpanchs each of whom contributed to this campaign by sensitising 100 families in his village and convinced them to attend the Cancer Talks and the cancer screening camps organised by the hospital.

The campaign which started in December, and so far has covered nearly 65 villages. Around 700 teachers in outer Delhi and Haryana actively contributed in spreading awareness about the disease in their villages and schools, a hospital official said.

According to the official, the felicitation ceremony was attended by nearly 50 sarpanches from Jhajjar, Bahadurgarh, Badli, Khorkhoda, Rohtak, Sonipat, Gannaur and outer Delhi villages.

Dr Surender K Dabas, Director of Surgical Oncology and the Chief of Robotic Surgery at BLK Cancer Centre, said, "Much needs to be done to break barriers, including the stigma on cancer, particularly in rural areas where it is a taboo."



"Experience from our outreach programmes in rural areas shows that people are still not aware about the prevalence of the disease, its symptoms, screening and facilities available for treatment and care. Lack of awareness among the rural populace, especially among women, is a matter of big concern," he said.

Senior consultant, Gynecologic Oncology, Dr Neha Kumar said in urban areas, women are aware about gynecologic cancer. But in rural areas, due to social barriers and lack of comprehensive healthcare facilities, people do not talk about it."



"Hence, it is difficult for women to seek services to detect the disease early. Several cases go undetected and our cancer data base fails to come out with real data. It is encouraging to see that our special drive has motivated villagers to seek help and come forward and participate in our screening campaigns," Dr Kumar said.

Teachers of rural schools played a role of powerful catalyst in making people especially the most vulnerable children aware about the disease.

India will observe World Cancer Day on Monday with global experts calling for action with the theme - 'I am and I will' on early detection of the disease to significantly improve patient survival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Within hours of Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case Saturday, a local court held Pune Police's action had violated the Supreme Court's order and he should be released immediately.

Teltumbde, a professor at the Goa Institute of Management, was arrested at the Mumbai airport in early hours after he arrived from Kerala.

Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane said the apex court, while rejecting Teltumbde's plea seeking to quash the FIR against him earlier, had given him protection from arrest till February 11 so that he could approach the "competent authority" for appropriate legal relief.

The competent authority includes high court as well as the Supreme Court, it said.

Therefore, arresting him before the protection period ended was "illegal" and also amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court's order and he should be released immediately, the court said.

The sessions court had Friday rejected Teltumbde's anticipatory bail application.

"Since his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected, we decided to arrest him," Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar, who is investigating the case, had said.

According to Pune Police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held here on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day.

They also claimed to have seized, during the probe, letters linking Teltumbde and some other Left-wing activists to Maoists.

Following Teltumbde's arrest, his lawyer Rohan Nahar again moved the Pune court.

Teltumbde was produced before judge Vadane in heavy police security. Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar was also present in the courtroom.

"The entire police exercise of arresting my client is illegal and it is a contempt of the SC order," Nahar said.

Public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar said the apex court had said "when the accused approached this court, the interim protection extinguished and therefore police action is justified".

After the court denied him bail Friday, he should have sought time to move a higher court, which he did not, she said.

But the court did not accept this argument and ordered Teltumbde's release.

Earlier in the day, senior advocate Indira Jaising took to Twitter, saying his arrest "at 3.30am" was a contempt of the order of the Supreme Court.

The Pune court, while rejecting Teltumbde's bail plea, had observed Friday that investigating officers had collected sufficient material to show his involvement in "alleged commission of the offence".

Talking to reporters outside the court Saturday, Teltumbde said he would now approach the high court or the apex court.

"I thought there is a rule of law in the country and we can question authorities. But in the present condition, whoever has the authority, they do not have accountability," he said, alleging that the case against him was part of the government's conspiracy.

Referring to the 'incriminating' correspondence cited by the prosecution, Teltumbde said with this kind of letters, anybody can be framed up and his life put in jeopardy.

Speaking to PTI, Prakash Ambedkar, a trained lawyer himself, said the "competent authority" mentioned by the Supreme Court was a lower court as well as the high court and apex court.

Police's attitude was "questionable", Ambedkar said, while pointing out that Teltumbde had written two articles criticising the Elgar Parishad.

"How can you say he is a Maoist and at the same time a critic of Elgar? This is self-contradictory," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In an embarrassment for the Pune police, a sessions court on Saturday termed Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's arrest in the Elgar Parishad case as "illegal", and ordered that he should be released immediately.

Teltumbde, a professor at the Goa Institute of Management, was arrested at Mumbai airport in early hours of Saturday.

Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane noted that the Supreme Court, while rejecting Teltumbde's plea seeking to quash the FIR against him, had given him protection from arrest for four weeks, that is till February 11, so that he could approach the competent authority for legal relief.

The competent authority includes high court as well as the apex court, it said.

Therefore, arresting him before the protection period ended was "illegal" and he should be released immediately, the court said.

The sessions court had Friday rejected Teltumbde's anticipatory bail application.

"Since his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by the court in Pune on Friday, we decided to arrest him," Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar, who is investigating the case, had said.

Teltumbde's lawyer Rohan Nahar, however, had pointed out that the Supreme Court had given him protection from arrest till February 11.

According to the Pune Police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held here on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the war memorial the next day.Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is a member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel, tried to "manipulate" the criteria for selection of CBI chief with the ulterior motive of accommodating some of his preferred officers, Union Minister Jitendra Singh claimed Saturday.

He also hit out at Kharge for "giving his own version" of the panel's deliberations to the media.

"Kharge tried to manipulate the objective criteria, based on independent and impartial assessment, to select CBI Director...He wanted to include some officers of his preference in the short-list of candidates," Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, told PTI.

Former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla was on Saturday appointed the chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fixed tenure of two years, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, has been appointed in place of Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post of CBI Director on January 10.

Singh said that Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi fully endorsed the objective criteria applied for selecting the head of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The high-powered selection panel comprises Prime Minister Modi, CJI Gogoi and Congress MP Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): Congress in Telangana Saturday demanded the suspension of the Vikarabad district Collector after officials allegedly removed seals of EVMs used in the recent assembly polls in a particular constituency, the result of which has been challenged in court.

Telangana Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka demanded that the Election Commission order an inquiry against the officials concerned.

"There is a petition pending in court on the Vikarabad Assembly seat. The officials are aware of that. The officials removed seals of 120 EVMs," he alleged.

Vikramarka said this was totally against the rules of the Election Commission. "These acts strengthen our suspension (of manipulation of EVMs during polls by the ruling TRS).

"The Collector, who is also the District Electoral Officer, should immediately be removed from duties and placed under suspension. The EC should order an inquiry into the whole issue," he said.

Despite repeated attempts, Collector Syed Omer Jaleel did not respond to calls or reply to messages.

Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said there has been a "lapse" on the part of the officials as they were not supposed to touch EVMs belonging to a constituency, whose result has been challenged in court.

"There has been a lapse (on the part of officials).Since there is a petition pending in court, the facts will be presented to the judiciary. According to the Collector's version, he was not aware of it (pending case in the court).

They took out some of the EVMs. The seals of the EVMs were not removed. Administrative action will taken for the lapse," Kumar told PTI, adding that representatives of the Congress were also present when the strongroom was opened.

He said that the officials, who realised that the result of the constituency has been challenged in court, kept the EVMs back in the strongroom.

Kumar said the district administration was in the process of doing First Level Checks of EVMs not covered in the EP (Election Petition), for the Lok Sabha polls, as directed by the Election Commission.

Congress nominee G Prasad Kumar had moved the Telangana High Court, challenging the win of his TRS rival, alleging large-scale irregularities in the polls.

In a petition to the EC, Prasad Kumar alleged that the officials' actions were in gross violation and in defiance of the instructions of the Election Commission "with malafide intentions with an ulterior motive to defeat the due legal process to deny me justice."



He requested the EC to immediately place the officers under suspension and order an enquiry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rajasthan Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore on Saturday accused the Congress government in the state of betraying the unemployed youths.

Rathore said the unemployment allowance scheme has several riders, making many unemployed youths ineligible for it.

"The chief minister announced to raise monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 for boys and Rs 3,500 for girls but there are several 'ifs and buts' in the scheme and therefore all will not be benefitted," Rathore said.

"The Congress has promised unemployment allowance to educated unemployed youths. In Rajasthan, every sixth persons is unemployed. There are nearly 33 lakh unemployed candidates who have studied upto senior secondary and if all such unemployed youths are given the allowance, the burden on the government would be of Rs 1,166 crore per month but the government is spending only Rs 2 crore per month," he told reporters at the BJP office here.

Rathore said Congress has betrayed the youths. Similarly, he alleged, farmers plight was also being ignored.

"Farmers are getting electricity for farming during night hours which is leading to their death due to cold but the government is not bothered. Eight such farmers have died due to cold conditions in the state," he alleged.

Talking about the union budget presented on Friday, Rathore said all the sectors have been covered and the budget will push development and welfare of people.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced to increase the monthly unemployment allowance for eligible graduate unemployed persons for two years. The revised allowance will be given from March 1.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): BJP in Karnataka Saturday today took a dig at the constant squabbling between ruling Congress-JD(S), saying it was in a 'coma' and expressed doubts whether Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy would even present the state's second budget on February 8.

Senior party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister claimed that 20 to 25 disgruntled MLAs of the alliance were out of the reach of their leaders and the coalition government was in a 'coma'.

He referred to Kumaraswamy's reported statement at a JD(S) legislature party meeting that he was not a chief minister for the last seven months, but 'just a clerk'.

"Whether he will present the budget or not, it is a doubt for us," he said.

He reiterated that the BJP would not make any attempts to topple the government and asked both parties not to blame the saffron party for not being able to control their MLAs.

"About 20-25 Congress-JD(S) MLAs not having trust in their party have been roaming around, away from the reach of their party leaders because of antagonism towards Congress, JD(S) and the Chief Minister- they are not in touch with them.

"Congress-JD(S) are trying to blame BJP for it, it is not right. If you don't have the mettle to control your MLAs, why do you blame BJP? you don't have the moral right to tell they (MLAs) have gone with BJP," he told reporters here.

Ashoka also said there was also 'confusion' within the coalition on contesting the polls together.

His statement gains significance in the backdrop of political turmoil in the state last month following alleged attempts by BJP to topple the H D Kumaraswamy led coalition government by poaching few Congress MLAs, who reportedly went incommunicado from the party leadership, and were camped at a hotel in Mumbai with plans to jump ship to the saffron party.

The developments had led to resort politics, with the Congress herding its MLAs to a resort outside the city, and BJP too camping its MLAs at a hotel in Gurugram fearing counter attempts by the ruling alliance to poach its members.

Four Congress MLAs had remained absent from the all important Legislature Party meeting that was seen as a show of strength amid alleged poaching attempts by the BJP.

All the four were served with notices, seeking an explanation on why action should not be taken against them as per anti-defection law.

On reports that some of these MLAs would resign ahead of the joint legislature session on February 6 and whether BJP would utilise the opportunity, he said the legislators would so if they wanted, but it only pointed to the 'confusion' in the ruling coalition.

Asked whether the BJP would approach the Governor, requesting him to ask the government to prove its majority, he said "We are not political sanyasis, we have also come to do "



Claiming that BJP's strength in the assembly has increased from 104 to 106 with the support of two independents, he said those without public support were now running the government.

"The person with 38 MLAs has become Chief Minister, this is anti-democratic, so we are not sanyasis... when the situation arises, we will utilise it hundred per cent."



On whether BJP would support Sumalatha Ambareesh,wife of late actor Ambareesh if she decided to contest as an independent from Mandya, Ashoka said the party would take a decision as and when the situation arisesHe said the BJP would talk to her if required, as the party too wanted to field right candidate in Mandya.

"Let's see....in nothing is stagnant, changes keep happening..whether this alliance will be there or not... whether this government will be there or not, no one knows. Even astrologers don't know, public also don't know, BJP also doesn't know," he added.

BJP's strength in Mandya is negligible, and there is no clarity yet among the alliance partners over which party will contest from the seat, which both consider their bastion.

According to sources, both parties want to field Sumalatha, banking on her late husband Ambareeshs popularity in the region and sympathy wave following his death recently.

Sumalatha, herself a popular actress, has stated that she will need time to decide about entering "I had no interest in politics earlier, but if I decide to enter politics it will only be from Mandya," she has declared.

Ambareesh had represented Mandya both in Assembly and Parliament from Congress. He had also served as Minister in both state and central government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China's corruption watchdog on Saturday said it has disciplined more than 80 officials linked to a major vaccine scandal last summer that inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs.

Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology -- a major Chinese manufacturer of rabies vaccines -- was slapped with a USD 1.3 billion fine last October after it was found to have fabricated records.

Four officials from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), including a deputy director, have been handed over to prosecutors, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement Saturday.

The brief statement did not say what they were alleged to have done.

The graft watchdog also said it would "seriously deal with" more than 80 other provincial or local officials from multiple government organisations, without offering details.

These officials have already been fired or demoted, it said. Authorities earlier said the faulty rabies vaccines did not enter the market. But the case provoked outrage from customers fed up with recurring product-safety scandals, particularly in the drug sector.

The drug company's chairwoman and 14 employees were arrested after the scandal came to light last July, while more than a dozen national, provincial and local officials were sacked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China's ruling Communist Party is cracking down on its officials who are taking part in religious activities violating party's ideology of adhering to atheism and secretly maintaining contacts with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who has been branded as "separatist" by Beijing.

A video produced by the Tibetan provincial government has revealed cases in the region where local Communist Party of China (CPC) members violated the CPC regulations on religion, anti-separatism and anti-corruption, state-run Global Times reported on Saturday.

So far three officials have been expelled from the party and 10 others received warning, the report said.

The Tibetan authority attaches great importance to the party discipline consistent with a nationwide campaign to strengthen the party management. It regulated 46 violations by local CPC members, including religious beliefs, according to the video produced by the publicity department of the regional commission for discipline inspection of Tibet and Tibet television.

The video, part of a four-episode series featuring the region's efforts on anti-corruption and regulating the party members, was aired from January 28 to 31 on Tibet television, the report said.

Buddhism is a widely popular religion in Tibet, which is governed by the CPC ever since China took control of it in 1950. Despite his exile in India since 1959, the Dalai Lama remains the most revered religious figure in the Himalayan region.

The CPC remains an atheist organisation. Thus, CPC members are banned from religious beliefs, because they can only believe in Marxism and believing in other religions means betrayal of their chosen belief and it will shake their belief in Marxism and separate them from the party, Xiong Kunxin, an ethnic studies professor at Tibet University in Lhasa, told the Global Times.

"However, there are some two-faced people in Tibet, who claim loyalty to the party while secretly sympathising and even working for separatists. The regional government has already identified these people so it is strengthening its regulation to kick them out," Xiong said.

The video tells of a story in Zaxizong village in Nyalam county, Xigaze in 2016. Nyalam police found some "politically forbidden objects" in a cave in the village. Pictures of "illicit goods" were digitally blurred in the video.

An unnamed official from the regional commission for discipline inspection said in the video that "in Tibet, taking a firm political stance is the most important thing in abiding by the party's political disciplines. We must wage a tit-for-tat battle with the Dalai Lama and his group. If any CPC member has the wrong attitude on this subject, it would be a serious problem," the Global Times report said.

Some people have been hiding 'illicit objects' in the cave since 2009. Some village officials, including the party chief of the village's CPC branch, had participated in worshipping these illicit objects," it said.

The case led to three CPC officials being expelled from the party and 10 others receiving a warning, it said.

"Apart from these two-faced people, there are also other CPC members and officials who committed mistakes due to a lack of political sensitivity and consciousness," Dolma, a CPC member, who works at Tibet television, told the Global Times.

"Once Party members and officials are corrupted with wrong political ideas, the influence is worse. So we should be more cautious than others, and pay attention to what we consider trivial," Dolma said.

Regional commission for discipline inspection established an office in 2018 to supervise Party discipline. A total of 215 people had been involved in such violations as of October 2018, the video said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central African Republic government and 14 armed groups struck a deal Saturday to end years of fighting that has killed thousands, the parties and a mediator said.

The deal, the seventh since 2012, was announced on Twitter by the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera just a day after the African Union and UN-sponsored talks in Khartoum were suspended amid disagreements over amnesty.

"A peace agreement has been reached," said the tweet.

"This agreement should be initialled tomorrow (Sunday) and its signing will take place in Bangui in a few days," the Tweet added.

Also on Twitter, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui confirmed the breakthrough, adding some details of the pact still had to be ironed out.

"I am humbled to announce that with the exemplary cooperation I received from both the Government of the CAR and the 14 armed groups, we have secured a peace agreement today in the interest of the people of CAR."



Aboubakar Sidik, spokesman for one of the main armed factions, the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) said: "We are happy a consensus has been reached on sticking points which were an amnesty (for militia fighters) and an inclusive government."



The talks, which started on January 24, were suspended repeatedly over several issues including rebel demands for an amnesty.

The armed groups also wanted the dissolution of the present government in favour of an interim regime led by someone from their side, according to a document obtained by AFP.

Under Western pressure, Bangui has always refused pardons for warlords, several of whom are under UN sanctions or cited for human rights violations in UN reports.

A Special Criminal Court (CPS) has been set up in Bangui to judge people accused of crimes in the country since 2003, but has so far done little.

And despite the peace initiative, the violence has continued.

Since the talks started, the mainly Muslim Union for Peace (UPC) has notably carried out several attacks on the central prefecture of Ouaka.

None of the six earlier accords struck between the parties have managed to restore stability.

The former French colony has more than 12,000 UN peacekeepers (MINUSCA) in the country.

But rights group Amnesty International has criticised their failure to stop a rebel attack that killed scores of civilians at a displacement camp in the central town of Alindao last November.

Central African Republic is rich in mineral resources but remains one of the world's poorest nations.

It has struggled to recover from a 2013 civil war that erupted when President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels.

In response, Christians, who account for about 80 percent of the population, organised vigilante units dubbed "anti-Balaka" in reference to the balaka machetes used by Seleka rebels.

Thousands of people have died in the violence, 700,000 have been internally displaced, and another 570,000 have fled abroad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Like millions of his compatriots, Filipino migrant Ray Erwin adores Pope Francis. This weekend, he is counting down the hours to a historic papal mass in Abu Dhabi.

"We are very grateful," he told AFP. "It's a chance of a lifetime."



Erwin, 44, will be among 135,000 worshippers expected to gather on Tuesday when "Lolo Kiko" (Grandpa Francisco), as the pontiff is affectionately known in the Philippines, holds a vast open-air mass in the Muslim-majority Arabian Peninsula.

The pope's three-day trip, which starts Sunday, is the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula -- the birthplace of Islam.

While Muslims make up nearly four fifths of the UAE's population, the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.

Most are from India or the Philippines -- like Erwin, who has a wife and two daughters and has lived there for 20 years.

Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 per cent of the population.

Decked out with Vatican flags and a lifelike picture of the pope, St. Mary's Catholic Church in the neighbouring emirate of Dubai has been abuzz with worshippers preparing for the pontiff's arrival.

The church, which can hold about 2,500 worshippers, was packed during mass on Friday.

People lined the walls inside while others stood in the open air to watch the sermon on two big screens.

Indian Irene Ann Tomi, 16, said the pope's visit would be "an eye opener for all the Christians and the Muslims in the UAE."



"We are all human," she said. "I believe we are connected by one thread, and that is faith."On Saturday, the last day to collect tickets for the mass, hundreds of people queued for passes while others lined up in front of a kiosk distributing goodie bags of memorabilia.

Irene, who is involved in youth activities at the church, said the congregation is influenced by the teachings of Pope Francis.

"We all try to incorporate his idea of smiling even when we have difficulties in our life," she told AFP.

Irene said the UAE had given her and her family "a lot of freedom to pray in our churches".

The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity. It has eight Catholic churches, compared to four each in Oman, Kuwait and Yemen.

Qatar and Bahrain have one each, while ultra-conservative Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

The pontiff's trip is widely seen as encouraging inter-religious dialogue in the region.

Pope Francis will take part in an interfaith conference on Monday and will meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest seat of Islamic learning.

Early on Tuesday morning, more than 2,000 free buses will transport worshippers from across the Emirates to Abu Dhabi, way ahead of the mass scheduled for 10:30 AM (0630 GMT).

Local media say it will be the largest ever public gathering in the UAE. Filipina Ruthcel Fermana, a nanny who has been living in Dubai for over five years, said she started jumping on the bed when she found out she would be on one of the buses.

"Early in the morning when I woke up and opened my phone and then saw the message and my name was on the list. I said: 'Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord, thank you Lord!'" she told AFP.

"Everything happens for a reason.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A suspected woman naxal was killed and another injured Saturday in an encounter between security forces and ultras in Chhattisgarh, police said.

The skirmish took place early this morning in the forest of Rengaiguda village, around 450 kms from Raipur, under Polampalli police station limits when a joint team of security forces was returning after an area domination operation, Sukma Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla told PTI over phone.

The combine squad of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and District Force (DF) was returning to their camp from Pidmel when they were fired upon, he said, adding that Maoists fled after a brief exchange.

"During search, two suspected women naxals, dressed as civilians, were found injured in the forest. No weapons were recovered from them," Shukla said.

He said the women were rushed to the field hospital of the CRPF in Dornapal where one of them died during treatment while the condition of other woman is stable.

Efforts are on to ascertain their identity, the SP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) between the armies of China and India was held in Eastern Ladakh sector on the occasion of 'Chinese Spring Festival' on Saturday, a defence spokesman said.

"The meeting was conducted at Chinese BPM Huts at Chushul-Moldo and DBO-TWD Meeting Points of Eastern Ladakh. The Indian delegation was led by Brig V K Purohit and Col S S Lamba and the Chinese delegation by Senior Colonel Bai Min and Colonel Song Zhang Li," the spokesman said.

He said the meeting commenced with saluting the national flags by the delegation members.

"This was followed by the ceremonial address comprising exchange of greetings, wishes and vote of thanks. The address reflected the mutual desire for maintaining and improving relations at the functional level at the border," he said.

The spokesman said a cultural programme, showcasing Chinese culture and traditions, was also organised.

"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," he said.

Meanwhile, Northern Army chief Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh visited the headquarters of Fire & Fury Corps in Leh on Saturday.

"He was briefed by Lieutenant General Y K Joshi, General Officer Commanding, Fire & Fury Corps, on the operational readiness being maintained in the Ladakh Sector," the spokesman said.

He said the Army commander appreciated the high standard of professionalism being displayed by all ranks of the Fire & Fury Corps.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at a BJP legislator in the assembly, the saffron party on Saturday called him an "assembly rowdy" and alleged that he was in "deep frustration".

"A frustrated, defeatist Chandrababu Naidu has threatened BJP MLAs Vishnu Kumar Raju & Manikyala Rao in Andhra assembly y'day that @BJP4Andhra leaders will not be allowed to move in the state for exposing TDP," party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is planning a privilege motion against Naidu, Rao added.

"Chandrababu Naidu's behaviour in the assembly reveals that his madness has reached peaks. He is in such deep frustration that he behaved like a 'assembly rowdy'," Rao alleged.

Naidu had strongly criticised BJP's floor leader, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, in the assembly on Friday when the latter tried to defend the Centre after the chief minister accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating against south India in allotment of cabinet berths.

"You have no right to be an elected (people's) representative. Are you doing tamasha? What do you think of yourself? What can you people do? Put me in jail? Don't we have anguish?" Naidu had asked Raju.

When Raju sought to protest, Naidu had asked the BJP MLA to "go to Delhi and raise your objection". "Who wants your objection. We will not leave you till justice is done (to the state)," the Telugu Desam Party chief had said.

Naidu, who snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance last year, has been highly critical of the BJP-led government over various issues, particularly for not accepting the demand of special category status to the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bihar cabinet has approved a draft bill on providing 10 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections among the general category, a state government official said Saturday.

The official, who did not wish to be named, said that the draft bill was approved in a cabinet meeting late Friday night which was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The bill would be tabled before the bicameral state legislature during the budget session beginning February 11, he added.

The Narendra Modi government has introduced the quota for the economically backward among the general category vide a constitutional amendment.

The quotas have so far been implemented in Gujarat and Jharkhand both states ruled by the BJP.

A few political parties, such as RJD, DMK and AIMIM, have, however, been opposed to the quota.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is an ally of the BJP and has supported the quota, had said last month that his government was seeking legal opinion on whether to extend reservation benefits to the economically weaker sections through an executive order or through the legislative route.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A local court here has sentenced a Bangladeshi woman to ten years in jail for torturing a woman in a bid to force her into prostitution.

Ruby Sikandar Munshi (40), originally from Satkhira district in Bangladesh, was also fined Rs 6,000 by District and Additional Sessions Judge SP Gondhalekar, an official said.

Two others, identified as Afjal Majid Siddikhi (35) and Ramadevi Yallappa Dodamani (61) were acquitted in the case registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the official added.

An accused identified as Alamgir is absconding.

Additional Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Moholkar said the victim, a 24-year-old Bangladesh national, was tortured to forcefully make her work as a sex worker at Munshi's brothel.

She suffered grievous injuries on her breasts and lost some teeth, the court was told.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Worried over curbs on corruption imposed by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, the opposition parties have forged an alliance to "loot" the country, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das said Saturday.

Addressing a convention of BJP workers at Chandwa in the district, Das called upon the party workers to work hard and make Modi the prime minister once again.

"Commission and corruption have been stopped after the formation of the Modi government. Worried opposition parties are out to form 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) so that they can loot the country once again," Das said.

Das also asked the party workers to take a vow of abki baar 400 paar" (cross 400 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming general elections) and make the people aware of the 130 welfare schemes that have been rolled out by the Centre.

"Political parties starting with the name 'Jharkhand' do not want development of the states people and progress of tribals," Das said, indirectly referring to Shibu Sorens Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Babulal Marandis Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik).

Addressing the same gathering, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey, who is also the election in-charge of BJP in Jharkhand, said that the "mother-daughter" combination would not be allowed to form government, in an apparent reference to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Pandey added that within a month, the BJP workers will create such an atmosphere in every Lok Sabha seat that it will take the wind out of the grand alliance and only BJP will be seen everywhere.

BJPs national general secretary Anil Jain claimed that the saffron party would win more seats than the 2014 elections, and take the country to the pinnacle of progress.

Jain said every country welcomes Narendra Modi, unlike his predecessor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seventy-three Indians have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for violating visa norms this year, officials said on Saturday.

A total of 49 Indian nationals were arrested on Saturday from a factory in Matugama, about 60 km from here, the Immigration and Emigration Department officials said.

They were staying beyond the visa term, they added.

Last month, 24 Indians, who were employed in a factory at Ingiriya, were arrested for staying beyond their visa term, officials said.

Those arrested have been sent to the immigration detention centre in Mirihana, the eastern suburb of Colombo, they added.

Offiicials said those arrested would be sent to India after completing necessary formalities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bodies of three persons, who were were buried under an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district a day ago, were recovered by a search and rescue team on Saturday, officials said.

Four people were aboard a snow removal machine on the Pahalgam-Aru road on Friday when they were trapped under the avalanche, an official had said.

"We've recovered the bodies of three persons who were buried under an avalanche...," a police official said.

One person was rescued alive on Friday and had been admitted to a hospital, the official said.

Fresh snowfall has resulted in avalanches in hilly areas of Kashmir, prompting authorities to issue an advisory for people to avoid avalanche-prone areas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Leading spiritual leaders and yoga gurus converged at the ongoing Kumbh Mela here in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday for a week-long 'Youth Kumbh'

The programme started on Friday and will continue till February 7. It has been jointly organised by the Indian Yoga Association and Parmarth Niketan, in association with the state Tourism Department and Incredible India and the Union Ministry of Tourism, officials said.

The seven-day Yoga Kumbh is being held on the banks of the 'Sangam' at the Parmarth Niketan, Ganga Action Parivar (GAP), GIWA Kumbh Camp, Sector 18.

Art of Living (AoL) Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and yoga guru Baba Ramdev attended the morning session.

Exhorting people to take up yoga, Ravi Shankar said: "Yoga fills our life with music. We are here as for unity amidst the diversity. The purpose of yoga is to lead us to the state of 'Sangam' (confluence) within us, where every moment is yoga."

While leading a special 'asana', he also said that instead of selfie point "let us realise that the self is the point -- the source of all consciousness".

Ramdev in his address to hundred of yoga enthusiasts, said: "Yog Kranti (the Revolution of Yoga) is the core of all revolutions and by practising yoga every day and doing 'Karma Yoga' throughout the day the potential and infinite light that we truly are is unleashed."

At the completion of the session Swami Chidanand Saraswati pointed out that at the Saturday's event "there is convergence and oneness on the banks of the sacred Sangam that in itself holds the nectar of immortality".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress party in Kerala has made it clear that none of the legislators want former chief Minister Oommen Chandy to be fielded for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Making no bones about the general impression, K. Muraleedharan, in-charge of the party's Campaign Committee said: "If he needs to contest the Lok Sabha polls, it will be a decision taken by the party high command and he himself.

"But none of us want him (Chandy) to go away from the Assembly. His presence is required here."

Son of late K. Karunakaran, Muraleedharan said that all the opposition legislators were of the firm opinion that Chandy should be here to lead the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Ever since talks for picking Lok Sabha candidates began, the two-time former Chief Minister's name has been at the top of the list, besides that of Ramesh Chennithala.

Chandy has not yet spoken on the matter.

After the Congress lost the last Assembly polls, Chandy had refused the Leader of Opposition post which had upset majority of the party members. Chennithala was then given the post.

Chandy, who is General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh and a Congress Working Committee member was hugely applauded during party President Rahul Gandhi's meeting with party workers in Kochi last week.

His name has been sounded for the Idukki Lok Sabha seat, however, state party chief Mullapally Ramachandran has made it clear a few days back that Chandy could be fielded from any of the 20 seats in the state "and victory will be assured".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of farmers gathered at DND flyway called off their protest on Saturday after the Uttar Pradesh government promised to look into their demands.

Farmer leader Manveer Singh Tevatiya said the protest was suspended for a week.

"Our demands about proper compensation have been pending for eight years. If the government does not resolve them in a week, we will resume our protest," he told IANS.

On Friday, these farmers travelling in tractors had tried to enter the national capital via the DND flyway. However, they were stopped by police at toll plaza, leading to traffic jam for hours.

--IANS

spk/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cory Booker, a Democratic Senator from the US state of New Jersey, has announced that he is running for president in 2020.

Booker, a former mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013, and the first African American senator from New Jersey, made the announcement on Friday on Twitter, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a video message accompanying the announcement, Booker touched upon topics like racial injustice and economic inequality.

The 49-year-old is joining a crowded field of Democrats seeking the party's nomination to take on Donald Trump in next year's presidential elections.

He is expected to face tough competition from other prominent figures, including Kamala Harris, a Senator from California; Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren; New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; former San Antonio, Texas mayor Julian Castro; and Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

Booker won a special election to the Senate in 2013 before winning a full-term in 2014. He will be able to run for a second term in the Senate in 2020 as well as run for president thanks to a New Jersey law.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US army on Saturday said its forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia on Friday, killing 13 Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that no civilians were injured or killed in the strike which targetted the militants in the vicinity of Gandarshe in Lower Shebelle region, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the statement, the extremist group has previously used Gandarshe, about 48 km from Mogadishu, as a staging area for attacks including vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices that threaten the capital and its residents.

On December 15 and 16, 2018, six US airstrikes killed 62 Al-Shabaab militants near Gandarshe, who according to AFRICOM were preparing for an attack on a Somali government military base in the region, and on Wednesday a US airstrike killed 24 militants in neighbouring Hiran region.

The US strikes have largely targetted Al-Shabaab figureheads based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some areas.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of farmers gathered at DND flyway called off their protest on Saturday after the Uttar Pradesh government promised to look into their demands of compensation as per the latest law for their acquired land.

The protest that started on Friday caused huge inconvenience to commuters during evening peak hours after the agitated farmers blocked the flyway with their tractors.

Following the government's intervention on Saturday, the protest was suspended for a week, said farmer leader Manveer Singh Tevatiya.

"Our demands about proper compensation have been pending for eight years. If the government does not resolve them in a week, we will resume our protest," he told IANS.

The decision to call off the protest did not go down well with many farmers as they raised concerns over the lack of concrete assurances from the government.

Tevatiya said the government had given the farmers from Mathura, Agra, and Dadri, Mandola, Kachera in the NCR a "paltry amount" when their land was acquired during 2010-2011.

"We were deceived by the government. We want compensation under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," he said.

Some farmers from Bihar also had joined the protest for their demand of fair compensation from GAIL India.

On Friday, these farmers travelling in tractors had tried to enter the National Capital via the DND flyway. They were stopped by police at toll plaza, leading to traffic jam for hours.

Police had a tough time clearing the tractors on DND flyway that had affected traffic on National Highway 24, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar and Mathura Road. These farmers stayed overnight near the toll plaza.

On Saturday, the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar met the protesting farmers and assured them of a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a week's time, Tevatiya said.

Amit Tyagi, a farmer from Mandola, said about 2,640 acres of land was acquired from his village in 2010 but the compensation given by the government was "too low".

"We did not realise that we were fooled. Now, we want compensation under the 2013 law that promises 20 per cent of (developed) land in compensation besides money," he said.

Another farmer leader Neeraj Tyagi said the BJP leaders had expressed their solidarity with the farmers' demands before they formed government in the state in 2017.

--IANS

sps-spk/rs/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A High Court judge in the UK has used Twitter for the first time to urge a mother who vanished with her three-year-old son to return home.

Ellie Yarrow-Sanders, 26, disappeared with Olly Sheridan in July following a family court litigation with her ex-partner Patrick Sheridan. Justice Williams, who sent the tweet, is overseeing the case.

It is thought to be the first time a judge has used Twitter in this way, the BBC said.

The Judicial Office used the hashtag comehomeolly and said: "High Court Judge, Justice Williams, and Ellie Yarrow-Sanders' mother and sister have made a direct appeal to Ellie to bring missing toddler Olly Sheridan home, with reassurances as to how she will be treated and given a voice in court."

Yarrow-Sanders' family -- mother Donna, 47, and sister Maddie, 22, from Basildon, Essex, on Friday made a joint plea with Sheridan, who is in his mid-40s, and said Olly needed to "come home to his normal life".

A senior social worker has been appointed to "promote Olly's welfare", however, the judge has made it clear that such a move would not mean there was any chance of Olly being placed in foster care.

--IANS

in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)K. Mahesh (75), Chairman of Sundaram Brake Linings Ltd, a part of the $8.5 billion TVS Group, died here on Saturday.

He was ailing for sometime.

Mahesh headed the group's brake linings project since beginning. Initially it was a joint venture with Abex Corporation, a US company. The US company exited the project later.

Mahesh as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) insisted on quality systems and saw to it that Sundaram Brake Linings followed that.

In 2001, the company became the first manufacturer of friction material for brake lining and clutch facings and won the prestigious Deming award from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers.

"He was the first in the industry to make asbestos-free brake linings," V.R. Janardhanam, former Chief Operating Officer of Sundaram Brake Linings, told IANS.

"Mahesh was always focused on exports. In those times companies exported only when the domestic market was not doing well. But he would say that 50 per cent of the turnover should come from exports. Exports should not be a time pass," Janardhanam said.

"Mahesh was worker friendly. When there was a proposal to provide cycles to workers, he saw to it that the best brand cycles were given to them," Janardhanam said.

Mahesh earned B.Tech degree in metallurgy from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Mahesh is survived by wife, two daughters and one son. His son, Krishna Mahesh is Managing Director of Sundaram Brake Linings.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Libyan security forces have arrested a senior Islamic State (IS) leader in the city of Sirte, said an official on conditions of anonymity.

Khalifa Barq was taken from his home by a special security force, the official of Sirte security department told Xinhua news agency on Friday.

"The operation was based on intelligence information about presence of Barq in central Sirte. He is one of the founders of IS in Sirte who is wanted by the Attorney General," the official said of the arrest made on Thursday.

Sirte, located some 450 km from here, has witnessed months of fighting between forces allied with the UN-backed government and IS militants that ended in December 2016 with the government forces taking over the city.

The IS continues to remain a threat to national security, the government has said.

--IANS

in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Tiger Shroff has praised his "Student of The Year 2' co-actresses Tara Sutaria and Ananya Pandey.

The girls are so "talented" and "prepared" that he never felt he was working with two newcomers, he said during the "Are You Coming" song launch on Friday here.

Tara and Ananya are making their Hindi film debut in SOTY2, opposite Tiger, who said it was fun experience working in the film.

"Especially because it's very light and I am playing a different kind of character. It's very out of my zone but I had a lot of fun.

"As far as the two newcomers are concerned, I think both are very talented and prepared so I didn't feel like I was working with newcomers," he said.

Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra made their Hindi film debut with "Student of The Year' in 2012 and it was a box-office hit.

"I think pressure is on because we have to carry forward the franchise," he added.

Tiger, who is a huge fan of R&B (Rhythm and Blues) and pop music, said "Are You Coming" composed by Sachin-Jigar and sung by Benny Dayal is a fun party anthem.

It was shot in a cool and chilled out manner and choreographed by Remo D'Souza.

"Student of The Year 2" will release on May 10.

--IANS

iv/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The families of 17 slain Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel were felicitated on Saturday at the Border Security Force (BSF) Headquarters here under 'Bharat Ke Veer', an initiative of the Home Ministry.

Family members of 10 BSF personnel, four from Central Reserve Police Force, one from Assam Rifles and one from the Sashastra Seema Bal were felicitated and the martyrs commemorated by BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra.

'Bharat Ke Veer' is an interface provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to the citizens of India to directly contribute to the families of the martyrs.

Launched in April 2017, the 'Bharat Ke Veer' portal contains the details of the martyrs of CAPFs who sacrificed their life in line of duty.

So far 205 martyrs of CAPFs have been listed on 'Bharat Ke Veer' since launch and an amount of Rs 45.32 crore have been received by the corpus and the families.

--IANS

rak-and/rs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Six persons were killed in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh in the wee hours on Saturday when a car rammed into a container, police said.

The deceased hailed from Madhya Pradesh and were home bound after attending the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

Thwe driver of the container fled from the crime scene and the vehicle has been seized by the police, an official told IANS.

The mishap took place near Bhauntar village when the car (MP 15 CA 3908) was hit by a speeding container. Families of the deceased have been informed in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Circle Officer of Sirathu, Ramveer Singh, said that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem and have been identified as those of Maheep Singh Lodhi, Ram Mohan, Ram Sahay, Anuj Tiwari, Satyam and Mahendra Tiwari.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to send the bodies to their home with security and due respect.

--IANS

md/rs/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday slammed the Central government for not allocating any funds for the Metro Phase IV project in the city.

Sisodia said that the cost of phase IV project came down by Rs 10,000 crore after the Delhi government's intervention.

He also said that the Delhi government had committed 50 per cent of the cost and yet the Central government did not allocate any money for the project.

"Metro phase IV is important for Delhi. We did a detailed study of the project, in which we pointed out that Rs 10,000 crore can be saved, despite being blamed by BJP leaders that we are not clearing the files.

"I felt very sad that the Central government has completely ignored Delhi in its Budget. The Centre has forgotten about the Metro phase IV," Sisodia told the media.

He also said that the Central government wanted the Delhi government to bear the running losses while the profit was to be shared between Delhi and Central government.

"Considering the loss liability, we had even offered to take over the Metro operation," he said.

The Phase IV project had become a bone of contention between the AAP government and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government as the former did not give its final nod to the project, even after its in-principle approval of the same in February 2016.

Among the projects chosen under Phase IV are: Rithala-Bawana-Narela (21.73 km, elavated), Janakpuri West-RK Ashram (28.92 km, 21.18-km elevated), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km, elevated), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km, underground), Aero City-Tughlakabad (20.2 km, 5.58-km elevated), Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block (7.96 km, 5.89-km elevated).

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)While the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir is upbeat about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state tomorrow, others including mainstream parties and the separatists do not expect much from the visit.

Ravinder Raina, state BJP president has said the visit of party's star campaigner will definitely help the party do better in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. "Not only will it help us do better in the Lok Sabha elections, but also in the assembly polls," he said.

Former chief minister and vice president of regional National Conference Omar Abdullah has expressed hope that Modi will announce the opening of Kargil-Skardu road across the Line of Control during his visit to the state.

Omar has supported the demand raised by people of Kargil in the Ladakh region who held a rally yesterday demanding opening of the route.

Former chief minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti has not even commented on Modi's visit while her party's senior leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar said, "Foundation stones laid in the past have remained stones only."

"Projects such as the Zojilla Tunnel and Z-Morh Tunnel have almost been abandoned and these are being re-tendered now. The ambitious ring-road project is abandoned because land could not be acquired, the Jammu-Srinagar Highway is mostly closed this winter," said Akhtar.

"On the political front, it is unfortunate that the Prime Minister will be addressing sarpanchs and panchs who got elected barely with 10 per cent votes," said Akhtar.

Ghulam Hassan Mir, president of Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) and former minister said, "It is a totally politically motivated visit happening when Lok Sabha elections are around. We do not have any hopes from this visit".

Other mainstream political parties such as the National Panthers Party and the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) headed by Hakim Muhammad Yasin have also called Modi's visit a "politically motivated trip aimed only at the Lok Sabha elections".

Kashmiri separatist leadership has reacted traditionally to Modi's visit by calling a protest shutdown tomorrow.

Authorities have placed senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, under house arrest ahead of Modi's visit.

--IANS

sq/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daylong visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, security across the state was beefed up on Saturday.

Modi will be visiting all the three regions -- Jammu, Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley. He is scheduled to lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and inaugurate projects worth Rs 9,000 crore.

A multi-tier security arrangement has been put in place for the Prime Minister's visit.

A team of Prime Minister's Special Protection Group (SPG) has taken over all the venues Modi is scheduled to visit.

Security forces carried out three-day-long searches in Samba district to ensure security for the public rally Modi is addressing in Vijaypur on Sunday.

In addition, close vigil is being maintained all along the International Border (IB) from Pathankot to Jammu.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops guarding the IB have been put on high alert.

Frisking of commuters, setting up of static and mobile checking points have been witnessed in Jammu city over the last three days.

In Srinagar, security forces carried out search drills in city centre Lal Chowk on Friday.

Drones fitted with cameras were used to provide aerial surveillance during these searches.

Frequent frisking of commuters and thorough searches of vehicles entering Srinagar city has been started. The main venue is Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake.

Authorities on Saturday placed senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest ahead of the visit.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, has called for a valley-wide shutdown on Sunday.

During his visit, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), IIM, IIT, Jammu-Akhnoor road, Shahpur-Kandi road, Sunderbani College, and IIMC in Jammu during his visit.

He will also inaugurate an engineering college in Kathua district of Jammu division.

Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Vijaypur in Samba district from where he will kickstart the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha election campaign in the state.

Modi has visited Jammu and Kashmir 10 times since he took over as the country's Prime Minister.

His last visit was on May 19 when he laid the foundation of the Zojilla Tunnel that once completed will connect the Ladakh region with the valley making the present Srinagar-Leh Highway an all-weather road.

At present, the surface link to Ladakh region remains cut off during the winter months.

Modi will also inaugurate the first ever business process outsourcing (BPO) unit in Bandipora district.

--IANS

sq/in/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Roosting sites are not always near or in wetlands, as is often speculated for waterbirds. This is true both in rural and urban settings and there is a huge human tolerance, a yet-to-be published study with focus mainly on Rajasthan says.

And this is so despite massive 'disturbance' around urban roost sites.

"This underscores the high value of the human attitude in Rajasthan, and indeed many locations in India, in not deliberately disturbing birds and tolerating waterbird aggregations, Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation scientist K.S. Gopi Sundar told IANS.

"This toleration is not trivial since these aggregations are noisy, smelly and can wake you up very early in the morning," he pointed out.

Sundar conducted this first-of-its-kind study with Udaipur-based Sukhadia University's Vijay Koli and researcher Sunil Chaudhury.

The study is likely to be published in Waterbirds journal later this year.

Sundar said given that nothing is known of roosting of large waterbirds, the work set out to explore where the black-headed ibis roosts for the night.

Anecdotal observations had made it clear that unlike some waterbirds, the ibis roosts not in wetlands but on trees.

The surveys included both rural and urban areas -- a first for ornithology in this part of the world.

"We usually focus either on urban areas, or on rural and wilder areas for bird work. The surveys included information not only on where the birds roosted, but also where they nested, and included information from waterbird roosts near ibis roosts that did not have ibises roosting," co-researcher Koli said.

According to Sundar, many more birds were counted in roosts compared to in nesting sites. This was quite a surprise, but on hindsight, was logical since roosts would include non-breeding birds as well.

The kinds of waterbirds in roosts with the ibis and in roosts without the ibis were different.

"Clearly, roost sites form a previously ignored component of the birds' life history and population that need to be paid attention to if we are to conserve these species over the long run," Sundar said.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

vg/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer) and Black communities gathered at a rally here to express solidarity with "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, days after he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago.

Labelled as a solidarity event, the rally's organisers on Friday aimed to show public support both for Smollett and for the larger community of LGBTQ survivors of violence, according to the Facebook event listing and Jason Walker, HIV/AIDS campaign coordinator for Vocal-NY and the rally's lead organiser, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The two-hour rally featured over 15 speakers and was co-sponsored by more than 40 various city, state and national organisations focusing on LGBTQ and racially marginalised communities.

Walker began the event with the chant: "When queer communities are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. When people of colour are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back."

Representatives from various advocacy groups each took over the megaphone, delivering speeches demanding an end to violent attacks like those on Smollett.

Beyond speaking out for Smollett and LGBTQ people of colour, speakers primarily used their time to address what they described as a growing movement of violence against LGBTQ, black, and other marginalised communities under the current presidential administration.

Several speakers directly pointed to US President Donald Trump and both the language and policies as the fuel for the attack on Smollett.

"The Jussie Smollett attack was politically motivated, and that represents where we are sociopolitically," said Walker.

Before Friday, Smollett had not commented on the racist and homophobic attack he experienced last week in Chicago after two men beat him, poured an unknown substance all over him and put a noose around his neck.

In the actor's first statement since the incident, he echoed many of the sentiments shared at the rally, telling Essence that his experience is representative of a larger issue.

"As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non-gender conforming siblings daily... I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident," Smollett said.

--IANS

dc/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a huge embarrassment for Maharashtra government, a Pune Special Court on Saturday slammed the city police Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) for what it termed as "illegal arrest" of Dalit intellectual Prof Anand Teltumbde, and ordered his immediate release -- barely 12 hours after he was arrested at Mumbai airport.

Pune Special Judge K.D. Vadane rejected arguments by the prosecution and ruled that Teltumbde's arrest was not only "illegal" but also "amounts to a contempt of order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court" which had granted protection from arrest to the professor for four weeks till February 11.

When asked what was the haste to arrest Teltumbde in an early morning operation from Mumbai, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodke guardedly said: "It was done are per procedures."

"We respect the honourable court's orders in this matter today (Saturday). Now any further step will be initiated only after the verdict of the competent court which he (Teltumbde) may approach for relief," Bodke told IANS shortly after the ruling.

Special Judge Vadane also directed that after releasing Teltumbde, the Supreme Court should be informed of the same since the arrest by the Pune police was against the order of the apex court.

The court pointed out that the apex court order clearly stated: "We extend the said interim protection for a period of four weeks..., within which the petitioner (Teltumbde) may seek regular/ pre-arrest bail from the competent authority, if so advised."

Special Judge Vadane observed that "this means trial court, high court and Supreme Court also", and hence, although his anticipatory bail application was rejected by (this) court on February 1, Teltumbde still had the liberty to approach the higher courts within the stipulated four-week period.

It was around 3.45 a.m on Saturday when a waiting team of Pune police accosted and arrested Teltumbde from the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when he landed here from Kerala.

Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had earlier filed for anticipatory bail before Special Judge Vadane, but it was rejected on Friday, paving way for the police action.

Later, after completing certain post-arrest formalities in Mumbai, he was whisked off to Pune and produced before the court.

In the court, his lawyer Rohan Nahar moved an application demanding action against the Pune ATS for contempt of Supreme Court by the illegal arrest, since the apex court had granted him protection till February 11, and strongly argued for his immediate release.

Teltumbde has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Opposing his anticipatory bail plea, the Pune police had submitted evidences in a sealed envelope, claiming him to be an alleged "urban Maoist" against which the law enforcers have launched a major offensive for the past one year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)JD (U) General Secretary and party in-charge for the Northeast, Afaque Ahmed Khan, on Saturday said that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) is forced not to pursue the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 due to strong opposition raised by his party.

The contentious Bill that has led to a series of protests in different northeastern states, including Assam, was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8.

The Bill now awaits approval of the Rajya Sabha to become an Act.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 was not listed for the ongoing session of the Upper House so far.

"JD (U) national President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the first political party leader to oppose the Bill and supported the protests against the Bill in the northeastern states," said Khan in a statement issued here.

"Nitish Kumar assured his strong opposition to the Bill when the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) delegation met him. The JD (U) took a resolution on July 8, 2018, to oppose the Bill," he said, adding that the party opposes the Bill for the well-being of the people of the Northeast.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rishi Kumar Shukla, former Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police, an officer without any anti-corruption work experience, was on Saturday appointed the chief of India's top probe agency by the government, which brushed aside a dissent note from Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge opposing the choice.

The appointment of 59-year-old Shukla, who was shunted from the post of DGP, Madhya Pradesh, by the new Congress government to the state's Police Housing Corporation only three days ago, came 20 days after Alok Verma was removed unceremoniously from the post following his bitter feud with Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, based on the panel recommended by the Committee, constituted as per Section 4 A(1) of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, approved the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as the Director, CBI, vice Alok Kumar Verma for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the office," an official notification said.

The Appointment of the 1983-batch IPS officer for a period of two years also came a day after a high-level selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to finalise the name. The committee also including Chief Justice of India and Kharge had met twice in the last nine days to choose the CBI chief.

The 59-year-old Shukla, who was DGP during the BJP regime in Madhya Pradesh for nearly three years, has not worked in the CBI or in the state's anti-corrupion wing at any time in his career. He would have normally retired in August next year but his tenure at CBI will come to an end in February 2021.

Sources said two names--Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, a 1983-batch UP cadre IPS officer, and Shukla were zeroed in from out of the five shortlisted officers and the government recommended Shukla for the top post in the CBI on ground he was the senior-most.

Opposing this, Kharge, in his dissent note, said the criterion decided in the high-level committee meeting "has diluted this to include investigation experience".

"This would be both against the letter and spirit of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act which clearly states investigation of anti-corruption case," he said.

He cited the Supreme Court judgement in the Vineet Narain case, which said the Committee will appoint an IPS officer on the basis of seniority, integrity and experience in the field of anti-corruption, a point also stressed by the DSPE Act.

The Committee, in its meeting, set out seniority, ACR above a certain cut-off and a total experience in investigation and anti-corruption of 100 months or more.

He then produced the seniority of five short-listed officers who all had anti-corruption experience, except Shukla. Of them, S. Javed Ahmed, a 1984 UP cadre officer, had the maximum of 303 months of investigative experience, of which 160 months related to anti-corruption. Bhatnagar had 170 months of investigative experience, including 25 months in anti-corruption.

"Adding of general investigative experience to experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases has led to inclusion of candidates who either have no experience or at best very little experience in investigation of anti-corruption case," Kharge said.

He said all three aspects -- seniority, integrity and investigative experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases--should be given equal weightage in the matter to get the best suited officers in the shortlist.

Based on these criteria, Kharge recommended a list of three officers putting Javed Ahmed at the top, followed by Bhatngar and Sudeep Lakhtakia, a 1984 Telangana cadre officer, 147 months of investigative experience, including 14 months in anti-corruption work.

"It is important to restore the image and integrity of the CBI as a premier institution that is fighting against corruption. Hence, prior experience of having served in the institution should be given primacy after having shortlisted candidates based on their seniority and their ACR," he said.

"One cannot stand by and accept the dilution of norms when an appointment to such a critical post is being made," he said in the dissent note adding by including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, the Committee was in violation of the SSPE Act and the apex court judgements.

Referring to the continuance of M. Nageshwara Rao, who was appointed interim chief in October last year after Verma and Asthana were forced to go on leave following mutual allegations of corruption, capping the bitter feud, the Supreme Court had on Friday raised questions as to how long the present situation in the CBI will continue with an inerim chief.

A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Naveen Sinha told the government that the post of CBI Director was sensitive and that the government should have appointed a regular director by now.

On January 10, the high-level committee had removed Verma as CBI chief a day after he was reinstated by the Supreme Court. He was made the Director General, Fire Services, Civil Services and Home Guard which he refused to accept.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)It was a sunny morning in the Himachal Pradesh capital on Saturday with an intense cold wave sweeping across the state as the Met forecast more rainfall and snow throughout the state from February 5 onwards.

Shimla had recieved snowfall on Friday. The Met said along with Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie, located in mid-hills, may witness moderate snowfall next week as well.

The western disturbances -- storm systems originating from Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region -- will be active again in the region from Monday, Met Office Director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

Shimla, which saw a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius, had received mild snow, while its neighbouring Kufri, Mashobra and Narkanda had plenty snowfall.

Manali in Kullu district, about 250km from here, is also wrapped under a blanket of snow. It saw a minimum of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state at minus 14 degrees Celsius.

It was minus 7.8 degrees in Kalpa and 2.8 degrees in Dharamsala.

Those in the hospitality industry are happy as they are expecting a record number of footfalls owing to chances of more snow.

"Snowfall is always an added attraction for the tourists," said Shimla-based hotelier Deepak Gupta as the Valentine's Day approaches.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Dalit community All India Matua Mahasangh matriarch Binapani Devi, considered an influential figure among a large section of people in the state.

Modi flew to Thakurnagar, a town about 67 km from Kolkata -- close to the border with Bangladesh, in an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

He prayed at the nat mandir (temple) housed at the Matua Mahasangh headquarters and then spent five minutes with 'Boroma' Binapani Devi.

He sought her blessings, amid chants of "Modi-Modi", "Jai Sri Ram" and "Jai Boroma".

Modi then addressed a rally organised by the community here.

Santanu Thakur, son of one of the mahasabhapatis of the Mahasangh Manjul Krishna Thakur, and other leaders welcomed the Prime Minister as per Matua tradition with a shawl, garland and a memento.

Wooing the community, Modi began his speech describing the soil of Thakurnagar as "hallowed".

He also referred to Thakur Guruchand and Harichand, the late principal figures of the sect.

The Prime Minister described Thakurnagar as witness to a social movement founded by Harichand Thakur.

"This movement spread across Bengal and enriched the state. In the country's social fibre, his efforts for equality and equal rights of the oppressed and downtrodden and mission to unite them is a landmark," he said.

"I am proud to be with Baro-ma and among the descendents of Harichand Thakur. I offer my respects to all these great personalities of Thakurnagar," the Prime Minister said.

Matuas are primarily low-caste Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and are considered to be Bengal's second most influential Scheduled Caste community, with an estimated population of nearly 70 lakh.

The Bongaon Lok Sabha seat comprises more than 50 per cent of Matuas.

However, in the state as a whole, the community commands nearly a crore votes in various southern districts and plays a sizeable role in determining the electoral fortunes in at least 74 of the state's 294 Assembly seats.

It is almost a ritual for all parties to call on Matua 'godmother' Boroma at Thakurnagar and seek her support ahead of every election.

The Matuas have been a big political force behind the Mamata Banarjee-led Trinamool Congress' win in the 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged West Bengal's ruling to support the in Parliament to give the refugees living in India the right to citizenship.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Thakurnagar, home to the Dalit Matua community, Modi said India is the only place that can provide shelter to thousands of Hindus, Sikhs and refugees of other communities, who came from neighbouring countries to save themselves from communal violence.

"After the country was divided during independence, thousands of people including the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis had to take shelter in India due to communal violence.

"These refugees should get the right to citizenship. India is the only place that can provide them shelter," Modi said addressing a packed ground here in North 24 Parganas district.

"That's why our government has come up with I urge the leaders to support the Bill and help the refugee brothers and sisters to get their rights," he said.

ALSO READ: Not inclusive

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the Bill, which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha.

LIVE : PM Modi addresses Public Meeting at Thakurnagar, West Bengal. #BengalWithModi https://t.co/bQi2H2q5or  (@BJP4India) February 2, 2019

Taking a swipe at Chief Minister and supremo Mamata Banerjee, Modi said the massive gathering at his rally shows why Banerjee and her party were resorting to violence to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"After seeing the crowds and the enthusiastic scenes, I understand why didi (elder sister -- as Banerjee is affectionately called) is resorting to violence.

"This is your love, which has scared those who are doing drama of saving democracy and are bent on killing innocent people," he said.Attacking the Congress' loan waiver policy as a farce, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "a historic step has been taken for the welfare of farmers, labourers and youths in the country, referring to the Union Budget for 2019-20.

"For the first time in the country, massive initiatives were announced for the welfare of farmers and labourers in yesterday's budget.

"The schemes announced yesterday will directly benefit more than 12 crore farmer families and 30-40 crore labourers and more than three crore families under the middle income group," he said a day after Piyush Goyal presented the Interim Budget in Parliament on Friday.

He noted that Rs 75,000 crore has been allotted under the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammaan Nidhi Yojana' scheme for the welfare of farmers.

Addressing a public rally here, Modi came down heavily on the agricultural policies in the Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka and claimed that the farmers were being deprived after the pre-poll promises of farm loan waivers.

"You might have seen that in some states votes were sought from the farmers with the promise of waiving farm loans. But they (the new Congress government) are waiving loans of peasants who have never taken any loan.

"They had promised to waive loans of up to Rs 2.5 lakhs. But only loans worth Rs 13 were waived. This is the story of Madhya Pradesh," Modi said in Thakurnagar, 67 kilometre from Kolkata, and close to the Bangladesh border.

The Prime Minister said in Rajasthan, the Congress has already washed its hands off its own promises. "They did not know earlier that the loan waivers would cost the exchequer such astronomical amounts of money."

Turning to Karnataka, which has a coalition government of Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress with JD-S's H.D. Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister, Modi said farmers unable to repay their loans are being hunted down by the police.

"Such are the agricultural and peasant policies of Congress. These policies are being supported by the Chief Minister of Bengal," he said, taking a broad swipe at Mamata Banerjee.

Attacking the " of loan waivers", Modi said peasants have not benefited from it.

"In our country, there have been repeated shameless attempts to hoodwink peasants through the of loan waivers. Parties with vested interests have time and again taken the advantage of peasants' simplicity.

"Every 10-12 years, with elections around the corner, these selfish parties would declare one-time waiver of loans, which did not benefit the peasants.

"Only a handful of farmers were benefited by this practice and most of the small farmers were kept waiting. Even the peasants who did benefit from it, again got into debt trap after a few years," he added.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/vsc/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut his speech short at a rally in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district and later apologised after several women and children fainted following a stampede-like situation at the venue.

An officer manning the state police control room said two-three women had fainted. "They were rushed to a hospital and released after first-aid," he said.

Modi, who was addressing a meeting organised by the All India Matua Mahasangh in Thakurnagar, tried to control the crowd and repeatedly asked them to remain wherever they were as many BJP supporters tried to force their way into the inner ring of the venue. Some people, waiting outside the venue, also rushed in, adding to the chaos.

"The ground is too small for this meeting. Please remain where you are... I request you, there is no place in the Maidan. Don't do this," the Prime Minister said, as people jumped barricade and jostled with one another to get a vantage point to listen to their leader's speech.

As the commotion continued, Modi abruptly ended his speech by raising the slogan 'Bharat Mata ki jai' and left the ground, saying he has another meeting to attend.

Later, at another rally at Nehru stadium, Durgapur, in West Burdwan district, Modi began his speech by referring to the incident.

"At Thakurnagar, there was a unprecedented crowd, they were high on enthusiasm. I saw mothers, sisters in large numbers. I think there was twice the number of people than the ground can hold. They were inconvenienced.

"I bow my head and salute all those who had come to Thakurnagar and showered their blessings and love on me.

"But at the same time, some sisters and children faced problems. I sympathise with them, and apologise for this," he added.

Modi advised the crowd at Durgapur to be patient.

"I request you all also, I know your enthusiasm. Your love is my strength. But alongside love, you need to have patience. This ground is so big, but still it now looks small (because of the huge turnout)," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The police said on Saturday it has busted a militant module in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town with the arrest of three persons.

"This Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) module was responsible for the recent grenade attacks in Sopore town.

"During questioning, all three involved persons, who are locals, confessed to the commission of offence. It was revealed that the JeM militants based in Sopore provided two grenades to these individuals for attacking the security forces," the police said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her government will use a six-month notice period to keep negotiating with Russia over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

"In any case, we will do everything we can on the German side, both the Federal Foreign Minister and I, to make talks possible again in these six months," Merkel said on Friday, Xinhua reported.

The Donald Trump administration announced on Friday that the US is withdrawing from a landmark nuclear arms control pact with Russia, a move seen as exacerbating the risk of an international arms race.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement on Friday morning at the State Department, citing Russia's violation of the deal, a claim that has been repeatedly denied by Moscow.

"We will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the US is withdrawing from the INF Treaty, effective in six months," Pompeo said.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also claimed a breach of the INF treaty by Russia.

"We must take note that the treaty is being violated by the Russian side," he said. "A treaty that includes two signatory states and that is violated by one side is effectively suspended."

Russia has been denying the allegations and was "still interested in restoring normal relations with the US and the European Union on the principles of equality and mutual consideration of interests", according to Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in late December against a collapse of the international arms deterrence system, which could aggravate the threat of a global nuclear catastrophe.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the US on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. The deal marked the first-ever pact reached by Washington and Moscow on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting arms race.

However, the two sides have been accusing each other of violating the arms control agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Suspicious movement of a passenger, a trill from his bag resulted in the seizure of a leopard cub and the person's detention on Saturday at Anna International Airport, said Commissioner of Customs.

In a statement issued here, the Commissioner of Customs Rajan Chaudhary said officers of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) noticed Kaja Moideen who flew in from Bangkok by Thai Airways moving in suspicious manner and was in a hurry to get out.

The officials also heard a trill sound coming from his bag. When queried, Moideen remained evasive.

The officials opened the bag and found a pink plastic basket in which a weak leopard cub was found in a state of shock.

The customs officers fed the cub with milk in a feeding bottle. The officials of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) identified the cub as leopard cub of "Panthera pardus" specie.

Meanwhile, a vertinery doctor from Arignar Anna Zoological Park who had arrived said it was an one month old cub weighing about 1.1kg measuring 54cm from nose to tail.

The leopard cub and the Moideen were handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Department for further action, Chaudhary said.

According to the statement, the cub will be rehabilitated at the Arigna Anna Zoological Park and action would be taken against Moideen under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

This is the first time the customs officials seized a leopard cub. The officials have seized star tortoise, different types of snakes and other animals in the past at the airport.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)When European settlers arrived in the Americas, they killed over 56 million indigenous Americans which led to a change in the global climate, a new study finds.

The settlers killed the indigenous people for more than 100 years in South, Central and North America, causing large swathes of farmland to be abandoned and reforested, researchers at University College London, or UCL, said in the study on Friday.

The increase in trees and vegetation across an area the size of France resulted in a massive decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, according to the study.

Carbon levels changed enough to cool the Earth by 1610, the researchers found.

"CO2 and climate had been relatively stable until this point," UCL Geography Professor Mark Maslin, one of the study's co-authors, told CNN on Friday.

"So, this is the first major change we see in the Earth's greenhouse gases."

Before this study, some scientists had argued the temperature change in the 1600s, called the "Little Ice Age", was caused only by natural forces.

But by combining archaeological evidence, historical data and analysis of carbon found in Antarctic ice, the UCL researchers showed how the reforestation -- directly caused by the Europeans' arrival -- was a key component of the global chill.

"For once, we've been able to balance all the boxes and realise that the only way the 'Little Ice Age' was so intense is because of the genocide of millions of people," Maslin added.

According to Maslin, deaths of indigenous Americans directly contributed to the success of the European economy.

Natural resources and food shipped from the New World helped Europe's population to expand. It also allowed people to stop farming for sustenance and begin working in other industries.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka's wanted underworld don Ravi Suliya Pujari was traced and arrested at Dakar in West Africa's Senegal recently, said the state government in a statement on Saturday.

"Pujari, a notorious underworld criminal and extortionist, was traced in Senegal capital Dakar on January 19 and arrested on January 21 for extradition to India," said the official statement, based on a report from the state police intelligence.

Acting on a tip-off by the state police through Interpol, Pujari was caught inside a barber shop in Dakar and detained by its police for identification as he was masquerading under a new identity as Antony Fernandez with a fake passport from Burkino Faso.

"State Additional General of Police (ADGP) for Intelligence Amar Kumar Pandey kept track of Pujari since June first in Burkino Faso and later in Senegal where he shifted with wife and children and was operating a restaurant chain in partnership with locals," recalled the statement.

Though Pandey lost track of Pujari alias Fernandez in Burkino Faso, he found him subsequently in Dakar and alerted Indian Ambassador to Senegal Rajeev Kumar for arresting him with the help of the local police.

"The Senegal Interior Minister and its Director of Judicial Police arrested Pujari from a barber shop in Dakar and his original identity was found," said the statement.

Though it is 12 days since Pujari was arrested in Dakar, the state government, however, has no clue when he would be extradited to India and flown to Bengaluru or Mangaluru on the state's west coast where he operated.

"Pujari carried out his criminal activities across four coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat since 2001, employing sharp shooters to attack targets for extorting huge sums of money," said the statement.

The don used to select the place of attack and targets for extortion from those referred by his contacts in India. His victims included rich doctors, real estate agents, business magnets, jewellers, actors from Hindi and Kannada films, mining barons, politicians and commodity merchants.

"Pujari's modus operandi was to use Skype and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for making calls from his hideouts abroad to contact potential victims and threaten them to cough up the ransom or face death in a movie style," added the statement.

--IANS

fb/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has urged the US to release at the earliest Indian students detained in connection with their enrolment in a fraudulent university and not to deport them against their will.

The Indian Embassy in Washington has also opened a round-the-clock helpline for assistance and queries related to detention of Indian students by the US authorities, an External Affairs Ministry release said on Saturday.

It said a demarche was issued to the US expressing the need to provide immediate consular access to students. About 30 students have so far been contacted.

"A demarche was made to the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs. Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated.

"We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the 'University', should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the release said.

The government, it said, continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of detention of Indian students.

The release said that officials posted at India's mission and consulates have visited several detention centres in the US to extend consular assistance to detained students.

"So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing."

It said the Indian mission and consulates have been in touch with the representatives of the Indian community and their associations to gather more information about the detainees.

"A 24/7 helpline has been established in our Embassy in Washington D.C. for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students. Telephone numbers are +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in," the release said.

It said that for those seeking legal help, guidance and assistance is being provided by the Indian mission and consulates and assistance from the Indian community has also been mobilised to provide legal support to those who seek.

The release said that the government and the Indian Embassy and consulates attach the highest priority to the welfare of the detained students and will continue to work with the US authorities and other stakeholders to address the issue.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also said in a tweet that the government was mobilising resources and closely working with the US government to address the situation.

"We are on it! Mobilising resources and closely working with the US government to address the situation arising out of the detention of Indian students in the US. Welfare of those detained is the highest priority for us," he said.

Several hundred Indian students face arrest following the detention of eight recruiters and some students over an alleged immigration fraud detected by a fake university sting operation set up by government agencies to crack down on visa scams.

The American Telugu Association (ATA) reported that 100 students were arrested on Wednesday.

The Indian Consulate in Chicago reported receiving the names of 29 Indians arrested in the case as of Thursday.

The charges against the eight people who allegedly ran the scheme were made public on Wednesday in a federal court in Detroit.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in the court documents that it set up Farmington University with undercover agents as staff in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to target foreign students who were staying in the US without proper authorisation.

--IANS

ps/vsc/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a blow to the Congress in North Gujarat, Unjha MLA Ashaben Patel here on Saturday tendered her resignation from all the posts, claiming the state leadership was ignoring her and unable to contain groupism.

Patel, 40, is a first-time MLA from the key North Gujarat region which has three Lok Sabha constituencies of Patan, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha where the Congress is believed to be on a firm ground.

Besides state Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi, she sent her resignation letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi also alleging internal fighting and groupism in the party.

In her letter, Patel alleged that there was no attempt for better coordination between the party and elected representatives, while infighting was at its peak. Against this, the ruling BJP is pulling out all stops to maintain its tally of 26 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats.

She rejected speculation of her joining the BJP, though sources said it could happen in a few days.

They claim the BJP's chances were bleak in North Gujarat, which is also the home region of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah. In view of this, poaching of Ashaben Patel is the first, before more Congress heads roll from this region.

'Operation Ashaben', as local Congress leaders call it, was plotted in Delhi and party General Secretary in Gujarat K.C. Patel was in constant touch with the Congress MLA and her close aide for more than a month.

Sources believe she may be fielded on a Lok Sabha ticket or re-nominated from the Unjha seat, while her close aide Dinesh Patel is said to have been promised a lucrative position in Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Gujarat.

With today's development, Congress' strength in North Gujarat has decreased drastically. Sources say another couple of MLAs might resign from the Congress in the near future.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Green activists in the Taj city on Saturday expressed concern over increasing encroachment in the eco-sensitive wetlands, home to thousands of migratory birds, in the Agra region.

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, environmentalists urged the state government to take preventive measures to stop inroads by humans in the natural habitats of birds, reptiles and amphibians that depended on the wetlands.

Devashish Bhattacharya, a passionate bird watcher, told IANS: "The Soor Sarovar reserve forest bordering the wetland, was a Ramsar recognised site and home to a wide variety of migratory birds. But unfortunately in recent years, encroachment and intrusion by human in the green buffer has been causing a lot of disturbance. In fact there have been alarming reports of bird poaching in the area."

Green activist Shravan Kumar Singh said: "Soor Sarovar was one of the biggest lakes in Uttar Pradesh and attracted large number of migratory birds. The area was also a favourite site of pythons and snakes. However, unauthorised structures in the area and increasing human activities were causing panic and scaring away wild life."

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department organised a series of activities for students, including bird watching, photo exhibition and painting contest at the Soor Sarovar wetlands. Similar events were organised at Kolilavan lake in Kosi and Shankarghat in Firozabad.

World Wetland Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.

This year's theme is 'Wetlands and Climate Change', highlighting the critical role wetlands play in storing carbon and reducing the impact of extreme weather events associated with climate change.

Soor Sarovar is home to more than 165 species of migratory and resident birds and the students were thrilled to identify over 40 species of birds like pelicans, lesser flamingos, spoonbills, painted storks, Asian pied starlings, cormorants, kingfishers, Indian rollers, white ibis and pond herons.

Kartick Satyanarayan of Wildlife SoS said: "Human beings and nature share an unbreakable bond and damage to one will undeniably have its repercussions for the other. The younger generations can play a pivotal role in making a difference in preserving and protecting our natural heritage and to live with acceptance of the wildlife that surrounds us."

--IANS

bk/rs/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Rishi Mishra, who is veteran Congress leader and former Railway Minister Lalit Narayan Mishra's grandson, joined the Congress here on Saturday.

"Today, the country needs a leader like Rahul Gandhi," the former MLA from Darbhanga's Jale constituency said as he joined the party ahead of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's rally in the Bihar capital on Sunday.

Mishra, who was nominated to the Legislative Council in 2015, exited the JD-U on Saturday. The move is being seen as a setback for the party supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"How can I work with the JD-U ally BJP. Last elections, I fought against the BJP, people of my constituency voted against the BJP. Now what will I reply to my voters if I support the BJP," Rishi Mishra told the media.

In 2014, JD-U was part of the grand alliance along with the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal. In 2017, the Nitish Kumar-led party dumped the alliance to join hands with the BJP to form the government.

Mishra has made it clear that he does not have any difference with Nitish Kumar but he cannot work with the BJP that divides the society for power.

--IANS

ik/in/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Continuing with its investment spree in the US real estate, Google has reportedly signed a lease for a 35-storey tower in Austin which is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in the second quarter of 2022.

The construction of the tower which could potentially provide room for 5,000 workers has already begun, the Austin-American Statesman newspaper reported on Thursday.

Google, however, did not comment on the transaction.

The new tower at West Cesar Chavez and Nueces streets will have 790,000 square feet of space, according to the report, which cites local real estate sources.

The news of the investment comes as Google's parent company, Alphabet, reports earnings on Monday.

In December, the search giant announced a $1-billion investment for a new campus in New York City, CNBC reported.

In November, Google announced it would spend $100 million for 21 acres of land for a "mega campus" in San Jose near its headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Earlier in 2018, Google also acquired the Chelsea Market in Manhattan for $2.4 billion -- which was disclosed as the biggest real estate purchase of 2018 in the US.

--IANS

gb/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha and half-a-dozen RLSP activists were injured in a police lathicharge on Saturday during a protest in the Bihar capital.

After Kushwaha sustained injuries in his head, leg and and hand, party sources said, adding he was admitted to a local private hospital and discharged after initial treatment.

"The police first used water cannon to disperse the protesting Rashriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leaders and workers followed by a lathicharge," said party spokesperson Madhav Anand.

He alleged the police deliberately attacked Kushwaha, blaming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the police action.

The RLSP's protest highlighted the alleged collapse of school and higher education system in the state.

Kushwaha last year walked out of the BJP-led NDA and joined the 'grand alliance' of RJD, Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Catching flu could put you at increased risk of stroke for up to a year, finds a new study.

Although the researchers are not sure the reason behind the association, the reason could be due to inflammation caused by the flu infection.

The finding adds to previous research which has suggested the flu vaccine can reduce your risk of a stroke.

For the study, the researchers from Columbia University in the US looked at the medical records of 30,912 people with an average age of 72 years who had been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke.

The findings, which would be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2019 in the US, showed that people had a 40 per cent higher chance of having a stroke if they had been admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms within the past 15 days.

"The association occurred within 15 days. That's important for people to know because if they get the flu, they want to be on the lookout for symptoms of stroke, especially early on after the flu," Philip B Gorelick, Professor at the Michigan State University in the US was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

In another study, the team from the varsity, found an increased risk of a neck artery tear after having the flu.

Neck artery tears, formally called a cervical artery dissection, happens when one of the large blood vessels in the neck is damaged, causing blood clots to develop.

It is a leading cause of stroke because it affects the blood supply to the brain, reported Daily Mail.

The study, which will be presented at the same conference, found 1,736 instances of flu-like illness preceding cervical artery dissection.

"Cervical or neck dissections make up about two per cent of all strokes and up to 25 per cent of strokes in persons who are under 45 years of age. So this is specifically important to people who are in that under 45 age group, but not exclusively," said Gorelick.

Influenza leads to serious and potentially life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, sepsis and heart disease, the study noted.

--IANS

pb/rs/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Hawaii-bound flight was forced to return to the Los Angeles airport three times and was finally cancelled, the media reported on Saturday.

The Hawaiian Airlines Flight 33 was headed to Maui's Kahului Airport from Los Angeles International, but turned back three times, said Alex Da Silva, the airline's senior manager.

The plane had already taken off twice but was cancelled after its third return, CNN reported.

All of the turn backs were due to separate and unrelated faults with different systems, Da Silva said.

The 207 passengers on board were refunded for the flight and given $100 credit for a future flight. They are also being accommodated on other flights and will be given hotel rooms and meal vouchers.

"Safety is our top priority, and we apologise for the inconvenience to all our guests who were aboard Flight 33 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Maui's Kahului Airport today," Hawaiian Airlines said on Friday.

"We understand our guests' disappointment and deeply regret their travel plans were disrupted."

--IANS

ksk/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Panic gripped patients and their attendants after a fire broke out in Apollo Hospital in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Saturday. However, no casualties were reported.

The incident prompted the state police to probe whether the hospital is abided by the fire safety protocol.

According to sources, some attendants noticed thick smoke billowing out of a room on the fifth floor of the hospital. They informed the hospital authorities.

Following information, two fire brigades rushed to the spot and doused the flames. The fire broke out in the battery room of the hospital, said hospital authorities.

However, the exact reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Most of the patients, particularly those admitted in the intensive care units (ICUs) were immediately evacuated. Some of the patients have been shifted to other hospitals in the city.

Sudhir M. Diggikar, Regional Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Hospitals informed that nearly 15 patients have been shifted to other hospitals in the city after the electricity supply to the hospital was immediately snapped following detection of smoke.

"All the patients have been shifted from the fifth floor. Window glasses were broken to disperse the smoke. No patient has been affected due to the smoke," said Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty.

He said the police will examine whether the hospital authorities conduct regular fire audit.

Director General of Fire Services Bijay Kumar Sharma said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

"Cause of the fire, availability/functioning of fire fighting measures, evacuation and housekeeping will be looked into. In case of a lapse, action as per rules will be taken," tweeted Sharma.

--IANS

cd/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking for Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with its probe into Saradha chit fund scam.

A CBI source on Saturday told IANS that Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer, who is close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may be arrested in the case.

The source said that Kumar was heading a probe related to both Saradha and Rose valley chit fund scams, and that CBI needs documents related to the investigation from him.

The agency source said that Kumar was heading the Special Investigation Team related to the chit funds case.

The CBI source said the Kolkata Police Commissioner has been absconding for the last three days and that he has not deposed before the agency officials.

The CBI had last month arrested Bengali film producer Shrikant Mohta for his connection with Rose Valley chit fund case.

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Giving another clue Angela Merkel is in the final phase of her political career, the German Chancellor has announced she is closing down her Facebook page which has more than 2.5 million followers.

Merkel, who handed the leadership of Germany's centre-right Christian Democratic Union to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in December, announced the move to give up her Facebook page in a short video on her official page on Friday, The Guardian reported.

"Today is the day I want to thank you for the strong support of my Facebook page," Merkel said in the video.

"You know I'm no longer the head of the CDU, and that's why I will close down my Facebook page."

Merkel has used the Facebook page to inform her followers about her whereabouts and the latest issues she is focusing on, besides providing details on her favourites -- books, films, others.

Merkel will, however, continue to be active on Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram. People will also be able to follow her work on the official German government's Facebook page.

Unlike many politicians, Merkel has so far avoided using Twitter.

--IANS

gb/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Hyderabad police on Saturday arrested a youth for posting obscene material on social media against YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's sister Y.S. Sharmila.

Central Crime Station (CCS) personnel arrested P. Venkatesh in Guntur town of Andhra Pradesh. A native of Prakasam district in the same state, he is a post-graduate student at a private college in Guntur.

Police tracked down the accused with the help of Google team. The accused was brought to Hyderabad and booked under section 509 of Indian Penal Code (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 67 of Information Technology Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).

Sharmila, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had last month met the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, urging him to act against those maligning her on the social media.

Sharmila, who is also a leader of YSR Congress, called on Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar to lodge a complaint against those posting objectionable material against her.

She rubbished the false propaganda linking her with the popular Telugu film actor Prabhas and alleged that it was a conspiracy by the vested interests to defame her ahead of the general elections to get political mileage.

She alleged involvement of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the conspiracy.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu condemned Sharmila's allegations and criticised her for lodging a complaint with Telangana police instead of filing a complaint in Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

ms/prs

(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.)Andhra Pradesh police suspect Florida-based Non-Resident Indian and Coastal Bank director Chigurupati Jayaram, who was found dead in his car in Krishna district on Friday, was murdered by someone close to him over some financial dispute.

Four police teams from Krishna district Saturday launched the investigations in Hyderabad, questioning several people including his relatives and bank employees.

According to police sources, Jayaram's niece Madhuri alias Shikha Chowdary, her sister and brother and her driver were also being questioned by a team of officials.

Jayaram (55), who also the Managing Director of Express TV, a Telugu channel, was found dead in the back seat of his car in a farmland near Aitavaram village off Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway in Krishna district. There were blood stains on his body. However, police suspect that he was given liquor laced with poison.

The body was preserved after autopsy as Jayaram's family members were yet to arrive from the US.

The deceased had left his Jublie Hills home in Hyderabad for Vijayawada on Thursday. According to police the CCTV footage at different toll gates on the highway were examined as part of the investigations. He was seen sitting on the back seat. The police were trying to identify the man who was driving the vehicle.

Police suspect that the conspiracy to kill Jayaram was hatched in Hyderabad. The investigators searched his office and home and were also questioning security guards, his personal staff and other employees.

--IANS

ms/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has issued a six-month non-cooperation directive to actor Alok Nath, who has been accused of rape by writer-director Vinta Nanda.

The Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) - the mother body of FWICE - made the announcement after he refused to show up for a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) inquiry.

"We have seriously taken the sexual harassment of our member director Vinta Nanda and shared it with the POSH committee, which investigated the complaint in the spirit of POSH Act and in compliance of principles of natural justice, equity and fair play," Ashoke Pandit, President of IFTDA, said in a statement.

"The committee in exercise of its power under POSH to summon a person for investigation had called Alok Nath. However, he refused to participate in the POSH inquiry despite three opportunities.

"Alok has blatantly challenged the ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) and defied the summons to attend before the ICC. Therefore, he has refused to co-operate with the mandate of IFTDA to provide secure work place for women. On recommendations of IFTDA's POSH Committee to mother body, FWICE has issued six months non-cooperation directive to the actor," he added.

Last year, the actor, known for his 'sanskaari' image on the big screen, was also expelled by the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) in view of the various allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Talking about the recent move, Pandit said: "Our endeavour is to have zero tolerance to incidents of sexual harassment and value every single person and promote work environment in which persons of both sexes work and complement each other as equal and encourage gender-neutral policy."

Vinta had accused Alok Nath of allegedly raping her nearly 19 years ago when they worked together, which made for several such claims about his behaviour on the set. He denied all the allegations levelled by the victim and lodged a defamation case demanding Re 1 as damages and a written apology from her.

--IANS

sug/dc/ab/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)If the opinion polls are to be believed, India is heading for another period of coalitions.

The reason is that the next general election is expected to produce a "hung" Parliament, where neither of the two major contenders - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its opponents - will be able to secure a majority.

Conventional wisdom also points in that direction because it is difficult to believe that a ruling party which is palpably far less popular than what it was even a couple of years ago will be able to repeat its performance of 2014.

Neither will the combine led by it - the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - because the erosion of the government's popularity will drag down its allies as well.

If the NDA cannot cross the halfway mark of 272 seats in Parliament, neither will its opponents - not even collectively, let alone singly.

For a start, their hope of fielding one candidate from among them against the BJP in every constituency has been dashed by their failure to act unitedly in several states.

For instance, the Congress could not align with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in any of the three recent assembly elections.

Nor was it possible for the Samajwadi Party-BSP combine to reach an understanding with the Congress for the 80 parliamentary seats in UP.

These rifts show that the opposition will approach the general election as a divided house in nearly all the states except perhaps in Maharashtra, where the Congress has reached an understanding with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the state's 48 parliamentary seats.

The BJP will expect this disarray among its adversaries to benefit it, but the NDA's own condition doesn't give much hope.

For one, some of its allies like the Telugu Desam and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party have already walked into the opposition camp.

For another, the BJP had to bend over backwards to keep restive partners like the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janashakti Party in tow. They will become even more assertive if the NDA doesn't get a majority and the BJP becomes more dependent on them.

For a third, there is still no certainty that the BJP and the Shiv Sena will end their constant bickering and fight the elections together.

What these ruptures within the two opposing sides suggest is how difficult it will be for them to forge a viable unity after the elections in the event of their falling short of a majority.

True, India hasn't been a stranger to coalitions either at the centre or in the states. Ever since the diminution of the Congress's pre-eminent position from the 1960s, coalitions have been the order of the day.

Some of them. like the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front in Kerala have succeeded in maintaining their unity and rule effectively, usually in alternate five-year terms.

The centre, too, saw successful coalitions in the post-1990 scenario with Atal Behari Vajpayee's mammoth 24-party alliance providing a sterling example of togetherness.

Will a fractured mandate throw up a similar example of bonhomie or will it revive the worst fears about ruling alliances with each constituent constantly sniping at the others?

The BJP's current propaganda is based on depicting such a scenario about its successors with the party chief, Amit Shah, saying that the scene will be so chaotic that each day of the week will see a new Prime Minister.

Among these claimants will be Rahul Gandhi, whose name has already been proposed by Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the DMK president, M.K. Stalin.

Conjectures in the political grapevine have mentioned Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati as the two others. But much will depend on how many seats their parties will get.

One of the reasons why the West Bengal Chief Minister wants her party to contest not only the 42 seats in the state, but also venture into 14 other states is to shore up her party's numbers, especially in view of the serious challenge which she is facing from the BJP in West Bengal.

Similarly, Mayawati's decision to field her candidates in 38 seats in UP is based on the need for numbers. She is also likely to set up candidates in several other states as well.

Even as the BJP draws some satisfaction from the generally self-serving strategies of the PM wannabes in the "secular" camp, there is also speculation about the BJP's future if it fails to get a majority - notwithstanding its slogan of "abki baar, 400 par" - since questions are bound to rise about Narendra Modi's continuance as the PM if only because the entire responsibility for a setback will be attributed to him even more than to his Man Friday, Amit Shah.

It is in this context that some of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's kinder, gentler comments have been interpreted as an attempt to position himself as a successor who can get along with the allies.

There will be a scramble, therefore, for partners - cutting across party lines - if there is a "hung" Parliament.

(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com)

--IANS

amulya/vm/am

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a huge embarrassment for Maharashtra government, a Pune court ordered the release of Dalit intellectual Prof Anand Teltumbde, barely 12 hours after he was arrested at Mumbai Airport by Pune police, here on Saturday.

The court ruled that Teltumbde's arrest was not only illegal but also amounted to a contempt of Supreme Court which had granted protection from arrest to the professor till February 11.

When asked what was the haste to arrest Teltumbde in an early morning operation from Mumbai, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodke guardedly said: "It was done are per procedures."

"We respect the honourable court's orders in this matter today (Saturday). Now any further step will be initiated only after the verdict of the competent court which he (Teltumbde) may approach for reliefs," Bodke told IANS shortly after the ruling.

It was around 3.30 a.m on saturday when a waiting team of Pune police accosted and arrested Teltumbde from the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when he landed here from Kerala.

Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had earlier filed for anticipatory bail in a Pune sessions court. However, it was rejected on Friday paving way for the police action.

Later, after completing certain post-arrest formalities in Mumbai, he was whisked off to Pune and produced before a court.

In the court, his lawyer Rohan Nahar strongly argued that Teltumbde's arrest was illegal since the apex court had granted him protection from arrest till February 11, and demanded his immediate release.

He has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Opposing his anticipatory bail plea, the Pune police had submitted evidences in a sealed envelope, claiming his activities as an alleged "urban Maoist" against which the law enforcers have launched a major offensive for the past one year.

--IANS

qn/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Zenitex, lead by entrepreneur and environmentalist Viral Desai, has announced that it will be honoured by the Vibrant Gujarat 2019 Awards for fourth time in a row.

Zenitex, which is the only organization from the textile industry to receive this award, is being recognized for their outstanding contribution towards quality environmental protection.

Viral, who is also popular as 'The Green Man of Gujarat' for Zenitex, will be honored with this award on 19th January at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar.

He previously achieved several state, national and international level awards for constantly contributing to environmental protection and energy conservation. The biggest honor for this young entrepreneur so far has been the " Mahatma Gandhi Samman" received at the House of Lords, London in 2015. At the national level, Viral won the National Energy Conservation Award for three consecutive times presented by the Government of India - Ministry of Power.

His venture Zenitex as an SME is the proud winner of Golden Trophy: First Prize twice. For three years continuous, Zenitex also won the National Energy Conservation award. Zenitex is now a part of the prestigious Limca Book Of Records as the most awarded Indian company for their environmental work.

In collaboration with Hearts@work Foundation, Viral conducted A Tree Plantation drive, where 21,000 trees and plants were planted and 3800 tree guards were distributed. Together, they worked extensively on areas like health, environment, skill development and women empowerment with a primary focus on sustainability.

With a Honorary Doctorate Degree of from Vietnam for Sustainability, Viral's work and initiatives have been featured in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book 'Marching with a Billion' authored by Uday Mahurkar. He is also the only name resonating for organising World's Biggest Pink Ribbon- Breast Cancer Awareness Camps by illuminating more than 100 buildings of Surat.

Viral's philanthropic work and aid towards the needy is the talk of the town in Surat and across the world. In Ahwa Dang, the poorest tribal belt of the country, Viral had distributed 5000 sarees and screened more than 40000 women for Breast Cancer Awareness.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar raising the issue of deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

"It seems that anti-social elements have been presented with a free run to go about their business fearlessly. Many incidents of broad daylight contract killings, political killings, rapes, abductions for ransom and different organised crimes backed by people close to the establishment are getting reported from all parts of the state these days. Hapless and helpless citizens of the state have already concluded that there is no rule of the law in the state and thus nobody is safe," he wrote in the letter today.

Further substantiating his stance, Yadav asserted: "Not only desolated areas of the far-flung parts but the capital of the state too has become the centre of such activities and elements. Powerful elements close to the ruling coalition are reportedly backing not only criminals but are also involved in the underground business of different operating mafia. With the emboldening of communal and anti-social forces, mob lynching, communal riots, mob violence, street crimes, target killing, kidnappings, rapes and molestation of women, rapes of minors and even rapes in state-run shelter homes are rising unabated and unchecked."

He also elaborated upon the recent killings of various leaders of opposition parties and asserted that the current state government is not performing its duty as expected.

He said, "I, as the Leader of Opposition, hereby, state that the government is proving itself to be a highly arrogant, incompetent and insensitive. It seems the government has little respect for the concerns of the citizens. Double Engine is available only for the crime and criminals. For the rest of the sectors, both the engines are running in opposite directions bringing the development of the State to a standstill."

Furthermore, the former deputy chief minister also alleged that the ruling party's spokesperson often mudslinging while the state is suffering.

Yadav added, "Official spokespersons of the ruling parties should not be seen being busy in mudslinging and baseless political allegations when people are losing their lives and trust in the state".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghanistan has said that peace talks being hosted by Russia next week will not help the peace process and that Moscow should respect an Afghan-led and owned peace process, amid reports that the Taliban have refused to meet with Afghan government representatives at the meet.

The meeting will be held in Moscow on Tuesday, February 5.

Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Sebghat Ahmadi said: "Holding such meetings will not help us in reaching peace. We did not and do not see such meetings as necessary and will not attend this meeting," TOLO News reported.

"We hope that Russia like other countries will express its commitment on recognizing Afghanistan's role as leader and owner of the peace process," Ahmadi added.

The Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) said they support any action that facilitates face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

"No doubt, we welcome the moves which are being taken for starting peace negotiations, facilitating peace process and supporting the process," HPC spokesman Sayed Ehsan Taheri said.

Russia's move comes after US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad announced last week that the United States and Taliban have agreed in principle to chalk out a framework for a deal that could end the 17-year old conflict in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad said the Taliban would guarantee that Afghanistan will never be used as a base for terrorism in return for a full American withdrawal from the country and that Taliban concessions must include a ceasefire and agreement to hold talks with the Afghan government.

On January 29, Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov visited Pakistan to discuss the Afghan peace process and held talks with Pakistan's top civil and military leadership at the Foreign Office

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying that Russia is closely working with Pakistan regarding the Afghan peace process and fighting all terror groups operating in the region.

"We are closely cooperating with Pakistan on counter-terrorism efforts and Afghanistan peace. We are worried about the expansion of Daesh activities there," Zakharova said.

In November last year, Moscow had hosted a meeting on Afghan peace and reconciliation process, which was attended by representatives of the Taliban and envoys from 11 countries including the United States and a delegation of the High Peace Council.

The upcoming peace talks in Moscow will be attended by the second deputy of chief executive of the National Unity Government Mohammad Mohaqiq, Jamiat-e-Islami party leader Mohammad Ismail Khan, the former governor of Balkh Atta Mohammad Noor, and former president Hamid Karzai, along with representatives of the Taliban.

The Moscow talks came after officials from over 40 countries attended the International Contact Group meeting in London, this week, including US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and President Ashraf Ghani's Special Representative on Regional Affairs for Consensus on Peace Umer Daudzai, to announce their support to the Afghan peace process.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The second meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un might take place in Vietnam, revealed a source with knowledge about the matter.

CNN quoted a senior administration official and a second source who stated that according to the current plan for the second summit between the two leaders, scheduled for the last week of February, will be held in the Vietnamese coastal city of Da Nang. The plan is being finalised, the source divulged.

The source further stated that Trump's agenda during the meeting is still not concrete. The second meeting was announced by the White House on January 18 following discussions with Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's lead negotiator on nuclear talks.

In the run-up to the second USA-North Korea summit, the United States' Special Representative for North Korea will be travelling to Seoul on February 3 to hold meetings with his counterparts from both North and South Korea.

The Special Representative, Stephen Biegun, is slated to meet with South Korea's Special Representative, Lee Do-hoon, in Seoul.

"Biegun will also have to follow up meetings with his North Korean counterpart to discuss next steps to advance our objective of the final fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and steps to make further progress on all the commitments the two leaders made in Singapore," a statement issued by the US Department of State on Friday noted.

This comes right after Biegun assured Pyongyang that the United States was not interested in a regime change during an address at Stanford University on Thursday (local time).

"We're not going to invade North Korea," he had said, urging the elusive state to comprehensively declare all of its nuclear and missile programmes.

However, the American Special Representative also put forth that Washington had "contingencies" prepared in case negotiations fell through with Pyongyang.

The landmark summit between the USA and North Korea was held for the first time at Singapore's Sentosa island in June last year. Leaders from both the nations, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed on a spectrum of things, the most prominent being the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Expressing disappointment over piling up of arbitration cases in the country due to lack of infrastructure and availability of judges, Supreme Court judge Deepak Gupta on Saturday called for institutionalised arbitration and inculcating use of technology to bring down delays in disposal of cases.

"We have almost three crore cases of arbitration. Lack of infrastructure and lack of judges could be factors why the cases of arbitration could not be solved in a time frame," he said at the 'Judges and Lawyers conference on Strengthening Arbitration in India: The Way forward' here on Saturday.

The judge in his address at the event also called for an institutionalised arbitration in the country.

"Institutionalised arbitration must be a full-time activity. Full-fledged arbitration bar must be there. Courts interfere during procedural issues. We have to improve the quality of pleadings and I am in favour of setting up specialised arbitrators," he said.

An institutional arbitration is one in which a specialised institution intervenes and takes on the role of administering the arbitration process. Every institution has its own set of rules which provide a framework for the arbitration and its own form of administration to assist in the process.

"..Cases which could be identified for arbitration are commercial cases. In any commercial dispute, the cost must be commensurate with the case," Justice Gupta said.

He also said that with the growing economy such disputes are bound to rise. "India is one for the fastest growing economies in the world. If it is growing, then disputes will rise," the judge said.

The SC judge further said that there is also a need for engineers in the arbitration panel to resolving engineering disputes in arbitration cases.

He also believed that technology could make the judicial system more efficient.

"Technology is one aspect that we are not using. A lot of work can be done on video conferencing or email. Institutionalise arbitration and the procedural following must be there for a successful arbitration. You have to use technology for speedy disposal of arbitration cases," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's special envoy Umer Daudzai has said that the rapid withdrawal of US troops from the country would only create a "vacuum and increase bloodshed".

During an interview with CNN, Daudzai was quoted as saying, "If it happened in a matter that's not orderly ... if it happens that it leaves a vacuum behind, then obviously bloodshed would increase."

Daudzai told CNN that while the peace talks in Qatar have brought "clarity", neither side has fully agreed to anything.

The statement by Daudzai, President Ghani's Special Representative on Regional Affairs for Consensus on Peace, came as the Afghan government along with the international community is seeking to re-establish peace in the region.

His remarks come after US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad announced last week that the US and Taliban have agreed in principle to chalk out a framework for a deal that could end the 17-year old conflict in Afghanistan, during the six-day long talks in Doha.

During a press briefing at the Oval Office in White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that Afghanistan is seeking for "very serious negotiations for the first time" on peace efforts in the past 18 years while adding "there's a reason for that".

"You even look at what's going on, and I can't tell you that this is a guarantee because we're going into close to 19 years in being in Afghanistan, and for the first time they're talking about settling," Trump said.

"They're talking about making an agreement and we bring our people back home if that happens," Trump added.

Last year in December, Trump abruptly announced his decision to withdraw half of the US troops from Afghanistan.

The New York Times on January 30 reported that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a letter to Trump had requested for a slow withdrawal of the US forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday called up hard-line Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in yet another provocative act on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to

During the phone call, Qureshi discussed the situation in with Geelani, according to ARY channel.

Geelani is the second Kashmiri separatist leader whom Qureshi called up in the last few days.

Earlier, he had a telephonic conversation Hurriyat chief

took strong objection to that phone call and Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi Sohail Mahmood was summoned by Indian Foreign Secretary to lodge a protest.

Gokhale bluntly told Mahmood that should desist from such provocative actions, failing which there will be "implications".

Significantly, Qureshi's phone call to Geelani came just a day ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to the state.

Prime Minister Modi will launch several developmental projects during the day-long visit.In a scathing attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "resorting to violence" against the BJP cadres because she is "scared" of the party.

Addressing a huge rally here in West Bengal, he also made a strong defence of the Citizenship bill which is being attacked by Mamata and some other parties of the North East.

"When I saw the attendance here (at the rally), I realised why 'didi' (Mamata) resorts to violence. It is the love you shower on me that scares didi (Mamata) and that is why she resorts to violence," Modi told the gathering.

"Those who pretend to be saviours of democracy indulge in killing of innocent people," he added while attacking Mamata.

The BJP has been accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of West Bengal of targeting and killing its cadres in the state.

The Prime Minister's remarks came less than a week after vehicles used to ferry audience for BJP chief Amit Shah's rally in East Midnapore were vandalised by miscreants.

At the rally, the Prime Minister said it was unfortunate that the villages of the state have been ignored even after so many decades of independence.

"It is extremely unfortunate that the villages of West Bengal have not been given enough attention even after so many decades of independence. Leaders have not focused on the development of rural areas. New India cannot function in this way. The central government is making every effort for the past 4.5 years for the development of farmers and agricultural labourers," he said.

The Prime Minister also asked the TMC government to extend support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, which is expected to be taken up during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.

Defending the bill, he said people from various religions like Hindus and Jains, who had decided to stay on in Pakistan and Bangladesh after partition, had migrated to India after facing lot of difficulties in their home countries and need to be taken care of here.

"Due to communalism, people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh had to flee from their countries. People from various religions including Hindu, Jains, Parsi found no other place but India. It is for these people that we have got the citizenship bill. I appeal to TMC to support this bill and let it pass in the Parliament," Modi said.

Lauding the budget which was presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday, he assured people that the same is for the benefit of common man, small farmers, labourers, and people of the working class.

"There will be no syndicate tax, no obstacles. The people will directly receive the Rs. 6,000 meant for them under the new budget. The farmers can use this money to meet the expenditures needed for agriculture. This is just the beginning, the main budget after Lok Sabha election will have much more for the youth, farmers, and other sections of the society," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two people were killed by Naxals on Saturday on suspicion of being police informers, taking the total number of deceased to seven in the last fifteen days.

The incident comes two days after Naxals set ablaze vehicles here in the villages of Kurkheda, Korchi and Potegaon.

Gadchiroli district is a Maoist hotbed. Last year, 40 Naxals were smoked out in two encounters in April in the forested areas of Kasansur in Bhamragad taluka of the district.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)It seems like American actor Jessica Chastain is unhappy with baby clothing designs after she recently visited a store for her daughter.

The 'Interstellar' actor did not hold back on her views after the disappointing discovery and posted a few pictures and videos on her Instagram account.

The 41-year-old actor, who welcomed her first child with husband Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo in November, explained on her Instagram Stories that she went to a store to look for onesies for her daughter and was upset by the gender stereotypes evident in many of the designs.

In the girls' section, Jessica revealed that she saw mostly pink outfits adorned with crowns, kittens and flowers. While, in the boys' section, she saw clothes that encouraged boys to be more ambitious and fun.

She then shared a photo of the onesies she purchased from both sections. In one snap, Jessica showed pink onesies with ruffles. In another picture, she showed boy onesies that read, 'Future Scientist', 'Future Inventor' and 'Future Astronaut'.

While Jessica likes to be very private when it comes to her baby girl, the 'Molly's Game' star questioned her fans to consider whether these types of messages are harmful to young girls.

"So this is just something I guess to challenge ourselves, challenge me and say what have I grown accustomed to in our media, in our clothing, in our music," Jessica said in the clip.

Jessica, who has been an avid supporter of women's rights, went on to question, "Do these stereotypes actually push girls forward?"

In May, the actor was revealed as the face of Ralph Lauren Fragrances scent, Woman, reported People. In partnership with the brand, Jessica voiced for a new initiative 'Lead Like a Woman' campaign.

Last year, Jessica, who never shies away from speaking her mind, also took to social media to support actor Michelle Williams after reports surfaced that she was paid less than USD 1,000 for reshoots on 'All the Money in the World' compared to the USD 1.5 million her co-star Mark Wahlberg earned.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation and Indian consulates in the United States are in touch with the authorities following the detention of scores of Indian students, many from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, for flouting immigration rules.

The Indian Embassy in Washington has also launched a 24X7 helpline for the affected students who were arrested on Wednesday in raids across the States. The students had allegedly enrolled in a fraudulent university in order to take advantage of the US government's pay-to-stay scheme.

The helpline numbers are 1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email:cons3.washington@mea.gov.in.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that it had accorded the highest priority to the situation.

The Indian government also issued a demarche to the US embassy in New Delhi to voice concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and to demand immediate consular access to them.

"A demarche was made to the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs. Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated."

"We underlined that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the 'University' should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. We have urged the U.S. side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the Government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will," the Ministry said in a press statement released on Saturday.

In a nationwide crackdown on Wednesday, US authorities arrested scores of Indian students, mainly from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, who were illegally staying in the country. A US federal court charged eight Indian student recruiters- six from Detroit and one each from Florida and Virginia. The Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have also issued warrants for the arrest of 600 persons.

"Our Mission and Consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the U.S. to extend consular assistance to detained students. So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing," the statement read.

"Our Mission and Consulates have been in touch with the representatives of the Indian community and their associations to gather more information about detainees," the Ministry further added.

The Ministry also noted that the detained students who want to seek legal support have been channelised assistance by the Indian community in the US.

Meanwhile, the American Telugu Association, in a Facebook post, said that in order to reach out to the students, the Indian Consulates in Washington DC and Atlanta have requested the ATA to reach out to the affected students or their friends or relatives, who can give details about students who had enrolled in the fake Farmington University.

The conspiracy came to light after the Department of Homeland Security set up a fake university in Farmington Hills to target foreign students who wanted to stay in the U.S. without proper authorisation, according to federal indictments unsealed in Detroit.

The students enrolled at the fake university with the intent to obtain jobs under a student visa program called CPT (Curricular Practical Training) that allows students to work in the U.S., said prosecutors.

India is closely monitoring the situation and has expressed to the US government "the need to address the situation at the earliest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hindus should involve in public awakening so that the process of building Lord Rama's grand temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi begins soon, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday. "We should involve in public awakening so that process of building a magnificent Sri Ram Mandir is begun at the earliest. At the same time, we must ensure that a govt having a viewpoint committed to building SriRamMandir comes again," read a tweet by the RSS. This comes after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday was greeted with vociferous demands for early construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya as he ended his speech at the Dharam Sansad in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Several saints, seers and people have been demanding early construction of the Ram temple.A conglomerate of saints on Wednesday said construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will start on February 21.Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Wednesday told ANI that the 'Dharam Sansad', after a three-day meeting here, decided that the foundation stone of the temple will be laid on February 21.

He also said the saints and those mobilised for the effort would not be deterred by arrests or any other kinds of obstacles.Their decision came a day after the government approached the Supreme Court for permission to restore the "excess" land surrounding the disputed portion in Ayodhya to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.The government, in a petition, sought direction for releasing to the Nyas 67 acres, which it had acquired about two-and-a-half decades back, leaving untouched 0.313 acres of disputed.The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case has been pending before the apex court for the last eight years. For a long time, parties in the case and various right-wing organisations have been asking for an early or day-to-day hearing in the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Self-proclaimed interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido on Saturday said that he will "steer the country to democracy" from the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the South American nation.

"Governability, stability, the lowest social impact possible, attend to the current humanitarian emergency, reactivate the economy to create jobs for citizens and steer Venezuela towards democracy," Guaido told Al Jazeera.

According to reports, President Nicolas Maduro has been ignoring the call of the international community to seek re-elections as well as mediate talks with the opposition over the political turmoil in the country.

"The opposition has been willing to negotiate. We have tried everything. We have voted, we have abstained. We have gone on hunger strikes. We have protested and they have killed us," Guaido said.

"The cessation of the regime, a transition government and free elections, everything within that framework can be discussed," Guaido added.

The opposition leader, who has been recognised as the interim President of the country by the United States and the European Union, has not ruled out accepting military support by the US in the of Venezuela.

Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence on Friday once again threatened Maduro while addressing a gathering in Miami, saying it is time for him to step down.

"The struggle in Venezuela is between dictatorship and democracy - and freedom has the momentum. Nicolas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power - and Nicolas Maduro must go!" the US Vice President took to Twitter as saying.

The Vice President further stated that the US will continue to exert all diplomatic and economic pressure to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy in the South American nation.

"This is no time for dialogue. This is time for action, & the time has come to end the Maduro dictatorship! The National Assembly & President Guaido has our full support because we recognize the truth - Maduro's dictatorship is destroying Venezuela," Pence added.

President Nicolas Maduro is facing the hardest challenge to his rule after being accused of election fraud and overseeing a deep economic collapse.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A female elephant died after being hit by a goods train near Barada level crossing under Sadar police limits in Dhenkanal on Friday.

The Khurda Road Division of East Coast Railway reported the incident of negligence and confirmed the death of a female elephant. The incident occurred around 7.30 PM when a herd of elephants was crossing the railway tracks.

Soon after receiving the report of the accident, Forest Department officials reached the spot and initiated investigation.

DRM Braj Mohan Agarwal said, "No advance cautionary speed restriction was received from the Forest Department in this case."

Last year in November, an elephant was electrocuted to death after coming in contact with a high tension electric wire in Mayurbhanj's Sansarasposi village in Chandua block.

Data from the environment ministry shows that 655 elephant deaths took place in India from 2009 to 2017. The reasons for the death of tuskers include electrocution, train accidents, poaching, and poisoning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Scores of farmers blocked the Delhi-Noida (DND) flyway on Saturday, as they continued their agitation demanding fourfold compensation in lieu of their land acquisition.

The farmers assembled at the toll plaza in the morning at the flyway connecting capital to Uttar Pradesh's Noida.

On Friday thousands of farmers from different villages of Gautam Budh Nagar district marched towards Delhi, raising slogans and causing severe disruption of traffic on the Delhi-Noida flyway which had to be then shut causing inconvenience to commuters.

The agitated farmers have alleged that builders, who took land from farmers, have laid the foundation stone for a degree college, but construction is yet to begin.

The protesters want that those farmers who did not sell their land to builders should be provided a channel for passage of water for irrigation purposes. They also want immediate relief from the Income Tax department.

The farmers have demanded that the affected families should be either provided employment or give Rs 5 lakh as compensation for self-employment. Furthermore, they have demanded creation of 100 bighas of land for Gram Sabha.

In November last year, more than one lakh farmers, belonging to 200 farmers' organisations, staged protests in different parts of Delhi to push their demands against rural distress, including implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee report, farm loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce.

On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, farmers from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab were not allowed to launch a protest in Delhi, which later led to a violent confrontation with the state police at the Delhi border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A bus conductor was shot dead by three criminals on Friday in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, said the police.

One of the accused was arrested following an encounter with the police, while the remaining two managed to flee the spot. A civilian was injured in the exchange of gunfire.

The incident took place in Baria bus stand in Muzzafarpur when three criminals fired at the bus conductor, Kundan Singh. He was immediately taken to hospital where he later succumbed to injuries.

"We received the information about firing at the bus stand. We rushed to the incident spot and launched an operation to neutralise the accused," said Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar.

However, the accused started firing at the police in which one civilian was injured. During the encounter, one accused was arrested and was taken into custody.

The police has also recovered a pistol from the arrested accused.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday slammed the Centre for not considering the interests of the state in the recent Interim Budget and for creating hurdles in the various welfare schemes initiated by his government.

The TDP chief also said that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojna will not benefit farmers.

"Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for farmers Rs 6000 for 5 acres per annum. That is only Rs 500 per month. Is it a donation? We have waived Rs 1.5 lakhs loans for each farmer," Naidu said.

"The Centre is creating hurdles for us as we are asking for special status for the state," he said while addressing a gathering at a village in Krishna district of the state.

Naidu pointed out that his government's pension scheme had brought a significant change in the outlook of society towards the elders.

"When I held Pada Yatra, I met with many senior citizens who were facing financial troubles. I decided to give pension to old people. We have been providing welfare pensions under the name "NTR Bharosa", said Naidu.

He said that his government had also doubled the amount of welfare pensions to various section of society and was implementing various welfare schemes in the state, something which not available in any other state.

"Despite many objections created by the opposition party, we interlinked rivers Godavari and Krishna. That benefited the state a lot. Now in this area farmers are able to cultivate and get much higher yields," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 2 crore were looted from Surbhi Jewellers, near Yadav Chowk in Hajipur on Saturday.

The six accused, who looted the shop, came in a car and held the staff members and owner hostage.

According to the owner Krishna Soni, police showed negligence and did not take any action into the matter even after they were informed about the robbery.

Soni stated that when he reached the city police station, there was no officer to hear his complaint.

Following which, the people accompanying the owner got enraged and raised slogans against the police personnel.

However, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mahendra Kumar later reached Basanti Nagar police station and assured the victim of immediate action.

On the basis of CCTV footage, police registered a complaint and conducted raids at several places.

The investigation into the matter is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Anand Teltumbde, an accused in Bhima Koregaon case, has been arrested by Pune Police from Mumbai early morning on Saturday.

The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist and professor.

"In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence. Moreover, investigation in respect of present applicant/accused is at (a) very crucial stage," said an order pronounced by special judge KD Vadane

Presently, he has been kept at Ville Parle police station in Mumbai.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed Teltumbde's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.On January 1 last year, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured.Activist Anand Teltumbde on Saturday said that his arrest by Pune police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon was "objectionable", hence, the Pune Sessions Court's termed it illegal.

Talking to media, Teltumbde said: "I welcome the decision. But what police has done, the arrest and all the drama is objectionable."

Speaking to ANI, Teltumbde's lawyer Rohan Nahar said: "He was produced before the court and we had moved an application that his entire arrest and produced before the court is illegal. We also requested the court that contempt proceedings in the law should be initiated against the state and the IO (Investigative Officer). Upholding the arguments, the court has directed that Anand Teltumbde should be released forthwith and appropriate information should be given to the Supreme Court."

Teltumbde's lawyer Rohan Nahar, however, pointed out that the Supreme Court had given him protection from arrest till February 11.

Teltumbde, a professor at the Goa Institute of Management, was arrested at Mumbai airport in the early hours of Saturday. He was kept at Ville Parle police station in Mumbai.

Labelling the arrest as illegal, a Pune Sessions Court today ordered the release of Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.

"As per the Supreme Court order, activist Teltumbde has interim protection till February 11. Meanwhile, he can approach the competent authority which includes sessions court, High court and Supreme Court for bail/pre-arrest bail," the Pune Sessions Court observed.

The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected an anticipatory bail application of the activist.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed Teltumbde's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

On January 1 last year, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government has decided to continue its ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for another five years for indulging in "subversive activities".

In a January 31 notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that "has been indulging in activities, which are prejudicial to the security of the country and have the potential of disturbing the peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country".

The MHA said that if the "unlawful activities" of are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still absconding, disrupt the secular fabric of the country by "polluting" the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony.

The government stated that might continue to propagate anti- sentiments, escalate secessionism by supporting militancy and undertake activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country.

SIMI activists and their known associates have been tried and convicted for a range of criminal activities like the killing of police officials, bomb blasts, jailbreaks, harbouring terrorists, etc. The group, founded in Aligarh in 1977, was first banned in 2001 and has been outlawed several times since, the last time being February 2014.In an interview to New York Times, United States President Donald Trump stated that he asked former Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign because he "wasn't happy with the job that he was doing at all."

Stating that he asked Mattis to write a letter, Trump said, "So I wasn't happy with Mattis. I told Mattis to give me a letter. He didn't just give me that letter. I told him."

The US President further said, "I didn't like the job he was doing. I wasn't happy with it. I wasn't happy with the - I got him more money than the military has ever seen before. And I wasn't happy with the job that he was doing at all. And I said it's time."

Mattis had announced that he would be stepping down from his position in Pentagon in December and was scheduled to leave office in February. However, Trump appointed Patrick Shanahan as the acting US Secretary of Defense following Mattis' resignation.

Mattis resigned after Trump hinted at the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, thereby declaring the defeat of ISIS.

"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis wrote in his resignation letter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A petrol pump in Fatuha area of Patna was looted on Friday by three armed assailants who allegedly shot dead an employee when he attempted to stop the robbery, according to police.

The Shubhkamna petrol pump employee has been identified as Vasant Kumar from Nalanda district and police said they have registered an FIR in the incident and have begun a probe

Meanwhile, Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey, who had recently taken charge said on Saturday said Bihar police is working to eliminate hooliganism on a priority basis and requested the cooperation of people of the state to fight crime.

Earlier, former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament, Mohammad Shahabuddin's nephew was shot dead in the state and there were also reports of other crime from the state.

"In a population of 12 crore, three incidents took place. I can assure you that the culprits won't be able to escape, we'll locate and punish them. We'll not let crime flourish. No one should doubt that the police will retaliate when needed. Eliminating hooliganism is the first target of police." he said.

Stating that the life of every person was important for the police irrespective of their status, he said that actions have been taken against those who used to create fear before. Give us chance we will fight against criminals today as well.

"I want to tell the police officers that we don't want to encourage false encounters. It is our first duty to protect human rights. We will reward those officers who will fire bullets as an answer to criminals' bullets. There should not be any action against innocents.

Talking to ANI about his strategy to fight against crime, Pandey said, "I have formed a team which includes five police officers of ADG rank and senior DG officer. No doubt, the rule of law is in Bihar. Bihar police now will not tolerate those who challenge the rule of law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A total of 53 coal blocks has so far been auctioned an additional revenue of Rs 1.43 lakh crore has been generated, Mining Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said here on Saturday.

"In the field of mining as of now 53 coal blocks have been auctioned and additional revenue worth Rs 1,43,000 crore has been generated which would be sent to the respective states soon. 100 new coal blacks are ready to be auctioned this year," Pradhan told media after attending the valedictory session at the 7th International Conference on Aluminium here.

The Union Minister said, "An international conference was held and 700 representatives from 26 countries attended it. Aluminium is a requirement and discussion were done to fulfil those requirements."

He added that recommendations of the conference would be useful for the government to make policies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Trump administration said on Friday that it was suspending one of the last major nuclear arms control treaties with Russia, following five years of heated conversations over accusations by the United States that Moscow is violating the Reagan-era agreement. The decision has the potential to incite a new arms race  not only with Russia, but also with China, which was never a signatory to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, widely known as the INF. It also comes as the United States has begun building its first long-range nuclear weapons since 1991, a ...Russia created a playbook for spreading disinformation on social media. Now the rest of the world is following it. Twitter said on Thursday that countries including Bangladesh and Venezuela had been using social media to disseminate government talking points, while Facebook detailed a broad Iranian disinformation campaign that touched on everything from the conflict in Syria to conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11 attacks. The campaigns tied to various governments  as well as privately held accounts in the United States  followed a pattern similar to Russian ...When Facebook employees woke up on Wednesday morning, many found they could not perform even the most basic work tasks. Their calendars were not working. Nor were campus maps that help people find their co-workers. They were unable to check Facebooks latest shuttle bus schedule. And they could not see what the companys cafeterias were serving for lunch. Thats because those features run on Facebooks internal, custom-built iPhone apps  and Apple had shut them all down, according to nine current and former employees of the companies, who requested ...Growing up in Lucknow as the only child of a single parent, Gaurav Singh was faced with only two serious career choices  an engineer or a doctor. At 10 or 11, he was considered bright and promising. His mother whom he affectionately calls Jhansi Ki Rani  was often told that her son had the potential to simply walk into an IIT after school.

But as Gaurav approached his teenage years, he realised that he did not want to go to IIT just because he could. The prospect of material success did not excite him. As the years went by, he began to study less, appeared less ...Dear Reader,

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She wrote from the bottom of her heart.

A Jamaican-American actress from Brownsville will celebrate her new book with a Valentines Daythemed launch party in Greenpoint on Feb. 9. First-time author Jacinth Headlam said that her memoir Love After reflects her survival of childhood abuse and a messy divorce.

This book came from a time in my life where I was at rock bottom and I was broken, she said.

Headlam, best known in the United States for her role in the indie film Diary of a Badman, was a married mother of two when she learned that her husband had cheated on her, and was expecting a child with the other woman. Devastated, she took the kids and moved into her mothers attic, where she poured her heart into her journal.

My journal is a big part of this book because it helped me come to a place of healing and I had feelings I didnt know I had, said Headlam. These were feelings that pretty much laid dormant for years, but were very necessary to my identity.

Her memoir builds on those journal entries, chronicling her journey towards acceptance after her separation and eventual divorce. While writing about her feelings, Headlam realized that dealing with her traumatic past was a necessary part of her journey. She had grown up in a abusive home and been the victim of sexual assault in her childhood  memories that she had worked hard to forget, she said.

I had to revisit a place in my life that I didnt want to, and I was struggling with the fact that I was molested as young child, because I blocked it out of my mind and was numb to it, said Headlam.

Speaking openly about the abuse was one of the biggest challenges she faced writing the memoir. But after a lot of self-doubt and delays, she says that it was integral to her story.

I think we all get to a place in life that in order to grow and walk in our purpose, we have to visit the broken places and come to place of healing or a place of wholeness, said Headlam. If we dont, well always be on a spinning wheel going nowhere.

At the book launch, the actress and author will read excerpts from her book and screen a short documentary film.

Love After book release at Stuart Cinema and Cafe [79 West St. between Milton Street and Greenpoint Avenue in Greenpoint, (347) 7213777, www.stuar tcine ma.com ]. Feb. 9 at 7 pm. Free.Loading "Virginia has a particularly sordid history with racism from the first enslaved Africans on our shores, to the capital of the Confederacy to massive resistance to the struggles African-American Virginians face today," he said in a statement. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus initially stopped just short of demanding his resignation, but after meeting with the governor, it said, "It is time for him to resign, so that Virginia can begin the process of healing." "What has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive. We feel complete betrayal," the caucus said in an earlier statement, adding that "these pictures rip off the scabs of an excruciatingly painful history and are a piercing reminder of this nation's sins." Virginia's two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine  former governors themselves  gently nudged Northam toward the exits, issuing simultaneous statements urging him to reflect on how to move forward.

But by the end of the night, even after Northam called leading Virginia Democrats to apologise, many in the state were dispensing with subtlety. Former governor Terry McAuliffe, Northam's immediate predecessor and a potential White House candidate, said that his onetime ticketmate was in an "untenable" position and that it was time for him to resign. And after holding a late-night conference call, the Virginia state House and Senate caucuses said the same, effectively rendering him without allies in the state Capitol. The chairman of the state Republican Party, Jack Wilson, called for the governor's resignation and condemned the picture as "wholly inappropriate" before Northam admitted he was in it. Initially, some Virginia Democrats defended Northam and said he should not quit. "The picture was in extremely poor taste, no question about that, but his life since then has been anything but," said Richard Saslaw, the Democratic leader of the Virginia Senate. "He's had a career of helping people of all races."

In his written statement, Northam attempted to make the same case, stating that the photograph "is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine and in public service." But he sustained another blow when CBS News, citing a 1981 Virginia Military Institute yearbook, reported that Northam had been known as "Coonman" as an undergraduate student there. The governor has not addressed the nickname, which contains a racial slur. If Northam were to resign, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax would assume the governor's office. Fairfax, a Democrat, was the second black person to be elected to statewide office in Virginia. Northam spoke to the lieutenant governor Friday before he issued his apology, according to a Virginia Democrat familiar with the conversation. The lieutenant governor did not comment Friday. In his statement, Northam signalled that he did not intend to cede power to Fairfax.

"I recognise that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused," he said. "I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor." Even if Northam defies the sudden crush of pressure to quit, he will not face any immediate electoral repercussions. Virginia bars governors from serving two consecutive terms, and both of the state's US senators are Democrats, leaving his political options limited. Still, the news of the yearbook image, which the website Big League Politics first reported on Friday, could undermine Northam's authority in Richmond and tarnish his tenure, which, just more than a year in, has been marked by several accomplishments on Democratic priorities. Northam rode to victory in 2017, when he soundly defeated Ed Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, thanks to the suburban backlash against President Donald Trump. Virginia Democrats nearly reclaimed control of the state House the same year. Their success prompted Republicans to finally give up their opposition to Medicaid expansion and the measure passed with bipartisan support, offering the governor a signature accomplishment. Then Northam announced last year that Amazon had selected Arlington County, just outside of Washington, for one of its new facilities as part of its "HQ2" search, bringing the promise of thousands of new jobs and revenue to the state.

The Amazon news was especially sweet for state leaders because it let them further burnish the state's image as a progressive beacon in the South and a leader in the new economy. But Northam abruptly became a polarising figure this week when, amid a debate about abortion access in Virginia, he gave a radio interview that led to accusations that he supported infanticide. Asked in the interview about a proposal to allow abortion in the final trimester to protect the health of the mother, the governor said late-term abortions would be permissible in cases of severe deformities or non-viable fetuses, and described a situation in which such an infant would be delivered, and then a "discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother." Republicans immediately argued that Northam was willing to support an infant's killing after birth. Northam disputed that characterisation, writing on Twitter, "I have devoted my life to caring for children and any insinuation otherwise is shameful and disgusting." Northam earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing residencies elsewhere. He settled in the Norfolk area, where he practiced pediatric neurology at a children's hospital. He also joined the faculty of his medical school, where, according to his official biography, he taught medicine and ethics.Fed, BB agree to hook wrongdoers

Special Correspondent :

The US Federal Reserve Bank will be assisting Bangladesh Bank to recover the latter's $81 million fund stolen from its account in 2016.

In a joint statement on Friday, the central banks of the USA and Bangladesh said they will be working together to "bring the wrongdoers responsible to justice."

"This agreement demonstrates that the New York Fed and Bangladesh Bank are aligned in the pursuit of recovering the funds and directing litigation against those who were complicit in or benefitted from the fraud," read the statement.

The statement came after Bangladesh Bank (BB) sued Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in a US court, for its involvement in the cyber heist.

Both the central banks said they will be meeting jointly with the agencies or parties in the Philippines "to strongly encourage them to assist in the recovery of stolen funds."

"To further the recovery effort, the New York Fed and Bangladesh Bank have entered into a Resolution and Assistance Agreement where the New York Fed will provide technical assistance to Bangladesh Bank in its litigation against those who were complicit in the fraud to recover the stolen funds," the central banks said.

The New York Fed and Bangladesh Bank pointed out that the multimillion dollar cyberheist "represents a threat to the international funds transfer system."

On February 4, 2016, the hackers broken into Bangladesh Bank's system and created 70 orders to the New York Federal Reserve Bank amounting to $1.94 billion. Of that amount, $101 million was released.

The hackers sent $81 million to the RCBC's branch in Manila and swiftly withdrawn and vanished through local casinos, and the rest, $20 million went to Sri Lanka, which has returned the money to Bangladesh.

The Philippines later returned $14.54 million to Bangladesh but the rest is yet to be retrieved.

A Philippine court found RCBC former manager Maia Deguito guilty of money laundering over the heist, sentencing her to 4 to 7 years in prison for each of the 8 counts.Paris: France is in discussions about repatriating Islamic State fighters and their families, a policy shift prompted by the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

Islamic State fighters.

The French government confirmed this past week that French jihadists detained in Syrian camps may be returned back to France.

"We are exploring all options in order to prevent these potentially dangerous individuals from escaping or dispersing," Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's foreign minister, told reporters.

"If the forces detaining these French fighters decide to deport them to France, they would be immediately handed over to the judicial authorities.It may have hoped that killing Connex would quell public anger at the ramshackle state of the rail network. But it also knew that contracting the running of the rails to a new private operator wasnt going to magically stop the system failing in the heat, any more than wrapping new livery on the citys dog-eared trains and trams would suddenly make them more reliable. Rail meltdowns remained a maddening staple of Melbourne summers long after a fed-up Victorian electorate did to Brumby and his team what they had done to Connex and booted them out the exit door. The private operator had served as a convenient whipping boy for the government and commuters alike when the system failed, but chronic underinvestment by the state had set it up to fail, and the voters understood this perfectly well. The new Baillieu Coalition government made stabilising the rail network a priority, and injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the unglamorous task of repairing and maintaining the tracks, sleepers, overhead wiring and signals.

Loading It worked to an extent. Punctuality and reliability improved, but the Coalition missed a trick when it came to investing in building new public transport projects, and so voters made sure history would record them as the first one-term government in Victoria in almost 60 years. The Andrews government has navigated the vexed politics of public transport more successfully than its predecessors. It can hang its thumping election win in November on the back of its aggressive pursuit of new city-shaping public transport projects such as the Metro rail tunnel and Caulfield-Dandenong skyrail. But it was smart enough to keep spending on the boring but important work of rail maintenance, too.

Ten years and a couple of billion dollars after that infamous summer, Melbournes rail network is hardly world-leading but travellers at least have fair odds of getting home on a hot day. It has even scraped through this summer without a major meltdown, so far at least. But suddenly that other major privatised essential service, energy, is looking uncomfortably fragile. Big election win aside, the government still had some explaining to do in the past week about why blackouts are becoming the new normal in the Victorian summer. Last weeks blackouts, in which some 200,000 homes and businesses across more than 50 suburbs and townships had their power cut by the market operator, marked the second successive summer when the states grid has buckled in the heat.

Last week Victorians found themselves at the brunt end of grand-scale involuntary load shedding as demand for power soared well beyond capacity on a day that nudged 43 degrees. This time last year about 90,000 households suffered power cuts, not because of a lack of capacity, but because of a series of localised distribution failures as substations were overloaded with everyone turning on the aircon on a sticky Sunday. Premier Daniel Andrews deflected blame to the privately owned utilities and suggested the state would be better off without them. "If you asked ordinary Victorians, would you prefer the electricity system to be in private, for-profit, ownership or owned by every single Victorian, I think the vast majority of Victorians would say it would be much [better] if it was owned by them," he said last summer. This summer, the government laid the blame not so much at the big private energy companies but at the ageing coal-fired power stations they own.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio. Credit:Angela Wylie Those generators are ageing, they are becoming less reliable, Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosio said. She added, for good measure, "renewable energy is the way of the future", leaving no doubt about the government's view on the long-term future of the Latrobe Valley's coal resources. Having promised last year to increase Victoria's renewable energy target to 50 per cent by 2030, the Andrews government has a mandate to invest in new energy supply including wind, solar and batteries. But it will need to move quickly to ensure the grid becomes more resilient while it becomes greener. Voters are unlikely to remain sanguine about summer blackouts any more than rail meltdowns.Every week in Western Australia at least one person suffering from dementia goes missing, according to police.

The alarming statistic comes two weeks after Perth grandfather John Irvine was found dead in bushland after becoming disorientated trying to find his way home.

In 2018, 56 police searches were mounted for people with dementia who went missing in WA. Credit:DANIELLE SMITH

The 67-year-old, who suffered from dementia, left his Northam house on a Sunday morning and four days later his body was found in the Mundaring State Forest.

He was at least the third WA person with dementia to die in the past year after becoming lost following the deaths of Ian Collett, 65, and Alexander Henderson, 87.Communities in central Victoria are on alert late Saturday night as an out-of-control fire burns near Hepburn Springs.

Emergency Victoria has issued a watch and act alert at about 10.15pm for Basalt, Dry Diggings, Elevated Plains, Hepburn, Hepburn Springs, Mount Franklin and Shepherds Flat for a grass and scrub fire at Elevated Plains.

Two fixed-wing Air Tractor bombers, a helicopter and 44 ground crews were battling to contain the 40 hectare blaze.

Earlier, an emergency warning for residents south-east of Melbourne has been downgraded after they were told to immediately seek shelter indoors as a bushfire rages at Glen Forbes.Townsville residents in multiple suburbs have been urged to get to higher ground before 8.30pm as the Ross River Dam spillway gates are expected to be opened to their fullest settings on Sunday night.

If the gates are opened, 2000 cubic metres of water per second will rush out of the dam toward the city's suburbs in a major flash flood.

Residents evacuating to higher ground in Hermit Park, Townsville, on Sunday. Credit:AAP

A warning from Queensland Police and emergency services issued at about 4.30pm urged residents to move away from the river banks and get to higher ground.

Residents in Rosslea, Hermit Park, Railway Estate, Townsville City, Oonoonba, Idalia, Cluden, West End, Rowes Bay, Garbutt, Aitkenvale, Cranbrook, Currajong, Mysterton, Pimlico, Mundingburra, Douglas, Annandale, Kirwan and Thuringowa Central and South Townsville are urged to leave home and find safer ground immediately.The opposition council has criticised Brisbane City Council for jumping the gun in claiming victory after the development application for the controversial Mt Coot-tha zipline project was approved.

The project was expected to open by the end of this year but the opposition council said the application approval was not the final hurdle, as approval by the state government was still needed.

The three-stage zipline would include a 1.5-kilometre treetop canopy tour, a skywalk with a 335-metre suspension bridge and the scenic zipline tour with six lines travelling more than a kilometre from the summits lookout to the Botanic Gardens.

The zipline also includes a skywalk and cultural information.

More than 3600 submissions were sent to council during the assessment process, with about 90 per cent believed to have objections to project.A man has been charged after Brisbane Airport's international terminal was shut down when he allegedly threatened a woman with a knife.

A 50-year-old Surfers Paradise man has been charged with one count each of contravene a domestic violence order, stalking with a weapon, stealing and serious assault police.

Brisbane Airport's international terminal. Credit:Glenn Hunt

He has also been charged with two counts each of making a false statement which can be inferred that there is a plan to damage or destroy a commonwealth air navigation facility, bomb hoax, and common assault.

Queensland Police said the incident was not terror related.A girl has been airlifted to hospital with serious facial injuries while two more children and two adults were assessed by paramedics after a vehicle rollover on the Bruce Highway.

A girl was airlifted to hospital after a vehicle rollover at Booyal. Credit:RACQ LifeFlight Rescue

Emergency services said five patients were assessed after the crash about 4.40am on Saturday at Booyal, south-west of Bundaberg, in central Queensland.

An RACQ LifeFlight spokeswoman said the primary-school-aged girl was believed to be in the back seat of the vehicle when it crashed and rolled multiple times.A police officer is in hospital with serious leg injuries after a vehicle backed into him during a pursuit in Brisbane's south.

The chase began just after midnight on Saturday morning when the vehicle sped away from officers who had approached it at an Inala service station.

The officer was struck by a vehicle during a police pursuit in Brisbane's south. Credit:Channel Nine

A police helicopter helped track the vehicle to a motorway on-ramp at Richlands, where an officer tried to stop it with a tyre deflation device.

Police said the vehicle became blocked behind a wide load and reversed into the 38-year-old male sergeant.At first, he said, what they were digging up looked something like a gold Lindt Easter bunny. They paused and took more photos as it became obvious they werent digging up a rabbit. "It was a beautiful pair of buttocks we unearthed," Mr Deschamps said. "We brushed the sand away and had a giggle; we thought it might have been a 1950s art deco candelabra or something. But in another minute of digging we turned up a baby Buddha." They brushed away the sand before gently dislodging the statue from its resting place. Credit:Finn Films The figurine appears to be made of gilded bronze and weighs more than a kilogram, despite its small size.

The pair understand it belongs to them, as they were "fossicking" legally in a Main Roads reserve. While there is provision at a federal level for objects of exceptional cultural value to be appropriated by the government, at the moment it appears that possession is nine-tenths of the law and Mr Deschamps and Mr Thompson are comfortable that they have notified all possible stakeholders in considering what should be done with the object. They reported the finding to the WA Maritime Museum, sending photographs and high-definition footage. The Museum, which in such cases is concerned primarily with objects recovered from shipwrecks, suggested they contact WA Chinese community association Chung Wah. The associations council of elders put them in touch with the ambassador to China, whose office is making further inquiries. They have also reached out to the Museum of Chinese Australian History.

"Were just white guy Indiana Jones wannabes but weve had a crash course in Buddhism," Mr Deschamps said. "We have also showed expert antique dealers who have not hesitated to identify it as early Ming Dynasty, around 1350-1637. "There are other examples of these from around the world but they are all from later in the Ming Dynasty. This one looks, from its roughness, to be from the early days." The front of the figurine, with the metal detector in the background. Credit:Finn Films The most exciting possible explanation for its presence in WA is the potential it is from a 1421 Ming treasure voyage. This could mean the Chinese visited that region almost 200 years before Dutchman Dirk Hartog landed in 1616.

Museum of Chinese Australian History deputy chairman Mark Wang said Ming Dynasty items were rare. "If this Buddha is authenticated as Ming Dynasty, that will be pretty special," he said. Mr Wang said if it was authenticated and was a Ming, there were two ways it could have arrived. First, it could indeed have been left by the great Chinese explorer Zheng He, sent afield by the Chinese Emperor to travel the world during the Ming Dynasty. "He was the earliest great explorer; there werent that many people travelling the world in the 15th century," Mr Wang said.

"He was quite an amazing person, who came back with specimens of animals he saw across the world, like giraffes and rhinoceros." Mr Wang said there was conjecture among academics that the Chinese explorers written records suggest he visited a great southern land with hopping animals. "But even if it is authenticated as Ming, it might not necessarily have come here then," he said. "A Ming Dynasty object could have also arrived in the last 150 or so years since the Chinese came to [that area], around the 1870s. "And you cant say that because its here, that a certain course of history took place.

"I do know theres a lot of excitement about what it could mean, but it is hard to prove unless you proved the dirt or sand around it was from a certain time and how long it had been in the ground ... that would be a matter for an archaeologist." Mr Deschamps has received informal advice that the general location of the object near the coast, in the vicinity of a pearling camp historically used by Malay/Chinese pearlers, points towards the most likely explanation for its presence; that spirituality and religion was important to South East Asian seafarers and maritime workers, and the Malay/Chinese in the area likely had similar cultural practices. A Chinese Embassy staff member confirmed they were making inquiries regarding the potential relic. "We still need more time to deal with it due to the relatively complicated process of authentication," a spokesperson said. The year 2018 marked the 200th anniversary of the first recorded Chinese immigrant to Australia and now, more than 1.2 million residents have Chinese ancestry.Twelve Russian track and field athletes suspended for doping

Twelve Russian track and field athletes, including 2012 Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov, have been suspended for doping, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday.

The suspensions range between two to eight-year bans, with 2013 world high jump gold medallist Svetlana Shkolina also suspended.

CAS had been ruling in the cases in place of the suspended Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF), and pursued allegations of anti-doping based on evidence from the McLaren report, which uncovered state-sponsored doping in Russia when it was published in 2016.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Russia from competing in its competitions in November 2015 and last month upheld the country's suspension into 2019, and CAS opened procedures against the suspected dopers "on behalf" of the IAAF.

"In all cases, the athletes have been found guilty of ADRVs (anti-doping rule violations) under the IAAF Rules and individual sanctions have been imposed by the CAS on each of the 12 athletes concerned," CAS said in a statement.

The court added that the decisions, all focusing on offences committed between the London Olympics and 2013 athletics world championships in Moscow, could be appealed.

RUSAF responded with a statement.

"Athletes have 21 days to appeal, all materials will be examined as soon as possible and legal consultations will be organised," it said. "After these consultations, suspended athletes will make their decision on a possible appeal."

The head of the athletics federation Dmitry Shlyakhtin told TASS agency that he blamed Russian whistle blower Grigory Rodchenkov.

"For the moment it's just the decision of the court of first instance, which, as far as I know, was based on the evidence given by Rodchenkov," Shlyakhtin said. "We need to receive the operative part (of the verdict) before taking the decision what to do next," he added.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it "welcomes the decisions".

"These decisions come as welcome news for athletes, anti-doping organisations, WADA and all others around the world who care about clean sport," WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said in a statement.

"This should serve to reassure athletes that a lot of work is being conducted behind the scenes by various organisations that are committed to ensure that justice is rendered."

Niggli said the ruling vindicated the controversial way WADA handled the retrieval of data from the former Moscow anti-doping laboratory.

"This highlights also, once again, just how important the successful retrieval of the analytical data from the former Moscow Laboratory by WADA last month is for clean sport and reinforces the decision taken by the WADA Executive Committee (ExCo) on 20 September 2018 to reinstate as compliant the Russian Anti-Doping Agency."

The 32-year-old Ukhov has been suspended for four years starting immediately, and has seen all his results from 16 July 2012 to 28 July 2015 disqualified, meaning he will lose his Olympic title, 2014 world silver medal and 2014 European bronze.

Ukhov had twice jumped 2.31 metres already in 2019.

American Erik Kynard is set to be upgraded to Olympic champion in Ukhov's place, with three athletes -- Britain's Robbie Grabarz, Canadian Derek Drouin and Qatari star Mutaz Essa Barshim -- to be bumped up from shared bronze to silver.

Shkolina has also been banned for four years and had her results from the same period annulled, leaving American Brigetta Barrett set to inherit gold.

The longest bans, of eight years, were reserved for hammer throwers Gulfiya Agafonova and Tatyana Lysenko, who had been banned twice before for doping offences.

The other bans were handed out to veteran sprinter Tatyana Firova, who was also previously suspended, triple jumper Lyukman Adams, hammer throwers Anna Bulgakova and Mariya Bespalova, shot putter Ivan Yushkov, discus thrower Vera Karmishina-Ganeeva and 100metre hurdles pair Ekaterina Galitskaya and Yuliya Kondakova.Tomorrow Pride March hits St Kilda once more, to colourfully shed glitter in places you never expected.

But what most people forget is that Pride March is supposed to be a protest. Its an event with roots in a time when it was radical for gays to exist. People often forget that we lost a generation of gay men to HIV/AIDS because it was hard to make the world care about a disease that mostly affected gay men and drug addicts  people it was OK to sacrifice. They also forget that it used to be illegal to be gay until very recently.

The Gay Pride March through St Kilda Credit:Jerry Galea

Achieving marriage equality was a huge win for a community that has so often been left out of societal milestones. However, getting married isnt the end of the fight.

While the first three letters of the LGBT community are doing relatively OK (if you discount increased rates of homelessness, discrimination, bullying and depression), our trans brothers and sisters need support more than ever. People who have been raised to believe in binary gender and sex have trouble grasping the idea that sex and gender have always been on a continuum, just like sexuality.Ralph Northam, the governor of the US state of Virginia, has vowed to remain in office despite widespread calls for his resignation after a racist photo surfaced in his yearbook page from more than 30 years ago.

Mr Northam said at a news conference that he had prematurely apologised for appearing in a picture of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

The photo appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

The Democratic governor said on Saturday that he, in fact, was not in the photo and had never even seen the yearbook until Friday.

The photo is racist and contrary to fundamental American values. I join my colleagues in Virginia calling on Governor Northam to do the right thing so that the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia can heal and move forward.  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 2, 2019

His refusal to resign signals a potential bruising fight between Mr Northam and his former supporters.

Leaders in both parties have repeatedly urged Mr Northam to resign, saying he has lost the publics trust.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam (Steve Helber/AP)

The calls for Mr Northam to step down came in a wave after the Democrat had initially apologised for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

The yearbook images were first published on Friday by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

The Virginian-Pilot later obtained a copy from Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Mr Northam attended.

The photo shows two people looking at the camera, one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie and plaid trousers; the other in a full Ku Klux Klan robe.

Demonstrators hold signs and chant (Steve Helber/AP)

He later issued a video statement saying he was deeply sorry but was still committed to serving the remainder of my term.

I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust, Mr Northam said.

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and theyve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northams ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2019

Leading Democrats who are running for the partys nomination for the 2020 presidential election added their voices to those calling for Mr Northam to quit.

Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 2, 2019

Two African-American senators and would-be nominees, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, joined the calls.

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and theyve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northams ability to lead, Mr Booker said on Friday on Twitter.

We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.

It doesnt matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign.  Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) February 2, 2019

Ms Harris said the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government.

The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.

Former US housing secretary Julian Castro, who has also entered the race, said: This behaviour was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign.- Press Association

US governor's future in doubt as he loses key support after racist photo emerges

A United States governor has been urged to resign over a racist photo in which he appeared more than 30 years ago.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam appears to have almost no choice but to leave office after losing support from virtually the entire state Democratic party and other key allies.

The calls for Mr Northam to step down came in a wave after the Democrat had apologised for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

The photo appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

The yearbook images were first published on Friday by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

The Virginian-Pilot later obtained a copy from Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Mr Northam attended.

The photo shows two people looking at the camera - one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie and plaid trousers; the other in a full Ku Klux Klan robe.

In his first apology, issued in a written statement, Mr Northam called the costume he wore "clearly racist and offensive", but he did not say which one he had worn.

He later issued a video statement saying he was "deeply sorry" but was still committed to serving the "remainder of my term".

"I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust," Mr Northam said.

But Mr Northam appears to have virtually no path forward to remain in office without any institutional support.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the photograph "racist and contrary to fundamental American values".

She said on Saturday via Twitter that she is joining her colleagues in Virginia in calling for Mr Northam "to do the right thing" so that the people in Virginia can heal and move on.

PAPope Francis has urged politicians of all faiths to safeguard the rights of the unborn and has exhorted abortion opponents to also assure that children are born into a world where they can live with dignity.

Francis spoke on Saturday at the Vatican to an Italian Catholic anti-abortion group.The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has announced two additional strike dates.

The strikes will take place on February 19 and 21, in addition to action on February 5 and 7, and February 12-14.

The decision was made at a meeting on Saturday, amid an ongoing row between the INMO and the Government about pay and staff retention issues.

On social media the INMO wrote: Our Executive Council is meeting now to discuss further strike dates in addition to those already announced.

Sadly, the government has made no proposals to resolve this dispute. Nurses and midwives are united and in this for the long haul if necessary.

The number of services on strike will rise from 82 to 240.

Our Executive Council is meeting now to discuss further strike dates in addition to those already announced.



Sadly, the government has made no proposals to resolve this dispute. Nurses and midwives are united and in this for the long haul if necessary. pic.twitter.com/SQ0bR6EH71  Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) February 2, 2019

The INMO will also be organising a national rally on Saturday February 9.

More than 30,000 nurses took to picket lines in freezing conditions outside hospitals across the country last week after talks aimed at resolving the issue failed.

Nurses are calling for a pay increase of about 12%, but the Government has said it is not in the position to borrow money to fund pay increases.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: Nurses and midwives proudly stood up in defence of our patients and professions last Wednesday, but the government has responded with threats and intransigence.

Everybody  except the government  recognise that there is a serious understaffing problem in our health services. The public support for the strike on Wednesday showed that the Irish people stand with nurses and midwives.

Our message is clear. We will not be going away  resolving this dispute requires direct engagement from the government, recognising the real recruitment and retention problems in Irish nursing and midwifery.

We simply want to be able to do our jobs, but our health service cannot hire enough nurses and midwives on these uncompetitive wages.

As ever, we remain available for talks with the government for any realistic proposals.

Nurses and midwives had a special message for all those who came out to support them on the picket on Wednesday. #standwithnurses #standwithmidwiveshttps://t.co/ua8qW23Ea7 pic.twitter.com/X9EXWgzgiN  Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) February 1, 2019

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, said: The nursing unions are seeking a significant increase in pay over and above all of the benefits of the current Agreement seeking parity with other health professionals.

Concession of this pay claim, even if possible, would have serious consequences for the public finances and for public pay policy generally with estimated costs of 300 million euro annually based on a 12% claim in pay.

However, it would not end there. It would, I have no doubt, generate knock-on or leapfrogging claims from the rest of the public service workforce, where there are already other well aired pay grievances.

The Government has come under intense scrutiny from rival parties across the political spectrum for its inability to halt the strike action.- Press Association

INMO council to meet to discuss possibility of further strikes

The INMO Executive Council will meet today to discuss further industrial action on top of the five days already announced.

Industrial action is planned for Tuesday and Thursday next week (February 5 and7), and for three days the following week (February 12, 13 and 14).

37,000 nurses staged their first 24-hour strike on Wednesday leading to thousands of appointments being cancelled.

The union says the government has not made any "serious proposals" to avert more strikes and say they have been forced into this position.

The INMO says it will plan for further action if it does not get government support.

Director of Regulation and Social Policy Edward Matthews says he hopes it does not come to that.

"At the moment, we're concentrating on making the voice of nurses and midwives heard, we want to make sure the dispute is safe but is effective, and we'll consider options after that as is necessary," he said.

But none of that should be necessary, the government should intervene to ensure the clear case being made by nurses and midwives is addressed in a fair and reasonable way within the confines of the national agreement which exists.

Meanwhile, 6,000 members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have implemented an overtime ban.

Following yesterday's industrial action, PNA members are set to hold further action next week on February 5, 6 and 7, as well planning to escalate this to a three-day strike on the same days as the INMO.Venezuela`s Guaido extends olive branch to China

Self-proclaimed \"acting president\" Juan Guaido has said China\'s support will be \"very important\"

AFP, Beijing :

Venezuela's self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido has promised China he will honour bilateral agreements and said he was ready to start a dialogue with Beijing "as soon as possible".

Guaido's comments to the South China Morning Post, published Saturday, appear aimed at laying to rest questions over whether his political challenge to President Nicolas Maduro would disrupt ties with Venezuela's main creditor.

Maduro visited China in September, striking energy and gold mining deals as he sought Beijing's support for his crisis-hit nation.

"China's support will be very important in boosting our country's economy and future development," Guaido, the 35-year-old opposition leader, said in the email interview with the newspaper.

"Given its competitiveness and market, China is a fundamental global player with whom we would like to re-launch our relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation." "We are ready to begin a constructive relationship and dialogue with China as soon as possible."

Guaido proclaimed himself acting president last week amid protests in Caracas.

While many countries, including the US and Brazil, have backed Guaido, China has so far declined to pick sides, stressing its longtime position against "interfering" in the domestic affairs of other nations.

The political upheaval has exacerbated the general disarray in Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves but has suffered an economic meltdown marked by hyperinflation and shortages of basic necessities.

Millions have been left in poverty, while 2.3 million more have fled the country, unleashing a migration crisis in South America.

Although Maduro has control of virtually all of Venezuela's political institutions and enjoys the support of the military, many blame him for the country's economic woes.

The 56-year-old was re-elected last May in voting boycotted by the majority of the opposition and dismissed as fraudulent by the United States, European Union and Organization of American States (OAS).

China has extended more than $60 billion in credit to the South American country over the last decade, but Venezuela still owes Beijing about $20 billion and has been repaying the debt with oil shipments.

At a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, China's foreign ministry said that it was "willing to meet all parties halfway".

China and Venezuela have been "pragmatically cooperating for a long time," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

"No matter how the situation changes, none of this will be damaged at all."GATINEAU, Que. - The mayor of Gatineau, Que., said he plans to request that a city councillor be stripped of some of her duties after she reportedly said the word "Islamophobia" doesn't exist for her.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (869 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin holds a news conference after surveying the damage caused by a tornado, in Gatineau, Quebec, Saturday September 22, 2018. The mayor of Gatineau, Que., says he's requesting that a city councillor be stripped of some of her duties after she reportedly said the word "Islamophobia" doesn't exist for her. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

GATINEAU, Que. - The mayor of Gatineau, Que., said he plans to request that a city councillor be stripped of some of her duties after she reportedly said the word "Islamophobia" doesn't exist for her.

Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said in a statement late Friday that he's distancing himself from Nathalie Lemieux and will ask city council to replace her as deputy mayor.

"The role of the city is to bring together communities to promote a better understanding of one another, (and) we won't succeed with words that polarize this much and that harm the city in its role in as discussion partner for all the communities," he wrote.

"Not only do I completely dissociate and denounce the councillor's words, but I also believe she can no longer speak in my name."

In an interview published Friday, Lemieux reportedly told Le Droit newspaper that Islamophobia is a problem invented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"Justin Trudeau thinks Islamophobia exists, but it's him who invented the problem," she was quoted as saying. "He's trying to provoke problems where there aren't any."

According to the media outlet, she added, "when a group of people want to integrate, they integrate, and these people don't integrate."

But while she denied the existence of Islamophobia, Le Droit also quoted her as saying: "These people do a lot of things wrong, with their trucks and all that, it's normal to be scared."

Lemieux did not respond for a request for comment on Saturday.

Her comments came after Quebec Premier Francois Legault said Thursday that there is no Islamophobia in Quebec and closed the door on the idea of designating a national day to combat the problem.

Legault's office later clarified to say that while Islamophobia exists, there's neither a culture nor a current of it in Quebec.

The topic remains sensitive in Quebec, which continues to grapple with a debate over accommodating minority religions. Legault has promised legislation early in the next legislative session to prohibit public servants in positions of authority  police officers, judges, prosecutors, prison guards and teachers  from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab, turban and kippa.

In Ottawa, the Commons heritage committee recommended last year that Jan. 29 be declared a "national day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination" to commemorate the attack on a Quebec City mosque that left six men dead on that day in 2017.

Toronto Mayor John Tory announced this week that the city was proclaiming Jan. 29 a day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia.LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - An Indigenous man has been elected as chancellor of the University of Lethbridge for the first time in the school's 52-year history.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge Charles Weaselhead poses in this undated handout photo. An Indigenous man has been elected as chancellor of the University of Lethbridge for the first time in the school's 52-year history. Charles Weaselhead is the former chief of the Blood Tribe and one-time Treaty 7 grand chief. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - University of Lethbridge

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - An Indigenous man has been elected as chancellor of the University of Lethbridge for the first time in the school's 52-year history.

Charles Weaselhead is the former chief of the Blood Tribe and one-time Treaty 7 grand chief.

"I am truly, deeply honoured to represent the University of Lethbridge and to represent Aboriginal people throughout communities in Alberta and beyond," he said Friday.

A residential school survivor, Weaselhead has devoted his life to promoting health, education and economic development for Indigenous people.

Recently retired, his new role with the university is a little out of his comfort zone, he said, but he welcomes the chance to learn and serve.

Weaselhead said the population of Indigenous young people is growing fast.

He said it is part of the university's responsibility to provide opportunities for those youth to learn and have a career.

"Right now, we're in a period where our young people, especially in my home communities, are battling opioid addictions and we have an emergency crisis," he said.

"With myself as the chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, I think it gets our young people putting on their thinking caps that they can get to this position too."

The university is in the heart of traditional Blackfoot territory in southern Alberta.

University president Mike Mahon said he is honoured that Weaselhead accepted the role of chancellor.

He said it is long overdue.

"I'm so proud of our university that we made the decision to recognize the importance of our Indigenous community here in Lethbridge and around southern Alberta," Mahon said.

"To recognize the importance of truth and reconciliation, but also recognizing Charlie for who he is  an amazing leader, a great businessman, a fantastic communicator and somebody that's really made a difference."

Weaselhead is to be officially installed at the university's spring convocation. He succeeds Janice Varzari, who has served as chancellor since 2015. (Lethbridge News Now)Sherilyn Decter Hirst has traded in the icy, windswept fields of Westman for the secret speakeasies of Prohibition-era Philadelphia.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/2/2019 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Sherilyn Decter Hirst has traded in the icy, windswept fields of Westman for the secret speakeasies of Prohibition-era Philadelphia.

The former mayor has authored a new book series set in 1920s Philadelphia. "The Bootleggers Chronicles" follow the story of Maggie Barnes, a fictional character, as she navigates the very real streets of the city in her search for answers in a murder.

"Theres something about the roaring 20s," Hirst said. "I was sitting in a jazz bar thinking about the music and flappers and the gangsters and bootleggers, and like all good readers, I felt that I wanted to try and write a book."

Hirst said she was first grabbed by the time period, when thinking about the environment the prohibition created, where ordinary people became criminals for having a drink. That spiralled into gangsters becoming major figures who corrupted politicians and police, a great setup for a novel.

She was drawn to writing about Philadelphia because far less has been written about the city during Prohibition that other American cities, like New York. Al Capones story is already well-known, but very few people know the story of Mickey Duffy, the villain in Hirsts first book, "Innocence Lost."

The series took a lot of research and consulting with locals in Philadelphia, Hirst said. She relied on the advice of local book clubs to get the look and feel of neighbourhoods right and local experts to flesh out the real people featured as characters in the book.

"I wanted to make this book very authentic," she said. "I had to follow closely the structure of (Duffys) life, and so it took lots of digging in archives and things like that to get the information that I needed to flesh out the five books."

While the main character was not a real person, Hirst said she wanted to make the depiction of the heroine as close to reality as possible. Barnes, a "widow of her time" gets involved with looking for her friends murdered son. The police arent interested in investigating, which gets the plot rolling.

"Shes been raised not to be thinking about a career, to be expectant that she would have a husband that would look after her, and suddenly shes now at the crossroads  what is she going to do?"

Hirst said she consulted photos and 100-year-old documents to set the scene properly in her books. She said she relied on hospital photos for one chapter to get the layout of a period hospital correct and what the doctors and nurses would really have been wearing.

While the time period is nearly a century old, Hirst said it is so appealing because it is on the edge of living memory. Many families still have stories they tell about relatives from the 1920s or just after.

"Whether its a great-uncle who was bootlegging booze across the American border or wedding pictures of grandparents that are all done up in their flapper outfits, that bit of history is still living.

Hirst said her experience as mayor of Brandon showed her that peoples concerns in the modern day are not that different from people living in the early 20th century.

"Youre wanting to make sure that you can be successful, that youve got safe neighbourhoods, so currently a lot of those issues that are important to people in Brandon were also important to people in Philadelphia."

"Innocence Lost" will be released on Amazon Feb. 3. The other five novels in the series are releasing monthly over the next five months. Hirsts pen name for the novels is Sherilyn Decter.

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_Priyanka reveals why mother Madhu was upset at her wedding

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are happily enjoying their newly married life. The couple often shares adorable pictures on social media and just leave us gushing a lot more about them each time. Fondly called National Jeeju by all PC fans, Nick Jonas' love for Priyanka is the stuff of fairy-tales. The duo tied the knot in an opulent wedding ceremony in Jodhpur in the presence of their families and close friends. But in all the fun and madness, did you know it was Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra, who was upset with the diva.

Sharing the incidence on an international chat show, the 36-year-old actress revealed, "It was just three days! One Indian ceremony and one western Christian ceremony, and one day of pre-rituals - which we have in the Hindu wedding. But it was not, like  usually Indian weddings are a thousand people, at least. We only had 200, which was mostly family because both of us have giant families." Priyanka smiled and revealed, "My mother was so upset with me the whole time. She was like, 'I need to have another wedding for the other 150,000 people that I know! How can I not invite my jeweller? How can I not invite my hairdresser?' So it was a whole conversation..."

Awww! We totally understand mom Madhu Chopra's point. What's a Punjabi wedding without a crazy huge guest list! We're sure there will be many more celebrations for #Nickyanka in the future and the family can share all the fun again and again...Farewell reception to Jonaid Kabir

ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury MP handing over crest wtih gift to Jonaid Kabir Sohag, Senior Asstt. Commissioner (Land) Raozan ( first from left) at Upazila Auditorium on Monday last.

Chattogram Bureau :

A largely attended farewell reception to the Senior Assistant Commissioner(Land) Raozan Jonaid Kabir sohag following his promotional transfer was held at Raozan Upazila auditorium on Monday afternoon with UNO Md. Shamim Hossain Reza in the chair.

Lawmaker of the Raozan constituency and chairman of Parliamentary standing committee ABM Fazle Karim chowdhury graced the occasion as chief guest. Upazila chairman Ehsanul Haider chowdhury Babul, President of Upazila AL Kamaluddin, vice chairmen Noor Mohammad and Fouzia Khanam Mina were present on the occasion as special guest.

Among others, Panel Mayor Bashiruddin Khan, Zamiruddin Parvez, Jubo League Secretary Abdul Jabbar Sohel, all UP chairmen of the upazila, councilors of purashava , all officials of the Raozan upazila administration were present in the gracious occasion. The chief guest in his brief deliverations praised the activities in Raozan during his two years performance and earmarked the senior Asstt. commissioner as a best BCS official. The lawmaker also told that officer like Jonaid Kabir is rare in our society and he wished his better furture and long life .

BAGERHAT: A rally was brought out in the district town on the occasion of the 20th founding anniversary of the National Bengali daily The Jugantar on Friday.PR Newswire

PHOENIX, Feb. 01, 2019

PHOENIX, Feb. 01, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- JW Maxx Solutions has been helping companies with there online media needs for many years. The company has focused initially on being an online reputation management firm providing corporate online reputation management. As of lately, it has also helped many firms with their advertising needs on Google Adwords, and Facebook and Instagram advertising.

Most advertising professionals can tell other companies that almost 50% of there budget is wasted!

The answer is if a company new which was wasted they would be more than likely not use or engage on the platform.

JW Maxx Solutions founder Walter Halicki explains that "targeted clientele is the key." Why waste money on useless traffic if there is no conversion.

Following Googles suggestions is the easy way, however at what cost. A company does not necessarily need to be in the very top position however the second or third spot will work as well. Keep in mind a site heavy in graphics and lite on content will give a low score.

So what does this mean?

With the right content, a firm could pay less and get a higher position. Have more relevant verbiage in their copy.

For Facebook and Instagram your fan base may be all over the world so again you need to geo-target as best possible. All adds should contain a strong call to action and linking it to a page with a live chat so the company can further enhance its efforts on conversions.

JW Maxx Solutions faces the same obstacles as the rest of the companies. The worst part is when dealing with unscrupulous companies offering a money back guarantee. This means after 90 days a credit card will not be able to be disputed in most cases.

Tracking your adds with analytics and proper A/B testing will surely help. The cost of PPC has skyrocketed with keywords that can cost over $100 per click or impression.

#1 So test multiple colors and verbiage on landing pages

#2 Make sure to check the analytics so one can fine-tune its campaigns.

#3 Always be A/B testing to see which landing page is the best producer.

#4 Don't overbid, a company can gradually increase there amounts in small increments.

#5 Make sure landing pages have a live chat option.

#6 Geo-target accordingly. Don't waste money on useless traffic that won't convert.

JW Maxx Solutions has been providing positive media solutions for a decade. It is headquartered in Phoenix Arizona, with offices in Latin and Central America. Reach out for any questions or concerns, 602 291 9769

SOURCE JW Maxx SolutionsBritish auto production in 2018 dropped 9.1 percent year on year from a year ago, but exports hit a record high, according to data published Thursday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Justin Benson, head of automotive at KPMG UK, also believes such a significant fall in volume is a major cause for concern to the automotive industry and together with a 20 per cent reduction in December 2018, compared to December 2017, the trend appears to be worsening.

With vehicle production falling to its lowest level for five years, politicians are being urged by United Kingdom automotive companies to "do whatever it takes" to avoid a no deal Brexit.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes described the decline in investment as "deeply depressing" and hopes it will spark politicians to secure a good Brexit trade deal.

"Given the global headwinds, the challenges to the sector are huge. Brexit is the clear and present danger and, with thousands of jobs on the line, we urge all parties to do whatever it takes to save us from no deal". Overall, EU27 countries still accounted for 52.6 per cent of United Kingdom exports, amounting to 650,628 cars.

Output for the United Kingdom were down 16.3% with a 7.3% fall in production for export; now eight in 10 cars are exported.

Some positive news came as a result of the increased availability of several new premium models now built only in the UK.

Exports to Japan increased by 26 per cent and by 23 per cent to South Korea, but the SMMT pointed out that both countries were subject to preferential European Union trade agreements.

Brexit, along with "domestic and global downturns", are to blame.

Industry figures released today show that 1.52 million cars were produced in the United Kingdom last year, a five-year low.

"Every day, more than 1,100 trucks cross into the United Kingdom from the continent to deliver some GBP 35 million worth of components to United Kingdom vehicle and engine plants - emphasising the importance of free and frictionless trade between Britain and Europe", the SMMT notes.

"With governments around the world stalling on giving strong backing for diesel in particular, consumers and businesses are parking their investment decisions too".

A Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy spokesman said: "As we leave the European Union we will seek the broadest and deepest possible agreement that delivers the maximum possible benefits for both the United Kingdom and EU economies and maintains the strength of our world-leading automotive sector".

"The UK has a global reputation for automotive engineering, thanks to a rich history, highly skilled workforce and a diverse array of desirable brands". However, exports in 2018 hit a record high since 2012, with 81.5 percent of UK-made cars shipped overseas.Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

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A lack of trained health care workers and appropriate health care services can result in an increase in avoidable deaths, diseases and disabilities.

To improve the quality of health care services and reduce health risks for over 40 000 people in need in non-government controlled areas of Ukraines Luhansk region, WHO trained over 30 health workers on 2325 January 2019. The training focused on supporting emergency health care specialists in trauma emergency care and lifesaving procedures.

After nearly five years of crisis in eastern Ukraine, millions of people on both sides of the contact line still need humanitarian assistance. A lack of trained health care workers and appropriate health care services can result in an increase in avoidable deaths, diseases and disabilities.

WHO has been providing humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of this crisis, said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. In a protracted emergency, it is crucial that we ensure that no one is left behind. The fundamental humanitarian principle of humanity  together with impartiality, independence and neutrality  is central to WHOs emergency work.

Prompt medical intervention after injury affects the patients chances for survival and recovery. This is the principle adopted in the advanced trauma training, added Dr Omar Saleh, a trauma care consultant for the WHO Emergency Programme in Ukraine. We shared best practices and know-how from our international experience to anaesthesiologists, trauma care specialists and surgeons who are critical pillars in the survival chain. This is needed particularly in conflict-affected areas.

The training was organized with the financial support of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Additionally, CERF funds enabled WHO to deliver medicines and medical supplies in eastern Ukraines non-government controlled areas.(Sun Sentinel) Jack Shifrel, who spent decades as an advocate for his fellow veterans and a champion of Democratic Party values and candidates, died Friday. He was 72.

Shifrel died of cancer, diagnosed this month, that had spread to his bones and spine, said Scott Shifrel, one of his brothers. His death was announced by his family on Facebook.

South Florida political leaders said Shifrels death would leave a void in the community.

Jack Shifrel was a patriot. He served his country. He served his community. He was dedicated to helping veterans, and helping common men and women succeed in our country, said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca. Deutch represents Coconut Creek, where Mr. Shifrel lived.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, knew Shifrel for about 30 years. Jack Shifrel was one of a kind, she said. Its going to be a more hollow world without Jack Shifrel.

Shifrel, a Vietnam-era Army veteran, and his wife, Laurie, moved to South Florida in 1970. He worked in marketing and was a governmental relations and political consultant. He served on the Broward School Board from 1980 to 1982.

Wasserman Schultz said Shifrel first and foremost put veterans as his top priority. Deutch said Shifrel believed strongly that Americans political freedoms are available to us only because of the sacrifice that the men and women who served our country made for us.

Shifrel served as president of the Broward Veterans Coalition, an umbrella organization made up of veterans groups, individual veterans and active-duty service members.

He played a major role in securing safer access to the William Bill Kling Veterans Affairs Clinic in Sunrise after a veteran who took a bus to the clinic was killed trying to cross busy West Commercial Boulevard in 2014. Shifrels advocacy helped lead to a program under which the countys paratransit service provided discount rides to and from the clinic, even to those who are not disabled. He also pushed for installation of signs on major roadways directing motorists to the clinic.

Shifrel, who was also involved in charity fundraising, was inducted into the Broward Senior Hall of Fame in 2016.

Shifrel was serving his 10th four-year term as a Democratic Party committeeman, was the Coconut Creek-Margate area leader for the Broward Democratic Party for many years, and was a past president of the Margate Democratic Club. Shifrel was a delegate to five Democratic national conventions, and was especially energized when he was supporting the presidential candidacies of Bill or Hillary Clinton.

His lifelong passion for Democratic candidates and policies was inspired by former President John F. Kennedy, Shifrels brother said. His first political involvement was as a 22-year-old working on then-U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedys 1968 presidential campaign, Shifrel said in a 2018 interview.

In a 1996 letter to the editor, Shifrel said he was proud to wear the label liberal.

Liberals believe in the very simple promise of what I call our collective responsibility. In other words, we are our brother's keeper. We, as a society, have a responsibility to care for and look after each other, he wrote. I'm sick of being demonized by self-righteous right wing zealots who would force our children to pray in school and prohibit a woman from making her own choice regarding her pregnancy, but would allow any kook who wants a handgun or assault weapon to go unchecked.

Shifrel was critical of the turn  ridiculously extreme to the right  the Republican Party took in the latter years of his life. In a 2012 interview, he said New Deal and Great Society programs like Social Security and Medicare had to be protected.

He advocated for LGBT rights  long before it became widely accepted by most Democrats, said Mitch Ceasar, the former longtime chairman of the Broward Democratic Party.

Ceasar and Shifrel occasionally butted heads over the years. His greatest fun would be to have a philosophical discussion, Ceasar said. He didnt seek somebody in agreement. It was much more enjoyable if he found someone who disagreed with him. He liked the debate.

Although he was a lifelong Democrat, Shifrels friendships extended across the political aisle. When his daughter wrote a Jan. 21 Facebook post that Shifrel had entered Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton, the dozens of visitors and online well-wishers included many members of the GOP. Republican Mark OLoughlin called him a great man.

Shifrel had many heart problems over the years, including several heart attacks. The man stood down the most dire health threats. He had nerves of steel, and iron will. I think what he believed in, the causes he fought for, really sustained him through all of those battles, Wasserman Schultz said.

He always had this really, really bad heart that we all worried about. But man, he had the biggest heart I knew. He just wanted to help people, Scott Shifrel said.

Jack Lawrence Shifrel was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 10, 1946, and raised in Sheepshead Bay and Plainview on Long Island.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Laurie; sons Darrin Shifrel and David Shifrel; daughter Jillian Lisa Jeskey; sister Lori Kearney; and brothers Myke Shelby and Scott Shifrel. He had seven grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Dylan Tyler Jeskey Irrevocable Trust, 2990 Calabria Way, Delray Beach, Fla. 33445. The trust helps pay for his grandsons health-related costs. Memorials may also be made to the Broward Veterans Coalition, PO Box 25386, Tamarac, Fla. 33321.Fleetwood Area School District considers closing Richmond Elementary as part of a district-wide K-4 consolidation which could go into effect at the start of the 2019-20 school year. A public hearing will be held on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Fleetwood Area High School Board Room offering the community the opportunity to comment.Berks County

Love the wine youre with on Berks Wine Trail

Berks Wine Trail: Love the wine youre with!A police investigator walks out of a crater created by a powerful bomb blast on a highway in Sai Buri, a district in Thailands Pattani province, Sept. 22, 2017.

A Thai court has sentenced three suspected rebels to life in prison after finding them guilty of involvement in a roadside explosion that killed four soldiers in Thailands insurgency-hit Deep South in September 2017, a military spokesman said Friday.

The court in Pattani province also ordered two alleged insurgents to serve 14 years in prison, as it acquitted the sixth defendant, the official said. A seventh man was still on trial for the same attack, he said.

The seven defendants  tagged by military investigators as members of an insurgent movement  were charged with sabotage, conspiring to form criminal syndicate, murder and attempted murder and possession of illegal weapons, Col. Thanawee Suwanarat, spokesman for the Armys Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, told reporters.

The Pattani Court originally handed death sentences to Mayusof Mayadeng, Ameen Hoya and Mahamasoree samae, but commuted their sentences to life imprisonment because they pleaded guilty to the police level, Thanawee said.

The sentencings, which did not receive media coverage, took place on Jan. 17, defense lawyer Anukul Awaeputeh and relatives of the defendants told BenarNews.

On Sept. 22, 2017, suspected insurgents detonated an 80-kilogram (176-lb) improvised explosive device on a highway in Sai Buri, a district in Pattani, killing four soldiers and wounding six others who were on board a pickup truck, officials said.

Five of the defendants were arrested as suspects three days after the bombing, police said.

Maj. Gen. Jatuporn Kalampasut, deputy commander of the armys southern region, said at the time that investigators believed that the blast was carried out by the tactical unit of Barisan Revolusi Nasional or BRN, Thailands most-powerful insurgent group, which has stayed away from peace talks with Bangkok.

Rights activists have accused the military in insurgency-hit areas of the Deep South of using torture and other heavy-handed techniques to get confession from suspected insurgents. Military officials deny those allegations.

A relative of one of the defendants said he respects the verdict.

My relative knows of what he did, but I cant say anything else, said the relative who requested anonymity.

Anukul Awaeputeh, a member of the Muslim Attorney Council, who represents the defendants said, he was preparing documents and would file an appeal.

We try our best to fight the case for the clients, Anukul told BenarNews.

Since January, at least 16 people have been killed and 20 injured in the Deep South region, according to figures gathered by BenarNews from police and military reports.

The Deep South borders Malaysia and encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces as well as four districts in Songkhla province. Nearly 7,000 people have been killed in the region since the insurgency flared up in early 2004.Mourners ride on a hearse during the funeral procession of a victim killed in the January 27 cathedral bombing in Jolo, Sulu province on the southern island of Mindanao, Jan. 30, 2019.

Five Filipino soldiers and three Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in a clash Saturday, as Philippine troops intensified their manhunt for militants behind twin explosions that left 22 dead at a Catholic church in southern Jolo island.

Lt. Col. Gerald Monfort, spokesman of the Armys Joint Task Force Sulu, told reporters that a heavy firefight erupted before noon between the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion and about 150 Abu Sayyaf fighters near the town of Patikul.

The soldiers were on the hunt for Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, an Abu Sayyaf commander known to have ties with foreign militants, near the village of Kabban Takas.

Monfort said the intense fighting the led to the deaths lasted for nearly two hours. At least 15 other militants were believed wounded.

The pursuit operation against the enemies are still going on, regional military spokesman Col. Gerry Besana told BenarNews, adding that residents were evacuated to safer grounds.

Besana said the militants leader, Idang Susukan, was wounded along with some of his men.

Sawadjaan is an Abu Sayyaf leader believed to be involved in the bombings at the Jolo Cathedral on January 27 that left 22 people dead and more than a hundred others wounded. President Rodrigo Duterte had blamed suicide bombers for the attack, saying that the Abu Sayyaf worked in concert with the Islamic State.

Investigators have said that the bombers included a woman, who detonated the bomb inside the church. Their nationalities have yet to be ascertained, after Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano claimed that the bombers were Indonesian, citing intelligence sources.

We have intelligence information that point to these two as Indonesian, he said. I have spoken with the president, who said he has other sources, but it also led to the Indonesian couple.

How Ano came up with that assessment was not explained, and on Saturday he admitted that his claim should be properly supported by forensic evidence or DNA matches. So we are coordinating with the Indonesian government. They will help in identifying if these bombers are really Indonesian.

It was the Abu Sayyaf [members] who guided them, studied the target, did reconnaissance and surveillance work, and brought the couple inside the cathedral, he said, adding that the male was known as Abu Huda, and had been in Sulu for a long time.

The purpose of the couple is to set an example and influence Filipinos to become suicide bombers, Ano stressed.

The first bomb detonated during Mass and the second blast followed in a parking lot as soldiers responded. The attack that also left 110 wounded was the most brazen in recent years and came at a time when thousands of troops had been deployed to Jolo to crush the militants.

Two days after the blast, unidentified men lobbed a grenade inside a mosque in the nearby city of Zamboanga, killing two Muslim religious leaders and wounding four other people, in what some officials fear could be sectarian violence.

The entire south remains under military rule, imposed by President Duterte two years ago after Isnilon Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf commander who became the Islamic State head here, led a group of fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East in taking over Marawi city, also in the south.

The five month battle finally ended in October 2017, with the death of Hapilon and key leaders of the siege. But remnants of the fighters who fought in Marawi had escaped and are known to be trying to boost their ranks by recruiting younger fighters.The barbaric murder of 45-year-old Ian Ogle in east Belfast earlier this week points to the challenges that still remain for all those committed to eradicating paramilitarism.

Security sources believe the killing had all the hallmarks of a paramilitary-style attack, with most people attributing blame to the UVF.

The UVF was quick to issue a statement denying responsibility, an unusual step that may well indicate the killing was unsanctioned by the group's senior leadership on the Shankill Road.

"Whoever did it did not do it in the name of loyalism or the UVF," ran the faction's statement. This denial has since been disputed by Mr Ogle's daughter, who said that her family had been terrorised for 18 months at the hands of people purporting to be from the east Belfast UVF.

It appears that the events leading up to Mr Ogle's death are connected to the claim that the east Belfast unit had summoned Mr Ogle and his son for a 'punishment beating by appointment'.

This is not the first time that UVF members have been involved in such attacks and it is unlikely to be the last.

In 2010 the UVF in west Belfast was believed to have executed a former member of the Red Hand Commando (RHC), Bobby Moffett, who had refused to take a beating at the hands of the organisation.

The Moffett murder led to widespread revulsion and damaged the organisation's standing not only in its Shankill heartland but also amongst the ranks of its veteran membership. In their October 2015 assessment of paramilitary groups, the PSNI and MI5 noted how "individual members of the UVF were heavily involved in violence and crime".

By April 2018, however, the UVF was joining with the UDA/UFF and RHC in once again renewing its commitment to the process of conflict transformation, thereby denouncing criminality in all its guises. The UVF has certainly made some progress in reining in its more violent tendencies.

However, it has not gone far enough. While its east Belfast faction issued a conciliatory statement in the wake of Mr Ogle's murder - recognising how actions "of this sort undermine the positive transformation which is taking place with the organisation" - the wider organisation faces a dilemma. Does it continue to support its own policy outlined in April last year or does it simply carry on like it is business as usual?

This is a defining moment for the UVF senior leadership.

Either they move to impose more direct control on their east Belfast faction, a course of action they have traditionally resisted, or they face the prospect of further instability at the hands of local units like this one.

As events in the 1990s attest, the UVF has a chequered history of imposing direct control on its highly-localised units.

Nevertheless, even the UVF senior leadership are aware that continuing paramilitary control falls far short of the objectives they themselves set when they helped shape the 1994 ceasefires.

As I made clear in an article for the Belfast Telegraph a few weeks ago, loyalist paramilitaries remain in existence not only because of the strategic decisions of their leaderships, but also because of a broader failure to tackle the root causes of such militancy

Ironically, there have always been consistent calls from within loyalism for the authorities to deal with what the PSNI calls "mid-level crime gangs".

Regrettably, these progressive voices have been continually marginalised. Ignoring the will of the people is, of course, made possible by the political vacuum that exists in Northern Ireland.

With long waiting lists for basic health care, alleged political corruption, to say nothing of the uncertainty of what Brexit may mean for the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the problem of paramilitarism is often left on the back-burner.

However, it is important that opinion formers and the public keep the pressure on the police and National Crime Agency, the politicians and the political institutions to do all in their power to eradicate paramilitarism.

Berating paramilitary organisations for their failure to transform into community-based organisations is an attractive first response but it is not enough.

More strategic questions must be asked of paramilitary organisations still roaming our streets.

One of the most obvious to ask is not why these groups continue to exist, but why do they do what they do? Answering this more profound question will help us to unlock a more strategic response to tackling paramilitarism and, with any luck, finally eradicate it from our midst.

Aaron Edwards is an academic and author of UVF: Behind the Mask, published by Merrion PressDetectives have praised a group of men who stopped the attempted rape of a terrified teenager and held the suspect until police arrived.

The men disturbed the attacker as he allegedly tried to rape a 17-year-old girl on Friday night in a car park in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

They stopped the attack and chased the suspect, holding him until he was arrested by police.

A 23-year-old man is in custody for questioning.

This is a great example of the police & public working together to stop crime, and I am extremely thankful to them for their assistanceDetective Inspector Karl Ward, Greater Manchester Police

Detective Inspector Karl Ward, from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said: First of all, my thoughts are with the girl who was victim to this terrifying attack, she is getting specialist support and we will continue to help her get through this horrible ordeal.

Secondly, I would like to take my hat off to the group of men who intervened, stopped the attack, then gave chase so police were able to make an arrest.

This is a great example of the police & public working together to stop crime, and I am extremely thankful to them for their assistance.

We are still appealing for further witnesses however, so if anyone saw anything that might help the police investigation we would really like to hear from you.

Police were first called at 10.35pm on Friday by members of the public who had detained the man at the car park near to Stamford Street in Ashton.

Officers have appealed for anyone else who may have witnessed the attack to get in touch on 0161 856 8915 or alternatively call 101 quoting the reference number 2314 of 01/02/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Scenes during last weeks protest outside Naas General Hospital in Co Kildare (Niall Carson/PA)

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has announced two additional strike dates.

The strikes will take place on February 19 and 21, in addition to action on February 5 and 7, and February 12-14.

The decision was made at a meeting on Saturday, amid an ongoing row between the INMO and the Government about pay and staff retention issues.

On social media the INMO wrote: Our Executive Council is meeting now to discuss further strike dates in addition to those already announced.

Sadly, the government has made no proposals to resolve this dispute. Nurses and midwives are united and in this for the long haul if necessary.

The number of services on strike will rise from 82 to 240.

Our Executive Council is meeting now to discuss further strike dates in addition to those already announced.



Sadly, the government has made no proposals to resolve this dispute. Nurses and midwives are united and in this for the long haul if necessary. pic.twitter.com/SQ0bR6EH71  Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) February 2, 2019

The INMO will also be organising a national rally on Saturday February 9.

More than 30,000 nurses took to picket lines in freezing conditions outside hospitals across the country last week after talks aimed at resolving the issue failed.

Nurses are calling for a pay increase of about 12%, but the Government has said it is not in the position to borrow money to fund pay increases.

Nurses and midwives had a special message for all those who came out to support them on the picket on Wednesday. aiaiaiaiai#standwithnurses #standwithmidwiveshttps://t.co/ua8qW23Ea7 pic.twitter.com/X9EXWgzgiN  Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) February 1, 2019

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, said: The nursing unions are seeking a significant increase in pay over and above all of the benefits of the current Agreement seeking parity with other health professionals.

Concession of this pay claim, even if possible, would have serious consequences for the public finances and for public pay policy generally with estimated costs of 300 million euro annually based on a 12% claim in pay.

However, it would not end there. It would, I have no doubt, generate knock-on or leapfrogging claims from the rest of the public service workforce, where there are already other well aired pay grievances.

The Government has come under intense scrutiny from rival parties across the political spectrum for its inability to halt the strike action.Police at the scene of a shooting in Londonderry.

Two men were injured in separate paramilitary-style shootings in the Ballymagroarty area of Londonderry on Friday night.

The men, believed to be in their 30s were shot at OCasey Court and Corrib Court shortly after 8pm.

Local residents say shots rang out from an alleyway at Corrib Court and from an embankment in OCasey court.

The men were each believed to have been shot in one leg, with one man being shot in the hands.

There has been an incident in the Ballymagroarty area of #Derry tonight. Initial reports indicate that two men have been shot. Police now at the scene pic.twitter.com/vmiCBv0MPS  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) February 1, 2019

They were both treated at the scene by paramedics and have been taken to Altnagelvin Hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Police are currently in attendance at the scene.

Police are currently at the scene of a shooting incident in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry/Londonderry this evening. There are no further details available at this time.  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) February 1, 2019

Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said the shootings would have been a frightening experience for the local community going about their business on a Friday night.

"Violence does nothing but lead to more victims and create more violence," the SDLP MLA said.

Mr Durkan said that "nothing can be achieved" by such violence.

Tonight I have spoken with senior PSNI officers who have confirmed that two men have been shot in Ballymagroarty this evening .



The PSNI are responsible for law and order in our country. There can be no justification for guns or violence on our streets.  Gary Middleton MLA (@Gary_Middleton) February 1, 2019Cars stuck in traffic on Ringway West in Basingstoke due to snowfall in the area (Andrea Matthews/ PA)

The big freeze will continue over the weekend, with the Met Office warning of the coldest night of the winter as snow caused further transport disruption.

Scotland could see lows of minus 16C (3.2F) over Saturday night into Sunday as the cold snap continues, the Met Office said.

A low of minus 15.4C (4.3F) was recorded just before midnight on Thursday at Braemar in the Scottish Highlands.

It is set to be less chilly over Friday night and into Saturday morning  with temperatures around minus 7C (19.4F) or minus 8C (17.6F)  but likely to dip right back down again by Saturday evening.

Expand Close People make a big snowball in Boars Hill, Oxfordshire (Victoria Jones/ PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp People make a big snowball in Boars Hill, Oxfordshire (Victoria Jones/ PA)

Meteorologist Alex Burkill said parts of England could also see sub-zero temperatures reach double digits.

He told the Press Association: Over Saturday well see some snow showers around the far north, the far west and the far east of the UK.

Elsewhere its a cold day again and feeling especially cold in the south where it will be breezy, but for most it will be dry and sunny.

He continued: Tomorrow night its likely to be very similar to Thursday night  we could get down to minus 16C (3.2F) in Scotland, but its worth bearing in mind that even across the south we could get into negative double figures.

He said Benson in Oxfordshire was one of the spots predicted to reach minus 10C (14F) or below.

Across the bulk of the UK, tomorrow nights going to be really cold.

Although Cornwall and parts of the South East that were heavily hit over Thursday night and Friday are not expected to see any more showers, drivers were warned to beware of ice roads caused by lingering snow.

Sleet and snow could continue across Kent into the early hours of Saturday morning, Mr Burkill said, but should have cleared by the time most people wake up.

A fresh yellow warning for snow and ice covering large areas of the UK took effect from noon on Friday until the same time on Saturday.

It covers northern Scotland, most of Northern Ireland, the eastern coast of England, the south of England and the west coast of Wales.

On Friday, a coating of up to 14 cm of snow caused havoc in the South West, forcing motorists to abandon their cars and seek shelter as traffic stood still.

Travellers were hit by long delays and schools closed their doors as February began with the coldest night for seven years.

By Friday evening, RAF Odiham in Hampshire had recorded 19cm of snow.

There's now 19 cm of lying snow at RAF Odiham , Hampshire and it's still snowing in parts of the southeast leading to travel disruption #snow #uksnow pic.twitter.com/gsJL5ZlrIh  Met Office (@metoffice) February 1, 2019

The closures included more than half of Bristols schools, more than 300 in Buckinghamshire, more than 150 in Cornwall and scores across Oxfordshire.

There was misery for travellers on the M3 westbound between junctions six and seven near Basingstoke due to snow and stranded vehicles, with the tailbacks stretching to Farnborough.

Highways England also reported severe delays between Tonbridge and Hurst Green on the A21 in Kent in both directions on Friday night  again caused by snow and stranded vehicles.

Most flights were cancelled from a snow-covered Bristol Airport on Friday, but normal service is expected on Saturday.

London City Airport closed its runway on Friday night due to heavy snowfall, causing some flights to be diverted and others to be cancelled.

The airport said flights were expected to resume as normal on Saturday morning.

Due to adverse weather (heavy snow fall) the runway has now been closed. We regret to inform you that few flights have been diverted and some have been cancelled.  London City Airport (@LondonCityAir) February 1, 2019

Flight disruption at airports in Cardiff and Bristol left queues of rugby fans facing a race to get to Paris ahead of Friday evenings France vs Wales Six Nations opener.

Salt-spreaders covered 80,000 miles of Englands motorways and major A roads through the night to keep traffic moving, Highways England said.PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/02/2019 A Digger was used to steal two ATM cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

A Digger was used to steal two cash machines at the Asda store in Antrim. Considerable damage was caused to a building during the incident. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 31/1/2019 Forensics at the the scene after a ATM was stolen at Petrol station on the Moira Road in Co Antrim on the early hours of Saturday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 31/1/2019 Forensics at the the scene after a ATM was stolen at Petrol station on the Moira Road in Co Antrim on the early hours of Saturday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 31/1/2019 Forensics at the the scene after a ATM was stolen at Petrol station on the Moira Road in Co Antrim on the early hours of Saturday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

PACEMAKER BELFAST 31/1/2019 Forensics at the the scene after a ATM was stolen at Petrol station on the Moira Road in Co Antrim on the early hours of Saturday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Forensics at the the scene after a ATM was stolen at Petrol station on the Moira Road in Co Antrim on the early hours of Saturday Morning. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Detectives are investigating a possible link between two ATM thefts in Northern Ireland involving diggers in 48 hours.

In the early hours of Friday morning, a digger was used to steal two cash machines at an Asda supermarket in Antrim.

Police said they believe the cash boxes were taken from the scene in a white pickup truck and a dark four-door saloon car.

The pickup truck was stolen from the Ballyeaston Village area of Ballyclare in hours before the incident and was later found burnt out nearby.

Read More

Then, shortly after 3am on Saturday morning, a digger was used to remove an ATM machine from a Spar filling station on the Glenavy Road near Moira, Co Down.

Police said digger was taken from a nearby location and set on fire following the theft.

"The roof of the garage was also set alight, as colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attended the scene and extinguished the fire," Detective Constable Martin said.

"Both the digger and the roof of the garage were extensively damaged."

"Enquiries are continuing and we are investigating a possible link between this incident and an ATM theft from the Ballymena Road, Antrim on Friday, February 1."

Anyone with any information regarding the theft has been urged to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 170 2/2/19.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Retail NI chief executive Glynn Roberts said if ATM thefts like these continue, stores could remove them from their premises.

"With three ATM robberies in a matter of days, these attacks are now a major problem for local retailers. Retail NI will be seeking a an urgent meeting with PSNI senior officers to press for a taskforce to be established to tackle these criminal gangs," he said.

"With so many bank branch closures in rural towns and villages in recent years, our members ATMs provide an invaluable service to their local communities.

"There is a real danger our members could start to remove these ATMs if these attacks continue."The body of murdered man Ian Ogle arrives back at his home in Cluan Place, east Belfast, yesterday

The daughter of murdered loyalist Ian Ogle said she believes people in east Belfast will "rise up" in anger after details of the horrific injuries her father sustained were made public.

Speaking as her family waited for Mr Ogle's body to be returned to their home yesterday, Toni Johnston-Ogle (27) said she expected hundreds of people to attend his funeral on Monday.

On Thursday, police revealed that Mr Ogle (45) had been stabbed in the back 11 times and suffered harrowing injuries including a fractured skull in the attack.

The father-of-two, known as 'Big O', was viciously attacked by a group of at least five men in Cluan Place, just before 9.30pm on Sunday.

The attack took place just yards from his family home, and he was left to die in the street.

Read More

So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the murder. Two men, aged 36 and 38, remain in custody.

Toni previously told this newspaper that her family had endured 18 months of intimidation over accusations that her brother Ryan (23) had given a "dirty look" to someone she believed to be a member of the UVF in a bar.

The PSNI has confirmed that one line of enquiry is that Mr Ogle was murdered by members of the east Belfast UVF.

"The details (of the injuries) came as a shock to everyone else, but we were prepared for it," said Toni, who revealed that more people have contacted her since learning of the savage wounds inflicted on her father.

"We knew the brutality of it, but I think there was a lot more anger from the local community when they heard how bad it was.

"I think east Belfast is at a turning point, it's changed.

"My daddy always said, 'You've woke the sleeping giant'.

"I think people will rise up, I don't think the community's going to forgive them, ever. It's been exposed how bad everything actually was.

"A lot of people are shocked, not just about the murder itself, but about what we went through.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that it's taken such a brutal murder for people to be in uproar.

"I understand people were scared, but there's someone dead now. We were scared for long enough, and now my daddy's dead."

Mr Ogle's remains were brought back to the family home yesterday, passing the murder scene, which is covered with flowers and other tributes.

Toni said her family are still coming to terms with the loss.

"We're just holding up as best we can," she continued. "We're still in disbelief, we still can't get our heads around things.

"My granny is cross about having to bury her own child.

"He's coming home today [Friday] and on Saturday it's just immediate family - me, my mum, Ryan, my granny and my daddy's siblings.

"We want to be alone with him because my daddy's siblings aren't taking it very well and they haven't had the chance to properly grieve.

"My daddy is one of five siblings, a father-of-two and an uncle of 13. On my mum's side there are a lot of great-nieces and nephews.

"We know a lot of people want to come and see him, and we're going to try our best to make sure that everyone who wants to say their last goodbyes has that chance."

In the funeral notice posted yesterday, Mr Ogle's devoted wife Vera wrote: "You've held my hand, you've held my heart, we've shared our lives for many years, yet for a moment we'll have to part.

"I'll cherish our memories until we share our lives again. You were my first love and you will be my last. Love, your Vera."

Toni confirmed that the pastor who prayed with her father just before he passed away will be one of three people taking the funeral service at the Covenant Love Church on Monday morning. It will follow a private service for immediate family at the family home. Mr Ogle will then be laid to rest at Roselawn Cemetery.

Hundreds of people attended a vigil in support of the family on Wednesday, including East Belfast Protestant Boys Flute Band, of which Mr Ogle was a past member.

The band will be among those paying tribute at the funeral.

"I would imagine there will be hundreds at the funeral, following the large crowds who turned out at the vigil," Toni said.

"I had so many people contacting me to say they couldn't come to the vigil and they were sorry, but they would be at the funeral.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of Everton, Rangers and probably Glentoran colours at the funeral, but we haven't asked people to wear colours - they may be in the likes of the flowers."

A fundraiser set up to help the family cope with funeral costs has raised nearly 12,000 in just five days.

"It's going to be a big, big help," said Toni.

"It's a big relief - we don't just have a couple of thousand pounds lying about, especially when it's a death that wasn't expected and with no time to prepare. I'm so grateful for everyone's help, not just financially, but in every way."

Toni again appealed for anyone with information to take it to the police.

Victims' campaigner Raymond McCord, whose son Raymond McCord Jr was murdered by the UVF in 1997, said that he intended to meet the Ogle family this weekend, and vowed to support them as they seek justice.

In a statement released to the Irish News earlier this week, the UVF said it was "seeking answers as to who carried out this attack" and "wholeheartedly condemned" the actions of those responsible.

The terrorist group added that whoever carried out the murder "did not do it in the name of loyalism or the UVF".

Since Sunday night, police have conducted 14 searches, visited nearly 200 premises, and are viewing more than 70 hours of CCTV footage.

As they renewed their appeal for information on Thursday, the PSNI said they believed that Mr Ogle had been present at an altercation outside a fast food outlet on the Beersbridge Road at around 8.45pm on Sunday.

Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said it was believed that the killers had parked a black Seat Leon, registration number JGZ 7406, in Langtry Court, just off Templemore Avenue, shortly before 9.30pm. He said that they then walked to Cluan Place via Templemore Avenue and the Albertbridge Road, returning to Templemore Avenue after the attack.

"Some of the killers got into the car and others dispersed on foot from Langtry Court, through the houses," he said.

"The car was driven along Templemore Avenue, into Major Street and on to the Lower Newtownards Road, before being left at Pitt Place."

He appealed for anyone who had seen the black Seat Leon at Langtry Court, or who had witnessed the Beersbridge Road altercation, or a group of at least five men walking or running to and from Cluan Place, to come forward. All of these incidents occurred between 8.30pm and 10pm on Sunday.

He also asked anyone who was in the Beersbridge Road, Albertbridge Road, Templemore Avenue or Lower Newtownards Road areas between 8.30pm and 10pm on Sunday, including anyone with dashcam footage, to contact police.

And he asked anyone who had recently found discarded clothing or weapons to report it.

Five men aged 21, 22, 31, 45 and 49 and two women aged 35 and 36 who were arrested in connection with the murder were released on bail pending further enquiries.

Two men aged 38 and 36 who were arrested yesterday remain in custody.

The PSNI investigation team can be contacted on 101 referencing 1303 of 27/1/19, or alternatively by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Floral tributes left near the scene in east Belfast where community worker Ian Ogle was murdered on Sunday night (Rebecca Black/PA)

Two men arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a Belfast community worker have been released.

Ian Ogle, 45, was stabbed 11 times by a group of men on Sunday night.

Two men aged 38 and 36 years old arrested on suspicion of murder by detectives investigating the murder of Ian Ogle in east Belfast on Sunday 27th January, have both been released on police bail pending further enquiries.  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) February 2, 2019

One line of inquiry being pursued by officers investigating the killing is that members of the East Belfast UVF were responsible.

Two men aged 38 and 36 arrested in connection with the murder on Thursday and Friday were released on police bail on Saturday morning, pending further enquiries.

Expand Close Police at the scene in Belfast where Ian Ogle, was murdered on Sunday night (Michael McHugh/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Seven other people arrested in the wake of the murder  five men and two women  have also been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Mr Ogle was attacked as he prayed with a pastor on a street near his home in Cluan Place.

Expand Close Hundreds of people gathered in Cluan Place in east Belfast for a vigil for Ian Ogle (Rebecca Clark/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Hundreds of people gathered in Cluan Place in east Belfast for a vigil for Ian Ogle (Rebecca Clark/PA)

More than 1,000 people attended a vigil in his memory on Wednesday, bringing the busy Albertbridge Road to a standstill.

Those attending heard a plea for answers and justice for the Ogle family, but no revenge.A senior detective has said it's "impossible" for people to leave loyalist paramilitaries once they join up.

Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton, who heads the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, said many young people are forced to join the UDA and UVF in order to settle debts.

He was speaking just days after the murder of Ian Ogle in east Belfast, which police believe may have been carried out by members of the UVF. He was stabbed 11 times in the back last Sunday evening in Cluan Place.

"Once you fall in debt to these organisations they determine how they want to see that repaid," Mr Singleton told the BBC.

"In many instances that can involve you becoming actively involved in activity on behalf of those paramilitary groups.

"It could be holding weapons for them, it could be being involved in targeting or even the distribution of drugs."

The Ogle family have said they were intimidated by the UVF for 18 months before the murder.

Mr Singleton said members find it impossible to leave as they fear being shot or beaten if they try. He added: "We would view many of the paramilitary-style attacks that we see as forms of coercive control being meted out by these organisations.

"What I have heard from some of the young people who have found themselves in that situation, and in fact some of the older members, is that they effectively can't leave.

"They've been told that the only way on occasion that they can get themselves out of an organisation is by buying themselves out. But then again, what guarantee does that come with that the knock won't come on the door at some point in the future and you won't be asked to do something on behalf of that organisation again?"

He said the UDA and UVF were heavily involved in a wide range of criminal activity.

This is despite loyalis terror groups releasing statements committing themselves to the peaceful and democratic principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

The task force focuses on the activities of loyalists and the INLA, which police view as crime gangs.

Dissident republican groups are dealt with by MI5 because they are viewed as a threat to national security.

Mr Singleton said in loyalist communities there are still a significant number of people involved with the terrorist groupings.Mayor of Ards and North Down Richard Smart has paid tribute to Harry Bibring, a survivor of the Kindertransport system that helped Jewish children escape from the Nazis to reach safety outside occupied Europe.

Mr Bibring, who was 93 and had spoken only recently to local audiences at Holocaust commemoration events, died on Thursday.

He was born in Vienna in 1925.

During the Nazi repression of the Jews in the 1930s his parents sent him and his sister Gerta to safety in Britain.

They intended to join them as soon as they could, but tragically were unable to escape in time.

His father died from a heart attack, and his mother perished in a concentration camp in Poland in 1942.

Harry and Gerta became separated in England when they were taken in by different families and were only reunited in London several years later.

After the war he qualified as a chartered engineer following 14 years of part-time study while he continued to earn his living in a day job.

He was employed for some 20 years as a manufacturing engineer, and later he lectured at college.

He was awarded a British Empire Medal for his work.

Mr Smart said that Harry had spoken to an audience of more than 100 people in the council's headquarters in Bangor Castle.

"You could have heard a pin drop while he was telling us his poignant story," the mayor said.

"He had a clear message for all of us that if we allow hate to take a grip this is what could happen again.

"He impressed me greatly by his dedication to make people aware of his message."

It is understood that Mr Bibring was taken ill the next day when he was addressing children from several schools at a special talk in Priory College.

An ambulance was called, and he was found to be suffering from dehydration. However, he decided later to return to his home in London.

Mr Smart added: "He was an inspiration to many.

"I am proud that I had the chance to meet with him.

"His work through the Holocaust Educational Trust was exceptional.

It has left an indescribable impact on all those who have heard his testimony.

"On behalf of all at Ards and North Down Borough Council I offer my deepest condolences to Mr Bibring's family at this difficult time."

In another tribute Stephen Jaffe, the co-chair of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel and a consultant to leading Jewish organisations in the UK, said: "Harry must have made a huge effort to come over here to speak - let's make sure that his story is not forgotten."

Mr Bibring is survived by his son Michael, two grandchildren, two great grandchildren and the wider family.You've heard of flying doctors, but what about flying tutors?

They do exist and a woman from Northern Ireland is one of the busiest ones.

Valerie Westfield gets flown around the world to educate the children of the uber rich who, she claims, order tutors like 'takeaway' because they want their kids to succeed.

And she revealed that it's super lucrative as the 56-year-old teacher, who has three decades' experience under her belt, can earn up to 2,000 a week, all expenses paid.

In the last 12 months, the jet-setting educator has been flown to Switzerland, Morocco, Dubai, Greece, France and Saudi Arabia. She has taught on yachts, mid-air, chauffeur-driven cars and by luxury pools.

Earning between 52,000-104,000 a year with her tutoring gig, Valerie knows the pressure is on to prove herself and get results on each assignment.

"If you can't deliver then they will find someone else," the Lisburn woman told the Daily Mail.

"I have years of experience, I can guarantee to get them up to the level needed, and I know I can do it.

"It's an interesting lifestyle to step in and out of.

"It can be very glamorous, people are paying you big money and you have to live up to what you say you can do."

Valerie, who gained many years' experience as a teacher in north Wales before returning to her native Northern Ireland to help care for her father, switched to tutoring the super rich in 2017.

She signed up to two agencies in London - the Duke and Duchess International and The London Governess Agency - who both cater specifically to royals, millionaires and billionaires.

She explained that they negotiate the teaching packages with the families before the tutors are informed, so the prices vary from client to client depending on the intensity of the studies.

And Valerie said she has become accustomed to travelling at short notice, depending on where her skills are needed, preferring the flexibility of short-term stints with families over long-term placements.

"I was contacted on a Wednesday for a seven-day contract in Switzerland starting on the Friday," she said.

"So I flew to Zurich the next day to spend seven days teaching and preparing a Swiss boy for the 13+ common entrance exams for a top Scottish boarding school."

That assignment was a success after six-hour days of Valerie's intense tutoring, but sometimes her education missions can be more challenging.

"Most of the time it's okay and I kind of have a schedule of what I'm doing, but sometimes on a whim [the family] will just decide they're leaving," she said.

"They will say 'we're leaving tomorrow'. I was in Dubai twice in one week, you have to pack up and go too, otherwise they can just cut your time short."

Families are prepared to pay high prices for Valerie's services because she has "a solid record of getting pupils through their GCSE level and entrance exams for example at Eton, Harrow, and Merchiston Castle".

And she knows she's unlikely to ever struggle for work in a world where parents will do anything to help their child succeed.

"Sometimes it's assumed that parents who pay a lot of money for tutoring are also disconnected from their children, and want to pass the burden to the tutor," she said.

"I have come across that. I have had one pupil who said to me 'Mummy orders tutors all the time, like ordering a takeaway'," she said.

There's a lot of hard work involved, but for Valerie, it's certainly rewarding.

"Teaching is the best job in the world as far as I am concerned," she said. "And if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life."A farmer who was banned from driving when he killed his brother in a hit-and-run five years ago, "laughed" at his nieces after being jailed for six months yesterday and barred again from driving for five years.

Patrick McCafferty (49) died after he was hit by a car on Tullychurry Road outside Belleek in the early hours of January 5, 2014.

Behind the wheel of the blue Ford Focus was his 45-year-old brother Francis McCafferty from Grout Hall, Laghey, Co Donegal, who admitted causing death by careless driving and driving while disqualified and uninsured.

Yesterday three of his nieces listened as Judge Stephen Fowler QC acknowledged that the distress and hurt caused by the "tragic death" of their father had been immense, but said that "no term of months or years imposed" could reconcile a family to their loss, "nor will it cure their anguish".

However, as McCafferty was being led from the dock at Dungannon Crown Court, he banged on a glass panel beside the public gallery and mouthed something at his nieces.

Outside court two of the women, Fiona and Tina McCafferty, claimed that their uncle laughed at them and has never shown any remorse for the pain and hurt he had caused them and their family.

The women said that while they could not make out what he was "muttering", he "laughed basically in all of our faces".

Tina McCafferty complained that: "He gets to walk away in six months' time and live the rest of his life whatever way he wants to."

She had described the court experience as "just disgusting... after five years we have to go through that at the end of a court where there's no justice for any of us.

"We are not happy at the outcome at all. I think he should have got a lot longer for everything that he has done... and he gets to walk away.

"There's no words for what pain he's caused us. Maybe if he ever would have admitted to what he did and maybe apologise it would have eased some of it," she added.

"It just seems he didn't care about him the way we care, but it's us that's left without a father now."

Fiona McCafferty, echoing the hurt she said their uncle had caused them all, added that her father had played a big part in all of their lives and in the lives of their children, but that now "he won't get to see his grandkids grow up".

She also claimed that her uncle never "cared the way we care, and it's us that's left without a father".

Last week prosecution QC Ciaran Murphy explained that McCafferty had been giving his brother and others a lift home, but that they argued, as they often did.

However, although he drove away, he returned a short time later, and as Mr Murphy claimed, drove into the area where he would have known his brother and the other pedestrians were present.

Then, having driven into his brother, who had been standing in the middle of the road, throwing him into the air, McCafferty fled and "subsequently engaged in a charade as to what had happened".

Gardai who later found the car arrested him on suspicion of murder, but he denied being involved, telling them: "I didn't hit him. I didn't do it. I wasn't driving the car."

Two days later he gave a statement in which he admitted being the driver, but claimed that it was an accident.

He said that he had been driving at 30mph when "he (Pat) ran straight out. I just hit him. I didn't think anything was wrong".

He was arrested by the PSNI in 2018 and made denials and "no comment" replies during the course of six interviews, the court heard.

Mr Murphy said while experts estimated McCafferty had been driving at "a relatively slow speed", it was on "a narrow country road where he knew there were pedestrians present, who had consumed alcohol... and a real risk of colliding with them as he is driving within the limits of his headlights on a dark night". The lawyer added: "His grossly irresponsible behaviour in leaving the scene and the charade in which he engaged in relation to the vehicle are aggravating features."

Defence QC James Gallagher said it was estimated that the father-of-two and carer for his elderly mother would have "left about half a second" to avoid his brother.

He said he was dressed in black and "highly intoxicated" when he took the "rash" decision to step into the middle of the road in an attempt to stop his car.

Mr Gallagher said that initially a "remorseful and sad" McCafferty could not accept what he had done, "given the enormity of what occured and the fact it was his brother".

Counsel said that the "essence" of the case was that McCafferty should have taken "greater control" of his driving, but had not.

He said that on "a dark unlighted country road, a driver, not driving at any great speed, is confronted unfortunately by a person who came out in front of him".German Justice Minister Katarina Barley with Labour senator Ged Nash visiting border in Co Louth

German Justice Minister Katarina Barley with Labour senator Ged Nash visiting border in Co Louth

The German Government will ignore pressure from its own car manufacturers to compromise on the backstop, the German Justice Minister has revealed.

During a visit to the border in Co Louth, Katarina Barley said Berlin would stand firm.

The German auto industry has warned that the consequences of the UK leaving the European Unoin without a withdrawal deal on March 29 would be fatal.

Ms Barley said the backstop was not open for renegotiation and that there was unmovable backing for the negotiated withdrawal agreement within the German Government.

"You can be absolutely sure that the German Government backs the backstop idea and the agreement. Absolutely," she said.

"There is rock-solid backing for this agreement."

Ms Barley was accompanied on her tour of the border by Labour party leader Brendan Howlin, Labour senator Ged Nash and SDLP Brexit spokeswoman Claire Hanna.The family of a Co Down man who has been missing in Holland for three weeks say they haven't given up hope of finding him.

Connor Murphy (39) from Newcastle has been living in Amsterdam for the past three years, where he works as a chef.

He was last seen in the Oudeschans area of the Dutch capital between 1am and 2am on Sunday, January 13.

Mr Murphy had been visiting a friend the day before and left in the early hours, but has not been seen since.

The Murphy family say his disappearance is totally out of character.

His worried siblings Alison, Matthew and Rebecca have been travelling to and from Amsterdam in the hope of tracking him down.

With the help of Connor's many friends, they have also been appealing for help on social media.

They have created a Facebook group and hashtag #letsfindmurph, using his nickname.

Family and friends have spent many days handing out flyers, sticking up posters, contacting various hospitals, hostels and homeless shelters, making media appeals and retracing Connor's last known steps.

A JustGiving page has been set up to help pay their expenses, such as travel, accommodation and posters and flyers.

Appealing for information, Matthew said this week: "For Connor to be missing for this length of time is very strange. He could be anywhere in Holland and we just want to know that he's OK.

"Our mother is hanging in there, just like the rest of us, and remaining positive."

Rebecca, who is due to marry later this month, last heard from him on January 11.

She said: "As the days go by this just gets harder and harder. This is really out of character.

"We are banging on all the doors and not getting any answers.

"I don't know what else we can do to find Connor.

"We have searched Amsterdam with a fine tooth comb but still hold out hope of finding him. There is a huge amount of love for Connor and he is so lucky to have such a good network in Amsterdam."

Family friend Rick Hazlett added: "It's Amsterdam and there's a lot of canals, so you never know, he could have fallen in or maybe been attacked.

"We just have nothing at the minute, so we are appealing to anybody who has seen or heard anything from him to please come forward.

"It's extremely worrying. You feel like you're living in a nightmare and wondering when you're going to wake up."

Connor is 5ft 7in, with short, shaven ginger-brown hair and green-blue eyes.

When last seen, he was wearing blue jeans, a grey hoodie, a multi-coloured cap and was carrying a distinctive blue and yellow Puma shoulder bag.

Dutch police have issued a missing person appeal for him. Officers have been helping in the search by checking CCTV across the city and regularly scouring the canals, but have so far found nothing.

Amsterdam police's Frans Zuiderhoek said the chance that Connor had fallen in a canal is small.

"We have in any case excluded that. He may still be staying somewhere, but we do not have any trace of him," he added.DUP leader Arlene Foster said yesterday that the EU must face up to reality if a "sensible" Brexit deal is to be agreed.

The Fermanagh MLA said she didn't expect the EU to "roll over" to UK demands, but insisted that it must recognise the strength of feeling in the House of Commons and ditch the "toxic backstop".

She made the comments in a speech to party members in Kesh, just a few miles from the border.

Mrs Foster described the week's events at Parliament, where MPs voted for an "alternative arrangement" to replace the backstop as "good progress".

"It was a massive step forward for the party to see a majority in Parliament also calling for such changes," she said.

"A clear message was sent to Brussels that the backstop is the problem."

It remains unclear whether the EU will reopen negotiations on the withdrawal deal, with the Irish Government's Europe Minister Helen McEntee earlier saying that Dublin would "absolutely not" accept that. Mrs Foster conceded that the EU are "tough negotiators".

"I don't expect them to roll over within hours," she said.

"But they must face up to reality.

"The blockage to getting a deal is the backstop, therefore there must be sensible engagement and a pragmatic approach.

"Here in Kesh we are within walking distance of the border.

"Local people travel to and fro across the border multiple times every day.

"It is quite disgraceful for some in Brussels to exploit genuine fears by spinning tales of border posts, troops and queues.

"No one is building border checkpoints. No one is sending troops to the border either.

"Such talk is foolish and careless.

"Let's focus on getting a sensible deal which works for Brussels, Dublin and London."

Speaking from Brussels yesterday, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson also called for a different approach from the EU in order to reach a workable deal.

The MEP, who was first elected to the European Parliament in 1989, said: "There are real dangers of a no-deal situation, so with less than 60 days before the UK's departure from the EU I would urge a more constructive and positive approach from the EU leaders in the coming days and weeks.

"I have been clear, there is a problem with the backstop, not least that it is in direct contradiction to the principle of consent as enshrined within the Belfast Agreement. That needs to be fixed.

"But I am firmly of the view that no problem is insurmountable, and I believe that the EU wants to agree a workable deal."

Mr Nicholson said he had detected a change in tone from European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

"Although time is running out, nothing is insurmountable and common sense must prevail," the veteran politician said.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet minister warned MPs that they may not be re-elected to Parliament if they block Theresa May's Brexit agreement and force the UK to crash out of the EU without a deal.

Liam Fox said politicians would have "little cover when they next face the voters" if their actions led to a no-deal exit.

Mr Fox became the latest frontbencher to suggest Britain's withdrawal may have to be delayed.

The International Trade Secretary said Downing Street's insistence that the UK will leave the EU on March 29, and suggestions by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom that the exit date could be pushed back, were not "incompatible" stances.

"There would be a huge difference between an extension to Article 50 because we hadn't reached an agreement, or a short delay because we had reached an agreement and needed the legislation to implement it," he said after a speech in London.Two men were shot last night in separate paramilitary-style attacks in Londonderry's Ballymagroarty area.

The men, believed to be in their 30s, were attacked at O'Casey Court and Corrie Court shortly after 8pm.

An Ambulance Service spokesman said they received reports of a shooting at 8.10pm, and sent an ambulance and a rapid response paramedic to the scene.

The paramedic team found the victim who had gunshot wounds to his legs and hands.

While attending the first incident, paramedics learned of another incident nearby, in which a man had been shot in the legs.

Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said the shootings would have been a frightening experience for the local community going about their business on a Friday night.

"Violence does nothing but lead to more victims and create more violence," the SDLP MLA said.

Mr Durkan said that "nothing can be achieved" by such violence.Police at the scene of a shooting in Londonderry.

Police have described two paramilitary-style shootings in Londonderry on Friday night as "brutal and vicious" attacks that will leave their victims with "physical and psychological scars".

The two attacks happened within ten minutes of each other and less than 100 metres apart in the Ballymagroarty area of the city.

At around 8.10pm a 24-year-old man was shot in the knee in a grassed area near Corrib Court.

While paramedics were treating the first victim at the scene, a 32-year-old man was shot once in the leg close to the nearby O'Casey Court just after 8.20pm.

Two men were injured in separate paramilitary-style shootings in Ballymagroarty area of #Derry tonight.

The men, believed to be in their 30s were shot at OaCasey Court & Corrie Court shortly after 8pm.

They have been taken to hospital, injuries not thought to be life threatening. pic.twitter.com/RY6QJ1BzD2  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) February 1, 2019

Both men were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital for treatment to their injuries.

"We are treating both incidents as paramilitarystyle attacks; attacks that were brutal and vicious and will leave these two men with both physical and psychological scars," Detective Sergeant Michelle Boyd said.

"These attacks are yet again more examples of how criminal groups seek to control communities through fear and violence.

"We would appeal to anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the Ballymagroarty area before the attacks last night to get in touch with detectives.

Tonight I have spoken with senior PSNI officers who have confirmed that two men have been shot in Ballymagroarty this evening .



The PSNI are responsible for law and order in our country. There can be no justification for guns or violence on our streets.  Gary Middleton MLA (@Gary_Middleton) February 1, 2019

"We want to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, so if you have any information that could help our investigation, please contact us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1186 of 1/2/19."

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said the shootings would have been a frightening experience for the local community going about their business on a Friday night.

"Violence does nothing but lead to more victims and create more violence," the SDLP MLA said.

Mr Durkan said that "nothing can be achieved" by such violence.A Co Down woman who has fought against mental health problems and eating disorders will next week recall Winston Churchill when she hosts her own event for 'Time To Talk' Day.

Many people believe that Britain's wartime leader battled depression, which he referred to as his "black dog".

And Rebecca Browne (25) has taken this theme for a special event in Bangor next Thursday - one of many across the country aimed at lifting the stigma attached to mental illness.

She hopes to highlight the positive impact that canine companions can have.

"I think animals are so beneficial to our mental health, especially to those of us who are lonely," she said.

"My own dog was there with me when no one else was.

"Mental health and dogs go hand-in-hand."

That's why, when she hosts her event, there will be dogs at hand for people to interact with.

Since her early teens, Rebecca, originally from Londonderry but now living in Bangor, has fought against anxiety, depression, anorexia and body dysmorphic disorder.

She has since graduated from Queen's University, Belfast and recently signed for a Belfast modelling agency.

While her personal journey has been a successful one, Rebecca says she is determined to use her experiences to help others.

"Mental health issues are at epidemic levels," she said.

"People feel they can't speak up, but that's not the case.

"I always had really bad anxiety. I was around 16 when I developed Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and then anorexia. I hated myself and I hated my body and I became dangerously thin.

"It became a real issue when I turned 18. I was prescribed anti-depressants at 19, but I fought for help and things got better.

"I was lucky because by the point I was at it's often too late," she said.

Rebecca revealed that she is going to have dogs from Co Down's Assisi sanctuary present at the event.

"They are therapeutic to those with mental illnesses. My own dog Rascal helped me through before he died last November," she added.

"He gave me a reason to get up in the morning.

"Now we have little Holly, a rescue dog, who is a wonderful companion.

"I'll also be providing vital information on the help available that people can take with them and start their own roads to recovery," she said.

"We have to be strong enough to ask for help and we need doctors who are aware of the help that i s out there. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and that message has to get across."

Rebecca's Black Dog event is at Hop House, High Street, Bangor on Thursday, February 7 from 2pm-5pmMany children are taken on holiday during school term

A mother-of-seven has defended taking her children on unauthorised family holidays during school term time.

Several parents spoke out after Department of Education figures revealed that "non-agreed" family holidays accounted for just over 10% of all primary school absences in 2017/18 - an increase from 7.5% five years ago.

While there are no penalties here for parents who take their children out of school for family holidays, in recent years many parents in England have been fined for doing so.

In 2016 Jon Platt, from Northern Ireland but now living in the Isle of Wight, won a High Court case over taking his daughter out of school for a holiday to Disney World in Florida without the school's permission.

Mr Platt's case, however, was later referred to the Supreme Court in 2017, where he lost and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a 2,000 fine. Many local parents have now spoken up, saying that they can see no problem with the practice.

Sharon Clarke from Co Antrim said she regularly takes five of her primary school age children on holidays during term time and believes it is "disgraceful" parents in England are penalised.

"It would maybe be different if you're taking them off to Australia or somewhere for months at a time," she said.

"But if you're taking them away for a week here and there, any responsible parent should be able to get their kids caught up on work they miss.

"Travel is an education in itself, kids learn a lot from travelling to new places. I know my kids have. That's not even taking into account the cost difference between taking your kids away during term time compared with the summer, when the prices are astronomical."

Many parents spoke out on social media in support of Mrs Clarke's views.Martin Clunes has made no secret of his interest in island life. Over the last decade, the Doc Martin actor (57) has made it his mission to visit some of the most remote places on the planet - from navigating the islands of Britain in 2009 to embarking on an epic journey around Australia's coast as recently as two years ago. Next on his hit-list: America.

"It just seemed like the next big thing, a natural progression from Australia," he says of his decision to explore some of the thousands of islands which also fly the Stars and Stripes. "But I'd no idea it was going to be as fabulous as it was. It's so interesting - not what you'd expect."

Covering 10,000 miles, Clunes's ambitious trip takes him on a voyage around America's shores: from Hawaii's islands of fire to Alaska's islands of snow and ice, and from California's secret marine paradise (including an impressive sea lion colony) to the people playgrounds off the New England coast.

"Everyone has an image of America: a land of big shops, bright lights and asphalt highways stretching right across the continent," he muses. "But there is another America, and I set out to find it.

"I saw nature at her most spectacular, encountered the animals that inhabit these far-flung places and met people who live in their own sea-bound worlds. Each island has its own identity and its own unique story."

Of the four-part documentary, he continues: "You just get a very different slant on a nation from its islands; you get people living with island challenges and doing them in an American way."

First up on Clunes's itinerary were the lush, tropical climes of Hawaii. But his visit would look beyond the state's image as a tourist paradise and, instead, into the havoc wreaked by advancing lava fields and smoking craters.

In fact, the London-born star arrived just as one of the most devastating eruptions in Hawaii's recorded history was hitting worldwide news. Lava from Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, destroyed homes and sent residents fleeing in its wake.

"We were all ready to go and then the eruption happened and it continued while we were there," he says. "I proposed to Philippa (Braithwaite, his TV producer wife) in Hawaii 23 years ago. We flew over it in a helicopter and you could see cracks and red lava and a plume of gas then. But this time, these fissures were erupting left, right and centre."

But that's not the scariest moment Clunes encountered.

First, there was a hair-raising rollercoaster ride ("It was made of wood and I always think that the top of my head is going to come off, because I'm taller than everyone else"); special access to the very top of the Empire State Building ("I just don't like heights"); and finally a flight in a 1920s biplane.

"That was an expensive day's filming - we had a helicopter to film the biplane and we were going over the San Juan Islands in Washington state," he recalls. "The minute we took off, we hit turbulence and we had no roof.

"I'm not good with heights. It started when my daughter was born, actually. I didn't think I was bothered before that. And then you worry about all sorts of things, you become more cautious. Or at least I did."

Clunes, who lives in Dorset where he runs a farm with heavy horses, had visitors while filming - his wife and daughter, Emily (20), joined him in Virginia for the annual Chincoteague Island Pony Swim.

So, just how does he re-adjust to home life after such lengthy stints away?

"Yes, there's that decompression, it happens after any job," he confides. "It's always long hours and it's all about activity and, although there's always something to do at home, I try not to get stressed."

Is there anything he would like to do?

"No. I mean, I know there's more to do and it will be great, but I don't need to play Macbeth," he says with a smile.

"But you never know: I always thought I didn't want to do another sitcom, but then Jimmy Mulville sent me the Warren script," notes Clunes, who is best known for his starring role in Nineties classic, Men Behaving Badly.

Clunes summarises Warren as "a vile driving instructor opportunist, rude man, living in Preston" and adds: "He was really good fun to play; I just like playing horrid people, it's liberating."

As for another island series: "We're going to do the islands of the Pacific next," he says excitedly. "I think it would be in 2020, if it gets picked up. That's my pension plan - to be the island guy."

Martin Clunes: Islands of America, ITV, Tuesday, 9pmHere are seven spine and neurosurgeons making headlines.

Joseph Maroon, MD, joined Activz Globals advisory board.

Board-certified neurosurgeon Kapil Moza, MD, was named to the Southern California Super Doctors list for the fourth consecutive year.

Plano-based Texas Back Institute orthopedic spine surgeon Theodore Belanger, MD, was recognized as MedicalMissions.org's 2018 Physician of the Year.

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, and Christian Zimmerman, MD, discussed patient engagement strategies.

Tyler Koski, MD, shared insights on spine surgeon leadership, challenges ahead and the best opportunities for growth.

Isador Lieberman, MD, spoke about how price transparency in spine and big tech will affect healthcare.Joshua Rosenow, MD, director of functional neurosurgery and epilepsy surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, discusses neuromodulation and exciting developments in the future.

Question: What is the current state of neuromodulation? How has it advanced in recent years?

Dr. Joshua Rosenow: Neuromodulation has been employed for over 40 years for the treatment of chronic pain from such conditions as failed back and neck surgery syndromes, post-herpetic neuralgia, chronic regional pain syndrome and peripheral neuropathy.

In the last several years, we've seen unprecedented technological advancements in the neuromodulation space to allow for better outcomes for patients with chronic pain. Previously, spinal cord stimulation consisted of only conventional tonic stimulation at low frequencies. This option wasn't always the most effective for reducing neuropathic pain, and some patients disliked the paresthesia. Now, patients have the option of multiple other electrical waveforms such as high-frequency, burst or other waveforms that can reduce pain without accompanying paresthesia. More importantly, some of the newest devices can actually deliver two different waveforms simultaneously to further decrease the patient's pain.

We also have FDA-approved neuromodulation devices that target the spinal dorsal root ganglion for stimulation. These devices can selectively deliver therapy to a specific focal area. More importantly, many neurostimulation devices are now MRI-conditional so patients do not have to choose between the ability to have MRI scans and treating their pain.

Neuromodulation is just beginning to be routinely applied as a therapy for appropriately selected patients. As technologies continue to develop and physician training and adoption increase, the likelihood of neuromodulation therapies touching people's lives will increase drastically.

Q: Where does neuromodulation fit in the potential treatment pathways for spine pain patients? What are the advantages?



JR: In the past, neuromodulation was seen as the last resort after all other therapeutic options had failed. But with the positive results from research with the latest generation of devices, I am now able to offer neuromodulation as a therapeutic option earlier in the treatment plan. In addition, the limitations of chronic opioid use and the minimally invasive nature of a trial of spinal cord stimulation contribute to moving neuromodulation earlier in the treatment paradigm for chronic spinal pain.

Neuromodulation can help a person reduce pain medication and their associated side effects. The trial period gives a patient the option to try out and consider their response to the therapy to see whether it meets their goals before deciding to undergo a permanent implant. This is a huge advantage over other surgical therapies.

Q: Where do you see neuromodulation treatment advancing in the future? What are you most excited about?

JR: There are some exciting things coming to the forefront for neuromodulation. As consumer technologies are working more with complex medical devices, we'll see more integration of artificial intelligence and use of apps for the development of smart neuromodulation. There is also a lot of interest surrounding the use of activity trackers to better understand functional outcomes from neuromodulation therapies.

We'll also hear more discussions centered on neuromodulation and opioid abuse. Neuromodulation can help patients reduce or eliminate opioid use and that will continue to reduce the threshold for having a patient undergo a trial of stimulation.

All of this enthusiasm around neuromodulation has led to the proliferation of companies in this space. We now have more device options than ever, and several start up companies either have devices in trials or are nearing the pivotal trial stage.

We continue to gain a deeper understanding of the neurophysiologic mechanisms for these devices to reduce pain. As the knowledge advances, it opens up entire other realms for treating, or even preventing, chronic pain.

To participate in future Becker's Q&As, contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com.

For a deeper dive into the future of spine, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-5, 2019. Click here to learn more and register.Houston-based University of Texas Health Science Center paid $2.4 million to settle allegations it misappropriated National Institutes of Health grant funds, according to the Department of Justice.

NIH provided the University of Texas Health's Human Genetics Center funds to research how genomic variation affects individual and population health. U.S. prosecutors received a tip alleging the center misused NIH funds by placing a $1.2 million order for a large amount of genetic sequencing material from biotechnology company Illumina just before the grant ended.



The tip accused the University of Texas Health of then stopping the shipment of the goods and having Illumina credit the center for the material. The Genetics Center then used the credit to purchase goods and services after the grant ended, the Justice Department claims.

The tip was substantiated by a two-year investigation, according to the department.



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Ex-CEO gets 46 months in prison for defrauding Florida hospital

New York hospital let woman end life support for stranger, lawsuit claims

10 employees hit NewYork-Presbyterian with $15M discrimination suitTwo Houston physicians were sentenced to prison Jan. 29 for separate schemes that led to about $29 million in fraudulent claims being billed to Medicare, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The physicians were sentenced in the Southern District of Texas. John Ramirez, MD, and two co-defendants were accused of defrauding Medicare from December 2011 to August 2015. Dr. Ramirez and the co-defendants were found guilty in September 2018 for billing Medicare for unnecessary home-health services. A federal judge sentenced Dr. Ramirez to 25 years in prison and ordered him to pay $26.7 million in restitution.



The second physician, Anh Do, MD, was sentenced to three years in prison after Dr. Do pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in August 2018. A judge ordered Dr. Do to pay $1.8 million in restitution and forfeit $274,213, according to the Houston Chronicle.Michigan, Colorado, Nevada and Iowa are seeking to join the federal lawsuit Texas v. USA to defend the ACA's constitutionality.

The four states must receive permission from the court to join 16 other states and the District of Columbia that want to uphold the healthcare law.

"The ACA provides important protections  including protecting people with pre-existing conditions  and access to healthcare for hundreds of thousands of residents in Michigan," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a press release. "We have a strong interest in ensuring that the strongest possible arguments are presented in support of the ACA."

The lawsuit was brought by 20 states and claims the ACA was rendered unconstitutional when the individual mandate penalty was eliminated under the 2017 tax bill. A federal judge ruled the ACA unconstitutional in December and a group of state attorneys general appealed this ruling Jan. 3. The partial government shutdown put the lawsuit on hold.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Judge rejects attorney general's attempt to block sale of 2 California hospitals

Nurse, Georgia hospital settle discrimination lawsuit

New details on Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan health venture emerge: 5 things to knowAlphabet's life sciences company Verily wants to embed health-tracking sensors in shoes, and is seeking partners to help, CNBC reports.

The shoes would monitor wearers' movement, weight and falls, people familiar with the project told the publication. Verily has reportedly shown potential partners a prototype of the shoe, but it's unclear whether the project is still active.

Health-tracking shoes could be used to identify sudden weight gain  a change that's sometimes indicative of water retention, a symptom of congestive heart failure, CNBC suggests.

Verily did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Other projects Verily is working on include a stabilizing spoon, a smartwatch for clinical research and "smart" contact lenses.Eleven recent health IT vendor contracts and go-lives:

1. Cuero (Texas) Regional Hospital partnered with Access Physicians, a physician group that offers multispecialty services via telemedicine, to provide its patients with remote cardiology services.

2. Summit Healthcare, a Show Low, Ariz.-based hospital that recently went live on an Allscripts Sunrise EHR, decided to implement the EHR vendor's precision medicine platform 2bPrecise.

3. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs opted to scrap its scheduling software project with Epic and switch to a service from Cerner.

4. Crescent Medical Center Lancaster (Texas) joined forces with DocTalkGo, a nationwide telemedicine healthcare provider.

5. Laurinburg, N.C.-based Scotland Health Care System plans to go live on a new Epic EHR.

6. Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare entered into a collaboration with Israeli analytics company MDClone to increase clinicians' access to actionable data.

7. Boys Town (Neb.) National Research Hospital plans to implement Expanse, a web-based EHR from Meditech.

8. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston expanded its use of Omnicell's automated medication management platform.

9. Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health made a new patient engagement tool from PatientWisdom available to all patients via its MyChart patient portal.

10. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City partnered with health technology company Philips to add remote patient monitoring to its telehealth capabilities.

11. West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital in Sulphur, La., plans to implement Wellsoft's EDIS, an emergency department information system.Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital is temporarily halting balance billing as it finalizes a plan to address billing issues long term, the hospital announced.

Balance billing occurs when privately insured patients receive trauma or emergency services from an out-of-network provider and are billed for the balance after the insurance company pays its portion.

For 90 days, the hospital will not initiate or continue balance billing.

"We will hold these patients' bills and then follow the new [long-term] policy once it is in place," hospital spokesperson Brent Andrew told Becker's. "We will continue to bill insurance companies for services during this time."

Privately insured patients could still be left with high bills because the halt isn't retroactive, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

It is also unclear whether patients treated during the temporary billing suspension will be billed when the 90 days is up, Vox reported.

Zuckerberg San Francisco General  renamed after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, MD, donated $75 million to the hospital  is San Francisco's largest public hospital and houses a level 1 trauma center.

Although the hospital primarily treats Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured patients, it has been in the news since a recent Vox report revealed the hospital is out of network with all private health plans.

Greg Wagner, MD, acting director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and Susan Ehrlich, MD, CEO of Zuckerberg hospital, on Feb. 1 announced some of the measures that will be taken to address billing issues. They include making financial assistance easier to get; improving patient communications; establishing an out-of-pocket limits for patient payments; and studying hospital charges regionally to ensure fair practices and prices at Zuckerberg.

"The billing practices at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center for privately insured patients who receive trauma and emergency services are not working for some of our patients," Dr. Wagner said in a news release. "Keeping the patients' experience as the focal point, we will explore ways to protect patients from financial hardship, increase participation in financial assistance programs, and where possible, recover costs for services from insurers to avoid lost revenues to the city."

Read more about the hospital's plans here.

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Allegheny Health Network reports positive operating income, net income for 2018Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare will pay an estimated $15 million in property taxes to North Carolina governments following its purchase of Mission Health, a six-hospital system based in Asheville, N.C., the Citizen-Times reports.

The $1.5 billion purchase closed Feb. 1, five months after HCA and Mission signed a definitive agreement.

HCA will begin paying property taxes to Buncombe County and Asheville retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year, according to the report. Mission Health previously was exempt from paying taxes on property in western North Carolina due to its nonprofit status, but that exemption no longer applies given the sale to major for-profit hospital operator HCA.

"HCA will be made owner for tax purposes as of Jan. 1 of this year and will be responsible for the taxes for the entire year," Buncombe County Tax Assessor Keith Miller told the Citizen-Times. "They will get a tax bill come August when we send out notices and will be handled just like any other taxpayer at this point."

On its website, Family-Friendly Affordable Buncombe, an initiative created in response to the Mission transaction, calls for investing the new property tax revenue from the sale in early childhood education, attainable family housing and better public transit.

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Allegheny Health Network reports positive operating income, net income for 2018Providence Health System in Washington, D.C., owned by St. Louis-based Ascension, seeks to add an urgent care center, according to a Washington Business Journal report.

Providence's board of directors already has signed off on the addition, which would be housed on the Providence campus, according to a hospital news release obtained by the Journal. But the D.C. health department must consider the issue.

"In our ongoing discussions in a variety of forums with community members, local leaders, physicians and caregivers, many participants identified a significant need for urgent care services," said Providence Board Chairwoman Patricia Maryland.

The addition announcement comes after Ascension announced in September that it planned to close Providence's emergency room by Dec. 5 and end all acute care services by Dec. 14. However, Ascension in December agreed to push back part of the closure. Providence will keep its emergency department open through April 30 and maintain 10 to 15 inpatient beds to support emergency services.

The D.C. attorney general's office filed a lawsuit in December against Ascension in an attempt to keep Providence open.

Providence officials did not immediately respond to the Journal's requests for comment.The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation awarded $1.1 million in community grants in 2018, including $186,255 to Olean (N.Y.) General Hospital, the Olean Times Herald reports.

What you should know:

1. The grant supports the Mildred Milliman Outpatient Surgery Center.

2. The $10.3 million center is 15,174 square feet.

3. The center has four operating suites, three endoscopy labs and 23 preoperative and postoperative recovery rooms.The American Gastroenterological Association announced its annual recognitions, bestowing honors on 10 gastroenterologists and researchers for their contributions to the field.

The honorees will receive their awards at Digestive Disease Week 2019, May 18-21 in San Diego.

AGA Institute President David Lieberman, MD, said, "We are proud to announce the 2019 AGA Recognition Prize winners, who are just a few of the distinguished and talented members who help make AGA such an accomplished organization. We are honored that such esteemed individuals are representative of AGA."

The award winners:

1. Julius Friedenwald Medal, AGA's highest honor: John I. Allen, MD, MBA

Dr. Allen is a past AGA Institute president and a renowned expert in healthcare delivery and healthcare economics. He developed and led the AGA through its five-year strategic plan and helped grow AGA into the organization it is today. He is currently a clinical professor and chief clinical officer at Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medical Group at University of Michigan School of Medicine

2. Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science: Harry Greenberg, MD

3. William Beaumont Prize: Timothy Wang, MD

4. Distinguished Educator Award: Deborah Proctor, MD

5. Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice: Naresh Gunaratnam, MD

6. Distinguished Clinical Award in Clinical Academic Practice: Edward Loftus Jr., MD

7. Distinguished Mentor Award: Fred Gorelick, MD

8. Research Service Award: Ann Zauber, PhD

9. Young Investigator Award in Clinical Science: Sonia Kupfer, MD

10. Young investigator Award in Basic Science: Costas Lyssiotis, PhD

To read the whole release click here.Elyria, Ohio-based University Hospital is renaming its busiest outpatient center the UH Minoff Health Center at Chagrin Highlands, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

What you should know:

1. The Orange Village, Ohio-based center was formerly known as UH Chagrin Highlands Health Center.

2. The center sees 100,000 patients annually.

3. University Hospital is renaming the center in honor of the Minoff family, who the hospital recognized as "most generous donors."

4. The outpatient facility offers primary care, pediatrics, radiology, women's health, cardiology, ENT and laboratory services.Mill City Man Charged with Encouraging Child Sex Abuse

If you have information related to this investigation call Detective John Trenary at 541-917-6665.







(MARION COUNTY, Ore.) - Linn County Sheriff Jim Yon reports that on January 30, 2019 at approximately 4:00 p.m., his detectives served a search warrant in the 1000 block of SW 2nd Avenue in Mill City.

The search warrant was a result of an online child exploitation investigation. 53-year old Leslie James Van Dolah, who resides at the property, was the only person located at the time the search warrant was served.

Detectives seized numerous digital devices during a search of the residence. Evidence indicated Leslie Van Dolah was viewing and distributing visual depictions of child pornography and bestiality pornography over the Internet.

There is no evidence indicating anyone else residing at the residence was involved in, or had knowledge of, the crimes.

Leslie Van Dolah was arrested and charged with six counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and three counts of Encouraging the Sexual Assault of an Animal.

The Linn County Sheriffs Office was assisted in this investigation by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Oregon Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and the Benton County Sheriffs Office.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to call Detective John Trenary at 541-917-6665.

_________________________________________If theres anything worse than Congress not authorizing aid for a disaster, its approving that money and then having it trapped in the bureaucracy. Sadly, that is what has happened to $4 billion designed to help Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey, and it needs to end. Members of Congress from Texas must do whatever is necessary in Washington to break this deadlock ASAP.

The main problem appears to be a dispute between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Management and Budget over which agency should be responsible for drafting the rules covering this aid. That money was appropriated by Congress last February. Incredibly, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush says he cant even get the heads of these agencies to respond to his pleas.WASHINGTON  Rhonda Hart, the mother of a Santa Fe High School shooting victim, will be the guest of Houston U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next Tuesday.

Another congressional freshman, San Antonio Republican Chip Roy, is inviting Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council and an outspoken supporter of Trump's hard line on illegal immigration.

The more things change in the capital, the more they stay the same. It's become a time-honored ritual of the annual State of the Union speech: Guests whose appearances give new breath to issues such as immigration, gun safety, or, in 2019, the government shutdown.

The guests are not always ideological. Last year, Republican Kevin Brady of The Woodlands brought along Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who opened his Gallery Furniture stores to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

But this year's presidential address, coming after a 35-day partial government shutdown over border wall funding, appears to be extra ripe for political messaging. Some Democrats are inviting federal workers who were affected by the shutdown  and who could again be furloughed or forced to work without pay if House and Senate negotiators don't strike a funding deal by February 15.

Also among the Democratic guests will be Central American immigrants who worked on Trump properties in New York and New Jersey without legal papers. Dreamers - young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children - are also expected on the invite lists.

White House officials, briefing reporters Friday on Trump's speech, signaled that he will seek to strike a conciliatory tone, with phrases about "bridging old divisions" and "healing old wounds."

But the opposition party is always a tough audience. As Trump gives his second State of the Union speech, many female lawmakers also will be seen in the House chamber wearing white, a symbol of the early 20th century women's suffrage movement.

With lawmakers, members of the Supreme Court and cabinet officials all gathered in one place, guests take their place on the second-floor gallery overlooking the spectacle, often attracting the attention of news cameras.

Some Texans in Congress will be satisfied with small, personal gestures, resisting the increasingly polarized mood of Congress. Houston Republican Dan Crenshaw, a freshman who has vowed to bring civility to politics, is bringing along his wife. Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar  one of the negotiators on border security conference committee tasked with averting another shutdown  invited San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Others are adopting a similarly regional, if topical approach. Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a top Republican, is inviting former Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Manny Padilla, now director of the Border Patrol's Joint Task Force-West in San Antonio.

Austin Democrat Lloyd Doggett will bring Richard Perez, President and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, Sugar Land Republican Pete Olson is inviting Brij Agarwal, a Houston-area entrepreneur who came to the United States legally, starting out in factory work. "Brij represents the diverse business owners in our community and the importance of small businesses who are the backbone of growth and opportunity for our hard-working families," an Olson spokeswoman said.

But Roy's and Fletcher's guests will likely make more of a media splash.

Brandon Judd, the Border Patrol union president invited by Roy, is a frequent guest on Fox News, where he is a vocal defender of the Trump administration's border policies. He has also taken aim at Democrats on Twitter.

"Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release," he wrote last year. "Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW."

Then there's Fletcher's guest, Rhonda Hart, an Army veteran whose 14-year-old daughter Kimberly was among the 10 students and teachers shot and killed at Santa Fe High School last year outside Houston.

The loss turned Hart into a gun safety activist, leading her to volunteer for Beto O'Rourke's Senate campaign and crashing a campaign rally last September for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican incumbent.

"Don't disrespect my daughter. My daughter died. My daughter died," Hart said, standing on a chair, while accusing Cruz of inaction on gun reform.

She has since become the most outspoken of the Santa Fe victims' families.

"Rhonda has suffered through the unimaginable loss of her child with poise and resilience," Fletcher said in a statement Friday. "She's taken her pain and focused it toward advocating for others whose lives are threatened by gun violence. And through it all, she's worn a smile on her face and her trademark red cape."

Cruz, for his part, is inviting his father, Rafael Cruz, an evangelical preacher from Cuba who often served as surrogate on his campaigns, including his 2016 campaign for president.Sempra Energys proposed Port Arthur LNG export terminal has moved one step closer to obtaining a federal permit.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a positive environmental impact statement for the project on Thursday, clearing Port Arthur LNG for the next round of the review process.

In a statement, Carlos Ruiz Sacristan, president and CEO of Sempras North American Infrastructure Group, called it a significant step forward for the project.

We appreciate the support weve received from regulators and the supporters in Texas and Louisiana, Sacristan said. We look forward to delivering a world-class project that will create jobs and support the local economy for decades to come.

A final permit decision is not expected until May. If approved, Sempra plans to build two production units known as trains that will capable of producing up to 11 million metric tons of LNG per year.

FERCs environmental report comes a month after Polands state-owned natural gas company signed a a 20-year LNG deal with Port Arthur LNG.

Sempras long-term plans are to take advantage of record U.S. natural gas production by building three LNG export terminals in Texas, Louisiana and Mexico that will ship 45 million metric tons of the supercooled natural gas per year.

Crews are building Sempras Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, La. A final investment decision for the companys Energia Costa Azul LNG export terminal in Baja California is targeted for late 2019 with potential first deliveries in 2023.

sergio.chapa@chron.comThis weekend, we're remembering the late Farrah Fawcett on her 72nd birthday. The Hollywood star, who was best known for her role as Jill Munroe on "Charlie's Angels," was born on February 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In the fall of 1965, Fawcett enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, where she joined the Delta Delta Delta sorority. The following year, a celebrity publicist asked her to go to California to work as a model, according to Biography.com. Within two weeks she landed a modeling contract and never returned to college.SNc Channels:



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Feb-01-2019 23:44 TweetFollow @OregonNews How to Choose the Right Country for Your Business An important consideration is usually related to the taxation. Go figure!



(SALEM, Ore.) - Starting a business gets easier day by day as the number of opportunities grow and more and more governments ease the access to their markets. Perhaps you will base your company outside of the United States, but should you? It is the business owners responsibility to make the right choice about where to establish their company, even if its another country. What is the best course to follow? A thorough analysis and a good business plan are the first solid steps to take. Do your due diligence research and select the country that best fits the unique needs of your business. Large countries, such as Canada, offer great investment options, so starting a business in Canada could give you an advantage as there are more industries to choose from; however, that is not all to consider. These are some of the most important topics to consider when selecting which country is best to start up your own business. Ease of Registering a Business and Startup Costs Setting up a business asks for a large dose of effort, so choosing a location which permits an easy registration procedure is preferred. The same principle applies for the costs related to starting the operations, these should be relatively low in order to have a flexible budget from which unexpected expenses should be covered. Malta has gained a reputation as a country where foreign entrepreneurs find it is easy to do business, for these two reasons. The ease of doing business in a foreign country will definitely benefit the investor, but the government that offers this possibility also benefits. The Taxation System We all have to pay taxes, but when it comes to the taxation of companies, the amount is usually much higher. This is why one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing where you will start a business is related to the taxation. For example, if you choose to open a business in Singapore, you should make a thorough research regarding the taxation in this offering country. The lower the taxes, the better, some would say. However, recent reports have showed that countries which impose higher tax rates often offer more deductions and thus rank quite close to those imposing very low or close to no taxes at all. There are also the offshore destinations which offer some of the greatest tax advantages, however, it depends on the activities the company will perform in order for an average business to choose such a destination. The Labor Force Migration is one of the most stringent problems of todays world which is why choosing a country which offers the necessary tools, including skilled workers, is essential. It is important to verify if the country the business will be set up in meets the requirements related to your personnels ability to perform the tasks imposed. There is no perfect country to open a business in, however, the country which meets most of your criteria can be found. It all depends on setting correct and realistic expectations which are within the bounds of what the chosen state has to offer. As mentioned in the beginning, a thorough research and market analysis combined with the verification of the conditions imposed by the government can help give you the right picture about that country. This way, the owner and/or investor can make an informed decision which will assist in ensuring the success of his or her business. And that is what it is all about. Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept. _________________________________________

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Articles for January 31, 2019 | Articles for February 1, 2019 | Articles for February 2, 2019Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Scattered thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own.Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003.Walmart is changing its paid time off policies for its employees, and will start paying bonuses to workers who limit their absences. Full credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesGroundhog Club co-handler Al Dereume, second from right, holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 133rd celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast an early spring.Coleslaw with no date mark. Cockroaches in the kitchen. Before you go out to eat this weekend, you need to know who is keeping a clean kitchen and who isn't. Here's this weeks all-new Dirty Dining report.By Trend

Takhyrberdi Durkhanov has been appointed Minister of Industry and Communications of Turkmenistan, Trend reports.

The Ministry of Industry and Communications, which has been recently established, supervises the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Railway Transport, the Ministry of Road Transport, the Ministry of Communications, the State Service of Maritime and River Transportation and Turkmen Airlines (Turkmenhowayollary).

Accordingly, these institutions were renamed Turkmensenagat (Turkmen Industry), Turkmendemiryollary (Turkmen Railways), Turkmenawtoulaglary (Turkmen Highways), Turkmenaragatnasyk (Turkmen Communications), Turkmendenizderyayollary (Turkmen Sea and River Transportation) and Turkmenhowayollary (Turkmen Airlines).

These agencies have been transformed into joint stock companies and are gradually being privatized.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the EU finally announced the creation of a financial settlement mechanism that allows European companies to trade with Iran without the threat of falling under the US sanctions. That, at least, has been declared by the E3.

However, havent the Europeans overestimated the effectiveness of this mechanism?

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed that this step is intended to demonstrate that we are still ready to fulfill our part of the commitments undertaken, and, as a response, we expect that Iran will also fulfill its part.

What he can get from Tehran is an equally stereotypic answer: In itself, this step doesnt have to mean much. We are ready to continue fulfilling our commitments, but only in case if this mechanism really works.

Tehrans fears are not unfounded.

European banks do not have an independent financial system for monetary transactions as they are all connected to SWIFT.

The weakness of the created mechanism is that it is transparent, not gray, as it would be, for example, in reciprocal payments with India or Oman. Therefore, it will be easy for the US to identify those who try to use the mechanism, even if the system masks the purchasers.

Big business has left Iran. The expectations rely on small and medium-sized businesses, focused mainly on the supply of essential goods and medicines, which are unlikely to have a significant impact on the sanctions regime.

As well, the US will certainly claim that Iran has not implemented all FATF recommendations yet: two bills  allowing Iran to join UN conventions against terrorism financing and organized crime  have been approved by parliament, but are still being delayed by higher authorities, including Irans Guardian Council. This, in turn, can impede small and medium European companies to invest in Iran.

Therefore, the same question is rising again: have the Europeans overestimated the importance of this move?

The answer one is going to say: possibly yes, they did. But no, they didnt, because the matter is not in the new mechanism.

Just remember the words of the French President Emmanuel Macron about the presence of Total, Peugeot and Airbus in the Iranian market. He then said it was up to the companies to decide: We're not going to impose on French businesses to stay in Iran. The President of the French Republic is not the CEO of Total.

This means the EU will not be responsible for failure of SPV, if any.

European decision-makers are well aware that Iran simply has no alternative but to put a good face on things. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had nothing but to welcome the move and say that European partners finally took a long overdue first step.

Despite recurrent threats of the Iranian hardliners to withdraw from the nuclear deal and to commence enrichment of uranium, Iran will never be the initiator of the exit from the JCPOA  which is so expected by the United States  as in this case Tehran will face a complete isolation, as it happened before 2015. European leaders are well-aware of this, just as Iranians are.

Recently, one of the close supporters of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Ayatollah Ahmad Giannati has said: Europe is no better, if not worse, than the United States. The EU is only wasting time. Dependence on Europe is sheer stupidity.

A few days later, Mohammad Javad Jamali, a member of the National Security Committee of the Parliament, told Mehr News Agency that "despite the contradictions between the US and Europe on some issues, we should not assume that Europe is on our side, because the US has a huge impact on the political and economic spheres of the EU."

Europe has the most pleasant role in this business. In case of Iran's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the EU will immediately join the US sanctions, but if not, then ... sorry, but that's all we can do for you at the moment. That is, almost nothing.

The EU has made a half-hearted, if not unprincipled, decision: to appease Iran and at the same time not to anger the US. National governments are afraid that Washington can punish them politically, or even by the introduction of additional sanctions, the Financial Times said citing one of the European officials.

The attempt to maintain the current status quo by the use of SPV may, oddly enough, in the foreseeable future do a great disservice to the participants of the process and become a catalyst for the final destruction of the JCPOA.

After some time, if it becomes clear that the new mechanism is stalling or not working at all, and the EU actually sold a castle in the air to Iran, it will clearly highlight the hopelessness of the Iranian position. What will the Iranians do?

We can only assume how a man can behave, cornered.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Magtymguly Bairamdurdyev has been appointed Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to a decree of the country's president.

Turkmenistan grows cotton, wheat, rice and sugar beets. Some 545,000 hectares of land are allocated for cotton. Last year, about 1.1 million tons of cotton were harvested, just like the year earlier.

Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan and uses water resources in accordance with the agreed quotas from four trans-boundary rivers, Amu Darya, Tejen (aka Hari in Afghanistan), Atrek and Murghab.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

A member of the Iranian Chamber of Commerces International Committee said several Chinese banks have been active in the Iran-China trades.

Pointing to the Iran Central Banks efforts to establish banking relations with several banks in the world, Sayed Hussain Salimi said: "Iran is currently providing money transfer paths to China, India, South Korea and some other countries."

"In addition to Kunlun Bank, several other Chinese banks have announced readiness for money transfers with Iran," said Salimi, Trend reports citing Iranian media.

He stressed that the Central Banks efforts to circumvent banking sanctions continue.

On Jan. 31, three European countries  France, Germany and the UK (shortened as E3)  officially announced the creation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), a special purpose vehicle, to allow them bypass US sanctions on trade with Iran. INSTEX facilitates non-dollar trade with Iran, allowing European companies to trade with the Islamic Republic without being hit by the sanctions.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan is completing work on the signing of an agreement on air communication between the governments of Kazakhstan and the United States on the open skies principle, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

Earlier, on September 21, 2018, the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and the United States held talks in Washington.

The procedure of coordination of the text of the intergovernmental agreement on air communication, which is planned to be signed in the near future, is currently being completed.

The signing of this agreement will create a legal basis for opening direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States.

At the recent enlarged meeting of the government, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed to create direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States, as well as with Japan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The volume of Iran steel exports has fallen due to recent bans while the country's economic situation and limitations effected the process of exports to foreign countries.

"Iran has produced 22 million tons of steel during past nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21,2018) but the production could have reached 25 million tons of steel, " said the member of Iran Steel Producers Association Reza Shahrestani in an interview with Trend.

"The country's steel exports last year (March 20,2017) was 8.5 million tons and this year, due to domestic situation, it is predicted that domestic consumption would not be more than 12 million tons by the end of the year (March 20,2019). It was expected that exports would reach 14 million tons, but in the first past 6 months of the year 3.5 million tons of steel was exported."

"Unfortunately due to sanctions and the wrong government policy, it seems that Iran's steel exports will reach 6.5 percent of the total production by the end of the year in the best case and possibly, there will be steel surplus, as a result of which the supply would be lower than demand and prices would drastically drop," he said.

By imposing sanctions on Aug. 7, the Trump administration targeted Iran's steel and auto production, while it called for suspension of Iranian oil imports.

The Iranian government has banned the export of 50 products, as a measure to support national production, that effected the prices of steel, aluminum, copper and petrochemical materials.

The Persian Gulf states are the main costumers of steel alongside Taiwan while some of Iran steel is being exported to China, he said.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The Azerbaijani parliament must send a protest letter to the European Parliament, which adopted the resolution on Azerbaijan containing harsh statements, Azerbaijani MP Fazail Aghamali said Feb. 1 at the parliamentary session, Trend reports.

He said that the European Parliament once again demonstrated a biased position in relation to Azerbaijan, adding that the country was charged with unfounded accusations.

This is a clear example of double standards, he noted. It is regrettable that the European Parliament and international organizations dont comment on what is happening in Armenia. There were no discussions about the death of a political activist as a result of a hunger strike in an Armenian prison. European organizations, defending Armenia, stimulate its occupation policy against Azerbaijan. There is a biased approach in connection with the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He noted that in the protest letter, it is necessary to demand to put an end to double standards.

As Azerbaijans prestige strengthens and reforms deepen in the country, anti-national forces are taking the offensive, he added.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

It is necessary to prepare a new bill on political parties in Azerbaijan, Siyavush Novruzov, chairman of the parliamentary committee for public associations and religious structures, proposed at a plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Trend reports.

According to him, some opposition parties do not submit their financial reports to the countrys Central Election Commission or submit zero reports.

Novruzov also wondered where they got their offices, employees and bodyguards from if they do not have any funding.

"All this is done via help from shady sources. These need to be identified. Rallies, sabotage - all these things are done through covert funding. They are done based on orders and those who finance them are the ones who give these instructions. Such concepts as nation or state are simply nonexistent for them. I believe that it is imperative to confront all these things within legal frames," Novruzov added.

He also said that certain individuals abroad, who are being used against Azerbaijan, are unable to change a thing.

They can only pour insults. If so, we must resist them. We have been involved in politics for many years and know their tactics and mechanisms quite well, Novruzov remarked.

According to him, as Azerbaijan continues to develop, the position of those acting against the country is deteriorating.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan should understand that the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, first of all, will open up great economic opportunities for the population of Armenia, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend Feb. 1.

Abdullayeva was commenting on Pashinyans statement during his visit to Germany about concessions of the Azerbaijani side, the acceptability of the conflicts settlement for the peoples of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

First of all, I would like to remind that as a result of the conflict, namely Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts were occupied, and about a million of Azerbaijans population was subjected to ethnic cleansing and became IDPs, said Abdullayeva.

She noted that international resolutions and documents adopted in connection with the conflict, first of all, the four UN Security Council resolutions require the complete, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of invading Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

I would also like to say that all documents adopted in connection with the conflicts settlement and the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs concern not the people, but the population of Armenian and Azerbaijani origin, she noted.

In conclusion, I would like to note that Pashinyan, as a prime minister of Armenia, should understand that the settlement of the conflict will step up the independence of Armenia, and, first of all, will create a new situation that will open up great economic opportunities for the population of Armenia, she added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBarama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center established by Azercell Telecom LLC in 2009 with the view to foster business innovation and improve entrepreneurial ecosystem, is supporting a new project in the country.

The Center joins Social Entrepreneurship Laboratory program sponsored by the company Education HUB, with the support of US Embassy in Azerbaijan. Within the project, internship clinic was organized at the Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. In the framework of two-day internship 15 young females from Barda, Mingachevir, Aghdam and Yevlakh will receive information about current opportunities, financial resources for social entrepreneurship and other issues related to this field. The representatives of several banks operating in Azerbaijan, as well as of Coca-Cola Company, will share their experience with the participants.

Moreover, the women from 4 regions will get the chance to study startup projects in Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center during the visit. Participants will get acquainted with the people qualified in the field of social entrepreneurship and hold discussions on how to avoid failure during the first years of business.

It should be noted that, during its 10 years activity Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has implemented several projects aimed at creating successful business environment and improving digital ecosystem in Azerbaijan and hosted numerous international events. Currently, Barama is one of the leading startup incubation centers and with the support of PASHA Bank expands its operation successfully in this field.

The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48 per cent share of Azerbaijans mobile telecom market Azercells network covers 80 per cent of the territory (excluding 20% per cent of the occupied territories) and 99,8 per cent of population of the country.

Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, Metro coverage, 24/7 call centre service, 7 day/week Front Office service, M2M services, one-stop-shopping approach Azercell Express offices, mobile customer services, Online Customer Care and Social Media Customer Care services, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc.

Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Azercell is the only company in Azerbaijan and CIS region which has been awarded Gold Certificate of International Investors in People Standard.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

A meeting with the Special Representative of the European Union for Central Asia, Peter Burian, was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen foreign ministry.

The parties discussed the initiatives of Turkmenistan and Romania on the construction of the "Caspian Sea-Black Sea" transport-transit corridor through the "Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania" route, the report states.

Romania presides over the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2019.

Earlier, it was reported that Ashgabat and Bucharest had agreed on intensifying political and diplomatic efforts for potentially inking a political declaration on the creation of a transport and transit corridor connecting the Caspian to the Black Sea.

It is expected that Constanta may become a transshipment point of goods transported from the Turkmen port of Turkmenbashi to the EU, as well as from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the context of ensuring the access of goods from Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries to European markets.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijans satellite operator, Azercosmos, has launched commercial exploitation of the resources of its second communications satellite, Azerspace-2, Trend reports referring to the company on Feb. 1.

Presently, the operator is negotiating with potential clients in countries within the coverage of its new satellite.

"Initial agreements were signed with several operators in the US, Pakistan and other countries. The projected revenue for the current year from the commercial sales of the satellite's services is $16.5 million. The lifetime of the satellite in orbit will be 20 years," the company said.

Azerspace-2 was launched with the Ariane 5 carrier rocket of Arianespace, a French company, on Sept. 26, 2018 from the launch platform ELA-3 in the Guiana Space Center.

The satellite is designed to provide a number of telecommunications services. Its service area includes the countries of Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Azerspace-2 is located in the geostationary orbit at 45 degrees east longitude.

Azerspace-2 is a reserve satellite for the first satellite, Azerspace-1, and will enable Azercosmos to expand its geography of coverage and the range of services. Moreover, the second satellite will allow taking part in large international tenders, which was not possible before.

The first communications satellite of Azerbaijan, Azerspace-1, was launched into geostationary orbit at 46 degrees east longitude on Feb. 8, 2013. The satellite was launched from the Kourou space center by Arianespace.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzThe White House is making Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle an offer: accept amnesty from National Assembly President Juan Guaido and move somewhere nice or dig in your heels and face the consequences, Dave Lawler reports in Thursday's Axios World.

What to watch: The official said the administration is focused "100%" on preparing humanitarian aid to be delivered once Maduro is out of the way. Dave asked whether there were any discussions about sending troops to Colombia (based on John Bolton's notepad) and got a lengthy non-denial.

My thought bubble: The opportunity for Maduro to take a king's ransom and live on "a nice beach somewhere" has been on the table for years. The Organization of American States would have gladly financed such a package prior to Donald Trump's election, and Trump has been pushing for Maduro's ouster since he became president.

The problem is that Maduro does not live in reality, where he is despised around the world and opposed by 80% of his own people. He sees only his still-attended pep rallies where he blames American imperialism for all the country's problems.

He also continues to hold support from Cuban intelligence, Russian military, Chinese financiers, drug traffickers and his recently created Constituent Assembly packed with family members and friends.

The military option echoes Iraq in its thinking. Despite general disdain for Maduro, Chavismo and socialism remain popular in Venezuela, and Americans are unlikely to be greeted as liberators if they invade.

What's changed: With U.S. sanctions on oil, about half of Maduro's revenue will be cut and he will likely have to call on more support from Russia, Cuba and China.

Yes, but: Maduro's money supply has been draining for years, as he lost the ability to issue new debt and oil production sank to historic lows, yet he's continued to find ways to cling to power.

Go deeper: Bond markets are driving the global split on VenezuelaReports of a tentative understanding between U.S. and Taliban negotiators in Qatar last week sparked strong, disparate reactions. Some say the U.S. is negotiating its surrender in Afghanistan and selling out its Afghan allies, while others see the first steps toward ending the worlds deadliest conflict.

Reality check: To stop the fighting, the U.S. and the Taliban must hold formal talks; to bring stable peace to Afghanistan, the Taliban and Afghan power-players opposing them must do so as well. That the former has happened first doesnt inherently constitute a betrayal.

Background: Divergent views on whether to negotiate have long stymied Afghanistan peace efforts. The U.S. has vacillated on talking to the Taliban, usually trying to gain a battlefield advantage beforehand. The Trump administration has run through this cycle, first increasing troops and bombing to gain a military upper hand, then last fall opting to prioritize diplomacy instead.

Pro-government players in Afghan politics  inside and outside government  also have disagreed on negotiating with the Taliban and what objectives to pursue. President Ashraf Ghani has bristled at the Trump administrations activism on the peace front; others are more welcoming.

The Taliban, meanwhile, has long been open to talks, but exclusively with the U.S. and about a timetable for removing U.S. troops. Only after, with its leverage increased, would the group then negotiate with other Afghans.

Between the lines: Had the U.S. waited for pro-government Afghan consensus, peace talks would not be moving forward. The U.S. has allowed the Taliban a process win by acceding to their sequencing preference, but this broke the logjam; neither side has earned substantive concessions just yet.

Whats next: The U.S. reportedly floated a troop drawdown timeline and the Taliban a pledge to prevent terrorists from using Afghan territory. However, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has said that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, including a ceasefire and Taliban commitments to negotiate with the Afghan government over the countrys political future. For the Taliban, those are tough lines to cross.

What to watch: If Washington demands a comprehensive deal, last weeks small steps could lead to a real peace agreement. But if the Taliban balks, and if other Afghan parties dont pull together, then an impatient Trump administration might exit without a deal.

Laurel Miller is director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group and a former senior U.S. State Department official responsible for Afghanistan and Pakistan.Secretary of State Pompeo announced on Feb 1. that the United States will suspend its obligations under  and withdraw from  the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. That treaty banned U.S. and Russian land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, but Russia has violated violated the agreement by deploying the 9M729 intermediate-range cruise missile.

Why it matters: Although Washington asserted that its goal was to bring Russia back into compliance, it did not develop a serious political and military strategy to do so. There is now little chance now of saving the treaty, whose demise will weaken U.S. and allied security and free Russia to deploy intermediate-range missiles.

Between the lines: U.S. military officials thus far do not see the 9M729 as a game-changer. Ongoing Russian missile deployments, however, could lead NATO to consider countermeasures. The Pentagon has begun developing an intermediate-range missile, though NATO likely would be unable reach consensus on deploying it in Europe.

What to watch: Attention will now turn to the remaining U.S.Russian nuclear arms control agreement: the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. New START expires by its terms in two years but can be extended by up to five years.

Extension would cap Russian strategic forces until 2026, without inhibiting U.S. modernization plans, which are designed to fit within New STARTs limits. It would also continue the flow of valuable information on Russian strategic forces that the U.S. military gets from the treatys verification measures.

The Russians are complying with New START, and they have expressed interest in its extension. That should be a no-brainer, but Bolton disdains arms control and President Trump has criticized the treaty as "one-sided." U.S. agreement to extension is not a given.

The bottom line: If New START lapses in 2021, no treaties will constrain U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, a break from some 50 years of nuclear arms control between Washington and Moscow. That world invariably will be less stable, less predictable and less secure.

Steven Pifer is a William J. Perry fellow at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's effort to ship 20 tons of gold valued at about $850 million overseas has been halted by unnerved banking staffers seeking to avoid getting in the crosshairs of U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: Earlier this week the Bank of England blocked Maduro's request to withdraw about $1.2 billion worth of gold, while the U.S. announced it would sanction Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA. Financial assets and military support are key to the ongoing power struggle between Maduro and Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader recognized as interim president by the Trump administration.

Go deeper: White House warns Venezuela's Maduro to get out nowAn Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Post Saturday that the agency has been ordered by a federal judge to feed and hydrate nine detainees on a hunger strike at an El Paso detention center against their consent.

ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers. ICE explains the negative health effects of not eating to our detainees. For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike."

 ICE spokesperson

Backdrop: The Associated Press first reported this week that 10 detainees at the EL Paso facility have gone on a hunger strike to protest against rampant verbal abuse and threats of deportation from guards. ICE did not reveal their identities, but Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)  whose district includes El Paso  said most of the detainees she met at the facility had been in custody for 1518 months, according to the Post.

"They tie us on the force-feeding bed, and then they put a lot of liquid into the tubes, and the pressure is immense so we end up vomiting it out. We can't talk properly, and we can't breathe properly. The pipe is not an easy process, but they try to push it down our noses and throats."

 One detainee on hunger strike told AP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.When asked about the possibility of the Superleggera to make a comeback, chief technical officer Maurizio Reggiani told CarAdvice.com.au that badge is finished. Theres no denying a more hardcore model is in the pipeline, but as the man said, its not going to be called Superleggera.Reggiani made an interesting comment about the LP 640-4 Performante given the arrival of the Huracan Evo . If we added these systems to the Performante, it would be much faster," referring to the Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata and rear-wheel steering with up to three degrees of turn available.The Performante Evo or whatever it will be called might not benefit from increased output given the current emissions regulations. The anti-particulate filter reduces the power further through reduced back pressure," and Euro 7 emissions regulations are also on their way as soon as 2020 with a target of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer.Euro 7 has a one-year phase-in period, meaning that European passenger and light commercial vehicles have to comply with these rules in 2021. OEMs that dont meet the targets will have to pay an excess emissions penalty of 95 per every gram of carbon dioxide over the limit.Lamborghini has a plan for this change, starting with the Urus plug-in hybrid that promises Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid levels of performance. Or beyond, more so because the Bentley Bentayga Speed is right around the corner.As far as the Huracan and Aventador are concerned, Stefano Domenicali made it clear the V10 and V12 will be kept on life support with the help of hybrid assistance . In the case of the Aventadors successor, theres talk about an electrified front axle. Going forward, both the ten- and twelve-cylinder are expected to rely on natural aspiration.FWD

Not much is known about the Tucson N, though, but Auto Express has an idea. Citing insiders with knowledge of the project, the compact crossover is set to arrive within the next two years. Engineers reaming tight-lipped on specifications and the platform, but the British publication makes a case for at least 340 bhp and below six seconds from zero to 62 mph.Its hard to imagine a four-cylinder turbo with that sort of output these days as far as Hyundai is concerned, but dont forget the Theta III is just around the corner for, RWD, and mid-engine applications. At least two displacements are expected, ranging from 2.3 liters with turbocharging technology to 2.5 liters and natural aspiration.Ford can push the 2.3-liter EcoBoost to 350 horsepower in the Focus RS, and with hybrid assistance, the next generation of the all-wheel-drive hot hatchback is expected with 400 horsepower. The 2.5-liter Theta III, on the other hand, doesnt have to try as hard because it will replace the 2.4-liter Theta II that develops 185 horsepower in the in the 2019 Hyundai Sonata.We are going to take our time with this one  because when it appears it will blow everything else away in its sector, added the engineers, describing the Tucson N as a "brand-changer and halo car. Looking at the bigger picture, the SEAT-based Cupra Ateca could surely use a competitor.Something were not exactly sure about the British publications report is the i20 N, supposed to arrive early in 2020. Front-wheel drive and with at least 250 bhp, the subcompact-sized hot hatchback would also feature an electronic differential to help handling in the twisties.Last, but certainly not least, Auto Express claims the insiders are very confident in what the i20 N will achieve against the likes of the Fiesta ST and Polo GTI. At the present moment, the Renault Clio R.S. is the most powerful in the segment, packing 217 horsepower from a displacement of 1.6 liters.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.The Belgian company CMI (Cockerill Mechanical Industries), based in Seraing near Liege, signed on Monday 28 January an agreement with Saudi Arabia to create a joint venture specialized in tank and wheeled armored vehicle turrets, reports the Belgian newspaper L'Echo on Wednesday, January 30. The goal is to design and manufacture military equipment on site.



CMI designs and manufactures a wide range of turrets and guns adaptable at will on tracked or wheeled vehicles (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The Saudi authorities have chosen a series of international partners like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and us, to create joint ventures to develop a defense activity in their country," said Xavier Rigo, spokesperson for CMI Defense. CMI Defense holds 49% of this new joint venture, and SAMI, the Saudi military industrial company, 51%.

According to the spokesperson of CMI, the joint venture should have indirect spin-offs on the parent company, especially at the design office, but should not call into question the activities of CMI in Belgium.

More specifically, this new joint venture would not be intended to replace CMI Defense's contract with Canadian GDLS. This contract includes the transfer to Canada of turrets designed by CMI, where they are integrated with armored vehicles that are sent to Saudi Arabia.

Criticized by the opposition and human rights defenders, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to cancel the contract. In Belgium, CMI has received the necessary export licenses from the Walloon Region. Directly manufacturing in Saudi Arabia would allow CMI to work without these procedures, writes L'Echo.Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content!Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM



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So, why did the photo appear now and who released it to Big League Politics, a right-leaning website?

The incendiary yearbook photo of Ralph Northam in (pick one) blackface or KKK robes should have come out during his campaign for Governor of Virginia, but didnt. Unless the campaign manager Chris Leavitt was actively sabotaging the campaign (which I doubt), we can assume that the photo didnt come from it.

The first step is to ask the famous Latin question, Cui bono? Who benefits?

It is pretty clear to me that the abortion industry and its political handmaidens were desperate to change the subject from a physician advocating terminating a life after birth as part of the push by states to legalize just about anything that kills a baby anytime before it is sent home from the hospital. This is because there is genuine fear that the new majority on the Supreme Court will modify or eliminate Roe v. Wades blanket federal approval, and send the issue to the states.

Vermont already is considering an even more radical permissive abortion bill than New Yorks. Attention to Northams position can only hamper the progress of this effort. So, it is pretty clear that the self-interest of abortion advocates would make them want to change the subject. And what better way to do that than throw out this picture?

Carol Brown writes:

Well this is rich. Planned Parenthood is demanding that VA Governor Ralph Northam resign after it was discovered that hed posed in KKK garb back when he was in medical school. Breitbart reports on a statement from PP: There is no place for Gov. Ralph Northams racist actions or language, Dr. Leana Wen said in a statement emailed to reporters. He must step down as Governor. Right. OK. We cant have racists advocating for the murder of babies about to be born. The left has such a crazy set of morals one cannot make head or tail of them. Infanticide and the dismemberment of babies is a womans right, but border walls are immoral and medieval. Sure. Whatever you say freakish ghouls.

As she and M. Catharine Evans realize, it is grotesque to be more outraged over an insensitive racist photo than actual advocacy of infanticide. But the level of outrage over the photo has successfully drowned out discussion of infanticide, and Vermont and other state legislators can safely ignore Northams declaration of principles because he is becoming a non-person, someone to be dismissed as irrelevant. This is why he must be driven from office, in the interest of his own party.Trump's presidency foretold in film?

The 1993 film Dave was about a philandering, corrupt president who has a stroke while in flagrante delicto. A suitable look-alike is found (exact, as both parts are played by Kevin Kline) and is convinced to impersonate the president for what his two handlers think will be a few days. But Bill Mitchell, the now-comatose president, is done for good, and Dave must stay on in his assumed role  but Dave is a Boy Scout, unlike the man whose shoes he must now fill. At the time, most people thought the main character was a representation of Bill Clinton; by 1993, Clinton's extramarital exploits and brushes with criminality in Arkansas were already well known. But seeing the film now, one realizes that the karmically-stricken Bill Mitchell is a proxy for any number of presidents, unethical and above the law. JFK was a player. LBJ was a lying, amoral racist. Clinton...well, we all know what he was. Bush 43 was a good man who refused to defend himself and his administration to the everlasting detriment of his legacy. Obama was an intellectual lightweight so out of his league that he still thinks he was a great President when in fact he was the worst of the modern era. He and his cabal of American saboteurs  Ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, Jonathan Gruber, et al.  did long-term, incalculable damage to this country. They ruined what had been the greatest health care system in the world. They empowered our most dangerous enemies, Iran, China, and Russia, while doing considerable harm to allies like Israel.

Fast-forward to 2016. The U.S. had been economically eviscerated by Obama's do-nothing stimulus bill, billions that went into the pockets of now-failed "green" companies like Solyndra and to bail out bankrupt unions. There are too many failed programs to list here, so suffice it to say that the final blow was that $1.7B in cash that Obama shipped to Iran which preceded the release of $150B's worth of frozen assets. As it turned out, Obama was an enemy of America, a sort of stealth saboteur. It seemed that by 2016, it would take decades to recover from his misdeeds. Then Trump stepped into the fray, not as an impersonator, but as the duly elected president. The media-pundit class, whose members think it is their job to tell us how to think and vote, assumed he was a joke candidate. Democrats and Republicans alike did not take his candidacy seriously. But millions of Americans did take him seriously. They elected him to drain the swamp  the same swamp that writer Gary Ross drew from for his script for Dave twenty-five years ago. It has always been with us; it just got worse under the auspices of the Clintons and the Obamas and their respective collection of toadies. Seeing Dave today is both a grim reminder of how corrupt so many of those who run our government are and a ray of hope as to how much good an interloper can accomplish. The left refuses to acknowledge the almost miraculous success of Trump's presidency so far, especially the record-breaking unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, and women. We are now energy-independent! This is huge, but the media ignore the fact. The Norks are not lobbing missiles, and China is beginning to bend with regard to its decades of theft of intellectual property and billions in trade deficits. ISIS is nearly defeated. Our military has been, for the first time in years, more adequately funded. There is more, much more. Once the southern border is secured, Americans will be safer. There is a line in the film when the fake Dave's chief of staff, Bob (played to the nines by Frank Langella), one of the two men who orchestrated the cover-up of Bill Mitchell's incapacitation, is enraged at Dave's growing comfort in the role of president. Dave calls a press conference on his own. Bob is furious and tells his partner in crime that he is going to kill him. Bob says, "I'm going to kill him. He's not a president. He's an ordinary person. I can kill an ordinary person." Given the familiar analogies in this film, one can only wonder how many inconvenient people have been killed for purely political reasons. Likely more than a few over the two-hundred and thirty years since the Constitution was written and signed. Have we become more civilized over all those years? Hard to say. In so many ways, we are less civilized. Advocating for late-term abortion is obviously many steps backward. Denying the biological fact that there are only two sexes is a huge step backward. Classifying people by skin color, an idea discredited long ago, is back with a vengeance, thanks to the tenured radicals who took over the universities by the late 1960s and the shot in the arm they got with the Obama administration, the re-racialization of America. The left cares only about identity groups; the right recognizes individuals as discrete from one another. Skin color is meaningless. Liberty is everything. Dave, the film, reminds that political corruption has always been with us. At the end, we're told that the circle of criminals that were part of Bill Mitchell's administration are indicted on "34 counts of election law violations and obstruction of justice." Let us hope the many villains among the Clinton and Obama grouping of crooks and liars will someday be indicted for their many crimes. Writer Gary Ross was prescient, indeed; when Bill Mitchell's vice president is sworn in, he is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States!Los Angeles is a modern American city of 4 million people that's in the midst of a typhus epidemic.

It's true. The same disease that afflicts many residents of Caracas, Venezuela is spreading in Los Angeles and city officials - not to mention residents - are frightened.

Typhus is spread by fleas hitching a ride on rats. The rat population in LA is doing fine, thank you, as piles of garbage dot the cityscape, making it Thanksgiving Day every day for the city's fat, happy rodents.

NBC4:

For months, LA County public health officials have said typhus is mainly hitting the homeless population. But Deputy City Attorney Liz Greenwood, a veteran prosecutor, tells NBC4 she was diagnosed with typhus in November, after experiencing high fevers and excruciating headaches. "It felt like somebody was driving railroad stakes through my eyes and out the back of my neck," Greenwood told the I-Team. "Who gets typhus? It's a medieval disease that's caused by trash."

Characterizing typhus as a "medieval" disease is terribly unfair - to medieval people. It's a disease of the third world where city services have broken down and trash pickup becomes a luxury.

The city attorney who contracted the disease works at city hall - a building apparently infested with rats.

Greenwood believes she contracted typhus from fleas in her office at City Hall East. Fleas often live on rats, which congregate in the many heaps of trash that are visible across the city of LA, and are a breeding ground for typhus. "There are rats in City Hall and City Hall East," Greenwood added. "There are enormous rats and their tails are as long as their bodies." Last year set a new record for the number of typhus cases  124 in LA County for the year, according to the California Department of Public Health. Last October, Mayor Garcetti vowed to clean up piles of garbage throughout the city to combat the typhus epidemic. The Mayor allocated millions of dollars to increase clean-ups of streets in the Skid Row area, known lately as "the typhus zone."

"The typhus zone"? In Los Angeles? Nearly unbelievable.

But don't fret Angelinos, the mayor has everything under control:

"Last fall we directed multiple City departments to begin a coordinated and comprehensive effort to improve cleanliness and protect public health in the Civic Center, including City Hall and City Hall East. In addition to increased trash collection and cleanings, aggressive action has been taken to address pests both in the buildings and in the surrounding outside areas  including abatement treatments and the filling of 60 rodent burrows and 114 tree wells. This work in busy and highly populated public buildings is executed carefully to protect workers and visitors, and the scheduling of extermination activities takes these factors into consideration." -- Vicki Curry, spokeswoman, city of Los Angeles

They filled 60 rat homes? Pardon me, but just how many rats are we talking about? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands?

Los Angeles has an out of control homeless problem. But the city's failure to deal with it, as well as its inability to perform the simplest task of picking up the damn garbage is making the "City of Angeles" into a "City of Rats."Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Virginia's GOP is apoplectic over Governor Ralph Northam's 1984 blackface/KKK photo which surfaced yesterday. Along with some Democrats, they immediately asked Northam to resign.

The GOP wrote this on twitter:

What Ralph Northam did was unforgivable. Given his statements on the right to life coupled with the most recent revelations, he has lost the moral authority to continue to govern and should resign immediately.

For the pro-life party, Gov. Northam appearing in a racist photo from 1984 is "unforgivable." But only when the killing of already born babies is "coupled" with racism does the GOP demand the governor's resignation.

Although many Republicans denounced Northam for his cavalier disregard of human life this past week, the fast and furious calls for him to step down commenced within minutes of the blackface photo hitting the news.

YouTube screen grab (1/18/19)

Late Friday, in addition to conservative voices, Democrat Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris asked Northam to resign. Soon after the Senators weighed in, the NAACP, Daily Kos, Moveon.org and Planned Parenthood, added their organizations to the list demanding the governors resignation.

Get it? There should be no discussion whether Northam should resign when it comes to a 30-year old racist picture. The left wing politicians, the abortion mills, the race baiters and the Soros-funded media, along with many Republicans, have made decades-old racist posturing more heinous than murder.

A grown man wearing blackface or a KKK hooded robe in a 1984 school picture, two decades after the signing of the Civil Rights Act, is certainly a huge problem. But does it trump 60 million dead babies to date here in the U.S.?

Northam's bombshell eugenicist comment to make "deformed" and "nonviable" babies comfortable before the mother decides to snuff out their lives had local Democrat leaders here in Virginia saying Republican outrage reeked of "desperation." Virginia's Attorney General Mark Herring said accusing Northam of promoting infanticide was "laughable." When asked by a reporter if he regretted his comments, a confident Northam stated , "No, I don't have any regrets."

24 hours later, Northam's past racist antics took center stage. As Fox's Shannon Bream suggested on Friday night, Northam's comments on infanticide were not enough to bring him down, but the racist photo did the trick. The very real genocide of 60 million babies since Roe v Wade here in the U.S., and a governors nonchalant belief in post birth abortion, was destined to be swept under the rug without this latest skeleton from Northams closet.

As a warning to my fellow Virginians. If Northam resigns, next in line Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, vowed in a recent video to "bring down the gavel" at next year's General Assembly to ensure the passage of Del. Kathy Tran's third trimester abortion bill HB 2491.Giant contractors, even from Venezuela's allies Russia and China, are pulling out , meaning the money's running out.

You can tell that things are not going well for Venezuela's Maduro socialist dictatorship, based on how they're behaving now. All signs are out now that the rats are fleeing a sinking ship.

Just as interesting are the huge 757 Russian off-radar cargo jet flights into Caracas bearing the name of a newly-founded company, which sounds like a front for the Russian government. They came and went, with unknown purpose, but lots of room for anyone who might want to ... smuggle out the nation's gold.

The reliable Russ Dallen of Caracas Capital, sent out a market note with a suggestion that things are moving. His analysis is succinct:

Events continue to transpire quickly in Venezuela. There is a big march planned for tomorrow and the Opposition has something to rejoice about as the Maduro Regime's latest attempt to liquidate the nation's gold patrimony has collapsed. First, we tracked the Russian cargo jet bugging out earlier this afternoon (before the Russians turned off their transponder to avoid being tracked). They are now well passed Barbados and we think they are headed towards Cape Verde given their direction and previous routing. Second, while UAE investment bank Noor Capital announced that they "purchased approximately three tonnes of gold from Venezuela's Central Bank" on January 21 (explaining the earlier jets we tracked), Noor says that the current sale of another $800 million is not happening (por ahora): "Until the situation in Venezuela stabilizes, Noor Capital will refrain from any further transactions." Overall, good news for Venezuelans, democracy, bondholders and creditors: Cucarachas scatter when you turn on the light.

More of his thoughts on the unfolding story can be heard at this site here.

The story with the United Arab Emirates is interesting, too - they were planning to buy a large chunk of Venezuela's gold for cash - and somehow called off the deal. Someone must have told them they wouldn't like the consequences. Update: This just out: They bought some.

It's since been followed by additional pressure on Turkey - which also is buying itself some Venezuelan gold - apparently to store in Iran. In this case, it's clear the U.S. is warning them to stop. According to the BBC:

The Turkish government is coming under renewed pressure to stop buying gold from Venezuela, the BBC has learned. A senior Western diplomatic source told the BBC that Turkey was now considered the main concern among the countries engaging in the trade. They added that there are growing suspicions that gold exported to Turkey was ending up in Iran, which would violate US sanctions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backs Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is facing a growing political challenge. Venezuela's gold trade with Turkey is soaring. Last year, the country exported almost $900m (688m) worth of gold to Turkey, ostensibly to be refined there and returned to Venezuela, although there is no record of re-exportation.

Clearly, the U.S. is using the power of its tremendous markets and alliances to curb the world's few regimes that still support Venezuela. A very big plan seems to be in action.

It appears to be achieving mixed success.

But what's important is the Venezuelan dictatorship's indicative actions. Why are they so desperate to sell or get their nation's gold out?

This is what dictators do who are getting ready to flee their countries. As Colombia's president Ivan Duque noted, the Maduroites are in their last 'hours.' And National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned Maduro he's looking at life in Gitmo.

The only conclusion is to think the cockroaches are scattering. The rats are fleeing and Bolton is going after them with a shovel. But the ship is sinking.

One can only hope that better times are ahead and soon, in hellish Venezuela. The socialist nightmare looks as though might just be coming to an end.The border is in emergency. Latest news, a gargantuan fentanyl bust at the border, showing how dangerous the tide of illegally procured opiates is. At least three huge caravans of illegal immigrants, totalling more than 12,500 uneducated, unskilled, Central Americans, are about to roll in. President Trump has shown a willingness to actually shut the government down in a desperate bid to get a handle on the free-for-all engulfing the U.S. southern border.

With pork. For their buddies. As they always do.

Breitbart News' Joel Pollak reports that their big $8 billion rollout for border security features ... an icebreaker. For the U.S. and Canadian northern border:

Democrats unveiled their proposal for addressing the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border this week, and it includes funding for a new polar icebreaker for the U.S. Coast Guard. The proposal, unveiled Wednesday at the first meeting of the conference committee to negotiate a bipartisan solution, was presented by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and is the Democratic Partys official position.

The icebreaker offer will cost anywhere from $700 million to $1 billion, depending on how many are bought. (The U.S. seems to get wholesale rates for buying in bulk.) With a total offer reportedly maybe totaling around $8 billion according to some scattered news reports, that's going to take a chunk.

With the southern border in crisis, leave it to the Democrats to focus on what's going on at Alaska's northern coast.

Lotta drugs and illegals rolling in that way, right. Lotta security to worry about up there.

Now, far be it from me to say the U.S. doesn't need an icebreaker. It does. The Russians are going wild with their own icebreakers in a bid to take over the Arctic Circle. It is a strategic issue. It's important. But it's not a border security issue.

What it is, is changing the subject.

They'll pay for anything so long as it's not a wall. Yet they want credit for walls, apparently knowing how important it is to the public. McClatchy has an excellent news story about how Democrats are calling their border measures, which don't include walls, walls.

Jim Clyburn wants to call his border security plan a wall, even though its really not. Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, is proposing what he calls a smart wall, a border security strategy that uses technology, not concrete. The South Carolina congressman explained his wall would involve drones, scanners, and sensors to create a technological barrier too high to climb over, too wide to go around, and too deep to burrow under. His terminology matters because Democrats have signaled theyre willing to make a deal on border security that, at least rhetorically, would include some sort of barrier. They just need to label their plan carefully, and finding the right words and tone is going to be a major theme as congressional negotiators continue to seek a deal next week. In other words, they want credit for a wall with the public, but they don't want an actual wall. Drones, scanners and sensors are good for intelligence-gathering, but they sure as heck aren't going to stop anyone from entering. And an icebreaker up north sure does beef the money to be spent up, so as to appear 'serious' but it does utterly nothing about the actual crisis supposedly being addressed. And it's accompanied by Democrats doing what they always do, which is rewarding their cronies. According to the New York Times:

Democrats also insisted on their own priorities beyond homeland security. They proposed new funding to improve Customs and Border Protections care for migrants in the agencys custody, expanding an alternatives to detention program at Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep families together while reducing the number of ICE detention beds and requiring more frequent detention-facility inspections.

That's lots of money for social services workers and ACORN-like NGOs with activist sidelines - read: electing Democrats. And it's lots of incentive for more migrants to immigrate here illegally. They've got an illegal immigrant-industrial complex to support, and they want to shower it with more money.

None of this is border security because none of it keeps illegals and criminals on the southern border actually out.

Trump should take the icebreaker, turn down pork for NGOs incentivizing more illegal immigration, and just tell the Democrats to heck with their stupid games. And he should make what's going on clear in the State of the Union. The nation is under seige. It's time to declare an emergency and just build the wall.

Image credit: TRT World screen shot, via YouTubeBorder cowards

Congressional Democrats are cowards. They are so fearful of violating the partys new orthodoxy on border security they are abandoning sensible policies. Democrats still serving in Congress voted for border fences in 1996, 2006, 2007, and 2013. This last a vote for a Senate bill (on which House Republicans failed to act) that had $7.5 billion to deploy, repair, or replace fencing on our Southern border. All Democrats in the Senate at the time voted for this, as did 14 Republicans. But today, mention the word wall and Democrats develop a nervous tic, denying what they had supported in the past. In that environment it is hard to have a rational discussion about border security, or much of anything.

For a more reasonable view from a Democrat, look no further than the Obama Administration. You may immediately reject the idea of linking Obama to border security, but this example illuminates the craven cowardice of current congressional Democrats. In one of the last budgets submitted to Congress by the Obama Administration, funding for fences was justified as follows: In support of other USBP [U.S. Border Patrol] mission elements, the pedestrian and vehicle fences provide persistent impedance by slowing, delaying, and acting as a USBP force multiplier. If the required fences are not properly constructed or replaced, access points will be available for cross-border activity. The gaps in the fence, particularly in urban locations, will in turn lead to an increase in crime and threats to national security and agent safety. (Dept. of Homeland Security, Border Security Fencing, infrastructure, and Technology, FY 2016, page 21) But that was then, this is now. Congressman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) throws up this smokescreen: Weve seen that walls can and will be tunneled under, cut through or scaled. We cant focus on archaic solutions in order to address this very modern problem. Technology works for securing the border. (Washington Post, 1/31/19) Archaic solutions? President Obama did you know youve become archaic? Return again to the Obama administration. Confronted with the problem described by Rep. Aguilar the Obama administration sought funds to remove and replace a section of existing pedestrian fence that had failed. As described in the administrations budget request: This section of fence has been successfully exploited by Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) due to ease of concealment (the fence is within a populated area) and due to the inadequate design of the fence (the fence lacks adequate height, foundation, and strength). The funding requested will address these vulnerabilities. (Dept. of Homeland Security, Border Security Fencing, infrastructure, and Technology, FY 2016, p. 42) So fences are useful. When they are poorly designed or poorly constructed, fix them. Wow. Obama administration border security budget requests talked about using both tactical infrastructure (roads, fencing, gates, bridges, crossovers, lighting, electrical components, drainage structures, vegetation removal, debris removal, towers) and technology. Democrats will claim that fences have already been built, which is true. There is about 654 miles in fencing. But only 354 miles is pedestrian fencing and the rest is vehicle barriers, through which illegal immigrants can walk. So, the 1,954-mile border with Mexico is barely covered. In a survey of border patrol agents, 89% agreed that a wall system in strategic locations is necessary to securing the border. Sensible Congressional Democrats know what needs to be done. They are afraid of their radical shadows. Are any of them willing to write a new chapter in Profiles in Courage?Chances are, they haven't heard about Hasher Jallal Taheb, a 21-year-old native-born American from the Atlanta, Ga. metropolitan area who was arrested after a months-long undercover investigation. If those you inquire with heard about Taheb, ask them if they know he was a jihadist who changed his name and believed that jihad is an obligation and pathway to martyrdom.

Ask your friends, family, and neighbors if they're aware that the FBI recently thwarted a Muslim terrorist who allegedly wanted to blow up and shoot up the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and a synagogue.

You want to talk about a national emergency? How about the frequency with which so many Democrats, as well as the DMIC (Democrat Media Industrial Complex), cover up radical Islamic terrorism?

Democrat-Defined Terrorism

To paraphrase Orwell's Animal Farm, all terrorists are created equal, but some are created more equal than others. Over the last few years, with the unfortunate rise in white supremacy-related violence and murders, Democrats and the DMIC have moved the goal posts on who's a terrorist and who isn't. Actually, I don't mind their expansion of the term, as I can now claim as terrorists some members of Black Lives Matter, protesters who block active-duty ambulances, and pro-fascists who identify themselves as "Antifa."

The terrorist cartel Americans are most at risk of dying and suffering injuries from is radical Islam.

Let's inspect how major media covered the Taheb arrest.

"The Truth Is Hard" The New York Times made zero mention of Taheb's ideological adherence in its headline (Taheb was called just "man") and zero mention of jihad.

"Democracy Dies in Darkness" The Washington Post wrote barely a blurb, parroted "man" in its headline, and whiffed on the jihad fact. Same for MSNBC. Interesting, wouldn't you say, how coordinated the headlines seemed to be? I'm sure it was coincidental.

Fox and Breitbart made mention of jihad, as did The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and, shockingly, CNN.

If Taheb had been a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian who was one of the U.S.'s 14 neo-Nazis whose social media posts showed him wearing a MAGA hat, and his target had been Nancy Pelosi, how would the DMIC have covered the story?

When MAGA hats are involved, such as the incident in January between high school students and an American Indian activist, the DMIC always makes mention of that fact, as evidenced here, here, and here.

The story was a non-story, but MAGA hat mentions are too good to pass up. When youths harassed a senior citizen during U.S. Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing, nary a peep from Democrats and the DMIC did we hear.

MAGA hats bad; jihadi good.

Media Is about Narratives, Not News

When Omar Mateen shot to death 49 patrons of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. three years ago, his act of terror resulted in the second highest casualty count of Islamic terrorism in American history, behind only the September 11, 2001 attacks. Yes, the DMIC did make mention of his radicalization, but the immediate  and prevailing  narrative was centered on gun violence and gun control, which is analogous to calling 9/11 airplane violence.

Democrats and the DMIC have written Mateen's Islamic radicalization out of his life story. You wouldn't have known that Mateen pledged his life to ISIS from the originally released 911 call transcript from Obama's Department of Justice, which omitted the ISIS reference so as not to give the terror group additional publicity. The DOJ did eventually release an unedited transcript.

When President Obama delivered a statement after Pulse, he did mention Mateen's terrorist beliefs but stressed that they were homegrown, because...homegrown Islamic radicalization has nothing to do with the thousands of years of Middle Eastern Islamic terrorism and its propaganda that is so readily available in the U.S.? Obama also emphasized that Mateen, as well as the San Bernardino, Calif. Islamic terrorists who killed 14 were "lone wolves," an excuse Democrats and the DMIC are fond of  unless it's a white male murdering with an AR-15.

So how did all those DMIC journalists, many Ivy League-educated, miss that crucial jihad detail in the FBI's 13-page report on Taheb? I suspect they didn't miss it at all; their ad infinitum Islamic terrorism apology tour will soon be coming to a city near you. Joining them will be new Minnesota U.S. rep. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim who is public in her anti-Semitism and homophobia. The DMIC isn't too concerned, though; it's been busy touting how "historic" her win was. Omar won her race by 56 percentage points, and her district has been represented only by Democrats for the last 20,000 consecutive days. One's sex and religion aren't skills, qualifications, achievements, or accomplishments, and her win was hardly "historic."

How Serious Is the Islamic Terrorist Threat?

Democrat and DMIC agitprop claiming that white men are America's gravest threat is so bold a lie that Goebbels would blush at its brazenness.

The University of Maryland has been tracking domestic and international terrorism for several years. My assessment of their data is that they are without much bias. Islamic terrorism is categorized into jihadi-inspired extremism.

Between 2010 and 2016, jihadi-motivated and Islamic extremists accounted for 29 attacks, totaling 78 deaths. All other combined attacks totaled 84 attacks, for 45 deaths, including seven white supremacist attacks, totaling 18 deaths.

Globally, over 99 percent of terrorism  resulting in death or injury  has been perpetrated by radical Muslims. The U.S. spends billions annually monitoring and fighting Islamic terrorism, not white male terrorism.

Additionally, foreign-born constitute the majority of terrorist arrests. There is a caveat: dozens were arrested overseas and extradited to the U.S. to stand trial. Those who scream Islamophobia in response to this caveat likely wouldn't be screaming whitemanophobia if those extradited were white males.

You know that border crisis Chuck and Nancy claim is "manufactured"? Turns out ISIS has a presence in Central America.

Thanks to state and federal law enforcement, 99 radical Islamic terrorist plots have been foiled since 9/11; had some of the attacks, planned for malls and other highly foot-trafficked locales, not been stymied, the death and injury totals would have likely been in the hundreds. Democrat and DMIC logic reasons that if no one died, it's not that bad. Democrats and the DMIC exploit the dead when only it fits into their propaganda narrative  never let a politically expedient body count go to waste. Thanks to the latest known FBI bust, another Islamic terrorist was unsuccessful in adding to injury and death count  for now.

Rich Logis is host of The Rich Logis Show, at TheRichLogisShow.com, and author of the upcoming book 10 Warning Signs Your Child Is Becoming a Democrat. He can be found on Twitter at @RichLogis.Grove City, PA (16127)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Heavy downpours are possible. A few storms may be severe. High 77F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Increasing clouds with showers arriving overnight. Low 51F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Read a real-life story of a Gayatri Sadhana practitioner. Traditionally, any mantra sadhana is imparted from a guru to an eligible disciple, but how effective it is to do a sadhana even if you are not initiated by a guru?

There was this person in Canada  and I am telling you his real-life story, which I witnessed over a period of time. When I first met him in India, he was a devout worshipper of the Mother Goddess and ardently chanted the Gayatri mantra. He was the first one whom I saw who actually had Gayatri siddhi. Siddhi is when a mantra becomes your own and you become the mantra; the energy of the mantra works through you, lives in you, benefitting other people. He blessed and helped many people sail through difficult circumstances in life.

When I first met him, this mans radiance was extraordinary. He had such a beautiful, effulgent face; you could look at him all day, and still feel as if you were receiving the love, warmth, divinity, and grace that flowed from him. Those were the days when I did a lot of astrology  I was 15 years old then.

This sadhakas dedication was phenomenal. He had been chanting the Gayatri mantra, 16 rounds, every day. One round of chanting is 108 times. Every day for roughly 40 years, he never missed his chanting routine.

Ill digress for a moment to tell you a little incident from his life. The factory where he used to work got a big order once, so they asked everybody to put in half a shift more each day. That way, two people could do 12 hours work each in different shifts, so the factory could have 24 hours of production. This was back in the early nineties.

He said to his boss, Look, I am sorry, I cannot stay back, because at 3 pm I have to leave. I have to do my own thing then  its my personal time.

You have been with this company for 20 years, his boss said. You know how big this order is for us. And its not as if were not paying you. We will pay you double the usual amount for the overtime. All we are asking is that you extend your workday for four hours, and only for eight or nine weeks.

He said, Sorry, I cant do that.

Thats not going to sit well with anybody. Youre the supervisor. What kind of example are you going to set?

Im sorry, I need to put food on the table, but I cannot stay beyond 3 pm.

The manager became quite upset. The matter went to the department head, and he had a meeting. He said the same thing and then it went all the way to the CEO. Because he had been working at the factory for 20 years, they couldnt just fire him. They needed people with the technical know-how who could fulfill the order.

Im at my wits end, the CEO said. Why do you have to go at 3 pm? Why cant you stay back for four hours, just for a few weeks? Tell me, what is the problem? Wont you be happy if this company grows?

Its a personal thing, he replied. I have to go and meet somebody.

You dont exactly look like a teenager in love. Whom do you have to meet every day that you cant miss? Cant you meet him or her at 7 pm?

I must reach home by 4 pm when I sit down and have my meeting.

But with whom? the CEO asked, a bit flustered. Whom do you have to meet?

I am not adding any of my own words. This is exactly how I heard this from the man himself.

Well, I have to meet the person who gave me this job, he said.

This is the craziest thing Ive ever heard, the CEO said, throwing his hands in the air. What are you talking about? I gave you this job. This is my damn company! Then the CEO thought, perhaps there was some agent involved. This guy is a poor immigrant, so there must have been an agent who is taking a commission or some work from the employee that he is unaware of. Oh, I get it! Is there some kind of agent in between us? But, I gave you this job myself.

No, theres no agent, but I can tell you whom I must meet at 4 pm every day.

Pray tell, the CEO said, exasperated.

Do you know Jesus? this man asked.

If you mean Jesus Christ, then, of course, I know him.

Well, I go home to meet his father. I pray to Krishna.

For 40 years this person had never missed his routine of Mantra chanting. Every day, he chanted 16 rounds of the Gayatri mantra and two rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, followed by reading one chapter from the Bhagavad Gita. He was a householder and worked a full-time job until he was 60 years old. This is the level of self-discipline and faith that is required if you really want to succeed on the path of mantra sadhana.

The CEO, for the record, marked on his file to never bother this guy again: Let him do whatever he wants to do after 3 pm; let him go where he wants to go, in his own time. He worked up until he retired from this company, by the way. Look at his faith. So often, we think that people who are just mediums in our lives are our everything, that without their grace we wont live. Thats not true. They are simply the medium. Ja par Kripa Raam ki hoi, taa par Kripa Kare sab koi. (If the Divine is in your favor, the whole world will be too.)

A very senior bureaucrat once wrote to me, saying, The chief minister used to love me, but now the CM is against me, and I am being framed, and so forth. He was very keen that I get his email, so I wrote him one line in return: Did you do anything wrong?

He replied, No.

I wrote back: You dont have anything to worry about. Drop all your fears.

A few days later I got another email from him that read, Its miraculous! I dont know how it happened, but just yesterday evening, I managed to meet the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary. Everybody is on my side, and people who were against me are now saying that I was actually doing the right thing. But I just need to be back in the good books of the chief minister, because hes the man, after all.

I replied, You have missed the point completely. The chief minister is not the maker of your destiny; he is just the medium. You just focus on doing the right thing, and the right things will follow automatically.

Its worth remembering here that when your faith is strong, no adversity in life can shake you. Otherwise, every little incident becomes a huge episode. Each minor hurdle, every small challenge looks like a mountain to climb, which it isnt. You have made it into a mountain, but it is nothing. Keep doing what you have to do, and you will make your own way.

In any event, when we chant a mantra such as the Gayatri Mantra, we are not asking any supernatural being to help us. Instead, we are invoking our own latent energy; we are invoking the power within us. Associating it with a deity of some kind is a matter of meditation; of better focus, visualization and manifestation.

This is an excerpt from my new book The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra where Ive shared various steps and also the brief method of invocation for those who are pressed for time. Although heavily edited, its based on the discourses I gave in my Gayatri Sadhana camps. Before you grab your copy, please do know that this book is essentially a concise version of The Ancient Science of Mantras with an exclusive and magnified focus on the Gayatri Sadhana, its origin, and invocation. I thought this disclaimer was important so you dont end up with a book and say to yourself, I already knew all this. What? Do you still want to read it? Here are the links then:

Amazon.in (India)

Amazon.com (rest of the world)

For a deeper understanding, the most frequently asked questions on Gayatri Sadhana are answered below in the list. You can also learn more and listen to 108 chants of Gayatri Mantra in Om Swamis voice to enhance your mantra meditation.

Peace.

Swami



Is it possible to do Gayatri Sadhana without initiation or with the absence of a guru in life?

Video Timeline

0:09 Does one need a guru on the spiritual path

04:16 What is the best time for chanting

06:26 Why do we use a Gomukh for the Jaap mala

If one's job involves traveling how can they perform sadhana? Why is the long form of the Gayatri Mantra not chanted as often as the short form of the Gayatri Mantra?

Video timeline

0:09 How can one practice chanting when their job requires traveling

11:45 What is the best form of Gayatri mantra to chant

12:48 How to chant Gayatri Mantra on your chakras

14:33 Can one do Purascharana multiple times

17:29 Is there a specific technique to realize God The purest Gayatri Mantra in its truest form is: Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah  Tat-Savitur Varenyam  Bhargo Devasya Dheemah -Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat.



How to synchronize breathing with Gayatri Mantra chanting? What is the benefit of infusing chanting in breathing?

Video timeline

0:09 How to breathe during mantra chanting

1:39 Why is spirituality more prevalent in the East compared to the West

5:33 Music as an example of Meditation

6:30 Importance of structure

Can one use a Sri Yantra for Gayatri Sadhana? Is initiation by a guru mandatory to be successful in Gayatri Sadhana?

Video Timelines

0:09 What is the Importance of Yantra in Gayatri Sadhana?

3:56 Do we need a picture of Goddess Gayatri for Gayatri Sadhana?

5:11 If God is one, how does this relate to different deities and different energies?

6:09 What is more beneficial a guru mantra or any other mantra?

How can I benefit from Gayatri Sadhana?

Video Timelines:

0:12 Power of devotional sentiment in chanting

1:47 Why do we pray to Mother Earth ( Prithvi Puja) in Gayatri Sadhana?

2:59 How to do Prithvi Puja ?

4:10 Types of energies and their representation in yantra in Gayatri Sadhana

5:46 Who will never benefit from Gayatri Mantra?

Here are some question-answer recordings from the Camp.Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Dog outerwear is adorable. Whether in tiny knit sweaters or galoshes on the paws and raincoats with tail openings, every dog from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane looks better when dressed up to go outdoors. But dog jackets and boots arent just for aesthetics and human enjoyment  theyre essential for protecting pets against cold weather and precipitation.

With a built-in coat, a dog might seem like he never needs extra layers, but thats not so. Some breeds are better equipped to deal with the cold than others, so take your dogs lead when choosing how much gear theyll need depending on the temperature and how long youll be outdoors. If youre only outside for a short time, under ten minutes, then coats arent usually necessary. Dogs in temperatures above 45 degrees typically dont need a coat, but know your dog and keep an eye out for signs they feel cold, says Nicole Ellis, dog training and product expert at Rover. Once the temperature dips below 45, youll want to start paying attention to those signs. According to Ellis, one way of checking your dogs temperature is to feel the outer edges of their ears  if theyre cold to the touch, its probably time to bundle up.

Melissa Pezzuto, behavior consultant team lead at Best Friends Animal Society, adds If your dog is shivering, lifting paws up to avoid the cold, or burrowing under a blanket, they may be a candidate for some winter weather clothing, and Conrad Russo, blogger and owner of Pet Gear Lab, points out that because dogs paws are especially sensitive to the cold, if the temperature outside is so cold that you cant keep your own hand on the [ground] for a few seconds, then its perhaps too cold to walk them, he says.

When its time for a quick walk, though, there are steps you can take to make sure your furry friend is properly attired. We asked five animal experts to recommend the best pieces for outfitting your dog when youd both rather be curled up on the couch.

Best dog coats for cold weather

Ultra Paws WeatherMaster Reflective Dog Coat w/Ultra-Heat Liner From $26 Gina DiNardo, executive secretary of the American Kennel Club, explains, There are certain types of dogs that were bred to live and work in cold climates, like the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute, [but] hairless, short-haired, and toy breed dogs would benefit from wearing protective clothing in the cold weather. Pezzuto adds, senior dogs, puppies, and dogs with medical challenges may also need some additional warmth. For dogs that need coats, the WeatherMaster from Ultra Paws, recommended by Samantha Schwab, resident pet expert at Chewy, features two layers of insulation to lock in body heat and a waterproof outer layer. From $26 at Chewy Buy

Equafleece Dog Suit From $49 From $49 Compared to coats that cover a dogs back with only a buckle or strap on the front side, DiNardo says a coat that has a full front keeps belly fur nice and dry. Also, it may stay in place better. She likes the full-body Equafleece coat  with no snaps or velcro to snag on your pups fur  because its 100 percent rainproof, breathable, warm, and washable. Russo likes snug-fitted pieces which have been proven to reduce anxiety in dogs. A sweater that covers the dogs neck and belly is a great idea, as not only does it keep them warm, its also comforting, he says. DiNardo agrees: Snug fitting sweaters and jackets will keep cold air from getting in under the coat and keep your dog warmer than loose fitting coats. From $49 at Equafleece Dog Suit Buy

Ruffwear Quinzee Insulated Dog Jacket $80 Experts love the rugged, field-tested pieces from Ruffwear for protecting dogs from the elements. You often get what you pay for, so look for a company that sells outdoor wear for dogs such as Ruffwear to get long lasting gear, says Ellis. Pezzuto likes that the company makes items specifically for the outdoors and inclement weather. The Quinzee jacket, a favorite of Russo, has recycled polyester lining and a durable outer shell. $80 at Amazon Buy $80 at Amazon Buy

Best dog coats for rain and snow

Weatherbeeta Parka 1200 Deluxe Dog Coat From $53 From $53 Waterproof, breathable, and with full chest and belly coverage for warmth, this dog parka keeps dogs cozy and dry. Ellis likes the Weatherbeeta brand but does advise testing any dog clothing before you actually need to use it because pets can be picky. Playing a nice game of fetch or going for a walk together with the jacket on can help your pet get acclimated to his or her new wardrobe, she says. From $53 at Amazon Buy From $53 at Amazon Buy

Ruffwear Wind Sprinter $50 now 24% off $38 Photo: Ruffwear If your pet wont wear a jacket but isnt a fan of getting wet, Ellis recommends a light jacket, such as the Wind Sprinter from Ruffwear [that] can keep the rain and snow off your pets back and belly. Best for warm and wet days  or for breeds that dont get cold easily  this lightweight windbreaker is made from durable, water-resistant, nylon. $38 at Amazon Buy $38 at Amazon Buy

Hurtta Rain Blocker Dog Raincoat From $43 Like Ruffwear, the Finnish brand Hurtta designs canine outerwear thatll stand up to all kinds of extreme weather conditions. Ellis says they have some great [jackets] that go down to the dogs ankles to prevent snow and dirt from sticking on the legs. Available in a wide range of sizes, this raincoat is also adjustable to ensure a comfortable fit. From $43 at Amazon Buy From $69 at Chewy Buy

Dog Helios Weather King Full Body Dog Jacket $80 now 43% off From $46 For days that are both cold and wet, this fleece-lined jacket with a rain-and-snow-proof outer shell offers maximum protection. Schwab recommends it for small dogs like Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers, those with short-haired coats like Whippets and Boston Terriers, and bully breeds such as American Pit Bull Terriers, who dont have an undercoat. The jacket also has reflective piping for extra safety on nighttime walks. From $46 at Chewy Buy

Best dog boots

Kurgo Step & Strobe Dog Boots, 4 count $72 now 36% off From $46 Once your dog has the right coat or jacket, youll also want to look into weather-ready footwear. Your dog will offer warning signs if they need extra foot protection. If your dog looks up at you, whines and picks up their feet one at a time, tip-tappy style, then its too cold for them, says Russo. DiNardo says, Paw pads are especially important to protect, as snow, ice and salt on the sidewalk can irritate them. Although some dogs wont tolerate boots (mine refused to walk, as if Ive made them wear an alien life form, says Russo), if yours is amenable, Schwab likes these from Kurgo. Theyre extra-durable, keep paws clean, and even have LED-lights in the sole for visibility. From $46 at Amazon Buy

Ruffwear Grip Trex All-Terrain Paw Wear for Dogs $38 For dog boots look for ones with rubber soles to last awhile and Velcro to help them stay on, says Ellis. These Ruffwear boots are some of her favorites. Rugged lugs on the sole help dogs get traction on different surfaces. Since dogs usually use their nails to avoid sliding on ice, make sure theyll be able to get similar support from their boots. $38 at REI Buy

Muttluks Original Fleece-Lined Dog Boots From $48 Like any type of dog clothing, its important that boots are the right size. Dogs are more likely to reject ill-fitting boots and they could be unsafe for walking. I really like Muttluks boots to protect my dogs little paws, which are often hard to fit, says Ellis. With sizes from itty-bitty to extra-large, their boots fit a wide range of dogs. From $48 at Amazon Buy From $48 at Amazon Buy

Pawz Waterproof Dog Boot $16 If you really cant get your pup to buy into footwear, Pezzuto suggests trying these disposable booties. Theyre made to slip on easily without zippers or Velcro straps and, since theyre more affordable than regular boots, it wont be a huge loss if they go unworn. If you want your pup to wear boots in the cold, youll need to introduce her to them gradually and positively, says Pezzuto. $16 at Amazon Buy $16 at Amazon Buy

Best paw and snout protectors

Mushers Secret Paw Protection Natural Dog Wax From $15 In addition to booties for breeds who arent used to the cold, putting paw balm on the paw pads can help minimize the damage that salt can cause, says DiNardo. All-natural, food grade Mushers Secret wax emerged as a clear favorite among experts. Ellis says I often put Mushers Secret on my dogs paws for extra protection on cold and icy walks, and Pezzuto likes that it forms a breathable barrier for your pups paws. Schwab recommends using to to prevent your pets paws from cracking and bleeding in the cold. From $15 at Chewy Buy

Natural Dog Company Snout Soother $18 You might also find that your dog gets a dry snout in the winter, says Pezzuto. Exposed to frigid air without fur to protect them, dogs noses can lose moisture and become cracked and chapped in the cold. Pezzuto calls Snout Soother a great product to add some moisture back to your pups nose in those cold dry months. $18 at Amazon Buy $18 at Amazon Buy

Burts Bees Care Plus+ Paw & Nose Relieving Dog Lotion $15 now 40% off $9 Another option for both paw and snout protecting, this moisturizing Burts Bees lotion is a top pick of Russo and Schwab. Its all natural and includes great essential oils like rosemary and olive oil, says Russo. $9 at Chewy Buy

Dechra 100-Count MalAcetic Wet Wipes $11 for 25 Along with natural hazards like snow and pebbles, the chemical compounds humans use to de-ice streets and sidewalks pose a risk to dogs. The chemicals used to melt snow on the streets can be irritating and cause issues on dogs paws if not removed, says Ellis. I use MalAcetic wipes to wipe my dogs paws  and other parts such as ears and bellies. And while you cant control what chemicals are on the streets, you can use a pet-safe ice melter on your own driveway as Schwab recommends. $11 for 25 at Chewy Buy $18 for 25 at Amazon Buy

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Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.The peace process between Israeli and Palestinian representatives is long dead, yet the funeral still has not been held. Israel continues to disenfranchise, persecute and displace Palestinians, while it deepens its bonds with fascistic forces worldwide, including the United States, Hungary, Philippines and Brazil.

Disillusioned with politicians, Palestinian civil society issued a call in 2005 to the international community to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) the Israeli state until it recognises their full rights. The BDS movement has gained vast support among Palestinians and allies, garnering several key public relations victories, including the recent reaffirmation of an award to civil rights icon Angela Davis, after it was initially rescinded due to pressure from Zionist groups disturbed by her support for the BDS movement.

In contrast with the call for BDS and the failures of decades of negotiations, some insist that peace and justice can be achieved by means of dialogue and compromise between Palestinians and Zionists.

In a recent editorial in The Guardian, autism researcher Professor Simon Baron-Cohen presents empathy as a grassroots means of bridging gaps between peoples in conflict for the purpose of encouraging compromise towards a collective future. He argues that empathy between victims is the first step towards reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian societies which have dehumanised each other.

Early on, Baron-Cohen admits he is not an expert on the matter, which is the first of several reasons his account echoes Liberal Zionist propaganda.

Zionist propaganda

The ultimate propaganda goal of any nationalistic apparatus is to fuse the perception of self with that of nation into a cohesive identity that is loyal to the ruling class. Critique of the state becomes an existential threat that warrants defensive responses aimed at ensuring the survival of both personal and collective psyches.

Zionism has been a modern white supremacist movement since its inception. Zionists coopted aspects of Judaism and Liberalism, repackaging them as appeals to identities and propaganda tools to bolster colonial expansion.

The state of Israel is built on the fallacy, enshrined in a Basic Law, that it is simultaneously Jewish and democratic. However, Israel is not a democratic state, as demonstrated by the long list of anti-Palestinian measures including the recent Jewish nation-state law. Nor is it a Jewish state, as exemplified by Israels consistent targeting of anti-Zionist Jews and prejudice against Sephardi, Mizrahi and African Jews, as well as its ongoing collaboration with anti-Semitic forces which aim for global apartheid.

The artificial connection between Zionism and Judaism thwarts resistance by deeming critique of Zionism and Israeli policies towards Palestinians as an attack on all Jews, ie anti-Semitic. Further, it fragments anti-colonial resistance by reframing a political struggle over land and resources between an occupying force and an occupied people as a conflict among two relatively equal parties.

The Liberal flank of Zionism functions to sanitise and revise the reactionary, settler-colonialist and white supremacist essence of the movement and obscure its motivations  expansionism and apartheid. Duplicitously, it presents Zionism as compatible with democratic and progressive values and human rights, possessing a true desire for peace, justice and complete integration into the Middle East.

Liberal Zionism

Liberal Zionism promotes the notion of a left to right spectrum within Israel. Yet the differences between the extremes are only tactical and cosmetic, maintaining an illusion of a humane society with a healthy democratic discourse.

Left-wing and Liberal Zionist parties engage in civil liberties for members of the privileged class yet dare not address the very nature of Zionism, whose adherents have terrorised the Indigenous Palestinians for over seven decades.

Liberal Zionists ahistorically present Israeli and Palestinian narratives as parallel truths, and both peoples as victims with legitimate claims and grievances requiring lengthy negotiations and difficult concessions before a compromise is reached. Thus, deploying colonising language, the Liberal Zionist revisionist narrative equates settler colonialist oppressors who hold all levers of power, with their Indigenous Palestinians victims.

This false equation, echoed in Baron-Cohens article, underpins the Liberal Zionist embrace of the two-state solution which would resolve the conflict by dividing the land in line with Israeli security interests to formalise the existing Palestinian bantustans, even as Israel refuses to exercise its powerful position to enable a viable sovereign state for Palestinians.

Liberal Zionists adopt an anti-intellectual, imperialist framework, which considers an insistence on historical truth and accountability as unnecessary, futile and even petty and seek to problem-solve using a fallacious pragmatic view to the future rather than an inquiry into the lessons of the past. Further, Liberal Zionists such as the late novelist Amos Oz adopt an immoral approach which considers Israeli war crimes as justified defensive responses to decontextualised Palestinian anti-colonial violence.

An alternative framework

Victims of domestic and other forms of abuse require empowerment as a means to end their victimisation, ultimately bringing their oppressors to justice. Empathy for the abuser as a first step towards this goal is, in fact, a form of perpetuating exploitation. It empowers the abuser and cements the abusive dynamic by denying the essence of the unequal relationship.

Baron-Cohens notion of empathy is oppressive as he applies it equally to Palestinian victims and their Zionist abusers. His decontextualised presentation of empathy as a first step towards reconciliation is a Liberal Zionist non-sequitur, which maintains the status quo of oppression and dispossession, omitting the strong support Israel receives from imperialist forces, including his very own Great Britain. It is no surprise that he favourably references two prominent Liberal Zionist apologists in his essay; Amos Oz and disgraced journalist Ari Shavit, while completely ignoring Palestinian scholars and calls rejecting normalisation.

In contrast to Baron-Cohens acceptance of both the Palestinian and Zionist narratives as parallel truths, Zionism needs to be dismantled in its entirety as a white supremacist, colonial hegemonic force in Israel/Palestine to achieve equality, peace and justice for Palestinians and Jews alike.

For this purpose, it is instrumental to probe the foundations, motivations and forces behind Zionism and foster a step-wise approach which adopts the lessons of other anti-colonial, anti-racist movements and forms alliances with these groups. Pro-Palestinian activists can utilise empathy to connect with other victims of white supremacist patriarchal oppression such as people of colour, women, Indigenous groups, Jews, Muslims, immigrants, LGBTQI and others.

Once the oppressive structure is deconstructed, it can be effectively dismantled, after which a process of re-humanisation and reconciliation using empathy can occur. Story-telling and art are powerful means of reaffirming identity and building bridges. Accordingly, in present-day Israel art critical of Zionism is heavily criticised and can be censored and banned, even leading to the arrest and imprisonment of the artist, such as in the case of Dareen Tatour.

Analysis of Zionism as a settler colonialist movement informs on its underlying motivations, goals and propaganda techniques. An ever-escalating dynamic of trauma and aggression serves to normalise Zionist/Israeli oppression by a process of dehumanisation of the other and renders reconciliation virtually impossible by compartmentalising society into apartheid in and out groups.

The study of historical truth enables a pursuit for accountability and a de-internalisation of oppressive structural norms. Effective leadership from within the victim community then is fostered using an intersectional approach, which intimately represents oppression in all its manifestations.

Palestinian leadership and white saviorhood

At the end of his article, Baron-Cohen attempts to demonstrate the power of empathy at creating bonds towards reconciliation using a decontextualised example: Siham, a tokenised Palestinian woman whose brother was killed by an Israeli bullet (as opposed to killed by a soldier on orders of an illegal apartheid regime) connects with Robbie, an Israeli woman whose son was killed by a Palestinian bullet (as opposed to killed by a Palestinian with the legal right to armed struggle against occupation). In line with this erroneous Liberal Zionist framework, these women are presented as equal victims who bonded over their shared grief.

This notion of empathy was widely adopted during the Oslo Accord years when Palestinians and Israelis were purposefully brought together for dialogue. However, as historical truth and subsequent accountability were ignored in the process, individuals returned to their unchanged segregated communities: Israelis to their privilege and Palestinians to their oppression.

As an effective propaganda tool, Liberal Zionism promotes a normalisation which colonises the mind. Empathy serves to normalise, conceal and preserve the ongoing victimisation of Palestinians and provides a counterproductive and fleeting notion of progress.

As long as Zionist oppression remains intact, empathy based on co-resistance, not coexistence is the only relevant form for Palestinians and Israelis. All those interested in liberating Palestinians from oppression can heed to Palestinian leadership and avoid white saviorhood, which normalises white supremacist oppression, and does not encourage justice for its victims.

Palestinians and other victims of white supremacy wisely choose to reject normalisation attempts until they have all their rights (see here).

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.As we began the month, heavy snow across much of Central Europe continued from December. Weather-related deaths continued to rise and the winter storms caused major travel issues, power outages and cut off several Alpine villages.

A bit further south, storm after storm continued to slam the eastern Mediterranean. Coastal homes were destroyed in Lebanon, while further inland the heavy rain flooded refugee camps housing about one million Syrian refugees.

In the southern hemisphere, Australia spent most of the month enduring an ongoing heat wave. Several cities broke daily temperature records. The heat and the dry conditions across Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales also meant that the bushfire threat continued to increase.

As the month ended, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said that January was the hottest month on record.

In North America, the infamous polar vortex brought extreme cold to south-central Canada and to the US northern plains, Midwest and Northeast, where temperatures lower than -35 degrees Celsius paralysed much of the region for days.Warren, what is she good for? Absolutely something! Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images

In a bold and controversial move, Elizabeth Warren introduced legislation this week that would revoke Donald Trumps existing authority to trigger a nuclear holocaust whenever he feels like it. The No First Use Act, which Warren co-authored with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, would legally establish that it is the policy of the United States to never be the first power to use nuclear weapons in an armed conflict.

No First Use (except, perhaps, in extremely unlikely hypothetical scenarios) has been Americas unspoken policy for decades. And toward the end of his time in office, Barack Obama considered making that policy official. But the presidents advisers proved nearly unanimous in their objections to such a move, on the (retrospectively ironic) grounds that Donald Trumps campaign rhetoric was making U.S. allies nervous. As the New York Times reported in September 2016:

[I]n the end, Mr. Obama seems to have sided with his current advisers, who warned in meetings culminating this summer that a no-first-use declaration would rattle allies like Japan and South Korea. Those nations are concerned about discussion of an American pullback from Asia prompted by comments made by the Republican presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump.

Whether those nations were more rattled by Trumps unexpectedly inheriting the unilateral authority to commence the eschaton remains unclear. Regardless, Warren and Smith insist that the president should not be constrained from ordering a nuclear first strike by informal norms, but rather, official law.

Our current nuclear strategy is not just outdated  it is dangerous, Smith and Warren wrote in a joint statement. By making clear that deterrence is the sole purpose of our arsenal, this bill would reduce the chances of a nuclear miscalculation and help us maintain our moral and diplomatic leadership in the world.

Advocates of no first use believe the adoption of such a measure could spur more concrete changes in atomic policy, like putting our nuclear arsenal into a lower state of readiness (and thus reducing the probability of an accidental world war).

But leading Republicans believe that maintaining calculated ambiguity about whether America is a rogue, terrorist state that just might wipe a city off the face of the Earth at any moment is cool and good. Nebraska senator Deb Fischer said of Warrens bill Wednesday, With Russia and China increasingly attempting to intimidate their neighbors  some of whom are U.S. allies  this is the wrong message to send. It betrays a naive and disturbed world view.

Thank God our current leaders have a worldview that is sophisticated and sane.One of four men awaiting trial in the 2016 shooting of a Jefferson County sheriffs deputy is behind bars in California after police say he tried to mail suitcases containing 40 pounds of marijuana to Birmingham.

Dejuan Rashad Dedrick, 27, is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Deputy Jeremy Comans, who on June 30, 2016, took three AR-15 rounds to his right knee during a drug raid. Comans spoke publicly for the first time this week, chronicling the ordeal for AL.com.

It began about 5:30 p.m. that Thursday when deputies went to serve a narcotics search warrant at a home on Birminghams Dowell Avenue. Upon entry into the split-level house, gunfire erupted, and deputies responded. More than 100 rounds were fired during the gunfight, and Comans was out for the next nine months recovering from his wounds.

Dedrick and three others - Antuan Cornell Riggs, Antaurean Markese Riggs and Stephen Lamar Gadson  were all arrested within hours, or days, of the shooting and later released on bond. They have still not gone to trial.

Dedricks bond was set at $200,000 and he was released from the Jefferson County Jail on Feb. 22, 2017. The conditions of his release included electronic monitoring. He was prohibited from leaving the state, as well.

Apparently, however, he did.

Sgt. Derek Green, public information officer for the Burbank Police Department, on Friday provided this account of what led to Dedricks arrest in California based on information provided to him for release by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority Police Department. The airport police handled the arrest, and the criminal filing was handled by Burbank police detectives.

On Jan. 19, 2019, an adult male passenger checked two suitcases on a Delta Airlines flight originating in Burbank with a final destination of Birmingham. Just prior to departure and during final comparisons with a passenger manifest, it was determined that the man associated with these two suitcases had not boarded the aircraft, Green said. Attempts were made to locate the passenger but were not successful.

The suitcases were subsequently held and sent through additional security screening measures. Both suitcases were found to contain a large quantity of marijuana. The LA Times reported the amount to be 40 pounds.

Airport police determined that following check-in and a security screening, the passenger left the airport property and made no attempt to board the flight.

The following day, about 9:10 p.m., the man who had checked the luggage returned to the Hollywood Burbank Airport to retrieve the suitcases. He was contacted by police and placed under arrest before being booked into the Burbank City Jail on suspicion of transporting marijuana. It was also learned the man used someone elses identity to book the flight and to check-in, Green said.

Investigators identified his true identity to be Dedrick.

On Jan. 23, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office filed charges against Dedrick for false impersonation of another, burglary, and the transporting or attempted transporting of marijuana out of this state. Dedrick is currently being held on $165,000 bond, in addition to an extradition hold for Alabama.

Crime Stoppers in Birmingham featured Dedrick in December 2018, saying he was wanted on felony warrants charging him with first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to appear in court on the attempted murder charge.

The Jefferson County District Attorneys Office on Jan. 22 filed a motion to revoke Dedricks release on bond in the shooting of Comans, noting his arrest in Burbank. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety that same day granted the motion and ordered a writ of arrest for Dedrick.

Once extradited to Jefferson County, Dedrick will be held without bond.The shooting deaths of two Alabama police officers in January, and the increasing violence against law enforcement officers nationwide, prompted the states top three federal prosecutors on Friday to speak out.

Those willing to commit malicious acts of violence against members of law enforcement would not give a second thought to leveling that same violence against the rest of us, said Jay Town, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. An attack on the men and women who wear the badge is an attack on the very foundations of our community and the sanctity of our cities. We should never forget that the line of duty is endowed by sacrifice, selflessness, and courage and we should all take care to honor those whose end of watch came much too soon.

Birmingham police Sgt. Wytasha WyT Carter, 44, was shot to death Sunday, Jan. 13, while he and others were working a special operation targeting vehicle break-ins downtown. A second Birmingham officer, 27-year-old Lucas Allums, was critically wounded but released after nine days in the hospital, most in intensive care.

The shooting happened at 1:59 a.m. that Sunday in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue North. A 31-year-old suspect, who was paralyzed in return fire by other officers, remains hospitalized. Charges have not yet been announced.

One week later  on Sunday, Jan. 20  Mobile police Officer Sean Tuder, 30, was shot to death while trying to arrest a wanted suspect. That shooting happened about 3 p.m. at Peach Place Inn at 1545 Leroy Stevens Road. Tuder was trying to arrest 19-year-old Marco Perez on warrants when Perez pulled out a gun and shot Tuder. Perez was charged with capital murder.

Tuders slaying happened one year after another Mobile police officer  27-year-old Justin Billa  was shot to death trying to arrest a man wanted in the murder of his ex-wife.

So far this year, 10 police officers have died in the line of duty nationwide. Town was accompanied Friday by Louis V. Franklin Sr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District and Richard W. Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.

Franklin called officer deaths haunting and hurtful. Its like losing a family member, he said.

A law enforcement officer begins each day uncertain as to whether he or she will be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his or her community, Franklin said. Too often, these daily acts of bravery go unnoticed. It should not take the tragic deaths of our officers for all of us to recognize the selfless sacrifices of law enforcement that take place each and every day.

The trio discussed the Back the Blue Initiative  a move by U.S. Attorneys nationwide to pay tribute to officers service and sacrifice. Moore serves as chairman on the Attorney Generals Advisory Community and said part of his duties include writing letters of condolence to law enforcements agencies in the U.S. when an officer dies on the job.

I never had that responsibility before and frankly I was alarmed at how many officers we have killed in the line of duty, Moore said. We have too many of these and all of the U.S. attorneys have been concerned about this.

When you have people thinking somehow its not any different to shoot a police officer, it undermines the principals of the rule of law, first of all, the principals of democracy and just general public safety, he said. Somehow we have to get the word out that you do not shoot a cop. And if you do, were going to bring the full power of the government and law enforcement down on you.

There is a difference in how we treat law enforcement, the people standing between us and the people who would do us harm, Moore said. We hold our officers to higher standards, we expect them to be the best of the best, we expect them to uphold the civil rights of everyone, but we back the blue and were proud to do that.

Moore said hes not sure authorities know why violence against police has increased but said there are several theories. We seem to live in a more violent society, he said. What kids see, frankly, on movies and televisionwhere shooting other people doesnt seem to be abnormal. I tend to think that might influence people.

He also said what parents and teachers say or dont say about respecting police officers could be a factor. What I would ask is parents in the home, those school teachers, who have young impressionable kids, to the extent that they can, to help present police officers for what they are - somebody who is going to help them.

All three said its vital for the community to step up and help police by giving them the information they need to put away the shooters and other violent criminals. We need them as witnesses, so we can remove (the criminals) and give them the greatest amount of punishment we can, Town said. My message to anyone who shoots a police officer is youre going to prison and youre going for a long time.

Asked what it means to back the blue, Franklin said this: I think what it means in a nutshell is respect. Respect each other, not just police officers but everybody. And I think also contributing to what I see as an upswing of violence directed at police officers is the lack of respect that we show one another on a daily basis. Lets respect our police officers. Lets understand that theyre here to protect you, your property. Thats why theyre here. For me it comes down to that.A proposal to end the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Alabama will again be a topic for the Legislature.

Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, has filed a bill that would repeal the requirement for a permit. Allens bill would not eliminate permits but they would no longer be mandatory.

Its very important for us to maintain the idea that the Second Amendment was given to personally defend ourselves, our families, our property and not be required to pay a fee or a tax, Allen said.

The senator has sponsored the bill for several years. It has passed the Senate in 2017, with strong support from Republicans and opposition from Democrats. But it died in the House.

Police and sheriffs have led opposition to the bill in previous years, arguing that the requirement for a permit is an important law enforcement tool.

Bobby Timmons, executive director of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, said that has not changed. Timmons said he would request a public hearing on the bill after the legislative session begins on March 5 and would testify against it.

Pistol permit fees vary by county because they are set by local bills passed by the Legislature, Timmons said. Sheriffs use the money raised by the fees to help fund their operations. Timmons said the money is not the main reason sheriffs want to keep the requirement.

Its not an issue weve ever looked at from the standpoint of revenue, Timmons said. Weve looked at it more for safety.

Gun rights advocates, including from the group Bama Carry and representatives of the National Rifle Association, have previously spoken in support of Allens bill.

State law says a gun owner is required to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun:

"Except on land under his or her control or in his or her own abode or his or her own fixed place of business, no person shall carry a pistol in any vehicle or concealed on or about his or her person without a permit. (Code of Alabama, Section 13A-11-73.)

A gun owner with no permit can carry a pistol in their vehicle only if it is unloaded and locked in a compartment out of reach of the driver and passengers.

To get a pistol permit, a gun owner fills out an application and the sheriffs office conducts a criminal background check. State law prohibits people convicted of certain felonies and domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing a pistol, as well as anyone of unsound mind.

Federal laws also prohibit gun possession for people convicted of certain crimes, people who have been committed to a mental institution and people who are in the country illegally.

In Alabama, a pistol permit issued by a county sheriff is valid statewide and in other states that have reciprocal agreements with Alabama.

Allen said he believes that if his bill passes, many gun owners who want to carry a gun for protection will still choose to have a permit, partly because they want to carry in other states. Alabama has reciprocal agreements with about half of the states, including all neighboring states, according to the Madison County Sheriffs Office.

Allen said hes confident his bill can pass the Senate, as it did in 2017. But the bill never came up for a vote in the House that year. Allen said hes confident it can pass the House if it comes to a floor vote.

I would like to challenge all the citizens thats concerned about the future of the Second Amendment to encourage them to voice their opinions to the House members and just ask for a full floor vote, Allen said.Huntsville city officials are reminding citizens about new safety ordinances for pets, including humane restraints for dogs kept outdoors, will go into effect March 1.

The city council unanimously approved the changes on Nov. 1, 2018,

Pet owners of any canine that normally house their animals outside unattended on their property are now required to provide a humane restraint for these animals, which means dogs cannot be chained, the city wrote in announcing the reminder. In addition to pet safety outlined in existing ordinances, the city strengthened pet regulations regarding humane shelter, space, food and water ordinances to ensure appropriate care of dogs.

The city provided a four-month grace period for pet owners to make preparations for the new laws.

Were going to work to end chaining in our community, Karen Sheppard, director of Animal Services, told the council at the Oct. 25 meeting when the ordinances were introduced. And there are a lot more issues with anti-cruelty that will give our officers a chance to encourage people to make positive changes for their outdoor pets. But if not, theyre going to have the law standing behind them for citations.

According to the amended law, animals left unattended outside are required to have access to clean, fresh potable water and proper food, to have a structurally sound, water- and wind-proof sufficient size shelter and a trolley system or runner attached to a pulley on a cable run or a minimum of 200 square feet chained link kennel run.

According to the new law, a first offense for confining animals in pen less than minimum area or improper distance from occupied dwelling is a $15 fine and a second offense is $25.The volunteer Muslim chaplain for a Death Row inmate set for execution next week said that there are prayers required of a Muslim before he dies, and that the inmate needs his assistance to die honoring his faith.

I know the things that are required of Muslims before they die, said Yusef Maisonet, imam of Masjid As Salaam in Mobile. We want to make sure his last words are, There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.

A Christian chaplain and other prison staff may violate the mans right to die in accordance with his faith, Maisonet said.

If they exclude me, they may ask him something and ask him to reply and those wont be his last words, Maisonet said.

Maisonet said he also planned to read verses from the Quran, the holy book of Islam, so that those are the last words he hears. As hes going through his transition, I can read from the Quran, and he can leave with that on his spirit, Maisonet said.

A federal judge in Montgomery on Friday denied a stay of execution in a case involving Alabama death row inmate Domineque Ray, who has sought to stop his execution because his Muslim spiritual adviser is not being allowed to join him in the death chamber.

Ray, 42, is scheduled for execution on Feb. 7 for the 1995 killing, rape, and robbery of 15-year-old Tiffany Harville in Dallas County.

Chief U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins of the Middle District of Alabama held a hearing Thursday and on Friday denied a stay of execution.

Domineques request of me being in there is not uncommon, Maisonet said. Im a trained and certified imam.

The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Alabama) on Feb. 2 called on the state to grant the religious accommodation request from Ray to have a Muslim chaplain present at his execution.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, Rays lawyers claim the Alabama Department of Corrections is violating Rays religious freedom rights by denying his request to have an imam be with him when he is executed at Holman Prison. The lethal injection is scheduled for 6 p.m.

It is Alabama Department of Corrections policy that only DOC employees can be in the chamber at the time of execution. Maisonet volunteers and is not on the staff of the DOC, which he said has no paid Muslim chaplains on staff. That should not negate the right for me to be in there, Maisonet said.

Maisonet said Alabama needs a Muslim chaplain. I would like to see them have a permanent imam because of the big Muslim population that they have, Maisonet said.

Maisonet said he met Ray six years ago, and at that time Ray was already a Muslim.

I was bringing him books to make his stay on Death Row a little easier, Maisonet said.

Maisonet goes to Death Row at Holman Correctional Facility once a month to lead prayer for about eight to 10 Muslims, he said.

When I go to prayer service, they bring prayer rugs, head coverings, Qurans, Maisonet said. When I go to Death Row, they put me in a cell with 10 Muslims and they lock it. For me to be in the chamber for one Muslim who is strapped down, reciting some Quran, that is not a problem. I fight for the rights of everybody. At our masjid (mosque), we go out and feed the homeless. We dont ask their religion.

Maisonet said he was asked not to comment to the media, but he agreed to an interview with AL.com.

They want to treat to treat me like an employee without benefits, Maisonet said. They want to control me. I do what I want to do. They told me not to speak with the press. Im in America. I can serve this country pretty well. I love America. I would never break its laws. I love to be an outstanding citizen.

Maisonets mosque, Masjid As Salaam, typically draws about 50 people for prayer at the main prayer services, he said.

We try to follow the Quran to the best of our ability, love our neighbors like were supposed to, Maisonet said. We believe in Moses and Jesus. We try to get along with everybody.

Maisonet, 67, said he was born in Harlem, N.Y., to Puerto Rican immigrant parents who were arrested and sentenced to prison on drug charges when he was two years old. He was sent to live at a Catholic orphanage, St. Josephs Home in Peekskill, N.Y., run by Franciscan priests and nuns.

They put the consciousness of God in my heart, he said.

He lived there until he was nine, when his mother was released from prison.

Going through that hardship made me softer, he said. We all go through ups and downs. I try to be a good person. It motivated me to be a self-seeker, try to better myself in life.

He converted to Islam as a teenager. I was 16 years old when I became Muslim, he said.

He has been an imam for 10 years, after a career driving ships for the Military Sealift Command, working for the Seafarers International Union and National Maritime Union.

Maisonet cited the Quran, Surah AliImran 3:102, for its instructions on dying.

Oh you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

This is a chapter in the Quran that is dear to us, he said.

He hopes Ray can successfully appeal his case.

Were hoping for the best, Maisonet said.A 20-year-old man is charged with rape of a 12-year-old girl in northeast Alabama, authorities said.

Manuel Francisco-Francisco is held in the DeKalb County jail on a charge of second-degree rape, records show. Bail is set at $50,000.

Manuel Francisco-Francisco is held in the DeKalb County jail on a charge of second-degree rape, records show.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said the charge stems from an incident that happened Tuesday in the Kilpatrick area. Francisco-Francisco was booked into the jail early Wednesday.

Predators have no place in our communities, Welden said in a news release. Our children are our greatest asset and must be protected at all cost. Id also like to thank our investigator for handling this matter so quickly.

Further details werent released.

Second-degree rape is a Class B felony thats punishable by up to 20 years in prison.Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, fiercely critical of President Donald Trump for the lack of progress on his proposed border wall, said she thinks Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks could be a terrific challenger in the 2020 Republican primary.

Coulter tossed out that possibility during an interview on the Yahoo! News podcast "Skullduggery TV: Scandals in the Trump Era." In conversation with hosts Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman, she referred to Trump as "lazy and incompetent" and said his promise of a southern border wall was what got him elected.

"We put this lunatic in the White House for one reason," she said.

Brooks' name came up in a brief exchange in which Klaidman jokingly hinted at a name-recognition problem for Brooks, R-Huntsville.

"Do you want a primary challenger to President Trump in 2020?" asked Isikoff. "A Republican primary challenger?"

"No," said Coulter. "I want him to build the wall, end anchor babies, deport dreamers "

"If he does not?" pressed Isikoff.

"Um, I'm pretty sure there will be a primary challenger and it's not going to be Jeff Flake," she said, laughing at the thought of the former Arizona senator entering the race.

Daniel Klaidman, Isikoff asked who she'd pick if it came down to it. "Mo Brooks is terrific ," she said.

"Did you say Mel Brooks?" asked Klaidman.

"Mo Brooks," she said. "The one who should be the senator from Alabama instead of Doug Jones, but idiot Jared-boy said 'No, endorse Luther Strange, he's huge in Alabama! It'll be great!'"

"If the wall is not built," said Isikoff, "if we don't get it, would you support "

"I can't even contemplate such a possibility," interjected Coulter.

 a Republican, conservative, anti-immigrant primary challenger to Donald Trump, continued Isikoff. Yes or no?

"I don't know, it's a hypothetical, I think he's going to build the wall," said Coulter. "I think there will be challengers if that happens, I think there will be tryouts, but I dont know. Yeah, we'll see."

Klaidman asked what she foresaw if 2020 approached with Trump's promise broken.

"I'm not considering it broken yet, I 'm just reminding him that if he doesn't effin' build it, this will be a very big broken promise," she said. "Republican presidents have kind of a history of making big promises, getting elected on those promises, and then betraying their promise. And it doesn't end well."

A spokesman for Brooks said he had no comment on Coulter's remarks. Brooks definitely has used Coulter-style rhetoric on immigration, however. In early January he said Democratic leaders in Congress have "American blood" on their hands for crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

Brooks has been a staunch supporter of Trump border policies, however. In a separate statement, he said in January that Until Congress gives President Trump funding for the physical border wall, his decision to send troops to the border, consistent with his Constitutional power as commander in chief, not only sends a strong message to the world that our borders will be secure, but more importantly preserves Americas national sovereignty.

Immigration hasnt been the only hot topic for Brooks. He recently issued a statement saying that Congressional Budget Office projections showed that out of control Washington spending had put the country on track for massive growth in national debt.Photographs that may depict Virginias Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, in blackface, began to circulate on Friday afternoon. The photos date from Northams time at Eastern Virginia Medical School and appear to have been published in the schools yearbook in 1984, the year of his graduation. The Virginian-Pilot reports:

On the half-page set aside for Northam, there is a headshot of him in a jacket and tie, a photo of him in a cowboy hat and boots and a third of him sitting casually on the ground, leaning against a convertible.

The fourth photo on the half-page has two people, one wearing white Ku Klux Klan robes and a hood, the other with his face painted black. The person with the black face is also wearing a white hat, black jacket, white shirt with a bow tie and plaid pants. Both are holding canned drinks.

The medical school confirmed the authenticity of the photos in a statement to WUSA News Channel 9:

#BREAKING - New statement from #Northam medical school...

With new high-res scan:

"I can confirm that the picture in question does appear in a 1984 student-produced publication. The EVMS library is open to the public and does provide access to its materials."@WUSA9 pic.twitter.com/U1sbOYusnT  Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) February 1, 2019

Some Democratic lawmakers defended Northam in comments to the Washington Post.

His whole life has been about exactly the opposite and thats what you need to examine, not something that occurred 30 years ago, said Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax). While its in very poor taste, I would think there is problem no one in the General Assembly who would like their college conduct examined. I would hate to have to go back and examine my two years in the Army. trust me. I was 18 years old and I was a handful, OK? His life since then has been anything but. Its been a life of helping people, and many times for free.

The photos first appeared on BigLeaguePolitics.com, a right-wing website founded by former Breitbart writer Patrick Howley. The Virginian-Pilot and the Washington Post then picked up the story. The Virginian-Pilot and the Post have not yet been able to confirm the identity of either man, and a spokesperson for the Virginia Democratic Party did not return a request for comment by press time. Northam was already weathering controversy for remarks he made regarding an abortion bill proposed by Democratic lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly. Right-wing websites incorrectly claimed that the governor had endorsed infanticide.

If Northam resigns, he will be replaced by Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax. Fairfax would become only the second African-American governor in Virginian history. L. Douglas Wilder was the first  and he, like Fairfax, first held statewide office as lieutenant governor. In 2017, a union supporting Northams bid for governor distributed campaign flyers that featured every Democratic candidate for statewide office except for Fairfax, the only African-American on the ticket. The union, the Laborers International Union of North America, said at the time that it was because Fairfax opposed the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast natural gas pipelines, which the union supported.

On Friday evening, the governor released a statement that appears to confirm that he was one of the two men in the photo. Its still not clear if he intends to resign:

Ralph Northam is apologizing for the black face photo.



via CNN's @ryanobles pic.twitter.com/3ZTz5v2Bgw  andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) February 1, 2019

After Northam released his apology, CBS News reported another racist yearbook entry from his time at the Virginia Military Institute:

To add to the shock, a page from Northam's yearbook at the Virginia Military Institute listed one of his nicknames as "Coonman," a racial slur. Story from @Grace_Segers https://t.co/69lQL2xW1Qhttps://t.co/oC9c7tMtc8  Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) February 1, 2019

This post has been updated.A woman faces an assault charge and multiple traffic violations after she led officers on a pursuit through four counties Friday afternoon, according to the Dale County Sheriffs Office.

About 3:30 p.m., Dale County deputies stopped Lisa Griggs as she was driving on Pea River Road after she did not stop at a stop sign, said Chief Deputy Mason Bynum. During the stop, deputies learned the vehicle had a switched license plate. The driver, Griggs, was acting erratically during the stop, Bynum said.

Deputies asked her to exit the vehicle, which she did, but then got back in the car and fled. One deputy was briefly dragged down the side of the car but was able to free himself, he said.

A pursuit began, which went into Barbour, Pike and Bullock counties, Bynum said.

During the pursuit Griggs rammed the deputys vehicle multiple times. Deputies attempted a pursuit intervention technique but were unsuccessful, Bynum said.

An Alabama State Trooper took over the pursuit after deputies lost sight of the car, he said. The pursuit ended on Bullock County Road 113 after Griggs turned down a dead-end road.

She was taken into custody and charged with second-degree attempted assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, attempting to elude and multiple other traffic violations. Bynum said Griggs may face additional charges.

The Pike County Sheriffs Office, Bullock County Sheriffs Office and ALEA assisted in the pursuit and arrest.Kings Home has announced the acquisition of the Jimmie Hale Missions Mission Possible thrift ministry, including thrift stores in Pinson, Hanceville and at Eastwood Mall in Irondale.

This opportunity came at a time when the leadership of The Jimmie Hale Mission felt the Lord leading our ministry in a different direction, said Tony Cooper, Executive Director of The Jimmie Hale Mission. We are excited to be handing over our three thrift stores into the care of Kings Home.

King's Home had been evaluating ways to promote their new Better Bin Initiative. The Better Bins are collection receptacles located around central Alabama that collect gently used items. Beginning today all items collected through the bins as well as items donated to Kings Home will be sold at these three thrift stores called- Kings Home Thrift-The Better Stores.

"King's Home is thrilled to partner with Jimmie Hale Mission in acquiring their three Birmingham metropolitan area stores in Eastwood, Pinson, and Hanceville, said Lew Burdette, President of the Kings Home. We look forward to serving these communities with great service and thrift product for years to come."

King's Home has been looking for ways to recoup the loss of revenue from America's Thrift Stores after they canceled a 30-year contract with King's Home in 2017.

In 2012, America's Thrift Stores was bought out by a San Francisco venture capital group that decided in 2017 to stop funding the King's Home ministry that helps abused youth, moms and kids.

"Losing $750,000 in funding was a heartbreaking disappointment especially for our residents who need help the most, but God has blessed us with this opportunity to begin recouping some of this lost revenue, said Lew Burdette, President of Kings Home. The public needs know that now 100 percent of their donations go to King's Home because in the past the America's Thrift Stores kept a large majority of the profits."

King's Home owns 22 residential group homes on six campuses in four Birmingham area counties of Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, and Tuscaloosa.

Kings Home provides services to abused youth, moms and children fleeing domestic violence so that they can find hope, opportunity and a way to start over in safe, loving homes.Thirty years after a 3-year-old child was raped in Mobile, a 48-year-old suspect identified by a DNA match has walked through a legal loophole that apparently has left him immune from prosecution.

The outcome, confirmed Friday in an order from Presiding Circuit Court Judge John Lockett, stunned a multi-disciplinary team of investigators, prosecutors, researchers and advocates known as the MDT, who have been working for years to resolve Mobiles backlog of hundreds of old rape cases.

"The outcome of it is truly unfortunate," said Lt. Matthew James, who heads the Mobile Police Department's Special Victims Unit.

The case had been a frequent topic of discussion for months at MDT meetings, which an AL.com reporter has been invited to attend. Among hundreds of cases pursued by the MDT, this one appeared to stand out because of the age of its victim and the ways in which shed been failed.

It makes you sick, said Assistant District Attorney Tandice Hogan, who prosecuted the case. It makes me sick. It makes me sad.

According to court documents, the case began on June 28, 1989, when Mobile police officers responded to a call at USA Children's and Women's hospital. Relatives said that while in the care of a babysitter, a three-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted. A sexual assault kit was performed, and semen was found on a vaginal swab and in the girl's panties.

Relatives told police at the time that they didn't know who the assailant might have been. That later turned out not to be true, but investigators had no way to know it at the time. With a victim too young to provide useful information, the investigation hit a wall.

The evidence remained on file, one kit among hundreds. Some were from cases that had never been given adequate investigation. Some DNA evidence had never been tested. Other cases had been pursued as far as officers could take them at the time, given the limits of the evidence and of DNA databases. But there is not statute of limitations on rape in Alabama, meaning any of them still could be pursued.

Such backlogs had become a national problem by 2009, as detailed in the documentary I Am Evidence. Eventually the Department of Justice launched a grant program, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), to help local agencies resolve rape cases left in limbo. Thanks to the leadership of grantwriter Laura Angle, the Mobile Police Department proved unusually adept at winning the grants and turning them into results.

Fueled by SAKI grants, Mobile police tackled the backlog. That meant re-evaluating cold cases, submitting untested DNA and looking for matches in databases that have grown much larger over the years. The department stood up a Special Victims Unit under Lt. James; formed the Multi-Disciplinary Team; overhauled its evidence room; and improved officer training, among other initiatives.

The evidence kit from 1989 went off to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. In March 2017, DFS reported a match. The man identified as a suspect was Timothy Lee Robinson, whose DNA had been put on file after he was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in 2012.

In that case, Robinson was accused of fondling the genitals of a girl younger than 12. A guilty plea brought a split sentence: The 3 months and 21 days he'd already served in jail, plus a suspended sentence of more than 9 years in prison, plus five years of probation.

The court record for the next few years is tangled by probation violations and partial revocations, Sex Offender Notification Act violations, motions and appeals. Robinson apparently spent much of the time in prison. In fact, he was incarcerated when the DNA match came through.

In a TV cop show, a DNA hit brings a quick arrest, a speedy trial and a triumph for prosecutors. In real life, a lot of gears have to turn. One step is that investigators take a fresh DNA sample from the suspect to verify that match. That's relatively straightforward.

But finding and notifying the victim is a much more delicate business. Investigators agree that in cold-case rapes it's critical to inform the victim and get their OK to proceed. Sometimes the victim is difficult to locate and reluctant to engage. Some don't want the trauma of revisiting an assault that is 10 or 20 years in their past. In this case, investigators found layers of trauma.

The childs aunt, the sister of the childs mother, was the babysitter caring for the toddler that day. She had the child at the home of Robinsons grandmother, and the assault happened when she left to run an errand for the grandmother.

In 1989, after the aunt took the child to the hospital for treatment of "vaginal tearing and injury," she and other family members told police they had no idea who'd injured the child. In 2017 the aunt told investigators a different story: when she'd returned, the child had pointed at Robinson and told her, "he put his big tee tee on my little tee tee."

Approaching a rape victim years after the fact and offering them the possibility of prosecuting their attacker is probably the most emotionally, ethically and procedurally difficult thing the MDT does. In this case the victim was an adult living out of state who had never been told about her attack, who had never been counseled and didnt know relatives could have identified a suspect.

"We struggled with decisions on this, how to notify somebody who didn't know what had happened to them," said Lt. James.

"It was difficult due to the fact she was only three years old at the time," said Det. Corrie Hoium, one of the team members who conducts victim notifications.

In the family, Hoium said, No one ever spoke of it from that day.

As the girl grew up, Hoium said, she had difficulty talking about it based on the fact that she thought it was something she had imagined or dreamed. But she remembered significant details of the assault, which are mentioned in documents filed by the prosecution.

MDT team members say it's clear that the revelation strained relationships within the victim's family, as she confronted relatives. But she agreed to proceed with prosecution, Hoium said, and was willing to testify.

Court records show that Robinson was indicted on Oct. 26, 2018. James said prosecutors were surprised to find he'd been released from prison on Oct. 31, but he was arrested again on Dec. 7. Bond was set at $100,000 on a charge of first-degree rape. According to a document filed by the prosecution, Robinson "denied ever touching the victim or sexually assaulting her after being read and waiving his Miranda Rights."

By Dec. 13, Robinson had waived a jury trial and asked to be treated as a youthful offender. On Dec. 18 his attorney, Matthew Whiddon Peterson, filed a motion calling for the case to be dismissed, based on the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act in effect in 1989. The act, Peterson said, provided that juvenile courts had "original and exclusive" jurisdiction over any offense committed by someone younger than 18. There was no provision for juvenile cases to be automatically transferred to regular court as the defendant aged, or for juvenile courts to handle cases years after the fact if the defendant had turned 21.

The motion represented that Robinson had effectively aged out through a loophole. Juvenile court would have had exclusive jurisdiction over the case because of the age Robinson was at the time of the incident. But no prosecution occurred at the time because Robinson hadn't been identified as a suspect.

By the time the DNA evidence connected him to the case he was too old to be prosecuted in juvenile court. But because its original jurisdiction would have been exclusive, and there was never any transfer, no other court has jurisdiction either.

Part of the reason this situation blindsided prosecutors is because the loophole has long since been fixed. In 1994 the law was changed to provide for automatic jurisdiction transfers from juvenile court to regular court. In 2008, another tweak gave the juvenile courts lasting jurisdiction over cases involving crimes with no statue of limitations, including rape. That meant it could still handle a case if evidence came up after the defendant became an adult. But Peterson's motion for dismissal cites a 2015 Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ruling as precedent showing that the actions to plug the loophole wasnt retroactive.

Prosecutors sought to verify that Robinson was in fact 17 at the time, raising the possibility he might have been older. Assistant District Attorney Tandice Hogan also argued that despite the precedent cited by Robinson's defense, "there is no case on point" that deals specifically with this situation. That case, M.A.M. vs State of Alabama, should not be a defining precedent, she argued:

"The law providing jurisdiction over a juvenile until the age of 21 did not predict the impact of DNA testing on the ability to identify and apprehend sexual predators nearly thirty years after the commission of the offense. By failing to apply the 2008 amendment retroactively, the M.A.M. case leaves a hole in the law, allowing offenders who have committed atrocious and heinous crimes as juveniles a 'get out of jail free' card if they can avoid detection and apprehension for five years.  In this case, no Court was given the opportunity to have jurisdiction over the Defendant."

A filing on Robinson's behalf asked Lockett to reject that argument and respect the M.A.M. case as a valid precedent: "the State seeks to distinguish the M.A.M. case from the current case, but none of the distinctions are relevant to the core holding of the case," it argues.

At a brief hearing on Thursday, Hogan told Lockett that the investigation confirmed Robinson had been 17 at the time. Robinson, standing with his attorney, did not speak. "That takes the factual dispute out of it," said Lockett. He did not ask the parties to restate their arguments, and said he'd issue an order soon.

Afterward, Hogan was not optimistic. The principle that a crime is handled based on the law that was in effect at the time is difficult to overcome, she said. "The argument is of course that the law couldn't anticipate all these DNA advances," she said.

Lockett's ruling, issued Friday, confirmed her fears: "Without the juvenile court transferring this matter to this Court," he wrote, "this Court has no jurisdiction over the Defendant. Seeing as there is no such order, this court is without jurisdiction to preside over this matter."

Under state law as it stood in 1989, juvenile court lost jurisdiction when Robinson turned 21. That means juvenile court can no longer transfer it to another court, Hogan said Friday.

"The defense revealed a loophole in the law that was found by the defense attorney," she said.

Peterson was unavailable for comment Friday afternoon, according to his office.

James said that while it wasn't exactly a bright side, he did see one positive: "If he [Robinson] stays in the area he will have to register with us as a sex offender" thanks to his earlier conviction, he said. That'll enable authorities to keep an eye on him.

Overall, Mobile's effort to resolve old rape cases will move forward, James said. After years of testing more than 700 kits, it's just beginning to bring cases to court. This very specific situation probably won't come up again.

"It's obviously a learning curve, when dealing with the cold cases," he said. "Antiquated" laws can come into play.

"I guess nobody foresaw cold cases being solved this way," he said.

"We're still getting hits, every day," he said. "I have three on my desk today."

"We have some others coming up that involve juveniles," said Hoium, "but they're more recent."

Its not going to change how we approach it, said Hogan. Were still going to go after people who have raped and assaulted victims.As Turkey expands its operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the region, its troops in northern Iraq are facing, for the first time, violent protests by local Kurds, who are infuriated over civilian casualties in the air raids.

Bombings in the Deraluk region on Jan. 23-25 claimed six lives, bringing the civilian death toll from Turkish airstrikes to more than 20 in the past two years. On Jan. 26, angry relatives stormed a Turkish military base in Dahuk province, setting fire to two tanks, tents and equipment. The crowd called on Turkey to end the strikes and respect Kurdistans sovereignty, while also urging the PKK to leave the region. Things got out of hand as soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing two protesters, aged 13 and 60, and wounding 15 others.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted in a threatening tone: They attempted to do something wrong in northern Iraq today. Unmanned aerial vehicles and planes took off and all of them had to disperse. We will not give the right to live to those who aim at our peace and well-being, both at home and abroad.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar blamed the protest on the PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. It was an incident orchestrated by the terrorists, he said. The terrorists are trying to pit local people against our armed forces.

The Kurdistan government sought to assuage Ankara, promising to punish the provocateurs who, it said, were behind the unrest. Though Kurdish sources said the peshmerga were late to intervene, Akar was pleased with Erbils response. We welcome the timely and comprehensive response of the Erbil administration and the measures they took, he said.

Turkish military operations in northern Iraq date back decades. The cross-border campaigns began in 1983, followed by the establishment of permanent bases. It was through this military presence that the Turkish state pursued its interests in the region, while even the word Kurdistan was a no-no in its domestic and foreign policy, and diplomacy with Erbil was years away. The military swayed relations with Iraqi Kurds and Turkmens, sometimes through threats, sometimes through fine-tuning.

In 2010, Turkey finally opened a consulate in Erbil after taking steps to acknowledge Kurdistan, and political dossiers moved to the realm of diplomacy. The military field, however, continued to operate independent from diplomacy. The establishment of military bases in northern Iraq aimed to restrict the movements of the PKK, which has camps in the mountains of Qandil, Hakurk, Zap, Avasin, Metina, Haftanin and Gara. Yet the PKK continued to grow in Iraq, Iran and Syria, although Ankara continued to claim it was striking heavy blows on the group.

The Syrian conflict unleashed a chain of events that led Turkey to change its approach to cross-border operations. First, Syrian Kurds who align with the PKK took control of northern Syria in 2012. Then, from 2014 onward, the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq allowed the PKK to increase its clout in Shingal (Sinjar), Kirkuk, Makhmour and Jalawla, while on the Syrian side, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) opened a corridor to Shingal and secured a direct passage to Iraq through the Yarubiya-Rabia crossing.

In addition to its seizure of Afrin in northern Syria, Ankara is now threatening a similar offensive to the east of the Euphrates. Another plan, which remains on paper, has been considered for the Iraqi side, aimed at creating a security strip along Iraqs border with Syria to prevent infiltrations. Ankaras proposal to inaugurate a second border crossing with Iraq at the junction where the Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian borders meet was also part of this plan. In March 2018, Turkey embarked on creating a safe zone 15 kilometers deep into Iraqi territory in the Hakurk region to the east. Turkish planes have also bombed Shingal and the Makhmour refugee camp amid warnings that Ankara will not allow a new Qandil  a reference to the PKKs headquarters in the Qandil Mountains.

Over the past several years, Turkey has intensified its use of drones, hoping that pinpoint strikes will inflict greater damage on the PKK. At the same time, however, it has faced mounting objections both from the Iraqi Kurds and Baghdad. Ankara calls for the PKKs expulsion from the region and says its cross-border actions will continue as long as the PKK continues to use Iraqi soil. At present, however, both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad lack the capacity to root out the PKK. Moreover, peshmerga forces already tried to do this repeatedly, with Turkeys support, in the 1990s.

Not only locals, but political parties in Kurdistan, are angry over the civilian deaths, which inevitably put the KRG under pressure. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the dominant force of the region, maintains its anti-PKK stance, but Kurds are averse to the prospect of another fratricide for the sake of good ties with Turkey. Since the PKKs abduction of Turkish intelligence officers near Sulaimaniyah in 2017, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which controls the region, has come under increased pressure from Ankara. It has since stepped up measures against the PKK, but it, too, is deeply irked by Turkeys military operations.

After the Syrian Kurds drive for self-rule, the KDP acquiesced to Turkish demands to blockade Rojava, which led to major rifts in Kurdistan politics. But despite such moves pleasing Turkey and strengthening economic bonds, Iraqi Kurds got no understanding from Ankara over their independence referendum in 2017. Ankara joined hands with Tehran and Baghdad to squeeze Kurdistan and make it regret the referendum. Lastly, Turkeys breakup of the self-rule in Afrin further embittered the Kurds.

Commenting on the storming of the Turkish camp, an Erbil-based Kurdish journalist, who asked for anonymity, told Al-Monitor, Curiously, the KDP did not intervene timely. This puts a question mark in the minds. They might be thinking of shaping some policy out of this incident, like starting a campaign via the Iraqi government for the PKK and Turkish troops to go.

The areas targeted by Turkey are inhabited by Kurdish tribes hostile to the KDP, which sided with Baghdad against the KDP even under Saddam Hussein. In the 1990s, when the KDP fought the PKK alongside Turkey, the local Kurds stood aloof. Now, Islamist movements have gained strength in the impoverished area. Given this political climate, disparate positions and reactions should not come as a surprise down the road.

The storming of the camp  an unprecedented reaction to Turkeys military operations  is a sign of what could be in store for Ankara.

Aydin Selcen, a former diplomat and now a columnist for an online journal, sees the storming of the base as a major event that might even be a watershed. According to Selcen, an abrupt disruption of security cooperation between the KDP and the Turkish army, or the rise of popular resistance against Turkeys military presence, is unlikely, but the protest will not go without consequences. Both the KDPs belated, meek and timid intervention and Akars ambiguous remarks show that this civilian protest in a remote border town in the KRG, backed by tribes which are hostile to both the KDP and the PKK, has achieved its objective, Selcen told Al-Monitor. The protest took both Ankara and Erbil aback. Also, it put Baghdad and Erbil at odds and opened rifts between the KDP and other political parties in the KRG and even between prominent members of the KDP itself.

Asked about the prospect of any change in Ankaras policies, Selcen said, Weve seen once again the limits of security-centered policies and narrow political visions. Still, Ankara will continue on the same path, putting on a brave face, and Erbil will try to brush over the issue with communication tactics.

In Baghdad, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry responded by summoning the Turkish ambassador and handing him a protest note. It condemned actions violating Iraqs sovereignty as well as the use of its territory to attack the security and safety of any neighboring country.

The evacuation of Turkish bases in Iraq, including the Bashiqa camp near Mosul, is now bound to top the agenda of bilateral contacts in the coming period. The issue has become the main stumbling block in efforts to normalize ties with Iraq. The more the Baghdad government asserts its control and wraps up the fight against IS, the sharper the reactions against Turkeys military presence. Obviously, the Iraqi government is incapable of forcibly closing the Turkish bases or dismantling the PKK camps, which are scattered across hundreds of kilometers along the countrys borders with Turkey and Iran. Any showdown on the issue might further fan anti-Turkish sentiments in Iraq, which came to the fore when Turkey refused to evacuate the Bashiqa camp in 2017. Such tensions could cast doubt on Turkeys interests and deterrence claims.Alongside its ramifications for international politics, the Venezuela crisis served as an interesting indicator of how Turkeys left could be a useful auxiliary to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans foreign policy. From the day the last crisis erupted in the Latin American country where hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Caracas in protest to the autocratic regime of Nicolas Maduro, with the President Donald Trumps recognition of Juan Guaido as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela, the Turkish left displayed a fierce solidarity with the Maduro regime.

Maduros best friends are Russia, China, Cuba and Turkey. Erdogan, in December 2018, visited Caracas, where he was received with great fanfare. The Venezuelan leader visited Turkey several times and socialized with all symbols of public life ranging from television talk show hosts, actors of soap operas, to steakhouses that celebrities frequent in Turkey.

The plight of the Venezuelan people during the last couple of years saw the largest movement of refugees in the recent history of Latin America. The complete collapse of Venezuelan socialism had not been a concern of ideological and theoretical discussion for the Turkish left. But what the catastrophe of Venezuela could not do, the latest crisis that pitted Maduro against Trump, the European Union and the majority of Latin American countries has.

Anti-American and pro-Maduro sentiments began to circulate in the social media. Hurriyet reporter Ismail Saymaz, a self-styled leftist, was blunt, defiant and sarcastic on Twitter Jan. 23, writing, Yes, I am anti-American dude! That's how I am; generally, whatever America stands for, I am against it. Do you have anything to say?

He conceded Maduro committed a lot of mistakes but said that compared to Trump, who devastated the world, including Iraq, Syria and his own America, he is as pure as the recently baptized.

He inquired whether Venezuela is poorer than Liberia, which the United States founded, or more authoritarian than Haiti that the US sponsored. He responded with a blunt no and added that it's Venezuelan oil that the United States is after. What [Iran's] Mossadegh was for America in the past is the Chavistas in Venezuela today, he wrote. He also alleged that the unrest is not an uprising against poor governance and poverty in Venezuela, but a stand for Latin American unity and independence from the United States.

Such arguments of anti-Americanism and the American aim to monopolize Venezuelan oil wealth were recurring themes all over the leftist media outlets.

Mainstream center-left mouthpiece Cumhuriyet columnist Mehmet Ali Guller, who appeared on television talk shows on the Venezuelan crisis, alleged, The issue is not Maduro, but the imperialist monopolies that devour the Venezuelan oil. He argued, During the process of the United States attempting a coup, targeting Maduro by calling him a dictator is an injustice to Venezuela, and It means that the United States has not derived the necessary lessons of demonizing Saddam, [Moammar al-] Gadhafi and [Bashar al-] Assad. The Cumhuriyet columnist blames America for weakening the Venezuelan economy, which has now started the operation to topple Maduro. Therefore, its is essential to stand up against the onslaught of American imperialism.

The mouthpiece of the pseudo-Marxist left in Turkey, the daily Birgun, alleged, Those who were unable to oust [Hugo] Chavez are now attacking Maduro. The secretary-general of Turkeys fringe Communist Party asserted in an interview, Calling Maduro a dictator is in fact supporting the imperialist coup attempt in Venezuela.

There is actually nothing unique in Turkish lefts stand compared to their ideological kin in the international arena. The Western left's attitude is not much different from Turkeys regarding the crisis. Therefore, the willingness to stand by a brutal dictator that belies a deeper sickness on the contemporary left is a general phenomenon of the ideological poverty of the left in the aftermath of the Cold war and the demise of Soviet Union.

As Foreign Policy's James Bloodworth put it, Under the guise of anti-imperialism, those on the far left have made themselves useful idiots for actual imperialists  as long as theyre not American. They have used the specter of Western intervention to ignore or downplay real interventions on the part of other powerful imperial nations. This was true in Syria with Russian and Iranian interference, and it is true in Venezuela, where Russia has supplied Venezuela with billions of dollars' worth of arms and flown in personal bodyguards for Maduro.

Besides the crude anti-Americanism or anti-imperialism of the Turkish left shared by its like all over the world, the conflict in Venezuela has an aspect peculiar for Turkey: Turkeys strongman Erdogan is an intimate buddy of Maduro. At a press conference with the visiting prime minister of Malta, Erdogan expressed shock at Trumps statement on Venezuela, and was quick to rub shoulders with his Venezuelan counterpart.

In a passionate show of solidarity with Maduro, the Turkish left unambiguously presented itself to Erdogan as a moral auxiliary force in his foreign policy. If the compass, as the Venezuela case illustrated, is anti-Americanism above anything else, the Turkish left will be useful for Erdogans anti-Kurdish drive in Syria as long as it contradicts Washington's stance.

Turkey is nearing local elections to be held at the end of March. Big cities like Istanbul and the capital Ankara are contested, as well as the municipalities in the southeast, of which the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) had won 101 in 2014. Over 90 of them are now under the control of trustees appointed by Erdogan following the failed coup in 2016. Scores of elected mayors affiliated with the HDP are in jail. Last week, the European Parliament of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg adopted a resolution regarding the repression over political parties in Turkey. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), a member of Socialist International, voted in protest along with the ruling AKP and its ally Nationalist Movement Party representatives.

Dishearteningly for pro-democracy dissenters in Turkey, well-known CHP personalities voted against a resolution against political repression in Turkey.

With such moral bankruptcy, Turkeys left cannot provide checks and balances to an increasingly arbitrary Turkish regime, nor it can present itself as a viable political alternative. Its poverty is simultaneously an added value to Erdogans political wealth.

Back to the Venezuela issue, Bloodworth's question for the Turkish left is valid: It's one thing for Western anti-imperialists to demand that the United States stay out of Venezuela's internal affairs. But how can you ask Venezuelan dissidents and elected bodies to do so?

The question is too complicated for Turkish leftists to answer. First of all, they have no knowledge of the characters involved and the developments in Venezuela in the last few years, as they do not know what shale oil is and what it means for the American market.

But they are confident that the Venezuela issue is all about oil and they do not care for political repression, whether the regime is autocratic or dictatorial or anything else. The humanitarian catastrophe being witnessed is not a priority, either. Their metric is simple: Who is against the United States of America?

All these are indicators that the left will have no chance in Turkeys future. Erdogan is aware of this and understandably pleased.Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

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Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.This story is published in conjunction with THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that gets results for the people of New York. Women wearing veils of mourning hold cards with the image of Amadou Diallo before the start of a prayer vigil outside of the United Nations headquarters in New York. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Kadiatou Diallo often wonders what her son Amadous life would be like if he were still alive.

What if he had gone inside his apartment just a few moments before four NYPD officers drove down the Bronxs Wheeler Avenue shortly after midnight on February 4, 1999? Or what if he had been anywhere else, doing anything other than simply standing in front of the multifamily brick building where the 23-year-old lived in Soundview?

Maybe he would have married Bente, the woman he told his mother he was interested in the last time they spoke on the phone, five days earlier.

Perhaps he would have become a teacher, like hed dreamed of. She is sure he would have started college classes soon after that call. During their final conversation, he told her he had saved $9,000 for tuition.

I remember his excitement on the phone, Diallo, 59, told THE CITY recently, ahead of the 20th anniversary of her sons killing. He was so happy that day. He said, I am ready. Im going to college.

Amadou Diallo and his mother, Kadiatou Diallo, in Malaysia in 1991. Photo: Courtesy of Kadiatou Diallo

Its been two decades since she got the other call at her home in Conakry, Guineas capital, informing her that a car full of police officers had fatally shot her son  shy, smart, sensitive Amadou  near his home. Shed later learn that the officers thought her son had a gun. It was actually his wallet.

The encounter ended in a torrent of 41 bullets, shaking the city and galvanizing Diallo into a life of activism.

I want this day to be historic for all the victims of the world so that such a thing will not happen again, she told a Chicago audience during part of a multicity speaking tour just two months later, in April 1999, the New York Amsterdam News reported at the time.

Twenty years full of similar speeches and demonstrations later, she remains committed to that mission. But she said her work has shown her just how little progress has been made to reform policing. Though the NYPD reports that officers are making fewer stops on city streets  down from nearly 700,000 in 2011 to the roughly 11,000 reported in 2017  police are still stopping more blacks and Latinos than their white counterparts.

Data shows that the level of racial disparity in these stops is worse than it was more than 20 years ago.

And New Yorkers are still dying as a result of police action, Diallo noted, often with little legal consequence.

Every year, Im comforting another family, she told THE CITY. I know one mother from Guinea also who had her son killed by the NYPD. I comforted her, I comforted other moms, like Eric Garners mom and Sean BelIs mother. Every year, all these families.

Kadiatou Diallo also is a force within her own family, said her niece Aissatou Diallo. In 1999, when her younger cousin was killed, Aissatou was new to the Bronx, living on the second floor of the same apartment building as Amadou. At the time of the shooting, she was a few months pregnant and in Georgia visiting family.

Even to kill an animal you dont need 41 bullets, she said, remembering the moment shed learned the news. I dont get it, I still dont.

As soon as she found out about Amadous death, Aissatou returned to 1157 Wheeler Avenue, where the lobby walls were disfigured by the bullet holes, she said. Imagining her cousin sprawled and dying on the lobby floor, she fainted.

At that point things were really bad for me, she told THE CITY, in her first English-language interview on the subject. I was in pain but I didnt speak one word of English. I couldnt express myself.

Kadiatou Diallo, who now lives in Maryland, has returned to New York to mark the 20th anniversary of her sons death. The foundation she launched in his honor has sponsored a youth empowerment event at Bronx Community College today, Saturday, February 2 an event in step with her sons dream of becoming an educator.

Since its founding, the Amadou Diallo Foundation has given scholarship aid to 30 students of African descent or who have immigrated to the U.S. from Africa, Diallo said.

And while she says meeting and working with students has helped her heal, memories of February 4, 1999, remain.

Losing a child  I dont wish that to any mother, she said. Unfortunately, many have had to go through that pain like me, having to see their children be killed in a very, very similar way. Its not something that you can remove and put aside. No. Its always with you, you live with it, you breathe with that, you sleep with that, you wake up with the bad feeling. I dont care how many years pass, if you live 20 years later, like me, or 50 years later, like other moms. Its the same.

People who live near Amadou Diallos former home and members of the Guinean immigrant community told THE CITY that tense interactions with officers persist.

The vestibule where Amadou Diallo was shot and killed by New York City police officers in 1999. Photo: Richard Harbus/Getty Images

One mother cautions her grade school-age sons to always take their hands out of their pockets when they pass the police. Another woman has drilled the phrase can I see your ID? into the minds of family members who do not speak English.

The Diallo killing has remained a cautionary tale for many here: If youre ever stopped by a police officer, comply or risk death.

I have only sons, said Aissatou, the cousin, who still lives in the Bronx. Her oldest, born the year Amadou died, will turn 20 in August.

I tell them that as a black kid in this country, you have to be careful, you have to comply. And I know the police are here to help us, but if some of them kill us you cant help but think they are all the same.

[The police] said he [Diallo] was reaching for something in his pocket, so from that time, from my perspective, it was like, whenever you see a cop, dont put your hand in your pocket, maybe that will keep you safe, said Asuma Jalloh, who runs Guineans Succeeding in America, an organization for young students and professionals who emigrate from the country.

And if you ever, ever, ever meet a cop, if they say, Put your hands up, put them up and try to follow whatever they ask you to do, the 26-year-old added.

Everyone tells you, Be careful, said Abdourahamane Diallo, 27, who is not related to Amadou but shares the common Guinean surname.

He remembers the advice many gave him when he left for New York: If the police stop you, just be careful, or they might shoot you like Amadou Diallo, he said. That mentality is still in the Guinean community.

Beyond its effect on African immigrants, the Diallo killing  and the eventual acquittal of the four white police officers who shot him  clawed open a nasty abscess in New York.

A protest of the acquittal of the four white police officers charged in the shooting death of Amadou Diallo, outside the U.N. headquarters. Photo: Jon Naso/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Among the many feelings that oozed out was rage over the response from the city, led by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to the shooting. Giuliani, at one point, dismissed protests as silly.

The anger reverberated nationally  Bruce Springsteen wrote a fucking song about it, noted Robert Gangi, who heads the Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP).

The killing also turned a spotlight on the NYPDs use of stop-and-frisk tactics, long condemned by black and Latino communities and civil liberties advocates as racially biased and unconstitutional.

His murder was in the context of a stop, said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, a civil rights attorney with The Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit group that advocates for policing and criminal justice reform. It was a horrible example of the officers thinking black people pose a threat, even for movements that are innocuous and benign.

After a series of legal challenges to the NYPDs use of stop-and-frisk that began with the March 1999 class action suit Daniels v. City of New York, a federal judge finally ruled in 2013 that stop-and-frisk as practiced by city police amounted to an unconstitutional policy of indirect racial profiling of black and Latino New Yorkers. An independent monitor was ordered to oversee reforms to the NYPDs stop-and-frisk practices as part of the ruling in that case, Floyd v. City of New York.

That same year, the New York City Council passed the Community Safety Act, which created an NYPD Inspector General, a watchdog who can make nonbinding recommendations to the department. And last year, city legislators passed the Right to Know Act, which mandated that police officers must identify themselves during stops.

Things changed within the Police Department, too: The NYPDs notorious, 300-plus-member Street Crimes Unit  which officers Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss, and Richard Murphy all belonged to when they shot and killed Diallo  was eventually disbanded. A 1999 report from then-state attorney general Eliot Spitzer found that between January 1998 and March 1999, the SCU made more stops than any other single, non-precinct-based command. More than 60 percent of those stopped were black.

Al Sharpton addresses an angry crowd protesting the shooting of Amadou Diallo in 1999. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

NYPD training around street stops has also improved, civil rights lawyers, community members, and reform advocates who spoke with THE CITY agreed. Among other things, the department has instituted a new performance evaluation system for its patrol officers, and tested and implemented new auditing methods for stops, the monitors latest report notes.

But problems persist. Since 1999, more than 200 people have been killed by NYPD officers, according to Police Department records and criminal justice reform groups.

Legal advocates who spoke with THE CITY noted that very few police officers have been convicted in connection with these deaths, even in the rare event that they are charged.

Borchetta, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the ongoing stop-and-frisk remedial process, concedes that turning a big ship takes time. The joint efforts of the NYPD, the monitor, and the Floyd plaintiffs to reform stop-and-frisk are ongoing, 20 years after the NYPDs use of the tactic was first challenged in federal court in Daniels.

Policing still has a very big race problem, said Darius Charney, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and lead counsel on both the Floyd and Daniels cases. Theres still an overwhelming amount of abuse and mistreatment of communities of color by law enforcement and thats still happening in New York, and it still happens everywhere else around the country.

According to an analysis of NYPD data done by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the NYPD reported 10,861 stops in 2017, down from a peak of 685,000 in 2011. The data still shows a consistent racial disparity. And local defense attorneys and the independent monitor report that many police interactions with the public are not counted, and that underreporting could undermine the NYPDs efforts to comply with court orders.

In a statement to THE CITY, the NYPD said the decline in stops reflects the deliberate shift in NYPD strategic focus over the past several years to precise, surgical targeting of crime and criminals.

The statement added that the department continues to refine tactics to ensure that every stop is appropriately documented and meets constitutional standards.

Gangi, of PROP, said the ongoing disparities illustrate that nothing of any significance has changed since the Diallo incident.

Today, Kadiatou Diallo is focused on honoring her sons memory  by fighting for change in the hope that other families will not experience the same wrenching loss she has.

Nobody wants to do this. In fact my family  they felt that I was giving too much of me, she said. But for Amadou, nothing is too much. Ive dedicated my life, in a way, to have his legacy crystallized. Today, his story is in the museum [the National Museum of African American History and Culture] And his story is on the street, on Wheeler Avenue, his name is there on the street. And his name is in the history books.

I think he didnt die in vain.A technology that would enable beekeepers to detoxify hives of pesticides was developed at Cornell University and is now being licensed througWE Communications today announced leadership moves that will enhance its ability to deliver an expanded set of client services around the globe. The agency is elevating several senior leaders to drive even deeper connections across geographies, capabilities, and sectors to meet the needs of its expanding portfolio of multi-market clients.

WE has reached an exciting inflection point in our business  through the addition of new client partnerships, the growth of our sectors and recent acquisitions, said Melissa Waggener Zorkin, CEO of WE Communications. It is an opportune time to make strategic changes to our global leadership team, which will enable us to better serve our clients worldwide.

Moving forward, Kass Sells and Dawn Beauparlant will take on new leadership positions. Sells will assume a new role as the agencys Global Chief Operating Officer/President of International, and Beauparlant will add President of North America to her current responsibilities as Chief Client Officer. President of International Alan VanderMolen is leaving the agency to pursue other opportunities and will transition over the coming weeks.

As Global COO/President of International, Sells will oversee the agencys EMEA and APAC regions, the continued global development of WEs Integrated Services and Insights & Analytics efforts, along with Global Marketing, PLUS and WE company partners, including recently acquired WE Codeword. As CCO/President of North America, Beauparlants expanded remit will include oversight of WEs North America sectors of consumer, health and technology, as well as regional business development.

WE Red Bridge CEO Penny Burgess, AvianWE Group CEO Nitin Mantri, WE Buchan CEO Rebecca Wilson, and WATATAWA Managing Partner Simon Pangrazio will also take on expanded responsibilities, helping to develop strategies for increased cross-region and cross-ageCelebrated household name, Society Tea has launched its latest Masala Tea TVC campaign. Striking a winning chord, Society teas Masala Nahi Toh Mazaa Nahi TVC revolves around the union of two biggest shared experiences in India  Love for Cinema and Chai. As a nation we are a melting pot of many diverse ingredients. All intermingling in a cacophony of chaotic harmony. No wonder we have always been called the land of spices. We love Masala in everything. Masala Nahi Toh Mazaa Nahi. Literally and figuratively. Its this Essence of our nation that the brand wanted to capture with its new film on Society Masala Chai. Fresh from a very well received brand campaign - ForThe Tea Society Called India where the insight of India being a Tea Society, and Society Tea, melded beautifully - this is also an attempt to attach with an insight thats top-of-the-category when it comes to Masala.

What better way than our love for Masala Movies to be that insight. Theres a reason why Society Tea Masala Chai has such a huge loyalty and customer base. They have all the ingredients that people love in their masala chai - clove, lemongrass, cardamom, ginger, black pepper etc. And its healthy too. The TVC brilliantly captures the different ingredients that make a masala movie through the eyes of an engrossed audience in a typical small town of India, with the camera always focused on them and never showing whats happening on the screen. The Voice Over, very engagingly, takes the viewer through the different aspects of the film, always in tow with the reactions of the audience. And when we show the Projector Room Uncle and he speaks, we realise it was he who was the narrator all through - a lovable elderly man who it seems like has been doing this for a long time...he loves his Movies and his Masala Chai. The tea comes in effortlessly in the flow of the film instead of a forced-fit analogy.

Commenting on the occasion, Karan Shah, Director, Society Tea, said, With our latest Masala Tea TVC, we at Society Tea wanted to brew a campaign that reflects a beautifully balanced emotion between our countrys two favourites  Cinema and Chai. And what better way to do it than our quintessential Dadi Ma Ki Masala Chai. Society Teas Masala Tea is all about the highest quality, the traditional taste which is fortified with spices, an original masala recipe that is an excellent elixir and we definitely recommend you to try our grandmothers personal recipe blend. Titled Masala Nahi Toh Mazaa Nahi, the TVC has beautifully captured a perfect blend of human emotions and an all-season National favourite beverage- Masala Tea.

Recently launched, Masala Tea ad campaign has been conceptualised by Black Swan Life and produced by Skylark Productions.

Core team details:

Agency - Black Swan Life

- Black Swan Life Director - Prashant Madan

- Prashant Madan Production house - Skylark Productions

- Skylark Productions Executive producer - Savio Shenoy

The TVC has been released in Hindi and Marathi across Maharashtra, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Raipur. The bi-lingual method is in sync with Society Teas strategy of augmenting their Maharashtra and nearby regions target audience.

Brew yourself a cup or two of this elixir, and feel your troubles, stresses and qualms, just melt away.According to media reports, K Yatish Rajawat, Editor in Chief of the Daily News & Analysis (DNA), an English daily part of the ZEE Media Group, has moved on from the organisation. He joined DNA last year stepping into the shoes of Dwaipayan Bose.

Rajawat has been a columnist for media publications such as Firstpost.com, Businessworld magazine, and Rajya Sabha TV. Prior to joining DNA he was Chief Strategy Officer for LocalCircles, the largest citizen engagement platform. He was also Group Managing Editor of Bhaskar Group in 2009 where he handled their publications across several languages and was responsible for building local and hyperlocal connect with their readership.ICICI Lombard, the leading private sector non-life insurance company in India, today set a new Guinness World Record as part of its efforts to create awareness on road safety measures. The company has been promoting the cause of Road Safety through its unique CSR initiative Ride To Safety since 2015. The record involved school children from 7 schools in Mumbai assembling at an open ground in Mumbai to form the shape of a helmet. The children wore specially designed ISI marked helmets that the company distributes during its Ride To Safety workshops. The earlier record for the largest gathering for people wearing helmets at one location was 3,921 held by Ministry of Interiors in Dubai. The Guinness attempt was adjudicated by an official Guinness representative, Lucia Sinigagliesi who had specially flown down to Mumbai from London for the same. Senior dignitaries from the Mumbai traffic police were also present to witness the record. Further, to support the noble cause, renowned actor Shahid Kapoor, who is also a young parent, engaged with the children and motivated them to successfully complete the challenge.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bhargav Dasgupta, MD & CEO, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd. said Our Ride to Safety initiative is a unique endeavor to facilitate a behavioral change among children and parents to adopt road safety habits when riding a two-wheeler. Since its inception in 2015, we have directly contacted over 1,00,000 parents and their children to promote the cause of Road Safety and distributed more than 70,000 ISI marked helmets. We are humbled by the Guinness World Record milestone and believe that this recognition will help us further the cause of road safety among Indian children.

Actor Shahid Kapoor said I am honored to be associated with this initiative that rightly addresses the gap of ensuring road safety among 2-wheeler riding children. I appreciate the efforts of ICICI Lombard in taking up this cause and pursuing it with earnest.68% Indians want companies not to misuse their personal information by sharing or selling to other parties. Indians trust the government most with their personal data, among all institutions. 69 per cent of Indians polled claim they trust the Union Government with their personal data and are confident that it will be put to the right use and not misused.

How about the other institutions?

Majority of Indians trust Health Providers (67%), Financial Services Companies (67%), Shipping & Delivery Services (61%), Local and Regional authorities (61%), Telecommunication Companies (56%), Retailers Selling Goods & Services (55%), Search & Social Media Sites (53%); Media Companies and Foreign governments are relatively lower in trust at 46% and 48%, respectively, among Indians.

Governments several initiatives hold personal information about a citizen. The common man trusting the government most with Data Privacy and personal information underscores peoples trust that Government will protect it from all kinds of misuse and abuse. It is a big responsibility for the Government and everybody expects it to live up to that. says Parijat Chakraborty, Head of Ipsos Public Affairs. Interestingly, 47% Indians claim to be aware of the broad contours of the personal data being held by companies and for what purposes it is being used. On the other hand, 45% Indians claim to be aware of the identity of national and local authorities, that have access to their personal data.

The survey christened Global Citizens & Data Privacy Survey unveiled at the annual meeting in Davos by World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with Ipsos was conducted in October and November 2018 among 18,813 adults from 26 countries using the Ipsos Global Advisor online platform. Full waves of the global tracking study will be conducted and reported twice a year.

Personal data and data privacy  how do Indians view it?

56% Indians strongly believe that they should be allowed to refuse companies from using their personal data  advocating complete refusal from providing personal information; 55% Indians want companies to reward or incentivize them for accessing their personal information; 58% Indians see merit in companies accessing personal data as they believe that the feedback is used constructively for improving products, services and information; 62% Indians feel that they have access to relevant products, services and information; 55% Indians feel they save time this way as companies have their personal information in their repository; 50% Indians feel they will save money in terms of benefits; and 36% Indians feel they have no qualms about data privacy  it is in safe environs.

Personal Information  Dos and Donts

68% Indians want companies not to misuse their personal information by sharing or selling to other parties; 63% Indians are comfortable sharing information with companies they have dealt with in the past; 60% Indians want to share personal information only with companies with a squeaky clean image, that have never been involved in any breach, leak or fraudulent usage of data; for 59% Indians, compensation for their personal information in terms of discounts or rewards, is key; and 55% Indians want companies to be transparent to them about what they plan to do with the personal information gathered from them.

The findings suggest that organizations can address fears from consumers by being transparent about what they do with their personal data, by offering guarantees of confidentiality, having a clean security record, or offering financial compensation. Years of intrusive and unsolicited communication from brands and the absolute dysfunctional DND ecosystem have contributed to this mistrust. It is high time the good brands take a note of it and walk-the-talk in respecting privacy rights. Chakraborty added.

Want access to personal information? Indians want it their way!

55% Indians say they will provide personal information only to those companies that have products and services that cater to them  it should be complementing; 48% Indians want to be forewarned of the risks involved in providing personal information; 34% will be comfortable sharing personal information only if their information is put to good use and benefits them in customization; 32% want access to personal information to reflect in staff attentiveness and service; 27% expect access to personal information to reflect in more efficient navigation and functioning of website and app; 7% were undecided.

Methodology

These are the findings of an Ipsos Global Advisor survey on attitudes toward data privacy in partnership with the World Economic Forum. In total, 18,813 interviews were conducted October 26  November 9, 2018 among adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and adults aged 16-64 in all other countries.

The survey was conducted in 26 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America. Note that some of the questions were not asked in all 26 countries. Between 500 and 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel. The sample size is 1000+ in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Stated of America. In all other countries the sample size is 500+. The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.

In countries where internet penetration is approximately 60% or higher the data output generally reflects the overall population. Of the 26 countries surveyed online, 16 yield results that are balanced to reflect the general population: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain and the United States. The 9 remaining countries surveyed  Brazil, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey - have lower levels of internet connectivity and reflect online populations that tend to be more urban and have higher education/income than the general population. Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don't knows or not stated responses.

Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - We've been getting complaints from contract workers hired by PG&E to help with the Camp Fire cleanup, about not getting paid.

"They're telling us nobody can get paid because PG&E has been bankrupt and we're like what are we going to do a lot of us are actually living in rooms like trying to get our per diem so we can pay for our rooms and pay to eat and everything and we wasn't getting none of that," Washington Alexander, worker from Louisiana said.

PG&E told us it hired a disaster recovery and environmental service, called Ashbritt.

The Ashbritt Chief of Staff, Gerardo Castillo, told Action News Now that his company hired ABC to do the work, and that Ashbritt paid them.

ABC has worked closely with Ashbritt to ensure that everyone has been paid their payroll," said Don Carter, ABC Owner.

ABC and Ashbritt said they paid all contractors for their work but not their per diem.

That money comes from PG&E. We asked PG&E when vendors and suppliers will be paid.

They directed us to a website and said PG&E will continue to keep contractors informed as they move forward with bankruptcy reorganization.UPDATE 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 - The Paradise Town Council voted 5-0 to pass Ordinance. No. 575, which does not allow residents to live on burned properties until the site is cleared.

Ordinance No. 575 repeals and replaces Ordinance No. 573, which allowed Paradise residents to place RV's on properties in areas impacted by the Camp Fire.

Now, residents will not be allowed to live on burned properties until the site is cleared.

Stay with Action News Now for the latest updates as they become available.

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PARADISE, Calif. - Two meetings are scheduled to address repealing the ordinances enacted recently that allows some residents to stay on their properties.

A Paradise Town Council meeting will take place on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, at 8 a.m. at the Town Hall at 5555 Skyway.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors will also meet on Monday at 3:15 p.m. at 25 County Center Drive in Oroville.

FEMA has threatened to withhold nearly two billion dollars in funding for debris removal because of the issues that arise from allowing people back to their properties, which are toxic debris sites.

The Town of Paradise wants to repeal their recent ordinance and replace it with a new one.

Below is Ordinance No. 573 that will be repealed and replaced with an updated ordinance at Monday's meeting:

Mobile users CLICK HERE.Movie

Watch Dwayne Johnson's and Jason Statham's trade jabs at each other as they are forced to work together to take on a cyber-genetically enhanced villain, played by Idris Elba.

Feb 2, 2019

AceShowbiz - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham race and clash in the first trailer for "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw". The two reprise their "Fast and Furious" roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, respectively, who are forced to work together to stop a superhuman villain named Brixton, played by Idris Elba.

The two hunks are recruited to track the elusive enemy, who is described as "a ghost." "I'm the necessary shock to the system. I am human evolutionary change, bullet proof, super human. Bad guy," so he introduces himself.

Not ready to put aside their differences, Hobbs and Shaw trade jabs as they reluctantly team up for the mission. "I'm trying to save the world, which for the record, would be my fourth time," Hobbs reminds Shaw of his history with the franchise. "Because I'm really good at it."

According to the official synopsis, "ever since hulking lawman Hobbs, a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw , a former British military elite operative, first faced off in 2015's 'Furious 7', the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they've tried to take each other down."

"But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever - and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent ('The Crown' star Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw's sister - these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves."

" 'Hobbs & Shaw' blasts open a new door in the 'Fast' universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa."

Helen Mirren reprises her role as Shaw's feisty mum Magdalene, Eiza Gonzalez stars as a new character named Madam M, and Roman Reigns is cast as Hobbs' brother. David Leitch ("Deadpool 2") is serving behind the lens with a script provided by Chris Morgan. The movie is scheduled for a July 26 release in the United States.Senator Kamala Harris attends a news conference on immigration in D.C. on May 23, 2018. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

In Texas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are force-feeding detainees, many of whom are asylum seekers, the New York Times reported on Thursday. A federal judge authorized the agency to begin force-feeding detainees two weeks after they launched a hunger strike to protest poor living conditions and abusive treatment. An attorney for the detainees told the Times that her clients have experienced nose bleeds and pain as a result of the practice, which has been condemned by some medical associations:

Force-feeding people is an uncomfortable practice in which you put in a tube through the nose, and then you pour a nutritional formula through the tube, said Dr. Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York Universitys School of Medicine.

Putting the tube through the nose is often painful, particularly if the person is resisting, Dr. Caplan said.

People who are fed involuntarily can lose muscle mass, Dr. Caplan added, and in the Texas case, prisoners could become infection-prone.

News of ICEs other abuses continues to proliferate. In Michigan, the agency set up a fake university to catch students in the act of visa fraud; according to the Detroit News, dozens are now facing deportation. And earlier this week, the Immigration Defense Project reported that ICE arrests at New York courthouses have increased by 1,700 percent since Donald Trump took office. Survivors of domestic violence were caught up in the stings, the IDP said; there are reports of agents surveilling attorneys and resorting to physical violence during arrests.

ICEs tactics arent new. The fake university scheme actually started in 2015, when Donald Trump was still just a candidate for office. On the subject of immigration, President Obama was no progressive; his administration defended the use of privately run family-detention centers and a bed quota created an incentive for ICE to arrest immigrants without criminal histories. Aspiring Democratic presidents will have to chart a path on immigration that not only rejects Trumps nationalism but avoids the Obama administrations missteps too. Theyre essentially facing an existential question: Can America realize its democratic potential as long as ICE exists in its current form? Its increasingly difficult to argue the affirmative. ICE is a relatively recent creation  its only been around for 16 years  and its short lifespan has been marked by abuse and repression.

A few likely candidates have already come out in favor of abolishing the agency. Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand have both called for an end to ICE. Gillibrands reversal is particularly noteworthy; the New York senator had once called for more deportations, a stance she says she now regrets. I did not think about suffering in other peoples lives, she told CNN in January. I realized that things I had said were wrong. I was not caring about others. If Senator Bernie Sanders announces a run, hed be the third candidate in the primary to say they support abolishing ICE.

Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has stopped short of saying that shed get rid of the agency if she becomes president. A spokesperson for the California senator told BuzzFeed News last July that Harris instead supports a complete overhaul of the agency, mission, culture, operations. And Cory Booker, who just announced his candidacy on Friday, has professed a similarly vague position. What most people dont understand is the agency is not that old. Im one of those people that calls for us taking a serious look. I think we should be having hearings and really dive into this agency. It costs Americans billions of dollars. Its not necessarily, in my opinion, achieving its high-minded purpose that might be achieved better in other ways, the New Jersey senator told the HuffPost in 2018.

Democrats who want to abolish ICE have some work to do when it comes to persuading the partys base of the morality of their cause. A Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday found that most Democratic voters said theyd either be less likely or indifferent to a candidate who would get rid of the agency (only 25 percent said theyd be more likely to support a candidate who wants to abolish ICE). But voters appear more enthusiastic about other left-wing positions, like Medicare for All, and its conceivable that a candidate who embraces those positions on the campaign trail could also support abolishing ICE without losing much, if any, support.

Regardless of where voters stand, the basic moral dilemma isnt going to disappear. Hostility to immigrants remains a centerpiece of the Trump presidency, and ICE isnt likely to change its tactics. Democrats competing to be the partys nominee in 2020 should expect these practices to stir even more controversy when they arise in the middle of a campaign cycle, and they must have a clear answer on how they would address them.WENN/Dave Bedrosian Music

Also pledging to hire more female producers or sound engineers in support of the Recording Academy's diversity push are Lady GaGa, Common, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and many others.

Feb 2, 2019

AceShowbiz - Katy Perry, Cardi B, and Justin Bieber have pledged to hire more female producers as part of the Recording Academy's new diversity push.

Katy, Cardi, and Justin are joined by a host of star names, including Lady GaGa, John Legend, Shawn Mendes, Nicki Minaj, Pink, Post Malone, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, in committing to considering at least two women when hiring producers or sound engineers.

The new initiative from the Academy, who organise America's annual Grammy Awards ceremony, is aimed at increasing the number of female production staff from minuscule levels. According to a 2018 study, only two per cent of music producers and three per cent of sound engineers or mixers in pop music are women.

In a press release announcing the promise, Katy, who employs a female engineer to run her own studio, said she had been "very fortunate" to work with "powerful female figures" and encouraged others to emulate her.

Rapper Common, who is helping spearhead the initiative as a member of the Academy's Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, also said he is "proud" to sign up to the pledge.

"Women deserve as much opportunity as men, and we know this industry has not always been fair," he added. "The only way to change these inequities is for us to face it directly and commit to do more."

The Task Force, which also counts Andra Day and Sheryl Crow as members, was established last year (18) following an outcry when only one major Grammy Award, the Best New Artist prize bagged by Alessia Cara, went to a woman.

At this month's 61st Grammys ceremony five of the eight acts nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year category are women, with Cardi, Brandi Carlile, H.E.R. (Gabi Wilson), Janelle Monae, and Kacey Musgraves all receiving nods.

Female artists also well represented in the Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year sections.Instagram Celebrity

The 'Jealous' hitmaker shares on social media a photo of him and his wife, Priyanka Chopra, all dressed up for the Learning Lab Ventures 2019 Gala thrown by Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers.

Feb 2, 2019

AceShowbiz - Nick Jonas has proved he's a good sport after making light of his never-ending wedding celebrations on social media.

The "Jealous" hitmaker tied the knot with actress Priyanka Chopra in a pair of lavish ceremonies at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India at the beginning of December (2018), and returned to the bride's native country weeks later to toast their union with additional parties in Delhi and Mumbai.

Last weekend (January 27), the new Mr. and Mrs. Jonas headed to Belmont, North Carolina for yet another wedding event, thrown by the groom's parents, in the city where Nick's father Kevin grew up and owns a restaurant.

Now Nick has poked fun at the ongoing festivities by sharing a photo of himself and Priyanka all dressed up as they posed on a winding staircase.

"Walking into wedding reception 100047 like..." he quipped in the caption, before revealing they were actually wearing black tie to attend the Learning Lab Ventures 2019 Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, hosted by actors Armie Hammer and his wife Elizabeth Chambers.

"Haha just kidding," Nick added. "So happy to celebrate our friends @armiehammer and @elizabethchambers and the amazing work they have done with @learninglabventures".

Learning Lab Ventures is a non-profit providing after-school education and other programs for disadvantaged youths in Los Angeles, and guests at its annual fundraising gala included Kate Bosworth, Rosanna Arquette, and Lindsay Price, who all looked on as Priyanka delivered a speech at the event.

Nick and Priyanka are particularly close to Armie and Elizabeth, as their four-year-old daughter Harper served as a flower girl at the Jonas-Chopra wedding in India.WENN/FayesVision Celebrity

When asked if she would like to host the Oscars with the 'Night School' star, the 'Girls Trip' actress expresses her disbelief why he is still facing criticism for things he said in the past and has apologized.

Feb 2, 2019

AceShowbiz - Actress Tiffany Haddish cannot understand why her comedy pal Kevin Hart is still facing backlash for old homophobic comments for which he has repeatedly apologised.

The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star stepped down as the host of the 2019 Oscars just two days after the news was announced in December (18), when a series of derogatory Twitter comments he had previously made about the gay and lesbian community, dating back to 2008, resurfaced online.

Hart has apologised multiple times for the ill-conceived posts over the years, insisting he is a changed man, and after saying sorry yet again in the wake of the Oscars drama, in early January, he declared he was "done" discussing the mistakes of his past.

However, Kevin is still having to deal with the fallout from the controversy, after he was branded hypocritical for sending his support to "Empire" star Jussie Smollett following his vicious beating in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, January 29, when two men reportedly hurled homophobic and racist abuse at him.

Now Tiffany has weighed in on the whole situation, insisting the continued criticism needs to stop, because Kevin should be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them just like anybody else.

The "Girls Trip" funnywoman shared her thoughts on U.K. talk show "Lorraine" on Friday, February 01, when she admitted it "would be cool" to one day co-host the Academy Awards with Kevin.

"It would be nice to have the yin and the yang there," she smiled. "You know, if we did it together that would be cool. But, you know, you need proper preparation time."

"I mean, Kevin would've hosted it this year if they (critics) weren't tripping off (getting mad) of things that he said in his past that he already apologised for (sic)," she added.

Tiffany admits she's taken plenty of missteps in the past, but they have each provided her with valuable lessons to remember going forward - and she's confident the same can be said of her "Night School" co-star, who she has known for years and considers her "little big brother."

"Me, I say a lot of things and I don't apologise. I think before I speak. If I say it, I mean it," she explained. "Nobody's perfect... From my mistakes - and I've many of them - I have become a success and I learned not to make them again."

The role of Oscars emcee has remained vacant ever since Kevin's departure, amid reports suggesting Academy officials have opted for a host-less ceremony, relying instead on a string of guest presenters to carry the Los Angeles prizegiving on 24 February........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALAMOGORDO, N.M.  Authorities says two Alamogordo brothers were stopped and arrested after a SUV fled from a Border Patrol checkpoint in southern New Mexico and multiple shots were fired at several agencies pursuing officers, including one who fired back with his rifle.

No injuries were reported from the incident late Thursday night which began at the checkpoint on U.S. 70 and continued into the Alamogordo city limits and ended on the citys highway bypass.

The New Mexico State Police said 35-year-old LaBruce Powell was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other crimes and that 31-year-old Travis Powell was arrested on suspicion of aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.

Online court records dont list defense attorneys for the brothers who could comment on the allegations.

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ALAMOGORDO  Larry and Jan Albert of Ohio were staying at Ski Cloudcroft last weekend and as they were heading west, they saw what they thought were low-hanging clouds.

Then, they realized they were seeing White Sands National Monument in the distance.

We really appreciate that it was open, Larry said. Ive heard of White Sands but never stopped before.

The pair were about to begin walking the Interdune Boardwalk, a guest favorite, according to White Sands National Monument Chief of Interpretation Kelly Carroll.

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Its beautiful, beautiful, Jan said.

People from across the country visited White Sands National Monument this week, some of them for the first time.

White Sands National Monument opened a week ago today at 1 p.m., after having been closed for 35 days due to the government shutdown.

Were pretty excited to be open again and available to the public, WSNM Superintendent Sauter said.

Some visitors even planned their trips around the monument reopening.

Were glad that its opened. We waited to come down from Colorado until the government reopened, John Igel of Fort Collins, Colo., said. The monument is gorgeous.

Chelsea Willis and Thomas Bonifield, both of Indianapolis, Ind., also, wanted to be here when it was officially reopened.

We had some friends that came here a week ago, and they were super bummed that they drove all the way out here and werent able to get in, Bonifield said. Im happy we were able to get in.

Thirty-five days without regular maintenance, plus the added stress on the monument from unauthorized visitors during that time, left some work to be done before White Sands officially reopened to the public.

The park is in really good shape, Carroll said, adding that no vandalism had been reported to him.

The crowd size was fair on Monday, a few people out and about, but that seemed to be a normal number, Sauter said.

I anticipate that it will pick up a little bit on weekends. I dont think its totally atypical for visitation, Sauter said. Were still in start-up mode. Theres still systems were checking. Theres a laundry list of things that were going to continue working on  Were focusing on keeping things closed that we havent checked for safety. Thats been our first priority........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

The landscape has now changed on a story I first began reporting some two decades ago, and newly released details demand an update to the sad saga.

Two men have come forward to discuss, in graphic detail, what they say was their yearslong sexual abuse at the hands of entertainer Michael Jackson. Their claims spill out in a newly screened four-hour documentary just released at the Sundance Film Festival. The biopic titled, Leaving Neverland will be shown on HBO sometime this spring.

Film critics who viewed the expose wrote that the shocking revelations of James Safechuck and Wade Robson are, devastatingly powerful and (offer) convincing testimony that Michael Jackson was guilty of child sexual abuse. Another wrote the audience was left shell-shocked by the details. A third predicted,  Youll never listen to Michael Jackson the same way again. In fact, you may never listen to Michael Jackson again at all.

Safechuck, 40, says his molestation by Jackson started when he was 10. Robson, 36, says it first happened to him at age 7, and when he had his own son the reality hit him. He realized what Jackson had done to him as a boy was a crime.

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Both men met Jackson through their childhood interest in show business. Robeson as a dancer, Safechuck as an actor. The boys  and their parents  were mesmerized by the superstars attention and expensive gifts.

Safechuck and Robson had not met until just before the screening. In separate on-camera interviews they recount private times spent with Jackson that included watching pornography and lessons in kissing, masturbation, oral and anal sex, all cloaked in playful boyhood language. They were constantly reminded by Jackson, they said, to keep their activities secret or they would go to jail. Safechuck remembers he was put though drills on quickly putting his clothes back on and was once married to Jackson in a ceremony that included vows and rings. Robson reveals his idol once instructed him to throw away his underwear after a sexual encounter and that he became jealous as other, younger boys were brought in to replace him. The film suggests Safechuck and Robson werent the only victims of the King of Pop.

Jacksons fans, family and estate lawyers were quick to label the documentary tabloid character assassination engineered by two men who are motivated by money and are known perjurers.

The first charge is strange since neither was paid for appearing in the documentary and lawsuits they filed against the Jackson estate years ago were dismissed with no monetary settlement. The Jackson team does have a point when it mentions perjury. Both Robson and Safechuck have said in the past  and under oath  that while they slept in bed with Jackson nothing untoward occurred.

But have we learned nothing about how child sex abuse victims react? Think about the countless numbers of adults who have come forward years or decades later to talk about priestly molestation or forced sexual activity at the hands of a doctor, teacher or other authority figure. That Safechuck and Robson kept the secret is not unique. Victims often deny abuse when asked and wait until they feel strong enough to endure outsiders reactions to their truth.

In a recent conversation with retired FBI Agent Ken Lanning, the man who wrote the pedophile profile for the Bureau, I was reminded how charming and cunning pedophiles can be and, most importantly, how they seduce parents first as a way to gain access to the child.

Maybe these men now feel safer to speak out because Michael Jackson is dead, Lanning told me. Or maybe its because they are both fathers now. Or maybe they were just tired of carrying such an ugly burden all these years. The last section of the documentary is particularly moving as the men tearfully explain just how they finally disclosed their secret to their families.

Since 1993, when I first reported the story about Jackson and allegations of child sex abuse, and especially after release of my book detailing the years I spent investigating the charges, the most frequently asked question has been, Do you think he really did it? When asked I always go through the names of the other young men who have identified themselves as Jacksons victims: Jordan Chandler, Jason Francia, Gavin Arvizo and now James Safechuck and Wade Robson. I have knowledge of and suspicions about a dozen more males who, as children, were exposed to Jackson in very similar ways. Perhaps in the future some of them will come forward, too.

In this #MeToo #TimesUp era there seems to be a measurable shift in public opinion about Jacksons behavior with children and a deeper understanding of what victims of sex crimes go through. If, as I sense, more people will come to the conclusion that Jackson was a pedophile after seeing this documentary then there is only one remaining question: How did he get away with it for so long?

www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

PARK CITY, Utah  President Donald Trump wants his wall, and he is willing to shut down the government again to get it. Commenting on congressional negotiations to find a compromise before temporary government funding runs out on Feb. 15, he tweeted on Wednesday, If the committee of Republicans and Democrats now meeting on Border Security is not discussing or contemplating a Wall or Physical Barrier, they are Wasting their time! It has been reported lately that some of the sensational rhetoric that Trump invokes when demanding a border wall may actually come from the movies. Case in point is the 2018 blockbuster crime thriller Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Scenes in that film are strikingly similar to elements from Trumps border wall speeches, referencing Muslim prayer rugs found in the desert near the Mexican border, and stories of women having their mouths bound with duct tape.

Trump should definitely see a film that just premiered here at this years Sundance Film Festival, The Infiltrators. The movie covers a topic dear to the president: deportation. This gripping film, a hybrid documentary/dramatic feature, is based on the true story of undocumented immigrants who get themselves arrested by federal authorities  risking deportation themselves  so they can infiltrate a notorious private immigrant detention center and organize the detainees within its walls.

Directed by Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera, the film portrays a courageous, undercover direct action to block deportations. Viridiana Martinez and Marco Saavedra are the real people portrayed in the film. In 2012, they were young Dreamers  undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. As organizers with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA), they were pushing for passage of the DREAM Act to create a pathway to citizenship for the roughly 3.6 million people who entered the U.S. as children and have lived here since.

They called President Barack Obama the deporter-in-chief, and had been pressuring him to enact meaningful immigration reform. Obama had announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to offer some protections for this population, but, as Viridiana told the Democracy Now! news hour here at Sundance, The same way that I got it I can get it taken away. While NIYA organized sit-ins at the offices of Obamas 2012 re-election campaign, they saw their friends getting deported.

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As Marco, played by Maynor Alvarado, narrates in the film, describing NIYAs plan:

Our mission: Stop the deportations.

Our strategy: Organize. Escalate. Shut something down.

Our new plan: Get into the Broward detention center and get people out.

Viridiana is played by Vida star Chelsea Rendon. Back in 2012, Democracy Now! interviewed the real Viridiana while she was detained: Im at Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Fla. I have been here since July 20. I came in intentionally, allowed myself to be detained, she said over the phone. We want a full review of all of the cases here at Broward Transitional Center, and we want the immediate release of all low-priority cases here.  Now that Im inside, I have found several stories of women who have been held for over a year, some for months only, but they dont belong here.

Marco and Viridiana were inside, organizing the detainees, documenting their stories and clandestinely delivering the information to NIYA activists on the outside, including Mohammad Abdollahi, a young, gay, undocumented Iranian immigrant. With the information in hand, Mohammad and others could contact family members and help them take action to block the deportations.

President Trump watches a lot of television and movies. At a recent Cabinet meeting, he had a large, poster-size picture of himself on the table in front of him, accompanied by text styled after the hit TV series Game of Thrones reading, Sanctions are Coming. As has been widely noted, the phrase comes from Winter is Coming, and refers to a fictional Game of Thrones family, one member of which, Jon Snow, actually leads a caravan of immigrants through a border wall  an odd image for a president who will shut down our government to build such a wall.

The activists of NIYA are still fighting for their human rights, and arent waiting for the Democrats in Congress. They have just delivered 40,000 signatures to the White House. We DREAMers, both with DACA and without, ask that you negotiate directly with our leadership  year after year we are fed nothing but empty promises.

Trump should watch The Infiltrators, then invite this group of determined, courageous activists to the White House for serious negotiations.

 2019 Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan. Distributed by King Features Syndicate........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

SANTA FE  The state House late Friday passed a bill that would limit the use of public money for textbooks and instructional materials at private schools.

The legislation, House Bill 45, would allow New Mexico to allocate money for textbooks for private-school students, but only after sufficient funds have been made available to public schools.

The proposal would also prohibit an allocation to private schools that discriminate based on gender, religion or certain other grounds.

Democrats said the bill would ensure the state doesnt shortchange public schools.

Republicans said the conditions imposed in the bill would make it difficult or impossible for private school to benefit.

The measure, sponsored by House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque, now heads to the Senate.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Girls across the country have another option for scouting besides the Girl Scouts of the USA.

They can now join the Boy Scouts of America as part of Scouts BSA.

In Albuquerque, the new name was announced during a Friday ceremony at the Grace Methodist Church. Hosted by the Great Southwest Council of Boy Scouts of America, the first 26 girls were welcomed to the council. Guests included Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland.

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While the parent organization will retain the Boy Scouts of America name, all boy and girl troops will now be part of Scouts BSA, explained Chris Shelby, scout executive for the Great Southwest Council. Right now, I expect to register about 50 girls in the next few days in five different troops.

Existing boy troops will have the option to start a separate but affiliated Scouts BSA troop for girls, but it will not be mandatory, he said. The boy and girl troops will co-exist in separate troops, and like the boys, the girls will have the opportunity to work toward becoming an Eagle Scout.

Starting last year, some 77,000 girls nationwide were allowed to enroll in Cub Scout troops, about 130 of those girls in New Mexico.

The reason for opening up the Boy Scouts of America to girls in part was because families were being stretched thin by the many activities they had, so they wanted to make it easier for more family members to participate, Shelby said.

He also acknowledged that were always looking for ways to grow our membership and remain relevant in the community.

New Scout BSA member Hanah Hanes, 12, left the Girl Scouts to join Scouts BSA.

My brother has been in scouts since he was really little, and hes always loved it, she said. We went out on a Boy Scouts camping trip with him one time and it was really fun and we learned a lot of skills. Girls Scouts was a little more like doing crafts and stuff. Boy Scouts was more going on hikes and doing outdoor stuff.

Ciara Ripoll, 11, also left a Girl Scout troop to become a member of Scouts BSA. She said the boys scouting program appealed to her more because they do camping and more outdoor do-it-yourself things  more adventurous things.

Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910. The Great Southwest Council, chartered in 1924, currently has about 5,800 scouts enrolled in 137 Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops. Nationwide, there are about 2.5 million Cub and Boy Scouts, a 4 percent membership decline from 2017 to 2018, Shelby said.

Haaland congratulated the girls for their commitment to scouting and helping to break down gender barriers.

When we break down barriers that keep young girls and women out of spaces that provide enrichment, education and opportunity, we empower them to grow up to be whatever they want to be, she said.

Lujan Grisham told the girls that she was proud to see this incredible integration, and to take these first steps to making sure that there are no wrong doors for anybody who wants to join this proud, historic organization.

Not surprisingly, the Girl Scouts organization is not entirely pleased about the inclusion of girls into the Boy Scouts organization.

Its puzzling that they would go in this direction without any communication whatsoever with the Girl Scouts, said Peggy Sanchez Mills, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails, which has about 5,000 members in various Girl Scout programs.

We believe Girl Scouts provides the single best leadership development experience for girls, and there really is no other organization that combines the research-backed program delivery methods with cutting edge programs for girls.

She emphasized that girls who join the Scouts BSA program are not Girl Scouts.

She added that, We protect our brand. Were a non profit, but we are a business. We will respond to any confusion in the marketplace where our name is being used inappropriately or in misleading ways.

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA, currently has about 2.3 million members at all levels of the organization, a 3-5 percent decline over the last decade, Sanchez Mills said........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has apologized to Cherokee Nation after releasing DNA test results in October indicating she had Native American ancestry, a tribe spokeswoman said Friday.

The apology  which was first reported by the Intercept  was made Thursday in a phone call to tribe Chief Bill John Baker, Cherokee Nation spokeswoman Julie Hubbard confirmed to The Post on Friday afternoon.

Senator Warren has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe, Hubbard said. We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws, not through DNA tests. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.

Warren is expected to run for the Democratic Partys 2020 presidential nomination. Her campaign could not be reached Thursday afternoon to confirm the apology.

She has been mired in controversy following her decision in October to release the results of a DNA test that showed she had a Native American ancestor between six and 10 generations ago. The move was intended to quell backlash against her claims of Native American heritage but instead resulted in even more mockery, namely from President Trump, who has repeatedly referred to her as Pocahontas.

Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed, Trump wrote on Twitter.  . . . Now Cherokee Nation denies her, DNA test is useless. Even they dont want her. Phony!

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Cherokee Nation condemned Warren for appearing to define ethnicity through a test, while others felt shed caved to the president  who has claimed Warren uses Native American culture to benefit politically.

It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement at the time. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

While campaigning in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this year Warren was asked why she took the test  seemingly giving Trump more fuel to continue his attacks.

In her response, she clarified: I am not a person of color; I am not a citizen of a tribe.

Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes, and only tribes, determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference. I grew up in Oklahoma, and like a lot of folks in Oklahoma, we heard stories about our ancestry, she said. When I first ran for public office, Republicans homed in on this part of my history, and thought they could make a lot of hay out of it. A lot of racial slurs, and a lot of ugly stuff. And so my decision was: Im just going to put it all out there. Took a while, but just put it all out there.The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the European Investment Bank have discussed at meetings held in Luxembourg this week opportunities for co-financing new projects in Africa and Southern Mediterranean Countries.

The meetings were held as an IsDB delegation, led by the Banks President, Bandar Hajjar, is visiting the European Investment Banks headquarters in Luxembourg.

During the talks, EIB and IsDB teams discussed ongoing projects and potential windows of cooperation to boost the impact of both institutions finance and technical assistance programs.

EIB President Werner Hoyer said after a meeting Friday that he had with President Hajjar very fruitful discussions on how to scale-up our partnership and increase co-financing in a number of areas, starting with improving the lives of the most vulnerable, in sectors like infrastructure, innovation, support for small enterprises and support to refugees.

There is an acute need to support sustainable investment in many regions where we are both active. We can deliver more impact by bundling our respective strengths and working closely together, he added, according to a press release of the EIB.

IsDB and EIB, together with other Multilateral Development Banks, are key players in catalyzing private investment in support of public policy goals. We need to strengthen our common efforts to support economic resilience and deliver on our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, he added.

President of the Islamic Development Bank, Bandar Hajjar, addressing EIB delegates on his part said: The close relationship between the IsDB and EIB will bring significant contributions to the development of the Islamic finance industry as well as the private sector in communities we have committed to serve.

To achieve the SDGs, new sources of finance need to be tapped, such as the global capital markets. This requires new types of development projects that operate at the nexus of financial viability and development impact. It also requires new and innovative Islamic finance products that mitigates the perceived risks around investment. Solving this challenge is central to my vision for a new development model, he argued.

EIB and IsDB have been working together to provide needed finance and advisory services for sustainable development. Since 2005, the EIB and the IsDB have co-financed nine projects with a total investment of 1 billion in Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Sub-Sahara Africa........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Authorities say five men and two New Mexico businesses raked in millions of dollars as they smuggled in faux Native American goods from a factory in the Philippines and sold them as authentic in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Jawad Khalaf, 70, Nader Khalaf, 41, Nashat Khalaf, 71, Zaher Mostafa, 51, and Taha Shawar, 47, all face charges of conspiracy, smuggling and misrepresentation of American Indian-produced goods for the respective roles they played in the operation. If convicted, each could face over 20 years in prison.

Authorities say Jawad Khalaf owns an Albuquerque business, Sterling Islands Inc., that is managed by Nader Khalaf. Nashat Khalaf owns a Gallup business, Al-Zuni Global Jewelers Inc., that is managed by Mostafa. Shawar is the owner of Bullion Jewelers in Breckenridge, Colo.

According to a federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court, between 2009 and 2015 all five men peddled fake Native American goods smuggled from Philippines manufacturer Fashion Accessories 4 U and passed them off as authentic.

During that time, agents say the men made millions of dollars in revenue but do not give an exact amount.

Among the charges, agents say the men sold the faux items  sometimes for thousands of dollars  without indelible markings that indicated they came from Philippines, copied designs of genuine Native American artists and had the artists initials forged onto the merchandise.

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Native Americans make tremendous contributions to the cultural and artistic heritage of our nation, said U.S. Attorney for New Mexico John C. Anderson. This case demonstrates the Justice Departments commitment to preserving and protecting the rich culture and heritage of New Mexicos Pueblos and Tribes while promoting confidence in New Mexicos native art market.

Meridith Stanton, director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, commended the work of the New Mexico U.S. Attorneys Office throughout the investigation to protect the integrity and vitality of authentic Native American art.

This is particularly important in New Mexico, which relies on the creation and sale of authentic Indian art and craftwork as an important tourist draw and economic engine, Stanton said........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

RUIDOSO DOWNS  Jerry Nic Nicodemus, considered one of quarter horse racings greatest jockeys of all time, died at his residence in Ruidoso. He was 73 years old.

He was a great friend to so many people within the racing industry and we are all shocked and saddened by his passing, Ruidoso Downs President and General Manager Jeff True said. His accomplishments on the race track are legendary, and the humble way he approached his success will always be remembered. Truly a Quarter Horse legend.

Ruidoso and AQHA Hall of Fame jockey Nicodemus won three All American Futurities with Three Ohs in 1968, Rocket Wrangler in 1970, and Ronas Ryon in 1986. He won four Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in California; twice with Dash for Cash in 1976 and 1977, Lady Juno in 1980, and Denim N Diamonds in 1981.

In 6,317 career races, Nicodemus won 1,252 for a winning percentage of nearly 20-percent with lifetime earnings of $18,888,775. He retired in 1993 and worked for many years as a New Mexico racing steward. He was a member of the All American Ruidoso Downs Foundation Board of Directors, the race tracks charitable organization that provides scholarships for young people within the racing industry.

Nicodemus and Dash For Cash are historically linked and are commemorated outside the American Quarter Horse Association headquarters with a life-size bronze sculpture which signifies their status. Dash for Cash won 21 races in 25 lifetime starts with $507,687 in earnings. Dash for Cash was named World Champion twice, and his bloodline is still very prominent in todays  Quarter Horse runners.

It is clear that Nic had the unique ability to bring out the most in those horses when they were in competition. He will be known for his special role in the history of our sport, and he will be missed tremendously by his Ruidoso Downs family.

The All American Ruidoso Downs Foundation created a memorial fund for contributions in the name of Jerry Nicodemus. Contributions can be sent to AARDF PO Box 449, Ruidoso Downs, NM, 88346.

Services and memorials are pending at this time.

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RIO RANCHO, N.M.  A 13th Judicial District Court judge is standing by his sentence of a drunken driver who crashed into two men last spring, killing them as they changed a tire roadside.

Last week, Judge Louis McDonald sentenced Christie Noriega, 32, to 30 years in prison but suspended all but three years. She had pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of Lonny Escovedo, 28, and Michael Chambellan, 21.

The decision prompted several Rio Rancho legislators to call for his resignation, and the District Attorneys Office in Sandoval County filed a motion asking for him to reconsider and impose a longer sentence.

In an order denying that motion filed Friday, McDonald wrote that in reaching this sentence, the court considered everything that was presented by the state and the defense at sentencing. The defendants medical condition was but one of many factors that the court considered in its sentencing decision.

In a statement, Karl Reifsteck, the courts executive officer, stressed that the judge must weigh many factors, including the harm that was caused, the defendants acceptance of responsibility, the likelihood of their reoffending and their ties to the community.

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Noriega did not have a criminal history and the New Mexico Corrections Department recommended a short sentence.

A judges responsibility is to fairly and impartially apply the law and make a decision based on what is presented in the courtroom, Reifsteck wrote. This responsibility includes making difficult decisions that do not necessarily track with popular sentiment, particularly sentiment that may develop from incomplete or misleading information........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Beside a table piled high with bags of white powder, representatives from Customs and Border Protection on Thursday announced the largest seizure of fentanyl in the departments history.

Late last month, a 26-year-old Mexican national driving a trailer full of cucumbers was stopped as he tried to enter the U.S. at a border checkpoint near Nogales, Arizona. The trailer contained a false bottom; beneath it, hundreds of pounds of both fentanyl and meth with a street value of more than $4.5 million, authorities said. The drugs were seized, and the driver arrested and charged with two federal charges.

All in all, a success story for the department. Notice the details, though: The drugs were hidden in a vehicle passing through a border checkpoint, not driving wildly through barren desert thanks to the lack of a wall on the border.

A few hours after the CBP announcement, President Donald Trump told reporters from The New York Times that the sort of apprehension his Department of Homeland Security had just celebrated didnt really exist.

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[U]nlike what the Democrats say, they dont, you dont bring trucks of drugs through the checkpoints, Trump told the Times. You bring trucks of drugs by making a right 20 miles, and a left into the country. Theyre not bringing, you know, they bring massive amounts of drugs, and they do it because theres no barrier, theres no hardened wall that you cant knock down with your breath.

Hes made this assertion before, that drug smugglers simply drive across empty desert in what he at one point described as unbelievable vehicles that are stronger, bigger and faster vehicles than our police have and than ICE has, and the Border Patrol have. (We reviewed the vehicles that had been seized at the southern border for smuggling; most were sedans or crossovers.)

Incidents of smugglers avoiding checkpoints do occur. In December, near an immigration checkpoint in Arizona  that is, at a location within the United States  CBP officers spotted a vehicle that appeared to be attempting to avoid the stop. They pursued; the vehicle allegedly held 65 pounds of meth and the driver was arrested. The event actually spawned two separate news releases, neither of which described the vehicle as unusual in any way.

Trumps assertion that most of the drugs that enter the United States come in vehicles that speed across unblocked border areas is undercut by testimony from members of his own administration. Weve noted before that various agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security have reported  since Trump took office  that most drugs that cross the border come through existing ports of entry. The best example of such testimony probably comes from Trumps former chief of staff John Kelly, who testified before Congress while still Homeland Security secretary in 2017.

Another metric would be the amount of  and it mostly comes through ports of entry, which is another discussion that we can certainly have here, but the amount of drugs that come through, Kelly said.

Shortly after Trump was inaugurated, the CBPs Paul Beeson offered similar testimony.

The Southwest land border POEs are the major points of entry for illegal drugs, where smugglers use a wide variety of tactics and techniques for concealing drugs, Beeson said, referring to ports of entry.

That is bolstered by the CBPs own news releases. We reviewed every news release touting a drug seizure since Nov. 1, 2018. Of the 120 seizures included in those releases, 82 occurred at ports of entry. Another 14 occurred at or near immigration checkpoints like the one near Yuma listed above.

The rest, 24 of them, happened between ports of entry. Almost all of those shared similar characteristics: They were seizures of marijuana by agents in the CBPs Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas. Usually, the seizure involved agents spotting people carrying bundles of marijuana across the river into the United States who then dropped the packages and fled south upon being confronted.

There was one noteworthy exception. On Dec. 6, agents spotted an ultralight aircraft flying across the border into California. They watched as it descended in altitude, later finding that it had dropped 129 pounds of meth near Calexico. The drugs were seized.

Most of the seizures including in the CBPs releases were similar in nature to the Nogales and Yuma stops: A vehicle pulled over for inspection that was found to have drugs either hidden in the vehicle or, in some cases, sitting within view. Often, the drugs were detected by drug-sniffing dogs.

Harder drugs like cocaine, heroin and fentanyl were generally captured in smaller amounts than marijuana. In total, more than 25,000 pounds of drugs, mostly marijuana, were seized at ports of entry. About 7,600 pounds  nearly all of it marijuana  were seized between ports of entry. About 400 pounds of drugs, mostly not marijuana, was seized at checkpoints. (These data exclude bulk reports of seizures without identified individual dates.)

More interestingly, the plurality of those who were arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States were identified either explicitly as U.S. citizens or identified as residents of the United States. Such individuals made up 41 of the 79 incidents in which a suspects identity was known. Another 31 were identified as Mexican nationals. A few, like the man stopped near the Yuma immigration checkpoint, were legal permanent U.S. residents. None of those identified as having being arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs were described as having originated from any country other than the United States or Mexico.

That smugglers would use American citizens to drive vehicles with hidden drug packages across the border makes intuitive sense. Why build a giant Mad-Max-mobile to go bounding over sand dunes in the middle of nowhere when there are decent odds that you can get through a checkpoint near a major U.S. city simply by driving a regular car down a regular road? In fact, as USA Today reported in 2017, agents on the border have about 40 seconds to spot signs of smuggling before letting cars progress into the United States.

The paper also noted that existing fencing had the desired effect of preventing the scenarios Trump proposes. The fencing around existing ports of entry has the effect of pushing smugglers toward the ports of entry, where they can more easily be detected.

Below, the 120 incidents documented in the CBPs news releases. These reports alone, from an agency under Trumps management, indicate that the presidents disparagement of the idea that smugglers try to sneak meth and heroin into the country using vehicles at ports of entry is incorrect.

  

Seizures identified in CBP news releases since Nov. 1, 2018

 Nov. 1, 2018. Port of entry near Pharr International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 24 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 2, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 118 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 3, 2018. Port of entry near Lukeville, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 28 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 4, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect attempted to smuggle 50 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 315 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 5, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 260 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Calexico East, Calif. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 50 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 6, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 14 pounds of heroin.

 Nov. 6, 2018. Port of entry near El Paso, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 1.5 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 6, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 69 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 7, 2018. Port of entry near Lukeville, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 190 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 7, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Yuma, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 30 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 8, 2018. Between ports of entry near Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 225 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 8, 2018. Port of entry near Pharr International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 24 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 9, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 0.5 pounds of heroin.

 Nov. 9, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 3 pounds of heroin.

 Nov. 9, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Yuma, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 62 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 1.5 pounds of fentanyl.

 Nov. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 17 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 10, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 99 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 10, 2018. Between ports of entry near Roma, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 95 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 18 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 11, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 40 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 11, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Kingsville, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 3 pounds of marijuana, heroin.

 Nov. 13, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 2 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 14, 2018. Port of entry near Anzaldus-Reynosa International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 156 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 66 pounds of heroin, meth.

 Nov. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 36 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 26 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 39 pounds of heroin, meth.

 Nov. 18, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 12 pounds of meth, cocaine.

 Nov. 18, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 13 pounds of meth, cocaine.

 Nov. 18, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 19 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 19, 2018. Port of entry near Pharr International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 55 pounds of meth, cocaine.

 Nov. 20, 2018. Port of entry near Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 21 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 22, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 20 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 23, 2018. Port of entry near Lukeville, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 112 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 23, 2018. Port of entry near Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 62 pounds of cocaine.

 Nov. 23, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 100 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 23, 2018. Between ports of entry near Donna, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 330 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 24, 2018. Port of entry near San Diego Suspect is a Multiple national who attempted to smuggle 625 pounds of various.

 Nov. 24, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a Multiple national who attempted to smuggle 182 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 24, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 82 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 24, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 235 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 26, 2018. Port of entry near Lukeville, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 1 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 18 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Port of entry near Calexico East, Calif. Suspect is a legal permanent U.S. resident who attempted to smuggle 65 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Port of entry near San Ysidro, Calif. Suspect is a legal permanent U.S. resident who attempted to smuggle 170 pounds of meth.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 230 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 300 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 27, 2018. Between ports of entry near Garceno, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 465 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 28, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 54 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 28, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 2885 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 28, 2018. Between ports of entry near La Grulla, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 235 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 28, 2018. Between ports of entry near Fort Brown, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 540 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 29, 2018. Port of entry near Douglas, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 250 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 29, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 253 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 30, 2018. Port of entry near Naco, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 75 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 30, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 4239 pounds of marijuana.

 Nov. 30, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 36 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 1, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 4275 pounds of marijuana, meth.

 Dec. 1, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 230 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 1, 2018. Between ports of entry near Mission, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 770 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 3, 2018. Port of entry near Calexico, Calif. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 51 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 92.25 pounds of meth, heroin, fentanyl.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 129 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Hidalgo International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 24 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 722 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Yuma, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 59 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 5, 2018. Port of entry near Tucson Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 118 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 23 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 66 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Port of entry near Raul Hector Castro, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 270 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Between ports of entry near Brownsville, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 80 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Between ports of entry near Brownsville, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 100 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 6, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 60 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 7, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Yuma, Ariz. Suspect is a legal permanent U.S. resident who attempted to smuggle 65 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 7, 2018. Between ports of entry near Mission, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 945 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 7, 2018. Between ports of entry near Roma, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 160 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 7, 2018. Port of entry near Otay Mesa, Calif. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 1000 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 8, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Salton City, Calif. Suspect attempted to smuggle 4 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 8, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Salton City, Calif. Suspect attempted to smuggle 22 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 8, 2018. Port of entry near Laredo, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 49 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 9, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Salton City, Calif. Suspect attempted to smuggle 57 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 9, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Salton City, Calif. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 3 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Lukeville, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 208 pounds of heroin, meth.

 Dec. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Laredo, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 37 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 10, 2018. Port of entry near Pharr International Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 367 pounds of meth, cocaine, heroin.

 Dec. 11, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 85 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 11, 2018. Between ports of entry near Brownsville, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 370 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 12, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Yuma, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 2 pounds of heroin.

 Dec. 12, 2018. Port of entry near Veterans International Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 3919 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 13, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 1 pounds of heroin.

 Dec. 13, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 13 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 13, 2018. Port of entry near Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, Texas. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 94 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 14, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a legal permanent U.S. resident who attempted to smuggle 5 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 14, 2018. Port of entry near World Trade Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 210 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 14, 2018. Port of entry near Laredo, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 39 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 15, 2018. Between ports of entry near Los Ebanos, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 320 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 15, 2018. Port of entry near Gateway to the Americas Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 38 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 11 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 1 pounds of heroin.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Port of entry near Eagle Pass, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 12.5 pounds of cocaine.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Immigration checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle marijuana.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Between ports of entry near Calaboz, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 94 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 16, 2018. Between ports of entry near Calexico, Calif. Suspect attempted to smuggle 129 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 17, 2018. Between ports of entry near Bluetown, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 190 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 18, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a Multiple national who attempted to smuggle heroin.

 Dec. 18, 2018. Port of entry near Dennis DeConcini Crossing, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 0.5 pounds of heroin.

 Dec. 18, 2018. Between ports of entry near Brownsville, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 360 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 19, 2018. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 0.5 pounds of meth.

 Dec. 19, 2018. Port of entry near Roma International Bridge, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 2149 pounds of marijuana.

 Dec. 19, 2018. Between ports of entry near Rio Grande City, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 230 pounds of marijuana.

(Gap due to the shutdown.)

 Jan. 25, 2019. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 28 pounds of meth.

 Jan. 25, 2019. Port of entry near Presidio, Texas. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 216 pounds of marijuana.

 Jan. 26, 2019. Port of entry near Nogales, Ariz. Suspect is a Mexican national who attempted to smuggle 649 pounds of fentanyl, meth.

 Jan. 26, 2019. Port of entry near Laredo, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 28 pounds of heroin.

 Jan. 27, 2019. Port of entry near San Luis, Ariz. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 62 pounds of meth.

 Jan. 27, 2019. Immigration checkpoint near Salton City, Calif. Suspect is a U.S. national who attempted to smuggle 75 pounds of meth.

 Jan. 27, 2019. Between ports of entry near Edinburg, Texas. Suspect attempted to smuggle 230 pounds of marijuana........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

DENVER  Denver voters will decide in May whether to decriminalize so-called magic mushrooms containing the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin (sy-loh-SY-bin).

KMGH-TV reported Friday that city elections officials determined that proponents gathered enough valid petition signatures to put the proposal on the May 7 municipal election ballot.

If it passes, its believed Denver would be the first U.S. city to decriminalize the drug.

However, it would still be illegal under federal law. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies psilocybin in the same category as heroin and LSD.

The DEA also puts marijuana in that category. Colorado, nine other states and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana use by adults, and the federal government has not moved to shut them down.

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Denver voters decriminalized marijuana before voters statewide took the same step in 2012.

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Information from: KMGH-TV, http://www.thedenverchannel.com.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  An alleged car thief was tased and taken into custody after a police pursuit in Valencia County Thursday, during which an officer fired a shot.

According to a New Mexico State Police news release issued Friday, Bosque Farms police fielded a call from a stolen car victim who said she was in the Peralta area following her stolen Kia Optima.

As the victim followed her stolen vehicle, State Police said, a suspect from within the stolen vehicle allegedly fired shots toward her.

Bosque Farms police found the car in Peralta and a pursuit began, ending on El Cerro Loop near Toy Lane in Los Lunas. A passenger was immediately taken into custody, while the driver ran, leading officers on a foot chase.

During the foot pursuit a Bosque Farms PD officer discharged his department-issued weapon, said State Police, adding that the suspect was not hit by gunfire. A Valencia County Sheriffs sergeant located the driver and tased him.

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The driver  identified as Samuel Jose Orona, 28, of Belen  was taken into custody.

Orona is charged with felony counts of taking of a motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting or evading arrest.

State Polices Investigations Bureau was asked to investigate the incident in which no officers were injured........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

WASHINGTON  For all of President Donald Trumps talk about America first, the next two years of his presidency could shine a sharp spotlight on America abroad.

His State of the Union address next week will be dissected for clues on how hell deal with a full plate of foreign policy challenges. His words will serve as fodder for ongoing partisan debate about whether his decisions will have passing or long-lasting effects on the world.

Will he pull troops from Afghanistan? Can he coax North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program? What will Americas future role be in Syria? What about U.S. power struggles with China, Russia and Iran, instability in the Middle East and U.S. relations with European allies?

There is so much polarization around this whole discussion of Trump  pro-Trump, anti-Trump  that its hard to make sweeping declarations about the success or failure of Trumps foreign policy, said John Hannah, who has held foreign policy posts in both Democratic and Republican administrations.

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Theres been some good and some bad, but also a risk that the presidents own unpredictability is undercutting some of his important achievements, said Hannah, who is now with the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Trump campaigned on a nationalist platform he calls America first, telling voters it was time to shake the rust off conventional U.S. foreign policy and make addressing problems at home the top priority. His administration has torn up multilateral treaties, has focused more squarely on the threat from China  its trade policies and theft of U.S. intellectual property  and wants to pull America out of what Trump calls endless wars.

Nobody seemed fully prepared, though, for Trumps bull-in-a-china-shop approach to foreign relations  picking fights with allies, embracing Russia, announcing via Twitter an abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and rattling nuclear sabers with North Koreas Kim Jong Un.

At the halfway mark of his term, Trump will use his address to Congress next week to talk about progress in fighting Islamic State militants, who have suffered a significant loss of real estate in Syria through pressure from the U.S. and its partners, though intelligence officials say the threat has not been extinguished.

Hes expected to boast of opening trade talks with China and denuclearization talks with North Korea although neither deal has yet been reached, take credit for a hard-line stance against Iran through economic sanctions and make a case for ending or reducing U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Hell award himself high marks on foreign policy and tease new action to come.

Were not going to be leading from behind anymore, he told reporters this week.

His critics, however, see America first as a slogan that translates to America alone. They deplore his distaste for multilateral organizations  Trump has withdrawn from the Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal, the U.N.s top human rights and educational agencies, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. On Friday, Trump said the U.S. is pulling out of an arms control treaty with Russia.

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, calls America first a mix of xenophobia and isolationism that has meant abandoning U.S. values, insulting partners, ignoring human rights and the rule of law, and taking a 19th-century view of the world.

I really struggle to find the basis under which this America first policy has advanced Americas interests abroad, Menendez said. I think, at this point, things can be reversed, but the longer his policy gets pursued, the more permanent the damage will be.

Kenneth Pollack, a Mideast scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, calls America first a bumper sticker that obviously appealed to many people. But hes worried about the long-term effects of it, especially the presidents move to exit Syria.

Foreign policy experts write off some of Trumps actions as theatrics, but the pullout in Syria, many think, is a gift to Russia and Iran. They say it reduces U.S. influence in neighboring Iraq, leaves room for Islamic State militants to regroup and allows Iran to consolidate control in the region and threaten its archrival, Israel.

Hes walked away from Syria, which has just been catastrophic in terms of our relationships with our allies, Pollack said.

Some foreign policy experts argue that giving Iran room to further entrench itself in Syria actually undercuts Trumps own maximum pressure campaign on Tehran.

In May, he pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear pact the Obama administration and U.S. partners negotiated with Iran. Under the deal, Iran agreed to rein in  but not give up forever  its nuclear weapons program in exchange for an easing of economic sanctions.

Since then, Trump has ramped up sanctions on Iran while other parties in the deal  China, France, Germany, Russia and Britain  try to do business with Iran without running afoul of U.S. sanctions.

The Iranians havent restarted their nuclear program, and U.S. relations with Russia, Europe and China havent ruptured  all of thats true, said Pollack, a former CIA analyst and National Security Council official. But we havent necessarily gotten anything from pulling out of the deal either.

The way that Trump has been handling Iran, I could see scenarios where we could get into a war with Iran, he said.

When Trump delivered his last State of the Union, the world was worried that the president and North Koreas Kim were arguing about who had the bigger nuclear button on their desk. Then in mid-2018, all the warmongering stopped. Trump held a historic summit with Kim in Singapore, declared the communist nation was no longer a nuclear threat and said the two leaders fell in love.

But while there is no concrete denuclearization deal yet, Trump is getting ready to go to Asia for a second summit with Kim in coming weeks, and he may use Tuesdays speech to announce the summit date and place.

Since Trumps abrupt decision to exit Syria, there has been growing fear that Trump will yank troops from Afghanistan, too, tapping into rising public support for ending the 17-year-old war. As the Trump administration negotiates with the Taliban, 14,000 U.S. troops are still training and assisting Afghan forces and fighting terrorist networks to prevent the country from being a staging area for attacks on the West.

At the same time that Trump is derided for insulting allies, he is credited with working alongside them and got bipartisan support this month when he took a tough stand against Venezuelas embattled, socialist president Nicolas Maduro.

With Venezuela, hes not going it alone, said Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Councils Latin America center.

Working with partners, then demeaning Americas best friends is just one example of Trumps often contradictory style on the international stage.

While he stood firm against Maduro in Venezuela, he has cozied up to other leaders, including Russia President Vladimir Putin and China President Xi Jinping  two countries that the U.S. will be in a power struggle with for years to come.

He says he gets along great with Xi, but the two are locked in a trade war. Trump says hes been tough on Russia, yet he was harshly criticized in Helsinki for not publicly denouncing Russias interference in the 2016 U.S. election and appearing to accept Putins denials of any meddling.

He said the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey was heinous. But while the U.S. sanctioned 17 Saudis believed to have been complicit, Trump would not impose harsher penalties on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing the importance of economic and other U.S. cooperation with the Gulf ally.

My policy is very simple, he said. America first.Kelda J.L. Pharris

kpharris@aberdeennews.com

How do you find friends in a new town or new state, let alone new country?

Sometimes they find you through a mix of circumstance and happenstance.

Lee Schenkel was at a friends restaurant, Banadir Kitchen, when he had an attack of sorts. It was likely acid reflux, he said while visiting by phone recently.

All of a sudden he seemed to not be doing well, said Hassan Niazi, recounting the story Jan. 15 in his office on Northern State Universitys campus.

The server asked me for help. I said, Do you want me to call 911? (Schenkel) said, Take me home. I drove him in his vehicle to his home. The server followed us so he could bring me back to the restaurant. (Schenkel) told me hes a retired nurse, just needed to take medications, Niazi said.

Niazi, 30, followed up a bit later with a phone call to Schenkel, 75, to make sure he was doing alright.

Its doubtful Schenkel has ever met a stranger. His laugh is one thats not easily contained. He holds it back like a wily bronco, eager and earnest.

The next day I got a call from Lee. He said I needed to meet him at the restaurant, Niazi said. He said, What you did for me was unconditional. You wanted to help an Aberdeen citizen, and I want you to join the Elks. He said, Thats what Elks is about, and what you did was the perfect example.

Niazi calls Schenkel the second-funniest person hes ever met. Second only to Randy Kantack. The three belong to Toastmasters, another group for which Schenkel is an adept recruiter.

People have this notion that old people are grumpy, but hes the funniest, Niazi said of Schenkel.

Niazi and his wife, Fouzia Tahseen, and their young son are now regulars at the Elks Lodge, taking in dinner and fellowship on Thursdays and/or Fridays, as long as the accounting and business classes that Niazi teaches at Northern allow him. Members encourage them to play bags and other activities.

His generosity of time and compassion impressed Schenkel.

Niazi digresses, explaining thats just how his Pakistani and Muslim upbringing taught him to be. You assist your neighbor, your fellow man or woman.

He said that theres a saying in his religion, You dont go to bed with a full stomach when your neighbor hasnt had his dinner.

Niazi is just the type of guy Schenkel looks for when recruiting for service groups. He aims for bright individuals and has an eye for minorities or others who might be new to Aberdeen or who havent found themselves a close-knit, extended family like the Elks.

Im an old recruiter for anything I belong to. A lot I cant do, but I do love to seek members, Schenkel said. (Niazis) such an asset. Hes just brilliant. I had a talk with our exalted ruler, Jim Weismantel. I said, I just want you to know what Im doing. Im seeking people out like them  Muslims. He said, No, you go right ahead. That shows we are accepting of all.

Schenkel, a 52-year member of the Elks, said he has recruited about 20 new members to the group in the past couple years.

Hes matter-of-fact between his ribbons of laughter. He refers to himself and other caucasians frequently as whiteys, and it seems both strange and endearing. He gathers new Elks members with richly different backgrounds, and they, in turn, are brought into a new fold of extended family.

Schenkel knows that many race issues are because of lack of communication, so he pushes past those blockades. He reaches through perceived walls of race, ethnicity or culture to get to the human underneath.

Niazi has been teaching at Northern since 2014 while also pursuing his doctorate. Tahseen, his wife, is pursuing a masters degree through the University of South Dakota. Niazi came to the U.S. from Pakistan in 2010 to pursue a bachelors degree at the University of Texas-Dallas. Then he was to return home. But he excelled in schooling, keeping a rigorous schedule and 3.5 GPA. He said he was so busy, he needed to brush his teeth and hair at the same time. His father gave up asking when hed move back. The only halal food  prepared according to Islamic custom  he could find was Subway for that first year. During the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, hed split a footlong sub, half eaten before sunrise, the other half after sunset.

Some of his first couple forays into working in the business and accounting field gave him the opportunity to train others. Thats where he found his love for teaching.

Training is more fun, teaching is more fun. Its more rewarding to see people improve their life, their work, their life quality, Niazi said.

Thats what eventually brought him to Aberdeen and to his position at Northern. The family couldnt be happier. He said hes felt little to no prejudice firsthand. The little hes noticed he qualifies with compassion.

Ive been in the U.S. for eight years. Ive never had any issues. But in 2016 there was a hate speech event (off campus, but in town), he said. Three days after that, I was buying groceries at Kesslers. I called my wife, making sure I was getting what we needed. All of the sudden, this older gentlemen says to me, Speak in English.

Niazi quickly changed to English, a way for him to put the man at ease and let him know that Niazi was not a threat. He attributed the mans statement to what hed been taught and the current state of the world. It put the family on guard for a bit.

Its what has been told to him. That (event) had a significant impact on my life. I said, Lets not go in public that often. My wife (chooses to wear) the hijab. This older gentlemen just criticized my language, so what would he do? I said, If you go out in public, you need to be by my side. Make sure we talk in English. Dont show signs that will victimize you.

Theyve relaxed a bit, though, and Niazi praises the community for all of its riches. He finds guidance in Vi Stoias legacy. Stoia was a popular Aberdeen businessman and community leader who died before Niazi stepped foot in the U.S. He also finds a level of connection with the Northern staff that he didnt at bigger schools or companies in Texas. There, he was a number, treated as a machine.

If you love someone you love their negatives and positives, said Niazi of Aberdeen. Ive fallen in love to the level that I like the trains, the church bells and the potholes, and the snowy weather. The snow falls and fills those potholes and you get a less-bumpy ride.

Niazi remembers the first night he and Tahseen spent in Aberdeen.

Its silent, she said.

A wet glimmer rings his eyelids when he thinks about people who put down the city he now calls home.

Dont take Aberdeen for granted. Its one of the best communities you can live in. Its a miracle that brought me to NSU, he said.

Schenkel is reveling in that miracle.

I told him not long ago, Youre one of my best friends ever. He was taken back, Schenkel said.

It was a closeness Niazi felt, too, but to hear it on anothers lips made it even sweeter.

Schenkel  as if he hadnt made his points, underlined them, bolded them and surrounded them in asterisks  tells one last story. It was the Elks Bingo Bonanza and he and another person had baked goods to drop off. He was having trouble getting to the lodge and asked Niazi for help delivering the goods.

Niazi arrived and before Schenkel had bridged his threshold to the outdoors, Niazi was already shoveling the fresh snow covering the walk.

There isnt just anybody who is going to do that. Hes just a super good guy, Schenkel said with one last satisfied chuckle.Victoria Lusk

vlusk@aberdeennews.com

Radio personalty and newspaper editor Jon A. Anderson, an Aberdeen native, died Friday.

He was a longtime radio announcer in Guam. According to the Guam Daily Post, Anderson began his broadcast career there in 1977 as the general manager for KUAM.

Anderson eventually purchased a radio station and launched the first newstalk format on the island, the K-57 Breakfast Show, according to the Post.

He later served as editor-in-chief of the Marianas Variety newspaper in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, before retiring in 2014, according to the Post.

Reports from Guam called Anderson a media legend and the father of talk radio.

He died at Guam Regional Medical City. He was 76.

Anderson grew up in and graduated from high school in Aberdeen and, after spending a year in Germany, attended Northern State University for one year, according to a 1993 interview with The MIT Press, a publisher of books and journals.

Funeral arrangements are pending.We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.(UPDATE 2/15/19) The University of Providence Board of Trustees voted to approve the recommendation to close several of the universitys programs. As a result of the decision, the following programs will close:

-Accounting (including the graduate program)

-Art

-Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, Health and Physical Education,

-English, History, Sociology, Theater and Business Arts

-Theology

UP explained all students in the affected programs will be given the opportunity to graduate from their programs and maintain their scholarships. UP states, recognizing these program changes will affect the future of the university, the Board also committed to lead a substantial and collaborative process among faculty and other campus stakeholders to map a clear vision for the university moving forward that is grounded in the mission and values of the Sisters of Providence.

UP told KFBB the plan is for this process to begin as soon as possible with final consideration by the Board of Trustees at their meeting in May.

GREAT FALLS- The University of Providence has announced a plan to potentially cut 12 major and minor degrees along with Men's Lacrosse.

We talked to Matthew Redinger this morning who's UP's Provost. He tells KFBB even if these programs get cut, the University will ensure its current students graduate with the degree they originally made plans to have. However, before we get into more details, let's take a look at what programs potentially are being cut.

UP's president, Tony Aretz will recommend cutting:

-Accounting, including its graduate program

-Art, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, Health and Physical Education

-English, History, Sociology, Theater and Business Arts

-Theology

Being a Catholic institution, we asked Redinger, why the college is looking to cut, of all programs, Theology. He says after meeting with the faculty which includes a few theologians, they realized having two full-time theologians with one major was not economically sustainable. However Redinger tells us, this doesn't mean learning about Theology throughout the school's core curriculum will be taken away.

"Fundamentally our goal is to build the liberal arts core curriculum as a foundation and theology is central to the core of the curriculum. So the liberal arts are not going away. The University of Providence has been, is, and will continue to be a Catholic liberal arts university," said Redinger.

Redinger says, this also applies to the other programs being cut meaning all these programs will continue to be taught through their core curriculum. We also asked if cut, is there any chance some of these programs could return in the near future, and Redinger told KFBB it's possible all depending on whether or not it's financially sensible.

We do want to reiterate. None of these decisions are final. The university is set to have open forums to further discuss these potential cuts and there will be a board meeting on Thursday, February 14th to decide what happens.A Spokane, Washington man is charged with felony kidnapping and assault with a weapon charges after a 9-hour standoff with police in Butte earlier this week.

Court documents identify the man as 52-year-old Dane Anthony Gibson. He was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he held a person hostage and engaged in a standoff with police from a bus parked in front of the Butte bus depot.

Authorities say Gibson, who claimed to be carrying a bomb was carrying a fake detonator.

The standoff began around 12:30 PM on Wednesday when Gibson, riding a Jefferson Lines bus, reportedly demanded that the driver take him to the court house.

The bus driver stopped at the transfer center and disabled the bus. Gibson stayed on the bus with a hostage, and claimed to have a gun and a bomb, according to law enforcement. The other passengers and the bus driver safely got off the bus.

For the next several hours, officers with the Butte police and sheriff's office tried to determine whether the suspect was really carrying explosives. The suspect appeared to be holding a device that looked like a detonator and carrying a satchel.

After a few hours, Gibson reportedly asked for food and a cellphone so he could keep in touch with negotiators, as his phone was losing its battery power.

As officers set the bag of food and phone in front of the bus, the hostage used the distraction to shove away the suspect and escape. The hostage's escape was caught on camera.

The hostage was interviewed by police and released.

With the hostage safe and unhurt, Sheriff Ed Lester said, the tactical team decided to wait the suspect out and keep speaking to him through a negotiator. The first two cellphones died and they brought him out a third phone.

They also gave him a phone charger, which didn't work because the bus was disabled, Lester says.

As for what Gibson was demanding, Lester says he ranted to negotiators about conspiracy theories, various "grievances" and complained about physical ailments.

"Some real disjointed thoughts that indicate he has some mental situation going on," Lester says.

After several hours, officers said they observed Gibson taking toiletries out of the bag that purportedly carried explosives in it.

In a Butte-Silver Bow Justice Courtroom Friday, a judge set bail at $100,000. Gibson is due back in court on February 28.While the administration acknowledges that the proposed rule could lead to drug plan premium increases, it remains unclear exactly how much impact it would have. The administration also says that those who would benefit most from this proposed rule are Medicare enrollees with the highest drug costs, and those with plans that have high deductibles or those whose coinsurance is tied to the list prices of prescriptions. According to an HHS fact sheet, an estimated 30 percent of Part D beneficiaries have drug costs high enough that their out-of-pocket savings will likely exceed any premium changes. The administration also says that if Part D plans put more generics on their approved drug lists, improve negotiations with drugmakers or reduce their administrative costs, premiums could be held constant and savings could be even greater.

David Mitchell, founder of Patients for Affordable Drugs, said in an interview Friday that the most positive element of this proposal is that it gets rid of secret rebates. We feel strongly that a system based on secret deals is bad policy. But, Mitchell said, this doesnt fix drug prices completely. We still need to directly negotiate the price of Part D prescriptions.

The proposal also drew criticism from the health insurance industry, From the start, the focus on rebates has been a distraction from the real issue, says Matt Eyles, president and CEO of Americas Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group. The problem is price. Manufacturers have complete control over how drug prices are set. Already this year, more than three dozen drugmakers have raised their prices on hundreds of medications.

Earlier this week, congressional committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate held hearings exploring the high price of prescription drugs, the first in a series of sessions lawmakers plan on the subject.As we work through the month May, I want to give a couple of updates from the last few weeks. My priority bill, LB 644, has advanced from the first and second round of debate and will be heading to final reading soon. This bill was designed to help give the taxpayer clear and concise informaIn Episode 62 of Understanding Latin American Politics: The Podcast, I talk with Rebecca Hanson, who is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida and affiliated with the Center for Latin American Studies. Her current book project Citizen (In)Security, Policing, and Violent Pluralism in Venezuelas Bolivarian Revolution uses 27 months of ethnographic, interview, and survey data conducted in Venezuela to explain why key tenets of democratic police reform do not make sense to many on the ground, and how these reforms can entrench support for the beliefs and practices that reformers set out to change.



She also is the author of a recent article co-authored with Tim Gill (way back in episode 10) in NACLA providing context for the Venezuelan crisis. We discuss how the crisis is unfolding, recognizing that everything might change not long after we talk.



You can find this podcast at iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere else podcasts can be found. If there is anything I've missed, please contact me.



IOWA CITY -- Three people were killed in one crash and a fourth was killed in a Johnson County pileup Thursday on Iowa highways.

The crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 at mile marker 242 1/2 was directly related to the weather, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

William W. Hicks, 72, of Coralville, died in that crash, reported about 3:30 p.m. Another driver, Reggie R. Gist,36, of Cedar Rapids, was injured.

Troopers said a total of seven passenger vehicles and four semi-tractor trailers were involved in the crash "due to 100 percent ice and snow covered roadway and diminished/reduced visibility."

In the Crawford County crash, three people died in a crash about 5 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 59 and 270th Street.

The deceased were identified as Penny Hulsebus, 52, of Defiance, the driver of a minivan; Maria Petro Garcia Hernandez, 48, of Denison; amd Erika L. Dionicio, 42, of Denison. The latter two women were backseat passengers in a SUV being driven by Saul Armando Guzman Orellana, 46, of Denison, who was injured in the crash, along with another passenger.

Troopers said both vehicles were on Highway 59 when the minivan cross the center line and struck the SUV head-on. The report did not say whether weather was a factor.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3WATERLOO  Police now say a man charged in four car burglaries actually broke into a total of 31 vehicles around Waterloo.

Christopher Eugene Barbour, 19, of 3158 Franklin St., was arrested Feb. 1 at the jail and charged with an additional 27 counts of burglary to a motor vehicle, pretrial revocation, second-degree criminal mischief and fifth-degree criminal mischief in what police say is a string of several dozen vehicle burglaries in recent weeks.

Waterloo police initially apprehended Barbour on Jan. 27 and charged him with four counts of burglary to a vehicle and interference after he ran from police through the snow.

Bond for Barbour, who is also awaiting trial for breaking into an ice cream shop over the summer, was elevated to $51,800 for all 35 charges  half of that just for the second-degree criminal mischief charge. He remained in the Black Hawk County Jail on Friday.

According to police, a resident saw a person swiping a backpack from his vehicle and going through other vehicles in the 200 block of Summit Avenue around 12:15 a.m. Jan. 27, and called police.

Later than morning, a patrol officer spotted the suspect in the 500 block of Reber Avenue and followed footprints to a garage that had been entered.I put him back in the swing and gave him the bottle. And turned it on and went to see what she wanted, Harris told Callaway. She wasnt able to put a time to it.

Harris explained she kept the children separated so the daughter wouldnt disturb Sterling and because Sterling got cold easily.

Harris said she fed her daughter and recalled having difficulty getting the toddler to sleep. Koehn returned home around 4 or 5 a.m. Aug. 30, 2017. They ate grilled cheese and then went to sleep, she said. She said the daughter woke her around noon, and she discovered Sterling was dead when she went to check on him.

Harris told Callaway that Koehn suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was behind Sterlings death, and Callaway asked if she was concerned she had done something wrong.

I cant help but feel that I (unintelligible) him differently. Or I should have checked on him more, Harris told the agent.

She also told Callaway that Koehn rarely helped out with caring for the infant. He didnt change diapers because it made him sick, and during feeding he was always worried he wasnt doing it right, she said.

Although Sterling died in Chickasaw County, Harris is being tried in Plymouth County on a change of venue."There are some people that would say that Matthew was a stain on our family's reputation. That's not how we see it at all."CNN reported that New York recently passed a controversial law loosening the rules on abortion. New York is the latest state to do so, as advocates say they fear the newly conservative U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade. According to MSNBC, the new laws are "fueling an ongoing debate about later abortions." Across the world, it's been a high-focus subject.

In Ireland, an amendment of the Irish Constitution had made it nearly impossible for a woman to have an abortion. This recently changed when the country's citizens voted for the amendment's repeal.

Late term abortion is a growing trend along with relaxing the rules as to who can perform them. While licensed physicians and hospitals used to be required to perform an abortion, the changes in the New York Reproductive Health Act allows abortions by a health care practitioner licensed, certified, or authorized under Title Eight of the Education Law, acting within his or her lawful scope of practice

In California, Penal Code 187 (a) defines murder as the unlawful killing of a human being or a fetus with malice aforethought, meaning, if a woman is pregnant and during an assault her fetus dies, the person responsible can be charged with murder. If, however, this same woman decides she is not mentally fit or healthy enough to raise a child she can move to New York and abort her full-term fetus.

There are multiple states who recognize fetal injury as a separate event after an assault, but if the law in New York stands, which it will, each state will have to rethink the ramifications of fetal injury.

I spent several hours with my nurses today as we brainstormed what conditions could possibly become known that would force a woman to abort a full-term fetus.

Not one of us could think of a thing. Ultrasounds are done throughout most pregnancies making malformation or genetic liabilities a non-issue. One patient who has cancer is receiving chemotherapy and radiation at lower doses so she can save her child and have a normal birth. Toxemia is easily rectified by an emergency C-section as is out of control diabetes.

In fact, my entire point of view changed after today's visit.

A late-term abortion can take up to three days to complete, leaving a woman with extremely high blood pressure open to a stroke for three days when a C-section is always the better choice. Perhaps, some suggested, a woman in this situation did not choose a C-section knowing her child would survive. Some would argue that the decision to abort or save is between a woman and her physician, while others would argue that the fetus is a child, fully capable of living on its own after twenty-five weeks, with appropriate medical intervention. In fact, many women who miscarry after twenty-five weeks seek the best care possible for their preterm infant and most survive.

Third-trimester abortion

A third-trimester abortion isn't pretty, not for the woman or the people helping her terminate the fetus. Under such slack terminology, even stress due to finances, personal reasons, or medical conditions can facilitate a late-term abortion. The New York law states the same thing Roe v. Wade does and was put into place in case Roe v. Wade is overturned by a conservative SCOTUS. Federal law states that an abortion is legal in all fifty states up to nine months of pregnancy. It is the states that have enacted restrictions on the use of late-term abortion, not the federal government.

However, believing a fetus will not suffer during its abortion is naive in the extreme. First, a large needle is used to inject the fetus with a poison similar to potassium chloride.

This will give the fetus a heart attack. A laminaria stick or sticks is inserted into the cervix. A laminaria is a form of seaweed that attracts moisture causing the cervix to swell and open. This can be done for one day or two as needed to open the cervix wide enough to accommodate the delivery of the dead fetus.

On the second day, an ultrasound is performed to make sure the fetus isnt viable. If the fetus is still alive a second, lethal dose of poison is delivered to ensure the child dies. Several days later the woman expels a dead fetus. If the fetus is not delivered whole then a D&C is performed and the fetus is cut into pieces and removed. The woman is instructed to return to the hospital when contractions begin or if it is too late, to sit over a toilet and expel the infant.

No woman can help being changed by this event and many of them experience profound grief.

The extraction procedure is done by inserting forceps into the birth canal, using the forceps to grab the fetus' legs and pull the fetus out of the birth canal leaving the head just above the cervix. Scissors are used to puncture the brain to kill the fetus. The fetus is then extracted from the birth canal.

The emotional toll

Women grieve after the loss of their baby either by miscarriage or abortion. While I decided to keep my daughter when I was fifteen, I did grieve the miscarriage of another baby four years later. Friends who had abortions still grieve and wonder what their child would have looked like, what day and month the baby would have been born.

In my day, the child, myself in this situation, could be forced into having an abortion by the parent. I had to move out and stay with a friend until I was beyond the stage where an abortion could be performed. The emotional toll of abortion cannot be discounted and the woman making the decision should be given all the facts, including that a pre-term baby can feel pain by the third trimester.

I have spent years thinking about this, wondering who has the right to decide on the life of a fetus. Is it God, the mother, the father, the physician? Even at fifteen, in complete agreement with my soon-to-be husband, we knew an abortion wasn't an option. Fifty years and three kids (plus seven grandkids) later, we are proud of the woman our child has become.

We had no clue where our lives were going to take us, but we believed that God had a purpose in bringing her to life. Was it easy? No. Did people think we were crazy? You bet, but we did it. Still, not everyone would want to walk this road and it is not my place to tell any woman what to do under such trying circumstances. These are deeply personal choices and no woman has an abortion on a whim.

I have examined the argument as to why men are so obsessed with women's bodies. Some men are preoccupied with power and control while others, like my husband, have strong paternal feelings toward a fetus he had yet to know. I don't know if a pregnancy termination is just the woman's prerogative. Men are fully capable of raising a child should they want to do so, and it does take two people to make a child.

There isn't any way to force a man or woman into using contraceptives so the responsibility of possible parenthood should lay heavy on the consensual couple. Abortion is not and should not be seen as an easy way out.

Some couples don't see a future with an unknown child. Instead, they see another mouth to feed, a handicapped child they won't be able to care for, another stressor in an out-of-control life. Being a woman is hard, but being a man is just as difficult, so making decisions like these is even harder. I'd venture to say there isn't a woman or man alive who hasn't thought about abortion and the consequences. We do not have the right to judge another woman or man about the choices he or she makes, including a same-sex couple with regards to abortion.

Abortion has a place up to the second trimester. After that, clear cut measures should be stated with no notion of ambiguity about the mother's health. If the child is able to live outside the womb with current medical practices in place, the child should be given the right to thrive and to take its place in the world.



Over the past few days, the intensity of anti-government protests in Venezuela has declined despite attempts of the US-led bloc to warm them up through both public and clandestine measures. However, the conflict continues to develop amid the acute standoff in the media sphere between the Maduro government and its opponents backed by the US-led bloc.

On January 29, CNN released an interview with two Venezuelan army defectors who appealed to US President Donald Trump to arm them to defend freedom in Venezuela. They claimed to be in contact with hundreds of willing defectors via WhatsApp groups and called on Venezuelan soldiers to revolt against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

As Venezuelan soldiers, we are making a request to the US to support us, in logistical terms, with communication, with weapons, so we can realize Venezuelan freedom, one of the alleged defectors, Guillen Martinez, told CNN. Another one, Hidalgo Azuaje, added: Were not saying that we need only US support, but also Brazil, Colombia, Peru, all brother countries, that are against this dictatorship.

During the entire clip, these persons were presented in a manner alleging that they had just recently defected and are now calling on others to follow their step. However, therein lies the problem. The badges on their uniform say FAN  Fuerza Armada Nacionales. This is an outdated pattern, which has been dropped. Now, Venezuelas service members have a different badge  FANB, which means Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana. So, either the Venezuelan army defectors somehow lost the letter B from their uniform, or the entire interview is a staged show involving former Venezuelan service members, who have been living for a long time outside the country, or in the worst case  actors.

The interview came amid increasing US political, media and sanction pressure on the Maduro government. White House National Security Adviser John Bolton was even spotted with a mysterious note about the deployment of 5,000 US troops to Colombia, the US ally which borders Venezuela. In this situation, a large-scale military uprising or at least formation of some opposition within the army would become a useful tool in a wider effort to overthrow the countrys government. On the other hand, the use of such CNN-styled content shows that so far the US and its proxies have achieved little success in buying the support of Venezuelan service members.

On January 29, Venezuelan lawmaker Jose Guerra claimed via Twitter that a Boeing 777 of Russias Nordwind Airlines landed in Caracas on January 28 to spirit away 20 tons of gold bars, worth some $840 million, from the countrys central bank. When asked how he knew this, Guerra provided no evidence. By January 30, these items of breaking news had rocked the headlines of most of the mainstream media.

Another version, which was also quite popular among pro-opposition media, is that the plane, which reportedly made the trip directly from Moscow, moved in a group of Russian private military contractors to support the Maduro government. This version is fueled by reports claiming up to 400 Kremlin-linked private military contractors may have arrived in Venezuela.

The developing crisis is also accompanied by the growth of citizen journalism. Bellingcat members already created a Twitter page named In Venezuela, which provides field news about the crisis from Toronto, Canada. Its easy to expect some open source intelligence investigations revealing crimes of the Maduro government against peaceful protesters very soon if the conflict escalates further.

Roughly speaking, the mainstream media presents the audience with the following story: The Maduro government is about to fall and is already moving the countrys gold reserves somewhere via Russian planes. At the same time, Vladimir Putin sent his mercenaries to rescue Maduro and to keep the corrupt regime in power in order to secure Russias economic and political interests. This, as well as the oppressive nature of the regime, are the only reason why the forces of good have not yet achieved victory.

Fortunately, there is the shining knight of democracy, Juan Guaido, who was democratically appointed as the Interim President of Venezuela from Washington. He, his Free Venezuelan Army consisting of hundreds of WhatsApp defectors and a group of unbiased US/NATO-funded citizen journalists and investigators are ready to stand against the Maduro-Putin alliance and to defend freedom and democracy in Venezuela with a bit of help from the Trump administration for sure.

There are no doubts that modern Venezuela is allied with Russia and Moscow will employ its existing influence to resolve the crisis and thus defend its investments and oil assets. Furthermore, Maduro and his supporters showed that they are not going to give in to the US-led pressure. At the same time, The level of MSM hysteria, including an open disinformation campaign against the Maduro government and attempts to demonize it through various means, including its ties with Moscow, show that the Washington establishment is serious in its regime change efforts and may even be ready to instigate a Syria-style proxy war in the country in order to achieve own goals.

Related NewsUprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.Cote dIvoires former president Laurent Gbagbo, acquitted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, will be taken in by Belgium, the foreign ministry ... "In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo," said spokesman Karl Lagatie, who added that he did not know if the ex-president was already in Belgium. First head of state before ICC Gbagbo's case is the first time a former head of state has had to stand trial at the ICC, along with his aide Charles Ble Goude. On Friday, the appeals judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said the court would release the former president and his aide to a country willing to accept them on its territory and willing to enforce the conditions as set by the court. Initially the two had been acquitted on all charges on January 15th related to post-election violence. Immediately the prosecution requested that the two be detained until an appeal is completed. The request was initially rejected, then accepted. On Friday, it was once again rejected. Following that decision, Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda released a statement stating: the Prosecution still has the right to appeal the January 15 decision to acquit Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ble Goude [on] the serious charges against them. Post-election violence 73-year-old Gbagbo and 47-year-old Ble Goude were held in detention at the Hague for more than seven years on charges related to the violence that erupted following the 2010-2011 elections when Gbagbo refused accept defeat by Alassane Ouattara. They were both charged on four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, inhumane acts and persecution. The crimes date back to presidential elections in early November 2010 that went to a second round. Based on results declared by the electoral commission and confirmed by the United Nations, Ouattara won. The violence led to over 3000 people killed on both sides.

Cote dIvoires former president Laurent Gbagbo, acquitted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, will be taken in by Belgium, the foreign ministry ...

"In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo," said spokesman Karl Lagatie, who added that he did not know if the ex-president was already in Belgium.

First head of state before ICC

Gbagbo's case is the first time a former head of state has had to stand trial at the ICC, along with his aide Charles Ble Goude.

On Friday, the appeals judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said the court would release the former president and his aide to a country willing to accept them on its territory and willing to enforce the conditions as set by the court.

Initially the two had been acquitted on all charges on January 15th related to post-election violence.

Immediately the prosecution requested that the two be detained until an appeal is completed.

The request was initially rejected, then accepted.

On Friday, it was once again rejected.

Following that decision, Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda released a statement stating: the Prosecution still has the right to appeal the January 15 decision to acquit Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ble Goude [on] the serious charges against them.

Post-election violence

73-year-old Gbagbo and 47-year-old Ble Goude were held in detention at the Hague for more than seven years on charges related to the violence that erupted following the 2010-2011 elections when Gbagbo refused accept defeat by Alassane Ouattara.

They were both charged on four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, inhumane acts and persecution.

The crimes date back to presidential elections in early November 2010 that went to a second round.

Based on results declared by the electoral commission and confirmed by the United Nations, Ouattara won.

The violence led to over 3000 people killed on both sides.On January 8th of this year, the world once again was forced to pay attention to the calls for help from a Saudi woman. This time it was 18 year old Rahaf al-Qunun. She fled Kuwait where her family was vacationing. With a ticket in hand for Australia, the plan was to land there and claim asylum. Except authorities stopped her during her layover in Thailand. Thai officials complied with the demands of the Saudi kingdom and promised to deport her back to Saudi Arabia because her guardian, her father, had reported her as missing. Instead, she barricaded herself in a hotel room and refused to exit until the United Nations Refugee Agency took her claim for asylum. In the end, Al-Qunun won. And she, like thousands of other Saudi girls, is risking everything to get out of a country that continues to enforce the male guardianship system. "I'm one of the lucky ones, said Al-Qunun in a press conference from her new adopted country Canada. I know that there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape and who couldnt do anything to change their reality." Male Guardianship system The Male Guardianship system in Saudi Arabia is the only one of its kind on the world. In 2016, Human Rights Watch released a report, entitled Boxed-in women and Saudi Arabias male guardianship system' depicting the harsh impact of the system on women. An articled released by the organistion on January 30 reminded people that while other countries in the Middle East may have elements of the system, Saudi Arabias is by far the most draconian in the extent of its law and regulations. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud is trying to be seen as a reformer in womens rights, beginning with the authorization to allow women to drive last year in July. But Michael Page, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch says the plight of Al-Qunun and hundreds of others only shows how laughably at odds this is from reality when the authorities try to hunt down fleeing women and torture womens rights activists in prison. Julia*, one such woman, knows all too well the dire situation for many women in the kingdom. Life in Saudi Arabia Already as a young girl, Julia felt the constraint of being a female. My father was refusing me .because he [was] expect[ing] a girl she says. A story she heard later on in her life. The third daughter after two other girls and five boys, she says her father didnt want to give her a name because of his disappointment in not having another son. Girls who were allowed to study inevitably learned about other cultures and mentalities. They start to realize and discover their life not belonging [to them but] for the culture, traditional family rules she explains. Marriage by force Every woman that escapes the kingdom has her own tale. But all of them start with a breaking point. In the case of Julia, her forced marriage at the age of 27 to a man in his 60s was her limit. He was older than me. I was younger [than] him and beautiful, and virgin and pure for him. He was like really ugly, old rich guy; crazy explains the former Saudi woman. Trying to rape me. Taking a lot of things from me. Not making me eat because I don't want to sleep with him. It was really awful experience. She soon faced depression and turned to her family for support. But they offered no such help. She confided in a few friends and said she would try to escape in her own city. But my friend told me you are crazy. If you escape, you will not win nothing. . . they will discover you. And then an opportunity presented itself. In an effort to perhaps win-over his young bride, her husband said he was planning their honeymoon to Europe. You will be happy and I can have sex with you. This is his planning snaps Julia about her husbands plan. But she agreed and called her friends right away. Ok, I will escape. This is my only chance she told them and they all agreed that this was the perfect moment. Plan in motion Julia didnt have a chance to plan much. All she knew is that they would be arriving in Paris for the first stop. So I was folding my luggage. I take everything, papers, cloths, I take everything I can take to live in safe[ty] and security when I arrive she explains, stressing she had no idea what to expect upon arrival. Her bloated luggage already got a suspicious nod from her husband. Why is your luggage full of things? You want to escape or what? he asked her. But she calmly rejected such an idea to minimize any problems with him. During the check-in at the airport she remained attentive and obedient, I was listening to him and everything and then the take-off. When the flight start to fly high, far away from Saudi Arabia, I was starting to feel my freedom. I put my headphones, I was listening to Bon Jovi, he [husband] was talking to me, I was ignoring him all the time because I was feeling so free explains Julia. Claiming asylum Throughout the flight, Julia says she was looking up on google how to escape in France. She learned that upon arrival at the airport, one can go to the police and ask to claim asylum. They will take you right away and do a small investigation she learned. All facts to fuel the escape. Before exiting the airplane, her husband told her to be cool and happy and dont do anything too crazy. He had their passports and she followed him through the customs check. At that point, he told her to wait while he got the luggage. Dont move, dont do anything he warned her. Seize the moment Right then I know this is my moment. If I dont do it, Im not going to have it stressed Julia. Right away as her husband walked in one direction, she went in the opposite back to the policeman. I was crying and he couldnt understand me she explains. Help me, save my life, hes monster, I need my passport. Asylum seeker, asylum seeker! she repeated until the police man understood what needed to be done. At that point the policeman put her under his protection and told her husband she was no longer with him and asked for her passport. He said this girl dont belong to yougo, go out of the airport. The fact that someone was willing to protect her for the first time was already a big surprise. Her husband kept biting back; refusing to leave without his wife. But the authorities had already taken over. To have the realization that she was free from her abusive husband was a euphoric feeling. At that moment I take my hijab, abaaya and everything and I throw it in the trash. And he was seeing me do that and he was very angry! she recounts. It was the moment when I realized Im aliveIm not 27 years old. Im one day in this life, so it is my real birthday says Julia with a big smile. Asylum in France According to OFPRA, the French Office to Protect Refugees and Stateless Persons, very few Saudis claim asylum in France, but of those who do, half are women, which is a telling number given they cant even leave the country without authorization from their male guardian. The agency says every day there are requests for asylum done at the airports and the officers on hand there are trained in how to handle such situations. After being interviewed by French officials, Julia spent the following four months in an airport hotel awaiting a response to her claim of asylum. Finally she was granted refugee status and her papers were in order to begin her life in France, as a free woman. Life post Saudi-Arabia In the five years since claiming asylum, Julia has begun working and supporting herself while learning French. She and her French boyfriend just had their first boy, of whom Julia proudly points out was born into a loving family of unmarried parents. Contacting her family has not been easy. She spoke to her mother twice by phone, only to hear words about her having lost her mind and that she should come back to Saudi Arabia. Julia decided not to contact her again. Example for other women Julia, Rahaf, Rana, and Safaa are just some of the names of women who managed to leave the country. Not everyone is that lucky. Dina Ali Lasloom made it as far as the Philippines in 2017 until she was forced back to the kingdom. Her whereabouts remain unknown to this day. An online movement organized and managed by non-Saudis called World Citizens for Saudi Women posts daily videos, photos, and words sent by the women themselves through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Many of those posting still live in Saudi Arabia and have no other way to express themselves and their frustration. Such online presence provides support and perhaps hope to women caught in the system that refuses to see them as humans. And as Julia explains, the women who make it on the outside, link up to help others. That principle was put in action the day Al-Qunun was stranded in Thailand. "When we see the profile and we know this girl escaped, we try to [say] 'bravo' [and] encourage each other explains Julia. She adds that making it out doesnt mean each girl focuses on her life and moves on. We wrote articles, we want to do radio.we want to make the world hear Saudi women voices. [We] want to make [a] chance for the generation in Saudi Arabia she stresses.

On January 8th of this year, the world once again was forced to pay attention to the calls for help from a Saudi woman. This time it was 18 year old Rahaf al-Qunun.

She fled Kuwait where her family was vacationing.

With a ticket in hand for Australia, the plan was to land there and claim asylum.

Except authorities stopped her during her layover in Thailand.

Thai officials complied with the demands of the Saudi kingdom and promised to deport her back to Saudi Arabia because her guardian, her father, had reported her as missing.

Instead, she barricaded herself in a hotel room and refused to exit until the United Nations Refugee Agency took her claim for asylum.

In the end, Al-Qunun won.

And she, like thousands of other Saudi girls, is risking everything to get out of a country that continues to enforce the male guardianship system.

"I'm one of the lucky ones, said Al-Qunun in a press conference from her new adopted country Canada. I know that there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape and who couldnt do anything to change their reality."

Male Guardianship system

The Male Guardianship system in Saudi Arabia is the only one of its kind on the world.

In 2016, Human Rights Watch released a report, entitled Boxed-in women and Saudi Arabias male guardianship system' depicting the harsh impact of the system on women.

An articled released by the organistion on January 30 reminded people that while other countries in the Middle East may have elements of the system, Saudi Arabias is by far the most draconian in the extent of its law and regulations.

Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud is trying to be seen as a reformer in womens rights, beginning with the authorization to allow women to drive last year in July.

But Michael Page, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch says the plight of Al-Qunun and hundreds of others only shows how laughably at odds this is from reality when the authorities try to hunt down fleeing women and torture womens rights activists in prison.

Story continues

Julia*, one such woman, knows all too well the dire situation for many women in the kingdom.

Life in Saudi Arabia

Already as a young girl, Julia felt the constraint of being a female. My father was refusing me .because he [was] expect[ing] a girl she says. A story she heard later on in her life. The third daughter after two other girls and five boys, she says her father didnt want to give her a name because of his disappointment in not having another son.

Girls who were allowed to study inevitably learned about other cultures and mentalities. They start to realize and discover their life not belonging [to them but] for the culture, traditional family rules she explains.

Marriage by force

Every woman that escapes the kingdom has her own tale. But all of them start with a breaking point.

In the case of Julia, her forced marriage at the age of 27 to a man in his 60s was her limit.

He was older than me. I was younger [than] him and beautiful, and virgin and pure for him. He was like really ugly, old rich guy; crazy explains the former Saudi woman.

Trying to rape me. Taking a lot of things from me. Not making me eat because I don't want to sleep with him. It was really awful experience. She soon faced depression and turned to her family for support.

But they offered no such help.

She confided in a few friends and said she would try to escape in her own city. But my friend told me you are crazy. If you escape, you will not win nothing. . . they will discover you.

And then an opportunity presented itself.

In an effort to perhaps win-over his young bride, her husband said he was planning their honeymoon to Europe. You will be happy and I can have sex with you. This is his planning snaps Julia about her husbands plan.

But she agreed and called her friends right away. Ok, I will escape. This is my only chance she told them and they all agreed that this was the perfect moment.

Plan in motion

Julia didnt have a chance to plan much. All she knew is that they would be arriving in Paris for the first stop. So I was folding my luggage. I take everything, papers, cloths, I take everything I can take to live in safe[ty] and security when I arrive she explains, stressing she had no idea what to expect upon arrival.

Her bloated luggage already got a suspicious nod from her husband. Why is your luggage full of things? You want to escape or what? he asked her. But she calmly rejected such an idea to minimize any problems with him.

During the check-in at the airport she remained attentive and obedient, I was listening to him and everything and then the take-off.

When the flight start to fly high, far away from Saudi Arabia, I was starting to feel my freedom. I put my headphones, I was listening to Bon Jovi, he [husband] was talking to me, I was ignoring him all the time because I was feeling so free explains Julia.

Claiming asylum

Throughout the flight, Julia says she was looking up on google how to escape in France. She learned that upon arrival at the airport, one can go to the police and ask to claim asylum. They will take you right away and do a small investigation she learned. All facts to fuel the escape.

Before exiting the airplane, her husband told her to be cool and happy and dont do anything too crazy. He had their passports and she followed him through the customs check.

At that point, he told her to wait while he got the luggage. Dont move, dont do anything he warned her.

Seize the moment

Right then I know this is my moment. If I dont do it, Im not going to have it stressed Julia. Right away as her husband walked in one direction, she went in the opposite back to the policeman.

I was crying and he couldnt understand me she explains. Help me, save my life, hes monster, I need my passport. Asylum seeker, asylum seeker! she repeated until the police man understood what needed to be done.

At that point the policeman put her under his protection and told her husband she was no longer with him and asked for her passport. He said this girl dont belong to yougo, go out of the airport.

The fact that someone was willing to protect her for the first time was already a big surprise. Her husband kept biting back; refusing to leave without his wife.

But the authorities had already taken over.

To have the realization that she was free from her abusive husband was a euphoric feeling. At that moment I take my hijab, abaaya and everything and I throw it in the trash. And he was seeing me do that and he was very angry! she recounts.

It was the moment when I realized Im aliveIm not 27 years old. Im one day in this life, so it is my real birthday says Julia with a big smile.

Asylum in France

According to OFPRA, the French Office to Protect Refugees and Stateless Persons, very few Saudis claim asylum in France, but of those who do, half are women, which is a telling number given they cant even leave the country without authorization from their male guardian.

The agency says every day there are requests for asylum done at the airports and the officers on hand there are trained in how to handle such situations.

After being interviewed by French officials, Julia spent the following four months in an airport hotel awaiting a response to her claim of asylum.

Finally she was granted refugee status and her papers were in order to begin her life in France, as a free woman.

Life post Saudi-Arabia

In the five years since claiming asylum, Julia has begun working and supporting herself while learning French.

She and her French boyfriend just had their first boy, of whom Julia proudly points out was born into a loving family of unmarried parents.

Contacting her family has not been easy. She spoke to her mother twice by phone, only to hear words about her having lost her mind and that she should come back to Saudi Arabia. Julia decided not to contact her again.

Example for other women

Julia, Rahaf, Rana, and Safaa are just some of the names of women who managed to leave the country.

Not everyone is that lucky.

Dina Ali Lasloom made it as far as the Philippines in 2017 until she was forced back to the kingdom.

Her whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

An online movement organized and managed by non-Saudis called World Citizens for Saudi Women posts daily videos, photos, and words sent by the women themselves through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Many of those posting still live in Saudi Arabia and have no other way to express themselves and their frustration.

Such online presence provides support and perhaps hope to women caught in the system that refuses to see them as humans.

And as Julia explains, the women who make it on the outside, link up to help others.

That principle was put in action the day Al-Qunun was stranded in Thailand.

"When we see the profile and we know this girl escaped, we try to [say] 'bravo' [and] encourage each other explains Julia. She adds that making it out doesnt mean each girl focuses on her life and moves on. We wrote articles, we want to do radio.we want to make the world hear Saudi women voices. [We] want to make [a] chance for the generation in Saudi Arabia she stresses.Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Henderson County authorities have arrested two people on drug charges and other alleged crimes.

Deputies executed a search warrant Thursday at an Athens hotel and arrested a Willis Point man in possession of what appeared to be illegal drugs and counterfeit money, according to a news release from the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said Robert Mason Eckert III, 36, was arrested shortly after 4 p.m. in a rented room of the hotel in the 300 block of U.S. Highway 175.

Deputies found what appeared to be methamphetamine and items commonly used in the sale and distribution of the narcotic, a pistol and a large stash of what authorities believe to be counterfeit money, according to the sheriff's office.

Eckert was charged with the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance in penalty group 1 weighing at least 1 gram but less than 4 grams, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and forgery of a financial instrument, according to jail records.

In a separate incident, narcotics investigators arrested a Trinidad woman who deputies said was in possession of what appeared to be methamphetamine, according to the news release.

The sheriff's office said the Trinidad Police Department stopped Kimberly Ann Dover, 42, in a vehicle and called on the sheriffs office for assistance.

Dover was charged with possession of a controlled substance in penalty group 1 weighing less than 1 gram and was taken to the Henderson County Jail, according to jail records.Three new judges will take to 10s Dancing with the Stars series when it launch on Monday February 18.

Aussie dancer Sharna Burgess moved to London at 18 and has performed in theatre, film & TV and joined Dancing With The Stars in the US in 2011 as one of the professional dancers, and won the 2018 season with Bobby Bones.

Irish born Tristan McManus who lives in Sydney has appeared with Burn the Floor, Dancing with the Stars (US) and Strictly Come Dancing (UK), and Mrs Browns Boys live tour. He is married to actress Tahyna Tozzi.

Aussie born Craig Revel Horwood is a dancer, choreographer and theatre director in the UK and has been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2004. He is known for playing the villain and stringently applying rules when judging.

RelatedA robber from southern Vietnam has recently made headlines on social media after he returned VND100 million (US$4,305) and two cellphones he had stolen while sending a letter of apology to his victim, due to his concern over the victims loss, as well as his repentance before his three-month-old baby.

Police in An Phu Ward, Thuan An Town, located in the southern province of Binh Duong, on Friday confirmed the viral story, after a package containing the amount of money and phones was discovered in front of the wards People Committees headquarters on January 29.

The assets were later confirmed to belong to P.T.B.T, 25, who had one day earlier reported to An Phu Ward police officers that her bag was snatched by a man while she was driving, claiming she lost VND107 million ($4,600) and two iPhones.

Besides VND100 million and two cellphones, inside the package was a hand-written letter of apology from the robber.

In his three-page letter, the robber explained that he robbed her to pay the debts he owed to loan sharks after his family had been threaten by the lenders.

However, after snatching T.s bag, he was shocked seeing the big amount of money and felt regretful thinking of the victims loss.

Moreover, he also felt remorseful facing his three-month-old baby for his act.

After taking a few million dong to cover his debts, he decided to take the assets to An Phu police officers so that the victim could get her possessions back, with a promise to pay back the money he had taken.

He also extended an apology to his victim and thank you to authorities for helping him return the stolen assets to their owner.

A photo capturing a page of the robber's apology letter

An Phu Ward police later returned the assets to the victim and are investigating the case.

After receiving the VND100 million and iPhones, P.T.B.T. said she appreciated the robbers regret and expressed her hope for police to stop probing the case, and acquit the robber so that he can enjoy the coming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival with his family.

T., an interpreter of a company in Binh Duong, said the VND100 million is her companys while the remaining VND7 million and the two phones are hers.

Her bag was snatched while she was driving to a bank.

A photo provided by police shows the money and phones returned.

A leader from Thuan An Town police told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that they would consider the victims wish and the discuss a proper approach to the case with the local procuracy.

Below is a translation of the apology letter from the robber:

Dear An Phu Peoples Committee,

There was a robbery in the locality today and I was the one who conducted it.

I really regret what I did and was shocked seeing the assets I had stolen. Right now the victim may be deeply upset.

All this happened because I owed a high-interest debt and could not afford to pay it back. It was only a few million but the interest has kept increasing. They called and messaged me all day so I could not stand it anymore. They also threatened to come to my house while my wife just gave birth three months ago. If they had really done so, my wife would have died.

In distress, I thought about robbery to have money to cover my debt, and this afternoon I snatched a backpack from a woman. What I never expected was the big amount of money. I think she needed the money to handle her issue.

I felt repentant for the whole afternoon. How could I face my little baby? And the victim, she obviously needed the money, why would have I done that?

So I am writing this letter to express my hope that you could help return the assets to the victim. I threw the backpack into a bin after I took the assets, later I failed to find it.

I took some of the money to cover my debt, and I would definitely pay it back to the society in the future.

I hope everyone could open their heart and forgive a guilty guy like me, and I would like to sincerely apologize to the person I robbed.

I hope you could return the assets to the woman who helped me. Thank you!

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Check out the news you should not miss today, February 2:

Politics

-- Foreign Ambassadors to Vietnam have extended Tet (Lunar New Year) wishes to Vietnamese people on the threshold of the countrys biggest traditional festival, including Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor wishing Vietnamese, especially all children, a happy Tet and a prosperous Year of the Pig.

-- Vietnam fulfilled and surpassed all 12 basic criteria in 2018 with economic growth of over seven percent and the peoples living conditions improved, Party General Secretary and State President Trong said, sending Tet greetings to leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Committee as well as the whole Vietnamese people in and outside the country at a Friday get-together in Hanoi.

Society

-- A story has gone viral since Friday in which a robber in the southern province of Binh Duong returned VND100 million (US$4,305) and two cellphones he had stolen while sending a letter of apology to his victim, because of his concern over the victims loss, as well as his repentance before his 3-month-old baby.

-- A 16-year-old boy in the southern province of Kien Giang has been treated for corneal perforation and severe burns after his Chinese phone exploded as he was playing games on the device while charging it on Friday.

-- The Vietnam Coast Guard on early Friday morning successfully rescued a Singaporean cargo ship on fire in the Vung Ro waters in the south-central province of Phu Yen, ensuring the safety of 24 crew members aboard.

-- The Traffic Police General Department (TPGD) under the Ministry of Public Security on Friday announced that after a ten-day inspection of trucks and cars of eight seats and above from January 21 across the country, traffic police had examined nearly 19,000 vehicles and handled more than 5,500 violations, booking fines totaling VND9,500 billion ($409 million).

Lifestyle

-- The 720m-long Nguyen Hue Flower Street, a famous annual attraction on Tet, decorated with more than 130,000 pots and baskets of flowers in downtown Ho Chi Minh City will be opened to visitors from 7:00 pm on February 2 to 10:00 pm on February 8.

Sports

-- Vietnam's midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai, winner of Vietnams most prestigious individual football award Vietnam Golden Ball 2018, added yet another feather to his cap on Friday night when he received the title of the Male Athlete of the Year at the fourth annual Cup Chien Thang (Victory Cup) Awards co-organized by the Vietnam Sports Administration, Vietnam Cable Television Corporation and 24h Sport Joint Stock Company.Foreign Ambassadors to Vietnam, including the G4 ambassadors, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam and U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam have expressed their wishes for Vietnam and its people on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year).

In a video which has attracted 25,000 views after four days being posted on the Facebook page of the New Zealand Embassy  Hanoi, the G4 ambassadors take turns to deliver their message to Vietnam on the threshold of the countrys biggest traditional festival.

The G4 ambassadors send Tet wishes to Vietnam. Clip: New Zealand Embassy  Hanoi Facebook

The 2-minute-30-second clip captured the visit of the ambassadors to Nguyen Dinh Chieu Elementary and Middle School in Hanoi, where they talked with blind students and enjoyed Tet preparations, including making banh chung, a Tet traditional dish made from sticky rice, pork and mung beans.

Excited by her first Tet celebration ever, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul called it a time when families and friends come together to celebrate."

Its a celebration that includes everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, where you come from, your social background or your economic background, she added.

So, I think its a great celebration of inclusion, and inclusion and respect for diversity are things that Canada promotes as a very proven pathway to peace, prosperity and protection of individual rights, the ambassador said.

New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews expressed her hope for building inclusive societies where everyone is respected and valued.

She also quoted a Vietnamese saying, Tuong than tuong ai, and the phrase Kotahitanga in Maori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, with a similar meaning of oneness and unity."

We all know that together we are stronger," she insisted.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen wished for a year of inclusion, which means leave no one behind.

This is particularly important for children, they are the future of our society, she said.

Here at this school, it is wonderful to see that all children are included, she said, addressing the students at the school for visually-impaired children.

In her speech, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor emphasized the importance of diversity.

Diversity makes us strong, she said, adding all of us contribute to the success of our society.

I wish everybody, and in particular all the children in Vietnam, a happy Tet, and a prosperous Year of the Pig, she said.

A farmer is seen taking care of peach blossom trees at a farm in Hanoi. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Hojlund Christensen wished people across the nation a new year of good health and prosperity in Vietnamese, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The ambassador also said he would do his utmost to deepen and diversify the multifaceted collaboration between the two countries in the coming time, after emphasizing highlights in bilateral relations in 2018, with various high-level visits and strong cooperation in many fields.

In a video posted on the verified Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink expressed his feelings ahead of his second Tet in Vietnam while visiting a flower farm on the bank of the Red River.

I have learned that Tet is very special to the Vietnamese people, he said.

In fact, its like combining New Year, Christmas, and Thanksgiving all together to Americans."

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink expresses his feelings on Tet. Clip: U.S. Embassy in Hanoi Facebook

The ambassador recalled the last year when he learned to make banh chung and the legend behind the delicious rice cake.

As he wanted to decorate his house with a beautiful peach branch for this Tet, the ambassador visited the farm and ended up learning about the year-long process of growing a peach tree, from grafting to forming a particular shape, and making sure that they blossom right at Tet.

I wish you all a wonderful and happy new year. Chuc mung nam moi! he concluded.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!A Hanoi man with a green thumb has invented a new way decorating houses during Tet  by growing unique kumquat bonsai trees inside glass bottles.

Tu Lien Village in Tay Ho District is known for growing one of Vietnams best-tasting and most beautiful kumquat trees.

People from around the region flock to this small village every year around Tet to buy kumquat trees for decoration.

Locals believe having a kumquat tree inside their house brings good luck in the new year, as quat  the plants name in Vietnamese  sounds similar to cat,' which means good deed or success.'

This year, Tu Lien villager Phan Minh Quang, 35, has come up with a new way to lure his customers by developing a unique and arduous technique of growing kumquat trees inside glass bottles as bonsai trees.

Quang said the idea came to him after he watched a documentary on television showing a Vietnamese couple drawing patterns on empty bottles and selling them for VND200,000-300,000 (US$9-13) apiece.

His mind set on innovating the way decorative kumquat trees are grown, Quang began experimenting with growing the flowering plants inside glass bottles.

The most challenging task is watering the plants, which Quang has to do up to four times a day during hot summer days.

This year, he is putting a hundred of the unique decorative trees on the market, most of which have been pre-ordered at VND300,000 ($12.90) to VND3 million ($130) per tree.

My family has been putting up kumquat trees as Tet decorations for years, but this is the first time that we have seen them in such unique shapes, said Tan Tuong Nhan, a Hanoi resident.

A five-year-old kumquat tree can remain small in size when grown inside a glass bottle. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

Kumquat trees grown inside glass bottles can still bear many aesthetically good-looking fruits fit for home decoration. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

Ceramic vases are also used as containers for growing kumquat trees. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

Phan Minh Quang tends to a kumquat bonsai tree grown inside a glass bottle. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

The root system of a kumquat tree is clearly visible when grown inside a glass bottle. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

Kumquat trees grown inside glass bottles can still bear many aesthetically good-looking fruits fit for home decoration. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

A customer inspects a kumquat bonsai tree grown inside a glass bottle. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!RTHK: Russia suspends its role in missile treaty

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before, agencies reported.

"Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation," he said of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Putin said during a meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

"We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic," the president said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF treaty and starting a process to withdraw in six months.

Washington says a Russian medium-range missile system breaches the INF deal.

But Moscow has long insisted it does not violate the agreement and last month invited reporters and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the disputed weapons system.

Putin has previously threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty if it is scrapped.

Putin has also said that if Washington moved to place more missiles in Europe after ditching the deal, Russia would respond "in kind" and that any European countries agreeing to host US missiles would be at risk of a Russian attack.

Signed towards the end of the Cold War by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty bans ground-launched missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

The deal resolved a crisis over Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Seven men have embarked on a journey on two bamboo rafts along almost the entire coast of Vietnam as a way to experience what ancient Vietnamese felt in their sea migration.

On January 28, the seven sailors, two of them fishermen, stopped over in the central city of Da Nang in the presence of surprised crowds, ending a 99-hour seaborne sail ride that started nine days earlier in the northern tourist city of Sam Son.

They have moved 297 nautical miles (550 kilometers) in coastal waters and planned to complete their adventure at the southwestern resort island of Phu Quoc within the remaining 31 days, said group leader Do Nguyen Ai.

All the members did their daily activities such as cooking and sleeping on two rafts, each of which measures less than three by seven meters and has masts no higher than seven meters.

They are genuienly bamboo rafts, with bamboo sticks tied together with ropes without the use of any screws or nails, said Chau Hung, another sailor.

But at least the sailors carried equipment of modern life such as GPS tracking gadgets, telecommunication devices, lights and rechargeable batteries.

A man uses a telecommunication device on a bamboo raft. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

The seven men, coming from different areas across Vietnam, decided to embark on the coastal journey after they met one another as members of a sail club.

Converging on Sam Son, a coastal city of the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, they worked out a plan two months and a half ahead of the travel, while it took one month to complete the rafts, group leader Ai said.

We wanted to create rafts out of the simplest things to go at sea the same way as ancient Vietnamese did in their southward expansion, Hung explained further.

We want to feel how they lived on rafts.

He was referring to the 700-year-long effort started in the eleventh century by Vietnamese dynasties to occupy land in the central and southern regions of modern Vietnam, although the means of transport back then were as simple as boats and rafts.

We wish to see how they did it and show the world that Vietnamese bamboo rafts are totally able to cross the sea, he added.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Spending Tet in a war-torn country 9,800 kilometers away from home can be emotionally challenging, but five Vietnamese military officers serving on a UN peacekeeping mission in Central Africa have managed to keep their spirits high by getting creative and putting together a little Lunar New Year celebration of their own.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Son was deployed in April 2017 on a year-long United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic, where he now works as an intelligence analyst based in the capital city of Bangui.

I had to update military developments, tactical maps, and keep track of the movements of all UN units based throughout Central Africa, Son said.

Joining Son on the peacekeeping mission were four other Vietnamese officers, who were assigned different duties in Bangui and another UN base located thousands of kilometers west of the capital city.

According to Son, there are only two seasons in Central Africa  the wet season and the dry season  with temperatures getting as hot as 50 degrees Celsius around February, when Vietnamese people typically observe the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

With a population of 50 million spread across an area twice the size of Vietnam, the Central African Republic is an underdeveloped country marred by constant armed conflicts and an ongoing civil war.

Son still recalls the days during his mission when the images of bullet shells littering the yard of his UN base and the sounds of gunfire that lasted through the night would haunt him even in his sleep.

Such little things as putting together a traditional Tet celebration on foreign soil could really go a long way in getting Vietnamese officers through the emotional challenges of their mission, Son explained.

The making of Tet

Traditionally, any Tet celebration would be incomplete without the presence of banh chung on the dining table and ancestral shrine of each Vietnamese family.

A dish made from glutinous rice with mung beans and pork filling, banh chung symbolizes a Vietnamese belief in the harmony of heaven and earth and is typically eaten in springtime to express desire for a prosperous new year.

Even with such simple ingredients, banh chung is not an easy dish to make given the circumstances in Central Africa, where its hard to get your hands on anything even with money, Son said.

To realize their plan of making banh chung for the 2018 Lunar New Year, falling in mid-February that year, Son said he and other Vietnamese peacekeepers had to begin finding the required ingredients months before the holiday.

Glutinous rice, mung beans and other spices were readily available as the officers had brought them along from Vietnam when they first took on the mission.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Son makes banh chung with the help from Central African children. Photo: Dinh Duc Long

The most challenging task was finding leaves of the dong tree, scientifically known as Phrynium placentarium, to wrap the ingredients in, which gives the finished cake a nice green color and an unmistakable flavor.

At first I had no clue where to buy dong leaves, as I couldnt find them anywhere at the markets near where we were based, Son said.

I even considered using banana leaves instead, but I couldnt find any banana trees in the area either.

Son said it was by mere chance that he came across a bunch of withered dong leaves at a market one day, but they were not useable because banh chung needs to be wrapped in fresh leaves.

I took out my phone and took photos of the dong leaves for my students to see, hoping they would know where to get the leaves fresh, Son said, referring to the local children he volunteered to give free math lessons to.

It turned out that Central African people let dong leaves wither to use them as wrapping for a local cake, Son said, adding that his students managed to get him four stacks of the fresh leaves for his Tet plans.

Buying pork was another challenge for Son and his fellow Vietnamese officers, as the meat was not sold at any of the local markets.

Im guessing its because of religious reasons, he said.

Fortunately, he was able to find pork at a local market.

Necessity is the mother of invention

To shape banh chung into a perfect square, a mould is made from wood, plastic, or metal.

Son resorted to using thick cardboards and bending them into the shape of a mould to be used for wrapping banh chung,' as square moulds are not readily available where he was based.

As Lunar New Year is not a public holiday in the Central African Republic, the Vietnamese officers decided to celebrate the occasion one week early to avoid scheduling conflicts with their assigned duties.

Organizing the celebration in the evening was also out of the question, as electricity was a scarcity in the country, even in the capital city of Bangui.

Its pitch black at night in Bangui, so there was no way we could have held the New Year party in the evening, Son said.

Son and fellow Vietnamese peacekeepers were joined by local children as they put up Tet decorations and cooked banh chung,' which took ten hours to finish.

A five-fruit tray, which is an indispensable part of the Tet celebration of every Vietnamese family as it symbolizes the respect of the present generation for their ancestors, was also put together using substitute fruits that are available locally.

Starfruits and limes were used in place of a mango and coconut in a traditional Vietnamese five-fruit tray, with the remaining fruits being bananas, a pineapple and a papaya.

A wish for peace

Apart from Central African children, joining the Vietnamese officers in the cozy New Year get-together was Mrs Luyen - a Hanoi-born woman who had been away from her home country for nearly 70 years.

Married to a legionary and having settled in the Central African Republic for decades, Luyen said she was the only Vietnamese woman in Bangui.

Luyen, a Hanoi-born woman who has lived nearly 70 years away from Vietnam, offers incense to her ancestors. Photo: Dinh Duc Long

Her husband died at a young age, and Luyen has since his death led a single life to raise their children, having never returned to Vietnam to visit her home country.

Lighting an incense stick to offer prayers to her ancestors, Luyen appeared shaken as she had almost forgotten the tranquilizing smell of burning incense.

I thought I would never live to celebrate another Tet, Luyen said.

Thanks to you, now I remember what Vietnamese Tet is like.

Captain Ho Tien Hung, a Vietnamese UN peacekeeper based in Bangui, said it made him feel homesick to read about how his countrymen celebrate Tet in the news.

Everything was different in Central Africa: there were no flowers or decorations  only people rushing to get home safely, fearing for their lives.

It helped me realize what a treasure it is to live in a peaceful country like Vietnam, Hung said.

So I started wishing that I was home and that the Central African people could also enjoy a happy and peaceful life like we do in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Backers say they have nearly double the required number of signatures needed to get issue on the November ballot.We hope you have enjoyed your complimentary access for the month.

To continue viewing content on tucson.com, please sign in with your existing account or subscribe.Is it just me or does anyone else think its hilarious that the Arizona Corporation Commission recently agreed our state would be ready to conMexico

6.6 quake hits Mexico; no serious injuries

MEXICO CITY  A strong earthquake jolted southern Mexico on Friday, rattling nerves and swaying tall buildings hundreds of miles away in the capital, but there were no reports of serious damage, injuries or deaths.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake had a magnitude of 6.6. It was centered about 10 miles from the city of Tapachula in Chiapas state and struck at a depth of 40 miles.

It was felt pretty strongly, but everything is normal. We went out into the street, and that was it, Enrique Vidal, a lawyer who lives in Tapachula, said via text message. Those with children in schools went to look for them since there are buildings that are still damaged from 2017.

The same region was rocked in September 2017 by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake that killed nearly 100 people and damaged thousands of buildings.

Environmental groups ship attacked in Gulf

MEXICO CITY  The Sea Shepherd environmental group said Friday that one if its ships was attacked with rocks and partly set afire by a flotilla of about 20 fishing boats in Mexicos Gulf of California.I think we should all be ready to be here through June, he said.

Mesnard pointed out theres another option, one that Ducey cant veto: Do nothing. That would maintain all the same deductions for 2018 that Arizonans were able to take in 2017, meaning no net increase in what Arizonans owe the state based on the federal changes.

But it could prove an administrative nightmare.

If we end the session without conforming, it wont matter that the Department of Revenue has printed forms that assumed we did, and that Arizonans used them to file their taxes by April 15, Mesnard said.

He said the department will have to not just redo the forms but also issue notices to everyone who used the original form that they now either owe more money or perhaps are in line for a bigger refund than they thought.

There was no response from Ducey or his staffers about that possibility.

Duceys claim that its too late now to consider how best to conform the 2018 state tax code to federal changes is undermined by the fact he has known about this for more than a year. Mesnard first broached the subject in January 2018, and the governors spokesman declined then to comment on what Ducey wanted to do.So when a school closes or loses an attendance boundary, students and their families lose that opportunity to connect with their community, Jenkins said.

The community and those who attend that school often have to make very different decisions around educational choices, Jenkins said. Districts will sometimes provide students transportation to another school out of the neighborhood, but when that is not available, families are left to fend for themselves.

Higher-income, two-parent families are more likely to have the time to drive their kids to a non-neighborhood school every morning, but lower-income families, who are disproportionately people of color, often dont, Jenkins said.

That reality leaves them with a choice: Move to a neighborhood that has a home school, or find another means of transportation, he said.

That could force a student to walk miles to school or to ride the city bus, if no district transportation is available.

Open enrollment programs are also competitive, Jenkins said, and cherry-picking of students often puts non-neighborhood kids at an advantage when they apply.We can verify that the domain is for sale over the phone, help you with the purchase process, and answer any questions.PHOENIX  Embattled state Rep. David Stringer may have one less issue to worry about.

A spokesman for the Arizona Supreme Court said Friday his agency is unable to find Stringers 2003 application form seeking permission to practice law in this state.

The information comes after the State Bar of Arizona, which regulates the conduct of attorneys, confirmed earlier this week that it opened an inquiry into whether the Prescott Republican had disclosed his criminal record when he moved to the state and applied to be admitted to the Bar.

Bar spokesman Rick DeBruhl said Friday he could not comment on the failure of the Supreme Court to find the application form.

But without the form, there are no documents to prove whether Stringer complied with the requirements of the high courts Committee on Character and Fitness to provide all the information requested.

No matter what the Bar does or does not pursue on Stringer, he still faces a pair of complaints made by other lawmakers to the House Ethics Committee. Those stem in part from inflammatory comments about race and immigration Stringer made last year. But both complaints also cite a court record from Maryland referring to Stringers 1983 arrest on multiple charges including child pornography.A federal grand jury indicted Seths father, Donald Hugh Nichols, on charges of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud in August. With the Jan. 23 updated indictment, he and his wife, Jane Ann Nichols, both were charged with those crimes, as well as wire fraud, accused of stealing $1.6 million worth of livestock and retaliating against the victim of the theft.

The retaliation charge stems from a meeting between the Nichols and the Parsons days after the theft was discovered in August 2017. At that meeting, the Nichols signed over their house and another property in Pinal County, which combined were worth more than $1 million, to the Parsons.

In February, Seth Nichols pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud, including the fraudulent sale of more than $1.3 million worth of cattle to the Nichols cattle company. A week later, the Parsons sued his parents in state court, alleging the theft benefited the Nichols company.

In June, Donald Hugh and Jane Ann Nichols filed a lis pendens, or legal notice that ownership of the Pinal County properties was in dispute. They claimed the Parsons lied to them at the August 2017 meeting and asked a Pima County Superior Court judge to reverse the transfer of the properties.Four military chaplains, who died saving troops on a sinking ship during World War II, will be honored Sunday, Feb. 3.

The 76th annual Four Chaplains Memorial service is set for 1 p.m. at Kino Veterans Memorial Park, 2805 E. Ajo Way. The event is open to the public.

The chaplains being honored are Lt. Alexander Goode, a rabbi; Lt. George Fox, a Methodist minister; Lt. Clark Poling, a Dutch Reformed minister; and Lt. John Washington, a Roman Catholic priest.

On Feb. 3, 1943, the men were aboard a transport ship, the Dorchester, that was carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian workers. The ship was among a convoy traveling from Newfoundland to an American base in Greenland.

A German submarine fired torpedoes, one striking the ship, which rapidly began to sink. The chaplains tried to calm the soldiers and tended to the wounded. They prayed for the dying, encouraged those who were alive and guided troops to safety, according to The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation website.

The chaplains gave life jackets, including their own, to troops, and prayed going down with the ship. Of those on board, 672 died and 230 survived, according to the website.To make sure that the company will hire local businesses, Greystar has agreed to cap the monthly rent to make it more affordable for small Tucson businesses.

The agreement is set to last eight years  tied to the lifespan of an unrelated tax incentive offered by the city of Tucson  although the deal is expected to contain language that would allow for additional time extensions.

After a self-imposed crash course in city development rules and procedures last summer, Riggs and Koenen have pushed the city of Tucson to make changes to its zoning codes.

For example, the city offers developers incentives for open space, but those requirements are open to interpretation.

A small park on the edge of the property  Riggs suggests hypothetically  offers a significant community benefit over a courtyard that is only available to those living in the development.

Koenen reached out to Peel, the Southern Arizona director for Local First Arizona, for help with the developers early in their talks with EdR and later, Greystar. The nonprofit advocates for locally owned small businesses.Two men are facing charges in serial rape cases and two others have cases pending in court after the Tucson Police Department cleared a decades-long backlog of nearly 2,000 sexual-assault kits.

Testing of the sexual-assault kits began three years ago with the backing of a $1 million grant, allowing the Tucson Police Department to send evidence to out-of-state laboratories for analysis as well as providing funding for a dedicated detective to investigate cases that result from hits on tested kits.

One such hit came in the case of a man arrested on 44 felony counts of sexual assault, kidnapping and stalking dating to 2002.

It wasnt until October 2017 that a Pima County judge signed an arrest warrant for Nathan Larry Joseph Loebe, who had been extradited to Tucson two months before from Kentucky, where hed been arrested for sexual assault.

But Loebes criminal history extended beyond Arizona and Kentucky. Authorities quickly learned that he was wanted for sexual assault in Colorado, Ohio and Massachusetts, according to the Kentucky Standard newspaper.

While Loebe had previously been identified as a suspect in several Tucson Police Department cases years earlier, he always claimed consent, making the cases difficult to prosecute and resulting in no charges filed.

It wasnt until police tested DNA from backlogged sexual-assault kits that they were able to build a case against Loebe, identifying a string of victims who all had similar descriptions of the alleged assaults, which, when combined, effectively contradicted Loebes claims of consent.QUESTION: I have a question regarding the air ducts on my 2,000 square-foot house built in 2007. If we have the ducts sealed now, will we still have to replace them in four years when we likely will be replacing my air conditioner?

ANSWER: Its hard to say without knowing the condition of the ducts. If the system was designed and installed correctly, it shouldnt need to be replaced that soon. If you feel the ducts are leaking, you probably should have an energy audit first to assess the ducts and determine the leakage volume. That audit would determine if its worthwhile investing in repairs or waiting until replacement of the AC unit.

Q: Why do grackle birds pinch off the leaves on my orange tree? Are they trying to get closer to the fruit? The whole top of my tree is leafless now, and I watch the birds snipping the leaves while theyre sitting inside the crown of the tree. Any suggestions?

A: Most likely they take the leaves to use in nest construction. Since grackles are often found in large groups, they could be removing quite a few leaves off the tree. There may not be much to do short of covering the top of the tree, but a pest control company might be able to help.The Final Tipping Point

Justice isnt necessarily blind, but sometimes its pretty myopic. Thats what Detective Parker Havenot discovers when the murderer he helped put away is paroled for good behavior, just five years into an unreasonably lenient 20-year sentence. The killer, Alex Prohl, is a long-haul truck driver and part-time criminal with a curiously amoral outlook on life. He is bitterly resentful about having been incarcerated for a murder he was hired to commit (he was just doing the job he was paid to do, he reasons, and is therefore blameless). Adding insult to (perceived) injury, his imprisonment upset his mother so deeply that it was, quite literally, the death of her. Someone will have to answer for that, too, Prohl decides, and that someone is Detective Havenot. Havenot didnt get his reputation as a first-rate investigator for nothing  hes picking up signs everywhere that Prohl is on the move. Unfortunately, his breathtakingly clueless colleagues in Connecticuts criminal-justice system insist the miscreant is completely rehabilitated. They view Havenots concern for the safety of his three adopted kids (orphaned when Prohl murdered their mother) as overly anxious and unwarranted, until Prohl proves that the detectives fears were justified. The disappearance of his son triggers a race against time as Havenot tries to prevent yet another murder.With the help of aviation industry and local government leaders, Roark aligned the expansion plan with Pimas new focus on centers of excellence that are responsive to industry and community needs.

We were looking for opportunities to ask for funding, but to make it clear that that funding is going to be aligned with the workforce and economic-development priorities of our state, said Roark, who said he believes Duceys proposal has broad support among lawmakers.

NEW TECH CENTER

Meanwhile, the planned new Applied Technology Center is expected to open more opportunities to develop worker-training programs in partnership with industry, Roark said.

A prime example is a program launched last August that teaches engineers from Caterpillar practical machining and welding skills to help them design equipment for efficient production.

Caterpillar has already moved many staff to Tucson as it nears completion on a new Mining Center downtown, which will eventually house up to 600 executives and high-level engineers.

One of the things that is crucial about all of this, and were seeing it with the Caterpillar program, is those direct partnerships with industry, as community partners, Roark said.Unfortunately, there are more voting rights being threatened by these bills than those of new residents. It is well known that one party dominates politics in Wyoming. As a result, the winners of the August primary often sail through the November election. It is not an exaggeration to say the real election often occurs in August. Therefore it is extremely important that the August primary provide an opportunity for all citizens to express their opinion without limitation even if that opinion comes from a newcomer to the party

The Wyoming GOP has made crossover voting their number one issue this legislative session. Party stalwarts have shown up at committee meetings in force attempting to impose a cutoff date. Party flag waving has been rampant. They claim to represent rank and file Republicans. That is doubtful.

My wife and I have been Republicans for decades and nobody asked us if this should be the GOPs number one issue this legislative session. But were not surprised. Seldom do we hear from the party unless they want money. Instead it seems pretty clear that a small group of party insiders controls decision making, and the opinions of others are often excluded.By definition, counties are subdivisions of the state and, therefore, derive their land use authority from limits set by the state. However, the Wyoming Constitution recognizes county governments ability to respond to local concerns and administer the law in a way that produces the most amount of benefit for residents.

Once laws are adopted by local governments, they are, in theory, reflective of what is best for the community and what the people, at the most basic level, want. However, in some cases  like Teton County  decisions made at the local level can collide with the state constitution, or may interfere with the states greater definitions of personal liberty.

Though the Wyoming Constitution prohibits the passage of special legislation, lawmakers can establish set rules with statewide implications as a sort of preemption to level the playing field between counties. One example came several years ago when the Legislature was approached by counties for the authority to stop the uninhibited subdivision of large swaths of open land into ranchettes  a loophole in state law that subverted counties zoning authority.

That standard, as some are discovering, can be reversed as well.CHEYENNE (AP)  The Wyoming House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require a 48-hour waiting period for women planning to have an abortion in the state.

House Bill 140 was approved on a 36-22 vote Friday. It now goes to the state Senate for its consideration.

The proposed bill would require women to wait 48 hours before undergoing the procedure. The waiting period would not be enforced if the abortion is necessary to save a woman's life.

During debate on the proposal Friday, proponents say a 48-hour wait makes sense in the case of someone planning to undergo a surgical procedure while opponents the state would be interfering in a difficult decision between a woman and her doctor.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4An independent investigation upheld the Natrona County School Districts handling of an October bullying and fighting incident on a Casper school bus that sent a student to the emergency room and ignited a monthslong disagreement between administrators and the students family.

The third-party investigation was itself a winding saga. It was initially conducted by Casper attorney Craig Silva, who then handed the work off to another lawyer here after Silvas firm was permanently hired by the district. The new attorneys findings were then reviewed and confirmed by a Powell attorney. That lawyer, Tracy Copenhaver, sent a letter detailing the findings to the district and to the families of the students involved.

The investigation was launched in November after the Star-Tribune reported that the injured childs mother, Amber ODonnell, was considering legal action against the district. The family told the Star-Tribune that her daughter, Caitlin Jonckers, had been bullied on a school bus by girls calling her names and throwing trash at her. Once she exited the bus, the family said, Caitlin was attacked by several girls. The family provided medical records to the Star-Tribune that showed Caitlin sustained a concussion and a broken foot.Another goal from the planning sessions was to increase community engagement, Napier said.

We have heightened our social media presence, he said, adding that a city mobile app will also soon be available.

The app will link users to Caspers website and send push notifications from the city, according to a recent memo sent to Napier. Push notifications are messages that users can receive without opening the app. The memo states that the app will cost $3,500 a year for the city to maintain.

The city plans to eventually implement a more complex app that will allow residents to file service requests, according to Napier.

The idea is that when a person wants to file a complaint with the organization, they hit a button and it takes them directly to a screen  instead of having to navigate through the layers of the website to get to that, he said previously.

Napier said Tuesday that Council members should also take pride in the fact that Natrona Countys 1-cent sales tax passed its public vote in November at its highest rate ever.

The optional tax, which sends one penny of every dollar spent in the county to local governments, passed with 75 percent of voters in support.Islamabad: Pakistan has loosened travel restrictions in the hope of reviving tourism by offering visas on arrival to visitors from 50 countries and electronic visas to 175 nationalities, the government said.

The reforms, approved by the cabinet, would open up a new era for the tourism industry, which was devastated by Islamist violence after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry said.

"We have mountain tourism, we have beach tourism," Chaudhry told reporters in Islamabad, referring to Himalayan peaks and Arabian Sea beaches seldom visited by foreigners.

"Pakistan is a heaven for tourists."

Chaudhry did not identify the countries that would benefit from the new rules but in December, he told Reuters that citizens of most European countries would be granted a visa on arrival.

Tourists would also be allowed to visit the politically sensitive Himalayan region of Kashmir and other northern areas, which now require special permission.

The new rules would also ease travel restrictions on foreign journalists, Chaudhry said.

The new visa regime comes after some countries eased travel advisories on Pakistan in light of improvements in security.

Pakistan was last a prominent tourist destination in the 1970s when the "hippie trail" brought Western travellers through the apricot and walnut orchards of the Swat Valley and Kashmir on their way to India and Nepal.

Since then, deteriorating security and the imposition of a harsh interpretation of Islamic laws has chipped away at the number of visitors.

But security has since improved dramatically in recent years, with militant attacks down sharply in the mainly Muslim country of 208 million people.

The state Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation said last year tourist arrivals rose to 1.75 million in 2017, media reported.The government-funded car-sharing service Carloh is experiencing financial difficulties. A financial boost is hoped to save the struggling service.

The government-funded car-sharing service Carloh is experiencing financial troubles. The municipal council showed itself resilient and decided to revamp it with a 2,8 million financial aid. One hopes that more cars and more stations will improve the service's attractiveness. However, competition is making things tough for Carloh.

Ever since CFL's own car-sharing service Flex was brought to life in February last year, Carloh has had a direct competitor. Flex currently boasts around 80 cars available for the general public, spread throughout the whole country. Their 20 stations are always in close proximity to train or bus stations.

Carloh's offer is currently limited to 9 stations in Luxembourg City. Registration can be done online or at their office. An information session is mandatory. According to Carloh, '' [...] it will guarantee understanding and most efficient use of our cars and services.'' In other words, simply signing up is not enough. Even though 630 clients have already signed up, only 400 use it regularly. When questioned about the service's profitability, Patrick Goldschmidt, municipal councillor responsible for traffic and transport in Luxembourg City, showed himself realistic:

"This is not enough for the service to be financially profitable. We did all of this with a fund of 1,5 million, four years ago. This fund is nearly used up. That is why we have to take the decision in the next weeks, to raise the fund and to invest more.'' (from 28 January 2018)



The 2,8 million payment will be paid over 10 years. Owning 97% of the Carloh shares, the government remains the main investor.

With the help of the financial aid, Carloh's services will be increased by 58 new vehicles. The number of car stations will be inflated to 26. Currently no plans are being made to change the concept of Carloh.

What Flex and Carloh have in common is that the client, after having used the car, needs to take it back to its original parking spot. To give you a contrasting example: Drive Now, a service active in 12 cities all around Europe, functions differently. Using a GPS operated app, clients can locate a car, drive to their destination and park it wherever they want. In Munich alone, a whopping 20% of the people who hold a driving license are subscribed to this service. At the same time, these figures should be interpreted with caution: Munich boats over 1 and half million inhabitants, partly explaining the high number of people using this car-sharing app. A potential that Carloh and the city of Luxembourg can, at least for now, only dream of...Luxembourg's state council announced that Patrick Houtsch was made the new director of the State Centre for Information Technologies (CTIE).

The council also agreed on a 0,9% disability pension increase. They also decided to lodge an appeal against a recent decision that reduced the civil service training period to 2 years.Fort Payne, AL (35967)

Today

Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.SUMMER SPECIAL!!! - Sign up at 20% OFF for Full Access to all of the online content and E-Editions on the www.thewordlink.com website here!

(The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement)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.While I Breathe, I Hope, a documentary feature film about South Carolina politician and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers, will screen at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at South Carolina State University in the Barbara Vaughn Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Building.

Directed by Orangeburg native Emily Harrold and titled after the South Carolina state motto, the film explores what it means to be young, black and Democrat in the American South. The film follows Sellers on his 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor, a position that hasnt been held by an African American since the 1870s. The film also traces Sellers through incidents such as the slaying of the Emanuel Nine in Charleston and the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.

I am so excited to screen a film in my hometown and to share a story that is meaningful to the SCSU and Orangeburg communities, Harrold said. We filmed parts of the film on SCSUs campus, so it is especially meaningful to screen the film there.

This screening precedes the PBS release of the film with the series AfroPop. The film will premiere at 8 p.m. Feb. 11 on PBS World and will begin streaming on PBS.org on the same day.

Both Sellers and Harrold will attend the screening and will answer questions from the audience.

For more information on the film, visit www.bakarisellersdocumentary.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Cleveland Sellers' life story is the subject of a new biography, Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.

Both Dr. Sellers and the books author, Adam Parker, will speak at South Carolina State University at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in the Fine Arts Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The 276-page book was featured recently on CSPAN Book TV. The book includes many photographs of Sellers life, from his childhood in Denmark and throughout his career as a civil rights activist and educator.

I'm excited to bring the remarkable story of Cleveland Sellers to the campus of S.C. State University, a school that plays a central role in Sellers' life, Parker said. It was there that the Orangeburg Massacre took place in February 1968. It was there that unarmed black students protesting segregation in town and unequal treatment on campus were gunned down by state troopers. It was there that Sellers imagined he might continue his own education. It was there that the trajectory of his life took a fateful turn.

Parker noted that Feb. 6 is the anniversary of the Orangeburg bowling alley protest that led up to the tragedy.In the past, its been marketing more to one individual site, but its really more of a park aspect with all the utilities that are running throughout there that carve up the property into individualized parcels, Clampitt said.

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The Department of Commerce has, as Mr. Felder mentioned, issued a grant as long as these stipulations are met, which are making sure the property is going to be publicly owned, as well as the commitment that the county would be maintaining and operating the water, wastewater and roadways associated with that, Clampitt said.

The property group that has purchased the Eastman site is willing to grant that land over to the county at no cost. There will not be an additional cost on behalf of Calhoun County for this, Clampitt said.

A spine road will be constructed at the site.

Right now as we move forward with the design and permitting of the spine road, which is known as the road that goes through the properties thatll bisect between parcels one and 10, two and nine, and four and eight, and five and seven, thats whats known as the spine road of phase two, Clampitt said.If the political discourse swirling around us today is any indication, crying and laughing are the only choices. Laughter feels better, and it is actually useful. Maybe Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her husband should go on a double date to a comedy club with President Trump and the First Lady. I think if they enjoyed a social evening out and shared a good belly laugh, they might find common ground on the issues important to the nation and get back to doing the peoples business.

I remember watching President Ronald Reagan and then-Speaker of the House Tip ONeil laughing together. It is undeniable that they did not like each other that much, and they were polar opposites when it came to politics, but they still found a way to work together for Americas common good.

Will you join me in calling out the President and Speaker of the House on this?Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading.BENTON  Investigating the disappearance of Alan K. Woolard, Franklin County sheriff's deputies made several drug arrests on Thursday in Christopher.

A news release from the Franklin County Sheriffs Office says that when deputies stopped at a Christopher residence Thursday in their search for Woolard, who has been missing since Jan. 23, they found drug activity in the home. After a warrant was issued, Brianna R. Parcel, 27, of Christopher was arrested and charged with the possession of meth.

Mark A. Berger, of Lemay, Missouri, was also arrested  he was charged with possession of meth and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Boren R. Johnson, 47, of Mount Vernon, was arrested and charged with possession and delivery of meth.

David L. Barker, of Christopher, was also arrested. He was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. He posted bond and was released.

Parcel, Berger and Johnson are all being housed in the Franklin County Jail awaiting formal charges and the setting of bond."It is my hope the investigative efforts and sentences imposed  and certainly todays sentence  sends a message which acts as a deterrent to those who may consider committing acts of violence, and in particular, acts of violence against police officers," Carbondale Police Chief Grubbs said.

Grubbs said that Officers Harris and Brinkley "put themselves in harms way that night to protect members of our community."

"If not for their actions, others would likely have been injured," Grubbs said. "Their performance, both before and after Officer Harris was shot, was exemplary. They are truly heroes and my prayers continue to go out to these officers and their families."

Harris, who was 26 at the time of the incident, and had joined the department only three years prior, was unable to continue his career in law enforcement because the extent of his eye injury. Brinkley has since left the Carbondale police department to join another law enforcement agency.Dr. Jeffrey Ripperda has been invited to join the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford as a clinical assistant professor.

Ripperda practices medicine at Shawnee Health Care in Murphysboro. He joined Shawnee Health Care in August 2007.

In this role, Ripperda will provide instruction to medical students from the perspective of a practitioner. Promotion to clinical associate professor is based upon an assessment that a candidate has made contributions of an appropriate magnitude and quality in his or her discipline, in teaching and in learning.

Ripperda is a graduate of University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria Family Practice Residency at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, where he was a participant in the Rural Medical Education Program.

 The Southern

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0We join the nearly 1.5 million Filipinos with pure Chinese ancestry around 1.8 percent of the 106 million Filipinos to dateand the substantial portion with at least some Chinese ancestry in celebrating on Tuesday the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.

There is a difference between the Chinese New Year and the New Year observed by majority of Filipinos who use the Gregorian Calendar, which is based on a solar calendar. The Lunar New Year is based on a traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar whose dates indicate both the phase of the moon as well as the time of the solar year, where a lunar month is around two days shorter than a solar month. Reason why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each yearfor the Lunar New Year to catch up with the solar calendar. As in any culture, New Year is celebrated differently. But we pause and mark the Lunar New Year with our brothers and sisters in the Chinese community, given that we have a strong quotidian denominator with them, starting from the time Chinese soldiers and guerrillas joined in the fight against the Japanese Imperial Forces during the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines from 1941 to 1945.Chinese-Filipinos were also integrated in the US Armed Forces of the First and Second Filipino Infantry Regiments of the US Army. After the war, the Chinese community in the Philippines, as did other Chinese communities in other parts of Asia, became preeminent in the economies of their host countries. Today, while the number remains fluid, many Filipino-Chinese in the second or third generation, who belong to either Hokkienese- or Cantonese-speaking groups of the Han Chinese Ethnicity, are active in helping build a better Philippines. It is only appropriate that we celebrate with them. Xin Nian Kuai Le!The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, AppliChem Inc., Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument, Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Cetram Pty Limited, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Densit Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Airport Ground Equipment (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components LLC, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments LLC, ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings LP, ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW International Intellectual Property LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Marking & Coding (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Medical Group de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., ITW haubold Paslode GmbH, Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft Argentina S.A., Krafft S.L., Lock Inspection Systemes France Sarl, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Luvex - Industria De Equipamentos De Protecao Ltda., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, Magna Industrial Co. Limited, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Odesign Inc., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Salter India Limited, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tape Group B.V., Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Tarutin Kester Co. Ltd., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tregaskiss Welding Products, US Finance Gamma LLC, Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., W Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wujiang Advanced Cleaning Co. Ltd., Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V..Banco de Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services to customers in Chile. The company operates through four segments: Retail, Wholesale, Treasury, and Subsidiaries. It offers deposit products, such as checking accounts, current accounts, demand deposits and accounts, saving accounts, and time deposits; commercial, mortgage, consumer, working capital, syndicated, and installment loans; and credit and debit cards. The company also provides leasing, factoring, and foreign trade services; international and treasury banking services; and financial advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, debt restructuring assistance, and payments and collections services. In addition, it offers liquidity management services, debt instruments, and derivative contracts and leases, as well as financial transactions business and currency trading services; and securities brokerage, mutual funds management, wholesale customers, investment banking and management, insurance brokerage, and securitization services. It serves individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporate clients, and large companies. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated through a network of 334 branches and 1,766 automatic teller machines. Banco de Chile was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.

Read MoreThe Hague, NetherlandsThe International Criminal Court finally freed former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on Friday after his shock acquittal last month on charges of crimes against humanity. Supporters sang and waved flags in the Hague after judges agreed to release the 73-year-old on condition that he stays in an as-yet-unnamed country pending an appeal by the prosecution. Gbagbo, the first former head of state ever to stand trial at the ICC, and his aide Charles Ble Goude were cleared on January 15 over a wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010. More than 3,000 people died on both sides after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rivaland now-president Alassane Ouattara. ICC appeals judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said the court would release Gbagbo to a state willing to accept them on its territory and willing to enforce the conditions set by the court. The court later said that Gbagbo and Ble Goude had been released from the ICCs detention centre in The Hague for an interim location while his final destination was confirmed, without giving further details. We are very happy for Mr Ble Goude and his family that he is finally released, Ble Goudes lawyer Alexander Knoops told reporters. He was under huge stress. One country -- whose name was redacted in court documents -- had expressed its willingness to receive Mr Gbagbo on condition that he signs a pledge to return to court if asked. Prosecutors had expressed fears that if released, Gbagbo would fail to return to the court for a retrial if Januarys acquittal was overturned on appeal. He also had to surrender his travel documents, report weekly, avoid contacting witnesses in Ivory Coast and refrain from making public statements about the case, the court documents said. Lawyers have previously cited the arrangement reached with former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, who went to Belgium after he was cleared by the ICC last year. While Ivory Coast is an ICC member state, the court may be unwilling to send Gbagbo to his homeland given that it has refused to surrender Gbagbos wife Simone despite an outstanding ICC warrant for her arrest. Dozens of Gbagbo supporters broke out in song, waving Ivorian flags and chanting slogans like Gbagbo is free! and Respect Gbagbo power! They were watched by around 20 Dutch police officers.Eight years is a long time to be in detention, Abdon Bayeto, one of Gbagbos closest advisors told reporters, comparing the release to that of the late Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years behind bars in apartheid South Africa. Finally reconciliation can start in the Ivory Coast. Gbagbo and Ble Goude went on trial in January 2016 accused of playing a role in murder, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts during the post-electoral violence. Former academic Gbagbo had been in power since 2000, after two decades in opposition, but found his rival Ouattara backed by western powers and the African Union after the election result was disputed. Gbagbo was captured in 2011 by Ouattaras troops, aided by UN and French forces, and sent to stand trial at the International Criminal Court. Despite hearing from 80 witnesses, ICC judges stopped the trial midway on January 15 citing an exceptionally weak prosecution case. They also ordered the immediate release of Gbagbo and Ble Goude but prosecutors successfully applied to have Gbagbo kept in detention, saying they may appeal. Chief ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said Friday that she was waiting to carefully examine Januarys acquittal ruling before deciding whether to challenge it. The Gbagbo acquittal was a severe blow for ICC prosecutors after similar failures with Bemba last year and Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta in 2014. The delay in Gbagbos release at least puts off, for now, the political uncertainty over his possible return to a country where he still faces a possible jail term for economic crimes. His acquittal comes at a sensitive time with Ivory Coast facing fresh elections in 2020.35 minutes ago

| June 21st | 2021 9:00 AM

We Haven't Been Here Before: An Audacious Journey to Innovation In A VUCA World

The Covid-19 pandemics ongoing effects across societies and economies are upending long-held simplifying models and assumptions about our complex world. We feel as if we are in a perpetual state of disequilibrium and are searching for stability and predictability. The uncomfortable truth is that weve neverThe Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.READ: 'Suicide bomb' theory splits Palace, AFP

Eight peoplefive soldiers and three Abu Sayyaf banditswere killed while more than 20 were wounded in an armed clash between government troops and an estimated 100 Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu on Saturday, the military said. Troops hunting down terrorists who engineered the Jolo Cathedral bombing in Jolo clashed anew, this time with a large concentration of the bandit group, among them a suspect in the twin blasts that killed 22 and hurt at least 100 others in the capital town of Jolo last week . The intense firefight between the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion and the Abu Sayyaf members under a certain Hajan Sawadjaan erupted in Barangay Kabbon Takas shortly before noon, military officials told reporters. Sawadjaan is an Abu Sayyaf leader believed to be involved in the bombings at the Jolo Cathedral during a Mass on Jan. 27. In his report, Col. Gerry Besana, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said the fighting started at about 11:30 a.m. and raged on to late afternoon. The gun battle entered its fourth day after the awful bomb attack labeled as a suicide bombing apparently pulled off by Indonesian jihadist couple that claimed 22 people dead and wounded 123 others. Besana said the fresh fighting erupted as troops from the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col. Marlo Jomalesa encountered an estimated 100 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf militants under Hatib Sawadjaan at Sitio Sungkog, Barangay Kabbon Takas in Patikul. Initially, the ASG reportedly inflicted and undetermined number of casualties with government forces suffering no deaths. There was no confirmation yet whether Sawadjaan was actually leading the large group of terrorists when spotted by soldiers on relentless pursuit against the enemy of the state. Sawadjaan was classified as a notorious terrorist behind the killing of Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall in 2016 and figured in the kidnapping of teachers in Basilan.The terrorist sub-leader operates in Sulu with hundreds of fighters equipped with sophisticated weapons. On Wednesday, government forces pounded ASG positions in the ridges of Patikul, Sulu after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered troops to crush the terrorist group following the twin blasts in Mt. Carmel Church, sparking skirmishes. The day after, a member of the Ajang-Ajang wing of the ASG under Sawadjaan, Ommal Usop, was killed in shootout with troops in Brgy Latih, Patikul town. READ: Ajang-Ajang man falls; Kamah escapes Besana identified Usop as one of 13 members of the Ajang-Ajang group responsible in the twin bombing in Mt. Carmel Church last Sunday. He also revealed that the Latih village where Usop was killed was the meeting place of ASG sub-leader Hatib Sawadjaan and the same spot where the leader of the Ajang-AjangAbdul Ajim Abdul Gani, alias Suraka Ingugwas killed on Aug. 15, 2018. Besana added the Ajang-Ajang, which he identified as belonging to the Daula Islamiya, attempted to reinforce terrorists in Marawi City at the height of the siege in 2016 but failed. READ: Bombings no effect on plebisciteThe Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce combined two of its annual events  The Chamber Experience and Business and Bites  to bring the business community together for fun, networking and fundraising for the chamber. It was the chambers first large-scale in-person event since early Portland shipbuilder Vigor Industrial will build a new class of U.S. Army landing craft in Vancouver, a 10-year, $1 billion project that could create 300 news jobs.

Vigor confirmed the news Friday. The company said it will move aluminum-based operations in Seattle and Clackamas to the Christensen Shipyards site just east of downtown Vancouver.

Vigor said it eventually expects to employ 400 at the site. It plans to begin some production there in May and start building a prototype of the Army craft sometime this summer.

Vigor had been deliberating for several months over whether it would build the ships in Portland or Seattle, with both communities offering unspecified financial incentives to lure the company.

Ultimately, though, Vigor passed over both cities. The company said it saw a chance to consolidate its aluminum operations in a single location. It chose Vancouver because of its proximity to existing Vigor operations in Oregon and because the Christensen facility was especially suitable for shipbuilding.

While weve had operations in Vancouver since 1980, this move represents a substantial increase in the number of Vigor employees who will be living and working here, Vigor chief executive Frank Foti said in a written statement.Fugitive from justice  Longview police Thursday arrested Alexander Butler, 40, of Longview on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice and third-degree driving with a suspended license.

Child rape, molestation  Longview police Thursday arrested a 19-year-old Longview man on suspicion of first-degree child rape and second-degree child molestation.

Drugs  Longview police Thursday arrested Timothy Edward Collins, 46, of Kalama on suspicion of a felony drug offense.

Drugs  Longview police Thursday arrested Dustin Matthew Frostad, 34, of Longview on suspicion of a felony drug offense and second-degree driving with a suspended license.

Drugs, theft  Longview police Thursday arrested Jacob Charles Laney, 31, of Portland on suspicion of a felony drug offense and third-degree theft.

Fraud  A man allegedly tried to withdraw $500 from Chase Bank in Longview Thursday but employees denied the transaction and refused to give the card back to the suspect because they knew he was not the correct owner. The card was previously used at Rite Aid and Flying K.She started writing and speaking about small towns in 2006. Since then, she has toured and consulted for rural communities across the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Each downtown is a little bit different and the best downtowns reflect their towns own character, she said. What really makes a downtown successful is if people are using it; if you see people lingering and spending time willingly because they enjoy being in the setting of downtown.

A misconception McCray said she often hears about downtown revitalization is that communities should not start any smaller projects until after they have full funding for multimillion dollar projects. Instead, McCray advocates first tackling small, cheap projects that can have an immediate visible effect, she said. This could mean decorating blank walls with chalk art, pulling weeds, washing windows or sweeping sidewalks.

Another immediate improvement is loaning empty lots out to local organizations for a limited time. The library could set up an Alice in Wonderland tea party for the month of May, then an automobile group could host a car show in June and then 4H could use the lot for a petting zoo in July, she said.Lewisville resident Steve Davenport was honored with a Spirit of Lewisville award for helping the city secure its sport on The Wall That Heals 2019 exhibit tour.Fulgar Architects CEO John Ian Lee Fulgar

Fulgar Architects design

A Filipino architect is introducing metamodern designs in the Philippines to construct better and innovative buildings that embody technology, function, culture, national identity, environmental sustainability and social interaction in the digital age. John Ian Lee Fulgar, chief executive of Fulgar Architects, a Mandaluyong City-based architectural and technology studio, says the metamodern philosophy is what comes after post-modernism. What we have now is assembly architecture which means you buy components and put them together. That is what is happening. That is why you could see most box types as in assembly line, he says in an interview in Makati City.We are borrowing too much from the western ideas, where they mass produce and practice assembly architecture. While we are adopting these concepts, further studies on how it will impact our way of living as Filipinos must also be considered, he says. Fulgar says that as a tropical country in the Pacific, the Philippines has its own condition that should merit its own architecture. Fulgar says that with metamodern design, his company is delineating away from the old school of polarityblack or white, good or bad. What metamodern is is that it helps us become more subjective to try to think of more common ground where we can entertain polarities to come up with something new, something creative. That is the challenge now, he says. What we are trying to do is get back to design and also to try to excite clients by trying new things, new approaches now that we have the capacity to review and compare with international works, he says. I am hoping that with the trend of metamodern that we try to spearhead, sooner we will come up with different designs that hopefully could compete with the international market and world-class standards, he says. In the metamodern, we are more facilitated by things that are digitalized. It is post-industrial agenda and it has a global message where everyone is more connected and we have more perspective of what is happening across the globe, unlike before when we were somewhat alienated from that, Fulgar says. He says it is Google that pioneered the open space design.When we have technology influencing our social behavior especially the younger ones, more and more are now working at home. I think that is a new cultural shift that architecture should also listen too and try to translate into building designs, he says. On what makes metamodern different from the current form of assembly architecture, Fulgar says the former is heavily influenced by technology to become more functional. We are very particular with function. We address the primary impact of the project. In terms of style, we are heavily influenced by technology. We are also looking at parametric forms. We hope to come up with more of these interventions as we go. We are doing it slowly. I think there is a period when we could actually bring these new designs, he says. Fulgar, who has worked in mega projects in Singapore for a decade, returned to the Philippines in 2014 to help transform Philippine architecture. He says sustainability is also a part of metamodern architecture. Sustainability is a default part of it. We have to be friendly to our environment. In terms of function, we would like to reinvestigate the things that are no longer part of our spaces now....There should be a relook of architectural programming, says Fulgar, who studied at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture and gained experience with worldwide industry consultants such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill of New York, Arup, Meinhardt, Cicada, Wilson Associates and Davis Langdon & Seah. He now leads a team of 18 people who include architects, engineers, designers and IT experts in the office and another 30 to 40 people in the field who monitor construction of various projects.

We have the technological component and the design component working together. We enjoy more of collaborative work. We have a table where we share ideas. It is more of a studio setting where we celebrate creative inputs and how we can think more outside the box and how we can offer something much more different than what is out there, he says. His company, established in 2014, focuses on planning and design specialties for hotel, resort and commercial developers, property owners and business enterprises with a pursuit for the metamodern in the next Philippine architecture. Fulgar Architects specializes in parametric design and business approaches for lifestyle building designs and real estate ventures in the Philippines. It also does masterplanning for certain projects like subdivisions. Aside from building design, Fulgar is also adept in computer programming and coding which allows him to employ 3D modelling in architecture. Among his ongoing projects is The Fortress, a fusion of medieval and modern look with streamlined feel and amenities in Angeles City, Pampanga. The project is owned and developed by an international group which plans to establish 30 such hotels around the country. Another is a 12-story hotel with roof deck in Olongapo City and an upscale resort on a 3.6-hectare property on a cliff in Puerto Galera, the Mars Ravelo Museum on a 2.4-hectare property in Tagaytay City and a high-end hotel and casino on a 7,000-square-meter lot in Tanauan, Batangas. We are blessed and privileged to have clients who are also excited about coming up with new things and they are very hands-on in the creative process and we encourage them to throw their ideas, says Fulgar. Fulgar says digital technology now enables architects to design better buildings. The influence of technology has a lot of change in the mindset. When you have technology, you have data and you have something to analyze with in terms of circulation, orientation, flow, behavior. We are talking about information that affects the business model, he says. There is a lot of change in mindset in terms of design, coming from the day of manual drafting on the table. When we design now, we are actually virtually constructing it. When we do that, we have some kind of visualization and simulation as to how the building will perform. That cuts a lot of wastages. The design becomes more efficient, says Fulgar. You can simulate a lot to include fluid dynamics and circulation and how solar patterns affect the performance of the building, how you can manage energy load, he says. Fulgar believes that metamodern designs will allow the Philippines to build better structures that represent its national identity in the future. What we build affects all of us. What metamoderns role here is to look at all these aspectsfrom sustainability, liveability, buildability, all of thatand try to come up with new forms with more technological innovations, to come up with better building designs that we havent tried before that could probably change how we live, how we interact with each other, he says. What we also need is to go back to culture and identity. Sustainability can only bring you so far, but how we embody identity and culture in the design helps us remember things such as nationality, love for the country and sense of pride, he says. It is more of a journey towards thathow we re-imagine the new Philippines and Philippine architecture, says Fulgar.You must be logged in to react.

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Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Although just a middle school, Polk is starting their kids young when it comes to being academically ready for the challenge that waits for them four years down the road.Gregory V. Harmon passed away on January 11, 2019 in New Port Richey, Florida as a result of injuries sustained after being hit by a vehicle. He was 47.

Harmon, who was born May 23, 1971 in Akron, Ohio, was a lifetime member of the U.S. Trotting Association and an accomplished driver, trainer, owner and passionate fan of harness racing. A third-generation horseman, Harmon was the son of long-time horseman and racing official Donald L. Harmon and grandson of late driver and trainer William Ingham.

Aside from harness racing, Harmons other passion was in the automotive industry, where he had a special gift that allowed him to showcase his extraordinary talents and also afford him the opportunity to do the things he loved so much  meeting new people, traveling and helping others accomplish their goals. He started his automotive career working for the late Jeff Polichena and later worked for Fred Hertrichs family of automobile dealerships after moving to Delaware to be with his family. Harmons infectious smile, generosity and fun-loving personality will be forever missed by all that had the opportunity to cross paths with him during his lifetime.

He is survived by his parents Donald L. Harmon and Margaret Ingham Harmon of Camden, Delaware, and Betty Lamborgese of Grafton, Ohio; brothers Daniel, Donald Jr. (Teresa), David (Nicole); sisters Suzanne (Jeffrey Vales) and Kelly; as well as his loving fiancee and best friend Heidi Veatch Gambaccini. He was especially proud to be an uncle to 14 nieces and nephews, and loved spending time with them and the rest of his extended family and friends. Harmon was proceeded in death by his cousin Alfred Skip Rundgren, whom Greg considered a brother.

The Harmon family expresses their thanks for the letters of condolence, thoughtful acts of kindness and overwhelming support during this difficult time. A celebration of life will be held at Faith Life Ministries, 418 Rosedale Lane, Dover, Delaware on Saturday (Feb. 2) from 1-3 p.m. followed by a gathering at Fraizers (formerly known as The Lobby House) in Dover, Delaware. All are welcome to attend.

Another celebration of life will take place in Ohio in February; details will be announced as soon as finalized.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Gregory Harmon.

(USTA)Eighteen of the worlds top trotters laid it all on the line today (Sunday, January 27) at the Vincennes Racetrack, as the 900,000 Prix dAmerique was the centerpiece of a robust program that was contested under rainy conditions at the grand course in Paris, France.

The highly anticipated annual event was contested at a distance of one-and-eleven-sixteenths-miles (2,700 metres), and a total of six different countries were represented in tape-start event.

When the slop settled, it was the Jean-Michel Bazire-trained and driven Belina Josselyn that nailed the wire first after a measured approach.

After having started from Post 12, Bazire got his pupil out and trotting early. The duo found themselves in fifth, away from the majority of the field, where Bazire opted to keep close tabs on the front end instead of being coaxed into an early duel.

Bazire was patient throughout the course of the race, as he watched the Franck Ouvrie-driven Davidson Du Pont and the Gabriele Gelormini-driven Uza Josselyn go tit for tat on the front. Uza Josselyn had the lead early before Davidson Du Pont looped to the lead and led the field into the stretch for the final time.

It was in the stretch where Bazire and Belina Josselyn made their move. Bazire had his charge trotting in the third-over position for much of the back end of the contest, and that positioning paid off in full when the horseman finally called on his mount to make his move.

Bazire pulled Belina Josselyn out wide through the rain-soaked stretch, and the duo raced in the five or six path as they gobbled up real estate late and joined a pair that was battling it out on the lead.

The pair that had been battling for the lead in deep stretch was the defending champion, Readly Express  driven by Bjorn Goop, who had pounced after having raced in third throughout the affair  and Looking Superb, the rail starter that had come home with a flurry for pilot Alexandre Abrivard.

In what seemed like a flash, Bazire and Belina Josselyn quickly joined Readly Express and Looking Superb with just a few metres to go, and Belina Josselyn just got up in time to get up on the outside for the well-measured win.



Belina Josselyn (12), pictured defeating Looking Superb (1) and Readly Express (15) in the 2019 Prix dAmerique

Looking Superb finished in second while Readly Express finished just slightly further back in third. Davidson Du Pont finished fourth and Propulsion rounded out the top five.

Belina Josselyn is owned by Ecurie Yvan Bernard, who also bred the mare.

Belina Josselyn, an eight-year-old distaffer by Love You and out of Lezira Josselyn, was sent postward as the public's 5-2 choice. The victory was the 20th of her 63-start career, and she has now banked 2,127,430 in overall purses.The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now...This story was originally published by Wired and has been republished here with permission from Climate Desk.

Across the Midwest this week, hundreds of schools and businesses closed, dozens of flights and trains were canceled, and the governors of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan declared states of emergency as a bone-chilling, breathtaking polar vortex bore down on the region. While I slept in Minneapolis, overnight wind chills in the city exceeded minus 50 degrees. With temperatures like that, you cant stay outside for more than five minutes without running the risk of frostbite.

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As a native Midwesterner, Im used to the annual assault of winter weather on the human body, hairless and adapted-over-millennia-to-indoor-living as we are. Despite our thermoregulatory shortcomings, weve managed to survive extreme cold through technology, from insulating clothing to systems that pump hot air and water around our homes.

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A look at hourly wind chills since 3 pm Tuesday. Upstream over Minnesota tells the tale...colder air coming our way into morning. Thanks for the chill gift @NWSTwinCities :-)



Stay safe, and if you absolutely must be outside, limit the time and dress appropriately. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/t3yRlCALs2  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 30, 2019

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But much of the tech that facilitates our connected modern lives itself loses functionality as temperatures drop below freezing. Batteries, screens, sensors, lightweight materialsthe things that power our modern mobile lifestylesjust dont work when it gets this cold. Heres what to expect of your gear.

Batteries Think about all the gadgets that you regularly plug into a power strip. Its a lot, right? Besides everyday items like a phone and laptop, you might also have a fitness tracker, smartwatch, Bluetooth headphones, digital camera, e-reader, vape pen, drone, or rechargeable bike lights, just to name a few. Most if not all of them are powered by lithium-ion batteries, whose high energy density and ability to handle both low and high currents have made them the industry standard for personal electronics. But those same properties become a problem as soon as temperatures dive below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The things that power our modern mobile lifestyles just dont work when it gets this cold.

Lithium-ion batteries suffer so badly in freezing temperatures because they have very little internal resistance, says Hanumant Singh, an electrical engineer at Northeastern University who builds cold-weather robots for places like Antarctica. Less resistance means these batteries generate less waste energy as heat (a good thing in more mild climes). But the absence of waste heat also means theyre more vulnerable when temperatures plummet. The colder it gets, the slower the metabolism of the chemical reaction inside the battery. The battery drains faster as a result. If youve ever been texting someone at a healthy-looking 25 percent charge only to have your phone die mideggplant emoji two seconds later, youre familiar with how steep the drop-off can be. Its very dramatic, says Singh. Carrying around a smartphone in any weather colder than minus 35 degrees F, he says, will kill it completely in five minutesright around the time frostbite would strike the hand holding it.

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Such deficiencies are particularly pronounced in devices like smartphones, which are designed to sit mostly inactive for long periods of time throughout the day. Their batteries never draw enough current to heat themselves. But vehicles like drones and electric cars, which demand very high power for shorter periods of time, can generate enough warmth to keep the batteries going, just at a greatly reduced level of performance. While cold weather is a challenge for all electric vehicles, the small size of electric scooters can make them especially vulnerable to failures, as noted by several juicer forums on Reddit. Companies like Lime monitor the performance of their fleets, including battery life, but say they are not yet aware of any trends coinciding with this weeks plummeting temps.

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The performance of individual products will of course vary based on the manufacturer, battery model, and wear and tear on the device. Apple suggests not operating its phones below 32 degrees F. Amazon says the same for the Kindle. Fitbit, on the other hand, recommends a minimum ambient operating temperature no colder than 14 degrees F for its wellness wearables, which should maintain better temperature control based on continuous contact with your skin. But the same general rules apply to anything that uses lithium-ion-battery technology.

So if you have to venture out into the polar vortex, store your phone as close to your body as possible, leave the wireless headphones at home, and keep your time outside to under five minutes. If you do freeze your device, dont plug it in cold. Allow it to slowly come up to room temperature before you recharge it. Failing to do so sets off a different unwanted chemical reaction that could damage the battery permanently.

Screens

Batteries fare the worst in cold weather, hands down. But a close second are the LCD screens that illuminate our phones, tablets, laptops, digital camera displays, smartwatches, and automobile GPS mapping and control systems. LCDs consist of a layer of millions of multicolored pixels, each one controlled by a separate transistor. When turned on, a zap of electricity shocks a tiny, twisted-up liquid crystal to attention. In its altered structural shape, the crystal directs light through a pair of polarizing filters and into the pixel, lighting up the desired color. All together, these millions of pixels produce all the colors in an image.

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But LCD technology gets sluggish when it gets too hot or too cold. Liquid crystals work best in a Goldilocks temperature range somewhere between 32 and 120 degrees F. The colder it gets, the slower the response time from electrical signal to pixel transition, which degrades the image, making it blurry. Some fluids can make crystals functional all the way down into the minus 60s, but most consumer LCD screens crap out at about 40 below. Its a chemistry that doesnt work well in the cold for a completely different reason, says Singh, who has resorted to smuggling a laptop inside his parka when he travels to drone launches in the Arctic. He waits until the absolute last minute to expose the machine to the environment and prays that it doesnt die before his vehicle is in the ocean: If we were somehow hypothetically not battery-limited, the screen would be the thing that would get us.

Sensors

Then there are the tiny gyroscopes, oscilloscopes, oscillators, and more: sensors that collect the information that tells us where were going, what time we need to get there, how many steps we took, and how many calories we burned to do it. These components track the orientation of a device and how fast its moving through spacecrucial tasks for navigating, telling time, and logging activity goals. These sensors performance also degrades when the temperatures go extreme.

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The fancier the sensor, the wider its operating range. Doing it across a huge spectrum, say minus 50 to 120 degrees F, is almost impossible, says Singh. But that means theyre going to have accuracy issues at these extreme cold temperatures. To keep costs down, most consumer electronics employ more run-of-the-mill devices.

Take digital watches, for example. Whether its an Apple Watch or a Garmin or a $10 cheap plastic number from Walmart, what they all have in common is that if you flip them over, the backside is metal. The oscillator inside any of those watches is calibrated to 98.6 degrees F, and the metal heat plate conducts the wearers body temperature to keep the sensor in its most accurate temperature range. Take it off and wave it around a minus 50 wind chill and you might lose seconds if not minutes of your day. Not ideal if accuracys your jam, but perhaps thats one way to race through the coldest days in recent history.Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that he had appeared in a clearly racist and offensive costume in a photograph in his medical school yearbook. The image, first published by the conservative news site Big League Politics, featured a man in blackface standing next to a man in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

Northam released a statement Friday evening confirming he is one of the men in the photothough not specifying which of the menand apologizing for for the hurt that decision caused then and now. (His full statement is at the bottom of this story.)

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BREAKING: Gov. Ralph Northam yearbook page shows blackface and Klan photohttps://t.co/6A89ejp5Ho  The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) February 1, 2019

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Northam graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1984 and formerly worked as a pediatric neurologist. Other photos on his yearbook page showed Northam in a suit and sitting in front of a Corvette. There is also a quote on the page that reads, There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think Ill have another beer. Both individuals in the racist photo look to be holding cans of beer.

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Before Northams statement, the Republican Party of Virginia had called on him to resign if he was one of the two men in the image. If Northam did resign, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax would take his place.

Virginias Senate Democratic Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw defended Northam on Friday. His whole life has been about exactly the opposite and thats what you need to examine, not something that occurred 30 years ago, Saslaw told the Post. While its in very poor taste, I would think there is probably no one in the General Assembly who would like their college conduct examined. I would hate to have to go back and examine my two years in the Army. Trust me. I was 18 years old and I was a handful, OK? His life since then has been anything but. Its been a life of helping people, and many times for free.

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Northam won the governorship in 2017, handily defeating Republican Ed Gillespie. Northam previously served as a state senator and lieutenant governor in Virginia. According to the Washington Post, Northam was keen on visiting black churches during his gubernatorial run, often attending two or three services every Sunday. He also was one of the first Virginia officials to call for the removal of Confederate monuments after the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017. He later backtracked on that stance, contending that localities should make such decisions for themselves.

The governor has been embroiled in a separate controversy this week regarding a bill before the state assembly that would have reduced the number of doctors needed to sign off on third-trimester abortions from three to one. His opponents raised an uproar over comments he made on a radio show about at-risk fetuses: The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.

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Update, 6:30 p.m.: This story was updated after Northam released the following statement.

Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now. This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians faith in that commitment. I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor.To listen to this episode of Amicus, use the player below:

Get More Amicus Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Amicus Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

Listen to Amicus via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Sharon McGowan, legal director of Lambda Legal, to discuss how theyre fighting the transgender service members ban following SCOTUS decision to lift the injunctions on the policy going into action. Also, Dahlia gets the latest on the Mueller investigation from Joyce White Vance, former U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Alabama, including why Mueller didnt charge Roger Stone with conspiracy.

Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com.

Podcast production by Sara Burningham.Motivational speaker Mitch Carson

Motivational speaker Mitch Carson visited the Philippines recently for a four-day teach-in-cum-conference called Speak in Manila. Carson has mentored 270 speakers across all professions, industries and sectors, a good percentage of whom are already self-made speakers who want to learn more. Theres a whole wide range of those wanting to get famous or be known through public public speaking, not only within their countries but globally. They want to get out, market themselves as good speakers and monetize on their capabilities. I help them go where they want to go and brand them uniquely in the international market. They were perceived much greater than they were before because they must have perfected their routines. What they all get to know is that speaking is all about perception. Marketing is about perception, Carson said.During the four days that Carson was in Manila, 20 speakers became his participants with two Filipinos on the roster. A great many flew from other parts of the world like Japan and Australia to hear him speak and listen to his formula on how to engage an audience. One of the two Filipinos is an 83-year-old socialite who Carson met during his earlier stint as a speaker in a Manila event in 2018. She does it because she loves it. Shes in my network. She believes in what Im doing. I did not charge her, he said. The other Filipino participant is quite famous outside the country and has spoken all over the world himself. Carson is also a well-known speaker who leads about four to five conferences all over the world each year. His Speak stints in different famous cities draw crowds of repeat participants and interested new speakers. Carson had staged events in Bangkok, Beverly Hills, Cairo, Dubai, Madrid, Oman and other major cities around the world multiple times to share the formula of eloquence and substance speaking. I have trained some of the most elite speakers in the world. People with skills in artificial intelligence, people who have expertise in different fields, people who are already experts in their own personal way, he said. I have trained people who know how to motivate other people ans those that may have the ability to sell. I have people who train public speakers in Malaysia. A student of mine was here because he wants to grow his brand online by coming and sharing his passion here. They come to me because they want to grow their brand out if their home country, he said. Carson provides speakers with a platform, a speaking opportunity to let the fear escape from them and conquer their stage fright. The four-day conference was actually a session of fast-track curriculum in speaking. I give them a stage, a platform. And before they get to the stage, I give them training. They pay in order to get paid when they go out into the speaking world. I get them prepared. Im their university. I am their fast-track university in order to and get paid, he said. Carson helps speakers identify which passions turn to money and focus on the right direction.Most speaking trends on demand is on artificial intelligence, big data, video and mobile apps. I can get in experts who want to grow their brands. They maybe experts but they may not be experts in communicating their messages. Theres a big divide there, theres a valley. I bridge the gap. They dont know how to convey their message. There are lots of experts but no marketing skills so I give them the fast-track by identifying their passion and testing if their passion is maketable, said Carson. Public speaking, he said, is quite financially rewarding. A veteran speaker like himself can earn at least $200,000 a year just from speaking alone. But for celebrity speakers like Bill Clinton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, a single speaking performance earns them $500,000, he said, adding that he had once shared the stage with former President Clinton. He was not born a speaker though. Losing both his parents at age 22 was too much for him that he was drawn to seductive world of alcoholism and drugs. I went on a downward spiral depression of drinking and drug sessions. I decided to live after being extremely drug addicted and alcoholic. I made a decision at age 23 to live, he said. In more than a year of wastedness, Carson got involved in Alcoholic Anonymous and had been sober since July 1984 and started in a career of motivating people to thrash the habit. After six months of being sober, I started speaking of my recovery and recovery from being dead. That launched my speaking career. And I became better at it, sharing my experience of overcoming alcohol and drug addiction. And then it grew and grew and then I realized that my reception in the market is pretty good. I can make a living out of it, he said. That transition is what has made him build a stronger wall to drugs and alcoholism. This coming July 1, 2019, Carson will be celebrating his 35 years of being sober. I shared about this all over the world in some 59 countries. Much of the time I dont get paid to do that. It do that because it is my privilege to do it, it is may passion to do it. Speaking about drugs and alcohol and recovery possibilities, I do with passion but never accepted payment. I still do that whenever Im m asked and I will never accept a penny. But I have to eat so I make money the other way. But helping others is my primary mission in life, he said. In April, Carson will be back for another conference in Cebu and may stage a reprise of Speak in Manila in July. I believe that Filipinos can be great speakers. The quality of their voice and they being bilingual are enough to start with. They only need a little bit of mastery through proper training, he said.Virginia Democrat Ralph Northam saw his governorship become a national embarrassment on Friday when an image emerged from his medical school yearbook page featuring a man in blackface and another in a KKK robe. Northam apologized for the racist photo, stating that it is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for, and promised to help heal the damage this conduct has caused. To state what should be extremely obvious, this apology is wildly insufficient. Northam should resign from office and retire from politics.

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The photo in question would be inexcusable under any circumstance. It is grotesquely racist, a blithe invocation of the Klan coupled with a dehumanizing embrace of minstrelsy. But it is especially egregious in light of the fact that Northam was an adult when the picture was taken, likely around 25 years old. He found it amusing enough to include in his medical school yearbookprominently, just above a Brett Kavanaugh-esque quote about alcohol. (There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think Ill have another beer.)

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This photo is surely not an isolated incident. CBS reported that Northams yearbook at the Virginia Military Institute included multiple nicknames, one of which was Coonman, a racial epithet. Perhaps more evidence of his racist past will soon come to light. But the yearbook picture alone should be disqualifying. It reflects deep-rooted racismnot just poor judgment, not just a vile sense of humor, but ingrained bigotry. To stage a photo that mockingly invokes the KKKs reign of brutality, its murderous crusade to slaughter and torture blacks while denying them their civil rights, is to revel in the cruelty of racial terrorism. This permanent stain on the nation, was, to Northam, a joke. A man who could take a picture like thatand conceal it for decades, then insist its not too late to atone when its discoveredis not a man who should hold public office.

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The bitter irony of this scandal is that Northam ran for governor as the not-racist candidate in 2017. His Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie, ran ads designed to provoke fear of Hispanic immigrants and defended Confederate monuments. Northam triumphed as, above all else, a candidate of decency. It turns out that he is anything but. While Northam promoted tolerance on the campaign trail, he concealed his racist past, feigning a lifetime of quiet dignity and open-mindedness. It was more than a sin of omission; it was a lie. Voters deserved to know the truth. And now that it has been revealed, Northam thinks he can still heal the damage? Its far too late for that. He deserves no ones trust.

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If there is any silver lining here, it is that if Northam steps down, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax will take his place, becoming the second black governor in Virginia history. Fairfax is an outspoken advocate of racial equality, and it would be gratifying to see him fill an office so often occupied by racists. (He could also, it seems, run again in 2021, unlike the term-limited Northam.) Democrats in the state legislature should join Republicanswho currently control both chambersto demand Northams resignation. No one benefits from his continued service.

As of Friday evening, the NAACP has called on Northam to resign, as have presidential candidate Julian Castro and a number of other Democratic lawmakers. His most high-profile defender was Virginia Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, a conservative Democrat who is currently fighting a progressive primary challenger. Any other Democratic legislators who defend Northam should be primaried, as well. There is no real room for debate here. Its 2019. Racism should be disqualifying. Northam has to go.The following article is a written adaptation of an episode of What Next, Slates new daily news podcast.

The 2020 presidential field is getting crowded. There are the big names like Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand, and then there are the wild cards, like the spiritual guru Marianne Williamson.

This week, Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, set off a firestorm on Twitter when he dipped his toes into the 2020 presidential race. The billionaire was even heckled at a New York City Barnes & Noble during a stop on his book tour.

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Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz heckled during book tour after teasing independent run for president.



"Go back to Davos with the other billionaire elite who think they know how to run the world. https://t.co/BgBcDunwPP pic.twitter.com/0K0cJqsEri  ABC News (@ABC) January 29, 2019

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Part of whats making people so upset about Howard Schultz is that by running as an independent centrist, he can skip the whole weeding-out process of a primary, and hes got the money to hang around. But does he really have a shot?

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I put that question to Steve Kornacki. Hes been called the King of Lickety-Split Political Party Data Analysisusually you can find him swiping through a big flat screen on MSNBCbut he joined me this week on What Next, Slates new daily news podcast, to talk about Schultzs chances.

If you look at the third-party candidacies that have gotten some traction, I think the best one, the most encouraging modern example for somebody like Howard Schultz who might be thinking about running third-party, would be Ross Perot in 1992, Kornacki says.

That guy heckling Howard Schultz at a New York City bookstore, and all the people roasting him on Twittertheyre haunted by the ghosts of that 1992 election. Like Howard Schultz, Ross Perot ran as a billionaire and a Washington outsider. He actually got nearly 20 percent of the vote. It wasnt enough to win, but some say it was enough to change the outcome.

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To understand how Schultz could change things in 2020, I asked Kornacki to take me back to the 90s. Even though what happened back in 1992 is not the perfect analogy for todayno story would bethere are still many similarities.

Like Schultz, Ross Perot was a well-known businessman when he decided to run for office in the early 90s. Like today, the sitting president, George H.W. Bush, was in trouble. The economy was faltering. He was worried about being implicated in the IranContra affair.

What you saw in the start of 1992 was that Bushs approval rating was plummeting, says Kornacki. A year earlier, hed led the country to victory in a warthe first Gulf Warto get Saddam Hussein out of Iraq. In February 1992, Bushs approval rating falls to 39 percent. Its in that climate that Ross Perot goes on the CNN program Larry King Live and is pressed about a presidential run.

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King asks him a bunch of times, Hey, you know what people are looking for? Would you run for president? says Kornacki.

Eventually, Perot sort of relents, hinting that he would run if people were willing to organize and get him on the ballot.

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You dont have social media in the way we know it today, and yet its this sort of viral moment, Kornacki says. The word of that moment, the clip of that moment, spreads. It spreads slower than it would now, but over the course of days, weeks, and months, this massivetruly, truly massivegrassroots movement emerges that starts getting Perot on the ballot.

By June of 1992, Ross Perot is running in first place in the national polls. Hes ahead of President George H.W. Bush, and Gov. Bill Clinton is far behind. People begin to believe that it may actually be possiblethat Ross Perot might actually win the presidential election, become an independent president, and blow up the two-party system.

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Of course, this is not what happened. Bill Clinton won his first term as president, and some have blamed Perot for Bushs failure to win re-election, but Kornacki disagrees. He argues that Perot was just a symptom of Bushs ailing presidency, not the cause. Even so, Perot did manage to get almost 20 million votes.

And now when Democrats look back at Ross Perots candidacy, they think about Howard Schultz. Theyre seeing someone who is able to peel off almost 20 percent of the vote.

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The Democratic argument, and I think its plausible, is basically: Take a poll right now of Donald Trumps approval rating and youll find probably that a majority say they disapprove of his handling of the job, Kornacki says, adding that a poll out this week from ABC News and the Washington Post finds that, as of right now, 56 percent of people say they definitely would not vote for Trump in 2020.

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I think Democrats just look at those numbers and they say, OK, the numbers are there to beat Trump. The only thing that could possibly screw it up is if those numbers get divvied up, Kornacki continues. From the Democratic standpoint, thats why you cant have him in the race.

But thats not the only theory Kornacki has. If Schultz does run and stays in the race as a third-party candidate, he believes that it may actually wind up hurting President Trump instead of the Democrats.

Essentially, [there were reluctant Trump voters who] were voting against Hillary Clinton, they were voting against the Democratic Party, they might have even been voting against the system, and they checked Trumps name off even though they didnt like him, even though its not something they wanted to do, he says. Theres a scenario, I think thats not implausible, that those same voters are kind of up for grabs in the home stretch in 2020. If youve got a guy like Howard Schultz out there, maybe in a way they werent with Hillary Clinton, those reluctant Trump voters are willing to go and vote for Schultz. Theyre not willing to go all the way over and vote for a Democrat, but theyre willing to abandon Trump and vote for Schultz.

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He continues: In that case, maybe instead of being a drain on people who would otherwise vote Democratic, maybe it ends up becoming this sort of halfway house for reluctant Trump voters and it actually cuts into Trumps side. I think the history of these third-party candidacies [is] there are assumptions about how these candidates are going to draw their votes that dont always fully match up with what ends up happening.

But all of this is possible ifand its a big ifSchultz actually gets on the ballot in November 2020.

Even the established third parties that we have in this country like the Green Party or the Libertarian Party will have trouble getting on all 50 state ballots, says Kornacki. Its not a given. Its not automatic.

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However, because Schultz is a billionaire, he has the resources to fight his way on. At the end of the day, Kornacki rightly points out that Schultz has got a ton of money, and thats going to go a long way.

If he does run, I think one of the other pages hell take from Perots book is you tap that money for a very extensive advertising campaign, Kornacki says. Perot was effective with that in 92. The ads he ran were very different. They were different than anything anybody had really seen before when it came to political advertising. He would buy up 30-minute blocks of network television time. He would pre-empt sitcoms. Instead of watching Major Dad one night, youd get the Ross Perot infomercial on CBS.

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Before Instagram and Kardashian-level rebrands, Perot was able to use the media to change the public narrative surrounding himself.

What he did was feed this image that said, Hey, this guy is different, this guytheres an executive. Hes sitting at a desk. Hes diagnosing the problem. Hes serious, says Kornacki. It created all of these positive associations with Perot. I imagine Schultz would try to do something similar.

But there is this one big hurdle that Schultz, like Perot, cant just buy away: access to the presidential debates.

When you get to the fall of 2020 and youve got two or three presidential debates, if youre not on stage, then theres just going to be a vast number of voters who are just going to write you off and write off a vote for you as a waste because clearly youre not serious enough to get in the debates, says Kornacki. Perot is a good example. In 92, he dropped out of the race in the summer, but got back in the race during the start of October. He was running at like 6 percent in the polls when he got back in the race. People were saying, Ah, Perot is a shadow of himself, its not really going to matter. They put him in the debate anyway. The two campaigns agreed to it. He kind of stole the show at the first debate, and then the rest is history. He got up to 20 percent on Election Day, the best for any third-party candidate since Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. Perot runs again in 1996, does not get in the debates, his vote was cut more than in half. He got 8 percent in 1996.

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Were still talking about Ross Perot more than 20 years later because he had this charisma. He was known as the populist billionaire. Kornacki says thats another lesson for Howard Schultzno matter how much money you have or how many debates you do, you still need people to not heckle you at Barnes & Noble.

You can spend the money like Ross Perot in 92 and you could get traction, says Kornacki. But Im not sure a generation later, if you dont have that populist touch, that the money is going to make that big of a difference. The media climate has changed so much, Im also not sure money quite matters the way it used to. The other part is that there is just this polarization and tribalism thats really taken root over the last generation. People just have these incredibly strong personal associations with [feelings like] Im part of blue America, Im part of red America, Im not part of blue America, Im not part of red America. I think more and more they look at elections through that lens, which is another barrier for a third-party candidate.

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Kornacki had one last story for me about a third-party presidential candidate, one more reason why Democrats maybe shouldnt be so worried about 2020: Voters have figured out the problem with third-party candidates.

Before Perot, if you went back to 1980, there was a guy named John Anderson who ran as an independent that year, Kornacki says. Jimmy Carter was the incumbent president, Ronald Reagan was his Republican challenger. John Anderson was a liberal Republican. You had those back then. He left the Republican Party to run as an independent. The Carter White House, the Carter political operation, was panickedpetrifiedbecause they just looked at it and they said, Well, hey, John Anderson, a liberal Republican, hes going to take votes from us. Hes a liberal. They waged a whole campaign that had some shades of what youre seeing now about Howard Schultz. [They said] Democrats in the summer and fall of 1980, dont waste your vote, dont waste your vote. They had banners. They had chants. Carter himself was saying it. Mondale, his vice president, was saying it on the campaign trail. Dont waste your vote. Dont waste your vote.

He continues: In the end, people got the message largely. Anderson had been running at around 20 percent in the polls at one point. He came all the way down to 6 percent on Election Day. When you take the exit poll and say, Who was your second choice?, Anderson voters slightly more said Carter than Reagan, but it wasnt anything like Democrats had been fearing all year. One of the takeaways was voters looked at the choice between Carter and Reagan. They heard the message from Carter. They heard the message from Democrats. A lot of the Democratic voters, they took the message and they stayed with Carter. It wasnt nearly enough for Carter to winhe had so many bigger problems in 1980but he didnt lose because of John Anderson. The Anderson effect of 1980 ended up not being anything like Democrats feared it would be.

Listen to What Next via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Overcast,Google Play, or iHeart.Every few days, a new Democratic presidential candidate joins the race promising a ground-up rebuild of the health care system, a Green New Deal to address climate change, or a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system to represent something more humane. These are ideas that are unlikely to attract meaningful Republican support. And so, unless Democrats can get 60 seats in the Senate, something that certainly wont happen even in their rosiest 2020 forecast, they would likely need to eliminate the filibusterthe rule that allows 41 senators to block legislationto achieve most of them.

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Under the so-called nuclear option, which Democratic and Republican Senate majorities have used in recent years to eliminate filibusters on presidential nominees, the legislative filibuster could be nuked with a simple majority of Senate votes. This is exactly what many progressive supporters of major health care, climate, immigration, and gun control legislation want Senate Democrats to do if they can unify control of the government in 2020. But its almost impossible to see Senate Democrats doing it. Their margin in the Senate, even if they were able to squeak out a majority, would be razor-thin, and dozens of Democrats have gone on the record in the past couple of years supporting the legislative filibuster. Even if only a few of them are telling the truth, that would be enough to preserve the filibuster and sharply limit the scope of what a Democratic House, Senate, and presidency could achieve relative to their outsized campaign platforms. For all the talk of killing the thing, press ever so gently on the Senate Democratic caucus, and strident defenses of the legislative filibuster gush out.

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In April 2017, 61 senators signed a letter to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer recording their opposition to weakening the legislative filibuster. We are asking you, the letter read, to join us in opposing any effort to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives of Senators to engage in full, robust, and extended debate as we consider legislation before this body in this future.

For all the talk of killing the thing, press ever so gently on the Senate Democratic caucus, and strident defenses of the legislative filibuster gush out.

The majority of the letters signees, 32 of them, were Democrats.

Not much has changed since then. In a Thursday story, Politico surveyed a batch of Senate Democrats and found more than enough support for keeping the filibuster. It wasnt just senators from conservative states, like West Virginias Joe Manchin or Alabamas Doug Jones. Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono also said she was against eliminating it because wed turn into the House, the ultimate Senate insult. If Mazie Hirono has a problem with your progressive priority, your progressive priority has a problem.

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None of the presidential candidates Politico askedKirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warrenwould outright say that theyd support eliminating the filibuster either. Their answers ranged from clear noes (We should not be doing anything to mess with the strength of the filibuster, said Booker) to Warren insisting that the idea should be on the table.

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Warrens answer at least seemed to hint that President Warren could be fine with eliminating the filibuster, but she didnt want to say it outright. That might even be true of a President Booker. Keep in mindand this is honestly the only optimistic caveat I have for those who hope the filibuster might be torchedthat senators, while in the minority, would have good reason to maintain a code of silence about their plans to destroy the filibuster as soon as they get the majority back. So long as Republicans have the majority, some might feel obligated to treat the 60-vote rule with the moral weight of the Bill of Rights and Ten Commandments combined.

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But presidential candidates feelings about whether to do away with the filibuster arent really the issue. Maybe Booker comes around, campaigns on eliminating the filibuster, and wins the presidency. Good for him. How would he get Joe Manchin to change his mind, or Chris Coons, who said just in December, Im committed to never voting to change the legislative filibuster? Would President Booker control the votes of Mark Warner, Tom Carper, or Angus King? Or Chuck Schumer? Senate Republicans typically wake up each day absolutely terrified that President Donald Trump might tweet something mean about them if they disobey his commands, but even they have outright rejected his persistent demands that they nuke the filibuster whenever a prized bill of his gets stuck. The presidential bully pulpit is no match for senatorial self-righteousness about protecting the chambers holiest anti-democratic tradition.

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Majorities dont like to admit it, but they appreciate the short-term benefits of the filibuster as much as minorities do. Its a useful excuse for why theyre not passing all of the polarizing legislation that the House is sending their way. I dont have a hard count, but the number of Democratic senators who are interested in passing a single-payer health care system, and enduring all the heat that would come with it, is well short of 50 votes. A lot of them wont want to even go down that path, spending capital on it during those first precious months of a new administration. Theyd rather just say, oh, well, we cant because of the filibuster.

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The filibuster wouldnt preclude a hypothetical unified Democratic government from passing anything of value. They could still use the budget reconciliation process to pass legislation on a party-line basis, so long as that legislation directly pertains to taxes or spending. This is how Republicans passed their tax bill in 2017. President Kamala Harris could pass her top priority, a $3 trillion tax plan, through reconciliation. President Elizabeth Warren could pass her wealth tax through reconciliation. President Cory Bookers baby bonds are essentially cash transfers. Reconciliation.

In other words, the senators running for president seem to have designed their top legislative priorities to run through reconciliation, while nodding politely in the direction of Medicare for all as something else they might give a go. Its almost as if they, as current members of the Senate, know that the filibuster isnt going anywhere.Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whos faced months of criticism over a DNA test that she claimed proved her Native American ancestry, has apologized to the Cherokee Nation, the Intercept reported Thursday.

Earlier in the day Warren had contacted Cherokee Nation leaders, apologizing for furthering confusion over issues of tribal sovereignty and citizenship and for any harm her announcement caused. Julie Hubbard, spokeswoman for the Cherokee Nation, told the Intercept that the leaders were encouraged by this dialogue and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.

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According to the New York Times, Warren had a brief and private conversation with Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. The chief and secretary of state appreciate that she has reaffirmed that she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen or a citizen of any tribal nation, Hubbard told the Times.

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As Slate explained after Warren announced her DNA test results, Cherokee citizens have contended that taking a DNA test to determine affiliation with a tribe is dangerous: It promotes the idea that blood, rather than tribal records and social connections, determine who is Native American. In its scathing statement at the time, the Cherokee Nation called Warrens decision inappropriate and wrong. The statement went on:

It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

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And as Matt Miller noted in Slate two years earlier, when former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown attacked Warren over her claims of having a Cherokee ancestor, DNA tests cannot definitively prove a person is a member of any community, much less trace that person to a specific tribe. [E]thnicity is not a trait derived from a single gene, because ethnicity is mostly our perception of a collection of traits, rather than a trait itself, Miller wrote.

But even if a DNA test could be used that way, we would be wrong to use them in determining tribal affiliation, critics say. Tying genetics to race would push us perilously close to validating race science, a field that has helped to justify some of humanitys worst crimes and that in its current form is peddled by pseudo-intellectual white supremacists and other violent extremists. But if its wrong to match genetics to race, its even more incorrect to match genetics to tribal identity: The Cherokee Nation is a sovereign nation with its own political and cultural practicalities, norms, and rules. To be a Cherokee citizen is not to have Native American blood but to be acknowledged by the rules and understanding of the tribe as a member.

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Removing the power to decide membership from the tribe and placing it in the hands of individuals with DNA kits could endanger the identity of the tribe itself, the critics warned, placing at risk the services the United States agreed to provide in early treaties with the tribesor at least allowing Americans with no legitimate link to the tribe to claim those rights and benefits for themselves.

And beyond that, some critics worried that defining tribes by genetics and therefore race could cause some judges to think about tribal benefits as preferential treatment based on racea concept that could be challenged under the Fifth Amendments equal protection clause.

In fairness, Warren herself made it clear when she took the DNA test that she did not belong to a tribe. Only tribes determine tribal citizenship, she said in the video announcing the test results. I understand and respect that distinction.

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Certainly not all of Warrens critics have protested her actions with sincere intent: The whole controversy has been rooted in racially charged and often overtly racist mocking of Warrens decades-long claims to have family lore suggesting a Cherokee ancestor. While mocking the extremely common tradition among Americans of claiming a Cherokee ancestor, many of her conservative critics, including President Trump, have gone on to mock and dehumanize Native American ancestry and identity in general. (See also: the presidents repeated use of the slur Pocahontas as a nickname and his flippant joke about Wounded Knee.) And laughing at the idea that someone who looks like Warren could be Native American racializes tribal identity even more.

But while many Native American activists would say that Trumps words have been more offensive than Warrens actions, some have expressed disappointment that Warren has repeatedly refused to apologize. According to the Times, Warren has privately worried about her image with Native American voters and with activists in general. Warren will soon begin her formal presidential campaign, and it remains to be seen whether this direct apology will mean an end to critiques from the left. Meanwhile, we can expect the scolding, and jokes, from the president and his party to continue unabated.You know what Sen. Bernie Sanders would love to do? Soak the rich. And what have Democrats been doing lately? Antagonizing Howard Schultz by talking about how to soak the rich. So this week, the senator from Vermont joined the festivities by rolling out his plan to confiscate the wealth of Americas millionaires and billionaires when they die through a massive expansion of the estate tax.

As part of the 2017 tax cut, Republicans doubled the amount of money Americans could leave behind to their heirs before the estate tax would start to bite. Today, the levy only applies to fortunes worth at least $11.8 million, with a top rate of 40 percent. Sanders would lower the minimum back to down to $3.5 million while imposing progressively higher rates that top out a 77 percent for billionaires. (Sanders notes this was the maximum rate from 1941 to 1976). The proposal would impact the wealthiest 0.2 percent of U.S. households, which is why he has called it the For the 99.8 Percent Act.

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Sanders is not the only Democrat to suggest blowing out the estate tax. Cory Booker proposed bringing back its 2009 parameters to fund his baby bonds proposal, for instance. More generally, Democrats have become newly interested in finding ways to tax the accumulated wealth of the ultra-rich, rather than merely skimming a bit of their income each year. Elizabeth Warren has proposed a tax on households with more than $50 million to their name that would take 2 to 3 percent of their net-worth each year. But in all likelihood, any concerted effort to go after wealth would require multiple taxes in order to close off avoidance opportunities.

Restoring the estate tax seems like an especially timely way to do it. How come? At the risk of being a bit crude, Americas billionaires are getting old. Very old. Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans includes, by my count, 128 individuals individuals over the age of 75. Most of these people are probably not going to live much more than a decadeaccording to research from the Equality of Opportunity Project, Americas one-percenters can expect to keep on keepin on roughly until their mid-to-late 80s (technically, that stat applies to individuals at age 40, but you get the idea). We only have a limited amount of time to take a reasonable cut of their money hoard before it gets passed on to their heirs. That, or were about to witness at a tidal wave of intergenerational wealth transfer that could leave us with a whole Forbes list worth of Wyatt Kochs. Is that what we want America? Even if you dont mind the occasional gauche Hawaiian shirt, or the idea of parents handing gigantic brokerage accounts to their kids, or care whether people with vast financial resources at their disposal earned them, research has suggested that inequality driven specifically by inherited wealth may be a drag on the economic growth. (The reasons why arent entirely clear, and the researchers arrive at their conclusions through a series of cross-country regressions, which arent exactly the worlds greatest research method. But academic inquiry on this subject is surprisingly scarce and weve got to take what weve got). Pumping up estate taxes soon might not just be necessary for the sake of good taste, basic egalitarian instinct, or our bubbling class resentments. It may be necessary for the good our whole economy.Trump should call their bluff. He should go back to the experts at the Department of Homeland Security and ask them: If Democrats refuse to give you the additional physical barriers you have said are essential to secure the border, what other funding would you need to make up for it? How many extra border agents would you need in the absence of a wall? How many more canine units? How much more for improved coordination with state and local law enforcement in our border communities? How many more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for interior enforcement? How much for underground sensors, radar, unmanned drones and fixed towers with infrared cameras? How much more advanced detection technology at our ports of entry? How many more portable scanners to detect smuggled narcotics, weapons and other dangerous materials? How much for construction of new ports of entry? How many more immigration judges? How much for employment eligibility verification? How much more in humanitarian assistance and medical support for those detained at the border? How many more detention beds and temporary housing units for migrant families? How much more for DNA testing to establish family relationships? How much to set up a new system that will allow Central American minors to apply for asylum in their home countries?Schriever baby-sat both children a second time in late July. She said Sterling was still light but seemed a little heavier. The rash was better, she said. After about 16 hours, she saw Cheyanne Harris and Koehn return to the apartment building, and Harris texted she would be over soon to get the kids, she just needed a minute.

But Harris didn't arrive, and after awhile the daughter began to get fussy, so Schriever took the children and headed over to the apartment where Cheyanne Harris answered the door.

Cheyanne Harris huffed and rolled her eyes like she wasn't ready to take the children back, Schriever said.

Schriever said she didn't have much contact with the children after that. Then on Aug. 30, 2017, she saw Koehn outside smoking a cigarette, and asked him what was wrong. She said Koehn told her the baby had died, and he didn't know what to do. She said she told him to put out the cigarette and call 911.

The couple then had her look after Leo, the family dog, while medics and deputies came to the apartment. A few days after Sterling's death, Schriever returned Leo, and they went to a nearby park to talk.Boracay IslandGeothermal producer Energy Development Corp. is investing P10 million in the rehabilitation of its adopted wetland in Barangay Balabag here over a three-year period. Under our memorandum of agreement with the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources], the BWCP is a three-year project, EDC corporate social responsibility head Allan Barcena said. We plan to invest P10 million during this period. Aside from the walkway and view deck, a visitor information center and other visitor amenities will be built here in the future, Barcena said.

The 7.79-hectare Wetland No. 2 is one of the nine wetlands in the island identified by the DENR where environmental rehabilitation is needed. The brackish water swamp that has been turned into a construction dump over the years. Wetlands are areas that are permanently or seasonally saturated by water and plays a critical role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. EDC is developing Wetland No. 2 into the Boracay Wetland Conservation Park to serve as an arboretum for threatened native tree species under the Binhi reforestation and greening initiative. Binhi is the companys forest restoration program that prioritizes the propagation of 96 identified rare and threatened native tree species. The wetland project was inaugurated in October 2018, coinciding with the islands reopening. The company is working with the community to help sustain the project. We want to develop the community to become an eco partner, not only for rehabilitation but also for livelihood, Barcena said.EDC is the largest diversified renewable energy firm in the country, with installed total capacity of 1,456.8 megawatts of purely renewable energy. After a thorough assessment of endemic flora and fauna in the location, EDC has planted the appropriate native tree species that will thrive in a wetland environment and that can support marine and land animals already existing in the area. BWCP is rich in rare plants, including threatened species like Sanders Alocasia, Narra, Ipil, Kubi, Antipolo, Isis, Sakat, Balakat and Bakauan Dagat. EDCs partnership with DENR is a continuing initiative that goes beyond rehabilitating the wetland and planting more trees in the area. At present, visitors can commune with nature from the scenic view deck and delight in observing local and migratory birds. BWCP as part of EDCs Binhi program expands EDCs advocacy and mission to restore denuded forests, preserve and propagate threatened native tree species and protect biodiversity to leave a legacy of a verdant Philippines for the next generation. The Binhi program, now in its 10th year, has reforested 9,196 hectares across EDCs geothermal sites located in Leyte, Bicol, Negros Oriental and North Cotabato. To propagate these native tree species, Binhi now has 162 partners across 16 regions in the country. As of 2018, Binhi has effectively helped EDC attain a carbon negative status. In its sustainability report, EDCs geothermal reservations have effectively absorbed 970,472 tons of carbon dioxide. Officials said that with BWCP and Binhi, Boracay can look forward to a future where not only its clean waters and white sands showcase environmental sustainability, but also its very own native tree arboretum that the local community can be proud of.Brown started his tour in Eastern Iowa because he wanted to start in small towns, he said.

Im not trying to speak to big rallies, Brown said. I wanted to see more small town, medium-size cities in Iowa because those areas have too often been ignored by Wall Street when it makes investment decisions and been ignored by the legislature.

Brown also reacted to the U.S. withdrawal from the decades old Nuclear Arms Control Treaty established to put constraints on competing nuclear arms races.

I dont even pretend to understand the presidents relationship with (Russian President Valdimir) Putin, Brown said.

Brown met with local legislators, Sens. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, and Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, Rep. Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, as well as Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, Vikki Brown, Black Hawk County Democrats chairperson, TechWorks Campus employees and University of Northern Iowa officials during his visit.

Its an excellent opportunity to see the depth and wealth of knowledge that he has with regards to additive manufacturing and his concern for working families in our community, Hart said.

Danielson was also excited to see more people getting involved in the coming 2020 presidential race.SIOUX CITY -- Amid a four-day swing through Iowa, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang in Sioux City said he has the new approach the party needs, in order to go beyond traditional ways of dealing with a drastically transformed economy.

With malls and Main Street stores dying off due to online shopping and other substantial changes in the economy, Yang said there is a need for a "trickle up" policy.

That key issue for Yang, which differentiates him from other Democratic candidate, is his proposal to guarantee Americans a Universal Basic Income, although he's rebranded it as the Freedom Dividend.

"That is my most prominent policy," Yang said.

That proposal, which Yang sees as a key way to address massive job displacement, would guarantee every citizen age 18 to 64 a monthly minimum, tax-free income of $1,000, without passing a means test or being required to work.

It is similar to the oil dividend Alaska residents receive, and as Yang asked the gathered Democrats if they were familiar with that, many people shouted out that state's name.Dr. Edward Zajac, an interventional cardiologist with Cardiovascular Associates, said heart attack patients have a better chance of a positive outcome by going directly to a cardiac catheterization laboratory, where a blocked artery can be opened. In the state of Iowa, Zajac said there are only 17 hospitals capable of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

"It is very common that the first manifestation of coronary disease is death. We really want to impress upon patients that they need to call 911. When the trigger is pulled with 911, help is going to begin," he said. "We have a number of patients who go to their local physician and they know they're having a heart attack. They're put in a private automobile and sent to the hospital. It's physicians who also need to be better educated."

In recent years, taking STEMI patients directly to the nearest PCI hospital became the protocol of rural ambulance services in the state.

In 2015, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded a $4.6 million grant to the American Heart Association to improve outcomes for heart attack patients in rural Iowa. The initiative, called Mission: Lifeline, helped rural transporting EMS agencies obtain 12-lead EKG and the necessary training to perform the test in the field and then transmit the EKG tracing to the nearest PCI hospital.Page Content

Many businesses would have to provide New York City employees with two weeks of paid vacation time under proposed legislation that Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced.

The proposal would cover employers with at least five employees and require them to pay workers for up to 10 personal days a year. Employees would qualify to take such time after 120 days on the job. The city council still needs to approve the law.

We've rounded up the latest news on the proposed legislation. Here are SHRM Online resources and news articles from other trusted media outlets.

Mayor Says Workers Need a Break

About 500,000 people who work in New York City don't receive paid vacation benefits, which de Blasio said is unhealthy. "If you work hard and you don't get a break, that's not fair," he said at a press conference. He noted that many countries mandate two weeks of paid personal time, including Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. "We're the exception, and it's a bad exception," he said.

(U.S. News)

Business Community Raises Concerns



Some business groups said the measure would be expensive for employers, particularly for small businesses that operate on a thin margin. "It has a significant cost for businesses, especially at a time when vacant storefronts plague our city streets and employment growth at city restaurants has gone flat, due in large part to other government mandates," said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, an organization that represents business owners.

(The Wall Street Journal)

Additional Paid-Time-Off Benefits



The paid vacation time would be provided in addition to other mandatory paid leave benefits. Many New York City employees already must accrue up to five paid sick days a year and may be eligible to take time off under the New York Paid Family Leave Law. As with the paid-sick-leave mandate, employers would be responsible for the cost of providing the vacation benefits. Paid family leave, however, is funded through payroll withholdings. Under the paid vacation proposal, employers would be allowed to ask workers for up to two weeks of notice before using vacation time and deny leave in certain situations if making an exception to the granting of leave is reasonable.

(Kaufman Dolowich Voluck)

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Managing Family and Medical Leave]

More Workplace Mandates in the Big Apple

New York City employers already must comply with a host of new laws that either took effect in 2018 or will take effect in 2019. New mandates on sexual-harassment-prevention training and policies, lactation accommodations, and minimum wage and exempt salary thresholds top the list.

(SHRM Online)

Paid-Leave Laws Sweep the Nation

Although New York City would be the first jurisdiction to require paid vacation time, many cities and states throughout the country require employers to provide paid-sick-leave benefits. Compliance is a challenge because each law has its own definitions of terms, accrual rates, employee eligibility rules, record-keeping and reporting requirements, and thresholds for triggering coverage. HR professionals should be familiar with the rules that apply in their locations and note that more than one law may apply to their workforce.

(SHRM Online)

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with American manufacturers in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump said Thursday he will likely announce the site and date of a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the State of the Union address on Tuesday.

"They very much want the meeting," Trump told reporters, saying his administration has made "tremendous progress" toward reining in the North's nuclear ambitions. The summit is expected to take place around the end of February.

The president said that before he took office in January 2017, "it looked like we were going to war with North Korea. Now, there's no missile testing. There's no rocket testing, there's no nuclear testing. We got back our prisoners, our hostages. We're getting back our remains."

Trump has long contended that his outreach to Kim and their initial summit in June in Singapore have put the U.S. and North Korea on the path to peace. But his list of concrete achievements has not grown in the months since that meeting, and his own intelligence chiefs believe there is little likelihood Kim will voluntarily give up his nuclear weapons or missiles capable of carrying them.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress on Tuesday that the government's intelligence assessment does not support the idea that Kim will eliminate his nuclear weapons or the capacity for building more.

A skeptical Trump tweeted in response: "Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!"

Private analysts, in several reports in the past four months, have drawn on commercial satellite imagery to determine that the North is continuing to develop its nuclear and missile technology despite the test suspension.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has led the diplomatic effort with North Korea, is sending a team to Asia to make preparations for the second Trump-Kim summit. He has not identified a venue for the meeting. Vietnam has been considered, along with Thailand, Hawaii and Singapore.

Story continues

Pompeo's point man on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, planned to travel to South Korea this weekend. He also was expected to see North Korean officials "to discuss next steps to advance our objective of the final fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," according to the State Department.

In a speech Thursday at Stanford University, Biegun said the administration was ready to move "simultaneously and in parallel" with the North in reaching the goal. Biegun also credited the North Korean leader with agreeing to dismantle two military installations and open them to outside inspections

"While these sites are not critical parts of current North Korean missile or nuclear programs, after an interlude of 10 years in which no international inspections of any kind have occurred, they represent a step in the right direction for our two countries to renew cooperation on the steps necessary to give confidence to the process of denuclearization," he said.

Still, Biegun said there must be a "dismantlement and destruction of North Korea's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities."

Biegun stressed that denuclearization could not happen without the North first presenting a detailed accounting of its nuclear and missile facilities so that dismantling them under an eventual deal can be verified.

North Korea also must agree to have disarmament experts inspect its facilities to confirm they are no longer usable, he said.

Such a declaration and access for inspectors has been a sticking point in the past. The North has balked at submitting an accounting of its sites and demanded that the U.S. ease sanctions before it makes any concessions.

The U.S. has said repeatedly that sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization is complete, although it has held open the option of taking other confidence-building measures, including potential security guarantees.

__

Elias reported from Palo Alto, Calif. Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed from Washington.After escaping poverty in Pakistan and spending two hard years in Greece without family or money, Manassif Raza proudly stands in his brand new hair salon, receiving his first customers. "I feel more confident now that I am working, I feel my future will be better," the Pakistani, who is in his twenties, says in the poor Athens neighbourhood of Agios Panteleimonas, home to many immigrants and refugees. His achievement is particularly precious in a nation struggling with severe unemployment, where migrants face an uphill battle to get work. "Here in Greece you often have to make it by yourself... I had to do a lot of undeclared work: cleaning houses or hotels, washing dishes in restaurants... I couldn't even afford to rent a house so I was hosted by some friends for a while," Manassif adds. After nearly a decade of crisis and drastic cuts in public spending, Greece's economy is beginning to recover. Unemployment has fallen but is still the highest in the eurozone at 18 percent, and even higher among young people. Over 70,000 refugees and migrants live in the country in the wake of a mass influx of people, most of whom were fleeing war-torn Syria. Just 10 percent of those in Greece have jobs, says Dimitris Skleparis, a politics lecturer at the University of Glasgow working on refugee issues. "Refugees in Greece receive no orientation or training support (from the state)," he told AFP. Fortunately, there are private initiatives. In 2017, Citi Foundation teamed up with the International Rescue Committee to help refugees start businesses in Greece through local partners. - 'Everyone has ideas' - One of them is chef Moussa, who came to Greece after the deaths of his parents and younger brother in Ivory Coast over five years ago. "For me, business is first of all, do something that you like," he says in an IRC video, which says he is now opening the first Ivorian restaurant in Athens called "Our Home". "All of us, we have an idea, we have a dream. I am a refugee I come to another country I try to make my dream come true." On the day of a visit by AFP, a group of around 20 refugees from Afghanistan, North Africa, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast sit in an Athens classroom, learning how to give a PowerPoint presentation. They will then have two weeks to show their projects to a jury of business people and NGO staff. Successful applicants are given a startup fee of around 1,000 euros ($1,140). Over 150 people have been trained by the programme. "It's only a small amount but it's encouraging nonetheless," says Touria, a 31-year-old woman from Morocco. She also wants to open a restaurant, but at the moment, Greek bank loans are hard to come by, she notes. Another initiative is Project Layali, meaning "my nights" in Arabic, which helps fund refugee businesses and assists applicants with the onerous task of navigating Greek bureaucracy for permits. Manassif says he was contacted by them a year ago, while he was still training to be a hairdresser. The project "got the salon for free through someone we know," says Marine Liakis, who is French-Greek and helped to launch the initiative. "But to build the business, we had to gather a lot of paperwork, spend hours in administrative offices and secure funds... for a foreigner in Greece, opening a commerce is a real battle," she adds. Project Layali in December also opened a shop near central Syntagma Square selling handicrafts made by refugees, who receive all the proceeds. Shaghayegh Farhang, a 26-year-old woman from Iran, is one of the artists whose objects are sold here. "For a long time I hated Greece because I felt I couldn't express myself here either," says Shaghayegh, a self-taught photographer who left her country over two years ago because of the censorship imposed by the religious authorities. "With this project now I start to find a new goal in my life. I want to continue my artworks and maybe study," she adds.Its certainly looking to be a very exciting time ahead for Singapore as various opposition parties are making their rounds ahead of a general election rumored to hit Singapore this year.

Weve already spoken about the places former presidential candidate (and now, new political party leader) Tan Cheng Bock has visited across Singapore.

Another political candidate Lim Tean, leader of the Peoples Voice party, turned up at the Choa Chu Kang constituency on Saturday with his team, apparently for a community visit and to listen to the peoples voice, according to his Facebook post.

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In a report by The Online Citizen, Lim said that he intends to send a team over to the Choa Chu Kang constituency at the next general election to contest the ruling Peoples Action Party team currently holding the fort there.

He also uploaded a list of values that the Peoples Voice party stands by, as a cover photo on his Facebook page.

In the photo, the party advocates for various ideals such as free speech, slash ministers pay and 0% GST (goods and services tax) on basic living goods.

On Thursday, Singapore Democratic Partys leader Chee Soon Juan announced a kick-off campaign for the upcoming General Elections on his Facebook page.

The campaign kick-off event will be held at 115 Eunos Ave 3, #02-04, on 23 February (Saturday) at 2pm.

He has since been traveling all around Singapore to sell his new book, Never on Bended Knees, which can be bought on the SDPs e-store.

He was seen on Friday selling physical copies of the book at Raffles Place MRT in the midst of the lunchtime office crowd, and said on his Facebook page that he was going to visit Tampines on Saturday to sell the book as well.

Spreading out to (the) four corners of this island to keep alive the message of change  that same message that so many whove come before us worked so hard and sacrificed so much for, Chee said.

Story continues

In a post on the partys website, a spokesperson for the party said that Singapore citizens are beginning to question whether the current crop of leaders are up to the challenge of taking Singapore forward.

(SDP has) been preparing for more than half a year for our Campaign Kick-Off and its yearlong activities, added the statement. Like previous elections, we will be ready for the battle. 

This article, Opposition watch in Singapore heats up, as Lim Tean and Chee Soon Juan fire salvos, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!In the Lechao Bar in Kangding, capital of the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, western China, the bar's owner is educating me about the citys diverse demographics. There are so many ethnicities here. Han, Tibetan, Hui, Yi, says 28-year-old Tibetan Luo Song Dengren, policeman by day, bar proprietor and performer by night.

With the citys urban centre situated at around 2,500 metres altitude in a deep gorge in the Hengduan Mountains, Kangding has the feel of a gateway to the far more rustic and smaller settlements further up the range. Locals are clad in traditional clothing  riding boots, knee-length black coats and cowboy hats for men, ornate headdresses, wooden bead necklaces and long skirts for women.

But the city of over 100,000 has in recent years been subjected to Chinas trademark rapid development and attempted Han homogenisation; high-rise hotels and office buildings have sprung up where more primitive dwellings once sat next to the white waters of the Zheduo and Yala rivers.

The diverse cultures of Chinas minority populations that call this mountain city home persist, however, and Luo Song Dengren is an eager guide to this former border post between Tibet and China, a centre of trade and stage for warfare in centuries past.

Lechao is the centre of the nascent modern music scene in Kangding, he tells me. He took over the bar in 2017 and renovated it in the style of an American roadhouse, decking the walls out in motorcycle parts and number plates.

Luo Song Dengren studied in Chengdu, about four hours away by car, and although he relocated his parents, wife and young child there, he wanted to stay in Kangding to help grow the music scene, where most of the songs heard around the city are still performed in the classical Tibetan style. When he tells me about all the peoples who call Kangding home, he is really speaking of the potential the place has to breed something unique.

Story continues

We hope we can get all those musical influences together and see what comes out of it, he says in between sets on stage at Lechao, where he sings and plays guitar, along with friends and other bar employees, to patrons sat at tables laden with cheap six-packs of watery Snow Beer.



He excuses himself from our table to play Kangding Qingge (Kangding Love Song), a folk tune known throughout China, and one the local tourist authorities and business owners have keyed on as a promotional tool, naming the city's central square Love Song Square, and so on. The song is a crowd favourite.



Music is life for Tibetans, Luo Song Dengren says, sitting down again, sipping on a water as he does every night (he declines alcohol due to his Buddhist faith). When we used work in the fields or herding, we sang. Singing is a way for us to share our stories and our history. In times when life was very hard for us, singing was our only pleasure.

The next day, my photographer friend and I decide to attempt a pale facsimile of another Tibetan tradition, undertaking a small portion of a hike up to the grasslands above Kangding, just as the nomadic Tibetan people would with their herds of yak.

We take the winding road past Zhilam Hostel, a popular accommodation option that, like many businesses in Kangding, closes during the coldest months from mid-December to the middle of March. Dried yak meat hangs from the top windows of the two-storey houses we pass; occasionally we lose our footing on the ice. Past a clothing workshop, a set of stairs to the right leads up to the narrow hiking trail, a sign saying Up to Grasslands pointing the way.

On our way up, we pass a small group of horses walking languidly along the snow-covered trail, which is devoid of human footprints save our own. At a large pen a few more horses graze. The way up has been marked by old stone grave sites, and at the bottom end of the pen, some people have come to pay their respects.

They burn pine boughs, and toss ghost money into the fire to send to the deceased in the afterlife  a Han ritual before a final resting place festooned with Tibetan prayer flags.

Back in the city after our short expedition, we refuel at Himalayan Coffee and Trading, sipping on brews made from beans roasted in the mountain air and satiating our hunger with slices of home-made carrot cake.

After a walk through the traditional Guoda Market, the lane at times slick with blood from the morning yak slaughter, we head up the other side of the valley wall, Paoma Mountain, gaining entrance to the hiking trail by taking the stairs up past the Tashi Yongdeng Tibetan Bar on Dongda Street.

The trail is also lined with prayer flags, and leads up to a scenic area, a small plateau also accessible by gondola.

The place is deserted, a lone horse on a circular riding path and the woman taking the ticket fee the only souls around. Or so we think, until the barking of a small pack of dogs and a woman calling out from a nearby house beckon us over. Inside the home, a Tibe tan family from Shiqu sells souvenirs and some basic food for tourists, sparse this time of year.



The house is warmed by keeping the electric stove running. In the bedroom, one of the women retires to recite her mantras, attempting to teach them to a small boy who would rather chase the family cat around the living room. After some tea and pork dumplings, we say our goodbyes, and head back down the mountain, passing a small monastery tended by a few monks.

Later that night we meet up with Luo Song Dengren again, along with his friend, A-Ze, who works in construction. They take us to Malaya Tibetan Restaurant for thin-sliced, raw, frozen yak meat, blood sausage, and fried yogurt, along with yak butter tea, a drink that takes some getting used to.

The food is rich and hearty, heavy on meat and varying forms of yak milk. The traditional Tibetan cuisine is different to what we enjoyed on our first night in the city at Kangba Kitchen, a 20-year-old Sichuan rechao or low-budget eatery, where nearly all the dishes featured the Sichuan peppercorn with its famed spicy kick.

Zhao Rengao, who has worked in the kitchen there for 12 years, says with a shrug that when it comes to food, Tibetan and Sichuan culinary cultures have yet to come together.

In Kangding, he says, Sichuan food is popular, but the Tibetans enjoy their own cuisine.

On our last night in Kangding, the lanterns along the river light up down the gorge, towards the mani stones carved with Buddhist mantras highlighted on a cliff face at the bottom end of the city. In Love Song Square, locals gather for a nightly dance session to music blaring from speakers at the four corners.

As we pass a snow bank, a light smack on the side of the hood of my jacket wheels my gaze to the left, where a woman stands by a collection of snowballs, smiling. A friendly snowball fight has erupted, combatants laughing and running for cover.

In the chilly evening air, the white lights adorning the trees of Paoma Mountain glitter like stars, bidding us farewell from the gateway to Garze.

When to go

May to October is considered high season in Kangding, before the temperature drops below zero. During these warmer months, trekking in the nearby mountains and further afield at Gongga Shan is made easier by the absence of snow.

Getting there

Buses leave from Chengdu East bus station three times daily, the trip taking anywhere from five to seven hours, depending on road conditions, a ticket costing 116 yuan (US$17). Outside the station and others in Chengdu, private drivers are also available for hire. Their rate depends on your negotiating skills, but they will get you there faster. Sichuan Airlines also has daily flights from Chengdu to Kangding, but in the winter months, these are subject to cancellation whenever it snows.

Staying there

For the experience of staying in a traditional Tibetan home, Zhilam Hostel (zhilamhostel.com) offers a peaceful stay on the hillside overlooking Kangding. For more great views of the city and surrounding mountains and a welcoming atmosphere, there is the Kangding Guozhuang Nan Wu Hao Boutique Inn (75 Bai Tu Kan, Lucheng Zhen, Kangding).

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This article Kangding, mountain gateway where Chinese and Tibetan cultures meet, is a melting pot of ethnicities 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:In a lush field in the heart of the Japanese mountains, a herd of glossy black cows roam happily -- prime examples of the area's Hida brand of wagyu beef. With consumption of the famed meat known for its melt-in-the-mouth tenderness and marbled fat on the decline in Japan, producers are looking overseas to boost sales instead. The Hida brand might not yet have the recognition of famed Kobe beef, but overall the international profile of wagyu is on the rise. The value of exports has risen more than 200 percent in the last five years -- Hong Kong is currently the largest market. About an hour from Takayama, a town that attracts tourists with its traditional wooden houses, dozens of cows owned by different farmers have free range across a 250-hectare plot leased by the local municipality. They spend the warm summer months in the tranquil greenery and return to the warmth of the stables when the winter comes around. There they give birth to calves that are the product of carefully organised breeding to protect the "purity" of each cow's bloodline. "It's important to preserve the bloodline, because good genes guarantee good quality meat," explains Koichi Maruyama, a local official in charge of the cattle rearing department. "The quality also comes from the feed," he adds. For cows bred for wagyu beef, that means 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds) of rice straw a day, to ensure the intramuscular marbling that gives the meat its characteristic look, and taste. - 'We never rest' - Each cow spends the 30 months of its life cossetted and pampered, reared stress-free and under constant medical watch. They are tagged electronically, in a system described as unique in the world, and every cow's family tree can be traced back at least to its grandparents, if not further. Some farmers pamper their cows by covering them in coats during the winter, feeding them beer, and even playing them classical music. Producers in Takayama don't go that far but that doesn't mean there is much room for error. "We never rest, we're looking after them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," says Shuichi Mizobata, on the sidelines of a locally organised wagyu competition. Cows parade in front of judges and are weighed and measured to determine which will compete at a national face-off that takes place every five years. A Takayama cow won in 2002, in a victory that still sparks pride for the young Hida brand. Wagyu cultivation dates back only a few decades, with most Japanese black cattle -- the breed that dominates wagyu -- derived from a single bull born 80 years ago. "After the liberalisation of beef import rules, we decided to put the focus on very high quality wagyu beef to differentiate our products from imported ones," said Sota Kamihiro, an official with the agriculture ministry. Producers have also struggled with the decline in beef consumption that started around 2000, over fears linked to BSE, and a shrinking number of farmers, with existing producers aging and leaving behind no heirs. - 'The meat is sublime' - In 2013, the agriculture ministry set new export targets with the goal of reaching 25 billion yen ($228 million) in beef sales overseas by 2019. The goal looks achievable, with sales already at 24.7 billion yen in 2018, a massive increase from five billion when the strategy was put in place. And the explosion in exports comes despite the eye-watering expense of the product -- the most prized portions of wagyu go for around 13,700 yen a kilo. In Takayama, exports only accounted for five percent, or 43 tonnes, of the beef sold by producers in 2017, but that was already double the previous year. The town has an abattoir that observes stringent rules and is one of just four in Japan certified to handle meat for export to the European Union. Increasingly, producers are also securing halal certification for slaughterhouses -- which number around 200 in total across Japan -- so they can export to Muslim countries. After slaughter, the beef is put up for auction, with the carcasses displayed behind glass alongside cards ranking them according to a precise system based on the meat's marbling, colour, texture, and the quality of the fat, according to director Mitsushi Kobayashi. "The Japanese seek above all to reduce the blood and muscle in the animal, and to develop the fat, the opposite of us," said French chef Lionel Beccat, who has a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo. "The meat is sublime, it melts in the mouth, there are different notes depending on the cows, some are floral, others nutty, others spicy," he added. "So the meat can be appreciated as it is, you just grill it and that's it. It's very Japanese, like sashimi."Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.EXT. A PERANAKAN HOUSE ON EMERALD HILL  DAY

INT. A LIVING ROOM ADORNED WITH VARIOUS SINGAPOREAN ORNAMENTS: MERLION STATUES, I HEART SINGAPORE PILLOWS, AND MAIL THAT WAS FOUND DUMPED IN A TRASH BIN.

Emerald Hill. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A Chua Enlai Type enters the room, and the camera zooms in tightly on him. Dramatic music fades in.

Youre going to a place where weve never actually been in the history of this show, A Chua Enlai Type addresses the room full of Singaporean ladies  all contestants of The Bachelor (Season 1054). Its the fourth episode, and the heart theyre all vying to win belongs to John Tan, a CBD finance bro who became a millionaire after some astute investments in Herbalife and WorldVentures.

Ladies, pack your bags. Youll be meeting John in the United States of America.

The girls jump and scream in unison, their pitch registering beyond human hearing. One of them gets so excited she tears her own arm off. She is booted out of the reality show.

SMASH CUT:

MONTAGE OF JOHN WALKING ABOUT IN AN UNNAMED AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD. IN ONE SCENE, HE TAKES A SELFIE AT AN ALT-RIGHT RALLY. IN ANOTHER SCENE, HE LOOKS WISTFULLY INTO THE DISTANCE IN AN EMPTY SUBWAY CABIN, A PILE OF EXCREMENT AND PUKE ARTFULLY HEAPED ON A SEAT NEXT TO HIM. IN THE LAST SCENE, HE BRAVELY GIVES UP HIS WALLET, PHONE AND WATCH TO SOME THUGS MUGGING HIM.

Photo: Chris Barbalis / Unsplash

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SOME AMERICAN RESTAURANT. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE THERES AN AMERICAN FLAG HANGING ON THE WALL RIGHT NEXT TO A CAR-SIZED MAGA HAT. COUNTRY-TRAP BEATS PLAY IN THE BACKGROUND.

It is the third day of the trip in the USA, and John has already taken some of the girls out for romantic dates at Tenderloin, San Francisco. He has already made out with one of the girls  a Pan-Asian MTV host type  after an emotional moment navigating through a stretch of used hypodermic needles on the ground. The other girls are jealous and are already thinking of ways to impress him during this big dinner together.

John enters the restaurant and sits down in the middle of the table, exchanging pleasantries with the girls while his eyes stay glued to his phone to monitor cryptocurrency market charts. The food arrives at the table. The horrific and disgusted reactions to the dishes are exaggerated. It makes for good TV.

Story continues

One girl  a vegan yoga instructor trying to make it as a Micro Influencer  picks up a moist wedge of something dark green and red. It is a Koolickle  pickles brined in Kool-Aid powder. She bites into it and goes into shock.

Another girl sitting right across from John grabs a small battered ball that has powdered sugar drizzled over it. Being the ratchet queen among the contestants, she makes eye contact with John and bites into the appetizer, eyes full of lust. Its deep-fried butter, and the molten fat within is still scalding hot. This hot liquid squirts from within the ball and into her eyes, blinding her.

Deep-fried buttah. Photo: Wikimedia commons

It wasnt as bad as I thought it would be, the now permanently blind woman chirps in a talking-head interview, recorded after the incident.

Back to the dinner scene: The camera zooms in on a huge platter of what are those? Chicken tenders? One horrified girl exclaims: Oh my God, theyre testicles.

Another contestant  a travel blogger  wants to appear adventurous to John, and the cameras. She takes a big bite of Rocky Mountain Oysters. John smirks knowingly while the girls around him shout ew in an unnaturally prolonged manner.

Yum, testicles. Photo: Matt Johnson / Flickr

The Adventurous Girl excuses herself from the table and the camera follows her to the restroom, where she pukes out the deep-fried bull testicles with melodramatic movements.

The camera goes back to the table, where some of the girls push their jars of pickled pigs feet away. Others take spoonfuls of Red-Eye Gravy and pretend to love eating oily fried ham juices mixed with black coffee.

QUICK CUT:

The girls left alive at the table feign laughter at Johns dull anecdote from his days as a recruit in the Singapore Armed Forces. They squeal Cheers and clink their glasses of Baskin-Robbins Heath Bar Shake. They all get diabetes overnight.

This article, An episode of The Bachelor (Singapore), in which contestants go to the USA to try exotic foods, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!A "fierce firefight" on Saturday killed five Philippine soldiers and three militants from the notorious Islamist group suspected of this week's deadly cathedral bombing in the nation's restive south, the military said. The soldiers battled the Abu Sayyaf militants on the southern island of Jolo, which is the group's stronghold as well as the site of dual bomb attack on January 27 that killed 21 people at Sunday mass. After the cathedral bombing, President Rodrigo Duterte singled out the kidnap-for-ransom group -- which has previously been blamed for some of the Philippines' deadliest attacks -- and ordered the military to "crush" them. "It was a fierce firefight", regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana told AFP, confirming the death toll. "It went on for nearly two hours." Philippine officials have theorised in public that the cathedral attack was the work of at least one suicide bomber, but have also conceded they have not been able to confirm their suspicion. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the cathedral blast. Abu Sayyaf has multiple factions and affiliates -- some of which have pledged allegiance to IS. Authorities have said they suspect an Abu Sayyaf-linked faction carried out the cathedral attack. The bombing came just days after voters' resounding backing for giving the Muslim minority in the south more control over their own affairs, seen as a significant step toward bringing a measure of peace to a region battered by decades of separatist strife. The Philippines was shaken again on Wednesday when a grenade attack on a mosque killed two people, spurring concerns it was an act of retaliation. Authorities have said they have not linked the two assaults.China hit by new vaccine scandal, as up to 18 children given wrong shot

Two public health officials in northern China have been sacked and a third detained in the latest vaccine scandal to hit the country, this time involving as many as 18 children possibly being given the wrong injections, state media reported.

Gu Wenjun, head of a state-run centre for disease control and prevention in the Qiaoxi district of Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, and Huang Huiran, director of the centres immunisation programme, were fired after a woman reported to the police that her child had been given an HIB vaccine instead of a pentavalent one, Xinhua reported.

As well as being removed from their posts, the two men are under investigation for possible wrongdoing, while the head of the community clinic, Wei Jingli, has been detained, the report said.

The district government confirmed in a statement that a worker at the clinic had mistakenly given one child the wrong vaccine but said it did not know how many others might have been affected.

A separate report by Beijing Times quoted parents as saying that although the clinics records stated that 44 children were given pentavalent vaccines, other documents showed it had only 26 doses available.

On that basis, as many as 18 children might have been given the wrong injections, the report said.

The clinic said it would investigate which children had or had not been properly immunised and take steps to avoid a repeat of the incident.

The HIB (Hemophilus influenzae type B) vaccine is much cheaper than the pentavalent option, which provides children with protection against diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus, hepatitis B and HIB.

The incident in Qiaoxi is another knock to the publics confidence in Chinas health care system after a slew of scandals last year.

In July, the state drug regulator reported that Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology, one of Chinas biggest vaccine makers, had produced 252,600 substandard DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccines that had been given to hundreds of thousands of babies.

Story continues

In response to the public outcry, lawmakers in November released the first draft of a new law on vaccine management, which if enacted would allow people to sue drug makers for punitive damages in cases of death or serious illness caused by faulty vaccines.

But just weeks later, on January 11, hundreds of angry parents took to the streets and gathered outside government buildings in Jinhu county, Jiangsu province in protest after finding out that their babies and toddlers had been given out-of-date polio vaccines.

Official reports confirmed that at least 145 children aged between three months and four years received vaccines that had passed their expiry dates.

This article China hit by new vaccine scandal, as up to 18 children given wrong shot first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.When Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani won Australia's most valuable literary prize this week, he could not attend the ceremony to accept it. But as he has done for almost six years, living in Papua New Guinea under Canberra's harsh offshore detention policy, the asylum-seeker still managed to speak out. "With humility, I would like to say that this award is a victory. It is a victory not only for us, but for literature and art and above all, it is a victory for humanity," he said in pre-recorded acceptance speech given to media. "A victory against a system that has never recognised us as human beings. It is a victory against a system that has reduced us to numbers," the 35-year-old added. Boochani, who was sent to Manus after fleeing Iran in 2013, won the Victorian Prize for Literature for his book "No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison". Under a harsh policy meant to deter asylum-seekers from reaching Australia by boat, Canberra has for years sent arrivals to remote Pacific camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island for processing, barring them from ever resettling in Australia. The UN, rights groups and leading health professionals have slammed Canberra for its treatment of asylum seekers, as stories of violent riots, self harm, dire living conditions and even murder have emerged from the camps over the years. 'I ended up in another prison' Boochani has been at the centre of many of these reports -- the loudest voice within the Manus asylum seekers, providing a key source for journalists and rights groups while documenting the conditions himself. His journalism has been published widely in Australian media, he has given speeches remotely to universities around the world and produced a film from the island shot on his phone -- all while continuing to write about Iranian and Kurdish politics for publications in Iran. Born in Ilam in the west of Iran in 1983, Behrouz graduated from Tarbiat Moallem and Tarbiat Modares Universities in Tehran with a masters degree in political science, political geography and geopolitics. He was a close collaborator on the Kurdish-language magazine Werya, which in February 2013 was ransacked by the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, and nine of his colleagues were arrested. Some of his friends were released, others were sent to prison. Fearing for his life Behrouz fled the country in May that year. "I left Iran because I didn't want to live in prison for a long time, or be killed by the system there," he told AFP from Manus Saturday. "Unfortunately I ended up in another prison, but a prison that was created by a country that claims it is a liberal democracy." His boat carrying more than 60 asylum-seekers was intercepted on its way to Australia from Indonesia in July 2013 by the Australian Navy, and soon sent to Manus. 'A part of Australian history' He has spent years writing the book through his experiences on the island, documented via short messages in Farsi to translators using WhatsApp. The book crosses a number of genres, from "Australian dissident literature" to "Kurdish literature" to "prison and philosophical literature", translator Omid Tofighian told AFP. "It describes systematic torture. For so long Behrouz -- through journalism and his film and through public speaking -- has been trying to explain what systematic torture means in this particular site," Tofighian said. "I think the book does that successfully." The prison is geographically offshore, but the book conveys it is very much part of "Australian society, history and culture", Tofighian added. "It positions what is happening in terms of border politics, in a much broader narrative that relates to Australia's colonial character -- or colonial past or present." Under a deal with former US president Barack Obama, about 450 people of a potential 1,250 had so far been resettled from Manus and Nauru to the United States at the end of last year. At that time about 160 people remained on Nauru, while Boochani said Saturday some 600 men are still on Manus. "I think this award proves that already a big part of Australian society accepts me, and other refugees, as members of Australia," he told AFP. "We are a part of Australian history, and nobody has the power to deny this. We are a part of Australian society." "Unusual: The Death Penalty for Inadvertent Killing" | Main | "Education for Liberation: The Politics of Promise and Reform Inside and Beyond Americas Prisons" 

Matthew Charles has this new Washington Post commentary headlined "I was released under the First Step Act. Heres what Congress should do next." It merits a full read, and here are excerpts:

In December, Congress approved and Trump signed the First Step Act. The new law included a provision that shortened sentences for crack cocaine-related offenses, such as mine. The U.S. Sentencing Commission estimates that change will help almost 2,700 people.

This time, there was no mistake. The government and my defense attorney agreed that I should be released immediately. On Jan. 3, I went home. I was one of the first people to get released under the law.

My heart is filled with gratitude for everyone who supported me and supported the First Step Act. Every week, I hear about more people leaving prison because of the new law. Overall, more than 150,000 people in the long term will benefit from the laws sentencing and prison reforms. The First Step Act was a great start, but we have to do more. I got a second chance  and so should so many others.

Since leaving prison, I have looked for ways to serve the poor and to advocate on behalf of those I left behind. This week, I went to Washington to thank lawmakers for supporting prison reform and to ask that they consider more reforms that will recognize that people can change. In the year and a half that I was home, people saw that I was not the same person who was convicted of selling crack as a young man. There are many people still serving decades-long sentences who have rehabilitated themselves, like I did. Unfortunately, most Americans do not see or hear from them, and they are not given a real opportunity to demonstrate that they have changed.

Congress should pass a law that would allow all federal prisoners to earn a second chance after serving a certain amount of time  maybe 15 years. People would not be guaranteed release, but they would be given an opportunity to be resentenced by a judge. The judge could determine whether they had used their time in prison to atone for their crimes and make changes for the better. If not, they would continue to serve their original sentence.

A law such as this would encourage prisoners to improve themselves. Some might think this idea is too lenient, but 15 years is a long time. From what I saw during my years behind bars, anyone who wants and deserves a second chance would be able to demonstrate that within 15 years....

I got lucky. Our justice system shouldnt depend on luck. The First Step Act is in place  now it should be used to make real change and help families. And lets not lose any time in making a Next Step Act, because everyone deserves a second chance. Matthew Charles, released thanks to the FIRST STEP Act, provides view of next steps for criminal justice reform | Main | Could there soon be a western wave of death penalty repeals? 

February 2, 2019

"Education for Liberation: The Politics of Promise and Reform Inside and Beyond Americas Prisons"

The title of this post is the title of this timely new book of essays edited by Gerard Robinson and Elizabeth English Smith. Here is the publisher's description of the text:

Almost 650,000 men and women, approximately the size of the city of Memphis, TN, return home from prison every year. Oftentimes with some pocket change and a bus ticket, they reenter society and struggle to find work, housing, a supportive social network. Economic barriers, the stigma of a felony conviction, and mental health and addiction challenges make reentry a bleak picture, leading some to return to a life of crime. A Department of Justice study of 404,638 inmates in 30 states released in 2005, for example, identified that 68 percent were rearrested within 3 years and 77 percent within 5 years of release. Education and workforce readiness programs must be central components in better preparing individuals to successfully reenter society  and stay out of prison. This book compiles chapters written by individuals on the right and the left of the political spectrum, and within and outside the fields of prison education and reentry that address this need for reform. Chapters feature the voices of prominent national figures pushing for reform, current and former students who have benefitted from an education program while in prison, those teaching or managing educational programs within prison, and researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy influencers.

This page over at AEI provides this additional accounting of the book:

Prisoner rehabilitation through postsecondary education and workforce readiness programming is one of the most contested criminal justice policies today. At the center of this national debate about crime and punishment are 230-year-old questions about the role prisons should play in a democratic society. Are our prisons designed for corporal punishment, human improvement, or a combination thereof? Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the United States government has provided conflicting answers to the American public. After a number of postsecondary college programs closed following the passage of The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, coupled with the slow growth of adult basic, secondary, and CTE courses, efforts to rehabilitate prisoners have taken a front seat in criminal justice reform debates today. Local, state and federal support for these programs has grown, as has the national prominence of corporate and philanthropic efforts to provide programming to people inside of prison and those who have just re-entered society. Education for Liberation addresses how to reform our criminal justice system by better preparing individuals to successfully re-enter society upon their release from prison. This volume complies chapters written by experts working in academia, policy, correctional agencies, and the private sector to address ideological debates as well as challenges and opportunities associated with providing an education to incarcerated adults.

February 2, 2019 at 11:20 AM | Permalink

Comments

All the crap stems from "educate" being used as a transitive rather than a reflexive verb.

Posted by: Boffin | Feb 2, 2019 12:03:41 PM

Post a commentAaron Klein is a fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. He served as deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury from 2009 to 2012.Education Reporter

Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.New reporting has revealed that last fall Russian officials offered a nuclear power plant to North Korea as part of a secretive proposal. The offer was proposed in exchange for North Korea dismantling its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles with the intention of circumventing the stalled negotiations between Kim Jong Un and the Trump administration, which had reached an impasse. This information was sourced from United States officials who were made privy to the clandestine discussions between Russian and North Korean leaders.

According to the terms of the proposed deal, the Russian government would handle all operations at the nuclear plant and transport all the facilities byproducts and waste back to Russia in order to avoid the potential outcome of North Korea using the nuclear plant as a source of materials for nuclear weapons development and fabrication. In return for agreeing to this de-escalation of weapons research and development, the impoverished and isolated nation would be provided with a much-needed power source.

According to the story broken by the Washington Post , intelligence officials in the United States became aware of these backroom dealings late last year. The offer is just another in a long line of attempts by Russia to involve itself in the groundbreaking diplomatic talks between the U.S. and North Korea, as well as to assert its influence in other major geopolitical affairs ranging from the Middle East to South Asia to Latin America. If Moscow is looking to stir the pot, this latest revelation is sure to do the trick, as China and the U.S., who already have a strong foothold in the area, will not welcome Russias entrance into the Korean Peninsulas economic or political landscapes.

Former White House staff member Victor Cha, who was in consideration last year to fill the position of U.S. ambassador to South Korea, condemned Russias secret nuclear energy proposal to North Korea. "The Russians are very opportunistic when it comes to North Korea, and this is not the first time they've pursued an energy stake in Korea," he said. He also warned that under the current administration, Russia could more easily get away with such brash measures, saying, "previous administrations have not welcomed these Russian overtures, but with Trump, you never know because he doesn't adhere to traditional thinking."

Related: The Global Energy Transition Has Hit A Roadblock

For its part, Moscow has outright denied all allegations of their alleged offer to North Korea, with the nations envoy to North Korea dismissing the Washington Posts reporting as stupidity. Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora portrayed the reported story as illogical, saying, A nuclear power plant is worth several billion dollars. The same, if not more, would go to a complete modernization of the energy infrastructure of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], including its electrical networks.

While Russias backroom dealings with North Korea are just reaching headlines, the deadlocked negotiations between with the U.S. and North Korea that provoked them are now old news. Despite months of roadblocks and postponed or cancelled meetings, relations between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have thawed once again and diplomatic talks are once again moving forward, with a meeting between the two leaders on the books for late February.

Russia is not the only country claiming there are two sides to every story, however. Donald Trump is also sticking to a narrative of facts and alternative facts, dismissing reports that his talks with North Korea are more symbolic than productive. His outcry of unfair media coverage comes in response to reporting that despite the Trump administration's rhetoric of groundbreaking developments toward North Korean denuclearization, in reality Pyongyang has done very little to dismantle its nuclear programs.

Trump, meanwhile, is keeping his promises vague, saying, "With North Korea, we have a very good dialogue. I'm going to not go any further than that. I'm just going to say it's very special."

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.comEarlier this month, I read a fascinating story from CPO Magazine and another from ZDNet about the refusal of Zurich American Insurance Company to pay out a $100 million claim from consumer packaged goods company Mondelez, which was one of the biggest victims of the NotPetya ransomware attack in June 2017.

Zurich's claim? The NotPetya attack was an act of cyber war and therefore not covered by the policy. Really? What a test case this will be.

According to Mondelez, its cyber insurance policy with Zurich specifically covered all risks of physical loss or damage and all risk of physical loss or damage to electronic data, programs or software due to the malicious introduction of a machine code or instruction. One would think that the language in the cyber insurance policy was specifically designed to be broad enough to protect Mondelez in the event of any kind of cyber attack or hack. And NotPetya would seem to fit the definition included in the cyber insurance policy  it was a bit of malicious code that effectively prevented Mondelez from getting its systems back up and running unless it paid out a hefty Bitcoin ransom to hackers.

Mondelez totaled up all the damage that resulted from the NotPetya ransomware attack, filing a cyber risk insurance claim, coming up with the figure of $100 million as the total damages resulting from the loss of 1,700 servers and 24,000 laptops, as well as the loss of thousands of user credentials, unfilled orders and other related economic losses from the security breach.

Originally, Zurich indicated that it might pay $10 million, or about 10 percent of the overall claim. But then Zurich stated that it wouldn't pay any of the claim by invoking a special cyber war clause. According to Zurich, it is not responsible for any payment of the claim if NotPetya was actually a hostile or warlike action in time of peace or war. According to Zurich, the NotPetya cyber attack originated with Russian hackers working directly with the Russian government to destabilize the Ukraine. This is what Zurich believes constitutes "cyber war."

Zurich American Insurance Company points to the official statements of national security officials from the UK, Canadian and Australian governments, all of which blamed Russia for the cyber attack in February 2018. Even the White House in the United States said the cyber attack was part of Kremlin efforts to destabilize the Ukrainian government. Moreover, all of these Western governments specifically noted that the first NotPetya attack occurred in Ukraine before spreading out around the world to impact companies like Mondelez.



Mondelez was outraged. Company executives called Zurichs actions unprecedented, and insurance industry insiders say that Zurichs actions could set a nasty new precedent about what cyber insurance covers. Many are now worried that any time there is a cyber attack or data breach, an insurance company offering cyber insurance can simply claim that it was due to an act of cyber war, and reject the claim.

The burden of proof falls on the insurance company. Zurich will have to prove that NotPetya was, indeed, an act of cyber war. That may be very difficult indeed. While intelligence agencies blamed Russia for the attacks, they provided no proof of an attack.

It wasnt just Mondelez that was left reeling by the cyber attack  shipping giant Maersk projects that its total losses were close to $300 million, while global logistics giant FedEx says that its losses were also in the neighborhood of $300 million.

So just imagine what would happen if the worlds top insurance companies are suddenly faced with the prospect of once in a lifetime events happening every few months. It has the potential to bring down the entire insurance industry, or at least, the cyberinsurance industry. Just as some insurers refuse insurance policies for homeowners located in the middle of hurricane or earthquake zones, they might start refusing to write cyberinsurance policies for large organizations that deal with personal data and information.

What will the courts decide the policies mean? How will they define a "cyber war?"

And from the consumer point of view, how much can you count on your cyber insurer to bail you out? Isn't that why you bought the insurance? Zurich's refusal to pay has met with a lot of backlash.

E-mail: snelson@senseient.com Phone: 703-359-0700

Digital Forensics/Information Security/Information Technology

https://www.senseient.com

https://twitter.com/sharonnelsonesq

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharondnelson

https://amazon.com/author/sharonnelsonDrug companies that want to get on what's called a formulary, or a list of drugs that an insurance plan covers, might offer rebates as incentives to pharmacy benefit mangers who write those lists.

For example, for a drug that costs $100, a drug maker might offer a $200 rebate to a pharmacy benefit manager to get on that drug list. That means the drug ends up costing $300 to make up for the rebate, which the pharmacy benefit manager pockets.

The bill also aims to eliminate what's called spread pricing, where a pharmacy benefit manager charges the insurance company more for a drug than what it pays the pharmacy, keeping the difference as profit.

Insurance companies and their contracts with pharmacy benefit managers are the target of this bill instead of the middlemen because other states have faced issues with federal law when trying to directly dictate what those managers can do, employees at the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance office said.

"We've tried to provide the insurance companies with the tools they need to be able to provide transparency from the PBMs," Rosendale said.

Insurance companies, however, argued that they would be unfairly fined  and have to pass that cost onto their customers  for the bad behavior of pharmacy benefit managers.The economy was also a focus of Daines' speech, both its successes and where he sees the need for improvement. The Republican tax cuts passed in 2017 have benefited Montanans to the tune of about $1,000 more annually in their paychecks, Daines said, and told lawmakers not to add any more taxes following on the heels of cuts at the federal level.

As Montana lawmakers debate how to continue a Medicaid expansion program in the state and whether it should include any sort of work and volunteer requirements, Daines said he wants to see government programs aimed at getting people into jobs.

"We need to work to bring able-bodied folks back into this workforce," Daines said. "We need to reform these important government assistance programs. They should be a springboard to independence, not a sinkhole of dependency."

Daines also called for building the Keystone XL Pipeline, saying it would bring hundreds of millions of tax revenue into the state, money lawmakers could use when setting the state's biannual budget.

He also talked about the importance of the judiciary, saying "activist judges with politically motivated agendas" have held up timber sales that he argued would create jobs and reduce the risk of wildfire.A video of a black animal getting a nice scratch is spreading quickly around the internet as people take sides in yet another great debate.Weekly volunteer opportunities through the Helpline Center include:

 South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Debate Team is seeking volunteers for judging college-aged students in a variety of speech and debate events between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16 and between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, on the SDSM&T Campus. Must be 18 years or older to volunteer.

 Love INC seeks volunteers or volunteer groups willing to organize and run a food drive for the Love INC Food Pantry. Volunteers will work with Love INC Food Pantry employees for guidance and to discern the types of foods needed. Must be 10 years old to volunteer with an adult or 14+.

 If youre a pilot, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has plenty of opportunities for you. CAP owns the largest fleet of single-engine piston aircraft in the nation and CAP pilots are able to fly those planes to perform CAP missions in service to their local communities. Must be 18+ to volunteer.

 Youth and Family Services (YFS) is seeking volunteers to help at the 14th Annual Diamonds & Denim Dinner Theatre. Volunteers are needed from 5-10:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, and from 9 a.m. to noon and 5-10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9. Must be 16+ to volunteer.

For more information, dial 211 or visit helplinecenter.org.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SIOUX FALLS | Ethanol, trade and livestock development were the top issues among farmers attending the South Dakota Corn Growers Association annual meeting Jan. 19 in Sioux Falls.

Members held their business and delegate session and reaffirmed their support of E15, but also considered several E30 resolutions, which failed.

We have in our book already that we are for E10 and higher blends, all higher blends, President Troy Knecht said. We sometimes struggle with trying to get pigeonholed on E30 because that may not be what the automakers want, that may not be what the EPA wants and we have to consider all these things.

They did, however, pass a resolution to support Gov. Kristi Noems proposal to use E30 in the state fleet and the waiver she is requesting from the EPA.

Knecht said the group approved a policy to make it easier to expand livestock production in South Dakota. We want to make sure that counties are dealing with the folks that want to do things in their county fairly, he said. So, if you meet the requirements in the county, wed like to see the county commission grant them livestock permits and that doesnt always happen, he said. If counties are welcoming those projects, Knecht said it uses more corn in state versus exporting it.If Rick Sundin had submitted his letter (Jan. 27) regarding "Republicans and the League of Nations" as a high school essay on "The Causes of World War II," he would have received a solid F.

The League of Nations failed because it had no teeth in its charter. It had no way of enforcing its resolutions. Fascist Japan and Facist Italy and Nazi Germany were already aggressively expanding when the League voted to censure them. Their response was to walk out and continue on their aggression.

Neither the actions of Republican senators, nor the presence or absence of the United States, had anything to do with these events.

I wonder if Mr. Sundin was as enthralled with Woodrow Wilson the night he aired "Birth of a Nation," the movie glorifying the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, in the White House?

Bill Bloom

LeClaire

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1We don't know if Belin pays herself a salary. What we do know is she is one of the best reporters in the state, and writers who have come to her defense, from across the political spectrum, attest to the respect, "repute," if you will, that she has.

Belin breaks news, provides deep analysis  and she does it on a full-time basis, as anybody who has read her blog knows full well.

The Congressional press gallery rules may not be the right standard in this case. (Those rules, incidentally, have a residency requirement, which we don't think is being applied in Iowa. They're also applied by a committee of journalists, not the government, which might be a good idea to follow in Iowa.)

Bottom line: Perhaps the Iowa House should clarify and modernize its own rules for credentialing. If that happens, we don't see how Belin could be excluded.

Thumbs Up ... to all those who pitched in by offering space to those in need during the record-breaking low temperatures we suffered through this week.

A range of organizations, from hospitals to churches to governmental units opened their doors to people who faced life-threatening weather conditions.As the Quad-Cities area was beginning to thaw after a days-long deep freeze, four water main breaks in Davenport and Bettendorf had left about 150 people without running water and caused traffic delays on some major streets.

The most impacted area was on 18th Street and Lincoln Road in Bettendorf, closing off traffic between Lincoln Road and Parkway Drive. An estimated 100 people lost water.

A main break in Davenport closed part of Jersey Ridge Road near the intersection with Garfield Street. By Friday afternoon, work crews were still fixing one at Ridgewood Avenue and East Street and another in the 2300 block of West Lombard Street.

All the breaks were expected to fixed by 8 p.m. Friday, said Lisa Reisen, a spokeswoman for Iowa-American Water Co. Reisen said a sudden rise in temperature  it was 22 degrees by late Friday afternoon  is a likely cause of the breaks, but other factors like age could have played a part.

We never know for sure, but thats kind of our best guesstimate, she said.

Heres a rundown of where water outages were still reported and when they were expected to be fixed:

Main break location: 1424 18th Street, Bettendorf

Expected repair time: 8 p.m.There also was heavy smoke coming from the windows on the north side of the trailer.

Inside the trailer, firefighters found the three deceased residents.

Stephanie Kemp said the residents included her oldest sister and her son, as well as her sister's grandmother (the child's great-grandmother).

"They lived there forever," she said.

The grandmother, whom Kemp was not related to, "was grandma to everybody in this park," Stephanie Kemp said. Pointing to the burned-out kitchen area, she said there were multiple refrigerators in the trailer that fed the neighborhood kids, "and the kids would come flocking."

She added the tragedy comes just as their blended family was beginning to re-unite, including her brother and nephew.

"We'd hang out, play video games," Zac Kemp said. "He was just 8 when I met him and now I don't get any more time with him."

Stephanie Kemp said the trailer had two smoke alarms. "It obviously wasn't enough," she said, wondering why they didn't escape."Veterans should be able to access this property. Taxpayers are paying to warehouse this property anyway. I wrote this legislation; it passed with bipartisan support and the president signed it into law."

Duckworth said there are several warehouses in Illinois veteran small business owners can visit.

Duckworth took time to speak out against the U.S. Supreme Court's Jan. 22 ruling in support of Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

As a war veteran herself, Duckworth called the ban foolhardy.

"I dont think your race, your gender, your identity, or your religion should be the litmus test on whether or not you can serve this nation," Duckworth said. "There are only a small number of Americans who are willing to put on the uniform of this great nation and defend her and lay down their lives."

Duckworth said the top commanders of all five military branches have said that being transgendered does not affect those military members' readiness or ability to do their job.

"The bottom line is this, if you are willing to serve this country and wear the uniform and you can do the job, you should be allowed to do it," Duckworth said. "So many Americans dont; only one half of one percent of our country has served in uniform. Who are we to turn away someone because of their identity or their religion or their gender?"

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Huey called the request "a downzoning" for the property. "Even though it's been used as ag land, it has not been zoned ag since 1994. It's been zoned for a big industrial project," he added.

The proposed site is part of Engelbrecht Farms. Grunwald said he is partnering with Cory, Kevin and Darin Engelbrecht in the housing development.

County staff is recommending approval of the rezoning and the preliminary plat with conditions, Huey said.

Among the issues is a lack of city sewer services to the site. Huey's staff report indicates Davenport officials have discussed extending sewer but determined it to be cost-prohibitive due to the estimated $4.5 million cost.

But Huey said the developers have other options, such as those used by other commercial developments in the same area. He said both American Honda and West Lake Business Park installed sewer lagoons on site.

Huey is suggesting the commission require a common wastewater treatment system for the subdivision as a condition of the plat.

County subdivision regulations allow subdivisions with 30 or more lots to use septic systems if the lots are larger than an acre. Huey said but most of the West Lake Settlement lots are smaller than an acre.I think thats a reflection of how many people are in the race, but also the quality of people who are in the race. There are a lot of rock stars this time.

Those rock stars are drawing big crowds. Candidate events have regularly drawn dozens and often hundreds of people, even though the caucuses are a year away.

Bagniewski said he helped Kirsten Gillibrands campaign put together an event, and on short notice with only an email blast and a Facebook notification, an event that was expected to draw roughly 50 people was attended by 200.

Dumkrieger said the morning Kamala Harris announced he was getting phone calls before he heard the news himself.

People are super excited, he said. Hopefully we can maintain that throughout the general election.

CAUCUS CRITERIA

So how will Iowa Democrats make such a difficult choice?

Bagniewski said the successful candidate will have to be different than previous caucus winners, some of whom leaned on policy and others on personality, he said. The successful candidate will have to have both, Bagniewski said.If you talk to any of the boards that I work with, any of the faculty, any of the PTO and school groups, Im confident that youll hear that Im a leader whos a good listener, who can synthesize what is coming at them  and get some really good results, Schneden said.

Still, some parents question Schneden as a candidate, since hes part of the current administration they say is unwilling to talk to parents, especially about issues in special education.

I dont think that any of us were under the impression he was listening, said Kari Dugan, referring to the District Wide Davenport PTO group she helped found. We havent seen any action.

Schneden said he was looking forward to working with the parents group.

I think we continue to reach out to the group, he said. I listen to their concerns and seek solutions.  Were looking to make commitments.

In addition to his role as associate superintendent, Schneden is involved in various committees with the city council and church groups and sits on the Vera French board of directors.

Im confident that when Im a leader, Ill be able to make the positive change, he said.   Youre really only a leader if people are following you. Just because youre the boss  doesnt mean youre a leader.

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Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.DES MOINES  Theres an old  and frequently used  saying around the Capitol that no bill is truly dead until the Iowa Legislature adjourns sine die.

And even then, some legislation lives on.

A year ago, the news from the Legislature was that competing bills affecting the future of traffic cameras in Iowa were racing to the House floor.

But nothing happened.

This year, bills again are on their way to the House and Senate floors as lawmakers seek either to ban or to regulate the automated traffic enforcement devices used to catch speeders and red-light runners.

Cedar Rapids has four traffic camera locations on Interstate 380, which had been generating 90 percent of the tickets in the citys traffic camera program but have been off since April 2017. Three in-town locations  which have speed and red-light enforcement  remain active, except the westbound-facing cameras at First Avenue and 10th Street E. The other locations are at Williams Boulevard and 16th Street SW and First Avenue and L Street.It was awfully hard for him to look at the pictures of what's left of his truck, and his voice cracks with emotion when he talks about all the people who counted him out.

"A friend of our son's happened to be close to the wreck, and he actually saw part of it," said his wife, Chris Thompson. "He told my son, 'I know that guy was dead.' Fortunately, that was before we knew it was Bob."

A nurse for Genesis Health System, Chris Thompson was at work when a receptionist came hustling into her office that day with an emergent phone call.

When she spoke with someone at the hospital in Iowa City, she said, "They told me, 'Your husband's been in a horrific head-on collision. He was airlifted to us. ' When we first got to the hospital, they told us he was in the burn unit.

"As a nurse, I'm thinking: Is he paralyzed? Is there a head injury?

"They finally took us into the trauma area, and he looked pretty good until they uncovered the leg. It was an open fracture, and his back was all black from the broken ribs."

By midnight on the day of the crash, he had his first surgery on the leg. The knee cap had broken off, and his ankle was in pieces.Snow removal crews started clearing residential streets in Moline at about 3 a.m. today, Jan Patterson, secretary of municipal services, told the Dispatch.

Most rural schools and many businesses remained closed today as residents dug out from under Thursdays storm and crews worked to open roads drifted shut by snow, the newspaper said.

Authorities in Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties reported dozens of vehicles sliding off the road, but no serious injuries related to the weather, the Dispatch said.

However, Viola Trout went out in the middle of the snowstorm to shovel a path on her porch for her mail carrier. Trout, 75, was partially paralyzed after suffering a stroke years ago. While shoveling, she slipped and fell into about 10 inches of snow below the porch.

She could not get up. The snow kept falling and the wind kept blowing. Trouts mailman, Steven Brown found her lying in the snow and escorted her back inside her home. She said she had been laying in the snow for around 15 minutes."Veterans should be able to access this property. Taxpayers are paying to warehouse this property anyway. I wrote this legislation; it passed with bipartisan support and the president signed it into law."

Duckworth said there are several warehouses in Illinois veteran small business owners can visit.

Duckworth took time to speak out against the U.S. Supreme Court's Jan. 22 ruling in support of Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

As a war veteran herself, Duckworth called the ban foolhardy.

"I dont think your race, your gender, your identity, or your religion should be the litmus test on whether or not you can serve this nation," Duckworth said. "There are only a small number of Americans who are willing to put on the uniform of this great nation and defend her and lay down their lives."

Duckworth said the top commanders of all five military branches have said that being transgendered does not affect those military members' readiness or ability to do their job.

"The bottom line is this, if you are willing to serve this country and wear the uniform and you can do the job, you should be allowed to do it," Duckworth said. "So many Americans dont; only one half of one percent of our country has served in uniform. Who are we to turn away someone because of their identity or their religion or their gender?"

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Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.In the Harrell homicide case, the Moline Police Department was immediately assisted by the Illinois State Police and Rock Island, East Moline and Davenport police departments.

Rock Island Police Chief Jeffrey R. VenHuizen said he was pleased to see the decrease in gun violence in the city in 2018.

I think we have some successful strategies in place for combating crime, specifically violent drug-related crime, he said. I think that has had a significant impact on seeing our numbers down, along with our interaction with the community and working with them to help us in investigations.

One of those strategies has been the reorganization of the department and the creation of the tactical operations division that focuses on violent and drug-related crime. He said more resources have been made available to the division and an officer has been assigned to the DEA task force, which has had very good results for us.

While shootings went down, East Moline saw an overall increase in violent crime from 417 in 2017 to 493 in 2018.

East Moline Police Capt. Darren Gault said social media has played a major role in crime over the last few years.About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile41 minutes ago

| June 21st | 2021 9:00 AM

We Haven't Been Here Before: An Audacious Journey to Innovation In A VUCA World

The Covid-19 pandemics ongoing effects across societies and economies are upending long-held simplifying models and assumptions about our complex world. We feel as if we are in a perpetual state of disequilibrium and are searching for stability and predictability. The uncomfortable truth is that weve never55 minutes ago

| June 21st | 2021 9:00 AM

We Haven't Been Here Before: An Audacious Journey to Innovation In A VUCA World

The Covid-19 pandemics ongoing effects across societies and economies are upending long-held simplifying models and assumptions about our complex world. We feel as if we are in a perpetual state of disequilibrium and are searching for stability and predictability. The uncomfortable truth is that weve neverThe heavy smoke and flames stopped their initial attempts to save the dog.

We had to vent it first, he said. It looked like two mobile homes together to make it a double-wide with an A-frame roof over the metal roof. It was pretty tough to get it vented.

Once they got some of the fire knocked down, firefighters entered the home and they could hear a dog barking, Sears said.

Some insulation and tiles had fallen over his kennel and I think thats what saved him, he said. A Dresden firefighter took the dog and got it oxygen. It was still alive last night.

According to Sears, the Dresden firefighter, Jeremie Younger, was just passing by and had his gear in the truck and volunteered to help.

The dogs name is Tengi, according to a family member who said he is doing better. He was abused before they took him in and they have had him for many years, said Sue Belden-Hurlburt in a Facebook message to The Post-Star.

The dispatch call came in at 3:51 p.m., and barely three minutes later Sears was at the county Route 18 scene.The cold temperatures are blamed for more than 20 deaths from exposure, which is tragic and infuriating in this day and age. While several of those incidents may involve extenuating circumstances, some of them were clearly preventable had those in need been given the protection they needed to survive inhospitable conditions.In his 1962 State of the Union address, President John Kennedy told his congressional audience, "The Constitution makes us not rivals for power, but partners for progress." Such anesthetizing bromides serve the interests of presidents by diverting Congress from a truth expressed by the American Enterprise Institute's Jay Cost: Congress is not, as its members too often and too plaintively insist, a "coequal branch." It is superior. It creates all executive-branch offices other than president and vice president, and all Article III courts other than the Supreme Court, and can deny appointments to the executive and judicial branches, whereas "the other branches are largely incapable of interfering with Congress." The executive power enforces the law, the judicial power resolves controversies under the law. The legislative power makes the law: "It comes first.""The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America" by Tommy Tomlinson (Simon & Schuster, 244 pp.). Tomlinson, who grew up in Georgia, is "an ardent scholar of the glories of the South's vernacular cuisine: fried chicken, biscuits, barbecue, catfish browned in flour and bacon grease, and 'tea so sweet it could hold its shape without a cup,' writes Dwight Garner, enjoying it and excerpting further: "There has never been better food created anywhere than the food of the American South," Tomlinson writes. "There has never been any food that will make you fatter." The former Charlotte Observer writer decided he wanted to lose weight because he wanted to grow old with his wife. (NYT)The Sea Shepherd vessel M/V Farley Mowat has been operating in the Gulf of Mexico since 2018 as part of operation "Milagro IV" to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise

Environmental group Sea Shepherd said Friday one of its ships had been attacked by 20 boats while patrolling off the coast of Mexico to protect the endangered vaquita marina porpoise from illegal fishermen.

Attackers on high-speed boats threw Molotov cocktails and large rocks at the M/V Farley Mowat in the Gulf of California on Thursday, shattering windows and igniting a fire on the patrol ship, Sea Shepherd said in a statement.

It is the second time the organization's patrol ships have come under attack in three weeks. A similar attack occurred in the same waters on January 9.

In the latest incident, the ship "was violently attacked by over 50 assailants posing as fishermen," said the US environmental group.

This handout photo released by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows a "Vaquita Marina" (Phocoena sinus) apparently dead after being trapped in a net set by fishermen to catch Totoaba fish (Totoaba macdonaldi)

"Sea Shepherd crew members fended the attackers off using emergency fire hoses while Mexican navy soldiers and federal police stationed on board opened fired into the air and sea to deter the attackers."

Video taken by crew members showed the attackers aggressively approaching the ship and hurling projectiles that shattered its windows.

Sea Shepherd regularly patrols the vaquita marina refuge that Mexico has established in the Gulf of California.

The vaquita, the world's smallest porpoise, is nearly extinct. Saving it has become a cause celebre for the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

Conservationists blame the vaquita's plight on poachers setting nets to catch another species, the also-endangered totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China and can fetch up to $20,000 on the black market.

Animal Welfare Institute members rally outside the Mexican Embassy in Washington DC in July 2018 to help save the endangered vaquita porpoise

Explore further Mexican troops partner with activists to save vaquita porpoise

 2019 AFPAn indigenous woman of the Pataxo Ha-ha-hae community crying as she looks out over the Paraopeba river, filled with mud after a disastrous dam collapse in Brazil's Minas Gerais state

In her 88 years, Antonia Alves has seen much hardship as a member of Brazil's indigenous community, whose people have often been driven from their ancestral lands over conflicts with farmers and loggers.

Until a few days ago, she had never seen an entire river die right before her eyes.

This is the unthinkable ecological nightmare her people are facing, however, after a dam storing mining waste collapsed in Minas Gerais state in southeast Brazil, engulfing the village of Brumadinho, where 110 people have been confirmed dead.

Another 238 unfortunates are still missing, hopes of their recovery all but gone in the toxic wave of sludge that engulfed them, suffocating everything in its path to the Paraopeba river.

The brown waters, which reek of dead fish, reached as far as Nao Xoha, a village sheltered by the Atlantic rainforest 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the burst dam.

Alves and her small branch of the Pataxo Ha-Ha-Hae indigenous people settled in the forest a year and a half ago, relocating from their strife-torn ancestral lands in the north to live in nature according to their customs.

"It is very sad because we lived off the river," said Alves, her face lined by age and sun, head crowned with a band of white and purple feathers.

"We bathed there, took our water from it, washed our clothes there and fished from it. Indians live from fishing and hunting."

A member of the Pataxo Ha-ha-hae community carrying a cooking pan along a path through the forest

Alves' neighbor Jocelia Josi describes the stench as she pulled dead fish from what formerly an important tributary of the Sao Francisco, the longest entirely-Brazilian river.

'Village of resistance'

"Now we don't have any more food from there," said the 46-year-old, who is waiting for her daughter and three-month-old grandson to return from the state capital Belo Horizonte, where they were evacuated after the disaster.

It is lunchtime in Nao Xohawhich means "warrior spirit" in the community's native tongueand Alves and her husband Gervasio, a serene elder of 93, are waiting for their daughter to finish cooking outside their modest hut.

But today is no normal day. Nothing has been normal here since Dam Number 1, owned by mining giant Vale, burst last Friday, dramatically changing the lives of the 27 families living in the village.

Nao Xoha lacks its own medic, but a doctor has checked up on the 15 people who were not evacuated, and volunteers have brought supplies to the community, which always lacked electricity and now has no water.

To reach the village, visitors have to cross a railway line where cargo trains pass and then enter the verdant Atlantic rainforest.

The dam breach unleashed a torrent of almost 13 million cubic tons of mud that swept across the countryside before reaching the river.

Hayo Pataxo ha-ha-hae, the 29-year-old leader of the indigenous community, looks at the Paraopeba river, filled with toxic mud from the Brumadinho dam collapse, where his community used to catch fish to eat

But its impact spreads even further than the vast scar of mud that rescue services are probing for the bodies of the missing.

The government of Minas Gerais has warned that the metal-tainted waters present a health risk and organizations like the WWF have said the environmental impact will be felt for years to come.

"They have taken away part of our reserve, killed a part of it, but we are a village of resistance and we will get over this," said community leader Hayo Pataxo Ha-ha-hae, who sported a head dress made of palm fronds.

"We will carry on even if the river has died. Nature depends on us to preserve it."

'Lack of respect'

He had just attended another meeting with FUNAIthe Brazilian government body responsible for indigenous peoples' interestsand said it was too early to determine what action the community would take against Vale.

He simply insisted that his people would resist, and defend their traditional lifestyle, just as they have for centuries.

"It shows a lack of respect towards us", said Tahh'a, a well-built watchman aged 55, his frown wrinkling the black paint on his face.

A dead fish in the waters of the Paraopeba river, near the town of Brumadinho where a dam full of mining waste collapsed on January 25

"The biggest loss for us is the fish, because we are not permitted to hunt around here," he said, holding a pointed stick in his hand, a machete dangling from his hip.

While the full extent of the environmental impact remains unclear, the precedents are not encouraging.

No one here can forget the destruction of the Rio Doce river, also in Minas Gerais, which was devastated by the collapse in 2015 of the Mariana dam, the biggest environmental disaster in Brazilian history. That barrier was also jointly owned by Vale.

"I want to tell not only Vale, but also our leaders, to punish those guilty of doing this to our indigenous nation, together with the farmers and the families who lost people," said 29-year Hayo.

"How many more people have to be killed before the justice department takes notice?" he demanded.

"It is very sad," added Alves. "When are they going to clean up the river? When will there be fish in it again?"

Explore further Deadly Brazil dam collapse raises fears of environmental woes

 2019 AFPPrivacy Policies

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Email: info@guidevision.comCamo-clad rangers ambush a camp in a lush Thai national park, kicking away a machete and a firearm and pinning two suspected poachers to the ground -- part of a training exercise to counter a lucrative wildlife trade. "Go!" team leader Kritkhajorn Tangon yells as the group tackles the actors, who had near them sambar deer antlers and a blade covered in fake blood. Thailand's conservationists are struggling to stamp out the multibillion-dollar black market in animal parts, finding themselves outgunned by illegal hunters and outflanked by courts. The country is a key transit point for smugglers moving on to Vietnam and China, two of the world's biggest markets for parts from endangered and protected species. But efforts by its 14,000 rangers to take down illegal hunters and loggers are often stymied by a lack of resources and training, with about 15 rangers killed each year in deadly encounters. Impunity also reigns for traffickers who are well connected politically and financially, dodging jail time when there is little iron-clad physical evidence to keep them behind bars. Gathering evidence, protecting a crime scene and using forensic analysis were some of the skills developed by more than a dozen rangers who took part in the training week led by anti-trafficking group Freeland. Among the participants in the event at Khao Yai National Park, which culminated in Friday's mock scenario, were four officials from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. "Our investigation skills are still weak... when they (rangers) encounter these situations, they leave loopholes in the collection of evidence," Kritkhajorn told AFP. "It could result in the suspect walking free." Freeland has emphasised the need for material evidence as "it cannot be manipulated, whereas an eyewitness can retract his testimony", said country director Petcharat Sangchai, a retired police major-general. - Transnational gangs - The training, funded by the British embassy in Bangkok, comes the same week a Thai court dismissed charges against a suspected wildlife trafficking kingpin. He was accused of smuggling $1 million worth of rhino horns to Thailand but the case unravelled when the sole eyewitness changed his testimony. A successful conviction has to be handled "correctly from the forests to the courts", said Freeland's program director Tim Redford, adding that widespread wildlife poaching and smuggling involves transnational organised crime rings. "These criminals are exploiting loopholes in the law, they are exploiting weakness of understanding in judges and prosecutors, and that's why they are winning," he said. One case which left the Thai public incensed involved construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who was arrested last February after rangers stumbled on his camp in a national park in Kanchanaburi province. Animal carcasses -- including a rare black leopard -- and guns were found, but Premchai, one of Thailand's wealthiest moguls, denied he was poaching and was released on bail. Investigation is pending and a court verdict is expected in March. The tycoon's case was at the forefront of all the participants' minds on Friday as the clearest example of what the rich and powerful could get away with in Thailand. "If you know who my boss is, you'll get shivers! My boss is Premchai!" shouted one of the "poachers" during the exercise, as the rangers laughed in a moment of levity.THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their

MANILA -- Gawad Kalinga, Convergences, and Acted recently held the Barangay Walang Iwanan 2019 Summit (BWI), where delegates gathered to share their insights and expertise on sustainable development and committed themselves to act upon key concerns to bring about a 3Zero Philippines (Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty).

A collaborative effort between leading non-profit organizations Gawad Kalinga, discussion platform Convergences, and French NGO Acted, Barangay Walang Iwanan 2019 (BWI) brought together stakeholders from private, public, and civil society sectors to take on pressing social and environmental issues of today.

The first day of the summit was held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), where delegates were welcomed into BWI with a series of speeches on the 3Zero Philippines goal, followed by several breakout sessions related to inclusion, poverty, climate and the environment, and peace building in conflict areas.

Several topics that were discussed were on making disability matter, which stressed issues on the lack of support for the disabled, the effectiveness of initiatives carried out by government and organizations, and the opportunities presented by technology.

Green and Decent Jobs: Making employment and growth more sustainable in the Philippines under climate and the environment, identified current and prospective green jobs in the country, the skills needed to fulfill these roles, and how to best prepare educational and training systems accordingly.

Raising the Peace Generation, which covered peace-building, considered the potential of community-based approaches in establishing lasting peace in Mindanao after the Marawi crisis and the opportunities for businesses and stakeholders to aid in these efforts.

Delegates also embarked on a series of simultaneous expedition trips last January 18 in various sites in provinces north and south of Manila to learn about their unique Zero initiatives and nearby GK communities. These included visits to Gen. Mariano Alvarez (Cavite) for waste management, Intramuros (Metro Manila) for MAD Travel and Bambike, Norzagaray (Bulacan) for Anti-Hunger campaign, and Mt. Purro Nature Reserve (Rizal) for environmental protection with indigenous peoples (IP).

Story continues

On January 19, breakout sessions resumed at the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Bulacan. Sessions focused on generating support and participation in programs in line with the 3Zero Philippines goal, such as Bayan-Anihan, Gawad Kalingas new platform, focused on improving the livelihood of farmers and fishermen through technology and access to markets and services; Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Proofing Communities," which focused on how businesses and finance sectors could contribute to disaster preparedness and adaptability of communities; and Data Driving Development and Inclusion, which devoted itself to coming up with the best ways to support todays most promising and impactful startups.

The Barangay Walang Iwanan Summit culminated on January 20 with a reflection on the proceedings, discussions, and outcome of the four-day summit, with delegates being invited to commit to the 3Zero Alliance. A food fiesta and festival closed the activity.

To know more about Barangay Walang Iwanan, visit www.facebook.com/gawadkalinga.com. (PR)A Japanese crab fishing boat with 10 people on board has been seized by Russian authorities, a Japanese official said Saturday. The number 68 Nishino-maru was taken to Russia's eastern port of Nakhodka, where the crew members are expected to be questioned, said an official of Shimane prefecture, western Japan. "We are asking the Russian side, through diplomatic channels, to release them as soon as possible," he told AFP, adding that the fishermen were in good condition. Local media said the boat left Shimane on January 26 to fish for snow crabs, also known as spider crabs, in the Sea of Japan, but lost contact on Wednesday. The area is surrounded by Japan, Russia and both North and South Korea, and there are frequent disputes over fishing rights as well as claims for possession of small islands and rocky outcrops. Russia often accuses foreign vessels of illegally catching crabs in its exclusive economic zone.China on Saturday said it opposed the United States decision to withdraw from a nuclear arms treaty with Russia and called on the two nations to negotiate for a solution.

As an important bilateral treaty in the fields of arms control and disarmament, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty is of great significance in easing relations between powers, in enhancing international and regional peace and in safeguarding global strategic balance and stability, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement.

China opposes the US withdrawal and urges the US and Russia to properly deal with disputes through constructive dialogue, he said.

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that the US would leave the 1987 treaty with Russia, which bans ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 500km (310 miles) and 5,000km (3,100 miles), raising fears of a new nuclear arms race with Moscow.

The Trump administration has accused Moscow of violating the pact since 2014  a claim Russia denies  saying that had put the US at a military disadvantage to China, which is not bound by the treaty.

US officials have also suggested they could seek to expand the agreement to more countries  including China, India, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea  but Geng said Beijing was against the idea.

It would involve a series of complicated political, military and legal issues to make the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty multilateral, and many countries remain concerned about this, he said.

A higher priority is to maintain and fully implement the existing treaty rather than establishing a new one, Geng added.

Washingtons decision to pull out of the missile pact comes at a time of intense rivalry between China and the United States over trade, technology and security that has ignited fears of a new cold war between the worlds two largest economies.

Story continues

Chinese analysts have warned that Beijing was at risk of being drawn into a long-term strategic battle with the US, which is expected to push forward a new round of military development.

But critics said Washingtons withdrawal from the arms control treaty could also be used by Beijing to justify its military build-up in the contested South China Sea, which is seen as a potential flashpoint for conflict between China and the US and its Pacific allies.

This article China opposes US withdrawal from nuclear arms treaty with Russia, calls for negotiation first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their

THIS March, fans will finally witness the rise of one of the universes most powerful heroes with the release of Marvel Studios Captain Marvel. To get Filipino fans even more hyped for the March 6 release, Globe is giving select Prepaid customers a chance to fly out to Singapore and be part of the exciting Captain Marvel Fan Event on Feb. 14. Feeling lucky? Try your luck and you might just see Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Gemma Chan and the film directors, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Until Feb. 4, all Globe Prepaid customers who register to GoSAKTO90 will earn one raffle entry. After subscribing to GoSAKTO90, users must register to the raffle by texting REG CAPTAIN [Name/Birthday/Email/Address] to 2600. For the grand prize, three lucky Globe Prepaid customers will win an all-expense paid trip to Singapore for two to the Captain Marvel Fan Event! One hundred (100) winners will also be drawn weekly and will get two GMovies vouchers each.

Globe Prepaid customers can also get a chance to join the Captain Marvel Fan Event by joining the GoWATCH Quiz Night on Feb. 6! Stay tuned to the Globe Telecom official Facebook page, prove youre the biggest Marvel fan by answering all the questions correctly, and get a chance to be the grand prize winner of the trip to Singapore! GMovies vouchers are also up for grabs for winners. (PR)Colombia Hoy



Para nunca olvidar



Paginas vistas en total

'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England



Sin palabras



La UE le apunta a la paz



Cada vez mas solo



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Ladrones al poder



Asi mira el perrito a su amo



Crazy



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La nueva inquisicion



Bolivia



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Eso es todo amigos!



Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



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Asi o mas cinico



Almugre



Mexico en 1794



Mas arrastrado imposible



La pura verdad



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Asi es la vida



USA HOY



La avaricia no tiene limites



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Asi son las cosas



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Patagonia argentina?



Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad



Retrato del franquismo en Espana



El Chulo de Madrid



Cuando la policia se roba la democracia



Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras



La purita verdad



Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



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Como Chavez nadie



Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear

Programa de la MUD



Asi o mas clarito



Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte?



Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



Una verguenza nacional



La luz que nos guia



La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz?



Feudalismo ayer y hoy



Obama, el mentiroso



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Un mundo de cerdos



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La Marioneta



Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



MARICORI Y OBAMA



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USA TODAY



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Guarimbear en USA



Mexico hoy



Bolivar y Chavez



Primero Amargado



Dios los cria y ellos se juntan



USA hoy (III)



USA hoy (II)



USA hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Obama



La verdad sea dicha



Los ricos



Que no nos vea Obama



Pobre Obama



SOS PALESTINA



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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar



Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar



Translate

LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!

Natural gas and electricity networks in the United States have proved resilient during the polar vortex this week, while natural gas futures prices even dropped during one of the coldest snaps in the Midwest in decades.

The natural gas and electric systems across the U.S. have been under less pressure compared to the previous polar vortex in 2014.

PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator for all or parts of 13 states from New Jersey to Illinois, has reported no realibility issues so far. Natural gas use in the United States hit a record on Wednesday, according to estimates by financial data provider Refinitiv, quoted by Reuters.

Some utilities have urged their customers to voluntarily reduce gas use. Consumers Energy of Michigan urged on Wednesday customers to voluntarily cut gas use as a result of an unexpected incident at a Gas Compressor station in Southeast Michigan. The company also required industrial and large business customers to temporarily curtail processes.

Even before the polar vortex hit, natural gas stocks for the week ending January 25 were 14 Bcf less than this time last year and 328 Bcf below the five-year average, the Energy Information Administration said on Thursday.

Yet, natural gas futures prices for March have been dropping this week while many parts of the U.S. were experiencing the lowest temperatures in decades. As of 11:04 a.m. EST on Friday, natural gas prices were down 0.96 percent at $2.787 per million British thermal units (MBtu).

According to Reuters market analyst John Kemp, traders have been less concerned about natural gas stocks during the winter than they were between September and November, when the Henry Hub natural gas prices soared amid fears that stocks were too low going into the heating season.

The polar vortex is expected to be short-lived and so far, this winter has been warmer than average and about the same as last winter.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The two-year contract between the government of Georgia and the Russian energy giant Gazprom on natural gas transit from Russia to Armenia expired on December 31, 2018 (Georgia Today, January 21, 2019). And talks are now ongoing about extending or renegotiating this arrangement.

Tbilisi and Moscow had reached the previous deal on gas transit to Armenia back in January 2017, after long and difficult negotiations (see EDM, January 19, 2017). In December 2015, the thenminister of energy, Kakhi Kaladze (now the mayor of the Georgian capital), told this author that Gazprom presented Georgia with a particularly onerous demand: the South Caucasus country had to agree to monetize the payments it was receiving from Russia for allowing the transit of gas via its territory. Kaladze considered Moscows ultimatum to be particularly difficult and heavy for Georgia to accept (Authors Interview, December 15, 2015).

For almost 25 years, since 1992, Gazprom paid Tbilisi for the shipment of gas to Armenia not with money, but with a portion of this transited energy fuel: Georgia was receiving 10 percent of the Russian gas in lieu of a monetary transit fee. Kaladze noted that the previous contract was much more profitable because under a monetized transit fee scheme, Tbilisi would have had no guarantees of still being able to purchase the same volume of Russian gasthat is, the 10 percent of gas shipped to Armenia (Authors Interview, December 15, 2015). The energy minister promised to protect Georgian interests in the negotiations with Gazprom. But ultimately, he was forced to sign the new contract with a monetized transit fee scheme (effective after one year) after Moscow threatened to divert all of its Armenia-bound gas from Georgian pipelines to the Iranian network (see EDM, January 27, 2016; January 19, 2017). Related: Global Outages Boost Oil Prices

The Georgian government feared that, under the new transit payment regime, it would not be able to procure enough substitute gas from Azerbaijan to satisfy domestic demand. Georgia consumes approximately 2.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. And as a transit fee, the country received 200 million250 million cubic meters of gas from Russia. The previous contract was also quite comfortable since it did not depend on international energy prices.

Nonetheless, during 20172018, Azerbaijan was able to find an opportunity to increase the volume of natural gas supplied to Georgia. As a result, Georgia did not buy a single cubic meter of gas from Russia last year. But the costs incurred by Azerbaijans State Oil Company (SOCAR) forced it to increase prices for Georgian consumers, which Tbilisi refused to pay. The disagreement over the price of gas has not yet led to serious tensions between Azerbaijan and Georgia, but bilateral relations could start to suffer as the growing Georgian economy starts to need ever larger energy inputs (Vestnik Kavkaza, December 20, 2018).

Many Georgian observers argue that, under such a situation, Gazprom could attempt to take advantage and propose a new ultimatum to Georgiaproposing even less favorable terms for future gas transit payments. Gazprom is the Kremlins geopolitical instrument, and if Georgia finds itself in a difficult situation due to a lack of fuel in the spring, Moscow could put forward new, tough conditions, an expert with the weekly Georgian newspaper Prime Time, Keti Khatiashvili, told this author. According to her, Moscow could try to offer the Georgian side better payment terms and, crucially, the opportunity to buy more Russian gas, in exchange for the consent of the Georgian government to begin direct negotiations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on land transit from Armenia to Russia (Authors Interview, January 22, 2019). Recently, during his visit to Georgia, the prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, discussed precisely the development of trade and further transit opportunities (Vestnik Kavkaza, January 17, 2019). Related: The Next Big Threat For Oil Comes From China

The opposition considers the governments agreement to monetize the gas transit fee in 2017 as a crime against the interests of Georgia. One of the founders of the European Georgia party, parliamentary deputy Sergo Ratiani, noted that the opposition parties are demanding an investigation into why then-minister Kaladze had agreed to the unfavorable Russian conditions on transit fees. The new contract has caused tremendous damage to Georgia and gave Moscow [new] tools to use against us, the lawmaker argued (Authors interview, January 20, 2019).

The opposition is demanding that the authorities not renew the contract with Gazprom and return to negotiations on an in-kind payment for gas transit. But as energy expert Georgi Khukhashvili explained, making such demands now is both unlikely and unrealistic: The contract on the monetization of transit fees is very disadvantageous for Georgia, but it complies with international norms and international transit payment tariffs. As he stressed, according to international practice, if the parties do not break the contract, its prolongation occurs automatically. The government does not have the resources to terminate the contract with Gazprom, so it will be extended for another year, Khukhashvili predicted (Authors interview, January 22, 2019).

Economy Minister Georgy Kobulia assured journalists in a recent interview that the Georgian government will try to improve the contract. Negotiations with the Russian energy giant will begin soon. But Kobulia did not specify how Tbilisi would react to Moscows likely refusal to pay Georgia more for gas transit (Accentnews.ge, January 21, 2019).

Georgia has never considered the radical step of terminating the transit across its territory of Russian gas to friendly Armenia. Whereas, Moscow wields multiple military and economic instruments with which it can influence Tbilisi, such as by exacerbating at will the situation on Georgias de facto borders with the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia or by threatening to cut off access to the Russian market. In this lopsided bilateral relationship, the current government in Tbilisi is, thus, unlikely to stand firm against Gazprom.

By The Jamestown Foundation

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 that forced the subsequent shutdown of Japans 50 plus nuclear reactors, the countrys reliance on then-overpriced LNG spiked. For years the following the disaster, Japan was not only dependent on the super-cooled fuel to make up gaps due to the elimination of nuclear power from its energy mix, but it was also overly reliant on long-term off-take agreements with restrictive contracts for LNG supply.

Before the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japans dependence on fossil fuels was around 60 percent, while about 30 percent of electricity generated was from nuclear power. After Fukushima, for fiscal year (FY) 2015, 85 percent of electricity generated in Japan was from fossil fuels, with natural gas contributing some 44 percent.

Moreover, Japans increased LNG demand, already the worlds largest LNG buyer, forced prices for spot LNG in Asia to breach the $20 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) price point by February 2014. At the time, it looked as if Tokyo Gas, the countrys largest gas supplier and other Japanese utilities as well, would be at the mercy of LNG suppliers for years.

LNG market pivot

However, within two years more LNG production started to hit global markets, mostly from new Australian projects, and global LNG markets pivoted from one of thin supply to the current supply overhang that will likely persist until the start of the next decade if not longer, depending on the pace of Chinese LNG demand growth as well as LNG procurement stagnation in the Middle East. Related: EU Still Aims To Circumvent U.S. Sanctions On Iran

Now, Japanese utilities have their swagger back. They have been cutting LNG deals with more favorable contractual clauses, including the removal of restrictive destination clauses, and some have also become traders, both short term and pure spot trading.

Tokyo gas flexes it muscles

Against this background, Tokyo Gas plans to leverage its links with foreign partners or team up with other Japanese companies to chase deals, President & CEO Takashi Uchida said earlier this week. We want to make an aggressive investment in Southeast Asia and North America this year to expand our LNG value chain, he told Reuters in an interview.

Under a three-year business plan that kicked off last April, Tokyo Gas plans to spend 260 billion yen ($2.4 billion) to boost its earnings from abroad to 20 percent of its targeted operating profit of 130 billion yen in the year to March 2021, the report said. In the year to March 2018, earnings outside of Japan accounted for approximately 5.8 percent of its group operating profit of 116.3 billion yen.

Since we have struggled to win any major overseas deals through auctions last year, we plan to seek one-on-one deals through our foreign partners or join forces with other Japanese companies, Uchida added. Tokyo Gas is also reportedly eyeing LNG import terminal projects in the Philippines and Vietnam - two potential lucrative Southeast Asia markets for the super-cooled fuel. However, to date, the Philippines has yet to manage to build an operational LNG import terminal while Vietnams LNG plans are still under consideration. Last year, the U.S., soon to be the worlds third-largest LNG exporter, pledged to help Vietnams energy security status by providing smart, clean technology and developing LNG for the countrys power sector.

Tokyo Gas also said it wants to proactively seek new deals in renewable energy, including offshore wind power as the company aims to raise its equity interests in renewable energy to 600,000 kilowatts abroad by the mid-2020s from zero now.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.Vandalised, caught in the crossfire, burnt to the ground: Yemen's churches, once filled by small but diverse Christian communities, are now abandoned after years of devastating conflict. As Pope Francis prepares to make his first trip to the Gulf, neighbouring Yemen -- in the grip of a conflict that has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis -- is losing the last remnants of the cultural diversity that marked its rich history. Today, four official parishes in Yemen are listed by the Catholic Church, and officials say the country is still home to a handful of Christians who mostly live in hiding as religious conservatives on all sides grow stronger. Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, and Aden, the bastion of the rival government, are each home to a Catholic cathedral -- or what was once a cathedral. In the southern port city of Aden, the church has been targeted by arsonists, vandalised and closed for the foreseeable future. - 'No entry' - The metal gates surrounding the St. Francis of Assisi church in the Tawahi neighbourhood of Aden are locked, riddled with bullet holes, rusting. Scrawled on the church wall, in black spray paint, are the words "No entry" and "To you your religion, and to me mine", a reference to a Koranic verse. Atop the church is a statue of Jesus, arms outstretched. The statue has no head. "This was a practising church from the days of the British (protectorate), and even before, for 140, 150 years," said Mohammed Seif, a longtime resident of Tawahi. "People were praying in here until the war of the Huthis," he added, referring to the March 2015 rebel takeover of Aden. The pro-government alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, drove them out months later. "It's stopped ever since. The church has been vandalised, robbed," Seif added, before trailing off. In 2015, assailants blew up a church -- already abandoned -- in the Mualla district of Aden. The attack was never officially claimed. In 2016, 16 people were shot dead in a Catholic retirement home in Aden, including four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian priest, was also taken hostage before being released the following year. Local authorities blamed the Islamic State group for the attack. - 'Started in Yemen' - For centuries, Yemen hosted minorities including Ismaili, Bahai and Jewish communities. Christianity is believed to have arrived in southern Yemen in the 19th century, as missionaries -- mainly but not exclusively from Britain -- found their way to what was then a British protectorate. The Catholics arrived around 1880, according to Father Lennie Connully of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. With the 1967 revolution of southern Yemen -- then Marxist -- against the British, the priests fled to Bahrain and the UAE. "It all started in Yemen, therefore Yemen is very important to us," Connully, who heads the parish at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai, told AFP. Yemen's minuscule Catholic community is mostly made up of foreigners, according to Bishop Paul Hinder, head of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. "It is unfortunately a sad reality and we pray that peace be soon restored in Yemen, especially as people suffer from hunger and the famine is affecting millions of people," Hinder told AFP. "Our services are at present suspended because of the war. But there are still nuns, the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta that have been serving the people for several decades and continue their good work." - Churches on frontlines - The remaining two Catholic parishes in Yemen are located in the two main frontlines in the war today: the Red Sea city of Hodeida, home to the country's most valuable port, and southwestern Taiz, controlled by the government and surrounded by rebels. Hodeida was for months the main front line in the Yemen war after government forces supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies launched an offensive to capture it in June. While both the rebels and government alliance have agreed to a ceasefire, the truce is shaky at best. The Sacred Heart Church of Hodeida is hidden from view, the ground floor of a nondescript three-storey building with shuttered white windows. Issam, who requested his name be changed, has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years. He says he has never heard prayer coming from the ground floor, which has been vacant for years. While residents of Hodeida interviewed by AFP had little knowledge of the hidden church, many had a message for Pope Francis. "I just hope he sees the pictures of the victims and understands what life is like for Yemenis," said Rima, 28. "I hope he prays for us. No one wants to end this war." strs-ny/dm/rsc The statue of Jesus atop St. Francis of Assisi church in Aden (pictured L in March 2015 and R in January 2019) now has no head Its gates now locked and riddled with bullet holes, St. Francis of Assisi was in use until the rebels took over Aden in March 2015 Christianity is believed to have arrived in southern Yemen in the 19th century With the 1967 revolution of southern Yemen against the British,priests fled to Bahrain and the UAEThe Golden Globes might be a bit of a blur to us now, but there's one person who still stands out in our minds: FIJI Water woman.

In case you're not sure who I'm on about, "FIJI Water woman" was the nickname given to Kelleth Cuthbert, the woman who became an icon after photobombing several celebrities on the red carpet at the Globes.

SEE ALSO: The FIJI Water woman is the true star of the 2019 Golden Globes

In an unexpected turn of events, Cuthbert  whose real name is Kelly Steinbach  is now suing FIJI Water Company and The Wonderful Company, claiming they created a cardboard cutout marketing campaign using her image without her authorisation.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Cuthbert claims she was "pressured" to "sign away her rights in the moniker 'Fiji Water Girl'" and to allow the company to use her photo in a marketing campaign. She claims she didn't agree to this.

"The fake document Steinbach signed in the potential future promotional video was not an agreement," Cuthbert's lawyer Kimberly Buffington claims in the lawsuit. "The fake document was not signed by Fiji Water and was later destroyed by Steinbach."

In a statement to THR, A FIJI Water spokesperson stated the lawsuit is "frivolous" and "entirely without merit."

"After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms. Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in court. Throughout our history, we have had a sterling reputation working with talent," reads the statement.

Cuthbert claims the unauthorised use of her likeness has damaged her "peace, happiness, feelings, goodwill, professional standing, and future publicity value." Per THR, her lawsuit seeks "punitive and compensatory damages, plus disgorgement of FIJI Water's profits."Aden (AFP) - Vandalised, caught in the crossfire, burnt to the ground: Yemen's churches, once filled by small but diverse Christian communities, are now abandoned after years of devastating conflict.

As Pope Francis prepares to make his first trip to the Gulf, neighbouring Yemen -- in the grip of a conflict that has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis -- is losing the last remnants of the cultural diversity that marked its rich history.

Today, four official parishes in Yemen are listed by the Catholic Church, and officials say the country is still home to a handful of Christians who mostly live in hiding as religious conservatives on all sides grow stronger.

Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, and Aden, the bastion of the rival government, are each home to a Catholic cathedral -- or what was once a cathedral.

In the southern port city of Aden, the church has been targeted by arsonists, vandalised and closed for the foreseeable future.

- 'No entry' -

The metal gates surrounding the St. Francis of Assisi church in the Tawahi neighbourhood of Aden are locked, riddled with bullet holes, rusting.

Scrawled on the church wall, in black spray paint, are the words "No entry" and "To you your religion, and to me mine", a reference to a Koranic verse.

Atop the church is a statue of Jesus, arms outstretched. The statue has no head.

"This was a practising church from the days of the British (protectorate), and even before, for 140, 150 years," said Mohammed Seif, a longtime resident of Tawahi.

"People were praying in here until the war of the Huthis," he added, referring to the March 2015 rebel takeover of Aden. The pro-government alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, drove them out months later.

"It's stopped ever since. The church has been vandalised, robbed," Seif added, before trailing off.

In 2015, assailants blew up a church -- already abandoned -- in the Mualla district of Aden. The attack was never officially claimed.

Story continues

In 2016, 16 people were shot dead in a Catholic retirement home in Aden, including four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian priest, was also taken hostage before being released the following year.

Local authorities blamed the Islamic State group for the attack.

- 'Started in Yemen' -

For centuries, Yemen hosted minorities including Ismaili, Bahai and Jewish communities.

Christianity is believed to have arrived in southern Yemen in the 19th century, as missionaries -- mainly but not exclusively from Britain -- found their way to what was then a British protectorate.

The Catholics arrived around 1880, according to Father Lennie Connully of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.

With the 1967 revolution of southern Yemen -- then Marxist -- against the British, the priests fled to Bahrain and the UAE.

"It all started in Yemen, therefore Yemen is very important to us," Connully, who heads the parish at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai, told AFP.

Yemen's minuscule Catholic community is mostly made up of foreigners, according to Bishop Paul Hinder, head of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.

"It is unfortunately a sad reality and we pray that peace be soon restored in Yemen, especially as people suffer from hunger and the famine is affecting millions of people," Hinder told AFP.

"Our services are at present suspended because of the war. But there are still nuns, the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta that have been serving the people for several decades and continue their good work."

- Churches on frontlines -

The remaining two Catholic parishes in Yemen are located in the two main frontlines in the war today: the Red Sea city of Hodeida, home to the country's most valuable port, and southwestern Taiz, controlled by the government and surrounded by rebels.

Hodeida was for months the main front line in the Yemen war after government forces supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies launched an offensive to capture it in June.

While both the rebels and government alliance have agreed to a ceasefire, the truce is shaky at best.

The Sacred Heart Church of Hodeida is hidden from view, the ground floor of a nondescript three-storey building with shuttered white windows.

Issam, who requested his name be changed, has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years. He says he has never heard prayer coming from the ground floor, which has been vacant for years.

While residents of Hodeida interviewed by AFP had little knowledge of the hidden church, many had a message for Pope Francis.

"I just hope he sees the pictures of the victims and understands what life is like for Yemenis," said Rima, 28.

"I hope he prays for us. No one wants to end this war."

strs-ny/dm/rscSenator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for publicly releasing the results of her DNA test in an attempt to substantiate her claim to Native American ancestry ahead of a 2020 presidential run.

Warren called Bill John Baker, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, on Thursday afternoon to apologize for advertising her DNA test in response to President Trumps mockingly labeling her Pocahontas and questioning the validity of her claim.

I understand that she apologized for causing confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that has resulted, Cherokee Nation spokeswoman Julie Hubbard said. The chief and secretary of state appreciate that she has reaffirmed that she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen or a citizen of any tribal nation.

Warrens apology, first reported by The Intercept, comes after a number of tribal leaders and liberal activists chastised her in October for appearing to use her claim to tribal identity to further her political career.

Cherokee Nation secretary of state Chuck Hoskin, in particular, condemned Warrens actions in a column published in the Tulsa World, in which he argued that tribal identity transcends mere biology.

This concept of family is key to understanding why citizenship matters, Hoskin wrote. That is why it offends us when some of our national leaders seek to ascribe inappropriately membership or citizenship to themselves. They would be welcome to our table as friends, but claiming to be family to gain a spot at the table is unwelcome.

In the face of such criticisms, Warren initially defended her decision to release the DNA test, which was accompanied by a promotional video featuring her family members.

I put it out there. Its on the internet for anybody to see, Warren said of the test, which indicated she had a Native American ancestor six to ten generations ago. People can make of it what they will. Im going to continue fighting on the issues that brought me to Washington.

More from National ReviewThe offensive photo which appears on Ralph Northam's yearbook page - Eastern Virginia Medical School

Virginia's governor is facing mounting calls for him to resign after pictures emerged from his yearbook of two men dressed in a Ku Klux Klan hood and with blackface.

Ralph Northam, a Democrat and former paediatrician, was elected in 2017. But his future now hangs in the balance after conservative website Big League Politics dug out his 1984 medical school yearbook, and found the photo.

Mr Northam, 59, insisted at a press conference on Saturday that the picture was not him - despite having apologised on Friday for the page.

"There is no way I have ever been in a KKK uniform. I have never been in a KKK uniform, and I am not the person on the right," he said.

He said he knew it was a hard story to believe, but wanted to "set the record straight" about the "horrific" image.

Ralph Northam's yearbook page

Yesterday I took responsibility for content that appeared on my page. I am not and will not excuse the content. It was racist, offensive and despicable," he told the press conference.

He said he saw the page for the first time when his staff showed it to him on Friday, adding: I did not purchase the yearbook at the time.

He said: "I believe then, and now, that I was not the person in that photo.

"It is disgusting. It is racist. It was my responsibility to recognise it and prevent it being published.

"I know people will find this hard to believe. It appears on my page, with others I submitted.

"In the hours since I made the statement I reflected with my family and classmates, and concluded that I am not the person in that photo."

Friends and classmates had confirmed that it wasn't him, he said.

"Where this other picture came from, I don't know."

He said he had once blackened his face, in the same year, at a dance competition in San Antonio when he performed as Michael Jackson. He said it was etched clearly in his mind, as he realised it was wrong.

But leading Democrats, including Joe Biden and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Julian Castro, have joined calls for him to resign, and he has lost the support of most of the Virginia state Democrat leaders.

Story continues

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus and the state Senate Democratic Caucus all called on Mr Northam to resign late on Friday, along with several key progressive groups that have been some of the governor's closest political allies.

Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, was expected to stand down

Mr Northam apologised profusely on Friday, but many still called for him to step aside and allow the current lieutenant governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax, a Democrat who is only the second African American to win statewide office in the state, to take his place.

Mr Northam's term is set to end in 2022.

In his first apology, issued in a written statement, Mr Northam called the costume he wore "clearly racist and offensive," but he didn't say which one he had worn.

He later issued a video statement saying he was "deeply sorry" but still committed to serving the "remainder of my term."

"I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust," he said.

The apology did not reduce calls for him to resign.

Louise Lucas, a state senator and close ally of Mr Northam, described a hastily called conference call with black leaders around the state as "intense," her voice breaking.

Mr Northam spent years actively courting the black community in the lead up to his 2017 gubernatorial run, building relationships that helped him win both the primary and the general election.

He is also a member of a predominantly black church on Virginia's Eastern Shore, where he grew up.

"It's a matter of relationships and trust. That's not something that you build overnight," he told the AP during a 2017 campaign stop while describing his relationship with the black community.

Last week, Florida's secretary of state resigned after photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.Washington (AFP) - Ralph Northam, the Democratic governor of the US state of Virginia, changed his story Saturday about appearing in a racist 1984 yearbook photo and insisted he will not resign from office.

Northam held a press conference to say that he in fact was not one of the men in a photo from his university yearbook depicting two people -- one in blackface, the other dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood.

"In the hours since I made my statement yesterday, I reflected with my family and classmates from the time and affirmed my conclusion that I am not the person in that photo," he told reporters, a day after saying he had appeared in the picture without specifying which of the individuals he was.

Northam added that while he had not appeared in the photo, "many actions that we rightfully recognize as abhorrent today were commonplace" and he was not surprised such material made its way to the yearbook.

He said he did not know why it appeared on his page, adding: "I had nothing to do with the preparation of the yearbook, nor did I buy one.

"And so this was the first time -- yesterday evening was the first time I saw this photo. It was shocking and it was horrific."

The governor, who began his four-year term in 2018, did admit however that he had applied shoe polish on his face on at least one occasion -- to imitate Michael Jackson during a dance contest held that same year, which he went on to win.

"I look back now and regret that I did not understand the harmful legacy of an action like that," he said.

On Friday, a website published a photograph from Northam's medical school yearbook "in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," the governor said in a statement soon after the picture surfaced.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," Northam said.

The admission prompted calls for him to resign -- including from several Democratic presidential candidates.

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"We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning," the Virginia branch of the Democratic Party said on Twitter Saturday.

"We have gotten word he will not do so this morning."

Senator Cory Booker, an African-American 2020 presidential hopeful, was one of the first big name Democrats to react.

"These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they've eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam's ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign," he tweeted Friday.

California Senator Kamala Harris, another African-American running for president, tweeted that "the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government."

Other big-name Democrats such as Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren also called for his departure.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.Washington (AFP) - Ralph Northam, the Democratic governor of the US state of Virginia, is facing calls to resign after he confirmed he appeared in a racist yearbook photo and said he is "deeply sorry."

"Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," Northam said in a statement Friday.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," he said.

The photo, which was carried by various US media outlets, depicts two people, one in blackface, the other dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood.

Northam did not specify which outfit he was wearing in the image, which has prompted calls for him to resign -- including from several Democratic presidential hopefuls.

"These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they've eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam's ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign," tweeted Senator Cory Booker, who is black, hours after announcing he would run in 2020.

California Senator Kamala Harris, another African-American White House hopeful, meanwhile tweeted that "the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government."

The governor has also been under fire over remarks about a bill that would have rolled back restrictions on late-term abortions.

Republicans took particular issue with comments he made when asked if the bill would allow for abortions to be performed when a woman was already in labor.

"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired," he said.

"And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother."

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Though his spokeswoman, Northam said his words were taken out of context, and were only meant to apply if a woman in dire circumstances went into labor.

The bill failed to advance out of committee, but Republicans including President Donald Trump pounced on the comments.

"Democrats are becoming the Party of late term abortion, high taxes, Open Borders and Crime!" Trump tweeted.

The US Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 with its decision in Roe v. Wade, but the issue remains one of the most politically divisive in the United States.By Bill Tarrant

(Reuters) - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam apologized on Friday for a photograph in his 1984 medical school yearbook showing him and another person in racist garb at a party, but said he would serve out his term even as pressure piled on from fellow Democrats for him to step down.

Northam indicated in a statement from his office he was one of the people shown in the photo, which depicted one person in blackface standing next to another in a Ku Klux Klan costume.

He did not identify which one was him and his spokeswoman did not respond to requests for further comment.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," Northam said in his statement.

Northam, who took office a year ago, said in a video posted later on Twitter: "I have spent the past year as your governor fighting for a Virginia that works better for all people. I am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term and living up to the expectations you set for me when you elected me to serve."

Among those calling for him to resign immediately were four recently announced Democratic candidates for president, Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Julian Castro.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who has said she is exploring a run for her party's nomination for president in 2020, also commented on Twitter.

"These racist images are deeply disturbing. Hatred and discrimination have no place in our country and must not be tolerated, especially from our leaders  Republican or Democrat. Northam must resign," Warren said.

The Virginia-Pilot said on its website it obtained a copy of the photo from the Eastern Virginia Medical School library.

"COMPLETE BETRAYAL"

The NAACP, a leading civil rights organization, called for Northam to resign. Virginia's Legislative Black Caucus condemned Northam in a stinging statement but stopped short of saying he should step down.

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"We are still processing what we have seen about the governor but unequivocally say that what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive," the caucus said. "We feel complete betrayal."

Virginia's two U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, criticized Northam but also didn't call for his resignation, saying that he should reflect on how to move forward.

Harris, a first-term senator who is the daughter of a black father from Jamaica and an Indian mother, said on Twitter: "Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government."

Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, said on Twitter Northam's "behavior was racist and unconscionable."

Northam, a pediatric neurologist, graduated from Norfolk medical school in 1984 and did his undergraduate work at Virginia Military Institute.

A 59-year-old Army veteran, Northam was elected Virginia governor in 2017 after spending the previous decade in Virginia's state legislature as a senator.

The origins of blackface date back to 19th century minstrel shows, when white actors covered themselves in black grease paint in a caricature of the singing and dancing of slaves.

An entry from Northam's 1981 yearbook for the Virginia Military Institute added to the outcry over racist associations.

An archive page of the yearbook, seen on the nonprofit archive.org., shows Northam's photo and biography on a page with the nickname "Coonman." The word "Coon" has racist connotations.

(Reporting by Bill Tarrant in LOS ANGELES; Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul Tait)Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened on Saturday to bring forward parliamentary elections in a bid to sideline opposition leader Juan Guaido's challenge to his authority.

Guaido is the parliament president but declared himself acting president of the country on January 23.

The National Assembly head led a mass opposition street protest in Caracas on Saturday demanding Maduro resign and hold new presidential elections.

But speaking at a rival pro-regime rally celebrating the 20th anniversary of the socialist revolution led by his predecessor Hugo Chavez, Maduro said he was in favor of a Constituent Assembly proposal to bring forward to this year parliamentary elections set for the end of 2020.

"I agree and I will hold to this decision," said Maduro, who was making his first public appearance in six months.

"They (the opposition) want to bring forward elections, let's have elections," he said defiantly.

Four major European nations -- Britain, France, Germany and Spain -- have said they will join the United States and several Latin American countries in recognizing Guaido as interim president if Maduro doesn't call presidential elections by midnight on Sunday.

The National Assembly is the only branch of government in opposition control.

However, it has been powerless since 2016 when the regime-loyalist dominated Supreme Court stripped it of its powers.

Maduro created the Constituent Assembly in 2017 to replace parliament, with the new body announcing itself the institution with supreme power in the country.

When new parliamentary elections are held, the opposition could lose its majority.

Backed by increasing international support, Guaido has been stepping up the pressure on Maduro in a bid to force him from office.

He claims to have the constitutional right to set up a transitional government ahead of new presidential elections as the National Assembly has declared Maduro a "usurper" over his controversial reelection last year.

Several opposition leaders were unable to stand in that election having been jailed, exiled or barred, leading opposition parties to boycott.

The US, European Union and Organization of America States all dismissed the election as fraudulent.Washington (AFP) - The conservative-leaning US Supreme Court on Friday said it has delayed what is sure to be a highly polarizing upcoming abortion rights test case.

A clinic and two doctors offering abortions in Louisiana have appealed to the Supreme Court to block a law restricting access to abortion that is due to come into force next week in the conservative southern state.

The law, approved in 2014, would require doctors offering abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they operate.

Louisiana argues that the risks of complications arising during an abortion procedure mean that patients may need to be transferred to a nearby hospital where doctors could step in.

That argument was endorsed by a state appeals court and the law was to come into effect on Monday unless challenged by the Supreme Court.

Then Justice Samuel Alito on Friday ordered an administrative delay until February 7 so justices have time to review all relevant documents.

A similar law limiting abortion access in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016.

But since Trump came to office two years ago, he has appointed two new conservative justices, tilting the balance of the court sharply to the right.

A decision not to take up the case would encourage the American right-wing and evangelical movement to step up challenges to longstanding abortion laws.

The plaintiffs in the Louisiana case argue the new law "will have disastrous consequences for women in the state," where 10,000 women seek abortions every year.

"Louisianas admitting privileges requirement would leave only one physician providing abortions in the entire state and that all-but-one clinic that provides abortion care would be forced to close," they said.

They said the Texas law, adopted in 2013, led to the closure of half of the services offering abortions in the state, before being overturned by the Supreme Court three years later.

Story continues

- All eyes on new judges -

Despite being a twice-divorced former casino mogul, Trump won over the powerful evangelical right by promising to appoint judges opposed to abortion rights.

Once in office, he made good on his pledge by nominating Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, tipping the balance of the court to five conservative justices and just four liberals.

Both men stressed the importance of legal precedent in their confirmation hearings, but anti-abortion activists saw their appointments as a chance to assail the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling allowing abortion, known as Roe v Wade.

The Louisiana case will prove a key stress test for that ruling.

If either one of the new appointees sides with the progressives, the top court can freeze the Louisiana law.

Otherwise, the court will not intercede and the law will go into effect.

Defenders of women's right to abortion fear that silence from the court will encourage other states to follow Louisiana's lead.

- "1,000 cuts " -

A 57-percent majority of Americans back women's right to seek abortions, but the hot-button issue cuts deeply along political and religious lines, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center.

Some 59 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of evangelicals say that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Since Roe v. Wade came into effect, states have sought ways to restrict access, trying to impose delays and threatening non-reimbursement of costs to patients.

That has led to huge regional disparities in the availability of abortions, with more than 500 centers offering them in California and only four in Kansas, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The Guttmacher Institute said the "changing composition of the Supreme Court has heightened the risks" of restrictions on access to abortions.

"Anti-abortion politicians are hoping that the Supreme Court will stand by and let them legislate abortion out of reach -- without the court ever having to reverse Roe v. Wade," said Nancy Northup, head of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

"That would be death to Roe by a thousand cuts," she said in an opinion piece in the New York Times.Washington (AFP) - The United States marked the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution by highlighting what it says are the "broken promises" of the Middle Eastern country's leadership.

Tehran launched celebrations Friday to mark the 1979 return from exile of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the revolution that overthrew a centuries-old dynasty.

"When he returned to #Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made lots of promises to the Iranian people, including justice, freedom, and prosperity. 40 years later, Iran's ruling regime has broken all those promises, and has produced only #40YearsofFailure," the US State Department wrote on its official Twitter account.

Khomeini said that "injustices of the past will not continue," according to the tweet. It quoted a report from the rights group Amnesty International as saying: "The staggering scale of arrests, imprisonment and flogging sentences reveal the extreme lengths the authorities have gone in order to suppress peaceful dissent."

A following tweet said Khomeini promised freedom of expression and freedom of the press -- but today Iran "has one of the most repressive media environments," and the regime "detains dozens of journalists, throws them in prison and threatens their families," and "blocks the internet and bars access to social media."

In a third tweet, the State Department said that while Khomeini "promised material and spiritual prosperity to the Iranian people," four decades later "#Iran's corrupt regime has destroyed the country's economy, desecrated Irans noble heritage, and produced only #40YearsofFailure."

The administration of President Donald Trump has been consistently hawkish on Iran and tries to counter what it considers Iran's "destabilizing" influence in the region.

The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since 1980, and the president pulled the United States from an international agreement meant to check Iran's nuclear weapon ambitions.The Russian military on Wednesday rolled out its new missile and spelled out its specifications, seeking to dispel the US claim that the weapon violates a key nuclear arms pact - AP

America will withdraw from a major nuclear arms treaty with Russia, Donald Trump has announced, removing a cornerstone of Cold War era security and raising fears of a new weapons race.

The Kremlin will formally be notified of Americas departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty [INF] on Saturday, with the decision taking effect six months later.

The Trump administration accused Russia of shamelessly violating the terms of the agreement, which bans ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,000 km.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation [Nato], a military alliance which includes Britain, threw its weight behind the decision, saying its members fully support the action and calling on Russia to comply.

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of State, said on Friday: When an agreement is so brazenly disregarded and our security is so openly threatened we must respond.

He added: Russia has jeopardised the United Statess security interests and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it.

The decision has long been expected, with Mr Trump signalling his intention to withdraw last October. But it nonetheless marks a significant geopolitical change, removing a key plank of the late Cold War structure designed to reduce the threat of nuclear war.

The agreement was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the US and Soviet Union leaders at the time, after growing concern of a confrontation in Europe in the 1980s as both sides deployed medium-range nuclear weapons. However two problems with the treaty have emerged since then.

The first and most pressing is Russias noncompliance, with America accusing the Kremlin of secretly developing a missile - the 9M729 - which can carry nuclear warheads and is banned under the treaty.

The US government first raised its concerns with the Kremlin in May 2013, when Barack Obama was president, and has deemed Russia in violation of the agreement since 2014.

Story continues

Pressure to comply has ramped up under Mr Trump. But after 35 diplomatic engagements on the subject since 2013 Russia still refuses to acknowledge the alleged breach.

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, announcing the decision on Friday Credit: Eric BARADAT / AFP

The Kremlin has instead claimed that America is breaking the agreement and wants to trigger a new arms race. Nato agrees with America that Russia is violating the treaty.

The second area of concern is that America and Russia are the only two major world powers bound by the agreement, leaving other geopolitical rivals free to develop such weapons.

Both China and Iran have more than 1,000 missiles each that would be barred if they were bound by the treaty, according to senior US administration officials.

The officials also cited a 2007 speech by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, where he complained that countries like India, Iran, Pakista and Israel were developing such missiles.

Mr Trump said in a statement on Friday: The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other.

There remains a glimmer of hope that the treaty could remain in place, with the Trump administration saying it will stay in if Russia destroys the contravening missiles and any means of launching them in the next six months. But that looks unlikely.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018 Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

US officials attempted to play down fears of a new arms race and rebuffed suggestions that America would be to blame if one begun.

Lets be clear. If there is an arms race it is Russia that has started it, said one senior US administration official in a briefing on Friday.

Officials dismissed the Kremlins claims that the US wanted triggered such a race as propaganda and another Russian lie.

They said that the Pentagon was looking at "potential options" for missile deployment once treaty ends, but repeatedly insisted that any such decisions were "some time away".

Russian officials said on Friday that they are still ready to maintain dialogue over the treaty. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg also said he would try to convince Russia to comply with the agreement.

Meanwhile Mr Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, raised the possibility of a new nuclear agreement that included more countries. "I hope that were able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and do a new treaty which would be much better," Mr Trump said.A University of Iowa student was found apparently frozen to death on campus as wind chills hit minus-51 degrees Fahrenheit  one of at least eight people to die as a result of the record-setting cold that had settled on the Midwest this week.

Authorities said the body of Gerald Belz, 18, was found by campus police just before 3 a.m. Wednesday behind an academic building. The pre-med student was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials believe his death was related to dangerously low temperatures, though they are yet to give a specific cause of death.

Doctors did not find alcohol in his system. No foul play was suspected, police said.

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According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Iowa City dropped to minus-21 degrees late Tuesday and early Wednesday  with a wind-chill as low as minus-51 degrees.

Michael Belz, Geralds father, told KCRG his son was a quiet, tough guy. He was a semester ahead at the University of Iowa due to extra college courses. He was a good kid, Belz said.

In a tweet, Belzs old high school principle paid tribute, as well as offering counseling services to any distressed students.

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On Tuesday, a 55-year-old man was found dead outside a garage in Milwaukee, having collapsed after shoveling snow; an 82-year-old in Pekin, Ill., died from hypothermia outside his home on the same day. A 75-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a snow plough near Chicago on Monday, and in northern Indiana, a young couple died after a their car was hit while driving on icy roads. Two others have died in Michigan. It is not the first time the severe cold has claimed a life on the University of Iowa campus. Last January, Paul J. Biagas, 24, was found dead in the snow outside the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. At the time, the temperature in Iowa City was around 5 degrees, with a wind chill of minus-10 degrees.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The head of the UN mission in Yemen boarded a vessel on Saturday that will be the venue for key talks between the government and Huthi rebels on shoring up a ceasefire.

Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert picked up a government delegation at a rendezvous in the Red Sea before returning to the port of Hodeida to await Huthi envoys who are to arrive on Sunday, a UN statement said.

The sides will discuss the next steps to implement an agreement reached in Sweden in December that calls for a ceasefire in Hodeida and a pullback of forces from the port city.

It is the third meeting of a joint committee on implementing the agreement which has been hailed as a major step toward ending the four-year devastating war in Yemen.

On Sunday, the "parties will then resume joint discussions on the implementation of the redeployment of forces and the facilitation of humanitarian operations, as agreed in the Stockholm Agreement," said a UN statement.

The Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, while deadlines for the pullback of forces and a prisoner swap have slipped.

UN aid agencies are also trying to gain access to food warehouses in Hodeida that will first require demining teams to clear routes to the storage sites.

The last joint meeting of the truce committee was on January 3.

For nearly four years, Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have been locked in a war with a regional pro-government alliance led by Riyadh.

The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with millions of people at risk of starvation.

The port of Hodeida is the entry point for the bulk of Yemen's supplies of imported goods and humanitarian aid, providing a lifeline to millions.

Up to 75 observers from the UN mission are to be deployed in Hodeida and surrounding ports, but so far only about 20 monitors are on the ground monitoring the ceasefire, according to UN officials.

Cammaert will be replaced in the coming weeks by Danish general Michael Lollesgaard as head of the UN observer mission, which was created by the Security Council last month.By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Britain would permanently regret leaving the European Union without a deal, and parliament needs to reach a decision to stop this in the next two weeks, business minister Greg Clark said in a newspaper interview on Saturday. Clark's comments in The Times come as the paper reported government documents warning Britain's transport system could get overwhelmed after a no-deal Brexit, while The Guardian said officials feared mountains of rotting waste and animal slurry. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but lawmakers last month comprehensively rejected the exit deal Prime Minister Theresa May reached with Brussels, and Brussels this week turned down May's request for renegotiation. Without a deal Britain risked major disruption to trade with the EU, cutting British business out of pan-European supply chains, Clark warned. "If we make what I think would be a mistake that we would regret for ever, it would be in the history books just like the achievements of the first industrial revolution," Clark said. Parliament needed to approve a deal by the middle of this month, he added, citing businesses that said they would be reluctant to ship goods to Japan or South Korea if it was unclear whether they would face tariffs when they arrived. "People say 'Things are always decided at the 59th minute of the 11th hour'. But it's important to understand where 'the wire' is. The wire is not the 29th of March," Clark said. May has promised another Brexit vote by Feb. 14. Britain's transport ministry is preparing for the knock-on impact of a no-deal Brexit overwhelming the transport system, according to a leaked document in The Times. There have been widespread predictions of traffic gridlock on key roads in southeast England due to customs checks on trucks trying to cross the English Channel at Dover, Europe's busiest ferry port. The impacts "could fall across every transport mode ... and could grow exponentially as ... the capabilities of responders at all levels decrease or become overwhelmed," the document offering guidance to officials working in a planned emergency response center said. The Department for Transport did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Separately, the Guardian said environment officials were worried that Britain would struggle to export waste as well as livestock, leading to growing mounds of rubbish and slurry. "Odors will obviously be an issue as the stockpiled waste putrefies," an internal email cited by the Guardian said. Farmers unable to export sheep and cattle "may have problems with slurry storage capacity and insufficient land spreading capability", the email also warned. An Environment Agency spokesman said a process was in place to ensure waste could still be exported after a no-deal Brexit. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Clelia Oziel)President Donald Trump is pulling out of a landmark 1987 arms control treaty meant to limit intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, saying that the U.S. will no longer tolerate years of Russian violations.

Trump said Friday that the U.S. was suspending its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, starting the clock for withdrawal six months from now, unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment.

The suspension represents another flashpoint in U.S.-Russia relations and another repudiation by Trump of international agreements, from the nuclear deal with Iran to the international climate-change accord. Fridays action had been all but guaranteed after Trump set a 60-day deadline two months ago for Russia to destroy all of its ground-launched cruise missiles, known as 9M729s.

The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions, Trump said in a statement. We cannot be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty, or any other.

Russia has denied violating the INF treaty, accusing the U.S. of breaking its terms and warning that withdrawal from the Cold War-era accord signed by the Soviet Union would trigger a new arms race.

Key Pillar

That fear was echoed by analysts and Democratic lawmakers, who agreed that the Russian missiles pose a threat but said the administration appeared to have no strategy for how to constrain it.

Russias brazen noncompliance with this treaty is deeply concerning, but discarding a key pillar of our nonproliferation security framework creates unacceptable risks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

Senior Russian legislators vowed to respond after Trump made his announcement.

Of course, if the U.S. withdraws from the treaty, Russia wont continue to observe it unilaterally, said Frants Klintsevich, a member of the Defense Committee in the upper house of Russias parliament. The U.S. is pulling out in order to legitimize putting its missiles in Europe. Well, we have what we need to re-target, such as sea-based missiles, he said.

Story continues

The Russian Foreign Ministry was more circumspect in its reaction, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying on state television that Moscow reserves the right to respond if the U.S. exits the treaty.

The U.S. has no immediate plans to deploy new missiles to Europe when the withdrawal takes effect in August, according to two administration officials involved in the deliberations who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. It would take considerable time to test, purchase and deploy such missiles, and the administration currently is only considering non-nuclear, conventional options, the officials said.

Written notification to Russia and other Soviet-successor states will be delivered on Saturday, according to the administration officials, who said theres little optimism that Russia will destroy its missiles as demanded.

European Qualms

While Europeans had hoped to preserve the treaty to stem proliferation of ground-launched, intermediate-range nuclear missiles, the Trump administration argued that Russia has been in violation for years anyway. White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has called the treaty outdated and one that doesnt address the rising threat from China, which isnt a signatory.

The onus is on Russia to change course from a pattern of destabilizing activity, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said. Well continue to have conversations with them. We hope theyll come back into compliance.

Trump indicated in October that he wanted to pull out, but after consulting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other allies decided to delay the suspension. Pompeo said in early December that the U.S. was giving Russia two more months to get back in compliance with the treaty.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet after the announcement that NATO fully supports the U.S. action. Russia is in material breach of the #INFTreaty & must use next 6 months to return to full & verifiable compliance or bear sole responsibility for its demise, he said.

But comments from some European nations suggest allies arent fully in agreement with the decision.

Without the INF treaty, there will be less security, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters on Friday in Bucharest. But we have to take note that the INF treaty is being violated by the Russian side.

Banned Range

The U.S. argues that Russia has jeopardized the INF treaty for years by deploying ground-launched missiles that fall within the banned range of 500 kilometers (311 miles) to 5,500 kilometers.

My strongest criticism is that the U.S. and NATO have absolutely no Plan B, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. The reality is that pulling out of the INF treaty in protest of Russias violation isnt going to prevent Russia from deploying more of these missiles.By Jeff Mason and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon to try to seal a comprehensive trade deal as Trump and his top trade negotiator both cited substantial progress in two days of high-level talks. Trump, speaking at the White House during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, said he was optimistic that the world's two largest economies could reach "the biggest deal ever made." The Chinese trade delegation said in a statement that the talks made "important progress," China's official Xinhua news agency reported. No specific plans for a meeting with Xi were announced, but Trump said there could be more than one. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were invited to bring a U.S. negotiating team to Beijing around mid-February, with dates still pending. The White House also said in a statement that its scheduled March 2 tariff increase on $200 billion of Chinese goods was a "hard deadline" if no deal was reached by March 1. At the end of the talks next door to the White House, Liu told Trump that China would make a new, immediate commitment to buy more U.S. soybeans. An administration official later clarified the amount as a total of 5 million tonnes, effectively doubling the amount bought by China since resuming limited purchases in December. U.S. soybean sales to China, which totaled 31.7 million tonnes in 2017, were largely cut off in the second half of last year by China's retaliatory tariffs and the announcement drew a positive reaction from Trump, who said it would "make our farmers very happy." The Chinese delegation said China will expand imports of U.S. agricultural, energy, service and industrial products, according to Xinhua. While China has previously offered increased purchases of U.S. farm, energy and other goods to try to resolve the trade disputes, negotiators also dug into thornier issues, including U.S. demands that China take steps to protect American intellectual property and end policies that Washington says force U.S. companies to turn over technology to Chinese firms. Lighthizer said there was "substantial progress" on these issues, including verification mechanisms to "enforce" China's follow-through on any reform commitments it makes. "At this point, it's impossible for me to predict success. But we're in a place that if things work out, it could happen," Lighthizer said at the Oval Office meeting. Later, he told reporters that the U.S. objective was to make China's commitments "more specific, all-encompassing and enforceable" with a mechanism for taking action if China fails to follow through, but declined to provide details. Reuters previously reported that such an enforcement mechanism could carry the threat of U.S. tariffs. Asked whether the two sides discussed lifting U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, Lighthizer said they were not part of the talks. "The two sides established a consensus in principle for an implementation mechanism framework," Xinhua said, adding without elaborating that the United States had agreed to "earnestly respond to China's concerns". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang declined during a regular news briefing in Beijing to give any details on a possible Xi-Trump meeting. TARIFFS NOT PART OF TALKS A person familiar with the discussions said a broad range of concerns about access to Chinese agricultural markets were raised in the talks but little progress was made. Washington has warned it will more than double tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent if significant headway on a trade deal was not made by March 1. Trump said he did not think he would need to extend the deadline. "I think when President Xi and I meet, every point will be agreed to," Trump added. But Trump has vetoed multiple proposed trade deals with China, choosing to push ahead with tariffs on Chinese goods to gain leverage. "Analysts mostly remain deeply skeptical that a genuine trade deal can be done on this time frame," economists from Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note. "We are less pessimistic since these negotiations are being conducted by senior politicians, not by trade bureaucrats," they added. "Both sides also have an incentive, and arguably a growing incentive, to get a meaningful deal done." Earlier, Trump said on Twitter he was looking for China to open its markets "not only to Financial Services, which they are now doing, but also to our Manufacturing, Farmers and other U.S. businesses and industries. Without this a deal would be unacceptable!" The U.S. complaints on technology transfers, and intellectual property protections, along with accusations of Chinese cyber theft of American trade secrets and a systematic campaign to acquire U.S. technology firms, were used by Trump's administration to justify punitive tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports. China has retaliated with tariffs of its own, but has suspended some and is allowing some purchases of U.S. soybeans during the talks. Chinese officials have said their policies do not coerce technology transfers. The Chinese delegation said China will actively respond to U.S. concerns on intellectual property and creating a fair market environment, Xinhua reported. The U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are just one front in Trump's efforts to upend the global trading order with his "America First" strategy. He has also imposed global tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, washing machines and solar panels and has threatened to raise tariffs on imported cars unless Japan and the European Union offer trade concessions. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Chris Prentice, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, and Alexandra Alper in WASHINGTON and Michael Martina in BEIJING; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Will Dunham, Grant McCool & Kim Coghill)Washington (AFP) - Three influential US Democratic lawmakers asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to justify lifting sanctions against Russian aluminum giant Rusal and two related companies, a move they said leaves "many" unanswered questions.

Eliot Engel, the chair of the House foreign relations committee, asked in a tweet on Friday if lifting the sanctions was related to President Donald Trump's "business dealings in Russia" or his "cozy relationship" with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The tweet was accompanied by a copy of a letter dated January 29 asking the Treasury Department to "provide each of our committees with copies of all documents pertaining to the decision-making process."

The letter was signed by Engel as well as Maxine Waters, the chair of the House financial services committee and Adam Schiff, who heads the House intelligence committee.

It requested that Mnuchin comply with the request by February 5.

The Treasury Department lifted sanctions against Rusal and the related companies on Sunday after blacklisted billionaire Oleg Deripaska took action to sharply cut his stake in them.

The tycoon is known to have friendly relations with Putin and had business ties with Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The lawmakers wrote in the letter that Manafort at one point "owed Mr Deripaska close to $20 million and may have leveraged his position as campaign chairman to negotiate that debt in exchange for providing briefings to Deripaska related to the campaign."

The terms of removing the sanctions "are unusual and many questions remain unanswered," the lawmakers wrote, saying that they believe the oligarch and his family's ties with the companies allow him to keep de facto control.Brumadinho (Brazil) (AFP) - The toll from a dam collapse last week at a mine in southeast Brazil has risen to 121 dead and 226 missing, according to officials Saturday.

The emergency service for the state of Minas Gerais, where the January 25 disaster occurred near the town of Brumadinho, said the search was ongoing for bodies.

All those listed as missing are presumed dead, with no survivors being found over the past week.

Virtually all the dead and missing were workers at the iron ore mine, buried under an avalanche of sludgy mining waste when the dam collapsed above the facility's cafeteria and main administrative area.

It was the second dam disaster in three years at a mine owned by Brazilian mining giant Vale.

Authorities have frozen over $3 billion in company assets in anticipation it will pay damages, compensation and fines.Paris (AFP) - Three men were Friday charged with supplying the weapon used by the gunman in the Christmas market attack in the French city of Strasbourg and placed in pre-trial detention, a judicial source said.

The three suspects, from the same family and aged 32, 34 and 78, were indicted by an examining magistrate in Paris for "possession and transfer of a category B weapon in relation to a criminal terrorist enterprise" and for "conspiracy with terrorist criminals", according to the source.

They are alleged to have supplied an 8mm pistol used by Cherif Chekatt, a small-time criminal who shot dead five people and wounded 11 during the December 11 attack on the open-air Christmas market.

The three men were arrested Tuesday in eastern France along with two other members of the family, who were released from custody Wednesday evening without being charged.

The three suspects were transferred Thursday from Strasbourg to the counter-terrorism bureau in Levallois-Perret, near Paris.

On December 17, another man, a relative of the killer, was also arrested and charged on the same counts.

Anti-terrorist police believe Chekatt had obtained the firearm -- an 8mm pistol -- a few days before the attack.

Chekatt, 29, who was on a special watchlist as a suspected radical Islamist, was shot dead by police after a two-day manhunt in the city on the German border.

Judicial sources said Chekatt had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video found on a USB key. The interior minister has dismissed a claim by the Islamic State group that it was responsible for the attack.

France has been on high alert since the start of a wave of jihadist attacks in 2015 which have killed 251 people.Trump meets to discuss fighting human trafficking on the southern border, Feb. 1, 2019. (Photo: Jim Watson/ AFP/Getty Images)

About two and a half years ago, a 17-year-old named Isaac and a group of other migrants from Central America followed a smuggler to the southwest border of the United States near McAllen, Texas.

After losing both of his parents and his older brother to violence in his home country, which he declined to identify, Isaac (whose name has been changed for his safety) had embarked on the journey north to join the only other relatives he knew  an aunt and uncle who lived in central Texas.

But within minutes of crossing the border, Isaac and the others were surrounded by a group of men who took them to a trailer park and held them captive, demanding a ransom from their relatives in the United States. Until then they would be forced to cook, clean and do other domestic work for their captors.

He was threatened with guns, beaten at least once and threatened with death a few times, said Robert Painter, an attorney at American Gateways, a Texas-based nonprofit that provides legal services to particularly vulnerable immigrant populations, including survivors of human trafficking. Unable to call his aunt and uncle, Isaac was held for two to three weeks, Painter says  a relatively brief stint compared to the years many trafficking victims spend in captivity  before escaping and uniting with his relatives in Texas. About a year later, he was apprehended by ICE agents during a worksite raid and taken to immigration detention where, upon hearing his story, a legal service provider from American Gateways identified him as a trafficking victim.

According to Painter, who is now defending Isaac against deportation, his young clients experience is a pretty good example of the kinds of trafficking scenarios immigrants typically encounter in the Rio Grande Valley and elsewhere, where people who have just crossed the border are held for ransom, physically and sexually assaulted and forced to work indefinitely. Its not clear whether the men who captured Isaac were linked to his smuggler, but Painter said there are definitely instances where theres coordination between groups on both sides of the border, and other situations where there are people on the U.S. side who know where vulnerable people cross and prey on them there.

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A lot of trafficking that occurs in the immigrant community happens when they arrive at the United States, said Painter. What happened to Isaac, he adds, is a much more common situation than people being taped up and brought over  the lurid scenario President Trump keeps mentioning in his speeches calling for a wall on the border.

But the reality on the border suggests a wall isnt going to help. And some aspects of the Trump administrations crackdown on immigration generally are making it harder to identify and assist actual victims of trafficking.

Migrants look for a place to jump the border fence to get into the U.S. side from Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 29, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP)

To be sure, Painter clarified, trafficking victims may be subjected to violence, including sexual assault. However, he said, I think the presidents characterization of that was simple and designed to promote peoples fears rather than being consistent with how trafficking at the border actually works.

Painters comments echo much of what experts have been saying about human trafficking, which does not typically involve women being bound and crammed into the backs of cars or vans and smuggled across unchecked sections of the border.

Such tales have become a central part of the Trumps argument for a border wall, sending both journalists and  according to a Vox report  even U.S. border officials scrambling unsuccessfully to substantiate them.

Im not saying its impossible, but the cases we see typically do not follow that fact pattern, said Evangeline Chan, director of the Immigration Law Project at Safe Horizon, a New York-based nonprofit that works with victims of abuse and violent crimes.

Chan said that the majority of the foreign trafficking victims her organization works with enter the country through ports of entry with visas and other legal documents.

A large portion of our clients are labor-trafficked, said Chan, explaining that these women are typically recruited in their home country by someone in the United States offering to help them apply for a temporary work visa only to discover, upon arrival, that the job is not what they were promised, usually domestic work with little pay and substandard conditions.

A typical survivor coming through our doors for support is: a woman [76.2%], aged 18-49 [76%], originally from Southeast Asia [31%], Central America [11%] or Mexico [23%], who has experienced labor trafficking and exploitation, most often at the hands of employment agencies [25%] or intimate partners [27%], she said. The victims really span all races, ethnicities, genders, age, socioeconomic backgrounds  and so do their traffickers.

In fact, immigrants comprise neither the majority of traffickers in the United States nor their victims. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 5,147 cases of human trafficking were reported in the U.S. in 2018. Most of the victims in those cases were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

The most recent available data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics on federal prosecution of human trafficking cases shows that 94 percent of defendants charged with a federal human trafficking offense in 2015 were U.S. citizens, 88 percent were male, and 57 percent were white.

Thats not to say its not [a] very risky journey up north for people coming from Central America and Mexico, Chan continued. Often the victims dont even know theyre in trafficking situations until theyre very deep in, she said. The force and fraud being used in trafficking situations [is] a lot more subtle than the scenarios discussed by Trump, which bear more than a passing resemblance to scenes from the 2018 movie Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Migrants run as tear gas is thrown by U.S. Border Protection officers to the Mexican side of the border fence after they climbed the fence to get to San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP)

Anne Chandler, executive director of the Houston office of the Tahirih Justice Center, which provides legal and social services to immigrant women and girls fleeing violence, said that it is not uncommon for smuggling to turn into trafficking once migrants have made it over the border. Chandler, who also teaches a course on human trafficking law and policy at the University of Houston Law Center, said that an example of the kind of trafficking scenario encountered by women from Mexico or Central America is one in which the womans family agrees to pay a smuggler to get them through Mexico and to the border, only to be led into the hands of a kidnapper who holds them for ransom on the U.S. side.

Until that extra money is paid  and sometimes even after  the women are held captive and forced to work, doing anything from cleaning bathtubs and other kinds of domestic labor to sexual services, or both.

Chandler said that smugglers will assure women who cannot afford the initial fee that they can work and pay it off once they reach the United States, an agreement that she said typically turns into debt bondage.

This is the most common scenario, said Chandler. Regardless of how many years these young women [work], they have ledgers that, once you start doing the math, you realize theyre not going to be able to pay them off.

Beyond the inaccuracy of his statements, Trumps proclaimed concerns about the issue of human trafficking ring hollow for many attorneys and immigrant rights advocates, who point to a number of ways his administration has already sought to make life harder for immigrant victims of trafficking.

According to the U.S. State Departments 2018 Trafficking in Persons report, the Department of Homeland Security granted significantly fewer T visas temporary legal status and work authorization for which certain victims of human trafficking and their immediate family members are eligiblein 2017 compared to the year before.

DHS granted T nonimmigrant status to 672 victims and 690 eligible family members of victims in FY 2017, a decrease from 750 and 986 in FY 2016.

While the T visa application process itself has not technically changed since Trump took office, Chan said that a lot of policies from the administration have made it much more difficult and much more risky to apply.

In addition to the Administrations generally tougher approach to immigration enforcement, Chan said shes seen subtle changes in the way U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is adjudicating T visa requests. Applicants, especially those whove had any kind of interaction with law enforcement in the past, are facing much more scrutiny, frequently being asked to provide additional documents and other evidence to prove they are a person of good moral character.

In the past, Chan said, these humanitarian-based benefits were very forgiving and now theyre not.

Not only has it become harder to obtain a T visa, but under a new policy issued over the summer by USCIS, those whose applications fail to meet the agencys rising standards are now at greater risk of deportation.

Based on the enforcement priorities of previous administrations, Chan said, traditionally the government would not actively seek removal for survivors or victims of trafficking, even if their T visa application had been denied. Under President Trump, however, ICE has essentially stated that all immigrants who are in the country illegally, regardless of circumstance or criminal history, is a priority for deportation. As part of the new policy guidelines, which USCIS issued in June to better align with enforcement priorities of the Trump administration, applicants for T visas and other humanitarian benefits whose requests are denied can now be placed automatically in removal proceedings.

If the government wanted to do more to protect trafficking victims, it would not implement policies that hurt survivors for coming forward, said Chan. They would have a better system for accounting for minors who cross into country unaccompanied, and not implement bureaucratic hurdles in the T visa application process that make it much more difficult for them to have applications approved.

President Trump speaks to the media before signing anti-trafficking legislation, Jan. 9, 2019. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Painter noted that for clients like Isaac, who are already in removal proceedings, changes to immigration court procedure have also imposed major hurdles to securing a T visa. In May 2018, then Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked immigration judges authority to administratively close a case, or temporarily put proceedings on hold before issuing a decision.

If you have a T visa pending, you should be able to stop going to court until there is a resolution, said Painter.

The Tahirih Justice Centers Chandler said there are definitely notable differences in the way T visa applications have been adjudicated in the last year and a half. However, she argued that the climate of fear President Trumps rhetoric and policies have created among immigrants is the biggest factor in the drop of T visa grants, noting cooperation with law enforcement is often part of the process for obtaining a T visa.

Survivors, to be effective in human trafficking cases, have to have fortitude and desire to share their stories with law enforcement and engage in that prosecution, she said.

Chandler and the others also expressed concern about the Trump administrations crackdown on asylum seekers at the border, including the newly implemented policy requiring those who request asylum at the border to remain in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings, which could take years.

The harder it is  to present oneself in honest and sincere ways along the border, the more the likelihood of exploitation increases, said Chandler. According to the White Houses own statistics, included in a press release on Friday [m]ore than 30% of women are sexually assaulted on the journey to our southern border and [n]early 70% of migrants traveling north to the United States are victims of violence.

I have found it just amazing to see Trump kind of frame his border policy as one of exclusion as a necessary response to ensure that women and children are not trafficked and not abused, as if this is somehow a humanitarian response from the U.S., said Chandler. I couldnt think anything further from the truth.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:Beirut (AFP) - A roadside bomb struck a bus carrying teachers in Manbij killing one person on Saturday, the latest in a spate of attacks in the northern Syrian city since mid-January, a war monitor said.

The device exploded as the bus passed, killing the driver and wounding at least four others, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.

Sherfan Darwish, a spokesman for Manbij's military council, reported on Twitter a "terrorist explosion with an explosive device against a vehicle of teachers".

Manbij is a former Islamic State (IS) group stronghold that is now held by a military council affiliated to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Arab force that is supported by a US-led coalition.

On January 16, four Americans were among 19 people killed in a suicide attack in the city claimed by IS.

On Friday, an explosion wounded a senior leader of the military council as he was on patrol, Abdel Rahman said.

The attacks follow US President Donald Trump's announcement in December that he would withdraw American troops from Syria, as he declared IS had been defeated.

After a lightning offensive that saw it seize large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, the group's self-declared "caliphate" has crumbled under pressure from multiple offensives, but the jihadists remain able to launch deadly attacks.

Manbij constitutes a major point of contention between Syria's Kurdish minority, which maintains de facto autonomy in parts of northern and northeastern Syria, and neighbouring Turkey.

In December, Ankara threatened to launch a new offensive to dislodge the People's Protection Units (YPG) -- a Kurdish militia that forms the backbone of the SDF, but is considered a terrorist group by Turkey -- from its borders.

Syria's multi-fronted war has killed more than 360,000 people since it began in 2011 with President Bashar al-Assad's regime bloodily suppressing protests.Khartoum (AFP) - A member of Sudan's top Islamist party has died in detention just days after he was arrested in connection to anti-government rallies that have rocked the country for weeks, a relative said Saturday.

Ahmed al-Kheir, a 36-year-old teacher, was a member of the Islamist Popular Congress Party, which is part of President Omar al-Bashir's government but has called for a probe into the deaths of protesters.

Security agents took Kheir from his home in the city of Khashm El-Girba in the eastern state of Kassala three days ago, his uncle Ahmed Abdelwahab told AFP.

"We didn't know where they took him, but security agents said at that time that he was one of the organisers of protests," Abdelwahab said.

He said the family was told that Kheir had been brought to Kassala hospital Saturday morning, but they were later directed to the mortuary in the town of Gadaref.

"I saw his body there. I saw there were marks of beatings on his back."

Abdelwahab said the family took Kheir's body and buried him in their hometown.

A doctors' committee linked to the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which is leading the protest movement against Bashir's three-decade rule, confirmed Kheir's death.

Sudanese police and security officials were not immediately available for comment.

Deadly protests have rocked Sudan since December 19, with the SPA calling for daily nationwide rallies against Bashir's rule.

Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence, while rights groups have put the death toll at more than 40 including medics and children.

Protests first erupted against a government decision to triple the price of bread, but quickly grew into nationwide rallies against Bashir's rule.

The Popular Congress Party, founded by late Islamist leader Hassan Turabi, has two ministers of state in the cabinet and seven lawmakers in parliament.

Days after protests erupted against Bashir's government, the party called for a probe into the deaths of protesters killed during the demonstrations.PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa's radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will nationalize all mines by 2023 if elected this year, the party said in its election manifesto launched on Saturday. The party is using an anti-corruption, jobs creation and state control of the economy platform to challenge the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the election expected in May. "The EFF government will nationalize all mines and mineral wealth in South Africa by the year 2023. It will allocate key shares in South Africa's mineral and petroleum resources to the Sovereign Wealth Fund," the party said in the manifesto, adding that a state mining company would be established. Since its formation in 2013, the EFF, which draws much of its support from the rural poor, has called for the nationalization of mines, banks and other strategic sectors of the economy as well as expropriation of land without compensation. While parliament has opened the way to a change of the constitution to allow land to be expropriated without compensation, a final decision is not expected until after the election. "We cannot postpone the land question, we cannot postpone the jobs question, it must happen now," EFF leader Julius Malema told supporters, many dressed in red and carrying placards, at the manifesto launch in Pretoria. Land is a hot-button issue in South Africa where racial inequality remains entrenched more than two decades after the end of apartheid when millions among the black majority were dispossessed of their land by a white minority. (Writing Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Janet Lawrence)A fake news vendor in Manhattan, aiming to educate readers about disinformation - AFP

Two important partners in Facebook's flagship anti-fake-news project have pulled out, with staff at one saying it has become "impossible" to manage the workload.

Snopes.com, a venerable fact-checking website founded in 1994 to debunk urban myths, said it had ended its role in Facebook's fact-checking programme after two years after "evaluating the ramifications and costs".

Snopes' vice president of operations Vinny Green accused the social network of not doing enough to help fact-checkers manage its torrent of fake news, adding that it seemed to be relying on them to do its work.

The Associated Press, one of the world's biggest news agencies, also told Techcrunch that it was not currently doing fact-checking work for Facebook", though declined to say why.

"It doesn't seem like we're striving to make third-party fact-checking more practical for publishers," Mr Green told the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. It seems like were striving to make it easier for Facebook."

"At some point, we need to put our foot down.... with a manual system and a closed system, its impossible to keep on top of that stuff."

He said that Facebook's interface for fact-checkers was painfully slow, and that the company needed to build an API, or specialised data interface, which would let journalists find and debunk fake news more quickly and extensively.

Snopes admitted that by leaving the project would leave give up the grant money it had been receiving from Facebook, which previously came to $100,000 (76,000), but said it would "adapt to make up for it".

The split follows criticism from two former Snopes employees, who told the Guardian last year that Facebook had used Snopes for "crisis PR" and that it wanted the "appearance of trying to prevent damage without actually doing anything".

David Mikkelson, one of Snopes' founders, disagreed with their depiction of the partnership, but said that Facebook had left his employees in the dark about whether their efforts were working.

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Doreen Marchionne, Snopes' managing editor, said employees had expressed frustration about the partnership during two recent staff virtual meetings and through an internal survey.

Sites such as Snopes, Politifact and Factcheck.org are at the centre of Facebook's efforts to fight fake news, receiving money in return for independently checking and rating stories being shared on its service.

The social network has repeatedly emphasised that it does not want to make decisions about what is true and what is false on its own because of the danger to free speech. Instead it "demotes" content that is rated "false" by fact checkers.

According to Meredith Carden, Facebook's head of news integrity partnerships, suspicious stories are referred to fact-checkers by AI systems which look for signs of falseness (such as users expressing disbelief). Those which are rated "false" gain the disfavour of Facebook's algorithms, which the company says reduces their traffic by an average of 80 per cent.

But a report by the Columbia Journalism Review found that many fact-checkers found the programme opaque and were uncomfortable with how little they knew about how Facebook chose the stories that it referred to them.

That left Snopes employees spending more and more of their time dealing with Facebook-recommended content without being able to design new tools to tackle it.

The same report also suggested that the fact-checkers' own activity helped train Facebook's algorithms on what kind of content was rated as false and what kind of content was given a pass.

A spokesman for Facebook said: "We value the work that Snopes has done, and respect their decision as an independent business. Fighting misinformation takes a multi-pronged approach from across the industry. We are committed to fighting this through many tactics, and the work that third-party fact-checkers do is a valued and important piece of this effort.

"We have strong relationships with 34 fact-checking partners around the world who fact-check content in 16 languages, and we plan to expand the program this year by adding new partners and languages.

Snopes said that it did not rule out working with Facebook again in future.

Speaking before the decision was announced, Mr Green said tech companies such as Facebook needed to give fact-checkers proper access to Facebook's data so that users could flag content to them directly on a large scale.

As it stands, he said, Facebook's recommendations happened "behind closed doors", making it impossible for journalists to keep track of what Facebook users report as fake news.

On Thursday, Facebook revealed that it had taken down almost 800 pages and accounts operated from inside Iran which had been masquerading as local activist groups in various countries and reposting narratives from Iranian state media.

Nathaniel Gleicher, a former White House official who was hired as Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy in early 2018, said that the Iranian networks had been focused on topics such as Israel and Palestine, the wars in Syria and Yemen and the role of the USA, Russia and Saudi Arabia in those conflicts.

He said that the investigation had been aided by a tip-off from Twitter, which announced its own removals of thousands of accounts associated with Iran, Russia and Venezuela.

This year Facebook will open two new election operations centres in Dublin and Singapore in order to coordinate Facebook's response to fake news and information warfare around the world.The Senate sent a clear disapproving message to President Trump on Thursday, advancing a measure warning against a precipitous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle voted 68 to 23 to end debate on Senate majority leader Mitch McConnells amendment to a larger Middle East policy bill. The upper chamber will now vote on whether to pass the amendment.

Al Qaeda, ISIS and their affiliates in Syria and Afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to us here at home, the amendment reads, and urges that the Trump administration make sure conditions are met for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda and ISIS before initiating any significant withdrawal of United States forces from Syria or Afghanistan.

Its not a partisan amendment, McConnell said. Its not complicated. There is no poison pill. Just an opportunity for senators to go on the record about what our country should be doing in Syria and Afghanistan.

While it is tempting to retreat to the comfort and security of our own shores, there is still a great deal of work to be done, the majority leader said. Were not the worlds policemen, but we are the leaders of the free world.

Trump caught Congress off guard with his December 19 announcement that he plans to withdraw the about 2,000 troops currently stationed in Syria, stating that the Islamic State has been defeated in the region. The controversial move drew bipartisan criticism, Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham warning the announcement may have emboldened ISIS. Trump also promised to withdraw about half of the close to 14,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan.

Several potential Democratic presidential hopefuls voted no on the amendment, Senators Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.

More from National ReviewRome (AFP) - Migrant rescue ship Sea Watch 3 committed no offences when it saved 47 migrants off the coast of Libya and delivered them to Italy, an Italian prosecutor said Saturday.

A joint investigation with police had not established any criminal responsibility in the conduct of those running the Sea Watch 3, said a statement from Catania prosecutor Carmelo Zuccaro.

Sea Watch was detained at the Sicilian port for breaching navigation safety and environmental laws, the Italian coastguard reported Friday.

The prosecutor's analysis of their conduct -- from when they saved the migrants on January 19 to their arrival at Catania on Thursday -- concluded that all their actions had been justified.

The court had nevertheless opened an investigation into illegal immigration which, while not naming anyone in particular, was directly mainly at human traffickers, as happens with all migrant arrivals.

Zuccaro's ruling represents a setback for Italy's far-right, anti-migrant interior minister, Matteo Salvini. He insisted earlier this week that he had all the evidence required to prove the crew had committed offences.

Salvini said on Wednesday that he was looking at ways to ban migrant rescue ships from Italian waters.

Sea Watch 3 was only allowed to anchor in Catania after six other countries agreed to take in the migrants, who include 15 minors.

The crew of the Dutch-flagged ship had expected the vessel to be detained or impounded as a show of strength from Salvini. Zuccaro himself has made a name for himself as a legal thorn in the side of migrant rescue organisations.

In March 2018 he impounded the Open Arms ship while investigating the crew for allegedly aiding illegal migrants by refusing to hand them over to the Libyan coastguard.

The ship was released after a month following a court ruling that Libya could not be considered a safe country because of a lack of safeguards for human rights, but the investigation continues.

Saturday's statement from Catania is in line with a similar one issued at Syracuse, a Sicilian city that cleared Sea Watch of any wrongdoing after holding the boat for several days.

Sea Watch 3 is still being held in Catania however, until the question of the alleged offences reported by the Italian coastguard Friday have been resolved.WASHINGTON  The backlash was nearly instant.

Within hours of a photo surfacing on Friday that showed Virginia's Democratic governor in a photo showing two people dressed in blackface in Ku Klux Klan robes, a chorus calling for Ralph Northam to resign grew and spread across social media.

The photo was part of Northam's 1984 yearbook during his last year at Eastern Virginia Medical School. A half-page with four photos of Northam included one of two people, one in a blackface costume and the other wearing a KKK robe.

Northam admitted he was in the photo and apologized, but did not detail which of the pictured individuals he was dressed up as.

Related Video: Ralph Northam Apologizes For 1984 Racist Photo

So, who is Ralph Northam? Here's what you should know:

Soft-spoken and moderate

Northam is widely viewed as a moderate within his party, someone who says he voted twice for former Republican President George W. Bush.

He has described himself as a fiscal conservative but socially liberal, as Northam has advocated for tighter gun laws and loosening abortion restrictions. Republicans in the state at one point tried to recruit Northam to switch parties, according to the New York Times, something Northam rejected.

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A former doctor, Northam is soft-spoken and was relatively unknown outside of Virginia when he took up a bid for governor.

Northam entered politics in 2007 when he ran and won a bid to become a state senator. In 2013, he took up a bid for lieutenant governor, winning the post to become second in command for then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

His military, medical history

Before his political career, Northam served as a doctor in the U.S. Army and treated soldiers overseas during the Gulf War.

He served eight years in the military and traveled to Germany where he tended to soldiers during Operation Desert Storm.

He attended both Virginia Military Institute and Eastern Virginia Medical School and, after completing his residency, started treating children as a pediatric neurologist.

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He continued that work while serving as lieutenant governor, spending his days both at the state capitol and treating children suffering from illnesses.

Response to Charlottesville

The deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville stunned the nation and thrust the small, southern city into the epicenter of a radical discussion about race and anti-Semitism.

After the 2017 rally, which left one woman dead and several injured after a neo-Nazi rammed his car into a group of counterprotesters, politics became even divisive.

President Donald Trump cast blame on "both sides" and said "you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides," causing an uproar that took over the news cycle for days.

Northam, after the rally, denounced the "ugly" event and praised the city and its residents for promoting a place that values "openness, diversity and inclusion," according to the Washington Post.

"White supremacists have descended upon Charlottesville again to evoke a reaction as ugly and violent as their beliefs  just as they did before, I am urging Virginians to deny them the satisfaction," Northam said in a statement.

More: 'I am deeply sorry': Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam apologizes for yearbook photo with blackface, KKK costumes

More: Calls for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign flood in after blackface, KKK photo surfaces

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks during a news conference in the Crystal City neighborhood in Arlington, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018. Amazon, which has grown too big for its Seattle hometown, said it will split its much-anticipated second headquarters between New York and northern Virginia.

An effort to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee led to the rally and violence.

Northam, at first, supported the removal of all Confederate statues in the aftermath of the event. He later changed his mind, saying it should be left up to local officials.

Racially charged governor's race

Northam ran for governor in 2017 in the aftermath of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, an event that shifted politics in the state.

The rally drew neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right, many of whom carried Confederate flags or wore clothing with Nazi or KKK insignias.

The November 2017 election was one of Virginia's most racially charged in recent memory and ended with Northam beating Republican Ed Gillespie.

Voters were peppered with ads about the Charlottesville unrest.

Many of Northam's attack ads focused on Gillespie's lobbying efforts but one mailer sought to compare Gillespie with the white nationalists who rallied in the city. The mailer, which included a photo of Gillespie and white nationalists, said the election was a chance to "stand up... to hate."

Obama campaigned for him

During the 2017 campaign for governor, Northam was one of the candidates that former President Barack Obama supported.

During a rally in October 2017 rally, Obama, the first black president of the U.S., campaigned for Northam and addressed the events of Charlottesville, saying one rises by not repeating the past.

"You know, Ralph believes that if we're going to talk about history hen we should do it in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds, not in a way that divides," Obama said. "We saw what happened in Charlottesville. But we also saw what happened after Charlottesville when the biggest gatherings of all rejected fear and rejected hate."

The former president continued: "That's how we rise. We don't rise up by repeating the past. We rise up by learning from the past and by listening to each other and knowing that we're all flawed. But we still try to preserve some baseline measure of goodness and decency and patriotism and we look for the good in other people, not the worst."

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Ralph Northam, the Virginia governor who faces resignation calls after racist yearbook photo?Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam rejected mounting calls for his resignation Saturday and, in a sharp reversal, said he does not believe he in fact appears in a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page as he initially thought.

"I am not the person in that photo," Northam said at an afternoon news conference.

He apologized, however, for the photos being on a page with his name on it.

"I am asking for the opportunity to earn your forgiveness," the governor said, adding, "I am far from perfect and I can always strive to do more."

His remarks came in the face of widespread demands throughout the state Democratic party and beyond for him to step down.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, Terry McAuliffe, Northam's Democratic predecessor as governor, a half-dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls, the NAACP, Planned Parenthood and state Democratic lawmakers called on the governor to resign.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both former Virginia governors, issued a statement along with U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., saying that they called Northam after the press conference to tell him that they don't believe he can effectively continue to serve as governor.

"The events of the past 24 hours have inflicted immense pain," the trio said.

The Democratic Governors Association also called for him to step down while Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Virginians deserve better from their leaders and that the governor "has lost their trust and his ability to governor."

The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the newspaper in the state capital, said in an editorial that it was time for Northam to go.

President Donald Trump sent out a tweet Saturday nightsaying that Northam's actions were "Unforgivable!"

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Northam's statement to the press at the executive mansion in Richmond followed his apology on Friday in which he said he was one of two people in the photos that shows a man in blackface and another in full Ku Klux Klan regalia, including a hood and robe. The photo appeared in the 1984 yearbook for Eastern Virginia Medical School.

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Calls for him to step down erupted almost immediately after The Washington Post published a story on the photo, which was first discovered Friday afternoon by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics.

In a written statement Friday, the governor had said, "I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now." He also vowed to push forward and work to mend the damage he said he had caused.

In defending himself on Saturday, Northam said that he did not buy a copy of the yearbook in 1984, the year he graduated, and had never seen the page with the offensive material until Friday.

Northam said that when he saw the yearbook, and noted that it was in fact his page, he thought "the most likely explanation is that it was indeed me."

Later, he said, he "reflected with my family and classmates and affirmed that I am not the person in that photo." "I recognize that many people will find this difficult to believe," he told reporters.

Northam, who says he was 25 years old at the time, also denied that he attended the party where the photo was taken.

"The reason I so vividly don't remember is because it didn't happen," he said.

The governor suggested that the photo may have been placed on his page by mistake, noting that there are numerous photos of people in blackface on other pages in the yearbook.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, left, gestures as his wife, Pam, listens during a news conference in the Governors Mansion at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Northam is under fire for a racial photo that appeared in his college yearbook.

Dr. Rob Marsh, who was Northams roommate for two years at EVMS, said when he first saw the photo, he didnt think it was real, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

I did not recognize either one of those people or that event. Neither one of them looked like Ralph to me, said Marsh, who graduated a year ahead of Northam. said.

Marsh, 63, said Northam was very respectful to others as a medical student, and that he never heard him mock anybody of any other race.

Northam said that dressing up as a KKK member or in blackface would not be something that he would have forgotten, and recalled being in San Antonio in 1984 when he darkened his face with shoe polish to take part in a Michael Jackson impersonation contest, which he later regretted.

In attempting to explain himself for the photo being on his yearbook page, Northam said he wanted to apologize "to the many people who have been hurt by this episode."

"I am ready to earn your forgiveness, and I am ready to begin today," he said.

EVMS president Richard Homan also apologized over the incident, adding, "I find no explanation for how such a picture was able to be published in the past."

He called the picture "shockingly abhorrent and absolutely antithetical to the principles, morals and values" of the institution.

A second yearbook photo is from Northam's time at the Virginia Military Institute, which makes its yearbooks available online. Page 90 of the 1981 edition shows the nicknames "Goose" and "Coonman" underneath Northam's school photo.

Asked on Saturday why he was given that nickname, Northam said only two men had called him that and he did not know why.

His resignation would have propelled Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, into the governorship. Fairfax is only the second African-American to win statewide office in Virginia.

Fairfax issued a statement Saturday saying he was "shocked and saddened" by the yearbook images.

"The governor needed to apologize and I am glad that he did so," said Fairfax.

"He also reached out to me personally to express his sincere regrets and to apologize," he added. Fairfax did not mention the calls for Northam's resignation.

Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, wrote on Twitter that if Northam stepped down he would be the first Virginia governor since the Civil War not to complete his term. Sabato also said that if Fairfax finishes Northam's unexpired term, he will remain eligible to run for a full term in 2021. Under state law, governors are not allowed to run for re-election.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus and the state Senate Democratic Caucus called on Northam to resign late Friday, along with several key progressive groups that have been some of the governors closest political allies.

The state's Legislative Black Caucus, which met with Northam Friday evening, said in a statement they appreciate his service, but added: "It is clear that he can no longer effectively serve as governor.

Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina who recently spoke out against Republican Rep. Steve King's remarks about white supremacism, also denounced Northam.

Jack Wilson, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, called the photos "wholly inappropriate," adding that "racism has no place in Virginia."

Last week, Floridas then-secretary of state Michael Ertel resigned after photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.

Northam, who previously served as lieutenant for Gov. Terry McAuliffe, ran for governor in 2017 in the aftermath of the white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, which left one woman dead and several injured after a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters.

The rally drew neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right, many of whom carried Confederate flags or wore clothing with Nazi or KKK insignias.

The race was one of Virginia's most racially charged in recent memory and ended with Northam beating Republican Ed Gillespie. Voters were peppered with ads about the Charlottesville unrest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I am not the person in that photo': Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam denies he was in racist imageCaracas (AFP) - Protesters flowed into the streets of Caracas Saturday, with flags and placards, many to support opposition leader Juan Guaido's calls for democratic elections and others to back embattled President Nicolas Maduro.

Carrying Venezuelan flags and blowing horns and whistles, Guaido's supporters planned to converge on the European Union headquarters in eastern Caracas from five staging areas around the city.

The EU and major European powers have given Maduro until Sunday to call "free elections" or they will recognize Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, as the crisis-torn country's acting president.

Underscoring the high stakes, a Venezuelan air force general announced Saturday he rejected Maduro's "dictatorial" authority and pledged his allegiance to Guaido, in a video posted on social media.

The pro-Maduro forces were rallying in the western side of the city to mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of power of the late Hugo Chavez, the leftist firebrand who installed a socialist government.

Maduro, Chavez's handpicked successor, is facing the most serious challenge to his legitimacy yet, with the United States, Canada and nearly a dozen Latin American countries piling on pressure for his removal from office.

Hundreds of members of a civilian militia, public workers and people who have benefitted from the government's social programs began to concentrate in the downtown Avenida Bolivar in a show of support for their beleaguered leader.

Although the rally was called by Maduro, it was not known if he would attend.

If he does, it would be the first time he has appeared in public since August 4, when he claimed to have been the target of an exploding drone at a military parade in Caracas.A description of Donald Trump's presidency in a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor's course syllabus has set off the latest debate over academic freedom and political bias on university campuses.

In his course description, political science professor Kenneth Mayer terms the Trump presidency the most unconventional presidency in American history, with a president who gleefully flouts the norms of governing and presidential behavior that have structured the office since George Washington.

He continues by saying that Trump supporters rejoice in his contempt for what they insist is a corrupt D.C. establishment. If elites are against it, Trumps supporters are for it.

Kenneth Mayer, political science professor at UW-Madison

McKenna Collins, a senior studying communication arts who signed up for "The American Presidency" class, said the description left her feeling intimidated and excluded. She shared her discontent on Facebook, attracting national attention and more than 400 shares of her post.

It really sets a tone for a negative, biased semester before we, as students, even set foot in the classroom, Collins said.

The attention prompted Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, to write a letter to Mayer, copied to the UW System Board of Regents, System President Ray Cross, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank and members of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee and several other legislative committees.

Murphy, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, said that although he is an advocate for academic freedom, he was shocked by the politically polarized characterization of the Trump presidency used in the syllabus.

Students who identify as Trump supporters will be encouraged to parrot liberal views that you clearly sympathize with or remain silent in an attempt to mask their conservative opinions, Murphy wrote.

Murphy, who in 2016 criticized UW-Madison for adding a course called "The Problem of Whiteness," called for Mayer to invite a member of the Trump administration to speak with his students.

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RELATED: GOP, UW at odds over 'whiteness' course

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Dueling letters

Murphy's letter set off a backlash, saying it amounted to an infringement on the academic freedom of professors.

He has no business censoring legitimate speech on campus, Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, tweeted. She and 14 Wisconsin Assembly members responded with a letter to Blank in support of Mayer.

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Taylor's letter advocates for freedom of speech and the rights of students to attend courses on a public campus that are not edited by state lawmakers who may disagree with the professors content.

Attempting to silence professors who are challenging students to learn and grow as independent, critical thinkers stifles academic freedom and stunts the academic experience of our young adults, the letter says.

Taylor said she was alarmed that Murphy accuses Mayer of being biased based solely on the content of the syllabus, which she thought "accurately summed up both the praise and the criticism of the current president."

Among readings listed on the syllabus: "What Trump Got Right About American Democracy," by Kevin Baker; "Will Donald Trump Destroy the Presidency," by Jack Goldsmith; and "Declaring an Emergency to Build a Border Wall: The Statutory Arguments," by Margaret Taylor.

College Republicans back professor

Campus organizations also came out in support of Mayer, including the College Republicans of UW-Madison. The group released a statement stating that multiple board members have had Mayer as a professor and "found him to be an intellectually engaging professor that treats conservatives fairly."

PROFS, a faculty advocacy group, condemned Murphy's statement.

"It could have a chilling effect on the future faculty members' willingness to speak freely and openly about controversial topics of the day," the PROFS statement said.

Terry Warfield, a UW-Madison business professor and member of the PROFS Steering Committee, said all courses taught at UW-Madison go through checks and balances to ensure they adhere to academic standards.

"We need to be careful that we allow diverse perspectives to be presented," Warfield said.

RELATED: Regents approve punishments up to expulsion for UW students who repeatedly disrupt speakers

RELATED: Wisconsin Supreme Court sides with Marquette professor John McAdams in free speech case

Collins, who appeared on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight," said she has been involved with both the College Republicans and College Democrats on campus. She won Miss Wisconsin 2017 with a platform promoting civil discourse. She said she met with professor Mayer and the dean of students.

"He assured me that he will not bring bias into the classroom," Collins said. "But he refused to acknowledge that the language he used was wrong."

Miss Wisconsin 2017 McKenna Collins was Miss Wisconsin 2017.

Collins said she considers this an ongoing issue.

"I dont think I will be satisfied until people realize this kind of language is inappropriate," Collins said.

Mayer, a tenured professor, is declining to be interviewed on the topic, said Meredith McGlone, director of news and media relations for UW-Madison.

McGlone said Mayer is an award-winning scholar who leaves his political opinions at the door and encourages his students to think objectively.

"Professor Mayer updates the syllabus each time the course is offered to reflect current issues and contested points," McGlone said. For example, Mayer used a similar approach when he taught the class focusing on President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment proceedings.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A professor's description of the Trump presidency sets off debate on academic freedomPolice seize $2 million in drugs after trucks tried to avoid border checkpoint in Arizona originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Authorities in Arizona announced on Friday the seizure of two massive truckloads of marijuana and methamphetamine worth $2 million and the arrests of three suspects in the case.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday night detectives saw two trucks avoid a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Gila Bend, about an hour southwest of Phoenix, and drive into the desert with their lights off. Spike strips were placed on the ground ahead of the trucks, which blew out its tires and forced it to a stop.

Four people then got out and ran from the two trucks in an attempt to evade police, the sheriff's office said. Three of those four men were eventually captured.

PHOTO: From left to right, Jose Jaime Garcia-Lopez, Yoni Ontiveros-Torres and Ruben Espericueta-Jiminez were charged with possession over $2 million in marijuana and methamphetamine after being arrested near Gila Bend, Ariz., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2019. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

When the two abandoned trucks were inspected, police found 3,500 pounds of marijuana and over 220 pounds of meth.

"This seizure is an example of exceptional police work by our deputies and law enforcement partners," Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said in a statement. "It is also an example that the demand for drugs continues to be epidemic. Illicit drugs are the most impactful contributor to violence, crime and gang activity that continues to adversely impact our community and our families."

(MORE: Border protection agents make largest fentanyl bust in US history)

Ruben Espericueta-Jiminez, 46, Jose Jaime Garcia-Lopez, 30, and Yoni Ontiveros-Torres, 48, were arrested and charged with possession and transportation of dangerous drugs for sale and possession and transportation of marijuana for sale. The fourth suspect remains at large.

Officials also said the trucks the men were driving were stolen and the license plates were fake. All three men were charged with theft of a vehicle as well as the drug charges.

PHOTO: Authorities seized over 220 pounds of methamphetamine and 3,500 pounds of marijuana from two trucks near Gila Bend, Ariz., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2019. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

The seizure involved the Maricopa County Drug Suppression Task Force, including detectives from the sheriff's office and agents from Customs and Border Protection.

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It was just last weekend that CBP made the largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history. Agents found about 250 pounds of fentanyl, a highly addictive opioid, at the Nogales Port of Entry, also in Arizona. Nogales is about three hours southeast of Gila Bend.

(MORE: 2 suspects identified in drug house shootout that left 5 officers injured)

Juan Antonio Torres-Barraza, who was allegedly also found in possession of about 400 pounds of meth, was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute.

President Donald Trump praised that bust on Twitter saying, "Our great U.S. Border Patrol Agents made the biggest Fentanyl bust in our Countrys history. Thanks, as always, for a job well done!"Tehran (AFP) - A member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards was killed and five wounded in an armed attack in the restive southeast on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The attack took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province, long a flashpoint, where Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and jihadists carry out cross-border raids.

The province has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the border.

The assailants struck a base of the Basij militia in the town of Nikshahr, some way from the border, IRNA said.

"Morteza Ali-Mohammadi was martyred in the incident and the five critically injured have been transferred to the hospital," Nikshahr's prosecutor Mohsen Golmohammadi told the semi-official YJC news agency.

The jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran, claimed responsibility for the raid on social media.

State media said only that it was a "terrorist" attack, and held no particular group responsible.

Jaish al-Adl was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade.

It also claimed responsibility for two bombings on Wednesday which wounded several police officers in the provincial capital Zahedan.Want to help shape the future of investing tools? Participate in a short research study and receive a 6-month subscription to the award winning Simply Wall St research tool (valued at $60)!

One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, well use ROE to better understand Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE:SFL).

Over the last twelve months Ship Finance International has recorded a ROE of 7.3%. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders equity, it generated $0.073 in profit.

View our latest analysis for Ship Finance International

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders Equity

Or for Ship Finance International:

7.3% = 90.237  US$1.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.)

Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders equity is a little more complicated. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. You can calculate shareholders equity by subtracting the companys total liabilities from its total assets.

What Does ROE Signify?

ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The return is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies.

Does Ship Finance International Have A Good Return On Equity?

By comparing a companys ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. You can see in the graphic below that Ship Finance International has an ROE that is fairly close to the average for the Shipping industry (8.8%).

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NYSE:SFL Last Perf February 2nd 19

That isnt amazing, but it is respectable. ROE doesnt tell us if the share price is low, but it can inform us to the nature of the business. For those looking for a bargain, other factors may be more important. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE

Most companies need money  from somewhere  to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

Combining Ship Finance Internationals Debt And Its 7.3% Return On Equity

Ship Finance International clearly uses a significant amount debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.88. Its ROE isnt too bad, but it would probably be very disappointing if the company had to stop using debt. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time.

The Bottom Line On ROE

Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better.

Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, youll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course Ship Finance International may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have 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.A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out. Here are the real facts:

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CLAIM: "Mueller sent more armed FBI agents to arrest Roger Stone for NON VIOLENT charges than the military sent SEALS to get Osama bin Laden. Does that tell you how OUT OF CONTROL Mueller is."  post on Facebook.

THE FACTS: The claim, which circulated widely on Facebook with photos of longtime President Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone and special counsel Robert Mueller, tries to equate the pre-dawn arrest of Stone with the highly sophisticated secret military mission to apprehend Osama bin Laden. On Jan. 25, about 12 FBI agents arrested Stone in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to The Associated Press. In contrast, some 48 members of SEAL Team 6 participated in the raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan in 2011. According to the AP, two specially engineered Black Hawk helicopters carried "23 SEALs, an interpreter and a tracking dog named Cairo" to the compound under the cover of darkness. Nineteen of those SEALS entered the compound. There also were another two dozen SEALs standing by aboard Chinook helicopters. Stone has been charged with lying to Congress, obstructing the House intelligence committee's Russia investigation and witness tampering. He has pleaded not guilty.

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CLAIM: Photo purports to show newly-elected Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sitting in front of a painting of Osama bin Laden, along with an "Unfit to serve, impeach Trump" poster and an Islamic State flag.

THE FACTS: The photo circulating on social media has been altered. In the original photo, which Ocasio-Cortez posted on her Instagram account, there is no poster in the background, no painting of Osama bin Laden and no IS flag. The altered photo, which also distorts the women's faces, is one of the most recent false claims to circulate around the diverse group of women who were recently sworn into the 116th Congress. Omar and Tlaib, the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress, have been frequent targets of misinformation on social media. The photo was taken on Nov. 12, 2018. Ocasio-Cortez captioned the photo, "Squad," and tagged the other three women. It was taken during a 2018 conference in Washington sponsored by VoteRunLead, an organization that offers campaign and leadership training to women.

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CLAIM: "Ronald Reagan never took his jacket off in the Oval Office in eight years, why? Because of his respect and the dignity of the office."

THE FACTS: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made the false claim this week on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," while discussing his 2020 bid for president as an independent candidate. Former President Ronald Reagan did take his jacket off in the Oval Office while serving as president from 1981 to 1989. Among the National Archives photos that show him without a jacket, is one from 1987 where he is wearing a maroon polo shirt as he gives a radio address on international trade. Melissa Giller, spokeswoman for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, told the AP that Reagan rarely took off his jacket in the Oval Office, but when he did it was usually during his weekend radio addresses.

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This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online.

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Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck

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Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheckVirginia governor Ralph Northam on Thursday stood by his prior defense of late-term-abortion legislation pending in the Virginia state legislature, telling reporters that he doesnt regret the comments.

Im a physician. Im also the governor. But when Im asked questions, a lot of times it is put in the context of being a physician  realizing how we approach, how we manage patients, how we offer advice and counseling, he said at a press conference. So, no, I dont have any regrets.

Asked Wednesday about Democratic Virginia delegate Kathy Trans admission that her bill would allow for abortions to be performed up until the point of birth, Northam defended the legislation and suggested that women should be able to determine whether their born-alive infant should receive life-saving care.

If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother, Northam said during an interview on WTOP radio.

Northams comments provoked a backlash from conservative lawmakers, including Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who accused him of defending infanticide.

Everyone in the Senate ought to be able to say unequivocally that killing that little baby is wrong, Sasse said on the Senate floor Thursday while introducing the Born Alive Protection Act, which would penalize doctors who fail to provide life-saving care to infants delivered after botched abortion procedures. This doesnt take any political courage. And, if you cant say that, if theres a member of this body that cant say that, there may be lots of work you can do in the world but you shouldnt be here. . . . There should be no politics here that are Right vs. Left, or Republican vs. Democrat.

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In his comments Thursday, Northam accused his critics of misrepresenting his position and abandoning civility to advance a political agenda.

I regret that those comments have been mischaracterized, he said.The personal insults toward me, I really find disgusting. Again, as I said in my comments just earlier, we can agree to disagree, but lets be civil.

More from National ReviewBy Paul Carsten and Alexis Akwagyiram ABUJA (Reuters) - A helicopter carrying Nigeria's Vice President crash landed on Saturday en route to a political campaign two weeks before an election, but he survived the incident in central Kogi state unharmed, saying later he was safe and sound. Nigerian go to the polls on Feb. 16 to elect a new president in an election where the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy have been touring the country to woo voters for a second term in office. A video on the Twitter account of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, showed him cheering to supporters after the incident. He posted: "We are safe and sound!" The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Spokesman Laolu Akande said the vice president was continuing his engagements in Kogi state. "VP Osinbajo's chopper crash lands in Kabba, but he and the entire crew safe," the spokesman tweeted. Nigeria's airlines are plagued by problems - delays, cancellations and fuel shortages that are almost expected from domestic passengers. However, safety records have been improving in recent years. Political party candidates have been campaigning across the country to market their plans on how they intend to lead one of Africa's top economies over the next four years, with the key issues being corruption, security and the economy. Buhari is hoping his anti-corruption agenda can win him a second term while the main opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar has said he would consider an amnesty for corruption suspects and privatize the state-owned oil company NNPC. (Additional reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha, Editing by William Maclean)ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)  The helicopter of Nigeria's vice president crash-landed on its side on Saturday but he and the crew were unscathed, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said.

"We are safe and sound!" Osinbajo tweeted after the crash in Kabba in Kogi state, saying the crew managed the situation well. He linked to a video of himself later waving to supporters as campaigning ahead of the Feb. 16 presidential election keeps the top candidates on the road.

The vice president later told a crowd that "we are extremely grateful to the Lord for preserving our lives," spokesman Laolu Akande tweeted, thanking God and the flight crew.

Local media outlet Sahara Reporters published photos of the upturned helicopter, its rotor blades smashed. Other local media published footage , shot with a mobile phone, showing passengers carefully emerging and being helped down into a waiting crowd at the dusty scene.

The Lagos-based Caverton Helicopters company in a statement blamed "unusual weather conditions" and said an investigation had begun.

The crash at least briefly united Nigeria's top two political parties in concern after heated campaigns laced with accusations.

Rival presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar told the vice president he was "happy to note" that everyone was safe.

"May the Almighty protect all of us in this season," his running mate, Peter Obi, tweeted.

President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking a second term at the head of Africa's most populous country and top oil producer.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaOSLO (Reuters) - NATO will continue to work with Russia to get it to respect the INF Treaty, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. In remarks to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, Stoltenberg added that intelligence collected from many countries over many years showed Russia was breaking the INF treaty. The United States announced on Friday it would suspend compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia on Saturday and formally withdraw in six months if Moscow does not end its alleged violation of the pact. (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, Editing by William Maclean)Mylan N.V. MYL received a significant boost when the FDA approved its generic version of GlaxoSmithKlines GSK Advair Diskus  Wixela Inhub  following a few setbacks.

Notably, this is the first generic of Advair Diskus approved, which in turn, will give Mylan an edge in the market.

Wixela Inhub is indicated for the twice-daily treatment of asthma patients aged four and above, who are not adequately relieved by long-term asthma-control medications or whose disease warrants initiation of therapy with both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists; maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the reduction of COPD exacerbations in patients with a history of exacerbations.

The generic will be launched in the second half of this month and will incorporate the latest safety information required by the FDA earlier in January, which prompted an amendment to the label for certain inhaled corticosteroids including Advair Diskus and any generic version.

The news should please investors as the regulatory agency had earlier issued a complete response letter (CRL) to Mylans Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for the generic version of Advair Diskus citing minor deficiencies.

The nod will be a great boost to Mylans generic portfolio given the market potential. Per Iqvia, Advair Diskus registered sales of $4.2 billion for the 12 months ending November 30, 2018.

Since Wixela Inhub is the first generic to be approved, it will surely gain advantage in the market. We remind investors that Novartis NVS generic arm, Sandoz, is also developing a generic version of Advair Diskus. Incidentally, Sandoz too was issued a CRL for its generic version.

Meanwhile, sales of Glaxos Advair will take a hit with a cheaper generic available in the market now.

Mylans stock has lost 18.3% in the last six months compared with the industrys decline of 14.5%. Mylans portfolio of generics has been facing challenges of late.

Story continues

Mylan proactively discontinued a number of products while also transferring some to other sites. These strategic moves have caused a temporary disruption in the supply of certain products and also lowered volumes of North America generic sales.

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Zacks Investment ResearchBEIRUT (Reuters) - Arab states at an economic summit in Beirut called on world powers on Sunday to step up efforts to enable Syrian refugees to return home.

The United Nations says that 5.6 million Syrian refugees live in five neighboring countries - Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq - and it is not yet safe for them to return.

Since conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, more than 1 million people have fled across the border to Lebanon, where aid agencies say most live in extreme poverty.

Lebanese officials have called for refugees to go home after Syria's President Bashar al-Assad reclaimed most of the country with Russian and Iranian help.

"We call on the international community to take its responsibility to curb the misery," Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said, reading a statement which the summit agreed.

It asked for a doubling of efforts "to strengthen favourable conditions for the displaced and refugees to return in line with international law".

Divisions among Arab states over Syria, and internal disputes in Lebanon, have overshadowed the summit even before it began, with several leaders staying away.

A key point of contention has been whether to bring Syria back into the Arab League, more than seven years after its membership was suspended.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has helped Assad's military defeat rebels and militants, wants rapprochement with Damascus. Its critics oppose this, insisting the United Nations must oversee any repatriations.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, had called earlier at the summit for safe refugee returns "without tying that to reaching a political solution".

He also proposed the creation of an Arab bank for reconstruction and development "to help all affected Arab states overcome adversity and contribute to their sustainable economic growth".

Under deals Hezbollah has helped to broker, tens of thousands of refugees have left Lebanon for Syria in the past year - a drop in the ocean compared with the scale of the refugee crisis.

Story continues

Rights groups have warned against forced returns while a Syrian peace deal remains elusive, and refugees often say they fear conscription into the army.

Lebanese leaders had hoped to reach a deal to form a new government before the summit after months of political gridlock. But talks have failed amid fears for the Lebanese economy.

Several hundred people protested in the streets of Beirut on Sunday, blaming politicians for growing economic troubles.

(Reporting by Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam in Beirut, Maher Chmaytelli in Dubai; editing by John Stonestreet and David Goodman)BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's new government will start preparing its policy statement on Monday, it said on Saturday, as investors monitor commitment to reforms aimed at boosting the economy. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri told reporters he expected the cabinet to agree it quickly and that it would resemble previous statements, avoiding areas of dispute between coalition members. He added that the statement would affirm the reforms he promised at an international donors meeting last year, which could unlock billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. "There are difficult decisions in all areas that we must take," he said, after the first meeting of the coalition cabinet. Public debt is 50 percent bigger than the size of the economy and annual growth has averaged 1-2 percent for years. It took rival parties nearly nine months to agree on the make-up of the cabinet after May's election, apportioning portfolios according to party strength and a delicate sectarian power balance. A committee formed by the cabinet to start preparing the statement will meet on Monday and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said it will present this within a week. Foreign donors have pledged aid and low-interest loans to help the economy by investing in Lebanon's inadequate infrastructure, but they have tied the money to reforms. At the Paris conference last year in which the pledges were made, Hariri promised to reduce the deficit as a percentage of GDP by 5 percent in five years. He said on Saturday the biggest of Lebanon's problems was its high spending on an inadequate electricity system. A World Bank official on Friday urged Lebanon to prioritize power sector reform. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Janet Lawrence)BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's new government will start preparing its policy statement on Monday, it said on Saturday, as investors monitor commitment to reforms aimed at boosting the economy.

Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri told reporters he expected the cabinet to agree it quickly and that it would resemble previous statements, avoiding areas of dispute between coalition members.

He added that the statement would affirm the reforms he promised at an international donors meeting last year, which could unlock billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

"There are difficult decisions in all areas that we must take," he said, after the first meeting of the coalition cabinet.

Public debt is 50 percent bigger than the size of the economy and annual growth has averaged 1-2 percent for years.

It took rival parties nearly nine months to agree on the make-up of the cabinet after May's election, apportioning portfolios according to party strength and a delicate sectarian power balance.

A committee formed by the cabinet to start preparing the statement will meet on Monday and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said it will present this within a week.

Foreign donors have pledged aid and low-interest loans to help the economy by investing in Lebanon's inadequate infrastructure, but they have tied the money to reforms.

At the Paris conference last year in which the pledges were made, Hariri promised to reduce the deficit as a percentage of GDP by 5 percent in five years.

He said on Saturday the biggest of Lebanon's problems was its high spending on an inadequate electricity system. A World Bank official on Friday urged Lebanon to prioritise power sector reform.

(Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Janet Lawrence)CHICAGO (AP)  The Latest on the attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett (all times local)

3:30 p.m.

The family of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett says that they have no doubt that the actor is a victim of a "racial and homophobic hate crime."

In a statement released via one of Smollett's representatives, the family seems to dispute any suggestion that Smollett wasn't truthful with police when he reported that two men in masks beat him early Tuesday, hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him, threw an undetermined chemical on him and looped a rope around his neck. The family says Smollett has told police "everything" and that his account of what happened has "never changed."

Such doubts have been expressed online as police have reported that they have not yet located any surveillance video of the attack and that Smollett declined to turn over phone records that would show he was talking to his agent on the phone at the time of the attack, as he told detectives. Police have said that Smollett has been cooperative.

Police continued to gather and analyze surveillance video Thursday and reported that video from Smollett's apartment building shows that he had a thin rope around his neck when he arrived after he says he was beaten up.

___

1 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he's seen the reports about the racially-charged attack in Chicago on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett and described what happened as "horrible."

Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he saw the story the night before and that, "It doesn't get worse, as far as I'm concerned." The president's Trump International Hotel & Tower is in the general area where the attack took place.

Smollett, who is gay and black, told police that two masked men attacked him early Tuesday as he was walking home from a Subway restaurant. He says they beat him, hurled racial and homophobic insults at him, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and looped a rope around his neck before fleeing.

Story continues

Police are gathering and reviewing video from scores of surveillance cameras in the area. They have recovered video that shows Smollett arriving home with a rope around his neck, but they have not found video of the attack itself.

They have also released photographs from videos of two people walking in the area about the time of the attack in the hopes that those people can be located and provide them more information about what happened.

___

11:45 a.m.

A Chicago police spokesman says surveillance video shows that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett had a rope around his neck as he walked into his apartment building the night he reported he was attacked by two masked men.

Anthony Guglielmi (goo-lee-EHL'-mee) said Thursday that police still haven't recovered any surveillance video of the early Tuesday attack, but that the building's security footage shows Smollett arrived home wearing the rope minutes after he says it occurred.

Smollett, who is gay and black, says two men beat him, hurled racial and homophobic insults at him, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and looped the rope around his neck before fleeing.

Police want to talk to two people seen on surveillance video walking in that section of downtown Chicago at the time of the attack. They have released their images to the media in the hopes that someone will recognize them or they themselves will come forward.

___

9:17 a.m.

Chicago police have recovered more surveillance footage of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett walking before and after he says he was attacked by two masked men, but they haven't found video of the attack.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi (goo-lee-EHL'-mee) also said Thursday that Smollett and his manager say they were talking on the phone when he was attacked at 2 a.m. Tuesday, but that Smollett has declined to hand his phone records to police.

Police released images Wednesday of two people who were walking in the area around that time Tuesday, but Guglielmi stresses that they are not considered suspects and are being sought because they were in the vicinity.

Smollett, who is gay and black, says two men beat him, hurled racial and homophobic insults at him, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and looped a rope around his neck before fleeing.CHICAGO (AP)  The Latest on a major snowstorm and frigid weather in the Midwest (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

At least three deaths in western New York are being blamed on the winter storm that has dropped more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow and inflicted subzero wind chills.

Authorities said Thursday that a homeless man found frozen in a suburban Buffalo bus shelter may have been a fourth storm victim but an autopsy was needed to confirm his cause of death.

Two Buffalo-area men died clearing snow and a man died in Livingston County when his vehicle hit a snowdrift and crashed early Thursday.

The victims' names and other details haven't been released.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says one of the men who died clearing snow was shoveling and the other was operating a snowblower.

Buffalo schools will be closed for a third day Friday.

___

3:35 p.m.

As much of the Midwest begins a quick thaw from the deep freeze that dropped wind chill temperatures below minus 50 (-45 C) in some places, crews are preparing to clean up the mess expected from crumbling roads, frozen pipes and broken water mains.

The number of water mains being patched in Detroit swelled from two dozen Wednesday to 44 on Thursday. And more trouble is expected once the temperature swings by 60 degrees next week, kicking the city's freeze-thaw cycle into hyper drive.

Detroit registered a -14 (-25 C) low Wednesday night. A high of 50 degrees (10 C) is expected Monday.

Water department Deputy Director Palencia Mobley says wet soil around mains contracts and expands with temperature changes, making the ground and pipes shift and causing breaks.

___

3 p.m.

More than 4,000 flights have been canceled at Chicago's two international airports amid a deep freeze that brought record cold temperatures to Illinois.

Flight tracking website, FlightAware, says close to 3,300 flights in and out of O'Hare Airport and more than 850 at Midway Airport were canceled between Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon. That's more than half of the scheduled flights for Wednesday and Thursday.

Story continues

Joseph Schwieterman is a transportation professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Schwieterman says operations should be back to normal by midday Saturday unless snow forecast for Thursday night complicates matters further.

___

2:50 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Public Health says at least 144 people made hospital emergency-room visits and one person has died due to cold-related injuries since Tuesday.

Department spokesman Melaney Arnold said Thursday that there were at least 65 hospital visits in Chicago and at least 75 outside Chicago. The data say the injuries were either hypothermia or frostbite.

The department didn't specify the cause of the death or where it occurred.

The injuries came as temperatures plummeted in Illinois to double-digit subzero readings. Wind chill readings fell to more than 55 below zero in some areas.

Temperatures are forecast to ease later Thursday before warming to more than 50 degrees in some parts of Illinois early next week.

___

1:20 p.m.

Xcel Energy has lifted a request to its Minnesota natural gas customers to lower their thermostats, as concerns about conserving gas eased with the warmup in the forecast.

The utility is also working to restore gas service by the end of Thursday to about 150 customers in Princeton, Minnesota, who lost their heat as temperatures dipped to around negative 20 (negative 29 Celsius) Tuesday night.

Company spokesman John Marshall says workers in the field are looking forward to the warmup.

Marshall says the utility is not expecting any problems related to the expected big upswing in temperatures in the coming days. He says he has "a lot of confidence in our equipment out there, both our gas and electric systems."

___

12:50 p.m.

Authorities say two all-time low temperature records have been broken in Illinois.

The National Weather Service says the temperature dropped to minus 33 (-36 Celsius) on Thursday, breaking the previous record of -27 (-32 C) set Jan. 16, 2009. Rockford hit minus 31 (-35 C) Thursday, beating the -27 (-32 C) recorded Jan. 10, 1982.

Illinois' statewide all-time low temperature still stands at -36 (-37 C), set in Congerville in 1999.

The bitter cold that has put much of the Midwest into a historic deep freeze is expected to ease later Thursday when between 1 and 4 inches (2.5 and 10 centimeters) of snow are forecast for northern and central Illinois.

Parts of Illinois are expected to warm over the weekend. Some areas could reach 56 (13 C) on Monday.

___

12:40 p.m.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office says it's investigating the death of a woman found frozen in her unheated apartment.

The medical examiner says the 38-year-old woman was pronounced dead about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities say an investigation revealed the thermostat in her apartment had malfunctioned. An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

Another day of dangerously cold weather closed hundreds of schools, businesses, shopping centers and government offices in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the Midwest.

The National Weather Service says the low temperature of minus 20 degrees (minus 28 Celsius) at 5 a.m. Thursday in Milwaukee breaks a previous record for the day of -15 (-26 C) set in 1899.

___

12:10 p.m.

Detroit's light rail system suspended service due for a few hours due to the extreme cold after streetcar batteries struggled to remain charged.

QLINE spokesman Dan Lijana told the Detroit Free Press in an email that heat was being run at full capacity in the cars at all times and "the level of cold right now drains the batteries rapidly."

He said the cars must stay at stations longer than usual to charge and that affected operations, so officials decided to shut down Thursday morning to charge the cars. The QLINE reported on Twitter around midday Thursday that service has resumed.

The light rail system's route connects the downtown Detroit riverfront to the New Center Area.

___

11:55 a.m.

Amtrak is beginning to restore service out of Chicago after cancelling dozens of trains this week because of the extreme cold.

The passenger railroad said it will restore service on some routes Thursday, and all but one train is expected to operate on Friday.

Typically, Amtrak operated 55 trains a day to and from the busy hub of Chicago.

Amtrak says anyone planning to travel out of Chicago should check the status of their train beforehand on the railroad's website.

___

11:30 a.m.

A coroner in Ohio says the death of a woman whose body was found in a vacant house was likely related to the dangerous cold gripping the state.

Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said the 60-year-old woman's body was found Wednesday in Lorain. He told The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram it appears she died of hypothermia.

Authorities say she may have been staying in the house for months and apparently died in the last day or two.

The deep freeze affecting the Midwest led some universities across Ohio to cancel classes again Thursday.

The National Weather Service said the temperature Thursday fell to negative 10 degrees (negative 23 Celsius) in Toledo, setting a record low for the date there. The previous record was minus 5 (-15 C), set in 1971.

___

11:20 a.m.

United Parcel Service says it has halted deliveries in about 250 zip codes in the Midwest and western New York because of concerns for the safety of those making deliveries in the extreme cold .

UPS Chief Operating Officer Jim Barber said Thursday that most of the routes that won't receive deliveries are in rural areas. He says drivers delivering in cities have a chance to warm up while making deliveries to businesses.

UPS says it stopped deliveries to about 100 zip codes on Wednesday. The Post Office says there are 42,000 zip codes across the country.

___

11:15 a.m.

The dangerously cold weather is still setting low-temperature records in many Iowa communities.

It was minus 30 (minus 34 Celsius) Thursday morning in Cedar Rapids, shattering previous record -21 (-29 C) set Jan. 31, 1996. The low of -28 (-33 C) in Iowa City was 10 degrees colder than the previous record of -18 (-28 C) set Jan. 31, 1996.

New lows for the date also were set in Dubuque and Waterloo.

The bitter cold chilling the middle of the U.S. also broke records in several Iowa cities Wednesday, including Des Moines.

___

10:45 a.m.

A meteorologist says parts of the northern U.S. are going to experience an "unprecedented" and "dramatic warm-up."

Weather Underground's meteorology director Jeff Masters says places in Michigan and Illinois experiencing record or near-record cold this week are expected to be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) by Monday.

He said Thursday that he hasn't before seen a 70-degree shift in temperature during the winter. He says "past record-cold waves have not dissipated this quickly" and that the region seems headed for "spring-like temperatures."

Masters says the polar vortex is "rotating up into Canada" and is not expected to return in the next couple of weeks.

He says it might return in late February, but if it does, "it won't be as intense."

___

10:25 a.m.

Police say a 60-year-old Michigan man has been found dead outdoors amid frigid temperatures.

Police say the man's body was discovered in East Lansing on Wednesday.

An autopsy will determine the cause of death, although police say foul play is not suspected. The deaths of at least two other Michigan residents have been connected to the extreme cold weather .

In Ecorse, police identified a 70-year-old victim as Gary Sammons, a former city council member and teacher. He was found Tuesday outside his home.

___

10:05 a.m.

Officials say a suburban Detroit fundraiser in which people were to sleep outdoors to raise awareness about homelessness has been replaced with a drive to get people indoors during the extreme cold .

The Detroit News reports Roseville police on Thursday cancelled the "Sleep Out for the Homeless" event scheduled for Friday night. The group organizing it, Macomb Feeding The Need, instead will open a temporary shelter.

The change in plans comes amid bitterly cold weather. The National Weather Service says minus 13 degrees (minus 25 degrees Celsius) was recorded Thursday morning in the Detroit area, breaking the record for Jan. 31 of minus 7 degrees (minus 27 degrees Celsius) set in 1920.

Meteorologist Alex Manion tells the Detroit Free Press people should stay inside if possible and wear multiple layers.

___

9:45 a.m.

The dangerously cold weather system that is enveloping much the Midwest has brought an icy record low to a northern Indiana city.

The National Weather Service says the temperature fell to minus 20 degrees (minus 29 Celsius) Thursday morning in South Bend, setting a record low for Jan. 31. The previous record was minus 11 (minus 24 Celsius), set in 1936.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Roller says South Bend's record low is "odd" because when temperature records are set they're usually within a few degrees of the previous record and not nine degrees different.

___

9:30 a.m.

A Michigan utility that warned residents that they risk brief interruptions of natural gas service for heat amid bitterly cold weather if they don't reduce energy use says efforts to conserve energy are making a difference.

Consumers Energy said in a statement Thursday that it's "cautiously optimistic" its requests to curb natural gas use "are having a positive effect." Auto plants and other big energy users throughout Michigan are joining residential customers in cutting back.

Consumers Energy's CEO Patti Poppe made an appeal Wednesday following a fire at one of its suburban Detroit facilities that affected natural gas supplies.

An emergency alert was sent late Wednesday to cellphones asking people to lower thermostats to 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius) or below through Friday.

___

9:10 a.m.

About 1,700 flights in and out of Chicago's airports have been canceled in the last 24 hours amid the frigid weather in the Midwest , with experts saying the cold is affecting transit operations.

The temperature Thursday morning at O'Hare International Airport was negative 20 degrees (negative 29 Celsius). About 1,450 flights were canceled at O'Hare, one of the nation's busiest airports.

Midway International Airport had about 250 cancellations. Both airports were reporting delays of about 15 minutes.

Airline experts say the double-digit subzero temperatures affect manpower, equipment and fueling at airports. United Airlines has brought in heated tents for its employees at O'Hare and added workers to increase shifts.

The low temperatures also affected rail service in Chicago, the nation's third-largest city. Some commuter lines are shutting down or altering schedules amid the cold.

___

8:15 a.m.

Officials are warning Michigan residents that they risk brief interruptions of natural gas service for heat amid bitterly cold weather if they don't help reduce energy.

The warning comes after a fire at a utility's suburban Detroit facility that affected natural gas supplies.

Consumers Energy's CEO Patti Poppe made an appeal Wednesday night for customers to reduce their natural gas usage. She later told The Detroit News that "localized planned curtailments: for some homes and business if demand isn't reduced.

An emergency alert was sent late Wednesday to cellphones asking people to lower thermostats to 65 degrees (18 Celsius) or below through Friday.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked everyone to "to do your part."

___

8 a.m.

A good Samaritan offered to pay for hotel rooms for 70 homeless people in Chicago who were camped out in tents amid the bitter cold that blanketed Chicago.

The offer came after the Chicago Fire Department on Wednesday confiscated nearly 100 propane tanks given the group to keep them warm as temperatures sank to negative 22 (negative 20 Celsius). The department acted after one of the donated tanks exploded.

Salvation Army spokeswoman Jacqueline Rachev said city officials told the organization about their actions at the camp. The Salvation Army was about to move the people to a warming center when the city called again and informed them of the gesture.

Rachev was not sure of the identity of the good Samaritan and only knew the hotel was on the city's South Side.

___

7:30 a.m.

Temperature records have been broken in northern Illinois amid the arctic deep freeze enveloping the Midwest.

The National Weather Service says the temperature Thursday morning in Rockford hit a record-breaking negative 30 degrees (negative 34 Celsius).

The previous record of negative 27 degrees (negative 33 Celsius) was set on Jan. 10, 1982. The city's records date back to 1905. Rockford is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Chicago.

Meteorologists say warmer weather is on the way for the weekend.

___

7:20 a.m.

Another day of dangerously cold weather in the Midwest is closing hundreds of schools, businesses and government offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but students are heading back to school in the Dakotas.

Two of Wisconsin's largest school districts canceled classes again Thursday, when morning temperatures hovered around negative 20 degrees (negative 29 Celsius). In Minnesota, where wind chill readings could reach negative 55 degrees (negative 48 Celsius), several large school districts also called off classes.

The extreme cold has also sent dozens of people to hospitals in Minnesota. Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis says it has treated 22 patients for frostbite since Friday, including 13 admitted to the hospital.

But in North Dakota, students in Fargo and other nearby cities are heading back to school. Temperatures in the region dropped to minus 25 degrees (minus 31 Celsius) Thursday morning but forecasters are predicting a high of minus 2 degrees (minus 16 Celsius).

It's a bit warmer in South Dakota, where the National Weather Service says the high temperature in Sioux Falls on Thursday is expected to be 12 degrees (minus 11 Celsius).

___

12 a.m.

The painfully cold weather system that put much of the Midwest into a historic deep freeze is expected to ease Thursday, though temperatures could still tumble to record lows in some places before the region begins to thaw out.

Disruptions caused by the cold will persist, too, including power outages and canceled flights and trains.

Before the worst of the cold begins to lift, the National Weather Service says Chicago could hit lows early Thursday that break the city's record of minus 27 set on Jan. 20, 1985.

Temperatures should bounce back into the single digits later Thursday and into the comparative balmy 20s by Friday. More people are expected to return to work in Chicago, which resembled a ghost town Wednesday after most offices told employees to stay home.Soshanguve (South Africa) (AFP) - The far-left South African EFF party unveiled Saturday its programme for legislative elections in May, with land expropriation and jobs at the top of the list.

"We cannot postpone the land question, we can not postpone the jobs questions," said Julius Malema, head of the Economic Freedom Fighters party.

He spoke to several thousand EFF members wearing the party colour red in a stadium in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, telling them: "We are hungry now, we want to eat now."

Almost three-fourths of South Africa's agricultural land is owned by whites who comprise just eight percent of the population.

The Natives Land Act of 1913 limited land ownership to seven percent of the black population, a level that rose to 13 percent in 1936 before being abolished in 1991.

The country's apartheid policies reinforced such discrimination through the mass relocation of black populations to poor homelands, and progress by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) on resolving the situation has been limited.

A former ANC member, Malema founded the EFF in 2013, and his radical programme rules out "compromises" allegedly agreed to by ANC leaders with the white minority.

Malema, 37, has begun to eat away at ANC support amid chronic unemployment that now stands at 27 percent of the workforce.

But his keystone issue is land redistribution.

"The economy is in the hands of the white community, we want to change that," he told the crowd to cheers and raised fists.

"We are going to place all land under the custodianship of the state, for equal redistribution to all," he pledged.

"They killed our people, they raped our people, we cannot reward rapists, we cannot reward murderers, we want our land back and that issue is not negotiable," Malema declared.

ANC head Cyril Ramaphosa has also mooted a constitutional reform to allow land to be taken from minority white owners without compensation -- a plan that has alarmed many foreign investors.

The ANC is expected to win the general election after Ramaphosa, a relatively moderate pro-business reformer, was appointed president.The calls for Virginia's Gov. Ralph Northam to resign have mounted a day after a racist yearbook photo surfaced of two individuals, one dressed in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

The photo, which appeared in Northam's 1984 yearbook at Eastern Virginia Medical School, has put all eyes on his No. 2  Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a descendant of slaves and the second-ever African-American to hold a statewide office in Virginia.

If Northam does eventually step down, Fairfax would replace him. Fairfax issued a statement Saturday saying he was "shocked and saddened" by the yearbook images.

"The governor needed to apologize and I am glad that he did so," said Fairfax. "He also reached out to me personally to express his sincere regrets and to apologize," he added. Fairfax did not mention the calls for Northam's resignation.

Here are three things you should know about the lieutenant governor.

A historic race

Fairfax is the only African-American who currently holds a statewide office  and only the second to do so in Virginia's history.

The state, which is moving from its southern roots to a move progressive base, elected Fairfax in 2017, the same year as Northam. The two were on separate tickets as Virginia is one of more than a dozen states that does not hold joint tickets for governors and lieutenant governors.

The only other African-American to hold a statewide office was Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, who served from 1990 to 1994. Wilder was one of many who called for Northam's resignation in the aftermath of the yearbook photo.

Fairfax is a former federal prosecutor and attended both Duke University and Columbia Law School.

When he took his Oath of Office, Fairfax carried a copy of the manumission document that freed one of his ancestors from slavery. The Washington Post reported Fairfax's father gave him a copy of the document just before the ceremony. It was a handwritten deed dated June 5, 1798 that freed Simon Fairfax, who was born into slavery.

Story continues

Protests against Confederate figures

Fairfax has made it a mission to stand up against the racially-charged history in Virginia.

He stepped out of the state Senate, where he presides, two years in a row as lawmakers honored prominent Confederate figures, including this year with honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Fairfax posted about his silent act of protest in a January tweet, saying instead of honoring Lee, he would be "thinking of this June 5, 1798 manumission document that freed my great-great-great grandfather Simon Fairfax from slavery in Virginia."

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The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the newspaper in the state capital, reported that Fairfax called the decision to honor Lee on his birthday last month on the Senate floor a "divisive" one that "stings a lot of people."

"Particularly in this year, which is obviously the 400-year commemoration of the first enslaved Africans being brought to Virginia, in Hampton and Point Comfort, I think it stings a lot of people in particular in a year like this," Fairfax said, according to the newspaper.

He continued: "To constantly look backwards to a very divisive time and conscript people into honoring someone who  had he prevailed and gotten his way I would not be standing up there on that dais as lieutenant governor of Virginia  I think is something that we should not be doing."

Next in line?

Northam's initial apology over the photo has failed to quell a firestorm of bipartisan calls for his immediate resignation. That list includes everyone from former vice president Joe Biden, Terry McAuliffe and Northam's Democratic predecessor as governor to a half-dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls, the NAACP, Planned Parenthood and state Democratic lawmakers.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both former Virginia governors, issued a statement saying that they called Northam after a press conference Saturday in which he rejected calls for his resignation and said that it wasn't him in the photo, as he originally thought. Warner and Kaine said they told Northam that they don't believe he can effectively continue to serve as governor.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch said in an editorial that Northam should step down.

The governor had acknowledged that he is one of the two men in the yearbook photo  one in blackface and the other in a full white Ku Klux Klan robe, complete with pointed hood.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," Northam said in a written statement Friday.

Northam vowed to mend the damage he'd caused by the "clearly racist and offensive" photo and veered away from calls asking for his resignation.

On Saturday, Northam tried to distance himself from the photo, telling Democrats in the state that it wasn't him and despite intense calls from Republicans and Democrats across the nation, he would not resign.

Governor Northam did reach out to Senator Lucas to say it isn't him in the picture and that hes not resigning, Democratic State Sen. L. Louise Lucas' office told USA TODAY.

If Northam were to step down in the shadow of the scandal, Fairfax would take over.

Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, wrote on Twitter that if Northam steps down he will be the first Virginia governor since the Civil War not to complete his term. Sabato also said that if Fairfax finishes Northam's unexpired term, he will remain eligible to run for a full term in 2021. Under state law, governors are not allowed to run for re-election.

Contributing: Doug Stanglin from Mclean, Virginia.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax: 'The governor needed to apologize and I am glad that he did so'MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's high-speed rail link with France "has no future", Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Saturday, despite his fellow deputy premier in the coalition government saying the line would be completed. The projected 270 km (167 mile) line, which is estimated to cost some 26 billion euros ($30 billion) and will be partly paid for with French and European Union funds, has split the coalition government in Rome. Luigi Di Maio, leader of the 5-Star Movement, one of the two ruling parties, said in a video on the Corriere.it website that "as long as the 5-Star Movement is in government, as far as I am concerned, the Turin/Lyon high speed train has no future". He added that the project was supported by the country's "worst lobbies". Italy is expected to decide by the end of May whether to complete the project, Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli told Reuters. Toninelli has asked a commission to carry out a cost-benefit analysis, with another group of lawyers examining the legal implications for Italy in case of it withdrawing from the project. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said later on Saturday that the government's program envisaged a "revision" of the project. "We need to need to proceed with a cost-benefit analysis which will cover all technical, economic and social aspects and wait for it to be concluded to take a decision" Conte said in a note. The League - the other party in the coalition government - backs the project. League leader and fellow deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said earlier on Saturday that he was confident the project would be completed, adding that its costs might be reduced by 1 billion euros. "I hope work can be restarted as soon as possible" he said in an interview with daily newspaper La Stampa. (Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Hugh Lawson)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  The Republican-led House voted Monday to reject 29 absentee mail ballots cast in a northeast Iowa House district, handing the seat to a Republican who won by nine votes in the first contested election to go before the Legislature in 27 years.

The mailed absentee ballots were confirmed by a U.S. Postal Service scan of a barcode on the envelopes as having been sent to election officials on time, but House Republicans insist those barcodes are not allowed under state law to be used to validate ballots.

Iowa law says mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked to confirm they were mailed by the deadline one day before an election. The 29 ballots had no postmark.

Legislators, realizing mail ballots often are no longer postmarked, updated the law in 2016 to allow a specific code called an intelligent mail barcode to be used to authenticate ballot timeliness if a postmark is missing. The Postal Service has acknowledged absentee ballots are not always postmarked.

About 1,045 absentee ballots received by mail were rejected in the November election because they were not postmarked or were received too late, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's office said in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The Associated Press.

House Republicans argued a postal routing barcode is not an intelligent mail barcode as defined in Iowa law and cannot be used to validate ballots, and therefore the 29 votes must be rejected.

"This isn't comfortable. This isn't pleasant and we don't change the rules in the middle of the contest. That's why we have to follow the rule of law in this case," said GOP Rep. Steve Holt of Denison.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Michael Bergan won by just nine votes out of more than 14,000 votes cast on Nov. 6. Counting the 29 votes from Winneshiek County could have changed the outcome of the race.

Democrat Kayla Koether filed an election challenge, which by law means the House had to decide whether the ballots are opened and counted. It's the first contested election to be decided by the Legislature since 1992.

Story continues

Koether said lawmakers have the authority to interpret the law in a way that allows them to count the ballots of voters who did everything right.

"They are making a choice here about how to interpret the law and whether they will do so in a way that includes these 29 voters who want their votes to be counted or not," she said. "They can follow the rule of law and count these ballots."

The House voted 53-44 along party lines to reject the ballots and dismiss Koether's challenge. Democrat Bruce Hunter said democracy suffers when legitimate votes are denied.

"It seems nobody will ever deprive the people of Iowa the right to vote except the Iowa Legislature. For 29 people in Winneshiek County, democracy is dead," Hunter said.

Koether said she and some of the voters may file a lawsuit.

Her attorney has said the inconsistent way of affirming votes in Iowa may present a constitutional equal protection challenge. Another county in the same House district, Fayette County, counted 12 ballots with no postmark or barcode. The county election official has acknowledged that was a mistake.

___

Follow David Pitt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davepittMataram (Indonesia) (AFP) - A French drug suspect on the run since escaping from an Indonesian jail nearly two weeks ago has been recaptured, police said on Saturday.

Felix Dorfin -- who faces the death penalty if convicted -- was found hiding in a forest in North Lombok on Friday night, police said, and was returned to jail in Mataram, capital of the island.

Wearing dishevelled black clothes and looking tired, Dorfin initially tried to bribe officers to let him go.

"He didn't resist arrest, but wanted to bribe our officers," North Lombok police chief Herman Suriyono said Saturday, adding he was found following a tip-off from locals in the area.

After being checked by medical teams he was returned to jail.

The 35-year-old Frenchman was arrested in September allegedly carrying a false-bottomed suitcase filled with four kilogrammes (8.8 pounds) of drugs -- including cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines -- at the airport on the holiday island next to Bali.

On Friday officials said a female police officer had been arrested for allegedly helping Dorfin escape in exchange for Rp 14.5 million (around $1,000).

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where corruption is endemic at all levels of society and inmates often held in squalid and poorly guarded prisons.

In 2017, four foreign inmates tunnelled their way out of Bali's Kerobokan prison.

Two of them were captured a few days later, but an Australian and Malaysian are still at large.By Aditya Kalra and Sankalp Phartiyal

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - E-commerce rules that went into effect in India on Friday caused widespread disruption for Amazon.com, forcing it to take down an array of items from its India website including Echo speakers, batteries and floor cleaners.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said the products began to disappear from the Amazon India site late on Thursday as it began complying with the revised norms before a midnight deadline.

"The company has no choice, they are fulfilling a compliance requirement ... customers will suffer," said one of the sources.

In December, India modified foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for its burgeoning e-commerce sector, which has drawn major bets from not only Amazon.com but also the likes of Walmart Inc, which last year bought a majority stake in homegrown e-commerce player Flipkart.

India's new e-commerce investment rules bar online retailers from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest, and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms.

By Thursday, numerous items sold by vendors such as Cloudtail, in which Amazon holds an indirect equity stake, were no longer available on the Amazon India site.

Clothing from Indian department store chain Shopper's Stop was also no longer available, as Amazon owns 5 percent of the company.

Amazon's own range of Echo speakers, its Presto-branded home cleaning goods and other Amazon Basics products such as chargers and batteries had also vanished from the website.

Both Amazon and Walmart had lobbied against the latest rules and pushed for a delay in their implementation, but India late on Thursday said the deadline stood.

The situation in India is "a bit fluid right now," but the country remains a good long-term opportunity, Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on a conference call with reporters following its fourth-quarter earnings announcement.

Story continues

The company's main goal is to minimize the impact of the new e-commerce rules on customers and sellers, he added.

GROWTH DRIVER

The U.S. government has also urged India to protect the investments of the two American retailers, Reuters reported last week.

Both companies have bet heavily on India being a big growth driver: Amazon has committed to investing $5.5 billion there, while Walmart last year spent $16 billion on Flipkart.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is seen as keen to appease small traders in the run-up to a general election due by May.

Many small traders say the e-commerce giants use their buying power and control over inventory from affiliated vendors to create an unfair marketplace where they can offer deep discounts on some products. Such arrangements will be barred under the new policy.

Industry sources have said the new rules will force the big e-sellers to change their business structures, and will raise compliance costs.

Amazon India told Reuters it was "committed to remaining compliant to all the laws of the land", adding that all sellers make their own independent decisions of what to list and when.

Exclusive deals with sellers will be discontinued, the two sources said.

It is unclear how long the disruption will last. Would-be buyers of Echo speakers on Amazon India saw a message reading: "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

The impact of the changes on Flipkart was not clear. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a letter to India's industries department in January, Chief Executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the rules required Flipkart to assess "all elements" of its business operations and risked causing "significant customer disruption".

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Sankalp Phartiyal; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Euan Rocha and Kevin Liffey)Howard Schultz speaking in Seattle - AP

Howard Schultz, the billionaire former chief executive of Starbucks, who is considering running as an independent candidate in the next US presidential election, has defended his voting record.

Mr Schultz, 65, blamed his busy travel schedule and a lack of local engagement for missing dozens of state, county and midterm elections.

Listen, I traveled all over the world. Its not an excuse, Mr Schultz told a packed auditorium. Ive not been as engaged locally as perhaps I could have been.

He made the comments while speaking at an event to promote his new book 'From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America' in his hometown of Seattle on Thursday night.

Mr Schultz added that he has voted in every presidential election since he turned 18 years old. On Wednesday, The Seattle Times ran a column which said that he had failed to vote in 27 out of 38 elections since 2005.

A supporter of Mr Schultz's White House run in Seattle Credit: Reuters

The event was Mr Schultzs first public appearance in Seattle, home to the company he ran for 36 years, since he announced on Sunday that he is considering running for the presidency as an independent candidate in the 2020 election.

"Profound concern for where we are as a country", as well as "the revenge politics on both sides", have driven him to seriously weigh a bid, he said.

Mr Schultz has been heavily criticized by Democrats who worry that if he runs he will split the vote and re-elect President Donald Trump for a second term.

Outside the auditorium several dozen protestors gathered, some were holding signs which read "Pick a party" and "Grande ego, Venti mistake", a play on words using Starbucks names for large cups of coffee.

Im worried about what happened in 2000 where Ralph Nader ran and stole away enough of the votes from Al Gore, when it was really really close, said Susan Glicksberg, 61 from Issaquah, Washington who was demonstrating against Mr Schultz standing. Bush got the presidency because it was so close.

Story continues

Inside the event, Mr Schultz pitched himself as a "centrist independent", but offered few of his own policies. He did discuss his objections to policies from both the Democratic and Republican parties, including universal healthcare and corporate tax cuts respectively.

Mr Schultz said that he plans to travel the country with his wife Sheri over the next few months before making a final decision on whether to stand in the spring or summer of this year.

A vocal critic of Donald Trump, he said that he will not stand for the White House if it leads to a second term for the president.

Im not going to do anything whatsoever to re-elect Donald Trump, Mr Schultz said. Im trying to win the hearts and minds of the American people.

Despite the backlash, the businessman who is worth roughly $3.4bn (2.6bn) said he has no plans to back down.

The negative reaction isnt going to dissuade my conviction I have about what I feel in my heart that I need to do," he said,NEWARK, N.J.  Within seven hours after launching his White House bid, Cory Booker ran straight into many of the main questions surrounding his candidacy.

For his first public event after launching a presidential campaign on Friday morning, the New Jersey senator invited reporters onto his front porch, where they peppered him with questions about his time as mayor of the city and his perceived coziness with corporations. In a preview of how he might react to campaign trail attacks, Booker responded to the barrage by defending his record and progressive bona fides. And amid all the scrutiny, he still tried to maintain the aspirational tone that he hopes will define his campaign.

Everybody whos gathered on my front lawn, we are all here because Americans from different backgrounds, different religions, even different political parties stood together, worked together, fought together to make this country stand for something, Booker declared as he began the press conference.

While Booker espouses love and kindness, some have questioned whether his idealistic appeals for unity will resonate in todays brutal political climate. The first question he faced in front of his house was about whether his benevolent approach could succeed in a heated presidential campaign.

You know, love aint easy, Booker said.

He went on to allude to some of his civil rights heroes.

The people I admire are the people that lead by calling out the best of who we are and not the worst, he explained.

And Booker brushed off worries about his potential rivals when Yahoo News asked how he felt about Howard Schultz, the billionaire ex-CEO of Starbucks who is considering an independent campaign and is widely seen as a threat by Democrats.

Anything you do, theres going to be competition, Booker said, adding, Bring it.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaking to reporters outside his home in Newark, after launching his presidential campaign, Feb. 1, 2019. (Photo: Hunter Walker/Yahoo News)

Critiques of Booker, however, arent all based on the sentimental style of his campaign. He has also drawn skeptics on both sides of the aisle over his record. Many progressives, for example, are wary of his long history of donations from the financial industry. Those concerns seem particularly potent in a Democratic primary, given the ascendancy of the partys left wing exemplified by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and two potential rivals in the 2020 mix, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Story continues

While he has vowed his presidential campaign will not accept money from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists, at the press conference, Booker faced questions about how he might defend himself against attacks on his past Wall Street ties.

You know anybody who knows my history knows that my history is standing up for people that are often being hurt by bad actors. I lived in Newark during the mortgage crisis. I saw the predatory loans, Booker said. My record as a mayor, my record as a senator, is fighting those interests that are trying to screw people. And when it comes to defending folks I will be ferocious.

Booker indicated he would answer those concerns with actions.

Weve got to stop bad actors from taking advantage of people, Booker said.

As an example of this, Booker pointed to his view that credit card companies overcharge and noted he fought overdraft fees as a senator.

I can go through the things Ive done to hold people accountable and I think we need a lot of change from our tax laws making them more fair to ending things like carried interest, said Booker.

Critics have also gone after the senators record in Newark. Shortly after he announced his presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee issued a statement dismissing him a political opportunist who left Newark ridden with crime and an emblem of poverty.

Booker has always vehemently defended his tenure leading the city, which stretched from 2006 until he was elected to the Senate in 2013. At the press conference, he similarly argued that he led Newark through an extremely poor economy and still did things that other people thought were impossible to do, including spurring economic development, population growth, major construction projects and bringing supermarkets to food deserts.

He dismissed the RNCs broadside as part of a larger pattern of disdain for inner cities.

Newarkers and I think people in cities all across America are tired of people that are putting down our urban spaces, trying to make them into jokes, ridiculing, demeaning them and degrading them, Booker said.

As he defended his record as mayor, Booker also cited improvements in the citys public schools made under his leadership. But its this last item that has generated opposition from progressives who object to an expansion of charter schools that occurred as Booker overhauled Newarks education system.

Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP

Critics have suggested that an influx of corporate donations Booker generated for the schools was wasted and argued he didnt sufficiently communicate with Newark residents as he swapped long-standing institutions for charters. Booker has argued research showing improvements occurred during his tenure as mayor vindicated him and, indeed, he has won over some local critics.

Im going to run the boldest pro-public school teacher campaign there is, said Booker, who said that, as mayor of Newark, he pushed pay raises for teachers and better conditions in schools.

I believe in public education. I am a product of public education, said Booker. I ran for senate and got the endorsement of our states teachers unions. Im proud of my record, its not anything needed to defend. I believe we shouldnt have one size fits all education.

While Booker has doubters, his appeal has been fueled, in part, by a series of dramatic personal moments, including the time he opened his home to victims of Hurricane Sandy, and most famously, when he saved a woman from a burning building. While burnishing his national reputation, these incidents also made Booker a beloved figure to supporters in Newark, where he often is greeted by enthusiastic admirers as he walks the streets.

As he faced the charter school question on Friday, an Ecuadoran woman who lives across the street from the senator stepped out onto her balcony to shout and wave. Booker responded in Spanish.

My sister! Hi! How are you? Booker asked, adding, To victory!

Si! the woman answered.

After the senator spoke, Yahoo News went across the street to talk to his neighbor, Narcisa Quito. She said she was proud, content, and happy to see her neighbor running for president. Quito said shed lived on the block for 16 years and Booker had been a constant, cheerful presence.

He helps us a lot, Quito said. Like when it snows, he grabs a shovel and cleans up.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:New York (AFP) - General Motors is expected to lay off about 4,000 salaried workers under a reorganization announced late last year, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.

The layoffs are part of a cost-cutting plan GM announced in November, which will slash 15 percent of its salaried and contract staff and shutter seven plants, including five in North America.

Media reports estimated the total job cuts of salaried staff and union workers at about 14,000, including about 6,000 union workers. GM said the actions -- which were roundly criticized by US and Canadian politicians -- would save $6 billion in costs.

GM has not estimated how many workers would be involuntarily terminated as a result of the cuts.

A GM spokesman declined to comment on the timing of the layoffs after CNBC and the Detroit News reported they would begin Monday to get ahead of the company's earnings report.

The spokesman said "we'll communicate with our employees first."

About 2,300 salaried workers opted for voluntary buyouts, while another 1,500 contract staff were let go, said the source, who described the estimate of 4,000 laid off salaried staff as reasonable.

GM officials have said they expect to add 2,700 jobs at various US factories across and that US union staff would be offered transfers.

The automaker also is working with Canadian universities and government officials to assist some 3,000 workers affected by the closure of an Ontario plant, a GM spokesman said.

Brian Rothenberg, a spokesman for the United Auto Workers, said not all workers eligible for transfers will be able to relocate for family reasons.

"All of them are impacted," Rothenberg said. "We don't know how many will be laid off vs relocated."

GM has defended the cuts as essential to position the company for the long-term, and savings from the reorganization boosted its 2019 profit outlook.

But the moves were roundly condemned by politicians, including US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau.Colmar (France) (AFP) - A French priest was Friday sentenced to five years, two without parole, for sexually assaulting four young female parishioners, one of whom was just nine when the offences started, and embezzling 100,000 euros ($115,000) to pay one of his victims.

The trial was held behind closed doors at Colmar Criminal Court, in northeast France, which publicly announced the sentence late Friday.

The 60-year-old cleric, who will have to spend at least two years behind bars and be under restrictions for the rest of his term, could have faced up to 10 years in prison.

The priest will also have to undergo psychological treatment, which he has already started, according to his lawyers.

Under the judgement, he is forbidden from contacting his victims or any activity involving minors. He is also barred from staying in the Alsace region, where the offences were committed.

His sentence was lighter than that sought by the public prosecutor, who had asked for four years in prison followed by three years under a supervision order.

The trial was held behind closed doors at the request of three of the four victims, who were minors at the start of the offences, the youngest just nine.

The attacks, which continued after three of the victims were adults, took place between 2001 and 2006 and between 2011 and 2016.

The priest, who was remanded in custody for three months at the start of the case in September 2016, "bitterly regrets the crimes that he has acknowledged (...) and offers his apology to the victims and to people (...) injured by such intolerable acts," his lawyer Thierry Moser said in a statement.

He had admitted to having diverted more than 100,000 euros in money destined for the Church and transferred it to one of the victims, then an adult, in exchange for sexual favours.

In total, he paid her more than 240,000 euros, including a portion of his personal wealth.

The victim, now 29, had been charged with "concealment of breach of trust" but was released after the court found there was insufficient evidence to prove she knew the source of the money.

France's Catholic Church has been roiled in recent years by claims against priests which have come to light in the wake of a global move by victims of abuse to come forward with evidence.Paris (AFP) - France's agriculture ministry said Saturday it had traced the remainder of the suspect Polish beef imported into the country, adding that some of it had been sold to consumers.

"The remaining 145 kilos have been identified in lots prepared by wholesalers, butchers or restaurants," a statement said.

In total France imported 795 kg (1,750 pounds) of the meat from a Polish slaughterhouse where allegedly sick cows were butchered. Five hundred kilos were found and destroyed earlier and 150 kilos sold to consumers with the remaining 145 kilos unaccounted for until Saturday.

A ministry official told AFP that some of the remaining 145 kilos had already been sold.

"What is complicated is that the 145 kilos were mixed with meat of other origin" by a wholesaler.

"At this stage a few dozen restuarants and butchers' shops are concerned mainly in the Paris region," a statement said.

French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume has said nine French companies had been "duped" into importing beef from the abattoir in Kalinowo, a village some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Warsaw.

Poland's chief veterinarian Pawel Niemczuk has confirmed that 2.7 tonnes of the suspect beef was exported to 13 EU countries. But Polish authorities have said the meat does not pose a health risk.

The slaughterhouse has been closed and a probe launched.Special Counsel Robert Muellers indictment of Roger Stone may be the most peculiar document to emerge from the TrumpRussia collusion saga. It is an instant classic in the Mueller genre: lots of heavy breathing, then sputtering anti-climax.

After a 20-page narrative about Russian cyber-ops, WikiLeaks role as a witting anti-American accomplice, and Trump supporters enthralled by thousands of hacked Democratic emails and visions of the Clinton campaigns implosion, Stone, a comically inept hanger-on, ends up charged with seven process crimes. No espionage, no conspiracy, no commission of any crime until the investigations started.

This is not to say that obstruction of congressional investigations is trifling. Nor is it to say the accused has a good chance of beating the case. Some of Stones alleged lies were mind-bogglingly stupid. Why deny written communications with people youve texted a zillion times? Why deny conversations with interlocutors (such as Trump-campaign CEO Steve Bannon) who have no reason to risk a perjury charge to protect you? And dont even get me started on the witness-tampering count, which, if I were Mueller, Id have hesitated to include for fear of suggesting an insanity defense. (Do it for Nixon? Pull a Frank Pentangeli?)

That said, the case is overcharged. The tampering count carries a 20-year penalty. Adding an obstruction or false-statements count (five years each) would have given Stone (who is 66 years old) prison exposure of up to 25 years. The most central colluder in the Mueller firmament to be bagged so far, George Papadopoulos, was sentenced to a grand total of two weeks imprisonment. Surely a quarter-century of potential incarceration would have sufficed to give prosecutors the this is serious stuff headline they crave while allowing for the more representative sentence Stone will eventually receive  who knows, maybe three weeks? But true to form, Mueller instead included six of these five-year counts  so the press can report that Stone faces up to 50 years in the slammer.

Story continues

This inflated portrait of Stone as a major criminal was further bloated by the scene of his arrest: a well-armed battalion of FBI agents sent to apprehend him as the media, conveniently on hand at 6 a.m., took it all in. But Stone is just a cameo. The big picture is the overarching TrumpRussia investigation. Its still being inflated, too.

Prosecutors ordinarily do not write an elaborate narrative about crimes they cannot prove. Here, though, Mueller uses Stone as the pretext to spell out the Big Collusion Scheme: Candidate Donald Trump instructs Stone to coordinate with WikiLeaks on the dissemination of Clinton dirt stolen by Russia; Stone directs his associate, Jerome Corsi, to have Corsis man in London, Ted Malloch, make contact with WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange, who is holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Malloch must have succeeded, because next thing you know, Corsi is reporting back to Stone: Our friends the Russian hackers have given WikiLeaks all this damaging information on Hillary, including the Podesta emails; it will all be rolled out in October, right before the election.

Its a sensational story. Only . . . its just a story.

Mueller doesnt even pretend he can prove it. No shame in that: During a long investigation, prosecutors always develop a theory of the case. Often, the hypothesis doesnt pan out. No problem. You narrow your indictment down to what you can prove and call it a day. In Stones case, that would dictate omitting the ambitious collusion narrative and stripping down to a two-page obstruction-of-Congress indictment. Instead, Mueller gives us the fever dream: Stone as a key cog in the collusion wheel. Where reality intrudes, the prosecutors float suggestions they cannot prove or leave out key details that blow up the narrative.

The special counsel could have contented himself with easy-to-prove false-statements charges against Stone: lying about whether his WikiLeaks communications were documented in writing; lying about whether he asked his friend Randy Credico to pass a request for specific Hillary Clinton information to Assange; lying about whether he ever told the Trump campaign about his WikiLeaks conversations with Credico.

But no, Mueller strains to accuse Stone of falsely denying that he had a second WikiLeaks intermediary  whom the indictment indicates was Jerome Corsi, Stones Infowars associate. Depending on how charitable you want to be, this claim is either risibly weak, flatly wrong, or dependent on a distortion of the word intermediary. To repeat, the intermediary thread adds nothing to the case against Stone. It is a pretext for weaving the collusion narrative without having to prove it.

To amplify the indictment a bit with reporting by the Daily Callers Chuck Ross, Credico  a left-wing comedian and radio host  got access to Assange through a radical lawyer, Margaret Ratner Kunstler, who has done work for WikiLeaks. That apparently did not happen until shortly before August 25, 2016, when Assange appeared as a guest on Credicos radio show. According to the indictment, Credico first texted Stone about Assanges imminent appearance on August 19.

Prosecutors, however, suggest that Stone had a line into Assange and WikiLeaks starting at least two months earlier. By in or around June and July 2016, goes the slippery allegation, Stone was telling Trump officials he had information that WikiLeaks possessed damaging Hillary Clinton documents. In Muellers telling, this makes Stone seem like a potentially valuable WikiLeaks insider when, on July 22, WikiLeaks began publishing thousands of DNC emails. Immediately, a senior Trump campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases and what other damaging information [WikiLeaks] had regarding the Clinton campaign.

If not from Credico, from whom, pray tell, did Stone learn what WikiLeaks was up to? Who is the other intermediary?

In truth, he didnt need one. He had two sources of information about WikiLeaks  neither of them Corsi, neither of them sensibly thought of as an intermediary. These sources go unmentioned in the indictment. Worse, while the prosecutors finger Corsi as Stones hidden intermediary, their evidence does not support this claim  and they know it, so they fudge it.

Lets start with the two sources Mueller omits.

Turns out it is not just Stone who was alerted long before the Democratic convention that WikiLeaks might have damaging information on Clinton. Everyone on the planet who cared to be informed about such things knew. On June 12, 2016, in an interview that was widely reported, Assange said that WikiLeaks planned to expose documents relating to Hillary Clinton that could affect the 2016 election. Was Stone, the self-styled dark-politics devotee, pressing sources for an entree into WikiLeaks? Sure he was. But that doesnt mean he had one. And he didnt need one in order to direct the Trump campaigns attention to WikiLeaks; Assange was calling the worlds attention to himself.

The second omitted source? It was James Rosen, then a top reporter at Fox News  though Rosen seems to have had no idea he was playing that role. To understand what happened, we need to consider the July 25 StoneCorsi email that the indictment treats like a smoking gun  but consider it in the context of an earlier July 25 email that the indictment fails to include.

As noted above, on July 22, someone very high up in the Trump campaign  perhaps the candidate himself, though we are not told  ordered a top campaign official to reach out to Stone. Just three days later, Stone sent Corsi an email with the subject line Get to [Assange]. Stone exhorted Corsi to try to reach the WikiLeaks leader at Ecuadorian Embassy in London and get the pending emails . . . they deal with the [Clinton] Foundation allegedly (emphasis added).

So why did Stone believe WikiLeaks had Clinton Foundation documents? Well, Stone is acquainted with Charles Ortel, an investor who dabbles in investigative journalism and has focused intently on the Clinton Foundation. Ortel has occasional correspondence with James Rosen. In an email exchange on July 25, Rosen told Ortel, Am told WikiLeaks will be doing a massive dump of HRC emails related to the CF [i.e., the Clinton Foundation] in September. Ortel proceeded to forward this email to Stone. Only after seeing Rosens email did Stone contact Corsi to say that Assange allegedly had Clinton Foundation emails that Corsi should try to acquire.

Obviously, Stone did not need a WikiLeaks intermediary to give him a heads-up about a possible Clinton Foundation dump. He happened upon that information indirectly from a member of the press (Rosen), through an acquaintance (Ortel). And he did not need Corsi as an intermediary  Stone is the one who alerted Corsi, not the other way around.

The indictment says that, shortly after receiving Stones July 25 email imploring him to make contact with Assange, Corsi forwarded it to a supporter of the Trump campaign in the United Kingdom  reported by Chuck Ross to be Ted Malloch, a London-based American who used to be a business professor at Oxford and has ties to British populists. Subsequently, on Sunday July 31, Stone emailed Corsi to call me MON, stressing that Corsis associate should see [Assange].

Well, did that happen? Did Corsis man Malloch make contact with WikiLeaks?

If you read nothing but Muellers indictment, you assume he must have. After all, the next thing we are told about is Corsis email report to Stone on Tuesday, August 2. Corsi (then vacationing in Italy) wrote: Word is friend in embassy [i.e., Assange] plans 2 more dumps, one shortly after Im back [which was to be in mid August]. 2nd in Oct. Impact planned to be very damaging. Corsi added:

Time to let more than [Podesta] to be exposed as in bed w enemy if they are not ready to drop HRC [Clinton]. That appears to be game hackers are now about. Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke  neither he nor she well. I expect that much of next dump focus, setting stage for foundation debacle.

The implication is clear: Malloch must have reached Assange, gotten the critical information, and passed it along to Corsi so it could be communicated to Stone and the Trump campaign. Corsi is the intermediary! Coordination! Collusion!

But Mueller is hiding the ball again. The indictment makes no mention of the facts that Malloch denies knowing anything about WikiLeaks, that Corsi denies having any sources with inside knowledge about WikiLeaks, and that prosecutors appear to accept these denials.

So how did Corsi get the 2 more dumps of information (or gossip) that he dished to Stone? He made it up  or, more benignly, he claims to have figured it out on his own. Reportedly, Muellers prosecutors were as frustrated as they were incredulous over Corsis unlikely claim. But they dont have a better explanation. In the negotiations over a plea offer (on a charge of lying to investigators), which Corsi has resisted, Muellers prosecutors drafted an agreed-upon Statement of the Offense. In it, Corsi was to admit that his representations to [Stone], beginning in August 2016, that he had a way of obtaining confidential information from [WikiLeaks] were false.

Corsi is another strange character in this drama. He is a notorious bomb-thrower, and his memory is spotty. But one can understand why the special counsel seems to accept his story about not having a WikiLeaks source: His information was spectacularly wrong. He surmised that Assange would release information that Mrs. Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, had serious medical problems; this would be a prelude to devastating disclosures about the Clinton Foundation. Corsis fever dream never came true, either.

But how can Corsi have been Stones intermediary to WikiLeaks if he had no way of obtaining confidential information from WikiLeaks?

Stone, meantime, points out that neither he nor Corsi made reference to Podestas emails. He denies any awareness that Assange had them, and plausibly contends that the reference to Podesta in his conversation with Corsi (and in his later tweet on August 21 that the Podestas [sic] in the barrel was coming) related to a lobbying company started by John Podesta and his brother Tony. That company had done work for the same Kremlin-backed Ukrainian political party served by Paul Manafort  Trumps campaign manager, and Stones former business partner. It was at the very time when Stone and Corsi were discussing WikiLeaks and Podesta that a July 31 New York Times expose appeared, outlining Manaforts lobbying entanglements with these Ukrainians. Tellingly, Mueller does not contend that Stones denial of foreknowledge about WikiLeaks Podesta dump is false.

Again, understand: It is not just that Mueller cant prove Corsi was Stones intermediary. Mueller has no need to try to prove it. He has an overwhelming obstruction and witness-tampering case against Stone without it. The indictments intermediary plot line is just a device for prosecutors to spin the TrumpRussiaWikiLeaks collusion yarn. They are careful not to plead it in a conspiracy count; just an introductory narrative  no formal charge, no burden to prove it, and no need to reveal stubborn facts that undermine it. Since it is superfluous to the process charges against Stone, he may not even challenge it. Maybe he will plead guilty, and the narrative will stand as the governments unrebutted version of events.

And this is just the indictment of a bit player. Makes you look forward to the special counsels final report, no?

More from National ReviewSINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's national oil companies are raising spending on domestic oil and gas drilling to the highest levels since 2016, responding to Beijing's call to boost national energy security. Below lists key basins and blocks where China's state energy giants are increasing drilling activities and discoveries, mostly of natural gas, according to company reports over the past few months. XINJIANG CNPC announced in late 2018 an oil discovery at Mahu in the Junggar basin which has 400 million tonnes of oil in place, one of the largest oil finds onshore China in years. Roughly 100 million tonnes will be technically recoverable. Mahu's annual output will top 3 million tonnes per year in three years, a big addition to the 10-million tonne per year Xinjiang field. Calling it a breakthrough in an earlier untapped region, PetroChina Co Ltd in late 2018 struck sizeable oil and gas flows in exploration well Zhongqiu-1 in the Tarim basin. Zhongqiu-1 tested a daily natural gas flow of 330,000 cubic meters and condensate of 21.4 cubic meters. The well is located in the southern part of Kuche trough in the Tarim basin, part of a 5,200 square-km exploration zone. SICHUAN CNPC struck daily gas flows of 225,000 cubic meters at exploration well Yongtan-1, in Sichuan province's Jianyang city, the firm said in December, part of a 350 square-km gas-rich acreage of volcanic rock layers. Production at CNPC's flagship shale gas play Chuannan in Southern Sichuan hit a daily record of 20.11 million cubic meters in late December, up from 12 million cubic meters in October. Total 2018 output in Chuannan was around 4.1 billion cubic meters (bcm), 37 percent above 2017. A total of 143 drilling rigs were deployed in 2018 to produce gas at Chuannan, more than triple year-earlier levels. CNPC is aiming to raise the annual production capacity at Chuannan to 12 bcm by 2020. DAGANG CNPC struck high volumes of gas flows at four exploration wells at Dagang, near Beijing, that could lead to a sizeable gas field called Lianhua. The Yinggu-2 well in Dagang yielded nearly 180,000 cubic meters of gas and 234,000 cubic meters of condensate a day while Ying-101x1 tapped daily flows of 74,000 cubic meters of gas and condensate of 318,000 cubic meters, CNPC said in January. CHANGQING, ORDOS BASIN Largely a tight oil and gas play with low permeability and low per-well production, CNPC has over the last two decades built Changqing, in north China's Ordos basin, into the country's largest oil and gas producing field. Output hit a record 54.61 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2018, up 2.7 percent from 2017. In gas development, CNPC added 2,300 new gas production wells in Yulin, Sulige and Jingbian blocks in 2018, raising output by 23 million cubic meters a day. The increased drilling boosted Changqing's total gas output to 38 bcm in 2018, a quarter of China's total gas output, and compared to an earlier target of 36.8 bcm. CNPC also stepping up drilling shallower wells at Changqing, where it struck in 2018 industrial oil flows at 184 wells and added 51.7 million tonnes of proven reserve. HUBEI SHALE A drilling unit under the Ministry of Land & Resources is conducting some early-stage drilling of shale formations in the western part of central Hubei province, which the ministry said could hold over 10 trillion cubic meters of geological reserves. OFFSHORE In December 2017, at exploration well Bozhong 19-6-1 in the Bohai Sea off north China, CNOOC tapped 348 meters of gas bearing deposit and 25 meters of oil-bearing structure, and tested daily gas flows of 6.4 million cubic feet. Bozhong 29-6, also in the Bohai Sea, is an oil find with potentially 100 million tonnes of oil reserve in place. CNOOC completed eight appraisal wells by August 2018. Lingshui 17-2, 150 km off China's southernmost province of Hainan is CNOOC's single-largest fully-owned deepwater find. CNOOC made final investment decision in March 2018 and total investment is estimated at 20 billion yuan ($2.98 billion). The block, at an average water depth of 1,450 meters (4,750 feet), has recoverable reserves of 2.5 trillion cubic feet as estimated by analysts at Wood Mackenzie and IHS Markit. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Lincoln Feast)Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: AP, Getty

As the date approaches for a second summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Americas top intelligence official is warning the country not to set expectations too high. In testimony this week before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats went so far as to question whether the central U.S. goal of the talks  North Koreas complete and verifiable denuclearization  was realistically achievable.

We currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its [weapons of mass destruction] capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capabilities because its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival, said Coats, whose remarks were widely construed as contradicting Trumps view of relations with Korea (and several other foreign policy issues as well, including the Iranian nuclear deal). Coats and the other intelligence chiefs were later summoned to the White House to explain themselves, after which Trump told the New York Times that their testimony had been mischaracterized by the media.

Commentators wondered where Trump was getting his information, if not from Coats, CIA director Gina Haspel and other intelligence agencies. But on Thursday, Steve Biegun, the administrations special representative for denuclearization talks with North Korea, backed the president, publicly criticizing the intelligence agencies as incomplete and flawed. I entirely share President Trumps frustration with the way this intelligence information was briefed and played out, Biegun said in remarks at Stanford University. The intelligence assessment, he argued, failed to adequately take into account the Trump administrations ongoing policy of offering an assortment of sticks and carrots  i.e. pressure and incentives  to convince North Korea to dismantle and destroy its nuclear weapons and long-range missile capability.

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If you take the [intelligence assessment] out of context, and divorce it from policy, then you have a very incomplete picture, said Biegun. Thats really where my frustration is with the story that played out this week.

In fact, Biegun noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had committed unequivocally in an October meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang to the total dismantlement and destruction of all North Korean plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities, without which new nuclear weapons could not be built (although the ones they already have would presumably remain in their hands pending future negotiations). Still, that would constitute a major step towards the bedrock U.S. goal of a final, fully verified denuclearization that Biegun insisted would ultimately include elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and the means to produce them.

Steve Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

In exchange for complete denuclearization, Biegun said, President Trump was prepared to offer incentives that exceed anything previously thought possible.

The nearly unprecedented gulf between the Trump administrations own assessments of secret, ongoing denuclearization talks makes judging their progress and prospects difficult even for seasoned experts. Ambassador Wendy Sherman is a former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs who negotiated with North Korea during the Clinton administration and more recently led the U.S. negotiating team that concluded the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Steve Biegun is a talented and tough negotiator, and if the Trump team really is able to convince North Korea to make a comprehensive declaration of all its WMD [weapons of mass destruction] facilities and then verifiably destroy them, I will be happily surprised, Sherman said in an interview. However, given the lack of real movement in that direction we saw after the last summit, and the intelligence communitys very different recent assessment, I believe that the prospect for success is quite low.

The divergence of opinion on the denuclearization talks even within the Trump administration reflects both the complexity of the issue and the enormous geopolitical  and domestic political  stakes involved. If the Trump administration is truly successful in eliminating North Koreas nuclear weapons and long-range missiles while defusing tensions on the Korean peninsula, for instance, it would indeed solve one of the most intractable conflicts of the Cold War era, and represent a legacy-defining achievement for the president.

But many arms-control experts fear that President Trump, given his eagerness for a deal and his well-known disdain for detail and careful preparation, could give away too much, too soon in what should be a careful, step-by-step process of mutual concessions. That could undermine U.S. alliances in Asia, greatly advantage China, and leave the United States and its allies still vulnerable to nuclear intimidation and brinksmanship from North Korea.

Kim Jong Un watches a ballistic rocket launch drill of the the Korean Peoples Army at an unknown location in 2016. (Photo: KCNA/Reuters)

North Korea has already made clear in advance of the second summit that it wants immediate sanctions relief, massive financial incentives, and a peace agreement to formally end the Korean war, which has been stalemated by a truce since 1953. Such a treaty would undercut the rationale for continuing to station U.S. troops in South Korea, a bedrock of American policy in the Pacific. As recently as December, North Korea issued statements suggesting that denuclearization must also include the United States lifting its nuclear deterrent umbrella over allies South Korea and Japan.

I do worry about Trump announcing troop withdrawals from South Korea before getting any real concessions from North Korea, or setting up a reported escrow account of billions of dollars for Pyongyang without monitoring or verification of denuclearization in place, said Sherman, currently professor of practice at Harvards Kennedy School and director of its Center for Public Leadership. I also worry that North Korea seems to prefer dealing directly with President Trump, and this desire for leaders to deal directly with each other only works when there is adequate preparation and a diplomatic operational plan in place. A bromance is not a substitute for persistent, painstaking, tough negotiations.

Indeed, ever since then President Barack Obama privately told President-elect Trump that North Koreas burgeoning nuclear weapons and intercontinental missile programs were the chief danger the United States would confront during his term, the showdown with Pyongyang was destined to be the critical test case for Trumps unconventional brand of mano-a-mano, top-down, shoot-from-the-lip diplomacy.

After belittling Kim as Little Rocket Man and using a 2017 speech to the U.N. General Assembly to claim his adversary was on a suicide mission that could totally destroy North Korea, Trump shocked the foreign policy establishment and overrode the advice of his own top advisers by quickly accepting Kims offer of a summit meeting. Following a summit last year in Singapore that was full of flattery and pageantry, but remarkably light on specifics and details, Trump committed to provide vague security guarantees to North Korea in exchange for Kims promise of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Trump addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 19, 2017. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

On his way home from the Singapore summit, Trump tweeted prematurely that There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from Pyongyang. During one of his subsequent campaign-style rallies, Trump went further in describing his evolving relationship with the North Korean strongman. He wrote me beautiful letters, Trump said of Kim. And theyre great letters. We fell in love.

The Trump-Kim bromance will be tested at the second summit scheduled for the end of this month, most likely in Vietnam. Both leaders will be under pressure to add substance and specifics to the vague denuclearization proclamations in Singapore, and to move beyond the current status quo of a freeze in North Korean nuclear and long-range missile tests, in exchange for Trumps freezing U.S. military exercises with South Korean counterparts. The Trump administration originally rejected Chinas proposal for such a freeze for a freeze deal, and senior U.S. military officials say it is not sustainable.

The ability of the United States military to be able to execute our plans at the level we need to in order to counter North Koreas conventional military capability, especially given their location close to [the South Korean capital of] Seoul, needs to be exercised several times a year, because its extremely complex, retired General Walter Skip Sharp, the former commander of U.S. and combined forces in Korea, told me last year at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. So the current freeze for a freeze is not sustainable from a military perspective.

After U.S. and South Korean negotiators failed to reach a cost-sharing agreement at the end of 2018  with the U.S. side unsuccessfully demanding that South Korea significantly increase its share of the burden of supporting 28,500 U.S. troops on the peninsula  many experts worry that Trump could announce a unilateral troop withdrawal as a means to sweeten the pot at the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit. Those concerns were significantly heightened recently after Trumps surprise announcement of U.S. troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan, which prompted the December resignation-in-protest of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

William Tobey is a former deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the Nuclear Security Administration. The devil in complex nuclear arms control and disarmament agreements, he agrees, is always in the details. Thats another reason the North Koreans prefer to negotiate directly with Trump, who is famously uninterested in the nitty-gritty details that might stand in the way of a beautiful deal.

Kim Jong Un and Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings in Singapore, June 12, 2018. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

It not surprising that the North Koreans want to deal directly with President Trump, because its greatly to their advantage, Tobey said in an interview. In a denuclearization deal the details surrounding a comprehensive declaration, verification, dismantlement and removal of weapons and materials matter a lot, and those are simply not the sort of things that President Trump is going to discuss with Kim. If the North Koreans can keep the discussion with Trump at the conceptual level, they have a much better chance of getting what they want, possibly without giving up all of their nuclear weapons capabilities. That would leave the United States and its allies vulnerable.

The pressure on Trump and Kim to reach some sort of interim deal in the next summit will be high, and the list of North Korean demands is long, to include sanctions relief, a possible peace declaration, and a continued freeze on U.S.-ROK [Republic of Korea] military exercises, said Sue Mi Terry, a former senior Korea analyst at the CIA, and currently the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Given the recent breakdown in U.S.-South Korea burden-sharing talks, she noted, the biggest wild card in the upcoming summit is the possibility that Trump will threaten to withdraw U.S. troops, or even announce a pullout now that Defense Secretary Mattis is not around to dissuade him.

That would be a very big blow, but Kim knows that Trump is the only American president in history who might be willing to put our alliances on the negotiating table, said Terry. Thats why he keeps writing Trump love letters.

James Kitfield is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

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Read more from Yahoo News:Skopje (AFP) - Macedonia's fugitive former premier Nikola Gruevski said Saturday he fled to Hungary despite being sentenced for abuse of power after he received a threat that he would be killed in jail.

Gruevski, a former strongman close to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, fled to Budapest in November 2018 to escape the two-year prison sentence, winning asylum there.

In his first interview since fleeing, given to Macedonia's Sitel television, Gruevski said that at first he intented to go to jail despite what he labelled "crazy judgements with no legal basis".

"But... I received information that someone was planning my liquidation in prison.

"Then I changed my decision," Gruevski said.

He said he got information on his planned assassination from "people who were well informed inside prison".

"I cannot say publicly who is behind this plot because I cannot prove it at the moment. I decided to leave Macedonia afterwards."

Gruevski ruled Macedonia for nearly a decade until 2016, when evidence appearing to show a widespread wire-tapping scheme by his administration led to his downfall.

The former premier has since been the target of a number of prosecutions and last year was found guilty of using a luxury government Mercedes for personal travel.

On November 11, Gruevski pulled off a dramatic escape, passing through Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia before reaching Hungary.

Gruevski said Saturday he chose Hungary since it was a NATO and European Union member as well as a "country with independent institutions".

After Gruevski fled, a special prosecution team appointed to probe alleged crimes committed by his administration, submitted two new charges against him.

He was accused of "illegal financing" of his VMRO-DPMNE party and unlawful construction of its headquarters.

Skopje has demanded Gruevski's immediate return, while the EU is looking to Budapest for answers.Chicago police have requested Empire actor Jussie Smolletts phone records in order to substantiate his managers claim that they were speaking on the phone when Smollett was viciously attacked early Tuesday morning, but Smollett has reportedly refused to turn them over.

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Smollett claims he was leaving a Subway sandwich shop around 2 a.m. Tuesday when two assailants began beating him, placed a noose around his neck, and poured an unknown chemical substance on him  all while shouting racist and homophobic slurs. After initially sharing just those details with the police following the attack, Smollett later told the authorities that the assailants shouted this is MAGA country before fleeing, after that claim appeared in a TMZ account of the incident.

Smolletts manager, Brandon Moore, who was with his client at a Chicago apartment when the police arrived, claims he was speaking with Smollett on the phone during the attack and overheard many of the racist and homophobic comments Smollett recounted.

I heard that clearly. I heard the scuffle and I heard the racial slur, Moore told Variety when asked if he heard the alleged MAGA country comment.

But Smollett and Moore now refuse to turn the records of their calls over to the police.

After reviewing hundreds of hours of private surveillance footage captured by area businesses, the police announced Tuesday night that they have been unable to find any footage of the alleged attack. They have, however, identified a person of interest.

The attack, which is being treated as a possible hate crime by the authorities, has drawn the condemnation of a number of high-profile Democrats, who have cited the incident as an example of a broader trend of rising political violence.

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Smollett, 36, began publicly disparaging Trump as early as 2011 and has more recently labeled the president and his supporters racists on his personal Twitter account.

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More from National ReviewMassachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren is preparing to announce her candidacy for the 2020 presidential nomination next Saturday.

The prominent Democrat told supporters she will make a BIG announcement on 9 February and is widely expected to confirm her bid to unseat Donald Trump in the White House.

Ms Warren opened her presidential exploratory committee on New Years Eve, a move that made her the first high-profile sitting Democrat to enter the primary race.

Since then the senator has made trips to the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. She also travelled to Puerto Rico, where she lambasted Mr Trumps handling of Hurricane Maria relief and recovery efforts.

Ms Warren has been keen to assert her left-wing credentials, proposing a new 2 per cent tax on Americans whose net worth exceeds $50m (38m). She has also suggested an additional 1 per cent levy on all billionaires.

Billionaires like Howard Schultz and Michael Bloomberg want to keep a rigged system in place that benefits only them and their buddies, she said last week.

Ms Warren has been joined in the early stages of primary campaigning by two fellow Democratic senators  Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Kamala Harris of California.

Ms Harris recently caused a stir by pledging to scrap private health insurance. Lets eliminate all of that, she said at a town hall event last week.

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Other high-profile Democrats attracting media interest for possible 2020 runs included senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Cory Booker of New Jersey, former congressman Beto ORourke of Texas and former vice president Joe Biden.

The latest Politico/Morning Consult poll of Democrat voters showed Mr Biden ahead of the pack with 33 per cent of the vote.

Mr Sanders came in second, at 15 per cent, while Ms Harris came in third with 10 per cent. Ms Warren tied for fourth on 6 per cent.

Hillary Clintons former campaign manager John Podesta has dismissed speculation she is planning to launch another bid for the White House.Elizabeth Warren has reportedly apologised for previously relying on a DNA test to prove her Native American ancestry.

The Massachusetts senator reached out to us and has apologised to the tribe, Cherokee Nation spokeswoman Julie Hubbard said in a statement relayed by CNN. The Independent has contacted Ms Hubbard and Ms Warren's team for more information.

Ms Warren publicised the results of a DNA test she had taken in October last year. In a video, she could be heard talking with Stanford University genetics professor Carlos Bustamante, who told her the results of the test suggest she absolutely has Native American ancestry.

The test, and Ms Warrens decision to make its results public, led to backlash, including from Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr who said at the time in a statement: Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong.

It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.

Ms Hubbard said the tribe views Ms Warrens reported apology as a hopeful sign.

We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests, she added in her statement. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.

Ms Warren publicised the results of her DNA test in response to Donald Trump, who has frequently mocked the senators references to her Native American heritage  at one point referring to Ms Warren as Pocahontas.

She is expected to officially announce her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on 9 February, having opened her presidential exploratory committee a month ago.

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The senator has been telling supporters she is to make a "big announcement" on that day.

Additional reporting by agencies.A defense lawyer for Joaquin El Chapo Guzman blasted the U.S. governments case against the accused cartel boss Thursday, saying it heavily rests on the cooperation of a band of criminals and the word of lying opportunists.

During closing arguments, attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told the jury they cant trust the 14 cooperating witnesses who testified against Guzman because many were given sweetheart deals to frame Guzman in exchange for shortened prison sentences.

Theyre just lying to your faces, Lichtman said. They may be liars. They may be killers. They may be degenerates, but theyre not stupid.

Behind the defense lawyer, a composite of the witnesses mugshots were plastered on a giant projection screen.

Lichtman said it was the cooperators who gave this case life, gave it breath. The witnesses not only admitted to lying every day of their lives, but they also lied under oath, the defense lawyer said.

He added that the convicts were cleaned up and put on display in the courtroom to play their part in the prosecutors scripted event.

This trial is about one thing and one thing onlygetting Chapo, he said. Everyone wants the famous Chapo.

Wrapping up his closing arguments, Lichtman asked the jury to look past the defendants notorious nickname while deliberating. You dont have to give into the myth of El Chapo, he said.

The remarks come one day after the government prosecutors urged the jury to hold [Guzman] accountable for his crimes. In closing arguments Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg insisted the cooperating witnesses12 of whom she said had struck dealswere telling the truth when they testified about how Guzman ran his drug-trafficking empire with violence and corruption.

Ladies and gentlemen, these witnesses are criminals, Goldbarg said. The government is not asking you to like them.

Guzman, 61, is accused of trafficking $14 billion worth of drugs into the U.S. as the leader of the Sinaloa cartel. He is perhaps most famous for bolting from two top-security Mexican prisons. In 2001, he first escaped from the Puente Grande prison by hiding in a laundry cart. He was recaptured in 2014 in Mazatlan, Mexicoonly to break free from the Altiplano prison through a tunnel in 2015. Guzman was re-arrested the next year and extradited to stand trial in the U.S. in 2017.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations Monday.The baby girl who was found abandoned in a park in Newham, east London

A dog walker and her son have described finding a baby girl abandoned in a shopping bag in London.

Wrapped in a blanket, the crying newborn was discovered in an east London park as freezing temperatures and snow gripped the capital late on Thursday.

Rima Zvaliauskas was walking her dog when she heard crying coming from a play area off Roman Road in Newham at around 10.15pm.

The former midwife said she was left shocked and stressed by the desperate discovery.

Her son, Lvidijus, told the BBC: My mum at 10 oclock in the evening was walking the dog and she heard a noise coming out from a bag.

A newborn has been found abandoned at an east London park amid freezing temperatures

She rang me up because she was too scared to approach the bag. When I came I just found the baby in the bag and we phoned the ambulance and the police.

Mr Lvidijus said the incident felt unreal, adding: She just had a blanket on her and thats it, in a Sainsburys shopping bag.

It was extremely cold when the pair found the baby and it started to snow soon afterwards.

The baby was rushed to a hospital in east London where she is now being cared for by staff, who have named her Roman because of where she was discovered.

Police are continuing their efforts to find the babys mother. Officers have appealed for her to come forward so she can receive medical care and any other support she may require.

Appealing directly to her mother, Inspector Shane Clarke, of the North East Command Unit, said: I urge you to make contact either with police, your local hospital or GP surgery. It is really important that we know that you are safe.

I would also urge anyone who has information that could help us to reunite this baby with her mother to come forward.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the mother is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference CAD7825/31JAN or tweet @MetCC.By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran who at times has had a spiky relationship with the Democratic Party, on Saturday will add another liberal voice to a burgeoning field of candidates seeking the party's 2020 presidential nomination. Gabbard, 37, will officially launch her candidacy in Hawaii, where she has served as a congresswoman since 2013. A Samoan-American, she was the first Hindu elected to Congress. She made headlines in 2016 by quitting a leadership post at the Democratic National Committee over the partys decision to limit the number of debates between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, a move analysts said helped Clinton. Gabbard then endorsed Sanders for president, becoming one of the few members of Congress to do so. She remains popular with some progressives but will have serious competition on that front with candidates such as Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren in the presidential field. Gabbard has not been a factor in early 2020 opinion polls, and her nascent campaign already has shown signs of trouble. Politico reported this week that her campaign manager was set to depart in the coming days after weeks of disarray. Gabbards campaign on Friday confirmed the departure but said Rania Batrice would remain an adviser to Gabbard. Gabbard also was forced to apologize for her past opposition to same-sex marriage, which she now supports, and has been engaged in a public feud with Hawaii's popular Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono over a federal judicial nominee. Democratic nominating contests begin in February 2020. The candidate who amasses the majority of delegates will be nominated at the partys convention in the summer and will likely face Republican President Donald Trump in November's general election. Gabbard served in Iraq and Kuwait in a Hawaii National Guard field medical unit, experiences she said helped inform her noninterventionist foreign policy views. She has made veterans issues a priority while in Congress. Gabbard has consistently opposed U.S. intervention in Syria, going as far as to secretly meet with Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad, in January 2017, sparking fierce criticism from some in her own party. She opposes removing Assad from power. Later that year, she expressed skepticism over the Trump administration's conclusion that Assad's regime was behind a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens in Syria. Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean called Gabbard's views "a disgrace" and said she was unfit to be in Congress. Last November, she blasted Trump for not taking a harder stance toward Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. She also slammed the administration for supporting Saudi Arabia in its conflict with Yemen. In 2015, she parted with many Democrats by criticizing then-President Barack Obama for refusing to use the term "Islamic extremism" to describe members of Islamic State and other militant groups. (Reporting by James Oliphant; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jonathan Oatis)Curt Mills

Domestic Politics, United States

McConnell's amendment rebuking Trump is approved by the Senate.

The Congressional Assault On Trumps War Powers

Trump will be remembered for overseeing a dramatic weakening of the presidencyitll be back to Andrew Johnson days, a prominent conservative close to the White House says.

Such is the sentiment among many of the presidents allies who back his proposed withdrawal in Syria and pullback in Afghanistan. The president, albeit inconsistently, has his priorities. But he is routinely stymied by his own knife-fighting subordinates and fellow partisans in Congress.

With the announcement by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week that he will offer up an amendment to a Middle East policy bill, the senior senator from Kentucky has set the stage for an informal rebuke of the commander-in-chief. The text of McConnells amendment is neoconservative, writes John M. Donnelly in Roll Call.

McConnell is arguing that America cannot take its foot off the gas and must sustain the strategies that are clearly working. Another administration ally and veteran Republican activist characterized the attempt as the most forceful break by McConnell with Trump since hes become president. And it has the making of the widest riff between McConnell and administration-friendly populists since McConnells war on former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon in 2017.

It is likely that McConnell, not National Security Advisor John Bolton, is the most ardent opponent of Trumps new strategy yet. And this unwelcome development for the White House comes just as the president was served a stinging political defeat by the head of Congress other branch, Nancy Pelosi.

A parallel development: the McConnell row again has forced Trump into the corner of Kentuckys junior senator Rand Paul. Senator Paul has a political understanding with McConnellthe majority leader endorsed Paul for president in the early days of the 2016 campaignbut they part company on foreign policy.

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A core issue for many is McConnells use of the word precipitous to characterize American withdrawal from the regionlaughable for critics of the war who note Afghanistan is now Americas longest war. It is ludicrous to call withdrawal after 17 years precipitous, Paul said Thursday, appearing on Fox News to rally the base to the presidents defense.

Critics of McConnell further note that this is the first time the majority leader has seemingly shown interest in restraining President Trumps war powerswhen he disagreed with him. McConnell steadfastly backed Trumps right to strike at Bashar Assad in Syria in 2017 and 2018, sans congressional support. For aspiring reformers of the way the United States conducts itself overseas, its rather inconsistent of McConnell to invoke a need for congressional oversight, when there has been no greater handmaiden of status-quo approaches elsewhere. Most notably, he was the Hills executioner earlier in the administration of an updated Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

But McConnells gambit is audacious because he is breaking with the president he has worked so effectively to reshape Americas judiciary and reform its tax systemcareer-long goals for the majority leader. On this measure, McConnell is acting out of a seeming, genuine conviction to keep the United States in Syria and Afghanistan.

A source familiar with the senators thinking indicates that Sen. Jim Risch, the new Senate Foreign Relations chair, is skittish on the maneuver, wary of insulting the president at the very least. Nevertheless, on Thursday afternoon, the Senate approved McConnell's amendment rebuking Trump.

With the fresh McConnell drama, Trumps foreign policy is under strain on the Hill from both hawkish and realist right. Elsewhere, opponents of U.S. sponsorship of the war in Yemen are plotting their killing stroke.

Sens. Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee and Chris Murphy, along with Reps. Ro Khanna and Mark Pocan, re-introduced legislation to force a vote on ending U.S. support of the Saudi-led coalition this week.

Perseverance is a key ingredient to changing U.S. foreign policy, Paul Kawika Martin, senior director of Peace Action, said Wednesday.

Curt Mills is the foreign-affairs reporter at the National Interest, where he covers the State Department, National Security Council and the Trump Presidency.

Image: Reuters.

Read full articleBOGOTA (Reuters) - Venezuela's dictatorship only has a short time left, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday, calling for more diplomatic pressure on that nation's leader, Nicolas Maduro, to facilitate the return of democracy to the oil-producing nation.

Colombia, which is part of the 14-country regional Lima Group, has already recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela.

"Today it's worthy to applaud what the world is seeing and that is that the dictatorship of Venezuela has very few hours left, because there's a new institutional regime that's being created thanks to the work that Colombia and other countries have done," said Duque.

Although Guaido has the support of the United States and governments of the European Union, Maduro continues to hold onto power with the backing of Venezuela's military leadership, Russia and China.

"I hope that in the coming days the diplomatic siege will continue," said Duque, insisting on free elections in Venezuela as part of a transition process.

Last May, Maduro cruised to re-election over a lesser-known opposition candidate amid low turnout and government allegations of vote buying. The opposition, the United States and the Lima Group said they did not recognize the results.

Colombia has become the main destination for the more than 3 million Venezuelans who have left their country, fleeing a political, economic and social crisis. More than 1 million Venezuelans currently live in Colombia.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)Caracas (AFP) - They embraced the socialist revolution of late leader Hugo Chavez along with millions of other Venezuelans, but four former officials have now been left disillusioned by Nicolas Maduro's regime.

These officials from the Chavez era consider Maduro "illegitimate," but they are torn between supporting self-proclaimed president-elect Juan Guaido and looking for another way out of the political crisis.

Maduro, with the backing of the powerful military, is desperately trying to hold onto power in the face of opposition leader Guaido's audacious challenge, supported by the United States.

Twenty years after Chavez came to power, the country is in the grip of economic and political crises, and the four "Chavistas" have turned their back on his hand-picked successor.

- 'Two sides of the same coin' -

Gustavo Marquez, a former minister of commerce and ambassador, sees little hope in either pretender to the presidency.

Maduro, he says, is "clinging to power with his legitimacy compromised," while Guaido is building a "parallel state" with the help of the US and economic sanctions.

They're "two sides of the same coin," says the 72-year-old. Guaido, he says, is reading from a "script" prepared in Washington to asphyxiate the country and control its oil reserves, the largest proven ones in the world.

Backed by the military, Maduro has turned his "back on reality."

The opposition, Marquez says, is putting "the lives of millions in jeopardy" and exposing Venezuela to the risk of being plundered.

"Whether through negotiation or war... the pie will be divided up. The United States, Russia and China want their piece."

Marquez hit out at Venezuela's oil-dependent economy -- 96 percent of its revenue comes from crude -- and tight economic controls leading to an attitude that "it's cheaper to import than produce."

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"They adopted Cuba's failed statist model," he said.

- 'Up against the wall' -

Luisa Ortega used to be Venezuela's attorney general, but she fell out with Maduro and paid the price.

She was sacked after hitting out at the breakdown of democracy and the repression of protesters in 2017 that left 125 dead.

She fled to Colombia and is now firmly behind Guaido, whom she calls "a brave man."

"I'm banking on Juan Guaido... his success is the success of all Venezuelans. We have Maduro up against the wall," she said.

The 61-year-old hasn't always been a defender of democracy and critic of repression, though.

While she was attorney general, the public prosecutor's office accused then-opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez of a raft of charges that human rights organizations claimed were politically motivated, and saw him jailed for almost 14 years.

She says she doesn't "regret" supporting Chavez, "but I've apologized for the mistakes I made... most of all for not saying certain things quickly enough."

Ortega says Chavez's original movement was "humanistic" but that it became mired in corruption before Maduro "consolidated" its "destruction."

For Ortega, the legacy of Chavism is "misery, hunger, repression, exile, tragedy."

- 'The revolution collapsed' -

"Venezuelans are aboard" two high-speed trains that are about to crash headlong into each other, says Hector Navarro, who held four ministerial positions under Chavez.

He was a friend of the late leader since Chavez was jailed in 1992 for a failed coup attempt.

Maduro is on his last legs, the 69-year-old says.

However, "the question is whether this terminal phase will drag the country into the hands" of foreign interests, or whether politics will triumph "and the people will be the ones that decide."

Navarro says Maduro kicked him out of the ruling party after he denounced corruption within the regime.

"The revolution collapsed" and was left behind by the Latin American left, said Navarro, who earns a pension of $6 a month and lives off money sent home by a son who emigrated, like 2.3 million more people who have fled the country since 2015.

He spends his time looking after his grandchildren and is in favor of a third way.

- Corrupt classes -

"We're debating between a negotiated exit or war," said Oly Millan, the former head of the ministry of popular economy.

The 52-year-old university professor is planning a referendum with her former cabinet colleagues to renew all the branches of government, but she acknowledges that "extreme polarization" means few are buying into her idea.

She says that Chavism failed because of a vision of socialism in which the state controls everything, an "extremist opposition" that never accepted Chavez and the radicalization that ensued after the unsuccessful 2002 coup that forced the president from office for 48 hours.

Millan believes the 2004-2014 oil boom and the "closure of self-criticism" created corrupt classes that amassed fortunes and remain in power today.

When she herself denounced the paying of bribes, Chavez dismissed it as a US conspiracy.NEW YORK  A federal jury in Brooklyn will soon decide the fate of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the accused Mexican drug lord who allegedly smuggled tons of cocaine and other narcotics into the United States.

Having heard hearing testimony from 57 witnesses  56 called by prosecutors, one by Guzman's defense team  jurors on Monday will receive instructions on the law from U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan.

Prosecutors have asked the judge to add instructions following the confrontational closing statement by defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman on Thursday.

Lichtman repeatedly suggested that government lawyers suborned perjury by alleged former Guzman associates who testified against their alleged former boss while seeking leniency for their own crimes.

"They were given the world by this government and then they lied their butts off," Lichtman told the jury.

In this courtroom sketch, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, center, and his attorney Eduardo Balazero, right, listen as a prosecutor delivers closing arguments during his trial, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Brooklyn, NY.

Prosecutors asked the judge to tell jurors that Lichtman's comments were improper, and to explain that "the government is not on trial."

They asked for similar jury instructions regarding Lichtman's arguments that the government singled out Guzman for prosecution and hid evidence that might have helped his defense.

Cogan is expected to rule on the request over the weekend after the defense team files a legal response.

After instructions, the jury of seven women and five men will begin deliberations.

They'll have lots to consider.

The jurors must weigh the evidence on 10 criminal counts, including the top charge of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. If found guilty on this count, Guzman, 61, could be sentenced to life in prison if he's found guilty on this count.

The alleged former leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel is also charged importing and distributing cocaine, firearms violations and conspiracy to launder money from narcotics trafficking.

Story continues

Related Video: US Says 'Overwhelming' Evidence Against El Chapo

Here's a closer look:

The Charges

A superseding indictment charges that Guzman and alleged co-leader Ismael Zambada Garcia created the Sinaloa cartel in the early 2000s from an existing drug trafficking federation.

The new operation became one of the world's largest narcotics smuggling organizations, prosecutors say, shipping tons of Colombian cocaine to the United States with other drugs. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of illegal proceeds allegedly were smuggled back to Mexico and laundered through front companies.

The operation used cars, trucks, trains, planes, fishing boats, submarines, and secret tunnels below the U.S.-Mexican border to speed the drugs to major U.S. cities from coast to coast, prosecutors say.

Guzman, known for outperforming drug-trafficking rivals, was dubbed "El Rapido," prosecutors say. He was captured in Mexico in 2016 and extradited to the United States the following year. Zambada was never caught. He's believed to be in Mexico.

The Evidence

Prosecutors brought some of the tools of Guzman's alleged trade into the courtroom for closing statements on Wednesday. Three AK-47 assault rifles lay atop the prosecution table. Bricks of cocaine were packed into Drug Enforcement Administration boxes on the courtroom floor.

During deliberations, the jury can ask for replays of audio and video recordings, as well as jailhouse letters, exhibits that allegedly show Guzman discussing cocaine shipments, executions and other crimes.

The Witnesses

A parade of 14 cooperating witnesses provided some of the most damaging testimony against the man they identified as their former boss.

Miguel Angel Martinez told jurors he had been one of Guzman's trusted lieutenants until he was arrested in 2008.

Martinez, strapped for cash, sold a house that the boss had purchased under Martinez's name. Unfortunately for the lieutenant, the sale forced the eviction of one of Guzman's mistresses.

Martinez told jurors that the boss tried to have him killed four times. He said the fourth attempt, in which he said grenades were thrown into his jail cell, was preceded by an unusual serenade.

A mariachi band assembled outside the jail walls and repeatedly played "Un Puno de Tierra,"  "A Fistful of Dirt." Martinez identified the song as Guzman's favorite. The lyrics advise the listener to live his life intensely, because when he dies, he'll take nothing but dirt.

The song was a message from Guzman, Martinez testified.

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, a former leader of Colombia's Norte Valle cocaine cartel, testified that he relied on Guzman and the cartel to smuggle tons of the drug into Mexico, and then on to the United States.

Chicago-born drug trafficker Pedro Flores testified that he and his twin brother, Margarito, ran a U.S. distribution system that shipped Guzman-delivered cocaine to major U.S. cities.

After working with the Mexican boss, Flores testified, they feared U.S. and Mexican authorities were closing in on them. They secretly recorded Guzman allegedly discussing drug smuggling. Those recordings were played for jurors.

Damaso Lopez Nunez, another alleged Guzman lieutenant, told jurors he led the effort to spring the boss from Mexico's Altiplano prison through a secret underground tunnel in 2015.

Guzman's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, was part of the plot, he testified, relaying the boss' instructions for the tunnel. Coronel Aispuro watched and listened to Lopez Nunez's testimony from a courtroom bench.

Isaias Valdez Rios told jurors that Guzman interrogated, tortured and killed enemies, and ordered one badly wounded man buried alive.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg opened her closing argument to jurors with Valdez's account of the boss shooting two members of a rival drug gang and ordering their bodies to be tossed into a blazing bonfire.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kevin McCoy on Twitter: @kmccoynyc

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The case against El Chapo is headed to the jury. Here's what to knowTORONTO (Reuters) - Canada said on Thursday that 13 of its citizens have been detained in China since Huawei Technologies Co Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested last month in Vancouver at the request of the United States. "At least" eight of those 13 had since been released, the Canadian government said in a statement, without disclosing what charges if any have been laid. Prior to Thursday's statement, detention of only three Canadian citizens had been publicly disclosed. Diplomatic tension between Canada and China has intensified since Meng's arrest on Dec. 1. The Canadian government has said several times it sees no explicit link between the arrest of Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, and the detentions of Canadian citizens. But Beijing-based Western diplomats and former Canadian diplomats have said they believe the detentions were a "tit-for-tat" reprisal by China. Meng was released on a C$10 million ($7.4 million) bail on Dec. 11 and is living in one of her two multi-million-dollar Vancouver homes as she fights extradition to the United States. The 46-year-old executive must wear an ankle monitor and stay at home from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The 13 Canadians detained include Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor and Sarah McIver, a Canadian government official who declined to be identified, said on Thursday. McIver, a teacher, has since been released and returned to Canada. Kovrig and Spavor remain in custody. Canadian consular officials saw them once each in mid-December. Overall, there are about 200 Canadians who have been detained in China for a variety of alleged infractions who continue to face on-going legal proceedings. "This number has remained relatively stable," the official said. In comparison, there are almost 900 Canadians in a similar situation in the United States, the official added. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang did not provide details about the other detained Canadians at a news briefing in Beijing on Friday, but said that China was ruled by law and it protected the legal rights of foreigners. The Chinese government has not drawn a direct link between the detention of any Canadian and Meng's arrest. It has demanded that Canada free Meng and threatened unspecified consequences if it does not. (Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Sandra Maler, Robert Birsel)Note: The photo in question is included in the bottom half of this article.

Calls for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign are coming from all sides of the political aisle following the revelation Friday that Northam appeared in a photo in his medical school yearbook page that showed a man dressed in blackface and another person wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood.

Northam apologized, took responsibility and vowed to mend the damage he'd caused with the photograph, which was included on Northam's yearbook page from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1984.

But the calls for him to step aside only heightened on Saturday with some of the nation's top Democrats condemning the Virginia Democrat, even as he tried to quell the growing fiasco by telling at least one state lawmaker that it was not him in the photograph.

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Nevertheless, the bipartisan chorus of lawmakers, organizations and prominent political figures demanding his resignation have mounted.

"There is no place for racism in America," former Vice President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter. "Governor Northam has lost all moral authority and should resign immediately, Justin Fairfax is the leader Virginia needs now."

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Washington, said on Saturday that Northam should leave office so those in his state could heal and move forward.

"The photo is racist and contrary to fundamental American values," Pelosi said in a tweet. "I join my colleagues in Virginia calling on Governor Northam to do the right thing so that the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia can heal and move forward."

The NAACP's President and CEO Derrick Johnson agreed in a written statement, saying, "Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam."

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Republicans and Democrats, including nearly every Democratic presidential contender in the 2020 race, joined together to call for his resignation.

"It doesnt matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign," Julian Castro, a Democrat running for president, wrote on Twitter.

Sen. Kamala Harris, another Democrat running in 2020, agreed.

"Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government," she wrote on Twitter. "The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.

Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina who recently spoke out against Rep. Steve King's remarks about white supremacism, also denounced Northam's yearbook fiasco.

"To be clear, while a quick apology is good, it does not excuse the choices made by @GovernorVA as an adult enrolled in medical school," Scott wrote on Twitter. "The people of VA will make their voices heard; I hope they will shout far & wide that there are consequences for such showcases of prejudice & hate."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy followed suit on "All in with Chris Hayes" on MSNBC Friday night. "Were the party of Barack Obama, were the party of inclusion," Murphy said.

Murphy described it as unacceptable behavior in 2019, and that it was just as unacceptable in 1984.

The incoming head of the Democratic Governors Association, Murphy said he speaks of Northam's yearbook controversy with a "heavy heart." "I know him and I believe he's a good man," New Jersey's governor said.

Planned Parenthood tweeted a statement late Friday night telling Northam to resign.

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Members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus say they are "still processing" the news that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appeared in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform.

In a statement issued Friday night, the caucus said "what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible, and offensive."

It went on to say that while the caucus has "no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests," members "are still processing what we have seen about the Governor."

The revelation of the yearbook photo comes at a particularly partisan time in Virginia. The state has been battling over a Democratic-led bill that would loosen restrictions on late-term abortions, allowing a woman to get an abortion well into the third trimester if the mother was physically or mentally at risk.

This week the bill failed to be voted out of committee but the uproar hasn't stopped.

Contributing: Associated Press; Joshua Jongsma, North Jersey Record

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden, NAACP, more: Calls for Gov. Ralph Northam to resign persist for second dayDETROIT (AP) -- Dozens of Michigan auto plants and large commercial buildings that were forced to close or cut operations Thursday due to a natural gas shortage can resume production at midnight.

Consumers Energy had asked the plants and other big gas users to curtail work for fear of running out of gas for homes and other critical buildings during a record-setting deep freeze.

The shortage was caused by a fire Wednesday that knocked out a natural gas compressor station north of Detroit just as temperatures plummeted.

Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe said Thursday afternoon that crews had repaired part of the fire-damaged station and ample gas supplies are now available.

General Motors, which had shuttered more than a dozen plants in the Detroit, Lansing, Flint and Saginaw areas, already was restarting factories. The company said workers would return to three Lansing-area factories on Thursday's night shift, and other announcements were expected.

At least 18 factories and other facilities run by General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler were affected.

Consumers Energy, the state's largest natural gas provider, said gas flow from the compressor station had to be shut off, leaving Michigan residents at risk of brief service interruptions in subzero temperatures. The utility said more than 100 of its largest industrial customers cut their gas usage to help get through the shortage.

Fiat Chrysler closed its truck assembly plants in Warren and Sterling Heights, Michigan, while Ford reduced operations at two transmission factories and a plant that stamps parts for the hot-selling Ford Ranger small pickup near Detroit. Ranger production was unaffected.

General Motors was hit much harder, suspending operations at factories in Flint, Lansing, Saginaw, Pontiac, Orion Township and Bay City, Michigan. A Flint plant is gearing up for the launch of new heavy-duty pickup trucks. Even General Motors' sprawling technical center in Warren, Michigan, north of Detroit, was closed and its roughly 20,000 employees were told to stay home. About 30,000 employees were affected at GM alone.

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Only factories served by Jackson, Michigan-based Consumers Energy were affected. Plants powered by the region's other utility, DTE Energy, had no disruptions.

Consumers Energy had asked its 1.7 million customers and others to continue to set their thermostats at 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius) or lower  62 degrees if they are away from home for more than five hours.

Poppe credits residential customers and large industrial users that stopped operations with stepping up to help ensure people have heat.

"In our 130 years, we've never experienced this kind of demand or these kinds of temperatures," Poppe said. The utility, she said, had been prepared to supply more natural gas due to the frigid weather until Wednesday's fire at its largest storage and distribution facility.

The economic impact of the shutdowns is likely to be small. Automakers usually can make up for a few lost production days by increasing assembly line speeds. Workers will get paid even though their buildings were closed.

Other businesses also have been affected. Spartan Motors, which makes emergency and other large vehicles, suspended manufacturing in Charlotte, Michigan, near Lansing, idling about 800 workers. Dart Container Corp., switched natural gas boilers to oil and curtailed some operations near Lansing that use natural gas.

Temperatures in the state early Thursday fell to their lowest levels of the week, with readings around negative 12 degrees (negative 24 degrees Celsius) in the Detroit area and at bitterly cold levels statewide.

No one was injured in the fire Wednesday at Consumers Energy's Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County. The cause of the fire was under investigation. The company said it activated natural gas peaking storage fields to help meet demand.Brussels (AFP) - Belgium said Saturday it has agreed to host Ivory Coast ex-president Laurent Gbagbo pending a possible appeal against his acquittal by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

On January 15, the tribunal acquitted Gbagbo and his aide, Charles Ble Goude, on charges stemming from a wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010.

The following day, the court ruled there were no exceptional circumstances preventing the pair's release from detention in The Hague, and said they could be sent to a member country willing to accept them.

"It was a request from the court to host Mr Gbagbo simply because he has family in Belgium: his second wife, a child in Brussels," Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told RTBF, Begium's public television channel.

"We have concluded that it is alright for him to stay in Belgium while on conditional release," he said, adding that the "conditions" of his stay would be discussed with the ICC including "limits" on Gbagbo's movements.

"There will be surveillance," he added.

According to the Belgian press, one of Gbagbo's wives, 47-year-old Nady Bamba, lives there.

Prosecutors can still appeal the January 15 acquittal, but said in a statement Friday it was awaiting the court's written judgement before deciding how to proceed.

"Only after we have had the opportunity to carefully examine and analyse their reasoning will my office make a decision on whether to appeal," said ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Ble Goude's lawyer said on Saturday his client was still "waiting" for a host country to declare itself willing to take him in.

Gbagbo and Ble Goude went on trial in January 2016 accused of playing a role in murder, rape, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the post-election violence.

More than 3,000 people died on both sides of the Ivory Coast conflict after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rival -- and now-president -- Alassane Ouattara.

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- Travel ban -

Prosecutors have expressed fears that if freed, Gbagbo would not return to the court for a retrial if his acquittal is overturned on appeal.

The release conditions include that he surrender his travel documents, report to authorities weekly, avoid contacting witnesses in Ivory Coast, and refrain from making public statements about the case, the court documents said.

Gbagbo was the first former head of state to stand trial at the ICC.

He had been held in the Netherlands since 2011.

The ICC's unwillingness to let Gbagbo return to Ivory Coast could be linked to that country's refusal to surrender Gbagbo's wife, Simone, despite an outstanding ICC warrant for her arrest for her role in the violence.

She was convicted and jailed by the courts there in 2015, but Ouattara granted her an amnesty last year, to allow her release after seven years in detention.

Gbagbo's release comes at a particularly tense time in Ivory Coast.

With presidential elections due in 2020, Ouattara has not said whether he will seek a second term, and the coalition he formed with Henri Konan Bedie, his former ally against Gbagbo, has collapsed.The Telegraph

The Duke of Cambridge kicked off Father's Day celebrations by counting down to the start of a half-marathon on the Sandringham Estate on Sunday with his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The royal trio arrived just before the start of the first-ever Run Sandringham, a community event aimed at raising thousands of pounds for good causes. William, George and Charlotte walked to the stage holding hands, before sending hundreds of runners on their way.By Sinead Cruise and Tom Sims

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - In Frankfurt and Paris, the flood of banking jobs predicted to arrive after Brexit is, for now, little more than a trickle.

An analysis of job postings on eight of the world's major investment bank websites show a modest push to recruit staff in other European cities but little to suggest London is set for a rapid demise as the region's top banking hub.

Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, UBS, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank are seeking to fill 1,545 new roles in Britain, numbers up to January 22 show.

In Germany and France - the two countries predicted to see the biggest influx of financial services from Britain as a result of Brexit - just 301 roles have been listed.

Only Deutsche Bank is looking to hire more people in Germany than in Britain, with 133 German vacancies posted online compared to 132 in the UK.

"It isn't really a tsunami of hires," said Christine Kuhl, a partner with executive placement firm Odgers Berndtson in Frankfurt.

The figures do not capture numbers of existing employees who might relocate from London to other EU offices under contingency plans following Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) or roles that are not publicly advertised.

But they are forward-looking indicators of how each bank is looking to remodel their European workforce over the coming months in the face of Brexit, and suggest banks are only making modest tweaks as Britain's EU departure approaches on March 29.

"Culturally, Paris is French, Frankfurt is German but London is international. The Americans - who own this industry - want to operate in an English speaking environment. No one wants to go," said Martin Armstrong, partner at headhunting firm Armstrong International.

Other recruitment specialists reported few signs of banks preparing to bulk up in a hurry, even if Britain has to leave the EU without a deal covering financial services.

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The small number of moves to date have followed many months of consultations and negotiations, the headhunters said, with banks keen to avoid relocations which might prove premature or even unnecessary.

"It can be done, but we are talking months, possibly longer if there are families involved," said James Murray, a director at search firm Robert Walters.

"That said, if risk takers do start to move elsewhere than that is where we could start to see real movement in terms of jobs. When the risk takers move, then surely the risk managers move, and so on," he added.

HOMEWORK

Search firm Korn Ferry set up a Brexit task force after Britons voted in 2016 to leave the EU and met regularly to prepare for a mass transfer of talent from London to Frankfurt. But the influx hasn't happened.

One senior banker who is making the move to Frankfurt is Christoph Seibel. Seibel, a German national, left the city in 1993 to go to business school in the United States and then pursue a career in London.

Mizuho poached him from RBC Capital Markets in London to become CEO of the bank's newly headquartered EU operations in Frankfurt. He takes up the new post on March 28.

Mizuho is one of 45 financial firms that Germany's financial regulator Bafin says are setting up Frankfurt hubs after Brexit.

But moves like Seibel's are few and far between, with activity to date well short of the 6,000 financial jobs lobby group Frankfurt Main Finance previously expected to move to Germany's largest financial hub in the event of a hard Brexit.

Seven leading executive search firms contacted by Reuters reported few offerings for leadership roles in Frankfurt as uncertainty about Britain's future trading relationship with the bloc continues.

Some banks are nevertheless betting on London to retain the balance of power over rival centres in the EU, opting to base top executives and keep their European headquarters in London - for the time being at least.

Citi's new EMEA Chief Executive David Livingstone will be based in the UK capital, as will HSBC's newly appointed global markets boss Georges Elhedery, who will relocate from Dubai to London to take up the job two weeks before Brexit.

Goldman Sachs has recently expanded the role of London-based Richard Gnodde to head of the bank's international operations while Morgan Stanley has appointed Clare Woodman to head up its EMEA business - also from London.

FAST-TRACK

For now at least, head hunters say London is winning the war to retain its talent, undermining Germany's 'Bankfurt' ambitions or President Emmanuel Macron's push to swell the Paris finance industry at London's expense.

Goldman Sachs for example, which is making Frankfurt its EU hub after Brexit, is looking for just 15 roles in Germany's financial centre with most of them in compliance, tax, legal, risk management or operations.

By contrast, the bank has 190 jobs advertised in Britain including I.T., compliance, human resources, as well as corporate & investment banking roles.

And with the market for permanent roles seen in rude health, persuading London-based bankers to move is no easy task, with handsome pay packages and better promotion prospects central to the negotiations.

"People say: 'talk to me about jobs in Asia first, then Dublin, then Frankfurt, then Paris'  in that order. People want big upticks and guaranteed bonuses as standard," Darren Burns, operations director at headhunter Morgan McKinley, said.

"There's a feeling if you move to Dublin as a director now, you could be managing director in three years, whereas in Frankfurt, there is already too much competition for the top roles. The local talent is already your boss or your boss's boss."

As banks automate more processes to cut costs, they are also recruiting more in countries where they can hire skilled workers in areas such as technology and risk management at a fraction of the cost seen in Western financial centres.

After Britain, the second hottest jobs market in Europe is Poland, where 878 posts are up for grabs across Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw.

Citi and Credit Suisse have advertised 531 roles in Poland between them, compared with an aggregated 36 posts in Germany and 8 jobs in France.

Morgan Stanley has 49 vacancies in Budapest, where it opened in 2006 and now employs more than 1,300 people.

"The biggest banks have been nearshoring and offshoring roles from their most expensive centres for the best part of 15 years now, entirely unrelated to Brexit," Murray said.

"If they still have jobs in London, it's because they genuinely need or want those jobs to be in London."

GRAPHIC https://tmsnrt.rs/2TjKgsg

(Additional reporting by Lawrence White in London. Editing by Carmel Crimmins)BALTIMORE (AP)  A day after her first choice withdrew his candidacy, Baltimore's mayor on Tuesday picked New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison as her nominee to lead the city's troubled force and become a key player in making sure sweeping reforms finally take root.

Mayor Catherine Pugh said Harrison has already declared his intention to retire from the New Orleans Police Department and come to Baltimore. She said the veteran police leader has delivered "clear, compelling and consistent results in reducing violent crime" while leading a city under a federal consent decree similar to Baltimore's.

Harrison, a New Orleans native who has helped his hometown's once scandal-plagued force implement ongoing reforms since becoming superintendent in 2014, would be the fourth police commissioner of Pugh's roughly 2-year-old administration.

"He will bring not only significant and relevant experience to addressing the challenges of Baltimore, but the insight and sensitivity needed to re-establish essential trust and confidence of citizens in their police officers," Pugh said Tuesday.

Harrison will certainly recognize the tough terrain in Baltimore, which has recently led all big U.S. cities in violent crime statistics and where gritty realities have helped make it the setting for hard-boiled crime shows over decades. Since he took over in New Orleans, he's shored up a depleted department and reversed decades of scandal that included the fatal shootings of unarmed civilians after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In a 2012 federal consent decree that is still in effect, New Orleans agreed to a host of changes in policies governing hiring, training, discipline, procedures for use of violence and other elements of police work. New Orleans saw its lowest homicide rate in decades last year under Harrison, who was already a 24-year police veteran in the department and a district commander when he took over the leadership.

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New Orleans Council President Jason Williams described Harrison as a "wonderful man" who ushered the Louisiana city through an "extremely precarious time" with the ongoing court-backed reform process. "Consent decrees are typically met with disdain from top to bottom. Chief Harrison instead embraced it," he said.

If his appointment as acting commissioner is authorized by Baltimore's City Council in the coming weeks, Harrison will face a slew of formidable challenges. He will have to reduce one of the highest homicide rates of any large U.S. city, rebuild trust between officers and deeply skeptical residents, and win the confidence of a demoralized department racked by corruption scandals and feuding factions.

That's all while making sure mandated reforms are embraced in Baltimore, where U.S. Justice Department investigators found the police force routinely violated the constitutional rights of citizens for years. Baltimore and the Justice Department entered a court-backed consent decree in January 2017.

Peter Scharf, a Louisiana State University professor of public health who specializes in violent crime, described Harrison as a seasoned and approachable leader who has stabilized the scandal-prone New Orleans Police Department.

"His strengths are that he can build trust in the most challenged areas of the city, the most high-crime areas. Second thing is, he's kind of a cop's cop and has had success bridging divides across the police department."

Scharf said the biggest unknown is whether Harrison's skill set in New Orleans can be easily transferred to Baltimore.

"He will need leaders within the ranks ready to welcome him," he said.

The leadership of Baltimore's police union didn't comment on Harrison's selection. On Monday, union leaders issued a statement saying they hoped Pugh would "look to someone with the proper experience, and documented success, that it will take to lead" the Baltimore force.

City officials, clearly intending to show they will handle Harrison's nomination with more finesse than that of Pugh's first choice, will have him meet with community leaders, neighborhood associations and citizens prior to his formal nomination.

Harrison said his first priority will be to "drive meaningful cultural change within the department" so there's a renewed sense of mission among law enforcers and to rebuild citizens' trust and confidence in their police.

The nomination process for Pugh's first choice, Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, was rocky from the start and her administration was widely criticized for a monthslong lack of transparency and public outreach.

Fitzgerald, the first African-American police chief in Fort Worth, abruptly withdrew his candidacy for the Baltimore position on Monday in order to stay in Fort Worth with a son who faces a second brain surgery this week. But he was already encountering skepticism about his record. On Saturday, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund called on Baltimore officials to withdraw his nomination.

___

Associated Press writer Kevin McGill in New Orleans contributed to this report.The parents of a Penn State student who died after "writhing and deteriorating" in front of fraternity members who had forced him to consume massive amounts of booze have filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit, naming 28 frat members who hazed their son.

Tim Piazza, 19, whose death in February of 2017 has shined a national spotlight on the problem of hazing rituals on campus, "endured horrible pain and suffering" during the ordeal, according to the lawsuit, which cites video evidence seized from the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

The video shows Piazza on a couch after he had tumbled down a set of stairs in a drunken stupor following a drinking ritual at the fraternity called "the Gauntlet." He suffered a lacerated spleen, a skull fracture and other injuries that would have been survivable if he had received quick medical help.

Instead, he died two days later at Hershey Medical Center.

"Despite knowing the serious nature of Timothy Piazza's fall, and despite knowing that some fraternity members wanted Piazza to receive medical care, the fraternity defendants did not seek medical care until it was too late," says the lawsuit, announced Friday by the family and their attorneys, Kline & Specter of Philadelphia.

The lawsuit alleged that fraternity members realized the "grave consequences of their conduct" and tried to conceal evidence surrounding the hazing. The fraternity's Penn State chapter has since been shut down.

Kline & Specter also disclosed Friday that it has reached a confidential monetary settlement with Penn State. A spokeswoman for the university said its settlement with the Piazzas, who had not sued the school, codifies the universitys reforms to fraternity and sorority life and shows our mutual commitment to promoting positive change.

The agreement with the university touches on safety and accountability for fraternities and sororities, encouragement of alcohol-free housing and continued training for bystander intervention and other preventative measures.

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Authorities say Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey, suffered fatal injuries in a series of falls. Medical help was not summoned until the next morning.

FILE - This Nov. 9, 2017, file photo shows the shuttered Beta Theta Pi fraternity house on Penn State University's main campus in State College, Pa. Former members of the fraternity are due in court for a preliminary hearing on charges related to the February 2017 death of a pledge after a night of hazing and drinking. The hearing Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, before a district judge will determine if theres enough evidence to send charges against several of the defendants in the case to county court for trial. The charges relate to the death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey.

The buildings elaborate system of security cameras captured events as Piazza and other pledges engaged in drinking rituals. After Piazza fell down the basement steps he had to be carried up to a first-floor couch, where he spent the evening and overnight in visible agony.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges negligence, civil conspiracy, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

Piazzas death resulted in criminal charges against 28 members of Beta Theta Pi, in many cases the same young men who were sued on Thursday.

Nearly all of those criminal charges have been resolved. Some have pleaded guilty to mostly alcohol- or hazing-related charges and others have entered a diversion program designed for first-time, nonviolent offenders.

Tom Kline, the Piazza family's attorney, said Friday that the lawsuit aims to hold people accountable for Piazza's tragic death.

"We expect this federal lawsuit to result in a trial to determine the shared responsibility of all those who contributed to the needless and senseless tragedy," Kline said. "We look to the civil justice system to obtain a full measure of accountability.

He said Piazza's parents, Jim and Evelyn Piazza, have been crusaders for reform in the battle to stop fraternity drinking rituals and hazing.

This lawsuit filing, and announcement of our sweeping out-of-court settlement with the university, marks two milestone developments in this long and difficult journey of Jim and Evelyn Piazza as they fight for the full measure of justice  and permanent Greek life reforms - in memory of their son following his preventable death."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Grave consequences': Federal lawsuit filed against Penn State frat in Tim Piazza deathBy Aditya Kalra and Sankalp Phartiyal

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's revised e-commerce rules caused widespread disruption on Amazon's India website when they kicked in on Friday, forcing the company to take down its key grocery service and remove a wide range of products such as sunglasses and floor cleaners.

The products began to disappear from Amazon India late on Thursday as it began complying with the regulations before a midnight deadline, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

In December, India modified foreign direct investment rules for its burgeoning e-commerce sector, which has drawn major bets from not only Amazon.com but also the likes of Walmart Inc, which last year bought a majority stake in homegrown e-commerce player Flipkart.

India's new e-commerce investment rules bar online retailers from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest, and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms.

Numerous items sold by Amazon vendors such as Cloudtail, in which Amazon holds an indirect equity stake, were no longer available on its India site. Amazon Pantry, a grocery service primarily managed by company affiliates, was also discontinued, though grocery products could be purchased individually.

"Pantry is completely empty, how I am suppose to grocery shop," Twitter user Pamela wrote on the social network. "Whatever government rules are, (I) don't care, you guys fix it, I need to shop."

Amazon, which saw record sales and profit during the holiday season, has forecast first-quarter sales below Wall Street estimates due to the uncertainty in India - one of its key growth markets.

The situation in India is "a bit fluid right now," but the country remains a good long-term opportunity, Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said. The company's main goal was to minimize the impact of the new rules on customers and sellers, he added.

Story continues

Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy warned last month that it faced "significant customer disruption" if the new rules were implemented from Feb. 1. On Friday, the company said it was disappointed the government acted in "haste", but assured compliance.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to be compliant with the new rules," Flipkart India executive Rajneesh Kumar said in a statement, without explaining how the website was impacted.

POLITICS, INVESTOR SETBACK

The new policy was announced after complaints from small Indian traders who said the e-commerce giants used their control over inventory from affiliated vendors to create an unfair marketplace where they could offer discounts. Such arrangements will now be barred.

Both Amazon and Walmart unsuccessfully lobbied against the latest rules and pushed for a delay in their implementation. The U.S. government too urged India to protect the investments of the two retailers, Reuters reported last week.

But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration stood firm as the move was widely seen as one to appease small traders in the run-up to a general election due by May.

Industry sources have said the new rules will dent foreign investor sentiment and force the big online retailers to change their business structures, raising compliance costs.

"The company has no choice as they are fulfilling a compliance requirement, the customers will suffer," said one of the sources. "It is very upsetting for foreign investors."

Both companies have bet heavily on India being a big growth driver: Amazon has committed to investing $5.5 billion there, while Walmart last year spent $16 billion on Flipkart.

Amazon's own range of Presto-branded home cleaning goods and other Amazon Basics products such as chargers and batteries vanished from its website late on Thursday.

Clothing from Indian department store chain Shopper's Stop was also no longer available, as Amazon owns 5 percent of the company.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which supported tougher scrutiny of large e-commerce players, said the removal of products by Amazon was a step in the "right direction".

Exclusive deals with sellers, in compliance with the revised rules, will also be discontinued on Amazon India, the two sources said.

It was unclear how long the disruption will last. On Friday, Amazon's own range of Echo smart speakers, which were earlier removed as they were sold by a company affiliate, returned for sale via other sellers on the platform.

However, buyers would now need to wait for up to 36 days to get some of the speakers delivered even under Amazon's fast-delivery Prime service, which often delivers goods in a day or two.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Sankalp Phartiyal; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Euan Rocha, Kevin Liffey and Himani Sarkar)Algiers (AFP) - Algeria's ruling coalition on Saturday named President Abdelaziz Bouteflika as its candidate for April polls, although the ailing incumbent has yet to officially confirm he will run.

"The parties of the presidential coalition nominate Abdelaziz Bouteflika for the upcoming presidential elections," the four coalition partners said in a statement.

The meeting was attended by Mouad Bouchareb, speaker of the lower house of parliament and coordinator of Bouteflika's National Liberation Front, as well as by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, head of the National Rally for Democracy.

The leader of the Rally for Hope in Algeria party Amar Ghoul and Amara Benyounes, who heads the Popular Algerian Movement, also attended.

In power since 1999, 81-year-old Bouteflika uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since a stroke in 2013.

For the last presidential election in 2014, Bouteflika only declared his intention to run a few days ahead of the deadline.

Prime Minister Ouyahia has said "there is no doubt" the president will seek a fifth term on April 18.

Ouyahia said earlier this week that Bouteflika's health was not "an obstacle" to performing his duties as president.

Presidential candidates have until March 3 at midnight (2300 GMT) to submit their applications.

Retired general Ali Ghediri, 64, was the first to announce his candidacy after the presidency set the election date.

Algeria's main Islamist party, the Movement for the Society of Peace, will also take part in the poll, backing its candidate Dr Abderrazak Makri.

The country's oldest opposition party, the Front of Socialist Forces, announced on January 25 that it would not field a candidate and called for an "active, intensive and peaceful boycott" of the ballot.

On Friday, the secular Rally for Culture and Democracy party said it would also boycott due to its objection to a fifth term for the ailing Bouteflika.The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]There is one important prerequisite for every student taking University of Miami Political Science Course 571: Each must carry a copy of the U.S. Constitution to every class.

Their professor insists on it.

It is not a historical document that is only for academics or the courts; it is a guide to how our government is structured, who answers to who, she said. The truth of the Constitution is alive and well.

She should know.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who was recently appointed a UM Distinguished Presidential Fellow, spent nearly 30 years in Congress as the representative of Floridas 27th congressional district, which includes Coral Gables.

Now she spends her Monday afternoons co-teaching the political science class Congress and American Foreign Policy with her husband, Dexter Lehtinen, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

With her ever-present joviality and high energy, Ros-Lehtinen arrived to class last Monday with a loud greeting to her students. A longtime elementary school teacher, this is her first foray into teaching college. She quickly began to take attendance.

Cant believe the elementary school teacher in you, joked her husband.

Dexter Lehtinen

Among the many topics the class explores is the separation of powers in the government, which includes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

There was no better example to show the separation of powers than last weeks drama between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump, said Ros-Lehtinen.

To show how the drama unfolded, Ros-Lehtinen handed the students copies of the letters that Pelosi and Trump exchanged in the past two weeks, where each exercised their individual powers. In the letters, Pelosi disinvites Trump from giving the State of the Union address in the House of Representatives, citing security concerns over the extended government shutdown. Trump responds by not allowing Pelosi to use an Air Force plane to take a congressional trip to Afghanistan.

Who would have thunk that this would happen this week right after we talked about it in class? said Ros-Lehtinen, who holds a doctorate from UM. This is so well played from both sides.

The students laughed when Ros-Lehtinen displayed a page from the website The Onion that showed Pelosi trying to swim to Afghanistan after her planned trip was cancelled.

In the coming weeks, students will learn about U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba and Taiwan, as well as congressional limits on covert action and intelligence gathering. Ros-Lehtinens years in Congress and in several congressional committees add valuable insights for the students.

For Denisse Sandoval, a senior majoring in political science whose parents came from Nicaragua, the class is a dream come true.

She had been a longtime admirer of the congresswoman since her parents told her how Ros-Lehtinen was at the forefront of pushing legislation for temporary protected status, or TPS, for Nicaraguans and others to remain in the U.S. and eventually become naturalized citizens.

There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity, Sandoval said. She is a great role model for all of us women. She is so impressive.

Britney Sanchez, a senior who is majoring in political science, took copious notes on everything her professor said.

I always wanted to meet her so I decided to take the class, remarked Sanchez, noting that the class grew from 15 to 28 students quickly. And who knows, I may go into politics.Egyptian archaeologists uncovered a Pharaonic tomb containing 50 mummies dating back to the Ptolemaic era, in Minya, south of Cairo, Reuters reported quoting the ministry of antiquities.

The mummies, 12 of which were of children, were discovered inside four, nine-meter deep burial chambers in the Tuna El-Gebel archaeological site.

The identities of the mummies were still unknown, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

We have not found names written in hieroglyphics, he said, adding it was obvious from the mummification method that the individuals whose remains were found had to some extent held important or prestigious positions.Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the start of works to develop new weapons in Russia due to similar actions of the US, particularly to begin developing a land-based hypersonic missile with intermediate range, TASS reported.

"It (US) has announced research and development works, and we will do the same," he said at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday.

"I agree with the Defense Ministrys proposals to start the work on landing Kalibr missiles and developing a new area to create a land-based hypersonic missile with intermediate range," Putin noted.

According to Shoigu, apart from R&D works on production of missiles of intermediate and shorter range, Russia has witnessed real breaches of the provisions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) by the US for some time already. "In other words, the United States has started production of those missiles," he said.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that Washington would suspend its liabilities under the INF Treaty starting February 2 and would quit it within six months if Russia fails to comply with its demands. The US accused Russia of violating the treaty for the first time in July 2014. Since then, Washington has been repeating its claims on many occasions, while Moscow has been rejecting them and advancing counter-claims concerning the implementation of the treaty by the US side.

The INF Treaty was signed between the former Soviet Union and the United States on December 8, 1987 and entered into force on June 1, 1988. It covered deployed and non-deployed ground-based short-range missiles (from 500 to 1,000 kilometers) and intermediate-range missiles (from 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers).YEREVAN.  Head of My Step parliamentary group Lilit Makunts described todays meeting of the faction with PM and Cabinet members as a working meeting which are held very often.

We need to synchronize the actions of the executive and legislative branches. Many issues were on the agenda, among them the meeting of the Armenian PM with Azerbaijani president in Davos as well as the awards [handed over to senior officials  ed.], she said when asked about the meeting that lasted four hours.

Makunts said she couldnt provide details, as it was a working meeting.

Asked by the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent why the meeting in Davos was not discussed with other factions, Makunts said: It was a working meeting, and information about the meeting was made public, however, there were details which were not presented. I am sure that PM will brief other factions if need be.1. Yes. Its important for students to stay focused throughout the year. Its a plus.

2. Yes. It would fill the learning gaps caused by COVID and would help cut youth crime.

3. No. Students and teachers deserve a summer break. Year-round school wont work.

4. No. It wouldnt work with the militarys summer PCS schedule. Its a bad idea.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing how the school calendar would work.

Vote

View ResultsAs part of the official visit to Germany, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting February 1 with representatives of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (OAOEV) and leading German companies, Pashinyans office said.

Executive Director of German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations Michael Harms welcomed the Armenian PM on behalf the committee and said: I congratulate you on the decisive victory in the parliamentary election and the definite mandate that the people of Armenia have given you. We welcome your program of reforms.

Our agenda regarding Armenia is very ambitious. We will visit Armenia with a large economic delegation in April. Today, we will sign a letter of intent, which concerns one of Armenias priorities  information technologies.

Armenia is also a very interesting example in terms of economy, as a country that is simultaneously integrating with both the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. This raises the investment appeal of Armenia.

Thanking for the remarks, Pashinyan attached importance to the meeting with the German economic community and presented Armenias economic agenda.

An important segment of our upcoming agenda relates to the very economy, because political changes have created opportunities for economic changes. We want to make serious changes in the Armenian economys structure. We are planning to raise our standards in the mining sector and make Informational and High Technologies the locomotive in the economic structure, the PM said.

Pashinyan presented the investment opportunities in Armenia and said that there are no obstacles for investments in any sector. The right to property in Armenia is guaranteed and protected. Our message is the following  you are exempt from all possible corruption obligations that existed in the past. We have the same attitude for all investors and we tell them: come to Armenia, invest, get rich and enrich, the Armenian PM said.

Representatives of leading German companies noted that they have visited Armenia recently and noted that the democratic changes have created a positive atmosphere in the country  the investment appeal has increased, and interest of foreign investors has also increased.

A letter of intent was signed at the end of the meeting on cooperation between Armenian and German business associations in the IT sector.Many times you might have found the multiple casinos available in the online market but when you are going to...US President Donald Trump said that he hopes to negotiate a new accord to replace the INF Treaty, which would be "much better" and include more parties. He noted that the new accord should be adhered to by all signatories to it, not just the US, Sputnik reported.

"I hope that we are able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and get new treaty that would be much better," Trump said.

The US president announced that Washington will initiate the process of withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on 2 February and suspend all obligations under the accord. Moscow slammed the US actions, noting that it has failed to present evidence that prove Russian violations of the accord.OSCE Secretary General thanks Russia for its work in Minsk Group on Karabakh settlement

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Armenia Central Electoral Commission counts 80% of ballots

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Armenia Central Electoral Commission announces most preliminary results of snap parliamentary elections

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Citizen who disseminated anti-propaganda leaflets against "Armenia" bloc shows up at police station

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Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #9/48 in Yerevan district (VIDEO)

Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #9/49 in Yerevan district (VIDEO)

Tense situation at polling station #9/21 in Armenia, red beret police officers called to location

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Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #2/46 in Yerevan district (VIDEO)

Netanyahu and his family to leave PM residence no later than July 10

Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #31/02 in Gyumri

Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #8/04 in Yerevan district (VIDEO)

Gabrielyanov: Russian institutions' exit poll results of Armenia snap parliamentary elections announced

Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #17/03 in Armenia's Ashtarak (VIDEO)

Catholicos of All Armenians sends congratulatory message to Iran's President-elect

Armenia snap parliamentary elections are over

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big brother: Red beret police officers brutally beat members of "Armenia" bloc's headquarters

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Armenia Police find data on 2,287 deceased persons, remove them from voters' lists

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Head of Yerevan district enters polling stations, addresses ruling party's proxies, records drawn up

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Incident takes place between Armenia acting Deputy PM and citizens

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Catholicos of All Armenians: May God increase good days in our peoples life

Armenia snap parliamentary election voter turnout 26.82% as of 2pmThe Myanmar Army has taken over the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Region in a bloodless operation.

According to U Kyaw Wan Sein, a member of the NSCN-Ks Central Executive Committee, the group withdrew its troops and let the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) occupy its headquarters in order not to disrupt the peace process between it and the government, The Irrawaddy has reported.

He said a military column consisting of over 400 troops from six battalions led by the Hkamti District tactical commander under the Tatmadaws North-West Command took control of the NSCN-Ks headquarters in the village of Ta Ga in Nanyun Township on Tuesday.

We let them in because the peace process between us and the Myanmar government will be damaged if there are gunshots and artillery fire. So, we let them in. We withdrew, U Kyaw Wan Sein said.

Members of the NSCN-Ks Peace Committee and some unarmed members of the group remain at the headquarters, he said.

Executive U Kasi Rang of the Naga Self-administered Zone Leading Body said he did not know why the Myanmar Army sent troops to the NSCN-K headquarters.

It can be said they have occupied it. There were no casualties or injuries, he told.

The Tatmadaw declined to described the operation as an occupation. North-West Command spokesman Colonel Than Naing said: We will let you know when the time is appropriate. I am not yet authorised to provide details. But it is not that we have occupied their headquarters.

The NSCN-K signed a regional-level truce with the government in April 2012. It has no plan to relocate its headquarters, because it was established with the agreement of both sides, Kyaw Wan Sein said.

The Myanmar government has urged the NSCN-K to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), but the armed group has told The Irrawaddy it would not sign unless and until it reaches an agreement that can cover all the Naga people who live in northeast India and Myanmar.

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland was founded in 1980 with the aim of establishing a sovereign Naga State. It split into two factions in 1988: the NSCN-K led by S. S. Khaplang, which is based in Myanmar, and the NSCN-IM led by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muviah, which is based in India. S. S. Khaplang died in 2017.

The NSCN-K later elected Yong Awng, the nephew of late leader Khaplang, to the chairmans position.A man convicted of murdering his estranged wife in Angwin is coming up for parole again, and his victims family is hoping to keep him behind bars.

Robert Shippmann, 81, was convicted of murdering 28-year-old Juli Mathis Shippmann on April 23, 1993, in an isolated area of Caiocca Pass near Angwin. After shooting her to death, he shot himself several times. He survived his injuries and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, plus another four years for a gun enhancement.

At his last parole hearing in September 2017, the Board of Parole Hearings decided to grant him parole, but then-Gov. Jerry Brown reversed the decision, noting that Shippmann still lacked insight into the cold and calculated murder.

Shippmanns next parole hearing is on March 28. Joanne Mathis Wilson, Julis mother, encourages locals to sign petitions and write letters opposing his parole.

Wilson said letters and petitions have made a difference in past decisions to keep Shippmann in prison.

My daughter was murdered by her husband, she said. He was jealous and snapped. Nobody wants anyone like that around their family.Its just ridiculous, Pollard said during a phone interview on Tuesday.

I was thinking this was a no-brainer, he said. I find it truly amazing that we can have a printing press designed, manufactured and shipped to Napa, then installed, quicker than PG&E can process paperwork to have power upgraded to our building.

Now were getting into February and I still dont have an estimate of what its going to cost  let alone when the work will begin, he said.

Hes afraid that Tuesdays news that PG&E had declared bankruptcy will only delay the project further.

And I dont have an alternative, he said. They are a monopoly. I cant go to another power company.

That doesnt mean the company isnt printing labels. We are persevering, Pollard said.

To run the press, the general manager has rented an industrial generator. The lease fee for the generator and fuel tops $6,700 per month. Thats more than half of his monthly rent for the space, said Pollard.

We are functioning with the generator. We are able to manage our power; its just coming at an incredible cost.The inmates wont be there for rest and relaxation, Butler assures.

You dont get to come here and hang out, Butler said. You have to work your program to be here.

Inmates might take substance abuse classes or undergo counseling. They will be at the reentry facility at least 30 days and perhaps as long as a year or more.

Butler said inmates at the regular jail have people telling them what to do. Then they are released and go home where no one tells them what to do.

This is kind of in the middle, where theyre going to have some rules and some things they have to do, but theyre also going to have a little bit of flexibility, Butler said.

The reentry facility program is meant to be a transition back to normal life.

Napa County already has a separate day reporting center program that seeks to give life skills to people out of jail on probation. Butler said the recidivism rate for participants over a decade is 24 percent.

While different than the day reporting center program, the new facilitys goal is similar. It remains to be seen what type of recidivism rate the reentry facility program will have.One of the largest suppliers of wine to airlines and cruise ships is now 100 percent employee-owned.

Intervine, headquartered in Napa, became 100 percent employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), according to a news release.

Such plans were established by the United States government nearly 50 years ago as part of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

According to the National Center for Employee Ownership, there are approximately 6,500 ESOPS currently operating in the U.S. covering more than 14 million employees.

During a surprise celebration in January, founders Colleen May and Michael Borck presented each team member with T-shirts emblazoned with I Just Bought a Company alongside Intervines logo.

Its long been our dream to give back to the those who have made Intervine the world leader it is today, said May.

We saw this as the best way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the team-oriented culture and success we have built together.

Intervine is a wine management company representing more than 300 wineries around the world for sales, marketing and distribution to airlines and cruise lines.With a uniquely fascinating premise, Gopi is a no-frills homegrown production that warrants a watch

In the late 1950s, there emerged a new style of filmmaking in France, pioneered by filmmakers such as Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Chabrol.Ghana currently has 45 Covid-19 variants, third ...Dark modes have become popular in recent times, with the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Android all introducing dark mode options.

As the name suggests, these involve adjusting the color scheme of the software to prioritise blacks and dark greys, rather than whites and light greys.

University of Cambridge academic Silas Brown has highlighted the advantages of using dark backgrounds on computer displays, and provided insight into why companies use them.

Health advantages

Perhaps the biggest benefit of dark modes is that they emit less blue light, which means your sleep cycle is less likely to be disrupted.

As a result, people who use dark mode often do so because it offers them a better experience when using their devices at night.

Eye fatigue caused by glare is also reduced by a darker background, while people with medical conditions affected by light, such as those with photophobia, tend to benefit from reduced eye aggravation when using dark modes.

Practical advantages

Brown explained that the benefits of dark modes dont just extend to the health of the user.

Dark colours also have the ability to use less power, and since darker displays work better in low-light settings, your electricity costs could be reduced.

Additionally, if your device has faulty pixels these are often less noticeable when using a dark display  reducing the urgency with which a device needs to be fixed.

While dark backgrounds are unsuitable for long periods of reading, Brown said there are certain times when dark backgrounds are a net positive from a design perspective.

Some colours stand out more on a black background than on a white one, which is particularly valuable when you are trying to highlight certain pieces of information on a page.

Additionally, a dark border can allow for light text to need less margin space than in the opposite scenario  making it easier for designers to use the entire page.

Negatives of dark backgrounds

Not everything about dark backgrounds is inherently beneficial, however.

Brown highlighted that dark backgrounds are particularly poor when used in tandem with a non-backlit screen  but since backlit screens are popular these days, this is something of a non-factor.

Situations where there is lots of external light, such as when you are using a device in a well-lit room, can also cause text positioned on dark backgrounds to be difficult to read.

Reading small fonts on a dark background is also a bigger challenge than it is on lighter backgrounds, meaning those who are reading long-form content are unlikely to find dark mode particularly valuable.

The aforementioned pros and cons of dark mode make it clear that both dark and traditional modes offer benefits over each other.

Ultimately, however, the largest benefit of software developers offering users a dark mode is that it provides them with a choice based upon their needs.

The difference between the dark and default modes of macOS can be seen below, proving an example of what users can expect.The Internet of Things (IoT) industry is a growing sector across the world, and South Africa is no exception.

Whether its simple solutions such as connected electricity meters or advanced tracking systems with GPS functionality, IoT devices and networks can enable cost-effective, scalable products.

One of the biggest companies involved in the IoT space is SqwidNet, which is the licensed Sigfox network provider in South Africa.

SqwidNet has rolled out its network across the country and facilitates the deployment of both small and large-scale deployment of IoT solutions.

To determine how the industry and infrastructure has grown in South Africa, MyBroadband spoke to SqwidNet about the use cases it has seen become increasingly prevalent.

Growth and challenges

The global IoT market is predicted to reach a $581 billion by 2020, showing staggering levels of growth as more sectors adopt IoT solutions.

SqwidNets infrastructure in South Africa provides coverage across almost the entire country  and SqwidNet MD Phathizwe Malinga told MyBroadband they currently have a population coverage figure of 91.6%.

Sigfox is extremely useful as an IoT technology due to its military-grade resistance to jamming and authentication, making it ideal for the deployment of critical monitoring and tracking systems.

Sigfox as an IoT technology is being found to be very well suited to companies looking to IoT to improve their product offering in South Africa, Malinga said.

Its so simple to use that we are seeing our entrepreneurs and SMEs look to this Sigfox technology to help them improve their business as well.

These are businesses that are essential to creating jobs and to improving our overall quality of life, he said.

Applications

When it comes to the use cases for IoT networks and infrastructure, Malinga said there are endless possibilities.

He said SqwidNet defines an IoT solution to be A+B+C+D: Application + Backend platform + Connectivity + Device.

In terms of IoT solutions, we have seen great interest in water metering. A consumer-ready example would be Ontecs Gauge-IT available from Takealot.

It is a fantastic product with a good application, easy for your plumber to install, and it uses a device from another proudly South African IoT device maker called Visiosoft.

Malinga added that IoT solutions for assets in transit  like vehicles and goods  are going to remain a big market for IoT, both in terms of tracking and the condition of the asset.

An example would be transporting ice-cream, he said.

He said that these applications could be used for pet and family tracking too, especially with child abduction a problem in certain regions.

Having personal GPS trackers that are difficult to find or jam on family members is going to become the norm for most middle-income families, Malinga said.

SqwidNet and its partners are continuing to develop IoT solutions on the companys Sigfox network in South Africa, delivering robust and efficient solutions across a variety of market sectors.'Nepalis come across a huge wall that divides one part of the world from another'

The presence of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at the helm has only made things worse. These people are bent on hardening borders, rather than dissolving them.MUSCATINE  A squirrel may have caused the electrical arc, but it was the arc that damaged thousands of dollars of West Liberty property, the Iowa Supreme Court decided Friday, and the city's insurance company doesn't have to pay for it.

"In a story that probably would not have been written by Beatrix Potter," Justice Edward Mansfield wrote in the opinion, "a squirrel found its way onto an electrical transformer owned by a municipality, triggering an electrical arc that killed the squirrel and caused substantial damage to the municipalitys property."

In the background facts supporting the opinion, a squirrel climbed onto a transformer in Nov. 2014 at West Liberty's power plant. The animal touched an exposed 7200-volt clamp while still atop the grounded metal frame of the transformer, creating an electrical arc.

The city promptly filed a claim under the "all-risks" policy but the insurance company denied the claim based on an "electrical currents" exclusion. When the company wouldn't cover the $213,524.76 in damages, the city filed a lawsuit in January 2016. It argued destruction of property was caused by a squirrel, but a district court judge and the Iowa Court of Appeals decided the damage occurred when the animal created the electrical arc.Sept. 12, 1955-Jan. 20, 2019

Duane Bill Robert Davis, age 63, passed away peacefully in Missoula on Sunday January, 20 2019, surrounded by family.

Born on September 12, 1955 to Grace and Willis Davis in Butte, he was raised throughout Montana, spending much of his childhood on a ranch in Wise River and Whitehall.

His family moved to Deer Lodge in 1970 where Bill met his high school sweetheart Susan (Knight), and attended Powell County High School, graduating in 1973. Furthering his education, he followed his passion to a trade school in Laramie, Wyoming and graduated from the Technical Institute in 1975 as a Master Mechanic. After working different jobs around Deer Lodge, his calling was answered in 1978 with an opportunity as a Gas Field Mechanic for the Montana Power Company. He and Susan married that September and moved to Big Sandy where they had three children, Tamara, Shana and Luke.The group found 5,460 ppm of lead and 450 ppm of mercury in spots along the floodplain. Those numbers are the highest levels the group found in their sampling.

Any amount of lead can impact child development, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control.

Exposure to high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. Arsenic is a known carcinogen.

Roberts said that one of the next steps will be to monitor homeowners well water. Another will be to perform a risk assessment for the roughly 30 homeowners who live along the creek.

But Ed Brunsvold, who has lived year-round along Fred Burr Creek for two decades, says he has tested his own well water and it came back without any worries.

Brunsvold said his drinking well is 500 feet deep. Roberts said the contamination likely came from tailings, which is old mine waste, that washed down through floods over the years from the silver stamp mill, above where the testing took place. The tailings settled on the land, but the problem is likely not that deep, he said.It was really special, said Montana, reflecting on being able to shoot the video in his hometown, noting that the video wouldnt have been possible without a $20,000 grant from Buttes Tourism Business Improvement District.

Montana joked that there are more shots of Butte in American Thread than there are of him, adding that Butte, Montana, is the star in this one.

Montana said his mom was on set for a majority of the video, noting that she had a blast getting a backstage pass to Butte.

American Thread is Montanas second major music video. Directed by Spidey Smith, the video was created by a crew of about five, who shot scenes in Elk Park, the Mountain Con mineyard, and several other locations in and around Butte. Montana said the crew used natural lighting for the video and refrained from using makeup, giving the video a raw, authentic feel.

It captures the essence of Butte, America, said Montana, who previously told The Montana Standard that he had hoped to showcase the hardworking nature of the people of his hometown and the culture known for being Butte tough.

Starting Friday, audiences will be able to access the video online, while CMT will begin showing American Thread on its outlets starting Feb. 15.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0What Baumgartner did, he said, was punch Gibson before running off the bus and escaping to safety after being held against his will for more than two hours.

He made his escape while taking advantage of police placing a bag of what was supposed to be his "last meal" on the bus's steps, he said.

While he was held on the bus, Baumgartner said Gibson told him about his life and his political views  and the intersection between the two.

According to Baumgartner, Gibson told him he had worked as a carpenter until he was hit by a vehicle and injured. That left him unable to work and feeling resentful, as he perceived minorities were getting benefits that he wasn't receiving, Baumgartner said.

"He wanted people to hear how the white male is discriminated against," Baumgartner said.

Baumgartner said Gibson's motivation appeared to be "all political," though he also noted that he appeared to have mental health issues."If you go back and look at the first committee meeting, the initial pushback was pretty big from leadership," Eck said. "A couple months later, they were much more willing to consider it."

Sexual misconduct allegations have been made against lawmakers in statehouse across the country. The AP has found that at least 90 state lawmakers have been publicly accused, resigned, forced from office or faced other repercussions since 2017.

Most of those cases came to light since the October 2017 media reports alleging sexual misconduct against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sparked a national movement of women coming forward with accounts of sexual assault or harassment against people in positions of power.

Montana lawmakers have been crafting a new policy for dealing with harassment, discrimination and retaliation for more than a year, as have other statehouses across the nation in response to the #MeToo movement.

Senate President Scott Sales and former House Speaker Austin Knudsen initially suggested a new policy was unnecessary because there hadn't been any formal complaints under the existing rules.Said Short: "The university will support you. The university is going to be here. And the university is going to honor its responsibility and obligation to your children and to you."

Some of the parents left the meeting in tears.

***

Paul Lasiter, vice president for research and finance, said UM would expand the air and surface tests for all of McGill. "That will happen,'' he said. "We will know what areas are affected and how significantly they are affected."

Paul Haber, head of the University Faculty Association, said a number of people had contacted him about other old buildings on campus, especially the Clapp Building. In that building, some asbestos remediation has taken place, but some still needs to happen. UM employs a "manage in place" protocol there.

"Is this incident in McGill going to lead to testing of other buildings where we know that there's asbestos?" Haber said. "We need to communicate to the entire university community what is being done so people can try to get back to feeling safe in the workplace."

UM tests for asbestos in conjunction with building renovations, but an official earlier noted that 2011 was the most recent year it had a test result that showed the preschool was clear.Abani Malla is culture and arts reporter at The Kathmandu Post, who focuses on the arts and lifestyle. She is also an illustrator and blogger.If you dont have enough left over after paying rent, youre not saving for a down payment on a home and youre not spending on local businesses, she said. So if we make sure everybody has a safe and healthy place to call home, then its better for all of us.

Davis said Montana is one of the only states in the U.S. that doesnt dedicate a portion of its general fund to build affordable workforce housing. She said there are local grants available in Missoula that come from federal programs, but she suggested that if the state were to create a revolving loan fund from the Coal Severance Tax Trust Fund, it would provide bridge funding. That funding could allow communities and organizations to leverage far more federal tax credits and other funding to build affordable housing in communities where its desperately needed.

We leave an enormous amount of private investor dollars through this federal program on the table, she explained. They never come into our state because the economics of our communities make it such that we cant pencil out a deal because we have no gap financing. We have no gap funding here."

Davis said it would be helpful for organizations like hers to leverage state funding in order to make projects financially viable.From 2008 to 2012, the number of opioid prescriptions in Missoula County outnumbered patients. In 2012, for example, Missoula County had 112.9 prescriptions per 100 people. That rate fell to 71.2 prescriptions per 100 people in 2016, although the county still transcended the state average of 69.8 prescriptions per 100 people.

"I don't think people do recognize that this is happening here and at a higher rate than other parts of Montana," Rowley said.

While that opioid-to-patient ratio fell, the presence of its illegal counterpart, heroin, has made a startling climb  473 percent since 2013, according to the State Crime Labs' reported intake of heroin from arrests.

Officials also credit opioids as one of the greatest threats to pregnant women, as identified as the main behavioral health priority in the Missoula City-County Health Department's 2018 improvement plan. The health department also pointed to opioids as the catalyst for a rise in child abuse and neglect across the county, leading to a 116 percent rise in children placed into foster care between 2012 and 2016.

"With families and children, it's destroying social systems," Rowley said. "If you start life off like that, what are your chances?"Two days later, while Mitchell, his wife and their 4-year-old child were in bed together, he heard a loud noise seconds before five men reportedly swarmed their room. Baker entered and aimed his rifle at the family, according to court documents.

"All I want to say, your honor, is that I'm sorry the little girl was scared and I'm glad no one got hurt," Baker told Deschamps on Friday.

Baker will essentially be on probation for six months, and must follow a set of conditions for the three-year deferred sentence to see that charge wiped from his record.

Montana has no regulations concerning bounty hunters, meaning no licensing and training is done by the state. Additionally, there are no laws expressly allowing their existence or governing their limits. In May 2018, Deschamps called on the Montana Legislature to fix the issue as he dismissed an aggravated burglary charge initially filed against Baker.Thank you again to everyone who participated in this global project  many who do so year after year. These simple gifts send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

The Letters of Thanks column will publish letters of up to 200 words from: Organizations thanking contributors or supporters.

Individuals thanking public agencies and businesses for extraordinary service.

Send letters to letters@magicvalley.com. If you would like to purchase a classified ad to express gratitude of a personal rather than public nature, call the Times-News Customer Service department.Turns out, though, the records did exist, which is either, at best, a case of gross incompetence or, at worst, outright deception and a deliberate violation of the states public records law. Either way, not good.

Further, department officials hadnt bothered to look for many of the records Cover could have received in her request until the summer of 2018, nearly a year after she filed it. The department had since released more than 3,000 pages of documents to her.

Part of the problem appears to be poor organization. According to testimony at last weeks trial, department employees kept finding records they didnt know existed. An employee organizing his cubicle found a box containing paper copies of execution-related requests, which authorities were unaware of. Another employee found similar records in her work area. Yet another batch of documents they hadnt been aware of was found in an archive in a department storage room, alongside unused furniture.

In the end, the state of Idaho needs to be transparent about the drugs its using for lethal injections and about where theyre getting those drugs. We see no exemption in the public records law for protecting a relationship with a drug provider.

The states behavior in this case is atrocious and shows the need for Idahos public records law. Unfortunately, its requiring that the state get sued to release public information. Thank you to Aliza Cover and the ACLU for forcing the state to do what it should have done in the first place.

Idaho Press editorials are based on the majority opinions of our editorial board. Not all opinions are unanimous. Members of the board are Publisher Matt Davison and community members Buzz Beauchamp, Nicole Bradshaw, Rex Hanson, John Jolley and Kathleen Tuck. Editor Scott McIntosh is a nonvoting member.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Prayers for All is today

TWIN FALLS  The first Saturday of the month means Prayers for All is here. The public is invited to the event at 10 a.m. Saturday at Max Newlins home, 328 Seventh Ave. E. Sponsored by the Bahai Faith of Twin Falls, this months theme will be Communion With God.

Celebrate the day by praying for everyone from different faith perspectives. Prayers from Bhagavad Gita, Buddhist, Christian and Jewish scriptures, the Quran and Bahai Prayers will be read. Discussion will follow without proselytizing and with respect for all viewpoints.

For more information, call Newlin at 208-221-8621.

Ascension holds Souper Bowl Sunday in-gathering

TWIN FALLS  The Episcopal Church of the Ascension will participate in Souper Bowl Sunday, a 29-year-old national youth movement to collect food, raise money and volunteer to work in charities which provide food, shelter and compassion to those in need. Throughout February, non-perishable food items and cash donations will be gathered to stock the Neighbors in Need Food Pantry. A list of foods used in food boxes is available at the display in the gathering area of the church. For more information, go to souperbowl.org.Community health-care providers also are negatively affected. They are challenged to keep up with the unmet demand for services and are left with the fiscal burden of providing uncompensated care.

Under former Gov. Scott Walkers policy, the state has been paying a higher share of costs for adding enrollment to Medicaid. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has estimated that the state forfeited $2.8 billion in increased federal funds to expand health care between 2014 and 2019. Wisconsin could have freed up $1 billion in state money for other critical priorities.

The state can capture nearly $800 million in federal dollars in the 2019-21 biennium, while reducing use of state tax dollars toward Medicaid by $280 million. These funds would help needed investments in education, environmental protection, criminal justice, infrastructure and other areas neglected by the former administration. This prudent use of taxpayer dollars should certainly appeal to Republicans.

Research by the venerable Kaiser Family Foundation has identified clear benefits from a Medicaid expansion, including rate reductions in infant mortality, increases in early diagnosis of cancer, coverage of medications to treat opioid-use disorder, and reduced probability of rural hospitals closing.Patients denied services at government hospitals

Hundreds of patients who visited government hospitals throughout the country on Friday were deprived of health services as doctors refused to attend to them.We have a lot of snow out there, Schultz said. Its going to take a little bit of time for this to warm up and melt, so its not going to be an all-at-once big rush to the inlet.

Engineering staff have been clearing inlets to storm drains throughout the week, particularly in low-lying areas of the city, Deputy Mayor Katie Crawley said.

Residents are asked to call the citys engineering operations at 266-4430 if they see flooded streets. They can also help clear access to storm drain inlets by breaking up snow and ice that are blocking them.

Melting snow

Soglin said the hope is that the melted snow will run underneath the snow piles on curbs into the inlet and be mostly unseen. Because the low temperatures will remain above freezing throughout the weekend, water should continue to flow through the drains overnight, preventing new ice blockages from forming.

The melting snow will not pose a threat to water levels in lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa, said John Reimer, assistant director of the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department. There hasnt been enough snowfall to significantly affect the volume of water in the system.Nick Hart doesnt want to be Madisons next mayor, but he hopes to win the election.

If that seems funny, good. Hart would like that.

Hart, 39, a professional comedian, is making his second bid for the mayors office, having spent $100 to win 2 percent of the vote in the 2011 mayoral primary that preceded Paul Soglins narrow victory over Dave Cieslewicz in the general election.

Hart, who has a bachelors degree in sociology with a focus on criminal justice, is running again to inject a little levity into the race, but also to put another spotlight on what he sees as the citys anemic turnout for mayoral primaries and to comment on issues like race and policing.

His candidacy, he insists, is not a publicity stunt, although he acknowledges the publicity he gets from it, including references to his political flirtations when introduced as a guest on Conan OBriens show last July. He is candid but respectful in debates and forums, unwilling to train his wit on other candidates.Before any votes were cast last April, one of the three candidates running for two seats on the Madison School Board was a shoo-in to win even though  like the other two contenders on the ballot that day  she was running for a districtwide seat.

Over the last 20 school board elections, the same thing has happened at least four other times, and will again this month.

The reason? A school board election system that may well be unique in Wisconsin.

While Madison School Board hopefuls must run for one of seven numbered seats on the board, the numbers dont refer to distinct districts, as in City Council elections. Instead, candidates are elected across the entire 65-square-mile district and can live anywhere within its boundaries.

The upside of this arrangement is that challengers can target specific incumbents or other candidates to create head-to-head matchups. The downside is that voters can be shut out of voting for the candidates they most prefer if two of them are running for the same seat.

Our current system of seven at-large seats isnt perfect, said Cris Carusi, who, in part due to the current system, is a lock to appear on the April 2 general election ballot after one of her two primary challengers dropped out of the race for Seat 3.The first-degree murder case against a man for a mistaken-identity shooting homicide two years ago and the related prosecution of a key witness appear to be foundering after prosecutors said Friday that they no longer have sufficient evidence to try the cases.

In a court document filed Friday, Dane County Assistant District Attorney Gerise Laspisa said that without cooperation from Dontae Collins, prosecutors no longer have enough evidence to try either Collins or Jordan Sharlow, 27, of Madison, for the March 1, 2017, shooting death of David D. Edwards on Madisons East Side. Sharlow is charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

Edwards, 31, was shot at the Mobil gas station at 3019 E. Washington Ave., but managed to drive about three miles before he crashed into the Comfort Inn and Suites, 4822 E. Washington Ave.

While the state believes that Collins and Sharlow are responsible for the homicide of (Edwards), currently we do not have sufficient evidence to meet our burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, Laspisa wrote. She asked Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky to dismiss the cases against Collins and Sharlow without prejudice, giving police an opportunity to continue their investigation so that charges could be re-filed at a later date.Find out how much restaurant sales have risen recently, plus the number of military firearms that were unaccounted for, and more of this week'OREGONIt is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lynn Louise Sullivan on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, after a long, courageous battle with cancer, at 62 years young. Lynn died peacefully in her sleep at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg. Lynn was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2018, and spent the last year fighting with great strength and always with a smile on her face.

Lynn was born in Newton, Iowa, on May 6, 1956, and spent much of her youth in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa areas.

She was joined in marriage with Timothy Joseph Sullivan on June 10, 1978, in Waterloo. Shortly after starting their family, Tim and Lynn made the move to Oregon.

Lynn was preceded in death by her father, John (Trotter); and brother, Lon. She is survived by her mother, Sandra (McDonald); stepfather, Gary McDonald; brother; Jon and sister Lori; her husband, Timothy; sons, Daniel, Matthew, and Nathan; his spouse, Mara; three grandchildren, Kadence, Avery, and Addison, whom she adored; along with several members of extended family and friends.

There will be a celebration of Lynns life on Feb. 10, 2019, at the GREAT DANE PUB in Fitchburg, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.Two La Crosse men are accused of robbing a man at gunpoint and firing a bullet into the victims car.

Authorities received a call about shots fired in the 300 block of Liberty Street at 10:53 a.m. Wednesday. A person at the scene told a police officer that two men approached his vehicle outside 828 Gould St. and demanded money. After giving the men money, the victim said, one of the men fired a round into his vehicle and both fled the scene.

Officers followed footprints in the snow to an apartment building at 918 Gold St. and were there from about 11:30 a.m. until being granted a no-knock search warrant at about 4 p.m. They took the two suspects, Timothy Ellis, 24, and Justin Ellis, 22, into custody. They faces charges of armed robbery and reckless endangerment of safety.

Authorities said the weapon used during the robbery has not been located.NEA officer faces corruption case

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Friday filed a corruption case against Bijay Kumar Chaudhary, deputy manager of Nepal Electricity Authority, at the Special Court accusing him of amassing illegal property.Members of the Black Caucus plan to hold events each week throughout the month, focusing on economic development and opportunities, health and mental health, education and families and criminal justice. The month will end with a lobbying day at the Capitol on Feb. 28.

A number of studies in recent years have found that Wisconsin ranks among the worst states in the country in measures of racial inequality, and few improvements have been made. Disparities exist in employment and incarceration rates, educational outcomes, health and income.

As he officially proclaimed February as Black History Month, Evers said the month offers an opportunity to "celebrate and remember the incredible contributions" of African-Americans in Wisconsin and throughout the country while acknowledging and taking ownership of history.

"Its a stark reminder for me, personally, of how much work we still have to do," Evers said. "Lets celebrate but not just dwell on the progress we have made  but by recognizing and renewing our commitment to equality, equity, diversity and inclusion for everybody, every day, for our future."

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.As alder, Ill champion comprehensive plans to increase access to both market-rate and affordable housing. I would pursue incentives for landlords and management companies to help them in making the right choices. We must ensure Madisons Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI) framework is consistently applied to new developments.

We need to work together to build strong neighborhoods. We can address public safety concerns while working to increase access to the fantastic opportunities our city offers. We can do this by supporting after-school programming, community centers, and using resources that help neighbors become more connected to their community.

Madison is becoming more diverse but experiencing serious, persistent racial disparities. Lets strengthen training and educational programs for youth and underserved communities. Additionally, lets connect these programs to the businesses in our community, encourage and expand these partnerships.

Access to transportation is crucial for getting to work and maintaining a job. Many people in our community rely on public transit, including people with disabilities, people who can no longer drive, and people with lower incomes. I will work to advance necessary upgrades to Madison Metro and support the Bus Rapid Transit plan.My name is Jared Schumacker, and I know that I am the right City Council candidate for District 3. I am from Racine, but I call Madison home. I initially moved to Madison in 2000 and immediately fell in love with our city. The multitude of opportunities for work and play persuaded me to stay. After living and working in Madison for several years, I had the opportunity to pursue my career goals and this took me to Nashville and Virginia Beach. After living and working there for a few years, I moved to San Diego to further my education, but I always wanted to attend a UW school, and, in 2015, I returned to Madison and enrolled at UW-Whitewater. I graduated in the spring of 2018 with a BA in political science and a minor in international relations with an area of study surrounding climate change. When I moved back to Madison, I began working for Alpha Baking, a Chicago-based bakery that supplies bread, buns and other bakery products to hospitals, schools, restaurants, and grocery stores throughout southern Wisconsin.Yet it works in the plot so beautifully, she added. Its one of those rare songs that completely excerpt-able because of the nature of the song, but it encapsulates everything thats happened up to that moment.

The musical, like the film, centers on mismatched, uniquely unhappy couples. An attorney named Fredrik, played here by Belcher, has a midlife crisis and marries a young woman roughly the same age as his teenage son. That new marriage is already floundering when Fredrik reconnects with Desiree, a touring actress and an old flame. The married Count whom Desiree has been dallying with catches them together, and all plot lines collide during a weekend at Madame Armfeldts country estate.

Theres a lot of wounded souls, said Belcher, who frequently sees himself in Fredriks foibles. When you fall in love with someone, its not paramount in your mind that it could fall apart.

In this production, director Doug Scholz-Carlson (Madison Operas Romeo and Juliet, 2016) wants to emphasize the romance and stylized feel, Pulley said.

remaining of

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! 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.Muscle versus moral

On January 25, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) government ramrodded their National Medical Education (NME) bill through the din of chaos in Parliament.My take on the whole problem  all the cops that have any experience and have been around a while are gone. Weve got a department made up of youngsters, Vaccaro said.

A lack of supervision often is the cause of misconduct, said Professor David Carter, a professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University. He said he had worked with two police agencies that had similar runs of bad news during U.S. Department of Justice projects.

Its unfortunately not that uncommon, Carter said. The reasons vary, but often come down to a lack of peer support and supervision, he said.

First-line supervisors just simply werent monitoring their personnel, taking corrective action when necessary, he said.

He said that typically, officers are not following police policies, and the misconduct was just kind of a manifestation of that.

The effect on the community also varies, he said, depending on whether the community already has a positive or negative impression of the department.Middlemen taking lions share of farmers cut in large cardamom trade

Although large cardamom produced in the country is making its way to gulf countries where the spice fetches a high price, farmers involved in the production are not the ones benefitting from it.SAN DIEGO  Whether it was destiny or karma was of no relevance to Jon Rahm. He won the U.S. Open on Sunday at Torrey Pines, the perfect time and the perfect place to become a major champion.According to the article, in 2017 there were 13,205 Dollar General locations, compared against Wal-Mart at 5,229, Target at 1,803 and their rival Family Dollar has 7,664 and Dollar Tree has 6,320. Dollar General is on track to have as many locations in the United States as McDonalds.

According to reports from Dollar General, their model of a standard $7,300 square foot store costs around $250,000 to build and pays for itself in 1.7 years. This is done through a combination of low prices and convenience, it attracts enough shoppers necessary to produce the cash flow which in turn pays for the stores.

The reason for this rapid growth is the customer base which Dollar General has served over the years, and this base continues to widen. Budget shoppers have long been the base of shoppers Dollar General relies on, but they are seeing more millennial and trade down shoppers coming through their doors, said a Retail Dive article.

Its been pointed out, while other retailers are closing physical stores and ramping up online and digital operations, Dollar General has pushed forward with their discount retail model, according to a Robin Report article.LEXINGTON  Lexington Regional Health Center will gain a new provider in August, Dr. Kyle Klammer and his wife Hilary will be moving into the community. Klammer is currently still in residence training until June with LRHC.

Klammer is a native of Anisworth and attended Chadron State College and then attended University of Nebraska Medical Center to become a doctor.

He said since a young age, being a doctor is something he has always felt like he wanted to do. I wanted to use my God given talents, Klammer said.

Klammer has been interested in rural health during his schooling and has served on the Nebraska Rural Health Advisory committee. He has advocated for more training for those medical professional who will serve in rural areas and making changes to how medical students pay back their student loans.

Klammer is set to begin his practice at LRHC on Aug. 16, 2019, after taking a short break from the end of his residency training and his transition from the Omaha area, to Lexington.Applications are being accepted for the 2019 Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program.

The application deadline is May 1.

Oregon families that have continuously farmed portions of family acreage for the past 100 or 150 years are invited to apply.

The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program began in 1958 to honor farm and ranch families with century-long connections to the land. To qualify for a century or sesquicentennial award, interested families must follow a formal application process.

Members of the Application Review Committee review each application against the qualifications, which include continuous family operation of the farm or ranch; a gross income from farm use of not less than $1,000 per year for at least three years out of five prior to application; and family members must live on or actively manage the farm or ranch activities.

Application documentation may include photos, original deeds, personal stories, or other historic records. These records help support Oregons agricultural history by providing valuable information about settlement patterns and statistics on livestock and crop cycles. All documents are archived for public access.The Internet can be a dark, oppressive place. Readers sometimes do not show their true identities and feel free to leave cruel comments.

So naturally, a schoolteacher in the U.S. state of Florida felt worried when her son wanted to share her artwork on the social media site Reddit. Cyndi Decker had recently taken an art class and made a painting of a huge white bird called an egret.

Her proud son posted a photograph of Decker shyly holding her painting. Below it he wrote: My mom painted this and said no one would like it. Its her 2nd painting.

Far from not liking it -- more than 24,000 people upvoted her painting, meaning they liked it!

Then a professional artist in Sweden saw the photo on Reddit.

Kristoffer Zetterstrand creates, among other things, paintings for the video game Minecraft. He decided to pay tribute to the mother-schoolteacher by painting Decker holding her painting. He even captured the shy look on her face.

Zetterstrand photographed himself holding his painting of Decker holding her painting. He posted the image on Reddit. The caption for his photograph is, I painted somebodys mom.

Then, two days later a journalism student in Canada, Laila Amer, painted a picture of Zetterstrand holding his painting of Decker holding her painting.

She posted a photo of her holding her painting on Reddit. Her caption read, But I painted the guy who painted the other guys mom.

Well, then the Internet stepped in and took over as only the Internet can.

The meme took off!

The artist Vince Law was the next to join in. The caption for his photo of his painting is I painted the girl who painted the guy who painted the other guys mom who painted an egret.

Then artist Traci Sethre painted Laws painting of Amer holding Zetterstrands painting holding Deckers painting. She wrote, I painted the guy who painted the girl who painted the guy who painted the mom who painted the bird.

Artist Travis Simpson continued the fun.

And it happened again and again and again!

In the very later paintings, the image of the original inspiration, Deckers egret, is so small you can barely see it!

Many artists around the world jumped into the process, many at the same time. It began to get confusing. People started calling the egret a swan.

So, someone stepped in and created a flowchart to show how the paintings developed.

The painting styles were all quite different. They began showing up not just on Reddit but on other social media platforms such as Facebook.

By this time, more than one million people had seen the paintings and pictures of paintings online. Cyndi Decker told a reporter from the Washington Post that she had been named the the honorary mom of Reddit.

Kristoffer Zetterstrand, who first painted Decker, told reporters that he has received thousands of comments on Reddit and hundreds of messages and emails.

He says millions of people have now seen his painting on a number of social media websites. In interviews, he said he thought the whole experience has been really funny and strange.

Zetterstrand and Decker have been in touch with one another. He sent her his painting of her holding her painting as a gift.

Instead of the cruel comments she was expecting, Decker said so many people have been very kind to her. She joined Reddit just so she could thank them.

She wrote: I was in fear I was going to read a lot of hateful comments. You all have proven me so wrong. Im assuming most of you could be my kids, and yall get a bad rap in this world. You all are compassionate, caring, and a ton of fun! Thanks for uplifting me! You all have inspired me instead.

People on the Internet also have asked her to post her next painting. But Decker said that she has no plans to do so. She says she does not want to wear out her welcome.

She is happy to be famous just once. To use another English expression, its better to leave at the height of the party.

Im Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo adapted this from several online stories including Roisin McVeighs story published on DazedDigital.com and Allison Kleins story in the Washington Post. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

cruel  adj. causing or helping to cause suffering : terrible and unfair

shyly  adv. doing something in a way that shows a dislike of attention

tribute  n. something that you say, give, or do to show respect or affection for someone

meme  n. an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture

caption  n. a sentence or group of words that is written on or next to a picture to explain what is being shown

inspiration  n. a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something

bad rap  n. slang an unjust accusation, verdict, or punishment

compassionate  adj. feeling or showing concern for someone who is sick, hurt, poor, etc. : having or showing compassion

uplifting  adj. something that improves the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of something else

wear out her welcome  phrase To remain a guest in a place, especially someone's home, for too long, to the point where the host no longer wishes one to stay.

Its better to leave at the height of the party  phrase This means it is better to leave when things are going really well before things start turning bad.Visitors to a Native American reservations famous waterfalls deep in the Grand Canyon will now have to visit without professional guides.

An estimated 40,000 people visit the Havasupai reservation every year. They come to see a series of blue-green waterfalls which flow into swimming holes that stay warm year-round.

There are no roads to the falls. The only way to arrive is by horse, helicopter or by foot. The hike is long and at times dangerous.

Beginning in February, visitors will have to find their own way down, and carry their own food and belongings.

For years, professional guides have paid the tribe money to bring visitors to the falls. The tribe could not say how much money it has received from guides over the years.

Abbie Fink is a spokeswoman for the Havasupai Tribe. She told the Associated Press that tribe members want to lead the visitors themselves. She said, Its returning the enterprise to the control of the tribe.

The tribe works on the campground and the trails during the months of December and January. It does not permit day visits. So, visitors wanting to see the falls must stay overnight at a camp site on the reservation or in the tribes only building.

Rooms in the tribes building are sold out for the rest of 2019. Permits for camping were available for sale starting February 1. About 300 camping permits a day are available.

Adam Henry is co-owner of Discovery Treks. The guide company usually brings between 100 and 200 visitors to the waterfalls each year. Now the company will have to offer trips to different places in the Grand Canyon.

He says the new rules do not bring good news for those who wish to visit the falls.

Visitors will have to walk 13 kilometers down a winding trail through desert before reaching the first waterfall, where 600 tribe members live year-round. To reach the campground with waterfalls on both ends, visitors must walk another 3 kilometers down the trail.

The blue-green water is what people want to see, Henry said. Its certainly a significant bummer for people who arent going to be able to get out there on their own.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Felicia Fonseca reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

hike - n. an unusually long walk

enterprise - n. activity that involves many people

camp site - n. a place that is far away from cities that has tents, small houses, etc., that people can stay for a short time

significant - adj. large enough to be noticed or have an effect

bummer - n. (informal) something that is disappointingFriday, February 1, 2019

District of Columbia Hearing Committee No. Six has issued a report in a case that began in 2009 and was heard in 2015.

This consolidated case arises out of two separate disciplinary matters involving Respondent Scott Adkins. The first matter (Bar Docket No. 2009-D362) arises out of Respondents alleged misrepresentation on his 2006 D.C. Bar application and the 2008 Supplemental Questionnaire he completed prior to taking the oath of admission. Disciplinary Counsel alleged that Respondent failed to fully disclose and/or failed to update information relating to his academic discipline, civil actions in which he was involved, his criminal history, disciplinary history, employment history and past due debts. The second matter (Bar Docket No. 2013- D117) is a three-count Specification arising out of Respondents alleged hit and-run while driving under the influence in Florida in 2009. Respondent was charged by the Florida authorities with multiple violations of Florida law and pleaded guilty to reckless driving (in violation of Fla. Stat. 316.1925(1)) and failing to stop and remain at the scene of an accident (in violation of Fla. Stat. 316.027(2)(a)). In particular, Disciplinary Counsel alleges that, during the disciplinary investigation, Respondent sent an email to Disciplinary Counsel that contained misrepresentations about the incident.

The attorney is also admitted in Delaware and California and has (or had) an application for admission in Florida.

The hearing

Hearing Committee Six (Andrea L. Berlowe, Esquire, Chair; Sara K. Blumenthal, Public Member; and, Dwaune L. Dupree, Esquire, Attorney Member) held an evidentiary hearing on July 6-8, 2015

Findings

the Hearing Committee finds clear and convincing evidence of violations of Rules 8.1(a), 8.1(b), 8.4(b), 8.4(c), and 8.4(d) charged by Disciplinary Counsel. Upon examination of aggravating and mitigating factors, however, the Hearing Committee recommends that Respondent be suspended for three years with a fitness requirement.

Disciplinary Counsel sought disbarment.

His answer to the question of termination from prior employment

Respondent correctly responded yes to Question 8, and stated that he had been terminated from his position at Lerach Coughlin in March 2005. In doing so, Respondent stated that a profound difference of philosophies led to [a] rift, and ultimately, [his] termination from that position. Id. However, in his June 2009 application for admission to the Florida Bar (the FLA Application, discussed in  70, below), Respondent stated that he was terminated after missing the second day of the February 2005 Bar Exam . . .. Additionally, before being admitted to the D.C. Bar, Respondent did not timely update his D.C. Application to reflect that he had been terminated or suspended from three additional employers.

As to complaints against him

At the time he submitted his D.C. Application, Respondent correctly answered No. Id. But, while his D.C. Application was pending, he failed to update the COA regarding an investigation by the DE ODC into his November 2006 arrest for the criminal misdemeanor traffic offenses of Driving While Under the Influence (DUI) and Reckless Driving (the First DUI Incident).

He failed to disclose five civil actions and a number of debts.

He was admitted after a series of supplemental disclosures

on April 14, 2008, Respondent took the oath of admission to become a member of the D.C. Bar and submitted his Supplemental Questionnaire to the COA without disclosing his criminal misdemeanor convictions of DUI and reckless driving.

He then sought admission in Florida.

As part of D.C. admission process one is obligated to attend an all-day lecture event

In early August 2009, Respondent attended a mandatory Disciplinary Counsel lecture on legal ethics in Washington, D.C. Respondent testified at the hearing that, during the lecture, he realized he had failed to report the First DUI Incident and the ensuing [Delaware Office of Disciplinary Counsel hereinafter] DE ODC investigation to the [District of Columbia Committee on Admissions hereinafter] COA, as required.

Thus, on August 14, 2009, Respondent wrote a letter to Disciplinary Counsel in which he reported his failure to disclose the First DUI Incident and the ensuing DE ODC investigation (the First Self-Report). Respondent also informed the Delaware Bar of his First DUI Incident around that time.

Glad those talks are good for something but

On the evening of December 5, 2009, Respondent relapsed and stopped at a bar named Jesters near Pompano Beach, Florida. (self-medicated). Respondent testified that he was drinking at Jesters for at least like two hours, maybe more. (describing Jesters as the gin mill I was at)...

While driving his car, a white 2006 Chrysler 300 sedan, Respondent rear-ended another vehicle, a black Mercedes.

As a result

On June 17, 2011, Respondent pleaded no contest to, and was adjudicated guilty of, reckless driving and failing to stop and remain at the scene of an accident.

In Delaware

On June 5, 2013, after conducting an investigation into the Second DUI Incident, DE ODC determined that there was probable cause that Respondent violated certain Delaware Lawyers Rules of Professional Conduct. Instead of filing a petition with the Delaware Board of Professional Responsibility, however, DE ODC recommended that Respondent accept the sanction of a private admonition and probation with conditions, including random urinalysis tests (the 2013 Delaware Sanction).

He made false statements to D.C. ODC in reporting on the incident

Respondents e-mail falsely stated that, prior to the collision, there were no cars to my front, but then all of a sudden, in my travel lane, a black Mercedes that was stopped in the travel lane with no lights on hit her brakes. Respondents representations were inconsistent with the accident report, and ignored the significant impairment he experienced at the time from his consumption of alcohol and his failure to wear eyeglasses or corrective lenses when the collision occurred.

Respondent also falsely represented to Disciplinary Counsel that, after the collision, he was assaulted by a young man who threw an object at his car, causing significant injury to Respondent and putting him in fear for his safety...

Respondent also falsely represented to Disciplinary Counsel that he chose to leave the scene of the collision in order to go to the nearest police station, to report the assault purportedly committed by the passenger of the black Mercedes, but he was pulled over by the police on his way to the nearest police station. Respondent repeated these statements in the Delaware proceeding, (Thats why I left the scene), and in his testimony before the Hearing Committee.

To top it off

In sum, Respondents testimony surrounding the Second DUI Incident was not credible and, ultimately, whether he truthfully recounted the facts or not is irrelevant to the question of whether he failed to disclose the incident to the COA prior to taking the oath of admission, as required by the Supplemental Questionnaire and his continuing duty to supplement his D.C. Application. His testimony about the incident also never revealed, and is not relevant to, whether, following admission, he violated his duty to disclose the Second DUI Incident to the D.C. Court of Appeals, as required by D.C. Bar R. XI, 10.

The committee found that the misconduct was knowing, rejecting his claim of negligence.

As to delay

Respondent argues he was unable to submit favorable evidence and testimony regarding his arrest and conviction for the Second DUI Incident that he might have submitted had Disciplinary Counsel moved with greater alacrity to bring charges against him stemming from that incident. Specifically, Respondent claims that his now-deceased lawyer had evidence supporting his version of events, but, due to Disciplinary Counsels multi-year delay in bringing charges, that evidence disappeared when [his attorney] passed away. Respondent also asserts that his now-deceased mother could have supported his version of events because, though she was not present during the collision, she saw, among other things, the damage to his car afterwards. Considering all the evidence presented and the applicable law, the Hearing Committee rejects Respondents allegations.

As to sanction

Here, Respondents misconduct entails far more than omitting minor facts from his D.C. Application. Respondents omissions include failing to disclose: civil actions to which he was a party, including those in which he was the plaintiff; a disciplinary investigation by the Delaware Bar; several unpaid debts; professional employment from which he was terminated, at least one of which was for false and misleading conduct; and a criminal arrest and conviction. Consequently, his conduct warrants a more serious sanction than merely a brief suspension with a fitness requirement...

Respondent often was argumentative toward Disciplinary Counsel and appeared to have difficulty controlling his temper during the hearing. The Hearing Committee had to intervene when he frequently veered from relevant discussion topics.

Alcoholism did not cause the misconduct according to the committee majority.

Ultimately

we recommend that Respondent be suspended for a period of three years for his pervasive dishonesty in the admissions process and his false testimony before this Hearing Committee. Although it is a close question, we do not find by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent engaged in flagrant dishonesty warranting disbarment.

Disciplinary Counsel may well challenge that conclusion on appeal.

Respondent may well look to the delay in issuing this report as an issue and will be disappointed to learn that such delay is all too common.

A concurring opinion of attorney member Dwaune Dupree

I concur in the recommended sanction included in the Recommendation of Hearing Committee Number Six (the Report), and write separately for two major reasons. First, I believe that the Report fails to contextualize certain facts relating to Respondents behavior, and does not appropriately weigh either Respondents addiction or his self reporting as mitigating evidence. Without providing the appropriate context, I am concerned that the Hearing Committees recommended sanction appears unduly lenient. Considering the facts in light of the clarifying discussion below, I find that the recommended sanction is not unduly lenient. Second, I write to highlight the important policy implications of this case. While the Board on Professional Responsibility and District of Columbia Court of Appeals ultimately are responsible for making policy decisions, I believe that the District of Columbia should adopt a policy that encourages lawyers to voluntarily report their misconduct...

The record shows that Respondents addiction was so serious that, for several years, he could barely hold a job, had severe financial problems, and it resulted in him being arrested for a misdemeanor crime. Based on this, I find it completely credible that Respondent would not be particularly focused on updating various changes to his Bar application, including his failures to disclose additional lawsuits, additional past due debts, and his terminations from three employers. While Respondent clearly had a duty to update his application, I believe that the serious challenges that he faced during that time provide some mitigation of his failure to do so.

The concurrence is worth a read.

In re Scott Adkins can be accessed here.

Citations to record omitted throughout. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/02/district-of-columbia-hearing-committee-no-six-this-consolidated-case-arises-out-of-two-separate-disciplinary-matters-involv.htmlFriday, February 1, 2019

A Hearing Committee of the Law Society of Saskatchewan has rejected a claim of solicitor-client privilege in a bar disciplinary hearing.

Solicitor-client privilege, the protection of communications between a lawyer and his or her client, is a fundamental principal of the legal system. It permits an individual to make complete disclosure to his or her lawyer and in return receive frank advice. The criteria for the existence of a claim of solicitor-client privilege, as set out by the Supreme Court in Solosky v. R, 1979 CanLII 9 (SCC), 1979 CarswellNat 4, [1980] 1 SCR 821, are:

There must be a communication between a lawyer and his client; The communication must be for the purpose of giving or receiving legal advice; and The communication must be intended to be confidential by the parties.

During testimony, the Member suggested he did not necessarily author the document. Counsel for the Member, however, made submissions on the basis of solicitor-client privilege; implicit in this is the recognition the communication was between lawyer and client. The email address used to communicate with Lawyer S and accept service of documents from the Law Society is the same email address on the document. The document was provided by the Member to the Law Society during the course of the investigation. The Committee finds the Member did author the document and it otherwise meets the Solosky criteria.

Solicitor-client privilege, is not, however, an absolute black hole into which no light may ever be shone. The privilege cannot, for example, be used to shield investigation into a lawyer's ongoing criminal activity. This is but one example. Where a self-governing body, such as the Law Society, is given legislative authority to investigate and govern the conduct of its members, solicitor client privilege yields to the public good in maintaining confidence in the Law Society's ability to regulate its members.

The committee accepted evidence despite the assertion.

The Member is charged with conduct unbecoming a lawyer in that he did, after agreeing to trust conditions imposed by Lawyer S in relation to the release of certain settlement funds coming into his possession, fail to comply with those trust conditions by releasing said funds without first ensuring the trust conditions had been met.

During the course of the hearing, counsel for the Member objected to the introduction of a document and certain questions. The basis of the objection was that the document and questions were subject to solicitor-client privilege. Counsel for both parties made argument and submitted authority in support of their respective positions. This Committee then adjourned to consider the arguments of the parties.

For the reasons that follow, the objection is overruled, the document is admissible and the Member must answer the questions related to that document.

The key facts, as outlined in partial agreed statement of facts, were that the Member was retained to act on behalf of the Husband. The Wife had an interest in property in Arizona and wanted the Husband removed from the title. The Member and Lawyer S, who represented the Wife, corresponded via email regarding the terms of the 'escrow.' The Member also had some communications with his client, the Husband. Funds were provided to the Member and the Member released those funds to the Husband prior to the title registering in Arizona.

The Member was called to the stand and during his testimony, counsel for the Law Society sought to tender and question the Member, about a document. As noted, Counsel for the Member objected on the grounds the document was solicitor-client privileged and ultimately, the Committee then adjourned to consider the arguments of the parties.

The committee imposed a reprimand.

The member faced one charge of conduct unbecoming and was found guilty of the same. This committee determined a reprimand and $1,000.00 fine to be the appropriate penalty. In light of how matters progressed, the time and expenses of the hearing requested by the Law Society are reasonable. The hearing in this matter occurred over three (3) days, there was case management, time was expended in creating a partial agreed statement of fact. Further, the Law Society had to respond to the Members unsuccessful objection regarding solicitor-client privilege.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/02/a-hearing-committee-of-the-law-society-of-saskatchewan-has-rejected-a-claim-of-solicitor-client-privilege-in-a-bar-disciplina.htmlSaturday, February 2, 2019

Nora Phillips is the co-founder and legal director of Al Otro Lado, the human rights organization taking the lead on much of the legal advocacy in Tijuana. (See our blog's 2015 interview with Phillips). In recent months in particular, scores of law schools have sent students and faculty to volunteer with Al Otro Lado to assist migrants in Tijuana.

This week, Phillips was starting a vacation with her family in Mexico in Guadalajara. Upon arriving, she was detained by Mexican immigration officials, separated from her family, questioned, and ultimately denied entry. She returned to LAX on Friday, February 1 to a welcoming crowd of immigration attorneys and other supporters.

But as the Los Angeles Times reports, she's not the only one. Al Otro Lado policy and litigation director was similarly denied entry last month, as were two journalists. As Phillips is quoted in the LA Times: I think this is retaliation...I think this is because we sued the U.S. government. I think its that were pointing out gross, flagrant human rights violations being committed by the U.S. government, and they dont like that.

For more details and updates, follow @alotrolado_org on Twitter.

-JKoh

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/02/al-otro-lado-legal-director-nora-phillips-denied-entry-to-mexico-detained-with-daughter-by-mx-offici.htmlTennessee Tribunes Rosetta Perry Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

With one of pop musics most profound voices performing during a ceremony that included a video tribute featuring tributes from a mayor, a congressman, a school superintendent and a university president, Tennessee Tribune Publisher Rosetta Miller Perry clearly was the star of the night.

On Friday, Jan. 25, Perry received the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Lifetime Achievement Award before a festive and appreciative gathering at the Hilton Orlando Hotel during the NNPA MidWinter Training Conference in Florida.

Two years ago, it was Bob Bogle being honored from the Philadelphia Tribune and last year we saw Rod Doss of the New Pittsburgh Courier receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Perry said.

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Tonight, its Rosetta Perry. Maybe theres something to it three great publishers all from Pennsylvania, she said, noting her tie to the Keystone State is in the fact she was raised there.

Perry thanked her fellow publishers for the distinguished recognition, one that she said shes glad it happened now.

Im 85, Perry quipped. Im sure glad you didnt wait until I was 90.

While the comment brought laughter and applause, Perry said the NNPA  the trade organization that consists of about 215 African American owned newspapers and media companies around the country  needs to work harder toward a younger leadership.

I have a clear vision and Id like to see NNPA move toward the young ones because they know how to handle situations and they should not have to wait until theyre my age to hold positions, she said.

The young ones are talking about building relationships and thats whats needed, said Perry, who toned down the festive atmosphere a bit to ask all to keep Mississippi Link Publisher Jackie Hampton in their thoughts.

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Hampton abruptly left the conference after receiving devastating news that her mother passed away.

Crooner Howard Hewitt belted out several of his hit songs to toast Perry while NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and NNPA Chairman Dorothy R. Leavell, also feted Perry with congratulatory words.

Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry and African Union Permanent Representative to the U.S., Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao also praised Perry.

You were the first person in the United States to welcome me into your home, Ambassador Chihombori-Quao said. Im forever grateful for our friendship.

After jokingly speaking about Perrys abilities as a nurse in which shes able to embalm people, Henry praised his fellow publisher.

Rosetta Miller Perry is ever acclaimed for all she did during Civil Rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks [and others], Henry said, prior to a video tribute that included congratulatory remarks from Nashville Mayor David Briley, Democratic U.S. Rep. James Cooper, Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Shawn Josephs, and Tennessee State University President Dr. Glenda Glover.

A retired U.S. Navy officer and lawyer by trade, Perry has enjoyed much success over the past three decades as publisher of the Tennessee Tribune, a newspaper that reaches more than 150,000 people each week.

A graduate of Memphis State University, Perry recently was named among the Top 10 Most Powerful African Americans of 2018 by the Nashville Voice, a popular Music City publication.

Raised in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania  a melting pot of Russians, Polish, Italians, Greeks, African-Americans and others  during an era when steel was an important part of American Manufacturing, Perry not only grew up near the Allegheny River, but spent her first four years on her aunts houseboat.

Shed become an avid reader of newspapers and magazines, particularly the Black Press where, since childhood, the Pittsburgh Courier was a personal favorite.

Perry has often said she noticed a trend in mainstream publishing towards sensationalism and a focus on crime and negative events, particularly as it related to Black people.

I knew as a young Black woman it was something that could be corrected through ownership and control of our image, reporting and news coverage, Perry said.

She and her husband, who counted as Tennessees first Black gastroenterologist, founded Perry and Perry Associates in 1990.

After founding the Tribune to focus primarily on health, education and voter registration, Perry and her husband made a conscious decision not to spotlight crime, and to report positive events and focus on success stories and personalities in the Black community.

They did so without ignoring either the problems or the tough issues that minority communities face each day.

On the night shes honored, Perry said she also was preparing for a major announcement involving the future of the Tennessee Tribune.

While she didnt reveal specifics  only that the announcement will be made in Nashville on Feb. 1  Perry left with a promise.

I will always support my folks, she said. Its not about me.Lack of tree cutting permits holds up power line projects

Several transmission line projects being developed by the Nepal Electricity Authority are in limbo as the Forest Ministry is holding back permission to cut trees, raising the possibility that electricity worth billions may go to waste.Sen. Kamala Harris Officially Enters the 2020 Presidential Race with Bold Morality

We are here at this moment in time because we must answer a fundamental question. Who are we? Who are we as Americans? So, lets answer that question, America. We are better than this, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) said in front of a large crowd in Oakland, California on the afternoon of January 27.

In a much-anticipated announcement, the Senator from California and former Attorney General officially announced she was a candidate for the presidency in 2020. Seven days before, on ABCs Good Morning America, she made it clear she was in the race. In what many say was one of her best speeches to date in front of a presidential-size crowd she made it official.

A graduate of Howard University and a member of the AKA sorority, Harris rollout has been the most methodically of anyone who has entered the 2020 sweepstakes.Right down to the typography and campaign slogans, which are in the style of the historic 1970s campaign of the first Black woman ever elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm, Sen. Harris rollout has reached for clarity.

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In the age of Donald Trumps politics that clarity and focus on morals was made clear by the 54-year old attorney and U.S. Senator.Harris used the word we a lot during her speech. It was a clear indication of the type of campaign she plans to run.

Of the people, by the people, and for all people, Harris said, People are trying to convince us that the villain in our American story is each other. But that is not our story. That is not who we are.

While Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have announced exploratory committees that will likely lead to an official presidential run. Sen. Harris is now in the 2020 race all the way.In the first 24 hours after confirming she would run seven days ago on television her campaign raised $1.5 million.

Harris joins the biggest and most diverse field of candidates in the history of American politics.

One of the huge tests for Kamala Harris was whether she could translate all thats compelling about her on paper, go onto a stage and deliver a retail political speech thats compelling and resonant. Hard to argue she didnt do that today, wrote MSNBC host Joy Reid on January 28 on twitter.

On the same day, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz talked on 60 Minutes about a presidential run. There were also reports that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has not ruled out a run in 2020.

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But Harris name recognition and charisma will likely giver her an advantage as the first candidate outside of the baby boomer generation whose candidacy is a reminder of the historic and successful 2008 run of former President Barack Obama.I see it first and then I make it happen Michael Beasley

You may not know his name but its a good chance that you know actor Michael Beasley by his face, and its a nice face even when he has three teardrops painted under his eye, a mark charting the number of people that he murdered. In real life, Beasley is a 63 lovable teddy bear.

In Showtimes Escape at Dannemora, directed by Ben Stiller starring Benicio del Toro, Paul Dano and Patricia Arquette, who earned a Golden Globe for her role, Beasley plays the character Murder one of the main inmates at the Clinton Facility, a maximum-security prison in the sleepy town of Dannemora in Upstate New York.

The series is based on true events and follows the 2015 prisoners escape of Richard Matt (Benicio del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano). At the start of the story Murder (Michael Beasley) and his closest friend Kilo, are on seemingly good terms with Matt and Sweat. Its later revealed that Matt snitches on Murder, which lands him in solitary confinement for a week. A now vengeful Murder gets together with the new tailor-shop patrolman CO Frank, to set up revenge.

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Beasleys other acting credits include Netflixs series Bloodline, a reoccurring role in HBOs comedy series, Eastbound and Down, a two-part episode run in CWs drama series Preacher, Netflixs House of Cards and Superfly to name a few.

Here is what Michael Beasley had to share about seizing opportunities, making plans and telling the universe exactly what he wants.

Los Angeles Sentinel: Before we jump into talking about Escape at Dannemora, where do you call home?

Michael Beasley: Atlanta. Atlanta has changed a lot. When I first got started [in acting] everyone was telling me that I had to live in Los Angeles or New York. In New York, for example, you might have eight thousand actors auditioning for one role. Thats not the case in Atlanta and I wanted to create opportunities for myself here [Atlanta]. I had a plan. It didnt just happen. It was a numbers game. The more auditions that you have, the more chances you have to book. Once the casting agents knew they could trust me, the work came in. Im definitely about the work and having a plan.

LAS: I viewed the trailer for Escape at Dannemora, now on Showtime and I am blown away. Unfortunately, they did not provide me access to watch the series.

MB: Escape at Dannemora is now streaming so hopefully you can catch it. I play a character named Murder and he has three teardrops under his eye which means that he has three bodies, three murders that he committed.

LAS: Three, thats a lot. What was it like working with the cast? Its an impressive ensemble.

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MB: I love great actors and learning from them. It was a great thrill to work with such a great cast. Patricia [Arquette] won the Golden Globe Award [Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Limited Series]. And you know, Benicio [Del Toro] is a really nice guy. He and I have several scenes together and he would turn to me and ask Michael, what do you think about this scene? and I am thinking youre Benicio Del Toro and youre asking me? Working on this series really opened up my palette to a lot more things now.

LAS: What does that mean, to open up your palette in the context of acting?

MB: It means that I have a plan to go to the next level. I attended the Golden Globe red carpet, in LA, (ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA), and I got a sense of what the next level is. Now, I am working on that plan to get there and to stay there. First, you have to see it. Then you have to believe it. Then I plan it out and then I start working as if its already happened.

LAS: I think that you just gave me the headline for this story!

MB: You have to put it out into the universe.

LAS: Can you edit it down a bit for me?

MB: First, I see it and then I make it happen.

Escape at Dannemora directed by Ben Stiller, starring Benicio del Toro, Paul Dano, Patricia Arquette, and Michael Beasley is now playing on Showtime.

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/RVbOjP1ZiecGregory Murphy Joins CSUN Community as its New Police Chief

When Gregory Murphy was introduced earlier this month as California State University, Northridges new police chief and initially addressed the members of the CSUN Department of Police Services, the topic of his conversation was respect. Respect also is a theme that he wants to define his relationship with the campus community.

I shared with the staff that the most important thing is how we treat each other, that we treat each other with respect, Murphy said. I believe that if we are constantly and routinely practicing that internally, it will naturally carry over to how we interact with the community. We cant get away from the fact that if we treat people with respect, with compassion and empathy, we are going to be more successful overall in achieving our goals.

Murphy, 56, took the mantle of CSUNs top law enforcement official Jan. 7. He comes to the campus from the University of California, San Diego, where he served as the assistant chief of police.

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Murphy has extensive law enforcement experience that includes campus and municipal policing, as well as police training and standards oversight at the statewide level. In addition to his time at UC San Diego, he served as a lieutenant, chief, and sergeant at the University of California at Davis, Sierra Community College and with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) respectively, and as a training professional with the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST).

Murphy said one of his goals as CSUNs new police chief is to increase the use of technology by the department to achieve community policing efforts.

I want to leverage the use of technology as a means to communicate with the community, as well as a tool to prevent, intervene and investigate crimes, he said.

When Murphy graduated from high school and started college, he did so with the intention of becoming an engineer. About midway through, Murphy said he realized engineering was not for him, and joined the US Air Force in an effort to find himself and serve the nation. He spent six years in the Air Force, specializing in missile systems and computer operations/programming. He also completed a bachelors degree in computer science from Park University in Maryland while serving.

After my experience in the Air Force, I realized that public service was a rewarding feeling, law enforcement was a way that I could get involved in the community to a greater degree and the order and structure was appealing and what I wanted to do, Murphy said.

He joined the LAPD and worked in the city for more than 10 years before transitioning to higher education law enforcement at UC Davis as a lieutenant. From UC Davis, Murphy took a position with POST, where he served as the law enforcement regional manager for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Orange, San Diego, and Imperial Counties over an eight-year period.

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Murphy said the experience he gained at POST provided him a broad perspective of what law enforcement can and should be. That experience influenced his decision to return to higher education as the police chief at Sierra College, then later back with the UC System and now CSUN.

He noted that policing on a college campus is truly community based.

The three tenets of community policing are organizational structure, partnership, and ultimately problem-solving, Murphy said. The challenge in a university environment is that every uniformed officer is expected to have the capacity of performing anything the local citys police officer has to do, but he or she is also responsible for nurturing an environment where education can thrive, where students and faculty feel safe and they have the opportunity to explore ideas that may make some people uncomfortable.

We have to do all we can to safeguard individual constitutional rights, he said. We also cannot forget that our student population spans the spectrums of age and experiences, but they are primarily individuals who are at the phase of their lives where they are realizing and defining who they are.

Murphy said that he understands that the relationship between the campus police department and the CSUN community is a good one and hopes to further strengthen that relationship by establishing more channels of communication and engagement from the department.

I like to use personable and approachable methods of communication, he said. We need to maintain an environment where we respect and trust each other. That doesnt mean that I expect everyone to agree with everything we do. But I hope we are willing to listen and consider varying perspectives from each other.

Murphy said he hopes that open channels of communication and increased use of technology will help CSUNs Department of Police Services get ahead of and prevent problems before they happen and, when issues do arise, resolve them in a positive manner.

I dont expect this to happen overnight, but when I leave CSUN, I want people from the community and within the department to think of us as a police department that performs its job professionally, with respect and fairness.Donors Attempt to Save Bennett College by Deadline

A drive to help raise $5 million and save the accreditation of Bennett College received a boost this week as donations began to pour in ahead of the Friday, Feb. 1 deadline.

The Papa Johns Foundation and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation of Winston-Salem, each pledged a $500,000 donation to the school, and each said they will recruit additional donors.

The pledges increased the overall total raised to date to $2.7 million a little more than half of the $5 million needed.

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Bennett College has an outstanding tradition of academic excellence for African American women, said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade organization that represents 215 African American-owned newspapers and media companies around the country with more than 21 million weekly subscribers.

The college is funded by the Presbyterian Church and my great-great-great grandfather, the Rev. John Chavis, was the first ordained African American Presbyterian minister in the United States, and so I appeal to all Presbyterians, to all Episcopalians, to all Methodists, to all Baptists, and to those of all faiths, to help save Bennett College, Chavis said.

The privately-owned four-year historically black liberal arts college for women thats located in Greensboro, was founded in 1873 as a school to educate recently freed slaves and train both men and women as teachers.

An integral part of its community since its founding in 1873, Bennett transitioned into a womens school in 1926.

Reduced enrollment levels in recent years have sapped the colleges coffers, resulting in budget shortfalls and placing Bennett at risk of permanently losing its accreditation.

Students, alumni and others associated with Bennett have developed a websitewhere donations can be made and information about the college can be found.

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Using the tagline and hashtag, Stand with Bennett, the group also presents evidence that Bennett has made significant gains in addressing its financial stability over the past two years.

Some of the significant strides made by Bennett to achieve sustainability include:

Bennett generated a surplus of $461,038 and had no audit findings.

Bennett was approved for a capital loan deferment over a six-year period with a financial benefit of nearly $9 million.

Bennett has steadily increased its fundraising from $3.47 million to $4.25 million over a 3-year period.

Bennetts enrollment has been trending upward for 2 years from 409 in 2017 to 471 in 2018.

The colleges retention rate is significantly up from 44 percent in the Fall of 2017 to 53 percent in the Fall of 2018.

The average GPA of new freshwomen increased from 2.8 in 2017 to 3.2 in 2018.

Bennett continues to support mission activities, and academic and student programs.

The Editorial Board of the colleges local newspaper, the Greensboro News & Record, said Bennett is raising the money as a show of good faith to an accrediting agency that the college is working, urgently, to address its fragile finances.

That agency  the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges  has threatened to revoke Bennetts accreditation because of the colleges tenuous fiscal footing.

Bennett plans to appeal that ruling in mid-February and began the quick-strike campaign to help make its case, according to the Greensboro News & Record.

Without accreditation, Bennett would lose eligibility for federal grants and student loans and could be forced to close.

We have made the case before for Bennett, the editorial board wrote. It is one of only two colleges for African-American women in the nation and it has been an integral part of this community since it was founded in 1873.

To donate, visit http://www.bennett.edu/standwithbennett/LOS ANGELES- Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Khan  Cullors, is asking the community to demand justice for Dr. Melina Abdullah by demanding City Attorney Mike Feuer to drop all charges against Dr. Melina Abdullah.

Abdullah is facing 8 misdemeanor counts for protesting against police violence according to the activist.

Cullers has created an online petition that states:

Mike Feuer, end the criminalization of Black protest. Dr. Melina Abdullah, a professor and mother of three school-aged children, has been dedicated to community organizing for decades. She has been active as a community educator, involved parent, and a Spirit Mama to dozens of children. Her commitment has been deep and far-reaching, including fights for ethnic studies, public education, and fair land use. When the community rose up against police brutality in 2013, Melina was among the original group of organizers that formed Black Lives Matter. She has become a globally-recognized voice against police violence and a fixture in the contemporary Black freedom movement.

The prosecution you are leading against Dr. Melina Abdullah is malicious and discriminatory. As Los Angeles City Attorney, you are targeting and singling out Melina Abdullah in an attempt to silence Black protest. As you well know, Melina is the third Black activist to be prosecuted for her outspokenness at Los Angeles Police Commission meetings. White and non-Black allies who engage in similar actions have not been prosecuted (even following their arrests). As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national holiday, we know that Melina is actually walking in Kings footsteps and many other courageous Civil Rights leaders. Dr. King was arrested forty times, a historical fact that you, Mike Feuer, have chosen to whitewash in order to justify the prosecution of Black protestors. It is hypocritical for you to, on the one hand, pay ceremonial honor to Dr. King and his human rights legacy while actively punishing contemporary Black organizers and activists like Melina. Your decision to prosecute Black protestors also fits into a much larger picture in which the federal government is attempting to criminalize Black people and even labels them as terrorists and extremists for daring to struggle against police brutality, abuse, and killings.

As LA City prosecutor, you have put forward a flawed assertion that freedom struggle must always be polite and follow the rules of the very institutions that are engaging in the abuse. Many of the charges you have lodged against Melina relate to so-called disruptions of public meetings. These non-violent actions might include speaking off-topic or beyond the allotted time, holding signs, or refusing to take a seat or exit a room. Such engagements are a hallmark of democracy and protected by the First Amendment. Moreover, it is only through such protest that substantial changes have been won, including the right to vote, Civil Rights, workers rights, womens rights, and union rights. When police kill Black people every 28 hours, Black people cannot be muzzled.

You have charged Melina Abdullah with eight bogus counts in a catch all approach, and you are banking on the jurys reluctance to dismiss all the counts, even if you fail to prove them beyond a reasonable doubt. We know that convictions could bring jail time. However, more likely, if Melina is found guilty, we know that the terms of probation would likely include a silencing of her voice in public meetings. Your prosecution of Melina Abdullah is about much more than quieting her individual voice. Its intent is to have a chilling effect on Black protest more broadly.

Mike Feuer, your record of targeting and singling out Black protestors is shameful. In doing so, you actively criminalize Black protest, which represents a threat to the very victories gained through the Civil Rights Movement and other freedom struggles. For these reasons, among others, we demand that you immediately drop all charges against Dr. Melina Abdullah.In September 2016, journalist Salena Zito famously wrote the press takes (Donald Trump) literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.

Trumps promise to build a wall at the Mexican border offers a salient case in point. The media took him literally, but Trumps supporters interpreted it to mean that he would be serious about controlling immigration.

Truth be told, Trumps campaign promise belies the fact there is already a wall covering much of the border between the United States and Mexico. It was supported and funded by both Democratic and Republican administrations.

In fact, a cursory look at Trumps policies to date reveals more continuity with previous presidents than many would care to admit.

The presidents tax policy is perhaps the most obvious example. Like the tax cuts of the Ronald Reagan presidency during the 1980s and the administration of George W. Bush in the 2000s, Trumps world view is consistent with his partys supply-side economic philosophy.

The presidents position on abortion offers another notable example. While putting the government between a woman and her doctor is not consistent with its laissez-faire political philosophy, overturning Roe v. Wade has been the Holy Grail of the Republican Party since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.

Trumps get-tough-on-crime policy can be traced to the Bill Clinton administration, with roots in both the Reagan and Richard Nixon presidencies. With the suburbanization of incarceration, the president has added his signature to bipartisan legislation on criminal justice reform that is long overdue.

Trade and tariffs

Like Reagan during the 1980s, Trump imposed tariffs on trade. Reagans restrictions on imports brought Canada to the table to negotiate the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, eventually followed by Mexico to create the North American Free Trade Agreement so that each country could avoid tariffs aimed primarily at reducing the U.S. trade deficit with Japan.

Trump was criticized for not signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but U.S. trade policy has pivoted toward bilateral agreements under both Democratic and Republican administrations since NAFTA was established in 1994. Trumps policy signals a return to this trend. On the Paris Agreement on climate change, Trumps hostility recalls President George W. Bushs decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol during his first year in office and echoes his partys suspicion and skepticism regarding climate change.

In his dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump is said to be soft on Russia but, like his Cold War predecessors, he is wise to pick his battles when dealing with a man who has his hand on the nuclear button.

Likewise, Trumps quarrel with his NATO allies over member dues is not new. Efforts to get members of the nearly 70-year-old alliance to dedicate 2 percent of their annual GDP to pay for their own defense have been part of previous administrations. In spite of these differences, the trans-Atlantic alliance remains steadfast across administrations, especially in the face of a common threat from a resurgent Russia.

Trump has taken the unprecedented step of meeting with Kim Jong Un, but efforts to dismantle North Koreas nuclear program have frustrated Republican and Democratic presidents alike. In the Middle East, Trumps withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal represents a return to nearly four decades of U.S. policy across multiple administrations. Although Trumps decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem represents a historic break with previous administrations, it implements legislation passed and supported by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Precedents in U.S.

Finally, the Muslim ban is reminiscent of restrictions on immigration supported by both parties in the early 20th century when Catholics, Jews, the Irish, Italians, Poles and Chinese took their turn in the hot seat, culminating in the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. As with the travel ban today, the Supreme Court ruled the internment of Japanese Americans to be constitutional.

If history is any guide, the travel ban will, too, be reversed because, in a quote often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill, you can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else.

Arguably, the main difference between Trump and his predecessors is Twitter. His shortcomings, prejudices and unseemly remarks are not new to the office, but thanks to the 24-hour hyperpartisan cable news cycle, each faux pas is broadcast to the world in real time.

Although Trumps Twitter tirades dominate the news cycle like a fireworks display, it is important not to be distracted by the presidents personality, hyperbole, missteps or misstatements.

When the dust settles, it becomes clear that Trump has more in common with previous presidents on a range of issues on both sides of the aisle than you might think.

It is these facts, not the media circus, that presidential historians take seriously and literally.

Ricardo Richards has a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in international relations from Cambridge University. He teaches sociology, American government and international relations at Miami Dade College and Ultimate Medical Academy. He is a Lancaster County resident.After a race that featured more campaign fundraising and spending than any other in Lancaster County history, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smuckers campaign bank account was almost empty at the end of 2018  and, according to new campaign finance filings, his debts were still on the rise.

The West Lampeter Township Republican soundly defeated Democratic challenger Jess King, 59 percent to 41 percent, in November.

The candidates combined to spend an unprecedented $3.6 million for the Lancaster County-based 11th Congressional District seat, and outside groups independently spent another $450,000 on their behalf, public reports in December showed.

New reports filed Thursday revealed not only the full picture for the rest of 2018, but what was left over for incumbents and candidates heading into the 2019-20 election cycle.

Smucker had $10,161 left in his campaign account on Dec. 31, which is less than any of the other 17 members of Congress who won election in Pennsylvania in November, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. That was also true after his first election two years ago, when he had about $34,000 left over.

As of Dec. 31, Smucker also had more campaign debt than any other incumbent, not including personal loans owed to the candidate, according to LNPs review of the FEC records.

Meanwhile, Kings unsuccessful campaign, which was fueled by significant small-dollar fundraising both inside and outside the district, had $72,712 left over and just $10,757 in debt.

Full-time campaigns

Both Smucker and King launched aggressive advertising campaigns in the final weeks of the November election.

King spent more  about $582,000 to Smuckers $316,000 in those final three weeks, as previously reported  and still had at least $117,000 left over after the election.

The latest filings show she spent some of those remaining funds on staff salaries and bonuses, as well as continued rent and utility payments for campaign offices. As the only Pennsylvania congressional candidate to pay herself a campaign-funded salary in 2018, King received her own final campaign paycheck Nov. 29, according to the latest filings.

A spokeswoman for her campaign did not return a request for comment Friday about how King intends to use the remaining $72,712.

Smucker spent nearly all of his funds by Election Day, with some remaining for various expenses in November and December, according to the new reports.

And while he also had $71,906 in debt at the time of the election, hes also accrued more debt since then  $47,360 more in fundraising consulting, digital marketing costs, polling and strategic campaign consulting.

Smuckers campaign manager, when asked if those were for work before or after the election, said they were for ongoing consulting services.

Smucker for Congress is committed to running a full time campaign, said Zach Peirson, the campaign manager.

Most of the previous debt is from long-owed consulting costs to LN Consulting, a Harrisburg-based firm that handles Smuckers and other Republican candidates campaigns.

Debts of other candidates

Campaign debt isnt rare, though a review of finance reports for other Pennsylvania candidates revealed that few have debts that arent tied to loans made by the candidates personally.

For instance, new Reps. Dan Meuser, a Luzerne County Republican, and Madeleine Dean, a Montgomery County Democrat, have $755,000 and $192,500 in campaign debt, respectively. But all of that is from loans they gave to their own campaigns.

Smucker made similar personal loans during his first campaign three years ago. He slowly paid himself back the hundreds of thousands of dollars from funds he continued to raise while in office.DENVER  Pauline Jeffery had let things slide since her husband died. Her bedroom was a mess. Her bathroom was disorganized. She often tripped over rugs in her living and dining room.

I was depressed and doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself, said the 85-year-old Denver resident.

But Jefferys inertia faded when she joined a program for frail low-income seniors: Community Aging in Place  Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE). Over the course of several months last year, an occupational therapist visited Jeffery and discussed issues she wanted to address. A handyman installed a new carpet. A visiting nurse gave her the feeling of being looked after.

In short order, Jeffery organized her bedroom, cleaned up her bathroom and began to feel more upbeat. Theres a lot of people like myself that just need a push and somebody to make them feel like theyre worth something, she said. What they did for me, it got me motivated.

New research shows that CAPABLE provides considerable help to vulnerable seniors who have trouble with activities of daily living  taking a shower or a bath, getting dressed, transferring in and out of bed, using the toilet or moving around easily at home. Over the course of five months, participants in the program experienced 30 percent fewer difficulties with such activities, according to a randomized clinical trial  the gold standard of research  published this month in JAMA Internal Medicine.

If someone found a drug that reduced disability in older adults by 30 percent, wed be hearing about it on TV constantly, said John Haaga, director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging, which provided funding for the research.

Positive findings are especially notable given the population that was studied: 300 poor or near-poor older adults, nearly 90 percent women, over 80 percent black, with an average age of 75 and multiple chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While about 1 in 3 older adults in the U.S. need help with one or more daily activities, rates of disability and related health care costs are higher in this challenged population.

Half of the older adults in the trial received the CAPABLE intervention, which includes six visits by an occupational therapist, four visits by a registered nurse, and home repair and modification services worth up to $1,300. The control group received 10 visits of equal length from a research assistant and were encouraged to use the internet, listen to music, play board games or reminisce about the past, among other activities.

Both groups experienced improvements at five months, but older adults who participated in CAPABLE realized substantially greater benefits. Eighty-two percent strongly agreed that the program made their life easier and their home safer. Nearly 80 percent said it enabled them to live at home and increased their confidence in managing daily challenges.

Sarah Szanton, who developed CAPABLE and directs the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, attributes positive results to several program elements. Instead of telling an older adult whats wrong with them, a mainstay of medical practice, CAPABLE staff ask older adults what theyd like to be able to do but cant do now.

Seniors often say they want to cook meals for themselves, make their beds, use the stairs, get out of the house more easily, walk around without pain or go to church.

The focus then turns to finding practical solutions. For someone who wants to cook but whose legs are weak, that could mean cutting vegetables while sitting down before standing up at the stove. A bed may need to be lifted on risers and a grab bar positioned between the mattress and box spring so a person can push herself up to a standing position more easily. Or, a nurse may need to go over medications and recommend potential changes to a persons primary care doctor.

Why does it work? Because were guided by what people want, and in order to get better, you have to want to get better: It has to be important to you, said Amanda Goodenow, program manager for CAPABLE at the Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, the agency that assisted Jeffery. In Colorado, CAPABLE has been funded by a local foundation and Habitat for Humanity, which supports the program in six markets.

Hattie Ashby, 90, who has lived in the same two-story house in Aurora, a city adjacent to Denver, for 43 years, told Goodenow last summer that she wanted to get up and down the stairs more easily and walk around outside the house. Ashby has high blood pressure and COPD.

They gave me a walker and made arrangements for me to put my oxygen tank on it so I could go to the mall, she said, recalling some of what the CAPABLE staff did. They fixed the wall in my bathroom and put something I could hold onto to get in and out of my bathtub. And going up and down my stairs, they put another rail on the wall where I would be able to hold onto.

It is a remarkable service for a senior citizen to be encouraged, to be helped, to be supported that way, Ashby said.

It also turns out to be a cost-effective investment. For every dollar spent on CAPABLE, nearly $10 in combined savings accrues to Medicare and Medicaid, largely because of hospitalizations and nursing home placements that are prevented, research by Szanton and others has shown. (Many CAPABLE participants are eligible for both government health insurance programs because of their low incomes.) The average program cost per person is $2,825, far below the average $7,441 monthly cost of a semiprivate room in a nursing home in 2018.

With a new grant of nearly $3 million from the Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation, Szanton is turning her attention to expanding CAPABLE across the country. Currently, the program is available at 26 locations in 12 states, and Medicaid programs in Massachusetts and Michigan have adopted a version of it for some members. A major challenge is securing funding, since public and private insurers dont typically pay for these kinds of services. So far, foundation and grant funding has been a major source of support.

Szanton hopes to persuade Medicare Advantage plans, which cover about 19 million Medicare recipients and can now offer an array of nonmedical benefits to members, to adopt CAPABLE. Also, Johns Hopkins and Stanford Medicine have submitted a proposal to have traditional Medicare offer the program as a bundled package of services. Accountable care organizations, groups of hospitals and physicians that assume financial risk for the health of their patients, are also interested, given the potential benefits and cost savings.

Another priority will be looking at how to extend CAPABLEs impact over time. Since benefits diminished over a 12-month period in the just-published clinical trial, additional program elements  phone calls, extra visits and follow-up assessments  will probably be needed, said Dr. Kenneth Covinsky, a professor of geriatrics at the University of California-San Francisco and co-author of an editorial on CAPABLE that accompanied the study.

Hes bullish on CAPABLEs prospects. As clinicians, when we see older patients with conditions we cant reverse, we need to understand we havent run out of things we can do, Covinsky said. Referring patients to a program like CAPABLE is something that could make a big difference.

Were eager to hear from readers about questions youd like answered, problems youve been having with your care and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit khn.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.State lawmakers and Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges had their shot. Its time students had theirs.

Students in the International Baccalaureate history class at Manheim Township High School recently took a crack at Pennsylvanias congressional district map, which was redrawn last year by the Supreme Court after it ruled the 2012 map partisan and, therefore, unconstitutional.

After the 24-member class finished drawing their maps, many students submitted them to the Draw the Lines PA contest. Sponsored by the nonprofit Committee of Seventy, Draw the Lines was created to increase awareness for political redistricting and gerrymandering, both of which have long been contentious topics statewide.

Manheim Township juniors Lauren Craig and Rachel Matto earned second place and honorable mention, respectively, in the Youth-Central division.

I am not surprised, their teacher, Nicole Eshelman, said in a phone interview Friday. But I am proud of them for tackling this historic topic.

Eshelman said seeing her class delve into a subject that many adults dont understand was incredible.

Matto said she was really surprised but really, really happy about the recognition, adding that she initially thought her map wasnt anything special.

She said she felt the contest boosted her confidence and enhanced her knowledge on congressional boundaries and voting trends.

Avoiding strange shapes

One of the challenges Matto faced was drawing a sensible map while maintaining fairness and proportionality, she said. She wanted to avoid previous iterations, which included some of the strangest shapes Ive ever seen.

Craig described a similar challenge in a statement on the Draw the Lines website.

One of the most challenging parts of creating a map with these priorities was constructing districts that met the population requirements but were also still competitive, she said.

Competitive districts

Craigs map divides Lancaster County among three congressional districts.

Two of three districts would favor Republicans by modest margins, and one would have a small Democratic edge.

Mattos map groups Lancaster and southern Chester counties together in a district that would give Republicans a 13-point edge, according to Draw the Lines.

Registered voters in the current 11th District, which includes Lancaster County and southern York County, are 53 percent Republican, 31 percent Democratic and 16 percent other, according to newspaper reports.

The previous Pennsylvania congressional map placed most of Lancaster County in the 16th District, which was 45 percent Republican, 39 percent Democratic and 16 percent other.Over 100 crashes were reported on slick, snowy Lancaster County roads through mid-afternoon Friday, according to the county's 911 center.

The crashes came amidst a largely unexpected multi-hour snowfall to wrap up a messy, cold winter week.

At 5 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said less than 1 inch was likely in Lancaster County.

Snow started falling lightly around in the morning and didn't stop until early evening.

When it was all said and done, about 1 to 3 inches had fallen in Lancaster County, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Aaron Tyburski. The most had fallen in the southern part near the Maryland border, thanks for a weak storm system that moved east across the Pennsylvania-Maryland border.

Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst tweeted in the morning that it wasn't a "big snow storm, but w/ temps hovering ~12, a small accumulation can make for treacherous travel. Careful friends!" he said.

Around 2:30 p.m, the weather service expanded a winter weather advisory to include Lancaster County until 5 p.m.

Winter Weather Advisory expanded to include York & Lancaster Counties through 5PM. Light snow & slippery travel expected to continue into the early evening rush hour across all of the Lower Susquehanna Valley with total snow accumulation between 1-3" expected. #pawinter #pawx pic.twitter.com/BwyCnXBTP8  NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) February 1, 2019

Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons tweeted out a warning to drivers: "Allow extra time on slick roads," he said. The county's emergency agency told him there had been numerous "weather-related accidents," Parsons said.

The snow, although light, was enough to make roads treacherous in spots.

"It may not look like much, depending on where you are driving, but the roads are slick. Use extreme caution," said Duane Hagelgans of Blue Rock Fire & Rescue in a tweet.

By 3:20 p.m., 98 crashes had been reported to Lancaster County-Wide Communications. At that time 10 accidents were active.

East Hempfield Township police said Route 283 west was closed for two hours between State Road and Spook Nook Road.

By early afternoon, 1 inch was measured in Manheim, according to the weather service. Nearly an inch was measured in Millersville.

Tyburski, the weather service meteorologist, said crashes could have been caused by slick snow falling on icy patches left untreated.

Elementary buses are about 30 minutes behind schedule. There is early dismissal today, and elementary buses departed their schools at about 12:30. Our drivers are driving very cautiously today. pic.twitter.com/oI2OiSzNYi  Solanco SD (@SolancoSchlDist) February 1, 2019

Solanco School District was the only public Lancaster County district to call an early dismissal. At the midday dismissal time, the district tweeted that some buses were behind schedule, and drivers were "driving very cautiously."

Later in the afternoon, a few other districts tweeted that buses were delayed due to road conditions, including Elizabethtown Area, Penn Manor and Manheim Central.

"Thank you for your patience as this is widespread across the county," Elizabethtown Area School District said in a tweet.

Some schools cancelled after school activities, while others said they would continue.

Hempfield School District tweeted at 5 p.m. that students from high school, middle schools and elementary schools were safely dropped off at home.

"Can we all hope for less snow next week?!" the district's tweet said.

The hope seems to be a reality with a serious warming trend forecast through next week, according to Tyburski.

Temperatures should get to around 40 degrees  with sun  on Saturday and continue to be in the 40s and 50s next week, he said.

That's a rebound 10 to 15 degrees above normal in Lancaster County. And after a week of severely below average temperatures, "it will feel like springtime," Tyburski said.Thomas Heaton is a food and travel reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before working in Nepal, he spent five years in New Zealand, most recently as a food writer for Cuisine magazine. Heaton is content trawling through markets, sampling sundry skewers of offal and getting into uncomfortable situations while travelling.An Iowa woman who pleaded guilty to debarking four dogs in Lancaster County became the first person convicted of felony animal cruelty charges filed here by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The felony charge became law in August 2017 after the passage of the Animal Abuse Statute Overhaul bill, more commonly known as Libres Law  named for a puppy that was rescued from near-death in Quarryville in 2016.

Denise Felling, 55, was charged with eight counts of cruelty to animals in November by Pennsylvania SPCA Officer Jennifer Fields. Felling was accused of shoving a rodlike object down the throats of four dogs at properties in Quarryville and Kinzers.

Pennsylvania prohibits debarking of any dog for any reason unless the procedure is performed by a licensed veterinarian using anesthesia.

On Dec. 20, Felling, previously licensed as a veterinarian in Iowa, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison. She received credit for time served  from Nov. 9 to Nov. 30 in Iowa and then after Nov. 30 in Lancaster County Prison  and was released the day of the plea.

Earlier charges

The first person charged with felony animal cruelty under Libres Law in the county was Jeffrey Bryan Chapman Jr. He was charged in January 2018 by East Earl Township police with shooting and killing a cat on his property.

Chapman was accepted into a court diversionary program in August 2018 and could eventually have his court record expunged.

Fellings defense attorney, Christopher Sarno, said Felling anesthetized the dogs and removed vocal cord tissue to soften their ability to bark without pain.

The biggest problem in this case was the publics reaction to it, he said.

Fear that a jury would not be impartial was a factor in her decision to enter a guilty plea, Sarno said.

Nicole Wilson, director of law enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA, said the fact that Felling was given jail time at all was in and of itself a success.

Dedicated to prosecuting

Wilson said the Pennsylvania SPCA is following leads on other animal cruelty cases, including other individuals connected to using Miss Felling. She declined to comment further.

We are fully dedicated to prosecuting cases under Libres Law, Wilson said.

Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman, who pushed for harsher penalties statewide after Libres case, said his office fields and evaluates near-daily reports of cruelty made through email and phone tip lines.

We continue on the right path in providing better protections for our animals via harsher laws  specifically a felony statute  against those who perpetrate the most serious incidents of abuse, Stedman said in an email Thursday.

It is a shame that it took the suffering of Libre to deliver meaningful change, but some good certainly came from the bad, he said.A convicted killer was denied a chance at a new trial by Pennsylvania's Superior Court, according to the Lancaster County district attorney's office.

Lucas Newnam, 33, was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting Julius Dale in the chest with a shotgun in 2016 in Sadsbury Township.

Newnam was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty in 2017.

In his request for a new trial, Newnam claimed improprieties about his conviction, the district attorney's office said. The court found them to be without merit.

Newnam's arguments included that Wiretap law was breached when conversations he had with his mother during prison visits were shared at trial and that his statement to police should not have been presented to the jury, according to a news release from the district attorney's office.What would make your heart sing?

Thats not a trick question. Its the tag line on an application for a Lilly Endowment Inc. grant for pastors to do anything they want to get away from work and renew their spirit.

When the Rev. Roger Rabey, senior pastor at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 Roseville Road, filled out his application for Lillys Clergy Renewal Program, he wrote that he would like to bike Spains Camino de Santiago as well as part of the Giro dItalia  the Tour of Italy  which, for pro riders, is a precursor to the Tour de France. He also wants to follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece and the path trod by the Apostle John in present-day Turkey.

The proposal, Rabey admits, was outside the box. But it apparently fit what Lilly evaluators were looking for: He is one of 148 U.S. pastors to receive the $50,000 grant this year.

In its announcement of this years recipients, Christopher L. Coble of the Christian Theological Seminary, which administers the program, stated:

Through these grants we seek to honor pastors for their extraordinary service and enable them to engage in a brief period of rest and renewal. We have learned that such experiences invigorate the leadership of pastors and bring new vitality to their congregations as well.

Creative rest

While it is akin to a sabbatical, what makes the Lilly grant unique is that it is intended for spiritual renewal, not academic pursuits.

In fact, if you read deeply into the parameters of the application, you cannot have an educational component in a Lilly grant, Rabey explained. This is a form of what I call creative rest. 

Some might scoff at the idea that a pastor needs creative rest. But a 2015 Lifeway Research survey of 1,500 pastors found that 84 percent feel they are on call every hour of every day and nearly half said the demands of the job were too much to handle.

Including his time in seminary, Rabey has been pastoring for nearly 40 years, nearly 10 of which have been at Highland. Although he has taken vacations and been on previous sabbaticals, he has been available to his flock 24 hours a day every day.

Scripture talks about Sabbath rest, Rabey noted. Not only was rest needed in creation by God, but rest is throughout the Scriptures in the Old and New Testament.

So he asked himself, What could I do after 40 years of ministry that I wouldnt normally be able to afford?

And thats when he added some pieces to his bucket list.

In addition to biking in Spain and Italy, (Rabey is a member of both the Lancaster Bicycle Club and Thru-It-All, a bicycle racing team) he also plans to bike the Blue Ridge Parkway and camp along the way with his wife, DeeDee, a Manheim Township teacher.

The couple also will meet with their grown children at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, where he intends to pursue iron and woodworking projects.

Rabey said that while the program is his, it is given to the church.

Its for my program, but it is very strongly supporting the church and (its) relationship with the pastor, he said. Its a two-way street. Its also for the renewal of the congregation. It has to include not just a benefit for the minister.

Funding for the church

In that vein, the grant stipulates some of the funds stay with the church.

A total of $10,000 will be set aside for eight outside speakers to preach during his absence, including Carol Lytch, president of Lancaster Theological Seminary; Peter Teague, president of Lancaster Bible College; Brian Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary; and Michael Wilson, stated clerk for the Presbytery of Donegal.

The congregation will get to hear those different perspectives.

That will be part of what the church gets, the variety, the different people, he said.

Rabey is the second pastor from Highland to receive a Lilly grant in the in the past three years. The Rev. Ann Osborne, associate pastor for congregational care, received a grant two years ago.

I think it speaks so highly of Highland, Rabey said.

A committee at the church worked with him to prepare and review the 10-page application.

Expectations

What does Rabey expect from the the May-through-June break from pastoring?

A renewed energy, a refreshed spirit, a new zeal to refocus efforts for what weve been working on.

Highland, he noted, is in the fourth year of crafting and implementing a strategic plan to expand its outreach and ministry in ways it has not tried before.

The church is looking at ways to connect with people in different ways.

In our culture, most mainline churches are trying to reinvent the way we share the message, he said. The message of Jesus Christ hasnt changed, but the methodology and the medium has changed.

With people having instant access to everything, thats spilling over into the church. Were a 24/7 church.

He expects to have plenty of time to reflect on those issues on those long solo bikes rides and walking the paths once trod by apostles.Two projects in Lancaster County were among 50 highway, bridge, transit, aviation and bike and pedestrian projects across Pennsylvania that received $44.5 million through the states Multimodal Transportation Fund.

In East Lampeter, $1.6 million was awarded to improve sidewalks and add bicycle and pedestrian pathways along Route 30, while making other improvements to the corridor.

East Lampeter Township manager Ralph Hutchison said the grant money would be used to begin work east of the new entrance for Tanger Outlets, across from Dutch Wonderland.

Hutchison said he couldnt estimate when the work would commence since there is considerable engineering and approvals that will be needed before any construction.

The $1.6 million grant would cover a very small part of the Lincoln Highway Streetscape Plan, which proposes some $200 million in improvements to the 2.5-mile commercial corridor from Strasburg Pike to Route 896.

In Ephrata Township, $2.2 million was awarded for roadway improvements related to Ephrata Crossings, a mixed-use development south proposed at the southwest corner of Route 322 and Pleasant Valley Road.

In this case, the grant money was awarded to Property Investment and Management Inc., the private developer of the property. Ephrata Township supported the request from the developer.

Plans are still being finalized for Ephrata Crossings, which is slated to include a hotel and retail space.

The state Department of Transportation said it made selections based on safety benefits, regional economic conditions, the technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency, and operational sustainability.

These investments will improve overall mobility and safety while bolstering commercial projects, Gov. Tom Wolf said in a press release announcing the grants.Your donation, which powers our reporters and keep us independent, will be matched dollar for dollar today during our June Member drive.

Local community reporting is vital, so is your support.

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Admittedly, most of us would take the steady wind and rain we're experiencing this weekend over wind chills in the negative double digits that hit the Midwest this week.

That said, this stormy weather in Southern California is pretty nasty: Flash flood warnings, road closures, high surf, rainfall already as high as 5 inches in 24 hours in some locations, mud and debris flows in burn scar areas, mandatory evacuations in Malibu.

Conditions are bad enough for the City of Malibu to cancel a meeting of the Disaster Response and Recovery committee.

The National Weather Service has a whole page on the region's "excessive rainfall forecasts."

Here's the view from space:

#GOES17 satellite this morning shows the impressive storm system over the Pacific that will drive the rainfall in SE CA and AZ this evening through Sunday morning! #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/v7b5oHjM4K  NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) February 2, 2019

And this from noon:

GOES-17 (Preliminary, Non-operational) GeoColor Satellite view as of 12pm - A strong cold front associated with a powerful upper level low pressure system is moving across #SoCal. Additional bands of rain behind the front will bring periods of rain through the evening.#LArain pic.twitter.com/wHvFvwnLKf  SoCal Weather Watcher (@SoCalWXwatcher) February 2, 2019

Stu Ostro, who is a senior meteorologist with the Weather Channel, shared this cheery animation:

And local weather experts are warning there's more to come:

At 1145am...Heavy rain associated with the cold front is moving into the west LA metro from Beverly Hills down to Rancho Palos Verdes. Venice reported 0.23 inch in 10 minutes. Intensities like this will create street flooding and rapidly moving water. #CAwx #LARain pic.twitter.com/2U19kVse79  NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 2, 2019

In Los Angeles County, the California Highway Patrol's twitter thread is basically one long Sigalert.

10:48 AM - Need a reason to stay home or stay where you are? Here it is. Its a little rough on roads now...PLEASE sit tight for a few hours (if all possible). Many roadways closed or impacted by flooding/mud/debris flow. @CaltransDist7 @VCPublicWorks @ChpVcc pic.twitter.com/uC60axyj0z  CHP Moorpark (@CHPMoorpark) February 2, 2019

A volunteer member of Ventura County Sheriff's search and rescue team was struck and killed Saturday while helping people at the scene of a traffic collision. Sheriff's officials identified the man killed as Jeff Dye. Authorities also said other personnel were injured.

Battalion 6 units on scene of a TC on NB 5 fwy, south of pyramid lake. @LACOFD units assisting @VENTURASHERIFF on a rollover TC were struck by a vehicle traveling NB severely injuring several 1st responders.Tragically one VC Deputy was killed. 9 persons transported to hospital. pic.twitter.com/qdWxNUedXL  L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) February 2, 2019

Santa Barbara County Fire-Public Information Officer Mike Eliason has been keeping followers up-to-date on the scene there:

#CAstorm- A Caltrans worker stands in the northbound US 101 in Montecito Saturday where the nearby Romero Creek has overflowed and flooded the Highway. The Highway will remain closed until further notice. pic.twitter.com/LrC7wHByGI  SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) February 2, 2019

#CAwx- A heavy downpour brought street flooding throughout the area, much like this on on Mission Street in Santa Barbara. Many motorists have been stuck driving in flooded streets. If you see a flooded roadway, please do not drive through. pic.twitter.com/lP2GozDsD4  SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) February 2, 2019

#CAstorm- SBC FFs survey the scene of a large eucalyptus tree that fell into a two-story apt. complex on Bolton Walk in Goleta Saturday morning. Multiple trees have toppled and wires have come down throughout the county as a result of this latest storm. https://t.co/gujtJTUSEj pic.twitter.com/RJ40zvV6dl  SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) February 2, 2019

The Los Angeles Police Department is reminding anyone who does hit the road to exercise a whole lot of caution:

We are seeing significant rain moving into the LA area. Follow these tips to make your commute safer.



Wipers On=Lights On

Reduce Your Speed

Increase Following Distance

Avoid Distractions pic.twitter.com/MT6dP8n36g  LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) February 2, 2019

Because you don't want to run into road conditions like these:

#lasd Avoid PCH from Ventura County line to Kanan rd. Multiple closers due to rock slides and debris flow pic.twitter.com/wDnz5AotLT  LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) February 2, 2019

#SunValley: Flooding across all lanes of southbound I-5 near Sheldon St. Use an alternate route!



Crews are using two water pumps at this location, but they are having trouble keeping up with the amount of rain fall front the storm. pic.twitter.com/18xi9uFHmq  Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) February 2, 2019

Read more about the storm: One Rescue Worker Dead And Evacuations Underway As Storm Hits SoCal

UPDATES:

1 p.m.: This article was updated with the identity of the Ventura County Sheriff Department volunteer who was killed and some additional details about overall weather conditions.

This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m..Your donation, which powers our reporters and keep us independent, will be matched dollar for dollar today during our June Member drive.

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L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva this week opened up an explosive debate about his deputies' ability to use force against the estimated 18,000 jail inmates under his care. He argued that reforms designed to limit that force are a failed "social experiment" because violence is on the rise at the jails.

The reforms began after a 2011 FBI investigation found widespread use of excessive force by deputies - especially against mentally ill inmates. That investigation led to the convictions of former Sheriff Lee Baca and his undersheriff, who tried to cover up the beatings.

Watchdogs fired back, warning Villanueva against rolling back the reforms, which include more restrictions on the use of force against inmates (including a ban on deputies' use of heavy metal flashlights, which were sometimes used to beat inmates); improved de-escalation training for deputies; and a mandate to report and document each instance when force is used.

Villanueva has been particularly upset about what he sees as a sharp jump in inmate attacks on guards. So far, he hasn't indicated how he intends to address the overall issue of violence in the jails.

Here are three things you need to know about this controversy:

Before 2013, deputy violence in L.A. County jails was rampant

An independent blue ribbon panel in 2012 issued a scathing report, saying there had been a "persistent pattern of unreasonable force" by sheriff's deputies against inmates - especially at Men's Central Jail downtown. The report said the problem "dates back many years" and blamed Sheriff Lee Baca and his undersheriff.

"Both Sheriff Baca and Undersheriff [Paul] Tanaka have, in different ways, enabled or failed to remediate overly aggressive deputy behavior as well as lax and untimely discipline of deputy misconduct," the report said. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors created the panel after the FBI launched an investigation into deputy-on-inmate violence. The county ended up paying out tens of millions of dollars to inmates because deputies broke bones, dislodged eye sockets and left them with permanent mental impairment because of the beatings.

The statistics on jail violence from before 2015 are at best unreliable

The sheriff cited what seem like pretty disturbing statistics on jail violence.

He said from 2013 to 2018:

Inmate attacks on deputies rose 204 percent, to 544

Inmate-on-inmate assaults rose 31 percent, to 3,632

Significant use of force against inmates increased 99 percent, to 349

But record-keeping was poor prior to 2015, said Richard Drooyan, the court-appointed federal jails monitor. That was when the sheriff's department struck separate agreements with the U.S. Justice Department and the ACLU on reducing jail violence and improving mental health care in the lockups.

For years before then, deputies working in the jails often didn't report incidents of violence. It's only in the last two years that the department has been able to provide accurate numbers, said Drooyan.

"I'm not sure you can compare [the recent data] to data from earlier years because the earlier-year data was not complete and accurate," he told LAist.

Dooyan's most recent reports concluded that the department needs to further reduce violence against mentally ill inmates but that incidents of deputies using significant force against inmates have decreased.

Activists are extremely worried that Villanueva will reverse the reforms

When Villanueva said policy changes in the jails "backfired" and led to increased violence, independent watchdogs became immediately alarmed.

"It's really scary to me that the sheriff is harkening back to some earlier day as being preferable to what we have now," said ACLU Attorney Peter Eliasberg. "In fact, the [ACLU and U.S. Justice Department agreements] have led to huge improvements in the situation in the jail."

In the years leading up to the federal investigation, Attorney Ron Kaye received dozens of calls and letters from people inside county jails or their families asking for help filing a lawsuit against the department.

"People were describing that they would be walking in darker portions of the jail and getting their heads thrown into the wall. If they filed a complaint, they would be subject to the flashlights," Kaye said. Those types of phone calls and letters have "reduced dramatically," he said.Your donation, which powers our reporters and keep us independent, will be matched dollar for dollar today during our June Member drive.

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Catherine Hardwicke knows something about making action-packed movies with a female lead. She did it with Kristen Stewart in Twilight, and she's done it again with Gina Rodriguez in Miss Bala.

The Jane The Virgin star plays a character who gets kidnapped by an enigmatic drug cartel leader while visiting a friend in Tijuana. For the rest of the film, she's trying to find her friend while also using her smarts and strength to survive.

"Gina and I both wanted to be sure that this character was basically starting as an ordinary woman," Hardwicke told the Frame. "She was a makeup artist. She was not trained by the Navy SEALs or anything like that. She did not have any superpowers or special skills. So whatever action or stunt or whatever she had to do, Gina and I wanted to make sure that we could do it too, that a real person could do it too."

Figuring out how to survive is something that Hardwicke has had to do as a Hollywood director. In 2003, she made the leap from production designer (Laurel Canyon, Vanilla Sky) to director with her movie Thirteen. It premiered and sold at the Sundance Film Festival. A few years later, now known for making movies about teens, she was tapped to direct a movie about a vampire-mortal teen romance.

Twilight had been owned by Paramount, but the studio had shelved the idea after deciding that a movie about a teen girl couldn't make any money.

"The producers took it to every studio in town and nobody thought it would be profitable because, at that time, there hadn't been a big movie that was with a young female character like that," Hardwicke said.

Finally, upstart studio Summit picked it up. Since it wasn't considered a blockbuster, Hardwicke said, she got to make it like an indie film and cast actors who weren't household names. Enter: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

That first Twilight movie went on to gross almost $400 million worldwide, proving the Hollywood studio logic to be wrong.

But Hardwicke wasn't asked to direct the sequel. In fact, all of the other Twilight movies were directed by men.

Hardwicke said that her Twilight success proved to Hollywood it could make movie franchises based on YA novel series written by women about female leads. But what her success didn't do is prove the value of hiring women directors.

She noted that all of the Divergent and Hunger Games movies were directed by men.

The Divergent Trilogy, written by Veronica Roth, and the The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, became movie franchises and catapulted the careers of their lead actors, Shailene Woodley and Jennifer Lawrence.

Meanwhile, Hardwicke's story on Twilight has become a rallying cry for what's been historically wrong with the system when it comes to opportunities for women directors.

They "didn't offer me other blockbuster possibilities" either, Hardwicke said. No women directors were hired to direct big budget action films that could become franchise material until Patty Jenkins made Wonder Woman, and Jenkins faced her own opposition in parts of making that film.

Catherine Hardwicke directs Gina Rodriguez in Miss Bala.

The question now: if Miss Bala leads to a sequel, will Catherine Hardwicke be asked to direct it? Or if not her, would another woman be offered the job?

"If there was the fun thing of getting to make a sequel, I would be very be excited to be part of it, or at the minimum, you're right, let's have another kickass woman direct it!" Hardwicke said.Our students are our guests, and we will treat them as such, Dull said. All these little steps are changing the signals about belonging or not belonging that we had wrong.

Dull and his team also added a community food bowl in the lobby, letting students know that they can take food whenever they feel necessary.

The bowl is filled five times a day, and no judgement is made regarding how much a student takes. The bowl also offers an opportunity for staff to connect with each student.

The foundations of poverty-informed practice are simple; meet the basic needs of each student, create a sense of belonging, and accelerate progress at every opportunity to move toward stability.

One of my office staff purchased nursing scrubs for a student who couldnt afford them after overhearing a conversation in our lobby, said Dull. When I told her that was way above and beyond, she said she felt compelled because it was a barrier she could remove.

Several practices to meet the needs of economically challenged students are already in place at Western. The first is a GED Fund, where test fees for the GED exam are covered for those who need it, with no judgement and questions asked.As a retired school psychologist and special education administrator from the Viroqua Area School District I am honored to write a letter of support for Angie Lawrence in the upcoming Viroqua Area School District School Board election. I have known Angie for over 20 years and worked with her professionally from 2007 until June, 2018 in her capacity as a school board member.

Angie is very passionate about the education, welfare, and happiness of the students within the Viroqua School District. This passion, along with sincere dedication, has touched and made a positive difference in the lives of so many over the years. Angie cares deeply for the students, staff, and our community. She holds the administration and staff to a high standard and promotes excellence in all aspects of educating our students. Angie is very knowledgeable about curriculum, school law, school policies/procedures, and all other educational areas. Angie thoroughly understands the ever-changing and challenging issues that our students and families face. She recognizes the importance of promoting a safe school environment that not only focuses on students educational needs, but their social and emotional well-being as well.Environmentalists urge government to study climate change impact on Taplejung glacial lakes

Environment conservationists have urged the government to study the impacts of climate change on glacial lakes in Olangchungola region of Taplejung district.Feed tests reveal lower digestibility

New seasonal feed quality test results showing the stark differences between wet and dry seasons have underlined the need for end users to measure and know what they are feeding.The cost of purchasing the building is estimated at $1 million, plus the closing and building inspection costs.

Osterberg said payoff for the investment in the building is approximately nine years. If the county wishes to sell the building after that and build its own multi-use building, it would be marketable, she said.

The location is also favorable, Osterberg said.

Its not downtown, but its easy access for customers and workers to the county and federal services, she said. That frontage road that is there provides parking for the larger vehicles that come in to Sanitation, Zoning and Forestry with trailers.

While there will be savings, there will also be expenses, Osterberg said. The roof, installed in 1999, will be need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $125,000. The parking lot will also need to be replaced in the near future, which can be done by the countys highway department.

Also, changes will need to be made to the building to accommodate a 800-square foot building and parking lot addition requested by the Department of Corrections and office modifications for the Land Conservation Department, Farm Service Agency and Sanitation and Zoning Department.I want to be ears on the ground listening for ideas that we can do, particularly for the African American community in Racine and Kenosha and other cities, Steil said. I think as we communicate with one another, I think theres a real opportunity to improve the tone and that plays into race relations.

Gardner said he looks forward to talking to Steil about his ideas.

I really want to thank you for coming, Gardner said. Your predecessor wouldnt come, Im going to be honest  you are here, and I appreciate that.

Social Security

Racine County Board Supervisor Don Trottier of Mount Pleasant asked Steil about how he plans to improve the financial sustainability of Social Security.

Although Steil did not state specifics of what policies he would endorse, he did say there should be no cuts to Social Security for those who have Social Security or are approaching retirement age.

Steil said for my generation and younger there needs to be a focus on a solution.

We need to have a nonpartisan, Democrats and Republicans coming to the table and have that conversation on how were going to solve this long term for generations to come, Steil said.After the news of the conversation became public, Trump tweeted Great news on Foxconn in Wisconsin after my conversation with Terry Gou!

Evers, Steil respond

Gov. Tony Evers, meanwhile, said he spoke to Foxconn official Louis Woo Friday morning and came away comfortable that theyre still committed to the state.

But that doesnt mean that we wont continue to encourage them to be more transparent and consistent in their messaging, Evers said. The economy is apparently changing from their worldview that they have to make some changes. Thats understandable, but we have to make sure the transparency is there.

Asked if hes confident that Foxconn will fulfill its original plans to create as many as 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin, Evers said The 13,000 is not going to happen tomorrow.

Well monitor it. The good news is, as the Republicans continue to tell us, is the jobs are contingent on getting tax credits. So theres some protections there, Evers said.

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., was in Mount Pleasant on Friday for a constituent listening session and commented on Foxconns announcement.I have been working on finding a time where we can honor this discussion in the manner (Smetana) wants to see it addressed, while at the same time trying to juggle all the other requests and conflicts, Meekma wrote in an email.  The second part is allowing the city staff the time to gather information and even now there is work to be done.

Meekma said that while many council members recognize that citizens would happily get rid of the meters, they do provide income to the city. And without them, the city would need a system for designating long-term parking spaces for Downtown residents and short-term parking for customers.

There is a lot to consider and that has played a part in the delay of getting to this item, wrote Meekma. I wish we could have gotten to this sooner, for the sake of the discussion and out of respect for (Smetana).

Meekma said that city staff is now better prepared to discuss the issue and the council hopes to hear from the general public.

Hopefully, this will all lead to a solid discussion on this issue, Meekma wrote.

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.RACINE  Nineteen commercial storefronts, most of them in Downtown, have had upgrades, and many of them new tenants, because of the citys White Box Grant Program.

City Development Director Amy Connolly recommended the program in February 2017, it was adopted and took effect that April. The program provides financial assistance to owners of older buildings who want to bring them up to code and make them available to new business tenants.

In real estate terminology, a white box is a commercial space thats ready for a business to move into and set up shop. The program is strictly for first-floor interiors of commercial buildings older than 50 years; currently, buildings constructed before 1969.

We want to make sure were putting all of our City of Racine buildings on a level playing field with some of the newer developments that might be outside of the city, Connolly said when she recommended the program to the city Redevelopment Authority. So this is our attempt to try to incentivize developers, building owners, and new lessees in a vacant space to white box their buildings in order to bring them up to code.

Helping business startupsHave Lincolnites notices that recent local events and leaders have created a surreal situation only fiction writers could devise?

First, property owners received reassessments based on outlandish sales prices due to more demand than supply. Second, city sales taxes are down largely due to at least five local retail stores and their bankruptcies or closings. This is only going to get worse with the trend for lower retail sales.

Third, city leadership organizations want citizens to vote for a sales tax hike disguised as street improvement. The recent one was supposed to upgrade 911 and build new fire stations but also bought new fire trucks. The 2014 ballot question for the arena led to an expanded West Haymarket development.

Fourth, Lincoln Public Schools wants more buildings, justified by overcrowding of present students when the current enrollment isn't growing as quickly. The number of future students is declining, as noted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green's State of the University address. Recent lower birth rates confirm his statement.Funding of government is a complex and controversial subject that creates controversy and strong opinions on both sides of the issue. While no one likes being taxed or paying taxes, one segment volunteers and wants to pay. That group consists of tobacco users and alcohol consumers.

Gov. Pete Ricketts has stated many times that he will veto any legislation that raises the tax on these two commodities. The previous administration, under Gov. Dave Heineman, also refused.

Nebraska collected $56.6 million of revenue in tobacco taxes in 2017, up from $55.1 million the previous year. Alcohol collections totaled $30 million in fiscal year 2015, the most recent with available data.

Had Gov. Heineman raised those rates and collections when he had the opportunity, the fiscal situation we face today would be much different. The current Legislature has the obligation to fund the state -- and the opportunity to raise voluntarily contributed revenue by being independent of Gov. Ricketts.

David L. Foster, Brainard

Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2We concur. At least one member of the editorial board had a personal cellphone number spoofed by scammers to make spam calls. That experience is one that far too many Nebraskans have suffered through, with some forced to change phone numbers through no fault of their own.

Hallorans bill, LB693, isnt without potential pitfalls.

For one, anti-spoofing laws in Florida and Mississippi were struck down for violating the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Secondly, many legitimate local businesses use the practice to mask individual employees direct lines and make calls appear to come from their companys main line, for instance.

Also, enforcement of fraudulent calls from other states or countries would be difficult, as telecommunications industry officials have noted. But that presents an opportunity for Nebraska to help lead the charge against spoofing.

Many ills have been combated by legislative bodies or elected officials who have taken the lead. As just one of 50 states, Nebraska cant carry the water on this topic by itself  but we hope this bill inspires other states to take on this problem.

The Miami Herald reported robocalls could soon make up half of all phone calls. That figure alone should spur action by state and federal lawmakers.

We applaud Nebraska senators for taking the initiative to tackle this epidemic, and we hope their lead inspires other states to fight this good fight against scammers, spammers and spoofers.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Dr KC ends hunger strike

Anti-corruption crusader Dr Govinda KC ended his 16th hunger strike on the 24th day on Friday without negotiations and agreement with the government on his demands.Rewind to President George W. Bush's Oval Office. On Dec. 21, 2002, CIA Director George Tenet and his team briefed the president, Vice President Dick Cheney and others on evidence that Iraq's Saddam Hussein possessed and might use weapons of mass destruction. When Bush wanted more, Tenet assured his boss that it would be a "slam dunk." Bob Woodward wrote in his book, "Plan of Attack," that Tenet threw his arms straight up as he said it. (Tenet insists he said it, but didn't pantomime it.)

Tenet's real failure was in not fully conveying the toughest truths to powers that were predetermined to go to war. Months earlier, Cheney had told the Veterans of Foreign Wars, "there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction ...There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, our allies, and against us...Many of us are convinced that (Saddam) will acquire nuclear weapons fairly soon."

Saddam definitely had and used chemical weapons, but not nukes. As Tenet later admitted in his book, "At the Center of the Storm," Cheney went "well beyond what our analysts could support"  especially about nukes. "I should have told the vice president privately that, in my view his VFW speech had gone too far," Tenet wrote.The University of Nebraska-Lincoln properly withheld certain public records sought by a suspended fraternity, a Lancaster County judge said this week.

The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, better known as FIJI, sought administrator correspondence and student and investigation records leading up to and after its March 2017 suspension following investigations into the chapter.

The university opened a Title IX investigation in January 2017 after fraternity members were accused of making sexually harassing remarks toward participants in the Women's March.

At the same time, a separate investigation determined FIJI members were engaging in "reckless alcohol use, hazing and inappropriate sexually based behavior" at the fraternity.

UNL suspended the fraternity in March 2017. FIJI won't be eligible for reinstatement until 2020.

The fraternity later requested several records from UNL, seeking correspondence between administrators regarding the allegations made against the fraternity and its members, and other records.His mother was a teacher at Kahoa Elementary School, and his father was dean of the trade and industry program at Southeast Community College in Lincoln.

With both parents as educators, I was encouraged to pursue a teaching career and followed through to receive my education degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lockard said.

His industrial technology teaching career with Lincoln Public Schools began in 1986, when he was hired at Everett Junior High. He moved to Park Junior High in 1991 when it was renovated from an elementary to a junior high school. In 2003, he was transferred to Scott Middle School where he continues to teach today.

Lockard said that many of his former students are now parents of students that he teaches today. One former student returned to student-teach with him and is now an industrial technology teacher in Seward.

It gives me direction and purpose knowing the future value my teaching can have on a students contribution to society, he said.A 38-year-old Lincoln woman got nearly three years in prison Friday for her involvement in the sexual abuse of a developmentally delayed teenager by her husband.

Gwyneth Fichtner pleaded no contest to felony child abuse.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Charles Byrd said she had a duty to protect the girl "and she failed miserably at it."

Defense attorney Brett McArthur argued for probation.

Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte said he tried to understand Fichtner's thinking at the time but it just violates the sensibilities and the statutes of Nebraska "to think this is the right thing to do."

The charge carried up to three years in prison.

Last month, Otte sentenced her husband, Frank Fichtner, to 14 to 20 years in prison for the sexual abuse and charge for which he pleaded no contest.

Police arrested them both a year ago after the teenage girl disclosed the abuse to a teacher at a Lincoln high school. She said it had gone on for three months.

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Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.A Lincoln man was sentenced Thursday to 10 to 15 years in prison for a burglary he committed while on parole in a drug case where he had been deemed a habitual criminal.

Tony W. Osborne, 54, pleaded no contest to burglary.

In court records, Lincoln police said on Sept. 24 they were called to the StorageMart at 6101 Cornhusker Highway about three men and a woman who had gotten into a storage unit. One, later identified as Osborne, was inside when police got there.

He said it was a relative's unit. But the owner arrived and said she didn't know Osborne.

The others with him said he had asked them for help moving some of the items out of the storage unit. Police said about $6,000 of the owner's items had been loaded into vehicles.

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Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Pictures like Prison/Concentration Camp combine the image of an officer confronting a pedestrian on the street with a caption that details the countrys incarceration system that now holds more than 200,000 people, while Bicycle, which shows a man pushing a bike loaded with lumber, explains that since the 1990s, women have been prohibited from riding bikes.

There are images of subways and train cars, squares and authorized gathering places -- and women in dresses in an organized, obviously officially sanctioned dance. But there are no images inside homes or portraits of ordinary people -- save for a picture of a school girl in her uniform. But she stares expressionlessly forward, a distant, anonymous figure.

The images and accompanying labels (yes, a rare event in which Im praising explanatory text at an art show) combine to tell a harrowing story of a piece of North Korea that few from outstide the country and almost no Americans have seen.

Because theyre made for multiple exhibitions and constant moving from venue to venue, the photographs are rather cheaply printed and framed with no glass. Thats understandable. But the show would have packed even more of a punch had the printing been done on, say, aluminum or more expensively printed and framed.

That said, Korean Dreams is well worth a look, providing an artistic view of North Korea along with the cold hard facts of the harsh life there.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSWolgamott.

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Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.The King and I, a true classic musical, was exquisitely presented Friday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in the first of three performances there by its national touring company.

That presentation of the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein version of the story of the English governess who, in 1862 went to Siam (now Thailand) to teach the kings children, holds up well 68 years later, thanks to its 2015 adaptation, its innovative stage and Tony Award-winning costumes, and impressive performances from its primary cast.

That starts with Angela Baumgardner, who plays the 19th century spitfire Anna Leonowens, carrying the heart of the story of the clash between the teacher and the king with dramatic dignity and a fine singing voice.

And, importantly, she has great chemistry with Pedro Kaawaloa, who captures the conflicted King, at once an imperial ruler and suffering from A Puzzlement, a condition that afflicts most of the male characters in the show that is dominated by its women.The Trump White House, in fact, has made it much harder for even legal and asylum-seeking immigrants to enter the U.S. Still, its actions dont mean todays much-tinkered with immigration system is workable. If anything, it points to the need for a dramatic overhaul.

According to the USA Today report, two California lawmakers, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, both Democrats, have a plan called The Agricultural Worker Program Act. It would grant blue card status to immigrants who have worked in agriculture for at least 100 days over the past two years.

The sticking point, however, may be that the blue card, a reward for being an engine in the economy, could lead to a residency permit within a few years. As such, few GOP politicians, and no one in the White House, will touch it.

That vacuum offers farmers and ranchers the opportunity to lead on immigration. They have, after all, both the need and the Presidents ear.

But do they, including Big Ags most Trump-favored farm group, the AFBF, have the guts to help broker an overhaul of the nations immigration system so that it ensures both justice to the immigrants and a steady flow of high quality, reasonably-priced food to the nation?

Its a bold move now in need of bold leaders.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A Madhesi died in police custody. No one knows what really happened

Ten days after his arrest, the family was told that Ram Manohar had died in police custody. Police officers in Bardiya said that Ram Manohar had collapsed in prison and had been rushed to Kathmandu for treatment, but he died on the way.1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.CHICAGO  Chicago saw half as many homicides in January compared to the same month last year, marking a dramatic drop in the city's homicide level that hasn't been recorded for a January in nearly a decade, police said Friday.

The Chicago Police Department said last month ended with 20 homicides, the lowest January total in nine years, while the number of shooting incidents, 100, was the lowest for January in five years. The drops are part a trend that began after 2016, when the number of homicides in Chicago spiked to more than 770  the city's highest in 19 years  and put Chicago's gun violence in the national spotlight.

The numbers were released a day after a federal judge approved a far-reaching plan for court-supervised reforms of the police force.

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Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said several factors have contributed to the falling crime numbers. He said the two key elements have been the hiring of more officers and the expansion of high-tech crime fighting tools, such as gunshot-detection technology that quickly tells officers where a gun has been fired.

"Those are the two main pillars," Guglielmi said.

The department put nearly 200 new officers on the street in January, adding to almost 1,000 new officers that have been added in the last two years.

January also marked an eventful month for the department for less flattering reasons: A judge handed down a nearly seven-year prison sentence for Jason Van Dyke, the white Chicago police officer convicted of killing Laquan McDonald, a black teenager who was shot 16 times while armed with a small knife in 2014.

Van Dyke was sentenced a day after a different judge acquitted three other Chicago police officers accused of lying about the shooting to protect Van Dyke.

Contact Roger Miller at (309) 820-3233. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_rmiller

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0CHARLESTON -- A 22-year-old local man was arrested at a traffic stop on preliminary charges of cannabis possession with an intent to deliver, according to law enforcement.

Police say John D. Pittenger of Charleston was arrested at 11:02 p.m. Sunday in the 800 block of West Lincoln Avenue following the stop.

Police say officers conducted a stop on a vehicle driven by Pittenger for speeding. Pittenger is accused of going 94 mph in a 55 mph speed limit zone eastbound on Illinois Route 16 heading into Charleston.

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When the vehicle was stopped, a K9 dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the auto, police reported. After a search was conducted, Pittenger was found with a small amount of cannabis on his person, and approximately 63 grams of suspected cannabis was found underneath the driver seat of the vehicle, police reported.

Pittenger was placed in the Coles County jail on the preliminary felony charge of possession with an intent to deliver 30 to 500 grams of cannabis. The 2000 Dodge that was stopped was seized pending a vehicle seizure hearing.

Photos: 2019 mug shots from the JG-TC

Contact Jarad Jarmon at (217) 238-6839. Follow him on Twitter: @JJarmonReporter

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Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.CHARLESTON -- It has been months since it was suggested that a Black Lives Matter flag should be raised on the Eastern Illinois University campus for Black History Month. Feb. 1 has come and gone, though, and it doesn't look like this change is in the cards.

Josh Reinhart, EIU spokesman, confirmed the Presidents Council did not approve the request for the Black Lives Matter flag to be flown on the universitys American flagpole. Up until recently, there hadn't been any developments with the Black Lives Matter flag request since it was last decided upon at the student senate meeting in December.

As previously reported in the JG-TC, students requesting the flag be raised asked EIU's Student Senate for endorsement or support. Instead, the advisory group decided for alternatives to their request to possibly include events and activities discussing the topic.

Student Senate Speaker Tarvea Durant said they would be forming a sub-committee to address alternatives to the flag being raised.

Ultimately, the decision on the flag was on the university's administration, though.

For those who supported the idea, it felt like it was something that was swept under the rug.

Yolanda Williams, EIU Minority Affairs director, saw it as an example of being seen but not heard.

"It has definitely been swept under the rug," she said. "You are to be seen and not heard, especially students of color, especially black students."

Williams thought the Student Senate painted the Black Lives Matter flag question as a political move, and she said it wasn't.

"I don't see any of those faces tonight," Williams said at the Martin Luther King Jr. Vigil in January.

Durant, who was in support of raising the flag, understood why others on Student Senate did not support the move.

"Everything was not put together completely when it did come to student government," Durant said.

Also, several senate members addressed hesitation that there was lack of adequate time to get procedures completed to raise a flag.

Students who supported the request saw the vote as a misunderstanding of the flag and the movement as a whole.

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"I think a lot of times, people think Black Lives Matter means anti-white, which it does not at all," said Kaleb Williams, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity chapter president.

Kaleb Williams said the issue is something that needs to be brought back up. Based on conversations he has had, the issue seemed to disappear from the front of people's minds.

"I think they are kind of trying to just not bring it up unless somebody else does," Kaleb Williams said.

Kaleb Williams thought more people should have come out in support of the flag outside of the petition that was made to get it on campus.

"I feel like as a community, more students, African-American students, should have been to that student government meeting," Kaleb Williams said. "I should have been there myself."

He said maybe then it would have shown that students really do want the flag flown at EIU.

Durant saw the vote to look at alternatives as a start.

"This is not completely taking the idea away as a whole," he said.

Durant noted the idea was thrown around to get another flagpole to be used as a student flagpole where they might raise a particular flag for a period of time.

At that senate meeting in December, Lynette Drake, EIU vice president for Student Affairs, said the administration would wait to get the senates recommendation before making a decision on raising the Black Lives Matter flag.

The administration has had discussions on the conversations taking place around the matter, but not necessarily the matter itself, Drake said. She noted the administration was encouraged by the conversations taking place.

"It is what it is," Yolanda Williams said.

Although the chance a flag would be raised seems to not be fruitful, events throughout this month are geared to discuss the topics raised by the movement, including police brutality. This years African-American Heritage Month (AAHM) theme is Black Lives Matter: A Movement, Not a Moment!

African-American Heritage Month events Revolution and Rhyme: Night of Neo Soul and Poetry (featuring the group theinjuredparty) | 7 p.m., Feb. 1 | Seventh Street Underground "Whose Street?" filming and panel discussion | 6 p.m., Feb. 4 | Doudna Lecture Hall Excessive Use of Force" presented by scholar-in-residence, Loretta Prater with book signing after | 5-7:30 p.m., Feb. 6 | Buzzard Auditorium Minority Teacher Education Association Story Time | 10:30 a.m., Feb. 9 | Ballenger Room in Booth Library Make Jesus Famous Throwback Concert Pt. 1 presented by Unity Gospel Choir | 7 p.m., Feb. 9 | University Ballroom Sigma Gamma Rho Food for the Soul Dinners | 3:22 p.m., Feb. 10 | EIU Cultural Center Black by Popular Demand: Black Card Revoked! | 7:13 p.m., Feb. 11 | Coleman Auditorium White Man, Listen! Richard Wrights Prophetic Warnings about Angry White Men | 5 p.m., Feb. 12 | Booth Library Conference Room 4440 Black Queer Lives Matter Panel Discussion | 7 p.m., Feb. 13 | Seventh Street Underground The Evolution of the Black Woman | 7 p.m., Feb. 18 | Coleman Hall Auditorium "Still Fighting the Civil War? How to Put Contemporary Controversies in Historical Context", a lecture by Professor Gaines Foster from Louisiana State University | 7 p.m., Feb. 18 | Doudna Lecture Hall Natural Curlz 101 | 6:20 p.m., Feb. 19 | Coleman Hall Auditorium Black Women Who Made America | 6:06 p.m., Feb. 20 | Seventh Street Underground Ms. Black EIU Pageant | 7 p.m., Feb. 23 | Grand Ballroom Make Jesus Famous Throwback Concert Pt. 2 presented by Unity Gospel Choir, 7 p.m., Feb. 24 | University Ballroom NAACP's An Historical Twist | 7 p.m. Feb. 25 | Coleman Hall Auditorium Eighth Annual Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity Symposium | 1-2 p.m., Feb. 26 | University Union Arcola/Tuscola Room Black Excellence - The Importance of Graduate School | 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 | Coleman Hall Auditorium

"It is the AAHM committee's belief that what started as a moment to confront violence perpetrated on the black communities has turned into a movement for justice and liberation of African/African-American/black people all over the globe," said Yolanda Williams, chair of the AAHM committee. "This year the AAHM committee are embracing the beliefs of Black Lives Matter with each week celebrating black lives."

Morgan Colvin, who started the petition to get a flag raised, could not be reached for comment on this story.

Contact Jarad Jarmon at (217) 238-6839. Follow him on Twitter: @JJarmonReporter

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.She completed a fellowship in allergy/immunology at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and her residency in general pediatrics at Childrens Hospital of Illinois. She earned her medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine and her bachelors from University of Illinois.Pin

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Happy February Everyone!

How was your week? COLD?? If so, I hope you have been able to hunker down in comfort while not being too negatively affected by the blast of cold that has gripped parts of the US and Canada.

I have something fun to share with you today. I know you enjoy seeing how I do things around my house, like decorate and craft, but my life includes so much more.

Two weeks ago, in warm and sunny Orlando, Florida I did something that I have wanted to do for a long time as in an over 50 year long wait.

I got a ride in an Amphicar! A what? you may be asking.

An Amphicar  Is it a car? A boat? Yes. And yes! Its both! Guests at The Boathouse Restaurant at Disney Springs which is part of Disney World in Orlando can experience the thrill of a captains guided tour aboard a rare Amphicar that drives on land and floats in the water.

I first saw these cars at the 1964/1965 Worlds Fair in New York. I was 5 years old and they left a big impression on me.

We take a trip to Disney every January with friends and last year when walking around Disney Springs, my heart skipped a few beats when I saw this attraction.

I couldnt believe it, the boat/cars that I so fondly remembered from my trip to the Worlds Fair with my family were lined up in front of me.

Taking a ride in the Amphicars is pretty expensive, so I opted not to take a ride.

This year, I had to do it.

Ed was on board knowing how much it meant to me to be able to experience riding in one first hand. Here we are in a turquoise Amphicar with a yellow interior getting ready to go.

The car is driven by a captain and lasts about 30 minutes. It was totally worth it, being able to wave to all the people at the restaurants that line the lake at Disney Springs made it even more fun.

This is the only place in the world to ride in these vintage vehicles, except if you are the proud owner of one. See video below.

On land one minute

and Splash!!!

in the water the next. We didnt get wet, only a few splashes of water got on my right arm.

Its a smooth ride and feels just like you are on a boat which it is. :-)

If you ever take a trip to Disney, taking a trip to Disney Springs is worth it, even if you dont take a ride in one of the Amphicars. There are many shops and restaurants that are open all day and late into the evening. You can even take a ride at night in one of the Amphicars. They have headlights!

We had lunch at The Boathouse and enjoyed a wine tasting at Wine Bar George. I highly recommend both places.

Here is a short video I took with my phone as we were driving on the lake.

It was a day I will remember forever a fun dream come true.

There are not many of the Amphicars left, but there are some collectors and private owners of the cars still around.

Ed found this video on Facebook of an event held last year in Florida.

What fun! Now I wish I could win the lottery and buy one of these adorable Amphicars for my very own.

I can see it now in my headparked on dock right next to our pontoon boat.

It would be the cutest boat on the lake.Woodville, AL (35768)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Rishi Kumar Shukla was appointed as new CBI chief on Saturday. (Source: cid.mppolice.gov.in)

Rishi Kumar Shukla, 1983 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, was on Saturday appointed as the new chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The appointment came almost a day after his name was short-listed during the second meeting of the PM Narendra Modi-led selection committee.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has, based on the panel recommended by the Committee constituted as per Section 4A(1) of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, approved the appointment of Shri Rishi Kumar Shukla, IPS (MP: 1983) as Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) vice Shri Alok Kumar Verma, IPS (AGMU: 1979), for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the office," read a letter by the Department of Personnel and Training.

Read | Who is Rishi Kumar Shukla?

Shukla is at present chairman of Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal. He was recently transferred from the post of Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police to the police housing corporation.

Read in Tamil, Malayalam and Bangla here

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The CBI chief's post has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

After being removed from this post of CBI Director by the PM-led committee, Verma was supposed to take over charge of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards as Director General. However, Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he has completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief since Verma's ouster.DUBAI (Reuters) - One member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards was killed and five were wounded in an attack on a base in southeastern Iran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, as the country holds official celebrations on the 40th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution.

"A (paramilitary) Basij base in Nik Shahr came under ... fire this morning and several from the Revolutionary Guards communications personnel who were wiring the base were hit," Mohammad Hadi Marashi, provincial deputy governor for security affairs, told the state news agency IRNA.

"Five of the Guards personnel were wounded and one was martyred," Marashi said, adding that anniversary events were proceeding peacefully.

The semi-official news agency Tasnim said Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack targeted a base of the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with the powerful Revolutionary Guards, in the city of Nik Shahr in Sistan-Baluchestan province, which has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and Sunni Muslim militants.

On Tuesday, Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for two bombings that wounded three police officers in front of a police station in the city of Zahedan, capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Iran began on Friday ten days of state-sponsored celebrations marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution which deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a secular king allied to the West.

U.S. President Donald Trump last year pulled out of an international agreement under which Iran curbed its nuclear work in exchange for a sanctions relief. The reimposed sanctions led to a currency crash, rampant inflation and added to investors hesitancy about doing business there.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Paul Tait and Louise Heavens)Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

Madhya Pradeshs Former Director General of Police IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla took charge as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, 4 February. He was appointed on Saturday.

Notably, like his predecessor Alok Verma, Shukla never served in the CBI before being appointed to head the agency.

IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla

A 1983-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Shukla took over as the 28th Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police in July 2016 but went on a leave in 2017 due to medical conditions. He was appointed as the chairman of MP Police housing board before taking over as the DGP and took this role up again after returning from his medical leave in 2018. It is believed that Shukla was shunted out as the top cop of MP Police after the new Kamal Nath-led Congress government took over in December 2018.

Shukla was deputed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) between 2000 and 2005. Incidentally, the last year of his tenure in the agency coincided with that of the then Director of IB, Ajit Doval.

Shukla was also posted as the Additional DG Intelligence in MP Police from the year 2009 to 2012 and served as DG Home Guard 2013-15.

The officer hailing from Gwalior was first posted as Chief Superintendent of Police at Raipur and was later posted as Superintendent of Police at Damoh, Shivpuri and Mandsaur.

IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla

After his primary education, Shukla moved to Kolkata and completed his further studies there. He did his graduation in BCom.

A Post Graduate in Philosophy, he has been decorated with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2007 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1999.

He has attended various important training programmes organised by prestigious institutions in the country and abroad including the USA and the UK.

Shukla was Madhya Pradeshs top cop during the infamous Bhopal jailbreak encounter where eight members of Students of Islamic Movement of India were shot and killed.

Story continues

IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla

IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla

As opposed to then Home Minister Bhupendra Singhs view on the investigation, Shukla was of an opinion that the CID should investigate the encounters.

It is mandated by the law that the states CID will investigate the encounters for a free and fair probe, Shukla had told PTI in 2016.

In an interview to Doordarshan News in December 2018, Shukla said Prime Minister Narendra Modis timely interjections and suggestions on the internal security of the country have been valid.

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Also Read: CBI vs Kolkata Cops: Mamata on Dharna Overnight, CBI to Move SC

Kharge Sends Dissent Note Against Shuklas Appointment

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge sent a dissent note on the appointment of Shukla as the new CBI director.

In his dissent note, he said, by including officers who don't have experience in probing anti-corruption cases, committee is violating DSPE Act and SC judgments.

Also Read: Ajit Doval's son files defamation complaint against Jairam, others

Shivraj Singh Chouhan Congratulates Shukla

Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated Shukla on his appointment.

Chouhan, in his tweet, said As DGP in Madhya Pradesh, IPS Shri Rishi Kumar Shukla, who discharged his duty with full sincerity and integrity, is exemplary. Today, you have been given the responsibility of an important post like the CBI Chief. I am confident that you will be able to fulfill the countrys hopes. Good luck!

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Click here for live updates.

. Read more on India by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsTop Entertainment News: Marathi Actor Ramesh Bhatkar Passes Away . Read more on India by The Quint.



Defense Ministry approves procurement of 73,000 assault rifles from US

02 Feb 2019: Defense Ministry approves procurement of 73,000 assault rifles from US

In a major move towards infantry modernization, the Defense Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Indian Army to procure around 73,000 assault rifles from the US under fast track mode, official sources said today.

Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China.

Here's more.

Negotiation: Contract expected to be finalized within a week: Official

Officials said the rifles, being used by the US forces and several other European countries, are being bought under the fast track procurement procedure.

"The contract is expected to be finalized within a week. The US firm will have to deliver the rifles within one year from the date of finalizing the deal," said an official involved in the negotiation of the deal.

Fact: US-manufactured rifles will replace the INSAS rifles

Indian Army sources said the US-manufactured rifles will replace the INSAS rifles. The world's second largest standing army has been pressing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security threats including along India's borders with Pakistan and China.

Why imports?: Army scouting global market as rifles from state-run factory failed

In October 2017, the Army began the process to acquire around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs), and nearly 44,600 carbines.

Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests.

Following it, the Army started scouting for rifles from the global market.

Fact: Procurement delayed due to Army's failure to finalize specifications

The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Army's failure to finalize the specifications for it. The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.Earlier this week, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) published a call for evidence on the implementation of new copyright regulations introduced in 2014 (see here for the call in full ). The UK IPO invites stakeholders affected by these changes to come forward and submit evidence of their experience (see below the exhaustive list of themes included in the review). If you fall in within this category, you have until 10 April 2019 to let your voice be heard! Read on for more.





The call for evidence

The UK IPO invites different groups of stakeholders to respond on three specific themes:





(1) The archive exception ;

(2) Other copyright exceptions , including (a) research and private study, text and data mining, education; (b) public administration; (c) quotation, and parody, caricature and pastiche;

(3) Extended collective licensing and orphan works [see here for more on extended licensing] .





On the archive exception

Galleries, libraries, archives, museums and archivists are invited to share their experience on their use of the copyright exemption for archiving and preservation purposes: [H]as the presence of the exception changed your approach to dealing with preservation of copyright works? . And, how much time or resource has been spent determining commercial availability of works?





In addition, rightsholders are asked to contribute to the call by sharing their perspective on whether they have  experienced a loss of income as result of not being able to monetise your works because of the exception for archiving and preservation amongst other things.





On other copyright exceptions

This second theme covers a much broader spectrum of questions and stakeholder groups as it includes a wider range of exceptions. It invites any stakeholders affected by the exceptions on research and private study, text and data mining, education; public administration; and, quotation, and parody, caricature and pastiche, to submit evidence about their experience of the 2014 copyright changes. This may concern anyone from creators, to public bodies or content publishers  individual and organisations alike.





The questions will vary depending upon the exception at hand but the key themes remain-- have or your organisation/institution used this exception? and what has been the cost/benefit of this exception to you?.





On extended collective licensing and orphan works

credits:R. Austin Questions pertaining to the implementation of regulations on extended collective licensing and on orphan works are split into two sub-themes, each speaking to different stakeholder groups. The UK IPO is interested in hearing from extended collective licensing organizations and rightsholders of the content made available via extended collective licensing. As regards measures on orphan works, the UK IPO calls on rightsholders of those orphan works [but see below] , and the users of the orphan works scheme, to share their experience of the reform.





This Kat wonders how many rightsholders of orphan works [which are no longer orphan by that point] will contribute to the call for evidence. The level of response from these rightsholders, together with the evidence submitted to the UK IPO, may give us an indication of how many parents of copyright works will have been identified via this scheme since its implementation.



Also on the question of orphan works, it will be interesting to compare notes between the evidence submitted to the UK IPO and the responses gathered by the Australian IPO in their 2018 consultation (see previous post here ).





UK IPO stresses that the following themes will not be reviewed and gives reasons as to why:

(3) Disability exception [because this exception was updated by the Marrakesh Treaty Directive for which new impact data was collected].





How to respond?

The call for evidence is organized within the context of a process of post-implementation review, or PIR for short (for more on PIRs see here ). Evidence must be submitted by the relevant stakeholders (as outlined in the Call for Evidence) to the relevant questions and themes, in accordance with the ' Guide to Evidence for Policy' .

This call for evidence will be open for 10 weeks and will close on 10 April 2019. Responses can be submitted by email ( copyrightconsultation@ipo.gov.uk ) or by post at the following address:





Copyright Directorate

Intellectual Property Office

4 Abbey Orchard Street

London

SW1P 2HT







Ichabod explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, with an emphasis on UOJ, Church Growth, and Emergent Church heresies. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the mainline denominations.



IceViking strongly condemns physical attacks and harassment directed towards them.





They are also often victims of the Islamic idea. This is true when it comes to the cruel and tragic treatment of Muslim women and children when it is in accord with the Koran, the example of Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia, which may be applied regardless of where a Muslim male may find himself in the world, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country.





However, in no way, shape or form should one judge all Muslim men because of what is in Islamic scripture and what constitutes the Islamic law, Sharia.





"Race", ethnicity or basically anything that you are "merely" born with should never be a basis for bigotry and discrimination.





Apostates from Islam have been executed for 1400 years in accord with the Koran and the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia.





They should be lovingly helped.





Furthermore, approximately as many as 11,000,000 Muslims may have been killed by other Muslims since 1948.





To quote the website The Religion of Peace (TROP), edited by Glen Roberts:





While it may be safe to say that a true Muslim would not intentionally kill another true Muslim ( 4:92-93 ), the Quran places no such value on the life of a Muslim who is not true. Consider verse 9:73 :

Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell.

The Arabic for strive hard uses the same root as Jihad - and the context in this sura is holy war (see v. 86 and 91). Thus, there are two distinct classes of people that a true Muslim is to target with harshness: disbelievers and hypocrites.



A disbeliever obviously refers to a non-Muslim, so a "hypocrite" must be a Muslim of some sort. In fact, hypocrites are those who say they believe, but do not act as they should. In other words, they are "Muslims", but not true Muslims. They will go to hell just as unbelievers do, and so, according to the verse, their lives matter for naught.



The same sura says that a hypocrite can be recognized not just by lack of piety (reluctance to follow Sharia), but by fear of death ( 9:56 ), reluctance to fight ( 9:44-45 ) and even friendliness toward non-believers ( 9:67 ). A true Muslim would thus be a pious person who relishes martyrdom, is eager to fight, and shuns non-believers.



Even the Quranic passage that warns against killing "believers" ( 4:88-94 ) is more complicated than it first appears. It never says that a true Muslim is incapable of killing another Muslim, just that it should not be done. In fact, it makes exceptions for the unintentional killing of "believers" in war and mandates the killing of "hypocrites."



Verse 17:33 says, "Do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause" . The greatest cause of all is that Islam be superior ( 9:33 ), which is exactly what Islamic terrorists say is their goal. Thus believing Muslims are allowed to be collateral damage in the war on unbelievers.









There is sadly a phenomena that I`ve noticed in Sweden and elsewhere of people using true facts about Islamic doctrine and history as a cover for all sorts of irrational targeting of Muslims, ranging from xenophobia and racism to verbal abuse and physical attacks.





This is strongly condemned by this website and does not in any way serve serious criticism of orthodox Islam and other important work.





It`s also important that one tries to express oneself in a civilized way. Words matter.





In this bloggers humble opinion the root cause of the problem is the ancient doctrine of orthodox Islam.













In simple terms a non-Muslim is a Kafir.





" The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life."





An exact quote, as stated in the writings of Dr. Bill Warner in the article "Kafir" at http://www.politicalislam.com/kafir .





In the perfect Koran (Allah`s direct and literal word as revealed to Mohammed through the angel Jibril), Muslims are told 89 times to emulate Mohammed in all ways (see Koran 33:21 for instance).





Mohammed`s example, the Sunna, is found in the Hadith (stories of what Mohammed said and did) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed).





Islamic law, Sharia , is directly derived from these unchanging scriptures. It is based on the Koran`s numerous commands to obey Allah and obey the Messenger, that is Mohammed (see Koran 4:59 for instance).









Islam is Sharia. Sharia is Islam.





It is a capital crime for Muslims to deny Sharia in any way.





A Muslim is someone who submits to Islam and submitting to Islam means obeying the Sharia of Allah.





Sharia law includes pronouncements for both Muslims and non-Muslims (Kafirs).









Islam is a "complete way of life", a "complete code of life", a "complete system of life".





Islam is not just a religion but also a comprehensive ideology.





Islam is a supremacist ideology.





Islam is a totalitarian and imperialistic ideology akin to Communism and Nazism.





Islam is a civilization.

Islamic law, Sharia, is a manual for a civilization.





Islamic law, Sharia, governs every aspect of life.

It has a say about every conceivable human act .





Non-Muslims are morally and legally inferior in Islam. Women are morally and legally inferior in Islam.

























The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language and a great book on the topic.





Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Koran 9:111).





A hadith depicts a Muslim asking Muhammad: "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." Muhammad replied, "I do not find such a deed." (Bukhari 4.52.44)





Muhammad himself said:

I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. (Sahih Muslim 30)









Freedom of speech, human rights, democracy, science and human lives are all at stake in the fight against the Islamic Jihad.



Sunday, Jan. 27

Young princesses embrace a 'Frozen' world

Indeed, Elsa the Snow Queen from the Disney movie Frozen looks like she is trying to build her perpetual winter ice kingdom in Central Illinois right now, given the recent blast of Arctic weather. Which is just fine with 4-year-old Lea Sullivan, who was rocking the Elsa look with a snowy white wig and rosy red lipstick lips and a chilly blue princess tiara.

She was joined by dozens of other Elsas, along with a sprinkling of Belles and the occasional Cinderella, at the tea party hosted by the Twinkle Toes Academy of Decaturs Dance Centre for kids aged from 2 to second grade.

It was 1 hours of fun that launched with a princess tea party featuring Elsa Tea (fruit punch in a frozen blue color) with the seated princesses served by adults.

That was followed by a hectic swirl of activities, including make-your-own wand, games, songs and dancing. Highlight of the afternoon was a visit by and pictures with Princess Elsa and her courageous younger sister, Anna, courtesy of the the firm A Royal Remembrance of Peoria, professional princess portrayers.

Monday, Jan. 28

85th Street bridge fix requires court action

DECATUR  Officials pledge that work will begin this year to replace the recently closed bridge on 85th Street, also known as the Dalton City Blacktop and Macon County Highway 57. But the starting date for construction now depends, in part, on the Macon County Circuit Court, thanks to an unusual land situation involving a current county board member.

The bridge, located about 1 mile south of U.S. 36, was closed Jan. 11. Macon County Highway Engineer Bruce Bird said he and the Illinois Department of Transportation agreed that the deteriorated structure must be shut down for safety reasons.

To begin the project, Bird said the county would need to acquire 19 parcels of land around the bridge to allow right-of-way. Of those, three are owned by board member Phillip Hogan, who lives in the vicinity.

Hogan said he would have no problem selling the parcels, but state law prevents him or any other elected or appointed official from entering a contract with the county in which they have a financial interest. To get the land from Hogan, the county will have to go to court and seek to exercise eminent domain.

Tuesday, Jan. 29

Catholic Schools Week honors faith, education

A fifth-grader at St. Patrick Catholic School, Claire Parrish describes it as a friendly and happy environment.

All the teachers are really, really nice, she said. And so is the staff.

This week, Claire and fellow students will be celebrating their schools and educational experiences during Catholic Schools Week, a national recognition that began in 1974. Students, teachers and administration celebrate with special activities, Mass and open houses.

Once a year, we really focus on sharing the goodness of our school with our parish and our parents, said St. Patrick Principal Jan Sweet.

Over the weekend, churches kicked off the week by inviting the public to weekend Mass to honor their schools volunteers and benefactors. On Tuesday, all four of Decaturs Catholic schools  St. Patrick, Holy Family, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Teresa  met with Bishop Thomas Paprocki for All City Catholic Schools Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes' sanctuary.

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Wednesday, Jan. 30

Polar vortex takes temps well below zero

Brutal arctic temperatures gripping the region Wednesday led to school and business closures, car trouble for plenty and furnaces working overtime. But meteorologists are offering hope to cling to: By this weekend, the weather pattern will reverse itself quickly, taking the bitter and dangerous cold with it.

The low pressure will be replaced with high pressure, said Matt Barnes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service at Lincoln. It will be a major increase in temperature.

The weather service issued a wind chill warning until noon Thursday for much of Central Illinois. In Decatur, wind chills are expected to reach 21 to 31 degrees below zero, and the high temperature is 17 degrees. There is a 50 percent chance of snow after noon.

Many area schools remain closed because of the frigid weather. A number of businesses and government offices also shut down Wednesday, but most were scheduled to reopen the following day.

Thursday, Jan. 31

Decatur meets to confront violence

Manning up to save Decaturs youth from a bleak future of violence and self-destruction is going to take a lot of effort from everyone.

That was the message that emerged from Thursday nights Manning Up: Restoring Hope for Our Future, a dissection of the problems of violence, especially gun violence, among young people in Decatur and pretty much any American city.

The meeting, hosted at the Decatur Civic Center by Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and the Rev. Courtney Carson, lasted more than two hours and was backed up panels of experts representing leadership in law enforcement, churches, unions, community groups and civic activists.

According to the Decatur Police Department, there were a total of 357 violent crimes in Decatur last year, including nine homicides. The number represents a decline from 2017, when 443 violent crimes were reported, according to the data. The number of reported property crimes also declined, from 2,424 in 2017 to 2,073 last year.

The Manning Up event sought to fight back by providing practical help as well as good counsel for the community.

Friday, Feb. 1

Give Kids a Smile Day helps 160 children

Four extractions on the same day would daunt any adult, but 10-year-old Cash O'Connell, a fifth-grader who attends VisionWay Christian School in Taylorville, handled it like a champ.

It's just a little numb, he said afterward, touching his cheek. I'm OK.

Cash was one of about 30 children who were treated at Jerger Pediatric Dentistry on Friday for Give Kids a Smile Day, a national event during which dentists treat children at no cost to their families in celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month.

Dr. Bret Jerger, who treated Cash, said his office would provide some $14,000 of free care Friday. He was one of 25 local dentists in the Decatur District Dental Society providing care for Give Kids a Smile Day, a program of the American Dental Association Foundation.

The 17th annual event is meant to raise awareness of the importance of dental health, prevention and care, Jerger said.

The local dentists provided cleanings, fillings, crowns and extractions to more than 160 kids this year. Nationally, 1,494 events were scheduled, with almost 350,000 children served by 6,443 dentists and 58,359 volunteer staff, according to the ADA Foundation.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0DECATUR  Two people were hospitalized Friday after a three-vehicle crash at South Maffit Street and East Lake Shore Drive, police said.

Lt. Shannon Seal said officers were called to the scene at 4:25 p.m. She said the crash was the result of a chain reaction after a Dodge Caravan rear-ended a GMC Yukon, which caused the SUV to hit a Chrysler 300 sedan from behind.

The 47-year-old woman driving the Caravan and the 45-year-old man behind the wheel of the Yukon were transported by ambulances to a local hospital with injuries Seal described as non life-threatening.

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Seal said a 41-year-old woman and a 33-year-old woman were passengers in the Yukon. The 41-year-old woman complained of pain at the scene, but was not taken to a hospital, she said.

Seal said the 62-year-old man driving the Chrysler and his two passengers, a 32-year old woman and a 62-year-old woman, were not injured.

Traffic moved slowly in both directions of Lake Shore Drive as police, fire and ambulance crews worked the scene. Seal said the left lane heading eastbound on Lake Shore was closed for about an hour after the crash.

Seal said the Caravan driver received a citation for failure to use due care and the Yukon driver was cited for not having insurance.

Contact Jaylyn Cook at (217) 421-7980. Follow him on Twitter: @jaylyn_HR

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.DECATUR  Four extractions on the same day would daunt any adult, but 10-year-old Cash O'Connell, a fifth-grader who attends VisionWay Christian School in Taylorville, handled it like a champ.

It's just a little numb, he said afterward, touching his cheek. I'm OK.

Cash was one of about 30 children who were treated at Jerger Pediatric Dentistry on Friday for Give Kids a Smile Day, a national event during which dentists treat children at no cost to their families in celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month.

Dr. Bret Jerger, who treated Cash, said his office would provide some $14,000 of free care Friday. He was one of 25 local dentists in the Decatur District Dental Society providing care for Give Kids a Smile Day, a program of the American Dental Association Foundation.

The 17th annual event is meant to raise awareness of the importance of dental health, prevention and care, Jerger said.

We've all been part of this for all 17 years, Jerger said. We want to have the opportunity get children worked on who probably wouldn't get that care due to the cost and the lack of insurance and so forth. We also want to bring education for the kids and the parents to prevent cavities down the road because prevention is the least expensive option.

The local dentists provided cleanings, fillings, crowns and extractions to more than 160 kids this year. Nationally, 1,494 events were scheduled, with almost 350,000 children served by 6,443 dentists and 58,359 volunteer staff, according to the ADA Foundation.

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Cash's mother, Ashley McCallister, said Cash is already a patient at Jerger Pediatric Dentistry and has been wearing braces. The family doesn't have dental insurance. Dental care is tough on their budget, and getting those needed extractions done at no cost was a big help.

The office was busy on Friday, with 10 staff members also volunteering their time and kids coming and going, watching cartoons on wall-mounted video screens while Jerger and his staff took care of everyone.

A day like Give Kids a Smile is even more important than usual because cavities are currently on the rise for children after more than 40 years of decline, according to the foundation. The decline was attributed to the addition of fluoride in tap water, but with more kids drinking bottled water, which has no fluoride, and drinking more soda, juice and energy drinks than ever, all of which have high sugar content, cavities are making a comeback.

Low-income children suffer more dental pain due to lack of dental care, proper nutrition, oral hygiene instruction and parental supervision of oral hygiene, according to the foundation. The pain can affect a child's sleep, ability to eat and ability to learn because they can't concentrate.

Jerger is the local program chairman, and he said the dentist participation locally is one of the highest percentages in the state. Preventive care is the most important way to ensure dental health, Jerger said, and for that, dentists need the state's assistance.

We're here, we're ready to go, but we need to at least have the cost of doing it covered, Jerger said. We still have to pay the staff and pay the bills. We love doing it, and we've been doing it for 17 years.

PHOTOS: Jerger Pediatric Dentistry helps during Give Kids a Smile Day

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.SULLIVAN  One man died and a woman was injured in a house explosion that occurred Friday night northeast of Sullivan, along County Road 1700N west of Jonathan Creek Road.

The Illinois State Fire Marshal's office is investigating.

Moultrie County Coroner Lynn Reed said Jared L. Schrock, 20, who lived in the home with his family, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:10 a.m. Saturday. Preliminary indications are the cause of death was blunt force trauma from the explosion, but smoke inhalation was likely a factor, Reed said.

Sullivan Fire Department Chief Mike Piper said Saturday morning that the department received a call at 9:52 p.m. Friday to 1416 County Road 1700N in Moultrie County for a house explosion and two people reported missing.

"It was fully engulfed with flames and it was evident there had been a very large explosion," Piper said.

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Shortly after firefighters arrived at the scene, they rescued one female from the structure. Following that, they recovered Schrock's body. The residents were Amish.

Authorities are not certain what the cause of the explosion was but suspect it might have been propane. The state fire marshal's office is investigating and will make the final determination, Piper said.

Sullivan firefighters were assisted by squads from Arthur, Bethany and Lovington, and the technical rescue team based in Charleston. Emergency responders cleared the scene at 4 a.m. Saturday.

The fire did not spread to any other structures near the house. The explosion leveled the house, spreading debris throughout the yard and blowing some debris across the road into the adjacent farm field.

Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRobStroud

Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 24 Angry 2Kids' menus at most restaurants are as predictable as they are beige: chicken fingers, grilled cheese, buttered noodles, mac and cheese.

So Samira Nazem and her husband, Daniel Goff, make it a point to dine where they can find more varied and nutritious offerings for their two daughters, ages 4 and 6, whom they hope to expose to Chicago's different cultures through cuisine.

"We will certainly reward places that treat kids like they can handle quality food and flavorful food," said Nazem, 36, an attorney who lives in the Lakeview neighborhood.

As busy families eat out more frequently than generations past, they are demanding healthier and more interesting meal options for kids -- and restaurants are increasingly stepping up to the plate.

Some higher-end Chicago restaurants are revamping children's menus to cater to more sophisticated palates shaped by foodie parents. Meanwhile, a growing number of fast-food chains are reducing the calories in kids' meals and removing soda as the included beverage.

The shift comes as the deep-fried mozzarella sticks that were once a special-occasion treat threaten to become an everyday occurrence. Eating out now represents more than half of Americans' food spending, up from 44 percent 30 years ago, and more than a third of their caloric intake, up from 17 percent in the late 1970s.

Concerned about the health implications, more than a dozen communities around the country have recently adopted laws mandating healthier restaurant kids' menus, most by taking aim at the sugary beverages often included in meal bundles.

But despite the threat of laws, and voluntary industry efforts to promote change, most restaurants continue to promote standard children's fare that public health advocates say is basically junk food that sets kids up for a lifetime of bad eating habits.

"Kids are not born with an innate desire for chicken nuggets, french fries and a soda," said Margo Wootan, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy nonprofit in Washington, D.C. "That is a result of billions of dollars worth of marketing that has made it the idea of what kid food is."

'We did not dumb down flavors'

Nazem, who eats out with her family two or three times a week, finds the kids' menus at most restaurants frustrating not only because they're unhealthy but also because they're limiting. She wants to expand her daughters' culinary horizons but instead encounters beige fish sticks that likely came out of a box.

She is loyal to the restaurants that do kids' menus differently, like Urban Belly in the Wicker Park neighborhood, where on a recent visit her children were munching on edamame, dumplings, chicken and rice and ramen soup. Asked what her favorite kind of food is, 4-year-old Lila Nazemgoff, who was using practice chopsticks on the edamame, proclaimed: "Sushi!"

Kids are more open-minded than many restaurants give them credit for, said Nazem, whose daughters for the most part have learned to eat what she and her husband eat.

"Both of our kids love steamed broccoli," she said. "I don't know why. We brainwashed them enough over the years they now think they like it."

Of course, restaurants offer fatty kids' dishes for a reason. Parents don't want to spend money on food kids rarely finish, and those meals tend to be low cost. Also, many kids love them.

Taylor Wood, a 32-year-old freelance writer living in Lincoln Square, has a 4-year-old son who enjoys the lobster bisque from the Mariano's hot bar and can't get enough of salmon, which he calls "chicken fish." But the offerings on kids' menus, even at neighborhood restaurants with otherwise high-quality food, have created a cycle where he wants grilled cheese and fries every time they go out to eat. She worries denying him will cause a scream.

"There is a lot of pressure on parents to keep it civil in these spaces that are increasingly mixed-use between adults and children," Wood said, and she'd rather avert a meltdown by acquiescing to grilled cheese than distracting her son with an iPad.

"I have to pick my hill to die on and I choose screens at the table," she said.

It would help, she said, if more restaurants would offer smaller portions of regular menu items so that she could get her son salmon without spending $23.

A growing number of restaurants are taking that approach.

Urban Belly chef-owner Bill Kim adapted items on the regular menu slightly to appeal to young taste buds, recasting a chicken pho as a $4 kids' noodle soup and serving the $3 kids' edamame with only salt instead of a spicy sauce. It reflects the experience of his own childhood.

"When I was growing up, there was no kids' menu at our home," said Kim, who was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. when he was 7. "If you didn't eat what the adults were eating, you're not going to eat."

Some restaurants that cater to a more upscale, trendy clientele also have tweaked and miniaturized regular dishes to entice the elementary school set.

Mott Street, in Wicker Park, introduced a kids' brunch menu last year to encourage families to come in when doors open at 10 a.m. on weekends, offering smaller portions of items like congee or coconut pancakes and packaging them in a $6 meal with orange or kale apple juice.

Mott Street offers kids' twists on the classics, serving a grilled cheese with pimento and kimchi spread, though if a child requests a plain grilled cheese it is happy to accommodate, said chef/owner Edward Kim.

The restaurant, which had considered pushing its opening time later because not enough people were coming in so early, scrapped those plans after introducing the kids 'brunch and receiving a positive response, he said.

"It's exciting for the kid but it's also exciting for the parent," Kim said. "And it's been good for business."

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The desire to expand kids' palates led D.C. Crenshaw and his wife, Alayna, to start a business to bring young families to Chicago restaurant hot spots. Little Diners Crew, launched two years ago, organizes monthly outings for children aged 4 through 12, who tour the restaurant kitchen with their families, hear from chefs about how the food is made, and rate the dishes.

The little diners have tried mussels at Presidio in Bucktown, beef slap noodles at Duck Duck Goat in the West Loop, and Ethiopian at Demera in Uptown, Crenshaw said. Parents are often surprised at what kids end up liking once they get the nerve to try it.

"There is peer pressure that has to do with that," Crenshaw said.

The couple got the idea after friends kept asking how they got their own children to eat all sorts of food -- "you have to put your foot down," he said -- and they hoped it might also convince restaurants to take more risks with their kid fare, Crenshaw said.

Devon Quinn, executive chef of Eden in the West Loop, said he enjoyed hosting the club, which gives kids an introduction to dining etiquette and how to behave in an adult setting. After the event Eden introduced a kids' menu that includes smaller portions of regular menu items that are twists on the familiar: wood grilled chicken kabob with tzatziki ranch and broccoli, or for brunch, quinoa pancakes with maple, strawberries vanilla creme.

"We did not dumb down flavors at all," Quinn said. Though, for the less adventurous, the menu also lists buttered noodles.

Taking on the chains

Of course, most families aren't dining at Chicago's trendy restaurants. Public health advocates are most concerned about food marketed to children at mass-appeal chains, and for decades have been pushing them to improve the nutrition of kids' meals amid rising childhood obesity rates.

"For kids who start at unhealthy weights, the likelihood of getting to a healthy weight is slim," said Adam Becker, executive director of of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children. That can lead not only to diabetes, hypertension and joint pain, but also emotional stress because of the stigma, he said.

Sixteen percent of 10- to 17-year-olds in Illinois are obese, and the rate is far higher in some black and Latino communities. In Chicago's South Lawndale neighborhood, a mostly Hispanic community, 33 percent of kids in Kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade are obese, according to a 2013 report from the Chicago Department of Public Health that studied Chicago Public Schools students.

Some governments have stepped in. California last year became the first state to require the default beverage in kids' meals be water, milk or a nondairy milk alternative, and similar laws were approved last year in Baltimore and Louisville, Ky. Soda can be available, but must be requested. Louisville's law also requires all kids' meals to include a nonfried fruit or vegetable, lean protein or whole grain product.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is pushing kids' meal bills in 20 more states and cities and is in early discussions with Chicago lawmakers, though it does not have local bill sponsors. The issue got put aside in Chicago as election season got underway because some alderman were concerned the public would associate the regulation with the wildly unpopular Cook County soda tax, Becker said, and whether it is resurrected depends in part on the priorities of whoever is elected mayor.

The National Restaurant Association is addressing the concern with a voluntary program called Kids LiveWell that encourages restaurants to provide at least one meal and one side that meet nutritional guidelines for children. More than 100 restaurants -- including Outback, Denny's, and Dairy Queen -- have signed up.

But Wootan said one nutritious option is hardly enough to make healthy seem like the norm rather than a punishment. At a minimum, half of the menu items should meet nutrition guidelines, with the aim of getting the whole menu there, she said.

Panera Bread has found it doesn't need a standard kids' menu to do good business. In addition to offering half portions of all its regular menu items -- it committed to removing all artificial ingredients four years ago -- its kids' menu showcases soups and salads and includes a squeezable organic yogurt as the default side. It doesn't bundle beverages, encouraging kids instead to have a cup of water, and doesn't include toys.

"We don't want to entice them with gimmicks," said Sara Burnett, vice president of wellness and policy. "We were very intentional about that."

McDonald's, where a quarter of visits are family trips, has been commended for trying to improve kids' options.

The Chicago-based fast-food giant last year announced a global goal to make 50 percent of its Happy Meal combinations listed on menus compliant with kid-friendly nutritional criteria by 2022, up from 28 percent currently. The change came early to U.S. restaurants, where 100 percent of Happy Meal combinations met the standard of being 600 calories or less last year.

The chain, which has more than 37,000 restaurants globally and 14,000 in the U.S., reduced the size of the french fries that come with McNuggets, cutting calories and sodium by half. It reformulated its chocolate milk to have less sugar, removed cheeseburgers from Happy Meal menu boards and added bottled water as an option.

McDonald's in 2013 voluntarily pledged to make healthier beverages the default in its Happy Meals, and has tracked how that has changed customer behavior. After the change, 52 percent of Happy Meals ordered included water, milk, or juice as the beverage choice, up from 38 percent before.

"It is paying off," said Cindy Goody, senior director of nutrition for McDonald's USA. "(Parents) want to feel better about what they're feeding their children."

Numerous restaurants followed McDonald's lead to remove soda as the default in kids' meals, including Burger King, Wendy's, Applebee's and IHOP.

Even so, three-quarters of the top 50 chains still offer sugary drinks on kids' menus, according to a Center for Science in the Public Interest survey conducted last summer. That's down from 93 percent a decade earlier, but reflects the slow pace of change, Wootan said.

Another study by Tufts University researchers found that while restaurants offered significantly more healthy sides and beverages in 2015 than they did in 2004, less than 20 percent of meal bundles include those healthier items by default.

The reluctance to change likely stems from the higher preparation and spoilage cost of offering fruits and vegetables, the cost of logistical change, and the fact that restaurants know many families still go out as a treat, said Tufts researcher Christina Economos.

But her team's research has found menu changes can be good for kids' health and for business.

After the Silver Diner restaurant chain changed its kids' menu in 2012 to include healthy sides as the default, the share of kids' meals that included a healthy side increased to 70 percent from 26 percent, even though they could substitute french fries at no additional cost. Revenue, meanwhile, continued to grow and exceeded comparable restaurants, she said.

"People often go with the default," Economos said. "But you have to make it taste good. You can't just boil carrots."

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0CLINTON  Opposing sides for a proposed wind farm in DeWitt County say they are prepared for up to 35 hours of scheduled meetings before the Zoning Board of Appeals, beginning Tuesday night at Clinton High School.

Its going to be a long month, said Andrea Rhoades, a rural DeWitt County resident who opposes the project.

Tradewind Energy has applied for a special use permit to develop a $300 million wind farm in northwestern DeWitt County. Its the first wind farm application in the county.

Last month, the Regional Planning Commission voted 3-1 with two abstentions against a positive recommendation, but that wasnt necessarily a defeat, said Tom Swierczewski, a development director for the proposed Alta Farms II project.

I think there are a lot of project details that are being overlooked, he said. People really havent had the chance to ask questions about the specifics and that is an important part of the ZBA process.

Five-hour meetings at the high school are scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, as well as Feb. 19 through Feb. 22. The meetings are scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and conclude by 10 p.m. They are open to the public, but those wanting to speak must sign up between 4 and 5 p.m. Tuesday at the school.

The ZBA will then consider making a recommendation to the DeWitt County Board that likely will consider the special use permit in March.

Rhoades, who lives in the footprint of the planned project, leads a vocal group of opponents who have fought to keep the wind farm out of the county, fighting for changes to the countys wind farm zoning codes and campaigning to block the project.

We are aware of some of the questions and comments from some of the concerned citizens, and I think they will get answers to a lot of those questions through our presentations, Swierczewski said.

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I am not sure they are going to be satisfied with all of our answers, but we are going to answer openly and honestly. This is the first time to have this extensive of an overview in the years time that we have been planning for this. Thats a big part of this process.

The project, if approved by the county board, would generate more than 200 jobs during construction and 12 permanent jobs during operation, Swierczewski said.

Also, nearly $5 million will be paid to DeWitt County in property taxes over the life of the project and another $3.3 million in property taxes will go to the Barnett, Clintonia and Wapella townships. School districts, such as the Clinton School District, and community colleges, fire departments and libraries would benefit as well, he added.

But none of that is worth it, argue a number of opponents, such as Dale Naffziger, who previously testified against the project before the planning commission and ZBA. Last year, both panels considered and recommended some changes to zoning codes that were later approved by the county board.

When I bought my property eight or nine years ago, I looked around and realized that this is where I want to live, said Naffziger. I came here for the scenery. I love the way the county feels. I have taken hundreds of pictures of sunsets. We had an ice storm in early January and I posted pictures on Facebook and hundreds of people commented. ... I would not have bought my property if I thought a wind farm was going to be built a quarter of a mile away. I wouldnt have done it.

If approved, ground would be broken on the project in late spring with completion by the end of 2020, said Tradewind.

Since this is the first time an industrial wind project has been proposed for our county, its important we get it right the first time, Rhoades said. The majority of residents in DeWitt County are not in favor of this project. That was made clear with the elections in November. This hearing is yet another opportunity for the community to share their concerns about the negative impacts this project will have for our county.

But Swierczewski said there are plenty of supporters, too  and not just the roughly 160 participating landowners.

Through the road use and maintenance agreements, the project would improve approximately 32 miles of local roads in the project area at no cost to the residents or the townships, he said.

Each turbine location would be located with at least a 2,000-foot setback to non-participating houses. No turbines would be located within a 1.5 mile-radius of the city limits of Clinton, Waynesville or Wapella, according to the application.

Last week, the company signed a power purchase agreement with the Indiana Municipal Power Agency for power generated from the project. In the agreement, agency would purchase 75 megawatts of the 200 megawatt project.

Wind has been a success story in Illinois in the past 15 years, said Swierczewski, noting that the 25 largest wind farms in Illinois have created 20,173 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, and support nearly 900 permanent jobs in rural Illinois for the operation and maintenance of wind farms.

Alta Farms II would help further the vision of the county, he said. Illinois wind farms signify economic stability, well-funded school districts and great roads.

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy."There's no excuse for what I've done. I'm embarrassed and ashamed," he said. "No one deserves to be treated that way. I've apologized to the people I've hurt and will continue to do so because I am truly sorry."

Bullock told The Gazette that he had also redoubled his efforts to learn if there were problems with O'Brien in Montana.

"What I have read is inconsistent with the behavior I knew," Bullock said. "I asked all my senior staff if they had seen or heard anything inappropriate and they said no they hadn't."

Going forward, Bullock said that leaders need to do more to prevent this behavior.

"We have to make sure that men who sexually harass are not put in a position to do it again," Bullock said.

On Saturday morning, Bullock released a statement which appeared to largely repeat what he said in an interview with The Gazette.

"I should have done more to ensure future employers would learn of his behavior. I also know these realizations come too late for the two women in New York City," Bullock said. "For that, Im deeply sorry.

"Men who sexually harass and assault others are too often repeat offenders, and those of us who are made aware of credible allegations have a responsibility to make sure those men arent in a position to do so again."

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 10Around 4:30 a.m. 30 years ago today, the live-in director of a Carroll College residence hall was jolted awake by what he thought was an earthquake.

But as he got out of bed and looked out his window in St. Charles Hall, Ed Noonan said, It was clear this was something else.

Photos: Infamous 1989 train explosion was one of Helena's worst disasters Temperatures plummeted to minus 27 on Feb. 2, 1989 as 49 runaway train cars careened down Mullen Pass above Helena. The runaway cars crashed i

As temperatures plummeted to minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Feb. 2, 1989, 49 runaway train cars came barreling down Mullan Pass at an estimated 35-40 miles per hour and crashed into another train just outside Guadalupe Hall. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the train cars rolled away from a Montana Rail Link crew that uncoupled them from the engines and failed to apply the brakes on a 2.2 percent mountain grade.

The crash derailed 15 cars and was followed by two explosions  one from a tank car and one from a nearby transformer station  knocking out electricity and heat to much of the Helena area for several days.

All of the windows on the north side of Guadalupe Hall instantly shattered. The blasts also sent shrapnel flying into the roofs and windows of several nearby buildings, and a train axle sailed over Guadalupe Hall and landed in a woman's living room as she slept in her bedroom.

Mike Harvey said pieces of shrapnel made it all the way to his home, about a quarter of a mile away. He also ended up with a cracked foundation and broken patio windows. His pipes froze and burst because of the lack of heat.

Though nobody was killed, more than $10 million in damages were reported.

"It was the biggest disaster since the 1935 earthquake," Paul Spengler, Lewis and Clark County's disaster and emergency services coordinator for 38 years, told the Independent Record before his retirement at the end of 2017.

Patrick Harris, who at the time was a junior living in St. Charles Hall, said the crash woke him up just in time to see a flash of light and a cloud of smoke rising above campus.

We actually thought the boiler in St. Charles had blown up, said Harris, who is now the student activities director at Carroll College.

Noonan, who is now a member of the Helena City Commission, said he didnt realize how bad the situation was until he got on the phone with the resident director of Guadalupe Hall.

People were in a real panic, he said.

Emergency responders began evacuating the residence halls due to concerns that the train cars were leaking toxic fumes, Noonan said. Harris remembers students gathering in OConnell Hall before being bused to the Helena Civic Center, Helena High School and the National Guard Armory.

It wasnt until mid-morning that Noonan found out nobody had been killed.

When they said toxic fumes, and the explosion, and we heard about these big pieces of train, its just holding your breath and waiting to hear if somebody got hurt, he said. It was a surprise, but it was a great relief.

Barry Ferst, who has been teaching at Carroll College since 1980, said the curtains over the windows in Guadalupe Hall likely helped protect students from being seriously injured.

The heavy drapery that had been installed for warmth had caught all that glass, he said.

Donations of clothing, toiletries and other supplies soon came pouring in for the displaced students, Noonan said. Many students were quickly taken into the homes of local community members, where they stayed until the college reopened a few days later.

People started to show up at the armory and offered to take people in, Noonan said. Then other people figured out they knew somebody they could go stay with. So by noon that day, pretty much everybody had been taken somewhere.

While it is considered one of the worst disasters in Helena history, Harris said the crash ended up strengthening the relationship between the college and the community.

The Helena community and Carroll College became one, he said. Up to this day, that bond between Carroll and the community has a lot to do with that situation.

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Dentistry as a field has been making major stridesthanks to technology that allows for new techniques and increased understanding. However, things have not progressed as quickly when it comes to training new dentists. There is only so much that a student can learn about practical dentistry from reading books or listening to lectures. Hands-on education, which is more effective, is limited by resources (including people willing to volunteer their mouths for students to examine) and by the availability of instructors. Thankfully, thats all changing because of groundbreaking efforts at the University of Utah School of Dentistry, where virtual reality is shaping the world of dental education in exciting new ways.

Advancing by Leaps and Bounds

While the medical field has been using virtual reality education for a while now, it has not been applied to dentistry on a large scale. The tipping point in the virtual reality dental revolution came when the cost of a head-mounted display became ten times cheaper. A head-mounted display is a screen, typically placed in a visor, that allows a user to see information without having to change their viewpoint or turn their head. This, combined with a generous donation from the Oral and Maxillofacial Research Foundation, enabled the innovators at the University of Utah to get started.

A Class By Itself

The primary benefit of virtual learning is that it is the next best thing to examining a real mouth in person. Instead of 2-D photos and text descriptions, students can get up close and personal with a wide variety of mouths so that they can get a sense of what to expect in the real world. Not only does this 3-D imagery enable faster learning but also it allows teachers to create endless scenarios to test student reactions.

For example, a student may be examining a virtual patient when the patient has a heart attack. The student can learn to respond to the situation with immediate feedback from the instructor and repeat the scenario as needed. This is a marked contrast to traditional methods where students interacted with a dummy that did not provide the same level of realism.

As Mark Durham, Section Head of Prosthodontics puts it, If you were going to teach a class about Paris, it would be fine, and you could have a good discussion about it, but it would pale in comparison to actually going to Paris.

Moving Forward

This technology is already being used in a five-week Dental Implant class, which is the worlds first full-length dental course using virtual reality. It is also used in a limited fashion in other classes, where students learn about topics that include fillings, crowns, extractions, and periodontic control.

As the program (and technology) advance, more and more students around the world will be able to take advantage of virtual reality dentistry. The result will be better-trained dentists who learn at a rapid pace because, in Durhams words, With virtual reality, you can push more megabytes of information to the human brain.Submit an Obituary

Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. Obituaries submitted by family members are also accepted pending proper verification of the death.

Submit an ObituaryBonnie Spiegel (Tewksbury Lions Club member) and Dr. Yi of Mass Eye Associates. Each year, Dr. Yi goes to Haiti to provide eye exam services. This year, the Tewksbury Lions Club donated $250 to him to help defray his expenses (hes on his own money-wise) and the Lions Club gave him more than 100 eyeglasses (used) which they have cleaned and identified scripts. He will distribute them to those in need when he gets to Haiti.

(Courtesy photo)"Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

-- George Orwell, Politics and the English LanguageGrand Old Partisan salutes Knute Nelson, born in Norway this day of 1843. Immigrating with his mother at age six, he first worked as a household servant and a paper boy and then became a schoolteacher. His first political speech backed Abraham Lincoln for president.

Outbreak of civil war, Nelson enlisted in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry. He fell prisoner after being wounded at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Peace restored, the patriotic youth studied law. He won two terms in the state house.

In 1871, Nelson relocated to Minnesota. His legal practice prospered and he was elected county attorney. He focused on railroad development while a state senator. This loyal Republican cast an electoral vote for James Garfield. In 1882, he won the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The next four years, Nelson handled law cases while managing his farm and hardware store. In 1892, he defeated the Democrat and Populist and Prohibitionist candidates for Governor. His administration was moderately reformist while avoiding socialism. The legislature elected him a U.S. Senator during his second term. He was delegate to the 1900 and 1904 Republican National Conventions. He remained in the Senate until death in 1923.

There is a statue of Knute Nelson at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QhY5Zagz3Fk

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.

Each day, his grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.

He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

Buy the book at Amazon

See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"Europe is an alliance, not a union of values



Internal divisions are less powerful than the external pressures keeping members together



Gideon Rachman







Throughout the Brexit process, Britain has tried to split the other 27 EU member states. But it has failed. Much to the surprise of the authorities in London (and probably Brussels, too), the European Union has lived up to its name  and stayed united.



This display of unity over Brexit is not an accident or a one-off. On the contrary, it says something important about why the European project is much more resilient than its critics realised. The 27 small and medium-sized nations that make up the EU have a powerful shared interest in protecting the European single market.



That strategic imperative is only going to become more pronounced in a world shaped by two superpowers  the US and China. Both Washington and Beijing are increasingly using trade and investment as a political weapon. As individual nations, the EU27 know they can be picked off by the superpowers. But, as the worlds largest cross-border market, the EU knows that is has comparable weight to China and America and can push back.



If America decides to impose car tariffs on European producers in the coming months, the EU can respond with measures imposing comparable pain on the US. The EU is also taking unified action against Chinas forced transfer of technology. And it has responded to Russias annexation of Crimea by imposing sanctions that cover the whole of the EU single market.



There is no doubt that there are deep divisions within the EU. Poland is being sued by the European Commission for straying from democratic principles. The Italians and the French are feuding over budgets and borders. The Hungarians and Germans are at loggerheads over refugees. Greece was almost thrown out of the euro.



But the internal divisions pulling the EU27 apart are less powerful than the external pressures pushing them together. This simple point is sometimes missed, even in Brussels, because the EU likes to call itself a union of values. However, the idea that EU leaders are united by shared values is increasingly hard to maintain. Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, and Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister of Italy, have a lot more in common with Donald Trump in the US (or even Vladimir Putin in Russia) than with Emmanuel Macron or Angela Merkel, the French and German leaders.



The Italian, Hungarian and Polish governments are also fond of the anti-Brussels rhetoric favoured by Britains Eurosceptics. But that does not mean they will diverge from the Brussels line in the Brexit negotiations. They understand that their economic and strategic interests are much better served by sticking with the EU27.



In that sense, the EU looks increasingly like an alliance built on shared interests than a union of values. Talk of alliances tends to cause shudders in Brussels because it is redolent of warfare in Europe. But in the 21st century, European countries have a clear interest in allying with each other, rather than against each other, as in the past.



Thinking of the EU as an alliance also clarifies another vexed question  the loose talk of a  European army. The formation of such an army is unlikely because the EU is not a unitary state. But a close military alliance, perhaps with a mutual defence clause, does look feasible.



Until the advent of the Trump administration, talk of an EU military alliance would have seemed either redundant or dangerous  since it might undercut Nato. But Mr Trumps apparent questioning of US membership of Nato makes it only prudent for Europeans to think harder about making their own security arrangements.



The EU is still a long way from being a military superpower and may never get there. But it is already a global player in trade and business regulation. That is important because, in the nuclear age, superpowers are more likely to struggle with each other by economic rather than military means. The European Commission is already at the forefront of challenging the monopoly power of big Silicon Valley companies such as Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google. And the commission is now also looking at new ways of policing Chinese corporate takeovers in Europe.



However, China, in particular, is expert at breaking the unity of an alliance by offering inducements to the weakest link. That strategy is on display in Beijings Belt and Road Initiative, which seems set to offer particularly juicy projects to smaller EU states in eastern Europe. They might then be persuaded to vote against EU policies getting tougher on China.



But the EU will survive the occasional division over policy towards China or the US. The fact is that the package of benefits that the EU provides can never be replicated by the US or China.



The European single market offers proximity, size, legal certainty, freedom of movement of people and a vote on new laws and regulations. That is why countries such as Poland and Hungary  which love to complain about Brussels  are highly unlikely to risk leaving the EU.



There are some in Warsaw who predict that Poland will, in fact, walk out of the EU the moment that generous EU payments to Poland cease. But the reality is that even net contributors to the EU budget lose a lot if they leave. Just ask Brexit Britain.Re: About a century ago, the Swedish physical scientist Arrhenius proposed [ #permalink

2 KudosVANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Copper and Gold Corporation (Western or the Company) (TSX: WRN; NYSE American: WRN) announces the resignation of David Williams from the Board of Directors of the Company.



Mr. Williams joined the Companys Board of Directors in May 2006 when Western was formed as part of the Western Silver Corp. acquisition by Glamis Gold Ltd., which was subsequently purchased by Goldcorp Inc. Mr. Williams was integral in setting the direction for the newly formed company, including the purchase of the Casino Project. Western wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Williams for his valuable contribution and services as a director.

Dale Corman, Executive Chair of Western remarked, David has been an important part of the Western team since 2006 and he will be truly missed. We wish him all the best.

ABOUT WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION

Western Copper and Gold Corporation is developing the Casino Project, Canadas premier copper-gold mine in the Yukon Territory and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world. For more information, visit www.westerncopperandgold.com .

On behalf of the board,

Dale Corman

Dale Corman

Executive Chair

Western Copper and Gold Corporation

For more information, please contact:My point wasnt that the voters were suckers but that Trump and King treat them as if they are.

Nonetheless, I got scalded in emails from King supporters. One, from a North Iowa public official, said he had known me for a long time and that I was showing my liberal bias. We are living in an age when if someone disagrees with your point of view, the greatest insult they can come up with is to call you either a liberal or a conservative as if those were synonyms for Satan.

With all of this as background and my disdain for Kings behavior well documented, I must tell you that I do not think he should resign. Like all of us, he has the constitutional right to express his opinions and, for that matter, has the constitutional right to say stupid things. It is not against the law.

Several Iowa newspapers have exercised their right to express their opinion in calling for him to resign. Some lawmakers, such as Sen. Mitt Romney in Utah have also called for him to step down. I think Romney and others outside of Iowa should worry about whats going on in their own states and let Iowans take care of their own business.MASON CITY | Gov. Kim Reynolds visited Mason City on Friday afternoon, as she and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg wind down their weeklong "Condition of the State Tour."

During her one-hour visit with representatives for Henkel Construction and NIACC, Reynolds listened to plans about how they're working to recruit young, talented workers to the area.

Reynolds noted that "(we're) having trouble getting contractors and construction workers in Iowa," and that with that particular problem, what NIAAC and community colleges are offering is "critical to what we're trying to do."

One major issue, according to Henkel Vice President of Operations Kent Brcka, is that no curriculum exists to address the needs of a construction company, such as Henkel.

So the 127-year-old company presented to Reynolds that its been collaborating with NIACC to "develop a curriculum that works" and offer "building traits programs."

A program that Henkel has taken to offering in-house is a six-week, three-hour foreman program taught by people who have had experience running projects in the hope of "upskilling" workers who might come on as laborers with only a high school diploma or high school equivalency diplomas.Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Partly cloudy. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low around 70F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.FLOYD COUNTY | An Iowa City man faces several charges including a felony for leading officials on a brief chase that topped speeds of 100 mph on Friday night.

No injuries were reported.

Officials say Wayne Watson, 55, failed to stop for speeding by the Floyd County Sheriff's Office near the intersection of Highway 14 and the Avenue of the Saints about 6:47 p.m.

Watson traveled west on 14 for about 2.5 miles  about halfway to Rockford  before crashing his vehicle in a ditch, according to the Floyd County Sheriff's Office.

Watson was charged with felony eluding and several misdemeanors, including his second DUI and driving on the wrong side of the highway. Other charges are possible.

Assisting the sheriff's office were law enforcement from Nora Springs, Charles City and the state.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Lydia Martinez spends her days laboring in a tidy, aroma-filled restaurant on the eastern edge of downtown. Its a magical place. It truly is.

Its the rare destination where nothing changes.

Lydia has worked at Vallejos Restaurant, 111 S. Corona St., since her mother, Paula, opened the doors in 1962. In the past 57 years, shes seen her hometown zoom from 75,000 to 475,000 residents. Shes seen traffic jams invade her once-sleepy city. Shes seen the arrival of dozens of Mexican dining competitors.

Change surrounds her, but she refuses to join this menacing trend.

Most afternoons, Lydia sits in the center of the kitchen in the same spot where Paula once sat. For decades, Paula rested in a doomed gray plastic chair, silently reading her gray Bible. Lydia rests in a black swivel chair, planning and remembering. Her mother loved this restaurant to the depths of her soul. The same love inhabits and dominates Lydia.

She smiles as she remembers the day Paula decided to purchase a small grocery store and transform it into a Mexican restaurant.

If it works, well stay there, Paula announced to Lydia. If it doesnt, well close it up and forget about it.

Lydia laughs often, which explains why shes a bubbly and healthy 83-year-old. Shes laughing now as she considers how wrong she was. Paula was fiercely optimistic about her restaurants future. Lydia was quietly doubtful.

Many of us, including Lydia, have been challenged and blessed by a simple life truth:

Mom is always right.

I cant believe it, Lydia says. Im still here. I love it.

The restaurant is thriving. Lydia is helped by a few family members, including son Phillip and brother Dave, but she reigns as the beating heart of Vallejos, where she works 65-70 hours a week.

Despite its longevity, Vallejos remains somewhat of a Springs secret, largely due to city planners who cut Corona Street off from access to Pikes Peak Avenue. A diner must take a circuitous route that includes a turn on East Cucharras Street and then a left on Corona, where a glass door to good Mexican food beckons.

Jim Clamp, a Springs native, has made this drive for 25 years. He usually orders a small combo with tamale, taco, rice and beans.

The food is going to be good, Clamp says. Its exceptionally good. It looks like what you get somewhere else, but when you taste it, its not. Its the real home-cooked stuff. Not anything frozen and heated up. Its the opposite of that. She really knows what shes doing, and its fresh. I like it when its bubbling hot on the plate.

Clamp pauses.

Hes talking at his west-side home about Vallejos but wishes he were eating at his favorite restaurant.

The food is the thing, he says. It makes me hungry just talking about it.

We dwell in an era of copy-cat restaurants. If you enter a typical American dining spot while wearing a blindfold, you might take your first look-around and guess it was one of many franchise establishments. They all look the same.

A few restaurants, improved by age and owned by families, defy this sameness. Lydia enjoys eating at other long-established Colorado restaurants, ones that have stared down bland, look-alike challengers for decades, ones that decline to bend to fads.

Those little restaurants, wherever you go, are the best, she says, speaking the truth and nothing but.

She remembers the day Vallejos opened in 1962. The minister from her mothers Apostolic church blessed the fresh business endeavor with a prayer. Paula, a devout Christian, refused to sell alcohol in the restaurant, and Lydia remains true to her wishes.

For 28 years, until 1990, Paula cooked savory meals and pondered the truths found in her gray Bible. When she died at 88, the family talked seriously about closing the restaurant.

Lydia responded with an emphatic no.

Its ours, she said. Its mine. Im staying. Im not going to break up the restaurant.

Vallejos and Lydia endured. Shes fortunate, and she knows it. Shes spends her days producing joy. For herself, and for others.

I got all these people hooked on this food, she says, a gleeful bounce in her voice.

A few years after Paulas death, someone took a blazing pan of tamales off a burner and, fearing sizzled hands, placed the pan on the first available perch.

It was Paulas gray plastic chair, which doubled as the restaurants throne.

The chair melted! Paula says, eyes growing wide.

Soon, a new chair arrived, a black throne where a diligent woman plots the future of a restaurant with a grand past.When the 11-year-old son of a Colorado Springs veteran discovered his prized cello had been swiped on the Monday after Thanksgiving, his mom started a GoFundMe campaign and Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center reached out to local media for help spreading the word.

The Gazettes story about Brendon Bradley, his mom, Michele Williams, and the stolen cello ran Nov. 28. By the end of the week, Williams crowdfunding campaign had surpassed its goal and about a dozen people had gotten in touch wanting to donate cellos. One of those instruments  an intermediate-sized version that Mike and Jandy Barentines kids had learned to play on  turned out to be a perfect fit for Bradley, who is on the autism spectrum and uses music to help express his emotions.

The cascade of goodwill  cello charity, if you will  didnt stop there, however.

There were reverberations. Good reverberations, said Jim Freeman, whose wife, Pam, was among those offering to donate a used cello. Theres always a story behind each musical instrument. Its really nice to get those backstories.

The backstory of 12-year-old Cheyenne Browns cello is more of a back-symphony, with many parts and players, a guest star, and a coda that began last October, when North Middle School community liaison Marilyn Eggleston reached out to the needy families with whom she works, as she has every fall for the last 30 years.

I ask them, do you want a basket? I ask them to list their kids, their sizes and what they want for Christmas, said Eggleston, who also asks that participants keep gift requests realistic, and under $30. The form came back in for Cheyennes family and it was pretty right on, with Legos, a hoodie, a few other things  but Dad had also put on there that Cheyenne really wants a cello.

Knowing the chances were slim, Eggleston nonetheless added the dream wish to Cheyennes tag bound for the giving tree at St. Pauls Catholic Church.

On a Sunday in early December, a few days after reading the story about Brendon Bradley, Lee Ann Nelson plucked Cheyenne Browns tag. Then she called The Gazette.

I dont know a thing about cellos, but I saw the story and read that there had been multiple offers of cellos for the boy, Nelson said. This little girl was asking for pants and a shirt, but I thought Id see if any of the people wanting to donate an instrument might be willing to pass one on to this little girl.

Indeed, there were.

A recreational cellist who still plays in a quartet, Pam Freeman bought the first of her two cellos years ago when she was in graduate school in Virginia. She and her husband, Jim, got in touch with The Gazette after seeing Bradleys story. They wanted to pass the instrument on to a young musician who would use and appreciate it, but Pams full-sized cello turned out to be a little too big for Bradley.

A 12-year-old girl, though? That might be a perfect fit.

Nelson spoke with the Freemans, then connected them with Marilyn Eggleston, to coordinate the transfer and answer a few questions about the young cellist whod be getting Pams instrument.

They wanted to know if Cheyenne was very serious about music, said Eggleston. I spoke with the orchestra director at her school, who said Cheyenne was really into her music, and though she only took it up at the beginning of sixth grade, shes already in the honor band.

The tween was playing a full-sized instrument, so Pams wouldnt be too large.

I went to the Freemans house and had quite the conversation with Jim.  I invited them to one of her concerts, and brought the cello back to school to wrap it up for our big giveaway this year, Eggleston said.

That giveaway, to 270 at-risk children around the Springs, plays out in a frenzy of activity the day after school lets out for Christmas break. Most families stop by to pick up their gifts; the Brown family couldnt, so Eggleston was preparing to dispatch a delivery to their home when the new District 11 superintendent, Michael Thomas, strode up to ask if he could lend a hand.

Oh, my gosh, talk about timing, said Eggleston, whose husband, dressed as Santa Claus, tagged along to take photos. It was our feel-good moment of this years giveaway. Cheyenne wasnt even supposed to be home, but lo and behold she was there. Everything worked out. The stars aligned perfectly for this to happen.As Fort Carson troops have streamed home from Afghanistan in recent weeks, their leaders have said the nation where America has battled for nearly 18 years is increasingly ready to stand on its own.

But even as signs point to an end to Americas longest war, veterans worry that the finish looks a lot more like Vietnam than World War II.

We will have spent American blood and treasure for nothing, warned retired Army Lt. Col. Sprague Taveau.

But even among veterans, the Afghanistan question has no unanimous answer.

Take retired Army Maj. Russ Vanardo, who served in Afghanistan with Fort Carsons 4th Brigade Combat Team. He says the best way to honor the sacrifices of soldiers is by shedding no more blood.

I think whatever gets us out of that country morally and legally needs to be done, Vanardo said. The Taliban runs the country whether we want to admit it or not.

The arguments around the nation have gotten more heated in recent days after the Trump administration announced it had reached a deal in principle with the Taliban to end the war.

Few places in the country have as much invested in the future of Afghanistan as Colorado Springs, which still has hundreds of troops there with headquarters of the 4th Infantry Division deployed there and more on the way as Colorado National Guard troops deploy this year.

Col. Monte Rone, who commands Fort Carsons 1st Brigade Combat Team, returned home this month after leading his soldiers on a nine-month tour that saw them spread across much of eastern Afghanistan, one of the most restive regions.

The brigade had its soldiers assigned to 32 outposts and lost Sgt. Jason McClary to a roadside bomb blast.

The colonel wouldnt talk about the peace process but expressed optimism about Afghans military.

He advised an Afghan corps that had as many as four of its brigades engaged in combat against the Taliban simultaneously.

Those were Afghans out front, he said, noting that his soldiers stayed in a supporting role amid growing power and independence demonstrated by the Afghan National Army.

The Afghans, he said, were unmatched in battlefield power and undefeatable in the field.

They were able to do the things a good army does, he said.

Building a competent Afghan army has been a top priority for the Pentagon since the first U.S. troops kicked off Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.

But the Taliban has been a tough enemy to tackle, in part because they were well-trained by forces that include the United States.

The rise of the Taliban coincided with the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Beginning in 1973, a series of coups and intrigues left the central government weak and vulnerable. A communist coup took shaky control of the nation in 1979 and kicked off a civil war. The Soviet Union sent its military and began to establish what they hoped would be a puppet state.

The U.S.-backed Islamic forces fought to rid Afghanistan of communists. Those Islamic fighters, including Taliban militants, gave Russia the boot after 10 years of fighting.

The Taliban emerged from the rubble to control most of the nation and quickly became an American foe by hosting al-Qaida training camps.

America launched cruise missile strikes in 1998 in response to al-Qaida attacks. In 2001, American troops invaded to avenge the 9/11 attacks.

Since the U.S. invasion, American troops have found themselves amid another Afghan civil war. The strength of American forces in Afghanistan has swung from a low of 7,000 troops to a high of 100,000.

Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama kept the United States at war there, fearing more terrorism and a humanitarian crisis if America pulled out.

But a new politician arrived on the scene with a different view of American involvement there.

We should leave Afghanistan immediately, Donald Trump tweeted two years before he jumped into the 2016 presidential campaign. No more wasted lives. If we have to go back in, we go in hard and quick. Rebuild the U.S. first.

Trump entered the White House with ambitions of ending the Afghanistan war. And while he has bowed to Pentagon experts and kept troops there, his Afghanistan plans havent changed much.

The announcement of a potential Taliban truce follows more than a year of work to bring the militant Sunni group to the table.

But Trump has drawn fire for his Afghanistan policy even as he has pushed for a pullout.

The loudest of those opponents might be Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

He drove a vote last week that, while mostly symbolic, shows a clear split between the president and his party over Afghanistan.

We have seen the costs of a precipitous withdrawal before in Iraq, McConnell said in a statement.

And in Afghanistan, we have seen the downsides of telling the enemy they can just wait us out.

His measure, opposing the withdrawal of U.S. forces, was approved by a rare supermajority in the Senate, unifying the GOP and Democrats even as political divides threaten another shutdown.

But Fort Carson leaders have said theres never been a better time for peace in Afghanistan. Last month, Col. David Zinn, commander of the posts 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said during his units nine-month 2018 deployment, he saw many signs of hope.

I see momentum building to negotiations that could bring an end to the conflict, Zinn said.

If theres momentum, Fort Carson soldiers deserve much of the credit. Rone repeatedly expressed admiration for his 1st Brigade troops, saying they accomplished their Afghan deployment with flawless professionalism that left the place in better shape.

I am so proud of the Raider Brigade, he said.

But as Rones troops reacquaint themselves with their families, a very American debate is raging about Afghanistans future.

Taveau said a quick deal with the Taliban is a recipe to plunge Afghanistan back into chaos.

I believe it is a strategic mistake, he said. In the end, they will refit, retake the country and we will be right back where we started.

Vanardo said that while Afghanistan could well re-enter the darkness, American troops can do no more to change that nations fate.

We didnt lose. We won militarily over and over, he said. It is not us. The taxpayers, the soldiers and the diplomats did their job.

Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240Facing as much as 30 years behind bars for sexual assault, an Air Force Academy cadet was sentenced to 75 days in jail Saturday.

The sentence, handed down by a jury of eight officers including seven men and one woman, will also see Armis Sunday, a junior, booted from the academy and forfeiting his pay.

Ryan Coward, the civilian attorney who led Sundays defense team, said evidence in the case, which included Sundays contention that the sexual act was consensual, led to the relatively light penalty.

We believe that the light sentence reflects the nature of what was alleged, and we look forward to the appeal, Coward wrote in an email to The Gazette.

Sunday was convicted of sexual assault on Friday for a 2017 incident in the academy dorms. A female cadet contended that Sunday groped her as she slept after an evening of drinking.

Prosecutors alleged that Sunday planned the encounter, bringing alcohol to the womans dorm room and lying about being locked out of his domicile by a roommate.

The trial ran four days in a courtroom in the schools Harmon Hall.

The conviction kicked off a miniature trial where prosecutors and Sundays defense team argued over an appropriate sentence. Unlike civilian courts, where judges pass sentence based on guidelines that often include mandatory minimums, military courts let jurors rule, with wide discretion.

The military panels options ranged from a reprimand to the full 30 years.

Hell likely serve his jail time in Teller County, which contracts with the Air Force to hold local military inmates. Conviction for sexual assault in a military court also comes with sex offender registration and puts a federal felony on Sundays record.

Sunday also escaped a second charge of sexual assault that was brought for a 2016 incident involving a female cadet.

Academy leaders chose not to pursue that case after an evidentiary hearing.Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Cooler. High 67F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 51F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.Dewey & Stone razed the frame building in 1875 and the following year built the extant High Victorian Italianate building noted as the first four-story business building in Omaha and one of the citys largest buildings. In a history of furniture article, later written and published by Orchard & Wilhelm, it was reported that in order to stock the new store Mr. Dewey went to a furniture exhibit in New Orleans and bought a whole carload of the best they had. Wm. Buffalo Bill Cody wrote in his autobiography that when he failed to buy promised furniture in Wyoming for his new house in North Platte, he simply ordered six-mule teams worth from Dewey & Stone in Omaha to fulfill his wifes orders.

The furniture business grew with Omaha and in 1875 Dewey & Stone built again, this time including the first hydraulic elevator in Omaha. Their 1882 building across the block on Harney Street was the first five-story building erected in the state of Nebraska. This was capitalized on in an 1883 ad in the Omaha Bee which boasted no stairs to climb  Elegant passenger elevator to the different floors. Another ad four years later stated, everything useful and ornamental in the furniture-makers art, at reasonable prices. The business was incorporated in 1888 with $500,000 in capitalization.Young people across the state will have the opportunity to participate in the 14th Annual No Limits Kick Butts Day Rally this March in Lincoln.

No Limits, Nebraskas youth-led tobacco prevention movement, is now accepting applications to participate in the two-day event which is being held on March 19-20.

The event is open to Nebraska youth ages 12-18 in grades 7-12 and will include a workshop on March 19 and a rally on the steps of the Nebraska State Capitol on March 20.

Youth participants will also have the opportunity to meet with state senators to discuss how tobacco impacts young people throughout the state.

Kick Butts Day is a nationwide event promoted by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to encourage youth to stand out, speak up and seize control in the fight against Big Tobacco. Additional information about tobacco use, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at TobaccoFreeKids.org.

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Brooklyn Larimore, No Limits youth board co-chair, said participants can make an impression on lawmakers, but will also learn how they can influence attitudes toward tobacco use in their own hometowns.HomeStore, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 701 E. Dodge St., Fremont. The HomeStore sells donated items at discounted prices. Proceeds support the mission of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity.

Soup R Bowl Party, 4:15-11:15 p.m., North Bend Auditorium. The event is being presented by the Dodge County Fair Foundation. Pork sandwiches, wings, tailgate snacks, chicken noodle soup and chili will be served. The cost is $10 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under. There also will be a live/silent auction.Osborne could not comment for this story, but a picture provided to the Tribune shows his unit posing with groceries and signs that read THANK YOU.

As part of the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard was the only military branch to miss a paycheck during the shutdown, which began in December after President Donald Trump and congressional leaders failed to come to an agreement over funding for border security. Other military branches fall under the Department of Defense, which maintained its funding.

Being a service member without a paycheck poses unique challenges, Rix said. Coast Guard paychecks also include a housing allowance. Some in Osbornes unit were wondering how theyd pay for rent, food, childrens birthday parties and more.

When you join the coast guard, as with any other branch of the service, you belong to them for the number of years that you sign up for, Rix said. So it makes it hard for them, they cant go out and get another job because they have to be on call. If theres an emergency, they have to be able to respond.

Rix was eager to help, and quickly found family members and friends who were willing to join in, offering to send gift cards or cash.A Nickerson man received the maximum sentence of three years in prison on a charge of third degree sexual assault of a child, a class IIIA felony.

Zed Camarillo, 33, pleaded to the sole charge in Dodge County District Court on Tuesday as part of an agreement with the Dodge County Attorneys office. A pre-sentence investigation was was waived, and Dodge County District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall pronounced the sentence the same day.

He received credit for 220 days previously served, and was also sentenced to nine months of post-release supervision, and must not contact with the victims of the crime. He must also register as a sex offender.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

The sentence will be served concurrently to another two-year sentence he received in October from a pair of drug-related cases. Chief Deputy Attorney for Dodge County Sara Sopinski said shed asked for Tuesdays sentence to be served consecutively to the October sentence.

Camarillo had initially been charged with four other class IIIA felonies, as well as three misdemeanors related to the incident.FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.Venezuela is a place whose destiny in any case would have had outsized consequences for Latin America and global energy markets.

On one side, the U.S. and its democratic allies have backed opposition leader Juan Guaido in the contest for the future of Venezuela.

Dictator Nicolas Maduro, meanwhile, is supported by China, Russia and Cuba, raising the geopolitical stakes of the struggle.

A new era of great power competition took shape in Venezuela this past week.

As the first battle of this epoch, the contest for the future of Venezuela will have outsized consequences on what forces and values  democratic or autocratic -- will determine not only the country's future but also influence the regional and global future.

As the country with the world's largest proven oil reserves and one of its greatest humanitarian disasters, Venezuela is a place whose destiny in any case would have had outsized consequences for Latin America and global energy markets. Given the involvement of the U.S. and its democratic allies on the one side and China, Russia and Cuba on the other, the stakes are even higher geopolitically.

President Trump's recognition of interim President Juan Guaido on January 23, with the aim of forcing out Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, elevated the Venezuelan crisis to its most crucial test of his presidency and of the U.S. ability to shape affairs in its own hemisphere. It also marks an opening salvo of the Trump administration's unfolding strategy to work with regional partners in a more concerted way.

The former head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Julio Borges, a leading player in the interim government, put it eloquently in Washington this week at the Atlantic Council. "The Berlin Wall is falling in Latin America," he said. "What happened in Europe 30 years ago is happening now in the region."

It's a useful if imperfect metaphor. Just as then in Germany, the outcome is uncertain, and the impact will be generational on democracy and freedom. The chances of success, however, depend on an even more complex interaction of local, regional and global players.

Story continues

Locally, Guaido thus far has succeeded where Maduro opponents previously failed in unifying the opposition, rallying widespread public and international support, and laying out a vision for the future that would bring free elections and provide amnesty for security and armed forces who are not found guilty of crimes against humanity.

Regionally, the new Brazilian and Colombia leaders Jair Bolsonaro and Ivan Duque, respectively, provide a significant boost to Venezuela's chances at democratic change as part of the so-called "Lima Group," a coalition of 14 Latin American countries plus Canada that is supporting democratic change in Venezuela. Just last month, the Lima Group issued a stinging condemnation of the Maduro regime, urging him to provisionally transfer executive power to the National Assembly and further restricting contacts with the Maduro regime.

Globally, the picture is less certain and may be most decisive.

The United States' emerging strategy for Latin America was unveiled last November by National Security Advisor John Bolton in his "troika of tyranny" speech  putting Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in the crosshairs.

"The United States looks forward to watching each corner of the triangle fall: in Havana, in Caracas, in Managua," Bolton said, though most at the time didn't predict the pace of action. On the same day, the U.S. introduced new sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba, including on Venezuela's gold sector and entities of the Cuban military and intelligence services.

This week, the U.S. unveiled its most punitive economic actions yet against Venezuela, sanctioning its state-owned oil giant PdVSA, which remains the main source of income for the Maduro regime. It was the harshest measure yet against the Maduro regime and will immediately block $7 billion in assets and deprive Caracas of $11 billion in revenues in 2019, according to Bolton.

What Washington is up against are three authoritarian countries who have bet to one extent or the other on the current Venezuelan leadership: Cuba, Russia and China. The current showdown is a test of just how far each of these actors will go to support its Venezuelan client  and how strategic the United States, Venezuela's interim government and other Western democracies can be in navigating these shoals.

The first indications are that a determined United States has a fair chance of helping to bring about a lasting change in Venezuela.

Over years, Havana received subsidized oil from Caracas and Cubans have assumed sensitive posts in Venezuela's government. The daily intelligence briefing Maduro, himself educated in Havana, receives isn't prepared by Venezuelans but by Cuban intelligence operatives. Yet as deeply entrenched as Cuba remains, Maduro's departure would rapidly undermine its position.

Russia and China both seem to be hedging their bets, disappointed themselves at Maduro's leadership and hoping to preserve their economic and political influence in the country in any case. Those include considerable Russia holdings in the Venezuelan energy market  and some $50 billion that China has extended in loans to Venezuela over the past dozen years, with some $20 billion still owed.

Moscow is out in front in insisting that Maduro remains Venezuela's legitimate leader, and that the United States is essentially supporting a parliamentary coup. At the same time, however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that the Kremlin wasn't engaged in discussions to extend major financial or military assistance to the Maduro regime.

Russia in any case would lack logistical capacity to provide decisive help at a time when its larger and more immediately priorities are in Ukraine, ahead of elections in March, and Syria, with the impeding U.S. withdrawal. Putin also faces a stagnating economy and falling popularity at home.

In a move apparently designed to calm Chinese and Russian concerns, Guaido has told Reuters that he sent communications to both powers. "What most suits Russia and China is the country's stability and a change of government," he said. "Maduro does not protect Venezuela, he doesn't protect anyone's investments, and he is not a good deal for those countries."

Said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, "We believe that no matter how the situation develops or changes, cooperation between China and Venezuela will not be damaged."

With stakes so high, one must hope the United States, Latin American democracies and European Union countries show determination equal to the historic challenge. The EU member states haven't yet recognized the interim president but are expected to do so by Monday when a deadline for Maduro to call fresh elections isn't met.

In a world where democracies have been fraying and autocracies rising, a democratic win in Venezuela would have outsized significance.

Frederick Kempe is a best-selling author, prize-winning journalist and president & CEO of the Atlantic Council, one of the United States' most influential think tanks on global affairs. He worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than 25 years as a foreign correspondent, assistant managing editor and as the longest-serving editor of the paper's European edition. His latest book  "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth"  was a New York Times best-seller and has been published in more than a dozen languages. Follow him on Twitter @FredKempe and subscribe here to Inflection Points, his look each Saturday at the past week's top stories and trends.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.





More From CNBC

Welcome toMoney Diaries , where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period  and we're tracking every last dollar.

Today: a business owner working in jewelry retail who makes $230,000 per year (together with her fiance) and spends some of her money this week on milk. Below, we asked the OP some questions about her career. Editor's note: This diary was submitted in October 2018. All prices have been converted to U.S. dollars.

How did you get into your line of work?

I had originally wanted to get into forensic anthropology, so I got my undergraduate degree in that, but then found it hard to get work. I went back to school to get a Master's in Human Resources, and then still had trouble finding work. I decided I needed to work for myself out of necessity with my disability, and researched which products had the best profit margins, what I was interested in, and what I could find wholesalers for. So I landed on jewelry.

What are the challenges of owning a business?

Owning a business is probably the most challenging yet rewarding thing Ive done. There are always so many little things to get done. Between working the actual venues, ordering stock, finding new suppliers, contacting factories about creating our own designs, bookkeeping, tax stuff, following up with customers, and keeping the website up-to-date, I easily clock at least 80-100 hours a week into the business. Id say the biggest challenge is just keeping track of everything that needs to get done!

What advice would you give to someone starting out with their own business?

My advice to people looking to become business owners is to get extraordinarily organized and figure out what type of business will keep you interested and motivated  you really need to hold yourself accountable and get things done. Owning your own business is amazing because its truly one of those situations where you get out of it exactly how much effort you put into it.

Story continues

And for anyone just starting their own business, dont underestimate how important networking is. I had no idea what that meant when I started, but just talk to your customers like they're your friends, chat with other business owners in your area, and go to small business events and festivals. There are so many opportunities and people out there who want to help you, but you have to be there to get them. Just chatting with customers resulted in me befriending a woman who runs some gift shops around here, and now our products are in her stores selling a couple hundred dollars' worth a day on average.

Occupation: Business Owner

Industry: Jewelry

Age: 24

Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Joint Income: $230,000 (This is the total average yearly income between me and my fiance.)

Paycheck Amount: With it being a sole proprietorship, I dont pay myself per se, but our margins are roughly 25%, so I would say our average take-home per month is $5,000-$6,000 between me and my fiance . That number is super variable per month, though  with Christmas being our busiest season, it would be closer to $15,000 for the month of December, and January is the least busy, generally around $4,000.

Also, we just got a mall location confirmed. Weve been there for short shows before, and I estimate that will bring in another $20,000 a month in sales and $5,000 in profit monthly for us, so thats something Im looking forward to! My next big challenge is hiring people for that.

Monthly Expenses

Mortgage: $1,950

Trailer Loan: $100 (We paid for our car with cash.)

Student Loans: $0 (I finished paying them off this year  $12,000 total.)

Gym Membership: $52

Physio/Medical Appointments: $300 (I'm a wheelchair user. No insurance except what is covered provincially.)

Business Insurance: $110

Car/Trailer/Renters' Insurance: $150

Day One

8:30 a.m.  My fiance, G., and I pull up to our first venue of the week, a college campus where we set up a kiosk to sell our jewelry. It takes us about an hour to set up the table, displays, and jewelry, not including the time it takes to drag our buckets of jewelry in from the parking lot. Luckily, I have accessible parking, which reduces the daily rate from $20 to $16. I put it on my card for business expenses, but since I'm the business owner, I'm the one who ends up paying for it anyways. $16

10 a.m.  After we're set up, I send G. down to get us some caffeine from the Tim Hortons in the cafeteria. He gets a coffee for himself and a tea for me for a total of $3.76. We take cash out of the till for small expenses like this so we can pretend it's not "real" money. My brother pops by, and I wish him good luck on his midterms. $3.76

12 p.m.  I head over to the vet where my service dog has just undergone a serious surgery. This is his fifth day there, and they're hoping that he's shown enough signs of improvement to go home with me. Between the initial intestinal blockage, fluid buildup in his stomach, pneumonia, and specialized drugs he has to use due to his breed, he has racked up quite the bill. I ask if they can take a payment plan, as I don't have that much readily available. They say no, and that I have to pay in full for my dog to be released. I briefly wonder if it's legal to hold someone's dog ransom for vet payment, but decide to just spread it out over my three cards. This is going to require some serious untangling. I pray that we do well at our upcoming venues. $3,496.52

5 p.m.  I head back to the college after spending some time with my seriously drugged-up dog to help G. pack up and pay for the day. Our total rent for the day comes out to $226, and I still have to pay the venue we were yesterday $150 for the booth cost there, too. I draw my business account into the negative to pay for them both. I was supposed to meet my maid of honor over dinner to go over wedding planning options tonight, but I text her to cancel. When she finds out how much the vet bill was, she sends me $1,280  the amount I had loaned her last month to pay for a cruise we're going on for my bachelorette party. I immediately pay some of my highest-interest card down. G. and I get home around 7, make some dinner, and finally have a chance to relax. $376

Daily Total: $3,892.28

Day Two

11 a.m.  I wake up after a much-needed sleep-in. I've worked a show from basically 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for the last 10 days, so today is my first day "off" in far too long. I was able to book another show for G. to work on his own today, and I notice the $17.50 charge for parking there went through this morning  he arrived safely. Despite it being my day off, I have plenty to do behind the scenes. I do some banking and fill several orders that were placed yesterday when word got around that we needed cash for the vet bill. There are a couple items ordered that are out of stock, so I work on three different wholesaler orders in the hopes that I'll get them in before my suppliers close for the day. This takes the rest of my afternoon. $17.50

5 p.m.  After sending in my orders, I check to make sure I haven't been charged for them  I asked each supplier to hold off on charging my account until I am able to pay the vet off so that I won't go over the limit on my cards. I notice a $12.81 charge on my account regardless. The debit and credit fees for yesterday's sales went through. Luckily, that still leaves me with some money in my account  a close call. After dealing with the bulk of real work that had to get done today, I sit and relax with my dog and drink a tea outside. It's getting chilly outside fast, and I know I'm going to be missing the warm sunshine soon. Once back inside, I start on a pot roast for dinner. $12.81

6 p.m.  G. has to pay for being at today's venue, which sets the business account back $180.80. It was supposed to be $40 less, so I make a mental note to follow up tomorrow and make sure it gets properly charged. When G. gets home we eat dinner and I realize how hungry I am, having only had a tea so far today. I browse the internet for the rest of the night, keeping an eye on my dog so he doesn't scratch his stitches out. I make nighttime teas for myself and G. and give my dog his medication before going to bed. $180.80

Daily Total: $211.11

Day Three

10 a.m.  I wake up, make a tea, give my dog his meds, and get to work. G. is at another venue today  the poor guy has been going nonstop lately, but we desperately need the money. I check our banking and see $8.61 in debit and credit fees went through from yesterday's venue. I start working on another jewelry order for a show we will be at in two weeks, but get interrupted by my dog hitting the doorstop  he wants to go out. I check the weather, get dressed, and throw on my winter coat. We take a walk just to the end of the block before the dog decides he's too tired to keep going. I coax him back home, which takes a solid half an hour. When we get back, I continue working on the order for the afternoon. $8.61

4 p.m.  I get a phone call from our web hosting client around 4  "Wouldn't you like to upgrade to our premium service? It's only $40 a year more, and you get all these cool features." I listen to the sales pitch and after asking a few questions, decide that it is something I would get use out of and give him the okay to upgrade my account. I head to the gym straight after for boot camp. Having been cooped up all day today and yesterday, it feels great to get out and get moving. I can only do half of the session due to my disability, which I still get ashamed of because I have alternate exercises to accommodate my legs. When I get home, I find out G. won't be home until late due to the high volume of sales he's been able to get at the location today. Can't complain! I snack on some carrots and dip and browse the internet until he comes home. $40

10 p.m.  G. comes home with a pizza, and I snack on a slice while I hear about his day. I'm thankful it was so successful  this means I can pay off nearly half of the remaining vet bill on my cards. We take the dog for a nice long walk, and this time he's much more receptive. I make a mental note to take him on his morning walk tomorrow before giving him his medication. On our way home, we stop by the mailbox  one of my orders has come in. G. puts it in with the stock for tomorrow's show and loads up the van for an expo we start in the morning. Right before bed, I realize that I never heard back from the supplier I sent the order out to today. I check my email and see that they've sent a PayPal invoice for $2,260. I try to put it on my business account, but it comes back declined, so I send them an email explaining the situation and they confirm they're able to wait for payment but ship it out today. I turn my phone onto Do Not Disturb and hit the hay  big day tomorrow. $2,271.50

Daily Total: $2,320.11

Day Four

7 a.m.  We wake up early and hit the road, dropping the dog off at my mom's on the way. After lugging in the tables at the venue, we notice the spot isn't wheelchair accessible. I trudge to the show office to complain, since I had made it known we would need a bigger spot to accommodate the wheelchair. We're told that plenty of people would like bigger spaces and next year we will have to pay for what we want. Frustrated, I swing by the Tim Hortons and grab G. and myself some drinks to try to set the morning off on a bit of a better foot. When I get back, I see G. is talking to someone from show management, and we're being told we can't have our battery-operated lights at the show and instead have to purchase the show-provided hydro for $300 for the weekend. I step in and threaten to leave the show entirely if we aren't moved to an accessible location and allowed to use our own lights. Miraculously, a solution is found. $3.76

10 a.m.  After the morning rush, I'm glad to leave the show. First, I stop by Shoppers with our Save the Dates. Stamps cost $49.39, which I put on my business account because stamps are technically a business expense, anyway. Next, I pop by Dollarama for a few lint rollers. My coat has gotten covered in dog fur and looks less than professional ($5.65). On my way back, I stop by the gas station and fill up for $54.80  I can't believe how cheap gas has gotten lately! Usually it's around $80 to fill up my mom-van. I stop at the Timmie's there and grab a donut and tea to tide me over until dinner ($3.72). $113.56

1 p.m.  I stop by a mall to sit and work on some more business stuff. G. texts to let me know he thinks he forgot to pay the lady at our show yesterday. I call, and she processes my credit card over the phone for $180.80  the correct amount this time. While I have her on the line, I negotiate some more dates for next year and try to get on her good side a bit. I end with an awkward: "Hope you and your family are enjoying this season of giving thanks" and wonder how actual adults can end conversations without sounding like a Hallmark card. I breathe a sigh of relief that the rest of my work for today is mostly email-based. $180.80

2 p.m.  I go through the records from our last two weeks of venues, work out where I can afford to put which expenses, and pay off the rest of one of my credit cards with the money we made from yesterday's show. While working on my accounting spreadsheet, a $104.75 check goes through for a show we did last week. Once that's done, I call my mom to check on the dog. He's doing well and can't wait to see us, she says. I get back to answering emails until it's time to go back to the show. $104.75

5 p.m.  I get back to the venue and realize I forgot my exhibitor badge at my booth. I try to explain to the guy at the parking payment booth, but he insists if I don't have my badge I need to pay to get in. These guys are being sticklers about everything here. I pay the $13 and go in. $13

6 p.m.  I get back to our table, and G. tells me the day has been slow, unfortunately. I stand for a bit while G. eats the chicken bruschetta salad I packed for dinner. Once the show is over, we pack our valuables, cover up the table, load up the van, and head back in for the "afterparty." At the party, I grab a pretzel, and G. gets a hamburger and some ice cream. Everything is covered by the show's management, luckily. Someone familiar and professional-looking comes up and shakes my hand  he asks us a bit about what we do, so I return the question. Without hesitation he says: "Oh, I'm the Prime Minister!" Whoops. Knew I knew him from somewhere. I politely shake his hand again and walk away, internally screaming that I just asked the Prime Minister what he does for a living. We head back home shortly after, picking up the dog on the way. I have a quick shower, give the dog his medications, and then browse through my phone in bed until it's time to sleep.

Daily Total: $415.87

Day Five

10 a.m.  I wake up, get dressed, and take the dog out for a walk. G. is at the show again today, so the dog and I do a full circuit around the block before he seems too tuckered out. When we get home, I put on some tea and give him his medications. I check my banking  $6.17 went through in credit/debit fees from the show yesterday. I put the little money we did make at the show yesterday on my business credit card  all the suppliers I asked to wait before charging me are going to want to get their money soon, and it has to be put on that card. I browse the internet a bit while enjoying my tea and the quietness of the house. $6.17

11 a.m.  I work on more accounting things throughout the morning  payroll taxes are due soon, and I want to get them out of the way. I've already paid my employees for this month luckily, but the government wants their part of that too. I work it out to $334.30 and send it through their horribly outdated system. Once that's done, I call my mom up to help me look at "stag and doe" venue options. Before she picks me up, I make sure the dog's cone is secured properly, grab some money, and switch out the tattered shoelaces on my worn-but-working winter boots. $334.30

12 p.m.  Mom drives me to a legion hall where we talk to the volunteer who handles bookings. We're careful not to use the phrase "stag and doe," as it obligates them to request certain permits, so instead we use the phrase "engagement party," which tends to get us a lot further into conversations. This hall looks absolutely lovely, and has all the amenities we're looking for, including the ability to serve and sell our own alcohol. I put that on the top of my list for potential places to rent, and we pop by a small chocolate shop to chat. I spend $19.21 on a chocolate-covered apple and two London Fogs before we head out to see location #2. $19.21

2 p.m.  When we get to the next hall, I realize their rental space is up four flights of stairs. They don't have an elevator, so that solves that question quickly. We head over to the next hall, where we are told the hall is only rented to Portuguese people, because the lady who handles hall rentals can only speak Portuguese. 0/2 on this outing. We stop in at Fortinos for a few groceries before heading back to my place. I pick up basil, tomato, spaghetti, strawberries, rice cakes, and a box of Smarties to snack on later. My mom drops me off after giving the dog lots of hugs and kisses. $18.48

11 p.m.  G. gets home late and is still hungry after eating the pasta I made him, so he suggests we go to Symposium for some desserts. I say sure, and we head out. It's absolutely frigid out, I can see my breath and regret agreeing to walk there, but it's really close, so it's fine. I had planned on just sharing a slice of cake, but they're doing two for one cake slices tonight, so we each get what we want. I had planned on saving some for tomorrow, but before I realize it I've eaten the entire slice. The bill comes to $26.10, which I put on my business account since G. worked today. We head back home. After giving the dog his meds, we get to sleep. One more day of work for G. and then he gets a day off! $26.10

Daily Total: $404.26

Day Six

10 a.m.  Another routine morning of dog walking, tea, and sitting down to get some work done. Luckily there aren't many emails I need to respond to, and G. says the show is going just fine today, so that's a relief. I count up the cash from the deposits I have to make from this week and get ready to run a few errands. I call my mom to help me out, and she lets me know she'll be over soon.

11 a.m.  Before my mom comes, I realize I have to place an order for stainless steel. Luckily this is mostly just updating inventories of what we had ordered previously  the same styles tend to always be in style. It doesn't take too long, and I send them about $1,130 for the order to be tracked and shipped today. My mom pulls up soon after I finish, so I put the dog's cone back on, give him his medications, and head out. First we deposit the cash I had from this week  $4,200, of which $2,531.46 goes on my personal credit card to fully pay it off. We're almost back to where we were pre-emergency vet bill, which is such a relief. $1,130

12 p.m.  Today's errands are actually fun ones! G. and I are planning a Halloween party, so I go with my mom to Costco and spend $197.98 there on decor, candy, and party foods. And I eat a lunch's worth of free samples. Then we pop over to the Michaels for craft supplies  I just need some craft foam, which comes out to $11.29. Over to the Home Depot for spray paint next, which sets me back $58.93 for four colors. (I'm spray painting the pumpkins in fun designs instead of carving them.) I also give my mom $150 plus $58.48 for gas, and then we head home. $476.68

5 p.m.  G. is just about done at the show today and tells me he had two coffees today out of the float money ($3.76). When he comes home I make some frozen ravioli for dinner before going off to work on some new crafts. I spend the rest of the night getting things ready for the Halloween party, and then head to bed thoroughly exhausted. $3.76

Daily Total: $1,610.44

Day Seven

12 p.m.  G. and I wake up late, though admittedly he had a much better excuse than I did. I get up, make us both smoothies, and get to work. The sales from this weekend were good enough to cover the orders I made last week, so I call up my suppliers and tell them they can process the sale now, for a total of $2,155.53. Ouch. $2,155.53

1 p.m.  G. and I head to the mall, a favorite day off activity because it easily consolidates a lot of minor errand-running into a nice time to walk and chat. First we swing by Walmart for some more pumpkins  $8.58 for six of them. Next we hop into the grocery store to pick up my birth control ($79.10, since it's not covered by the drug plan), and some milk, potatoes, and lettuce ($7.50). We walk around the mall a bit before heading to the church to vote in the municipal election. $95.18

5 p.m.  G. and I head over to my mom's place to drop off some cash for her to get the house painted. My parents are trying to sell their house but money can be tight, so I bring $300 by to help them out. My dad assures me he can pay me back on his next payday, but I don't anticipate that. We stay for lasagna and then head home. A productive day. A productive week, really. G. and I walk the dog and then cuddle and watch TV for the rest of the night. It's nice that he's home. $300

Daily Total: $2,550.71

Note: This OP's weekly total includes both her business and personal expenses.

Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

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I Make $150,000  & I Work From Home

Every Question You Have About Your Taxes, Answered

A Week In Philadelphia, PA, On A $63,400 Salary(Bloomberg) -- Uber is raising prices -- and narrowing some perks for drivers -- in New York City, where a new minimum wage rule is in effect.

Uber Technologies Inc. will increase the price of trips in the city starting Friday in response to the new rule, it said in a statement to Bloomberg. In addition, because the rule requires that drivers be compensated for their return trips after taking riders outside the city, some out-of-town fares will incur a surcharge. A representative of the San Francisco-based company declined to say how much more expensive rides would become.

Lyft Inc. is also raising prices, and also citing the new minimum wage. In an email it sent to drivers Friday, it said that riders will see increased fares, which may lead to fewer rides as people find alternative ways to travel around the city. Lyft, too, declined to say how much its prices would rise.

On top of those price hikes, Uber and Lyft passengers in much of Manhattan will start paying $2.75 more per trip, and 75 cents per trip for group rides. Those are separate, state congestion surcharges that a New York Supreme Court judge ruled Thursday could take effect while a challenge from taxi drivers and medallion owners proceeds.

More: A New Yorkers Guide to the Hailing-App Price Hikes and Taxi Surcharges

As for its New York City drivers, Uber said, some offers of bonus pay may no longer be available, and starting in May its premium Uber Black service will be restricted to drivers with at least a 4.85 customer rating out of 5. As of September, it will additionally be restricted to those with a vehicle from a narrowed list of options. Passengers will now have five rather than two minutes to arrive at the pickup point, though drivers will get paid more for the time they spend waiting after that.

On the other hand, Uber drivers will get their raise right away. The wage rule, passed in December by the citys Taxi and Limousine Commission, guarantees drivers minimum gross pay of $27.86 an hour, so that their pay after expenses will be at least $17.22 an hour. Both Lyft and Juno filed lawsuits Wednesday to block the rule. Lyft said in its suit that the rule, which ties minimum pay to how often drivers have a rider in their vehicles, gives an automatic and perpetual advantage to Uber, a leader in the app-based ride-hailing industry.

Story continues

Judge Andrea Masley set a March 18 hearing and in the meantime offered companies the option of placing the additional pay in escrow pending her decision. The Independent Drivers Guild, an advocacy group affiliated with the International Association of Machinists and whose funders include Uber, rebuked the escrow option.

Shame on Lyft and Juno for prolonging the suffering for their drivers -- thousands of hardworking New Yorkers -- and their families, the groups founder, Jim Conigliaro Jr., said in a statement. He said keeping the raise out of those drivers pockets would backfire on the companies by creating a competitive advantage for Uber.

More: Lyft, Juno Sue to Block $17 Minimum Wage for Drivers in NYC

Lyft, also based in San Francisco, said requiring minimum payments per trip and per hour encourages drivers to focus on shorter trips in more congested areas and makes it harder to offer cheaper fares when theres less demand.

Still, spokesman Adrian Durbin said, even as it fights the rule in court, Lyft will pay its New York City drivers enough to equal the total amount the rule requires, but on a weekly basis. For some rides, Lyft might pay less than the required minimum, if other rides make up the difference.

Juno didnt respond to an email seeking comment.

More: New York City Taxi-Surcharge Plan Moves Forward After Ruling

Uber, which isnt challenging the rule, said Thursday it had told the court that we do not intend to hold back any portion of drivers earnings.

The minimum-wage rule is part of Mayor Bill de Blasios effort to cap the growth of the app-based car services and reduce traffic congestion.

The Lyft case is Tri-City LLC v. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, 151037/2019. The Juno case is Omaha LLC v. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, 650574/2019. Both are in New York State Supreme Court (Manhattan).

(Updates with comments from Lyft below the blue link about Lyft and Juno suing.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Eidelson in Washington at jeidelson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wes Kosova at wkosova@bloomberg.net, Peter Jeffrey, Mark Milian

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.BEIJING, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. trade delegation will visit China in mid-February for a new round of talks, President Donald Trump told Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

The delegation is to be led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, it added.

Liu, who met Trump in Washington during a visit for trade talks, told him that Chinese President Xi Jinping was willing to stay in close touch with him, Xinhua said.

Xi believed the two sides should strive to reach a mutually beneficial trade pact as soon as possible, Liu added. (Reporting by Michael Martina, Min Zhang and Se Young Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)iStock(MOSCOW) -- President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russias military to begin developing new medium-range missiles in response to President Donald Trumps announcement that the United States is leaving a key Cold War nuclear arms treaty.



Putin announced that Russia was also suspending the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces, or INF treaty, a day after the U.S. said it was pulling out of the 1987 agreement over alleged Russian violations.



At a televised meeting with his foreign and defense ministers, Putin ordered his military to begin developing new ground-launched hypersonic missiles with an intermediate range, and to also begin converting previously sea-based cruise missiles for ground launch -- the deployment of which was banned under the treaty.



But Putin said Russia would not deploy the missiles unless the U.S. deployed its own.



Our response will be symmetrical, Putin told his officials. Our American partners have stated about suspending their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending ours. They have stated that they are doing research and research and development, and we will do the same.



The INF treaty, which was signed by then-President Ronald Reagan with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned Russia and the U.S. from developing ground-launched missiles with a range between 310 and 3,100 miles. It removed part of the specter of nuclear attack that then hung over Europe and is seen as having helped build the trust between the two enemies that eventually led to the end of the Cold War.



Trump in a statement on Friday announced the U.S. was suspending its compliance with the treaty and said it would withdraw altogether in six months unless Russia came back into compliance. The U.S. for years has accused Russia of secretly developing a cruise missile with a range that violates the treaty, something Moscow has always denied.



In the statement, Trump said that if Russia did not comply by destroying the missiles, We will move forward with developing our own military response options, and will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct.



At their meeting in the Kremlin, Putin asserted the U.S. was already developing missiles in violation of the treaty, and therefore Russia would do the same. He approved a proposal by his defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, to also begin converting Russias Kalibr cruise missiles -- which are currently sea-based due to the INF treatys restrictions -- so they can be launched from land too.



We start from the position that Russia will not deploy, if these missiles appear, neither in Europe nor other regions of the world, weapons of intermediate range so long as in the corresponding regions of the world similar weapons of American production do not appear, Putin said.



Trump administration officials, however, have previously said warnings that leaving the treaty risks a new arms race ignores that Russia has already developed and tested a missile that violates the treaty.



"When an agreement is so brazenly disregarded and our security so openly threatened, we must respond," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the State Department when he announced the withdrawal on Friday. Russia denies its missile, the 9M279, is in violation of the treaty.



The U.S. has already been conducting research on intermediate-range missiles in response to Russias alleged banned missile. Research and development is permitted by the INF treaty, provided there is no flight testing, and the Trump administration has said it would end the research if Russia returned to compliance.



But European countries, arms control experts and critics from both parties on Capitol Hill have expressed alarm at the U.S. exit, fearing it puts Europe under threat.



Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Trump administration "lacks a coherent strategy to address the threat new Russian cruise missiles pose to the interests of the United States and those of our allies."



Some analysts believe the U.S. is more likely to deploy the missiles in Asia to counter a rising threat from China. Although Trump administration officials in their statements Friday focused on Russias violations, in reality many experts believe the White Houses desire to leave the INF treaty has more to do with China.



American officials, and also some Russians, view the treaty as outdated in that it ties Russia and the U.S. from developing missiles, which China -- not restricted by treaty -- has already deployed on a large scale. In a visit to Moscow in November, National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has driven the push to leave, told Russian reporters that even if Russia destroyed its missiles, China would have to as well if the INF treaty were to be saved.



The beginnings of an arms race beyond the scope of the treaty have already seemed to appear. The U.S., Russia and also China have begun to develop hypersonic missiles and other new-generation weapons. Last March, Putin touted an arsenal of doomsday weapons he said Russia was developing, among them nuclear-armed underwater drones and also a hypersonic cruise missile.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.FILE PHOTO: A Tesla Model 3 car is displayed during a media preview at the Auto China 2018 motor show in Beijing, China April 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee

By Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said it will start taking orders in China on Friday for a lower-priced version of its Model 3 car, as it seeks to accelerate China sales hit by trade friction between Washington and Beijing.

The California-based firm said in a statement that Chinese customers will be allowed to place orders for a long range, rear-wheel-drive Model 3 variant whose price will start at 433,000 yuan (49,232 pounds).

Previously, the starting price for a Model 3 in China was 499,000 yuan, for an all-wheel-drive long range version. Tesla said earlier this year that it plans to start delivering Model 3 cars to customers in China in March.

Tesla currently imports all the cars it sells in China but is in the process of building a factory in Shanghai that will manufacture Model 3 cars in the initial phase.

Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on a post earnings call on Wednesday that Tesla's Fremont factory is focused almost entirely on building Model 3s for China and Europe.

"It's very important to get those cars, especially to China, as soon as possible. We hope the trade negotiations go well , but it's not clear. But we need to get them there while there's sort of a de facto - sort of a truce on the tariff war," Musk said.

Tesla has sent two ships and at least one cargo plane with Model 3 vehicles to China, a logistics source familiar with the matter said.

The company said in October that its China sales have been hammered after Beijing raised tariffs on imports of U.S. autos to 40 percent in July. China has since temporarily suspended the additional 25 percent tariff, reducing it to the 15 percent level.

Tesla has adjusted prices of its U.S.-made cars in China to keep its cars affordable in the country, a move also aimed at helping it fend off competition from a swathe of domestic electric vehicle startups such as Nio Inc, Byton and XPeng Motors.

Tesla has said that it wants to start production at its Shanghai plant in the second half this year and is aiming to build 3,000 Model 3 vehicles per week.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun in Beijing and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Sonam Rai; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Anil D'Silva)Companies across a range of sectors from airlines to securities firms have submitted updated guidance to the country's two stock exchanges (AFP Photo/WANG ZHAO)

Hundreds of listed Chinese companies have slashed their forecasts for 2018 earnings this week in a sign that an economic slowdown and worries over US-China trade friction are beginning to bite.

Companies across a range of sectors from livestock producers to airlines to securities firms have submitted updated guidance to the country's two stock exchanges, warning that their balance sheets deteriorated due to a range of factors.

A Bloomberg News compilation found that around 440 companies had made such disclosures on Wednesday alone, a day ahead of a deadline to do so.

Concern over China's economic slowdown has increased in recent months, especially after data revealed earlier in January showed that GDP grew 6.6 percent in 2018, the slowest rate in 28 years.

Analysts say some sectors of the economy also are under either direct pressure from the China-US tariff war or putting off investment and expansion moves until the dust settles.

Companies lowering their outlooks have included telecommunications supplier ZTE, China Life Insurance, China Southern Airlines, and a slew of others.

"We're only just seeing the beginning of deterioration in corporate earnings as the economy slows further," Yu Dingheng, a fund manager at Shenzhen Flying Tiger Investment & Management told Bloomberg.

"Things will continue to go downhill for firms seeing business slowing and even as the macro-economy recovers, these individual firms will never be what they were."

E-commerce leader Alibaba appeared to offer a ray of hope with its announcement Wednesday of earnings for the October-December quarter, with profit up 37 percent.

But Alibaba, seen as a bellwether of overall consumer sentiment in China, also said revenue growth slowed to 41 percent in the period, the slowest increase in more than two years.

A number of global brands across several sectors also have recently warned they will take a hit from China's deceleration.

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Apple stunned markets earlier this month when it said iPhone sales and overall revenues would be below most forecasts, citing economic weakness in China -- one of its biggest markets -- and the trade frictions.

Economists also say a year-long effort by China to rein in dangerously high levels of domestic credit had slowed economic momentum.

But research houses have noted bright spots in the economy such as e-commerce, and some predict that a resolution of the tariff war could lift a big weight off economic sentiment.

Full-year results for many Chinese companies are expected to be released beginning in March.(Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc.s Google became the most-profitable internet company by recruiting talented technologists and inspiring them enough to keep them around. That advantage may be slipping as some workers increasingly doubt the leadership and vision of Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, according to recent results from an employee survey.

The annual internal poll, known as Googlegeist, asked workers whether Pichais vision of what the company can achieve inspires them. In response, 78 percent indicated yes, down 10 percentage points from the previous year.

Another question asked if employees have confidence in Pichai and his management team to effectively lead Google in the future. Positive responses represented 74 percent of the total, an 18 point decline from a year earlier.

There were similar declines for questions about Pichais decisions and strategies, his commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the compensation the company pays, according the results, which were viewed by Bloomberg News. Google shares the results with all employees to make sure concerns are heard. This time, 89 percent of workers took the survey.

Wired reported some of the Googlegeist results earlier on Friday. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.

While the survey findings are still mostly positive, the declines are a worrying shift for Google, which prides itself on high employee morale, luxurious working conditions and high pay. If these things are beginning to erode, the company could lose talent to other technology companies, undermining its ability to build new services that drive its profitable advertising business.

Last year, tension between the company and employees exploded into the public realm. Workers clashed with management on a range of issues, including a lack of benefits for contract staff and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Thousands of Google staff staged a walkout after a report that the company gave large exit payments to executives accused of sexual harassment.

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Google added new questions to the latest survey, highlighting potential management concerns. Employees were asked if Google responds quickly and consistently to verified cases of proven misconduct. 53 percent responded positively. Staff were also asked if they understand how their compensation is determined, and 56 percent indicated yes.

Still, most Googlers arent leaving any time soon, with 82 percent of survey respondents saying they plan to be working at Google one year from now. That was down just 1 percentage point from the previous year. And 86 percent said they would recommend the company as a place to work.

Here are some of the other results from the Googlegeist employee survey:

Pichais decisions and strategies help Google do excellent work -- 75 percent positive, down 13 percentage points from the previous year. Pichai demonstrates a visible commitment to diversity and inclusion -- 79 percent positive, down 12 points.Google has the right priorities -- 66 percent positive, down 13 points.Im excited about Googles future -- 78 percent positive, down 11 points.Overall, my total compensation is fair and equitable -- 59 percent positive, down 11 points.My total compensation is competitive compared to compensation for similar jobs at other companies. 54 positive, down 11 points.At the present time, I am not seriously considering leaving Google -- 74 positive, down 2 points.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ellen Huet in San Francisco at ehuet4@bloomberg.net;Mark Bergen in San Francisco at mbergen10@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Alistair Barr

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Japanese manufacturing activity grew at the slowest pace in 29 months in January as export orders shrank sharply, a business survey showed on Friday, adding to signs that the U.S.-China trade war is inflicting more pressure on the slowing global economy.

The final Markit/Nikkei Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 50.3 on a seasonally adjusted basis from 52.6 in December, though it was up slightly from a preliminary reading of 50.0.

The index remained just above the 50 threshold that separates contraction from expansion on a monthly basis, but weakening exports and output suggest it could soon swing into contraction.

The grim factory readings from the world's third-largest economy "brought bad news for the global trade cycle at the start of 2019, with new export orders falling at the sharpest rate in two-and-a-half years," said Joe Hayes, Economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey.

"Anecdotal evidence suggested that sales of goods relating to semi-conductors had particularly suffered, which bodes ill for other Asian exporters."

The final index for new export orders was 46.0, down slightly from a preliminary reading and showing the fastest contraction in 2-1/2 years. Some survey manufacturers reported fewer sales to China and the United States.

Weaker demand from domestic and international customers prompted Japanese manufacturers to cut output for the first time in 2-1/2 years and to scale back purchases of raw materials and other inputs.

Business confidence weakened for the eighth month in a row.

Japan's export-oriented economy is sensitive to changes in global demand, particularly in neighbouring China, its largest trading partner. The Sino-U.S. trade war has disrupted supply chains on both sides of the Pacific, particularly for electronics.

Japan's exports in December fell the most in more than two years and there are worries they will fall even further if the U.S. carries out its threat to raise tariffs on Chinese goods on March 2 if a trade deal cannot be reached in current negotiations. The outlook for domestic demand in Japan was already looking shaky this year, with a sales tax hike planned for October.

Analysts polled by Reuters say the chances of a slide into recession are growing, though most believe the country will still eke out very modest economic growth in the coming fiscal year.

(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Kim Coghill)New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 70F. ESE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.A worker carries a container filled with drinking water at a railway coal yard on the outskirts of Ahmedabad November 25, 2013. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files

By Sudarshan Varadhan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government will increase spending on exploration of coal and lignite by 20 percent in the coming financial year but will slash funding for coal mine safety and conservation, according to the budget document released on Friday.

India is one of the world's largest consumers of coal and rising imports of the fuel are adding to a burgeoning trade deficit, prompting the government to invest in developing more domestic resources.

In the 2019/20 financial year that begins in April, the government aims to spend 6 billion rupees ($84 million) on exploration of coal and lignite, the document for the 2019/20 budget showed.

At the same time, it will cut spending on conservation, safety and related infrastructure development by about a third from last year to 1.35 billion rupees, according to the document.

India is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a coal miner, with one miner dying every six days on average in 2017, according to government data, but this will be the second straight year that the government has cut spending on safety.

The coal ministry said that coal companies had their own safety budgets.

State-run Coal India Ltd has a near monopoly, producing over four-fifths of the country's coal output. It allocated 8.6 billion rupees for safety-related expenditure for the year ending March 2019, up from 8 billion rupees a year earlier, the ministry said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

It did not say how much it would allocate for safety-related spending in 2019/20.

India scrapped a separate excise duty levied on coal companies, which was used by the federal coal ministry to shore up funds for enhancing safety, after it reformed tax policies in 2017.

The coal ministry said it had increased spending for exploration in 2019/20 to develop more coal blocks to increase domestic coal production and minimize imports.

"This will also enable (the) release of more coal blocks for auction/allocation," the ministry said.

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In 2018, India's thermal coal imports rose at the fastest pace in four years, according to two industry sources, despite moves by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to cut imports.

($1 = 71.4230 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Susan Fenton)Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Adelson have donated $500,000 to a fund that helps pay the legal fees of those caught up in the Russian investigation, CNN reports.

The fund, the Patriot Legal Expenses Fund Trust, was set up last year to provide assistance paying legal expenses for persons involved in the investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller or congressional committees, according to a draft document establishing the fund.

President Donald Trump and his immediate family members may not receive funds, but current or former campaign members or administration officials can. Members of the funds management are not allowed to be affiliated with the Trump campaign or administration.

The Adelsons donation is the largest to date, says CNN, but six-figure donations are not uncommon: Mar-a-Lago member Anthony Lomangino has given $150,000, real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer has given $100,000, and fellow casino mogul Phil Ruffin has given $50,000.

The specific fund recipients are not made public, but a filing with the Internal Revenue Service lists several law firms as beneficiaries. This includes Aegis Law Group; Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe; Jones Day; King & Spalding; and Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, CNN reports.

Sheldon Adelson is CEO of Las Vegas Sands, the worlds largest casino operator. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth is over $32 billion. Ahead of the 2018 midterms, he and his wife donated $112 million to Republican Super PACs. In November, Trump awarded Miriam Adelson with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 2016, Adelsons company paid a $9 million settlement to the Securities and Exchange Commission, ending a five-year probe into whether the Las Vegas Sands violated federal anti-bribery law.Many of cities in the Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, have had dangerously cold weather all week, breaking records by several degrees in some cases as temperatures dropped into the teens and 10s below zero. Some areas were as cold as the 40s and 50s below zero, and also dealt with stiff winds. Snow also accompanied the bitter cold at times, making the situation even worse. Unfortunately, the arctic outbreak may have led to the deaths of at least a dozen people, including a FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) employee.

Police said in a press release that the FedEx worker's body was found at a delivery hub in Illinois on Thursday amid sub-zero temperatures. The 69-year-old man worked at FedEx Freight in East Moline, where the body was discovered.

Captain Darren Gault said another FedEx employee found the worker's body between two of the company's semi-tractors around 9:30 a.m. Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said authorities weren't sure how long the body had been there before it was found, and Gault said there were no significant signs of foul play.

Gustafson also said the cause of death was unknown and that an autopsy was scheduled for Monday, February 4. An investigation was underway, with authorities making use of security cameras around the FedEx facility.

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Many other deaths may be connected to the prolonged, harsh weather, either due to road conditions or from people simply being out in the elements too long.

A Michigan man who froze to death in his neighborhood had been "inadequately dressed for the weather," officials said.

In a wind chill of -51 degrees, an 18-year-old student at the University of Iowa was found unresponsive a short distance from his dorm on Wednesday; he later died in a hospital.

A 60-year-old woman found dead in an abandoned house in Lorain, Ohio, was believed to have died of hypothermia, according to Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans.

On Tuesday, a man froze to death in a garage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having "apparently collapsed after shoveling snow," according to a medical examiner.

A man was fatally struck by a snow plow near Chicago on Monday, and in northern Indiana, a 22-year-old police officer and his wife died after a collision on icy roads.

Learn more today

Learn more today

Story continues

Among the other victims this week, according to local coroners, police and fire departments, are a woman found frozen to death inside a Milwaukee, Wisconsin apartment after the thermostat malfunctioned; two people in Buffalo, New York who died using a snowblower and/or shoveling; and a homeless man in Buffalo who was pronounced dead after being discovered inside a bus shelter.

A warm-up is in the forecast for this weekend, with daytime highs above freezing, but it's little comfort for those who have lost loved ones at the hands of Mother Nature.

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 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.(Bloomberg) -- Yoshua Bengio, a Canadian computer scientist who helped pioneer the techniques underpinning much of the current excitement around artificial intelligence, is worried about Chinas use of AI for surveillance and political control.

Bengio, who is also a co-founder of Montreal-based AI software company Element AI, said he was concerned about the technology he helped create being used for controlling peoples behavior and influencing their minds.

"This is the 1984 Big Brother scenario," he said in an interview. "I think its becoming more and more scary."

Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal, is considered one of the three "godfathers" of deep learning, along with Yann LeCun and Geoff Hinton. Its a technology that uses neural networks -- a kind of software loosely based on aspects of the human brain -- to make predictions based on data. Its responsible for recent advances in facial recognition, natural language processing, translation, and recommendation algorithms.

Deep learning requires a large amount of data to provide examples from which to learn -- but China, with its vast population and system of state record-keeping, has a lot of that.

The Chinese government has begun using closed circuit video cameras and facial recognition to monitor what its citizens do in public, from jaywalking to engaging in political dissent. Its also created a National Credit Information Sharing Platform, which is being used to blacklist rail and air passengers for "anti-social" behavior and is considering expanding uses of this system to other situations.

"The use of your face to track you should be highly regulated," Bengio said.

Bengio is not alone in his concern over Chinas use-cases for AI. Billionaire George Soros recently used a speech at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, to highlight the risks the countrys use of AI poses to civil liberties and minority rights.

Unlike some peers, Bengio, who heads the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (Mila), has resisted the temptation to work for a large, advertising-driven technology company. He said responsible development of AI may require some large technology companies to change the way they operate.

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The amount of data large tech companies control is also a concern. He said the creation of data trusts -- non-profit entities or legal frameworks under which people own their data and allow it be used only for certain purposes -- might be one solution. If a trust held enough data, it could negotiate better terms with big tech companies that needed it, he said Thursday during a talk at Amnesty International U.K.s office in London.

Bengio said there were many ways deep learning software could be used for good. In Thursdays talk, he unveiled a project hes working on that uses AI to create augmented reality images depicting what peoples individual homes or neighborhoods might look like as the result of natural disasters spawned by climate change.

But he said there was also a risk that the implementation of AI would cause job losses on a scale, and at a speed, thats different from whats happened with other technological innovations. He said governments needed to be proactive in thinking about these risks, including considering new ways to redistribute wealth within society.

"Technology, as it gets more powerful, outside of other influences, just leads to more concentration of power and wealth," he said. "That is bad for democracy, that is bad for social justice, and the general well-being of most people."

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy Kahn in London at jkahn21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Nate Lanxon

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The Chinese state agricultural conglomerate COFCO Group recently purchased a batch of soybeans amounting to "millions of tonnes" from the United States, it said in a notice on Saturday.

The purchase was part of the company's efforts to implement a "consensus" on trade agreed between China and the United States, it said in a notice on its website.

Soybeans have been a crucial element in simmering trade tensions between the two countries. China - the world's biggest soybean importer - cut off purchases from the United States in 2018, sending prices tumbling and leaving U.S. farmers struggling to sell off their record harvest.

Purchases ceased in July after Beijing slapped 25 percent tariffs on U.S. soybeans and other goods, retaliating against similar tariffs imposed by Washington.

The tit-for-tat trade war was enough to bring full-year Chinese soybean exports from the United States down to their lowest level since 2008, with shipments down by half at 16.6 million tonnes.

However, the two countries agreed a 90-day truce at the beginning of January, allowing China to resume purchases.

China offered to buy another 5 million tonnes of U.S. soybeans in the latest round of trade talks, a White House official said on Thursday.

However, market analysts warned that U.S. exports to China were unlikely to return to previous levels even if the two countries settled their trade dispute, with China expected to turn more to South America and other suppliers.

(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Paul Tait)Tucked away in boarding passes that most travelers toss away, are a wide range of free and discounted perks.

Bonuses include free ski lift tickets, complimentary wine tastings, as well as discounts on meals, ground transportation and adventures.

An airline ticket doesn't give passengers much in the way of "extras" like meals, cocktails or a reserved seat in the air. However, tucked away in boarding passes that most travelers toss away, are a wide range of free and discounted perks.

Bonuses include free ski lift tickets, complimentary wine tastings, as well as discounts on meals, ground transportation and adventures. There are even some extras available to railroad passengers as well.

Some of the deals, recently compiled by CNBC, are offered for limited times, or only during certain seasons, but others can be used multiple times. Read the details  and keep them in mind the next time you're quick to delete or toss your boarding pass after your trip.

Ski for free

Skiers can score a free lift ticket and, in some cases, free or discounted gear rental. All they have to do is show an Alaska Airlines boarding pass at a dozen ski resorts in places like Alaska, California, Colorado, and Utah, just to name a few. Most of the deals invite travelers to hit the slopes on the days they arrive or depart, and can represent a savings of up to $200.

At some resorts, such as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in North Lake Tahoe, guests who show a same-day boarding pass from any commercial airline receive a complimentary lift ticket for the day they arrive.

Tour wine country, ship a case for free

In Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of California, an Alaska Airlines (AA) boarding pass is a win-win for wine drinkers.

Through the airline's " Wine Flies Free " program, members of its Mileage Plan are able to check a case (12 bottles) of wine for free when flying domestically on AA, Horizon Air and SkyWest flights. The plan covers 29 west coast cities, including wine lover hotspots like San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

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In the wine regions of both Oregon and Washington, hundreds of participating wineries also offer complimentary tastings to anyone showing an inbound AA boarding pass and proof of Mileage Plan membership.

And, as part of Washington's Taste and Tote program with Alaska, the drop-off fee will be waived for one-way Hertz rental cars picked up in Yakima, Pasco/Tri-Cities or Walla Walla, and returned at one of the other two cities in the program.

Boarding pass deals from international carriers

Turkish Airlines passengers with layovers of between six and 24 hours in Istanbul can show their boarding passes at the Hotel Desk and join a free highlight tour of the city .

Separately, Korean Air's Excellent Boarding Pass program offers a full week of perks in Korea to passengers who hold onto their international boarding pass from an overseas region. Passengers traveling from Korea to an international destination can take advantage of boarding pass offers for a full month.

In Korea, the perks include discounts on everything from meals, attractions and cultural performances to cell phone rentals, rail tickets and medical services. Worldwide, the perks range from discounts at outlet malls in the United States and 30 percent off single visits to the aquarium, zoo and other attractions in Sydney, Australia.

Singapore Airlines' Boarding Pass Privileges program offers Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers a full month of discounts on hotel stays, car rentals, meals and local attractions. Deals are updated every six months, and include discounts on shopping, dining and spa services inside Changi Airport as well.

The Magic Boarding Pass program from Asiana Airlines offers passengers discounts on tours, transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping, theater and attractions around the world for up to a month after a flight.

Perks by land

The boarding pass perks aren't limited to air travelers. Amtrak and Eurostar riders get bonuses too.

In California, Amtrak has a discount offer on Disneyland Resort theme park tickets for passengers with reservations on the Pacific Surfliner . Many transit providers along the route also provide free bus or shuttle rides to passengers who show their Pacific Surfliner ticket. Train passengers are able to purchase discounted day passes for the Los Angeles Metro and San Diego MTS buses and trolleys in the Surfliner's Cafe Car.

A "Car Free" promotion in Santa Barbara offers discounts on tours, attractions and meals to Amtrak ticket holders as well.

And Eurostar boarding passes entitle passengers to 2-for-1 tickets on entry and special paid exhibitions at museums in destination cities including London, Brussels, Paris and Lille, France.





More From CNBC

Kerala: On Friday, an alleged operative of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was arrested in a joint operation by West Bengal Police Special Task Force and Kerala police arrested one terror suspect Abdul Matin from Kerala's Mallapuram. Abdul Matin, an accused in 2014 Burdwan blast case, is a resident of Assam. He fled the state following the explosion at Khagragarh in Burdwan district that killed two JMB operatives. According to authorities report the accused will be presented before the court today.

An official release from the NIA state that NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today,

also read Man and his girlfriend slits throats of wife and 3-year-old daughter

Case happen On October 2, 2014, a blast was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion unearthed the JMB unit and sleeper cells active in the state.

While studying at Shersah Madrasa at Kaliachack, Matin became an active member of JMB. He is one of the 15 persons who underwent training in Simulia Madarasa and Mokimnagar Madrasa along with other JMB operatives involved in the Burdwan blast case including Moulana Yousuf - the alleged mastermind of the blast, Nasirullah, Sahidul Islam, Jahidul Islam among others. The police had seized a huge cache of explosives, including IEDs and RDX from the blast site. Last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengals Hooghly district.

also read A man extorting money in the name of Chhota Shakeel was arrested by Mumbai policeBengaluru: Amid raging speculations on whether the Congress will field Sumalatha, wife of late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh, from the Mandya constituency, Karantaka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy clarified on Friday that JD(S) will not let go of the seat that is one of its party bastions.

Kumaraswamy made it clear that JD(S) will not cede Hassan and Mandya Lok Sabha seats to its coalition partner Congress. He said that Mandya was JD(S) stronghold and he cannot go against the feelings of the people and workers, while elder brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna said JD(S) was even ready for a triangular contest in Hassan.

Both Hassan and Mandya, where the BJP's strength is negligible, are currently held by JD(S), which Congress too is eyeing this time.

Talking about the candidacy of Sumalatha, Kumaraswamy said, "She can contest, no issues. Can you stop anyone from contesting an election in this country? Everyone one has the opportunity.

Maintaining that Mandya was JD(S) stronghold and people have nurtured the party there."

"Just because someone is contesting, can I go against the feeling of our people? We will decide on it when the time comes....I cannot go against the feeling of my party workers."



Some within the congress feel that that JD(S) will finally concede the seat for Sumalatha, as both Gowda and Ambareesh family share good bonding, party sources said.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting a large group of Ambareesh supporters, who had gathered to request her to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Mandya, Sumalatha said she needed time to decide about entering politics.

"I dont want to lose this bonding that Ambareesh shared with the people of Mandya. I need to think about it because this is not a small decision to take at haste. I also have to discuss with Congress leaders.

"I had no interest in politics earlier, but if I decide to enter politics, it will only be from Mandya," she said, adding that Ambareesh was associated with the Congress and the family too believed that "the party is theirs."

Ambareesh had represented Mandya, both in Assembly and Parliament from Congress. He had also served as a Minister in both the state and central government.Siwan (Bihar): A close aide of mafia don-turned-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin was shot dead late on Friday night, triggering tension in the town, a police official said on Saturday.

Superintendent of Police, Siwan, Naveen Chandra Jha said Mohd Yusuf, 40, was gunned down at a spot about half a kilometre from the Town police station area.

He received bullet injuries in his chest and died while being taken to a hospital by local policemen who rushed to the spot upon hearing the gunshots," Jha said.

A few empty cartridges have been recovered from the site of the incident. Investigations are on to identify the culprits. Adequate police deployment has been made to avert any untoward incidents," the SP added.

Yusuf, who was often seen alongside Shahabuddin's wife Hina Shahab and son Osama at public gatherings, is said to have hailed from the same village as the former RJD MP and used to live in a house close to the residence of the jailed politician.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar jail, serving life imprisonment in a double murder case.Pune (Maharashtra): In a huge embarrassment for Maharashtra government, a Pune court ordered the release of Dalit intellectual Prof Anand Teltumbde, barely 12 hours after he was arrested at Mumbai Airport by Pune police, here on Saturday.

The court ruled that Teltumbde's arrest was not only illegal but also amounted to a contempt of Supreme Court which had granted protection from arrest to the professor till February 11.

When asked what was the haste to arrest Teltumbde in an early morning operation from Mumbai, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodke guardedly said: "It was done are per procedures."

"We respect the honourable court's orders in this matter today (Saturday). Now any further step will be initiated only after the verdict of the competent court which he (Teltumbde) may approach for reliefs," Bodke told IANS shortly after the ruling.

It was around 3.30 am on saturday when a waiting team of Pune police accosted and arrested Teltumbde from the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when he landed here from Kerala.

Teltumbde, who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management, had earlier filed for anticipatory bail in a Pune sessions court. However, it was rejected on Friday paving way for the police action.

Later, after completing certain post-arrest formalities in Mumbai, he was whisked off to Pune and produced before a court.

In the court, his lawyer Rohan Nahar strongly argued that Teltumbde's arrest was illegal since the apex court had granted him protection from arrest till February 11, and demanded his immediate release.

He has been charged of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and also with the Elgaar Parishad, which allegedly triggered the January 1, 2018 caste riots and violence in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune.

Opposing his anticipatory bail plea, the Pune police had submitted evidences in a sealed envelope, claiming his activities as an alleged "urban Maoist" against which the law enforcers have launched a major offensive for the past one year.This item is available in full to subscribers.

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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Kottayam: Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has lauded Malayala Manorama's Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam for bringing unity among children and instilling a sense of service towards the society.



"I am delighted to be here. All the best wishes to the organisation celebrating its ninety years... Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam is a great organisation started by a great person doing a great service for the cause of the society," the vice president said after inaugurating the 90th anniversary celebrations of Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam on Saturday.

"Unity at all levels is the need of the hour and when you start from the childhood it will stay for long," he told the gathering at Mammen Mappillai Hall, Kottayam.

The role played by Balajanasakhyam in inculcating moral values in children and leading them towards a great future is praiseworthy, he added.

90th anniversary celebrations of Malayala Manorama's Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam

He lauded Manorama for going beyond its calling as a media organisation and doing service to the society. He also pointed out the huge impact Manorama has had on Kerala's literacy.

He exhorted the students to protect India's culture and work for the country's development. "No matter where you go in future, you should not forget our culture and your gurus," he said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

Pointing out the importance of gender equality, the vice president said that no Veda or Upanishad asks women to be shut indoors.

"We call India as our mother land not our father land. It's in our culture to respect women. I always swell with pride when I see girl students winning gold medals at universities," he added.

Nowadays, individuals are connecting more and more through technology. I am glad that Malayala Manorama, the pioneer newspaper of India, has made this initiative to bring the children together .

Naidu exhorted the students to protect India's culture and work for the country's development.

As a student, we used to be taught moral science. Now there is only science and no morals.

Goodness of Yoga

The vice president urged the students to take up exercises to stay physically fit and listed out the goodness of Yoga.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the initiative to promote Yoga - even suggested it in the United Nations. 172 countries, including the Latin American nations, have taken up the practice. Yoga is fast catching up.

Yoga has nothing to do with religion. Some people make unnecessary arguments. Yoga is one of the ancients arts that brings unity of body and mind, he said.

Yoga is for your body and not because of Modi, he added.

Malayala Manorama managing editor Jacob Mathew delivered the welcome address. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam presided over the function. Minister V S Sunil Kumar and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan MLA were also present at the event.

Governor P Sathasivam joined Vice President Naidu for a morning walk in Kochi on Saturday.

Naidu, who is on a 2-day visit to the state, landed at Kochi Naval Airport at 4:30pm Friday. He inaugurated the platinum jubilee celebrations of Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Friday. The vice president expressed concern over discrimination on the basis of caste, religion and gender in certain parts of the country and urged the student community to work towards eradication of such social evils. Naidu said it was imperative that equity be safeguarded and promoted in higher education. He said education was not only for employment but for enlightenment and enhancement of knowledge.

Read more: Latest Kerala news

Thiruvananthapuram: Outgoing KSRTC managing director Tomin Thachankary said that he loved the state transporter like a sweetheart.

The IPS officer who steered the money-losing corporation for 10 months leaves with a reputation for paying the employees on time every month. The latest payslip on Thursday included an increment in dearness allowance.

Thachankarys exit was as musical as his tabla-playing entry 10 months ago.

He chose a sad song to accompany his farewell speech on Thursday. He said that he had never vied with anyone to be the managing director of the KSRTC.



I loved the KSRTC like a sweetheart. I have only satisfaction while I look back. I have no ill will towards any political party. I do not think that anyone had erred. If I have hurt anyone in my attempts to revive the KSRTC, even they have supported me later on, he said.



Thachankary said that officers better not see the institutions they manage as their own if they did not want to be frustrated later on.



The corporation has distributed Rs 22.63 crore along with salaries by way of dues of NDR, LIC, PF and NPS.

One of Thachankarys proposals as the CMD, a fleet of electric buses, was included in Thursdays state budget.

Read more: Latest Kerala newsMalayala Manorama's editorial on April 16, 1910 read thus: When you start a newspaper for children, it takes at least a generation to spread the word. So a well-wisher with a good education has asked us to set aside some space for children in an established paper, in other words Manorama. And we have done so from this issue.

It was like opening a thousand schools all at once. That was when we started a children's section for the little ones to express their talent. A century ago, an idea was born to lead the children with an inclination to reading, writing and drawing to the world of creativity.

A month earlier, Manorama was offered at half the price for school students. Editor K C Mammen Mappila assumed the pen name of 'Kochettan' to write lovely and simple letters in the children's section.

Kochettan's geniality was inherited by 'Sankarachettan', the patron of the Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam, which was formed in 1929. 'Sankarachettan' was none other than my uncle K M Cherian.

The children's section was ahead of its time. The children were asked questions on the basis of legendary stories and best answers were given prizes. Original stories were published. A competition for girls let them show their sewing prowess by embroidering the word 'Manorama'.

Kerala was not yet born when the Akhila Kerala Balajanasakhyam was set up. The visionary Mammen Mappila gave the green light to a children's movement for the integration of princely states. The first member of the league of children was my father, K M Mathew. As I write this 90 years down the line, I am proud of being a part of the chain connected in time.

The Balajanasakhyam evolved in tandem with the intense days of the freedom movement. Mahatma Gandhi was welcomed in Kottayam by the members of the league in 1934. The league was led to the path of charitable activities by the kind words of Gandhi. 'The League of Pity Service' spearheaded the charity work.

Members of the league skipped a meal to contribute to the Quetta Relief Fund and volunteered to help the cholera-affected people of southern Travancore. Sankarachettan's call to promote education of the downtrodden created ripples in society. Balajanasakhyam worked ceaselessly except for the period when Travancore dewan C P Ramaswami Iyer locked down Manorama between September 10, 1938 and November 29, 1947.

Balajanasakhyam's demonstrations against casteism, protection of the poor and voluntary actions in the face of natural calamities energised the Kerala society. We have a lot of personalities in our social and political fields who drew from that energy.

In 2004, in the platinum jubilee year of the Sakhyam, it embarked on its most remarkable endeavour in cooperation with the Madras Medical Mission. 'Hridayapoorvam Sakhyam' brought the smiles back to 450 children with heart diseases.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 90th anniversary celebration of the Sakhyam in Kottayam on Saturday. I too line up with my little friends who have walked along with history. My heartfelt greetings to all friends.Kollam: The 2019 film festival conducted by the TKM college of Engineering concluded Sunday.

The film fest screened a plethora of movies ranging from debutante Rahi Anil Barve's fantasy/thriller, 'Tumbbad' to national award-winning director, VC Abhilashs 'Aalorukkam'.

The film festival, an initiative by the Film & Drama club in association with The Kerala State Chalachithra Academy (KSCA) opened up the stage for many aspiring film buffs and critics to have a one on one with some of the industrys greatest including an online interactive session with director-writer Anjali Menon.

The fest held many promo screenings including a documentary on Kollam Tourism by Visakh Vijayakumar an engineer turned film maker along with an interactive session by Kerala cinema's finest, Mr Shammi Thilakan.

Photo: Sooraj Ashraf

The third day was action packed with workshop sessions spear headed by cinematographer Fowzia Fathima along with directors Asha Achy Joseph and Jeeva K J followed by a panel discussion with national award-winning scriptwriter Sajeev Pazhoor.

The festival screened a total of 20 movies and saw an interactive session with the Aruvi star Adithi Balan and director of the controversial film, S Durga, Mr Sanal Kumar Sasidharan which proved to be quiet a crowd puller and a perfect curtain fall to the 4 day-long event.

Looking back, K K Ramachandra Pulavar reels out a row of episodes from his life as a puppeteer of an ancient Dravidian art that has gone through critical changes over the past half a century. The anecdotes bear despair and hope, much like the history of Tholpavakkoothu he has mastered as a member of a Tamil-speaking family that traditionally presents the form across their native central Kerala.

In 1968, for instance, eight-year-old Ramachandran was taken by his father to a feudal mansion in their neighbourhood off Shoranur in Palakkad district. The mission was to meet the one-time powerful Mooppil Nair who had ruled Kavalappara fiefdom. Master puppeteer Krishnankutty Pulavar had taken the little boy to present a weighty bunch of bananas as a mark of respect to the erstwhile chieftain of their territory. Mooppil Nair, their benefactor till a couple of decades ago, sported a benign smile and advised the boy to learn Tholpavakkoothu. There are no many artistes, Nair noted. Do work hard to rise in the field.

Cut to 2008, and Ramachandra Pulavar is in Jerusalem. It isnt his first visit to the Middle East city; the artiste was there the previous year to participate in a festival featuring puppetry from India, China and Indonesia. That month-long stint in August 2007 had prompted him to conceive a puppet show with Jesus Christ as the protagonist. The production went on to earn applause from audiences across the world.

The four decades between the two incidents above perhaps epitomise the way Tholpavakkoothu has flourished over time. Nonetheless, it doesnt mean the art-form has distanced from its conventional platforms. Tholpavakoothu continues to have its mainstay in Hindu temples, where the medieval Tamil epic Kamba Ramayana is presented in detailed format lasting nights together. From December-end, the koothumadam space for the show at rustic temples get lit up with 21 oil lamps in rows against a rectangular white curtain on which shadows of the mythological figures move to narrate their tales to the accompaniment of vocals and percussion.

The annual season is on again. It spans a good six months till May, says Pulavar, 58, in the middle of a hectic schedule across shrines in the adjoining districts of Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram. Traditional Tholpavakkoothu performances are held in around 85 temples there. Our (Kavalappara) troupe stages half of them. Even so, the master takes out time for allied activities outside of the conventional circuit: he is just through with a three-day workshop on puppet-making on the margins of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the countrys biggest contemporary art event.

Hard phase

Tholpavakkoothu underwent a hard phase for a quarter century starting from the 1960s, overlapping his toddler days to youthfulness. The royal patronage had thinned a lot. Neither did we get enough institutional support under democracy, he speaks about the period that lasted till the mid-1980s. Tholpavakkoothu had very few practitioners left. Temple administrations, themselves impoverished, were forced to contain our shows to its skeletal form. It looked our art was dying.

Even so, there were signs of revival. In 1968, the year little Ramachandran met Mooppil Nair, Tholpavakkoothu had its first performance outside a temple. That was in Thiruvananthapuram city as part of a milestone conference of Malayalis from across the globe.

Then, in 1972, the Union government hosted cultural event that featured Keralas Tholpavakkoothu. That was the first occasion for the masters of my art-form to perform themselves outside Kerala, notes Pulavar, who, however, wasnt included in the troupe that went upcountry. I was just a boy then, you know.

Six years thence, the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi convened a pioneering national puppetry festival. The organisers were particularly impressed with Tholpavakkoothu that retained much of its traditional aesthetics (including not resorting to electric bulbs for lighting). Social reformer and freedom fighter Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, who was an influential voice with the Akademi that is an autonomous body, began encouraging it in a big way.

Soon, in 1979, Tholpavakkoothu went abroad. Our debut trip to a foreign country. It was to Russia. Tashkent. For a global festival that had puppet shows from 55 countries. Tholpavakkoothu was Indias sole representation, recalls Pulavar, expressing gratitude to the encouragement from performing-arts scholar Venu G, who has penned a book on puppetry among others.

By that time, back home, Ramachandrans legendary father Krishnankutty Pulavar had started to make puppets on his own. That was a defining departure from convention, as the paraphernalia for the art were hitherto made by (underprivileged) communities that were into leather work. It happened de facto. My father noticed that quite a few puppets were slipping into a bad condition owing to poor maintenance. He didnt find it good to perform with worn-out figures. All the same, we didnt have enough money to get new ones, notes Ramachandra Pulavar. So, my father began repairing them. In the process, he learned more about puppet-making and garnered the confidence to cut new ones. Today, puppet-making is part of our family profession.

The younger members of the household today are of good help to the team leader. Pulavars sons, Rajeev K and Rahul K, are vital members of the Kavalappara troupe. By the turn of the present century, women too have begun finding slots in the performance as well as backstage activities. Ramachandras wife Rajalakshmi and their only daughter Rajitha are solid examples.

Rajeev, 29, was initiated into Tholpavakkoothu by his grandfather Krishnankutty Pulavar (1925-2000). I was four years old when grandpa would call me in the evenings, make me sit cross-legged in front of the lit lamp and ensure I reproduce the songs (of the Kamba Ramayana with 12,126 verses), he recalls. It wasnt easy, but then that is the rigour for anyone. Rahul later went on to learn from his father besides other masters such as Uppath Narayanan Nair and Palappuram Ramankutty Pulavar.

Adds Rahul, who is pursuing MA in folklore studies after a years study in theatre acting at the National School of Dramas Bangalore centre: Tholpavakkootthu requires more young artistes today. The art-form currently has half-a-dozen troupes.

The performance hours of Tholpavakkoothu in traditional spaces have come down of late, notes Ramachandra Pulavar, who was among the first batch of students to come out of a puppetry institution his grandfather founded in 1984 and later (in 2015) authored a book on the art form. It used to be for 10 hours from, say, 9.30 in the night. In fact, the death of (anti-hero) Ravana is ideally essayed in the sunrise hour, he recalls. Today, it starts around 10 in the night and ends in the small hours around 3 am. The verses, too, total only two-third of what we used to render earlier.

It was in 2004 that Pulavar sought to go for the first Tholpavakkoothu production that had its theme outside the Ramayana. That was Gandhikkoothu based on the life of the Mahatma. An hours production, which has now verbal versions in Hindi and English as well besides Malayalam and Tamil, he reveals.

This was followed by one on Jesus Christ; the production was called Yeshukkoothu. It has 15 episodes, starting from the birth of Jesus to the crucifixion, Pulavar talks about the project that was completed with the support of Malayalam professor V A Varghese of a college in Irinjalakuda of Thrissur district. This was by more productions on mythical and historical stories such as Mahabali (2009), the Mahabharata (2012), Swami Ayyappa (2015) and the Buddha (2017), besides those on AIDS awareness and against alcoholism.

Significantly, Tholpavakkoothu, which has two dozen members of puppeteers, helpers and musicians when presented full-fledged, is an art-form where the performers do not get to see their audience. We function along the narrow space between the lamps and the screen. The size of the crowd, if at all, least matters to us at temples. At the koothumadam (theatre), its our offering to (goddess) Bhagavati, says Pulavar. Back in his scenic Koonathara village by the broad Bharatapuzha river, the family is readying for yet another performance to be led by the master.President Trump on Friday defended his decision to pull US forces out of Syria and Afghanistan  a day after the Republican-led Senate voted to advance an amendment opposing plans for any abrupt troop withdrawal, Trend reports referring to New York Post.

I inherited a total mess in Syria and Afghanistan, the Endless Wars of unlimited spending and death. During my campaign I said, very strongly, that these wars must finally end, the president said in a tweet.

We spend $50 Billion a year in Afghanistan and have hit them so hard that we are now talking peace after 18 long years. Syria was loaded with ISIS until I came along, he continued.

We will soon have destroyed 100% of the Caliphate, but will be watching them closely. It is now time to start coming home and, after many years, spending our money wisely. Certain people must get smart! he said.

In a bipartisan rebuke to Trump, Senate Republicans and Democrats voted Thursday in favor of a nonbinding amendment drafted by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressing strong opposition to the presidents plans to withdraw US troops.

The measure said ISIS and al Qaeda militants still pose a serious threat to the US, and warned that a precipitous withdrawal of American forces from those countries could allow terrorists to regroup, destabilize critical regions and create vacuums that could be filled by Iran or Russia.

In December, Trump abruptly tweeted plans for a pullout from Syria, arguing that ISIS had been defeated, even though his intelligence chiefs have said the group remains a threat.

His announcement on Syria prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Trump also ordered the military to develop plans to remove up to half of the 14,000 American forces in Afghanistan.

This week, US intelligence chiefs publicly broke with Trump, contradicting several of his foreign policy positions by telling senators that ISIS has not been defeated, Iran is probably not producing nukes and North Korea is unlikely to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

In a Twitter broadside, Trump later ripped the intelligence community, calling the intel officials extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran.

Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school! he railed.

But on Thursday, Trump claimed his intelligence chiefs  including Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA Director Gina Haspel  told him that they were misquoted by the press, although their testimony was aired live.The United States on Friday called on Lebanon to deprive Hezbollah of all official funds after the Shiite militant movement took a record three cabinet posts in a long-delayed government, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya.

The United States stressed that it was ready to work with Prime Minister Saad al-Hariris new government, welcoming the breakthrough in the eight-month deadlock and saying that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hoped to visit Lebanon.

Nevertheless, we are concerned that Hezbollah, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, will continue to occupy ministerial positions and was allowed to name the minister of public health, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

We call on the new government to ensure the resources and services of these ministries do not provide support to Hezbollah, he said in a statement.

But the health portfolio makes it difficult for donors to avoid Hezbollah, which is under multiple US sanctions.

A donor meeting in Paris last year pledged $11 billion in low-interest loans and aid for Lebanon, hoping to avert disaster amid political and economic instability and the influx of 1.5 million refugees from neighboring Syria.

Palladino welcomed signals from Lebanese leaders that they would abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which established a ceasefire in 2006 after Hezbollah attacks triggered a devastating Israeli offensive on Lebanon.The US Coast Guard is searching for a small airplane that crashed into the ocean Friday afternoon off the coast of Palm Beach, Trend reports citing Local 10.

The plane involved is reportedly a Piper PA-32R that had two people onboard.

Coast Guard officials said the fixed-wing, single engine plane went down 23 miles east of Palm Beach.

Records show the plane left Palm Beach County Park Airport for the Bahamas around 1 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident.

No other details were immediately released.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Four members of the "Islamic State" (IS) were detained in Turkey, Trend reports via the Turkish media on Feb. 2.

The detainees tried to leave Turkey illegally.

The names of the detainees and details of the operation are not made public.

Twelve people were detained in Istanbul as part of an operation against the IS in December 2018.

On Nov. 5, a major operation was carried out against members of the "Islamic State" in 11 provinces of Turkey. Some 24 people, who were engaged in raising funds for terrorists in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya, were arrested.

Also, cash money of more than $500,000 and more than two million Turkish liras were confiscated during the operation. The names and nationalities of the detainees were not disclosed.

Meanwhile, 33 members of IS were detained in Istanbul in July.

As part of special operations in May 2018, the Istanbul police detained 51 members of the IS terrorist organization.

Syrian citizen Riad Haji Osman, one of the IS executioners, was detained during a special operation in Turkeys Adana Province on Apr. 13.

Kifah Bashir Hussein, the so-called minister of health of IS, was detained in Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey on Jan. 24.

On Jan. 12, the Turkish police detained the so-called minister of agriculture of IS, Tarik Ahmet.

In December 2017, a 28-year-old terrorist nicknamed Mahmud, one of the IS executioners, was detained in Turkeys Hatay Province on the border with Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluThe Central African Republic reached a peace deal with 14 armed groups following talks conducted in Khartoum, the United Nations said on Saturday, potentially ushering in a period of stability in the volatile country, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Central African Republic has been rocked by violence since 2013 when mainly Muslim Selaka rebels ousted then president Francois Bozize, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militias. U.N. peacekeepers were deployed in 2014.

We have finalized a peace agreement in Khartoum, enabling the people of Central African Republic to embark on a path of reconciliation, agreement and development, the African Unions Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smal Chergui, said in a tweet on Saturday.

The terms of the deal were not immediately released.

Conflict in Central African Republic has uprooted more than one million people, the United Nations said, and has until now shown little sign of abating.

The talks, which started on Jan. 24 with support from the United Nations and the African Union, were meant to stem the violence that has spread across the provinces and over which the overstretched armed forces have had little control.

Peace is not certain, despite the deal. Similar agreements in 2014, 2015 and 2017 all broke apart.

Still, a government spokesman said the deal heralded a new era for the country, while armed groups also expressed optimism.

Abakar Sabom, a spokesman for the FPRC, one of the main groups, said: We were able to agree on what is essential for the Central African: peace. We hope this agreement will bring back social cohesion to the country.President Moon Jae-in plans to hold a summit with the chancellor of Austria in mid-February to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday, Trend reports citing Yonhap.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, known as the youngest world leader, will make an official visit to South Korea from Feb. 14-15, according to Moon's office.

"President Moon will hold a summit with Kurz on Feb. 14 to discuss ways to promote cooperation with Austria, a powerhouse of smaller firms and cutting-edge technology," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said.

He added that Seoul plans to solicit Austria's support for Moon's efforts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula as the leaders of the United States and North Korea are set to hold a second summit in late February.

"The trip will help solidify the bilateral friendship and expand cooperation in such areas as e-government and science and technology," Kim added.The collapse of a Brazilian dam controlled by miner Vale a week ago likely happened because parts of the sand and dried-mud structure dissolved into liquid, a state regulator said in an interview, similar to what caused another deadly mining disaster less than four years ago, Trend reports citing Reuters.

With 115 people confirmed dead and another 248 missing, according to information from the rescue team on Friday evening, the tailings dam collapse in the town of Brumadinho could be Brazils deadliest mine disaster.

The burst tailings dam at the Corrego do Feijao mine last Friday has ignited intense public anger against Vale, which was co-owner of Samarco, the previous dam that collapsed..

Around 2,000 people gathered in Belo Horizonte, capital of the mining-intensive state of Minas Gerais which was home to both disasters, to protest against Vale, with some saying its top executives should be jailed.

I lost three of my students, said Aparecida Moreira, a teacher at a local law school. They are dead, and we dont know where their bodies are.

There were also demands for a congressional investigation.

An internal study showed the miner knew as recently as last year that some of the areas swamped with toxic mud were at risk if the dam burst, according to a report by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. Vale described the document as a routine disaster preparation plan required by regulators.

The disaster poses a headache for the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose new business-friendly administration must juggle public anger over the tragedy and its own desire to ease mining and environmental regulations to kick-start growth.

Hildebrando Neto, Minas Gerais deputy minister for environmental regulations, told Reuters late on Thursday that all evidence suggests that the burst was caused by liquefaction, whereby a solid material such as sand loses strength and stiffness and behaves more like a liquid.

Dams holding mining waste, known as tailings, sometimes collapse for this reason.

Major Brazilian TV outlets obtained dramatic security camera video showing the outer wall of the dam collapsing and an avalanche of mud crushing trees, houses and cars in its path. Closeups replayed throughout the day showed cars and people scrambling unsuccessfully to escape the dark red torrent.Israel's decision to eject observers in Hebron may be a breach of the implementation of the Oslo accords, the Norwegian foreign minister said on Tuesday, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post.

"The one-sided Israeli decision can mean that the implementation of an important part of the Oslo accords is discontinued," Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement to Reuters.

"The situation in Hebron is unstable and characterized by conflict," she said, adding that the end of the observer mission, which Norway has led for the past 22 years, was therefore "worrying."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to oust international observers from Hebron in late January, thereby breaking a 22-year agreement that has helped hold in place the 1997 division of the city between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The observer force, known as the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), operates under a mandate that is renewed twice a year by both sides.

We will not allow an international force to act against us, Netanyahu said in a statement to the press.Lithuania said Friday it has rejected a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move the remains of Vilna Gaon, a famed 18th-century rabbi, from Vilnius to Israel for reburial, Trend reports referring to The Times of Israel.

The issue was raised during talks between Netanyahu and his Lithuanian counterpart Saulius Skvernelis in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Skvernelis national security advisor Arnoldas Pikzirnis told AFP.

We received a kind request to consider whether the remains of Vilna Gaon could be relocated to Israel, Pikzirnis said.

The request was denied, he said, because Vilna Gaon is an inseparable part of Lithuanias Jewish community and Lithuania history.

Jewish community leader Faina Kukliansky, who also attended the Jerusalem talks, told AFP that removing the rabbis remains from Vilnius was out of the question.

Kukliansky said the legacy of rabbi and scholar Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman, known as Vilna Gaon, was a crucial part of the history of Lithuanias once thriving Jewish community.

Netanyahu first privately raised the idea when he visited Vilnius in August, a government source and a Jewish community source who met him during the trip told AFP.

A spokesman for Netanyahu in Jerusalem did not immediately comment.

Amir Maimon, Israels ambassador to Vilnius, also declined to comment but did not explicitly deny that Netanyahu made the request.

Vilna Gaon spent most of his life in Vilnius, then a hub of Yiddish intellectual life known as the Jerusalem of the North.

He died in 1797 at the age of 77, and was buried in the Snipiskes cemetery in Vilnius.

His remains were moved to a new cemetery on the capitals outskirts in the 1950s.

Before World War II, Lithuanias vibrant Jewish community numbered around 200,000 people.

Over 90 percent of them perished between 1941-1944 during the Holocaust at the hands of the Nazis and their local collaborators.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed decrees approving drafts of intergovernmental agreements with Russia on cooperation in the fields of transport security provision and competition protection. Respective documents were posted on the national legal internet portal on Saturday, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"To approve a draft agreement between the government of the Republic of Belarus and the government of the Russian Federation on cooperation in the area of competition protection as a basis for negotiations," the paper says.

The decree authorizes the countrys antimonopoly regulation and trade ministry to sign the agreement, while the ministry of transport and communications has been tasked with conducting the talks on the draft agreement on transport security cooperation.Northern Ireland police said on Friday two men were shot in paramilitary style attacks at about 8 p.m. in two locations in the Ballymagroarty area of Londonderry, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Innocent residents shouldnt have to worry about criminal thugs shooting people outside their homes, the police department said in a tweet.

On Jan. 19, a car bomb detonated outside a courthouse in Londonderry. No one was injured in the blast, which was later claimed by a group calling itself the IRA.

The incident highlighted the threat still posed by militant groups opposed to a 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of violence in the British-run province.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the EU finally announced the creation of a financial settlement mechanism that allows European companies to trade with Iran without the threat of falling under the US sanctions. That, at least, has been declared by the E3.

However, havent the Europeans overestimated the effectiveness of this mechanism?

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed that this step is intended to demonstrate that we are still ready to fulfill our part of the commitments undertaken, and, as a response, we expect that Iran will also fulfill its part.

What he can get from Tehran is an equally stereotypic answer: In itself, this step doesnt have to mean much. We are ready to continue fulfilling our commitments, but only in case if this mechanism really works.

Tehrans fears are not unfounded.

European banks do not have an independent financial system for monetary transactions as they are all connected to SWIFT.

The weakness of the created mechanism is that it is transparent, not gray, as it would be, for example, in reciprocal payments with India or Oman. Therefore, it will be easy for the US to identify those who try to use the mechanism, even if the system masks the purchasers.

Big business has left Iran. The expectations rely on small and medium-sized businesses, focused mainly on the supply of essential goods and medicines, which are unlikely to have a significant impact on the sanctions regime.

As well, the US will certainly claim that Iran has not implemented all FATF recommendations yet: two bills  allowing Iran to join UN conventions against terrorism financing and organized crime  have been approved by parliament, but are still being delayed by higher authorities, including Irans Guardian Council. This, in turn, can impede small and medium European companies to invest in Iran.

Therefore, the same question is rising again: have the Europeans overestimated the importance of this move?

The answer one is going to say: possibly yes, they did. But no, they didnt, because the matter is not in the new mechanism.

Just remember the words of the French President Emmanuel Macron about the presence of Total, Peugeot and Airbus in the Iranian market. He then said it was up to the companies to decide: We're not going to impose on French businesses to stay in Iran. The President of the French Republic is not the CEO of Total.

This means the EU will not be responsible for failure of SPV, if any.

European decision-makers are well aware that Iran simply has no alternative but to put a good face on things. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had nothing but to welcome the move and say that European partners finally took a long overdue first step.

Despite recurrent threats of the Iranian hardliners to withdraw from the nuclear deal and to commence enrichment of uranium, Iran will never be the initiator of the exit from the JCPOA  which is so expected by the United States  as in this case Tehran will face a complete isolation, as it happened before 2015. European leaders are well-aware of this, just as Iranians are.

Recently, one of the close supporters of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Ayatollah Ahmad Giannati has said: Europe is no better, if not worse, than the United States. The EU is only wasting time. Dependence on Europe is sheer stupidity.

A few days later, Mohammad Javad Jamali, a member of the National Security Committee of the Parliament, told Mehr News Agency that "despite the contradictions between the US and Europe on some issues, we should not assume that Europe is on our side, because the US has a huge impact on the political and economic spheres of the EU."

Europe has the most pleasant role in this business. In case of Iran's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the EU will immediately join the US sanctions, but if not, then ... sorry, but that's all we can do for you at the moment. That is, almost nothing.

The EU has made a half-hearted, if not unprincipled, decision: to appease Iran and at the same time not to anger the US. National governments are afraid that Washington can punish them politically, or even by the introduction of additional sanctions, the Financial Times said citing one of the European officials.

The attempt to maintain the current status quo by the use of SPV may, oddly enough, in the foreseeable future do a great disservice to the participants of the process and become a catalyst for the final destruction of the JCPOA.

After some time, if it becomes clear that the new mechanism is stalling or not working at all, and the EU actually sold a castle in the air to Iran, it will clearly highlight the hopelessness of the Iranian position. What will the Iranians do?

We can only assume how a man can behave, cornered.Details added (first version posted at 09:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

In the morning of Feb. 2, a terrorist group attacked a Basij forces base in Nik Shahr county of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said, Trend reports Feb. 2.

As a result of the attack, one member of IRGC died, other five got injured.

Jaish al-Zolm, a terrorist group, has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Investigation is underway and measures are being taken to detain the perpetrators.

Basij is one of the five forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

In the morning of Feb. 2, a terrorist group attacked a Basij forces base in Nik Shahr county of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said, Trend reports Feb. 2.

As a result of the attack, one member of IRGC died, other five got injured.

Jaish al-Zolm, a terrorist group, has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Investigation is underway and measures are being taken to detain the perpetrators.

Basij is one of the five forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.Baku, Azerbaijan, February 2

Trend:

Bahrom Ashrafkhanov has been appointed deputy minister of finance of Uzbekistan for social issues in accordance with the presidential decree dated February 1, Trend reports via the press service of Uzbek Ministry of Finance.

Prior to his appointment, he served as Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegas and before that he was Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Russia in 20162018.

Bahrom Ashrafkhanov was born in 1969 in Tashkent. He is a graduate of the Tashkent State University of Economics with a degree in International Monetary and Credit Relations (1993). From 1993 to 1994, he studied at the University Of Kentucky (the USA).

He was the representative of AIG Trading Group in Central Asia in 19941998, the general manager of the Uzbek-American insurance company UzAIG in 19982000, and the first deputy head of this company for the next two years.

In 2002-2007, he was Deputy Minister of Finance and Head of the State Inspectorate for Insurance Supervision of the Ministry of Finance.

In 20072016, he worked as Deputy Minister of Finance and Head of Treasury of the Ministry of Finance.Baku, Azerbaijan, February 2

Trend:

The increase in demand for currency in 2018 was covered by exporters and the use of foreign exchange reserves for these purposes has decreased from 53 percent to 37 percent, Central Banks First Deputy Chairman Timur Ishmetov told Gazeta.uz, Trend reports.

First of all, Timur Ishmetov spoke about the dynamics of the exchange rate of Uzbek soum to dollar in 2018.

The exchange rate is now relatively stable. However, if we consider the exchange rate at the beginning and at the end of the year, it has devalued by 2.7 percent. There was a time when it rose in January-February, then decreased, then strengthened again, there was a certain rate volatility under the influence of market mechanisms and seasonal factors at those moments when, traditionally, due to seasonal factors, more currency was flowing than was spent, the rate strengthened and vice versa. From my point of view, this is positive. The difference between the minimum and maximum points of the exchange rate reached 7 percent. The market participants are getting accustomed to the fact that the exchange rate should be volatile and the business should somehow adapt to work in such conditions, Ishmetov said.

In addition, the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank said that the market and exporters independently covered the increase in demand for foreign currency in 2018.

He noted that business entities, legal entities bought one and a half times more currency and doubled the sales in 2018.

Timur Ishmetov stressed that there are no de facto problems with currency exchange and its purchase by the population.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

Trend:

Uzbekenergo stressed that last year Uzbekistan and Tajikistan did not conclude a contract for sale and purchase of electricity for winter, Trend reports via Gazeta.uz.

There is no contract for supply of electricity in winter with Tajikistan. From April to October, we received about 1.5 billion kWh of electricity from Tajikistan to the Surkhandarya Region. In its turn, Uzbekistan supplied electricity to the Sughd Region [of Tajikistan]. We always pay our debts," the company explained.

Earlier, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Usmonali Usmonov said that after a long break, the city of Konibodom in Spitamen District and other settlements of Sughd Region began to receive 3 million kWh of the Uzbek electricity daily, and southern Uzbekistan began to receive 17 million kWh of the Tajik electricity.

Uzbekenergo confirmed that from April to October of this year, Tajikistan plans to export 2 billion kWh of electricity to the southern Uzbekistan, which is 500 million kWh more than last year.

A meeting of the parties should be held in February to discuss the issue.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.2

Trend:

Tajik government plans to increase the supply of Uzbek gas from 54 million cubic meters to 200 million cubic meters to provide 25 enterprises and workshops in 2019, Trend reports via GazetaBirja.

The first deputy head of Tajiktransgaz stressed that there are principal agreements on the supply of natural gas from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan. Currently, the repair of high-pressure gas pipelines is a major issue in Tajikistan which has become outdated due to the lack of supply in recent years.

It is planned to repair medium and low pressure pipes in order to provide gas to consumers in the future.

Thus, Tajikistan will become one of the countries buying Uzbek natural gas in large quantities.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 2

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Magtymguly Bairamdurdyev has been appointed Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to a decree of the country's president.

Turkmenistan grows cotton, wheat, rice and sugar beets. Some 545,000 hectares of land are allocated for cotton. Last year, about 1.1 million tons of cotton were harvested, just like the year earlier.

Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan and uses water resources in accordance with the agreed quotas from four trans-boundary rivers, Amu Darya, Tejen (aka Hari in Afghanistan), Atrek and Murghab.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 2

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The growth of Turkmenistan's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018 was 6.2 percent, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at a government meeting, Trend reports via Turkmenistan TV channel.

Moreover, 1,704 facilities worth about $10 billion were built and put into operation in the country.

Turkmen State News Agency had earlier reported that in 2018, the growth in output compared to 2017 is 5 percent. Investments from all sources of financing in 2018 amounted to 40.3 billion Turkmen manats, of which 63.7 percent was allocated for construction of industrial buildings and 36.3 percent for social and cultural projects.

Turkmenistan, according to a report of BP, ranks fourth in the world in terms of natural gas reserves and exports its gas to China and Iran.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

The Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan is completing work on the signing of an agreement on air communication between the governments of Kazakhstan and the United States on the open skies principle, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

Earlier, on September 21, 2018, the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and the United States held talks in Washington.

The procedure of coordination of the text of the intergovernmental agreement on air communication, which is planned to be signed in the near future, is currently being completed.

The signing of this agreement will create a legal basis for opening direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States.

At the recent enlarged meeting of the government, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed to create direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States, as well as with Japan.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidTehran, Iran, Feb. 2

Trend:

A member of the Iranian Chamber of Commerces International Committee said several Chinese banks have been active in the Iran-China trades.

Pointing to the Iran Central Banks efforts to establish banking relations with several banks in the world, Sayed Hussain Salimi said: "Iran is currently providing money transfer paths to China, India, South Korea and some other countries."

"In addition to Kunlun Bank, several other Chinese banks have announced readiness for money transfers with Iran," said Salimi, Trend reports citing Iranian media.

He stressed that the Central Banks efforts to circumvent banking sanctions continue.

On Jan. 31, three European countries  France, Germany and the UK (shortened as E3)  officially announced the creation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), a special purpose vehicle, to allow them bypass US sanctions on trade with Iran. INSTEX facilitates non-dollar trade with Iran, allowing European companies to trade with the Islamic Republic without being hit by the sanctions.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The ECO Trade and Development Bank (ETDB), headquartered in Turkey, has extended $6.83 million worth funds to Azerbaijan by the end of 2018, Trend learned from the Bank.

"Over the past years, Azerbaijan has been demonstrating encouraging economic development and ETDB is making sincere efforts to support fundamental reforms being carried out by Azerbaijan in attaining sustainable development," said ETDB.

In cooperation with the Azerbaijans financial sector, ETDB said it was able to extend its financing programs in favour of development of SMEs and trade finance.

"The new country partnership strategy document 2019-2020 for Azerbaijan is under preparation and the operations of the Bank in Azerbaijan are expected to grow over the coming years. Recently, the Board of Directors decided to extent further support to the new members of the ETDB including the Azerbaijan and provided the opportunity for them to avail maximum financing up to three (3) times of their percentage share in the paid-in capital of the Bank."

In general, macroeconomic stability and the favourable business environment in Azerbaijan is strengthening which offer a wide range of business opportunities, according to the Bank.

"Therefore, ETDB would put all its efforts to contribute and partnership towards financing development projects for the dynamic and balanced pace of growth in the country. Specifically, in close collaboration with the partners in financial sector, fostering trade finance and support development of SMEs would continue to be the main focus of operations. Meanwhile, in support of diversification of economy, the ETDB will look into investment opportunities in realization of development projects in various sectors including agriculture, rural infrastructure, transport, transit and logistical infrastructure, manufacturing, tourism, etc.as well."

The ECO Trade and Development Bank is a regional multilateral development bank established under the auspices of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to promote socio-economic development and intra-regional trade amongst its member states.

The ETDB was established in 2005 with its headquarters located in Istanbul, Turkey. The bank started its operations in 2008.

Azerbaijan became a member of the bank with a 2.98 percent share in 2013.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Since the resumption of production in 2016 until the end of 2018, more than 22.4 million tons of oil was produced at the Kashagan field in Kazakhstans sector of the Caspian Sea, the field operator North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) told Trend.

At the same time, the company produced more than 6.5 billion cubic meters of gas and over one million ton of sulfur at Kashagan.

"We are making every effort to reach full design capacity of 370,000 barrels per day in the shortest possible time," NCOC noted.

It should be noted that Kashagan oil field in the northern part of the Caspian Sea is one of the largest oil fields discovered in the last 40 years. Its recoverable reserves are estimated at approximately 9-13 billion barrels of oil. In 2017, NCOC produced 8.29 million tons of oil from the field.

NCOC shareholders are KMG Kashagan B.V. (16.9 percent), Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V. (16.8 percent), Total E&P Kazakhstan (16.8 percent), Agip Caspian Sea B.V. (16.8 percent), ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. (16.8 percent), CNPC Kazakhstan B.V. (8.3 percent) and Inpex North Caspian Sea Ltd. (7.6 percent).

The company also informed that in addition to Kashagan, there are other opportunities for further growth within the license block of the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement. This is the development of fields such as Aktoty, Kairan and Kalamkas-Sea.

"The main concept is a joint development of the Kalamkas-Sea field and the neighboring Khazar field of Caspian Meruerty Operating Company (Production Sharing Agreement for the Zhemchuzhina block). Joint development will maximize synergy and increase the economic profitability of the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar projects," the message reads.

Preparatory engineering work is ongoing and NCOC plans to provide a proposed development plan in the second half of 2019.

The concept of joint development is widely used in other, more developed, oil and gas regions (the North Sea in the UK and the Gulf Coast in the US) for the development of smaller and more profitable deposits. However, the joint development of the Kalamkas and Khazar fields will be the first such project in Kazakhstan.

NCOC also noted that the company plans to attract local suppliers of goods, works and services for all future projects.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Kazakhstan will start exporting oil products, except diesel fuel, in March 2019, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

"In the first quarter of this year we will have an excess of gasoline, fuel oil and jet fuel. We expect the export of our oil products mainly to the countries of Central Asia," Energy Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev said.

He noted that negotiations with Kyrgyz partners are being completed in Almaty, and next week the Parliament of Kazakhstan will consider the ratification of the agreement with Russia, with which there was a ban on the export of oil products in the previous agreement.

"Therefore, we assume that probably in March, by the end of the quarter, we will start exporting," Bozumbayev said.

The minister also noted that in 2018 the price of AI-92 gasoline was decreasing, and at the same time there was a rise in prices for diesel fuel. This rise was due to the seasonal growth of agricultural consumption and transit traffic.

"In order to prevent the rise in prices for diesel fuel and reduce the risk of its shortage, measures are being worked out to introduce a temporary ban on the export of diesel fuel," the minister said.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidAshgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 2

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A meeting with the Special Representative of the European Union for Central Asia, Peter Burian, was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen foreign ministry.

The parties discussed the initiatives of Turkmenistan and Romania on the construction of the "Caspian Sea-Black Sea" transport-transit corridor through the "Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania" route, the report states.

Romania presides over the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2019.

Earlier, it was reported that Ashgabat and Bucharest had agreed on intensifying political and diplomatic efforts for potentially inking a political declaration on the creation of a transport and transit corridor connecting the Caspian to the Black Sea.

It is expected that Constanta may become a transshipment point of goods transported from the Turkmen port of Turkmenbashi to the EU, as well as from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the context of ensuring the access of goods from Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries to European markets.Tehran,Iran,Feb. 2

Trend:

The volume of Iran steel exports has fallen due to recent bans while the country's economic situation and limitations effected the process of exports to foreign countries.

"Iran has produced 22 million tons of steel during past nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21,2018) but the production could have reached 25 million tons of steel, " said the member of Iran Steel Producers Association Reza Shahrestani in an interview with Trend.

"The country's steel exports last year (March 20,2017) was 8.5 million tons and this year, due to domestic situation, it is predicted that domestic consumption would not be more than 12 million tons by the end of the year (March 20,2019). It was expected that exports would reach 14 million tons, but in the first past 6 months of the year 3.5 million tons of steel was exported."

"Unfortunately due to sanctions and the wrong government policy, it seems that Iran's steel exports will reach 6.5 percent of the total production by the end of the year in the best case and possibly, there will be steel surplus, as a result of which the supply would be lower than demand and prices would drastically drop," he said.

By imposing sanctions on Aug. 7, the Trump administration targeted Iran's steel and auto production, while it called for suspension of Iranian oil imports.

The Iranian government has banned the export of 50 products, as a measure to support national production, that effected the prices of steel, aluminum, copper and petrochemical materials.

The Persian Gulf states are the main costumers of steel alongside Taiwan while some of Iran steel is being exported to China, he said.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 24 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Feb. 2, Trend reports.

The Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns.The BBC reports that Turkey is being warned for possible misuse of gold imported from Venezuela, which is in political crisis as the opposition leader claims the right to presidency and many countries siding with him, have called for the resignation of current president Nicholas Maduro.

BBC quotes a senior Western diplomatic source as saying that there is growing concern that at least part of the gold exported to Turkey ends up in Iran, violating U.S. sanctions.

Iran and Venezuelas Maduro are close allies and Iranian officials have voiced strong support for his government.

Irans President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called the U.S. a hegemonic power for supporting Maduros rival and freezing Venezuelas assets in favor of the opposition.

Turkish president Recep Tayyep Erdogan has also publicly voiced support for Maduro, which was seen stemming from his desire to support another authoritarian leader.

The BBC says that Venezuelas gold exports to Turkey are soaring, reaching close to one billion dollars last year. Sources have also told BBC that Ankara has received warnings. The United Arab Emirates and Russia are also destinations for Venezuelas gold, but Turkey is now seen as the biggest problem.

Opponents accuse the Venezuelan government of mining gold in illegal ways, using mafia networks to control small miners with use of violence.Ten contestants from seven countries pass first phase of contest to select Memorial Center Babi Yar project in Kyiv

Ten contestants from seven countries have passed the first stage of the contest to select the best project of the Memorial Center Babi Yar (Babyn Yar) in Kyiv.

"We have selected 10 applicants," Director General of the Holocaust Memorial Center for Babi Yar Hennadiy Verbylenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

Director of Phase Eins consulting company Benjamin Hossbach said that 165 applications from 35 countries were submitted to the contest. The ten candidates selected include two teams from the United States, two from Germany, two from Austria, one each from the Netherlands, Denmark and France, and one company from Ukraine  BURO architects.

For 10 days, the jury awaits a response from the contestants.

"They received a message that they were selected and we are waiting for confirmation... The jury will meet again to select four or six of them with the greatest potential and who can continue to work further and design. The result will be on July 29," Hossbach said.

In turn, Verbylenko informed that the construction of the center's building and its internal elements, as well as the design of the landscape park, is envisaged.

"It will be possible to determine the exact financing needs after the end of the contest, when the winner is chosen, and we will see the architectural solution that we will have to implement in Kyiv. These figures are roughly in the range of $80-100 million," the director general said.

According to him, private sponsors and international organizations will become sources of financing.

Asked about the financial participation of the state in this project, Verbylenko said: "Today we do not have funding from the state or from the city budget."The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has decided not to register leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine Petro Symonenko and Leader of Rozumna Syla party Oleksandr Solovyev as candidates for the post of President of Ukraine to be held on March 31.

The CEC was made the decision at a meeting on Saturday.

The commission established that Symonenko was nominated as a presidential candidate from the party which charter, which name and symbols did not meet the requirements of the Law of Ukraine on the condemnation of the communist and national-socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and the prohibition of the propaganda of their symbols.

In addition, the CEC drew attention to the fact that the candidate's questionnaire provided by Symonenko does not contain information about his place of residence on the territory of Ukraine during the past 10 years prior to the election day.

As for Solovyev, the CEC has established the non-compliance of the questionnaire filed by him, the form of the questionnaire of the candidate for the post of President of Ukraine, established by a resolution of the commission.

In addition, it has been established that there are provisions in the pre-election program of Solovyev aimed at violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

As reported, Symonenko filed documents to register as presidential candidate as a nominee from the Communist Party of Ukraine.

On January 3, 2019, at its congress, the Communist Party of Ukraine nominated the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Symonenko, as a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine.

The activities of the Communist Party of Ukraine have been banned in Ukraine by a court decision since December 16, 2015.

On January 21, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko told Interfax-Ukraine that parties which activities fall under the law of de-communization do not have the right to nominate their presidential candidates, and in this case registration is only possible in the format of self-nomination.Illegal armed groups attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, five times, no casualties have been reported, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters (HQ) has reported.

"On February 1, the Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire five times, including twice with the use of the arms banned by the Minsk agreements... As a result of the attacks by the Russian occupation forces, no soldier of the JFO was injured," JFO HQ said in a statement on the official Facebook page on Saturday morning.

In the operational zone of the Skhid tactical group, shelling of Ukrainian positions was from 82 mm mortar shells, large-caliber machine guns and small arms - near Pavlopil; from large-caliber machine guns  near Krasnohorivka.

In the zone of the Pivnich tactical group, militants fired at the positions of the JFO: twice from grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms  near Khutir Vilny; from mortars of 82 mm caliber  near Krymske.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine fired back," the press center said.

According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, two enemy troops were killed and another two were wounded on February 1.

"During the current day the enemy did not open fire. Ukrainian defenders continue controlling the enemy on the contact line, observing the ceasefire," the press center said.Special Representative of the U.S. State Department for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has said that the United States if Russia releases the Ukrainian sailors detained in the area of the Kerch Strait, the United States is committed to doing everything that they can to facilitate that as well, in negotiations

"We do call on Russia immediately to release the sailors and to try to come back to a diplomatic track for resolving this crisis," the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States said on its Facebook page, citing a statement of Volker at the U.S. European Media Hub during a phone briefing in Brussels.

Volker said that Washington is aware of the situation in the area of the Kerch Strait.

"We know from imagery, we know from video on YouTube, we know from what the Ukrainians have reported what happened in terms of the blockage of the strait, the pursuit of the Ukrainian vessels in international waters, firing upon them, and those sailors still being held by Russia," he said.

"Both the United States and Europe are looking at what additional measures we should be taking if Russia fails to return the sailors and continues to make these assertions of control of the Kerch Strait as it is," he said.Editor:

In regards to the State of Nevada politics concerning the DOEs shipment of Plutonium to Nevada. Why does the Nevada political representation continue to ignore that 85 percent of the state land mass is desert owned by the federal government, e.g. all U.S. Citizens?

Why, for strategic reasons and national security of AMERICA. Nevada has had a long history of this service to our country. Gov. Steve Sisolak said he is beyond outraged by this completely unacceptable deception.

Governor, the states opposition to this AND its opposition to Yucca Mountain are based on your politics, rather than the actual science and engineering conducted by the DOE. NONE of the Nevada representatives have toured the Idaho National Laboratory for an education about our nations nuclear technology. The best security has always been unannounced, unmarked movement. Many touring concerts employ such tactics. E.g. you and the other representative comments are statements based on opinion rather than research.

Ms. Titus, if you and Ms. Rosen want to deem this and the Yucca Mountain program unethical, you should legally recognize the facts. The Obama Administration which halted the Yucca program obstructed congressional law, and the Obama stoppage of Yucca was overruled by the courts, facts.Most of our crime is related to substance abuse issues, whether its the child molestations that occur under the influence or the theft to support the habits and the addiction, he said. What I am concerned about is that out here for us we have very limited options. This place [Vitality] has been a Godsend for us, but its recent. For somebody who is in crisis and cannot be stabilized, we have only the hospital or jail if there is a crime. Neither one is satisfactory for treating the core issue. When we have patients who need inpatient treatment, sometimes we have to transport them to Reno. If a bed is available, and it takes five hours to get them down there, they can turn them around because in the meantime a person in Washoe County has claimed that bed.U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced the Ruby Mountains Protection Act, a bill to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the Ruby Mountains.

Expansive oil and gas drilling on the Ruby Mountains is not only a threat to one of the Silver States natural treasures, it also risks the livelihoods of Nevadans who rely on our states outdoor economy, Cortez Masto said in a statement Feb. 1.

The Ruby Mountains Protection Act would withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of National Forest System district land comprising the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest from any eligibility for oil and gas leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act. The measure protects all existing multiple uses in the area including recreation, grazing and mining.

Her move is in response to an expression of interest for oil or gas leasing on about 54,000 acres of Forest Service Land. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the subsurface minerals on public lands, received the request in April 2017. The request prompted a U.S. Forest Service environmental assessment, including a public comment period that garnered about 10,000 responses mostly in opposition. The USFS recommendation is now awaiting a decision in Washington, D.C.On display at the Folklife Center

ELKO  Exhibitions at the Western Folklife Center this month are Portraits of the Gathering: Faces and Voices of Cowboy Poetry in the Wiegand Gallery and Elko storefronts: a photographic exhibition of individuals who have brought heart and soul to our community through their poetry, story, song and artistry; Ive Got Spurs exhibition of handcrafted pieces from the Western Folklife Centers collection will be displayed alongside other contemporary and historic examples; Elko County Student Art Exhibition in the Pioneer Building Elevator Lobby and the G Three Bar Theater: enjoy the creativity of students throughout Elko County in this photography and mixed media presentation with the theme: Pictures from Poems.ELKO  Which is hotter: red or green salsa? For some who are unaccustomed to spicy foods, keeping a bottle of water on hand is mandatory when learning the art of cooking street tacos  especially for those who cook to taste.

Some participants in the Street Tacos Workshop on Jan. 30 timidly sampled both from the glass bowls of salsa. Others were much bolder, and were ready for the sensation of hot peppers mixed with spicy ingredients to hit their tongue.

The salsas were offered as garnish for the final product by students who were given four warmed tortillas by Valentina Ortiz and two spoonfuls of sauteed meats blended with pineapple and onions.

Ortiz insisted to her students that two tortillas are required by tradition.

If its not a double tortilla, it doesnt count, she said.

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Ortiz encouraged her students to add other toppings, such as radishes and marinated cucumbers, that are not normally thought of when building a street taco. Freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, limes, cilantro, guacamole and homemade arroz, or Spanish rice, completed the taco buffet.LAS VEGAS  The Nevada Governors Office of Economic Development awarded Jan. 31 more than $50,000 in federal grant money from the U.S. Small Business Administration to eight Nevada businesses  including one in Elko  to assist them in developing and entering overseas markets, supporting Gov. Steve Sisolaks efforts to help small business thrive.

GOED approved the applications for the funding through the Small Business Administrations competitive State Trade Expansion Program. A total of $125,000 in federal funding is available through the program for small businesses. The eight businesses estimated that the funding will help them generate up to $2.5 million in foreign sales.

My administration is committed to helping Nevadas small businesses continue to grow and prosper. I am confident that helping our small businesses expand to foreign markets will only make Nevadas economy stronger, Sisolak said. I know these eight businesses will put this money to good use to positively impact their communities and our state as a whole.After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings  though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.



Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

A Tet primer: How Vietnamese celebrate their most important festival

A brief look at the main activities that the Vietnamese engage in as they celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Peach blossom is a popular Tet flower in northern Vietnam. Photo by Shutterstock/Quang Vu

Even though the usually hectic life in Vietnams major cities goes through a major reversal during the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), there is actually a lot of activity that happens during the most uplifting time of the year for most Vietnamese people. This year, people will enjoy nine days off to celebrate the festival, from February 2-10. Tet activities Visiting relatives and friends is one of the the most popular activities at this time. Dressed in their best clothes, a family will go to the homes of relatives, neighbors and friends to wish them a Happy New Year. During these trips, adults give the children "lucky money," a small envelope containing cash, which is believed to usher in prosperity. Children usually put this money into their own piggy banks, which will be broken after Tet to count their takings.

Children keep their lucky money in piggybanks. Photo by Shutterstock/Scott Biales

A few days before Tet, people travel to their hometown to unite with their family. As flowers and trees are indispensable items for Tet, people in the north will decorate their houses with pink peach blossom branches, plants or trees, while those in the south do the same with ochna integerrima, or yellow Mai.

People also spend hours looking for fruit-laden kumquat trees to brighten their homes that are spring cleaned to welcome the first guests. Tet food

Family members usually stay up all night to cook banh chung. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Like other special days of the year, having good food is importance for Vietnamese people during Tet, which has its own culinary traditions and specialties.

The most popular Tet food is banh chung, a square-shaped pack of sticky rice with meat and bean fillings wrapped in green leaves.

Another version of the dish is called banh tet, which has a cylindrical shape. Both are enjoyed with pickled onion or cabbage. The first family meal of the new year, consists of banh chung, Vietnamese sausage, fried spring rolls and bamboo shoot soup with pigs feet.



Mut, or dried candied fruits, is another food that is mostly consumed only during this festival, offered to guests and given as gifts. Coconut, carrot, mandarin oranges, apples, bananas, ginger and gourd are among the fruits and vegetables with which mut is made. These sweetmeats are usually presented in a rounded tray and served with hot tea.

Candied fruits and seeds are served with hot tea. Photo by Shutterstock/Huyen Designer

Tet traditions Vietnamese people try to make Tet a time of happiness. All family members worship at the family altar during Tet, offering food and burning incense, praying that the ancestors and divine spirits watch over and bless them. The first person to enter the house is given great importance as he or she is believed to bring luck to the family. A person whose zodiac symbol corresponds best with the forthcoming year is chosen to enter the house after the stroke of midnight. This ritual, known as xong dat or "first foot," is believed to bring prosperity and luck.

Vietnamese people often burn incense during Tet to pray for blessings. Photo by Shutterstock/Thoai

Visiting temples is another popular tradition during Tet. Many people go on pilgrimages to famous pagodas and temples.



One can ask a calligrapher at temples to write a word for things that they desire most. Photo by Shutterstock/Le Quang NhutA conscience-stricken robber returned VND100 million ($4,300) and two smartphones he stole from a woman in Binh Duong Province.

Provincial police said Friday that the robber also wrote a letter of apology to the victim.

Guards of the An Phu Wards Peoples Committee found the money and the letter inside a bag left outside the building on January 28.

In the letter, the robber, whose identity is unknown, said he borrowed money from loan sharks and could not pay it back. After continuous harassment through text messages and phone calls, he could not take it anymore and decided to commit the robbery.

He said he deeply regretted his action.

"I didnt expect there would be so much money. [The one I robbed] must have had some urgent businesses to have that kind of money."

"I promise to pay it back to society in the future. I hope everyone can forgive a sinner like me and I would like to sincerely apologize to the one I robbed," he said.

He concluded the letter by asking the People's Committee members to return the cash and phones to the victim.

Investigations showed that the robbery did indeed happen on January 28 in An Phu Ward. Phan Thi Bich Tuyen, 25, was driving her motorbike when a man, also on a motorbike, snatched her bag. The bag contained VND107 million ($4,600) in cash, an iPhone X and an iPhone 6.

After failing to chase down the robber, Tuyen reported the incident to An Phu police. He reportedly kept VND7 million and returned the rest.

Local media later reported that Tuyen has requested the police not to track down the robber.

"I believe everyone is good at heart," she said.

7,600 loan-related crimes have been recorded in Vietnam in the last four years, according to data from the Ministry of Public Security.

56 of them were murder cases and the rest includes intentionally inflicting injury, robberies, seizing properties and assets using force, frauds and scams.An early 20th century Tet celebration in black and white

One hundred years ago, Tet evoked the same excitement and expectations it does today; except, things were very different.

People gather at the Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi the day before the Lunar New Year. It was the only "supermarket" around then.

On a Hanoi street, Tet paintings are on sale in 1929. Then, too, Chinese characters, parallel sentences, pictures of flowers, carps, dragons and other, more modern subjects were sold as wall hangings to invite luck into a house for the Lunar New Year.

Young kids help out and watch as an ong do, a Vietnamese calligrapher, writes Chinese or Han characters on red paper to be used as a house decoration for Tet. Ong do is an archaic address for people who passed academic exams under the old imperial regime in Vietnam. These people usually became teachers and were adept in Chinese. Calligraphy works, mostly Chinese letters symbolizing what people wish in their lives, like good health, happiness and wealth, were, and are much sought after during the Tet season.



People pick branches of peach blossoms, for long used in the north as the main Tet adornment for the house. Peach blossoms are believed to repel ghosts and demons, and symbolize youth, fertility and hope brought by spring. In the south, the flowers of choice for Tet is the Ochna integerrima, commonly known as the yellow Mai flower.

An old man chooses a daffodil as a Tet decoration. Daffodils are believed to awaken one's hidden potential, including talent and creativity. They also represent rejuvenation, chivalry and generosity. However, they are not so prevalent as a Tet decoration as they once were.



A woman sells dong (Phrynium) leaves to wrap banh chung, a traditional Vietnamese glutinous rice cake that is a Tet specialty, at Hanoi's Dong Xuan Market in 1929. The square-shaped banh chung represents the earth in Vietnamese culture, while its counterpart, the circle-shaped banh day, represents the sky. Both cakes are made and consumed for Tet to pay respect to nature, the land and the weather, which are responsible for bountiful harvests.

A merchant sells paper offerings for Tet in Hanoi's Dong Xuan Market in 1929. In Vietnam, paper offerings, which imitate common objects like money or clothes, are burned as offerings to ancestors during traditional celebrations, Tet in particular.

Two people fight, using long wooden poles as lances, as part of Tet celebrations in Hanoi, 1929. This sport, known as la lutte a la lance in French and roi truong in Vietnamese, was a traditional one engaged in during festivals in Vietnam. Combatants score points by hitting their opponents with wooden lances wrapped in fabric at one end, in various body parts. Any player who lets go of his lance automatically loses the match.

Children wrestle with each other as a Tet sport in Hanoi, 1929. Wrestling is another traditional Vietnamese game, which tests players' strength, agility, stamina and quick-thinking, but this is no longer as popular.

A Hanoi store sells firecrackers and sticks of incense for Tet in 1929. Firecrackers were burst during Tet to repel ghosts and demons, but they were banned by the Vietnamese government in 1995 because the production and explosions were causing too many accidents, deaths and injuries. Incense sticks have remained an indispensable part of all Vietnamese festivals and other auspicious occasions.

A man lights firecrackers in his family's yard during Tet.Fashion stores on Cau Giay and Chua Boc streets were also packed with a large number of customers drawn by Tet discounts. People left their motorbikes on the streets as the sidewalks had no space left.

Aeon Mall in Hanoi has announced that it would open throughout the Tet holiday. Convenience store Circle K will also serve customers 24/7 without any day off.

Other supermarkets will also remain open this weekend.

Most retailers and supermarkets have reported a 30-40 percent year-on-year increase in Tet business.Many bank services including online transactions and ATM withdrawals are failing, unable to cope with high Tet related demand.

Internet banking, touted by many banks as a solution for high money demand during the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), repeatedly showed errors on Friday, the last working day of the old Lunar Year.

Tu, a resident of Hanois Hoang Mai District, had to wait from 3 p.m. till 9 p.m. for her online transaction to be successful, as opposed to less than five minutes on a normal day.

"Its a struggle to transfer money online these days. The system keeps saying it is overload, and even informed me that my account has zero Vietnamese dong," she said.

Hoang of Thanh Xuan District had to repeat his transaction many times. "I needed to transfer VND3 million ($129.17) but it didnt go through the whole afternoon."

Internet banking of Techcombank, Vietcombank and Agribank was repeatedly showing errors. Some customers got to the last step of entering the one-time password (OTP), but transactions failed even at that stage.

Many customers also had trouble just withdrawing money from ATMs. Almost a dozen people had queued up on Friday at an ATM on Duy Tan Street in Hanoi as some users struggled for 15 minutes without getting any money.

Others who were not patient enough left for other ATMs. Dung, an employee of a media company, was queuing at one of the ATMs after unsuccessful attempts at three different ones to withdraw his Tet bonus.

Bank branches were busy with a large number of customers on the last working day. Uyen stepped into a bank on Tran Thai Tong street in Hanoi to see 30 people already waiting, all looking tired.

The situation is similar in Ho Chi Minh City.

Trang, a bank staff, said that employees had been working till 8-9 p.m. in recent days. "Some of us didnt even have time to have some water."

A bank representative who asked not to be named said that demand for money withdrawal has increased exponentially as the holiday nears.

His bank doubled its ATM cash fund but it is still not enough. Internet banking has also reported errors because of large number of users.

The State Bank of Vietnam had warned local banks of the high demand for banking services demand before and during Tet holiday which falls on February 2-10, saying that any bank with an ATM out of cash for over 24 hours would be fined.



Thursday, most Senate Republican took a stand against the dangerous psychotic in the Oval Office, joining all but a handful of the most progressive Democrats to rebuke his foreign policy framework. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Mike Lee (R-UT) were the only Republicans who stuck with Trump.The specific measure declared that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda remain serious threats in Syria and Afghanistan, contradicting Trump's self-serving and entirely delusional statements and his justification for withdrawing troops from both countries. What makes the episode really noteworthy is that the measure was written and proposed by The Turtle, who normally lives with his head up Trump's ass. The final vote was 68-23 . Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) said the vote showed Congress is a "co-equal branch of government."





Let's see how co-equal they feel when the bill by Bernie, Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), citing the War Powers Act, comes up next week to end U.S. support for the Saudi/Emerati war against Yemen.





The Senate passed the war powers resolution last Congress, but Ryan and McCarthy refused to allow a vote in the House. Now Ro Khanna has reintroduced it with backing from Pelosi and it will be voted on.





Bernie minced no words: "With the first-ever passage of a War Powers Resolution last month, the United States Senate said in no uncertain terms that we will not continue to have our military posture dictated by a despotic, murderous regime in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to quickly passing this resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. We are going to send a strong signal to the president that the U.S. Congress is prepared to play the role designed for us by the framers of the Constitution."





Ro Khanna (D-CA) backed him up in the House: "The U.S.-Saudi military campaign in Yemen has triggered the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. More than 14 million Yemenis-- half the country-- are on the brink of famine, and at least 85,000 children have already died from hunger and disease as a result of the war. Im proud to partner with colleagues and work to end U.S. military participation in the Saudi regimes war in Yemen by reasserting Congress constitutional role on matters of war and peace. I am confident this will pass in the House when brought for a vote."



I've never been a fan of Hillary Clinton's-- never. At least her husband's neo-liberal agenda was couched in a pleasant personality. Each time I've met her was-- literally-- disgusting. I was stuck with a monster. Once her whole retinue-- one by one-- abandoned her backstage before a speech and I was the only left to deal with her and it was excruciating. Once at a White House state banquet she was like the big downer in the otherwise festive event, bad vibing everyone. That said, there was never one moment of one day that I harbored any doubts that she would make a better president than Donald Trump. She was never going to be my idea of a great president, but any least she would break through the political glass ceiling for far better women politicians to come and at least she would not be the kind of politically-destructive and ignorant animal that there could never have been any doubt Trump would be.





NY Times yesterday that the nuclear arms race is on again, compliments of Trump and Putin. Is that what the American people want? Is that what even the idiots who voted for him wanted when they voted for him? Sanger reported that Trump and Pompeo are "suspending one of the last major nuclear arms control treaties with Russia after heated conversations between the two powers recently failed to resolve a long-running accusation that Moscow is violating the Reagan-era treaty." ... [W]hile the United States has insisted Russias actions sank the treaty, the Trump administrations real aim is to broaden its prohibitions to include China." David Sanger broke the story in theyesterday that the nuclear arms race is on again, compliments of Trump and Putin. Is that what the American people want? Is that what even the idiots who voted for him wanted when they voted for him? Sanger reported that Trump and Pompeo are "suspending one of the last major nuclear arms control treaties with Russia after heated conversations between the two powers recently failed to resolve a long-running accusation that Moscow is violating the Reagan-era treaty." ... [W]hile the United States has insisted Russias actions sank the treaty, the Trump administrations real aim is to broaden its prohibitions to include China."

Constrained by the treatys provisions, the United States has been prevented from deploying new weapons to counter Chinas efforts to cement a dominant position in the Western Pacific and keep American aircraft carriers at bay. China was still a small and unsophisticated military power in the mid-1980s, and not a signatory to the treaty that was negotiated between the United States and a rapidly weakening Soviet Union.



By contrast, much of Beijings growing nuclear arsenal currently consists of missiles that fall into the distance ranges that are prohibited by the treaty that applies only to Russia and the United States.



The issue now is whether the administration has a plan for what comes next, said Pranay Vaddi, a fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department official until 2017 who worked on nuclear arms control issues. There is no question that the Russians committed a violation. But it is not militarily significant because it doesnt change the balance of power in Europe.



With the treaty on its last legs, the question is whether Mr. Pompeos announcement will result in a flurry of last-minute negotiations with Moscow-- which seems unlikely-- or whether it will accelerate the Cold War-like behavior among the United States, Russia and China.



Complicating that question is the American intelligence agencies warning this week that Russia and China are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s.



The fate of the treaty has quickly become a test of the continuing struggle inside the Trump administration, and with its allies, over how to handle an increasingly aggressive Russia.



Mr. Trump campaigned on remaking Washingtons relationship with Moscow; the open investigation by the Justice Departments special counsel is, at its core, about whether he and his campaign aides promised to relieve sanctions and other impediments to Russia in return for financial or electoral benefits from Mr. Putins government.



But Mr. Trump has surrounded himself in the White House with hawkish advisers, including John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, who has been a major critic of treaties that he believes impinge the United States ability to counter new or rising foreign threats.



The decision to leave the nuclear arms treaty took American allies by surprise when word of the decision first leaked out in October and was quickly confirmed by Mr. Trump.



The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the military alliance that was created to counter the Soviet threat 70 years ago, acknowledged that Russia had violated the I.N.F. treaty and called on Moscow in December to return urgently to full and verifiable compliance.



But the alliance stopped short of agreeing that the United States should withdraw, declaring then that the allies are firmly committed to the preservation of effective international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation.



The announcement by Mr. Pompeo came just ahead of the expiration, on Saturday, of a 60-day deadline he gave Moscow to come into compliance with the treaty. He had no expectation that the Russians would heed his warning.



Mr. Pompeos formal announcement begins a six-month clock that Trump administration officials believe will end with a full American withdrawal from the treaty. Starting on Saturday, the United States would be free to begin to test or deploy its own weapons.



It is not clear whether that will happen; there are no weapons in the American arsenal that could be quickly deployed. That was the point of the treaty: It banned an entire category of weapons-- land-based missiles with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles-- that both the United States and the Soviet Union had deployed in the 1980s, and which at the time terrorized Europe.









For many years, the I.N.F. was considered a model arms control treaty. It allowed for on-site inspections and extensive exchanges of information-- exactly what the Trump administration now seeks from North Korea and other states.



But in 2014, the Obama administration accused Russia of turning out a missile that violated the treaty, and last fall, Dan Coats, the national intelligence director, published a detailed history of the Russian violations.



Experts cited Russian unhappiness with the treaty, going back at least 10 years, before Moscow focused on new generations of missiles that would extend its reach without costing it much money. Russian officials have charged that American missile defense interceptors in Eastern Europe could be easily refashioned into offensive weapons, and that the rise of armed drones, which had not been invented when the treaty was signed, now threaten to provide the United States with similar intermediate-range ability without violating the precise wording of the treaty.



Ahead of Fridays announcement, Russia had aggressively used social media accounts to portray the United States as the treaty-breaker and the aggressor. That argument has won some sympathy in Europe, where many critics portray the treatys demise as an example of the Trump administration putting its own agenda before Europes.



But the real action is likely to be in Asia. The Pentagon has already been developing nuclear weapons to match, and counter, what the Chinese have deployed.



Completing that effort would take years. Until then, officials said the United States is preparing to modify existing weapons, including its non-nuclear Tomahawk missiles, and is likely to deploy them in Guam, where the military maintains a large base and they would face little political opposition.









Lewis Fry Richardson (1881-1953) was an English mathematician, physicist, meteorologist and psychologist, who pioneered the scientific analysis of conflict, applying modern mathematical techniques he developed for weather forecasting to systematically study the causes of wars and how to prevent them. In 2003 David Bigelow wrote a paper, An Analysis of the Richardson Arms Race Model , pointing out that according to Richardson "the likelihood of two nations engaging in conflict can be determined by a set of differential equations. Richardson conjectured that a nations probability of entering into an aggressive war is based upon its stockpiles of available weaponry, and tempered by the resistance of the citizenry. In the Richardson model, the likelihood of a small dispute erupting into a full war is based upon these variables, and the current conditions. The model has three basic cases: both nations tending towards disarmament, both nations tending towards a runaway arms race, and both nations tending towards a stable equilibrium point.













X represents the amount of weaponry that country one has at time t. Y is the same for the second country. Each constant has a specific meaning, and vary from system to system.



The constants a and b are known alternatively as fear or reaction constants. They represent the desire of a country to increase arms at a rate proportional to the amount of arms that their opponent possesses. The con- stants m and n are known as either the restraint or fatigue factors. They represent the desire of a nation to reduce arms stockpiles at a rate di- rectly proportional to what they possess. Finally, r and s are the grievance constants, and represent the leftovers. These constants can contain ambition, external pressure, a revenge motive, and other factors not directly related to arms stockpiles.

William Hartung made noticed that the revolving door between the Pentagon and the arms industry is spinning faster inside the Trump Regime than ever before, particularly since Patrick Shanahan was appointed acting Secretary of Defense. "No secretary of defense in recent memory," wrote Hartung, "has had such a long career in the arms industry and so little experience in government or the military. For most of that career, in fact, his main focus was winning defense contracts for Boeing, not crafting effective defense policies. While the Pentagon should be focused on protecting the country, the arms industry operates in the pursuit of profit, even when that means selling weapons systems to countries working against American national security interests... Shanahans new role raises questions about whether what is in the best interest of Boeing-- bigger defense budgets and giant contracts for unaffordable and ineffective weaponry or aircraft-- is whats in the best interest of the public."

His former company is one of two finalists to build a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Critics of such weapons systems like Clinton administration Secretary of Defense William Perry point out that ICBMs are the most dangerous and unnecessary leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, since in a potential war they might need to be launched on only minutes notice, lest they be lost to incoming enemy nukes. Even some of their supporters have questioned the need for a brand-new ICBM when older ones could be upgraded. Nuclear hawks might eventually be persuaded to adopt such a position, too, since the cost of the Pentagons across-the-board $1.5 trillion modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal (including the production of new nuclear bombers, missiles, and warheads) will otherwise begin to impinge on department priorities elsewhere. But how likely is Shanahan to seriously entertain even such modest critiques when they threaten to eliminate a huge potential payday for Boeing?

Former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson mentioned to me this morning that "The Trump Administration has budgeted $494 billion on nuclear weapon 'modernization,' which is $100 million per nuke. Those nukes are burning a hole in Trumps pocket; lets hope they dont explode... Trump should have tried to enforce the deal, not suspend it. If you breached a contract with me, my reaction wouldnt be, 'well, then, Ill just tear it up.'"



Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)-- who serves on both the Armed Services Committee and on the subcommittee for National Security of the House Financial Services Committee-- took a minute out of her presidential campaign to tell us that she feels the "heightened tensions with Russia and China are sending us into a new Cold War. We need to be stepping up nuclear nonproliferation agreements, not rolling them back. Trump's actions threaten our national security and the future of our planet."





Early this morning, the BBC reported, exactly what everyone expected: Putin said Russia would start developing new missiles . Another gift from Trump. "Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it too," Mr Putin said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the worldwide merchants of death and popping champagne bottles everywhere. The half dozen American companies that have spent the most in bribing members of Congress last year and their stocks' performance on Friday:

 Boeing- $4,011,579- (up 0.5%)

 Northrop Grumman- $3,943,199 (down 0.9%)

 Lockhead Martin- $3,422,998- (up 0.38%)

 General Dynamics- $2,279,136- (down 1.25%)

 Raytheon- $2,217,783- (up 0.73%)

 United Technologies- $1,182,114 (up 0.77%)

And who got the biggest slices of the pie from the weapons manufacturers? These are the half dozen worst who are still in Congress (just from the last cycle-- and keep in mind not one of them had a serious reelection race, although McSally ran for the Senate in a very heavily contested race-- and lost):Northam now says it wasn't him in the photo. Was it Joe Biden?

Ralph Northam has a long, horrible, conservative career in Virginia politics. For starters, he admits he voted for George W. Bush-- both times. In his own 2013 campaign, Northam said "I dont consider myself as a liberal... I think the less government, the better" and said he is "very conservative fiscally." He has a record in the state legislature to back it up. He's also been generally anti-immigrant over the course of his career until very recently. Soon after he was first elected to the state Senate in 2007 he announced he was leaving the Democratic caucus and joining the Republicans, which would have thrown control of the Senate to the GOP. He said the reason he was switching was because of his fiscal conservatism. I don't know what the Democrats promised him-- plenty, no doubt-- but they persuaded him to change his mind." So the offensive picture in the yearbook didn't exactly shock my socks off. Soon, even conservative Democrats, like Terry McAuliffe, started calling for Northam to resign at once, all outaged.

It was a photo of Northam in blackface with a KKK goofball on his page in a 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook, although early this morning, Northam says it isn't him in the picture (and he won't resign-- so there). Republicans-- who normally celebrate this kind of thing in their own politicians-- had already been howling for his head... and had been quickly followed by Democrats of every stripe doing likewise. Friday night the Congressional Black Caucus and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus each demanded Northam resign. Kamala Harris jumped in fast and furious: "Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together." Other presidential candidates did the same. Julian Castro: "It doesnt matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign." Cory Booker jumped in quickly with a call to resign. So did Elizabeth Warren John Delaney , and Kirsten Gillibrand , who will sooner or later go through the same kind of crucible over her equally horrible xenophobia and anti-Latino bias from when she was catering to a different constituency than the one she's sucking up to today. And then there was Joe Biden:

Sputnik News is an arm of Russian state propaganda, a rival these days with Fox News for pushing out Republican talking points. It isn't a new story that Biden was an anti-integration Democrat , eventually palling around with KKK hero Jesse Helms in the Senate. His past racist agenda was part of why he was the protagonist in out Worst Democraps Who Want To Be President-- Part IV . But here's how Russian/Republican propaganda tells that story and will tell it much louder and more instantly if he-- God forbid-- manages to get the nomination:

Biden, who is considering a 2020 run for the White House, has a record of pushing for measures to end busing, which were originally intended to end racial segregation in US public schools. Newly-discovered comments reveal that Biden was once an outright advocate of school segregation.





Joe Biden, who served as US Vice President for two terms under the nation's first black president, once endorsed school segregation in an early nod to identity politics.

"I think the concept of busing that we are going to integrate people so that they all have the same access and they learn to grow up with one another and all the rest, is a rejection of the whole movement of black pride," then-Delaware Senator Biden said in an interview with National Public Radio in 1975, discovered by the Washington Examiner in the congressional archives.

Ultimately, he maintained, desegregation would lead to a "totally homogeneous society," something that would prevent black people from embracing their culture.





Biden, who was supporting an anti-busing amendment to a federal law, called desegregation "a rejection of the entire black-awareness concept, where black is beautiful, where black culture should be studied and the cultural awareness of the importance of their own identity, their own individuality."





He said he spent "close to 300 hours" weighing up his anti-busing proposal, during which he questioned his aides whether he was a racist deep inside. "I put in over 100 hours by far, I would say close to 300 hours on just torturing this thing, meeting with leaders, meeting with the people on my staff, calling my staff together, um, uh, and the blacks in my staff together, saying, 'Now, look, this is what I think. Do you think I am? I mean, is there something in me that deep-seated that I don't know?'"





His comments came after in 1974, US District Judge Arthur Garrity ruled that Boston's traditional neighborhood schools fostered de facto racial segregation, which he qualified as unconstitutional. He ordered that African American students be bused to schools in predominantly white neighborhoods and vice versa in a bid to desegregate schools-- a decision that sparked protests among white residents.





Biden is said to have initially supported busing but later backed down, following a backlash from his white constituents. While many white families in 1970's America sidestepped busing by moving to suburban municipalities with independent school districts, a US District Court in Delaware mandated county-wide busing, and strict racial quotas were applied throughout the most populous county in the state.





It is unclear, however, what the reaction of voters will be as Joe Biden is now considering a presidential run in 2020. "I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that I've worked on my whole life," he said in December.





Plenty of commenters were quick to voice their outrage over Biden's comments, contending that he made a case in favour of maintaining racial segregation and is thus a racist.

While some believe that these new revelations may kill Biden's 2020 chances, others maintain that Biden's "black awareness" concept is totally in sync with today's progressive trend of celebrating identity.





"The Left love their identity politics, so don't be surprised if Biden's racial segregation support in the '70s doesn't actually hurt his chances at the White House," wrote columnist Quin Hillyer.



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.Dallas Marion Dyer , 78, died in Salem, Oregon, on Monday, January 28, 2019. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 9, 2019, at the First Christian Church in downtown Salem. Reception to follow. Assisting the family is Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.

Joyce Roberts, formerly of Corvallis, died January 18, 2019. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 16, at McHenry Funeral Home. There will be a gathering following the service at the First Presbyterian Church Dennis Hall. Please leave condolences for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.The Corvallis City Council meets at 6 p.m. Monday at the downtown fire station, 400 NW Harrison Blvd.

The meeting will begin with a pair of public hearings, one on a right-of-way vacation of an alley between Northwest Jackson Avenue and Northwest Van Buren Avenue and the second on a land development code text amendment that establishes minor planned development modification criteria.

Community comments will not be heard until after the public hearings. Those wishing to comment on either the right-of-way or land development code topics must do so during the hearings.

Also on the agenda is an Oregon State University request for approval of its parking plan for a new upper-division student housing project in the east part of campus. A previous proposal was rejected on a 5-4 vote at the Jan. 22 meeting.

Saturday

 Ward 5 Corvallis Councilor Charlyn Ellis will be the government comment corner guest at 10 a.m. at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave.

Tuesday

 The Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session at 9 a.m. in the county boardrooms, 205 NW Fifth St., Corvallis.The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Police on Friday recaptured a 35-year-old French national and drug smuggling suspect identified as Dorfin Felix, who had recently escaped from NTB Police custody.





NTB Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Komang Suartana said the officers had recaptured Felix on the border between North Lombok and West Lombok.





[The case] is still under investigation, Komang told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.





North Lombok Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Herman Suryono said Felix had been hiding in the Pusuk forest area.









RELATED | French drugs suspect facing possible death penalty escapes Indonesian jail Police have brought Felix to the NTB Police headquarters for further questioning.





They are also investigating 14 police officers on duty the night Dortin escaped and have alleged that Comr. Tuti Maryati, the custody subdivision head, accepted bribes in connection with Felix escape.





Felix was arrested at Lombok International Airport in September upon his arrival from Singapore.





He stands accused of having brought into the country 2.9 kilograms of ketamine and amphetamine as well as 850 ecstasy pills.





He faces five to 20 years of imprisonment if found guilty under Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeGermans actually began using hedgehogs to predict the weather and when early German settlers came to the United States, they switched to groundhogs, which are plentiful in Pennsylvania.

The History Channel states that, in 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was Americas only true weather-forecasting groundhog.

According to Office Holidays, the date for Groundhog Day was chosen because early February is midway between the winter solstice on Dec. 21 and the spring equinox on March 20. Groundhog Day really isnt an official holiday, but more a tradition that has just continued over the years said Office Holidays.

While most Americans dont invest much stock in Punxsutawney Phil these days, most agree the day is still a fun tradition. The fact of the matter is, that whether Phil sees his shadow or not, spring doesnt come until March 20, and that means  shadow or not  theres still six more weeks of winter.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the groundhog is native to Missouri and is one of Missouris most widely distributed animals. The groundhogs burrows and nest can often conflict with property owners in the state.The Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in the interim budget 2019 stated that India has received massive foreign direct investment worth USD 239 billion in the last five years.

FDI: From Where to Where?

The Union Finance Minister attributed this increased FDI inflow to a stable and predictable regulatory regime, growing economy, strong fundamentals and liberalisation of the FDI policy allowing most FDI to come through the automatic route. The important aspects of these FDI inflows are:

The sectors which received maximum foreign inflows include services, computer software and hardware, telecommunications, trading, construction, automobile, and power.

Mauritius, Singapore, Netherlands, the US and Japan were the top source of FDIs for India.

Automatic Route and Approval Route of FDI The automatic and approval routes are designed with an aim to have a monitoring over the investment activities and to ensure the robustness of the economy is not compromised due to outside capital.

Under the Automatic Route, neither the investor nor the Indian company requires any approval from the Reserve Bank or Government of India for the investment. The sectors for the Automatic Route are specified under the FDI policy updated from time to time.

Under the Approval Route, the foreign investor or the Indian company is required to obtain prior approval from the Government of India agencies or bodies specified.

The relaxation of the foreign investments norms in several sectors, including single-brand retail, defence, airlines and food processing had a contributory effect in increasing the FDI inflows to the country.ASHLEY, Pa.  Two women who said they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights.

Mark Icker, 29, of Dickson City, is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the two women into performing oral sex on him to avoid arrest in December, the Citizens Voice newspaper reported .

He is also charged with indecent assault for allegedly pulling down a third womans shirt and groping her after a traffic stop last June.

Icker worked as an officer in the police departments of Ashley, Sugar Notch and Jessup in Lackawanna County. He was suspended after charges were filed in December.

A message seeking comment from Ickers lawyer was left Friday.

The first encounter detailed in the suit took place Dec. 2, when Icker pulled over a woman despite having no probable cause, the lawsuit alleged.

Icker handcuffed the woman and put her in his car while he searched her vehicle, finding a partially smoked marijuana cigarette, according to the suit.

Icker allegedly brought her to the police station and coerced her to perform oral sex on him in a bathroom, the suit contends.A Carlisle man who investigators say sold cocaine was arrested and charged Thursday.

Simon Williford, 30, is charged with two counts of felony possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility, according to court records.

Williford sold cocaine to a confidential informant on two occasions in September in Carlisle, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office.

He was arrested Thursday and released after posting $900 bail, according to court records.

Williford is scheduled to appear in front of Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Birbeck at 9 a.m. Feb. 6 for a preliminary hearing.

This is the second arrest for the sale of cocaine in Cumberland County that the Attorney Generals Office announced it has made this year.

East Pennsboro man accused of selling cocaine An East Pennsboro Township man was arrested Wednesday after authorities said he sold cocaine to a confidential informant on multiple occasions.

Justin Paris Randall, 36, of East Pennsboro Township, was charged in January with three counts of possession with intent to deliver. Investigators say he sold cocaine to a confidential informant.Win McNamee/Getty Images(ALEXANDRIA, Virginia) -- Virginia's Democratic Governor Ralph Northam is facing questions tonight after a photo depicting two men, one in a Ku Klux Klan robe and another in blackface, appeared on a medical school yearbook page with his name on it.



The picture appeared in a "student-produced" publication in 1984, according to Jennifer McCarrell, the director of marketing and communications at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), where Northam graduated from and from which the yearbook page originated.



"I can confirm that the picture in question does appear in a 1984 student-produced publication," McCarrell wrote in an e-mail to ABC News. "The EVMS library is open to the public and does provide access to its materials."



The page in question is emblazoned with the name "Ralph Shearer Northam" at the top.



In a statement released Friday evening, Northam apologized and acknowledged that he is one of the men depicted in the photo.



"Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," Northam wrote, "I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now."



However Northam did not say that he would be resigning his post as governor, and did not say whether or not he was the person in the Ku Klux Klan robe or the one in blackface depicted in the photo.



"I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor," Northam added.



Democratic presidential candidates including California Senator Kamala Harris and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro have called on Northam to step down.

Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 2, 2019

It doesnt matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign.  Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) February 2, 2019

Calls from other prominent groups on the left for Northam to resign began to emerge Friday night as well, including from MoveOn, a leading progressive group, and Gut Cecil, the head of Priorities USA, a major Democratic super PAC.



Derrick Johnson, the President of the NAACP, also called on Northam to resign.

Black face in any manner is always racist and never okay. No matter the party affiliation, we can not stand for such behavior, which is why the @NAACP is calling for the resignation of Virginia Governor @RalphNortham  Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) February 2, 2019

Northam was elected in 2017, defeating former Republican Party Chairman Ed Gillespie, in a year in which Democrats nearly retook the Virginia House of Delegates for the first time in decades.Numerous high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden, campaigned for Northam.The head of the Virginia Republican Party called on Northam in a Friday statement to resign if the governor is, indeed, depicted in the picture."Racism has no place in Virginia, said Virginia GOP Chairman Jack Wilson. "These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."Under the Virginia Constitution, if Northam resigns, he would be succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, a 39-year-old African-American former lawyer who is considered a rising star in Virginia Democratic politics.A spokesperson for Fairfax declined to comment to ABC News on the yearbook photo controversy.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.



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.When that failed to pacify dangerous advocates of letting the unborn live, Northam fell back on abortion mill cliches: [men] shouldnt be telling a woman what she should or shouldnt be doing with her body.

What this talking-point spouting fool cant seem to grasp is pro-life supporters dont care what the woman does with her body  life advocates care about what she wants to do with babys body.

Back in the legislature, the storm caused by the bill produced much hunkering down. Tran erased her Facebook and Twitter accounts making her online presence as empty as her moral judgment. Richmond.com discovered the co-sponsor of the bill, Del. Dawn Adams, another Swamp winner, sent a contrite statement to her constituents saying she hadnt read the bill before agreeing to sponsor it.

That begs the issue. The real question is what kind of person sees an abortion bill favoring the mindset of convenience and death and thinks where do I sign up for that!?

The Great Unifier once said elections have consequences and for the unborn the consequences can be fatal. Trans unborn execution bill was killed by the legislature for this session, but Republican control of the legislative branch is hanging by an umbilical cord.Local religious leaders on Thursday filled the halls of the Friedhof Oak Room.

It was the first of what Lori Peters said she hopes will become an annual event. The goal of the Faith Leaders Luncheon is to grow the faith relations arm of the local affiliate.

Were trying to keep God at the center for Habitat and were trying to bring all the clergy together in town from all of the different parts of the faith community just to talk about Habitat, get together, give them a lunch and celebrate Columbus, said Peters, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Columbus.

The nonprofit provides housing to individuals who can't afford a traditional mortgage, with no-interest loans available to those who meet specific guidelines. Homeowners make a down payment and monthly payments for the house to the Habitat chapter. With that money, future builds are funded.

Peters said she planned on having 50 people in attendance at the lunch. One person present was The Rev. Mariano Menendez, a leader at Word of Life Church in Columbus. He said he decided to come to get more information about the program and learn how the church can help.The Legislature confirmed Friday the appointment of Jason Jackson as director of the Department of Administrative Services.

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Brewer told senators Jackson had extensive experience in human resources and administration and is a proven leader.

"I agree with Sen. (Rick) Kolowski's comments in our exec session that we are fortunate to have such a well-qualified individual for public service," Brewer said.

No other questions or comments followed and senators voted 42-0 to confirm Jackson.

In November, Gov. Pete Ricketts fired state Director of Administrative Services Byron Diamond for how he handled a temporary employee who was mistreating female employees. Ricketts tapped Jackson to lead the agency in December.

The Department of Administrative Services manages the core of state government, providing support services to state agencies, boards and commissions through 13 divisions, including buildings, accounting, personnel, risk management and transportation services.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The need for renovation and expansion is clear, Hoesing said, noting the school would have to undertake portions of the project - likely at the burden of the taxpayer through a levy hike  to make certain areas of the school compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Without passage of the new bond order, provided information shows that the district would continue to levy at the present level, however, it would need to approve an additional bond through the Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund (QCPUF) to address the ADA and life safety compliance requirements. This could result in a 3-cent levy increase for up to 10 years ($417,265 per year).

"The important thing to look at is if we say, vote yes, we get all of these amenities and all these things for our district, Principal Stephen Grammer said. If you vote, no, taxes dont go down, it means they actually go up because we have to do these ADA compliance regulations. So we would still have to raise money to do that, so why not just get some amenities and other stuff we need right now (through the proposed bond order.)"

Its also a natural undertaking associated with continual growth. With high school enrollment in recent years spiking from around 450 to 600 students, there are real space confinements within the school.It was almost too strange to believe. I am sure that you all have seen on TV the confrontation between the high school junior and a Vietnam era Native American soldier. If you see the video, here is a kid wearing a Make America Great Again hat and a smirk on his face standing two feet in front of a Native American soldier who was playing a drum and chanting.

Add to that scenario the whole thing takes place on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The kid is from an all-male Catholic High School in Kentucky, part of a group shipped there on a bus to participate in a Pro-Life (Anti-Abortion) demonstration. The soldier is using his right to protest the same as the kid. Simple right? Not so much. It is like we have fallen down the rabbit hole.

The whole event can be turned into a made for TV movie. As of this writing it appears that the school kids were being hassled by Black Israelite protesters and the Native American soldier stepped between the two to head off the situation. The student says that the Native American soldier in his attempt to head off a situation violated his personal space and that he was doing nothing. The students mother said he was influenced by Black Muslims and that is why he reacted the way he did. Confused yet? We all are. Of course the media got the blame.The Fiji Water model who photobombed her way from the red carpet to social media super stardom launched a lawsuit against the company this week in Los Angeles Superior Court, The Blast reported.

Model, Kelleth Cuthbert, whose real name is Kelly Steinbach, says Fiji created an unauthorized marketing campaign using her image. Fiji, she alleges, seized upon her viral fame, and made life-size cardboard cutouts from photos taken of her while she was working for the company promoting its water for the January 6 Golden Globes.

If the matter heads to court, the answers to several questions will determine the fate of Cuthberts lawsuit. Those questions include whether Fijis use of Cuthberts image went beyond the scope of her original contract, whether a subsequent valid agreement was made between the parties, and whether Cuthbert sustained any damages.

According to Cuthbert, Fiji's post-Globes cutout campaign was initiated without her consent. She disputes that a subsequent contract was ever made, and seeks monetary compensation, a cut of the companys profits derived from the alleged unauthorized use of her image, and punitive damages.

Holly Taylor at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards with FIJI Water on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision for FIJI Water/AP Images)

California law could be in her favor

In a statement to Yahoo Finance Fiji said, This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit. After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms. Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in court.

According to Cuthbert, Fiji asked her to meet at the company's Los Angeles office in an attempt to negotiate a subsequent deal after she learned that the cutouts had been installed in stores around the city. Cuthbert claims the company offered her gifts as a bargaining chip to relinquish her rights to the name Fiji water girl, and pressured her into shooting a video to simulate signing on as a Fiji brand ambassador.

If Cuthberts claims are proven, she may have a viable and lucrative case. In California, a persons likeness, photo, or voice cannot be used for commercial purpose without their prior consent, and the states laws permit aggressively punishing violators.

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Cuthbert claims the unauthorized use of her likeness damaged her "peace, happiness, feelings, goodwill, professional standing, and future publicity value." In addition to compensatory damages for these types of claims, California courts can also award successful plaintiffs with profits derived from unauthorized use.

Fiji, a private, Los Angeles-based company, is said to have benefited to the tune of about $12 million in brand exposure from Cuthberts Golden Globe photobombs, alone. If she prevails on her claim that the cutouts were unauthorized, Cuthbert is entitled to all of the companys profits attributable to the cutout campaign.

Yahoo Finance requested clarification from Fiji concerning the scope and duration of the companys original and any subsequent contracts with Cuthbert, as well as the nature of the video alleged in Cuthberts complaint, and has not received a response.

Alexis Keenan is a New York-based reporter for Yahoo Finance. She previously produced live news for CNN and is a former litigation attorney. Follow her on Twitter at @alexiskweed

More from Alexis:

Disabled San Diego residents sue over e-scooter obstacle course

How legalized cannabis changed Colorado in the past five years

Legal experts disagree on whether Trump can declare 'emergency' to build his wallSemi-driver in Humboldt Broncos crash will likely be deported, says immigration lawyer

A well-known policy analyst and lawyer believes it's likely Jaskirat Singh Sidhu will be deported after serving his sentence in Canada.

Last year, Sidhu, who is now 30, drove his semi through a stop sign without braking, causing the Humboldt Broncos team bus to slam into the semi's side. Sixteen people died in the crash and 13 were injured.

In January, Sidhu pleaded guilty to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing injury. Sidhu started working for Calgary-based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. three weeks before the crash.

During a sentencing hearing this week in Melfort, Sask., the Crown prosecutor advocated for a 10-year prison sentence.

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said since Sidhu pleaded guilty to a serious charge, it's very likely he will be sent back to his birth country of India once he completes his sentence.

"It's not the sentence that counts," said Kurland. "It's the fact that this is an indictable offence."

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirms that permanent residents who are convicted of "serious criminality," may lose their status and have to leave the country after completing their sentence. This could also be triggered by receiving an actual sentence of more than six months.

Sidhu grew up on a farm in India and followed his girlfriend to Canada in 2013. Sidhu is a permanent resident, not a citizen of Canada.

Under federal law, a permanent resident convicted of a crime that holds a maximum sentence of at least ten years will be deported.

There are few chances of appeal. He could appeal the deportation order if he receives a sentence of less than six months.

"If your actual sentence is more than six months, then you have no right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division," said lawyer Benjamin Perryman. "If you're above six months, you don't get this opportunity to argue how serious the crime was, that you've been here for a long time, these are your attachments to Canada."

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If he receives a conditional discharge, meaning he would not serve prison time but instead live under certain conditions, he could avoid deportation completely.

Immigration lawyer Kurland said the scenarios that would see Sidhu able to stay in Canada seem unlikely.

"I expect there would be a public outcry from coast to coast to coast, based on the facts, that six months would be the (sentence)," he said. "I, frankly, would find that hard to believe."

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen could refuse the deportation under compassionate grounds. However, in 2009, a driver who killed a woman during a Vancouver street race and fought to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds was deported.

"If a street racer gets removed, what about someone who unfortunately has an event that leads to the loss of life to a large number of people?" Kurland said. "I don't think the cards are good for this particular individual."

During sentencing, Sidhu's lawyer said his conviction would likely mean he'll no longer be able to live in Canada afterwards, which should be considered part of the punishment. The defence team did not advocate for a specific sentence, but quoted from other dangerous driving causing death cases that involved sentences ranging from two to four years.

"Not only does the judge have to balance sentencing factors, the judge also has to balance the immigration consequences to the person concerned and take into account the impact on the safety of the public as well as the victim's rights," Kurland said.

If deported, Sidhu would be sent out of the country after he served his sentence.

Judge Inez Cardinal is expected to release her decision on March 22 in Melfort, Sask.Ian Gladue was watching his mother cut up dry meat in her kitchen when he said it hit him: "Holy smokes, I'm gonna make dry meat."

Gladue is the Edmonton manager of the food company called Pansawan, a Cree term for an Indigenous style of smoked meat.

In keeping with the Cree tradition, Gladue uses bison meat which is smoked for three days using the same technique he learned from his mother, which she learned from her parents and they learned from theirs.

"People are always searching for something truly authentic from Canada," he told CBC's Radio Active on Tuesday.

"They travel around here, they try different foods, but they don't ever get to really try something authentic."

Facebook/Ian Gladue

In 2012, the member of the Bigstone Cree Nation, near Wabasca, opened Native Delights, an Edmonton-based Indigenous cuisine service that offers catering services and operates food trucks in the summer months.

But he said he felt it wasn't enough.

"I was looking for something a bit more deep-rooted and I was really searching for something that really was meaningful and touching to all of Canada," he said.

Dry meat is traditional food in First Nations, Metis and Inuit cultures. Pansawan means "thin sliced meat" in Cree, but it has different names in each tradition and the meat varies to include moose, caribou and whitefish.

The company's slogan is "Before beef jerky, there was Pansawan." Gladue referred to it as the "grandaddy" of jerky, noting that European settlers in North America modelled spiced beef jerky on dry meat methods.

Unlike modern jerky, dry meat is smoked for more than three days rather than just a couple of hours. Gladue recreated traditional smoking methods indoors in his facility in Leduc.

Gladue started selling Pansawan dry meat in 2015, and has since expanded to selling in hundreds of Canadian stores, including Safeway and Sobey's locations in Edmonton.

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Pansawan is made solely with bison meat and smoke, and yet it can outlast many preservative-filled products on grocery store shelves.

When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency approved his product for global sales in December, food scientists were baffled by how his product could remain shelf stable without any additives.

"That was really something mind-boggling for them," he said.

"A lot of the questions came up to like, 'Where was this program designed?' or 'Who built this program?' [The answer is] our people, our elders designed this for thousands of years."

But before Gladue could sell it to stores, he sought elder approval.

An important part of the process, he said, was to "go to our traditional sweats and and talk to the elders and explain to them what we're trying to do here and how we're trying to preserve and restore our culture in a very positive way."

In January, he created new packaging for his product, with an "elder approved" seal on the front of the bag, which he said he plans to start shipping this year to buyers in Europe and the United States.

Gladue said he is now working on expanding his line with pemmican and smoked fish, which he is currently testing in his facility.Dalhousie University's interim president Peter MacKinnon defended himself against accusations of racism and calls for him to step down in his first interview on the subject.

Speaking to CBC News Thursday, MacKinnon said he's mostly had a warm reception in Halifax  apart from the 20 or so students who turned up to protest his welcome reception last week.

"I do understand that some of what I wrote has caused some distress on the part of some of the students. I regret that. I wrote a book on contemporary and contentious topics and it was inevitable that it would be received with differences of opinion," he said in a phone interview.

Hayley Zacks of Dal Do Better, a student group calling for him to step down, said she also wants an apology from the hiring committee. "My concerns were that he defended blackface, he's against divestment from oil and fossil fuel companies, but also the divest, boycott and sanctions movement against Israel," she said Thursday.

She claimed students weren't involved in the decision to hire him, but in fact the president of the Dalhousie Student Union took part in that decision. Aaron Prosper, the DSU president, declined to be interviewed.

Here's what he wrote

MacKinnon said anyone who reads the book will see he doesn't support or condone blackface. "I was interested in some of the issues around Halloween costumes and the responses to them. The responses to them range a great deal, from severe denunciation to perhaps a response that would say, 'Yes, impact matters, but so do intent and context and proportionality.'"

CBC got a copy of his 2018 book, University Commons Divided: Exploring Debate and Dissent on Campus. In chapter three, he looks at three campus controversies over Halloween costumes.

In 2009 at the University of Toronto, five students dressed as the Jamaican bobsled team for a party. Five years later, some Brock University students wore the same sort of costumes. Of their use of blackface, MacKinnon writes:

Story continues

"Its use has a long history and one frequently, though not always, viewed as racist. Here the students were not portraying Black persons in stereotypical, oppressed or disadvantaged situations. Nor is it likely that they were paying tribute to the participation of a tropical team in a winter Olympic sport that inspired the movie Cool Runnings. It was their use of blackface that ignited the controversy."

MacKinnon writes that at a Queen's University party, students dressed as "sheiks, guerillas from the war in Vietnam, Buddhist monks, Mexicans and other national or ethnic peoples."

"If there was insensitivity to issues of race in the selection of costumes by party-goers at the three universities, there was also a lack of proportion in the responses to them. These were Halloween costumes, not cultural misappropriations, Nazi mimicry, or manifestations of disapproval of other peoples. So describing them risks diminishing real problems of intolerance, discrimination, and racism. It also risks backlash from a bewildered public observing these episodes," he writes.

Faculty association questions hiring process

David Westwood, president of the Dalhousie Faculty Association, said his group has no objections to MacKinnon. They do object to how such senior leaders are hired by the board of governors.

"Our problem with closed-door procedure is it's not clear which questions have been asked and how the candidate may have responded," he said.

The university told him they do the interviews in camera to protect the privacy of the candidates, who may not want their current employer to know they're seeking a new post.

"We don't have any issues with the individual per se. He has a long history of being a university president in the past. He has very strong credentials," Westwood said. "Unfortunately for Peter, it's probably going to undermine his term as interim president."

Support for Truth and Reconciliation Commission

MacKinnon, who is also a lawyer, said the accusation that he doesn't support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is false.

"I think the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work was vitally important and I think most of its recommendations are excellent," he said. "But there are some that would lead me to pause for reasons of how they're going to work out, and what their constitutional implications are."

He said the union comments likely come from his questioning of student unions calling for a boycott of Israel. He said that goes far beyond representing student interests and that some Jewish student might not want to pay fees to support such a call from their union.

"I'm not speaking out against student unions. My heavens, I believe strongly in the important of student unions," he said.

MacKinnon will be the interim president for six months as Dalhousie searches for its next permanent president.News / National

by Staff reporter

Vice President Kembo Mohadi says the government will not tolerate acts of banditry and hooliganism witnessed around the country last month when some people went on the rampage looting several shops, setting property and buildings on fire and barricading roads in what they branded a national shutdown.One police man was killed during the disturbances, which resulted in the arrest of over 1000 people.Several cases are before the courts with some hooligans having already been convicted and handed up to six year jail sentences.Standing in for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Mohadi today addressed a Zanu-PF thank you rally in Mt Darwin, where he said the government is committed to ensuring that the recent events are not repeated."Those acts of banditry and hooliganism will not be tolerated and the government is going all in its power to make sure that it does not happen again. We are peace loving country and we should not allow ourselves to be used for selfish agendas," he said."All these international and private media are not talking about the destruction caused by these hooligans, the massive looting, the burning of vehicles and government infrastructure like tollgates, over running of police stations and the eventual death of one of the policemen on duty. But they just want o concentrate on that the security forces were heavy handed in dealing with the protesters, that is not right," he added.The Vice President also said a foreign hand was evident in last month's events."Some foreign agents acting through some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and saboteurs have been trying to cause chaos in the country through violence and price increases," he said.Cde Mohadi called for patience, likening the current challenges to labour pains which shall soon be a thing of the past as the government implements measures to resuscitate the economy.He said government interventions like the re-introduction of ZUPCO and scaling up agricultural and mining production will soon bear fruit."President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent 4-nation tour was fruitful and it helped cement relations that date back to the days of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. Russia and Belarus have helped Zimbabwe before in fighting colonialism and the President got assurance that they shall continue assisting us in various sectors of the economy. The deal between the country and Al Rosa of Russia will result in improved diamond mining and beneficiation for the country to earn more foreign currency," Cde Mohadi said.He also urged farmers to work hard and maximise land utilisation so that the country will export produce and earn foreign currency.The Vice President also slammed corruption at all levels of society and called for fair distribution of government inputs.On the food security, Cde Mohadi said no one will die of hunger as the nation has enough grain stock for 2019.The Thank You Rally was meant to appreciate the electorate for trusting the revolutionary Zanu-PF party with a fresh mandate during last year's harmonised elections.News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF supporters have been called on to ignore desperate attempts by the opposition MDC Alliance and social media political activists who are trying to sow seeds of division through fabricating lies of discord in the party and government.Social media has over the past few weeks been awash with tales of perceived simmering disharmony in government and the ruling Zanu-PF with some of the stories suggesting irreconcilable differences between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Retired General Dr Constantino Chiwenga.Ridiculous reports of a coup and an attempt to impeach President Mnangagwa have also been made.Addressing party supporters in Gokwe Nembudziya, area legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena said the Zanu-PF party supporters must remain focused on economic development and consolidating the peace and unity prevailing in the country and the party.Honourable Wadyajena said though painful now, the austerity measures introduced by the new dispensation are already starting to bear results, adding that in six months, tangible benefits of the policies will be there for all to see.He also expressed gratitude to the people of Gokwe for refusing to be coerced in the riotous demonstrations organised by the ZCTU and the MDC Alliance a few weeks ago, and called on police to arrest a group of hooligans who blocked roads and threatened people at Nembudziya Growth Point during the demonstrations.So I hear that Vice President Mohadi's lawyers have written a letter requesting that I retract yesterday's tweet. I say hear as I'm yet to receive correspondence to that effect.Ok how about this? For ease of reference, my lawyer is Marufu Mandevere at The Firm, Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere Legal Practitioners, 9th Floor Takura House, Kwame Nkrumah Ave (between 1st and 2nd Streets)May the lawyers do away with the formalities of the letter and be instructed by their client to have the weekend to prepare papers to sue me as it'll be a pleasure to expose the evidence gathered. It's time we dealt with corruption from a top to bottom approach; the gloves are off.Word has it that VP Mohadi is the Godfather of smuggling in Beitbridge and has abused his power for too long. There are even allegations of rape and murder against him, dossier of which I'll be compiling for submission to Emmerson Mnangagwa and I look forward to His Excellency acting upon the information.He's alleged to have always acted in the interests of white people like Goddard and attempted to protect the interests of the Chinese at Sunny Yi Feng from where his tiff with me appears to emanate when I intervened to halt construction pending EMA and working conditions complianceAt least the impending law suit will give me the opportunity to expose all the corruption without fear or favour. In my quest to tackle corruption if I can't expose the sharks at the top then it's a waste of timeI can't truly say that we have a VP of substance in Mohadi who would appear to have a litany of corruption allegations trailing him. Robert Gabriel Mugabe wasn't wrong in not appointing him. I've been through persecution in Mugabe's errand enlisting Goddard with flimsy charges against me won't stick

There's been over 70 cases against me and I've suffered the mental trauma of being in and out of jail over the same number of times during the RGM era with the then CG Chihuri and Mohadi as Home Affairs for nothing but persecution. I was acquitted in all instances; those tactics don't workThe new dispensation isn't about being evil to settle personal scores! I'll stand for justice to protect the next person.My worry isn't it being detained for nothing but in the scourge of corruption from those who think they're untouchable and neglect to improve prison conditions to cushion their inevitable visit.We've been skirting around corruption andt his time I'm going for the sharks. I invite anyone with any information to add to my growing pile of evidence against VP Mohadi to come forth on Twitter or WhatsApp me on +263732300148 or email mliswatyahoo.com enough is enough!I'm tired of useless politicians who get into power only to abuse it. As a Minister of State Security it's alleged that Mohadi applied for USD allowances meant for external trips to travel locally to Beitbridge instead of bonds/RTGSs Mnangagwa that can be easily verified.I've received more information from those in ZANUPF of shenanigans in Beitbridge amongst them Hon Ngulube, an alleged victim of Mohadi's abuse who was eventually allowed to stand in Beitbridge against Mohadi's wishes.It's also time the ZRP CG was honest with edmnangagwa about the criminals surrounding him and at this level I'll copy my correspondence about Mohadi to the ICCWhat has Mohadi done in his role of reconciliation? No-one respects him even in his own area and RGM was correct in his wisdom and not wrong about not choosing him. There's nothing tribalistic about it, just plain fact as there are many from the region who are honest and deservingI've heard of JR Goddard who has corruptly benefitted and is used without a grain of evidence to press charges and will be caught in the net when it closes. How is it that he has benefitted over more capable indigenous persons? I'll leave no stone unturnedIn fact I'm looking forward to my day in court as my evidence may get lost in the system if I submit it to law enforcement agents or ZACC, it's safer before the courts. One mustn't forget that disgruntled runners know a lot! I'm ready to appear in court at any timeThe ZIPRA War Vets have been neglected and Mohadi has done nothing to represent them. There are more influential and deserving ZIPRA Commanders than Mohadi that have better capacity and people at heartThe sooner I can defend any fictitious allegations by those you're in cahoots with the better, let's see who comes out clean! I've stood the test of time because of my stance against corruption, can you?News / National

by Staff reporter

THE World Bank has said it was impressed by Zimbabwe's public reform systems, saying the "reforms in Zimbabwe can also be a model to follow by other countries in the region, or the world."The World Bank also notes how "a recently elected government has created substantial public expectations of change, and demand for greater transparency and accountability.""The Government of Zimbabwe has taken important steps to reform its public procurement system through a comprehensive and multi-faceted reform program that should ultimately catalyze further development."We publish below the full report:During fiscal deficits and recessions, when the pressure on the economy is profound, governments face budget shortfalls. The negative impact of a recession can also be amplified when a country, like Zimbabwe, faces overvalued exchange rates that mask the extent of underlying price pressures.Furthermore, a recently elected government has created substantial public expectations of change, and demand for greater transparency and accountability.It is in this context that the Government of Zimbabwe has taken important steps to reform its public procurement system through a comprehensive and multi-faceted reform program that should ultimately catalyze further development.The public procurement reform program, supported by a two-million grant from the World Bank's Zimbabwe Reconstruction Fund, has made significant progress in advancing reforms through a variety of actions: the enactment of a new Public Procurement Act as the anchor instrument of the legal framework; the development of practical tools for implementing the law, including standard bidding and contract documents; and the development of an Electronic Government Procurement strategy, also known as e-GP.The old legal and institutional arrangements for Zimbabwe's public procurement had a very high risk of encountering corruption in Zimbabwe's public procurement sector.For example, irregular payments and governance issues in connection with the awarding of public contracts, as well as favoritism in the decisions of government officials are common, and public funds are often diverted for other purposes. (See the Global Competitiveness Report 2016).The good news, however, is that the procurement reforms in Zimbabwe are making transformational changes by replacing the country's old public procurement framework with a modern system that is more efficient, accountable, and transparent.To date, specific accomplishments in modernizing the public procurement system in Zimbabwe include the following:Adoption of modern Public Procurement Regulations that define the legal, institutional, and procedural framework. The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act came into force on January 2018.Establishment of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) and Board appointed in January 2018.Development and promulgation of Procurement Regulations, Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs) and Guidelines.Development of Training of Trainers course materials. Roll out of this training program is underway whilst a professionalization and certification module is being developed.Development of Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) strategy, e-GP Guidelines and Business Process Re-Engineering Report.To ensure the proper implementation of the new public procurement system, the World Bank supported the establishment of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), including a plan for developing quick wins during the first 100 days and a five-year Strategic Plan (2019-2023) that identifies five objectives:Improving Public Procurement effectiveness through targeted capacity building of market playersIncreasing competition of private sector in public marketsIncreasing value for moneyIncreasing transparency and accountability in the public procurement processesGuaranteeing an efficient regulatory function which promotes regulatory complianceIt is significant how Zimbabwe is succeeding in reforming its public procurement system while simultaneously facing multi-faceted challenges marked by a series of political, economic, and financial shocks. The adoption of the new procurement legal framework and the establishment of PRAZ with a board of directors representing all regions in the country, as well as from the public and private sectors, with a majority of women representation, clearly demonstrate the cultural changes in institutional arrangements in Zimbabwe's public sector.These reforms are trendsetters for broader governance reforms in Zimbabwe but can also be a model to follow by other countries in the region, or the world.  Source: World BankNews / National

by Staff reporter

Scores of people who settled at Zero Farm at the onset of the Land Reform Programme over 18 years ago have threatened to occupy the adjacent Great Zimbabwe monuments as they do not have anywhere else to go, TellZim News can report.Earlier this month, government served the villagers, most of whom belong to the Mugabe clan of moyo totem which lays historical claim to the world-famous monuments, with eviction notices, saying they irregularly settled at the farm.In the notices, dated January 08 2019, the government instructs villagers to leave the farm within seven days, claiming the villagers were contravening Section 3 of the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act Chapter 20:28, by occupying the said property without lawful authority.One of the affected village heads, Henry Makusha said there was no way over 1000 families, most of whom had been living in the area for close to 20 years, were going to vacate without good explanation from the government."We are not going to leave. We have nowhere else to go because this is our ancestors' place. If we are to vacate this area and go back where we came from, then we would have to reoccupy Great Zimbabwe because that's where our forefathers were laid. We have no other home that we know except this place," said Makusha."The way these letters were served is not the right way because they just came and forced villagers to sign the letters. They even arrested us (village heads) for resisting," Makusha said.The Mugabes blamed their woes on National Council of Chiefs president Fortune Charumbira whom they accused of using his political muscle to grab their land claiming that the area was a buffer zone for Lake Mutirikwi."They have not done anything to people at Sikato Farm who were put there by Charumbira himself yet they are giving us all this trouble. Sikato Farm is even closer to the dam than our place," said one villager.Charumbira belongs to the shumba sipambi clan whose claim to some areas around the world heritage site has for long been problematic in some cultural circles.One of the Mugabe elders, Samuel Rufuharuzivishe Mugabe said the government would rather shoot all of them if it did not want them to remain on the land that he said was rightfully theirs."We gave Zero Farm to our growing families so if that is wrong, then they should find a way of rectifying it rather than evict us. If they continue tormenting us they risk the wrath of our ancestors. We are not going anywhere! If they want to kill us let them do!" said Mugabe.Evelyne Dovorogwa, who built her home in Chikutuva Village 16 years ago, said the only option she had was to go back to the ruins should they be forcibly removed.She also said they were forced to sign the eviction notices against their will as they did not understand what was written."Why didn't they tell us long ago when we came here? I spent 16 years here but they have not even called for a single meeting over our settlement here. We pay all taxes, our children get births written Chikutuva Village but now they are saying there is no such village," said Dovorogwa.Other villagers said they would have complied with the order had it been served in time although it would have been difficult for them to lose their crops and building as well as their children's education since they had already been enrolled at different schools with school fees having been paid already.Masvingo District Administrator (DA) Ray Hove was quoted in a state newspaper confirming that the villagers were issued with eviction letters and were expected to move, claiming they did not have no offer letters.Other villagers said Zanu-PF had always told them that their stay at the farm depended on how politically loyal they were especially during elections, and they have always been ardent ruling party supporters.About 1 000 villagers were affected and these come from six villages namely Chikutuva, Makavasa, Marikutirwa, Makasva, Banga and Sithole villages.Nothing had, however, happened after the expiry of the deadline with villagers saying no action had been taken against them.News / National

by Staff reporter

The factional battles ravaging the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church has taken yet another nasty turn, this time with a group of pastors aligned to the Rev Cosam Chiyangwa's camp petitioning the Minister of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi over what they consider to be non-objective handling of their cases at the Masvingo Magistrates' Court.The pastors claim that some officials at the court are AFM members who are now caught in a conflict of interest which has seen them taking sides in the legal suits.The church has 39 ordained pastors in the province, the majority of whom identify with Chiyangwa, who leads a rebellion against attempts by Rev Aspher Madziire and Rev Amon Madawu's fervent attempts to introduce constitutional reforms that would drastically reduce the power of pastors and give elders more leeway in church business.At national level, the case of the two factions' claim to legitimacy is before the high court but locally, a myriad of lesser cases have been before the magistrates' court.TellZim News saw a letter, dated January 10, 2019 and addressed to Ziyambi, and copied to Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira and Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Langton Ndokera in which the pastors, under the banners of the AFM Masvingo Provincial Pastors Forum, express serious misgivings about the neutrality of the magistrates' court.The aggrieved pastors, who include Masvingo overseer Rev Donard Ndoni, Rev Elias Jinjika of Judea assembly (Runyararo West) and Rev Gilbert Charumbira of Greater Grace assembly (Rujeko), are being represented by lawyers from Saratoga and Makausi Law Chambers.They claim that the court issued a number of dubious judgements that give undue favour to the reform faction.When contacted for comment, Ndokera only acknowledged having received the letter but refused to comment, saying only authorities in Harare could do so."We are doing our jobs to the best of our abilities and in the best interest of justice. You can get a comment from our superiors in Harare," said Ndokera.Between November and December 2018, the Masvingo AFM reform faction served 33 pastors of the anti-faction with dismissal letters, but the purported dismissals were ignored as the issue of legitimacy was still pending in the high court.The reform faction also approached the Masvingo Magistrates' Court and obtained ex parte interdicts against over a dozen pastors, barring them from carrying out their duties and using church property.On November 08, the reform faction had obtained another ex parte interdict barring the anti-reform faction from going ahead with a three-day provincial conference organised at the church's provincial centre in Mucheke. The conference, however, went ahead reportedly because the interdict contained gross errors."The pastors were of the view that we are all equal before the Law but the events that followed the handling of the cases have proved otherwise. The pastors feel that the Masvingo Magistrate Court has not taken a neutral position in resolving the said dispute due to the following:"The first case on the interdict (Case Number INT 76 18) barring the Anti-Reform from holding their conference was heard on 20 November 2018 and the judgement was to be delivered on 10 December 2018 but unfortunately it was not ready on the said date. Repeated efforts were done by our lawyers to get the judgement from the Clerk of Court as promised but that was to no avail."Despite our lawyers not receiving the judgement, the lawyers from the Reform side, arguing a case on the Second Case of interdicts heard on 08 January 2019, cited that judgement to the surprise of everyone who was waiting for it. This proved that the Reform side had received the judgement while the Anti-Reform side was still pursuing that Judgement. The Reform lawyers had enough time to study and use it as their base of argument on the interdicts trial while the other had not received the judgment."After the court session, the Anti-Reform lawyers went to request for the judgement. On receiving the judgement, there are fundamental errors (sic) that show it was not done diligently," part of the document reads.The errors, according to the document, were that the place at which the hearing took place is different, the number of cited respondents were inaccurate and that the judgement gave the reform faction control of assets despite acknowledging the existence of the legitimacy dispute."The judgement did not have reasons why the interdict was granted and this has resulted in the Anti-Reform pastors not being able to launch an appeal and are still waiting for the reasons," the document reads.On the (second) case of interdicts which was due on December 21, 2018, the reform faction is said to have simply sent their lawyers to ask for a postponement which they were granted."Anti-Reform lawyers requested for a written judgement so that after studying the reasons, provided, see if it was necessary to launch an appeal with the High Court. He was promised that he would receive it but to no avail. The lawyers proceeded to write a letter to the Magistrate Court requesting for the judgement but to no avail until the 08th of January 2019 when the case was heard. In this case the Masvingo Magistrate Court has robbed (the) Pastors the right to appeal to the High Court since they did not have a written judgement with reasons why the case could be heard on that day. Until now the judgement is still not availableThe pastors are of the view thatthe judgment itself was not substantive and there were no enough reasons to support it. Also, it was meant to delay the process until the 8th of January 2019," the document further reads.The pastors also accuse an unnamed magistrate of dubiously recusing himself from a case he was supposed to finalise as a way of sabotaging the anti-reform faction."Another worrying factor is that some officials at the Masvingo Magistrate Court are members of AFM church in Zimbabwe and in the said dispute are believed to be aligned to the Reform side. This puts them as interested parties.One of the Magistrate (sic), the lawyer of the Reform side and the most active members of the Reform side are from the same AFM assembly in Masvingo."Given the above arguments, we are of the opinion that the Masvingo Magistrate Court is siding with one party through corrupt tendencies or other reasons best known to them," the document reads.News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa dismissed reports of a rift with his deputy, which have circulated since he promised action in response to a brutal security service crackdown that began last month while he was abroad.Mnangagwa, in comments published on Friday by weekly Zimbabwe Independent and daily NewsDay, said "not a single person" had provided evidence of divisions between him and Constantino Chiwenga.Chiwenga led the coup that toppled long-time leader Robert Mugabe in November 2017."I have known Chiwenga and his colleagues (in the military) since the struggle years. We are comrades and understand each other better than you think," Mnangagwa was quoted as saying on Friday.Two allies of Mnangagwa  a lawmaker of his ZANU-PF party, Mayor Wadyajena, and former deputy finance minister Terence Mukupe  said last month that some members of the government were trying to impeach the president.The crackdown began in mid-January in response to violent protests that were triggered by Mnangagwa's decision to increase the price of fuel by 150 percent.Lawyers and rights groups say that, despite a promise from the president to clamp down on abuse by security services and investigate their actions against protesters, hundreds of people remain in detention, with many having been denied access to legal representation.Residents of Harare say scores suspected of involvement in the protests have been dragged from their homes while some opposition lawmakers have gone into hiding.Lawyers say 12 people were killed during the unrest, while police say only three died.Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass CountryThe British Library is pleased to announce its recent acquisition of an illuminated medieval manuscript, the Southwark Hours, now Add MS 89309. It is now fully digitised and is on display in the Sir John Ritblat Treasures Gallery for all to admire.

Christ in Majesty with the Evangelist symbols: Add MS 89309, f. 94r

The manuscript is a Book of Hours, made in Paris in the last quarter of the 14th century. Books of Hours contained sets of prayers for reading at different hours of the day and night. Spanning the divides of gender, age and status, they were the most popular books owned by laypeople in the late Middle Ages. The Southwark Hours is a particularly fine example. Its pages are festooned with ivy-leaf borders glittering with gold, and its major prayers are headed with delicate illuminations attributed to the Ravenelle Master. For its patron, most likely a French noblewoman, it would have been an invaluable aid to piety as well as a beautiful book.

The Entombment: Add MS 89309, f. 215v

We can catch a glimpse of this mystery patroness within the manuscripts pages. The prayer for the final hour of the day (Compline) in the set of prayers known as the Hours of the Passion is accompanied by an image of the Entombment of Christ. In the image, Christs dead body is laid out on his tomb by two pall-bearers, while the Virgin Mary, St John, St Mary Magdalene and two other holy women gather in mourning. The woman who kneels praying in the foreground is almost certainly a portrait of the manuscripts original owner. Her insertion into the Passion scene evokes the intimate and emotional experience that she hoped to achieve through her prayers.

The head and shoulders of the same woman also appear within a decorated initial at the opening of the Penitential Psalms, beneath a miniature of Christ in Majesty (f. 94r), pictured above. She gazes at the words from Psalm 6: Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me (O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath), while the illuminated figure of Christ looks down at her.

The Annunciation: Add MS 89309, f. 20r

The most impressive page in a Book of Hours is usually the opening prayer for the first hour of the day (Matins) in the Hours of the Virgin  a series of prayers addressed to the Virgin Mary that were central to any Book of Hours. True to tradition, the Southwark Hours opens this prayer with an exquisite illumination of the Annunciation.

It is apparent that before the arrival of the angel, the Virgin Mary had been reading studiously. Looking closely, we can read her open book, Ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium (Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son; Isaiah 7:14), and so discover that she is studying the Old Testament text that prophesies about her own important role in salvation history. She kneels on a sumptuous blue cloth patterned with golden stars, recalling her epithet as Stella Maris (star of the sea). The vase of lilies in front of her symbolises virginity.

In contrast with the Virgin Marys serene stillness, the angel Gabriel makes a dramatic entrance from the upper left. One foot trails out of frame and one peacock-feather wing projects in front of the frame, giving the impression of immediacy and movement. Gabriels gracefully looping scroll bears the prayer Ave Maria (Hail Mary; based on Luke 1:28 and 42). Meanwhile, God the Father presides in the upper corner and the dove of the Holy Spirit descends. The scroll of musical notation carried by the three angels in the upper border encourages us to imagine divine music accompanying the scene, while the scroll-bearing prophets in the lower margin prefigure this momentous event.

The Deposition: Add MS 89309, f. 210v

The manuscript formerly was on long-term loan from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark (Loan MS 85/4). Mgr Matthew Dickens, the Vicar General & Chancellor & Trustee of the Archdiocese of Southwark, commented: We are delighted that the British Library has been able to acquire for its permanent collection the Southwark Book of Hours. This is a particularly fine example of illuminated manuscripts of this period and it is right and proper that it should be held in a major national collection, to be enjoyed by the public and to be available for scholarly research. I should like to thank the British Library staff and donors who have made this acquisition possible.

Dr Kathleen Doyle, the British Librarys Lead Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, said: I am delighted that the Southwark Hours is joining the Library's remarkable collection of illuminated manuscripts, including treasures of French illumination and Books of Hours from across Europe. The manuscript is an important witness of the Ravenelle Painters work, and one of only two that indicates that the he worked for aristocratic female patrons. We are grateful to the Friends of the British Library for their assistance in funding this acquisition.

The manuscript is now on display in the Sir John Ritblat Treasures Gallery at the British Library, together with another manuscript (Add MS 35215) and two printed Books of Hours, to allow visitors to compare the similarities and differences between the same text in different media.

Eleanor Jackson

Follow us on Twitter @BLMedievalSometimes I recoil a little when somebody declares that there can be an American president greater than George Washington. Henry Light-Horse Harry Lee declared Washington, First in the hearts of his countrymen. Washington is great for many things, but perhaps he is greatest for the manner in which he surrendered power not once but twice.

One of the best recent commentaries written on Washington is David Boazs, The Man Who Would Not Be King. In the piece from 2006, Boaz wonderfully sums up the depth of Washingtons immense character and what that means for liberty and America. The entire commentary is worth reading but the conclusion is especially poignant:

From his republican values Washington derived his abhorrence of kingship, even for himself. The writer Garry Wills called him a virtuoso of resignations. He gave up power not once but twice  at the end of the revolutionary war, when he resigned his military commission and returned to Mount Vernon, and again at the end of his second term as president, when he refused entreaties to seek a third term. In doing so, he set a standard for American presidents that lasted until the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose taste for power was stronger than the 150 years of precedent set by Washington. Give the last word to Washingtons great adversary, King George III. The king asked his American painter, Benjamin West, what Washington would do after winning independence. West replied, They say he will return to his farm. If he does that, the incredulous monarch said, he will be the greatest man in the world.

Washingtons moral model of leadership is timeless. In everything he said and did, he affirmed the spirit of the American Revolution. His fellow Virginian, Thomas Jefferson noted, Washington would rather be in his grave than in his present situation [the presidency]; that he had rather be on his farm than to be made Emperor of the world. All Americans should study Washington because he is the embodiment the principles of liberty. His peers would all argue and did, that in America there was no leader who possessed greater virtue. Charles Francis Adams, the son of President John Quincy Adams, declared of Washington:BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer).The essence of the game is rooted in emotion and passion and hunger and a will to win." - Mike Sullivan-- Rep. Lawrence Klemin, R-Bismarck, on House Bill 1270 that would require political party leaders to consent to changing voting locations.

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"Let's rule on the side of the property owner and the law-abiding citizen in North Dakota for a change. I don't see anybody whacking somebody for stealing a wrench out of a toolbox. I don't think that's how North Dakota citizens think."

-- Retired Oriska farmer Jack Erteltm, testifying in favor of a stand your ground bill.

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"Our graphic designers in this state got no chance. Nobody was consulted, you never heard a word and all of a sudden, you wake up one morning and here's our new state logo, and by the way, it came from Minnesota."

-- Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla, speaking in favor of House Bill 1457, which would direct the state Department of Commerce to administer a contest for a new state logo with monetary prizes.

q q qThank you to the sponsors of HCR3016 for presenting this opportunity for sweeping higher education reform. This resolution provides dry bones onto which tendons and flesh and skin can be added and life breathed into the body.

I propose we establish a unified North Dakota University with four listed major campuses and seven listed minor campuses. NDU would consist of statewide faculties administered by statewide deans who report to an elected commissioner of higher education. This commissioner would be charged with cooperating with the superintendent of public instruction, cooperating with faculty to promote high ethical standards and freedom of inquiry, and negotiating affiliation agreements with private colleges and tribal colleges. The unification of North Dakota University is a great chance to significantly cut administrative costs.

Present and future colleges in Bismarck ought to establish a collegiate consortium analogous to Tri-College University, working in tandem with the unification of North Dakota University. Each autonomous college should be linked together by a transportation system to ferry students among campuses.The backer of a bill requiring the disclosure of the North Dakota governors security and transportation costs rejected a suggested compromise to allow lawmakers to view the expenses confidentially Friday.

Rep. Bill Devlin, R-Finley, a former newspaper publisher, argued the executive branch is running afoul of the states open records law by not disclosing costs for what he called an unprecedented level of security for Gov. Doug Burgum. He told a House committee his bill would not threaten the governors safety but would merely inform taxpayers and legislators of budget figures.

Col. Brandon Solberg, the head of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, testified against the bill Friday over a cumbersome process to log the information and fears it would open the door to detailed information about the governors security becoming public knowledge. He said he would be OK with lawmakers viewing the information in a closed-door meeting, as he said is done elsewhere.

But Devlin said after Fridays House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee hearing he wasnt open to that idea.

I think its a taxpayer right to know what this is costing, he said. I think having it in a confidential executive session serves no purpose at all.MOSCOW  Following in the footsteps of the U.S., Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Moscow on Friday of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with "impunity" by deploying banned missiles. Trump said in a statement that the U.S. will "move forward" with developing its own military response options to Russia's deployment of banned cruise missiles that could target Western Europe.

Moscow has strongly denied any breaches and accused Washington of making false accusations in order to justify its pullout.

The collapse of the INF Treaty has raised fears of a repeat of a Cold War showdown in the 1980s, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union both deployed intermediate-range missiles on the continent. Such weapons were seen as particularly destabilizing as they only take a few minutes to reach their targets, leaving no time for decision-makers and raising the likelihood of a global nuclear conflict over a false launch warning.A Bismarck Republican lawmaker is the primary sponsor of 27 bills this session, the most among North Dakotas 141 legislators, according to figures provided by nonpartisan staffers Thursday.

Rep. George Keiser is chairman of the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee and has served in the Legislature since 1993. This session, he has pushed bills on insurance fees, pharmacy mail order delivery services and autonomous vehicle data, among other proposals.

Keiser said the high output is driven by industry group initiatives, given that he lives in the same city in which many organizations are based and because of his chairmanship. He said he only introduces bills he supports, however.

The heavy workload requires a lot of time and energy, Keiser said.

West Fargo Republican Sen. Judy Lee came in second with 22 championed bills, followed by Fargo Republican Rep. Shannon Roers Jones with 18, according to a breakdown provided by Legislative Council. Rolla Rep. Marvin Nelson introduced the most bills among North Dakota Democrats with 15.

Eleven lawmakers have introduced zero bills this session.

Senate committee to take up tribal tax billsNorth Dakota House lawmakers agreed to expand the states gambling options to include historic horse races Friday.

The 48-43 vote came after proponents pleaded with fellow legislators to provide the states horse racing industry with another revenue source, warning it faced a dire future without the legislation. House Bill 1443 now moves to the Senate.

The House narrowly killed a similar bill two years ago.

The bill would allow people to use electronic devices at simulcast facilities to place wagers on horse races that have taken place in the past, with identifying information hidden. Gamblers would see past performance information before they make selections, however, and betting terminals would display a recording or digital simulation or recreation of a portion of the race.

The bill overcame concerns about the effect on charitable gaming organizations and gambling addiction.

Are we going to create more gamblers or are we going to decrease available funds for other charities? said Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown.In addition, Brown said the potential gain in natural gas royalty revenue pales in comparison to oil production that is restricted due to companies working to meet gas capture goals.

Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms estimates that companies voluntarily restricted oil production by 99,000 barrels per day in November to meet the state's gas capture target.

The North Dakota Industrial Commission requires companies to limit flaring from Bakken wells to 12 percent or they can be forced to curtail oil production. But those forced production curtailments are rare. Operators can flare more than 12 percent and still be considered in compliance with the policy if they meet one of several caveats in the policy, such as flaring that is due to a gas plant outage. In November, the industry flared 20 percent of Bakken natural gas produced.

Varvel said one reason he likes the bill is it involves less red tape than the Industrial Commission policy.

Sen. Donald Schaible, R-Mott, said many companies flare natural gas due to situations they cant control, such as delays in getting a pipeline easement.

Is it fair to penalize them for reasons beyond their control? Schaible asked.UTTC's 50th year anniversary

A schedule of events to commemorate UTTC's 50th anniversary year (additional events to be added):

Feb. 2: Story of Ancestors with Tim Mentz (series three of four) at 4:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at UTTC.

Feb 7: Story of Ancestors with Tim Mentz (series four of four) at 5:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at UTTC.

Feb. 7: business resource project open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in building 1.

Feb. 9: Winter Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UTTC gym.

Feb. 28: Wellness Fair from noon to 4 p.m. at the UTTC gym.During the same stretch of 2017-2018, there were 10 school days of 15 below wind chill. For the entire school year, there were 21 days that students likely had indoor recess.

For the same period of 2016-2017, there were 15 days that the wind chill met the school district recess threshold. But the likely number of indoor recess days for the entire school year was about the same, at 20 total days.

The cutoff in the East Grand Forks (Minn.) School District is zero.

Chad Grassel, assistant principal at New Heights Elementary, said January recess has been tough. "Definitely, more indoors than out," he said.

As tough as Alaskans

Just as it is around here, the key to keeping young students in Fairbanks warm and safe during their 30-minute recess is wearing appropriate winter clothing. Boots, snow pants, heavy coats, hats, gaiters or scarves and mittens or gloves are a necessity, Walker said.

With several military bases in the community and new people moving in all the time, adjusting to the cold weather can be difficult. Still, its important to get outdoors during the school day, and the students are anxious to do so, even when its close to 20 below, she said.I put the bus in neutral, pulled the brake, lowered the bus down, and turned around. I could see a switch taped to his left hand  and a small pistol in the other, Bersuch said.

Bersuch asked the man's permission to stand up, and the man reportedly said, "Thats fine."

As Bersuch stood up, the second passenger, who had moved to the very back of the bus, started to make his way forward. Bersuch said he didnt think this passenger, Dameane Baumgartner, had heard anything from before. (See related story.)

Gibson spun his gun on Baumgartner, who screamed, Bersuch said. This is when Bersuch locked the bus door open, walked off with his phone, and went toward the back of the bus.

The guy leaned out to follow me and was spooked by a cop car that was nonchalantly driving by, but I saw he had his gun pointed at me through the window, Bersuch said. All I really knew at that point is I didnt want to die.

Bersuch said in that moment he also decided he wasnt going to let the man steal the bus. But as he opened the bus panel in the back, his brain froze and he forgot how to shut the bus down. He called his supervisor in Billings, who helped him remember to hit the kill switch.Around 4:30 a.m. 30 years ago today, the live-in director of a Carroll College residence hall was jolted awake by what he thought was an earthquake.A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the city for prosecuting a couple after its dog is believed to have killed two other dogs. The couple had claimed malicious prosecution.

Larry and Tori Reinlasoder brought the lawsuit in October 2016, after a jury acquitted them in February on charges of owning a potentially dangerous animal, a city code violation.

Prosecutors said the couples Great Dane, on three separate instances, killed two smaller dogs and injured a third at a Billings dog park.

After the acquittal, the Reinlasoders sued the city of Billings and Jacqueline Grewell, the city prosecutor who tried the case, saying her strategy was to stack charges on Larry in the hope the jury would find him guilty of something. The Reinlasoders said the city defamed him in the process.

The Reinlasoders had claimed negligence, abuse of process, defamation, violation of Montanas anti-intimidation act, malicious prosecution, state constitution claims and conspiracy.Please register or log in to keep reading

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.Why dont people ever tell billionaires who want to run for President that they need to work their way up or that maybe they should start with city council first? https://t.co/3d8Nenrvl5  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 30, 2019

Schultz grew up in the projects, was the first of his family to go to college, and turned a tiny coffeeshop into a multi-billion dollar company. How much more should he work his way up? https://t.co/JfqAfwxgXK  Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 30, 2019

Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) saying billionaires are "policy failures" and America is "immoral" for allowing them: "It's so un-American to think that way. I'm self-made...I came from the projects...I'm living proof of the American dream" pic.twitter.com/vIsh5fpCLb  Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 30, 2019

Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to a criticism of her from former Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz on Wednesday by portraying herself as a victim of classism and ended up embarrassing herself.Schultz said in a CNBC interview on Monday.Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.Ocasio-Cortez's tweet suggests that she most likely did not know about Schultz's background, which is a literal rags-to-riches story. Business Insider reported: Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said growing up in the projects - He experienced poverty at an early age. When Schultz was 7 years old, his father broke his ankle while working as a truck driver picking up and delivering diapers. At the time, his father had no health insurance or worker's compensation, and the family was left with no income.Schultz worked various low-level jobs - including as a bartender, which was Ocasio-Cortez's previous occupation - until he landed a sales role at Xerox. Schultz left Xerox for a role at a housewares company called Hammarplast, where he worked his way up to vice president. While working at Hammarplast, Schultz discovered Starbucks and later convinced Starbucks to hire him as the director of retail operations and marketing. Several years later, Schultz bought Starbucks and eventually went on to become a self-made billionaire. That is the very definition of someoneOcasio-Cortez's tweet was widely mocked by commentators and media figures, who noted its absurdity:Later on in his interview on CNBC, Schultz addressed Ocasio-Cortez's claim that billionaires represented a policy failure and that the U.S. was "immoral" for allowing an economic system that allowed for billionaires to exist.Schultz responded.Gov. Roy Cooper (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

No one knows for sure, really, when the current session of the N.C. legislature will end. But Lee Lilley, Gov. Roy Cooper's director of legislative affairs, did offer this: "The session ends when we get Medicaid expansion."Lilley took the question during the News & Observer's Community Voices series event, Wednesday, Jan. 30. Joining Lilley on the panel were Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett; Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake; and Jane Pinsky, director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform.The N&O conducted a Q&A with Cooper, who pushed for expanding the program.Cooper said.The governor said if the state accepts Medicaid expansion $4 billion dollars in federal money will come in each year to insure more people.While Medicaid expansion is a priority for Cooper and for Democratic lawmakers, Republicans aren't exactly on board with the idea. Costs are the main concern with expanding the program.Some Republicans, including those behind the Carolina Cares legislation, are interested in expanding Medicaid, but not without including work requirements and provisions promoting healthy living. Participants would pay part of the coverage costs, and providers would cover the state's share so as to insulate taxpayers from picking up any costs from people enrolled under the expansion.Reps. Greg Murphy, R-Pitt; Josh Dobson, R-McDowell; and Donna White, R-Johnston plan to file their Carolina Cares legislation again during the 2019 session to address the coverage gap.Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, has remained skeptical of Medicaid expansion. He has questioned whether the program can be expanded without additional costs to the state treasury, which would require cuts in other public services or higher taxes.Jordan Roberts, the health policy analyst at the John Locke Foundation, said Medicaid expansion is a fundamentally flawed way of providing health care for people who can't afford the current products on the market.In a recent JLF Policy Brief, Roberts outlined some of his objections.Roberts said.Roberts said tackling the high cost of health care means addressing insurance regulations, licensure restrictions, and certificate of need laws.Roberts said.President Trump is moving toward his 2024 candidacy as per all indications from his enlightening address to the NC GOP on June 5, 2021. Considering this political vector as a distinct possibility: What is your electoral pleasure as an integral cog in this Representative Republic?

No Vote: Mr. Trump will never be president again as we boldly march toward a Socialist society.

Yes Vote: Mr. Trump was the best president since Ronald Reagan, and we need a real leader, who is fully cognitive of that responsibility in these tumultuous times..Make your birthday special - by brewing a beer originally made on that date.

For a mere 25 euros, I'll create a bespoke recipe for any day of the year you like. As well as the recipe, there's a few hundred words of text describing the beer and its historical context and an image of the original brewing record.

Just click on the button below.Bests defense hoped to undermine Greens version of events by pointing out that he had not told police officers that he had seen evidence of intercourse until he was asked on the stand by Barker on Thursday.

Barker accepted that fact, but emphasized that Green had entered the room and had the vantage point needed to determine the truth. Through his questioning, Barker posed that it is not Greens job to determine the facts necessary in the case.

Defense counsel asked you if you provided all important facts to law enforcement officers, Barker said. Are you law enforcement? Do you know what all the important facts are in the case?

Green testified that he saw Noah and the victim kiss earlier that night, which the victim alleged was forced. Green also testified that he came back to the home after dropping off a co-worker, heard the victim yelling no from Bests bedroom and alleged that he saw the victim and Best engaging in intercourse.

Throughout Barkers questioning of the victim, he emphasized her alleged thought process that night to explain why she didnt leave and why the victim felt like she needed to hide the truth from her significant other and investigators. The victim responded by outlining feelings of shame and concerns for her boss and how that might affect his family.

Its a hard thing to decide, what the right thing to do is when it affects multiple people, the victim said on the stand. I was unsure if I should take everything on my shoulders or not.

Scott Buffon can be reached at sbuffon@azdailysun.com, on Twitter @scottbuffon or by phone at (928) 556-2250.

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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Steven Jones called in to the Division 2 courtroom on Friday for the court's scheduled hearing after Ryan Stevens and Bruce Griffen stepped down as his attorneys.

While the current trial date is still set for March 5, that date is expected to change to accommodate a new attorney.

In 2015, Jones shot and killed 20-year-old Northern Arizona University student Colin Brough and injured three others. His first trial ended in a hung jury, and more recently his attorneys withdrew from the case after they were admonished for a conflict of interest by a state Supreme Court committee.

"We have a couple [attorney] recommendations from previous attorneys of ours," Jones said over the phone. "I've drafted a couple of emails to send to a couple of them."

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Jones' attorney Burges McCowan also called in and all parties agreed that they would reconvene at the end of the month. Jones said they could have interviews with the prospective attorneys set up within the next week, and hoped to have their new attorneys present at that time.

The state was represented solely by prosecutor Bryan Shea on Friday. At the hearing, Shea voiced the state's desire to continue with the March 5 trial date, citing Jones' continued representation by McCowan.Kinney Construction Services, Inc. (KCS) is celebrating 20 years of business this year, serving its valued clients in Northern Arizona and across the United States. As the company continues to grow, we are excited to announce that Michael Thomas, former Vice President of Operations, has officially transitioned to the role of President, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Michael has been with KCS for over 16 years and has served in many different positions over the years. His leadership, commitment to our community, and knowledge of the industry will allow KCS to continue to deliver superior client satisfaction.

Tim Kinney will continue as CEO. Tims leadership has allowed KCS to succeed and build KCS reputation over the last 20 years, becoming one of Arizonas premier construction services firms. This transition allows us to continue to build on this reputation by delivering successful projects to all of our clients well into the future.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0God Calls! Our Answer?: 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Peace Lutheran Church , 3430 North 4th Street. Deacon Gary Melvin will lead this Sundays service with readings from Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, and Luke 4: 31-44. We will be celebrating Holy Communion at the 8:30 am service (our traditional service) followed by fellowship and Bible Study. At 11 am we have our Praise Band leading our contemporary service. Please come join us. All are welcome. 928-526-9578. www.peacelutheranflagstaff.org.

Church of the Resurrection: 740 W. University Heights Drive South. It's communion Sunday and Pastor Bob Norton preaches on "Living in the Overflow of God's Love" based on 1 John 4:7-21. This is the fifth in the series "A Love Worth Living & Giving." We are providing a Valentine's Date Night Out for parents on February 14. Sign up now to drop off your children for a fun evening of games, bible stories and crafts from 5 to 8 p.m. Love is in the air as we are kicking off our new marriage class based on the popular principles of Gary Chapman's "Five Love Languages" starting Wednesday night February 6. 928-699-2715. www.cor-pca.org.French sex workers went to the countrys Constitutional Council on Friday, in an attempt to challenge a 2016 law that they say not only violates their sexualand commercialfreedom, but also endangers their lives and has been responsible for the death of a sex worker already. As AVN.com reported, the law effectively legalizes prostitution, but makes paying for sex a crime, shifting the criminal responsibility to paying customers rather than the sex workers themselves.

The sex workers say that by turning paying customers into criminals, all the law has accomplished is forcing sex workers to acceded to greater customer demands for secrecy, taking their activities to more hidden and perilous places that even police normally avoid. In August of 2016, 36-year-old Peruvian transgender sex worker Vanesa Campos was murdered in just such a place, as the BBC reported, taking a bullet in a heavily wooded and isolated area of a large Parisian public park when assailants attempted to rob her client.

Nonetheless, as the French Press Agency reported on Friday, the Constitutional Council failed to be persuaded by the group of 30 sex workers and nine rights organizations, not only upholding the law but also saying that it actually increased safety for prostitutes "by depriving pimps of their profits.

The Council ruled that the law "fights against this activity and against the sexual exploitation of human beings, criminal activities founded on coercion and enslavement."

Under the law, a client of prostitutes can be fined up to $1,700 for a first offense, with penalties hitting $4,200 for repeat patrons. French authorities are serious about enforcing the law, making about 2,800 arrests since the legislation passed about two-and-a-half years ago, according to a New York Times report.

But in France, the issue of criminalizing prostitution is not only a matter of personal and sexual freedom, but an immigration issue as well. With, by government estimates, about 93 percent of Frances roughly 30,000 prostitutes being foreigners, the crackdown on paying customers directly affects the livelihood, and safety, of thousands of migrants in the country.

The French sex workers said that they have seen a steep drop in business since the law passed, and that has forced them to acquiesce to the often hazardous sexual demandsincluding unprotected sexof customers who remain and brave the legal penalties.

Photo by France 3 YouTube Screen CaptureWASHINGTON, D.C.Lawyers for the Federal Communications Commission went toe-to-toe with attorneys for a group of internet freedom advocates led by Mozilla, makers of the open-source Firefox browser, and other internet companies in a grueling five-hour hearing at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbiaa hearing in which a three-judge panel grilled the lawyers for both sides, but gave little hint of whether they would let the FCCs repeal of net neutrality rules stand.

The Republican-controlled FCC in June tossed out the 2015 rules that guaranteed equal treatment for all internet traffic. Mozilla and the other net neutrality advocates want the court to put the rules back in place, as AVN.com reported.

While the central issue in the net neutrality case was thought to be whether the internet is defined as a telecommunications service or an information service, according to a CNet report on Fridays hearing, the judgestwo Barack Obama appointees and a Ronald Reagan appointeeappeared most concerned about the effect repealing the rules may have on public safety.

Without net neutrality rules in place, internet access providers are free to slow down, or throttle, traffic from some sites, while granting others access to an internet fast lane. But the judges asked about how throttling would affect the ability of first responders to communicate with each other and the public during a crisis.

The FCC was required by law to consider the impact of repealing the rules on public safety, but one judge noted that nowhere in the FCCs so-called "Restoring Internet Freedom" orderthe edict repealing net neutralitywas there a mention of the repeals public safety impact, according to The Verge.

Mozilla lawyer Pantelis Michalopoulos told the federal judges that the FCCs reclassification of the internet as an information service was only an excuse for neglecting misconduct by big internet providers, according to an AP report, calling the repeal of net neutrality rules a stab in the heart of the Communications Act," referring to the Depression-era law that has governed the telecommunications industry ever since.

While experts said that the judges offered little that would allow a prediction of how they will rulea decision that could take months to hand downone Democratically-appointed FCC Commissioner, who voted against the repeal, said she was hopeful.

"Heres whats clear: the court now has a chance to right what the FCC got wrong when it made the misguided decision to roll back Net Neutrality," wrote Jessica Rosenworcel on her Twitter account. I sat through it all. Im hopeful.

Photo by Tim Pierce/Wikimedia CommonsLONDON, U.K.Producers and fans of fetish porn, showing such practices as bondage, female ejaculation, fisting, and spanking, got good news from Britains top law enforcement authorities on Thursday, when the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it was changing the definition of obscenity under a 60-year-old law designed to shield the Queens subjects from material that might deprave and corrupt their minds, according to report by The Guardian newspaper.

The United Kingdoms 1959 Obscene Publications Act was used to prosecute sellers of the D.H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterlys Lover, now considered a literary classic, which describes an erotic affair between a married but unsatisfied upper class woman and a working class gamekeeper on her estate.

But in recent years, the law has mainly been invoked against pornthough juries have become increasingly less impressed with the laws definition of what counts as obscene. In a landmark 2012 case, a jury found a man not guilty of obscenity for selling DVDs depicting male fisting, watersports, and and consensual sadomasochism.

Under this weeks ruling from the Crown Prosecution Service, porn depicting those activities will no longer be prosecuted as obscene in Great Britain, as long as the acts shown in the films are consensual and do not involve serious harm. The porn films must also be aimed specifically at audiences over 18 years of age, and cannot be connected to other criminal acts, according to The Evening Standard newspaper.

Acts that remain obscene, however, include dismemberment and graphic mutilation... asphyxiation causing unconsciousness, which is more than transient and trifling, and given its danger is serious, The Standard reported.

Essentially, any act that would be legal if performed between consenting adults will now also be considered legal under the Obscene Publications Act, according to a Daily Record report on the law.

This is a happy day for queer, feminist and fetish porn, said feminist porn filmmaker Pandora Blake, who in 2015 directed a segment of the film Ban This Sick Filth! which was intended depict acts that would have been prohibited by the 1959 law.

Image By Eric Stanton/Wikimedia Commons Public DomainALBANY  American Legion officials are calling on New York lawmakers to request the Pentagon exhume the Long Island graves of sailors killed in a World War II ship explosion in an attempt to identify the fallen servicemen.

The American Legion's New York state organization approved a resolution in early January that seeks the state Legislature's and New York congressional delegation's help in persuading the Department of Defense to exhume remains buried as unknowns in Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale.

"You don't leave a former comrade behind. To me that's what they did. They didn't identify these people and get them home," Gary Schacher, commander of the American Legion New York Department, told The Associated Press Thursday.

Four graves are known to contain the remains of some of the 136 sailors killed when the USS Turner exploded and sank near the entrance to New York Harbor on Jan. 3, 1944. The total number of sailors buried in each grave isn't known. Each gravestone is engraved with the words "Unknown U.S. Sailor" and the date of the sinking.

Navy officials said internal explosions of unknown origin sank the destroyer, which had just returned from convoy duty in the Atlantic Ocean. An exact cause for the explosion was never determined. About 150 sailors survived the blast.There are more than 100 wineries in the Finger Lakes, but coming to Skaneateles Lake is a whole new strain.

Sovereign Vines, of Johnson City, told The Citizen Friday that it plans to open a tasting room this summer on the east side of the lake. CEO Kaelan Castetter said the business is not ready to reveal the tasting room's exact location, as it's still subject to approval by the town board. But it's a "beautiful old barn" with a view of the lake, he said.

What makes Sovereign more than another winery is the type of wine it produces: hemp-infused. Using a proprietary process created by Kaelan's father, President Jim Castetter, Sovereign blends flavorful extracts from hemp called turpenes into wine. The hemp mostly comes from several state farms, which Sovereign works with through sister company CSG Hemp, Kaelan said. And the wine comes from other wineries, including Glenora Wine Cellars in Dundee. For that reason, Sovereign is not a winery in the technical sense of the word, but a blendery.In one of the 33 incident reports reviewed, Staff A allegedly ordered for medical staff not to speak during a heart attack resuscitation, in violation of American Heart Association guidelines. When a registered nurse tried to verify a medication, Staff A told the nurse to shut up before ordering a higher than recommended dosage of medication.

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Other reports came from multiple fellow physicians, who reported Staff A's behavior and medical care, including one, Staff I, who said there were a number of near misses with patient's care that required his/her intervention, according to the report. That physician reported receiving no response from higher-level doctors with oversight responsibilities at the hospital.

Staff I eventually emailed CEO Scott Berlucchi. According to the report, Berlucchi told Staff I he would have the the hospital's quality control department look into the complaints, but Staff I was never made aware of any investigation.

In an interview with state investigators five days after receiving an email detailing complaints from Staff I, the medical staff president said no physicians had come to him with problems regarding another physician, and not Staff A specifically, the report said.ALBANY  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday he remains confident the Legislature can vote to legalize recreational marijuana as part of the state budget, which is due on April 1.

The optimistic comments came after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-the Bronx, questioned whether lawmakers would have enough time to resolve thorny questions surrounding legalization while also working their way through a $175 billion budget.

While both the Democratic governor and Heastie support legalization, there's not yet an agreement on the details, such as tax rates and rules about how the product should be sold and regulated.

Cuomo said that while getting a good bill passed is more important than the timing of the vote, he's not giving up hope of adding New York to the list of states like California, Massachusetts and Colorado that have lifted penalties for using the drug.

"We'll work very hard to get it done," Cuomo said on WCNY radio. "In this business, six weeks is a lot of time. If we can't do it right, then we'll do it later."Culture

Syrian storyteller, Asmaa Rasheed, takes children in refugee camps into a world filled with hope through her stories

Asmaa Rasheed, who also lives at the Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, tries to write interesting stories in her home and reads them to the children who come to listen to her.On the first weekend of January, my wife and I took a day trip to Albany. It is always a pleasant trip, and it gives me a chance to see the old home region. However, the purpose of the trip was to follow up on some research in the New York state archives, and my wife wished to see the state museum. Both are in the same building right in downtown Albany. Since it was the weekend, traffic is much lighter and finding parking is much easier, as the state workforce is home. Although the purpose of my visit was to carry on some canal study, my host wished to show me a couple of the Port Byron items that the archives and the New York State Library have in their collections.

The first item was a record of minutes and debates from the Port Byron Debating Society. The society was organized in 1870 and among its members were some of the more prominent men of the village. This journal was dated 1875, and the list of members included John Barrus, Volney Burk, Martin Bunn, Samuel Dougherty, William Root, Edward Taylor, Charles Wilson, Edwin Slayton and more. The debating season was in the fall and winter, and they often traveled to nearby villages to engage with other debating societies. In addition to debates, the society also held lectures. The topic to be debated was proposed the month prior and then the men, as teams, would either make an argument in favor or in opposition. Once both sides had made their arguments, the critic or referee would decide which side had won the night. In 1875, the group debated Gov. Tildens canal reform measures, in which the pro-governor group successfully won. On the night of Oct. 12, 1877, the group debated whether the bankruptcy law should be abolished, and then decided that for the November meeting, the question of the night would be whether "the free moral agency of man can be harmonized with the absolute sovereignty of God. That debate must have been wonderful to see. In February 1882, the Weedsport and Port Byron societies met in Weedsport to debate the question of womans suffrage, and all the women of the world will be happy to hear that Port Byron won the night in favor of the womens right to vote. But not to be outdone, it was decided that Weedsport would travel to Port Byron to debate whether voting should be restricted to men over 21 who could read and write. Not all the debates were of such a serious nature. In 1888, the group debated whether the Italian race of honeybees were superior to all others. Its a fascinating look into the lives of those who lived in the village. The topics were surprisingly diverse, and just goes to show how aware the people of Cayuga County were to what was taking place around the state and world.The conservative-leaning US Supreme Court on Friday said it has delayed what is sure to be a highly polarizing upcoming abortion rights test case. A clinic and two doctors offering abortions in Louisiana have appealed to the Supreme Court to block a law restricting access to abortion that is due to come into force next week in the conservative southern state. The law, approved in 2014, would require doctors offering abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they operate. Louisiana argues that the risks of complications arising during an abortion procedure mean that patients may need to be transferred to a nearby hospital where doctors could step in. That argument was endorsed by a state appeals court and the law was to come into effect on Monday unless challenged by the Supreme Court. Then Justice Samuel Alito on Friday ordered an administrative delay until February 7 so justices have time to review all relevant documents. A similar law limiting abortion access in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. But since Trump came to office two years ago, he has appointed two new conservative justices, tilting the balance of the court sharply to the right. A decision not to take up the case would encourage the American right-wing and evangelical movement to step up challenges to longstanding abortion laws. The plaintiffs in the Louisiana case argue the new law "will have disastrous consequences for women in the state," where 10,000 women seek abortions every year. "Louisiana?s admitting privileges requirement would leave only one physician providing abortions in the entire state and that all-but-one clinic that provides abortion care would be forced to close," they said. They said the Texas law, adopted in 2013, led to the closure of half of the services offering abortions in the state, before being overturned by the Supreme Court three years later. - All eyes on new judges - Despite being a twice-divorced former casino mogul, Trump won over the powerful evangelical right by promising to appoint judges opposed to abortion rights. Once in office, he made good on his pledge by nominating Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, tipping the balance of the court to five conservative justices and just four liberals. Both men stressed the importance of legal precedent in their confirmation hearings, but anti-abortion activists saw their appointments as a chance to assail the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling allowing abortion, known as Roe v Wade. The Louisiana case will prove a key stress test for that ruling. If either one of the new appointees sides with the progressives, the top court can freeze the Louisiana law. Otherwise, the court will not intercede and the law will go into effect. Defenders of women's right to abortion fear that silence from the court will encourage other states to follow Louisiana's lead. - "1,000 cuts " - A 57-percent majority of Americans back women's right to seek abortions, but the hot-button issue cuts deeply along political and religious lines, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Some 59 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of evangelicals say that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Since Roe v. Wade came into effect, states have sought ways to restrict access, trying to impose delays and threatening non-reimbursement of costs to patients. That has led to huge regional disparities in the availability of abortions, with more than 500 centers offering them in California and only four in Kansas, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The Guttmacher Institute said the "changing composition of the Supreme Court has heightened the risks" of restrictions on access to abortions. "Anti-abortion politicians are hoping that the Supreme Court will stand by and let them legislate abortion out of reach -- without the court ever having to reverse Roe v. Wade," said Nancy Northup, head of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "That would be death to Roe by a thousand cuts," she said in an opinion piece in the New York Times. Defenders and opponents of abortion rights protest side by side outside the Supreme Court on 18 January 2019, as a key test for abortion rights looms Justices of the US Supreme Court pose for their official photo on November 30, 2018: new conservative appointees Justice Neil Gorsuch and Breet Kavanaugh can be seen standing in the back row at the far left and rightUS President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech will urge optimism, pulling back from Washington's current climate of strife, a top official insisted Friday. Previewing next Tuesday's speech before Congress, a senior administration official said Trump will "cast an inspiring vision of American greatness." The president -- in open warfare with opposition Democrats, as well as railing almost daily against prosecutors looking at allegations that he colluded with Russia in his 2016 election -- will take the high ground, the official said. "Optimistic and unifying, but I think it can also be considered visionary," the official said of the speech. However, the speech is bound to be one of the most politically fraught in years, coming against the backdrop of a bitter row with opposition Democrats who refuse to fund Trump's plan for more walling along the US-Mexican border. The dispute even led to Congress delaying the date of the speech. And Trump himself hinted Friday that he will use the delayed event to declare a national emergency, allowing himself to unilaterally appropriate wall building funds, bypassing Congress altogether. The senior administration official refused to confirm any specific details of the speech and emphasized that the president's main goal was to present a more healing tone. According to an excerpt given to journalists, Trump will say: "Together, we can break decades of political stalemate, we can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America's future." The administration official, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said that Trump would focus on five areas: - The contentious debate on illegal immigration over the Mexican border. - An "update" on trade negotiations with China and other countries where Trump says he is strengthening markets for US workers. - Asking Congress to approve "substantial investments" on US infrastructure projects. - Lowering sky-high prescription medicine costs. - Foreign policy and efforts in countries like Syria and Afghanistan to "bring an end to our endless foreign wars." The official refused to give concrete details of policy announcements. However, he did say that Venezuela, where Washington is supporting the opposition's bid to push out leftist President Nicolas Maduro, would feature. Speaking at the White House, Trump gave his strongest indication yet that he is readying to declare a state of emergency on the border, something that would undoubtedly deepen partisan bickering in Washington. "Listen closely to the State of the Union, I think you?ll find it very exciting," Trump said. Trump's threat comes well before the expiration of a February 15 deadline that he set for Congress to agree on funding for wall construction. But on Thursday he described negotiations with opposition Democrats "a waste of time." US President Donald Trump will seek a more compromising tone in his State of the Union speech next week, officials sayCamo-clad rangers ambush a camp in a lush Thai national park, kicking away a machete and a firearm and pinning two suspected poachers to the ground -- part of a training exercise to counter a lucrative wildlife trade. "Go!" team leader Kritkhajorn Tangon yells as the group tackles the actors, who had near them sambar deer antlers and a blade covered in fake blood. Thailand's conservationists are struggling to stamp out the multibillion-dollar black market in animal parts, finding themselves outgunned by illegal hunters and outflanked by courts. The country is a key transit point for smugglers moving on to Vietnam and China, two of the world's biggest markets for parts from endangered and protected species. But efforts by its 14,000 rangers to take down illegal hunters and loggers are often stymied by a lack of resources and training, with about 15 rangers killed each year in deadly encounters. Impunity also reigns for traffickers who are well connected politically and financially, dodging jail time when there is little iron-clad physical evidence to keep them behind bars. Gathering evidence, protecting a crime scene and using forensic analysis were some of the skills developed by more than a dozen rangers who took part in the training week led by anti-trafficking group Freeland. Among the participants in the event at Khao Yai National Park, which culminated in Friday's mock scenario, were four officials from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. "Our investigation skills are still weak... when they (rangers) encounter these situations, they leave loopholes in the collection of evidence," Kritkhajorn told AFP. "It could result in the suspect walking free." Freeland has emphasised the need for material evidence as "it cannot be manipulated, whereas an eyewitness can retract his testimony", said country director Petcharat Sangchai, a retired police major-general. - Transnational gangs - The training, funded by the British embassy in Bangkok, comes the same week a Thai court dismissed charges against a suspected wildlife trafficking kingpin. He was accused of smuggling $1 million worth of rhino horns to Thailand but the case unravelled when the sole eyewitness changed his testimony. A successful conviction has to be handled "correctly from the forests to the courts", said Freeland's program director Tim Redford, adding that widespread wildlife poaching and smuggling involves transnational organised crime rings. "These criminals are exploiting loopholes in the law, they are exploiting weakness of understanding in judges and prosecutors, and that's why they are winning," he said. One case which left the Thai public incensed involved construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who was arrested last February after rangers stumbled on his camp in a national park in Kanchanaburi province. Animal carcasses -- including a rare black leopard -- and guns were found, but Premchai, one of Thailand's wealthiest moguls, denied he was poaching and was released on bail. Investigation is pending and a court verdict is expected in March. The tycoon's case was at the forefront of all the participants' minds on Friday as the clearest example of what the rich and powerful could get away with in Thailand. "If you know who my boss is, you'll get shivers! My boss is Premchai!" shouted one of the "poachers" during the exercise, as the rangers laughed in a moment of levity. A Thai forest ranger approaches a target during a mock raid on 'poachers' in Khao Yai National Park, as part of training to tackle the lucrative wildlife trade Thailand's conservationists are struggling to stamp out the multibillion-dollar black market in animal parts Thailand is a key transit point for smugglers moving on to Vietnam and China, two of the world's biggest markets for parts from endangered and protected speciesBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's lawmaker son has joined a nationalist group founded by Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trump's former adviser, the group said Saturday. "I'm very proud to join Steve Bannon as the leader of The Movement in Brazil, representing Latin American nations," Eduardo Bolsonaro was quoted in a statement released by the group. Bannon, who left as White House strategist in August 2017 and had a public falling-out with Trump, started The Movement in Europe to transmit far-right nationalist values and tactics he hopes will win sympathizers seats in the European parliament. Bannon said enlisting Bolsonaro, a deputy in Brazil's Congress, was part of the group's "pursuit of a populist nationalist agenda for prosperity and sovereignty for citizens throughout the world." President Bolsonaro, who was elected in October, campaigned on pledges to ease gun laws, stamp out corruption and inject free-market ideas into Brazil's economy. He has said he wants much closer ties with Trump, whom he admires and with whom he shares a distaste of multilateral organizations, a penchant for using social media to address his base, a record of misogynist remarks, and a pro-business agenda. His 34-year-old son is a member of his ultraconservative Social Liberal Party. He was re-elected to Congress in October. The Movement said in its statement it will hold its first annual conference in Brussels in March, ahead of EU elections to be held in May. President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (R) pictured with his son Eduardo Bolsonaro (L), who is said to have joined a nationalist group founded by Steve Bannon, the former White House strategistA member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards was killed and five wounded in an armed attack in the restive southeast on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency reported. The attack took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province, long a flashpoint, where Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and jihadists carry out cross-border raids. The province has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the border. The assailants struck a base of the Basij militia in the town of Nikshahr, some way from the border, IRNA said. "Morteza Ali-Mohammadi was martyred in the incident and the five critically injured have been transferred to the hospital," Nikshahr's prosecutor Mohsen Golmohammadi told the semi-official YJC news agency. The jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran, claimed responsibility for the raid on social media. State media said only that it was a "terrorist" attack, and held no particular group responsible. Jaish al-Adl was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. It also claimed responsibility for two bombings on Wednesday which wounded several police officers in the provincial capital Zahedan. Iran's long border with Pakistan, which is straddled by the large, mainly Sunni Muslim Baluchi minority, has long made the southeast a flahspointKEMP, Texas, Feb. 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Larson Electronics, a Texas-based company with over 40 years of experience spearheading the industrial lighting sector, announced the release of a 30-watt LED cab light upgrade package for John Deere 9610 combines. This unit comes with six Cree LED light bars, each running on 30 watts and producing ultra-bright light. This unit is made of sturdy aluminum and can withstand harsh environments and immersion up to 3.3 feet.



The LLP-JD-CB-9610-CLU LED cab light upgrade package for John Deere 9610 combines features light bars that can emit 2,100 lumens of light each for a total of 12,600 lumens. The 30-watt fixtures feature 9-64V DC input voltages and an electric current of 2.8 amps. This unit features a color temperature rating of 6000K and each light head unit has a 20-foot harness, 16/2 wiring harness with a DT04-25 Deutsch connector and blunt cut end.

Larson Electronics cab light upgrade features light heads that can be mounted using U-bracket style trunnion mount, allowing for vertical adjustments. The housing of this unit is made of durable aluminum and each lens is made of unbreakable polycarbonate. The Cree LEDs support 70% lumen retention and have a 50,000-hour operating lifespan for maximum efficiency. Each lamp measures 4.6 by 5.1 by 2.9 and are configured in a spot/flood beam.

About Larson Electronics LLC: Larson Electronics LLC is a manufacturer of industrial lighting equipment and accessories. The company offers an extensive catalog of industry-grade lighting and power distribution products for the following sectors: manufacturing, construction, food processing, oil and gas, military, marine and automobile. Customers can benefit from the companys hands-on, customized approach to lighting solutions. Larson Electronics provides expedited service for quotes, customer support and shipments.

For further information, please contact:

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Photos accompanying this announcement is available at

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http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44313eaa-0acb-4fb5-b8cd-90fb477e80bc

A newborn baby girl has been found abandoned in a freezing London park.

The little girl, who has been nicknamed Roman by hospital staff, was found in a park in Newham, in Londons west, on Thursday about 10.15pm, police said.

North East Command Unit Inspector Shane Clarke appealed to the babys mother in the hopes of reuniting the pair.

Police are trying to find the mum of a baby girl found abandoned in a park in Newham, London on Thursday. Source: Metropolitan Police

We are growing increasingly concerned for your welfare and I urge you to make contact either with police, your local hospital or GP surgery, Insp Clarke said in a statement.

It is really important that we know that you are safe.

I would also urge anyone who has information that could help us to reunite this baby with her mother to come forward.

The little girl was found inside a white towel in a shopping bag next to a park bench in a small childrens play park.

The park where the little girl was found. Source: Google Maps (file pic)

A woman walking her dog had heard the baby cry when she alerted police.

She is currently recovering in hospital with her condition described as stable.

Temperatures were about 0C on the night she was found with some areas of London experiencing light snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.A French drug suspect on the run since escaping from an Indonesian jail nearly two weeks ago has been recaptured, police said on Saturday. Felix Dorfin -- who faces the death penalty if convicted -- was found hiding in a forest in North Lombok on Friday night, police said, and was returned to jail in Mataram, capital of the island. Wearing dishevelled black clothes and looking tired, Dorfin initially tried to bribe officers to let him go. "He didn't resist arrest, but wanted to bribe our officers," North Lombok police chief Herman Suriyono said Saturday, adding he was found following a tip-off from locals in the area. After being checked by medical teams he was returned to jail. The 35-year-old Frenchman was arrested in September allegedly carrying a false-bottomed suitcase filled with four kilogrammes (8.8 pounds) of drugs -- including cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines -- at the airport on the holiday island next to Bali. On Friday officials said a female police officer had been arrested for allegedly helping Dorfin escape in exchange for Rp 14.5 million (around $1,000). Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where corruption is endemic at all levels of society and inmates often held in squalid and poorly guarded prisons. In 2017, four foreign inmates tunnelled their way out of Bali's Kerobokan prison. Two of them were captured a few days later, but an Australian and Malaysian are still at large. Frenchman Felix Dorfin, who escaped from custody while facing trial on drug charges in Lombok, is escorted by Indonesian police following his recapture

A woman has died on board a boat in Sydney Harbour.

Emergency services were called to a marina on Roberts Street at Balmain, in Sydneys inner-west, after reports a woman believed to be in her late 30s was found unconscious in the toilet on a boat on Saturday about 4.10pm.

Paramedics were told about fumes on the boat and the woman went into cardiac arrest.

A police spokeswoman said passengers on the boat reported a strange smell.

She was treated at the scene by paramedics on the back deck of but could not be revived.

Its believed those on board were celebrating a birthday party.

A woman has died on board a cruise ship at Balmains White Bay in the Sydney Harbour. Source: 7 News

A crime scene has been established on the boat as a report is prepared for the coroner.

A hazmat team was also called to investigate.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman believes about 100 people were on board the vessel.

A crime scene has been established. Source: 7 News

When asked if drugs or alcohol could have been a factor in her death the spokesman said, not as far as were aware.

He added the fire department didnt detect any dangerous fumes on board.

The police spokeswoman said its too early to tell whether the incident was suspicious or not, and police were looking at the situation from all angles.

A second person was hospitalised with shock.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.

With AAP

Stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.

A baby has been mauled by a dog in Melbournes southeast.

Paramedics rushed to the property in Cranbourne West on Saturday about 9.17am after reports an infant had been involved in an animal incident.

The little girl and her mum were taken to hospital after a greyhound escaped its cage.

Both were injured as the mum tried to save her daughter.

A baby and a woman have been hospitalised in Melbourne after they were attacked by a dog. Source: 7 News

The girl was hospitalised in a stable condition with severe facial injuries at Royal Childrens Hospital while her mum, believed to be in her 30s, was also sent to hospital with injuries to her lower body.

The greyhound has since been seized as the girl undergoes surgery.

Paramedics described the attack to Seven News as traumatising for all involved.

Casey City Council safer communities manager Caroline Bell said in a statement the council was investigating the serious dog attack.

The dog has been removed from the scene and taken to the pound, she said.

Our thoughts are with the families during this difficult time.

With AAP

Stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. Officers of the Criminal Intelligence Department of Yerevan Police have detained a Georgian citizen in suspicion of drug trafficking, police said.

The suspect is identified as Mikhayel Brudiani, 37.

The man does not have residence permit in Armenia, according to police.

He is suspected in illegally acquiring methamphetamines, cocaine and spice (range of laboratory-made chemicals that mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, colloquially known as Synthetic cannabinoids).

At the time of the arrest the suspect carried what appeared to be cocaine, multiple packages of meth and spice, as well as a large knife. The suspected drugs have been sent for laboratory confirmation.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan sent a condolence message to the Yazidi people on the death of Mire-Mira Takhsin Beg, religious leader of the Yazidi people, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia.

It was with deep grief that we learned about the death of Mire-Mira Takhsin Beg, the religious leader of the Yazidi people worldwide.

Takhsin Beg had firm relations with the Armenian statehood, the Yazidi community in Armenia and his loss is a great grief also for the Armenian people, a friendly people for the Yazidi people.

I extend mu deep condolences to the Yazidis of Armenia and the world, the family of Mire and share the grief of the loss, reads the condolence message of Ararat Mirzoyan.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan police are searching for an assailant who has allegedly assaulted a doctor at the Armenia Medical Center early morning Saturday.

The doctor has reported to police that an unknown assailant has physically assaulted him at the hospitals reception area.

Officers have been dispatched to the scene, the suspect has been identified, Yerevan Police Department told ARMENPRESS.

Other details werent immediately clear.

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http://Facebook.Datarisk.ca and http://LinkedIN.Datarisk.caYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is paying an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, today met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. An official welcoming ceremony was held at the German Chancellors Residence: the flags of Germany, Armenia and the EU were raised, the Guard of Honor and the Military Band stood along the red carpet. After the performance of the national anthems of the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Chancellor invited the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to inspect the Guard of Honor, the PMs Office told Armenpress.

After a handshake and protocol photography, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Chancellor Angela Merkel held private talks during a working lunch. Angela Merkel welcomed and highly appreciated the Armenian Prime Ministers official visit to Germany, expressing confidence that the visit would give a new impetus to Armenian-German friendly cooperation. Angela Merkel noted that Germany is interested in the further development of relations with Armenia and stands ready to discuss prospects for expanding bilateral ties.

Welcoming the successful holding of parliamentary elections in 2018, the German Chancellor said Germany had been closely following the processes taking place in Armenia, and is prepared to deepen the bilateral relations and support the ongoing multifaceted reforms.



Thankful for the invitation to visit Germany and the warm welcome, Prime Minister Pashinyan hailed the opportunity to meet with Chancellor Merkel once again and take up the discussion over the furtherance of Armenian-German relations.

Your visit to Armenia became an important milestone for the development of Armenian-German cooperation. I can state with joy and pride that my visit comes just five months after your visit. This means that we are striving to lay the foundation for a more profound and targeted cooperation between Armenia and Germany, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia said.

The head of the Armenian government expressed confidence that today, more than ever before, there are all the necessary prerequisites for complementing the Armenian-German cooperation agenda with new content. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the European vector is among the key priorities of Armenias foreign policy, and in this respect, he highlighted the cooperation with Germany as one of the most significant EU-member states.

The interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda of Armenian-German relations, including bilateral and multilateral cooperation, EU-Armenia interaction, as well as international and regional issues.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that the snap parliamentary elections, held on December 9, 2018, were exceptional in Armenias history in terms of compliance with the letter of the law and international standards, which once again demonstrates the Governments commitment to strengthening the rule of law, ensuring a higher level of human rights protection, creating an independent judiciary, and fighting corruption.

The parliamentary elections rounded up the first stage of our revolution. Armenia is moving forward by strengthening the democratic values and institutions. The government is now set to implement an economic revolution in a bid to improve the well-being of Armenian citizens, the Premier said.

Touching upon the deepening of the Armenian-German economic cooperation, Nikol Pashinyan and Angela Merkel discussed the possibility of implementing joint programs in the fields of information technology, environmental protection and other areas, as well as the prospects for new initiatives. Both sides emphasized that the implementation of such programs might help strengthen ties between the two friendly nations and improve the well-being of their citizens. They agreed to continue the ongoing active dialogue on the implementation of economic programs.

The interlocutors next referred to the liberalization of the visa regime with the European Union. The two heads of government exchanged views on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They stressed the need for continuing the negotiation process in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship as the only entity having the international mandate to deal with this issue.18:45 | Lima, Feb. 1.

In this sense, the Foreign Affairs Ministry participates in a cultural intersectoral round table alongside civil society and relevant actors to draw up the application file for the inscription of the Inca country's traditional food.

"We believe this work, towards 2021, will help all efforts be recognized and, therefore, emphasize the importance of cuisine for Peruvian identity and diversity," the official expressed.

Likewise, he affirmed raising awareness of the Inca country's gastronomy will be an essential way to promote the wealth and cultural diversity characteristic of Peru.

According to the diplomat, his portfolio has compiled an official list of Peruvian restaurants since 2006. At first, the list showed 1,793 establishments, and now 2,018 are registered.

"I have no doubt there are more than 5,000 around the world. This increase evidences the efforts we all make to further cement the (Peruvian) cuisine's position in the world ," he added.



"Pisco production has doubled in the last few years, and if we maintain such growth rate (12%), we will achieve this again in five years," the official expressed.





Likewise, he indicated efforts are currently being undertaken to boost pisco production, exports, and consumption through promotional campaigns





It should be noted the Exports and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru), the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur), and the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) currently work on the legal framework of the product's denomination of origin and quality.





Exports





On the other hand, Perez-Reyes said Chile is still the top destination for Peruvian pisco exports . However, this drink has expanded to other markets such as the United States, India, Thailand, Denmark, the Philippines, and more.





Domestic consumption





Concerning domestic consumption, the official underlined it reached 2 million liters last year, a 5% expansion compared to 2017.





He went on to add that a survey shows that since 2012 pisco has replaced rum on the list of the most consumed alcoholic drinks by Peruvians, thus taking the third place after beer and wine.





(END) ECS/RGP/DTK/RMB

Production Minister Raul Perez-Reyes on Friday affirmed Peruvian pisco production totaled 6.9 million liters in 2018, posting a 12.8% increase over the same period in 2017.Published: 2/1/2019NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 11, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Tenaris S.A. (NYSE: TS), if they purchased the Companys securities between May 1, 2014 and November 27, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.



Get Help

Tenaris investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-tenaris-sa-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Tenaris and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 27, 2018, Bloomberg reported that Tenaris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Rocca was indicted for his role in a widespread bribery scandal in Argentina involving payments made to government officials in monthly installments from 2009 to 2012 to facilitate a $1.9B payment from Venezuela relating to its seizure of a related unit, Sidor, which was transformed into a Venezuelan state-owned enterprise.

On this news, the price of Tenaris shares plummeted.

The case is Atanasio v. Tenaris S.A. et al, 18-cv-7059.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 11, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Welbilt, Inc. (NYSE: WBT), if they purchased the Companys shares between February 24, 2017 and November 2, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.



Get Help

Welbilt investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-welbilt-inc-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Welbilt and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 5, 2018, the Company disclosed a restatement to its YE December 31, 2016 financial statements and likely revision to its December 31, 2015 and 2017 statements due to errors in the tax basis of a foreign subsidiary and incorrect amortization of the intangible assets held by the same entityIn addition, the Company discovered certain intercompany transactions were not recorded on a timely basis.

On this news, the price of Welbilts shares plummeted.

The case is Schlimm v. Welbilt, Inc et al, 18-cv-3007.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.Alex Wong/Getty Images(PALM BEACH, Fla.) -- PAAs President Donald Trump spends Super Bowl weekend at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club, for the first time this year, Democrats in control of the House are renewing their focus on Trumps sanctuary -- a property that Democratic lawmakers say presents a tangle of ethical and security concerns for a sitting president.



While he canceled a trip to Palm Beach for the Christmas holiday during the government shutdown, Trump has traditionally spent holidays and dozens of winter weekends at Mar-a-Lago, where members who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars have the opportunity to discuss news of the day and the administrations agenda with the nation's commander-in-chief, who is known to survey guests and members for their opinions on a spectrum of domestic and international affairs.



Since taking office in 2017, Trump has spent roughly 75 days at Mar-a-Lago, according to an ABC News analysis of the president's schedule. Virtually nowhere else in the world is access to Trump as surprisingly free-wheeling and informal as it has been inside the gates of his 20-acre waterfront property.



The club reportedly has nearly 500 members, including New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and real estate mogul Richard LeFrak. For a $200,000 membership fee, any member might cross paths with the president, whether on the resort's poolside patio, its manicured lawns or its gold leaf-lined interior rooms.



Trump has also installed club members in his administration: his ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin Bernstein, is a longtime club member. Last year, Trump nominated Lana Marks, a handbag designer and Palm Beach resident who is reportedly also a Mar-a-Lago member, as the ambassador to South Africa, where she was born.



Hes also used the beach club as the setting for summits with world leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.



Mar-a-Lago points out a number of different ways in which the presidents businesses can create real ethical problems, Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group, said in an interview.



Its got people who pay a lot of money -- that essentially goes to Donald Trump -- to be there, and that really creates the possibility of influence, he said.



The club has already been the subject of a number of investigations by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), the nonpartisan congressional watchdog agency.



After reports and social media posts suggested that Trump and Abe discussed national security in front of diners on the clubs patio following a North Korean missile test in 2017, the GAO spent months investigating security protocols at the club at the request of Democrats. A public version of the report is expected to be released in the coming weeks, GAO spokesman Chuck Young told ABC News.



One of things that we have been concerned about is security, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, recently told ABC News. We dont know how safe it is from a communications standpoint.



Democrats have also asked the GAO to review the costs associated with presidential travel and protecting Mar-a-Lago, and whether the U.S. Treasury has received any payments from profits from the presidents club and other hotel properties.



They have also asked the agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general to investigate whether members of Mar-a-Lago have improperly influenced decisions at the VA, following reports that three members played a role in shaping agency policies and contracts.



In December, ahead of taking control of the powerful Oversight Committee, Cummings issued more than 50 document requests, including a letter to the Trump Organization and the presidents lawyer about Trumps arrangement to avoid conflicts of interest regarding foreign payments to his hotels and other businesses.



Cummings and other Democrats believe Trump may be violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution through his organizations business with foreign governments and foreign-owned entities.



The results of the GAO investigations could turn the spotlight back on Trumps favorite Florida getaway, and prompt hearings and further investigations on Capitol Hill.



That whole question of whether the president is acting -- when he makes decisions, making decisions -- in the best interests of the country or himself will always be something we will be interested in, said Cummings.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 12, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO), if they purchased the Companys securities between February 26, 2014, and December 13, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). These actions are pending in the United States District Courts for the District of Connecticut and Southern District of New York.



Get Help

XPO investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-xpo-logistics-inc-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuits

XPO and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On December 13, 2018, Spruce Point Capital Management reported that its lengthy investigation into XPO revealed concrete evidence to suggest dubious tax accounting, under-reporting of bad debts, phantom income through unaccountable M&A earn-out liabilities, and aggressive amortization assumptions: all designed to portray glowing Non-GAAP results and financial irregularities [covering] growing financial strain, among other findings.

On this news, the price of XPOs shares plummeted $15.77 per share, or 26.17%.

The first case filed is Labul v. XPO Logistics, Inc., 18-cv-02062.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)Open source

Russia has deployed a missile brigade with 12 Iskander-M missile systems 250 km away from the Ukrainian border. These missiles may have nuclear warheads set on them. Defense Ministry representative Oleksiy Chornobai said as Unian reports.



On December 11, 2018, Fox News reported that Russia had deployed Iskander missile launchers in Krasnodar, providing satellite images.

Leader of Russia's security council Nikolai Patrushev who earlier said Ukraine could 'lose its statehood' amidst the ongoing political and military tensions. He accused Ukrainian authorities, including president Petro Poroshenko, of being controlled by the US amid simmering tensions between Kiev and Moscow. "The continuation of such policy by the Kiev authorities can contribute to the loss of Ukraines statehood," Mr Patrushev told Rossiyskaya Gazeta, according to Russian news agency TASS.

The Kyiv authorities are doing everything to split Ukraine, implementing the Wests scenario to break Ukraine away from Russia, while ignoring the interests of its own people. As a result, the country has been de facto split, he concluded.The Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko pointed out that the culprits can get life imprisonment

e Prosecutor General Yuriy e Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutskeno ru.slovodilo.ua

The Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine finished the pre-trial investigation in the shooting case during the Revolution of Dignity in early 2014. The Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko reported this.

We finished the pre-trial trial investigation in the shoouing case in the Maidan. We have all the evidence against the offenders for the court, in particular the independent scientific assessments regarding Yanukovych, ex-head of Security Service of Ukraine Yakymenko, ex-minister of Internal Affairs Zakharchenko and their subordinates who ordered the shooting of peaceful citizens in Maidan, - Lutsenko said.

The Prosecutor General pointed out that the culprits can get the life imprisonment.

In addition to those 150 members of the security forces, who are now in the dock for the Maidan case, a dozen others will be added to them soon, headed by Yanukovych and the leaders of the security forces, who are considered guilty of giving criminal orders,- according to Lutsenko.

Earlier, on January 24, Obolon district court of Kyiv sentenced Yanukovych to 13 years behind the bars (in absentia) - for the state treason and aiding Russia in waging the aggressive war against Ukraine. Another charge, the one with the attempt on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, was taken off him.TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) (TSX:FFH and FFH.U) will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, February 15, 2019 to discuss its 2018 year-end results which will be announced after the close of markets on Thursday, February 14, 2019 and will be available at that time on its website www.fairfax.ca . The call, consisting of a presentation by the company followed by a question period, may be accessed at (800) 369-2013 (Canada and U.S.) or 1 (517) 308-9087 (International) with the passcode Fairfax.



A replay of the call will be available from shortly after the termination of the call until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, March 1, 2019. The replay may be accessed at (800) 333-0467 (Canada and U.S.) or 1 (203) 369-3627 (International).



Fairfax is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management.

For further information contact: John Varnell, Vice President, Corporate Development, at (416) 367-4941



Turkey supports the territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers of Ukraine and condemns the Crimea annexation; Ankara have never recognized it, it have always protected the Crimean Tatars and will continue to do so, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said on the press-conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin, as Ukrinform reports.

Taking an opportunity, I would like to outline that we support the territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers of Ukraine. We condemn the Crimea annexation, we have never recognized it. Today we have proved that we want to protect Crimean Tatars, - said the Foreign Minister of Turkey.

According to Cavusoglu, the country supports the peaceful ending of the Donbas conflict in the framework of the international law and will continue to support the actions of the temporary monitoring mission OSCE.

As we reported earlier, the head of the foreign ministry of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin and his colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu outlined the bilateral agenda of the countries for 2019-2020.The suspicious men were heading towards the guarded area

On February 1, the soldiers on duty together with operative unit of the military service of law and order of the Armed Forces of Ukraine detained three suspicious citizens, who were approaching the guarded zone near one of the army arsenals, located in the forest area. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports this on Facebook.

The National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine were informed immediately, as such incidents are within their responsibility. The detainees ended up in the hands of law enforcement officers.

The soldiers on duty and the subdivision of the Ukrainian Military Law Enforcement Service will be rewarded for vigilance and skillful actions while protecting the important object.

We urge all citizens to inform immediately to the law enforcement on any suspicious persons near the military objects, the General Staff emphasized.Open source

Eleven Russian sailors were detained at the port in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. The police seized 9.5 tons of cocaine from the ship on which the Russians worked, reports Reuters.



The ship was heading to Morocco from South America and stopped at the port after the death of a crew member.



After arriving at the port, the ship immediately went through a search, as the police received operational information about the crews possible involvement in drug smuggling.

Open source

Photos provided by the police on Friday showed dozens of brick-shaped packages wrapped in plastic and cloth sacks at the port.

The police said they were alerted by the Maritime Analysis and Operation Center, a platform coordinating the anti-drug trafficking actions of seven EU states that suspected the ship of transporting illicit substances.

The use of hard substances like cocaine, heroine and amphetamines is rising in West Africa, where countries that once served primarily as transit points for trade between South America and Europe are now active consumer markets.

Earlier, eight seamen from Russia have been banned from entering the Ukrainian territory because of visiting the occupied Crimea illegally. The State Border Guard reported that on Thursday afternoon.

On January 23, Odesa border guard unit checked the incoming vessel that came from Spain. There were 13 Russian nationals aboard. It appeared that last year, eight of them illegally visited the annexed Crimea. The State Border Guard decided to ban them from visiting Ukraine for three consecutive years.

The detainees were brought to responsibility for violating the border crossing procedure; they are due to pay fine of USD 489.67.Russian border guards detained a Japanese fishing vessel in the waters of the Sea of Japan. The Russian side claims that the Japanese ship illegally caught fish in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation, according to NHK, which cited the authorities of Shimane Prefecture.



The ship Nishina-Maru-68 belongs to the cooperative firm, which deals with crab fishery. It left the port in Tottori Prefecture for catching crabs. There are 10 people on board of the ship, including the president of the local fishing company Hideji Kagami.



Russian officials report that the vessel is currently in the port of Nakhodka. There is no nformation about the release of the crew.

Earlier we informed that during an attack in the Kerch Strait on November 25, Russian soldiers fired on Ukrainian ships with a large-caliber cannon. The lawyer Ilya Novikov reported this on the Ekho Moskvy radio station, citing the words of his client, the Ukrainian sailor Roman Mokryak who was detained as a result of the incident.



The Russian side is trying to present this situation to us, as we have seen that they violate the border, we must stop it ... This must stop resulted in the firing from a large-caliber cannon. According to the observations of my client Roman Mokryak, about 1,200 shells were fired," Novikov noted.



He added that the Russian border ship Izumrud was firing at the Ukrainian ships. To avoid shelling, the Ukrainian ships began to disperse at sea, and one of the border ships of the Russian Federation went after the Berdyansk ship.Kharkiv-based groundhog Timka II, who lives at the biological station of Kharkiv National University, predicted a late spring in Ukraine. He did not see his shadow when he was woken on Saturday, reports Interfax-Ukraine.

University employee Nadiya Tokarska said that this behavior of the groundhog suggests that the spring will come late.



Frosts are waiting for us in March. Warm and sunny weather will come in April, explains Nadiya.



The Groundhog Day has been celebrated at the biological station of Kharkiv University for 15 years. The forerunner of the current groundhog - Timka II predicted the weather 7 times, after which he went on a well-deserved rest. Two years ago, he accurately predicted the arrival of spring, and even predicted that the European Union would grant Ukraine visa-free regime in the same year.

The Groundhog Day is the traditional holiday in the US and Canada that is annually celebrated on February 2 and was successfully adopted in Ukraine. It is considered that this day people observe the groundhog coming out of its burrow. According to the behavior of an animal, it is possible to predict when the spring will come.The head of the foreign ministry of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin and his Turkish colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu outlined the bilateral agenda of the countries for 2019-2020, the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reports.



Following the talks, a Plan of Consultations for 2019-2020 was signed between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries.



The central topic was the preparations for the Eighth High-Level Strategic Council meeting chaired by the Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey, which to be held this year in Ukraine.Yuriy Lutsenko outlined it is necessary to focus on proving ex-president was guilty in other crimes

e Prosecutor General Yuriy e Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutskeno ru.slovodilo.ua

The Prosecutor General's Office will not appeal against the sentence of ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in the state treason case. Yuriy Lutsenko reported this, as Interfax-Ukraine reports this.

Lutsenko outlines that it is necessary to focus on proving his guilt in other crimes.

I decided not to appeal against the sentence of Yanukovych, said Prosecutor General.

As we reported earlier, on January 24, Obolon district court of Kyiv sentenced Yanukovych to 13 years behind the bars (in absentia) for the state treason and aiding Russia in waging the aggressive war against Ukraine. Another charge, the one with the attempt on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, was taken off him.Open source

Moscow is no longer inclined, even pro forma, to consider the terms of a United Nations peace mission in Ukraines east. A full year has elapsed since the Kremlins negotiator on this issue (and overseer of Ukraines Russian-occupied territory), Vladislav Surkov, last consented to meet with the US State Departments special envoy, Kurt Volker, in Dubai, in January 2018. Since then, the Russian side has rebuffed Volkers efforts to reactivate the discussion about the terms of a UN peace mission.

This persistent blockage has apparently caused Kyiv and Washington to consider possible alternatives to a UN mission. On January 28, Volker and Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations, Volodymyr Yelchenko, met to discuss possible steps toward an international peace mission in Ukraines east (Ukrinform, January 28, 2019). The term international, rather than United Nations as heretofore, denotes that a joint UN-OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission is now being considered. It looks like a tentative move at this juncture, possibly seeking a middle way between the Ukrainian and US preference for a large and robust UN-led military contingent versus Moscows idea of a weak UN mission that would merely provide police escorts to the OSCEs mission.

Kyivs cautious willingness to at least explore a joint UN-OSCE mission seeks to build on a comprehensive plan recently prepared by certain OSCE officials in their personal capacities. This plan, for all its flaws (see below), has generated a limited momentum where there was no momentum left in this debate. The plans main author is the senior Austrian diplomat Martin Sajdik, chairman and coordinator of the Minsk Contact Group (tasked with implementing the Minsk agreements) from 2015 to date. Ambassador Sajdik revealed an outline of the plan on January 24, 2019, in an exclusive interview with the Austrian daily Die Kleine Zeitung, which serves the Austrian Lands of Styria and Karinthia. It took, apparently, five days for translations of the lengthy German-language interview from that provincial newspaper to reach Ukrainian media and officials in Kyiv.

Within this outline, the central element to the plan is local elections, due to be held in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (Russian and OSCE euphemisms for the Russian-controlled territory), based on the 2015 Minsk armistice. According to Sajdik, however, the OSCEs mission with 600 monitors can in no way organize and police elections in a territory of 17,000 square kilometers in size and with a 420 kilometer long frontline. The plan, therefore, envisages the deployment of a United Nations peace mission to organize and police those elections. The OSCEs task will be to assess the quality of those elections.

The plan calls for a joint UN-OSCE mission, under the authority of a single mission chief. The UN would provide the military component and the police component to the mission. The OSCEs existing Special Monitoring Mission (SMM, in place since 2014, tasked with monitoring compliance with the ceasefire) would continue to operate as is, folded however into the joint mission. The number of military and police personnel would be more modest than the 20,000 that Washington and Kyiv had deemed necessary in the preceding discussions.

Provided that an overall political solution (not specified in the public text) is achieved, then a UN-led, light international civilian administration would be introduced for a transitional period in those certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The local population should enjoy the guaranteed rights stipulated in the Minsk agreements. (Not cited in Sajdiks interview, those stipulations in 20142015 included local military units, locally appointed law enforcement bodies, and direct links with Russia bypassing Kyiv.)

The transitional administration would handle the territorys return to Ukrainian sovereignty. It would, inter alia, apply pragmatic solutions to the recognition of documents issued by Russian and proxy authorities to local residents. The transitional administration would ensure the observance of the local populations rights, specifically including amnesty of crimes committed since 2014 as well as linguistic self-determination (euphemism for supremacy of the Russian language).

Under this plan, the European Union would establish a Reconstruction Agency on its own, independently of the UN-OSCE mission. The EUs agency would operate in the entire pre-2014 territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. A detailed timetable is provided for a five-year political and legal transition period and economic reconstruction program.

On the international level, the overall political solution (not publicly specifiedsee above) would be enshrined in a legally binding treaty, to be signed and ratified at the start of the transition period. This proposal aims to correct one of the omissions in the Minsk agreements, namely their non-treaty, non-binding character. Under the plan now being proposed, the Normandy Four heads of state and government (Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France) would sign the treaty and the parliaments would ratify it. The published text does not clarify whether all four parliaments would be expected to ratify, or only the Russian and Ukrainian parliaments (Die Kleine Zeitung, January 24, 2019).

Read the original text at The Jamestown Foundation.Eider believes he could have caught the infection at the Russian hospital

Andriy Eider, the Ukrainian sailor wounded in the Russian attack in the Kerch Strait could be infected with hepatitis B in the hospital of the Matrosskaya Tishina prison. The lawyer Nikolai Polozov reported on Facebook.

I will get the official evidence of the infection with hepatitis B at the beginning of the next week, when I see the medical report, which Andriy Eider got while being transferred from Matrosskaya Tishina to Lefortovo prison in Moscow, Eider's lawyer Aleksandra Markova said.

The application has also been submitted to transfer Andriy Eider for treatment to another country.

Earlier, we reported that the lawyer Nikolai Polozov, who deals with the defense of Ukrainian prisoners of war, confirmed that three Ukrainian seamen, wounded in the Russian Navy attack on Ukrainian ships, were brought from Matrosskaya Tishina to Lefortovo prison in Moscow on January 28.

Andriy Eider, the Ukrainian sailor wounded in the Russian attack in the Kerch Strait suffers the consequences of his injuries, which is why he needs to be transferred to a highly qualified medical facility for further treatment.

Earlier, on November 25, 2018m the coast guard ships of the Russian Navy attacked the ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which have been carrying out a scheduled transition from Odesa port to Mariupol port in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian ships were rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened the aimed fire on them.BOSTON, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (NYSE: IRL) today released an updated Monthly portfolio statement as of January 31, 2019.



Issuer Name





Shareholding





US $ Market Value





% of Net

Assets



AIB GROUP PLC 333,051 1,486,716 2.83 AMRYT PHARMA PLC 1,804,917 433,840 0.83 APPLEGREEN PLC 223,909 1,640,228 3.13 BANK OF IRELAND GROUP 273,377 1,636,503 3.12 CIE DE SAINT-GOBAIN 29,692 1,023,639 1.95 COVANTA HOLDING CORP 105,698 1,701,738 3.24 CRH PLC 464,188 13,335,835 25.42 DALATA HOTEL GROUP PLC 322,959 2,110,746 4.02 DCC PLC 18,889 1,542,227 2.94 GLANBIA PLC 45,783 875,131 1.67 GLENVEAGH PROPERTIES PLC 1,000,000 927,124 1.77 GRAFTON GROUP PLC 155,697 1,499,934 2.86 GREEN REIT PLC 900,477 1,492,429 2.85 GREENCOAT RENEWABLES PLC 1,226,599 1,488,199 2.84 GREENCORE GROUP PLC 271,057 686,148 1.31 HOSTELWORLD GROUP PLC 230,095 637,346 1.22 IPL PLASTICS PLC COMMON B 223,828 1,815,904 3.46 IRISH CONTINENTAL GROUP PLC 177,922 968,351 1.85 KERRY GROUP PLC 8,435 861,680 1.64 KINGSPAN GROUP PLC 51,141 2,089,729 3.98 MALIN CORPORATION PLC 81,980 506,704 0.97 MINCON GROUP PLC 562,704 805,087 1.53 ORIGIN ENTERPRISES PLC 21,273 139,520 0.27 PADDY POWER BETFAIR PLC 13,908 1,137,416 2.17 RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC ADR 20,097 1,426,887 2.72 RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC 295,398 3,719,228 7.09 SMURFIT KAPPA GROUP PLC 74,912 2,159,035 4.12 TOTAL PRODUCE PLC 748,397 1,456,242 2.78 UDG HEALTHCARE PLC 102,268 777,979 1.48 VEOLIA ENVIRONNEME 46,257 975,258 1.86





The holdings are subject to change at any point in time hereafter.

Investment Objective: The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (NYSE: IRL), a closed-end non-diversified investment company, seeks long-term capital appreciation through investment of at least 80% of its assets in a portfolio of Irish securities.

Produsele Xiaomi vin cu preturi reduse

Xiaomi are o campanie cu reduceri pentru acesta vara, valabila pana in data de 30 iunie, in reteaua partenerilor autorizati. Cele mai populare produse din portofoliul Xiaomi vor putea fi achizitionate cu discount-uri consistente. Xiaomi Mi 11 va avea un pret recomandat de vanzare incepand de la 3.499,90 lei. Mi 11 este primul [citeste mai departe]Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 04:14:26|Editor: Yurou

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TALLINN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Estonians celebrated the "Happy Chinese New Year" activities and watched colorful performance in the Estonian capital on Saturday afternoon.

The annual event featured dragon and lion dances, Estonian acrobatic fire show, Chinese kung fu show, traditional Chinese dance, folk music, Kunqu Opera and shadow play.

Speaking at the event, Tallinn mayor Taavi Aas said that it is the tenth "Happy Chinese New Year" celebration in Tallinn, which has brought Beijing closer to Tallinn, in spite of the geographical distance.

He sent greetings to the Chinese people to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2019, which is also the year of Tallinn's 800th anniversary celebrations of its first recorded mention of the city in 1219.

Chinese Ambassador to Estonia Li Chao said the "Happy Chinese New Year" performance and a lantern show are parts of the cultural exchange to bridge the hearts of the people of the two countries.

The ambassador expected the friendly ties between the two peoples will continue to be enhanced, as bilateral ties developed rapidly in 2018, when Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid visited China in September.

On Friday night, the 90-year-old Estonian former president Arnold Ruutel and his wife Ingrid Ruutel, as well as Tallinn Deputy Mayor Vadim Belobrovtsev and Kalev Kallo, former chairman of the City Council of Tallinn, were among the several hundred spectators who appreciated the performance by Chinese artists.

The Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 5 this year.Peformers from Shenzhen, China, present lion dance during an event to celebrate the forthcoming Chinese Spring Festival in Temara, Morocco, Jan. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Binjie)

RABAT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,500 Chinese red lanterns have decorated the medina of Chefchaouen, known as Morocco's "blue city" for its colored walls and alleys.

The combination of two colors made a warm atmosphere for the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year, in the mountain city.

The Chinese Embassy in Morocco and the Rabat Chinese Cultural Center organized activities, called "Happy Chinese New Year," in several Moroccan cities. Among them, "Chefchaouen illuminated by red lanterns" is no doubt the most impressive.

In the afternoon, actors from China's Chongqing Municipality seized the rare moment of sunshine, played flash mob in the central square and alleys of Chefchaouen, offering short but memorable shows to residents in the medina.

After the music play, the Royal Moroccan Martial Arts Association and a lion dance group from China's Shenzhen city presented the audience with dragon and lion dances.

Nine-year-old local resident Yassmina Bakali told Xinhua that she likes the lion dance of Chinese performers and is very happy to see such an interesting show.

Mohammed Sajid, Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicrafts and Social Economy, said that it was the first time that Chefchaouen hosted a large-scale Spring Festival celebration. The cultures of the two countries met and mixed here, which brings the two people closer to each other.

Zhang Kuangyi, a tourist from Beijing, specially arranged her trip to Chefchaouen on Friday, in order to take part in the Spring Festival celebration.

Zhang said she was very excited to see the Spring Festival celebrations in a foreign country. "I hope China will be more prosperous and the influence of Chinese culture will further expand."

As the night fell, thousands of people came to the central square of Chefchaouen.

Chinese Ambassador to Morocco Li Li, together with Sajid and local government representatives, pressed the switch to light up the 1,500 red lanterns in the old city, to wish the people a happy new year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 03:29:18|Editor: Yurou

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RABAT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,500 Chinese red lanterns have decorated the medina of Chefchaouen, known as Morocco's "blue city" for its colored walls and alleys.

The combination of two colors made a warm atmosphere for the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year, in the mountain city.

The Chinese Embassy in Morocco and the Rabat Chinese Cultural Center organized activities, called "Happy Chinese New Year," in several Moroccan cities. Among them, "Chefchaouen illuminated by red lanterns" is no doubt the most impressive.

In the afternoon, actors from China's Chongqing Municipality seized the rare moment of sunshine, played flash mob in the central square and alleys of Chefchaouen, offering short but memorable shows to residents in the medina.

After the music play, the Royal Moroccan Martial Arts Association and a lion dance group from China's Shenzhen city presented the audience with dragon and lion dances.

Nine-year-old local resident Yassmina Bakali told Xinhua that she likes the lion dance of Chinese performers and is very happy to see such an interesting show.

Mohammed Sajid, Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicrafts and Social Economy, said that it was the first time that Chefchaouen hosted a large-scale Spring Festival celebration. The cultures of the two countries met and mixed here, which brings the two people closer to each other.

Zhang Kuangyi, a tourist from Beijing, specially arranged her trip to Chefchaouen on Friday, in order to take part in the Spring Festival celebration.

Zhang said she was very excited to see the Spring Festival celebrations in a foreign country. "I hope China will be more prosperous and the influence of Chinese culture will further expand."

As the night fell, thousands of people came to the central square of Chefchaouen.

Chinese Ambassador to Morocco Li Li, together with Sajid and local government representatives, pressed the switch to light up the 1,500 red lanterns in the old city, to wish the people a happy new year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 02:19:09|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Saturday that the newly appointment Minister of the Displaced Ghassan Atallah will communicate directly with Syria to discuss the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

"We have a new minister capable of communicating directly with Syria and with the international community about the return of refugees to their homeland," Bassil was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.

He made the remarks during a meeting for his party, the Free Patriotic Movement, aimed at discussing the achievements that will be made by the new government.

Bassil said that Lebanon will not go into any disputes with Syrian refugees on this issue because the Lebanese and the Syrians both agree on the necessity of the return of refugees to their homeland.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced last year that Lebanon will not negotiate directly with Syria on the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Meanwhile, Bassil assured that the Ministry of the Displaced will witness a new way and new approaches of dealing with the refugees' crisis.

Lebanon is hosting 976,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while the government estimates the true number of Syrian refugees in the country at 1.5 million.

The Arab Economic and Social Development Summit concluded in the Lebanese capital on Jan. 20 with the Beirut Declaration calling on the international community to support Arab countries hosting Syrian refugees and encourage Syrian refugees to return to their country.S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. S-400 surface-to-air missile systems on streets of St. Petersburg, during preparation of Victory Day parade at Palace Square. Russia, St. Petersburg, on May 5, 2016. (Xinhua/SIPA)

MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government will provide necessary mechanisms to finance the development of new weapons, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday, in response to Washington's withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

"Given the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty and the response steps announced by the President of Russia, the government of the Russian Federation will provide the necessary means and mechanisms to finance the development of new types of weapons," Medvedev said on Twitter.

The "unilateral, unprovoked" U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty worsens the situation around international security and strategic stability, which will definitely meet an effective response from the Russian side, he said.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from Feb. 2.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would suspend its participation in the INF Treaty in a mirror response to the United States' decision.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin backed Shoigu's proposal to develop new arms including ground-based complexes of hypersonic medium- and shorter-range ballistic missiles.

"They announced that they (the United States) are engaged in research and development work, and we will do the same," Putin said.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent years amid increasing tension between the two countries.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 01:04:00|Editor: yan

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SKOPJE, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Macedonian Criminal Court has ordered 30-day detentions of two former senior Macedonian agricultural officials and a house arrest for another former senior agricultural official, local media reported on Saturday.

The three ex-officials were accused of alleged abuse of official position and authorization when granting agricultural aid and leasing agricultural land, which resulted in losses of over 88.4 million Macedonian Denar (1.65 million U.S. dollars) to the budget.

According to a court statement released on Friday afternoon, former agricultural minister Mihail Cvetkov and deputy minister Kristijan Delev were detained for 30 days. Aco Spasenovski, another former agricultural minister, was given home detention due to his deteriorating health condition.

Meanwhile, the court decided that the case regarding another former agricultural minister Ljupcho Dimovski, who is a current Member of Parliament and has parliamentary immunity, will be discussed on Monday's session of the committee on mandatory-immunity issue, local media reported.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 00:43:54|Editor: yan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits a poverty-stricken rural household in Shierzhou Village of Sanchakou Township in Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Feb. 1, 2019. Li went on a two-day inspection tour to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang has called for efforts to deepen reform and opening-up, advance economic and social development, and improve people's wellbeing.

During his inspection tour of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from Friday to Saturday, Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited poverty-stricken rural households in the city of Ulanqab.

Li asked relevant departments to make research on promoting potato planting as part of efforts on eliminating poverty through agricultural development.

When visiting a farmers' market, Li learned about the price and sales of beef and mutton. He said more efforts should be made to increase residents' income to make them more willing to spend money.

At a train station, Li boarded a slow train and chatted with migrant workers about whether they had received their wages on time. He called for coordinated development of high-speed trains and inexpensive but slower trains to serve passengers with different demands.

At a shanty town area, Li underscored the importance of speeding up renovations in order to make local residents live in warm and comfortable houses.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 00:33:53|Editor: yan

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RABAT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people have died of H1N1 flu in Morocco, Health Minister Anas Doukkali announced on Saturday.

Doukkali stressed at a press statement that the number of reported cases remains "normal" compared with previous years.

The H1N1 flu is also the dominant sub-type this year, with over 80 percent, according to the World Health Organization, he added.

He said that the health authorities are closely monitoring the epidemiological situation in the country.

He urged elderly people, children under five years, pregnant women and patients suffering from chronic diseases, to be cautious and get vaccinated against the flu.

The confirmation of the first death from the H1N1 virus on Monday has raised concern among the local people.

The minister said that the number of people going to hospitals slightly increased this week.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 00:33:53|Editor: yan

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, watches a training of a unit of the National Flag Guard in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2019. President Xi Jinping extended festive greetings to soldiers and officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), armed police, militia and reserve forces Saturday. Xi visited the PLA Beijing Garrison Command ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping extended festive greetings to soldiers and officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), armed police, militia and reserve forces Saturday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), visited the PLA Beijing Garrison Command ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which falls on Feb. 5 this year.

Around 9:15 a.m., Xi visited a unit of the National Flag Guard by a gate of the Palace Museum, and the dormitory of the officers and soldiers.

Calling the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square a significant national ceremony, Xi asked them to keep their duty and mission firmly in mind, maintain high standards and safeguard the dignity of the national flag with concrete actions.

Xi then dropped in on a support unit of the Beijing Garrison Command and watched the soldiers' rehearsal of the performances for the Spring Festival celebrations.

He also stepped into the soldiers' canteen and called on the garrison to ensure the soldiers a happy, harmonious and safe festival.

Xi also inspected security guards on duty, discipline inspection work and the construction of an activity center for retired cadres.

Noting that the Beijing Garrison Command was an important force directly commanded by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi called for efforts to implement the Party's thinking on strengthening the military for the new era, focus on combat readiness and reinforce guarding capability.

Xi called on the military force to remain fully trustworthy to the Party and the people.

He stressed construction and command of the army in terms of thinking and political orientation, noting that the army should firmly uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, and resolutely follow the command of the CPC Central Committee and CMC.

Xi asked the Beijing Garrison Command to efficiently perform their guard duties, well handle counter-terrorism and emergency response, ensure absolute safety of whoever they guard, and maintain the capital's security and stability.

He also called for more efforts to strictly govern troops, improve their conduct and push forward the allround progress of primary-level construction.TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to its news release dated September 6, 2018, CDN MSolar Corp. ("CDNM") announces that the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") has conditionally accepted its proposed transaction (the "Transaction") with Blueberries Cannabis Corp. ("Blueberries"), which, upon completion, will result in a reverse take-over of CDNM by the shareholders of Blueberries. The Resulting Issuer Shares (as defined below) are expected to commence trading on the CSE under the stock symbol BBM on or about February 6, 2019, pending completion of the Transaction.



CDNM and Blueberries also announce that Blueberries has completed the previously announced private placement of subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") raising gross proceeds of C$8.8 million (the "Offering"). The Offering was completed in multiple tranches, with Blueberries issuing an aggregate of 35,230,000 Subscription Receipts at a price of C$0.25 (the "Offering Price") per Subscription Receipt.

Each Subscription Receipt entitles the holder to receive, upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions (defined below) on or before the escrow release deadline, and without payment of additional consideration, one unit (a "Unit") in the capital of the resulting issuer arising from the Transaction (the "Resulting Issuer"), which is expected to be named "Blueberries Medical Corp." Each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Resulting Issuer (a "Resulting Issuer Share") and one-half of one Resulting Issuer Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Resulting Issuer Warrant"). Each Resulting Issuer Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Resulting Issuer Share at a price of C$0.40 for a period of 24 months following the completion of the Transaction. The proceeds from the Offering (the "Escrowed Funds"), have been placed into escrow pending satisfaction of the following conditions: (i) the completion of the Transaction, including, without limitation, the receipt of all required shareholder and regulatory approvals required in connection with the Transaction, and the conditional approval of the CSE for the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares; and (b) CDNM and Blueberries having delivered a direction to the escrow agent of the Subscription Receipts confirming that the conditions set forth above in item (i) have been met or waived (collectively, the "Escrow Release Conditions"). With conditional approval from the CSE having been obtained, CDNM and Blueberries are expected to the close the Transaction next week at which time the Escrowed Funds will be released to the Resulting Issuer. Should the Escrow Release Conditions not be satisfied or waived on or before February 5, 2019, or if Blueberries announces to the public that it does not intend to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions, the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled and the Escrowed Funds will be returned to subscribers (a "Refund Event"). To the extent there is any shortfall in the event of a Refund Event, Blueberries will provide sufficient funds to offset any such shortfall.

In connection with the Offering, a cash finders fee of $616,525, representing 7% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, will be paid to an eligible finder, and 2,466,100 finder warrants (the "Finder Warrants"), representing 7% of the number of Subscription Receipts sold, will be issued to an eligible finder on satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one Unit for $0.25 for a period of 24 months after the completion of the Transaction.

CDNM and Blueberries also announce that they have signed a definitive business combination agreement effective as of February 1, 2019 (the "Agreement") with a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDNM which outlines the terms and conditions pursuant to which CDNM and Blueberries will complete the Transaction. Upon completion of the Transaction, it is the intention of the parties that the Resulting Issuer will continue to focus on the cultivation, manufacturing and exporting of medical cannabis in Colombia.

Assuming the Escrow Release Conditions are satisfied, the net proceeds from the Offering shall be used by the Resulting Issuer to expand the business of the Resulting Issuer, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares is subject to CDNM fulfilling all listing requirements of the CSE. There can be no assurance that proposed Transaction will be completed as currently proposed or at all.

Further Information

For further information regarding the Proposed Transaction, please contact:

Thurman So, Chief Financial Officer of CDNM

Tel: 604.999.8253

E-mail: thurman@shaw.ca

Camilo Villalba, Chief Operating Officer of Blueberries SAS

Tel: +57.313.483.0131

Email: cvillalba@blueberriesmed.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward looking statements relate, among other things, to: the completion of the Proposed Transaction; anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering; the anticipated benefits of the proposed Transaction to CDNM, Blueberries, and their respective securityholders; the timing and receipt of the required stock exchange, regulatory and other approvals for the proposed Transaction; the timing and ability of the parties to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions and the conditions precedent to completing the proposed Transaction; future growth potential of the Resulting Issuer; and future development plans.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. CDNM and Blueberries assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-03 00:03:44|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Friday dismissed the head of a state mining investment agency who opposed the country's new mine tax regime, while commending mining firms for rescinding their plans to cut investment.

Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Richard Musukwa confirmed to reporters during a press briefing that Pius Kasolo, chief executive officer of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines-Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH), has been relieved of his duties by the board.

The minister did not give a reason. He said he could not reveal all the details regarding the dismissal, but noted that the agency will issue a comprehensive statement on the matter.

Kasolo said this week that the ZCCM-IH was opposed to the new tax regime that would entail a tax increase on the country's copper producers, as the measures would have a negative impact on the agency and investment in the mining sector.

He urged the government to quickly resolve the tax impasse with mining firms to avoid production and investment declines in Africa's second largest copper producer.

Musukwa said discussions held between the government and mining firms have been fruitful, and that the mining firms are rescinding their earlier plans.

The Zambian government last year announced that mining royalties would rise by 1.5 percentage points from Jan. 1, and also introduced a new 10 percent tax when the price of copper exceeds 7,500 U.S. dollars per ton.

Mining firms have warned recently they would cut about 500 million dollars in capital spending over the next three years in Zambia if the government went ahead and implemented the new tax regime, a move that would have resulted in the unemployment of 21,000 miners.

Musukwa said the government was happy with the mining firms' decision to drop their plans, adding that the introduction of the new tax regime was not meant to stifle mining operations but to grow the economy.

He said mining is a pivotal sector in the Zambian economy and that the government is committed to attracting more investment in the sector.

The government, he said, intends to use the forthcoming Mining Conference in South Africa, which runs from Feb. 4 to 7, to attract more investment in the mining industry.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:58:42|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Britain's schools minister Nick Gibb called on Saturday for a cellphone ban in schools to help students concentrate on learning.

In an interview with the London-based Times newspaper, Gibb said evidence of the negative effect of phone use on children's development and mental health is mounting.

The minister expressed concern that too many children are using mobile phones at night and arriving at school the next day tired.

"I believe very strongly that children should be limiting their own use at home. Every hour spent online and on a smartphone is an hour less talking to family, and it's an hour less exercise and it's an hour less sleep. And of course it is a lack of sleep that research is showing can have a damaging effect on a child's mental health," Gibb told The Times.

He also said the government is to introduce lessons for students on how to limit their screen time.

Guidance being drawn up by the Department for Education (DfE) will require students to be taught about the dangers of excessive use, said the minister.

He said head teachers should set the tone by banning use of the devices in schools.

"Schools obviously are free to set their own behavior policies but my own view is that schools should ban mobile (cellphone) telephones and smartphones inside school, and particularly inside classrooms," he added.

The report said some schools have already banned the use of cellphones outright and others have restricted their use in lessons or during playtime.

It cites a study by the London School of Economics (LSE) which found that banning phones in schools resulted in test scores rising by more than 6 percent.

However, the National Association National Association of Head Teachers warned that a ban on phones would "cause more problems than it solves".

A spokeswoman for the association warned it could "drive phone use underground, making problems less visible and obvious for schools to tackle".

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said last month that children should not look at screens within an hour of going to bed, and recommended that parents set a good example.

A separate study of data from 11,000 children found that teenagers who spent long hours on social media were twice as likely to show symptoms of depression, with girls being affected more.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:58:41|Editor: yan

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ISTANBUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday slammed Israel for dismissing the rights of its Palestinian citizens by adopting the "Jewish state" law.

"The bill clearly ignores the rights of Israeli citizens with Palestinian origin," Erdogan said at a meeting in Istanbul with a group of Arab deputies from the Israeli parliament.

"I am using all means available to end Israel's occupation in Palestine and restore peace and tranquility in the region," the Turkish leader was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

In July last year, the Israeli parliament narrowly passed the controversial bill that defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

Turkey favors the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

"Turkey will not turn its back on the Palestinian cause or people," said Erdogan.

Turkish-Israeli ties stalled last year after Ankara recalled its ambassador and expelled the Israeli envoy over the deaths of dozens of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:58:40|Editor: yan

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MOGADISHU, Feb.2 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and two others were injured in a blast in a government controlled town of Bardhere in Somalia's southern region of Gedo on Saturday, according to military officials.

A military officer who asked anonymity told Xinhua that a car filled with explosives detonated near Ethiopian military base in Bardhere town in Somalia's southern region of Gedo, resulting in the death of two people nearby and injuring two others.

"The car exploded when the soldiers at the base stopped it and we can confirm that two people were killed in the blast," the military officer said.

He added that the soldiers had managed to foil the militants' attempt to reach their target. Residents said they heard a rocky blast in the area which is near the border with Kenya.

"We heard a huge blast and learnt that a military base was hit by a car bomb but we don't know additional information," Fahmo Haji, a resident, told Xinhua.

The attack came after Somali national forces are conducting major operations against al-Shabab in central and southern Somalia.

Al-Qaida affiliated group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast, saying its fighters carried out a suicide car bomb attack in the town, killing at least 16 Ethiopian soldiers.

The terrorist group said in a statement posted on its affiliated websites that the bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at a military base belonging to Ethiopian troops.

Independent sources said some of the Ethiopian soldiers including two civilians died in the blast.

The attack barely a month after the terrorist group said that their fighters killed 57 Ethiopian troops in an ambush near Burhakaba town in southwest Somalia on Jan. 18.

The terrorist group continues to hold parts of the country's south and central regions after being chased out of Mogadishu several years ago.

Somali and African Union peacekeeping forces have also intensified military operations against the insurgents, flushing them in their Lower and Middle Shabelle region bases as part of efforts to stabilize the Horn of Africa nation.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:53:39|Editor: yan

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) meets with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 2, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Russia would not deploy medium-and-shorter-range missiles in any region as long as the United States avoids doing this. (Xinhua/Sputnik)

MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Russia will suspend its participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in a mirror response to the United States' decision.

"We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. American partners have announced the suspension of their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The Trump administration announced Friday that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from Feb. 2.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his country will "move forward with developing our own military response options."

The United States "will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct," said Trump.

Moscow is concerned over the U.S. military's task to create low-power nuclear munitions and Washington's possible plans to use it on medium-range missiles, Lavrov said Saturday at the meeting with Putin and Shoigu, according to Sputnik.

"We are also concerned about the fact that recently, a year ago, the U.S. 'Nuclear Posture Review' set the task to create low-power nuclear munitions, which will probably be used on medium-range missiles," Lavrov said.

Noting that the United States has begun developing and manufacturing weapons, Shoigu proposed to develop new arms including ground-based complexes of hypersonic medium- and shorter-range ballistic missiles. Shoigu's proposal has Putin's support.

"They announced that they (the United States) are engaged in research and development work, and we will do the same," Putin said.

The president requested more information on the execution of Russia's state defense programs, including the Dagger hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, the Peresvet combat laser systems, the newest Avangard hypersonic missile defense system and the Sarmat missile.

He also noted that some countries are starting to deploy weapons in space, saying that it is necessary to come up with certain plans to counter this "possible threat."

Despite the retaliatory measures, Russia will not be dragged into an arms race, Putin said.

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that we should not and will not be drawn into an expensive arms race," he told the ministers.

Russia would not deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in any region as long as the United States avoids doing this in respective regions, he added.

Meanwhile, Putin asked the ministers not to initiate any negotiations on the arms control issue and wait until Washington is ready to engage in dialogue.

"All our proposals, as before, in this area remain on the table. The door for negotiations is open," Putin said. "Let us wait until our partners are ready to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this crucial topic -- both for us and for our partners, and for the whole world."

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions.

In October, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty on account of Russia's alleged breach of the agreement, a charge which Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Washington's decision to leave the INF Treaty also prompted questions about the fate of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which is another disarmament agreement signed by Washington and Moscow in 2010 and will expire in 2021.

Russia had a right to ensure that the United States would guarantee the New START implementation and not to reverse the process by modifying missiles to non-nuclear configuration, Lavrov said Saturday at the meeting with Putin and Shoigu, according to Sputnik.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:48:37|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Artillery shelling attacks killed Saturday an Islamic State (IS) leader in Baquba, capital of Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a local security source said.

Sadiq al-Husseini, head of the security committee in Diyala provincial council, told Xinhua that head of the IS motorcycle contingents was killed in Himreen mountains some 56 km northeast Baquba in artillery shelling carried out by paramilitary Hashid Shaabi.

"The shelling came after an accurate intelligence report indicating where the militants had gathered. The leader was responsible for many activities including providing hosts and transportation for the militants in Himreen mountain area," al-Husseini added.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, small groups and individuals of extremist militants melted or regrouped in urban and rugged areas, and have been carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 23:33:33|Editor: yan

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) meets with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 2, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Russia would not deploy medium-and-shorter-range missiles in any region as long as the United States avoids doing this. (Xinhua/Sputnik)

MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced that Russia will suspend its participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in a mirror response to the United States' decision.

"We will proceed as follows. We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. American partners have announced the suspension of their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to a Kremlin transcript.

The U.S. administration announced Friday that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from Feb. 2.

Noting that the United States has begun developing and manufacturing weapons, Shoigu proposed to develop new arms including ground-based complexes of hypersonic medium-range and shorter-range ballistic missiles. Shoigu's proposal has Putin's support.

"They announced that they (the United States) are engaged in research and development work, and we will do the same," Putin said.

The president requested more information on the execution of Russia's state defense programs, including the Dagger hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, the Peresvet combat laser systems, the newest Avangard hypersonic missile defense system and the Sarmat missile.

He also noted that some countries are starting to deploy weapons in space, saying that it is necessary to come up with certain plans to counter this "possible threat."

Despite the retaliatory measures, Russia will not be dragged into an arms race, Putin said.

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that we should not and will not be drawn into an expensive arms race," he told the ministers.

Russia would not deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in any region as long as the United States avoids doing this in respective regions, he added.

Meanwhile, Putin asked the ministers not to initiate any negotiations on the arms control issue and wait until Washington is ready to engage in dialogue.

"All our proposals, as before, in this area remain on the table. The door for negotiations is open," Putin said. "Let us wait until our partners are ready to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this crucial topic -- both for us and for our partners, and for the whole world."

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions.

In October, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty on account of Russia's alleged breach of the agreement, a charge which Moscow has repeatedly denied.An archaeologist excavates mummies inside the newly excavated tombs in Tuna el-Gebel necropolis of Minya Province south of the capital Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

MINYA, Egypt, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian minister of antiquities announced on Saturday the discovery of three ancient tombs with more than 40 well-preserved mummies in Tuna el-Gebel necropolis of Minya Province south of the capital Cairo.

"This is the first archeological discovery announced in 2019 after excavation work that started on Nov. 25 last year by a joint mission from the Ministry of Antiquities and the Research Centre for Archaeological Studies of Minya University," Khaled al-Anany said at a press conference in the archeological site.

On the sidelines of the announcement, the minister told Xinhua that this is the third discovery announced in Minya.

Two of the tombs are connected, which include the large number of mummies, while the third has a couple of limestone, pottery and wooden coffins.

The event was attended by Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri, Egyptian Tourism Minister Rania al-Mashat, Minya Governor Qassem Hussein, professors from Minya University as well as diplomats from more than 10 foreign countries.

"We discovered three tombs with a shaft whose depth is about nine meters," Waziri told Xinhua.

"We found more than 50 mummies, some of which have been moved to a nearby storehouse and here we have more than 40 mummies in perfect condition of preservation," he added.

The tombs are about 2,000 years old, according to Ahmed Ata, a professor of archeology at Minya University and a member of the joint mission.

"We found out the age of the tombs through the Greek letters written on the legs of the mummies," the professor told Xinhua, adding that about six mummies of dogs have also been discovered.

The tombs are part of a familial grave that probably belonged to a family from the elite middle class.

The Egyptian tourism minister said the attendance of foreign diplomats to witness the discovery is "a very important message" that the world is interested in and keen on visiting Egypt and seeing its archeological treasures.

"Today's new discovery creates a lot of interest and curiosity of tourists about the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to be opened in 2020," she added.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 22:18:14|Editor: xuxin

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NEW DELHI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tremors Saturday shook Indian capital New Delhi and Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

According to Indian Meteorological Department, the earthquake occurred at 5:34 p.m. local time.

"The epicentre of earthquake was Hindukush region in Afghanistan, located at 36.5 degrees north latitude and 70.7 degrees east longitude," information released by Indian Meteorological Department said. "The depth of the earthquake was 212 km."

According to officials and locals, the mild tremors were felt in Delhi.

"Earthquake of 6.1 magnitude in the Hindu Kush region. Tremors felt in Delhi too. No damage reported so far," a statement issued by Humanitarian Aid International, a New Delhi based aid organisation said.

In Srinagar city and other major towns of Indian-controlled Kashmir, the tremors forced people to rush out of buildings and houses.

"We were staying inside our house and suddenly I felt the ground beneath me shaking," Intizar Ahmad, a Srinagar resident told Xinhua. "In panic all of us rushed outside."

So far there were no reports of damage due to earthquake either in Indian-controlled Kashmir or Delhi.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 22:18:13|Editor: xuxin

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LUSAKA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government is sponsoring 15 Zambians to participate in a 17-day cultural tourism event held in the northern Indian state of Haryana, a Zambian government official said on Friday.

The Zambians will participate in the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which runs from Feb. 1 to 17 in the city of Faridabad in Haryana, said Zambia's High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga.

"The 15 Zambians include a government official from the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, a cultural dance troupe, artisans and crafts persons showcasing Zambian crafts," Kapijimpanga said, according to a press release from the Zambian Embassy in India.

She said participating in the event is important as more than 1 million visitors are expected to attend, including thousands of foreign tourists.

Kapijimpanga said the event helps preserve heritage crafts that involve the use of traditional skills that are fading away due to cheap machine-made imitations, and that a special section is earmarked for showcasing heritage crafts.

She also recognized the role of the Indian High Commission in Zambia in ensuring that Zambia actively participates in trade and tourism activities in India.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 22:03:09|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced that Russia will suspend the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in a mirror response to the United States' decision.

"We will proceed as follows. We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. American partners have announced the suspension of their participation in the treaty, and we are suspending it as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to a Kremlin transcript.

The president said Russia will follow the example of the United States and withdraw from the nuclear arms control deal within six months.

The U.S. administration announced Friday that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from Feb. 2.

Despite the retaliatory measures, Russia will not be dragged into an arms race, Putin said.

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that we should not and will not be drawn into an expensive arms race," he told the ministers.

Russia would not deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in any region as long as the United States avoids doing this in respective regions, he added.

Meanwhile, Putin asked the ministers not to initiate any negotiations on the arms control issue and wait until Washington is ready to engage in dialogue.

"All our proposals, as before, in this area remain on the table. The door for negotiations is open," Putin said. "Let us wait until our partners are ready to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this crucial topic -- both for us and for our partners, and for the whole world."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 21:48:06|Editor: Li Xia

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DUBLIN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A 17-day-long festival initiated by Dublin City Council to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year kicked off here on Friday night with lion dances, a reception served with dumplings and a concert presented in a combination of Chinese and Irish music.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Nial Ring, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Yue Xiaoyong, and Irish Ambassador to China Eoin O'Leary were among the 200-strong representatives from different walks of life attended the opening reception of the festival which was held at Dublin City Gallery.

Addressing the event, Dublin City Mayor Nial Ring said that the festival for this year is the largest of its kind ever held by Dublin City Council since its inception in 2008.

"The Chinese culture is exceptional," he said, adding that the festival will help increase the status of Dublin as a diversified and inclusive international cosmopolitan.

He said this year is the Year of the Pig for the Chinese and he wished all the members of the Chinese community in Dublin as well as in Ireland a happy and prosperous new year.

The mayor disclosed in his speech that he was born in the year of the pig in 1959, and he extended an invitation to all the guests at the event to participate in a birthday party he is going to host in the Mansion House, his official residence in Dublin, on May 16.

Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Yue Xiaoyong and Irish Ambassador Eoin O'Leary also addressed the event, during which both of them said that 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries and they both wished a more fruitful new year for the China-Ireland relations.

Yue and O'Leary also jointly unveiled the opening of the festival and enjoyed a concert together with local audience at the ground hall of the gallery.

The performances jointly presented by a young Chinese female percussionist and a young Irish male violinist provided a unique experience for music lovers.

Dublin Chinese New Year Festival has been held for 12 consecutive years, and the festival for this year is the largest of its kind, said Aimee Van Wylick, who has been a producer of the festival for the last five years.

According to Wylick, over 80 programs will be staged during this year's celebrations, including concerts, acrobatic and dance performances, film, painting and calligraphy shows, various cultural workshops and lectures as well as Chinese fairs.

She said that as the Chinese New Year is drawing closer, more and more exciting celebrations will be rolled out which will include a launch ceremony to light all the main landmark buildings in Dublin city on Sunday and a Chinese New Year concert to be staged by RTE National Symphony Orchestra at National Concert Hall in collaboration with Chinese musicians on Feb. 5, the first day of the Chinese New Year for this year.

Prior to the opening of Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2019, Irish President Michael D. Higgins sent a message to the organizing committee of the festival in which he said the Chinese community have played a critical role in the creation of a multicultural Ireland and he wished all members of the Chinese community in Ireland a happy and truly prosperous new year.

Earlier in the day, an event entitled "Meeting China-Digital Art Exhibition" was inaugurated at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin as part of the Happy Spring Festival activities organized by the Chinese embassy in Ireland.

The three-day event, which introduces traditional Chinese culture such as shadow plays and paper cutting arts through high-tech means in an interactive way, provides a brand new and interesting experience for Chinese culture lovers. The event is expected to attract over a thousand visitors, said the organizers.File photo shows the general view of the dam of Kariba hydropower station in Zambia. The constructor China's Sinohydro Corporation delivered the Zambian Kariba North Bank Power expansion project to Zambia in Siavonga, southern Zambia. The project includes two 180 megawatt generators. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun)

CHINGOLA, Zambia, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Various development projects in Zambia have benefited from funding by China, a result of the long-lasting bilateral ties between the two countries.

One such project is the construction of a dam in Zambia's Masaiti district on the Copperbelt Province funded by China whose construction works are progressing well.

The construction works of the 450 million U.S. dollars Kafulafuta Dam was commissioned in October last year by President Edgar Lungu.

The multi-purpose dam will hold about 125 million cubic meters of water and benefit about 1 million people in four districts on the Copperbelt, namely, Mpongwe, Luanshya, Ndola, Masaiti and other areas.

Masaiti is located in the southeastern part of the Copperbelt. The district lies on a total area of 5,383 square kilometers and has a population of 107,221.

It is surrounded by six other districts and also shares a border with neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The people in the district have welcomed the project, saying it will go a long way in easing water problems.

Jane Kalesha, a 56-year-old resident, feels that the project has come at a right time and will immensely benefit the community.

She says the project will help farmers in the district to grow enough crops not only for consumption but for export into DRC.

Chieftainess Malembeka, one of the traditional leaders in the district, is also elated by the development.

"Uplifting the living standards of people is important in national development, the dam will bring about immense development in my Chiefdom," she says.

She is optimistic that smallscale farmers will benefit massively through irrigation system.

The district whose main economic stay is farming has a total of 18,733 smallscale farmers.

The traditional leaders further hailed the bilateral relationship between Zambia and China, which she said are bearing fruits.

"China is a best friend of Zambia since time in memorial," she said.

Bruce Zhu, a business manager with the China National Complete Engineering Corporation, the Chinese firm constructing the dam, said about 23 percent of works have so far been done, adding that everything was on schedule.

"We are on schedule and we expect to complete the works by 2020," he says.

In remarks delivered when Copperbelt Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe and other senior government officials inspected the construction works recently, the official said over 1,600 jobs have been created during the construction of the dam.

Zhu further dispelled reports that the firm was subcontracting other foreign firms instead of empowering local firms.

"We have come up with a contractor data base where we are picking contractors for various jobs," he added.

According to Zhu, four local firms have been subcontracted to work at the project.

On his part, the Zambian minister expressed satisfaction over the progress so far in the construction of the dam, adding that the government was committed to supporting Chinese firms working on various projects as it was meant to uplift the living standards of people.

Mwakalombe says a lot of people will benefit from the project once completed.

The Kafulafuta water supply system project involves the construction of a dam and other infrastructures for the supply of water to some districts of the province.

It also includes the construction of two pump stations, raw water pipelines to four treatment plants as well as the extension of the pipe network to unserviced areas and repairing of old leaking pipes.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 21:38:04|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping extended festive greetings to soldiers and officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), armed police, militia and reserve forces Saturday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the PLA Beijing Garrison Command ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which falls on Feb. 5 this year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 20:57:55|Editor: Li Xia

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CHINGOLA, Zambia, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Various development projects in Zambia have benefited from funding by China, a result of the long-lasting bilateral ties between the two countries.

One such project is the construction of a dam in Zambia's Masaiti district on the Copperbelt Province funded by China whose construction works are progressing well.

The construction works of the 450 million U.S. dollars Kafulafuta Dam was commissioned in October last year by President Edgar Lungu.

The multi-purpose dam will hold about 125 million cubic meters of water and benefit about 1 million people in four districts on the Copperbelt, namely, Mpongwe, Luanshya, Ndola, Masaiti and other areas.

Masaiti is located in the southeastern part of the Copperbelt. The district lies on a total area of 5,383 square kilometers and has a population of 107,221.

It is surrounded by six other districts and also shares a border with neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The people in the district have welcomed the project, saying it will go a long way in easing water problems.

Jane Kalesha, a 56-year-old resident, feels that the project has come at a right time and will immensely benefit the community.

She says the project will help farmers in the district to grow enough crops not only for consumption but for export into DRC.

Chieftainess Malembeka, one of the traditional leaders in the district, is also elated by the development.

"Uplifting the living standards of people is important in national development, the dam will bring about immense development in my Chiefdom," she says.

She is optimistic that smallscale farmers will benefit massively through irrigation system.

The district whose main economic stay is farming has a total of 18,733 smallscale farmers.

The traditional leaders further hailed the bilateral relationship between Zambia and China, which she said are bearing fruits.

"China is a best friend of Zambia since time in memorial," she said.

Bruce Zhu, a business manager with the China National Complete Engineering Corporation, the Chinese firm constructing the dam, said about 23 percent of works have so far been done, adding that everything was on schedule.

"We are on schedule and we expect to complete the works by 2020," he says.

In remarks delivered when Copperbelt Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe and other senior government officials inspected the construction works recently, the official said over 1,600 jobs have been created during the construction of the dam.

Zhu further dispelled reports that the firm was subcontracting other foreign firms instead of empowering local firms.

"We have come up with a contractor data base where we are picking contractors for various jobs," he added.

According to Zhu, four local firms have been subcontracted to work at the project.

On his part, the Zambian minister expressed satisfaction over the progress so far in the construction of the dam, adding that the government was committed to supporting Chinese firms working on various projects as it was meant to uplift the living standards of people.

Mwakalombe says a lot of people will benefit from the project once completed.

The Kafulafuta water supply system project involves the construction of a dam and other infrastructures for the supply of water to some districts of the province.

It also includes the construction of two pump stations, raw water pipelines to four treatment plants as well as the extension of the pipe network to unserviced areas and repairing of old leaking pipes.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 20:57:55|Editor: xuxin

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KABUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 fighters including three police personnel and a Taliban commander were killed in fighting between government forces and the Taliban group in the country over the past 24 hours, officials said Saturday.

The government forces stormed Taliban hideouts in parts of the restive Helmand province over the past 24 hours, killing 12 insurgents including Taliban eminent commander Mullah Shir Agha, said a statement of the army released on Saturday.

Mullah Shir Agha, along with five of his armed men, were killed in Sangin district on Friday after his hideout came under fighting aircraft's attack, the statement said, adding over a dozen more insurgents have been injured in the province.

Similarly, the government has killed 13 militants and injured 12 others in Qaisar, Almar and Garziwan districts of the northern Faryab province over the 24 hours, said Mohamad Hanif Rezai, an army spokesman in the northern region.

According to Rezai, government forces operations against Taliban outfit have left 10 militants dead and injured over a dozen others in Chamtal district of the northern Balkh province since Friday.

Mohibullah Mohib, police spokesman in the western Farah province, reported killing of five militants and injuring of seven others in the relatively volatile province over the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz Big, the head of Baghis provincial council, told Xinhua that the Taliban offensive on security checkpoints in Qadis district on early Saturday killed three security personnel and injured five others.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi in contact with media has disputed the claims made by security officials, and in counter-claim, insisted that scores of security personnel had been killed over the past 24 hours.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 20:32:51|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia will suspend the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in a mirror response to the decision of the United States.

"We will do as follows. We will come up with a tit-for-tat response. American partners have announced suspension of their participation in the treaty, and we will suspend," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Putin said Russia will follow the example of the United States and withdraw from the nuclear arms control deal within six months.

The U.S. administration announced on Friday that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty with Russia in six months, starting from Feb. 2.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 20:02:44|Editor: xuxin

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Two police officers and seven suspects were killed on Friday night during a robbery shootout in KwaZulu-Natal, said South African police on Saturday.

The police said they were tailing a cash-in-transit vehicle at round 7 p.m. on Friday when armed robbers attached the vehicle and tried to access the cash using explosives. A shootout between the police and the robbers resulted the tragedy, said the police.

"This is yet another sad day for both the South African police service as well as South Africa at large for every time the life of a police officer is lost in combat, the nation mourns," said the National Police Commissioner General Khehla John Sitole.

A female police officer was injured in the leg during the shootout, said Sitole.

He praised the police fot their bravery.

He said, "I offer my highest praise to the all our colleagues that have once again put their lives on the line to bring hardened and selfish criminals to book."

The police recovered four AK 47 riffles and BMW car. The police stated that the BMW was used in spate of robberies.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 19:52:43|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MANILA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people, including five soldiers and three militants, were killed and 20 others wounded in a fresh clash between government troops and Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu province in southern Philippines on Saturday.

Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for the military's Western Mindanao Command, said the three Abu Sayyaf members were killed in the fierce fighting that broke out at around 11:30 a.m. local time when troops ran into up to 150 Abu Sayyaf militants in the remote villages of Patikul.

Besana said the militants withdrew after an hour and 50 minutes of fighting resulting in the killing of five soldiers and wounding of five others.

The military has launched a fresh offensive against the Abu Sayyaf after the twin blasts hit a church in Jolo, Sulu killing 22 and injuring more than 100 late last month.

The military blamed Abu Sayyaf for the blasts.

Philippine government security forces have launched a series of operations to hunt the bombers.

Abu Sayyaf, a rebel group, often carries out kidnappings, bombings and beheadings in western Mindanao, particularly in their lair in the island provinces of Basilan and Sulu.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 19:32:39|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China Vanke, the country's biggest property developer, said on Saturday that its sales reached 48.88 billion yuan (about 7.3 billion U.S. dollars) last month, plunging 28 percent year on year.

The total floor space of commercial housing sold by the developer amounted to 3.18 million square meters in January, down 28.5 percent from one year earlier, according to a statement the developer filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Vanke is not the only property developer that reported falling sales. Evergrande Group, another major developer, saw its sales down 32.9 percent to 43.17 billion yuan.

The softening property sales suggest that the country's property market remains relatively cool. Chinese authorities have adopted a slew of measures to head off the risk of a property market crash, such as stiffening regulation and preventing high land prices.

Chinese leaders have reiterated on many occasions that "housing is for living in, not for speculation."

The average price of new homes in 100 cities rose 5.09 percent last year, a milder growth than 7.15 percent in 2017, according to a report issued by the China Index Academy, a property research institution, last month.

Meanwhile, secondhand homes in the country's 10 major cities saw their average price drop 0.11 percent, compared with an increase of 8.03 percent in 2017.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 19:32:39|Editor: Li Xia

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By Xinhua Writer Luan Xiang

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Unlike the rest of the neighborhood, which is busy decorating their houses with couplets of rhymed wishes for the upcoming Spring Festival, at 11 p.m. Friday, Song Keming, a mild man with a strong build and pleasant features, put on his coat and began his inspection along the vast and extensive wetlands along the Yellow River.

This is his plan for Chinese New Year's Eve, as it has been for every day and night for the past 20 years.

Enduring temperature below the freezing point, Song tries to curb his coughs caused by chronic bronchitis as he and others patrol along the wetland. It is the winter habitat for tens of thousands of migratory birds, including Asian great bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii, "dabao" in Chinese), a critically endangered species that has been spending winters here for thousands of years.

There are only about 800 specimens of the great bustard's Asian subspecies left in China, from where it gets the nickname "the giant panda of the birds." With striped plumage and known to be the heaviest flying terrestrial bird, the Asian subspecies migrates over 10,000 kilometers across Eurasia every year, which is one of the longest migration ranges of any threatened species.

For 20 years, Song has been guarding Changyuan wetland reserve bordering Shandong and Henan provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The wetlands have been an important wintering home for the bustard and many other wildlife species that form the rich biosphere of the "Mother River of China."

During the day, Song and other members of the "Green Future" environmental protection association - a non-profit volunteer team founded and led by Song Keming - search along hundreds of miles along the riverbanks to remove poisoned bait placed by poachers and to rescue any surviving wildlife from threats such as deadly toxins, nets or gunshots or properly dispose of dead bodies.

At night, from 11 p.m. till dawn, the volunteers drive along the wetland that stretches 3,000 kilometers from Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan to Shandong provinces, to fend off poachers, who usually come with hunting rifles and hounds, with the help of local public security organs.

Song has been hit by poachers' vehicles, shot by their rifles and beaten with bricks and fists, but none of these had frightened him enough to cause him to step away from the battlefield.

Every autumn and winter, as migratory birds return from the northern Mongolian Plateau or the Siberian Arctic tundra, poaching happens more often, especially around the Spring Festival holidays. While criminals continue to break the law in an effort to make a fortune, Song and his team are actively trying to make it more and more impossible for these poachers to succeed.

Last year, the "Green Future" team caught four suspected poachers and helped the local police open three criminal cases. The volunteers scattered a dozen poachers from the reserve, including some well-equipped poaching gang members.

In recent years, more and more like-minded local residents have gathered around Song. Now the team has more than 300 volunteers. More and more people, as well as public departments, have been joining the cause to fight hard against poaching.

To Song's joy, Chinese society is growing in awareness of the importance of species and habitat protection, while those who choose to eat wildlife to show off their wealth have become a rare minority.

Song was delighted to find that China's building of an ecological civilization as a national strategy and the protection of species have been obtaining positive results.

This winter, a record number of migratory birds flew back to the Changyuan Wetland Reserve, including grey cranes, taiga bean geese, greylags, etc.

"About 180 great bustards have been observed wintering at the reserve, and by spring when they are about to head north, we expect the total number to be around 200," Song confirmed with Xinhua reporter over the phone on Saturday.

The nicknamed "Bustard Guardian" firmly believes that as long as the Yellow River wetlands are attentively protected to preserve the wintering home for the migratory birds, where wildlife can stay safe from poaching and disturbances and live in peace, the vigorous biodiversity of the mother river will recover.

And the great bustards, a symbol of the king's diligent peasants recorded as early as in the Book of Songs (1100 to 600 B.C.), can continue to coexist harmoniously with the Chinese nation, Song said.

In order to honor the man's tireless efforts in protecting the wetlands, Song Keming was named "the most beautiful environmentalist in Henan," winning the "Green Guardian" award of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the "Green Monument" award of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The work of Green Future has received wide acclaim and support from the country and was highly commended by international experts and scholars at the International Conference on Promoting the Protection of Asian Great Bustard held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 2017.

However, Song could not let himself rest on the laurels. He told the reporters that there is still a long way to go to protect the great bustard and the Yellow River wetlands. The situation is still urgent and we should not be blindly optimistic, he warned.

The International Committee for the Protection of Birds has included great bustard in the Red Book of Endangered Species. "There are only about 800 left in China. Each one of them that we are losing to poaching is a loss too heavy for the survival of the species!" he said.

The man who humbly refers himself as "just a peasant who doesn't know how to make great speeches" is determined to continue protecting the wetlands and its biodiversity until he can no longer move.

In the future, Song hopes to help the local villages develop eco-tourism that will not cause harm and disturbance to the wildlife in a way that village folks can benefit from species conservation and ecological restoration. For example, helping poachers become tour guides to show the visitors where to view the most breathtaking landscape or how to identify the most beautiful birds or operate homestays and hostels - anyway that they can make money legitimately, Song suggested.

If wildlife and the health of the wetlands became the attraction for eco-tourism, the local population will voluntarily protect the environment, as proven in precedents worldwide, he said.

"I hope that every ordinary person can start from himself, refuse to eat wildlife, refuse to wear fur, refuse to use drugs containing wild animal components and actively report any suspicious sales of wildlife products to the forest police," Song said, telling Xinhua that he wishes everyone a happy Chinese New Year.

"Everyone can make his/her share of contribution to protecting endangered species," Song said.

As for himself, the 54-year-old "bustard guardian" is willing to believe that with the concerted efforts of the entire Chinese society, the future is promising for China's building of an ecological civilization and the biodiversity conservation and for the Asian great bustard to survive and thrive.

"I look forward to witnessing the Mother River of the Chinese nation regain its vitality as people and nature develop in perfect harmony," Song said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 19:07:33|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have visited former senior leaders to offer greetings ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as the other leaders, wished the former leaders a happy Spring Festival, good health and long lives.

Former leaders, including Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, received personal visits either from the current leaders or from their representatives.

The former leaders thanked them for the visits and spoke highly of the historic achievements made by the whole Party, military and Chinese people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core.

They also expressed wholehearted support to the core status of Xi in the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party.

The former leaders expressed hope that the entire Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups would rally even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core and hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

They urged the entire Party and Chinese people to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, implement the strategic plan drawn up by 19th CPC National Congress, rise to challenges and move steadily in securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and striving for the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the realization of the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 19:02:32|Editor: xuxin

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BANGKOK, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's airports are bracing for a large influx of visitors during the Chinese New Year, with airlines set to operate 35,000 flights in total across the country.

Airports of Thailand PCL (AoT) estimates that 5.93 million passengers will travel through its six international airports during the Chinese New Year holiday.

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of AoT said from Jan. 30 to Feb. 11 total air passengers at AoT's six airports - Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai - are expected to increase by 4 percent.

The number of flights is predicted to rise by 7.2 percent compared with the same period last year, with 800 charter flights and extra flights catering to some 119,000 passengers.

AoT forecasts Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport to be the most jam-packed, with 2.63 million passengers, or growth of 3.6 percent year-on-year, from 14,800 flights, a 9 percent increase. Some 40,000 passengers will travel via 300 charter and extra flights.

Aeronautical Radio director Somnuk Rongthong said air traffic controllers have been put on full alert to monitor the airspace and clear up any delays during the holiday, which lasts from Feb. 4-10.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects to welcome over 330,000 Chinese tourists during the seven-day period (Feb. 4-10). They represent more than 30 percent of the overall total of 1.03 million international arrivals that are expected to visit Thailand over the Chinese New Year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 18:12:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SHANGHAI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai has 240,000 new-energy vehicles (NEVs) by the end of 2018 and remains one of the biggest NEVs markets among Chinese cities, according to statistics released by the traffic control office of Shanghai's public security organ.

Statistics also indicate that Shanghai saw over 73,000 new NEVs registered last year, a year-on-year surge of 20.2 percent.

Since 2016, over 360 types of NEVs had been launched in Shanghai as the city continues to keep its NEVs market open, said an industry expert in Shanghai.

For example, U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc. broke new ground with its Shanghai factory on Jan. 7, becoming the first to benefit from a new policy allowing foreign carmakers to set up wholly-owned subsidiaries in China.

Moreover, Shanghai has turned to NEVs for public transport to reduce pollution from the urban transport system, and the growing private users still dominate the NEVs market.

Shanghai has built nearly 10,500 charging stations in 2018, bringing the total number to 210,600. The city plans to build more charging stations to meet the growing demand.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 18:07:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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HAVANA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Chen Xi said on Friday that the year 2019 will be decisive for strengthening political and commercial ties between China and Cuba.

Chen made the remarks at a reception celebrating the Spring Festival in the Chinese embassy in Cuba, noting that bilateral ties were deepened in the year 2018 as Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel paid a visit to China in November.

Chen said in the coming year, intense work will be done to consolidate the agreements reached between both heads of state.

He said "we will fully implement the important consensus agreed between the leaders of both countries to consolidate and further deepen our friendship, as well as to cooperate for the good of our peoples."

Cuban officials and representatives from the local Chinese community attended the reception. The Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, is the most important traditional celebration in the Chinese culture.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 18:02:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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DAMASCUS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- An explosive device went off in Syria's northern city of Manbij on Saturday, killing one and wounding two others, a war monitor reported.

The explosive device ripped through a car transporting personnel with the Manbij Military Council (MMC), which is in control of Manbij in the northern countryside of Aleppo province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The London-based watchdog said the explosion is part of several bombings targeting Manbij carried out either by the Islamic State (IS) militant group or the Turkey-backed rebels.

A day earlier, a big explosion occurred near the house of the commander of the Kurdish-led MMC in Manbij when a patrol of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was passing by, with no reports on casualties yet.

The explosions are the latest in a spate of bombings targeting the U.S.-backed SDF in northern Syria.

The SDF has been engaged in battles against the IS in the eastern Euphrates region in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, largest city in eastern Syria, since last September.

The Kurdish-led group has stripped the IS militants of key areas, close to fully dislodging them from the eastern Euphrates region.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 17:57:19|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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BANGKOK, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Bangkok's air pollution eased slightly on Saturday, with the level of toxic dust reducing in most areas but the health threat posed by PM 2.5 still lingering.

The reading of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers ranged from 31 to 60 micrograms per cubic meter during the past 24 hours, according to the pollution control department on Friday.

The PM 2.5 fell by 18 micrograms per cubic meter of air on average while dangerous levels of PM 2.5 dust were reported at five air-quality monitoring stations, above safe level set at 50 micrograms.

Bangkok's air quality index was around 151 on Saturday, making it "unhealthy."

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday asked owners of diesel powered private cars to avoid using their vehicles, except when absolutely necessary, until the smog situation in and around Bangkok has eased significantly.

According to pollution control department, the combustion of bad diesel engines has contributed most to the surge in dust levels.

State weather forecasters said the lack of wind and higher air pressure has aggravated the situation, which is likely to persist at current unhealthy levels at least until next Monday.

The government has tried seeding rain clouds, reducing traffic, and hosing down streets to curb the hazardous smog.

Those celebrating the Lunar New Year holidays next week were asked not to burn incense or light fireworks.

Companies in Bangkok allowed workers, especially those sick or pregnant, to work from home to avoid exposure to toxic PM 2.5 dust.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 17:47:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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TEHRAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group based in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack on a military base in the province on Saturday, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Two terrorists opened fire at the morning ceremony of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Nikshahr city and killed one IRGC guard and wounded five others, Movahhedi Rad, general prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan, told Fars.

The militants fled the scene following the incident, he said, adding that the security forces are identifying the assailants.

According to Tasnim news agency, two of the injured are in critical condition.

Jaish al-Adl also took responsibility for the twin blasts on Tuesday in the southeastern city of Zahedan, which injured at least three policemen.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 17:17:07|Editor: Li Xia

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This combo photo shows attendants getting ready to work aboard the train K1/6 during the Spring Festival travel rush in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province in January of 1998 (top, photo taken by Gao Meiji); and bullet train stewards taking part in an etiquette training in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 17, 2019 (bottom, photo taken by Su Yang). (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Veteran train driver Zhou Li, 54, has driven all four generations of Chinese trains -- from steam locomotives to high-speed.

Having spent two-thirds of his Spring Festivals driving a train, this year is Zhou's 31st Spring Festival travel rush.

The Spring Festival holiday is a frenetic travel period in China when hundreds of millions of Chinese return to their hometowns for family gatherings, to visit relatives and friends or just for a break from city life.

Zhou is one of many Chinese train drivers who have witnessed the fast development of the national railway network in connection with the changes of the world's biggest travel rush.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, the speed of trains has increased sixfold while the length of the entire railway system has expanded from only slightly more than 20,000 km in 1949 to some 131,000 km by the end of 2018.

Thanks to this enormous train network, the journey home for 413 million Chinese, the number of people who travel via train during the holiday this year, has become faster, more convenient and more high-tech.

According to calculations based on archived reports by the People's Daily, some 31 million trips were made via train during Spring Festival 1957, which seems like nothing compared to this year's number.

However, it still exerted a huge pressure on the country's transport system. The People's Daily even carried an editorial in 1959 urging short-distance travelers to walk or use bicycle wherever possible, to ease the burden on the public transport system.

Just 10 years ago, standing in carriages filled with passengers and their luggage for a 58-hour trip was ordinary for many. Today, the constantly improving and expanding railway network and the launch of bullet trains means such journeys are less crowded and more enjoyable.

Yu Maosheng, 38, said that he used to wait for several hours when queuing for train tickets, and it used to take him more than 30 hours to return home to Linyi in eastern China's Shandong Province from Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong Province.

Today, the trip between Shenzhen and Linyi has been shortened to 10 hours thanks to high-speed trains.

In September 2017, Fuxing high-speed trains independently developed by China began to run between Beijing and Shanghai. With a speed of 350 kmh, it is the fastest train in commercial service in the world.

Fuxing trains will be running on the railway between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, in northern China's Hebei Province, when the two cities host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

"Efforts are also being made to introduce intelligent railways, which will apply cutting-edge technologies including big data and artificial intelligence," said Wang Junbiao with the China Academy of Railway Sciences.

Meanwhile, China has developed the world's largest real-time ticket service website, with nearly 3.5 billion tickets sold annually. New technologies including face scan check-in have been applied in many train stations.

This year, Yu bought his tickets online and said he is looking forward to checking in with facial recognition technology.

For veteran driver Zhou, he can still remember the days he would witness travelers carrying multiple bags while rushing to get on the train and secure enough room for their belongings. With neat and more spacious carriages, that chaos is rarely seen nowadays.

"It all improved very quickly, just like the speed of the train," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 16:32:01|Editor: xuxin

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A woman was injured as a sticky bomb targeted a rickshaw in Jalalabad, capital of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday, provincial government spokesman Ataullah Khogiani said.

According to the official, the explosive device was planted on a rickshaw and went off at around 11:00 a.m. local time injuring one woman.

The official did not provide more details, saying investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, an official who declined to be identified said the casualties was higher than reported.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 16:26:59|Editor: xuxin

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BUCHAREST, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu held late Friday the "Golden Pig New Year" Spring Festival Gala, a Chinese cultural party carried out completely by Romanians, from the host to the nearly 150 performers.

The party started with the video show "Beautiful China Blissful Holiday," a short film that presented New Year blessings sent from and to people around the world.

Young performers at the gala came from various schools where Chinese language courses are offered in Romania. They performed Chinese chants and sang Chinese songs with their clear and accurate Chinese pronunciation.

What the audiences liked the most was the Taichi performance co-performed by students from a Taichi class in Sibiu, a central city in Romania, and a Chinese class in Fagaras, in Romania's central county of Brasov.

Their performance was the combination of softness and hardness, with moves like floating cloud and flowing water, pushing the party to a climax.

It is also worth mentioning that the short drama of a Chinese historical story performed by the Chinese major freshmen of Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu showed the Chinese historical figures Mu Guiying, Hua Mulan, Wu Zetian and Li Qingzhao in various forms such as a Taichi stick show and ancient poetry singing.

Local residents as well as officials from the County Council and School Inspectorate of the county of Sibiu gathered together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

On the same day, the Confucius institutes in the capital city of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, northwestern Romania, also held a series of celebrations.

The Confucius Institute in Bucharest organized a cultural celebration titled "Welcome to the New Year of Golden Pig."

The students of the international school read the "Spring Festival Nursery Rhymes" in Chinese, followed by a medley consisting of "Happy New Year," "Jasmine," "Golden Snake Dance" and other Chinese songs. A final kungfu performance was even more amazing to the local audience.

The Confucius Institute in Cluj-Napoca held a grand Chinese New Year party at Aurel Vlaicu University in the western county of Arad. Performances of the Chinese teachers and local students received applause from the audience including Romanian Education Minister Ecaterina Adronescu and Prefect of Arad County Florentina Horgea.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 16:26:59|Editor: Li Xia

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HAIKOU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lu Gang has just finished recording his observations of waterfowls wintering in China's southernmost province. "People often ask me how many kinds of birds there are in Hainan," he said. "You can know more about the ever-changing number through investigation."

Lu is the founder of the civil Haikou Duotan Wetlands Institute. Duotan, in Chinese characters, stands for a wonderful place of water, woods and marshes.

Hainan launched its regular waterbirds survey in 2003, when Lu, then a college teacher, fell in love with birdwatching.

He joined the Kadoorie Conservation China (KCC) four years later and has been dedicated to environmental protection ever since.

"We find 102 black-faced spoonbills this year, which sets a new record," said the veteran birdwatcher.

Protected under China's Wildlife Protection Law, the black-faced spoonbill is one of the world's most endangered birds and has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Lu has wandered around wetlands in Hainan throughout the years, and is familiar with every one of them, no matter large or small.

He knows the shorebirds better -- black-winged stilts, marsh sandpipers, redshanks, Mongolian plovers, red-billed starlings and coucals, you name it.

Lu has gained rich experience through nearly two decades of observation and filming, and can tell one bird from another with a glance through his telescope. He maps the lives of the aquatic birds and introduces their habits to Dong Yuying, a birdwatching volunteer, from time to time.

"I've recognized many new species and learned quite a lot about them," Dong said. "The investigation means a lot to me, and I can't wait to share the joy with my kids when I go back."

Dong has lived in Canada for five years and was on home leave in Hainan when she found that Hainan Bird Watching Society was looking for volunteers. Big on nature, she signed up to get the picture of wetland protection in her hometown.

Birds are highly sensitive to environmental change, which indicates that a greater diversity means a better environment. The bird survey result is a barometer of the health of wetland eco-systems in Hainan, according to Lu.

"Investigations in earlier years were short-handed since there were few birdwatchers in Hainan," Lu said. The increasing number of staff and volunteers in conservation areas has made it possible today to complete the survey by locals.

The State Forestry Administration (now the National Forestry and Grassland Administration) said that wetland in Hainan covered 320,000 hectares by the end of November 2016. The ecological environment of the island is among the best in the country, with waterbird species numbers increasing.

According to his observations, a higher number of 21,297 birds of 65 species were recorded in major habitats on the island last year. However, Lu has every reason to worry since it's still less than half the number in the Mai Po Nature Reserve, known as Hong Kong's Bird's Paradise.

Feb. 2 marks the 23rd anniversary of World Wetlands Day, which is annually held to celebrate wetlands, which are lands saturated in water and help maintain biodiversity.

According to statistics, China has over 53 million hectares of wetland and sees an average reduction of 1,980 square kilometers of desertified land per year, compared with an annual increase of 3,436 square kilometers of desertified land in the late 20th century.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 16:06:56|Editor: Li Xia

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HAIKOU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Hainan, a popular destination for Chinese tourists during the coming Spring Festival, is getting prepared for holiday transportation, according to local authorities.

As one of the 12 measures taken by the Hainan provincial government, three domestically-made laser monitors were installed at two major ports in Haikou, the provincial capital, and Xuwen, a port in Guangdong province at the other side of the Qiongzhou Strait, the China Daily newspaper reported on Saturday.

The new facilities will help improve precise monitoring of fog conditions over the 29.5-km-wide strait linking the two provinces, said Cai Qinbo, director of the Haikou Meteorological Observatory.

Other measures include faster ship-loading, bigger parking lots and more safety inspections.

According to Cai, navigation and meteorological conditions will be better than that of last year, due to less fogs and fewer strong winds in the following 10 days.

During last year's Spring Festival, about 100,000 travelers were stranded on the island by a prolonged heavy fog.

Local airport authorities is expecting an estimated 37,000 of inbound and outbound flights in Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport, transporting some 6.3 million passengers during this year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush.

Data from the provincial tourism development commission shows that Hainan welcomed 5.67 million tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday last year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 16:01:56|Editor: xuxin

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MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 militants have been killed and over a dozen others injured as government forces launched operations against Taliban fighters in the troubled Chamtal district of Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, the army said on Saturday.

Since launching the operations on Friday, several villages have also been recaptured from the insurgents, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.

The operations, backed by fighting aircraft, would continue until the area is cleansed of the armed militants, the official added.

However, Rezai did not say if there were casualties on the security personnel.

Taliban outfit has yet to make comment.

Both the Taliban and government forces have stepped up operations since the beginning of talks between the United States and the Taliban outfit in Qatar last November.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 15:46:54|Editor: xuxin

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has apologized to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma after taking a DNA test to prove she has Native American ancestry, the tribe said Friday.

The Massachusetts Democrat "has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe," Cherokee Nation executive director of communications Julie Hubbard said in a statement.

"We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws, not through DNA tests," said the statement.

"We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end," it added.

Warren initially released her DNA test results last year, indicating that she has Native American ancestry dating back six to 10 generations, as part of her efforts to mute a controversy that has followed her for years.

But the move backfired, as being part of a Native American tribe is cultural and includes living under tribal laws, rather than simple genetic links.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called Warren "Pocahontas" and claimed that she benefited in schools and work from minority status, also increased his mockery of her following the DNA test.

"I am not a person of color; I am not a citizen of a tribe," Warren told an event in Sioux City, state of Iowa, in early January.

"Tribal citizenship is very different than ancestry. Tribes and only tribes determine tribal citizenship," she admitted, but did not publicly apologize.

Warren, 69, said late last year that she has formed an exploratory committee, a major move toward a 2020 presidential run. She has said she would more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019.

The campaign of Warren, who is on the Democratic Party's left flank, is expected to focus on economic equality, government accountability and reining in big corporations.

She has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 2013. In November last year, she won reelection to the upper chamber for a second term.

The New York Times has reported that Warren was concerned that the controversy surrounding her DNA test could have damaged her relations with minority communities. EnditemSource: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 15:36:53|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb.2 (Xinhua) -- Construction of China's first public-private partnership (PPP) funded high-speed railway has kicked off, China Railway Construction Corporation said Saturday.

The 266.9-km railway will start from the city of Hangzhou, crossing Shaoxing and ending in Taizhou, all cities in east China's Zhejiang Province.

The rail line is designed to run at a top speed of 350 km per hour, according to the company.

A total of 44.9 billion yuan (about 6.69 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested in the construction of the project, with private firms accounting for a 51-percent share.

Connecting the cities boasting the most remarkable growth of private economy nationwide, the rail line is expected to be a significant part of China's railway network.

China is redoubling its efforts to build the world's most extensive and sophisticated railway network. By 2020, China will have 150,000 km railway including 30,000 km high-speed railway, according to the government's plan.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 15:36:53|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China Great Wall Asset Management Corporation (Great Wall), one of the country's biggest distressed debt managers, mulls allocating 108 billion yuan (16.03 billion U.S. dollars) to buy non-performing assets.

The company plans to spend 60 billion yuan to purchase financial non-performing capital and 48 billion yuan for non-financial bad assets, respectively.

It bought financial bad assets worth 179.2 billion yuan last year, up 20 percent year on year.

Great Wall also plans to spend 10 billion yuan for acquisitions and reorganizations as part of its program to operate 100 such projects in two to three years.

Great Wall is among China's four asset management firms set up in 1999 to deal with the toxic assets of the country's four big state-owned banks in a bid to help transform them into market-oriented financial institutions.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 15:06:49|Editor: xuxin

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PARIS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- French politicians and companies are looking forward to the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) this year, after benefiting from attending the first one in Shanghai in 2018.

"The China International Import Expo is not only a window opened by China for the import of products from all over the world, but also will play an active role in promoting the globalization of trade," L'Oreal China CEO Stephane Rinderknech told Xinhua.

"Participating in the first expo will play a positive role in the development of L'Oreal. At the second session, we plan to expand the booth area," he said.

On Jan. 22, the second CIIE 2019 road show took place in Paris. During the event organized by the CIIE Bureau, the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) and the Ministry of Commerce of China, more than 100 people from political and commercial sectors attended the conference.

Cosmetic Group L'Oreal and Lesaffre Group, which specializes in yeast and fermentation, shared their experiences and said that at the next expo, they hope to further develop the Chinese market.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-French diplomatic relations. China and France are committed to building an open global economy.

Further progress has been made and new opportunities to enhance pragmatic cooperation in the economic field have been revealed between the two countries.

In the fast track of consumption upgrading, China is expected to import more than 30 U.S. trillion dollars worth of goods and 10 trillion dollars worth of services over the next 15 years, which is not only a stable source for global economic growth, but also an important opportunity for the development of companies from all countries.

In his opening speech, Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Commerce Wang Bingnan presented new measures for the second CIIE and invited French entrepreneurs to participate in the exhibition with their competitive and specific products, techniques and services of good quality in order to share the bonus of China's development and bring more and better consumption choices to the Chinese people.

Through the CIIE, China will increase the level of liberalization, trade facilitation and the size of world trade, said Jinsong Yu, minister-counsellor of the Chinese embassy in France. Yu added that it will also open up new channels to boost trade and cooperation between China and other nations, and will accelerate the economy and trade of all countries for them to prosper as a whole.

ANTICIPATING SECOND CIIE

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he has fond memories of the inaugural expo. "This is one of the most important trade activities in the world and will be an indispensable event in future world trade," Raffarin said.

He expects that French enterprises participating in the CIIE will be able to achieve better turnover and export more high-quality goods to China.

In 2018, the bilateral trade volume between China and France surpassed 60 billion dollars for the first time, with a 15.5-percent increase compared with the year before.

France played an important role during the first CIIE. Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume, representing French President Emmanuel Macron, led a delegation of about 100 people and 69 French companies to the expo, which featured more than 10,000 square meters of booth area and a total turnover of 1.55 billion dollars.

The French participants found enormous business opportunities after the success of the first CIIE. Christophe Boris, who represented the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, said the two countries will further strengthen market cooperation in the fields of finance, agriculture and aviation on the basis of mutual trust.

Stephane Meulemans, general manager of Fermentis, a branch of the Lesaffre Group, told Xinhua that the CIIE "is a very good platform, which, on the one hand, improves visibility, and on ther other, allows us to create exchanges that enrich us in terms of innovation and the dynamics with which we want to make an impact on the Chinese market."

Meulemans expressed his optimism about the success of the second CIIE, saying, "We have decided to expand our participation and contribution to the CIIE."

Meuleman's sunny outlook for the second CIIE is echoed by other expo attendees. Zhang Li, head of the FIWA SAS company, which aims to develop the presence of wine in China, expressed her willingness to have a more important presence at the next CIIE. "We certainly need to increase the space of our booth by three," she said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 14:53:59|Editor: ZX

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Tourists visit Nanluogu Alley in a festive atmosphere in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2019. The city is decorated to greet the coming Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li Xin)Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 14:16:40|Editor: Lu Hui

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This combo photo shows railway policeman Gou Fawei (L) and his wife, policewoman Luo Yakun, standing guard next to the passing trains when patrolling the railway line crossing Haiyuan County and its neighboring Tongxin County in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Jan. 23, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

YINCHUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-six km accounts for only a very small fraction of China's over 130,000 km-long railway lines, however, the short distance has separated a railway police couple for more than three years.

Gou Fawei and Luo Yakun, the husband and wife, have worked at two different railway police stations in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region since August 2015.

Gou with the police station of Liwang Railway Station in Haiyuan County patrols the railway line on his workdays to ensure the safety of the passing trains, whereas, Luo works at the police station of Tongxin Railway Station, which is 36 km away in neighboring Tongxin County.

The couple, working on the two ends of the 36-km distance railway, cannot meet each other most of the year, especially on holidays when more passengers travel by train.

As the annual Spring Festival travel rush started last week, the couple have become busier and busier to ensure the safety of trains with passengers who return to their hometowns for family gatherings during the Spring Festival holiday.

"We often talk over the phone or make video calls. But the distance still remains a problem," Luo said.

To find a chance to see each other, the couple came up with a solution to date at a railway bridge on the junction of the administrative areas by the two police stations when patrolling the railway line.

To attend the appointment every time, Gou has to travel 24 km while his wife Luo has to patrol 12 km along the railway.

The bridge where they met is dubbed the "magpie bridge" by their colleagues, originating from an ancient Chinese myth about two famed Chinese lovers destined to see each other only once a year.

"We have rarely had time to stay together since tying the knot. So the hasty meeting on the bridge can be the most romantic moment for us," Gou said.

Due to the busy work, they only have some 20 minutes to spend together on the bridge. "We talk about our work and care for each other's health when we meet," Gou said. Sometimes, Gou prepares food to take to his wife.

Now, Luo is pregnant and Gou is worried as he cannot take care of her in person.

To show his love, Gou recently made a bowl of dumplings with sour soup to take to his wife. After eating the dumplings, Gou and Luo separately returned to their own police stations again.

"Our work seems very simple. We just try to reduce the chances of trains making emergency stop to ensure the safety of both the railway operation and people living along the railways," said Gou, who used to walk 20 km each day to patrol the railway line.

However, things are not always so simple. Guo has had quite a few breathtaking experiences. One rainy day, a man in his 70s carrying a bike attempted to cross the rail tracks directly to avoid the water-logged underpass when a train was approaching.

"I felt so worried that I rushed toward the old man and pulled him off the track just before the train passed," Gou said. After dealing with such an emergency, Gou realized how important his work could be.

By the end of 2018, China's railways spanned some 131,000 km, from plateaus and plains to deserts and cities. High-speed lines in the country have reached 29,000 km, accounting for two-thirds of the world's total.

(Video reporter: Tang Yameng; Video editors: Liu Xiaorui, Mu Xuyao)Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 14:06:39|Editor: ZX

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MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Eyeing growing appetite among Chinese consumers for premium meat, Uruguayan meatpacker Rondatel S.A. is looking to expand export of its distinctive black-pack meat products to the Chinese market.

The slick packaging is eye-catching, and it also has an innovative label that tracks the contents from pasture to plate. 

Rondatel is the only meatpacking plant in Uruguay that tracks its meat by animal on the label that reaches the end consumer, General Manager Marcos Antelo told Xinhua.

Consumers "can scan the barcode and see the animal's route from birth -- how old it is -- and trace the food they are going to consume," he added.

Rondatel, which has a plant in the southwestern department of Colonia and another in capital Montevideo, exports to several markets, including Europe and the United States, but it is betting big on China.

The company participated in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai in November and plans to do so again this year.

Last year, the company shipped 80 million U.S. dollars worth of meat to China, or 40 percent of its total exports.

"The premium cuts for China are packaged in a special box, black. The meat that goes in those boxes is the best meat," Antelo said.

"It is a very tender meat, lean, with little fat. The animals roam the pasture, walk a lot, and develop muscle tissue and no fat," Antelo said, adding "that's why our meat has a different taste."

They are "the highest value products and the most sought after, because it's lean meat and tracked," he added.

In addition, the meat contains no hormones and a lot of care goes into the sanitary aspects, he said.

A tour of the plant located outside Montevideo highlights the checks in place to maintain hygiene and food safety.

Chinese consumers are getting to know the Uruguayan brand, and the company has been receiving more orders for the black box, said Antelo.

At the import expo, he recalled, one Chinese businessman asked for a shipment of 40 containers a month, which "right now we can't do. We can do 20 containers, some 500 tons. That's why the surest thing to do is to expand to 30 or 35 containers per month."

Tatiana Moreira, a Rondatel executive who also attended the import expo, said potential Chinese buyers were eager to try Uruguayan meat.

The challenge now is to ensure Rondatel can keep up with the growing demand. The company plans to boost production by 35 to 40 percent by adding workdays and expanding warehousing and processing capacity.

"We are going to invest in infrastructure to focus on the Chinese market and produce more specifically for China," Antelo said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 14:01:37|Editor: Yurou

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FARAH, Afghanistan, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of five Taliban militants including a group commander Qazi Abdul Qadir have been killed and seven others injuried in western Afghanistan's Farah province over the past 24 hours, provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said Saturday.

The government forces, according to the official, have targeted Taliban positions in Khak-e-Safid district over the past 24 hours during which eight insurgents have been captured.

Mohib said the crackdown on militants would continue in Khak-e-Safid and neighboring Pusht-e-Koh district.

Taliban militants haven't commented.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 14:01:36|Editor: Yurou

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ralph Northam, governor of the U.S. state of Virginia, apologized Friday for appearing in a "racist and offensive" photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

"Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive," Northam said in a statement.

"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," he added.

U.S. news outlets revealed a copy of the 1984 yearbook page from the Eastern Virginia Medical School library, which showed one man dressed in blackface and another in a KKK robe.

Northam admitted to being one of the people in the photo, though it is not clear which costume he was wearing.

In a video message published on Twitter Friday night, the governor said the photo does not reflect the person he is today or how he has conducted himself as a public servant, while admitting that he cannot "undo the harm my behavior caused then and today."

A growing number of public figures, both Republicans and Democrats, urged Northam to step down.

"Racism has no place in Virginia," Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia Jack Wilson said in a statement. "These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Gov. Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately."

"It doesn't matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable. Governor Northam should resign," Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro wrote on Twitter.

Northam appeared to have no plans to step down, saying that he was committed to "living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor."

Northam, 59, won the governorship against Republican nominee Ed Gillespie in the 2017 election after serving as the state's lieutenant governor for several years.

A physician by occupation, he was an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1984 to 1992.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 11:41:20|Editor: Yang Yi

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States announced on Friday its decision to withdraw from a decades-long landmark nuclear arms control pact with Russia, sparking worries about future international security and arms race crisis.

BLAME GAME

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty was inked in 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the exit announcement on Friday, citing Russia's violation of the deal which he believes "put the United States at a military disadvantage." Moscow has repeatedly denied Washington's accusations.

Pompeo told reporters that the United States will suspend its compliance to the treaty from Saturday, which will trigger a six-month countdown period leading to a permanent exit.

U.S. President Donald Trump said later in a statement that the United States will work "to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct."

Washington and Moscow have been accusing each other of violating the historic deal. Moscow has questioned Washington's integrity by crafting such a hedging strategy with regard to the INF Treaty.

For Darrell West, a Brookings Institution senior fellow, the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty will further hurt relations with Russia.

"Putin sees this as a unilateral, not a negotiated action," the scholar told Xinhua.

ARMS RACE AHEAD?

The INF marked the first-ever pact reached by the two sides on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting arms race. Washington's latest move has generated concerns about possible future conventional and nuclear weapon competition among nations.

"The Trump Administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability," said U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a statement on Friday.

The administration has "yet again decided that America should go it alone, this time, by paving the way for a dangerous arms race, with costly new weapons," U.S. Senator Ed Markey tweeted.

"The Cold War times have passed. We don't need a rearmament debate, we need a debate about disarming," said Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

"European security will not be improved by deploying more nuclear-armed, medium-range missiles. I believe that is the wrong answer," the senior German diplomat told reporters in January.

The Trump administration started research and development on missiles after the U.S. Congress authorized 58 million U.S. dollars in 2017 to begin responding to Russia's INF "violations." But so far, the work is believed to have stayed within the bounds of the treaty.

It's still unclear what move the U.S. military will make without the treaty's constraints.

FATE OF NEW START IN DOUBT

Washington's decision to leave the INF also prompted questions about the fate of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which will expire in 2021.

The START treaty was another disarmament agreement signed by Washington and Moscow in 1991. After the expiration of the original START treaty in 2009, the two sides renewed it in 2010.

When asked if the United States is prepared to discuss the extension of the New START, Pompeo shunned a direct answer, only saying that Washington is ready to enter any agreements that "has America's best interest."

For Darrell West, it is still too early to tell how the U.S. pull-out from the treaty might affect other agreements, "but the lack of consultation does not bode well."

"That type of process encourages unilateralism on other fronts," the scholar told Xinhua.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 11:26:18|Editor: xuxin

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Aili Keskitalo, President of the Sami Parliament of Norway and Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the organization of the International Year of Indigenous Languages representing indigenous people, addresses the launch ceremony of the International Year of Indigenous Languages at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 1, 2019. UN General Assembly (UNGA) president on Friday urged the international community to better "recover" and "preserve" indigenous languages. The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a UN observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of indigenous languages across the world, and to establish a link between language, development, peace, and reconciliation.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly (UNGA) president on Friday urged the international community to better "recover" and "preserve" indigenous languages.

"This international year must serve as a platform from which we can reverse the alarming trend of the extinction of indigenous languages, to recover and preserve them," Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said when addressing the launch ceremony of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, at UN headquarters in New York.

The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a UN observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of indigenous languages across the world, and to establish a link between language, development, peace, and reconciliation.

The UNGA president underscored the close connection between indigenous languages and ancestral culture and knowledge, saying that "they are much more than tools for communication, they are channels for human legacies to be handed down."

"Each indigenous language has an incalculable value for humankind," she said, calling each "a treasure laden with history, values, literature, spirituality, perspectives and knowledge, developed and garnered over millennium."

Indigenous languages are symbols of their people's identity, "vectors for values, ways of life and expressions of their connections with earth," according to the president, who said they are "crucial" for survival.

"When a language dies," she said, "it takes with it all of the memory bound up inside it."

Although there are still 4,000 indigenous languages in existence across the globe, many are on the brink of extinction, she noted.

Juan Evo Morales Ayma, president of Bolivia, called on those present to work together through dialogue to promote policies which help to preserve indigenous lives, identities, values and cultures.

There are 770 million indigenous people across 90 countries, living in many biodiverse regions, the president noted.

"As indigenous people, our languages are those of the earth and it is those languages that we use to speak with our mother," he said, saying "the health of our languages is connected to the health of the earth."

"We lose our connection and our ancient ways of knowing of the earth when our languages fall silent," he said, noting that "for the sake of future generations we must ensure they too can speak the language of our ancestors."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 10:31:12|Editor: xuxin

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Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, receives an interview with Xinhua in Madison, capital of state of Wisconsin, the United States, Nov. 1, 2018. Residents' opposition, labor shortage, and technology transfer difficulties are the three main reasons why manufacturing companies like Foxconn could not move back to the United States easily, industry insiders and analysts have said. Being built on a vast 2,800 acres of land in the U.S. State of Wisconsin, the Foxconn plant project is dubbed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "eighth wonder of the world" for the scale of investment, the number of new jobs it promises to bring in, and the hundreds of upstream and downstream manufacturing companies that potentially would follow suit. The company, which makes products for Apple, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, among others, in 2017 signed a contract with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for the display screen plant worth 10 billion U.S. dollars. According to the contract, Foxconn will build a 21.5-million-square-foot (20-square-kilometer) manufacturing campus and hire about 13,000 local workers, and Wisconsin promised to provide an incentive package worth about 4 billion dollars, the largest subsidy offered to a foreign company in U.S. history. TO GO WITH "Spotlight: Moving manufacturing back to U.S. hard, Foxconn's case shows" (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

by Xinhua writers Xu Xingtang, Wang Wen and Wang Naishui

NEW YORK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Residents' opposition, labor shortage, and technology transfer difficulties are the three main reasons why manufacturing companies like Foxconn could not move back to the United States easily, industry insiders and analysts have said.

Being built on a vast 2,800 acres of land in the U.S. State of Wisconsin, the Foxconn plant project is dubbed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "eighth wonder of the world" for the scale of investment, the number of new jobs it promises to bring in, and the hundreds of upstream and downstream manufacturing companies that potentially would follow suit.

The company, which makes products for Apple, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, among others, in 2017 signed a contract with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for the display screen plant worth 10 billion U.S. dollars.

According to the contract, Foxconn will build a 21.5-million-square-foot (20-square-kilometer) manufacturing campus and hire about 13,000 local workers, and Wisconsin promised to provide an incentive package worth about 4 billion dollars, the largest subsidy offered to a foreign company in U.S. history.

The project moved fast, but problems soon followed. In what local officials described as the "Foxconn pace," the plant broke ground in June and soon caused considerable controversy.

LOCAL OPPOSITION

Residents who had to move away to make space for the Foxconn campus were offered assistance in relocation and compensation by market value or higher. Yet some were still unhappy as their lives had been disrupted.

Moreover, the public has become aware of the spiralling costs for the new job opportunities. It is estimated that each new job created could cost the government as much as 1 million dollars, eight times the average amount of subsidies local governments offer to similar projects.

Officials who had worked on the deal said the incentive package should be viewed as an investment made by the state rather than free money for the company.

However, statistics showed that citizens might see a return on their Foxconn investment in 2042 at the earliest, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, a nonpartisan agency that provides economic analysis to the Wisconsin state legislature.

Many local residents felt it was a waste of money and called on governments to rethink their package and put the money into other social benefit projects such as education.

"It's a lousy deal, and we're going to have to hold Foxconn's feet to the fire going forward," Wisconsin's Governor-elect Tony Evers said.

LABOR & TALENT SHORTAGE

In addition, Wisconsin has seen a tightening labor market in the last few years, with the unemployment rate steadily registering 3 percent or lower in nine months, which made it difficult for companies to look for workers, let alone skilled ones or engineers.

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said that the association has about 3,800 members, half of which are manufacturing companies. Around 80 percent of the members have seen a labor shortage in one way or another.

Ian Robertson, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison college of Engineering, said the college has 800 graduates every year. They have about 6,000 job opportunities to choose from, most of which are outside of the state.

To meet the demand for engineers, the college plans to expand their enrollment from around 4,500 to 5,200 in the next few years. But after graduation, how many of the students will be hired by Foxconn is hard to say.

Robertson said many companies in need of engineers tend to build long-term relationships with the university by establishing labs and offering internships. "Foxconn is just one of them," he said.

In Foxconn's case, the average salary it promised is 54,000 dollars a year, obviously lower than the average salary for engineers in the state, which is about 60,000 dollars. In addition, having employees work 50-60 hours a week would be difficult.

"The U.S. educational system is probably not even generating enough for the current demand in the United States with the economy strong and high-tech industry developing well," said Jason Dedrick, professor at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University.

"You already have a lot of companies, Google, Facebook, Amazon and so on, competing for those engineers. Apple or rather its suppliers, will be trying to hire engineers in a market that's already pretty tight. It would not be really easy to do that hiring really quickly," he added.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FORESEES HIGH COST

According to Prof. Dedrick's estimate, the cost of an iPhone will rise by 30 dollars if Apple moves its final assembly lines to the United States. If Apple manufactures components and assembles them in the country, the cost will go up by 100 dollars with the investment, labor and logistics involved.

What's more, the relocation to the United States would also see rising prices of many supplier items produced outside the United States, including semi-conductors, processors, memory, displays, batteries, the plastic and metal enclosures.

"Our industry involves highly customized products. It requires both strong research and development ability and industry scale. So, moving the supply chain would be a long shot," said Meng Wu Peng, deputy general manager of Lens Technology, which manufactures cover-glass for smartphone brands such as Apple and Samsung.

Foxconn has hinted for months that it might shift focus to research and development facilities rather than large-scale manufacturing, casting doubts on its ability to live up to its promises. Enditem

(Xinhua writers Wu Xiaoling in San Francisco, Yuan Ruting in Changsha, China, Guo Peiran and Yang Shilong in New York contributed to the story.)Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 10:21:11|Editor: Yurou

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CANBERRA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Australia (SA) has become the nation's first state to launch a multi-agency task force targeting methylamphetamine supply and distribution.

Led by SA Police and starting on Friday, the Joint Agency Ice Strike Team is a cooperative effort between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF) Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and Department of Home Affairs.

The law enforcement agencies will focus on the international drug trade as well as local dealers to reduce illegal drug use.

Methylamphetamine, commonly known as ice, has become one of the most harmful illicit drugs in Australia, particularly in regional communities.

"When you look at the wastewater data, when you look at some of the seizures that have occurred in the last couple of years, you've got the clandestine labs that have been dismantled last year as well, this state is certainly one of the good places to start," AFP Commander Peter Sykora told reporters in Adelaide, the capital city of SA, on Friday.

"We know mostly who the people are, but in this process we will eventually identify others as well."

SA Police in October 2018 discovered an industrial-sized ice "super lab" capable of producing "hundreds of millions of dollars" worth of methylamphetamine in suburban Adelaide.

"We have made significant progress in reducing the supply of methylamphetamine to our community, from shutting down clandestine drug laboratories to dismantling local drug trafficking rings," SA Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Scott Duval said on Friday.

"While there is an insatiable demand for this illicit drug across South Australia, criminal networks will continue to use every means possible to import and manufacture the harmful substance and profit from our community."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 10:21:11|Editor: ZX

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by Xinhua writers Zhou Xiaozheng, Wang Lei, Gao Pan, Xiong Maoling, Deng Xianlai

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Negotiators from China and the United States have made important progress in the latest round of high-level talks to resolve their economic and trade frictions, laying foundation for further consultations, according to the visiting Chinese delegation.

The delegation, headed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, held candid, specific and constructive discussions on topics of common concern with the U.S. team from Wednesday to Thursday, and determined the timetable and roadmap for next-step consultations.

Also on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Liu at the White House, expressing his hope for a great deal between the two sides as early as possible.

The hard-won progress is the result of both sides seriously implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump during a working dinner in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on Dec. 1.

The two heads of state agreed back then that the two sides should try to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement within 90 days to bring an early end to their months-long trade friction featuring massive tariffs on imports from each other.

IMPORTANT PROGRESS

During the two-day talks, the two sides discussed the topics of trade balance, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), non-tariff barriers, service sector, agriculture and enforcement mechanism, as well as certain issues of particular concern for the Chinese side.

Important progress has been made for the current stage, according to the Chinese delegation.

The two sides have agreed to take effective measures to promote a more balanced development of bilateral trade. The Chinese side will make active efforts to expand imports from the United States in the sectors of agriculture, energy, manufacturing and services, which will help China's pursuit of high-quality economic development and meet the people's demand for a better life.

The two sides also discussed some specific concerns of the Chinese side, and the U.S. side said it would seriously address these concerns.

Both sides believe that it is very important to establish an effective two-way enforcement mechanism, so as to ensure all measures agreed upon through consultations will be implemented. They have reached consensus in principle on the framework and basic elements of the enforcement mechanism, and will continue to hammer out more details.

CRITICAL STAGE

When meeting with Trump, Liu delivered a message from Xi, in which the Chinese president pointed out that China-U.S. relations are at a critical stage.

Xi said when he and Trump met in Argentina in December, the two heads of state agreed to jointly advance the China-U.S. relationship featuring coordination, cooperation and stability.

"According to the consensus we have reached, economic teams from both sides have since conducted intensive negotiations and achieved positive progress," he said.

The Chinese leader called on the two sides, in the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, to continue to try to meet each other half way and step up consultations, so as to reach a mutually beneficial agreement as early as possible.

This, he said, will send a positive signal to the international community, promote the sound development of China-U.S. ties, and add impetus to the steady growth of the global economy.

For his side, Trump hailed the important progress he had seen in the talks, saying that U.S.-China relations have remained strong and kept moving forward under the guidance of the two heads of state.

CONSULTATIONS CONTINUE

A U.S. delegation headed by Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will go to China in mid-February to continue the consultations, according to Trump.

The U.S. president said that he looks forward to meeting with Xi at an early date and witnessing together the historic moment when the two countries reach an agreement on economic and trade issues.

The world watched the talks closely, with many hoping for some substantial, positive progress to be made.

"No bad news is good news. Parties are not going to trumpet good news well in advance of the negotiating deadline," said Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Institute for China-America Studies.

Gupta said that he remains cautiously optimistic about the trajectory and core outcome of the 90-day talks between China and the United States.

Robert Kuhn, a renowned U.S. expert on China and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, said both Xi and Trump are taking active leadership.

"Truly an agreement would be win-win-win -- for China, for the United States, and for the world," he said in an email interview with Xinhua on Thursday.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 10:11:10|Editor: Yang Yi

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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. hi-tech giant Apple on Friday apologized for a Group FaceTime security bug that could potentially cause users' conversations to be eavesdropped without their knowledge.

Apple said in a statement it has fixed the bug and will release an update to fix the bug next week.

"We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue," said Apple.

"We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple's servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week," it added.

The security flaw was discovered by a 14-year-old boy in Arizona while he was group FaceTiming with friends on Jan. 19, and he happened to find that he could listen to his friend, even if the friend didn't answer his call for live chat.

The boy's mother, Michele Thompson, told media earlier that she had tried to report the bug to Apple.

The bug, which was made public and went viral on social media in the past several days, impacts iPhones and iPads installed with iOS 12.1, and Apple PCs running macOS Mojave, which have recently added Group FaceTime feature.

Apple said it thanked "the Thompson family for reporting the bug" and "appreciate everyone's patience as we complete this process."

The company said it has disabled the Group FaceTime feature shortly after its engineering team became aware of the details necessary to reproduce the bug.

"We are committed to improving the process by which we receive and escalate these reports, in order to get them to the right people as fast as possible," Apple said, adding that it took security of its products extremely seriously with a commitment to earning the trust of its customers.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 09:21:02|Editor: Yurou

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CARACAS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) here on Friday, where he called for strengthening intelligence and preventive work.

"We must improve and strengthen intelligence systems, the intelligence of the Bolivarian National Guard is extraordinary; on that base we must expand the preventative intelligence," Maduro said.

He affirmed that intelligence should be used to confront terrorism, coups and crime in all forms.

"Who wins the intelligence area, wins the battle of security, peace," he stressed.

"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces is the backbone of the integrity and unity of the nation, and the Bolivarian National Guard as a component is the central element for the guarantee of national peace," said the president.

Venezuela's GNB is part of its armed forces and can serve as gendarmerie, civil defense force or reserve force.

Maduro also said the GNB makes a great contribution to peace in the country and is the "guardian of co-existence and sovereignty, if there is peace in the republic, there will be sovereignty."

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accompanied the president on his visit, during which some 2,000 GNB commandos demonstrated their military capabilities.

Since the beginning of the week, Maduro has visited the country's main military bases as part of preparations for the military exercises to be held on Feb. 10-15.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 08:30:55|Editor: Yurou

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CANBERRA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham has said he has confidence that the relationship between Australia and China will continue to prosper in 2019 in his Chinese New Year Message.

In a statement confirmed by the Australian embassy in China on Friday, Birmingham extended his "best wishes of health, happiness, success and prosperity to everyone who is celebrating the Lunar New Year".

"With over 1.2 million people of Chinese heritage living in Australia, it is a special time for many communities and families across our nation," he said.

"As the Australian Minister for Trade, I am very aware of the strong economic relationship between our two nations. China is Australia's largest trading partner and both our countries continue to reap the benefits of the landmark China-Australia Free Trade Agreement," he said.

Birmingham saw "this strong trade and investment relationship in action" when he visited Shanghai last November for the China International Import Expo.

He also noted that China and Australia see strong people-to-people connections through education and tourism.

"Currently there are around 185,000 Chinese students studying in Australia and we welcome over 1.4 million Chinese visitors to our shores every year," he said. "China is also an attractive destination for many Australians, with more than 400,000 visiting in the last year."

"I have every confidence that the relationship between Australia and China will continue to prosper in 2019 and well beyond," he said.Sorry, this news has been deleted.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 07:48:13|Editor: mym

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Laborers process a fishing net at a fish landing point in Cox's Bazar, southeastern Bangladesh, on Feb. 1, 2019. People in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district are busy catching fish in winter, the best season for fish-catching in Bay of Bengal. (Xinhua/Stringer)Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 07:25:45|Editor: mym

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LONDON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The University of Birmingham has marked Chinese New Year with a special star-studied concert featuring a magical fusion of East and West.

World-class pianist Di Xiao and cellist Jiaxin Lloyd Webber helped the university's China Institute celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Pig with a mix of traditional Chinese and Western pieces on Thursday.

They were joined in the Elgar Concert Hall by flautist Dennis Kwong Thye Lee and BBC Young Musician of the Year 2018 Lauren Zhang in a celebration concert offering a unique and exciting program with piano, cello and flute combining western and eastern repertoires.

Zhang, aged 17, who won the prestigious BBC competition, lives in Birmingham with her parents, who both work at the University of Birmingham.

Di Xiao has held teaching positions at both the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Conservatoire. Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, who graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, is married to British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

Dennis Kwong Thye Lee has been performing in traditional Chinese orchestras since early childhood and teaching music for over 20 years. He performs regularly with the UK Chinese Ensemble.

The event highlighted the university's engagement with China, for instance, research collaborations with Chinese universities.

Jon Frampton, Director of the university's China Institute, said: "Chinese New Year offers the perfect opportunity for the University of Birmingham to reflect upon our proud and longstanding relationship with China, which spans over 100 years."

"We were delighted to welcome all our musicians to this outstanding event, but it gave us a special thrill that Lauren Zhang performed alongside these world-class musicians, given her special connection to the university," he said.

Birmingham's relationship with China dates back to the foundation of the university, with the first Chinese student joining the university in 1907. There are now over 14,000 Chinese alumni.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 06:55:39|Editor: ZX

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Fish-shaped lanterns are seen at the Chinese Lantern Festival in Tirana, capital of Albania, on Feb. 1, 2019. Albania joined the celebration of the Chinese New Year, with a ceremony marking the opening of "Happy Chinese New Year-The Chinese Lantern Festival" event in the capital Tirana on Friday evening. (Xinhua/Liu Lihang)

TIRANA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Albania joined the celebration of the Chinese New Year, with a ceremony marking the opening of "Happy Chinese New Year-The Chinese Lantern Festival" event in the capital Tirana on Friday evening.

The ceremony started with a traditional Chinese New Year song sung by Albanian children studying Chinese.

Welcoming the participants, Chinese Ambassador to Albania Zhou Ding said: "The lanterns lit tonight not only decorate the (Skanderbeg) square but also symbolize people's hope for a better life in the new year."

He highlighted that in the year 2019, China and Albania will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations. The festival is the first of a series of activities to celebrate the anniversary.

Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, gave a special new year wish to Chinese citizens living in Tirana. He appreciated the decoration of Tirana's Skanderbeg square for making it comparable to other big cities that celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Veliaj said that in 2018 around 20,000 Chinese tourists visited Albania, and Albania has the potential to increase this number ten times more in 2019.

The mayor also mentioned that a new project for the construction of an urban bus station in Tirana will start soon and will be a project co-financed by the Albanian and Chinese governments.

The lantern festival will last from Feb. 1 to 14.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 05:55:25|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chicago Bulls announced on Friday that they have waived forward Carmelo Anthony, clearing the way for the former All-Star to become a free agent.

According to earlier reports, the Los Angeles Lakers remain a possibility for Anthony. They could sign him beyond the trade deadline of February 7 but need to have him on the roster by March 1, the NBA's playoff eligibility deadline.

Anthony joined the Houston Rockets last summer, but he found it hard to fit in the Rockets' attacking system and just played 10 games with the Rockets, averaging just 13.4 points. The Rockets then sent Anthony to the Bulls in January.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 05:40:22|Editor: mym

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Anatolio Ndong Mba, Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for February, briefs the press on the Security Council's program of work for February, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 1, 2019. United Nations Security Council will hold an open debate on the African Union initiative "Silencing the Guns in Africa" in February, Anatolio Ndong Mba said Friday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Security Council will hold an open debate on the African Union initiative "Silencing the Guns in Africa" in February, Anatolio Ndong Mba, President of the Security Council for February, said Friday.

Ndong Mba, also UN ambassador of Equatorial Guinea, told reporters at a press conference that the Security Council will also organize a high-level debate on "Mercenary activities as a source of insecurity and destabilization in Africa," with the Central African sub-region as a focus.

A debate on transnational organized crime at sea is also planned, the ambassador added.

"The program of work for February is still in the negotiation stage because there is a specific point that we still need to reach agreement on," the ambassador noted.

As planned, the Security Council will undertake a visiting mission to Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau in the month, Ndong Mba said, adding that the visit is to "encourage the political leadership in Guinea-Bissau to ensure peaceful, transparent and inclusive elections."

"That will hopefully draw a line under the chronic instability of institutions in Guinea-Bissau," Ndong Mba noted.

Organizing legislative elections has remained a priority in trying to move Guinea-Bissau beyond a political crisis that has now lasted three and a half years. The elections were delayed twice in 2018.

Also in February, the Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), which expires on Feb. 28.

The other mandate renewal expected this month is for the Panel of Experts of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, said Ndong Mba.

The Security Council is expected to follow developments in Yemen closely, according to the Security Council Report (SCR), whose mission is to advance the transparency and effectiveness of the Security Council.

During the month, the Security Council will also pay attention to other Middle East issues covering Iraq, Israel and Palestine, and Syria, according the SCR.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 05:35:19|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A roadside bomb ripped through a vehicle of Kurdish-led militia in eastern Syria on Friday, causing damage only, a war monitor group reported.

The bombing took place while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) patrol was passing in the town of Abriha in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Earlier in the day, a big explosion occurred near the house of the commander of the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council in the city of Manbij in the northern countryside of Aleppo province.

No casualties have been reported yet, but a report said that a patrol of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was passing by when the blast hit in Jazeera road in Manbij.

The explosions are the latest in a string of bombings targeting the U.S.-backed SDF in northern Syria.

The SDF has been engaged in battles against the Islamic State (IS) in the eastern Euphrates region in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour since last September.

The group has stripped IS of key areas and is close to fully dislodge the IS militants from the eastern Euphrates region.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 04:20:06|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Philippe Lazzarini, deputy UN special coordinator for Lebanon, said Friday that the United Nations supports the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland, the National News Agency reported.

"The future of all Syrians is in Syria and this is really what Syrians wish for," Lazzarini was quoted as saying during his visit to Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi.

Lazzarini said that all obstacles facing the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland must be removed.

Lebanon is hosting 976,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UNHCR, while the government estimates the true number of Syrian refugees in the country at 1.5 million.

The Arab Economic and Social Development Summit concluded in the Lebanese capital on Jan. 20 with the Beirut Declaration, calling on the international community to support Arab countries hosting Syrian refugees and encourage Syrian refugees to return to their country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 04:00:03|Editor: Yurou

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KAMPALA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Friday met the Chinese community in the capital of Kampala and wished them a happy Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival.

Rugunda met the Chinese community who had paid a call on him to appreciate government's provision of security when robbers were attacking the Chinese business people late last year. He wished the Chinese government and people a happy Chinese New Year.

The Chinese community performed lion dance and waist drum, Chinese folk dances widely performed during the Spring Festival, which falls on Tuesday this year.

Rugunda said China continues to help Africa gain its economic independence by investing in various projects like roads and power plants that can foster fast track development.

He said the Africa-China relationship is historical, noting that the Asian country was instrumental in helping Africa get its political independence from colonial powers.

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zheng Zhuqiang thanked President Yoweri Museveni for meeting the Chinese community in November last year when they had security concerns.

He said the deployment of police and soldiers in Chinese industrial parks and enterprises has stopped robberies.John Moore/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's administration does not know how many migrant children were separated from their parents at the southern border in the year before the "zero-tolerance" policy launched, and is unlikely to figure it out, according to court papers filed Friday night.



Last month, an internal government report found that during the Trump administration, thousands more kids may have been separated from their parents at the border than was previously known, and that a "steep increase" of separations began in the summer of 2017, almost a year before the "zero-tolerance" policy was announced by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the spring of 2018.



The findings by the Health and Human Services Inspector General's office suggest that tough immigration policies embraced early in Trump's term contributed to the family separations.



Also, poor communication among federal agencies and informal tracking systems made it difficult to track whether the kids ended up with their parents, sponsors or in foster care, the internal watchdog reported.



"The total number of children separated from a parent or guardian by immigration authorities is unknown," according to the report.



The court filings on Friday, mandated by a federal judge in California, show the administration could not confirm or deny reports of thousands of additional family separations.



"HHS has not tried to determine the 'total number of children separated from a parent or guardian by immigration authorities,' much less reported such a total to the Court," wrote Jonathan White, commander with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, in a filed declaration.



White explained that the government has accounted for all separated children in its care since June, when a federal judge intervened after a lawsuit had been filed objecting to the policy. These children, who number 2,816, are part of the ongoing lawsuit, while separated children released from government custody before June are not, according to White. The plaintiffs are now seeking to broaden the case to include these earlier separations.



As of December, the government told the court there were only eight kids in custody still waiting to be reunited.



Jallyn Sualong, deputy director for Children's Programs at the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of HHS, suggested that identifying separated children released from government custody between July 2017 and June 2018 was not feasible. Sualong wrote in a declaration filed Friday that it would take about 100 ORR analysts, working eight hours per day for up to 471 consecutive days to "even begin reconciling" the agency data.



Sualong wrote that the "vast majority of minors released from ORR custody are released to relatives," although they are not reunited with parents in some cases.



"The Trump administrations response is a shocking concession that it can't easily find thousands of children it ripped from parents, and doesn't even think it's worth the time to locate each of them. The administration also doesn't dispute that separations are ongoing in significant numbers. We will be back in court on February 21," wrote Lee Gelernt, lead attorney in the lawsuit and deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project.



The Trump administration has defended its handling of what it says is both a security and humanitarian crisis at the border, and points to the influx of families claiming asylum.



"HHS faced challenges in identifying separated children," according to an agency's statement last month. "The effort undertaken by HHS was complex, fast-moving and resource-intensive."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-02 02:49:51|Editor: Yurou

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 1, 2019. The Trump administration announced on Friday that the United States is withdrawing from a landmark nuclear arms control pact with Russia, a move seen as exacerbating the risk of an international arms race. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration announced on Friday that the United States is withdrawing from a landmark nuclear arms control pact with Russia, a move seen as exacerbating the risk of an international arms race.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement at the State Department, citing Russia's violation of the deal which he believes "put the United States at a military disadvantage." Moscow has repeatedly denied Washington's accusations.

Pompeo told reporters that the United States will suspend its compliance to the treaty from Saturday, which will trigger a six-month countdown period leading to a permanent exit from the pact inked in 1987 between the United States and the then-Soviet Union.

U.S. President Donald Trump said later in the day that his country will "move forward with developing our own military response options."

The United States "will work with NATO and our other allies and partners to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct," said Trump in a statement released by the White House.

Moscow on Friday expressed regret over Washington's intention to pull out of the treaty, calling the move a pre-decided action.

"The Americans' reluctance to hear any arguments, their reluctance to conduct any substantive negotiations, suggests that the decision to dismantle the treaty was made by Washington a long time ago," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quoted by TASS.

NATO backed Washington's decision in a statement released after Pompeo's remarks, urging Russia to "return to full and verifiable compliance" to the treaty.

In his remarks, Pompeo also said that the United States will provide Russia and the other treaty parties with formal notice that the United States is withdrawing from the INF Treaty "effective in six months."

Meanwhile, the top U.S. diplomat said Washington would reconsider its pulling-out decision in the following months if Russia could take actions toward what the United States regards as bringing the country back into compliance with the treaty.

Washington and Moscow have been accusing each other of violating the historic deal on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. The agreement marked the first-ever pact reached by the two sides on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting arms race.

In early December, Pompeo sent an "ultimatum" to Moscow concerning the INF, saying that the United States would suspend its obligations under the pact in 60 days unless Russia returns to full compliance with the agreement.

Washington's latest move has generated concerns and criticism inside and outside America.

"The Trump Administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability," said U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a statement.

The administration has "yet again decided that America should go it alone, this time, by paving the way for a dangerous arms race, with costly new weapons," Senator Ed Markey said in a tweet.

"Withdrawing from the INF nuclear treaty will make the world less safe," the 72-year-old Democrat added.

Talk of a U.S. withdrawal from the treaty has caused great concern in Europe, where the result likely would be a discussion about possible nuclear rearmament. Military leaders say that would be the only way to secure a long-term balance of power and deterrence.

"It is important that disarmament and the international arms control architecture are put back on the international agenda," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters.

Many experts believe Washington's exit decision is self-centered and counterproductive, putting the whole world in an arms control crisis with the United States seeking to gain more.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-01 23:09:08|Editor: ZX

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The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra presents a concert as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra has presented a concert as part of the Chinese New Year celebration in Hungarian capital of Budapest.

"The Grand Chinese New Year Concert" under the direction of renowned Chinese conductor Pang Kapang was staged in the Palace of Arts (Mupa) Thursday evening.

Pang was named one of China's 10 most talented young conductors in 2014.

The concert won a long time ovation thanks to its perfect integration of musical performance of West and East when a cellist played together with a player of erhu, also known as Chinese two-stringed fiddle.

Established in 2017, the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra has been dedicated to promotion of traditional Chinese culture by integrating Chinese folk music into orchestra performances, and reinterpreting and expressing traditional Chinese music through the symphonic format.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-31 01:48:09|Editor: yan

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ZAGREB, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Croatia will allocate 57 million U.S. dollars this year and the same amount next year to finance the LNG terminal project on the Island of Krk, a large Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, Croatian government decided on the session held here on Tuesday.

The value of the first phase of the project is 267 million dollars, with the European Commission granting 115 million dollars in return, as it is evaluated as a project of common interest for the European Union.

Gas transmission company Plinacro and Croatian Electric Power Company (HEP) will also fund the project.

"The LNG terminal project is of strategic importance for Croatia, and it is important for energy independence and security of the country," Croatian Environment Minister Tomislav Coric said at a session of the Croatian government.

It is anticipated that a special vessel will be purchased in the first phase of the LNG terminal project, and also a dock and the facilities for the gas transportation to the consumer will be settled.

Until now, a lease of 520 million cubic meters has been agreed.Turkish soldiers look through the hatches and turrets of an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) as they pass through the Bab al-Salamah border crossing between Syria and Turkey in the north of Aleppo Province, on Jan. 21, 2018. (AFP File photo)

ANKARA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A safe zone into northern Syria should be established within months and controlled by Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday.

"We need to have actual control over the field," Erdogan said at a gathering of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the eastern province of Erzurum.

"We expect the promise of a security zone, a buffer zone aimed at protecting our country from terrorists to be fulfilled in a few months," he explained.

Otherwise Turkey will realize it on its own, Erdogan said, adding that his country rejects any alternative proposals.

As the United States prepares to pull all its troops out of Syria, Turkey has threatened to launch a cross-border operation to clear the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG) in northeastern Syria.

The United States and Turkey have been at odds over the Kurdish militia, a U.S. ally in the anti-Islamic State (IS) campaign but seen as a terrorist group by Ankara.

Erdogan said recently that Turkey will set up a 30-km deep safe zone in northeastern Syria, which is a move suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Turkey does not need an invitation for such action since an anti-terror protocol allows the country "to take action without invitation" of the Syrian regime, he said, referring to the Adana Protocol signed in 1998 between the two countries.

The protocol with Syria allows Turkey "to get into those lands in the case of any negative development," Erdogan noted.

The Adana Protocol was signed in 1998 after Turkey threatened to intervene militarily if the Syrian government did not stop its support to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its shelter of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on its territories.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled his budget plan for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

At the Capital Friday morning, DeSantis released that $91.3 billion dollar spending plan, which is more than two percent higher than the current state budget.

That plan allots money for school safety, education reform, and the environment.

Governor DeSantis said the proposal will use the tax payer dollars wisely.

"I said throughout the campaign, Florida being a low tax state, I think has been integral to our success and our growth," said DeSantis. "We want people who are working hard here to be able to live without being taxed excessively and we want to send a good signal to rest of the country that Florida is a good place to invest and move to, because you're going to be treated fairly."

DeSantis also said some of the items in the budget will require policy change such as an overhaul to the Best and Brightest Program.FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating an officer involved shooting in Franklin County.

According to FDLE, the shooting happened Friday evening.

The deputy wasn't injured and the suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Officials say FCSO is handling the criminal investigation.

The investigation is ongoing and more information will be released later.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The federal government is threatening to cut off public funding to a Florida children's hospital unless it addresses issues related to infection control and how it manages doctors.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital a letter on Thursday saying its findings in a recent inspection were severe enough to constitute "an immediate or serious threat to patient health and safety."

The agency placed the hospital in a rare status called "immediate jeopardy," which federal guidelines describe as "a crisis situation."

The federal warning comes after a Tampa Bay Times investigation found a dramatic increase in deaths and complications in its heart surgery unit.

The hospital has until Feb. 10 to provide a written response to the findings.

___

Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)Chief prosecutor to discuss high-profile career at Glyndwr University lecture

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Feb 2nd, 2019

A renowned public servant whose work helped to convict hundreds of criminals across the North West of England is to talk about his career at a Wrexham event.

Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Prosecutor for North West England, will be speaking at Wrexham Glyndwr University as a guest of the Criminology Society on Tuesday, February 5.

Mr Afzal tackled a series of high profile cases during his time in the Crown Prosecution Service, including bringing charges against a series of men accused of sexual abuse against underage girls in Rochdale  where he overturned an initial CPS decision not to prosecute and secured a series of convictions as a result.

During his career, Mr Afzal has gained a reputation for tackling cases involving child sexual exploitation and violence against women  and during his talk at the university, he will be focussing on how such cases are handled  and how his work convinced him of the need to change the way that victims and survivors are dealt with.





He said: During my talk, Im going to share some of the highlights of my prosecution career and thereafter.

There will be an emphasis on those areas where I have been guided by the voices of victims and survivors to try and change the service we all provide for the most vulnerable in our society, whether that be women and girls suffering abuse, or children who have never been listened to.

I will touch on what obstacles we place in front of those seeking justice, reflect on the journey we all take and highlight some lessons learned.

The message I want people to take away from the day is dont be a bystander  that only encourages the hate mongers.

The talk  which is free  is open to both current and prospective students at Glyndwr, as well as to members of the general public.

Mr Afzal added that he is looking forward to speaking at Glyndwr  saying: I have always been impressed by the university and its unique diversity.

His latest visit follows a meeting with Criminology graduate teaching assistant Tegan Brierley-Sollis, where she realised he would make an excellent speaker at the university.

She said: I was at a conference and heard Nazir speak  and found what he was talking about so compelling, I decided to ask him to come here to Glyndwr to give this talk. The Criminology Society fundraised half the costs to put the event on, with the rest being funded via the Wrexham Glyndwr Students Union Development Fund.

Nazir is a high-profile speaker and we are delighted to welcome him  it promises to be an extremely interesting lecture.

Anyone who comes along will also be given the chance to see what the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree and Masters programmes can offer.

You book your place on the talk  which is free and runs on February 5 between 9.30am and 11.30am  here.

Following the talk, there will be the chance to find out more about the Criminology and Criminal Justice programmes at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

Students on the Criminology and Criminal Justice programmes will be studying in a subject area where Glyndwr has been rated first in the UK for student satisfaction and first in Wales for teaching satisfaction. You can find out more about the course here.Xu Mingsheng and Zhu Yue, a young couple, gave up their high-paying jobs, and good living conditions in a big city, after they graduated from the China Academy of Art, in Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, in 2016. They returned to Shatan, a village in Wuxing, a district in Huzhou, Zhejiang, where they have since been making clay sculptures. Now, they are well-known in the region for making clay sculptures.

Clay figurines, which have a history of more than 4,000 years, are common (as a craft) in China. Making a clay sculpture involves more than 80 procedural steps. It generally takes a craftsperson several months to make a clay sculpture; for example, a craftsperson needs to master the skills of painting, carving and writing calligraphy.

Xu Mingsheng and his wife, Zhu Yue, are famous, in rural Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, for making clay figurines. Many people have invited the couple to make and/or repair clay figurines for temples and museums.

Family Influence

Xu Guoliang, Xu Mingsheng's father, has exerted considerable influence on his son. Xu Guoliang learned how to mold small clay figurines when he was young. He could make lifelike clay figurines when he was a teenager. Even though he became a stage designer after he grew up, he still made clay figurines in his spare time. He once helped repair the ancient painted statues in a temple. He reinvigorated the incomplete Buddha statues that were nearly 1,000 years old. He was soon known by the locals for his exquisite craftsmanship. Then, he gave up his job, and he became a clay-figurine-making craftsman.

Following in his father's footsteps, Xu Mingsheng loved to play with clay when he was young. He grew up with the clay figurines made by his father. Xu Guoliang asked Xu Mingsheng to mold a clay figurine when he was 7. Xu Guoliang asked his son to use his imagination and make a complete clay figurine, with facial features and an expression. Xu Mingsheng made a woman clay figurine, based on his mother. He revealed his talent in making clay figurines through the "test." Xu Guoliang was excited that his son had a talent for making clay figurines. He began to teach his son figurine-making skills.

Xu Mingsheng enrolled in the secondary art school affiliated with China Academy of Art (CAA) after he graduated from middle school. Xu Mingsheng and Zhu Yue were classmates at the secondary art school. They were both enrolled by CAA after they graduated from the secondary school. They began dating while attending CAA, and they got married after they graduated from the university (in 2016). "After we decide to do something, we tend to do it immediately. Many classmates were surprised about our 'early marriage.' However, we only want to follow our hearts, do what we want to do and live the lives that we want," says Zhu.

The young couple had a bright future in Hangzhou after they graduated from the university. A company invited Xu Mingsheng to create oil paintings, and he was offered a high yearly income. But Xu Mingsheng turned down the offer, as he wanted his career to be closely connected with his favorite clay figurines. So, he decided to return to his hometown to make clay figurines.

At that time, Zhu was employed as a user-interface designer by an Internet company. She earned a high income. However, she gave up the job, in the big city, to move to the village with her husband. "I made the decision after some hesitation. Gold will glitter forever. I gave up a high-income job and good living conditions in the big city, but I could start the business with my lover. It gave me a chance to challenge myself," says Zhu.

The young couple learned how to make clay figurines from Xu Guoliang. They have helped improve the materials and traditional skills of making clay figurines. In the past, craftspeople used oil paint to paint the clay figurines. As time passed, the clay figurines cracked. As Zhu is sensitive to colors, she mixes vibrant colors with high-quality paints. Over time, she realized certain paints did a better job protecting the figurines. Now, the couple only uses homemade paints to color the clay figurines, to ensure the quality of the clay figurines.

Zhu and Xu Mingsheng once helped make a clay figurine of Zhang Bo, a person who was skilled in preventing floods by controlling water in ancient times, for Liyang Museum (in Jiangsu). According to ancient books, Zhang led ancient Chinese in controlling water in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces. Sculptures of Zhang are prevalent in many places in the provinces. Many of those sculptures depict Zhang standing on the back of a pig as he controls water.

Xu Mingsheng felt there should be a new depiction of Zhang; he thought Zhang should be siting on the pig while pondering how to prevent floods. Experts at the museum finally accepted his suggestion. The clay sculpture of Zhang made by Xu Mingsheng is now being displayed in the museum.

Achievements

Making clay figurines is hard work. Xu Mingsheng and his father must often eat and live in the temples. They need to endure the loneliness. However, Xu Mingsheng enjoys the work. "I concentrate on the work of making clay figurines. I do not feel lonely in the villages, as my wife accompanies me. I am satisfied with my current life," says Xu Mingsheng.

The couple continues to study traditional Chinese culture, read historical books and learn clay-figurine-making skills, by studying ancient frescos and Buddha statues, to make better clay figurines. Xu Mingsheng wanted to help his father protect and pass on his clay-figurine-making skills to future generations, so he recorded his father's the clay-figurine-making skills in a file. The file, used as an introduction to the skills, was submitted with the application to have the clay-figurine-making skills listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang.

"A good artistic work should be passed on to future generations. My clay figurines are vivid, and the patterns are exquisite. I am a little famous among residents in my hometown and nearby villages. In the past, the villagers might say I was the son of Xu Guoliang. Now, they often introduce me as a gifted craftsperson who graduated from a famous art school," says Xu Mingsheng.

"A real craftsperson will do one thing with heart and soul for all of his/her life. I hope to do what I love intently, and to finally become a real craftsperson," says Xu Mingsheng.

(Source: Women of China English Monthly November 2018 issue)Missing Marshall County Girl Found

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MARSHALL COUNTY - Marshall County authorities say a girl reported missing Friday morning has been found.According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, 16-year-old Brooklyn Travis has been located. They did not release additional details.Original Story:Marshall County authorities are seeking the public's help finding a missing girl.

The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says 16-year-old Brooklyn C. Travis was reported missing Friday morning. Deputies say Travis was last seen by her grandfather at her home in Hardin late Thursday night.

Travis is 5' 1 tall, 130 pounds with dark hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, with her hair pulled up in a bun.



Anyone with information on Travis' whereabouts is asked to contact the Marshall County Sheriff's Office.Our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is exploring Umbria and i

t

s powerhouse

sagrantino

grape. Outside of the

well known

red grapes of Italy, I long have appreciated this grape along with

aglianico

I shared last week. Anytime there is an opportunity to talk about these wonderful wines and try some Im all about it. In the past I wrote a

comprehensive guide to sagrantino

that you can reference as well as some other blogs about

sagrantino

and Montefalco where it originates. Today I share

sagrantino

from the

Antonelli

family in Montefalco.





The Winery

The Antonelli family has owned the estate since 1881 and currently live in Rome, but are originally from Umbria in the town of Spoleto. Many of the Antonelli family members are lawyers that invested in the winery and management of the estate. Its funny how many folks I have met in the industry that started as lawyers and got pulled into the industry. Its a career path that leads one to drink I guess.

Filippo Antonelli has been involved with the winery since 1986 as well as managing another estate, Castello di Torre in Pietra . He served as President of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco for 10 years ending in 2006. Even though sagrantino can be a powerful grape their aim is to be able to provide drinkable wines that show elegance via using moderate wood aging and gentle extraction. Plus, they are also now producing certified organic wines as of 2012 starting with their Grechetto Colli Martani . The winery mostly produces sangiovese , sagrantino , montepulciano , merlot and cabernet sauvignon for red grapes. For white grapes their focus is on grechetto and trebbiano spoletino .



The Land

Sagrantino is a grape indigenous to the area of Montefalco in Umbria. Montefalco is a town that lies just south of Assisi and is situated amongst many hills. Umbria is the only land locked region of Italy located in central Italy. It always amazes me how many people flock to Tuscany when within a short distance you can be in Umbria and avoid many of the overwhelming crowds and still get that Italian charm. Ive been to a number of towns in this region including Assisi, Orvieto and Perugia to name a few. If youre a fan of chocolates, Perugia is a must visit. Views from Orvieto The largest Perugina Baci in the world

The Grape

Sagrantino is a grape not for the light wine hearted. The rich tannins, full body and structure, big flavors and acidity in this wine make it a wine best suitable for long term aging. At least for me these are some of the wines I love the most. There are typically so many characteristics and components that evolve in the glass. Its amazing how this wine even tastes 24 hours after it has been opened because of its structure. This wine stands up for itself to many of the other big players of Italy, but like many is not highly marketed nor understood so falls under the radar for many. Thats why Im here!

If youre drinking a sagrantino di montefalco it is produced 100% from sagrantino by law. It also must age at least 2.5 years before its released to the market, but again this ideally isnt a wine youre going to drink in its youth.



The Wine

2009 Antonelli San Marco Montefalco Sagrantino : Produced from 100% sagrantino these sagrantino grapes are handpicked . Its aged lightly in toasted barrels for 6 months, plus an additional 12 months in oak, then on to being refined in cement for 3 months and finally in the bottle for 12 months. A lengthy process for sure demanding a higher price point than your average bottle , but at the same time much more affordable than the big and bold barolo and barbaresco . For a 10 year old wine this wine was drinking well now, but still had some aging potential to it . Ruby red in color with a tinge of garnet on the rim. This wine was full-bodied and structured with a gorgeous floral nose of rich, ripe fruit reds. Plenty of vanilla, red fruits with a hint of licorice. A rustic wine with gripping tannin, but finished with a lengthy elegance. SRP $28-30 ABV 15%





This month, our group of bloggers have been wrestling with Sagrantino, take a look at their posts below. This Saturday Feb. 2, our posts will all be live and well be chatting about our discoveries. Join us on Twitter at 10am CST at #ItalianFWT, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with Sagrantino! Take a look at all the great ideas our group will be posting:

Don't miss an Italian wine blog ~ Subscribe





*This wines was provided as a sample, but opinions are my own.ELIZABETH SEILS is a News Reporter for The Vidette. She can be contacted at elseils@ilstu.edu Follow her on Twitter at @SeilsElizabeth

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of print and digital media, please consider contributing to this most important cause. Thank you.The most prominent political figure advocating socialism today is the senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren. Her disturbing proposals -- the semi-nationalization of large corporations; government control of health care, wage controls and housing -- reflect echoes of Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto of 1848. She believes governments are smarter than individuals in deciding how much money one keeps and how it must be spent.We do have people that come visit in the winter time, but the outside environment is uncomfortable this time of year, Phelps said. Its unpredictable, it could be 60 degrees or 10 degrees.One of the things I appreciate the most is that the programs have a point of view, and its the point of view of the people who actually lived it. Youre getting the stories about the enslaved from their point of view, said Seals in an interview in December. Seals, who has worked at Colonial Williamsburg for more than a decade, is manager of program development for African American and religion interpretation. He also is the coordinator for the foundations 40th anniversary programming.Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon's editorial staff.Register for a FREE account to keep reading!

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Go to formLeading Brazilian fragrance brand O Boticario is set to foray into the Gulf regions largest beauty market Saudi Arabia along with its Dubai-based partner Millennial Capital following a MoU signed with Saudi Arabias Al Malki Group (AMG).

Established in 1952, Al Malki Group is one of the preferred retail and distribution partners for beauty brands having established successful partnerships with some of the worlds leading luxury brands including LOreal Luxe, Richemont Group and Dior Beauty among others in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement aims at key commercial objectives towards the implementation of a national development plan for introducing O Boticario brand in the kingdom.

The stakeholders will work together for the development plan that includes a feasibility study for 2019 followed by roll-out phase which is expected to position O Boticario brand among the top beauty brands in the kingdom in terms of market share, brand equity and a number of branded retail locations.

The MoU also proposes an operating model that suggests an exclusive omnichannel approach including sales in branded outlets in key locations, online sales, and departmental stores.

Saudi Arabia will be O Boticarios second market in the Gulf region after UAE within a short span of time. O Boticario operates two stores in the UAE at Dubai Mall and City Centre Mirdif and along with trade marketing channels including Boots (Alshaya), Souq (Amazon).

O Boticario is the largest fragrance player in Brazil and has more than 4,000 stores across the globe.

It is also the largest cosmetic franchise in the world with a 6% market share in Latin America and an estimated $4 billion in revenue, according to Euromonitor International.

Last year, the Brazil-based cosmetics, fragrances and skin care company agreed to license its exclusive brand rights and partner with Millennial Capital - a Dubai-based emerging retail, consumer, wellness and investment management firm - to facilitate expansion in the Gulf region.-TradeArabia News ServiceCoca-Cola Company has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Nigeria-based Chi Ltd, one of the most innovative and fast-growing companies in the expanding beverage sector in West Africa region.

The food and beverages (F&B) giant had first announced a minority investment in Chi three years ago and, as planned, has now acquired full ownership of the company.

Coca-Cola had in 2016 reached an agreement with Tropical General Investments Group, the holding company for Chi Ltd. for acquiring a 40 per cent stake in the company.

Chi is recognized in West Africa as a leader in expanding beverage categories, including juices, value-added dairy and iced tea.

The company, founded in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1980, produces juice under the Chivita brand and value-added dairy under the Hollandia brand, among many other products.

This acquisition further signals Coca-Colas optimism about Africas consumer opportunity and a commitment to its long-term investment and growth plan on the continent, where it has been present for more than 90 years.

On the takeover, Peter Njonjo, the president of the West Africa business unit of Coca-Cola, said:

"Coca-Cola is continuing to evolve as a total beverage company, and Chis diverse range of beverages perfectly complements our existing portfolio, enabling us to accelerate expansion into new categories and grow our business in Africa."

"We will support the Chi management team in building on the companys remarkable heritage and achievements, while using the scale of the Coca-Cola system to replicate their success in more markets across Africa," he added.-TradeArabia News ServiceDiyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, has renewed its strategic sponsorship for the upcoming Gulf Property Show, the boutique showcase for the real estate and property development sectors in the Northern Gulf region.

The event will be held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, from April 23 to 25 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, said the event organiser Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).

Diyar Al Muharraq CEO Dr Maher Al Shaer said: The Gulf Property Show is widely acclaimed by the regional real estate development sector as a major deal-showcase for real estate companies."

"The event maintains a unique approach to marketing on an international scale, which is tailor-made for the all its exhibitors,"he noted.

Diyar Al Muharraq will be looking to showcase its current major developments, namely the seafront residential plots of Al Bareh which are available as freehold investments open to all nationalities, providing an array of community facilities and stunning outdoor spaces; and the citys iconic residential waterfront oasis - Al Naseem, he added.

Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said: "Diyar Al Muharraqs renewal as strategic sponsor is testimony to the ongoing value and standards that Gulf Property Show delivers to our sponsors and exhibitors."

"The strategic sponsorship of Bahrains major urban enclave will provide an invaluable insight into the vision to the new island city of Diyaar Al Muharraq," he noted.

The Gulf Property Show also carries with it the strategic organizational support of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Bahrain (Rera), Survey and Land Regulatory Bureau (SLRB) Urban Planning and Development Authority of Bahrain, and Bahrain Property Developers Association (BaPDA)-TradeArabia News ServiceAl Salam Bank-Bahrain (ASBB), a leading Islamic bank, has launched its Express Banking Business Centre in Seef District of the kingdom to help provide customers with fast and comprehensive banking solutions.

The launch of this centre, which marks the latest addition to Al Salam Banks network, is in line with the Banks continued commitment to make banking more convenient and accessible to customers, remarked CEO Rafik Nayed after opening the new unit along with Chairman Khaleefa Butti Bin Omair Al Muhairi and Deputy CEO Anwar Murad.

It was also attended by Fahad Yateem, the director of Islamic Financial Institutions Supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), and senior officials from the bank.

The center offers personalised banking services and a faster application process for an array of banking products, including the disbursement of financing facilities within 90 minutes after the fulfilment of the application requirements.

"Designed to improve accessibility, customer satisfaction, and connectivity, relationship managers will be available to cater for customers who require services after normal working hours," said Nayed.

Al Salam Banks special offers continue for a limited period on its Wakala investment account, providing preferential profit rates and a chance to win double the expected profit," he stated.

Customers are also able to take advantage of special financing offers with our lowest rates and a chance to scratch and win valuable instant prizes worth up to BD10,000 ($26,381), a holiday package or 1 year installment repayment, he added.-TradeArabia News ServiceHawkins man who shot wife to death after she struck him sentenced to 15 yearsMANZINI  One of the worlds richest church leaders, self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife are behind bars in South Africa on charges related to fraud and money laundering.



According to some of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Eswatini Branch members, information which they received from the churchs External Relations Manager, Maynard Manyowa through a statement which he posted on their leaders official Facebook account informed them that indeed the man of the cloth was arrested. They said after reading the statement, they tuned to South African television and radio station and further surfed the net to learn more about the matter.

The statement read; They took the prophet and our mother Prophetess Mary Bushiri in handcuffs to Pretoria. They charged our father with fraud and money laundering.



However, they said most of the South African media houses which broke the story yesterday afternoon only had the statement which was published by the churchs external relations manager. What we know is that he had been arrested and we hope to get finer details maybe after his appearance in court, said one of the local followers of the self-proclaimed prophet.

Later on, the churchs external relations manager issued another statement, which was titled; important notice: To all children of the prophet.



Manyowa averred that yesterday, around 7am, armed members of the police stormed Sparkling Waters Hotel in Rustenburg, South Africa.

He said they were later made aware that they were members of the Directorate for Priority Investigations (HAWKS). They took the prophet and our mother Prophetess Mary Bushiri in handcuffs to Pretoria where he was charged with fraud and money laundering, he emphasised.



Again, through the statement, Manyowa said as they would all recall, from last year, they struggled with reports that their father was guilty. He said they repeatedly learnt from different media houses that they were under investigation. At some point, he said accurate reports pointed out the fact that certain people within the police had demanded bribes amounting up to E10 million. This is a matter that is on record and well known, he said in the statement.



The churchs external relations manager said their prophet was currently detained and was being questioned by the HAWKS in Silverton, Pretoria. We will give you more updates as we go, he said.

He then encouraged the church members to be steadfast in prayer. He said the very same morning they were vindicated through the Cultural Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (the CRL Rights Commission) after weeks of being painted wrong. He said as a church they urge the church members to know that this too would pass.



Meanwhile, efforts of getting a comment from ECG local Pastor Eric Kusani proved to be futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered for the better part of yesterday afternoon.

However, information which was sourced from News 24 was to the effect that the self-proclaimed prophet and his wife was arrested by the Hawks yesterday at around 7am while at Sparkling Waters Hotel in Rustenburg. It is worth noting that last year media reported that the very same HAWKS was investigating the charismatic prophet for money laundering after members of the church leadership claimed he was sending an estimated E15 million a month to Malawi, his country of birth. The money was allegedly transported out of South Africa in Bushiris private jet and other vehicles.

Again, last week, the CRL Rights Commission found that the controversial church leader was not responsible for the stampede at his Pretoria church where three people died, saying that the church fully complied with safety regulations. After a two-day hearing into the tragedy, the commission said after due consideration, it found that the church was granted a compliance certificate prior to the service in December last year.

Seventeen other people were injured as they scrambled for cover during a thunderstorm at Bushiris popular ECG Church. The commission recommended that the church find a suitable venue to accommodate its congregants following a report by the Tshwane municipality that the church premises did not comply with safety regulations.MBABANE  Reports have emerged that workers are allegedly being assaulted by patients at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital.



Sources alleged that some members of staff were assaulted by patients at the hospital because the health institution was infested with lice among other things. As a result of the lice, some patients have rash, sources alleged. Sources also alleged that patients assaulted the staff members in retaliation to the conditions of the hospital but what concerned them was that no action was taken to fix the issues agitating patients.



They also alleged that despite the lice outbreak, the hospital was in a terrible state as patients toilets were out of order. One may be convinced that we dont have a government who cares about the environment where mentally ill patients are admitted, lamented the sources.



soap



Lice are proving to be a major challenge for the psychiatric hospital which is under the Ministry of Health. Last year, this publication reported that the hospital was infested with the parasites due to the unavailability of washing soap. The ministry sprang to action and fumigated the hospital and the situation went back to normal.



However, the lice have reportedly returned to torment patients and nurses. Research has uncovered that although the ministry might not have taken proper measures towards addressing the challenge last year by chemically treating them only once as there was a need to fumigate again 10 days later.



According to the South Austria Government website, re-treatment after seven to 10 days is necessary because lice in unhatched eggs may not be killed by the first treatment.

Sources, explaining the extent of the issue of lice, said a majority of patients complained about rash as a result of the lice.



Crime



The sources claimed that some staff members in the hospital advocated for a healthy in-patient environment without any success as they seemed to be fighting a losing battle. They claimed the nature of the environment in the male acute ward was a crime to humanity. If the environmental hygienist or environmental health specialist can come to inspect the hospital, I am sure their recommendations will be to close the hospital with immediate effect, claimed the source.

Sources also alleged that some members of the staff had not set foot in the male acute ward since the lice outbreak.



Allegations made by sources were to the effect that when patients in the male acute ward had problems and needed to be attended by one of the specialists, nurses take them to the specialists office. Sources alleged that the specialist sometimes requests that she be given the affected patients file then writes without assessing the patient.

Toilets

Lice are seemingly not the only thing troubling the referral hospital as some toilets are dysfunctional. Sources claimed that some toilets at the hospital have been blocked for the past weeks.

The Ministry of Health Director of Health Dr Vusi Magagula said they always had on and off lice infestation because of the nature of their patients. Magagula said they always informed the Regional Environmental Health Officer, who then sent personnel to fumigate. He said they currently did not have lice infestation but there was a lot of mosquitoes and the responsible office has been informed and they were awaiting fumigation.

Addressing the issue of dysfunctional toilets, Magagula alleged that they only had one staff toilet which had been out of order for two days and PWD attended to it this week.

He said there was a problem with water pressure in ward III, which he said was recently renovated, hence toilets did not flush properly as expected. He said they informed the Micro Projects Unit which reportedly promised to fix the problem as soon as it got funds. There was overcrowding of patients in ward IV especially in December and early this month and this normally happens every year, Magagula said.

Magagula said the solution was to have doctors scheduled for ward rounds on weekends and public holidays and to provide inpatient care. He said currently there was no overcrowding at the hospital as there were 30 patients in the female ward, 46 patients in ward IV (male acute ward) and 38 in ward III (male stable ward). He said each ward had a 42-bed capacity and this meant that only one ward (ward IV) had four extra floor patients.

assaulted

Theres been no incident of a nurse being assaulted by a patient for the past 12 months which I am aware of. But two orderlies were assaulted, one early this month and the another one in mid 2018. Proper procedures for injury on duty were followed, Magagula said.

Magagula added that the clinical psychologist attended to both inpatients and outpatients on a daily basis. He said therapy sessions were supposed to be done in a quiet space and there was no therapy room in the ward. He said the psychologist normally took patients in her office for privacy. He also said he believed the psychologist would not take patients in her office if there was lice infestation.MBABANE  Wait and see what will happen next year. These were the words of St Marks High School Deputy Head Teacher Winile Dlamini in an interview last year after the release of the Swaziland General Certificate of Secondary Education (SGCSE) results.



In that year, the school was the second best in the country and had about seven pupils in the list of top performing pupils.



Performing



True to her words, the school brought its A game this year as it maintained its second spot but with about three more pupils in the list of top performing pupils in the country.

Dlamini, describing how they felt about the results, said they were ecstatic. She said Form V was very significant to everyone, including the school as it launched pupils specific careers.

She said for the pupils to have performed the way they did gave them courage that as teachers, they did their work and had assisted them in their journey to tertiary level.

Appreciated



Dlamini said they appreciated the pupils efforts and posture to take advice which she believed yielded the results they had.

She also appreciated teachers for their commitment and said without them, the school would not have achieved the results it did.

She said the teachers performed beyond the call of duty and that gave them great pleasure that they worked with a team that gave its all.



Dlamini stated that parents played a pivotal role in the schools performance. She stated that they played a huge role in ensuring that pupils overcame their challenges and were able to focus on their schoolwork. She emphasised that the school performed well because of the joint efforts between all stakeholders.

St Marks High School has about 10 pupils in the list of top performing pupils in the country.



This was the highest number of pupils from the same school in the top performers list.

Dlamini said under the circumstances the pupils wrote under, the pupils were able to swim against the tide and make sure that they made it. She said they were pleasantly surprised by the number of pupils from their school who are in the list of top performing ones in the country. She said it made them believe that they were capable of doing much better in the future.



Encouragement



It is a big encouragement to see 10 pupils in the top 50, Dlamini said.

She said pupils should believe in themselves and have it in them that they were capable of doing anything. She said this should not only be an advice to Form Vs but all pupils. She said believing that you can achieve something went a long way towards ensuring that you succeeded.

The self conversation that you have, that speaks to your potential and ability, is very important, Dlamini said.



She explained that people spoke more to themselves than others spoke to them. She said speaking positively to yourself went a long way in uplifting someone and making them perform at their best.

She stated that this years results showed that the current Form Vs had what it took to do better. She said they were all gifted in different areas and further encouraged them to think about their future.

Everyone is competing to go to university so you are fighting for that as an individual as well, Dlamini said.



Dlamini added that having forerunners performing this well should encourage the current Form Vs to do better.

As was the case last year, St Marks High School came second to KaBoyce High School.You have permission to edit this article.

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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.Undocumented recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program once again face an uncertain future. This uncertainty is linked in part to a lack of information provided by our elected officials.

When DACA recipients are subjected to political rhetoric, politicians on both sides of the issue fail to address the economic and cultural impact theyve made in Texas and the United States.

In 2001, then Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed the Texas Dream Act into state law. The bill allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if they had resided in Texas for an extended amount of time.

10 years later at a 2011 presidential debate, the former governor said, If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than theyve been brought there by no fault of their own, I dont think you have a heart.

Though he has not called on repealing their education access entirely, Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Texas, is proposing HB 413, a house bill that would force undocumented students to pay for out-of-state tuition instead of the previous in-state fee.

Biedermann said the reason for the proposed bill was to help protect Texas taxpayers. The Texas Dream Act helps serve undocumented students at the expense of those who are legally here.

The proposed bill is a stark contrast to the previous policies implemented by Perry. Yet politicians from both sides of the issue failed to mention that undocumented immigrants contribute to the Texas economy through paid tuition, taxes, employment and more.

A study by the Center for Public Policy Priorities shows that of the 149,914 Texas students who do apply for financial assistance, just 2,678 are DACA students. Additionally, DACA recipients receive a grant total of $10.97 million.

The cost is easily covered by the $1.5 billion in taxes undocumented immigrants pay annually.

These numbers are proof that documented Texas residents are not footing the bill. Unfortunately, the contributions made by these students to our state financially and culturally are at risk because of a proposal that has been presented with false notions.

It is unfair to students and unfair to taxpayers. Both documented and undocumented.

The Shorthorn Editorial Board is made up of opinion editor Jacob Reyes; Editor-in-Chief Reese Oxner; associate news editor Amanda Padilla; Carmina Tiscareno, life and entertainment editor; social media editor Narda Perez; Shay Cohen, copy editor and multimedia journalist; and Zaria Turner, life and entertainment reporter.

@utashorthorn

opinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduTHE SHORTHORN

Is seeking work study student assistants for our reception desk for summer and fall.Prompt, cheerful, students with professional attitudes are encouraged to apply to answer office phones and greet guests from behind a plexiglass COVID barrier.Preference is given to students available to work some mornings. This in-office job offers flexible hours and plenty of time to study.Apply through Handshake for job #4723423 or call 817-272-3188 for more information.Clearfield, PA (16830)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Sterling Heights, MI (48312)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 72F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 46F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.More than 70 police officers are searching for a Hull University student who went missing after a night out on Thursday.

Libby Squire, 21, was seen by friends getting into a taxi outside The Welly nightclub on Beverley Road in Hull at around 11pm on 31 January.

Photo: Humberside Police

The student was later seen by a male driver and on CCTV at about 11.45pm sitting on a bench at the corner of Haworth Street.

This was the last known sighting of Libby.

Speaking at a press conference today (2 Febuary), Detective Superintendent Simon Gawthorpe said: "We are supporting Libby's family who have described her as a very thoughtful and caring young woman who puts others before herself. They say this is very out of character.

"I once again urge anyone with information about Libby to come forward."

Libby is 5ft 7ins with long dark brown hair and was last seen wearing a black top, black leather jacket and black denim skirt with lace detail.

It is believed she was turned away from The Welly by door staff who thought she was too drunk and then got into a taxi alone to go home. The club has handed over CCTV to police.

On Saturday morning fire crews searched a frozen pond at Oak Road playing fields and her flatmates organised a search party Saturday afternoon, setting off from Hull Students Union building.

Humberside Fire and Rescue searching at Oak Rd Playing Fields, Hull, this morning. Student Libby Squire has been missing since Thursday. pic.twitter.com/0T620fmoXs  Jake Zuckerman (@jakezuckerman) February 2, 2019

Those who organised the search say around 200 people have turned up to help look for the second year Philosophy student.

Speaking to Hull Live, Libbys close friend Ryan Tweddle who was on the night out with her said her disappearance does not seem real and it feels like something out of a movie.

On Thursday night she was a bit drunk and she was hugging everyone saying it was nice the group was back together, Ryan told reporters.

We went out and went to get some cash out and when we got to The Welly she had already not made it in and was in a taxi back home.

A spokeswoman for the university said: "The University of Hull is aware of concerns relating to one of our students. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our priority. We are unable to make any further comment at this time."

Police are asking for anyone with dashcam footage in the area from 11pm to 3am that night to contact them. Anyone with any information is being asked to call 101 and quote log 29.Born in 1938, Churchills experimental theatre has paved the way for contemporary productions, bringing race, gender and sexuality right to the forefront of the modern theatrical consciousness.

Image credit: drama_huddersfield on Flickr

Churchills first play to widely garner acclaim, Cloud Nine, is a pivotal piece of theatre. Although Cloud Nine was first performed nearly forty years ago, its relevance has never waned. The play couples together the horrors and hypocrisies of colonialism with questions of gender and sexuality, laying the foundations for a controversial yet compelling exploration of issues which plague society still to this day.Cloud Nine itself is split into two acts. The first is set in Africa, in a British colony during the Victorian period. In this act, Churchill employs various techniques, echoing the work of dramaturg, Bertolt Brecht, in order to question the seat of power and authority within colonial structures. Various characters within the family are played by actors of different genders to their original character with the family servant, whose character is intended to be a person of colour, being played by a white man. This subversion of the lines of gender and race pushes the integral issues of the play centre stage. The culture of stiff upper lip pretention coupled with the intentional twisting of gender roles allows for a bizarre critique of colonial society. While the play is inevitably funny at times, a dark undertone follows throughout the first act with each character trapped within the convention. The second act takes a drastically different turn. Instead of the colonial and archaic setting of the first act, Churchill whisks her characters into the modern day, removing the obvious constraints of Victorian prudism. While, for the audience, swathes of time seem to have passed between the first and second acts, for the characters it has only been 25 years. Churchill defies theatrical convention to deliver a production which questions as much as it answers, divulging uncomfortable truths about the past and the present. Perhaps Churchills most famous play, Top Girls, written in 1982, takes a look at the opportunities afforded to women and the lengths to which they must go to achieve their ambitions. The plays celebrated opening scene anachronistically sees various strong historical women attending a dinner party held by the protagonist Marlene. As with Cloud Nine, Churchill blurs theatrical boundaries in order to hold a mirror up to the circumstances of women in the early 1980s and throughout history. The play is sharp and witty yet tainted by the tragedy of the three protagonists circumstances as they struggle to survive in a society which does not favour their gender. Churchills plays are some of the most important in modern British theatre. Her works take the issues which form the foundations of societal structures and conventions and completely deconstruct them, leaving room for an interrogation of the aspects of life to which we have become complacent. Although written at the tail-end of the 20th century, Churchills theatre remains just as pertinent to the 21st. If you liked this, check out our Spotlight on: Berthold BrechtPascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

As we roll into February, its time to focus on the months gorgeous birthstone: the amethyst. Today, were looking at the tiara and jewels from the Norwegian Amethyst Parure.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The amethyst and diamond parure was a gift to Queen Sonja from her husband, King Harald V of Norway. The set consists of several pieces: a convertible necklace/tiara, a pair of earrings with removable drops, two bracelets that can be combined and worn together as a second necklace, and a brooch that can also be attached as a part of the bracelet-necklace.

Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Sonja wore the entire set at the gala held the night before the wedding of her son, Crown Prince Haakon, in 2001. She pinned the brooch to the center of her gowns neckline, and she stacked both bracelets on her right arm.

BJORN SIGURDSON/AFP/Getty Images

For years, the queen was the primary wearer of this piece, sporting it as both a necklace and a tiara. In recent years, however, she appears to have either given or permanently loaned the parure to her daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mette-Marit. (Theres some speculation that it might have a gift in celebration of the birth of Mette-Marits daughter and the heir to the throne, Princess Ingrid Alexandra.) Above, Mette-Marit makes an early appearance in the tiara at a state dinner in Oslo for the Italian President in September 2004.

MATT DUNHAM/AFP/Getty Images

The crown princess generally wears the piece as a tiara, not as a necklace. Above, she wears the tiara for an important state visit to London in October 2005. (The British and Norwegian royals are close cousins; King Haralds father, Olav, was the son of a British princess, and he was born on the Sandringham estate.) Mette-Marit selected the amethyst tiara for the grand state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Pool/Getty Images

Mette-Marit also chose the tiara for the Diamond Jubilee festivities for the late King of Thailand in June 2006.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

But her highest-profile outing in the amethysts to date was probably the grand royal wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in June 2013.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Mette-Marit is the most frequent wearer of the amethyst set, but other Norwegian royals also have access to the jewels. Princess Martha Louise donned the amethyst parure, including the tiara and the bracelet-necklace, at the 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. While Mette-Marit features sleek hairstyles, Martha Louise backed this tall necklace tiara with an impressive hairstyle, providing the amethysts with a substantial brunette backdrop. For me, this was probably the most successful outing of the set to date.

Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text and images.* Username

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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 ...Torremolinos town hall has installed a new Foreign Residents Department in the town centre. Although the office, which also houses the tourist and culture departments, was opened 18 months ago, the foreign resident's department has only recently been inaugurated.

The new offices in Plaza de Andalucia, which are open between 9am and 1.30pm, will provide help and support to expats dealing with the important aspects of living in Spain. Currently, the service is available in just English and Spanish, but they will soon be able to attend enquiries in French, Italian and German.

Since taking over in 2015, the PSOE council has instigated numerous changes to the town and one of its priorities has been the expat community. The town hall has acknowledged the importance of this new office and has promised to bring it in line with the services offered by other towns in the province.

Aida Blanes, councillor for foreign residents, is overseeing the new office, along with the assistance of Maria Jose Carmona Marquez, the informative administrator of the department.

"The project is in the early stages, but we hope to soon offer a full and efficient service. We have many ideas, but we hope people will tell us what they need, because we are here to serve them," Maria Jose explained to SUR in English.

The department is considering a number of possible initiatives to help expats integrate. These include information in English on the town hall's website and an English language news and information programme on Torremolinos Television.

Foreign residents can also volunteer to help create an extensive service. The department has plans to organise English speakers to help students with their studies, or with interpreter services at police stations and local health centres.

"Most residents have many questions when they arrive in a new country, like opening a bank account, the health system and registering their children at a local school. We will also offer residents information concerning local taxes, laws and anything necessary for those who live here permanently," Maria Jose said.

Although the padron is still dealt with in the town hall, the new office will advise local expats about the benefits of registering correctly, something the British must consider before March 2019, Maria Jose pointed out

"We know that some of our foreign residents might be worried about Brexit. The only advice we can give with any certainty is that they must have a legal residents permit and be registered on the census; that way they will be able to continue living here worry free," she declared.

Residents from the EU who are already on the padron in Torremolinos no longer need to re-register every five years, as the town hall has implemented a new monitoring system. However, those from outside of Europe must re-register every two years.

"Aside from the Brexit question, the padron is extremely important for the town hall, seeing as its annual budget is based on these figures. Obviously the higher our budget the better services we can offer our residents, Maria Jose explained.

She also pointed out the padron does not offer an accurate figure, as there are still many expats who have not registered. According to the January 2018 census poll, more than 150 nationalities live in Torremolinos and they make up 25 percent of the population. After the 1,860 Moroccan residents, the British are the second largest community in the town, with 1,665 people registered.

For information, email residente.extranjero@torremolinos.es / Tele: 951 95 43Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.The school district does not have to notify the public about the meetings or allow access so long as Board members do not exchange remarks with one another or comment about each others remarks about a matter that can foreseeably arise before The School Board in the future, school district attorney Barbara Myrick wrote in an email to the Sun Sentinels lawyers, filed in court with the lawsuit. The meetings are for the exchange of information, not to take official action, she wrote.Now you can pick your own strawberries in Broward County, Florida. Family Farm, at 14950 SW 14 St. in Davie, is open to the public as a strawberry U-pick. Another Broward U-pick is Bob Roths New River Groves in Davie, which allows mango picking in the summer.The TV news cameras were present for the launch and pictured here are Sally Bee with one of the other speakers Jim Lynskey.

A BID for Stratford-upon-Avon to be the driving force behind a campaign to get many more people to sign up to the donor register attracted widespread attention at its launch last week.

The event at the butterfly farm on Thursday saw a number of people relate their stories of how a transplant has changed their lives  or of what it is like waiting for the chance.

The Donor Town project  looking to embrace not just the town but the wider area around it  has been pioneered by Stratford woman Sally Bee. She said she chose the butterfly farm for the launch because it was a symbol of new life, hope and rejuvenation.

As reported in the Herald earlier this month, Sally has a rare coronary condition called SCAD, has had five heart attacks and is a host for the British Transplant Games.

Her aim is to inspire people from all parts of the community to sign up to the register over the next 12 months, after which the baton will be passed to another town.

She said: Many people, when asked, say that of course they will donate their organs in the event of their death, but there is no compelling reason for them to do it today.

So, often, they never get around to it. My aim is to bring it to the forefront of everyones mind, so that they do get around to it.

Her targets for the next year in and around Stratford are to:

- See every car with the car sticker showing their support

- See every shop with the window sticker showing their support

- See our stickers on local taxis

- Have every school and college show their support

- Have every business show their support

- Have every family show their support

She added: By showing their support I mean they all make time to have the conversation with their loved ones; sign the organ donor register; pass the message onto someone else  and on and on and on...

This is like a whole town game of pass the parcel, where there are no losers, only winners. I want teachers to tell children, who will tell their parents, who will tell their work colleagues, who will tell their brothers sisters aunts teachers... employers.

Could do better

We are a constituency of around 121,000 people, 44,000 have signed the donor register  we could do much better!

In addition to her own talk to the audience at the launch, she added: Jim Lynskey, a 23-year-old from Studley, spoke about his four-year wait for a new heart. He is currently wired up to a mechanical heart on the outside of his body.

Lisa Ebdon, another local lady, spoke about her liver transplant that took place just 11 weeks ago.

Ayesha Trickett spoke about the new kidney she was given 30 years ago and how she has gone on to have children.

Yasar Martini spoke about the death of his three-year-old daughter, Margot, who didnt get the bone marrow transplant she needed

And Gill Ferguson from Snitterfield spoke about the death of her 17-year-old son Matthew in a car accident and how his organs went on to save eight lives.

Following on from the launch, there are a number of ways people can get involved to help get those numbers up.

There is an open invitation for people to join the Donor Town Action Group.

The aim would be for members to visit schools, businesses and any other places that could distribute posters and window stickers.

They also want people with existing networks in the area, such as Brownies, Guides, WI, Lions, Rotary and so on, to nominate Donor Town ambassadors to help spread the message to all their members.

The launch was also chance to debunk some of the myths about organ donation and about who can be involved.

Sally said: Just because you discuss what you want to happen after your death, doesnt mean it will happen any earlier.

If you think you cant sign the organ donor register because of your religion, check with your elders and religious leaders, there is usually no reason why life cannot be given to another whilst still showing love and respect to the person who has passed.

You can sign the organ donor register at any age  no-one is too old!

Giving blood and bone marrow are also ways to save lives.

As indicated previously she wants to relate this activity to the towns most famous son: Stratford-upon-Avon is known for Will Shakespeare, but I also want this wonderful town to be known for its generosity for giving life to others.

I am speaking to the Guinness world record organisation to see if there is a record we could break in this regard.

At the end of the 12-month period, we will pass the accolade onto another town, sharing and supporting with them all we have learnt.

Speaking ahead of the project, she said: This is a win-win project.

There is no downside, there are no losers, everyone has the potential to become a hero and save up to nine lives.

Why wouldnt you?

If we get 100 new people on the Organ Donor Register it will be a success. If we have 1,000 new sign-ups in Stratford, I will be thrilled and deligh-ted.

For more information, go to: www. donor town project.ukStay up to date on COVID-19

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Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early with heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening. A steady rain arriving overnight. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2019

President Donald Trump and the neocon sofa samurais who surround him seem determined to pick a fight with China or Russia, or both at the same time.Later this month, the US and China are due to try to end their long-running trade war which has damaged the economies of both nations. At the heart of the trade dispute are soya beans and pork, the two principal American exports to China, as well as Chinas efforts to grab US technology.I find it amazing that, in 2019 high-tech America, the most important exports to China, aside from aircraft, are the humble soya bean and pigs. Of course, they come from farm country, the heartland of Trumps political support.Not a thought has been given to the hellish mistreatment of the pigs themselves, intelligent animals who are turned into inanimate objects known as pork, or the foul conditions their industrial breeding creates.China will likely be the first to blink in this test of national wills. It imports less from the US than it exports and is thus vulnerable to trade pressure.But history amply shows that its a bad idea to push China into a corner and make it lose face.Suave diplomacy is the way to deal with the proud, prickly Chinese. They have refused to play by world trade rules, it is true, and need some serious arm-twisting. But not at a time when the Pentagon is ostentatiously planning a war against China in the western Pacific. The fuse has already been lit.Meanwhile, the far right neocons, led by the unbalanced John Bolton, have convinced Trump to break the 1987 US-Soviet short and intermediate missile treaty signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. This landmark agreement led to the removal of all US and Soviet land-based missiles from Europe. The pact was regarded as the first major step in reducing nuclear weapons.The 1987 treaty was a godsend for Europe, which would have been ground zero in any nuclear exchange. It was also a huge relief for Moscow which rightly feared that the highly accurate US Pershing missiles based in Europe could deliver a devastating surprise strike, known as decapitation, on Soviet government leadership targets. Moscows retaliation would have razed Paris, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Amsterdam and other important targets.Over recent months, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been responding to growing US nuclear threats by vaunting new developments in his nations missile technology. If accurate and actually deployed, these new hypersonic and nuclear-powered missiles with immense range will make obsolete all of US anti-missile defenses, a topic much loved by Trump.Now, Trump & Co. are preparing to junk this crucial piece of Cold War architecture and resume the arms race with Russia. Pentagon sources say the real reason is to counterChinas missiles, which were not a factor in 1987, and have proliferated in recent years. Increasingly accurate, these Chinese tactical and strategic missiles are a major source of concern to the US Navy and US Asian bases.But the US still has ample land, air and ocean-based nuclear forces to inflict immense damage on China. Violating the bedrock 1987 treaty with Moscow hardly seems worth adding some US nuclear-armed missiles in Guam, Japan or South Korea.We must also suspect that the Trump White House has resurrected the old Cold War notion of bankrupting the Soviets/Russia by drawing them into a ruinous arms race. The US and its NATO satraps and Japan had a five times larger military capability than the old Soviet Union or todays threadbare Russia. Well spend them into the ground, went the old battle cry in Washington. This at least is preferable to a nuclear exchange.Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev just denounced the Trump administrations nuclear policies as a gigantic mistake and threat to mankind. NATO, showing its subservience to Washington, bleated its support for US plans to deploy new medium-ranged missiles in Europe. But, in truth, Europeans are aghast at the prospect of a nuclear war fought in their backyards.When the history of our era is written, Trumps reincarnation of Cold War nuclear missile rattling will surely rank as a monumental historic folly. No amount of soya bean or pig sales can make up for that.Brussels, February 2, 2018 (SPS) - Polisario Front National Secretariat member and Minister Delegate to Europe Mohamed Sidati said the "vicious campaign" conducted by the European Commission to gain approval for the free trade agreement with the Moroccan occupier, illegally including occupied Western Sahara, was nothing more than a "support for a crime of plunder and a hold-up in the fullest sense of the word," against an African Union member state.



In a statement to Sahrawi media on Thursday, Sidati said the European Commission's latest decision "is an act of aggression against a member State of the African Union (AU) and plunder of Western Sahara people's resources."



The Sahrawi official stressed the great contradiction within the European Union, whose member countries attended the EU-AU ministerial meeting last week, in Brussels, alongside the Sahrawi Republic.



Sidati wondered, in this respect, how the European Commission can validate so a legally fragile agreements, which are even in total contradiction with the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). (SPS)



062/SPS/APSScott Eisen/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Democratic 2020 hopeful and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for her decision to take a DNA test to prove that she had Native American history, the tribe said Friday.



"Senator Warren has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe," Julie Hubbard, the Executive Director of Cherokee Nation communications said in a statement provided to ABC News. "We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end."



Representatives for Warren's presidential exploratory committee did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment on what the tribe said was her call Thursday to principal Chief John Baker.



Warren's decision to take the DNA test came amid a public flap with President Trump, who has repeatedly referred to her as "Pocahontas," and drew blowback from the Cherokee Nation itself.



"Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong," Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. wrote in a statement released following Warren's release of the test, "It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven."



In October, the Boston Globe reported that a DNA test Warren underwent showed that she had a Native American in her family tree dating back six to ten generations.



Warren also released a background video explaining her family history and the backstory of her decision to take a DNA test.



During her first visit to Iowa as a presidential hopeful, Warren addressed the controversy again, telling a crowd in Sioux City that she is not a member of any Native American tribe.



"I am not a person of color. I am not a citizen of a tribe. Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes -- and only tribes -- determine tribal citizenship, and I respect that difference," Warren said.



"Now I cant stop Donald Trump from what hes gonna do, I cant stop him from hurling racial insults," Warren added, "I dont have any power to do that."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Iran in 'successful test' of new cruise missile on revolution anniversary (WRAP-newseries)



Tehran, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



Iran announced the "successful test" of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres on Saturday, coinciding with celebrations for the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.

"The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometres (840 miles) and accurately hit the set target," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said, quoted on state television which broadcast footage of its launch.

"It can be ready in the shortest possible time and flies at a very low altitude," he said.

Hatami described the Hoveizeh as the "long arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in defending itself.

It is part of the Soumar group of cruise missiles, first unveiled in 2015 with a range of 700 kilometres, according to the minister.

The Hoveizeh unveiling was part of an arms exhibition dubbed "40 years of defensive achievements" and held in Tehran.

Friday marked the beginning of 10 days of celebrations of the Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western shah.

On Thursday, thousands of Iranians had packed the mausoleum of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Iran has voluntarily limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles), but this is still sufficient to reach Israel and Western bases in the Middle East.

Washington and its allies have accused Tehran of pursuing enhanced missile capabilities that also threaten Europe.

Iran has "no intention of increasing the range" of its missiles, the country's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Admiral Ali Shamkhani, said Tuesday.



- 'Purely defensive' -



Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers but has kept up development of its ballistic missile technology.

US President Donald Trump's administration pulled out of the nuclear accord in May and reimposed sanctions against Iran, citing the missile programme among its reasons.

European governments have stuck by the 2015 agreement, although some have demanded an addition to address Iran's ballistic missile programme and its intervention in regional conflicts including Yemen.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 -- adopted just after the nuclear deal -- calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons".

The US has repeatedly accused Iran of violating the resolution.

But Tehran denies seeking any nuclear weapons capability, and insists that its missile development programme is "purely defensive" and compliant with the resolution.

Iran's space programme has also been criticised by the West, with Washington charging that an abortive satellite launch in mid-January was cover for a bid to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capability.

Iran tried unsuccessfully to put a satellite into orbit on January 15 and plans to "vigorously carry on" and make a second attempt, Shamkhani said.

Iran's newly-tested missile takes its name from a city in the southwestern province of Khuzestan that was devastated in the 1980-1988 war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Several Iranian cities were battered by missiles during the eight-year conflict in a bombing campaign dubbed the "war of the cities".

Iranian officials say Western sanctions have starved its air force of spare parts and replacement aircraft, limiting its operational capacity and forcing it to rely on the missile programme.

As Iranians marked the anniversary of the revolution, the US on Saturday lashed out at the country's leadership, insisting it had failed to make good on pledges to improve the lives of ordinary people.

"When he returned to Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made lots of promises to the Iranian people, including justice, freedom, and prosperity," the US State Department said on Twitter.

"40 years later, Iran's ruling regime has broken all those promises."Rival rallies begin in tense Venezuela as air force general defects (WRAP-newseries)



Caracas, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Caracas Saturday in rival displays for and against embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as an air force general became the highest-ranking officer to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the crisis-torn country's acting president.

The rival rallies, convened in different parts of the city, come on the eve of a deadline set by the EU and other European powers for Maduro to call "free elections" or have them recognize Guaido.

Guaido has promised a huge turnout -- the largest in the country's history, he has said -- to reinforce his call for elections organized by a transitional government he claims to lead as head of the National Assembly.

Carrying Venezuelan flags and blowing horns and whistles, his supporters began massing at five locations around the city for a march on EU headquarters in eastern Caracas.

The pro-Maduro forces were rallying in the western side of the city to mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of power of the late Hugo Chavez, the leftist firebrand who installed a socialist government.

Hundreds of members of a civilian militia, public workers and people who have benefitted from the government's social programs began to concentrate in the downtown Avenida Bolivar in a show of support for their beleaguered leader.

Although the rally was called by Maduro, it was not known if he would attend.

If he does, it would be the first time he has appeared in public rally since August 4, when he claimed to have been the target of an exploding drone at a military parade in Caracas.

- International pressure -



The challenge to Maduro, Chavez's handpicked successor, is his most serious yet, with the United States, Canada and nearly a dozen Latin American countries piling on pressure for his removal from office.

"Maduro's tyranny must end and must end now," US Vice President Mike Pence told a rally of exiled Venezuelans in Miami on Friday.

Underscoring the high stakes, Air Force Major General Francisco Yanez announced in a video posted on social media that he disavowed Maduro's "dictatorial" authority and recognized Guaido as the acting president.

Yanez, the strategic planning director of the air force high command, commands no troops but he was the highest ranking active duty officer to defect -- "a hard blow" to the military leadership, which has pledged absolute loyalty to Maduro, said Rocio San Miguel, an expert on the Venezuelan military.

The military and security forces have so far been Maduro's main pillar of support, despite an economic collapse that has created dire shortages of food and medicine and a mass migration to neighboring countries.

But there have been signs of unrest in the ranks.

On January 21, a group of National Guard soldiers rose up against Maduro in Caracas.

The mutiny was quickly put down and 27 soldiers were arrested, but it kicked off a week of violent street clashes between civilians and security forces that the UN said left 40 dead and 850 arrested.

Speaking from an unknown location, Yanez said "90 percent of the armed forces don't support the dictator, they're with the Venezuelan people."

Guaido, who has offered amnesty to members of the military that abandon Maduro, acknowledges that he needs its support.

This week he claimed to have held "clandestine meetings with members of the armed forces and the security forces."



- Assurances to China -



Guaido, 35, also moved to reassure China -- Venezuela's main creditor and a long-time ally of the socialist regime -- that he would honor bilateral agreements if successful in ousting Maduro.

China has denounced outside interference in Venezuela but -- unlike Russia, another major creditor that has backed Maduro -- so far has declined to pick sides.

Guaido told the South China Morning Post he would not disrupt the relationship with China despite his close ties to Washington.

"China's support will be very important in boosting our country's economy and future development," he said in an email interview.

"We are ready to begin a constructive relationship and dialogue with China as soon as possible."

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said cooperation between the countries would continue "no matter how the situation changes" in Venezuela.

European Parliament lawmakers recognized Guaido on Thursday as the interim head of state.

And four major European powers -- Britain, France, Germany and Spain -- have said they will do so if Maduro fails to call presidential elections by midnight on Sunday.

The international heave against Maduro's leftist regime came after weeks of behind-the-scenes diplomacy including secret talks in Washington between Guaido and US officials.



- 'Time for action' -



"Let me be very clear: this is no time for dialogue. This is time for action," Pence warned on Friday. "The time has come to end Maduro's dictatorship once and for all."

In a letter to the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay published Friday, Guaido ruled out any negotiations with Maduro unless they "start the transition process, culminating in the holding of free elections."Egypt army says kills 8 jihadists in desert air strikes



Cairo, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



Egypt's military said Saturday it had killed eight jihadists in air strikes in the Western Desert, as it leads a major campaign against the Islamic State group.

"The air force targeted the terrorist base... the completed operation has killed eight very dangerous terrorists", the military said in a statement.

The military said "other people" had been arrested during the operation, but did not give details.

"The terrorist cell .... planned hostile actions that aimed to destabilise the country's security and stability", the army said, without elaborating.

Egypt launched an operation dubbed "Sinai 2018" a year ago, in a bid to dislodge IS from the northeastern Sinai Peninsula and other parts of the country, including the Western Desert bordering Libya.

The security forces regularly announce that alleged jihadists have been killed, but rarely identify the deceased, the groups they support, or the operations they were purportedly planning.

It is impossible to verify information on military operations through independent sources.

Groups including Human Rights Watch have denounced extra judicial killings, particularly in the Sinai peninsula.

Operation Sinai was launched on February 9 last year and was supposed to last three months, but is still ongoing.Russia suspends nuclear missile treaty in tit-for-tat with US (newseries-lead)



Moscow, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



Russia vowed Saturday to develop "new types of weapons" as it suspended a Cold War-era nuclear missile treaty with the United States, which pulled back from the pact a day earlier, raising the spectre of a new arms race.

In a high-stakes tit-for-tat with US President Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said: "Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation."

And he said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US.

Russia would "not be drawn into a costly new arms race", the president said in a televised meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu, adding it would only deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in response to similar moves from the US.

"We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic," Putin added.

On Friday, Trump said Washington would start a process to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement within six months.

Both countries have accused each other of violating the INF arms control agreement concluded between the US and the former Soviet Union in 1987.

On Saturday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev tweeted: "The Russian Government will procure funds and mechanisms for financing R&D and design of new types of weapons in view of the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty and response steps announced by the Russian President."

He called the US withdrawal "unilateral and totally unprovoked", and warned it "aggravates the situation in international security and strategic stability. It will certainly receive an effective response".

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europe.

It banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles).

The deal addressed Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

Trump had said he would like to "get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty", but in the meantime, the US "can't be put at a disadvantage".



- Disputed missile -



The US in December gave Moscow a 60-day deadline to dismantle missiles it said breached the agreement.

But Moscow insists the disputed 9M729 missile is allowed under the treaty.

Lavrov on Saturday repeated accusations that Washington itself has been in violation of the deal for many years, while Russia "tried everything to save the treaty" in several rounds of diplomatic talks.

Russia's defence ministry, in turn, accused the United States of having taken the decision to withdraw from the INF already "two years before the unfounded public accusations against Russia".

By 2017, "Washington had not only taken this decision but also had started preparations for the production of short-range and intermediate range missiles prohibited by the treaty", a ministry statement alleged.

European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise, and have called on Russia to address concerns before the US formally leaves in August.

Beijing also expressed concern Saturday, and called for "constructive dialogue".

China's foreign ministry has ruled out the possibility of negotiating a new multilateral pact that includes Beijing.

NATO has said that US allies "fully support" its withdrawal from the pact, and agreed that Russia's 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems violates the treaty.

Lavrov at Saturday's meeting voiced concerns that Washington's decision to withdraw from the INF could jeopardise the extension of the New START treaty.

That agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021.China opposes US withdrawal from INF



Beijing, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



China on Saturday said it opposes the US decision to withdraw from a landmark Cold War nuclear missile treaty and urged Washington and Russia to hold "constructive" discussions.

Moscow and Washington have long accused the other of violating the key Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement, which was signed in 1987 and resolved a crisis over Soviet missiles.

The US has said a new Russian medium-range missile system breaches the INF Treaty and on Saturday President Donald Trump said the country was suspending its obligations under the treaty -- a move mirrored shortly after by Moscow.

"China is opposed to the US withdrawal and urges the US and Russia to properly resolve differences through constructive dialogue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a statement.

Geng warned the US decision could trigger "a series of negative consequences," echoing warnings by both Russia and Europe that the pull out might lead to a new arms race.

Washington also has an eye on China as the INF pact restricts the United States, but not the rising Asian power.

US officials say that some 95 percent of China's ballistic and cruise missiles -- a core part of Beijing's defense strategy -- would violate the INF treaty if China were a party to it.

Trump said the United States was suspending its obligations as of Saturday and starting a process to withdraw in six months.

China's foreign ministry ruled out the possibility of negotiating a new multilateral pact that includes Beijing.

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan with last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europeans, banning ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (around 300 to 3,400 miles).NATO door opens for Macedonia



Brussels, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



NATO said Saturday its 29 members will Wednesday clear the way for Macedonia to become the alliance's 30th member following its historic name change.

"On 6 February we will write history: #NATO Allies will sign the accession protocol with the future Republic of North Macedonia," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov would attend the ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels, he added.

"Following the signature of the Accession Protocol, Skopje will be able to take part in NATO's activities as an invitee," a NATO official told AFP.

"The accession process then moves to the capitals of the 29 Allies, where the Protocol will be ratified according to national procedures. Once that process is completed the country will become a full member.

"The timeline for this process will largely be driven by the time required for national ratification procedure in Allied capitals."

Last month's accord with Greece to change the name of the former Yugoslav republic to Republic of North Macedonia ended one of the world's longest diplomatic disputes, paving the way for Skopje to join NATO and the European Union.

Since 1991, Athens had objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because Greece has a northern province of the same name. In ancient times it was the cradle of Alexander the Great's empire, a source of intense pride for Greeks.Turkey captures IS suspects on Syria border: ministry (lead)



Istanbul, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



Troops captured four Islamic State (IS) suspects in a Turkish town on the Syrian border while they were attempting to cross the frontier illegally, the defence ministry announced on Saturday.

Border units from the Turkish armed forces captured the four "Daesh terrorists" on Friday in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa in southeast Turkey, the ministry said on its official Twitter account, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

One of the suspects, identified as Feride Samur, was being sought with a red notice arrest warrant, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

IS jihadists are blamed in Turkey for a spate of terror attacks including a 2015 bombing on a peace rally in the capital Ankara's train station that claimed 100 lives.

Turkey has boosted security at its border crossings to prevent any infiltrations and allowed a US-led international coalition to launch air raids on the group's bases in Syria from its soil.US bolts Cold War missile treaty as Russia warns of arms race (WRAP-newseries)



Washington, Feb 1 (AFP) Feb 01, 2019



The United States said Friday it would exit a landmark Cold War nuclear missile treaty due to purported violations by Russia, which has warned of a new arms race in Europe.

Washington says a new Russian medium-range missile system breaches the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, although US officials also have an eye on China as the 1987 pact restricts the United States but not the rising Asian power.

President Donald Trump said the United States was suspending its obligations under the INF treaty as of Saturday and starting a process to withdraw in six months.

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan with last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europeans, banning ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (around 300 to 3,400 miles).

"The United States has fully adhered to the INF treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions," Trump said in a statement.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States, which formally announced its concerns two months ago, had raised the alleged treaty violation with Russia more than 30 times.

"Russia's violation puts millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk, it aims to put the United States at a military disadvantage and it undercuts the chances of moving our bilateral relationship in a better direction," Pompeo said.

But Pompeo said the United States was still willing to talk to Russia in hopes that it comes into compliance.

Trump, speaking later to reporters, said he would like to "get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty," but in the meantime, the United States "can't be put at a disadvantage."

- Russia warns of arms race -



Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sought a warm relationship with Trump but is widely reviled by the US establishment, has declared that the US withdrawal would set off a new arms race.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday's decision was not about Russia but rather "the strategy of the United States to get out of its international legal obligations in different areas."

Zakharova told television channel Rossiya 1 that the US had provided "no evidence, no satellite photo... no evidence" to back its allegations and that, once Washington leaves the treaty, Russia "reserves the right to an appropriate response."

NATO said in a statement that the US allies "fully support" the withdrawal and agreed that Russia's 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems, whose range is the cause of US concerns, violated the treaty.

But Europeans also voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the United States formally leaves in August.

"To us, it's clear that Russia violated this treaty, and that's why we must talk with Russia," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, speaking as the bloc's foreign ministers gathered in Bucharest, said that the Europeans did not want "our continent going back to being a battlefield or place where other superpowers confront themselves -- this belongs to a faraway history."

Trump also faced criticism at home, where Democrats said the "America First" president was too eager to withdraw from yet another international treaty.

"The Trump administration is risking an arms race and undermining international security and stability," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

- Fears for more treaties -



To add further to Europe's worries, Moscow's top INF negotiator, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, warned that after the collapse of the treaty that another key arms control agreement -- the New START treaty -- could follow.

That agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021 and Ryabkov said there was a "big question" over what would happen next.

France, voicing regret over the INF treaty, appealed for the United States and Russia to extend the New START treaty beyond 2021.

A US official, addressing reporters on condition of anonymity, rejected the idea that the United States was opening up an arms race and said it would take time to see how Washington would proceed when unbound from the INF treaty.

"Because we have been adhering to this treaty for so long," the official said, "we are some time away from being in a position to know what we might want to deploy, where we might want to deploy."

While relations remain tense with Russia, US defense planners have put a major focus on China due to its fast-growing military spending and increasing assertiveness in the dispute-ridden waters of Asia.

US officials say that some 95 percent of China's ballistic and cruise missiles, a core part of Beijing's defense strategy, would violate the INF treaty if China were a party to it.

burs-sct/wdGrim outlook for Aussie right points to another switch of PM



Sydney, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2019



While much of the West embraces the populist right, Australians are baulking at their government's climate-sceptic tough-on-migrants message, with polls pointing to a change in government at this May's election.

As things stand, folksy Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison risks being turfed out after less than a year on the job -- a short innings even in the self-styled coup capital of the democratic world.

Current polls show his conservative Liberal Party heading for its worst electoral defeat since 1983 and Australia getting a seventh change of prime minister in ten years.

"The polling has really been consistently showing that the Labor Party are ahead by a significant margin," said Glenn Kefford, a campaigns expert at Macquarie University.

"The sentiment out there is that the Labor party are headed for victory, it's just a question of what the size of that victory will be."

Facing an uncertain future, three of Morrison's cabinet ministers have called it quits before the campaign gets into full swing.

All three cited personal reasons for their departure, a common occurrence in the dog days of a two-term government.

But the prospect of a contentious campaign followed by long periods languishing on the opposition benches undoubtedly made their decision easier.

Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer publicly described her motives for retiring as "complex", but privately she is said to have complained that the coalition was seen as a bunch of "homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers".

Liberal ministers sticking it out are increasingly facing difficult contests against a resurgent Labor and independent women furious at the government's "blokeish" attitudes.

One commentator has dubbed it the revolt of the SPECS -- socially progressive but economically conservative liberals.

This week Health Minister Greg Hunt became the latest member of the cabinet to see his political future thrown into doubt.

His former party colleague-turned-independent MP Julia Banks announced she would challenge him at the election, citing "unfinished business" with the party and railing against the pro-coal government's failure to tackle climate change.

The Liberal response oscillated between furious denunciations of unspeakable treachery and an insistence she cannot possibly win.



- Populist backlash? -



Rather than propelling him along, some analysts believe the rise of the populist right may have sown the seeds for Morrison's downfall.

His short tenure has seen some clouds gathering in Australia's long-glittering G20 economy, stirred by Trump's trade fight with China and jitters over Brexit.

Morrison has also been plagued by a debilitating battle between traditional small government liberals and Trump-emboldened supporters of a more hardline view of liberal politics.

The wounds from their successful ouster last August of centrist former party leader and prime minister Malcolm Turnbull have festered.

"It was a catastrophic blunder," said political pundit William Bowe, who runs a popular blog called The Poll Bludger, pointing to public disdain for the continued musical chairs in Canberra.

The party's hard right "got a rush of blood to the head and I think Brexit and Donald Trump fed into it", said Bowe.

"Trump and Brexit have shown that populist right-wing programmes work if they are pursued aggressively and sold by an aggressive spokesperson."

They sought to get rid of "this 'milquetoast plutocrat' Malcolm Turnbull and put in a tough political fighter, a bomb-thrower".

The polls and a recent shock by-election win for an independent woman in a Sydney seat that the party held for decades seemed to show the Liberals badly misjudged the public mood.

But Morrison, a devout Christian, shows few signs of easing off, continuing to play to the base and presenting himself as a "fair dinkum" Aussie who you can have a beer with at a barbecue.

"There is a lot of rehashing of old debates and old culture wars," said Kefford. "They want to try to get the base energised."

It is an unusual and perhaps fateful strategy in a country where compulsory voting makes turnout -- the normal aim of appeals to the base -- almost irrelevant.

In some sections of the Liberal Party the postmortem has already begun. But Trump and Brexit have shown that conventional wisdom can be wrong.

"The political environment is challenging for the government," admitted former Liberal foreign minister Julie Bishop at a speech in Hong Kong.

But she cautioned: "It is likely to become a much closer contest than many anticipate. My strong advice is do not write us off. That would be a mistake. Big mistake."Snopes pulls out of fact-checking partnership with Facebook



Washington, Feb 1 (AFP) Feb 01, 2019



Snopes, the popular myth-busting website, said Friday it was ending its fact-checking partnership with Facebook as part of a "difficult, but necessary change."

A Snopes statement said it was "evaluating the ramifications and costs of providing third-party fact-checking services," and wants the efforts to be "a net positive for our online community, publication, and staff."

The statement did not elaborate but Snopes vice president Vinny Green told the media education group Poynter the partnership was excessively labor intensive, requiring manual updates to fact checks by its staff of 16.

"With a manual system and a closed system, it's impossible to keep on top of that stuff," Green told Poynter.

Green posted Snopes' statement on Twitter later commenting: "A difficult, but necessary change for Snopes in 2019."

Snopes said it agreed to partner with Facebook "without financial benefit to ourselves," but added that it faces increasing financial difficulties.

"Just as we believe credible and reliable content creators deserve to be paid for their work, we believe that fact-checkers should be compensated commensurately for the valuable services they provide to platforms," the statement said.

Snopes partnered with Facebook in 2016 on fact-checking and has been one of many global organizations that have agreements with the social network to help it fight misinformation.

Facebook said in a statement: "We value the work that Snopes has done, and respect their decision as an independent business."

The California-based social network added: "We are committed to fighting this through many tactics, and the work that third-party fact-checkers do is a valued and important piece of this effort.

"We have strong relationships with 34 fact-checking partners around the world who fact-check content in 16 languages, and we plan to expand the program this year by adding new partners and languages."

Snopes, which claims to the oldest internet fact-checking operation, was founded in 1994 as Urban Legends Reference Pages.

Facebook ramped up an effort on fact-checking after being accused of disseminating misinformation during the 2016 US election.

It uses artificial intelligence to flag questionable content and then sends any dubious posts to the independent fact-checkers.

Depending on the determination by those fact-checkers, Facebook may demote a post or add a message indicating it had been verified.

In the United States, Facebook has been working with FactCheck.org and PolitiFact in addition to Snopes. Facebook buys fact-checking content from AFP in over 14 countries.Nancy Madsen has written for newspapers in Watertown, N.Y., and Mankato, as well as for PolitiFact Virginia at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va. Nancy is a graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., and Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y.Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, is the state representative for District 24A, which includes Owatonna and Waseca. He can be reached by phone at 651-296-5368 or by email at rep.john.petersburg@house.mnSuccess! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.You are the owner of this article.Enterprise, AL (36331)

Today

Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. High around 80F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.The Electric Power Corporation (EPC) is in a race against time to meet Samoas 2025 deadline for 100 per cent renewable energy.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, EPC Chief Executive Officer, Tologata Tile Tuimaleali'ifano said developing the countrys renewable energy is a big challenge for his organisation.

For 2019, the big challenge is developing renewable energies. At the moment we are currently looking at how we can achieve the 100 per cent renewable by 2025, so far its about 50 per cent renewable right now, and the other 50 per cent is from diesel-generated power, he said. With six more years to go before the deadline, Tologata said other renewable power sources currently under the scrutiny of the EPC is a wind farm.

We only have a couple years left and so we are looking at how we can achieve the next 50 per cent, at the moment we are currently in the process of discussing the wind farm at Mount Le Pue.

The EPC signed a power purchasing agreement with Chinese company E-Power to commission a wind farm, but Tologata indicated that the project didnt progress to completion after two years. We signed a power purchasing agreement with a Chinese company which is E-Power. In the past two years, unfortunately they could not deliver the PPA, we are now renegotiating or looking at how we can implement the wind farm.

But the EPC Chief Executive Officer hasnt thrown in the towel on the project, saying he still hopes it can be implemented despite the challenges.

We have great hopes that if we can implement the wind farm, it can contribute immensely to achieving our target by 2025.

A biomass plant  which will use an invasive plant species that needs to be eradicated  is also under construction at Afolau. But Tologata said it is only a small scale.

While the focus for the organisation is to put Samoa in a position to be 100 per cent renewable by 2025, EPC Chief Executive Officer said they will still need the Fiaga diesel power generators as a backup, in the event a renewable energy plant experiences an interruption in generating electricity.System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff7205c18)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7286780)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff7205c18)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7286780)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff7266178)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7286780)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7286780)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6c40880)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff710f9e8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff710f9e8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff7111e48)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7663f20)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff7111e48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7663f20)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff70d26e0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7663f20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7663f20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff67863b8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff71f3be0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff71f3be0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff67b6c30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6c05678)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff67b6c30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6c05678)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff6cf62d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6c05678)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6c05678)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6bac500)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff6be7eb8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff6be7eb8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff6f01178)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7247470)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff6f01178)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7247470)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbff6f7f150)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7247470)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff7247470)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6788208)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff720b870)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff720b870)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0Leading the charge Congress President Rahul Gandhi called the scheme to provide direct income support of Rs 6,000 each to poor farmers as the "biggest insult".

New Delhi : Opposition parties on Friday panned the Modi governments final Budget, saying the entire exercise was made eying the Lok Sabha elections and claimed it failed to address the acute agrarian and employment crises.

When Rs 3.5 lakh crore of loans to a handful industrialists have been waived, an income Rs 17 per day to our debt ridden farmers is nothing but an insult. There can no bigger insult than that

"Giving Rs 17 per day to our debt-ridden farmers is nothing but an insult. There can be no bigger insult," said Gandhi after participating in a meeting of 21 Opposition parties where agrarian crisis and unemployment were the core issues discussed.

Flaying the Modi government over the agrarian crisis and alarming unemployment, Gandhi also said they will be major issues ion the Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the interim budget presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal and called it 'Aakhri Jumla Budget.'

"Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arrogance has destroyed the lives of our farmers," said Rahul in a tweet.

The Congress chief also said that giving farmers Rs. 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for.

Congress veteran and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said "It was not a Vote on Account but an Account for Votes."

He pointed the big takeaway of the budget was the present government had "further weakened fiscal stability" and said the exercise points to the government's "incompetent fiscal management and a disdain for fiscal prudence".

If the Congress called the interim budget an "account for votes", the Trinamool Congress said it was "BJP's manifesto" for the Lok Sabha polls and questioned the Modi government's fiscal prudence.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee described the Budget as a "farce" and a "BJP manifesto".

"The Budget proposals will be not implemented... New government will present the Budget. This government's expiry date will be over in one month. What will they implement in one month?"

"There is no future of the Interim Budget ahead of the elections," Banerjee told the media in Kolkata.

"It is obvious that economic emergency is going on in our country. Our apprehension is where the money will come from," she added.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) ridiculed the budget as another 'jumla' (fake promise) and questioned the government move to present Budget for the entire year.

"This cannot be the final budget for this year because the government presenting it, and the Lok Sabha considering it, will both cease to exist less than two months into the financial year to which the budget pertains," it said.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said "Promises made today are not worth the paper they are written on".

"Modi government came to power in 2014 promising 10 crore new jobs, 100 new smart cities, doubling of farmers income and Rs 15 lakh in each bank account. This is another attempt to fool people before polls but it won't succeed," he added.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party head Arvind Kejriwal called it the "final jumla of Modi government".

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav billed the interim budget as "everything but true".

"The budgetary provisions are a bundle of lies," he said and blamed the Modi government for the "highest unemployment rate in 45 years".

"The youth will take revenge on the false promises and joblessness in the Lok Sabha elections," added Yadav.

Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha also attacked the Budget.

"It is a cash-for-votes budget. It is illegal for a candidate to do it, but when the government does, it is perfectly valid. I hope the people of India will not be fooled by these last-minute gimmicks," he tweeted..      21  -    153.             .               ,     ,       ,      .         ...And so it has been with the Congress at the centre, and families of politicians in various states.

The throne passes on from generation to generation, with guardians installed between the death of a ruler and the coming of age of the next.

The decades since independence have largely followed the centuries that preceded it.

Priyanka Gandhi, who had refrained from active participation in politics after a brief foray nearly two decades ago, was on January 23 appointed the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary for East Uttar Pradesh.

Once home of several Congress bastions, this region has been sliced up between various parties now. Priyanka Gandhi, who bears both a powerful name and an apparent resemblance to her grandmother Indira, has been chosen as key strategist for parliamentary constituencies which include Varanasi, that of prime minister Narendra Modi, and Gorakhpur, which saw the rise of Yogi Adityanath, current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

After successful visits to Amethi and Rae Bareilly, there is a good chance Priyanka Gandhi will take the lead in campaigning during the run-up to elections.

Before she has had the chance to start, the BJP appears anxious and its leaders have already shoved their feet into their mouths.

Subramanian Swamy told news agency ANI that Priyanka Gandhi suffered from bipolar disorder, beat up people and had a violent character, and that she could lose her balance and therefore it would be inappropriate for her to enter public life.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya referred to the Congress fielding chocolatey faces for the Lok Sabha elections. When he received flak for a sexist comment against Priyanka Gandhi, he arguably made it all the worse by claiming he was referring to actresses, and not Priyanka Gandhi.

I find myself concerned not so much by the reactions of politicians as those of that section of the public that deems itself liberal and progressive.

Our newspapers and web portals have carried several columns on sexism and Priyanka Gandhi, on Priyanka Gandhis significance to feminism in politics, on the strong women of the Congress (all of whom belong to the same family), and on her purported political astuteness and universal appeal.

With a brother and husband who provide the media with gaffes fairly regularly, Priyanka Gandhi only has to stay silent to appear astute by comparison.

But one can hardly speak of feminism and the space for women when the woman in question was born into power.

Not long ago, the media was speaking about woman-power in the context of Jayalalithaa, Mayawati, and Mamata Banerjee, all of whom entered politics in their youth and worked their way to their positions. Perhaps not coincidentally, all of them were single.

It becomes problematic when the woman question is confused with a political order that is already in place.

Jawaharlal Nehru assumed the prime ministership of a newly independent India, and it was amidst some controversy that his daughter Indira Gandhi took over as the leader of the Congress party after his death. Her death saw her sole surviving son, Rajiv Gandhi, assume the mantle. At the time of his death, his children were barely out of their teens. Sonia Gandhi, his wife, who had never been active in politics until his death, suddenly took centre stage. Though she turned down the prime ministership when it was within her reach, she retained leadership of the party through both its terms.

After the Congress election debacle in 2014, it was clear the party needed a new face.

In 2017, after a painfully sycophantic speech by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, took over as the President of the Congress. In his time in office, he hasnt proved particularly popular, and his declarations to the media have not helped his cause.

Right when it seemed there was a fair chance this generation of the Nehru-Gandhi clan would not produce a prime minister  the other politically active grandchild of Indira Gandhi, Varun Gandhi, is in the BJP and seems a fair way from prime ministership  47-year-old Priyanka Gandhi has entered the fray.

There is something to be said for inherited power  children of political families are groomed practically from birth  but the euphoria over Priyanka Gandhis rise to power seems misplaced.

It is not clear whether the Congress will field the sibling duo for 2019, and India has had unlikelier prime ministers than Rahul Gandhi. His sister, by dint of her silence alone, seems to have a better chance at the title. And she may well be a good choice for the role. But her inheritance must be acknowledged, and perhaps the gushing ought to wait till she has proved her mettle.

Nandini is the author of Invisible Men: Inside India's Transmasculine Networks (2018) and Hitched: The Modern Woman and Arranged Marriage (2013). She tweets @k_nandini. Her website is: www.nandinikrishnan.comMumbai: Stocks of diversified natural resources major Vedanta plunged by around 18 per cent on the back of a decline in Q3 consolidated profit.

The company's scrip on the BSE fell 17.82 per cent or Rs 35.20 on Friday to Rs 162.30 from its previous close.

"Shares of Vedanta fell around 18 per cent on Friday on account of a 21 per cent on year decline in its third quarter consolidated profit due to lower commodity prices and shutdown of copper smelter at Tuticorin," said Deepak Jasani of HDFC Securities.A few interim-budgets in recent past did speak about implementation of programs and benefits to people. However no government has proposed a change to the provisions of Income-Tax Act in an interim budget. Tax slabs have always been retained and very few proposals made in an interim budget can be referred to as earth-shattering.

Not much was supposed to be expected from an interim-budget, considering the conventions that the outgoing government just presents a statement of revenues and expenditures. Proposals for sweeping changes and reforms have to wait until the full budget.

To that regards, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's speech certainly seems populist, impressive and manages a fine balance. At least on the face of it.

Goyal's interim budget touched upon the aspects of income tax- a tax rebate for salaried class up to Rs 5 lakhs. However, life doesn't convincingly change for those in slabs above Rs 5 lakh. A tick mark to that box called agricultural reform. A total of Rs 6,000 will be credited per annum to the bank accounts of farmers in installments. The opposition said that an amount of Rs 17 per day does no good to farmers.

The corporate sector which had been anxiously expecting a few benefits, namely cuts in corporate tax rate, benefits in GST, Customs and Excise benefits seemed content assuming that an uptick in consumer spending might turn as a positive impact for them.

Sector wise, the telecom sector was unhappy that there was no clarification on spectrum-usage charges. The Real Estate sector would have to wait for a Group of Ministers to elaborate on a policy for GST on real estate transactions. The construction sector has referred to change in ceiling for TDS, tax rebates and a tweak in capital gains tax on property transactions as good announcements.

On that note, Here is a look at previous interim budgets and the key statements announced in them: (Starting with the latest)

Piyush Goyal's Interim Budget of 2019-20:

Farm policies: Rs 6,000 per annum to be given to every farmer having up to 2 hectare land. Applicable from September 2018. Amount will be transferred in 3 installments. 2% interest subvention for farmers pursuing animal husbandry. Creation of separate department for fisheries.

Deductions: Full rebate up to Rs 5 lakh annual income after all deductions. Standard deduction increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. Single window for approval of Indian filmmakers. Full Highlights available here

P Chidambaram the Finance Minister who presented India's dream budget also announced the Interim Budget of 2014-15. This interim budget was Announced on February 17, 2014:

In this budget speech, he Offered an idea of the economy, emphasized that agriculture, Infrastructure development, and exports grew when his party was in control.



A few major policies that he touched upon in his budget speech revolved around those on Sugar decontrol, Diesel Price Correction, and the liberalisation in FDI policies. He also elaborated upon the budgetary allocations made in scheduled caste sub-plan, tribal sub-plan, Child & Gender budget, and Defence.



Although there was no major change, he announced a budget allocation on on One Rank One Pension policy. But the implementation was to be done prospectively from the next year.



A provision to provide Rs 11,200 crore for capital infusion in public sector banks was mooted.



Proposed that the moratorium for central scheme for interest subsidy on education loans be extended. Chidambaram said that this measure would benefit nearly 9 lakh student borrowers to the tune of approximately Rs 2,600 crore.



No change in taxation policy owing to conventions of interim budget but other policy related measures proposed included a reduction of excise duty on cars and products under HS code chapter 24 and 25. Also, Healthcare services provided by blood bank servies were proposed to be exempt from service tax in this budget.



To end his speech, Chidambaram quoted the Tamil Sage, Thiruvalluvar, Vel Anru Venri Tharuvathu Mannavan Kol Athuvoom Kodaathu Enin. (Not the spear but sceptre swayed with equity Alone gives the ruler victory.)

Pranab Mukherjee's Interim Budget of 2009-10 presented on February 16, 2009:

Mukherjee proposed a total expenditure for fiscal 2009-10 at Rs.9,53,231 crore. He said this included a provision of Rs.2,85,149 crore under plan and Rs.6,68,082 crore under non plan.



He Proposed several budgetary allocations in the interim budget. For the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program, an allocation of Rs.13,100 crore for 2009-10. Also, Rs.30,100 crores for National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme; Rs.8,000 crores for the national programme of Mid-day Meals in schools; Rs.6,705 crore towards Integrated Child Development Scheme; Rs.11,842 crore for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission; Rs.7,400 crore for Rajiv Gandhi Rural Drinking Water Mission.



Extended the interest subvention of 2 per cent on pre and post shipment credit for certain employment oriented sectors such as Textiles (including handloom & handicrafts), Carpets, Leather, Gem and Jewellery, Marine products and SMEs beyond March 31, 2009 till September 30, 2009. He expected an additional financial outgo of Rs.500 crore during Financial Year 2009-10.



Speaking about the provisions and the vote-on-account, Mukherjee said, "While the proposed provisions are appropriate for a Vote-on-Account, I would like to point out that Plan expenditure for 2009-10 may have to be increased substantially at the time of the presentation of the regular Budget, if we are to give the economy the stimulus it needs to cope with the global recession that is likely to continue through the year. In the current environment, there is a clear need for contra-cyclical policy and it calls for a substantial increase in expenditure in infrastructure development where we have a large gap and in rural development where the programs such as Bharat Nirman and NREGS are playing a vital social role. Since the scope for revenue mobilization is bound to be limited in a period of economic slowdown, any increase in plan expenditure will increase the fiscal deficit. Indeed, we may have to consider additional plan expenditure of anything from 0.5 per cent to 1.0 per cent of the GDP and gear up our systems accordingly"

Jaswant Singh, presented the interim Union Budget on Feb 3, 2004

In this budget he presented a rosy picture of the economic growth of the country. A major announcement was foregoing the levy of tax on capital gains on acquisition of agricultural land.



Singh said, "Farmers face hardship on account of levy of tax on capital gains, and accrued interest on enhanced compensation, when their agricultural land is acquired by the Government. The Government believes that capital gains on such acquisition should be exempt from tax. There should also be no deduction of tax at source on the interest earned on enhanced compensation for acquisition of such land."



Another corporate policy that was keenly appreciated was that of taxation on shipping tonnage. "More than 90 per cent of world shipping tonnage is subject to very low levels of taxation. To provide a level playing field so that Indian shipping becomes internationally competitive, a tonnage tax scheme, with notional income at a fixed rate, on the basis of net registered tonnage should be considered."



The budget did not seek major changes to taxation, but Singh said that it was necessary to bring about a change in Income Tax procedures under the amendment of the Income Tax Act.



"With these proposals I estimate total revenue receipts of the Centre at Rs 290,882 crore, the fiscal deficit at Rs.136,452 crore, which is 4.4 per cent of the estimated GDP and the revenue deficit at Rs.89,860 crore, which is 2.9 per cent of the estimated GDP."

Yashwant Sinha's, interim budget delivered on 4th March 1991:

The year 1991 was one of great economic and political turmoil. A new government had been formed following the premature dissolution of the Lok Sabha on March 13, 1991. In terms of economic challenges, the Balance of Payment crisis and feeble foreign exchange reserves were alarming issues to be tackled.



Sinha, in this interim-budget sought to disinvest upto 20% of equity in public sector undertakings in favour of mutual funds and financial or investment institutions in the public sector. The modalities were to be announced separately.



The Finance Bill presented in the interim-budget sought to continue existing rates of Income tax, and there was no change in the rates of Customs and Central Excise duties. However, provision was made in the Finance Bill for the continuance of the auxiliary duties of Customs and special duties of Excise at the existing rates for the next financial year.



Speaking about tax revenues, he said, "In the sphere of receipts, at the existing rates of taxation, gross tax revenue is estimated at Rs.65,354 crores next year, compared to the revised estimate of Rs.58,916 crores in the current year. The payments to States of their share of taxes is placed at Rs.15,900 crores next year as against Rs.14,535 crores in the current year. Thus, the net revenue receipts of the Centre, including non-tax revenue, are estimated to increase from Rs.57,381 crores in 1990-91 to Rs.63,584 crores in 1991-92. Under capital receipts, market borrowings are placed at Rs.7,500 crores next year which is lower than Rs.8,000 crores in the current year. Budgetary receipts from net collections of small savings are estimated at Rs.6,000 crores in 1991-92 as compared with Rs.8,000 crores in 1990-91 on account of the transfer of the National Savings Scheme to the new Bharat Bachat Bank, proposed to be set up. External assistance excluding grants but net of repayments is expected to be Rs.4,000 crores in the next year as against Rs.3,984 crores in the current year.

Budget-Tales: Yashwant Sinha, Filmy yet Unfortunate Finance Minister of India

R Venkatraman's interim budget of 1980-81 was presented on June 18, 1980.

The proposed Finance Bill sought to continue existing rates of income-tax. In Venkatraman's words, he sought "three proposals of a non-controversial nature for the amendment of the income-tax Act."



A tax exemption for residents of Ladakh was proposed to be continued for a period of three years. Another Tax concession was proposed for outstanding work in alleviating distress of the poor, weak and ailing. The tax liability on the Nobel prize awarded to Mother Teresa was notably exempted. Venkatraman said, "Honorable Members will be glad to know that this provision will set at rest doubts about the taxability of the Nobel Prize awarded to Mother Teresa in recognition of her service to suffering humanity."



"There is no change in the rates of customs and Central excise duties. However, provision has been made in the Finance Bill for the continuance of the auxiliary duties of customs and special duties of excise at the existing rates for the year 1980-81."



Offering a glimpse of the economic situation, he said, "In the current year the economic situation has deteriorated greatly. The year 1979-80 is likely to record a decline of 1 to 2 per cent in Gross National Product. Agricultural production is expected to show a decline of something like 8 per cent and industrial production will be stagnant if not marginally lower than last year."



"In the Budget for 1980-81 which is now being presented for purposes of vote on account, budgetary support for Central Plan is placed at Rs.4500 crores. Government is considering revamping of the present scheme of food for work to make it a more potent instrument of employment generation. For the present, therefore, a provision of only Rs.70 crores is being made in the Budget for the existing scheme. Taking this also into account, budgetary support for Central Plan will be Rs.4570 crores against the Budget estimate of Rs.4411 crores for 1979-80."

HM Patel's budget speech was reportedly the shortest at approximately 800 words, nearly one-tenth of Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh' budget speech of 1991.



Patel clarified at the very outset of his budget that there was no time to prepare estimates and print budget documents afresh. "The annual financial statement and the demands for grants prepared earlier will serve the limited purpose of fulfilling the Constitutional requirements for taking a Vote on Account before the 31st March, 1977," he said in his budget speech.



He claimed that the expenditures had increased. He proposed a budget with a deficit of Rs 1,432 crores. And during this interim budget, Patel also asked ministries, departments and Public Sector Undertakings under the control of the Central Government to abstain from taking up new schemes and fresh major commitments till a review was completed.

TT Krishnamachari's interim budget speech, presented on March 19, 1957

TTK (Founder of Prestige) had become the first minister in independent India to resign over charges of corruption. Well, his exit meant that the then Prime Minister had to step in to announce the budget speech in Lok Sabha. Here's that story here.



TTK's opening statement explains the reason for an interim budget and the conventions. I rise to present the budget of the Central Government for the year 1957-58. "In 1952, under similar circumstances, my predecessor [referring to CD Deshmukh's budget of 1952] presented an interim budget. Its main purpose is to place before Parliament, an account of the finances of the Central Government for the current year and to obtain from the House a vote on account to meet Governments expenditure until the new Parliament considers the budget again.



TTK presented revenues collected over headers such as direct taxation, capital gains tax, duties on rayon, synthetic fibres etc. Total expenditure was Rs 625 crores of which Rs 252.71 crores would go towards Defence services.



Situation of foreign exchange and soaring imports was a grim reminder of the state of economy. TTK referred to a sum of $200 million sought from the International Monetary Fund. He also referred to tackling soaring imports and improving exports to tackle the challenge of balance of payments.

Interim budget was presented by CD Deshmukh in 1952-53 too.

Independent India's maiden budget speech too was an interim-budget. RK Chetty presented this budget speech. More details on that here.Press Release

February 2, 2019 Villanueva: Tulong Trabaho bill ready for Duterte's signature Senator Joel Villanueva on Saturday, February 2, said the Tulong Trabaho bill that seeks to provide free access to technical-vocational education is now ready for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature. The Presidential Legislative Liaison Office submitted the harmonized version of Senate Bill No. 1431 and House Bill No. 8139 to Malacanang last January 24, according to Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development. "The passage of our Tulong Trabaho bill into law will make tech-voc accessible to all, boost our workers' confidence to face the world of work and ensure that the youth who are ready to work hard with the right skill sets to obtain in-demand jobs," the senator said in a statement. The passage of the measure into law could hopefully address the problem of job-skills mismatch that has resulted to high unemployment rate, according to the senator. The unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to 5.1 percent in the last quarter of 2018 from 5 percent in the same period in 2017. The number of unemployed persons went up by 17,000 to 2.2 million while the number of employed dropped by 218,000 to 41.3 million. Recent report also revealed that educated Filipinos comprise almost half of the unemployed population in the country. Based on the JobsFit 2022 Labor Market Information (LMI) Report of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 43.9 percent or almost a million of the unemployed across the country in 2017 have either reached or graduated from high school. Of the said figure, 825,000 are college graduates. "This is a serious concern since it highlights the prevalence of job-skills mismatch in our country. To help resolve unemployment, the knowledge and skills of our graduates must match with the jobs needed by the market," Villanueva said. The report also noted that college undergraduates or graduates are less likely to get hired compared with jobseekers with lower level of educational attainment due to former's "higher reservation wages" and patience to wait for better job offers. The DOLE added that the chance of finding employment may also depend on the program or course the college graduates have completed. "Job-skills mismatch remains a problem in our labor sector and that is why we are adamant in pushing for the passage of our Tulong Trabaho that seeks to narrow the gap of unemployment by providing free tech-voc training and addresses job-skills mismatch through establishment of a Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program that is based on Labor Market Intelligence Reports," said Villanueva, the measure's principal author and sponsor, said. The law increases the funding for technical and vocational training by providing for a Tulong Trabaho Fund that will grant qualified recipients access to TVET training programs through the full payment of the selected programs' training fees. The fund also grants additional financial assistance to students such as transportation allowance and laboratory fees. The Tulong Trabaho fund will be administered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). "That's why we want to give more support to our people -- working and not working -- by apportioning a Tulong Trabaho Fund in the General Appropriations Act that will be managed by the TESDA Board," he said. He said increasing the allocation of TESDA scholarship programs will lead to greater output and productivity of workers. According to Villanueva, TESDA received P2.2 billion for its Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) last year. However, he said, the amount for TWSP funding remained the same for this year despite the increasing demand for tech-voc courses. TESDA records showed enrollees of tech-voc courses increased sharply by 45 percent or 2.3 million in 2015 from 1.6 million enrollees in 2010. Under the Tulong Trabaho bill, the TESDA Board would approve the list of eligible applications based on the recommendation of the TESDA secretariat. The recipients of the Tulong Trabaho fund would be evaluated periodically to ensure that at least 80 percent of the beneficiaries would be certified after the training program. Failure to meet the passing rate would subject the recipient industry board to performance review and be audited by the TESDA board, according to the bill.Press Release

February 2, 2019 Koko Condemns Zamboanga City and Jolo bombings Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III condemned in the strongest possible terms, the January 30 Zamboanga mosque blast that claimed the lives of two people and injured four others. The victims, most of whom were Muslim religious leaders from Basilan and nearby provinces, were sleeping when the explosion happened at midnight. The Jolo Cathedral was bombed while Sunday mass was being celebrated. "These acts of violence against places of worship are unforgiveable. Churches, mosques, temples, or other such places dedicated to religious worship must be respected and revered. They should be a safe sanctuary for the people and not a place of carnage," said Pimentel, whose resolution condemning the bombings of the Jolo Cathedral was adopted by the Senate last Monday, January 28. "Our penal code punishes the mere interruption of religious worship or even offending religious feelings during the celebration of any religious ceremony. This is how we give importance to the right of every person to the free exercise of religion, so targeting innocent civilians in places of worship is the height of barbarism," according to Pimentel. "For the victims of the Zamboanga mosque blast and their families, we extend our prayers and our promise to likewise pressure the PNP and other law enforcement agencies to solve this crime because there will only be justice if the perpetrators of these dastardly acts are identified, charged, and punished pursuant to law," Pimentel said. Pimentel also calls on everyone to be vigilant. He said, "safety is everyone's concern - the people, the police, the military, and the local government units. We all have to work together. This is the only way we can effectively deter further acts of violence."Press Release

February 2, 2019 'Boyet Challenge' discriminates PWDs - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged netizens to stop participating in an online experiment that vilifies persons with autism by mimicking their mannerism and making them a subject of ridicules. De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the "Boyet Challenge" social media trend should be stopped because it promotes discrimination of the defenseless, including persons with disability (PWDs). "I appeal for the immediate stoppage of 'Boyet Challenge' and similar online projects, and urge the public to please discontinue participating in such platforms that only breed stigmatization of PWDs, and engender discrimination and prejudice against the marginalized and vulnerable groups in our society," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 458. "Maling-mali na gawing puntirya ng katatawanan at panlilibak ang mga taong may autism o anumang kapansanan. What they have is not a disease, but merely a different ability - the ability to see the world in a spectrum of colors only they can appreciate, only they can see. They are not abnormal. They are special," she added. De Lima reacted after a social media experiment dubbed "Boyet Challenge" which encourages participants to upload videos imitating the lead character in the popular TV series "My Special Tatay" made the rounds online. Since the online game went viral, it provoked howls of protest from cause-oriented groups which pointed out that making fun of PWDs is unethical and illegal under Republic Act No. 9442, which protects PWDs from vilification. As both a parent and a grandparent to children born with autism, the lady Senator from Bicol pointed out that she knows that living a safe life free from any form of discrimination continues to be a challenge for PWDs and their families. "Nakikita ko at nararamdaman ang mga pagsubok na pinagdadaanan nila at ng kanilang mga pamilya, gaya ng pangangailangang pangkalusugan, edukasyon, produktibong gawain o trabaho, at ganap na pagtanggap ng komunidad at lipunan," she said. "Sa dami na ng hamong hinaharap ng mga taong may kapansanan at kanilang pamilya, dadagdag pa ba tayo sa pang-aapi at kawalang malasakit sa kanila?" she asked. De Lima appealed to her colleagues in the Senate to act with dispatch on Senate Bill (SB) No. 1433, or the proposed "Autism Care Act of 2017 which she filed last May 2017, seeking to elevate the status and improve the situation of people with autism. SB No. 1433, which De Lima considers as "a personal piece of legislation," seeks a national roadmap for addressing autism through the creation of the Autism Council of the Philippines to help raise public awareness about the psychological disorder.The cutting edge of the Chinese New Year

From:Shanghai Daily | 2019-02-02 04:29

RED lanterns hung on street lights, crimson-themed store windows, preserved fish and Chinese sausage dangling from wet market walls, long queues in front of traditional food shops and Spring Festival couplets posted on household doors.

Yes, the Chinese New Year is nigh, and one of the still observed old traditions is to get a haircut before the nations most important holiday.

Its a superstitious throwback to the belief that getting ones hair cut in the first month of the Lunar New Year would put a curse on a maternal uncle.

So to spare uncles any possible hex, or maybe just to look good at family reunions, many residents go to barbers and hair salons in the runup to the holiday, which falls on February 5 this year.

The Chinese character for head  tou  also means beginning, and therefore, getting a haircut implies making a fresh start.

For hairdressers, the week before the festival is the busiest time of the year.

I phoned three old hair salons in Shanghai and requested interviews, but staff all told me they were too busy to stop and talk.

Traditional hair salons have been gradually disappearing, replaced by chic, modern beauty parlors. According to Zhang Xueming, 94, who famously did hairstyles for celebrities like film actress Zhang Yu, badminton champion Zhang Ailing, scholars and foreign diplomats, todays Yuyuan Road was once known as a barber street, with around 10 hairdressing salons.

In order to get a glimpse of the few remaining, almost-century-old stores, I visited them as a customer.

The first shop I entered was Hujiang. Its name harks back to one of Shanghais most famous salons, the Hujiang Barber Shop on Huaihai Road M. Its said that during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, that shop often had long queues stretching to Maoming Road S.

The original salon was founded by Cai Wanjiang in 1946. It closed in 2001. Some former staff opened Hujiang later. Walking along Nanchang Road, I saw two shops named Hujiang. The one located at No. 183 is likely to be the most well-known.

The window displays seven faded photos of classic hairdos and a list of seven hairdressers with state-level titles. Entering the shop, I was told that the only hair cutter for women was off duty that day, so I just had my hair washed.

A middle-aged woman in a white shirt inside a red waistcoat tended to me while she talked about pensions with two elderly women sitting nearby. They seemed to have simply come in to chitchat.

From washing to drying, the whole process took only 10 minutes. Seeing two regular customers arriving, the staff were a bit careless in the drying.

I paid 25 yuan (US$3.7) for my shortest-ever shampoo. I left the shop a bit disappointed. Then again, regular customers may be attracted to the shop not by staff attitude but by staff skill in hairdressing.

After walking for 15 minutes to Yandang Road, I arrived at another hair and beauty salon called Central Plains. A doorman opened the door for me and helped me to hang my coat.

With a history of more than 80 years, the state-owned salon stands still at its original location, tucked away from bustling Huaihai Road.

Eighty yuan for hair washing, cutting and drying, said the male cashier, who still uses an abacus to do the accounts, Cash only.

He gave me a green ticket with the number 80 on it and pointed out the area for women to get shampoos.

In the old hair salons, the barbers cut only mens hair and other hairdressers did cuts for women, which is different from the unisex approach in modern shops.

The areas for male and female customers have to be separate because men want shaves, and the blades of straight razors are very sharp, staff member No. 37 told me. Its safer have fewer people in the mens area.

According to the 49-year-old staffer, the shampoo used is exclusively supplied by a time-honored company called Lumei, which doesnt do retail sales.

Before washing my hair, she applied cream on her hands.

Before starting this job, my hand skin was white and delicate, she said. But look at it now. My hands are super dry.

A native of Anhui Province, she said she had to work to help support her family  a husband and son.

Intriguingly, one of female staff had a head full of perm rollers. As the Chinese New Year approaches, staff often change hairdos.

I will get my hair permed and colored for these days, said staffer No.37.

These middle-aged hairdressers were like ayi, or aunties. They reminded me of my own relatives, who like to share a bit of gossip.

An elderly woman with a black patent leather handbag and glossy red lipstick sat next to me. One of the staff told me she was 81 years old.

I told an elderly customer this morning that you come into this shop as octogenarian and leave as a sexagenarian, said staffer No. 23. Getting ones hair permed makes women look younger.

Walking with canes and wearing flat caps or fedora hats, several elderly male customers look like lao kele, a term applied to older Shanghai men who incorporate Western and Eastern culture into their lifestyles.

My husband has been getting shaves in hair salons since his youth, said a 75-year-old woman, who was waiting for her 79-year-old husband. He doesnt think electric shavers do a good job, so he comes here once every two or three months. It is difficult to find a hair salon offering shaves nowadays.

Unlike women reclining in hair-washing chairs, men get their hair washed by bending over sinks. The electronic barber chairs, however, look very advanced. The brand implies that they are made in Japan.

After a neck and shoulder massage and a shampoo, I was told to go upstairs to get my hair dried. The second floor houses the women haircutting section and the beauty section.

Staffer No.1 served me. The number indicated that he is an experienced senior staff member at the hair salon.

I have been working here for 37 years, he said, telling me his surname is Sun. There are few years left before I retire. The youngest staff member in the shop is in his 40s. When we all retire, I guess the hair salon will close.

The hairdressing shop will close at 4pm on Chinese New Years Eve, February 4.

Even though the business will be very busy on the day, it still wont be comparable to the 1980s when the queue was so long that it stretched to the end of the road, the doorman told me. People needed to wait for two hours to enter the shop.

Nanjing Hair & Beauty Salon is another old salon that prospered during the golden age. Established in 1933, it was considered one of the four famous Shanghai hairdressing shops, along with Hujiang, Huaan and Xinxin.

I phoned the shop seeking an interview, but staff said they were too busy and instead put me in touch with Zhang Xueming, the retired 94-year-old who once worked there.

He invited me to his home.

We often worked overnight the two days before the Chinese New Year, said Zhang,. My family sent the reunion dinner to my workplace every year. There were 70 to 80 people in my VIP room. My two apprentices and I worked for them.

Zhang said knowing a little Cantonese and English was the minimum requirement for staff hired in the 1970s.

He is credited with creating many iconic hairstyles of that era. The Zhang Yu hairdo is one of the best-known. He designed the hairstyle for the character Xiaoyu in the film Narrow Street, starring Zhang Yu in the role of a tomboy. He cut Zhangs long tresses short, and the style became a trend soon after the movie was screened.

A native of Yangzhou, Zhang settled in Shanghai at age 15 and began to work as a hairdresser for women in a Yuyuan Road salon owned by a relative.

At the very beginning, I practiced the basic skill of raising my arms for several hours every day, Zhang told me. It is impossible for todays hairdressers to do that.

He said he learned painting, sculpture, chemistry and dermatology, invented an electric comb and waving lotion, and studied ancient hairstyles and face shapes.

His home reflected his eclectic life. On the walls hung painting and painted porcelain plates that he created.

According to Zhang, in the early stage of the hairdressing industry, every hair salon kept its hair cutting techniques secret. However, he said he was always happy to share his knowledge with his peers. He held seminars throughout the country and has published five books.

I was very passionate about my job, he said. It enabled me to encounter people of all walks of life. For example, I learned about dermatology from the father of a woman who was one of my regular customers. From little girls to elderly ladies, many customers came to me for several decades.

Though retired, he still cuts hair for one person  his wife.Press Release

February 2, 2019 De Lima seeks review of 'Bahay Pag-asa' program for delinquent minors Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has sought an immediate review of the implementation of the youth-care facilities, also known as "Bahay Pag-asa," to ensure that children-in-conflict-with-the-law (CICL) are properly treated and rehabilitated. De Lima said she wants to find out how these 24-hour child-caring institutions are being managed as mandated under Republic Act (RA) No. 9344, otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), as amended under RA No. 10630. "It is high time to review the status of its implementation and reassess the compliance of local government units and other agencies regarding the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act which has been existing for more than a decade now," she said. "The government should also reassess whether these 'Bahay Pag-asa' centers live up to its purpose in delivering interventions that would help prevent youth offenders from repeating their offenses once they leave the institution," she added. In October 2013, Congress passed RA No. 10630 which strengthens the country's juvenile justice system and thereby, amending RA 9344, also known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. Under RA No. 9344 as amended by RA No. 10630, all local government units (LGUs) are required to establish a "Bahay Pag-asa," a 24-hour child-caring institution that will serve as residential care for CICLs who are above 15 but below 18 years old. Of the 114 Bahay Pag-asa that were required under the law, however, only 58 are operational as of November 2018 and only eight of which were fully compliant with the law, as confirmed by the data from the Child Rights Network (CRN). In addition, only PhP40 million has been reportedly spent out of the PhP400 million allocated in 2013 to build "Bahay Pag-asa" centers. Aside from funding issues, De Lima also noted that violence reportedly persists in some "Bahay Pag-asa" centers, citing the case of a 14-year-old boy from Bahay Pag-asa in Mandaluyong City who suffered several bruises after he was punched while asleep. The lady Senator from Bicol maintained that "Bahay Pag-asa" should serve as a juvenile intervention and support center and not as a breeding ground for outlaws. "We need to look into this incident and see if there are enough personnel - from social worker, psychologist, and medical doctor -- in every Bahay Pag-asa who can look after the welfare of these children and ensure that they engage in meaningful programs instead of exposing them to more violence," she said. De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, maintained that lawmakers should focus on the full and proper implementation of the JJWA and not on lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR). The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights is expected to recommend the approval of a measure lowering of MACR from 15 to 12 years old minors while its counterpart panel in the House has approved a similar measure.Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Solvent-borne paints occupy a major share in the global market, however, with international rules and regulations playing their own cards, the market is set to shift its paradigm towards water-borne paints. The paint industry is growing at a modest rate after the recent economic recession of the 21st century. Solvent-based paints, used primarily for different types of coatings,captures a very large market volume of paints. However, high cost of solvent-based paints along with stringentregulations imposed by government agencies across the globe are pushing the paint and coatings industryto shift their technology to water-borne paints.



Increasing use of aliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons as solventsisthe major cause of environmental and health concerns. Water-borne solvents areconsidered the best alternative source for paint industries. With almost nil environmental effect, it is seen to streamline the business operations of the paint and coatings industry in the near future.



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It is expected that the marketsoperating in the paint and coatings domain will see a moderateCAGR in between 2014 and 2020. The key driving factor behind this vertical surge can be attributed to the fact that end-user applications such as industrial, architecture, wood coatings, packaging, coil coatings, marine protective coatings and aerospace coatings aregrowing at an exponential rate. Of all these, architecture is the focused area for paint industries. It will determine the growth trajectory of the water-borne paint industry by 2020.



China and India are potential markets for the water-borne paint industry in the Asia-Pacific region. By 2050, it is expected that population in the Asia-Pacific region will increase by 64%. Urbanization will be driven by infrastructure investment to meet the people's aspirations which in turn will scale the market size of the paint industry in this region. The Indian government is framing new policies to boost infrastructure across various cities. It has allocated US $ 1.2 billion for the same. It opens a new gate for paint companies for gaining high revenues. It is because of end-user applications in infrastructure that the Indian paint companiesexpect in between 10 to 15% growth in business volume by 2015. Another largemarket in Asia-Pacific is China. With GDP of China projected to grow over 8%, Chinese government is heavily focused on urbanization.The country has planned to invest US $ 6.8 trillion to develop new cities in its current five years plan. Other potential markets for the water-borne paint industry are Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.



In Latin America, Brazil is set to witness a high growth in infrastructure primarily due to its high GDP growth and considerable investment in infrastructure. It is expected to further accelerate its growth because of its destined venue for the Olympics in 2016. Other potential markets in this region are Argentina and Mexico. Growth in infrastructure is set to scale the paint market vertically upwards in Latin America.



The water-borne paint industry has a bright future in North America. With the US infrastructure reaching itsmaturity, it needs constant renovation to maintain its durability. Though the paint and coatings market was not flourishing, the industry is expected to review its growth to gain high momentum owing to huge investment in infrastructure maintenance in the future.



In Europe, stringent regulations imposed by REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) are driving the market from solvent-borne paints to water-borne paints. With its historical cities, it fascinates tourists from every corner of the world to have a glance at its monumental buildings. Europe, like the US, too is witnessing a maturity. In the coming years, it will need support from end-user segments, including the paint and coatings industry, to support its monumental heritage. However, in Europe, a big role will be played by healthcare and automotive sectors. Europe accounts for in between 25 to 30% of the global market share in the paint and coatings segment. The market in Europe seems to be in the doldrums mainly because of its huge market debt and slow economic reforms.



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With government policies shifting their need towards water-borne paints and inks, the paint industry is set to be accelerated by water-borne paints in various geographical locations. The US and Europe have already imposed strict regulations and it is expected to be the same in other parts of global region. The water-borne paint industryisset to grow at a moderate CAGR from 2014 to 2019. It has already penetrated in between 12 to 15% of the global paint market and is set to capture the remaining market share of paints driven by solvent-borne technology, in the coming future. With water-borne paints, the paint and coatings industryis set to witness a high return on investment by 2019.Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Strict legislations to check environmental pollution along with high popularity of clean fuel technologies is expected to push solar cells market growth over the next few years. Moreover, favorable government policies promoting solar cells installations as a part of its energy conserving initiative/strategy along with it being an effective tool for electricity/power generation, will spur the industry growth. High demand for off grid electricity plus diminishing costs of solar cell components, is projected to drive the market trends over the coming timeframe. According to Global Market Insights, Inc. research study, "Solar cells market size is expected to record significant gains of 12% over the period of 2016-2024." Effective measures to provide uninterrupted as well as clean power supply to off-grid and remote locations having poor access to electric supply, is anticipated to significantly drive the solar cells industry growth.



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Government initiatives towards conservation of energy coupled with ambitious targets to reduce carbon emission will further propel the solar cells market. In June 2015, Government of India has set revised solar mission target at 100 GW by 2022. As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), an estimated total investment of USD 94 billion is expected for upgradation to 100 GW solar power capacity. International Finance Corporation and World bank have also introduced programs including "Lighting Africa" with an aim to encourage the adoption of photovoltaic over conventional product source among off grid population.



Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:



- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

- Jinko Solar

- Trina Solar

- Canadian Solar

- First Solar

- Moser Baer India Ltd

- Yingli Solar

- SunPower Corporation

- Sunedison, Inc.

- Indosolar

- Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd.

- GreenBrilliance.

- SolarWorld



Rising demand for the decentralized generation systems in developing nations will enhance the penetration of the sustainable energy during the forecast period. Increasing investment towards rural electrification in off-grid locations in various countries including India, China, and Africa will fuel the solar cells market growth. In September 2015, African Development Bank (AfDB) approved USD 121 million loan and grant for the electricity expansion of rural households in Uganda.



The U.S. in 2015 was valued over USD 4 billion and is anticipated to expand over 14% owing to increasing utility scale installation. Government measures towards energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction will further complement the U.S. solar cells market growth. As per the Solar Energy Association, the solar industry in the U.S. installed 7,286 MW of solar photovoltaics in 2015 where the utility-scale sector represented more than 50% of the total solar PV installation.



Ultra-thin film cells technology was valued over USD 3 million in 2015 and is anticipated to expand over 30% by 2024 in terms of volume. Higher efficiency and light weight compared to other alternate technology will positively encourage the industry landscape.



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China accounted for over 45% of the global solar cells market share in 2015. Rising investment in the photovoltaic industry along with tax credits, soft loans, and other special grants by the government will stimulate the business outlook. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, photovoltaic industry has witnessed record investment of USD 12.3 billion in 2015.



Key participants in the solar cells market include Jinko, Sunedison, Canadian, Trina, Yingli, First Solar, Moser Baer, SunPower Corporation, GreenBrilliance, Indosolar, Tata Power, Solar World, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.



About Global Market Insights:

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- HTF MI recently Announced Poultry Vaccines - Global study with 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed TOC on "Poultry Vaccines -. Poultry Vaccines - Global research allows you to get different methods for maximizing your profit. The research study provides estimates for Poultry Vaccines - Global Forecast till 2025*. Some of the Leading key Company's Covered for this Research are Merial, CEVA, QYH Biotech, Ringpu Biology, Yebio, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Merck Animal Health, DHN, Zoetis, ChengDu Tecbond, Elanco (Lohmann), FATRO, CAVAC, Vaksindo.



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Poultry Vaccines - Global Research for a Leading company is an intelligent process of gathering and analyzing the numerical data related to services and products. This Research Give idea to aims at your targeted customer's understanding, needs and wants. Also, reveals how effectively a company can meet their requirements. The market research collects data about the customers, marketing strategy, competitors. The Poultry Vaccines - Manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly dynamic and innovative, with more number of private players entering the industry.



Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report:



1) Who are the Leading Key Company in Poultry Vaccines - Global market space?



Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the report " Merial, CEVA, QYH Biotech, Ringpu Biology, Yebio, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Merck Animal Health, DHN, Zoetis, ChengDu Tecbond, Elanco (Lohmann), FATRO, CAVAC, Vaksindo "



** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc.

2) What will the market size be in 2025 and what will the growth rate be?

In 2019, the Poultry Vaccines - Global market size was xx million USD and it is expected to reach USD xx million by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.



3) What are the Market Applications & Types:



The study is segmented by following Product Type: Live Vaccines, Killed Vaccines



Major applications/end-users industry are: Chicken, Duck & Goose



**The market is valued based on weighted average selling price (WASP) and includes any applicable taxes on manufacturers. All currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant annual average 2018 currency rates.



To comprehend Poultry Vaccines - Global market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Poultry Vaccines - market is analyzed across major regions. HTF MI also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas.



- North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico.

- South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

- Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa.

- Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia.

- Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia.



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Competitive Analysis:

The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as Merial, CEVA, QYH Biotech, Ringpu Biology, Yebio, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Merck Animal Health, DHN, Zoetis, ChengDu Tecbond, Elanco (Lohmann), FATRO, CAVAC, Vaksindo includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.

Research Parameter/ Research Methodology



Primary Research:

The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Poultry Vaccines - Global industry including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry's value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.



In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources  industry experts such as CEOs, vice presidents, marketing director, technology & innovation directors, founders and related key executives from various key companies and organizations in the Poultry Vaccines - Global in the industry have been interviewed to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study.



Secondary Research:

In the Secondary research crucial information about the industries value chain, total pool of key players, and application areas. It also assisted in market segmentation according to industry trends to the bottom-most level, geographical markets and key developments from both market and technology oriented perspectives.



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In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Poultry Vaccines - Global are as follows:

History Year: 2013-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025



Key Stakeholders in Poultry Vaccines - Global Market:

Poultry Vaccines - Global Manufacturers

Poultry Vaccines - Global Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers

Poultry Vaccines - Global Subcomponent Manufacturers

Industry Association

Downstream Vendors



**Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report.



Buy this research @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1598312



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.



About HTF Market Report

HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives".Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- Polymer microspheres present a flexible platform for applications in diagnostics and bioseparations. They may be coated with recognition molecules, such as antibodies, antigens, peptides, or nucleic acid probes, and can be loaded with hydrophobic dyes and other compounds. Unmodified polymer spheres also find extensive use as standards for instrument set-up and calibration. Available in diameters ranging from 20nm to 200m, products exhibit excellent size uniformity.



Global Polymer Microspheres market report is first of its kind research report that covers the overview, summary, market dynamics, competitive analysis, and leading player's various strategies to sustain in the global market. This report covers five top regions of the globe and countries within, which shows the status of regional development, consisting of market value, volume, size, and price data. Apart from this, the report also covers detail information about various clients which is the most significant element for the manufacturers.



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The following manufacturers are covered:



Polysciences, Inc.



Advanced Polymers



Bangs Laboratories, Inc.



Asia Pacific Microspheres



Cytodiagnostics



Matsumoto Yushi-Seiyaku



Merck



Akzo Nobel N.V.



J-Stage



3M



Chase Corporation



xBrane



Segment by Regions



North America



Europe



China



Japan



Promote discount link:



https://www.qyresearch.com/request-discount/form/949061/global-polymer-microspheres-market



Regions Covered in the Global Polymer Microspheres Market:



The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt)

North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada)

South America (Brazil etc.)

Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: enquiry@qyresearch.com



Strategic Points Covered in TOC:



Chapter 1:Introduction, market driving force product scope, market risk, market overview, and market opportunities of the global Polymer Microspheres market

Chapter 2:Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the global Polymer Microspheres market which consists of its revenue, sales, and price of the products

Chapter 3:Displaying the competitive nature among key manufacturers, with market share, revenue, and sales

Chapter 4:Presenting global Polymer Microspheres market by regions, market share and with revenue and sales for the projected period

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regionsPune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- The Patient Monitoring Equipment market research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize positions. The Patient Monitoring Equipment market research report also explains future Industry Supply, market demand, value, competition and its analysis of key player with industry forecast from 2018 to 2023.



Overview of Patient Monitoring Equipment Market :



- Patient monitoring equipment with specialized versions are used to monitor physiological signs.



The research covers the current market size of the Patient Monitoring Equipment market and its growth rates

based on 5-year records with company outline of Key players/manufacturers:



- GE Healthcare, Medtronic, Philips Healthcare, Smiths Medical, Abbott Laboratories, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Animas, ATHENA GTX, AVI Healthcare, Beijing Carejoy Technology, Braun & Company, Briggs Healthcare, CAS Medical Systems, CareTaker Medical, Contec Medical Systems, Corsens Medical..



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The scope of the Report:

This report focuses on the Patient Monitoring Equipment in the global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East, and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type, and application. The increasing demand for homecare monitoring equipment will drive the growth prospects for the global patient monitoring equipment market in the forthcoming years. The worldwide market for Patient Monitoring Equipment is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2023, from xx million US$ in 2018.



Target Audience of Patient Monitoring Equipment Market:



- Manufacturer / Potential Investors

- Traders, Distributors, Wholesalers, Retailers, Importers, and Exporters.

- Association and government bodies.



Major classifications are as follows:



- Body Temperature Monitoring Equipment

- BP Monitoring Devices

- Blood Glucose Monitor

- EEG And ECG Equipment

- Fetal Monitoring Equipment



Major applications are as follows:



- Homecare

- Hospitals and clinics

- ASCs



Global Patient Monitoring Equipment Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023):



- North America : United States, Canada and Mexico

- Europe : Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain and Benelux

- Asia Pacific : China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Australia

- Latin America : Brazil, Argentina and Colombia

- Middle East and Africa : Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa



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Further, in the Patient Monitoring Equipment Market research report, the following points are included along with an in-depth study of each point:



Production Analysis  Production of the Patient Monitoring Equipment is analyzed with respect to different regions, types, and applications. Here, price analysis of various Patient Monitoring Equipment Market key players is also covered.



Sales and Revenue Analysis  Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the Patient Monitoring Equipment Market. Another major aspect, price, which plays an important part in the revenue generation, is also assessed in this section for the various regions.



Supply and Consumption  In continuation with sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the Patient Monitoring Equipment Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part.



Competitors  In this section, various Patient Monitoring Equipment Market leading players are studied with respect to their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, price, cost, and revenue.



Other analyses  Apart from the aforementioned information, trade and distribution analysis for the Patient Monitoring Equipment Market, contact information of major manufacturers, suppliers and key consumers is also given. Also, SWOT analysis for new projects and feasibility analysis for new investment are included.



No. Of Pages: 138

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Phone: +1 408 520 9750/+44 203 239 8187New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Synthetic Graphite Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 to its huge collection of research reports.



This report researches the worldwide Synthetic Graphite market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions.



This study categorizes the global Synthetic Graphite breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.



Synthetic graphite is a man-made substance manufactured by the high temperature processing of amorphous carbon materials. The types of amorphous carbon used as precursors to graphite are many, and can be derived from petroleum, coal, or natural and synthetic organic materials. In some cases graphite can even be manufactured by the direct precipitation of graphitic carbon from pyrolysis of a carbonaceous gas such as acetylene (pyrolytic graphite). One important commonality between all graphite precursors is that they must contain carbon. Graphite is carbon, a specific form of carbon, so it can only be derived from other carbon containing substances.



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Although synthetic graphite can be manufactured from any number of precursor materials, the primary material used to manufacture it in the United States is petroleum coke. As noted above only certain types of carbonaceous feeds are suitable for graphite production. Therefore the petroleum coke used for the synthetic graphite industry must be carefully specified to assure it is of the type that will ultimately result in high quality graphitic carbon.



The global sales of Synthetic Graphite declines to 1191 K MT in 2016 from 1211 K MT in 2012, at a CAGR of less than -0.42%. In 2016, the global Synthetic Graphite market is led by China, capturing about 31% of global Synthetic Graphite production. USA is the second-largest country market with about 16% global Share. Japan is followed by 15% while Europe and India take about 12% respectively in 2016.



The Chinese production of Synthetic Graphite kept increasing in 2010-2013, especially in 2013, the production growth rate reached 7% though the price declined by more than 12.6%. It is said that the mine of graphite even increased by more than 30% in Jixi, Heilongjiang one of the largest graphite market in China. The capacity became grave oversupply at the same time. In 2014, government constraint policy came into working, and the mine got the efficacious restraint. The market is expected to be normalization in next years.



In the past five years, China mainly exported the primary processed graphite by low price, while imported high-end product from Japan, USA and Germany by very high price, which was even dozens of times more than the export price. Now, China has turn to the deep-process of the graphite. Some new projects come into work in these years. And China begins graphite overhaul in 2017, it may lead the Chinese export to expand in the near future.



Global Synthetic Graphite market size will increase to 8580 Million US$ by 2025, from 8410 Million US$ in 2017, at a CAGR of 0.3% during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Synthetic Graphite.



Read Detailed Research Report @ https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-synthetic-graphite-market-insights-forecast-to-2025.htm



This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Synthetic Graphite capacity, production, value, price and market share of Synthetic Graphite in global market. The following manufacturers are covered in this report:

GrafTech

SGL Carbon

Fangda Carbon

Showa Denko

Jilin Carbon

Graphite India

Tokai Carbon

HEG

Nippon Carbon

JSC Energoprom Management

SEC Carbon

Yangzi Carbon

Shida Carbon

Toray Carbon

Toyo Tanso

Toho Tenax Group

Mersen Group

Mitsubishi Rayon

Poco Graphite

Ibiden

Formosa Plastics Group

Hexcel

Asbury Graphite



Synthetic Graphite Breakdown Data by Type

Graphite Electrodes

Carbon Fibers

Specialty Graphite

Graphite Granular & Powder

Others



Synthetic Graphite Breakdown Data by Application

Iron and Steel Industry

Battery Industry

Aluminum Industry

Industrial Components

Others



Synthetic Graphite Production Breakdown Data by Region

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Other Regions



Complete table of content is available @ https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-synthetic-graphite-market-insights-forecast-to-2025.htm/toc



The study objectives are:

To analyze and research the global Synthetic Graphite capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast;

To focus on the key Synthetic Graphite manufacturers and study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in next few years.

To focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.

To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.

To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.

To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.

To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.

To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.



For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.



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Blog: https://reportanalysis.blogspot.inU.K. lawmakers voted this week to send May back to Brussels to seek changes to the divorce agreement. But the EU is adamant that the deal cannot be renegotiated, leaving Britain lurching toward a cliff-edge departure from the bloc on that many businesses fear will cause economic chaos.

Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but a divorce agreement struck between Prime Minister Theresa May's government and the bloc late last year as been rejected by Britain's Parliament.

Institute interim director Edwin Morgan said smaller firms typically have tighter resources and for them "to be thinking about such a costly course of action makes clear the precarious position they are in."

The survey by employers' group the Institute of Directors found that 16 percent of businesses already had relocation plans while a further 13 percent were "actively considering" a move. The group said that while headlines have focused on big companies, less notice has been given to smaller businesses and their moves to relocate.

Nearly a third of U.K. firms may shift operations abroad because of Britain's pending departure from the European Union, a survey of 1,200 company directors suggested Friday, as political stalemate over a Brexit deal heightened jitters among businesses.

A survey of companies released Friday showed that manufacturing firms stockpiled goods at a record rate in January to prepare for potential Brexit disruption to trade.

The survey of about 600 manufacturers by market research company Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply found that inventories of finished goods rose sharply, while optimism in the sector was at a 30-month low and jobs were starting to be cut.

Senior government ministers have suggested Britain may have to seek a delay to Brexit to make time to find a solution. A delay would need the approval of the 27 remaining EU states. Ireland's Europe Minister, Helen McEntee, said the bloc would likely agree, as long as Britain had a good reason. "There is no point in looking for an extension if we end up back to the same place in three months' time," she said. "We need to have a clear direction from the U.K. government as to what it is we want to achieve."

The sticking point to a deal for many British lawmakers is a border measure known as the "backstop," a safeguard mechanism that would keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU to remove the need for checks along the border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland after Brexit.

The border area was a flashpoint during decades of conflict in Northern Ireland that cost 3,700 lives. The free flow of people and goods across the near-invisible border underpins both the local economy and Northern Ireland's peace process.

Many pro-Brexit British lawmakers fear the backstop will trap Britain in regulatory lockstep with the EU, and say they won't vote for May's deal unless it is removed. May has been sounding EU leaders out on potential changes, but Britain's stance has caused exasperation among politicians in the bloc, who point out that May signed up to the deal that she is now seeking to change.

"This was a deal that was negotiated with the U.K., by the U.K.," McEntee said. "They weren't bystanders in a separate room. There were discussions, negotiations, there were compromises on both sides."New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- A new market assessment report on Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market provides a comprehensive overview of Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry for the forecast period 2018 - 2026. 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 Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026.



Request for Sample Copy of Intravascular Ultrasound Tools Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/29659



Scope of the Report:

This industry assessment for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026 incorporates projections pertaining to the investment feasibility, gross margin, profits, consumption volume, production capability and major market vendors. Likewise, statistics associated with the competitive landscape, shifting consumer behaviour and spending power is showcased and well-explained with the help of treasured resources such as charts, graphs and graphic images, which can be easily incorporated in the business or corporate presentations.



Estimating the potential size of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry

Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user  customers. Data on the entire size of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry for a specific product or service.



Exploring growth rate over a period

Business owners looking to scale up their business can refer this report that contains data regarding the rise in sales within a given consumer base for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. Product owners can use this information along with the driving factors such as demographics and revenue generated from other products discussed in the report to get a better analysis of their products and services. Besides, the research analysts have compared the market growth rate with the product sales to enable business owners to determine the success or failure of a specific product or service.



Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:

- Infraredx

- Terumo

- Siemens

- Medtronic

- Boston Scientific

- Esaote SpA

- St. Jude Medical

- Philips

- Avinger

- GE



Buy Intravascular Ultrasound Tools Market Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/29659



Subject matter experts conducting the study also take a closer look at the products at their development stage and in the pipeline to help business owners conclude on the business strategies that can lower their cost and promise great returns or profits. Strong emphasis on new launches, acquisition and mergers, collaboration, import and export status and supply chain management empowers the business evangelists, manufacturers and business owners build a robust strategy when it comes to making an investment.



Grow with the trend

The Intravascular Ultrasound Tools helps product owners learn how certain trends will shape the growth of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry over a long term. The study closely looks at the historical price pattern of various products and services and empowers entrepreneurs to form the right opinion about the future trends. Accordingly, business owners will be able to decide their course of action and make a wise decision.



The research provides answers to the following key questions:

- What is the estimated growth rate and market share and size of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026?

- What are the driving forces in the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026?

- Who are the prominent market players and how have they gained a competitive edge over other competitors?

- What are the market trends influencing the progress of the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools industry worldwide?

- What are the major challenges and threats restricting the progress of the industry?

- What opportunities does the market hold for the prominent market players?



There are 13 Chapters to deeply display the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools market.



Chapter 1 covers the Intravascular Ultrasound Tools 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 2026;



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 2026;



Chapter 4, shows the global market by regions and the proportionate size of each market region based on sales, revenue and market share of Intravascular Ultrasound Tools, for the period 2018- 2026;



Continue



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News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsValley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- The personal care products market comprises hair care, skin care, toiletries, fragrances convenience products and others. Among all these segments toiletries and skin care comprises the major segments for the market, constituting with high market value with favorable perspective in the near future. Tissue and hygiene is the sub-segment of toiletries segment. Tissue and hygiene products help consumers to maintain healthy and hygienic lifestyle in day to day schedule. Tissue and hygiene products are further categorized as disposable razor or blades, sanitary pads, nappies, cleansers, sprays, cotton wool and others.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-528



Tissue and hygiene Market Segmentation



Tissue and hygiene market can be segmented on the basis of distribution channel which includes health and beauty stores, chemist/pharmacies/drugstores, supermarkets, convenient stores, e-retailing and others. Among all these distribution channel segments, sell out of tissue and hygiene products through supermarkets account for the highest market share in 2014 followed by convenience stores. Growing retail industry is fuelling the demand for sell out of tissue and hygiene products through supermarkets across the globe. Moreover, chemist/pharmacies/drugstores segment is also expected to show a potential growth in terms of sales of tissue and hygiene products during the forecast period. In addition, sell out through internet is expected to show a sustainable growth in the forecasted period. The growth of online purchasing is supported by the increasing penetration of internet and rising concern for convenience among the consumers across the globe.



The tissue and hygiene market can also be segmented on the basis of product type. The segmentation includes cotton wool/buds/, incontinence products, nappies/diapers, sanitary protection, wipes and others. Among all these segments sanitary protection and nappies/diapers are collectively expected to account for the highest growth in terms of revenue followed by wipes. Increasing concern of women for healthy and hygienic lifestyle is expected to support the growth of sanitary protection product market across the globe. Moreover, wipes are also expected to show a tremendous growth in the forecast period due to continuous and aggressive promotion of the product.



On the basis of geography, North America contributes to the largest in terms of revenue in tissue and hygiene market followed by Europe. In North America United States is the major contributor in tissue and hygiene market followed by Canada. In Europe, countries such as Germany and France accounts for the largest market share followed by United Kingdom. Whereas, Asia pacific is concerned it is expected to register a double digit CAGR growth by 2020. In Asia pacific region China is expected to be the most dominant market for tissue and hygiene followed by Japan. Rising awareness through various corporate advertisements and government educational campaigns coupled with increasing concern of women to be hygienic in their day to day life has fueled the growth of tissue and hygiene market in China. Moreover, women in China prefer for premium feminine hygiene product categories, which is expected to bolster the growth of feminine hygiene products in terms of revenue. In addition, India is also expected to witness a robust growth in tissue and hygiene market. Increasing number of working women in urban areas, rising awareness among the consumer for healthy and hygienic lifestyle has supported the growth of tissue and hygiene market in India. Furthermore, government educating and awareness campaigns in rural areas and in schools is expected to support the growth of tissue and hygiene market particularly in India.



Tissue and hygiene Market Drivers



Rising disposable income coupled with increasing consumer expenditure for health care products is driving the growth of tissue and hygiene market across the globe. In addition, consumer awareness through aggressive corporate advertisement and various government campaign programs in rural and urban areas especially in school and colleges is also fueling the tissue and hygiene market growth of tissue and hygiene market in the forecast period. In addition continuous launching of new product variant is expected to fuel the growth of tissue and hygiene market in the near future.



To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-528



Tissue and hygiene Market: Key Players



The major international players operating in tissue and hygiene market includes Sterling Hygiene Tissue Procter & Gamble, Gulf Manufacturing EST, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Unilever and Hengan International Group Company Limited. among others.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- The Inflatable X-Ray Tube study sheds light on industry profiles across several countries and regions. The extensive document is a rich source of information on market size, share and growth rate. The industry profiles discussed in the Inflatable X-Ray Tube report further identifies market segmentation, profit, and competitive landscape and offers forecast information on industry performance and trends for the period, 2018 to 2026. The detailed report offers comprehensive analyses about a particular market situation within a geographic region.



Request for free sample Inflatable X-Ray Tube report in PDF format available now @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/29723



The major players covered in this Inflatable X-Ray Tube report are:

- Hangzhou Wandong

- IAE

- GE

- Siemens

- Toshiba

- Kailong

- Varian

- Dunlee



Major Regions play vital role in Inflatable X-Ray Tube market are:

- North America

- Europe

- China

- Japan

- Middle East & Africa

- India

- South America

- Others



Make an enquire before buying this report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/make-enquiry-form/29723



Estimating the potential size of the Inflatable X-Ray Tube industry

Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Inflatable X-Ray Tube industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user  customers. Data on the entire size of the Inflatable X-Ray Tube market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Inflatable X-Ray Tube industry for a specific product or service.



Exploring growth rate over a period

Business owners looking to scale up their business can refer this report that contains data regarding the rise in sales within a given consumer base for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. Product owners can use this information along with the driving factors such as demographics and revenue generated from other products discussed in the report to get a better analysis of their products and services. Besides, the research analysts have compared the market growth rate with the product sales to enable business owners to determine the success or failure of a specific product or service.



Grow with the Inflatable X-Ray Tube Market trend

The Inflatable X-Ray Tube helps product owners learn how certain trends will shape the growth of the Inflatable X-Ray Tube industry over a long term. The study closely looks at the historical price pattern of various products and services and empowers entrepreneurs to form the right opinion about the future trends. Accordingly, business owners will be able to decide their course of action and make a wise decision.



In this Inflatable X-Ray Tube study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Conveyor Ovens are as follows:

- History Year: 2013-2017

- Base Year: 2017

- Estimated Year: 2018

- Forecast Year 2018 to 2026



Purchase full Inflatable X-Ray Tube report through this link and get 15% free customization on the report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/29723



There are 13 Chapters to thoroughly display the Inflatable X-Ray Tube market. This report included the analysis of market overview, market characteristics, industry chain, competition landscape, historical and future data by types, applications and regions.

Chapter 1: Inflatable X-Ray Tube Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies.

Chapter 2: Inflatable X-Ray Tube 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 Inflatable X-Ray Tube.

Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Inflatable X-Ray Tube.



Continue



Key Points from TOC:

8 Competitive Landscape

8.1 Competitive Profile

8.2 Hangzhou Wandong

8.2.1 Company Profiles

8.2.2 Inflatable X-Ray Tube Product Introduction

8.2.3 Hangzhou Wandong Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.2.4 Hangzhou Wandong Market Share of Inflatable X-Ray Tube Segmented by Region in 2018

8.3 IAE

8.3.1 Company Profiles

8.3.2 Inflatable X-Ray Tube Product Introduction

8.3.3 IAE Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.3.4 IAE Market Share of Inflatable X-Ray Tube Segmented by Region in 2018

8.4 GE

8.4.1 Company Profiles

8.4.2 Inflatable X-Ray Tube Product Introduction

8.4.3 GE Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.4.4 GE Market Share of Inflatable X-Ray Tube Segmented by Region in 2018



Continue



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: https://www.marketexpertz.com

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E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com

News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsLos Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- Projectors with ultra-short throw lenses are designed to produce larger projected images at a shorter throw distance. This means that unlike the standard or long throws projectors; you can get the big picture even when you're caught in a tight space environment with much less space required between the projector and the screen. Gone are the worries about landing a tiny projected image or blocking out the projections with your shadows when you're using a standard/long throw projector in a space-constrained room.



The China will occupy for more market share in following years, also fast growing rest of Asia regions. North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Ultra Short Throw Projector.



The top players cover Epson, BenQ, Optoma, Hitachi, ViewSonic, Sony, Christie, Acer, LG, Infocus, Ricoh, Casio, Vivitek, Dell, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Canon, Philips, Honghe Tech, NEC, COSTAR and etc., which are playing important roles in global Ultra Short Throw Projector market.



Despite the presence of competition problems, due to the clear global recovery trend, investors are still optimistic about this area, in future still more new investment will enter into the field. Technology and cost are two major problems.



Get PDF Report Template @ https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/949194/global-ultra-short-throw-projector-industry-professional



The global Ultra Short Throw Projector market is valued at 580 million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach 4260 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 28.3% during 2019-2025.



This report focuses on Ultra Short Throw Projector volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Ultra Short Throw Projector market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.



At company level, this report focuses on the production capacity, ex-factory price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer covered in this report.



The following manufacturers are covered:



Epson



BenQ



Optoma



Hitachi



ViewSonic



Sony



Christie



Acer



LG



Infocus



Ricoh



Casio



Vivitek



Dell



Panasonic



Mitsubishi



Canon



Philips



Honghe Tech



NEC



COSTAR



Segment by Regions



North America



Europe



China



Japan



Segment by Type



SD



1080p



4K



Others



Segment by Application



Education



Business



Residential



Others



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About QYResearch

QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry.Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- The Medical Surgical Lasers Market Report provide the complete analysis of Medical Surgical Lasers of the Market Size Data and development forecast from 2018-2025.



This reports also include complete information of main Manufacturers/Suppliers of Medical Surgical Lasers all around the world and market share by various regions, with the company and product introduction and their position in the Medical Surgical Lasers Market status and development trend of Medical Surgical Lasers by their types and Applications. This report also includes the Cost and Profit status of Medical Surgical Lasers Market, and marketing status, Market Growth Drivers and challenges in this Market.



Overview of Medical Surgical Lasers Market:

Laser surgery is a type of surgery that uses a laser to cut tissue. And the Medical Surgical Lasers is the lasers used for laser surgery.



The global Medical Surgical Lasers market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Medical Surgical Lasers market based on company, product type, end user and key regions.



Request a Sample of Medical Surgical Lasers research report from:

https://www.360researchreports.com/enquiry/request-sample/13800291



Global Medical Surgical Lasers Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Companies and Product introduction, Medical Surgical Lasers Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin):



- Cynosure,Lumenis,Alma Lasers,Abbott Laboratories,Boston Scientific ,IPG Photonics,Spectranetics,Biolitec AG,Fotona d.o.o.,BISON MEDICAL



Global Medical Surgical Lasers Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2018-2025):



- North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

- Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain and Benelux)

- Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Australia)

- Latin America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia)

- Middle East and Africa



Have Any Query? Contact our Experts @ https://www.360researchreports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/13800291



Global Medical Surgical Lasers Market: Type Segment Analysis (Consmption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2018-2025):



- CO2 Lasers,Argon Lasers,Nd:YAG Lasers,Diode Lasers,Other



Global Medical Surgical Lasers Market: Application Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume and Market Share 2018-2025; Downstream Customers and Market Analysis)



- Ophthalmology,Dentistry,Dermatology,Cardiology,Other



Price of Report: $ 3900 (Single User License)



Purchase this Report @ https://www.360researchreports.com/purchase/13800291



Major Highlights of the Medical Surgical Lasers report:



Medical Surgical Lasers Overview, Market shares and strategies of key players, Sales Market Forecast, Manufacturing Analysis of The Medical Surgical Lasers Market, Market Driving Factor Analysis of The Medical Surgical Lasers Market, Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers, Upstream and Downstream Market Analysis The Medical Surgical Lasers Market, and Cost and Gross Margin Analysis of The Medical Surgical Lasers Market



Why you should Purchase this Report?



- To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the global Medical Surgical Lasers market and its competitive landscape.

- Assess the Medical Surgical Lasers market production processes, major issues in this market, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

- To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Medical Surgical Lasers market and its impact on the global market.

- Learn about the market tactics that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

- To understand the outlook and prospects for Medical Surgical Lasers Market.



Following are the Total 14 chapters covered in Medical Surgical Lasers Report:



Chapter 1: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Product Overview, Commercial Types, Downstream Application, Development History, Market Status and Trend.



Chapter 2: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Market Development by Regions, Sales Market by Regions, Production Market by Regions, Market Forecast by Regions.



Chapter 3: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Sales Volume by Types, Sales Value by Types, Market Forecast by Types.



Chapter 4: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Global Sales Volume by Downstream Industry, Global Market Forecast by Downstream Industry.



Chapter 5: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes North America Market Status by Countries, Type, Manufacturers and Downstream Industry. (United States, Canada & Mexico)



Chapter 6: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Europe Market Status by Countries, Type, Manufacturers and Downstream Industry. (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Benelux)



Chapter 7: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Asia Pacific Market Status by Countries, Type, Manufacturers and Downstream Industry (China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia)



Chapter 8: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Latin America Market Status by Countries, Type, Manufacturers and Downstream Industry (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)



Chapter 9: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Middle East and Africa Market Status by Countries, Type, Manufacturers and Downstream Industry



Chapter 10: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Driving Factor Analysis, Global Economy Situation and Trend Overview & Downstream Industry Situation and Trend Overview.



Chapter 11: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market tells about Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers such as Production Volume, Production Value Investment, New Product Development and Launch. Also include basic information like Headquarters Location, Established Time, Employees and Revenue.



Chapter 12: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Cynosure,Lumenis,Alma Lasers,Abbott Laboratories,Boston Scientific ,IPG Photonics,Spectranetics,Biolitec AG,Fotona d.o.o.,BISON MEDICAL profile, Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of all companies mentioned above.



Chapter 13: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Industry Chain, Upstream Market, Downstream Market and Representative Companies Analysis.



Chapter 14: This chapter of Medical Surgical Lasers market includes Cost Structure Analysis, Raw Materials Cost Analysis, Labour Cost Analysis, and Manufacturing Expenses Analysis.



This report provides detailed insights and analysis on the state of the Medical Surgical Lasers and provide a valuable source of information and direction for companies and individuals interested in this market.



Further in the report, the Medical Surgical Lasers Market is examined for Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin. These points are analysed for companies, types, and regions. In continuation with this data, the sale price is for various types, applications and region is also included. The Medical Surgical Lasers Market consumption for major regions is given. Additionally, type wise and application wise figures are also provided in this report.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- Ferrochromium, also known as Ferrochrome, is an alloy of iron and chromium containing 50 to 70% of chromium. It is produced by electric arc melting of chromium ore and chromite. Ferrochromium is consumed extensively in the manufacturing of steel to achieve the qualities such as corrosion resistance, tensile strength, heat resistance and yield strength. The global ferrochromium market is anticipated to be in deficit to cater the increasing global steel market in near future. Ferrochromium is mostly produced in India, China, South Africa and Kazakhstan because of large chromite resources found in these countries. The global ferrochromium market is witnessing a modest single digit CAGR growth up till now and is expected to continue in future.



Ferrochromium is having its maximum share of consumption in steel industry and due to the ever increasing construction and demand of steel the global ferrochromium market is forecasted to flourish. In order to get a continuous supply of raw material for ferrochrome, China has established its operations in the countries like Turkey, South Africa, Philippines and Zimbabwe which would boost the global ferrochromium market in future. Due to the favourable conditions like lower electricity price and lower labour cost in upcoming markets like China, the production cost reduces comparatively. This will boost the production of ferrochrome to suffice its increasing demand and will contribute in global ferrochromium market.



Request Sample Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10046



The global ferrochromium market can get hampered because of the increase in the export tax and fixed export quotas imposed by South Africa on chrome ore, owing to the concern of losing ferrochromium market to China. South Africa is having a significant market share in global ferrochromium market but there are concerns of power supply and higher production cost which would lead to the closure of small competitors and is estimated to slowdown the global ferrochromium market.



Based on the carbon percentage, the global ferrochromium market is segmented as -



Extra low carbon ferrochromium powder

Low carbon ferrochromium powder

High carbon ferrochromium powder

Extra high carbon ferrochromium powder

Based in the available form, the global ferrochromium market is segmented as 



Ferrochromium slag

Ferrochromium powder

Based on the application, the global ferrochromium market is segmented as 



Ball bearing steels

Acid resistant steels

Cast irons

Powder metallurgy

Others (civil engineering, refractory materials)

The global ferrochromium market can be divided into five regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is having the maximum market share in global ferrochromium market, China and India are the countries having an excellent steel market, so these countries are significant in the consumption of ferrochrome. China is expanding its capacity to import chrome ore for the production of ferrochrome from the countries like South Africa, Turkey, Zimbabwe. Middle East and Africa are also marking a significant growth in the global ferrochromium market, Especially South Africa is having plenty of chromite resources for the production of ferrochrome. Europe is an emerging market in the field of ferrochrome and is anticipated to have a considerable market in future due to the flourishing automobile sector in the region. North America and Latin America is at a nascent stage in the global ferrochromium market.



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Some of the key players in global ferrochromium market are, Nava Bharat Ventures Limited, VISA STEEL, Balasore Alloys Limited, Aarti Steels Ltd, SR Group, Vyankatesh Metals & Alloys Pvt. LtdValley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- Increasing number of animal welfare programs and government initiatives are driving the market for the global animal parasiticide market. The animal parasiticide, also called, Veterinary parasiticide, are products that kill parasiticide infesting upon pets, livestock, and other animals. All these parasiticide has their own general features that determines their suitability for the control of parasites on animals. People being increasingly being aware about the zoonotic diseases and adoption of pet animals largely by the developed and developing nations have made a way for the global animal parasiticide market. The government has also contributed towards the animal welfare activities that has resulted in the hefty demand for parasiticides which has improved the health of livestock tremendously across the globe and also elevated the global animal parasiticide market. The market is growing due to the increasing demand for animal health products and the animal owners' look out for low cost generics.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-595



Animal Parasiticide Market: Drivers & Restraints



The increasing importance of animal health care accompanied by governmental protocols is driving the global animal parasiticide market. The Increased number of animal livestock in the emerging markets, developments in the parasiticide products, upcoming new offerings by the leading players, execution of welfare acts in the developed and developing regions, worldwide increment in the number of adoptions of animals like dogs and cats are some of the growth drivers for the global animal parasiticide market.



Along with the increasing awareness, the increasing rate of GDP in the regions like Asia-Pacific and Latin America and thereby increasing per capita spending on the animal health care products are also responsible for growth of the market.



Apart from significant growth factors there exits some restraints to the market including high cost R&D activities, strict regulations for approval for animal parasiticides and restricting the use of parasiticide in some animals (specifically the food producers) in some regions. The increasing number of species of parasites in are also contributing to the restrains that are preventing the market from growing.



Animal Parasiticide Market: Segmentation



By product the global animal parasiticide market is segmented as Endoparasiticides (Additives, Injectable, Drenches, Tablets/Pills, Others), Ectoparasiticides (Collars, and Endectocides. The global animal parasiticide market is also segmented by the animal type which are as Companion Animal (Cat, Dogs, Horses, and Others) and Food Producing Animals (Cattle, Poultry, Sheep and Others).



Animal Parasiticide Market: Region-wise Outlook



The global animal parasiticide market is expected to register a favourable growth for the forecast period, 2015?2025. European market is the expected to hold the major share into the market. The increment in the number of pet animals and increased awareness among the people regarding the animal health. North America is expected to follow Europe however the developed markets like US and Canada are reaching saturation which tends to grow the market at a comparatively lower rate. The Asia-Pacific is projected to endure its control in terms of growth in global animal parasiticide market. The market is predominately affected by the increasing trend towards pet adoption. In terms of growth Latin American regions also represent a higher growth opportunity. APAC and Latin America is in the higher growth expectations due to the increasing GDP rate and per capita expenditure on the animal health.



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Animal Parasiticide Market: Key Players



The key market competitors in global animal parasiticide market are Zoetis, Inc, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Ceva Sante Animlae, Boehringer Ingelheim, Virbac SA, and Vetoquinol.Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2019 -- The research on Glass Tableware market growth 2018-2023 is an impression of the fundamental data that is being market-oriented in the global markets, based on factors that influence market growth. The Glass Tableware market research report has been divided into types and applications to help the industry.



In Glass Tableware market report, there is a perspective of the industry as well as outlook towards the growth of the interested parties and the benefits of the situation. Glass Tableware market report provides a thorough search on the market, without providing perspective on the prevailing market position. Research for the current year has expanded the international market value of US$XX million and capacity up to 2023 US$XX million.



In addition to geological areas and products, researchers and experts have analyzed each type of data, participants, and principles. Focusing on areas, market players and the top players of the industry are also included in the segment. Reports include applications aspect for end-users. It offers pie-charts, systematic overview, tables and product diagrams. This is a detailed analysis of the business area, which has been requested as one of the most profitable business standing in recent times. In addition, industry departments are also presented with extension opportunities and regional expansion. If the study is not only related to the current market conditions but also answers the questions related to market growth.



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Synopsis of The Glass Tableware Market Segmentation:

- Depending on the type of product, the report also includes details about the market share of each type of purchase and prediction forecast. Market is divided into: casting, permanent mold casting, rain casting, others.

- The details of the sale price (including the revenue and growth rate) and the estimated period of each product have been included.

- According to the application spectrum, the Glass Tableware market report includes market shares, in which each application accounts for and the estimated valuation of every application.

- According to the application segment, the price of the product is also included in the product (revenue and growth rate) information and forecast period.



Global Glass Tableware Market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Glass Tableware sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD), Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data, Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including: Libbey Inc, Arc International, Anchor Hocking LLC, Sisecam Group, WMF Group, Bormioli Rocco SpA, Wuerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG, Lenox Corporation, World Kitchen LLC, LaOpala R.G. Ltd., Borosil Glass Works Ltd., Kavalier Glass A.S, Termisil Huta Szkla Wolomin S.A

On the basis of product type, Glass Tableware Market report displays the production, revenue, price, Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) and growth rate of each type (2012-2023), primarily split into: Beverageware, Baby Bottles, Others



On the basis on the end users/applications, Glass Tableware Market report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each Application, including: Home, Commercial



Geographical scope of Glass Tableware market report includes the following regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries)



Why You Should Buy This Report?

- To advance an in-depth understanding of Glass Tableware in Global

- To identify the about trends, Market Revenue, Market Analysis, and anticipated growth in the next five years

- To help industry professionals, Glass Tableware Market Worldwide, distributors and other CEO/stakeholders information

- To obtain research-based business decisions and add weight to presentations and marketing material



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The Glass Tableware market report summarizes details about the competitive scenario, the concentration ratio for the market concentration rate and forecast period. The report has reported on general plans made by companies and capacity expansion. Studies can affect the overall forecast period for the industry due to market dynamics and specific factors. Glass Tableware market report explains how the industry used historical information to reach the current state.Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Epoxy resins which are also known as polyepoxides belong to the category of reactive prepolymers and polymers that contain the epoxide group. Epoxy resins are one of the most versatile compounds that are widely used in the orthophthalic and polyester family. Epoxy resins usually react either with themselves or with other co-reactants which include phenols, acids, alcohols, polyfunctional amines and thiols among others. Epoxy resins are either low molecular weight pre-polymers or high molecular weight polymers which usually contain at least two epoxide groups. The epoxide group is also known as oxirane and glycidyl group. The raw material required to industrially manufacture epoxy resins are largely derived from petroleum.



However, some of the plant derived sources are becoming popular in manufacturing epoxy resins. Epoxy resins being polymeric or semi-polymeric materials and thus, are rarely exist in their pure state. Epoxy resins are known for their excellent electrical, mechanical and heat resistance properties.



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The epoxide content in the epoxy resins is the most crucial factor which determines the characteristics of epoxy resins. Different grades of epoxy resins are usually blended with various additives, plasticizers and fillers. Epoxy resins find wide range of applications in paints and coatings, electrical and electronic components and structural adhesives manufacturing industries. The paint and coatings industry is one of the major applications of the epoxy resins market.



Growing population coupled with changing lifestyle is expected to boost the overall growth of the construction industry. The growing construction industry is expected to augment the growth of the paints and coatings industry. The paints and coating industry is expected to further grow owing to the rising demand from the automobile industry. The rising demand for high end luxury automobiles is further expected to enhance the overall growth of the paints and coatings industry. Thus, the growing paints and coatings industry is expected to drive the overall growth of the epoxy resins market. Epoxy resins are w9idely used by the paints and coating industry on the heavy duty metal substrates. In addition, paints and coatings containing epoxy resins use less energy than that compared to other heat-cured powder coatings. Moreover, paints and coatings containing epoxy resins are also considered environmental friendly than other chemicals.



Asia Pacific is the largest manufacturer of epoxy resins owing to the presence of large manufacturers in China. The presence of many manufacturers coupled with their huge production capacities is expected to boost the overall growth of the epoxy resins market. Europe is one of the major consumers of the epoxy resins market. Epoxy resins being environmental friendly are further expected to augment the overall demand in the market. The demand for epoxy resins is gradually growing in North America. Thus, the growing consumer awareness towards environment friendly products coupled with the presence of stringent environmental regulations is expected to further boost the overall growth of the market.



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Momentive Performance Materials, Kukdo Chemical (South Korea), Huntsman Corporation (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Atul Ltd (India), Sika AG (Switzerland), Cytec Industries Incorporation (U.S.), DuPont (U.S.), 3M (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Aditya Birla Chemicals (Thailand) Ltd, NAMA Chemicals (Saudi Arabia), LEUNA-Harze GmbH (Germany), and Spolchemie A.S. (Czech Republic) among others are expected to some of the major participants of the global epoxy resins market. The companies are mainly focused towards developing bio based epoxy resins in order to comply with the stringent environmental regulations.Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- In the recently published report, QY Research has provided a unique insight into the global Anthrax Vaccines market for the forecasted period of 7-years (2018-2025). The report has covered the significant aspects that are contributing the growth of the global Epinephrine Autoinjector market. The primary objective of this report is to highlight the various key market dynamics such as drivers, trends, and restraints that are impacting the global Epinephrine Autoinjector market. This report has provided an indication to the readers about market's current status.



The global Epinephrine Autoinjector market is valued at 1630 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 2800 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.0% during 2018-2025.



Epinephrine is the only treatment for a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis (anna-fih-LACK-sis). Epinephrine comes in the form of easy-to-use auto-injectors. It is only available through a prescription by doctors. Each prescription comes with two auto-injectors in a set.



Epinephrine auto-injector is an emergency injection ("shot") of epinephrine. It is used against life-threatening allergic reactions such as severe swelling, breathing problems, or loss of blood pressure.



In the last several years, the development of Epinephrine Autoinjector industry is relative high with average production growth rate of 14.66%. In 2016, the global capacity of Epinephrine Autoinjector is nearly 8.35 million units and the actual production is about 6.8 million units.



North America, especially United States is the largest market of Epinephrine Autoinjector. In 2015, the North America Epinephrine Autoinjector still hold more than market share more than 93% in production market. On the other hand, North America also occupied 60% percent in the consumption volume market.



Though Europe and Asia Epinephrine Autoinjector industry is developing fast, the gap between production and consumption is still huge. So there are ten thousands of Epinephrine Autoinjector exporting from USA to Europe and Asia.



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Corresponding with the fast growth of North America Epinephrine Autoinjector production, the price growth of Epinephrine Autoinjector is also huge. So the global Epinephrine Autoinjector production value market is also fast developing.



The major manufacturers covered in this report



Mylan



Sanofi



ALK Abello



Impax



Geographically, this report studies the key regions, focuses on product sales, value, market share and growth opportunity in these regions, covering



North America



Europe



China



Japan



Southeast Asia



India



On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into



0.30 mg



0.15 mg



On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including



Under 6 years



6 to 12 years



Over 12 years



Benefits of Purchasing QY Research Report:

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Assured Quality: We focus on the quality and accuracy of the report



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About QYResearch

QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry.Starbucks Coffee magnate Howard Schultz's revelation this week that he is considering a run for the U.S. presidency as an independent candidate added an unexpected twist to the nascent 2020 campaign.

A billionaire, with the ability and apparent willingness to self-finance a national campaign, Schultz could have a profound impact on the presidential contest, even if his actual chances of victory would likely be slim.

Schultz's tentative entry into the race sparked a variety of reactions across the country. His announcement piqued the interest of those who long for an alternative to the two-party system. It also earned the immediate derision of many political veterans, who see him as a wealthy dilettante. Most notably, it provoked outright fear among many Democrats, who worry that his bid could siphon votes away from their party's eventual nominee, giving President Donald Trump a better shot at re-election, despite his sharp decline in the polls.

Originally from Brooklyn, Schultz, 65, made his billions on the West Coast, turning a small Seattle coffee company into a ubiquitous chain with more than 28,000 outlets worldwide. Along the way, he became a reliable donor to the Democratic Party, calling himself a "lifelong Democrat."

That, however, has changed. In a flurry of TV appearances over the past week, Schultz has explicitly broken with both major political parties, insisting that the majority of Americans are not being well-served by "far-right Republicans and far-left Democrats."

 Staking out a Middle Ground

While Schultz has not yet laid out detailed policy proposals, he appears to be staking out a middle-ground position, agreeing with Republicans on some economic and fiscal issues, but with Democrats on many social issues.

He has angrily denounced proposals from high-profile Democrats to expand Medicare to cover all Americans, and to increase taxes on the wealthy by raising marginal rates on the highest earners, or taxing wealth in addition to income. In an appearance on CNN, he dismissed the Medicare idea as "not American." In an interview with National Public Radio, he called Democratic tax plans "ridiculous."

On many of the issues that have fueled the country's ongoing culture war, though, Schultz is firmly on the side of his former party. He remains in favor of abortion rights and gay marriage, and has spoken in support of tighter regulation of firearms. He also favors a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and aggressive action to counter climate change.

Schultz's pitch is that his mix of policy positions will appeal to what he has repeatedly referred to as a "silent majority" of independent voters who are dissatisfied with both major parties and want an independent candidate to support. But that assessment of the American electorate isn't shared by political scientists. While some 40 percent of voters do self-identify as independents, study after study has shown that the overwhelming majority of them actually have a strong preference for one party or the other.

 Schultz Looms as a 'Spoiler'

To think otherwise is "just incredibly naive," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "It shows a very unsophisticated understanding of the American electorate." He added, "There is a spoiler potential with someone like Schultz. But a path to victory? It's just difficult for me to imagine."

Indeed, commentators and partisans on both sides have focused less on Schultz as a potential president and more as a disruptive force in what will almost certainly be a highly contentious election.

"His presence in the race adds a degree of uncertainty," said Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver. "He stands very little chance of winning the 2020 election, but he stands a decent chance of affecting the outcome," Masket added. "If it's going to be a close re-election race, and I assume it is, his votes could be the difference between a Trump re-election and a defeat."

For his part, Schultz said he has no intention of aiding the incumbent president. "I would never put myself in the position of being the person to re-elect Donald Trump," Schultz told CNN Wednesday. Yet, he strongly signaled that if the Democrats turn toward a far-left candidate like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the temptation to launch an independent campaign would be irresistible.Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Hoses are one of the key components of drinking water installations especially for outdoor sites. However, these hoses are only employed if they fulfil the strict conditions of the drinking water ordinance. To protect the public health for long term, test procedure for the drinking water approval are made tougher. Drink Hoses are the ideal quality of hoses for the utilization in beverages, brewing and liquor industry.



Drink Hoses are primarily utilized for the transportation of drinking water at carnivals, outdoor exhibitions, food and beverage industries etc. Further, Drink Hoses can also be used for conveying water in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, where the quality of water must be at high level. Drink Hoses are designed to meet the most demanding application which features ultra-smooth and plasticiser free linings that do not transfers taste or odour.



Drink Hoses are available in reinforced as well as premium forms. Both premium and reinforced Drink Hoses are widely adopted in various industries owing to their various features which include safe for drinking water, complies with the 2014 federal state drinking water act, UV stabilized for prolonged life, no taste of plastic leached into the drinking water, etc.



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Global Drink Hoses Market: Segmentation



The global Drink Hoses market can be segmented on the basis of material type, end-use industry and application



Based on the material type, the global Drink Hoses market can be segmented into



Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Rubber

Based on the end-use industry, the global Drink Hoses market can be segmented into



Food & Beverages

Pharmaceutical

Cosmetics

Based on the application, the global Drink Hoses market can be segmented into



Milk

Water

Other Beverages

Global Drink Hoses Market: Dynamics



Increasing demand for reliable & safe products the effective transportation of beverages and foodstuffs is expected to assist the demand for the Drink Hoses and in turn driving the global Drink Hoses market.



Hose manufacturers primarily build hose used for plants watering or car washing, etc. and they are made without paying proper attention to be used for the drinking purpose. Thus, Drink Hoses must be produced with utmost care while adhering to stringent environmental regulations. The aforementioned reasons are found to be the key challenges identified in the Drink Hoses market.



Key manufacturers of Drink Hoses are focusing on development of modern production facilities, special production processes, and top quality raw materials in order to meet the stringent hygiene regulations. Introduction of hose for drinking water, developed in accordance with the UBA Elastomer Guidelines is one of the key trends identified in the global Drink Hoses market



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Global Drink Hoses Market: Regional Outlook



Considering regions, the global Drink Hoses market is expected to be led by North America region owing to the introduction of various environmental regulations in the United State and Canada. North America is anticipated to be followed by Europe in the global Drink Hoses market throughout the forecast year. Asia-Pacific spearheaded by China is expected to grow at significant CAGR in the global Drink Hoses market over the near future, supported by rising utilization of the product in various applications. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are anticipated to grow at below average rate in the global Drink Hoses market over the forecast years.



Global Drink Hoses Market: Market Participants



Some of the key players involved in the Drink Hoses market include ContiTech AG, REHAU, Lantech Solutions, Manifattura Tubi Gomma S.p.A., Eaton Corporation Plc, PARKER HANNIFIN CORP, Sealtite Ltd., Gates Corporation, Semperflex, Terraflex Industries Ltd., Ace Hose and Rubber Company, and others



Key manufacturers of Drink Hoses are found to be involved in the development of safe Drink Hoses in order to gain the significant share in market across the globe.



The global Drink Hoses market is expected to be partially fragmented in nature. Global players are expected to hold small share in the global Drink Hoses market. There is a significant growth opportunity for small and local regional players in the global Drink Hoses market.



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Read Industry News at - http://theguardiantribune.comEdison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- HTF MI recently Announced Global Consumer Packaging study with 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed TOC on "Consumer Packaging. Global Consumer Packaging research allows you to get different methods for maximizing your profit. The research study provides estimates for Global Consumer Packaging Forecast till 2025*. Some of the Leading key Company's Covered for this Research are DS Smith Plc, Mondi Group, Amcor, Crown Holdings, Owens-Illinois, Rexam, Tetra Pak, International Paper Company, Sonoco Products Company, Sealed Air Corporation, Huhtamaki Oyj, Smurfit Kappa Group, WestRock Company, UFP Technologies, Inc, Stora Enso Oyj, Pregis Corporation, Shenzhen Hoichow Packing Manufacturing Ltd, Dordan Manufacturing Company, Hangzhou Xunda Packaging, Dunapack Packaging Group, Universal Protective Packaging, Parksons Packaging Ltd, Neenah Paper Inc, Plastic Ingenuity Inc & JJX Packaging LLC.



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Global Consumer Packaging Research for a Leading company is an intelligent process of gathering and analyzing the numerical data related to services and products. This Research Give idea to aims at your targeted customer's understanding, needs and wants. Also, reveals how effectively a company can meet their requirements. The market research collects data about the customers, marketing strategy, competitors. The Consumer Packaging Manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly dynamic and innovative, with more number of private players entering the industry.



Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report:



1) Who are the Leading Key Company in Global Consumer Packaging market space?



Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the report "DS Smith Plc, Mondi Group, Amcor, Crown Holdings, Owens-Illinois, Rexam, Tetra Pak, International Paper Company, Sonoco Products Company, Sealed Air Corporation, Huhtamaki Oyj, Smurfit Kappa Group, WestRock Company, UFP Technologies, Inc, Stora Enso Oyj, Pregis Corporation, Shenzhen Hoichow Packing Manufacturing Ltd, Dordan Manufacturing Company, Hangzhou Xunda Packaging, Dunapack Packaging Group, Universal Protective Packaging, Parksons Packaging Ltd, Neenah Paper Inc, Plastic Ingenuity Inc & JJX Packaging LLC"



** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc.

2) What will the market size be in 2025 and what will the growth rate be?

In 2019, the Global Consumer Packaging market size was xx million USD and it is expected to reach USD xx million by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.



3) What are the Market Applications & Types:



The study is segmented by following Product Type: , Glass, Metal, Plastic, Paper & Paperboard, Others



Major applications/end-users industry are: Food and Beverages, Household Products, Cosmetics, Industrial Goods, Others



**The market is valued based on weighted average selling price (WASP) and includes any applicable taxes on manufacturers. All currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant annual average 2018 currency rates.



To comprehend Global Consumer Packaging market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Consumer Packaging market is analyzed across major regions. HTF MI also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas.



- North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico.

- South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

- Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa.

- Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia.

- Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia.



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Competitive Analysis:

The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as DS Smith Plc, Mondi Group, Amcor, Crown Holdings, Owens-Illinois, Rexam, Tetra Pak, International Paper Company, Sonoco Products Company, Sealed Air Corporation, Huhtamaki Oyj, Smurfit Kappa Group, WestRock Company, UFP Technologies, Inc, Stora Enso Oyj, Pregis Corporation, Shenzhen Hoichow Packing Manufacturing Ltd, Dordan Manufacturing Company, Hangzhou Xunda Packaging, Dunapack Packaging Group, Universal Protective Packaging, Parksons Packaging Ltd, Neenah Paper Inc, Plastic Ingenuity Inc & JJX Packaging LLC includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.



Research Parameter/ Research Methodology



Primary Research:

The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Global Consumer Packaging industry including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry's value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.



In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources  industry experts such as CEOs, vice presidents, marketing director, technology & innovation directors, founders and related key executives from various key companies and organizations in the Global Consumer Packaging in the industry have been interviewed to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study.



Secondary Research:

In the Secondary research crucial information about the industries value chain, total pool of key players, and application areas. It also assisted in market segmentation according to industry trends to the bottom-most level, geographical markets and key developments from both market and technology oriented perspectives.



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In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Global Consumer Packaging are as follows:

History Year: 2013-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025



Key Stakeholders in Global Consumer Packaging Market:

Global Consumer Packaging Manufacturers

Global Consumer Packaging Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers

Global Consumer Packaging Subcomponent Manufacturers

Industry Association

Downstream Vendors



**Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report.



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Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- The latest report Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Market discusses everything a business owner needs to know about the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. The document offers an insight into what the target customer's needs and wants. Industry experts have extracted data from various sources on size, share, growth rate, production volume, production capacity, import and export status, distribution channels and more and have analysed it thoroughly. By properly assessing the competitors and their offerings the study aims at empowering business owners to step ahead.



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Scope of the Report:

The research methodologies used for evaluating the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market are inventive and also provides enough evidence on the demand and supply status, production capability, import and export, supply chain management and investment feasibility. The investigative approach applied for the extensive analysis of the sale, gross margin and profit generated by the industry are presented through resources including tables, charts, and graphic images. Importantly, these resources can be easily integrated or used for preparing business or corporate presentations.



Estimating the potential size of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc industry:

Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user  customers. Data on the entire size of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc industry for a specific product or service.



Attracting the target audience:

First, the comprehensive report finds out why customers need a certain product or service. The study focuses on what problems a certain product and service can solve. Apart from target demographics industry experts weigh up on the factors including audience type, as well as others vital attributes about the target customer segment.



Major Players in Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market are:

Tyrolit, Swaty Comet, Yuda, Shanghai Fuying, Shengsen Abrasives, Pferd, METABO, Yongtai Abrasives, Stanley Black & Decker, Gurui Industries, Deerfos, Yalida Abrasive, Yida Abrasive, CGW, Three Super Abrasives, Weiler, 3M, Saint-Gobain, Klingspor



Buy Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Market Research Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/29679



Most important types of Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc products covered in this report are:

- 3 inches

- 4 inches

- 4.5 inches

- 5 inches

- Other



Most widely used downstream fields of Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market covered in this report are:

- Metalworking

- Woodworking

- Ceramics

- Semiconductor manufacturing

- Other



Major Regions play vital role in Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market are:

- North America

- Europe

- China

- Japan

- Middle East & Africa

- India

- South America

- Others



The market intelligence study for the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market further provides an inside-out overview of necessary aspects associated with the product classification, important definitions, major orders and other industry-centric parameters. An underlying part of the study also maps the important factors associated with the recent events such as mergers and acquisition, collaboration and new product launches.



In addition, the research lays down a robust groundwork for obtaining a vast amount of information that potential customers can use to increase their profits and reduce costs. The inclusion of data on market segmentation by type, application, and geography offers clarity presents an analytical picture of, what manufacturers are aiming for.



The research provides answers to the following key questions:

- What is the estimated growth rate of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026? What will be the market share and size of the industry during the estimated period?

- What are prime factors expected to drive the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc industry for the estimated period?

- What are the major market leaders and what has been their winning strategy for success so far?

- What are the significant trends shaping the growth prospects of the Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc market?

- What are the key challenges expected to restrict the progress of the industry for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026?

- What the opportunities product owners can bank on to generate high profits?



Read More @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/ceramic-alumina-flap-disc-market



Key Points from TOC

8 Competitive Landscape

8.1 Competitive Profile

8.2 Tyrolit

8.2.1 Company Profiles

8.2.2 Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Product Introduction

8.2.3 Tyrolit Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.2.4 Tyrolit Market Share of Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Segmented by Region in 2017

8.3 Swaty Comet

8.3.1 Company Profiles

8.3.2 Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Product Introduction

8.3.3 Swaty Comet Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.3.4 Swaty Comet Market Share of Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Segmented by Region in 2017

8.4 Yuda

8.4.1 Company Profiles

8.4.2 Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Product Introduction

8.4.3 Yuda Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2013-2018E

8.4.4 Yuda Market Share of Ceramic Alumina Flap Disc Segmented by Region in 2017

Continue



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News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsRockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/28/2019 -- Fifth wheel trailers have gained increased popularity as spacious recreational vehicles (RVs), complemented by their high ceilings, split-level design, and greater number of slide-out rooms. Despite been frowned upon on their size after their initial introduction to the market, fifth wheel trailers have gained widespread acceptance worldwide among consumers as well as for commercial purposes. Easy handling and enhanced comfort offered by fifth wheel trailers are key aspects that have driven their demand and sales across the globe.



Get Free Exclusive Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=723



Fifth wheel trailer sales continue to witness impact of varying prices in tandem with the customization requirements of end-users. Increased flexibility, along with the provision of a luxurious rig offers fifth wheel trailers with bi-level options, thereby driving their demand across the globe. Sensing varied requirements of end-users, manufacturers have introduced a wide range of fifth wheel trailer variants, which include hybrid travel trailer, tent camping trailer, and truck camper.



Leading manufacturers of fifth wheel trailer have been focusing on efficient equilibrium of weight of these vehicles with towing capacities of trucks. Development of the lightweight fifth wheel trailers, that offer increased fuel efficiency, have also been one of the key developmental focus areas of leading fifth wheel trailer manufacturers.



Growing Popularity for Camping and Traveling to Unleash Growth Opportunities in Asia and Europe



Leading fifth wheel trailer manufacturers such as Keystone Montana, Jayco Eagle, and Heartland Bighorns are focusing on designing innovative and intelligent fifth wheel trailers to offer an enhanced experience. According to the International Trade Association, Canada and Australia are likely to remain the largest markets for recreational vehicles and will offer lucrative growth opportunities to the key companies.



In addition to Australia and Canada, fifth wheel trailers will continue to gain popularity in Asia and Europe. Government in China is taking initiatives to develop recreational vehicles and campgrounds for promoting travel and tourism, which has opened various growth avenues for leading players. In addition, increasing number of campgrounds in Korea, Italy, and New Zealand have continued to attract travelers and tourists from various parts of the world. Growing popularity of camping in these countries has created significant growth opportunities for the leading producers and manufacturers.



Re-innovating Functionality, Quality, Design: Manufacturers to Focus on Offering a Technologically Immersive Experience



Diverse applications of the fifth wheel trailers have led manufacturers to develop application-specific trailers. As fifth wheel trailers witness significant demand for disaster management and addressing urgent healthcare requirements, leading manufacturers such as Grand Design and Keystone Monata are focusing on re-innovating the functionality, design, and quality as per the requirements of end-use industries. For instance, Grand Design has recently launched a range of innovative vehicles such as Reflection 150 series. This fifth wheel trailer offers towable features with spacious interiors and luxury features for customers.



In addition, major manufacturers are focusing on integrating secure and keyless locking systems in the fifth wheel trailers to offer convenience to the customers. For example, RVLock & Co. LLC has developed a range of keyless handles that are equipped with a keypad and wireless lock and unlock system. These advanced keyless access solutions can conveniently be installed in various trailers. Leading companies are incorporating novel and innovative solutions in the fifth wheel trailer to sustain their lead in the competitive market.



Global Approach: Online Rental Service Channels to Broaden Lucrative Growth Avenues



In order to expand their customer base, major companies are focusing on collaborating with the online rental service providers. Advances in technology and rapid adoption of smartphones among customers has created lucrative growth opportunities for the major firms. As customers prefer booking through smartphones and spending on quick vehicle rental services through online portals and applications, leading companies are concentrating on offering their services on these e-commerce channels.



Major companies are focusing on offering per hour and distance rental services at reasonable prices to the customers. Rentcentric.com, Mcrent.eu, Campanda.com, and Outdoorsy.com are some of the popular online portals providing quick and on-demand rental services. To offer convenience to the customers, the companies are also offering them lucrative deals and packages specifically for comfortable journey while traveling. For instance, Mcrent.eu offers rental services across Europe and also offers travel protection services at different stations. In addition, these rental service portals offer lucrative deals in different seasons. Through offering lucrative deals, leading companies are focusing on increasing their customer loyalty and attracting new ones.



Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=723



Green Certification and Labels: Leading Companies to Boost Their Brand Recognition and Increase Customer Loyalty



Government across various countries are implementing stringent regulations and taking initiatives to lower the emission level. To align with the government regulations, leading manufacturers are focusing on utilizing environment-friendly fuel replacements such as biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells. Leading manufacturers are also utilizing blended fuel, which includes 80% of the diesel and 20% of the biodiesel in replacement of fossil fuels to ensure lower emission level.



Major manufacturers such as Airstream, Coachmen, Featherlite Trailers, and Roadtrek have earned Green certification by the leading third-party green certification company, TRA Certification Inc. for manufacturing eco-smart recreational vehicle. As customers prefer spending on the brands that have earned an eco-friendly certification from TRA, leading manufacturers are focusing on improving their brand recognition by labeling their products as 'Green Certified'.



In addition, a leading company Jayco Inc. announced that all the brands and products of the company have received 'Green Certification' by the TRA Certification Inc. Products offered by this company received Emerald ratings in three categories that include operation and maintenance, water efficiency, and indoor environment quality. Besides these products, the company received Gold ratings for energy and resource efficiency of the products. Through eco-friendly certifications and labels on the product, leading companies are focusing on attaining a competitive edge in the global market.



Valuable perspectives related to the current market developments and trends are encapsulated in the report, which provides the readers and investors a broader view of the global fifth wheel trailer market.



You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/723/S



This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on



Market Dynamics

Market Size

Market Segments

Demand & Supply Trends

Current Issues and Challenges

Companies and Competitor Landscape

Value Chain

Technology

Regional Segments Analyzed Include



North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)

Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)

Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)

Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)

Japan

Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)

Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report.



Highlights from the Report



Elaborated scenario of the parent market

Transformations in the market dynamics

Detailed segmentation of the target market

Historical, current and forecast market size based on value and volume

Latest industry developments and trends

Competition landscape

Strategies adopted by the market players and product developments made

Potential and niche segments, along with their regional analysis

Unbiased analysis on performance of the market

Up-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitiveness

Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/723/fifth-wheel-trailer-market



About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



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Web: www.factmr.com/New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- The research presents a sufficiently detailed understanding of market segmentation, application requirement, manufacturing conditions, cost of change, gross margin and acquisition and mergers, buying capability for the forecast period 2018-2026.Additionally, evaluation of the technology advancement- and whether the factor creates sustainability can pose threat adds credibility to the complete study on the Brodifacoum Solution market.



The research further screens and analyses data on the market share, growth rate and size to enable stakeholders, product owners and field marketing executives identify the low-hanging fruits and reap a significant return on their investment. Importantly, the data on the current business environment of the Brodifacoum Solution market proves a boon for companies trying to identify next leg for growth.



Get FREE Sample Copy @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/29719



The major players covered in this report

Shandong XiYa Chemical Industry, 3B Scientific, AccuStandard, Toronto Research Chemicals, 2A PharmaChem, Kanto Chemical, HBCChem, Nanjing XiLang Chemical Products, Alta Scientific, Nanjing Vital Chemical, Hangzhou Yuhao Chemical Technology, J & K SCIENTIFIC, Chengdu HuaXia Chemical Reagent



Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers

- North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

- Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)

- Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)

- South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)

- Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)



Subject matter experts conducting the study also take a closer look at the products at their development stage and in the pipeline to help business owners conclude on the business strategies that can lower their cost and promise great returns or profits. Strong emphasis on new launches, acquisition and mergers, collaboration, import and export status and supply chain management empowers the business evangelists, manufacturers and business owners build a robust strategy when it comes to making an investment.



Estimating the potential size of the Brodifacoum Solution industry

Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Brodifacoum Solution industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user  customers. Data on the entire size of the Brodifacoum Solution market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Brodifacoum Solution industry for a specific product or service.



Exploring growth rate over a period

Business owners looking to scale up their business can refer this report that contains data regarding the rise in sales within a given consumer base for the forecast period, 2018 to 2026. Product owners can use this information along with the driving factors such as demographics and revenue generated from other products discussed in the report to get a better analysis of their products and services. Besides, the research analysts have compared the market growth rate with the product sales to enable business owners to determine the success or failure of a specific product or service.



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There are 13 Chapters to thoroughly display the Brodifacoum Solution market. This report included the analysis of market overview, market characteristics, industry chain, competition landscape, historical and future data by types, applications and regions.

Chapter 1: Brodifacoum Solution Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies.

Chapter 2: Brodifacoum Solution 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 Brodifacoum Solution.

Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Brodifacoum Solution.

Chapter 5: Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Brodifacoum Solution by Regions (2013-2018).



Continue



Complete report description available now @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/brodifacoum-solution-market



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News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsLos Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- In the recently published report, QY Research has provided a unique insight into the global Anthrax Vaccines market for the forecasted period of 7-years (2018-2025). The report has covered the significant aspects that are contributing the growth of the global Anthrax Vaccines market. The primary objective of this report is to highlight the various key market dynamics such as drivers, trends, and restraints that are impacting the global Anthrax Vaccines market. This report has provided an indication to the readers about market's current status.



Anthrax is a serious disease that can affect both animals and humans. It is caused by bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. People can get anthrax from contact with infected animals, wool, meat, or hides.Anthrax vaccine protects against anthrax disease. Anthrax vaccine was licensed in 1970.Based on limited but sound evidence, the vaccine protects against both cutaneous (skin) and inhalation anthrax.



The global Anthrax Vaccines market is valued at 500 million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach 840 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.6% during 2019-2025.



The classification of Anthrax Vaccines includes Live Vaccines and Cell free PA Vaccines, and the revenue proportion of Live Vaccines in 2016 is about 43%.



Anthrax Vaccines are widely used for human and animal. The most proportion of Anthrax Vaccines is used for animal, and the consumption proportion is about 95.1% in 2016.



South America region is the largest supplier of Anthrax Vaccines, with a production market share nearly 34.7% in 2016. Europe is the second largest supplier of Anthrax Vaccines, enjoying production market share nearly 17.6% in 2016.



South America is the largest sales place, with a sales market share nearly 39.3% in 2016. Following South America, Europe is the second largest sales place with the sales market share of 19.1%.



Along with the development of China 's Agricultural technology, there is a lot Chinese local manufacturer can produce Anthrax Vaccines, with the increasing demand, more and more manufactures will go into Anthrax Vaccines industry.



Access PDF Version of this Report @ https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/949657/global-anthrax-vaccines-growth-potential



Market competition is intense. Emergent BioSolutions is the major manufacturer of Anthrax Vaccines used for human, Merial, Merck, Zoetis, Bayer Sanidad Animal,Colorado Serum, etc. are is the major manufacturer of Anthrax Vaccines used for animal, and they hold key technologies and patents, with high-end customers; have been formed in the monopoly position in the industry.



This report focuses on Anthrax Vaccines volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Anthrax Vaccines market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.



At company level, this report focuses on the production capacity, ex-factory price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer covered in this report.



The following manufacturers are covered:



Emergent BioSolutions



Merial



Merck



Zoetis



Bayer Sanidad Animal



Colorado Serum



PharmAthene



Tiankang



Biogenesis-Bago



CAVAC



Rosenbusch



Agrovet



Vecol



CVCRI



IVPM



Prondil



CDV



Indian Immunologicals



Botswana Vaccine Institute



Ceva Sante Animale



Intervac



JOVAC



Segment by Type



Live Vaccines



Cell free PA Vaccines



Segment by Application



Human Use



Animal Use



Access Full Comprehensive Industry Insights @



https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/6fe01b0696221733d17bb4fb110be635,0,1,Global%20Anthrax%20Vaccines%20Growth%20Potential%202019



Benefits of Purchasing QY Research Report:

Analyst Support: Get you query resolved from our expert analysts before and after purchasing the report

Customer's Satisfaction: Our expert team will assist with all your research needs and customize the report

Inimitable Expertise: Analysts will provide deep insights about the reports

Assured Quality: We focus on the quality and accuracy of the report

About QYResearch

QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry.Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2019 -- Global Adult Milk Powder market report is first of its kind research report that covers the overview, summary, market dynamics, competitive analysis, and leading player's various strategies to sustain in the global market. The Adult Milk Powder report covers the five top regions of the globe and countries within, which shows the status of regional development, consisting of market value, volume, size, and price data. Apart from this, the Adult Milk Powder report also covers detail information about various clients which is the most significant element for the manufacturers.



Adult milk powder is mainly marketed for providing nutrition, such as necessary vitamins and minerals, for the adult group. Adult milk powder, targeted at the adult, provides the nutrition supplement for the group. Global leading milk powder manufacturers are actively expanding their adult milk powder business. Some leaders, like Abbott, Nestle, commonly launch a specific brand for a specific region.



Consumption of adult milk powder mainly concentrates in Europe. In 2016, the consumption volume of adult milk powder in the region reached 104385 MT, holding 28.53% market share globally. The second consumer is the USA, with 18.42% share. Global consumption of Adult milk powder increased from 306127 MT in 2012 to 365880 MT in 2016 with the CAGR of 4.56%.



As for adult milk powder suppliers, each supplier owns their key sales regions. Abbott places the USA as their first sales place, while many suppliers from Australia and New Zealand take China as their key market. Adult milk powder suppliers should pay attention to the local region consumption characteristic and provides appropriate products to consumers.



Adult milk powders offer people in various life stages with different nutritional requirements. With the improvement of life quality, more and more people lay emphasis on their health and nutrition, stimulating the demand for dairy products.



Get PDF report template at https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/949312/global-adult-milk-powder-depth-research-report



The global Adult Milk Powder market is valued at 3890 million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach 5080 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.4% during 2019-2025.



This report focuses on Adult Milk Powder volume and value at the global level, regional level, and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Adult Milk Powder market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China, and Japan.



At the company level, this report focuses on the production capacity, ex-factory price, revenue, and market share for each manufacturer covered in this report.



The following manufacturers are covered:



Abbott



Nestle



Anlene



Murray Goulburn



Regilait



Yili



Fasska



Yashily



Vreugdenhil Dairy



Anchor



GMP



Feihe



Tatura



Ausino Products



Wondersun



Able Food Sdn Bhd



Mengniu



Anmum Malaysia



Segment by Regions



North America



Europe



China



Japan



Segment by Type



Whole Milk Powder



Skim Milk Powder



Segment by Application



Age 18-35



Age 35-55



Age >55



Get Complete Report in your Inbox within 24 hours at https://www.qyresearch.com/index/detail/949312/global-adult-milk-powder-depth-research-report



About QYResearch

QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from the huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in the consulting industry

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.Several weeks back a reader emailed the Readers Representative to complain about a caption he felt was misleading. He wrote caption several times.

I could not figure out, though, which caption he was referencing. It turned out it wasnt a caption at all, but a headline.

This was a first, but readers have also called headlines titles.

This might be an opportunity, I thought, to offer some explanation and description of elements readers see in print and online.

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Headlines: These large-size words above a story should capture the essence of the news in the article. Ideally they should have an active verb to reflect the action. Words such as are and is can be omitted when trying to fit the space in print. They also should provide some information on the location of the news. Bold face is used for hard-news type stories  council decisions, fires, etc. Light face is used for featurey stories, such as a profile. Designers also will vary the use of bold and light face to make a page more visually appealing. Copy editors write headlines for stories that appear in print. U-T reporters write the headlines for their stories online.

Deckhead: Or dek in newspaper jargon. This is a secondary headline that appears below the main head. Copy editors use this to expand on the news. Location can be included if the copy editor was unable to fit that into the main head. It also is a good place to add an opposing voice if the story has two points of view.

Captions: Also called cutlines in the newsroom. Photographers provide information for the caption, the description of whos doing what. Copy editors use that information to write the caption. Reporters, or their editors, do the same when including a photo with their stories online.

Jumplines: Jumplines are the words that appear at the bottom of stories on a section front. The same word appears on the continuation, or jump, of the story on an inside page. Copy editors try to choose a word from the headline to use for the jump word. Some jumps on the inside pages have an added description of the story next to the jump word. Those are called jump readouts. They generally are used if space allows. If a page designer is trying to make a story fit on the page, theyll remove the readout and use just a jump word.

Column vs. news story: Most columns that appear on the news pages will have the writers picture and columnist under the name. Some columns will have the name of the column and the writers name at the top of the article. That treatment appears with this column, for example. Columns, such as Michael Smolens or Diane Bell, also appear ragged right. That is, they are not justified on the right side the way news stories appear. Columnists are allowed editorial leeway, unlike reporters writing a straight news story. Columnists can offer their opinion.

Community locations

Where is Sabre Springs? Bay Terraces? Guatay? Reader Tom Wilcox of Del Mar emailed suggesting stories that mention some of the smaller communities in San Diego and the county should include a brief description of the communitys location.

When an article references a certain area of our city or county, it would help to have a ... reference point to the area or neighborhood ... especially if the area or neighborhood is not well known by its name, Wilcox wrote.

For example, I have lived in San Diego County for many years, but I really have no idea where Rolando is especially in relation to downtown or the airport, which almost everyone knows. A small ... description like: Rolando is 20 miles northeast of downtown San Diego would help orient the reader and make the article more relevant.

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I agree. Communities such as Mira Mesa or Rancho Bernardo might not need those additions, but I think they would help readers locate the less well-known ones. Community names most commonly appear in the public safety items. By the way, Sabre Springs is in northern San Diego, near Poway; Bay Terraces is in southeastern San Diego; and Guatay is an unincorporated community in East County.

Archives make their return

During 2018, U-T archivist and researcher Merrie Monteagudo assembled a daily feature called From the Archives. It was a past story that ran in the U-T to mark the papers 150th year. (The first edition of the San Diego Union was published Oct. 10, 1868.)

The stories were like opening a time capsule of San Diegos history. Readers enjoyed the daily look back. Because of the popularity of the feature, Monteagudo will continue them, but on a more abbreviated schedule. They are now set to run Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Local section.

You get a more powerful sense on time and place reading first-hand accounts of important events in history, Monteagudo said. Faced with the immediacy of live feeds on television and Twitter, its easy to forget that for centuries daily newspapers recorded events as they happened. Bringing those eye-witness accounts of history back to the surface is just another way of telling San Diegos story, something the U-T has been doing for more than 150 years now.

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I also like the surprise element of archival storytelling. If I can make someone say: I didnt know that! after reading one of the From the Archives feature stories, I feel like Ive hit a home run.

adrian.vore@sduniontribune.comGod likely does not weigh in on politics

Re Sanders: God wanted Trump win (Jan. 31): As a Christian, I want to make it clear Sarah Sanders does not speak for me.

First, to make it sound like only Christians are people of faith and to presume to speak for all is offensive. Second, there are things people of faith care about that Donald Trump does not uphold: truthfulness, respect for all persons, community care for the vulnerable, care of creation, dependability of science to explore Gods creation, and more.

Insulting to say God chose any candidate

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Re Sanders: God wanted Trump win (Jan. 31): Oh, really? I would encourage Sarah Sanders and other fervent Christians who pride themselves on being on a first-name basis with God to dust off their Bibles, revisit the Old Testament warnings about worshiping a golden calf, and contemplate its contemporary incarnation currently occupying our White House.

As for the New Testament, when each day is now greeted by a raft of foolish tweets, the scripture that comes immediately to mind is, Jesus wept.

Cynthia Haney

Linda Vista

Finally, just because something happened does not mean it was meant to be. As proof, go back and read what conservative Christians of Sanders ilk said about Barack Obama serving as president.

Gloria Espeseth

San Carlos

I was merely concerned when President George W. Bush had biblical sayings printed on the cover of his daily intelligence briefings. Im now terrified with the thought of President Trumps press secretary saying God wanted a (or any) particular candidate in the White House. Thats too reminiscent of historical theocracies and autocracies. Res ipsa loquitur.

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Bill Slomanson

Hillcrest

Well, bless your heart, Sarah, but many of my friends disagree with your statement that God wanted Donald Trump to become president. They, on the other hand, think it was more likely that it was the Devil who wanted Trump to become president.

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Marjorie Anderson

Del Mar

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.The California Public Records Act, passed in 1968, generally requires that most government agencies respond within 10 days to a request for public records. But at times, for decades, the intent and the letter of the law have been ignored. In some cases, this is due to staffing issues, not skulduggery.

Yet there are also examples where a refusal to promptly reply  or ever reply  seems to be driven by a desire to stonewall. That appeared to be the case with what Voice of San Diego called excruciating abuses of San Diego Unified School Districts public records policy  and when the state Department of Motor Vehicles told the Los Angeles Times it has no right to see internal memos related to recent scandals written by former DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. Just last month, Chula Vista rejected a request to give The San Diego Union-Tribune copies of 124 marijuana business applications. What recourse do those who seek public records have if they are denied? Costly, time-consuming lawsuits.

Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, thinks thats unacceptable. He intends to introduce legislation that would create an ombudsman position in the Bureau of State Audits that would be tasked with reviewing how agencies disclose public records and whether their decisions to deny information are justifiable under the exemptions set out in 1968. The DMVs decision to deny access to Shiomotos memos because they reflect the internal deliberations of the agency is ludicrous and a perfect example as to why Fongs measure should quickly become law.

How do you hold a state government accountable if you dont know whats happening? Fong said to the Times. That point cant be made enough.

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Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & OpinionSen. Kamala Harris of California and all the other top Democrats running for president are calling on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after he admitted appearing in a 1984 yearbook photo showing one person in a Ku Klux Klan robe and another in blackface.

Harris was one of the first members of Congress to say Northam should step aside.

Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government, Harris, the most prominent black woman ever to seek the presidency, said late Friday on Twitter.

On Saturday, Northam backtracked and said he was not one of the two people in the photo and he would not resign.

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In addition to Harris, four others vying for the party nomination demanded Friday the Democratic governors resignation: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cory Booker of New Jersey, and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro of Texas.

These racist images are deeply disturbing, Warren said. Hatred and discrimination have no place in our country and must not be tolerated, especially from our leaders  Republican or Democrat.

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and theyve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northams ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2019

Two of the partys most talked-about 2020 prospects, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, joined the chorus of condemnation on Saturday.

Gov. Northam should resign, Sanders said on Twitter. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax should step in and begin a new day for Virginia.

Biden said on Twitter, There is no place for racism in America. Governor Northam has lost all moral authority and should resign immediately, Justin Fairfax is the leader Virginia needs now.

Northam, a pediatric neurologist, released a statement Friday saying he was deeply sorry that he appeared in the Eastern Virginia Medical School photo, though he did not specify whether he was in blackface or wearing the KKK robe.

Northam graduated from the school in 1984. The yearbook photo was posted Friday by the conservative website Big League Politics.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam acknowledged Friday that he was in a yearbook photo showing one person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. He did not specify which was he. (Eastern Virginia Medical School)

The outcry Friday among civil rights leaders and liberal groups was immediate.

While we are mindful that youth and young adults can make regrettable mistakes that may merit leniency, this image perpetuates some of the worst hate in our nations history and undermines the ability of all Virginians  particularly those of color  to have faith in the integrity of their governor, said Janai Nelson of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

The National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and liberal advocacy groups MoveOn and Democracy for America all demanded Northams resignation. The Republican Governors Assn. also called on him to quit.

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Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, another Democrat who might join the race for president, agreed that his successor should resign.

Four other possible Democratic presidential contenders also called on the Virginia governor to step down: Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Rep. Eric Swalwell from the San Francisco Bay Area, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.A Valhalla High School student was arrested Friday for allegedly bringing a handgun to the Rancho San Diego campus, sheriffs officials said.

Sheriffs Sgt. Matt Cook said the student told investigators he was carrying the gun  which had just one cartridge loaded incorrectly into the magazine  for personal protection.

Another student spotted the handgun in the suspects waistband and reported it to a school resource officer about 2:15 p.m., telling the officer hed seen the suspect with the weapon and a loaded magazine inside a classroom, Cook said.

The suspect left Valhallas campus a short time after the witness reported the weapon  detectives were still investigating whether he knew hed been reported  and the school resource officer broadcast the boys description to deputies heading to the school on Hillsdale Road west of Jamacha Road.

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Deputies spotted the suspect walking away from the school and detained him, but he did not have a gun on him and claimed not to have had one, Cook said in a statement. Deputies checked the area around where theyd detained the student, but did not find any discarded weapons.

Deputies took the boy to his home and were ready to release him to his mother when they learned that school staff had discovered a loaded magazine on campus, Cook said.

We found the magazine first, Cook wrote in an email. The student was confronted with that evidence and then admitted to having the handgun for his protection.

The gun was found at the school, according to Cook. The single round in the magazine was loaded backward.

Deputies arrested the suspect and took him to the Rancho San Diego sheriffs substation before he was booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of bringing a loaded firearm on campus  a felony, Cook said.

Because only one round had been loaded into the gun, Cook said investigators do not believe the suspect was planning mass violence.

The safety of our students is always foremost, and we take these concerns very seriously, the sergeant said. The Sheriffs Department and Grossmont Union High School District will continue to encourage students to report anything they see or hear that causes them concern.

In a tweet, the Sheriffs Department praised the student who courageously spoke up and reported the incident.

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It is against the law in California to bring a gun to school. A student was arrested Friday for bringing a loaded gun to @valhallahigh. Another student courageously spoke up and reported the incident. Remember our Anonymous Student Speaking Out Hotline (888) 580-8477. pic.twitter.com/hUfhTV0g0l  San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) February 2, 2019

Sheriffs officials also reminded students they can report threats anonymously at (888) 580-8477 or studentsspeakingout.org.

The arrest of the Valhalla student came the same day sheriffs deputies in North County increased patrols at Vista and Rancho Buena Visa high schools after vague but threatening messages were discovered Thursday in bathrooms at both schools.

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Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

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UPDATES:

10:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

9:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

9 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

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This article was originally published at 8:30 p.m.A SWAT incident in Escondido ended peacefully shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday when a man who had run from police and broken into a house surrendered more than three hours later.

Escondido police Lt. Mark Petersen said officers tried to stop a vehicle containing the man  who has several outstanding felony warrants for his arrest  as he was driving near the intersection of Chestnut Street and Robertson Drive about 10:30 a.m.

When officers with the countys Fugitive Task Force attempted to pull him over, he ran away and into the home of a woman he knows, police said.

The people inside the home were able to get out unharmed, Petersen said. The man then barricaded himself inside the home, and police negotiated with him until about 2:15 p.m. when he came out and surrendered.

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No shots were fired.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjonesFour people were shot after a man opened fire on a crowd standing in front of a house party in Encanto late Friday.

At 11:57 p.m., police received reports of gunfire at Springfield Street near Mallard Street, near the San Diego-Lemon Grove border, San Diego police Officer Robert Heims said. Responding officers found a few victims there with gunshot wounds, including at least one who was found injured inside a vehicle.

A woman near the scene also told officers she believed she was grazed by a round, according to a police radio call.

One victim suffered life-threatening injuries and was in critical condition, police said Saturday. The other three victims wounds were not considered as serious.

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The shooting occurred after a fight at the party, police said. A detailed description of the gunman was not released.

Police described the shooting scene as chaotic, with a large group of people gathering around as police attempted to search for suspects, interview witnesses and preserve the crime scene. About half a dozen officers from other divisions around San Diego were sent to help Southeastern Division officers control the scene.

Another man was shot in a separate incident in Nestor about 9:40 p.m. It occurred near Nestor Park where Oro Vista Road curves and becomes Grove Avenue, a little east of Hollister Street, Heims said.

The condition of the victim was not known.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

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alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

11:40 a.m. Saturday: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 10:10 p.m. Friday.A Transportation Security Administration officer died Saturday after police said he jumped from a Hyatt Regency Hotel balcony into an open area inside the Orlando International Airport.

The man, who was in his 40s, had just clocked out of work, TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz said. He was in critical condition when police arrived and died at a hospital.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the officers family, friends and everyone in our TSA family, Koshetz said in an email.

The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. near the east checkpoint, which funnels to gates 70 through 129, airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said in a statement.

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The sight sent a wave of screams through the atrium, said Cathy Imburgia, who was in line for TSA PreCheck when the incident happened.

There were children in line, she said. It was awful.

In the ensuing chaos, some passengers scattered into the area beyond the security checkpoint, Koshetz said.

Imburgia, of Delaware, said she and others were ushered through security and out of the airport.

Meanwhile, all flights to and from gates 70 through 129 were halted and some passengers already on board were asked to deplane.

Southwest Airlines had canceled 49 arriving flights and 45 departing flights by Saturday afternoon, according to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Three hours of chaos later, after returning inside the packed lobby and through security, Imburgia said she made it to her gate.

Upstairs, the confusion sparked rumors among hotel guests of a bomb threat or shooting, said James Shaw, who is staying at the Hyatt this weekend while his 6-year-old daughter competes in a dance competition there.

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While Shaw was making his way back from his hotel room on the 10th floor to the competition, he said he walked past the officer, who was standing on the balcony ledge.

He said he assumed the man was looking for something.

At first I thought it was strange, like anyone would, said Shaw, of Safety Harbor.

When Shaw stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor, thats when you heard the boom, he said.

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I cant believe I didnt say anything to him, Shaw said. I was 4 feet from himI thought he was there for a reason.

Some local politicians took to social media Saturday, offering condolences to airport workers and the mans family.

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, said on Twitter news of the apparent suicide only adds to tragedy experienced at [OIA] coming off a difficult month for the federal workers, who already suffered so much during the [government shutdown].

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Winter Park, recognized the security officers for having some of the toughest jobs... these public servants often sacrifice a lot in order to keep us safe at our nations airports.

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My thoughts today are with his family and coworkers, and I wish them well during this difficult time, she said on Twitter.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline takes calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1-800-273-8255 if you need help.

Tess Sheets can be reached at tsheets@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5020. Twitter: @sheets_tess

(Photo courtesy James Shaw)In what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a tit-for-tat response, Russia will suspend its participation in a major arms control treaty with the United States and restart the development of intermediate-range missiles banned by the pact, the Kremlin said Saturday.

Russias announcement came one day after the U.S. said it would pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, a milestone arms control pact that the Trump administration claims Russia has been violating for years.

We will have a tit-for-tat response, Putin said in remarks posted on the Kremlin website. Our American partners have announced that they are suspending their participation in the treaty, so we are suspending ours as well.

Putin said Russia did not intend to start a new arms race, but added that development of a ground-based, medium-range hypersonic missile that has raised concerns for members of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, including the U.S., would continue.

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[The U.S.] announced that they are engaged in research and technological development work, and we will do the same, Putin said.

The Kremlin leaders comments came during a special meeting Saturday morning with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The landmark treaty has been a cornerstone of late Cold War-era arms reduction efforts between Moscow and Washington. It was signed in 1987 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The pact bans the production, testing and deployment of land-based nuclear and nonnuclear missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or about 310 and 3,410 miles.

The U.S. has complained that Russia has violated the treaty with the production and deployment of ground-launched cruise missiles capable of reaching Europe with little or no warning.

In the withdrawal announcement Friday, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said the U.S. had given Russia plenty of time to mend its ways, but Moscows time had run out.

The clock on the U.S. pullout from the pact started on Feb 2., and will fully terminate within six months if Russia does not meet U.S. demands. The U.S. said Russia must verify it has destroyed a new class of medium-range missiles Washington alleges violate the treaty.

The Kremlin has denied the U.S. accusations. In his meeting with his ministers Saturday, Putin said it was the U.S. that was in violation, citing Washingtons positioning of an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

Putin said Russia will begin development of a land-based version of its Kalibr cruise missile, a new, hypersonic sea-launched weapon capable of traveling more than five times the speed of sound. NATO has expressed concern about the Kalibr because of the threat it poses to European security.

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The Kremlins quid pro quo response to the U.S. pullout from the INF treaty comes after almost two years of a tense diplomatic standoff between Washington and Moscow. The tensions stem from U.S. condemnation of Russias annexation of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula Washington and its Western allies recognize as Ukrainian territory.

The U.S. and its European allies have sanctioned Russia for its actions in Ukraine as well as accusations that the Kremlin orchestrated the attempted assassination of a Russian turncoat on British soil. Both Washington and Moscow have expelled diplomats in retaliation.

Putins comments that Saturdays response was a tit-for-tat in the ongoing diplomatic tension with Washington overshadowed what many fear could be a revival of a new arms race.

Putin said Russia would go ahead with the development of short- and medium-range missiles now banned by the treaty, but would not deploy the missiles until such American-made weapons appear in Europe or other countries. He blamed the U.S. for refusing to come to the negotiating table despite what he said were repeated overtures from the Kremlin.

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For many years, we have been calling on numerous occasions for holding meaningful disarmament talks on almost all aspects of this matter, Putin said. I suggest that we wait until our partners are ready to engage in equal and meaningful dialogue on this subject that is essential for us, as well as for our partners and the entire world.The city has apparently found a new location for one of two large bridge shelter tents in downtown San Diego  just a few blocks to the east of where the tent sits now.

According to a notice released Jan. 11 by the citys Planning Department, the tent could be moved to 1700 Imperial Ave., the northeast corner of Imperial Avenue and 17th Street. The new site is two blocks east and one block north of its current location on property owned by Father Joes Villages.

Greg Block, senior press secretary for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, responded to a question about the move with a text that said nothing had been announced yet and he was not ready to discuss it.

Father Joes Villages President and CEO Deacon Jim Vargas said he was aware of the notice, officially called a notice of right to appeal environmental determination, but did not think the deal had been finalized.

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The notice states the city would lease the property from Breitbard Properties, but does not refer to a cost or time length. In December, the City Council agreed to spend $1.6 million to cover the relocation cost.

Its unknown if anyone has formally objected to the plan before the appeal period expired Jan. 28. The proposed site is three blocks from a city-owned storage center used by homeless people to store their belongings. Many Sherman Heights residents had objected to the storage center, arguing that the city was concentrating too many homeless services in their neighborhood.

Time has been running out for the city to select a new location for the large tent, which was erected at 14th and Commercial streets in January 2018. The location had always been considered temporary, as Father Joes plans to construct a 16-story, 407-unit housing project on the site.

Vargas said Friday that the tent at the Father Joes site is expected to come down April 30. Just a month ago the plan had been to dismantle it in early March to prepare the site for construction, but Vargas said the date was pushed back because of recent inclement weather and to give the city more time to prepare for the move.

The tent is one of three bridge shelters erected by the city that together hold about 700 people. The tent at Father Joes Villages has beds for 100 families and 50 single women.

The tents are intended to serve as bridge shelters, meaning they are a bridge between life on the street and permanent housing for the people they serve. In anticipation of the shelters temporary closure and move, Father Joes Villages late last year stopped accepting bridge shelter clients, or people working with housing navigators to find permanent homes, and instead has been filling any empty bed with women and families in its emergency shelter program.

Vargas said that once the tent closes April 30, it will take about two or three weeks to dismantle it and another six to eight weeks to move and reassemble it.

Its unclear where the 150 people now in the tent will go in the interim, but Vargas said he believes the city will find a place for them.

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It would not be the first time the city had found a temporary location for homeless people. In October 2017, the city worked with the Alpha Project to create a campground for about 200 homeless people, which was open for about two months in an operations yard near Balboa Park.

When the Alpha Project bridge shelter on 16th Street and Newton Avenue flooded in a downpour last December, the city moved 260 people from that tent to a makeshift shelter at SDCCU Stadium in Mission Valley within hours.

Vargas said Father Joes Village had been providing people in the tent on its property access to its medical clinic, employment services and therapeutic child care center, and he said he would be open to continue to provide the services once the tent is moved a few blocks away.

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Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939It wasnt exactly Black Friday, but dozens of people eager for a good deal arrived early and waited in a long line in anticipation of the grand reopening of Father Joes Villages Thrift Store in Imperial Beach.

We have great items here, across the board, from furniture to household goods, kitchen items, books and clothing, Father Joes Villages President and CEO Deacon Jim Vargas said, sounding a bit like a salesman to a crowd of about 100 people waiting for him to cut a red ribbon and open the store. You can find it here.

Vargas said the nonprofit was focusing on its retail division this year and had expansion and refurbishing plans in sight.

The first step was to make improvements to the three-year-old Imperial Beach store at 1555 Palm Ave. The store remained open during the work, which involved widening aisles, adding two dressing rooms and adding 400 square feet to bring the floor space to 6,000 square feet.

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Next, Father Joes plans to make similar improvements to its El Cajon store at 2325 Fletcher Parkway, which Vargas said should have a reopening in about a month.

Vargas also said the nonprofit is looking to open two more stores this year. While he couldnt say where those might be, he said they have narrowed down the possible locations.

Father Joes also operates a large used furniture store at 3350 E St., San Diego.

We have a master plan that will be rolled out through rest of the year to be able to support various communities, he said to shoppers Friday, hinting at more changes to come.

Donations to the stores can be made at the stores themselves, and Vargas stressed that sales proceeds will help the nonprofits programs.

While youre shopping for yourself, youre making a difference in the lives of the individuals we serve, those on the street, the homeless, he said. We can only do what we do because of the generosity of those who visit our thrift stores.

Vargas said Father Joes provided various services to 14,500 people last year and has helped 5,600 people find permanent housing in the past five years.

The nonprofit also provides housing for more than 2,000 each night and up to 3,000 meals every day along with healthcare, addiction treatment, education, job training and therapeutic childcare.

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Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939A report about English learner students in San Diego and Los Angeles shows that resource teachers and language development classes help boost these students progress.

But those supports may be harder to come by as school districts face budget constraints and cuts.

The Public Policy Institute of California published a report Thursday which studied English learner progress in the San Diego Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District, Californias largest public school systems. Education researchers with the University of California, San Diego co-authored the report, which was based on student data from 2006 to 2016.

An English learner is a student whose primary language is not English. Researchers focused on these students because, on average, they fare worse academically than most other student groups.

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For example, the statewide graduation rate for English learners was 67 percent in 2017, compared to 83 percent for California students overall. Only foster youth and students with disabilities had lower graduation rates.

We know we need to give them additional supports to graduate on time or to graduate at all, said Julian Betts, executive director of the San Diego Education Research Alliance at UC San Diego and a co-author of the report.

The study focused on English learners in middle school and high school who entered San Diego and L.A. schools late, after fifth grade, and on long-term English learners who have spent several years in U.S. schools without being reclassified as fluent in English.

The report found that there are fewer long-term and late-arriving English learner students than there used to be. In San Diego Unified, English learner enrollment in middle and high schools declined 46 percent from 2007 to 2016.

Thats largely because the district has been reclassifying English learners as English fluent more quickly, the report stated. A student must achieve high-enough scores on certain standardized tests to be considered fluent.

The percentage of San Diego Unified English learner students who were deemed fluent, or English proficient, was 17 percent in the 2016-2017 school year, up from 11 percent two years before, according to district data.

However, the report found worse academic outcomes for English learners who werent placed in English language development classes, which are classes designed just for English learners. Students sometimes werent placed in those classes because English learner enrollment was too small at some schools, according to the report.

The report also focused on San Diego Unifieds English learner teachers. Researchers found better outcomes for San Diegos students when they had English language support teachers, who facilitated their placement into the right courses, monitored students progress and supported general classroom teachers who teach English learner students.

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According to the reports findings and interviews with school staff, support teachers in San Diego Unified have declined in number over time, partly due to budget cuts.

We completely understand San Diego Unified is not alone in facing hard times financially. But if the district is able to obtain additional funding in the future, it might be really wise to invest in (English language) support teachers, Betts said.

In response to the report, San Diego Unified Instructional Support Officer Theresa Laskowski issued a statement saying San Diego Unifieds English learners have improved in performance over time.

The district says it adopted a paradigm shift in how it educates English learners. The district used to pull English learners out of class for extra support; now it provides in-class support instead, Laskowski said.

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The shift from an isolation, or pull-out, model to a push-in model has greatly benefited all students, Laskowski said.

Researchers also examined whether having many English learners in a school affected the performance of native English-speaking students. They found no evidence that having English learners harmed native English speakers, Betts said.

We thought that was a pretty important message  given the current political environment  that parents of English speakers should never be alarmed, necessarily, because their schools have a lot of students who are English learners, she said.

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Kristen Taketa

Email: kristen.taketa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @Kristen_TaketaRamona Chamber of Commerce received accolades during the Ramona Unified School District Board meeting last Thursday for its $4,056.76 in educational grants to schools.

Our students were beyond happy to hear that the Ramona Chamber of Commerce presented Montecito High School with an educational grant of $500 to help with the schoolwide zoo field trip, Montecito High junior Michael Caparas said during his student report to district trustees. Were all looking forward to this.

Montecito High School Principal Mike Sterner, top left, joins students and school employees in accepting Ramona chambers $500 grant, which chamber President Bob Krysak doubled. Maureen Robertson

Chamber President Bob Krysak said he will double that grant so the school will receive $1,000 toward the trip. Students at Montecito High, one of Ramona Unifieds two alternative high schools, end each school year with a trip to San Diego Zoo.

Ramona Chamber of Commerce directors saw many smiles and repeatedly heard thank you when they delivered five educational grants to three schools this month. District Superintendent Anne Staffieri, Ed.D., added to the expressions of appreciation during her report to the school board on Jan. 24.

All of our sites really want to thank the Ramona Chamber of Commerce for generous donations to classes  allowing programs to continue that we wouldnt otherwise have, she said.

Barnett Elementary School was the first stop when chamber directors presented the grants. Teachers Cathy Harrington and Randy Schimpf gathered all of their fifth-grade students into Harringtons room to receive $2,000 from the chamber toward the $5,800 needed for the Revolutionary Voyage trip to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point at the end of February.

Barnett Elementary fifth-grade teachers Cathy Harrington and Randy Schimpf accept a $2,000 grant from Ramona Chamber of Commerce. Maureen Robertson

The 60 fifth-graders will experience history as greenhand sailors aboard a ship that will transport much needed supplies to General George Washingtons army in 1777. History, theater, music and science are among subjects the students will explore during their trip as they act out the roles of the leaders and sailing crew trying to get the supplies behind enemy lines to Washington, Harrington and Schimpf said in their grant application.

After their visit to Montecito High, the chamber representatives went to Ramona High School, where they delivered three grants: $456.76 for two Chromebooks for Emily Maehlers English class, $400 for radio headsets for Jessica Camerons dance productions class, and $300 for the Ready to Learn Peer Counselor Program that counselors and program advisers Andres Martin and Ave Williams oversee.

In my classroom, our dreams are big, but our facilities are lacking, Maehler said in her grant application.

Ramona High School English Teacher Emily Maehler smiles as she accepts a $456.76 grant from Ramona Chamber of Commerce. Maureen Robertson

Her focus is to have her students write, write, write, write some more and collaborate, so they learn to write fluently and maybe even come to enjoy it. Access to Chromebooks and computers is limited, and Maehlers goal is to have a full class set of Chromebooks for her students. She purchased two Chromebooks with last years chamber grant and will purchase two more with this years grant as she advances toward her goal.

On behalf of their teacher, Ramona High Dance Productions President Sarah Swafford and Treasurer Reigan Pozek accepted $400 from chamber representatives for headsets for productions in the school theater. The school has been borrowing headsets from the chamber when it stages dance concerts and, Dance Director Jessica Cameron said in her application, it is time for our school to own their own backstage equipment.

Ramona High School Dance Productions President Sarah Swafford and Treasurer Reigan Pozek accept a $400 grant from the chamber. Maureen Robertson

The schools dance program has grown to approximately 150 students. Camerons goal is to acquire more up-to-date equipment to improve the professionalism of the student concerts.

The radios will not only be used by our dance program but can benefit our music and theater concerts that use the theater for their performances, she said.

Counselors Andres Martin and Ave Williams said they appreciate the support their Ready to Learn Peer Counselor Program received from the chambers $300 grant. Chamber directors doubled the initial $150 grant after hearing about the program from participating students.

What youre doing is more important than you realize, one of the students said.

The Ready to Learn program is a support program that aids students who are struggling. The adult counselors train the peer counselors, who then connect one-to-one with students as well as participate with the adult counselors in insight groups to help students learn, among other life skills, how to manage their triggers and how to deal with their emotions.

It helps students take their power back, said Williams.

Ten juniors and six seniors participate this year as peer counselors. Six of them talked with chamber directors when the chamber delivered  then doubled  the grant.An Escondido school teacher accused of sexually abusing two teen boys pleaded not guilty to four felony charges Friday.

Travis Lee Putnam, 32, appeared in a Vista courtroom where he was arraigned on four counts of lewd act with a child age 14 or 15. His bail was set at $500,000.

The Orange Glen High School social science teacher was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexually abusing teenagers, though authorities have said the allegations are not linked to the mans employment at the Escondido school.

Putnam is charged in Superior Court with committing sexual acts with one of the boys at least twice between April 2014 and April 2016. He is accused of committing the acts with the other boy at least twice between June 2017 and December of last year.

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One of the teens has since turned 18, the other is still a juvenile.

Deputy District Attorney Ben Barlow said Putnam faces around five years in custody if convicted. He could also be ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

No new details about the incidents emerged during the brief arraignment. Putnam is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 19.

After the Friday hearing, Putnams attorney, Evan Ginsburg, said he was unable to comment on the case, as he had not yet seen any of the reports or evidence. The Fullerton-based lawyer did say, however, that he was a longtime family friend who has known Putnam since he was about 4 years old.

Ginsburg said Putnams mother was absolutely shocked at the allegations against her son.

Sheriffs officials announced Wednesday that they had arrested Putnam that day on Interstate 5 in Oceanside. The arrest came a day after authorities learned of the allegations.

Although sheriffs officials said the alleged incidents are not related to Putnams job, school district officials said Putnam has been placed on administrative leave.

School district officials likewise asserted this week that the allegations do not involve students from the district, and added in a statement that the alleged crimes are not believed to have occurred on any district campuses.

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The District is taking action necessary to protect the safety of all students and staff, officials said in the statement.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

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Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTFor more than 150 years, Los Angeles Countys Board of Supervisors has been the realm of men  a powerful governing body that long ago earned the nickname of the five little kings.

But that was before women earned a supermajority on the board, with Supervisor Janice Hahn  whose father, Kenneth Hahn, had the same job from 1952 to 1992  now serving as chair. Its a shift that has accompanied increasingly progressive stances on a host of issues, including housing policy and criminal justice reform, but especially on issues that specifically affect women.

Someone apparently forgot to tell all of this to Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

In an extraordinary exchange during this weeks board meeting, the newly elected sheriff ran into an unusually stiff wall of resistance as the female supervisors upbraided him over a decision to reinstate a male deputy who had been fired amid allegations that he abused and stalked an ex-girlfriend.

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If I sound critical, its because I am, said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. But its mostly because Im worried. Im really worried and concerned about the message that is being sent.

Though certainly notable as a rare public rebuke of the countys top cop, the meeting marked the second time in a month that the board has tangled with county officials over issues related to gender. Supervisors also have pushed to recruit more women to county agencies and to implement more vocational training for women and female youths incarcerated in county facilities.

Im aware of it every single time that I look at this board, said Hahn, who works at the county administration building named after her father. I know that this is not my fathers Board of Supervisors. It is historic, and I do think it makes a difference in so many areas.

Women on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors (Jon Schleuss and Matt Stiles / Los Angeles Times)

The women serving on the board now  Supervisors Hilda Solis and Kathryn Barger, in addition to Hahn and Kuehl  form a bloc that sets the priorities and policies of county government, a low-profile, but powerful tier of public agencies with a collective budget of $30 billion and jurisdiction over courts, jails and social services.

Only six women have served on the board since it began in the 1850s, with the current group preceded by Gloria Molina, elected in 1991, and Yvonne Burke, elected in 1992. But, with the addition of Hahn and Barger in 2016, this is the first time there has ever been four female supervisors on the five-member board at the same time.

Their life experiences with childbirth and motherhood, and with navigating discrimination in the workplace and in society, at large, have helped shape their priorities on the dais, they say. And it is happening at a time, in the #MeToo era, that institutions across the country and state are grappling with issues of gender equality and sexual misconduct.

The discussion with Villanueva is just one example.

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Three weeks ago, supervisors also clashed with county officials over a long-standingl plan to relocate female prisoners to a new, 1,600-inmate jail near Lancaster, about 80 miles north of downtown.

In addition to a desire to incarcerate fewer women, the supervisors said they worried that the remote location could isolate women awaiting trial and complicate visits from children and other family members.

Amid those concerns, the county has delayed the multimillion-dollar project, which had been close to breaking ground but now seems in peril.

This is a new board of supervisors, Hahn said during that meeting. We know that the direction were going to take. L.A. County is going to be different.

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Another example happened during a weekly meeting of the board two years ago, when the four female supervisors donned headbands from the film Wonder Woman to raise awareness about recruiting women to the L.A. County Fire Department.

Out of more than 2,500 firefighters, only a few dozen are women, they noted, and some stations arent even equipped with separate bathrooms, locker rooms or sleeping areas.

At the time, Hahn pressed Fire Chief Daryl Osby to retrofit the Marina del Rey station, which is in her district, and to recruit more women.

The chief was very aware that there were four women on the dais who were very serious, she said. Im not sure a previous board would have made that a priority.

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Three years ago, Kuehl and Solis promoted a five-year initiative that directs dozens of county departments to address the disadvantages facing women and girls. The broader bloc of female supervisors also has pushed for more options for vocational training for women and female youth who are incarcerated in county facilities.

I dont think there is any doubt that having even one woman on a board makes a difference, if shes allowed to speak up and speak from her own experience, Kuehl said. Certainly, having four women on the board, I would think, is somewhat intimidating.

To be sure, gender is not the only issue at play on the Board of Supervisors. Kuehl is gay, Mark Ridley-Thomas, the boards lone male, is black and Solis is Latina  all of which are reasons that the supervisors are, as a whole, sensitive to progressive issues, some political observers say.

But the supervisors say they arent blinded by their own biases. Barger, for example, is married to a retired sheriffs deputy, yet she brought forward the motion that compelled Villanuevas testimony this week.

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Im not trying to do an I got you, Barger told the sheriff. [But] I couldnt, especially with the board a majority of women, not challenge those statements.

At that meeting, both Hahn and Ridley-Thomas were absent because of illness, and the sheriff encountered extraordinary pushback even though he is independently elected and does not report to the board.

The remaining three female supervisors pressed from the dais about whether the fired deputy, Carl Mandoyan, who also volunteered on Villanuevas election campaign, should have been rehired amid allegations that he abused a former girlfriend in 2014.

During a few testy exchanges, the sheriff interrupted the supervisors at times and quibbled with Barger over whether the woman who made the allegations should be called a victim.

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Villanueva said he disagreed with the board about the facts of the case, which remain unclear because of the confidentiality of personnel files of law enforcement officers in California. He said the case against Mandoyan was the result of a flawed disciplinary process that can lead to unfair termination.

An all-male board, earlier, may not have thought the same way, the sheriff told The Times after the meeting in response to a question about the makeup of the board. But they have a very valid point, and we want to make sure were protecting the rights of everyone whos in a vulnerable position. But we have to protect the rights of everyone. We cant pick and choose who we afford that protection for.

Villanueva and supervisors remain at odds  and its an issue that might not fade quickly. In two weeks, the countys lawyers are expected to report back with more information about the case after the board passed a motion directing them to do so.

The makeup of the board is expected to remain the same until next year, when an election to replace the term-limited Ridley-Thomas could well give women complete control of governing Los Angeles County.

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So far, former L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry has entered the race, as has City Council President Herb Wesson. Soon-to-be-termed-out state Sen. Holly Mitchell also is strongly considering a run, according to two people familiar with her thinking.

If such a shift away from a male-run board happened, it would be historic for L.A. County and California, though six other counties in the state do have female-majority boards, including Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Modoc, San Bernardino and Sonoma counties, said Sara Floor, a spokeswoman for the California State Assn. of Counties.

Also, just two of the 15 members of the Los Angeles City Council are women, and women only represent about a quarter of the California Legislature and officials elected to statewide office.

If that were to happen in Los Angeles, that would be a real signal, said Jennifer Piscopo, an assistant professor of politics at Occidental College who has studied gender dynamics in governance. It would cause buzz, and it would get attention, and it would be a real moment.A man convicted of killing a clerk at a gas station in Los Feliz and the owner of a Mar Vista medical marijuana dispensary was sentenced Friday to two life terms without the possibility of parole.

Kayshon Lamont Moody, 27, was sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis B. Rappe, according to the district attorneys office.

Moody fatally shot M.D. Mizu Rahman, 34, while he robbed a Chevron gas station on Jan. 17, 2017, authorities said.

The next day, police said, Moody shot and killed 50-year-old Ovik Oganesyan, 50, in a robbery at a medical marijuana dispensary in Mar Vista. Oganesyan owned the business.

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In a letter addressed to the killer, Oganesyans wife, Armik Iskandaryan, said she and her husband could have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last year, City News Service reported.

Instead, I sat in this room watching videos of him being shot, seeing images that have forever changed me, and then was forced to go home and not have my husband to talk to, she wrote. You stripped the love of my life away from me. You deliberately, intentionally, and without remorse decided that he should no longer live.

A co-defendent in the case pleaded guilty in September to murder and robbery charges, according to CNS.

The two men were arrested Jan. 20, 2017, when they were pulled over by police during a traffic stop.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.Acting quickly after the reopening of the federal government last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has renewed grants totaling nearly $172 million for the five-county Los Angeles area.

The funding will go primarily to agencies that provide direct homeless services, including outreach, case management and shelters. Separately, HUD has resumed funding for thousands of federal rental subsidies, which also were in jeopardy because of the shutdown.

The largest share of the $172 million in HUD grants will go to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the lead agency for most of Los Angeles County. The renewal of $114 million provides a 20% increase over last years funding levels to continue services provided by the nearly 150 programs that the authority administers.

The funds will enable LAHSA and its partner agencies to expand services for the most vulnerable chronically homeless populations, said Peter Lynn, executive director of the authority.

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The renewals also include $7.7 million for Long Beach, $3.2 million for Pasadena and $2.4 million for Glendale, the three Los Angeles County cities that manage their own HUD contracts.

And homeless services agencies will receive $23.1 million in Orange County, $9.8 million in San Bernardino County and $9.5 million in Riverside County.

The funding for Southern California is part of the approximately $381 million awarded to 694 local programs across California and part of the nearly $2 billion awarded to programs nationwide.

HUD processed the grant renewals the day after the federal government reopened after a 35-day shutdown. HUDs Regional Administrator James Stracner issued a statement crediting the quick action to dedicated staff of the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs.

With this targeted investment, HUD continues supporting effective community-based programs that deliver housing and services to meet the needs of homeless people in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the statement said.

The awards are for existing projects. Additional awards for new projects will be announced later.

The Los Angeles authority has applied for $12.4 million for new projects and $1.25 million for planning.

doug.smith@latimes.com

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@LATDougNews that seven Navy SEALs have been granted immunity deals to serve as witnesses in a San Diego war crimes trial has rocked the defendants community of supporters and raised questions about what those deals could mean in the court-martial of Edward R. Gallagher next month.

Gallagher, a chief special warfare operator, is expected to go on trial Feb. 19 for war crimes allegedly committed during a 2017 deployment to Mosul, Iraq, including allegations he stabbed a teen-age to death Iraqi combatant and that he allegedly shot at civilians.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Navy prosecutors told a judge last week that they have secured immunity for seven SEALs, members of Gallaghers platoon, to be witnesses at the court-martial.

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While the immunity agreements were sought by Cmdr. Chris Czaplak, lead counsel for the government, they also cover what the witnesses say to the defense.

Phillip Stackhouse, one of Gallaghers six defense attorneys, said the seven immunity deals in this case dont mean that all seven SEALs will testify against his client. The immunity is not side-specific, he said.

The discussion in court was only about who had immunity and, at my request, the judge made the prosecution disclose on the record who had it, Stackhouse said in an email. This was so we could compel the government to make them available to us and to ensure the court informed everyone the immunity covered them for discussions with the defense as well.

Until the Jan. 25 motions hearing, the defense did not know who  or how many  witnesses had been granted immunity by Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey, the court-martials convening authority and the commander of Navy Region Southwest. The convening authority decides whom to prosecute.

The judge, Capt. Aaron Rugh, has issued a protective order, which limits what prosecutors and defense attorneys can say about the case.

Gary Barthel, a military attorney who spent 20 years in the Marines  16 of those as a JAG lawyer  said that military prosecutors often seek immunity for witnesses to get them to testify to bolster their case.

When youve got individuals whove witnessed an offense and didnt report it, they could be deemed co-conspirators, he said. Typically, you grant immunity to the lower-level players to go after the main suspect of the case.

Barthel, who is not connected to the Gallagher case and has no direct knowledge of the evidence, said it is likely that investigators identified a number of people who witnessed some part of the events the government has built its case around.

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My guess would be, based on what Ive seen, there are a lot of people who know (Gallagher) who witnessed these events, he said. However, the defense may be correct that some of them might have some testimony that benefits their client.

Some of Gallaghers supporters have their own take on the immunity deals.

A statement posted by a Facebook page set up to support Gallagher said the immunity deals were the only way that witnesses would even talk to prosecutors. That statement was attributed to Gallaghers wife, Andrea Gallagher, and his brother, Sean Gallagher, along with another defense attorney, Colby Vokey.

They were granted immunity because they refused to even talk to the prosecutors without having immunity, the statement said.

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The Navy declined to respond to that claim.

Were not going to try this case in the media, said Brian ORourke, a Navy spokesman.

Some conservative news media outlets have given Gallagher supportive coverage, including interviews with family members on Fox & Friends, Newsmax TV and No Interruption with Tomi Lahren, a show on Fox News new subscription-based streaming service, Fox Nation.

On a Jan. 4 episode of Fox & Friends, Sean Gallagher told host Steve Doocy that the entire prosecution is based on accounts of two disgruntled members of his brothers platoon. He repeated those claims during an appearance on One America News Jan. 17, and on Newsmax TV Jan. 23.

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In an email Wednesday, Sean Gallagher said some of the witnesses will testify that his brother is not guilty.

I know for a fact that some of those given immunity will say Eddie is innocent, he said. I cant present you the evidence of how I know this to be true since we dont want the prosecution seeing it before trial, but it nevertheless is very different than the image of (seven) guys testifying against Eddie.

The Gallagher court case and the possibility that some Navy SEALs may break ranks and testify against a platoon member has reverberated throughout the special warfare community, said Ed Hiner, a retired SEAL lieutenant commander who was deployed nine times over his 20-year career and who maintains connections with the San Diego SEAL community.

Guys are nervous, he said. Most of them are in shock. You could dissect any shooting. The battlefields confusing. A lot of guys have done a lot of hard fighting down range.

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The SEAL community is different than any other in the Navy. The highly trained elite force is small, consisting of about 2,500 sailors in total. SEAL teams are divided into eight platoons  units of about 16 men  who eat, sleep and fight together.

Gallagher was the chief of a platoon.

While war crimes prosecutions against SEALs are rare, Hiner said, when members of a platoon are pitted against each other, such as in the Gallagher case, it takes a toll on the SEAL community.

Its very rare that anyone inside of a team would make these allegations, he said. Its a very tight culture. This has rippled through the community. Its very detrimental to everyone.

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Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter.Americans annually observe a national holiday on the third Monday of January. Often called MLK Day, the holiday honors the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birth date is January 15  this year, the observance fell on Jan. 21. Honoring Dr. King here in San Diego, one of the earliest celebrations (in more ways than one) was the 34th annual Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Dignity Award Breakfast. Held on Jan. 18, it began promptly at 6 a.m.  and many of the guests arrived early.

The first time this event was held, 33 years ago, it drew 150 participants to the YMCAs gymnasium. But the annual affair grew quite popular, and it expanded to much larger facilities. Dee Sanford chaired the event this year, as she has for 21 consecutive years. (She insists this will be her last time  but can she resist the pressure to return?) About 1,500 people attended, including numerous dignitaries, government officials and a broad spectrum of San Diego residents just like you and me. The Atlas ballroom in Hotel Circles Town and Country accommodated them all, and multiple breakfast buffets offered pastries, fruit, French toast, potatoes, eggs, delightfully crisp bacon and more.

Serena Hendle, Ashley Campbell, Lorna de los Santos, Capt. Phil Collum (Chula Vista PD), Nina Cornelius, JoAnn Fields (Photo by Vincent Andrunas)

KGTV-10s Virginia Cha emceed the program, which began at 7 with the Presentation of the Colors by San Diegos Buffalo Soldiers chapter. Guests joined the MLK Community Choir in Lift Every Voice and Sing, JRF-YMCA board chair Tony Russell welcomed guests and sponsors, Mayor Kevin Faulconer declared that the event represented the best of who we are as a community, and YMCA-SD County president/CEO Baron Herdelin-Doherty delivered an inspiring message. Honor student Aaron Reynolds spoke eloquently about the importance of MLKs teachings. Hes a brilliant young man well surely hear more about in the future.

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The 2019 Human Dignitary Award went to the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. Founder Azim Khamisa and board member Ples Felix accepted, and each spoke briefly but meaningfully. The compelling story of how they turned a terrible tragedy into an act of grace and forgiveness and a partnership for restorative justice and conflict resolution should be required reading for all people.

Featured speaker Dr. Steven Jones concluded the main program with a powerful speech about MLKs values, reminding us that nobody achieves equity and justice alone and we must all stand up and stand together. After an opportunity prize drawing, Living the Dream pledge and benediction, the event closed with the singing of three stanzas of We Shall Overcome.They are the oddest of oddities when it comes to buying beer, existing on their own curious little islands.

Store-brand beers.

They are Simpler Times Lager and Stockyard Oatmeal Stout, Wernesgruner Pilsner and Kirkland Signature IPA: the brands you see nowhere but the one chain of stores that carries them.

Trader Joes has the most robust and legendary selection of proprietary beer brands, but it is not alone. Aldi. Costco. Walmart has dabbled in beer  which led to a lawsuit claiming the brands were wholesale fiction designed to fool customers. Walgreens experimented with its own brand, Big Flats 1901. It was very cheap  $2.99 for a six-pack!  and very bad. It has been discontinued.

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Still, such brands endure for a simple reason: The price is right. The downside, however, is that quality can be spotty  and in some cases, dreadful.

But not always. Back when Trader Joes Mission St. Pale Ale was made by Firestone Walker Brewing, the beer won three Great American Beer Festival medals in four years. While none of the current crop of store brands quite rises to such heights, several are worth considering  especially at those prices.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, one of winters biggest beer-drinking weekends, I tasted through 30 brands, looking for the good, the bad and the really bad. I found them.

A couple of notes: I couldnt find the Walmart brands despite checking with several stores. The company did not reply to questions about the status of its beer program.

Also, I couldnt find Trader Joes well-regarded Mission St. pale ale or IPA, and representatives from multiple stores said thats because its no longer made. The beer was most recently brewed by Uinta Brewing in Salt Lake City, but that relationship has ended, according to the brewery.

But the offerings at Trader Joes, Aldi and Costco remain fairly robust. Heres how they fared, grouped by Buy It, Not Bad and Skip It. Prices are for six-packs of 12-ounce cans or bottles, unless otherwise noted.

BUY IT

Euphony Lager (Trader Joes)

This beer is credited to Campanology Brewing, but like most brands here, thats a front. Who makes all of these beers can be found with a bit of digging and intuition, and in this case, the answer is Octopi Brewing, a well-regarded contract brewery outside of Madison, Wis., that just snagged Goose Islands brewmaster. It is little wonder that Octopis private brands for Trader Joes would be among the best on this list. Euphony shows expert balance: crisp hop bite, deft softness and vague grainlike sweetness in the finish. Hand this to Bud drinkers, and theyll be happy. Hand it to craft beer drinkers, and theyll be happy. It is also the rare, if not only, supermarket brand to feature the Brewers Associations independent craft brewer seal, should you care about that sort of thing. $5.99

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Caco-Phony (Trader Joes)

Another winner from Octopi that can please beer nerds and novices alike. This is a low-key, accessible pale ale showcasing Mosaic hops and offering notes of ripe orange and grapefruit amid a bready malt backbone. For this price? A steal. $5.99

Wernesgruner Pilsner (Aldi)

This German lager is imported to the U.S. exclusively for Aldi, hailing from a brewery that touts roots to 1436. Wernesgruners flagship pilsner isnt quite a revelation, but it is a winner: full bodied, with a pleasant muscular bite and crisp bitter edge. Its a legit European import thats $3 to $5 cheaper than six-packs of Heineken or Stella. Id prefer it to either. $5.99

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Josephsbrau Plznr (Trader Joes)

This Czech-style lager made by Californias Gordon Biersch Brewing is tidy and refreshing, tied together with a slight charge of late bitterness. Not flashy, but well done. $6.49

Mission St. Belgian Style White Ale (Trader Joes)

Bright and fruity, boasting the standard witbier notes of coriander and orange peel, though this version has a particularly juicy orange character. Could stand to dry out a touch more, but refreshing, well-done and a superior, cheaper option to Blue Moon. It remains on shelves, but as stated above, perhaps not for long. $6.99

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Josephsbrau Radler (Trader Joes)

I was surprised how admirably this restrained take on lemon beer (as the label says) went down. The lemon character could shine through a bit more; I found this beer curiously apple-ish. But this radler manages to load up on fruit flavor while maintaining beer character  unlike, say, Bud Light Orange. $6.49

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout (Trader Joes)

Another solid Gordon Biersch offering: fairly robust and roasty with a chocolaty finish  especially for a slight 5.2 percent alcohol. Fun fact: Years back, this beer was made by Chicagos very own Goose Island. $6.49

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Josephsbrau Heller Bock (Trader Joes)

Maibock is a German style of beer mostly enjoyed by old-school beer lovers. Frankly, Im surprised Trader Joes would invest in offering it. But Heller Bock is well-done: a sweet malt bomb, rich with bready notes and elements of raisin and plum, tempered by a bit of bitterness in the finish. A touch syrupy for my liking, but a solid representation of the style, especially for the price. Yet another respectable entry from Gordon Biersch. $6.49

NOT BAD

Trader Jose Dark Lager (Trader Joes)

A little nutty-toffee note makes this perfectly drinkable and lends a bit of welcome weight for a Mexican lager. $5.99

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Trader Jose Premium Lager (Trader Joes)

Premium is a bit of a stretch, but this Corona/Modelo knockoff is pleasantly skunky, just crisp enough to avoid becoming too slick on the tongue (as the worst Mexican lagers can be). Id much rather have Pacifico than this. But Id take this over a Corona. $5.99

Kinroo Blue (Aldi)

Made exclusively for Aldi, this is a dessertlike take on a Belgian wit, boasting fairly rich and silky texture, with orange peel notes that lurch into orange sherbet overtones. Its a bit much, but the beer is well-executed. Another surefire way to please Blue Moon drinkers, with decent odds theyll prefer the deeper, richer flavor here. $6.49

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Farm Island Organic IPA (Trader Joes)

Made by Peak Organic Brewing in Portland, Maine, this is perfectly fine for an organic IPA with little to distinguish it among the thousands of IPAs out there. A bit of tropical fruit character but not much depth. Among the most expensive Trader Joes brands. $7.99

Farm Island Organic Session IPA (Trader Joes)

Less booze (4.8 percent alcohol) and even less character than its big brother while still retaining elements of a very easy-drinking IPA. Sometimes thats what you want. $7.99

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Kirkland Signature IPA (Costco)

Believe it: Costcos IPA isnt bad. It is malt forward and fairly balanced by contemporary standards, lacking much interesting hop character: standard notes of orange-grapefruit crossed with woody pine. Clean, middling and perfectly fine if you just need an IPA in the fridge. $19.99 as part of mixed 24-pack

Kirkland Signature APA (Costco)

Thats right, the pale ale is respectable, too, threading the needle as passable without a hint of excitement to be found. From an icy cooler on Super Bowl Sunday, you could do worse. $19.99 as part of mixed 24-pack

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Black Toad Dark Ale (Trader Joes)

Another Gordon Biersch offering. A bit syrupy, but a borderline thumbs-up for anyone after an approachable dark ale with elements of roast and char. $6.49

Boatswain Chocolate Stout (Trader Joes)

The best of Trader Joes Boatswain family  all made by Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wis.  but only because it manages to be relatively inoffensive amid its elements of roast and chocolate. Its easy to hide imperfections behind a beer like this  and Minhas likely does  but thats fine. $4.99

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SKIP IT

Simpler Times Lager (Trader Joes)

This TJs classic, also made by Minhas, has become an icon of sorts for both its packaging and its price. But its an odd beer, with a sweet aroma and strangely robust at 6.2 percent alcohol. Apply that $4 toward something better. $3.99

Simpler Times Pilsner (Trader Joes)

As unpleasant as the lager. $3.99

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Folded Mountains Pale Ale (Aldi)

This unimaginative, one-note take on a pale ale might have passed muster in 2003. Today? No. $6.49

Wild Range IPA (Aldi)

Similar to Folded Mountains; just more of it. $6.99

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Monterrey (Aldi)

A beer most will perceive as Mexican is actually a product of Guatemala. Thin and bright up front with hints of skunk and sulfur (not bad!), but a cloying, grainy finish (bad!). $5.49

Josephsbrau Hefeweizen (Trader Joes)

One of the lesser Gordon Biersch offerings. Reminiscent of hot-dog water. $6.49

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Josephsbrau Drive Thru Red (Trader Joes)

Just sort of there, with little to distinguish it. $6.49

Alternate Dimension (Trader Joes)

I love a good altbier, but this is too thin and papery to be that. $6.49

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Boatswain IPA (Trader Joes)

Another strange beer, marked by thick sweetness. Tastes like bananas. $4.99

Boatswain Double IPA (Trader Joes)

Twice the unpleasantness as Boatswain IPA. $4.99

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Boatswain H.L.V. Ale (Trader Joes)

The Boatswain family is a mess. $4.99

Kirkland Signature Brown Ale (Costco)

Not very brown and not very good. Reminiscent of bad home brew. $19.99 as part of mixed 24-pack

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Kirkland Signature Stout (Costco)

So roasty, its akin to licking coffee beans. No balance. No harmony. No thanks. $19.99 as part of mixed 24-pack

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @hopnotes

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MORE COVERAGE

Goose Island calls dibs on settling age-old Chicago debate with new Dibs beer 

Middle Brow finally arrives after 8-year journey with opening of Bungalow brewpub 

Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: How Goose Island sale to Anheuser-Busch changed craft beer 

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-->Several North County school districts are updating their Local Control and Accountability Plans through meetings and/or web-based surveys. Parents, students, teachers and residents are invited to share ideas about students education.

Every California school district, county office of education, and charter school is required to have a three-year Local Control and Accountability Plan. The LCAP describes the districts overall vision for students, what results it expects, and what actions it will take to achieve those results. It also shows how a districts budget is aligned with its goals and priorities, and with the states education priorities.

Each districts LCAP must focus on eight areas identified as priorities by the state Department of Education: access to core services, implementation of Common Core State Standards, access to a broad course of study, student achievement, other student outcomes, student engagement, parent involvement and school climate.

Attending meetings and/or taking surveys is a way for people in each school district to give input and help influence educational priorities and spending. The information is used by the districts to set next years goals and priorities. Check your districts website to see its LCAP.

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Among districts updating their plans and/or holding informational meetings this year:

Escondido Union Elementary School District: Meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose rooms at these schools: Monday, Oak Hill Elementary; Feb. 11, L.R. Green Elementary; and Feb. 25, Pioneer Elementary. Child care and translation provided. No reservations necessary.

Escondido Union High School District: Find a link to the districts survey at https://www.euhsd.org. Open through Feb. 28.

Oceanside Unified School District: Find the survey link at www.oside.k12.ca.us. Open through Feb. 15.

Poway Unified School District: Find the survey link at https://www.powayusd.com. Open through Feb. 15. The district is also holding these meetings at 6 p.m. in English: Tuesday, Twin Peaks Middle School; Wednesday, District Office Community Room; Thursday, Oak Valley Middle School Multi-Purpose Room. In Spanish: Thursday, Valley Elementary School. RSVP at https://goo.gl/forms/0oWJ7Wo1Lytf7JFP2.

Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District: Find the survey at https://vcpusd-ca.schoolloop.com.

Vista Unified School District: Take the survey at https://www.vistausd.org. Community meetings are scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rancho Buena Vista High School; Feb. 20, Rancho Minerva Middle School; and March 6 at Vista Innovation Center. Child care and interpretation provided.

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laura.groch@sduniontribune.comOceanside has approved more land surveys needed to acquire property for a long-sought extension of Melrose Drive, a project that some residents say is too expensive and unnecessary.

The extension is the 3,000-foot-long missing link between North Santa Fe Avenue and Spur Avenue at the Oceanside-Vista border. It would complete the north-south Melrose route between state routes 78 and 76.

Opponents of the idea say that, at an estimated cost of about $42 million, the Melrose project would do little to improve traffic and would take money from more important capital improvements, such as unfinished sections of the Coastal Rail Trail.

Construction would require the city to obtain several pieces of private property and a small part of the eastern end of Guajome Regional Park.

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Councilwoman Esther Sanchez cast the only vote last month against updating the citys surveying contract with NV5, a national engineering and consulting firm with a San Diego office. The change hikes the original $50,000 contract approved July 25, 2017, to a maximum of $168,612.

Sanchez called the contract a waste of valuable and finite taxpayer funds and said there are less expensive alternatives that would provide better access to Route 76.

A survey of 500 Oceanside residents showed most of them want the extension, Councilman Jack Feller said.

Ive supported the extension of Melrose and the opening of every road we can to benefit Oceanside residents, Feller said. Some of the users might be from out of town, but it takes them off other roads, and thats an important thing.

He and other council members said the project deserves more study, and that additional approvals would be needed before construction could begin.

The reality is this project should have been completed many, many years ago at a much lower cost, said Councilman Chris Rodriguez.

The failure to complete the Melrose work has created unnecessary tensions and problems, he said, and its time to proceed with the work.

The idea has been kicked about for at least 15 years. There was a setback in 2004, when the council voted 3-2 to drop funding for engineering studies needed for the project. Councilman Jack Feller tried to place the proposal on the ballot in 2006, but his motion failed by a 3-2 vote.

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Another hurdle popped up in 2011, when the nonprofit Preserve Calavera filed a lawsuit challenging an environmental impact report for the project saying that, among other things, it failed to consider the environmental effects on Guajome Regional Park. A settlement reached later that year required the city to limit the 3,000-foot extension to four lanes instead of six, reducing the footprint of the project.

At the time, city officials said their tentative plan was to finish construction by 2030. The plan included a 4-foot median, 6-foot-wide bike lanes on each side of Melrose, a 10-foot-wide sidewalk on one side, and a 10-foot-wide trail on the other side.

A proposal to spend $1.4 million on additional design and environmental work for the contract was approved in 2012 by a 3-2 vote with then-Mayor Jim Wood and Sanchez opposed to the road project.

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philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehlLt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis visited Cal State San Marcos Friday, in the first stop on a listening tour of Californias university campuses.

The trip, which also included a stop at San Diego State University Friday afternoon, was part of her plan to learn about the campuses shell represent as a member of their governing bodies. The lieutenant governor serves on both the University of California Board of Regents, and the California State University Board of Trustees.

Im starting my time on these bodies with the ability to go to campuses directly to hear from stakeholders, she said.

At Cal State San Marcos, Kounalakis met with administrators, talked to students and learned about some of the universitys specialized programs and services. That included the ACE Scholars Services, which supports former foster youth on the campus, helping them navigate college life.

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Guiding her around the campus, student Kenny Tran described other amenities of Cal State San Marcos, from a student surf club to a 24-hour library study center.

Were trying to find those key things on campuses that are unique and really stand out, Kounalakis said.

She also stopped by the Pride Center, which serves students who identify with all genders and sexualities.

On her way there, she encountered Professor Joely Proudfit, chair of American Indian Studies and director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos.

We have the largest Native American population per capita, Proudfit told the lieutenant governor.

Intrigued, Kounalakis made a quick detour to view the center, where she and Proudfit discussed the needs and opportunities of Native American students.

Gov. Newsoms proposed 2019-20 budget includes $36.4 billion for higher education, a $1.43 billion increase over the previous year. Among the issues Kounalakis wants to tackle are student life, and the cost of living on campus.

While there are ways to cover tuition, there are fewer ways to cover other costs, she said. That creates a barrier to attendance.

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The statewide tour of all 23 Cal State and 10 UC campuses will continue from San Diego County to UC Berkeley on Feb. 15. The tour will continue throughout the state, from San Diego to Humboldt, during the following months.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennanA 25-year-old Escondido man accused of beating his older sister to death two weeks ago  a mother of three small children  was also the gang member whose actions instigated a tragic shooting in 2017 that killed a woman on her way home from Bible study, officials say.

Minutes before Catherine Kennedy, 55, was struck by a bullet as she drove home from church in Escondido, Jose Enrique Bautista and a fellow Westside gang member had gone to the Pepperwood Apartments to tag a building.

Pepperwood was claimed by Westsides longtime rival game, the Diablos, and Bautista and his partner were seen putting graffiti on a wall by Diablos gang member Dionicio Torrez Jr., who leapt from his porch to give chase, according to court testimony.

Bautista and another gang member jumped into a waiting Prius and drove off as Torrez pulled out a gun and fired 12 rounds. Some hit the Prius, but not its occupants. One stray bullet hit Kennedy.

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Last October, Torrez was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Meanwhile, Bautista disappeared immediately after the Kennedy shooting, which took place the night of March 7,2017. He was located more than a year later, on the run, in Nebraska. He was eventually extradited back to San Diego County in late 2018.

He was jailed on a charge of felony vandalism as well as some lesser charges, including a probation violation. Officials said the law wouldnt allow for him to be charged with crimes directly linked to the Kennedy killing. Bautista, after all, was the intended shooting victim.

Its really a sad series of events when you look at how much destruction this individual has caused over a short period of time, said Deputy District Attorney Laurie Hauf, who prosecuted Torrez in the Kennedy murder case and is prosecuting Bautista on the vandalism charge.

Unfortunately, you can only hold somebody on felony vandalism for so much (bail and time), she said.

In October, Hauf asked Vista Superior Court Judge James E. Simmons Jr. to set Bautistas bail at $75,000, citing his involvement in the Kennedy shooting.

He was one of the individuals that precipitated a response, a very deadly response, she said.

Normally, bail for a felony vandalism charge would be under $20,000, but the judge set it at $50,000 in part because of past convictions and his gang ties.

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But a month later, Bautista was able to make bail, and about two months after that, during a family argument, police say he beat his 27-year old sister, Laura Elizabeth Bautista, who died three days later at a hospital from the assault.

Bautista has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting his next trial date on charges he murdered his sister.

After his most recent arrest, some in law enforcement criticized the legal system that allowed Bautista to be free.

Hauf understands. She said her office looked at all charging options in October, but unfortunately the law as it was then, and definitely as it is now, wouldnt permit that type of charging.

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jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjonesThe Tenders Board has yet to announce its decision on which company has secured the contract for the supply of bulk fuel to Samoa.

Petroleum Products Supplies (PPS) Ltd became the first local company to run and manage the fuel distribution system when it won the contract in 2003.

The five-year contract comprised offshore supply of bulk petroleum fuels to the country, management and maintenance of the fuel terminal and depots on behalf of the Samoa Government, and the local distribution of bulk petroleum fuels to all customers.

The term of the contract was to have ended last year with bids invited.

The Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, who is also the Chairman of the Tenders Board, has yet to respond to emails about the matter.

Attempts to get a comment from the Deputy Chair of the Tenders Board, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, who is also the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, were also unsuccessful.

Questions from the Samoa Observer included the cost of the contract, how many companies submitted bids, and the length of the contract.

The contract had been held by PPS.

Questions sent to Petroleum Products Supplies Ltd Chief Executive Officer, Fanene Etuale Sefo, have also yet to be responded to.

According to the Petroleum Products Supplies Ltd website, in 2003, the company  in partnership with Shell Fiji Ltd  successfully bid for the sole petroleum fuel supply and distribution contract in Samoa.

In early 2009, the fuel contract was re-tendered and Petroleum Products Supplies Ltd was again successful in securing another five-year contract term.Alex Wong/Getty Images(MIAMI) -- Vice President Mike Pence held a roundtable discussion with exiles from Venezuela in South Florida on Friday, vowing to stand with them "until the suffering is over and freedom is restored" and reinforcing the Trump administration's support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.



"On behalf of President Donald Trump, let me assure you, we are with you. The American people are with you," Pence told the group of exiles, calling them "courageous."



Pence's trip to Miami came as the Trump administration continued to challenge Nicolas Maduro's claim to the presidency. Pence called him a "dictator."



"We're very moved by all the stories we've heard but by the clear intention by each of you to speak on behalf of all of those others who have gone through what you've gone through and are still going through it right now," Pence said.



Some of the exiles thanked the administration for its support and told personal stories of opposing Maduro's regime and having to flee the country.



One exile, George Arellano, described how he and his wife escaped.



"It was a very traumatic crossing because of lack of transportation, lack of gas, lack of cash -- innumerable technical difficulties to get out of the country," Arellano said through a translator.



After fleeing to the United States, Arellano said his father was kidnapped back in Venezuela. Arellano said the threat to his father's life forced him to end his political activism.



Although Arellano, along and his wife Mayra Lopez, left a year ago, they say the problems back home have only gotten worse.



"It's very hard to have a fractured family. We had to leave our family behind ... the situation is terrible," she added.



Rafael Gottenger, a Miami-based doctor, expressed concern about a shortage of doctors and medical supplies.



"Just a week ago, we remembered the Holocaust. I am a Holocaust descendant. My father and mother were in the Holocaust, "Gottenger said.



Holding up photos of sick children, he said he was in disbelief that the world is confronting another political and humanitarian crisis. "Now we see the opportunity for the reconstructive of the Venezuelan health care system," Gottenger said.



He told Pence and other elected officials that aid efforts need to begin immediately.



"We've been working years to try and open up that humanitarian aid that we need for Venezuela," he said.



Pence thanked Sen. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, all Republicans who came to the round table discussion, for their continued support.



"Those of us in public service often get a chance to do very meaningful things but rarely do we get a chance to do historic great things and the cause of freedom is historic and great," Rubio stated.



Following the roundtable discussion, Pence gave remarks at Iglesia Doral Jesus Worship Center in Doral, Florida, reinforcing the administration's strong support for Guaido following threats by Maduro against the opposition leader's family.



"The safety and security of Guaido and his family are of great importance to the American people," Pence said.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.RTHK: Indonesia recaptures French fugitive

A French drug suspect on the run since escaping from an Indonesian jail nearly two weeks ago has been recaptured, police said on Saturday.

Felix Dorfin -- who faces the death penalty if convicted -- was found hiding in a forest in North Lombok on Friday night, police said, and was returned to jail in Mataram, capital of the island.

Wearing dishevelled black clothes and looking tired, Dorfin initially tried to bribe officers to let him go.

"He didn't resist arrest, but wanted to bribe our officers," North Lombok police chief Herman Suriyono said Saturday, adding he was found following a tip-off from locals in the area.

After being checked by medical teams he was returned to jail.

The 35-year-old Frenchman was arrested in September allegedly carrying a false-bottomed suitcase filled with four kilogrammes (8.8 pounds) of drugs -- including cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines -- at the airport on the holiday island next to Bali.

On Friday officials said a female police officer had been arrested for allegedly helping Dorfin escape in exchange for Rp 14.5 million (around $1,000).

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where corruption is endemic at all levels of society and inmates often held in squalid and poorly guarded prisons.

In 2017, four foreign inmates tunnelled their way out of Bali's Kerobokan prison.

Two of them were captured a few days later, but an Australian and Malaysian are still at large. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.